"The mind is a doorway...
...one that you can walk through if you wish."
Summaries from Nathan's interactive storytelling sessions (otherwise known as DnD)
"The mind is a doorway...
...one that you can walk through if you wish."
Everyone gathers at Greykeep, for a final push to the Emperor's Island. Merlin tricks the group by making an illusion version of Lord Richter, allowing him to get the staff from Ladrian. Merlin activates it, allowing his full power to be revealed. A war council is formed and a team sets off to the island.
Lok Dr Lucaene Arthur Lord Greykeep Lady Cassandra Lord Richter Lord Wilhelm Lord Ladrian Lothir Kell Flamerunner Headmaster Jaques The Twins Percy van Avalon Brother Bates Dragoness Ketra They face the Guardian and defeat it. Afterwards they attack Merlin in the Emperor's throne room. The team soon realizes they are outmatched, and are defeated by the powerful demon. Richer manages to get Cassandra's crippled body away from the island by threatening Merlin with his power. Lok - slain Killia - survived Arthur - enslaved Lord Greykeep - survived Lady Cassandra - crippled Lord Richter - survived Lord Wilhelm - slain Lord Ladrian - insane Lothir - survived Kell - survived Flamerunner - turned to stone Headmaster Jaques - slain The Twins - slain Percy van Avalon - blinded Brother Bates - ??? Dragoness Ketra - enslaved A new Continent has been born. It is now an age of flame and shadow. A group of great warriors gathers at Frostwell. The Northern Isles are a terribly dangerous place, where the water is poison and most food is inedible. The expedition must carry all their own supplies. The team:
Lord Wilhelm Lord Richter Jaw (Lord Richter's bodyguard, a Royal Pyromancer) Dejan (the Water Alchemist) The Twins (two Gunslingers from Ato) Frostwell Veteran Warriors Valkyrie Knights The trek is brutal and dangerous. They are savaged by monsters at every term. But everyone is worried most about the infamous Oskills, terrifying near indestructible monsters. Merlin appears to the team and tells them to turn back or he will slaughter them. They refuse, and he attacks with a coordinated dangerous strike, including an Oskill. The group is defeated, and barely escapes alive. Barbara reconnects with her long lost Goblin family and gets them safe passage to the ruins of a northern city named Redwell. That is where the Expedition thinks Merlin is. They arrive but the city isn't ruined at all! Redwell is a shining beautiful city that hasn't heard of the Continent or magic at all. The adventurers are welcomed in. The team learns that Redwell was created by the Emperor, and it is what he wished his life had been. Lord Ladrian (the King of Redwell) is an alternate version of the Emperor, what the Emperor could have been if he had been unburdened by his power. They meet the Emperor's Son who is hiding in Redwell. He says he wants nothing to do with the fight against Merlin or any of his father's power. Suddenly, Merlin attacks Redwell. Lok and Kyuduan implore the Son to fight with them, to take on his destiny. In a magical glitch, the Son is fused with Lord Ladrian (an idealized dream of the Emperor) and they become one. The new Lord Ladrian leads the defense and the heroes barely survive. Only through Lok's incredible Pyromancy is Redwell saved. Ladrian leads his people south to the Inner Sea. He aims to claim his Father's sword. The Emperor has returned. Van Mooren has escaped with some Dark Knights and the Tera Stone. Cassandra sends her best man, Lord Richter, to chase him. In a brilliant ambush at Ravenswood Richter's regiment slays Van Mooren's forces, but the cunning man escapes again, deep into the inhospitable Northern Isles.
