Crystals of Silveria Series Hub & Junihoshi Guidebook - By GamerZack7

Thank you, SigourneyBeaver and SuperVash. I'm happy that more people are reading my story.

It's been a long time since the last update, so I've decided to give you a sample of the upcoming episode of Crystals of Silveria. Enjoy!

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Scene 1: Outside Stormshroud Academy: Late Afternoon

Amethyst and Zed stand at the gate outside the prestigious Stormshroud Academy for Young Mages, an enormous campus nestled within Silveria City’s Mage’s District.

Amethyst: Here it is, Zed: Stormshroud Academy for Young Mages, the most prestigious magic college in all of Ornoposia.

Zed: It’s incredible…

Amethyst: Shall we enter?

Zed: Yes please!

Scene 2: Entrance Hall: Stormshroud Academy: Late Afternoon

The gigantic wooden doors swing open as Amethyst and Zed enter the main building. Zed marvels at the dark brown wooden architecture, which is carved into a number of intricate patterns and shapes.

Amethyst: I, too, marvelled at the architecture when I first came to this place.

Zed: It’s amazing…the attention to detail…it must have taken years to complete!

Amethyst: Indeed.

Male Voice: How did you enter this building?!

A man walks down the gigantic staircase and begins to head for Amethyst and Zed.

Man: Only students and faculty are able to enter this academy.

The man walks over to Amethyst. A smile spreads across his face.

Man: Of course, former students must know how to enter.

Amethyst smiles.

Amethyst: Alekzander Stormshroud. It has been too long.

Alekzander: Amethyst Moondew. It is good to see your sweet smile again.

Alekzander looks at Zed.

Alekzander: Is this your apprentice, Amethyst?

Amethyst: Indeed. This is Zed Starmute.

Alekzander: Good to meet you, Zed. Call me Alek. Everybody else does.

Zed: Good to meet you too.

Alek: Is there a reason you two have come here?

Amethyst: Well, I have just begun to teach Zed how to-

Voice: ALEK!

An elderly gentleman runs downstairs up to Alek.

Alek: What is the matter, Headmaster?

Headmaster: The drakes have escaped from the barn! They are running rampant around campus! They almost tackled the groundkeeper into the pool - and he cannot swim!

Alek: Then we must hurry! Amethyst? Zed? I could use your assistance.

Amethyst: We would be more than happy to assist!

Alek: Then let us go!

The three mages race out of the door.

Headmaster: Good luck to you all!

Alek: Thank you, Headmaster!

Headmaster: I certainly made the right choice by making him an academy master. Oh well, back to sorting paperwork.

The headmaster begins heading upstairs.

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OPENING CREDITS

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Scene 2: Stormshroud Academy: Late Afternoon

Amethyst, Zed and Alek walk into the entrance hall from outside.

Alek: I must say that was exhilarating! I have not had this much excitement for quite some time!

Amethyst: Indeed. Your skills have improved greatly since last we met.

Zed: I thought that would be more dangerous than it was.

Amethyst: Whatever do you mean?

Zed: Well, I thought we were going to be chasing gigantic lizards with sharp teeth and claws, not…ducks.

Alek laughs.

Alek: We would not be so careless as to keep reptilian drakes inside a wooden barn on campus grounds, Zed.

Zed: That’s a relief.

Alek: No no, we keep those inside the monster enclosure. That’s it, just over there.

Alek points to a metal building at a far corner of campus grounds, surrounded by a high, jagged-metal fence and a deep moat. Loud roars can be heard from within. Zed squeals.

Zed: Th-That’s less comforting.

Alek: Relax, Zed. No monster has escaped from there in thirty years. And even that was just a minor threat.

Zed: Really?

Alek: Oh, yes. All that dragon did was eat half the animals in the barn and destroy the left side of the dormitories. And the language he used was so…colourful, to say the least. I was two years old at the time, yet I still remember the incident vividly, so there is no need for concern.

A shocked look spreads across Zed’s face.

Amethyst: Uh…why don’t we head inside and have a good meal?

Zed: D-Dragons! I-In the sch-school…

Scene 3: Temple of Marilina: Late Afternoon

Mak, Emily and Bryn enter the Temple of Marilina, a shrine dedicated to Marilina Silverblade, a human paladin who was ascended and became an Astral Being. Bryn feels as though he is out-of-place.

Bryn: I don’t even revere Marilina. Why did you bring me here?

Mak: You know exactly why, Bryn.

Bryn: Oh, it’ll clear itself up eventually.

Mak: Are you absolutely sure?

Bryn: Well…not really, no.

Emily: Just speak with the High Priestess. She will do all she can to help.

Bryn: Fine…

Scene 4: Temple of Marilina: Late Afternoon

High Priestess: I am afraid there is nothing I can do.

Mak: But what about him?

High Priestess: It will clear up eventually.

Bryn: HA! What did I tell you?

Emily: We thank you, High Priestess.

Emily bows. The High Priestess bows right back.

High Priestess: May Marilina guide you on your journey.

Bryn: Well, this was a waste of time.

Mak: Visiting the Temple of Marilina is never a waste.

Bryn: I just hope my buddy Brocc is having the time of his life.

**********

Brocc is pursued through a deserted alley by two human thugs wielding big clubs.

Thug #1: I’ll teach you to sing like a screeching owlbear!

Brocc: I was just trying to entertain people!

Thug #1: Well it sounded like you were deliberately mocking our voices!

Thug #2: We’ll pound you, you no-good kid!

Brocc: I'm no kid! I'm a gnome!

Thug #2: Yeah right! We'll deck you for lying to an adult, you spoiled brat!

Brocc: Oh, Thobrun! Where did you go? I need you NOW!

**********

Mak: When is Brocc not having the time of his life?

Bryn: True…lucky duck.

Emily walks up to Mak and Bryn.

Emily: I must meditate and replenish my celestial magic.

Bryn: In that case we’ll look for the nearest nightclub.

Mak: Bryn! We are in a sacred temple!

Emily: Mak, please. The two of you should go and entertain yourselves. I will be quite a while.

Mak: Very well. We will be back here in two hours.

Emily smiles.

Emily: I look forward to it.

Mak smiles.

Mak: Okay, Bryn. Lead the way.

Bryn: With pleasure!

Scene 5: Stormshroud Academy: Late Night

Zed is asleep in bed. He is awoken by a small, bright blue orb of light hovering above his bed. The orb floats over to his door.

Zed: What the…?

Zed climbs out of bed, puts on his shirt and boots and makes his way over to the door, opening it. The orb floats out of the door and makes its way down the corridor. Zed follows it.

Scene 6: Stormshroud Academy: Late Night

The orb floats up to a door labelled “Familiar Studies”. Zed walks up to the door.

Zed’s thoughts: I can’t go in there at this time of night!

The door swings open. Zed looks down and sees what resembles a tiny blue dragon no taller than Zed’s shin on the ground.

Zed: A dragon?

Zed hears a familiar voice from within the room.

Voice: A nanodragon, actually. One of the most elusive creatures of all.

Zed: Oh, Alek.

Alek: Please, come in.

Zed: Okay.

Zed walks into the classroom. Inside are a number of white tables and grey chairs. Posters describing various creatures cover the walls. A counter runs along the back wall with five eggs nested on top of it. A large blackboard is mounted on the left wall with the words “Master Stormshroud” and “Familiar Studies” written on it in white chalk.

Alek: I apologise for disturbing your rest.

Zed: It’s fine.

Alek: Did you like my illusion?

Zed: That thing was a spell?

Alek: Indeed. Illusion is my specialty school of magic.

Zed: Oh.

Zed looks around the room.

Zed: Why am I here?

Alek: Tell me Zed, what was the first thing you noticed in this room?

Zed: Uh…the nanodragon. Why?

Alek: When a student is ready to choose his or her familiar, they must enter this room. It is almost certain that the first thing they notice will be one of the posters mounted on the wall. Each one depicts an animal well-suited for being a familiar.

The nanodragon climbs up onto Alek’s right shoulder, draping its tail over his left shoulder. It looks over at Zed and speaks with a masculine voice.

Nanodragon: The animal depicted on the poster is recommended to the student as his or her perfect match. The fact that you first noticed me and not one of the posters means that your perfect match may, in fact, not be any of the animals in question.

Zed: Oh…

Nanodragon: What was the next thing you noticed?

Zed: Uh…the eggs on the bench-top.

Alek: The eggs appear ordinary, with plain, beige shells, yet you took notice of them. Why is that?

Zed: I’m not sure. I just thought they looked cool.

Alek: Pick up the first egg that caught your eye.

Zed walks up to the eggs, which he notices appear somewhat bigger than a hen’s egg. He picks up the egg between the middle one and the right-hand one.

Alek: Now speak the bottom-most word on the blackboard.

Zed: Uh… “Familiar!”

The egg begins to glow, its shell turning a shimmering silver. The egg then stops glowing.

Alek: You have now bonded with your familiar, connecting you both for eternity.

Zed: My familiar is an egg?

Alek: For now, yes.

Zed: Interesting.

Alek: You should return to your room. I trust you need to rest some more.

Zed: It couldn’t hurt.

Alek: Good. I have some business to which I must attend. Goodnight, Zed.

Zed: Goodnight.

Zed leaves the room. Alek closes the door.

Zed: Okay, I have a nanodragon egg. Hey there, little guy.

Zed's thoughts: Look at me, I'm talking to an egg. I wonder when it will hatch...

A mysterious figure lurks in the darkness, watching as Zed heads back to his room. The figure is mostly obscured, with the only visible feature being one end of a quarterstaff with fuchsia-coloured ribbons wrapped around it.

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Let me know what you think of it! [/b][/b]

I enjoy your chapter end commercials.

Rukiafan wrote:I enjoy your chapter end commercials.

Why thank you, Rook E. Ephan (your potential fantasy name).

Yay a sneak peek of episode two!
ThankyouThankyouThankyou!

In Junihoshi, adventurers are typically registered into a guild; anybody who isn't part of a guild isn't an officially-recognised adventurer. All twelve guilds are part of a coalition known as the Adventurers' League, and each guild caters to different kinds of adventurers. Indeed, each of the people in Zed's party is a member of a guild:

Amethyst and Brocc are both members of the Mages' Guild, a guild which caters to those who use the arcane arts. Its services include a vast collection of knowledge and spells, places to practice bardic performances, and even special training for wizards and bards of every kind.

