A game set in Amalur, a world where Fate is a real and inmutable truth. It's your job to survive in demons, crazy fanatics and who knows what else in this goddamned land.
Amalur is a world governed by Fate. From the loftiest of kings to the poorest of beggars, their lot has always preordained. Love, Sorrow, Joy, Tragedy, Life, Valour, Defeat, Death… these concepts are carved into the weave of Fate, immutable and firm. Whether the people know of their eventual destiny is of no consequence. Fate cannot be denied.
Or so it was thought. The world is shifting.
After centuries of the world spinning on its axis, there is a change in the air. The plants can feel it and they would speak of it, were they able to talk. The rocks can sense it and they would grumble about it, should they be capable of understanding what it is. The seas and the winds can perceive it, and they would carry the news if only they had voices to use. I am Awake.
And though its effects are long lasting, this shift is invisible for those that would be most affected by this change – like a sudden summer storm, it is only when it's already pouring that we recognize the shift in the weather. I can see You.
Even now, the first signs of this momentous change can already be felt. Magic, the wondrous gift available only to a scant few, has surged within the mundane races after centuries lying dormant in their hearts and their minds. Though the elves had been stumped at first at the sudden appearance of magical potential in the human races, it was a development that could not be denied and it would not be contained, either. I can taste your curiosity.
As the new Age of Arcana began its first steps in the spring of 2031 NW (New World), magic in the world grew more potent, as if a slothful beast had finally awoken at last. By now, little more than a couple centuries since the fact, it has spread rapidly over those races that had been previously thought to be utterly deadened to magic, like fire raging through a dry forest. The balance of power between the different people of Amalur has changed irreversibly and the elves are no longer the prime race in terms of magical potential, even if their outstanding legacy with it can't be denied. Your befuddlement.
This circle is turning.
Whether the appearance of magic in the human races is the sign of a more profound change waiting yet to happen, no one knows. In truth, this is hardly a topic that would interest many people outside of academics, such as those from Adessa's Basilica Gnostra or the wise people of Rathir's Scholia Arcana. Can you not feel it in the air?
No indeed, it is now 2238 NW now and the Crystal War that has been raging for well over ten years now is at the forefront of everyone's minds more than anything else. It is a war between mortal and immortal races, a war of survival. The Tuatha Deohn, a fanatical sect of Winter Fae that has taken over the entirety of their Winter Court, are hellbent on exterminating the mortal races. I need your help.
It is not a war for resources or land, but rather, a war to exterminate the impure, the mortal filth. A holy crusade, called by their so-called Mountain God. I aM BrOkEn.
There are only a few that can see the corruption in the east for what it truly is, and none of them are in a position to do anything about it. Fate is not kind, or perhaps it would be better to say it is unkind in its cold apathy. Can you not hear my voice in the winds? Read my words on the stones?
Long have the Alfar led the war against the fanatical Tuatha in the east, supported by their Almain and Varani allies, the human races. Though the war has entered into a bloody stalemate, many can't help but wonder how long will it last. You look, but you do not see.
Amalur stands on the precipice of change. A precarious balance that could easily fall on either side and in the center of all, the Faelands. LiStEN tO mE!
However, none of this worries your mind. Indeed, these world-shattering dangers couldn't be further from your mind, because you have more pressing matters to worry about, isn't that right? No matter, I will come to You.
After all, you:
(Pick one)
[] have currently no idea who you are. Family, friends, job, hopes and dreams - your entire past and everything that you were before is gone, clouded and blank to you… and though you try your hardest, nothing comes to mind. In its place, you only have the mystery of your own existence – brought back from Belen's cold embrace of death and outside of Fate's grasp. If nothing else, this mystery gives you a purpose, a goal to work towards. Someone must know or understand how this has happened to you. You want answers. You will find them.
[] have been sealed away for centuries. Your prison is not an actual cell – it has no bars, no ceiling, no floor and no walls. You are each current of air in this stale nothingness, dark and unnerving. You are each strand of thought, fragmented and scattered into single motes. And yet, a very small core of you remains, unquenched by the lack of voice or thought. You will scream only when you have escaped. A single word is engraved with fire on the remains of your conscience. Freedom.
[] have your hands full overseeing operations all across the Faelands. The Crystal War continues to leave its marks on your people and you can't help but wonder whether the end will be a favorable one. Such grim thoughts are more and more frequent, yet fresh rookies too eager for glory keep being sent to support the Alfar army in the meat grinder that is the Klurikon warfront. They are sent to die on your orders. Blood and honor, armed for battle and bought with coin.
[] are no one that people would bother to know. There are no deeds to your name and few possessions to call your own. In truth, you are one single soul of the countless that reside in the Faelands, of little worth in the grand scale of things. You are untested, unproven, but those like you often hold potential yet to be untapped. It remains to be seen whether that potential will be realized… or if you will fade away into the dark, forgotten and unmourned by history. Remember my name. Remember Argul. Hello all! This is a quest set in Amalur, the world of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (and Re-Reckoning, as of September of this year). The game has always been a bit of a hidden gem to me and I thought it'd be cool to have a quest using this particular sandbox.
With that said, there are some caveats that you might want to know. Full disclosure, this is my first time running a quest and I have been away from the site (SV) for quite a bit, so don't be surprised if I make mistakes. I expect things like balance will be something that needs to be revised from time to time, we'll see.
Of course, I encourage you all to give me feedback on how I'm running the quest, I want to make it enjoyable for me, but also for you. With some luck, I won't fuck up too badly.
Given this is not really a popular setting like Harry Potter, Elder Scrolls, Worm or other works of the same caliber, I don't expect a huge turnout of people, but hopefully we can get some interest going. We'll see!
In an attempt to broaden the player base I decided to host the quest both on SB and SV. I will post a link to either thread once it's all set up.
Name: Ciara (no surname known or decided). Race: Dokkalfar Gender: Female (currently possessing a Dokkalfar man). Patron: ??? Wealth: 70 gold coins.
Level 1
EXP: 85/150
Health (HP): 100/100 Armor: ??? Mana: 85/100
Bio: You are a complete stranger to yourself. You have seen your own face, but there is little familiarity in its feminine shape. You have spent an unknown amount of time trapped in an endless void where thought was scarce and your sense of self regularly ripped into shreds. Though you have managed to escape, you have forgotten yourself. Having woken up in a strange, unfamiliar ruin, you've realized your escape also meant taking over the body of someone else, a man of your own species.
Acquaintances:
Kathryn Vuldast: An Almain woman you met in a little strange town built in the middle of nowhere, suspended in time. Somewhat stern in her demeanor, she has helped you take your first step to rebuild your identity after escaping the void. You don't know if she's still alive after the entire place imploded in itself, though. Relationship: Neutral.
Skills and Abilities
Magic
Whirlwind
A strong gust of wind that when maxed has a chance to knock back enemies, nullifying their attacks turn. [1/3]
Finesse
???
Might
???
Skills (See Mechanics post for the benefits):
Subterfuge: Lvl. 2 (Racial bonus).
Speechcraft: Lvl. 1 (Racial bonus).
Warding: Lvl. 1 (Racial bonus).
Abilities:
None as of yet.
Inventory:
Crude wooden staff [Weapon - Imbued with Fire Element].
The quest will have a mixed focus between narrative and rolls. While I don't want to to be a hardcore "You rolled a nat 1, you're ded" guy, I do want to introduce a bit of randomness through rolls, mostly through battles. Unless you guys fuck up quite badly on plans/choices (a la Stab yourself in the heart for more power) and rolls fuck you over really hard, you'll have a chance to bounce back from most failures.
That doesn't mean you can't die however, so keep that in mind when you try to go full Leeroy Jenkins on a room full of hostile Jottun almost double your height and carrying hammers whose shaft is about as thick as your torso. Try to work with a bit of common sense, is all I'm saying.
