In the beginning, there was the Creator.
He molded the Earth from nothing, and gave his children life. These became the Gods of this new land, giving rise to the various peoples that inhabit it.
But eventually, the Creator died.
His essence was sealed within seven magical orbs. When brought together, they will grant the power of creation to their wielder.
The world was torn apart by war as a result. All the peoples fought bitterly over the Orbs, and even the gods themselves took part in the bloodshed.
Eventually, the survivors came to a decision- the Orbs were too dangerous for anyone. They were scattered to the four winds, and remain lost to this day...
-Gaian Codex, Prologue
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"I knew this was a mistake," Rex grumbled. He had been sitting in the Adventurers' Tavern in Centrum for the past three hours, desperately attempting to recruit any passersby to his noble cause. Unfortunately, people don't often take ads for a 'heroic' quest seriously when the person giving them looks like your typical hoodlum. His red reptilian features, large horns and huge battleaxe, muscular, did not give the friendliest first impression, especially when he towered over almost everyone else in the bar. About the only way he could look more intimidating was if he was missing a limb.
This was just the latest in a long line of taverns he’d been to, attempting to gather anyone who would be willing. No results, anywhere. Rex was getting increasingly desperate. He’d even traveled all the way to Centrum, in the Gaian Empire’s borders- the exact place he was hoping to avoid at the moment.
He looked around again. Nobody was even glancing his way. It was quite unfitting for someone of HIS station to be reduced to trawling for peasants, he thought. As a particularly rough-looking dwarf walked by, he tried again to plead his case.
"Excuse me, sir! Would you be interested in joining a great quest to restore a prince's lost honor? Untold riches await-"
“Piss off, scaleface. I’ve got enough problems.” the dwarf interrupted, before walking right past him to the bar counter. Rex’s eye twitched as he seethed indignantly.
"Ingrates. Don't they know who I am??"
There was no response from any of the patrons. If any of them were listening, they did not care.
"Hey, dragonborn." The rough voice of the bouncer, a tall orc wearing very little above the waist, cut through Rex's thoughts. "You've been sitting here for three hours. Buy something."
"My good man, you don't understand, I’m waiting for my potential recruits to arrive to start the merrymaking-"
"Buy something or get out. That's the rule." He cracked his knuckles to accentuate the point.
Rex clenched his fist, preparing to grab the bouncer by the throat, but restrained himself. He could probably take this man, but that would DEFINITELY get him thrown out, and he’d have to find somewhere else to ply his trade. Good rulers don't get angry at their subjects for minor transgressions...
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Celeste was lost.
She had been sent on another wild goose chase by her mysterious patron, and had no idea where she was going, as usual. Something about a “Rex Brimstone”...
Supposedly he was around here, but as usual, Asteron didn’t give much in the way of details. Grumbling to herself. “Asteron, I have no idea where this guy is… can I have a hint as to where I’m going? Pleeeease?”
I know you work in mysterious ways, but sometimes they’re a little too mysterious…
Her plea went unanswered. Asteron only contacted her when he had something important to say. To be fair, she usually managed to find whatever she was supposed to be looking for… but not until getting into a few close scrapes that she would miraculously escape from. More of Asteron’s guidance, she supposed.
Be that as it may, Celeste had no idea where she was going. She had popped into almost every building around, and nobody had any idea who this Rex Brimstone was. Most everyone just ignored her.
Well except for that heretical bookseller that morning that she’d gotten into a tiff with… but he wasn’t important. And besides, he deserved it for spreading the word of false gods!
“Come ON, there’s no one here who knows a Rex Brimstone?!”
She had checked almost every building in this place. Even ones that were probably private property. All had left her completely in the lurch- no results whatsoever.
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Egh. I had to get up SO EARLY for this! At noon! NOON! And for what, trying to find a guy I know nothing about in a city I’ve never been to. Sometimes being a divine messenger is exhausting-
A piece of paper blew in and smacked her in the face, derailing her train of thought.
“ACK! What- huh?! Where did that come from!!”
She yanked it off her face, about to crumple and toss it on the ground indignantly, but something caught her eye…
It was an ad for prospective adventurers… presumably made by hand and on short notice. It read…
DO YOU WANT TO EMBARK ON THE QUEST OF A LIFETIME? GAIN ULTIMATE POWER, RICHES, AND WHATEVER ELSE YOU CAN IMAGINE? THIS IS YOUR GREAT OPPORTUNITY!! Talk to the dragonborn in the Adventurers’ Tavern, Centrum. Be quick- positions might fill up quickly!!
Wait a minute, I passed that tavern five minutes ago! This could be it!! Hopefully.
She looked up, her prior agitation melting away. The more guidance she had, the better!
“This must be a sign! Thank you, Asteron!!”
No response. But she knew he appreciated it. Being a god with only one worshipper had to be pretty depressing, so she had to do her part to give some inspiration back!
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Reluctantly, Rex got up, grumbling under his breath, and stomped over to the bar counter. Ingrates. I should be sitting on the throne of my ancestors... instead, I'm cast out, forced to beg for aid… Gods, what did I do to deserve this?? The Great Rex Brimstone, reduced to running and hiding-
“IS THERE A REX BRIMSTONE IN HERE?”
