[EF] Times Found (8/2019 - 10/2019)

[Judas D'arc]

Summary: The Time Shades crisis is finally ended, but not without a cost, and the choices made to resolve these echoes of past will also control the future.

8/2/2019:

Following Haxley’s murder, the Fist and their allies decided to search for Sarain’s time shade by following the clues in her journal. First, they looked for her friend, Devlin Rowley, who was specifically referenced. They located him at the Britain stables and informed him of her death, though not everyone was particularly kind about how they shared the news. After recovering from his initial upset, Devlin told them of the time he escorted Sarain to meet with a woman in Malas, though he never learned the purpose of that visit. He then agreed to guide them to the home in question, where the Fist and the allies encountered the witch Maria Charon. She told them what she knew of Sarain's final days, including the risky (and ultimately failed) attempt to cure herself of the vampirism inflicted upon her by the vampire Seven. Finally, Maria told them she could track down Sarain for them, and stated she would contact them soon.

8/3/2019:

At Emerald Town, Chanticleer, Kalanna, Piper, and Tabitha spoke to the Emerald Empress about Chanticleer's upcoming birthday, and the ongoing threat to his continued existence. It was discovered a few years prior that the time line had been altered, negating his history and preventing his birth from ever coming to pass. His current survival was only due to an artifact gifted to him by the Empress, in the form of a bell that he was forced to ring every day. During their discussion, the Empress reiterated that the permanent solution would require contributions from both the white-robed bearer of the Sextant of the Ancients and Renthar. She also mentioned that she had a fail safe in place to protect Chanticleer, if needed. According to the Empress, the would-be Time Lord was likely preoccupied with the ongoing time shade crisis, and Renthar had been unusually quiet of late. So she suggested that the Fist seek him out to remind him of his promise to help Chanticleer, and informed them that he could be found at the Lycaeum of Felucca.

Upon journeying there, they found Renthar and Jolicia engaged in research. The strange-eyed sorcerer explained that he was searching for new Pathways, the mythical currents define and shape the existence of an individual world, since the one in Malas he knew of had been irrevocably tainted by the Technocrats. When asked about his vow to aid Chanticleer, Renthar stated that he has not forgotten, but an unknown foe had cut him off from his full power, which was required for him to render aid. Unfortunately, the ongoing time shade crisis makes it impossible for him to locate the source of this obstruction, but once it was resolved, he would offer his assistance.

8/5/2019:

At the next King's Council meeting, Governor Haxley was predictably absent, and in his stead, the city sent Sir Edgar Craigen of the Emerald Fist, whom Haxley had appointed as protector of Trinsic. Despite the numerous witnesses to his murder, Trinsic's official position was not to confirm or deny anything about his fate, stating that they were attempting to verify the Governor's death, as there was no corpse, killer, or corroborating evidence.

8/8/2019:

In Yew of Trammel, a tavern gathering was held at the recreation of Kent's Last Pint there. For unexplained reasons, a number of time shades were in attendance. Among these was a version of the recently deceased Lord Haxley, who served as the tavern's host. Elderly, vertically challenged, and wearing a dress and a peculiar ruby amulet, he focused mostly on serving drinks and discussing his theories on the breakdown of continuity in Sosaria. At one point, he pulled Kalanna aside, and delivered the following message, "You must learn to see through His eyes." Besides Haxley, other times shades in attendance included: Aimee and Dionysus of the Emerald Empire; Dumahbh and Ssin'Urn of the Emerald Fist; Lucent Dreher; Devon Hawkins; the ranger Mitre; Mathias Norwood; Okami; Ranthir Venivrai; and William. Dumahbh's presence was the first confirmation that she died years ago, after most of the original Emerald Fist had entered an inter-dimensional portal in order to prevent the Titans of Pagan from invading Sosaria.

