Difference between revisions of "Fairy Stories"
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==General Story Information== | ==General Story Information== | ||
− | + | This chronicles the tales of the fairies, and their confrontation for who should truly rule their kind. | |
+ | |||
+ | At one end is Queen Pixie, the current ruler of the fairies, and her desires for peace and unity amongst her kind and humans remains strong. Then there is her sister Lucretia, who lives at Mystra's Castle with her own following. She disagrees with Pixie's methods, and finds that humans are difficult to trust due to her own past dealings with them. She detests that the fairies are currently dependent on the humans' goodwill and money at the Fairy Auction to rebuild their own home. And lastly, there is Amdusias, a commoner who has risen through the ranks of his society to finally become a general in the fairy's army. He currently lurks in the background, waiting for his chance to begin a zealous strike for the throne. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Adventurers from all the lands arrive to step in and provide their assistance to each of these powers, each with their own reasons to be there. | ||
Line 16: | Line 20: | ||
− | =The Rise of the Dark | + | =The Rise of the Dark Fae= |
==The Tale of Lucretia's Past== | ==The Tale of Lucretia's Past== | ||
Line 53: | Line 57: | ||
The successful quest for the bell was conducted. The artifact was seized by Nikki, who promptly rang it and fell into a cursed, sleep-like state. The unfortunate side effect of the bell's use left the merry party neck-deep in skeletons. Following the dismemberment of these, it was detemined that Nikki tried to summon his sister. | The successful quest for the bell was conducted. The artifact was seized by Nikki, who promptly rang it and fell into a cursed, sleep-like state. The unfortunate side effect of the bell's use left the merry party neck-deep in skeletons. Following the dismemberment of these, it was detemined that Nikki tried to summon his sister. | ||
− | An effort was made by the party to return Nikki to a proper state of mind- he | + | An effort was made by the party to return Nikki to a proper state of mind- he carried to Prontera Church, where High Priest Bamph performed the ceremony to save the unfortunate man's life. During the ceremony, no one managed to keep track of the bell replica. |
In retrospect, someone really should have- for Galoo the magician, Ciar the mage and Reilinn the sneak have all conspicuously bailed from the group. Just as the search party arrived in Niflheim town square, the bell was used the second time in the same night. Ciar wishes to speak to Jin, and did just that, learning that the mortal knight had not been the one to tear apart Lucretia's wings. Instead, all evidence pointed to one fairy Cynbel. | In retrospect, someone really should have- for Galoo the magician, Ciar the mage and Reilinn the sneak have all conspicuously bailed from the group. Just as the search party arrived in Niflheim town square, the bell was used the second time in the same night. Ciar wishes to speak to Jin, and did just that, learning that the mortal knight had not been the one to tear apart Lucretia's wings. Instead, all evidence pointed to one fairy Cynbel. | ||
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==A Challenge For You "Heroes"== | ==A Challenge For You "Heroes"== | ||
− | - | + | ''How long it has been since we, the almighty, departed from Midgard. After the War of Agony, we left you humans alone in this world. Since then, you have walked your own path, fending for yourselves, and overcoming all obstacles.'' |
+ | |||
+ | ''I have been roaming Midgard for the past few weeks, seeing your world with my own eyes. I have noticed the peace that has fallen over the land. You have rebuilt your world in your image, without our intervention. Only time will tell if the choices you have made were the best.'' | ||
+ | |||
+ | ''The reason I speak here is a simple one: I have decided to make an official appearance. I have a challenge for you heroes.'' | ||
+ | |||
+ | This Odin stated before his visit to Prontera. Upon his arrival he wore radiant armor of the finest silver and bradium, with delicate, but extravagant design. He would give a short introduction and speech, and asked the congregation of people there if he could answer any questions. One was brave enough to speak, a young woman clad in fiery decor spoke with soft malice, and quick to question the security measures that Odin had taken before bringing himself to the world of men. Without a second thought, Odin gave forth his answer, only to be mocked immediately by the strange mortal, who revealed "her" true form: Surtur of Muspelheim. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Surtur, the fire giant, stated an “ex-resident” of “Faeheim” temporarily weakened the seal to help him escape. The mystery faerie also disguised him as a human woman. Some could only deduce he was referring to Lucretia. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Fire fell from the sky. Odin clashed against Surtur, all the while everyone fighting against Surtur and his fiery minions to protect the city of Prontera. In its end, both Odin and Surtur fell to the ground. Before both retreated, Odin spoke of an imminent threat to Midgard: Fairy Lucretia and a certain “Cloaked Schemer”, who would bring war and desolation if they were not stopped. | ||
==Ezekiel and Summerstream visit Lucretia== | ==Ezekiel and Summerstream visit Lucretia== | ||
− | + | During the night shortly after the trek to get the sap, Summerstream and Ezekiel Stalker snuck into Lucretia's castle. They journeyed through the garden, cave and basement, eventually making it to the main room. There, they encountered strange porings, apparently the subjects of experiments. Some of Lucretia's fairy allies tried to stop the two, but were then temporarily knocked out by the pair. | |
+ | |||
+ | The duo found Lucretia in the dining room, which had been redecorated to be reminiscent of Fairyland. The fae jumped to conclusions as she did before, thinking the two were there to kill her, but they stated they only wanted to talk and gave the fairy their weapons to show their good will. Summerstream presented Lucretia with the salve prepared by Pixie, and as they got Lucretia's interest, Ezekiel explained the possibility of Cynbel potentially being the one who damaged her wings. The pair then asked her to try to remember everything before and after the incident with her wings, to which she agreed. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Lucretia told them that she met Jin during a massive feast held by the fairies after the rebuilding of Fairyland. Several months later, and they had become a couple. Cynbel, Lucretia's childhood friend, had feelings for her, and was apparently jealous. Eventually the two grew distant, only seeing each other during a meeting held twice a year between humans and fae. | ||
+ | |||
+ | At the end of one of these meetings, Cynbel confessed to Lucretia that he loved her still. He asked her to abandon everything and run away with him, to which she declined. Jin was listening in on the conversation, as well as someone else. She didn't notice who the other eavesdropper was, but she figured it was Navi looking for topics to gossip about. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Later that night, Jin and Lucretia got into a heated argument, but soon resolved their disagreements and went to sleep. When Lucretia woke up, she discovered her wings had been ripped out. She noticed a piece of wing in her lover's hand, but the man wouldn't wake up. Assuming he was still recovering from the previous night's hangover, Lucretia waited until he came to his senses to question him about the betrayal. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Once Jin woke up, Lucretia accused him of damaging her wings. He denied everything, saying she was just looking for excuses to leave him for Cynbel. She had killed him in anger, then fled. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The pair listened quietly, and did not feel comfortable with leaving her alone. After some discussion, Summerstream decided to stay with Lucretia to make sure the salve would work on her wings as intended. Once Ezekiel was warped out, Summerstream was shown to her room, and the hours passed. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Then, in the dead of night, a blood-curdling scream pierced through the hallways. As Summerstream ran to Lucretia to find out what was going on, she was attacked by what seemed to be a clone of herself. She struck the look-alike down, and watched as it disappeared into thin air, but not before telling her, “You will not destroy what I have worked so hard to obtain”. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Lucretia sent her people after Summerstream, who chose to stay and explain the situation rather than flee. Even after the paladin had surrendered, the angered fairy wouldn't listen, and explained that Cynbel had been gravely injured. The fae went so far as to accuse the pair that they were falsely accusing Cynbel so that she would trust the human heroes of the realm again. Lucretia imprisoned Summerstream at the highest point of the tower without food or water. | ||
