Stitia - Chapter Two: Eternal Night (Now Closed For New Characters Except to Returning Players)

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  • edited May 2021
    @ChoyBoy The others give their affirmations, and Terzoth gives his tuna sandwich a large hole in the corner as he tears into it like a monster… you have to wonder just how much of that ferocity translates to combat.

    "That's all I needed to hear, Indie Squad," Pierre exclaims. "I'll see you later, people! Make the Guard proud!"

    After you and your squad board the airship, the ramp is pulled away, the gate is closed, and the ship rocks a bit as the thrusters fire up and the balloon fills. Pierre and the crew at the staging area wave you off, and it's smooth sailing to Roojkah Dahm…



    The trip takes about 8 hours, and as you approach, you realize just how utterly massive Roojkah Dahm actually is. While 2 miles wide already seemed large enough on paper, the actual dam puts that into perspective standing 2.5 miles tall and curving up from a mile wide base. You can see farms, markets, apartment complexes, chapels, and more formed from the finest materials like opal and gold… all forsaken, like this once great capital city. In the center is the Sertra Merus; once this beautiful basalt tower pierced the clouds, but now it lies toppled, its fractured remains crushing major buildings.

    Once you're within half a mile, you hear large, heavy chains being worked below, and notice… a dam gate is being lowered. Bodies, blood, and muck start spilling out of the gate. Hundreds upon hundreds of dead, stripped bodies, some skeletons, and others… fairly fresh, bared of their flesh and tossed out with their clothes.

    "What the hell…?" Aelith is shocked.
    "Everyone! On guard!" Bronzewick signals.
    "May whatever gods are still out there for us have mercy on their souls," Terzoth mutters.
    "What is it?" Nailik asks.
    "Some of the fresher ones…" Turof utters. "Some of them are Blood Moon Guard members..."
    "That's… one way to send a message," Aelith responds, gasping.
    "And that's where the recon crew went," Turof affirms, growling.
    "Do not allow yourselves to be intimidated," Bronzewick reminds everyone. Terzoth has drawn his blade, clenching it with all his might as he bares his teeth in anger. Veins bulge from his massive arms, and he looks like he might just jump off the airship to kill the first enemy he sees
    . "I'm not afraid. I want vengeance. Aelith?"
    "Yes?" She returns, coming over. "I need an estimate. About how many people you think would be required to lower that gate?"
    "We actually talked about it with the intelligence team. About 80 kobolds would operate any one of these, give or take."
    "I'll be damned…"
    "Not until we're done you won't."
    "Sorry… forgot you need me to be alive in order to activate the circle."
    "Kobolds?" Nailik queries.
    "If there's anyone in there," Aelith confirms, "it'd probably be a kobold… and that was probably a warning… sorry Nailik."
    "Maybe… we can…?"
    "Reason with them?" Terzoth growls through gritted teeth. "You want to reason with whoever we're dealing with?! They're clearly mad!"
    "I… still want to try…"
    "You know how we are, Nailik," Bronzewick replies. "It would be selfish and cruel to not let you try to make amends with them. But one wrong move, and we kill them.
    " "O...kay…" Nailik sounds defeated as he slumps back in his seat on the deck.

    You hear a whistle blown at the wheel, and the pilot yells out. "ARRIVING IN THREE! I REPEAT! WE ARE ARRIVING IN THREE MINUTES! GET YOURSELVES READY TO MOVE! WE'VE GOT POTENTIALLY HOSTILE ACTIVITY, SO I'M NOT GONNA WAIT FOR PEOPLE TO GET OFF! WE'RE IN AND OUT!"

    Everyone is prepared, and the ramp below deck is extended. You and the rest of the crew goes below and stacks up at the exit as the airship descends upon the fallen Sertra Merus, and as the ship lands, you and your squad set foot into the city.

    "HAPPY HUNTING, INDIE! GIVE THEM HELL!"



    "Well," Terzoth groans. "Looks like they got carried away with marking the place up."

    There's no single defined path like there's supposed to be. Desert winds have blown away any footprints that could have been here, and there's no other signs anyone's been here except an occasional shifted object here and there…

    "Well… where the hell do we go from here?"