8/12/2019:

Maria Charon contacted the Fist and their allies to inform them that she was able to find Sarain, as promised, and that the missing time shade was somewhere in Britain. In East Britain, near an abandoned jail that was inexplicably located at the edge of town near the shore, and lacking any fortifications whatsoever, the group encountered Sarain in the midst of being accosted by members of the local Thieves Guild. After dealing with these criminals, the Fist and their allies captured Sarain and brought her back to Emerald Town. There, she freely answered their questions but was unable to fully explain why she murdered Lord Haxley. She did, however, state she felt compelled to act, and was driven by a haunting image of a pair of creepy eyes that hovered above Sosaria. This description was reminiscent of a drawing that some of those present had previously encountered in Felucca Hythloth, when investigating the Technocrats. Before any further information could be learned, Sarain's time shade vanished.

8/21/2019:

Jolicia approached Sergio Jarrett, inviting him to meet with her and Renthar at the Felucca Lycaeum. There, the sorcerer expressed awareness that Sergio possessed the artifact known as the Crown of Ages and was contemplating using it to alter history and save his deceased brother, Rhys. Renthar offered Sergio aid, claiming he could prepare the Crown to work in unison with Ezekial's Tempus Cradle. As a result, the artifact would ensure the brothers exchanged places, so the Sergio of today died and the Rhys of yesterday was transported to the present, in a manner that would prevented damage to the timeline. Before leaving, Sergio stated that he would consider this offer.

8/22/2019:

Once more, Kalanna was approached at the Salty Dog by the time shades of two fallen rangers, Corinna and Devon Hawkins, both attempting to recruit her to retrieve a specific object from the out-of-time land known as Eodon. Corinna wanted them to retrieve the Mosaic of Heluzz, granted by the Sakkhra tribe, while Hawkins requested they gather an item known as the Skull of Aphazz, granted by the Barako tribe. This time, Kalanna chose to follow Hawkins, and the group followed him to Castle Blackthorn, where the King was engaged in a conversation with Seer Hawkwind, the being known as the Time Lord. the time shade ranger appeared uncomfortable in the latter's presence. After listening to Blackthorn and Seer Hawkwind discuss ongoing matters in Eodon, they traveled and met with the Barako Chieftain in his village. He sent them to a nearby cave, and they battled the Great Ape that dwelled there. Upon slaying the creature and returning to the Barako village, Kalanna was awarded with the Skull of Aphazz. Before he vanished, Hawkins warned her that she, "... must learn to see through His eyes."

[Judas D'arc]

8/26/2019:

A messenger from Compassion Couriers entered the Salty Dog tavern. Because of a depressed economic landscape, he did not share their usual sponsor advertisements, and merely delivered a message from the Hairy Bastard, requesting that the Fist and their allies travel to the Nujel'm court and retrieve Oswin Stower. When they arrived there, they stumbled upon the Vizier of Nujel'm, Sir Aethos Barnadine, and the Justicari about to execute a woman who shared a likeness with the Lady Beatrice Odello, the late head of House Odello and former member of the Magincian Parliament. Charged with the capital crime of impersonating the head of a noble house, the accused claim that she was, in fact, Beatrice Odello, and not an imposter. A debate between the Britannians and the Nujel'm authorities followed, with the former questioning Nujellan justice and raising the possibility that this Beatrice could be a time shade. However, the latter visiting Britannians depart and stay out of Nujel'm's affairs.



Eventually, the druid Haldir Haerion acted to rescue Beatrice, in order to prevent her death from negatively impacting the timeline. Fighting ensued, and though the Britannians were triumphant, Aethos managed to carry out the death sentence and slew Beatrice. Following this, the group found a bruised and battered Oswin waiting at the nearby court, and quickly escorted him off the island and to Emerald Town. There, he explained that he was captured by the Hairy Bastard and his men for asking too many questions about the In-Hur Vi-Tas. However, the pirate captain left him with instructions regarding a potential trade. If the Fist and their allies dispatched a particular band of pirates near Jhelom, the In-Hur Vi-Tas would be delivered to them. Additionally, the Bastard indicated a desire to meet with both Adegas and Piper in the near future. Before leaving, Oswin gave Chanticleer the coordinates for the location of the band of pirates that they needed to kill.

8/26/2019:

Recently, Piper had suggested to Chanticleer that her sensitivity to time magics -- the result of months spent frozen in time due to the Sextant of the Ancients -- could locate the source of the time shades. He presented this to the Emerald Empress, who approached Adegas and Kalanna about this. The Empress indicated that if Adegas could brew a mind-altering concoction capable of elevating consciousness, then under its influence, Kalanna could utilized her "attunement" to the world's subconscious, and channel Piper's time sensitivity to track the origins of the time chaos. Although the Empress failed to explain why she thought this might work, both Adegas and Kalanna consented to help.

