Mega-Adventure Prologue--The Council and the Fellowship

[Rystil Arden]

"Greetings again, Sir Baron and Miss Thalask. I'm glad Hendrallia has decided to join our effort. As I said before, I don't know anything about this lichwyrm, or how serious its threat, but it is ominous enough to be worth at least some effort to find out."

If he can get a moment with Alicia without the Baron within earshot, he'll be a little more candid. "I was pleasantly surprised by his vote. I had worried after our talk earlier that he wasn't willing to listen to reasoned pleas. Sure, I appreciate his skepticism. Maybe this alarm will turn out to be false, but I'd rather take it seriously and later learn it wasn't a real threat than the other way around. But I was wondering. Since your grandfather's support seems quite ambivalent, do you think we can really count on Hendrallia's help if it turns out we need it?"

"I...I don't know. Frankly, even if he gave his full support, I'm not sure how much that would mean. I can smell the deep intrigue of Hendrallian politics at work here as surely as I'm standing here...I don't know what their game is though. All I know is..." she blushes a bit as if embarrassed of what she's about to say before continuing, "You can count on me."

 

[orsal]

Sir Nurlan, to Alicia Thalask

"I...I don't know. Frankly, even if he gave his full support, I'm not sure how much that would mean. I can smell the deep intrigue of Hendrallian politics at work here as surely as I'm standing here...I don't know what their game is though. All I know is..." she blushes a bit as if embarrassed of what she's about to say before continuing, "You can count on me."

"I'll keep that in mind", Nurlan says with a wink, "if we ever need a good word put in from someone with Hendrallian connections. Or your advice if I need to understand the intricacies. Politics can be quite bizarre. Not long ago in Monemvassia I witnessed a man appointed to a prestigious and influential post who had just days earlier been servant to an enemy of the state. I am sure your politics is subject to as many twists as ours." He does not trust Alicia enough to name the turncoat, but he is working to cultivate her as a contact.

 

[Dargon]

"I...will accompany that expedition. If I may?" the elf girl finally speaks for the first time in either assembly, "I know that Sage Thiliaerin spoke for my people's official position, and he said that he will seek to prevent the success of these expeditions, but...that doesn't mean that all elves feel that way. Our people know much about the ways of the forests. If I could help you...I will be the Rivenblight representative for this mission if I am allowed."

Nura seams pleased to hear that. "It warms my hart and ease my mind to hear."

OoC: Are we to put in applications for the single missions and if that is the case what lvl's are the missions aimed at?

 

[Rystil Arden]

(OOC: I'm looking for six groups of four to six to form up. Level is somewhat flexible, but if you send weaklings on the highest missions, they will die horrible deaths, and if you send really high level adventurers on the easiest missions, they will be bored. I ordered them from hardest to easiest. I suggest that you make groups with similarly-leveled PCs and a good mix of classes.

As mentioned in character, due to familiarity with the subject, level, and class mix, the Peregrine Shard is probably best left to the Ashnar/Tenebrynn/Rinaldo/Vanitri + cohorts group if such a group forms)

 

[Someone]

"I still say we should be going after the cultists. We know suspiciously too little about them or what are they doing" repeats Nodis.

 

[InVinoVeritas]

Quozen turns to Jace, Hasin, and Droggle. "Well, we've worked together in the past, should we continue to work together in this quest?"

(OOC: If this works, that's
Quozen, Elf Monk 2
Jace, Human Cleric 1
Hasin, Dwarf Ranger 1
Droggle, Dwarf Fighter 1

...and we could use a couple more.)

 

[Rystil Arden]

"I still say we should be going after the cultists. We know suspiciously too little about them or what are they doing" repeats Nodis.

"Which is exactly why any random poking about would be ill-advised and merely dangerous to our own effort. Because of the lack of useful evidence to start with, the cult will easily get wind of such an attempt before it makes any significant progress. These aren't some idiot storybook villains who will send a band of minions just weak enough that the heroes can beat them off and progress the story--if they find someone sniffing around, they are the ones in the shadows with the advantage of the first move. They can just wipe that person out."

"We need to force them to reveal information to us, and these expeditions will do that--every member of the Fellowship can be on the lookout for cult forces that oppose them, and we can capture any that we find. With a good leg to stand on, only then would approaching the cult be the right move."

 

[Rystil Arden]

Quozen turns to Jace, Hasin, and Droggle. "Well, we've worked together in the past, should we continue to work together in this quest?"

(OOC: If this works, that's
Quozen, Elf Monk 2
Jace, Human Cleric 1
Hasin, Dwarf Ranger 1
Droggle, Dwarf Fighter 1

...and we could use a couple more.)

(OOC: Oh, that reminds me--the major important level-based consideration is that only the Nocturne Shard quest can take level 1 characters. We will have extra characters, but as mentioned a bit beforehand, we have some tangential, non-shard-expedition adventures for the remaining leftover lowbies. We should not have leftovers of any level except 1 and maybe 2 for the extra adventures)

 

[InVinoVeritas]

(OOC: Oh, that reminds me--the major important level-based consideration is that only the Nocturne Shard quest can take level 1 characters. We will have extra characters, but as mentioned a bit beforehand, we have some tangential, non-shard-expedition adventures for the remaining leftover lowbies. We should not have leftovers of any level except 1 and maybe 2 for the extra adventures)

(OOC: About how many people of what levels do we have? I think we have at the very least 8 level 1 adventurers right now...)

(OOC: ETA - If you need me for Group 5 by virtue of me being level 2, that'll work as well... Quozen has always wanted to see the ocean!)

 

[Heckler]

"I still say we should be going after the cultists. We know suspiciously too little about them or what are they doing" repeats Nodis.

"I know where I would start with that," Rinya chimes in, "that sage from Rivenblight. He's awfully eager to stop us. I wouldn't be suprised at all if he were one of these cultists."

"I'd be most interested in going after this Sylvan Shard. I think I'd be most useful there. Richard, Lucien, do you have any preferences?," she asks her companions.



ooc: So, in order from high to low we have:
Peregrine
Terran
Tempest
Sylvan
Undine
Nocturne

I have two other 3rd level characters who aren't too particular about where they go. They'll probably wait to be invited or plug holes. I'm guessing they'll go for Tempest and Undine.