Rolls will be handled with a 1d100 + modifier(s) when applicable. This 1d100 is the baseline for a basic attack. Some spells might have additional dies added to the basic one, especially the stronger ones or those with a multi-hit.
STATS
You have three main things to keep track of. First, the usual HP and Magic bars. These will come into play during combat, but they might also be relevant in other instances.
Second, Skills and Abilities, which are explained in detail within their respective spoilered sections.
The Skills sheet covers the level of expertise on some of the general fields of study and practice that exist in Amalur. Many are ways of life in one way or another.
The races of Amalur have, through their long-chronicled history, excelled in some of these fields, to the point it has become a sort of early start for many. These are racial skills bonuses, detailed below.
Alchemy is the ability to harvest mystical reagents from the land and combine them to create powerful arcane potions.
Levels:
1: Failed experiments of potions no longer prove to be a safety hazard… unless you want them to be, of course.
2: +5 to Alchemy rolls.
3: You can now create potions with three reagents.
4: Your understanding of alchemy allows you to increase the effectiveness of restorative potions you ingest.
5: +10 to Alchemy rolls. Your manipulation of poisons and your understanding of how they work also grants you a small resistance to deadly substances.
6: You can now create potions with four reagents.
7: The bombs you use are now more effective.
8: Constant experimentation has given you enough insight to have a chance to nullify completely poisons in your system.
9: Your understanding of alchemical processes of the body allows you to enter a super heightened state of awareness when near death as a last ditch effort to survive to see another day at the cost of penalties in the next battle.
10: +15 to Alchemy rolls.
The art of creating different types of equipment, be they weapons or armor.
Levels:
1: You no longer use more than one kit to repair particularly complex or valuable equipment.
2: +5 to Smithing rolls, can now use up to three components when creating equipment.
3: You can now salvage Infrequent equipment for components.
4: You can now use up to four components when creating equipment.
5: +10 to Smithing rolls. Autosuccess when creating Novice equipment.
6: You can now salvage Rare equipment. You can now extend the lifespan of your repair kits to two pieces of equipment.
7: You can now use gems when creating equipment.
8: Autosuccess when creating Adept equipment.
9: You can apply a mastercrafted bonus when creating equipment.
10: +15 to Smithing rolls. Autosuccess when creating Master equipment.
The art of creating valuable gems through the refinement of shards. These gems can improve your equipment.
1: Increased chance of finding better quality shards when exploring the world.
2: +5 to Sagecrafting rolls.
3: You can now combine two shards of the same quality to gain one of the next highest quality.
4: Increased chance of finding better quality shards when exploring the world.
5: +10 to Sagecrafting rolls
6: You can now use pristine shards to create gems.
7: You can remove gems socketed into equipment by yourself at any Sagecraft workbench at the cost of having to choose between the gems or the equipment
8: Increased chance of finding better quality shards when exploring the world.
9: You can remove gems socketed into equipment by yourself and at no penalty at any Sagecraft workbench.
10: +15 to Sagecrafting rolls.
The arcane art of creating protective wards over an object or a place, as well as the knowledge on how to disrupt or remove them.
Levels:
1: You can now set up and dispel crude wards.
2: +5 to warding and dispelling rolls
3: You can now set up and dispel inexperienced wards
4: You can dispel weak enchantments cast on people. Stronger enchantments can be somewhat lessened, though not removed entirely.
5:+10 to warding and dispelling rolls.
6: You can dispel strong enchantments cast on people
7: You can now set up and dispel expert wards.
8: Reduces the potency of maluses afflicted by failed dispellings.
9: You can now set up and dispel master wards.
10: +15 to warding and dispelling rolls.
Your awareness of the world that surrounds you and all the secrets and threats hidden therein.
Levels:
1: Increased chance of finding loot of higher quality when exploring the world
2: +5 to awareness rolls to avoid ambushes and similar situations. +5 to perception rolls when characters lie to you.
3: +25% amount of gold found throughout the world.
4: You can spot and safely disarm traps. Adds a 1d200 to rolls for gold amount found around the world.
5: You can now detect hidden magical wards placed all over the world. Dispelling them is another matter altogether, though…
6: Increased chance of finding loot of higher quality when exploring the world. Adds a 1d300 to rolls for gold found in the world.
7: +50% amount of gold found throughout the world. +10 to awareness rolls to avoid ambushes and similar situations. +10 to perception rolls when characters lie to you.
8: Disarmed traps can now be salvaged for components.
9: Increased chance of finding loot of higher quality when exploring the world.
10: +15 to awareness rolls to avoid ambushes and similar situations. +15 to perception rolls when characters lie to you.
The merchant's art, the bartering of goods for coin or favors. An entrepreneur would certainly need a skill like this one.
Levels:
1: Improves buy and sell values from vendors.
2: +5 to rolls involving economic operations.
3: Increased chance of vendors selling Infrequent equipment.
4: Improves buy and sell values from vendors
5: +10 to rolls involving economic operations.
6: Improves buy and sell values from vendors.
7: Increased chance of vendors selling Rare equipment.
8: +15 to rolls involving economic operations.
9: Chance of vendors selling Epic equipment.
10: Small chance of vendors selling One-of-a-kind equipment pieces.
The skill of subversion, sowing strife unseen and undetected. Lies, sneaking, robbery… the skills of a thief.
Levels:
1: +5 to stealth rolls.
2: +5 to lockpicking rolls.
3: Slightly less chance of people noticing you when being robbed of their goods.
4: Your lies are now more believable in your bullshitting. +5 to rolls when trying to Lie
5: . You can now forge copies of nearly all documents that you find, given enough time. At least, everything that isn't touched by magic, mind you…
6: +10 to stealth rolls.
7: +10 to lockpicking rolls.
8: You are now more proficient trying to rob people blind. Your lies are now more believable in your bullshitting. +10 to rolls when trying to Lie.
9: +15 to stealth rolls
10: +15 to lockpicking rolls
A wink and a smile. Good orators know that sometimes, words can be more cutting or persuasive than simple steel.
Levels:
1: Bribe costs for crime if caught are decreased 10%.
2: You gain +5 to persuasion rolls.
3: You gain +5 to intimidation attempts.
4: You can now haggle with merchants for a better price on their products.
5: Bribe costs for crime are decreased 15%.
6: You gain +10 to intimidation attempts.
7: You gain a +10 bonus to persuasion rolls.
8: Bribe costs for crime are decreased 20%.
9: You gain +15 to intimidation attempts.
10: You gain a +15 bonus to persuasion rolls.
Abilities are combat talents, both active and passive, that can be learned through leveling up the MC. Most, if not all, fall under one of the three main branches (Might, Sorcery and Finesse) and while they are most often used in battle, that doesn't mean they can't have useful or interesting applications outside of it.
You will be able to put your Ability points into a single branch and specialize into it or diversify a bit and develop into a polivalent, Jack-of-all trades character.
Putting even a single point into a particular ability will unlock it (once you have the requirements for it), but they all can be further improved when spending additional points into them.
List of Abilities
Tier 1
Brutal Weaponry I: Your knowledge over Might-based weapons grows, unlocking new moves with them. [0/3] Passive.
Longsword Mastery: Your increasing mastery of the sword gives you an edge against enemies when using this weapon. [0/6 - +5 using swords when Maxed]
Hammer Mastery: Your increasing mastery of the hammer gives you an edge against enemies when using this weapon. [0/6 - +5 using hammers when Maxed]
Skillful Defense: Adds a flat number to the shield Armor rating. [0/5] Passive
Tier 2
Brutal Weaponry II: Your knowledge over Might-based weapons grows, unlocking new moves with them and granting a +5 to using Might-based weapons (Longswords, Greatswords and Hammers). [0/3] Passive, requires BW I.
