Quest ~ The Compass ~ Main Quest Thread!

[Zena_Kuzuki]

The story begins with a conflict, as most stories do. Well, the more interesting ones, besides.
Four deities - four sisters - four personalities.
Nenya, Calendi, Danarme and Umea.
Goddess of the Great Seas, Goddess of the Light, Goddess of the Earth and Goddess of Wickedness and Chaos.

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The gods had always been a separate entity to the knowledge of the mortal world - with far more in number than the likes of mortals could even comprehend. The four sisters, charged with the keeping of the 'Four corners' of the world, desired nothing more than power, elevation and complete control. The siblings met together and pleaded with Noleme, God of Wisdom and gatekeeper to the Higher Realm in the heavens, to allow them into the Higher Realm in order to live and feast with the mightier deities of the kingdom. Noleme knew of the sisters well, and well was he to know them and forbid them from entering. He sent them on their way, placing four unique compasses in each of their hands. He told them, that if they could complete the pilgrimage, the 'Vand-mentie' entitled to all the stronger deities, returning with proof from their journeys, they could feast and live in the Higher Realm.
The sisters decided to meet and travel together as one, making the journey easier and faster - the way was notoriously dangerous and long, and even stretched into the lands of the Mortal World. Upon three days of their journey, they accommodated a cave upon the Elenoi Mountain to stay the night and seek refuge as the daylight drew to a close. It was that night, that calamity fell upon the sisters and the world as it stood.
They turned on one another, attempting to kill each other - each thirsty for power and entrance into the Higher Realm before the others. That fateful hour, a storm raged the heavens as the four corners of the earth fought with their own kind. The lightning was combined with torrents of rain, reaching even the Mortal World, causing confusion in every tavern, street and forest. The earth shook on its axis. A final flash of lightning pierced the sky, as Bannos, the elicitor of Judgement stood at the entrance of the cave, towering above them. He banished them, hurling them into the chasm beneath the cave, thrown down to the boundaries of the Mortal World, and their compasses scattered the same, never to be found.

At least, that is what the legend told.
The event introduced chaos and strange happenings in the Mortal World. Eruptions, earthquakes, unfamiliar sources of deep magic and other fantastical appearances reaped havoc in the once stabilised Mortal Realm. Following in the steps of the legend, many mortals have attempted since to recover the compasses and seek peace, to their destruction.
Erenos, a travelling sorcerer from the rural suburbs of Kardish, stumbled upon Danarme's compass - found in the hollows of a twisted tree in the Dark Elm wood to the east. He brought the compass to his small abode in Kardish, where he was killed three days later by an unknown source. He was left with a symbol imprinted upon the nape of his neck, and found dead upon his desk in his home. The legend has long become folktale, although some hold it dear across the kingdoms.

Falkhiri, brother to Erenos, has called upon the Senarin Elves in the North, travelling from his home in the South, to seek advice and a group that could find the compasses together and restore what peace can be rectified.
Your character(s) have been called. Sent a note etched in the collectively known tongue of the lands by an anonymous source, to meet at the Golden Guild Inn in the small village town of Gazra-On to the west (as identified on the map)
Your character does not know exactly why the note has been sent - you have only been told that you are to meet a group at this location in order to 'fulfil your destiny'.

​

As a group, many challenges will be faced. From Gazra-On, you will be met by a stranger and given direction to the Elves in the north, where Falkhiri is seeking refuge, in fear for his life.
Let the quest commence!


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[Zena_Kuzuki]

~ GM ~​

The note you receive is sealed with red serum, a plain, universal stamp embossed in the matte red liquid. Upon the note however, there is a symbol, etched in black ink, of the letter "G" encircled by a ring, with a dove upon the outside. The marking is unknown to you, but it instructs you to meet the Golden Guild Inn. Each note has been tailor made to entice your character, some promising gold and other rewards, some about fulfilling your destiny, others different.

