The Ritual

Months had passed without much incident, and the various groups of Portal Travelers had begun to form into factions and organizations, each sending out expeditions to explore the continent of Nova Regnus and uncover its secrets. We, the Kult of Tharros gathered those of our people who passed through the portal, and spread the word of the Lion to others. Soon, the like-minded people of Catalpa began to follow the Path as well. The Wardens, a company of Rangers and Woodspeople, stalked the wild places in search of threats. The Black Sky Mercenary Company sought profit and adventure, in the name of their merchant goddess, Percune. The White Ravens, shipwrights and merchants, made plans to sail the seas and set up ports along the coast. And Grimfrost, a lineage of Vikings and other fine warriors headed for the Northlands. The Grove, a lodge of warriors dedicated to nature and the Green Goddess. And the Mad Necromancer Geth and his followers, known simply as Geth.

It was in these times that we had our first encounters with the Risa Fae. Ancient spirits that protected the world of Osterra, they spoke to us in threatening words. We learned that the Risa Fae were responsible for some great cataclysm in a previous age. There had been a civilization of High Magic long ago, but in their hubris, drained the planet of energy through exploitation of the Ley Lines, the source of arcana of this world. The mages were warned by the Fae but turned deaf ears, leading to a grim decision to cast a great spell to mind blast all of the Wizards and bring their civilization crashing down. This cataclysm bore a vast wasteland now known as The Blasted Lands, a place laden with secrets…and dangers. The Fae warned us not to repeat the mistakes of these ancient Sages lest our doom be sealed,

Despite the warnings from the Risa Fae, the Magus Laya had begun to reawaken some of the Ley Lines, eking out a few minor cantrips. She taught basic arcana to those that showed talent, as it was obvious that our enemies were several steps ahead of us in the usage of magick in this realm. Surely Arcana would be needed in this war, the Risa Fae be damned. There were several who showed aptitude, and she was confident that in time, magick would flow freely once again.

In the Meantime, Meryn took up the training of budding healers. She taught them how to communicate with the divine spirits and access their curative powers, as well as leading research into what plants Nova Regnus offered us in healing salves and potions. The voices of the Gods were but mere whispers here, but grew louder by the day as their followers prayed.

Randy, a Ranger from the Wardens of some skill, began teaching the skills of the Scout, while Kailos taught the ways of Stealth and Thievery. While some may frown on these skill sets, no war was ever won without Guile. Surely the price for this would be the lightening of our purses from unseen thieves, but it was a small price to pay for the information they could glean from the enemy.

I, and others of martial skill, began to train the warriors in the trade of war. I was gladdened that so many Travelers had some amount of skill in arms and armor already, and so many more were ready to learn. 

Another Organization that had formed in this time were the Sentinels of Osterra, a cabal of Magic Users dedicated to uncovering the secrets of magical devices for the good of the realm. We had gathered the Travelers once again to bear witness while a ritual was performed to divine the nature of the Pink Orb recovered from Shagarash. The evening of the ritual arrived, the Sentinels took their positions around the Orb at the Cardinal Points, while the Travelers stood guard. As the incantations began, a swirling wind surrounded us all and lightning struck the ground all around. Suddenly battlecries of Orcs marauding from the trees were heard all around, and battle was joined. We slew them all, noting that they all bore the mark of Shagarash the Necromancer.

The ritual was successful, and the Sentinels informed us that the Orb was indeed a key, a key to a portal, but was incomplete. There was another orb to be discovered, and a hidden Gate that they would unlock. Little else of use could be gleaned from the ritual, as the energies the mages could draw from the Ley Lines was still weak, and we only had one of the two keys so far. It was decided that parties should search the forest for more Orcs, or any evidence of Shagarash. If anyone knew more about the Gate or the Orbs, it would be the Necromancer leader of the Orcs. 

The next morning, several strangers arrived at the Winery, full of questions. Their queries were common ones asked by new Travelers. “What is this place? How did I get here? What is the Everwar?” We answered them the best we could with what little information we had at the time. New arrivals to Nova Regnus were nothing out of the ordinary for us, and with arrivals from all over the Multiverse, cultural differences and strange behavior were commonplace. So we took little note of them at the time. This was to prove a deadly mistake…