A Mission to the In-Between

Gandian Ravenscroft

Knight
Chicago Staff
Marshal
Adventurers,

I have met some of you before, some of you have maybe seen me in passing as I come to eat and chat, and many likely have not met or seen me at all. I am Fabian Dar, a man of peace, and I make no secret that I am a wielder of Spirit Magics.

I am sure you have become aware that with the totem magics of the land in imbalance, resurrections for the common people hasn’t been possible. But, the spirits are not permanently dead; they are simply trapped in a place between somewhere for the living (our world as we know it) and somewhere for the dead (the Graveyard). For simplicity, I have taken to calling this place the “In-Between.” With my Spirit Magic, I have managed to visit the In-Between twice now to investigate the situation of the spirits there, and it is truly an unnerving place, the likes of which I cannot truly describe. But suffice it to say that it is unpleasant, and the spirits trapped there are certainly suffering the longer they stay in such a horrid place. No spirit is meant to be halfway between alive and dead, after all.

When I spoke to some of you at your last gathering, I was asked if I could give the spirits a message that we are doing everything we can to help free them, and I have done so. Rebalancing the totem energies will certainly help bring an end to this nightmare and ensure it doesn’t happen again, but I have been thinking it may be possible to rescue some of those that are currently trapped in the In-Between even before balancing the totems.

But I can’t do it alone. I can open the pathway, but I would need others’ help to go through it and do what must be done to actually get spirits out and back to the Earth Circles. I don’t exactly know what all that might entail, but I hope to return to the In-Between soon to help find out more. With a bit of planning, precaution, and probably luck, I think we can make this happen if you are willing to help me.

What say you? Let me know, and if we’ve got some brave spirits willing to venture to the In-Between, I can start delving further into the necessary preparations it might take.

- Fabian Dar
 
Fabian,

I will come along with you to help guide what spirits we can.

Renshi Ignathis Nachtfeuer
 
Fabian,
When are you looking to accomplish this task? I want to help as well if I am in the area.

~Locke
 
I'm not too familiar with spirit magic but can going to this place directly impact our spirit? I wouldn't say im against going but I need to prepare!

-Errick
 
Errick, write a will and designate someone to tell you a nice welcome back to the land of the living story. I've died before, it's not so bad. It'll be fine, probably.

~Locke
 
Fabian,

I will join you and assist as I can.

Matron FallingStar
 
Fabian,

I would be glad to assist in returning those trapped to the realm of the living.

- Squire Corbell
 
Renshi Ignathis, Matron Fallingstar, Squire Corbell,

Thank you for your help, and I would ask that if you are able to gather other adventurers to join our cause, please do so.

Locke,

I still have a bit of investigation and preparation to accomplish before the day of the excursion, but I would hazard a guess that we would be ready to enter the In-Between in about 3 weeks’ time. Middle of July, I would estimate.

Errick,

To be perfectly honest, I’m not certain yet what effects being in the In-Between might have on physical, living spirits, given that such a place does not usually contain or sustain such beings. Peculiar places can do peculiar things to a person, after all, and I’d rather be safe than sorry. It is a priority of mine to use what magic I am able to create a spiritually-fortified safe haven for adventurers to serve as a place of refuge within the In-Between, and I will keep you all posted on that effort as progress is made.

- Fabian Dar
 
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Adventurers,

I have made another trip to the In-Between to begin the preparations for our endeavor, and it's going well so far. I am working on weaving a Gateway that will serve as the bridge between the physical world and the In-Between that will function not only as the best way for you to enter the place, but also as the best place to lead the trapped spirits out.

There are many spirits trapped here, and I believe our best hope in recovering them is to try to get them in some semblance of "order" on a spiritual level. To that end, I have set enchantments in areas near the Gateway that should attract spirits of a similar nature. The spirits of fierce warriors might be drawn to one place, whereas the spirits of scholarly mages might be drawn to another, whereas the spirits of hardworking laborers might be drawn to a third, and so on. Their spirits should resonate well with the magics I have set in place, and I believe after a few more weeks of time to "solidify", the combination of their presence and my enchantments should become strong enough to take physical form as Lures strong enough to attract the spirits back through the Gateway to the Earth Circles en masse.

That said, I will need the adventurers to visit the locations where the groups of spirits are gathering, recover the solidified Lures, and root their power to the Gateway. Each will likely be in the possession of the spirits, though with the spirits differing so much in skillsets, the exact means of recovering each will likely be varied. Unfortunately, the spirits themselves are... addled, if I had to put a word to it. Their tormented state has ensured that they are not quite in their proper minds, and many seem to be hostile. I fully expect that battle with some may be inevitable, though do not fret - even if you strike them down, I do not believe your weapons or spells are spiritually powerful enough to damage their spirits further than they already are. They will simply reform elsewhere in the In-Between.

