Run by Oliver on 7th January 2012
A great army of dream has assembled to the north of the White City and appears to have allied with the southern armies of Duke Karl and is moving toward the watchtowers. The threat to the White City is imminent and so the governess sends out powerful individuals to deal with the so called 'King in the North'.
The party journey into Dream and there collect the dreamy essences of the four siblings of Dishonour: Despair, Dignity and Devotion. With these essences they brew a potent poison to separate Dishonours dreamy essence from the stolen immortality of a prince of breath. Combined with Orlando's enchanted hand this should be enough to destroy the misbehaving dream power.
As they journey toward the Wistful City to confront the King in the North they are each tempted by Dishonour to betray their fellows, of course when they wake up they all assure one another that none has accepted.
They enter the city and confront Dishonour…though as they do Stephano appears to accept the powers bargain and joins his side. Outmatched Orlando surrenders and agrees, at dishonour's insistence, to summon up the Rattle Prince so that Dishonour might steal the other half of the immortality he stole. Orlando betrays Dishonour however and summons the Rose Prince of the North…who is outraged. Orlando swears to forswear the rattle prince for the rose prince's aid and since the Rose Prince is not a fan of dream powers he attacks Dishonour. The fight is close but Stephano heals Dishonour and sways the battle. Orlando flees but Stephano is not done and as a gloating Dishonour leans over the dying Rose Prince he commends Dishonour to ash. The Rose Prince evaporates in a swirl of petals.
Stephano is left alone with a swirling orb of wind…the divine essence that Dishonour stole.
He and Akemenos, with an unconscious Sereth, Journey back to the city. Along the way Stephano finds the divine wind has been stolen…by Orlando. As they each arrive back at the City to manoeuvre against each other they learn that Dishonour's army betrayed Duke Karl, attacking them from the rear. It would have been route of the Port of Glass forces had the army of Dream not simply vanished a few minutes into the fighting. Duke Karl has withdrawn, his forces badly mauled.
Run by Oliver on 21st January 2012
Dracarnius (Elliot), Brother Sanguine (Julian), Gavin (Dave H), Anton (Mike), Edric (James I)
Around the White City notices have appeared in the taverns and coffee houses frequented by adventurers. Each bears the symbol of a black sunburst on a burning field of white flame. Beneath this is inscribed the message:
“Women and Men of skill and ambition wanted to journey to the East. Payment for service will be rendered.”
Bar a time and location it says nothing more. Those paying attention over the next few nights will notice Knights of the Shining Order meticulously collecting every notice they can find.
The party, given the task by the mysterious figure calling itself Roark, journey to the east, to the very heart of the Waste of the Rose, where no one has ventured for centuries. There they find a vast ruined city that must once have been as great as the White City. Yet now it sits in a dehydrated wasteland, its streets filled with dessicated undead forever thirsting for water they cannot have.
The party gradually take metaphysical control of the city for Roark. Along they way they learn that this great metropolis was once the favoured city of the Rose Princess of the East. To shield it from the naming and binding war she blessed the city with her own heart to protect its people. However, the city's king gave into greed and began to use the power of the goddesses heart to make the city powerful and prosperous. For his betrayal the Princess cursed the city she once loved, drawing all water in the kingdom into her heart which took the form of a magical fountain on an oasis at the centre of the damned city. The inhabitants were cursed to never die while their thirst endured, a thirst they could never quench.
The party protect Roark, from the power of the enraged Princess, as he performs a ritual to take control of the heart and the city with it. They succeed, and at the climax of the ritual a pillar of White Flame engulfs the magical fountain as Tenders of the Flame, in their thousands, begin to consume the city and the very ground it stands on. The party flee as the earth collapses under them and they successfully escape the wave of destructive magic.
As they look behind them they see the Tenders have consumed a seemingly bottomless rift in the ground where the city once stood and from its centre they are constructing a tower of impossible proportions, made of alien black material (similar to that of the Long Road). It rises into the sky as it is simultaneously shaped by name magic so that it begins to take the form of an idealised human, arms outstretched towards the heavens as if to support the firmament itself. The figure itself is perfectly bisected in purest black and white.
They manage to reach the road to Crossroads before their water runs out and are escorted back to the watchtowers by a cadre of Shining Order Knights. Outside the watchtowers, during the night, Roark appears once more to reward the party. To some of them he even offers the chance to forsake the White City and join the utopia he claims he has created; free of government or gods. They refuse but take their payment. The party return to the White City. Gavin being put under the ward of Edric and Edric being rewarded for informing the Exalted Church of Roark's activities. The party also sell the relics they recovered from the city for 300 hexa to the college.
The impossible spire, with its strange figure, is oddly visible from the White City. Even at such a vast distant it seems unnaturally tall and the view of it is never obscured by haze or fog, even when it really should be. Three days after their arrival there is a final change; between the two outstretched hands a brilliant point of light appears, pulsing continually, a beacon even in the blackest night. Over the following weeks there is much comment on the structure; some claiming it is an illusion, others the work of a madman but either way a name gradually becomes associated with it, even though no origin for that name can be found; 'The Temple of Man'. Two things are obvious; firstly, the Exalted Church is becoming increasingly concerned, and several missions of Shining Order Knights are dispatched to the east; secondly, the east wind has ceased to blow.
Run by Vicky on the 28th January 2012
Advertisements appear around the White City for a group of reasonably experienced adventurers to undertake a quest on behalf of the White City and the Temple of Ashes to get rid of a dangerous necromancer.
Gavin (Dave H), Favian De Courci (Iain), Lucinda (Ellie H), A dog (Oliver)
* The party visit the Lord of the Tower of Heroes who instructs them on what they will need to bind Sacchos's spirit: a chain made of ghost gold (gold which has been ritually burned on a funeral pyre), his daughter's original hand and some of the remains of his original body. The dog ignores most of the exposition and plays fetch with a scarred warrior woman.
Snackies: The party receive twenty hexa a head in addition to their 10 hexa advance and are generally in favour with the Temple of Ash. The exception are Favian who chooses to forgo his reward and Gavin, who instead receives induction in to the cult of the Garden Lords. As a result he may buy Ordained (Garden Lords or Garden Lord of choice) and he now has a contact at the temple who is overseeing his training in the priesthood. The advantage is that he may be able to call on his contact for aid or advice, the disadvantage is that he will be slightly more closely watched by the temple from now on, who will be trying to ensure he doesn't fall from grace again. On receiving the information that he is now a priest of the Burned Lords the Exalted Church are willing to relax their guard on him however. The other disadvantage is that his two ordinations are strictly at odds with one another. If he does anything in support of the Namers whilst the Burned Lords gaze is upon him he will once again lose his Ash Ordination. Likewise She who Dances in the Firmanent may have cause to get jealous if he shows too much favour to the Burned Lords.
All the party are in the favour of the Garden Lords for destroying one of their sworn enemies and so may be able to call on their aid should the need arise.
Fluff: Favian speaks to the High Priest of the Lord of the Tower of Heroes with regard to the crew of the Silandria planning an assualt on the Tower. He doesn't seem too concern, suggesting that his Lord may even view it as a compliment but thanks him for the information nonetheless. He will also find that he is invited to a few more parties by his family, who seem pleased with him- it seems the mission was strongly backed by members of the De Courci.
Lucinda reports back to the Cloistered Brethren, who seem mostly interested by the chain of ghost gold and its properties. They also take particular note of what she tells them about Favian's relationship with the King in Fragments.
The dog finds he will be kept well fed by the Temple of Ash, especially after Favian reports his bravery.