Greatsword Mastery: Your increasing mastery of the greatsword gives you an edge against enemies when using this weapon. [0/6 - +5 using greatswords when Maxed] Passive
Adrenaline Surge: an ability where when the character's health runs below 25%, the character gets a short burst of extra health and a greatly increased damage output. [0/5] Passive. Cooldown: only 1 per battle.
Hardy Constitution: ability that upgrades your overall health and elemental defenses. [0/6] Passive
Quake: Earth-based spell that can be linked into a chain of three attacks. AOE. [0/5] Active.
Tier 3
Concussive Force: Stunned enemies receive much more damage. [0/5] Passive.
Aftershock: Increases the damage from Quake and grants a chance to stun. AOE. [0/5] Passive Upgrade, requires Quake.
Relentless Assault: At the cost of taking more damage, the user pursues one enemy single mindedly, ignoring a percentage of their defense roll. [0/6] Active.
Power Strike: When under the effects of Adrenaline Surge, there's a greater chance of inflicting critical strikes. [0/5] Passive Upgrade, requires Adrenaline Surge.
Tier 4
Brutal Weaponry III: Your mastery over Might-based weapons grows, unlocking new moves. [0/3] Passive, requires BW II.
Bulwark: ability causing any enemy attacking the PC to have a percent chance to be stunned. This only applies to melee attacks. [0/5] Passive
Battle Frenzy: The character is put into a berserker rage for a short period of time, dealing greater amounts of damage for a turn. When maxed, it's upgraded to 3 turns. [0/5] Active
Vengeance: When using it, there's a small chance of reflecting a percentage of damage received back to enemies. [0/6] Passive Upgrade, requires Relentless Assault.
Tier 5
Brutal Weaponry IV: Your knowledge over Might-based weapons has grown to the point of near-mastery, unlocking new moves with them and granting a +5 to using Might-based weapons (Longswords, Greatswords and Hammers). [0/3] Passive, requires BW III.
Stoneskin: When using Battle Frenzy, this ability grants additional resistance to physical attacks. [0/5] Passive Upgrade, requires Battle Frenzy.
Bloodlust: When using it, there's a small chance of gaining HP with each attack. [0/6] Passive Upgrade, requires Relentless Assault, Vengeance.
War Cry: A powerful cry that lowers damage output of all nearby enemies for an entire round. [0/5] Active.
Tier 6
Celerity: Upgrade to Battle Frenzy. When maxed, the PC will always go first in combat turns when using Battle Frenzy. [0/3] Passive Upgrade, requires Battle Frenzy, Stoneskin.
Wrath: Jumping skyward, the PC slams down onto the ground with a powerful collision that damages enemies in an AOE.
Terror: Upgrade to War Cry. When used, there is a chance for enemies to flee from battle. [0/6] Passive Upgrade, requires War Cry.
Tier I
Arcane Weaponry I: Your knowledge of arcane weapons grows, unlocking new moves with them. [0/3] Passive.
Sceptre Mastery: Your increasing mastery of the sceptres gives you an edge against enemies when using this weapon. [0/6 - +5 using sceptres when Maxed] Passive
Staff Mastery: Your increasing mastery of the staves gives you an edge against enemies when using this weapon. [0/6 - +5 using staves when Maxed] Passive
Storm Bolt: A spell that launches a burst of electrical energy that deals Lightning damage. It can stun enemies at higher levels. [0/6] Active. No cooldown.
Tier II
Arcane Weaponry II: Your knowledge of arcane weapons grows yet again, unlocking new moves with them and granting a +5 to using Sorcery-based weapons (Staves, Sceptres and Chakrams). [0/3] Passive, requires AW I.
Chakram Mastery: Your increasing mastery of the chakrams gives you an edge against enemies when using this weapon. [0/6 - +5 using chakrams when Maxed] Passive
Sphere of Protection: An ability that creates a magical barrier that blocks a percentage of damage from all incoming attacks. [0/6] Sustained - cost: 30% of maximum mana.
Mark of Flame: An ability that allows the character to tag nearby enemies with a mark of fire. When activated, the mark creates a fiery explosion. The number of enemies tagged increases with higher levels. Can apply Burning effect. [0/5] Active. Up to 3 enemies tagged when maxed. No cooldown.
Conservative Casting: A rigorous training with mana and arcane technique has allowed you to spend less mana when powering your spells. [0/5] Passive.
Tier III
Summon Faer Gorta: Use magic to create a Faer Gorta construct that will fight by your side and divert enemy attention from you. Higher levels increase the duration of the spell before breaking down. [0/6] Active.
Healing Surge: Your magic knits together flesh and bone, healing your wounds. [0/5] Active.
Chain Lightning: Increases the potency of Storm Bolt. [0/5] Passive, requires Storm Bolt.
Ice Barrage: ability that sends shards of ice into the air and crashing down onto enemies. Ice Barrage causes Freezing for 1 turn. [0/5] Active. No cooldown.
Tier IV
Arcane Weaponry III: Your knowledge of arcane weapons grows, unlocking new moves with them. [0/3] Passive, requires AW II.
Transference: ability that causes the attacks of a summoned Faer Gorta to siphon health from enemies and return it to the PC. [0/5] Passive Upgrade, requires Faer Gorta.
Sphere of Reprisal: when Sphere of Protection is cast, it also creates small magical orbs that deal damage when they hit enemies. [0/5] Passive Upgrade, requires Sphere of Protection.
Smolder: Increases Burning damage and Mark of Flame damage. [0/5] Passive, requires Mark of Flame.
Frostshackle: Increases Ice Barrage damage. Extends Duration of Freezing effect up to 3 turns. [0/5] Passive, requires Ice Barrage.
Tier V
Arcane Weaponry IV: Your knowledge of arcane weapons has grown to the point of near-mastery, unlocking new moves with them and granting a +5 to using Sorcery-based weapons (Staves, Sceptres and Chakrams). [0/3] Passive, requires AW III.
Masterful Construction: Summoned Faer Gorta now have the chance to inflict critical strikes. [0/5] Passive Upgrade, requires Faer Gorta.
Elemental Rage: A multiple-attack spell that combines the three main magics, Lightning, Fire and Frost, into a chain attack combination. [0/5] Active. Cooldown: 2 turns.
Tempest: The final stage of Storm Bolt, a hail of powerful lightning Summoned from the heavens to smite all nearby enemies. AOE spell. [0/5] Active, requires Storm Bolt and Chain Lightning. Cooldown: 3 turns.
Tier VI
Sphere of Retribution: Increases the damage of the magical orbs and has a chance of knocking them back, interrupting their actions. [0/5] Passive Upgrade, requires Sphere of Protection and Sphere of Reprisal.
Meteor: Calls large, scorching hot meteorite from the sky to blow everything to smithereens. AOE spell. [0/5] Active, requires Mark of Flame and Smolder. Cooldown: 4 turns.
Winter's Embrace: A hailstorm of ice chunks and shards that strikes everything that isn't the magic caster in a radius. AOE spell. [0/5] Active, requires Ice Barrage and Frostshackle. Cooldown: 4 turns.
Tier I
Precise Weaponry: Your knowledge of Finesse-based weapons grows, unlocking new moves with them. [0/3] Passive.
Dagger Mastery: Your increasing mastery of the daggers gives you an edge against enemies when using this weapon. [0/6 - +5 using daggers when Maxed] Passive.
Longbow Mastery: Your increasing mastery of the bow gives you an edge against enemies when using this weapon. [0/6 - +5 using a longbow when Maxed] Passive.
Shadow Flare: A burst of shadow magic that knocks back enemies, inflicting a malus on their next immediate attack. At max level, the shadow magic blinds them slightly, increasing the malus. [0/5] Active.
