Political map of Nuovo Arkhosia

Political Map of Nuovo Arkhosia

Nuovo Arkhosia: Summary of the story so far

Sit around the camp-fire, my dear friends, and listen to a tale in the making. A story about dead Gods, devil legions, empires, dragons and lost princess'. It is a remarkable tale told to me directly from the lips of Langfar, the God of Stories & Adventure. The God risked the wrath of the White Star to tell me this tale, this truth straight from the heavens. So be still with your mugs of ale and listen, for I cannot risk a second telling.

The Empire of Nuovo Arkhosia was built upon the ashes of the Holy Pantheon, as the old Gods were obliterated by the might that is the White Star. The White Star ambushed the old Gods while they were busy defending against an invasion by the Devil's Legion, led by the Infernal King Artorial. The Infernal King and half of the Pantheon were utterly destroyed by a sudden indiscriminate attack by the White Star. This attack caused a devastatingly large magical tear in reality that can be seen hovering in the sky above Dragonspur City, and has been dubbed the Rip In the Sky by us mere mortals. The White Star's attack left both sides leaderless and in utter disarray, and the Rip In The Sky severely altered the climate on the mortal realm by partially blocking out the sun and significantly increasing temperature and humidity.

The dead Gods of the Pantheon were able to imbue the last of their essences into an amulet owned by the folk legend Grimbold. They were guided into the amulet by the surviving God of Time Cyndor, while Grimbold sacrificed their own clerical powers to keep the spark of the holy essences alive within the amulet. These essences in the amulet are only mere disjointed fragments of the former Gods, who are in turn only fragments of the Elder God known as The Sacrifice. In their current nascent state the fragmented Gods are easily swayed and susceptible to outside influences, and are also prone to merge together to create new deities. The fragments of Korellon and Melora have already merged together within the amulet to form Korellora the Goddess of Beauty, Freedom and Nature.

The surviving deities of the Pantheon fled before the rising power of the White Star, and are now fighting among themselves for the prayers of the few remaining faithful. Helyn, the Goddess of Dignity, has tried to keep peace and order between the remaining members of the Pantheon and has able assistance from the only remaining warrior God, Nazerness. But fear, greed and the primal instinct to survive has led some of the surviving Gods to plot against their fellow deities as a way to ascend or become allies with the White Star. The Halls of Heaven has become eerily silent, allowing the White Star to roam unhindered in the mortal realm.

Langfar has revealed to me that the White Star is as an Elder God known as 'The Mockery', who has suddenly returned after he was banished from the cosmos. Upon his return to our cosmos a century ago, the White Star recruited the Soulmancer Artor Keler-Vonstahp to be his Herald on the mortal realm. As a Soulmancer, the Herald Artor is gifted with a peculiar type of magic that allowed him to shape and control the souls of mortals, and it has been hypothesised by the eccentric dwarven mage Holmigar Sparkmetal that the Herald's magic is also powered by captured souls. This type of magic is strictly forbidden to study within the empire, as the Herald has decreed that the power gifted to him should not fall to the unworthy. Instead, the focus of all magic users within the empire has been turned towards reversing the magical side-effects of the Rip In The Sky, and great strides has been made in healing the damage caused by the random portals to hell.

The Herald was able to use his unique magical powers to quickly rebuild the old Kingdom of Kelerak after the widespread destruction caused by the Pantheon's demise, and from this base was able to conquer most of the known world. This new nation became what we know today as Nuovo Arkhosia, named in honour of the ancient Dragonborn empire of Arkhosia. The Herald formed the Senate to help him govern his new nation, and it is composed purely of magic users. Only those gifted with magic are able to elect new senators or hold administrative positions, leaving the merely mundane without a voice in the halls of government.

The only remaining independent human nations are the Kingdom of Farland to the east and the The Templars of the Wastelands to the west. Trade with the dwarven Kingdoms has slowed as the mountain-folk have become increasingly insular, fearful of the great changes that remind them of what had brought down the ancient Dragonborn empire. And the elvish forests have become fiercely protective of their lands, rejecting all outsiders while internally debating how to handle the sudden changes within their forests. Only the orchish tribes in the Northern Teeth thrive in the chaos, although they are still unable to drive out the Titan from their mountain home.

It was also whispered on the winds that a Tiefling wizard named Ceasus has discovered links between the Rip In The Sky and the random creation of portals to the Hells, which allow Devils and Demons to easily enter the mortal realm. This has made travelling extremely dangerous for us mortals, and we have all heard stories of isolated farms being taken over by Succubi in disguise. The magic of the portals is like nothing we have seen before, as it seems  to be neither arcane or divine. But, with the aid of Holmigar, Ceasus has managed to create a spell that can temporarily counteract the magic of the portals. We can only hope that this wandering Tiefling will pay a visit to our humble homes and place wards to scare away the Succubi.

