Solo Game - Enlightenment

[Volthawk]

Setting:

The geography

It's a massive island, surrounded by lava (why not? Water's boring, anyways), with a huge pit in the centre, that nobody's ever got to the bottom of, as they often never come back out of the pit.

The North is where civilization is starting to establish itself, where most cities are independent, with many alliances, some of which are starting to create true countries. The North has a temperate climate, and many rivers and lakes, and is the main source of food and water to the rest of the island.

The East, however, is desert, but has many ancient ruins around it. There aren't many settlements there, but the kobolds have many expansive lairs there, as there are many minerals under the sands. Gnomes have also started to settle, generally around the ruins, as they investigate. These settlements attract many mercenaries, as the gnomes always need protection, and the settlements are often places of conflict, as the ruins have many secrets, and they seem to mostly be bad. For the gnomes, at least.

The Central Zone is mostly uninhabited by humanoids, as it is the realm of the aberrations. Huge Illithid cities have been reported by the few who return from there with their minds intact, and many phasms have been reported to have spread out of the Zone. It is reported to be very changeable, with an area being a forest one day, and a lake the next. The only settlements there are sparse research camps, with the largest by the Pit, which is theorized to be the cause of the strangeness of the Central Zone. However, many have not been heard from for weeks.

The West is a huge forest, mostly unexplored, even by the inhabitants, who stay near the edges of the forest. It is where most of the variety in natural life is found, with animals like the Forest Sloth and plants like Myconids, and even the Yellow Musk Creeper.

The South is separated from the rest of the world by a large, wide chasm, from one side of the island to the other, and all attempts at teleporting in have failed, as it seems to be secure against all methods of entry. Sometimes, being resistant to fire have tried to enter via the lava, although they never return. One place along the chasm, in the Central Zone, seems to be a major city of some creature or other, although nobody really knows. The chasm is also patrolled by unknown creatures, nicknamed Hellspawn, which fly around the chasm, killing any who try to fly across. The South has many rumours about it, from some saying it is where the gods live, to others which say that the Pit is the only way in.

Angels and Devils

You've got heaven as opposed to hell. Only two planes in existence. Heaven is ruled by a council of powerful angels, as is hell. With devils instead of angels, of course.

Neither plane is morally aligned with either good or evil, they're simply two very powerful races, unified for their own purposes. Thus, devils and angels battle each other, and it not wanting to destroy their own planes with war, they use the prime material one, I.E. the island, to wage battle against each other.

Both breeds are very much like the traditional idea, except, as noted, angels are not good inherently, and devils aren't simply evil for evils sake.

Angels are powerful, immensely beautiful, self-centered, rather vain and kind of racist, believing them to be the utmost superior race, with devils being violent, destructive creatures of many different proportions and forms, like standard hellish fantasy, but in no way are they more inherently evil than angels, they just fight them for superiority.

Both sides use the inhabitants of the material plane to fight, instead of directly doing it themselves, as they just choose not to get directly involved.

Recent News

In the North, the ANC (Alliance of Northern Cities) has been established, with about 10 cities and many small towns joined, and is looking to be a major power. In response, many of the the other Northern cities are either forming more alliances, or spreading elsewhere. For example, many Northern city-states now have started to fund expeditions to both the desert ruins and the Central Zone, hoping to find something to help tip the balance in their favour. Also, Western creatures are often brought in, as they all look for better creatures to use in war.

In the East, many of the beings from the ruins have started to spread outside the ruins. There have been reports of undead attacks, but the new funding and supplies from the North has meant most settlements still remain.

The West is slowly being explored, and new creatures are reported every day. Additionally, creatures are starting to be exported to other parts of the island, although they often break free, so Western creatures are starting to be found in other areas.

The Central Zone has started to expand, so all three other populated zomes are starting to get worried. Illithids have started to attack from their strongholds, taking people away.

The South is still unexplored, although you, have heard from other outsiders that the South is the land of the true gods, creators of both angels and devils, as well as the Prime. However, even attempts by outsiders to enter have failed.



Walking down the path, you can see that this is near the West. It's characteristic thick woodland runs along the sides of the road, and all manner of animals can be seen here.

However, the peace of the path is broken when you hear a shout to you right, in the woodland.

[Woodsman]

Eli runs off towards the shout, taking care not to run into a tree or trip over something.

[Volthawk]

You come to a clearing, where you see a battle going on.

On one side of the clearing is a large simian constrcut made out of greenish metal. It is fighting off groups of soldiers, although it is cutting throught them with ease, it's claws shredding through their armour. A soldier runs over to you, shouting "Get out of here! It's not safe!"

[Woodsman]

"What the Hell is that thing?" Eli asks, more curious than afraid.

