Lunar:
Middleground Summary Page
Session 1: Happy
Anniversary!
It is the tenth anniversary celebration of the
defeat of the Magic Emperor. The festival is being held in Vane, and a varied
group of characters has assembled for the festival, among which are Miko, Lou,
Thesian, Eomar, Bulix, Davis, and Iceberg. With the exception of Miko and Davis,
Eomar and Thesian, and Bulix and Iceberg, none of these people know each other,
and even those that do know each other have only for a very short time. Magic
Guild leader Mia Ausa is about to speak…
Mia welcomes everyone that had come to Vane for the festival and notes that
it had only been two years since Vane had been restored to the skies above
Lunar. She tells some of the story about Ghaleon's turning to evil, and then
declared that Vane will form this point be open to all, not just magic users.
Mia goes on to talk about the brave heroes from that struggle, such as
Dragonmaster Alex, Luna, Jessica de Alkirk, Kyle, Tempest, and Fresca. She then
asks for a moment of silence to remember Ghaleon before he turned evil, which
resulted in several boos from the crowd. One person even tries to rush Mia with
a knife, but he is quickly struck down by one of Nash's magic spells. Mia then
goes on to introduce her daughter, Semila, before taking her and her mother,
Lemia, back to the Guild mansion.
Davis and Miko met on the way to the festival and had just arrived. Bulix
also happens to be nearby at the time, and the trio starts discussing what
had just happened. Miko is very confused over the notion of regulating
magic. Rimzol then approaches Bulix, and introduces him to Iceberg, one
of his brightest students. Meanwhile, a nearby unknown person notices something
odd about Miko. This stranger notices a pickpocket trying to rob Miko,
and sends him away with a magic spell, after which he goes after a much
richer victim.
Suddenly, Miko falls over and rolls next to the nearest building. Hordes
of students and instructors flee from the academies, including Rimzol and
Bulix, who is dragging Iceberg behind him. The Guild leadership and family
leave the mansion, and Nash declares that Vane is in a state of emergency
and that it must be evacuated. People throughout the city panic. Mia tries
to enhance the fountain of transmission so that it can handle more people
than usual at a single time. Miko tries to get back with Davis. She runs
into Thesian and Eomar, a pair of treasure hunting partners who had just
materialized out of no where by the Silver Spire, and helps them back up
on their feet. Suddenly, a horde of hostile black skinned creatures descend
from the sky and engage Thesian, Eomar, and Miko in combat. The creatures
are quickly defeated by the trio. During this time nearly the whole city
had evacuated, and Mia's image was beginning to fade. An old man than says
he will evacuate the remaining people with a spell of transfer as Vane
starts to tilt more and more. Soon Bulix and the apprentice magician he's
with approach the old man, as well as Lou and Davis. The transfer spell
knocks them all unconscious. Miko is the first to awaken, and finds herself
and her 6 new acquaintances inside a small house owned by a person called
Ilsi in the town of Marke. When Miko awakens, she notices Ilsi cuddling
a small kitten to sleep…
Ilsi is a half-breed, part human, part beast. She explains to Miko that
she had been unconscious for two days. Eventually Davis, Thesian, Bulix,
and Eomar wakes up, while the cat just listens in on the conversation.
The catis jet-black, white a patch of white on his chest… Bulix rants,
asking for food, and his ranting awakens the kitten…
Session 2: Welcome to the Frontier
The party has just woken up from a shock and is still dizzy. However,
a young boy with some over-ambitious adventuring gear and a black-haired
fellow with a bow around his back remain unconscious. The boy's name is
Lou, and the man with the bow is called Eomar…
Our heroes begin to introduce themselves. The "cat" is an unnamed
black furred creature which for some reason has wings on his back. Iceberg
is a young elf-like wizard with a dark blue robe, an ice cane, and blue
hair. Bulix has brown hair and red clothes, and sometimes is slow to pick
things up. Thesian is a tall man, with shoulder length black hair and unnaturally
bright blue eyes that carries a short sword on his belt. Miko is a young-adult,
human looking female with long, straight black hair wearing a silk robe.
Lou and Eomar remain unconscious, and Thesian decides to get some more
sleep in as well. The other characters, meanwhile, try to sort out their
situation.
Miko is surprised to learn that the cat can speak, and the cat is surprised
that Miko finds it surprising. Ilsi then explains to the cat about where
these strangers came from while telling him not to talk as it's "not
becoming of a sweet little kitten." Miko is instantly enthralled by
the cat and wonders if it's magical. Iceberg recognizes the flying cat
from his similarity to those of various legends, and Bulix finally realizes
that the cat is real, and not just a hallucination. Ilsi attempts to name
the cat "Puffy Puff," a name he despises. The cat begs Bulix
to save him from Ilsi, saying she's nuts. Miko laughs at the cat and thanks
Ilsi for saving the party's lives. The cat also finds Bulix somewhat familiar,
though he's not sure how. Bulix also makes a connection with the cat…
Ilsi mentions that the old man that had transported them here died as he
could not stand the magical strain of the spell, and then offers tea to
the awake heroes. The cat tricks Ilsi into putting him down and runs behind
Miko. Ilsi insists that the cat is her pet, but he does not particularly
like the idea. The cat finally recognizes Bulix from the circus he used
to be in, and Bulix finally remembers him as well. Miko and the cat begin
to grow to like each other. Iceberg recalls the story that Dragonmaster
Alex used to be accompanied by a flying cat himself. The cat begs Miko
to save him, and Miko said she'd do anything to help such a sweet, wonderful
creature. The cat asks Miko to name him, and she calls him Ebony. The cat
smiles and accepts his new name and joins our group of heroes.
Ilsi finally reveals that they had been transported to the Frontier, and
that nature out on this barren landscape is very dangerous. Ilsi's son,
Anor, mentions that someone called Forbalus is coming to the village a
week early. Forbalus is the leader of a gang of Vile Tribesmen that collect
tribute from Ilsi's village every month. Our heroes offer to fight him,
but Ilsi says they are too weak to stand up to the environment of the Frontier
and Forbalus's large number of soldiers.
After sunset, Eomar finally wakes up, and he joins the other awake members
of the party visit the home of the village elder. Ebony starts having strange
flashbacks of the past he could not possibly know, and he has no idea where
they came from. The elder suggests that they visit the black diamond mine
that lies beneath the shrine to Althena at the center of their village,
saying that those diamonds hold some of the power of Althena herself. He
says that those diamonds could possess the necessary power to activate
a nearby tower rumored to have the power of transfer.
Davis and Lou finally awaken and emerge from Ilsi's house. They join the
rest of the group as they prepare to enter the mine. Then enter the mind
and begin to search for the elusive black diamonds. They are attacked several
times by the various creatures that inhabit the cave, but dispatch most
of the enemies easily. During this small quest, the party learns about
Lou's ambitions about becoming a Dragonmaster, and Ebony teases him about
it. Miko and Ebony get more and more attached as they proceed deeper and
deeper within the cave…
Session 3: The Vile Forbalus
Our group continues exploring the Black Mine, searching for the mysterious
diamonds they believe hold Althena's power. However, they may find an unexpected
surprise when they leave the cave…
The last battle did not go very well for our heroes. They were able to
defeat their opponents, but were wounded fairly badly, and they take this
opportunity to try to recuperate. The continue deeper down into the cave,
the diamond-studded walls reflecting an eerie purple light. Eventually
they come upon a small, tight crawlway, lined with jagged rock, which contained
a fairly large black diamond. The crawlway is so small that they decide
only to let Lou and Ebony, the smallest members of the group, into the
crawlway to retrieve it. Lou goes in first, followed soon after by Ebony.
Lou struggles to free the diamond from the surrounding rock, even with
Ebony's help. Just when it appears as if they had freed the diamond, the
ground falls out from beneath Lou and Ebony. The party is so surprised
from this that they didn't notice a group of cave lizards and spitter bats
sneaking up behind them. Just after the enemies are defeated, Lou and Ebony
manage to escape the chamber they fell into. Lou was able to retrieve the
diamond, and ebony returned with some magical stone claws and teeth that
disappear when not needed. Ebony and Lou discovered within that chamber
a mysterious statue of black rock in the form of a Dragon. Next to that
statue, however, was a smaller statue of a creature that resembled Ebony.
While down there, Ebony heard a strange voice telling him to give Lou an
unusual black ring that was also shaped like a Dragon. When Lou asked about
it, all Ebony said was that "the dragon" told him to give it
to Lou. When they both tried to find the whole that lead to the chamber
again, it had vanished mysteriously. Lou approaches Ebony with the diamond,
figuring he deserved to hold it, and the diamond glowed. Ebony touches
the diamond, and instantly all the party's wounds were healed, and Ebony
is granted the ability to perform Earth magic. With the diamond obtained,
our heroes proceed to leave the mine.
When they reach the shrine, they find that all the doors had been closed
since they entered the mine. As soon as they open the doors, four small
black horned creatures tackle and capture Miko. As mysterious voice calls
out telling our group not to try anything or Miko would get hurt. The voice
was owned by Forbalus, leader of one of the larger gangs of Vile Tribesman
that formed after Xenobia's death. He had arrived a day early as he felt
that our party would be a threat to his tribute collections. Meanwhile,
the various Vile Peons he commanded starting showing the stupidity off
that makes them true members of the Vile Tribe. Forbalus decides that he
would like to be entertained before he kills the warriors, and then captures
Davis as well as Miko. He then sets up a tournament where he sends groups
of his best warriors against groups of our heroes. Ebony chooses Bulix,
Iceberg, and Eomar as his first three champions. They are sent off against
three mutated lions. The trio makes fairly quick work out of the lions.
In round two, Forbalus sends his top two aides, Bob and Jim, against Lou
and Thesian. The duo teams up one first Jim, then Bob, and soon even Forbalus's
aides are defeated, but not without Thesian drawing upon the power he felt
came from a strange bluish amulet he hid under his cloak. In the final
round, Forbalus decides to send his greatest champion one-on-one with Ebony,
with the fate of Davis lying in the balance. However, at the last instant
he decides he'd rather go one-on-one versus Davis. Lou loans Davis the
use of his sword for the battle. After a long and drawn out fight, filled
with cheerleading from Davis's companions and Forbalus's comments about
his views of the weakness of humanity, Davis finally is able to defeat
him just before he could release a devastating attack spell. The other
Vile Tribesmen scatter in fear after the defeat of their leader. Our party
celebrates, and Miko is freed. Ilsi and her son then run out, followed
by the other citizens of the village. They could not believe that Forbalus
was defeated, but he was. Ilsi then proceeds to invite everyone back to
her home, where they have a long needed rest…
Session 4: Eternal Blue Azura
The party sleeps peacefully in Ilsi's home. It is currently the middle
of the night…
Ebony wakes up from having a nightmare about Forbalus. No longer being
tired, he looks around for something comforting, and is eventually drawn
to the ring he gave Lou, which mysteriously seems to be glowing. He then
hears strange voices and tries to talk to them, to no avail. Eventually,
he hops back over by Miko and goes back to sleep.
Our heroes wake up in a few hours to the sound of a spoon stirring in a
bowl. It is Ilsi making slop for breakfast. She tells them to eat quickly
as the chief wants to meet with them. After breakfast is over, you notice
that the merchants were unpacking the boxes originally meant for Forbalus
and setting up shop with them. The group buys new weapons and armor, and
then is approached by Marke's chief. He tells them about how happy the
town is now that Forbalus is no more, and that they have plenty of time
to reach the nearby Goddess's Tower. He also thanks them for freeing their
village, and wishes them good luck on their journey home. As a last token
of appreciate, the chief gives Miko a Hope Stone, which somehow makes the
team realize that if they pull together they do have a chance of getting
home. Everyone gathers their things together, and heads for the tower.
The tower is located somewhere within the hills and mountains that surround
Marke. When the reach the summit of one of the taller hills, they look
out and see the beautiful, yet desolate and depressing landscape that is
the Frontier. They continue on, and eventually run into a group of Vile
Tribesmen. The party makes quick work of these soldiers and continues on.
