You’re standing at the bow of the ship, looking out into the murky water as the wooden boat travels down the river to the coast. Werz is a fascinating city that is the gateway to the interior of the continent and all commerce travels through it. It is the primary port that links the two continents together with Werz serving as the primary port for half of the continent and Teardret serving as the port for the other. The water is calm, for the most part, as the boat travels down the river toward the large port city.

The wind is blowing into your face as the moon lights the area. On both sides of the ship, on the shore, you can see thick brush with few openings. You can see several serpents and other swamp dwelling creatures as well, consisting of small alligators, lizards and an assortment of furry creatures dwelling within the branches of the trees. The sound of light chirps, squeaks, and purrs fill the crisp night sky with the sounds of the swamp and provide a soothing aura as the boat continues. You breathe slowly and relax, thinking back on everything that has happened so far while gripping the wooden railing on the boat. You can finally relax, though it is interrupted by a loud, blood-chilling scream coming from the murky bog to your right.

“What’s that?” asks the captain as he walks out of the bridge behind you and up to the side. The captain peers out into the bog while holding onto the rail, prompting you to walk over to the side of the ship beside him. “It sounded like a lass out there in trouble,” continues the captain while trying to see past the thicket and into the muck. He shakes his head and grips the wood before turning and looking at you. “I can’t ask you to go check out to see if someone is in trouble, but if you choose to, I will dock the boat against the bank and give you a small boat to row in there and see what that was.”

The captain has offered to allow you to investigate what that scream was. Will you travel into the bog to see what the source of that scream was or will you continue to travel to Werz?

Continue to the Shipyard

Into the Murky Bog

You ride the small row boat into the bog, heading toward the screams that you heard from the boat. The rows are difficult to move as the water you’re traveling through is quite thick and viscous. You pull on the oars with all your might to propel the small boat through the murky water, eventually reaching a sandbar. You take a step off of the boat and onto the shore. Your vision is obscured by a dense fog.

You take your first step on the grass, moving slowly through the fog. You can only see a few feet in front of you, but you look down to make sure that you’re able to walk on solid ground. You move through the fog for a several feet, eventually coming to a large clearing. The fog clears, revealing a large, ruined temple in front of you. The temple, a small ziggurat, is tucked away within the dense trees, brush, and fog, appearing to be undisturbed for years.

You look out to your right to see a man walking around the ziggurat slowly. He’s wearing a black cloak over his face and using a stick to keep his balance. He’s walking slowly, looking around the area as he stirs the dirt with his walking stick. He turns his head slowly to see you walk up. “Good evening,” he said as he turns up and looks toward you. “Are you out here looking for relics too?”

He’s moving around, turning his head back toward the dirt. You explain to him that you are heard the screams of a girl. The man looks at you and smiles. “It seems as if Dun-I is starting to respond to you.”

The old man turns and sits down against the ziggurat. “Looking for these old clay pieces really gives my life meaning,” he says while looking toward you. “I imagine that your lives don’t have meaning yet, but I promise you, they will.”

“Dun-I is such an old and horrid place,” explains the old man. “When the Gods were cast out, the world became a much bleaker place. Men were allowed to rule instead of the Gods, as was intended upon the creation of Dun-I. Veysa couldn’t keep it all together during the War of the Gods, but once she cast them out into their own worlds, she finally gained a sense of control.” He paused briefly while smiling underneath his cowl. “But now that men can master the power of the Gods, does she really have the power she craved?”

You pause while gazing curiously at the old man. “I don’t expect you to be able to answer that,” he said while stepping forward toward you. “I can already tell that you all possess a power that is growing, but also burdensome. I sense you all are conflicted with the power that’s growing within you from the knowledge you’ve been granted.”

“It’s only natural for someone to feel a bit, torn, by all of the power they’ve gained,” he continued. “I for one, would be making sure that I was on the right side of history.” He pauses momentarily and looks at you ominously over his brow. “I know you’re aware of the forces at work in this world, but you don’t always have to join the forces that are standing for righteousness. You could always join the side that best suits your needs and your wills. You can always decide to join the side that invaded Dun-I.”

You look at him with a confused glance as he smirks at you while leaning down. He picks up a small piece of a destroyed clay jar. He holds it out in front of you to show you the markings on it. “This jar, I think, comes from the time when temples like the ones behind me were the homes of the Gods,” he explains while pointing at the crossing patterns. “This temple was one of the many in this area that worshiped Maloris, the God of Chaos and Destruction His followers were very gifted at creating things from the clay inside the ground, something that many of the other Gods didn’t pursue. Zailyne wanted his followers to wrest control of the sea. Derrien wanted his Seraphim to pursue the righteous endeavors while Dahar encouraged her followers to create vast colonies to spread life. All of the Gods encouraged their followers to yearn for what they could control while Maloris took a different approach.”

He pauses briefly while turning and placing the piece of clay on the ziggurat. “Maloris wanted his followers to express themselves. He wanted them to create things from the ground and forge things that would help them. He felt the other Gods wanted to oppress their followers. He wanted his to be free and to serve him willfully.”

“That is your burden,” the old man states with a smile. “You will have to wrest control with who is in righteous and what’s best for you. The forces that invaded from the Turgraad Quarry were from Loccaris, the home and realm of Latros, the son of Maloris. Perhaps the forces who are invading are what Dun-I need. Perhaps Dun-I needs the invasion.”

The old man walks away from you and grabs the clay off of the ziggurat. “I don’t mean to keep you much longer,” he continues while walking away. “It’s not very often an old man like me gets an opportunity to meet some strapping young adventurers like yourselves. The screams of the girl that you heard are from inside this temple and it’s meant to lure in curious people like yourselves to trap them and kill them. I’d stay far away from this place for now, though if you’re up for it, perhaps another time, you could venture in to see what mysteries are stored within its slanted walls.”

