Val McManamy
Novice
Unto adventurers traveling to Kullan Tarina,
My name is Lucian, currently of the lands of Hireath. Though currently on extended sabbatical and enjoying the intricacies of owning a tavern, the threats of the “Author”, not to mention the horrible cliches in his books, cannot go unanswered. To save a story and a realm maligned by bad penmanship, I’ve worked with additional adventurers to obtain as many clues as possible. A general assessment and condensing of information is presented here. I will have full details of stories and the general map available to groups on site to augment this report and information the primary contact Gaius Lavendalir will hopefully present when adventurers gather at the initial location.
Realm: Kullan Tarina. An entire living realm created within the pages of a golden book. The reality of characters within the book is maintained by captive spirits with living people serving as a power source. Continued kidnapping and luring of spirits from realms across Fortannis has allowed for expansion of the stories and lands. Magic, and the rules of the realm, are maintained by a balance of three entities of power; Author, Illustrator, and Editor. The depowering of the Editor may be causing greater instability however this has not yet been proven.
Travel: As the realm and all threats are literary based, specific rules of travel have presented themselves. A “Master Copy” of each area exists as a physical item which will allow the crossing of great distances through portals. To utilize these portals, travelers will have to have at least one of two keys. The first is a “Lost Page” from the book that details the story segment to be reached. The second is someone from the story who can physically guide the traveler. Hand holding or multiple people holding the book is required for a group travel. Some stories may require multiple Lost Pages in order to locate the correct moment success can be accomplished.
Travel Challenge: The Author’s fundamental lackeys or front-line troops are called Crumples. These entities are composed of paper and possess a variety of different abilities and weaknesses depending on the literary energy used to fuel them. The entities are drawn to and absorb Lost Pages. Elimination of Crumples is the direct path towards locating additional Lost Pages.
Primary Threat: “Author” Simmon Lavendalir is a prolific author of books across multiple genres and realms who managed a decent following of fans of his work for a time. In recent times, his works had degenerated into predictable, underwhelming and cliché laden stories which resulted in poor reviews and sagging sales. He is noted as having been a Hobbling of eccentric mind and frail body who lacked skill in weapon and magic.
His access to immeasurable power and unquestionable authority within the realm places him at a threat value of a maddened elder dragon or fae monarch with unknown rules. This power allows the author to “write in” any disaster which has been used to keep the story moving forward by his devised literary traditions. Due to this writing of changes, the Author is now an archmage in Earth, Celestial and Necromantic schools along with the raw power of the realm. Of note, the Author has not written Hobblings into the stories presented in order to stay “rare”.
Secondary Threat: “Illustrator” Ronan MacLennane is the original artist who created illustrations for the Author’s previous books. In filling the third role within the Kullan Tarina, he has access to the unknown potentials in the realm. He is noted as having a preference for martial skills over magical ones and has been mentioned as a powerful general to act as the “evil villain’s right hand.” His creations are made of living paint and paper which may present a weakness to Alchemical Solvents or destructive magics.
Area Threats:
The Author’s work on Kullan Tarina has resulted in 8 distinct lands based on some of his previous books which are merged into one realm. The stories and their threats are as follows.
1. "Adventures on Goldbone Isle" gave shape to an archipelago of pirate-infested islands.
2. "Tales from Summerspring Forest" gave shape to a verdant and mystical fairytale forest.
3. "Mysteries of Winterfall Woods" gave shape to a dark, foreboding, and haunted forest.
4. "Legends of the Painted Sands" gave shape to a vast and sandy desert.
5. "Desolation of the Guant Highlands" gave shape to a barren and post-apocalyptic wasteland.
6. "Studies at Shadowmoon Academy" gave shape to an ancient university of the magical arts.
7. "True Love at Mossycobble Farm" gave shape to a quaint and romantic countryside.
