Since I am in the middle of an adoption and cannot vouch for the amount of time I'm going to have to give to my writing, I thought I'd share my plans with everyone so they know what I'm going to be up to. I'm only giving brief descriptions of the stories; if you would like a more thorough explanation, please ask.

And if I've set any dates that will interfere with other event, let me know. I did my best to avoid the Plague and Quarantine at Metamor (early to middle of March), and to accommodate Drift's Bogus Journey.

Without further ado, here we go:

Landing in a New Age (Dec 27 - Jan 1) - William Dupré arrives at Metamor

Lament of the Kangaroo (mid Jan) - Charles & co. arrive in Sutthaivasse. Lindsey must face a horrible temptation from the remnants of the evil they found at Marzac.

Kendrick's Quandary (end of Jan) - Kendrick's little sister catches him returning from a thieving. Kendrick now has to protect his family and the rats at the same time.

Keeper's Return (~ Feb 10) - Charles & co. return to Metamor Charles learns of his son's death. Kayla will overcome the evil when she gives up all she gained back to Rickkter.

Julian's Plan (~ Feb 14) - Julian reveals his plan to corner the market on transporting goods through the cursed valley, and sets it into motion.

Jessica's Power (~ Feb 21) - Jessica discovers that she can temporarily attach the curse to others in the way the Marquis once did.

Invigorating Faith (~ Feb 28) - Bishop Tyrion Verdane arrives in Metamor for a brief inspection of the Ecclesia faithful. Accompanying him is Father Felsah, assigned to Metamor. He will eventually ask Duke Thomas for aid with his brother Jaime.

Investigating Calamity (~ Mar 14) - Father Akaleth & Sir Czestadt arrive in Marigund to reveal to the mage guild what they know of the fight against Marzac. Folks won't be happy with a Questioner there.

Illicit Acts (~ Mar 21) - Charles succumbs to the darkness within himself with Baerle.

Healing Wounds in Arabarb (~ Apr 1) - Lindsey is sent to Arabarb to kill Baron Garadan Calephas

Heading to All Tomorrows (~ Mar - Apr) - Andares returns to Ava-shavåis and there must face a difficult choice.

Hawk's Jealous Prize (~ Apr 14) - Weyden confronts Jessica with how darkened she has become due to her power. In the end, as she nearly tries to harm him, she lets it go and is preserved from the evil.

Grappling Between Stone and Sky (~ Mar - May) - Abafouq and Guernef return to the Tabinoq. Abafouq gives up going back to Qorfuu, while Guernef gives up his desire to see Abafouq walk the Path of the Sky as he did. Instead, Guernef will take Abafouq back to Metamor before returning to his mountain home.

Gazing Through a Barred Window (~ Apr 16) - Jaime in prison, plotting by Thomas and Andwyn about what to do.

Felsah's Little School (~ Apr 20) - Father Akaleth visits Metamor and plants the seen in Felsah's mind about what he can do to help at Metamor.

Farewell to Unrequited Love (~ Apr 24) - James tries to get Baerle to love him, but she is still smitten by Charles despite the growing darkness in him. James will give her up, healing her in the process.

Fall of Rising Stars (end of Apr) - Merai's corruption.

Elvmere's Unsung Talent (end of Apr) - Elvmere has spent months working the foulest and meanest of jobs without complaint. Raven will notice something in him that will shock her.

Economic Gambits (~ May 1) - Julian's venture is a growing success, but the means by which he got there may end up unravelling everything. Kendrick's conscience is growing more insistent.

Divine Travails of Rats (~ May 2) - Charles finally gives in to the darkness within, seeks Malger's aid, and by it, obtains access to the afterlife in search of his son. A familiar guide leads him through the afterlife, but when he finds his son, he learns a terrible truth that destroys the darkness in him and gives him the courage to face his past.

Designing a New Valley (~ May 4) - William Dupré decides upon a course of action that will take years, but will forever after change the face of the Metamor Valley.

Delivering a Ferret (~ May 7 - 21) - Charles, Jerome, and Garigan head to Sondeshara by dragon!

Cenobitical Joys (~ Jun 1) - Tugal is faced with questions about why she wants to be a Nun on the even of her being accepted as a Full Sister.

Catapulting a new House at Metamor (~ Jun 21) - After Charles's return, Duke Thomas grants him the contested land between Glen Avery and Lake Barnhardt after investing him into the nobility.

Anyway, that's what I have planned. Already finished the first story and am currently working on the next two. Some of these will be very short, others will be longer. Nothing LToY or WTW long at least!

Dominus vobiscum

The invasion dealt a serious blow to the Fellowship and its members. The Hall was burned to the ground, and nearly half of the membership gave their lives in a futile effort to protect the two dozen eggs that were being incubated inside.

The first events that we run into would be in March, when the plague comes in "The Presence of Thieves". This is Raven's last written story. His next, "Shadow Hunt" picks up right after this, and unless I'm mistaken, was to involve Merai's capture. We now know that Merai will agree to seduce the Emperor of Sathmore for Suspira in return for Suspira's aid in escaping. Unless I've misinterpreted Raven's timeline, this will now happen in April.

And Merai will now seduce the Emperor (who has yet to be named), and the Emperor will have Alarun, the Lothanas of Elvquelin and a minion of Ba'al, executed and the head sent to Metamor by way of apology for the plague. Merai will send a note to Raven indicating that she is well and can serve better where she is. No indication yet that she has and continues to be corrupted by Suspira. However, when this takes place in the time line is not yet certain.

The elvish army approaches Metamor in mid-May thinking that is the time for the Starchild Battle, but find nothing, so send delegation to renew good relations with Metamor. They will then leave.

These are the first set of events. Other events whose time frame I do not know include:

• Drift/Carcarak's return from the hells. I'm also uncertain at this point what exactly he's going to do.
• Lilith making a move with her armies in the Giantdowns (even if they are decimated by a certain wolf).
• Pretty much anything else anybody has suggested to this point.

Now, I do have a few plans of my own that I should mention that may or may not play a role in the coming instability:

• The death of Baron Calephas of Arabarb - Will likely happen in April or early May.
• The visit of Bishop Tyrion Verdane to Metamor and the arrival of Felsah as a Questioner assigned to Metamor - April.
• I also want to have some machinations between Kelewair and Salinon over Jaime Verdane kept prisoner, but I haven't figured those details out yet.
• I may also bring Nylene hin'Lofwine, the priestess from Silvassa that Elvmere knows, back into the story, but that depends on what other events come to pass.

So, what sort of things could we expect to see in 708?

• Suspira is making a power play, but so too could some of the other members of the Pantheon. Ba'al certainly won't sit on his hands, but he's going to be pretty short of allies for a while.
• Metamor may not know that Merai has been corrupted, but the pantheon will, and it's only a matter of time before they tell Raven and the other Lothanasi at Metamor about it. I imagine that Raven will want to confirm this somehow (anyone have ideas how that might take place?)
• Suspira may control the Emperor, but she may not yet control the corrupted Lothanasi Chapters, so there may be power struggles in the other chapters as Merai helps Suspira extend her control.

I think 708 should end with Metamor aware that Merai has become Suspira's servant, realizing that there is a threat to the north from Lilith, and now from the South from Sathmore and the Midlands (though not for the same reason), with lots of dark news coming from the lands of the Lothanasi as good people suffer and various dark factions fight for control. The overall feeling is, "what the heck can we do to stop this madness?"

That's my thoughts on the subject. So what else do people have on the plate for 708 that will effect this, or is there something specific that people want to see happen?

