conversations: human
conversations:  The world of Fen. A world where magic makes might and might is right. The land is split up into sections and each section ruled by a city-state full of powerful mages. Each city competes with the other for power and respect.  The city you grew up in was the city of Merilin. Protected by a mystic dome to control the weather and protect the city from their rivals. Merilin the city where you can tell who's who just by where they live. Merilin the city of the floating palaces and noble estates leaving the common and weak engulfed in shadow 24/7. Ruled by an Empress and Emperor of different bloodlines. Only those with the ability to use magic are considered people and all others are merely slaves. The secerts of magic are held secret to keep the power in the nobles hands and out of the slaves.
  
  Unfortanatly for you, those secrets were kept from you as well. Fortanatly you were selected to be personal Assassin and guard of the Empress herself. Throughout her life you have foiled enemy plots and carried out her missions. Forbidden to leave the Empresses side you slowly became the only one she could fully trust in her cutthoat world and dispite her own powerful magic she had depended on your skills to settle matters of importance that she cannot take care of public. Now while you are still a slave your word carries the weight of the Empress and your reputation is one to be feared.
  Life has been good to you, and while you cannot make your own decisions, you've been content with the knowladge that no one is more trusted then you.
  
  Like her predessesors the Empress must give birth to a child to marry the next most powerful mage and future Emperor. Also like her predessesors the strange bloodline that she bears leads to difficult births. Soon afterwards you are called to the royal nursery. Your shock at the condition of the powerful women you serve, now unable to stand upright, is boundless. She chuckles weakly and gestures to the newborn infant in the cradle.  The newborn Princess seems to be cursed. Not only does she have no magical ability but she also openly drains it from those around her. If the nobles found out she would be killed as an ambomnation. She drained the majority of my power as she was born so I no longer can defend her or this kingdom. You must find the reason why this has happened to my daughter as well as find a way to fix it. The fate of ths kingdom depends on it. 
  
  Your heart nearly stops when she slumps in her chair but on closer inspection she has merely fallen asleep. Leaving her to her rest, you gently close and lock the door. Now how will you begin to achive this task that the Empress has entrusted you with?
  
  OOC
   
   Spoiler 
   Please post a link to your character in your first post. Also make sure that all OOC stuff and rolls are done in spoilers
   
  
  
   More Background
   
   Spoiler 
  
  The city
   
   Spoiler 
  
   First the way the city is set up. The city is set up into tiers. Basically the Imperial Palace is a giant floating building. Nothing above and the city below.
  
  The next tier down is the highest ranking nobles. Each with a seperate estate there is about 15 of them and currently they are compeating with the right to have one of their children marry the Empresses child. You can't let them know the condtion of the Empress or her child or the **** will hit the fan.
  
  The 3rd tier down is the middle ranking nobles. Close to 45 of them exist but only 4 of them are dangerous/insane enough to try and curse the Empress. Basically they all are just slightly not strong enough to be a contender to be the next spouse to the Empress child and would stand the most to gain from the collapse of the system if they're working together.
  
  4th tier is the magic university. Here wizards come to learn their abilities and magic users of all classes come to study. This is neutral ground and contains lots of mystical and mundane knowladge. A good place to look for information but its hard to keep secrets as everyone talks to each other and brings rumours back home. This tier also contains magic labs where experiments that were considered too dangerous to be done in private labs are held.
  
  5th tier has the minor nobles. These building are just above the city proper and some of them are actrually the tips of very big towers. A large group but with little orginization and their ambition exceeds their power.
  
  6th tier is full of different guilds. They're actrually more powerful and orginized then some of the minor nobles. Most of them have learned powers like wizards or warlocks. Right now the Warlock guild is the most powerful and rumours have begun that the talk of rebellion is being discussed in their headquarters. If this is slander or truth is unknown.
  
  7th tier contains the local branch of the church. A massive cathedral that allows people from all tiers enter. It can nearly contain the population of the entire city. The high preist has ties to one of the Emperor's rivals.
  
  8th tier the common level. Most of these people have some magic ability but not much. lv 2 spells at highest. A huge area but not much to do or see.
  