+ | |||
==The Invasion of Poring City== | ==The Invasion of Poring City== | ||
− | + | Shortly after a confrontation with Lord Matthew in Niflheim, Lucretia attacked Poring City. She set loose mutated Porings to keep the heroes busy, while she kidnapped the residents of the island. | |
+ | |||
+ | Her fairy biochemists had recently discovered the missing ingredients to stabilize the porings was the Yggdrasil sap delivered by Summerstream, so they needed new test subjects. Lucretia was now one step closer to having the Poring army she desired. No longer would she have to place her fellow renegade fairies in harm's way. | ||
+ | |||
+ | So far, Lucretia's biochemists had infused Porings with orc, nine tail and Deviruchi DNA, as well as created some out of shackle balls and cupcakes, all of which were defeated thanks to the heroes. Although many Porings were kidnapped, never to be seen again, the heroes drove off Lucretia and prevented further loss of gelatin. | ||
+ | |||
==The Siege of Lucretia's Castle== | ==The Siege of Lucretia's Castle== | ||
− | - | + | A barrage of arrows rained down on the intruding heroes. The shooters came to be known by the group as "Lucretia's Shadows", because they were identical to the Dark Fae, but far weaker. Once they had been dispatched, the group entered Lucretia's Castle through the front door, killing off all that crossed their path -- including hostile fairies. |
+ | |||
+ | Meanwhile in the dining room not far away, Ezekiel Stalker warned Lucretia about the impending danger. It took some convincing, but they agreed to escape together. However, they had to rescue Fairy Cynbel first, who was still recovering from the brutal attack. Ezekiel and Lucretia made a run for the West Tower, while the other group was already climbing up the East Tower to save Summerstream. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Partially burned down since the time Mystra ruled the castle, the East Tower was home to countless spirits. The intruding heroes fought their way to the top of the tower and made it to the room Summerstream was imprisoned in. Once rescued, the freed prisoner threw a smoke bomb and disappeared, leaving her saviors behind to fight her ninja clan. | ||
+ | |||
+ | At the entrance of the castle, Summerstream met up with Ezekiel, Lucretia and Cynbel, but it wasn't long before the heroes caught up with the four and confronted them. Lucretia, thankful for Ezekiel's bravery, kissed him in front of everyone, and proceeded to threaten the heroes as usual. To her, the Master Rogue wasn't like the other '' "vile traitorous humans".'' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Before running away, Lucretia summoned Midnight Jack. It was the least she could do at the moment to avenge her fallen comrades and destroyed home. Running towards Niflheim, they crossed paths with Fairy Amdusias, who was on his way to assist the "betrayed" heroes. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Amdusias helped bring down Midnight Jack and unsealed the castle gate, allowing the heroes to leave. Once alone, he went into the castle to see if any fairies survived the onslaught, taking them to Fairyland prison for questioning. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Branded traitors by most, Ezekiel and Summerstream took Lucretia and Cynbel to an undisclosed location, where they planned their next move. | ||
=On the Run= | =On the Run= | ||
==Wanted== | ==Wanted== | ||
− | - | + | In Prontera after the events in Mystra’s Old Castle, the war-chief and now diplomat of the Fae, Amdusias, met up with the head of the Federal Investigation Agency to discuss adding Cynbel, Ezekiel Stalker and Summerstream on the list of Wanted Criminals for aiding Lucretia, who has already been on the list for some time now. |
+ | |||
+ | After the meeting convened, Amdusias held a press conference at Prontera Castle, where he announced the results. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ''"Yesterday I met with the authorities of Schwartzvald and Arunafeltz to discuss the recent incidents regarding Lucretia of Fairyland. Today I spoke with the chief of the Rune-Midgard's Federal Investigation Agency regarding the same matter. After discussing the situation with all three nations, I am pleased to announce that Ezekiel Stalker, Summerstream and Cynbel are now wanted criminals in Rune-Midgard, Schwartzvald and Arunafeltz."'' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Amdusias went on to explain that Lucretia and Cynbel were not to be trusted. Whoever sees them must not attempt to make any form of contact, for they are highly dangerous. As for Ezekiel and Summerstream, they were allegedly aiding these fugitives and must also be extradited to Fairyland when caught. Citizens are asked to remain on high alert for these four, and contact the authorities if they have any information on their whereabouts. After the press conference, Amdusias left for the independent Island-Nations to attempt to have them put up wanted posters for the suspects as well. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Midgard Times attempted to have Pixie interviewed, but her press secretary informed the journalists she was in a meeting, and would be very busy as she prepared herself for the next Fairy Auction that week. As Pixie's public appearances grow scarce, many are only left to wonder what is going on within her palace. | ||
+ | |||
+ | A few days later, a Morroc prison official reported that there was a mage who had broken out with strange powers. Investigators reported that Amdusias was seen leaving the scene shortly after the break out, with a Professor accompanying him. Amdusias gave a brief description of the escaped prisoner before he left to return to Fairyland. | ||
+ | |||
==Empty Throne== | ==Empty Throne== | ||
− | - | + | The morning of the day the Fairy Auction was to be held, an announcement was made informing that Pixie would not be hosting it as she had done for years. Instead, a male fae named Cimeies would host in her steed. |
+ | |||
+ | The Midgard Times, as well as other news media, attempted to speak with Pixie's press secretary, but were denied all access to them. Instead, they spoke to Cimeies, who explained the queen of the Fae came down with food poisoning and making a slow recovery. Due to this, Amdusias has been temporarily made commander-in-chief until Pixie is able to lead "Faeheim" again. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The few fae that were found in the streets of Fairyland's main plaza refused to comment on the situation, walking away from all with a look of denoted apprehension. | ||
+ | |||
==Found and Lost== | ==Found and Lost== | ||
− | -To Be | + | Fairy Amdusias called for a group of adventurers met up at Alberta. Amdusias warned everyone they were going to search the town of Amatsu for Ezekiel and Summerstream. |
+ | |||
+ | At the town, the group split up to search for the fugitives, quickly finding them in the southeast part of town. Ezekiel and Summerstream were cornered, which gave Amdusias the opportunity to question them. Ezekiel's comments about Amdusias going above Pixie's strict orders not to kill Lucretia seemed to make some of the pursuing heroes uneasy about the Fae man's true intentions. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Amdusias walked towards the fugitives to arrest them, not expecting a young huntress to block his way. She would not allow the Fae to harm the two. At this point, the huntress Aja Selvans questioned the man's authority to imprison people in foreign lands, while the Assassin Cross, Reilinn, spoke out against his actions and attacked him. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Chaos ensued as Amdusias drew his blade and chased after Ezekiel and Summerstream. The group of heroes trailed behind, some trying to attack the fugitives, others simply watching. They escaped into a portal thanks to Fairy Cynbel helping from the shadows. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The trail was lost in the Od Gorge, west of Rachel. A furious Amdusias swore he would find them soon. The Midgard Times decided to investigate and found that the Amatsu Government, as well as Louyang's, Brasilis' and Ayothaya's, did not grant the Fae any authority to conduct investigations or arrest people within their lands. They attempted to interview Amdusias as he walked for the Fairyland Palace but the journalists’ path was rudely blocked by his bodyguards. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The following day strange postings appeared in every town, pasted to various buildings and street vendor's booths, random graffiti placement plagued the main streets of all of the towns.The posting had a black cross in the middle of a broken light-purple wing and read as follows; | ||
