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This post is by guest writer Erin Burke.
Seeing is Believing
27 Season of the Zephyr 1329 AE
Having given the gangster boss Two-Blade Pete a taste of his own medicine, my childhood friend Quinn and I fight our way out of the bandit infested village of Claypool, arranging to meet up again at the tavern near Rook’s Row in Divinty’s Reach. We meet with Thackery, who informs me that while the Seraph fought bravely, but the poison created by Pete’s lieutenant, Doc Howler, still found its way into the well, crippling dozens of innocent citizens. My failure to protect the city I grew up in feels like a knife is cutting through me. I have little time for regret as Two-Blade shows up.
I remember touring the prison earlier and noting how many empty cells there were, yet Thackery has no plans to allow Two-Blade or Doc Howler to rot in jail. The likes of Pete do not deserve mercy and with resources directed to curing those poisoned, the city has no time or money to feed and house these criminals for the rest of their miserable lives.
With Two-Blade and his crew finished, Quinn exonerated for his part in the crimes, and Thackery’s faith in me reassured, I am made an official contact of the Seraph. I hope Thackery didn’t see me blush!
28 Season of the Zephyr 1329 AE
I am weary and sore from the fight and my soft warm bed is just what my aching bones need. As I drift off into sleep, I see a figure emerge from the dreamscape. Tall and handsome as ever, the Captain of the Seraph approaches. He is not alone, the dwarf king Jalis Ironhammer and a tall, noble looking centaur.
“Countess Anise’s power will not hold forever. She sensed the power of the Mists in you. Through her abilities and guidance I have found a link to those who have been advising you thus far.” This time the dwarf king remains silent while the centaur steps forward.
“Human of the Mists, Revenant, I am Ventari of the Harathi. You may know me better by the manifestation of my tablet.” He summons the golden stone before him and I realize for the first time the writing carved into it. Almost instinctively, I know the words are Ventari’s teachings entwined with flowering vines. I feel renewed and at peace while I gaze upon it. “Magic permeates our world. However, balance is demanded as well. As magic grows and saturates everything, the Elder Dragons awaken to reclaim their power, their magic. In so doing, they destroy everything, then return to slumber while their magic seeps back into the world. As the cycle repeats, they awaken again to recapture what they have lost, just as with the ebb and flow of the tides and changing of the seasons.”
Now Jalis comes to the front, a grim look of determination on his face. “But it needn’t be that way. The dragons can be defeated. First Zhaitan the Undead, then the rest, including this newest one in the jungles of Maguuma. Mordremoth the Green, master of the Mordrem creatures now wreaking havoc in the south. The power he wields is stretching the veil between worlds, allowing for such like the Nightmare you fought in Godslost Swamp to invade. This is not natural order as we know it: flesh reavers roaming the wilds, those who worship evil granted with unnaturally long life spans, misery and pain spread to innocent folk. We have a duty to protect this land and bring justice to our foes”
Thackery resumes his stance, “Soon you will be called upon to serve your Queen and Country. Magic is flowing more than ever through the land and with it come those who would misuse it for their own gain. Take heed, for even now our enemies are amongst us.” The image of the three fades and I awaken to moonlight filtering in through the window.
It’s only the next day that I am called to the office again, this time to handle the case of a missing child. Minister Caudecus is even on hand to speak to me in person. Is it me, or does Logan’s hair seem especially lustrous in the golden light here?
The boy, named Garand, is an orphan out for a field trip to the carnival. Reports state that a person calling himself the “Ringmaster” is in charge of the carnival under the patronage of Caudecus.
I remember as a child hearing stories of a man known only as the Ringmaster traveling through Queensdale and the lands beyond. I had seen him a few times, but despite his long ranging travels his appearance never changed. A top hat and long tailed coat, a fiddly little mustache and deep set eyes that looked through you as if they were staring into the heart of the Mists beyond space and time.
We were all entranced by his stories of strange lands and gifts of bizarre little gizmos. Whenever he left, though, one or two of us would disappear. We all felt a little scared when he turned up, but also excited. Obviously he was recruiting us for the carnival, as street children could draw a crowd and they didn’t have to be paid as much as professional entertainers. Eventually those he took with him would become apprentices and then grow up to be experts in show business themselves. It was a chance to see our friends leave the street rat way of life and make something of themselves, which is why these absences were never reported. Besides, it’s not like anyone else would care enough to search for us in those days.
I head down to the brightly colored tents in Eastern Commons where, to my surprise, in the audience I see Riot Alice standing and cheering just like any school girl. It’s nice to see someone who enjoys the circus as much as I do, but when I try talking to her about it, she pretends the show is all just a bunch of nonsense to trick the populace into a life of ignorant bliss and complacency. Still, she seems pretty excited to see the Ringmaster walk out onto the stage to announce the day’s acts.
