06/03/05

The Battle of Sky Mountain

It was the year 1512, by Throalic reckoning, and the Second Theran War had just ended. The Fortress of Triumph was in the hands of Omasu and the Liferock Rebellion, the once-proud citadel of Sky Point was now just a shattered ruin, and the city of Vivane is home only to Horrors and their spawn. The United Barsaivian forces had returned to their old homes, and their old ways.

In the southwestern part of Barsaive, just north of the Delaris Mountains, lay a small farming village Named Samsara, Sperethiel for “the Beginning”. Samsara was founded by a handful of Name-givers, each looking for a quiet place to settle and raise their children. Over time, members of many different races settled here, expanding this quiet village into a medium-sized farming community, with plenty of room to grow.

Inside the town, three friends met each other in front of the inn: Nazeer Narinian, whose parents raised sheep and cattle outside the village; Buulgath Ghosttouched, who worked for his father in the slaughterhouse, prepping and butchering animals for storage or for trade; and Phylinius Goldstar, who worked for his parents in the inn, cooking, cleaning, and occasionally singing for the guests. It was evening, and having finished their chores the three are prepared for another night’s mischief.

Before they had a chance to get started, however, an unforgettable sight took their minds off the fun: a tremendous fireball streaked across the sky, bigger than anything they’d ever seen. At first, it seems to be headed straight towards the town, but then it passes overhead, and they can see it for what it is: it’s a burning airship, and it’s going to crash.

The ship came down less than a mile outside town, and the three friends ran to investigate. Within the wreckage, they found a Human dressed in strange clothing, and clutching a scroll-case to his horribly burned body. With his dying breath, he pleaded with them: “Don’t let the Therans find this…”

Unsure of what to do, Buulgath suggested that they ask the only Adept they know of: Obrulon, an Obsidiman reputed to be a Nethermancer, who lived on the outskirts of town near the woods. They made their way quickly to his hut, and found that Obrulon is not alone: a Dwarf and an Ork are relaxing by his fire as the three boys burst in, each trying to talk over the other about what has just happened. Obrulon calms them, gets them to tell him the entire story, and then examines the scroll. The Ork, a Scout Named Gram Sawtooth, says that by the writing on it the scroll is from Marac, a distant country across the Aras Sea. The Dwarf, Jacob Stonebender, used his Troubadour Talents to read the writing on the scroll, and tells the group that it is plans of some kind for a tremendous vessel, bigger than anything he’d ever seen.

Before they can finish reading it, however, a terrible explosion is heard from the village. Obrulon extinguishes the lights, and the Gram gestures the boys to the window, pushing their heads down as they gawk at the carnage outside: two Theran kilas are hovering over Samsara, raining fire down upon the defenseless village. The villagers are running for their lives, only to be met by Theran troops outside the village, who slaughter any that escape the flames. The three friends could only stare and weep as everyone they knew and loved were slaughtered by the marauders.

The three Adepts moved quickly, gathering equipment and weapons. They took the boys with them, instructing them to keep quiet, knowing that the Therans would surely head for the outskirts of town next to finish the job. Together, under the cover of night, the six of them snuck off into the forest, turning back only long enough to for Obrulon to ignite his hut with a spell, leaving no evidence of their passage.

Jacob told the group that he knew of a Human from Marac, who might be able to translate the scroll completely and tell them more about it. Once they knew more about the scroll and it’s contents, they could better decide what to do. This Human lived in the Thieves City of Kratas, and could be hired for a reasonable sum. But the journey to Kratas was a perilous one, he said, and he had no desire to drag along three boys who couldn’t look after themselves. But, he said with a twinkle in his eye, three Adepts who could pull their own weight would be welcome. The boys jumped at this chance to learn the ways of magic, and apprenticed themselves to the remaining members of the Crimson Sash.

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