Arcadius: Season 1, Episode 1

First, Arcadius actually survived the three rooms. Second, the random encounters definitely assisted, which was kind of interesting. Before I send him into the pit, I need to figure out how his "party" will function.

Arcadius, 1st level Magic-User

STR 11

INT 14

WIS 09

CON 10

DEX 07

CHA 11

HP 3 / 3

BHB +0

Save 15 (+2 vs magic)

GEAR

HAND staff (1d6)

HAND lantern

BELT 2 daggers (1d6-1)

BELT pouch of 120 gold

BELT waterskin

PACK bedroll

PACK crowbar

PACK flint and steel

PACK (24) iron spikes

PACK (2) pints of oil

PACK (14) rations

PACK rope

PACK spellbook

SPELL Armor

SPELL Detect Magic

First Vasilis then Ophira. There was something ominous happening at the temple on top of the hill. Arcadius walked up toward the double door, his staff striking the ground every other step. Charred remains lay in front of a pedestal that held a thick book with thin stone pages.

His staff prodded the remains, pushing bone aside, and he stooped to examine what he found. A small handful of coins, which he pocketed, a suit of mail, which he ignored, shield, xiphos and iron spikes. Arcadius took the spikes then decided to stow the mail and xiphos for possible sale back in town. It would be wasteful to leave it lying about.

Arcadius lit a torch and made his way passed the white and gold marble columns. The door was pushed wide open and a corridor led to the west which was as wide as six people walking side by side.

[GM rolls wandering monster: 5, 1]

[GM rolls for creature type: rare construct, dying, good alignment, friendly, solitary, man sized, distance: 100’]

[GM rolls for surprise: construct, no; Arcadius, yes]

Halfway down the corridor, he was surprised to hear the sound of metal striking stone. It had a strange gait to it, almost shuffling. A metallic construct plodded toward him, the dim light of his torch reflect dully from its brass carapace. It resembled a four legged spider, one of its legs trailed behind it. The construct stopped within a short distance from Arcadius and seemed to tilt to one side as if studying the young mage. He was uncertain if the thing could be repaired. Perhaps if he found a manual of some sort.

The thing turned and began its slow plodding walk back the way it had come. Arcadius followed it. The two made it into an expansive chamber lined with marble pillars and statues that looked like twenty foot tall stocky warriors. Each held an axe which was placed solidly into the pedestal. The construct continued west.

[GM rolls wandering monsters: 1, 5]

[GM rolls for creature type: rare construct, traveling, neutral, aggressive, 5 appearing, man sized, distance: 60’]

[GM rolls for surprise: constructs, yes; Arcadius, no]

Down this corridor, the torch light revealed more metal objects barring his way. The first construct stepped halfway between the mage and the others; the five looked much like the first, save their four legs were edged and came to sharp points. The hall filled with high pitched metallic noise as the five turned and focused on Arcadius.

[GM note: As Arcadius was fortunate enough to get a friendly encounter with the first construct, I changed the encounter into a form of parlay weighted in favor of Arcadius.]

The five constructs marched forward menacingly, but the lone custodian barred their path. The six of them stood in the corridor, silent and unmoving. Some form of communication passed between them as the six turned toward Arcadius then marched single file down the wide corridor.

The party emerged into another chamber with a single altar at the center. Another towering burly statue, armed with a maul, dominated the room. Beyond the statue, a gaping pit lined in bruised black and purple fungus grew. Ophira lay between a set of mushrooms with tendrils waving gently in the air.

[GM sets fungus hit points to 1, 5, 5]

[GM sets construct hit points to 1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 6]

[GM rolls initiative: fungus, 5; constructs, 6]

[Player rolls initiative: 3]

[GM rolls attacks: 18, 11, 6, 7, 10, 7]

[GM rolls damage: 1, 1, 5]

[GM rolls attack: 13]

[Player rolls attack: 11]

[Player rolls damage: 1]

The six automatons march forward and step amongst the fungus. The plodding wounded construct crushes one beneath its appendage. Two of the bladed legs crush one more beneath its weight, while another cuts a furrow into the remaining mushroom. The mushroom flails its tendrils at its attacker, but the brass plating easily deflects the attack. Arcadius walks into the fray and swings his staff into the fungus, sending a small portion into the air.