The cold war with the Golden City seems to be hotting up. Shortly after the party return reports of clashes between High Guard patrols and the Golden City soldiers start flooding back to the White City. The High Captains of the High Guard start mobilising their forces and rumours abound that the Low Guard are doing something similar, albeit with a more subtle slant. In particular the young hot-headed High Captain and Duke Apparent Velasquez seems eager to see some action on the battlefield. In the Black Griffin there is a certain amount of drunken talk that the challenge from the Champion of the Golden City to the Champion of the White might come any day and even some speculation that the Governess may be planning to pre-empt them by issuing the challenge first. For now though it seems nothing more than talk…
Run by Oliver on 4th February 2012
Misa (Iain), Prince Nakamura (Vicky), Kite Bravo (Harry), Koreck (James G), Lucinda (Ellie H)
Over the past few weeks the strange tower looming to the west has attracted much interest; weirdly bright at night and ominously black during the day. Those in the seedier areas of the city have also noticed something strange: people are leaving, packing up and setting off out the eastern gate. The people leaving are of a particular sort; scholars rumoured to be dabbling in heresy, sorcerers whispered to be practitioners of dark arts or craftsmen considered insane by their peers for their unusual ideas. For whatever reason, a certain sort of person is being called away from the White City and to the east.
Meanwhile in the White City the Church of the Light is becoming ever more agitated. Patrols of Shining Order Knights have been regularly leaving the city through the eastern gate and the High Priestess of the light has been seen on occasion atop the walls, looking toward the tower. There has also been turmoil in the merchants quarter. The governing council has issued a string of new taxes and tariffs on the work of blacksmiths in the city. Many are calling foul about these new financial penalties and some influential merchants are suggesting the new taxes are a flagrant form of protectionism instituted by the De Almedia to secure the steelsilk trade. Though the government claim the taxes are needed in a time of war.
Around the city notices appear appealing for adventures to undertake important work co-sponsored by the High Guard and the Exalted Church.
The party are hired to find the source of the mysterious new material that the White City fear may give the Port of Glass an advantage in the war, for it may be forged into unnaturally potent armour. Following their lead the party journey to the east, to the looming 'Temple of Man' that stands within the heart of the Waste of the Rose.
Within, the party find the tower to be a place of blasphemy and evil magic. Some fell sorcery has be wrought that strips the gods of power over the Temple meaning that any priest loses their connection to their deity while within. The party enter and find the Temple to be filled with many people from many places, all united by their rejection of rule by any other save themselves. Namers and necromancers alike work on demented projects within and the party see many things anathema in the White City.
In particular they encounter a powerful spirit of the Black Flame called the 'Black Maw' within a summoning chamber. Despite his master's warning Misa touches the hovering black sphere and is instantly annihilated by the flame. As the 'Black Maw' begins to pulse with flame, and draw in all around it the prince, in his grief, is also consumed by the sphere, while the rest of the party flee.
Misa and the Prince find themselves in an infinite void, filled with Flame. As they feel their very spirits being consumed by the black flame another power reaches out to them, this one composed to searing White Flame, as an unnatural voice intones 'I claim these ones'. They feel themselves once more in the physical world as someone speaks in words of naming and making, forging new bodies for the pair. It finishes its work by filling their chests with hearts of brilliant white flame that beat in unison. Yet as the work is finished the strange voice speaks again saying 'such intervention requires a sacrifice in kind' and both feel the white fire burn something away from within them. They awaken at the summit of the Temple, a pillar of White Flame before them. They recognise it as Roark Velasquez. They are informed they have been reforged, closer to the perfection of true individuals and are sent on their way.
The rest of the party reach the great forge high up the tower, as they climb up they meet Misa and Prince coming down. As the reborn pair mention that they have seen Roark Kite is filled with righteous rage and reckless heroism and immediately begins to ascend the tower to confront the evil sorcerer at its summit. This despite his parties best efforts to convince him that they should best focus on the task at hand. In the end Misa and Prince chase after Kite to prevent him confronting Roark, while Koreck and Lucinda venture into the forge to confront Rhyrden Smith.
Koreck and Lucinda find the 'Forge of Ambition', stoked with emotions and used to created the unnaturally resilient 'Flame-forged' steel. Sensing that diplomacy is the wisest course of action they convince Rhyrden to consider other offers for the rights to his material and arrange a meeting with a De Almedia trade representative. They also learn the secret of the forge and Koreck surrenders his remorse to reapair the suit of Flame-forged steel in his position, learning how to repair it from Rhyrden.
Atop the Temple of man Kite, Misa and the Prince come to Roark's chambers. On a ornate pedestal of flame-forged steel sits a burning heart, wreathed in White Flame. From its surface radiates a terrible, remorseless sense of ambition and each of three feel their desire to achieve their goals burn within them. Kite prepares himself and strikes a blow against the malevolent artefact. As he does so white fire boils around it as Roark manifests and Kite attacks while Misa attempts to restrain him. Unfortunately Roark's inhuman form is difficult to harm and though Kite fights bravely his mind is soon crushed by Roark's corrupted light magic. Roark does not destroy the priest of the Light but instead marks him, filling his eye sockets with searing White Flame as a message to the Exalted Church. He then sends the adventurers on their way, apparently disinterested by their presence.
Reunited the party leave the tower, being hindered only briefly by a particularly fanatic member of the cult of the 'White Flame' who has decided the party are parasites to be destroyed. Back at the White City they convince the High Captain of the worth of their efforts, though she seems disappointed that they were not able to destroy or capture the forge. Misa apparently not willing to regret defending Roark leaves his master's employment and makes it clear that he can be found within the 'Temple of Man' where he sets up as a road builder. The rest of the party narrowly avoid a fist-fight infront of the High Captain. Kite and the Prince both scandalmonger to ensure they are perceived in the very best light while Koreck and Lucinda get drunk. Various reports are given to the Exalted Church and Cloistered Brethren about the Temple of Man and both organisations begin their preparations to assault the blasphemous place. Kite finds the unnatural fire within his eyes cannot be extinguished but the High Priestess of the Light suggest that if Roark's evil can be ended then the unholy mark may fade.
The taxes on blacksmithing remain in place and over the coming weeks a small but steady stream of blacksmiths are seen to leave the city and head east, to a place that is whispered to have no taxes. The White City moves several regiments of men to block the roads running from the south to the east, this seems to be focused at stopping the Port of Glass from sending men in that direction. This appears to prevent any more of the strange steel from being transported…for the moment. Meanwhile, the Shining Order muster their forces within the White City and their focus seems to be to the east.
In the White City, often in secret and only whispered of, a new cult is becoming active. The cult of the White Flame.
Run by Ellie H and Dave Ha on 11th February 2012
Sir Ulrych (Peter), Soloman Grey (Julian), The Noble Hound "Heart" (Oliver)
A note goes out from the College of 1000 Arts: “Adventurers wanted to capture an unusual beast sighted in the deep western forest. aquisition of the beast will be rewarded.
Please report to professor Danel Turoth in the department of zoology.”
Solomon Grey and Sir Ulrych made met Danel Turoth, a professor of zoology at the college. He informed them that there had been rumours of something large in the forest that no-one had ever seen before and a live specimin was wanted for study.
Solomon and Ulrych then set off towards the forest and were met by the dog. They fought their way with little difficulty to the weaver village from which the rumours had originated. Looking around the village it is clear that there are no children around. The dog finds the scent of one and tears off to find them Sir Ulrych and Solomon not far behind.
The party fight their way through spiders, find the children and rescue them from the vines that were trying to kill them. They bring the children back to the village where they are hailed as heroes and thanked by a wondeful feast of raw flesh. The villagers also inform them of a cave where they leave offerings to the Great Spider which may aid them in their task.
The party head over to the cave with the haunch of a large deer in the hope that the spider queen will know what they are looking for. The cave, it seems, is inhabited by bears and while the party are tring to prevent the baby bears eating the meat at the parents come back and attack. They drive the party to the back of the cave before they cut the bears limbs off. As the party leaves the dog heals the bears so they can better look after their young.
