The new game (April 2014) began with Triangularus in the Year of the
Dragon, CY 487. A fell time worsened
from the previous 60 years passed by the unexpected advent of a vast nexus
storm. A storm that wreaked terrible
destruction upon Arduin with its arrival.
Empowered by Triangularus the storm lingered over Arduin with
destructive consequences.
But that's the
boring version. Here's something a bit
less droll.
*Ahem*
No son of Arduin or
of its world walks ignorant of Triangularus.
Be it man, elf, monster or beast in the field. It comes
but once every 60 years. A cycle
long enough that often times a generation of men or two may pass without the
sight of the three moons in triangle formation gracing the starry sky. The cosmic event takes all the world in its
grip, opening nexus gates otherwise closed and aligning them to the outer
worlds known in Arduin as the hells. No
single hell nor even nine has Arduin but 30 and more. All of them crawling with things that no one
living should ever have to meet. It's a
bad time of bad times rivaled only by the Black Equinox, which thankfully comes
on an even longer cycle.
 |
| Triangularus |
Everyone prepares.
All seek a place of harbor.
In most lands far from Arduin the night is little but a
short space of terror, a miasma of lingering antediluvian fears that brings
little to emboldened that dark space.
They sigh relief come the morning after and thank Saren the sun god for
a new dawn. Those closer to Arduin or
within its mountainous boundaries face a different, more deadly time. Nobles and those with means travel as far
from Arduin's borders as they can to seek out safer ground. For in Arduin it is the worst. There the nexus gates that provide Arduin's
bounty turn into its deepest vulnerability.
Those in the countryside come to the cities and towns or shelter in
place behind thick walls or in deeper cellars.
The cities and towns are the safest.
They have sprung up in areas where nexus are less numerous, if at all.
Leiberton was no exception.
A walled town in northeast Arduin along the king's road,
Leiberton is the hometown to several local beers whose taste and desire have
spread like wildfire across Arduin and other countries. Not to mention its alchemical laboratories
and golems.
Lots of golems.
Leiberton had a policy, the same that many towns had. A policy to bolster its defenses by hiring
mercenaries or even enticing travelers with the right scent of reward to stay
for Triangularus. Which was how Úzgari
Ironjaw found his way from the Orc Treatied Lands in the west of Arduin. He was passing through on his way farther
north when he was enticed by the golden glint of talk and endless food and
drink. He supplemented the core of the
force that would stay above during the night.
Those brave few would ensure that anything getting past the golems would
fall to their hands and not ravage the town.
Chiktik the Silver, a phraint mercenary stayed for similar reasons. Perhaps more of the thought of gleaning technology from the city folk
than the glimmer of gold. Raschid, was late
to depart Arduin like the rest of the nobility.
He chose to stay in Leiberton rather than try to escape in the short
time before Triangularus. Phelan and
Sven DiamondEye, co-mayors of the town were glad of his presence. A master of the ancient runeweaver traditions,
his power would serve well during the night.
Sklarda was more an engima: a deodanth of unknown power and
designs? Her addition would be a gift or
maybe a curse that only time would tell.
They were not alone.
Others joined for reasons the same or differing. Anlorn came back from the frosted north from
his 28 year stint in the mercenary company of the Northern Vord. He would rather stand with family in the
town, ensuring their endurance than wait with mercenary brothers in some
unknown land. Filimine was more
sanguine. She came out of boredom and a
chance to visit death without the law giving a care. Zuchin, a magic master out of Khurahaen chose
to stay to continue his studies when the night passed rather than depart and
need to travel back. Conn Z'ofier,
follower of the Sun God arrived to be a light in the darkness.
And more.
Many more beyond naming.
Everyone waited the pause between the sun's rise and fall
across the sky in different ways. Most
stockpiled what they might need and reinforced the walls between them in the
darkness. Those who chose to stay out in
the night made ready in their different ways.
Most looked to the sky as it rumbled and churned with thunderous clouds. They watched the spidery displays of light
from lightning. It was rare to see of
clouds on Triangularus when the nights were usually clear but the moons burned
behind them clear enough.