They get to a point where the path is too steep to walk on, forcing the
heroes to climb up the hill. They get to a huge chasm that looks as if
it may have been created when Magic Emperor Ghaleon's mechanical castle,
the Grindery, went on a rampage. Lou finds a wooden post with a rope attached
to it, sort of like a tightrope across the chasm. Lou, being the most "adventurous"
of the group immediate starts to cross the rope with his hands, followed
by the rest of the party. However, when they are part-way across the rope,
they are attacked by vultures. Only Ebony, as he can fly, is capable of
fighting the vultures in this situation, and he manages eventually to finish
them off. Everyone continues across and they eventually make it to the
other side.
On the other side, they come across a large panel of glass embedded in
a rock face and what appears to be a blue tower of some sort, also embedded
in the rock. Bulix tries to kick a hole through the glass to enter, but
strangely it is too strong for him to shatter. They come to the realization
that the glass is probably magical. Ebony somehow is able to cut through
the glass with his claws. The explore inside the tower and find various
statues of what appear to be the Goddess Althena. They come across a set
of stairs, and at the top they find a small chamber containing a rotating
ethereal red crystal around eight feet tall. Miko approaches the crystal,
and it mysteriously becomes more solid and emits a humming sound. Lou then
tries to touch the crystal, and his hand is violent rejected, but without
injury. Miko then touches it, and the humming intensifies. She pushes her
hand inside it, and Lou, out of concern for her, tugs on her shirt trying
to get her to stop. He tugs harder and harder, to no avail. Miko and the
black diamond are drawn into the crystal, where they are merged. Suddenly,
Miko transforms into a globe of energy and vanishes into the ceiling.
Miko falls violently into a blanket of slow. She is completely alone in
a desolate place with on idea where everyone else is or even where she
is. In the chamber, the crystal spins faster, and eventually transports
the rest of the group to where Miko was. A terrible windstorm is raging.
Iceberg feels some sort of calling, and the rest of the group follows him
as he walks off. Eventually they come to the top of a small hill and see
tall, shiny structure in the distance. They descend the other side of the
hill and are attacked by a pack of ice monsters. They finish off these
creatures, but not without being injured fairly badly. After some healing,
they continue on towards the structure. The come to the tower, and realize
it's a huge tower made out of some form of crystalline material. They enter
the tower via a small walkway and reach a tall, pipe-like structure, which
Lou immediately tries to climb as the others try to figure out what to
do now. Suddenly, Thesian and Ebony vanish. Iceberg then disappears as
well, followed by Miko. Lou and Davis, the only remaining people, hold
on to each other to prevent themselves from getting separated like the
others.
Miko finds herself on a platform high above where she was before and finds
a red crystal similar to the one in the other tower containing a nine or
ten-year-old girl. The girl is asleep, has long blue hair, and is not wearing
any clothes. Miko approaches the crystal as much as she can and tries to
communicate with her, awakening her inside the crystal. The girl floats
out of the crystal, lands on the platform, and calls Miko her "sister."
The girl starts talking with Miko, but our heroine does not understand
what the girl is talking about. The girl tells Miko that she will bring
her friends to the platform…
Davis and Lou hear a humming sound from high above. They clutch onto each
other tightly, awaiting their fate…
Iceberg awakens within a chamber containing a statue of Althena in the
center. Surrounding the statue are a woman figure wrapped in a fire, a
solid looking god, and various statues of other god-like beings. He begins
to hear Althena's voice in his mind, and somehow has a telepathic conversation
with her asking that she free the Frontier and send his friends home. The
voice then reveals that she is only an essence of Althena, and that she
is proud of his new found compassion for others. She tells him that he
is on his way to reclaiming his title of "Elementalor of Water"
(whatever that means). He then approaches the statue of the water Elementalor,
touches it, and his cane and robe become more powerful before Althena reunites
him with Lou and Davis. The three exchange what little knowledge they had
of these strange events. Suddenly, Thesian and Ebony are reunited with
the rest, leaving only Miko missing. Ebony is followed by a small blue
flying cat who he calls "Princess Azura." After the round of
introductions Azura states that she really is not the princess, but that
the real princess was summoning them. They are lifted up the pipe to the
platform where Miko and the girl stand. Everyone is confused at the reasons
why everyone was there. The girl mentions that their current location is
not ready for humans yet and that she is the one who is supposed to guard
it. Azura reveals that the tower they took to get here was called the Blue
Spire. The girl reveals that Azura's sanctuary on Lunar had been taken
over by someone more powerful than her, and that is why Azura is currently
in this place. The girl is worried about letting Azura go, but then Thesian
feels an overwhelming urge to protect her no matter the cost. Before the
girl lets them leave, however, she tells them they must defeat the guardian
she created for Azura. The group accepts the challenge, and the girl heals
them before Azura leads our party to her chamber where the guardian awaits.
There is a large crystal and fountain in the chamber, and the Blue Guardian
emerges from the fountain. After a long and drawn out battle, the Guardian
is defeated. Azura then flies in and congratulates the party on defeating
the Guardian.
Session 5: Escape from the Frontier
Our heroes are still in the strange tower, talking to the mysterious
blue haired girl. Meanwhile, back on the Frontier, more adventure awaits…
The girl says that our group has inherited the responsibility to protect
Azura until she can reclaim her sanctuary while staring straight at Miko.
Azura then starts asking questions about how everyone got there. Miko and
Iceberg fill her in on the details. The girl then asks Miko what her name
was, and mentions to her that Miko's power is necessary to insure Azura's
safety. She then goes on to mention that Ebony and Azura's safety were
of utmost importance, and Ebony goes on mentioning how important Miko's
safety is to him. The girl mentions that Azura can lead them to a vault
on the ground level, and offers whatever items are contained their to our
party. The girl then reassures Iceberg that Vane's magic is still on Lunar,
albeit it may have been transformed. Azura and Ebony hit it off very well
with each other, and the group moves on to the vault and collect the valuable
weapons and items stored there. The group is returned to the girl, who
then teleports them back to the Frontier tower from which they came.
Azura tells Ebony off about his "choice of homes," wishing that
he had been the "white one" instead. Azura then declares she
knows how to escape the Frontier. They get to the rope across the valley,
and Ebony and Azura take off ahead of the others and start discussing themselves
between one another. The others finally catch up, when they are attacked
by some more Vile Tribesmen, which they make fairly quick work out of.
Azura however is terrified at the events, this being the first battle she
had ever witnessed. Everyone, especially Miko and Iceberg, try to comfort
Azura before they move on back towards Marke.
They return to Ilsi's home, to a somewhat unusual welcome as she does not
understand whey our heroes are still in the Frontier. Azura finally settles
down once she realizes the party was not a bunch of "killing freaks"
and says that she thinks of Ebony as her brother. This makes Miko feel
sad as she is reminded of her brother back home, and Ebony tries to comfort
her. Azura then visits the village chieftain's house, the rest of our heroes
following her. The chief is very saddened as the village seems to be under
a new crisis. Apparently, the few beams of Althena's light that reach the
Frontier were fading, and this was making things very difficult for the
village of Marke to survive. When they try to figure out what is causing
this, they come to the conclusion that something was wrong with the source
of magic in the world. Ebony mysteriously says something about magic coming
form Althena and her Dragons, which gets a less than enthusiastic response
from Azura. The chief then asks if there is a focal point of magic in the
world, and Ebony again unknowingly mentions Vane and Althena's Tower.
Azura then asks the chief about a fountain of transfer believed to exist
somewhere in the Frontier. The chief mentions that there is one that leads
to the Dark Cave. Azura remembers a story about the Cave being linked via
the illusions of the symbols of the regions that the Cave itself links
together. The chief mentions that perhaps the solution to the riddle is
"Mirage Sand," a magical powder that is made by grinding a black
diamond. Ebony laments at needing to find another black diamond, but the
chief somberly grinds up a necklace of black diamonds he wears for the
purpose. Our heroes stock up on Purity Herbs, before marching off in the
desert towards the Dark Cave.
On the way to the Cave, they are attacked by Fire Ants and Scorpions. It
is a brutal battle, and Iceberg managed to be poisoned in its course, but
fortunately everyone was able to heal up before moving on. They enter the
cave, and are immediately exposed to a severe heat. Azura leads on, trying
to reach the other side. However, the heat increases the deeper they get
into the cave. Most of the party is having severe difficulty with the heat,
with the exception of Lou, who had grown accustomed to high temperatures
while working as a blacksmith's apprentice in his home town of Saith, but
even he is subject to occasional slouching and hallucinations like the
others. Eventually, they come on a tiny spring dripping water into a small
glass flask. Lou gives a little of this water to a now unconscious Azura,
and she wakes up. He then manages to give Ebony some of the water as well,
and the party continues. As the progress further down the cave, they are
attacked by Hermit Crabs and Scorpions. It is not an easy battle, but our
heroes manage to defeat the creatures. They continue deeper down the cave,
and the heat increases even more. They finally reach the bottom of the
cave and find a strange circle with a star design in the center. Miko finally
can not take any more of the heat and passes out. Azura uses the Mirage
Sand on the circle, and they are finally teleported out of the cave to
cool, water-filled paradise that is the Stadius Zone.
Session 6: The Sword of Kazan
Our heroes now lie in the region of the world known as the Stadius Zone.
A cool rain falls steadily, and they notice a pair of picnickers one hundred
yards away packing up their goods to avoid the rain…
The heroes are confused and shaken from the use of transfer magic, but
they slowly start to collect their senses as they drink water to their
hearts' content. The picnickers hop into a horse and wagon, but not before
offering the group a ride to Pao. The woman driving the carriage tells
them that things are pretty much all right in this part of the world, except
for some "big hoopla over the world's magic going all screwy."
They finally arrive at Pao and learn about a festival going on there. They
also learn about a caravan that will take them wherever they need to go
on Lunar, however it will cost one thousand silver to rent a car
on it. The mull over how they are supposed to earn this much silver while
they explore the peaceful village. They run into a guide, who mentions
that the easiest way to earn silver in Pao is to get a contract from the
bounty office. The guide leads the group first to a statue of Althena,
where they rest, and then to the office. When they get there, they say
a woman exit the office. Her name is Isis, and she is complaining about
all the tourist taking "her" money. Eomar smiles at Isis, and
gets a fairly cold response back. The group enters the office, and Ebony
asks the clerk for a job that pays one thousand or more silver. They find
out that Isis took the last job, one that cost two thousand silver. They
run out and catch up with Isis and offer to help her for a fifty percent
cut of the job. Isis introduces herself, and mentions that she is a "professional"
bounty hunter who needs the money to get a caravan and is short on time.
Ebony mentions that they need a caravan too. Isis agrees, and they go back
to the bounty office to make the contract official. They learn that the
contract involves recovering an item for someone called Sir Felgar, a self-appointed
traveling hero. This item was the Prism Blade, and that it was stolen by
a wizard. Bulix does not like the idea of fighting a wizard and Miko reluctantly
agrees to go along, but the others are more than willing to go after him,
especially Lou who gets excited about any adventure. The wizard's name
is Kazan, and Iceberg knows a little about him. The party signs the contract,
then checks out the local shops. They upgrade their weapons and armor,
and then move off in search of Kazan. Isis leads the group to a high wharf
where many aspiring Dragonmasters have plummeted to their deaths. Lou feels
compelled to follow. Isis says that Kazan was lives in a nearby cave, and
that there are some monsters between Pao and this cave. Lou then gets a
bad feeling, as he remembers a story Alex told about a cave near Pao. Within
this cave lived a horrible monster named Grimzol that spread plague across
the land. However, Alex had defeated the monster on his quest to become
Dragonmaster. Lou warns the group about the trouble Alex had when he visited
the cave at a time when he was three-fifths of the way to becoming a Dragonmaster.
