## `=this.Storyline` **`=this.Short`** > Date: **`=this.SessionDate`** | Players: **`=this.Players`** > Location: **`=this.Location`** | Game: **`=this.Game`** ##### Summary The Emperor begins their first major expansion by crossing his army across the sea to the region of Dadian. His invasion is temporarily stalled by the heroics of Havian, a humble potter turned leader of men. > [!NOTE]- Full Story > **Act One** > There is a fear throughout the land that there is a darkness that consumes. Stories of it are told to children and around campfires in the night. > > The region of [[Vandera]] had a caste based society that places great value in stability. The capital city was [[Helios]] where all the noble families held court. The [[TechWiz Consortium]] recently unveiled a new technology that seems poised to change the world. This was the [[Retrievers]], automatons that can serve in all sorts of ways. The technology seemed to be magic based, but the cost to use that magic was a secret known only to the [[TechWiz Consortium|TechWizzes]]. The success of this technology also allowed for upward mobility in the once rigid caste system and threatened the stability of the existing caste system. > > On the west coast was the fishing village of [[Troutville]]. This village was of vital importance to the region as the base of the [[Sea Trout]] fishing industry. The [[Sea Trout]] were giant, dangerous monsters that served as the main staple of the Dadian diet. Between [[Troutville]] and [[Helios]] was the [[Fish Highway]] (also know as the Fishway) which served as the main artery of the region. > > Meanwhile, across the sea in [[Eldreth]], [[Emperor Falon|Emperor Falos]] has been in power for over a hundred years. He has used time magic to extend his life. Members of the populace are encouraged to give some of their time to their leader in exchange for favors. Otherwise, magic has become all but inaccessible to most of the populace. The [[Magic Guild]] still practices but to become a powerful mage means to have your time sucked out of you and join the rows of statues that line the walls of the Emperor's throne room. > > [[Havian]] started in [[New Potash]], which was at the time a sovereign island, though still considered a territory of [[The Falonian Empire]]. He was convinced by [[Kamen]] to go afield and try to find the means to overthrow the [[Emperor Falon|Emperor]]. Maybe he could find [[Artiston]], where the power of the [[Miracle Box]] came from. [[Kamen]] recognized [[Havian]]'s natural charisma but also his malleability. She hoped that his journeys could bring him back with an army to defeat the [[Emperor Falon|Emperor]]. > > [[Havian]] set out across the sea but never found [[Artiston]]. He was caught in a terrifying storm and his ship was destroyed. > > Around this time, a black sheep of one of the noble families, [[Mota]], was cast out of polite society. She decided to travel the world to see what she could learn and find purpose. She arrived at [[Fastin]], a small village where no one recognized her. She spent a while living there in anonymity. > > [[Havian]] washed ashore in a [[hidden cove]] in the region of [[Vandera]]. He was met by [[The Oracle]] and [[Urterian]], who came down from the mountain after seeing a vision of [[Havian]]. They brought the hero to a cave, known as the [[Cave of the Hero]], and nursed him back to health. [[Urterian]] claimed to be part of an aid society and led the hero north to an enclave where the Hero's true destiny could be nurtured. In truth, [[Urterian]] worked for the [[Emperor Falon|Emperor]] and hoped to manipulate events to prevent [[Havian]] from challenging the [[Emperor Falon|Emperor]]'s power. > > [[Havian]] began to gain followers as curious folk flocked to his [[RPGs/The New World/Geography/Places/Havian's Encampment]]. As word spread, [[Melody]] left his exalted position in [[Helios]]. His goal was to track down [[Havian]] and use him as a tool to restore society to the old way, before the [[Retrievers]]. He arrived at the encampment and quickly ingratiated himself to [[Havian]] and set about convincing him to come to Helios. > > In a [[Strange Glade]] in the south, a[[Darklight Tree]] was discovered. It grew very straight and tall and had peculiar leaves. On one side, the leaves were black as night and on the other, pure white. A shine was built around it and many marveled at its mystery. Some believed that the black and white leaves would eventually