[GM rolls attacks: 17]

[GM rolls damage: 5]

The plodding automaton spins ponderously then walks over to the fungus Arcadius had just struck. Its brass leg stomps down and ends its life. The six turn and face Arcadius, silently watching him.

He eyed the corpse of Ophira and considered his options. On the one hand, taking her belongings could be sacrilegious, but she also didn’t have any further use for them. He took the coins from her pouch and discovered she had a lantern and oil; a much better option than the bundle of torches he carried. Arcadius discarded the xiphos and bundled her mail into his pack. It was heavy, and he would need to get rid of some of the weight.

Arcadius looked at his new found friends and pondered what to do with them. As he lit another torch and walked back the way he had come, the six followed him. Curious. Perhaps he would be able to find someone that could repair the one with damaged leg. Perhaps he could venture further into the pit with a set of minions. Perhaps...

Ophira: She Made it a Little Further...

Ophira made it a little further than her predecessor. I made a few adjustments by including Moldvay Basic to guide the dungeon exploration, such as keeping track of turns and rolling for a wandering encounter every two turns. Instead of randomly determining the wandering encounter, I worked with the theme and chose a monster from the Monster Manual, scaling it down to a 1st level encounter.

Ophira walked up to the temple at the top of the hill. Vasilis had not been seen in over a week, and this was the last place anyone considered checking. Everyone knew to leave the temple alone. Vasilis had a habit of not listening.

The late morning sun struck the white and gold marble of the pillars and revealed the dark double doors of the temple. There was a pedestal just in front of the pillars. She saw an arm peeking out from behind it, and she felt a surge of dread.

Ophira raced up to see if she could offer any aid but immediately realized he had been dead for days. A bolt stuck out from his chest. She sighed and offered a prayer to Athena as she examined the body. Sad news to bring back to his family.

From the top of one of the columns, black smoke billowed and poured toward the ground. As it came closer, it grew more tangible. Four thin and awkward legs emerged and pulled a dark mass behind it, almost like it suctioned to the ground and slid its bulk across the dirt.

Ophira was speechless and could only watch as the shadowy smoke crawled up Vasilis’s body and forced its way into his mouth. The corpse jerked, loud snaps sounded hollow, Vasilis got awkwardly to his feet.

[GM rolls initiative: 1]

[Player rolls initiative: 3]

[GM sets Timer: 2]

[GM rolls HP: 3]

[Player rolls attack: 6]

[GM rolls attack: 9]

Ophira drew her mace and hopped forward, striking a blow against the gangly corpse. The mace struck solidly against its mail and seemed to not have any impact. It responded with a breathless hiss and swung its fist into her shield.

[GM sets Timer: 1]

[Player rolls attack: 1]

[GM rolls attack: 14]

[GM rolls damage: 2]

The cleric struck at the thing with her mace but was again thwarted by the corpse’s armor. Another ineffective attack. The zombie’s eyes began to burn with a yellow green light. It swung its fist at her, faster, and managed to strike her across the face.

[GM sets Timer: 0]

[Player rolls Turn Undead: 8]

[GM rolls attack: 1]

Fully animate, the corpse moved with more human speed. Ophira called upon Athena and produced her labrys axe medallion. It glowed faintly with a gold radiation but seemed to have no effect on the zombie. Vasilis pried his xiphos free and swung it in a wide arc; Ophira’s shield intercepted the attack.

[Player rolls attack: 19]

[Player rolls damage: 4]

Ophira’s mace retaliated and knocked against Vasilis’s jaw. Its head tilted back and emitted a loud keening, like escaping steam. Black smoke ripped itself out of the body’s throat and dissipated into the air.

She calmed herself, carefully watching the corpse for any sign of movement. Ophira took a few minutes arranging the body with its items before setting it on fire. She didn’t want to take the risk that it might come back. Again.

