Stabs' Pit of Nightmares (and ideas)

Alright then

Vandal Balaur
Size: 300-900 feet long
Threat: Very High
Until recently, the Vandal Balaur was thought to have been one of twin dragons created by vengeful ancient gods in Gathion, the home of the Magiocrats. Sent to punish a greedy witch king who had amassed a roomful of ascarlin, the creature was said to be blazingly fast, with dozens of heads, each armed with rows of needle-like terrible teeth and peerless strength. Its wounds closed at blistering speed, and it feared nothing for losing its heads, as it would regrow them just as quickly. The legend spoke of how the beast had razed and nearly destroyed an entire civilization's major cities out of lust for destruction, until ten crafty heroes defeated it by feeding it a jewel that cursed its heart, then pitting it against its twin. That weakened it enough for them to just barely deal the lethal blow to its ascarlin-laden heart, after sustaining heavy losses. One of the survivors, a dark-hearted woman, stole then its cursed crystal heart, then raised a black magic cult around it: the cult troubles Gathion to this day.

Specimens of the creature have recently been sighted within the Ascarlin Mines and the middle reaches of the Green Hell. They remain no less fearsome and vicious than the legends spoke of: unless antimagic nullifies their regeneration, only high-explosive destructive devices can truly wound one. They are solitary, and the known specimens do not breed, but rather those that encounter another of their kin fight berserk battles to the death without exception. It was suspected they reproduced through fission, but no evidence for that has been observed.

Vandal Balaur are now known to devour ascarlin, which goes to their heart, a pulsating and glowing organ at the base of their necks. The dreamstones contribute to their number of heads and to the armored scales. The heart has been demonstrated to be a weakpoint, and all balaur kills so far have involved making one raise its heads until it was exposed, then attacking it: even the other fauna in the Green Hell, renowned for their berserk ferocity, get smart when it comes to a balaur. Other than eating dreamstone, balaur are not known to actively eat anything, except for small things they incidentally swallow. The Isolon Fist has perfected Balaur-fighting tactics, allowing them to take one out from time to time with proper preparation, but there are sometimes independant adventurers that try to take one on for the ascarlin shards cached away in their heart. So far, none have been known to succeed in the task.


Gathion Salamander
Size: Up to 3 inches
Threat: Minimal
These toothless, slimy creatures crawl around wherever mages set up shop in Gathion, and they've recently become a staple in Negav too. Red with black stripes, beginner mages have used those animals for a long time in order to practice magic, healing in particular. They have the ability to regenerate pieces of their bodies, and some have been known to heal back bits of their heads. In a pinch, they can even detach their tails. While Gathion salamanders are insectivores by preference, they're known to hibernate sometimes, living off ambient energy, which makes for pretty sturdy pets.

As an interesting tidbit, they are known to pursue and swallow ascarlin: this has gotten them used in the Ascarlin mines in large numbers to find new ore veins. A salamander that successfully eats a piece of ascarlin will quickly grow listless, then violently berserk, as it dies from intoxication. Since the method was introduced the yields have improved considerably, but dozens of salamanders have been dying every week. Miners now know to follow the smell of rot to fish for ascarlin.

Stabs wrote:

Alright, I think I've fixed what Sean found wrong. Time to see if it's any better than the first draft.

Don't think I'm going to fixate on fairies more than this, though... next time, I'll be doing slimy, crunchy monsters that live underwater.




How Cookies Conquered The World

Once upon a time, there was a fairy who had the most unusual of passions, at least for a fairy- she enjoyed cooking. Whether it was meat, fruit, vegetables or rarer fare, it's said whatever made it into her hands would end up in a pot -or under the knife- at some point. She enjoyed eating a little less, though, and usually found that no one cared to join her for supper. Other fairies found her practices needlessly cruel, but above all, slow, and her constant experimentation with ever more exotic ingredients and recipes ran counter-intuitive to the rest of her kind. So the fairy found herself with rarely a guest to cook for: no one enjoyed her meals as much as she did.

This went on until a point when the fairy created a recipe with all the goodness she could think of in it. Fashioning the result into little cookies, she succeeded in finally making a popular dish; past their initial reluctance, all her friends loved the feel and taste of her new cookies. Having found the right direction, she proceeded to make little faces on her cookies, and then make hands, and fingers on the cookies, modeling them after most tauric races. These cookies came to be even more widely accepted. As she kept working on her technique, abandoning the rest of her experimentation, her cookies became more and more lifelike, until they were just as good as any of the tauric races in Felarya. Past this point, the fairy decided to make her own special brand of tauric cookies. They started as a joke, but they were so popular with all her friends that she stuck to that design. She varied her recipe often, using different ingredients, and sometimes they came out white, sometimes they were almost black, sometimes, the lemon in them made them yellow- some say she once made a cookie with ascarlin chips too.