+ | |||
+ | ''"To all who read and heed this request, take caution. Be aware that if you choose to assist, there may be severe consequences. If you are captured, caught or questioned, you will be on your own. Midgardians, you must pick a side... The Wingless needs loyal assistance."'' | ||
+ | |||
+ | ''"If you question yourself, you are not prepared, don't bother showing up..."'' | ||
+ | |||
+ | ''"We are the Wingless, proof will be required... Lack may result in death."'' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Amdusias was enraged by seeing these postings go up in the towns where the four criminals were wanted. He began to persecute those who had been seen posting the posters that bore what became known as Lucretia’s Emblem. He had his own people place a posting over those that bore Lucretia’s Emblem. Those postings bore a black hammer with a golden halo above it, Amdusias’s own emblem, and read as follows; | ||
+ | |||
+ | ''"Dear Midgardians, please disregard all notifications bearing the mark of Lucretia..." The black cross with a purple wing behind it was displayed with a large red slash through it. "This is nothing more than the desperate plea of her insanity, an organization she is attempting to gather together. Fear not, for you will be protected from her disastrous nature. | ||
+ | |||
+ | I will not allow any more members of Midgard to be swayed into her dark clutches, she will do nothing more than use you and then dispose of you as she has shown... She has attempted to murder many of you already, please I beg of you! Do not fall victim to her wicked ways. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Join me and help me put this to an end once and for all, bring peace back between the communities of Fae and Humankind. Join the Legion of the United."'' | ||
+ | |||
+ | ((At this point, players were allowed to choose which side the wanted to join for the remainder of the arc. They were able to join Lucretia’s Wingless, or Amdusias’s Legion of the United.)) | ||
==On the Attack== | ==On the Attack== | ||
− | - | + | Fairy Lucretia and those who joined the Wingless raided the Rekenber Company Laboratory. The Company's spokesperson would not shed light on what the artifact was, and limited himself to only informing that they, “ran out the front entrance, overcoming all security measures.” |
+ | |||
+ | Simultaneously, someone else had broken into the Rekenber building, presumably the same scholar responsible for Thor's Volcano acting up. He used golems to steal massive amounts of Orichalcum and other ores. Upon exiting the building and after shouting praises to the god Erebos, he set off a bomb that blew up a section of the second floor, killing three people and leaving approximately five injured. The cloaked man escaped in a warp portal with the ores, leaving several golems behind to cause further destruction. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Lucretia's group ran north of Lighthalzen, with a squadron of over 20 knight guards giving chase. The pursuers lost them as they head into the Einbroch District. They crossed the border that divided Schwartzvald and Rune-Midgard. They went south from Mjolnir, through the Orcish Fields and the treacherous desert, until they finally reached the Fortress St. Darmain in the Comodo Province. Everyone wondered why Lucretia led them there, and the truth was, not even she knew. She was simply asked by Cynbel to head there after the raid on the Lab. Once they arrived and met Cynbel, they also saw with him the Queen Pixie. | ||
+ | |||
+ | As for the artifact stolen from Rekenber, it was a curious object known as the [[Terminology_Guide#Dreamstone|Dreamstone]]. Lucretia's intentions were to invade Amdusias' memories and find out if he was really responsible for the destruction of her wings. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Apparently, the Queen’s recent ailings were due to a series of deliberate food poisoning. Upon confronting Amdusias and Cimeies, Pixie found she had no more support among her people. The two had been spreading false rumors and fear to the fae masses, who weren't very trusting of humans to begin with. After meeting and explaining the situation to her brother Pico and their friend Navi, the two promised to keep a low profile and inform her of any important news during her absence. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Once Pixie was secretly granted asylum in Rune-Midgard, she spoke to the head of the 3 main nations of the continent, who agreed to help her regain her throne in a covert manner, so as not to be exposed to war. It was easy, now that Amdusias’ reputation was damaged after the incident in Amatsu. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The group of Wingless then took the time to discuss how to approach the situation of Amdusias stealing the throne from Pixie. The group decided to build a crown for the Dreamstone, which was to be placed on Amdusias’s head after an ambush. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Before everyone left, Cynbel warned of Amdusias' close friends and bodyguards: Cimeies, a master of stealth, and Andromallius, one of the most powerful spellcasters in Fairyland. | ||
+ | |||
=The Decisive Battle= | =The Decisive Battle= | ||
− | -To | + | ==Traversing the Mind's Eye== |
+ | It was the afternoon when Amdusias was ambushed west of the capital of Rune-Midgard. The unsuspecting fey was knocked out astonishingly quickly, and the heroes who assisted dragged him to a secluded area in the fields. Pixie placed the Dreamstone Crown on Amdusias, and the purple stone fixated in the center of the crown shone, and created a warp portal. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Lucretia and the heroes traversed the maze of Amdusias' mind, fighting creatures from his own dreams and past experiences, while Cynbel, Pixie and several Prontera Guards guarded the unconscious Amdusias. It did not take long for the group to make it to the Faeheim Archipelago. Lucretia explained they all used to live there peacefully, until it was revealed they kept hidden a great treasure. She did not disclose what this treasure was, only that an Unknown Force recruited several creatures, such as Kublin, to take it. As if that wasn't enough, the humans also invaded Fairyland in search of this treasure. This was the cause of the destruction of the Fae's home. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The group of heroes were then brought to the Sograt Desert, before it was destroyed by Satan Morroc. Cynbel and Amdusias were sent to protect Morroc when the demon was resurrected long ago. There, Amdusias met a young man who had lost his friends during the cataclysm. He offered to continue rebuilding the Guardian that protected Fairyland. Amdusias referred the man to Cynbel, who sent him to Pixie. After demonstrating his machines, The Golemancer was hired on the spot. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Not even Lucretia remembered the next memory: the day Cynbel became War Chief of the Fae. Amdusias was incensed, thinking the choice was because he was a commoner. He had cornered and tried to question Lucretia, who brushed him off before leaving the fairy. | ||
+ | |||
+ | After exiting an area simply called "The Great Library", they wound up in a darkness-covered Prontera. Cursed spirits wandered about, and Nidhoggur flew overhead. The scene seemed to not belong to Amdusias’s mind, although Amdusias and The Golemancer's voice were part of the latter. Amdusias deduced The Golemancer was the one that was responsible for the theft of young turtle eggs, a volcano nearly erupting, and the explosion in Lighthalzen a few weeks prior. The Fairy threatened to reveal the human's identity if he didn't provide a batch of Golems for his plans. The human reluctantly agreed to provide automatons, and revealed his goal was to wipe out the Dark Allegiance completely by sparking a new war between both sides to return the Light Allegiance to its former glory. | ||
+ | |||