Another wizard we should watch out for is the human bard Joco, a mysterious figure that used to be part of the Templars. This bard seems to be able to use the same soul magic as the Herald Artor, able to bind the soul of the folk legend Grimbold's lover Twigs to a lectern in Knight's Hall so that they may continue to teach while they wait for Grimbold's return. Joco was also able to merge with the soul of his wife Taliadora when she fell defending mere villagers from the rage of a Demon, an act that made him a pariah among the Templars. Joco was last seen decades ago leaving Knight's Hall after visiting the crypt of Orvaxis, where he bonded with the soul of the Dragonborn Paladin of Bahumat. This powerful bard might be our salvation from the grip of the Empire, or he may be the harbinger of our doom.

The turmoil and troubles of the time has awakened the dragons from their centuries of slumber. A few, such as the green dragon Duskinicin, sees an opportunity in the misfortune of the old Pantheon. He remembers the times of old when his kind used to rule over the mortal realm, undisputed in their power before they lost the favor of the Gods. Duskinicin and others sees the sudden power vacuum as an opportunity to take back their rightful place as rulers of the mortal realm. To help him achieve his goals Duskinicin has recruited the young copper dragon named Arcanissdi, summoned an unusual infernal fiend that some claim sprung forth from a magical book, and has even laid claim to the elvish Wilder Woods.

Other dragons disagree with imposing their power over mortals, and the memories and rivalries of the ancient Dragon Wars are awakened. The mighty winged serpents debate each other over whether they should rule over mortals or simply guide them from afar. These serpentine plots are threaded far beyond us mere mortals, and we can only hope that the clash of these mighty dragons do not reach us while we cower in our taverns.

A little songbird has revealed to me that there is hope for us to return to the old ways, as during the civil war that divided Kelerak nearly 40 years ago there was a horse seen leaving the old castle in Dragonspur before it collapsed and allegedly killed the child Princess Sefora. Upon that horse were two cloaked figures, one an adult and the other a child, and an astute peasant noticed that the brooch of the child had the royal seal of Kelerak. The horse sped off to the north towards the fortress known as The Pass, where the loyal Baron Roper ruled until his death. The Baron controversially made his adopted daughter his heir, who had arrived at the The Pass some time after the Princess was thought to have died. Is the Baron's adopted daughter really our beloved Princess Sefora, and will she be able to take her rightful place upon the throne of Kelerak?

Regardless we still have hope in the form of Arkaxus the Headstrong, stalwart companion of Grimbold. Arkaxus is a Paladin who seeks revenge upon the White Star for the death of his God of Battle, Kord, and to this end he is rallying to his cause all those who suffer at the hands of the Empire. There are whispers that he seeks the creation of a League of Nations, a coalition that seeks to oppose the Empire and bring it down once and for all. To all those who suffer, to all those who despair, to all those who struggle, seek out the Resistance and help throw off the yoke of our oppressors!

And yet there is another hidden, secretive and mysterious faction that has designs upon the mortal realm. The only thing known about them is that they call themselves The Watchers, or at least that is what the God of Stories called them. The Watchers have revealed a prophecy to Grimbold, bearer of the Amulet of the Pantheon, but whether this is to guide Grimbold towards restoring the Pantheon or a nefarious method to further their own goals is unknown. All that we know is the prophecy, and the prophecy is thus:

Message from the new master, hidden five-fold! 

Chosen are you travelers, virile and bold! 

The first is concealed power, in plainest sight! 

Second is the lost heiress, devoid of might! 

Find third among mind seekers, not of this world! 

Bargain secrets with the fourth, their wings unfurled! 

The final piece we reveal, but bide our time! 

Then final peace for all kind, yourself and mine!

The Wilder Wood

Pregame

The party has secured the respect of both the Dwarves of Kale and of the Northern Teeth. High King Kolgar, leader of the Kale Dwarfs, and Dorgrim Ironhide, leader of the Dwarfs of the Teeth, have worked out a treaty that benefits of both parties. The Dwarfs of the Teeth are allowed to enter the Kale Mountains and prepare for their campaign to retake their homeland, and in the meantime the Dwarfs of the Teeth will provide cheap labour to help expand the kingdom so that it can deal with the sudden population explosion.

The party have been given temporary quarters in the king's tunnels, where they have been given free reign to pursue tasks with the full backing of the king. The party is safe from physical threats, but the prophecy constantly interrupts them during the quiet hours of the night. Endlessly they are reminded of the refrain:

Message from the new master, hidden five-fold!

