[M]Tales of Bastion

[Manasnake]

​
Something sinister lurks within the Sea of Trees. All but a handful of the Wardens of Nareen have fallen into a dark slumber during the eclipse ceremony, leaving their sacred charge, the Pool of Nareen, unprotected. A foul presence now inhabits Gul-Natha, the ancient temple which houses the sacred pool. Since the temple's invasion, the beasts of the wilderness have become rabid, twisted aberrations with unnatural power and an insatiable hunger for human flesh. These horrors have slaughtered hundreds of Nikarian villagers. The few Wardens that remained were forced to abandon Gul-Natha and escort their people to the southern encampment. Though a powerful shamanic ward was placed over the encampment, it has be begun to weaken as of late, with several tainted bears attacking group of villagers.

Out of desperation, the proud Wardens of Nareen have been forced to seek out the assistance of Cynbel, a ranger from the outskirts of Crometh, and an old friend of the order. Cynbel has returned to Cromerth and assembled a company of combatants from various orders across Bastion to investigate the source of these disturbances.


**All artwork is original and created by yours truly.**

[Jason Todd]

Appetor walked through town at a somewhat brisk pace. It had been almost 20 years since he had been in a civilized town and he didn't like it anymore than he had when he left. As he walked through the bustling village, he kept to the shadows and pulled his hood low over his face, trying to avoid any attention.

"Why the hell am I here?" he asked himself. After the recent "attack" at the Eclipse ceremony he had been searching for an answer as to why it happened. Or perhaps more accurately he had been searching for who, or what had made his fellow wardens fall into slumber. Especially after being shunned by most of his order, Tor felt as though he needed to prove himself, to show them that he was more than just a lunatic, that he was useful. That's why he decided to make the treacherous journey from his rugged mountain home to the urban jungle of Cromerth.

He arrived at the meeting place, a little pub called, "The Dragon's Hoard". Interesting meeting place for a king's man, Tor thought to himself as he walked into the wild drinking hole. He walked up to the bar and ordered a pint of mead.

"And where are you from stranger?" asked the barkeep, a short, dwarf-like man with a pot-belly and scars covering his face.

"Dun-Krag," replied Tor, he wasn't ever very good with verbal communication. Most of the time he spoke only one or two sentences. He also wasn't usually very tactful. He didn't usually mean to be rude, he just spoke what he felt needed to be said, and sometimes people didn't like it.

The barkeep looked shocked at this reply. "That's a long way lad," he replied with a whistle of astonishment, "What brings ya to Cromerth?"

"I'm meeting a man. A king's ranger named Cynbel. Have you heard of him?" Tor asked. Truth be told, Appetor didn't know much about Cynbel himself, just that he had been tasked to put together a group of adventurers to find out what happened to the other wardens.

"Aye, most folks around these parts have at least heard of 'im," the barkeep replied knowingly, "He stops by whenever he's in town to pick up provisions or get repairs, a damn good fighter he is! You know I heard that one time he laid waste an entire legion of barbarians from the north with nothin' but 'is bare hands."

Tor rolled his eyes at the barkeep's ridiculous legend. Even if it was true, the warden had been through far worse. "Well have you seen him?" he asked impatiently.

"Nay, not in a long while, I'll tell you if he comes in though. He's not terribly hard to spot," the barkeep said with a smile as he handed Tor his mead.

"Thank you," Tor replied good manneredly. He turned in his stool and observed the room, looking for his contact.

[Manasnake]

Narrator: The ranger Cynbel sat upon a wooden stool in the corner of the room, his forest green hood covering the majority of his face. He watched as the Warden Appetor conversed with the bartender. The man was plainly dressed, with a tribal tattoo on his left arm. "Appetor..." Cynbel said while motioning the Warden to come closer. "I'm glad you've made it safely. I'm sure you know better than anyone how dire the situation in Gul-Natha truly is, but we shan't speak of such matters here. We do not know who may be listening within the city of coin...rest while you can Warden. The Magus Zarneq should be arriving shortly..."

Zarneq: The frigid wind kissed Zarneq's skin as he gazed upon the kingdom of Cromerth in the distance. It was the break of dawn, but the sun's rays were being obscured by storm clouds brewing in the distance; he was thankful to have arrived when he did. He was to meet the Ranger Cynbel at the Dragon's Hoard Tavern, located in the west wing of the Gate district. He'd been away from Gethsheba Castle for nearly six months collecting a number of magical reagents for his order. When orders to join Cynbel's company reached him by storm crow, he jumped at the opportunity. He'd long been fascinated with planar magic, and yearned to know what strange, other-worldly presence infested the sacred temple of Gul-Natha.


Cromerth, Dragon's Hoard

He continued down the narrow path which led to Cromerth's city gates. As he approached, he was stopped by several guards clad in Cromerth's garb, with spears at the ready. "Look at the way this one's dressed...this must be a Magus from Gethsheba. State your name and business here in Cromerth sorcerer..." the guard insisted. "My name is Zarneq Dasha. My business is my own." "Don't get smart with me young mage!" the guard retaliated pointing his spear at Zarneq. "Wait...Zarneq...you're looking for the ranger Cynbel no?" Zarneq paused silently. "Let him pass Bravel...the Ranger's been expecting this one. Be on your guard young mage. Many townsfolk within these city walls do not take kindly to sorcery." Zarneq nodded quietly before draping himself in his black cloak to disguise his appearance. As he proceeded through the gate, he noticed a number of beggars huddled around a small fire constructed from wooden debris, struggling to stay warm amidst the encroaching cold. Zarneq disliked large cities for precisely this reason; the social injustice and hypocrisy which plagued 'civilized' societies turned his stomach.

