You walk up to the front door to find that it has been boarded up repeatedly by the magistrate and constables of Sunshire. However, as you inspect the wood on the frame, you can tell that it has been opened several times over the years from people who are far too curious for their own good. “I see we aren’t the first ones to force our way in,” announced Jerikko as he looked over your shoulder, watching you pry the wood off the frame. You toss the wooden planks to the side once you pry the nails from the wood, revealing a small opening into the building.
You walk in to find a dusty foyer filled with wooden chairs and tables, giving you the impression that this was the waiting area for the prison. You imagine guests of the condemned and incarcerated would be lined up inside this room to meet with with their loved ones with guards and soldiers keeping a close eye on them. You take a few steps into the room and examine it a bit further, noticing that all of the candles in the chandeliers are incredibly old with wax drippings hanging from all sides, though the wicks are still in good shape. The dust and cobwebs around the chandeliers are thick and coat the brass thoroughly, giving way to the idea that no one has stepped into this building for years.
You’re standing in the center of the room with Merevo and Jerikko flanking you on both sides. You look forward, noticing four doors all with iron locks on them leading into the back of the prison. You close your eyes for a brief moment and breathe. As you open them, the lights from the candle flicker and the two mages have disappeared. Behind you, a door has appeared that has closed and you are now trapped in the foyer. “Good day to you all and welcome to the stockades!” boomed a voice from the corner of the room. You turn quickly to notice a man standing in the corner wearing very elegant, well-tailored clothes. “It’s been quite some time since I’ve seen someone of the living stumble their way in here. I was beginning to think Sunshire was destroyed.”
The man seemed quite jovial as he looked you up and down, analyzing your appearance while walking in a circle. “You are well built and you seem to have seen some conflict recently. Interesting,” he said with a sharp grin. “I believe you will fit in quite well here.”
You look at the old man with a perplexed glare as he smiles wickedly. “You see, this place, while labeled a prison, is far worse than that. During the ancient War of the Gods, this location served as a prison for the enemies of the Gods Derrien, Zailyne, Talges, and Saeria. Those four Gods opted to imprison their foes in this wicked environment instead of killing them, locking their souls up for all of eternity instead of releasing them to Vesya for judgment.”
“The choice for the path you walk is yours and yours alone,” continued the man as he walked in front of you. He turns his back to you and points at each of the four doors, now revealing an insignia on each. “Each of these path’s was created by the four Gods and inside, you will find the tormented souls of their enemies. On the far left, you’ll see the Insignia of the Moons, the label for the Goddess of the Shadows, Saeria. On that path, you will find the souls of the followers of Neralil, the Goddess of Illumination. Her archangels and Solbohn fought valiantly for her until the bitter end. May she rest in peace.”
“Next to that, you’ll see the Insignia of a Wave, the label for the God of the Tides, Zailyne and his domain,” explained the man in the center of the room while pointing at the door. “Behind that door, you’ll find the souls of the followers of Dahar, Goddess of Life and Fertility. During the creation of Dun-I, she was charged with lighting the beacons of humanity, a task that was most envious because it created all of the followers of the Gods. However, she aligned herself poorly during the War of the Gods and her people were made to drown in the deep waters of their decisions for all of eternity.”
“To the right of that, you’ll see the Insignia of a Tornado, the label for the God of Air and the Atmosphere, Talges. The souls locked behind that door belong to the followers of Falorous, the God of Nature. Falorous took the creation and the gifts of the other Gods during creation and sculpted Dun-I into a beautiful world, but unfortunately, his followers and priests are made to suffer,” the man stated as he turned back toward you.
“Finally, the last door holds a very unique Insignia,” stated the old man as he walked toward the door. “Though it’s only a simple circle, it means so much more. This is the Insignia that Derrien, one of the Elder Gods and the God of Order has chosen. Behind the door though, you’ll find the followers of Valcus, the Forgemaster. Valcus is the God of Earth and Fire, having forged the land of Dun-I from the nether and created the surface you’re standing on today. His followers are ruthless, strong, and above all, angry at being imprisoned in a world of Derrien’s creation.”
The old man turns back toward you and pauses. “I must warn you,” he states slowly and calmly. “If you somehow manage to traverse either of these four passages, you will find yourself in the midst of something truly terrifying. The followers of the God, Maloris, are trapped in the doldrums of this building. Please, whatever you do, don’t incite them.” He pauses before smiling again. “But! No one has ever made it that far, so I don’t foresee any of you adventurers making it either. So, what path will you take for the rest of eternity?”
The Path of the Moons
The Path of Tides
The Path of Wind
The Path Home
You walk through the door with the circle on it and find yourself standing in a much different scene. Surrounded by stone statues and fantastic architecture, you look up to see the bluest sky you've ever laid eyes on. Marvelous buildings, that are several stories tall, are painting the landscape in front of you with beautifully painted stone walls and facades.
In the distance, along the concrete paths with beautifully lush and trimmed gardens to the side were several men and women clad in full battle regalia. Their faces were covered and the bulk of their bodies were protected, so you couldn’t make out who they were or what they were doing. In the center of the men clad in armor, a tall, muscular man was being paraded through the city streets in chains. His hair was unkempt and his clothing was in tatters.
“Vile creature,” said one of the citizens closest to you as they looked on.
“Pathetic,” said the woman next to him. “Being cast out is only too good for a monster like that.”
You look at the two citizens as they are staring at the man being marched through the city. Behind him, you see a single soldier with the tip of a dagger on the man’s back, forcing him forward along the path. To your right, you can see a woman in the same garb as those marching the man through the streets whimpering. You walk over to her, seeing her helmet resting on the grass.
“Go away,” she says while keeping her face hidden from you. “I don’t have the will nor the time for the likes of any citizens today.” You nod and turn, noticing how somber she is but opting to give her the space she is requesting. “Wait,” she says as she turns to face you. Her hair is dark and her eyes are brown, though blood-shot and red right now from the crying. Her face is soft and expression seems almost blank and judgmental. She rises up to her feet and looks at you in your eyes. “Are you here to witness the death of an innocent man too?” she asks you begrudgingly before turning away. “This man did no harm. Yes, he created a weapon capable of ending the life and the soul of any who reside here, but he never used it. Just because he created something the Royal Family fears, his punishment must be absolute. What justice is this?”
You look over her shoulder and watch as the man is being led into a very large building. “That is where he will meet his fate. That is where he will get his unjust reward,” she says to you before stepping toward the building. “I cannot allow this to go on. This isn’t justice. This isn’t a penance. This is fear.”
She stepped away from you and drew her weapon, holding the hilt of her sword in her hand firmly while eyeing the soldiers ahead of her. “Valcus, you are innocent,” she said as she walks away from you toward the guards and into the room where he was to be punished. The world around you melts, leaving you in a black void. You’re standing on a white, marble ground but you look around to see nothing. As you turn around, hoping to see something around you that looks recognizable, three creatures come from the darkness and attack you.
Commence Battle With Lesser Void Creature x 3
The dark creatures rescind back into the void as your feet are still firmly on the white ground. The void around you starts to spin with purple and white flecks of light around you creating an eerie vortex. You grip your weapons tightly as the area spins rapidly, eventually causing you to fall over onto your back.
You close your eyes as the room starts to make you sick. You breathe slowly while you feel the room slow down with a bright light appearing above you. As you open your eyes, a bright sun is peering down you from above. The ground around you has been replaced with a dusty, sandy surface. Above you, the vibrant blue sky has been replaced with a hazy, purple sky with a bright sun and a purple vortex above it.
“Looks like someone else is here to take a beating,” announces a man in tattered clothing and a gray cowl standing above you on an elevated surface. He leaps down and you can get a closer look at him. His shirt is exposed and you can see bruises and scrapes against his rough skin.
“Finally,” states another man from the other side, looking nearly identical to the man who already addressed you. “I’ve been taking too many beatings over the course of the centuries we’ve been here. It would be nice for someone else to share the burden.”
“It’d be nice for someone to just take the burden, brother,” replies the first man. “Travelers, my apologies for your arrival, but I must admit, it is good to see some new, fresh faces. My name is Invitius and this is my brother, Protherius. It’s quite nice to see someone join the ravaged and depraved of this terrible place.”
“It is quite nice,” said Protherius as he walked over to you and circled. “You’ve got a bit of talent to you, travelers. Have you seen much conflict?”
Invitius leaps off of his taller perch and walks toward you, circling around you with his brother and examining you. “I think they have, brother,” said Invitius as he looks at the armor you’re wearing and seeing the scores of scratches and scrapes. “Perhaps they’ll be the ones to deliver the beatings?”
“Impossible,” replies Protherius. “These travelers don’t possess near the ability to take down our oppressors.”
Invitius and Protherius stop circling you and step back, looking at you while standing beside one another. “Follow us, travelers,” says a very inviting Protherius. “I think you all need to meet the master of this realm. I think you all need to meet the Oppressors of our eternity.”
You nod slowly before following the two men down a long and dusty path. On both sides, men and women, all appearing to be beat up and injured, look at you in awe. Some of them appear to be marveled of your perceived power while others are jealous of it. Large sums of debris line the path, outlining it perfectly and leading to a large, circular area at the end that borders a tall building with a pair of brown, double-doors at the top of a long, sandy staircase.
In the circle, five soldiers in the same garb as earlier are sitting on stone thrones. Invitius and Protherius push you into the circle where the five soldiers look down on you. “What is this?” announces the soldier on the far end of the circle, closest to the stairs. “What have you brought us, fiends of Valcus?”
Protherius steps back from you with his brother as they back away from the circle. A large gate encloses you into the circle with the two brothers on the other side. “It’s been quite some time since we’ve had someone new stumble down into our prison,” says a very feminine voice beside you. She steps down from her throne, carrying a very large axe on her back to go with the heavy armor. She reaches up and pulls off her helmet, revealing an astonishingly beautiful, blonde woman standing in front of you. “I am Chalise,” she announces while standing a mere feet in front of you. “The five of us are members of the Order of Derrien. We are all loyal servants of he and his Seraphim and our job is to punish those who either are not followers of his teachings or we deem to be inferior to them.”
Chalise steps toward you even closer, almost in an intimate distance. “So, travelers, what are you? Do you follow his teachings or do you follow those of another?”
“Why do you bother asking these questions, Chalise,” asks another feminine voice from the neighboring throne. She pulls off her helmet to reveal another beautiful woman, though this one with dark hair and more pronounced features.
“Because I have hopes that another follower of Derrien will stumble into our midst, Rosali,” Chalise replies defensively. “I have hopes that followers of our God and still out there.”
“It’s been far too long for any of them to exist,” stated Rosali. “As far as we know, knowledge of our God doesn’t exist anymore.”
“But I sense the knowledge of the Gods on them, Rosali. I can sense their power and even a hit of our master’s presence,” continues Chalise.
The two women stare at each other with a brief fervor as they disagreed with the other three soldiers sitting on their thrones keeping an eye on them. “The only knowledge they possess, Chalise, comes from the shards in their weapons and armor,” announced one of the men on the throne. “They do not know our God nor to they serve any of them. They simply took their knowledge without having to pay a penance for it.”
Chalise turns and looks at you, seeing what her comrade was talking about. “Aye, there it is,” she states while pointing at your weapon. “You are a foul, heretic after all.” The three men step off of their thrones and walk toward the woman, all carrying their weapons in their hands and preparing to harm you. “Albritone, Wornier, Drenault, Rosali, will the four of you join me in beginning an eternity of punishment for these heretics while removing the knowledge of the Gods from their grasps?” asks Chalise with an awkward and evil intent. Her blue eyes look at you with scorn as her comrades approach with their weapons drawn, ready to battle you.
