Difference between revisions of "AEHU/Plot/Chapter 8"

From Chrono Compendium
Jump to: navigation, search
(New page: ==Event Geography== http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/779/chapter8mapam9.png ==Event Complex 1== *Wittel awakens in a cell with Slash in Guardia's freshly-constructed prison. They have a...)
 
(Replacing page with 'ROM switch sequence. AEHU/Plot')
 
(4 intermediate revisions by one user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
==Event Geography==
+
ROM switch sequence.
http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/779/chapter8mapam9.png
+
 
+
==Event Complex 1==
+
*Wittel awakens in a cell with Slash in Guardia's freshly-constructed prison. They have a chance to mull over Raqh's warning that any attempt at heroism would be completely nullified in a harsh, meaningless world. Both seem on the verge of admitting the validity of Raqh's worldview.
+
 
+
*Queen Leene arrives accompanied by prison guards. She recognizes Slash as one of the Magus' generals and there's some tense dialogue regarding the complex history of Guardia's relationship with Medina. Slash guesses that Leene didn't venture into Guardia's prison tower solely to banter about things that can't be changed, at which point she begins grilling him on the meaning of Mystic prophesy according to which the Magus had merely occulted himself in 600AG and will return at some point. Slash professes that the Magus has vanished for good. However, now that he considers it, he can think of no other curative for Medina's condition than the Magus himself, because no living person is capable of uniting the various small factions vying for power there. Wittel pipes up, observing that if you seek occult knowledge of any sort, Raqh has become the authority to approach -- his spirit channelling allows him to predict events in far-flung lands as illustrated earlier on the docks of Truce.
+
 
+
*Leene asks Slash how serious his desire to find the Magus would be should he still exist. After conferring with Wittel about Raqh's demonstrated omniscience, the Mystic general admits the prospect is extremely attractive. Wittel adds that he knows Raqh's probable location -- a large island off the coast of Choras, which Raqh had spoken of visiting after the planned stop in Medina. Leene frees Wittel and Slash and leads themto the castle infirmary, where Frog languishes in fever. She explains that he's plague-stricken but seems to only carry the amphibian strain of the plague; he has not passed the disease on to any of his caretakers. Leene asks Wittel and Slash an extreme favor -- in exchange for their freedom, they must find the Magus' whereabouts and take Frog to him. While Leene detests the Magus with every fiber of her being, he is the only one who can undo Frog's curse, at which point he would theoretically be free of the amphibian plague.
+
 
+
*Frog roused from delerium long enough to recognize Slash, the former adversaries observe the irony in their postwar encounter. Leene also gets her first clear look at Wittel in the infirmary's torchlight and takes accute interest in him suddenly, taking him aside and peppering him with questions about his background (where are you from? Who were your parents? etc). Wittel is so nervous in the presence of Guardian royalty that he can barely stutter the answers, but says that he will take up the challenge of bearing Frog because saving a stranger's life seems an heroic effort.
+
 
+
*Wittel and Slash are furnished with provisions and a sailing vessel, Leene noting that she'll handle the political fallout of releasing them. Wittel feels her gaze on him from the docks of Truce long after they shove off.
+
 
+
==Event Complex 2==
+
*Wittel and Slash probe the foothills of Giant's Claw in vain. Slash recounts legends of strange ruins supposedly lying within the mountain, causing Wittel to wonder if Raqh ventured inside as part of his quest for knowledge. Wittel recalls that Toma had successfully penetrated the entrance a few years back.
+
 
+
==Event Complex 3==
+
*Once again Toma doesn't budge. He was already beaten to the Rainbow Shell by a certain spiky-headed adventurer, and already snagged any other treasure that might lie in the ruined Tyrano Lair, so he sees no profit in the venture. Slash observes that Toma seems to have a weakness for women...and Slash happens to know a real charmer.
+
 
+
==Event Complex 4==
+
*Wittel and Slash return to Medina and go through whatever adventures they have to in search of Flea. The enigmatic void mage wouldn't mind getting out and having some fun, so he joins.
+
 
+
==Event Complex 5==
+
*Back in Choras, Flea successfully lures Toma to the foothills of Giant's Claw with the thinly veiled promise of a no-strings-attached one night stand. Flea arranges to meet Toma at midnight.
+
 
+
==Event Complex 6==
+
*When Toma arrives at the agreed-upon place, Slash appears behind him and advises that it would be in Toma's best interest to show them the way inside. Furthermore, Slash adds that Toma's been duped by "a man," at which point Flea demonstrates a few shapeshifts. Toma surprisingly finds the situation hilarious and agrees to help them in exchange for the good laugh he got out of it. Wittel's utterly confused but glad everything worked out.
+
 