Though the Gateway and Lures still need a bit more time to appropriately take shape, I still think the plan is off to a good start! My safe haven for the adventurers to rest within seems to be stable and should protect your spirits from the trip, so once everything else is ready, I think we'll be in good shape to make this happen in around two weeks!

- Fabian Dar
 
Adventurers,

Good news: the plan is progressing smoothly. A handful of the Lures have begun to take shape, the Gateway is nearly ready, and the protective enchantments on the safe haven are holding steady.

Bad news: there's an extra variable I hadn't anticipated. I was under the impression that nothing dwelled within the In-Between other than the trapped spirits, but I was apparently very mistaken. It appears there is a creature that is native to this place (perhaps more than one, but I have thus far only witnessed one), and I believe it had been dormant until recently. It is a horrible thing with a huge mouth of sharp teeth, but past that, I didn't really get a good look at it beyond that before I made my escape. It seems to be drawn towards life force, and unfortunately, living spirits like yours and mine emanate with significantly more energy than the trapped spirits. I worry that my being here was enough to make the beast stir, for which I deeply apologize. Though of course, the chances of it awakening when a bunch of very-alive adventurer spirits enter the In-Between would probably have been around 100%, so I suppose it was inevitable.

In any case, I'll endeavor to figure out as much as I can about the creature soon so that you are better prepared if - or, more likely, when - it come your way. Mysterious creatures from surreal realms of existence are usually something to approach with the utmost caution, after all.

- Fabian Dar
 
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Adventurers,

Problem. Very bad problem. As we know, the spirits trapped within the In-Between aren't really supposed to be there, and unfortunately, this this toothed monster appears to be the In-Between's natural response to these "unwelcome intruders." From all that I can determine, the beast serves the exclusive purpose of emptying the In-Between of beings other than itself, seeking out trapped spirits to destroy. I do not know the beast's real species or title, though I have taken to calling it the Spirit Eater.

I myself have not engaged with the Spirit Eater, though I have watched from afar as it has done battle with some straggler spirits, and it is certainly a force to be reckoned with. Its jaws seem to be very powerful, and the trapped spirits it has managed to bite simply... unravel within its jaws. Gone to nothingness, rather than reforming elsewhere like the trapped spirits usually would when beaten. I worry that they are truly gone now, maybe not even to the Graveyard. Just gone, and that thought terrifies me. I do not believe that the teeth of the Spirit Eater would be enough to send the adventurers' living spirits to oblivion like they would the vulnerable, trapped spirits, but nevertheless, I am certain any of you being bitten by the Spirit Eater would have very dire consequences.

Destroying such a creature, while likely not impossible, would be an extremely dangerous endeavor. The weapons of the warrior spirits that have tried to slay it seem to do nothing against its hide, and while the magic of the mages I have seen has seemed to work on it well enough, I honestly would recommend avoiding directly engaging with it whenever possible. But, if it starts going after trapped spirits, you may need to see what you can do to distract the Spirit Eater away from them so that they don't get consumed. I don't know if there is a particularly good way to repel or distract the beast, but at the very least, your living life force should catch its attention.

I know this sounds more hopeless by the day, but I have every confidence that you will be able to recover the Lures and lead spirits to freedom! I will continue to see what I can do to help, and once the Lures have fully solidified, I will be able to at least guide you to the places where they are rooted.

- Fabian Dar
 
This seems like a fitting time to proclaim aid is on the way. Dolarth Sarzig Cleric and Caretaker Extraordinaire at your service!

Willoughby and I shall make haste to your lands and render any aid we can bring to bare! Fear not, for all is not lost... things have simply been misplaced!

Lets tidy up together! Order shall be restored and chaos taught its place!
 
Dolarth,

I am pleased to hear you are to join our endeavor! These spirits have indeed been misplaced, and I look forward to having your help in bringing them to where they belong.

