Journey to the Temple of Hope

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Current revision as of 17:51, 5 November 2007

The Disturbance

Galanoth: While we have dealt with the immediate threat of Bradakhan we have heard unsettling rumors from Greenguard forest about the Drakel presence increasing in the Skraeling desert.

You: What are they up to? Why Skraeling? Do we never get even a moment's peace?

Cyrus: The force that is behind all of these events is greater than any I have previously encountered. It is a divisive power that seeks to disrupt us in any way possible.

Galanoth: I have received word from one of the Knights of Lorithia, a man named Thorne Lorin, that the Orcs near Greenguard have requested his help.

You: Orcs? Seeking human help? And who are these Knights of Lorithia?

Galanoth: As for the knighthood its purpose should probably be explained to you by one other than I. The Orcs, however, if they are seeking aid, must be in serious trouble. They are a proud race not given to calls for help. Go to Greenguard and see if you can find Thorne and seek to offer him aid. Then we can both investigate the activity of the Drakel in Skraeling.

Greenguard Forest

You: LoreMaster! What are you doing in Greenguard-- and so far from your Library on Isle d'Oriens?

Falerin: History unfolds here-- not in the middle of my cramped quarters on Isle d'Oriens.

You: ...

Falerin: I might ask you the same question. Surely there are better things for one such as you to be doing than skulking in Greenguard.

You: Galanoth has sent me to find a man named Thorne Lorin and offer our aid. He has come to help the Orcs of Greenguard.

Falerin: You have arrived late. Lorin has already left with the Orc Chieftain's son Culak and his friend, and Elf named Kendrel.

You: Wait-- an Orc with elven friends? You are kidding, right?

Falerin: Kendrel would be as quick to kill you for insulting the Orcs as he would you insulting his own nobles. You find unity strange. That is because The'Galin has already done his work. There are those even here that wish to resist him. Galrick you may come out.....

You: Who is he, and what is that he is wearing?

Falerin: Galrick son of Glenn, citizen of the Island Nation of Neld, I present you with one of Battleon's protectors, and denizen of Battleonia.

Galrick: Traveller, do we have time for these pleasantries? If the key to understanding what is happening is to be found with Tralin then this is not the place to be standing.

You: Tralin? Traveller?

Falerin: As for you Galrick, I may have saved you from The'Galin's service in Sentar but your job is far from over so I suggest....

You: Hello!? I am still standing here.

Falerin: Fine, there is much to say and little time to say it so sit back and listen carefully.....

• Many hours later...*

You: So let me get this straight. You are not a half-elf at all. You are from another world and are a ....

Falerin: Do not speak it. It is best that my nature on Caelestia be forgotten. It will help no-one and may actually hinder us.

You: Right.. so you are from another world. You traveled here long ago to find and help stop the Devourer because this is the world from which he originally arose.

Falerin: Not perfect in the details but in essence correct. The'Galin threatens all worlds and from here he will launch his assault on others eventually threatening my own. That is something we cannot allow.

You: And Eldron is not dead....

Falerin: Far from it.

You: But you said that was his skull...

Falerin: I said that it was the Skull of Eldron the Good. Indeed it is, it belongs to him.

You: Fine fine. So now what is it you want? If we are too late to find Thorne... what should we do now?

Falerin: Galrick will travel with you to Deren-- well, more correctly, to the island off its shore.

You: Wait, what? Deren? Galrick: You are not coming?!

Falerin: Yes, Deren, and no I have duties elsewhere. I cannot afford to be gone from Isle d'Oriens for any length.

You: How do we get to Deren?

Falerin: I have made arrangements for passage for you. You will follow along this route until you come to the Cor-Dem stone. Once there I trust you can figure things out.

You: Wait! How could you have made arrangements without knowing we were.....

• Falerin disappears*

You: ...

Galrick: I hate it when he does that.

You: Now let me get this straight. Your country was at war and the enemy had all but defeated you?

Galrick: That's right.

You: So you cried out for revenge and accepted service to this Devourer?

Galrick: Correct...

You: And now Falerin wants us to travel together?

Galrick: So it seems.

You: With no further explanation whatsoever?

Galrick: He rarely ever offers any.

You: I really want to smack him senseless....

Galrick: A feeling I have felt myself on more occasions than can be counted.

The Cor-Dem Stone

You: What do you suppose this is?

Galrick: I do not know exactly but I do recognize these runes from something I saw elsewhere. They are Cor-Demian.

• Falerin appears*

Falerin: It is ready for the key.

You: Wait, what? Galrick: The Key?

• Falerin disappears*

You and Galrick: ...

