Archives

A New Danger in Tarnath?

Posted on by robinmcentire

By Timmarint Block, Politics Reporter, The Tarnath Weekly Chronicle

Timmarint Block

Kalkix 21, SP~5,021

Timmarint here, your source in getting to the bottom of rumors.  This time it’s about city officials. According to sources in the government and a few influential organizations, a search is on for a jewel from the Crown of Drawnwyn, a very powerful artifact that could affect who controls  Tarnath, and perhaps the entire region.

Our leads almost all concurred that Teetl and Yov, the best known private detectives anywhere on the Continent, have been hunting down this artifact for a well-placed client.  As most readers will know, Teetl, a dwaheely, and his partner Yov, an ushen, have been working together for over two decades now. And they don’t come cheap. This reporter was determined to get the scoop from the famous duo about what part they played in this hunt, if any.

We arranged to meet at the Hungry Oogert Inn in the Great Northeast, one of the best neighborhoods in Tarnath for excellent dining.  I’d met these masters of sleuthing on several occasions, but never one to one (or two). When I saw them approach, I was immediately struck by the sight of these two walking down the dusty street.  Teetl sets a quick pace as if he’s always in a hurry, and Yov, who dwarfs his tiny companion, takes one large easy step after another.  Even so, it works. Somehow.

We sat down for an early breakfast, just after sunrise.  I had the eggs and several slices of phrellas belly — best in the city in my opinion. Teetl is the more talkative; Yov tends to be quiet, but he’s sharp as a nail.  We spent some time with pleasantries as well as details of some of their most recent cases, which they were happy to discuss. The conversation got loose and fluid, and then got to my real questions.

TB: I hear that you recently did a bit of work for Mayor Sympriono.

Teetl: We’ve worked for the mayor a number of times over the years. He’s a good guy – he’s always treated us fairly and honestly.

TB: Yes, I agree.  We’ve always had good things to say about him in the Chronicle.

Teetl: I like your paper.

TB: Thanks for that.  Yes, I consider it a point of pride to get the details right on every story I write.  Like, I’ve heard from a number of contacts, I won’t name who, that the tunnels under Old Naldrin City are pretty nasty.

Teetl: Yup.

TB: And mostly under water now.

Teetl: A bit.

TB: And, when you get down far enough, well, lots of wenbelnym…

Teetl: No question.

The Wenbelnym

TB: I mean one wenbelnym is dangerous, but a swarm of them?  Emotional daemons are tough enough when they’re physical weaklings, but these guys are like twenty-foot long eels, and they can take you out!

Yov: Tee…

I see Teetl glance at Yov, who gives him a knowing look.

TB: How did you get past ‘em?

At this point, both of my breakfast companions begin to squirm a bit in their chairs, so I go for the big question.

TB: I mean, you don’t get a chance to snag an Eye from the Crown of Drawnwyn every day.

Teetl: (ahem) I don’t know what you’re talking about.

TB: The Eye of Amdrath, right?  The one that controls Emotion Energy?.

Teetl: I think you’re confused.

TB: You gotta have a lot of courage and smarts, taking on all those wenbelnym and coming out alive.

Yov stands up abruptly.  Teetl rubs his left arm as if remembering something unpleasant.

They give each other a knowing look.  Teetl stands up.

Teetl: Our thanks for the meal.

TB: So the mayor’s a very happy client, I assume?

Teetl (who stares in a way I wouldn’t have imagined he could), through pursed lips: We don’t discuss our clients!”

Next thing I saw was the backs of these two as they briskly made their way out of the Hungry Oogert.

And now, dear readers, we have some pretty convincing evidence that at least one of the famous Eyes from the Crown of Drawnwyn may be among us, and –  dare we speculate – in use against us?

The Lesaneth, the Heola Protectors

Posted on by robinmcentire
The Heolas

The Heolas

Since ancient times, heola have served the world of Tamarra by becoming Protectors of something they choose – land, folk, or even an idea. Here Aktil Na Baylarrasa, a long-lived and well-travelled martle, shares his encounter in the Suong Mountains with Drammar, a heolas Protector of the Land.