+ | To venture deeper into Amdusias' mind, Lucretia and the heroes had to break several seals that protected his darker secrets, such as being responsible for Surtur's second escape several weeks prior. The fae framed Lucretia for it, since she had already released the fire giant once. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Nearing the final seal protecting his darkest secret, Amdusias started to become aware of what was going on, and tried to take down the heroes by thinking of fierce creatures and having them attack. The adventurers manage to stop these imagined creatures, and finally enter the memory of Lucretia's wings. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Amdusias wanted to become War Chief at whatever the cost, so he took the opportunity that Lucretia denied Cynbel's advances and argued with her human lover Jin to make his move. He entered Lucretia's room disguised as Cynbel. The power-hungry fae didn't expect Jin to be there, but quickly used powder to knock him out. Amdusias then destroyed Lucretia's wings and made his escape. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ultimately, his plan failed, as Lucretia blamed Jin for her wings instead and killed him. She ran away from Fairyland and her sister's disapproval, only to imprison Cynbel once certain "evidence" arose. With Cynbel out of the picture, Pixie named Amdusias the new War Chief. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The heroes exited Amdusias' mind just before he woke up. The enraged Fae escaped from Pixie, Cynbel and the Prontera Guards' grasp, warping back to Fairyland. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Pixie, Cynbel and Lucretia held a press conference to explain all that happened. The former Queen revealed to the public that Amdusias turned her own people against her and forced her to run away and seek Asylum in Rune-Midgard. Pixie informed the general public that she was unable to speak on the matter of The Golemancer, which caused rumors to go around that the overthrown queen fears The Golemancer would retaliate against Fairyland or side with Amdusias if the secret were revealed. The three fairies then went inside to escape further questioning. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Shortly after, a communication from Fairyland was sent to the governments and all news media throughout the Continent. Apparently, Amdusias' mind had suffered terrible damages due to the breaking of the seals. He delivered an ultimatum to Rune-Midgard, Schwartzvald, Arunafeltz and the rest of the nations, threatening to mercilessly attack the human nations unless Rune-Midgard handed over Lucretia, Pixie, and Cynbel within a week. He also wished that the humans enjoyed the Fairy Auction, stating it could potentially be the last. Amdusias was threatening to start a war. | ||
+ | |||
+ | In a public announcement in response to Amdusias’s threats, King Ernst declared he would not hand over Lucretia, Pixie or Cynbel, citing a Rune-Midgardian policy about usurpation, and reaffirming that the country did not approve of dictatorships. The king also declared all citizens considered criminals for helping Lucretia would not be arrested or questioned. He ordered a large portion of the fleets of military warships to station along the border of Rune-Midgard and near the Moscovian sea, to "keep an eye" on the Fairies' sky city. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ==Wings and Fury== | ||
+ | A week after his threats, the Fairyland Forces lead by Amdusias, Cimeies and Andromallius invaded the country through Alberta and Izlude, taking down two fleets. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Cimeies marched his troops toward the Merchant Guild to severely damage the country's economy but was forced to retreat. He then chose to target Alberta City Hall. The fight was intense, but the Champion OYJ delivered the final blow. Cimeies was defeated and captured. | ||
+ | |||
+ | This distraction gave Fairy Andromallius enough time to leave Alberta through the forest, as Faeheim warships bombed Alberta before being shot down by the military. The Spellweaving fae and his troops set fire to several parts of the forest, but was brought down and captured. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Amdusias set foot in Izlude, killing several residents and merchants on his way to Prontera. Barricades had been erected at the southern gates, but before he could destroy them, he was whisked away by the tarot card, The Lovers. Amdusias used the opportunity to enter Prontera through the West Gate. | ||
+ | |||
+ | After destroying the Chivalry building, The Fae Overlord and his troops marched for the castle, where they encountered the reunited heroes and the military’s strongest squadron. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Amdusias attacked the heroes with powerful lightning magic over the sounds of the Fairyland warships bombing the capital. In the heat of the battle, Amdusias' wings were ripped off. It didn’t matter if it was karma, or if it was intentional, Amdusias turned his assaults onto the heroes, abandoning his conquest for the castle.The heroes fought on valiantly. As Amdusias realized he was about to die, he ordered the Fairyland army to retreat, and left alone to die. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ==Bon Voyage== | ||
+ | With Amdusias dead and Andromallius and Cimeies in prison, peace returned to Fairyland. Prince Pico took the throne for a few days while his sisters, Pixie and Lucretia finished their errands in Rune-Midgard. The two sisters held a press conference to apologize for all the death and destruction the fae have caused, and informed they will help with the reconstruction. A quarter of all available Auction funds were donated to this cause. They then returned to Fairyland to deal with the turmoil caused by Amdusias. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Back in Fairyland, Pixie reclaimed the throne that she had been usurped by Amdusias. She used some leftover Yggdrasil Berry concentrate to heal Lucretia’s wings fully. Lucretia then left with Cynbel to scout the Faeheim Archipelago for a new home for their fellow fairies. | ||
+ | With the funds donated by the Fae, the Knights, Crusaders and Priests worked diligently with the fae over the following two months to repair Prontera, Izlude and Alberta. | ||
==List of Characters== | ==List of Characters== | ||
Line 120: | Line 271: | ||
==See Also== | ==See Also== | ||
− | + | [[Modern Chronicles]] | |
+ | |||
+ | [[Fairy Characters]] | ||
+ | |||
+ | [[Other Characters]] | ||
+ | |||
+ | [[Terminology Guide]] | ||
+ | |||
+ | [[Category:Chronicles]] |
Latest revision as of 20:47, 4 July 2020
Contents
General Story Information
This chronicles the tales of the fairies, and their confrontation for who should truly rule their kind.
At one end is Queen Pixie, the current ruler of the fairies, and her desires for peace and unity amongst her kind and humans remains strong. Then there is her sister Lucretia, who lives at Mystra's Castle with her own following. She disagrees with Pixie's methods, and finds that humans are difficult to trust due to her own past dealings with them. She detests that the fairies are currently dependent on the humans' goodwill and money at the Fairy Auction to rebuild their own home. And lastly, there is Amdusias, a commoner who has risen through the ranks of his society to finally become a general in the fairy's army. He currently lurks in the background, waiting for his chance to begin a zealous strike for the throne.
Adventurers from all the lands arrive to step in and provide their assistance to each of these powers, each with their own reasons to be there.
The Foundation of the New Fairyland
Ever since the original Fairy Land has been destroyed by the humans & Kublin, Queen Pixie worked very hard to make the "Great Fairy Auction" in the year 2008 to raise 1 billion zeny funds to rebuild the Fairy Land. However, some of the fairies remain skeptical about the heroes' contribution for the fairies. They still live in the days of the humans ruthlessly destroying the fairies' first home land, and believe that the help from the humans is a cover-up lie to take advantage of Queen Pixie. At one point, they even fought against each other, and the newly established Fairy Land lay desolate and empty as fairies are afraid of each other and all the conflict. To unite them together, Queen Pixie will prove that the humans' support will continue and that there are helpful and kind humans out there for the fairies. Queen Pixie is confident that she can raise another 1 billion zeny again to help solve the internal conflicts of the fairies, and make it so that the new Fairy Land is a better place.
Defense of Fairyland
As peace returns to the fairies, a disturbance arises to challenge the fragile peace obtained. As an unknown force attacks Fairyland and the fairies, Queen Pixie enlists the help of her fairy warriors but it is not enough. She requires more funds to acquire a powerful enough Guardian to protect Fairyland from this unknown force. Pixie hopes to raise 2 billion zeny to obtain to stop the unknown's attack once and for all.
Unknown's Strike
With the appearance of a mighty guardian in Fariyland, the Generals of the Unknown Force grow restless and begin their attack. Many fall the to the guardian, but some have managed to over-whelm it with pure numbers. Queen Pixie requests the help of any hero available to aid their defense when their guardian is over-run. Yet this enrages the Unknown, causing them to retaliate in larger numbers. Queen Pixie works with her elite to try to bring a permanent peace to her land and defend against outside invaders. To do so, they require funding for their research.
