Avonu said:

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Xel, I hope you relize that most of previous Verriker's words weren't his own (beside lols) and all what he did, it was to copy other people texts from years ago and from another forum, without even putting them into quotes?

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Heligrin said:

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Is it an untold story from possible campaign of DoC?

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Sandro400 said:

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H6's campaign script. Enjoy.
I tried to stayed as canonically as possible regarding Epilogues and Blood/Tears choices, so some characters have a bit of both.
Also includes unused lines and texts.

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Galaad said:

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With the Tales out I've noticed Iranese maps were missing from the OP, now is fixed.

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TerryRayCampaign1 said:

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Unity

The Reckoning not only threw civilization into chaos, but the study of magic as well.  Many of the spell libraries on Erathia were destroyed before their contents could be saved.  Many Wizards who attempted to gather the books took too much time and died.  Untold centuries of knowledge was lost.  An organized effort to collect and rewrite the lost spells from the memories of those magic users who survived is being met with a little resistance.  Few sorcerers want to give up their precious spell books for such a cause, so the process is slow and painful.  Too slow for Genevieve Seymour.

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GenevieveSeymour H7HeroBioData said:

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Genevieve is a woman driven by her ambition, which keeps her emotionally distant from others.  She has few friends, if any, but she has never needed them.  She was raised in a brothel, about as poor as anyone can get, but survived her harsh childhood thanks to her resourcefulness.

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Pherlon H7HeroBioData said:

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Overall, Pherlon's life has been relatively uneventful with the exception of a few pirate raids on his merchant ship.  He has been rich, poor, rich, and poor again.  He also fell in love once, married, and fell out of love.  Hence, Pherlon has developed an endless store of patience and a practical outlook toward life.

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CNM_TR-1_Intro said:

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What is magic?  Was it a gift from the Gods, the ancient worldcrafters?  Or a dangerous power, not meant for mortal hands?

The Reckoning shattered everything, even the study of magic.  The aftermath allowed new theories, challenges to the old ways, new ways of thinking.

In these days, before the rise of the kingdoms of Palaedra and Great Arcan, most of the lands of Iranese were still unexplored.  A whole new world, full of mysteries.

And the Broken Isles were one of these mysteries.  Some said these islands were once a single landmass, ripped asunder during a great war among the Gods.

Believe what you will, but the Broken Isles were without a doubt a place of raw, untamed power.

Surely, if one was looking for answers about the true nature of magic, this was where he'd find it.  Or rather... she.

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WorldInfo0 said:

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Map 1 - The Isle of Order

Genevieve and Pherlon embark on a journey to the Broken Isles in search for a greater understanding of magic.  Genevieve knows in her heart that in the past magic users have forced magic into an unnatural organization based on the elements.  There must be another way, and Genevieve is determined to discover it.

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UM1 Narration 1 said:

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I owed Genevieve Seymour my life and my ship, a debt I was determined to repay, so when she asked to meet me in private I sensed an opportunity to help her.  We met in my cabin aboard the Stormwatcher, and over a bottle of fine Erathian wine rescued from the Reckoning we talked.

"I need your ship, Pherlon," Genevieve said bluntly.

Everything this woman did was blunt.  I took a moment to study her.  It was a pity she tried so hard to hide her beauty, dressing in unflattering men's clothing and cutting her hair short above the shoulders.  With a long, flowing dress that accentuated her athletic figure - perhaps green would be a good color for her - she would be stunning.  But Genevieve was also the type of woman who would knock you unconscious if you suggested such a thing, so I remained quiet.

"You know, Genevieve, that my ship is at your command," I said.  "It is the least I can do. Fortunately, I have no cargo in my hold and no commitment to be at another port, so the Stormwatcher is free to go where you wish. Where do you wish to go?"

"The Broken Isles."  I nearly choked on my wine.

"At least a dozen ships have disappeared there in the few short years since the Reckoning," I said.

"Yes, I know, and I think I know why," Genevieve said.

She took a long drink of her wine, emptying her glass without savoring its fine flavor.  Then she helped herself to the bottle and poured the deep red liquid to the brim of her glass.

"I also know," Genevieve continued, "that a few ships have come back from the Broken Isles with reports of signs of civilization, and magic."

"Yes, but those sightings were from ships far off shore through the eye of a speculum!  And there may have been signs of civilization, but not of life.  A dead civilization!  No ship has actually landed on the shores of the Broken Isles and returned," I said.  I knew Genevieve wasn't about to go to the Broken Isles without setting foot on them.  This was a dead man's journey for sure.

"Are you turning me down because of some sailor's superstition?"

I took a slow drink of wine to give me a moment of thought.  Genevieve's eyes never strayed from mine.  I could tell that she expected me to refuse.  There was no trust in her expression.  She placed her hands on the arms of her chair, ready to stand and leave.

"Tell me," I said as I put down my empty glass, "what is so important that I have to risk my ship?"

She grinned like a victorious gladiator and took another deep gulp of wine.

"Magic, Pherlon!  I'm going to change magic as we know it!"

---

UM1 Narration 2 said:

---

The sea was surprisingly calm for our voyage to the Broken Isles, but all I could think about was an old sailor's saying.

"Watch out for gentle seas - you always pay for it later."

I accompanied Genevieve to shore in the dinghy, but I had no plans of trekking with her around the island. Do not think me a coward.  I didn't want to leave the Stormwatcher without its captain in such a dangerous place as this.  Without my ship, none of us would return home.

A pair of sailors jumped out as we pitched in toward the sandy beach on a hip-high wave.  They pulled the dinghy ashore with some effort, and then Genevieve and I hopped out.  I handed the woman a traveling pack filled with fresh water and dried rations.

"Are you sure a few of my men can't go with you?  I'd feel much better if they do," I asked.

"No," Genevieve said sternly.  "I can handle myself."

I looked around at the shore for the first time and noticed something odd about the vegetation.  It was entirely too regular, almost as if it had been manicured.  It would take too much effort to manage an entire island, so what was causing the bushes to grow in straight lines and the flowers in perfectly square patches?

"Strange place," I said.

"Not really, if my theories are correct," Genevieve said.  She threw her pack over her shoulder and smiled at the wilderness.  There wasn't even a hint of fear in her expression.

