The Mist of Tyrantene: Chapter 1

[Esper]

Tyrantene, continent of the Mist. For two decades the continent has been surrounded by an impenetrable mist. No living form is able to enter or leave the continent. Those have tried end up lost and returned back where they started. In a recent turn of events a harbringer has come to the rulers of the continent asking for their surrender. The person who sent them was only referred to as the Ruler of the Mist. In one years time it was decreed that the Mist would invade and consume the entire continent.

All hope was not lost however. It was told by the eldest Seer of the Imperium that certain individuals, should they unlock their inner spark could penetrate the island that the mist came from. As it was written in the ancient texts the spark would only awaken when the ten artifacts were combined. Across the land a call was given to those foolhardy enough to join in the hunt for these items of legend.

She of the Mist would not hear of her plan faltering and began recruiting as well. She offered a small amount of her power to anyone who would dare to stop these heroes. With the fate of Tyrantene hanging in the balance would those that possess the spark be the salvation or doom of the continent?

The Quest Board

Ghost Marshes: She of the Mist has sent representatives to recruit the Order of the Old Tongue. If she is successful in this plan she will be able to discern the ancient texts of Tyrantene and locate the artifacts needed for the ritual.

Vigyld: She of the Mist has sent a squad of men and her chief diplomat to unite the warring tribes under her banner. The Dwarves have knowledge of earth magic that would be highly useful to the Magister Imperium in creating barriers that would be able to inhibit the elemental magic of the Mist Mages.

Etrini: The Blood Dancer has put an offer out to anyone who can procure a certain item for him. While the reward remains undisclosed he has promised that it would be worth their while. For further information an audience at has mansion is requested before he will go into any further detail.

[Purplez]

Rue was in a tavern near the border of Arius and was currently in Etrini. Though, she was not in a place of much criminal activity considering she was in a border town, she could still feel the maliciousness of the Blood Dancer. She knew not a bit of him besides the fact he may be the very being of evil itself. She covered her face with her scarf and her cloak's hood, knowing many in this town would find out what she was. She was returning for the Wild Coast, for she had gone to visit a merfolk friend of hers. Rue finished her food, left the correct amount of money on the table, and quickly walked out.

She never liked traveling in Etrini but it was better than traveling in the Ghost Marshes. Going there, without a connection with one who lived in deadmans land, was completely out of the question. Not even taking a pixie boat from the Boundless Woods to the Wild Coast was anywhere near safer. You'd be better off wearing a jade necklace while walking through Rynwroth. "Better get to the next border town in Arius before the sun goes down." muttered Rue.

[Celestial]

Claire had just returned from Escantum as she was greeted by a fellow brother. She initiated the greeting of the brotherhood that was replicated in kind. Her contract was very simple. She had infiltrated a military factory of the Escantum Nation, snuck past the dense amonts of guards that had stalked the corridors every minute, and finally, without letting her contact know, forge his death to look like a natural cause. That was the fun part of the contract altogether. She had chosen to use a vial of morrowsun poison that spread throughout the victim quickly. With a few rearrangements of the officers posture, it had seemed he had died in his sleep. He was her only kill; the contract couldn't have gone any better.

"Welcome back sister," said the brother whom had greeted her. "Your hunt, as always, was successful and satisfying was it not?"

"Naturally," she replied tersely. She had already begun to walk towards the Speakers court. "The contact felt nothing of the kiss of death."

"Then most excellently executed it was then," replied the brother as he bid her a farewell.

She continued her walk until she stood before the black obsidian doors that led to the speaker. She knocked as she opened the door to reveal a tall pale man whom was leaning over a tome.

"I've heard the news already daughter. Your results are exemplary... as expected. Now come, another matter has come up that I want you to investigate personally."

"Another contract?" she asked she appeared by the speakers side.

"No. It is more of a personal matter for the brotherhood," said the Speaker. "No doubt you're aware of the reputation of the Blood Dancer, no?"

She nodded.

"The Blood dancer has offered up a... contract of sorts. He seeks an item in exchange for very... very important information. As you know, the Brotherhood thrives on information. We demand it. Do you understand?"

She nodded again.

"Very good child," said the Speaker as he slid a package over to her. "Inside is information regarding everything we know about this contract. Memorize everything; leave nothing to chance. It would be best if you left tomorrow at Dawn."

