Nine years ago King Aiden Perenolde betrayed the Alliance and sided with the Horde of Orgrim Doomhammer. Nine years ago Prince Alric Perenolde, the second heir of Alterac was sent into exile for his own protection. This exile turned permanent and Captain Normand Garside, your guardian for the past nine years made sure that you were safe and learned the useful skills that would help you in the future.
Now you are ready to carry the responsibility and unite the scattered Alteraci people and reclaim the lands that were once the Kingdom of Alterac.
Your interrogation of Astu of Laughing Skull Clan had proven to be useful. You had learned that he was a messenger between Grom Hellscream and Thrall, but out of want to uphold your honour you didn’t pry into the messages he was carrying. But what made the interrogation really useful was what happened after it. Pai the Assassin had eavesdropped you and Eligius talking and had heard nearly all the details. In her want to get away from The Syndicate, she easily lockpicked her way out of the cell and gave you a proposition. She would deliver the messages and stay hiding with the Frostwolf Clan.
But she also revealed something more important, something you have to act upon. Pai told you that you have a little sister Alicia Perenolde and that she is being held by Lord Creedy of The Syndicate as a royal hostage. And so you hatched a plan. Pai and your spymaster Eligius with the help of Sir Cyrus, Otto Wanz and Bill Rover, would venture into Alterac, rescue Alicia Perenolde and try to assassinate Lord Creedy. While Pai was delivering the message to the Frostwolves, Eligius would prepare the rest of the mission. And while you were out campaigning, that mission would be launched.
And now you are in Durnholde Keep taking the last few steps before the combined force of humans march into war against the gnolls. With Lord Colonel Garithos again having lost his temper and having embarrassed himself, you claimed the command of the campaign without much opposition.
The success of this campaign and the fate of hundreds of men was now on your shoulders.
In the capital, the Holy City, in the grandest square of the heart of the city where statues of long dead emperors stood watch over the streets that converged here, the people of the nation flocked to see what many had whispered would be their hero. To listen, perhaps not even, to merely behold. People were still struggling to squeeze their way forth, though the man of the hour had already risen atop a grand platform.
The man who stood at the podium was no noble, no representative of the throne, but the people of the city gathered as though they had been summoned nevertheless. A swarthy, dark Sea Vitelian, so broad and tall he looked like a triumphal monument rather than a normal man, stood tall before leaning over the lectern, a microphone able to carry his voice to all, where in old times the crowd might lose the words over the vastness of the throng.
This man was Giovanno Leone, a veteran of the war against the Grossreich, a famous warrior who had won hundreds of battles fighting alongside the elite Arditi in the frontline without suffering any disfiguring wounds, a man of uniform and no shortage of medals. Instead of wearing such, however, he wore the colors and cloth of a common city fellow and no constables were close to protect him, rather, kept out at the edges where they nervously waited for a riot from this provocateur. More than a few in the high places of power had clamored for his arrest, but on top of being so physically imposing that few policemen dared to confront him with the threat of capture, others had shielded his ascent, seeing a rising star that they might use the light of for their own ambitions.
Leone was aware of both of them, and intended to satisfy neither. As far as he was concerned, the Kingdom of Vitelia would not endure beyond its final monarch, and what was born afterwards would finally surpass the First Empire, as it had yearned to do since that glorious time had come to a calamitous end.
The audience was vast enough that silence was impossible to call for. That didn’t bother Leone. He knew that, once he spoke, all would quiet themselves. No one else had come here to be heard, not in these times. <span class="mu-i">I am here, friends. Bonetto. Cesare. Too many others to mention. I am here because of you.</span>
You are Kara Zor-El, one of the last living remnants of the once proud Kryptonian Empire. When you were but a babe, the empire fell. You were taken in by another of its remnants: The artificial intelligence known as Brainiac. It nurtured you when you were little, taught you lessons of your Kryptonian heritage, trained you to fight as they did. Direct and unforgiving.
