The End

Forum for finalising the End of Gralus storyline (while developing post-End Toketi in the rest of the forums).
User avatar
Gerk
Posts: 1120
Joined: Tue Jan 11, 2011 1:00 am
Location: Wherever my mind takes me...

The End

Post by Gerk »

Sorry. I had a very unmotivated Tuesday, a very busy Wednesday, and yesterday was Halloween, and therefore spent playing Betrayal at House on the Hill (fantastic game, in case you're wondering). But I have an hour of down time today, so I thought I'd bang it out again.
June 12
EMPRESS DEAD: MAGICAL RADIATION POISONING BLAMED

A source from within the Chief Justice's office gave the news mere hours ago that Empress Kara had passed away from suspected magical radiation poisoning.

The source, who wishes to remain anonymous, reported that the long-missing Empress passed away in what remains of the city of Skoitomashu, where she has likely been hiding since she disappeared, but was unable to give any further details.

The Chief Justice's office confirmed her death, but was unwilling to comment on the circumstances or the larger issue of the magical sickness. The Lord General's office was unavailable for comment.

This marks the first time that a source from the government has provided an explanation for the widespread disease that is sweeping across Gralus. Renowned thaumatologist Dr. Ewan Gray said that a so-called magical radiation would explain why some areas of the country seem to be affected more than others, and why the symptoms vary widely.

Kara's death leaves a sizeable hole in the Gralan government, as an heir was never chosen for the position...

---

June 15
WHERE IS OUR QUEEN?

I don't know about you, but I was pretty excited at the time of our dear Queen Analis's coronation.

It was something new, something fresh, a change of pace. With all due respect to her father, he was old, tired, and quite possibly insane.

But now the honeymoon phase is over, and where are we? Right in the middle of maybe the biggest crisis in history, and, like so many before her, she is nowhere to be found. Her office refuses to comment, and His Justness Rafel dodges just about every question he's thrown. I wager you wouldn't even get a straight answer if you asked him his favorite color.

What happened to the promise she made at her coronation, that she would strive to do better than those before and make time to serve the needs of the people?

It seems to be something of a vicious cycle with these monarchs; everything is good for a time, and then they decide they have to go on some adventure, or need some time alone, without telling anyone where or how long they'll be. When was the last time we had a monarch who was devoted to properly running the country?

They say there's a new conDoin out there, testing the waters, interested in re-establishing his family's history. I think there's hardly a better time for it than now. We're in need of some change...

---

June 20
ANONYMOUS SOURCE REVEALED: SAUL PARSONS FOUNDS NATIONAL LIBERTY PARTY

The faceless whistleblower who provided insight into the goings-on in the Chief Justice's office has revealed himself as Saul Parsons, former law clerk, and founder of the new National Liberty Party.

Over the past week, Mr. Parsons has used his position within the Chief Justice's office to provide the rest of the world with critical information regarding the death of Empress Kara, as well as the growing magical radiation crisis and the steps, or lack thereof, being taken to manage it.

A spokesman for the NLP said that Mr. Parsons is not worried about governmental retaliation now that his name is out, due to the stagnation of the Emperor's office, and the severe backlash it would generate among already high domestic tensions.

Mr. Parson's new political party has been created on a platform of freely distributed information and popular government oversight. It is already gaining widespread support amid the growing national outrage about recent developments. The NLP released a statement calling for a "halt to all magical activities" until more is known about the cause of the supposed magical radiation, as well as the creation of a committee of citizens to temporarily oversee governmental decisions during the crisis and "shed light on how much information the government is keeping from its citizens." The statement also suggests the establishment of an "emergency executive legislature" to enforce the law and command the national guard until a new Emperor can be chosen.

The Lord General's and Chief Justice's offices were unavailable for official comment on these developments, but Fleet Admiral Jack Nightingale has thrown his support behind the NLP, stating, "I never did trust those magic types - you never know for sure what they're capable of. Why did we ever put them in charge of the country anyway?"...

---

"We are tired of being looked down upon!"

Saul Parsons looked out over the mass of people gathered in the streets all around him as they cheered loudly in assent.

"We are tired of being looked after!"

He accentuated each 'tired' by slamming his fist into the podium in front of him, drawing even more energy from the crowd.

"We are people just as much as they are, and we are capable of taking care of ourselves!"

The roar that erupted shook the very walls of the Capitol Building behind him. When the crowd had quieted, Saul began again in a more subdued tone.

"My friends, for far too long we have been governed by those who have abilities we can only begin to fathom. We have allowed them to lead us, because we thought they still understood our best interests, but recent events have proven that this is not true. This very day, our friends and family lie sick at home and in hospitals because of mistakes that were made by the very people who have sworn to protect us. They have lied to us! They have ignored our needs! We will not stand for this any longer! Our demands will be heard!" He turned to face the building behind him. "Listen closely, Gralus, because here they are:

"We demand equality!" Saul raised his fist into the air to punctuate each demand, as the crowd around him cheered.

"We demand transparency!" The cheers grew louder.

"We demand apology!" Louder still.

"But above all else, we demand the liberty to decide for ourselves how our government should meet our needs!"

Saul Parsons turned and waved to the crowd as he stepped away from the podium, his speech complete. It had gone better than he expected for their first rally in Shelsa. With this many in attendance, maybe the party would finally start earning some credibility from the government and accomplishing some of the goals he hoped the NLP would be able to address. Lost in thought, Saul took his seat as the next speaker, another top party official, took the podium.

Saul was not very familiar with many of the people he was now working with. He had met some of them through a mutual friend back when he was still working anonymously. It was those people who had advised him on the best moment to unveil himself, and it was their idea to create the NLP to give themselves a platform from which to pursue their goals. Once the party was founded, it grew so rapidly that Saul was forced to delegate much of the work to these relative strangers, and more and more people appeared among the inner circle as important party officials. Saul could not keep track of them, but the weeks had been so busy that he could not turn anyone away.

The lack of control bothered him, but he had been assured many time over that all these people were only looking out for the best interests of the party. So when his inner circle decided that allowing Admiral Nightingale to speak at this rally was in the best interest of the party, he had reluctantly agreed, but insisted that his speech stay in line with the party platform. Still, seeing the current speaker finish and Nightingale step up to the podium brought no small amount of worry to Saul's mind.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen," he began in his usual gruff tone. "It is a pleasure to be speaking to you on this fine summer day. In case you don't know, my name is Jack Nightingale, though most call me Captain Jack. I am here today because I believe in the message of Mr. Parsons, and I believe the National Liberty Party has the potential to bring about real change." Captain Jack paused with a thoughtful look on his face. "I've never been a man of words. Words are cheap. They tend to get in the way. Me, I'm a man of action. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate all the words that have been spoken up here today. Words are important in some respects, but action, in my experience, is the only way to drive change. So I think it's about damn time we did something!"

A weak cheer rose up from the crowd, as Saul's face screwed up in worry. He wasn't sure he liked where this was headed.

"Come on, you lot, what happened to the anger? It's only been a few weeks since Mr. Parsons started leaking information; don't tell me the outrage has already disappeared! Think about all the people you know who are sick! All the lies they've told! I don't know about you, but I'm pretty damn angry!"

The cheers grew louder and angrier, and Saul fidgeted in his seat, wondering whether he should do anything.

"So I say standing around here and talking about it isn't enough anymore! The time has come for us to do something! If we want our demands to be met - if we really want all those things Mr. Parsons spoke so reverently about - we have to get off our asses and work for them! I say we storm into that building right now and make sure those bastards are listening!"

The crowd roared in approval, and Captain Jack continued, but Saul was no longer listening. This was not at all the message he wanted to send with this rally. Saul made to stand and put an end to the inflammatory speech, but was halted by a firm hand on his shoulder that forced him back down into his seat. His head whipped around and found one of the more influential party leaders, whose name escaped him, giving him a stern gaze.

