Dantia/Storylines/Mana Surges & Wild Magic

This is an ONGOING ROLEPLAYING EVENT. Information is being updated as it becomes available.

2021 - June 14, 2024: The Long Lead Up

438-05-38(ish) (June/July 2021) - People started receiving occasional odd messaging when casting spells. During Hollow Eve 2021 (and 2022), several Merelew Greeters asked adventurers if they had been having these strange feelings, too. For a comprehensive list of messaging and probability over time, see Urbaj's roundup.

448-05-04 (March 2, 2024) - Mazrian hosts the "Investigating the Magical Mind" event, where adventurers participated in an experiment to try to recreate these oddities in a controlled way. Various mana types and spells were tested, with casters being observed, and other casters attempting to tamper with the mana streams to induce resonance or dampening, with the goal of inducing a similar state as the oddities. There were no conclusive outcomes of this investigation.

449-05-20 (June 14, 2024) - The magic oddities (sometimes referred to as surges) begin increased in frequency, eventually culminating on June 14, 2024 to occur on each and every each cast. Several meetings are held to discuss what this might signify, with no solid hypothesis. One idea that comes up is to try to reduce the amount of casting that adventurers are doing, but it's decided that would be too hard to orchestrate.

June 15, 2024: Magic is Out

449-05-184 (June 15, 2024) - Realm wide, people felt one of the below messages, depending on their mana type/Guild:

• Pain stabs through your mind and body as your attunement to the breathing rise and fall of Life is suddenly severed! (Empath / Ranger)
• Pain stabs through your soul as your attunement to the footsteps of the gods wavers and becomes lost! (Cleric / Paladin)
• Pain stabs through your mind and body as your attunement to the elemental forces around you is suddenly severed! (Warrior Mage / Bard)
• Pain stabs through your mind and body as your attunement to the heavenly bodies is suddenly severed! (Moon Mage / Trader)
• Pain stabs through your scarred mind as your multifaceted attunement to the mana spectrum is suddenly undone! (Necromancer)

After this, attempting to use the magic system (such as prepare a spell, harness, invoke a tattoo, or use a wand) you would receive one of two messages. Magic was off!

• [The magic system is inoperative at the moment. Sorry for the inconvenience.]
• Strangely, you can sense absolutely nothing. It's as if magic didn't exist.

Over the next hour, we felt (in this order):

Your body trembles as your mind instinctively reaches toward that place where you usually feel your connection to magic.  It is cold.

You feel a surge of mana reaching toward you!  You instinctively reach out to grasp it.  You struggle to hold on, but it slips away again, leaving you feeling exhausted.

You sense a fleeting trace of mana.  It briefly grows stronger, but quickly fades away again.

Your senses explode and you are momentarily blinded!  Mana overfills your being, and you struggle to control the flow!  Just as suddenly, it seeps away, leaving you empty.

You feel a deep sense that something has changed.  Your attunement to the breathing rise and fall of Life is restored, but it does not feel controllable!

Casting had returned, but now it was Wild! For more information on how Wild Magic works, the messaging, or effects, please visit Wild Magic (Concept).

June 15, 2024: Vile Plague Wraith Invasion

On 449-05-184 (June 15, 2024), shortly after the the Wild Magic release, there was an invasion of Vile Plague Wraiths throughout Shard, Zoluren and Therengia.

> look wraith
Held aloft by two expansive skeletal wings, the massive plague wraith towers over thirty feet tall.  Under its tattered cloak, a black mass of writhing insects and serpents cling tightly to a nearly fleshless skeleton.  Four elongated arms, covered in a tangle of scorpions and spiders, end in wickedly curved talons that twitch in anticipation of its next victim.  Practically obscured by the inky shadows cast by its voluminous hood, two flaming emerald eyes partially illuminate its malevolent hook-toothed skull.

Some of these creatures drop an emerald scarab medallion with a delicate gold inlay, which was cursed (meaning you could not drop it until it was uncursed).

June 15, 2024: Breakthrough Messaging

Along with the release of wild magic was the addition of a new RESEARCH option, RESEARCH WILD. Each Guild received a different piece of information regarding what was going on:

Trader:

Breakthrough!
Lunar mana fizzes out of focus with unknowable, periodic perturbations from the planets in your range.  Oddly enough, it is the Negotiants' unbidden tutelage that nudges you toward the research's endpoint and a wealth of knowledge relating to wild magic.  You are assured that the Contract is still inviolate and binding, and all prohibitions remain.  The Contract is all that matters.

