Heroes and Heroines Live Action Roleplay (Larp/LRP)

26 Cantria, 8978 Ta

Source: Marius The Magnificent

Allow Marius to pose a hypothetical and philosophical question.  In the field Auxiliaries are often tasked with making snap decisions with limited information and uncertainty about the future.  Always the goal is to enhance the safety of the Protectorate and to reduce the potential harm from external threats.  Sometimes we are forced to make the choice of the lowest harm, and so Marius’ question to you, dear reader, as you judge our choices would you have done any different?  You know, some people would have you believe that Auxiliaries should be questioned with extreme force when they get back from a difficult mission just because they were thrust into making tough choices.  Luckily we all know that our glorious and wise leader, Lord Protector Foxglove, Hero of The Protectorate, Hierophant of The Circle of the Greatwoods, Sorcerer of The Light College, Elder Sibling of The Brothers of the Herb, would never ever allow such injustice to occur.  This is all purely hypothetical of course.

As the leader of this mission, Marius stands by the decisions made and any consequences for them should rest solely with Marius.  Except for anything Tenth did, because honestly you can’t tell these water casters anything. 

 

Plane Sailing – a report by Marius the Magnificent

 

In the Protectorate province of Clearwater there sits the Dark Elven Citadel which is located near Iron Bridge.  News had reached us that the members of the Skar Silvani house of Ssiggrin Tortha had decided to attack the Citadel in an effort to improve their own standing and, although they had been repulsed, they had broken up into a number of small raiding bands which needed to be brought to justice.  So with that we were teleported into the Dark Citadel and met with Voran Ashcaster who briefed us in the throne room of Dyna Nightblade.  We were tasked to track and apprehend one particular group of Ssiggrin Torthanians, and to give them a darned good talking to.

Luckily to aid us the University had been working on a special tracking device that could follow a special marker through which ever plane that they passed through, and of course we had been assigned the excellent mistwalker, T’nny-Brous Abbanen, to help with the more mundane tracking through which ever lands we would find ourselves in.  In many ways, by chance (or more likely by the Lord Protectors wise council), we had a very well balanced party with the following representatives:

Marius The Magnificent – Wizard of the Air College

Faer talen Vydalia – Wizard of the Dark College

Twig – Wizard of the Earth College

MaiRu – Mage of the Light College

Tenth – Wizard of the Water College

 

As you can see, perhaps apart from the lack of a fire college representative, all schools of magic were present, so a nearly perfectly balanced party.  There was also additional support in the non magical realm provided with:

 

T’nny-Brous Rath’elg– Neutral priest

T’nny-Brous Abbanen – the afore mentioned Scout

Chiaroscuro – Legion Ranger

Rivalyn – Assistant Healer

Mr Scruffles –Healer and chief negotiator and voted best dressed member of the party.

Ziggy – Summer druid and “bard”

Oswald – Warrior of the spear.

 

Clearly a mission with only the Protectorates finest handpicked people, and Tenth.  Missing of course Pip Squeak, but she was taking Kesadia on a Mother / Daughters spa day.

Inevitably Marius was selected as the leader of the group and given the most wonderous and powerful device entrusted to his care by Voran Ashcaster, as well as an extensive disclaimer form in which words like “Highly Experimental” and “Most likely not fatal” appeared most frequently.  Having made our preparations Marius uttered the fateful words of “Item do thy work” and with that the knowledge that they had fled to the realm of shadows, that plane of darkness, was laid bare to Marius.  Thusly armed with this knowledge Marius and party bravely followed.

Upon the plane of Darkness  It was dark and boring and pitch black, no one could see except for Vydalia, who was in her element, and for Mai’Ru who cast eyebright on Marius since Marius was leading the party following the device.   Despite the attentions of some of the local denziens of that black place we emerged into somewhere back on the Prime Material Plane, so late at night that it was scarcely any lighter, and with the efforts of our scout we followed the trail of these miscreants having several dangerous encounters with groups of local denziens on the way before eventually arriving at a protectorate temple of light only to find it assailed by the Ssiggrin Tortha warband we were tracking.  In a fierce battle we slew the 14th warrior of that house, along with many others.   After the danger had passed and the place secured, High Priest Greensleeves arrived with his companion and servant of the light, Christof.

