- Joined
- Jun 29, 2012
- Messages
- 4,429
- Reaction score
- 34,414
- Points
- 663
- Age
- 33
(this progression should not have taken this long. Hopefully next cycle I will not take a health L and we can process somewhat faster to the point half the orders won't be outdated. Comments and reactions whether OOC or IC are always welcome.)
Community Service
Wulf Grofsmid, Praxadika Grofsmid, Bjorn the Fellhanded, Rorik Grofsmid and Angsar Grofsmid, offer their assistance to the Dwarven reclamation project. While they end up helping with some tunnel clearing through Steamtek devices however, the Dwarves make it abundantly clear that an individual family will not suffice, with the odds that they are facing, and that the Grofsmid clan is better off campaigning in Regalia for state-wide action than trying to do some rubble clearing on their own.
Hollow Investigations
Cadwyn Marth, Carmen Vincenzo, Wilvamair Arnyn, Raffelia Soffio and Azrael Daalsein travel to Nordskag to inquire about the topic of the Vaarda Gates. There is little to nothing they can find or be told however, because the Vaarda gates were used and closed so long ago that there is scant reference for even how they work, or what is on the other side, besides the fact that in a long lost age the Velheim people used the gates to colonize far distant lands and keep them in close contact with one another. The implication is that the Vaarda gates aren't exclusively bad and Power Arken related, but that the locals would definitely prefer to keep it closed. They only vaguely know of an Artifact called Grytar the Godkiller Spear, which supposedly was the key to unlocking the particular Vaarda gate in Nordskag, but have no idea where it supposedly went or who might have had it.
Impassable Metal
Avaineirall, Amaira, Drulailmon, Aylin, and Trent, travel to Barratt. On investigation of the Lightning Obelisks, it is very clear that they are Draconic in origin, but the source does not seem to be connected to the rest of the Draconic network, and instead is drawing power from somewhere else on the island. They cannot discern where without further closer inspection. Discussion with the locals regarding Jord or Gro is fruitless. While they are vaguely receptive to hearing about the story told by the elf outsiders, they eventually disregard the topic and say that whatever came before, or what belief systems are held by outsiders, is completely irrelevant, and won't make them reconsider their faith systems. The locals are irreverent of the concept of the Great Betrayer, their religion and folklore has no recollection of any such entity, and as such they see not the importance of the plight. The group is denied close enough entry near the seat of the Allfather, and thus cannot use any investigations on it. Attempts to see through the locals and investigate their nature also bounce off, as if some other form of Magic is preventing them from being pried into. Searching for Void or Exist essence remains equally fruitless, though some conclusions can be made from the eventual discovery that the air and land there is unusually sterile of Void and Exist. Even in places where very few Mages reside, there is always some trace of it in the air, but the Exist and Void are completely absent in Barratt, and there is even a weaker connection to the veil from which to draw Magic. Aylin attempts to sneak off, but the locals are very quick to apprehend them, not losing any of the group of sight, and immediately expelling them from the island.
Another group of Haqet, Kelemvor and Shale later arrives, however their boat triggers the island's defenses, and gets zapped into oblivion. Due to a combination of being dead and lightning immune, the group survives, and sea-floor-walks to the island, scales the walls, under constant lightning zapping, only to find the very grass on the surface hostile to them. As soon as they surface, grass blades jump out of the ground and launch themselves towards them as if they are living knives. In order to save themselves of death (or re-death) by a thousand paper cuts, the group decides to leave.
Crows and Eagles
Howland, Bernadette and Petra travel to Nordskag to treat with the King. However the King of Nordskag has suddenly and unexpectedly disappeared, none can find him, and his soldiers are still looking for him, they are instead entreated to his sister, to whom they speak. The message is fairly clear: Heartlandization of the region will require more broad vocal support among state officials in Regalia. There are certainly grumblings from the Calemberg and Waldmark direction that von Schwarzkrau even went to Nordskag. On their way out. The group encounters a bunch of anti-Regalia protests, with rotten fruit tossed at Howland.
Hexenblood arrives sometime later with Gehrman, Yarehuani, Loa and Anathema, trying to discern Skagger strongholds, but their work is being made very difficult by an increased anti-Imperial sentiment among the locals. They are vaguely able to find out that the locals are being riled up, and even catch a few Vampires here and there, but nothing concerning or as alarming yet as Vampire strongholds in other areas.
Harta, Knuzi, Baskoro, Masuki, Vyldello also arrive when those two groups have left, and just like Hexenblood, run into similar issues. The locals are refusing to give any information to outsiders, let alone lizards, and the Perpusta is not as impressive as one might have expected in the north. It's a relatively small office with a few very old Allar who in large don't actually do much locally beyond securing supplies of rare local resources. They say that because of the innate racism and bigotry of the locals towards outsiders, they have to walk a very fine line not to seem political, and as such, shy away from even inquiring or being informed on the politics of the region. They aren't of any assistance, beyond also not being able to meet with the King who has suddenly disappeared.