Moon Mage:

Breakthrough!
Lunar mana fizzes out of focus with unknowable, periodic perturbations from the planets in your range.  Oddly enough, your calculations prompt you to think back to a time with Katamba unburnt and Grazhir whole, the golden age of near-effortless Lunar miracles.  All lost now, and the threads are converging on a similarly disastrous trajectory!

Paladin:

Breakthrough!
You have come to an alarming conclusion you attribute the changes in Holy mana's behavior to long-standing and widespread lopsided practices of magic.  An imbalance is shaking the Bulwark loose, which seems bafflingly vulnerable against this menace.

Cleric:

Breakthrough!
You have come to an alarming conclusion you attribute the changes in Holy mana's behavior to an 'upward' lurch in the flow.  Something is stymieing or etiolating the Font of Creation, and Divinity itself is suffering for it!

Bard:

Breakthrough!
Something is broken with the replenishment cycles of Elemental mana.  Even though you have not noticed a decrease in available power, it seems inevitable.  From what your research has evoked, you have the smallest understanding, the barest shape, of an eonic plan that stretches back to the dark histories -- gods and demons, mortals and monsters all helpless before it.

Warrior Mage:

Breakthrough!
Something is broken with the replenishment cycles of Elemental mana.  Even though you have not noticed a decrease in available power, it seems inevitable.  Lessons from long ago prickle at your mind concerning the lore of Sraan Mehath.  You cannot shake a feeling of deep dread.

Empath:

Breakthrough!
Life mana has buckled under vast pressures from what feel like above and below.  Although this instills a fear in you for the fate of the cycle of life, you do not think the repercussions will echo to the natural world just yet.

Ranger:

Breakthrough!
Life mana has buckled under vast pressures from what feel like above and below.  You have an intimation that the Life dragons are keenly aware of the causes, preparing and further isolating their conserved lands.  However, as usual, they have withheld their counsel.

Necromancer:

Breakthrough!
You just concluded the unpleasant task of tracking the continual disruption in Arcane mana, step by minute step.  Some force beyond your ken, nothing short of godly, has been changing the rules with a brutal hand.  The Great Work is tipped on the brink of impossibility as the mana streams become increasingly immiscible, sterile, and foreign textured all at once.

Necromancer (Redeemed):

Breakthrough!
You just concluded the unpleasant task of tracking the continual disruption in Arcane mana, step by minute step.  The grand order ordained by the gods is under attack by... itself?  In ways you cannot approach grasping, the mana spectrum is separating out, each strand resisting attempts to bend it into patterns.

June 18, 2024: Remembering Keishalae

Posted by Dantia to Discord:

Dantia rubs her temples, trying once again to fend off the weight of worries pressing down on her.  The bizarre forces and implications behind the Wild Magic phenomenon were causing her sleepless nights -- but there was just so much work left.

In the aftermath of the events, anyone of a spellcasting Guild with a basic knowledge of Arcana could set about researching this Wild Magic, and the findings all proved to be of great concern.  Empaths themselves had concluded that Life mana was buckling under some vast pressure from what felt like above and below.  Broadly, Life mana flows from the cycle of life and death, so this was enough to instill a fear that the cycle itself was under threat.  And Dantia was not one to sit idly by in the face of a threat.

Around her on the floor are organized stacks of notes, books, scrolls, and messages, all within easy reach.  From between these piles, she lifts a small sanowret crystal, the light of a nearby candle flickering across its surface.  She lowers her gaze into it and the recollection of wisdom again fills her mind, her lips moving silently to mouth the words memorized as if a mantra.

"Life magic is perhaps the most mysterious realm to Kermorians, lacking the scholarly body of the other three conventional realms and the critical eye placed upon Arcane magic.  Broadly, it derives its power from the cycle of life and death, expressions of biological order and entropy."

The tones of the sanowret crystal continue.

"Despite the name, Life mana is strongly identified with the natural process of decay.  This has been a matter of confusion, since common sensibilities would place the 'magic of death' as being Necromancy, but this is not the case.  Necromancy deals with perversions and unnatural permutations of life and death.  The actual process..."

Exhaustion begins to overtake her, the words of the sanowret playing through her mind like a soft lullaby - the kind which brings stillness to your mind and allows you to drift off to sleep more easily.  Her chin tilts downwards, aching for someplace to rest.  Her own mind begins to wander amidst the words of the sanowret, the two entwining in the space of her mind.

"... of dying and decaying into constituent parts..." Death.  Decaying.  The cycle of life. 
"... is part of the power of Life." Life magic.  Life cannot defeat Life.  The Starry Road.

Finally finding a solid resting place, her chin ends its downward tilt, and her mind finally falls silent.  Sleep comes for her, and all is peaceful for a moment.  Two.  Three.

