Spyro's Kingdom (Legend of Spyro Crossover)

[Kkutlord]

@Nianque: Would we be able to use the Astral runes to augment our portals? Besides that, it does get me thinking... Now that we have access to Astral runes, that should make the Dreamscape / Collective Unconscious easier to access.

So... Anything lore-wise you settled on regarding that? My current idea for Blackout's omake is having him recruited young by Dark Stygian, only to end up leaving a few years later. There was also plans for his mentor (Screamsaver?) to rant about how dangerous Fear Dragons are to the "Great Dream".

 

[Nianque]

@Nianque: Would we be able to use the Astral runes to augment our portals? Besides that, it does get me thinking... Now that we have access to Astral runes, that should make the Dreamscape / Collective Unconscious easier to access.

So... Anything lore-wise you settled on regarding that? My current idea for Blackout's omake is having him recruited young by Dark Stygian, only to end up leaving a few years later. There was also plans for his mentor (Screamsaver?) to rant about how dangerous Fear Dragons are to the "Great Dream".

Click to shrink...

You wil need an enchanter who is familiar with Astral alongside a cache of the runes.

Nothing concrete. The post I made... last week? has been about it. I've been holding off to see what you come up with. You have... two-ish weeks before I nail down the details. We still have the interlude, rumor mill and the next turn before then.

 

[Kkutlord]

@Nianque: Hmm, the presence of Astral does settle something for me- that the Collective Unconscious was already a thing, and the introduction of Fear merely changed things. Thus I see a distinction between Fear Elementals and Dream Shadows.

Like, I see Fear Elementals as a cross between Unversed and Dream Eaters. They are creatures born of Individuals' "darkness", certainly an exception to normal Elemental rules but still completely different from Dragons/etc.

Whereas Dream Shadows are exactly that, shadows cast by Waking World inhabitants onto the "Great Dream". So basically Fear Elementals and Dream Shadows would be a Decomposition of Persona Shadows...

Except for Fear Dragons / Users, who are uniquely capable of influencing / accessing the "Great Dream". Where normal Dream Shadows are mere extensions, the Dream Shadows of Fear Users can become more.

Thus why Malefor didn't really mess with the Collective Unconscious, as Nightmare monsters wouldn't be useful for someone wanting to destroy and then remake reality.

Though I still like the idea the original / founding members of Dark Stygian were the few "Evolved" Dream Shadows notable enough to be potential threats, that he shackled.

Back to how Evolved Dream Shadows even happen... I like the idea that some of the insane Fear Dragons ended up that way by poking the Collective Unconscious, and accidentally empowered / fused with their Dream Shadow.

Really, I see the majority of Evolved Dream Shadows being born as a result of Fear Dragons inexperienced with the Dream facet suffering Power Incontinence. So they're the (partial) cause of Fear Dragons' insanity, but only sometimes intentionally like with the Dark Stygian.

Speaking of, I like the idea of the Dark Stygian genuinely seeing themselves as necessary. Before the creation of Fear the Great Dream was much more peaceful, but with monsters and individuals able to corrupt it?

Well, someone has to make sure nobody exploits the Dreamscape, and Fear Dragons are the number one threat... Thus intentionally driving some insane, originally just problematic individuals but gradually shifting to all Fear Dragons- thus why Nim, an innocent, was targeted.

As for the Omake... I'm thinking Blackout was given the assignment, met Nim, and was confronted by his master after refusing to harm her. Yet even after the betrayal, Screamsaver goes back and claims Blackout is running an experiment- thus why him & Nim weren't mobbed by Dark Stygian.

 

[Nianque]

The big thing to remember is that Avalar is not as ...'advanced' as Gielinor. While there is a dream-scape, Astral and other elements like it do not exist on Avalar in the same form. Aether is actually taking up all of the strain from certain elements not being fully formed.

I'll cover the rest of your post when I get home.

 

[Nianque]

Like, I see Fear Elementals as a cross between Unversed and Dream Eaters. They are creatures born of Individuals' "darkness", certainly an exception to normal Elemental rules but still completely different from Dragons/etc.

Whereas Dream Shadows are exactly that, shadows cast by Waking World inhabitants onto the "Great Dream". So basically Fear Elementals and Dream Shadows would be a Decomposition of Persona Shadows...

Except for Fear Dragons / Users, who are uniquely capable of influencing / accessing the "Great Dream". Where normal Dream Shadows are mere extensions, the Dream Shadows of Fear Users can become more.

Thus why Malefor didn't really mess with the Collective Unconscious, as Nightmare monsters wouldn't be useful for someone wanting to destroy and then remake reality.

Though I still like the idea the original / founding members of Dark Stygian were the few "Evolved" Dream Shadows notable enough to be potential threats, that he shackled.

Back to how Evolved Dream Shadows even happen... I like the idea that some of the insane Fear Dragons ended up that way by poking the Collective Unconscious, and accidentally empowered / fused with their Dream Shadow.