As they leave the cave the party is met by Marcello Christophori who wants to catch a giant spider and break the monopoly on the steelsilk trade the party informs him that they are not after any spider and continue along the trail of webs with him following behind.
Deep into the forest they come across a spider 4 times the height of a man who decides that they are food and so attacks. After the spider takes a 14 purge to the chest and blood curses it back at Sir Ulrych it escapes up into the trees and flees through the forest canopy.
One of the Spider Queens then turns up and reforms Sir Ulrych and asks the party to hunt and kill its wayward son who has pretentions above its station. Marcello also catches up with the party at this point and they argue about what they are going to do, eventually deciding to go and capture the spider.
Following the blood trail the dog leads the party to the spider and they all attack in force, blasting its mind with the glories of the light. They have it down when the dog jumps in and eats its heart, killing it. With it's death the would be spider king then unleashes the force of his blood sacrifce against the dog making it forevermore extemely vulnerable to poison. Marcelo is not particularly pleased and an arguement ensues ending in a duel.
The party then head on back to the Spider Queen who is very pleased with the party for disposing of her wayward child and thereby taking the brunt of its death curse, giving them her blessing. She also informs them that the beast they were looking for was almost certainly the wannabe spider king. They then go and get the carcass and drag it back to the college.
Danel Turoth is rather dissapointed in the condition of the specimin and the fact that it is dead but hands over the rest of the agreed fee.
Afterwards they all go there separate ways, though one night the dog may be seen looking in through Ulrych's window with a fresh bleeding wound on its paw.
Run by Oliver on 18th February 2012
Prince Nakamura (Vicky), Kite Bravo (Harry), Anvil (Joe), Sir Ulrych (Peter), Athol (Dan), Damien (Michael)
As the announcement of peace negotiations between the Port of Glass and the White City distract the attention of the rulers of the city the Exalted Church have their own announcement.
The vile heretic and blasphemer against the Light, Roark Velasquez, has been captured; ambushed while recruiting members of the Cult of the White Flame within the White City walls. Several Shining Order knights are believed to have died during the confrontation but with the aid of the Brotherhood of Chains the evil sorcerer was successfully apprehended and is now scheduled to stand trial for his numerous crimes against the Church and State.
The Exalted Church has let it know that the trial will be a public one and that Roark shall answer for his sins in front of the gathered faithful. It is widely assumed that this will be followed by summary execution. Those wishing to attend the trial may come to the great temple of the Light in the heart of the White City five days hence.
The trial of Roark Velasquez does not go as planned. Not at all. Unleashing a powerful spirit of the Flame, the Black Maw, in the middle of the Great Temple of Light Roark flees. The High Priestess of the Light Amelia du Sallis is consumed by the spirit and the temple itself is only saved when Anvil manages to master the terrible, consuming hunger of the spirit. An an aspect of the Light itself appears before the party and decrees that they shall destroy Roark and his blasphemous 'Temple of Man' once and for all.
Meeting with Knight Captain Sir Gwain Mor, head of the shining order, the party set off to the Waste of the Rose. There Sir Gwain informs that they must break the terrible seal that blinds the tower to the sight of gods. Stripped of their connection to their deities they battle their way up the strange tower. As they proceed it becomes apparent that Roark's utopia for individuals is nothing of the sort. With power and ambition run amok the temple of man has descended into madness, with devotees of the philosophy of the White Flame killing each other left, right and center or occasionally being devoured by their own monstrous creations. Whatever ambition Roark may have had for the Temple has clearly not been realised.
As they search for the source of the seal's power they confront various inhabitants of the tower. However, they are rarely killed as Anvil shows mercy to each, believing them to have been misled by the foolish philosophy of the White Flame. At last they reach the fountainhead of the Tower's power, an actual fountain and the manifestation of the heart of the Rose Princess of the East. The megalomaniacal 'Lord Shadowind' has taken control of it and is in the process of siphoning off the Princess' power. The party defeat the necromancer and break the power of the binding upon the Princess. However, she is a pitiful creature. Already half-mad her imprisonment has become an agony and she is covered is burn marks where it looks as if something or someone has been eating chunks of her flesh. In madness and pain she begs for death. Kite attempts to talk her around, while Anvil seeks a way to free her. Both might have succeeded given time but Athol reaches out and commends the fountain to Ash, only to be thwarted by Anvil who places his hammer in the way. Athol tries again and Anvil is not quite fast enough to stop him as the fountain crumbles into ash while the Princess slumps over dead, a look of peace on her face. Yet Anvil will not so readily allow this crime to be committed and giving himself to the Flame he stokes the fire within the dying goddess as he burns away into nothingness. A trickle of water once more begins to flow from the fountain.
Athol caring nothing for Anvil's sacrifice waits until the party move on and then sneaks back and once more destroy's the princess' heart and is abandoned by the party for the act.
Anvil feels himself burning away into nothingness. Yet his will is strong, stronger even than the Flame's hunger and feeling the fay connection to the ruins of the Forge of Ambition Anvil masters himself and reforges himself with the shear force of his own will. In metal and fire he remakes his body, burning away his humanity as he becomes something more than a man. Something closer to the ideal of the Lord of the Forge. He arises. A huge construct of steel fueled from within by a forge of flame. He strides up the tower to find Athol contemplating suicide and pushes the despairing man upwards.
Reunited the party come to the top of the Temple, the final ward being a vision of their own ambition which most accept and welcome into themselves. They reach the summit, Roark's own chamber to find a pillar of white flame burning in its centre. Without a word the pillar gestures at the party as Tender's of the Flame crawl from every lamp and brazier and attack. The party fight bravely and as Kite plunges his sword into the mass of White Fire it shrinks and shrieks, its flames burning black. This is not Roark but a Tender set to stand in his place. It is entirely happy to betray his old master however when Anvil promises not destroy it.
It informs them that Roark has left; considering his Temple of Man a failure, and the people within it not the 'Prime illuminator's' he thought they were. It tells them that he has gone east. Gone to the Kingdom of a Thousand Summers. It says something about Roark attempting to change 'man itself' and then points to the horizon as the sun dawns. As the orb of light breaches the horizon great pillars of black flame boil into the sky, encircling and flowing over the sun's surface, blotting out its face until it hangs suspended on the horizon; an orb of black flame.
The party race down the tower as Anvil, with inhuman strength, shatters the Temple of Man. As the structure crumbles it burns, the idealised human figure burning away until nothing remains. The party make it safely out, flaming debris raining around them, to see nothing remaining of the blasphemous tower bar Anvil standing where it used to rise from.
The party find the Shining Order looking in horror at the eldritch sunrise that blights the eastern sky with streams of purple and blue light, the dull black sun static in the sky. Sir Gwain informs the party that Shining Order will make to move to the east as soon as they have mustered themselves and many of the party agree to accompany them. As they do so they miss the sight of Athol commending himself to ash.
Damien heads back to the White City “accidentally” losing the morally dubious blood sorcerer, and Weaver child-snatcher, Francisco along the way. Who agrees to teach him about blood magic in return.
Sir Ulrych, Kite, Anvil and the Prince prepare to head east to finally confront Roark who has clearly crossed the fine line from heretical fanatic to utterly demented lunatic.
Athol finds himself rejected from the burned realm. Banished forever (or at least unless he does something seriously above and beyond) from the realm of the dead for his crime of necromancy. Stripped of his ordination and any hope of peace he is accursed of the Burned Lords. His ash floats across the desert. Whatever he did it seems that he still holds favour with the Rose Princes and the four winds (even that of the east) gather and reunite his scattered ashes. He awakens to find his grey 'flesh' held together by strands of rushing air.
Run by Iain on 25th February 2012
A small village under the City's protection has put out a call for aid; they claim to have been hit by a mysterious sickness. However, with the ongoing tensions with the Port of Glass and the situation unfolding in the East, there are no official representatives able to make the journey and thus the De Almedia family has offered to sponsor a small party of adventurers to travel there and assess the situation.