As you grew up, Brainiac reestablished the Empire. He started out only with a few derelict space stations and ships and soon grew to encompass a few systems, bringing under heel various civilizations who owed their growth to Krypton. They were rebels, traitors, they refused Brainiac’s mercy and Brainiac taught them to respect their betters.
You watched it often, orbit bombings. Wars fought between Kryptonian war machines and whatever these species could muster. Whole species punished to toil to pay back for their crimes. Your heart hardened, the Empire was in dire straits, terrible things had to be done for a brighter future.
Soon enough, you were convinced. Krypton had to return. The resources and skills of the civilizations that once bent the knee to the homeworld had to be united to continue its purpose. To expand, to enlighten.
And you reached adulthood. 21 years of age in Kryptonian society. Brainiac outfitted you with an armour made of the best composites from the New Empire, and the most up to date technological advancements the AI could muster.
“Zor-El.” His robotic voice rang from the comms console below you. “My most precious asset, how I longed for you to feel the pride that stems from fighting for the Great Cause.”
“Thank you, Brainiac.” You replied. “I have anxiously waited for this day myself.”
“It is good to hear. Allow me to remind you of your mission: You will be dropped into the government building of the Kazarrian Empire, the foremost polity on planet Racker V after the Empire’s collapse.”
You watched the planet below you as the ship approached the landing zone. A grand urban sprawl appeared below. Brainiac went silent for a moment as the dropship’s shields were taking fire from ground-based orbital lasers. The ship shook for a moment, but soon stabilized under the heavy fire.
“Worry not, Zor-El. Their technological level cannot match ours. Our shields will hold.”
“Yes, Brainiac.” You replied.
“As I was saying, with the taking of the Kazarrian Emperor, Racker V’s united front will collapse. They will understand there is no point in their defiance. Whatever pockets of resistance will remain will be dealt with accordingly. I expect this new strategy I have devised with you as its spearhead to reduce the damages caused by planetary reclamation by…” The console goes silent for a moment. “One hundred a thirty thousand, five hundred and thirteen point five eight zero…” Brainiac drones on with the decimals.
“Brainiac.” You cut it off.
“Zero three percent.” Brainiac says. “I have rounded off the last decimal for your cognitive system’s convenience.”
Far to the west of the settled Lands of Man, there are jagged peaks which stab at the sky as if to pierce the sun, and to make it bleed. At dawn, they break up Sol’s golden glow, and cast it down upon the earth in cascading red, as if they had succeeded. Perhaps that is why Man, and Dwarf, and even Elf call those mountains the same name in each of their tongues:
‘Bloodrise,’ they call them.
In ancient days, these mountains played host to one of the last of the great Dragon Kings—the tyrant lizards of old, who reigned as gods-on-earth over all others. Though his own blood was long wgo poured out upon into the hills and valleys below, his memory yet lives… And in recent days, there are fearful whisper, from Man, and Elf, and Dwarf, that an heir has arrived to reclaim the Dragon King’s throne.
‘There are monsters in the mountains,’ the tall tales tell.
But perhaps those tales are not so tall. Certainly, some of the monsters aren’t. At the base of the Bloodrise Mountains, outside the aegis of any so-called ‘Dragon King’, there ARE some monsters. In the half-repaired ruins of a burned-out humans settlement, there dwell a number of those least-loved and oft-overlooked of monsters: goblins. They are small creatures, with greenish skin and yellow eyes, mishappen teeth in oversized skulls, and wearing great pointed ears notched and nicked from hard living. Inept in magic, small of size, unpleasant of odour, and speaking a harsh and savage tongue, goblins are outcasts. They dwell in this place not because they want to, but because they MUST: the Race of Man will not accept them into their settlements in any great number, and even their goblinoid kin would eagerly enslave them, or worse.
And yet even among the Goblin, there are those who are considered unusual. Two such creatures currently share the largest home, in the place which Men call ‘Goblintown’, in the deep crimson shadows of the Bloodrise Mountains.
