Convergence of the Elements

"Do not worry, it will all be over soon..." - Lord Nethrazim Paletouch

In the year 251 AC, on the 10th of Harvest, Korthia's 23d Convergence of the Elements was held. On this day, Korthians celebrated peace and prosperity. On this day, heroes from far and wide gathered to show the people that Korthia is prepared and protected from calamity. On this day, everything would change as trust was broken and the world was delved into darkness.

Chapter 1: The Gathering

As our heroes spoke the word, they were teleported towards the island of Jeb' blep. They felt their bodies warp and stretch, as they are transported towards the island. Feeling nauseous, they open their eyes. Before them, in the middle of a lush pink blossom tree forest, lies a walled festival terrain, the terrain that will once again house the Convergence of the Elements: a festival to create unity and let everyone know, should there ever be another calamity, Korthia is prepared! Today our heroes would have the chance to show their skills and powers in different events, but most of all in The Trials of the Elements. They heard the joyous sound of music, as they saw the large colored tents in the distance, and smelled the smell of cotton candy.
As they looked around however, many of them couldn't find their party members, but recognized people they had seen a few months ago. Around them were people that they had once been travelling with on the Blue Rose.

While still outside of the festival terrain, our heroes started making small talk with one another. They were but a few minutes away from the festival as a single dirt road leads forward. They entered the crowded Convergence of the Elements festival.
Before them, all manner of colored attractions, food stands, games and tents gave a festive vibe to this area. They instinctively looked for their team members but couldn't find them. For now, they would have to make do with the people they'd entered with.
In the middle of this large festival terrain, sat a large, rune carved boulder. On top of this boulder stood two people: a dark orange-haired female elf, and the one and only Lord Nethrazim Paletouch. The dark orange-haired female elf, dressed in a silk robe containing all the faction’s colours and ornaments, stood there holding a black umbrella, shading the person underneath it. That person would be Lord Nethrazim Paletouch, a pale looking man with black-white fuzzed hair and a dark purple tunic.
As he started standing even more upright, he addressed everyone at the festival. The female Elf waved her fingers around, as Nehtrazim’s voice reached even the farthest edge of the festival: "Good people of Korthia, welcome to the Convergence of the Elements! This festive day symbolizes peace and prosperity. Enjoy the party and be kind to one another. At the end of the day, our heroes will undergo the trial of the elements and reach for eternal glory, let’s give them a hand! Go now! Enjoy the party!"

Chapter 2: Bottom's up!

(Naam groep Lesley)

(Folky, Simon, Buddy, Sisyphus, Vryka)

The Summoned Ones

After arriving in Jeb' blep the adventurers had been separated from their parties. Nilki, being all alone, soon met Elisabeth VII and Khall from the Fellowshipwreckers. Not much later, they were also acquainted with Bridie ‘Icie’ Calinda and Dante Lucero from Opalescence. As the group got to know each other, they decided to get in line for the 'Dungeon for Commoners'. This, however, was something the group had to swear to keep silent as Elisabeth was afraid it would ruin her reputation.

As the group entered the dungeon under the name 'The Summoned Ones', a man dressed like a king introduced himself to them as 'King Herald'. He told them how his beautiful daughter had been captured by the evil wizard: Bartolomew the Rotten. He needed them to accompany Captain Grimthorne to rescue his daughter.
The Captain laid out different 'weapons' in front of them, and had them chose their respective roles. There was Dante, who picked a large warhammer and decided to become a great warrior. Nilki and Icie opted for the staff and became the mages. Elisabeth kept close to herself as she chose to be a priest. But most importantly, she would still be their leader. And last but not least Khall got to be the hunter. With their respective roles and larp weapons, they followed the Captain to the next room.
The group went through a series of rooms to locate the map, and find the lair of Bartolomew. During this time they came across a series of traps, and had to use their respective weapons to fight some bandits. Luckily, they succeeded. But not all of them did, as Captain Grimthorne 'died' in a very extravagant death scene.
After the Captain 'died', they left the first building to find a small campsite. Some crew members came towards them, telling them they now had the chance to sit down for a moment, and some refreshments would be provided. All of them sat down, and took some time to get to know each other. During this time Khall even showed his new friends his tinkering abilities, as he started working on Dante Lucero's shield.
After their rest, it was time to save the princess. A group of bandits was protecting the entrance to the hideout. They tried to think of a plan to get to the entrance without being noticed, but Elisabeth VII had something different in mind. She stepped up, like the leader she was, and told the bandits to let them through. Her powerful aura seemed to be very convincing, as, within a matter of time, all of the bandits lined up to make a path for the heroes.
Once inside, they made their way through the lair. Not long after, they stood face to face with the one and only: Bartolomew the Rotten. The evil wizard started a spectacular monologue about how he was the righteous ruler of Korthia, and how the party was weak compared to him. This however, didn't stop The Summoned Ones from fighting him. During the fight, Elisabeth VII tried to get the princess, a tall Orc woman, to fight for herself. Again, she was quite convincing. Following their great leader, they defeated the evil wizard who died in a over-dramatic death scene, falling to the ground.
While celebrating their victory, they exited the dungeon. At the exit they all got the chance to claim a prize for defeating the wizard. A series of different trinkets laid before them, but Dante Lucero didn't want a normal trinket, she wanted the large foam warhammer she had been holding throughout the dungeon. When the party walked outside, she had a big smile on her face, and the warhammer in her hand.