From Aktil Na Baylarrasa:

In the year SP~4,988*, my journey took me to the Suong Mountains, in the far southwestern corner of the Tamarran Continent.  These lands are dry and hot, with little vegetation. Nestled among the twisted chains of long cordillera, the ranges of the mountain, are many high, flat shelves.  These are usually small, measuring at most a few miles in length and typically far less in width. It is on one of these shelves that I found safety from a band of goblins that had been following me for days.  Many of these evil creatures infest the Suong Mountains. They have built their own kingdoms within the mountains and claim parts of them as their own.

Here I encountered Drammar, the heolas who served as Protector of this land of Suong Mara, nestled between two high peaks.  Not knowing which languages this heolas spoke, and since I know many, as is the custom for my folk, I chose to speak in the native tongue of the heola, Sahan.

“Greetings, heolas of the mountain.  I am the martle named Aktil Na Baylarassa.”  I held out my hands in recognition and bowed slightly.

Drammar also bowed, saying, “Greetings, martle.  You and your cousins are known to me and my folk.  I welcome you here if you come without harm in your mind.”  I was struck that Drammar knew the reference, “you and your cousins”.  Most do not understand that we, martles, refer to ourselves in this way.  We are cousins to each martle and each of them to us, even to our ancestors.

I could see from Drammar’s bearing, firm but polite, that this heolas was a Protector, one of those those known as Lesaneth.

“I come here to seek shelter and, in return, I would bring what aid I might to you and the this place that you Protect, if you are indeed a follower of Lesaneth.”  It was the proper greeting, and I could see that Drammar recognized it as such.

“I am Drammar.  Come and rest from your travels.  This land is protected from any that might do them harm.”

As Drammar finished speaking I heard a sharp sound of barks and squeals –  clearly the sound of goblins, no doubt those that had been following me. There were a number of goblin voices, and they were close.

Drammar did not have time to lead us to a safe place before a band of perhaps a dozen goblins appeared, slouching their way out from behind an outcropping of the mountainside.

I prepared to defend myself, but before I could do anything Drammar, with face cold and furious, moved forward to stand between me and these barbaric creatures.  Drammar faced the goblin leader and called out clearly and with unmistakable threat, “I have not given you permission to enter Suong Mara. I give you warning.”

The lead goblin hesitated, seeming to assess the situation.  As vile as these creatures are, they are surprisingly rational when it comes to war and fighting and do not often make mistakes.  After its momentary calculation, it clearly arrived at a decision. He screeched a loud, intimidating reply as he and his cohort, lunged at us.

I reached for my knife, but before I could touch it, I heard a soft incantation from Drammar, whose long, sand-brown cloak billowed up and swept back as a swirl of sand and dirt rose up from the ground in front.  A wall of earth suddenly spun before us, higher than our heads and as wide as the band of goblins that faced us. It sounded as if a caravan of wagons was crashing down a ravine.

The last thing I saw of the goblins before they were wholly consumed by this powerful storm was the look of shock on their faces.  Then, with one more spoken word and a pushing motion, Drammar sent the storm careening into the goblins, carrying them far back into the ravine from which they had appeared.

The wind dissipated, and Drammar’s cloak settled into stillness.  We both listened for a minute and heard the sound of many goblin feet heading down the mountain away from Suong Mara.

It was the first time I had witnessed the fury of a Lesaneth protecting their land, though it would not be the last.

Drammar turned to look at me.  “Are you hungry?”

* The current year is SP~5,019.

The Martles of Ethem

Posted on by robinmcentire

By Javeer Akcher: Senior Physical Investigator for the Guild Energetic Research Collective (GERC)

Martles, of course, wander the oceans of our planet, Ethem.  It is not as well known they they also roam the Tamarran Continent as well as (according to rumor) beyond the reaches of Tamarra.