The world of Pavilion continues on. In the far east the gentle Venks enjoy an era of peace and prosperity, far from any who might menace them. They share the shores of the great lake with many a peculiar people, the ant legions of Skrit, the eclectic homunculi of Vitruvia, and the secretive shadow elves of Habitun. The decidedly peculiar east is separated from the west by the harpy supremacists of Guliseare who lurk in a great mountain range, though their home is threatened by the flames of war. Beyond the mountains are the human kingdoms, remnants of the Tellden empire. The mage lords of the Vizari, the holy legions of Barzaentine, the half orc knights of Orcmanie, the half elf aristocrats of Adenai, and the matriarchy cursed Ordelan. Nestled within them are the changeling city states of Tagaya. On the fringes of what was once the Tellden empire the brutal Domo beastmen and savage Krovian sharkmen lurk, waiting for their chance to strike at the world of men. Further still are the alien Krawl and the Urotti dwarves living on the edge of civilized lands.
As the spring of a new year dawns and the first green shoots appear, the leaders of the world must guide their people to the future, through vicious wars, delicate diplomacy, and past chaotic unpredictable disasters.
>We're currently full on players, apologies to anyone who would like to join
>GLOBAL Night becomes day as a spectacular meteor shower fills the night sky, punctuated by the earth itself shuddering as great fiery stars strike the ground somewhere far to the south east. The air grows hot and mothers clutch their children tight as wisemen stare in horror. After three hours it ends as abruptly as it began. The mollucoids of Zelheim have been utterly destroyed, though whether it is by the callousness of nature, divine, or a mortal of terrifying power is utterly unknown. The following summer is hot and dry and the harvests slim.
Individuals worldwide began manifesting the qualities of various figures- gods, spirits, heroes, beasts, and monsters- from Greek mythos. The system that caused and continues to facilitate this phenomenon is shrouded in mystery, both in how it functions and why it began its activities when it did.
The protagonist of this tale is the incarnation of Atë, a minor goddess in the grand scheme of Greek mythology, who causes and presides over folly and ruin. She, formerly a miserable but ultimately normal office worker, has since accepted her role as the embodiment of her <Myth>. She, along with her partner in crime, the incarnation of Pheme, titan of rumors and gossip, have been working to expand their influence and stack the deck in their favor against not only mortals, but also rival incarnations. In her own eyes, she is no longer human. Her ultimate goal- the elimination of all rival incarnations and, eventually, complete and total world domination.
After a humiliating defeat at the hands of ADAM, a task force with the sole purpose of liberating the world from divine interference, especially the vengeful <Tisiphone>, Atë finds herself searching for the power to eliminate them- and all the other obstacles that dare stand in her way- for good. In this endeavor, she found herself in China, originally with the intention of scouting it out to prepare for an attack against it, only to be faced with who most believe to be the most powerful incarnation in the world: China’s undisputed ruler, Ye Min. To her shock, she has seemingly embedded a piece of her consciousness into the circuits and microchips that operate a divinity-based electric generator and, far from threatening, has taken a shockingly amicable stance considering the circumstances.
Quest fell off because I took a quick nap. I am sorry for it not being archived correctly. Will see if I can get it back from like moe or something. Annoying.
Here is the prompt from before.
>What did you pick up with the extra cash you had? Something small is good. It will be shared by you and your sister. Something like an expanding pouch or a sneak-o-scope is fine. A premium broom is too much. Or do you want to just say you spent it on some outfits? Your mom and dad are more than rich enough that your robes have warming and cooling enchantments. A set of gloves with a protego on them? Some weird potion neither of you could normally make? A gift for Macy or David?
>Write in
We have one vote for having picked up some fancy under things.
I do apologize for not archiving before, did not get that it was so far off the board. Will post a little more after a bit as an apology.
Lazari enters the room late, even though 'late' really means 'just in time', it's just that everyone else is always early for the meeting. She scans the room, it's pretty simple for a place that holds what might arguably be some of the strongest magic users in the country. Just a wooden table with dining chairs spread around it, but she notices one empty seat.
"You can't be serious, he's fucking gone?" Lazari sits down on her chair. "What the fuck happened?"