But as she improved her cookies, they grew more intelligent than she intended at first. Of course, she didn't really care- smart or not, they'd always be cookies. And even the little hearts she gave them served only to improve upon their taste. All their intelligence was just so that they could be played with. And it'd have stayed that way, were it not for one thing... they were just food, and as mere food were they thought of. So no one bat an eyelash every time a cookie or two went missing: if they could not be found, then no problem, their friend would bake more! Everything in Felarya wanted some of those cookies... so logically one or two would go missing sometime!

However, sometimes cookies went missing because of a dimensional disturbance, the kind that's so common in Felarya. Released from their fate, those cookies soon began achieving their maximum potential, beyond the scope of that fairy's imagination. They thrived, and they spread out and about, invading and conquering world after world after world. Cookies soon became one of the most powerful forces of the universe: they grew proud, and they forgot their roots. In time, cookies forgot they were ever cookies, and forged a new name for themselves.

Eventually, the guardians realized the threat. Cookies were everywhere, and it was now time to recall them, therefore Felarya started gating those cookies back in. But there were too many; it was impossible to catch them all. By the time the futility of this effort was realized, it was too late to stop gating them in: the Guardians' spells had already enough momentum. Even today, the power of their spells still draws several dozens of them every day. However, some escaped back to the worlds they'd stablished themselves in: they brought with themselves the tale of Felarya, and many went there of their own volition, in volumes far greater than any dimensional disturbances could ever hope to accomplish. Once there, cookies once more met their eaters...

But alas, the harm was done. No matter how many cookies returned to Felarya, and despite the world could eat them all if they ever managed to get them all back, the cookies had already spread beyond control. And there was no way anymore to prove the cookies were cookies, for the cookies had written now their own rules. All because they hadn't been all eaten. So those cookies are spread throughout the universe now, sometimes meeting their intended fate, sometimes not: one thing is certain, and that is that they're delicious. Predators all throughout the universe recognize those cookies easily, even though they might not know their true nature, because of their tauric form, which combines the universal upper body with the lower half of a fairy.



Whether the myth is true or not, the recipe exists; the Othemites have found two copies of the recipe so far (Sugar, spice, and everything nice, or snips, snails, and puppy dogs' tails, maybe with a little something else...). This sacrilege against human life is one of the reasons why they're so obsessed with scouring Felarya free of predators: some predators certainly know the recipe, and if there's any possibility people can be not just born of woman, but simply MADE, like they were cookies, so that even if they were all destroyed they could simply be remade by anyone with the time... if a heart, a soul is worth only a few pounds of sugar and flour, what are PEOPLE worth!?
(Of course, they also believe anyone who's read the recipe should never be allowed again within ten miles of a kitchen, stove, spoon, mixing bowl, or campfire, for good measure.)




There, I fixed it. Sean was right- I'd made plenty of rookie mistakes on this one. Also, I wanted to add a few optional plot twists- just a few ideas I had. They're mutually exclusive, though- as each takes the whole thing in a completely different direction.

Spoiler:

Why am I telling you all about those possibilities if I don't want any of them, you may ask? I like showing my work...

That is a mirthful and very chuckle worthy legend! To think all humans are descended from cookie dough. I posit this is one reason why people feel guilty consuming large portions of cookie dough.

XD interesting response. Might I suggest using a spoiler tag next time, that's quite a lot of text to quote~

I like the idea of fauna following the Magiocrats from their homeworld. Ascarlin seems to be a common theme between the two; has it been established that Gathion had it in larger quantities, or it was otherwise somehow important to nature there? If not, it might make sense for it to become so. The Balaur draws upon hydras for inspiration; like its mythical ancestor, are there any methods to sear the necks closed after beheading to prevent regrowth?

So how does the salamander eat ascarlin? Does it secrete some sort of acid to soften the rock, does it slowly lick it like a deer on a salt lick, or is it limited to eating already-broken small chunks? Also, I'd think that sooner or later, the miners would train their own salamanders and give them muzzles or something to stop them from eating any ascarlin they find, sort of like how humans put metal rings around the necks of some birds to get them to fish but not swallow their catch.