Damien, Gavin and the Dog travel to the village of Clearwood where they find the villagers have fallen to some mysterious illness. The Dog licks a small boy better and goes outside to play, at which point the boy coughs up a vicious purple globulous mass. In the ensuing chaos following concerns over the Dog’s hygiene, the Dog somehow winds up being thrown down the suspicious-smelling well.
Damien and Gavin descend to save their animal companion but are set upon by giant mutant rats with frothing mouths and purple eyes. In the well, they discover a small wire cage containing the crushed petals of the Bound-Flower, known to a select few as the Seed of Binding’s Bane, which has been poisoning the water supply.
Climbing out of the well, they decide to go and find the village doctor who was last seen heading into the abandoned mansion. They find him in the library where he has come to the same conclusion as them; someone has poisoned the village with the Bound-Flower, but who? The question is quickly answered post-mortem by a group of thugs hired to rough the priest up by none other than the village innkeeper, Dorothy!
They head to confront her and find her in the process of baking a poisoned cake. Unfortunately, she makes her escape when her co-conspirator, Ralph Brown bursts into the room, using a wasp’s nest as an improvised weapon. With some effort, our heroes capture the pair of them and find that a mysterious rogue ex-member of the cloistered brethren, Alexander Blake, is behind everything.
However, there is the more pressing issue of the illness; they travel to find a wise aged Child of the Vine who concocts for them a cure while the Dog plays with his wolf pack. Returning to the village, they find that Blake has taken the villagers hostage and is searching beneath the mansion for legendary Serpent-Man treasure.
The party confront Blake and find that the treasure room is empty, its contents spent over the last four hundred years. In a fit of rage, Blake unleashes a tempest that he had bound and they fight amidst the ranging subterranean storm. Binding Gavin’s will, Blake makes a break for freedom but, thanks to the Dog, is swiftly hunted down by wolves from all around and devoured.
And he would have gotten away with it too, if it weren’t for those meddling priests and their bloodthirsty dog.
Damien sends the Dog to find Gavin somewhere in the forest and together they head back to the White City. They report to the De Almedias who pay Gavin and Damien each 20Hx for the mission, plus an additional 15Hx for resolving the problem. They also report to the Cloistered Brethren who reward them for stopping Blake, with the distinct implication that they should keep quiet about the Bound-Flower.
The Dog shakes himself, instantly regrowing his fur (to the bewilderment of other dogs) and then heads out to the Western Forest to “expand his pack” with a certain female Blood Wolf.
Over the next few weeks, members of the Cloistered Brethren can occasionally be seen searching through the backrooms of bookstores and the shelves of libraries, particularly in the herbalism sections and removing certain books.
Among the nobility, a strange fashion has started where pet dogs are partially shaved leaving weird fluffy patches.
Run by Oliver on the 3rd March 2012
Prince Nakamura (Vicky), Kite Bravo (Harry), Anvil (Joe), Favian (Iain)
The black sun has been motionless on the horizon for the past two weeks, plunging the world into a strange unending twilight. Outside the White City, farmers are beginning to report that their crops have begun to pale and wilt, while from the west come rumours of the fauna of the western forest running amok as the cycle of day and night is broken. Within the city people are becoming more agitated with large crowds gathering outside the Exalted Church, but with the death of Amelia de Sallis the church has had trouble calming the turmoil and combined with ongoing war the populous is beginning to lose faith in those who are supposed to guide it. Meanwhile, Black Flame sorcerers are being hounded out of the city by angry mobs, where-ever they are found, and several have been killed in public lynchings, their magic being blamed for the darkness.
In the east, the Shining Order has been mustering its forces at the edge of the Waste of the Rose, near the chasm in which the Temple of Man once stood. They are preparing to march east in force to wrest the Light's greatest manifestation from control of the insane cult of the White Flame that seems to care nothing for the effect of its actions on others. However, to reach the far east the Shining Order must pass over the lands of many of the Eastern Kingdoms who have a delicate diplomatic relationship with the west and will not look kindly on a large force moving into their territory. They have sent messengers and diplomats ahead of them but with little time to prepare the nature of their reception is unclear and as they have waited for the order to move, almost imperceptibly, the black sun has been growing darker as whatever magic ensnares it deepens its hold.
Messengers from the Knight Captain of the Shining Order have been sent back to the White City asking any of noble spirit and pure heart willing to aid in the mission to the east to hurry at once to the Order's camp.
The party use a mixture of violence and diplomacy to reach the Kingdom of a Thousand Summers where the sun hovers over the City of the Chrysanthemum Dawn, its surface wreathed in black flame. It seems that Roark Velásquez journeyed to the city under the pretence of being an new advisor to the royal family, using the crown prince's emotion of love to learn all he needed to win the royal family's trust. There he began his ritual to take control of the sun, imprisoning the King to prevent any from assailing his effort.
The party find the situation in the Kingdom of a Thousand Summers to be tense with the royal family missing and the populous outraged. The arrival of the Shining Order and the hulking abomination that is Anvil does improve matters and the Prince and Favian only just manage to to prevent the two sides from becoming openly hostile. At last it is agreed that the party will attempt to reach Roark and stop his evil scheme.
The party learn that Roark intends to give the sun to the flame in return for destroying mankind's collective humanity, severing their connection to the divine and turning every person into what he perceives as individuals, correcting their imperfection. The party fight their way through the last of Roark's followers, who are also beginning to doubt the sanity of the man they follow, and destroy the last of his defences. However they sacrifice much to do this, with Anvil giving up his ambition to become the Lord of the Forge to save Favian's life, rejecting Roark's offer to accept his ambition over his compassion for others.
After rescuing the Queen and King the party finally gain access to the heart of the Equinox Palace where Roark has converted the royal gardens into a vast ritual circle where he is attempting to bring the power the Light's greatest manifestation under his control. He fails to show even the slightest remorse for his actions even when denounced by Kite and Anvil and summons the last of his loyal Tender's of the Flame to destroy the party. The fight is a hard one but the party outmatch the mad sorcerer and he is brought to his knees by a blow from Kite. Roark, even at the last, is clearly insane and unwilling to compromise his own individuality. Bestowing a peace of the hearth on the party he invokes a final terrible magic, ascending to the realm of the light and annihilating himself simultaneous in an attempt to destroy that which he hates most; the unity of Light that represents compassion, self-sacrifice and piety. However, even as he does this Anvil reaches forward and places the 'Code of the Lord', an artefact designed to forge a God who acts only as is right, over the burning form of Roark.
As the sorcerer erupts in a blast of Light and Flame the party find themselves imbued with the radiance of the Light, their perceptions shifted so that they find themselves looking at the faded physical world in an infinite plane of Light. The perfection is marred however by a terrible black rent as the Flame, fuelled by Roark's sacrifice, attempts to shatter the unity Light. While the Prince, Favian and Kite hold off the burning, maddened spirits of the Light Anvil rushes forward and grasps the Heart of the White Flame that burns within the Code of the Lord, attempting to break Roark's will and end the sacrifice he has invoked.
Even as he burns away into nothingness Roark will not submit, but Anvil, with the Heart in his hand, reclaims his driving purpose and with a huge effort of will he crushes Roark's own monomaniacal ambition. In that moment he ends the terrible work of sorcery invoked by his old apprentice and the great rift in the Light begins to retreat as the party find themselves once more within the dim physical word.