8/31/2019:

Soon, Adegas provided the Empress with a sample of her mind-altering substance. The Empress requested that she make it in a mist form, and then enlisted Adegas in a scheme to expose the entire Emerald Fist to its effect, arguing that it would enhance the effects of the search for the time chaos' source. Adegas eagerly agreed.

9/1/2019:

The Fist and their allies decided to accept the Hairy Bastard's offer and hunted down the pirate beacon ship located at the coordinates provided by Oswin Stower. Upon successfully expunging the pirates, the group discovered documents and a seal that linked the dead pirates to House Odello of Nujel'm.

9/5/2019:

The Empress met with the Fist and Gauf Guthvigoff at Emerald Keep in order to hold the ritual to track the source of the time chaos. She instructed Kalanna and Piper to don simple clothing, kneel on the floor, and join hands. The Empress gave each with an arcane gem, instructing them to breathe deeply and focus upon each other. She then signaled Adegas, swiftly departing as the latter placed her concoction on lit brazier, filling the room with a mind-altering mist.

Everyone gathered reacted differently to its effects. Kalanna grew increasingly anxious and stressed, while Piper started to demonstrate disenchantment and ambivalence. However, the others exhibited even stranger behavior, except for Faeryl, who was largely unaffected. Adegas was nihilistic; Ariadne was extremely frightened; Chanticleer was overly affectionate; Ezekial acted like a literal animal; Gauf was obnoxiously intoxicated; Sergio was extremely hostile; and Tabitha was under the impression that she was royalty. Each of them exhibited these characteristics in different ways, though most of them seemed particularly drawn to Kalanna and Piper.

Less than an hour later, the effects of the mist faded. Some experienced random visions, such as an ancient-looking Sextant, a glowing ruby, or a white-robed figure. Most significantly, Kalanna and Piper became aware that something related to time magic was occurring right then, at the Trinsic Governor's office. The group immediately traveled there, and they were greeted by the sight of Lord Haxley, apparently alive and well. He apologized for any confusion regarding his alleged death, promising that it had all been sorted out. Haxley also explained that he had been in contact with his so-called client and requested that they return the next night with their allies for answers.

Upon returning to Emerald Town, the Fist was joined by Sir Aethos Barnadine. Feeling excluded from the events of the evening, he consumed some of Adegas' concoction, and for the next short while, became overly confessional, sharing more information than the rest were interested in learning about him.

[Judas D'arc]

9/6/2019:

The next night, the Fist and their allies met Lord Haxley at his office in Trinsic. He invited everyone to accompany him to the abandoned abbey north of Vesper to speak privately. There, he again referred to his "murder" as a confusion that has since been resolved. He also explained that his client, whose identity he could not confirm, had shared additional information on how to proceed. Ezekial's Tempus Cradle was sufficient to resolve the time shade crisis, once the In-Hur Vi-Tas was used to properly shape the Infinity Prism. However, there were also two other requirements.

Firstly, as previously discussed, the massive amount of time-related magics that the Tempus Cradle refined would need to be stabilized. Fortunately, such a method was already in Kalanna's hands. Inside the spellbook of Damirion, her former lover, there was a ritual that could only be viewed through the eyes (or eyelids) of a dark elf. Thus, the items that she had received from the ranger time shades, as well as the repeated message that she "must learn to see through His eyes" finally made sense. Secondly, they also needed to generate a significant amount of time magic. Only a powerful artifact capable of manipulating time, such as the Sextant of the Ancients or the Crown of Ages, could provide such. Since the former was not available, Haxley's client suggested destroying the latter in order to do so.

Finally, once the Tempus Cradle, Damirion's ritual, and the Crown of Ages were properly gathered and prepared, they must be used upon the abandoned abbey, which Haxley claimed was the point of origin for the time chaos. He claimed it was once part of a larger keep still floating in a sea of stars, the home of an insane Emperor, his six offspring, and his legion of followers. But their story no longer existed, and while only one of the Emperor’s blood could banish the abbey for good, the Tempus Cradle could eliminate the time chaos spawned by its paradoxical presence in this world.