The Coral Temple
Meriyaan, Laerilas, Therris, Elissandre, Reine, Jovi, Sentara, Gilles, Natharia and Asmita travel to the Cains, producing a magical submarine of light, water, and air magic to take the whole group into the Cotal Temple to explore beyond what the locals ever have. Going deeper and deeper into the complex, the group eventually stumbles on a large hollow chamber, massive even, the size of the All-Beacon Temple's grand chamber. In the center stood a large oval-shaped stone structure, though many of the segments had broken down and collapsed, only to be overgrown with coral. On top of the oval structure once rested, or so they assume as it is hard to tell because of the coral and sea flow corrosion, a large skeletal hand carved of stone that has since collapsed. In front of the oval structure stood a dais, with all the carvings and engravings completely faded, but with an unusual metallic object lodged into the center. The object was seemingly not a true fit for the hole beneath it, it had in fact been lodged in there with several scrape marks produced in the process. Attempts to dislodge it resulted in the whole shaft like end of the object that was probably made out of wood completely disintegrating, leaving only some sort of metallic sharp end to remain intact, though it too had suffered severe corrosion and damage. It was taken with, along with some cuttings of the corals, due to its strange color that did not seem to match any other known metals. Nothing else of value was discovered, besides the fact that the site seemed inundated with Exist Essence, that which kept the local wildlife at bay and may have contributed to the coral growth.
Death of Hvalahytte
A saboteur group seek out a village on the border between Middeskag and Hvitskag and end up poisoning the well. The whole village is killed and they leave an "anachronistic metal briefcase in the center of the village" behind. Unfortunately because Middeskag and Hvitskag are separated by an ocean, the locals don't even suspect the Hvitskaggers at all, thinking instead that the locals dug up an old artifact out of mercury that subsequently poisoned the water wells and killed them all. The Middeskag soldiers sent to investigate eventually just toss the briefcase into the ocean and close the case. RIP the 73 inhabitants of Hvalahytte.
The Tryllelande Anarchy
Karvonn, Kelvenne, Sempronia, Vaura-Soth, Rennyn and Hugh travel to Tryllelande, all under disguise and various recretive abilities ot keep their identity hidden, sneak their way up to the defensive positions Thylans and Ogres have taken up to hold out against constant attacks from the local Velheim population. The group first brings smuggled weapons into the camp, upgrading the locals with heavier weapons than they could make themselves, before Kelvenne tries to "inspire" the Ogres and Thylans with visions of the Dark Ancients. Perhaps without considerations for what this would do to a near-sentient species who have yet to grasp the concept of the alphabet, let alone Magic.
Needless to say, the Ogres and Thylans enter a state of utterly terrified rampage, they cannot comprehend the images they saw, and furthermore reinforced by "The Blood" they fled from, are turned into a rampaging horde by onset of collective psychosis. The group has to quickly split, because the Thylans and Ogres start rampaging out of their camps and stampeding straight for the Tryllelande defensive lines, many of them impaling themselves on the palisades and spikes set up, but inevitably overwhelming even their defenses, and pushing through with a massive attrition rate.
Meanwhile, Asatyavadin, Baskoro, Masuki, Dominic, and Dailang had arrived with the intentions of sabotaging supplies for the locals and ruining their odds of crushing the Thylans and Ogres. Yet, just as their explosives and traps had been rigged, they were suddenly surrounded by Tryllelande locals who knew exactly where they were going, and what they were doing. It was there that Asatvavadin learned that their plan had not only been foiled, but entirely revealed by a traitor in their midst. The group was immediately attacked by the locals, and a melee ensued where they were all captured, save for Dominic who was dragged off kicking and screaming by his Cortez pack that would save him from capture, and hauled off to a Tryllelande prison. Despite the group being captured, in the chaos of the fighting, several explosives went off, ripping through the Tryllelande supplies and crippling their defense logistics.
Kelvenne's group tried to "make do" with the current chaos infiltrating an archive to try and steal local ledgers and information from the military. And just as Kelvenne entered the inner archive, she looked up, only to find a horde of Vampires looking down on her, revealing that her plan too had been entirely leaked, her actions and movements shadowed at every step. The group was attacked by the Vampires who quickly gained the upper hand, pushing them away and eventually ejecting them from Tryllelande altogether as they had to flee by boat back to Regalia.
Just at that moment, Hexenblood arrived on the scene, Anathema, Laurel, Gehrman, Amir, and Medea. The chaos was palpable, part of the port was on fire, and there were rabid thylans running through the streets attacking anyone on sight, so the group rushed through to the other end of town. On their way through, Medea looks left, and Medea looks right (another Medea). Two Medeas stare at each other from across the street, and point at each other. A fight nearly breaks out between the other Medea and the other Medea, but one of the Medea's quickly gets grabbed and dragged away by a crowd of Vampires.
Hexenblood then turns eventually to find Asatyavadin's group, recognizing a few Regalian nationals and deciding that, because they are currently being fed on by Vampires, that it is probably in their best interest to save them regardless of current affiliations or actions. Turns out the Tryllelande soldiers who surrounded Asatyavadin's group were actually Vampires also and they just dragged them off to feed on them in some corner. Hexenblood's members successfully saved the group, and hurried back to port.