Gamma wrote:

I like the idea of fauna following the Magiocrats from their homeworld.  Ascarlin seems to be a common theme between the two; has it been established that Gathion had it in larger quantities, or it was otherwise somehow important to nature there?  If not, it might make sense for it to become so.

Uhh... that's the secret twist, actually. Ascarlin is not intended, for the purposes of these creatures, to be especially abundant in Gathion.

Gamma wrote:

The Balaur draws upon hydras for inspiration; like its mythical ancestor, are there any methods to sear the necks closed after beheading to prevent regrowth?

Its necks can only be seared closed with antimagic, and it goes away on its own, too. Otherwise, you need to deal damage faster than it can heal- and the only practical way to do that is by blowing it up.

Actually, the Balaur draws upon Balaurs for inspiration. This in particular...

The Genesis of the Balaur:

Gamma wrote:

So how does the salamander eat ascarlin?  Does it secrete some sort of acid to soften the rock, does it slowly lick it like a deer on a salt lick, or is it limited to eating already-broken small chunks?

The latter.

Gamma wrote:

Also, I'd think that sooner or later, the miners would train their own salamanders and give them muzzles or something to stop them from eating any ascarlin they find, sort of like how humans put metal rings around the necks of some birds to get them to fish but not swallow their catch.

I'm trying to go with that they're cheap and plentiful, that they're not worth muzzling, it's easier to find the dead buggers and just cut 'em open.

======

Thank you, Refugee, for your kind words on the tale. I agree with Bael, nonetheless, that spoilering it would've been suitable. Doubly so now that Forumotion puts even more posts in a single page.

Archmage_Bael wrote:

XD interesting response. Might I suggest using a spoiler tag next time, that's quite a lot of text to quote~

I apologize, sir! I shall venture to be more careful.

felarya_refugee wrote:

Archmage_Bael wrote:

XD interesting response. Might I suggest using a spoiler tag next time, that's quite a lot of text to quote~

I apologize, sir! I shall venture to be more careful.

Its okay, haha.

Lidasha and Koerygios

Both boasting the title of 'the largest empire in all of existence' (if you ask them), Lidasha and Koerygios are two highly militarized worlds that have made contact with Felarya a few decades ago. A brigade of Lidasha's forces was warped in by an accident close to the Gate, which they were capable of quickly using to find a hidden gate in their own world. They've been using the latter to access Felarya ever since. Koerygios, on the other hand, was apparently a favoured hunting ground for Dimensional Anglers, and an enterprising young soldier managed to subvert their abilities and use them to pass into Felarya.

The forces from Lidasha and Koerygios, according to Delurians, are technologically "sort of backwards". Lidashan forces carry compressed-air launchers, capable of shooting out large projectiles with staggering force. Their forces employ grenades for long range, and rocks for short range. Koerygios sends conscripts with more familiar weapons, similar to muskets except for an interesting electrical system which uses capacitor banks powered by a side crank to ignite the bullet propellant.

Predators found out early that both are rather hard targets: sheer numbers and strong firepower make attacking their armies a rather painful proposition, as even for a giant, nearly a thousand weapons firing at full power is nothing to sneeze at. Unfortunately, they have both become quite overconfident as a result, and predators regularly wipe out these armies with the power of ambushes, teamwork, and magic, which neither side boasts.

After sending numerous groups of explorers into Felarya, Lidashae and Koerygii chanced upon each other. Immediately, they identified the other as the greatest threat to their potential expansion into the new world, and decided to send in great armies to destroy the other. Predictably, none of them has seen any of their forces return; due to some unexplainable mystery of miscommunication, both openly consider the other side as the only responsible party.

This has not ended their incursions. If anything, the regular losses have only hardened their resolution to conquer Felarya and rescue their comrades imprisoned by an army of treacherous cowards with no honor. The predators aren't exactly complaining about the misattribution, though some of them find it rather difficult to deal with them: for instance, Crisis is known to reluctantly avoid both sides, at least when alone, for their firepower. Many predators have figured out the error, but those that have attempted to explain it to the humans have been met with scorn, derision, and even agression. As a result, these two factions have made all humans, in the eyes of the predators that have interacted with them, silly creatures that are so dumb it hurts.

I've been trying to find out what to say about this. "Well written idea" should be the first one, evidently. It seems like almost a comedic entry, that these two sides just go at each other while ignoring the dangers of Felarya, because hey "the wilderness can't possibly be a threatening factor when we have technology!" or some such theory. The predators probably don't eat them because they think they'll catch "crazy" disease if they do! Haha.

