Shadow War campaign In-Game: Chapter 74- Where It All Began

[Navarre]

Vinnrog and Inoke, brave but not the daredevil Aphra is, also takes to the skies. You find yourself behind them as Valiant gallops along the surface of the cloud until his hooves clear; his great wings beating slowly to catch the strong updrafts nearby.

Below you, the world stretches out in all its majesty. Great forests and open fields are everywhere.

You look to all sides, getting the lay of the land. You take time to compare the terrain you see with the world you knew, finding no similarity. Truly Illumian has reshaped Ashearea to his liking before being betrayed by Marcus.

Your allies fan out, creating a diamond-shaped flight pattern that leaves you farthest west. The paved road extends from West Wellington away from the rising sun. The heat is palpable, only the altitude and moving air keeping you from baking in it.

You look for any signs of movement below. You see a couple of covered wagons moving out of the city, as well as three riders on horseback approaching some four miles west. From this height you can determine little detail but all appear to be merchants.

Valiant whinnies, exuberant to be airborne. From his back, the world feels both safe and limitless, though you know neither is true.

[Strifeter]

Tren nods.

"The answer to your question is both yes and no Kofi. I believe that what ww will now speak of is of interest to most but unless asked we do not need to discuss what is said here."

Tren looks around the room

"My goal is simple. To gain knowledge of our surroundings and to be able to control what happens in the world around us with having to constantly react to a problem. Call it preventitive measures. Already with you Kofi and with you Aerik I now have connections to the elves and the Hobgoblins. THis is an excellent start but we are in the beginning stages.

I am now formally creating the Guild of the Ark Moon with the three of you and I wish to speak of my vision. I believe we could create a network. Spanning every inch of this world. A shadow network. One that is spoken of but never seen...unless the need arise.

I primary goal would be to gain information and stomp out tyrants and other malcontents before they can truly rise to power. For too long have heroes always needed to react to problems instead of actively preventing them.

This is my goal. And with the three of you I wish to commence our first mission."

[Navarre]

Serena smiles.

"You really are Mordelus's student, aren't you? He'd be proud."

Kofi blinks at Serena.

"Me not know Mortemus but Damrogann teach that war won before it starts if warrior knows enemy. We needs spies as much as soldiers, me think. Listen and learn."

Aerik ponders, running his finger over his sharp chin.

"Interesting. I did not think the hobgoblins so forward-thinking in their approach to conflict. I apologize for my ignorance."

"Kofi is right. However, as I would have expected him to say first, when that trouble does come we need a way to gather our people quickly."

"We would need to be organized. Otherwise we would be no better at this than your friends out there; randomly running from fight to fight."

"Some form of communication and, preferably, transportation would serve us well. Do you have any thoughts on how to do this?"

"We also obviously need to recruit more memebers, primarily humans I should think as they are multiplying like hares down there."

[Gaumer]

Bedlor moves closer to the others and motions for everyone to get closer

"We can't see a damned thing from up 'ere.

We be needin' to be seein' things closer."

[Navarre]

Aphra surveys the scene.

"Think anyone might notice a flying Hound, two half-orcs, and a dwarf riding a pegasus?"

[Gaumer]

"Aye, this plan sucks.

'Ow we be missin' such a chink in this plan? I be thinkin' us smarter than that...

Oi, I'll be chalkin' such up to excitement an' worry. Aye, that it be.


So what are we to be doin' now? Lessin' ye can be thinkin' a ways to be seein' further than we can be now sure'n we'll be needin' to 'ead back to the cloud an' meetin' wit' the others."

[Lutharian]

Rachel bites her lower lip, as she does when she thinks very hard. She glances up at you.

"Ye 'ave to be askin' yuirself who be 'avin' t'e right to be decidin' wot sort o' universe we all be livin' in. T'is it to be t'e Primordial? Do we really be puttin' all our souls and lives in t'e 'ands of powers wot couldna keep t'e world safe ev'n from t'eir own children?"

"Sounds to me like t'is exactly wot Bedlor plans to do. 'E believes in t'is 'World Spirit' and t'at it all magically works out some'ow. But it be magic wot got us all in t'is fix."

"I be listenin' to Coby and 'is lot talkin' aboot t'e Faerie Kingdom. Sounds to me like anyone could make all reality any way t'ey see it if t'ey 'ad t'e power to do it."

"A Nexus be t'at power, eh wot? Maybe t'e Trust itself, seein' as it be t'e sacred totems of t'is universe's creators."