Ebony gives Lou a vote of confidence, and Lou thanks him and says he will
try his best. For a while though, Lou fears that Kazan may be Grimzol reborn,
but Iceberg reassures him that Kazan was a wizard from Vane.
Just outside the cave, they come across a glowing ball of light. They investigate
the sphere, and learn that it is in fact the Photon Globe, a monster of
pure light. They try attacking it with several kinds of magic, to no avail,
but eventually found that it had a critical weakness to earth magic and
it is dispatched quickly. They enter the cave, and eventually run across
Kazan himself. They hide nearby and listen to his plans: Kazan intends
to use the Prism Blade to block the forthcoming eclipse and allow his light
magic to reach its maximum strength. Lou, Iceberg, and Ebony approach Kazan
hoping they can talk him out of his plan, to no avail, as it turns out
that Kazan had totally lost his mind long ago… The rest of the group
joins Lou, Iceberg, and Ebony, and a battle ensues. It is not a particularly
long battle, and Kazan is defeated. The Prism Blade is recovered, but not
without some sadness at the unfortunate death of Kazan, who was not really
evil, just "sick," as Miko put it. The group returns to Pao to
claim their award and find the happy beginnings of the festival. The festival
was so large that even the circus came to town. Ebony is not amused at
there being a circus in town, but hopes that this is the kind that lacks
caged animals.
Session 7: The Greatest Show on Lunar
It is a wonderful time to be alive! The circus is in town and everyone
is so happy! Everyone that is, except for Ebony and Bulix…
The whole party is enjoying the festival, but Ebony is still worried that
the circus that is in town was the same one that treated him so cruelly.
The others have a hard time believing that the circus can be as miserable
as Ebony said it was, but they still listen to him. Azura, however, especially
refuses to believe Ebony's warnings. Iceberg gets himself in a contest
of illusion against the circus's magician, but the performer is not impressed.
Various other acts occur throughout the town. Ebony asks Bulix to confirm
his feelings about this being the same circus, but he is not sure. Isis
returns tot he bounty clerk to claim her reward. Iceberg then enjoys using
his magic to amuse several small children. A woman approaches Miko, and
gives her a flower on the promise that she will plant the seeds all over
the world. She does the same to Iceberg. Ebony then asks for a flower for
a pretty lady, and gives this one to Miko as well. Isis goes to the caravan
office and rents a single car for the entire party for one thousand silver.
The group then approaches the stage where a band is performing. Miko and
Isis dance up a storm. Azura joins in the dancing as well. Suddenly, two
people fly through the air in brightly colored outfits. They are more circus
performers demonstrating their art to the pleasure of the entire crowd.
A woman in a brightly-colored, tight uniform adored with make-up and colored
bands approaches Bulix. Her name is Rhea, and somehow she knows Bulix.
The two catch up on old times, and then Rhea asks that she and Bulix speak
in private. They enter the dressing tent, and Rhea closes the zipper behind
them. Suddenly, a man rushes the group, clutching handfuls of silver. He
talks about how he won twenty silver in the hall of chance, then runs off.
Miko and Ebony then dance with each other, and Ebony complements Miko on
her looks. Miko then complements Ebony on his dancing, but Azura does not
seem to think so highly of it. Iceberg runs off to the fortune teller's
tent, and is followed by Eomar, Miko, and Ebony. Iceberg spends ten silver
to hear the teller's reading, which goes like this: "I see great fortune…
Women will fall all over you, blue one. You will be admired and famous.
One word from you will change the lives of millions of people…"
Iceberg does not sense any magic from the fortune teller, but enjoyed the
reading anyway. Isis then walks in and stumbles over Iceberg. The group
then leaves as an excited young couple walks in. They then walk over to
the strength-testing machine, and Isis would like to give it a try. Isis
hands over five silver to try the test, and aces it without the slightest
difficulty. She is given the choice of either a stuffed albino baboon or
a Dragonmaster action figure with the kung-fu grip as her prize. Isis asks
Miko which one she should get, and Miko goes for the baboon despite the
fact the action figure says such cool sayings as "Luna!", "Ghaleon,
what are you doing? No!", "Nall," and the ever-popular "…"
Isis names the baboon "Snurgle." Bulix then rushes out of the
tent, yelling at Ebony and asking where Azura was. It turns out that this
was in fact the same circus that had imprisoned Ebony years ago. Ebony
makes Azura promise him not to run off, and she agrees.
The next part of the show begins, the dancing extravaganza. The lead dancer
walks to the front of the stage. She is wearing the prettiest dress of
all, and her hair is long, black, and in a ponytail. She introduces herself,
"My name is Jean, and in case you haven't figured out what I do in
the troupe, I'm the star dancer! Tee hee…" Jean tells the other
dancers to start the show. Everyone enjoys the performance immensely. Isis
wishes she could dance like that, but Bulix concentrates on watching the
cats, as well as Davis, who is keeping a close eye on Azura. The performance
finally ends to the maniacal cheering of the crowd. Jean bows, and leads
the other dancers off the stage. Azura takes off in the direction of the
sword swallowers, but Bulix catches up to her and scolds her for running
off, however Azura ignores him. The party then heads off towards the merchant
stalls and buys new equipment. They then move off to Isis's home, where
they spend the night with Bulix taking the first watch. Miko has a nightmare
during the night and wakes up early. Isis, Ebony, and Azura try to comfort
her. Miko and Azura then have a conversation about what their purposes
in life were. After this conversation, Azura falls back asleep. A few hours
later, Isis wakes Davis up so he can take the watch over from Bulix.
It is now morning, and all the adventurers slowly start to wake up. Everyone
walks into Isis's kitchen for breakfast. Miko and Davis head for the market
to by some seasonings, and Iceberg and Ebony head off to try to meet Tempest
and Fresca. When Miko and Davis reach the herb merchant, they find out
he had just sold a large shipment of cure herbs to a nearby man. His name
is Franco, and he knows Davis from his childhood. Franco admired Davis's
adventuring spirit and followed him. Eventually, he came across Miko's
home village, but he was feeling quite ill when he arrived as he had a
touch of the flu when he left Meribia. Fortunately for him, he was well
taken care of by the villagers. He met Miko's brother, Sebastian, who was
the one that cared for him. However, Sebastian also got sick, and Franco
assumed it was due to the flu he brought in, figuring they had no resistance
to outside diseases. That is why he came to Pao to purchase enough cure
herbs to heal the entire village. Miko is very worried about her brother,
and runs back to Isis's house. Miko fills the others in on the situation
in her home village. They go back out and try to get the caravan clerk
to leave early, to no avail. Azura then takes off outside to eat her fish
after thanking Miko for talking to her the night before.
Azura is still missing as they prepare to board the caravan. Everyone searches
the entire village for her when a group of masked men emerge from the circus
train. The masked men huddle around each other and motion towards our group.
The party suspects that these masked men catnapped Azura and interrogate
them. They find out that they had indeed captured Azura, and that they
intend to recapture Ebony. A fight ensues between the circus freaks and
our heroes. The freaks are quickly dispatched by the heroes. The group
then continues to search for Azura when Rhea and Jean emerge from the caboose.
They explain how they tried to keep the masked men from capturing Azura,
but they were outgunned and outnumbered. Jean then wishes the group good
luck in trying to rescue Azura…
Session 8: A Blue Destiny
Azura is still being held by the cruel circus! Can our heroes rescue
her? Even if they do, what fate lies before them in her sanctuary…
Ebony is angry at Bulix and Thesian, who were supposed to have protected
Azura. Everyone is feeling pretty down at this moment over Azura's catnapping.
Miko continues to run around trying to find Azura and asks Davis for help.
Ebony makes a beeline for the caboose, and is followed by the others. Inside
they find several masked figures, appearing to be much meaner and tougher
than the last few they faced. The figures blame Ebony for killing their
beloved ringmaster in a fire, a charge which Ebony denies. A battle then
ensues between these masked figures and our heroes, except for Lou who
had fallen into a pit on the way to the caboose. After a fairly lengthy
battle, the masked figures are defeated. Ebony then finds Azura shivering
inside a tiny tin cage. Azura is released, but she is in a severe state
of shock. The group tries to comfort her, and eventually succeeds. Rhea
and Jean then nervously approach the caboose. They thank Bulix and his
friends for defeating the psychotic people that had formerly ran the circus.
Rhea tells Bulix that they had decided to elect him as the new manager
of the circus, but he chooses to remain with the rest of the heroes. Rhea
seems to understand, says a saddened good-bye, and runs back to her dressing
tent. Miko, however, has run off mysteriously and Ebony starts to look
for her, and eventually finds in front of the caravan. Meanwhile, Davis
and Franco exchange a few words. Davis introduces the rest of the group
to Franco. Franco than tells the party news of what the situation in Vane
was. He says that the Vile Tribe managed to turn Vane upside down! The
party then touches the statue of Althena for healing, and board the caravan.
The caravan ride is an uneventful one. Lou is very worried about the events
in Vane, wondering why Nash, Mia, and his hero, Dragonmaster Alex, were
not able to prevent it from happening. Davis and Thesian are also wondering
why Alex did not show up to help defend Vane. Lou worries that something
could have happened to him, and Thesian hopes that this was not the case.
Iceberg senses that the magical aura of the world had been perturbed. Lou
as well feels some of this through the ring Ebony gave him. Miko is very
quiet at this moment, and Lou and Ebony try to comfort her. Everyone in
the car is very concerned about the events in Vane. Soon the caravan starts
to approach a river. Azura notices the pendant Thesian is wearing. She
asks how long he had it, but all he knows is that he had it since he was
a child. Azura says something about a terrible wizard, confusing Thesian.
Azura recognizes the pendant as belonging to her, and says that the wizard
she mentioned earlier stole it, and stole something else she seems unable
to mention. Thesian then returns the pendant to Azura. The group is then
lost in thought and idle conversation. Lou recognizes their current location
as the Stadius Zone, and mentions that Azura may be linked to the Blue
Dragon like Ebony was to the Black Dragon, as well as the fact that the
Blue Dragon Cave is nearby. Azura then gets very worried for a reason she
will not specify.
Suddenly, the caravan comes to an abrupt halt. A group of bandits hijacked
Franco's herbs off the caravan! The heroes run after him, trying to get
the healing herbs back to their rightful owner, but they are jumped by
a smaller group of bandits that had been hiding on the roof of the car.
After a fairly lengthy brawl, the bandits are defeated and the party pursues
their comrades, or attempt to, but they had already gotten away. Azura
than flutters off towards a nearby waterfall, the rest of the group following
behind her. Franco however falls down, feeling very guilty for the events,
but Miko manages to encourage him saying that she possesses healing magic
that can save Sebastian and her village. The group, except for Azura, stops
to make sure he is OK. Then caravan employees pour out of the lead car
and commence to repair the damage the bandits did. The party takes this
chance to follow Azura into the waterfall. Lou mentions a monster called
the Brainiac that used to live in this cave when Dragonmaster Alex was
adventuring. In a flash, faint arcs of electricity appear in the distance,
jumping between the walls. Azura senses a presence in the cave. She then
tells Thesian that his father was a great man, and that he had a very important
role in the history of the world. She tells him that the blue wizard had
stolen the power of his father, but that he was able to regain it and seal
it inside the blue pendant. Suddenly, Isis is hit by a bolt of lightning
and slammed to the ground. The mysterious energy is then absorbed by her
body, giving her the ability to cast thunder magic. Azura goes off about
some sort of evil power embracing Isis. Total confusion ensues within the
ranks as the heroes try to discern what had happened. Azura then realizes
that the wizard was still in her sanctuary, and that somehow Isis is linked
to him. Azura then also reveals that Thesian's thunder magic did not come
from the pendant, but that it came from within himself. Thesian is shocked
by this revelation. Azura now senses that the magic within Isis is somehow
being purified. Finally, Azura states that she must remain within her cave
and that she must face down the fiend herself. She mentions how the purifying
magic of the world was no longer flowing, and that the only way to restore
it was to restore Vane. She next stares at Lou and tells him to approach
her. Lou obeys, and Azura drops the blue pendant in his hand. Both it and
the black ring Ebony gave him are glowing. She tells him that it symbolizes
her approval of him, and that she does not understand why. Isis then asks
Azura what is happening with her, and her reply was that her new magic
came from a fiend. Azura then gives her farewells to the group, asking
them to go and save the world, and then disappears beneath the water of
the cave. After a sad interlude, everyone returns to the caravan, where
repairs conveniently had just been completed. The caravan then takes off,
and tries to pick up speed so that they can get through the small river
town of Meryod for some strange reason…
Session 9: Revelations
It is mid-afternoon. This town looks like a pathetic stick town. The
buildings look neglected and the townsfolk appear a little uncultured.