Mak is registered in the Fighters' Guild, a guild specifically for those skilled in martial combat. Its services include combat training, mastery of special kinds of weapon, and tactical games designed to increase skill.

Emily and Thobrun are in the Celestial Guild, a guild for people who revere the Astral Beings more than most. Its services include healing of the sick and injured, studying ancient lore relating to the Astral Sea, and training services for clerics and paladins of every description...except for dark paladins.

Bryn joined the Rogues' Guild upon deciding to be an adventurer, a guild for those who follow a slightly-different path. Its services include special training in swift, silent combat, mastery of strange methods of bringing down threats, and training grounds designed just for rogues.

The other guilds follow a similar model: the Druids' Guild, Barbarians' Guild, Rangers' Guild, Mystics' Guild, Shadow Guild, Fey Guild, Elemental Guild and Star Guild all have their own unique services, but there are some services common to every guild: mercenaries, individuals who can be hired for the right price; accommodation and general services for members and their allies; and a few other services as well.

Beautiful story!

Thank you, Kushina-chan!

The Ethereal Expanse is a great landscape of metal shrouded in a white mist. Serving as the bridge between the Prime Material Plane and the Elemental Planes, it is home to a few types of species and beings. In particular, it is the home of the immortals of the elements, the genies. There are four main kinds of genie, and each one has a certain set of personality traits; the one thing that all genies are capable of doing is granting the desires of mortals, but each variety has different ways of granting such wishes.

The dao, or earth genies, are very structured and orderly in both personality and mannerism. Most dao come off as being very orderly in their tone, always keeping to a strict set of vocal and movement patterns. The wishes they grant have a great number of rules and regulations, with some amount of freedom for only those that they deem worthy.

The efreet, or fire genies, come off as being slightly unnerving. Many individuals become intimidated upon encountering an efreeti, and it is this kind of genie which is most likely to coax an individual into making wishes. Wishes granted by efreet almost always have great consequences, with the third wish of an individual often being that they wish their wishes had never happened; this always resets the number of allowed wishes back to three, with the sensible leaving without making another wish, and the foolish attempting to make wishes once again.

The djinn, or air genies, are seen by many as having whimsical, carefree personalities. They are happiest when they are doing their own thing, not bound to grant the wishes of mortals. When a djinni is called upon to grant wishes, he or she is typically happy to grant whichever wish is asked of them, although djinn still obey the basic laws of wish-granting observed by every genie. Due to their carefree attitude to granting wishes, the results are usually magnified by many times, often leaving the mortal with too much of a supposedly-good thing. It is also important for a mortal to word her wish carefully, lest the result be different to what she intended.

The marids, or water genies, are observed as calm, kind and compassionate. Most mortals who know the difference between genies would rather seek out a marid as they usually provide better results than other genies. Having said that, marids judge a person by a number of factors to determine their worth; if they dislike an individual due to having certain personality flaws or desires which could result in drastic complications, they will turn down that individual. Those that are deemed worthy find their service to be most impeccable, with marids even going so far as to allow do-overs on certain poorly-conceived wishes.

There are laws governing the types of wish that a genie may grant, with some of the biggest ones listed below:

-No wishing for more wishes
-No wishing to end somebody's life or erase them from reality
-No wishing for events that would drastically reshape the cosmos, especially the Prime Material Plane
-No wishing for automatic enlightenment
-If one wishes for immortality, they become the kind of genie most like their personality

Each type of genie also has additional rules relating to wish-granting, though dao have the most and djinn have the least.

And now for a description of each of the episodes from the first season!

Spoiler:

Junihoshi has access to many other planes of reality, but it is not the only world. By accessing a mysterious city it is possible to journey to many more worlds, some of which are briefly described below:

The world of Atonius is a world of conflict, with fifteen dragonborn empires constantly at odds with each other; wars have started over seemingly-insignificant consequences such as a single dragonborn's outfit from a rival nation being too bright and colourful. Nonetheless, the dragonborn have learned to get along, although prejudice is still common. Most of the world's non-dragonborn races live on the continent of Tidarastrix, which is divided into three main nations: Munthrek, Tundar and Wieva. More exotic races generally dwell within their own nations, including a sixteenth race of peaceful, conflict-neutral dragonborn who refuse to get involved in any squabbles.

The world of Astrumium may look like your typical fantasy realm, and for the most part it is. However, there are some things which set it apart. Virtually everybody can trace their genealogy to include the presence of dragons, which makes everybody part-dragon! Often this means nothing as their "dragonblood" is so diluted that there are no visible signs. For a number of individuals, though, they may have more tell-tale signs such as patches of scaly skin on parts of their bodies, dragon-like eyes, pointed teeth or even dark fingernails and toenails. Even rarer does an individual possess more potent traits such as dragon wings, dragon breath or a dragon tail. The people most like dragons who aren't strictly full dragons look more-or-less like draconic humanoids. These "dragonborn" often have one dragon and one non-dragon parent, although such individuals are rare in the modern world as dragons rarely make contact with non-dragons.

The world of Polinthed...hm...lemme get back to you on that one.

I figure here's as good a place as any to plug my newest D&D world:

In a world of darkness, where threats and monsters appear at every corner, the bastions of civilisation shine like beacons. This world is Polinthed, a realm in which the civilised peoples band together against the evil that permeates the land. In this realm, heroes are common, and many rise above the challenges they face. Like four points of a compass, the world is linked to the surrounding planes, each associated with an alignment. Good, evil, law and chaos...and the world itself, sitting on neutral ground, in perfect harmony with the cosmos. Welcome to Polinthed...

Let me know what you think of that load of blurb!

Your world looks familiar somehow.

Progress on the series is a little slow at the moment, but I'll try and have the next episode finished this week.

Okay, it's now time to reveal the origins of the world of Junihoshi with a short story! Direct from the campaign guide, I present to you...

Origin of Junihoshi: The Titans’ Corruption

Millennia ago, the world of Junihoshi was populated by primeval creatures, its guardians the Titans of the Elemental Planes. They kept the world in balance, ensuring that everything ran smoothly. Naturia, the manifestation of nature, made sure that the world flourished with life. During that age, the only sentient beings were the first dragons. They began primitive, but over time they developed their own society and culture. Then, everything changed when one dragon discovered the path to ascension.

Celeste Ternock, a dragon whose scales were said to shimmer with all the colours of the rainbow, focused her mind and body through meditation, and in an instant she reached a greater being and ascended to the Astral Sea, becoming the first Astral Being. Other dragons heard the news, and they too aspired to ascend and join their kin. However, some of those dragons tried their hardest to find a quick path to enlightenment, and when none could be achieved, they became bitter and angry, resolving to retreat into seclusion and live out their lives in solitude.

Naturia, who still longed for sentient activity in the world, decided that there should be new beings to fill the void that the dragons had left when they retreated to seclusion, and so she influenced transformation of some of the creatures, plants and terrain of the world into the first humanoid races: the dwarves were transformed from the rock and soil; the elves were transformed from the raw essence of nature; the gobs were transformed from ancient creatures; the four protohuman tribes were accelerated into advanced forms, becoming the giants, orcs, halflings and humans; the nymphs were transformed from trees; the satyrs were transformed from woodland mammals; and the gnomes were transformed from a mysterious arcane force. Celeste, too, influenced new cultures, transforming some dragons into the first ryukoni and a species of ancient lizard into the ancestors of the kobles.

The Titans, who had originally maintained balance in the world, began to feel threatened by this new wave of life. They eventually decided to send a warning to Naturia and Celeste. They banished some of the elves to the Plane of Shadow and the Plane of Faerie, influencing them into new, bizarre forms. They reversed the giants, orcs and gobs back into primitive forms, which caused problems with some of the races of the world. Naturia and Celeste tried to rectify the problem. They returned the changed elves to the world, but they could not undo the transformations that the Titans had made. The Titans had become corrupt with power, and both Naturia and Celeste became fearful of what would happen if the Titans continued to spread their influence across the new natural order. They used their powers to keep the Titans at bay for as long as they could. It was a temporary solution as the Titans would eventually break free and wreak havoc, but it bought them some time to think of a more permanent solution.

Thousands of years passed, and the Titans started to wriggle free from the bindings cast by Naturia and Celeste. The solution became obvious when a koble who was named, strangely enough, Koble managed to ascend. Naturia and Celeste resolved to ascend twelve individuals, one member of each advanced race. A ryukoni, a dark elf, a dwarf, a high elf, a wood elf, a bolgard, a halfling, an orcborn, a human, a nymph, an satyr and a gnome were all chosen to become Astral Beings. Together, the fifteen entities focused their power to seal the Titans within each Elemental Plane. The seals were permanent, impossible to break by absolutely any means. The Titans’ power and form were forever bound, never again to re-emerge.

The Astral Beings retreated to the Celestial Planes, where they watch over the world. Over time, more people have ascended, adding to the number of celestials. Today, Junihoshi is once again in balance, and people live in relative harmony. Some elementals still serve the trapped Titans, following their bidding, but they are forever sealed. Now, adventurers wander the world, seeking adventure – and possibly ascension – along the way.

Well, I have created five more characters:

Kendall White, a wolfborn who also happens to be Alek's apprentice, becomes a good friend to Zed in the current episode. Like Alek his specialty is illusion magic, but Kendall's cantrip selection is slightly different to Zed's; he has never learned how to cast prestidigitation properly and is impressed by Zed's proficiency with the cantrip, but he is exceptional at casting ghost sound, and is able to create an eerie, ghostly howl which he uses to frighten Ned and Kel.

Kendall's half-sister Laura is a human, which leaves Zed a little confused until the reasoning is explained to him. She, like Zed, is a natural mage, giving her great skill with evocations, though her added time spent mastering her powers makes her a little more skilled than the amnesiac Crystalbound. Laura seems to be the only student capable of keeping Ned and Kel from causing too much ruckus, although she did run into some trouble involving the two bumbling bullies.