Its amusing all around, yet I get the feeling that there's something I'm missing somewhere in the details of their forces leaving to attack one another, them disappearing, and the creatures either eating them or steering clear. Supposedly they're quite dangerous, as they do have weapons and are likely trained with them, but predators still eat them or run away...I'm wondering how they would eat them, after all I can't think of any scenario that would explain a contingent of soldiers going missing in a place like Felarya under any other reason.

Maybe unless we got a crazy witch trying to figure out how to cheat Felarya's no-zombies rule, and needs sacrifices to do it. Sacrificial offerings to Skorm! Appease your dark god!

...I think that's enough from me.

Ah, I might not have made this clear- predators DO eat them, and sometimes, they DO manage to clash.

Predators eat them. Maybe not when at full force and by themselves, but it's possible for a pred to enlist a couple buddies, get a mage on board, wait until dark, and then ambush them some humans. Heck, you should be able to get a few dozen fairies to help you if you can promise them there'll be enough for them to be able to scarf down forty humans each. At that scale, they don't even have to bother enlarging them back in their belly.

And sometimes, both sides finally clash. The aftermath's probably bloody- one side has explosives, after all. But after such a clash, it really doesn't take that much work to polish off the survivors.

I rather like the Lidasha and Koerygios idea. Adds to the Versology of the setting and is great fun to read. So like us Earthlings arent they? The wind up guns are an interesting image too especially when coupled with the air cannon as the main sequence but then they are quite versatile with grenades and other lovely bang-bangs. Tell me how do the vary in appearence from one another? I bet their military dress is equally as exotic but practical as their weapons, no?

For some reason I picture the Swedish Royal Guard uniform when I read about the Koerygious. Something about a bunch of guys in funny pointed hats all stopping to crank up their muskets between volleys sounds like it would be a hilarious yet ominous sight to behold. So in line with Refugee, do you have any idea regarding the look of both forces Stabs?

reminds me of something XD

https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/why-was-blefuscu-enemy-with-lilliput-answer-behalf-343305

Thank you for your interest. However, I hadn't thought much about their looks, or at least, not as much as you seem to assume.


I thought at least one side needed conspicuous, long moustaches, for what it's worth. Everyone in that side should have a moustache, and probably a long, luxurious black wig.

At least one side, preferably Lidasha, should use armored soldiers. Given they use both explosives and rock shooters, it seems fitting that they stock up on plate armor, which should be able to stop what THEY are using, though it'd be largely ineffective against supersonic musket shot.

The other side is best left unarmored for contrast. Nonetheless, a funny hat to contrast with the other's use of moustaches and wigs would probably maximize comedy value. Perhaps camo and a hat with a potted plant, for "dog pees on hat" jokes. A sunflower would probably be the best potted plant.


As for Blefuscu and Lilliput, while a silly justification would probably work too, I thought that fighting the other because they're the only serious impediment to conquering Felarya would better highlight their warmongering character and arrogance.

The winding reminds me of that scene in Futurama on the planet of the balls. XD Which makes me love it even more but it seemed to me these two factions channel that satire the old ideas used to have all the time and add to the wiki's list of human lore. Also their weapons could be good finds at a bazaar. Especially the rock launchers XD Mecha sling shots. Nice.

Stabs wrote:

Xerines
Xerines, also known as tunnelers, are a hybrid species that resembles humans combined with ground squirrels (marmots and similar species). They stand about as tall and heavy as humans, marked as different by the presence of two round ears near the back of their temples and a wide tail full of short, stiff hair. Most of them, but not all, sport thick frontal teeth and thick, protruding bone claws.

The species is interesting lore-wise and visually but do tell what do you mean by 'bone claws'? Like retractable ones that shoot out of their wrists like Kamatachi from Japanese lore or do you mean they have huge monster claws that stick out of their digits? Either way they sound intriguing and a welcome addition to the sparse Underground area.

I meant claws that stick out of their digits.

haha I like the Lidasha and Koerygios idea. There is something fascinating and ironic in having those two armies blindly battling each others and completely oblivious to the world around them ^^ If it occurs in a precise location each time, I could imagine the local preds naming it after them XP

The two creatures are nice as well. Like Gamma said, the idea of a fauna coming from Gathion is interesting. I can imagine it to be naturally attuned to magic and attracted by Ascarlin indeed ^^

Good job on these !