Only for the group to run into Ardige Viduggla, Revna, Viggo (Braggison), Lily, Cozma, Zadicus and Maia, who immediately demanded to be told what was going on. Hexenblood's expression was just something along the lines of "You don't want to know", Ardige took one look at a bunch of Vampires running over the roofs, Ogres crashing through buildings, and Thylans descending on a lone soldier to agree in sentiment of "You know, you're right", and the whole crew sailed back to Regalia together because none of them were equipped to deal with that situation.
In the aftermath, or at least of what rumors were heard externally, that the Kingdom eventually got the situation under control, and managed to exterminate the Ogres and Thylans who had suffered massive attrition while charging out of their defensive positions, exposing themselves in the open. Thylans and Ogres were now well enough consigned to "Extinct Species", though whether this single chaotic episode, or months of indecision, inaction, or cowardice, was something to be decided on in the history books. Some time after the Tryllelande King declared victory over the invaders, he was stabbed in the celebration ceremony by a Vampire, thus causing this state to descend deeper into a chaos than it was previously.
No love among Death
Taleos, Kelemvor, Ania, Bremen, Hybrids, Oerlikon and Koko constructed a necrotech centipede war machine, bringing it to the Death Isldar in Ellador to try and "turn the tide" and as a gift of the Cratos Machina. The Death Isldar were utterly repulsed by its design, and the insult of having to stoop so low to receive something from the Machinist's worshipers. They made it very clear that just because they all like the color green, that they aren't friends, and that they wish for the Glacial to bring about a speedy death to their self-defiling wretched bodies. (The Death and Life Isldar are also currently in a truce, and they wouldn't be stupid enough to re-ignite the war the Death Isldar were losing just because of a single machine). The group leaves before the Death Isldar get frisky with their offerings and desire to bring about more death for their death queen. (Ordial worship and the inner politics of the various groups within is a lot more complex and nuanced than just assuming they all sing and hold hands together, also please stop sending in orders about the Black Sepulchre, Finlaggan already expressed that it does not exist in roleplay and is something pointless to go after.)
On their way out, the group witnesses Loxrah, Vaerie and Katla arriving overhead flying on Wyverns with large bags with what looks like papers, though they do not know containing what, or what for.
Before Taleos's group leaves, Kelemvor immediately turns around and goes back in with Emile, Faust and Vaerie ostensibly to bring gifts to the Bene Rexit and ask about the Black Sepulchre again. Though obviously because Kelemvor was part of Taleos's group, they are now seen as a Machinist simp, and the group is ejected immediately (please stop sending in orders about the Black Sepulchre, also please don't just go to an NPC force and go "artifact pls").
Baskoro also solo travels to the Isldar wastes tracking down any Ordial activity, but finds nothing. Man it's cold. Really really really cold, especially for an Allar. Endless empty valleys, white blasted plains and vast emptiness. Occasionally a white hare to have some food, but it seems like the truce between the Isldar clans seems to hold, and they have all effectively returned to their respective holds, isolated, and far away from one another.
Emperor Boogaloo
(information is intentionally repressed until I can think of a way to make this whole thing fun and doable in-game, so for now, sending orders to try and find the Emperor will result in muted responses)
Viviwynne Gwentyr, Aldane, Lynmard and Lieven travel to the 2nd Prince Frederick and 3rd Prince Raymond in the North to discuss the Emperor's disappearance. The Princes dismiss the likelihood of an Arken's involvement, that being pure conjecture. It is far more likely that this is some play by the Slizzar, or worse, Allorn entities. Viviwynne's prying on Prince Reynaud's actions receives a very muted response, as the Princes state they will not be caught saying ungracious things about their brother and the Crown Prince, however, reinforce that the Nobility should always see any kind of play at the Palace as political. No Prince or Princess ever acts without motive, and that includes the two of them.
Odal Holds
Riftan, Benjamin, Antoinette, Nikita and Tujia travel to Hedryll to investigate the Vampires. They are unable to find out substantial information, these Vampires act differently and don't pointlessly suicide themselves on the population. They also seem far less invested in infecting the population, and have in fact even seem to have brought their own cattle from the outside, to draw as little attention as possible. Attempts from the group to form violent mobs and make shift militias however draw the attention from the Hedryll King, who sends the army to arrest them and expel them from the country for inciting violence and disturbing the public peace.
Hexenblood arrives with Gehrman, Lora, Laurel, Wynnara, and Anathema, trying to capture a Vampire to interrogate. Similar to the previous group however, the Vampires are very elusive, and the usual tactics don't seem to work on them. The conclusion is however, that there is likely a different force behind them than the one from Dorkarth, and that there is likely a more powerful force behind them than just a Greater Vampire.
Vesper, Revna, Nynx, Silver, Eletha, Valhir, Tarlok, Viggo (Braggison) arrive after, and start their own investigation (this was kind of a storm of points so I will try to answer them in sequence):
* There are no leads on the Emperor's whereabouts.
* There are no leads on the Power Arken's whereabouts, though the group does confirm a Vaarda Gate in the country, which is closed.
* The Urlan cannot find any of the Vampires in the wild.
* Using the wildlife also prevents them from seeing Vampires.
* The group is unable to find magical anomalies in the area.
* The locals offer no useful input on the Vampires, saying that if they knew anything, wouldn't the group think they had already done something about it?
