A Bard’s Ballad: Prelude

The day was warm, the skies were a bright blue and not a cloud in sight. Perfect weather for what would be a perfectly normal day, but this wasn’t most days. No, today is the day that changed everything. Faerun was a place of magic and wonder. Many races of beings all lived together in a fair amount of harmony. Those who couldn’t live with others would separate themselves into their own societies, but for the most, left the world a pretty peaceful place.

The people of the world lived in mostly large cities, but there were several smaller towns and villages around them. There were smaller communities still, riddled all across the wildlands of Faerun. Smaller communities, those that didn’t play so well with others and those who craved solitary lives.

There was one city near the ocean. It was called Arcan. This city was the most powerful in all the lands, and the primary reason there was peace. The city had no kings nor queens but was instead ruled by a council of mages. The other kingdoms hated them but were far too afraid of annihilation to attack them. Today, however, the world would need Arcan and its Council more than ever

Many mages from the Council ranks were dispatched to the other kingdoms to deliver an urgent message. Some were executed, but some managed to be heard out. They told the leaders that the end of the world was coming and that Arcan alone could protect them from the storm to come. Most scoffed and dismissed the mages. Only the temple city of Pyr excepted their help.

Near noon that day, the sun disappeared and the day went black as night. As the Council predicted, the end was here. A massive crash shook the planet, as an asteroid impaled the crust. The mages focused magical energies on it and were able to destroy much of the asteroid, and even slowed it down, but the impact annihilated nearly half the planet. Still, worse was coming.

There was a magical wave of force that resonated out from the impact site. The wave leveled nearly everything its path. The destructive force caused earthquakes and erupted every volcano. The damage was immeasurable and spreading. The mages that were in cities far enough from the blast opened portals to Arcan, and the only other magically sealed city of Pyr. Those who could escape did, most perished. The wave of destruction didn’t kill everybody outside of the cities, but the wave wasn’t the end of the event either. There was another problem.

The pieces of the asteroid that had been destroyed before impact vaporized in the air. This released a toxin that killed off most of the population. Even in the sanctuary cities, people were affected by the vapors. Many fell ill and some died.

It has been 500 years since the asteroid fell. Today is a special day because the anniversary of the event, known now as the Collision, was today and it was on this day that the Council would reveal that the outside air was now safe to breathe.

At the 5th centennial celebration, the head of the Council, Isthiel Kilkreth, gave a speech. The old elf was one of very few who remembered the world before the Collision. He was truly a sight to behold. Isthiel appeared no older than most elves, but he was 649 years old. He had piercing blue eyes and a nose like a beak. His hair was dyed purple, and he was never seen without his pipe in his mouth. He possessed many magical secrets lost to time. All in the city of Arcan considered him their savior.⁹

Isthiel began to speak. He told the people of Arcan that the air was safe enough to breathe now. He then announced that they would be dropping the magical barrier surrounding the city. For the first time in 500 years, people would be able to go and go to the city as they pleased.

Isthiel’s next announcement was that a large number of expeditionary groups had been set up and would be setting out to colonize the world once more. Pyr would be doing the same. Isthiel warned that those who wished to join an expedition would face dangers not seen since the Great Destruction.

Isthiel told us the things he had seen while scrying. Nature had reclaimed the planet. The old world was somewhere under the new, and monsters roamed freely across the land.

Our story picks up 7 months later with a man named Captain Nemish who was recruiting brave adventurers to crew his investigation of the lost island colony of Resolve. A flyer posted in the town square of Arcan read as follows.

“WANTED: Men and women of courage to set sail to the island of Resolve. Interview at the docks. Payment 100 gold pieces and licensure as a member of the Expeditionary League.

This is where fate would set in motion the events of “The Defiled Detachment”

Originally published at Dungeons, Delves, and Dice.