As Anvil masters the power of the Heart of the White Flame he destroys his own free will and that of Roark, binding both of their spirits into the combination of the Heart of the White Flame in turn bound within the Code of the Lord. There is a final 'No! I will not serve!' as Roark is condemned to forever be a servant to the laws that Anvil has set down for a God of the Flame that will strive to create what is best and inspire mankind to great things. The rest of the party watch as Anvil is consumed in an inferno of flame until a huge burning figure rises over the palace, half of white and half of black flame, its face a peaceful mask. The figure, the Lord of the Forge, takes the black sun upon its shoulders and aided by Favian's breaking of the ritual circle it tears away the tendrils of flame that bind the Light's manifestation, pushing the sun back into the sky.
Kite and the Prince race out of the palace to prevent the Shining Order from taking more drastic measures and tell the Knight Captain that the evil heretic has been destroyed. As they do the sun rises glorious into the sky, beams of untarnished radiance falling on all the party. Though the manifestation does not talk, as its glory fills their minds they understand that it is grateful for its salvation and wishes to bestow upon them its blessing. The Light falls upon the figure of the Lord of the Forge as well and the newborn power of the flame comes to an accord with the Light, namely that their domains should stay well away from one another.
The Prince talks to his parents who place him in charge of ensuring the western forces leave quickly and is then told by his parents that he has much to learn about being a ruler and that perhaps the west would be a better place for him to continue his education. Meanwhile Favian reunites the little girl with her mother, whom he finds injured but alive. Kite meanwhile attempts to convince the populous of his heroism but the language barrier makes this tricky, but they do pay attention.
At last the party and the Shining Order set off for the west. They arrive back in the White City to much acclaim, people are very glad to see the sun once more in its appointed place. The Prince's kingdom having being brought to the attention of the City is much better regarded by those in authority and Kite Bravo is hailed as a saviour of the Light and named Sir by the Knight Captain. Favian's diplomatic efforts, while confusing his superiors, appear to have prevented any major hostilities breaking out and so his standing in the family is improved. Some days after returning the prince will find a White Rose growing in the garden of his house.
The Lord of the Forge heads to the east there to begin the the great work of forging a religion from the small cult that Anvil created. This new deity represents (OOC: subject to Joe's interpretation) the twin, and often warring, aspects of how the flame may be used. On the one hand the ideal of man as striving to create something better for the good of all and on the other the consuming hunger fed by ambition and power unchecked by anything. However, both are held in balance by the code created by Anvil, bound by an inalienable purpose. Ambition tempered by compassion. Desire quenched with responsibility. As a new god in a new pantheon it will take work and time for the Lord of the Forge to take its rightful place, and many who first behold it will consider it an abomination. It worshippers and devotees will need to show the world it is a thing created for good.
Run by Dan A on 17th March 2012
Run by Dave Ha on the 24th March 2012
Raith Cristofori (Oliver), Anton d'Almedia (Micheal), Brother Gerard (Dom), Bran (Dave Ho)
After a thorough investigation into the source of the fire the party choose to pin the crime upon the local crime boss, Alberta Toscani. Using a false witness statement from a group of cultists of the Lady of Blood and Wine who had been at the temple to perform a warding blood ritual they drive her to ground and subsequently capture and execute her for handing over to the high guard. The true perpetrator Sir Innocentio of the Shining Order is given a not too subtle hint that his misdeed will be covered for just this once and that he should find himself assigned elsewhere far from the city.
The party are given 25Hx each for their delicate handling of the situation (Brother Gerard already having taken 9 of his in the form of healing potions). A public execution is arranged 3 days later once the paperwork has been completed and the results of the investigation thoroughly looked over by agents from Duke Karl's embassy. Whilst there are murmurings of descent with regards to the quality of the witness whose statement formed the lynchpin of the evidence and the fact that he had since left the city so could not be located for further questioning no great objection is raised and the execution goes ahead without incident. Those who attend hardly notice how limply Alberta stands before she is hanged.
The PCs all receive a note from Miguel del Santos thanking them for their part in the investigation, whilst very polite it is certainly not terribly warm or welcoming.
Karl the sandbear is a notable talking point at parties, many questions being asked as to both how he was acquired and how he is kept and fed.
Run by Peter on 31st March 2012
Run by Chaos on 14th April 2012
Around the White City, notices appear bearing the insignia of the temple of the Prince of Storms and the Shining Order:
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Brave adventurers wanted!
Adventurers! Do you seek thrills, excitement and danger? Do you wish to serve the Princes of Breath and/or the Light? Do you have what it takes to save the world? To the South lies the Shattered Isle, a dangerous and ever growing threat to the world as we know it, an ever expanding island that hosts all manner of abominations and evil creatures that plunder not just riches but souls, that has already consumed several island settlements and trade routes. For too long this threat has gone unchecked, and now the time for taking action against it is running out. The temple of the Prince of Storms seeks a select group of capable warriors, skilled rangers and keen sailors to join a vital tactical mission to sail into the very heart of this evil, destroying its source at the very core. And for those willing to join this group and brave the tainted seas, a very generous 50 Hexa is offered to those who answer this call! Those interested should report to Fiora Ricci of the temple of the Prince of Storms by the third market day of this month.
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To the many who are already aware of the nature of Shattered Isle, they quite noticeably avoid direct reference to Glass, though diplomatic wording aside the situation is quite clear. Meanwhile, Duke Karl has been subtly getting the message around to those in his service that he has an important job for them…
Their mission to storm the Shattered Isle, seek the crystals that are the source of its corruption and destroy them, Athol and Gavin head to the Port of Glass where agents of Duke Karl offer them much money if they can get away with one of the crystals and give it to them instead. They meet up with Fiora who has a ship prepared and a small contingent of Shining Order knights who will join them, and head towards Shattered Isle. The journey is long, and after facing those giant seagulls, kraken and Imperfect Albatross, one of the island's Pirate Kings, who escapes before he is defeated, they arrive at their destination. Fiora stays behind to protect the ship with a wall of storms as the pair and the Shining Order knights make their way across the island to the huge glass tower at its centre. Along the way they fight and kill the Faceless Bosun and Jilted Pippin, two more of the Pirate Kings, leaving the Shining Order to hold the tower entrance as they go in search of the crystals.
Atop the tower, they find the captain of the Pirate Kings, Broken Dagger, fused to a throne of glass and surrounded by the crystals. He is held at sword point by Ia Pasu, lover of the Western scholar Enturis Aruk, who is standing a short distance away seemingly conducting some sort of ritual and glowing purple. She tells the pair that her lover is conducting a harmless act of worship, and they obligingly wait for him to finish so that they can destroy the crystals afterwards. Broken Dagger shows them images of happiness which he claims are the souls of those lost to the Isle who live on in their happy memories, and that destroying the crystals will destroy them. Neither the party nor the Westerners are especially swayed, so he attempts to Channel the Shattered Plain to convince them that if they are removed or destroyed the world will end. Due to the even more unpredictable than usual nature of Glass this close to the source of corruption, Gavin comes to believe the opposite whilst Athol instead thinks that he's forgotten to bring his legs with him. At this point agents of Duke Karl arrive via the Shattered Plain, not trusting the party to do the job themselves, and repeat their offer, and a fight kicks off and Broken Dagger is killed and Karl's agents retreat. The pair and the Westerners get the crystals, Gavin opens a gate to the Burned Realm, and they destroy them there in the hopes that any souls trapped in them may be able to pass on there.
With the only doorway to the chamber now a Burned Gate, the group use strength potions to help break a hole in one of the walls, and Gavin attempts to dance among the stars to get down, eventually succeeding, whilst Athol flies down and carries the Westerners with him. The Shining Order have all been killed trying to hold off the creatures of the island, so they rush back to their ship, fighting their way through, leaving the Westerners behind to hold their ground until the coast is clear and Enturis can create a new boat and escape.
Athol and Gavin return to the ship, where Fiora has been waiting for them. She seems to be genuinely surprised that the pair of them made it back alive, untainted and apparently successful. They begin the journey back where the seas are not completely calm, but already substantially quieter following the destruction of the source of corruption.