The caravan speeds up along the long bridge leading through the town. It
appears the caravan drivers don't want to stay here any longer than they
have to…
Ebony is currently feeling very down at the loss of Azura. Isis is also
very quiet, trying to sort through the events that took place in the Blue
Dragon Cave. Miko, Isis, and Ebony try to comfort each other. Thesian also
looks glum after those events. Ebony tries to cheer himself up by making
fun of the rednecks that gawk at the caravan as it passes through their
town. Finally, the caravan leaves Meryod behind it. Lou remembers that
the caravan stops at Lann, and he tells Ebony the story of all the fish
Nall had back when Alex had an adventure there. He also offers to take
Ebony to meet Nall when he gets back home. However, he also continues to
be very concerned about the Dragonmaster. The group then sits back and
relaxes, some of them falling asleep during the long ride. The caravan
makes an overnight stop in the town of Reza in order to repair some damage
sustained from the bandits that they did not notice before. Reza however
is infamous for being the home of the Guild of Thieves. Miko gets tired
of being told what to do and treated like a child by the others, especially
Ebony, so she marches off, upset, towards the middle of town. Ebony tracks
Miko down, and the two apologize for their rash actions. The group checks
out the shops and makes some purchases. They then go to the jewelry shop,
and the shopkeeper wonders why they hold their "pet" Ebony so
dear as they give him a collar made of rare onyx. The jeweler offers to
refine Ebony's color into onyx. Ebony agrees, and also gives him his claws
and fangs as well. The shopkeeper then walks off to the back room, mentioning
that his name is Dross. Believe it or not, Dross does keep his word and
returns the items. After some more shopping, Lou goes off to try to find
a place to spend the night. He returns with a tall man. The man takes the
group to his inn, which he claims is very secure. After the man is paid
for the room, he shakes Lou's hand and walks off. Watch hours are arranged,
and the group goes to sleep in their room. Miko and Lou have the first
watch, and he has a conversation with her trying to figure out the ring
and amulet he received from Ebony and Azura. Miko asks Lou if they have
to do with him being a "Wagonmaster," and Lou explains that "Wagonmaster"
was just Ebony teasing him about his dreams of becoming a Dragonmaster.
Lou tells her though that with Alex the current Dragonmaster, and as there
can only be one Dragonmaster in the world at any given time, these dreams
will probably never be fulfilled. During this conversation, the other people
in the group join in and add their comments as well. Lou also continues
his worries about Alex, which someone gives Ebony a chill down his spine
and a sense that something is wrong. Lou continues to ask Miko her opinions
about his items, whether they come from the Dragons like Alex's armor did,
and if that means something is wrong with Alex. Miko is borderline falling
asleep, but she still manages to listen to Lou's words. She says that she
feels Lou would make a wonderful Dragonmaster, and that he should believe
that he will become one if he truly wishes it come true. Lou thanks Miko,
but still acknowledges that it is impossible.
Morning approaches, and Thesian wakes up. He mentions that he had been
having strange dreams to Lou, dreams about his father. Lou tries to make
him feel a little better, and comments that he and Azura seemed very close.
Lou then asks Thesian about the amulet, however he knows very little about
it. The sun rises, and Ebony tells Lou to stop talking about Alex as it
gives him a weird feeling. Lou apologizes, and Miko asks Ebony what's wrong.
He replies that he just has a very bad feeling about him whenever Lou mentions
his name. Miko asks Lou how important Alex is, and when Lou explains it
to the best of his ability Ebony shivers again. The innkeeper woman then
walks in and wakes everyone up. The group checks out, and Ebony starts
yelling about something being gone. Lou looks at his hand and realizes
the man that found the inn for them stole the ring! Lou gets really, really
angry, and starts to hunt down the thief. The whole group searches for
the ring, and when they enter the tavern they find the man who took it.
His plan was apparently to have Dross refine the ring, which was made of
onyx, into opal. Needless to say, Lou is not amused at the idea, and the
party prepares to kick some bandit butt. After a reasonably short battle,
the bandits are defeated and the man cowers in the corner of the tavern.
After some threatening posturing from Lou, Isis, and Ebony, he finally
returns the ring. Ebony scratches him across the cheek, and he runs away
in cowardly terror. With the ring recovered, the heroes return to the caravan.
During the ride, Lou mentions to Ebony and Miko that he's getting "strange
vibes" from a volcano in the distance. Ebony feels a familiar force
returning, and he notices a faint black glow from Lou's ring. This gives
him a warm feeling of reassurance, as well as making him tune out the outside
world. The spirit of the Black Dragon, Ebony's father, is talking to Ebony
somehow, but only he can hear it. Lou and Miko try to figure out what is
going on as Lou's ring starts to glow. The Black Dragon tells Ebony he
must promise to stay with Lou, as well as noticing his feelings for Miko.
The Black Dragon goes on to mention that his master, Dragonmaster Alex,
is in trouble. He says that Alex is his master much as Lou is slowly becoming
Ebony's. He tells the young Dragon not to worry, that this relationship
will bring the young Dragon greater glory and understanding, and that he
senses that Lou wants to help Alex as well, and that he should not worry
about Azura as "the ones with thunder" will protect her. The
Black Dragon tells his son that he must help Lou save Alex. He explains
to the little one that if he truly cares about Miko, he must leave her
for a little while to help Lou, otherwise the whole world, Miko included
is in jeopardy. The Black Dragon gives a final warning to Ebony to hold
on to his senses and his mind, or he will become a danger to Miko and lose
everything he ever loved. The Black Dragon then bids his son farewell after
once again explain that he must help Lou find Alex if he truly cares for
Miko.
Ebony explains to the group that Alex is in trouble and that they must
find him as soon as possible. Miko does not like the idea as she desperately
wants to get home to save her brother. Ebony explains that they must separate
for a short while in order to find him. Lou apologizes to Miko that he
can not help her, but he gives his word that he will return to help her
as soon as he can. Ebony asks Lou if he has any idea where Alex is, and
Lou mentions several possible locations. Miko is still upset, while she
at least understands Lou's reasoning, she is not very happy with Ebony
at all. Lou tries to calm Miko down, to no avail. Ebony apologies to Miko
and promises that he will return to her once his mission is complete. Lou
asks why he had to go even though he volunteered, and Ebony says that the
Black Dragon, his father, told him. The whole group realizes that both
Ebony and Azura are young Dragons. Lou is confused by the events, and gets
the typical Ebony response of, "Are you a complete ditz?!? You might
have to become a Dragonmaster, but first we have to find Alex." Miko
is still feeling down at the fact of Ebony having to leave, but then Lou
gives her a piece of his tunic as proof that he will keep his word to return,
and Ebony promises returning as well, making her feel a little better.
Lou and Ebony then start to plan how they intend to find Alex. The other
members of the group then begin to sort through their destinies as well.
Miko is feeling much better at this point, and mentions that Sebastian
would never believe that she saw a Dragon if he doesn't come to her village.
Lou promises to make sure he does. The group exchanges some premature farewells,
mistakenly believing they will split up on their individual missions soon,
as the caravan enters the Nanza Barrier.
The caravan enters the Barrier, but it is an uneventful ride as the protection
fee was included in the cost of the ticket. Lou asks the guardians if Kyle
is still their boss, and finds out he ran away to Althena's Shrine to live
with Jessica. The guardian by the window of their car gives them more news
about the situation near Vane, in the Katarina Zone. He mentions a plague
that had been going around, and Ebony wonders if Grimzol had been involved.
The guardian continues, telling them that no ships have been leaving Meribia
for Saith recently due to severe storms. He also mentions reports of various
other things going haywire all throughout the world. The Ausa family is
missing, and more disasters have befallen the Katarina Zone. The groups
mulls over these events as the caravan finally exits the Nanza Barrier.
The caravan stops of in Nanza for twenty minutes so that the passengers
can rest and freshen up a bit before heading to Lann. The heroes get off
the caravan and look up in the sky, not believing their eyes. Flying black
creatures flood the sky, and Vane can be seen in the distance, having been
turned upside down…
Session 10: Counterstrike
Upon emerging in the warrior encampment known as Nanza, a very small
and crowded village comes into view. Everyone seems to be in a state of
perpetual worry about the dark omen in the sky. Half of the people here
seem to be wizards from Vane…
Iceberg, in tears, searches the crowd of wizards for friends. He find Estyo,
one of his best friends from Vane. Iceberg introduces his friend to the
rest of the party. He tells Estyo about all his adventures he had with
the other heroes, and asks for news of their home city. Estyo explains
how everyone seemed to have gotten crabby and annoyed, how the Ausas have
mysteriously run off, and how no one knows how to deal with the various
disasters that befall the region. Lou asks Estyo about Dragonmaster Alex,
only to hear that Master Mel of Meribia had sent a ship out to find him,
but that no word had been received yet. Estyo continues explaining the
effects of Vane's being turned upside down. Very few of the wizards are
willing to counter-attack for some reason as well, and that the Goddess
Tower has also been occupied. Estyo is then pelted on his forehead by a
small pebble. A bunch of teenage wizards, lead by Galford, are standing
in the direction from which the pebble came. Galford was a bully that had
always hated Iceberg for some reason. Iceberg tells the group that Galford
his harmless, someone who would always annoy him back in Vane. The group
has a little fun with Galford for lack of anything else to do with him.
Iceberg makes a small ice spike fall on Galford's head, and Lou shoots
small fireballs at his feet. Galford leaves after he realizes he had been
out-taunted. Estyo warns Iceberg that Galford apparently was more effected
by the waves of dark magic emanating from Vane than anyone else, but Iceberg
assures his friend that they have nothing to worry about.
Another wizard, a female one, looks around after adjusting her glasses.
Her name is Trista. She is a short, young mage with short, brown hair and
is a total Mia wannabe. Trista falls down and begins to cry, but then Lou
helps her up and after a happy greeting introduces her to his friends.
Despite her frequent klutz attacks, everyone seems to be very happy to
meet her. The group hears about some shops in town and decide to buy some
new equipment. Lou, however, hangs behind and checks on Miko who is being
very silent. She claims to be OK, and then she leaves the carriage and
wanders around the village. Trista tags along with the heroes, but wishes
that she has enough money to buy some of the stuff she sees in the stores,
and wishes she had a pony. Iceberg makes her an ice pony, and Lou regrets
the fact he can not make her a fire pony. Nothing in the shops seems to
interest Bulix, she he decides to keep a watch for Galford. Everyone checks
back on Ebony, who is sleeping peacefully and seems to be OK. Lou asks
Miko how close her village was to the sea, wondering if he and Ebony could
kill two birds with one stone by helping Miko and trying to find Alex at
the same time, but she is not sure. Miko, however, does say that Lou has
been a good friend to her and that he is always welcome in her village.
Ebony finally wakes up, and wonders why no one tried to wake him up sooner.
Miko comforts Ebony by telling him he did not miss anything while he was
sleeping. After everyone had bought new equipment, they practice their
magic and other skills, which frustrates Trista as her magic skills are
very weak. Lou tries to make his old friend feel a little better, and gets
a little help from Thesian. She then makes a beeline for the bar for some
reason, but rushes out angrily when she realizes she is not old enough
to drink. The mage then worries about Nash and Mia, and again is comforted
by the heroes. Lou then explains that they need to get going, so Trista
then says her good-byes then promptly falls on her face before being helped
back up by Lou again. Lou promises to visit Trista after this is over and
reminds her to stop by Saith when she can as well.