8. "Savor the Flavor with Simmon Lavendale" gave shape to Simmon’s personal, comfortable accommodations, namely his kitchen. Technically, it’s a cookbook rather than a novel like the rest.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Story Name: Adventures on Goldbone Isle
Genre: High seas adventure
Staring Races: High Ogres and Dwarves
Point of Contact: None listed in story
Gathering Point: Goldbone Isle
Threat: Classic pirate story with undead twist. High Ogre spirits and sunken ships ply the waters and attack island communities under the command of dwarven pirate warlord Captain Saltbeard. Goldbone Isle appears to be the last key island holding out against a full conquest of the area. Based on the ghost story aspect, it is likely the primary threat will be with undead High Ogre sailors and necromantic magics.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Story Name: Tales from Summerspring Forest
Genre: Fairytale in a mystical forest
Staring Races: Elves and Dryads
Point of Contact: Elven King Halamar Enduriel
Gathering Point: The Chubby Hummingbird – local tavern
Threat: Classic story dragon. Creature has been listed as the most powerful villain in the books as it utilizes fire and chaos in wide area attacks. Dragon has kidnapped Princess Lorelei and is holding them hostage without demands. Dragon commands a series of undescribed servants which are assisting on general destruction of the forest.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Story Name: Mysteries of Winterfall Woods
Genre: Horror in a gloomy forest
Staring Races: Sylvanborn and Wylderkin
Point of Contact: An aged Sylvanborn named the Elder
Gathering Point: Hazel Haven – village under threat
Threat: Unknown creature type called the Barahan. Described only as a mythical beast of primordial terror that destroys property and leaves blood written messages of “Leave Hazel Haven” which indicates an intelligence. Outside of physical attacks, possible strength is in fear effects both on the creature and in its roar.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Story Name: Legends of the Painted Sands
Genre: Desert adventure
Staring Races: High Orcs and Selunari
Point of Contact: None listed in story
Gathering Point: Chromatic Bazaar
Threat: A Djinn going by the title “Emerald Emperor” has used poorly worded wishes to enslave the High Orc warriors and forced the Selunari population into a caste system which is used to push the group into slavery. His primary ruling method is by direct force with mind control, wish granting and mental manipulation. Based on actions and his fixation on the color green, High Orcs and green gem Selunari are considered a higher rank though likely under the same controls.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Story Name: Desolation of the Gaunt Highlands
Genre: Revenge in a post-apocalyptic wasteland
Staring Races: Dark Elves and Oathsworn
Point of Contact: None listed in story
Gathering Point: The Shell
Threat: An Oathsworn by the title “Sovereign” has used a mystical shield to seal off influence by the elemental planes and continue to enact revenge against four Dark Elf houses which utilized elemental force in a war centuries ago which creating the surrounding wasteland. Current condition notes a slavery level life for the Dark Elves with a regularly scheduled competition used to pit the houses against each other for some temporary reprieve. Based on the story, the requirement may to be shut down the magic of the “Shell” and have the Dark Elves use their elemental connections to help the land recover however this is speculation.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Story Name: Studies at Shadowmoon Academy
Genre: Magic schoolhouse mystery
Staring Races: Biata and Stone Elves
Point of Contact: Headmaster Sylas Ravensong may be a contact or possible threat
Gathering Point: Shadowmoon Academy
Threat: Biata and Stone Elf students of a magic focused school regularly disappear after graduation. Individuals looking into the disappearances either disappear themselves or have large sections of memories missing. The school is run by Archmage Sylas Ravensong, a Biata formalist who is considered stern but fair in demeanor. Of note is that while Biata and Stone Elves are noted in the location, they have not been spotted outside of the academy. The Biata condition around celestial magic is not noted and may have been missed by the Author.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Story Name: True Love at Mossycobble Farm
Genre: Romance
Staring Races: None listed
Point of Contact: Not Applicable
Gathering Point: Mossycobble Farm
Threat: The story for this location has not been found as of yet and is only defined as “a quaint and romantic countryside.” The location could be the initial starting point for adventurers that arrive or the conclusion of the final engagement. It was noted that the Author had never written a romance novel before which makes this story entry unique.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Story Name: Savor the Flavor with Simmon Lavendale
Genre: Cooking
Staring Races: Hobbling
Point of Contact: Not Applicable
Gathering Point: The Kitchen
Threat: Location is the personal comfortable accommodations for the Author focused primarily on his kitchen. As the location is based around poorly executed recipes, details are extremely limited.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Conclusion: The Author is determined to create a “hero story” that will be remembered as a way for his name to remain on the minds of others long after the adventure story is over. Unfortunately ignoring the Author is not feasible due to his continued kidnapping and use of spirits from other realms. Left unchecked, it is possible the Author could extend his creations into other realms. To stem this threat, adventurers will need to progress through the stories to resolve each issue.