They return to the White City where a thorough debrief takes place and the pair give a full report of everything that happened… minus any mention of the Westerners or the part they played in the proceedings. They are thanked for their efforts and each given a pouch containing 100 Hexa, and both are generally in the favour of and are seen as reliable by the Temple of the Prince of Storms.
For the time being, there seem to be no repercussions to them opening a Burned Gate in a chamber made of glass right underneath a large portal to the Shattered Plain and dragging through to the Burned Realm a number of horrible Glass artefacts whose purpose was pretty much to spread taint, even if they were subsequently destroyed, but the Burned Lords are aware that something very horrible was very briefly in the Burned Realm, even if it didn't stay intact there long enough to find out what it was or why it was there.
A couple of weeks later, Gavin pays a visit to Athol's bar one evening after closing time, and the pair head upstairs for a chat with the Western scholar currently staying there…
As for the Shattered Isle itself, it remains there along with the vitrification that had spread across the ocean floor and nearby islands. Whilst the various corrupted sea creatures and some of the creatures of the Isle remain, it becomes apparent after a few weeks that the mission's efforts were enough to stop the spread, and the Isle is no longer viewed as quite so serious a threat. It is still an enormous load of glass sitting in the middle of the ocean, however, and for the time being people remain hesitant to go near it or risk plotting trade routes too close to it.
Run by Oliver on 21st April 2012
Rederick(Harry), Sylke de Verlay(Chaos), Thomas (James), Stephano (Julian)
House Velasquez are rising in influence within the White City. With Piera Velasquez now the the cornerstone of the alliance between the White City and the Port of Glass it would seem the family's position is secure. However, anyone with any knowledge of noble politics knows that tensions within the family have never been so overt and it is quite clear that Piera is merely a pawn in a game between hidden factions within a house renowned for treachery. Now it seems those forces are making their plays for power by reaching out to house De Verlay. Lady Sylke has been invited to afternoon tea at the home of the young Lady Valmeria Velasquez and no doubt politics will be on the menu.
The party meet with the mysterious Lady Valmeria Velasquez, who offers House De Verlay the support of House Velasquez in return for the party's aid in securing her place as ruler of House Velasquez. While, to Stephano she promises the support of her house should ever make a play for rulership of the White City She wishes them kidnap Duke Piera and Duchess Karla so that she can she ensure the young Duke has good guidance. Her only other condition is that when she is ruling house Velasquez Sylke will adopt her as heir apparent of the Port of Glass. The party agree to her terms but soon after leaving her presence are approached by another mysterious figure who turns out to be Nerino Velasquez, now a spirit bound within a construct of chain. He informs them that he anticipated his own assassination and put contingencies in place. Since then he has been working in the shadows against Valmeria who is in reality Borgia Velasquez, the undead sorceress who founded house Velasquez 400 years ago. He promises to match Borgia's offer if the party bring the Duke and Duchess to him instead, his condition being that he and Sylke must wed when she has taken control of the port.
The party leave to consider their options and to carry out a kidnapping. They successfully subdue the Duke and Duchess in their southerly estate but not without unleashing a storm of devastating proportions that levels the estate and kills the entire Velasquez retinue. The party return to the White City with their prizes in tow and decide to accept Nerino's offer. He is extremely pleased and as the party what in horror his body of chains crawls inside Piera, Nerino's own son, as Piera smiles it is clear that Nerino has taken over the man's body, once again making him Duke of House Velasquez. After some bargaining it is agreed that Duke 'Piera' will be adopted by Sylke in a complex hereditary arrangement that while not being marriage bestows upon the Duke all the same rights. With this agreement in place the Duke agrees to aid Sylke in her coup against Duke Karl. He tells the party that he will lure Duke Karl to a meeting where the party can strike at him and will also move the Velasquez troops into a position to seize control of the Port along with the De Verlay forces.
The party leave to enact their coup but are waylaid by Lady Valmeria Velasquez who reveals herself as Borgia as her head unscrews from he body becoming the floating golden skull that is the undead form of Borgia Velasquez. She gives the party one more chance to side with her and betray Nerino but they refuse and she attacks. The shear concentration of necromancy produced by Borgia and Stephano attracts the attention of the Lord of the Tower of Heroes. Borgia flees while the Burned Lord curses Stephano to age in the place of those he has killed with his necromancy. Sylke and Redderick chase down the sorceress and Sylke manages to destroy Borgia's spirit, collecting her golden skull as a trophy.
In the port the party successfully infiltrate the Ducal Palace to confront Duke Karl who is abandoned to his fate by Nerino. The party face the Duke down and are close to victory when Sylke gives in to insanity an summons forth the physical manifestation of the King in Fragments. As the vitrarch's presence beings to turn the world around it to glass it destroys the mind of Duke Karl and beings to break the minds of the rest of the party. As its madness spreads the entire centre of the Port begins to vitrify and the city is only saved when Stephano intervenes and destroys Sylke's physical form, having his own mind annihilated in turn.
Thomas flees but is too late to save Redderick who has been vitrified by the power of Vitriarch made flesh. As Thomas runs the palace beings to fracture and crumble around him and he only gets to safety by using a glass tower as a escape route. He finds the Port in Chaos. Everything in half-a-mile of the palace is a vitrified wasteland, the majority of Duke Karl's men who were guarding the palace are now glass statues. The combined Velasquez and De Verlay forces have successfully taken control of the city but are somewhat confused.
Acting quickly Thomas replaces Sylke with a double and engineers her ascension to the Duchy of the Port. Duke Nerino does not seem to notice or if he does, does not care. With Duchess Karla 'accidently' killed in the destruction of the palace the union of house De Verlay and Velasquez goes ahead. House De Verlay is now in control of the Port and House Velasquez has greatly increased its influence.
On the Shattered Plain Sylke's and Reddricks minds are fractured with the maelstrom that is the King in Fragment's being. Sylke reveals herself as the cruel and selfish noble she is and abandons Redderick to his fate, taking a seat in the Waxing Court that is the kings mind. Redderick seems about to be consumed by the King's madness until the ringing of bells heralds the presence of the Riven Jester who with an insane giggle pulls Redderick's mind free and flees with it across the Shattered Plain. All who worship the Riven Jester will now know that one of his heralds is a great warrior wrapped in shattered glass chains.
Stephano pulls his mind free of the Shattered Plain but since the Burned Realm is denied him his spirit needs to find a home. The only vessel he can find is the emerald studded golden skull of Borgia, a powerful necromantic artefact. He awakes to finds himself bodiless and is reluctantly forced to chew the head off a unfortunate servant. He goes to Nerino who gives him a better body and promises him that their deal stands: when Stephano makes his move for power house Velasquez will stand with him and will hand over Toquell Velasquez if they are able.
Publicly what is known is that Duke Karl went mad and attempted to destroy the Port and was stopped by house De Verlay. Duchess Sylke now rules the Port with the aid of Velasquez troops. Over the coming weeks Duke Piera Velasquez demonstrates a remarkable change in personality, becoming a cunning and skilled political operator who cements his control over his house. House Velasquez is now the second most powerful House in the White City with more troops at its disposal that even House de Courci. This has dramatically shifted the balance of power with the noble houses. The Port of Glass is in some turmoil with its centre now a wasteland of fractured glass and vitrifies soldiers.
Run by Vicky on the 12th May 2012
Diego (Joe), Thier Cristofori (James G), Elena (Eleanor), Theodore Luxfrey (Dave Ha)
Elena returns to the White City. She reports to the Temple of Ash that she believes that Piera Velasquez is being posessed by his father. She then returns to Rosalind de Vermilli to collect her 100Hx reward and is generally in the good graces of the De Courci.