Really, I see the majority of Evolved Dream Shadows being born as a result of Fear Dragons inexperienced with the Dream facet suffering Power Incontinence. So they're the (partial) cause of Fear Dragons' insanity, but only sometimes intentionally like with the Dark Stygian.

Speaking of, I like the idea of the Dark Stygian genuinely seeing themselves as necessary. Before the creation of Fear the Great Dream was much more peaceful, but with monsters and individuals able to corrupt it?

Well, someone has to make sure nobody exploits the Dreamscape, and Fear Dragons are the number one threat... Thus intentionally driving some insane, originally just problematic individuals but gradually shifting to all Fear Dragons- thus why Nim, an innocent, was targeted.

As for the Omake... I'm thinking Blackout was given the assignment, met Nim, and was confronted by his master after refusing to harm her. Yet even after the betrayal, Screamsaver goes back and claims Blackout is running an experiment- thus why him & Nim weren't mobbed by Dark Stygian.

Click to shrink...

I like it. Some Fear dragons would slip through the cracks though. Especially individuals who are away from the big cities and thus far less likely to be noticed due to the lack of other minds near them.

 

[Kkutlord]

@Nianque: So here's the first Omake for Blackout, which does a lot to establish the Dark Stygian and Dreamscape so...

----

The Dreaming Defender
​

Whenever one sleeps, they will find strange visions- sometimes good, and sometimes bad. Yet for either one, they'll just insist it was nothing more than their imagination...

Which works perfectly for the Dark Stygian, inhabitants of the Great Dream. Born from the shadows people of the Waking World cast, all the Dark Stygian desires is the continued protection of the Great Dream.

To that end, they'll even recruit the young, training them to be protectors. This is what Blackout has been 'dreaming' of, the day he'll finally get to be a true member!

... Yet he gets bored just waiting around, especially ever since he earned his name. "Sometimes I wish, I could just explore the Great Dream freely again... So much more fun than just sitting here!"

Letting out a sigh and rolling onto his back, Blackout looks up at the 'sky'- no sun, no moon, just a vast expanse of starry darkness. Being the Great Dream, 'Day' and 'Night' don't exist here... even if sometimes Blackout wished otherwise.

Still, no matter how hard he stared, nothing was going to change... Deciding to get up, Blackout rolls onto his legs- and jumps back with a jolt upon noticing a much larger individual.

"Master Screamsaver, when did you get here!?" The older shadow just smiles in amusement, making a show of bringing a claw to his chin in thought. Finally, with a shrug, he replies with an amused tone. "I was here the entire time, of course."

Blackout knew that couldn't be true, but his master did have a strange habit of appearing out of nowhere... maybe that's just an advanced technique? Still, if his master was here, then...

Getting excited, Blackout couldn't help asking. "Are you taking me on another assignment Master? What are the Weavers doing this time? I'm ready for anything, so let's go!"

Yet as Blackout tried rushing off, his Master gently stopped him. Chuckling lightly, Screamsaver looks at his apprentice. "Nothing ordinary like that... I've discussed things with the other Masters, and well... This is your assignment."

That causes Blackout to pause, his mind whirling with thoughts. However, before he can say anything his Master takes on a more serious expression and tone.

"This is important Blackout, you'll being dealing with a... Fear Dragon. Granted, one that is relatively weak and new to its power, but a Fear Dragon nonetheless. Do not let it defeat you, understand?"

Eyes widening at that, Blackout's excitement peters out as he recalls what those are. "I... I know they're dangerous, but... Can I really do this? I've never scared anything before..."

Relaxing as his Master holds his shoulder, Screamsaver looks at him before speaking. "If anything goes wrong, I'll be outside waiting. I'll just pretend it destroyed itself with its power, if I have to deal with it. Okay, my boy?"

Blackout nodding his head in agreement, he still doesn't feel comfortable... But this is something he'll have to learn, if he wants to protect the Great Dream from any and all threats.

----
​

The outside of a dream is something interesting, in Blackout's opinion. Sure one can see glimpses inside, but there are also... echoes of past dreams, if one knows how to look. Between that and the mark of Weaver interference, it was how Blackout first met his Master.

Honestly, exploring the dreams of Awakers was something Blackout enjoyed. Now, though... he wasn't sure how to feel, staring at the entrance to a Fear Dragon's dream.

"Come on Blackout, you can't wait forever. See those other dreams, so close to the Fear Dragon? If we don't do something, it'll eventually hurt those Dragons and their Dream Shadows."

Looking up at his Master, Blackout could see how serious he is. "Right, if they go unchecked... they'll become a Nightmare Lord. It isn't a real Awaker, just a monster. Like... a Weaver born in the Waking World."

Taking a breath and letting it out, Blackout steels himself. Giving his Master a confident smile, Screamsaver's expression cracks just enough to flash a small smile too.

Focusing on the dream, Blackout steps forwards- and immediately finds himself in a much larger environment, sun in the sky and seemingly nothing but clouds around.