Nedford and Kelbort are the resident bullies of Stormshroud Academy. They always end up in deep dragon dung with Alek, who is very stern and harsh toward them both for their constant misbehaviour. Despite their apparent disregard for rules and structure, they do have a compassionate side, always sticking together and supporting one another. Their magical abilities are not the greatest, yet they always criticise others' technique. They can't stand Zed, using the derogatory insult "cantripper" to address him, which angers Alek, Kendall and Laura, yet Zed doesn't understand the significance behind the term.

Eugolelias Stormshroud is the headmaster of Stormshroud Academy and Alek's grandfather. Headmaster Stormshroud's wife is a wood elf, making their daughter (Alek's mother) an elfborn. Interestingly, his son-in-law (Alek's father) is an orcborn, which ends up with the unusual situation of Alek being born as a pure human! This gives Alek a bizarre lineage, but there may be more to this coincidence than is apparent at this moment in time...

The Silverian Crystals are a mysterious seven-piece artefact entrusted to Amethyst on her 100th birthday. The ones who wear the crystals are known as the Crystalbound, seven individuals whose lives are entwined to them. It is said that the crystals chose their respective owners, not the other way around, which to the average individual is nothing but a fable made up by a particularly imaginative bard long ago. Each crystal provides a unique boon to its wearer, and nobody else is able to wear a crystal belonging to another; indeed, nobody even thinks about taking a crystal from its owner, which could mean the crystals can influence the actions of others to prevent them from being used by anybody other than their owners. Some individuals have similar crystals, with the sorceress Mara being one such person.

The Magenta Crystal is the first crystal, with twenty sides and a bright purple colour. It is said to increase the intelligence of its owner, making her mind sharper and thoughts faster, though its true significance is not yet known. From the moment Amethyst was given the crystals on her 100th birthday, the Magenta Crystal glowed brightly, and it was this event that signified the artefact had chosen her to be its owner.

The Crimson Crystal is the second crystal, with twelve sides and a rich red colour. It is said to increase the strength of its owner, toughening him and making him more resilient to harm. After 45 long years of travelling the world seeking others to join her, Amethyst encountered a young orcborn named Makkmak. Even though he was only 19 years of age, he single-handedly defended the elf against a savage beast, which prompted the Crimson Crystal to choose Mak as its owner.

The Amber Crystal is the third crystal, with ten sides seemingly refracted into a hundred and a golden yellow colour. It is said to increase the wisdom of its owner, offering her a much more developed and deep view of the world and the cosmos. Less than a year after Amethyst discovered Mak, he became dangerously wounded. She rushed her companion to the nearest town; there, in the Temple of Marilina, a young priestess named Emily treated the orcborn, healing his wounds using her celestial magic. It is at that moment that the Amber Crystal glowed, choosing the elfborn girl as its owner.

The Tawny Crystal is the fourth crystal, with ten sides and a burnished orange-brown colour. It is said to increase the constitution of its owner, strengthening his immunity to weakness and sickness as well as improving his healing capacity. While exploring the rugged Goldwaldun Mountains, Mak became lost in a blizzard; it was a chivalrous dwarf named Thobrun who braved the snowstorm in order to find him. Thobrun's reward was a glowing Tawny Crystal, it having chosen Thobrun to be its owner.

The Green Crystal is the fifth crystal, with eight sides and a shiny emerald colour. It is said to increase the charisma of its owner, improving his personality traits and making him more likable to others. While stopping in a city to replenish supplies, the adventurers decided to see a performance written by and starring one Brocc Farshot. The Green Crystal must have enjoyed the show, with its ovation being a bright glowing in its centre; Amethyst had found the newest member of the Crystalbound.

The Cerulean Crystal is the sixth crystal, with six sides and a deep blue colour. It is said to increase the dexterity of its owner, providing added stealthiness and agility. In a great city, the adventurers found themselves surrounded by thugs. Quick as a flash they were unconscious, apparently subdued by a halfling named Bryn. The Cerulean Crystal began to glow, signifying Bryn as its owner.

The Azure Crystal is the seventh crystal, with four sides and a shimmering cyan colour. Its primary boon is not yet known, with records of its function apparently lost to time, though it does seem to protect its owner to a certain extent, a function which all the crystals share. After much searching the Crystalbound were unsure if they would find their seventh member anytime soon, but in The Name Pending tavern Amethyst overheard a conversation mentioning a young human with amazing arcane skills. Believing this man to be the long-sought-after owner of the Azure Crystal, Amethyst journeyed to the nearest town alone, hoping to find him. It is there that she eventually met Zed, who, after displaying astounding accuracy with the magic missile cantrip, was chosen to be the seventh Crystalbound.

Mara's Crystal, also known colloquially by Bryn as the Ebony Crystal, is owned by the evil sorceress Mara, with a glossy jet-black colour and four sides. It seems to be part of a set like the Silverian Crystals, though these crystals are dark in colour. Mara's crystal is said to increase the comeliness of its owner, increasing her physical attractiveness and, with that, her power. Mara has tapped into the powers deep within her crystal, displaying much prowess with its use, although it does have one downside: causing Mara to think only of herself, and very little for her "companions". The other crystals are each entrusted to one of her lackeys: Trent's Crystal increases his defence, making him seemingly impervious to physical harm; Kara's Crystal increases her reflexes, allowing her to dodge virtually any attack made against her; Brent's Crystal increases his fortitude, causing him to be immune to many spells and ailments; and Sara's Crystal increases her willpower, making her a near-unstoppable, fearless machine when in a frenzy.

And now for a complete list of the most common races!

COMMON RACES

Ryukoni (REE-yu-KOH-nee)
Homeland: Ryukonari (REE-yu-koh-NAH-ree)
Favoured class: Shugenja (a monk who practises elemental martial arts)

Dark Elves
Native name: Shadelv (shuh-DELVE)
Homeland: Shadelvum (shuh-DELVE-um)
Favoured class: Assassin (in Junihoshi assassins generally harm only villains)

Dwarves
Native name: Dwarv (DWAH-rv)
Homeland: Tundwaldun (TUND-wahl-DOON)
Favoured class: Priest (Junihoshian priests receive celestial magic from their patron Astral Being)

High Elves
Native name: Lumidelv (LOO-mih-DELVE)
Homeland: Lumidelvum (LOO-mih-DELVE-um)
Favoured class: Spellsword (spellswords use swords as a conduit for their magic)

Wood Elves
Human name: Elves
Native name: Verdelv (vur-DELVE)
Homeland: Verdelvum (vur-DELVE-um)
Favoured class: Hunter (wood elves live off the land, so many are naturally-talented hunters)

Bolgards (BOLE-guards)
Homeland: Bolg
Favoured class: Knight (bolgards live by a strict society of order)

Elfborn
Origin: Elfborn have lineage of both wood elves and humans
Homeland: Generally considered to be Ornoposia, though many elfborn live in Verdelvum
Favoured class: Many elfborn actually pursue multiple goals, with a number of elfborn having training in two different classes.

Orcborn
Origin: Orcborn have lineage of both orcs and humans
Homeland: Generally considered to be Kobelia (koh-BEEL-ee-uh)
Favoured class: Barbarian (orcborn raised in orc tribes typically become barbarians, though they can control their temper, unleashing it when they choose)

Nymphs
Alternative name: Dryad
Homeland: North Dryantel (DRY-an-TELL)
Favoured class: Druid (druids are also known as the "priests of Naturia", and nymphs are the embodiment of nature, making them natural druids)

Halflings
Native name: Greatkin (with a capital "G")
Homeland: Granrelm (GRAN-realm)
Favoured class: Thief (halflings' short statures makes them ideal thieves, though they don't actually "steal" anything; thief is just a term for the modern-day rogue)

Humans
Homeland: Ornoposia, though humans live in all the corners of the world.
Favoured class: Humans are versatile, able to adopt many different roles

Satyrs
Alternative name: Antel (AN-tell)
Homeland: South Dryantel (DRY-an-TELL)
Favoured class: Bard (satyrs love entertainment, making them ideal bards)

Rock Gnomes
Native name: Gnoms (NOMS)
Homeland: Gnomsland (NOMS-lund)
Favoured class: Mage

Deep Gnomes
Native name: Svirgnoms (SVUR-noms)
Homeland: The Subterrene (sub-tur-RAIN)
Favoured class: Sorcerer

Celestials
Origin: Celestials are former immortals who were reborn into human families
Favoured class: Paladin

Elementals
Origin: Elementals are former genies who were reborn into human families
Favoured class: Genmaster (elemental spellcasters with miniature genie familiars)

Giantborn
Origin: Giantborn have lineage of both giants and humans
Favoured class: Fighter

Wolfborn
Origin: Wolfborn have lineage of both werewolves and humans
Homeland: Generally considered to be Damantia, though more wolfborn live in Ornoposia
Favoured class: Guardian (guardians are protectors of the natural world)

Faeries (FAIR-rees)
Favoured class: Hedge Mage

Shades
Favoured class: Dark Paladin

Zenoxans (zee-NOCKS-uns)
Favoured class: Starblade (starblades use magic which is alien to Junihoshi)
Adoptive homeland: New Zenox (ZEE-nocks)

OTHER RACES

Kobles (KOH-bulls)
Homeland: Kobelia

Minotaurs
Homeland: Central Dryantel

Chiauru (chee-OW-roo)
Homeland: Archaelia (ar-KEE-lee-uh)

Saurodons (SORE-uh-dons)
Homeland: Euroria Archipelago

Automatons (or-TOM-uh-tons)/(ah-TAHM-uh-tahns)
Origin: Unknown

Etherealborn (eh-THEER-ee-ul-born)
Origin: Members of other races infused with elemental energy

Werewolves
Origin: Humans with a permanent ancient nature enchantment
Homeland: Damantia

Junihoshi is a rich and wonder-filled world in itself, but it is not the only realm. Multiple planes exist in the Junihoshian cosmology, accessible via planar doorways or portals which can be opened in a number of ways. The Axis Planes are the closest ones to the Prime Material Plane, although that proximity is relative to the fact that they are the easiest to reach. Two of these planes act as mirrors of the world itself, with the Plane of Faerie being a bright, sunny world of verdancy and magic, and the Plane of Shadow being a cold, gloomy world of eternal night. The Astral Plane resembles an endless ocean like a sheet of smooth gossamer, with stars being visible both in the sky and below the surface. Landmasses occasionally appear here and there, and are home to immortals and other astral races. By contrast, the Ethereal Plane is a vast expanse of metal shrouded in a constant white mist. It is here that the genies dwell, as well as a number of other elemental races. The Astral Plane is said to be the gateway to the Celestial Planes, the domains of the Celestial Beings; the Ethereal Plane supposedly leads to the Elemental Planes, the prisons of the Elemental Titans.