Theodore deciding he has not done enough to earn a full pardon does not return to the White City. He does send dreams to a number of important figures to the effect that Piera Velasquez is being controlled by his dead father. Combined with Elena’s report this means that a number of important figures are very suspicious of Duke Velasquez and there are many rumours about him. Although many individuals want him dealt with, actually proving it is difficult and so thus far nothing has been done. It is also rumoured that during the battle Piera started acting strangely and babblingt incoherently about being posessed by his father, meaning even some of his own High Guard are mistrustful of him.
Theodore has used his axes to drain the blood of the Golden City’s champion. This may have negative consequences (pending LARPO consultation).
Diego returns to the Golden City to help the Church of the Light ease the transition. A number of glass worshippers and supposed Christina loyalists are dragged out on to the streets and summarily executed. Glass magic is made illegal and although worship of the Princes of Breath and the Old Powers is tolerated, it is strongly discouraged. Noticing the existence of a resistance, Diego sets himself up as an Inquisitor. Over the coming months it becomes apparent that the undead light mage, Bragdall Courtasair, is acting as de facto ruler of the Golden City, at least until a ruling Council is set up. It does at least appear that Thier’s wishes were granted and most of the innocent are spared.
Diego is under the effect of a blood vengence from the Lord of Justice. Exact effects will be worked out on consulting with Chaos and the LARPO.
With the Golden City’s champion dead their forces have not only had their moralle broken but also lost one of their major strategists. The remaining forces are either slain or surrender before they reach the White City. Thier is hailed as a hero, who gave his life for the White City and a statue in his honour is erected on the Cristofori estates. This also means that the position of Champion of the White City is vacant.
An aspect of the Black Flame is now bound in the Western Forest. This has no effect on the day to day use of flame magic (although users may find their magic more aspected to the Lord of the Forge or any other deities of the power that might emerge with time). It also has a limited effect in counter-balancing the bindings in the City of Chains.
Run by Oliver on 26th May 2012
Dracarnius (Elliot P), Anton (Mike), TBA (Dave Ha)
The scion of the Thane family puts out a call for adventures to aid him in claiming his inheritance.
The party spend a night in a haunted mention to fulfil the terms of Marius Thane's will.
During the night their employer is abducted by the strange supernatural forces that inhabit the mansion and the party have to fight their way through them.
The party battle through the strange mansion of the Thane family, assaulted on all sides by spooky spectres and wyrd manifestations of family history. Their employer blames his sister but upon finding her it becomes clear she is not to blame and is as confused by the haunting as the party. Searching the great manor the party find evidence that Marius Thane's death may not be all it seems, with an alchemical lab containing a recipe for an unusual potion that makes the drinker sleep like the dead.
Returning to the great hall the party find their guess to be true; old man Thane is not dead but sleeping and a powerful dream sorcerer to boot. He created the haunted mansion to punish his feckless nephew for attempting to poison him for his inheritance and apologises to the party for ensnaring the party in his trap. In return for the party handing over his nephew to the high guard he agrees to pay their wages with a bonus (60 hexa). He also agrees to teach Anton the ways of dream in return for not mentioning this again, and the potential for trade with the De Almedia.
Run by Oliver on 9th June 2012
TBA
A group of adventurers answer a poster that has gone up around the slums asking for people to help find a lost cat
The party track the lost cat mittens to the heart of the western forest, along the way embroiling themselves in a dispute between the Swarm and the Mor family. It seems both parties are arguing over rights to tracts in the Western Forest but have reached a diplomatic impasse and so have been using the White City as a go-between. The Mor family, tiring of the protracted negotiations, attempted to assassinate the Swarm ambassador in a failed attempt to damage the Swarm's position. Unbenownst to the party the mystery assassin is none other than 'The Black Razor', a killer with a bounty on their head, and a trapped man. The party trace the assassin to the Citadel of the swarm only to discover that mittens and the assassin are one and the same. The party subdue the Black Razor and feed him to one of the Swarm's Patriarchs and are thanked by the swarm, who are convinced to halt an attack upon the City of Silk. Returning to the White City the party collect the bounty on the Black Razor's head and also put his collar on another ginger cat, returning this false mittens to the kindly old lady who had unknowingly cared for a deadly killer.
In the coming days the Governess hosts a series of talks between the Swarm and the Mors, and although tensions are high open hostilities seem to have simmered down.
Run by Oliver on 24th - 26th August 2012
The College of a Thousand arts has for the last year been preparing for the greatest gathering of minds the world has ever seen. Scholars and Sorcerers from distant lands have been flowing into the White City for weeks in preparation for this great conclave, all with a single purpose, to address the the great unbalance in the world that was discovered nearly a year ago. Even as this occurs many organisations appear to be uncomfortable with the great meeting. The Brotherhood of Chains has arrested several scholars before they were able to enter the City and the governess is said to placed the High Guard on alert after it was revealed that an ambassador of the Empire of the Unbound was to attend. Meanwhile the priests of the recently ascended God, the Lord of the Forge, have been lobbying unsuccessfully for permission to attend.
As this event distracts the City in other parts of the world gentle tremors can felt, rippling through the earth and far on the eastern and western horizons flickers of Black Flame have been seen.
Change is the the air. High above constellations linked with the Bound Ones move into a great conjunction with the Sword and the Smith.
Portents point to a time of momentous decisions, and as the heavens align Gideon Wiscar, the court astrologer, puts out a call for the best and brightest of the White City to come to the aid of the City.
As the great the conclave to investigate the tilting of the world begins the party are sent to investigate a mysterious band of agents from the Empire of the Unbound seen heading east. Following the agents the party discover that the Emperor of the Unbound has made plans to steal the Hammer of the Lord of the Forge, a powerful artefact of the Black Flame imbued with the power of destruction. Fighting their way through the first of the Emperor's generals the party discover that the second has fled through a burned gate with the Hammer. Tasked by the Lord of the Forge to recover the artefact the party pursue the forces of the Empire into the Burned Realm.
Journeying through the Burned Realm is no easy task, not least because of Athol who is condemned in the eyes of the Burned Lords. Despite their best efforts the party draw attention to themselves and the enraged Lord of the House of the Gods condemns the entire party to death to teach Athol the price of his defiance. Now numbered among the dead the party push onwards in pursuit of the Empire. They travel deep into the Burned Realm, further than any mortal ever has, crossing across a great sea of liquid ash until at last they come to a far shore of a dead continent. Here a wall, a mile high, stretches in every direction and ascending it the party see a great ruined city beyond, larger than any they have seen, stretching into the distance. Its buildings are largely destroyed and burned into the same grey ash that covers the Burned Realm, while its architecture is strangely reminiscent of the City of Chains.
At the heart of the City the party find a great domed building within which they find the second of the Emperor's Generals and a large alien figure bound in chains. Before it is something the likes of which they have never seen and which may never have been seen by the eyes of man. In the centre of the massive ruined structure sits a crystal orb and within its depths the party see the perfect form of the world supported atop a great tree, clouds and stars whirling above it. Yet with horrible realization they see that the globe is cracked, a black fissure running across it surface, the culprit a blow from the stolen hammer wielded by a monster of the Empire's making. The General reveals that this is the Emperor's ultimate weapon, the ability to strike his foes from creation itself.
Cutting down the general the party free the figure in chains who reveals itself to be the 'Architect of Eternity' and claims to be a namer, responsible for the design of the sphere before him. The being is cryptic but suggests that some great doom befell this city and to escape their fate its brethren fled into the design and that only it remained behind to watch over its creation. It informs the party that the design is broken, damaged irrevocably by the foolish actions of the Emperor. It warns the party that unless the damage is repaired creation will end within a matter of weeks. Despite its regret at this outcome, it tells them that it is unable to repair the damage itself and that only the combined might of its brethren may repair the damage that has been done; in other words the heart of chains must be destroyed and the bound ones must be freed. The party immediately turn on each other with Falcon denouncing any attempt to free the Bound Ones and Athol calling Falcon a fool for willing to stand by as creation crumbles. At last the party agrees to return to the White City to see what if anything can be done, and the Architect of Eternity creates a doorway to take them where they need to be. The party emerge on the plains to the east of the White City to see a vast army is laying siege to it; the army of the Empire of Unbound.