The village is small bust bustling, the streets cobbled, and the buildings worn and tattered. The street folk are welcoming enough, being mostly dwarfish, with the exception of a few dishevelled builders and miners that hustle their way past - their focus on returning to their small country homes on the outskirts of the village. There are markets stalls being collapsed and cleared for the night, as well as a few strangers begging at the roadsides and alleyways, hoping for a copper or silver coin drunkenly tossed by the workers after hours.
The Tavern is located in the heart of the small rural town, beside the blacksmiths, and inside it is busy and loud. The drowsy, animated chatter and laughter of mostly dwarves, even a few humans, fills the room, even from the street. The stench of ale and beer is the most prominent, with much of it being tossed into the air or onto the table, poured into large metal pints. The size of the pub is surprising, for a dwarven build, it's ceiling reaching higher than most of the brick and stone houses in the village.
You notice that each of the tables, between the drunken arm swings and brawling of the Tavern members and arranged cosily about the tavern space, has a carving inscribed in the wood. Each with the letter "G", and the basic markings of different animals beside it, allocating an arrangement order.

First thing is first. Where to sit? Who to look for? The note gives no indication.

Feywild EldridSmith BarakaisBae Nightliss StormWolf Xio KingHalliwell

 

[EldridSmith]

Having conveniently figured out what the bag of holding did only hours ago Gizzard grins as he is able to keep all his stolen gold with him at all times. He takes Zar, Ken, Hev, Hoks, and Eku over to the darkest corner in the tavern as many folks abhorred kobolds, staying there till someone approaches him regarding the letter. Zar, Ken, Hev, Hoks, and Eku order drinks, bickering who will pay for it before Gizzard begrudgingly passes over the gold for drinks. Gizzard orders gizzards but gets a strange look from the bartender.

 

[Xio]

A formal request for aid, the promise of riches, and a warning of danger are all good ways of getting someone's attention. Some might run from a fight, but Oliver Summerstar relished the chance to test his sword arm. Plus given that the request came from someone of some renown. At least, Oliver assumed it did. The generic seal meant he probably was not seeing another noble, but the calligraphy of the G meant he was dealing with someone at least versed in decorum. Probably a merchant or, better still, a wizard. Oliver could hardly contain his excitement as he walked through the streets of the dwarven town. Though he was well-dressed, his clothes and skin were dusty from the journey here. He could feel that his expertly crafted hair had come undone, causing one bang to keep falling over his face. Every time he went to pull it back up, his pack jangled. Oliver had tried to pack light, but even the essentials had piled up after a while; armored plates, rations, a dagger, spare clothes, a shortbow, a quiver of arrows, a whetstone, soap, a comb, wine, a tankard, a waterskin, a quill, ink, paper, candles, and a book. It was nothing but the essentials, but it was still heavy. His bow and arrows stuck out of the pack, beating against a shield hanging from the back. The iron-rimmed shield had leather stretched over the wood, which was painted with the Summerstar emblem; a white, four-pointed star with two smaller stars to either side of it, all over a dark-blue field. Even out here he made sure everyone could tell who he was. The only things he didn't carry on his back were his clothes and the longsword on his hip. Oliver never went anywhere without his Lion's Pride. The blade was nothing special, but the guard had been crafted with a relief of a roaring lion with four points sticking out from its mane. Usually he would have just had James carry his things for him and kept the sword, but Oliver had to leave in a rush without his traveling companion. If that boy had to carry more than this every time Oliver went out, he would have to write him a formal apology for his prior behavior. And get someone who could read to read it to him. Actually, on second thought, it would probably be better if he said it to James' face.

Oliver took a deep breath before entering the tavern, trying to regain some semblance of refinement. Once he felt presentable, he shoved the door open and stepped into the darkened drinking hall, "Afternoon, gentlemen." He said, both to everyone and nobody. he glanced over the patrons' heads (gods bless these short folk) before he noticed the carvings on the table. Either this was a sneaky bastard, or he had paid the tavernkeep a sizable purse. Either way, Oliver began wandering through the tavern checking the animals on each of the tables. He was large enough that he could make his way through the brawling without getting pulled into it, only occasionally having to pull out of the way of a flying flagon or nudge a drunken dwarf out of the way. Damn this man, he came here for a fight, not solving codes. What did he want? The letter had some kind of bird on it... what was it? A robin? A cardinal? He at least knew it was not a raven or any raptor he knew of. He may as well just look for a bird and hope for the best.