"Of course Speaker. I shall make the preparations then," replied Claire as she turned to leave. She closed the door behind as she took a parchment paper from her envelope. She had quite the night ahead of her.

[Jupiter143]

Valrea crept through the streets of the Magister Imperium at night, hoping not be noticed. The last thing she needed was an unexpected encounter with a bounty hunter here. Arius was a long way off still, but she knew that she could disappear well if she managed to cross the border safely. She had never been there, but had heard wonderful stories of picturesque villages and country.

Truthfully, she was also keen to see the Ghost Marshes. Wealthy families often threatened unruly children with a trip to the Ghost Marshes to have their souls eaten by ghouls. Her father having been a wonderful weaver of tales, the slightest hint of the Ghost Marshes had been enough to deter any bad behavior, but now she saw a lucrative money-making opportunity. Her stores were getting low and she badly needed a new travel pack and supplies to mend her cloak. It was rumored that Arius often suffered attempted sieges from the monsters in the Marshes, so surely they had need of someone like her who could make potent charms and spells. She could even find it within her to make small repairs with her alchemy if need be.

As she drew further in towards the center of the Imperium, she began to wonder if she was indeed so clever to travel into the lion's den at all. For quite some time she had suffered the impression that someone was watching and following her. She tried to brush it off as overactive mind, but perhaps not. She quickened her pace as much as she dared to make as little noise as possible and carried on, offering up a prayer to make it through safely, and also chancing to cast a quick spell of protection, though little it may do as hurried as she was.

[ShankyShank]

Brutus strained his eyes staring out into the night, his jaw working miserably on a hunk of dried meat. The merchant had claimed it was beef, but he didn't remember cows having quills. The men had been tracking him for six days now. They numbered seven. He first knew another group of killers had was after him when the men had approached him in an Etrinian tavern and announced their intention to kill him. Escape was a simple matter of killing three men, hurling a jar of lamp oil into the tavern's fireplace, blocking the entrance and riding south for three days on a succession of stolen horses. Brutus had lingered on the edge of the Ghost Marshes for some time, his previous experience there being unpleasant, but the appearance of seven riders on the horizon had spurred his decision. They followed him still, even after becoming hopelessly lost himself, and Brutus had the unnerving feeling of being watched by something more closely than the distant horsemen.

Now he sat next to a tiny fire in a small clutch of stunted trees, running on little sleep and a dwindling food supply, the bleak landscape offering little reference to find his way out. A rustle in the undergrowth sent Brutus to his feet and found his sword in his hand. A man hurtled out of the darkness, a battle cry ululating from him, a dagger clutched in either hand. His momentum took him onto the point of Brutus' sword. He carried forward, Brutus dropping to his knee and using his massive strength to hurl the man over him, out of the firelight. Out of the corner of his hearing Brutus heard a splash, but he was already engaging his next opponent. This one was more cautious, keeping his distance and allowing Brutus to identify him as one of the mercenaries from the tavern.

"So," Brutus said through a bitter smile, "you boys finally caught up, eh?" The man feinted forward with a sword thrust, but a series of quick movements found him face down on the ground, Brutus' sword protruding from the back of his neck. The veteran was ready again instantly, but no one else came to attack him. After several minutes standing stock still, Brutus relaxed, and knelt to inspect the man's corpse. Some rummaging in the pockets produced a handful of silver and copper coins, but little else. Brutus was immensely concerned that only two men of the seven hardened killers who had tracked him through the Marshes for three days remained to attack.

His reverie was cut short when a diminutive, wizened man in an outfit of ragged leather strips shuffled out of the darkness. He motioned for Brutus to lower his blade, his beatific smile disconcerting. "I beseech you, O Mighty Outsider, do not attempt to repeat your victory. My warriors surround you, and they are not bumbling fools who dwell in the light." Brutus sheathed his sword, and a brief stinging on the back of his neck prefaced his falling into unconsciousness.

[ImDizzy]

William strides down the winding mountain path as he tried to place where he was. He wasn't sure whether he was in Escantum or Arius. The road seemed to be getting less arduous, so he was probably either in Arius or very close to the border. Besides that, he had the forest that he was pretty sure were the Boundless Woods on his right side. He was careful not to cross the border into the forest, he'd heard many stories about the fae that supposedly lived there and what they did to trespassers. It was better to be careful than to be cursed or some other worse punishment.