Dominus tecum

The basic idea is a Follower goes to the Follower afterlife, while a believer in the LightBringers goes to the LB afterlife. The same applies to other religions. For those in the far east they go to whatever afterlife is there for the far east religion.

Basically it is to each his own.
does this make sense?

The first is to have another group of characters embark on another LotR-ish adventure to delve deep into Nasoj's territory and finish him off once and for all. Nasoj has recently become a bit of a joke. His forces are in shambles and he's too far away to be a viable threat to MK anymore. However, as this storyline would occur in his territory, it will be justifiably difficult without making him look like a recurring villain of the month or something. The only issue with this is that it's an all or nothing ploy. Either he defeats the invading party or dies off. The middle ground of him surviving but being defeated is but the first step down the road of cliche repetetive villain and I think Nasoj should have more respect than that. There IS a possibility that this hypothetical invasion somehow plays into his hands and makes him a viable threat again, setting the stage for future conflict. If anyone has ideas for how this would happen, go ahead.

The second idea revolves around Lilith. Previously in the Starchild arc (if I remember right) she was slated to be defeated and replaced by someone else who then goes insane, but with Starchild out of the running, she remains a viable villain. Already in several stories she has been shown to be gathering forces and power, eating away at Nasoj's power base so she wouldn't need to be established. It would be quite easy for her to simply continue her growth and become a threat to MK.

If anyone else has other ideas for the plot of the year (MK time) then please speak up.

So, if this rumor is true (please enlighten us, Raven), we need to determine where to go from here. Without the Starcihld, Drift's entire arc needs a completely new climax, Elvmere's arc has to be completely reworked (and I've no idea how at present), not to mention poor Christof with his Raven character who's current fate will need to be redesigned.

However, perhaps these are acceptable losses. If there is a desire not to do the Starchild (if Raven won't), then we need to determine what to do in 708 CR instead. Certainly, if we do want to do the Starchild, we'll need to get together and find a way to write it without Raven. and even if we do the Starchild, I know there are some details of it that I'd love to change.

I'm putting all this out on the table. Only Raven can tell us whether or not he'll move forward with the Starchild. But if Raven won't, the question becomes, what do we do with it?

We've never been in a position before where a major plot arc may suddenly go up in smoke. I think we need to discuss and prepare if that happens.

Dominus tecum

Description of the building
The main features of this inn are as follows. It is a very large building, 122' x 60' with an equally large stable behind it. Its first floor has stone walls with the second and third floors being half timber construction and its roof is slate tiles. The inn has 72 rooms that are for rent. About half of these are rented on a monthly basis to people who live and work in the Keep. The others are rented to travelers. Along with the guest rooms there are two large common sleeping rooms on the second floor for teamsters and other travelers needing just a place to roll out a blanket to sleep. There is also a pair of common sleeping areas in the attic for the serving staff. Another unique feature and one you wouldn't find in many if any medieval inns, is that the guest rooms that are in the central part of the building each have a hearth in them. The common room on the first floor has two hearths in it, one large the other small (somewhat like the owners) and it is this feature that is shown on the inn's sign. The common area has several large tables and a few booths along one wall. See the floor plan links below for details (some rooms are labeled for characters already staying there).

First Floor of the Inn
Second Floor of the Inn
Third Floor of the Inn
Exterior view of the Inn

Background to the inn and its owners
The inn is owned by Darion (AR) and Jami (TG) Goquen whose family has been innkeepers at Metamor for generations. Both were at the battle of Three Gates and made a last stand in their first inn. Darion's life was saved by being changed into a child and by his wife, Jami, being changed into a man who defended him. Their livelihood, the inn, was little more then a ruined shell by the end of the battle however. Darion, who had found a large sum of money on a Lutin commander he had killed, pledged to build a new inn that could also serve as a strong hold should the Keep's wall ever be breached again. Thus the current inn came into being and the Duke has allowed him to keep a secret store of weapons in the inn's cellar.

Darion is an energetic youth who is seldom seen without a smile. As with all children he seems to have boundless energy but he applies this to his work as an innkeeper. Jami is a large man who could easily be mistaken for a lumberjack. A sizable thick beard covering the upper part of his chest and his voice is a rich baritone. Jami is usually found at the bar in the common room where he directs the servants in their duties and makes sure those who have too much ale cause no problems.

Names that have been suggested so far are:
Companion Hearth Inn
Pair of Hearths Inn
Loving Hearths Inn
Jolly Hearth Inn

So, with all that information, does anyone have some suggestions for a name?

Having seen some of the marvelous works that have been turned into Card Decks by various talented artists I have begun considering having one crafted for the Metamor Keep world setting.

This is currently a work of my own desire and finances and I am posting here only due to the complexities involved in forming each Suite in the deck. There are simply too many characters for me to make such decisions without constulting the current writers to the Setting (and, of course, to ask for the rights to the characters involved for this purpose).
As it is a work of my sole endeavor I will be the sole arbiter on decisions concerning it, which is the best way to keep things cohesive.

What I will need from those whose characters that are selected to be a part of the deck:

• Direct permission to use their characters, preferrably by E-mail to sundansyr/at/yahoo.com
• A detailed physical description of each character used, to include any particular specific costume style with heraldry if used.
  

Once I have determined rights and costs I will provide a detailed document for everyone involved. All intellectual rights will, of course, be retained by the creator of the characters. I am only asking for permission to use the image of the character. Each person can communicate with the artist(s) rendering their characters for further rights. Currently I will be giving the individual artists full rights over their artwork to reproduce and sell prints, ect, so long as the characters are identified as the intellectual property of their Creator and Metamor Keep as a whole while rights to reproduce the Deck itself will remain with me (or those involved if others opt in to help with production costs)

I would, however, like the input of people currently writing in the world as I would like to involve/feature as many as possible.

• Certain restrictions:
  • No Gods or their Underlings.
  • Characters primarily of Metamor Keep, or secondary characters that feature strongly in prominent story arcs.

Here's what I've come up with so far on my own and with the help of Lurking Fox.

Big Joker – Metamor Keep
Small Joker - Copernicus

Spades <Metamor Keep>:
Ace - Thomas
King - Misha
Queen - Alberta
Jack - Thalberg
Ten – Drift
Nine – Stealth
Eight – George
Seven – Fox Cutter (Librarian)
Six – Wanderer
Five – Sir Saulius
Four – Gornul
Three – Buster Swinson
Two – Kee

Clubs <House of Mages>:
Ace - Rickkter
King - Murikeer
Queen - Kayla
Jack - Jessica
Ten – Kozaithy
Nine – Virmir
Eight – Wessex
Seven – Teria
Six – Healer Coe
Five – Pascal
Four – Yvarra
Three – Saroth
Two –

Hearts <House of Lovers>:
Ace - Hassan (Thomas/Alberta)
King – Sutt (Malger/Nocturna)
Queen - Matthias (Charles/Kimberly)
Jack – Brightleaf (Misha/Caroline)
Ten – Rickkter/Kayla
Nine – Baerle/James
Eight – Avery (Brian/Angela)
Seven – Tenomides (Phil/Clover)
Six – Kiska/Quickpaw
Five – Jessican/Weyden
Four – Habakkuk/Lindsay
Three – Egland (Yacoub/Intoran)
Two – Maugnard (Andre/Jenn)

Diamonds <House of Faith>:
Ace - Kyia
King - Hough
Queen - Raven
Jack - Vinsah/Elvmere
Ten – Akabieth
Nine – Edmund
Eight – Carcarak (Tiruvanor)
Seven – Merai
Six –
Five – Questioner Felsah
Four –
Three –
Two –

Swords <House of Villains>:
Ace - Nasoj
King - Zagrosek
Queen - Agathe
Jack – Yaja Kali
Ten – Calephas
Nine – Marquis Camille du Tournemire
Eight –
Seven – Loriod
Six – Baldwin
Five – Yonson
Four –
Three – Thorne
Two – Lutin (in general)

Some artists I am currently looking at as far as commission requests:

-star-
Dark Natasha
Anastasia Korochansckaja
Teagan Gavet
Blotch
Megan Giles
Heather Bruton
Kaji
Qzurr
Rah-Bop Particularly good Dragons
Rayndancer
Rukis
Ravyn Nikita Foxwolf
BJP
Tathi
Amber Hill
Jennifer Miller

Raven, Matt - How about some details? At least enough for the rest of us MK writers?