    You can choose one of the five sectors to explore, or look for the lift down.
  • We will search for the lift down.
  • (Perfect timing. I literally just got on here)
  • @ChoyBoi The rest of the group trusts your judgement. There should be four lifts within the Sertra Merus, one at each corner, so finding them should be extremely easy. The group sticks together, looking for anything that isn't anchored to the ground, not that Terzoth or Bronzewick couldn't get it undone anyways...

    The first lift has been destroyed. There's signs of serious water damage, the chains ruined by rust and brittle enough to break with your hands. You manage to find 12 G, damaged but usable, which is split evenly among the group, along with a few dead bodies, completely decayed. You hear an explosion in the distance, and notice that a fireball near missed the airship... someone's definitely here, and they don't want you here.

    "Damn!" Turof blurts out.
    "That was likely a warning shot," Bronzewick notes. "I couldn't tell where that came from, but they want us dead."
    "Apparently," Nailik whimpers out.


    The second lift has been sent down, but something is keeping it from being pulled back up. If you look down, it seems that a cave-in caused the lift to get stuck, killing anyone on it.

    "Good thing our team didn't take that one," Aelith says.
    "It doesn't change what happened to them," Terzoth reminds her. It almost seems like an aura of fury is blazing off of him... he clearly can't wait to kill whoever, or whatever, was responsible for the recon team's deaths.
    Nailik takes a stab at defusing things. "Calm down Terzo-" With the look he gives Nailik, the poor kobold looks like he wants to bolt off.
    "Nailik," Bronzewick addresses the little guy. "What have we said about just telling people to calm down?"
    "Right... sorry, Terzoth."


    The third lift... has fairly clean, unused chain, and is up on this level. However, when you or someone in the group attempt to operate the lift mechanism, you notice the mechanism has been magically bound to render it inoperable.

    "That's a bad sign," Turof notifies everyone. "I'm afraid I do not have the means necessary to-"

    Suddenly, Terzoth takes a wicked swing at the fused metal. His attack cuts clean through the metal, freeing the chain, but the lift immediately drops all the way down to the bottom, breaking the platform on impact.

    "it was worth a try," Terzoth mutters.

    Everyone else except Bronzewick is silent and in shock. Bronzewick just chuckles.


    The last lift... is marked. It's been lowered, and there are signs of a recent struggle. There's also a blood trail leading from a couple spots to the lift.

    "Well, it looks like we found our ride," Bronzewick declares. "I'll test it to make sure it won't break."

    The others hesitantly oblige, and he stands on it, wiggles... jumps. This thing is firmly in place. Only problem is operating it... you need someone strong enough to operate the lift to remain at the top level. Bronzewick will volunteer, however.

    "I'll test the lift with him to make sure it works," Terzoth exclaims.
    "Don't start without us," Aelith jokes.


    The lift test goes off without a hitch. It takes a bit of time to work properly, but Terzoth is sent deep into the dam and brought back up... with a scrawny, matted black cat wrapped around his foot.

    "What's with the pet?" Nailik asks.
    "No clue," Terzoth responds. "It came to me, and it won't get off my foot."
    "Pspspsps," Bronzewick signals. The cat suddenly darts over to him and wraps around his foot, and he chuckles.
    Aelith shrugs. "Didn't think I'd see you make a friend here, but..."
    "It's cute, yes," Terzoth gives, "but I'd rather it not impede me."
    "That's fair."
    "Alright everyone," Bronzewick says impatiently. "On the lift before I decide to let this thing go."

    Okay! On the lift! Everyone's on, and he'll send you all down about 2000 feet, past multiple housing floors... before the mechanism gets stuck. A quick investigation, and it's revealed that the emergency brake has mysteriously engaged. The group tries to signal for Bronzewick to stop operating the lift mechanism, but before he can, the brake suddenly disengages, and the platform drops... several hundred feet to the bottom of the shaft.

    You and your allies each took 4 damage from the fall. This leaves your group at:
    You: 6/10 HP
    Terzoth: 6/10 HP
    Aelith: 4/8 HP
    Nailik: 2/6 HP
    Turof: 2/6 HP

    Bronzewick has been separated from the party.



    The fall is enough to knock you unconscious. When you awaken, Aelith is the only one already awake, slowly standing. Nailik and Turof don't appear to be doing so well, but everyone is still alive.