The Author’s actions stem from an excessive need to capture the emotional rush of being popular and well known where reputation and infamy are given equal standing. Sagging book sales and falling popularity likely pushed the unstable author into a madness only compounded by the extreme power that ruling the reality of a realm can generate. The Author’s own invitation showed a swing between the desire of wanting to be well received to standard cliché villain boasting.
While the Author leans towards singular or small group heroes, following this method may create greater chances for failure and loss of needed Lost Pages and Master Copies. It is my recommendation that group size be measured in the larger numbers to provide greater skill balance and martial force as outside assistance or retreat may not be options while in a specific story. To that end, I advise that a census be taken once all parties have arrived to have a general knowledge of strengths and weaknesses so that teams can be directed with the greatest efficiency.
Additionally, as the Author is noted as being able to enforce his desire to maintain the literary requirements of his story, an attempt to keep him off balance and unable to write those enforcements should be made. That poor reviews started his downward spiral into this madness provides an avenue of attack on a mental level. While not very martially orientated, I have had experience in telling stories over the centuries and understand how the right word at the right place does a world of damage. I will endeavor to make sure the appropriate “reviews” are available for delivery in the stories which, hopefully, will get to the Author. Perhaps if I have his attention, more actions that go against his literary desires can be made.
Finally, the Editor Gaius Lavendale has made large segments of information available and even extra tidbits generated by submitted inquiries. I recommend you review them when available. Should you desire additional details on where I have drawn my assessment from, please inquire directly and I will forward a long written letter for your review.
I remain,
Lucian
A simple storyteller
Guildmaster of Cerberus (ret.)
((OoG link to Google doc which contains assessment, collected stories and map.))
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KbmtL6WDpnvuPhU8IzM6UAgdyw0KpmzrXiCzFlVZeUk/edit?usp=sharing
My name is Lucian, currently of the lands of Hireath. Though currently on extended sabbatical and enjoying the intricacies of owning a tavern, the threats of the “Author”, not to mention the horrible cliches in his books, cannot go unanswered. To save a story and a realm maligned by bad penmanship, I’ve worked with additional adventurers to obtain as many clues as possible. A general assessment and condensing of information is presented here. I will have full details of stories and the general map available to groups on site to augment this report and information the primary contact Gaius Lavendalir will hopefully present when adventurers gather at the initial location.
Realm: Kullan Tarina. An entire living realm created within the pages of a golden book. The reality of characters within the book is maintained by captive spirits with living people serving as a power source. Continued kidnapping and luring of spirits from realms across Fortannis has allowed for expansion of the stories and lands. Magic, and the rules of the realm, are maintained by a balance of three entities of power; Author, Illustrator, and Editor. The depowering of the Editor may be causing greater instability however this has not yet been proven.
Travel: As the realm and all threats are literary based, specific rules of travel have presented themselves. A “Master Copy” of each area exists as a physical item which will allow the crossing of great distances through portals. To utilize these portals, travelers will have to have at least one of two keys. The first is a “Lost Page” from the book that details the story segment to be reached. The second is someone from the story who can physically guide the traveler. Hand holding or multiple people holding the book is required for a group travel. Some stories may require multiple Lost Pages in order to locate the correct moment success can be accomplished.
Travel Challenge: The Author’s fundamental lackeys or front-line troops are called Crumples. These entities are composed of paper and possess a variety of different abilities and weaknesses depending on the literary energy used to fuel them. The entities are drawn to and absorb Lost Pages. Elimination of Crumples is the direct path towards locating additional Lost Pages.
Primary Threat: “Author” Simmon Lavendalir is a prolific author of books across multiple genres and realms who managed a decent following of fans of his work for a time. In recent times, his works had degenerated into predictable, underwhelming and cliché laden stories which resulted in poor reviews and sagging sales. He is noted as having been a Hobbling of eccentric mind and frail body who lacked skill in weapon and magic.
