Flames of Hyperion
02-23-14, 05:01 AM
Those of you brave or foolish enough to read through my latest solo, Ternion (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?26986-Ternion), might have noticed cryptic references to the main character (Nanashi) briefly wreaking havoc amongst the slavers in Archen. Specifically, by utterly destroying their bases of operation there, bringing to bear lots and lots of cleansing flame. Not that this has eradicated them completely, as is attested to in Bitterwood Watch (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?23896-Bitterwood-Watch) and an upcoming thread for Kayu amongst others. But it's a start.
Why am I telling you this? What I'd like to do is to revisit these events. In a collaborative quest rather than a solo, weaving together multiple storylines into a single tangled snarl I'm tentatively calling the Night of Sundered Shackles.
***
Premise: Wreaking havoc amongst the Vorgruk-Stoke slavers in Archen, by destroying their bases of operation there in lots and lots of cleansing flame. This marks the beginning of the transition of underworld power from Vorgruk-Stokes, who've seized power in Salvar by weapons-running during the Civil War and now have a distant puppet member of their lineage on the throne, to the Company.
Setting: Archen, three months after the conclusion of the FQ (Salvic Civil War, and the Corpse War in Raiaera). Archen is a fortified trading post (timber houses and mead halls, grey granite towers, domed kirks and central castle, surrounded by old stone wall) known as the Gateway to the North. It's been badly scarred by battle - the kirks have all been ransacked during the uprising against the Ethereal Sway, and not all have been fully rebuilt; similarly, the city walls and central keep badly damaged by the Church's bitter retaking of the city. Even now, tensions run deep between weakened Church and the nobility, allowing Vorgruk-Stokes to dictate the balance of power. Further highlights include:
many inns and brothels to cater to the caravan trade (including one called Penhaligon's).
numbered granite-arched gates (First Gate, Second Gate, etc.).
the aeromancer's tower dominating the southern skyline, taller still than the keep at the centre of the town.
busy market squares, teeming with people taking advantage of the new-found stability to fleece their profits.
lumber mills and tanning pits for processing raw wood and hides, again starting to work up to full capacity again.
the ancient cobbled north-south road, nicknamed the 'Wolf Trail', heavily guarded by Vorgruk-Stokes mercenaries.
Stokes's Estate, the administrative headquarters of Vorgruk and Stokes, about an afternoon's ride southwards.
The Competing Factions:
Vorgruk-Stokes (Burning Hammer and Fist): the main antagonists, merchants and weapons runners now growing fat off the flesh trade. Well-equipped mercenaries and caravan guardsmen, the largest faction of the four. Generally looking to maintain the status quo, as it makes for good profit!
The King's Men (Crown and Coin): barons, knights, and their men-at-arms. Generally aligned with the City Watch against the Church. The smallest faction of the four, but as well equipped as Vorgruk-Stokes mercenaries and better trained.
The Ethereal Sway (All-Seeing Eye): templars, witch-hunters, empowered priests, etc. Concerned with keeping the King and the City at bay whilst counteracting Vorgruk-Stokes's growing influence. Most likely to make use of non-standard means (including sorcery and subterfuge) to get things done.
City Watch (White Falcon): poorly equipped militiamen generally given the worst of the jobs, including sentry duty and policing the refugee camp. Claim to represent the townspeople proper, and are a relic of their rebellion against Lord and Church alike.
Our PCs:
Nanashi (Ingwe): Hero (?). He's pretty much catatonic at this point in time, not having recovered from defeating Xem'zund at the end of the Corpse War. Currently he's acting merely on the instinct that Slavery Is Bad. He's also got a bit of a death wish, although his limiter of trying not to directly harm living beings is kicking in. Having worked his way from Raiaera headed for the north, he's established a bit of a reputation for himself (the 'Scarlet Shadow') whilst crippling all the slavers he's come across so far and freeing their captives.
Luned: Heroine. Already involved with the swelling slave trade, she picks up Nanashi in Archen. Her task is to keep Nanashi alive and clear of his death wish, all the while trying to bring down the slavers who're now starting to terrorise the north of Salvar. She has prior history with Rayse.
Sei: Wise mentor. Hearing tell of the slavers while in Knife Edge, Sei decides to stop them, but fears that he's too powerful for any physical negotiations. He's also too powerful to spring on Nanashi to begin with but will be instrumental in convincing them to strike at Vorgruk-Stokes, and in urging Nanashi and Luned into action. Watches over them from afar.
Rayse: Anti-hero. Working for Vorgruk-Stokes as a Company operative, trying to deal with the growing frustration between the two. He begins by learning of Luned's involvement and trying to convince her to stay out of it, but this rapidly devolves into taking advantage of the situation in his own power play.
Possible NPCs (will be kept up to date as they're introduced IC or discussed OOC):
Innkeepers at Penhaligon's: An indolent old man verging on senility, and his xenophobic shrew-like wife. Not the best of innkeepers in not the best of establishments, he can often be found stirring a pot full of stew too grey for its own good, whilst she pesters her guests for the money to eat from it.
Vorgruk-Stokes honcho.
Basic outline: Luned to retrieve Nanashi based on their shared antagonism to the slavers, Sei to point them at Vorgruk-Stokes and their operations, Rayse to make the raid / rescue possible.