    "Terzoth! Terzoth!" Aelith is attempting to shake him awake, since you're already up. He shakes awake, and Turof slowly struggles to stand. Nailik is the last to wake up, startled.
    "I'm up... looks like luck isn't on our side today."
    "Guess not... that was the last lift in the Sertra Merus."
    "Sadly..."

    As you look around, you hear the echo of chains in the distance, but can't easily determine where it's coming from. You're in an utterly dark and massive central area where all four lifts arrive, illuminated only by Nailik's lantern, ventilation holes, and a small magic flare in the center. There's four paths leading to different areas. This time, the best path seems a tad more obvious; the same cave in that blocked one of the lifts has blocked three of the paths, leaving you with one that leads south. The blood trail continues that direction, so it's best to follow that.

    The path is very wide, smooth stone imperfected only by stains, blood, and water puggles. The path leads to multiple sets of stairs, and taking care to make a map, your party decides to go down the main spiral staircase. The sound of the chains get closer and closer, but eventually, you reach a set of massive steel doors, which seem blocked. Terzoth will obviously take forward position, finding the blockage and pushing his blade through the gap in the doors. However, you hear a click, and suddenly, a rune nearby activates, sending out a massive cone of fire that will hit all of you if not stopped.

    Create a card that can counter, redirect, or prevent the damage caused by a triggered ability. The target is 8 points.
  • ~ Meanwhile…


    No one knows what happened after the Summoning in Nasita. Khantsievth seemed to just disappear, which is quite unusual… he's obviously still on the plane, his presence felt, yet it's as though he's giving Stitia a small mercy… or perhaps just indulging in the torment he's unleashed upon the world before its demise…

    ~ It's Been A Long Time


    "…This is unacceptable…"

    Clink! The 30 foot long figure of a hideous serpentine demon watches, tapping his claws against that vorpal chunk of beating crystal. A blade servers flesh, sending a bulbous, puss filled zombie tumbling to the floor of this damp, dreary cave. Clink! The demon sets his once powerful weapon down, and groans.

    "It took forever to engineer that plague… and assemble that army… AND YOU'RE TELLING ME BOTH WERE TURNED AGAINST ME ON THE SAME NIGHT?!"
    "It's apparent we underestimated this Khans fellow." Xataxji turns to see his one armed azra servant Ugalon, who he had put much of his faith in as of late.
    "Or overestimated that Zanletesh… I must say, I'm starting to feel like, even though this gem may be immensely powerful, that I got the bad end of a deal here…"
    "While things may be unfortunate, I don't recall the gem coming with "sudden divine emergence" insurance."
    "Ulagon… your sense of humor is appreciated, but now isn't the time. Gather the others. We need to have a meeting, now."



    "We're *cough* here. Joseph's… Dungeon..."

    The young princess, limping and ill, heads down into the musty dungeon with the rest of her team.

    "So, from what we know, we should be able to find not just Jessica, but information, and a cure for the plague?" A doctor with the group says weakly, also limping.
    "Yes," a manticore with them proclaims. "Of course, but I'm afraid I must leave you for the last time."
    "Wha- why?" The group's druid friend, a female elf, asks.
    "As you know, I'm an agent of Khantsievth. I only assisted you because you were useful, but your usefulness in our endeavors has run dry. Goodbye."
    "Wait! How are we going… to get back…?"

    The manticore disappears as it flies away, and the group is a tad frustrated.

    "Damn rascal," another elf, a bit snot nosed, curses out.
    "I told you we c-can't trust demons!" A scared looking human in the group exclaims.
    "But you have me on your side," a black demon cloaked in white flames corrects, "right Danny?"
    "I g-guess you're right…"

    As the group descends, they hear a voice deep down in the cave… a twisted voice of a madman...

    "Rise, my old friend! For a thousand years you have been trapped in your wretched prison! Rise, and join us in our pursuit of greatness!"

    "What the- *cough* hell is going on down here?!" The princess questions.
    "Sounds like a ritual," the demon confirms.
    Danny tries to make a break for it. "I… need to... go grab my sword, be right- ACH!"
    The punkish elf grabs him by the collar. "Not this time, scaredy cat!"
    "No! Wait! I don't wanna go doooown!..."

    As the group nears the source of the voice, Danny gags.

    "Gods this smells… terrible… that's some serious B.O."
    "Smells fresh!" The little elf jokes.
    "Quiet, Scarf," the leader whispers. "We're-" cough! Cough! "trying to-"

    The princess suddenly falls to the ground in a fit of coughing.