9/8/2019:

*Crier Announcement: Trinsic Governor Not Murdered*

The City of Trinsic has just announced that the reports of the recent alleged murder of its Governor, Lord Haxley, were, in fact, completely erroneous. Haxley, who has been verified to be both alive and safe, has released the following statement on the matter:

"The unfortunate news of my demise was fortunately false, due to a gross confusion that has since been resolved. I do apologize for any concern it may have caused, and look forward to resuming my duties as governor of this great city."

9/9/2019:

A few nights later, Lord Haxley appeared at the King's Council meeting. He told =everyone that his supposed "murder" was just an unfortunate misunderstanding, and that he was currently working alongside the Emerald Fist, Riverwatch Rangers, and various others to finally resolve the ongoing time shade problem.

Later, the Vizier of Nujel'm and members of House Mazetti also addressed the court, suggesting the Fist participate in a tournament in Nujel'm to rectify the unlawful interference into the execution of the alleged Beatrice Odello imposter. The King considered the matter, but he requested that the Vizier first present tournament's conditions. For the time being, the Fist was also banned from returning to Nujel'm.

9/12/2019:

It was Chanticleer's birthday, and while he and Piper shared a quiet evening together, the Empress met with Adegas, Ariadne, Bacchus, Ezekial, Kalanna, Sergio, and Tabitha. She was concerned that the power of that damn bell, the artifact preserving Chanticleer's existence, would fade before Renthar and the white-robed Sextant bearer upheld their promises to save him. A year prior, the Empress had recharged the bell with the essence of an In Quas Xen (magical double) of Chanticleer. Created by Relthor of the Broken Ankh as part of some bizarre experiment, this false Chanticleer lived on a farm in Ocllo, along with other duplicates of Deraj, Mittens, Okami, Piper, and Stevie. Although most of the In Quas Xen were now dead, the false pregnant Piper, and the false Stevie had escaped. Since then, the Empress tried to track them, hoping the child could also be used to recharge the bell, if necessary. Unlike its father, the Empress did not require the child's death, she only needed to borrow some of its life energies.

Unaware of the duplicate Piper's current location, the Empress sent the Fist to the Shattered Skull of Skara Brae in Felucca to find the duplicate Stevie. After a lengthy discussion and Ariadne's departure, this Stevie eventually led the group to her friend at the Salty Dog of Felucca. However, it was soon revealed to be a ruse!!!

Manfred the Magnificent, a self-proclaimed powerful and clever mage who once sought to wed Erollisi Stower, now desired the Emerald Empress' hand instead Discovering her interest in the In Quas Xen Piper and her son, the unfortunately named Relthor, he decided to recruit his own band of followers to achieve his objective. In addition to Manfred, and the false Piper and Stevie, the ranks of this group consisted of Demon Deraj; a headless duplicate of the decapitated In Quas Xen Faeryl; the perpetually lost elf Haeronwen; Mortis Ebonblade, a dark and edgy warrior; the sassy noble Sageda; and the child-hero-prodigy Zachariah. Together, they were ... The Peridot Punch!



The Fist resisted Manfred's demands to marry the Empress in exchange for the child. Before he could challenge them to a series of contests to decide their disagreement, Adegas struck at him, and a legendary battle between the groups erupted. Fist versus Punch! While the latter eventually won, their leader was briefly knocked unconscious, and this had the unintended effect of freeing the false Piper and Stevie from his magical control. The two In Quas Xen refused to follow the magnificent one any longer, and he was forced to return the baby, which had been concealed beneath his robes during the entire encounter. Manfred and the rest of the Punch then departed, though their leader vowed that he would continue to pursue the Empress' hand in marriage.

Soon, Adegas, who had fled to Emerald Town once her companions were defeated, returned with the Empress and the actual Faeryl. Along with the remaining Fist, they convinced the false Piper to allow them to leech some of her baby's energies to aid the real Chanticleer. In the end, the two In Quas Xens and the child were allowed to depart in peace, and the Empress subsequently used this power to recharge that damn bell.