Will had been visiting remote mountain towns and offering his healing services for no personal gain as what was written in the code. This journey was meant for the traveler to learn the principles of charity and humility and Will was determined to get it right. He already had the magic skills down, so the rest should come easy if he applied himself. Will wondered where the next town was, he had been walking since dawn and the sun seemed very close to going behind the horizon for the night. Will didn't fancy walking down a fairly deserted mountain path at night, who knew what would come of it. He might be attacked by bandits or something even more terrible.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

The sun had just gone down when he arrived at a small village. There didn't seem to be much of an inn; just a house somewhat larger than the others where they had room for two, maybe three, groups of travelers. There was already a fairly large group of merchants planning to travel through Arius and sell their goods, so the man running the inn gave Will the smaller room. Thankfully, the innkeeper didn't make him pay due to his apprentice healer's robes. The guild he was from was from a fairly remote area, but it seemed to be even well known on the edges of civilization. Will planned to offer his services to anyone who needed them before he left the next day; but for now, he was tired and he really wanted to sleep.

[Esper]

An elf unbeknownst to Rue had been following her since she had left the Wild Coast. On the order of the Seelie Court she was to be watched for a reason that was undisclosed. They had been given reason to believe she had an unawakened potential within her. After she had paid for dinner the elf looked up from a book she had feigned being enthralled in. She whispered into the charm on her neck the elven word for vanish and slipped out the inn no one the wiser.

The young elf's ear perked up as a sound came from the bush. She notched an arrow still invisible to the unaided eye. Suddenly a dark figure stood, eyes glowing and staring directly at her. "Make your name known", the elf spoke mentally to the figure. "Or be slain." The figure seemed to be smiling at her with fangs beared.

"Then be slain", the elf thought as she let loose the arrow. It moved silently through the air, slicing it and slamming into the shadow. Striking it the shadow making the sound of fleshy impact and caused the shadow to disapate. The elf looked around nervously hoping that it was merely an avatar or scout, but this eve her luck had failed her.

"Your weapons cannot harm me elf. If it were my choice I would kill you, but that is not my choice. Follow the pixie and report to she of the Mist." The voice resonated in her mind and seeped into the deepest part of her being. "We cannot have those with the spark being unaccounted for. For her will."

"For her will", the elf mentally replied and continued to follow the pixie who was still unaware of her presence.

Eric Darkcrest, right hand man to the Blood Dancer approached the door that belonged to Claire. The master had insisted a letter be delivered to her this very evening. From the years of service he knew not to ask why, rather to ask when. Timing seemed to be everything with Blood Dancer, a means of micromanaging his city down to the last gear. He slid the paper sealed in wax under the slit of the door and headed toward the exit.

Spoiler

To the venerable Claire,

The speaker has informed me that you will be the one dispatched to retrieve my item. Being a man of honor I must first inform you that the object of my desire is deep underground. You will be wanting to supply yourself accordingly. I have been given reason to believe you are capable of handling this mission alone, but should you desire to bring a companion along I will permit this as well due to the dangers you may face.

Regrettably I have more pressing matters I must attend to, but I have disclosed an accurate sketch of the object I desire. It is important the item remain unopened, for it contains intricate spell defenses known only to my kind. Should your curiousity get the better of you and you do open it you will find your return home most unpleasant.

Sketched on the bottom of the letter is a necklace with an intricately etched locket containing an ancient symbol.

From the shadows a man lurked eagerly eyeing the woman. She looked like a traveler, always a plus when it came to robbing them. Few people would come around asking questions and even fewer would geniunely care. Adjusting his mage hat, attempting to look the part of a gentleman Adrian strode toward the woman. She looked rather nervous and he was prepared to grab her coin purse before she was any the wiser for it. Suddenly a glint caught his eye, platinum bracelets. Only the rich wore them for the sake of being fashionable.

The wheels in Adrian's mind had begun turning. No noble woman would travel alone at night. Most of them came with guards that were armed to the teeth, but not this one. "It can't be...", he thought to himself. Perhaps alerted to his presence she tossed up a protection spell haphazardly. All mages had a distinct signature when it came to magic. Leaving his cloak wrapped about him he approached her. "Miss Hane, you'll be coming with me. We need to talk and the street isn't the place to do it."