Walking forth with no issue, he cranes his head around looking for the monster- and stills as he hears an excited shout. Looking to the right, he sees a speeding shape burst through the clouds as it ascends skywards.

Obscuring himself with some clouds, Blackout peers from behind the dream matter. Yet, the Fear Dragon doesn't seem to have noticed him, instead just... happily soaring through the sky.

"No, it has to be stopped! Fear Dragons can't control themselves, so... so I'm helping it." Calming himself and focusing, Blackout darts under the cover of clouds to approach the Fear Dragon.

Watching as the Fear Dragon flies around, forming a tower of clouds, Blackout can't help himself from focusing on it. Why would such a dangerous creature look so... sincerely happy? "The bad Weavers I met never seemed happy, so..."

"Huh? Oh, hello! Why aren't you flying?" Snapping out of his thoughts, Blackout looks upwards- and the Fear Dragon looks back at him, curiosity on its face as it lays on top of the cloud pillar.

Slightly startled by this, Blackout immediately calmed back down. "Right, they aren't actually aware of me. Though how is the dream suppose to fit me in?"

"Wait, can Shadow Dragons fly? Ah, I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to be mean!" Looking up at the Fear Dragon, Blackout couldn't help feeling rather confused by what was happening.

"What am I suppose to say? It... doesn't seem like a Fear Dragon, so..." Finally getting himself together, Blackout responds. "I'm, um... a Dream Dragon. So I am flying, I just... don't look like it."

Watching as the Fear(?) Dragon gets all excited, Blackout backs up as the dragon flies down to him. "Dream Dragon? That sounds so cool! Though, being a Wind Dragon is even better!"

Blinking at this, Blackout looks over the dragon. Though he isn't certain what they really look like, Blackout could still tell the dragon's appearance isn't their true form. "Huh, do they... really want to be a Wind Dragon?"

Looking at the playfully proud dragon, Blackout has to find out... "Really? Are Wind Dragons even better than Fear Dragons?" That causes the dragon to stop, suddenly uncomfortable.

For a moment, Blackout could sense the illusion flicker, before the dragon speaks. "S-sorry, that was rude... I'm just really excited, cause I can finally be like my family!"

That, in turn, causes Blackout discomfort as his glance flicks back to the entrance. "Can I really do this? They don't want to be a monster, and... their family would probably be hurt if I did..."

"Hey, what's wrong? Why don't we fly around again?" Looking at the dragon, Blackout could see them smiling at him. Even though he could sense fear in them, Blackout noticed how it was being smothered by something else- something positive.

Yet, even without looking, Blackout could tell the dream was suddenly withering. The dragon before him just looks confused, but... turning around Blackout could see his Master.

Where once was sunlight and happy clouds, Screamsaver left darkness & thunderclouds. Watching those eyes, his Master showed no kindness and affectation as he approached.

"Blackout, my boy, I was starting to worry. Are you alright, has the Fear Dragon harmed you?" Yet even as he says those words, Screamsaver continues to ooze a growing menace.

Blackout didn't know what to say, he hadn't expected this- any of this at all. The Fear(?) Dragon decided to react first, looking annoyed and speaking in an offended tone. "Hey, I'm a Wind Dragon and I wouldn't hurt anyone!"

That causes his Master's gaze to immediately focus on the dragon, his eyes morphing into black pits with crimson light leaking out. "Silence, you abomination."

The dragon winces at that, Blackout even sensing their sudden fear. If his Master could do that with a single look... why not do this himself from the start? Turning to his Master, Blackout finally answers.

"I'm unharmed... Master, they really don't want to be a Fear Dragon, so-" The wind suddenly picks up, blowing away the clouds around Blackout and the dragon. Looking at his Master, Blackout could see barely restrained rage.

"If you won't grant it mercy, then I will. This was suppose to be simple, a weak pointless monster for you to practice on... But talking to these things accomplishes nothing."

This, this was the first time Blackout saw his Master truly angry. He knows that Fear Dragons are dangerous, that the Nightmare Lord would of corrupted the Great Dream if it didn't want to destroy everything instead...

But looking back at the dragon, crying and afraid... Blackout didn't see a monster, just a scared youngling wanting to be something they idolize. He didn't know why his Master thought he was ready, but...

He couldn't just stay back, letting his Master hurt the dragon. "Please, Master, we can teach them! They can help us protect the Great Dream, instead of destroying it!"

For a brief moment, his Master stilled, and Blackout actually thought he got through- only for a wave of fear to slam into him, images of some horrific dragon-shaped thing flooding his mind.

Cities destroyed, lives ruined and burned, another's hopeless despair for the one they loved... Blackout, for the first time ever, knew what his Masters feared- the birth of a new Malefor.

Yet, even as this fear flooded him... it just gave him strength. If his Masters truly fear the rise of a Nightmare Lord... then striking down Fear Dragons would just hasten that outcome.

Spreading his wings, trying to shield the dragon behind him... Blackout slowly but surely stood back up, even as his Master's power kept trying to push him down. Then, as he lifted his head and stared at his Master-

It stopped, his Master's eyes going back to normal as horror spread across his Master's face. Neither said anything, Blackout staring calmly while Screamsaver's eyes moved wildly.

