The Cycle of Magic

[xCRAZYxFACEx]

It is said that when war brews in the minds of great men and women, the first and last to know are the people. They are the front lines of any war, the ones that would-be conquerors must either win over or frighten into submission. They see war in the hearts and minds of their fellows, and know when their ruler is a cruel tyrant or a benevolent king. A kingdom without its populace is merely an army, nobles with no subjects.


47 years ago, a war was waged in the land of Durian. Secessionists in what is now Teredor felt that their needs were not being met by the king of the time, King Foliman, of the line Gregoran. Their pleas for aid fell on deaf ears, and so the leaders of the revolution decided to make a decisive first strike against the kingdom of Teredil. Seizing the city Pyl’s Gate, they quickly drove out the defenders and blocked out the Aeres Tower. They rapidly gained territory, pushing east and nearly reaching the Heartlands in the first months of the war.


King Foliman responded with overwhelming force. Over the course of a decade, the armies of Teredil pushed the Secessionists back, until they reached the massive portcullis of Pyl’s Gate. From there, the newly formed Democratic State of Teredor held the line for five more years until an uneasy armistice was reached. The boundaries of the empires were set along the coast of Lake Fall, and Pyl’s Gate became a neutral grounds of sorts. Both empires set guards in Pyl’s Gate, the largest center of commerce in all of Durian.


32 years have passed since then. The roving gangs of Felrear and Din-Ghulda have constantly probed the defenses of Teredor, and so the border to the north and the northwest is constantly changing.


Conflicts along those borders have not been the only ones in recent years. Small skirmishes between independent mercenaries have taken place all along the border between Teredor and Teredil, though both empires deny any involvement.


War is brewing, and only the oblivious could not see it coming. Conscriptions have risen in all empires. Teredor and Teredil have both invented technomagical airships, in part based on the technology of the Majin. And it is even rumored that the pirates in Din-Ghulda have started to take people in addition to the riches of the ships they raid. In every aspect, the continent is readying for war, and some fear it may embroil all of the major empires this time.


And so, the cycle continues.


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The city of Pyl’s Gate could rightly be considered one of the wonders of the world. This massive, multi-leveled city is the center of commerce on the continent of Durian. The city is divided into two major districts, the north and the south, and in between lies Pyl’s Pass. Pyl’s Pass is not strictly part of the city, though it is still subject to its taxes and laws. In practice, however, it is a free-for-all between the myriad merchants attempting to sell their wares to any traveler or passerby. Laws here are rarely if ever enforced, and it is only one step above the streets in safety.


Soaring above the Pass are numerous bridges and walkways, where the middle class and the elite can walk from one district to another without stepping into the Pass proper. These walkways are at nearly every height, from just above the ground, to the very top of the battlements that are reserved for the Baron and the guards.


This stratification of the people and the city’s levels is no coincidence. Those living on the streets of Pyl’s Gate eke out an existence, working back breaking jobs or stealing for their daily meals. Even worse, the sun rarely reaches this level due to the number of aerial walkways and paths that link the upper echelons of the city.


Above the turmoil of the streets lie the middle class. More aptly, these are the business owners, traders, and guild workers of the city. Sturdy wooden walkways and rough hewn stairs link these mid level offices and workplaces. Few houses exist on this level; most who work here either live a level up or below.


Further still into the city, lie the well to do families and their apartments. Here lie the majority of the houses for the business owners, and for wealthy families that cannot afford one of the top tier house, or for nobles that have fallen on relatively hard times.


At the top of the city lie the nobility and the city guard. Space here is at a premium, given its height and the lack of wide open spaces. A few large mansions dot this layer, and even the occasional garden and artificial deck covered with grass can be spotted. Access here is restricted to those who live or work here.


The walls of Pyl’s Gate were constructed long ago, and the number of residents has only ever grown. Hopefuls that come to the city seeking residence often end up in the outskirts of the city, outside the protection of the walls. Here, peasants work the fields and supply food for the city in exchange for protection from bandits and petty thieves. The quality and amount of said protection is often a topic of fierce debate, as bandit raids are only marginally hampered by guards.


Of particular note are the Gate and the Aeres Towers. The Gate, the source of the city’s name, is a massive, five foot thick and forty feet tall gate made of solid iron. Large gears and levers control the Gate, though it is rarely if ever closed. The difficulty of closing the Gate and the number of travelers the city sees daily prohibit that. Only during times of war are the Gates bothered to be closed.


The Aeres Towers, on the other hand, are massive magical constructs that can near instantaneously transport people and goods from one end of the continent to the other. Only the five great cities possess one, and only Pyl’s Gate possesses two, one for each of the two districts. Massive in size, these towers fire off once every half hour, transporting whoever can pay the exorbitant fee to whichever city they want to go. The taxing nature of the Towers on the mages who control them prohibit any faster transporting, and is in part why the fee is so expensive.