"Ah, yes, your mysterious theories."

In the weeks it took to get to the Broken Isles, Genevieve had refused to talk about these theories of hers.  She would only mention that the old way of practicing magic was inefficient and incorrect.

"We're forcing spells to fit into an elemental format, but that doesn't make sense," she had said.

"It doesn't?  Seems simple to me."

"You'll understand, Pherlon.  The elements don't rule magic.  It's the other way around!  Magic controls the elements, and if that is the case then there must be other forces, undiscovered forces, that rule magic.  I'm going to find them!"

Genevieve rode off on the horse we brought to shore in a second dinghy.  "Good luck!" I called to her.

"I don't believe in luck, Pherlon!" she shouted back.

"Anyway, if you should need help there will be a boat waiting here!"

But she was gone.  Such a headstrong woman, it was no wonder the other magic users call her "Mistress Bull" behind her back.

---

UM1 Narration 3 said:

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It has been a couple weeks and still no word from Genevieve.  Although we never established a method of contact, I expected her to get in touch every few days or so at least.  She could be dead for all I know, but it would be like her to forget I was waiting here.

So, today I decided to give her another month.  Then I would either organize a search party or go home.

---

UM1 Narration 4 said:

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I was standing on the deck of the Stormwatcher, eyeing some dark clouds on the horizon with a suspicious eye, when I heard shouts from shore.  I turned to find several sailors sprinting across the beach for the dinghy.  They were my waterfinders.

"Ho!  Archers to deck!  Now!" I shouted.

Within seconds, half a dozen sailors with longbows stood against the port side with arrows notched.  The waterfinders made it to the dinghy and hurriedly rowed out into the surf.  I noticed already that their number was short by two, so I raised my speculum to my eye and scanned the shoreline.  Not a sign of anyone, or anything for that matter.

When the dinghy pulled up next to the Stormwatcher, I leaned over the side and said, "Ho, down there!  What's this?  What happened?"

"A snake woman, Captain!" the sailors screamed in unison.

I waited until they climbed up to the deck, then pulled aside the most experienced one.  I dragged him into my cabin and sat him down at my map table.

“Now, tell me, calmly, what happened?" I said, handing the man a snifter of rum.  The sailor gulped the alcohol, exhaled slowly, and immediately appeared calm.

"It was one of them many-armed snake women, sir!"

"A Naga?"

"Yeah, that's it!  She was lurking around this stream we found.  We was fillin' the kegs with fresh water when she jumped out of the bushes.  She killed Jakins and Blake and still had enough arms left to fend off the rest of us!"

I dismissed the sailor and poured myself a measure of rum.  Something had to be done about this Naga.  We needed that water if we were going to stay out here much longer.  Tomorrow, I would have to hunt down this Naga.

---

UM1 Narration 5 said:

---

I took ten men with me, including the archers and one of the waterfinders so we could find the place where they lost the kegs of water.  I led the way and found it easy to walk through the dense foliage because everything grew so regularly that it formed natural paths through the undergrowth.  I was even more impressed when I found the stream where my men died.  It ran as straight as an arrow, never once meandering on its path toward the ocean.

"Now, that's not possible!" I said.

Water just doesn't flow straight.  But as I inspected the bank of the stream I didn't find any evidence that the brook had been manufactured either.  This was no irrigation path, but a common stream.  I stood transfixed by my orderly surroundings so I didn't notice the heavy slithering approach of the Naga until it was too late.

The Naga ambushed us from behind this time, cutting down one of the archers in the first second.  Several of the men fled until I stepped before the creature.

"We can take her, you dogs!" I shouted.

Indeed, she was just a single Naga.  With the rest of my archers firing arrows into her while my men and me defended ourselves from her blindingly quick attacks, the battle was over in a minute or so.  The Naga looked like a targeting dummy when we were done.

"Collect the kegs, fill 'em up.  We're through here," I said.

I looked at the poor archer who fell to the creature's first attack and sighed heavily.  Three lives lost already.  How many more would there be?

---

UM1 Narration 6 said:

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"Movement on the beach!" shouted the sailor in the crow's nest.

I picked up my speculum and went to the port side to look.  There, approaching the lone dinghy was Genevieve.  She appeared tired but there was still some spring to her step.  There were a few ribs in her clothing that hadn't been there before, and she appeared in need of a bath.

I watched as the two sailors that were always on shore loaded Genevieve and her horse into the dinghy and started rowing out to sea toward the Stormwatcher.

"All hands on deck!  I want this ship ready for launch in one hour!" I ordered.

Later, Genevieve climbed to the deck of the ship and sat down.

"I could use some wine," she said.

I gestured to the nearest sailor, who ran below deck.

"So, what did you learn?" I asked.

"The basics for it all, Pherlon.  I learned the basics, and I learned that I am not insane."

"Well, that’s a relief," I said.  "Get some rest - you can tell me everything later."

---

UM1 Quest 1 Proposal said:

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This simple home is surrounded by a perfect garden where every bush is exactly level and every flower is in full bloom.  Standing outside are five rows of eight Golems, arranged in perfect formation.  They don't seem to notice you as you approach and knock on the door.

An elderly man comes to the door, and somehow sums up your abilities in those first seconds.

"Ah, you seem ready to learn, but you're still too inexperienced," he says.

"Teach me then," you insist.

"No, I no longer teach, but perhaps I can still help you.  I can give you the Golems standing outside - I have no need of them anymore.  But you'll have to prove to me that you're ready for them.  Return here when you have a complete knowledge of the Arcane."

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UM1 Quest 1 Progress said:

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As you approach, the forty Golems standing like statues outside this home suddenly spring to life.  They march in a circle around the cabin, linking arms as they go until they form a wall all the way around the hut.  You get the hint and leave.

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UM1 Quest 1 Completion said:

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For nearly an hour, the Seer asks you questions concerning your understanding of Order magic.  After the grueling test, he leans back and nods his head.

"You're ready to move on," he announces, "Good!  Keep up the good work.  You will find that the Golems will obey your commands now."

---

WorldInfo0 said:

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Map 2 - The Isle of Life

A tremendous storm sweeps out of nowhere, damaging Pherlon's ship, the Stormwatcher, before she's able to bring it into the gentle lagoon of one of the Broken Isles.  Genevieve suspects magic is behind the storm, but who is behind that magic is still a mystery.