[GM rolls # of exits (d3-1, min 1): 1]

[GM rolls type and content: 9, common themed discovery]

[GM rolls discovery: 3, 11 lichen/fungus]

Ophira approached the double doors, if there were malicious creatures a half day’s travel from home, it was her duty to determine what type of threat could be lurking inside. The doors creaked open into a long hall leading to the west.

The corridor was spacious and travelled a distance of hundreds of feet until expanding into some sort of reflection room. There were benches of stone scattered through the chamber, surrounded by more pillars supporting a vaulted ceiling. Statues like the ones out front, almost twenty feet tall and bearded, were placed in the corners and ringed the center of the chamber. The stone work was covered by a black and purple moss, like bruises marring the fine sculptures.

[GM rolls # of exits: 1]

[GM rolls type and contents: 12, themed unique discovery]

[GM rolls discovery: 5, pit]

[GM rolls wandering monsters per Moldvay Basic B53: 6, 1]

[GM chooses Violet Fungus from Monster Manual 1E]

The exit from this room also spanned hundreds of feet to the west. The next room was as expansive as the first, an altar dedicated to some forgotten god. He stood like the others, in solemn repose, but rested a maul upon the pedestal. The statue, like, the others, had the same bruise like moss crawling up its length. The rest of the chamber was in disrepair, rubble blocking any other exit, and a gaping pit dropped precipitously into the earth.

Patches of mushrooms and fungus were growing from the pit. A small patch had tendrils which animated as Ophira approached the pit. The fungus bore the same bruise like coloration as the sheet that grew across the floor and up the statue.

[GM rolls initiative: 5]

[Player rolls initiative: 2]

[GM rolls attacks: 15, 20, 5, 6]

[GM rolls damage: 0, 2]

[Player rolls attack: 18]

[Player rolls damage: 1]

[GM rolls hit points: 1, 1, 5, 5]

The tendrils whipped forward and flailed against the cleric. Two of them scored hits, though the first merely left a bruise beneath her armor. The second scratched across her forehead and left a small welt. Ophira brought her mace down on one of them and watched it splatter against the stone floor.

[GM rolls attacks: 11, 13, 4]

[Player rolls attack: 6]

The fungus flailed wildly into the air, threatening but not scoring any hits against Ophira. The snaking tendrils prevented her from getting any closer to dispatching the remaining mushrooms.

[GM rolls attacks: 20, 7, 15]

[GM rolls damage: 1, 3]

One of the tendrils reached across and cracked sharply against her ankle. Ophira was pulled to the ground. A second tendril smashed into her head, rendering her unconscious. The tendrils wrapped around her legs and pulled her prone form into the mossy patch where the three mushrooms waited for their next victim.

[GM note: technically, since all the themes have been explored, Ophira made it to the end of the dungeon. She just didn’t survive the encounter… I think I will use the pit for a 2nd level, should the next victim make it beyond the violet fungus.]

Vasilis: Season 1, Episode 1

I just downloaded the pre-release document for Swords & Wizardry Continual Light and was inspired to give it a quick play through. All in all, I really like what it has to offer. Also, it stops levelling exactly where I prefer to: level 7. As usual, I used The Perilous Wilds to generate the dungeon, not that there was much dungeon generation to be made...

Season 1, Episode 1:

Small clouds of dust lifted from his booted footsteps as he reached the top of the slope. Vasilis took a moment to pause and reflect on his journey. He had often wondered who had constructed the old temple at the top of the hill. Unfortunately, he had always been warned against visiting it when he was younger. It was a place of dark and vicious spirits.

Not to be deterred, years later, he collected his meager belongings and thought he would see for himself. These were his first steps toward independence and adventure. Vasilis didn’t have much, but he was familiar with the use of a sword and shield. His body was protected by a suit of mail, and his pack had the tools he would need to survive in the wilds. For a little while.

What greeted him were white stone columns that seemed touched by gold. They rose to just under three times his height and supported the red stone hill like a natural ceiling. Behind the pillars were statues of the same stone. Tall, like the columns, and wider than a proper person would be sculpted. The statues had long flowing beards carved into them, battle axes resting upon the pedestal. Solemn. Armored. Waiting.

