Knight Realms ALT Event, 2016 “A Stranger to Mercy”

“A Stranger to Mercy”
Somewhere on Arawyn lies a small isle of mystery and second chances. Two hundred years ago, people began to appear on it from all walks of life and parts of the world. Over time, the people of the island realized that their appearances were not random: each and every person was removed from their former life as they were about to experience a terrible tragedy. Many saw this as a blessing and a second chance at life, naming the new land “Mercy” for the compassion whatever force had brought them there had shown them. However, on all sides of the island, steep cliffs dropped into violent ocean waters, unnavigable with what basic boats the people were able to create. Some viewed it as a prison, as no person was able to leave the isle and live to tell the tale.

Over time, most came to peace with their fate and accepted Mercy as their new home. These people called their new culture Azra, an ancient Dwarven word for “rebirth.” At the center of the isle, they built a village out of what little resources they could muster from the forest. The Azrans quickly realized that not all those who had appeared on Mercy were good people, and some were more monstrous or had violent tendencies. Those people were branded Outcasts and unwelcome in the village. A wall was built to protect the Azrans from Outcasts and other dangers of the wilds, and the village was named Sanctuary.

The society of Azrans within Sanctuary grew for a hundred years, until dissent started to brew within the people. Some Azrans felt that more time and resources should be devoted to escaping from Mercy, to return to their former homes or the homes of their ancestors. The Azran Warlord, would not allow it - at best, people would be injured, and at worst, they would end up dead trying. Calling themselves the Skylari, this faction was eventually acknowledged and their leader would sit on a council on their behalf. Despite constant failures, they would be permitted to research a way to leave Mercy.

A third faction of people emerged from somewhere between the ideals of the Azran Adherents - those who chose to stand behind the original ways of the Azrans - and the Skylari. This group, known as the Il’umar, cared more to explore and research the origins of the island and find out for what reason this strange power had brought them to it. To balance the new council of Sanctuary, the Il’umar were given a seat as well.

One day, a stranger came to Mercy - or, more accurately, was found. Unlike the others, he appeared to have arrived on the island physically, washing up against the rocky cliffs. The stranger spoke very little but displayed an incredible amount of strength.

The Azrans were divided over this stranger - some felt he would bring about their demise, while some felt he was their salvation, their key to escaping. Only time would reveal the true circumstances of his presence, but one thing was certain: tensions were rising…


Further Details:

The Azrans and Sanctuary
“Azran” was the name the first people of Mercy chose to call themselves. The Azrans constructed a civilization out of nothing; though they began with huts and caves, they recreated technologies of their former homes to build the modest town of Sanctuary: a village near the center of Mercy, and the only real permanent settlement on the island. It is surrounded by a wooden palisade fashioned to defend from Outcast invaders. Though the Azrans often patrol and reinforce the wall, coordinated efforts from Outcasts attempting to breach it are difficult to prevent. Their general lack of organization gives Sanctuary the upper hand, but invasions have become more frequent in recent times.

Formerly, Sanctuary was ruled over by the most powerful warrior. As groups began to divide in their ideals and goals, each faction put forth a leader of their own choice to a council of three. Currently about three quarters of the population have been born naturally here and are descendants of people who appeared on the island years long past, while the remaining quarter in fact appeared here throughout the last many decades.

The Adherents
The Azran Adherents are deeply spiritual, holding strong faith in the force that brought them and their ancestors to Mercy and embracing the new lives it has given them. While others have splintered off and begun to drift away from recognising it as a benevolent force, the Adherents have continued to uphold the ways of the first ancestors to be brought to Mercy by its grace. The strongest warrior holds the council seat for the Adherents, advised by a shaman rumored to be connected to the land and power itself. Prophecy and ceremony guide the Adherents, content to follow and serve as thanks for being given a second chance at life.

Adherents dress in a somewhat tribal fashion, using the resources and animal hides available to them. They do not waste time with high fashion and instead wear what is practical and easy to create, but some adorn themselves with hand-crafted accessories and items found in the forest. Adherents decorate themselves with tattoos and facepaint reflective of their role in Azran society.

The Skylari
As the Azran society developed, so too did the people’s doubt. Many believe the force behind Mercy to be malevolent, trapping souls upon it; some simply want to return to their former lives or ancestral homelands. Though their motives may not be identical, the Skylari unite under a common idea for some reason or another: the thought of escaping the island. None have yet found a way to leave that did not result in death, though not for lack of trying. Many Skylari originate from the more advanced areas of the old world, such as Quinaria and Londwyn, but are willing to put any racial bias aside for the sake of finding a way out of Mercy.

