Please note that this is my first campaign run through the P&PI, so I do not have as much DM'ing experience as most of the DMs around here. I would, however, like to set some ground rules.
1) Roleplaying is heavily encouraged. As the focus of this campaign is interacting with the world of Alara, not on mixmaxing and munchkin-izing your character, I encourage, and even reward, good roleplayers.
2) Metagaming will be met with dire consequences, anywhere from the DM picking on you to a your character meeting a terrible fate. Remember the differences between "out of character" and "in character". My local playgroup has a problem with this, and I'd like that problem to stay there--it's stressful enough with them as is.
3) In combat, I'm not going to wait around for people who don't post. If it's been a day and you haven't posted, your turn is getting skipped. I will take the most obvious action for that character in that case. If you are going to be gone for a long period of time (more than a day or two) PLEASE let me know. If you're going to be gone for a very long period and you know someone you trust who would be willing to fill in for your character, that would be even better.
4) Anyone posting in here other than a player or someone I authorize to do so will be reported to a P&PI moderator.
5) If you have any questions, bring them up with me in a PM. Do not clutter up the campaign thread with unnecessary posts.
--- Crypt of Knowledge, Palandius Outskirts, Esper ---
The morning sun cut through the artisan-wrought clouds in a way that brilliantly illuminated the eastern rooms of the Crypt of Knowledge, shedding light on a bookshelf whose contents are seldom read. A lone, pale vedalken placed a blank scroll on a nearby desk, then telepathically removed an ancient tome from the shelf. He gave a quick glance around to make sure no one was watching before he began copying a spell from its pages.
A half hour later, distant, but audible, wingbeats broke the silence. The vedalken finished copying the spell, telepathically shelved the book, then rolled up his scroll. By the time he had packed up, the source of the noise had arrived at a nearby balcony, grabbing the attention of everyone on the floor. The slender, white sphinx faced the pale individual. "A summons from the Hegemon," she communicated directly with his mind. "Come to her tower this afternoon."
At first, Aurum could barely comprehend the Sphinx's words, though he had been trained in their parlance ever since he was a young child. "Summons from the Hegemon?" the cleric mouthed to himself, his filigree lips making soft harmonies as they struck each other. One is never summoned by the Hegemon. If one is lucky enough and studies long enough, he may be able to deem himself worthy of speaking with her by means of the discovery of some brilliant riddle. But to be personally sought out? Blasphemous. Never-the-less, better to answer the summons than to sit denying the possibility...
Heedless of the similarly awestruck, envious, and in some cases even brooding glances from his peers, Aurum quickly made to follow the Sphinx, his bronze locks swaying ever so slightly behind him.
So many thoughts flew through Aurum's head as he took the elevator down to the ground floor. The more experienced staff turned their heads toward the healer, able to see the vibrant colors of his active mind. As he left the Crypt, his eyes shifted to the sky, following the sphinx as best he could.
Just as he left the outskirts of the vedalken metropolis behind, the awe-strikingly gorgeous tower came into view. Rising over even the tallest of Esper's skyscrapers, it had to rise at least three hundred feet above the chilling, murky waters. Though the sun shined through gaps in the clouds, it didn't do much to warm Esper's cold climate.
It was already going on late morning by the time Aurum arrived at the tower's entrance. To his surprise, a partially-filigreed human was also standing at the entrance, his eyes toward a timepiece.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A mere ten days after the Mending, a young knight of Valeron and a young ranger of Eos made a discovery that would change Alara forever.
His verdigris eyes barely shifting into a cooler hue, the cleric fixed a cold stare at the Human. Aurum had been opposed to bestowing the duller race with the blessing of Filigree. These aren't the true disciples of the Sphinxi, some did not even concern themselves with the magical arts, divine or otherwise. "Crucius would have never accepted this were he here," Aurum mused quietly to himself as he approached the human. Briefly looking at the timepiece, he observed he had some time with which to send this being back to his race's quarter.
"Sapein," Aurum said like steel, "What business have you outside of Tidehollow."
"Hmp." Aero smirked arrogantly. "I'm not surprised that a pompous fool like yourself would treat me like scrap." He reached into his bag as he watched the vedalken carefully. He pulled out his dagger, twirled it a bit in his fingers, then pointed it at the vedalken, not close enough to even be threatening. "I've done quite enough for your kind and it's time you paid the piper. I'll be out of your hair soon enough and you'll be fine if you comply with my request. I'm no fool. I overheard the sphinx. I know you're blessed with a visit to the Hedgemon. I simply ask, you take me with you. It would be rather unfortunate for you to have a chance enounter with this manablade..."