* The Princes are unwilling to divulge information to random dragon cultists, even if they had discovered anything yet.
* Silver is unable to find further information from the citizens in what they are unwilling to divulge. While he is a great spy, he also happens to be a Great Isldar, who have had a history of killing the locals.
The group has to conclude that maybe, actually, the Vampire uptick was a spontaneous societal psychosis and fear, rather than actual truth.
Red Queen
Haqet, Vallerik, Raoul, Ringmaster and Hugo travel to Dorkarth, bringing their homage and offerings to Venna's Temple. Haqet's visit to the Queen's citadel does not reveal much. The Dorkarthi Generals relent that if there are Vampires in Hedryll, they do not owe allegiance to the Red Queen, and are likely a stand-alone group, and that they are not overly concerned with being up to date what every little fledgeling singular group is up to. Haqet's usage of the portable Noonh does not reveal something particularly out of the ordinary besides what was expected: Vampires founding and building a city off the backs of thousands of enslave Velheim blood cattle, killing thousands also in the process and using their bones as the foundation to build a degenerate and violent city state based on murder and blood.
Frozen Jorrhildr
Revna, Tarlok, Valhir, Eletha, Knuxi, Xorakk, and Viggo (Braggison) travel to Joddrhild, going on an arduous journey to look for Dragon Ruins. They run into a lot of Ruins, but nearly no Dragon Ruins, until Eletha catches a faint glimpse of the Ley network, and manages to guide the group to a very much snowed in site. The Urlan being used as labor to excavate it by pushing all the snow and ice out of the way, the group is able to discern that this site probably once belonged to Valerius, and that some of the grooves on the stonework in the ground seem fittingly just large enough to allow Oorl worms to crawl around. Without any obvious Soul Cores or present population however, the site seems completely abandoned, it also doesn't seem to have any power from the Leystone system running to it, and no receptacle from which to activate it, so the group eventually leaves, though with some circumstantial inclinations that Valerius might have been the one to make the Oorl worms.
Tujia, Pyrex, Enheduanna, Elion, Astrid, Nonnonin, Allestane, Valhir, Erke and Lynmark travel back to one of the large Seraph barrier ruins, using a large collection of all kinds of Occult people to try and break through the barrier or at least produce a small hole, and as 3x Stupid luck would have it, one of the Mages successfully dilated the magical frequently in the area to disrupt the shield, not break it, but give them enough time to pass through, investigate and get back out. When entering, the group immediately notices how warm the inside is, and that the snow on the inside is merely a magical mirage, it's actually very comfortable inside. The group passes by the massive centaur statues, to the interior halls, which have the same familiar Seraph stonework, yet all in perfect condition as if no time had passed at all, everything kept in magical suspense. Digging deeper, they enter a large room filled with sarcophagi, as well as decorative wall murals. These murals are perhaps the best preserved Seraph murals ever found, showing no weathering damage, and all original colors intact. After opening the sarcophagi, the group makes a somewhat startling discovery. What were presumed to be the Seraph, either the long limbed knife-eared creatures on the murals, or the centaur like statues outside, were neither the Seraph. Instead, in these sarcophagi were strange baby-sized blobs with diminutive limbs and an oversized head and eye sockets. The bodies were dessicated and seemingly mummified, but their size and distinct bright blue skin color could still be made out. This discover, if accurate (since no one could read Seraph, it still wasn't clear if these sarcophagi belonged to the seraph, or some of their pets), it implied that a lot of information known about the Seraph might actually be wrong. Curiously more so, it implied that someone went through the effort of scratching or destroying any image of these creatures on any remaining seraph murals that have survived the tens of thousands of years so that past generations would not discover. The group decides to leave it all as is, and leaves, though on their way out, they seem unable to close the disruption to the barrier. While it largely remains in place, so does the hole, and no amount of fixing the hole up covers up the fact that there is a hole now. The urlan resort to building a mound of dirt and snow to hide it, but the outside world is now pushing into this time bubble.
Drixagh
Kaya Sorenvik sends a legal proposal to Drixagh, and while some of the lords seem amiable to it, they return the message that currently discussing any sort of legal changes has become redundant. While the Drixagh matter was still high on the agenda before the Bralona occupation, following it, and following the Crown Prince dismissing every single Prince from the Court, they are effectively left to the mercy of the Crown Prince. And even then, anything that Prince does is of questionable legal basis, as it would be up to the Emperor to decide, and the Emperor is currently missing. Beyond that, they indicate that Drixagh itself is too weak and singular to really make a difference. If war comes, it will crush Drixagh, because the south has simply expanded at an exponential rate, so come what may, how the winds turn will actually be decided in Nordskag. Nordskag is the largest Velheim state with an army and one that still holds part of the Skagger reputation and history alive, and the one where integration will be decided upon.
The only thing they add however, is to caution expecting the young generations to be pro-integration. Unfortunately the stubborn attitude of the local populace and the laws presented have allowed Velheim parents to suppress alternative facts and information from their children's growing up. While the cosmopolitan Velheim who move to Regalia certainly get a bigger picture, the vast majority of even the youth is still indoctrinated into a purely ethnic and religious identity that rejects all outside notions of changing. The very structure of Velheim youth and Skagger upbringing in itself reinforces what the Velheim considered absolute truths.