Skylari dress similarly to the lands that they hail from, or how they believe their ancestors dressed. As they could make a breakthrough and leave the island at any time, they take care in their appearance so that they would look presentable should they manage to escape.

The Il’umar
A third faction calling itself the Il’umar emerged from somewhere between the ideals of the others. They neither desire escape from Mercy, nor do they feel that it is their salvation. Instead, the Il’umar strive to unravel the mysteries behind the power of the island. Perhaps it brought them there to serve some purpose, or to witness some event; regardless of its motivation, the Il’umar are certain that there is more to Mercy than has yet to be seen. They regularly send expeditions to explore and chart the island, searching for anything that could show them the truth.

The Il’umar, having such diverse backgrounds and ideals, may choose to either dress as their ancestors would, or decorate themselves as per Azran traditions. Most favor whatever is the most practical to wear on expeditions. Il’umar are not often seen without their preferred tools for research and exploration.

The Outcasts
“Outcast” is a term used by the Azrans to refer to those who cannot or will not conform to the society they have created within Sanctuary. Some are of the more monstrous races, some are simply people who have transgressed Azran laws; all beings who have been deemed unfit to live within the walls of Sanctuary. The outcasts are not typically an organized group, but occasionally band together to assault the Azrans, whether out of necessity, spite, or just for the fun of it. Recently, a Jaxuarian named Zyrangxus has been subjugating outcasts to perform more coordinated attacks in an attempt to breach the walls, believing the village to be safer than the wilds from the recent natural disasters.

Outcasts are made up of members of various races. They may be intelligent humanoids, or the monsters fought off by the people on a daily basis. They dress in whatever they can get their hands on - the more intelligent races may dress for stealth, while others may try to appear more menacing.

The Stranger
Within recent months, a stranger arrived at Mercy. Unlike others, who appear in flashes of light in some supernatural fashion, the stranger was found washed up against the island’s eastern cliffs by a group of Skylari testing a way to lower boats into the water. Unconscious and injured, he was brought back to Sanctuary for healing and questioning. However, the stranger refused to answer the council’s questions, and he displayed strength far greater than their ability to detain him. Since then, Mercy has been experiencing many natural disasters: hurricanes, earthquakes, sinkholes...

Tension has been high since the stranger’s arrival. Adherent prophets claim the stranger will bring about the destruction of the land, but the Skylari feel he is their key to escaping Mercy. With the state of nature, the Il’umar fear the Adherents are correct, and they are running out of time to find the secrets of the island; the outcasts grow fiercer every day, laying siege to the walls of Sanctuary. As suspense boils between the factions of Mercy, one question remains: who will you be?

Character Submission Guidelines:
Please submit your character to in the following format by Monday, 14 March. Late submissions will be limited to only 50 Build.

Outcast characters may be of any standard PC race or any standard monster type (subject to approval). If you wish to play a monstrous race, submit your character with 50 Build spent, and you will be assigned 20 Build worth of racials appropriate to the monster type.

Character name
Player name/number
Race
Profession (Race/profession must be a legal combination)
Faction
Abilities (70 Build)
History: Include whether your character was born on Mercy or the event that caused her to be summoned to the island. You are encouraged to write a short history of no more than three paragraphs (half a page) to better establish your character within the setting.


Example character:
Character: Alissa
Player: Tori Turqman #25
Race: Quinarian
Profession: Mage
Faction: Skylari
Abilities
- Fire Sphere (0)
- Fire Strike (1)
- Heat Object (1)
.
.
- Enchantment Sphere (0)
- Grant Strength (1)
- Overlook (1)
.
.
Body Points: 20 (5 Build)
Magic Points: 30 (29 Build)
History
Alissa, a former apprentice to a Sorceror, was summoned to Mercy when one of her master’s rituals went wrong and caused an explosion. She joined the Skylari, hoping to return to her life in Quinaria and find out if her master survived.

Notice Regarding the Outcast Faction
Due to an overwhelmingly positive reaction to the idea of playing Outcasts at this event, we regretfully need to put a cap on the number of PCs in that faction. If enough people sign up to play other factions, the cap will increase to remain balanced with the rest of the PCs.

The current cap on Outcasts is 10 PCs. We have not yet reached the cap.