OOC: Raikou Rider requested to take control of Aero for a bit for flavor and story progression purposes.
Just like a Sapien, Aurum thought. Fine, I'll let the Hegemon deal with this whelp, one does not simply gain an audience uninvited. Maybe she'll have him stripped of his filigree.
Compartmentalizing the pleasing thought for another time, Aurum opened his mouth to speak. "Very well, Sapien. I'm sure the Hegemon is eagerly awaiting you."
"This way," Aurum continued, passing through the door to the tower, ensuring it closed behind him.
The interior of the tower was, in every way, aesthetically pleasing. Powerful wizards lined the main corridor, carefully eying Aero. Aurum led the way to the back of the ground floor, toward the main elevator. They boarded the car, and it started climbing. Five floors. Ten floors. Fifteen floors. Twenty floors. The height of the tower boggled Aero's mind. "Incredible..." he said aloud.
The elevator began slowing down upon reaching the sixtieth level. Sixty-five. Sixty-six. Sixty-seven. Sixty-eight. Sixty-nine. When the car stopped and the doors opened, the two took in quite a view from the windows on the east side; a great view of not only Vectis, but Cloudheath and the Glass Dunes as well. A feminine voice filled the room shortly after, ringing particularly loudly in Aurum's mind: "It is time."
An electronic, six-panel door opened, revealing the exquisite chamber of the wisest and most powerful of Esper sphinxes: Sharuum. The tower roof retracted slightly to allow more sunlight to enter her chamber. "Welcome, Aurum and Aero."
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A mere ten days after the Mending, a young knight of Valeron and a young ranger of Eos made a discovery that would change Alara forever.
Beautiful and elegant though the tower was, this was nothing new for Aurum, having been here many times before while serving as Crucius' scribe. Though likely he was just as astounded when he was first here, presently he held nothing but contempt for the arrogant human. On the elevator, blankly observing the passing floors and wonders of the tower, Aurum keenly noted the Sapien's poorly restrained emotions. He considered briefly how if he were human, he might have sniffed in disdain, before realizing his thoughts and inwardly berating himself for the hypothetical. Crucius would be displeased, Aurum thought.
Crucius would been most definitely displeased at the expression of shock that crossed Aurum's eyes when he heard Sharuum utter a name that was not his own.
OOC: And with that, I've gotta go. Choir concert and piano final tomorrow, doubt I'll be able to contribute much before tomorrow.
"Stand, both of you." Aero and Aurum rose to their feet on command. "I must apologize for bringing you both here on such short notice, but there is a matter of great importance to be discussed. Surely, you have noticed the shift of mana along the borderlands of Esper, particularly in her darker regions." In a flash of blue, Sharuum projected a slide show on the wall to her right.
"Deep within the cryptic pages of the Filigree Texts," she continued, "there is a tale of a united world deep in the past--a past before even my time. For the past fifty years, we have been studying foreigh mana signatures increasing in strength. This is quite strong evidence in favor of the Mending Theory. Within the last week, we have been able to trace these foreign mana signatures all the way along the borders of the Glass Dunes, the Carmot Mines, and the roads that run above the Inkwell."
"And what does this have to do with us?" Aero scowled.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A mere ten days after the Mending, a young knight of Valeron and a young ranger of Eos made a discovery that would change Alara forever.
"This has everything to do with you," she resumed. "Aurum, I recognized your prowess in the past several weeks, and felt that you and Aero would be the best candidate for the job. The two of you together would well-represent Esper in this endeavor."
"...You're joking," Aero scoffed.
"All I request is you perform an investigation of these inconsistencies along one of Esper's borders, and report back any findings when the time is convenient. Do either of you have any questions as to your mission, or any questions pertaining to the issue at hand?"
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A mere ten days after the Mending, a young knight of Valeron and a young ranger of Eos made a discovery that would change Alara forever.
Aero coughed to show the vedalken he was capable of hearing him. He approached the Sphinx, walking in an arrogant swagger, showing no signs of respect for the sphinx. Something in his gut told him it would anger the vedalken much more than the sphinx.