Her head snaps up, eyes wide as she stares into the distance.  "Keishalae..." she chokes out.  All at once she spurs into chaotic action.  She frantically pushes and pulls at the once organized piles of knowledge around her until she finds a scrap piece of paper with enough space to write on.

"The process of dying and decaying is part of the power of Life," she repeats, urging herself to remember whatever sleep-based thought she has had.  The tone of her voice changes, a clear imitation of the last time she heard Keishalae speak: "I have different needs now.  The price for your work will be your death." 

With a shaky hand she takes up her quill, dabs it into an inkwell, and writes in a hurried script.

"Life magic under pressure. Something threatening cycle of life and death. Font of Creation stymied. Gods, demons, mortals, monsters all helpless.  What is responsible?  Remember Keishalae."  She hastily blows out the nearby candle and hurries from the room.

I will be getting a calendar event up to discuss this theory line I have, but wanted to get my thoughts down while they were fresh!

June 18, 2024: Letter to an Elothean

Posted by Irenos to Discord. This is meant to be OOC knowledge.

An attendant hurriedly moves through a narrow passageway lined with golden channels filled with lotuses, pushing her way past a silver cart toward an Elothean that relaxes neck-deep within a natural hot spring.  Approaching the bathing figure, she casts her eyes to the floor.  "Luminary, pardon the intrusion."

The Elothean pauses, turning toward the attendant with a silent and stern look.  The attendant stops still in her tracks, before gently lowering herself to her knees.  "Luminary, an outsider has learned of the knowledge that you so recently shared, and has begun investigating.  I have been assured --"

From beneath deep purple locks, the Elothean looks up from the pool.  Her voice is confident and succinct.

"I expect that the source of this vicious rumor will be identified and will be dealt with."

The attendant nods her head.  "Yes, Luminary."

"Publicly.  I want to ensure that any others who would spread such slanderous nonsense are aware of the choice they are making.  Now bring me a towel, please."

June 19, 2024: Additional Points of View

• Story posted by Aislynn, available on Discord.
• Story posted by Nazzarus, available on Discord.
• Story posted by Nawain, available on Discord.

June 21, 2024: Grey Dragons Seek Amnuva

Waydren, of the Grey Dragons, hosted an event to seek the Kather Anmuva. His previous conversations pointed to twisting magic, and current research indicates that the Life Dragons may know much more.

A log of that event is available here.

June 22, 2024: Efforts Rewarded

Ayrell hosted a discussion at Milene's Rose Inn in Shard (log available here). While various theories on what is happening were being shared, we received:

You feel as if you've gained attention.  It is not a comfortable feeling.

You take a quick breath as you feel the eyes upon you fade away.

At a follow up vigil the same evening, hosted by Jaelia, we felt the following:

The back of your neck itches slightly for a moment and you feel as if you've gained attention.

You feel as though Life mana is behaving differently in ways you cannot quite interpret.

You feel the eyes upon you fade away.

The air takes on a honeyed-tone, and everything slows.  The ground seems to heave and you lose your balance.  After a moment, the sensation passes, though something feels very wrong.

The mana streams roil, and you are unable to make sense of the chaotic fluctuations!

You feel yourself leaning over the edge of a cliff, a barren abyss incapable of growth or change! (Note: this line changed depending on your Guild, see below)

A gust of turbulent hot air billows around you, while an expanding ring of frost spreads around your feet.  You smell burnt sugar and your throat stings.

Your connection to the mana streams buzzes painfully, a pounding headache building as your ears throb and you squint against the pain!

Darkness begins to encroach around the edge of your vision, erupting with silvery star bursts.  You fight against the loss of sight, but everything begins to go black!  A wolf howls in the distance, and a golden lightning bolt forks across the darkness, restoring your vision!

The strange quality of the air fades, and the headache passes.  You take a shuddering breath and everything feels...  a little better?

Bard: You feel yourself leaning over the edge of a cliff, discordant echoes howling without pattern!
War Mage: You feel yourself leaning over the edge of a cliff, indistinguishable elements crackling and blurring together!
Moon Mage: You feel yourself leaning over the edge of a cliff, gazing upon the reflection of foreign and silent stars!
Trader: You feel yourself leaning over the edge of a cliff, gazing upon the reflection of dim and meaningless stars!
Paladin: You feel yourself leaning over the edge of a cliff, devoid of order and nobility!
Cleric: You feel yourself leaning over the edge of a cliff, empty and without Their grace!
Empath: You feel yourself leaning over the edge of a cliff, a barren abyss incapable of growth or change!
Ranger: You feel yourself leaning over the edge of a cliff, untended and incapable of growth or change!
Necromancer: You feel yourself leaning over the edge of a cliff, absent even Their snarled and threatening whispers!