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UM2 Narration 1 said:

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We explored the Broken Isles, studying the islands from afar while Genevieve worked in her private room.  She was putting the finishing touches on a spell book she would later name the Tome of Order when the storm hit.

One moment we were sailing on flat seas, and then the clouds blackened and a powerful gust hit us like a wall.  I rushed onto deck, lashing myself to the wheelhouse.  My first mate was behind the wheel, and since he was stronger than me I left him there to follow my instructions.

Waves and wind beat at us for the better part of an hour when Genevieve dragged herself half out the trap door to the wheelhouse.

"Need my help?" she shouted.  She saved my ship from a storm once, using her magic to redirect the wind that threatened to tip the ship over.  That was the debt I owed her.

"This is no ordinary storm!" I said.

A horrible crack somewhat like lightning pierced the blustering wind and we all turned toward the main mast.  I noticed it was bent at an odd angle.  Then another blast of wind hit it and the mast snapped in two.  It toppled onto the starboard side, shattering the deck and fell into the sea.

"Below deck, Genevieve!" I yelled.  "Either this storm will kill us or fate will spare us, but your magic can't help us now!"

This time, it was all up to my ship.  Could she hold together?

---

UM2 Narration 2 said:

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On the second morning anchored in the clear blue lagoon, I heard a surprised shout from somewhere below deck.  I threw on my blue coat and rushed below, pushing my way past several sailors on my way to the common room where my men slept.  My first mate was standing in the middle of the room with a big grin on his face, which was odd because just the day before he had been bedridden with two broken legs caused during the storm.

"What's this?" I said.

"Dunno, Captain!  I woke up feeling pretty good - no pain," said the first mate.  Genevieve entered at this moment, looked at the man, and grinned.

"Did you do this?" I asked her.

"No, but I have an idea what's responsible," she answered.  She turned to leave.  "I'm going ashore for a while."

"Wait!" I said, running after her.

I found her in her room, gathering her sturdy hiking clothes.  When she started undressing in front of me, I quickly turned my back.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Haven't you noticed this island is teeming with life, Pherlon?  Our hunters don't have to go any further than a few feet into the trees to catch enough deer to feed us all.  And we could probably fish this lagoon for a decade and never run out of food!"

"Yes, but I have a crippled ship here!  We both agree that storm was magical, but we have no idea who would throw such a spell against us.  Aren't you just a little bit worried?" I asked.

"No, I'll handle that problem when I come to it.  Right now, I have a theory to prove."

"But what about my ship?"

"Fix it!" Genevieve said.

I sensed she didn't want to hear about it.  But Mistress Bull was right about one thing; this island was teeming with life, which meant trees as well. Hopefully, there would be enough to repair the Stormwatcher.  It looked like Genevieve wasn't the only one that was going on a hike.

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UM2 Narration 3 said:

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Genevieve might be surprised to learn that I have been listening closely to her rants about her new magic system, especially her ideas about Order Magic.  As she explains it, there are forces in the universe that manipulate magic.  Until now, Wizards believed that magic was influenced by the elements, but Genevieve somehow knew that magic is the force that binds the elements of the universe - not the other way around.  So, what does influence magic?

For some reason, Genevieve is secretive about the specifics, but she did explain that Order is one of those forces that can be used to manipulate magic.  What if it were true?  What if there was such a force as Order that could be used to make sense of the chaos of the sea and storms?

Intriguing, I must admit.

---

UM2 Narration 4 said:

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Even I could see what force this island represented in Genevieve's system of magic - life.  You couldn't walk through this land without startling a bird or rabbit, and every attempt to find fallen branches for firewood turned up nothing.  It seemed as if nothing died naturally here.

I realized as I sat down to eat my evening meal of venison steak that we were a blight, a disease.  We brought death with us.  We were disturbing the land itself.  I would be glad to leave.

---

UM2 Narration 5 said:

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My men may not be lumberjacks, but they're doing a good job cutting and shaping the wood I need to make the repairs on the Stormwatcher.  Just in case, I'm having them build an extra mast as well.  So, our cargo hold is filled with barrels of fresh water and numerous sacks of fruit, dried meat, and other foodstuffs - enough to last months.

But I doubt we'll be returning home any time soon.  Don't ask me how I know, but I think Genevieve was meant to come to the Broken Isles.  Perhaps that's why she is so obsessed with her research into this new system of magic.  It's her destiny.

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UM2 Narration 6 said:

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Genevieve feIt her defeat of the Air Mage, Arril, was an effective test of her new system of magic - which she now calls Unity Magic.  But I realized the presence of the Air Mage here in the Broken Isles was a sign of more danger to come.  Someone obviously didn't want Genevieve to succeed, and the last time I checked there were four elemental schools of magic.

If Genevieve realized there were three more Wizards out there plotting her death, she seemed unconcerned.  Was this confidence in Unity Magic, or just sheer arrogance?  I couldn't be sure.  I just hoped Genevieve's destiny didn’t cost the lives of my crew and me.

But what could I do?

---

UM2 Placed Event 1 said:

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You hear the hissing of a strong draft blowing through the treetops, but think nothing of it until the wind strikes your face.  The cold air bites into your skin with an unnatural bitterness.  Before you can even draw your weapons, the air suddenly takes the shape of swirling, angry Air Elementals.

Try to use your new magic against us, fool!  We will choke the life from your weak body!"

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UM2 Placed Event 2 said:

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Lightning strikes the ground, startling you.  You topple out of the saddle with a painful thud, and by the time you pick yourself up the Thunderbirds are swooping down for the kill.  Another one of the Air Mage's minions.

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UM2 Placed Event 3 said:

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You stop at mid-day for a meal of the juiciest apples you've ever had, plucked from the trees in this area.  Even in the wild, you've never seen a place as untouched as this paradise.  You've also noticed that each morning you wake refreshed as if you had slept in a warm, cushioned bed.  Could the land itself be responsible?

"Who cares?" you say, reaching for another apple.  Right now, you don't want to have to worry about anything.

But a high-pitched screech makes your ears ring.  A heavy weight settles on the apple tree, spreads it golden wings, and glares hungrily down at you.  It's a Griffin, and it's about to attack!

