"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."
After a strange dream, Lykos is awakened by Maedra. She traveled with the battalion who investigated Loften and has bad news. She claims that they are in league with Traliard, and intend to erase all information of Loften from the Royal Library in Atlas. Unfortunately, it is already done. They decide to leave for Zindra early.
The journey to Zindra is a wild and strange one. The party is robbed by a group of bandits, let by a man named Hector the Smith. However, they are actually vigilantes, and return "stolen money" (taxes) to the group. The party also travels through Westria, a Cadrian city dominated by a terrible plague. During this particular leg of their journey they encounter a Warden, one of the ancient battle creatures of the Empire. They arrive in Outpost (an outpost called Outpost) after helping a little Westrian girl escape from home. The party searches for a Captain (after encountering several delightful characters such as Scarlet, Captain Answer of the Bastard, and the Pickler). They find a man named Jaques, who captains the Ol' Reliable, a repurposed imperial battlecruiser. The group makes a mysterious/dangerous journey across the Corridor Sea. Coralings attack the ship, but they are defeated when Bruno sings a strange song from his songbook. The party arrives in Zindra where they delve into the strangeness of the wizard's land. And always above, always watching, is THE TOWER. Lykos recovers from his wounds as the town prepares for Traliard and his men to arrive. Prim and Bruno go to destroy the entrance to the cave, but are intercepted by Traliard as they do. The town is suddenly attacked, and the adventurers realize hope is lost. As they are pursued through the woods by Traliard, Bruno says a word in the Elder Tongue in desperation. They continue their escape and meet up with Odrin (Lykos's master) who takes them all to Atlas
In the Cadrian city of Atlas, the group gets a chance to rest and recover. They are rewarded by the King for their killing of the necromancer, and they decide to go to Zindra. Lykos studies Ritualism and a pair of magical gauntlets. Prim practices fencing with a strange Utran swordsmith named Cob. Bruno works with Dylon and the boys, and becomes a pickpocket. In addition, the Locrian musician assists a nobleman (Jordan Rose) with the wooing a Lancian lady. They decide to have "a night on the town" and dance/drink the night away. All seems well in the city of Atlas, but dark things are on the horizon... Our heroes (Lykos the Ritualist, Prim of Silmar, and Bruno Button the musician) arrive at the small northern city of Loften. They are all welcomed warmly. The villagers betray their trust that night and attempt to kidnap them. A group of bandits, led by a necromancer and a man named Traliard, have the town held hostage. Together, the adventurers and the town kill the necromancer. They investigate the bandit camp, only to find a Ventris blood mage named Maedra held captive there. The group continues further into the cave only to discover
a̶̠̯̟̟̠͕̝̗̯͔̫͕̙̐̓̾̅̓̔͆̎̈́̓̇̅́͘͝ ̵͇͖͈̱͉̞̥͚̘̩͔̲̀̉̈́̈̌̈̽̌̾͐͋́̃͠ͅt̵̖̖̋h̴̡̫̠̠̤̍̌̀͂̇í̵̘̣̳̟̙̱̫̬̖̌̈́ǹ̷̢̡̮͚̯̾̂͌̋̓̈́͛̈͂̈́̚͘ǵ̶̛̝̠̠̟͖̦̓̓̓͌ ̶̬̞̝̝͕̥͓̌̄ö̷̦̝̪̬̏̾̓͑͊͌̅̊̕f̸̨̣̥͔͂ ̶̧̤̟̭̭͍͙͖̩̦̠̭̼̋̿̂͋̾̄͌̇̒̃̇͜t̶̤̩̥̥̞̹̰͒̽ḫ̴̛̜̙̙̣͖̯̐̈́͑͑̀̽̀̀̈̌͑̌͆ȅ̷͔͙̈ ̸̙̗̮̦́͂̃͊͌̊̿̆̍̆̐̽̄̚͜͠ô̶̲͛͂l̵̡̢̖͖͚͎̰̭̫̣̩̝̓̒̈ͅḍ̷̩̬̜̗̰̗̘͚̥̩̓͐̋́̓ͅ ̸̧̬͔̜̞̫̻̥̗̟̼̜͖̩̮͂̓͌̈́͋́̉̏͂̂͗̒͊̈͝w̵̨̨̜̩̠̯͖͉̙̯͒̀͗̍̈́̂̽̓̓̕͠͝ó̷̢̢̤̱͍͎̳̥̹̮̟̫̰̏́͋ͅr̶̺͕̼̪̉̀͗̀̽̊̾͠l̵̡̛̳̲̲̭̖̐̄̊̑̽͐̈́̔͗̓̚d̵̨͕̮̬͈͎̭͖̻̤̠̐́͂́̍̐͑̚͝ Chapter 1 - Loften