At this point, we received this announcement on Discord:

Ongoing Event: Wild Magic Updates

The phase change tonight saw characters' efforts rewarded.  Someone or something .. did something.  We heard a wolf howl, we saw a lightning bolt.  And things feel a little .. better.

The Gods are tryin' to do what they do!  Because of their intervention, two effects have been dropped from wild magic:  You will no longer experience Mana burn, and you will no longer experience a full attunement refill.

With this release, we also added a few more spell customizations.  Thank you to the players of @Hamuk  @Imroth  and @Valynn  for their help with designs!

June 25, 2024: Letter to a Pale Dwarf

Posted by Irenos to Discord. This is meant to be OOC knowledge.

A street urchin makes his way through the desert city, hastily bearing a parchment.  Making his way through a byzantine cluster of alleyways, before ducking into one building.  Emerging from the other side, he makes his way past a pair of very heavily armed guards, who simply nod to him.

He hands the note to a pale Dwarf with grey locks, who scratches his thick beard, before opening it.  With a scowl, he crumples the note and throws it in a nearby brazier, not pausing to watch it burn.  He picks up a quill and parchment, and immediately begins writing.

  Black Toad,

  Thank you for informing me of the Little Scorpion's fate, and disposing of their property -- no doubt either troubling or incriminating.  They are more resilient than they seem.

  Please inform me of any further developments related to the Scorpion.

He hastily rolls the scroll, and hands it to the urchin, gesturing for the child to return to the source of the letter.

June 25, 2024: Letter Written in Eth'ral'khh

Posted by Irenos to Discord. This is meant to be OOC knowledge.

A small Elothean child with nondescript features delivers a parchment case to the step of a home.  Inside, a deliberate, intricate script resembling the sinuous, flowing script of Eth'ral'khh as it crosses a delicate parchment that smells faintly of wolfsbane and oleander.

    I have many concerns after our meeting.  Prying eyes have returned, and it has a very familiar feel.  Stay vigilant, and be aware that this may be the first of many such incidents.

    There are those who feel that austerity and autocracy are the way forward.  They forget that our autonomy has been built on top of the blood and the bones of our predecessors, and that what has worked elsewhere would have led to certain ruin here.

June 25, 2024: Recalling The Hatchet and Little Scorpion

Posted by Irenos to Discord. This is meant to be OOC knowledge.

Surrounding a low, goldbark table, a number of darkened figures sit on velvet plum-colored divans.  The lights are low, and dampened further by heavy silk curtains.  An inordinately large figure stands flanking an exit curtain, bearing a large sword strapped to his back.

"Curator, the Little Scorpion and the Hatchet have no business in the affairs in my home.  Recall them."  A distinctively S'Kra voice speaks in hurried tones.

"It is a pleasure to see you, too."  An  Elven voice responds, clearly holding back some degree of levity.  "We have had no activities within your city.  The Hatchet and Little Scorpion do not act on our behalf, and you will need to take their affairs up with them."

The S'Kra pauses, before slowly responding, her words cold and careful.  "We will."  The S'Kra rises to her feet, before exchanging knowing glances with a seated Dwarf, and pushes her way beyond the curtain.

After some time, and after the seated Dwarf makes his way out, the Elf turns to the standing guard.

"The Viper has been drawn out of her nest, and has shown her venom.  Perhaps it is time that the Hands remind the Viper who keeps her young safe."

June 25, 2024: The Spider Interrogates

Posted by Irenos to Discord. This is meant to be OOC knowledge.

Flickering across natural stone surfaces, torchlight casts twisting shadows about the area.  A thin layer of moisture trickles down cavernous walls, the layers of sediment visible in extrusive formations that cluster about the room.  A cool, damp air hangs over the room.

In the center of the room, the immobile, disrobed form of a S'Kra is suspended in a web of thousands of strands of shimmering gossamer.  Her body is frozen, not restrained by the webbing, but from a paralytic magic that restrains any movement.  Wide open and unblinking, her eyes focus on the shadows in front of her, despite how dry they have become from days stuck in this state.

From seemingly everywhere, she hears the voice of her captor, whom she only knows as the Spider, even as tiny lacerations begin opening on her skin, scales peeling apart like layers of an onion on their own -- seeping blood from the clean wounds from an invisible source.

"Your mind betrays you.  We know who sent you -- why you were here.  We know who you work for; we know what you wanted."

Her thoughts race.  If the Spider knows all of these things, why keep her?  What questions does the Spider still seek answer to?

"We want to see who comes for you."

The web of lacerations continue to form, rendering her scales latticed with a network of neatly cross-hatched wounds.