Galrick: Now what?

You: I guess we try to figure out this key.

Galrick: Okay-- activate the runes in the right order. If you miss several times in a row, I will help.

• after several tries*

Galrick: Are you having some trouble figuring it out? Maybe I can help. Maybe if you started with the one over these?

• the fire rune is indicated*

Galrick: Hmmm...this is a tricky puzzle. Maybe if you try this one next...

• the water rune is indicated*

Galrick: Still can't get it? Did you try this one?

• the earth rune is indicated*

Galrick: Maybe if you try the lighter blue after the dark one?

• the ice rune is indicated*

Galrick: Maybe this grey one does something...

• the wind rune is indicated*

Galrick: This one is gold, that's got to be a good sign.

• the energy rune is indicated*

Galrick: Are you sure you're trying them in the order that I'm suggesting?

• the light rune is indicated*

Galrick: Well, I don't have any more hints to give, after this stone, you're on your own!

• the darkness rune is indicated*

A King in a Temple

• inside the temple*

You: Who and what are you? What kind of Drakel has hair and fur?

Tralin: My name is Tralin. As for the rest, the Kruath'ri are a diverse race, just as the humans are. The Drakel of today are the blending of our many ancestors.

You: Kruath'ri? What are they?

Tralin: It is a word that means citizen. It is the Drakel word for our own people.

You: How many different types of Drakel are there?

Tralin: The Drakel of your land favor our reptilian ancestors nearly exclusively. The Drakel of Deren are a more middle blend between the Draconian and Mammalian aspects. The Drakel of Vandar are nearly entirely mammalian in aspect, something like the gnolls of other places. These are but a few of the Drakel varieties.

You: What is this place?

Tralin: Welcome, sojurner, to Lorithia's Bosom.

You: Lorithia's Bosom? Who is Lorithia?

Tralin: This is the Temple of Hope and Lorithia is the Great Creator goddess-- the force that made the Elemental Lords and the very land on which you stand. She is mother to us all.

You: What are you, a Drakel, doing here then?

Tralin: I am many things. In addition to being her Communicant, I am also the King of the Nation of Deren.

You: But Falerin said in his long story in the woods that Deren was a Human kingdom.

Tralin: It is. Nonetheless I am its king. The Late King Draynor adopted me as his son.

You: I am <insertnamehere>. And this is Galrick. Falerin sent us to you.

Tralin: Galrick and I have met. It is a pleasure to meet you, however, <yourname>. And what has the LoreMaster sent you for?

You: You know him?

Tralin: Falerin and I have met. So tell me why you have come so far.

You: He has sent us to help destroy "The'Galin." I am confused, though, as to who The'Galin is. I thought we were worried about the Devourer.

Tralin: It is the same entity. That which the Drakel call the Uncreator, what your people call the Devourer, he who is named The'Galin.

Galrick: He has many more names besides...

Tralin: What matters is not what you call him. What matters is you survive him at all. Nel, please come out here.

Nel: Yes, Trae?

Tralin: These persons have come to help with The'Galin. They seek to destroy him.

Nel: Have you not told them?

Tralin: Some lessons are best learned directly, Nel.

Nel: I am worried, Trae. Not just for Deren, not just for Lore, but for the whole omniverse should The'Galin succeed.

Tralin: As well you should be. <yourname>, you must set your mind on more reachable goals. If we are to resist the Uncreator at all we need the power to even survive him, a power that is held only within the fabric that is LORE itself. Go and look about the temple and see what you can see before returning to me and then we can proceed if you still desire to. Nel, return to the library and find the legend of the Avatar. It is time perhaps that we share it with our friends. Find for them also the Creation Epic from K'eld Ner. They will only have ever heard Saggidus before if they heard anything. It tells of one of The'Galin's previous comings.

Nel: Yes, Tralin.

You: K'eld Ner?

Tralin: A Kruath'ri City on Deren, I was born near there. My aide Darin, a human, is now its Governor.

You: So not only does a Drakel rule a Human kingdom here, but a Human rules a Drakel one. Amazing.

Tralin: Unity can accomplish amazing things-- especially with Hope. Let us pray they are enough.

You: I thought the Devourer had only ever been here once before.

Tralin: Some evidence suggests a different story. That, however, is for another time. Go to the Library of Hope. Read the books then return to me. Galrick, remain here so we may catch up. I wish to hear everything about your journey since you left me.

Galrick: As you wish, Majesty.

• you enter the library where Nel is waiting for you*

Exploring the Temple

Galrick: And that is how I ended up with <yourname> and coming here.

Tralin: Your story is interesting and also alarming. Clearly the time of his final Manifestation is upon us. Myr's treachery slowed him but did not stop him. As undoubtedly has your own.

Galrick: Indeed-- and with Ryuusei Cartwright here, my fate is...

You: *Ahem*

Tralin: Ah, have you seen what you needed to see then?

You: Your Library has many strange things in it. Why is so much of what the Loremaster himself wrote here instead of his own Library on Isle d'Oriens?

Tralin: I have no doubt he has copies he plans to eventually put there, but the time was not right. Things are changing now.

You: Why is this one book torn?

Tralin: Torn?

You: Yes-- the book about the Annunaki is torn, missing its last several pages.

Tralin: How upsetting. That was written by Sigarin, and there are no other copies.

Galrick: The Dwarves' records have been damaged?! You: Who is Sigarin?

Tralin: Sigarin was a Dwarf accepted into one of the Drakel cities on the continent of Vandar. K'eld Alorin.

You: K'eld Alorin?

Tralin: A very progressive place. It had as many non Drakel as citizens as Drakel. It was at the forefront of science, technology, and thought.

You: Was...?

Galrick: My master's armies destroyed it. The Brilhado named Diviara led an army there and it was entirely razed.

You: That's terrible.

Galrick: Falerin was rather upset about it, given what he does.

Tralin: The string of expletives he uttered would make a frogzard knight blush.

You: Frogzard Knight?

Tralin: That's not important right now.

You: What am I supposed to do now?

Tralin: I have an idea of how we may slow The'Galin's progress, but it will take a great deal of time and cost great sacrifices.

You: Time doing what?

Tralin: The elements must be united, and so must the people. The races and elements must come together as they are intended.

You: How can we do that?

Tralin: For the latter I have ideas but the most important thing is to raise awareness. For the former you will be instrumental. We must gather the elemental orbs and return them to this temple. Follow what clues you can find from the books and from searching your homeland and as you find the orbs return them here where they can be set in place.

You: Gather the elemental orbs. Why do I have a feeling this will not be easy.

Galrick: When is it ever easy?

Tralin: For your part, Galrick, I will send you to Darin to let him know what comes. We have much to do and little time to do it.

Galrick: As you will, Majesty.

You: What does your strange note mean in the one book. Who is Life?

Tralin: First of all I need to tell you that there are not just eight avatar. There is a ninth. And the ninth is perhaps most important of all.

You: Nine? Who is the Ninth?

Tralin: The ninth is named Hope and we must unlock the prison that keeps Hope asleep. Your efforts in aiding me will be instrumental in accomplishing that.

You: There are only Eight elements. What can Hope represent?

Tralin: In addition to the Eight elements and the Uncreator, what other god has been mentioned?

You: Lorithia. This Goddess. Hey, I get it-- LORE-ithia!

Tralin: Very astute. Yes. The final avatar represents Creation. That is Hope.

You: And what about the Life?

Tralin: The sun rises at the dawn of life just as it does during the dawn of a day.

Galrick: How poetic...

You: And?!

Tralin: It sets at life's dusk as well. Life is associated with the element of Light due to this duality. Both light and darkness are part of the cycle of life just as they are part of the cycle of the World.

You: Okay, that makes some sense. Who is the Avatar though? You said you knew.

Tralin: Lorithia's only communicant was asked to serve so that he might bring hope. Unlike most all avatar he knew of the coming. Also unlike most he is quite unique in that he is, depending on how you look at it, an Annunaki twice over or a Drakel twice over.

You: Wait? Lorithia's only communicant.... you said

Galrick: You, Tralin?

Tralin: And now you know. Yes. I am the Avatar of Life. Yet another one of my many duties. My job is to aid you and to awaken the Ninth avatar.

You: What will these avatar do?

Tralin: The avatar have always aided this World. They are its citizens in more ways than one. They will aid you in your struggle to survive The'Galin's coming.

You: So they are part of bringing the elements together, too?

Tralin: Indeed they are. A crucial one.

You: But what about....

Tralin: You have many questions and in time you will have many answers-- but for now it is important that you set out on your task, for it is a mission of moment.

You: Moment?

Galrick: An archaic usage-- it means great importance.

You: I know what it means!

Galrick: Sure you did.

You: ...

Tralin: Go now and begin the task. Seek the Loremaster when you have found the orbs to return here. He can arrange your passage. This time without putting you through so many trials.

You: Well it was good traveling with you Galrick Son of Glenn-- I hope we meet again.

Galrick: We are part of each other.

You: What does that mean?

Galrick: We will meet again. You can be sure of it.