The old man steps away from you and moves into the fog. You look forward to see him disappear as the dense fog rolls over the area. The fog covers the ziggurat in front of you, leaving you with a very limited vision. You can only see a few feet in front of your face again. You breathe slowly as you look behind you, hoping to navigate your way back to the row boat so you can make it back to the ship.

You close your eyes for a moment and relax, opening them up again to find yourself standing on the boat. “Dun-I is starting to respond to you,” a voice resonates in your head that sounds like the old man you saw at the ziggurat.

You breathe slowly as you turn around to see the captain at the wheel, steering the ship along the river. In the distance, as the sun is starting to come up, you can see the harbor of Werz.

Proceed to the Shipyard

The boat pulls into the shipyard, one of two harbors used by Werz. You look out to the see the shipyard void of dock workers, shipwrights, and other laborers. A light fog covers the wooden piers as the ship pulls into the first bay. Your vision is slightly obscured, but it’s not bad enough to block your vision. You’re able to see out to the end of the harbor where a single ship is docked.

You step off of the ship and nod to the captain, alerting him that he can head back to Sunshire. With your feet firmly on the wooden dock, you look around and survey the area. Several ships are docked on each side of the shipyard, some of them fully constructed and docked their to cover the overflow from the main harbor, and others still being built.

You take your first steps down the dock while keeping your eyes out for the trouble you were sent to combat. You look for signs of the mutiny, unable to find anything though as you’re peering around the area, you notice shackles resting on the top of the deck of one of the ships that’s in construction. You pause momentarily before walking toward the ship to investigate.

The gangplank is secured to the dock and gives you easy footing to walk into the deck of the incomplete boat. Once on the deck, you notice several holes in it that reveal the hull of the boat and you can see all the way to the bottom. You walk over and peer through it, seeing three men tied together against the wall a few decks below you.

You walk over to a door that has a set of stairs that lead down the deck below you. You glance down the stairs to check for any of the aggressors, which you see none. You move down the steps quietly, taking each step slowly to avoid the creaking of the wood from your weight. Once at the bottom of the stairs, you walk out and see the next flight of stairs, which you walk down just as slowly.

You arrive at the deck with the sailors who are bound and gagged against the wall of the ship. The sun is shining through the holes in the deck and brightly illuminating the area. You walk over to the sailors and reach behind their backs, pulling the tightly knotted ropes. As you’re down on your knees assisting the sailors, three of the pirates run up from another room on the ship to stop you.

Commence Battle with Pirate x 3

The pirates' bodies all fall to the ground in front of you, giving you a brief respite to unbind the sailors. With their hands and legs free, the sailors rise to their feet. “Thank you,” one of them says to you. “You have to get to the Pherron. These greasy bastards have taken it and we must get it back for his majesty.”

The sailors run past you and up the stairs, leaving the area empty for you. You look over to one of the pirates, noticing a glowing gem in the pocket of one of them.

Acquire one of the following: Shard of Mending, Shard of the Adept, Shard of Swiftness, Shard of the Depraved, Shard of the Flagellant, Shard of the Cursed

You walk up the stairs and back to the deck of the incomplete ship. As you emerge from the door to the inside of the hull, you find three more pirates on the deck and the sailors you just freed on the ground with their throats slit. Blood from the sailors is pooling around their bodies as their eyes are still open, looking toward you for help.

Commence Battle with Pirate, Swashbuckler x 2

The three pirates are cast aside, leaving you to assist the sailors as best as you can. Their wounds are massive and the blood is spilling from their necks at a rate that is unfathomable. Within seconds, they are dead in your arms, still looking up at you with their final breaths. In the hand of the sailor in your arms, you notice another sparkling gem, similar to the one you found below deck.

Acquire one of the following: Shard of Mending, Shard of the Adept, Shard of Swiftness, Shard of the Depraved, Shard of the Flagellant, Shard of the Cursed

The body of the sailor is placed on the deck and you reach forward and close his eyes. You rise to your feet and look out down the pier to see the ship at the very end, the Pherron. With a soft exhale, you walk back to the gangplank and back onto the pier. As you walk down the pier, more pirates emerge from the ships around you and ambush you.

Commence Battle with Pirate x 3, Swashbuckler x 1

The four pirates fall from the pier and into the water as the fog starts to lift. You look out down the pier to finally get a full view of the Pherron, a magnificently designed and quick ship designed to patrol the waters around Werz. The golden trim around the base of the wood reflects the sunlight while the wood around the boat is polished and clean. As you’re admiring the ship, four more pirates ambush you from the ships around you.

Commence Battle with Swashbuckler x 4

You move forward, trying to avoid anymore ambushes and distractions. You take off in a light jog with your weapons out. As you approach the Pherron, four more pirates leap off of the deck of the Pherron and onto the pier in front of you.

Commence Battle with Pirate x 4

The gangplank into the hull of the ship is open, allowing you a path onto the Pherron. Once in the ship, you look around to find several of the sailors bound and gagged, just like the sailors from the earlier ship. You run up to the first sailor you find, pulling the gag out of his mouth while looking over your shoulder.

“They’re savage,” the sailor breathes slowly. “They’re all savage. They’re going to toss us into the sea once they cast the Pherron out of the harbor.” The sailor looks up at you with fear in his eyes as you look behind you to see two pirates patrolling the area. You rise to your feet and grab your weapons, though you notice that these two pirates appear to be a bit tougher. They’re muscles are much more pronounced and their demeanor is much more grizzled.

Commence Battle with Pirate Strongman x 2

The two pirates are cast to the side and you’re able to unbind a few of the sailors. “Thank you,” said the sailor. “I’ll get the rest of the crew unbound and we’ll run into Werz.” You nod before walking over to the pirates and ruffling through their bodies, finding very good weapons on their side.

