Episode 0: In which visions are received

General Summary

Flopsy

Over the past week your nights have been restless and your days filled with a tension you can't put your finger on. The practicing of your Kata, which normally centres your mind and body does not help. You decide you need to commune with your goddess, and spend the day fasting leading into a night of meditation and contemplation. You hold the trance throughout the night, feeling anxiety flowing into you, even fear. Is your goddess afraid? The thought sends ripples through your body, just before the false dawn when the world is still and new day is about to be born, a woman in your mind's eye. It is not your goddess, but the Saint that Amariss worships. Her stunning beauty diminished by fear and worry. She looks at you, into you and you feel her thoughts.   "The Age of Worms is upon us, it could be the end of everything." She reaches to you, almost as if pleading for your help as her body starts to dissolve into millions of small green worms, with round mouths, full of teeth, flying towards you. As she fades you hear "It starts with a whisper." The worms land on you start to burrow into your flesh.   You are thrown out of the trance frantically pulling at your body to get the worms out of your arms. However, there is nothing there, other than rapidly fading bite marks from small green worms…  

Lazuli

It is a normal show night and you are trying out a new routine, as you walk out onto stage, the atmosphere fells different, there is a tension in the air that you have never felt before. You pause and cast your practice eye over the crowd, they appear to be carrying on as normal, it is a busy night, the miners are above ground. Drinking, laughing and smoking (all types), but something is… off.   The show is going well, until you start to feel your magic slip out of your control, normally this isn't a problem (well not too much of a problem - no one has died yet), but this feels odd. Suddenly you see a slender young man standing in front of you, while everyone else is frozen.   "Wild magic users are always my favourite." Olidammara smiles at you, but at the same time has a look of concern, he reaches out and passes a jar of liquid to you. Unsure of what is going on, you take the jar and hold it in your hands.   "Go on, have a look." He gestures to the jar.   Lifting to your eyes, you see suspended in the liquid a small green worm, with a round mouth, full of teeth.   "I'm sorry Lazuli, but the Age or Worms is upon us," he reaches out and touches you on the shoulder, "tag, you're it," and disappears.   The magic surges out of you, the filling the room with light, warmth and a mournful song, expressing such sharp feelings of sorrow and loss, that everyone starts to cry, as the music fades it imparts a feeling of hope, it is faint, but there.   There was pause as the audience took in what happened, and then cheers and shouts of appreciation at the spectacle. You look down at your empty hands and though your fingers to see the copper coins being through on the stage floor.  

Bay Leaf

You are marching through the hinterlands, word is at the lodge that a travelling group has gotten lost somewhere out in the hills and you are one of the lucky ones sent to try to find them So far you have not found any trace of their passing. Tired of looking for idiots that can't find their way without a paved path to follow you spot a patch of soft grass, bathed in the mid spring sun. It's the first truly warm day of spring, the air finally shruging off its winter chill. Lying down, you close your eyes and let the warm of the sun soak into your body.   You awake in darkness, but it is not night. The air is still warm. Around you is desolation, everything is dying, withered or dead. A beautiful woman steps out from behind the corpse of a tree. You recognise her instantly, Ehlonna, your goddess. She looks pale, drawn, even ill. You are shocked, can Gods get sick? "The Age of Worms is upon us, and unless you wish lose everything you hold dear," she turns and sweeps her arms wide, gesturing at the scarred landscape," you will have to do your part. Go to Diamond Lake and wait, you are needed." She reaches out and gently touches your cheek. You feel her power flow into you.   You wake with a start, back in the glade, bathed in sunshine. Off in the distance you hear the faint cries for help. "Idiots." You mutter to yourself as you gather your things and head off to the rescue.  

Virgil

After a very pleasant nights gambling, drinking and surprisingly, managing to end the evening with a little more silver than you had going in. You stagger off home, making your way through the familiar darkness as once you are out of the town square there is no lighting. You walk slowly concentrating on not falling over, so you entirely fail to notice the shadows stretching out to surround you. Suddenly the darkness is absolute, you cannot see at all, which is a new and unnerving experience for you. As you gather your wits, you also realise that there is no sound. You spin around trying to find your bearings, trying to see anything that might give you insight as to what is going on.   As you turn back, standing directly in front of you is a tall powerful elf. At his hip is a beautiful longsword, with a hilt of woven leather and gold, studded with gems, and strapped across his back is an oak longbow, with Elvish runes carved down its length. You stand in front of him, swaying.   The Elf sighs. "I've got to work on my timing," and waves his hand.   Suddenly your head clears and you understand who this is. Corellon Larethian, creator of the Elven race. He looks at you with a smile, "Time to get serious my boy, something is coming, something bad, and you are going to help do something about it. I'll let you work out the details of the wheres, the hows and the whys, but I'll help you with the who. Keep a look out for a Druid, an alien follower of the Green Lady and a somewhat erratic practiser of the magic arts. You are about to go on an interesting journey."   He starts to fade from view, "Oh yeah, whatever you do, don't let the worms get under your skin." Your vision is restored and you find yourself standing outside the door to your home, stone cold sober wondering what in the 9 hells just happened.