Chapter 2 - A Night to Remember Chapter 3 - Welcome to Zindra Chapter 3.5 - The Calm Before the Storm Chapter 4 - The Westrian Offer Chapter 5 - Tale of Two Cities Chapter 6 - The Council of Cadria Chapter 7 - Companions of Illium Chapter 8 - The Black Knight Chapter 9 - The Battle of Illium The group is shocked when a powerful dark force kidnaps the rest of the group and takes them to the Gates. Archon and Ceinwyn follow in pursuit, as the Gates shut behind them. They travel down the pit at the center of the old Dormori city. They encounter one of the last Dormori Knights, who helps them find their friends. Rolm is awake, while the others are unconscious. The duo realize that the creature stalking this city is a Beholder. She speaks with Archon, Ceinwyn, and Rolm, promising them freedom if they kill the Dormori prince who keeps her trapped. They decide to jump down the pit into the Nameless Plane, battling her as they fall. She cannot pursue them, and they are rescued from the terrifying Nameless Plane from the All-Mage. The group awakens outside the Second Vale (Cairn) just as Galleo's troops move into the city.
A terrifying storm rocks the Sea of Grass. Archon and Ceinwyn play cards with Mercer while they wait it out. Suddenly, Ceinwyn's brother (Galahad) arrives. He tells her that he knows about her using her family magic. They go to their father's summer home: Lyria. His army is gathered there. Ceinwyn speaks with him, while Archon encounters Slyvan and Iris (his shaman). Ceinwyn agrees to be trained in her family's inherited magic. The group travels back south with Galahad (after a confusing interaction with an air breathing eel).
The host marches south to find the Southern Village of Allmec abandoned. An Alchemist Swordsmaster called the Hooded One has been hunting knights with the Rightful. He attacks the 33 but is rebuffed (not without casualties). The 33 meet the rest of the host, as well as Mr. Mercer (an Operative of the Topographical Bureau). The army marches to Allren's cabin and finds the three Allmecians are gone. Ceinwyn and Mercer find the Prince and travel with him. Roan, Archon, and Caius' host march on the Tyrannus gates. The Prince and his allies meet with strangers from another land. They are Queen Cassandra of the Lost World, and her companions. The Allmec win handily against the Rightful, but are betrayed by a Vale legion and routed. Cassandra and her Pyromancers arrived to turn the tide, and obliterate the Vale troops.
Cassandra reveals that she is hunting a blood red gem that contains a great evil. And as the enemy retreats, it is seen that Galleo is wearing the red gem. Archon, Ceinwyn, Socrates and Athena continue to evade the Rightful riders. Ceinwyn, moves on ahead to get Keto's help (a young warrior from Coldport). Archon and the Allmecians are being pursued closely, and he is forced to remove their soul stones and continue on. Keto saves him from death, and the two run into the Sentinel Woods. Ceinwyn, Archon, and Keto are all racing to meet one of Socrates' old friends who lives nearby. As the Rightful hunt them, a Songborn Hummingbird seems to guide the small group through the winding paths of the woods. They soon arrive at a cabin, where an Allmec knight saves them from a Rightful ambush. He is Allren, brother to Astor the Speaker. The Songborn that guided them was an Allmecian-Ionen by the name of Roan.