[Volthawk]

"Automaton. Our weapons are barely scratching it, and it's slicing through us. You need to leave. It could probably kill you with around two strikes."


NOT the MMII automaton.

[Woodsman]

Eli wants to fight, but decides he's likely no match for such a thing. He heads off in the direction he came from, still curious as to the origin of the automaton.

[Volthawk]

As you head away, you see several soldiers running past you. Once on the main road, you see that they are all on the other side of the road, seemingly preparing for something.

[Woodsman]

Eli moves over to them. "What's going on?" he asks softly.

[Volthawk]

One of the soldiers says "Well, we're setting up another line of defence. That thing can't get out of these woods! The city is just outside it!"

A man, wearing light armour, runs up to the group. "Hey, they've set up more defences up there. They're also bringing some heavy equipment down here."

The leader of the group nods. "Good. I've got a feeling we'll need it."

[Woodsman]

Eli nods. "Any way I can help? I know some healing spells."

[Volthawk]

"I would appreciate the help, but no. We can't endanger civilians. Keep on going down the road, to the city. You'll be safe there."

[Woodsman]

Eli seems wary of leaving but decides, "All right, I'll keep going. Good luck!"

Eli continues on down the road towards the city.

[Volthawk]

As you go down the road, you see several more positions being fortified. You can sense tension, peppered with both confidence and despair. Finally, you get to a checkpoint on the border of the forest, an extremely fortified place, with ballista on top of stone walls. You are quickly let through, as they have more important things to worry about, and finally are out of the forest. A large city, made entirely out of some kind of metal, is visible a short distance away.

[Woodsman]

Eli simply begins looking around, and continues heading toward the city.

[Volthawk]

As you walk down the path, you see many more soldiers heading away from it, towards the forest. However, one soldier, designated as a sergeant, stops near you and calls you over to him.

[Woodsman]

Eli walks up to him. "Yes?"

[Volthawk]

The sergeant says "Alright, I have a little job for you. We would deal with it ourselves, but we're busy, as you most likely can tell. Basically, we've been having trouble with some lizardfolk in some caves to the west. We'd like you to deal with it for us. You'd be rewarded, of course."

[Woodsman]

"No reward necessary, sir. I'll see what I can do."

[Volthawk]

"Alright. Head in that direction" he points to your right "until you reach a lake, then turn right and keep on going. Then you'll be there. Be careful, though. Some of them are a little..." He pauses, seemingly trying to find a word "...strange."

[Woodsman]

Eli nods, "I'll be careful."

He follows the sergeant's directions until he reaches where he needs to be, unless he's stopped by something along the way.

[Volthawk]

Soon, you start to go down a canyon, and up ahead you can see fires, and tents. However, a lizardfolk slips out from behind some rocks and starts to speak in a language you don't understand.

[Woodsman]

Eli squints and says in Common and Celestial, "Do you speak this language?"
"Do you speak this language?"

[Volthawk]

The lizardfolk still looks at you, confused, until another one appears behind you and speaks.

"Don't worry, mate. He doesn't speak Common. Now, why are you here?"

[Woodsman]

"I was told by someone you're causing trouble. I'm just here to hear your side of the story."

[Volthawk]

"Causing trouble? Interesting, Gohesh-Tilsin will want to her about this. Come with me. Vervesh, wiilirk!"

He turns, and starts to walk towards the camp, followed by the other one.

[Woodsman]

Eli follows, curiously observing the scenery.

[Volthawk]

As you come into the actual camps, as it appears that the first camp you saw was just an outpost, and further in the canyon, which splits every so often, there are many other settlements, from individual tents to quite large camps, with some buildings instead of just tents of varying sizes. As you walk along, you can tell many are watching you, and all around, you hear them talking in a language you don't understand. You end up in front of a stone structure, dug into the rock. Once there, the lizardfolk escort stops, and the common-speaking one tells you "Go in there. Gohesh-Tilsin will be there."

[Woodsman]

Eli nods and enters the structure.

((So you're alive after all. :smalltongue:))

[Volthawk]

(Exams are a pain)

As you enter the structure, you see a horrific creature standing in the centre of the room, seemingly in a trance.

It slightly resembles one of the lizardfolk outside, although it seems to be twisted and mutated. It's scales are transparent, rough and irregular, and the body inside it is vastly changed, with the heart and stomach having swapped positions and the kidneys in it's legs. One of the arms is a lot bulkier than the other, with thin threads all around the inside of it. Both arms have a new organ in it, seemingly connected to the creature's claws. All around it's body, there are small vein-like tubes, connecting the scales to another organ where it's kidneys would usually be. In it's head, the eyes are completely gone, replaced by a small organ that connects with it's mouth. The ears are also damaged, each one seemingly half what it normally would be.