The moons aligned and the storm broke all in a single
instance. Those outside felt it like no
other and as one knew this would be a Triangularus as never before recorded.
Nexus cracked the air and the sky raining like drops from
the sky joining the hundreds that opened around and within the town. Triangularus had begun and on its heels came
a nexus storm whose maelstrom birthed nexus like drops of rain.
Battle was conjoined instantly, blood blazoning the earth as beings fell and
alien poured from the gates and tears in reality. No time for thought existed. Only the swing of blade, the pump of blood
and blazing of magic and mind. Even
those shivered in the booms and sky ripping displays of technology. It was like a scene out of the battles of
antiquity.
In the chaos of battle few noticed the great yawning nexus
that formed out of raindrops of tears in fabric of reality. It hovered over the town for a few moments
mixing the rain of two worlds and the light of its 7 moons to Arduin's triune moons before
dissolving. Such event was not alone -
nexus danced into being all around, spinning like jewels in the rain before
dissolving, exploding or wrenching open to disgorge all manner of beings.
To the defenders the
scene was of no import as they fought to stay alive. The golems were overran in the blink of an
eye – rendered useless with a wave of energy that swept the town, muting
technology everywhere. The effect didn't
last but a stray chunk of rock the size of small building took out the portion
of the town that had the direction/reset switch for them.
The defenders weathered on and amazing feats of bravery
occurred to quell the hellish invaders that scourged the town, eclipsed only by
the greater heroics that followed. Time
pressed on relentlessly until all paused.
Defenders and few living foes alike look around realizing the pause for
an intake of breath before something new came into being. The new was a wave of muroid, akin to upright
rats mixed with all manner of beings. They crashed over the town and its inhabitants overrunning friend and
foe alike. While they freely engaged in
battle none stopped long seemingly fleeing from something more deadly than the
life stealing blades of the defenders.
That thing revealed itself shortly as out of the billowing clouds that
were engulfing the town blew the horror of the Change Wind. Everything
it touched contorted from its true shape to something else. What was left died or howled for death from
the bizarre shapes they had taken.
Our focus, however,
is with a small group of the defenders, who out of desire for survive banded
into a merciless machine of destruction.
Úzgari, Chiktik, Raschid, Sklarda, Anlorn, Filimine, Zuchin, and
Conn. They were not alone, but stood as
the core of the larger group, its heart and soul that kept them striving
through the darkness. Their bravery kept the northwest side of the town free
most of the night. In fact, they only
retreated back towards the center rally point after a massive tree spun into
being, ripping apart and replacing a building they were using as a defensive
point. Chaos favored them that moment
and its arrival harrowed their enemies more than the defenders. The fighting back to the retreat point was a
blur of action and time inhibited by the thick fog and cloud. Nothing, not even the night sky and the
triune moons were visible.
As sudden as
it began, it ended.
Only 12 out of the
near two hundred that had volunteered to stay above ground survived. It was a somber moment and in it the
realization that the greatness and unity they had shared in the face of
annihilation would fade and by doing so, they would become something lesser.
Úzgari was the first to break the silence the
rumble of his gut echoing in the clear silence.
It was the trigger that broke them all apart as the few looked at each
other one more time and then slipped away to rest, recuperate and find what
shreds of humanity still remained.
Time was slippery in the after of the battle and days slid
into a week before any knew it, especially with the dawning realization that
they were cut off. The mist and fog
never retreated. Its presence provided
an insidious barrier to communication beyond the town. It also confounded any attempts to exit.
None that tried the mist returned.
Also, beyond the carnage inflicted by Triangularus, a
curiosity had joined the giant tree. A
great metal building, sheathed in iron and humming with energy towered in place
of the golden manses that had once been the jewel of the noble quarter.
Numerous tests were undertaken to what had occurred. Raschid was involved in some, his intellect
and knowledge of runeweaving not to mention his noble status made his inclusion
unquestionable. While their attempts led
to nothing, Raschid did sense something profoundly chaotic in the mist,
silently echoed by his own heart, not that he let this on to the others. Conn, the follower of Saren, the solar deity
had his own suspicions of Raschid, one he did not share outside of his
disapproving air.