Acquire Two of the Following (The items do not have to be identical): Brass Scythe, Silver Runeblade, Brass Axe, Brass Greatsword, Brass Dagger, Brass Spear

You see a flight of stairs to the left that leads to the deck. “I think they are keeping the Captain on the deck,” announced the sailor behind you as you look back at him. You breathe slowly before walking over to the stairs and moving up to the deck. The sun is beating down on the deck of the ship as you emerge from the hull. You turn slowly, seeing the captain of the ship bound to one of the masts with his hands tied behind it and a cloth in his mouth. You walk up to him and starting trying to remove the ropes around his hands when you hear a loud bang behind you. You turn quickly, letting go of the ropes to see three more of the large pirates running toward you.

Commence Battle with Pirate Strongman x 3

The strongmen fall to the deck with another man standing behind them, looking on. From the shadows of the large sails, a man with red hair and a white tunic emerges, using a tall staff in front of him to walk. He stands in front of you with the captain of the Pherron still bound to the mast. “Isn’t it beautiful?” remarks the red-haired man as he points out to Werz. You turn your head and look out to see a large, purple sky moving slowly toward Werz.

“The world will be in balance soon,” he continues while walking toward you. “For millennia, this world has been on a path toward destroying itself, all because Vesya was too greedy for power. When she stripped the Gods of their place in Dun-I, she left man to control their own destiny, and we aren’t capable of that.”

You walk over to the Captain while keeping your eyes on the red-haired man and remove his gag. “Barddaz, don’t be foolish!” shouts the Captain. “You cannot side with these demons!”

“These demons are going to fix Dun-I!” Barddaz replies in anger. “The armies of Loccaris will overrun the armies of man. The shards will all be collected and Latros will be released to rule Dun-I as he is destined to.”

You look out at Werz with concern; the city will be under attack within minutes from an otherworldly force. You turn and look back at a smirking Barddaz as he admires the carnage that will be coming soon. “My job is complete,” he mutters while keeping his eyes on the purple clouds rolling in. “Alright, men! Prepare for cast off! Nathair will be waiting for you with his new ship in Oorinay!”

Several pirates from various doors in the ship emerge on the deck to start casting off. You look off the side of the boat to see several of the sailors you freed being tossed into the ocean. Their lifeless bodies float in the salty water. Barddaz walks toward the captain and pulls a dagger out of his belt. As you look on, he slits the captain’s throat while he is bound before  you can act. “Toss him overboard,” he orders to one of the pirates before turns his attention toward you.

The ship starts rocking as it casts off from the dock with you still standing on the deck. Barddaz twirls his staff in front of you while looking at you with a prideful gaze. “You’re quite powerful,” he states anxiously. “I think you’ll be the perfect test of this new shard I just got from the captain.”

Commence Battle with Pirate Captain

The captain drops to one knee as he holds himself up with his staff. “No,” he mutters as he looks up at you with fury. “He lied to me. He told me I’d be stronger than anyone I came across…”

You stand your ground and eye the two shards in his staff. He uses the staff to give himself leverage before rising to his feet while looking at you scornfully. “Toss them over…” he says slowly to the pirates around them. “Let the sea take them.”

Several pirates surround you and push you back to the edge of the ship. Their weapons are drawn and their are far too many for you to fight. You leap off of the edge of the ship and into the water below you. The waves are cresting around you as you look back to see the Pherron moving away from you quickly. You aren’t that far from the dock and the harbor, and swimming there won’t be too difficult. You look back to the harbor to see the purple clouds coming over Werz and lightning crashing around them.

As you move toward the harbor, you notice that there is a sewer exit closer to you, allowing you another entrance into the city. Which way will you head?

Into the Sewers

Toward the Harbor

You opt to head into the sewers and walking toward Werz that way. You swim toward the grate and pull it open, allowing you to enter the sewer without any strife or conflict.

You climb up a slanted slope with metal rungs to assist you with your ascent. After several feet, you find yourself on a flat surface with sidewalks on both sides and a large trough in the middle carrying the cities waste out into the ocean. The path underneath your feet is very smooth but easy to traverse. Torchlight along the walls lights up your path, though creates several shadows within the corridor.

As you’re making your way down the long straightaway toward the city, you come across several large rats devouring the remains of a human, or at least that’s what you think that it was. You can see flesh, bones, but nothing else to give any indication that the corpse was once a human. You come close to the rats and they turn their attention toward you. Their beady eyes are red with a thirst for more flesh, and without warning, charge toward you.

Commence Battle with Sewer Rat x 6

The rats scurry off, leaving the remains of what you can now tell was a Werz soldier. There aren’t any identifying marks, but you can see a large weapon against the wall.

Acquire One of the Following: Brass Greatsword, Brass Scythe, Brass Axe, Simple Staff 

You walk past the corpse and continue on the path toward Werz. You see a great deal of rats scurrying about the other sidewalk, gazing at you with an insatiable hunger. You continue your walk through the well-lit sewer, eventually making your way to another set of large pipes that funnel sewage in from various parts of the city. As you’re looking forward and down the path, several rats emerge from the pipes and attack you without warning.

Commence Battle with Sewer Rat x 6

The rats fall into the trough of sewage that is being carried out into the ocean. Your path is unabated and now you are left with a simple path to a large ladder at the end of the hallway. As you move down the hallway, you can look up to see fire and wreckage coming around the city through the storm drains and the sounds of blood-curdling screams fill your ears. The carnage above you has started. At the end of the sewer, the gate to the city opens up prior to your arriving. Three large, purplish-grey figures drop down from the street and into the sewer to impede your progress. The three creatures have scaly features and horns and carry large, sharp scythes.

You look forward as they grip their weapons closely, preparing to charge toward you without prejudice.

Commence Battle with Demon x 3

The three demons disappear into the air after being vanquished. You’re left staring at what remains, a single shard that one of them must’ve stolen from one of their victims in Werz.

Acquire one of the following: Shard of Mending, Shard of the Adept, Shard of Swiftness, Shard of the Depraved, Shard of the Flagellant, Shard of the Cursed

More screams fill the sewer as you look up the ladder into the streets. You see people running around the streets from above before you place your hands on the iron bars to assist your climb. You exhale slowly before making your ascent, rising up onto the streets of Werz to find that the city is covered in flames. Your feet are firmly on the rocky street. The sky is covered in purple clouds with large flashes of lightning striking between them.