They spend the rest of their time exploring the rest of the festival and getting to know each other. Only when it was time for the trials, they started making their way towards Rosegarden Square.

(Naam groep Mayke)

(Nalu, Djuny, Freya, Thadulain)

Chapter 3: The Trials

As all our heroes entered Rosegarden Square, they saw a beautiful stone circle floor inscribed with elven details. On the left and right, adjecent to this stone circle, sat grey boulders that had entrances in them leading down. On the other side of them, was a platform just a little higher then the ground. Together with other people they had or had not seen before, they walked onto the center. They all looked around to see their that party members had also made their way onto the stone circle. After saying their goodbyes to their new found friends, all of them headed back to their parties.
After getting back with their group members, they looked up to see Lord Nethrazim walk up to the platform to address all of them: "Heroes! I hope you have enjoyed the activities thus far. Now comes the moment you have all been waiting for, the trails of the elements. Each group has been given a corresponding element. You will venture towards the elemental planes and retrieve one of four shards. These elemental shards represent your glory and should you return with these shards, you are victorious. Fellowshipwreckers and The First Mates will venture towards the elemental plane of water. Incorporeal Incorperated and The Underdogs will venture towards the elemental plane of air. Opalescensce and The Wildcards will venture towards the elemental plane of fire. The Ragtags and The Haulers will venture towards the elemental plane of earth. Ladies and gentlement, make no mistake. These trails are to show to people of Korthia we are prepared for any challange that might come our way. For this reason the trail is deadly and challenging. You are expected to give it your all and return with the elemental shard. If you succeed, you will be given the opportunity to train future adventurers with you knowledge and prowess. Let the trails commence! Goodluck heroes!”

The Trial of Water

The Fellowshipwreckers were tasked with retrieving the shard from the plane of water. Their opponents for this trial were the first mates of The First Mates, namely Doberman, FM1, Tarik, Tangor and Cornus, who all rushed off as soon as the starting shot sounded. FS found themselves in a cave ending in a waterfall. It was to no surprise that Godfried, as per his habit, didn't think twice to just jump off the waterfall. Fortunately, that turned out to be the way to go, so FS followed behind him, though, with a bit more caution. The waterfall ended in a big basin and, in the middle, they saw a portal, presumably to the plane of water. Armed with potions of water breathing, FS entered the portal.

They immediately found themselves surrounded by water. After adjusting for a moment, they took in their surroundings. In the distance they saw Broton, one of the largest city in the plane of water. The city emitted a faint blue light. After a short distance of swimming FS reached Broton. The city turned out to be deserted and in ruins, but, in the middle of it, was the shard. Of course this wouldn't be a real challenge if the shard was just for the taking. The shard didn't budge, it was completely stuck. The group investigated the "device" and figured out that the shard was stuck in the stone by means of suction, so there must be a way to turn it off. A nearby chapel would be as good as a starting point as it could get. It turned out that there were several locations in this city where, beyond a wall of water, were waterless areas where they could catch a breath. Literally.
After surviving a battle with some water elementals, FS found a hatch to the underground part of the city. They even found a bar with quite some interesting drinks! After a few puzzles and a very odd sequence where Godfried was able to seduce a fish, FS reached a large room with a spiral staircase leading down. A sun was depicted on the large ceiling and down below, much to their disliking, were the First Mates, in the middle of a heated battle with a large sea serpent. When FS finally reached the bottom of the staircase, the First Mates dealt their final blow to the serpent, but they weren't finished fighting yet! They wanted to win this challenge and for that FS had to go.

But then... something unexpected happened. The sun on the ceiling changed... into a full moon. Before the First Mates realized, Elisabeth ripped out of her own skin and leaped forward to sink her giant teeth into the neck of the first opponent she found.