Cassandra calls all 121 free city states to a meeting at Grey Keep. She reaffirms their freedom, but reminds them they cannot raise arms against each other or against her. She swears to take up the Penrose Blade and become the Empress. There are several city states that are more powerful than others: Greykeep - ruled by Lord Greykeep The Quartz Isles - western islands rich in resources, ruled by the craft Lady Agravaine Ilden and Citadel City - the old capitals of Iris and Lilian territory Havnor - a northern city run by merchants Corva - the southern free island, run by a merchants guild, known for being a Cartel puppet Frostwell - a large northern city on the edge of the Northern Isles, ruled by the famous warrior Lord Wilhem The Anarchy Plantation - a peaceful anarchist state, started by Barbara The Hearlands Alliance - a federation of Hearlands cities ruled by an elected President Each representative agrees to this new Continent. Lord Wilhelm is assembling a team to go find Van Mooren. Lady Agravaine is having her shipping raided by Van Graaden and his rebel forces. She also suspects the Sudari traders are up to something. Kyuduan and Lok travel to the Quartz Isles. It seems the Sudari are no threat, but Van Graaden is somehow sinking vast amounts of trade goods off the western coast of the Continent. Rumor has it he has a great sea monster, for no one has seen any of his ships. Lady Agravaine sends a fleet with Lok and Kyuduan to find out. The fleet is sunk, as it turns out Van Graaden has submarines. However, Kell is aboard one of them and saves the two from being killed. They meet Van Graaden, Lothir, and the young hero Percy Van Ascalon at VG's underwater base: Ato. The duo tell Lothir of his brother's death, and tell VG that Cassandra does not want to fight him. In fact, she wants VG as an adviser for a new Continent. He agrees to meet with her and is impress by her strength of will. He agrees, and an alliance is forged between Ato and the Continent. Now, only the threat of Merlin and the Tera Stone remain. During their recovery the team learns that the Iris have taken Citadel City. The Lilian have fallen. They also hear dreadful news of the Rose forces. Lord Rose has exiled Van Graaden and gathered all his forces to fight Lady Iris. In a great battle he was defeated. Now all that remains is the Rose capital, a fortress called the Keep. A council at the Northern Academy meets to decide what to do, when Lady Iris suddenly arrives. The rumors of her say that she is a vicious and brutal tyrant, but she does not seem like that at all. Lady Cassandra has a great presence to her, and she is fair, if terrifying. She makes an offer to all present, a chance to build a new continent. She says she has wiped out all of the Iris nobles and that her house is dead. Only a few Rose nobles remain, and then the Continent will finally be rid of the dreadful royal families. Those present agree, and Cassandra offers to travel undercover with Kyuduan, Detective Bates, and Lok north to the Keep. There they will break in and steal some information about who assassinated the Emperor.
Before they leave, Merlin summons a dark creature to attack Kyuduan and get the stone. It is only stopped by Cassandra, who is an incredible Pyromancer. Throughout the journey Merlin makes many attempts to take the Tera stone. They travel through the now free city of Havnor (Cassandra has allowed all conquered cities to become their own freely governed city states) and do some work for the Cartel. During an attack on a gang owned brothel they encounter Lancaster, who travels with them. On their travels they find one of the Emperor's safe houses and stay there for a while. They also encounter an order of monks that used to advise the Emperor. They are given sage advice and Bates leaves to become a monk. Finally they arrive at the Keep and attempt to sneak inside. Van Mooren (the leader of the remaining Rose) gets a tip from Merlin and captures them (Cassandra escapes). The group is thrown in the dungeon and Van Mooren takes the stone. Lok somehow breaks them out of their cell but they are swarmed by Rose soldiers. After a bloody battle Lancaster is slain, and Lok/Kyuduan escape. Lady Cassandra's army arrives and attacks, destroying the Keep. The Heritage Wars are over. The crowns have fallen. The Vault: a place where alchemists of old hoarded powerful artifacts to that the Emperor would not take them. Eventually, he discovered the place and turned into a deadly dungeon in a mocking insult to the Northern Academy. Now a great band of heroes is assembled to take it on, find the artifact Merlin told of, and defeat the Iris. As they are preparing, the Iris are marching of Citadel City, and Lord Rose's army.