Instantly, I know he’s the same man who would come to the neighborhood. He hasn’t changed at all, except for the strange aura that now emanates from him. I look around, but no one else seems to notice anything strange about him and I assume I can sense the darkness from my connection with the Mists.
Today’s entertainment include Boris the Beast, who calls an unfortunate bystander up to the stage to smash the giant boulder right beside him. Predictably, the audience member fails and Boris himself must take up the task.
Next is psychic Madame Gilda who calls out to Alice, which may not be her real name, to “search for a faith below the city.” Alice’s father apparently disappeared into the Great Collapse that swallowed the former Arts District, now Crown Pavillion. How did Madame Gilda know about Alice’s father vanishing below the city? Alice did mention her father’s disappearance during the collapse, maybe Madame Gilda heard it from another one of Alice’s friends. Could Alice’s “faith” in a conspiracy behind the Collapse be what the psychic is talking about? Still, a chill runs down my spine.
Finally, The Fabulous Chakravarti, a famous animal tamer that lets his Pernicious Viper get loose amongst the crowd.
I handle the creature quickly and the Ringmaster announces the end of the day’s show, reminding us all to purchase one the newest toys on the market, the Floating Grizwhirl.
I interview all three entertainers as well as Alice, and Boris points me in the direction of the stables. I take a look around, but all I find is some dusty old costumes. That is, until I hear some chittering coming from one of the corners.
It turns out the carnival has a real pest problem, as I am ambushed by a series of large spiders lurking in the corners of the room. I continue poking at a various shapeless tarps draped over strange mechanical contraptions. They appear to be humanoid clockwork mannequins, probably for use in entertaining the children in the audience. These machines seem incredibly intricate to be deployed as entertainment, though. I wonder who could have created such ingenious mechanisms. My inquisitive nature seems to alert the carnies, as a few take issue enough to physically attack me. Strangely, they seem to be unaware of their own actions, stumbling around and mumbling incoherently. Are they drunk? One would certainly have to be to attack a friend of the Seraph!
I quickly dispatch them and make my way back to Seraph Headquarters where I meet with Captain Thackery. His suspicions mirror my own as carnivals have always had a seedier image as bandit havens as well as entertainment. This particular show is based out of Beettletun, hometown of Minister Caudecus. This is a delicate situation, for the Minister has expressly hired the carnival to entertain in various districts of Divinity’s Reach and Beetletun. Any wrongdoing by them could be linked to Caudecus thus possibly ruining his political career. The Captain feels a more subtle approach is called for. He requests that I infiltrate the carnival in Beetletun and out what the Floating Grizwhirl has to do with everything as well as keeping an eye open for the missing boy.
I journey to Beetletun, my heart skipping a beat at the chance to fulfil a lifelong dream. I remember practicing my tightrope walking over the streets of the Salma District, gingerly balancing on the clothes lines and hopping along the roofs of the houses. Not even the old ruins in town were free from my escapades. Quinn would steal us both some apples and I’d do juggling and magic tricks, somehow always winding up with his apple as well. Occasionally we’d get an audience, and some of the other children would work the crowd begging, while others helped themselves to the audiences’ unattended wallets.
As I approach the small carnival grounds, my excitement ebbs and I focus on my mission. Here stands a Clown, a Mime, and a Tamer. I have to impress these three circus professionals is I am to gain access to the inner workings of the carnival here.
The Clown demands that I make a joke worthy of the great tradition of clowning. I come up with something that would make people laugh at its awfulness. I still get a chuckle out the Clown and I pass. It looks like he was actually looking for someone who wouldn’t upstage him anytime soon, rather than a good clown.
The Tamer sicks her stalker cats on me in a challenge of physical prowess. I defeat them, but not without coming away scratched and bruised from the fight. In her eyes, I am part of the crew now.
But there is one more challenge left, and despite the Mime’s high brow lectures, this is a test of reflexes more than intelligence. I mimic his every move and eventually he is convinced I have a future in the business.
They tell me I’m welcome to stay, but I mustn’t enter the warehouse. So of course, as soon as attention is off of me, I enter the forbidden building. There I find several children wandering around in a daze.
Before I can help them, more carnies turn up, these ones just as dazed as the others I fought in the barns in the Salma District.
They seem to pass out after I give them a good beating, but the tablet I call forth to heal them restores their normal state of mind to them. The children also recover from whatever spell they are under. Everyone around me is generally confused, but I get them all out of the warehouse. I feel a pang of guilt as I watch them leave. How many of the carnies I’ve encountered were themselves missing children? Would I have been able to save them from a life of crime if I had just reported what was happening?