In addition to the planes which comprise the Junihoshian cosmology, there are many more worlds with their own cultures, histories, and even cosmologies. It is said that records for how to reach the worlds of Atonius, Kovgamos, Polinthed, Astrumium, and many other realities, still exist in select parts of the world. Some claim that the monastic Order of Shuken-Sohei exists across all the worlds, and that the secrets to accessing them are found in the Shugenja Temples of Ryukonari's mountaintops. One thing is certain, however: other worlds do exist, and whether or not they can be reached depends on if the way to access them still exists.

Why have there been so few updates on this thread lately?

Navi wrote:Why have there been so few updates on this thread lately?

Sorry, Navi. I've just been so busy, and I thought nobody was interested.

I think alot of us are interested.

That's good to hear, Rukiafan.

So I've been busy working out future plots for the series, and I may place subtle indications of what's to come here and there. The basis for season two is quite dramatic, and is something of an "even when things look dark, there is still the light of hope" story. The third and fourth seasons, however, are still sketchy at best. I'd love to keep writing the story as long as there's interest.

I still read your story when you update your threads.

Thanks, Eureka. That means a lot to me.

Believe it or not, Junihoshi is not the only fantasy world I've created. There are others too! Here's a brief summary of each of them:

Junihoshi (codenamed Nooee) is the one with which you're likely most familiar, a realm of medieval-ish fantasy with some modern-day and sci-fi elements thrown into the mix. There are themes which set Junihoshi apart from the other worlds, making it unique. For starters, the concept of star patterns is very important to the inhabitants of the world, with each person born under, and attributed to, one of twelve major constellations: The Dragon, The Barbarian, The Bard, The Priest, The Druid, The Warrior, The Shugenja, The Paladin, The Hunter, The Thief, The Sorcerer and The Mage. Oracles are able to determine much about a particular individual by channelling their mind through that person's star pattern, which proves that everybody is connected to the stars. Another theme is the rapid advancement of technology with the relatively-recent arrival of a mysterious alien race. These people, who call themselves the zenoxans, have technology unlike any found on Junihoshi, though they stick to a strict code-of-conduct not to advance the native Junihoshians too quickly.

In Dracromia (codenamed Foree-A), humanity is not the dominant race. Amongst the usual assortment of dwarves, elves, halflings and others, it is a race of humanoid dragons known as drachomi who occupy much of the world. Dracromia is a world in a perpetual cold war, with the twelve Drachomus Empires always at odds with one another. Cultural distinctions and very different appearances between factions create borders between them, and the other races keep out of the conflict completely. Despite the scuffles, many humans choose to dwell in the empires, though they tend to be more accepting of the other factions.

Dracromia has a parallel twin known as Metaligon (codenamed Foree-B), and its Drachomus Nations exist in relative peace with each other. Unlike the multicoloured Cromian drachomi, Metalin drachomi have metallic scales. The worlds have numerous distinctions; the gnomes of Dracromia, for example, tend to have brightly-coloured hair and eyes and dwell in the elven region of Wievalia; whereas their parallel kin in Metaligon have more earthy colours and live in the dwarven land of Tundarus.

Wyrmaria (codenamed Poynt) is a world in which everybody has ties to the bloodline of one kind of dragon, which gives select people access to abilities normal people couldn't have. There are two branches of humanity: the broadly-built, slightly-masculine Altosians, and the much more slender, effeminate Sopranans. They share their world with many cultures, including various kinds of dwarves, elves, gnomes, orcs and halflings, as well as a few races only found in Wyrmaria. Although everybody can claim ties to a dragon bloodline, only the dragons themselves can call themselves pure; they see those with the ability to use a dragon's breath to be a mockery of their kind, though different species of dragon have different viewpoints on the matter.

Feruyasei (codenamed Tryee) is an untamed wilderness in which civilisation exists in small pockets. Here, the races of the world are split into two main categories: the civilised races, who dwell within gigantic metropolises; and the wild races, who have learned to embrace and survive in the wilderness. Each race has its own primary metropolis or region, and some individuals choose to become adventurers, exploring the ruins of a bygone age.

In Clefmath (codenamed Basee), nothing is as it appears. The world resonates into multiple harmonic dimensions, like notes on a sheet of music. The seven main resonant dimensions have been dubbed Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La and Ti, and each is home to a unique culture. Every resonant dimension exists in the same space at the same time, and with the right action it becomes possible to slip between them. At least two other resonant dimensions have also been uncovered: Treb, the home of the druid circles; and Bass, the mysterious dwelling of the mystics. Due to the fact that the barriers between resonant dimensions are so easily penetrable, it becomes possible for creatures and objects from other places to slip through, which indicates the presence of several other as-yet-unknown resonant dimensions.

The Pentorbix System (codenamed Tewee) is a coalition of five planets orbiting a star, with each of the five main worlds home to a different species: the Greatkin of Pentorbix I; the elv of Pentorbix II; the humans of Pentorbix III; the gnoms of Pentorbix IV; and the dwarv of Pentorbix V. Each world has at least one moon, with the moons of two worlds each home to other races: the lumidelv and shadelv originated on the two moons of Pentorbix II, whereas a multitude of elfborn dwell on Luna, the first moon of Pentorbix III. Five planetoids are home to other species who despise the Coalition, declaring themselves sworn enemies: the orcs of Orca, the gnolls of Nols, the goblins of Goba, the kobolds of Kobu and the minotaurs of Mino. They have a loose affiliation of their own, though some orcs have defected to the Coalition, resulting in the spawning of the orcborn, who live on Getsuei, the second moon of Pentorbix III.

In Periquos (codenamed Wunee), the past and future have overlapped the present. Centuries ago, an unusual and unexpected group of ancient creatures arrived mysteriously in the modern era: dinosaurs! Their presence changed the very nature of society, causing the races of the world to revere them as people of other worlds revere Astral Beings. Other aspects of ages long passed and yet to arrive have appeared in the world as well, with the ancient trogs and futuristic novans arriving as glimpses into humanity's past and future.

The Known Realm (codenamed Naut) is a continent in a little-explored world. The landmass is divided into seven regions: the four lands of humanity, each marked by a grand capita; the mountainous land of the dwarves in the frozen north; the forested land of the elves where few outsiders have ever tread; and the verdant halfling land where all travellers are welcome. Other far-flung corners of the world do exist, but their presence is only known due to the odd individual who ends up in The Known Realm. These other lands include an Asian-inspired realm where the traditions of the martial arts originate; an overgrown wilderness where nature is king; a gloomy land which seems to appear from nowhere in the shadow of night; a lush paradise of magic and whimsy said to be inhabited by faeries; a harsh desert where civilisation collects around grand bodies of water; and a golden utopia in which the Astral Beings are said to walk the land.

Axis (codenamed Coree), known by its inhabitants and visitors as the World in a Bubble, is a world existing in a pocket reality. Its various locations stretch across the surface of the world, which exists as though it is inverted, giving credence to the adopted title. At opposite ends of the world are Axis City, a vast metropolis; and the Axis Wilderness, a large region of unspoiled wilderness. Sandwiched between them is a ring of eight smaller cities known as Alton, Dwarvia, Delia, Elva, Escus, Grandios, Carly and Tabi, each with its own unique theme and culture. Axis is said to be the nexus between every world, with the easiest way to travel between realities requiring Axis as a bridge. Many individuals see their world as the only one, with the concept of other worlds being too mind-boggling to comprehend. Once you know how to reach Axis, however, reality-hopping becomes relatively easy, although the results can prove unpredictable, stranding you in an undesired part of the destination world.

I have also begun thinking ideas for at least one other world, which is currently known as Fyvee. More details about that world to come.

"See you next time!"

Nice update Zack my friend!

Why thank you, Rukiasir! I should point out that each of these settings is playable with a different edition of the Dungeons & Dragons game.

So the main genres of each world differ slightly, but they all have fantasy as their central theme (except Pentorbix, which has a science fantasy theme):

Junihoshi
Main theme: Fantasy
Sub-themes: Sci-fi (aliens); astrology; modern day

Dracromia
Main theme: Fantasy
Sub-themes: Sci-fi (parallel twin worlds); turmoil; alternate dominant race

Metaligon
Main theme: Fantasy
Sub-themes: Sci-fi (parallel twin worlds); order; alternate dominant race

Wyrmaria
Main theme: Fantasy
Sub-themes: Dragons; futurism; genetics

Feruyasei
Main theme: Fantasy
Sub-themes: Cultural identity; wilderness; exploration

Clefmath
Main theme: Fantasy
Sub-themes: Exploration; music

Pentorbix
Main theme: Science fantasy
Sub-themes: Space travel; teamwork

Periquos
Main theme: Fantasy
Sub-themes: Time; history

The Known World
Main theme: Fantasy
Sub-themes: Tropes (stereotypical fantasy); exploration

Axis
Main theme: Fantasy
Sub-themes: City adventures; travel

Fyvee
TBA

So I've been considering an idea, and it's a doozy: A series of "What if?" specials depicting alternate versions of Zed in other settings. The first one would be a story set within the world of Metaligon, in which Zed is a spellsword from the Nation of Soranius, as depicted in my current avatar. He and his companions, at least two of whom are drachomi, are part of a group who travel across the world. I would follow it up with a parallel story set in Dracromia, with Zed being a paladin from the Empire of Akanius, and his allies consisting of at least two drachomi from different empires who are always at odds with each other. These two stories would serve as windows into many things, with a look at not just how Zed's life would be different in each world, but also how the parallel versions of each of his companions differ. In fact, there is an instance of the fifth companion being a completely different person in each world! So what do you guys think of that idea?