The scent of ale and cooking fires filled Zarneq's nostrils as he approached the Dragon's Hoard. As he entered, a surge of warmth washed over him, promising him shelter from the bitter elements outside. The tavern's tenants were sullen and quiet, tired after a hard days work at the Docks or the Trade District. In the corner of the room, a man clad in a forest green cloak rested next to the fireplace. He was rugged and handsome, with dark hair and a sturdy bow and long sword by his side. The man watched Zarneq enter the tavern, and prompted him to come closer. "You must be Zarneq...I thank you for coming here. My name is Cynbel. This is Appetor" the ranger explained. "Greetings." Zarneq said with a courteous smile. "I have some questions for the both of you; Corvath wasn't terribly specific. Our order has detected a disturbance in planar activity for some time. Could this be linked to the misfortune in Gul-Natha?" Zarneq asked inquisitively. "I shall reveal all in time young sorcerer. Something sinister indeed befouls Gul-Natha, but we shall speak more of it at the stables. We must set out promptly if we are to beat this storm...gather your supplies recruits, and follow me."

Zarneq followed his new companions to the stables near the city exit. As he entered, the smell of mildew and rotting wood overwhelmed him. Three grey stallions awaited them. The animals were healthy, muscular, and recently shod. But even these hearty creatures would likely face difficulty in the coming storm. Zarneq gazed into the sky above, his face clearly wrought with anxiety. "I know what you're thinking: how are we going to pass through such a horrific blizzard...It's certainly not ideal, but I've received word that the shamanic enchantment which guards the Nikarian encampment has weakened significantly as of late. Only days ago, a young family was brutally murdered by a monstrous boar, reportedly ten times its usual size and horrifically...disfigured. If we cannot discover the source of this corruption before the protective ward disappears completely, I fear the encampment will be overrun... Appetor and I know these mountains. Together, we should be able to navigate through the worst parts of the storm." Cynbel explained as he fastened his equipment and supplies to his steed. Zarneq had never scaled the peaks of the Dun-Krag and was grateful to have Cynbel and Appetor as knowledgeable guides. Still, something about the impending storm unnerved him greatly. "Its a two day journey across the Dun-Krag..." Cynbel stated as he pulled himself up onto his horse. "Let us make haste!" Cynbel proceeded to bolt through the city gates on his steed, and Zarneq followed in turn. He could only hope he and his companions were prepared for what dangers lie in store for them.

[Jason Todd]

Appetor looked his horse up and down. It was certainly a fine stallion, however Tor felt he had something better. He whistled a high shrill tune and looked to the sky, expecting a friend. Suddenly, the sky was filled with a roar that shook the surroundings like thunder. Tor heard the villagers screaming in fear and chuckled to himself as 10 foot fire drake landed in front of him. The creature came up to Appetor and nuzzled him affectionately, like an overgrown puppy. "Yes I missed you as well Ignus, now hurry!" Tor mounted the mighty beast and took to the sky, "We must catch our new friends!"

Tor and Ignus raced through the sky looking at the ground below in search of his companions. About a minute after he and Ignus had first taken off he spotted them through a small gap in the dense forest. "Come Ignus," he said to his beast, "Let's give them a scare." Ignus' eyes narrowed in a mischievous grin and divebombed through the trees below, wreathed in fire. Tor hid between the large scales on his back, chuckling at the thought of his friends encounter with a dragon. The pair landed right in front of Cynbel and Zarneq and Ignus let out a mighty roar.

[Manasnake]

Zarneq: As Appetor's winged companion let out a mighty roar, Zarneq's steed heaved backwards in terror, causing Zarneq to fall off the horse's back. His eye turned pale white as he immediately wove a spell in his mind. Suddenly, a shimmering sphere of blue-green force formed around him as he rolled onto the ground below. The force field absorbed the blow before vanishing as Zarneq rolled onto his feet. Cynbel had managed to control his steed: a product of his life long relationship with the animal. Zarneq turned toward Appetor, eyes glaring, clearly unamused. "I travel for days across distant lands to assist the Wardens, and this is the thanks I get..." Zarneq complained as he dusted the dirt from his red and purple garment. He could feel electrical energy welling up inside him; anger or intense frustration frequently sent him into such a state. On several occasions as a child, he had destroyed more than a few dinner tables during a heated discussion, without exactly intending to do so.

The ranger trotted toward Zarneq and Appetor. "Zarneq! Hold your tongue. I don't think Appetor intended any arm. And Appetor, quit playing around. Our enemies could have eyes and hears throughout the skies and wilderness. The last thing we want to do is make our presence known to the enemy..." Cynbel explained as Zarneq crawled back onto his horse. "Now lets make haste; the sooner we get through the Dun-Krag the better..."