 

[BarakaisBae]

Sask "The Actress" Bastillo

The changeling had put a lot of thought into how to go about this rather strange situation. Going out and meeting an employer in public was rather unusual, if not outright irrational, especially because of the vagueness of it. The letter writers knew she couldn't just reveal her changeling appearance and announce that she was working for the mysterious group, didn't they? Her kind wasn't exactly well-liked and not everyone was very fond of her work. So, unsurprisingly, the Actress put a disguise together before she stepped anywhere near the tavern.

A lot of research goes into every new face, and this was no different. When she discovered the town was populated with mostly dwarves, a dwarven persona was the obvious route to go. The difficult part was figuring out a way to go under the radar, but still make herself obvious to the people she may be working with. Eventually, after playing around with a few concepts, she found a satisfactory appearance for herself.

A pale, pudgy dwarven woman walked into the Golden Guild Inn. She had a small nose, thin eyebrows, and long sideburns the same colour as her untamed golden mane. Ugly by most dwarf standards, with no beard and little muscle, but likely somewhere between average to kinda cute to other races. This was exactly what she had been going for, ugly enough for dwarven men to not initiate flirtatious contact with her but average enough to all other races that may be there to be ignored. She had gone back and forth between giving herself brown or blue eyes, before deciding on blue, as two strong colours together made it harder to appreciate either of the two features and thus made her less attractive. Her steps were loud and confident as she made her way inside, typical of many of the race. She found that paying attention to stereotypes and the common mannerisms of a race made it easier to pretend to be a member of said race, however, she'd be the first to admit her speciality was copying human behaviour.

Her pale blue eyes scanned the room and it's surroundings, taking note of the people and objects inside the tavern. The first thing she noticed was a group of Kobolds, but she decided that they couldn't possibly be a part of the mission. How was she, a rogue known for her deception and disguises, supposed to work with a group of loud, rowdy lizard-men? Her employer couldn't possibly be that illogical, right? The next person she spotted was very out of place, and she actually knew this person. Well, she didn't know him, but she knew of him. It was very important to be aware of all the major houses and families when you're often hired to "take care" of public officials abusing their power. So she recognized the symbol the man flaunted immediately and had a pretty solid idea of who he was. Maybe he would be working with her? There's no way he'd come to a small town like this for no reason, after all. It was peculiar, but maybe she needed to infiltrate into the circle of royal families and pretend to be Oliver's latest arm candy to get rid of a problem or something? Wouldn't be the first time she'd done something like that and it seemed plausible. But the question of why the letter had been so vague remained...

She decided to try deciphering the meaning of the animals at the table at a later date and decided to find out for herself if the man was involved in this or not. "Oh, my gods!" Her voice was shrill and high-pitched, much like that of a pre-teen girl's. She rushed over to him, nudging her way through the other dwarves. "A Summerstar? In a town like this? What are the chances of that!" She exclaimed, her eyes wide and mouth agape as though she were starstruck by his mere presence. "Wow, I've never met nobility before! That's so cool! May I buy you a drink, sir? What brings you to a little town like this?" The seemingly dwarven woman questioned in a rapid-fire manner, bouncing up and down with projected excitement. This approach could be slightly risky in that he may be turned off by her eagerness, but she hoped that vanity and pride would make him happy to answer her questions and entertain what looked to be an admirer. Besides, she had a back plan if the former scenario occurred.
​

(Interactions: Xio & (mention) EldridSmith )

 

[Xio]

Oliver looked up from the table when he heard his name. Then he remembered where he was and looked down instead. A dwarven woman was squealing up at him. He was surprised anyone around here would recognize his sigil, especially by a local. He was so far from home even he wasn't sure who ruled here. She seemed decent at least; Oliver didn't know much about dwarves beyond the occasional merchant he had come across, but she was certainly bubblier than he was used to from dwarves. A good bit more clean-shaven too, which wasn't a bad thing. He'd met one dwarven woman before, and given how much that woman disliked him staring at her beard he was glad to not have to worry about it this time around.