    "Lilith!" The druid yells out as she hurries over to rescue her.
    "Dammit…" the doctor groans."She's running out of time. We need to get that cure."

    Out of nowhere, the voice booms through the halls. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! I KNOW WHY YOU'RE HERE… COME NOW! COME!"
    "So much for being… quiet," Lilith whimpers out.
    "Stay here," the doctor detests. "Draundr, you keep her safe."
    "Understood," the demon acknowledges.

    As the others follow the direction of the voice, they descend deeper and deeper until the dungeon extends into a mine shaft deep under the plane's surface. Silvery, glowing adamantine chains bind… a powerful giant… chains are everywhere, but what's surprising is that there's one going through his chest.


    Image Credit - The Great Devourer by Oafnugget on DeviantArt

    "Who… is that?" The druid asks. On a platform is an old but powerful giant that has been restrained for a long time. Gathered around, are werebeasts, cultists, and… a couple others.
    Scarf whistles, finding familiarity in a demon. "Well well well! If it isn't Norana!"
    Suddenly, a slightly taller and voluptuous woman cuts him off. "You aren't going anywhere near my-"
    "Mastiffa Oklein…" the glowing demon draws his blade and aims it towards her.
    "ALL OF YOU! STOP!"
    "J-Jessica?"

    The group turns to see Jessica in dark robes, standing with a ritual basin. Beside her is the hulking form of a werehyena, smiling as he admires the blood dripping from her hand.
    "We… oh dear…" Lilith backs away a bit.
    "RUN! IT'S A CU-" As Danny turns to flee, he's suddenly lifted into the air by… nothing. "AAAAHH! PUT ME DOWN! PUT ME DOWN PLEASE!"
    "Don't soil yourself now," Timothy jokingly scolds.
    "It's him…" Lilith seems distraught. "Jessica… why are you with the Everpack?"
    "It was the best choice I had… I'll admit, I've done some terrible things, but it was for a good cause… right… Lilith?"
  • ~ Precious Cure


    Panc had fallen into chaos. Byro's cure had actually made things worse; with a treatment for plague came competition to get it first.

    "Stop trying to cut-"
    "Off of me! Get off-"
    "C'mon, you hellions! Get out of the way for my fam-"
    "Please! My wife's on death's door-"
    "My children have been sick for days-"
    "MY FATHER'S DYING-"
    "Just let me through! Just let me throuuu-"

    "QUIET! QUIET!" A guard in a trenchcoat and raven mask tapped his cane on the ground to quiet the wrestling, restless masses, who are fighting to get their treatments first. "Single file, no fighting!"
    "Can't you let me through?" A peasant pleads to him. "I'm Cadicus, in charge of the orphanage. Can you please let me through so we can get the children treated?"
    "You'll have to get in the back of the line. First come, first served."
    "But the children!"
    "Look. I don't make the rules. If you've got a problem, speak to the damn mayor."

    Byro was sweaty and exhausted under his uniform. He was working hecticly to make the cure, so much effort to make a single bottle just to pass it on to the next 10 exasperated customers. The limits of Byro's immunity to the plague were being seriously tested as over a thousand patients gathered in the small state from all across Ystheria. But as long as he had a cure, it was fine.

    As long as he had a cure…

    Suddenly, a chorus of screams were heard outside the sick area. He stopped everything he was doing and dropped that chunk of starlight he procured from the Beyond, heading out to investigate. As he went to exit the tent, however, he was stopped by guards.

    "We need that cure more than anything. You keep on it, we'll investigate."
    "I won't stand idle if innocent lives are at risk," the doctor returned.
    "We have it taken care of. Just do your job-"

    Suddenly, a corpse crushed the guard, and the other screamed and drew his javelin. A stomping was heard in the distance as wood splintered over the site, tents collapsing, and civilians scattered. Byro pushed the guard aside, and a blazing jet black raven wing burst from his back as he drew a fiery chain from the ground, that infernal orb held in the other. As he approached, he quickly realized he had a much bigger problem than expected; standing nearly five times taller than the average man was a hairy, wretched, muscular beast with scars all across its body, a mix between a minotaur and a sasquatch, but with a broken horn. The Horn killer…

    "Hmph… the shapeshifter… that's going to be a problem."