Finally, the older of the two spoke softly. "I see... I'm... I'm glad you passed the test. Don't... don't report back until you redeem that Fear Dragon, understand?"

Watching as his Master turned away, Blackout didn't want to speak... but knew he had to. "I promise, Master, I won't leave until they're a hero!" For a moment, he thought Screamsaver was going to look back- but instead his Master just left without looking.

Letting out a sigh, Blackout turned towards the dragon he just risked everything for. Blinking, the dragon's illusory appearance came down at some point... because of the fear he could sense in them.

Approaching them and touching their shoulder, the dragon startled at the touch- and Blackout could tell their fear is slowly fading away. The two of them locking eyes, Blackout spoke first.

"If you know what I'm saying... You don't have to be afraid, of what you are. I can, I can teach you to be a Dream Dragon instead. I know that isn't what you want, but you can help others this way."

The dragon sniffling, they gently nod their head before replying. "I-I don't want to hurt anyone... So, so teach me. I want to be a Dream Dragon instead, so please teach me!"

Sensing their fear giving away to determination, Blackout wasn't sure what to say... but nonetheless he smiled, and asked. "Alright, I will, but what's your name? I'm Blackout."

Seeing the dragon smiling in turn, their response is quick. "I'm Nimbus, though just Nim is fine!" Seeing that happiness return to... Nim, Blackout thought to himself. "Yeah, this won't be so bad."

----
​

And that is all! I, I honestly wasn't entirely sure what to write. The original version went for more of an "Dream Shadows are Fear Elementals" approach, but I changed that after deciding Dream Shadows & Fear Elementals are (technically) separate.

I also left this open for several days, and as I finally started finishing it kept wondering if all this Backstory was better left unsaid. Ultimately, I left a lot of stuff open-ended so Nianque can fill in the blanks.

Still, regarding Blackout's actual nature (not that he knows)... I would say he's more-or-less the physical Blackout fused/overlapping his Dream Shadow. So he's physically his mental age, but if he ever left the Dreamscape things would get weird as Physical Blackout & Dream!Blackout would separate.

What exactly all happens I'll leave up to Nianque, but I would say that Physical!Blackout & Dream!Blackout couldn't re-merge without serious research. Even then, it probably wouldn't end well, since both would be fully-formed entities unlike when they were put there as an Egg.

Besides that, regarding Nim's combat training... I feel like she would of trained in using Combat Illusions, with her being very reluctant in forcibly making others afraid. Like, I could see her making Nightmare-Illusions that work off your fears, but outright shoving fear into others is uncomfortable for her.

 

[Nianque]

The Dreaming Defender

Click to shrink...

I can definitely work with this.

In fact I've got some ideas floating around and my friend is working on Timor's artwork right now so... Expect Timor's story in full soon. Bit of a block right now regarding the interlude, so you all might actually see a few side stories from me first.

 

[Kkutlord]

@Nianque: Oh, any particular deadline or so for me regarding Selene the "First" Shadow Dragon? My current idea is her contacting Galena while she's at the Wind Nexus, using her natural mastery of Shadow to communicate from the darkness.

Speaking of, how does Wind becoming a Pillar Element affect things? Like, I know Fire/Ice/Electricity/Earth give more Aether bonus due to being Pillars, so does Wind's Aether bonus go up now?

 

[Nianque]

@Nianque: Oh, any particular deadline or so for me regarding Selene the "First" Shadow Dragon? My current idea is her contacting Galena while she's at the Wind Nexus, using her natural mastery of Shadow to communicate from the darkness.

Speaking of, how does Wind becoming a Pillar Element affect things? Like, I know Fire/Ice/Electricity/Earth give more Aether bonus due to being Pillars, so does Wind's Aether bonus go up now?

Click to shrink...

No particular deadline right now.

At the moment the only noticeable changes with Wind have been a slight increase in births of Wind dragons. Spyro has not yet noticed a difference regarding aether, but everything seems to be in flux from the change.

 

[Kkutlord]

@Nianque: Oh, regarding "Blackout exiting Dreamscape", I figured he could only leave by going through the Fear Nexus. Makes more sense than him hitching a ride on someone waking up.

Though, speaking of Timor... would the Interlude cover how he learned about the cause of Fear Dragon insanity? I don't really have any comments or anything yet, but depending on the answer I'll probably have some stuff to say.

 

[Nianque]

@Nianque: Oh, regarding "Blackout exiting Dreamscape", I figured he could only leave by going through the Fear Nexus. Makes more sense than him hitching a ride on someone waking up.

Though, speaking of Timor... would the Interlude cover how he learned about the cause of Fear Dragon insanity? I don't really have any comments or anything yet, but depending on the answer I'll probably have some stuff to say.

Click to shrink...

The interlude is that trip Argent is doing down into the planet.