I love your idea Zeddy chan!

Thank you, Kushina-chan!

The setting descriptions above have been updated. If you like, give them a read.

Well, my ideas are all shaping up rather nicely. I still need to think of some good concepts for Wunee, Tryee and Fyvee (don't worry, that name isn't permanent), and I have a few themes with which I could run: dinosaurs, the modern era, a wilderness-is-king theme of some sort...as well as several other ideas which will likely come to me as well. Stay tuned!

I've decided to write a special two-part episode called "Zed of Two Worlds". It provides an insight into how Zed's life would be if he lived in a world other than Junihoshi. The setting I've chosen for this episode is Dracromia-Metaligon, the very first Dungeons & Dragons world I created. Dracromia and Metaligon are twin worlds who occupy the same space in the multiverse, yet exist 180 degrees out-of-sync with one another. In layman's terms, they are parallel worlds which don't have any contact with each other. I have already created the artwork for Zed as he exists in these worlds:



To the left is Cromian Zed, complete with his breather; and to the right is Metalin Zed, a guy who doesn't need cool accessories.

Cromian Zed's Story
Zed is a young man with no memory of his past (yes, he's an amnesiac in this world too ). A mysterious individual who suddenly arrived in a domed town in Akanius, he was taken in by a red drachomus named Ocre (OH-kur), a fighter most skilled with the sword. Zed often watched Ocre as she practised her technique, and eventually he seeked to learn the ways of the sword as well. Ocre agreed, seeing it as a way to toughen-up the human. The moment Zed swung a sword for the first time, however, he accidentally destroyed one of Ocre's handmade vases! Ocre instantly saw that Zed would be a very skilled fighter, and soon he mastered the basics. Ocre asked Zed if he would like to accompany her on an adventure, to which Zed agreed without question. As the two budding adventurers began their quest, they encountered a cyan drachomus named Crynock (CRY-knock) and his companions. Being from enemy empires, Ocre and Crynock instantly displayed their hatred for one another, but Zed befriended Amy, a young woman with psychic powers, and Furbendink, a gifted gnome sorcerer, within moments of encountering them. After a rough few days' adventuring together, both Ocre and Crynock learned to be tolerant of each other, if not for their sake than for the sake of their companions. The party has been through some rough times, including repeated squabbles between both drachomi, but they know that they can accomplish more together than they could separated.

Metalin Zed's Story
Zed is a young man with no memory of his past (get used to it, it's his theme ). Arriving quite literally out of the blue and into a town in Soranius, Zed ran into problems when he was approached by a guard who wished to see his identification. It was the swift action of a noble cyan drachomus paladin named Crynock that cleared things up between Zed and the guard. Crynock gave Zed a place to live, and they soon formed a strong friendship. Zed noted that Crynock was skilled with a sword, and eventually he asked if he could give swordcraft a try. It quickly became apparent that Zed's sword technique was filled with a mystical arcane energy, which led Crynock to suggest that Zed become a spellsword. Once Zed mastered the basics, he asked Crynock if he'd ever thought about travelling. Crynock admitted that he had always wanted to travel, but his duty kept him in Soranius. They mutually agreed to travel within the Cyan Drachomus Nation's borders until Crynock was ready to venture further. Not too long after beginning their journey, Crynock rescued a red drachomus named Ocre, much to the relief of her companions. Zed was a little unsure about Ocre's bear companion, until she transformed into a beautiful druid named Amy. Ocre and Crynock formed an instant friendship, electing that their two parties would merge into a larger group. Furb, a gnome sorcerer, was unsure if the drachomi had made a wise decision, and remained especially weary of Zed and his apparent amnesia, but it was clear that Amy had decided to assist Zed in finding his place in the world. The team has been through a lot together, and their friendship has never been stronger; even Furb has begun to warm up to Zed and Crynock.

The stories I'd be writing would take place sometime after the teams united, providing a window into Zed's possible lives within another world.

No offense meant because this was a nice update to your background of Zed and his alternate versions of himself, but I really want to see the next episode of Crystals of Silveria.

Not to worry, the second episode is almost ready to go on the air! Or, rather, the wave!

You wanted it, now you have it! The next part of Crystals of Silveria's second story! Enjoy!

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Scene 7: Illusion Studies: Stormshroud Academy: Morning

Zed is seated at a desk in a classroom surrounded by a number of other students. Two male students of about seventeen years of age talk amongst themselves.

Student #1: Heh, get a load of the new guy!

Student #2: Yeah, what is he, a giant?

Student #1: Last I checked, giants were savage brutes. I didn’t know they could use magic.

Student #2: And he’s, like, fifty. Isn’t he a bit old to be starting magic classes?

The two young men snicker. A female student in her early twenties scolds them.

Student #3: Enough! You two are worse than a couple of elboks!

Student #1: Whatever.

Student #2: Spoil-sport…

Alek walks into the classroom, his familiar perched on his shoulder.

Alek: Good morning, class.

Class: Good morning, Master Stormshroud.

Alek sits at his desk.

Alek: We have a new student joining us today. His name is Zed Starmute and he joins us all the way from-

Student #1: I think we know where he’s from, Master.

Student #2: (cocky tone) Yeah, all giants originated in Tundwaldun!

Zed: Tund…wahl…doon?

The student to Zed’s right, a male with faint lupine features, whispers to him.

Wolfborn: (I’ll explain later).

Zed: Thank you.

Alek: There are, in fact, several giants who live in Goldenia. But Zed is not a giant.

Student #2: So what is he, some oversized freak of nature?

Student #1: Ooh, nice one!

Alek: He is a human, just like the both of you.

Student #1: No kidding.

Alek: I am serious. And the two of you are wearing my patience.

Student #1: He’s really a human? Incredible…

Alek: I assure you it is quite true. Zed, why don’t you tell the class about yourself?

Zed: I’ll do my best.

Zed stands up and turns to face the class, clearing his throat.

Student #2: (mocking tone) Everybody quiet so the new guy can speak.

The female student hits the second student.

Student #2: Ow! Master Stor-

Alek points at the student, a stern look on his face. The student settles down.

Zed: Well, I don’t remember my full name, so I’ve been going by the name Zed. I don’t remember anything about my life up until just over a year ago when I wandered into a small town. An elven mage named Amethyst took me on as her apprentice, and-

Student #3: Excuse me for interrupting, but did you say you are the apprentice of Amethyst Moondew?!

Zed: Yep.

Student #3: Isn’t she your former associate, Master Stormshroud?

Alek: Indeed, and she is still one of my oldest and dearest friends.

Student #3: Then you must be quite the mage by now, Zed.

Zed: Well…I’m still mastering the basics.

Student #2: (mocking tone) What’s your favourite spell?

Zed: Prestidigitation.

Student #1: Well, we’d expect nothing less from a lowly cantripper!

The two bullies laugh loudly. Alek becomes angry.

Alek: That is it! Both of you, to the headmaster’s office!

Student #2: It was worth it.

The two students head to the door. The first one turns back and looks at Zed.

Student #1: I’ll be seeing you later, cantripper!

Alek: Out!

The students leave the classroom, closing the door behind them.

Alek: Right, now we may proceed with the lesson. Zed, if you have any questions, Kendall here-

Alek gestures to the wolflike man.

Alek: -will be able to assist you.

Student #3: I would be willing to assist also, Master Stormshroud.

Alek: Of course, Laura. I’m sure Zed will appreciate the aid.

Zed: Thank you.

Alek: Now, if you open your books to chapter three, page ten, we can continue our study on summoning phantasms…

Scene 8: Campus Grounds: Stormshroud Academy: Early Afternoon

Zed, Kendall and Laura sit on a bench underneath a tree.

Zed: …and then my hair turned blue!

Laura: (laughs) That must have been quite a shock for the store owner!

Zed: Mr. Newt? He was really startled! But at least then I knew I had some kind of arcane talent.

Kendall: Well, Laura and I are from a family which is devoted to the arcane arts.

Zed: You two are related?

Laura: Indeed. We are siblings.

Zed: Really? But…you’re a human and Kendall’s a werewolf!

Kendall: Allow me to explain. We share the same mother, but our fathers are different. My father was a werewolf, and Laura’s is human.

Zed: Oh, that explains it.

Kendall: I still have fond memories of my father. He would always stand up for me when other children teased me about my lupine features. I remember we would go camping every summer, and on the night of the full moon we would sit on the cape and howl for hours. If anybody had lived there it would have driven them mad!

Zed: He sounds wonderful.

Kendall: He was…until one night, when he simply vanished.

Zed: Oh…

Kendall: We were told by the town guards that there was no trace of him, and that he may as well have been dead. I was distraught for months. Eventually my mother remarried. At first I was unsure, but eventually I grew to love my new father. Laura’s birth helped solidify my bond with him.

Laura: We are a very tight-knit family. The losses we’ve suffered have only brought us closer together.

Zed: I wish I could tell you about my family, but I can’t even remember my own name.

Laura: Oh, I’m sure you will remember eventually, Zed.

Zed: Maybe. Still, my new adventuring companions are like my surrogate family.

Kendall: That’s the spirit, Zed! Now, how about we proceed to the dining hall for some lunch?

Zed: Definitely!

Scene 9: Inside Stormshroud Academy: Early Afternoon

Zed, Laura and Kendall proceed towards the dining hall. Zed notices a glow coming from down a hallway.

Zed: What’s that?

Kendall: I know not. We must be cautious.

Zed and Kendall begin to proceed down the hallway. Kendall turns back to face Laura.

Kendall: Are you coming?

Laura: Actually, Kent, I’ll stay here. I’ll leave the investigating to the master apprentices.

Kendall: Very well.

Zed and Kendall turn left into another hallway. They see a swath of destruction: paintings crooked, carpeting in shreds and furniture splintered and broken. Deep claw marks line the wooden walls.

Zed: What could have done this?

An eerie roar bellows from around the corner, and a gigantic, ghostly-blue monster emerges from the right-hand hallway staring straight towards Zed and Kendall. Zed begins to panic.

Kendall: What IS that thing?!

Zed: You mean you don’t know?

Kendall: I’ve never seen a creature like it!