Allren welcomes the group, as do his wife Wanda True Mage, and his son Lazarus (who the family has given the nickname the Prince). He listens to their story and tells them that he will help them get to Vandeveran. It is then that the Rightful attack once again, setting fires in the woods around the cabin. Wanda and Allren go to face them, as the group escapes through a portal to Vandeveran. They spend some time in the sacred city, achieving rest and requiem. They give the soul stones to Astor, and tell them what they know. Astor assembles a host: 33 knights, 33 shamen, 4 drummers, along with Roan, Keto, Archon, and Ceinwyn. The next day they march south to rendezvous with another group of knights and a Soloran operator from the Topographical Bureau. Galleo will rue the day he declared war on Solor, Allmec, and the Vale. Theo (a young adventurer) travels with a Soloran expedition from the Topographical Bureau. The expedition is led by Captain Killmaine, an expert warrior who is fascinated with Allmec swordsmanship.
Ceinwyn (a playful illusionist) travels with an Allmec pair. Socrates (the shaman) is a battered old warrior, who reluctantly took on another pupil. Athena (the knight) is a newly born Allmecian knight, and yearns to impress Socrates. Unfortunately, combat does not come naturally to her. She is, however, a kind soul, and quick to make friends. Archon En'Fold (a Rightful traveler) has just spent a year on the Fae sky whale "Tiber." He departs at the third vale: Elysia. Quickly he meets his family there, and learns about Galleo (his brother)'s plan to enter the Tyrannus gates. After a verbal fight, Archon leaves and meets his old Shashurak master: Socrates. On the way into town, Socrates was attack by Galleo, and only saved by Theo and Killmaine. Theo quickly bonded with Ceinwyn and Athena. Archon quickly joins the group as well, and they decide to go see the Tyrannus gates together. At the gates, Ceinwyn seems to have a strange vision, and they swiftly take her back to town. However, the town is under attack by Galleo and his army. The group rush to save Socrates and Killmaine. A long battle ensues, in which the town is destroyed, and everyone is nearly slain. As they run into the Sea of Grass, Killmaine and Theo stay behind to hold off the riders. The courageous duo sacrifice their lives in a noble rearguard action. Socrates, Athena, Ceinwyn, and Archon escape. And yet they are hunted... Chapter 1 - The Burning Vale
Chapter 2 - Stones and Speakers Chapter 3 - Charge of the Pyromancers Chapter 3.5 - The Storm Chapter 4 - Into Tyrannus Ascalon, Oryon, and Weylan begin work upon the Memory Drive. All the while, Nosi, the Nameless Knight, and Vivian are traveling upon the Skyhold to the Barrows. Oryon is taken advantage of by Eve, and it tricked into betraying Ascalon and Weylan. He fights both of them, however, Weylan takes Ascalon into a Traversal. They reappear on the edge of the Barrows, as the first Weylanians. Upon Skyhold, the Kanarak King tries to poison Vivian. Nosi drinks it instead, and only barely survives. Ventra kills the Mad King with his dragon fire, and Kanarak dies laughing. Oryon is left alone in the wilderness, and Eve removes his long life in punishment for failing her. He begins to wander into the Labrynth. Vivian, Ascalon, and Nosi reunite at the Barrows and prepare for the battle the next day.
Serwin arrives with his army and battle is joined outside the gates of the Barrows. The battle twists and turns as various forces arrive. Ventra is betrayed by his son, as Osiris slays him. Osiris has allied himself with the Siviri, and Justicars soon attack the city. Weylan begins the Traversal as the rest of the team defends him. Eventually, Osiris is their only opponent, and it is the Nameless knight who defeats him. The group sails off into the stars, as Weylan begins the Traversal. They are the first Weylanians. And Calypso is behind them. The party gathers together to make a plan. They determine that there are several potential important elements: Echo, General Teremore, returning Nosi's vision, the tomb of King Emeric, the Battle of the Barrows, the memory of Vivian, and constructing a Memory Drive.