You mean Timor's side story? Most of it will be regular backstory for him up until his trip to the Fear nexus at which point there will be new information. As it stands right now he has suspicions regarding the issue which is why he believes investigating the Fear element is so important. I guess it depends on when I post it because it will go into more detail on that topic if you have investigated the Fear element.

 

[Nachtigall]

I just had an idea - it might be insane, infeasible, or incredibly hard, though.

Couldn't Shaping Reality convert the Fear element into Dream?

Unlike Poison or Shadow, Fear often literally drives the associated dragons insane, so for their sake we might have to consider radical solutions like this.

@Nianque, would this be easier or harder than creating an entirely new element?

 

[Nianque]

I just had an idea - it might be insane, infeasible, or incredibly hard, though.

Couldn't Shaping Reality convert the Fear element into Dream?

Unlike Poison or Shadow, Fear often literally drives the associated dragons insane, so for their sake we might have to consider radical solutions like this.

@Nianque, would this be easier or harder than creating an entirely new element?

Click to shrink...

It would actually be more difficult because Fear has... settled? into the world. It's such a major piece of the world by this point that major changes like that would be difficult. Minor changes to existing elements is possible, but the more radical the change the harder it will be to do.

 

[Nianque]

Elementals

Fire Elemental (Ignis): Fire elementals are commonly referred to as ignis and live a life of death and rebirth. The first stage is called a salamander and they are almost-solid lizards seemingly made of ash. When a salamander is killed or reaches the end of it's short lifespan, it will explode in a fiery conflagration and become a phoenix. Phoenixes appear as birds of prey consisting entirely of flame. Upon death, the phoenix will collapse into a pile of ashes which coalesces into a salamander. Ignis have been observed disappearing into flames and appearing elsewhere in an unexplained manner. They are short-tempered and their mere touch can cause life-threatening burns in some species.

Ice Elemental (Cryok): Ice elementals are commonly referred to as cryok and typically resemble a long worm-like creatue made of crystal-like ice with jagged spikes. Cryok possess the ability to phase through ice and can often be seen half-way inside of the ice walls of their home. They seem to possess no emotion and seem to act only in accordance with logic.

Electricity Elemental (Flux): Electricity elementals are commonly referred to as flux and typically resemble a floating orb of electricity. Flux appear to communicate purely through streams of electricity and can vanish completely at random. They can best be described as erratic in behavior, often moving at exceptional speeds in random directions for no known reason.

Earth Elemental (Golems): Earth elementals are commonly referred to as golems, though they have often been called giants as well. Golems vary greatly in size and shape, though most often they can be seen as humanoids made up of a collection of rocks. The exact material that golems are made out of is completely unknown, despite appearing as if they are the same material as the rocks around them. Golems are slow and ponderous and can spend hours crossing short distances. They are also known for being impossibly stubborn and will not change their minds or move from their spots until whatever is responsible for this behavior removes itself from their vicinity.

Water Elementals (Nereids): Water elementals are commonly referred to as nereids and seem to possess no defined shape at all. Despite lacking a solid shape, nereids do not vary in size and appear to possess a mass similar to cheetahs. Though nereids can disappear completely within water, they seem to be made up of a strange deep blue liquid that makes identifying them simple until they choose otherwise. Nereids seem to constantly change their minds, though they have been observed reacting with sudden urgency when faced with anything contaminating nearby water.

Wind Elementals (Sylphs): Wind elementals are commonly referred to as sylphs and take the appearance of small winged humanoids with a cloud-like appearance. They communicate with a high-pitched voice that travels easily on the wind, allowing them to talk across vast distances; large gatherings of sylph have been said to sound like music to those nearby. Sylphs tend to be extremely curious and will often flit about to examine things that catch their interest. When not focused on anything, sylphs tend to let the wind carry them wherever it wants and as a result have been found further away from their nexus than any other elemental.

Shadow Elementals (Shades): Shadow elementals are commonly referred to as shades and seem to have no set size or shape. They typically take the form of short humanoid rats or bats made up of a shadowy ethereal substance. They have been known to stalk non-shades through the shadows and will often 'enter' the shadow of their target. Shades are strangely silent with no detectable method of communication and will flee at the first sign that they have been discovered. Thus far the only ones who have been able to detect them have been shadow dragons of a considerable skill.

Poison Elementals (Basilisks): Poison elementals are commonly referred to as basilisks and take the appearance of extremely large snake-like reptiles. Perhaps the most 'normal' elemental, basilisks seem to have their own life-cycle and community which makes them appear much like animals. Basilisks are perhaps the most unintentionally dangerous elemental as their green scales are coated in horrific toxins and they are capable of secreting incredibly lethal venom and acid from their mouth and fangs. They're community seems to be very insular and all encounters have described them as being acidic in power as well as personality, though they have been found to be both caring and scholarly under certain circumstances. It is thought that they are constantly studying the numerous poisons, acids, and afflictions around the nexus and attempting to design their own.