Lord Greykeep - a hero who defeated a Genie and won long life from it, skilled with a blade, after slaying a dragon was given the lands of Greykeep by the Emperor The Manservant - a mute but legendary stone alchemist, close friends with Lord Greykeep Sir Van Ascalon - a noble Rose knight from an ancient family Detective Bates - a pure-hearted Detective from Corva, met the group in Chapter 2, an honest man and a good shot Kyuduan - apprenticed to Lancaster, an ex slave with something to prove Lok - apprenticed to Flamerunner, a street urchin and prodigy Pyromancer Wylat - a monk from a forgotten order with a bloody past The team is skilled and prepared. Together they face Manticores, a Kaylan, illusions, traps, poison, tricks, and dark magic. Eventually they come to the end of the Vault and face their greatest challenge: a dragon the Emperor left to guard his gold. Unable to kill the thing, they bargain with it. The group learns that the artifact that they want is a very dangerous item called the Tera Stone. It houses the soul of a powerful demonic entity, which has been projecting itself as Merlin. The dragon swears to give it to them if they swear to destroy it, which they do. Becuase it has broken its vow, the Dragoness (named Ketra) is cursed into human form. The Vault plays its final trick, as it raises all the adventurers who have tried to break in, and attacks the group with the new undead army. It is a brutal battle, but eventually the enemy is defeated (at the cost of Van Ascalon and the Manservant). The day is won. The wounded and weary survivors retreat to the Northern Acadamy where they recover. On the horizon, the Iris are marching closer. Lok, Kyuduan, and Flamerunner arrive at a secret Rose fortress at the Pass (the border between Lilian and Rose territory). Dr Lilian and General Van Graaden are there with their forces to forge an alliance and fight the Iris threat. The team make friends with Van Graaden's daughter, a Black Knight Squire by the name of Anastasia. During negotiation, the fort is attacked by Royal Pyromancers using the Weapon. Most of the new alliance is slain, while the Lilian fleet is mostly destroyed. Flamerunner leaves to protect Van Graaden.
The group flees to the Northern Academy. They encounter a man they met in Corva by the name of Merlin. He offers them some information. He believes there are a few artifacts which can defeat the Iris, one of which is in a great Vault beneath the Northern Academy. The team arrives there but accidentally angers one of the Masters (a dream alchemist named Reyden) when Kyuduan attempts to kiss her. They escape across the Inner Sea and arrive at the Southern Academy. There they meet Lothir again who tells them that the Iris are about to overrun the south. Together they escape the Iris through a magical painting, allowing them to teleport back to the Northern Academy. They explain the treachery of the Southern Academy to Headmaster Jaques who gives them refuge. The team arrives at the free city-state of Corva. They seek out an old friend of Lancaster, Briggs, who runs the Arena. He will give them the information they need if they provide some interesting fights in the Arena. Echo, Kyuduan, Wylatt, Barbara, and Lancaster fight. Unfortunaly, Echo is slain by an Alchemist named "The Falcon." After the fights are over a group of assassins try to kill Lancaster and fail. During the attempt, the team is helped by a young street urchin named Lok, who happens to be a Pyromancer. They get the information and go to meet Lothir’s contact, a vampire named Kell. While meeting with Kell, they observe Royal Pyromancers trading with Cartel Smugglers. The group attempt to steal the cargo (which they assume to be an Iris superweapon) with the help of a famous mercenary Pyromancer named Flamerunner. However, they fail. In the struggle, the Corva docks are obliterated by a single act of Iris Pyromancy. Finally, the survivors make a deal with the Cartel and get a fast ship heading north. A great council is forming at The Pass.
The group teams up with Master Lothir and his brother Lancaster, saving the latter from a group of cannibals called the Tribe. They travel together to the Southern Academy. After an assassination attempt on Lothir, the team take a barge down the Fenris river. They hope to discover Lothir’s old contact in the free city of Corva.
A true warrior must hold loyalty, courage, veracity, compassion, and honor as important, above all else. That is the way of our family. That is the way of the Iris.
Noble Iris, blood of the Emperor, blood of the God-King. We shall not fold or falter. We shall forge ahead. We shall fight, not for victory or vengeance, but for honor. In battle, we do not defeat our enemies. In battle we consume them. Like a flame does fuel. Burn and pillage. Slaughter and raze. These are the codes of war. Move swift and strike hard. You wish to speak of treaties and truces? Let the flames of my Pyromancers act as my signature.
— General Van Graaden Chapter 1 - Brothers
Chapter 2 - The Arena and the Weapon Chapter 3 - A Meeting of Minds Chapter 4 - Vaultbreakers Chapter 5 - Fall of the Crowns Chapter 6 - A Forged Peace Chapter 7 - Ladrian's Memory Chapter 8 - The Waking Demon |
Seasons
All
|