Additionally, as it may not have been clear from the initial post and we don’t want anyone to go into the weekend with a misconception on their role. Their involvement, if any, with the Stranger and overall plotline of the weekend is minimal and their primary focus is to invade the territory of Sanctuary. In some ways they will in part act as the “monsters” that the other factions will fight periodically, though they are technically PCs and not NPCs.

Outcasts will be approved on a first-come, first-serve basis. Additional characters over the cap will be put on a waitlist and notified if the cap is increased or if a player cancels. That being said, if you are planning on playing an Outcast and find out you cannot make it to the event, please let us know so that someone else can have the opportunity to do so! As a suggestion, Outcast and Adherents can have very similar costumes and sometimes races, so consider an Adherent backup character just in case.

Notice Regarding Monstrous Races
Good news! Because of the positive reaction to playing monstrous races at this event, we’ve decided to open the option up to other factions. If you wish to play a monstrous race, as with the Outcasts, please submit your character at 50 Build spent and you will be assigned 20 Build worth of racials appropriate to your chosen monster type. Try to think of a creative way that your creature type could have been integrated into a civilized society (if you choose to play a typically villainous creature). The island does seem to exude an aura of peace and mercy over the denizens that do not choose to fight against it…



Notice Regarding Factions
In the next few days, keep a lookout for this alt event’s prologues! The three main factions (Adherents, Skylari, and Il’umar) will have their own personalized prologues leading into the story being run for each of them. While the stories will ultimately be connected, we hope to give an experience to players that will be unique to each group.

Additionally, characters in the three main factions will be getting the following free racial templates on top of their skills:
- Adherents: Cantrip (Compassion domain) x2 uses/period
- Skylari: Innovation (as per Londwyn racial) x1 use/period
- Il’umar: Basic Entry/Escape x2 uses/period



Notice Regarding Adherent Spirituality
While some may worship the popular religions of Arawyn from before they were taken to Mercy, most choose to worship Mercy itself. Shamans and Priests alike pay homage to its power in their own distinct ways. Shamans (Wild Mages and Elemental Mages) focus worship on the land and the elements, calling upon primal power. Priests focus their worship on the power of Mercy, calling upon the domains of Compassion, Life, and Fate.

Regardless of source, if you are playing a spiritual Adherent, use the following verbals (swapping in the appropriate element, or "Mercy" for prayers):

"I call upon the ancient spirits of [Mercy/Land/Sky/Sea/Flame]. Grant this servant the power to ..."

As of this moment, outcasts are filled.

Notable People on the Isle of Mercy

The Adherents
Council seat: Warlord Rop-chek (Damian VanHart)
Being a leader was always in Rop-chek’s fate, though he’d never thought it would be on the island of Mercy. He quickly came to realize just how special it was and rose to power among the Adherents, challenging and defeating the former Warlord. Rop-chek is wise and strong, wishing only to preserve the prosperity of Sanctuary and keep peace among his people against the threats of the Outcasts and this new stranger.

Farseer Saeyrlei (Tori Turqman)
Born on Mercy and into shamanhood, Saeyrlei became Farseer of the Adherents several years ago and has served as prophet and advisor to the Warlord and the Azrans ever since. Unlike others, the half-orc calls upon both Mercy and the elements to grant her power. It is rumored that she is more strongly connected to the heart of Mercy than any other priest, but she speaks very little of what visions it shows her.

The Skylari
Base of Operations: Skylari Observatory
Council seat: Councilor Valen Tyraan (Drew Benton)
Councilor Tyraan continues to search high and low through the island for a way to escape. He wishes to return to Archadia and his apprentice, Alissa. He has been on site for nearly every attempt the Skylari have made to leave the island since his arrival and has welcomed each member’s new ideas, directing Maive to work on the plans for how to accomplish the seemingly impossible.

Maive Lusterwyn, Head of Research and Development (Julie Anne Burns)
Maive is a young Londwyn who wouldn't be caught without specks on her face and a book in her hands. She keeps detailed records on all the plans and devices related to venturing off the island, as well as other research notes on their failed attempts. While she doesn't have the same personal connection to the outside world that many Skylari have, her longing towards her Londwyn heritage is what keeps her working and pushing ahead.

The Il’umar
Base of Operations: House of Illumination
Council seat: Sage Wylphen Sooephi (Jason Marin) - The Il’umar
Wylphen was born on the island about one hundred years ago, claiming to be the first child born there - though none can confirm this, as few races live to be as old as Sylphs. Having charted nearly every inch of the island in his youth, he now coordinates the Il’umar in their explorations. He is obsessed with discovering knowledge of Mercy and will do whatever it takes to learn more about the island and its real purpose for bringing people to it. With the arrival of the Stranger, he has begun making plans for the Il’umar to search further for the truth.