Fear Elementals (Nightmares): Fear elementals are commonly referred to as nightmares and have no physical appearance at all. Those venturing into the Fear Nexus frequently find illusions of their worst fears laid bare to them and others and it has been commonly considered that these are the work of the nexus and that they do not actually exist. More recent studies show that nightmares actually do exist in the 'dream' or 'astral' and that if one can conquer their fears, the nightmares will respond with much more brazen and reckless attempts to scare their target away. Sleeping near the Fear Nexus is a very, very bad idea and the Fear Guardian Timor is the only one to wake in anything resembling coherency.

~

I'll add all this information to the Spiritual info-mark.

 

[Kkutlord]

@Nianque: So for Shadow and Fear Elementals, would it be correct that the researchers are lacking a lot of information? Like for example, Weavers are what Blackout (and Dark Stygian?) call Fear Elementals- with the plan being essentially Dream Eaters if they were formed from the collective unconscious.

Selene was also planned to have a major connection with Shadow Elementals, with the idea being one even acted as her adoptive parent (thus why she didn't just die of starvation). Hmm, do only Shades that assume a coherent form stalk individuals? My idea was for two groups, "Unrestrained" who couldn't reign in their focus and those who could.

 

[Nianque]

@Nianque: So for Shadow and Fear Elementals, would it be correct that the researchers are lacking a lot of information? Like for example, Weavers are what Blackout (and Dark Stygian?) call Fear Elementals- with the plan being essentially Dream Eaters if they were formed from the collective unconscious.

Selene was also planned to have a major connection with Shadow Elementals, with the idea being one even acted as her adoptive parent (thus why she didn't just die of starvation). Hmm, do only Shades that assume a coherent form stalk individuals? My idea was for two groups, "Unrestrained" who couldn't reign in their focus and those who could.

Click to shrink...

Yes. This is just what is known among academics and does not touch on what is unknown or what only the Guardians and Spyro know about.

All shades stalk people/animals. It is very much a 'Shadow' thing to do. Two groups like that is fine. Of the shades that assume a form, they typically go for rat-like or bat-like forms because those animals are so prevalent in the general area.

 

[silvershark]

Hey, I noticed that our income from fishing is 100 gold, but we should be getting 200 gold.

- Phydra and Glacies spend the year perfecting the designs and process that they had created the year before. With Phydra's education picking up pace, most of the work falls on Glacies this year and she is easily able to find enough Water dragons to keep the small fish farm running. While it does not produce too much in the way of food, the fish farm provides a new delicacy in mass and in enough quantity that the amount of food the hunting parties need to bring back is greatly reduced. The fish farms are a novel concept and Glacies is eager to see if she can apply this process to other prey somehow. Reward: +1 Food level, +100 gold in income from fish sales, maybe it can be applied to other prey?

Click to shrink...

- Over the course of the year more and more fish are added into the enclosures that make up the fish farms. Due to a lack of predators, the fish have began reaching record sizes which has tremendously helped to increase the amount of food the farms can produce. By the end of the year, Glacies was confident enough with the amount of fish to begin a slowly increasing rate of harvest and expects that they will be at full output early next year. Reward: Medium fish farm. +1 food level, +.10% population growth, +100 gold per turn in income.

Click to shrink...

 

[Nianque]

Hey, I noticed that our income from fishing is 100 gold, but we should be getting 200 gold.

Click to shrink...

Fixed and edited the new numbers into the previous two turns. Also adding Hyrule map to the maps info-mark.

 

[Nianque]

Twenty dragons of a variety of elements as well as the Guardian of Earth, Argent, made their way down into the unnatural tunnels that wormed their way through the ground. Each of the elements were represented by a master and between them they had every potentially useful skill covered between them. Two healers of Water and Poison, scouts of Wind and Shadow, an engineer of Earth, a Fear dragon who specialized in bolstering the spirits of their allies, and a dozen combat experts of a dozen different styles. This was the team that Argent had put together for this mission and in most cases it would have been considered overkill. Hunter deserved the best and there were yet many secrets regarding Avalar that had been lost to time. This tunnel system defied the explanation of Avalar's brightest and had managed to prevent the best explorer in known history from returning. Warfang demanded answers and it was Guardian Argent's job to deliver those answers.

Journey
Rolled: 36+20(traits)=56

The expedition ran into problems almost immediately. The tunnel seemed to branch off into a dozen different off-shoots which then split off again countless times more. Argent however was not the prospective Guardian of Earth for nothing and after a brief period of meditation, they had their path; down into the darkest depths of the caves. Glowing crystals hung around their necks lit the way forward even as a magic rope tied all twenty of them together. Vibrations in the air and stone provided them with information, while three Shadow dragons kept watch for anything moving in the dark. The way forward however was eerily quiet as if nothing living had been this way in living memory. The end of the first day passed quickly and uneventfully; rations of both physical and magical nature were consumed, while conversation kept to a hushed tone to prevent endless echoes whenever one of them talked.