Aero raised his hand, as if in an academy setting. "Yeah, I got a few." He quickly shot a glace towards the vedalken, fishing for some kind of glare. Anyone could tell by the look in Aero's eyes that he was doing this for his own amusement now. "What's the Mending Theory? Are you inferring that you know of places beyond Esper?" He placed a strangely cryptic emphasis on beyond. He smirked. "Perhaps some can fade from Esper as these new borders,as you call them, are bleeding into Esper?"
"I will explain everything," Sharuum continued. "Over a thousand years ago, Esper was a fifth of a world known as Alara. Some unknown force rent Alara in five, and each of the five worlds evolved. As the foreign mana signatures have been getting stronger, we have been able to infer a few things about the remainder of the world. If the Mending Theory holds, the disturbances should represent Alara coming back together. That is where you two come in. We would like you to investigate the signatures from beyond the Glass Dunes. Our preliminary research indicates a world similarly structured to our own, but much less...perfect."
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A mere ten days after the Mending, a young knight of Valeron and a young ranger of Eos made a discovery that would change Alara forever.
The concept of a world beyond Esper excited Aurum, who for some reason had not heard of such a thing. Perhaps this is where Crucius vanished to!
"It would be my honor to undertake this task. I'll even take this one along if it is your will."
Aero was annoyed. "Thanks sphinx. Thanks a bunch for completely beating around my questions." He stared at the beast coldly for a good bit longer than a simple moment. Something was going on in Aero's mind. Aero finally blinked. "There's now point trying, I'm not getting my answers. At least not now. I'll go with this vedalken. But when we return, I demand answers!"
At that, Aero turned and began to storm off towards the door. Something in his gut told him he had just been played.
"Thank you, both of you," she simply answered. "I shall arrange for a team of gargoyles to take you across the Glass Dunes and to the border tomorrow morning. You won't have to cross that hazardous place on foot." Just as Aero was stomping out the door, Sharuum grabbed his attention again. "I cannot assure that you will receive the answers you are seeking, Aero, but I will answer your questions when the time is right."
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A mere ten days after the Mending, a young knight of Valeron and a young ranger of Eos made a discovery that would change Alara forever.
Aurum did not condescend himself to tell Aero off, but it was clear from his expression that he was pleased that this troubling Human received as much benefit from this audience as he deserved. What was he expecting, daring to ask Her these questions. As though she were a common scholar. This knowledge was above Aurum's own ranking, this homunculus was lucky he did not find himself devoured, or even imprisoned for merely thinking himself worthy of it.
Turning back around to again face the Hegemon, Aurum's eyes shifted into an inquisitive shade of violet. "Is there anything else I may do to serve thee before I leave to prepare for this journey, oh kin of Crucius?"
As the word Aero passed upon the lips of the Sphinx, Aero froze. His eyes widened as he turned to face the sphinx once again, ready to grab his mana blade, just in case. The sphinx only smiled at him. She must have known, he thought to himself. The look in the sphinx's eyes only proved Aero's theory, at least to himself. Mark my words, Aero thought, hoping the Sphinx would hear him, I will find the one I seek, and you will help me.
The next morning, Aurum and Aero returned to Sharuum's quarters, finding the roof fully retracted and a pair of aether-clad gargoyles standing on the balcony. "I have more advice for you. You may want to hide your etherium enhancements after crossing the border, whether through physically covering them up or through illusion. I have little idea how foreigners would react to it, but it is best to be safe. Secondly, our research indicates that the braid of mana beyond the border consists of blue and white magic similar to ours, but instead of black mana, they harness an unknown agent. To shroud your identities as much as possible, refrain from casting black magic unless absolutely necessary."
"Thank you, Hegemon," Aurum bowed.
"One last thing. The Ethersworn of Palandius have prepared a first-aid package in case you two run into hostile bio-forms during your investigation. Please take these."
Obtained 5 Potions of Life Burst (Cure Light Wounds)! Obtained 2 Potions of Restore Ability!
"I wish you the greatest of luck in your investigation. Do not worry about the timing of your return; I am willing to hear your stories when it is convenient for you to return." The two carefully climbed aboard the gargoyles, and they leaped into the morning sky.