"Don't," the man whispered. "We need this."

"But," stammered Saul, "this isn't the way -"

"Isn't the way?" His voice grew louder to be heard over the roaring crowd. "This is the only way that anything will ever change. And by serving as the catalyst, we will surface on top after the flood!"

Saul was about to respond, but then the dam finally broke.

He looked back around to see the mass of people swarming over and around the stage toward the Capitol Building, led by Captain Jack. Before he could offer more protest, he was surrounded and swept away by the turbulent surge of bodies.

---

July 8
RIOT IN SHELSA: NLP SEIZES CONTROL

Angry protesters stormed the capitol building yesterday following a National Liberty Party rally in Shelsa.

The rally, which started off peaceful, turned suddenly violent following a speech by Fleet Admiral Jack Nightingale. Tens of thousands of demonstrators flooded into the Capitol Building, overwhelming security forces. Many government officials were seen fleeing the scene, including Chief Justice Rafel.

The NLP proceeded to establish new offices within the building and assume control of many governmental activities, including the founding of a new "People's Legislature," of which Saul Parsons has been named President. A spokesman for the party said that the incident was "unfortunate, but necessary," and that the Gralan people have mandated their leadership through their overwhelming support. Public reactions to the event have been a mixture of shock and approval.

Officials report 47 people were injured during the incident, though there have been no reports of death...

---

July 11
SHOWDOWN AT STORYÄSH: QUEEN ANALIS REAPPEARS IN A BATTLE OF EPIC PROPORTTIONS

...
And so it begins. Corey, feel free to introduce your character, but keep in mind, Analis is not yet available for a conversation, though you can retcon one with Rafel before he flees if you like. Andreas, it would be helpful if you could add in what Waldgrave is going to do about all this.

Next section will be about Storyäsh, so you won't have to worry about me teasing that anymore. Probably won't be done for another two weeks, though.
"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."
~Sherlock Holmes

The character of Gerk ronAnaglea is dead.
My avatar contains (from left to right) the characters of Analis and Rafel.
Click here for my roleplaying Element List.

Andreas the Wise
Posts: 2189
Joined: Tue Nov 23, 2010 11:40 pm

Re: The End

Post by Andreas the Wise »

Ooh, a very good start. Later today I'll try and write something up in response. Just two small things to add into your thinking (in case they weren't already). One is that Novatainia has a prominent anti-magic campaigner Max. He was first mentioned in the Fated War, and I can't remember how much I used him afterwards in Novatainia, but I've definitely used him in my Gralan campaign setting, so it'd be nice to include him here. It'd make perfect sense to me if he and his guys had got involved with the NLP - while they're not at all afraid to take matters into their own hands (steal things from mages they could use against them etc.) they'd also be keen to build up their 'legitimate' front. Do with that what you will - I haven't really developed him much more than that he thinks magic is the cause of all the evils Gralus has suffered.
The other thought (which you're probably already thinking) is that this sort of thing (revolution etc.) is totally the sort of thing The Whisperer could be behind. And knowing him, he normally works on several ends at once, so I'll try and work him into a position in Waldgrave's office to aggravate things more that end, too.
The character Andreas the Wise is on indefinite leave. But he does deserve a cool war ribbon.
Image
However, this account still manages:
Vincent Waldgrave - Lord General of Gralus
Manuel - CEO of VBNC. For all you'll ever need.
Q - Director of SAMIN
Duke Mel'Kat - Air Pirate, Melangian, and Duke of the Flying Duchy of Glanurchy
Cla'Udi - Count of Melangia
Vur'Alm Xei'Bôn - Speaker of Nelaga, Minister of Interior Affairs, and a Micron

Kaarrin Isselkaan
Posts: 94
Joined: Sat Sep 07, 2013 11:28 pm

Re: The End

Post by Kaarrin Isselkaan »

Participating in NaNoWriMo, so a bit stretched in terms of writing, but 2 weeks is plenty for me to get something in on this.
Image

Andreas the Wise
Posts: 2189
Joined: Tue Nov 23, 2010 11:40 pm

Re: The End

Post by Andreas the Wise »

“How did we not have warning of this?” Waldgrave demanded, when the news of the Shelsa riot broke. “What’s the good of having the Triumvirate Assessment Office to assess the intelligence collected by the Gralan Intelligence Community if they can’t even warn of us a plot coming from inside our own ranks! Why wasn’t GERSO monitoring this?”
“GERSO was monitoring Saul Parsons, your craftiness,” his aide Barnaby told him, “but nothing pointed to him instigating a riot. Up until this point he seemed focussed on reform, not open rebellion.”
“It’s lucky I was visiting SIGMA at the time and wasn’t in Shelsa myself. Do we have any people left in the offices?” Waldgrave asked.
“We have about a dozen who’ve locked themselves in our offices with the most secure files. MANA have offered their assistance to teleport supplies in or the files out, whichever we prefer; but of course we need to do so in a manner which does not have MANA obviously on the scene. That means low-level mages – less magical signature, but less skill also,” Barnaby advised. “And remember – MANA has fallen a long way since the days of Andreas the Wise. Street smarts and combat readiness are not skills currently taught at MANA.”
“Xavier, is this something Omega Division should be helping with?” Waldgrave asked.
Commander Xavier was the director of the SIGMA (Strategic Institute for Gralan Military Affairs), and commander of the unofficial Omega Division, the Lord General’s attempt at having an elite set of operatives like the great mages of yesteryear.
“What would we do? If it’s an evil force of unearthly origin that needs infiltrating, we’re there, but this is our own people, and no magic or unearthly powers to speak of. This is not a situation in which we want to be showing any sort of military force whatsoever. This is a time for negotiation,” Xavier answered calmly.
“What I’m concerned about is Nightingale,” said Jane – one of SIGMA’s newest but brightest advisors, who had quickly risen through the ranks and talked her way into this meeting. “He’s our Admiral, and then he does this? At the very least we could have him court martialed.”
“Captain Jack has never been too interested in obeying orders, but I don’t think court martialling is an appropriate response,” Waldgrave replied, starting to calm down after his initial anger. “Perhaps I should go in and negotiate ...”
“It’s not our area,” Jane reminded him quickly. “This is an internal matter, remember. People could rightly question what the Lord General is doing interfering with it, which is the last thing we need at this time.”
“There is precedent,” Barnaby said, reluctantly. “The Lord General doesn’t have the legal authority to interfere in civil war – and this isn’t anywhere near that.”
“That’s why we should pursue Jack through the military courts ...” Jane began, but Waldgrave cut her off.
“Give me a moment to think,” he said. There was a pause, and then with a sigh he said, “No, I think the best situation is for me to go in, as a government representative, and see if we can negotiate. At least to get the return of our offices and a peaceful proceeding from here.”
“But ...” Jane began.
“I think that is wise,” Xavier said at the same time, cutting her off. “And if Captain Jack doesn’t wish to negotiate, then you can order him to leave or strip him of his command. While he can be a bit ... radical, he can’t do too much if he’s stripped of command.”
“In the meantime, I’ll get onto N, and see if NISB can help,” Barnaby added. “While we don’t always see eye to eye, he will have no interest in this sort of behaviour spreading to Novatica.”
“Agreed then,” said Waldgrave. “Xavier, get one of your men to teleport me back to Shelsa. I’m going in.”
Summary: While there are some differences of opinion, it's agreed the best response is a non-military one - Waldgrave will go in personally to negotiate, to at least try and get the offices back, and order Captain Jack to stop this or stand down. MANA have offered to help but it's dangerous with the anti-magic sentiment at the moment. They'll also see what NISB can do to help.
The character Andreas the Wise is on indefinite leave. But he does deserve a cool war ribbon.
Image
However, this account still manages:
Vincent Waldgrave - Lord General of Gralus
Manuel - CEO of VBNC. For all you'll ever need.
Q - Director of SAMIN
Duke Mel'Kat - Air Pirate, Melangian, and Duke of the Flying Duchy of Glanurchy
Cla'Udi - Count of Melangia
Vur'Alm Xei'Bôn - Speaker of Nelaga, Minister of Interior Affairs, and a Micron

User avatar
Gerk
Posts: 1120
Joined: Tue Jan 11, 2011 1:00 am
Location: Wherever my mind takes me...

