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Dark Bastion: Race to Survive
It has been over 500 years since humanity figured out Planar travel and crashed into its first contact with another planar race, the Rhox. Having somewhat been prepared for potential first contact, the humans wasted no time in trying to exert some dominance. What was supposed to be an ordinary planar take-over, turned into a year long fight for survival, on both parties. Although the humans were new to planar travel and battle, they had quite advanced weaponry and tactics. On the other hand, the Rhox had the homefield advantage, resulting in what would seem a deadlock. After some advanced diplomacy from both sides, there was ultimately called a truce.
Humanity was eventually able to settle some lands and harbor a PlanarGate. Although there is still minor animosity between the Humans and the Rhox, the two races in due course have become amicable and work to advance together, over the centuries.
Fast forward three centuries from First Contact, and humanity has progressed significantly, and so has their collective expanse. They are now a member of the Planar Imperium, a governing body of the many races throughout the planes. Although, this did not come easily. Many of the other races believed that humans are brash, headstrong, impulsive, and harbor a sense of entitlement. Ironically, these are similar traits to what got them elected into the Planar Imperium in the first place.
Unfortunately, this peaceful and prosperous existence did not last for the entirety of the cosmos…
It has been roughly a century since the Purge nearly wiped existence from the Planes. In what seemed like engineered poetry, Planar stars started simultaneously falling out. One after another, planes and empires were just vanishing, scrambling to escape and survive.
There has been very little explanation as to what may have caused this, more conspiracy theories than known facts. Some believe an ancient god-like race has awoken from eternal slumber to regain control of the cosmos. Others feel that it’s a ploy from the Planar Imperium to put a strangle hold on the out-world dissenters. Whatever the reason, one thing is for sure, the Planar Imperium and the rest of known life is in disarray, and in a fight for survival.
Planar travel is all but gone. Habitable planes are far and few between, and growing more barren as the years pass. The PlanarGates that once serviced the planes are lost and forgotten.
But, there is rumored hope. That of a great planar station, Bastion. All that who are able to find and reach it are said to live in peace and prosperity once again…__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Welcome to my epic saga, Bastion. Here you will embark on a heroic journey to recover and rebuild the PlanarGates, all the while doing your best to discover what had ultimately caused the Purge.The beginning is simple, create a legendary creature with a 3cmc or less. They can only be one of the following races: Human, Elf, Rhox (Rhino), Goblin, Loxodon, Leonin (Cat), Centaur, Bird, Kithkin, or Viashino. Also, please no Noble sub-class. This is for storyline purposes. Please give a small background detail of yourself and why you would be partaking on this grand adventure.
Update: Please make all entries from MTGCS, as I will occasionally make comments directly on your cards.
This is going to kind of revolve around the Planechase cards, except I will be creating my own planes, not using the Wizards planes.
The Saga will begin on 19 May.
A few explanations on how challenges/game-play will work;
First, you will all start at level one, 5HP, and 2 mana points (MP), each. Mana points are equal to your level+1, hence starting with 2. Bonus MP can be obtained through special challenges. Mana points are used to create cards. So, with a starting pool of 2MP, you have two mana to work with in card creation. You can make any rarity cards using any or all you MP. Creating two 1cmc, or a single 2cmc, and so forth. Cards must be balanced with rarity and cost.
Secondly, when presented with a challenge that requires a card creation (most challenges will), I will be using my known algorithm to rate and level your cards of success. If your card passes the challenge rating (CR) it succeeds and you will be fine. If your card does not pass the CR, you fail, taking 1 point of damage. When you reach 0HP, you are out, unless the rest of the party chooses to do a "side quest" to resurrect you.
Known Planes
Comments
Crarr is a viashino who despises Loxodon, Humans, and Kithkins. Many humans have attempted to kill him, many loxodons have tried to heal his anger, and many kithkins have tried to absorb his magic so he isn't a threat. To no prevail. When the purge happened, humans invaded his home town for refuge. When they evacuated the village, loxodons deemed the innocent viashino to be to hateful to live in their land. Kithkin have been their enemies for millenia.
He was banished, and stayed their for 12 years. When finally, he couldn't take it any more, he searched exile for other furious, banished warriors. He found 50 or so, and they went by his side. Then, he lead an rebellion on several cities. Of course, most of them were unsuccessful due to lack of troops, but he did gain one thing: supporters. When he was brought to the capital city to be executed because for serious crimes: coming back uninvited from exile, and, worse, for leading rebellions, the citizens threw up a riot that got so out of hand it threatened to destroy the economic structure of the city. In the name of society, the emperor cancelled Crarr's execution.