Rex blinked for a second. Who said that? Looking around the tavern, his eyes landed on a new patron who had just walked in- and his surprise turned into confusion. It was a High Elf.
“Anybody? I’m looking for a Rex? Brimstone? It’s for something important…” She scurried about the tavern, asking anyone in her vicinity. Most ignored her. Some laughed. One person, the same dwarf from earlier, mumbled a curse, to which she didn’t appear to be fazed.
A High Elf? He mused. I don’t know any elves, High or otherwise. Why would one be looking for me- and in such an attention-grabbing way? After all, I’m a wanted man… His confusion grew by the second as he took residence of the mysterious lady.
She carried a staff made of petrified wood, with a large pink gemstone at the end of it. At first glance, she looked like any other High Elf– tall, pale, long hair (though white was unusual for them), slender figure. But something looked different about her. High Elves normally carry themselves with more… stoicity than this, he thought, as she continued to pester the patrons, without a hint of any subtlety.
She knows me, yet doesn’t know what I look like? And she’s just… asking about a wanted man… in broad daylight. And she’s not even armed!
The more he thought about this, the more his head hurt trying to comprehend it all. But… she’s the only person who’s expressed any interest… in hours.
He sighed, knowing he would probably regret this later, and moved over to the inquisitive elf. Trying to keep his voice down, in case someone more unsavory was listening in, he whispered “Um, excuse me… are you looking for me, by any chance?”
She turned around, staring at him. “Huh. You’re Rex?” She looked him up and down. “I was expecting someone a bit more… regal, I guess? That ratty cloak REALLY does not suit you!”
He growled in annoyance. Gods, what am I doing, he thought. Thankfully, nobody seemed to be paying attention to them. “Listen, there’s a table over there. Let’s discuss my identity… more quietly, please?”
“Okay!” She followed him over, with all the naive bounciness of a lapdog who’s just heard the word ‘food’. As she did, Rex thought ruefully,
I’m going to regret this.
“So.” Rex sat across from the mysterious elf, still just as cheery as ever. She had ordered a glass of milk instead of any alcohol, an action that gave her a very strange look from the tavern owner- not that she noticed. “There’s a few questions I have to ask you. First, what’s your name, anyway?”
“Celeste.” She guzzled the last of the milk down.
“Second… What’s your class?”
“I’m the high priestess of Asteron, the Creator of all things!” She beamed.
If Rex had any eyebrows, he would have raised them. “Never heard of Asteron, but isn’t the Creator dead-”
“NO.” Celeste pouted. “He’s alive, and watching us all from the ether! Praise be to him, for he guides the people of the world in subtle ways-”
“All right, I’m sorry I brought it up!” Rex groaned. “So, a cleric, then. You don’t look like much of a fighter…”
“Oh, no, I’m a healer, not a fighter. Well, usually. There was that one time someone stole a bag of candy I’d bought recently, and I couldn’t let THAT stand, so I took my staff and-”
“ANYWAY…” Rex could feel his exasperation growing by the minute. How can I take over the world if people aren’t going to take me seriously?!
“What’s your personal objective, if any?”
“Listen, I’ve been told to find you, for a secret quest. It’s REALLY important!”
A secret. That you’ve already announced. To the entire tavern. Rex felt a migraine coming on. “...And what would that be?”
She beamed. “Why, to save the world, of course!”
Rex sighed. Why couldn’t I get the ones that just wanted money, or vengeance, or something… obtainable?
“All right, Celeste, listen. I don’t think this is going to work. Our objectives are quite incompatible.”
“Oh, it can’t be THAT bad!” Celeste’s smile continued to grow.
Rex felt his migraine growing, too.
He leaned closer to whisper to Celeste, in the vain hope to shield it from people that might be listening. “Listen, my quest is quite dangerous… I can’t say what, but it’s very, very dangerous.”
“Can’t say, huh?” Celeste said. “Well, don’t worry, I can just ask Asteron about it!”
“What.” Rex replied flatly.
“One sec.” She put the gem on her staff to her ear and began speaking. “Hello? Asteron? What’s this guy’s quest again?” Then, a pause. She looked like she was listening to someone, but Rex couldn’t hear anyone speaking.
“Um… are you-”
“SSSSH! I’M LISTENING!” Celeste snapped. Rex facepalmed. After a few minutes, Celeste gasped. “OHHHH, that’s why? Ooh, that sounds important. Got it. Great. I’ll tell him that, thank you!”
Celeste lowered the staff from her ear and turned back to Rex. “Okay, I’ve got the details.” She leaned in to whisper in his ear, a little too close for his comfort. “You’re trying to overthrow the Empire, right?”
“What- how- how did you know that?!” Rex exclaimed. If she has no idea who I am, how would she be able to guess something like that?!
“Hee hee. Asteron told me everything! And trust me, saving the world and toppling those
weirdos are one and the same. We can work together! And judging by your current situation, you might need all the help you can get…”
Damnit. He didn’t want to admit it to a religious buffoon like her, but she was right. If she could really get strange knowledge from somewhere, perhaps she could be useful yet- and of course, clerics were always useful…
“...Fine. Welcome to this quest, I suppose…”
“YAAAAAY!!” Celeste “I’ll be REALLY useful, I promise!!” As she rejoiced, Rex thought,
I am really, really, going to regret this.