Re: The End

Post by Gerk »

That's the reaction I was hoping for with Jack. His character is going to be a fun one to play in this story.
"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."
~Sherlock Holmes

The character of Gerk ronAnaglea is dead.
My avatar contains (from left to right) the characters of Analis and Rafel.
Click here for my roleplaying Element List.

User avatar
Verion
Ayn Rand's toyboy
Posts: 6199
Joined: Mon Oct 22, 2012 5:07 pm

Re: The End

Post by Verion »

*coughs*

The name 'Jack' is kinda copyrighted :p
1.Titus Morvayne, Prefect of Shirekeep, Count of the Skyla Islands
2.Eki Aholibamah Verion, Queen in the North
3. Ludovic Verion, Lord of Blackstone and Governor-General of the Iron Company
4. Jeremy Harwinsson Archer, super sleuth

Andreas the Wise
Posts: 2189
Joined: Tue Nov 23, 2010 11:40 pm

Re: The End

Post by Andreas the Wise »

You're several years too late to do that - Captain Jack Nightingale is an established (albeit very underused) character :p
The character Andreas the Wise is on indefinite leave. But he does deserve a cool war ribbon.
Image
However, this account still manages:
Vincent Waldgrave - Lord General of Gralus
Manuel - CEO of VBNC. For all you'll ever need.
Q - Director of SAMIN
Duke Mel'Kat - Air Pirate, Melangian, and Duke of the Flying Duchy of Glanurchy
Cla'Udi - Count of Melangia
Vur'Alm Xei'Bôn - Speaker of Nelaga, Minister of Interior Affairs, and a Micron

User avatar
Harvey
Ghost of Christmas Past
Posts: 1780
Joined: Thu Nov 25, 2010 3:27 pm

Re: The End

Post by Harvey »

Heck, even I've heard of him.

User avatar
Tokaray al-Osman
Posts: 1119
Joined: Wed Nov 16, 2011 9:56 pm

Re: The End

Post by Tokaray al-Osman »

So is this Captain Jack a rum fixated pirate with a curious walking gait or a time-travelling omnisexual immortal trying to hump his way through time and space?
His Imperial Magnificence Aurangzeb II Steffki, Kaiser of the Imperial Republic of Shireroth, Thane of the Shirelands, Keeper of the Apollo Legacy, Wielder of the Sword of Vengeance, Grand Master of the Orders of the Dragon, Griffin, Phoenix, and Chimera, Sovereign of the Golden Mango Throne.
Dr Tokaray al-Osman KBH, Commissioner of the Chamber of the Crypteia, Emir of Jadid Khaz Modan, Annexer of Yardistan

Andreas the Wise
Posts: 2189
Joined: Tue Nov 23, 2010 11:40 pm

Re: The End

Post by Andreas the Wise »

Ok, you've inspired some more thoughts from me, so I'll throw in some more of what's happening in Novatainia (though in news report style too, as that requires less creativity and witty dialogue). I'll try and keep this end up too, please do interact with it, hope it doesn't mess your plans too much (I figure we all know a vague end state but we can have fun figuring out exactly how we get there).
July 9
RIOT IN ST NOVA: MANA IN LOCKDOWN
Prominent anti-magic campaigner and leading NLP party member, Max, today addressed a crowded town hall in St Nova's on the topic 'Magic: Source of All Social Ills'. Since the abdication of King Andreas the Wise, Novatainia's attitudes to magic have fluctuated wildly, from outright rejection to cautious acceptance, but with news that magic may be the cause of the strange illnesses sweeping the Empire, anti-magic views are on the rise, with rising calls for mage licensing to be tightened or even for magic to be banned all together. After addressing the crowd, Max incited them to 'Go to MANA and stop this once and for all,' leading the crowd several kilometres down the street to the site of Novatainia's famous magical academy. Eyewitnesses report that police were on the scene but made no effort to halt protesters. However, after the riot in Shelsa yesterday, MANA was more prepared.

Protesters arrived outside the academy to find that the coloured tiles which normally surround it had raised themselves twenty metres high, forming an impenetrable barrier. The gates were shut, with a notice posted on the door, politely informing the reader that MANA was closed until further notice, and all academy services to the community were being temporarily suspended. Some protesters greeted this with cries of triumph, though Max looked very disappointed. The riot disassembled, only to find throughout the day just how much the nation has come to rely on academy services.

The Novatainian Tower Network, a popular method of magical travel between the cities of Novatainia that is advertised as being 'Cheap, Safe and Carbon-Neutral' was closed with the same explanation posted on the doors of towers. Thousands of travellers across the country found themselves stranded and had to organise last minute flights or buses to try and reach their destination. Hospital services had to turn some patients away as magical operations were cancelled, with one hospital official confiding to NNN that up to 30% of the medical staff in Novatainian hospitals are academy trained mages.

Prominent magical businessman Simon Spellworthy, of Simon's Spellworthy Solutions as well as head of the AMB (Association of Magical Businesses), has called for calm and insists that the magical business community continues to offer goods and services to the general public, as always. "The activity we have been seeing is the work of a very vocal minority who are sadly misunderstand magic. While, yes, great and powerful mages the like of Andreas the Wise or Bayen Praygulin might mess with the fabric of space and time, the vast majority of mages throughout time, and almost all of those alive today, are just ordinary men and women who draw power from themselves or strictly government approved magical sources, with as little danger to themselves or others as you would find in any non-magical line of work. Our employees are trained and accredited professionals and our spells are simple, safe solutions to everyday problems for everyday people, like yourselves." He refused to comment on what he called the 'rumours' of magical radiation poisoning, insisting again that his spells were 'simple, safe and entirely legal.'

Meanwhile, VBNC is rumoured to have offered their support to the Imperial government in this time of trial, and to be quietly increasing the security personnel in their popular All-Mart chain, which stocks a number of VBNC-designed products of magical or pseudo-magical origin.
Summary: Max, long time anti-magic campaigner, incites a riot against MANA, only to find the academy has closed its doors and quietly withdrawn all its community services - including the Novatainian Tower System (teleportation between towns, originally for military purposes but now run commercially) and a number of magical medical staff. The magical business community continues to offer their services, and VBNC is quietly increasing its security staff in its All-Mart stores.
The character Andreas the Wise is on indefinite leave. But he does deserve a cool war ribbon.
Image
However, this account still manages:
Vincent Waldgrave - Lord General of Gralus
Manuel - CEO of VBNC. For all you'll ever need.
Q - Director of SAMIN
Duke Mel'Kat - Air Pirate, Melangian, and Duke of the Flying Duchy of Glanurchy
Cla'Udi - Count of Melangia
Vur'Alm Xei'Bôn - Speaker of Nelaga, Minister of Interior Affairs, and a Micron

Kaarrin Isselkaan
Posts: 94
Joined: Sat Sep 07, 2013 11:28 pm

Re: The End

Post by Kaarrin Isselkaan »

Well then, let's see if I can still do this... :nuke:

Introducing new character: Rinne Baarrnan
The sound of hundreds of people storming the Capitol Building resonated through the halls for hours outside the locked door of Rinne's office. Though no one had yet tried to force their way into the small, out-of-the-way room, it was bound to happen eventually. The Triumvirate's Liaison to the Swnndyrrr lay in wait.

