By Eric "Rosetta" Willisson and Kyra "Omri" Barry
Gi is one of those places I have often heard about, but seldom interacted with, and had never visited. The Risen Kingdom attacked my home in multiple ways, from creating the Iron Road which divided Faerie for a time, to several incursions into Chimeron. I was pleased and grateful that the Realms as a whole came together to drive them out, but was less available for the following war in which, I understand, the power of the Risen Kingdom was broken forever and the people of Gi granted a new lease on life.
I do know something about rebuilding a broken world, though. And I feel for the suffering of the people there. So when I saw the letter from Major Olive, I traveled to the portal to see how I could help.
The night before, I had a strange dream, of a finely-crafted construct, humanoid but covered in an entire armory of weapons. I saw it scale a mountain, and slam the rocks with its hammer. The boulders fell to the ground and smashed into pebbles. Then, I realized that the construct was even larger than I had realized, for people who appeared speck-sized emerged to smash the "pebbles," actually boulders in their own right, down into even smaller rocks, which they finally dragged away on sleds.
The small party that entered Gi had a mix of experience with the land, and so some were prepared for the foul air. It was as bad as I had heard. Just when you think you are getting used to it, too, it gets worse.
From the base in Praespero, we were appraised of the situation by Major Olive. It seems that the Resistance is the only force in Gi attempting country-wide coordination, while most villages have turned inward to try and fend for themselves. Unfortunately, this is not working for those villages: without the magics of the Risen Kingdom to provide basic necessities, Gi is currently all but uninhabitable, particularly through the cold seasons. Fresh water is scarce, as opposed to the ever-present sludge, and violent wildlife stalks the roads where patrols are too rare to hold them back. Isolation is likely to lead to death, but the hardy people have a difficult time seeing this with only the perspective of their own homes.
The Resistance (perhaps they should consider a new name soon, as they have succeeded and no longer have a kingdom to resist against) is stretched very thin, and picked out two top priorities which they asked us to investigate. One was a rumor of a dangerous agent of the Risen Kingdom somewhere in a collection of villages at the outskirts of one of the cities, and another was a village in desperate need of fresh water. A third mission, to settle a property dispute, would have been helpful for Gi's long-term stability, but we did not have enough people to travel there as well.
The Resistance has a vessel called the Dreamliner, which I understand was captured by King Orion during the war, before being lent or given to the Resistance for their work. Apparently during the war it allowed for quick travel all over the land, but it is now at full capacity sending small groups outward. As such, we were able to quickly reach our destinations, but were warned that the return trips would have to be under our own power.
I went with the group to root out the Risen Kingdom agent, joined by two Resistance soldiers on patrol. The wildlife of Gi is extremely vicious, and their blood inhibits healing, so we were forced to stick together and advance carefully. We progressed well, with a good line of fighters backed up by a hail of Magic Missiles from myself, Saka, and Irri, and were able to fight off the poisonous snakes and savage hawks. But it was the wasps that nearly overwhelmed us, scattering the party and decimating our morale ((This was, unfortunately, a real OOC nest of ground wasps. No medical emergencies to my knowledge, but a great many stings. Really, I am surprised I have not run into something like this before in the 18 years I've been playing, and it was only a matter of time. After everyone was treated, those who wished to continue playing regrouped indoors to play out the scene. Special thanks to Becky and Keith for taking charge of checking out everybody's stings and treating them as possible, and to Amber for knocking a truly terrifying number of wasps off my pants legs with her boff hammer.))
When we reached the village, one of a group of settlements collectively called Sombra's Tears, they were in the middle of a town meeting, making plans for the approaching harvest season. It seemed they had a somewhat-mysterious source of fresh water, and generally felt they would be able to make it through the harder seasons as long as nothing unexpected happened. Their plans were more about how to best position themselves, rather than truly desperate survival.
Two people immediately stood out: Yvaine, who seemed to be leading the meeting, and a woman named Lyra who seemed to match the vague description we'd been told, who was constantly on the move, leaving to work on a millstone just as we arrived, making quick smithing repairs, planting seeds, and generally never resting.
Our presence was not welcomed. The village seemed very tight-knit, protective of each other and resistant to the idea that there could be a traitor among them. They were also very wary of the Resistance and seemed to expect to be "tithed" as the Risen Kingdom had done before.