Commence Battle with Chalise, Rosali, Albritone, Wornier, and Drenault
The five soldiers take a step back after being defeated. Their armor is concealing their wounds, but you can imagine from their body language, that they are suffering slightly. “They’re a bit more powerful than all of the ones who came before them,” echoes the deep voice of Albritone. “Perhaps the world has changed since our voluntary incarceration.”
“These heretics possess knowledge and power from all of the Gods, even our own,” states a defensive Rosali. “They’re not powerful. They’re simply well-equipped.”
“They still beat us,” Chalise says softly, with a somewhat positive attitude. “Perhaps it’s time we finally proceed to the second part of our orders?”
The man in the back of the room, Drenault, steps forward and removes his helmet. His face is heavily scarred and his head is bald. He possesses a very gruff demeanor to go with his immensely muscular physique. “The next phase of the plan was quite dangerous, Chalise,” he says while walking toward you and keeping his eyes affixed on you.
“But Derrien told us that if we were to be defeated, conscript the powerful foes who did it and liberate this stockade from the other Gods,” explains Chalise. “Derrien’s orders were to take control of the souls that are bound here by Saeria, Zailyne, and Talges and dispel any presence of another deity.” She paused momentarily before looking back at you. “I think these travelers are the type of soldiers Derrien spoke of. Yes, they may not be pure of heart, but are we still?
“Of course we are!” shouts Rosali. “We are still the Order of Derrien! We are the most pure souls here!”
The fifth soldier, Wornier, steps forward and takes off his helmet to reveal an older man with short, gray hair and a well trimmed, gray beard. His eyes are blue and soft while his demeanor appeared quite calm. “Rosali, Chalise might have a point,” he said in a very calm and reserved tone while looking at the younger woman in her fiery eyes. “For all the time that we’ve been in here, we’ve been in contact with things that aren’t of Derrien. We’ve been in contact with travelers and adventurers who have stumbled into this place carrying with them the foul knowledge of their other deities.” He pauses for a moment to turn and look at the other three soldiers. “Are our souls just as pure as the first day we were placed in here, or have our souls also been tainted over time?”
Albritone walks toward Wornier and removes his helmet, revealing the face of a young man with longer blonde hair and very soft face. “We are more pure than any of the vile beings that have stumbled upon our prison,” he states in his low tones. “However, you may have a point. Our prolonged exposure to the impurities of this world over time may have swayed our souls. Derrien mentioned that there would be a time when we would all have to rally our purity and cleanse this stockade. That time might be now.”
The four other soldiers cross their arms and look back at Albritone. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out glowing stone. The people behind the wall, namely Invitius and Protherius, look on in awe to see the pulsing shard containing the knowledge of the Gods. Albritone grips it lightly before tossing it to you. “We have no use for any other God’s knowledge, travelers,” he states in his booming voice. “May that knowledge serve you well as we liberate this stockade from the foul presence of the other deities.”
Acquire One of the Following: Shard of Iron Skin, Shard of Iron Knowledge, Shard of Rage, Shard of Iron Barbs, Shard of Enlightenment
“The lot of you have just been conscripted to defeat the rival forces in this stockade,” continues Albritone as he moves toward you. “May all of your knowledge lead to our survival and prosperity.” The two doors behind him at the top of the stairs open up and a bright light fills the area. As the light dims, you find yourself in a much different location without the Order of Derrien or the onlookers watching you.
You find yourself on your knees with the two brothers from earlier in similar positions. “What is this place?” rhetorically asks a furious Jerikko as his palms are on the ground.
“I’m still working on that, brother,” replies Merevo as his wide eyes were staring at the wooden floor. “Wherever we are, I don’t think it is of this world.”
“That’s quite an assessment,” Jerikko says sarcastically. “What are you going to tell me next, that the floors are made of wood?”
Merevo rose up to his knees and looks forward in the room and you do the same, seeing a small, wooden box with wooden walls on all four sides of you. “I see we’ve somehow found ourselves in a box,” he states with a brief hint of resignment. Merevo stands up and walks over to the wall, placing his hand on the wood while pushing against it.
With the lightest of touches, the wall falls down, crashing into a stone floor behind it. Jerikko looks up and jumps to his feet while you’re left staring into a very large, cavernous area. Chains, shackles, ropes, cages, and other restraining devices are lining the walls and are scattered about the area. Large gallows can be seen in the distance with bodies swinging from them, still twitching with the hands bound behind the back.
You walk forward with Merevo and Jerikko at your side. With each step, you see more bodies appearing before you in stockades and shackles. These men, women, and some children, are all carrying scrapes, cuts, bruises, and gashes across their entire bodies. They look up at you with disdain, resigned to their fate of dying by torture repeatedly for all of eternity. “I wonder if these people are used to pain?” asks Jerikko with a smug grin.
“I don’t think anyone can ever get used to this, brother,” replies Merevo as he looked down at one of the small children. The deplorable conditions make your stomach churn as you walk down the pathway. Black walls and a stone floor are all you can see with only large torches lighting the path. As you make your way down the pathway, the two brothers disappear before your eyes and the man from the foyer appears before you.
“I was afraid that you would make it this far,” he says as he looks on at you with disdain in his eyes. “When you walked in with those two mages, I knew you possessed abilities that might serve you well. I didn’t expect them to serve you this well. What you’ve seen on your way here is the beginning of the chamber of Maloris. The four Gods who built this Stockade came together to create a lasting structure for Maloris. His will and his determination were unmatched by any of the other Gods, thus creating a structure like this was required. Derrien insisted that it was oppressive and secure, existing behind the four paths.”
The man breathes slowly as he turns around with three doors appear in the rock walls. “I apologize, adventurers, but I normally don’t need to introduce myself. I am the warden of this facility, charged by the four Gods to ensure that no one ever leaves. However, I’m also a bit of a sporting man. These three doors lead to into the doldrums of this stockade, all housing the souls of the followers of Maloris.”
The warden slows his breaths and looks into your eyes. “Choose your fate wisely, adventurer, because you are clearly too strong to spend eternity in the front of this stockade. Someone as powerful as you must be contained in the doldrums. I will allow you to choose your next destination though. I won’t tell you what’s behind them, just no, absolute despair awaits you.”
The warden disappears, leaving you alone in front of the three black doors. There is nothing different about the doors, only that you have to go through one of them. Which one will you take?
The Left Door
The Center Door
The Right Door
You walk into an area that is brightly illuminated by several large chandeliers, all hanging from the ceiling and swaying gently. The dust and cobwebs are missing and this room offers a much warmer demeanor. You take a few steps in and the door behind you closes, locking you in, though this is of no surprise to anyone in the party. You walk in further to find two young girls sitting together playing with dolls, both looking very differently from another. The first girl wore blonde hair, blue eyes, and wore a very bright and warm disposition. The second girl wore dark hair, matching blue eyes, but carried a very dark and foreboding appearance.
“Oh look,” said the blonde girl with a large smile. “We have visitors finally. It’s been quite some time since anyone has come to see us.”
The Brunette’s shakes her head and scoffs lightly. “It’s not as if anyone cares about us. No one has come to see us.”
The lights in the room go dim and fade to darkness while the warm feeling leaves the room. From the shadows, a tall man wearing a dark robe with silver trim walks out to greet you. The two girls expressions remain cold and still as their eyes go from a light blue to a very dark and evil black.
“Saeria and Neralil were two sisters born into an aristocratic family on Tangresia, also referred to as the Master Realm, or the place where the Gods are originally from,” said the unknown man as he stood beside the two girls. “Their father, one of the mightiest aristocrats in the realm, was charged with the care of an entire sub-realm. This sub-realm was responsible for harvesting millions of souls and was to provide the sustenance for all in Tangresia. His daughters were quite powerful, though were not particularly fond of one another and over time, grew to hate each other. With their hatred, they drove an entire sub-realm into war. During that war, the population of that sub-realm was destroyed and both girls were made to answer for their transgressions. During the sentencing, the girls squabbled with one other over who’s fault it was and in the end, both girls were cast out into the void, a capital punishment in Tangresia.”
The man steps away from the girls and over to a slightly open area. “Tangresia was a place very similar to Dun-I. “Souls of mortals are food for the beings in Tangresia, just like the souls of mortals here are sustenance for the Gods. By being cast out into the void, the two sisters were made to starve to death for the rest of eternity, dying an incredibly slow and painful death without the aid or assistance of their loved ones. However, fate would shine upon them, as three brothers, all members of the royal family, were cast out into the void after trying to stage a coup. With the help of these three brothers, and a few other criminals in the void, they were able to create a new world, Dun-I.”
The man breathes slowly while placing his hands on his hips. “The eleven Gods all agreed to work together for the sake of creating a world for them to live in, where they could have souls to feed on and where they wouldn’t fade out into existence from starvation. However, after only a couple hundred years, the Gods proved that they could not coexist with one another. The War of the Gods began between Neralil and Saeria, the two sisters who proved they could not get along. Nine of the Eleven Gods went to war with one another, picking a side while Vesya, the Goddess of Law and Judgment and Derillius, the God of Intellect, stayed out of the conflict.”
The two girls look at you with an evil grin before disappearing into the shadows, leaving you with only the man in the robe. The large lights above you start to glow a bright white, similar to the moon illuminating the night sky. After a few moments, you notice an eerie presence coming from the corner as three wolves approach, growling and snarling.
Commence Battle with Shadow Wolf x 3
The wolves fall to the ground and fade away, leaving you standing in front of the man with the dark robes. He smiles at you as a chest appears before you. “You’re going to need that if you’re going to last here,” he states with a coy grin before disappearing into the air.
Acquire One of the Following: Copper Greatsword, Copper Axe
You walk into the next area to notice a much different setting from the previous room. Instead of walking into a small courtyard, you walk into an open area with bodies lying on the ground, all decaying and rotting. The bodies are all wearing two different sets of armor, both carrying the seal of either the Goddess of Illumination of the Goddess of the Shadows. At the far end of the area, you see the man in the robes looking over at you with his arms folded.
“One of the bloodiest battles that took place during the War of the Gods was the Battle of Engresia Plains, which took place not too far from here. Neralil ordered her troops to attack a small outpost near where Sunshire is today. It was supposed to be a sneak attack and should’ve wiped out the entire garrison, but a traitor sprang the news to the Regulus Dorveaux, one of Saeria’s most loyal followers. By notifying him, he was able to relay a message and prepare the troops for the oncoming assault, giving them the opportunity to fight back. Though it ended with the bulk of each army losing most of their garrisons, it prevented a one sided outcome. However, both armies continue to hate one another and their passion and anger still churns,” he says while walking through the battlefield to survey the damage. Upon walking past a small pile of bodies, he looks down as several corpses start to move. Three soldiers, all carrying the seal of Neralil approach, angry at your incursion.
Commence Battle with Fallen Soldier x 3
Upon defeating the three soldiers, three more stand up. These three, carrying the seal of Saeria, attack without giving you a moment of respite.
Commence Battle with Fallen Soldier x 3
The three soldiers fall to the ground, only giving way to four more carrying the seal of Neralil to strike.
Commence Battle with Fallen Soldier x 4
You survey the field with your weapons drawn. The man in the robes is standing in the center of the room, clapping his hands as he watches you take down your enemies. “Most impressive,” he said before stepping away into the next area, leaving you standing with skeletons at your feet. You kick the skeletons to the side and follow the man in robes.