After Queen Analis' coronation, Liam II spent practically all of his time in Kotsovan overseeing the revitalization effort of the Doshtan Yokutar region. While he was not an ytteirsal himself, his position as heir to the ronToketi bloodline gave him substantial influence over Swnndyrrr affairs. In his place, he assigned his eldest two children to be his liaisons with government officials; his daughter Seilla was sent to Rillanon to work with the Queen and the Toketin government, and the younger Rinne was sent to Shelsa to work with the Triumvirate, though in recent times he mainly maintained communication between his father and the Chief Justice.

Now he sat perched on a shelf in the closet adjoined to his office, a large knife in hand. Most employees of the Capitol fled when the rioting citizens began surging through the main entrance of the building, but Rinne was not afforded that possibility. His office was so deep within the Capitol that by the time he realized there was trouble, he could already hear the pounding footsteps of the hoard.

The roar of the riot had died down now, and it was clear that the Capitol's new occupants were settling in, with anyone bearing a title claiming an office. Many had already been deterred by the locked door, but the attempts were becoming more frequent.

This time voices were lingering...

...Swnndyrrr voices...

...familiar Swnndyrrr voices...

"<Hey, you two, break this door down!>"

"What?" the two passing men said in unison. "Speak goddamn English."

The Swnndyrrr man struggled a bit. "Break...it...down!"

"Oh, right then..." The men did so in short order, and the Swnndyrrr walked in...alone...I think...The evidence remained consistent with Rinne's exceptional hearing. The next hour consisted of the familiar stranger shuffling Rinne's things about, interrupted intermittently by other NLP officials still looking for free offices and getting quite emphatically turned away until finally a piece of furniture was moved in front of the broken door.

Rinne carefully lowered himself from his shelf, leaving his footwear behind to help him maintain stealth. I'm amazed he hasn't realized I'm here already. Not a very good swnndyrrr.

"<Man, this view is exquisite. I'm amazed noone claimed this room earlier.>"

"<Shame you won't be enjoying it any longer, traitor.>"

---

Rafel's cell phone rang. It was a number he didn't recognize, but it was an area code from southern Toketi. He shrugged, I guess it couldn't hurt..., and answered.

"Rafel, it's Rinne."

"Rinne? This isn't your mobile number."

"Sorry, trying to stay covert, don't want my calls tracked. I'm still in the Capitol."

"Why are you still there? And why would someone be tracking your calls?"

"Just playing it safe in a crisis, my father made me promise. Speaking of, I need you to try and get a hold of him, he isn't answering my calls."

"Because of the strange number?"

"No, under most circumstances, he'd answer anyway. If you get to him, tell him an ytteirsal is dead. If you can't get to him, call my sister, tell her..."

"Wait, wait, wait! An ytteirsal? Isn't that like a swnndyrrr chieftain or something?"

"Yeah, pretty much." An awkward silence. "Anyway, make the calls, please. If you need numbers there's a swnndy..."

"I have the numbers. I have any numbers I need. There's still the persisting problem of this coup."

"What's the plan?"

"I don't have one, this sort of sneaked up on me, I've been busy finding the Empress and solving the magic disease mystery."

"Then get to Störyash, no one will turn you away there. Most of Toketi will be safe, our people like change, but not change this fast."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. What's your plan?"

"Lay low, keep my ears open, get intel, and keep you informed. And in about 12 hours, I'll give you a nice distraction, the old-fashioned Toketin way. Text this number if you need me."

"Wait, distraction? Toketin way?" Rafel received silence in return.'

---

*Meanwhile, in Kotsovan*

Liam's phone buzzed on the table for the umpteenth time. Four swnndyrrr men looked at one another, one spoke up. "Which of us will break the news?"

---

July 9
BRUTALIZED SWNNDYRRR LEADER FALLS FROM CAPITOL WINDOW, DIES

At approximately 8am, Swnndyrrr Ytteirsal Râska Kattsat was ejected from a seventh story window of the Capitol building in Shelsa. This is the first reported death associated with yesterday's political uprising.

Emergency responders found the swnndyrrr man lying dead on the Capitol's rear lawn among broken glass from the window. While coroners claim Kattsat was killed by the trauma of the fall, he was found with several wounds that could not have been caused the fall or broken glass, suggesting foul play.

Kattsat was found with a deep cut wound across both eyes, leaving him blind. He was also missing the tips of both ears and had a laceration along the length of his tail. Swnndyrrr culture experts do not recognize this as any ritual modern or historical.

The office from which Kattsat fell belonged to another swnndyrrr, Rinne Baarrnan, son of Toketi royal family heir Kalasien Baarrnan, better known as Liam II ronToketi. An employee of the Empire, the Triumvirate's liaison to the Swnndyrrr people, he could have been motivated to murder Kattsat by yesterday's riot that took over the Capitol building, but no member of the ronToketi royal family has ever been known to react in such a violent manner. He is currently being sought out as the prime suspect.

The political ramifications of this "assassination" are expected to be severe, complicated further by the fact that Kattsat's badge of office was not found at the scene of the crime. Traditionally, his heir as ytteirsal cannot assume their duties without possessing this object. If this tradition holds, this would be the first time since the Swnndyrrr people's mass return to Toketi that the council of seven ytteirsals would not meet in its entirety.

We will continue to report as details emerge.
Summary: Introduction of Rinne. He is hiding somewhere in the Capitol building, trying to gather intel to help the standing government, reporting straight to Rafel. He suggests fleeing government officials make their way to Störyash. Liam II ronToketi's status is unknown, but not looking good. Swnndyrrr leader, associated with the NLP, is murdered. Rinne is the prime suspect.

Ok, that was harder than I remember...Hope I didn't step on any toes or do something stupid or whatever...
Image

User avatar
Gerk
Posts: 1120
Joined: Tue Jan 11, 2011 1:00 am
Location: Wherever my mind takes me...

Re: The End

Post by Gerk »

Wasn't planning on having Rafel be on the map for the next IC week or so, but I can work with it. Good stuff you guys, it really helps give some depth to the story that I can't with my limited cultural knowledge.
"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."
~Sherlock Holmes

The character of Gerk ronAnaglea is dead.
My avatar contains (from left to right) the characters of Analis and Rafel.
Click here for my roleplaying Element List.

Kaarrin Isselkaan
Posts: 94
Joined: Sat Sep 07, 2013 11:28 pm

Re: The End

Post by Kaarrin Isselkaan »

I tried to make the move to Störyash a suggestion so you could work with it one way or another. Mostly, I'm just setting up contact.
Image

User avatar
Gerk
Posts: 1120
Joined: Tue Jan 11, 2011 1:00 am
Location: Wherever my mind takes me...

Re: The End

Post by Gerk »

That expected 2-3 pages turned into 6. Very nearly made it to 4000 words.

Consider this my apology for writing nothing but slow character-driven conflict for the past three years. I'm happy with the way this turned out, but I'm not as good with action, and I think the amount of time it took me to put it together speaks to that. Regardless, I hope you like it.
Mel'Kat was definitely not screaming like a little girl.

Sure, he was plummeting to his probable death, but it wasn't like this had never happened before in his years of captaining airships, although this time there wasn't an airship in sight and there was an acute lack of control to this situation, but the point stood that he was definitely not screaming like a little girl.

Analis was frozen, not in fear, but disbelief as the air roared past her ears and whipped through her hair. She hadn't messed up a teleport since she'd mastered the skill, but her intention had most certainly not been to leave herself falling through the air. She should have arrived safely at the top of the Storyäsh academy tower –

Analis twisted around to look downward.

– which was, in fact, lying in a pile of rubble only a few hundred feet below.

She was shocked back into action by an uncharacteristically high-pitched screaming coming from, as far as she could tell, Mel'Kat, and, instinctively reaching back to her training in Pari, whipped her arms and legs around quickly, drawing in a cushion of air that slowed their descent and let them touch down lightly on a large piece of what used to be the tower's stone wall, laid slightly askew and covered in dust, stone fragments, and broken clay shingles.