The others were involved in other duties: policing up
stragglers from the invasion or handling the disposition of the dead. When someone landed on the idea of fishing
with dead bodies in the mist, all but Raschid volunteered to help. More out of boredom from piling up the dead
than anything else.
Raschid was trying to pry secrets from the odd building made
of metal. He was not alone but he had
more success than others, employing his rune knowledge of metals to call out
its true name to give up its secrets. It
complied, speaking to him of its many layers of wafer-thin iron, there to be
burned off as it moved through space and grew hot. Something easily replenishable as a
resource. Its inside was vast, full of
intricate machinery, some metal, some other materials and maybe a part
flesh. Raschid sought more but some
intellect, cold and callous but bright with awareness ejected him. Further attempts to discern knowledge were
met with the same rapid ejection.
Fishing, however, was
bearing fruit. For the most part casting
the corpses into the mist was grisly but necessary business, since they were
the only things cast out that seemed to occasionally come back. Once such cast brought back a body and
something right behind it.
Chiktik and Úzgari engaged it first though Sklarda had
elected to bide her time for the right moment, probing its form with psychic
powers. Chiktik brought forth his
wide-mouthed cannon (thick blunderbuss++) and let loose with a blast of nails,
peppering its hide and blinding it in one eye.
Úzgari got a chunk of it with a hand ax he threw as he unlimbered his ax
and moved to engage. In the rather
chaotic melee that ensued, Chik fired off his pistols, winging it more, Úzgari
got it in the gut with his ax, hitting with a greater modicum of strength thanks
to Sklarda increasing his inertia and speed with her mental powers right as he
struck. Under a flurry of follow up
blows it fell, Úzgari taking its head with one great blow of his ax. It flew and bounced, trailing the normal
disgusting slime of gore and strange metallic lines like wires.
Securing the scene, they quickly figured out it had some
form of squid/jellyfish parasite that nestled on its spine and sent filament
tendrils throughout its muscularity and nerves.
This seemed worth reporting and Chiktik took control of it. Rejoining Raschid who reported for them to
the town mayors they puzzled over the strange creature before setting it
aside. Chiktik, not one to leave
anything made sure the "set aside" was into the bag he had brought it
in and back to his belt.
While fanning out to rest, Raschid considered several
options and chose to drop into a meditative trance and let his chaotic nature
guide his next move. It was, in great
parts, why he had chosen to stay in Leiberton.
In a short time it pulled him to his feet and out into the town though
he knew it not. Sklarda, interested,
followed. When she saw him walk into
thin air and disappear. Only to reappear
on the top of a building nearby.
Intrigued, she followed with greater interest. In quick succession he stepped through 4-5
invisible nexus tears – gently floating rips in reality that he somehow seemed
to locate. She followed right behind him. On his heels, one after the other, until it ended
them both in some place unexpected. No
longer in the town, Raschid snapped out of his trance when the harsh chilling
rain beat down on him. He would have
fallen had Sklarda not gripped him hard while digging into tree bough beneath
her feet with her toe claws.
They were both in a
giant tree or so she surmised in the gloom of the falling rain. Sklarda could just make out the glow of light
somewhere behind their position but it was hard to tell from the kaleidoscope
of radiation that was playing havoc with her senses.
It didn't take a genius to figure that they were likely in
the giant tree that had appeared in the town during Triangularus. It was a likely surmise that fit with what
was happening. While limited in sight,
Raschid had other senses and made use of them to determine that this gate was a
two-way path, unlike the others that had been one-way apertures. He guided the two of them through and was
relieved when it returned them to town.
Interest more than piqued, the two of them rounded up what was fast
becoming their "group". It
didn't take long to bring Chiktik and
Úzgari in.
Úzgari was rip-roaring drunk and spent more time singing
orcish ditties than anything
constructive but it seemed a good fit nonetheless. Chiktik was intrigued heavily and demanded in
his flat voice for them to repeat everything.