The team departs as Skyhold floats over Echo's tower. They speak with him (in his corporeal form no less), but he is not eager to help. As they are leaving Vivian calls him by his true name: Weylan. Vivian heals his mind, and he breaks down. It is decided that Oryon and Ascalon will stay with Weylan, while Nameless, Vivian, and Nosi return to Skyhold. They say their goodbyes, and Oryon promises to be back at Skyhold before the Battle of the Barrows. The Kanarak king sneaks onto Skyhold, tempting Nosi with knowledge if she lets Vivian die. She refuses his offer, and rushes to help Vivian instead. Oryon and Ascalon help Weylan confront his demons (literally). They cast memory magic and go to see Vivian. However, they discover that her memory is dead. A woman named Eve ha- The team enter Mycra, and fall into a trap. Ventra (the dragon of memory) has taken over the city. They try to escape, but Ventra defeats them in combat, and takes Vivian as a bride.
Ascalon, Nosi, and Oryon awaken 11 years later. Vivian (now queen of the Dragonlands) has kept them in suspended animation in the Time Crypt. Echo was slain in saving Ascalon's life, and Val'Kaera (now Valentine) had her memories wiped. Ascalon is filled with grief and shame, but Vivian speaks with him and they amend things. Every queen needs her kingdom. And the All-Mage is done having things chosen for her. Tension rises in the city of Caradyll, as more armies and eminent factions arrive. Yariel and Vaelin depart to travel abroad. The Teremore siblings head to a banquet, where they meet General Teremore and the Oracle. The Oracle interrupts the event to prophecy three arrivals. The first is Oryon, a wanderer from another world, sent to protect Vivian. The second is Lord Serwin, who arrives with his army to be crowned High King. The group heads back to the Tree Temple, and they see that Shadowclad have attacked Val'Kaera, Vivian, and The Nameless Knight (who earns the new title: the Broken Shield). They fight their way through the streets of Caradyll to get to Teremore's Fortress. The third arrival is a Siviri Ambassador, that speaks secretly with Lord Serwin (while Nosi overhears). The group decides to head to Mycra via Gondola. As they leave, Serwin is crowned High King of Calypso.
The party recover from the Labyrinth and reconnect. They travel to Caradyll, and encounter a funeral for Princess Meyra (daughter of the Grandfather King). The team is examined for signs of the Grey Hunger at the gates, and Ascalon is arrested for having books in strange languages. The High Inquisitor finds out about the time dilation and intends to use their knowledge of the future as an advantage. However, when he discovers that the Empire is not even remembered in the future, he seeks assistance from the team. Shadowclad assassins attack the Cathedral and kill the High Inquisitor. A younger version of Ru'Andren arrives at the scene to take care of the adventurer. Over then next few days Ru'Andren heals the badly wounded and they all tell their own stories. Finally, General Teremore arrives in the city with food and military support. A festival is declared but all is not well in the Empire. Stormclouds are on the horizon.