The Trial of Air

(IncInc)

The Trial of Fire

As Opalescence prepared for their trial, a Human from The Wildcards walked towards them. This man had brown skin, and was wrapped in white linen bandages that covered his body. He walked towards them with a golden staff in hand. At the top of his staff sat a gem shaped like a black scarab. He looked at them and said: "Opalescence, was it? I want you to know we are open for teamwork if you'd like. Should you need our help, we shall grant it."
They looked towards the rest of The Wildcards, examining the group. All of them seemed to hold similar staffs, adorned with different creature shaped gems. There was a Drow, who held a staff with a Moorbounder on it, an Eladrin holding a Phoenix staff, a Yuan Ti with a Basilisk shaped gem on his staff, and a Tiefling holding a large staff with a Moorbounder shaped staff sitting on top of it. The group stood there, clearly taking pride in being a part of the event.
Opalescence nodded at them, and thanked them for their offer. They made sure to be battle ready before making their way towards the entrance together with The Wildcards.

After entering the large boulder, they followed the staircase leading them downwards. After descending for about two minutes, they saw a long narrow tunnel. As they looked at the path before them, they noticed the many geysers on the floor, ready to spew hot air. Without hesitation The Wildcards summoned their animal companions, and without a word, darted through the geysers leaving Opalescences line of sight.
Our heroes looked at each other, and nodded. Sisyphus used his echo to teleport through the tunnel, avoiding all of the geysers with ease. Dante Lucero instructed Gustav to help the rest of them do the same.
When they reached the other side, they were met with another obstacle: a cave filled with steaming hot lava. On the other side of the lava they saw a portal, leading them to the trial. Luckily they had Sisyphus who, at the time, had wings because of a potion. He easily carried his party members to the other side.
Standing in front of the portal, they saw the fire swirl in front of them. Dante Lucero smiled as it reminded her of home. One by one they stepped through the portal.

Soon they found themselves in a fiery landscape: a massive dark brown rock landmass surrounded by a sea of glowing lava. Dante Lucero noted that this was in fact Ashran. They followed a small rocky path, leading them to a bigger section of Ashran. On their left, they noticed a slightly lighter colored, vertical slab of stone, with murals carved into it. This mural displayed an epic image of different monsters, residing in their lair adjacent to a glowing gate. One of these monsters was a massive spider: Queen Beth'talic. On the other side a (what?): Infurnus.
Looking to her right, Freya Nightingale noticed a rock with words carved in it. In common it read: "Both monsters kill for gate open. Go left, we right. Bring head." "I suppose we have to go left" she noted. Together they started walking towards the spider queen lair.

While walking towards Queen Beth'talics lair, they saw how huge fire salamanders and fire snakes were patrolling the area. Though they were able to stay hidden for some time, they soon noticed another creature. An infernal hound sniffed the area, and seemed to have picked up on their scent. When the hound came to close, Dante Lucero tried to distract it by throwing a squeaky toy she carried with her. But it didn't work. The hound alerted the other beasts, and their first battle started. They were surrounded by enemies, as there were not one, but four fire salamanders, and a couple of fire snakes running their way. The fight was relatively easy, but also annoying as these creatures all seemed to be immune to fire, and just wouldn't give up.

After they'd slain the beasts, they went on towards Beth'talic's lair. This infernal area was covered in thick cobwebs, one of them making some sort of rood that led little light through. In the center of the web sat a large spider, bigger than they'd ever seen before. Within seconds she noticed them, and started viciously attacking them. While Dante Lucero set the whole area ablaze, Bridie ‘Icie’ Calinda and Sisyphus climbed on top of the spider queen, and started attacking her from there. Although Beth'talic was strong, Opalescence came out victorious. They decapitated her body, and went on their way.

The party started making their way towards their final destination. Just before they arrived, they were met with another challenge. Two brass braziers hung from opposite sides of the entrance of the mountain. From these braziers two large Fire Elementals spawned. In unison they spoke in Ignan: "It doesn't have eyes, but once it did see. It once had thoughts, now white and empty." It didn't take long before Freya Nightingale found the answer: a skull. As they presented it to the Elementals, they let them through.
When they entered the Infernus Chamber, they noticed how The Wildcards had already beaten Infurnus, and were holding on to the shard of fire. They looked at our heroes, wiping the sweat from their faces. Scarab looked at them, with an unnerving smile on his face, and said: "Ahh, you even brought the head. Wonderful, we shall take it after we have disposed of you." The Wildcards readied themselves, then Scarab spoke again: "We shall say you fought heroically, but sadly passed away." Immediately, The Wildcards started attacking Opalescence. They used their animal companions to their advantage, and were able to kill Sisyphus within the first few seconds. Luckily, the rest of Opalescence were able to overpower them, and kill them.
After the fight, Dante Lucero put all of their staffs in her bag, transorting them to Ysala. Freya Nightingale grabbed the shard, and the three of them started heading back to Rosegarden Square knowing Sisyphus' new body would find them soon enough. 