---

WorldInfo0 said:

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Map 3 - The Isle of Nature

Fleeing sea serpents, the Stormwatcher hides in a shallow bay on one of the Broken Isles.  A Wizard with a powerful command over the element of water demands Genevieve's surrender or in two months he will raise a tidal wave that will destroy the entire island.  Unless Genevieve can find a way to stop the Water Wizard, they are all dead.

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UM3 Narration 1 said:

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Only a few days after we departed the island where Genevieve battled the Wizard of Air, a pair of Sea Serpents started following us.  At first, I thought they were just curious.  But then one of them darted in and butted against the hull of the Stormwatcher, nearly tipping us over.  The second one attacked soon after.

Thankfully, Genevieve was able to confuse the creatures with her magic long enough for me to put some distance between the Sea Serpents and us.  Even though the Stormwatcher is a trading vessel, it was built long and slim to cut easily through the waves.  It was one of the fastest ships on the sea, which probably saved our lives.

For the next week or so, we ran from the Sea Serpents.  During this time, more joined the original pair until we could no longer determine exactly how many were chasing us.  Night and day they continued their tireless hunt.

"Are Serpents normally so determined?" Genevieve asked me once.

"No," I replied.  "They're territorial creatures.  Usually you can escape them by leaving their territory, but we've long since left the home of these beasts!"

"Then this is probably another attack by the Elemental Wizards."

"That's my guess," I said.  Genevieve had made some powerful enemies.  "We're not going to lose them.  We need to go where these Sea Serpents can't."

"That would be the land, but I'm not ready to lose the Stormwatcher yet."

After a moment of thought, she said, "What about shallow water?"

It was worth a try.

---

UM3 Narration 2 said:

---

Unlike our two previous stops, this island is completely overgrown with wildlife.  Every step of our journey is a hardship.  The vegetation grows thickly here that I must cut it with my saber, and some of the plants even seem to reach out for you if you remain still for too long.

After our first night's sleep, I woke with several vines grown over my body, binding me to the ground.  If I hadn't been able to free a hand and draw my knife, I think I might have become a permanent part of the landscape.

---

UM3 Narration 3 said:

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I had worked up quite a sweat cutting a path through the vines and bushes that grow over every inch of this island, so when I saw the clear, blue pool of water I practically threw myself into it.  Instead, I bent over, cupped my hands in the cool liquid, and splashed it over my head.  When I stared back into the water, the face looking back at me was not my own.

"I am Oepelam, Master of Water!" the shimmering image said.

After I got over my initial shock, I said, "I am Pherlon, Captain of the Stormwatcher."

"I know," said Oepelam, "you are the one I wish to talk to.  You are a man of the sea, Pherlon, so you probably have a profound respect for the elements - especially Air and Water."

"Yes."

"Then why don't you realize how dangerous this woman's ideas are?  She's trying to destroy magic!"

"I think she's actually trying to improve it," I said.

"No, she wants to destroy us.  She's said as much!  We're only protecting ourselves here, protecting our way of life.  You've got to understand that!"

I sympathized with the man.  If Genevieve's Unity Magic caught on, this master of Water Magic would be reduced to an apprentice again.  But I said nothing.

"We don't want to harm any innocents," Oepelam continued, "but we'll do what we have to, Pherlon.  That's why I'm raising a tidal wave that will crush that island and drag it beneath the waves forever!  But I give you one chance to escape.  If you leave Genevieve behind, I will spare your life and the life of your crew.  I swear it!  In two months time, a tidal wave will destroy that island, whether you're on it or not.  Take this chance I have given you!"

Oepelam's image vanished, leaving me to stare at the still water.  His offer, I must admit, was appealing.

---

UM3 Narration 4 said:

---

Do not think ill of me because it took a couple weeks for me to tell Genevieve about my talk with the Water Mage, Oepelam.  I had a crew and a ship to think about, not to mention children to feed.  I am no good to them dead.

And at this time I wasn't wholly convinced Genevieve was worth dying for.  You see, she rebuked all my attempts to strike up a friendship, turning every conversation away from personal topics.  We shared a glass of rum or wine each night, but she only wanted to talk about her theories.  She wasn't even interested in my input!

If this was simply an exploration expedition, I still might've considered the risks acceptable, but in her usual manner Genevieve had made enemies of these elemental Wizards even before we departed for the Broken Isles.  She could've warned me that we might run into opposition.  She could've told me that four extremely powerful mages would try to stop her.  I don't believe for a second Genevieve didn't expect them to attack.  She's smarter than that.

So, she put the Stormwatcher, her crew, and me at risk for her own selfish reasons.  Would it be so wrong to abandon her to her own fate?

---

UM3 Narration 5 said:

---

The morning after I told her about Oepelam's threat, I found Genevieve crouched by a tree.  She was poking at the vines curled around its trunk and smelling the fungi that grew at its base.  She seemed more interested in her research than getting off this island before that tidal wave came.  I felt my cheeks grow hot with anger.

"Do you ever stop?"

Genevieve glanced up at me, shrugged, and turned her attention back to the tree.

"This is really exciting!" she said.  "Have you noticed how entirely wild everything is?  If this land were not surrounded by water, I'd bet it would grow spread like a fire over the entire world!"

No wonder people called her Mistress Bull.  She was stubborn beyond belief!  "We're about to die here, woman!  Don't you even care?" I said.

Rubbing her dirty hands on her trousers, Genevieve stood to stare me in the eyes.  "Don't worry about it, Pherlon.  We'll get away in time."

"If you have a plan, I'd like to hear it.  I'll let you play with your theories and magic all you want.  Have your secrets!  I don't care!  But when something concerns my ship, my crew, or my own life, I expect you to be forthcoming," I said.

Genevieve's expression changed, growing stern and cold, but I stood my ground.  Leaving her to drown on this island was looking more appealing every day.

I expected my companion to explode - her temper was infamous.  I was surprised when she surrendered.

"You're right," she said.  Genevieve unhitched her horse from a low-hanging branch and mounted.

"I do have a plan, Pherlon.  If I can convince the Elemental Lords to teach me how to magically summon Elementals, we'll be perfectly safe.  With Water Elementals surrounding the Stormwatcher, the tidal wave will never touch us.  In fact, they will probably be able to make the wave disappear altogether!"