I am planning for Misha and Carolines wedding to be in june.

Without further stalling,

Rain Drops Keep Falling

699CR Outside of Metamor Keep

War fires burned brightly in the night. Hundreds of campfires seemed to mirror the stars above. Homes set ablaze from the siege in the distance added to the terrible brilliance. The sorcerers and witches watched from the mountainside taking in the terrible sight of their handy work. A small withered man walked with his weight supported by a long crooked mage staff. The staff glowed and twitched with agony, its withered form an abomination against nature cried out yet none listened. His instructions came with terrible precision in a voice possessed by the darkest reaches of the soul. In truth he mealy spoke as conduit for some other being. The three women bowed from their kneeling position and remained facing the ground until he had turned and walked away.

“Do not falter sisters. Victory is at hand.” The other two nodded in agreement. Walking past tribes of lutins and squads of human mercenaries the sorceresses commanded both fear and respect. Their robes and staves marked them as senior officers and field commanders. The lesser ranks quickly moved out of their way as they took their places in the ranks for the dawn assault.

The sun rose and the battle raged on the siege breaking through the layered defenses. It was hard fought but the sisters had each met their goals in turn. The sisters had completed the groundwork for a great spell that was about to be cast down on them. Each sister carried a small charm designed to protect her from the incoming spell. Hiding under cloaks and charms moving away from the keep as fastest possible. The eldest and youngest sibling did as they had planned. They had safely ridden away from the spell. The middle sibling Millie however, did not. The keep’s spirit had trapped her and led her to a small chamber.
“Why do you ally your self with him. He oppresses all in his domain.”

“That is what nobility does. My sisters and I will be given titles and position.”

“Help us. He does not share power, you will only find death with your current master. There is a better way.”

“Tell me old man.” The spirit turned and looked as well, “Yes I can perceive your avatar. I am not a hack of a field mage or some mercenary. Why should I trade one tyrant for another?”

The old man's illusion spoke in a slow and deliberate voice, “Only free men in numbers this small could defend their homes for so long against tyrants so mighty.”

“So spirit, is this tyrant here so different?”

“I would not allow him into my domain if he was not.”

“My parents believed in the wisdom of things other than power” she paused for a moment. Conjuring small bits of energy, that resonated into larger and larger ripples her spell began. It moved like water through the amulet into the spirit, “My older sister ignored these teaching to save us; trading faith for safety. My younger sister was to young to be able to understand their teachings. So it is up to me to save them. I cannot save you but I can show you a way. If you can save your selves’ then maybe you can save the world.”

Her spell reached its climax imparting knowledge and energy to the old man, spirit and counter spell. The amulet shattered as her spell took its magic and focused it into the three targets. The curse slammed down onto the keep with unimaginable force. Her spell intermingled with that of Posti’s changing the nature of the spell in subtle ways. Her addition to the counter spell grounded all of the energies into the very fabric of reality. Without the amulet to keep the spell at bay her other defensive spells flared and burned out of existence destroying her clothing and staff. She fell to her knees in front of the spirit as the curse took hold. She struggled to funnel more energy to the spirit and fight the curse at the same time.

Her feminine form changed to that of a more masculine one. Slowly at first as her spell held off the curse but it accelerated as she ran out of magical energies to manipulate. She lost consciousness and fell into the ashes of her clothing and staff. The transformation finished and the woman’s body was replaced with that of a man’s. The spirit moved the man to a small room and left him with the remainder of his supplies, a new set of clothes and a sword.

The battle ended the defenders had managed to save them selves. The spirit had come back to check on the guest but knew that he had left earlier. A note and a single gold coin on the desk remained, “Your fate is in your hands. I will keep mine in my hands. For the executioner, have him buy a good pair of boots.”

For the first time in his life he was alone. He tried to work several of his spells but they did not come out right or with the precision that he had before his transformation. Without and identity or means he wandered away.

Two and a half years his magic did not return. Relying on his wits and martial skills he made his way south then east. The wanderings eventually lead him back to the cursed valley.

707CR Mid August Southern Midlands

“What do you think it means Miles?”

“Falling stars mean many things. Personally I think the star dust looks pretty.”

“My father thought they were bad omens. People say that the gods are raining down arrows upon us from the skies.”

Miles sighed half annoyed at the superstition and half tired from the journey, “Vi, this happens every year about this time in this part of the world. It means summer is coming to an end soon.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because If I was a god, I wouldn’t hurl some rock through the sky and hope it it’s target. I would leave no room for interpretation.”

“There were all these legends of people being struck down by such things.”

“With a proper planning and preparations a good mage can make any assassination look like an act of god. You just need to know the right calculations. Not all feats of great magic are large rituals, detailed etchings, bloody offerings and lengthy incantations.”

“For somebody that knows so much about magic you rarely use it.”

“Magic is usually a overkill for most applications. A little physical discipline, quick wit and martial preparation go a long way.”

“My father said that you knew a cure to my ailment. He said the spirits told him to leave me in your care. I have yet to see you work but the most basic of spells.”

Miles looked at his companion and spoke softly, “You’re cure is complicated. The problem is that your body is of two beings.”

“Yes, yes, the heart of a dragon and the body of a human. Neither can exist apart from the other. I was told the story a thousand times and have told my self it a thousand more looking for a solution. The heart produces more energy than the body can handle. I am slowly burning up. While magic is a temporary outlet the heart is still very young and will only grow stronger. This heart will kill me in a few years.”

Miles looked at her carefully. He wanted to tell her everything. Why they were going where they were going and why he knew it was the only cure. In the past few years they had grown close yet he worried that one wrong word, one poorly timed revelation could easily shatter their bond. So he spoke with the utmost care, “Vi, do you know where we are?”

“Southern Midlands, a day from Giftum. You told me yesterday.”

“And what direction are we headed.”

Her head spun around as she looked at the sky for direction and spotted the moon, “North, we’re headed north? Are we going to your home in Giantdowns?”

“No, that home was destroyed long ago.”

“Are we going to see the Lom Shi'Un in the north lands? I know you trained with then when you were younger.”

“They might be able to cure you but I doubt you would pay their price. I trained under an exile not in Lom proper. Our destination is a bit further south.”

“I still don’t get it.”

“I was part of a great and terrible spell many years ago. With the reagents I’ve been gathering over the past few years.”

“Wait, you helped cast that spell?”

“Yes, I helped with the curse.”

“I think you are the biggest liar I have ever met. The northern lord would only use the strongest and most loyal of wizards.”

“Perhaps I am a big bad dark wizard taking you to ritual sacrifice to some elder god.”

“Evil wizards don’t protect the honest and the weak. I’ve seen you protect both. Then again, you kiss with far to much skill and passion to be all good.”

Miles rolled over onto his side trying to get some sleep. The worry and anxiety of the truth seemed to slip away. He could almost hear the quiet hum of his sword. A parting gift from the keep he joked to him self. The sword functioned exceptionally well as a magical focus and as a combat weapon. Intricate inscriptions all along its length played against its dark and light patterns. He had thoroughly researched it materials and found out it was a rare form of steel exceptionally strong and light. The inlays infused with platinum and Mithril to conduct magical energies.