The Trial of Earth

(Trippel DM campaign)

Chapter 4: The Awakening

As all heroes return from their trails and entered Rosegarden Square, they noticed they were all alone. No audience, no staff members, no festival participants, and no Nethrazim Paletouch. They see rolling in from the north, crimson red mist. This mist began to surround them, and made their muscles feel relaxed and their mind at ease. Just before they lost consciousness, they saw appearing from this red mist: Lord Nethrazim Paletouch. He laughs manically: "Thank you for accomplishing what many could not do. Do not worry, everything will be over soon..." Your vision faded and the world turned black.

They awoke to bright white beam of light, shooting up in the air not far from them. Looking over towards the light they were met with the true form of Lord Paletouch, as his massive swords, Sanguniuss and Rothalia, hovered beside him. The Lord had grown to a colossal size, towering over the adventurers. His golden armor reflected the light that came from the shards he held in his hands. They noticed how the light was a reaction of the four elemental shards merging together. A loud bang could be heard, as the shards exploded in rays of colorful light. Immediately after, four gigantic Elementals appeared in the air above them. They were about 5 miles in diameter, as they completely blocked out the moonlight of Kyrilian. All four Elementals went their separate ways, ready to terrorize different parts of Korthia.
Our heroes, shocked by what had just happened, readied themselves for battle. They knew it was their job to defend the world they had came to love. Together they fought Lord Paletouch, making sure they would all make it out alive. However, this couldn't be true. Although they defeated the Lord, two of them lost their lives. As Bridie ‘Icie’ Calinda was attacked by one of Lord Paletouch's swords, Freya Nightingale jumped in front of her, taking the blow, and losing her life. Elisabeth VII tried to save her, but couldn't. The second loss was Khall, which they didn't notice immediately. The Tortle was killed by the Lord himself.

Chapter 5: Goodbye My Friend

What came after the battle was a moment of celebration, but also a time of mourning. Although they were all happy that they had defeated the evil they had faced, they were also mourning the once they had lost. After saying their goodbyes to each other, and the island of Jeb' blep, they went their separate ways, ready to protect Korthia once again.

Relations

Protagonists

The Fellowshipwreckers:

• Buddy, a Human Bard
• Elisabeth VII, a Lycanthrope Cleric
• Godfried Von Oakenhoffen, a Dwarf Paladin
• Khall, a Tortle Artificer
• Nalu Ashan, a Khalashtar Bard

Incorporeal Incorporated (later known as Great Fortune):

• Djuny Ring, a Hedgefolk Barbarian
• Simon Whistlefeather, a Human Ranger
• Thadulain Greenleaf, a Wood Elf Warlock
• Vryka Wizzleracket-Gemsong, a Dwarf Fighter

Opalescence:

• Bridie ‘Icie’ Calinda, a Fire Genasi Barbarian
• Dante Lucero, a Fire Genasi Druid
• Freya Nightingale, a Dhampir Bard
• Sisyphus, an Undead Fighter

The Ragtags:

• Ani Blastfuse, a Dragonborn Fighter
• Bezkit Wizzleracket, a Goblin Ranger
• Jermain Swiftsword, a High Elf Rogue / Fighter

Competitors

The First Mates:

• Chimfus Hoe
• FM-1 (Earth Golem)
• Kornos Tidewalker
• Taric Spellbreaker
• Tengor Swiftclaw

The Underdogs:

• 'Big' Jacques
• 'Blasting' Bob-Berry
• 'Mimic' Mike
• 'Patch 'em up' Drogo

The Wildcards:

• Basalisk and his Basilisc
• Cerberus and his Hellhound
• Moor and his Moorbounder
• Pheonix and his Pheonix
• Scarab and his Giant Scarab

The Haulers:

• (members?)

Adversaries

Lord Nethrazim Paletouch

Related Characters

• Ani Blastfuse
• Bezkit Wizzleracket
• Bridie ‘Icie’ Calinda
• Buddy
• Dante Lucero
• Elisabeth VII
• Freya Nightingale
• Juazall
• Nalu Ashan
• Sisyphus
• Vryka Wizzleracket-Gemsong

Related Organizations

• Brothers-In-Arms
• Great Fortune
• Opalescence
• The Fellowshipwreckers
• The Undying Order