Martles do not found cities or kingdoms because they spend much of their lives traveling and exploring the world. They do have homelands on Ethem where they are born and where they return periodically for large gatherings of their kind.  It is said that there are four martle homelands on or near the Tamarran Continent:

Allassa Marren, in The Icy Wastes: Deep beneath the surface of the Icy Wastes lies a vast network of tunnels.  It is said that it extends far beyond the borders of the Tamarran Continent, an expanse that is so large that even martles rarely travel it all.  It is said among martles that “It takes five lives to know the tunnels of the ‘waste land’”. Some martles, a very few, have made it their life’s quest to explore and understand all of these tunnels.

Vashaff, in The Eastern Coastline Volcanoes: Six major volcanoes line the eastern coast of Tamarra where it meets the Kellith Sea.  They run from the Zwingel Territories of the zweyjen along the southern coast of the continent to the Sea-Looking States, which lie off the eastern coast.  There are martle enclaves scattered among the many firths and caverns found where the Eastern Mountains meet the rough ocean waters.

Tooleesa Arroon, in the Long Coral Reef: The Long Coral Reef is hundreds of miles long, running north to south through the Lossolla Sea off the western coast of Tamarra. The martles have long had a homeland in the northern parts of this reef.  Over many centuries they have developed a strong racial bond with the various kamari enclaves that live here in these forested lands that line the western coast.

Ka Gra Kanna, in The Rock Islands: These islands are located in the ocean in the far north of Tamarra, a little over 300 miles north of the Land of Hetherall and almost 200 miles below the southern coast of the Icy Wastes.  The martles and the Ice Giants that live there have, over many centuries, become strong allies and often good friends. They are known to help each other in time of need.

It is interesting to note that martles have eidetic memory: their minds capture everything that happens to them and around them as they travel the world.  For this reason they are sought out as “witnesses” to history and as guides to help travelers find their way on their journeys.

Martles can live very long lives; there are some who are believed to have lived as long as six or seven hundred years or more.  One of my great friends, the martle named Aktil Na Baylarassa, is no exception. Born in SP~4,682, he is one of the oldest martles in the world.  He can remember when the Regma Worms rose out of the sea to attack Eldrim city and when the Nulentians arrived on the shores of Tamarra to launch their second invasion of our Continent. He was even there during the bloody Wars of Sorcery.

If you are ever fortunate enough to meet a martle in your life’s travels, it would be wise to make their acquaintance.  If the opportunity presents itself, befriend them. If it should happen that the martle you meet is Aktil Na Baylarassa, please give him greetings from his loyal friend Javeer.

Combat, Detection, Strategy: The Aegis of the Six

Posted on by robinmcentire

Standard Internal Guild Document (SIGD-4110.2388), Guild Document Collection for Six Guilds of Tamarra

The Aegis of the Six (or the Aegis, for short) is an internal security force maintained collectively by all six Guilds. Because the Guilds are neither a political nor a military organization, they do not have any sort of standing army.  However, in addition to normal burglary, Guild houses can sometimes be the targets of attack by Sorcerers, rogue Channels, or anti-Channel groups, with the goal being anything from spying, to theft of the valuable items they may contain, to pure violence.

The Aegis was created to protect against such dangers. Spread across the Continent of Tamarra are about 150 Channels and 2,500 Guild Wards (non-Channels who work for the Aegis*). They are trained in the arts of both combat and detection, with the sole purpose of defending the Guild houses against everything from covert infiltration to overt assault.

Command Structure

The Aegis of the Six has adopted a quasi-military hierarchy, with a General in charge of the group as a whole and a Lieutenant overseeing each of the four regions of Tamarra. Interestingly, the Guild Charter stipulates that these positions must be held by Wards, not Channels.. As strategists, they must be well-versed in the use of every conceivable type of Power, weapon, and mundane tactic.  Due to the Guilds’ impressive wealth and the small size of the Aegis, they have been able to attract talent on the same level as any of the major militaries on the continent. There are even rumors that the Mentarch’s Guild has given them enhanced mental prowess for this purpose, perhaps making them some of the greatest military minds on the continent. Or so the rumors go.

The General is a crawn named Vizzex Rizisz. The Lieutenants are as follows:

Southern Region: a dwaheely named Teesu; Northern Region: a crawn named Daz Trakh; Central Region: an ushen named Kholein;Naldrin Region: a dwarf named Tork, of the Steelsmith Clan.