It seemed our intervention was too late though, for this richly appointed temple of the light was the home of the crown and skull of Queen Rachal, the mighty artefact that attracts undead and that the protectorate was using to destroy so many of these foul abominations.  During the assault some of the Skar Silvani had escaped with these most wonderous items.  Our new mission was clear, rescue these items!  (In case it wasn’t clear, High Priest Greensleeves re-iterated for us several times).

As it was late in the night, indeed closer to dawn than midnight now, so we took a rest before we set off in pursuit and Greensleeves provided much needed resources to aid us in the now likely event that we encountered any undead threats.

In the morning we broke our fast with the finest porridge with fresh fruits from the bountiful temple gardens, interrupted only by a wandering band of elemental creatures, one of which managed to flee.  Realising there was no more porridge….er…time to waste, Marius lifted the Astral Plane Tracking Device and activated it, being filled with the knowledge that the Skar Silvani had travelled through the plane of Air most recently.   How wonderful, a trip to a nice place at last!

Being the mighty Wizard he is, and leader of the group, Marius himself teleported the group (with the Tracking Device) to that greatest of all the planes.  The rest of the party managed to get themselves stuck in the air and couldn’t move about, but Marius (as mentioned already, but it is worth mentioning again) being such a mighty Air Wizard, can walk on air so was able to freely move about and so had to gather up his companions and drag them together to get where we needed to get to.  This was made harder by some mischievous little dragonling who delighted in casting gusts of air to blow the party about…usually in the wrong direction, but eventually Marius managed to drag the entire party to where they needed to go and so we emerged with great sadness back into the Prime Material Plane.

We found ourselves now in a strange woods, which we later discovered was the Silverwoods, home of the Ssiggrin Tortha.  A little way into the woods we discovered a pair of dead Skar Silvani, torn apart by some strange wind beasts, clearly mauled by bears and wolves, gored by boars, but strangely human footprints were about them.   As we investigated the scene and the dead bodies a patrol found us, a group of Silverweb soldiers.  Luckily we managed to diplome our way out of fighting them and causing an international incident, helped as they had a seer with them who communed with our now deceased quarry and corroborated our story.  They let us go, on the promise that we would share with them the crown for their inspection, although we had said nothing to them of the crown – and they threatened an international incident if we didn’t.   But I am sure that Foxglove and sort that out, and if not Marius always has his picnic basket of diplomacy.

We pressed on and as we did so we were assailed by many bands of strange creature, perverted hybrids (like Boarks – half Boar, half orc, or Spiawks – half spitting cobra, half Hawk), eventually coming across their creator, who accused us of being a part of the group that had destroyed their lab long ago.  We surmised they were referring to something Kinook did, given his ability to break things it sounds about right.   Naturally we killed this reprehensible person and their abominations of nature, at which point an aspect of the Nature sphere appeared, an Avatar of Summer called Baccus who, in thanks, took us for a meal which was a marvellous feast.  Placed before us was a mouth watering selection of:

• Sandwiches,
• The finest cured cuts of meat,
• A mindblowing selection of cheeses (with crackers),
• Fresh vegetables and dips and sauces to go with,
• An almost pie (called a quiche),
• Not to mention many sweet treats to follow. 

As we ate Baccus and many of his companions kept us entertained and for an hour we enjoyed the last day of Summer, raising many a toast to our host.   During the stay Ziggy played for Baccus who was so impressed he asked Ziggy to stay with him in this summer realm which sorely tempted our healer, but Marius reminded him of his adoring fans back in the Protectorate so he came with us so as not to disappoint them – a decision which spawned his new catch phrase “I should have stayed…”

When it was time to take our leave, Baccus took us to where the thieves of the crown had gone, a desolated and isolated glade in the Razor Edge mountains.  Pre-prepared we had a clever plan revolving around our Earth Wizard, Twig, and thus we took swift care of them, but even so we were again too late, the crown wasn’t there. 