However, as you draw closer, it seems to know you are there, and speaks, in a wheezing voice.

"Who's that?"

[Woodsman]

Eli bows politely, despite the fact he's rather inimidated by the... lizardfolk's appearence.

"My name is Elizar, sir. I am sent on behalf of a sergeant of the local military, who claims your people have been causing trouble."

[Volthawk]

"They told you that we're causing trouble? Them? Tell me, Elizar, why did they send you?"

[Woodsman]

"I unfortunately took it as a mission of extermination and decided to hear your side of the story."

Eli looks up. "I take it your side is different, then."

[Volthawk]

"Yeah, you could say that. What side did they give you? And why did they send you, and not one of them? It's quite unlike them to do that."

[Woodsman]

"They simply said you were causing trouble and to put a stop to it. They sent me because the soldiers are currently engaged in a battle against an automaton."

[Volthawk]

"An automaton? Those fools, they tried it didn't they..."

[Woodsman]

"I don't understand. Could you please explain, sir?"

[Volthawk]

"Well, it all started a while back, while us lizardfolk were integrated with the other people in the city. It was all fine, until the new leadership came into power. With swords, if you catch my meaning. Anyway, they forced us out of the city, as well as most other demihumans, apart from some, who they took into prisons. For experimentation."

He pauses, and you can see him shudder a little.

[Woodsman]

"And what of the automaton?"

[Volthawk]

"Well, we've been around here for as long as we can remember, you see. We've seen other peoples rise and fall. One of these groups, I never did find a name for them. They were extraordinarily smart, you see, especially when it came to creating magical equipment. Constructs, however, were their speciality. They had loads, adapted to different purposes. They lived in the border forest, until one day, they vanished. We didn't bother to investigate - groups around here rose and fell quite often. Until the current settlers came, nobody except us had managed to survive long here. All because we knew one thing; don't go into the forest for long. You see, the super-intelligent people had left some nasty things behind. However, after the new leadership came in, they found out about this. We warned them, but they must've ignored us. And now they've got an automaton after them."

[Woodsman]

Eli blinks. "Oh my. That's not good. But... why would they say you were causing trouble?"

[Volthawk]

"Well, I could see how they may call us troublemakers. However, we're just fighting back. They've been killing us, taking us prisoner...changing us. We're just trying to resist them, and stop them destroying us. We've survived for hundreds of years, and these people aren't going to be the ones who wipe us out!"

[Woodsman]

Eli chews his lip. "Is there any way I can help?"

[Volthawk]

"Help? Well, nothing at the moment. Once the automaton situation has resolved itself, then we'll act. Although you could head up near the city. We've been putting warriors up there, for if the soldiers can't hold off the automaton. We don't want innocents to be killed."

[Woodsman]

Eli nods. "I'll do that."

[Volthawk]

As you talk, another lizardfolk runs in the room, breathless, wheezing something in the language you heard some of the other lizardfolk talk in. The mutated lizardfolk tilts his head sideways, before replying, and then the normal lizardfolk repeats itself, louder this time. He is met with a barked order, and then runs off.

"Ah, looks like the humans are tougher than we thought. They destroyed the automaton, and managed to do it before it reached the city! Impressive."

[Woodsman]

Eli smiles, "That's good! But now what do I do?"

(Use "tilts" next time. Just a bit of advice)

[Volthawk]

The creature sighs. "Up to you. I can't control your actions, you have your own free will. Do what you think you should."

[Woodsman]

"Well, if there's any way I can help you..." Eli suggests.

[Volthawk]

"Hmm....nope. Nothing now. The new government in the city are too powerful now. So we wait, and grow."

[Woodsman]

Eli nods. "All right then. If you need me, though, you can find me."

[Volthawk]

The lizardfolk nods. "Thanks for the offer. I appreciate it. Now, what are you going to say to the humans, eh? Didn't they want you to get rid of us?"

[Woodsman]

"They never said that specifically. I can say I stopped the trouble, though," Eli responds, grinning.

[Volthawk]

"Good, good. Hopefully that will help the situation. Goodbye, and remember you're always welcome here. We're not savages."

[Woodsman]

"I'll remember!" Eli says, waving and heading back toward the city.

[Volthawk]

After leaving the canyon, you soon see that the automaton you saw earlier is lying in the middle of the road, inert, and one man is hacking bits off of it, and piling it onto a wagon. On the wagon, you see the name 'McDoogle's Metalworking'. You also see the captain, over by the side of the automaton. Soldiers are generally relaxing, some heading back into the city and a few going into the forest. You can smell fires, as well as food being cooked, in some of the campsites that have been set up. You can hear singing coming from some of them.

[Woodsman]

((... Isn't a van a tad anachronistic? :smallconfused:))

Eli walks up to the captain, saluting. "I took care of the lizardfolk, sir."