Set in front of the large double doors, a pedestal of marble lay in the central position. Placed upon it was a book with pages made of what appeared to be thin sheets of stone. His fingers gently lifted the pages, skimming the indecipherable text, when he heard the distinct sound of a crossbow being discharged.

[Player rolls save: 3]

[GM rolls damage: 6]

Vasilis turned in time to see the crossbow above the double doors, somehow designed to fire on its own. The bolt punched through his mail and pierced his lung. Vasilis crumpled against the stone pedestal, a warning to future adventurers.

Kyriel: Season 1, Episode 0

For the third part of the story, I’m using what I call IBEAMVP or VIPBEAM or whatever you feel like calling it. It uses the Index Card RPG as its foundation with Moldvay, Cook and Marsh Basic and Expert D&D as inspiration. The Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (1st edition) Dungeon Master's Guide and Monster Manual will provide information that the first three don’t handle (and that I don’t particularly feel the need to houserule) and a bunch of creatures.

The last three are supplements: Maezar's Node Maps for mapping dungeons and caverns; Veins of the Earth for generating caves and, potentially, the Underworld if the dice take me there; and the omnipresent The Perilous Wilds, my go to for dungeon and wilderness design.

And here’s the next session zero: Make A Move (Icon for Hire)

Five stars fall from the sky, one strikes the low mountains near the town of Vosepos. Dust billows in a circle around the small crater. A solitary figure is on one knee, a bronze shield biting into the rocks beneath her, supported by an eight foot long spear. Three pairs of wings limned in lightning radiate from her spine, flexing then blown away by the wind.

I am Brencia, the First and Last Grey, and I have come here to kill myself.

I stand, pushing the corinthian helm back to track the falling stars. The last of my power went into creating them to assist me in stopping her. One tracks to a forest, another to a mountain range far in the distance. The third falls behind the mountains over my shoulder, and the fourth strikes the mountain itself. The impact sends a shockwave that knocks me off balance.

To stop Brencia, I had to become something I wasn’t. I had to become…

“Visemar,” I whisper, mortal heart stopping. “What did we do?”

In the 20th century, there was, is, a saying, “In case of fire, break glass.” When Brencia unknowingly attempted to imprison me, that set a dangerous chain of events in motion. So, Visemar broke Eternity to save me. With Eternity broken, the tapestry frayed, and the future is unwritten. With Eternity broken, we were no longer immortal, no longer gods, and I have no control over fate.

It is during this time that Brencia begins her rise to power. Her sorcerous ability will grow and twist until she becomes a master of death. Eventually, she will become The Raven Queen. Did you ever wonder why The Queen has no name? I can explain:

Any sorceress worth her salt knows that names have power. Names can bind you. Names can control you. So she’ll erase her’s. Her first task as The Raven Queen will be to murder anyone that knows her name. Even Visemar.

Visemar is, was, an immortal being. Where I was the calculating, meticulous hand of fate and death, he was hope and perseverence. He swore upon his name he would never harm me; I never made the same to him. I had thought his oath was to me, but it seems to extend to all the incarnations of me as well. Hence, why Visemar could never destroy Brencia and hoped that, one day, someone else would. And here I am.

Brencia is the voluptuous, seductive and talented sorceress. She isn’t misguided or misunderstood. She knows exactly what she wants. She wants to be the elegant solution to the world’s problems. I have seen her necropolis, and it is absolutely beautiful in its spires of bone and marble. If it wasn’t for the breaking of Eternity, I may have eventually let it pass. However, now that I am mortal and powerless, things have changed.

I am to play her opposite since Visemar is imprisoned. Where she is soft, beguiling and sorcerous, I am hardened, athletic and designed for battle. An Amazon clad in bronze and leather with the hoplite weapons to match. And I have one advantage no other will have: I know her name.

Would it surprise you if Brencia wasn’t even her true name? My name is Kyriel. And everyone that knew that name is dead by my hand. I figure someone should know in case I fail. With such an uncertain future, who knows what could happen next. Perhaps I started an acausal paradox. Perhaps I, the goddess of fate, was destined to be here to die.