Before any of them could vocalize their confusion about what was happening, a chorus of screams and a loud crash sounded to their left, and they looked over to see a massive wet tentacle pulverize one of the remaining walls of the academy. As chunks of stone flew high in the air around them, their eyes followed the sucker-covered appendage back to its source – the largest kraken any of them had ever seen. She couldn't measure it, but Analis was sure it was at least twice as big as any she'd read of in books. Tentacles twice as thick as a man's height waved through the air and slapped at the island, and its bulbous head rivaled the very building it was currently destroying for size. Water was thrown everywhere as it moved, and spilled off its slime-covered skin in large rivulets when it rose out of the water. There was no obvious reason for the creature's rage, but it was clearly not in a good mood.

“Out of the frying pan, indeed,” Mel'Kat said.

Analis ran through a mental checklist. “Rafel and Nargoth are not here, and neither is the military,” she said, towwing an incoming kraken arm aside with a blast of air. “So we have to assume we're on our own. We need to draw it away from the academy.”

Mel'Kat frowned. “I don't know how much help I can be without my ship.”

Analis nodded, closed her eyes, and clapped once, forcefully. A shadow covered the trio, and Mel'Kat and Aridi looked up, fearing a sudden and slimy demise, but saw instead the airship they had travelled on to Skoitomashu. “Great,” Mel'Kat smiled, “but how am I–” he was stopped short as Analis stomped with one leg and kicked high with the other, sending Mel'Kat rocketing into the air on a gust of wind.

Mel'Kat was definitely not screaming like a little girl. Again.

He managed to compose himself by the time he reached audible range of his ship, however, and after a stomach-turning moment at the top of his trajectory, righted himself and landed on his feet on the deck of the airship, tucking into a roll to cushion his fall. “Well, at least she has good aim,” he muttered as his bewildered and disoriented crew watched him stand and start barking orders.

Back on the ground, Aridi's shock subsided enough to let him talk. “Do I have to join him?” he asked, warily.

“Not if you don't want to.” Analis began twirling wildly, forming a cushion of wind underneath her, rising into the air. “Go help with the wounded; they could probably use another pair of hands.” Aridi nodded and headed off to provide what assistance he could.

As she danced through the air toward the monstrous squid, Analis pulled out her instrument and gave it a quick tune. She needed the sound to be as perfect as possible for what she was about to attempt.

Then she began to play an entrancing tune, not unlike a song one might expect to hear from a snake charmer's flute. Even though Mel'Kat was not the target, he found himself momentarily captivated by it. He shook his head vigorously to regain control from the powerful spell, and began ordering the ship closer to the great sea beast.

Analis was a sight to behold as she danced through the air while playing her song, fluidly combining music and motion, stringing together the two forms of magic as if it was second nature. It was a spellcasting feat usually attempted by only the most skilled magical entertainers, and Mel'Kat had never heard of it being used in combat before. But despite the powerful mind-affecting song, the kraken was neither growing more calm, nor becoming distracted by the twirling woman, aside from the occasional tentacle whip, which she deftly dodged.

Rather than continue to expend more energy on a fruitless pursuit, Analis ceased her song and alighted next to Mel'Kat on the ship. “The beast is too enraged to be susceptible to my mind magic,” she said. “I can't draw it away from the island.” Even as she spoke, the kraken was pulling itself up onto the shore to better reach the still untouched parts of the academy.

“Then let's use its rage to our advantage,” Mel'Kat replied. “Man the port side cannons!” he shouted to the crew. “Spellsinging can do more than just mind magic,” he then said, turning to Analis. “How about helping out with a light show? And a little visual cover would not go amiss.”

Analis nodded. “You got it.” She darted to the left side of the airship, readying her instrument as the ship came around to bear its cannons on the monstrous squid. A cry of “Cannons ready!” rose from belowdecks. Analis braced herself.

“Fire!”

The roar and sudden impulse of cannon fire shook the ship, accompanied by a high, clear note from Analis's violin that started her next song, a significantly more energetic and tension-filled improvisation than the previous. At the same time, bright flashes erupted on either side of the squid's head near its eyes, and a half-dozen replicas of the airship appeared, scattered through the air, perfect copies at a first glance. The heavy projectiles whizzed through the air and hit their target, but none of them broke the creature's skin. The ploy was a success, however, as the kraken released its grip on the island and backed toward its new foe. It flailed its appendages wildly, but came nowhere near striking the airship in its temporary blindness.

A second round of cannon fire sounded as the kraken lashed out at an illusory airship, dissipating it. Analis unleashed another blinding flash, surprised by how quickly the beast had regained its vision. Her hands occupied with sustaining her illusion, she began to move her legs in yet another basic Pari form, pulling up surges of seawater to form into spears of ice that she flung at the rampaging creature. It was a form with which she was less familiar, however, so the volleys were slow and, like the cannonballs, appeared to do little more than bruise the squid's thick skin.

As the kraken sliced through yet another illusory airship, Mel'Kat strode to Analis's side. “If we're planning on taking this thing down, it seems we're going to need something a little more potent than icicles and cannon fire. Can you control lightning?”

Analis stopped her leg movements, but continued playing. She looked toward Mel'Kat, who, though she was sure he didn't mean to, had a faint look of pleading on his face. She sighed inwardly.

“Incoming!” came a cry from behind them.

Analis whirled around to see a monstrous tentacle arcing toward the bow of the ship. She leapt forward, sheathed her violin, and thrust her arms and legs pointedly as she vaulted through the air, sending blasts of wind to deflect the tentacle.

The danger was momentarily averted, but Analis had stopped her illusion, so there was no time to take a breather. Mel'Kat was right, their firepower wasn't strong enough to do any damage. A lighting strike would certainly work better, but she had never attempted one before. She had seen Rafel do the basic Pari form, and had no doubt she could copy it, but that hardly decreased the danger to herself. But she was the only one here who might have a chance at beating this thing, so she had to try.

“Fall back,” Analis called to Mel'Kat, before she dived off of the ship and twirled through the air, putting plenty of distance between herself and the airship for what she was about to attempt. As the ship drifted as quickly as it could away from the kraken, the monster turned its attention on the solitary figure within reach. It lashed out with its many arms, but the storm of tentacles failed to hit the agile sky dancer.

Analis took up a relatively steady position, and, after a brief thought of “Rafel would not at all approve of this,” cleared her mind and began the form from her memory. As she slowly swung her arms wide, she could feel the energy building in her body. She used her movement to draw that energy into her right arm and down to her fingertips. Then, spreading her legs to center herself, she straightened and pointed her arm at her target, suddenly, in a motion not unlike throwing a frisbee, flinging the concentrated energy out of her body and at the kraken.

There was a loud crack of thunder and a flash, instilling a primal fear of nature in the onlookers on the airship. The bright blue bolt of electricity struck its target, drawing an excited cheer from the crew, as they watched the kraken, still smoking, flail in pain as long, raw burns appeared on its skin. The cheers hushed suddenly, however, when they saw Analis, her arm also giving off a thin vapor, teeter sideways and plummet toward the sea.

Mere seconds later, Mel'Kat drew in a sharp breath as she hit the water, thankfully feet first. Analis disappeared under the waves with a splash, only a short distance away from the giant squid, which was now retreating under the surface. Then Mel'Kat looked on in horror as the kraken's last unsubmerged tentacle slammed into the water right over where she had landed, leaving only ripples and a faint silhouette as evidence of the monster's presence.

A few seconds of silence passed. “Oh, no,” Mel'Kat breathed, fearing the worst. “Turn her around,” he barked. “And bring her closer to the surface!” His immediate reaction was to dive in and look for her, but he couldn't do so from this far away. Mel'Kat dashed to the front of the ship as it slowly turned and began to descend, not once taking his eyes off the water.