You walk in to find an open air area, reminiscent of a field that was void of any and all life. In the center of the field, you notice a singular man standing there. He’s standing still, looking up at the moon with a large plantation off in the distance. You’re able to make out several smaller buildings and one large one in the center.
“The pain and anguish caused during the War of the Gods was not just centered on the Gods and their immediate followers, but the families of the followers as well as those who resided on Dun-I,” explains the man as he appears behind you. “No one was spared from the wrath and no one, not even Vesya, could prevent the carnage that would come,” he states as he points at the man in the center of the field. “The man before you is Regulus Dorveaux, the Master of this plantation. He was forced to make a very drastic decision while serving his God, Saeria. His decision still haunts Sunshire to this day, and is the primary reason that I am here before you.”
The man in the dark robe walks past you and opens up his arms toward the moons above. He gazes into their bright white light as his body starts to glow a faint grey.
“My name is Bartholomew Constellats, and I am the servant of Regulus Dorveaux and his family. It is my duty to watch over and protect this prison, this stockade, as many of my contemporaries protect the rest of his legacy. I am bound to servitude willfully and I am sworn to protect this sacred institution with my life and my soul. Every mortal who enters is bound to serve Saeria, the Goddess of Shadows, and you will suffer that same fate.”
You watch as the man in the center of the field turns around, his eyes glowing red. Shadows engulf the man as Bartholomew steps to the side. The shadowy man grows much larger and runs toward your party and attacks.
Commence Battle with Shadow Colossus
You look out past the body of the large colossus at the scene in front of you. After a few short breaths, you proceed forward toward the plantation. You walk down a path and find yourself standing in between what looks to be a large silo, a set of stables, and what appears to be a quarter for the servants of the plantation. Ahead, a very large mansion stands before you. On the steps of the plantation, you find Bartholomew looking at the door with his hands placed on the brass door knobs.
“I’m sure you’re all wondering what happened and how it all came to this,” announces Bartholomew as he grips the knobs tightly. “I’m sure you’re all wondering how nine benevolent Gods could descend into madness and come to war with one another. It doesn’t matter. None of this matters anymore. All that matters is that you and your souls become devoted to Saeria for the rest of eternity.”
“To devote oneself to the Goddess of Shadow is to devote oneself to the hatred of the light,” he states while he seethes, gripping the brass knobs before him tightly. “But to devote oneself to a mortal who serves the Goddess of Shadow it to devote oneself to the hatred of those who serve the light. For you have traversed the tale of what happened between these two sisters during the war and seen one of the greatest tragedies that befell, you’ve yet to see the greatest travesty of them all.” He releases the door knobs and turned around, revealing his eyes to now be solid white and his skin turning much paler. “The greatest travesty will be that you and your party will have to relive this moment for all of eternity; that you will all have to bear witness to your demise until the end of time!”
Commence Battle with Bartholomew Constellats
Bartholomew falls backwards into the wall of the house. His white skin was withering in front of you and turning into dust. You stand with your weapons drawn, watching his body fade into the air. Within seconds, his body is gone, and all that is a small, glowing purple shard.
Acquire One of the Following: Shard of Iron Skin, Shard of Iron Knowledge, Shard of Rage, Shard of Iron Barbs, Shard of Enlightenment
You pick up the shard and immediately feel a connection with it. The door that he was holding onto opens up and a bright lit emits from it. You walk toward it and are immediately pulled in.
You find yourself on your knees with the two brothers from earlier in similar positions. “What is this place?” rhetorically asks a furious Jerikko as his palms are on the ground.
“I’m still working on that, brother,” replies Merevo as his wide eyes were staring at the wooden floor. “Wherever we are, I don’t think it is of this world.”
“That’s quite an assessment,” Jerikko says sarcastically. “What are you going to tell me next, that the floors are made of wood?”
Merevo rose up to his knees and looks forward in the room and you do the same, seeing a small, wooden box with wooden walls on all four sides of you. “I see we’ve somehow found ourselves in a box,” he states with a brief hint of resignment. Merevo stands up and walks over to the wall, placing his hand on the wood while pushing against it.
With the lightest of touches, the wall falls down, crashing into a stone floor behind it. Jerikko looks up and jumps to his feet while you’re left staring into a very large, cavernous area. Chains, shackles, ropes, cages, and other restraining devices are lining the walls and are scattered about the area. Large gallows can be seen in the distance with bodies swinging from them, still twitching with the hands bound behind the back.
You walk forward with Merevo and Jerikko at your side. With each step, you see more bodies appearing before you in stockades and shackles. These men, women, and some children, are all carrying scrapes, cuts, bruises, and gashes across their entire bodies. They look up at you with disdain, resigned to their fate of dying by torture repeatedly for all of eternity. “I wonder if these people are used to pain?” asks Jerikko with a smug grin.
“I don’t think anyone can ever get used to this, brother,” replies Merevo as he looked down at one of the small children. The deplorable conditions make your stomach churn as you walk down the pathway. Black walls and a stone floor are all you can see with only large torches lighting the path. As you make your way down the pathway, the two brothers disappear before your eyes and the man from the foyer appears before you.
“I was afraid that you would make it this far,” he says as he looks on at you with disdain in his eyes. “When you walked in with those two mages, I knew you possessed abilities that might serve you well. I didn’t expect them to serve you this well. What you’ve seen on your way here is the beginning of the chamber of Maloris. The four Gods who built this Stockade came together to create a lasting structure for Maloris. His will and his determination were unmatched by any of the other Gods, thus creating a structure like this was required. Derrien insisted that it was oppressive and secure, existing behind the four paths.”
The man breathes slowly as he turns around with three doors appear in the rock walls. “I apologize, adventurers, but I normally don’t need to introduce myself. I am the warden of this facility, charged by the four Gods to ensure that no one ever leaves. However, I’m also a bit of a sporting man. These three doors lead to into the doldrums of this stockade, all housing the souls of the followers of Maloris.”
The warden slows his breaths and looks into your eyes. “Choose your fate wisely, adventurer, because you are clearly too strong to spend eternity in the front of this stockade. Someone as powerful as you must be contained in the doldrums. I will allow you to choose your next destination though. I won’t tell you what’s behind them, just no, absolute despair awaits you.”
The warden disappears, leaving you alone in front of the three black doors. There is nothing different about the doors, only that you have to go through one of them. Which one will you take?
The Left Door
The Center Door
The Right Door
You walk in to find yourself immediately pelted with hard drops of rain falling from a dark and stormy sky. Your feet are in thick sand and you can see nothing but water on the horizon. You cover your face as you look around, noticing a large chest in front of you with a very weak lock on it. You dive toward it and rip the lock of it, hearing footsteps behind you. You turn to see a young woman with fiery red hair looking down on you while you hold the lock in your hand. “Do you attempt to open up every chest you come across?” she asks you while folding her arms. You look up patiently as she smirks and nods. “Go ahead, you’ve come this far. The contents may or may not help you, but at least it’s something.”
You push open the top of the chest to see a blade sitting in the bottom of the chest.
Acquire One of the Following: Copper Dagger, Copper Sword, Copper Spear, Bronze Runeblade
“I hope that serves you well,” she laughs as she walks toward you. “My name is Visharas, and I am an Arch Priest of Dahar. It’s been quite some time since new travelers have ventured into our confines.”
She steps away from you while walking up to where the water was crashing onto the coast. “This world is far more dangerous than it seems. The coast is beautiful and it just seems as if you’re in paradise sometimes, but once you realize what happened to me and my friends, you’ll see this as the prison that it actually is.”
Visharas points out into the distance where a large boat is coming up to the shore. “Come on,” she says plainly. “For any chance, you have to venture out into the dangerous tides.” She pauses for a moment as you look out, seeing a gangplank being lowered that is long enough for you to reach the boat. “I don’t know what purpose you all are serving here, but it is my hope that you are here to bring down the walls of this prison and free our souls so that all of us can rejoin our Gods and Goddesses in the afterlife.”
You nod as she disappears into the air, leaving you to walk up the gangplank on your own. You travel up the wooden walkway and make your way onto the deck of a very large boat. Once your feet are on the wooden frame, the gangplank disappears, along with the island where you began. The current is rocking the boat slightly and you can hear the waves crashing against the side of it. The skies are turning a darker gray as the winds start to howl around the boat. You look over the side to see several creatures swimming around, popping their humanoid heads out of the water before ducking back down into the murky water.
You look around the boat in a panic as Visharas appears in the center. “The followers of Zailyne aren’t just humans. The Naga, a sea creature brought to this world from his original home, also worship him. They’re inherently violent toward humans, with the exception of Zailyne’s priests and followers and have taken great pleasure in torturing us throughout eternity.” As the words slip off of her lips, four Naga leap onto the boat from the water and surround you.
Commence Battle with Stockade Naga x 4
The four Naga fall to the ground and vanish into thin air. You place your feet firmly on the floor while four more leap up onto the boat and take their place.
Commence Battle with Stockade Naga x 4
The four Naga dissipate into the air and no more are challenging you. You’re given a brief respite as you look around the area. “It’s coming,” states a very calm Visharas on the deck. You look up at her as she points out into the distance. The waves are crashing around a large figure as you can see eight tentacles coming up out of the ocean. You bend your knees slightly to keep your footing as the boat starts to rock mightily.
“Zailyne had many pets of the sea. The kraken was his most beloved and easily his most dangerous,” continues Visharas as the Kraken moves closer. A tentacle slams onto the deck, forcing you to dive out of the way. His body raises up out of the water and slams onto the deck, attacking you.
Commence Battle with Stockade Kraken
The Kraken’s lifeless body slams onto the boat as his tentacles constrict, tearing the boat a sunder with his final breaths. The boat capsizes and you are drug under water. You grab ahold of the ship as the feel the current pull you under. You open your eyes, looking out to see a large dome at the bottom of the sea with several Naga swimming around it.
You plummet toward the large dome and crash through it, falling softly and landing gently on a soft, white surface. Naga are surrounding you as you look around the area, taking note of the colorful buildings and other structures that they have created. Beside the buildings, you can see humans being whipped and tortured, tied to various posts and hanging from buildings.
“Welcome to where the Naga make their home here in the stockades,” announces Visharas as she stepped in front of you. “When Zailyne agreed to the creation of this stockade, he ordered the Naga to create a citadel for those who opposed him to be punished. Talges and Saeria were merely content to build a prison to punish their foes while Derrien was indifferent. Zailyne embraced it.”
You look past Visharas to see four more Naga approaching you, carrying spears and hoping to halt your progress and make you suffer for the rest of eternity.
Commence Battle with Stockade Naga x 4
The Naga vanish into the air, along with the entire area where you are standing, save a single door. You’re standing still as you look at Visharas as she crosses her arms. “I’m sure you’re probably wondering why the Naga don’t attack me,” she asks you rhetorically as she turns away from you and takes a few steps away. She looks down at the sandy ground as you see a vision appearing beside her. Visharas is walking beside the Naga, pointing at a small village that is ablaze. “I turned on my friends to save my family. I turned on my Goddess to save my loved ones,” she said solemnly. “I chose to turn my back on Dahar so that my family could live, but my penance was great. Zailyne, unable to trust me, charged me with leading the Naga inside this place.”
The scene disappeared and Visharas turned around, showing off her steely blue, glowing eyes. “I turned my back on Dahar and my penance is to serve the God of the Tides for the rest of eternity!”