Moving to the camp of the White City's own army the party learn that the City of Silk has been annihilated in a cataclysm, no doubt the victim of the strike against creation, and that the Empire simultaneously launched a massive invasion eastwards as the Emperor makes his attempt to conquer the world. Times are tense and the party seek many opinions on the correct course of action to take. At last it seems that if the world is to be saved then the power of the Bound Ones will be needed. However, the Lord of the Forge offers the party another solution; if they able to bring the heart of chains within their power then the Lord can use its energies to forge a new binding to constrain the power of Name, a set of laws to limit the actions of the Bound Ones to prevent their tyranny once more threatening mankind, while allowing them to use their power to repair the damage done to creation.
Set upon their course of action the party set off for the City of Chains. They cut their way through the army of the Empire, killing its commanding general and giving the White City the chance to launch a massive counterattack. At the City of Chains the party are forced to contend with the Cloistered Brethren, who despite the threat to existence utterly refuse to countenance the unleashing of the foes they have kept chained since time immemorial. Fighting onwards the party are able to evade the Brethren and the various horrors that lurk within the City, not least of which is the will of the Sinister Lord who commands Falcon to let creation end, lest the Bound Ones evade the fate they escaped so long ago once more. Falcon defies his god and calling up the Lord of the House of the Gods renounces his service to the Burned Lords and their power, being stripped of his magic but having his life returned.
At last they reach the Heart of Chains and using the great hammer, as well as Holly's chain magic, they shatter the first binding that forms the heart. As black fire begins to consume the heart the Lord of the Forge begins to temper the power unleashed, reforging it into something new. As the God works though, the chains that bind the Bound Ones burn away and for a moment they are free after centuries of imprisonment and their rage is limitless. Titanic alien forms of impossible variety begin to tear the City of Chains asunder and in their fury turn upon the humans they blame for their entrapment. The party are forced into a desperate fight to protect the Lord of the Forge from the might of the Namers unleashed and for a moment it seems they are doomed as the ancient power of those who wrought creation smashes against them, until with a final strike of the hammer the work is done. Where once the heart of chains stood is now a perfect crystal sphere, within its depths are engraved three laws in words of Black Flame, and even as the Namers seek to tear the party asunder fire ripples over them and as one they turn and stride off across the world, once more to speak the names of making. The party place the sphere within the sky so that it will be forever safe, its three laws reading:
“Never violate the autonomy of a thinking being.”
“The power of Naming will not be used within the bounds of Creation except to repair the damage caused by the Black Flame or the power of Glass.”
“Beyond the borders of Creation never use the power of Naming in such a way that would threaten that which already exists.”
The party emerge into devastation; nothing remains of the City of Chains bar a vast crater. It seems the White City's army has broken the Emperor's forces but the tyrant stil lives and in fury has fallen back to Crossroads, cut off from the west and desperate. As Falcon leads the party to the walls of Crossroads the party see the last of the Emperor's barbarian hoards have breached its walls and are sacking the city. In defense of his city Falcon leads a head on charge to the throne of the Emperor himself and in the heart of the battle the party cut down the Emperor, who at the moment of his death attempts to name himself 'King of Kings' only to have his power denied by the new limits put on the power of the namers. He dies upon Falcon's blade.
The war is over, the Emperor's plans for dominion crushed and his armies dispersed. The party return to the White City to some confusion about what has transpired. Though officially the authorities cannot support the freeing of the Bound Ones, Gideon Wiscar is able to limit any immediate sanctions against the party and publicly Sir Bravo is thanked for leading an expedition against the forces of the Emperor. Privately, the party, bar Sir Bravo, are informed that despite what they may have done they will receive no official protection from the Temples of Ash or the Cloistered Brethren and that it would likely be best for them if they were to leave the White City and head west, to lands more hospitable to namers and necromancers. Holly and Athol pack up their possessions and begin the trek to Belor's Folly to begin anew in the remains of the Empire of the Unbound. Falcon returns to great acclaim in Crossroads and beneath a statue of himself is appointed leader of the merchants' council.
The Bound Ones are free and for the first time in its history the forces of creation and destruction are in harmony. At the edges of the world the Namers set about the forging of creation anew, resuming the work they started long ago before the naming and binding war, and as the horizon shimmers it seems to curve and grow.
Run by Dave Ha on 1st September 2012
Korek (James G), Phineas Crabbe (Joe W)
A call has gone out from agents of house Velasquez to assist with the investigations of a sequence of unexplained disappearences in the port of glass. Rumours abound that this is some form of delicate political situation and that to produce such a situation with the port the temple of the light must somehow be involved.
Investigating the kidnappings in the Port the party walk the streets at night in the hope of being ambushed by the kidnappers who do indeed turn out to be some form of crazed light cultists, taking people so as they may be cleansed of inpurity. Convincing one of the surviving members of the cult that they are in fact seekers of purity who wish to join the cult they are led to the village where the cult bases itself. Infiltrating the cult and leaving their weapons at the door they manage to discover that the majority of the cult seems to be the sort of ascetics you might expect to find in a particularly hard line light temple. Eventually Koreck is led in to be shown the glory of the light, but before he can be strapped down and the epiphanies delivered he steals the priest's knife and uses it to begin murdering his way through the higher ups remaining in the building. One of the priests appeared to be using glass magic and had horrendous, glowing, cracked glass eyeballs. Looking through the effects in the inner sanctum they discovered the diary of the cult's leader who had, it appeared, departed for the golden city less than a week before. He apparently had been a pure light priest who had become obsessed with the problem and impurity of glass, reasoning that it should be cleansed from the world and doing so was worth sacrifing his own purity for the greater good. He established a cult converting others by forcibly showing them the light's glory and reasoned that the same glory could work even on something as corrupt as a vitriarch itself. The last entry in the diary said that he departed for the temple of the light in the golden city to conduct the great cleansing there.
The party pursued the cult towards the golden city finding its rearguard who attempted to enlist their aid in breaching the gates of the golden city. Beleiving the cults numbers to be too great the party instead agreed to fly ahead to the city gates, taking one of the cultists with them (who was then promptly dropped from a great height). At the gates they warned the golden city watch of the oncoming force and the priesthood was mobilised to deal with the threat. They then stayed in the temple awaiting some form of cunning and duplicitous plan from the cultists. Watching from a tower the party observed a great glass figure surrounded by a swirling vortex of glass emerge as the cultists met with the priests of the temple. As the priests tried desperately to assail its mind with visions of the light the glassy abominations that spilled forth from its storm cut them down until Phineas and Koreck swooped in to defend them, with their help the priests of the golden city brought the figure down.
Presented with the body of a fallen vitriarch pulsating with light the area outside the gates of the golden city was pervaded with a feeling of wrongness. No more glass creatures spilled forth from its body and the glassy storm it had broght forth abated. Using himself as a lightning rod Phineas widens one of its many cracks with lightning, from which more of the horrible unnatural light spills forth, corruscating in a rainbow of colours. Feeling that such creatures should be destroyed Koreck steps forward and commends the shell to ash, allowing a figure of unnatural light to spill forth from the prone form and slowly disapate. As this happens the priests of the golden city collapse clutching their heads and priests of the light around the world cannot shake the feeling that something, somewhere is deeply, deeply wrong.
In the north the scintilating northern lights pulse ever more brightly and bring a sense of deep unease to any who look upon them and the priesthood of the Nameless Prince feel another new aspect to their calling.
Returning to the White City the party is paid their 50Hx for solving and ending the string of disappearances.