He entered the city with 50 people, and left it with thousands. His faction belives the purge was fate putting an obstacle in their lives to test them, and the purpose of their search for the origins of the purge is to meet fate and tell her that they had succeeded.
Their enemies are left with an echoing chorus in their minds:
Silent whispers, a burning desire,
revenge imminent, minds on fire.
A belittled soul finding its way,
its hate roaring to this day.
In the last two centuries of the Planar Imperium, one extended family protected a handful of gates. However, with the introduction of the Purge and the failure of the gate system, they were thrown to the winds. Those who survived never forgot their oath to protect the gates, and they have passed it down through the next century.
Sigrun is the latest in the family line, brought up in the tradition of her forebears. Trained as a knight, she seeks Bastion out of a sense of familial duty and tradition. While she exhibits much of the pride and entitlement some see in humans, she is also loyal to her allies and protects them as much as she can. Lastly, Sigrun believes Bastion and the prosperity it offers is her birthright and the right of her family and allies, and she refuses to rest until she holds that right in her hand.
For as long as Axion has done his mercenary profession, making it through life has been his goal. Doing all sorts of work from being a body guard, to less admirable work's such as disposing some "trash", Axion has learned to deal with people of many races. He has dealt with the likes of humans, loxodon, Rhox and many more, and through it all, his allegiance has been to coin and coin alone.
He has heard of the planar purge, but to him life must simply move on. To him, you only have one duty, and that duty is to yourself. He will kill, protect and even save the world if he has too, as long as he gets his coin. As long as you are paying, he will guard you with anything short of his life.
Once part of a proud nomadic people, Lysa has spent most of her life as a refuge, traveling across barren, nearly abandoned planes, forging, looting, and stealing when necessary. During her travels she’s discovered and jury rigged a number of interesting artifacts, the most prized of which is her lightning arrows. A naturally kindhearted soul, her circumstances has forced her to adapt a more ruthless and callous exterior than she would prefer.
Clinkclong, Cur Rider by Potato13 | MTG Cardsmith
"You sees, Clinkclong not wanted to go on adventure. Clinkclong thinks that scavenging life good, eatable birdies and lottsa weapon. But then Clinkclong find dog - Clinkclong try to lick dog, but it no taste good. Not lotta fur, either. So Clinkclong did smart thing for intelligence goblins - jump on the beastie. It didn't attack Clinkclong, so we speeds away. Good partnership made - we both kill, then Clinkclong eat, then ride dog. Whenever Clinkclong try to steer dog, it no budge. Still, was good few years. Even gave name - Hund. Enemies called dog that when they lunged to kill, so Clinkclong adapted to nicknames."
"Then, Hund arrive at destination - big party, Clinkclong saw. Some jibber about a gate, no care much. But Hund no budge, even to do more scavengies. Clinkclong know that as good friend, Clinkclong shouldn't abandon Hund. So I come along with Hund, but is not bad. Some members do scavengies just like Clinkclong, and Hund like them."
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/robin-the-swiftfoot?list=user
"So, what's the deal with those crazy lots?"
Once an orphaned child who lived in a once 'prosperous' human city of the Imperium, Robin was forced to steal and scavenge to keep herself well fed, making her an adept in the art of burglary and thievery. But sometimes she also helped her fellow orphans just because she could. "It's not 'trying to be a dumb hero', just a common sense. Also nobody could live absolutely alone anyway." She said when asked about her motivation.
But then after the Great Purge happened, her job became more dangerous as ever while people were getting more and more desperate to survive, while many of her good friends and comrades were either lost or died during the fall of the kingdom she was living in.
"Maybe I'm just lucky, or maybe some higher force wants me to do some jobs for them. And I don't feel like to waste away my life and spit at the sacrifice of my comrades either."
Whatever the case, moving forwards is the only choice Robin, the formerly infamous thief has.
The lot of you have had a trying, weary day into the investigations of the Planar Gates and the Purge. But, to know avail. As your day winds down and you finish your evening meal, you all here a simple rap at your door. In the moments you take to get to the door, you feel a mild breeze and small chill run down your spine. Answering the door, you see nobody there. Doing a cursory look around you notice a small ornate box sitting at your feet. Skeptical, yet intrigued, you pick up the box and head back inside to sit for a night cap. Sitting in your chair you inspect the box, notice nothing out of the ordinary, and open it...