Úzgari eventually wandered out in the street, drawn by something sensed
more than heard. He watched as dozens of
wooden crates dropped from the sky onto the cobblestones. It made him laugh. Those that broke spilled out a bounty of
ice-packed seafood, mainly prawns, jellyfish and squid. He amused himself by eating it before it
spoiled, ignoring the fact it may be dangerous.
He was confident in his ability to digest anything.
Chiktik, hearing the whole tale, demanded to be shown. He mapped the path, walking it several time
with them, working out the positions of the tears to their previous ones. It was rapidly obvious they had moved. Floated randomly by the looks of it.
Raschid led him and
Sklarda back to the tree. The storm
still raged and Chiktik, spurred by some idea, jumped into the foliage
above. He disappeared without a trace. They waited, then inspired by some thought, Raschid
pulled upon the chaotic form within his being.
He called upon its powers and it reacted, though in a way he
appreciated. The power ripped through
the tree limb they stood on and sent it falling through space towards the
ground.
Sklarda made a quick escape via the nexus rip but Raschid,
unable to do so rode it all the way down.
It crashed down at the base of the tree in the town. As random luck would have it he was equally
unhurt though momentarily stunned when it crashed down. The branch landed at an angle, making a
bridge upwards into the tree. One
Raschid, and soon Sklrada and Úzgari followed.
It wasn't without some discussion: the crash had coincided with what
sounded like another assault on the town. Their debate was short lived. Between the bug they were beginning to
fondly call "Clampy" and unknown invaders they chose Clampy and the
tree. While they trekked up, Chiktik aka
Clampy had a quicker introduction to the power they would soon be facing.
His jump turned into a series of "falls" as
gravity flipped on him in random directions.
Chiktik followed it until he came a line of "ants", if ants
were grown to two feet long and possessed of a few more limbs. They followed a slightly different path and
he followed them. Their path led to an
aperture in the tree, a large one some 20 or so feet in height and
breadth. It was guarded by warrior
types, larger versions near the size of his own frame (7ft). His arrival and subsequent attempts to
communicate led them to churn out more warriors and a different type of shield
ant that barricaded the way in. At a
stalemate, Chiktik hunkered down with infinite patience and continued to
attempt communication with them.
It paid off. While the others fought their way through
shifting gravity and navigated towards him a scarab version of the insects
pushed its way out from the tree. It was
massive in comparison. Easily ten times
as much and of a different species.
Beyond its girth and obvious dominant presence, it was modified
technologically. Its underbelly held the
protruding barrel of a firearm or laser weapon (Chiktik was betting bio-laser
weapon) while its "mouth" had a telescoping blade. Avarice thoughts danced in his head of
acquiring said things and plotting thus entered his mindset as he was blasted
with a mix of pheromones and sound.
Their communication was vast, intricate and layered in ways only an
insect would understand. In rapid
succession he made them understand he was not a threat. They in turn let him know that they considered
him only mildly threatening. Also that
the townsfolk were considered a renewable food source. Oh, and that they came from another world, one
with more suns and moons than this one and much better air.
A lot better.
Something they missed.
More perhaps could have been ascertained but the flow of
information was disrupted by the arrival of the other three.
That led to a new flurry of communications wherein Chiktik
(with some help) conveyed that they were not food to be eaten and were
valuable. The unfortunate displaying the
squid spine creature in the follow up discussion led to the scarab destroying
it with its belly cannon (and proving to Chiktik that it was a bio-laser
powered by internal organs). After some
fast footwork and rapid discussion it also led to one of the hive queens
showing up.
She/it attempted to psychically command them but failed
utterly in the face of the strong will of the group and Sklarda's psychic
power. Unruffled, she/it demanded they
remove the "corruption" which lay in the hive as well as remove the
mobile "corruption" by which she meant Raschid, whom she maligned for
some reason. After some debate (and
demands from Chiktik) they acquiesced but not without reservations. Hearing the insects wanted to leave and could
do so after the corruption was removed went a long way to swaying them towards
helping. Helping anyone, from bugs to
the town, was starting to become a bit wearing.