It the weapon seemed odd in the sense that it had been built up over time. The blade, inscriptions, inlays and spells all had a distinct flavor. While it held a less than average edge the magical properties of the weapon made it a mute point. The sword while not self-aware contained a unique persona with a wealth of knowledge and insight. The favorite spells of its previous owners, sword techniques and even a few decent recipes for cooking wild game.

“Elise, why is Vi so dense on this one?”

The sword’s avatar responded in its typical ineffectual analytical style, “My observations of your interactions would point to denial. From your descriptions of the curse it is generally a stigma or difficult transition if not both. This is nothing you do not know. Why can not you see this?”

“Smart ass.”

The sword’s avatar made several mockingly rude gestures then left Miles to rest.

Night gave way to day and their travels resumed to the north. The summer weather had
started to yield to fall so the oppressive heat they had experienced further south did not hamper their travels.

The three days pass and they arrive in Midtown.

Vi shuffled back and forth in the inn. The rain had forced them inside while dry and warm room she was restless and bored. Miles was nowhere to be found either. She removed her staff from its case and set it across her lap. The staff slowly began responding to her touch. The staff was not some simple piece of wood carved from any branch. The core of it contained a five crystal cylinders each etched, enchanted and aligned carefully to allow maximum amplification and storage. Bound by Mithril and stacked on top of each other the crystals were then held in place as a special plant is then grown around the disks. Other spells and enchantments are laid upon the unfinished staff while it still has roots in the ground. The spirit of the tree is then sealed within the staff and plant is up rooted. The roots and any extra branches were trimmed. The remaining living cells then feed off of the charge the mage must keep in the staff.

Vi began the ritual casting to put more reserve energy into the staff. Quiet words turned into energy that flowed into the staff. The staff seemed to resonate in appreciation. She then smiled and asked a simple question, “Where is Miles?” A faint blue line extended from her staff through the roof. She knew all two well what it meant. Forming yet another spell a small ball of light formed in her hand. It moved away from her hand then out the window. The ball moved up to the roof where it gave Vi a clear view of Miles laying out in the rain. The ball darted quickly to him he projected a magical curtain over himself keeping the rain away. “Why are you up here?”

“Perk of being a thief, I can be.”

“I understand why you do it when you can see the stars but it is raining.”

“Shield and endurance practice.”

“You’re avoiding me.”

“Only because you’re being thick headed.”

“Fine then, spell it out for me.”

“Your heart is too much for your body.”

“We already went over that.”

“How would you go about fixing that?”

“Change the heart.”

“We went over that, alteration of the heart interferes with the primary binding spells.”

“So that leaves the body. Greater transformation magic.”

“But, transformation magic will not hold with the secondary spells supporting the binding spell.”

“So what’s left, reality alteration?”

“And where did I say we are headed?”

Vi went terribly quiet and her orb vanished. In a swift motion Miles was through the window and into the room. He caught Vi before she could collapse to the floor and placed her on the bed. Minor details of the past 4 years came rushing back. Obscure acquisitions Miles had made, little things like local roots, stardust, elemental water and ice. A hundred other things that he had used a stasis spell and stored in his pack. Rare and difficult to find reagents things that would only make sense to a mage with a lot of training and would have to be gathered in person to ensure purity.

“You aren’t just some hack are you?” She stammered.

Miles looked away, “I have done great and terrible things. This next feat will be a great one.”

Vi started to object knowing only rumors of the spell and its three consequences. Then Miles asserted him self again, “I worked on the curse for five years before it was cast. I have had another eight to study the interaction of the counter spell. While I cannot undo it I can guide and manipulate it with the reagents I have gathered. While your blood is that of a dragon, a spell converts it into a human blood facsimile. You would not normally be affected by the curse because it is blood magic directed at human blood. I am going to use the curse on you. I am going to turn you into a dragon. Well at least part of the way.”

The two starred at the ceiling for several hours few words were said as they exchanged looks. “Remember that night in the Desert of Dreaming.”

“I remember that we nearly died crossing the Sea of Yajiit.”

“What about all that treasure we ended up finding in the eastern ranges.”

“Then the dragons that decided they wanted it back.”

“That escape was great, only better one we pulled off was with those knights in the holy land.”

“Yea two mages in a dead zone was really fun. That knight commander nearly fainted when I made that fire ball.” Miles replied with a bit of dark sarcasm

“How did you pull that off?”

“A bit of animal fat, salt stone and a pig bladder. I still got the scar on my left hand from the burn.”

“Do you think I’ll be the same after?” She asked in quiet desperation.

“I’ll be sure of it.”

The next day became slow traveling. Rain pelted the valley and created a lot of mud. Vi decided that freezing the ground as she walked would be the best solution. Miles laughed a bit at her solution. He decided on using a shield spell on his feet to stop from sinking. Following his scrying crystal off the road they moved away from the well-worn mud paths and into the forested areas where the mud abated as the trees absorbed most of the rain. Several more hours into the day Miles found the location he was looking for. The secluded spot where he recovered from the three gates battle, a partially ruined villa along the south western range. The sun started to set behind the western as they setup a small camp. The next days were a flurry of activity. Miles had Vi reconstructing a large room of the villa while he started setting up perimeter defenses. Elemental, stasis and misdirection traps lined a large circle around the hall that Vi had been reconstructing walls from stone rubble and harvesting local trees for the roof.

Using magic, stone and timber moved slowly into place. Three days passed and the construction was finished. Vi griped to Miles, “Why did you make me do all the heavy moving. We got a small fortress in between your wards and the walls.”

“Because for the next five days you get to sit and meditate while I prepare to forge a spell that will muck with a blood curse that bends the very reality it effects.”

“Well at least we have a roof to sleep under tonight.”

“Nope, can’t have any thresholds form in it, we sleep in under the stars tonight.”

"You mean the clouds." Vi frowned as she carried her sleeping pad back under the tent that had been protecting them from the late night rains.

The next day came and Miles was up before the sun lit the sky taking careful measurements of the starts and planets. Then cleaning every surface of the room that Vi had constructed. Intricate inscriptions and shapes slowly took shape on the ceiling then walls. Items stored in stasis were retrieved for ink and incense purifying and collecting any ambient magic in the area.

“When will you start the spell?” Vi asked with quiet trepidation.

“We can begin tomorrow night. The stellar alignments and mana currents should be best then. Any later after that and the fall alignments will be too strong for another year. We need to rest up for a while.”

* Two hours before midnight, half a mile from the ruins.*

Michael Seaborne signaled to the rest of his squad to gather up. The light rain had made it slow going. He wanted to push just a bit further for shelter in a series of ruins that he knew would provided some extra shelter from the rains. The patrol orders were to sweep the southern valley for anything suspicious. Bandits had been raiding the southern roads over the summer and had become quite the problem so all known ruins were to be searched.

“Bryan, Kindle how are you holding up?”

Bryan responded slowly as the serpent morph had been loosing heat to the rain all day and had become very lethargic. Kindle responded for him, “His amulet is loosing charge to the water faster than normal for some reason it isn’t pulling in mana correctly.”

Quiz looked at a small compass she was carrying and realized that it was spinning incorrectly. She pulled a small crystal rod from her pack. It streamed a series of colors and patterns reacting to the many styles and forms of magic Miles had employed around the encampment.

“Boys, we have a problem.” Quiz shouted to over come the other various conversations, “There are either a lot of little problems or one big one.”