Community Service
Wulf Grofsmid, Praxadika Grofsmid, Bjorn the Fellhanded, Rorik Grofsmid and Angsar Grofsmid, offer their assistance to the Dwarven reclamation project. While they end up helping with some tunnel clearing through Steamtek devices however, the Dwarves make it abundantly clear that an individual family will not suffice, with the odds that they are facing, and that the Grofsmid clan is better off campaigning in Regalia for state-wide action than trying to do some rubble clearing on their own.
Hollow Investigations
Cadwyn Marth, Carmen Vincenzo, Wilvamair Arnyn, Raffelia Soffio and Azrael Daalsein travel to Nordskag to inquire about the topic of the Vaarda Gates. There is little to nothing they can find or be told however, because the Vaarda gates were used and closed so long ago that there is scant reference for even how they work, or what is on the other side, besides the fact that in a long lost age the Velheim people used the gates to colonize far distant lands and keep them in close contact with one another. The implication is that the Vaarda gates aren't exclusively bad and Power Arken related, but that the locals would definitely prefer to keep it closed. They only vaguely know of an Artifact called Grytar the Godkiller Spear, which supposedly was the key to unlocking the particular Vaarda gate in Nordskag, but have no idea where it supposedly went or who might have had it.
Impassable Metal
Avaineirall, Amaira, Drulailmon, Aylin, and Trent, travel to Barratt. On investigation of the Lightning Obelisks, it is very clear that they are Draconic in origin, but the source does not seem to be connected to the rest of the Draconic network, and instead is drawing power from somewhere else on the island. They cannot discern where without further closer inspection. Discussion with the locals regarding Jord or Gro is fruitless. While they are vaguely receptive to hearing about the story told by the elf outsiders, they eventually disregard the topic and say that whatever came before, or what belief systems are held by outsiders, is completely irrelevant, and won't make them reconsider their faith systems. The locals are irreverent of the concept of the Great Betrayer, their religion and folklore has no recollection of any such entity, and as such they see not the importance of the plight. The group is denied close enough entry near the seat of the Allfather, and thus cannot use any investigations on it. Attempts to see through the locals and investigate their nature also bounce off, as if some other form of Magic is preventing them from being pried into. Searching for Void or Exist essence remains equally fruitless, though some conclusions can be made from the eventual discovery that the air and land there is unusually sterile of Void and Exist. Even in places where very few Mages reside, there is always some trace of it in the air, but the Exist and Void are completely absent in Barratt, and there is even a weaker connection to the veil from which to draw Magic. Aylin attempts to sneak off, but the locals are very quick to apprehend them, not losing any of the group of sight, and immediately expelling them from the island.
Another group of Haqet, Kelemvor and Shale later arrives, however their boat triggers the island's defenses, and gets zapped into oblivion. Due to a combination of being dead and lightning immune, the group survives, and sea-floor-walks to the island, scales the walls, under constant lightning zapping, only to find the very grass on the surface hostile to them. As soon as they surface, grass blades jump out of the ground and launch themselves towards them as if they are living knives. In order to save themselves of death (or re-death) by a thousand paper cuts, the group decides to leave.
Crows and Eagles
Howland, Bernadette and Petra travel to Nordskag to treat with the King. However the King of Nordskag has suddenly and unexpectedly disappeared, none can find him, and his soldiers are still looking for him, they are instead entreated to his sister, to whom they speak. The message is fairly clear: Heartlandization of the region will require more broad vocal support among state officials in Regalia. There are certainly grumblings from the Calemberg and Waldmark direction that von Schwarzkrau even went to Nordskag. On their way out. The group encounters a bunch of anti-Regalia protests, with rotten fruit tossed at Howland.
Hexenblood arrives sometime later with Gehrman, Yarehuani, Loa and Anathema, trying to discern Skagger strongholds, but their work is being made very difficult by an increased anti-Imperial sentiment among the locals. They are vaguely able to find out that the locals are being riled up, and even catch a few Vampires here and there, but nothing concerning or as alarming yet as Vampire strongholds in other areas.
Harta, Knuzi, Baskoro, Masuki, Vyldello also arrive when those two groups have left, and just like Hexenblood, run into similar issues. The locals are refusing to give any information to outsiders, let alone lizards, and the Perpusta is not as impressive as one might have expected in the north. It's a relatively small office with a few very old Allar who in large don't actually do much locally beyond securing supplies of rare local resources. They say that because of the innate racism and bigotry of the locals towards outsiders, they have to walk a very fine line not to seem political, and as such, shy away from even inquiring or being informed on the politics of the region. They aren't of any assistance, beyond also not being able to meet with the King who has suddenly disappeared.