Commence Battle with Visharas
Visharas looks at you with a gaping hole in her chest and a blade still sticking out of it. She looks at you with a smile as she fades away, leaving only an unusable blade and a purple, glowing shard.
Acquire One of the Following: Shard of Iron Skin, Shard of Iron Knowledge, Shard of Rage, Shard of Iron Barbs, Shard of Enlightenment
Visharas reappears in front of you after you pick up her shard. “Maybe you are strong enough to free me from this prison so that I can atone for my sins with Dahar,” she says softly “Eternity is a very long time to be living in regret. My hope is that one day, when my soul faces Vesya’s judgment, I can be given the opportunity to atone for my transgressions under the guidance of my Goddess and not simply cast into the river like a common soul.”
Visharas disappears and the door at the end of the dome opens up. You walk toward it, feeling it drawing you in.
You find yourself on your knees with the two brothers from earlier in similar positions. “What is this place?” rhetorically asks a furious Jerikko as his palms are on the ground.
“I’m still working on that, brother,” replies Merevo as his wide eyes were staring at the wooden floor. “Wherever we are, I don’t think it is of this world.”
“That’s quite an assessment,” Jerikko says sarcastically. “What are you going to tell me next, that the floors are made of wood?”
Merevo rose up to his knees and looks forward in the room and you do the same, seeing a small, wooden box with wooden walls on all four sides of you. “I see we’ve somehow found ourselves in a box,” he states with a brief hint of resignment. Merevo stands up and walks over to the wall, placing his hand on the wood while pushing against it.
With the lightest of touches, the wall falls down, crashing into a stone floor behind it. Jerikko looks up and jumps to his feet while you’re left staring into a very large, cavernous area. Chains, shackles, ropes, cages, and other restraining devices are lining the walls and are scattered about the area. Large gallows can be seen in the distance with bodies swinging from them, still twitching with the hands bound behind the back.
You walk forward with Merevo and Jerikko at your side. With each step, you see more bodies appearing before you in stockades and shackles. These men, women, and some children, are all carrying scrapes, cuts, bruises, and gashes across their entire bodies. They look up at you with disdain, resigned to their fate of dying by torture repeatedly for all of eternity. “I wonder if these people are used to pain?” asks Jerikko with a smug grin.
“I don’t think anyone can ever get used to this, brother,” replies Merevo as he looked down at one of the small children. The deplorable conditions make your stomach churn as you walk down the pathway. Black walls and a stone floor are all you can see with only large torches lighting the path. As you make your way down the pathway, the two brothers disappear before your eyes and the man from the foyer appears before you.
“I was afraid that you would make it this far,” he says as he looks on at you with disdain in his eyes. “When you walked in with those two mages, I knew you possessed abilities that might serve you well. I didn’t expect them to serve you this well. What you’ve seen on your way here is the beginning of the chamber of Maloris. The four Gods who built this Stockade came together to create a lasting structure for Maloris. His will and his determination were unmatched by any of the other Gods, thus creating a structure like this was required. Derrien insisted that it was oppressive and secure, existing behind the four paths.”
The man breathes slowly as he turns around with three doors appear in the rock walls. “I apologize, adventurers, but I normally don’t need to introduce myself. I am the warden of this facility, charged by the four Gods to ensure that no one ever leaves. However, I’m also a bit of a sporting man. These three doors lead to into the doldrums of this stockade, all housing the souls of the followers of Maloris.”
The warden slows his breaths and looks into your eyes. “Choose your fate wisely, adventurer, because you are clearly too strong to spend eternity in the front of this stockade. Someone as powerful as you must be contained in the doldrums. I will allow you to choose your next destination though. I won’t tell you what’s behind them, just no, absolute despair awaits you.”
The warden disappears, leaving you alone in front of the three black doors. There is nothing different about the doors, only that you have to go through one of them. Which one will you take?
The Left Door
The Center Door
The Right Door
You opt to travel the Path of the Wind. As you walk through the door, the first thing that you notice is that you are surrounded by several tall, fallen trees broken at the trunk with their branches scattered around the ground. The once lush, forest, is now covered in a fallen canopy that will take centuries to rebuild.
As you’re peering out into the carnage of the forest, you can see several men and women fleeing in fear. You try your pest to look past the fallen the trees to see, what appears to be winged creatures chasing after them “Please! Help us !” shouts a woman as she runs toward you. She sprints past you and turns around while three winged, humanoid creatures attack you.
Commence Battle with Stockade Harpy x 3
You turn and look at the woman who is still staring at you, fearful that the creatures who chased her and the others will be back. “Thank you,” she mutters while breathing heavily. “Those creatures have been chasing us for quite some time.”
She bends over at the waist and puts her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. Behind her, several of the men and women who were fleeing are walking up and doing the same. Some are leaning against the fallen trees while others are simply sitting down. “We’ve not had any respite since I can remember,” she continues. “My name is Illishar and I was once a follower Falorous, God of Flora and the Land. I want to thank you for stepping in and aiding us in our perilous times.”
“We must not wait too long, Illishar. Those foul beasts will be back in greater numbers soon to peel the flesh from our bones,” says a timid and startled man as he approached Illisar.
“Relax Phirros, we have a moment to finally catch our breaths,” replies Illishar. Both Phirros and Illishar look at you with appreciation as the ground around your feet starts to quake. The trees around you that are still attached start to sway with a violent wind. You cover your face as the brush around you starts to blow toward you violently. “That moment seems to already be over,” announces Illishar reluctantly.
You pull your arm away from your eyes to see three of the winged creatures flying toward you with their claws out, preparing to ensnare you. You reach for your weapons and bat them away quickly before rushing toward them and attacking.
Commence Battle with Stockade Harpy x 3
The three harpies are battered and killed by your hands and their mangled corpses are on the ground in front of you. The wind is starting to howl louder as the trees are swaying. “I think he’s coming,” announces Illishar loudly as she kneels down. “Look out!” she shouts as she points ahead of you, alerting you that four more harpies are flying toward you with their talons out.
Commence Battle with Stockade Harpy x 4
Ahead of the harpies, you can make out a silhouette of a man in, what appears to be dark green robes. His hands are out and you believe he is conjuring the wind that is wreaking havoc on the area. “That’s him!” screams Illishar. “That’s Banthias, the High Priest of that foul bastard Talges. He’s the man who has been tormenting and punishing us.”
You look back to see a fiery white appearing in Illishar’s eyes. A rage is building within her as she looks on at the man who has delivered to her an eternity of torment. She steps forward with Phirros trying to hold her back. “No, old friend,” she says while pushing him to the side. “I need to have a word with this old fool.”
She walks past you, through the howling wind with debris moving all around her. Harpies are buzzing around the area and fly toward her. She stops and holds out her hands, summoning several large vines from the ground to ensnare them prior to them reaching her. She closes her hands and makes a tight fist, ordering the vines around the harpies to constrict and suffocate the creatures.
Phirros notices the strength that Illishar has found. With a slight smirk, he raises up to his feet and runs toward her with you in tow. Several harpies fly down with several vines ensnaring them, though a few fly past and reach you.
Commence Battle with Stockade Harpy x 4
The winds have picked up and you’re unable to move forwad. You look ahead to see Phirros standing beside Illishar with his hands out. He kneels down and places his fingers on the ground, eventually piercing the ground and burying his fingertips in it. The ground around Banthies begins to quake, breaking his concentration and halting the winds for a few moments. The harpies stop swooping down and you’re able to move closer. Your weapon is drawn and you’re able to approach Banthies, who opens his hands and propels you to the side with a large gust of wind. You slam into a large, flat rock, stunning your briefly.
Discard all cards currently in the field.
You come back into focus long enough to see Phirros still with his hands in the ground and Illishar trying her best to ensnare Banthias with her vines. Several large vines come from the ground, only to be snapped in half by, what appears to be, blades of wind. Behind her, tall vines have emerged from the ground behind Phirros and created a tall golem. With glowing green eyes, the golem charges toward Banthias.
Banthias puts his arms out to project a large gust of wind at the golem, only to delay it briefly. Illishar, seeing the opportunity, snags the ankles of Banthias with her vines. The constriction gives Phirros and his golem a brief opportunity to reach forward and grab the legs of Banthias. The vines snap as the golem picks the high priest up and slams his body into the ground. The golem holds onto his legs and picks him up again, driving his body into the ground again.
The golem releases the battered body of Banthias as Illishar uses her vine to grab him around his neck. She lifts him into the air and constricts the vine, cutting off the air from his neck Banthias’s eyes open wide as the life is constricted from him. You watch as his body goes limp and his eyes close, having been hung from the neck by a vine. The vine withers away and the body of Banthias slams into the ground before fading away with a glowing green shard bouncing toward you. You lean down to pick up.
Acquire One of the Following: Shard of Iron Skin, Shard of Iron Knowledge, Shard of Rage, Shard of Iron Barbs, Shard of Enlightenment
“Take that as a token of our appreciation, traveler,” says a very proud Illishar before turning toward Phirros, who had just dismissed his golem. “Phirros, now is our opportunity to rid ourselves of this stockade. Now we can fight back.”
“Are you wanting to release all of the trapped souls from this place?” asks a concerned Phirros.
“I am,” continues a determined Illishar. “We will free every soul that every deity trapped in this stockade and we will all be reunited with our masters. We will be servants to this prison no longer.”
A gray mist appears in front of you, Illishar, and Phirros. From the mist, Banthias appears again, this time with his arms in the air in a sign of submission. “Wait,” he announces before Phirros and Illishar attack him. “I don’t want to harm you.” Phirros and Illishar stood their ground briefly while looking at the man they had just vanquished. “I want to help you,” he continues. “I want out of this prison as well and now that there are some people here who can light the beacons of freedom, perhaps now is the time for an uprising.”
“What are you saying?” questions a confused Phirros.
“I’m saying that I want to help you and these travelers unlock this stockade,” explained Banthias. “It’s just as much a prison for me as it is for you and your companions. I’m just as sick of being here, torturing the lot of you, as you all are sick of being tortured.” Banthias pauses while looking over at you. “These travelers are the key to breaking the magic on this place and ridding all of our souls from its bindings.”
Illishar crosses her arms defiantly. “Why do we need your help? We just defeated you.”
“It’s taken you over two-thousand years to defeat me once, where I have ripped your heart out on multiple occasions, only for me to have the pleasure of doing it again,” replies Banthias proudly. “It’s time for all of us to put our differences aside and get out of this place. We can take up arms against one another once we are free from this stockade.”
As you’re watching the three talk, several harpies descend from the sky and land on the ground. Though carrying looks of anger and determination, they are holding back and not attacking anyone. “My harpies will be ready to free us and I give you my word that they will not attack you or your companions until we are out of here,” continues Banthias. “You will need their assistance just as I will need yours and we will both need theirs,” he states while pointing at you. “They are they key to all of this.”
“Fine,” saiys Illishar. “We will fight together but we are not friends nor are we allies.”
“Agreed,” replies Banthias as he turned around and pointed a large stone. Green light appeared around it and a set of double doors appeared. Within seconds, the doors opened and you are pulled into them. Your eyes close as you are yanked in several directions, eventually finding yourself in a very new and unique place.
You find yourself on your knees with the two brothers from earlier in similar positions. “What is this place?” rhetorically asks a furious Jerikko as his palms are on the ground.
“I’m still working on that, brother,” replies Merevo as his wide eyes were staring at the wooden floor. “Wherever we are, I don’t think it is of this world.”
“That’s quite an assessment,” Jerikko says sarcastically. “What are you going to tell me next, that the floors are made of wood?”