The creature runs towards the two of them. Zed and Kendall cry out loud. Zed’s crystal lets out a bright blue glow which surrounds them both, scaring away the monster.

Zed: That was close…

Kendall: How did you do that?!

Zed: Huh? Oh, my crystal must have protected us.

Zed reaches into his shirt, pulling out the crystal and showing it to Kendall.

Kendall: Well, that is quite the artefact. It is lucky you possess it.

Zed: Yep. So…should we tell somebody about that creature?

Kendall: Yes. We should tell the headmaster.

Scene 10: Headmaster’s Office: Stormshroud Academy: Early Afternoon

The old man from earlier sits in a big, brown leather chair, its sides adorned with finely-sculpted golden dragons. He takes a sip from a teacup, then rests it in a saucer which he places on his desk. A knock sounds through the door.

Headmaster: Enter.

The heavy wooden door opens with a loud groan, and Zed and Kendall enter.

Kendall: Headmaster Stormshroud?

Headmaster: Ah, Kendall, please enter. Do sit down and help yourself to a biscuit.

Kendall: Thank you kindly, but unfortunately I am unable to eat chocolate.

Kendall and Zed sit on seats facing the headmaster.

Headmaster: Now, what may I do for you gentlemen?

Kendall: We’d like to report a sighting of a monster within the campus walls.

Headmaster: Oh no…the dragon hasn’t escaped from its enclosure again, has it?

A look of horror spreads across Zed’s face.

Kendall: Oh no, nothing like that.

Headmaster: Frightful creature. Off his rocker, don’t you know? He was part of the janitorial staff until he snapped. Now he spends his days cooped up in his cage hollering off swears like they’re going out of fashion.

Kendall: It’s a blue phantasm.

Headmaster: A blue phantasm?

Kendall: Yes, resembling an arbour beast, only much more fearsome. It has destroyed the hall under the main stairs.

Headmaster: Well, we will look into this matter right away. In the meantime, why not head to the dining hall for a spot of lunch? It’s Stew Tuesday today. A nice bit of braised drake with fresh vegetables…delicious!

Kendall: Thank you, Headmaster.

Zed and Kendall leave the office, closing the door behind them.

Zed: Now when he says “drake”, does he mean duck?

Kendall: Uh…oh, look! There’s Laura!

Zed: Where? I don’t see-

Kendall: Downstairs just under our feet.

Zed: How did you know that?

Kendall: Werewolves have an acute sense of hearing.

Zed: Oh. Nice!

Kendall heads down the hallway, with a bemused Zed following closely behind.

Scene 11: Alek’s Office: Stormshroud Academy: Evening

Amethyst and Alek sit on a couch in Alek’s office, reminiscing about their respective times serving as apprentices to their mage master.

Amethyst: …and then he singed his eyebrows!

Alek: Oh, that sure sounds like him!

Amethyst: They took years to grow back. There were still bald patches by the time I completed my apprenticeship!

Alek: I noticed them when he first accepted me as his new apprentice. He gave me a quizzical expression which seemed to read, “Why on Junihoshi are you staring at me like that, boy?”

Amethyst: And what happened next?

Alek: He asked me, “Why on Junihoshi are you staring at me like that, boy?

The two friends laugh.

Amethyst: Oh, he was a quirky individual, wasn’t he?

Alek wipes a tear from his eye with a gloved finger.

Alek: Which only added to his charm.

Amethyst: Indeed.

Amethyst and Alek make eye contact.

Amethyst: It is so good to catch up with you again, Alekzander.

Alek: And you as well, old friend.

Three city guards burst into the office.

Guard #1: Alekzander Stormshroud?

Alek: Yes?

The other two guards approach Alek.

Guard #1: You are under arrest for extensive damages to Stromshroud Academy by way of a conjured illusory beast.

The guards grab Alek’s hands and bind them together with handcuffs.

Alek: May I ask why you believe this to be so?

Guard #2: Two students reported the destruction to Headmaster Eugolelias Stormshroud, who also claimed to have seen a bright blue illusion being controlled by an individual matching your description.

Alek: But…I did no such atrocity!

Guard #3: Come on, you can plead your case back at the precinct.

The guards pull Alek from the room.

Alek: Amethyst! Find Kendall and let him know what has happened!

The guards close the doors. Amethyst stands staring at them in a state of mild shock.

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Commercial: Only you can prevent fortress fires! This message brought to you by the Fire Prevention Service.

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Nice update.

Gracias Gozaimasu, Señora DigiDestined-san! (Now you can say to people that you've been thanked in a combination of Spanish and Japanese! Japanish! )

Well, Zed of Two Worlds is now a three-part special, which will be posted at four-episode intervals during the first season. The first part features an episode of Cromian Zed's story, the second part details a major chapter of Metalin Zed's story, and as for the third part...well, spoilers.

Here is a list of blurb-style descriptions of each planned episode. Due to the trace amounts of spoilers sprinkled within, I have hidden them inside a spoiler tag. I hope you like them!

Spoiler:

Well, what did you think of these tidbits?

The Junihoshian analogue to traditional December holidays in our world is the Moon Festival, which occurs on the 15th and 16th days of Duskwhisper, the second month which marks the start of winter. The Moon Festival is a celebration of Shadelven culture, in which people eat traditional Shadelven food, and many people stay up well after dark; shops and other places tend to close late during the festival, and some people gather to watch the Greatmoon Zenith, the time of year when the moon appears largest. The Moon Festival is completely different to our December holidays, but some Junihoshian festivals are similar: the Winter Festival, a celebration of Tundwaldian culture started by a then-mortal Alistair Goodheart, sees people gathering for a great feast on both days of the greatest dwarven holiday; and the Merchant's Festival, which is influenced by koble way of life, sees people buying or crafting gifts on the first day, then giving them to loved ones and acquaintances on the second, before New Year celebrations the next day.

Who wants to see a sneak-peek of a dream sequence in the next episode?

**********

Brocc lies on a deckchair on a tropical beach, sipping a fruity beverage.

Brocc: Ah! This is the life. Who’da thunk that I, Brocc Verdann Farshot, would propel to super-stardom as the greatest singer in the world? I have my own private hotel in Euroria, for crying out loud!

The picture zooms out to show a ridiculously-massive hotel in the background behind Brocc, with a green neon sign reading “Brocc Hotel”.

Brocc: Where’s that hot towel I ordered?

Voice: Hot towel for you, sir?

Brocc turns to face Mak dressed in nothing but underwear and a bowtie, a towel draped over his arm.

Brocc: Thank you, butle-WHOA! For the love of Gnomsland, put some clothes on or something!

A gigantic wave splashes over Brocc.

Brocc: GAH! I’m soaked! This outfit cost me 500 gold! It’s ruined!

Water splashes onto Brocc again, causing him to stir.

Brocc: Ungh…500 gold…

Voice: Oh, thank goodness! I thought you’d never awaken!

Brocc looks up and sees a beautiful young woman standing over him.

Brocc (charismatic): Well, I’m feeling much better, thanks to your helpful assistance.

Girl: Oh, that is good news. Please, come back to my place and I’ll give you a good breakfast.

Brocc (charismatic): Oh, rescue AND breakfast? You’re really being too generous. We should…let our emotions blossom first. But if you insist…

Girl: Oh, I do insist. My new husband is a fantastic chef.

Brocc (charismatic): Well, that is rather…uh…d-did you say “husband”?

The girl smiles.

Girl: Oh, yes. I’m sure he’d be happy to cook a meal for a poor, hungry boy such as yourself.

A blank expression quickly emerges on Brocc’s face.

Brocc: Uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-

Girl: Are…you okay, young man?

Brocc: Fine! Just fine! I…just remembered I have some business to take care of!

Girl: Oh…we do have a toilet…

Brocc: That’s fine! Thank you for your help. Bye!

Brocc dashes away.

Girl: What an unusual boy. Now how will I spread word-of-mouth about the restaurant? Oh well, I’ll just give the 500 gold to charity instead.

What episode are we currently on?

Well, I'm in the middle of writing the second episode at the moment. I'm hoping that I can write more of the series at a much quicker pace once I have a fully-functional laptop; because I currently use a shared computer, I rarely get any time on it.

And, at long last, the next part of episode two! Enjoy!

**********

Scene 12: Amethyst’s Quarters: Stormshroud Academy: Night

Amethyst sits in her room, trancing. A knock sounds through the door, and Amethyst awakens.

Amethyst: Please enter.

The door opens and Alek walks in. Amethyst gasps, an expression of surprise on her face.

Amethyst: Alekzander!

Alek: Pardon the intrusion. Were you trancing?

Amethyst: I was, but it was not the most restful trance.

Amethyst looks at Alek.

Amethyst: Explain what happened, if you please.

Alek: Well, the guards charged me with mindless vandalism, threw me in the slammer…

Amethyst: Yes?

Alek: …and then Kendall and Zed paid for my bail.

Amethyst: Oh, that is good news. But surely you mustn’t have caused that destruction. It isn’t in your nature.

Alek: You are correct. However…

Amethyst: Yes?

Alek: Several eyewitnesses reported seeing me conjure an illusory beast. Zed and Kendall claimed that they encountered such a beast in the hallway beneath the main stairs.

Amethyst: Then we must find the true culprit.

Alek: Amethyst…I’ve…I’ve been dismissed from the academy.

Amethyst: What?! But…you’re innocent!

Alek: Indeed. That is why it is up to you, and Kendall and Zed, to find the true culprit.

The door bursts open.

Kendall: You can count on us!

Alek: Kendall?! How long have the two of you been standing there?!

Kendall: Not long, master! Ready to be a detective, Zed?

Zed: Yeah! We’ll be just like Shirley!

Kendall: Who?

Zed shrugs.

Zed: I dunno. It just popped into my head.

Kendall: I see…

Alek: I am counting on you. Together, you should be able to find out who did this.

Amethyst: We will not let you down.

Zed’s thoughts: Really? Shirley? I need to control my quirkiness a little better…

Scene 13: A Lush Paradise: Late Morning

Brocc lies on a deckchair on a tropical beach, sipping a fruity beverage.

Brocc: Ah! This is the life. Who’da thunk that I, Brocc Verdann Farshot, would propel to super-stardom as the greatest singer in the world? I have my own private hotel in Euroria, for crying out loud!