At the start of the second day it was immediately apparent what the first problem was going to be. Despite all of their magical preparations and massive bags filled with frozen meat, they were on a time limit to solve the mystery, find Hunter, and get out before they all starved to death. In spite of this time limit, the endless tunnels seemed to mock them as days stretched into weeks and Argent found herself having to contemplate turning around long before their mission was complete.

Success?
Rolled: 95+20(traits)=115

Two weeks into the expedition, things began to change. Nobody could pinpoint when it started, but there was a subtle feeling in the air which gave off an impossibly ancient and vast impression for those sensitive enough to detect it. The air grew tense as they closed in on the strangeness that filled the air. Nobody was sure what they would find at the end of their journey and speculation grew ripe even as they prepared for worse things they could imagine. Once they were within what Guardian Argent figured to be a single day's journey, they made camp one last time and replenished themselves. The air was thick with energy of all types this close to the phenomenon; everything from the nine elements, to raw magic, aether, and other things that they could not identify. If any of them were told to describe it, the closest they would be able to come would be the Nexuses, except even that was not right. Strange otherworldly things seemed to dance through their dreams that night, but when they woke up the dreams were elusive and fleeting.

When the tunnel finally ended and they reached their destination, none of them understood what they were seeing. A lush green cavern that stretched as far as the eye could see greeted them alongside vibrant crystals in the colors of the nine elements dotted the otherwise vibrant landscape before them. Perhaps the most obvious thing of all however was the massive tree that grew in the center of the cavern and at the base of it were large stone pedestals each with a different symbol. Nothing about the scene made any sense and yet it was their only lead and so the group cautiously made their way through the glade in order to get a closer look. What they found only created more questions; two rows of pedestals with the inner ring holding symbols depicting the nine elements, while the outer row held pictures of the current races that called Avalar home; dragons, apes, cheetah, moles, atlawas, skavengers, dragonflies, aviansie, centaur, humans, as well as two unfamiliar pictures; one was of a strange skeletal-like creature that Argent suspected may in fact represent a mahjarrat, while the other one was of a rat-like creature.

Curiously enough the pedestals for dragon, cheetah, aviansie, and mahjarrat were in fact glowing. The mystery only grew when the Fire dragon among the party, Beacon, breathed a stream of her element onto the pedestal representing Fire which caused the pedestal to glow red for a short period of time. Hesitant to experiment, but needing answers, Argent separated out the nine most spiritually potent among each element and tried channeling all nine elements into their respective pedestals at the same time. The result was alarming as the 'bark' of the tree broke away to reveal that the entire tree was made up of a massive purple crystal of tremendous size. Interacting with the other pedestals revealed no other mysteries and thus Argent pulled everyone's attention back to the crux of the matter; finding Hunter.

Where in the World is Hunter?
Rolled: 97.

Hunter as it turned out, was in fact the one to find them. The cheetah seemed to appear without warning, having completely managed to evade detection, even while everyone was searching for him. His tale turned out to be surprisingly simple; he had in fact met the strange rat-like race depicted on the pedestal in the labyrinth of tunnels and had actually been trying to evade them in order to escape back to the surface for the last year. Between raiding their camps for food and the strange glade providing some strangely filling fruit, Hunter had been able to scrounge up enough sustenance to stay alive. His luck actually improved after finding the cavern as the cheetah pedestal had actually lit up upon his touch and had began finding subtle improvements to his speed, agility, and even his ability to move silently. Between these strange improvements to himself and his own well-honed skills, he had found himself on even ground with the 'rats', though that did little to help him against numbers that were brought against him. After recognizing that the pedestals seemed to improve himself in a strange manner, Hunter has been fighting a constant battle to keep the 'rats' from finding this glade.

He admits that if they were improved as he was, then Hunter would probably not be able to keep ahead of their scouting parties. With Argent and her team's help, it would be possible for them to go straight through any patrols that found them. Thus after having a restful night's sleep, the group set out back up the path that they had just came from with best possible speed.

Rats
Rolled: 98+12(Intrigue)+20(traits)+55(Hunter)+10(bonuses)=180. Rats: 46+30(bonuses)=76. Critical Success

The return turned out to be a much faster afar as they had already mapped out a tunnel back to the surface. They did in fact encounter one of the 'rats' patrols that Hunter had mentioned, though with the help of Hunter, three Shadow dragons, and five Earth dragons, they managed to easily subdue the patrol before they had even been spotted. As this had been one of the smaller patrols from the 'rats', the group had no difficulty securing their captives and managed to lose only a negligible amount of speed. Thankfully one of the Shadow dragons specialized in the more sleep-focused aspects of the element and thus the 'rats' caused only minimal amount of fuss. Before they knew it, they had managed to make it back up to the Wind Nexus with only a month and a half having gone by since they had departed.
Reward: Hunter recovered! 25 prisoners of unknown rat-like race. Mysterious glade and puzzle deep underground. +??? To all Cheetah on Avalar.

 

[Gawain]

So, from the symbols of the races, it seems like the apes are indeed alive. Thats... okay, I guess. I have no idea what scavengers are, does anyone else? And oh my freaking gods are those Skaven!!!??