Merevo rose up to his knees and looks forward in the room and you do the same, seeing a small, wooden box with wooden walls on all four sides of you. “I see we’ve somehow found ourselves in a box,” he states with a brief hint of resignment. Merevo stands up and walks over to the wall, placing his hand on the wood while pushing against it.
With the lightest of touches, the wall falls down, crashing into a stone floor behind it. Jerikko looks up and jumps to his feet while you’re left staring into a very large, cavernous area. Chains, shackles, ropes, cages, and other restraining devices are lining the walls and are scattered about the area. Large gallows can be seen in the distance with bodies swinging from them, still twitching with the hands bound behind the back.
You walk forward with Merevo and Jerikko at your side. With each step, you see more bodies appearing before you in stockades and shackles. These men, women, and some children, are all carrying scrapes, cuts, bruises, and gashes across their entire bodies. They look up at you with disdain, resigned to their fate of dying by torture repeatedly for all of eternity. “I wonder if these people are used to pain?” asks Jerikko with a smug grin.
“I don’t think anyone can ever get used to this, brother,” replies Merevo as he looked down at one of the small children. The deplorable conditions make your stomach churn as you walk down the pathway. Black walls and a stone floor are all you can see with only large torches lighting the path. As you make your way down the pathway, the two brothers disappear before your eyes and the man from the foyer appears before you.
“I was afraid that you would make it this far,” he says as he looks on at you with disdain in his eyes. “When you walked in with those two mages, I knew you possessed abilities that might serve you well. I didn’t expect them to serve you this well. What you’ve seen on your way here is the beginning of the chamber of Maloris. The four Gods who built this Stockade came together to create a lasting structure for Maloris. His will and his determination were unmatched by any of the other Gods, thus creating a structure like this was required. Derrien insisted that it was oppressive and secure, existing behind the four paths.”
The man breathes slowly as he turns around with three doors appear in the rock walls. “I apologize, adventurers, but I normally don’t need to introduce myself. I am the warden of this facility, charged by the four Gods to ensure that no one ever leaves. However, I’m also a bit of a sporting man. These three doors lead to into the doldrums of this stockade, all housing the souls of the followers of Maloris.”
The warden slows his breaths and looks into your eyes. “Choose your fate wisely, adventurer, because you are clearly too strong to spend eternity in the front of this stockade. Someone as powerful as you must be contained in the doldrums. I will allow you to choose your next destination though. I won’t tell you what’s behind them, just no, absolute despair awaits you.”
The warden disappears, leaving you alone in front of the three black doors. There is nothing different about the doors, only that you have to go through one of them. Which one will you take?
The Left Door
The Center Door
The Right Door
You walk through the door and find yourself standing in the ruins of a once great city. Statues once stood prominently on both sides of the stone street, but pieces of them are missing and the majority of them are toppled over. The once stone streets now have several craters and divots in them, making your footing somewhat treacherous. Large buildings are seen off in the distance as dark gray clouds paint the horizon and create a dreary aura around you.
You step over several of the areas in the path that have debris on them or loose footing and move into a more open area. In it, you see a large, man-made lake with four bridges all leading to the center of it where a gazebo sits. You look out, seeing a man standing there looking up toward the shadows in the sky. Without much else around the area, you opt to move toward the man and find out where you are and what you need to do to escape.
The bridges that are connecting the area are safe, more so than the roads you walked along earlier. You walk along the bridge slowly, seeing the man in the center standing perfectly still as you approach. As you step onto the large landing, the man tilts his head down to look at the ground you’re standing on. “It’s not very often we have travelers make this far,” he said before turning around to face you. He’s very pale and missing his left eye while the rest of his face is heavily scarred. “Are you here to torment us further, or are you here to suffer?”
You look at man and prepare to answer, though you are delayed by the sound of large jets of water popping up around the landing. “I see it is suffering,” he says while leaning forward to look over the side and into the water. “The beasts of Zailyne are coming to ensure of it.” As the words slipped off of his lips and out into the air, five Naga leap out of the water with their spears drawn to attack you.
Commence Battle with Stockade Naga x 5
“Oh my,” says the man as he looks on in awe as you dispatched of the five Naga. “Perhaps someone has finally managed to break into here that is stronger than the magic of the Gods.” The man steps forward and extends his hand in friendship. “My name is Crozik, and I was once one of the high priests of Maloris. It’s a delight to see someone as powerful as you are.”
You shake Crozik’s hand as he smiles at you with an innocent expression. “It’s quite a pleasure,” he continues. “I would welcome you to our eternal home, but it’s not much to look at. You are standing in the remnants of the city of Brile, the home to one of the largest temples of Maloris and where, prior to his expulsion, he made his home. Come, follow me. I’ll show you his palace.”
Crozik leads you off the bridge and back onto the ground around the water. You walk down a large street, much similar to the one you walked down when you came in. On both sides, in the buildings, you can see people standing in the openings and watching you. They shield their faces as you turn to look at them, but you can see the strife on their bodies and in their eyes. “Everyone here was, at one time, a devout follower of Maloris,” explains Crozik while leading you down the street. “During the War of the Gods, the armies of Derrien, Saeria, Zailyne, and Talges thought it would be best to suppress all of the followers of Maloris, knowing that my God was the strongest of his alliance. Valcus was powerful, though unwilling to wield it. Neralil was weak, but strong willed. It’s how she was killed. Dahar and Falorous both lacked the desire to fight a war unless provoked.”
“They all knew that defeating Maloris was the key to winning the war, and that’s what they attempted to do. They leveled our cities and our temples and Brile was the best moment of their war, because they could deliver the most crushing of blows to Maloris and his followers,” continued Crozik. In the distance, you can see a magnificently constructed building with tall towers on all sides. You walk along the street, seeing a young child and her mother bringing you some pieces of armor.
Acquire One of the Following: Copper Armor, Leather Getup, Cotton Robe
“They think you are here to liberate them,” said Crozik as you grab the armor. “This is the first time in millenia they’ve had the opportunity to be hopeful. They can sense the power resonating off of you.”
You continue on the path, eventually reaching a large wall with a double-doored gate. As you stand in front of it, the gates open up and in front of you, a large colossus carrying a large blade is standing in front of you. He steps forward and swings his sword, ambushing you before you can draw your weapon. You dive out of the way to turn and look toward Crozik. “If you’re to liberate us, you must start with this foul thing.”
Commence Battle with Stockade Colossus.
Pieces of metal fall off of the colossus as his body topples over and slams into the ground. “Impossible,” mutters Crozik as he looks at you with a smile of uncertainty. “Perhaps you are strong enough to free all of us from this prison.”
“Or they’re strong enough to get your hopes up,” announces the Warden as he walked out from behind the gate. “Perhaps they’re strong enough to make it to the gate, but they’re not strong enough to free any of you from this place, Crozik. You should be aware of that by now. There is no hope for you or any of the citizens of Brile.”
Crozik looks at the warden with disdain upon seeing him walk in front of you. “I never thought I’d see you again, Kurros. Perhaps someone coming into this place that has even the slightest amount of strength requires your attention?”
Korros, the Warden of the Sunshire Stockade, walks toward Crozik with a genuine smile. “Oh, I’m less concerned and more curious, Crozik.” Kurros steps away from and starts pacing in front of Crozik. “You see, unsuspecting travelers and merchants stumble in here from time to time and they all meet the same, varying fate. They are either torn to shreds for eternity by harpies or they are drowned by the Naga of Zailyne. They might be flogged and beaten or they might be locked in some, awkward, oblivion created by Saeria, but they all meet the same fate. They are all trapped in here for eternity. Occasionally, someone with a shred of power makes their way into the stockade and we are forced to send them into the doldrums, where they are to spend the rest of eternity with you and your companions. I will admit though, Crozik, it is unusual for so many people at one time to come in here who are quite powerful. We are having to work a little bit extra today to suppress these two mages who are just creating so much havoc.”
Crozik grins as he listens intently to Kurros. “So havoc is being created by others?”
“Yes, but it’s nothing to be alarmed over. It will be suppressed just as it always has,” counters Kurros. “Don’t think too much into it, Crozik. Your soul will not be dining in Loccaris tonight. I promise you that.”
Kurros turns away from Crozik and glances toward you with a concerned and beguiled expression. “Continue on if you choose, traveler, but do heed my words. The path forward is treacherous and perilous and I give you my word that it will not end well for you. Stay here and suffer. Don’t proceed any further.”
“Proceed, travelers. Kurros is afraid of you and your might.”
Kurros rolls his eyes before disappearing into the air. Crozik walks forward and reaches into his pocket, pulling out a small, glowing pink stone. “Here, take this. If it frees all of us, then it will be worth it.”
Acquire One of the Following: Shard of Life, Shard of Reality, Shard of Stone Hands, Shard of Vampirism, Shard of Vision, Shard of the Defender
You walk through the gates and away from Crozik as he smiles and nods. The people from the buildings have filed out to watch you approach the palace of Maloris. You walk up a large flight of stairs that lead up to a large set of red double doors with golden trim. You reach forward and grab two, brass handles and turn them simultaneously before pulling back on the doors. Once open, you find yourself standing in a long hallway with wooden walls and a drab, stone floor below you. The doors behind you have disappeared and you’ve found yourself trapped in a new portion of the stockade.
Ahead of you, you can see a set of white doors. You start your march forward toward the doors when, from behind, you hear the loud banging of swords and shields slamming into the ground. You turn around to see two soldiers, possessing large blades and shields, staring at you. You turn back around to see two more soldiers having appeared in front of you, though these are holding large axes. Behind them, you see a single woman in a robe with fire in her hands, preparing to incinerate you upon coming closer. You pull out your weapons and prepare for combat.
Commence Battle with Stockade Warrior x 2, Stockade Knight x 2, and Stockade Mage.
The five soldiers disappear after being vanquished, leaving behind only a shield from one of the knights and a staff from the mage.
Acquire: Copper Shield
Acquire: Straight Pole
You pick up the items and run down the hallway, expecting to find more stockade guards waiting for you as you get closer. You arrive at the door, only to turn around to find a large projectile coming your way. You dive out of the way to find an arrow placed firmly in the door, followed by a volley of fire coming toward the floor. You roll out of the way and pull out your weapon as the Stockade Archers and Stockade Mages get closer.
Commence Battle with Stockade Archer x 2 and Stockade Mage x 2
The forces disappear as the doors behind you open, revealing three knights charging toward you with their shields drawn.
Commence Battle with Stockade Knight x 3
The knights fall to the ground and you’re left to look at what’s been going around you. In the room ahead, you can see a large battle taking place. You turn back, finding the bodies that disappeared leaving weapons on the ground again, this time leaving a bow and a dagger.
Acquire: Copper Dagger
Acquire: Simple Bow
You walk into the room to find the chaos and carnage that you heard taking place before your eyes. “Come on, don’t just stand there!” screams Illishar as she conjures vines from the ground to ensnare the knights and warriors as they charged forward. Beside her, a large golem conjured by Phirros storms through the area and tosses the bodies of archers in the back to the side. “We’re going to need all the help we can get to get through this!”
“Take the center path!” screams another voice, this one coming from the left. Chalise, wearing her white armor, had her sword out skewering the soldiers in front of her. “We’ve got the right covered!”
As you turn to look at the center, two familiar faces appear on each side of you with their arms out, ready for combat. Merevo turned his head to see you standing there, startled to see you and his brother, Jerikko beside him. “Fancy running into you here,” he said sarcastically before hurling a white ball into the center of the room, hitting one of the soldier’s squarely in the chest and igniting him.
