Mokpo

On Tuesday, February 12, Lord Magnus Grey assembled the Royal Spies in a continued effort to investigate the strange, frozen world of Anodunos. The first order of business was to interview the person rescued from Anodunos the week before. Returning to the Inn near their headquarters, it was readily apparent than enemy forces from within the Spies’ own ranks were out to throw a kink in the plans. Several people, Dirty Underwear, Mr. Bubbles, Jerry Blotter, Anorexorcist-, Artimis Fowl, DontsmokeCigs, A-S-H-E-R-D, and more were witnessed casting multiple spells in an attempt to slow the progress of the Royal Spies. However, their efforts were for naught.

Mokpo, as the person from Anodunos later became known, awoke with a scream. “I must wake up!” Mokpo yelled, pinching himself in apparent disbelief. Attempts by members of the Spies to comfort him went unnoticed as Mokpo continued on in confusion. A loud explosion issued from the main room of the inn, and Mokpo himself ran outside. A couple of more explosions occurred, and in the confusion, Mokpo continued to run around outside of the inn. Both Galen and Ra’Dian Fl’Gith of the Spies tried further to calm Mokpo, but he suddenly called out, “Kal Hur Ort Por!” and disappeared in a strange vortex of wind.

Michael’s Detector

Before long, Michael of Moonglow appeared on the scene, noting, “I heard the rumble from the castle.” The Spies quickly filled him in on what had transpired, and immediately plans were set in motion to determine where Mokpo had gone. To that end, Michael placed a strange device on the ground. “It is based on the blackrock detector,” Michael explained. Martyna Z’muir responded with sarcasm, “Right… since that worked so well,” refering to the original blackrock detector that ripped a hole in Moonglow and opened up a transdimensional gateway to an alternate Moonglow where the Shadowlords reigned supreme. Michael quickly explained that this new detector would not echo magic off of blackrock like the previous detector had, but instead, would use “a small spell that is connected to the gate Mors Gotha cast.” Activating the device, it was quickly discovered that Mokpo was south of Luna, near the first bridge.

At the bridge, the Royal Spies encountered fallen paladins, and also witnessed Lucienne of the Bastion of Light attempting to lure Mokpo into his confidence. “We’re the good guys,” Lucienne told Mokpo, “the heroes of the land, the voice of the people!” Yet, Mokpo continued on in confusion, insistant that he was still dreaming and needed to wake up. As quickly as he was found, he vanished in another vortex of wind.

Xenve Anamolem

Returning to Britain, the Spies reported what had occurred to Michael, and again, Mokpo was tracked, this time to Xenve Anamolem, the gargish fortress on Fire Island. Rushing through the hallways of the ancient dungeon, Mokpo was quickly found, and this time was more talkative. “I came here because I saw a way back to the Void,” Mokpo explained, “But it doesn’t work. I can’t seem to wake up.” Trying to convince Mokpo that he was indeed awake, Martyna Z’muir noted, “We are the ones who Hawkwind said you should lead.” Mokpo paused at the mention of Hawkwind’s name, but before more could be learned, the Bastion of Light errupted onto the scene and a massive battle began. After the battle was won, Mokpo cried out, “What is wrong with you people? Killing each other? If this is real… why do you hurt each other?” Several of the Spies explained that they fought only in defense, but as they spoke, Mokpo’s hands errupted in flame, another explosion occurring. A gate opened to a desert northeast of the Royal City in Ter Mur, as Mokpo noted that he needed to get home.

Shrine of Spirituality

In the desert, Mokpo noticed a growth of dream spice, and indicated that he would need more of it in order to get home. The spies immediately set about helping him to do so, and quickly encountered Void Dreamers, strange beasts that seemed almost unreal. With the dream spice recovered, it became important to find a way into the Void. “How about the Shrine of Spirituality?” Martyna Z’muir suggested, indicating the Shrine in Ilshenar where Mondain’s Skull was being kept. “I remember that place…” Mokpo noted, “Hawkwind took me there. We should go there.”

The Bastion of Light must have somehow known what the next step would be, for they were awaiting in force within the Shrine, however, they were fairly quickly dispatched. Mokpo then ate the dream spice, eager to return home. “I am of the Void,” Mokpo spoke before he departed. “I was born on a world like yours. But I dreamed of the real world that connects all dreams together. So I found a way there. And now I can go back home. But I owe you a favor. When you come to the final world, I will help you find the final prism. Good luck on your journey. You are not alone.”

The Royal Spies returned to Britannia to report in to Lord Grey. An ally had been found.