Michael came and looked at her crystal, “What does it mean?”

“It measures different things to figure out if mages are working near by.”

“So what’s it telling you?”

“Somebody is pulling a lot of energy that way.” She pointed north east of the ruins.

“Kevin!!!” Michael called out and the sparrow morph came to the for front, “I know its cold but I need you to double time it back to the signal tower.”

Kevin shed what gear he could carry on his small frame and removed his clothes. Quiz placed a small warming charm on his ankle as the transformation completed he then flew off.

A patrol of five became four cold, wet and nervous keepers. Kindle pulled out a bit of paper and graphite and cast a small spell on it.

Michael, “What are you doing?”

The mouse keeper answered in a small voice, “Tracking our movements. We may be in an illusion if these mages are as strong as she thinks.”

Michael yielded to Kindle as he took the crystals and began to follow the flow of the magic. The company moved slowly and nervously as they expected the worst. Images of lutin shamans and human rogues filled their imaginations. The march continued for nearly an hour as the group found their guide leading them up the western mountain slope.

Kindle paused for a moment and consulted his enchanted map. We are being lead in a circle he concluded. Cursing under his breath. Taking measurements on his map and then of the magical currents he put away his other trinkets and bobbles and redirected the party. Michael called for a halt, “What’s going on?”

“They have the currents in an eddy, who ever it is less than a half a mile from here and in that direction.”

“Are you sure?”

“I can get us within twenty or so paces of the center.”

“Ok take fifteen here, get ready for the worst. Loose any extra rations, sleeping gear and double check your gear.” Michael called out. Though his voice commanded confidence he hoped that help would arrive before they moved out.

**** Midnight

Kevin had pushed him self to the limit, with a head wind and the cold rain he had exhausted the warming stone and the sparrow body weakened but he had made it to the signal post.
The flying wet keep flew right through a window into the arms of the shift commander. His telepathy spell instantly warned the shocked the keeper, “Red patrol reports, Engagement, codes, Paladin Blue, Dragon Black. I say again, Paladin Blue, Dragon Black.”

The child-morph turned a terrible pale color then screamed, “Signal man, priority message for the keep, Paladin Blue, Dragon Black, Messenger Incapacitated.”

The message flashed from relay post to post. Within five minuets the keep had received the code.

**** 12:05
The watch commander Sergeant Brea scrambled to find a superior, Dragon codes meant that an enemy caster had been found and black left nothing to interpretation. Paladin codes meant to describe the condition of the squad. He found Laura of the Longs. In a panic the sergeant stammered his conversation, “We have a situation Sir.”

Laura rubbed her eyes as the early morning hour had dulled her considerably as it was just the end of her shift.

“What?”

“We have a situation.” He handed her the coded note, “Ok sergeant, I don’t know why you decided to bring this to me?”

“Sir, I don’t know who else is a wake.”

Laura scratched her head and reread the message, “So some part timers got what?”

“I don’t know the messenger was incapacitated upon arrival.”

“I’ll rouse a few people, go find some regulars and another damn mage to confirm this report. Meet in the lower armory in fifteen.”

Laura went off to rouse her squad; protocol dictated that what ever commanding officer was found first would be tasked with initial response efforts. So she summoned more messengers and began to pull her self together.

The sergeant managed to find a mage next, Teria swayed down the hall on arm of Ferwig. Still wearing their uniforms from their previous shift they were clearly identified “Sirs, your presence is.”

Teria slurred out, “Aww isn’t he cute…hic… Would you like to come back to our room with us.”

Ferwig laughed as the sergeant clearly expressed a look of embarrassment even for a squirrel.

“Sorry sirs, I see you are off duty.” He ran down the variable geometry corridor looking for a sober mage. The next mage he found though a bit wet was far more sober. In the keeps ramparts he found Saroth enjoying the light rain. “Sir!” The sergeant shouted making sure the dragon heard him.

Saroth turned and faced him and nodded.

“I need the help of a mage to confirm a code.” The sergeant paused waiting for a response.

“Well?” Saroth asked telepathically.

Startled he explained the situation as quickly as possible.

Saroth reached out with his mind to feel the weather in the valley.

“The rain tells me that there are two very powerful mages to the south. It knows not what they do. The wind tells me not to interfere. So yes, magic is a foot but I doubt I can help you. It is not a form of magic I understand. I suggest you find another mage while I get myself ready.” He began to shift out of his full dragon form into something that could pass through the keeps corridors.

The sergeant cursed his luck on the magical front. In a tiny stroke of genius he decided to go to the gym and ask for volunteers.

The gym population in the middle of the night consisted of very few residents. Several morph types often found it hard to sleep nights being nocturnal in nature. Ringing a bell he called the area to attention. The handful of people in the gym at the time quickly moved to collect combat worthy equipment.

The sergeant then dispatched other messengers as he made his way to the rally point. Laura and her longs were prepared and ready to move out within their drill window of six minuets. Saroth arrived a round the ten minuet mark with a small pack and walking stick.

Brea arrived shortly there after with the irregulars trickling in until the fifteen-minuet mark. A fox morph; a cat morph, Garulf a giant of a bear morph, a knight Sir Saulius and finally Danielle of the first long squad arrived as a magical advisor.

Laura gave a word of thanks as she saw Danielle approach, “Thank the gods you’re here, is there any truth to this mess or are we just going for a long rainy walk.”

Danielle responded with a bit of trepidation, “I wish Teria was sober but I can feel something out there. At the very least they are tampering with the curse, I know that much but as to the details we are too far away. Judging by the amount of energy moving around he has many hours of casting to go.”

Sir Saulius spoke up quickly, “We best sortie quickly as we haft a long way to go.” Laura nodded in consent, “Would you like to take command Sir?”

“You haft summoned more warriors to the field, I yield to you.”

Laura caught Brea out of the corner of her eye, “Oh do you dare scamper off sergeant you’re joining us on this little nature walk.”

Laura organized her eclectic group into two squads dividing her normal squad across both groups after leading a gear check and procuring any needed equipment from the armory.

On horseback they made quickly to the south.

**** 3:30 AM

Michael and his squad grew anxious in waiting. They had moved to within visual distance of the ruins but a series of wards lined the perimeter. Kindle examined them from a distance but could not conclude what their effects were without tripping one.

Michael started to pace as Kindle and Quiz became increasingly agitated with the slow escalation of the spell. Kindle and Quiz started to pool their limited magical knowledge to better assess the situation.

Kindle spoke first, “I think he will cast at sunrise. In about three hours. He seems to be channeling a lot of stellar energy.”

Quiz thought about it for a moment then offered another assessment, “It could be a lunar casting and it might finish closer to nine.”

“The moon is neither full or new, awfully risky using the moon in a transitory state.”

“True but this is a very massive spell any way, could be using the lunar energy as a shield of sorts from the other energies.”

The novice mages continued to run circles in their argument neither knowing the goals, intentions or planning of Miles.

Michael took the prudent course of waiting until somebody better versed in magic answered the call for help. He decided to move his encampment to the eastern edge of the perimeter. So when help arrived they did not ride into any hidden wards.

**** 5:30 AM

A horn sounded in the distance and Michael’s squad roused to alert. Michael reached into his pack and threw a small red pouch into their campfire. A plume of red smoke drifted into the air.

Minuets later Laura and her two squads arrived at the campsite.

A tired and wet Laura called out, “Report Patrol.”

“We have observed the encampment for the past six hours no movement outside of the structure. We have detected a perimeter of wards that we have not breached ten yards from here.”