You look around to see a large herd of citizens running down the street, passing you with three of the demons you saw earlier charging after them. You grip your weapon tightly before attacking the demons.

Commence Battle with Demon x 3

The demons disappear into the air and the streets are empty. Fire rains down from the sky into one of the buildings around you, hitting it squarely and sending debris into the air. You cover your head as stone from the building falls beside you.

You look up to see that you have three paths to take. The first path follows the people who were running from the demons. You can take this path and assist those citizens in getting to safety. The second path leads toward where the demons and the citizens came from. This path will allow you to fight the demons head on and push them back at front. The third path is a road that intersects with the one that you’re on that appears to lead toward the magistrate’s chambers. You don’t see much coming from that direction, but you imagine that the strategies for this defense are happening there.

Which path will you take?

Ensure the safety of the citizens

Fight the Demons Head On

Head to the Magistrate’s Chambers

You avoid the sewers, thinking that going in there might prove to be much more hazardous than its worth, and opt to make the short swim to the pier. Once at the edge of the pier, you find a piece of rope used to tie the ships to the wooden structure and use it to pull yourself up onto the pier.

The purple skies are starting to cover the entirety of the skies as you stand on the pier. Thunder is echoing throughout the sky while strikes of lightning are crashing down to the ground. You walk down the pier slowly, looking out at the end of the pier to see the citizens of Werz running into their homes. You take a slow breath as you look forward past the end of the dock to see the merchants running about the area in a panic, trying to get their goods under cover, preparing for a torrential rain to ruin the business day.

As you enter the city from the shipyard, you notice the citizens running frantically away from the front gate of the city. Men, women, and children are all fleeing as fast as they could from some danger. You walk forward toward the path to see what they’re running from, looking down the cobblestone roads of Werz to see a horde of demons chasing the citizens of Werz with their weapons drawn. Bodies of citizens and soldiers alike are scattered about the area with their blood coating the walls of the buildings and staining the ground.

You draw your weapons as the demons charge toward you, giving yourself enough time to prepare before they strike. The first set of demons, all with scales on the entirety of their bodies and horns coming from their head, carried large blades in their hands.

Commence Battle with Demon x 3

The first set of demons fall by your weapons and spells, vanishing into the air around you. Three more demons, pillaging the area, notice the defeat of their allies and charge toward you with their weapons drawn. 

Commence Battle with Demon x 3

The demons meet the same fate as the first set. To the far end of the area, you see three more demons destroying the buildings and terrorizing the citizens. The screams of the second set of demons alert them of your intent. Without hesitation, the three demons charge toward you.

Commence Battle with Demon x 3

All of the demons in the area have fallen, but you can hear a great deal of carnage coming from the gates of Werz. You are tired, having swam to the docks. You can see an alley where you can duck into and hide, giving yourself an opportunity to wait for the battle to end or for you to make your escape. However, a decisive battle is taking place at the front gate. Will you run into the alley and wait for the conflict to end, saving yourself and regrouping or will you head to the front gate and prepare to make the ultimate sacrifice?

Head to the Front 

Head to the Alley

You run toward the citizen’s who just passed you. The area that you’re in is still intact, though you can hear the shrieks of women and children from nearby roads. You look forward to see the herd of people stop with five demons stopping their progress. You run past the crowd as they back up and cower in fear. The demons in front of you have a young man in front of them. The young man is holding a shield in front of him. He’s standing tall as the demon raises his scythe high into the air. The demon swings the scythe down into the head of the young man, only to have a white barrier absorb the impact and knocking the man backwards.

“That will be enough out of you, naive,” shouts a young woman walking out from one of the side streets. Her skin is dark and her robes were white with a hood resting on her back. Her hair is black and shimmering while her demeanor is calm and composed.  “The Soldiers of Derrien will not allow you to take the lives of anyone else in this city.”

Menassah Joins Your Party (NPCs act similar to enemies. Consult the rules for more information: Rules and Systems).

Commence Battle with Demon x 5

“You are quite strong, adventurers. I think Aertis misjudged your abilities after all,” states an impressed Menassah. She steps around you and looks on at the cowering, but equally impressed citizens. She leans down and smiles, trying her best to comfort the startled citizens of Werz while also maintaining a sense of urgency from their current plight. “Please, you must follow me to the back gate. With a little luck and the fortune of Derrien, all of you will see another sunrise.”

You follow Menassah down the street with herd of citizens behind you. You keep your distance from the walls of Werz where you can hear a very loud battle taking place. You reach the markets near the port, looking out to see most of the navy is still in tact. “Perhaps their is hope for us yet,” says Menassah as she points out to the ship. “The Pherron is missing, but the rest of the harbor is untouched.” She breathes heavily as she turns her head and looks out past the market and toward a very large gate. “There it is,” she says while pointing to it. “Come on! We’re almost to safety! All of you will make your way into the marsh until the battle is over!”

You run toward the gate with the citizens of Werz behind you. The gate is open and appears to be clear from any of the demons. You stop and allow them to run past you and out into the woody marsh to the south of the city. “They’re going to be ok,” Menassah states as she smiles at you. “The people of Dun-I are the heartbeat of this wonderful plane. Without them, we are destined to succumb to these evil invaders.”

The citizens all pass you and run into the woods, though you turn around to see a very large beast charging toward you from the distance. The beast snarls and howls as he charges and toward you with his mouth open and his teeth exposed.

Commence Battle with Beast of Loccaris

The beast falls to the ground before dissipating into the air. Menassah looks over at you with another wry smirk. “That was fantastic,” she says while stepping away from you. “You are quite gifted. Dun-I may have the champions who can stand up to the might of Loccaris and repel the sinister invasion.”

She steps away from you and toward where the beast came from. “I am heading to the medical tents to assist with the wounded. Thank you for your help and my Derrien’s blessing shine down upon you.”

Menassah leaves the Party.