I had nothing more to say, especially since she proved me wrong.  She had been working on saving us all along.

---

UM3 Narration 6 said:

---

I stayed up with Genevieve all night while she summoned the Water Elementals - twenty-four in all.  When she finished, she immediately asked for some wine, so I ordered some to be brought from the Stormwatcher.

"Will that be enough to stop the wave?" I asked her.

"Probably more than enough," she said.  Her voice sounded gravelly.  That's when I noticed her lips were cracked and dry as if she had gone days without drink.

"Are you all right?"

"I will be as soon as I get that wine."

"It won't be long."

"In the meantime, you might as well prepare the Stormwatcher for departure.  If we're not out at sea when we meet the tidal wave, no amount of Water Elementals are going to help," Genevieve said.

I nodded, but I did not mention that there was a problem with her plan.  Someone out there, where the shallow shelf of this bay dropped into the deep sea, the Sea Serpents waited.  If we were going to survive, we had to battle them first.

---

UM3 Narration 7 said:

---

At the first sign of their long, dark backs, Genevieve ordered the Stormwatcher's crew below decks.  They would only be a hindrance. So, I stood next to Genevieve at the bow of my ship.  The Water Elements would support us.  Genevieve insisted that if they died she could just summon more.

"Here comes the first one," I said as the ocean parted to reveal a gaping maw.

"Come and get it, you slimy worms!" Genevieve shouted.

---

UM3 Quest Proposal 1 said:

---

You thought it was an abandoned cabin at first - a good place to camp for the night.  But as you enter the door slams shut suddenly behind you and the walls begin to change before your eyes.  One bursts into flames.  Opposite it, the wall changes into a block of ice.  You know this is the work of Elementals even before the other walls transform.

"Show yourselves!" you shout.

Out of their respective elements steps the Elemental Lords, being powerful beyond imagining with complete control over Air, Earth, Water and Fire.

"Do not think we fear you, human, for we can rip you apart with a thought!" says the Lord of Air, a swirling, shapeless cloud.

"Why don't we?" screeches the Lord of Fire.

"Why not let the Water Wizard do his work?" asks the Lord of Water.  "Because the Others want this quest to be successful," says the Lord of Earth.

"I don't fear them!  This one," the Fire Lord says, pointing at you, "threatens our power!"

"No, you don't understand!  Unity Magic needs the elements as much as any force.  I cannot remove the elements from magic!" you say.

"The Wizards say you're trying to take the elements out of magic," says the Lord of Air.

"Well, the Wizards don't know what they're talking about!  Give me a chance to show you what I mean."

It takes some time for the Elemental Lords to come to a decision.  "Show us," says the Lord of Earth.

"Bring the elements into your Unity Magic and we will grant you the knowledge to summon Elementals," says the Lord of Air.

"Then you will be able to use my Water Elementals to stop the tidal wave," says the Lord of Water.

Finally, the Lord of Fire floats so close his heat singes your skin.  "Fail, and you will suffer!" he says.

---

UM3 Quest 1 Progress said:

---

You stare again at the cabin where you met the Elemental Lords and realize that it doesn't really exist.  It's just an illusion created by their powerful magic.

---

UM3 Quest 1 Completion said:

---

It takes some time to explain how Nature Magic, and even the other areas of Unity Magic, incorporates the power of the elements, but the Elemental Lords seem fascinated by your every word.  Even the Lord of Fire likes your ideas.

"I say this new system is worth a try," says the Lord of Air.

"Maybe," says the Lord of Earth.

"What do we do about our old Wizards?" asks the Lord of Water.

"Let them do as they wish," says the Fire Lord.  "If they win, then nothing changes, but it matters not if they lose, does it?  At least not to us."

The Elemental Lords each tell you the secret way of summoning Elementals into this world.  Once the lessons are over, they disappear.

---

WorldInfo0 said:

---

Map 4 - The Isle of Mayhem

The Stormwatcher approaches the shores of the infamous Isle of Mayhem where numerous ships have disappeared.  Genevieve hopes to learn something about the Chaos Magic here on this treacherous island, but one of the elemental Wizards has come here as well.

---

UM4 Narration 1 said:

---

I thought nearly being crushed by a tidal wave, or swallowed by a Sea Serpent was bad, but now we have come to the Isle of Mayhem.  This is the only island in the Broken Isles that has a name, perhaps as a warning to stay away.  At least a dozen ships have disappeared in the waters around this tempestuous piece of land.  Storms appear in seconds, catching a ship unawares.  And there are stories about boulders the size of houses falling from the black sky.

This island is cursed, and Genevieve says we must land there.

Although I fought by her side against the Sea Serpents, Genevieve was the one who brought us victory.  I feel I still owe her something.  But to come to the Isle of Mayhem?  I must be a madman.

These are some of the most treacherous seas I have ever known, but the inhospitable coast of the Isle of Mayhem makes our task worse.  There is simply no place to land!  Still, Genevieve is not prepared to give up.

---

UM4 Narration 2 said:

---

To her credit, ever since our argument on the last island, Genevieve has been more open with me.

This morning as we rode, she explained why she had to come to this island.  "Chaos, Pherlon.  Although dangerous, it is part of Unity Magic," she said.

"Whether it is or not, I don't see the point.  Why study it?"

"Because without Chaos, then your favored magic, Order, wouldn't exist.  The whole point to Unity Magic is acknowledging that all of these forces, Order, Chaos, Life, Nature, even Death all influence the universe.  If just one is missing, then they all fall apart!"

Perhaps at the time I should've realized what was in store for the future.  I might even have forced Genevieve back to the Stormwatcher and returned home.  But I was too worried about what we would encounter on the Isle of Mayhem.

"This island is obviously heavily influenced by Chaos," Genevieve continued, "just as the other islands we visited were influence by the forces of Order, Life, and Nature.  You see, I think some magical event in the ancient past tore apart the Broken Isles and the individual forces were bound to the islands.  That's why I had to come here to this place ruled by Chaos, so I can learn how Chaos influences the universe."

She made sense, but that didn't make our task any less dangerous.  But I kept that thought to myself.