I mentally mark where the closest of the four stars fell then make the half day trek down to Vosepos. I would need food, water, anything I could think to take with me on my first trip. If this was to be our last gasp, so be it.

Let the games begin.

KYRIEL, VOLTAIC ANGEL OF RETRIBUTION

Kyriel stands just over six feet tall. Her muscled build proudly displays her Amazonian heritage. She has long copper hair with a shock of silver running through it, like she had placed paint on her hand and swept it back; it is often bound tight when she wears her corinthian helmet. True to her heritage, her eyes are a pale mint green.

STR +2 [+2 basic, +0 gear]

DEX +1 [+0 basic, +1 gear]

CON +1 [+1 basic, +0 gear]

INT +1 [+0 basic, +1 gear]

WIS +0 [+0 basic, +0 gear]

CHA +0 [+0 basic, +0 gear]

Armor +5 [+2 basic, +3 gear]

Basic Effort +1 [+1 basic, +0 gear]
Weapon Effort +1 [+0 basic, +1 gear]
Magic Effort +0 [+0 basic, +0 gear]
Ultimate Effort +0 [+0 basic, +0 gear]

EQUIPPED GEAR

WORN common armor (bronze cuirass, corinthian helmet and greaves)

HAND astrapi doru, the lightning spear (copper socket upgrade, +2 Weapon Effort)

HAND common shield (hoplon)

HAND bracers of the zephyr (+1 Dex)

BELT kopis

CARRIED GEAR

PACK pouch of 50 coins

Raven: Season 1, Episode 1

I was not expecting things to turn out the way they did. The wonders of random chance. 

Season 1, Episode 2: Bring Me to Life (Evanescence)

Dawn approaches when I make it back to our camp. Mae stands in front of a wagon and watches me. The rest of the camp is still asleep, the sun not quite having come over the horizon. Her glance takes note of the sword in my hand, and she simply nods a greeting.

“Mae,” I say, returning her nod.

“Raven,” she responds. “Good to see you took back your legacy.”

“What do I do with it?” I ask, holding up The Edge of Eternity uncertainly.

“If it were me? I’d follow in Visemar’s footsteps. Go to The Raven Queen’s shrine and commune with it.”

“Mae. It’s a ruin after Visemar,” I reply dubiously.

She chuckles lightly. “Places have power, Raven, not things. I think if you go to the ruins, you’ll see that.”

The ruins of the mausoleum that concealed the shrine are a half day away on foot. The First Grey, Brencia turned Rachis, had built her mausoleum over it when she first made the pact with the elves of Ravenswood. After the events of The Devourer, the shrine has been in ruined for the past four centuries. Mae said that The Raven Queen never instructed the elves to rebuild it. So it was left just as it was.

I say goodbye to Mae and head toward the shrine and cemetery. The small trail that leads from the camp through the forest is littered with brown and orange autumn leaves. I had heard how the forest once looked like it was perpetually spring, and the sun was always bright overhead. Now, however, everything looked clouded and dark.

Nearing the shrine, I hear voices from beyond the trees. It was mid day, so it made sense that there would be people walking the road to Castlerook. These voices were different. Angry. Frustrated. Another voice answers, this one pleading and frightened.

“... and you don’t know anything about the missing sword?” a voice grunts. “Why are you leaving Castlerook?”

A frightened voice responds, “I was just heading to the South Bend, looking for work.”

“Then you won’t mind if we check your packs?” the gruff voice asks.

I push free of the tree line; this has gone far enough. Four men wear the black and orange of the Castlerook watch. One has a knife pressed against the throat of the man they’re interrogating. The other three turn at my approach, halberds pressed into the ground. The guards notice the sword in my hand. Unfortunate, because I hadn’t found a way to carry it yet.

“That’s the sword,” one of them whispers.

“Of course it is,” another says, “How many swords have black blades with stars in them?”

The one interrogating the frightened man smiles. “Can’t have witnesses,” he sneers and thrusts the blade down through the man’s shoulder. “Remember to take her alive. We can’t touch the sword.”