He adjusted his generic black robe and flashed her a smile. His tanned skin was not like most around the Imperium, which complimented his olive green eyes nicely. After running his fingers through his dark brown hair he extended his hand toward her. "What do you say?"

A brutish looking Orc hauled the man armored in leather to a prisoner carriage and tossed him in haphazardly. As the two men within dragged Brutus to a reinforced iron restraints the Orc shouted to the two of them. "Master says keep this one not broken. Master also says keep pressure collar on him." The collar was bound by magic and attempted removal of it would slice the arteries causing the wearer to bleed out.

Brutus looked as if he was beginning to rouse as the Orc struck him in the face with his plated gauntlet. "Master said keep prisoner comfortable, but not too much." The Orc leaned in and looked Brutus in the eyes. "Master also says if prisoner tries to escape Grommok get to break bones." He smiled at the prisoner exposing his sharp yellow teeth and spat on him once before striking him in the stomach once more.

The small Inn was quiet and smelled of bread that was baking in the kitchen. A few men stood around drinking from worn mugs containing the local ale. This particular inn had nothing fancy, but it had a certain homey charm to it. The owner John Miller and his wife Aevrialle had run the inn since their early thirties after John built the place. It was safe to say they were a staple in the community and were honored that a healer had chosen to stay with them this evening. Young men so charitable were sparse due to the fact most lived up in monasteries studying their magic.

Suddenly through the door burst three men, the middle being carried by the two at his side. "We heard the healer was here. Gareth got hit with a poison arrow and he's getting colder." The two men laid Gareth down making certain the tourniquet was secured in place still. "Tell him we can pay him whatever he wants", the Lionel told John as he headed up the stairs. Turning his attention back to his poisoned friend Lionel did his best to keep Gareth stable.

[Purplez]

Rue had finally crossed over the border of Etrini and Arius. She made her way towards the nearest border town, knowing exactly where she was going. She took out her journal that she carried often with her when she traveled. The journal was made of dark oak bark but felt leathery to the touch. The pages were made of dead pixie wood that was bleached. The presence of it with her made her feel like she was safe and like Bart had never left her. She slowed her pace to a relaxed walk and opened it up reading her previous entries. She did this until she reached the outskirts of the border town, hastily putting her journal away and placing her left hand onto her spear.

Rue walked into an Inn, "Hello Rufus, can I get a room for the night?" she asked, walking up to an old man behind a counter.

Rufus nodded, "Sure, I always have one more room for you Rue. Here's your key." he said, handing her an old brass key. "Sleep well."

Rue took the key and thanked the old man, and retreated to her room. She placed down her belongings and set aside her armor right by the bed. She grabbed her spear and went into her bed. It was something Bart had taught her, "Just because you think you're safe doesn't mean you are. So, either sleep in your armor, turn back into your true form, or sleep with your weapon. You'll thank me later you brat." She smiled at the thought of it and had always slept with her weapon in both her hands. But, thinking back, she had had a strange feeling of constantly being followed.

Rue sat up and placed her weapon aside. "Tonight only to satisfy my nervousness." she mumbled to herself. She remade the bed, placed her weapon close to the bedside table, and took off the belt that made her appear human. Within meer seconds, a light blue aura surrounded her and made her only 2 inches tall. Small blue tinted transparent wings appeared on her back but the clothes she wore shrunk with her. She sighed and flew towards her satchel, making her bed in there. When she was settled in, she fell asleep quickly without a second thought.

[ShankyShank]

Brutus scowled at the Orc, but said nothing. Better to be held prisoner by Orcs than to be gutted by mercenaries, but only because it meant he was still alive. Orcs were usually stupid and easy to deceive, but these had a human master, another animal entirely. Pulling against his restraints, the creaking of wood told Brutus that he could rip himself free, but he'd still be locked in an ironbound carriage, and without his sword, even a few Orcs could overpower him.

He slumped back against the wall of the carriage, and stretched his legs out. This was going to be a long ride.

