The Legend of Prismix

Following the birth of Nidarys, word has begun to spread of yet another god. His existence was previously known exclusively to the second order of the Mages of Destiny and Resta's current royal family, the Baldus family. But in the wake of a great miracle, such news could hardly be contained for much longer. Initially ncovered by the Second Archknight, Lord Prismix has come to be known by the Mages of Destiny as an amalgam of heroes from four separate worlds who share a unique bond. Together they discovered that the four worlds which comprise what would come to be known as the Plane of Doran shared a spiritual link, which allow a person to reincarnate on any world within the plane.

This connection was first discovered by a woman known only as The Scholar. Her first incarnation, who died on a world called Dresnuk, would reincarnate on another world called Sarosed in which she sailed the seas as a mercenary witch. Upon dying once again, she discovered a way to retain her past knowledge. Taking her secret into her next life, she was reincarnated as a seeress on the world of Porvia who traveled the stars only to end her short life on Earth. When she finally came to Comalan she took the form of a spellwarrior who is well known for her longevity, madness, and the legendary bloodline that followed her.

As she began to shape her own reincarnation cycle, the Scholar's grip on her sanity loosened even as she grew in power. As the site of the scholar's most recent life, it fell onto the gods of Comalan to sanction her complete destruction for the good of the sacred realm of Doran in its entirety. But in the weakened state that Geos' rebellion had left the gods in and the wisdom she possessed of worlds that were unfamiliar to them, they were unable to subdue the Scholar. So they turned to an even higher power; the former king of their race. With eyes on each of Doran's four cities-- Fadal, Heaven, The Moonstone Expanse, and Plaisnu-- this unrecognized deity was uniquely suited to oversee the Scholar's movements. With the tiniest hope of unveiling any sentimentality he could take advantage of, he entrusted the footwork that would lead to her downfall to the Scholar's own children.

From Dresnuk, he called upon its greatest mind; a scientist who sought hope for their broken world by reaching past the world's dimensional boundaries. From Sarosed, he called a humble bounty hunter who altered time to steal her brother's greatest achievement out of necessity and, in doing so, saved her world twice. From Earth, he summoned a space captain who bridged a peace between two planets by intertwining his heritage from both. From Comalan, he summoned the legendary Champion of Chaos himself. It was from him that the Mages of Destiny-- his descendants all-- learned what was happening beyond their world.

While nothing is known about their otherworldly journey, the reward that awaited them at the end of it was an ascension the gods never counted on. These four siblings would join together and, with the blessing of Doran's king became a new god-- Prismix.

Nothing is currently known about Prismix's capabilities or proclivities except for one thing: as a being borne of four different dimensions, his presence is not limited to Fadal in the way the other deities' are. He is also a denizen of Heaven, Plaisnu, and the Moonstone Expanse. This fact is why he is hailed as Lord Prismix, the God of Four Worlds. The descendants of Prismix believe, however, that he represents the coming together of four disparate souls and that the power that comes from their unity is a testament to the gifts of diversity.

The Vermilion Collective

The many uncharted lands of  Comalan's southeastern hemisphere have long been speculated to be occupied by uncivilized peoples whose development was suppressed by their perpetual struggle against the elements. These ideas are said to be enforced by the cultural exhibitions of the region's few emigrants, which have proven to be far more alien than even the differences between Mortanis and Midania could compare to. It wasn't until the end of the Second Age when this myth would be dispelled by the unexpected appearance of a naval vessel whose technology was significantly advanced even by Galean standards of the time. The ship flew a red flag and carried a hostile crew, who claimed to be from a nation referred to only as the Vermilion collective upon their capture by the Holy Key Knights. This battle resulted in many casualties on both sides, but their technology was only barely eclipsed by the templars' power.

Following the Archknight Rebellion, Kyle Baldus--the newly crowned king of Resta--received a message that was printed on a red scroll. This letter from the Vermilion Collective explained that their emperor, Julius Hartwell, had led his people in conquest of the vast majority of the southeastern hemisphere. With most of Hydrospace conquered, they had sent out exploratory vessels to establish a foothold out in the wider world. It was one of these vessels that had tested its might against the Restans and lost. After acknowledging the strength of the chosen land, Emperor Hartwell declared war on Resta.