After a fairly long flight, the texture of both the sky and the sand began changing. The farther eastward they flew, the more grainy the sand became, and the more billowy and continuous the blue sky's clouds became. The border itself was definitely less rigid than Sharuum's lanugage made it out to be. Aurum and Aero kept their eyes peeled for these hostile creatures she mentioned, but could not find them. Perhaps the rising temperature was getting to their heads.
Several miles later, Aurum caught a glimpse of a human wandering the desert below, his skin unusually reflective.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A mere ten days after the Mending, a young knight of Valeron and a young ranger of Eos made a discovery that would change Alara forever.
Morpheous walked along the sands feeling the heat on his metal body. His scimitar was sheathed on his back and his clock swirled in the wind. His mind and whatever was left of his heart was wracked with guilt as he walked among the sands. He wasn't sure where he was exactly but from the readings of mana he felt among the sands told him he was in a place that was heavy with white mana. All he knew he was somewhere different, somewhere that wasn't Esper. He was tired and decided to sit down and rest for a bit. He sensed there were others nearby but he wasn't sure where they were coming from and decided to wait until they got closer.
Alabran - Aurum
Halinn - Nevaq
silence_dais - Morpheous
Charm_Master3125 - Amy
Sir Auron25 - Aereander
-------------------
Please note that this is my first campaign run through the P&PI, so I do not have as much DM'ing experience as most of the DMs around here. I would, however, like to set some ground rules.
1) Roleplaying is heavily encouraged. As the focus of this campaign is interacting with the world of Alara, not on mixmaxing and munchkin-izing your character, I encourage, and even reward, good roleplayers.
2) Metagaming will be met with dire consequences, anywhere from the DM picking on you to a your character meeting a terrible fate. Remember the differences between "out of character" and "in character". My local playgroup has a problem with this, and I'd like that problem to stay there--it's stressful enough with them as is.
3) In combat, I'm not going to wait around for people who don't post. If it's been a day and you haven't posted, your turn is getting skipped. I will take the most obvious action for that character in that case. If you are going to be gone for a long period of time (more than a day or two) PLEASE let me know. If you're going to be gone for a very long period and you know someone you trust who would be willing to fill in for your character, that would be even better.
4) Anyone posting in here other than a player or someone I authorize to do so will be reported to a P&PI moderator.
5) If you have any questions, bring them up with me in a PM. Do not clutter up the campaign thread with unnecessary posts.
-------------------
Prologue: A Summons
Soundtrack: The Magopolis
--- Crypt of Knowledge, Palandius Outskirts, Esper ---
The morning sun cut through the artisan-wrought clouds in a way that brilliantly illuminated the eastern rooms of the Crypt of Knowledge, shedding light on a bookshelf whose contents are seldom read. A lone, pale vedalken placed a blank scroll on a nearby desk, then telepathically removed an ancient tome from the shelf. He gave a quick glance around to make sure no one was watching before he began copying a spell from its pages.
A half hour later, distant, but audible, wingbeats broke the silence. The vedalken finished copying the spell, telepathically shelved the book, then rolled up his scroll. By the time he had packed up, the source of the noise had arrived at a nearby balcony, grabbing the attention of everyone on the floor. The slender, white sphinx faced the pale individual. "A summons from the Hegemon," she communicated directly with his mind. "Come to her tower this afternoon."
Emille, Seven-Sting Dancer Shalin Nariya
Heedless of the similarly awestruck, envious, and in some cases even brooding glances from his peers, Aurum quickly made to follow the Sphinx, his bronze locks swaying ever so slightly behind him.
Just as he left the outskirts of the vedalken metropolis behind, the awe-strikingly gorgeous tower came into view. Rising over even the tallest of Esper's skyscrapers, it had to rise at least three hundred feet above the chilling, murky waters. Though the sun shined through gaps in the clouds, it didn't do much to warm Esper's cold climate.
It was already going on late morning by the time Aurum arrived at the tower's entrance. To his surprise, a partially-filigreed human was also standing at the entrance, his eyes toward a timepiece.
Emille, Seven-Sting Dancer Shalin Nariya
"Sapein," Aurum said like steel, "What business have you outside of Tidehollow."
OOC: Raikou Rider requested to take control of Aero for a bit for flavor and story progression purposes.
Compartmentalizing the pleasing thought for another time, Aurum opened his mouth to speak. "Very well, Sapien. I'm sure the Hegemon is eagerly awaiting you."