The adventurers continue their journey in the labyrinth. They encounter strange Vae acolytes who care for the corpses of the fallen. Afterwards they receive a letter from Lyra claiming that Yariel might be the Pureblood from the prophecy. They explore more of the labyrinth, battling some Battena, only to have their Navigators damaged. Ascalon comes up with a clever necromancy trick, which gets them to safety. They meet the old Battena Arcturus, who guides and advises them. Then, with Rose's help (Arcturus's apprentice) they get through Scarblade Pass and into the Stone Garden. The group battles the Regent, and are only saved from his words by the Nameless Knight. The Kiret arrive, overrunning Lord Maako's knights. Yariel and Nosi defeat the Regent, and remove
ṯ̸̛̞̥̦̳̞̜̳̖͓̣̰̐̐͛̑̓̀͂̈́͒͐́̈́͋̅̑̇͊̅̽̈́́̈́̕ͅḩ̶̨̹̘͕̥̠̯͉̹͕̟̯͍͐̓̓͗͗̋̊̊̍̂̿̇̕͜͠͝͠ȩ̵͇͔͙̖̂͛͂͛̂̾̒̒̂́̑̔͋̑̐̓̊̔̇̈́͠͝͝͠ ̵̢̢̧̪̮̙̗̳̗̺̘̤̞̘̬̬̱̑͛̈̇̏́̆́̅̿͋͛͛̍̌͛̀̀̿͊͒̅̊̑͑̇̚c̶̡̺̮̳̜͕̹̺̫̗̜͖͔͍͖̻͈̘̗̓̃̅̏͜͠͝ͅr̴̢̨̡̡̜̙̦̫͔̦̖̭̘̝̲̥̣͎̹̭͇̬̣̗̼͙͑̾ͅͅȩ̷̧̡̢̭̗̙̣͍̼̤̺̺̳̭̖̤̖̳̹͖̜̥̤̹̤̲̌̓͆͊͋̈́̔̽̉̈́͝͝͝ͅͅǡ̷̝̹̰̪͚͎̟̳̣͚̰̰̜̞̠̘̭͇̲̳̼͎͎̙͆̊̕͜͝t̶̡͖̟̟̬͇̥͎̭̊̓͊̈́̀̓̎̋͆̀́̔̈́̚ͅữ̶̢̡̗̗̞̱̘̫͎̋͊̏͌̒̊̓͗͑̏̒͗̽͂̾̂͌̐̓̉͂͋́̚͜r̷̨̨̛̪̩̖̝̰͇̳̜̥̳͉̫͔̤̺̱̟͈̩̰̪͖̣̋͐̔́̌̽́̓̔̓̎͛̽̊̇͊͌̎͒̍͋͒̒̅̾͊͘͝ͅͅę̶̨̙͇̟̝̦͇̹͇̗̬̜͎͓̼̻̯̦̦̩̜̿͂͆̀̓̚̚ͅͅ ̷̡͓̜͗̇̀͒͂̉̾͛̊̓͗̆̈̿̃͛͋̍̀̃̅̐̀͐̀̀̕͠͠f̴̧͉̮͔̪̹̝͉̪͔͍̬̙̥͕̗̘̟̥̞̥̠̬̎́̉͒́͆̍̑̀͑͆͒͒̅͊̄̆̆͘̕͝ͅř̶̨̨̛̛̘͎̳̱̗̯͓͉͎̘̯̳̦̞̙̯̱͓̜̩̫͉̤͉̮̅͊̈́̒̍̏̈́̿̄̉͜͠͝ơ̷̬̙̜̪̜͔̻̼͍͕̠̫̯̳͍͍̖̮͉̳̾͆̔̓͛̂̒͒́͛̀̑͋̀̽̄̆͘̕͠͝͠m̷̧̯̘͍̜̣̲̺͖͉̣͚͈͎̫̯͈̠͔͈̼̗̭͉͓̭̙͋̉̓̓̄̿̊̃̊̋̂̓̄̎̀̈̈̎͒̄̆̔͌͛̆̚͜͜͝͝͠ ̵̢̡̢̛͈̘̘̥̯̩̻̺̪̺̭̺͉̙̰̰̲̟͎̪̟͇͒͊̒̈́͐̄̏́̇̆ͅͅn̸̢̛̙̱͕̫̠͔̠̻̜̐̎̌͑̄͊̀͐͂̏̔͐͌̿̾͛̂̊͑̊̒̈́̂̾̄̕͠͝ö̵̢̖̳̱̤̗̋̔̃̏̍̈́̿͂͂̽̈́̐̂̈̀̏̇̆̈́̉͐̓͗́͘͘͜͝ŵ̵̢̡͔̙̤̙̥̪̜̻͚̯̝͖͓̱͔͈̓̏͌̅͐͆͗̾̈́̑̑̀̅̐͌̉̄̓͊̑͗͌͘͝͝h̴̨͚͉̜̯͙̖̮̼̦͒̆͒̀͋͒́͒̈́̓̑͑̂ȩ̴̡̨̖̣͈̱̭̺͓̺̤̭̫̮͕͚̰̬̱̹̩̹̫̖͐̔̎͛̃͒͌̎̍̇̋͒̔̈́̚͜͜͠͝ͅr̵̛̟̼̙̖͕̫̠̙̱̼̄̆̓̏͊́̓̐̓̃͗͛̽̇̈́̚͘͜͝e̷̡̢̧̦͎̱̳̤͔̙̭̞͓͖̤̝͎̲̰̘̝̾̿̿́̆̅̏̅̊͒͗̄͂̈́͋̓͜͜͝͝ͅͅ from Vicar Vaelion. Juliette gloats over her victory, but it is revealed that Vivian is the one the prophecy spoke of. She is not the Purblood. She is the All-Mage. The group escapes the labyrinth and says farewell to Allren. They exit the maze only to realize that they have gone back in time to before the Coronation. Much has become possible, and much has changed. The party enters the Labyrinth. They traverse strange environments and battle mythic creatures. They speak with Dragons, and encounter the Nameless Knight. As they approach the Stone Garden, a great saga is played out before them. The Kiret and Aedari (Vae Families) battle over a prophecy and a throne, while the Regent and the Dragon of Memory also seek their own ends...