A sharp gasp escapes from the man’s throat and falls to the ground. Blood pumps from the body into the earth. My vision grows dark and shadowed; my hand clenches against the hilt of The Edge. I feel a pulse from my hand. A vibration barely registers as it radiates through my body, and I black out.

[GM sets Target to 10, 2 Hearts]

[Player rolls STR Attempt: 3]

[GM rolls STR Attempts: 5, 8, 12]

[GM rolls 2 damage]

The Edge of Eternity comes alive with silver starlight. Raven steps forward and swings the blade at the nearest guard. The halberd rises off the ground and knocks it to one side. Three of the guards march forward and thrust their pole arms at her. Raven shifts and slides between the two halberds, but the third traces a thin line across her arm.

[Player rolls STR Attempt: 7]

[GM rolls STR Attempts: 18, 13, 16, 9]

[GM rolls 13 damage]

Raven swings the Edge of Eternity, desperately trying to fight four attackers at once. A pair of halberds rise and intercept the sword then come forward in another series of thrusts. One grazes her unwounded shoulder, another cuts into her side, and the third quickly follows suit and scores a solid hit. Raven collapses from her wounds.

[GM: Well, that was unexpected. Good thing they need her alive. For now.]

I wake up, arms stretched over my head, shackled around the wrists and ankles. I’m lying on something cold and dense. A dull grey suit of armor stands over me. Visemar.

“I'm sorry. This isn't going to be pleasant,” he says with a hollow echo behind his visor.

I pull against the chains, desperately hoping they'd somehow give way. “What's happening?”

“You're to be sacrificed for Brencia’s release from Shadow.”

“Brencia? You kil-” and I pause, not needing him to shake his head. “You knew? You knew Brencia survived. You knew you sacrificed…” What? Everything? His family? Himself? “You knew you failed.”

“Yes.”

I scowl, temporarily forgetting where I lay. “Why?”

“You told me, once, that grand designs demand a great price. I failed in killing Brencia but succeeded in buying time. Unfortunately, your psyche was not yet ready, which is how The Edge of Eternity subsumed your consciousness.”

“I… What? Is there a way to get me free?”

“Freeing a Grey from the prison requires another Grey to take her place. You are the last of us. The longer you fight, the stronger she becomes.”

“So, what? Do I just give up and die, so she doesn't use me as fuel? What about The Edge of Eternity? Can you lift its curse so someone can use it?”

“No, but,” he slipped his gauntleted hand over mine, “you can give me Eternity. Search within, expel the energy into my hand.”

I did as he asked. I could sense Eternity locked somewhere inside. It felt odd, like flexing muscles along my arm to wake it up. My hand emanated a soft glow covered by Visemar’s hand. A small starlight sphere formed between us, then my perceptions expanded.

I stood beside myself and Visemar. The grey helmet turned toward me. I became entangled with the fabric of space, the stars, the sun. I sensed that the two of us could communicate simply by thinking it. Through our connection, I knew what he intended.

“Why?” I ask, knowing it would be worthless to try and stop him.

“You told me I was uniquely qualified to stop Brencia. As I said, a Grey needs to take her place. I will take your’s.”

“Because you can't kill her.”

The air rings with a high, crystalline crack. More follow suit. Glass cracking beneath an immense weight. Then Eternity shatters.

The grey armor evaporates like smoke; my body’s eyes blink and she whispers, “I guess it's your turn to save me,” Raven says with an oddly satisfied smile, “Besides, four hundred years? I can probably take a few more.”

I squeeze her hand. Visemar. Always ready to sacrifice his life, and I always willing to take it. With Eternity broken, we can be killed.

I burn away in a cloud of embers, the room turned bright white then faded instantly to a black field with a shining point hovering in front of me. Four comets flare to life, two on either side of me, as I fall to the tiny jewel. I name them, give them life and purpose: Grace of the Sun, Moonstruck Silver, Wayfarer’s Guide and Umbral Pall.

Five stars emerged from the Void; five stars crash upon the earth. I am home.