Estyo mentions that nothing can possibly get better until Vane is restored,
and the heroes promise him that they will fight to do just that. Everyone
boards the caravan, and Lou says his last good-bye to his old friend Trista.
The caravan continues on towards Lann under the ominous shadow of Vane.
Soon, the group arrives in the lakeside fishing village of Lann. The caravan
driver points out the Lann Inn to the heroes, not neglecting to mention
the wide variety of fish it serves. Before they go to the inn, however,
the group fails to resist the temptation of going for a swim in the lake.
Everyone gets out of the lake, and Lou and Miko both agree that this place
reminds them of their respective homes. They head for the inn and check
in immediately. The receptionist points them towards room number three,
claiming there are lots of towels inside. Ebony is very pleased that each
room comes with a complementary bowl of fish. However, when they get to
the room they find no fish and no towels, giving the appearance that the
maid has not been to the room yet. Lou and Iceberg check the neighboring
rooms, trying to see if they can borrow any towels. Room number five does
have guests in it, and Lou opens the door to find the crying face of Lemia
Ausa, though he does not realize who this is at the time. Lou apologizes
for disturbing Lemia when Iceberg walks in and recognizes her. Lemia invites
most of group into her room, and they find that the entire Ausa family
along with Rimzol was there as well. Rimzol is very happy to see his old
friend Bulix and his student Iceberg again, until he learns about their
adventures, but all these spark in him are feelings of worry more than
of anger. Miko and Ebony are still in their room, but Lou calls them to
check out room number five. Mia and Nash can be found in a corner of the
room, holding their daughter Semila. They did not notice the guests entering
their room as they were so preoccupied with their daughter. Bulix then
proceeds to introduce Rimzol to his new friends. Mia is still frightened,
and asks the group of they were here to kill them "like the others."
Lou responds by saying, "No, of course not. We're just here to borrow
towels, actually," and Iceberg assures the wizards that they are all
friends. Mia reveals that all the wizards of Vane had been trying to hunt
down her entire family. Nash asks the purpose of the visit of the heroes,
and everyone tells him that they came to help the Guild restore Vane. Lou
again asks for information on Dragonmaster Alex, but gets the same response
of no communication at all with Caldor Isle. Mia also states that Semila
had come down with a mysterious illness that healing magic has no effect
on, and actually makes it get worse. She feels that the illness stems from
the corrupted Vane, and that if Vane were restored, everything would be
back to normal again. Nash reveals the plan the Guild leadership had come
up with to free the city, and the heroes eagerly volunteer. The plan consists
of recovering Althena's Mirror, using it in a special ceremony in the Star
Chamber, and by using this mirror in the ceremony restoring Vane to its
rightful position. The plan would involve transporting the group after
it had been split up into three parties and using an anti-gravity spell
to keep them from falling. Group One would try to obtain Althena's Mirror.
Group Two would try to clear out the Cave of Trial. Group Three would clear
out the Star Chamber. Ebony says that he intends to stay with Miko, and
that he is supposed to keep an eye on Lou, forming the first team. Thesian
teams up with Davis and Iceberg, forming the second team. Bulix, Isis,
and Eomar form the third team. The Guild leadership thanks the heroes and
offers some last minute strategic advice and wishes of luck before teleporting
the teams to their various missions…
Group Three: The Star Chamber
As soon as Isis, Eomar, and Bulix land in the beautiful Star Chamber,
they see a wicked sight. The room is beautiful, with sparkling stars on
the ceiling. Before them stands a tall commander, who looks perfectly human.
He has blond hair and wears armor and a sword. He looks up at the three
of them…
The Vile commander instantly orders his troops to attack. He sends forth
three Flame Salamanders and two Dust Devils against the trio. The battle
does not last for too long, but it was sufficiently grueling for the team…
Group Two: The Cave of Trial
Meanwhile, as Thesian, Iceberg, and Davis appear in the Cave of Trial,
they are attacked by magical beasts! Three Flame Salamanders in front,
two Dust Devils in back…
This team is having little difficulty with their opposition, and actually
having enough time to plot a strategy and worry about the other teams.
A few quick blasts of magic was all it took to defeat these magical monsters…
Group One: The Silver Spire
Meanwhile, as Ebony, Lou, and Miko appear in the beautifully decorated
top level of the Silver Spire, they are surrounded by Vile guards! Three
Vile Troopers in front, two Shadow Mages in back…
Neither Ebony nor Miko feel very confident going into this battle, but
it is balanced by Lou's complete fearlessness against the opposition. However,
confidence alone is not enough to defeat the enemy. The Shadow Mages and
the Vile Troopers seem to be stronger than the opposition the other teams
had faced thus far, and are having a severe impact on this team's well-being.
Lou remembers something Alex mentioned, however, concerning the low intelligence
of the Vile Tribe, and he and Ebony use this knowledge to their advantage,
distracting them using various techniques and objects, trying to get the
battle to go slightly smoother. The battle takes a heavy toll, but the
group is victorious. Miko, however, who dealt the killing blow to the final
enemy is shocked at what she had done, but Ebony and Lou comfort her. The
team then acquires Althena's Mirror. Their goal having been achieved, they
start the job of reuniting themselves with the rest of their friends. Along
the way they pick up items of various interest, such as the Gale Bracelet,
and an Althena's statue they used to heal themselves.
Session 11: Independence Day
Our heroes have split up into three groups, each trying to achieve a
different goal in order to liberate Vane from the clutches of the Vile
Tribe. However, are they strong enough to defeat its leader…
Group Three: The Star Chamber
Isis, Eomar, and Bulix had capably handled the monsters sent before them
by the leader of the Vile Tribe, who now introduces himself as Nar. He
appears humanoid and looks handsome, but he stares back at the group with
piercing cold eyes. The group tells Nar that they have arrived to halt
his operation, to which he answers his original goal had been accomplished,
but that he refuses to give up Vane now. He then sends Vile Troopers and
Shadow Mages to attack the group. Again, the group is victorious after
a fairly short battle…
Group One: The Silver Spire
Lou, Miko, and Ebony find the Spire to be eerily silent. Lou asks the group
if they wish to press on when they hear strange voices in the distance.
They are approached by several more Shadow Mages and Vile Troopers. Again,
Lou and Ebony attempt to use psychology to distract and defeat the Viles,
and they are successful at delaying the soldiers. Miko laughs at the somewhat
effective antics, but then the battle heats up for a little bit until the
Viles are distracted again. The trio discuss strategy and what needs to
be accomplished before the fight begins anew. The battle cools down yet
again as Ebony and Lou continue their distraction techniques, which increase
in effectiveness each time they use them. The fight reignites, and the
party finally finishes off most of the Viles, the remainder fleeing while
severely wounded. The group presses on down the spire, and exits the spire.
They feel the sensation of vertigo when they leave at the sensation of
being suspended upside down due to the spell Mia, Nash, and Rimzol cast
on them. They see the entrance to the Trial Cave and make a break for it
as Viles ascend towards their position. Lou carries Miko, who had injured
her ankle, to the cave and the group barely escapes the oncoming Viles.
They then proceed to search for their companions within the cave…
Group Two: The Cave of Trial
Thesian, Davis, and Iceberg are suddenly attacked by a group of Flame Salamanders
and a Dust Devil. The monsters are dispatched fairly quickly by the trio,
however Thesian was badly wounded in the conflict. Iceberg heals him, and
the group presses on. They hear voices in the distance and look to find…
Groups One and Two: The Cave of Trial
Ebony, Miko, and Lou are finally reunited with Davis, Thesian and Iceberg
in the Cave of Trial. After exchanging mutual greetings and status reports,
the sextet continues onwards towards the Crystal Tower, where the Star
Chamber is located. Iceberg leads the way through the cave until they are
attacked by a large group of monsters consisting of Vile Troopers, Flame
Salamanders, Dust Devils, and Shadow Mages. The monsters are defeated after
a fairly lengthy battle, and the exit to the surface near the Crystal Tower
lies before the group. The six of them make a break for the exit…
Group Three: The Star Chamber
Nar taunts the trio, and is met with more taunts from the group. He stands
up and grabs the hilt of his large sword. He unsheathes his blade and begins
to attack the trio. He turns out to be an extraordinary swordsman, but
the group apparently manages to defeat him fairly quickly…
Groups One and Two: The Crystal Tower
The six heroes emerge from the Cave of Trial near the Crystal Tower's entrance.
Again, they are attacked by large numbers of Vile soldiers from "above"
and run into the Tower, just barely escaping the soldiers. They are awed
by the immense beauty of the tower, and fine several chests containing
various treasures. They press on until they are attacked by four Vile Troopers
and two Shadow Mages. Ebony is dazed by the monsters, and goes beserk,
attacking Miko and blinding Thesian before he gets his senses back. The
battle rages for a fairly long time as the group, low on magic, is forced
to use regular attacks to defeat them. However, the monsters are dispatched
despite these difficulties, and the group continues. Finally they reach
the steps to the Star Chamber…
Reunion in the Star Chamber
Nar is still alive and continues to torment Isis, Eomar, and Bulix. He
sheds his outer skin, revealing an apparently more powerful ogre-like form.
Battle rages, but this form apparently does no better against the trio
than his earlier one. Nar then declares he will unveil his true power.
He sheds his skin again, emanating all sorts of horrid noises…
The remaining six finally enter the Star Chamber and view their battered
comrades. Nar stands before the entire group, looking very alien like with
elongated shoulder blades, a sloping head, and four claw wielding limbs,
supported on a narrow, but hard frame. After exchanging greetings with
their friends, the newcomers are filled in on the situation. Nar laughs
at the larger forces before him. The party and the fiend exchange various
taunts and challenges at each other. However, things look grim for the
battle-weary team. Nar casts an Elemental Shell spell that renders him
all but invincible to most attacks, and attacks back with a Shadow Force
spell. Suddenly, Althena's Mirror shines brightly. Lemia Ausa's voice can
be heard emanating from the mirror. Nar is weakened slightly by the bright
light. Lemia gives the group advice on how to defeat the monster, before
passing on the last of Vane's pure energy to the heroes. The group regains
all their strength, and learns a new combination attack called Elemental
Cross. Lemia's voice then fades away. Quickly, the group combines their
magical skills and use Elemental Cross on Nar. His Elemental Shell is shattered
and he suffers large quantities of damage by the attack, which forces the
group back across the room and shatters Lou's Gale Bracelet. The group
then moves in for the kill as Nar only has the ability to use one element
at a time for his defense, as opposed to all of them. The key in on the
element he shields himself with and counteract it with the element that
negates all its effects. Eomar soon launches a Venom Arrow against the
Vile leader, poisoning him. Lou gets fed up with magic and decides to join
Bulix in taking care of Nar "the old-fashioned way." The other
team members continue their intense magical assault, however. The battle
rages on, and Bulix is killed by some of Nar's fire magic. However, immediately
after this, Nar is overcome by Eomar's poison and is defeated after an
over three-hour long conflict! The heroes taunt their defeated foe, but
Nar escapes, saying that he had already furthered his master's plan. The
group is dismayed that Nar lives on and that he serves someone else. The
group then checks each other's wounds. Finally, after all the conflict,
Iceberg begins the prayer of Niviria, which, when combined with Althean's
Mirror, sets Vane straight again. The defeated Vile Tribe flees their positions
in and around Vane. The group then begins to contemplate what their next
steps are. Lou and Ebony must find Dragonmaster Alex. Isis and Thesian
need to return to Azura to find out about their thunder magic. Finally,
Miko and Davis need to return to her home village to check on her brother,
Sebastian. Suddenly, the Ausa family and Rimzol appear, congratulating
the heroes for saving the city of Vane. Rimzol is in a state of disbelief.