The Coral Temple
Meriyaan, Laerilas, Therris, Elissandre, Reine, Jovi, Sentara, Gilles, Natharia and Asmita travel to the Cains, producing a magical submarine of light, water, and air magic to take the whole group into the Cotal Temple to explore beyond what the locals ever have. Going deeper and deeper into the complex, the group eventually stumbles on a large hollow chamber, massive even, the size of the All-Beacon Temple's grand chamber. In the center stood a large oval-shaped stone structure, though many of the segments had broken down and collapsed, only to be overgrown with coral. On top of the oval structure once rested, or so they assume as it is hard to tell because of the coral and sea flow corrosion, a large skeletal hand carved of stone that has since collapsed. In front of the oval structure stood a dais, with all the carvings and engravings completely faded, but with an unusual metallic object lodged into the center. The object was seemingly not a true fit for the hole beneath it, it had in fact been lodged in there with several scrape marks produced in the process. Attempts to dislodge it resulted in the whole shaft like end of the object that was probably made out of wood completely disintegrating, leaving only some sort of metallic sharp end to remain intact, though it too had suffered severe corrosion and damage. It was taken with, along with some cuttings of the corals, due to its strange color that did not seem to match any other known metals. Nothing else of value was discovered, besides the fact that the site seemed inundated with Exist Essence, that which kept the local wildlife at bay and may have contributed to the coral growth.
Death of Hvalahytte
A saboteur group seek out a village on the border between Middeskag and Hvitskag and end up poisoning the well. The whole village is killed and they leave an "anachronistic metal briefcase in the center of the village" behind. Unfortunately because Middeskag and Hvitskag are separated by an ocean, the locals don't even suspect the Hvitskaggers at all, thinking instead that the locals dug up an old artifact out of mercury that subsequently poisoned the water wells and killed them all. The Middeskag soldiers sent to investigate eventually just toss the briefcase into the ocean and close the case. RIP the 73 inhabitants of Hvalahytte.
The Tryllelande Anarchy
Karvonn, Kelvenne, Sempronia, Vaura-Soth, Rennyn and Hugh travel to Tryllelande, all under disguise and various recretive abilities ot keep their identity hidden, sneak their way up to the defensive positions Thylans and Ogres have taken up to hold out against constant attacks from the local Velheim population. The group first brings smuggled weapons into the camp, upgrading the locals with heavier weapons than they could make themselves, before Kelvenne tries to "inspire" the Ogres and Thylans with visions of the Dark Ancients. Perhaps without considerations for what this would do to a near-sentient species who have yet to grasp the concept of the alphabet, let alone Magic.
Needless to say, the Ogres and Thylans enter a state of utterly terrified rampage, they cannot comprehend the images they saw, and furthermore reinforced by "The Blood" they fled from, are turned into a rampaging horde by onset of collective psychosis. The group has to quickly split, because the Thylans and Ogres start rampaging out of their camps and stampeding straight for the Tryllelande defensive lines, many of them impaling themselves on the palisades and spikes set up, but inevitably overwhelming even their defenses, and pushing through with a massive attrition rate.
Meanwhile, Asatyavadin, Baskoro, Masuki, Dominic, and Dailang had arrived with the intentions of sabotaging supplies for the locals and ruining their odds of crushing the Thylans and Ogres. Yet, just as their explosives and traps had been rigged, they were suddenly surrounded by Tryllelande locals who knew exactly where they were going, and what they were doing. It was there that Asatvavadin learned that their plan had not only been foiled, but entirely revealed by a traitor in their midst. The group was immediately attacked by the locals, and a melee ensued where they were all captured, save for Dominic who was dragged off kicking and screaming by his Cortez pack that would save him from capture, and hauled off to a Tryllelande prison. Despite the group being captured, in the chaos of the fighting, several explosives went off, ripping through the Tryllelande supplies and crippling their defense logistics.
Kelvenne's group tried to "make do" with the current chaos infiltrating an archive to try and steal local ledgers and information from the military. And just as Kelvenne entered the inner archive, she looked up, only to find a horde of Vampires looking down on her, revealing that her plan too had been entirely leaked, her actions and movements shadowed at every step. The group was attacked by the Vampires who quickly gained the upper hand, pushing them away and eventually ejecting them from Tryllelande altogether as they had to flee by boat back to Regalia.
Just at that moment, Hexenblood arrived on the scene, Anathema, Laurel, Gehrman, Amir, and Medea. The chaos was palpable, part of the port was on fire, and there were rabid thylans running through the streets attacking anyone on sight, so the group rushed through to the other end of town. On their way through, Medea looks left, and Medea looks right (another Medea). Two Medeas stare at each other from across the street, and point at each other. A fight nearly breaks out between the other Medea and the other Medea, but one of the Medea's quickly gets grabbed and dragged away by a crowd of Vampires.
Hexenblood then turns eventually to find Asatyavadin's group, recognizing a few Regalian nationals and deciding that, because they are currently being fed on by Vampires, that it is probably in their best interest to save them regardless of current affiliations or actions. Turns out the Tryllelande soldiers who surrounded Asatyavadin's group were actually Vampires also and they just dragged them off to feed on them in some corner. Hexenblood's members successfully saved the group, and hurried back to port.
Only for the group to run into Ardige Viduggla, Revna, Viggo (Braggison), Lily, Cozma, Zadicus and Maia, who immediately demanded to be told what was going on. Hexenblood's expression was just something along the lines of "You don't want to know", Ardige took one look at a bunch of Vampires running over the roofs, Ogres crashing through buildings, and Thylans descending on a lone soldier to agree in sentiment of "You know, you're right", and the whole crew sailed back to Regalia together because none of them were equipped to deal with that situation.