Assassin's Art: The art of killing people deader than dead. [0/4] Passive. Grants a +20 to assassination rolls when maxed.
Tier II
Precise Weaponry II: Your knowledge of Finesse-based weapons grows, unlocking new moves with them and adding a +5 to attack rolls when using these weapons (Longbow, Daggers and faeblades). [0/3] Passive. Requires Precise Weaponry I.
Envenomed Edge: Adds a small Poison damage on top of a regular damage roll. Has a 15% chance to inflict Poison. [0/6] Sustained.
Frost Trap: Places up to four Ice-based traps around the battlefield. Can inflict Ice. [0/4] Active. This ability uses 4d10 to roll for damage. When maxed, it uses 6d10.
Faeblade Mastery: Your increasing mastery of the faeblades gives you an edge against enemies when using this weapon. [0/6 - +5 using faeblades when Maxed] Passive.
Drawpower: Your arrow shots now have the chance to ignore 5% of a defense roll/armor. [0/5] Passive Upgrade, can be maxed to 25%. Requires Longbow Mastery.
Tier III
Scattershot: You can now fire multiple arrows at once. Up to three arrows, each consecutive arrow deals less damage than the previous one. [0/5] Passive, requires Drawpower.
Inoculation: Increases your resistance to Poisonous attacks and your immunity to Poison state. [0/5] Passive Upgrade, requires Venomed Edge.
Icy Explosion: Improves your Frost Traps, giving you a chance to stun enemies with them and increasing the damage done by them. [0/5] Passive Upgrade, requires Frost Traps.
Lunge: Quick lunge that puts the user behind the enemy's back. Small base damage, grants a +20 to attack rolls next turn. [0/5] Active. Cooldown: 1 turn.
Tier IV
Precise Weaponry III: Your knowledge of Finesse-based weapons grows, unlocking new moves with them. [0/3] Passive. Requires Precise Weaponry II. [0/3]
Smoke Bomb: A smoke bomb that blinds and stuns enemies around you. You gain a +50% damage on the next attack on an enemy. [0/4] Active.
Barbed Arrows: Increases the damage dealt by Arrow Storm. Has also a chance to inflict Bleeding. [0/5] Passive Upgrade, requires Scattershot.
Enduring Agony: Increases the damage of Shadow Flare. Also increases the duration of Bleeding and Poison effects on enemies. [0/5] Passive Upgrade, requires Shadow Flare.
Blade Honing: Increases the critical damage of all your bladed weapons. [0/5] Sustained, -15% of current mana pool.
Tier V
Precise Weaponry IV: Your knowledge of Finesse-based weapons has grown to the point of near-mastery, unlocking new moves with them and adding a +5 to attack rolls when using these weapons (Longbow, Daggers and faeblades). [0/3] Passive. Requires Precise Weaponry III.
Poison Bomb: Smoke bomb now has a chance to inflict Poison status on enemies. [0/4] Passive Upgrade, requires Smoke bomb.
Arrow Storm: Rains death from above on enemies. AOE. [0/3] Active. This ability adds a 1d100 to the attack roll for each level upgraded. Requires Barbed Arrows. Cooldown: 3 turns.
Mysterious Toxins: The amount of deadly mixtures in poisoned results in the chance of venomous fumes to form upon their deaths, infecting others. [0/5] Passive Upgrade, requires Innoculation.
Tier VI
Gambit: The user throws 7 small bombs in an area of effect, knocking the enemies into the air. [0/6]. Active. Base bombs run on 3d6 for damage. Each upgrade level adds 2 bombs and a 1d6 to each bomb damage roll. Cooldown: 3 turns.
Paralytic Poisons: Your poisons now have thr chance to stun your enemies. [0/4] Passive Upgrade, requires Mysterious Toxins.
Execution: Bleeding enemies receive more damage from attacks. [0/5] Passive.
Just like in the game, this game has a wide range of loot that you might be able to find, buy and/or steal.
Weapons
There's not much of note to mention about weapons. Just 2 things right now:
Depending on how your weapon is wielded (one hand or two), certain options will be blocked to you - mostly, the ability to carry a physical shield with you.
Some weapons might be imbued with an element. Most enemies are weak to a particular element, giving you a slight edge when facing them.
Armor
Armor affects how strong a hit (or repeated weak ones) you can take before your armor breaks down and stops offering sufficient protection. It's basically an additional HP bar but with a different name: if a Troll nails you with a bitchslap of 80 damage and your total armor rating only has a 50 rating, it will break and you'll take 30 points of damage. The more total armor you have, the easier it'll be for you to tank blows.
Here, mirroring the game, you'll have about five to six slots for armor: Head, Chest, Arms, Legs, Feet and Shield. Some armor, like mage robes, cover both chest and legs. Your total Armor rating comes from the sum of these pieces.
There are three types of armor: Metal, Cloth and Hide, ultimately suited to the three overall playstyles - warrior, mage and rogue.
Metal offers the most protection of the three, but for most people, it's too noisy to use for sneaky actions. Each piece of metal armor adds a -5 malus to sneak rolls.
Cloth offers the least protection of the three, but as a tradeoff, there's a small bonus to block/dodge rolls and your mana regenerates faster. Since cloth can also be a bit noisy from time to time, each group of 2 pieces of cloth armor adds a -5 malus to sneak rolls.
Hide the armor meant for rogues, it offers a balanced amount of protection when compared to metal or cloth and is especially suited for people trying to sneak into places. For each group of 2 pieces of hide armor, you gain a +5 to sneak rolls.
Like in other instances, most combat will run on a 1d100 + appropriate modifiers. However, in combat, other factors are also taken into account, like the armor you wear, whether you were successfully ambushed, if you have support… stuff like that.
Some abilities might use different dice, like 2d6, for example. These are used to roll for damage outside your own ability, like bombs, or checking how many people you hit with an AOE spell. Additionally, some abilities that have additional attacks will have additional 1d100 added to the attack.
The game also uses different kinds of DoTs: Burning, Poison, Bleeding and Freezing.
Burning: simple DoT. Chance of inflicting Panicked.
Poison: adds a -5 to attack rolls for 1 turn. The effectiveness of restorative potions are halved for the duration of the effect.
Bleeding: increases damage taken for 1 turn.
Freezing: reduces initiative speed on combat rolls.
I'm not going to be really stringy with XP. Successful actions in combat will earn a bit of XP, winning a battle will give you a slightly bigger amount of XP, successful actions outside of combat (like getting a success for a sneak roll to get into a watched location for example) will also give you a small XP increase.
Obviously, completing missions will be the main way to gain big amounts of XP at a time.
Each level up, you will earn 1 Skill Point and 3 Ability Points. These points can be spent however you wish or you can bank them for later if you consider it best. These points CAN NOT be spent mid-combat.
The events of this quest are set in Amalur's Age of Arcana, little more than a few paragraphs or footnotes in the millennia-long history of Amalur. This is a world of fantasy, where ancient secrets and wondrous portents share space with the all too often flaws and failures of both the mortal and immortal races.
The most noteworthy detail that distinguishes the world of Amalur is Fate. This all-encompassing concept is an immutable truth that affects all living beings of Amalur. Whether it is defeat or victory, life or death… all decisions will inevitably lead to a predetermined outcome, a Fate fixed in the weave of the universe. Nothing and no one can hope to change their Fate.
Amalur is divided into two main, large continents, with smaller islands and land masses dotted around them. These two main continents are known as Alfaria to the west and Fortenmar to the east, separated by the Phorian Strait and Hellegat Cauldron.
Three smaller land masses surround the edges of the known world. Northwest of Alfaria, Icewall Peaks, the Alfar's original birthplace; to the south and facing both Alfaria and Fortenmar, The Greater Appelas, and finally, the Bhoros Island, southwest of Alfaria..