You watch Menassah run off into the distance, ducking down one of the alleys to make her way to the infirmary. You stare off at the gate, pondering if you should run off into the woods to save yourself. The battle has been hard and bloody, but you’ve done enough to help ensure the survival or Werz.

However, you also hear more screams coming from the front gates. You’re very powerful and you may be able to handle the tough nature of this battle. Will you run away from the battle and save yourself or will you run to the front, opting to assist in the epic battle?

Run out of the Gate

Head to the Front

You take the path away from the charging demons and head toward the Magistrate’s Chamber. You walk at a brisk pace down the cobblestone path. The buildings are all still in good repair without many signs of damage and their is little debris around you. The demons have yet to make it this far into the city, though you know that it’s only a matter of time before they make it here.

You walk into an area with several heavily armored men are scurrying about, grabbing weapons and other materials before marching off to the front. “Hurry it up!” screams a man wearing a red and white tabard. He walks past several men to see you walk up. He's tall with long blonde hair that hung down to in between his shoulders. His armor is silver and well constructed and he carries a shield with a familiar crest in his hand. “You there!” he shouts. “Why are you standing around!? What business do you have here!?”

You look closely, recognizing the man to be Aertis, the leader of the Solders of Derrien. He looks at you, but has already forgotten about your existence. Aertis bites his bottom lip while holding a look of scorn as a friendly face appears. While he stares at you with malcontent, a much friendlier Papis walks up and places his hand on Aertis's shoulder. “They’re with me,” says a confident Papis. “These people are going to be the reason you and your men will live until supper.”

Papis turns and smiles at you. “It’s very good to see you all here,” he remarks earnestly. “I don’t think we have much of a chance without your power.” Papis turns back around and looks at the regal looking man in front of you. “Aertis, you and the Soldiers of Derrien need these people. Do not shun them because you need all the help you can get, besides, you've already shunned these adventurers once and here they stand before you. Perhaps you should give them an opportunity to impress you now that your need is most dire.”

Aertis scoffs openly at Papis. “The Soldiers of Derrien don’t require anymore help, Papis Horrishek,” he counters while motioning for you and your allies to step aside. “The Soldiers of Derrien will defeat the armies of Loccaris today without the aid of any slaves or roaming mercenaries. We will show Dun-I just how powerful we actually are and how formidable our ranks actually are. Besides, I don’t see the armies of your father here defending the gateway.”

“I’ve sent for them and they will be here as soon as word reaches them,” Papis replies defensively. “Our mission now is to defend the citizens of Werz.”

“Your mission is to go to the front and fight these demons off!” shouts Aertis.

“I don’t serve you and neither do these people behind me,” smirks Papis. “We’re going to defend these citizens. Once their safe, we will come to the front then.”

Aertis fumes as he looked past Papis at you. “Fine, do as you will. Take these slaves and defend the citizens of Werz, but do remember friend, the glory of the victory today belongs to me and my ranks.”

Papis Joins the Party (NPCs act similar to enemies. Consult the rules for more information: Rules and Systems).

Papis smiles and turns toward you before walking past and motioning for you to follow him. The soldiers behind you are all scurrying toward the front walls while you are following Papis down several of the alleys to try and find any survivors. You run into a small clearing to find three demons standing with their scythes out, slicing the bodies of several of the survivors you are looking for. The first demon holds a woman up by her hair and tosses her into the air as if she was weightless. He grips his scythe and buries it into her sternum while in midair, to the glee of the two other demons looking on.

“Animals,” mutters Papis as he pulls out his sword. “You demons are nothing but animals!”

Commence Battle with Demon x 3

“Disgusting,” states Papis as he kicks the corpse of one of the demons before it disappeared into the air. He turns and looks at you, nodding slowly before looking over all of the bodies around the area. All of the corpses are scattered about the area with blood pooling around all of them. Men, women, and children were all killed indiscriminately by the three demons.

Papis shakes his head while looking back at you. “Come on, there isn’t anything we can do here.” He motions for you to follow him down another alley, following the screams that are filling the air. You walk down the alley to find another five demons patrolling the area. You look on as they kick open the door to one of the homes. “You’ve killed enough today, naive!” yells Papis as he charges forward with his sword drawn, engaging the demons.

Commence Battle with Demon x 5

The demons vanish and the alley is clear. Papis continues his walk down the alley, eventually leading you into a clearing near the back gate. You look on toward several carts and stalls, seeing a large herd of people running from several demons toward the back gate. Papis leaps out to engage the demons and allow the citizens to escape.

Commence Battle with Demon x 5

The demons vanish just like all those before and Papis looks back to the citizens. “Thank you,” he says as he looks at you. “Look, I’m going to run toward the front to appease that bastard Aertis and to keep an eye out for my father’s army. Make sure these people get out safe and then head to the front.” He pauses for a moment while breathing heavily; the thrill of battle has taken it out of him. “I’ll see you soon.”

Papis leaves the Party.

You look on as Papis leaves the area and ducks into one of the alleys. You’re left standing there, watching the citizens escape out the back gate and into the marshy woods to the south. You’ve fought hard, helping Papis save the lives of those in the alley, but also saw the corpses stacking up in the clearing. You’ve seen a lot and have the opportunity to leave Werz and save yourself. However, you’ve also been asked to head to the front lines and assist in the battle.

Will you head to the front lines or will you walk out the back gate and save yourself.

Head out of the Back Gate

Head to the Front

You stand still and look down at the ground, noticing the beautiful cobblestone walkway that the demons are destroying. You look out toward the path that the demons were traveling and realize that the only way you can end this invasion, is to take the fight to the demons.

You walk down the path toward the demons, immediately running into three demons who were charging toward them.

Commence Battle with Demon x 3

The demons vanish into the air and you’re left looking forward. In the distance, you can see the front gate of Werz where the battle is taking place. A giant hole in the wall has allowed demons to run into Werz and kill its inhabitants. Several demons leap through the hole and over the soldiers who are trying to barricade it. One of the demons, the first one you see, buries his scythe in the back of one of the soldiers before he can turn around to defend himself. You’re forced to run forward and protect the soldiers who are trying to barricade the city.