mingle when society was made whole again. [[Mota]] made a pilgrimage here after spending some time anonymously in the village. > > In [[Helios]], [[The Back Hand]], a movement of revolutionaries was started. Members of the lower castes began to organize, galvanizing around the promise of hope that [[Havian]] represented. A zine called [[The Daily Howler]] published the first manifesto of this movement and started to report on the world from the people's perspective. > > In the early days of the war, before the populace was behind [[Havian]], an [[Dita]] had an exhibition in Helios. The pieces showcased all depicted [[Havian]] as as demon of darkness - The Destroyer of the Mountain. > > Many of the ancient children stories were about the darkness and the fear that it brought. With the arrival of the hero who didn't fear darkness, many of the stories were changed to include that arrival of light at the end of the story. > > --- > **Act Two** > The [[TechWiz Consortium|TechnoWizzes]] had always been rather secretive. Most barely knew of their existence before the coming of the [[Retrievers]], and even after they were just a brand name on a machine. This changed when they mad a few PR moves. First, they opened their doors to tours of their [[TechWiz Towers|facilities]] and quickly became a destination for many. This was a calculated move to increase their public presence. > > The second was a big unveiling of a secret project. There was a tiny fishing village in the north called [[Letham]]. The [[TechWiz Consortium|TechnoWizzes]] moved into this town a few years ago and built a [[Colossus Factory|factory]] to produce [[The Colossus]], a giant autonomous sea vessel designed to hunt the [[Sea Trout]]. A giant christening celebration was held that attracted all the most powerful nobles from [[Helios]]. Shockingly, the celebration ended in a bloodbath with all the family heads being assassinated (by agents of the [[Emperor Falon|Emperor]]). At first, [[Melody]] was accused and put on trial but he escaped to rejoin [[Havian]]'s party. > > News started filtering back to [[Eldreth]]. A [[The Crumbling Mountain Song Cycle]] about a distant mountain crumbling started becoming popular and many thought it was a portent that whatever force was causing that would eventually turn its attention on the Old World. This did not go unnoticed to the [[Emperor Falon|Emperor]] who sent an army to occupy [[New Potash]] to use as a staging area to invade [[Vandera]]. > > At [[Havian]]'s [[RPGs/The New World/Geography/Places/Havian's Encampment]], [[Talee]] had become a close confidant as well, joining the unofficial advisory council along with [[Urterian]], [[The Oracle]] and [[Melody]]. [[Havian]] and his followers began a march towards [[Helios]]. The [[Dadian Nobility]] (minus their family heads) saw this as an invasion and reacted accordingly, first shoring up the city's defenses. The [[TechWiz Consortium|TechnoWizzes]] also provided a new model of [[Retrievers|Retriever]], called the [[Defenders]] that were conveniently already produced in good numbers. > > The [[Dadian Nobility|nobles]] sent an army of mercenaries and [[Defenders]] to meet [[Havian]]. The two forces clashed at [[The Battle of the Foothills]] in the shadow of the [[Oracle Mountain]]. Both sides suffered significant losses. [[Havian]] lost an arm in the fight but persevered and eventually won the day. > > [[Kazir]], who was on the side of the nobles at the start of the battle, defected. She quickly became the right hand man of [[Havian]], much to the dismay of [[Talee]], who felt displaced. > > [[Black & White]] became a popular sport during this time. The game involved teams in either black or white and a tree like structure. Players could be flipped from black to white and the reverse with the goal being for one side to eliminate the other side. > > --- > **Act Three** > The [[Emperor Falon|Emperor]] mobilized his forces and sets up a staging area on a mostly uninhabited island known as [[Warrior's End]] (or War's End) depending on who you ask). The island is in striking distance to Troutville. Meanwhile, [[Troutville]] is seeing its economy drying up due to [[The Colossus]]'s success (which would eventually drive the [[Sea Trout]] into extinction). The people of [[Troutville]] agree to an alliance with the [[Emperor Falon|Emperor]], who promised a return to prosperity. The [[Emperor Falon|Emperor]] started moving his forces to an encampment