Fletcher Harrow, “Stuff-finder Extraordinaire” (Steve Oros)
After a terrible accident with a boulder in Greendell Shire, Fletcher was transported to the island. Believing the secrets to the gift of life are hidden somewhere under the surface of the island, he has devoted his time and effort to uncovering them under the guidance of Wylphen. New areas of exploration have opened up since the stranger’s arrival, leaving Fletcher to beg Wylphen and the Council to let the Il’umar leave Sanctuary despite the dangers outside the walls.


Other notable people
Zyrangxus (Steve Amore) (Outcast Stronghold)
Zyrangxus is a Jaxuarian shaman who suffered a grave injury long ago. He honed other strengths, calling upon the elements and subjugating less intelligent beings to do his bidding. Recently, he has begun a task that was unthinkable long ago - coordinating the Outcasts to work towards the common goal of laying siege to Sanctuary, where the walls will be able to protect them, and exact revenge on those who exiled them.

Igneous (Matt Majchrzak)
Igneous was a demon who came to the material plane in the army of Xualla. It was at the hands of the heroes of Travance that he fell, but instead of returning to the Abyss at his demise, he instead found himself on Mercy, still fueled by rage and hatred for mortal life. He has recently, and rather strangely, decided to back Zyrangxus in his quest to unite the Outcasts against the people of Sanctuary, and aligned his followers with that cause.

The Stranger (Kevin Downing)
No one really knows the Stranger’s history. His unconscious body was found floating in turbulent waters at the bottom of the eastern cliffs. Since he regained consciousness in Sanctuary, he has been nothing but dismissive and condescending to any who attempt to interact with him, wandering inside and outside of the walls, seemingly looking for ways to leave. Since his arrival, Mercy has begun to suffer the wrath of nature, though the people are divided on whether this is coincidence or his doing.

Prologues

Adherents
The ground shook, tearing apart as nature was reclaimed into the vast mouth of the earth. Lightning cracked through the air; flames erupted from the great forests as it struck. Wind and rain battered the once peaceful land… A lone man stood at the center of it all, unscathed.

“The land itself is rebelling against this... stranger.” The orc looked away from the crystal, having seen enough of this violent vision. The fur-clad man beside her bristled, gripping the weapon at his side. “We cannot allow him to be our downfall, Warlord,” she continued. “Everything we have built here… the people this land has saved… all will fall to ruin.”

“We must warn the Council. They must see that this man will kill us all.” The Warlord turned to leave the chamber. “We will not be driven from our home like mice, Saeyrlei. We are wolves… we will fight.”

“Yes, Warlord.”

The pair left the chamber, hearts heavy. For some, there was a chance of life outside of Mercy, but many did not know of or remember a world outside of the island. It was their home, and they would defend it to their last breaths.


Skylari
Councilor Tyraan and Maive knew what the arrival of the Stranger meant. Escape. Somehow this man had arrived from the waters and that meant that there was other lands out there they could get to. A rush of work began at the Observatory as the Skylari set about preparing new plans, drafting up new ideas at a furious pace.

Valen glanced at Maive, "Prepare all the plans you can, set everyone to gather all the resources we'll need and stockpile them here. I fear the Warlord will not appreciate our want to escape, so we'll need everyone ready at a moments notice."

Maive nodded as another ink splotch jumped up onto her face from the plans in front of her, “Of course Councilor. All of our people will be ready to leave as soon as we discover a way. And I think I have just the idea on how we’ll do it.”

The Skylari would be prepared to leave as soon as a path presented itself. All they could do now was wait.



Il’umar
Wylphen’s eyes darted back and forth between the maps and charts that Fletcher passed him, comparing them to the notes the other Il’umar had already brought him. There was no denying the reality of the evidence any longer; the quakes were opening up new caverns that had never been seen before. After more than a century, Mercy had something new and incredible to discover.

The sylph looked to his halfling friend proclaiming, “Tell the others! Tell them to prepare. We will convince the rest of the council to let us scour these new caves, Outcasts be damned!”

Fletcher nodded, “And who knows what we could find! This could be it. This could be our chance to understand why we were brought here!”

The Stranger’s presence would not distract their new mission. The Outcasts would not stop their investigations and the Council would not turn them down. The truth was still out there.