I think you pretty much nailed a good tech level for the two factions; high enough and strong enough that normal, individual, or contemptuous predators would fare poorly, forcing predators to use tactics or work together. I definitely like the idea of mustaches on one and silly hats on the other; it reinforces their more satirical, comic relief aspect. Do you have any thoughts on what part of Felarya they'd be fighting over?

Gamma wrote:

I think you pretty much nailed a good tech level for the two factions; high enough and strong enough that normal, individual, or contemptuous predators would fare poorly, forcing predators to use tactics or work together.  I definitely like the idea of mustaches on one and silly hats on the other; it reinforces their more satirical, comic relief aspect.

Thanks. Was hoping that the tech was toned down just right, so that they could beat predators but were unlikely to off 'em without looking weird in any wrong way.

Gamma wrote:

Do you have any thoughts on what part of Felarya they'd be fighting over?

Spitballing, I'm thinking of having team Red in Deeper Felarya, and team Blue in Tolmeshal.

Karbo wrote:

haha I like the Lidasha and Koerygios idea. There is something fascinating and ironic in having those two armies blindly battling each others and completely oblivious to the world around them ^^ If it occurs in a precise location each time, I could imagine the local preds naming it after them XP

Thanks.

Karbo wrote:

The two creatures are nice as well. Like Gamma said, the idea of a fauna coming from Gathion is interesting. I can imagine it to be naturally attuned to magic and attracted by Ascarlin indeed ^^

Indeed... that said, there was a secret twist to those two creatures.

Spoiler:

Been a chunk of time, huh?



The Tragedy of Arbankuo, Renegade of Tival

Little is known outside Hell and Heaven regarding the end of the Tenebris War. Of what is known, one particular salient fact is made freely available as follows: Arbankuo of Tival is a traitor that must be brought to heel.

Arbankuo herself served as a warrior against Heaven during Tenebris. While she was still in the good graces of Hell, she was known both for her wanton brutality and sheer hardheadedness. Possessing a rare (deliberately bred, some surmise) combination of mutations, she was enormous, armed with a strength to rival some archfiends, precious little magic, and a low, base cunning. These traits served her survival quite well, at the apparent expense of her usefulness in war.

During her time in the Tenebris war, Arbankuo held the line in Acheron against heavenly intrusions through the Chaos. In every battle she participated, slowing her down was central to the tactics employed by the forces of Heaven. With each defeat more impressive than the last, she scored one rout after another, prevailing over the champions of the Celestial Hosts. Swift routs didn't prevent similar losses on the infernal side, some argue, due to her lack of discipline. She crushed the celestials with no regard for her own allies, or their strategies.

In fact, the Tival succubus wore her disdain for those same allies on her sleeve. She judged most of them as weak and worthless, including most leaders, rarely remembering to make an exception for the mages that did things she never could. It was drafted mortals that bore the worst of her spite, however, and she never missed the opportunity to berate them, the leaders who involved them, and the mages who made use of them. She often made snacks of them without warning, claiming it was the only way to find use for them.

Even when fighting the strongest that Heaven had to offer, the warrior came through victorious, and her role in the Tenebris War would have been long and glorious, but for the one battle that would be her last. The House of Tival was called upon to defend a palace in Acheron, under the forces of its Lords at that time. A proven veteran and illusions expert, Arsinoë, was there to support her, though the two had clashed time and again.

The succubus felled ceiciels left and right, leaving just a very thin mist of gore and offal. She held the line quite effectively, until a sorcerer came to relay new orders to her. Heaven had lured in one of the cyclopean spawn of Chaos that wander the wilds of Acheron; eager for the challenge, Arbankuo fought it in single combat, and narrowly defeated it. Sadly, she took too long to defeat it, and missed the forces of Heaven absolutely destroying her allies in that fight. Weakened by the battle, she was dragged away in chains by the forces that came to rescue her own side after it, accused of abandoning her post, eating a key sorcerer, and aiding enemy forces.

Her utter inarticulateness humiliated her throughout the trial, her constant spewing of accusations and threats failing to budge a single opinion in her favor. She grew increasingly furious, frustrated and irrational throughout the proceedings. She finally found out about their secret witness, another Tival succubus, who testified that Arbankuo had, on an enemy signal, devoured the sorcerer who told her to reinforce the other flank, abandoned the door to the forces of heaven, and kept away the chaos spawn to buy the invaders time. Betrayed and enraged, the defendant tore the witness apart- and then struck Arsinoë, yet another witness, in the middle of her testimony. That marks the first and last time anyone would lay a finger on this succubus.