The party dismounted and the new mages began examining the wards. Saroth listened more to the weather around him to give him clues to the situation. Danielle recognized many of the wards as being basic ‘stun’ and ‘look that way’ creations best for keeping animals and other pests away. Slowly moving past the outer layer a second layer of ‘turn you around’ wards lined the circle she disarmed a pair of them and moved into the third layer. The third layer perplexed her for a moment, as it wasn’t actually a layer, just illusions of wards creating illusions within illusions designed to confuse and slow an intruder down if not just scare them.

The last layer wasn’t as nice as the outer layers; electric elemental totems shocked her before she even detected them. The first ward detonated and knocked her back and out cold.

The Garulf moved quickly to pull the fallen mage out of harms way before they could even order him to stop she was back safely beside the camp fire.

Laura looked to her company and asked for suggestions.

**** 5:45 AM
Miles voice grew horse as one incantation flowed into the next and other incantations repeated completely out of reflex. Spell reverberations repeated previous incantations with complete precision.

The entire time Vi screamed in agony as a symphony of spells danced across her body. Bound to the floor she thrashed against the magical restraints. The spells that allowed a dragons heart to exist with in her body played against the curse, counter spell and Miles’ manipulations. A swirling symphony of magic encased her and the space around her manipulating her and her reality.

Miles remained steady with waves of spells and counter spells circling around him ready to be used at a single thought. Yet he grew concerned he did not have enough strength to seal the spell. His calculations contained an error in the amount of spells he would have to simultaneously manage. The incoming power just wasn’t enough.

**** 5:45 AM

“I say we spike him.” Kindle proposed. Quiz and Saroth looked at him for an explanation.

“Give who ever is casting more energy than they can handle; make them stop casting or blow themselves up.”

Quiz was the first to object, “You realize how much energy he is moving right? I doubt we could move even a fraction of that together.”

Danielle moved slowly, “We could use his own wards as a power source, and a channel.”

Saroth suddenly interrupted, “The storm agrees with your plan. He has asked the storm to help him and the storm wishes to.”

Laura quickly shot back, “Why should we help this rogue.”

“The storm says if we don’t the spell will implode with a terrible ripple effect if we don’t.”

The party grew tense as Saroth approached the electrified wards and picked up the one that detonated on Danielle. Pulling a small crystal from the ward he began to chant and disarm the remaining wards. Taking the crystals from the strongest wards he handed one to each member of the party. Giving a terrible crash course in, group casting, Kindle instructed, “Focus on Saroth as you repeat after me.” A slow flow of magic left the crystals and flowed into Saroth who then passed the energy into the gentle storm above. The electric energy Miles had harvested earlier in the week returned back to the lingering storm.

The storm slowly responded gathering the energy into a single bolt that struck the edge of spell surrounding Vi.

**** 6 AM

Miles pleaded with the storm for just a little more energy rapidly consuming his personal reserves. Consciousness began slipping away yet he struggled to hold on. Then a miracle happened, a single extraordinary bolt of energy coursed into the spell exactly where he needed it. The energy burned through him stripping away his protective wards. Causing him to cry out in pain. In a flash Vi’s body became encased in a sphere forcing her body into the fetal position floating a few feet off the ground. Her screaming came to a halt as the components realigned then the outer layer of the spell too shape, forming a large egg around her body. The energy congealed as the various spells moved into a new state of balance.

Miles slumped over and the new egg came to rest on the ground. Hung by a thread as his personal energies neared fatal levels. He leaned against the wall completely motionless.

**** 6:10 AM

With the chanting completed Laura ordered her squads to arms. The wards combusted leaving nothing but ash and crystal in their place and the squad slowly advanced. Within the room they found one apparently dead man with burns up and down his arms and torso and what Saroth identified as a dragon’s egg.

Laura wanted answers, “So all this to summon a dragon?”

Quiz spoke first for the mages, “No a summoning wouldn’t have taken nearly as much energy. Assuming it was a willing target.”

Kindle looked at the results of the spell in awe and fear, he had seen the keeps elders cast a many complex and terrible spells yet this spell was some how infinitely more complex. “I don’t think he summoned a dragon so much as create a draconian. I cannot be sure because I don’t feel any infernal energy. I saw a similar ritual once in my masters notes.”

Miles coughed weakly from the corner and twenty blades, staves and arrows turned to him, “Don’t hurt her I beg you.”

“Eli’s grace, he lives.” Saulius let out in shock.

Laura shouted out, “Get him in shackles now! Gag him too. Alteration of the curse is a capitol offence. Who knows what’s going to hatch out of that egg. It could take out the entire valley for all we know.” Consciousness left Miles, his last energies spent on a desperate plea for mercy.

The orders started coming out in fast pace. Orders to preserve the scene, to get a cart for the prisoner orders to set up a campfire for breakfast all happened with in moments. Laura dispatched a messenger to the keep for a senior mage and a senior commander to relieve her.

****

The remainder of the morning filled its self with waiting. Without any other business the group split between watching the perimeter and napping. Several observed morning prayers or exercises to pass the time while more official persons arrived. Laura consented to tending to Miles’ wounds once it was clear that he needed medical attention in order to prevent infection.

Quiz had removed his shirt to get to his wounds. “Good thing he wasn’t wearing chain mail, he could have cooked him self.”

Kindle looked on with a bit of awe though he was supposed to be guarding him, “That tunic we found in his pack has enough layered enchantments to stop just about anything.”

“Too bad we are going to kill him, he is pretty cute.” Quiz joked as she finished his bandages.

The tent door opened and two uniformed regular military guards swept in through the door. “Is this the prisoner?” the large and imposing alligator morph interrogated.

“Yes…. sir.” Kindle stuttered out.

“Why isn’t he chained?”

Quiz stepped in for the intimidated mouse, “He is in a magical coma. He can’t lift his eyelids much less run away. The wounds needed to be dressed.”

“His wounds are dressed now I want him in mage irons.”

“That may kill him. He needs magical energy to recover.”

“Look, I want him restrained. If he escapes it is on your head.” Thalberg turn and left the tent with an air of authority. The two guards remained with Quiz and Kindle.

Thalberg turned to George, “Please tell me these people are less insubordinate to you and you know what is going on here.”

The old jackal thanked Danielle for her report and faced the imposing alligator, “The mages are working on it but they can’t make heads or tails of it. What ever he did he is done doing it and we’ll have our answer when he wakes up. Danielle says that he didn’t use lethal force against anyone but just kept them out of the room where they found him. It looks like they have been here about a week maybe less, they built the room from the ruins and some trees they cut down.”

“Two capitol offenses, tampering with the curse and stealing the duke’s lumber. I want a look in that room now.”

“Calm down, nobody is trying to do any thing funny here. Everybody that knows anything is saying we got off easy. If he wanted to harm anything he easily could have. Just put anything magical in that crate before you go in the room. We don’t want anything going crazy on us.”

The alligator begrudgingly complied, as it was George’s scouts that were currently posted on the door of the room. Once free of any magical trinkets the alligator cursed the cool morning.

Stray magic steadily illuminated the walls and crackled to life at irregular intervals. The light blue hue of the light looked almost like the sky on a clear day. The gator took a firm look at everything in the room trying to make sense of it. A giant egg and walls crackling with residual energy added to his confusion. The twisted scene induced a sense of vertigo. Thalberg stumbled and fell onto Saroth. A smile cracked crept across Georges face seeing the gator trip. Saroth let out a yelp of pain as the gator sat on his tail.

He scrambled to get on his feet before saying anything. Looking at the imposing dragon morph he demanded a report. Saroth formed his thoughts very carefully and quietly into his telepathic message, “She says that they were looking for a cure for her. She was dying, something wrong with heart. He used the curse to change her body into something that could handle its magical output. She is a very polite young lady by the name of Vi.”