[Judas D'arc]

9/14/19:

The Empress informed Adegas and Piper that a message had been delivered earlier, inviting them to meet with the Hairy Bastard at the Silver Bow Tavern in Felucca of Nujel'm. The invitation promised their safety an stated they could bring two escorts, so Faeryl and Tabitha accompanied them. They soon met with the infamous Captain of the Mondain's Member, whose real name was Orton Stower, and two of his crew. Contrary to expectations, he was rather polite, informing them that he chose their meeting place because the Vizier recently banned the Fist from Nujel'm. The Hairy Bastard then made a number of good faith gestures, such as handing over the In-Hur Vi-Tas, returning the 500,000 gold piece ransom that his men had once tricked from Adegas, and offering to make amends to Piper for his crew's past mistreatment of her. The pirate then mentioned how the situation in Nujel'm was volatile, and that continued Britannian interference would only make matters worse. He also stated his intention to replace Erollisi Stower as head of the family, arguing she was more suited to the life of a ranger, not dealing with Stower the machinations. Finally, he asked if there had been any reports of Ilyana Stower's time shade manifesting, and when told no, Orton expressed a curiosity as to why that could be. At the end of the encounter, the Fist and the pirates parted peacefully.

9/18/19:

Upon donning the eyelids of the drow Ultrine Pharn, Kalanna was able to view the ritual hidden within Damirion's dark spellbook: Beldro Quarth Dal Naufir’mular - Create Order from Instability. Soon after, she and Tabitha were approached by Lord Haxley, who demonstrated a familiarity with the spell's requirements. In particular, he mentioned the need of a talisman that had been exposed to the essence of a particularly potent time shade, and explained his client had suggested three appropriate candidates to fulfill this role: the rangers Corinna, Katalin Blackwell, and Rhys Jarrett. The Governor believed that using them for this would achieve the best outcome, and promised that when the talisman was ready, he would help Kalanna to locate the three time shades.

9/25/2019:

Jolicia once again sought out Sergio, bringing him to meet with her and Renthar at the Lycaeum of Felucca. When they arrived, the strange-eyed sorcerer asked if Sergio had made a decision about their previous offer to prepare the Crown of Ages, so it could be used to save the life of his dead brother Rhys. The answer was no. When it was mentioned that the artifact would be destroyed in the upcoming attempt to end the time shade chaos, Renthar revealed he could still adjust it so that the brothers would exchange places upon its destruction. But Sergio still refused.

9/22/2019:

Following their discussion with Haxley, Kalanna and Tabitha craft the appropriately-named Rod of Shade Draining for the Beldro Quarth Dal Naufir'mular ritual.

9/27/2019:

Soon, Haxley sought out Kalanna, the rest of the Fist, and their allies to again propose using the Rangers of Spiritwood time shades to empower the Rod of Shade Draining. According to Haxley, Corinna, was at Empath Abbey. But when the group arrived, they were intercepted by the time shade of Devon Hawkins, who suggested they charge the Rod with him instead. Despite arguing his desire to help and trying to arouse suspicions against Haxley, Kalanna ultimately refused. They then met with Corinna, and she spoke to them about the principle of Love, and how it informed her life and death. The former keeper allowed them to leech some of her essence with the rod, and before disappearing, she mentioned that Katalin was at the Lycaeum, and Rhys was in Serpent's Hold. In a similar fashion, Katalin discussed the principle of Truth, and Rhys discussed the principle of Courage. After imparting their essences, both vanished, presumably for the final time.



9/30/2019:

Accompanied by the Fist, Riverwatch Rangers, and other allies, Kalanna and four mages journeyed to the Ice Dungeon to cast the Beldro Quarth Dal Naufir’mular ritual. Each mage took up a position around the pentagram there, and performed the following roles: Kalanna served as the main caster, wielding the Rod of Shade Draining; Tabitha served as the binding mage and held the web strands of Navery Night-Eyes, which Corinna, Katalin, and Rhys had helped collect; Faeryl served as the channeling mage and held the void essence btained from the Stygian Abyss through Leo Mune's sacrifice; Haldir Haerion served as the Totem Mage and held the Skull of Aphazz that Devon Hawkins led them to in Eodon; and Bacchus served as the Aspect Mage and held the dust of the primeval lich that Rhys aided them in gathering.