Raven: Season 1, Episode 0

Raven's story will use the Index Card RPG, likely with Fate Accelerated to provide some semblance of advancement. ICRPG uses Milestone rewards, as does FAE, so... I should be able to blend the two together fairly seamlessly. You can get a free quickstart of ICRPG by following the link. I'm also a fan of Torchbearer's inventory system. To get to the content quicker, I'll place Raven's character sheet at the bottom.

[GM Note: The link on the almandine pendant will take you to Visemar’s last episode. If you’d rather start at the beginning, find Visemar #1.]

Season 1, Pilot: Be The Light (One OK Rock, Captain Harlock video)

Do you know what it’s like to have a destiny?

Growing up, there were all the stories about my great grandmother, and how she was the last of the Wyrd Watchers. A great military leader that marshalled the last battle that drove the wedge between humans and non. Castlerook remains in rubble four hundred years later as evidence.

Castlerook. Have you heard of Visemar Grey? His effort to destroy The Devourer destroyed his homeland. The castle. The surrounding community. The forest. As Aunt Mae explained it, Visemar sacrificed everyone in our family by feeding The Devourer all of their souls, using their energy to intensify his power.

Grandmother Tal was their daughter. Queen of Ruin. She married, had a daughter and managed to rebuild the community around Ravenswood. A little. The land was scarred, so farming was slow to take root. I never had the chance to meet her; that was almost three hundred years ago.

Allegra was my mother. A quarter elf, as the elves of Ravenswood had begun migrating away during Talindra’s reign. By this time, Castlerook had gained a foot hold and stopped its decline. However, there was next to no standing army; mother chose to marry Osmunt. He had troops that could defend Ravenswood. From what I hear, their marriage was pretty good. They produced me.

So, that leaves me. I’m eighth of an elf, though you wouldn’t know it by looking at me. I never met my parents, not officially at any rate, since the persecution cut mother’s reign short. Short for some, I suppose. She was just over a hundred when she had me; I guess her subjects decided she was either a witch, in league with infernal powers or a vampire. Maybe all the above. Whatever the case, my parents were tortured and killed. Aunt Mae smuggled me out and into the Ravenswood.

Aunt Mae isn’t really my aunt. At least, I don’t think so. She’s a full blooded elf; one of the few that still haunts the woods. Maeriel was there when Visemar and Laneira died. Not there there, but present when The Edge of Eternity returned. Her father recorded the events that happened into an almandine crystal. It’s one of two things that still belongs to the Greys.

The other being Visemar’s sword which no one wanted to move. I guess the history of it was too raw. Not only that, but no one could even approach it aside from a Grey. Anyone got within a few feet of it, and the air got immeasurably cold. The brave ones that tried anyway, yeah, there were three because, I guess, the first two weren’t example enough, were slowly frozen and melted away at dawn.

So, history lesson aside, where was I?

Right. Destiny.

Aunt Mae, well, all the elves for that matter, couldn’t stop talking about how powerful and great Laneira was. The sacrifices that Visemar made to stop The Great Devourer. The foresight and prowess Talindra had. Don’t be like your mother. Become better. Do something. Take back the sword.

At first, the stories were exciting and gave me some sense of vicarious adventure. Then they started to wear on me. I couldn’t imagine being an elf that lived for centuries, hearing the same stories every year or two. I’d hate to be a couple hundred years old and still be considered an adolescent. I couldn’t even handle it for the past couple decades. I guess when you live longer than ten people put together, your sense of time gets skewed.

I wonder how long I’ll live? Mae said mother was past a century and didn’t look anything older than a human of thirty. Hard to tell with Mae, since she’s been around for at least four centuries. Thirty to her could mean anything. Me? I’m a few years past twenty, and I look it. Maybe I’ll end up growing old and dying like anyone else.

And that led me here. I waited until night fall to sneak into the ruins of Castlerook. Visemar’s great sword was still embedded in the stone floor, half the blade buried. Which begs the question: How does one sneak a seven foot long sword out of the castle, through a xenophobic town then into Ravenswood? I looked human, and I used it often to foray into town to buy things after selling back what I had taken the night before.