“Can she hear me?”

Saroth gave a nod.

“Who is your master and to which nation are you loyal. Are you trained in magic?” The interrogation questions came in a flurry.

Vi in turn asked, “Is he always this angry?”

Saroth gave a little laugh, “She says you ask too many questions.”

“It is my duty to ask theses…”

George grabbed Thalberg by the shoulder and pulled him to a stand, “Well, I think that answers most of the questions now. Should we move her egg or must it stay here.”

Vi gave instructions to Saroth and the reasoning behind it and he relayed to George, “She says, she must not be moved from this array until the egg hatches. She guess it has four or five days to go judging by the energy moving around.”

“We will leave a set of guards here, please stay with her until the spell is finished.” Saroth nodded and resumed his conversation with Vi.

Leaving the room Thalberg turned to George, “Your insubordination will not be tolerated here. These two have committed major crimes, trespassing, theft and tampering with the curse.”

“Would you have done any less to save family, friend or ally?”

Thalberg retorted, “And if they failed, there is a settlement a little over a mile from here. For all we know that spell could have…”

“The problem is they didn’t fail. You have leverage on one very powerful mage and something dear to him. My whole life I have been picking my battles and this is not one I would pick. Let them recover and see what they are. Throwing them into the dungeon over petty crimes seems like a waste.”

“This cannot go unanswered.”

“We leverage him not force him into a corner. If we cage them they will run.”

“Fine, I’ll leave it to you. If only because I know this is going to get worse before it gets better.”

Orders were given and the companies organized. Laura, her and her company were relieved George citing that a Long Patrol would be over kill. The irregular conscripts Brea found in the gym were sent back to the keep as well. Saroth opted to stay with Vi give her some company. They loaded Miles into a cart and hauled him back to the keep.

The healers at the keep redressed his burns. They then sent him to the clerics, as the burns had been getting worse as the energies still played in his skin. Being unsure how to proceed, the healers sent him to the clerics. The clerics far more versed in magic determined that it was still a spell still burned within him. The head acolyte Celine sighed, “I’ve seen this injury before with mages, too much energy, not enough control. He has a good bit of what ever he was casting caught in him.”

“That could be very bad, he made some kind of draconic using the curse and who knows what else.” George informed her.

“The best I can do is put him a meditation chamber and changes his bandages. Should he get worse I will attempt to negotiate divine intervention. If you will excuse me draconic creations are not to be taken lightly, he could be in the service of Lilith. Did he succeed?”

George sighed, “We don’t know, the field mages couldn’t make heads or tails of the egg.”

“Egg, I must inform my superiors in this matter where is the egg I must see it.”

“This guy really knows how to make an entrance. The egg is to the south I’ll have an escort take you when ever you’re ready.”

End Part 1

Thank you for reading. It has been a pleasure to read the MK stories over the last four years. If any characters are voiced incorrectly please let me know and I can fix it or replace them with my own NPC's or tweek the story line to avoid conflict. I know everyone is working hard on the harvest-festival event and these events would take places shortly before that. Miles hints that the spell needs to work during the summer/spring months momentarily. All major events outside of the keep are resolved withing six days. Vi is out of the Egg, she and Miles are 'guests' in the keep at that time. If rain doesn't happen in the valley in late summer I can tweak that as well. Again I did a wave of the hand on the time, it should take place towards the end of summer.
There are several versions of the gate battle out there. I leaned on the one that involved a more mixed invasion force rather than the big evil at the head of a lutin army.

Miles was inspired from European scientists fleeing the Nazis and later the Soviets. It seemed a fitting storyline for an educated mage. A traitor forced to the mercy of his former enemies. I thought it had the makings of a decent introduction. Having him journey from across the known worlds with Vi in tow to a place he has never been seemed too cliche and like a giant plot hole. This way he is tied to a past without having been in the spotlight of the keep. If there is too much revisionist history in there let me know how to make it more authentic. I would like to avoid the, "I trained in distant lands far far away" line but if worse comes to worse it wouldn't kill the character.
Vi will be fleshed out a bit more in the next part she has a few characteristics that I would like to use out nothing set in stone. She is more than a helpless sidekick. She is a competent mage in many regards leaning heavily to biomancer and some elemental castings. The descriptions of their weapons will become reflections of their character as the plot progresses. Vi uses a living staff, she is very attuned with the natural world while Miles uses an sword with an artificial intelligence of sorts, he is a stubborn mage.

They seemed like a useful idea in upcoming events since the experienced mage ranks seemed rather sparse.

Part two will deal with the political fall out of such a spell and the various parities interested in human dragon hybrids. The world bell will have taken notice as will the lightbringers. Other interests will show up later with different motives. As for balance, this spell took him 4 years to prepare and some timing. He would have failed on his own if not for the intervention of the keepers and the storm. I do not see him recovering his magic fully until at least mid September. Even then the wounds on his chest and arms do not heal in an expected manner.

Again, thanks
- John

Duke Thomas Hassan is going to be married! YAY!

The wedding will be on December 24th, 707 CR. I believe that is the one year anniversary of the Winter Assault. The wedding will take place in the Lightbringer Temple. Since not everybody can fit in there, Murikeer will be tasked with creating an illusion to show most folks out in the areas around the castle.

Because of this, there is an increased need for security. If you are a scout or a soldier, you will be sent on patrol a lot in December. The Long Scouts especially.

What else do people think will happen because of this? Who should be invited?

Oh! Thomas is marrying Dame Alberta Artelanoth, the Assingh knight who once fed him carrots. ;-)

Dominus vobiscum

My goal is to not change anything that changes any story but my own. Mainly so that I can better justify things and keep the stories consistent with the story to date (for instance, when I started, Nasoj had a much greater impact on the world than he seems to have had following the the Winter Assault). In addition, I was just young and foolish and have some issues now with a lack of dimension in some of the characters. Finally, there are things that are just used wrong or are otherwise 'off' in the writing (e.g. I thought using Japanese words was cool—I look at it now and want to find english equivalents except where it aids the reading).

I've noticed some 'New' tags next to old stories… I assume that means that revisions can take place, as long as they are responsible?

John Thesmere:

Um, I'm still working a bit on John Thesmere. I'll talk about him later. Besides, I decided to make Jesreg the main character instead. John will primarily be around for comic relief.

Jesreg:

Jesreg grew up in Lorland. His mother died in child-birth and his father unconsciously blames him for it. He was there for all of Loriod's rule, and hated it greatly. His dad is a Loriod loyalist however, and was aghast that the Duke would displace a "rightful noble". He has very shady connections and is part of a minor sabotage campaign against the new regime. As his son, he forced Jesreg to take part in his "missions". Jesreg learned his skill with the cloak and dagger from these, but hated having to do them. He befriended a "wizard" and learned some magic tricks he used to hide from his father when mission time came around. When he transformed into a mouse (his dad was a cat), things got unbearable. He left home to come to Metamor and do something he considered worthwhile.

Jesreg joins the town guard. As a real-life analog, he's a police officer. He means well and is generally a straight shooter. He's not the best fighter and couldn't hold a candle to people like Matthias or Rickter. Likewise he's not that much of a magic-user and only knows a few interesting tricks. He does have a good eye for detail though and an almost unnatural ability to find connections between related events. He makes a good detective, which is important in his line of work.