The airship had only just begun its trajectory toward the dark outline of the squid beneath the water when Mel'Kat noticed something strange. The waves churned up by the kraken's motion, where before they were random, looked to be forming circular patterns. Then the surface began to vibrate erratically, not unlike the head of a drum when struck, and a faint sound, like a heavily muffled screaming, could be heard. It took Mel'Kat a moment to realize what was happening.

Analis was an adept spellsinger, even in the short time she had spent training, and while she preferred to use an instrument, the most versatile and dangerous tool of the spellsinger is her voice. The most reliable way to ensure a spellsinger is incapacitated is not just to destroy her instrument, but gag her so that she cannot make any sound. Though rare, Mel'Kat had heard of a few spellsingers develop their talents to the point where they could channel magic through non-musical utterances, like screams.

Apparently, Analis happened to be one such spellcaster.

The kraken erupted out of the surface as if in pain, tossing sheets of water in every direction, and soaking the deck of the now-uncomfortably-close airship.

“Hard to port!” Mel'Kat shouted, and braced himself against the railing. The airship turned just in time to avoid the flailing beast, and made to put some distance between the two before the Kraken recovered. As Mel'Kat struggled to avoid slipping on the water-slicked deck of the tilting airship, his eyes scanned the area for signs of Analis. He was rewarded as he caught a glimpse of a pillar of water leap up into the air off of the starboard rail.

Analis took a gasping breath and coughed the water out of her lungs, bringing a sharp pain to her chest, as she somersaulted through the air. A quick mental and visual diagnostic informed her that her right arm was covered in burns, at least one of her ribs was fractured, her left ankle was at the very least sprained but quite possibly broken, and her dress was soaked, torn, and definitely ruined.

Oh, and the kraken was still alive.

Months of training with Rafel meant that Analis was intimately familiar with her limits. She knew whe had already passed them. Even in all the rough sparring matches she had been through, Analis had not accumulated injuries this severe before. Adrenaline was probably the only thing keeping her conscious through the pain. But she had to continue. Someone had to take the kraken down, and for reasons she didn't want to consider right now, she was still the only one here who could.

Plus, she had really liked this dress.

She conjured up another cushion of air, careful to avoid disturbing her injured ankle, and took stock of her surroundings. The kraken was still disoriented from her vocal assault, so she had time to think. The airship was pulling away to a safer distance and once again bringing its cannons to bear. The academy island was a few hundred yards behind her. Deciding that air would be less painful to stand on than solid ground, despite the continued drain on her already low reserves, she began to dance back toward the airship, thinking a joint assault the best option.

“Bring us around again,” Mel'Kat ordered as he saw Analis begin to float toward the ship. “And man the port side cannons!” He waved to Analis and pointed at the long, blistering wound on the side of the kraken's head.

Analis followed his gesture with her eyes and regained some hope – her lightning strike had not been in vain. A forceful blow to that area could very possibly take the monster down for good. She would have struck herself in that instant, but she knew she did not have the energy left to manipulate any ice for projectiles. As she drew closer to the ship, she pointed at the cannons protruding from its belly.

Mel'Kat immediately understood, and shouted his orders. “Aim for the burn on its head!” There wasn't much time to spare; the giant squid seemed to have recovered from the sensory assault and was headed for the airship. “Fire!”

The cannons roared as the kraken raised its tentacles up to smash the defenseless ship out of the sky.

Analis was already in motion above the airship when the cannons fired. She only had a window of a fraction of a second for success. She finished her sweeping kick with her good leg as he spied a projectile that looked to be right on the mark, and concentrated her spell at it. A shockwave of air slammed into the back of the shot, propelling it forward at an even greater velocity. Milliseconds later, it pierced its target such great force that the squid's skin rippled and its head jerked visibly backward. Maybe it had broken apart on impact, or maybe the monster's skin was just that tough, but the ball of metal did not exit the other side.

Then a number of things happened almost at the same time.

The kraken's tentacles tensed and recoiled slightly, as if in pain, before going completely limp.

Analis alighted on the deck of the airship, crying out in pain as she put weight on her injured ankle. Mel'Kat rushed over to catch her before she fell, but she was already unconscious by the time he had scooped her into his arms.

The airship shook as a limp tentacle fell onto its stern, its weight along smashing through the deck and splintering the wooden hull with a terrifying crash.

“We're going down!” the pilot shouted.

Mel'Kat could sense that Analis was still breathing, but she needed a healer posthaste. “Get us as close to the island as you can!” he replied.

The ship swung around as it fell from the sky, making a beeline for the academy.

The remains of the kraken slipped under the surface, sinking silently to the ocean floor.

Mel'Kat braced himself as the airship landed hard on the water and skidded across the surface. It came to an abrupt stop as it hit the beach, and Mel'Kat leaped off of the bow with Analis still in his arms. Maybe it was his years sailing experience and excellent balance, or maybe it was some passive magic from Analis, but he managed to land on his feet, stumble for a few meters, then take off running for the academy, calling for a healer.

Aridi, who, after helping evacuate the crumbling building and organize the makeshift infirmary, had been watching the naval battle with great interest, came running alongside a middle-aged woman with short brown hair, dirty white robes, and a leather satchel across her shoulder.

“Lay her down,” the woman commanded, then added, “gently.”

Mel'Kat obeyed, then backed off to let the healer work.

“Mel'Kat, there's something–” Aridi began, but Mel'Kat held up a hand to silence him as the healer began to speak.

“Second degree burns all over her right arm, two broken ribs, possible concussion – it's a wonder she stayed conscious as long as she did.”

“I think there's something wrong with her ankle, too,” Mel'Kat offered.

The healer waved a hand over the now swollen joint. “Broken. Shouldn't have missed that.” She pulled a tube of cotton-like fabric out of her bag and slipped it over Analis's foot to her ankle, muttered a few words, then tapped a knuckle against the now stiffened cast to ensure the spell had taken hold. Then she withdrew a potion of some kind that she began to apply to Analis's burns, which glowed on contact.

“Mel'Kat, I–” Aridi began again, but was cut off this time by another figure approaching.

“Captain!” called First Mate Winters as he jogged over. “Is she alright?” he asked, looking at Analis.

“She'll be fine,” the healer answered, “but she needs time to rest.”

“Good to hear,” replied Winters, before turning back to Mel'Kat. “She saved our necks up there. Only minor injuries to report, Sir. The ship is literally dead in the water, though, she'll need extensive repairs 'afore she flies again. What happened, Captain? One second we were still flyin' over Skoitomashu waitin' for ya, and the next we're out here fightin' the biggest kraken I ever laid eyes on!”

“Analis brought us all here. A rather large squirrel told us the academy was in trouble.”

Winters gave a puzzled look, then continued. “If I may, Captain, where've ya been for the past month? We been waitin' for ya, not sure what to do with ourselves.”

Mel'Kat, confusion overriding concern, took his eyes off Analis and looked at his first mate. “Month? But we've only been gone for a day, at most!”

“That's what I've been trying to tell you,” Aridi interjected. “We spent far more time with Kara than we had anticipated. It's been over a month since we left, and things have deteriorated quickly.” He filled Mel'Kat in on what little he had been able to glean from the academy mages on the riot in Shelsa and the NLP takeover.

“Damn,” Mel'Kat breathed. “I guess that explains why nobody else was here to help.” He turned to the healer. “Is she stable?”

“I've done all I can do right now,” she said, as she stood. “Her fractures are set and her burns are mostly healed, though there will be pain and scarring, and she should stay off that ankle as much as possible.”

“Can you wake her?”

“She needs to rest,” came the stubborn reply.

“She needs to run her country,” Mel'Kat insisted. “Get her conscious.”

The healer sighed frustratedly, but knelt down again and pressed a hand to Analis's forehead. She spoke a string of words and Analis's eyes fluttered open.

Analis sat up suddenly, then gasped in pain and held her side.

“Easy,” Mel'Kat said. “You just had one PRH of a duel. You ok to stand?” he asked, offering a hand.