The meeting was adjourned and the mood became tense. As several of our party attempted to get to know the locals, we discussed among ourselves whether to jump at the obvious conclusion, and apprehend Lyra. I felt on sufficiently unsteady ground to attempt divination. We eventually settled on a Séance to Vesta, as Orion's presence in the war meant her influence had reached Gi, and the question "what could disrupt this hearth and home?" felt within her purview. J-B and Tarnisha joined in the ritual.
Vesta was not able to see very far, but she confirmed that there was "rot" in the "wood" of the hearth. New rot, not yet deep, but that it was there. Perhaps it would die on its own, perhaps not. She was unable to see farther, so distant from the Realms, and it was clear that we would be on our own to discover the lies at work.
With varying levels of reluctance, we made it clear to the people that we had to question them individually. With no tangible proof of our claims, this did not go over well, but there was little they could do. If I had not received divine insight, I doubt I would have been willing to see this through.
Saka led a more orderly questioning, and I followed one Reed who was feeling particularly antagonized by Makhta, among others. Reed told me a story of living there with their family for their whole life, having lost one of their two brothers to the workings of the local arm of the Risen Kingdom, House Xeraph. I grew increasingly suspicious of Lyra, who seemed to help everywhere but also to be associated with accidents. Sabotage, perhaps?
I considered how we might reveal any such activity, but we were already pushing our luck with the villagers. Reed was particularly defensive of everybody in the village, and seemed incapable of imagining that any of them could be secret traitors. The idea that an agent of the Risen Kingdom could be nurturing them to form a new core of tyranny struck a nerve.
Eventually, Saka revealed that his questioning had uncovered a key difference. Yvaine and Lyra's stories did not match up: they both claimed to have traveled together for some time since the war's end before coming to this village, but they claimed different starting locations, and Yvaine said Lyra had been a Risen Kingdom conscript, while Lyra said no such thing, even when directly asked whether she knew of anyone who had been forced to serve the Risen Kingdom. It was not much to go on, but at least it was something that could be brought up in a group. Magics worked off to the side seemed to confirm Lyra's history in the Risen Kingdom, and Tarnisha was able to summon a Vision showing how Lyra was out of place: first, seeing her working in a field, with Castle Chimeron behind her; then, seeing her going from place to place in the village, always using her advanced knowledge of how a non-ruined world could work, and seeming terribly frightened she would be caught.
It was not what I was hoping for, no secret spellbook or recruited cultists. Really, nothing that seemed to fit as the "dangerous" Risen Kingdom agent we had been told to expect. But, the risk was present enough to bring the truth out. In front of the gathered people, I asked Lyra if she had ever worked, willingly or unwillingly, for the Risen Kingdom.
When she said, forcefully, that she had only ever done what was best for the people of this village, we all knew what the evasion meant.
Nothing that followed was pleasant. She did eventually admit to her past. Yvaine did as well. It seems they both were Risen Kingdom conscripts. Yvaine says she was taken prisoner rather quickly after a single battle. Lyra, however, claims that, while unwilling, she did take part in "atrocities", including, in an admission that caught me fully by surprise, laying down a part of the Iron Road.
Despite all this, the villagers remained staunchly in defense of both of them. Apparently, their work over the past year had earned the people's trust. Caught between a rock and a hard place, I was not prepared to fight the village to take them, and began to suggest that the Resistance keep watch on the place. The Resistance patrol, however, quite reasonably argued that they did not have the right to let someone go free after such an admission.
Many tears were shed, particularly by Yvaine, but Lyra agreed to go with the Resistance patrol for questioning. She gave notes to Yvaine and other villagers on how to carry our her plans to make it through the coming seasons. I truly hope that she wishes for nothing more than to repent for her actions, and that the Resistance leadership sees this and agrees to allow her to return to the village. One of Gi's greatest vulnerabilities at this time is to fall to suspicion and infighting, after their bad experience with a forced unification. However, we were there at the Resistance's invitation, and it also would not do to override their intentions for how to handle former enemy combatants. Indeed, my own judgment regarding what to do with her should not be trusted, as she was involved so deeply at the strike against my home.
Irri courageously volunteered to stay in Gi and travel with Lyra, to ensure her safe treatment and fair return. She had her own magics prepared for just such an occasion, and ensured us that she would be alright.