Mia is lacking for words to describe how she feels seeing Vane free again.
Nash organizes a celebratory banquet for the new heroes and sets about
moving all the old wizards back into town. Finally, Lemia, on the verge
of tears, expresses her thanks, "Thank you, people… Thank you…"
Session 12: Celebrating the New Heroes
The group stands in the grand hall of Vane's magic guild. The long red
carpet has been rolled out and there are preparations for a victory feast
underway. There is still considerable clutter from the inversion, but magicians
are hastily cleaning it up and setting out chairs and dinnerware…
Fine food, fish among them, can be smelled in the background. Nash enters
and mentions that the celebration will begin within the hour. The premier
complements the group, despite being amazed that they were able to do it
without his help. The citizens of Vane outside inspect the damage. Thesian
and Bulix wonder why the Viles invaded Vane in the first place, and Nash
responds by saying nobody knows, and that they were in the process of leaving
anyway just before Vane was liberated. Iceberg asks how Semila is doing,
and Nash replies that she is getting better. Mia walks in an grabs Nash's
arm while leaning against him and recognizes the heroes. Lou blushes at
the idea of being called a Hiro, er., excuse me, hero, by Mia. The entire
group is awed that they are getting this much attention. Lou asks if the
storms between Meribia and Caldor Isle have cleared yet, and Nash responds
by saying they have, but that they still have no word about Alex. Ebony
asks how long before a ship can leave Meribia, and Nash tells them they
can get one right after the banquet. Lou tells him of their plans to search
for Alex and Nash offers to help them prepare after the banquet. The group
discusses ideas on where Alex could be, and the Goddess Tower pops up as
one of the possible locations. Mia tells the group that the Goddess Tower
is off limits until the Vile activity near there has been investigated.
Lou jokes about the tourist industry booming on Caldor should he become
Dragonmaster along with Alex and Dyne. Davis jokes to Lou about Dragonmasters
getting the "cheeky babes" and Lou mentions he got a kiss from
Jean, "one of the ultimate cheeky babes." Thesian frowns cause
he got smacked by Jean for some lewd comment, and then Jean appears shaming
the entire group for judging women on their outfit or figure. As the festivities
commence, Mia leaves the room and returns with a set of miniature dinnerware
originally meant for Nall, but that were just the right size for Ebony.
She then asks the heroes what they would like to eat, and they make their
orders. Lou proceeds to nearly overdose on caffeine. The table is finally
set, and Mia offers changing rooms to those that would like more formal
clothes for the banquet. Jean appears, offering to help people change for
some strange reason. Iceberg makes a lewd comment about Jean, and gets
thoroughly trashed. Thesian watches Jean "bitch-slap" Iceberg.
Jean does not appreciate being called a "bitch" and gets medieval
on Thesian. Bulix steps in, saying some bull covering up what Thesian said,
and Jean finally leaves. The heroes sit at the head of the table, and begin
to enjoy their meals along with only the highest ranking officials of Vane.
Iceberg finds Rimzol, and he and Nash ask the elfish wizard about the group's
story. Mia comments that their distance from Vane was probably how the
group maintained their sanity after Vane's inversion. Lou asks Lemia about
the ring he got in the Black Dragon Cave from Ebony and the spirit of his
father. Rimzol gets really upset about what happened to Iceberg, and Ebony
explains in a nutshell how they returned. Rimzol thanks Bulix for protecting
Iceberg. Iceberg mentions Azura, and the entire group looks a little downcast.
Lou again asks Lemia if she knew anything about either his ring or amulet,
and she mentions that she had seen this material before, but not in that
form. However, she is not sure. Lou asks about what form she remembered
it in, but she can not remember and gets shaky and nervous. Mia explains
that asking her mother about the past bothers her because her memory does
not work very well yet, and Lou apologizes. He then asks Nash and Mia for
their opinions. The two comment that the things shine like Alex's Dragon
equipment, but they are still unsure. Lou again apologizes for asking that,
fearing he may have touched a bad nerve with his questions. Nash makes
a comment about Eomar's clothes, saying Bulix has the better fashion sense.
The group makes jokes about everyone's fashion sense and continues with
their meals. Rimzol mentions that the will begin repairing what little
damage Vane sustained from the inversion tomorrow. He then mentions that
forty silver pieces were taken from a fountain of Althena by the Viles,
not knowing that it was in fact Thesian and Eomar that had unknowingly
taken it. The rest of the team does their best to cover up the actions
of those two once they realize that they had done the dirty deed. Ebony
changes the subject by mentioning trying to find Alex, saving the day.
Rimzol said he noticed that Eomar and Davis had a latent magical talent,
and he offers to have them study at his academy. Eomar is surprised that
he is considered that good by Rimzol. Lou mentions that he prefers to learn
his magic in battle, and Ebony mentions that they probably still have not
finished "saving the world." Eomar and Davis decide they will
think about it, but they have their current quest to worry about first.
Lemia notices that Lou's magic is not very strong, but that Alex made it
into Vane with similar abilities. Lou thanks her, and apologizes for concentrating
on his swordsmanship instead of his magic though he does plan to improve
his magic skills soon. Mia mentions that the point of the anniversary was
not to put any magic stress on the people of Vane. Lou understands, but
says that he feels that if you do have magical ability, you should try
to use it anyway. Lemia then mentions she is baffled by Isis's and Thesian's
magic skills, specifically their source. Rimzol then mentions a Wind Karate
tournament that Bulix may want to participate in. Lou then asks about swordsmanship
contests as he is interested in participating once the quest is over. Nash
mentions that there would be displays of all sorts of magical martial arts,
but that he is uninterested on anything that does not require "supreme
magical skill" and calls non-magic users simpletons. Most of the group,
especially those with weaker or no magic, do not appreciate this comment.
Iceberg says Nash had a lot to learn from these "simpletons"
as they have their own power, and Lou comments to him that the Premier
is still thinking along the lines of Vane's old school. Rimzol asks that
Bulix and Iceberg stay, and Mia mentions that they could use the help rooting
out the few remaining Viles that hid from the light of Althena's Mirror.
Lou says he would be happy to help, but that he had more pressing matters
to attend to, and Mia understands. Bulix does not like the idea of helping
this town that does not like non-magicians, even though he was born there.
Mia then condones Nash for upsetting him. The heroes then begin to make
their plans for the next stage of their adventure. Mia asks anyone for
their help, and wishes luck to Ebony and Lou, Davis and Miko, and Isis
and Thesian on their individual quests. Ebony mentions that he does not
think he and Lou could handle the mission by themselves. Bulix again says
he does not think he belongs in Vane, but Mia says he is wrong. The heroes
finish up their plans, and prepare for the journeys ahead…
Session 13: Separations and Reunions
Our heroes are finishing their banquet at the Guild Mansion when Miko
finally walks in. They then exchange somber good-byes and begin their own
individual quests…
Miko arrives at the Guild Mansion and is let in by one of the Magic Guards.
She sits down near Ebony and Davis, and Ebony scoots over with her. She
is warmly greeted by the rest of her companions. Rimzol again invites Davis
and Eomar to study at his magic academy, and is politely turned down by
both. He then comments about Miko's magical abilities, mistaking her for
a student from a rival academy. She then explains to Rimzol, with the help
of some of her companions, that she just learned how to use her magic on
her own, shyly continuing to eat while trying to avoid being noticed. Ebony,
meanwhile, continues to look for food he can steal from others. Miko also
eats heartily as well, sadly displaying by her rather poor table manners
that she had never been in such a situation. She then again mentions that
she had never been educated in nor practiced magic. Rimzol asks where she
came from, and she replies that she is from a small, hidden village near
Meribia. Mia asks if this is where she is going after the banquet, and
Miko replies that she is indeed going there. She then invites Ebony, who
sadly declines because his father told him to join Lou and look for Alex.
Miko says it is all right because he promised his father, and Ebony promises
to see Miko right away after he is finished. Ebony then asks Iceberg if
he would join the search for Alex, and Iceberg agrees, with a little comedic
egotism on his part. Lemia then mentions something about Ebony seeing his
uncle on Caldor Isle. Rimzol then asks Bulix to join Iceberg on the mission
to Caldor. Miko is bored by the discussion and asks Davis if they can leave
for her village now. Davis asks her to please wait until Bulix makes his
decision. Ebony expresses his opinion that Bulix should join Davis and
Miko so that Miko would be safe. Miko says that everything is all right,
and that she wishes Ebony could join her. Ebony again promises to see Miko's
town some time. Bulix finally decides to heed Rimzol's wishes and stay
with Iceberg. The banquet finally comes for a close, and Mia wishes the
group a fond farewell. Iceberg ruffles a few of Nash's feathers though
before the group leaves. Miko thanks the Guild for the dinner, and then
exchanges a somewhat sad goodbye with Ebony. The group finally leaves the
Guild Mansion and heads out on their individual quests. Lou, Ebony, Iceberg,
and Bulix will be going to Caldor Isle to search for Dragonmaster Alex.
Miko and Davis will be returning to Miko's home town to check on her brother,
Sebastian. Finally, Thesian, Isis, and Eomar return to Azura's cave to
find the source of Thesian's and Isis's magic. The groups take their turns
getting on Vane's transfer pad and begin their individual quests.
Group 1: Caldor Isle and Beyond
The group discusses how they can get to Meribia, where they can catch a
boat to Lou's hometown of Saith which is on Caldor Isle. Bulix, trailing
behind the rest of the group, decides say farewell to Vane by giving it
a "one fingered salute." Ebony is confused about Lemia talking
about meeting his "uncle." They finally see Meribia in the distance
after a short walk, and Iceberg mentions all of its tourist attractions,
including the "hot babes" at Ramus's store. Lou instinctively
leads the group towards Meribia as Ebony climbs into his backpack and rests.
As they approach Meribia and the sea, they see the vine-covered ruins of
the Grindery. Finally, the group enters the great port city of Meribia.
Bulix snorts about how much he prefers Meribia to Vane. The city seems
to busy that the groups wonders if anyone here even noticed Vane's occupation.
Ebony is amazed by the size of the city. The heroes decide to stop at Ramus's
store first. Iceberg and Ebony ask Kara, a staffer at the store, to see
her boss. Iceberg watches the scantily clad women while waiting for Ramus.
Ramus finally arrives, and looks at the group suspiciously, thinking they
are members of Markin's family, one of his rivals. He then refuses to talk
to he group unless they make a purchase. Ramus shows his wares, and then
mentions that he knows how to convert opal to diamond. Ebony asks to have
his stuff converted to diamond, and Ramus quotes a ridiculously high price.
Ebony tries to get a discount by mentioning that they are trying to save
Alex, but Ramus does not believe him. The group continues to haggle with
Ramus, Ebony pointing to his resemblance to Nall and Lou trying to get
a discount for a fellow Caldorian. They finally give in to Ramus, and Ebony
upgrades his weapons. Lou also purchases a new shield after trading his
old one in, and asks Ramus if there was anyone back on Caldor he would
like him to say "hi" to. Ramus leaves the room to do his work,
leaving Kara behind to entertain the customers. Ebony complains about how
they would have little money left now, but Lou mentions that he might be
able to get some discounts back in Saith and how they would all get lots
of hospitality from his friends and family back home. Lou then reminisces
about his childhood, how he had met Alex, Nash, and Ghaleon way back when,
even saying how friendly Alex was compared to how rude Nash was. Ebony
and Lou then thank Bulix and Iceberg for joining them on the trip. Ramus
finally returns with Ebony's upgraded weapons. The group then decides to
see Master Mel about obtaining passage on the boat to Saith, and Ebony
hops back onto Lou's shoulder as they leave Ramus's store. The group then
heads for the docks, mostly appearing happy, except for Lou who is worrying
about Saith and someone there. The get down to the docks and are greeted
by a salty sailor. The sailor tells them that the boats will not leave
Meribia without a writ from Master Mel himself. They then head for Mel's
mansion to request said writ. Then enter the mansion and are greeted by
Mel's butler. The group requests to have an audience with Mel, and the
butler obliges. In a few moments, they entered Mel's office. Mel asks why
the team had visited him, and they explain the situation with Alex. Mel
likes the enthusiasm of the group and promises to give them a writ and
free passage in exchange for taking over for a bunch of "pansy"
sailors that got seasick during the recent storms and bringing back news
of Dragonmaster Alex after they had returned from the voyage. The butler
then brings the group some refreshments as Mel writes up the writ. Ebony
for some reason mentions Mel's past as a pirate, and Mel overhears his
words. Lou emphasizes that Mel was no longer a pirate, and that one should
not cross someone that can swing an axe as large as Mel's. Iceberg then
asks Mel about Jessica, and Mel mentions that she was all right, but that
he did not want her gallivanting with someone like Kyle, no matter how
much he approved of him guarding the Nanza Barrier. Mel finally finishes
up the writ, and the group thanks him and heads for Markin's store. They
arrive there and Markin shows the group his wares. It turns out that his
wares are much different than Ramus's. However, they do not need any of
them at this point, so they move on to Black Rose St. All the stores except
for one are closed however. They walk in, and the old hag that runs it
greets them by mentioning how she would like to have Ebony in her stew.