---

UM4 Narration 3 said:

---

We soon learned that our enemy had been waiting for us on the Isle of Mayhem.  His name was Hurus, a Fire Mage famous enough that even I had heard of him.  Hurus had fought in many of the battles against the Barbarian, Kilgor, in the last weeks before the Reckoning.  It is said that if not for his involvement, every one of Kilgor's victories would have been massacres instead.

Genevieve has her work cut out for her when she faces this man.

---

UM4 Narration 4 said:

---

I received word today from the Stormwatcher that they were attacked by some of Hurus's Efreeti.  The creatures soared down out of the sky, casting fireballs onto the deck of my ship.  As I read this account, I pictured my prized ship, now a blazing wreck, sinking into waves.

But the message went on to report that Genevieve's Water Elementals, who I thought had abandoned us, saved the day.  They swept over the deck, putting out the fires, and chased off the Efreeti.  Some of the sails will have to be replaced, but otherwise the Stormwatcher is still in one piece.

---

UM4 Narration 5 said:

---

Today, Genevieve learned that Hurus guards the last secrets of Chaos Magic.  He's challenged her to face him, to test her new magic against the full, deadly force of Fire.  If she's at all frightened by the man's reputation, she hasn't revealed it.  In fact, I don't think I have ever seen her afraid.  It's not natural.  Could it be obsession?  Or could there be something (or someone) inside her that has removed that part of her humanity?

---

UM4 Narration 6 said:

---

As I stare at Genevieve standing over the defeated Fire Mage, I could no longer deny that Unity Magic was truly more powerful than the old system.  Neither do I believe that Genevieve is alone in her quest.  There is a depth to her eyes that isn't human.  It's as if the more she learns, the more of herself she surrenders.

When she turned to me, a shiver ran down my back.

"We'll leave this place soon," she said in an even tone.  There was no pride or gloating in her voice even though she had just defeated one of the most powerful Wizards in the world.

"Good," I replied.  "I've been away from my home for far too long!"

"One more stop, Pherlon, and then you can go home."

---

UM4 Placed Event 1 said:

---

You hear a distant boom like thunder, but the sky above is blackened by smoke, not rain clouds.  Volcanoes; there is evidence of their activity all around you.  The ground is burned black and all the trees are lifeless, except maybe for the ones that seem to be watching you.  But then that can't be possible, can it?

Then you look up again at the dark sky as you hear an odd sizzling like fat frying on a pan.  You spot the balls of flame raining from above just in time to seek cover beneath a rock overhang.  The fireballs explode when they hit the ground, but instead of burning out they grow and swirl into the form of Efreeti.

The largest Efreet turns toward you and says, "There's the one our master wants!"

---

UM4 Placed Event 2 said:

---

The long rides have taken a toll on your body, so you stop to take a short nap.  In an hour, you wake feeling refreshed.  You reach for your pack for the bottle of wine you keep stored at the bottom, but your pack is gone.  Perhaps you placed it somewhere else and forgot.  You were tired.

You study your surroundings, but the pack is nowhere to be found.  Also, the cave doesn't seem to be the same as before.  Sure, you were tired when you stopped for your nap, but this tired?  Then you happen to glance at the ceiling.

There it is - your pack!

But how did it get on the ceiling?  Even more unbelievable, how did you horse get on the ceiling?

It takes a few moments the reality of your situation to dawn on you.  Suddenly, you know why the area around you looks so different.  Your horse isn't on the ceiling - you are!

That's when you fall.

---

UM4 Quest 1 Proposal said:

---

As your ship pulls up next to this makeshift home on the water, a middle-aged man with skin burned leathery by a life at sea steps out to greet you.

"Come aboard!  It's been a long time since I've had company," the man says.  Upon closer inspection, you notice his right leg is actually an ornate table leg.

"How did you get here?" you ask.

"Well, it's been a couple years now since me ship, the Wailing Wight, was dragged beneath the waves by a huge Sea Serpent.  Been here ever since," he says.

"How unfortunate!  Uh, you wouldn't happen to know a safe place to land on the Isle of Mayhem, would you?"

"Sure do, but I ain't just gonna tell you."

You sigh heavily.  Why is nothing ever easy?

"What do you want?"

"Bring me the head of the Serpent that ate me leg!" he says with a vengeful gleam in his one good eye.

---

UM4 Quest 1 Progress said:

---

You thought maybe you could stop by and convince the sea captain to show you how to land on the Isle of Mayhem, but when you see him jumping around naked on the deck of his houseboat swinging a butter knife around like a sword you change your mind.

As you turn away, you hear the mad sea captain cry, "Back you rogues, or ye'll feel the bite of me saber!"

---

UM4 Quest 1 Completion said:

---

Your sailors drag the massive Sea Serpent's head onto the houseboat just as the sea captain climbs onto deck.  He sees the trophy you brought him and laughs hysterically.

"Hah!  How does that feel, you ugly sea-maggot?  Got what's comin' to you, didn't ya?"  He starts kicking the head with his wooden leg, so you step forward to get his attention.

"You said you could help me find a landing spot."

"Ah, yes!" he says, handing you a crudely drawn map.  "One of the rocks is actually the shell of a giant sea turtle.  Sail your ship right into it and it'll move out of the way.  I drew its location on the map for you."

You study the map as the sea captain resumes kicking the Serpent.  Amazingly, the Serpent's huge mouth snaps open in one final death spasm.  It swallows the captain whole and then the head and captain both topple into the ocean, sinking like a rock.  You shake your head, telling yourself that this is a story that not even a drunk sailor would believe.

---

WorldInfo0 said:

---

Map 5 - The Isle of Death

Genevieve lands in the middle of an island swarming with the Undead to investigate the final form of Unity Magic called Death Magic.  Meanwhile, Pherlon sails toward this dead island to come to her aid because the two surviving elemental Wizards have come here to stop her.

---

UM5 Narration 1 said:

---

We argued the morning before Genevieve disappeared.  She stepped up on deck, immediately noticed the Stormwatcher was sailing in the wrong direction, and stormed into my cabin.

"Where are you going?" she shouted.  I saw that dangerous, distant inhumanness in her eyes again.

"Home."

I had been waiting for this confrontation ever since I ordered my first mate to alter course.