The Enforcers

There is one small group within the Aegis that could best be called “special operations.” This group is known as the Enforcers, and they have three main objectives: to put down rogue Channels who pose a threat too difficult to be dealt with by local governments; to infiltrate and destroy violently anti-Guild organizations; and to hunt down and destroy sorcerers.

The Enforcers are made up of 36 Channels — 6 from each Guild — all of whom must have overcome at least the 12th barrier in their primary Energy, the 6th barrier in that Energy’s opposing Energy, and the 3rd barrier in the other four Energies. These Channels are specialized in combat, all have at least some proficiency with weapons and armor, and many are highly talented warriors even without using their Powers. These Channels are joined by 150 Guild Wards, some of the most highly trained (and, it is strongly rumored, Energetically enhanced) warriors on Tamarra. They are specifically trained in fighting Energy users and resisting Energetic effects.

The Enforcers are led by a Commander who answers only to the General of the Aegis. While the Commander takes broad orders from the General, they are generally given great autonomy to deal with situations as they see fit. The current Commander of the Enforcers is a human known as Ordon of the Whirling Blades.

Sometimes the Enforcers are utilized in other ways. Large political entities or organizations will sometimes hire them to deal with other problems  — helping to defend a city from an army of rampaging julkas, for instance. The Guilds do this only rarely, and only when they feel they are safe from repercussions, as they try to stay out of politics. Their most extensive involvement in non-Energetic affairs was in The Stillness War, when all the nations of the continent recognized them for their heroic contributions to defeating the Undead scourge.

*The ethics of the Guild practice of taking in children for this role has been the cause of much debate.

Death in the Quiets

Posted on by robinmcentire

Hanni Rethki

Thank you. Yes, the blanket helps. No, I… just give me a moment. I’m just… I’m still kind of reeling. We would have been dead — or worse — if you hadn’t shown up. I promise I will never again insult the Guilds.

Right, well, I suppose what happened would be important. I suppose you’re planning on going in there or some such. Enforcers… I’d heard of you, but I never fully realized just how strong you are.

Yes, hurry, I understand. Time is of the essence. So here’s how it went.

Our caravan was cresting that hill over there. There were four of us then, plus the merchant. Me, my friend Alric, and… and the two you had to kill.

It was a warm day, but out of nowhere this chill suddenly hit us. And not a natural one, either. It was this cold feeling down in your bones, colder than ice, colder than cold. The pigs started squealing and all of us stopped in our tracks. Why would we continue on that route? No good could come of it. But the merchant was a greedy one, and he wanted to take the shortest route or some of his cargo might spoil. And we needed to get paid, so… on we went.

The cold feeling persisted. As we pushed onwards, it became quiet. Huh. Never thought about that before. I suppose that’s how they got their name? Quiets.

Right. Sorry. Anyway, there were no animals in that cold area, and while it was getting slightly colder, we had no real warning. Alric and I were behind the caravan, and Korchal and Guelswue were in front. And the two of them, they just suddenly dropped to the ground. The pigs started squealing like crazy, and they bolted out off the road and back in the direction we’d come. The merchant got dragged off with them. I have no idea what happened to him. Nor do I really care. You found him? Well, I did like those pigs, so I suppose that’s for the best.

But Alric and I were standing there, our two comrades in arms suddenly lying dead on the ground. We had no idea what to think. Until they began to stir, of course. First their fingers started twitching, then their arms and legs, and finally their eyes opened and they picked themselves up off the ground. They had these terrible vacant expressions in their eyes, and suddenly the cold was coming from them, too, only worse. There was this horrible sensation in my chest, like my heart was being torn out of me, and when the pain cleared they were stumbling towards us. Shufflers. We’d heard of them. And that meant that we’d just walked right into a Quiet.

We didn’t know what to do. Everyone knows you can’t kill Undead. They were coming towards us, and we knew we were going to die, maybe even become shufflers like them… and then suddenly, this bolt of brilliant purple fire came from the heavens! And then another! And like that, the two were nothing more than burning corpses. And I saw you.