The Rise of the Dark Fae
The Tale of Lucretia's Past
On July 23, 2015, the wayward sister of Queen Pixie struck out at the town of Payon. With whip in hand, she summoned all sorts of plants, insects and beasts, claiming humans have destroyed Payon Forest. Leaving the town to resemble an overgrown jungle, she made her way to Payon's Palace, only to be confronted by some of the many heroes who came to liberate the town of its floral oppressors. In the wake of the fruitless and violent confrontation, Queen Pixie and Fairy Navi agreed to meet with the heroes to fill in the blanks on the rogue fey.
As the past of the royal clan was rehashed, the interested parties learned that Lucretia was once in love with a human knight named Jin, who was helping rebuild Fairyland. Queen's sister was betrayed,presumably by her love interest, her wings- torn to shreds. The betrayal and the heartbreak proved too much for Lucretia, who chose to leave her wings torn, and to nurse a grudge against the likes of men.
Queen Pixie also mentioned Fairy Cynbel, who had frequently been seen in Lucretia's company. After much indecision and bickering, the gathered adventurers decided to mount a search for the fairy man under consideration, who was frequently seen in mountainous areas.
After a wild, cross-continental chase, Cynbel was finally cornered in the wilderness west of Hugel by the high priest Sacerdos Signat. Together with Ezekiel Stalker and Cutty Wren, they managed to gather further information about the situation. While Cynbel did not have answers, he did have a hint: the dark fairy loved pie above most other things. The fairy agreed to fix her a consolatory pie in the name of the humans, if the adventurers managed to gather the ingredients for him. A deadline was given and the heroes set off to cobble together a small wagon-ful of peaches and many dozen eggs.
The Offering of Peace
A group of humans decided to find out about Lucretia. Pixie and Navi sent them to Cynbel, who could usually be found in the woods north of Prontera or Hugel Fields. Cynbel agreed to help the heroes try to appease Lucretia, and made the perfect peach pie to present it to her as an offering of peace from the humans. Apparently, the female fairy was pleased, saying that maybe humans do deserve a second chance. She invited the farmers behind the offering to her humble adobe, which, coincidentally, used to be the Archmage Mystra's old castle.
On the day of July 28th, the masses gathered at the destined spot. The Dark Fairy herself arrived fashionably late, and in a lovely cream-colored gown, which was an improvement over her usual gloomy attire. Some greeted her, some went the extra mile and bowed, while others asked for Cynbel, as well as for her true intentions. It seemed that the baker fey was not making an appearance tonight, and Lucretia's desire was to rebuild Fairyland back to its former glory.
The castle was dark and dreadful, as would be expected from a place that once belonged to Mystra. The bushes were well-taken care of however, a sign that Lucretia was eco-friendly. The heroes followed her inside the castle, to a room without as much as a sign of refreshments- for, of course, talks of business came first. Many questions were thrown about, and the fey explained the reason behind her Payon raid with seeming honesty. She had been after the replica of the Moonlight Flower bell, which, too, could raise the dead.
The party was a ruse, of course- Lucretia sent grass mutants to kidnap several of her guests for her own grotesque amusement.The unfortunate souls had been Summerstream, Balawan, Kotori, and Galoo. The rest of the humans, consisting of Ezekiel Stalker, Procyon, Nikki, Avaricious, Super Icy and Sacerdos Signat, sought to save them with the help of the recently arrived Fairy Cynbel. Much castle-sneaking was done, a garden maze-traversed, and the rescue party ended up in a cave sealed since the time of Mystra.
Following the defeat of many dark monstrosities therein, Cynbel's love for Lucretia became more obvious when he pleaded the heroes not to kill her. The group, reached the prison shortly after, narrowly avoiding a Lord of Death and freeing their captured compatriots. Trekking back through the dungeon of Lucretia's castle, something followed the heroes. The Lord of Death would not give up the chase. Using wit and ice walls, Cynbel and the heroes lured the pale horseman and trapped it long enough to run away.
At the castle lobby, Cynbel was trapped and captured by Lucretia's forces. Another battle erupted shortly thereafter as the humans, left to fend for themselves, strove valiantly to overcome a new wave of fey-summoned plant life. The decisive moment happened when a clown flung a tarot card. The Chariot. Lucretia's wings crippled, and fell to the ground in pieces. The Dark Fey herself was not so easily defeated, of course- crawling away while swearing a revenge most terrible, and teleporting away when push came to shove.
Upon the heroes' return to Fairyland, a strangely complacent Queen Pixie rewarded them for their efforts. Ezekiel Stalker suggested they search Cynbel's home for clues, while Nikki Sixx and Sacerdos Signat would arrange a meeting with the Chief of Payon regarding Moonlight's Bell. Fairy Cynbel remained missing, and our heroes were already having second thoughts about meddling in family squabbles of the fey.
Fallen From Grace
The Moonlight Bell
The Chief of Payon had kindly granted the heroes an audience. Our merry mob, led by Nikki and Sacerdos Signat, piled into the Payon Palace to learn more about the properties of the Moonlight Bell's replica.
Like the original, the bell can revive the dead when rung. But it's also as cursed as the real one, for which it was hidden in a small cave below the palace. The Chief of Payon agreed to let the visitors take the bell, not knowing the true motives of some of them.
The successful quest for the bell was conducted. The artifact was seized by Nikki, who promptly rang it and fell into a cursed, sleep-like state. The unfortunate side effect of the bell's use left the merry party neck-deep in skeletons. Following the dismemberment of these, it was detemined that Nikki tried to summon his sister.
An effort was made by the party to return Nikki to a proper state of mind- he carried to Prontera Church, where High Priest Bamph performed the ceremony to save the unfortunate man's life. During the ceremony, no one managed to keep track of the bell replica.
In retrospect, someone really should have- for Galoo the magician, Ciar the mage and Reilinn the sneak have all conspicuously bailed from the group. Just as the search party arrived in Niflheim town square, the bell was used the second time in the same night. Ciar wishes to speak to Jin, and did just that, learning that the mortal knight had not been the one to tear apart Lucretia's wings. Instead, all evidence pointed to one fairy Cynbel.
To confirm Cynbel's betrayal, the group of heroes ransacked the suspect fae's house. Among common items, they found a book on Fae biology, and a piece of wing webbing. Unsure of it's origins, they traveled to Aldebaran to have the wing webbing compared to a piece of wing the Paladin Summerstream had taken from Lucretia. The test confirmed the two items matched. Everything seemed to make sense. The preparing of a peach pie which Lucretia was apparently allergic to, and the hateful comments about Jin. It wasn't coincidence.
Cynbel had fallen from grace.
The following day, Queen Pixie met with the adventuring brigade and expressed her disapproval of the war-chief's betrayal. In an attempt to repair Lucretia's wings, Summerstream made a suggestion regarding the healing properties of Yggdrasil, the tree of life. The group ventured to collect sap of the World Tree, only to learn that it wasn't in the greatest of shapes either.
Fearing that taking sap would bring further harm to the tree, they decided to use an alternative: Yggdrasil Berries. The juice of the berries are said to contain a similar regenerative property as the sap of the tree.
A Challenge For You "Heroes"
How long it has been since we, the almighty, departed from Midgard. After the War of Agony, we left you humans alone in this world. Since then, you have walked your own path, fending for yourselves, and overcoming all obstacles.
I have been roaming Midgard for the past few weeks, seeing your world with my own eyes. I have noticed the peace that has fallen over the land. You have rebuilt your world in your image, without our intervention. Only time will tell if the choices you have made were the best.
