Cast
Just a note, this casting is from the beginning of the game. Most characters are at least 2 years older now (some are more due to time shenaniganry)
Liam Callahan - a 17 year old human farm boy who constantly has his head in the clouds (you guessed it. The Hero!). Liam hails from the "Road's End Villages" the far North Western section of the Kingdom of Cerimea, not that anyone particularly remembers that that is still a part of the country. Liam has since aged to 20 years old and is taking the first steps towards facing his destiny.
Ilian Holhan - A 19 year old apprentice mage Seraphim who has come down to the surface (accompanied by his mentor and master) to further his studies on the weather as well as several other studies for his magical pursuits.. The Seraphim are a race of winged scholars and magi who live high above the clouds.
Abar Dan Rab Beynonn - A 19 year old Azrian Sword Dancer. The Azrian are a tribe of humans that live in cities in the forests (think Sherwood from Robin Hood Prince of Thieves), they are some of the premiere sword fighters in the land, using a style that emphasizes grace and finesse over power.
Darcy Stanton - A Half-Elf Rogue who has been staying with Rab (Abar) among the Azrian for the last few years. She is as close as a sister to Rab, and helps him on the various jobs he undertakes for the Azrian. Despite her time with the Azrian though, Darcy prefers to fight with her knives rather than use a sword.
Genru Crabshall - A Dwarven caravan guard from the Dwarf's War Caste. Genru hails from the famed floating cities of the Dwarves, though it has been years since he has seen home. Assigned to a guard a caravan heading to the northern provinces of Cerimea.
Ornu Tana Dar - An experienced Elven Woodsman, Ornu is specifically trained to be able to counter rogues, spies, and assassins, and also in taking out larger groups of opponents as quickly and efficiently possible. One year ago (beginning of the game) he was sent to retrieve Darcy back to the Kingdom so that officials could speak to her on matters of some importance to the Elven kingdom.
The Session
The session began with the group together in the Elven kingdom. They realized that they needed to split up in order to get everything ready in time. Ilian would be going to Tamera to reclaim the Staff of the Arch Mage, Rab would be going to the Titan Wall to claim the army that was supposedly waiting for him there, Liam would be going to the Road's End Villages to reclaim the Dragons that had been hidden away, Darcy would go with Rab, Ornu with Liam, and Grenru would head to Bastion to get everything ready for their arrival.
Another couple of days are spent in the elven kingdom getting everything ready. Darcy requests, and receives, another fine quality dagger to match her set that had been divided up earlier in the adventure. Rab also requests a small handed weapon, meaning brass knuckles, but in the confusion - and haughtiness - of the elves, ends up with a fine bladed knife. Each going their own way, the group says their hopefully not last goodbyes, and splits up.
Rab and Darcy
Rab and Darcy have the furthest to travel and go to the titan wall. When they arrive there they find that a strange robed figure is drawing on the wall with charcoal. They confront the man, who breaks into a fit of hacking. There is something not right about the man, and closer examination reveals that his skin is rotting on his bones. Rab goes to approach, and is warded away by a magic spell. The same happens for Darcy as she tries from the side. Rab manages to get the mage's full attention, getting stabbed in the back for his trouble when he ignores a spelled knife that had been thrown at him. The poison on the knife makes Rab's body seize and feel afire, a condition that could prove fatal. Darcy manages to get close and kill the mage with some expert rolling, and gives Rab an antidote for the poison. The trouble gone, they approach the wall. Rab doesn't have to touch it, for the wall to reshape itself to look like the front of a castle with the main gates swinging open wide. They head on through.
On the other side, they find they are on a plains with a castle in the distance. Heading up to the castle, they see it is fully staffed and host to an army. The people inside are friendly, but not overly helpful when it comes to being spoken to, and Darcy recognizes a few of them from old stories. Rab spends some time trying to get everyone's attention on him so he can talk, before deciding what the hell and just sitting in the large throne in the main audience chamber. A gong sounds, and all falls silent. Shortly after the hall, hallways around it, and courtyard below it, fill with everyone in the castle. The King has arrived.
Rab tells them of what is going on, and what must be done. They ask why they should follow him, and he says because no one else is doing anything. They ask what he'll do if they don't help. He says the same thing he'll do if they help. He then goes to leave, and they make way for him but do not follow. As he approaches the gate back through the titan wall Darcy asks if he is sure, he may not get a second shot at this. Rab responds that he knows what he is doing, and is prepared for the consequences and marches back through the gate. When he arrives on the other side there is an army with him.
They begin to march towards Bastion to join their friends, with the heroes of old giving Rab a crash course in tactics and leadership. He has the spirit of a King, but he does not yet have the skills that may be needed.
Ilian
Ilian finds the capitol city of Tamera to be a barren warzone. Fires have ruined the once beautiful city, and the Mage Spires seem to sit amongst a cloud of smoke and soot. Only the tallest of the towers shows no sign of battle damage, no sign of having ever been touched. Ilian decides to make his entrance meaningful, and forcefully reshapes the stone tower to have a balcony for him to enter through. Inside he finds what was once a beautiful room that has now been turned into a torture chamber. The air reeks of shit, flesh, and blood. There are bodies, torn and disected, hanging off of the walls on spikes. The ancient mahogany desk has a woman's body neatly sliced open atop it. Ilian can't hold it in, and throws up violently.