Most of the races that live in Amalur inhabit Alfaria and Fortenmar, though there are obviously settlements and a presence in other areas. There is one important distinction to be made about the races of Amalur, as they can be separated into mortal and immortal.
The first are the majority of the Amalur races. While there are many, five of them are particularly noteworthy: the first two are the most prominent races of elves known as Dokkalfar and Ljosalfar. Long ago, they were one people known as Alfar but ideological differences split them apart after their long suffering at the hands of the cruel Durek. The ones that would become Dokkalfar wanted revenge, while the ones that would be known as Ljosalfar only wished to heal in peace. Regardless, they still hold strong bonds of kinship between them and consider each other close cousins.
Next, we have the two more prominent races of humans in Amalur, the Almain and the Varani. The first have a long tradition of military activity and their kingdom is known for its imperialistic leanings. A warlike and religious people, the Almain encompass humankind both culturally and traditionally. The Almain claim to be the descendants of the Mitharans, servants of the Erathi, a mysterious race of magical beings dedicated to Mitharu, the Lord of Order.
The Varani are the descendants of people that left the traditional lands of the Almain people in Southern Alfaria, thus sharing common ancestry with current Almain. They left for the high seas of the north and quickly became a sea-faring people, as frequently pirates and mercenaries as they are merchants. Organized into loose clans, many seek to bring them into their sphere of influence, but the Varani have proven stubbornly set in rejecting any form of governance that isn't their own.
Finally, the fifth race is that of the gnomes. A very socially stratified race, gnomes are an industrious people with a pragmatic and practical approach to both mysteries and problems alike. Dedicated to the pursuit and unraveling of the world's secrets, the gnomes have only recently founded Adessa, their first established capital to serve as a focal point of knowledge and learning in Amalur. They bestow wondrous gifts of knowledge, medicine, and magic to befriend the other kingdoms, yet seldom reveal their plans or intentions to outsiders.
As stated before, there are other races, like the Apotharni, the Crymbil, the Hironar or the Massariol, but while they have a presence in the Faelands, they do not have the degree of representation the other races have in the region.
On the other hand, there is only a single race that can be considered immortal that still walks the world, the Fae. They call home the northeastern side of Alfaria and the northwestern side of Fortenmar home, in a region aptly known as the Faelands.
Fae are beings of pure magic given physical form and as such, they have a deep connection to the nature of the world, linked inextricably to its magic.However, this also leads to them being seen as a queer people to mortal folk, for Fae have no real vision of concepts like time or death like they do. Their existence revolves around the Great Cycle, somewhat similar to the passing of seasons as mortals would understand it.
When a Fae dies, their essence is recycled and sent to Esharra, the sacred plane of the Fae straddling the physical realm and the magical one. From Esharra, the deceased Fae is eventually reborn again into the world, sooner or later. While it is unclear if these reborn Fae retain the memories of their previous incarnations, most seem to reprise the roles they had led in previous lives. These roles are known as the Telling, the purpose of their existence. It is not like a job as mortals understand, but rather, their very nature.
The most well-known Fae are those of the Summer and Winter Courts, but Boggarts, Brownies, Sprites, Barghests, Leanashes, Crudoks… many wild beasts are also considered to be Fae. In their case, wild ones, but still part of the Great Cycle in one way or another.
However, while it's true that the Fae are intrinsically tied to the magic of the world, their very own way of life has made them inflexible and near deaf to change.
During the Age of Arcana, magic has bloomed in the human races, growing in potency as decades pass and more and more humans are born with the gift of magic. This has evened the field for Almain and Varani alike, as they were not capable of producing magic of any kind before, unlike the Alfar and the gnomes, but they still have to contend with the centuries or even millenia worth of a headstart the other races have on them.
While magic surges in the human races, the Fae have noted a steady decline in the magics that affect them. All can feel it, in one way or another, but most are content to lie to themselves and few recognize the signs for what they are. The Great Cycle has shifted. The time of the Fae is ending.
The current year is 2238 NW (New World) and for ten long years, the Crystal War has become the pervasive wraith that looms over most people living in the Faelands. A sect of violent Winter Fae has taken over the Winter Court with Gadflow, the Mad King, at the helm. Seeking to kill all the mortal races under the banner of Tirnoch, Gadflow's newfound god, the Tuatha Deohn have plunged the Faelands into war. The only reason they have not spread the war to the regions beyond the Faelands is mostly because the Alfar managed to stall them after years of being on the back foot.
Now, ten years into the conflict, both sides are locked into an uncomfortable stalemate that won't last forever.
[X] have been sealed away for centuries. Your prison is not an actual cell – it has no bars, no ceiling, no floor and no walls. You are each current of air in this stale nothingness, dark and unnerving. You are each strand of thought, fragmented and scattered into single motes. And yet, a very small core of you remains, unquenched by the lack of voice or thought. You will scream only when you have escaped. A single word is engraved with fire on the remains of your conscience. Freedom.
i have play Kingdoms of Amalur i think its a great game and i am glad that someone is making a Q about it
[X] are no one that people would bother to know. There are no deeds to your name and few possessions to call your own. In truth, you are one single soul of the countless that reside in the Faelands, of little worth in the grand scale of things. You are untested, unproven, but those like you often hold potential yet to be untapped. It remains to be seen whether that potential will be realized… or if you will fade away into the dark, forgotten and unmourned by history.
[X] have currently no idea who you are. Family, friends, job, hopes and dreams - your entire past and everything that you were before is gone, clouded and blank to you… and though you try your hardest, nothing comes to mind. In its place, you only have the mystery of your own existence – brought back from Belen's cold embrace of death and outside of Fate's grasp. If nothing else, this mystery gives you a purpose, a goal to work towards. Someone must know or understand how this has happened to you. You want answers. You will find them.
Might as well pick the "MC from the game option" (I played Amalur too), especially since Fate is a hardcoded law in the world.
[X] have your hands full overseeing operations all across the Faelands. The Crystal War continues to leave its marks on your people and you can't help but wonder whether the end will be a favorable one. Such grim thoughts are more and more frequent, yet fresh rookies too eager for glory keep being sent to support the Alfar army in the meat grinder that is the Klurikon warfront. They are sent to die on your orders. Blood and honor, armed for battle and bought with coin.
[X] have your hands full overseeing operations all across the Faelands. The Crystal War continues to leave its marks on your people and you can't help but wonder whether the end will be a favorable one. Such grim thoughts are more and more frequent, yet fresh rookies too eager for glory keep being sent to support the Alfar army in the meat grinder that is the Klurikon warfront. They are sent to die on your orders. Blood and honor, armed for battle and bought with coin.
[X] have been sealed away for centuries. Your prison is not an actual cell – it has no bars, no ceiling, no floor and no walls. You are each current of air in this stale nothingness, dark and unnerving. You are each strand of thought, fragmented and scattered into single motes. And yet, a very small core of you remains, unquenched by the lack of voice or thought. You will scream only when you have escaped. A single word is engraved with fire on the remains of your conscience. Freedom.
Great to see you back Hastur! I do remember you bringing up wanting to run a quest in the past, so I suppose it was only a matter of time, eh? I will confess that I have basically zero knowledge about Kingdoms of Amalur, but you were always a great writer, so I'll happily take part in the Quest.
Great to see you back Hastur! I do remember you bringing up wanting to run a quest in the past, so I suppose it was only a matter of time, eh? I will confess that I have basically zero knowledge about Kingdoms of Amalur, but you were always a great writer, so I'll happily take part in the Quest.
Hey man! Yeah, I've been away from the site for a couple years, it was a combination of things to be honest. I'm not sure how active I'll be beyond the quest, but I will certainly be active for this.