Analis nodded and took it, and Mel'Kat pulled her to her feet. “Is it over?” she asked.

“If you mean the kraken, then yes, decidedly. Nice work. But the overall situation is just getting started.”

“What do you mean?”

“We've been gone for far longer than we expected,” Aridi answered.

“How long?”

“A month.”

Analis's eyes went wide as she considered the implications. “A month?” she said, incredulously. “How much worse has the sickness gotten?”

“That's not even the worst part,” Mel'Kat replied. “There was a riot in Shelsa, and a new political party has taken over.”

“Shelsa?” repeated Analis, worry visible on her face. “Rafel!” She acted quickly, pulling her violin from her side, only to find that the bow was missing and the neck of the instrument was snapped, hanging limply by the strings. Then she grabbed at her necklace only to find the green gemstones dull and empty of magical energy. “No... I have to get home,” she breathed.

“Here,” the healer said, before anyone else could respond. She touched a finger to the stone and it instantly brightened as she poured her energy into it. “Just stay off that ankle,” she warned.

“Thank you,” gushed Analis. “What is your name?”

“Donna. Donna Sterner.”

“Donna Sterner, you have my unending gratitude,” Analis said, then she touched her necklace and was gone.

“I though she had to rest,” spoke Mel'Kat.

“There's no rest for a woman who's missing her husband,” replied Donna. She looked at the remains of the academy. “Mine was in the tower when it fell.”

There was silence among the four, until Aridi finally spoke. “It seems we're now stuck here until further notice, then. How can we help?”

“Follow me.” Donna led them back to the impromptu infirmary just as the first news helicopter arrived.
"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."
~Sherlock Holmes

The character of Gerk ronAnaglea is dead.
My avatar contains (from left to right) the characters of Analis and Rafel.
Click here for my roleplaying Element List.

Andreas the Wise
Posts: 2189
Joined: Tue Nov 23, 2010 11:40 pm

Re: The End

Post by Andreas the Wise »

July 12 - LEAKED 'MUTANT' REPORT CAUSES WIDESPREAD CONFUSION
Journalists, selected government officials and an apparently random selection of other citizens began today with a note in their mailbox saying directing them to a website on which is contained a full copy of the 'Mutant' Report from the Strategic Institute for Gralan Military Affairs (SIGMA). The report, which details the prevalence of magical 'mutation' among the Gralan population, has thrown the community into uproar as different factions claim it's support for their own conclusions. Give the recent anti-magic sentiment flaring up in Shelsa and St Nova's, this report adds a new factor into the mix: 'mutants'.

The 'Mutant' Report, which a SIGMA official who wishes to remain unnamed has confirmed is not a fake, details the discovery of magical 'mutations' in the population over the several year period since the Al'Magroth Incident. These 'mutations' have shown up in the form of latent magical powers, revealing themselves in mages and non-mages alike, and, more interestingly, revealing themselves in individuals without 'The Sight', the ability to see magic. Up until this point, it was believed that the Sight was the lowest form of magical powers, but these magical 'mutations' seem to form a new branch of magical ability. The report details a number of covert investigations across all of Gralus, which record powers ranging from the mundane - the ability to touch a deck of cards and have it shuffle automatically - through to the dangerously powerful - the ability to control electronic devices. These powers are reported to range considerably in function and style, though in all cases the magical power appears to be drawn from the individual themselves rather than an outside source (the more dramatic abilities have associated records of users 'collapsing' after using them and needing days to recover).

Thrown into an environment where anti-magic sentiment and anti-government sentiment is already high, the leaking of this report has been like throwing petrol on a fire. Long-time anti-magic campaigner Max has stated that this report reveals the even greater danger posed to 'ordinary people' by these magic users, and called for a ban on all 'mutant powers' until further investigation can be done into their danger, and appropriate restrictions drawn up. The NLP, who recently seized government buildings in Shelsa, have taken this as further evidence of the 'secrets' the Gralan government has been keeping for people, and has vowed to force SIGMA and similar organisations to release other information that has been denied to the public. Meanwhile, the Novatainian Police Force, possibly under pressure from NISB, has issued a statement that such public revelations justify the need for an increased police force to manage the 'mutants', calling for increased government funding. SIGMA refuses to comment.

However, the most interesting part of the report, in this journalist's opinion, is the reported prevalence of magical 'mutations', and indeed of magical powers in general. It has been consistently observed that the prevalence of magical powers has been on the rise in recent years, but this report reveals that a whopping 45% of Gralan citizens (66 million) have the Sight, and at least 30% (44 million) have enough ability that they could seek magical training and master basic spells. While only 2% (3.1 million) could do combat magic, and no more than 1500 could do serious magic nearing the levels of academy Druids or above, 14% (21 million) have strong enough magic that, with training, they could get a mage license (by Novatainian standards - magic licenses are not required in Toketi) and work professionally as a mage. While the current magical work force is much smaller - closer to 1 million than 21 million - this indicates that the days when a few powerful mages controlled all and the rest of the population had no magic are long gone. The prevalence of 'mutations' casts the net even wider, as, according to the report, close to 70% of mutations occur in individuals without trainable magical ability, and at least 45% in individuals without the Sight. While exact numbers for magical 'mutations' are "difficult to establish" according to the report, it covers "at least a fifth of the population." This paper calculates that this means approximately 10% (15 million) people in the population have magical 'mutations' without posessing the Sight, bringing the total number of people with some magical power/ability in the population up to 55%. That's right - 1 in 2 people have sort some of magical power/ability. Citizens across the nation are beginning to realise that the divide between a large non-magical and a small magical population is a thing of the past; and the leaking of this report has already led to a number of citizens admitting to magical 'mutant' abilities they had previously kept hidden. The hashtag #mutantandproud is trending across social media, and this has the potential to fundamentally change the way people view magic and magic users.

What remains unclear is who leaked the report, and why. With so many competing agendas claiming the advantage of this report, for completely contradictory agendas, the only thing clear at this point is that anything could happen with public sentiment on this issue over the next week.
For more on the 'mutant' revelations, see 'Mutants - The Next Generation of Novatainians?' and 'The Mutant Menace Must Be Stopped Now' in the comments on page 52, and 'My Mutant Story: Admitting I'm Different Is Ok' by our own journalist Amanda Mepmhis on page 38.
Summary: A report is leaked that regarding the prevalence of magical 'mutations' in the population, invoking a range of responses from 'This must be outlawed' to 'Well, over half the population have magical powers, what's the big deal?'. It is unclear who benefits from this being leaked.
OOC: This was something I'd set up with the Al'Magroth stuff - he was doing bizarre genetic experiments to try and develop a serum to cause people to develop magical mutant powers - X-men style - and before he was defeated it was implanted into two magigarp and they were released into the wild. It's since spread widely. I say this OOC as I'm not sure I'll ever find a good way to trace it to him IC, but this was always my plan. Do with this news what you will.
The character Andreas the Wise is on indefinite leave. But he does deserve a cool war ribbon.
Image
However, this account still manages:
Vincent Waldgrave - Lord General of Gralus
Manuel - CEO of VBNC. For all you'll ever need.
Q - Director of SAMIN
Duke Mel'Kat - Air Pirate, Melangian, and Duke of the Flying Duchy of Glanurchy
Cla'Udi - Count of Melangia
Vur'Alm Xei'Bôn - Speaker of Nelaga, Minister of Interior Affairs, and a Micron

Din Arran
Posts: 40
Joined: Mon May 12, 2014 12:29 pm

Re: The End

Post by Din Arran »

In the dark of night, a lone ship drifted into the port of Storyäsh. One figure quickly disembarked and the ship sailed away as quickly and silently as it had appeared. The figure lost no time in losing itself in the shadows, a silently hiss escaping from under its hood as it surveyed the damage done to the Academy. It flitted from one shadow to another, easily bypassing those still gathered around the ruins, guards and others. It moved towards the center of the wreckage, stopping in front of a stone compartment. It had been a humble cleaning closet, located at the very top of the Academy Tower. Somehow, it had fallen and landed in on piece. The figure enter and began to pass it's hands repeatedly over the blank wall behind the various cleaning supplies. Slowly, thin golden threads appeared and the wood slowly vanished. Some more waving and muttering and the threads parted, allowing the figure to begin to ascend a stairwell behind them.