    The doctor soared into the air and slashed at the wooly beast, conjuring a spirit to fight on his behalf. The attacks left visible marks and drew reddish black ichorous blood which soaked the ground, but the wounds quickly repaired themselves as The Horn cackled.

    "Try… harder!" The beast yelled out as it slammed Byro into the ground. "Kill me! KILL ME ALREADY!"
    "Much obliged!"

    Byro kicked free and flew to a safe distance, where he lengthened his chain to strike more. His attacks were wild and unpredictable, but the monster suddenly gleamed him a smile as though he had already won.

    "WORTHLESS! YOU AREN'T FUN! YOU CAN'T KILL ME!"

    With a blue flash, the chain suddenly fell limp, the spirit vanished, and Byro's wing disappeared, causing him to fall to the ground below. The beast was gone, but suddenly, Byro was hit with a rapid flurry of pyromantic techniques.

    "BURN! BURN! BURN IN HELL!"
    "Nope… you first!"

    Byro started absorbing the flames into the orb, growling as his coat scorched, but he was suddenly struck by another sudden attack from behind, a katana through his gut.

    "Gah!... Damn… you…"
    "YES! DO IT!"

    Byro cast a curse to send the creature back, who now took the form of a samurai. The samurai flipped back as damned spirits surrounded the doctor in a defensive formation.

    "GETTING TIRED?"
    "Tired of your bullcrap… now die…"
  • Roundup Time!

    I know this time of year can be a bit hectic, and for me it's a bit hectic too since I'm gonna start running Dungeons and Dragons at my Local Game Store. However, I would like to do a quick checkup, see if anyone forgot, lost interest, or has just been too busy.


  • @FourEyesIsAFish With your prize collected, will you either go deeper into the town and continue with your original plan, or seek out Lar’s agent Clarise?



    @IzItTru With your prizes in tow, you can make your way to your next objective; you can either investigate the dragon’s territory, or forage for food and water.
  • edited May 2021
    The sounds of clicking as Otaimo discussed potential entry points only confirmed Florence's worst fears. The moment they got news of Wosy's bar being attacked he had a sense that something was amiss. Hell, they even went out of their way to put up a whole lot of "red flags" signifying their base. The designers must've been feeling rather humorous that day. Yet when the guards came bursting out of the base and the fireballs were flying towards him, he realized exactly what kind of danger he was in.

    Barely any! With a quick motion of his hands Florence pulled out a small rock with a color not unlike the shard resting upon his chest, yet its purpose was the far different. The exact opposite, even. With a brief utterance of a single arcane word, the rock began to glow and shake violently. He tossed the rock upwards, and moments afterward the rock exploded in a brilliant flash of white. It was like lightning, flashing with great intensity and dimming out with equal rapidity. It wasn't meant to harm anyone or redirect anything; it was just a simple flare stone. But with its light came the whirring of a portal opening to the left of him, floating in midair. Within that portal he could see the outskirts of Etsane, with the sight of several cloaked figures channeling a spell. Several of his people, each willingly channeling some of their magic to ensure his escape and the rebellion as a whole.
    Option Four: We get the hell outta dodge.

    With a sharp inhale of breath, Florence makes a run for it and leaps off the tower, and straight into the portal itself.


  • I don't know what to do for this bit.
  • @KorandAngels You don't have to make a card for that option, basically all you need to do is choose which path Aerus will go down: Will he return to his base, will he begin the mission Timothy gave him early, or will he explore his surroudings? You just gotta state your choice, and then Tommia will make the challenge based on what you chose.
  • Cthylla will seek out Clarise
  • edited May 2021
    @Tommia Warren hurriedly collected all of the items stuffing them away in his bag, the hunger and thirst had set in now and he needed to find something fast.

    He took one last look at the large fading memory of the monstrous dragon towering over the landscape. This world had suffered great loss, just like Stitia. It made the daily struggles and world ending gods of his former home seem small, unimportant. Was he eternally doomed to go from world to world watching tragedy happen all around him? Was he cursed now to forever be lost in an uncaring universe?

    Warren pushed those questions down, he needed to survive, he needed to find food and water. (I’ll take the search for food and water question.)
  • @MonkeyPirate2002 As you go through the portal, Otaimo follows, ending up… somewhere? He's obviously unfamiliar with the location you designated, and seems confused.