Kit, the summoning teacher, answers, "Ah, well, ya know, he got a better offer somewhere else."
"I will say, it is bound to happen when our hiring standards are so high, we hardly have the resources to keep most of them interested," Nina, the Divination teacher, adds. "Perhaps we should lower them."
"What!? Bullshit! Listen, every time we hire some inexperienced guy fresh out of college, they just recite whatever they find in the book, and the moment they have a problem unique to them, they have no idea what to do because they're used to magic being handed to them!"
"What's the alternative, then? We're already stretched thin as is, we can't sustain this forever, and with everything going on we're already pretty busy."
"This is a meeting about the first year students," Ayn, the material teacher changes the subject. "We can come back to the staff shortage issue later."
"Agreed!" Kit says, "Now, we've got a lot of people with good potential here! Like-"
"Potential to be a massive pain in the ass is what they are," Lazari rolls her eyes. "It's been a while since we had such a handful of unique cases. Are you sure they'll be doing alright, Nina?"
Nina nods. "They all have a pretty high chance of making it, despite their unique issues."
"Yeah? Well I'm not so sure about that, there's... right, that human kid? Sure, the mana cost of the spells are pretty managable right now, but that's not going to stay true at the end of the year, ya know? I've really tried to look into this, but Jack didn't leave us with a lot of substantial research, which sucks."
Nina shakes her head. "That is not what I am worried about, he is dating that forgotten girl, and he believes he can 'fix' the forgotten curse."
Lazari raises an eyebrow. "And? I mean sure, he's just a kid, but he's bound to learn a few things on the way there. I've looked into it myself, it's a little bit of a complicated issue, but-"
"I believe he should put his attention elsewhere. If he was just trying to cure that girl, this would not be a problem, but if he develops a general solution that would work on most forgottens, it could be bad."
<span class="mu-i">"Did you really think you could succeed? With such a weight of sin, you never even stood a chance. Perish, now, and suffer, <span class="mu-s">as you should</span>, in the afterlife - for all eternity."</span>
...
"WELCOME, weary soul, to ALTERORBIS a-no, THE- world of adventure, riches, exquisite cuties, and- well, A LOT OF OTHER THINGS. Now let's set up your REINCARNATION properly..."
"..."
"..."
The voice whistles.
"Well, aren't you a strange bastard. Looks like with your particular set of TRAITS I can only offer you one of these options:"
[PICK ONE]
>Bone Tortoise [Undead] Arising from the largest, sturdiest facial shield bones of the Ragnatars, the Bone Tortoise is one of the hardest undead to kill for the inexperienced adventurer. The outer shell encases a vulnerable interior, the entire creature propelled by surprisingly nimble bony legs. Upon reaching its prey, it jump-slams it to death and feasts on the carcass. Like several other undead, it is capable of absorbing memories of the remains it gathers and reinforces itself with. Usually cracked open by bigger undead or those in possession of powerful piercing weaponry. Rank F- [Start in the Deadlands] Power: 5 Magic: 1 Charm: 0
>Ur-lion Cub [Feral] The giant Ur-lions symbolize valour to the mountain people, and their cubs usually have to employ plenty of it to survive to adulthood. Their mane and hide are not yet formed to be impenetrable to regular weapons, but they compensate for this with their size, being similar in that to common mountain lions. They pack the same strength and rapidly grow until adulthood. The cubs' roars are already deafening and disorienting to others, which they use to full extent to hunt down their prey. They are hunted in turn for their boiling blood, which is a minor alchemical ingredient. Rank F- [Start in the Mountains] Power: 4 Magic: 0 Charm: 2
>Black Hare [Spirit] Named so because of their lightning-fast locomotion method and similar shape to the regular hare, the Black Hare spawns where massacres of animals take place. They are bigger than their ordinary "cousins" and much more malicious, possessing razor claws and sharp teeth to slay their foes, and seemingly capable of fading into shadows. They fear bright light and are usually inactive during daytime. Rank F- [Start in a Forest] Power: 3 Magic: 2 Charm: 1