Higher and higher it climbed, totally encased in darkness, the wall having reappeared at the bottom of the stairs. The figure came to a stop, hundreds of feet higher then should have been possible, higher then the what had been tallest point of the Academy Tower. Pushing open the door, the figure stepped into a well furnished office. Stepping over to the ceiling to floor window at the far end of the room, it looked out. Where the city of Storyäsh should have been, there was only swirling grey and silver mists.

"Welcome home..." Arnóle said quietly, removing his cloak. "Time to get to work...." He sat himself down in the middle of the floor, cross legged. "I, Arnóle, The White Dragon, claim for myself the title of the Lord of Magic" Arnóle spoke into the silence "And I hereby return to my post as Duke of Storyäsh until such time as the Ruler of Toketi sees fit to dismiss or replace me" The mists outside the window grew into a frenzy, writhing as he spoke and starting to become more and more solid. Arnóle fell silent again concentrating. He did not move, but the magical energies around him began to spread out and take form. His breathing grew heavy and ragged, sweat breaking out on his brow. Slowly the magic gathered itself into five figures. With a gasp, Arnóle released the spell, and five copies of himself stood before him. He smile and nodded, still breathing heavily. "We have not much time" He turned to the first copy of himself.

"I put you in charge of the defense and rebuilding of Storyäsh. The kraken may have been sent by someone, and with the current crisis, it will be difficult for builder mages to work uninterrupted. The emperor has already put someone in charge of ruling the city. Help them." The copy nodded in assent

Looking to the second he said "You must search out and find those who are searching for a cause to this magical malady. Help them with our knowledge in any way possible" Another nod of assent

"You will be the public figure of Arnóle" to the third "go and prepare yourself for the role" He nodded and went off into the wardrobes.

"You must try to negotiate between these radicals who have been stirred up against the magical community. At this time, we must stand united" The fourth nodded

Arnóle turned to the last, his eyes heavy with the effort of keeping awake, his body crying out for rest. "You will have the longest road. Seek out the necromancers. We must be prepared for the worst. I just pray you have enough time to make the journey" The last Arnóle did not nod, but merely closed his eyes in agreement.

"We must no longer be Arnóle" Arnóle said "Except for the one appointed to be so. From now on, we are Din Arran, the Lone Wanderers" With a sigh, Arnóle laid back on the floor, falling fast asleep.The copies came forward, lifting him up and laying him down on a couch. From the wardrobes, dressed in in robes of silver and gold, with a mantle of deep purple and blue, Arnóle came standing in front of the Din Arrans.

"We all have our assignments" Arnóle said to the group "We must not fail or magic and the reality that is bound up with it, will fail"

"That will only happen if the source of Magic itself has been tainted" Din Arran said "I will seek to find out if that is true, or if the mages themselves are being affected"

"Is the spell ready?" Din Arran asked Arnóle "Yes" he replied "The stairwell will remain hidden until the spell is finished or we are all destroyed and are assimilated again. Only Andreas, Bayen and the old emperor of Toketi had access to these rooms. Bayen and Andreas are gone, and unless they passed access to the new emperor, those two are now the only ones who would be able to access this room. Unless, as we have theorized, Magic itself is being tainted, in which case, we must hasten the completion of our tasks. Perhaps he will be able to locate them in the Dream World."

"Dawn is approaching and the Endless Tower has returned" Din Arran said. The group walked to the window. Mist still swirled around outside, but it was the mist of the world. Far, far below, the city of Storyäsh was beginning to awaken. People were staring at the Endless Tower, standing tall amid the wreckage, it's highest peak rising beyond the sight of those on the ground.

"We must away" Arnóle said, and they all as one turned and walked to the door, descending down another staircase, the steps forming out of the solid rock as the moved and closing up behind them again "We have one month at maximum. Should any of us fall, our energies will be absorbed back, and our time will be shortened" The group emerged on the outskirts of the ruined Academy, through a stone door that had once been part of a classroom. The Din Arrans donned cloaks, and hurried away. Arnóle took a breath "May God be with us" He said quietly, turning and, slowly picking his way through the rubble, to proclaim to the Kingdom of Toketi and the Empire of Gralus that the Lord of Magic had returned.
OOC: I'm back! :madviking: For those of you concerned with that sort of thing, the copying spell is very high level, and took almost everything Arnóle had to cast it. His body will stay in stasis for a month, which is the usual duration of the spell. Should any of his copies die, their energy will be reabsorbed into Arnóle and the time remaining will be cut by 1/5. At the end of a month, the copies vanish. None of the copies have magic. Arnóle's copy had just the one spell to allow them to leave the room.

The Endless Tower would have survived the kraken attack for the simple reason that it was not present in that plane when the attack occurred. Arnóle 'activated' the Tower, allowing the transportation magic to activate, thereby bringing the Tower back from it's exile. The two ways that Arnóle used to enter and exit the tower would still have been viable. The entrance ways would not have been destroyed since they connected two planes of existence. While it is theoretically possible to destroy one end, this being the center of magic in Toketi, I assumed that over the years, these entrances would have been made almost indestructible
Last edited by Din Arran on Tue May 13, 2014 2:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
Arnölé, The Lord of Magic. Former Lord of Storyäsh, Leader of the Paraphysical Forces. The White Dragon.

User avatar
Gerk
Posts: 1120
Joined: Tue Jan 11, 2011 1:00 am
Location: Wherever my mind takes me...

Re: The End

Post by Gerk »

Maybe it wasn't clear in my prose, but I had intended that the academy tower was destroyed by the Kraken, hence the characters plummeting as they arrived.
"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."
~Sherlock Holmes

The character of Gerk ronAnaglea is dead.
My avatar contains (from left to right) the characters of Analis and Rafel.
Click here for my roleplaying Element List.

Din Arran
Posts: 40
Joined: Mon May 12, 2014 12:29 pm

Re: The End

Post by Din Arran »

Gerk wrote:Maybe it wasn't clear in my prose, but I had intended that the academy tower was destroyed by the Kraken, hence the characters plummeting as they arrived.
No you were not clear :P I thought it was just the outer wall the kraken had destroyed and that the characters had just mis-teleported. The Endless Tower would still be there however, stuck in Ether until called for. As of right now though, it would either be floating in the air or sitting on the ground.

EDIT: I redid Arnóle's comeback story to fit in with the Kraken attack.
Arnölé, The Lord of Magic. Former Lord of Storyäsh, Leader of the Paraphysical Forces. The White Dragon.

Kaarrin Isselkaan
Posts: 94
Joined: Sat Sep 07, 2013 11:28 pm

Re: The End

Post by Kaarrin Isselkaan »

Dear lord, this is going to complicate this whole story in bizarre ways that do not fit well with my current plans...

Also, probably gonna try writing up some stuff tomorrow.
Image

User avatar
Gerk
Posts: 1120
Joined: Tue Jan 11, 2011 1:00 am
Location: Wherever my mind takes me...

Re: The End

Post by Gerk »

The four of us gotta have a discussion about stuff, so we're not stepping all over each other's feet. Do you all want to do it through private message (that seems rather undesirable to me), or some other means?
"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."
~Sherlock Holmes

The character of Gerk ronAnaglea is dead.
My avatar contains (from left to right) the characters of Analis and Rafel.
Click here for my roleplaying Element List.

Post Reply

Return to “Shelsa City Centre - Playing out The End”