In the aftermath, or at least of what rumors were heard externally, that the Kingdom eventually got the situation under control, and managed to exterminate the Ogres and Thylans who had suffered massive attrition while charging out of their defensive positions, exposing themselves in the open. Thylans and Ogres were now well enough consigned to "Extinct Species", though whether this single chaotic episode, or months of indecision, inaction, or cowardice, was something to be decided on in the history books. Some time after the Tryllelande King declared victory over the invaders, he was stabbed in the celebration ceremony by a Vampire, thus causing this state to descend deeper into a chaos than it was previously.
No love among Death
Taleos, Kelemvor, Ania, Bremen, Hybrids, Oerlikon and Koko constructed a necrotech centipede war machine, bringing it to the Death Isldar in Ellador to try and "turn the tide" and as a gift of the Cratos Machina. The Death Isldar were utterly repulsed by its design, and the insult of having to stoop so low to receive something from the Machinist's worshipers. They made it very clear that just because they all like the color green, that they aren't friends, and that they wish for the Glacial to bring about a speedy death to their self-defiling wretched bodies. (The Death and Life Isldar are also currently in a truce, and they wouldn't be stupid enough to re-ignite the war the Death Isldar were losing just because of a single machine). The group leaves before the Death Isldar get frisky with their offerings and desire to bring about more death for their death queen. (Ordial worship and the inner politics of the various groups within is a lot more complex and nuanced than just assuming they all sing and hold hands together, also please stop sending in orders about the Black Sepulchre, Finlaggan already expressed that it does not exist in roleplay and is something pointless to go after.)
On their way out, the group witnesses Loxrah, Vaerie and Katla arriving overhead flying on Wyverns with large bags with what looks like papers, though they do not know containing what, or what for.
Before Taleos's group leaves, Kelemvor immediately turns around and goes back in with Emile, Faust and Vaerie ostensibly to bring gifts to the Bene Rexit and ask about the Black Sepulchre again. Though obviously because Kelemvor was part of Taleos's group, they are now seen as a Machinist simp, and the group is ejected immediately (please stop sending in orders about the Black Sepulchre, also please don't just go to an NPC force and go "artifact pls").
Baskoro also solo travels to the Isldar wastes tracking down any Ordial activity, but finds nothing. Man it's cold. Really really really cold, especially for an Allar. Endless empty valleys, white blasted plains and vast emptiness. Occasionally a white hare to have some food, but it seems like the truce between the Isldar clans seems to hold, and they have all effectively returned to their respective holds, isolated, and far away from one another.
Emperor Boogaloo
(information is intentionally repressed until I can think of a way to make this whole thing fun and doable in-game, so for now, sending orders to try and find the Emperor will result in muted responses)
Viviwynne Gwentyr, Aldane, Lynmard and Lieven travel to the 2nd Prince Frederick and 3rd Prince Raymond in the North to discuss the Emperor's disappearance. The Princes dismiss the likelihood of an Arken's involvement, that being pure conjecture. It is far more likely that this is some play by the Slizzar, or worse, Allorn entities. Viviwynne's prying on Prince Reynaud's actions receives a very muted response, as the Princes state they will not be caught saying ungracious things about their brother and the Crown Prince, however, reinforce that the Nobility should always see any kind of play at the Palace as political. No Prince or Princess ever acts without motive, and that includes the two of them.
Odal Holds
Riftan, Benjamin, Antoinette, Nikita and Tujia travel to Hedryll to investigate the Vampires. They are unable to find out substantial information, these Vampires act differently and don't pointlessly suicide themselves on the population. They also seem far less invested in infecting the population, and have in fact even seem to have brought their own cattle from the outside, to draw as little attention as possible. Attempts from the group to form violent mobs and make shift militias however draw the attention from the Hedryll King, who sends the army to arrest them and expel them from the country for inciting violence and disturbing the public peace.
Hexenblood arrives with Gehrman, Lora, Laurel, Wynnara, and Anathema, trying to capture a Vampire to interrogate. Similar to the previous group however, the Vampires are very elusive, and the usual tactics don't seem to work on them. The conclusion is however, that there is likely a different force behind them than the one from Dorkarth, and that there is likely a more powerful force behind them than just a Greater Vampire.
Vesper, Revna, Nynx, Silver, Eletha, Valhir, Tarlok, Viggo (Braggison) arrive after, and start their own investigation (this was kind of a storm of points so I will try to answer them in sequence):
* There are no leads on the Emperor's whereabouts.
* There are no leads on the Power Arken's whereabouts, though the group does confirm a Vaarda Gate in the country, which is closed.
* The Urlan cannot find any of the Vampires in the wild.
* Using the wildlife also prevents them from seeing Vampires.
* The group is unable to find magical anomalies in the area.
* The locals offer no useful input on the Vampires, saying that if they knew anything, wouldn't the group think they had already done something about it?
* The Princes are unwilling to divulge information to random dragon cultists, even if they had discovered anything yet.