A set of prologue posts (one from each of us, preferably) establish the premise, the setting, and everybody's motives. Then we dive in immediately with Nanashi/Ingwe and Luned. Sei shows up briefly to point and push them against Vorgruk-Stokes, followed by Rayse whose concern for Luned brings him into contact with the two. Things rapidly build towards the climax (the Night of Sundered Shackles). A set of epilogue posts (again, preferably one from each of us), mirroring the prologue, finish off the thread by detailing the aftermath and tying up loose ends.
Why am I telling you this? What I'd like to do is to revisit these events. In a collaborative quest rather than a solo, weaving together multiple storylines into a single tangled snarl I'm tentatively calling the Night of Sundered Shackles.
***
Premise: Wreaking havoc amongst the Vorgruk-Stoke slavers in Archen, by destroying their bases of operation there in lots and lots of cleansing flame. This marks the beginning of the transition of underworld power from Vorgruk-Stokes, who've seized power in Salvar by weapons-running during the Civil War and now have a distant puppet member of their lineage on the throne, to the Company.
Setting: Archen, three months after the conclusion of the FQ (Salvic Civil War, and the Corpse War in Raiaera). Archen is a fortified trading post (timber houses and mead halls, grey granite towers, domed kirks and central castle, surrounded by old stone wall) known as the Gateway to the North. It's been badly scarred by battle - the kirks have all been ransacked during the uprising against the Ethereal Sway, and not all have been fully rebuilt; similarly, the city walls and central keep badly damaged by the Church's bitter retaking of the city. Even now, tensions run deep between weakened Church and the nobility, allowing Vorgruk-Stokes to dictate the balance of power. Further highlights include:
many inns and brothels to cater to the caravan trade (including one called Penhaligon's).
numbered granite-arched gates (First Gate, Second Gate, etc.).
the aeromancer's tower dominating the southern skyline, taller still than the keep at the centre of the town.
busy market squares, teeming with people taking advantage of the new-found stability to fleece their profits.
lumber mills and tanning pits for processing raw wood and hides, again starting to work up to full capacity again.
the ancient cobbled north-south road, nicknamed the 'Wolf Trail', heavily guarded by Vorgruk-Stokes mercenaries.
Stokes's Estate, the administrative headquarters of Vorgruk and Stokes, about an afternoon's ride southwards.
The Competing Factions:
Vorgruk-Stokes (Burning Hammer and Fist): the main antagonists, merchants and weapons runners now growing fat off the flesh trade. Well-equipped mercenaries and caravan guardsmen, the largest faction of the four. Generally looking to maintain the status quo, as it makes for good profit!
The King's Men (Crown and Coin): barons, knights, and their men-at-arms. Generally aligned with the City Watch against the Church. The smallest faction of the four, but as well equipped as Vorgruk-Stokes mercenaries and better trained.
The Ethereal Sway (All-Seeing Eye): templars, witch-hunters, empowered priests, etc. Concerned with keeping the King and the City at bay whilst counteracting Vorgruk-Stokes's growing influence. Most likely to make use of non-standard means (including sorcery and subterfuge) to get things done.
City Watch (White Falcon): poorly equipped militiamen generally given the worst of the jobs, including sentry duty and policing the refugee camp. Claim to represent the townspeople proper, and are a relic of their rebellion against Lord and Church alike.
Our PCs:
Nanashi (Ingwe): Hero (?). He's pretty much catatonic at this point in time, not having recovered from defeating Xem'zund at the end of the Corpse War. Currently he's acting merely on the instinct that Slavery Is Bad. He's also got a bit of a death wish, although his limiter of trying not to directly harm living beings is kicking in. Having worked his way from Raiaera headed for the north, he's established a bit of a reputation for himself (the 'Scarlet Shadow') whilst crippling all the slavers he's come across so far and freeing their captives.
Luned: Heroine. Already involved with the swelling slave trade, she picks up Nanashi in Archen. Her task is to keep Nanashi alive and clear of his death wish, all the while trying to bring down the slavers who're now starting to terrorise the north of Salvar. She has prior history with Rayse.
Sei: Wise mentor. Hearing tell of the slavers while in Knife Edge, Sei decides to stop them, but fears that he's too powerful for any physical negotiations. He's also too powerful to spring on Nanashi to begin with but will be instrumental in convincing them to strike at Vorgruk-Stokes, and in urging Nanashi and Luned into action. Watches over them from afar.
Rayse: Anti-hero. Working for Vorgruk-Stokes as a Company operative, trying to deal with the growing frustration between the two. He begins by learning of Luned's involvement and trying to convince her to stay out of it, but this rapidly devolves into taking advantage of the situation in his own power play.
Possible NPCs (will be kept up to date as they're introduced IC or discussed OOC):
Innkeepers at Penhaligon's: An indolent old man verging on senility, and his xenophobic shrew-like wife. Not the best of innkeepers in not the best of establishments, he can often be found stirring a pot full of stew too grey for its own good, whilst she pesters her guests for the money to eat from it.
Vorgruk-Stokes honcho.
Basic outline: Luned to retrieve Nanashi based on their shared antagonism to the slavers, Sei to point them at Vorgruk-Stokes and their operations, Rayse to make the raid / rescue possible.
A set of prologue posts (one from each of us, preferably) establish the premise, the setting, and everybody's motives. Then we dive in immediately with Nanashi/Ingwe and Luned. Sei shows up briefly to point and push them against Vorgruk-Stokes, followed by Rayse whose concern for Luned brings him into contact with the two. Things rapidly build towards the climax (the Night of Sundered Shackles). A set of epilogue posts (again, preferably one from each of us), mirroring the prologue, finish off the thread by detailing the aftermath and tying up loose ends.