"This way," Aurum continued, passing through the door to the tower, ensuring it closed behind him.
The elevator began slowing down upon reaching the sixtieth level. Sixty-five. Sixty-six. Sixty-seven. Sixty-eight. Sixty-nine. When the car stopped and the doors opened, the two took in quite a view from the windows on the east side; a great view of not only Vectis, but Cloudheath and the Glass Dunes as well. A feminine voice filled the room shortly after, ringing particularly loudly in Aurum's mind: "It is time."
--- Sharuum's Chambers, Sharuum's Tower 69F, Esper ---
Soundtrack: Words of the Wise
An electronic, six-panel door opened, revealing the exquisite chamber of the wisest and most powerful of Esper sphinxes: Sharuum. The tower roof retracted slightly to allow more sunlight to enter her chamber. "Welcome, Aurum and Aero."
Emille, Seven-Sting Dancer Shalin Nariya
Crucius would been most definitely displeased at the expression of shock that crossed Aurum's eyes when he heard Sharuum utter a name that was not his own.
OOC: And with that, I've gotta go. Choir concert and piano final tomorrow, doubt I'll be able to contribute much before tomorrow.
"Deep within the cryptic pages of the Filigree Texts," she continued, "there is a tale of a united world deep in the past--a past before even my time. For the past fifty years, we have been studying foreigh mana signatures increasing in strength. This is quite strong evidence in favor of the Mending Theory. Within the last week, we have been able to trace these foreign mana signatures all the way along the borders of the Glass Dunes, the Carmot Mines, and the roads that run above the Inkwell."
"And what does this have to do with us?" Aero scowled.
Emille, Seven-Sting Dancer Shalin Nariya
"...You're joking," Aero scoffed.
"All I request is you perform an investigation of these inconsistencies along one of Esper's borders, and report back any findings when the time is convenient. Do either of you have any questions as to your mission, or any questions pertaining to the issue at hand?"
Emille, Seven-Sting Dancer Shalin Nariya
Aero raised his hand, as if in an academy setting. "Yeah, I got a few." He quickly shot a glace towards the vedalken, fishing for some kind of glare. Anyone could tell by the look in Aero's eyes that he was doing this for his own amusement now. "What's the Mending Theory? Are you inferring that you know of places beyond Esper?" He placed a strangely cryptic emphasis on beyond. He smirked. "Perhaps some can fade from Esper as these new borders,as you call them, are bleeding into Esper?"
Emille, Seven-Sting Dancer Shalin Nariya
"It would be my honor to undertake this task. I'll even take this one along if it is your will."
At that, Aero turned and began to storm off towards the door. Something in his gut told him he had just been played.
Emille, Seven-Sting Dancer Shalin Nariya
Turning back around to again face the Hegemon, Aurum's eyes shifted into an inquisitive shade of violet. "Is there anything else I may do to serve thee before I leave to prepare for this journey, oh kin of Crucius?"
Mark my words, Aero thought, hoping the Sphinx would hear him, I will find the one I seek, and you will help me.
"Thank you, Hegemon," Aurum bowed.
"One last thing. The Ethersworn of Palandius have prepared a first-aid package in case you two run into hostile bio-forms during your investigation. Please take these."
Obtained 5 Potions of Life Burst (Cure Light Wounds)!
Obtained 2 Potions of Restore Ability!
"I wish you the greatest of luck in your investigation. Do not worry about the timing of your return; I am willing to hear your stories when it is convenient for you to return." The two carefully climbed aboard the gargoyles, and they leaped into the morning sky.
--- Glass Dunes, Esper-Bant Border ---
Soundtrack: Enchanted Wasteland
After a fairly long flight, the texture of both the sky and the sand began changing. The farther eastward they flew, the more grainy the sand became, and the more billowy and continuous the blue sky's clouds became. The border itself was definitely less rigid than Sharuum's lanugage made it out to be. Aurum and Aero kept their eyes peeled for these hostile creatures she mentioned, but could not find them. Perhaps the rising temperature was getting to their heads.
Several miles later, Aurum caught a glimpse of a human wandering the desert below, his skin unusually reflective.
Emille, Seven-Sting Dancer Shalin Nariya
There was once [The Pack], but no more.
Perception -- Aurum, Aero, and Morpheous, spot checks.
Emille, Seven-Sting Dancer Shalin Nariya
Spot Check +3