She is distraught that "all these yummy kitties have to be friends
with strong young men," but shows them her wares anyway. They buy
some magical supplies here and move out towards the docks. Lou hands the
writ over, and they sail off towards Saith. Ebony falls asleep on board
the ship while Lou keeps a watch for his home and Iceberg prays. Several
hours later, Iceberg sees the icy mountains on Caldor and loves the idea
of visiting them. Lou finally decides that he should try to get a little
rest before they arrive at Saith. More hours pass, and a sailor awakens
the group at sunrise with the shout of "Land ho!" Lou returns
to sleep, and twitches as if he was having a nightmare. Ebony wonders how
come they have to save the world. Lou wakes up from his nightmare and asks
the captain how much longer the trip will take. The captain says it should
take about ten minutes.
Finally, they arrive at Lou's home town of Saith. Iceberg asks if they
should head right for Burg, but Lou mentions that there is someone he would
like to see in Saith first. Everything seems to be normal in the town.
Lou suggests they stop at his place for breakfast before moving on to Burg.
Ebony suggests that they ask people in town if they had seen Alex recently
first. Lou heads into the tavern, and asks the barkeep about Alex and someone
named "Diana." Ebony suggests that Diana is Lou's girlfriend,
and Lou blushes. The barkeep mentions that he had seen Diana the other
day picking flowers from a garden across the street, and that Alex has
not been around recently probably because he was too busy expecting the
baby he had with Luna. Lou thanks the barkeep and heads for Okita's blacksmith
shop, which is next to the garden and where he used to have an apprenticeship.
He is greeted warmly by Mr. Okita, and Lou introduces his friends to the
blacksmith. Lou then again asks about Diana. Okita mentions that she comes
by every day to ask about Lou, but he hates to break her heart. Lou then
asks what he has in stock, but all of it is too expensive for them to purchase.
Lou thanks Okita anyway and leads the group to his house. When they arrive
there, they see Diana talking with Lou's mother. Lou yells and runs towards
the house when he seems them, surprising Diana. Diana then runs and tackles
Lou, her eyes completely full of tears of joy. Diana mentions how worried
she was about Lou, and asks about the festival over in Vane. Lou tells
her the story about what happened and why he was so late in getting home
and could not get in touch with her. Lou promises never to do that again,
and asks about this year's goddess festival. Diana explains that this year's
festival was in Burg and that she was not planning to go until Lou arrived.
She also goes on about how fancy it was going to be with Luna's baby's
impending delivery. Lou says that he was going to Burg anyway and that
he would really like it if Diana came along. Diana agrees, but says that
she needs to stop by her house first. Lou tells her that they will meet
her by the town entrance, and the two temporarily separate…
Group 2: Azura's Cave and Beyond
Thesian, Isis, and Eomar are walking towards Lann, where they intend to
pick up a caravan to Thesian's home town of Tamur, which is fairly close
to Azura's cave. Eomar and Thesian regret stealing the forty silver pieces
form the fountain in Vane, and are contemplating ways in which they can
make up for it. Eventually, they arrive in Lann. The caravan master charges
them one hundred silver per car. They pay for the passage, deciding to
share one car and they take off towards Tamur. They again pass through
the Nanza Barrier during the thus far uneventful trip. The caravan continues
across the plains of the Marius Zone, avoiding Reza and speeding through
Meryod. Eventually, they reach Tamur.
Tamur appears to be a quiet town, and Thesian seems relieved that things
have not changed much. Eomar asks about the condition of the water, and
the villagers mention that it used to be polluted, but that things seem
to have cleared up. The group heads to the farm of Tam, Thesian's uncle.
Thesian introduces everyone. Tam notices that Thesian no longer has the
blue amulet, and Thesian explains how Azura asked him to give it up. Tam
is visibly concerned about the amulet, but Thesian asks him to just let
him see Azura first. Eventually, Rand, Thesian's cousin walks in. The two
exchange stories about local events and adventures. Tam asks Thesian what
Azura looked like, and Isis butts in and explains. Tam mentions a letter
from Thesian's mother that explains what his long-lost father wanted him
to do with the amulet. Thesian explains that he gave his amulet to a "powerful
young warrior" [i.e. Lou, his words, not mine :) ] who was looking
for Dragonmaster Alex and that he'd take good care of it until its rightful
owner could be found. After a few humorous exchanges, Rand takes off to
work the fields and Tam suggests tat the group visits Danyen, owner of
the local weapons store. Danyen shows the group his wares, and they make
a few purchases. Afterwards, Danyen and the group enter the local tavern
to buy drinks. As soon as Thesian enters, he is tackled by a scantily clad
woman. Her name is Janise, and she seems to know Thesian very well. She
sits on top of Thesian and asks to be introduced to his new friends. Thesian
does the requisite introductions. Eomar and Isis then break into a tickle
fight as Thesian drinks down his beverage. Janise calls him a "wuss"
and she and Thesian get into a drinking match. Janise mentions some local
treasure hunter gossip, mentioning that she hopes Thesian does not get
involved with the "flippin' weirdoes" that are spreading it,
but the group to visit Azura's cave first thing the next day. Janise asks
who Azura was. Thesian asks why she wanted to know, and Azura responds
by giving him a pouty look and asking him to stay in Tamur. The two of
them get into a minor comedic skirmish, but then things get more serious.
Thesian tries to explain to her the importance of his mission, but Janise
exclaims that she does not know him any more. He offers to take her with
him, but she covers her eyes and says that she does not want to deal with
these things that night. Eomar urges Janise to give Thesian a chance. Isis
tries to comfort Janise by explaining that Azura is a flying cat, but Janise
says she is lying about Thesian's womanizing. Janise finally decides to
leave the room, leaving Thesian behind in a world of hurt. Eomar tries
to comfort his old partner, saying that they will straighten things out
the next day after they visit Azura. Thesian decides for the group to walk
Danyen back home before moving back to Tam's for the night. They find some
spare blankets and pillows and attempt to get some sleep. Thesian and Isis
wake up in the middle of the night after having some strange dreams. Thesian
dreamt about his mother and father, whereas Isis dreamt about a woman in
blue making "bunnies and flowers," a tall blue man, and weird
blue light. Apparently these characters appeared in Thesian's dream as
well, confusing both of them. The noise awakens Eomar, who asks whether
they are going to get going…
Group 3: Esperia and Beyond
Davis, Miko, and Davis's "friend" Franco are approaching the
great Althena's Shrine in Katarina. Miko asks why Franco was going to her
village, and he responds by saying that we would not come if Miko asked
him to, but he wanted to make sure things were all right as he spread the
disease to the village in the first place. The trio enters the shrine and
are greeted by a priest. He mentions that services have currently been
suspended as Jessica was currently away with Kyle. Franco mentions about
his fascination for stories about heroes and the past, and how Davis seems
to know many from his travels. Miko asks where Davis learned them, and
he replies by saying that he picked them up from various places in his
travels. The group exits the shrine and enters the nearby woods, making
tracks for Miko's village. Davis is amazed by Miko's enthusiasm for all
the beauty of nature. The trio hears soft voices in the distance accompanied
by a small cooking fire. Franco is worried about various dangers in the
forest, such as poisonous plants and insects, but Miko tells him it will
be all right as long as he stays alert. Eventually, they arrive at Miko's
village. Everything appears to be normal, except for one cabin in the corner
that everyone seems to be avoiding. Miko asks a woman named Citrine about
the status of her brother, Sebastian. Citrine greets her and yells to the
entire village of Miko's return, which results in a fairly decent-sized
crowd gathering around. She again asks about Sebastian, and Citrine says
something about Franco bringing "evil spirits" into the village.
Miko leaves the rest behind as she runs home, but the group follows. Sebastian
is still deathly ill. Franco completely breaks down, despite Davis's efforts
to calm him. Miko gets very angry at Davis and Franco, blaming them for
Sebastian's illness. Miko attempts to heal Sebastian with her magic, and
it apparently seemed to have worked somewhat. Sebastian mentions something
about some symbol slates that belonged to their grandfather saying that
leaving the forest and seeing the world outside would awaken gifts inside
them. Miko seems to have cheered up a lot, and excitedly tries to tell
Sebastian about her adventures. Miko then says she forgives Franco and
Davis as what happened was an accident and that they can stay. Franco decides
to head home for Meribia anyway. Miko then tells Sebastian all about her
adventures with Davis. Later that night, the entire population of Esperia
gathered near a bonfire on top of a nearly cliff for the festival that
marks the beginning of autumn. Children begin to sing as evening fades
to night. The view is gorgeous from the top of the cliff, and one can see
as far as Nanza and Caldor Isle, prompting Davis to wonder if Ebony and
Lou have found Dragonmaster Alex yet. Finally, the village shaman stands
up to welcome the people to the festival. It turns out that this year Miko's
family was supposed to give the ritual speech for the festival. Fortunately,
Sebastian memorized it while she was away. After he completes the speech,
however, Sebastian collapses of weakness. Several villagers are afraid
of the "evil spirits" that "possessed" Sebastian. The
Shaman, however, congratulates Sebastian and continues with the festival.
Miko and Davis try to carry Sebastian back to bed, which disturbs the rest
of the village as this would be a breaking of tradition, but the Shaman
seems to understand. However, Sebastian manages to get Miko to leave him
there until he collapses and is finally carried to bed by Miko, Davis,
and a few understanding villagers. Miko continues to be very worried about
the illness, but Citrine suggests that perhaps in the symbol slabs that
Miko's grandfather made there may be a legend that could help. Citrine
doubts their truth, but Miko fervently believes in them after her experiences.
Citrine mentions that one slab talks about an eternal burning flame of
life that could cure anything. Legend had it that it was in a mountain
of fire far to the south. Miko remembers Lou telling her about a volcano,
a "mountain of fire," during their caravan ride and is confident
that the eternal burning flame is there. According to the tablets, the
flame is due to be born again very soon, and anyone who beholds this flame
would be cured of whatever ailment. Citrine said that "the red one"
was due to be born shortly after autumn falls on the 5010th year. Davis
ponders this riddle. Citrine leaves, and Miko thanks her for her help.