As we searched about we met a Gunthar, a strange man(?) with a bottle of tasty drink.  Only thanks to Ziggy could we communicate with him and via his primitive grunts he told us the undead were swarming in the area, but there was a secret way to avoid them, we followed his advice and snuck around the main undead force, encountering only a few bands which we fought our to reach a decrepit shack guarded by a high powered undead.  It was here we discovered, as Vydalia had guessed, the crown had been taken to the sea of lost souls where it would be amassing an unbelievably huge undead army that would burst forth from that place and overwhelm all of Idenia, only swelling as it slaughtered more nations and lands.  There we would need to go were we to save not only the Protectorate, but all of Idenia from the Zombie apocalypse, so we girded out loins and followed, not knowing what we would find there.

The Sea of lost souls is a tortured place, being there makes ones skin crawl, constant screaming in ones mind every moment one is there.  Luckily we arrived in a secluded place with only a few tortured souls which attacked our living bodies.  Having given them their final rest, we hid and observed, seeing a stream of undead heading in one direction.  Clearly the influence of the crown was already at work so we crept after them.

After a tough march through this wasted realm we emerged into a bleak and desolate field, the ground covered in dead grass and ringed by stunted bare trees, the memories of that last summer day now a distant memory.  Oh how we yearned to be back to that Summer Realm (or even better, the plane of air) instead of now in that bleak place watching the crown being tussled over by bands of undead.  For it seemed that the thieves had bitten off more than they could chew, and now undead were biting back at them.  Taking advantage of the confusion we laid into the melee fought to save the world.   The carnage was brutal, limbs were severed, even Marius and Ziggy were not spared.  It was only thanks for the bravery of Chiaroscuro, T’nny-Brous Rath’elg, and Oswald, did Marius survive.  Each member of the party showed great bravery and alas there is not space to list them all here, although it was thanks to the frantic efforts of Rivalyn and Mr Scruffles that kept us up, and in that fight.  Having exhausted our healing capacities but been victorious we stumbled from that hellish place with our prize.  Fearfull of more encounters we ran into the last thing we expected – a living person, a servant who invited us back to their masters sanctuary for a meal.  Apparently his master was a seer and had seen our arrival and desired to offer us protection from both the locals and the effects of the plane.  Given our exhausted state we accepted, although it was sure to be a trap.

We arrived at a magnificent castle, where a lavish table was laid out to greet us.  There we met the other guests and inhabitants of that place. 

1. The Butler was named Jordan, he was a living person – maybe he is a relative of Humphry Butler?
2. Fafnir Swallowsong, a bard of some supposed renown, although he had long since perished before Eden arrived at it’s current place (he died on the toilet maybe 200 years ago).
3. The Scholar – and even if their scholarship is but limited to the culinary sciences then they are most wise indeed.  They also served as the chef.
4. The Illurian – An Illurian revenant who carried some heavy chains.  They seemed most grumpy

After we were all seated and provided with drinks, our host and his three children arrived.  He introduced himself as Lord Drax and his three children, ‘Arry, Isabella, and the middle child who surely had a name, but (let’s face it) no one ever remembers the middle child.   It was obvious immediately that something was not right here, but all of them were very pale with red eyes, but that also could be to do with the lack of sunlight where we were.  Marius was sat next to Isabella at Lord Drax’s left hand and learned how Lord Drax had saved the children from certain death to come abide with him, though they would stay as children for all their existence (and very sombre and indeed grumpy children they were, I think they really needed a holiday, I did offer them to have a trip to the plane of Air, but Lord Drax was strangely reticent.  A pity as there was a very playful Dragonling who would have loved the company.  Marius also discovered from Lord Drax that the Pale Duke has several powerful and ancient enemies that seek to utterly destroy him, and any who ally with the Pale Duke would be advised to be wary of these beings.