"I can't let you do it, Genevieve," I said.  "Let me do what?"

Slowly, I stood.  I felt uncomfortable with her looming over me.  At least this way, if her temper got the best of her I would die on my feet.

"I've followed you through all these islands, and every step of the way I have seen these different forms of magic change you just a little.  I fear what you might become when you start delving into Death Magic.  You know what kind of blight the Necromancers were on our old world.  Is that what you want to become?"

Genevieve's hand came up quicker than the eye can see and slapped my cheek with enough force to knock me back into my chair and bring tears to my eyes.

"Wake up, you fool!" she screamed.  "Unity magic is all about balance.  I have already mastered Life Magic.  With that power, I can negate any of the effects Death Magic has on its caster!" she explained, but I could barely hear.  My ears were ringing from her blow.

Where did she get such strength?  And that speed?  Could my suspicions be true?  I had thought them only a paranoid fantasy of mine, but I wasn't so sure anymore.

"I am the captain of this ship," I said softly, calmly.  "The Stormwatcher will take you to that island over my dead body.  Are you willing to go that far for your blasted magic?"

Genevieve made me wait a long time for the answer.  For a moment, I thought she was considering it, and then she turned to leave.

"I'm doing this out of friendship, Genevieve," I called to her.  She did not reply.

That night, when everyone but a single sailor in the crow's nest was asleep, Genevieve came onto deck again.  She walked to the stern, stared up into the sky, and cast a spell.  A moment later, several Griffins swooped down out of the sky and circled above her.  One of them took a swipe at the sailor in the crow's nest when he raised his horn to his lips.  Then another one of the creatures landed on the deck and Genevieve climbed onto its back.

She soared up and circled the Stormwatcher once before she flew up to face the terrified sailor at the top of the ship.

"Tell Captain Pherlon that his debt to me is paid in full," she said.  "He may return home!"

Then she was gone.

---

UM5 Narration 2 said:

---

I spotted the lone ship moored far off shore, but there wasn't any sign of life.  Its sails were folded and tied and there wasn't a flag to identify the ship.  We sailed closer and I called to them maybe a dozen times.  No response.

No man remains a captain for long if he isn't the suspicious sort.  An empty ship, packed up all neatly and moored properly, had numerous reasons to be suspect.  Using the command words Genevieve had taught me, I ordered our Water Elemental protectors to join me, and then I told my first mate to bring the Stormwatcher next to the abandoned ship.

We threw planks across and boarded the ship so quickly that we actually startled the Earth and Water Elementals who were waiting to ambush us.

---

UM5 Narration 3 said:

---

After the Earth and Water Elemental guards were destroyed, the crew of the mystery ship came into the open, immediately surrendering.  I walked among the men, studying their frightened faces and their naked backs.  More than half had fresh, angry whelps where they had recently been whipped.  The others had scars from similar wounds.

"Which one of you is the first mate?" I asked.

A dark-skinned man with intelligent eyes stepped forward.

"Who is the captain of this vessel?"

"That would be our master, Oepelam," said the first mate.

Oepelam - the Water Mage who tried to get me to abandon Genevieve to the tidal wave.  I should have figured.

"Where is your master now?" I asked.

"Ashore with the Earth Mage, Grumthor.  They've gone to kill some woman."

My stomach tightened at this news.  I saw Genevieve defeat the Fire Mage, Hurus, but could she defeat two Wizards of equal power?  She was outnumbered and she was unaware that the two men were so close.  I had to help.  But first I addressed the nervous sailors standing before me.

"You're all free men now," I said loudly.  Some cheered.  Others didn't believe me.

"I am Pherlon, Captain of the Stormwatcher.  I am a fair captain - feel free to ask my own crew.  Since this ship flies no flag, nor has any visible name, it is my right to claim it as lost at sea.  It's my property now, and I dub it 'Genevieve's Folly'!  You are welcome to stay on as my crew, but Pherlon will own no slave so you are all freemen now!"

This time, the entire crew cheered and whistled.

"Now, get this ship in proper condition.  I expect it to be perfect by the time I return," I ordered.

"Uh, sir?" said the first mate of Genevieve's Folly.  "Where are you going?"

"I'm going ashore.  If I don't return, then I will Genevieve's Folly to the crews of my two ships, but the Stormwatcher I will to my family."

I returned to the Stormwatcher to collect my things.  Somehow, I had to find Genevieve and warn her about the two Mages that were hunting her.  I didn't relish the idea of walking upon that dead land, but somewhere along the way I have grown fond of that woman.

---

UM5 Narration 4 said:

---

When Genevieve came to me, she was thin and pale.  She could barely walk, and when I took her in my arms her skin was cold.  Something else was missing as well - that blank inhumanness that I have seen in her eyes.  For the first time, she was afraid.

"I need your help, Pherlon," she pleaded.

"You have it!  We've got to get you off this island," I said.

She nodded.  Her quest was over, but what did it cost her?  There was one feature of Unity Magic that Genevieve never thought about.  No one person was ever meant to know all its secrets.  It is too much for the human soul to handle.

"Come, Genevieve," I said, helping her up to her horse, "you'll feel much better when we're back on the Stormwatcher."

But would she ever be the same?

---

UM5 Zombie Quest Proposal said:

---

You cover your nose with your cloak as you enter.  The sour stench of rot is so strong in here that it makes your eyes water.  The cause, a plump Zombie, is sitting at a table, apparently waiting for you.

The Zombie inhales deeply through his nose and grins.

"Ooo!  I could smell your living flesh when you were outside.  It's so... pleasant up close," the Zombie says.

"I wish I could say the same," you say, almost gagging.

"Now, be careful!  Don't want to upset the one you came to learn from, do you?"

"What can you teach me?"

"Well, I may not be the most knowledgeable, but I do know the basics of Death Magic.  Would you like to know them as well?" the Zombie says.

"Yes!"

"Then you first lesson is to find a group of Monks who have recently come to this island to slay the Undead.  Return here only when you have accomplished this."

---

UM5 Zombie Quest Progress said:

---

Why put yourself through the reek of death again if you don't have to?

---

UM5 Zombie Quest Completion said:

---

As the Zombie demanded, you return to his little home and drop their bloodied robes on the table in front of him.