The reason I speak here is a simple one: I have decided to make an official appearance. I have a challenge for you heroes.
This Odin stated before his visit to Prontera. Upon his arrival he wore radiant armor of the finest silver and bradium, with delicate, but extravagant design. He would give a short introduction and speech, and asked the congregation of people there if he could answer any questions. One was brave enough to speak, a young woman clad in fiery decor spoke with soft malice, and quick to question the security measures that Odin had taken before bringing himself to the world of men. Without a second thought, Odin gave forth his answer, only to be mocked immediately by the strange mortal, who revealed "her" true form: Surtur of Muspelheim.
Surtur, the fire giant, stated an “ex-resident” of “Faeheim” temporarily weakened the seal to help him escape. The mystery faerie also disguised him as a human woman. Some could only deduce he was referring to Lucretia.
Fire fell from the sky. Odin clashed against Surtur, all the while everyone fighting against Surtur and his fiery minions to protect the city of Prontera. In its end, both Odin and Surtur fell to the ground. Before both retreated, Odin spoke of an imminent threat to Midgard: Fairy Lucretia and a certain “Cloaked Schemer”, who would bring war and desolation if they were not stopped.
Ezekiel and Summerstream visit Lucretia
During the night shortly after the trek to get the sap, Summerstream and Ezekiel Stalker snuck into Lucretia's castle. They journeyed through the garden, cave and basement, eventually making it to the main room. There, they encountered strange porings, apparently the subjects of experiments. Some of Lucretia's fairy allies tried to stop the two, but were then temporarily knocked out by the pair.
The duo found Lucretia in the dining room, which had been redecorated to be reminiscent of Fairyland. The fae jumped to conclusions as she did before, thinking the two were there to kill her, but they stated they only wanted to talk and gave the fairy their weapons to show their good will. Summerstream presented Lucretia with the salve prepared by Pixie, and as they got Lucretia's interest, Ezekiel explained the possibility of Cynbel potentially being the one who damaged her wings. The pair then asked her to try to remember everything before and after the incident with her wings, to which she agreed.
Lucretia told them that she met Jin during a massive feast held by the fairies after the rebuilding of Fairyland. Several months later, and they had become a couple. Cynbel, Lucretia's childhood friend, had feelings for her, and was apparently jealous. Eventually the two grew distant, only seeing each other during a meeting held twice a year between humans and fae.
At the end of one of these meetings, Cynbel confessed to Lucretia that he loved her still. He asked her to abandon everything and run away with him, to which she declined. Jin was listening in on the conversation, as well as someone else. She didn't notice who the other eavesdropper was, but she figured it was Navi looking for topics to gossip about.
Later that night, Jin and Lucretia got into a heated argument, but soon resolved their disagreements and went to sleep. When Lucretia woke up, she discovered her wings had been ripped out. She noticed a piece of wing in her lover's hand, but the man wouldn't wake up. Assuming he was still recovering from the previous night's hangover, Lucretia waited until he came to his senses to question him about the betrayal.
Once Jin woke up, Lucretia accused him of damaging her wings. He denied everything, saying she was just looking for excuses to leave him for Cynbel. She had killed him in anger, then fled.
The pair listened quietly, and did not feel comfortable with leaving her alone. After some discussion, Summerstream decided to stay with Lucretia to make sure the salve would work on her wings as intended. Once Ezekiel was warped out, Summerstream was shown to her room, and the hours passed.
Then, in the dead of night, a blood-curdling scream pierced through the hallways. As Summerstream ran to Lucretia to find out what was going on, she was attacked by what seemed to be a clone of herself. She struck the look-alike down, and watched as it disappeared into thin air, but not before telling her, “You will not destroy what I have worked so hard to obtain”.
Lucretia sent her people after Summerstream, who chose to stay and explain the situation rather than flee. Even after the paladin had surrendered, the angered fairy wouldn't listen, and explained that Cynbel had been gravely injured. The fae went so far as to accuse the pair that they were falsely accusing Cynbel so that she would trust the human heroes of the realm again. Lucretia imprisoned Summerstream at the highest point of the tower without food or water.
The Invasion of Poring City
Shortly after a confrontation with Lord Matthew in Niflheim, Lucretia attacked Poring City. She set loose mutated Porings to keep the heroes busy, while she kidnapped the residents of the island.
Her fairy biochemists had recently discovered the missing ingredients to stabilize the porings was the Yggdrasil sap delivered by Summerstream, so they needed new test subjects. Lucretia was now one step closer to having the Poring army she desired. No longer would she have to place her fellow renegade fairies in harm's way.
So far, Lucretia's biochemists had infused Porings with orc, nine tail and Deviruchi DNA, as well as created some out of shackle balls and cupcakes, all of which were defeated thanks to the heroes. Although many Porings were kidnapped, never to be seen again, the heroes drove off Lucretia and prevented further loss of gelatin.
The Siege of Lucretia's Castle
A barrage of arrows rained down on the intruding heroes. The shooters came to be known by the group as "Lucretia's Shadows", because they were identical to the Dark Fae, but far weaker. Once they had been dispatched, the group entered Lucretia's Castle through the front door, killing off all that crossed their path -- including hostile fairies.
Meanwhile in the dining room not far away, Ezekiel Stalker warned Lucretia about the impending danger. It took some convincing, but they agreed to escape together. However, they had to rescue Fairy Cynbel first, who was still recovering from the brutal attack. Ezekiel and Lucretia made a run for the West Tower, while the other group was already climbing up the East Tower to save Summerstream.
Partially burned down since the time Mystra ruled the castle, the East Tower was home to countless spirits. The intruding heroes fought their way to the top of the tower and made it to the room Summerstream was imprisoned in. Once rescued, the freed prisoner threw a smoke bomb and disappeared, leaving her saviors behind to fight her ninja clan.
At the entrance of the castle, Summerstream met up with Ezekiel, Lucretia and Cynbel, but it wasn't long before the heroes caught up with the four and confronted them. Lucretia, thankful for Ezekiel's bravery, kissed him in front of everyone, and proceeded to threaten the heroes as usual. To her, the Master Rogue wasn't like the other "vile traitorous humans".
Before running away, Lucretia summoned Midnight Jack. It was the least she could do at the moment to avenge her fallen comrades and destroyed home. Running towards Niflheim, they crossed paths with Fairy Amdusias, who was on his way to assist the "betrayed" heroes.
Amdusias helped bring down Midnight Jack and unsealed the castle gate, allowing the heroes to leave. Once alone, he went into the castle to see if any fairies survived the onslaught, taking them to Fairyland prison for questioning.
Branded traitors by most, Ezekiel and Summerstream took Lucretia and Cynbel to an undisclosed location, where they planned their next move.
On the Run
Wanted
In Prontera after the events in Mystra’s Old Castle, the war-chief and now diplomat of the Fae, Amdusias, met up with the head of the Federal Investigation Agency to discuss adding Cynbel, Ezekiel Stalker and Summerstream on the list of Wanted Criminals for aiding Lucretia, who has already been on the list for some time now.
After the meeting convened, Amdusias held a press conference at Prontera Castle, where he announced the results.
"Yesterday I met with the authorities of Schwartzvald and Arunafeltz to discuss the recent incidents regarding Lucretia of Fairyland. Today I spoke with the chief of the Rune-Midgard's Federal Investigation Agency regarding the same matter. After discussing the situation with all three nations, I am pleased to announce that Ezekiel Stalker, Summerstream and Cynbel are now wanted criminals in Rune-Midgard, Schwartzvald and Arunafeltz."