“Oh don’t act like you’ve been fighting all alone, brother,” retorts Jerikko before hurling an orange ball into one of the archers. “I’ve been fighting all these bastards for quite some time without you.”
As they’re arguing, three soldiers charge toward you with their axes drawn. Two mages are behind them, using them for a shield as they conjure their spells and attack.
Commence Battle with Stockade Warrior x 3 and Stockade Mage x 2
Merevo looks at you after defeating the five who charged you. “Quite impressive,” he smirks. “It seems you’ve got a little bit of strength to you as well.”
“Let’s not stand and gawk, brother. Too many things here are trying to kill me,” screamed Jerikko as he continues to fire magical energy at the oncoming soldiers.
“Oh relax, I’m sure you don’t even realize why they’re trying to kill you,” retorts Merevo. “All of the energy here, the souls, are funneled directly to the warden. Everything in this prison is tied to him somehow and if we’re going to make it out of here, we have to defeat him.”
Jerikko smirks briefly. “Then point me toward that bastard and I’ll end it right now.”
Merevo shakes his head while continuing to fire magic toward the archers in the back. The two brothers split up with Merevo heading over toward the Illishar with Jerikko heading over toward Chalize. You’re still in the center, looking forward as more knights charge toward you.
Commence Battle with Stockade Knight x 3 and Stockade Archer x 2
The soldiers vanish before you with another wave coming right behind them.
Commence Battle with Stockade Warrior x 5
The warriors are pushed to the side as you look ahead, seeing Kurros, the warden, walking down a small flight of stairs. “Enough!” he screams as he raises his hands. A purple aura erupts from his palms and everyone in the stockade freezes with the exception of Jerikko, Merevo, and you. Kurros appears upset and bothered as he walks down the stairs and onto the floor. The archers and mages are all frozen, unable to cast while the knights and warriors are stuck to the floor. Behind you, Chalise and the rest of the Order of Derrien along with Illishar, Phirros, and Banthias are also stuck to the ground.
“Don’t give in to his words, travelers. You are stronger than he is,” announces Banthias. “He will try and twist you with them. Don’t let him.”
“You’re stronger than all of us, even him,” screamed the much older Wornier. “Tread lightly but be steadfast. The lot of you can defeat him.”
You walk toward the warden with Merevo and Jerikko beside you, both moving with a confident gaze and a wry smirk. The twins are prepared for a battle with Kurros, the warden, with you at their side.
Merevo and Jerikko Join the Party (NPCs act similar to enemies. Consult the rules for more information: Rules and Systems).
“I will make a deal with you, right now,” Kurros states as he stands in front of you. “I will allow all of you to walk out of here with your souls in tact if you end this battle now. Everything will revert back to the way it was prior to you walking in and everyone of these men and women who chose to revolt will be punished.”
Merevo looks at you before turning back to Kurros. “No,” he states forcefully. “Your reign over this prison is over, Kurros. The power bestowed upon you by the Gods is not absolute and your days as the fulcrum of souls here are over.”
Kurros is angered by Merevo’s refusal. Jerikko, not speaking, ignites his hands while looking at the warden to alert him of his intent. Without a second thought, you draw your weapons and look into the eyes of Kurros, ready for whatever he is going to bring.
Commence Battle with Kurros
The walls of the stockade open up behind you and light shines in. The stockade guards, all servants of Kurros, look up at the light and fade away slowly into the air. Their expressions, all similar, appear to be at peace as their bodies vanish before your eyes. “Your hold over this prison and all of the souls here has ended, Kurros,” announces a voice from the back of the room. Crozik, one of the high priests of Maloris, along with with Berltus and Travolse, appear and grab the arms of the now powerless Kurros. “Perhaps a few years of torture from us might suffice in an ample punishment, Kurros,” continues a now defiant and proud Crozik. “Adventurers, thank you."
You close your eyes briefly as a feeling of peace overtakes you. You open them to find yourself standing in the fields near the stockades with several people standing around you. You turn back to see the stockade vanish, leaving you mystified. “Don’t think too much about that, traveler. The magic of the old world is something we don’t expect someone like you to understand,” declares a very jubilant Chalise. Her blonde hair reflected the rays of the sun for the first time in thousands of years. “The Order of Derrien owes you a tremendous debt. Without the soul of someone living, none of us would’ve been freed today.”
“The power Kurros possessed was merely a sham of the Gods and a mistake, but one that today, was finally rectified,” conveys Illishar as she steps forward and places her hand on your shoulder. “We all owe you a debt of gratitude for your assistance.”
Behind her, Albritone walks forward to address you. “Here, traveler, take this last trinket from the stockade and go with peace. We all have a life to build in service of our Gods.”
Acquire One of the Following: Shard of Iron Resolve, Shard of the Bulwark, Shard of Intellect, Shard of Anger, Shard of the Crusader, Shard of the Jester.
In the distance, you look out to see purple clouds cover the horizon with strikes of lightning filling the sky. “That is a foul thing indeed,” continues Albritone as he and the rest of the Order of Derrien gather around you to look at the clouds. “That power is reminiscent of the powers of Loccaris.”
Merevo and Jerikko step away from you and the rest of the Order, uninterested by the powers at be in the distance. You stand next to the Order, looking out and standing there with them as they try to fathom what is at play.
All players earn 500 shard experience.
Scenario Complete. Visit the Store?
The Story Continues in Chapter 7: The Ruined Temple of Yesteryear
You walk through the center door, entering an open area surrounded by tall walls on all sides with a small corridor at the end. The walls are cracked, with large crevices starting at the base and traveling all the way up the sides to the top. The ground, dusty with patches of grass, was firm and appeared to not have been walked on in years.
As you walk toward the corridor, a large shadow is cast on the ground. You look up to find a large, fiery boulder crashing toward you. “Move!” screams a man from the corridor. You dive out of the way as the ball of fiery energy crashes against the ground, though you turn back to see another one coming your way. You dive out of the way again, only to find a third to be enroute. You dive forward, opting to run toward the corridor. Before the third ball of fiery energy hits, you dive into the covered corridor to avoid the impact.
“You’re quite spry,” mentions the man as he holds his hand out to assist you to your feet. “Name’s Travolse, and I am one of the Priests of Maloris that’s trapped in this vile place,” he states while pulling you up toward him. “Now, how in the world of Maloris did you find your way here?”
He smiles at you while motioning for you to follow him. “Come on, let me introduce you to my family,” he said happily. You follow him through the corridor, seeing several paintings and sketchings on the walls before coming into a large, open area where several people are residing. “This is my large family,” announces Travolse as he walks into the room. Torches line the walls of the cavern, keeping the place brightly lit to allow you the ability to look around. You see several women and children, as well as some elderly figures, all sitting down on small cots around the room. At the far end, you can see another corridor leading out. “Eternity is quite a long time for all of us to be together, but we make due,” continues Travolse.
Travolse walks out into the room and motions for you to follow him toward the corridor in the back of the room. You follow him without a second thought, making it into the next cave. Travolse pauses momentarily and grabs a torch to help light your path as he leads the way. You walk through for several feet, utilizing only the torch in Travolse’s hand to light your path.
“I can sense a great deal of knowledge and power coming from you and your weapons,” he asserts while leading the path. “Maybe you’re the ones I’ve we’ve been praying would show up. Maybe you are the ones who can actually do something about this place and free me and my family from this awful prison.”
You walk up, seeing two bright torches off in the distance. Near the entrance, you can see two statues standing on two sides of a large, blue gate with silver trim. “I’m sorry, travelers. I sense a great power from you, but I have to know if you’re strong enough to rid the foul presence of this place. I have to know if you are the ones who finally save me and my family from our eternity of hell.”
The two statues against the wall start to move before you with their eyes starting to glow a fiery pink. Their arms start to move, followed by their legs. In their hands, long spears braced their newly moving bodies as they turn to face you. “I’m sorry…” mutters Travolse as the two statues attack.
Commence Battle with Living Statue x 2
The two statues fall to the ground with a thud. You reach down to find a useful spear, as well as a glowing shard functioning as one of the eyes.
Acquire: Copper Spear
Acquire One of the Following: Shard of Life, Shard of Reality, Shard of Stone Hands, Shard of Vampirism, Shard of Vision, Shard of the Defender
The two doors open in front of you, revealing a very large and cavernous room with wooden floors and wooden balconies. The entire room was constructed of wood. You walk into the room with Travolse behind you, awing at your power. “I’ve never seen anyone get past them,” he says jubilantly as he follows behind you. “Maybe you are strong enough to defeat this place.”
“Or maybe they’re just strong enough to come close,” announces the warden as he walks out from behind a curtain and down a wooden staircase. “Perhaps these travelers are strong enough for the doldrums, but not strong enough to vacate these stockades.”
“Or perhaps they are stronger than you are, Kurros,” Travolse states defiantly. “These adventurers were the first to take down your statues that guarded this place and they did it with relative ease. I’d venture a wager that they would take down your magical prison and free the lot of us.”
The warden scoffs as he stands still in the center of a large, wooden platform with you walking up to him. “I doubt it, naive.”
“Naive? Are we reverting to name-calling?” queries Kurros playfully. “I believe there is room here for politeness, Travolse. We don’t have to lower ourselves. Besides, it’s unbecoming of you to talk down to someone who clearly possesses control over your soul.” Kurros holds his hand out and binds Travolse to the ground with a smile creeping out of the corner of his mouth. He motions for a large creature to come from behind a large set of red, double doors. A large creature, walking on four legs with large horns appears in front of you, preparing to charge toward Travolse and gore him. As the creature moves forward, you leap in front of him and attack the creature.
Commence Battle with Stockade Behemoth.
The behemoth falls to the ground and dissolves into a mist as Kurros stares on in amazement. “Impossible,” whispers Kurros as he continues to keep Travolse bound. “How did you?”
“They’re stronger than you think, naive,” stammers Travolse as he fell to one knee while writhing in agony. “You may have all of our souls bound to you, but you don’t have theirs yet. They will defeat you, I promise.”
Kurros lets out a loud scream as closes his fist. Travolse’s body constricts upon itself before being projected into the air. Kurros lowers his hand and Travolse’s body slams into the ground, breaking the wooden platform and sending him to the floor below. You look through the hole to see blood pouring from several wounds on his mangled body before turning back to see an incensed Kurros pacing around the hole. He looks up at you and grimaces. “You do possess a great deal of power, but I would strongly advise you to stop your quest. Moving forward will only end in an eternity of pain and anguish.”
He steps away from and walks toward the red, double doors at the end of the room, he places his hand on the handles and pulls the doors open toward him and walks through, disappearing on the other side. You look at where he went and back down to the mangled body of Travolse, convincing yourself that there is only one course of action. You walk toward and through the set of double doors, finding yourself in a long, wooden room with a set of white doors at the very end. You start your march forward toward the doors when, from behind, you hear the loud banging of swords and shields slamming into the ground. You turn around to see two soldiers, possessing large blades and shields, staring at you. You turn back around to see two more soldiers having appeared in front of you, though these are holding large axes. Behind them, you see a single woman in a robe with fire in her hands, preparing to incinerate you upon coming closer. You pull out your weapons and prepare for combat.
Commence Battle with Stockade Warrior x 2, Stockade Knight x 2, and Stockade Mage.
The five soldiers disappear after being vanquished, leaving behind only a shield from one of the knights and a staff from the mage.