"There," you say, "now teach me what you know or you'll end up in worse shape!"

The Zombie grins, showing you his blackened, rotten teeth.  He holds one of the robes to his nose and takes a long whiff.

"Have a seat," he says.  "This has been a good beginning.  Listen to me carefully, then you will have to learn your next lessons on your own.  When you have become more advanced in your knowledge of Death Magic, I suggest you seek out a close friend of mine - he's a Vampire."

---

UM5 Vampire Quest Proposal said:

---

A well-dressed Vampire greets you at the door, inviting you in for a meal but you refuse.

"Let's just talk here," you say.

"Fine," he says as if he had been insulted.  "The knowledge you seek is rare.  Few know it, which is how I'd like to keep it.  But if you can bring me the blood of 3 Crusaders who are pure of heart, I will teach you what I know."

---

UM5 Vampire Quest Progress said:

---

You're just too tired to continue, so you stop by the Vampire's house even though you haven't killed the Crusaders yet.  However, you quickly realize the stupidity of this decision when you catch the Vampire leaning over your neck.

"Uh," you say, jumping to your feet, "gotta go!"

---

UM5 Vampire Quest Completion said:

---

You carry the blood of the pure Crusaders to the Vampire in 3 bottles, placing them in a wine rack in the frigid cellar.  The Vampire opens one of the bottles and sniffs it as if it were a fine vintage of wine.

"That's nice," he says.  "Will you join me?"

"No, thank you," you say.

"Well, come upstairs with me.  I'll teach you a few things while I have my dinner."

You follow, wondering why the thought of watching the Vampire drink a bottle of blood isn't making you gag.

---

UM5 Tarot Quest Proposal said:

---

The home is empty.  You're just about to leave, but you walk by a table and spot a deck of cards that didn't used to be there.  Before your eyes, the cards shuffled themselves and fly from the deck as if someone were giving you a tarot reading.

You sit across from the cards and watch.  The first card is a glorious angel.

The second card is a bloody sword.  The third card is a gleaming feather.  And the final card is a tower.

"If I must," you say, standing.

To gain the Mastery of Death Magic, you must first kill Archangels.

---

UM5 Tarot Quest Progress said:

---

The cards don't move, no matter how long you sit at the table.  You'll have to come back when you have the feathers of the Archangels.

---

UM5 Tarot Quest Completion said:

---

You place the feathers of the Archangels on the table and sit down.  Even though the day is still young, you feel as though you've been marching for a week straight without sleep.  It feels good to rest for a moment.

And then the cards begin to shuffle themselves.  From the bottom of the deck floats a single card depicting a human skull with gleaming red eyes.  The eyes seem to glow with a power of their own, and as you stare at them you feel drawn to another place.

---

UM5 Dark Knight Quest Proposal said:

---

Standing in front of the doors to this bleak tower is a knight in blackened armor.  His metal-gloved hands rest on a greatsword.  You're still twenty feet from the dark knight when you feel a chill bite deeply beneath your skin.  You don't know how you know, but that unearthly cold is emanating from the guardian.

"Are you worthy?" a deep, muffled voice bellows from within the knight's demonic helm.  "Only a Master of Death may pass. The unworthy will die!"

---

UM5 Dark Knight Quest Progress said:

---

The unholy guardian's words still haunt you.

"Only a Master of Death may pass.  The unworthy will die!"

Knowing that you will be deemed unworthy, you turn back.

---

UM5 Dark Knight Quest Completion said:

---

You try to swallow the lump in your throat and approach the dark knight, but as you get near he steps aside and the doors open on their own.

"The Scholar awaits, Master!" says the knight.

---

UM5 Scholar Quest Proposal said:

---

You find a pale little girl no older than eight sitting on the ground playing with the skulls of a cat and mouse. When she looks up at you with her white eyes, you almost flee.

"I'm looking for the Scholar," you say.

"I am the Scholar."

As impossible as that possibility seems, you believe her.  "I have..."

"...Come to learn all the secrets of Death.  Yes, I know, and I think you are almost ready to hear them too."

"Yes, I am!"

The Scholar holds up the mouse skull and asks you, "Tell me, little mouse, who is the cat that chases you?"

For a moment, you're not sure what she means, but then understanding dawns on you.  "My cat is the elemental mages," you say.

"Yes," she smiles, "their names are Grumthor and Oepelam.  Kill these nasty cats and bring me their skulls so that I can play with them.  Then you will know everything!"

---

UM5 Scholar Quest Progress said:

---

You search all around but the Scholar is nowhere to be found.

---

UM5 Scholar Quest Completion said:

---

You set the heads of Grumthor and Oepelam to either side of the little girl known as the Scholar.  She looks at their terrible visages and smiles sweetly.

"Aren't my new cats beautiful?"

"Yes."

Absently, the Scholar strokes Oepelam's long hair as if it were a pet.

"What can you teach me, Scholar?" you ask.  Suddenly, as if you sensed trouble around the corner, you want to get away from this little girl.

"You already have the knowledge you seek.  You only have to look inward, search for the power you had the moment you took the lives of those monks.  Feel the pleasure you must have felt when you drained the blood of those Crusaders, or when you tore the feathers from the Archangels.  Look into the dead eyes of Grumthor and Oepelam here - you will find your secrets there!"

---

CNM_TR-1_Outro said:

---

Genevieve had found her answers.  She had proved the viability of her theories.  A whole new philosophy of magic.

In the following years, Unity magic supplanted the old ways.  Instead of referring to the Elements, wizards and scholars would now talk of Order, Life, Chaos and Nature...

As for the last school...  It is said Genevieve's Tome of Death Magic was lost.  That it fell overboard during the trip back from the Broken Isles.

But here's a little-known truth: it is Genevieve herself who tied the book to a weight and abandoned it to the waves.  Pherlon's words had finally reached her.

What is magic?  A gift and a curse.  No mortal was ever meant to know all of its secrets.  As Pherlon once said, it is too much for the human soul to handle.

A strong-willed woman undertook this journey, but only a haggard shell returned.

Like the Broken Isles themselves, Genevieve was a broken woman, having left her sanity, her humanity, back on those cursed isles.

Such is the price to pay to wield the power of the Ancients.

---