This is Pyl’s Gate. And for the past two months, murders on people from every tier of society have been taking place, putting the entire population on edge. Several riots have occurred in the lower levels, and the wealthy have taken to walking quickly at night, if they go out at all.


Just last week the Baron’s son was found dead, poisoned, and then mutilated. In his grief and rage against the murders, the Baron has authorized the guardsmen to organize freelancers in search of the murderer, or murderers.


You are one such individual, either living in or passing through Pyl’s Gate. Whether you join for cash, for glory, or out of sheer boredom, it will matter little once you start tracking down the murderers. You have two weeks before the job is terminated without pay, or until the next murder.


The clock is ticking, and as is the way in Durian, the Cycle must continue.

 

[xCRAZYxFACEx]

One day after the Baron authorized the use of freelancers, you found yourself in a room inside one of the barracks for the guard. It was at the top layer of Pyl's Gate, and you had never had the chance to see the city from such height. In a word, it was breathtaking. Only those who lived on the upper levels, or were too jaded from life, would pay the view no mind.


The room in the barracks, on the other hand, was much less impressive. It had simple stonework walls, floor, and ceiling, with very spartan decorations and no windows to speak of. In fact, that room represented the design philosophy of the barracks and the guard as a whole; pragmatic, efficient, and militaristic. At the moment, the room was filled with a dozen people, of all races and creeds, looking to make a buck off of the murders. Wooden chairs were set out, and they were facing a pedestal at the front of the room. There stood a senior guardsmen, a captain by a cursory look, and he was giving the assembly a withering look.


"Would everyone kindly sit?" the captain, in a tone that demanded rather than asked for compliance. In moments, the group that had been standing around and chatting with one another was quiet and taking their seats.


"Thank you," said the captain. "Now, you all have surely heard of what's happened. There have been a string of murders in the past few months, culminating two nights ago with the death of the Baron's son, Adrien. You lot are being hired to help the guard track down the brigands responsible for this and bring them to justice."


A hand rose in the front of the room, and a naga brusquely asked, "What evidence is there saying there's more than one murderer?"


The captain furrowed his brow, but his voice was steady as he replied. "Several of the murders have taken place on the same night, in different layers and districts. Unless one man can run for kilometers, poison three targets, and then eviscerate them all in one night, I'd wager we have a conspiracy going on."


Another voice, from a human this time, came from the back of the room. "And that's how the murderers done it, eh? Poison 'em and chop 'em up? Sounds like a waste of time to me."


This time the captain grimaced, in frustration or disgust one couldn't tell. "If you would let me finish, I can tell you all the details." Frustration, then. "Please, no more questions until I've finished the briefing. As for the question, yes, we've come to the conclusion that the bodies were poisoned, and then mutilated once dead. We've found poison mixed in with the blood and the bodies, and magical analysis shows the victims were still alive when the poison was administered. That means it isn't being planted for us to find," he finished, forestalling any questions from disbelieving faces. "As for where the victims were found, they've been found everywhere. On each of the levels, in both districts, and even outside the walls in some instances. There's no pattern to who or why these people are attacked. So, that means you lot have your work cut out for you."


The captain sighed, putting his hands on the pedestal and leaning on it. "I'll be blunt. I don't like hiring freelancers, but the guard is spread thin and we don't have any leads. Ask questions, look for suspicious behavior. Some of you likely know these streets better than I do, use that to your advantage. Once you find a lead, give us names, give us locations, and the guardsmen will take care of it. And do not, under any circumstances save for self defense, kill anyone. We need people alive to find these murderers, and we don't need more innocents killed because of over zealousness," the captain hissed. "You'll be paid for each individual that has some connection to this, once they are verified. And if you manage to find the ringleaders, you'll get the grand reward of 5000 gold pieces."


The room quieted at that. The mercenaries and freelancers had known it would be a hefty sum, but that much money could feed a family for years, or buy a house in the upper layers.


The captain grinned at their reaction. "Now, get to it. There's a group of murdering bastards out there, and you're not the only group of freelancers and mercs that are out for the prize. And remember, you find something, bring it to me. My name is Captain Vaelton, I'm easy enough to find if you ask the guards politely. You're free to go. Any questions, ask them now."


Roughly half of the group left immediately, eager to start working on the job. The captain started fielding questions. The first one came from the same naga from before, who asked, "How long do we have to finish the job? The description said there was a time limit."


Captain Vaelton nodded. "Two weeks, or until the next high profile murder. The Baron doesn't want to send the city into a panic, but if this goes on for much longer he won't have a choice. He'll have to start a curfew and double guard rotations. Everyone would like to avoid that, of course."


And so the questions went. You found yourself still in the room, listening. Maybe you should ask a question? Find someone to partner with? (after all, these are murderers, you need to be careful) Or, maybe you'd prefer to be out the door, and get to work by yourself? The choice is yours, and there are rarely any right answers.