Bufo frowned at his deck of cards. Eggbert had shown him how he could throw personal effects outside of the sphere of invisibility to make them visible again, so currently, to an outside observer, it seemed that two handfuls of cards were waving about in thin air, playing against themselves. Bufo was highly suspicious of the way this game was playing out - the gnome seemed to know exactly what cards he was holding at any given time, and it was all Bufo could do to keep his boots (he'd already technically lost his pants, his shirt, his undergarments and his soul, but fortunately the little wizard didn't seem in a hurry to collect).
Rambulge and Seu seemed content to wallow in their own sanctimoniousness, Bari and Duke snored away, whilst Robin accompanied Yngwie on the rattling roof of the carriage they had made their temporary camp, remaining invisible within the sphere of Eggbert's enchantment. Yngwie's gaze was focused somewhere out in the far distance, but the ranger's thoughts remained within, for now.
"A few more hours to go," the elf mused, as if to himself.
"Are you going to sit watch all night?" the ranger asked.
"I'm the only one who knows where we're going" smiled Yngwie. "Besides, these laneways we travel are a part of my culture - they are the heritage of the elven race. They remind me of home."
"But.. don't these train lines belong to IDRA?"
The elf looked at the ranger with a sadness that could be felt, if not seen. "IDRA owns the tracks... but the pathways are ours. Were ours." Yngwie sighed. "It's a long story."
"You said we had hours?"
The minstrel grinned invisibly. "Very well then, friend ranger. I will tell you the tale of my people. It is not a happy tale, i'm afraid..."
"For thousands of years, elves were explorers and adventurers of reknown, beautiful, immortal, intelligent and wise, and the stars themselves could not bar their passage. In ships of sparkling elegance they winked to-and-fro through the very matter of space, using technology that was arcane and powerful, yet elegant and wonderful. With wings of magic they parted the skies of planets without number, bringing gifts of knowledge to the races they found. Everywhere they went, they built pathways of pure energy, sustained from the eternal forces that boil away in the endless void. These pathways linked first one galaxy, then several, before finally creating a vast, interconnecting web across the universe that joined everything together and created a golden age of trade, academia and arcana, the echoes of which are still felt even today, on worlds that no longer even have a memory of what they were once a part of. Sleek elven vessels raced through these tubes of energy, providing free, fast, safe passage to all those who sought beauty, knowledge and adventure. The homeworld of the elves was the hub at the centre of the whole span, and it was a place of such incredible splendour that visitors would pass out with the shock of seeing the collected riches and wonders of the whole universe. Truly, it was a great time for all beings.
Then, a great calamity occurred. Without warning, the elven homeworld simply... ceased to be. The elves who were not present on their homeworld became itinerant, the link to their ancestral spirits lost, their governing bodies were disconnected. Leaderless, confused and devastated, the great span of the universal empire ground to a halt. The elven ships stopped plying their way from world to world. The great light in the universe had gone out. Then, the IDRA came.
It began simply enough - a union of wealthy entrepreneurs proposed that the paths be opened anew, using new technology sourced from far flung worlds. The first great clanking train rolled out 300 years ago, shiny, loud and slow, so utterly unlike the elven ships that they replaced - yet, they worked, and a new age began. IDRA did not offer their services freely. The cost of travel was high, meaning that only the wealthiest could use their services - but the universe was full of wealthy beings. Trade reopened between worlds, and conflicts over resources began as planets previously cut off from the all-encompassing web returned to the fold to find their claims lost, their treaties abandoned and their trust dishonoured. War generated industry, and the industry was provided by IDRA. Great factories churned out weapons and equipment and the mines of hundreds of worlds filled their coffers with wealth aplenty. They had the monopoly over everyone, and they squeezed every last drop of profit from the planets they held in their sway. The IDRA are insurmountable, all-powerful, and unstoppable in their ambitions. They are the masters of the universe..."