Chosen are you travelers, virile and bold!

The first is concealed power, in plainest sight!

Second is the lost heiress, devoid of might!

Find third among mind seekers, not of this world!

Bargain secrets with the fourth, their wings unfurled!

The final piece we reveal, but bide our time!

Then final peace for all kind, yourself and mine!

The party knows that to complete the prophecy they must find the five pieces that are cryptically referred to. What is this power that is concealed in plain sight? Who this heiress, and how is she lost? The otherworldly mind seekers are much less cryptic, but probably the most dangerous, and how to reach them since the Herald collapsed the tunnels? And most of all, what are these pieces that they should be looking for?

In addition to the troublesome nature of these mysteries, the party are further troubled by the news from around the Empire. The elves seem to have trouble dealing with the changes occurring to their forests, and in many places are split into competing factions. Some elves wholeheartedly embrace the changes, seeing it as a way for the long-lived to also evolve for the better. Others are repulsed, and seek to reverse these changes for good and stubbornly cling to the ancient traditions that have kept them together for centuries. Others still look for help among outsiders, desperately seeking a power strong enough to protect them.

The dwarves in the other mountain kingdoms are turned increasingly isolationist, seeking to separate themselves from the turbulent surface and the Rip In The Sky. The vast trade routes from the dwarven mines are now just a mere trickle, and the price of precious metals slowly increases as the supply dries up. The Kingdom of Farland, far to the east, have also closed their borders as they try to stop the effective missionaries of the White Star from infecting the populace.

The War of the Faithful has reignited between the Templars and the Empire, and the Templars have suffered shocking losses alongside the walls that surround their territory. It seems that the Empire have been secretly amassing an invasion force for decades, waiting for the opportune time to unleash on the fragile Templars. But rumours say that something has stopped their advance alongside the Green Copse, something that the Empire is desperately trying to cover up.

• Arkaxus has worked hard in negotiations with the dwarves on behalf of the Resistance. It has been difficult to secure a concrete alliance since the dwarves are not sure that the Resistance can withstand conventional warfare, but they have definitely accepted to aide the Resistance with token measures. 

1. The Dwarfs say that the real aide will not happen until they can see that the Resistance has a real connection with the people in the Empire.
2. The dwarfs will immediately dispatch a loyal unit of Teeth Dwarfs to the village to build the tunnels underneath Villageham. The escape tunnels will be completed within in a month.
3. Amos has been "gathering" trinkets from the rich people in the area, and has offered this for trade purposes. The Dwarfs have reluctantly agreed to trade in these stolen goods as a favor to the resistance. All the houses are rebuilt from these funds.
4. Dorgrim likes the idea, but Kolgar does not. Will wait for other nations.

• Jinn has a crystal ball that supposedly kept the old dwarf traitor in contact with some high level figure in the White Star hierarchy. But how to use it? 

1. The crystal ball seems to be arcanely connected to another object for the sending of messages, just like a sending stone. The benefit of using the crystal ball is the transmission of visual information as well as audio. The device is a magical transmission device.
2. Find out the passphrase is "Mockery". Using the crystal ball with the passphrase will allow the ball to conjure up an image of an empty, stuffy old library and magical laboratory. The books are full of information about the dwarfs, and contains historical and magical information specific to the dwarfs.
3. Jinn is unable to shake the mysterious shadowy figures, and they seem to have figured out that Jinn is doing research on the Crystal Ball.
4. Bolgar joins the resistance, and is willing to follow Jinn wherever he goes.

• Aramil has a contact in the human magic world, Taliadora, but it wouldn't hurt to get to know a few dwarfs. He also decided to do some research on what has happened to his home forest while he was gone for 40 years.

1. The research reveals that Arranis was sent on fact-finding mission to the Green Copse before it became the most dangerous forest in the land. Arranis has not returned from his mission.
2. Aramil has ingratiated himself among the learned dwarven scholars, and especially the eccentric Dwarven mage Holmigar Sparkmetal. Aramil allowed (under Grimbolds watchful eye) Holmigar to observe the amulet and the power within. Holmigar has promised to write up a treatise and send the results onward to the village of Villageham, and asked that Aramil keep him abreast of the half-elfs adventures.
3. Old dwarf reveals magic might concealed power. Lost Hieress sounds like Sefora but she is dead. Mind flayers. Dragons or Devils. No idea who sent the prophecy.

• Grimbold is dedicated to reigniting belief in the old gods, especially the dwarven patron Moradin who now exists in the amulet. The current belief among the dwarfs of Kale is a mix of White Star, Ancestor worship and a new form of Stone worship, where adherents revere stone above all.