Commence Battle with Demon x 4

The soldiers are given a brief respite to barricade the wall after the demon’s corpses vanish into the air. “Thank you,” shouts one of the engineers as he points to his workers to push the large boulders in front of the opening.

As the gash in the wall is repaired, you opt to continue your run toward the front gate where the conflict is taking place. While running, a large mortar hits the wall and debris is flying all around you. You duck down and cover your head, avoiding the large chunks of the wall and keeping yourself safe. You look up and uncover your head, seeing the carnage through the wall. Bodies of Werz soldiers and other warriors are scattered about the area in front of the wall. Those soldiers gave their lives to protect the city.

You look past the gate and see an alley that appears to lead back into the city, though in front of you, is the front where the battle is taking place.

Will you head into battle or will you run into the city and hide?

Run to the Front and Fight

Turn and Hide in the Alleys

You walk back to the backgate of Werz, looking back at the opening to the outside where several of the inhabitants of the city are fleeing. The gate is open and still in tact with the forces of Loccaris not anywhere close to it. All of the demonic armies are at the front, leaving you with a clear path to escape. With the residents of Werz on both sides of you, you peer out the gate and let them pass before following them.

“Fleeing? The battle just got started,” announces a voice from behind you. You stop moving over the threshold and turn around to find a younger adult male standing with his arms folded. His skin is olive toned and his hair is almost jet-black. Along his wrists, you can see dark scales on his skin. His eyes were very inviting, yet somewhat mysterious. The man grins as he shakes his head before walking toward you. “Who am I kidding. This battle is already over. The forces of this city are much tougher than what that idiot thought.”

You look at the man as appears somewhat stoic, almost solemnly admitting defeat. “I always thought when the General would finally arrive, it would be a lot more grandiose and a bit more effective. Instead of coming out and laying waste to everything around him, he opts to march to the coast to fortify it and cut off supplies. He thinks about things too critically and too much like someone who leads garrisons and not like the ruthless killer that we need.” The man pauses while looking at you with a hint of disdain and fury. “Oh, relax. You’re safe now.”

You unfold your arms and look at the man across from you with a curious gaze. “Good, there’s no need to be so tense right now,” he says with a calm tone. “I saw what you did in there. That was quite impressive. You were cagey and clever instead of just being ruthless and aggressive. There’s a need for both in this harsh world, of that I can assure you.” The man smiles before stepping away from you. “Look, get out of here as fast as you can. This battle is over and it is only a matter of time before the soldiers of Werz start trying to find out if there were any fighting against them from the inside. While you’re walking away though, take the time to think about if what this army did is worth it. Think about if what the forces of Loccaris are doing are worth resetting this world and allowing it to rise again from the ashes.”

The man walks away from you as you hear the sound of shuffling ground coming from behind you. You turn to see several Werz soldiers charging toward you with their weapons drawn. Before you can hold your arms up, one of the soldiers throws a small white ball at your feet. Within a short moment, it detonates and a fine white powder sprays into the air, going up into your nostrils and causing you to fall to your knees. Your vision becomes blurry before you fall over onto your stomach.

You wake up, groggy with a headache after passing out. Confused at why the soldiers of Werz attacked you, especially after you helped kill some of their invaders, you lay on your back and look up at the ceiling. You turn your head to side, noticing a wall of iron bars the side. You roll over and look around, finding that you are trapped in a small cell in the city of Werz. You are not carrying any of your weapons and your armor has been ripped off of you, exchanged with common rags to keep you covered.

You swing your body around and place your barefeet on the cold, wooden floor. You look over and survey your surroundings. The walls are all made of a thick, impenetrable wood with the iron bars in front of you are dense and solid. With your elbows resting on your knees, you breathe slowly as you try to rationalize what happened. Demons were rampaging through the streets of Werz and before that, you were fighting through the Shipyard against the man who assisted your escape from the quarry.

As you try to rationalize everything, you hear a door open up and a soldier walk in. “Hey, you’ve got a visitor,” he announces loudly…

All Players Earn 500 Shard Experience

Scenario Complete. Visit the Store? 

You are a brave soul and have opted to take the fight to the demons of Loccaris and those who control them. You run through the stone archways that are barely holding on that lead into the streets of Werz and find yourself standing behind the soldiers of Werz as they fire projectiles of oil, tar, and fire into the oncoming assault. Past the onslaught of demons and soldiers colliding, you can see several large ballista preparing to fire large arrows and stones toward the city to collapse its walls even further.

To your right, you see Papis charging toward a marauding group of demons with several soldiers of Werz following him. His white armor is glistening from the sun poking through the purple sky as he screams to rally those behind him. To your left, you see other soldiers running toward the oncoming demons with an intense fury for defending their home and their loved ones. The demons in the city appear to have been pushed out and defeated, but the front is very vibrant and active.

“Don’t just stand there! Take out your weapons and fight!” screams a familiar man in front of you carrying a small axe in each hand. Mykel, the berserker from earlier in your travels, stands before you prominently with dried demons blood on his bare arms. “We’ve about pushed them out of Werz and back to the hell in which they came from!”

“Mykel, stay focused!” shouted Raylond beside him, carrying a shield in one hand and a sword in the other. “The day will be ours but we must remain poised brother. These adventurers appear more than ready for a fight. I don’t think they need our coaxing.”

Mykel grins and nods. “Right, well hopefully these souls are a bit stronger than when we last left them.”

“When they last left you, brother, you were being carried back to camp,” quips Raylond with a chuckle. “I don’t think these travelers are ones to shy away from the fight.”

“Good!” shouts Mykel as he spins his axe in his hand. “Today may be a good day to meet Vesya then. Come on, friends. Why don’t we go meet her together?”

Mykel and Raylond Join the Party (NPCs act similar to enemies. Consult the rules for more information: Rules and Systems).