"I dinna know wot 'appened to Faerun and sure'n t'at be a danger to us. But t'e Trust be, I 'opin', fallin' in me 'ands and yuirs maybe t'is very day."

"I dinna...I dinna know wot I be suggestin'. Maybe naught. ... But, still, I canna lose ye, T'Ning."

T'Ning nods, "I understand how you feel, I can't loose you either Rachel.  And perhaps perhaps things will fall in our favor. I'll think on it a bit, maybe there is something we can do to....ensure our futures don't turn out the same..."

T'Ning sighs and gives a slight shrug, not entirely sure of what's to come. Rachel can see in his eyes, as he stares off in the distant, trepidation and fear.

[Navarre]

Aphra replies to you, Bedlor.

"Well, I can see damn far. Comes from my breeding on the Devour."

"But I don't have any way to signal you, really, if you're down there."

Inoke thinks aloud.

"Maybe we should call Azure over, uh-huh. She's blue but a big blue bird still sneakier than two greenish people."

[Navarre]

T'Ning, you feels Rachel's slender arms wrap around your waist from behind. Her unruly red curls fall about your left shoulder as she hugs up to you.

"Och, I'm being a silly bairn, fir sure. Dinna worry, luv. We be too mischievous to go anyw'ere we not be wntin' to go, eh?"

"I didna mean to worry ye. We be gettin' t'is Trust and wotev'r be comin' o' it, no one be findin' us again at Sashca's door o' death any time soon, I grant ye."

There is a slight tremble in her voice, a lack of confidence in her words of encouragement. But you can tell she has hope, if not faith, and that she seeks to lift your spirits from the dark place she fears she has caused them to fall.

[Gaumer]

"We don't need to be down anywhere. We can be stayin' close as long as ye can make out any that be lookin' like the one we seek.

But Azure may be 'andy. I'll go seek out the bird. Ye all stay in formation: Aphra keeps eyes on the ground, ye two keep eyes on e'erything else."

Bed goes to find Azure

[Navarre]

Vinnrog and Inoke nod, banking away from each other to reach their maximum visual distance. Aphra soars higher, directly between them, gaining an altitude to allow her to see as much of the terrain as possible while still staying in sight of the half-orcs.

Meanwhile, Valiant also gains height over the ground as you survey the sky for Azure. You find her flying near the cloud castle, next to Aldina.

[Lutharian]

T'Ning leans into Rachel's embrace and smiles. He smiles and nods, slowly at first.  "Aye my dear, no matter what the future holds, so long as we are together I will be happy. Let us pave a new future for ourselves, one where we can die old together."

He grins mischievously and winks at her, his spirits lifted. He gives her a tight squeeze and a quick kiss.  "You truly are amazing.

[Navarre]

Rachel laughs, like music on the zephyrs.

"Och, I didna t'ink ye were ve'r goin' to notice."

She kisses you back, lingering this time, before parting to look onto your face.

"Aye. Old an' toget'er. Let's na t'ink o' it any ot'er way."

"So, I be ready to get me feet onto solid ground, 'ow aboot ye? Where be t'at Tren anyway??"

[Strifeter]

Tren smiles back.

"I do listen quite well."

Linger a second Tren moves his gaze to Kofi and Aerik..

"True the teachings of Damrogan I too did not think Hobgoblins teachings to be quite so profound in war. But as you see the two of you both hold a knowledge and intelligence I value.

As for moving quickly and communication I hope to try to recreate a sort of coin the group once had. I need to look into this with a strong crafting wizard so that we can communicate constantly. Until then I thinking carrier birds is our only option.

The real first step is to create safe houses in all major points of interest. Somewhere where the birds could go and we could gain access to their messages.

I also need to look into teleportation on this world. Or even portals. To my knowledge so far teleportation and moving between planes has been somehow blocked. But Aldina noticed that this elven girl we are searching for can teleport in a way. She was able to move with a spell that was for inanimate objects. If I could further research this maybe theres a way to tap into this way of movement and set up portals between our way points.

All these things are still in the infant steps and if anyone here has an idea I would gladly listen to it."

[Navarre]

Aerik replies.

"Can you tell us more of this Elven girl?"

"Inanimate objects? Then how is that allowing her to teleport?"

He looks to Serena.

"It shouldn't," she shrugs.

Aerik continues.

"Regardless, a couple of my men have some skill in bird training. We too have found it useful in the Forest of Ages."

Kofi nods.

"Uh-huh. We do that too," he says, again to Aerik's obvious but silent surprise.