Inside sits a ring, with a small scroll through it. Opening the scroll it reads;
Put on this ring and you'll be free.
All will be revealed for you to see.
The Purge nor the Gates are what you think.
We are sitting on the edge of the brink.
What do you all do at this moment?
Lysa has a little giggle as she reads her note. She wanders if Gatrie wrote this. She'd been camping on the outskirts of his villiage the last few weeks, while she scavenged nearby ruins and traded her findings for food and supplies. Gatrie was a bit younger than her, and seemed like the sort who'd try his hand at bad poetry. She reads through the poem again. Lysa didn't have any book learning, so if there was any innuendo or deeper meanings behind the words she couldn't understand it. Gatrie should really just say what he means.
She turns her attention to the ring itself. It was thin, ornate, dainty little thing. It would look quite silly on her coarse, greasy hands. It was made from quality metal though. Quite conductive. If she melted it down, she could use it to...
But that would be quite rude wouldn't it? It was the first time she received a gift from a mysterious admirer. Well, even in the ring didn't suit her, there was no harm in trying it on, just to see what it would look like.
(She'll try on the ring on. If nothing immediately happens, Lysa will probably integrate the ring as a base component for one of her gadgets later on.)
Though he is incredibly intriuged by it, nothing is more important than food. He puts the ring down for a second while he finishes his meal, then inspects the ring. Nothing strange, but it soon bores Crarr. He needs action.
He stores it in a chest for future use.
-----------
(The ring will catch up with him later in the story, don't worry)
The knight puts the ring down and reaches for a length of twine. She ties it around the ring, slipping the necklace over her head and under her hair. The ring will travel with her - she's too curious for it not to - but she won't put it on, not yet. There are still questions she doesn't have the answers too, and the ring is a few of them.
So, Clinkclong sends Hund to pick up trail - maybe a wild elephant chase, but maybes not. Hund shoulds be able to sniffs the box, picks up the knocker's trail and and gives chases.
(Clinkclong will send Hund to sniff the ring's box and attempt to pick up a trail from this mysterious knocker while everyone else is preoccupied with the ring and scroll.)
Hund is as vigilant as ever and tries its hardest to pick up the trail of the mystery knocker. However, as soon as Hund leaves the room with the scent, it comes right back and starts "whimpering" at the scrolled note. The note seems to be the only scent in the vicinity of the box.
Your brain starts to ramble in thoughts... Maybe the knocker was a ghost man or just, poof, disappeared into thin air...Ooh, ooh, maybe the box itself was the knocker...
As soon as you put on the ring, you begin to feel a tingling run through your body. And then your vision starts to blur, eventually fading altogether. In a matter of seconds a loud snap rings out and you find yourself flying through planes and times. Some planes look familiar, others you don't recognize at all. Shortly, you come to a gentle rest, standing in the middle of a council chamber of sorts. Surrounded by another who has the same look of bewilderment about them.
Looking around the lit room, you here a calmly, firm voice;
..."Ah, it seems the first of you are arriving. It's good to see the rings have met their purpose."
..."But I do only see two of you at the moment, didn't we give out eight rings in total?
Up on a simple dais stands seven individuals, all looking about on you, and talking amongst themselves. Each of the seven persons are well dressed, regal some might say.
As you gather your wits, what is your next moves?
As you put the ring down, or around your neck, you decide to turn in for the night. After all it had been an interesting day. While you are turning down your bed, you get a quick vision of an explosion, and then it's gone. Thinking nothing of it, but a quick start, you crawl into bed and reside to slumber.
In the middle of the night, fast asleep, you experience the most vivid dream you can recall...
"Rudimentary creatures of blood and flesh, you touch my mind, fumbling in ignorance, incapable of understanding... I am beyond your comprehension."
Startled awake, you find yourself standing over the mystery box with ring in hand...
As you gather your wits, what is your next moves?
"Alright" he says leaning on the sword comfidently "this is the first time I have been contracted by you bunch, and from the looks of it you look important. So why don't we cut to the chase and tell me why I'm here..." he says throwing a subtle glare at Lysa "...and as long as you are paying, you don't even have to know my name, just consider it done."
"Right, you dumb ring show me what you can do." He blasted the ring with fire.
It remained unscathed. "What game are you playing?"