You charge toward the oncoming demons with Mykel and Raylond leading you. Your weapons are drawn and you come up to the first set of demons, six of them, standing in front of a large battering ram. “We have to disable the ram!” Raylond shouted while pointing at the device. The six demons notice you running toward them and attack once you are in range.

Commence Battle with Demon x 6

The demons dissipate into vapor and you’re left standing beside the battering ram. The ram is constructed simply, with several ropes holding up a large piece of stone and metal that would swing and take down a door. Mykel takes his small axes and cuts the ropes that are holding the large piece of dark stone and iron from the swing, dropping it to the ground with a very loud thud. “There’s one,” Mykel said proudly while turning to see three much larger demons coming toward them. “Finally, a challenge approaches,” he says with a smile while twirling his weapons. Three demons, all carrying large swords in both hands, approach with an evil intent.

Commence Battle with Elite Demon x 3

The last demon falls to the axes of Mykel as you assist in the battle. You look out toward the back of the battlefield to see the commander of the armies of Loccaris pacing with several large demons in front of him. “There he is, Raylond,” announces Mykel as he points one of his weapons at the man. “There is that bastard.”

“Mykel, be cautious. He isn’t of this world,” Raylond warns.

“Nothing out here on this front is!” shouts Mykel as he walks away from you and Raylond. Without hesitation, you and Raylond charge behind Mykel as he approaches the command area for the armies of Loccaris. As you move closer, three more demons attempt to slow your progress.

Commence Battle with Elite Demon x 3

The leader of the armies looks up at you after seeing three of his stronger demons being vanquished before his eyes. He points at one of his officers and motions toward you. As you look on and move toward him, a large man with four arms with a large axe in each hand approaches to block you from reaching the commander.His skin is a charcoal color and his body is very muscular. His eyes are dark purple and his face is contorted slightly with an evil grin. He raises his arms in the air with the axes displayed prominently and swings them toward you.

Commence Battle with Loccaris Officer

The Officer falls to his knees with the four axes all dropping to the ground around him. His eyes glaze over as his body slowly fades away into the air around him. The commander, a man walking behind him in a purple cape, looks at you with a hint of annoyance while crossing his arms. He steps toward you, eyeing you as Mykel holds his axes firmly in his hand. “Finally,” Mykel stated while staring at the commander. “Come on, Raylond. Now is the time for glory.”

Mykel charges toward the man in the purple cape, only to be stopped a few feet from him by a purple mist that comes from the hands of the target. You stand still, looking at Mykel as his hands drop to his side and his axes fall to the ground. Raylond, scared for his brother, sprints forward with his sword out, only for the purple mist to meet him. You stare at the two as the man in purple looks at you, raising his other hand and projecting the purple mist toward you. You freeze as you look forward, watching as the mist enters your nostrils. Your eyes close and all you can see is a dark purple.

The area changes around you as you can no longer feel the air around your body. The crisp feeling around your skin has been replaced with a warm sensation, almost comforting, as you stand weightless. You open your eyes and all you can see around you a deep, purple haze with the man in the cape standing in front of you with his arms crossed. “Peculiar,” he says while walking forward and placing his hands on your chin. He smirks before stepping away from you and removing his hands. “I was once just like you,” he says softly. “I was once a human, forced t to toil away on Dun-I while waiting for my final reward, a life of servitude to a God or to become their next meal.”

“Mortals, my name is Lorian, and I am the General of the Grand Army of Loccaris and your new master,” he said in a very calm, yet menacing tone while pacing in front of you and walking toward an enchanted Mykel. “I cannot wait to see just how powerful you are with a scythe, though I may let you keep your axes seeing as how useful they are.”

“You’re going to turn us into one of those things?” asks Mykel as he was suspended in the air.  

“I’m going to liberate you from your mortality and your flesh,” answers Lorian. “I’m going to give you armor that will help shield your body and a purpose that will drive your soul. I’m going to free you, but the cost is a lifetime of servitude under my command.”

“So you’re going to kill us?” asked Raylond. “That doesn’t sound like liberation.”

“Oh but it is!” shouts an excited Lorian. “You see,  if death is what you’re seeking, then you will end up under the watchful eyes of Vesya, where she will judge you for your past sins and send your soul off into the channel. But, this way, your soul is now bound directly to Loccaris you get to avoid all of the judgment.”

“It looks to me like you’re cheating the system,” Mykel states defiantly.

“Systems are made to be cheated, boy,” counters Lorian as he walked toward Mykel. “I was once just like you: proud, brash, and quick to strike. I learned my lessons the hard way during the War of the Gods that being reckless is the fastest way to end up in Vesya’s chambers. I didn’t serve anyone, at least not at first. I was a mercenary, taking jobs for whoever needed muscle and killing whoever they deemed worth of it. It was a great life. I didn’t have a family or anyone I cared about; I only had me, and I loved every second of it, until the day that I failed.”

“You see, I was given a task by someone. I cannot even remember who it was, but I was to head into the city of Brile and kill a few of the priests inside the Palace of Maloris. Once inside, I managed to slaughter hundreds of men and women. I made my way through several of the rooms but eventually, I entered a room with a man sitting in the center with his back turned to me. I thought this was going to be easiest kill of the day for me, but it was the furthest from that. The man addressed me by name without turning around and started asking questions of me. He asked why I was there and what pushed me to kill and why I was simply working a job instead of serving a greater purpose. We spoke for hours and, though I was poised to kill him, I could never bring myself to it. There was something about that man that intrigued me, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was. Finally, after several hours, he turned to me and introduced himself as Maloris, the God of Chaos, one of the eleven Gods who created Dun-I,” lectured Lorian as you, Mykel, and Raylond are all unable to move and forced to keep your gaze affixed on Lorian.