Recently crippled by the bloody civil war they fought to restore the Gods to their seats of honor in Mortanis, the new court of Resta appealed to augurs, bishops, and tacticians alike to assess this threat. The clergy said nothing except that their actions against the templars, devoid as it was of the ritual that the Akisian Empire and Blackstone Order were known for, suggested a godless culture. The seers revealed that any attempts to scry into their future have yielded no visions of the Vermilion Collective. The military speculated that with the vast distance between the two countries, Resta's natural superiority at producing resources, and their long list of allies, the kingdom would be perfectly safe if the Collective decided to invade. So, with no clear idea of the threat they faced, Royal Army Intelligence dispatched spies to the region and focused on rebuilding.

Although they remain fully aware of a hostile presence in the world with technology beyond their understanding, the tentative unease over this declared conflict would fade with the ongoing years of the third age. Scholars and news media have taken to jocularly referring to this as the Empty War. But what information the spies have brought back regularly puts the court on edge. Their technology has been reported to be beyond anything ever witnessed on Mortanis. The mixture of fear and loyalty instilled into the various communities under their rule has slowly turned into hatred against the people of what they disparagingly call the "Gentle North." Finally, a spy who was thought to have been dead when she stopped reporting to the kingdom was revealed by another to have defected to the Collective, giving them access to many of Resta's secrets.

The Vermilion Collective continues to lack any presence in the north to this day, but Resta remains on notice--for when the empire finally makes its move, it will bring with it power that has no discernible counter.

All Gone

Took you long enough.

I'm sorry. I tried to come as soon as I heard, but the road was snowed in until just this week.

You're really not good at your job, are you?

Mind your tone, boy! I've been balancing eight different investigations since most of the spellwarriors left for the Crusade! I'm doing everything I can for dozens of people at once!

Well, you can just drop this one. You clearly can't do anything for my friends at this point and I'm sure you'll need the time for the seven cases you haven't blown.

I can't do that. Not without confirming exactly what happened.

You want to know what happened? First my friend Mel disappeared, then her brother Merric, and now their mum's gone! Nobody here has any new information for you!

That's what everyone else I've spoken to so far has said, but no less than three people have indicated that you might.

I talked to Miss Miranda right before she left. 

Well, whatever you discussed might be the only information I have to close my report. Let's hear it.

...

Joseph, do you have a moment?

Ma'am, I don't think I can tell you anything else. I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen!

It's alright, dear! There's nothing to worry about.

But Mel and Merric--

Are gone forever. But I know where. I'm going to see them soon.

If you're sure about that, don't you think you should tell Sir Rain? 

Actually, I was hoping you could tell him!

Why are you laughing?

I have spent the whole winter praying for that man's success! Now I know he's never going to bring my children to me, but I'm going to see them again anyway! Doesn't that seem funny to you or have I truly lost it?

No, that's funny.

When you see that useless oaf again, tell him that my family doesn't need his help anymore. We're all going to be fine!

That book you showed me said the creature only likes children.

You misunderstood. They prefer children for practical reasons, but giving my children everything they want is what this one is supposed to do.

And they want their mum?

Exactly! It won't be long before they're asking for their friend as well. You'd best be keeping an eye out your window at night.

...

Son, you should  not--

I know! I can't speak for my friends and their mum, but there's something untrustworthy about a creature that tricks people into coming with them.

Has anyone ever told you how smart you are for your age?

I think it would have been better to ask if anyone had ever failed to tell me how smart I am for my age.

I'm serious! You have the instincts of a spellwarrior! I know I might not have been giving you the best impression of our order, but we could use more minds like yours!

Is that an offer to sponsor me for the Academy?

I suppose it is! It's the least I can do after failing your friends.

I shouldn't accept without talking to my family first, but I'm definitely interested.

Happy to hear it! We should go now. If your parents are in agreement, I'd like you to leave with me and start your apprenticeship today.

Why the rush?

I know you don't want to follow the nauveil, but if your friends wish for you to be there, the creature will adamantly pursue you. It can be both patient and persistent. I think it would be best to get you as far away from the nest as possible.

That's right. Well, when you put it that way, I'm most likely going to be joining you.

That would be best. With your friends' last connection to this village safely out of the nauveil's reach all that remains is to tell Sir Merrow what happened to his family. Once we do so, I'll take you to the Academy.

The poor man. To have spent so long fighting to protect his family from the fishmen only to find out they were taken by a fairy?  He's not going to let this go.

He'll be free to look for them on his own once he finishes his  tour and-- as my senior-- he is more than capable of doing so. I'm out of threads to clutch. I have to close the case.

I guess they really are all gone, then.

Glimmering in the Snow

You're obviously starting to crack, mate.

I know what I saw! 

And I know what you think you saw was impossible.

She was there!

She was outside your house last night, standing in the snow wearing her night clothes and no shoes? And she was.. glimmering?

That's what I said!