He is not alone in the tower though. Across the way for him a lone robed figure works on another body. Ilian's eyes widen in horror as he sees that the body being dissected is still alive. He doesn't wait for introductions, and immediately hurls a spear of fire through the figure's skull. The figure breaks out into a coughing fit in response, slowly turning to regard the young mage curiously. The spear has gone through the figure's eye socket, but it doesn't seem to have noticed. The spell fizzles and vanishes, the robed figure continues to hack and cough, and the two talk briefly. Ilian says he is here for the staff, the mage doesn't know what he is talking about and casually turns to finish off the squirming specimen on the table. It is all the provocation Ilian needs to attack again.
The two mages duel, but fueled by his rage, Ilian quickly over powers the other and wins. He checks the body on the table, but is too late to save the man. He is too late to save anyone here. Shoving off his depression, Ilian searches the central column for where the Seraphim key goes, finding the lock and opening the secret chamber. He sneaks into the room just moments before the other mage re-awakens, and inside finds the staff. Ilian grabs the staff, and immediately fills himself surge with power. It is too much to hold onto at first, so he shapes it. Only the innocent will be spared. The top floor of the tower blows off, with rock and debris raining down around the city killing hundreds of monsters and evil creatures. Ilian flies off to rejoin the Seraphim.
With the Seraphim, Ilian is flustered to find them all referring to him as the Primarch. An ancient title, meaning the leader of all the seraphim people. It has not been used in centuries, but they all seem agreed that he is the next one. He gathers the elders, and divides his people into groups. Those who can help in the fighting, those who can't, and those who could but will stay back to defend. So divided, the Seraphim head out to Bastion to join the forming army.
Liam and Ornu
Just a note, Ornu's player couldn't make the session so he doesn't do much here.
Liam makes his way to Black Gate Village, looking around the abandoned town before heading to the gate that gives the town its namesake. Moving through, he is once more transported to a different realm. A path leading to the south, which he follows quickly. Three days he walks, not tiring, nor getting hungry. After three days his path is blocked by two knights with shields and halberds. Liam tries to go around, only to find that reality warps to make it so he can not. Left with no choice, and the knights not responding, nor letting him pass, Liam attacks. It takes him a couple of attacks per knight to drop them, but he does manage to do so with only a minimal wound to his arm. When he is finished he can hear what sounds to be a lute playing.
The source of the noise is a woman with flame red hair sitting on a rock. She is dressed in an odd fashion, like a tom boyish bard that isn't afraid to show off the feminine figure at the same time with high boots. The woman is also smoking a pipe. As Liam approaches the playing stops and the woman comments that he's gotten sloppy if it took him that long to beat the knights. Liam asks who she is, and the woman gets insulted. How dare he forget her, first he takes her turn and then forgets who she is? Leaving her locked up in that realm with nothing to do. Some nerve!
Liam's confusion eventually proves to be genuine and the woman relents. She is Ember, his Dragon. More to the point, she is his sister. or at least his soul's sister. The two are linked and interwoven throughout history. She was also his Dragon when he was Deregar. He tells her about what is going on, and asks about the other dragons. She explains that she was only able to save 59 of the eggs, and brings him with her. A casual wave of the hand brings up a cave entrance, and inside there are 59 dragons. The youngest of which is of blue coloring, and despite the smaller size looks very familiar. Liam happily greets Fatooth in his reborn state.
In the cave, Ember explains more of their situation to Liam, eventually touching his head. His mind is given perspective, and suddenly can make sense of all of Deregar's memories. The training and skills come back as well, years of experience and knowledge gained over centuries of fighting is once more back with him. Finally a full blooded Dragon Knight. Gathering the Dragon's and Ember together, they head out back to the real world and Bastion.
Grenru
Grenru is greeted warmly in Bastion, while the guard doesn't recognize him another able fighter is more than welcome within the walls. When he intercedes in a small altercation, he draws attention from the town guard. His act is just, preventing some militia from doling out harsh punishments for a non-crime. The commotion also draws Elise Ila Tamera, current leader of Bastion's attention on her near by ride. She recognizes the dwarf and greets him warmly.
Grenru brings Elise up to speed on what has been going on, managing to keep her incredulity in check. He explains the 7 year absence, and all the items and things that the group has learned and acquired. He tells her that help is coming. Elves, Dwarves, an army following Rab, and what ever Liam and Ilian can get. Elise is baffled, and almost upset. It almost seems unfair to her, having struggled with so little for years, only for others to so seemingly casually gather such a huge power base. Still, she is devoted enough that it is only a momentary pang of jealousy. The people come first, and she is there to help them.
Grenru helps with plotting the defenses and march of the army. Finding ways to fit in the coming forces. When the Dwarves and Elves arrive, he is ready with plans for them. Rab showing up at the head of an army of heroes of old is incorporated as well, as is Ilian's arrival with nearly 10,000 Seraphim magi and fighters. Finally, Liam arrives ahead a flight of 60 dragons. The seraphim greet the man, and verify the dragons are on their side. Everyone is back together, the army is assembled, the time to bring the fight back to the enemy is here. Though, the enemy must know that they are coming....
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