    “Wh-where have you taken us? What is our next course of action?”


    Scoring Summary: 9/10
    • -1: Could cost 2 MV, potentially 1 without a cost reduction.
  • @IzItTru As you venture into the distance, you're eventually able to find a source of food and water as the harsh, endless volcanic wasteland begins to fade into a forest. As the sun sets, you find clean water and a chance to hunt for food without much risk to life or limb. However, you're exhausted afterwards, to the point where you must rest. You can find a rather safe location, secluded behind a small waterfall, and you're able to sleep rather peacefully...



    No one said your rest would be comfortable, but what matters is that it was rest. You awaken to the rising sun, the first time you've seen it in about a month. It was surreal, but revitalizing. It's apparent that, in this jungle, things aren't nearly as bad as they were. You remember bits and pieces of your dream... it seemed like someone was speaking to you. You couldn't get much about them... just their voice and a riddle...

    Where nightmares end and dreams begin
    You will find me there
    A journey, not a destination
    Beyond damnation and salvation
    I am no god or devil
    No trickster or righteous saint
    But I shall be your guide
    Until your flame subsides...


    Who is this mysterious entity, and what could they want? It's apparent this is the being you've fallen into a pact with, but they have given you not a task, not a request, but a simple little poem... and you don't know who the heck they are.

    What you have discovered, however, is the purpose of one of your items.

    The wand is a Wand of Magic Missles. You can use it once to automatically complete any challenge that requires an offensive card with a score of 9, forfeiting any bonuses but ignoring any penalties. The wand then crumbles into dust.

    As you exit the cave, you notice there's a spirit at the entrance. The old man again... you thought he was the witch though? Unless...

    "Ah... so you've found yourself in quite a pickle, young lad. I must say this was not part of your destiny, but that's not what matters here. In fact, what matters is that you were willing to take the leap to seize fate for yourself. It wasn't until I was in my 40s that I finally decided to take control of my life, but at that point it was too late. You, son, have done something great... you're willing to color outside the lines. Now, as promised, I'm going to help you learn your powers, and the first of which is that little spark in your heart. It's how you get around, and how you can get back home. There's nothing for you here anyways, I'm fairly certain."

    Your lantern glows and hums. You can planeswalk again, choosing to either return home or find a new plane to visit.
  • edited May 2021
    @Tommia, Warren felt the spark building up we wanted leave. But he didn't want to return to Stitia either. He wanted to find somewhere that people were happy. Maybe there was a place that hadn't suffered the plight that everywhere else seemed to suffer through.

    (I'll go choose to find a new plane to visit. also will the wand be available in every fight or will there be certain monster that are immune?)
  • @FourEyesIsAFish Dultery… Dultery… where is that?... hmm… there we are. You manage to find a map of Stitia just before the wagon collapses, and you chart a course. It’ll be an overnight trip. Hopefully that won’t be too long…

    As you arrive in Dultery, you realize that this is quite a metropolis… unfitting for this world. The streets are bizarrely empty, and a horrific stench of rot fills the air. The same stench that filled the air back where you were… are you too late? There’s signs posted everywhere in a language you don’t understand, a lot saying the same thing, and as you go through the streets, you finally find one with a translation in common… “LOCKDOWN IN PROGRESS. REMAIN INDOORS, BURN THE SICK, KILL ALL PESTS”. What the hell happened here?

    After a few hours of searching, you finally find someone who’s willing to speak. They’re dressed in plague doctor’s uniform, sitting outside and smoking a cigarette. They seem to be waiting for someone. They’re female, so that’s one hit…

    “Morning… constructs are unusual around this part. You here to see someone?” You look up at the door… 800… you look at the road signs. This is it. You let her know about the message, and she puffs smoke as she stands. “What was the confirmation code?” Phoenix 837. “...hmm… I must admit. You’re a surprising figure. I expected someone more… sinister to respond, and in much more time. You were quick. Come inside with me. I’ll fill you in on the details.”

    You’re led into the abandoned office, which has been converted. There’s a small fire with a cauldron of water boiling over it, and research and related equipment is set wherever is most convenient. Werebeast teeth. Dead plague victims. Ancient and arcane artifacts. Instruments of torture and great evil. Alchemy kits and forbidden texts… However, it’s clear they aren’t being used for nefarious purposes. The woman takes off her mask, and her face is revealed.