The Pureblood approaches. Val'Kaera, Nosi, Ascalon, and Allren mourn Dae'Tera's passing before continuing on the road to Mycra. They arrive at the wealthy Iconomage city and find rooms at the Golden Tree inn. The team realizes that they need to get invitations to one of Mycra's banquets. They encounter Yariel, a Djinn Magician who receives his invitation after an impressive performance at the Golden Tree. Yariel quickly befriends the team. Allren alerts the group that there are Elekae in the city, and they quickly engage the elven terrorists. The battle ranges across the streets of Mycra before they are able to alert Mycra himself. He finishes the battle and routes the Elekae. The group receives their own invitation to the banquet and Mycra offers to assist them all. His resources and knowledge are at their disposal.
The team begin their journey to Mycra. On the way they encounter a Truth Stone, and Dae'Tera helps a stranger travel through it. He is a knight from a distant land by the name of Allren. They continue traveling together and encounter a strange village. They soon realize that the town is possessed by a long dead necromancer, who is magically preserving his mind. As the group ponders escape plans they are attacked by an Inquisitor. During the brutal battle Dae'Tera is slain. The adventurers mourn her passing as they prepare for the next step of their journey.
Ascalon, Nosi, Dae'Tera, and Val'Kaera recover from their encounter with the Trinity Brothers. Nosi investigates the strange magical scar that Regulus left her. Val'Kaera trys to learn more about her shape shifting abilities. They get some information from Mordakai that the iconomage of Mycra is fascinated by the Vae Battena, and has an extensive personal library. They plan to leave by the end of Oath span. The Regent arrives in the city and ratchets up the pressure. One day two Templar Inquisitors attack the group above Mulligan's Bakery. Through one of Ascalon's clever tricks, the team survives. Vicar Keoren helps smuggle them out of the city. As they flee the Regent drives the city to insanity. Donmarch is burning.
Ascalon, Nosi, and Dae'Tera recover from their wounds. They are informed by Mordakai that the Trinity Brothers are leaving town sooner than expected. The operation is moved up, and Ascalon hires Arcon Levi to assist them. They get Doctor Kirian to kill Tristan Trinity, and plan a trap for Regulus. The trap succeeds ( with a few hitches) and they get to see Mordakai. It is revealed that Mordakai sold Val as an Artifact Blade. She is a shapeshifter. The team wonders who the true villains are, as Val and Ascalon re-unite.
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