Amdusias went on to explain that Lucretia and Cynbel were not to be trusted. Whoever sees them must not attempt to make any form of contact, for they are highly dangerous. As for Ezekiel and Summerstream, they were allegedly aiding these fugitives and must also be extradited to Fairyland when caught. Citizens are asked to remain on high alert for these four, and contact the authorities if they have any information on their whereabouts. After the press conference, Amdusias left for the independent Island-Nations to attempt to have them put up wanted posters for the suspects as well.
The Midgard Times attempted to have Pixie interviewed, but her press secretary informed the journalists she was in a meeting, and would be very busy as she prepared herself for the next Fairy Auction that week. As Pixie's public appearances grow scarce, many are only left to wonder what is going on within her palace.
A few days later, a Morroc prison official reported that there was a mage who had broken out with strange powers. Investigators reported that Amdusias was seen leaving the scene shortly after the break out, with a Professor accompanying him. Amdusias gave a brief description of the escaped prisoner before he left to return to Fairyland.
Empty Throne
The morning of the day the Fairy Auction was to be held, an announcement was made informing that Pixie would not be hosting it as she had done for years. Instead, a male fae named Cimeies would host in her steed.
The Midgard Times, as well as other news media, attempted to speak with Pixie's press secretary, but were denied all access to them. Instead, they spoke to Cimeies, who explained the queen of the Fae came down with food poisoning and making a slow recovery. Due to this, Amdusias has been temporarily made commander-in-chief until Pixie is able to lead "Faeheim" again.
The few fae that were found in the streets of Fairyland's main plaza refused to comment on the situation, walking away from all with a look of denoted apprehension.
Found and Lost
Fairy Amdusias called for a group of adventurers met up at Alberta. Amdusias warned everyone they were going to search the town of Amatsu for Ezekiel and Summerstream.
At the town, the group split up to search for the fugitives, quickly finding them in the southeast part of town. Ezekiel and Summerstream were cornered, which gave Amdusias the opportunity to question them. Ezekiel's comments about Amdusias going above Pixie's strict orders not to kill Lucretia seemed to make some of the pursuing heroes uneasy about the Fae man's true intentions.
Amdusias walked towards the fugitives to arrest them, not expecting a young huntress to block his way. She would not allow the Fae to harm the two. At this point, the huntress Aja Selvans questioned the man's authority to imprison people in foreign lands, while the Assassin Cross, Reilinn, spoke out against his actions and attacked him.
Chaos ensued as Amdusias drew his blade and chased after Ezekiel and Summerstream. The group of heroes trailed behind, some trying to attack the fugitives, others simply watching. They escaped into a portal thanks to Fairy Cynbel helping from the shadows.
The trail was lost in the Od Gorge, west of Rachel. A furious Amdusias swore he would find them soon. The Midgard Times decided to investigate and found that the Amatsu Government, as well as Louyang's, Brasilis' and Ayothaya's, did not grant the Fae any authority to conduct investigations or arrest people within their lands. They attempted to interview Amdusias as he walked for the Fairyland Palace but the journalists’ path was rudely blocked by his bodyguards.
The following day strange postings appeared in every town, pasted to various buildings and street vendor's booths, random graffiti placement plagued the main streets of all of the towns.The posting had a black cross in the middle of a broken light-purple wing and read as follows;
"To all who read and heed this request, take caution. Be aware that if you choose to assist, there may be severe consequences. If you are captured, caught or questioned, you will be on your own. Midgardians, you must pick a side... The Wingless needs loyal assistance."
"If you question yourself, you are not prepared, don't bother showing up..."
"We are the Wingless, proof will be required... Lack may result in death."
Amdusias was enraged by seeing these postings go up in the towns where the four criminals were wanted. He began to persecute those who had been seen posting the posters that bore what became known as Lucretia’s Emblem. He had his own people place a posting over those that bore Lucretia’s Emblem. Those postings bore a black hammer with a golden halo above it, Amdusias’s own emblem, and read as follows;
"Dear Midgardians, please disregard all notifications bearing the mark of Lucretia..." The black cross with a purple wing behind it was displayed with a large red slash through it. "This is nothing more than the desperate plea of her insanity, an organization she is attempting to gather together. Fear not, for you will be protected from her disastrous nature.
I will not allow any more members of Midgard to be swayed into her dark clutches, she will do nothing more than use you and then dispose of you as she has shown... She has attempted to murder many of you already, please I beg of you! Do not fall victim to her wicked ways.
Join me and help me put this to an end once and for all, bring peace back between the communities of Fae and Humankind. Join the Legion of the United."
((At this point, players were allowed to choose which side the wanted to join for the remainder of the arc. They were able to join Lucretia’s Wingless, or Amdusias’s Legion of the United.))
On the Attack
Fairy Lucretia and those who joined the Wingless raided the Rekenber Company Laboratory. The Company's spokesperson would not shed light on what the artifact was, and limited himself to only informing that they, “ran out the front entrance, overcoming all security measures.”
Simultaneously, someone else had broken into the Rekenber building, presumably the same scholar responsible for Thor's Volcano acting up. He used golems to steal massive amounts of Orichalcum and other ores. Upon exiting the building and after shouting praises to the god Erebos, he set off a bomb that blew up a section of the second floor, killing three people and leaving approximately five injured. The cloaked man escaped in a warp portal with the ores, leaving several golems behind to cause further destruction.
Lucretia's group ran north of Lighthalzen, with a squadron of over 20 knight guards giving chase. The pursuers lost them as they head into the Einbroch District. They crossed the border that divided Schwartzvald and Rune-Midgard. They went south from Mjolnir, through the Orcish Fields and the treacherous desert, until they finally reached the Fortress St. Darmain in the Comodo Province. Everyone wondered why Lucretia led them there, and the truth was, not even she knew. She was simply asked by Cynbel to head there after the raid on the Lab. Once they arrived and met Cynbel, they also saw with him the Queen Pixie.
As for the artifact stolen from Rekenber, it was a curious object known as the Dreamstone. Lucretia's intentions were to invade Amdusias' memories and find out if he was really responsible for the destruction of her wings.
Apparently, the Queen’s recent ailings were due to a series of deliberate food poisoning. Upon confronting Amdusias and Cimeies, Pixie found she had no more support among her people. The two had been spreading false rumors and fear to the fae masses, who weren't very trusting of humans to begin with. After meeting and explaining the situation to her brother Pico and their friend Navi, the two promised to keep a low profile and inform her of any important news during her absence.
Once Pixie was secretly granted asylum in Rune-Midgard, she spoke to the head of the 3 main nations of the continent, who agreed to help her regain her throne in a covert manner, so as not to be exposed to war. It was easy, now that Amdusias’ reputation was damaged after the incident in Amatsu.
The group of Wingless then took the time to discuss how to approach the situation of Amdusias stealing the throne from Pixie. The group decided to build a crown for the Dreamstone, which was to be placed on Amdusias’s head after an ambush.
Before everyone left, Cynbel warned of Amdusias' close friends and bodyguards: Cimeies, a master of stealth, and Andromallius, one of the most powerful spellcasters in Fairyland.