His access to immeasurable power and unquestionable authority within the realm places him at a threat value of a maddened elder dragon or fae monarch with unknown rules. This power allows the author to “write in” any disaster which has been used to keep the story moving forward by his devised literary traditions. Due to this writing of changes, the Author is now an archmage in Earth, Celestial and Necromantic schools along with the raw power of the realm. Of note, the Author has not written Hobblings into the stories presented in order to stay “rare”.
Secondary Threat: “Illustrator” Ronan MacLennane is the original artist who created illustrations for the Author’s previous books. In filling the third role within the Kullan Tarina, he has access to the unknown potentials in the realm. He is noted as having a preference for martial skills over magical ones and has been mentioned as a powerful general to act as the “evil villain’s right hand.” His creations are made of living paint and paper which may present a weakness to Alchemical Solvents or destructive magics.
Area Threats:
The Author’s work on Kullan Tarina has resulted in 8 distinct lands based on some of his previous books which are merged into one realm. The stories and their threats are as follows.
1. "Adventures on Goldbone Isle" gave shape to an archipelago of pirate-infested islands.
2. "Tales from Summerspring Forest" gave shape to a verdant and mystical fairytale forest.
3. "Mysteries of Winterfall Woods" gave shape to a dark, foreboding, and haunted forest.
4. "Legends of the Painted Sands" gave shape to a vast and sandy desert.
5. "Desolation of the Guant Highlands" gave shape to a barren and post-apocalyptic wasteland.
6. "Studies at Shadowmoon Academy" gave shape to an ancient university of the magical arts.
7. "True Love at Mossycobble Farm" gave shape to a quaint and romantic countryside.
8. "Savor the Flavor with Simmon Lavendale" gave shape to Simmon’s personal, comfortable accommodations, namely his kitchen. Technically, it’s a cookbook rather than a novel like the rest.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Story Name: Adventures on Goldbone Isle
Genre: High seas adventure
Staring Races: High Ogres and Dwarves
Point of Contact: None listed in story
Gathering Point: Goldbone Isle
Threat: Classic pirate story with undead twist. High Ogre spirits and sunken ships ply the waters and attack island communities under the command of dwarven pirate warlord Captain Saltbeard. Goldbone Isle appears to be the last key island holding out against a full conquest of the area. Based on the ghost story aspect, it is likely the primary threat will be with undead High Ogre sailors and necromantic magics.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Story Name: Tales from Summerspring Forest
Genre: Fairytale in a mystical forest
Staring Races: Elves and Dryads
Point of Contact: Elven King Halamar Enduriel
Gathering Point: The Chubby Hummingbird – local tavern
Threat: Classic story dragon. Creature has been listed as the most powerful villain in the books as it utilizes fire and chaos in wide area attacks. Dragon has kidnapped Princess Lorelei and is holding them hostage without demands. Dragon commands a series of undescribed servants which are assisting on general destruction of the forest.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Story Name: Mysteries of Winterfall Woods
Genre: Horror in a gloomy forest
Staring Races: Sylvanborn and Wylderkin
Point of Contact: An aged Sylvanborn named the Elder
Gathering Point: Hazel Haven – village under threat
Threat: Unknown creature type called the Barahan. Described only as a mythical beast of primordial terror that destroys property and leaves blood written messages of “Leave Hazel Haven” which indicates an intelligence. Outside of physical attacks, possible strength is in fear effects both on the creature and in its roar.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Story Name: Legends of the Painted Sands
Genre: Desert adventure
Staring Races: High Orcs and Selunari
Point of Contact: None listed in story
Gathering Point: Chromatic Bazaar
Threat: A Djinn going by the title “Emerald Emperor” has used poorly worded wishes to enslave the High Orc warriors and forced the Selunari population into a caste system which is used to push the group into slavery. His primary ruling method is by direct force with mind control, wish granting and mental manipulation. Based on actions and his fixation on the color green, High Orcs and green gem Selunari are considered a higher rank though likely under the same controls.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Story Name: Desolation of the Gaunt Highlands
Genre: Revenge in a post-apocalyptic wasteland
Staring Races: Dark Elves and Oathsworn
Point of Contact: None listed in story
Gathering Point: The Shell