I leave the stockyard wondering if I am in the right career and wind up meeting Thackery, who watches in amazement as a boy matching the description the one who disappeared races by with a group of other children and adults. Thackery then turns to me and I confirm the child is Garand. Before I broke up the party in the warehouse, my three new co-workers confirmed here is a meeting for new recruits out by Black Haven. The Captain wants me to put my roleplay skills to good use again.
At the rendezvous point for the new recruits, the Ringmaster appears again and as he assures us only the strong will make it through this final test, I feel myself becoming lulled into a reverie by the Floating Grizwhirl. To my shock and horror, the meeting spot has been over run with all many of monsters. Here a harpy, there a centaur, and a few others I can’t identify. I must protect the other initiates! I start beating on the creatures, the voices of the centaur healer who controls the tablet and the dwarf king Jalis are silent for once. The voices I do hear are coming from the monsters, and they are pleading for me to stop. They flee and try to avoid my attacks, but I am too swift for them. Then I hear Thackery shouting. He’s angry with me, and everytime I strike the foe before me, he shouts and runs from me. Is he the creature I am attacking?
Finally, the haze begins to lift and the image turns from that of a beast in armor to the Captain. How am I going to explain this? Maybe I should start looking into a legit career with the circus, since I’m sure neither my patron nor the Seraph will want to work with me again. While he is annoyed, Logan assures me he knew I was out of my mind. He’s just happy he didn’t have to kill me to get me to stop. We are in agreement that the Ringmaster and his hypnotic Floating Grizwhirl has to be stopped, but the only way to do that is to arrest him in the midst of his act.
We return to the carnival at Divinity’s Reach, Thackery waiting for my signal as I stand in the crowd watching the Ringmaster and his cronies proceed to hypnotize everyone, even Riot Alice. I can see the dark aura surrounding him expand, and I get an uncomfortable feeling that the Grizwhirl is simply a device to focus the Ringmaster’s innate dark energy. Is this man even human?
At the height of the performance, I give the signal, but it is a moment too late. I try to shout for everyone not to look, but even Thackery seems to loose his mind to the Floating Grizwhirl. The Ringmaster is trying to convince Logan to go to Queen Jennah and strangle her, thus ending the monarchy and throwing Kryta into turmoil ripe for invasion.
Before I know it, the crowd is on me, but my pleas have awoken Thackery from his daze and now he shoots infront of me, baring the brunt of the sorcerer’s attacks. As the Ringmaster darts to the rear of the crowd, I try to do my best to push through the throngs of innocents, my weapons flinging open fissures of Mist energy. I finally corner the fiend, but, grinning devilishly, he spreads his arms wide and I see a blackness rise from behind him where his shadow would be. I can only get a few swings in on the villainous leader before I black out.
When I come to, Thackery is once again helping me up to my feet, his large gauntlet clad hand engulfing my own. He tells me the Ringmaster has been defeated and the carnival itself will soon be dismantled. I ask about Queen Jennah, if she is all right, and this time Logan blushes a little. I stare in bewilderment as he explains that Countess Anise was in the audience as well, observing the Ringmaster’s energy. According to her research with Durmand Priory and honed senses, this man was definitely the same person from years ago. His ability to conjure a shadow beast to attack the Seraph and his unchanging nature means he has tapped into a powerful source of magic, perhaps even one of the Elder Dragons. I remember what Jalis had said about unnatural life spans. If others had learned to harness this dark energy, many more people could be in danger.
With a spotlight shining on his connections to the carnival, the Captain has decided to commit a full on investigation of Minister Caudecus, especially if the Minister has been directly involved in ordering any of the kidnappings. Meanwhile, I am told not to travel too far. Thackery wants to speak to my patron concerning what might be my greatest adventure yet: a journey into the heart of Maguuma Jungle.
As I bed down for the night once again, I find myself once again face to face with King Jalis Ironhammer in the dreamspace. He raises his hand as a second dwarf appears, the same one from before who is still holding the massive book open and murmuring passages from it.
“So finally you will journey to the heart of Maguuma.” He holds aloft his mighty hammer and it seems to shine like the sun. “For this journey, you will need all the help you can get.” I see Ventari appear at his side, the tablet floating toward me, glowing ever more brightly the closer it gets.
“We shall lend you our power. It should prove sufficient for your next challenge,” the centaur rumbles and I feel myself become stronger, become one with the Mists.
The light swallows me and I awaken to the sun shining in my face from the window. Logan Thackery is standing in my room with a full set of armor beside him. “You’re awake, good! Let’s get you suited up. You’re headed to Maguuma Jungle!”
You can watch the full video adventure here.
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