Don’t judge. We’ve got a nomadic lifestyle out of necessity. Remember? Xenophobic. I’m the only one of us that can actually pass for human. Besides, I’m No’thilu Grey. Technically, their stuff is mine anyway, right? Like, I actually own the town, the castle and the forest. Until the rabble figured out a Grey survived, I guess. The line’s a little blurred on that count. The steward, Balduin, currently lords it over the town in his manor up the road. I’m sure he’d have something to say if I took my castle back.

He can’t touch the sword, though. The ever present reminder that he’s stolen someone else’s birthright annoys him. I might be able to help with that. Might. Because the second problem is: Can I even touch the sword? How much Grey is needed to touch it? Any part Grey? One part Grey? Doesn’t matter. I’m going to take the sword tonight. Even if it’s just so I quit hearing about Visemar this, Laneira that; Talindra this, go do that.

[GM sets Target 10, Easy (unexpected and night), Timer 4, 1 Heart]

[Player rolls Attempt: 15, 3 Basic Effort]

I take a breath and wonder if I’m actually going to do this. Retrieve The Edge of Eternity or listen to a bunch of centuries old elves go on and on… My leather boots step delicately across the floor. The former throne room had been cleared of debris. Mostly. A small circle of rubble surrounded the sword where no one wanted to get any closer to it. With its curse, I don’t blame them.

The roof had been pulled away, leaving the sky in open view with a small sliver of moonlight to peak into the room. The thrones were removed. The walls, what remained of them, still stood. My point of entry were where two double doors had been, the frame standing half again as tall as person.

[Player rolls Attempt: 8, 4 Basic Effort]

Even though the castle had been abandoned, the watch still patrolled the city; as Castlerook stood in the heart of it, there was still a chance I’d encounter someone. I took the last few steps into the center of the room, an arm’s length away from The Edge of Eternity. Its black blade revealed the sky above me along its length; if I moved my head, I could see the moon, currently hidden behind the clouds.

[Player rolls Attempt: 6]

I reach toward my great grandfather’s sword and movement catches my eye. A tall figure clad in dark grey armor stands directly across from me. The visor of its helmet is pulled down, resembling the beak of a bird of prey. Black wings adorn his shoulders, the feathers reach down to the floor. One hand hovers over mine, fingers ending in sharp talons. My boot causes a grating sound across the patch of debris, and I hold my breath as my hand grabs the sword. The figures hand presses weightlessly down on mine.

It snaps into another shape, a one handed sword that resembled a rapier with a thicker cutting blade. The hilt spirals into a silver swept hilt with a straight crossguard. The blade glows faintly with starlight, surrounding its window into the sky above. I need to go…

[Player rolls Attempt: 19, 3 Basic Effort]

I quickly retreat against the wall near the door. Footsteps outside warn me the watch is passing. I hold my breath and hope that no one heard me or gets curious to check on The Edge of Eternity. The crunch of gravel beneath boots walk by, and I break from the shadows.

I hold The Edge of Eternity. This is my story...

NO’THILU “RAVEN” GREY, HUMAN HEXBLADE OF STORMS

Raven’s hair is burnt umber; her eyes are a grass green. She wears a forest green tunic, woodland brown trousers and vest over a wiry frame.

STR +2 [+2/+0]

DEX +1 [+1/+0]

CON +0 [+0/+0]

INT +1 [+0/+1]

WIS +0 [+0/+0]

CHA +2 [+2/+0]

ARMOR +1 [+0/+1]

EFFORT +2 Weapon Effort [+1/+1], +1 Magic Effort [+0/+1]

HEARTS 1 (10 HP)

EQUIPPED LOOT

NECK: Almandine Memory Pendant [+1 Magic Effort]

BODY: brace of 2 wheellock pistols

BODY: common armor (woodland colored gambeson)

BELT: The Edge of Eternity (Sidesword)

CARRIED LOOT

supplies pack (2)

ELDRITCH ABILITIES

CHA Power: Visemar’s Legacy (Bond with The Edge of Eternity, and it can be summoned at any time in the form of a weapon you choose)