Well you know that part. You’re the one who did it. Not you? The Dwaheely over there is the… “Evoker?” You’re a… what’s a Charismatic? Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter — you seem like a good guy to me!

Hey, I’m grateful, don’t get me wrong, but… what were you doing here? You sure as hell weren’t here to save us.

There’s ambient… ambient Stillness here? Instead of ambient Spirit, like most places? Look, I have a spear and I stab things with it. That’s what I do. I have no idea what anything you just said meant.

Ha! There I agree with you. All I need to know is to stay away from Quiets. And if me and Alric might be able to get a ride home from you? Or, really, to any city? Or any place that is far from Quiets? I swear on my life that I will stay away from them forever.

Really? Thanks! Wow, it’s been great meeting you — it’s such an honor! All of you are just so impressive! Do you think maybe I could get your autograph? Just make it out to Hanni Rethki…

Mnemonic Recording, Tasz 10, SP~5,018. Interview with Hanni Rethki, survivor of chance encounter with Quiet #0093.

Bound by Stillness: The Undead, Letter Two

Posted on by robinmcentire

Sula 48, SP~5,015

Magistrate Weshem:

It is good to hear from you again. I am always happy to answer further questions you may have. As I said, my thought process concerning the undead is colored by my own personal experiences, so this may account for the somewhat disjointed organization of this letter.

In my last letter, I wrote about how Stillness makes Undead incredibly difficult to damage, affect with powers, etc. I know this seems bad enough, but it is not actually the worst aspect of the Undead.

As you know, Spirit binds together not just the creatures who inhabit Ethem, but Ethem itself. Spirit pervades the world. To use a very simple analogy, Spirit’s adaptiveness makes the world “soft,” while stillness’ inertia makes it “hard.” The result is that wherever Stillness-bound creatures go, Stillness pushes on Spirit, and Spirit yields. This creates a sort of aura of Stillness around the Undead. When a living creature enters this area, their Spirit is itself “pushed,” and its hold on the other Energies that comprise that creature is weakened. The practical effect is that a part of the creature’s life force — and their power — is drained. And to make things worse (because things can always get worse with the Undead), the power of this aura grows as more and more Undead are massed in a single area.

You specifically asked why they’re referred to as “Undead” when they are, in a scientific sense, just as living as you or I? Well, since Stillness does not usually occur naturally, it is extremely rare for creatures to be born bound by it. Most Undead creatures are the result of Spirit-bound creatures dying in an area pervaded by Stillness — either an Undead’s aura, or a Quiet. Their Spirit Energy quickly dissipates, but sometimes their Energies are re-bound by Stillness. Thus, the vast majority of Undead have actually died as Spirit-bound creatures and come back as Stillness-bound ones, giving rise to the vernacular term.

This process of resurrection is, understandably, quite a system shock, and most creatures do not survive mentally intact, becoming mindless, animalistic “shells” or “shufflers,” who roam semi-randomly, attacking anything they see. This includes other Undead, although they sometimes seem to form a sort of “pack” of shells. We haven’t quite figured out why, though we suspect it has something to do with the degree to which their Spirit was corrupted by Shadow. The more they are corrupted by Shadow, the more they are drawn to similarly-corrupted creatures. This can make for… odd sights. I once saw a pack of two humans, an ushen, four kamari, a wolf, six deer, and a large number of squirrels. The latter actually made me laugh, right up until they got close enough to me to start draining my life force with their aura of Stillness. I know it will sound funny to anyone who wasn’t there, but I will never look at squirrels the same way again.

The worst are the revenants — Undead who have made it through the process intact, and retain their sentience. Revenants are able to control shells simply through force of will. A disproportionate number of revenants are Channels, unfortunately, and they retain all of their ability to channel the Energies. Which proved a serious problem in the war.

I hope that answers your questions. If you would like a more scientific response to your query, I encourage you to write to my colleague Emil Hill. She is one of our leading theoretical researchers specializing in Stillness. I hope, though, that this letter will round out your understanding of the true nature of the Undead beyond just what GERC publications will tell.

 

In Faith,

Davvik Katten of the Fireforge Clan

Senior Fellow

GERC Shadow-Inflected Energies Department, Stillness Division