After that transgression, the jury agreed on her guilt. Simply killing her would not do anymore: while the list of punishments is under debate, it is known she was tortured in a great many ways, that her horn was removed alongside a piece of her skull, that her body was flayed and her veins filled with infernal vermin, that her bones were shattered and fused again in increasingly deplorable configurations, that she was made to experience agonies she had no way of knowing, that her very ability to know was degraded severely, death deferred and denied. While her torment was not to be eternal, it was meant to last until the soon-to-be Queen of Acheron was satisfied.

It did not last that long: she managed to escape, in the process cutting a swath of destruction straight for Arsinoë's palace. Nothing that stood in her way survived; even in her state, her monstrous strength was enough to turn them all into pulp. She wasn't quite berserk, however, as the balefs that sought to stop her found out when they were first set aside, and then fed to each other. Catapulting the resulting tangle of flesh into the queen's palace, she decimated Semdion under their expanding bodies. That's what it took to get Arsinoë's attention- and to create a platform that rose fast enough to reach that winged, hated foe no matter how fast she flew.

Arbankuo thought she'd rip out her head there and then, but she had failed to consider two things: that she had lost her horn, and that Arsinoë was the ruler of Acheron now. Defenseless now against her world-shaking power, Arbankuo was effortlessly brought to heel by the one she ever so despised. Their encounter lasted only long enough for the ancient frost succubus to explain to her that everything the prisoner had ever hoped for was no more. She was then returned to imprisonment.

Given the state of her body and mind, her next escape could only be attributed to outside help; later it would be determined that a mortal by the name of Dalur, one of Arsinoë's own warlocks, was the one to spring her out. The pair made their getaway towards Felarya, where they took refuge in the dimensionally abnormal zone known as the Green Hell. Her preternatural brutality served the pair well there; a bauble pilfered from Arsinoë's vaults helped both to anchor her to the physical world. It would also screen her from tracking, even despite the fact that coming pursuers all had access to pieces of her horn, which had come to be quite spread through the planes: in her wisdom, queen Arsinoë had decreed that pieces of her earlier removed horn be given out as gifts to celebrate in alliance with many new theurges.

Even with the bauble, to keep herself in Felarya for this kind of time, the Renegade's voracity had to hit unprecedented levels. Rather than prey on humans, rare in the zone, she came to depend on local neera, whose souls she found serviceable, useful to keep herself from returning to Hell. Thus she remained amongst the brutal monsters of these hungry woods, enemies both to her and to her pursuers. Where her might alone would not let her prevail and her ravaged mind could not find a way out, Dalur would help tilt the odds in her favour.

But stretching her stay so long had a price. While devouring hundreds of souls would help her remain in the physical world, her stay would hinder the regrowth of her horn and the holes on her skull, wounds reopened with every hunter from hell that made it through the woods and found her. Her forehead grew tender and scarred, barely protecting her feebling brain. The sequels that the torture had on her mind weighed on her, and unable to heal fully or to return, she would lose more of her coherence and lucidity with every passing day. Eventually, she devoured Dalur, incapable of recognizing her ally. As is the case for all succubi, she digested the theurge's soul. This record is all that is left of Arsinoë's warlock, as her memory is almost gone. Those ever more rare times when she is lucid enough to remember anything past the terror waiting for her if she lets herself lose the strength that keeps her from returning to Hell, it is said she cannot find the strength to do anything but weep for that last crime weighing on her conscience.

It is a common term for many infernal contracts that, should the signer meet Arbankuo, they do everything in their power to remind the renegade of their history. The earlier extract is provided as a handy reference.



Strange Attractors

That so little is known about the other continents in Felarya is a fact that defies explanation. Surely, its visitors would be just as likely to land in any one of the continents on the surface, one would assume, to then return and trade tales of all of them. Instead, one of the continents is strongly overrepresented, both in dimensional castaways arriving and in offworld trade.

Plotting confirmed arrivals across time on a map has led to an interesting conclusion. The "main" continent of Felarya, as it turns out, possesses a lenticular swath of particular dimensional activity that spans from Miragia all the way to the Tonorion Hive. While the reason is not yet known, what is known is that the area includes both Ur-Sagol and the Giant Tree, which cannot be a coincidence.

Whatever the reason for the particular frequency of arrivals in the vicinity of the Giant Tree, it is clearly a fixture related for some reason to the dimensional instabilities of Felarya itself. For obvious reasons, investigations into the subject have not been very fruitful lately; the situation is expected to improve as soon as Crisis decides to move out of the area.