    “So… ever since this mess started, Lars has been looking into ways to stop the threats that are consuming Stitia. He used to be a member of the Blood Moon Guard, but me, him, and a few other researchers separated after… an experiment gone wrong. Ever since he’s been working in the shadows, but it’s clear he needs more help. He was going to go around gathering allies, but… you know what happened. He’s still very much alive, but he’s stuck between a rock and a hard place. He made it to his rendezvous point, but was pinned down. If you promise you won’t tell anyone where he is, or where we’re operating, or what our operation is, will you help him if I? I won’t get upset with you if you say no, but I won’t be able to let you stay here for more than just the night if you do.”

  • Cthylla nods. "I won't, I promise. I've been on the Six's radar as long... as long as I've been here, really. So... what's the plan?"
  • Sorry I've been slow! Lots of appointments, destressing, time sensitive crap... but I have some time now.
  • @IzItTru (You can use it against any foe, though obviously it’ll always be a 9, so…)

    The lantern glows and hums as the world seems to warp around you once more. You see more worlds flash before you… an icy tundra trapped in perpetual winter… a massive college under siege… a harvest festival spanning an entire countryside… more and more planes whirl past you until eventually, you find yourself approaching… something moving. Your ethereal form phases into the world, and you stumble as you land on a rowboat in what appears to be a beautiful town…


    Art Credit - Canal Town by eddie-mendoza on DeviantArt

    The owner of this boat, an old man in wizard’s garb, looks up as you land, and you feel a sense of deja vu as he turns to look at you. Is that… the old man?

    “Careful there, son… you almost landed in the water.”

    This… is a world at peace. The robed citizens all seem to be happy, talking about plans for the afternoon. Many carry wands, and are performing minor magic feats. Some have familiars, others ride on horseback, and some even have flying brooms.

    “This is Q’etzkare. Some strange circumstances surround it, but it’s mostly at ease. If someone like you wants to explore what Stitia might look like if it were to accomplish peace, you will find it here.”
  • Due to extensive inactivity, Verth and Uvras are now autonomous.
  • @FourEyesIsAFish "Lars has been pinned down by followers of the Six in Aedan Al, a village in Delvad. While he may be close to the Blood Moon Guard's headquarters, we're trying not to get them involved. He's currently taken refuge in an abandoned lab on the outskirts of the town with an ally, Briggs. Once we bust him out, it'll be hell trying to escort him. Yeah, he can hold his own, but they're doing everything in their power to take his head, so expect a horde once word spreads of his location. There... isn't really a plan. Best we can do is try to keep a low profile until we've got him, arrange some kind of transportation, and get in and out quick as possible."
  • @Tommia Warren looked around this place, it was nice. He felt a cool breeze pass as the sunlight pierced through the trees. Sunlight! Not sweltering hot either. He hadn’t felt that in so long. “I wish she was he-“ he stopped. His sister, she was back on Stitia alive or dead unable to see the sun. The sadness returned to Warren and he turned to the old man. Who are are you? Why are you showing me this?
  • edited May 2021
    @B21 @Bowler218 Your summoning magic is wearing thin, but you severely need help. Reaching across the Blind Eternities, you look for someone who can come to your aid, when suddenly, you feel someone appear behind you. They don’t know exactly what’s going on, but they know what to do. With you allies behind you, you charge in through an open shipping crate, dodging bullets and swatting aside arrows. As you make it to the first and deal with them, an arrow flies your way, but an unfortunate second is killed instantly as you deflect the arrow, driving it through their heart.

    Uvras points at a group of enemies, and an explosion of psychic energy ripples out, causing blood to run from their ears as they drop unconscious, potentially even dead. Levin runs along the ceiling and moves in to rescue people, starting with Arbor, followed by the others. Arlin picks off any enemies trying to get you from behind, and your newfound ally… just turned into a potted plant alongside a few of the enemies… that was quite unexpected. It provides a distraction for the guards to laugh at, but you have the last laugh here…

    As you and the team rips and tears through your adversaries, the allies Levin is freeing begin to slip out towards where the ship was anchored, giving you a motion to notify you. With them free, you just have to pick off the rest of the guards, which isn’t too much of a problem… while your summoned ally is now a dead and wilted potted plant, at least he provided the distraction you needed for your team to escape.