 

[Nianque]

So, from the symbols of the races, it seems like the apes are indeed alive. Thats... okay, I guess. I have no idea what scavengers are, does anyone else? And oh my freaking gods are those Skaven!!!??

Click to shrink...

Scavengers are those dog-like guys from TEN who abduct Spyro and Cynder. I keep forgetting about them in quest, so they haven't really appeared. And no, I am not going to inflict Skaven on you. I happen to like ratfolk quite a bit (including skaven). You'll have to investigate these guys, but expect something closer to the Nezumi (MTG) or Ratfolk (Pathfinder). ...I may take influences from Clan Eshin though.

 

[Crow gotta eat]

Scavengers are those dog-like guys from TEN who abduct Spyro and Cynder. I keep forgetting about them in quest, so they haven't really appeared. And no, I am not going to inflict Skaven on you. I happen to like ratfolk quite a bit (including skaven). You'll have to investigate these guys, but expect something closer to the Nezumi (MTG) or Ratfolk (Pathfinder). ...I may take influences from Clan Eshin though.

Click to shrink...

Well for stories reasons that can be justified in many ways, for instance we have no idea how numerous Skavengers are besides that one known airship pirate fleet that got bombarded the crap out of by the Apes and by Spyro running amuck and killing their figure-head, Captain Skabb, then Sparx knocked out one of their actual parrot leaders and the other flew off to who knows where. Then plus the Malefor's apocalypse, then the subsequent pulling of the world back together probably did not help keep together anything resembling a large society to them.

 

[Nianque]

Well for stories reasons that can be justified in many ways, for instance we have no idea how numerous Skavengers are besides that one known airship pirate fleet that got bombarded the crap out of by the Apes and by Spyro running amuck and killing their figure-head, Captain Skabb, then Sparx knocked out one of their actual parrot leaders and the other flew off to who knows where. Then plus the Malefor's apocalypse, then the subsequent pulling of the world back together probably did not help keep together anything resembling a large society to them.

Click to shrink...

And that is actually the current in story reason for their non-existence. ...Actually I'm going to add them to my notes so I stop forgetting about them lol

If I put together a discord, would you all use it? That way you can nag me for updates on this or Legend of the Purple Dragon.

 

[Nachtigall]

two unfamiliar pictures; one was of a strange skeletal-like creature that Argent suspected may in fact represent a mahjarrat, while the other one was of a rat-like creature.

Click to shrink...

My initial thought was "Rat people? We need to check for infiltrators from Glienor!"
Apparently, they're a native race though. Still, considering that Lyseera alone (?) was enough to include a Mahjarrat pedestal, this cavern is a very potent anti-espionage tool since it will alert us of infiltrators from non-local races.

Though I'm very worried who activated the mahjarrat pedestal...

Curiously enough the pedestals for dragon, cheetah, aviansie, and mahjarrat were in fact glowing

Click to shrink...

the cheetah pedestal had actually lit up upon his touch and had began finding subtle improvements to his speed, agility, and even his ability to move silently.

Click to shrink...

+??? To all Cheetah on Avalar.

Click to shrink...

I find it a bit strange that nobody tried to get a boost from the Dragon pedestal... Hunter literally told them that his racial pedestal granted him a boon, and none of the 20 dragons had the idea to get similar benefits?

Or did they assume that they can only be used/activated a single time and simply didn't bother to check?

If I put together a discord, would you all use it?

Click to shrink...

Personally, I wouldn't. I'd also be somewhat worried that the Discord would lead to less discussion here in-thread, which has the additional disadvantage of making your quest somewhat less noticeable to those who browse the forum for new stories they might like.

 

[Nianque]

My initial thought was "Rat people? We need to check for infiltrators from Glienor!"
Apparently, they're a native race though. Still, considering that Lyseera alone (?) was enough to include a Mahjarrat pedestal, this cavern is a very potent anti-espionage tool since it will alert us of infiltrators from non-local races.

Though I'm very worried who activated the mahjarrat pedestal...




I find it a bit strange that nobody tried to get a boost from the Dragon pedestal... Hunter literally told them that his racial pedestal granted him a boon, and none of the 20 dragons had the idea to get similar benefits?

Or did they assume that they can only be used/activated a single time and simply didn't bother to check?


Personally, I wouldn't. I'd also be somewhat worried that the Discord would lead to less discussion here in-thread, which has the additional disadvantage of making your quest somewhat less noticeable to those who browse the forum for new stories they might like.

Click to shrink...

Originally the rat people were going to be from an original world of my own design, but that changed when I decided against more portals for the moment. Instead I'm adding a few things to Avalar. You may still see the world I designed at some point though.

One theory held atm is that whatever is responsible for the pedestals considers dragons, aviansie, mahjarrat, and now cheetah 'done'. A competing theory holds that it has to do with being able to use an element and we have simply not seen the result from cheetahs thus far.

Attempts to interact with the dragon pedestal did nothing. Admittedly they were not trying very hard and had other things to do.

Good to know.