A sense of completion comes over you, a feeling that the end is near. You don’t know what life will be like as a member of the army of Loccaris, but you are suddenly at peace with it. Once a slave, now you are destined to be a soldier in the rampaging army that is destined to destroy Dun-I. However, as you exhale for what you believe to be the last time, the haze is suddenly broken and you snap free. You fall to the ground as a large white flash hits the area. You open your eyes to see Lorian on the ground, writhing in pain and grabbing his chest. His clothes are slightly charred as Zilara runs up and casts another bolt from his hand onto the general, hitting him in the stomach. The Army of Loccaris stops their attack and turns toward their fallen general with Zilara hovering over him. The demons are marching toward the old man when his eyes glow white and lightning surrounds his forearms. Zilara releases a large ball of lightning into the sky, causing the purple clouds to glow white and several large strikes to impact the ground around him. The demons are forced back, though several make it through to pull their general away from the oncoming danger. The bolts stop as you look on and the demons retreat with the general. Zilara, having pushed the forces back, drops to one knee, weakened from the move. You smirk as your head hits the ground and your eyes go black. The battle is over.

You wake up, groggy with a headache after passing out. You’re lying comfortably on a cot, though the dark ceiling is making you feel as if you are being confined.You have had a very long and tough day, especially after fighting off the demons of Loccaris and nearly succumbing to the fully power of Lorian. You turn your head to side, noticing a wall of iron bars the side. You roll over and look around, finding that you are trapped in a small cell in the city of Werz. You are not carrying any of your weapons and your armor has been ripped off of you, exchanged with common rags to keep you covered.

You swing your body around and place your barefeet on the cold, wooden floor. You look over and survey your surroundings. The walls are all made of a thick, impenetrable wood with the iron bars in front of you are dense and solid. With your elbows resting on your knees, you breathe slowly as you try to rationalize what happened. Demons were rampaging through the streets of Werz and before that, you were fighting through the Shipyard against the man who assisted your escape from the quarry.

As you try to rationalize everything, you hear a door open up and a soldier walk in. “Hey, you’ve got a visitor,” he announces loudly...

All Players Gain 750 Shard Experience

Scenario Complete. Visit the Store? 

You enter the alleys, opting to leave the area and save yourself. You’ve fought hard since you left Sunshire and you feel that you don’t have much more energy to give. You’re exhausted and at the first sign of a stack of tall crates, you duck behind them and sit down against a stone wall. Around you, you can still hear the sounds of carnage and chaos echoing through the city as mortars fly into stone walls and iron crashes against iron. You breathe slowly, allowing your thoughts to catch up after all you’ve been through. You survived an ancient prison while also traversing through an underground temple buried beneath an old cemetary. You’ve been through a tremendous about of strife only to find yourself surrounded by the demons of Loccaris in an unfamiliar location.

You rest your head against the stone wall, breathing slowly while allowing the chilly night air to relax against your skin. You close your eyes as the sound of footsteps force you to open them quickly. Across from you, sitting against the wall in the open alley, is a younger man with dark hair and olive skin. Across his wrists, you can see dark scales. He looks up at you and smiles, showing off a very bright set of teeth. “So you’re sick of fighting too?” he asks while crossing his arms to show off the scales on his wrists. “I can’t say I blame you. All of this destruction around us is just a bit much. I’d rather just wait for the armies of Loccaris to barge in and take me at this point.” He pauses for a moment before uncrossing his arms and leaning forward to look deeper into your eyes. “Are you afraid of what’s coming?” He smiles before waving his arms in front of you. “Don’t answer that,” he continues with a laugh. “Surely you’re not afraid of the forces of Loccaris.

The man across from you laughs while you hold your position. “This battle is already over,” he states calmly as he rises to his feet and stretches, reaching up high into the air with his arms. . “This battle was over before it even began. Lorian made a crucial mistake by deciding to attack Werz. He has a massive army, primed for taking control of this continent within days. Instead of striking the lifeblood of the continent, Shorrek and Teardret, he instead opts to cut off supplies coming from Oorinay. Now, the forces that were able to amass here are pushing him back and there is nothing he can do but retreat and replenish his ranks.”

He leans forward and gives you his hand, offering to help you up off of the ground. You grab his hand, noticing the prominent scales on his wrist, before rising up onto your feet to look into his pale eyes. “Dun-I is a world that needs a restart,” he continues. “Think of this, traveler. Is this invasion such a bad thing? Could this strife and chaos actually help?” He releases your hand and steps away from you. “I’m not saying that it is good or isn’t good, but what I’m saying is that, it may be worth thinking about. This world is in disarray and perhaps someone wiping it clean could be what it needs.”

He steps away from you before turning back. “Just think on it for a while. I’ll see you around Werz once all of this calms down.” He turns and walks away from you, leaving you in between the crates in the alley. You stand still and watch him turn away, walking out into the street before a loud, thundering noise comes behind you. You turn to see several heavily armed, Werz soldiers charging toward you with their weapons drawn. Before you can pull your hands up, one of them tosses a white ball toward you that detonates at your feet. A fine, white mist erupts into the air. Within seconds, you drop to your knees and over onto your stomach. Your vision becomes hazy and you fall asleep.

You wake up, groggy with a headache after passing out. Confused at why the soldiers of Werz attacked you, especially after you helped kill some of their invaders, you lay on your back and look up at the ceiling. You turn your head to side, noticing a wall of iron bars the side. You roll over and look around, finding that you are trapped in a small cell in the city of Werz. You are not carrying any of your weapons and your armor has been ripped off of you, exchanged with common rags to keep you covered.

You swing your body around and place your barefeet on the cold, wooden floor. You look over and survey your surroundings. The walls are all made of a thick, impenetrable wood with the iron bars in front of you are dense and solid. With your elbows resting on your knees, you breathe slowly as you try to rationalize what happened. Demons were rampaging through the streets of Werz and before that, you were fighting through the Shipyard against the man who assisted your escape from the quarry.

As you try to rationalize everything, you hear a door open up and a soldier walk in. “Hey, you’ve got a visitor,” he announces loudly...

All Players Gain 500 Shard Experience

Scenario Complete. Visit the Store?