    ~ 30 minutes later…

    You’re just about there. As you make your way back to the platform, it’s fairly straightforward, with no one able to oppose you and your crew. However, as you near the dock, you hear a commotion coming from the ship, and Arbor and a knight run for cover behind you.

    “Your Majesties! You mustn’t go out there!” The knight of yours warns.
    “What’s the worst that can happen?” Levin says as she steps forward. “...oh. Another demon… and he’s on our damn ship...”

    As you come around the corner, you see him again… the demon you managed to escape has returned, and he’s torn off the mast of your ship and killed half of its working crew.



    “NO ESCAPE! NO SURVIVORS! NO MERCY!” Ku’cho yells out as he flips his cleaver.
    “Just because it’s worked before doesn’t mean it’ll work this time,” Arlin declares as she draws Thylinder.
    “Such a coward… had to bring allies this time, dog? Well, you’ll be saddened to hear that that’s just more snacks for me… NOW DIIIEEE!”

    You couldn’t run from Ku’cho forever, but now it’s time to face him. Create a card that can deal with an attacking 3/4 Ku’cho. The target is 8 points; an ally will take damage if you score under 9, you will take damage if your score is under 8, and so on...



    Summon a Hero Rating: 8/10 (Matches)
    -1: Needs red in order to grant haste under these conditions.
    -0.5: Mildly undercosted (Should cost 5RW)
    -0.5 Minor realism error (effect should be "Reveal a creature card you own from outside the game or choose a face-up creature card you own in exile. Put that card onto the battlefield. It gains haste [until end of turn].")

    Teuful, Criminal Hero Rating: 5/10 (Too low, no bonus)
    -4: Woefully underpowered (see below)
    -1: Grammar and syntax errors (“Whenever a spell you control deals damage to or puts one or more counters on a creature an opponent controls, reveal the top card of your library. If that card is a noncreature[, nonland] card, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control.)

    Teuful is a bit of a problem card for me, to the point of requiring a rework. First off, Its cost is too high. I’d advise removing a color and making this cost 4 mana (preferably White or Black). Second, I’d make the effect “Whenever a spell you control deals damage to or puts any number of counters on one or more creatures you don’t control, put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control.”
  • @IzItTru "Well, you said you wanted to see a world of peace. But, there is one lesson in which you must learn. As Stitia is at war now, Q'etzkare was once torn by strife. At one point, its malicious powers were used not for good, but for evil, and the realm was at war. In order for peace to be achieved, there must be a great deal of suffering, and even then, the result... is only temporary. Take Q'etzkare, for example. It's at peace, yes, but on the last day of every year, that peace is threatened on the Ere'o'lebels, the Eve of Rebels. Those mischief mongers among the normally peaceful masses rise on this day to wage war, yet it's seen as a necessity."

    "Every world has good and bad people in it, yet it is a universally accepted fact that no world can exist without both. Too much Order, and someone will seek to disrupt it. Too much Chaos, and someone will seek to tame it. Too much Good, and they will be ill prepared for the evils of the world. Too much Evil, and it will consume all, leaving nothing but despair. You'll have to come to terms with this balance. Right now, on Stitia, it is offput by the whims of a cruel demon and a pantheon of gods, and we need heroes to stop them. You have the option to run, but you also have the option to use your power to help make Stitia more like Q'etzkare. True peace is nearly impossible to accomplish, but there is a way to at least end the suffering..."
  • @Tommia Warren nodded, he didn’t respond to the old man. He didn’t need to. Warren focused on the spark within him lighting it up he gripped the handle of the lantern it’s carvings leaving an imprint on his hand. He vanished from the boat, attempting to return to Stitia.
  • @Tommia Cthylla nods. "Well then, the least I could do is help get him out... I hope that this doesn't hurt me too much."
  • I will wait
  • @FourEyesIsAFish "If we can't save him, well... we'll have to bail and hope he can hold his own with his partner. Our survival is a greater priority than the mission, he said. But, if you can kick butt, you should be good, and judging by the fact that you want to take on the Six directly, I presume you can."

    She chuckles, and heads over to grab some things. "If you will be with me then, feel free to stay the night. We will leave by carriage in the morrow."
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