The ritual proved a success, but once it was finished, Faeryl collapsed onto the ground and fell comatose, the reasons for which were not immediately discernible.

10/2/2019:

A few days later, Kalanna also demonstrated signs that she was affected by the Beldro Quarth Dal Naufir’mular ritual, including an absence of decades worth of memory. She eventually fled from the others, though the Fist and their allies were able to recover the empowered Rod of Shade Draining from her Deep Forest home.

[Judas D'arc]

10/4/2019:

With the Tempus Cradle, Crown of Ages, and Rod of Shade Draining readied, the Fist and their allies gathered at Emerald Town. Following the Emerald Empress' brief explanation as to their purpose, they ventured to the abandoned abbey north of Vesper to finally end the time shade crisis.

On the mysterious structure's roof, many of the mages present focused their own mana into Sergio, and due to his unique condition, he was able to channel this power to destroy the Crown of Ages. However, as a consequence of this action, a series of time rifts appeared around the abandon abbey, one at a time.



Each rift caused the manifestation of hostile time shades that the group were forced to battle, and many of them were familiar to those present, as follows:

Rift #1: Four Hateful time shades; a House Scott soldier from the old Kingdom of Winterfell; a Shadowclan Womp-r; Jackson of the Time Lost; and Bhaal, prisoner of the haunted axe.

Rift #2: Four Deceitful Time Shades; Sir Franklin of the tainted Paladins of Trinsic; Brother Karan of the Technocrats; an Order of Lithos necromancer; and the dark ranger Silvara Winds.

Rift #3: Four Fearful Time Shades; the villainous Stower of the Stower family; the Stevie-craving mermaid Aurola; Gana of Mythos from the Broken Ankh; and the necromancer Kunori, father of the deceased ranger Okami. Once each wave was defeated, the time rift that summoned them was destroyed.

Rift #4: From the final rift, only one time shade emerged, the foul demon Abbadon, destroyed by the Emerald Fist many years ago, after his dark followers wreaked havoc across Sosaria.



After a prolonged fight, the demonic time shade was also defeated. Yet this rift did not immediately vanish as did the others; instead, a very-much living Rhys Jarrett appeared, somehow summoned by his brother's use of the Crown of Ages. Unfortunately, he came from the moment after he was fatally stabbed by the ranger Mitre, and after uttering his final words, fell dead to the ground. With no other choice, his corpse was thrown into the time rift, and it exploded.



But there was little time to mourn, and those gathered returned to the roof. With Tabitha wielding the Rod of Shade Draining to stabilize the power it would process, Ezekial activated the Tempus Cradle. The device absorbed all of the ambient time magics left by the Crown of Ages' destruction. It refined these energies and then Ezekial targeted the abandoned abbey, which was the source of the chaos behind the time shade crisis. Despite being completely untested, this proved a success, though not without serious effects. Ezekial's skin and hair turned unnaturally white, and it was later discovered that his connection to his mana was completely severed.

The white-robed bearer of the Sextant of the Ancients suddenly appeared. He congratulated the group on fixing the time shade crisis, and then offered his condolences for their losses. It was then that Chanticleer's bell began to ring from within his pack, three times in succession. Then it cracked. His existence no longer preserved by the artifact's power, he apologized to Piper and started fade away, in the manner of a time shade. As he did, Chanticleer was struck by a bolt of white lightning from above, and then vanished completely.



The group returned to Emerald Keep to tend to their wounded and contemplate what transpired. When she learned about Chanticleer's fate, the Empress was surprised, repeatedly stating that she believed she had more time.

In the aftermath of these recent events, with most of its membership absent, traumatized, or in mourning, the Emerald Fist seemed irrevocably broken.

10/7/2019:

At the next King's Council meeting, Lord Haxley announced that the time shade crisis had finally been resolved, through the aid of the Emerald Fist, Riverwatch Rangers, and others that participated in the incident at the abandoned abbey. However, he also mentioned that this victory had not been without significant cost.

10/15/2019:

Story: Of Times Lost and Found (An Epilogue)