Acquire: Copper Shield
Acquire: Straight Pole
You pick up the items and run down the hallway, expecting to find more stockade guards waiting for you as you get closer. You arrive at the door, only to turn around to find a large projectile coming your way. You dive out of the way to find an arrow placed firmly in the door, followed by a volley of fire coming toward the floor. You roll out of the way and pull out your weapon as the Stockade Archers and Stockade Mages get closer.
Commence Battle with Stockade Archer x 2 and Stockade Mage x 2
The forces disappear as the doors behind you open, revealing three knights charging toward you with their shields drawn.
Commence Battle with Stockade Knight x 3
The knights fall to the ground and you’re left to look at what’s been going around you. In the room ahead, you can see a large battle taking place. You turn back, finding the bodies that disappeared leaving weapons on the ground again, this time leaving a bow and a dagger.
Acquire: Copper Dagger
Acquire: Simple Bow
You walk into the room to find the chaos and carnage that you heard taking place before your eyes. “Come on, don’t just stand there!” screams Illishar as she conjures vines from the ground to ensnare the knights and warriors as they charged forward. Beside her, a large golem conjured by Phirros storms through the area and tosses the bodies of archers in the back to the side. “We’re going to need all the help we can get to get through this!”
“Take the center path!” screams another voice, this one coming from the left. Chalise, wearing her white armor, had her sword out skewering the soldiers in front of her. “We’ve got the right covered!”
As you turn to look at the center, two familiar faces appear on each side of you with their arms out, ready for combat. Merevo turned his head to see you standing there, startled to see you and his brother, Jerikko beside him. “Fancy running into you here,” he said sarcastically before hurling a white ball into the center of the room, hitting one of the soldier’s squarely in the chest and igniting him.
“Oh don’t act like you’ve been fighting all alone, brother,” retorts Jerikko before hurling an orange ball into one of the archers. “I’ve been fighting all these bastards for quite some time without you.”
As they’re arguing, three soldiers charge toward you with their axes drawn. Two mages are behind them, using them for a shield as they conjure their spells and attack.
Commence Battle with Stockade Warrior x 3 and Stockade Mage x 2
Merevo looks at you after defeating the five who charged you. “Quite impressive,” he smirks. “It seems you’ve got a little bit of strength to you as well.”
“Let’s not stand and gawk, brother. Too many things here are trying to kill me,” screamed Jerikko as he continues to fire magical energy at the oncoming soldiers.
“Oh relax, I’m sure you don’t even realize why they’re trying to kill you,” retorts Merevo. “All of the energy here, the souls, are funneled directly to the warden. Everything in this prison is tied to him somehow and if we’re going to make it out of here, we have to defeat him.”
Jerikko smirks briefly. “Then point me toward that bastard and I’ll end it right now.”
Merevo shakes his head while continuing to fire magic toward the archers in the back. The two brothers split up with Merevo heading over toward the Illishar with Jerikko heading over toward Chalize. You’re still in the center, looking forward as more knights charge toward you.
Commence Battle with Stockade Knight x 3 and Stockade Archer x 2
The soldiers vanish before you with another wave coming right behind them.
Commence Battle with Stockade Warrior x 5
The warriors are pushed to the side as you look ahead, seeing Kurros, the warden, walking down a small flight of stairs. “Enough!” he screams as he raises his hands. A purple aura erupts from his palms and everyone in the stockade freezes with the exception of Jerikko, Merevo, and you. Kurros appears upset and bothered as he walks down the stairs and onto the floor. The archers and mages are all frozen, unable to cast while the knights and warriors are stuck to the floor. Behind you, Chalise and the rest of the Order of Derrien along with Illishar, Phirros, and Banthias are also stuck to the ground.
“Don’t give in to his words, travelers. You are stronger than he is,” announces Banthias. “He will try and twist you with them. Don’t let him.”
“You’re stronger than all of us, even him,” screamed the much older Wornier. “Tread lightly but be steadfast. The lot of you can defeat him.”
You walk toward the warden with Merevo and Jerikko beside you, both moving with a confident gaze and a wry smirk. The twins are prepared for a battle with Kurros, the warden, with you at their side.
Merevo and Jerikko Join the Party (NPCs act similar to enemies. Consult the rules for more information: Rules and Systems).
“I will make a deal with you, right now,” Kurros states as he stands in front of you. “I will allow all of you to walk out of here with your souls in tact if you end this battle now. Everything will revert back to the way it was prior to you walking in and everyone of these men and women who chose to revolt will be punished.”
Merevo looks at you before turning back to Kurros. “No,” he states forcefully. “Your reign over this prison is over, Kurros. The power bestowed upon you by the Gods is not absolute and your days as the fulcrum of souls here are over.”
Kurros is angered by Merevo’s refusal. Jerikko, not speaking, ignites his hands while looking at the warden to alert him of his intent. Without a second thought, you draw your weapons and look into the eyes of Kurros, ready for whatever he is going to bring.
Commence Battle with Kurros
The walls of the stockade open up behind you and light shines in. The stockade guards, all servants of Kurros, look up at the light and fade away slowly into the air. Their expressions, all similar, appear to be at peace as their bodies vanish before your eyes. “Your hold over this prison and all of the souls here has ended, Kurros,” announces a voice from the back of the room. Crozik, one of the high priests of Maloris, along with with Berltus and Travolse, appear and grab the arms of the now powerless Kurros. “Perhaps a few years of torture from us might suffice in an ample punishment, Kurros,” continues a now defiant and proud Crozik. “Adventurers, thank you."
You close your eyes briefly as a feeling of peace overtakes you. You open them to find yourself standing in the fields near the stockades with several people standing around you. You turn back to see the stockade vanish, leaving you mystified. “Don’t think too much about that, traveler. The magic of the old world is something we don’t expect someone like you to understand,” declares a very jubilant Chalise. Her blonde hair reflected the rays of the sun for the first time in thousands of years. “The Order of Derrien owes you a tremendous debt. Without the soul of someone living, none of us would’ve been freed today.”
“The power Kurros possessed was merely a sham of the Gods and a mistake, but one that today, was finally rectified,” conveys Illishar as she steps forward and places her hand on your shoulder. “We all owe you a debt of gratitude for your assistance.”
Behind her, Albritone walks forward to address you. “Here, traveler, take this last trinket from the stockade and go with peace. We all have a life to build in service of our Gods.”
Acquire One of the Following: Shard of Iron Resolve, Shard of the Bulwark, Shard of Intellect, Shard of Anger, Shard of the Crusader, Shard of the Jester.
In the distance, you look out to see purple clouds cover the horizon with strikes of lightning filling the sky. “That is a foul thing indeed,” continues Albritone as he and the rest of the Order of Derrien gather around you to look at the clouds. “That power is reminiscent of the powers of Loccaris.”
Merevo and Jerikko step away from you and the rest of the Order, uninterested by the powers at be in the distance. You stand next to the Order, looking out and standing there with them as they try to fathom what is at play.
All players earn 500 shard experience.
Scenario Complete. Visit the Store?
The Story Continues in Chapter 7: The Ruined Temple of Yesteryear
You walk through the right door, finding yourself in a very tall room with shelves, containing tomes, scrolls, and books, filling them as far as the eye can see. The floors are checked, consisting of a stone with a soft, red carpet lining the center of the walkway. Chandeliers with burning candles hang from the ceiling, providing ample illumination while casting shadows along the wall. To the right of the entryway, you see a chest with a few odd garments in them.
Acquire One of the Following: Copper Helm, Copper Circlet, Leather Hat
As you look around, noticing several layers of dust coating the shelves, you can see a man standing in the distance sorting through several books on a large table. You approach him, startling him briefly before he turns to look at you. The man is tall and lanky, while possessing a very bookish look about him as well as a very intellectual demeanor. “Oh, my,” he stammers while looking you up and down. “It’s been quite some time since I’ve had any guests in here.” He pauses for a moment, clearly in thought. “Honestly, I cannot think of anytime that I have had a single visitor. The warden doesn’t tend to ever allow me to have any. My name is Berltus, and I am a follower of Derillius, though I was cast in here as an alleged follower of Maloris.”
Berltus looks at you with a confused glance as you keep a stoic look about you. “Honestly, one doesn’t follow Derillius. He simply has scholars and archivists who roam the world and keep track of things for him. My family, however, were residents of Brile and were devout followers of Maloris. I am down here, trapped in this prison, because of them.” He steps away from you and over to a smaller table where a stack of books reside. “I’ve honestly been busy since I got here, studying the magic that comprises this place and how it became what it is. It took a few thousand years, but I finally figured out how this place actually operates.”
“You see, this place is constructed of a very old and ancient magic,” explaines Berltus as he steps away from the books and over to a large chalkboard. “This magic has to have a conduit, something to tie it to. I’ve deduced in all of my time here that the warden, Kurros, is that conduit. All of the souls in this stockade, those of us who have perished but our souls are trapped here, are tied to the warden and we will never be able to leave unless he is defeated.”
You hear a loud clapping coming from the distance. You turn and look to find the warden walking out of the shadows and down the tile floor to you. “Very good, Berltus,” states the warden with a great deal of sarcasm. “What’s next? Are you going to tell me that all of the things created in this place resemble scenes of the past?”
“No, you just said that,” remarks Berltus astutely. “I’ve never looked into the construction and composition of the actual rooms of this stockade. I felt it would’ve been a waste of time and merely assumed what you just said to be true.” Berltus spoke in a very matter-of-fact tone as he looked at the warden with a blank stare. “What I’m not understanding so far, is why your power is so stagnant? One would think that, since you were bestowed power by four of the Gods, they would allow the power to grow and fester. They would allow you to become something much stronger than you actually are. Is it because that power is split amongst all of the underlings you have working for you?”
Kurros moves forward and glances over the table where Berltus has placed several scrolls and other documents. “I’m quite impressed you were able to recreate several of the tomes of Derillius,” Kurros says while running his fingertips over the table before pulling up his hand and smirking at the archiver. “I know that you aren’t a devout follower of Maloris, but I know your family is. When you and your family were brought here, they were sent off to another wing for their devotion to the God of Chaos while you were given a different fate because of who your true allegiance belongs to. I’ve never been one to pick a fight with a neutral, and the God of Intellect is most certainly the embodiment of that.”
Berltus chuckles. “He’s a little bit more active than you give him credit for.”
“And how’s that?” asks Kurros.
“He doesn’t actively force others to do things, but he has been known to convince through knowledge,” explains Berltus. “Derillius will never tell someone to accomplish a task, but he will put the information they require in front of them so that they are motivated to do it, whether it’s all the information or not.”
Kurros nods and smirks while stepping around the table to stand in front of Berltus. “Why would he do that?”
“Because Derillius loves to watch the world burn,” continues Berltus. “He just wants to be entertained.”
Kurros laughs maniacally while stepping away from Berltus and toward you. “Do you hear that, travelers? The God of Intellect just wants to watch the world descend into chaos. So much for that old fool being a neutral.”
“But he is. He doesn’t care which side ultimately wins, he only wants to see the conflict play out,” Berltus continues to explain. “Derillius understands that the foundations of Dun-I are solid and that strife and turmoil only exist to strengthen the world we live in. So long as Dun-I isn’t in any real danger, Derillius will continue to influence those in a manner which will bring him a brief sense of enjoyment.”
Kurros sighs softly. “He’s a bit of a voyeur.”
“He likes to be entertained,” counters Berltus. “Think about it, if your only job is to archive the history and events of Dun-I, wouldn’t you rather see things that are interesting?”
Kurros shakes his head at the rhetorical question and moves over to one of the side walls to take inventory of the books he possessed on the shelves. “It is quite something that you were able to recreate this place, books and all.”