[Volthawk]

((I used van? Oops, I suppose that's why you don't post late at night. I meant 'wagon'. And besides, magic :smalltongue:.))

The captain grins. "Good, good. Hey, tell you what. I'm heading back into the city. Come with me, and I'll tell the bosses about what you've done. Trust me, having them like you is a good way to do well for yourself in this city."

[Woodsman]

Eli nods. "Sure thing!"

[Volthawk]

"Alright, come on."

As you walk past the man at the automaton, you notice he's using tools made out the same material as the automaton. As you approach the city, you notice the walls are made of that same material. You go past the gates with no trouble, in contrast to others at the gate, who appear to be having problems getting in. As soon as you enter, you notice that even the buildings are made out of that material.

[Woodsman]

Eli is curious and asks, "Is... everything around here made out of the same metal as the automaton?"

[Volthawk]

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Strongest stuff around here. The area around here is where most admantine is mined. The canyons to the east in particular have quite a lot of it. Thing is, it gets harder and harder to find nowadays, so any damage is harder to repair."

[Woodsman]

"Oh, it's adamantine?"

[Volthawk]

"Yeah. Makes this city pretty much impenetrable."

As you move into the city, you see that although most the buildings are made out of admantine, smaller things, like market stalls or the small towers that dot the city are not, instead made out of wood or other more conventional materials.

[Woodsman]

"Wow. That's inventive."

Eli walks on for a little longer in silence before asking, "So, when do we arrive to meet your bosses?"

[Volthawk]

"Well, no time. We're here."

The building he stops in front of is one of the less impressive ones, being a small one-floored building, compared to the large buildings around the area. It has no official markings of any kind on it.

[Woodsman]

Eli is intrigued, but says nothing.

[Volthawk]

He leads you inside, where you see nothing interesting, the place just appears to be a normal house. The captain motions for you to sit, and then walks into another room momentarily. When he returns, he says "Alright, the boss will be here in a bit. Want a drink?"

[Woodsman]

Eli waves his wand politely. "No, thank you."

[Volthawk]

((wand?))

The captain shrugs, and pours himself out a drink from a cupboard. He then slumps down on one of the chairs in the room.

"Hey, I never did get your name. Mine's Mickey. Yours?"

[Woodsman]

((Hand, haha. :smallredface:))

"My name is Elizar, though I prefer to be called 'Eli.'"

[Volthawk]

"Alright, Eli. What brings you down these parts?"

[Woodsman]

"Nothing in particular, honestly. I'm sort of on a personal quest for enlightenment."

[Volthawk]

"Ah, a spiritual type, then? We don't get many of you around here."

[Woodsman]

"I'd imagine not. I'm curious, so I want to see a lot of things."

[Volthawk]

"Eh, alright. Anyway, boss-man should be here any minute now."

Sure enough, you hear a knock in the door moments later. Mickey opens it, and a man walks in. He is not wearing armour, instead wearing a duster over a vest. He appears unarmed, and as he walks in, you see that he is quite a big man, with an eyepatch and a rough beard. He speaks in a loud, booming voice ((think Brian Blessed (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Ptitleijqobqvle9an?from=Main.BrianBlessed)))

"So who is this, MICKEY-BOY?"

[Woodsman]

"My name is Elizar, sir, though I prefer 'Eli,'" Eli introduces himself.

[Volthawk]

"Elizar? GOOD! So, Mickey, my lad, why did you call me here?"

You can see that Mickey seems a little nervous around this man.

"Well, David, Eli here dealt with our lizardfolk problem."

"CAPITAL! Tell me, laddie, what did you do with them? We've tried EVERYTHING! Fire, soldiers, natural disasters, the lot! And we've never managed to deal with them!"

[Woodsman]

"I'd rather not say, sir. It's between me and the lizardfolk."

[Volthawk]

"Really?"

His tone changes from his big booming one to a quieter hiss.

"Well, you really should tell me. I can't guarantee your safety otherwise."

[Woodsman]

"I made it out of there alive, didn't I?"

[Volthawk]

"Yeah, without a single scratch" Mickey says.

"Really. How did you manage that, then? And again, if you want to stay that way around here, you really should tell. There can be some trouble around here often, and my people can be a bit...zealous in quashing it."

[Woodsman]

Eli gives an annoyed glance to both. "I said earlier that I knew healing spells. Now," he says standing up, "If you're just going to interrogate me, I think I'd like to leave."

[Volthawk]

"Fine."

The pair walk away, but you notice that they are whispering to each other. You can't make out what is being said, however.

[Woodsman]

Eli decides it's time to leave. Any maybe warn the lizardfolk.

[Volthawk]

Nobody tries to stop you as you leave, and you can get out of the city without any harm.