Thank you all for showing early interest, I will definitely try to do a good job of showing the world even for those that haven't played the games.
I picked the remaster up because I loved the original and though there wasn't a lot of changes, going through the lore a second time it reminded me that there's enough meat on this to go in interesting ways (since the studio went bankrupt after releasing the game, I'm filling the gaps with things like concept art and stuff like that). For those that are at least somewhat familiar with the setting, I think all options are obvious in what they might represent, but all options are viable. Also, expect some stuff from the stillborn MMO to show up.
Great to see you back Hastur! I do remember you bringing up wanting to run a quest in the past, so I suppose it was only a matter of time, eh? I will confess that I have basically zero knowledge about Kingdoms of Amalur, but you were always a great writer, so I'll happily take part in the Quest.
Kingdoms of Amalur is basically your typical High Fantasy Setting with a few differences. The industrious race are the Gnomes rather than the Dwarves, and the Elves are more like Fae from DnD than LOTR.
The main thing that makes it unique is the way Fate is a Hard-coded Law Of Reality. Think of all the NPCs in the game as Actors in a Shakespearean Play. They all have roles and they all have a predetermined path set for them that they can't change. Most people are aware that this exist but aren't sure exactly where their Fate leads. The only ones that do are the Elves (who spend most of their time lamenting over this fact and repeating the same shit over and over again) and the Fate Seers (people who can see their Fate and the Fates of others, but can do nothing to change it).
Then there's our character.
We have no Fate.
Absolutely Fateless we are.
And we have the power to change the Fate of others.
This whole set up is actually EXTREMELY interesting and can lead to the exploration of a lot of themes and questions. How does a World where Unbreakable Fate is a Universal Law deal with someone who can break that law whenever they want? How would everyone else react to the knowledge that not only can Fate now be changed, but there's someone that can change it for them? What would the various Factions and Races do to get this person on their side?
Of course, none of this is fully explored in game because Amalur was/is a rushed game that had a troubled development history. But it's still interesting.
Kingdoms of Amalur is basically your typical High Fantasy Setting with a few differences. The industrious race are the Gnomes rather than the Dwarves, and the Elves are more like Fae from DnD than LOTR.
The main thing that makes it unique is the way Fate is a Hard-coded Law Of Reality. Think of all the NPCs in the game as Actors in a Shakespearean Play. They all have roles and they all have a predetermined path set for them that they can't change. Most people are aware that this exist but aren't sure exactly where their Fate leads. The only ones that do are the Elves (who spend most of their time lamenting over this fact and repeating the same shit over and over again) and the Fate Seers (people who can see their Fate and the Fates of others, but can do nothing to change it).
Then there's our character.
We have no Fate.
Absolutely Fateless we are.
And we have the power to change the Fate of others.
This whole set up is actually EXTREMELY interesting and can lead to the exploration of a lot of themes and questions. How does a World where Unbreakable Fate is a Universal Law deal with someone who can break that law whenever they want? How would everyone else react to the knowledge that not only can Fate now be changed, but there's someone that can change it for them? What would the various Factions and Races do to get this person on their side?
Of course, none of this is fully explored in game because Amalur was/is a rushed game that had a troubled development history. But it's still interesting.
An excellent summary. I've always thought that playing with the concept of Fate itself was a very original aspect, since many RPGs always use prophecies and Chosen Ones and such. It's a different spin on things that are a staple of RPGs set in fantasy/medieval-esque setting. It's too bad they never really went in-depth about it.
This aspect of the world is something that will undoubtedly come up at some point. However, even if the quest's MC isn't the Fateless One, there will be a way to get around that particular hurdle. If you decide that your fate being predetermined isn't something you're cool with, that is.
With that said, I've added an initial introduction in terms of lore on the third post, for those that are unfamiliar with the setting. I will be adding more snippets as necessary.
[X] have been sealed away for centuries. Your prison is not an actual cell – it has no bars, no ceiling, no floor and no walls. You are each current of air in this stale nothingness, dark and unnerving. You are each strand of thought, fragmented and scattered into single motes. And yet, a very small core of you remains, unquenched by the lack of voice or thought. You will scream only when you have escaped. A single word is engraved with fire on the remains of your conscience. Freedom.
[X] have been sealed away for centuries. Your prison is not an actual cell – it has no bars, no ceiling, no floor and no walls. You are each current of air in this stale nothingness, dark and unnerving. You are each strand of thought, fragmented and scattered into single motes. And yet, a very small core of you remains, unquenched by the lack of voice or thought. You will scream only when you have escaped. A single word is engraved with fire on the remains of your conscience. Freedom.
We already had 'the search for answers' played out in the KoA game, and any of y'all curious about it should just go play the game. It's a a bucket of fun that exists as a more hack-and-slash game in a genre dominated by isometric, TES or Soulsborne games. And the thought of playing a more mundane character doesn't appeal to me - one of the core concepts of KoA is, as others have said, the fact things are predestined and only someone so special could change it. Even the Crystal War was mostly at a standstill until the Fateless One arrived to break the Siege of Mel-Senshir.
I'll be out most of the evening, but I'll probably call the vote at night if nothing goes wrong. Around 8 hours from now, more or less.
I don't think inserting a tally is necessary right now unless quite a bit more people vote. As of now, options 2 and 3 are tied at 4 votes. Option 2 has two votes in SB, but since they are the only votes there, I'll ask the voters if they have a SV account. There's little sense in maintaining a quest thread for only two people, after all.
If there's still a tie by the time I get home and call the vote, I'll just roll for it.
[X] have been sealed away for centuries. Your prison is not an actual cell – it has no bars, no ceiling, no floor and no walls. You are each current of air in this stale nothingness, dark and unnerving. You are each strand of thought, fragmented and scattered into single motes. And yet, a very small core of you remains, unquenched by the lack of voice or thought. You will scream only when you have escaped. A single word is engraved with fire on the remains of your conscience. Freedom.
We already had 'the search for answers' played out in the KoA game, and any of y'all curious about it should just go play the game. It's a a bucket of fun that exists as a more hack-and-slash game in a genre dominated by isometric, TES or Soulsborne games. And the thought of playing a more mundane character doesn't appeal to me - one of the core concepts of KoA is, as others have said, the fact things are predestined and only someone so special could change it. Even the Crystal War was mostly at a standstill until the Fateless One arrived to break the Siege of Mel-Senshir.
Sure, the "search for answers" thing was done in the game itself, but that was constrained by Game Mechanics and limited to the story the game wanted to tell.
But this is a Quest.
And the QM certainly seems like they're not gonna limit us to the same Mechanics of the Game.
As such, we could start the same as the video game, then go completely off the rails the moment we get the chance to. Nothing says starting as the Fateless one will force us to go through the same story in this Quest.
Granted, I might be putting words in the QM's mouth. Sorry if I am.
Sure, the "search for answers" thing was done in the game itself, but that was constrained by Game Mechanics and limited to the story the game wanted to tell.
But this is a Quest.
And the QM certainly seems like they're not gonna limit us to the same Mechanics of the Game.
As such, we could start the same as the video game, then go completely off the rails the moment we get the chance to. Nothing says starting as the Fateless one will force us to go through the same story in this Quest.
Granted, I might be putting words in the QM's mouth. Sorry if I am.
The curious thing about the Fateless One in the game is that you only get a bare glimpse of who they were before dying for the first time, and all of that is basically built around a single piece of knowledge that you only find out on they way to the final boss.
There's basically nothing on who they were before that. So yeah, expect at least some exploration of that if you go the Fateless One route. On the other hand, this is something that will also happen with the other MC options!