“I’m an archivist. It’s what I do,” mentions Berltus. “I can recreate everything that I’ve seen through my training and devotion.”
Kurros grins roguishly. “How long did it take you to create this place?”
“At least two thousand years to recreate every scroll and every book. It’s only been recently that everything was finished,” explained Berltus expediently. While Berltus explains Kurros conjures a flame in his hand and holds it up to one of the bookshelves. A slight panic set into Berltus’s eyes as he peered at the flame. “Please put away the flame.”
“Why?” asks Kurros as he holds the flame closer to one of the scrolls. “So that you can keep all of your information?”
“Information and knowledge is more valuable than any token or trinket one can possess. It has a price tag that cannot be measured by normal means,” stammers a panicked Berltus.
Kurros smirks while releasing the flame into the bookshelf and igniting it. “I’ve always liked you, but I cannot allow you to have this much information at your fingertips, Berltus,” Kurros states callously while stepping away from the open flame. “If I let you keep it, it’s only a matter of time before you realize how to reverse the spells on this stockade and everyone goes free.”
“I’m stuck in this room. Who would I have told!?” shout Berltus.
“You would’ve figured it out,” says Kurros as he moves away from the fire. From the flames, two large creatures emerge to incinerate the rest of the room. You pull out your weapons to attempt to fight them off.
Commence Battle with Fire Elemental x 2
The fires on the shelves spread to a neighboring shelf, with three more fire elementals being conjured. “The magic tied to the books has bound itself to the fire, adventurers!” yells Berltus as you look at three more elementals approaching you. “Take care!”
Commence Battle with Fire Elemental x 3
The three elementals dissipate, but the fire continues to spread to all of the shelves in the room. Kurros as walks down a hallway to the back, through a set of red double doors, leaving you to deal with all of the creatures that have combined between the fire and the magic. The ground starts to quake as you turn to look at a defeated Berltus. “I don’t know what this could be…”
From out of the flames, a humanoid creature with two legs, two arms, and a human face floated in front of you with fire surrounding him. “A djinn?” ponders Berltus rhetorically as he gazes upon the fiery creature. “How did a djinn come about?”
The djinn conjures two flames in his hands and tosses them at you, forcing you to dive out of the way before running toward him and attacking.
Commence Battle with Flame Djinn
The Djinn fades away into smoke while the fire in the room fades away, leaving only the smoldering remains of bookshelves and its contents. Berltus, defeated, hangs his head in disgust as you holster your weapons. “It took far too long to create this only for that man to destroy it in seconds,” he states solemnly. He looks up at you and breathes slowly. “I typically detest violence, but I’ve had far too much. My family is suffering and I had to make peace with that. Their decisions led to our incarceration but they’re still my family and I still love them.” He pauses for a moment while biting his bottom lip. “It’s time for me to forgo the practice of watching and archiving and actually step into action. I’m sorry Derillius, if you’re watching, but I cannot allow my family to suffer any longer, especially when I already possess the knowledge to undo this place.”
Berltus reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small, red shard and hands it to you. “I hope that can aid you as you go through those doors,” he says softly while reaching out and handing you the powerful item.
Acquire One of the Following: Shard of Life, Shard of Reality, Shard of Stone Hands, Shard of Vampirism, Shard of Vision, Shard of the Defender
“Everything in this stockade is tied to Kurros. Every soul is bound directly to him, giving him explicit control over them. In the event something were to happen, an uprising if you will, he could halt the movements of any and all people that are bound to him. In order for this stockade to topple, it will take someone who hasn’t died. It will take someone who still has possession over their own souls. Adventurers, you are the only ones who can free us from this hell, and I wish you all of the best.”
You nod slowly before stepping away from an angered and resolute Berltus. You walk past him and over to a set of red double doors with golden trim and brass handles. You place your hands on the knobs and turn them, opening them up to reveal a long, wooden room with a set of white double doors at the far end of the hallway. The doors behind you close as you walk in.
You start your march forward toward the doors when, from behind, you hear the loud banging of swords and shields slamming into the ground. You turn around to see two soldiers, possessing large blades and shields, staring at you. You turn back around to see two more soldiers having appeared in front of you, though these are holding large axes. Behind them, you see a single woman in a robe with fire in her hands, preparing to incinerate you upon coming closer. You pull out your weapons and prepare for combat.
Commence Battle with Stockade Warrior x 2, Stockade Knight x 2, and Stockade Mage.
The five soldiers disappear after being vanquished, leaving behind only a shield from one of the knights and a staff from the mage.
Acquire: Copper Shield
Acquire: Straight Pole
You pick up the items and run down the hallway, expecting to find more stockade guards waiting for you as you get closer. You arrive at the door, only to turn around to find a large projectile coming your way. You dive out of the way to find an arrow placed firmly in the door, followed by a volley of fire coming toward the floor. You roll out of the way and pull out your weapon as the Stockade Archers and Stockade Mages get closer.
Commence Battle with Stockade Archer x 2 and Stockade Mage x 2
The forces disappear as the doors behind you open, revealing three knights charging toward you with their shields drawn.
Commence Battle with Stockade Knight x 3
The knights fall to the ground and you’re left to look at what’s been going around you. In the room ahead, you can see a large battle taking place. You turn back, finding the bodies that disappeared leaving weapons on the ground again, this time leaving a bow and a dagger.
Acquire: Copper Dagger
Acquire: Simple Bow
You walk into the room to find the chaos and carnage that you heard taking place before your eyes. “Come on, don’t just stand there!” screams Illishar as she conjures vines from the ground to ensnare the knights and warriors as they charged forward. Beside her, a large golem conjured by Phirros storms through the area and tosses the bodies of archers in the back to the side. “We’re going to need all the help we can get to get through this!”
“Take the center path!” screams another voice, this one coming from the left. Chalise, wearing her white armor, had her sword out skewering the soldiers in front of her. “We’ve got the right covered!”
As you turn to look at the center, two familiar faces appear on each side of you with their arms out, ready for combat. Merevo turned his head to see you standing there, startled to see you and his brother, Jerikko beside him. “Fancy running into you here,” he said sarcastically before hurling a white ball into the center of the room, hitting one of the soldier’s squarely in the chest and igniting him.
“Oh don’t act like you’ve been fighting all alone, brother,” retorts Jerikko before hurling an orange ball into one of the archers. “I’ve been fighting all these bastards for quite some time without you.”
As they’re arguing, three soldiers charge toward you with their axes drawn. Two mages are behind them, using them for a shield as they conjure their spells and attack.
Commence Battle with Stockade Warrior x 3 and Stockade Mage x 2
Merevo looks at you after defeating the five who charged you. “Quite impressive,” he smirks. “It seems you’ve got a little bit of strength to you as well.”
“Let’s not stand and gawk, brother. Too many things here are trying to kill me,” screamed Jerikko as he continues to fire magical energy at the oncoming soldiers.
“Oh relax, I’m sure you don’t even realize why they’re trying to kill you,” retorts Merevo. “All of the energy here, the souls, are funneled directly to the warden. Everything in this prison is tied to him somehow and if we’re going to make it out of here, we have to defeat him.”
Jerikko smirks briefly. “Then point me toward that bastard and I’ll end it right now.”
Merevo shakes his head while continuing to fire magic toward the archers in the back. The two brothers split up with Merevo heading over toward the Illishar with Jerikko heading over toward Chalize. You’re still in the center, looking forward as more knights charge toward you.
Commence Battle with Stockade Knight x 3 and Stockade Archer x 2
The soldiers vanish before you with another wave coming right behind them.
Commence Battle with Stockade Warrior x 5
The warriors are pushed to the side as you look ahead, seeing Kurros, the warden, walking down a small flight of stairs. “Enough!” he screams as he raises his hands. A purple aura erupts from his palms and everyone in the stockade freezes with the exception of Jerikko, Merevo, and you. Kurros appears upset and bothered as he walks down the stairs and onto the floor. The archers and mages are all frozen, unable to cast while the knights and warriors are stuck to the floor. Behind you, Chalise and the rest of the Order of Derrien along with Illishar, Phirros, and Banthias are also stuck to the ground.
“Don’t give in to his words, travelers. You are stronger than he is,” announces Banthias. “He will try and twist you with them. Don’t let him.”
“You’re stronger than all of us, even him,” screamed the much older Wornier. “Tread lightly but be steadfast. The lot of you can defeat him.”
You walk toward the warden with Merevo and Jerikko beside you, both moving with a confident gaze and a wry smirk. The twins are prepared for a battle with Kurros, the warden, with you at their side.
Merevo and Jerikko Join the Party (NPCs act similar to enemies. Consult the rules for more information: Rules and Systems).
“I will make a deal with you, right now,” Kurros states as he stands in front of you. “I will allow all of you to walk out of here with your souls in tact if you end this battle now. Everything will revert back to the way it was prior to you walking in and everyone of these men and women who chose to revolt will be punished.”
Merevo looks at you before turning back to Kurros. “No,” he states forcefully. “Your reign over this prison is over, Kurros. The power bestowed upon you by the Gods is not absolute and your days as the fulcrum of souls here are over.”
Kurros is angered by Merevo’s refusal. Jerikko, not speaking, ignites his hands while looking at the warden to alert him of his intent. Without a second thought, you draw your weapons and look into the eyes of Kurros, ready for whatever he is going to bring.
Commence Battle with Kurros
The walls of the stockade open up behind you and light shines in. The stockade guards, all servants of Kurros, look up at the light and fade away slowly into the air. Their expressions, all similar, appear to be at peace as their bodies vanish before your eyes. “Your hold over this prison and all of the souls here has ended, Kurros,” announces a voice from the back of the room. Crozik, one of the high priests of Maloris, along with with Berltus and Travolse, appear and grab the arms of the now powerless Kurros. “Perhaps a few years of torture from us might suffice in an ample punishment, Kurros,” continues a now defiant and proud Crozik. “Adventurers, thank you."
You close your eyes briefly as a feeling of peace overtakes you. You open them to find yourself standing in the fields near the stockades with several people standing around you. You turn back to see the stockade vanish, leaving you mystified. “Don’t think too much about that, traveler. The magic of the old world is something we don’t expect someone like you to understand,” declares a very jubilant Chalise. Her blonde hair reflected the rays of the sun for the first time in thousands of years. “The Order of Derrien owes you a tremendous debt. Without the soul of someone living, none of us would’ve been freed today.”
“The power Kurros possessed was merely a sham of the Gods and a mistake, but one that today, was finally rectified,” conveys Illishar as she steps forward and places her hand on your shoulder. “We all owe you a debt of gratitude for your assistance.”
Behind her, Albritone walks forward to address you. “Here, traveler, take this last trinket from the stockade and go with peace. We all have a life to build in service of our Gods.”
Acquire One of the Following: Shard of Iron Resolve, Shard of the Bulwark, Shard of Intellect, Shard of Anger, Shard of the Crusader, Shard of the Jester.
In the distance, you look out to see purple clouds cover the horizon with strikes of lightning filling the sky. “That is a foul thing indeed,” continues Albritone as he and the rest of the Order of Derrien gather around you to look at the clouds. “That power is reminiscent of the powers of Loccaris.”
Merevo and Jerikko step away from you and the rest of the Order, uninterested by the powers at be in the distance. You stand next to the Order, looking out and standing there with them as they try to fathom what is at play.
All players earn 500 shard experience.
Scenario Complete. Visit the Store?
The Story Continues in Chapter 7: The Ruined Temple of Yesteryear