* Silver is unable to find further information from the citizens in what they are unwilling to divulge. While he is a great spy, he also happens to be a Great Isldar, who have had a history of killing the locals.
The group has to conclude that maybe, actually, the Vampire uptick was a spontaneous societal psychosis and fear, rather than actual truth.
Red Queen
Haqet, Vallerik, Raoul, Ringmaster and Hugo travel to Dorkarth, bringing their homage and offerings to Venna's Temple. Haqet's visit to the Queen's citadel does not reveal much. The Dorkarthi Generals relent that if there are Vampires in Hedryll, they do not owe allegiance to the Red Queen, and are likely a stand-alone group, and that they are not overly concerned with being up to date what every little fledgeling singular group is up to. Haqet's usage of the portable Noonh does not reveal something particularly out of the ordinary besides what was expected: Vampires founding and building a city off the backs of thousands of enslave Velheim blood cattle, killing thousands also in the process and using their bones as the foundation to build a degenerate and violent city state based on murder and blood.
Frozen Jorrhildr
Revna, Tarlok, Valhir, Eletha, Knuxi, Xorakk, and Viggo (Braggison) travel to Joddrhild, going on an arduous journey to look for Dragon Ruins. They run into a lot of Ruins, but nearly no Dragon Ruins, until Eletha catches a faint glimpse of the Ley network, and manages to guide the group to a very much snowed in site. The Urlan being used as labor to excavate it by pushing all the snow and ice out of the way, the group is able to discern that this site probably once belonged to Valerius, and that some of the grooves on the stonework in the ground seem fittingly just large enough to allow Oorl worms to crawl around. Without any obvious Soul Cores or present population however, the site seems completely abandoned, it also doesn't seem to have any power from the Leystone system running to it, and no receptacle from which to activate it, so the group eventually leaves, though with some circumstantial inclinations that Valerius might have been the one to make the Oorl worms.
Tujia, Pyrex, Enheduanna, Elion, Astrid, Nonnonin, Allestane, Valhir, Erke and Lynmark travel back to one of the large Seraph barrier ruins, using a large collection of all kinds of Occult people to try and break through the barrier or at least produce a small hole, and as 3x Stupid luck would have it, one of the Mages successfully dilated the magical frequently in the area to disrupt the shield, not break it, but give them enough time to pass through, investigate and get back out. When entering, the group immediately notices how warm the inside is, and that the snow on the inside is merely a magical mirage, it's actually very comfortable inside. The group passes by the massive centaur statues, to the interior halls, which have the same familiar Seraph stonework, yet all in perfect condition as if no time had passed at all, everything kept in magical suspense. Digging deeper, they enter a large room filled with sarcophagi, as well as decorative wall murals. These murals are perhaps the best preserved Seraph murals ever found, showing no weathering damage, and all original colors intact. After opening the sarcophagi, the group makes a somewhat startling discovery. What were presumed to be the Seraph, either the long limbed knife-eared creatures on the murals, or the centaur like statues outside, were neither the Seraph. Instead, in these sarcophagi were strange baby-sized blobs with diminutive limbs and an oversized head and eye sockets. The bodies were dessicated and seemingly mummified, but their size and distinct bright blue skin color could still be made out. This discover, if accurate (since no one could read Seraph, it still wasn't clear if these sarcophagi belonged to the seraph, or some of their pets), it implied that a lot of information known about the Seraph might actually be wrong. Curiously more so, it implied that someone went through the effort of scratching or destroying any image of these creatures on any remaining seraph murals that have survived the tens of thousands of years so that past generations would not discover. The group decides to leave it all as is, and leaves, though on their way out, they seem unable to close the disruption to the barrier. While it largely remains in place, so does the hole, and no amount of fixing the hole up covers up the fact that there is a hole now. The urlan resort to building a mound of dirt and snow to hide it, but the outside world is now pushing into this time bubble.
Drixagh
Kaya Sorenvik sends a legal proposal to Drixagh, and while some of the lords seem amiable to it, they return the message that currently discussing any sort of legal changes has become redundant. While the Drixagh matter was still high on the agenda before the Bralona occupation, following it, and following the Crown Prince dismissing every single Prince from the Court, they are effectively left to the mercy of the Crown Prince. And even then, anything that Prince does is of questionable legal basis, as it would be up to the Emperor to decide, and the Emperor is currently missing. Beyond that, they indicate that Drixagh itself is too weak and singular to really make a difference. If war comes, it will crush Drixagh, because the south has simply expanded at an exponential rate, so come what may, how the winds turn will actually be decided in Nordskag. Nordskag is the largest Velheim state with an army and one that still holds part of the Skagger reputation and history alive, and the one where integration will be decided upon.
The only thing they add however, is to caution expecting the young generations to be pro-integration. Unfortunately the stubborn attitude of the local populace and the laws presented have allowed Velheim parents to suppress alternative facts and information from their children's growing up. While the cosmopolitan Velheim who move to Regalia certainly get a bigger picture, the vast majority of even the youth is still indoctrinated into a purely ethnic and religious identity that rejects all outside notions of changing. The very structure of Velheim youth and Skagger upbringing in itself reinforces what the Velheim considered absolute truths.