My Home by Mokpo the Mighty
I am a being of the Ethereal Void.  I was born in a nightmare, but I woke into the stillness of the Void.  It is a place of immeasurable vastness.  There are many things I cannot tell you.  I do not have answers about the nature of my home.  I only know I was meant to be here.  I sometimes return to my nightmare, and it is cold and harsh and terrible.  In the Void, I am warm and happy.  Much of the Void is without shape or being.  In the beginning, the entire Void was without form, an area composed of undifferentiated ether.  Over the time, areas solidified and took the shape of the magics around them.  Moongates appeared and connected so many different dreams.  I sometimes like to stare through the gates at these imaginary places.

Damion the Necromancer

Royal Spymaster Magnus Grey summoned the Royal Spies this evening to follow up on a prior adventure to locate the remains of a blackrock prism that had crashed into Fire Isle near the Demon Temple.  “While the prism didn’t seem to cause any permanent harm when it returned to Britannia, the King believes this is a problem, and has tasked you with working with an expert to repair it,” Grey told the assembled crowd.  When the expert was revealed to be one Damion, a necromancer of ill repute, several of the spies seemed to question the wisdom in relying upon him.  Grey acknowledged that Damion’s Umbran roots were the source of trust issues, he also noted that King Blackthorn believed working with him was “a necessary evil.”

The assembled spies proceeded to Blackthorn’s Castle, and met up with the necromancer.  After a lengthy conversation with initial suggestions of time travel or hundreds of years searching Fire Isle for the remaining fragments in order to restore the prism, Damion finally noted that he had an idea that seemed to be of merit.  Experimenting with a small piece of blackrock, Damion noted, “For a moment, the blackrock [prism fragments] on the table seemed to transfer the spell to this other piece.”  While that piece eventually exploded, it gave Damion hope that were a new prism grown from crystalline blackrock and formed in the appropriate shape, the spell within that prism might transfer into the new one.

Vas-Lap-Lem of Minoc

With that information in hand, the Royal Spies were tasked with accompanying Damion into Malas to locate a pure heart from a greater crystalline elemental or two.  Although the task seemed daunting, the spies quickly performed the task, and then accompanied Damion to Minoc in order to secure a mining claim for blackrock.  Vas-Lap-Lem, the gargoyle in charge of claims in and around Minoc, responded to the request for a blackrock claim, noting, “That is unusual and restricted.”  However, learning that the assembled spies were a part of the Ministry of Security, Vas-Lap-Lem acquiesced to the request.  Damion seemed excited to be owner of a blackrock mine, but Martyna Z’muir, a member of the spies, reminded him, “You do not [own the mine].  You are an agent of the crown.”

The mine itself was located through the Minoc pass into the Lost Lands, where a huge deposit of crystalline blackrock was found.  Damion quickly realized that something was eating the deposit, and in short order, huge, mutated beasts returned for another meal.  With coordinated effort, the Royal Spies easily dispatched them, and Damion recovered the necessary blackrock components.

Krett the Tinker

The last stage of the mission turned out to be locating a tinker who could build a mold to shape the crystalline growth.  Vas-Lap-Lem suggested reaching out to Krett, a local tinker at Gears and Gadgets, who seemed at first challenged by the problem, but then came up with an potential solution.  “Did you ever grow crystals as a kid?  From salt or sugar?” Krett asked, “And notice how they grow on everything?”  Noting that power crystals used by creatures inhabiting the Exodus dungeon were likely grown, Krett indicated the method to make them had never been closely studied because getting ahold of them was so easy.  However, a special process was certainly used in creating them, and so an excursion to the home of Exodus was the final step in order to find a device used to create power crystals.  Quickly making their way to the dungeon, the Royal Spies readily dispatched Crystal Growth Overseers within who had exactly the devices that Krett felt necessary to institute his plan.

With everything in hand, Krett set about to work on the device to form the crystal, which Damion will then use to create a duplicate prism.  Work for the evening done, the Royal Spies returned to their base to report in to Spymaster Grey.  The spies reported the details of the mission, with Galen adding “Damion will betray us before this is over,” prompting Grey to set additional guards to watch over Damion’s actions.  Though the future is uncertain, the plan to restore the blackrock prism is well on its way.

The Royal Spies meet on most Tuesdays at 8:00 PM (Central) beneath the Britain Counselors Hall in West Britain (near the bridge leading to King Blackthorn’s Castle).  Everyone is invited to attend these events.  The next meeting of the Royal Spies will be on 22 January 2013 at 8:00 PM (Central).