Chapter One Summaries

[Ashiakin]

DO NOT REPLY TO THIS UNLESS YOU WERE TOLD TO!

For more basic, introductory information on Salvar and the chapter one situation, please consult this thread: http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=8668.

One month has passed since the Church of the Ethereal Sway launched a bloody civil war against Salvar’s monarchy and feudal institutions. Almost all major cities remain in royalist hands, but the Church has taken control of vast swathes of rural farmland and many country estates. The capital, Knife’s Edge, is split between the two sides with the Church controlling the city west of the river known as The Knife and the royalists holding the city east of the river. An uneasy truce has settled, but sporadic clashes are common.

The Justice of the Church who initiated the war, Lev Testhan, was slain by a band of royalist assassins. However, the Church’s most revered figure, Saint Denebriel, has risen from obscurity to take command of the Church and its war. She remains in St. Denebriel’s Cathedral in the west of Knife’s Edge. King Iorlan Rathaxea is rumored to have fled the city for a safer command post, but this has not been confirmed.

Most of Salvar’s large peasant population has sided with the Church, while the royalists maintain the support of the nobility and the military. Salvar’s class of tradesmen and merchants has been cautious, but seem to tilt toward the monarchy after its repeal of previous acts that were deemed to cut into their business interests.

Salvar’s ruling institutions are largely in shambles, with law and order having been absent for nearly a month. Riots and looting are commonplace. There has been a general breakdown in the ability of people to live their lives as they normally would.

Worst of all, a particularly harsh winter is settling in. Previous food shortages have been compounded by the war. There are worries about famine. Many of the weather towers that Salvar’s aeromancers use to ameliorate the cold and snow have fallen into disrepair or been the victims of mobs or terrorists, only worsening the weather.

Salvar is settling into sporadic violence and despair with no hope in sight.

[Ashiakin]

Chapter One Thread Summaries

All of the MQs from Chapter One should be summarized by their leader or a participant with the leader’s permission. Rayse Valentino’s Rise of the Underground and Christoph’s Lords of the Night are also included, though not MQs. Summaries should be between 50 and 250 words. Please format yours like I do mine.

This is a list of threads still needing summaries:
MQ: Arms of Gold
MQ: Shadows of the Cathedral

[Ashiakin]

MQ: Scaling Heaven

Participants: Ashiakin and Dorian

Summary: At the orders of King Iorlan Rathaxea, Ashiakin and two companions—a noblewoman and an ex-priest—set off to break into St. Denebriel’s Cathedral and assassinate the leader of the Church of the Ethereal Sway, Justice Lev Testhan. Along the way, they run into a composer named Dorian who seems to be a person that the King alerted the assassins to keep watch over. With Dorian under their protection, they proceed to confront and slay Lev Testhan, only to have Denebriel return.

Link: http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=8834

[Rayse Valentino]

Participants: Rayse Valentino and Teric Bloodrose

Summary: A few days before the war, an eerie stillness and hushed voices plagued the city of Knife's Edge. Everyone knew the war was coming, but many chose to continue their lives regardless. Rayse was one of those people, and after getting blackmailed into an impossible job, he recruited Teric Bloodrose and set off to assassinate the various crime bosses of the city. Along the way, Rayse learns of the war's true intent and of Denebriel, though he keeps this information to himself. Rayse and Teric's job ends at the outbreak of the war, and they both decide to leave the city to found The Company in Corone.

Links: http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=9108
http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=10170

[Christoph]

Lords of the Night

Participants: Christoph, Elijah Morendale, Chiroptera

Summary:Chris and Elijah are traveling with a merchant caravan through Salvar just prior to the civil war, both on their way to their respective homes. On the way, they cross paths with Eltarri in a village under siege by the Vampire Lord Kincaid.

At that point, it is revealed that the caravan was actually a band of Sway agents working in disguise. Their leader, the Warrior Priest Malachi, quickly gets everything in order (arresting and interrogating the mayor, who was a minion of Kincaid). Ultimately, they rally the town’s militia and take the fight right to the vampire and his legion of the undead. A battle commences, in which several Sway agents and over a hundred villagers are killed. In the end, the battle is still won.

Finally, it is revealed that Kincaid was a minion of Xem’Zund operating in Salvar, and that Malachi had been instructed to eliminate him. The priest is also instructed by his superior to stay alive at all costs, though he wasn’t given a clear reason why, other than an cryptic mention of him being a “Seal-bearer.”

Chris, Elijah, and Eltarri all leave the village, but not before Chris takes the Vampire’s enchanted sword for himself.



When Blood Runs Cold.

Participants: Christoph, Witchblade, Elijah, and Molotov.

Summary: Chris finally returns home after crossing paths with Witchblade. However, the entire town is quiet and living in fear because a band of Sway agents had recently moved through and terrorized the place. They killed Christopher’s mother. Upon getting a physical description of their leader, the chef realizes that it was Malachi and his minions. Enraged, he goes on a quest for revenge along with Witchblade and his new acquaintance, Molotov. Elijah, disturbed by Knighton’s sudden bloodlust, bails out and leaves.

They track Malachi for several days, and wind up “interrogating” a farmer to discover which direction the band went. After threats, violence, and some other drama, they find out that the Way agents were heading South, to Alerar.


Lords of the Night.
When Blood Runs Cold.

[Godhand]

I asked Ashiakin if I should post in this, but he never got back to me. Normally Shyam would do this stuff, but he's gone and I certainly don't trust any of the other dumbasses I quested with to get this right.

MQ: Arms of Gold

Summary: This was Godhand, Djakara, and another couple of non-entities getting together to run some guns from Alerar to Salvar. We had to cut through some hostile territory and ended up getting attack by a whole stronghold of Church monkeys. I don't know what the proper word for them is. But they were in the middle of getting attacked by the folks still loyal to the throne. All in all, the battle involved about four hundred people. Jame killed that Church's head, Godhand murdered the Goddess' champion, and the rest of the troops mopped up the generals. All in all, the battle was won by the caravan instead of Salvar's troops. This fact is what later compels Djakara to reveal to Alerar's king that the country of Salvar is ailing, the war is more or less winding down and that the time is right for an invasion. This, in turn, is what sparks the second chapter of the FQ. For Salvar's side, anyway.