Threat: An Oathsworn by the title “Sovereign” has used a mystical shield to seal off influence by the elemental planes and continue to enact revenge against four Dark Elf houses which utilized elemental force in a war centuries ago which creating the surrounding wasteland. Current condition notes a slavery level life for the Dark Elves with a regularly scheduled competition used to pit the houses against each other for some temporary reprieve. Based on the story, the requirement may to be shut down the magic of the “Shell” and have the Dark Elves use their elemental connections to help the land recover however this is speculation.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Story Name: Studies at Shadowmoon Academy
Genre: Magic schoolhouse mystery
Staring Races: Biata and Stone Elves
Point of Contact: Headmaster Sylas Ravensong may be a contact or possible threat
Gathering Point: Shadowmoon Academy
Threat: Biata and Stone Elf students of a magic focused school regularly disappear after graduation. Individuals looking into the disappearances either disappear themselves or have large sections of memories missing. The school is run by Archmage Sylas Ravensong, a Biata formalist who is considered stern but fair in demeanor. Of note is that while Biata and Stone Elves are noted in the location, they have not been spotted outside of the academy. The Biata condition around celestial magic is not noted and may have been missed by the Author.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Story Name: True Love at Mossycobble Farm
Genre: Romance
Staring Races: None listed
Point of Contact: Not Applicable
Gathering Point: Mossycobble Farm
Threat: The story for this location has not been found as of yet and is only defined as “a quaint and romantic countryside.” The location could be the initial starting point for adventurers that arrive or the conclusion of the final engagement. It was noted that the Author had never written a romance novel before which makes this story entry unique.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Story Name: Savor the Flavor with Simmon Lavendale
Genre: Cooking
Staring Races: Hobbling
Point of Contact: Not Applicable
Gathering Point: The Kitchen
Threat: Location is the personal comfortable accommodations for the Author focused primarily on his kitchen. As the location is based around poorly executed recipes, details are extremely limited.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Conclusion: The Author is determined to create a “hero story” that will be remembered as a way for his name to remain on the minds of others long after the adventure story is over. Unfortunately ignoring the Author is not feasible due to his continued kidnapping and use of spirits from other realms. Left unchecked, it is possible the Author could extend his creations into other realms. To stem this threat, adventurers will need to progress through the stories to resolve each issue.
The Author’s actions stem from an excessive need to capture the emotional rush of being popular and well known where reputation and infamy are given equal standing. Sagging book sales and falling popularity likely pushed the unstable author into a madness only compounded by the extreme power that ruling the reality of a realm can generate. The Author’s own invitation showed a swing between the desire of wanting to be well received to standard cliché villain boasting.
While the Author leans towards singular or small group heroes, following this method may create greater chances for failure and loss of needed Lost Pages and Master Copies. It is my recommendation that group size be measured in the larger numbers to provide greater skill balance and martial force as outside assistance or retreat may not be options while in a specific story. To that end, I advise that a census be taken once all parties have arrived to have a general knowledge of strengths and weaknesses so that teams can be directed with the greatest efficiency.
Additionally, as the Author is noted as being able to enforce his desire to maintain the literary requirements of his story, an attempt to keep him off balance and unable to write those enforcements should be made. That poor reviews started his downward spiral into this madness provides an avenue of attack on a mental level. While not very martially orientated, I have had experience in telling stories over the centuries and understand how the right word at the right place does a world of damage. I will endeavor to make sure the appropriate “reviews” are available for delivery in the stories which, hopefully, will get to the Author. Perhaps if I have his attention, more actions that go against his literary desires can be made.
Finally, the Editor Gaius Lavendale has made large segments of information available and even extra tidbits generated by submitted inquiries. I recommend you review them when available. Should you desire additional details on where I have drawn my assessment from, please inquire directly and I will forward a long written letter for your review.
I remain,
Lucian
A simple storyteller
Guildmaster of Cerberus (ret.)
((OoG link to Google doc which contains assessment, collected stories and map.))
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KbmtL6WDpnvuPhU8IzM6UAgdyw0KpmzrXiCzFlVZeUk/edit?usp=sharing
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