Now when Lord Drax had introduced his name something tugged at the memory of Marius, but taken up with concern for his charges, and of course not wanting to offend our host, Marius put it out of thought, even when the Duke mentioned that he had been on the plane for over 1 million days – the same length of time Queen Rachal had been condemned to live with the crown!  Oh alas Rivalyn and Mr Scruffles, how Marius failed you for soon this ancient vampire had you so beguiled that in a moment he knew all about the treasures we carried and, although Marius managed to stop you divulging certain other secrets, this 3,000 year old vampire had Marius under his charm swiftly afterwards and as soon as we had finished a sumptuous meal of rats tails with eye of newts (which tasted a lot like meatballs with sepia spaghetti and a tomato sauce), preceded by blood soup and followed by our choice of Illurian mess or Gravediggers surprise washed down with copious bottles of blood wine, we handed the crown over to him. 

It is said that we best connect over food of course, and during that wonderful meal, I am sure many of us (unawares of course) felt we made a connection to the others at that table, people who just happened to be of the necromantic plane.  (Just saying, no reason at all to mention connections here). 

Here all was made clear.  This was the Lord Drax, who had led a 120,000 strong undead army against Queen Rachal and her realm.  The same Lord Drax who had, as Malice tries to do today, used undead as labour to undercut the peasant populous, making the merchant Lords rich as disease and pestilence swept the lands, and before they knew it brought destruction to the very heart of their kingdom.  The very Lord Drax that we thought had been destroyed by Queen Rachal, but it seems had found sanctuary here in the Sea of Souls.

Having dismissed his children, Lord Drax seized the skull and commanded Queen Rachal to appear.  He gloated how he finally has the chance for revenge, but surprise!  The Queen called upon an angel of retribution to appear, and blazing forth in pure white light this divine being manifested itself and with holy fury Lord Drax was assailed, escaping only when he turned to mist.

Released from his Beguilement and charm, we faced the Angel (of Retribution – not Angel, everyone’s favourite bar owner and provider of Idenia’s best cocktails) and asked what could be done, and we were told how we could destroy Lord Drax once and for all.  In a commanding voice that made the very stones of the castle shake he bid us to pour holy water upon him, slay his imbued Djinn, and destroy him through the use of the Angels holy sword.  But to reach him we had to break the seals upon his tomb, to do so involved 3 quests

– free the Bard,

– Solve the Scholar’s riddle,

– and break the chains binding the Illurian. 

(Speaking of Illurains, Lord Drax did mention something illuminating about them, they have many effigies upon this plane and through their religion of negramancy which allows them to leave the Sea of Souls and return to the Prime Material Plane to inhabit a new body.   This process strips out the goodness, neutrality, and nature from them, leaving only darkness in their souls which explains why they are such a miserable bunch.)

 

We also spoke to the Queen, who begged us to destroy the crown and to allow her to pass on from her million day torment.  As a party we all agreed, for slavery and the torture of a soul could not be tolerated, no matter our orders to retrieve the artifact.  I am sure that the good heart of Lord Protector Foxglove, Hero of The Protectorate, Hierophant of The Circle of the Greatwoods, Sorcerer of The Light College, Elder Sibling of The Brothers of the Herb, would agree with our decision, and avoid turning the Protectorate into the very thing that we hoped to destroy, a land that tormented souls to achieve our ends (after all it’s this sort of wise leadership and noble heart that we all love and respect so much in our popular leader).

 

First we turned to the Bard.  To free him we had to perform a play, the play of the creation of Lord Drax – naturally Marius played the star role, with Twig and Chiaroscuro as the other stars, while the rest of the party played various supporting roles (village mob etc.)

The play was a roaring success and with the grand finale, the newly raised vampire Drax and his just bitten father heading off to take over the world, the curtain also fell on the torment of Fafnir Swallowsong and his spirit could rest at last.

 

Speaking of rest, we had reached the end of our endurance and in that safe place took what rest our tortures spirits could get upon that plane, luckily still shielded by the protections of Lord Drax’s abode.

In the morning the scholar presented us with their puzzle.  Four undead held four items upon silver platters. 

A Revenant with an amulet

A Tomb Creeper with a necklace

An Eye of Terror with a torc

And a Skeletal Warrior with an hourglass.

All we had to do was put the items in the correct order to answer the question “What does the Scholar need?”.   The solution (reached simultaneously by several members of the party – was to take the first letter of each undead’s name and spell out R.E.S.T.