  9th tier Ground level. Slaves are generally kept on this level. There is generally problems from some slaves here or there. A very busy area as most shopping for common goods are done here by slaves for different famlies. There is also a large garden grown by a group of druids. Not much is known about them, but several people go missing in their gardens every year and some of them are nobles.
  
  10 tier Underground. The dungeons where all criminals are kept. The criminals are just teleported in so there is no entrance to the surface. Each crimnial is scryed on constantly and if they manage to survive their sentance they are retrived. Many watch the scrying for entertainment. Some paticularly desperate people have fled to this tier for various reasons.
   
  
  The Imperial Court
   
   Spoiler 
  
  Of course the nobles are technically part of the court but they live outside the palace. Also there are alot of couriers and servants. These are just the most important individuals who live in the palace and in the public.
  
   The Emperor's Champion  A huge golem with unknown abilities. Just as you were chosen to be the Empresses bodyguard, the Champion protects the Emperor. Never sleeping and immune to magic the Champion is always at the Emperor's side.
  
   The Earl of Sarkassar  A high ranking diplomat from a neighboring city-state. Very powerful and has his own bodyguards. However he is constantly watched as a result. Can get away with lots due to diplomatic immunity and is often seen talking to high ranking nobles but thats his job.  Can't let him know the situation at any cost 
   The Advisory Council  A group of dukes, loremasters, and professers from the University. They are of varying power and skill but all are very knowlageable. They generally are scattered around the kingdom/city but all return to the palace for one week of the month. Currently only 3 members of the council are in the palace but the rest should return in a week and a half.
  
   Spymaster Cialis Moonshadow  An elven seer with lots of power. However she prefers not to use her powers as they are very traumatizing to use and instead relies on a well funded spy network.  Knows the situation 
   Bishop Vin  Vin is the younger brother of the Emperor. A high ranking member of the church and second in command of the church in Merilion. He travels alot so you don't know much about him
  
   General Frinalis Crk  A half-orc, half-elf, half warmage, half swordsage, all badass. This man has fought and killed more things that you didn't know existed. Over three hundeard years old this man is still going strong. Every month he plans out a monster hunt, goes out with a crew of men, and returns pulling a giant bloody head behind him. His loyalty is to Merilion first and the rulers second so its a good idea to keep him in the dark about the current situation if possible
  
   Archmage Julious Thelon  A philospher who installed himself into the court and never left. Loves to spend his days just thinking and debating the meaning of life with himself. A very strange individual who no one knows much about. He is pretty much ignored by everyone.
  
   The Court Fool  Actrually a band of high level bards who keep the court and their guests amused. Techniqully part of the Guild of Bards they haven't left the palace for years. They are also ruthless in preserving their position and have killed many of their competitors until only they will play at the palace. The only time one of them is replaced is when one of them dies. They have pretty much free acess to anywhere in the palace.
   
  
  Unusual Laws
   
   Spoiler 
  
  Anyone who cannot cast any sort of magic is automatically a slave. If not on the 9th tier they are required to carry identification of who they belong to
  
  It is illegal to kill a non-slave with magic outside of a duel. It is perfectly legal to have a slave kill them instead however.
  
  Magic Duels can be to the death or to first collapse. Only two people per duel. Other rules must be specified by participatants. All duels and extra rules must be witnessed by a ranking official.
  
  There is nothing wrong with using magic on a slave.
   
  
  Resouces at your disposal
   
   Spoiler 
   Working for the Empress allows you to use others to help your missions. Of course they aren't unlimited and will take time to recover after a mission
  
   Fighter corp 
  Captain Fello
  2nd in command
  3 lower ranks
  10 grunts
  
   Healer Corp 
  Dr. Tyre
  2nd in command
  3 lower ranks
  
   Scout Corp 
  Scout-Sarge Mkoll
  2nd in command
  10 grunts
   
  
   
conversations: Forum Explorer:
conversations: human
conversations:  Sheet
   
   Spoiler 
   My Character:  http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetvie...sheetid=208864 
   
  
  
  OOC
   
   Spoiler 
   It would be safe to assume that who ever managed a curse of this magnitude without previous detection is extremely powerful. The culpret must not be working alone because the curse was not detected throughout the entire term in which the baby was carried. Being that the heirarchy of nobility is directly proportional to magical power, the perpetrator must be higher level nobility assuming they're from the same city state at all. That narrows the search but the range is still broad. I need something to get the ball rolling. Does the family have any reliable sources at their disposal where I could get some intel on the situation?
   