"And not just any Summerstar. Oliver Summerstar, heir the the Summerstar seat, answering a formal summon." He gave the woman a bow. He made a show of it, placing one hand over his heart and bowing as low as his pack would let him. It was a good enough explanation. It should satisfy her curiosity, veil his reasons should the summoner have sensitive information, and hid the fact that he didn't know much himself. Instead, he changed the subject, "I'm afraid I couldn't accept that in good conscience, my lady. Instead, let me buy you one as soon as I find us a table." He huffed before checking the table again. He would be damned before he let common-carved furniture end his quest before it had even begun. Though, if she was a local, she might know this tavern better than him. Plus, she seemed eager to talk to him anyway. "Actually, do you know of a table with a carving of a bird on it? It's part of the reason I'm here, daft as it sounds. Person I was supposed to meet decided riddles were better than explainations. I've pretty much cracked it though, minus finding the carving itself." Never mind he still couldn't remember what the bird even looked like.

 

[Zena_Kuzuki]

~ GM ~

The hooded figure sitting idly in the corner arises from his seat, his face entirely in darkness and his figure bent over, as if disgfigured. He walks undisturbed to the sides of the bar, where he taps the first of the desired group, Gizzard. He nods his head beneath his hooded exterior, and whispers coarsely "come", before gliding to the next, weaving in and out of the kobolds that shrouded their leader. The figure's cloak appears torn, almost subdued in ivy and weeds, although the bearer does not seem to care or notice.
He approaches the two, standing together, the dwarven mistress and the guard - Oliver Summerstar. Tapping the dwarf subtly on the shoulder, and standing beside the Summerstar heir. "Here," the stranger points to a large oaken table, coincidentally cleared from drunken associates and placed towards the back of the pub space. The symbol upon the table appears to glow, inviting.

The figure walks haggardly to the table, where he sits perfectly in the centre, waiting for you to follow. Upon the wood is etched a dove beside the infamous "G". There is a strange black mist that winds and dances it's away around the figure, as if seeping from beneath the cloak, charged with a blue hue - some source of magic, you can assume.
Once you have all sat, curious to know who this imposter may be, a rough and low voice can be heard from within the cloak. "So... You arrived. Good. I am charged with meeting the appointed here...to direct you."
He places a hand on the table, gnarled and scaled, before glancing through the darkness shrouding his face and revealing one yellowed eye, "... But do you possess what it takes?..."

He pounds the table with his scaled fist, releasing a loud 'crack' upon the surface and producing a black ripple that spreads to all corners of the tavern - the drunks and dwarves about them seem to have slowed in motion. Time stands still, except for you, of course. The colliding of pints slows, the spilling of ale and beer flows like lava from their cups, the clock hand on the wall slackens, the chime delayed and distorted. A toothed grin gleams from beneath the hood, and the stranger eyes the group, "you certainly look the part. But now....to business." He unveils his hood to reveal the hardened and scarred face of a dragonoid - the mist continuing to wisp around the compatriots. Even as the stranger blinks, you can hear a crackling beneath his eyelids as if worn with age.
"I am Stralgaker, wizard of Andolan, apologies for not mentioning sooner. I am under the charge of Gazra himself, as spy, conjurer and messenger. Now, you are probably wondering why you have been called here. I will ask you first, are you aware of the Legend of the Four Sisters? The folktale ringing from childhood?" ​

 

[EldridSmith]

Gizzard followed the strange person as he smelled like a kobold but different at the same time. Not like it mattered as he could smell the gold on their employer, and that's all he really cared about. Gizzard bopped the other kobolds on the head with his staff and pointed at the man giving them the sign to follow him, while Gizzard of course was first in line. The magic around him made Gizzard wary but it was unlikely someone would call someone out from the middle of nowhere out just to kill him. Gizzard sat down in the seat with the lowest amount of light shining on it as he could find, though they were all much brithter than he would have preferred. Gizzard nods at all his questions, except the last one which stumped him. Who the what now?