The picture zooms out to show a ridiculously-massive hotel in the background behind Brocc, with a green neon sign reading “Brocc Hotel”.

Brocc: Where’s that hot towel I ordered?

Voice: Hot towel for you, sir?

Brocc turns to face Mak dressed in nothing but underwear, cufflinks and a bowtie, a towel draped over his arm.

Brocc: Thank you, butle-WHOA! For the love of Gnomsland my homeland, put some clothes on or something!

A gigantic wave splashes over Brocc.

Brocc: GAH! I’m soaked! This outfit cost me 500 gold! It’s ruined!

Water splashes onto Brocc again, causing him to stir.

Brocc: Ungh…500 gold…

Voice: Oh, thank goodness! I thought you’d never awaken!

Brocc looks up and sees a beautiful young woman standing over him.

Brocc (charismatic): Well, I’m feeling much better, thanks to your helpful assistance.

Girl: Oh, that is good news. Please, come back to my place and I’ll give you a good breakfast.

Brocc (charismatic): Oh, rescue AND breakfast? You’re really being too generous. We should…let our emotions blossom first. But if you insist…

Girl: Oh, I do insist. My new husband is a fantastic chef.

Brocc (charismatic): Well, that is rather…uh…d-did you say “husband”?

The girl smiles.

Girl: Oh, yes. I’m sure he’d be happy to cook a meal for a poor, hungry boy such as yourself.

A blank expression quickly emerges on Brocc’s face.

Brocc: Uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-

Girl: Are…you okay, young man?

Brocc: Fine! Just fine! I…just remembered I have some business to take care of!

Girl: Oh…we do have a toilet…

Brocc: That’s fine! Thank you for your help. Bye!

Brocc dashes away.

Girl: What an unusual boy. Now how will I spread word-of-mouth about the restaurant? Oh well, I’ll just give the 500 gold to charity instead.

Scene 14: Stormshroud Academy: Late Morning

Kendall sniffs the air in the ruined hallway.

Kendall: It’s definitely illusory…though I can hardly work out how such a creature could be manifested in a physical form.

Zed: Maybe a combination evocation-illusion spell?

Kendall turns to face Zed.

Kendall: That is brilliant! How did you come up with that?

Zed: What?

Kendall: A fusion of evocation and illusion magic could theoretically result in an illusory monster being able to cause needless destruction.

Zed: Oh.

Kendall: And whilst it is true that Master Stormshroud specialises in the school of illusion, he has trouble performing evocations. Therefore, it narrows down to two possibilities: either Master Stormshroud has been lying for years, and can in fact combine both schools into a single powerful form of magic, or…

Laura runs up to the two “detectives”.

Laura: There you are! Zed, there is a matter of-

Kendall (raised voice): MASTER STORMSHROUD WAS FRAMED!

An elderly woman walks down the hallway.

Woman: Shh!

Kendall: My apologies, ma’am.

Zed: Isn’t that the librarian?

Kendall: Indeed it is.

Zed: Huh. Now, you wanted something, Laura?

Laura: You must come with me, Zed. It is a matter of urgency.

Zed: It is?

Laura: Indeed. A bright light is emanating from your room.

Zed: A bright light? That could mean…MY EGG IS HATCHING!

The librarian walks past again.

Librarian: Shh!

Zed (soft voice): Sorry…

Laura: Wait, who’s watching the library?

**********
The two bullies run around the library throwing books at each other.

Bully #1: Hey, Kel! Have a taste of My First Alchemy!

The bully throws a childrens’ book at Kel. Kel dodges it and picks up another book.

Kel: Oh yeah, Ned? Why not try Cantrips for Beginners!

Kel throws the book at Ned. Ned fires a magic missile at it, destroying it.

Ned: Haha! Take THAT, cantrips!

Alek’s voice: NEDFORD AND KELBORT! COME HERE AT ONCE!

Ned and Kel sheepishly walk over to Alek.

Ned: We’re sorry, Master Stormshroud.

Kel: It won’t happen again.

Alek: You’re absolutely right about that! Now come with me.

Ned: But-

Alek’s eyes glow bright blue.

Alek (angry tone): Now!

**********
Kendall: I’m sure it’s fine.

Laura: Zed! We must hurry.

Zed: Agreed!

Scene 15: Zed’s Dormitory: Stormshroud Academy: Late Morning

The egg rests on a table, glowing brightly. Zed walks in and runs over to it.

Zed: My egg!

Laura: What is happening?

Zed: I have no idea!

Laura: Should we get an instructor to help?

Zed: It won’t work. Alek’s the only one who can help, and he’s not here at the moment.

Zed’s irises begin to glow with a soft, cyan light. Zed slowly moves his hand towards the egg.

Laura: Z-Zed? What are you…what are you doing?

Zed does not respond. As his hand approaches the egg, his crystal begins to glow brightly. Laura watches as Zed’s hand touches the egg, causing a column of light to erupt from it. Zed pulls his hand away, and the shell shatters, sending lumps of silver scattering across the table. The light from the egg dissipates, revealing a tiny, silver nanodragon coiled up on the table. The nanodragon lifts its head, opens its wings and stands to face Zed.

Laura: This is astonishing! I’ve never witnessed such an event!

Nanodragon (telepathy): What name do you choose for me?

Zed speaks the name of his choice, his voice echoed and distorted in an almost-otherworldly tone.

Zed (distorted voice): Argen!

Zed’s irises and crystal return to normal. A puzzled look appears on Zed’s face.

Zed: What happened? I must’ve zoned out or something.

Laura: Your egg…it…

Zed: My egg hatched? Sweet!

Argen: I am your familiar, Argen. We are now as one, Zed.

Zed: Hi, Argen!

Laura: Not once have I witnessed a nanodragon familiar being born…until now.

Zed: I’m just upset that I missed it…and yet, I don’t really think I did.

Argen: Never mind. There’s probably loads of things for us to see in future.

Zed: Yep.

Kendall runs into the room.

Kendall: Laura! Zed! And…uh…

Zed: This is Argen.

Argen: Hi!

Kendall: Greetings. Uh…oh! Yes! You must hurry!

Laura: For what reason?

Kendall: It’s Ned and Kel! They are…please, just come!

Zed: Ned and Kel?

Laura: The two individuals who insulted you in class yesterday.

Zed: Really? They insulted me?

Laura: They called you…”cantripper”. I’m so sorry!

Zed: Really? That’s an insult? I just thought they were making a joke.

A quizzical look appears on Kendall and Laura’s faces. Kendall shrugs it off.

Kendall: Look, please, just hurry!

Kendall transforms into a wolf and races out the door.

Laura: We can’t all transform into wolves, you know!

Laura begins to run to the door. Argen flies up to Zed’s right shoulder.

Zed: How were your first two minutes of life?

Argen: Awesome! It’s like an adventure or something!

Zed: Get used to it. I think this is your life now, buddy.

Argen: Sweet!

Zed and Argen race out the door, forgetting to close it behind them. The mysterious figure from before slips into the room from the opposite side of the hallway. She has bright pink hair tied into ponytails, bluish eyes, and somewhat revealing pink shugenja attire. She checks around the room, picking up a piece of eggshell. She examines it closely, then puts it into a pouch at her waist.

Girl: Perfect.

The girl sneaks back out of the room, disappearing down the same direction of the hallway.

**********
Commercial: Parker’s Polearms is the best place in town to buy your equipment! We have swords, axes, lances, bows…any weapon an adventurer could ever want! We also have the largest selection of armour outside of Silveria City, so why shop anywhere else? Parker’s Polearms, located two doors down from The Budding Alchemist.

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Be sure to let me know your impressions!

I'd just like to let you know that from the next episode, all new episodes will be uploaded direct to the series thread. That way, you'll be able to read each new episode in one go instead of waiting for each new segment to be previewed. If you'd all prefer the previews first, however, then I could still upload them.

The next episode is uploaded! Be sure to click the "Series 1" link in my signature!

I've started writing the third episode, and I'm hoping I can pump-out one new episode every week. Look forward to that!

I can't resist! I just have to show the first preview of the third episode!

**********
Scene 1: Campsite: Pre-Dawn

Zed tosses and turns on his multi-layered bedroll inside his tent. He opens his eyes, pushes down his blanket and sits up, rubbing his eyes and groaning.

Zed: Ngh…what time is it?

**********
Zed exits his tent wearing his shirt, pants and boots. Mak sits on a fallen log next to the fire, poking it with a stick. He turns his head in Zed’s direction.

Mak: You’re up early.

Zed: I keep having those dreams.

Mak: The white dragon again?

Zed: Yep.

Mak: I’m sure you’ll figure it out.

Zed: I hope so.

Zed sits to Mak’s left and notices black smudge marks on him. He holds his hand towards the orcborn.

Zed (soft tone): “Prestidigitation!”

The smudge marks, as well as the sweat on Mak’s brow, disappear.

Mak: You gotta teach me how to do that.

Zed: That or how to make the perfect sandwich?

Mak: Okay, your sandwiches are good. I think I’ll stick with my gut.

Zed: Done.

Amethyst emerges from her tent.

Amethyst: My spells are prepared for the day.

Zed: Oh, I knew I forgot something! Be right back!

Zed enters his tent. Amethyst sits to Mak’s right and looks at the sky in front of them. The horizon is lined with pink.

Amethyst: The sun will rise soon.

Mak: I’ll start preparing breakfast then.

A silhouette of a large bear watches the campsite through the trees.

Amethyst: What will we be eating for breakfast, Master Chef Makkmak?

Mak: I was thinking trail ration surprise. The surprise is those eggs I found back in Silveria City.

Amethyst: That sounds positively delectable.

The bear’s eyes glow bright green, before it turns and disappears back into the woods, stepping on a twig as it does so. Amethyst is alerted to the noise and turns to face behind her.

Amethyst: Did you hear that?

Mak: Hear what?

Amethyst: I am certain I heard a noise.

Mak: It was probably a badger or something.

Amethyst: I am sure you are right.

Zed’s Voice: Um, Amethyst?

Amethyst: Yes, Zed?