Adventurers,

The Lures have all taken shape! But unfortunately, the Gateway itself is more fragile than I would have desired. No matter - I will simply have to maintain my direct focus upon it for the duration of our endeavor. I should be able to guarantee 5 or 6 hours without fail, and hopefully that should be ample time to do what we need to do. However, that means I will not be present to guide you to the various Lures. In my stead, I shall leave some of my gemstones within the Safe Haven for you, imbued with my magic to guide you towards the Lures I have set:

One to be carried by a Warrior, to lead you towards the Lure for spirits of a combative discipline.
One to be carried by a Celestialist, to lead you towards the Lure for spirits studying the sky.
One to be carried by an Earth caster, to lead you towards the Lure for spirits studying the land.
One to be carried by a Craftsperson, to lead you towards the Lure for spirits of artisanal prowess.
One to be carried by a Rogue, to lead you towards the Lure for spirits of a daring disposition.
One to be carried by a Youth, to lead you towards the Lure for spirits rising in prominence.
One to be carried by a Newcomer, to lead you towards the Lure for spirits of innocent nature.
One to be carried by an Aristocrat, to lead you towards the Lure for spirits of noble standing.
One to be carried by a Commoner, to lead you towards the Lure for spirits of the working class.

The more of these Lures you are able to recover, the more variety in spirits we will have the chance to save. As each is recovered, tether its strength to the Gateway, and once you have as many as you believe you are able, you may begin the final rite at the Gateway to draw in the spirits en masse.

- Fabian Dar
 
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Fabian,

When you say a youth, how young do you mean?

Renshi Ignathis
 
Renshi Ignathis,

I would think of it less as age and more along the lines of the spirits that particular Lure is attuned to: those of growing talent that are still finding their place in the world. The Youth are our future, after all, and even if they might not be the strongest or wisest of us now, such might not be the case in the years to come.

- Fabian Dar
 
Adventurers,

You may have heard The Founder ask for your aid a short while ago, but I implore you from the depths of my heart, DO NOT give him the object he is seeking! The manifestation he is talking about is an item not unlike the Lures, for it was this very object that I actually emulated the form of when creating the Lures in the first place. It is a thing of powerful spirit energy, and in the Founder's hands, it could be wielded as a massively destructive weapon in his efforts to sunder the Graveyard. He is a madman, and to give him such a thing would be little more than accepting genocide and suicide.

That said, this object simply waits dormant in the In-Between, serving no actual purpose there and merely gathering strength over time. It would do little good to tether it to the Gateway, but it could prove useful in counteracting some of the Founder's powerful magic if we bring it back to the physical world and use it against him. Or, we could simply leave it where it is, neither in our hands nor the Founder's. As long as you don't give it to the Founder, that choice is up to you, and should you decide to seek it to help counter that lunatic's acts of treason against Fortannis itself, I will provide another gem to guide you to its resting place.

- Fabian Dar
 
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Hello Fabian!

My name is Cordelia, you can just call me Cori! I’m so soo sooo very excited to come and be your friend and make so many other new ones!

But I am super duper confused. I don’t understand any of the things you’re saying... Are people getting lost after they go down for naps?

We won’t have to make big toothy monster man go to sleep if we just start giving people milk and cookies.

I’ll bring cookies and you can bring the milk! Team work makes the dream work!

So many other things I don’t understand too, but that’s okay. I believe in you! Very happy to be your new friend!!

Lots of love,

Your new best friend Cori <3
 
Cori,

...Sure, people are having a hard time waking up, and I am glad to hear you are coming to help! Unfortunately, it is unlikely you will see me in person, as I will be outside the Gateway keeping it stable while you are in the In-Between, and even more unfortunately, that means I won't be able to bring milk! You have my sincerest apologies, and perhaps I can bring some another time when I come to visit the adventurers if you are around again. Or I'll just end up in a cycle of perpetual milk-debt, but I'll see what I can do.

I myself like to think that I don't understand a lot of things, but that's where friends come in. They can teach us all about things we don't understand, and I'm sure you will make lots of friends with the fine adventurers of this land and learn a great many new things.

- Fabian Dar
 
Fabian,

Do you have any insight on the effectiveness of binding spells on the spirits in the in-between and/or the Spirit Eater? It seems clear that this mission will take efficient use of resources and I would hate to put resources into things that simply didn't work.

On that note, do you know if the spirit destroying effects of the Spirit Eater are an effect that it seems to channel, or if its simply contact with its claws/teeth that seem to carry the effect?

Thank you for both providing the opportunity for and all your continued assistance with this mission,
Squire Rusty
 
Squire Rusty,

I haven't really engaged with the spirits or the Spirit Eater when it comes to combat, so I cannot say for what what will or won't be very effective against them. Unfortunately, a little trial and error might be in order, but I imagine things that would work on the spirits in their living form will probably work on their In-Between form.

As far as the Spirit Eater goes, I believe it's a bit of both of what you're asking. Honestly, just stay away from its chomping jaws and you'll be better off.

- Fabian Dar
 
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