1. Missionary work has made some believers among the populace, but not strong enough to completely overpower the belief in the White Star and other religions. Nevertheless, there are now allies among the tunnels of the Kale Mountains.
2. Despite days of searching, no mention of the Watchers could be found in any of the old texts.
3. Some of the personalities in the Amulet have decided to merge and grow their power. This time it was Melora and Korellon, to become Korellora the Goddess of Nature, Freedom and Art.

• Ceasus is concerned; all his research leads to the undeniable conclusion that nature is suffering due to the portals and the Rip In The Sky. The abhorrent magic could potentially cause irreparable long term harm. Ceasus is researching methods to repair and even reverse the adverse weather events, until the portals and the rip can be permanently fixed.

1. You discover an alternate form of counter-spell that can temporarily negate the subtle effects of the new form of magic. By consistently applying this new counter-spell onto an area hourly, you could avoid the most adverse affect of the magic.
2. You are not the only one concerned about the Rip In The Sky. Dwarven mage Holmigar Sparkmetal has also dedicated extensive research into the field, and has allowed you access to his notes. This has drastically enhanced your counter-spell to be much more effective, needing only a day between applications.
3. In accounts of the soulmancer, it seems that not only can the Soulmancer control the souls of other (and allow souls to inhabit other bodies), but that it is actual souls that power his magical abilities.

• Ra been healing the forest around the village. He is distraught about the significant damage done, and the climate change has meant that he doesn't have the knowledge required to adjust for those changes. He tries to fix the damage, but unfortunately doesn't do much for forest itself. He concern for the forsest has gained the attention of the local animals, and they have warmed to the little gnome. They have endeavored to aide Ra, including sharing information about the area surrounding the village.

The Wilder Wood

The party has decided to make contact with the Elves in the Wilder Wood, the ancestral home to Aramil. During the days of travel, Aramil tells the party that the Elves of the Wilder Wood are extreme pacifists who broke off from the ancient Elvish Kingdom of Vallade because of an internal war. They are extremely protective of their forests, and wary of all outsiders and will view them with prejudice until they can prove their benevolence. The whole forest is ruled by the Queen Galanodel, who is ably assisted by a Council of Spellweavers and a Council of Guilds.

After days of travel, Aramil guides the party through the desperately sick forest to the main habitat for the Elves of the Wilder Wood. The rain is intermittent but heavy, drowning out the usual vibrant colours and makes the forest seem gloomy and uninviting. Ceasus and Aramil are both heartbroken to see the sick trees drooping because of low sunlight, and note that the flowers are no longer able to find purchase on the slippery wet mud. 

Upon entering the main habitat, the party notices a large wooden statue in the center of a clearing. The artwork depicts a nefarious Tiefling with a devious smirk clutching a bag of gold, with his other hand behind his back holding a dagger out of view. The Tiefling is reasonably well dressed in an outfit usually reserved for the nobility. An inscription on the artwork reads:

"The Infernal Deceiver: That which looks noble and good is always anything but" 

There are also constant chatter about town: Duskinicin the Green Dragon has called upon all the elders of the town to a meeting in his abode. The elves are all terribly frightened that the Dragon will make more demands on the Woods in return for his protection and continued benevolence.

• Duskinicin (Cunning mind) is an Ancient Green Dragon
• Arcanissdi (magic one) is a young Copper Dragon that has been convinced by Duskinicin that her hoard will be increased ten-fold if she aides Duskinicin in his plans for the realm. Duskinicin will use his knowledge that the party was involved in the deaths of Aussiraesthyr and the Black Dragon Pefulir to convince Arcanissdi that they stole those dragon's treasure.
• Duskinicin will want the party to use their amulet to help summon an avatar of the White Star so that he can confront his new nemesis
• Duskinicin will interpret that the fourth line will require the party to bargain with a Dragon, and will make an offer: if the party retrieves an orb from the White Star Magical University in Dragonspur, the party will be allowed to gain one item from his horde (and he will leave the Wilder Wood in peace, to face the dangers of the world alone)

Summoning the White Star will require a troop of White Star prisoners to pray to their god while Grimbold uses the amulet. Duskinicin will do everything he can to force the amulet's use.

D: Ahhhhh, so the great White Star, killer of Gods, has finally visited me. Am I right in my assumption that you are a Mockery of all that we hold dear?

A: [smirks]

D: Hehehehehe, well then, hear me true. I denounced and reject that there is any power greater than my own. I am not beholden to any law other than my own. Tremble in your castle of broken power, and await my coming! Begone!

A: [Points to Grimbold] Mine

D: In my domain, no one shall be harmed without my consent. I do not consent. Begone!

A: [Waits, then draws club and attacks Grimbold]