"So you see, these paths belong to us, to the elves. They are the last remnant of our great empire, and we cherish them, even though for the most part, they are denied to us..." Yngwie's voice lapsed into a sombre silence.
"But what happened to your homeworld?" Robin asked.
"Noone knows for sure. Swallowed by a black hole in space? Erased by a spell to powerful to control? Punishment from the gods for our great hubris? There are so many theories. Noone knows. But... there are many who blame IDRA. Even though they didn't exist at the time, to our knowledge."
Robin nodded quietly. It was a lot to take in. From somewhere down beneath them, the shrill sound of the halfling screaming 'BALLS' could be heard, followed by the thumping of what sounded like boots hitting the far wall. The ranger reflected upon the folly of playing number games with a gnome who was clearly a super-numerate, among other things.
"You should get some rest," the elf said. He resumed his watch, staring off into the reaches of an endless universe.
"You're wrong about one thing, elf," the ranger said, as he carefully made his way across the top of the carriage.
"Oh?"
"These pathways aren't the last remnants of your elvish empire."
Yngwie chuckled, but without mirth. "If you're referring to the elven people, well... without the strength of our ancestors, without that vital link, what are we?"
"Still alive. Still breathing, friend minstrel." Robin turned and went below, to get what rest he could before the morning.
___________________________________
From under a tangle of broken furniture, a man scrabbled to free himself. He coughed, and stood up, brushing dust and other unmentionables from his battered suit. Clarence looked around at the devastation of the court-room, and gasped. It was totally unreal.
"They told me to hide under the table and not come out," he muttered to himself, "so i didn't. Now, they're all gone, and here I am. Still alive, still breathing!"
The legal aide shuffled through the wreckage to the front of the courtroom, where a nasty stain was clearly visible beneath a pile of rubble. Nasty fish chunks were splattered everywhere, the grisly mortal remains of the lawyer, Gillette.
"Farewell, fishwoman," Clarence murmured. "I never did get to tell you just how I felt..."
With that, the man exited the courtroom, to start a new life somewhere, as far away from here as he could possibly get.
THIS CONCLUDES CHAPTER ONE OF THE CHASE TO THE CRYSTAL CITY
EXP GAINED!!
SIR SEU ANTHEUS
PERSONAL EXP: 1000
COMBAT EXP: 0
QUEST EXP: 2000
TOTAL EXP: 3000
CURRENT EXP AT LEVEL 5: 24605/36000
BUFO the BLACK HOOD
PERSONAL EXP: 250
COMBAT EXP: 0
QUEST EXP: 2000
TOTAL EXP: 2250
CURRENT EXP AT LEVEL 4: 8155/10000
ROBIN the RANGER
PERSONAL EXP: 250
COMBAT EXP: 0
QUEST EXP: 2000
TOTAL EXP: 2250
CURRENT EXP AT LEVEL 5: 24005/36000
RAMBULGE the SPELLSWORD
PERSONAL EXP: 500
COMBAT EXP: 0
QUEST EXP: 2000
TOTAL EXP: 2500 (TO BE ASSIGNED)
CURRENT EXP AT LEVEL 2/3
FIGHTER: 2000/4000
SORCERER: 6455/10000
BARI the WHITE
PERSONAL EXP: 250
COMBAT EXP: 0
QUEST EXP: 2000
TOTAL EXP: 2250
CURRENT EXP AT LEVEL 5: 20335/27500
EGGBERT the ILLUSIONIST
PERSONAL EXP: 500
COMBAT EXP: 0
QUEST EXP: 2000
TOTAL EXP: 2500
CURRENT EXP AT LEVEL 6: 402500/60000
YNGWIE the BARD
PERSONAL EXP: 250
COMBAT EXP: 0
QUEST EXP: 2000
TOTAL EXP: 2250
CURRENT EXP AT LEVEL 6: 22250/40000
PARTY WEALTH:
GOLD: 1126
SILVER: 275
COPPER: 35
1 x RUBY
1 x SAPPHIRE
1 x DIAMOND