With heavy hearts, we returned to Praespero and the portal to the Realms. Many mysteries remain about that village. How did they become so attached, so quickly, to the newcomers? Why do they still have a source of fresh water? How many of Lyra's and Yvaine's Realms-inspired farming experiments will work in Gi, and are they different from what the Resistance has learned from the Chimeron Militia? Will they ever forgive the Resistance, or will this experience cause them to turn even further inward?
I feel the story here is not yet complete.
---
The next night, I had another dream.
In it, I was Irwin, a member of a Resistance patrol. We were traveling to Camtoo, a village deep in what had once been the "industrial forests" that provided lumber for the Risen Kingdom's war machine. Since the Total Void Cascade, their water source had completely ceased functioning. I remember thinking that this village had it hard, but they had been largely untouched by the final stages of the war, and were decidedly ungrateful to the Resistance despite our hard work and dangerous activities to bring about the end of the Risen Kingdom.
I was accompanied by a healer-soldier, Myra I believe, and we were bringing a shipment of bonereed which could be fashioned into crude filters to get clean (enough) water out of the sludge. We were grateful to be joined by a party of heroes from the Realms, the people who had brought us to victory over the Fallen King. And they were essential: wolves fought us the entire way to the village, hounding our steps and surrounding us whenever possible. Some of the heroes took to rather alarming pastimes such as allowing incapacitated wolves to stay among us, despite the dangers that their leaking blood posed. But, with their help we were able to reach the village and slam the gate closed behind us.
We met briefly with the village elder, Sylvia, who took the bonereed and asked when we would be leaving. The heroes of the Realms had a slightly warmer reception, or perhaps were more dogged in their attempts to find additional ways to help. Some of them went back to harvest meat and blood from the bodies of the wolves they had slain. This seemed to warm the villagers up to them, at which point they divided into two parties. One party was taught to weave the bonereed filters, and I hear they produced two good filters, one packed with charcoal from a cooking fire to see whether it would be more effective. The other party was taken to plant "relon" seeds, for a type of melon that apparently grows in sludge, and is edible (besides its poisonous rind).
Myra and I went with the second group, as they would have to be a little farther outside of the village, and we kept hearing wolf howls. Thankfully, none attacked, and the heroes, particularly aided by Fern's horse, were able to plant a sizable crop of relons.
After both tasks were completed, everyone gathered to discuss the progress. The villagers seemed somewhat more pleasant now that they had seen the help, and that the heroes of the Realms did intend on leaving before twilight. The fear of new oppressors is strong in these people. The heroes made a point of introducing myself, Irwin, and Myra, to the village elder. They hoped to ensure that the village would be better disposed to future offers of help from the Resistance. Sylvia seemed to thaw slightly, though it is clear that the Resistance will have hard work ahead of them if they wish the village's favor.
---
The Resistance clearly has their work cut out for them. Between needing to support the people in a world left at the brink of collapse, while not replacing one conqueror with another, they have work that is both difficult and complex ahead of them. I hope to continue to help them when the opportunities present themselves.
OOC:
As one of the original Risen Kingdom staff, it is such an honor to see the world we created be taken up by another. Ryan has focused in on one of the parts of Gi that we weren't able to explore as much as we had hoped, due to the pandemic: the personal stories of people living in such harsh conditions. I am delighted that he is taking this mantle up, and look forward to future events. As you can see, this event had heavy roleplaying, while still including enough fights to make it clear that one cannot travel in Gi alone safely. It is a good mix, and I particularly like how we were given leeway as our NPCs to interact freely and naturally. It is a very promising start to a new era in Gi.
-Eric "Rosetta" Willisson
Dear Realms,
We were met in Prospero by Major Olive Pensnatch, a leader within the resistance, seeking to rebuild Gi after the fall of the Risen Kingdom. Their god king, the Fallen King, had been defeated the year prior in a push on the part of the united Realms, and had been tackled into the void by Jean Baptiste, leaving the body to be reinhabited by Jack, the child the Fallen King had once possessed. In the year since Gi has suffered for its freedom, as it had been heavily reliant on portal structures that are now defunct, and its previous form of governance had been overturned.
Understandably, its people were wary of us. Plus, the harvest season was upon them but with the portal system in Riskan City being down, there was limited fresh water for the crops. Most of the rivers and waters in Gi are sludge. Riskan City is as of the time of this report unbreached by Resistance, and it is unknown its state. It’s presumed abandoned.