However, all is not sunshine, flowers, and chirping birds. He still has his shady past he must confront, including his father. Also, the wizard he befriended was a deadra worshiper, and Jesreg has partaken in the rites himself. He worships a being named Shygarth, who is a "minion" of Klepnos, or at least as close as people of their persuasion come to wanting minions. Jesreg does not have any advanced insanity yet. He is prone to making some strange sounding comments, usually stemming from questioning something that most other people would consider so constant as to never even be thought of. Most of these are dismissed because they tend to be funny. "It's taking a while for us to sail to our destination. Has the island moved?"

Jesreg must drink an elixir made at shrines dedicated to Shygarth in order to regain his spellcasting power. The elixir also helps him heal faster, but is nullified by drinking alcohol.

Jesreg is a packrat, but he thinks he is a mouse. Metamor isn't close to any deserts, so he mistook himself for a similar looking rodent. He has not shifted to animal form yet, so until he does and sees the size difference, he won't know. His transformation happened little more than a week before he left for Metamor and he's still getting used to it. In some ways he's become bolder, and in others he's become more frightened. He also manifests amusing traits for reasons he rationalizes later on. "Of course I should collect lots of weapons. I'm a guard. I need them to do my job!"

Johnson:

Captain of the guard. I'll change it if there was already one and I forgot about him. The guard are seperate from the fighting forces and area patrols, and mostly do internal work. They, well, they guard stuff. They also solve crimes. Think police force.

I don't have much on his character yet. I'll get back with you on this one.

Arden Copy:

He's not going to be introduced for a while. This is mainly a heads up for potential issues. This is probably my edgiest character idea.

Old vampire hunter. Backstabbed by the light bringers. Has a large axe to grind. He got sealed for a thousand years (or some suitably long time) and will wake up mysteriously. He knows that means the vampire he was hunting was released, and he follows his quarry to Metamor.

He's horribly disfigured. Half of his face is missing and he covers it with a metal plate. The other half of his face is covered in scars from a claw. His mouth has been frozen in a perminent scowl from the damage. He's missing two limbs and replaced them with anamatronics like Madog. He lived around the time that was just starting, and doesn't know how it turned out. His limbs are very early prototypes and lack much of the power such villians had.

He walks with a bad limp and can not run. His hand can be precise, strong, or fast, but only one at a time. He uses this to snipe with a crossbow from range. Since his mechanical arm does not tire, he favors an extremely large sword for melee. It's mainly for intimidation because his understanding of melee combat is limited to, "Walk up and swing hard." He's really a spellcaster by vocation, but his body has been so damaged he can only cast by using an aid such as a wand. But when he has the proper aids, he's a competent magic slinger.

*story spoilers*

He's not entirely human. He's actually a clone of a prince that was grown in a lab by an evil mage. He was intended to be an assassin, but the spell expired before he completed his mission and he regained free will. He was grown from a mix of human and imp though, and the demonic traits soon manifested in his physical appearance. He has a set of wings which he hides under a cloak.

The original prince turned evil and became a vampire. His connection made him become part vampire as well. The original Arden was extremely dangerious, the local light bringers were desperate to stop him. When the realized the two were connected, they cast a sealing spell on the copy in order to seal the original as well. Arden spend many centuries in sleep only to awaken mysteriously. The hunt begins anew.

*end spoilers*

Shygarth:

*This whole thing is a spoiler*

Shygarth is a diety like figure that Jesreg worships. He is a minion-type thing of Klepnos. He confers no direct benefits to his worshipers and openly states on the first page of his sacred text that he does not answer prayers. What he does teach his followers about illusion and reality bending magic. Followers are then expected to take care of themselves. He also teaches them how to construct a special alter that creates a healing elixir. The elixir does not give off any of the normal tell-tale signs of magic. Finally, once you cast your first reality bending spell, however minor, you "catch" the attention of his realm and are given the option to live there when you die. Those who turn it down usually go to live with Klepnos.

He was originally created by Lillith as her first attempt at creating a vampire. She first tried it on a nature spirit, and picked a humble hedgehog for her experiments. She succeeded in creating a super-monster, but she could not control him. Shygarth was furious at what Lillith had done to him, and attacked her at once. He was defeated easily by the more powerful deadra, but he was not deterred. He came to blame all of the gods for the fate that had befallen him and sought to destroy them all. His new attack was harshly rebuffed and he was soon fleeing from the entire pantheon.

Broken and on the run, help came from and unexpected source. Klepnos handed him a magic spell that would create a prison for himself. With no other choice save death, Shygarth sealed himself off in a pocket dimension. Klepnos justified his actions by saying he just didn't want to bother with a fight. There was some grumbling but it was accepted that he did not have ulterior motives.

Inside his prison, Shygarth found he had complete control over reality. He summoned into existence every book on magic he could. Under Klepnos' subtle guidance, he soon turned to others subjects such a science. Eventually he came to philosophy and devoured all the knowledge he could. His previous fires of anger were soon forgotten as the writings of philosophers from all ages and even some other worlds were pumped into his home.

Over time, he came to realize that there was nothing he could do to stop the crimes he saw being committed every day, by god and man alike. The world became what it was because that was what was natural. Simply killing off the gods or lords would do nothing but usher in a wave of new contenders. Reality itself was the true culprit. In order to form his envisioned paradise, he would need to change the rules of reality itself.

He could already so within his prison, and quickly set to work setting up his own version of heaven. Pain was erased from existance. Disease, famine, and death quickly followed suit. It was a perfect bubble reality where nothing ever when wrong. Unfortunately, nothing was ever different. People soon grew bored of their perfect lives. So Shygarth did a complete reversal. He picked up a sword and began a bloody reign of terror. Only without pain or death, people quickly realized that war was fun. Shygarth renamed his prison to "Asylum". It is a twisted realm where every depravity you could think of happens regularly, and everyone loves it because the rules of reality have been tweaked until it's all harmless.

Shygarth assists Klepnos as much as he is able. He also is friendly with Artela since he used to be a nature spirit. He had a very deep grudge against Lilith, and that is enough to get him partial acceptance with the aedra. The acceptance is not real and they are just hoping they can get the deadra to fight amongst themselves. Still, he can now show his face without it getting lopped off.

Shygarth is rarely seen on the mortal realm. Instead his sacred text, "The Book of Shygarth" can be found in his stead. The book discusses philosophy and magic in equal parts and has spells for both novice and arch-mage. The tome has a way of getting itself into the hands of those who seek forbidden knowledge. To everyone else, it appears to be an excessively bland and technical book on unpractical and esoteric aspects of illusion magic. It takes luck or some rather stiff scrying for a lightbringer to reveal its true nature. The first page of the book will display the last non-seeker to read the book as a warning to its owner.

People who practice Shygarth's reality bending magic will loose their sanity. You can only spend so much time in "improved" reality before you start to lose the ability to function in the "real world". The leading cause of death among Shygarth's follower is suicide. Once they realize they have a pass to a realm where "improved" reality is the rule and not the exception, the draw to go there is immense.

*end spoiler*

That's it for now. Let me know what you think.

Hallan

During their journeys in the south the three travelers talk with people about the curative aspects of the Curses and convince a few that have extreme disfigurments that they can be healed if they're willing to accept the curse.
One such, Kozaithy of 'Never by its Cover', spreads that word far and wide.

Throughout the autumn of 707 CR and into the spring/summer of 708 some five thousand or more refugees will make their way to the Keep. Initially it is a trickle, perhaps a thousand arriving before winter, a small number during winter, and the largest influx through the spring/summer of 708. All of them are afflicted by disfiguring maladays, injuries, or other physical problems.

This serves two purposes: It will replenish some of the losses incurred during the WA, and allow new writers many avenues with which to introduce new characters.

Drift and his comrades Alexis, Xavier, and Wolfram will be spread across all three, and I've got most of my planned scenes done.

Hallan

Hallan