Chiktik, as an aside, wanted his dna adjusted by a queen to
remove the instant obedience and subservience to his hive's queen. Caring less, it agreed and gave him a coded
dna globule. It also provided different
ones to the others, giving them a boost in some ways as well as protecting them
from the trees defenses.
Set, they dropped below with some help from the flying
beetles. It didn't take long to find the
rotting corruption that took over a part of the main trunk of the tree. They were deposited abruptly and quickly
grabbed their bearings. Raschid, the
only one blind in the darkness pulled a flashlight from his pouch and used it
to see. The rot was thick here and the
stench was near overwhelming. Sklarda
warned them the place was awash with potentially dangerous radiation. Knowing the threat, they pressed forward
slowly.
It didn't take much to
get a reaction as mechanical spiders tore from the pulped rot, their
Not a promising sight if it was defeated.
As dangerous as they looked, they fell fast. They broke half of them before the next
threat arrived in the form of a skeleton of a large framed man complete with a
large crystal/gem protruding from its chest.
The crystal blazed malignantly, gaining instant attraction from Raschid
(for its entropic pull) and Chiktik (for its technological applications). The smell of gunpowder overpowered the rot as
the roar of guns from Raschid and Chiktik roared. That, combined with the more physical prowess
of Úzgari and the telekinetic powers Sklarda unleashed, ended things rapidly. In short order all the spiders and the
skeletal man-thing were broken.
The danger, however was not over.
From the body of the
beetle exploded a towering snake-reptile head, its body embedded in the pulp of
the tree. Hot waves of radiation rolled
off its skin and it towered over Chiktik, Raschid and the others. Quick action and the luck of chaos paid off
in his favor as Raschid used his runeweaving to empty the power of the crystal
that lay in his hands to disrupt, spin and randomize the creature's DNA. The scrambling turned it to jelly and it
liquified before their eyes.
Thankful they had survived they took stock of wounds and the
situation. Chiktik made rapid work of
the spiders, ripping from them all kinds of wire and stock electronics, even
scavenging what he could from the beetle.
The others were no less sanguine, finding a stock of the
"food" the ants had been storing here. None were more than rotting corpses but the
ants had "discarded" the inedible and being pragmatic, they rifled it
for things to identify the dead (or what might be useful). A few things were to be had and they quickly
were put away as they pushed to depart.
The discussion with the queen was faster than expected since
not one but two queens greeted them
when they exited. They were rapidly
deposited on the ground and watched as the tree rippled and departed, leaving
nothing but a gaping hole.
The rest from there was clean up.
The attack while they were occupied had been taken care of
easily, since some of the mechanics had gotten new golems online. They could have cared less. They were too exhausted to give a damn and
quickly went to rest.
In the next few days they spent some time healing their
hurts and just, well, doing nothing.
Well, almost nothing. Úzgari
feasted. After all, an Orc travels on
his gut. He also mulled over a vision he
had had while fighting the spiders. That
of Gorbragna looking over his bravery and savagery with appreciation. It was uncommon for the Urukk god to care
much for Orcs. He clenched and
unclenched the hand he swore Gorbragna had filled with burning power. It made him think perhaps this god might be
worth following – at least in an Orcish way!
Raschid slipped away to confer with Zuchin. He was confident he would be able to assist
in figuring out the things they had, ahem, acquired. He was not wrong and Zuchin offered to trade
him a few items for the source of power they had acquired. Chiktik was engrossed in his new finds and
cared for no interruption. Sklarda was
a mystery. She slipped away and no one
was certain where she had gone or if she would even be back again.
The Group
Uzgari Ironjaw – Orc Savage
Chiktik the Silver (aka Clampy) – Phraint Techno
Sir Raschid – Human Runeweaver
Sklarda – Deodanth Psychic
Notable
NPCs
Phelan – Human Mayor of Leiberton
Sven DiamondEye – Dwarven Mayor of Leiberton
Anlorn DiamondEye – Veteran of the Northern Vord Mercernary
group
Filimine – Morvaenian soldier of fortune
Zuchin – Master mage from Khurahaen
Conn Z'ofier – Priest of Saren, the sun god
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