Davis suddenly has a hunch that the Red Dragon could be the eternal flame
Citrine was talking about. Miko shows Davis the symbol slabs so he can
confirm his hunch, however he cannot read the language. The Shaman now
enters the cabin with Citrine, trying to be of assistance. He witnesses
Miko's healing magic in operation, but notes that it only helps with the
symptoms, not the source. Citrine then shows an engraving Miko's grandfather
made of a crystal egg died in red berry juice. Miko and Davis suspect that
this may be a Dragon egg. The Shaman than leaves as all the help he could
offer had been done. Neither Miko nor Sebastian want to leave each other,
but they realize the necessity of it. Sebastian, with Miko's help, then
goes to the closet and retrieves their grandfather's cloak and boomerang
to help Miko on her mission. Miko then helps Sebastian to bed and the two
of them wish each other good night…
Session 14: Questions and Answers
Group 2: Azura's Cave and Beyond
In Tamur, day slowly creeps in through the window as shufflings from
upstairs are heard…
Tam walks in and asks if Thesian's awake yet. This is the day they plan
to head for the cave to visit Azura. The group sits down for breakfast
at the table. Eomar comments that he is just along with Isis and Thesian
for the ride. Tam seems unsatisfied with Thesian's decision to leave the
pendant in Lou's hands, despite Thesian's urgings. After a few more moments
of conversation between Thesian and his uncle, the group leaves Tamur for
Azura's cave. They are attacked by some monsters on the way, but make quick
work of them. However, Isis is paralyzed in the battle and they need to
backtrack to buy some spring water to cure it. Having stocked up on medical
supplies, they head back off for the cave. Again, they are attacked by
monsters, and again they finish them off easily. Our heroes finally reach
the waterfall and enter. After some exploration they come to the pool Azura
submerged herself under. As the group walks through the pool it gets deeper
and deeper and they start feeling a strong undertow. Eventually, the party
is forced to dive underwater to continue their quest. A short swim later,
they are able to resurface into an enormous cavern. They continue to explore
the cave until they come to a seemingly impassable cliff. However, there
are some bizarre runes on a nearby wall and the remnants of what may have
been a bridge…
Group 1: Caldor Isle and Beyond
Diana skips back towards her house after exchanging winks with Lou. The
young Dragonmaster-wannabe then leads his group to the gates of Saith where
they promised to meet Diana. When they arrive at the gates, they are questioned
by a large man named Dyson, who wishes he could go to the festival as well,
but can not as he has his own family to look after. Diana finally runs
up and they hit the road for Burg, Lou sticking always at his sweetheart's
side. During the walk, Diana starts humming a tune that Lou finds unfamiliar,
and they two of them discuss singing at the festival with Lou mentioning
how good a singer Diana is and offering to sing backup for her. Suddenly
the group is attacked by horrible monsters, including some of the "big
bugs" (as Ebony put it) that Caldor Isle is infamous for. During the
battle, Ebony dazes one of the monsters, a Flytrapper, who would later
swallow one of those "big bugs." ("Yummy fly!") After
the battle, the group realizes Lou and Diana seem to have very similar
attitudes towards their combat performance. During the walk they ask Ebony
if he senses Dragonmaster Alex at all to no avail. As the group marches
on towards Burg, Ebony and the others try to embarrass Lou by telling Diana
stories he did not want her to know about him. Diana as well decides to
join in on the embarrassment parade, much to Lou's chagrin. Ebony however,
in one of his rare moments that he is not ragging on Lou, says that they
were just kidding and that he is really "a great guy." Diana
notices how similar Ebony is to Nall. Iceberg asks Diana when she say Alex
last, and she says it was at last year's festival in Saith when he and
Luna visited. It turns out that Diana has not been to Burg at all lately
as her parents do not trust her leaving the city, especially if she is
with Lou. This time, Diana snuck out of town though. Iceberg mentions to
Diana that she has her love with her to protect her, resulting in Lou replying
with the infamous "nine dots." The group finally reaches the
bridge and cross over to the other half of Caldor. Diana asks Lou if the
only reason he returned was to get to Burg, and Lou replies that he also
came back to visit her and that he held the others back just so that he
could see her again, much to Diana's delight. However, this happy moment
is interrupted by another monster attack. One of the monsters, a Killer
Wasp, attempts to hit Diana. This angers Lou like nothing had ever angered
him before. He then proceeds to obliterate said Killer Wasp beyond infinity!
Finally, they reach Burg and are accompanied by the sights, sounds, and
smells of the annual goddess festival. Lou is momentarily separated from
the group in the crowds. The rest of the heroes then try to track down
Alex. Eventually, they managed to find Luna and ask about what happened
to Alex. She is expecting a baby very soon from her appearance, and she
asks the adventurers into the house. She mentions how she would like a
little girl for the baby and how Alex would like a strong boy. Apparently,
he and Nall had gone to the White Dragon Cave to investigate something
but have not returned yet. She then gives the group directions to get to
the cave. The group then says farewell to Luna so she can rest and leaves
the house. Apparently both Lou and Diana are missing now. Lou finally shows
up only to see that Diana got separated. Our heroes then search the town
for Diana with all but Lou deciding to try to take in as much as the festival
as they can while they were at it. They next try to see if she is next
to the stage, where Luna is about to give a performance. Iceberg then makes
another lewd comment about Lou and Diana, resulting in "nine more
dots." They then decide to relax and enjoy the song Luna's singing,
hoping that after the crowd clears they can find Diana…
Group 3: Esperia and Beyond
In Miko's village, night sets in… The night seems eerily loud, with
owls and crickets… and the occasional wolf making their nightly calls.
The night seems… restless. Not at peace…
Davis is asleep, but Miko is not as she had been keeping a vigil for Sebastian
all night long. Morning soon arrives, and the trio awakens. Miko does not
like the idea of having to leave her brother, but she realizes it is something
she has to do to save him. Before she leaves, however, she does a favor
for Sebastian and plants the seeds she acquired at the circus in the flower
bed outside their house. She and Davis head out trying to find the volcano
where it is prophesied that the Red Dragon would be born, the one Lou pointed
out to her while on the caravan. During the journey, Miko asks Davis about
his family, a question he finds very troubling but he will not explain
why. They arrive at Nanza where Davis rents a carriage. While waiting for
their carriage to depart, Miko asks Davis some more about his life growing
up in Meribia. Soon they arrive at the other side of the Barrier, and the
duo sets off towards Iluk to get some last-minute supplies. After some
shopping, they head off to the volcano. Suddenly they are attacked by some
of the local monsters. It is a somewhat difficult battle due to their small
numbers, but they press on. They meet up with the giant turtle from TSS
and sing ABBA songs to move it across the water. Apparently the turtle
seems to be ill or injured. Its breath smells like the odor Miko first
smelled when she returned home, almost as if it caught the same disease
Sebastian did. Soon after they get off the turtle, the duo is ambushed
by more monsters. This battle goes much better for our heroes though. Just
before they reach the cave, they discover the local Shrine of Althena and
stop inside to rest and heal themselves. The woman at the shrine mentions
a plague going around Lunar, a plague from the past and hints at who the
cause might be. This ancient god of plague is the cause of the diseases
all over the world. Apparently this god of plague was supposed to be dead,
but he somehow transported himself to the present from the past. This evil
god is also after the Red Dragon's egg apparently. The woman offers to
let the group rest before they continue on their quest, and they decide
to spend the noon there until they are ready to enter the cave…
Session 15: Fiends' Arrival
Group 1: Caldor Isle and Beyond
Luna continues to sing at the Goddess Festival and when she finally finishes,
she is greeted by uproarious applause. With the song over, Lou then begins
anew his search for Diana. Suddenly, a girl in the distance screams. Standing
near the scream is a large, metallic female figure. This figure for some
reason is after Semila Ausa. She summons forth several mechanical underlings
to do her bidding next. Lou, Bulix, Iceberg, and Ebony engage these machines
in combat and defeat them fairly easily. After the battle ends, one can
see that the entire village of Burg is actively trying to defend their
home from these machines. Luna leads the troops in Alex's absence while
Lou continues searching for Diana. Suddenly, Diana screams in the distance
and Lou rushes to her aid. The group, now joined by Diana, engages these
robots in battle and again makes fairly short work out of them. This pattern
repeats itself one more time when the machines try to attack some children.
However, the mechanical leader of these devices announces that Saith will
be her next target. Lou recruits some of the citizens of Burg to help defend
his home town and the party makes tracks for Saith. When they arrive, the
group purchases some new weapons from Mr. Okita, the blacksmith that Lou
used to be an apprentice under. After stocking up, the heroes relax before
preparing to the oncoming onslaught…
Group 2: Azura's Cave and Beyond
The party continues deeper and deeper into Azura's cave, still being harassed
by arcs of electricity above their heads. They come across a deep chasm
and some runes they do not understand. They leave the cave and return to
Tamur to try to find someone that can read those runes. They enter the
council hall, and Thesian asks for books on the ancient language of Por'tagrit.
However, all the books on ancient languages were on loan to the town of
Lyton at the time. They leave Tamur and head off to Lyton, but encounter
a battle with giant insects and bats on the way. They make short work of
these monsters and eventually enter the small town of Lyton. After some
shopping, they head for the magic council of Lyton and finally acquire
the book they wanted. After they exit the cabin home of the council, a
menacing figure in a dark blue robe appears in front of them in a flash
of lightning. This figure begins to levitate and uses his magic to control
the weather near the village, starting a thunderstorm. Using his powers,
the figure summons forth a large group of thunder monsters that were no
match for our heroes. However, other groups of these creatures assault
the surrounding buildings. Again, the party is forced into battle with
these creatures and make short work of them. A large number of demons is
noticed gathering near the south of the village, but they do not notice
the group. The group combats the demons and finish them off in their usual
style. After this battle, the leader of the demons orders them to retreat
for the time being…
Group 3: Esperian and Beyond
Miko and Davis awaken from their nap in their local Althena's Shrine after
having some bizarre dreams. They say farewell to the old priestess at the
shrine and continue on with their quest. Soon, they enter the nearby volcano,
rumored to be home of the legendary Red Dragon. Deeper and deeper they
proceed into the volcano, Miko wondering if they are taking the right path.
As they get further into the volcano, they notice a faint blue sparkle
in the rocks which turns out to be a Starlight. Soon after they find this
treasure, however, they are assaulted by Flame Elementals. Fortunately,
these monsters were not able to hurt the duo severely, and they continue
onwards on their search for the "Eternal Flame." As they get
deeper and deeper they are again attacked by various fire-based creatures
and again defeat them in a fairly short time. They move on towards an inky-black
distance, wondering how much further they must go to accomplish their goal.
Finally, they reach the bottom level of the volcano which is made up of
walls of solid flame. At the end of this tunnel they reach a chamber with
a large red flame suspended in mid-air in the center. Within the
flame lies a red crystal egg and behind the flame stands a dreadful figure
that does not notice the duo. The figure is a tall barely humanoid figure,
with four long arms, each gripping a crystal ruby sword. It wears an enormous
mask that shows a hideous face carving, encrusted with gems in red porous
stone. The mask nearly covers his entire head and torso. This figure apparently
has made a deal with someone named Ordak, and he intends to snuff the life
out of the Red Dragon before she is even born! As this figure attempts
to attack the egg, it gives Miko and Davis a tremendous infusion of life-force,
healing them completely. The figure calms the flame surrounding the egg
with a sickly red gas before calling himself the god of plague. The gas
is slowly killing the life contained within the egg. The heroic duo then
moves in to save the egg, angering the figure who now admits he is in fact
Grimzol, the same evil god Dragonmaster Alex defeated years ago. Davis
lunges for the egg, feeling pain from the flames in his hand, and manages
to snatch it away from Grimzol. This angers the evil god even more, and
he engages the duo in combat. During the battle, the pool of lava beneath
the flames of life swirls faster and faster as the heroes' attacks against
Grimzol prove ineffective. After this attack, the lava in the pool rises.
Grimzol casts the spell Solar Flare, however this spell is intercepted
by Red Dragon Anger! The Red Guardian has been revealed, forcing Grimzol
to retreat. However, the Red Guardian does not want the duo to leave the
cave with the egg either and challenges the pair to prove they are stronger
than he is. They engage in combat with the Red Guardian, and they defeat
him after a tremendous and dangerous battle. The Guardian gives his best
wishes to the duo before fading away into the lava from which he emerged.
The duo then makes haste to leave the cave, carrying the precious Dragon
egg out with them…
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