conversations: DeadHunter:
conversations: human
conversations:  The door closes without a sound as the exit is made. Predatory eyes find every shadow, any movement, any sound. From birth they call you umbra venator, the shadow hunter after the great shadow stalkers from your place of birth. Shadow stalkers are panther like creatures, rarely seen, rarely heard, and highly lethal.  These creatures have been known to be capable of taking down beasts vastly larger then themselves. These traits are a reflection of yourself and your raising. You now are known as one of the most feared individuals of Fen and are most commonly know as   The Guardian  .
  
  The Guardian needs answers, he needs clues, and he needs to be swift about it. This is not as easy a task as it sounds. Something this big would likely not be easily concealed. However anything could be said but without ears to hear it, could be argued whether it was said at all. He heads off into the shadows to hunt down an elf by the name of Cialis Moonshadow. The head of the spy syndicate, she is the eyes and ears of the street. If anyone knows, it's her. You head off to consult the elf spymaster.
conversations: DeadHunter:
conversations: human
conversations:  You walk through the palace heading towards Cialis Moonshadow's rooms. The door was open so you just walked inside. Amid the tapestry heavy room you saw Cialis standing in front of one of her slaves. She said something too quietly for you to here and the man rushed out past you. Turning towards you she sits down heaviliy in her chair.  Greeting Guardian. I assume you are here to learn what you can about the condition of the Empress's daughter? 
conversations: Forum Explorer:
conversations: human
conversations:  I examine the room quickly out of habit (spot check perhaps). Then with a half turned, so as not to leave Cialis out of the peripherals, the door is closed.
    Greetings Cialis.  
  With a confident yet slowed walk the elf is approached. Silently but not directly towards the perhaps informant. No sound seems to be made except for the sound of the Guardians voice.
    You know what I seek.  
  The distance between them is now closed.
    So tell me. 
  His voice is calm and deep, especially for a gnome. The Guardian is predatory by nature and his vocals reflect that. He stops before the elf.
    What do you know?  
conversations: DeadHunter:
conversations: human
conversations:  You spot well hidden mystical wards all over the room. However they seem inert or something would have likely happened already.
  
  In response to your question and approach Cialis sighed.  Contrary to popular belief I am not all knowing. I will tell you what I know as of this moment. There is something horribly wrong with the Empress's daughter but I don't know what. I don't know what caused this condition or how to remove it. I also lack evidence on if someone caused it. So in this absence of facts I must theorize.  
  
  Cialis made a face as if she had just bit into a lemon but continued.  There are two possiblites as far as I can tell.
  
  1. That this is natrualy occuring for whatever reason.
  
  2. That an enemy of the Empress or of Merilion has cast a curse in order to throw us into dissarry.
  
  Now if the former is true then we must find a cure as fast as possible. My men and I will work on that angle. However if the latter is true then perhaps that enemy can be 'presuaded' to reverse the curse. That I'll leave up to you. You'll have to do some investigating as I've got nothing solid. Here are my spy reports for the last month.  Cialis says a word and a large folder appears in her hand which she then hands to you.
  
   Any questions? 
  
  The report
   
   Spoiler 
   It takes you a while to read through the collected readings as well as understand what the report means. Basically it sumerizes things into several points
  
  1. Each of the major houses is working on some huge project. 6-7 of the projects have been identifed to be gifts for the Imperial Family. Another 5-6 seem to be developing a new type of weapon/spell. The last three are compleatly unknown.
  
  2. The university has some projects in the works but it always does. There was an attempt on the Dean's life but it seems to have been dealt with. A rival of the dean has begun a high secret project in response.  There are also a few other projects that merit addition watching.
  
  3. The warlock guild is up to something and have recently eliminated our spy
  
  4. The High Priest was recently called away to a meeting outside the city.
  
  5. One of the middle ranking nobles have recently been buying alot of combat slaves and training them to hunt mages.
   
conversations: Forum Explorer:
conversations: human
conversations:  What can you tell me about the Warlocks as well as some of these spells being created. 
conversations: DeadHunter: