Geneva

Geneva is a young country compared to the others who play on the world stage, yet it's greatness suggests more than a passing power to something truly eternal.

Geneva is a land of virtue, faith, nobility and bravery. These are ideals taught and lived at the center of Geneva, the Isle of the Winds. it is an island that floats high above the sea. Created a generation ago by the paladin logar, the island is warded such that no evil can enter and even those upon it with evil intentions find themselves cast from the island toward the sea below. At the highest peak upon the isle stands the massive and awesome temple of light. Within it's walls are altars and temples to every known good good. From there the chief priests learn the mystery of spirit and pass it to the mortals. 

The temple of light has a holy room called the vault. Within it rests the true purpose of the isle, the seals. This magical book with numerous bound sections has locked away profound evil. The ruler of the isle is the hallowed Keeper of the seals. His duty and purpose is their protection.  This has led him to be seen as the morning and evening star, voice of the light on the earth and the symbol of all that is good.

The keeper sits on the council which rules Geneva.  He is joined by Raquel Al shatel. Noble paladin. Drackus truehammer, mighty dwarf and in secret Remus underguard who runs the black raven thieves guild.

Together they govern a multitude of smaller nations bound by the same ideals and following the light.  Enron, kingdom of wood elves.  Grayhavens, kingdom of grey elves. Talyun, a mysterious human people. The dwarves clan lands, the plains of the old human empire and the Isles of Geneva.

Each sub kingdom shall be examined in turn through future posts.

Wolrd without a leading man. Funeral for a friend

Burke had chased him for years and now it was over.  His pirates life had caught up to him.  Agent Burke regretted the fact that he was dead and could not face justice and judgement in imperial court.  Though that had happenned already and didn't accomplish much.

All the chasing and research and then Balthier just turned himself in at Windfall.  That didn't last of course.  Under the Malekite regime every scumbag who would do a favor for the Dark Emperor was released on his errand.  Balthier betrayed the Empress, may she live forever, and led the Emperors forces to her.

That would be enough to condemn him to the death he sufferred, yet Agent Burke couldn't help but feel a bit of sadness.  So much of his life was spent chasing the thief and the pirate that he barely remembered the boy he once knew.

His father, Lord Oliver, was from a respected Imperial family, royalty of one of the outlying provinces actually.  Lord Oliver got Balthier a position in the imperial agency.  All the wealth, opportunity, and adventure a good imperial could want.  Expect he wasn't really a good imperial.  He was the result of Lord Oliver's indiscretion with a human maid he employed.  Its not that being a half elf was shameful, the imperial family was half elves, but his infidelity was a shameful stain on Oliver Silverblood's otherwise good name.

One day Balthier just went rogue. Agent Burke could never figure out why.  He theorized he was tired of his father's shadow, didn't enjoy the imperial trappings which reminded him of a father who would never accept him.. or maybe it was a less complicated desire for riches--He never got the opportunity to ask.

He was always selective in anyone he claimed to trust or associate with until recently.  When his friend Mist fell in love with that Drow it seems he was forced to open his doors and let in the people who would eventually betray him.

It was strange,  15 years of studying and following Balthier yet he had never had a run in with the black venom cult before.  There are hundreds of factions that would want to kill him...but why the black venom cult?  

Agent Burke openned a new case file-- after all Balthier was an imperial citizen and had just been murdered. Agent Burke had a new target for his obsession.

No Secrets

The men came into the room.  6 of them all armed and armored.  They were not Shogun,they must be imperial, with some degree of influence to be in to see her.  They all new how to carry themselves but weren't hardened warriors.  They wouldn't need to be with her tied up and blocked by the Shogun masters.  She noticed the cobra head on the sword pommel and realized they were followers of the Nog venom cult.  My kind of people

Another man infinitely better dresses came in followed by a hooded priest to Nog.  He was very wealthy, and an elf use to getting what he wanted from his posture. He spoke first after a quick survey of the room, "Oh Raven Raven, how the mighty have fallen.  Everyone wants a piece of you.  The Shogun won't release you to my team regardless of the bribe, I'm surprised your alive as much as they fear you."

Raven looked up her arms still chained to the wall, "They lack the will to do what is necessary.  Several times my life has been in their hands and they don't have the stones to kill their enemy."

The man laughed, "Well I assure you, I don't have that problem.  Its just that you are not my enemy.  Though I think you know where he is.  You are direct and so am I? Balthier, whats he planning?"

"I don't know anything."

"I don't believe that.  I have ways to get the information even if you want to lie."

"Send a psionist into the mind of the Sith Empress.  That is more stupid than brave."

"I agree." In a flash he drew a dagger and stabbed her in the heart, "The dead can't lie."

.........................................................................................................................................

The priest asked, "Where is Balthier?"

Raven's soul responded, "I last saw him in Dragon 1 day ago."

"Where is he headed,"

"I don't know, He wants to find a way to return the key to the Goddess Nocturn."

"Return it to where?"

"A hidden temple in the Darkwood infested by a zerg hive."

"What of his crew?"

"Mist is dead Souske and Kittiara have forsaken him.  He'll need new friends."

.........................................................................................................................................

Raven woke up her wound in her chest healed but her body exhausted.  Killed me to interigate my spirit...I'm impressed.

A treasure

The vistani drove their wagon away from the Reiner keep as the Dark One's minions inflicted his wrath upon it.  They travelled the road and turned south than west. They left the road behind and travelled the hidden wagon trails of the forest.  In time the wagon joined a camp that was being pitched in preperation of the arrival.  The wagon carried a treasure, a treasure beyond measure to the vistani and to the mist. It must be secured protected and provided for.  This treasure meant life, and a prepetuation of the Vistani, they needed it to survive. 

The Dark One was dangerous, and powerful.  His power was new and different it threatenned to shred the vistani if left unchecked.  The Dark One fed the Vistani unlike any other Dark Lord, but the Vistani began to worry and whisper. They were afraid, afraid they may lose the great prize of the Dark Lord.  He had already killed some of them and created Veritas.  No Dark Lord had done such a things.  This new treasure could provide the power to stand against the Dark One's power.  The Fox continued to provide them with gifts in honor of the agreement.  The Vistani all agreed, that there was profit to continue working with the Fox.

Entering the camp their ears were met by the song of welcoming:

Dark is the night like blackest coal,

I brood and brood, 

my hearbeats toll. 

We gypsies  live like no others do. 

Suffering pain, and hunger too.

Like Seagulls we fly near and far,

We're strumming our gypsy guitar.

They pulled the wagon and the treasure with it.  Pulling it from the wagon they tied it above the fire as the Tale of Vistan was being sang and the young women began dancing with their tingling symbols. 

Vistan was not our king, nor was he our enemy, 

but his ambition was great adn his army mighty.  Westward he marched before thousands of legions, 

to conquer the world and make it his own. 

Westward we followed him, to forge his weapons shoe his horses and heal his dead.

Vistan was not our king, not was he our enemy.

His cause was not ours, nor were his spoils.

yet his defeat was thrust upon us. 

The conquer was crushed by the nameless god, 

and all his legions were made to be slaves. 

We were not brought to bondage,

Vistan was not our king, 

but neither were we allowed to return to the home forge.

Vistani they named us and made us beggars.

Vistan was not our king nor our enemy, yet forever we bear his name and his fate,

for the world is truly flat, and we shall never see home again. 

The song of their origin was but only one part of the events so long ago, but as every dark lord was born it was tradition that the Vistani remembered how they were born.  How they became what they are, and why they open themselves to the hearts of others. 

The treasure hung above the fire.  As the flames began to lick her flesh and the whips snapped against her back Vicenza began the incantation.

Where once was light
Now darkness falls
Where once was love
Love is no more

She began to cry from the pain of from the inevitable result of the ceremony she now belonged to the Vistani.

Her tears were falling rain sustaining the Vistani.

They continued the tale of Vistan as it was now her story too.
For all the lies you told us
The hurt, the blame!
And we will weep to be so alone
We are lost
We can never go home

Lux awoke suspened in the air blood and tears falling to the fire below.

The fire fascinated her how that no matter how brightly it burned, it could only ever burn out. 

She joined the song, speaking words the Vistani placed in her head.

So in the end
I'll be what I will be
No loyal friend
Was ever there for me

The camp sang back
Now we say goodbye
We say you didn't try

These tears you cry
Have come too late
Take back the lies
The hurt, the blame!

You are lost
You can never go home
You are lost 
You can never go home

She willed her self down into the fire and stepped out of it.  The Darkness within had been given full sway.  She was sith and Darkness, pain and destruction.  Love = Lies Self = Darth Deris.

"I shall make this land my home, and from it I will reach to the hearts of those who betrayed me and bring them suffering previously unimaginable.  I am reborn and though the light may have brightly shown as it always does it has been extinguished and only Darkness remains."   

These are new

Balthier had brought them into Ravenloft and out again in this quest.  He had a key that could open any lock. He was suppose to take it back to the goddess Nocturn's temple and use it to unlock the barrier between two realms allowing her fountain to refill and her influence on luck to reenter the world.  In exchange the goddess would let him drink from the fountain and always have the benefit of good luck.  Not a bad deal.

He happened across the temple by lucky accident the first time.  There he found that the super assassin Ghost had killed the Nightengale guardians of the temple and stolen the key for the the Fox.  From there the Fox must have organized some elaborate way to attempt to smuggle it into Ravenloft to free the Dark One.  There he had intercepted it.  So add Forsaken to the list of people to run from. He smirked to himself.  He could certainly use some luck if he was going to stay one step ahead of them.

Although, he may not need 'luck' if he had a key that could unlock anything.  The possibilities of what to do with that nearly overwhelmed him.  Plus having the key remained a bargaining chip for when the Forsaken eventually caught him. . . still hard to over estimate the importance of luck in his line of work.

"Balthier, Raven, something is ahead of us."  Mist called out using whispering wind.  The Darkwood was full of vile creatures it could be anything.  Balthier crept to where mist and Souske were positioned.  Through the trees they saw a wide variety of disgusting creatures.  All fearsome and terrifying.  "What are they?"  Souske asked. "Repulsive" Balthier answered.  Mists response was more helpful, "They look like a colony of zerg.  Its a breed of demonic creatures used in the Raven wars against the isle.  They are connected psionically and work as a hive mind.  We best avoid them."

Balthier pointed through the hive a strange stone structure they were surrounding.  It was all covered in a purple film like the ground around it.  "We need to go right there." Standing and placing his hands on his hips, "Then its decided.  We keep the key."

Just then, Raven winced and pulled a hand to her head as if stuck. Then the swarm started at them.  What looked to be hundreds of little monsters charged through the trees with devastating force. The ground shook and shrieks pierced the air.  Raven was gone to the trees and Balthier took to a shadow.  From where he was he could see Souske pull a sword to defend Mist as she released a fireball into the charging mass.

The flame turned dozens of them into ashes but they were replaced by more.  Another fireball the same result.  Balthier fired his cross bow into the approaching swarm but did not see the result.  Its like the air in front of them was moving as the zerg rushed them.  "We need evac." Mist said as she turned to run but was overran with the ravenous creatures.  Souske deflected a claw and released his own fireball measured to leave just a foot of clearance from the ground.  It eliminated the zerg to reveal Mist who had nearly be eaten by the beasts.  An acid spitter hit Souske full in the chest, as it moved it for its kill Balthier sprung from his hiding and ran his rapier through the creatures back killing it.

"We have to leave."  Balthier told Souske just as more acid spitters flooded the area.  The sound of flesh melting off was truly horrid.  Balthier tried not to think about his shirt as he fired his cross bow into the open maw of a zergling.  "Where is Raven?"

A flurry of arrows rained down followed by a wave of lightning.  There was a moment of silence as Raven dropped down beside them.  She looked ravaged from top to bottom but not in a good way.  Through an exhausted breath she said, "I can hear them,thousands of voices. Asking for a queen asking for me."

The lull in the swarm stopped and chaos again resumed.  "Souske, anywhere please" Balthier said just as Souske finished a teleport spell.

That was lousy luck.