If what you saw was real, it still can't be her! How could anyone survive that?

She was waving to me!

I'm telling you that you are being tricked! Either by your mind or something else! 

Shut up!

Have you told your mother about this?

Of course I did!

What did she say?

Nothing. She just cried.

I guess she finally lost hope. It has been months.

That's not funny!

...

No, it's not.

I know what to do!

You wouldn't--

The next time I see her, I'm going to follow her!

You shouldn't--

I'm going to find out where she's been and bring her home! Then mum will be happy again!

Merric--

Don't tell anyone! Melany's coming home!

Don't be st--

I better go! Mum wants me home by dark!

Just stay--

Bye!

...

Madam, a moment of your time?

What in the world do you want now?

I had some information that you might find useful.

Do you know whether my daughter is well? I doubt you have anything useful to tell me otherwise!

I'm afraid her whereabouts and current status remain a mystery. But I found something that might give you some insight into what happened that night.

That sounds better than nothing. What happened to her.

Take this book. I've earmarked a page that references the creature we think might have taken your daughter. It's called a nauveil. It's a fey with a peculiar symbiotic relationship with people. They lure people to their haunts, then use their magic to placate their victims' every desire in exchange for a steady trickle of their own energy. They seem to prefer children because they are easier to please and usually have a lot longer to live.

How is this supposed to help me right now?

If I'm right, this means that your daughter is well cared for, at the very least. It's not in the creature's best interest to harm the people they take. Beyond never being allowed to leave the nauveil's dwelling, it might feel better to assume that Melany is happy and healthy.

...

I think you should go.

Pardon?

It doesn't sound like you're sure of this. It seems more likely that you have nothing and you're just here to placate me with the most hopeful theory you could find. I may know nothing of your work, but I'm not stupid.

Honestly--

Save it! Every second you spend trying to inflate me with false hope is a distraction from doing your job! I don't care what might be happening to her! Please, just find her!

I am true to my word. I still intend to find her. I just thought you could use some cheerful news.

Sorry, but it didn't help as much as you thought.

Worry Not

When was the last time you saw your daughter?

I tucked her into bed last night. Eight o' clock as always!

Have you seen anyone suspicious wandering around the town lately?

Well, no! Who would come out this far-- wait, you don't suppose it was bandits, do you?

Ma'am, that's--

Those Heronite dogs! If I said it once, I've said it a thousand times, a border town is no place to raise our children!

Mrs. Merrow, I assure you bandits have never ranged into Resta before. Even without the Desmond clan to provide a mighty deterrent, I don't suspect they would come just to steal a child from her bed in the dead of night.

Well, who else could it be?

For the moment, there remains no evidence that Melany didn't leave of her own volition--

She would never go out on her own at night, especially not in this weather!

In that case, a good place to start would be with family members and acquaintances. Most kidnappings are committed by someone the victim knows.

It can't be anyone in the family! All we've got are my husband and his mother. Dianna is too old to travel and Frederick is serving in the crusade!

Worry not, ma'am. I promise we're going to find her by magic or investigation. Your husband will not come home to tragedy. For now, I'm going to need you to tell me everything you can about your family's immediate acquaintances, those your children see most frequently.

Merric, you stay where I can see you!

...

You need to tell her about the fox.

We did! She didn't believe us!

Then tell her that Mel left to follow it!

She still won't believe me! Mel is afraid of the dark! She doesn't like the cold either!

It's been two days, Merric! Do you have any idea what is happening to her right now?

No!

No one does! And no one's going to find out unless we tell your mum the truth! That spellwarrior is just going to waste her time talking to my family! Then he's going to to talk to everyone else in the town! By the time she realizes no one around her knows where she is, it'll be too late!

I'm going to be in so much trouble.

We both are! And it's only going to get worse the longer we wait!

Meet the Phoenix Blade

While the story of The Phoenix Blade is told primarily through the point of view of its leader, Bolreck. The guild is full of various characters with varying levels of development and involvement in the lives of other Comalanians. So, for our next post, I'd like to talk a little about some of the other members of the Phoenix Blade.

Saayuko Dreadkiller

Once a member of a gang of Heronite bandits, Saayuko fled the country after killing the leader of her gang. This monstrous archer, known as the Dread Arrow, was spoken of in whispers by the people of Heron and Tanis alike. Unable to tolerate the brutality he carried with him for any longer, she led him into a trap that caused him to fall to one of his own arrows. While this feat earned her the gratitude of the various regions their gang once terrorized, her resulting fame made her a target of every bandit in Heron. Branded a killer of the free people, she immigrated to the Desmond Foothills of Resta. There, she learned of this new country and began to travel with the local hunting parties. As she began to grow more confident in her safety within the kingdom's borders, she ranged further and further until she had eventually explored the entirety of Resta. Thus began a mercenary career as a retrieval expert, which would eventually lead her into Bolreck's path. As a senior member of the Phoenix Blade, she is known as The Fetcher for her skills in resource acquisition.