The night before arriving I dreamt I was the very ground, beating and straining with much effort as blows rained upon me. My life blood beat out warmly on my skin (I believe this to be lava) as my body worked with effort. Then, as if a taut string was cut, the tension vanished and I could relax. My blood cooled, and my body rested, no longer battered and bruised.
Team Beta took the patrol heading to the town of Camtoo in the west, to bring resources and relief aide. We’d bring bone reeds, which can filter the sludge into potable water.
Team Alfa went south to one of the settlements of Somber’s Tears, where it was reported a “dangerous agent of the Risen Kingdom” was located. More on that later.
I was part of Team Beta, comprising of myself, Ryu, Griffin, Corvus, Crane, Serra, Leo, Jasper, and Fern. We were accompanied by Gisistance soldiers, Irwin and Mira. As I was somewhat adjusted to Gi atmosphere from my scouting missions into Gi then the months of work I put in helping it post-war, I was able to tell they sported some articles of bright clothing. Seems that Realms fashion is rubbing off on the Gidans. I helped carry bone reeds as we fought our way past exploding blood hounds. Irwin commented our meat was probably tastier smelling due to better nutrition, so the wolves were not easily deterred.
We finally reached the town and made it past the gates. The villagers were wary of us, initially turning down the offerings I brought to facilitate good will. Eventually they agreed to let us help with tasks, such as bringing the meat from the wolves back to help feed them, set up the Bone Reeds filters, and planting some melons that seemed to grow particularly well in the sludge even if the rind was poisonous and the fruit rotted quickly on the vine. We’d name the new fruit relons, for Robert “Robby”, the child who found the seeds and brought them back to the village.
Robby also shared that he and his friends had encountered “The Wanderer”, a man in a tattered red jacket that healed Robby’s injuries with games. It seems that Jack is alive and well, and holds some potent magic still.
From how the villagers behaved and what they shared with me, it seemed to me the villagers didn’t want their independence undermined. I relayed to a few of them a similar feeling on my part, how an injury has limited my capabilities, and how me relying on my friends for help while I recover doesn’t undermine me or my independence. I’d like to think it helped, and that we left that village better than before. Especially that it will be better able to make it past harvest season.
---
Now, I was not there for Team Alfa’s mission. Yet, in a strange way, I was. Waking from an odd dream I confirmed that other members of Team Beta had had similar dreams, yet from different perspectives. I had dreamt that I was a villager in the settlement Team Alpha went to, a farmer named Reed. It was strange seeing my friends through the eyes of a stranger.
This Gidan was angry that strangers were there. Insistent that the community stick together, and that the settlement had no water or food to spare for elsewhere. Reed called the most of them thugs, as the Realms and Gisistance soldiers had the townsfolk stay in the meeting house as they tried to figure out who the “dangerous agent” was. Reed was convinced there was none, and resented the implication his neighbors would be anything less than trustworthy, even the new folk within the last couple of years. Reed compared the Realms and Resistance to the House Xeraph who used to rule over this settlement and kept them in line as they forced the settlement to send tithes to the capital. Reed even shouted at Makhta who menaced with her ax, and Rosetta who said there was a “rot” and that if it wasn’t taken care of the town would end up like House Xeraph. Reed really didn’t like that comparison. Eventually the Realms discovered an ex-soldier, who had been part of the “swords-to-ploughs” program in Chimeron, and had worked on the Iron Road in Fae. She had been the one the Gisistance was tipped off about.
Lyra, the ex-soldier, was taken away as her roommate Yvaine sobbed, and Reed watched distraught, leaning on his brother Al for support and partly not to run after her, and they begged the Realms not to do this. Irri went with Lyra to make sure she was safe, as Reed had begged her to help.
It is only thanks to the other members of my Team, and their dreams, that I know this isn’t the whole story. There was a Triskwater in town working as apprentice miller, went by the name of Arbor, with a couple of ex-Void Spinners working as bakers. He was angry that these newcomers, swords-to-ploughs folks, had denounced the Risen Kingdom. So he tipped off the Gisistance about one, Lyra. They want to rebuild some form of the previous power they had held, and plan to use the settlement to do so.
Lyra was not the rot. Arbor is. And they’re still in the village.