[ImDizzy]

Will was very close to sleep when a loud slam startled him. He wasn't a heavy sleeper by any means, but he was usually able to sleep through ambient white noise. This noise though, was very much louder than the buzz of conversation and clinking of mugs downstairs. He blinked sleepily and tried to gather his thoughts. Strangely, the conversation downstairs had cut into silence. He rubbed his eyes to get his mind working again. The lack of conversation downstairs after an interruption probably meant there was something serious happening. He looked mulishly at the wall for a few seconds, not wanting to get out of bed. He was still tired from walking down the steep mountain road to this town; but if something was wrong, the Code said it was his duty to help somehow.

As he swung out of bed, there was a hurried knock on his door. Will put on his robes quickly and opened the door. He recognized the innkeeper standing in hallway, looking disheveled and frantic. "You have to come! There's a man downstairs with a poisoned injury. We don't have anyone who can cure it." Will blinked owlishly a few times before his eyes widened. He grabbed his staff leaning against the wall next to the bed and bustled his way down the stairs with the innkeeper right behind him.

He found two men around another lying on the floor. Will pushed his way through a group of people surrounding the wounded man and dropped to his knees. He winced as his saw the man's wound. There was a deep indent on his upper right arm which had a mix of blood and pus slowly seeping from it. Will felt a bit of revulsion, but he breathed deeply and it passed. He was trained to treat wounds and he couldn't lose himself now. He clinically noted that the flesh around the wound was blackened and that the wound went down through the muscle. That was not good in the slightest; the tourniquet seemed to be slowing the bleeding, but it wasn't enough to completely stop the flow out of the wound. Will prepared himself for a cleansing spell to take away the poison. He put one of his hands above the wound while tightly gripping his staff and muttered a few words. The moonstone on top of the staff flared brightly for a moment and that light seemed to collect in the flesh below Will's hand. The glow flared again, then faded as the blackened flesh shifted back to its normal tone. Will's head swam which caused him to stare at the floor until the feeling passed. He felt very drained, but he wasn't finished healing the man. He looked at the wound again and the blood leaking from it was clear of pus. That was good at least, but the depth of the wound meant he probably wouldn't be able to heal all of it. He steeled himself and muttered a healing spell over the wound. Will's staff lit up again as the flesh knitted back together, but stopped before the wound completely came together. Will put his head in his hands and panted for a few minutes as he tried to regain some semblance of strength. He tiredly raised his head and noted he would have to stitch the rest of the wound back together. He also noticed that the man seemed to be stirring a bit as he came back to consciousness. "Can someone go up to my room and grab my pack please? And can I get this man some strong ale as well?" Will asked. The bystanders stared at him for a second before one of them ran up the stairs. The innkeeper went back behind the counter and passed a mug of ale to Will.

"This is are strongest ale that we have with us right now. But can I ask what you're using it for?" the man asked Will and he took the cup.

"It's to deaden the pain. I don't have enough energy to completely heal the wound and I'm going to have to stitch the rest of it up. He is coming around and the pain of me sewing the wound back together might make him move which would be unfortunate for him. I need him to stay still if I'm to stitch the wound back together," Will quickly replied. He walked over to the man and kneeled down by his head. Will raised his head slightly and waited for the man to come around a bit more. "Excuse me? I'm the healer. Can you drink this?" Will asked as the man tried to focus on him. The man seemed to think about it for a moment before he nodded. Will tipped the mug into the man's mouth, making sure he got most of the alcohol down. "What I'm going to do will hurt a bit, but try not to move your arm, okay? I'm going to have someone else help me, but you need to try too." He tapped one of the men on the shoulder, "Will you hold his shoulder please? Like I said, if he moves it will be... not good at the least." The man nodded mutely and did what Will asked. Just then, the person who went to grab his pack came down the stairs and handed it to Will. Will took out his medical kit from the pack and retrieved needle and thread from the kit. "I'm going to start now. So again, don't move," he replied. He shook off a wave of exhaustion and started to stitch the wound back together. It wasn't his best work, but with the help of the other man, Will finished stitching the wound quickly. "You... can remove those in about a week...," Will said while stifling a yawn. He had a hard time keeping his eyes open and waved away the two men trying to give him some sort of payment. "Talk.. to me in the morning. I'm too... tired to make decisions right now," he said with a slight bit of callousness. He stumbled up the stairs and collapsed in his bed. Will fell asleep almost immediately after he closed his eyes.