Moruay Rainwalker

As the first employee under Bolreck's business in Resta, Moruay Rainwalker would become a founding member of the Phoenix Blade. She was born on the island of Katrine as the daughter of an emissary who frequently treated with the Restan throne. She lives in frequent fear of the Third Archknight because of the ways her father, Ranin, have fallen afoul of him and his friends. This makes things tense between her and Takaa, a longtime friend of Gyanda's. She is otherwise a friendly face to all of the guild. While the guild all affectionately refers to Bolreck and Saayuko as the parents of the guild, Moruay is considered the older sister-- even by Benedicte, who is measurably older than she is. She offers her skills as a survivalist to the guild in the form of fine leather goods for the customers and delicious food for her friends.

Takaa of Ravager

Takaa was once a gunsmith working out of a solitary workshop in the south of Ravager until he crossed paths with Gyanda Maloran. After aiding the magister who would become the Archknight, Takaa set out for Resta in search of further adventure that went beyond hunting dangerous game on his home island. While he continued to aid Gyanda and his friends on multiple occasions, he found a day job as a member of the craftsman's stable that would become the Phoenix Blade. He has an avid disdain for most magic after watching his own brother become devoured by the seductive influence of dark magic but tends to make an exception for people he especially likes, including Gyanda, Volt, and his best friend Oogura. He is also taken with Tir Apollo--not for her Avatar prestige, but for their mutual fascination with engineering.

Oogura of Sister

Oogura was once a disciple of the Landsworn, a druidic cabal devoted to guarding her island's ecosystem from within. While she excelled at blending into her environment, she eventually grew bored with life on Sister. Thirsting with a desire to see the world beyond her shores, she moved to Resta. She stopped first in the capitol's Royal Library in the hopes of gathering knowledge she would need to proceed.  It was there she learned to read and wield a pen from a patient scholar by the name of Melany Winstrom. But as Madam Winstrom began to fall ill, Oogura desperately took a job under Bolreck to take care of her benefactor. While that illness would take the old woman's life, Oogura would find a new home among the newly-founded Phoenix Blade where she applies her skills as a scribe. She is a friendly soul who, unlike Moruay, bonds easily with strangers and often appears as the face of the guild. Her love for everyone in the guild is intense, but far less so than it is for Takaa. Unfortunately this passion is unrequited due to Takaa's attention toward the Avatar of Crane.

Benedicte Zeringue

Prior to his death, Benedicte, or Bene as he is known more casually, made most of his living conning the citizens of Resta City and trying his best to avoid running afoul of the authorities. This is actually how he came to know Bolreck originally, though they wouldn't reunite and become friends until after they both became sai'mul. Though Bene's death greatly increased his talent for dark magic, he still finds ways to profit off of swindling people in addition to charging for genuine goods and magical services. Personality wise, he fancies himself quite the charmer and prides himself on his charisma. Despite his penchant for moral ambiguity, Bene is friendly with the other members of the Phoenix Blade and and generally avoids grifting his own comrades. He is particularly close with guild leader Bolreck, though also notable was his rather close relationship with Eione Astersong prior to her treason. The nature of the relationship was notoriously ambiguous, but those who know him well would be able to detect how hurt the usually-unflappable sai'mul was by Eione's defection.

Zara of Ravager

Like Takaa, Zara hails from the Midanian island of Ravager. Beyond that, his past is largely unknown. He is most notable for his close friendship with the Avatar of Kerun, Voltairine Maloran, and is said to have been her companion for years before she entered the spotlight. Like the Avatar, Zara is known as a free spirit who eschews authority and comes and goes as he pleases, though his entry into the guild along with his then-lover Eione Astersong provided a home base for him. After Eione's departure left him heartbroken, he bonded strongly with his fellow Ravager Takaa, who he spends much of his time with when he isn't abroad. While he cares for Takaa, he harbors a secret desire to uncover the shy engineer's wild side.