Now the Scholar was free and could seek what they wanted.  Also the undead were free and laid into us which caused great confusion, luckily we prevailed.

 

The last task, free the Illurian.  We tracked the foul spirit to where it was tethered to an effigy of Illuria.  The effigy commanded Rivalyn to protect the chains with their life and body but luckily we were able to sleep and bind Rivalyn to the ground to them safe.  While Chiaroscuro engaged the Illurain, Marius struck the chains and shattered them which went as less well as we hoped since now the Illurian was free to attack us.  A ferocious battle in which Oswald, the brave soul, had his leg cleaved off, ensued.  Marius leapt in with a dreadful shock spell causing huge damage and the others all piled in with huge bravery, finally finishing it off, pounding it until it’s very soul was no more, even as he lay of the ground Oswald used his spear to great effect.

Marius sealed up Oswald’s bleeding stump and we moved him to a safe place while we tried to destroy the effigy, but alas despite out best efforts it was immune to our powers.  Fortunately it turned out it was not needed for us to defeat this thing, for the scholar informed us that Lord Drax’s coffin had appeared and we could destroy him now.

We rushed in, but the tomb was guarded by a skeletal squire, a skeletal warrior, and a spirit of wounding.   Chiaroscuro and Marius entered the tomb and while Chiaroscuro distracted the squire, Marius first poured holy water over Drax to prevent him from escaping, or using any other powers of his, then he destroyed the Skeletal warrior and the spirit of wounding, aided by Ziggy who joined us in that room to cast healing spells as needed in the middle of the combat, Marius admits that he has never seen Ziggy be so brave as in that room.  At one point things did look grim, but brave Oswald, left with only one leg by the door, intervened with a timely strikedown of the warrior, allowing Marius to slay it finally.  After that Chiaroscuro had destroyed the Squire while Faer talen Vydalia had released the Djinn and the party had destroyed it, and in all the confusion Twig had taken the holy sword and plunged into the heart of the Vampire, sending him, and the sword, from existence.

 

Success!  So near the end of our mission, we could take the skull and crown back to the Protectorate and wash our hands of the decision of what to do with it, but we have never shirked from taking responsibility for such a choice and so we were led to the portal of broken dreams through which we travelled to the Plane of Good (okay, we had to kick over the guardians of the Portal first, but that was because they where numpties and didn’t want to let us through).

On the plane of Goodness the Scholar transcended and finally received her highly deserved rest, and then Marius beseeched the Angel of Retribution to allow Queen Rachal to also transcend.  We had to keep her company for 15 minutes, but all the while the goodness of that place healed our bodies and spirits – but should we be filled too much by the light, we would transcend, if we desired to or not.

The only solution was to injure each other with our weapons, and so a circular beating took place while we desperately ensured we all avoided that fate, although one good thing was Oswald’s leg finally grew back (like on the third attempt since he kept hopping into action against our enemies).

At last that place cleansed Queen Rachal’s brow of the crown and as we raced for the exit Marius took one last look back as she transcended in the most beautiful shower of rainbow light, just before he jumped through the Portal and reappeared before the Temple of Light in the Protectorate, where we received our debrief, some some choice loot, and some very undeserved accusations.

One can only hope this report answers all those questions posed against us, and if you would have done otherwise in our shoes I say to you – well if you want to make all the decisions then you come up with a device that will allow instant communication so we can get moral guidance in the field.  Until then, shut up, Marius had to make the big calls on his own and stands by the decision to persuade Ziggy to stay with the party and not remain in the Summer realm.  We may all come to regret that call, but Marius made it.  And maybe you would have declined Lors Drax’s dinner, but who amongst us could resist Illurian Mess and Gravediggers Surprise?  No one, that’s who, and if you could have, you’re as dead as an Illurian on the inside!    Hmmm, I wonder if one could make Illurian mess as a sweet pie?

Also hope Lord Protector Foxglove, you will come to the wedding at the Solstice?  Pip Squeak and Marius would be most delighted.  There’s a seat saved for you in the front row next to Lyra.