Zed’s Voice: I’m having trouble choosing between feather fall and expeditious retreat. Which do you suggest?

Amethyst: For today, I suggest expeditious retreat.

Argen’s Voice: And Mak?

Mak: Yes, Little Guy?

Argen: Which sandwich filling do you suggest? Chicken or duck?

Mak: Uh…I have no idea.

Argen: Good, cause we have neither chicken nor duck. Also bread.

Mak: That’s fine, we can buy supplies in the next town. Then you can have all the sandwiches you want.

Argen: I don’t eat food. Zed eats food which, in turn, nourishes me. It’s kinda like I’m an extra appendage, except I’m more like a soulbound companion and not an extra appendage.

Mak: That’s great.

Mak turns to face Amethyst.

Mak: Kids.

Scene 2: Woodland: Pre-Dawn

The bear walks up to Trenton and the pink-haired girl. It roars loudly.

Trenton: My animal companion has located the Crystalbound.

Girl: Excellent. Soon, our Mistress will have them in her court. Shall we strike now, Trent?

Trent: Not yet, Kara. First we must wait for them to begin travelling. Then, we make our move.

Kara: Very well.

**********
The mysterious woman watches her lackeys through a mirror suspended in mid-air in front of her throne.

Woman: Yes, that’s right. Bide your time, and then strike. Soon, Amethyst, Mak and all their little friends will be mine. After all this time I will at last have my revenge.

**********
Opening Credits

**********
Scene 3: En Route to the Next Town: Morning

The party walks along a path through an open woodland. Zed notices a group of five creatures nearby. They have large, rotund bodies covered in short brown fur, three blunt ridges running across their back, four short, stubby limbs with no toes or claws, a gigantic, bulbous tail and a giant mouth filled with blunt, triangular teeth. Their eyes are not clearly visible. The creatures eat plants which are on the ground.

Zed: Whoa, what are those?

Amethyst: They are muddvaks, gentle herbivores who live in woodlands and open plains.

Zed: I think they look incredible.

Amethyst: Oh, I assure you they are quite real.

The smallest muddvak notices the adventurers and runs up to them. Despite being a baby it still stands almost as tall as Bryn and Brocc.

Brocc: Aw, isn’t it cute? Hey there, little guy!

The baby muddvak makes squeaky noises. It lets out a roar which sounds more like a loud, extended squeal.

Brocc: Aw, it thinks it’s all grown up!

Emily: Baby animals are so cute.

Brocc: Oochie-woochie-woo! Oochie-woochie-boochie-coochie-

Bryn: Eh, I can take or leave it.

Emily: Bryn? How can you resist such an adorable creature?

Brocc: He hates children.

Bryn: Of course I don’t hate children! I…I just…(mumbles).

Brocc: What was that?

Bryn: I’m scared of muddvaks, alright?

Some of the party members gasp. Brocc bursts out laughing.

Brocc: Oh, that’s fantastic! Finally, after all this time I can tease YOU about YOUR fears!

Bryn: Excuse me, but I’m not the one who’s afraid of toast.

Zed: Toast?

Brocc: I explained why I’m afraid of toast.

Bryn: I believe your words were “I don’t know”.

Brocc: That’s a perfectly valid reason.

Bryn: And then there’s your fear of bubbles, your fear of moustaches, your fear of people using the word “phantasm”…

Brocc: HEY! Don’t say that word!

Bryn: Phantasm! Phantasm! Phantasm!

Thobrun: Okay, give it a rest, the two o’ ye.

Bryn: Fine…phantasm.

Brocc: He said it again! You heard him!

An adult muddvak notices the baby away from the herd and lets out a roar. The baby notices and runs back to the herd. Bryn lets out a big breath.

Bryn: Phew, that’s a relief.

Suddenly, a big bear with light brown fur and dark brown stripes runs from the trees and faces the group.

Bryn: Oh, come on!

Brocc: What’s wrong? Afraid of anything big, brown and hairy?

Bryn: Yes, as a matter of fact, I am!

Brocc: Does that include Thobrun?

Bryn: Well…

Brocc: Hahahaha! You’re afraid of Thobrun!

Thobrun: I didnae think I was scary!

Bryn: Can we please just deal with the tiger?!

Trent runs from the trees and joins the tiger, standing and facing the party.

Trent: At last, we have found you.

Kara lands silently behind the party, causing them to spin around.

Kara: You must come with us.

Mak: And who exactly are you?

Trent: We are servants of a great sorceress. She has requested an audience with you.

Mak: And who exactly is this sorceress?

Kara: We have been informed not to reveal her identity.

Mak: Then we must politely decline her invitation.

Trent: Oh no, you misinterpret. It is no invitation. We are to bring you to her no matter your decision.

Mak: I see. Then may we prepare for our journey?

Trent: Of course.

Mak: You heard the guy. Everybody prepare.

The party draws their weapons and implements.

Trent: You threaten us?

Mak: I believe you’re the ones who made the initial threat.

Trent: I have no desire to harm any of you, but if it is a fight you wish, then it is a fight you shall have.

Trent makes a grunting sound. The bear runs up to Mak and swats him with his paw, knocking him to the ground.

Emily: Mak!

Mak: You just made a big mistake, pal!

Mak leaps to his feet and runs towards Trent, his sword ready to be swung. Whilst Mak is focused on Trent, Kara runs over to Emily and trips her up, causing Mak to become distracted.

Mak: Emily! Are you alright?!

Amethyst: Watch out, Mak!

Mak: Huh?

Trent points his staff at Mak, and a wave of green energy releases from it and engulfs Mak, inflicting pain and causing him to drop his sword.

Mak: YEAAAAH!

Kara stands over Emily, pinning her to the ground with her foot.

Kara: I thought you would be more of a challenge than this.

Emily: My role is more supportive, but that doesn’t mean I am entirely without defenses!

Emily holds up her hand, releasing a beam of bright light which washes over Kara, sending her stumbling backwards.

Kara: So bright!

Emily stands up and faces Kara. Mak, meanwhile, stands facing Trent, panting heavily.

Mak: Why are you doing this? What could some random spellcaster want with us?

Trent: Unfortunately I cannot tell you that.

Mak: Then why are you attacking us?

Kara: You drew your weapons first. We merely defended ourselves.

Mak points to Trent.

Mak: But YOU made the first strike!

Trent: You are…correct. I am a disgrace to my guild.

Trent approaches Mak and holds up his hand.

Mak: What are you doing?

Bright green light engulfs Trent’s hand. He places it onto Mak’s chest, repairing his injuries. He pulls his hand away, and the light stops glowing.

Mak: Okay, now I’m confused.

Trent: I am a druid, a priest of nature. I am able to call on Naturia’s might to assist me in battle, and to defend the bounty of nature itself. But I am also able to heal.

Mak: That’s…not why I’m confused.

Kara: We wish you no harm. All we want is to take you to our Mistress.

Amethyst: If we go with you, you assure that no harm will come to us?

Trent: You have our word.

Amethyst and Mak face each other. Mak turns to face Trent.

Mak: Very well.

Trent: Good. We leave shortly.

Thobrun speaks softly to Amethyst.

Thobrun: Are ye sure we can trust these people?

Amethyst: They are clearly not evil. Therefore, there is a chance that their Mistress is also not evil.

Thobrun: I know, but they attacked us.

Amethyst: To be fair, we were the first to draw our weapons.

Thobrun: I suppose…

Amethyst: They gave their word that no harm would befall us.

Thobrun: You don’t suppose their Mistress…

Amethyst: Of that I cannot be certain.

Thobrun: But there’s still a chance?

Amethyst pauses.

Amethyst: All will be well.

Thobrun: I certainly hope so, Amethyst.

Amethyst’s thoughts: As do I, dear Thobrun…

Scene 4: En Route to an Undisclosed Location: Late Morning

The party walks along a road through the open woodland, with Kara in front and Trent and the bear following behind. Bryn turns to look at the bear, which roars at him. A look of fear spreads across his face and he turns away.

Mak: So how far away is…wherever we’re going?

Kara: It is quite far.

Mak awaits a response.

Mak: So…it’ll take us days? Weeks?

Kara: Quite a while.

Mak: Well, you certainly get to the point, don’t you?

Trent: Kara is a woman of few words.

Mak: So maybe you could shed some light on our travel time?

Trent: Kara is most correct. It will take us some time before we reach our destination.

Mak (sarcasm): Great. Glad you could detail the trip with more words.

Trent: It is my pleasure, Makkmak.

Bryn: What’d he just call you?!

Mak: Drop it, Bryn.

Bryn: Makkmak? What kind of name is Makkmak?!

Mak (slightly elevated tone): I said drop it!

Bryn: Fine then!

Just then, four round objects fling from the trees, landing on the ground surrounding the party.

Mak: What the…?

Bryn: Oh no…

The objects burst open, releasing a thick mist into the air which engulfs the party. One by one, the party members pass out and collapse to the ground. As the mist dissipates, four individuals dressed in differently-coloured robes and breathers emerge from the trees and face the party. The dark-robed one speaks.

Dark Robed Guy: Ah, so we have found them at last. Let us get them to safety.

Green Robed Guy: What about the other three?

Dark Robed Guy: Eh, just leave them there. They are of no use to us.

The dark-robed guy looks into the sky in a mysterious pose, sunlight glinting on his breather’s black lens.

**********
Commercial: The Silveria Nature Trail is the ultimate outdoor activity. Marvel at the wildlife, including the largest population of muddvaks in the country. Why not stop at our picnic area and gift shop? We also boast a number of campsites for all you intrepid adventurers. Isn’t it time for an outdoor excursion? The Silveria Nature Trail.

**********
Well, what did you think? Are you excited for the next part? Stay tuned!

The entire season will be broken down into three separate "arcs", with each arc containing four regular episodes, followed by a special episode depicting the events of Zed's life in another world. These special episodes are not technically part of Crystals of Silveria, but they do tie into the series, with the major plot points resolved at the end of the third arc. So this series has a grand total of fifteen episodes, which will be followed up by other series as well. More info on those at a later time.

This thread has been stickied!

Woohoo! Thanks, Rukiafan-kun!

By the way, did you read the sneak peek of the third episode? If not, check post número 147.