Eione Astersong

Once a respected Theian Priestess of Iris Isle, Eione was raised alongside her brother, the famously pious Avatar of Salica, Atunis Astersong. As a girl, she thirsted for knowledge and adventure, though she wouldn't experience this until she ran away from seminary life, traveling Mortanis and embracing her wild side. She would be inducted into the guild alongside her lover at the time, Zara, and quickly win over the rest of the guild with her witty, outgoing nature. Things seemed rosy until her deep curiosity led her to consort, secretly, with a cabal of dark magicians, starting a chain of events that would lead to the betrayal of her brother and the rest of the guild.

Flint Brokamac

Flint Brokamac is an eccentric blacksmith who is believed to be the last living descendant of the ill-fated Brokamac tribe. He lives among the Restans in the hope of gathering information for a hypothetical revenge plot against the killers of his tribe. With this in mind, he does not get along well with Bolreck, Benedicte, or Eione-- he prefers the company of those who did not originate from Resta. Saayuko looks down on him because she doesn't believe he is truly a Brokamac, who were almost certainly wiped out by the Restans with any survivors surely being abandoned by the other houses of Heron. Despite this, Flint works hard at the Phoenix Blade forge because his plot requires money. Too bad he keeps wasting it on ill-considered sports bets. A long-running joke within the compound is that Flint's greatest ambition is to sneak into the equipment manufacturing team for the Freeform Fencing League so he could influence fights with sabotaged swords and finally build up a nest egg large enough to take over Ridge.

Adar "Lugsbonk" Cogfate

Despite the implications of his name, Adar Cogfate is NOT an engineer. He is descended from a long line of researchers at the Fides Academy of Engineering, but to put a machine into his hands is to invite destruction. This inspired his nickname, Lugsbonk. As a technological illiterate, he doesn't get along well with Takaa, who often has to guard his work from the dangerous mishaps that seem to follow him. He looks up to Benedicte because they have a similar passion for alchemy, but the rest of the guild worries that Bene's greed might rub off on him.

Hu-yin Dreamwalker

Hu-yin couldn't have joined the Phoenix Blade at a worse time-- she entered the guild just two months before a disastrous calamity struck their compound and scattered many of its members to various corners of the continent. Despite this, she has stuck around in the hopes of finding adventure under the company's new leadership. Hailing from the Lost Lands far across the ocean to the south of Mortanis, Hu-yin has had a long journey. She continues to press on through the roughest time in the guild's existence in search of a truly epic tale she can someday take back to her homeland. If you were to ask where she came from, though, she would pretend not to remember. The truth behind this faked amnesia is only known to Saayuko who saw through her lies and pulled the truth out of her at knifepoint. Since then, neither woman has revealed the truth to anyone. She is a monk and a scribe by trade.

Can You See Through The Snow?

Did you see the Snow Fox running around outside last night?

Yeah! It was weird to see one of those this far south!

Don't be silly! Obviously, it was a ridgewolf!

Nuh-uh! Ridgewolves are so much bigger! It wasn't much bigger than a field lynx!

How do you know what a field lynx looks like?

We saw some on the way to Gran's last summer for the festival!

That was the best! I wish I could have some firecrab now!

You always change the subject! Stop doing that!

You don't believe us anyway!

Well if you did see a Heronite Snow Fox, what do you reckon it's doing in Resta?

I don't know! It was kind of just poking around for something in the snow!

That's not all! It looked up and saw I was watching it and it just stared at me!

Animals do that when humans are looking at them. It must've thought you were going to attack it!

I wasn't, though!

Oh, I'm sure! But the animal wouldn't know!

I think it did, though! We stared at each other for a long time. Then it started to spin!

What do you mean "it started to spin"?

It was just walking around in a circle! It always lowered its head when it faced my direction, but lifted its nose when it was looking to the north!

Maybe it wanted to show you something! Did you see what it was pointing towards when it was looking up?

Ridiculous! There was a blizzard last night! Can you see through the snow?

Lenny's right, brother! I couldn't see anything!

Maybe it wanted you to follow it!

In a blizzard?

Argh! You're right! Why couldn't it come when it was actually safe to go out?

I heard Snow Foxes are tricksters. It was probably only trying to lead you to your death.

And what if you were right about it being a ridgewolf?

If it's a ridgewolf, it could be a spellwarrior's companion, trying to lead someone to their master in distress. If you see it again, you should just tell your mum and be done with it.

But what if it's something else! Mum told us about a wolf that led a girl just like you to a legendary spear that she used to hold back the worst blizzard in history!

That was just a bedtime story, Merric! Don't believe everything you hear!

If it was a snow fox, it has to be here for a reason! If you see it again, you HAVE to follow it!

I don't know what I'm going to do yet, or even if it's even going to show up again! No sense arguing about it now!

Mel's right! We're here for a game! Now... whose turn is it?