just outside of [[Troutville]]. > > In [[Helios]], [[The Back Hand]] were successful and overthrow the noble ruling class. Some nobles flee the city, but many more are killed. This new regime welcomes [[Havian]] into the city. The [[TechWiz Consortium|TechnoWizzes]], opportunists as they were, try to join with the revolutionaries as well. They make a new [[TechWiz arm]] as a gift for The Hero. They are met with suspicion and the [[TechWiz Consortium|TechnoWizzes]] began to withdraw from their public relations campaign amidst claims that their tech is becoming glitchy. > > In the glade in the south, the [[Darklight Tree]] suddenly lost all its leaves as a strange wind began to blow. The leaves swirled in the breeze, mingling the black and white leaves into a blur of grey. > > A war council was convened in [[Helios]]. [[Havian]] was joined by [[Urterian]], [[The Oracle]], [[Talee]] and [[Kazir]]. [[Mota]], just returned from his pilgrimage, also joins the council. It was decided to muster all available forces and march to meet the threat of the [[Emperor Falon|Emperor]]. [[Melody]] was instrumental in the plans and was promised control of the [[TechWiz Consortium]] after the campaign. His hope was to use the technology to revive old traditions (his catch phrase was "Look to the Mountain"). > > Before the march, [[Talee]] became overcome with feelings of resentment and anger at being replaced by [[Kazir]]. He snuck into her tent at night, intent on killing her. [[Kazir]] was expecting this move, and instead killed [[Talee]]. > > [[Havian]]'s army began its march. Along the way, [[Urterian]] was outed as a man of the [[Emperor Falon|Emperor]] and was imprisoned in [[Coldrest]], a village along the way. > > The two armies clashed in [[The Battle of the Fishway]]. It was a battle, I don't know. The [[Emperor Falon|Emperor]]'s forces were repelled and driven back to [[Warrior's End]] and [[Havian]] was triumphant. > > [[The Oracle]] has a final vision and became more or less catatonic for the rest of her days. She saw the [[Darklight Tree]] with it's leaves swirling in a gale. While most of what she babbled was nonsense, the main thrust of her interpretation was that ultimately this all meant nothing. The Emperor is inevitable and will return to conquer the New World. > > There was a story being told in taverns and around campfires of a [[Secret Townx]] founded in the wild lands of the New World. There are many versions of the story. One says the town is comprised of rogue [[Retrievers]]/[[Defenders]]. Another says it is a secret sect of mages from [[RTameda]]. Invariably the story is tied to the theme of dark and light saying that the town will eventually be responsible for bringing either light or darkness to all the lands. > > Many of the broken down [[Retrievers]]/[[Defenders]] were re-used as civic art installation pieces. > > [[Dita]], the artist from Act Two, painted over all his demon paintings to depict The Hero as The Defender of the Mountain. Future art historians will discover this when the technology is available. > > --- > **Epilogue** > [[Kamen]] travels to the New World in the hopes of bringing [[Havian]] and his army back to [[Eldreth]]. [[Havian]] refuses, instead deciding to stay and help build a better new world in [[Vandera]] and protect it from any future incursion by the [[Emperor Falon|Emperor]]. > > [[The Oracle]] is taken back to her tower on the [[Oracle Mountain]] and attended by her acolytes. However, it seemed that the world had moved on and didn't need her visions anymore. She faded into anonymity and her ultimate fate was unknown. > > [[Urterian]] returned to [[Eldreth]], hoping to bring secrets to help with a future invasion. While in prison though, he had a [[TechWiz device]] fused to him that would stop him from divulging secrets. The [[Magic Guild]] set about trying to figure out how to overcome the devices functions. > > [[Kazir]] spent many years by [[Havian]]'s side, helping to form the new order. After 10 years, she decided he had learned all that she could from [[Havian]]. She set out to try to find answers to the mystery of the [[Darklight Tree]]. > > [[Melody]] never really got what he wanted. The [[TechWiz Consortium|TechnoWizzes]] were never under his control and he suspected it had something to do with the [[TechWiz arm]] they gave [[Havian]]. He tried to repair things with the remnants of the noble families but ultimately died without achieving his goals.