Part One of the World Engine Chronicles

The Meeting of The Heroes
The story, 15 years after the Sack of Gakoshka, began with mercenary and ex-slave Arvion Jannisar and ex-slaver Leon LaCroix purchasing their way aboard a ship run by the Cor’a’tai to escape The Hydra Isles to Cortesia. Their ship was soon attacked by the dread pirate, The Dipper, who struck a deal with them to allow them to live; deliver a letter to the headquarters of the Cor’a’Tai and say that their ship was wrecked by a storm.

While the two unlikely compatriots rowed their dingy into port, famed knight and Sapphire Tournament contest winner Isaac Grant received word that he would be taking a squire, a young man named Baelfire whom had impressed the higher ups during his stint in bootcamp. Little did Isaac Grant know, but Baelfire was actually a woman named Ophelia disguised as her twin brother, whom had run away rather join the military. To prevent her family from facing disgrace and ridicule, she snuck away to impersonate her cowardly twin. The two of them would be summoned to the castle’s keep to attend an emergency council meeting, where an emissary from The Northlands demanded that the Cortesian empire relinquish their hold on Dourland and return it to the Northerner’s. The emissary offered up the chance to duel the North’s champion, Skorn, to settle the matter with only one life, but was denied and sent back to the North. The emissary warned there would be war.

As the Isaac and his new squire returned to their home, a young man named Jarmin fled across the southern desert and the Godking followed. Jarmin, a local hero and resistor to the Godking, had been on the run from the Godking’s forces for several days and faced heat stroke. As he passed out in the sands, he awoke to a kindly old man greeting him by an oasis. The old man introduced himself as Bystal, apprentice to Utlwe the Wizened. Bystal told Jarmin of his destiny; how he must help guide several individuals towards their fates and defeat the Godking. Bystal left him with nary but a poem and riddles. When Jarmin awoke he was in a harbor town in the free cities of the South. He purchased passage to Cortesia to begin his quest.

The Journey Begins
Word of battle spread as the North attacked Dourland, utterly destroying Duke Henchester’s army and provoking Cortesia into war. Cortesia would be sending three full banners to the North to quell this barbarian rabble. Isaac and Baelfire found that they would be shipping out within a few days to ride to glorious combat and in an act of final celebration, they went to drink at a local pub with a few associates. Isaac was greeted by a strange old man by the name of Otho, who hinted at knowing more than Isaac knew. Otho promised he would see Isaac again the next day and then disappeared from the bar.

Arvion and Leon joined the Cor’a’Tai and made contact with professional poisoner and assassin, Grease, who enlisted their services to help poison a ship captain to gain a man on a ship headed to the North. Word had it that this captain would be at a local pub that night where he would be perfect to strike. The three men entered the bar and found the captain drinking with a few knights and their squires, namely Sir Grant and Baelfire.

Jarmin, who had just docked, had unfortunately found himself under suspicion by the Inquisition by being a southern man, began to be followed through the city. In an act of desperation, Jarmin fled into a local bar just as a brawl was breaking out as a diversion, by none other than Leon and Arvion, catching Isaac and Baelfire up in the mix. An inquisitor arrived and put Jarmin and Arvion in custody, taking them to the Inquisition headquarters. Leon barely escaped but was aided by Grease, now disguised as a soldier, in his fleeing the scene.

Leon and Grease hatched a daring plan to break out Arvion, unintentionally also freeing Jarmin of his bonds, with the help of Fuk-Yu the street urchin. Isaac and Baelfire were both attacked that night by a vision of Isaac’s sister and by a beggar, respectively, both were injured and poisoned. Isaac received word that Otho was also captured and requested assistance. Otho promised Isaac that he could help him with his poison and that he would help him find his sister, who had been sold into slavery as a child. Isaac agreed and had him released from prison.

Otho told Isaac that he was being watched by the Godking and was now a target for assassination by his agents. Isaac and Baelfire would have to come with him to an associate of his, Sylvia Dotern, in the North to heal both of their wounds or they would die in a matter of weeks. Otho had hired Grease along with Leon and Arvion to assist in sneaking Isaac and Baelfire out of the city, which rubbed Isaac the wrong way. While this was happening one of the Twenty Fangs, powerful agents of the Godking, attacked Grant Manor and slaughtered Isaac’s guards and servants. After a brief but deadly battle, all that remained was a barely breathing and heavily poisoned Jaren Ode, Isaac’s lifelong best friend.

Heading North
Isaac and Baelfire faked their deaths and escaped with Leon, Arvion, Jarmin, and Grease towards the north. On their journey, they met notable allies Truffles Irondick, Otto the Rambler, and an amnesiac man who went by Name, who had washed ashore. Ophelia also found her brother, living under an assumed name in a small town with a wife and child. Sadly, he owed money to the Cor’a’Tai and although the group tried to assist him, he was ultimately killed in the ensuing battle. Ophelia decided to remain to help look after his family.

As time wore on, Otho revealed more of the ancient chess game that has been played for centuries. The Godking was revealed to be an apprentice of Ultwe, a man by the name of Herekesh who was thought to be the one who pushed the rebellion of the apprentices. Herekesh wanted into the World Engine and was convinced by the fourth brother, The Frailed One, that he could sneak his way into it by murdering Ultwe and stealing his key.

Herekesh was tricked, however, as the Frailed One made it to the World Engine first, followed by Paetor the Blade and his apprentices. Herekesh, knowing he could not best these individuals, waited for his chance to enter. Bystal, driven by regret and guilt over his part in the murder of Ultwe, made it his life’s duty to prevent Herekesh from getting what he wanted, which was access to the World Engine and it’s powers within, a job that Otho continues to his day. Otho took the group to the Granite Spiral, the massive construction that, supposedly, housed Gustav the Weaver, to retrieve on of the keys to the World Engine, a feat that nearly claimed all of their lives. Otho, continued his withholding of information, however, keeping the group at a need to know basis, which ruffled many feathers.

At one point in their journey, the group found it was being followed by a group of Inquisitors and they decided to make a stand in a set of old ruins. What followed was a raging battle, one which saw the death of Arvion at the hands of a Fang. Defeat seemed near, when Otho unleashed his terrible power and erupted in a fireball that consumed everything in it’s path. The group briefly mourned Arvion’s passing but continued onward to their destination, a small harbor town that would take them North. Isaac and Leon both began to succumb to the snake venom that coursed through their veins and the party barely managed to make to Sylvia, with her apprentice Taffin’s help.