The Decisive Battle
Traversing the Mind's Eye
It was the afternoon when Amdusias was ambushed west of the capital of Rune-Midgard. The unsuspecting fey was knocked out astonishingly quickly, and the heroes who assisted dragged him to a secluded area in the fields. Pixie placed the Dreamstone Crown on Amdusias, and the purple stone fixated in the center of the crown shone, and created a warp portal.
Lucretia and the heroes traversed the maze of Amdusias' mind, fighting creatures from his own dreams and past experiences, while Cynbel, Pixie and several Prontera Guards guarded the unconscious Amdusias. It did not take long for the group to make it to the Faeheim Archipelago. Lucretia explained they all used to live there peacefully, until it was revealed they kept hidden a great treasure. She did not disclose what this treasure was, only that an Unknown Force recruited several creatures, such as Kublin, to take it. As if that wasn't enough, the humans also invaded Fairyland in search of this treasure. This was the cause of the destruction of the Fae's home.
The group of heroes were then brought to the Sograt Desert, before it was destroyed by Satan Morroc. Cynbel and Amdusias were sent to protect Morroc when the demon was resurrected long ago. There, Amdusias met a young man who had lost his friends during the cataclysm. He offered to continue rebuilding the Guardian that protected Fairyland. Amdusias referred the man to Cynbel, who sent him to Pixie. After demonstrating his machines, The Golemancer was hired on the spot.
Not even Lucretia remembered the next memory: the day Cynbel became War Chief of the Fae. Amdusias was incensed, thinking the choice was because he was a commoner. He had cornered and tried to question Lucretia, who brushed him off before leaving the fairy.
After exiting an area simply called "The Great Library", they wound up in a darkness-covered Prontera. Cursed spirits wandered about, and Nidhoggur flew overhead. The scene seemed to not belong to Amdusias’s mind, although Amdusias and The Golemancer's voice were part of the latter. Amdusias deduced The Golemancer was the one that was responsible for the theft of young turtle eggs, a volcano nearly erupting, and the explosion in Lighthalzen a few weeks prior. The Fairy threatened to reveal the human's identity if he didn't provide a batch of Golems for his plans. The human reluctantly agreed to provide automatons, and revealed his goal was to wipe out the Dark Allegiance completely by sparking a new war between both sides to return the Light Allegiance to its former glory.
To venture deeper into Amdusias' mind, Lucretia and the heroes had to break several seals that protected his darker secrets, such as being responsible for Surtur's second escape several weeks prior. The fae framed Lucretia for it, since she had already released the fire giant once.
Nearing the final seal protecting his darkest secret, Amdusias started to become aware of what was going on, and tried to take down the heroes by thinking of fierce creatures and having them attack. The adventurers manage to stop these imagined creatures, and finally enter the memory of Lucretia's wings.
Amdusias wanted to become War Chief at whatever the cost, so he took the opportunity that Lucretia denied Cynbel's advances and argued with her human lover Jin to make his move. He entered Lucretia's room disguised as Cynbel. The power-hungry fae didn't expect Jin to be there, but quickly used powder to knock him out. Amdusias then destroyed Lucretia's wings and made his escape.
Ultimately, his plan failed, as Lucretia blamed Jin for her wings instead and killed him. She ran away from Fairyland and her sister's disapproval, only to imprison Cynbel once certain "evidence" arose. With Cynbel out of the picture, Pixie named Amdusias the new War Chief.
The heroes exited Amdusias' mind just before he woke up. The enraged Fae escaped from Pixie, Cynbel and the Prontera Guards' grasp, warping back to Fairyland.
Pixie, Cynbel and Lucretia held a press conference to explain all that happened. The former Queen revealed to the public that Amdusias turned her own people against her and forced her to run away and seek Asylum in Rune-Midgard. Pixie informed the general public that she was unable to speak on the matter of The Golemancer, which caused rumors to go around that the overthrown queen fears The Golemancer would retaliate against Fairyland or side with Amdusias if the secret were revealed. The three fairies then went inside to escape further questioning.
Shortly after, a communication from Fairyland was sent to the governments and all news media throughout the Continent. Apparently, Amdusias' mind had suffered terrible damages due to the breaking of the seals. He delivered an ultimatum to Rune-Midgard, Schwartzvald, Arunafeltz and the rest of the nations, threatening to mercilessly attack the human nations unless Rune-Midgard handed over Lucretia, Pixie, and Cynbel within a week. He also wished that the humans enjoyed the Fairy Auction, stating it could potentially be the last. Amdusias was threatening to start a war.
In a public announcement in response to Amdusias’s threats, King Ernst declared he would not hand over Lucretia, Pixie or Cynbel, citing a Rune-Midgardian policy about usurpation, and reaffirming that the country did not approve of dictatorships. The king also declared all citizens considered criminals for helping Lucretia would not be arrested or questioned. He ordered a large portion of the fleets of military warships to station along the border of Rune-Midgard and near the Moscovian sea, to "keep an eye" on the Fairies' sky city.
Wings and Fury
A week after his threats, the Fairyland Forces lead by Amdusias, Cimeies and Andromallius invaded the country through Alberta and Izlude, taking down two fleets.
Cimeies marched his troops toward the Merchant Guild to severely damage the country's economy but was forced to retreat. He then chose to target Alberta City Hall. The fight was intense, but the Champion OYJ delivered the final blow. Cimeies was defeated and captured.
This distraction gave Fairy Andromallius enough time to leave Alberta through the forest, as Faeheim warships bombed Alberta before being shot down by the military. The Spellweaving fae and his troops set fire to several parts of the forest, but was brought down and captured.
Amdusias set foot in Izlude, killing several residents and merchants on his way to Prontera. Barricades had been erected at the southern gates, but before he could destroy them, he was whisked away by the tarot card, The Lovers. Amdusias used the opportunity to enter Prontera through the West Gate.
After destroying the Chivalry building, The Fae Overlord and his troops marched for the castle, where they encountered the reunited heroes and the military’s strongest squadron.
Amdusias attacked the heroes with powerful lightning magic over the sounds of the Fairyland warships bombing the capital. In the heat of the battle, Amdusias' wings were ripped off. It didn’t matter if it was karma, or if it was intentional, Amdusias turned his assaults onto the heroes, abandoning his conquest for the castle.The heroes fought on valiantly. As Amdusias realized he was about to die, he ordered the Fairyland army to retreat, and left alone to die.
Bon Voyage
With Amdusias dead and Andromallius and Cimeies in prison, peace returned to Fairyland. Prince Pico took the throne for a few days while his sisters, Pixie and Lucretia finished their errands in Rune-Midgard. The two sisters held a press conference to apologize for all the death and destruction the fae have caused, and informed they will help with the reconstruction. A quarter of all available Auction funds were donated to this cause. They then returned to Fairyland to deal with the turmoil caused by Amdusias.
Back in Fairyland, Pixie reclaimed the throne that she had been usurped by Amdusias. She used some leftover Yggdrasil Berry concentrate to heal Lucretia’s wings fully. Lucretia then left with Cynbel to scout the Faeheim Archipelago for a new home for their fellow fairies.
With the funds donated by the Fae, the Knights, Crusaders and Priests worked diligently with the fae over the following two months to repair Prontera, Izlude and Alberta.
List of Characters
- Queen Pixie
- Prince Pico
- Lady Radiance
- Lady Pima
- Fairy Navi
- Fairy Orlaith
- Fairy Incertae
- Fairy Hefeydd
- Fairy Cynbel
- Fairy Lucretia
- Fairy Amdusias
- Fairy Cimeies
- Fairy Andromallius