That said, I do agree that it was weird that nearly no one actively sought to manipulate the FO to change certain Fates on a big scale. You get very specific moments (like at the end of the first faction you can find - Ballads), but other than that... Especially when word seems to spread really fast about them and what they are.
But yeah, there will be a combination of options: some will advance canon plotlines, others might get to the same points of canon but through different ways or expanding on already existing content. And others will give completely new content.
Fucking off and ignoring canon could also be possible, depending on how you wish to proceed as the MC.
[X] have currently no idea who you are. Family, friends, job, hopes and dreams - your entire past and everything that you were before is gone, clouded and blank to you… and though you try your hardest, nothing comes to mind. In its place, you only have the mystery of your own existence – brought back from Belen's cold embrace of death and outside of Fate's grasp. If nothing else, this mystery gives you a purpose, a goal to work towards. Someone must know or understand how this has happened to you. You want answers. You will find them.
Vote called. Option 3 had two additional votes on SB, but they still failed to tie option 1 as seen in the tally. Hm... interesting choice.
I'll start on the update right away. Character sheet will start coming once we set up a few more things.
Adhoc vote count started by Hastur on Oct 24, 2020 at 5:46 PM, finished with 19 posts and 10 votes.
[X] have been sealed away for centuries. Your prison is not an actual cell – it has no bars, no ceiling, no floor and no walls. You are each current of air in this stale nothingness, dark and unnerving. You are each strand of thought, fragmented and scattered into single motes. And yet, a very small core of you remains, unquenched by the lack of voice or thought. You will scream only when you have escaped. A single word is engraved with fire on the remains of your conscience. Freedom.
[X] have currently no idea who you are. Family, friends, job, hopes and dreams - your entire past and everything that you were before is gone, clouded and blank to you… and though you try your hardest, nothing comes to mind. In its place, you only have the mystery of your own existence – brought back from Belen's cold embrace of death and outside of Fate's grasp. If nothing else, this mystery gives you a purpose, a goal to work towards. Someone must know or understand how this has happened to you. You want answers. You will find them.
[X] have your hands full overseeing operations all across the Faelands. The Crystal War continues to leave its marks on your people and you can't help but wonder whether the end will be a favorable one. Such grim thoughts are more and more frequent, yet fresh rookies too eager for glory keep being sent to support the Alfar army in the meat grinder that is the Klurikon warfront. They are sent to die on your orders. Blood and honor, armed for battle and bought with coin.
[X] are no one that people would bother to know. There are no deeds to your name and few possessions to call your own. In truth, you are one single soul of the countless that reside in the Faelands, of little worth in the grand scale of things. You are untested, unproven, but those like you often hold potential yet to be untapped. It remains to be seen whether that potential will be realized… or if you will fade away into the dark, forgotten and unmourned by history.
You have been sealed away for centuries. Your prison is not an actual cell – it has no bars, no ceiling, no floor and no walls. You are each current of air in this stale nothingness, dark and unnerving. You are each strand of thought, fragmented and scattered into single motes. And yet, a very small core of you remains, unquenched by the lack of voice or thought. You will scream only when you have escaped. A single word is engraved with fire on the remains of your conscience. Freedom
Time. We take it for granted. It's a concept that serves as a compass. We use time as a tool to orient ourselves in the world - the past, the future... these are the labels we use to make sense of the universe, to remember the people that came before us and shaped the world. It's the certainty that regardless of what happens, there will be people after us, with their own dreams and worries. That the world will go on.
Time. It's such a fickle thing. Such an abstract concept, so important for people to know what day they are living in, what month, what year, what Age... Time is one of the foundations upon which people build their hopes and goals. Time will always be there. And yet, it's certainly an easy thing to lose track of.
-leas-
What do you do when days blur together? When the ticking of the clock starts to form a shapeless buzz that thrums in your ears, burrowing into your brain until it's the only thing you can hear?
-no-
What do you do when the only thing you can do is grasp at the edges of a mind that is no longer there? When the most you can hope for is cling to the shreds of what you were once? You were whole once before - you know this. You know it to be true. Some days, you can even convince yourself you aren't lying to yourself. Or is it some years? Some decades?
-so hard... think-
Thought is an illusion. A part of you wants to scream, but another is sobbing without no sound being uttered. There is no mouth for you to make sounds, after all. Would that you could borrow one, but there is only the dark and you in here. In the worst moments, there is only the dark. It's a titanic effort to piece yourself together each time you go under. Have you lost things when it happened? Things of yourself that you would miss if they were lost? You can't be sure. Would you realize it if it were so? You don't know.
It's a terrifying thought. When there's enough of you to be able to think, that is.
It would be so easy to give in. So, so easy. It'd be a matter of simply... letting go. Like going to sleep and closing your eyes with a smile. But each time the faint idea floats in the strands of your faded mind, whatever remains shudders and churns, outraged at the mere.... wait, outraged at what? The noose tightens around the shade of what you were and pulls. You scream, but there are no sounds in the void of your existence. There is no one to hear your halting pleas, strung together in a multitude of languages you barely remember.
It's so hard to think... So hard to be you.
Years pass. The noose loosens, allowing you a reprieve. It's a false one, you know it even though you don't know how.
No. No, you remember. You cannot give in. You will not give in. You will not lay down your arms and surrender your pitiful existence to the void. You will not fade away with a whimper that none will hear.
There are no screams of rage in the void. After all, there is no sound in the void. There is only the dark. And you.
Decades pass. The noose tightens. Is it decades? Perhaps it's days. The noose looses. It's so hard to tell by now. For all you know, this has been nothing but a second. After all, what are the lives of mortals if not mere blinks of the eye to the gods? For all you know, your torment has just begun.
There is no sky in this forsaken place, no starts to guide you home-no light to see your arms or your legs, there are no arms to touch your body or your face and you really, really want to do it but youcan'tandyoudon'twanttobeherebutyoucan'tleaveohwhywhycan'tileavethisplacepleaseletmeleavepleasepleaseidon'twanttostayherePLEASEPLEASE
The void shifts.
Something changes. There is no air in this void, but it churns all the same, screeching angrily in the absolute stillness of this place. The void feels like it's ripping itself apart and shards that were around you but weren't you come rushing to what is you but isn't you anymore. In the quiet void of nothingness, existence is birthed, dragged screaming and kicking into being. Time rushes through the cracks and you gasp for the first time in an eternity.
Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock goes time. A shapeless thrum buzzing in your ears, one that you can finally hear again.
Light is cast into the void, erasing Nothing and imposing something else into its place. You can finally peer into the void and you scream.
'Can something replace another thing that was never there to begin with?' you wonder and it's such a ridiculous thought, such a disjointed question that makes you laugh. And then you cry, because it just dawned on you that this was the first coherent thought you've had since... since... since a long time ago.
You cry, because is that how your voice sounded like? You can scarcely remember... but you can, faintly.
You cry, because you can open your eyes and see the grass under your knees, you can touch its texture with your fingers. Wet grass, you realize, and the thought makes you smile. You can hear the rushing of water from a stream nearby and you can feel the slight breeze on your face, rustling dark locks of hair. You take a deep breath of air, registering the pleasing smell of wet grass.
Your smile widens.
You are free.
You rise to your feet, taking in your surroundings. You are in the middle of... a town square? There is a well -a well! You remember that word!- next to you, and houses surround the edges of the town square. Quaint little houses built with dark bricks and red tiled roofs. There are benches around the square and turning around you can see a bridge built over a river, where the sound of water comes from. A cobbled path loops around a big hill, where a waterfall pours forth water for the town.
It looks to be an peaceful town. Idyllic, even.
"But where is everyone?" you mutter, scanning your surroundings. The town is silent, seemingly devoid of life. The lights are on, but there is no faint bustle or other sounds of activity within. The only sounds you can hear are the rushing of the water and the whistling of the wind.