+
*Toma parts ways with the party after showing them inside Giant's Claw. Deep within the bowels of the Tyrano Lair's ruins they discover Raqh, who is meticulously inspecting the environs. He finally announces that he's discovered an Angelus Errare, explaining how alternate dimensions arose at this very point aeons ago; reptite spirits still pervading the chamber help him illustrate. He explains that if manipulated properly, the Angelus Errare will open a path straight to the annihilative Power he and his cult are seeking.
+
 
+
*Finished with his long-winded discourse, Raqh turns to Wittel and asks if he has seen the light in his nihilistic worldview. Wittel explains his goal of rescuing Frog and makes a wager with Raqh -- if he can save this obscure sick Frog, it will be proof that there is meaning in the world; if not, he will admit that Raqh is correct. As a precondition of this wager Wittel requests that Raqh consult the "spiritual winds" for signs of the Magus, who is the only person able to reverse Frog's curse and, by association, cure him. Amused, Raqh agrees and is surprised to find not only is the Magus still alive...he is on the floor right above them.
+
 
+
*Magus enters on cue to everyone's utter shock, arriving in style by crushing some cultists who dare hinder his path. Raqh tenses for battle but Magus assures him that he means him no harm -- in fact, he would also like to reach the Power Raqh seeks, so they're really on the same side. Magus plays the part of a grim wanderer looking for self-annihilation, and a brief recount of his life history fits the profile of a potential cultist rather well. Magus ignoes pleas for his attention from Wittel, Slash and Flea while Raqh brings him up to speed on the fact that the Angelus Errare here will have to be manipulated in a certain way to open the requisite pathway. Magus attempts to manipulate the Angelus Errare by producing a Time Gate - an experiment Belthasar had encouraged him to do perhaps - and the attempt fails. Raqh explains that they're missing some crucial ingredient. Magus suggests that they continue their discussion elsewhere -- the other people in the room are awfully noisy. Magus whips up a spatial gate to teleport the two of them away.
+
 
+
*Wittel, Slash, and Flea rush back out of Giant's Claw in hopes of finding the Magus outside, and sure enough that's where Magus and Raqh landed. Magus grows irritable when they continue pleading with him to a.) restore Frog and b.) return to Medina; he snaps that what he's trying to accomplish far outweighs the party's petty concerns. He whips up yet another spacial distortion so they can continue their theoretical exploration in peace. Before Raqh steps in after him, he turns to Wittel and observes the probability that Wittel will fail in his mission given the Magus' attitude.
+
 
+
This might be a good place for a second Chronopolis scene.
+
 
+
==Event Complex 7==
+
*Frog becomes especially weary so Wittel & co. head for the inn in Choras. The party is in a state of so-close-yet-so-far hopefulness at having found the Magus still exists, but nobody's sure what their next move should be until Wittel recalls that Raqh had promised to return to his followers in Porre on a certain date, which still lies a ways in the future. They plan to let Frog rest until he's well enough to travel again.
+
 
+
*Wittel uses this time to catch up on events there -- dead frogs now litter the streets and the Lord Magistrate has placed certain houses under quarantine. He checks in with Brione, who stubbornly tries to care for the imp children, and Sensei, who by now is suspected of going senile because he's running around the monastery muttering things nobody can understand. Sensei feels an inexplicable urge to board a ship bound for Zenan but can't find one now that Guardia has placed all Choran vessels under quarantine.
+
 
+
*Things continue as normal in Choras' tavern, where Toma and others continue to party down -- their revelry seems to increase in parity with ominous events playing out in town. Wittel witnesses Dalton and Artemis arrive to purchase Toma's assistance in finding the Levantine, a prospect Toma deems a worthy challenge. Here Wittel & co. also find Norstein Bekkler, who explains a bit of his past as well as his love of festivals: the most joyous moment of his life occurred during one long ago and his dream is to relive that moment for eternity by wrapping himself in the joy of others. Bekkler opines that he must seek a party elsewhere soon, for the joy that swept over Choras the previous week has died down and despair is beginning to grip the island. Bekkler warns Wittel to stop Raqh, who made a pass at Choras just prior to Wittel's return and is likely to collect some cultists as the plague situation worsens.
+
*FW NOTE: Although Bekkler doesn't really go into that much detail about his past, the clown mask and oblique reference to the Midnight Waltz make it patently apparent that he is Assistant Beck. This serves as a segue to another Schala-in-Zeal chapter in which Assistant Beck should play a large role.
+
  
 
[[AEHU/Plot]]
 
[[AEHU/Plot]]

Latest revision as of 20:17, 2 February 2009

ROM switch sequence.

AEHU/Plot