This... this feels like a facsimile. A copy suspended in time.
No sooner you come to this realization that a rough, cruel voice demands your attention. "Look! Another sacrifice for the Mountain God!"
You quickly turn to look towards the voice and you see a group of several people slowly walk from a narrow side street into the town square. They wear strange armor and weapons, crafted with a blood-red material that appears to be of a crystalline nature. A couple seem to be clad in ornate robes, decorated in flowing patterns that swirl and turn. Their cowls are emblazoned with a large, glowing blood-red gem.
The weapons, the armor... It's equipment unlike any you've seen before, but you can't deny the fact it might also be because you have lost that knowledge. It's... unsettling.
Chuckles erupt from the group, gripping their weapons with eagerness as they slowly fan out in front of you. "Filthy mortal, you will die alone here! We will cleanse the world from your rot!" one of them sneers.
'A woman,' you note, seeing the way she tightens her grip on the bow in her hands.
Many of them wear helmets, cowls or hods, but the few that don't reveal pale, grey-skinned faces adorned with cruel smiles. It's obvious they mean to kill you.
"I have survived hell. I won't die here," you simply state.
The archer snarls and it seems to be the signal needed for the battle to begin. The warriors advance on you, drawing their strange red swords. The few bowmen nock their arrows. The cowled men create bluish wards around them. Faint sounds of battle prickle at your ears, coming from behind you.
'Beyond the bridge?'
It doesn't matter. The warriors don't matter, the bowmen don't matter, their cowled friends don't matter.
You have survived hell and you won't die here.
You:
[] call forth a storm of lightning around you. Like a snap of thunder, you remember a time when you danced amidst fields of black clouds and booming thunders.
[] summon strong whirlwinds to aid you. Like a breeze on your face, you remember a time where you dreamed of flying far and wide across the lands.
[] conjure a hailstorm of ice. Like spikes in your heart, you remember the day you stopped being a child and took control of your House.
[] create fire out of nothing in your hands. Like a spark of life, you remember when you first summoned your magic for the first time.
The strange warriors are helpless around you. Though their looks were fierce, they crash and split like water against the rock that is your resolve. Your intent is sharpened into a focused point. Survival and victory are your goals and none of these fools will stand between you and them. They try, oh they do try, but there is little that they can do against you when you have unleashed the power that is at your fingertips.
But you are one, while they are many. Regardless of how many have fallen, more seem to come to face against you, pouring from the streets and the houses. In the end, is it a surprise that one of them would finally catch you unaware? The warrior slips under your guard, too focused on the cowled man throwing fireballs at you to pay attention.
"Feed the Cycle!" he yells and you only have enough time to curse as you turn around to face him. Even so, it's futile, you're not going to do it in time.
You rage in your head even as he thrusts his sword forward. It's impossible, you can't die like this, it can't end here!
'Not like this! I must-!'
The swordsman never finishes his attack, because:
[] an arrow pierces his head, killing him instantly.
[] a bolt of lightning slams into him and sends him crashing against another warrior.
[] a sword ruthlessly beheads him from behind.
It happens so fast you have to blink twice before you can even register the fact someone saved your life. Someone that has already jumped into the fray and is already drawing some attention away from yourself.
"What are you gawking at? Get back to it!" the figure snaps as they kick one of the cowled figures to the ground.
You don't even have time to get a good look at them because one of the grey-skinned warriors snarls, jumping into your view, and swings at you with a greatsword in an attempt to cleave you in half.
It's not enough and you quickly prevent him from ever trying that again. Before his body even reaches the ground, another replaces him. And another after her. And another. And another. They seem endless. But now that there is someone else fighting with you, the task doesn't seem so dauntless. On and on you fight.
And then, there are none.
The last enemy drops dead, screaming as his guts spill onto the ground before gurgling as a knife finds his throat.
It's a grisly scene, the one you find yourself in. Surrounded by bodies and with only the company of an unknown stranger.
Looking at them, you see how they take a long look at the bodies before turning to you. The stranger has a helmet on, but they quickly pull it out and place it under an arm, balanced on their hip. This lets you see their face for the first time and you see:
[] a female elf, with ashen, greyish skin and large pointed ears. There's a slight smirk tugging at her lips. A Dokkalfar, your mind whispers, just like you.
[] a male elf, with pale, bluish skin, fair hair and large pointed ears. Though sweaty, his face is calm and even. A Ljosalfar, your mind whispers, like her.
[] a male human, fair-skinned but with facial tattoos around his cheeks and forehead amd an ornate loop of gold around his right ear. A Varani, your mind whispers, raider scum.
[] a female human, bronze-skinned and tall with brown hair. There's a sternness to her demeanor. An Almain, your mind whispers, pompous warhawks.
"You... what is this place?" you ask, frowning as you look at the town. The entire area around you is rippling, shimmering unnaturally. "Where are we?"
"You shouldn't be here," the stranger mutters. "You're different - weren't the Tuatha supposed to be the test?"
Tuatha? Test?
"Nothing of this makes any sense!" you seethe, taking a step towards the stranger. "What is this place?!"
The stranger ignores you, looking at you intently as if it could give them the answers they seek.
"Who are you?"
This simple question stops you right in your tracks.
Who are you? Who are you, indeed. You have been so caught up in the moment, that you haven't had a second to stop and think. You breathe, letting the air fill your lungs. In. Out. In. Out.
The void can no longer have a hold of you.
Despite yourself, you shudder thinking of your hellish prison, but that's not important, is it? You... you can remember who you are. You can!
Do you, though?
[] "I am Ciara Sydanus, the Dark Empyrean! I will take back what is mine by blood and fire! And I will have my revenge!"
[] "I am Ciara Sydanus, the Empress of Erathell! I will take back what is mine by right of blood. And I will live again knowing that my enemies failed to destroy my people!"
[] (Lie) "I am Ciara Sydanus, the Empress of Erathell. My enemies imprisoned me because they sought to destroy my empire and my people. I will prove better than them."
[] "I am... I am... I-I cannot remember. I cannot remember who am I!"
The first and last votes relate directly to you, the MC, and how you view yourself. The second and third votes are meant to narrow down a NPC that will play a very important part in the game, either directly or indirectly. This is because the NPC is the game's PC.
As for the last vote, I wasn't sure whether to put the last option, the amnesiac one. It might be similar to the Fateless One situation, but the character does say that when encountered, so it feels appropriate. It gives you a bit more leeway in trying to decide how you will shape the MC's character, instead of making a snap decision.
[X] summon strong whirlwinds to aid you. Like a breeze on your face, you remember a time where you dreamed of flying far and wide across the lands.
[X] a sword ruthlessly beheads him from behind.
[X] a female human, bronze-skinned and tall with brown hair. There's a sternness to her demeanor. An Almain, your mind whispers, pompous warhawks.
[X] "I am... I am... I-I cannot remember. I cannot remember who am I!"
I picked these at random in all honesty. I've got no clue about any of this.
[X] summon strong whirlwinds to aid you. Like a breeze on your face, you remember a time where you dreamed of flying far and wide across the lands.
[X] a sword ruthlessly beheads him from behind.
[X] a female elf, with ashen, greyish skin and large pointed ears. There's a slight smirk tugging at her lips. A Dokkalfar, your mind whispers, just like you.
[X] "I am... I am... I-I cannot remember. I cannot remember who am I!"
[X] summon strong whirlwinds to aid you. Like a breeze on your face, you remember a time where you dreamed of flying far and wide across the lands.
[X] a sword ruthlessly beheads him from behind.
[X] a female human, bronze-skinned and tall with brown hair. There's a sternness to her demeanor. An Almain, your mind whispers, pompous warhawks.
[X] "I am... I am... I-I cannot remember. I cannot remember who am I!"
