The Navigator and the Eternal Hunter
“Greetings father.” I said with a smile in my novice robes.
“Novitiate.” The higher ranking clergyman nodded at me. “How are the Wayfarers coming along?”
“Quite well. Should be ready to harvest in a few weeks.” I said.
“Keep up the good work, and may Drevor guide you.” I nodded, keeping the smile on my face as the clergyman walked on by. Bastard didn’t even bother to learn his underlings name. Instead of letting my true contempt show, I turned back and returned to weeding the garden. Wayfarers. Such an annoying plant. The only good thing about them was their incredible growing speed. The small white flowers would give way to a pod type vegetable that could be harvested once every two months. This was the basis for most travel rations, something the church of Drevor promoted at every opportunity. Nearly tasteless bars, they would nonetheless keep you alive for months. The major downside was that they had to be constantly tended, as you couldn’t use any normal herbicide without killing the plants you wanted to grow.
That was the reason I was sitting here, crawling on my hands and knees in the damp earth looking for weeds. Why would I suffer this humiliation? Well, it sure as hell wasn’t because I wanted to become a priest of Drevor. Hell no, I wanted adventure, and the main temple here had what I really wanted. Deep in the keep, was the Godly Compass. According to legend, it would lead you to anything. Not just treasure, but even simple things like safe escape routes or places you could resupply. While the Church could do something with it, I felt it would get much better use in the hands of master thief Pliun III. I had been here for three weeks already, and I was going to make my move tonight.
The first part of the plan was already underway, though it would take a long while to activate. See, the priests had a habit of blessing the food and wine to prevent poison, but they did it in mass before it was served. An enterprising thief could use the Bishop’s own rules against him. He wanted each glass wiped down with a damp cloth immediately before use. But, what would happen if a bit of sleep powder was dissolved in the water? I had tested it beforehand, and the tiniest bit of residue from wiping the glass would be more than enough to ensure a lovely sleep for our Bishop. Finishing the row of plants I was working on, I left a marker so others would know that it was done before heading inside to wash up.
“Ready for another night of service?” Cole chuckled as he slid next to me to wash up. Cole was a decent sort, and my roommate. Always went to bed and never got in trouble. I hoped the poor guy didn’t get in trouble after I disappeared.
“I live to serve.” I said, straightening my back in a posh pose.
“Ha! That’ll be the day!” He giggled as we both broke down laughing. “Seriously though. It’s obvious to nearly everyone that you are in misery Paul. Why are you sticking it out? I may only be a third son, but I’m sure I could convince father to pull some strings if need be.”
“It’s ok, no need for that.” I said, patting him on the shoulder. “I made a promise to my family. Stick it out for a year here, and if I don’t like it then I can return home and try something else. It was either this or military service for a year, and I’m far too fragile for the military.” Leaning in close, I whispered like it was a big secret, “I hear those guys even have calluses on their hands.”
“Gah, faith preserve us! Calluses? Oh, the madness!” Cole hammed it up. “But wait, what’s this?” He reached over and turned my hand palm up. Running a finger over the base of my fingers, he looked at me with horror, “The horror! Your hands… They are getting… calluses!”
“ENOUGH GOOFING OFF YOU TOO!” One of the priests thundered. “The meal is in ten minutes, you should be getting in your places by now! If you are late, don’t expect to have any supper reserved for yourselves!”
“Yes father!” We chorused, making sure all the dirt on our hands and under our fingernails were gone before sprinting up the stairs and into the kitchens.
“It’s about time!” The elderly father slash cook scowled at us. “You two get glass wiping detail. I hope it is something the two of you won’t manage to screw up.”
“You can count on us!” I said, straightening up. Once he turned and left, I spoke to Cole. “I know you get nervous around the glassware. Why don’t you let me take the head table? You can start in the back, and we can meet in the middle?”
“Thanks Paul.” He said, exhaling in relief. “You’re a true friend.” That line right there shot a pain through my heart, and I knew I had to do something to prevent Cole from taking any of the fallout from my plans. After all, a true master thief doesn’t need a patsy.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
At nearly one in the morning, I silently rose up from my bed. Cole was softly snoring, and I knew it would take a minor earthquake to wake him. Lifting up my mattress, I pulled out a coil of rope. I gently but firmly tied his hands together in such a way that he would need to be double jointed to undo, then did the same with his feet. I was able to get his hands above his head, and tie them to the headboard as well as tying his feet to the bottom of his bed. Now for the hurtful part. My sheets made a wonderful gag, though he woke immediately when I got it in place.
“HMMMM! HMMM! HMM! HMMMMMM!” Eyes wide in panic, he struggled for a bit.
“Shhh!” I hushed him. “I’m sorry I had to do this Cole, but if I don’t then you might take some of the blame for what I’m about to do. Oh, don’t look at me like that, I’m not about to hurt anyone. I’ll leave the door unlocked to make it easier to find you. Now, when they ask you about me I don’t want you to hold anything back. It was only tonight that I finally revealed that my name wasn’t Paul, but was in fact the legendary thief Pliun III.” His eyes got wide at that revelation, and I turned away as I saw a tear leak out of the corner of his eye. “You were a great friend, far better in this short amount of time than any I have had in a long while. Don’t let this betrayal change you too much.” I said, before heading out the door and towards the Bishop’s bedroom.
Far more in my element than I had been in far too long, I stalked the halls as an unseen shadow. My novitiate robes had been exchanged for grey and black mottled cloth, but it looked like that wouldn’t be necessary. Still, tis much better to be overprepared than under. Once I had entered the Bishop’s room, I held still and surveyed everything for a bit. Good, the old man was snoring away in his bed, his ring on the nightstand. The scant bit of moonlight filtering in through the partially opened shades was more than enough to see, and avoid, the unkempt puddle of clothing on the floor. Before I took one more step, I fitted an enchanted monocle to my eye.
Lines of mana lit up the room. Figures. That ring on the counter was a fake as well. The real one was. Dear gods, the man was a slob, and left the real one sitting in his pile of discarded clothes! How did he not lose it? Oh well, it made my life easier. Slipping forward, and avoiding a few of the alarm spells, I gently lifted a sleeve to reveal the ring imbued with magic. Having the key to the vault disguised as a ring was normally a brilliant idea, unless you removed the ring at night. I slipped it onto a carrot that I had purposely whittled to the proper size, and had kept right next to my body so that it was the proper heat the entire time. In its place, I left a note for the Bishop before slipping into the hallway and down into the vaults below the church
Dearest Bishop,
If you are reading this, then you finally realized that your complacency has led to theft from the vaults. While I really shouldn’t blame you, as no amount of precautions could prevent Pliun III from stealing what you have, you did make it easy for me by leaving your ring out. By the way, I placed it in the offering box so as not to offend Drevor.
Yours,
Pliun III
P.S. Don’t hold anything against Cole. He truly has a good heart, and knew nothing of my plans.
The vaults were a thief’s worst nightmare. Mechanical and magical traps made the long hallway a deathtrap, and apparently certain corpses were left as warning. Seriously though, what kind of person uses a whip as a weapon? Between that and his ugly hat, he probably deserved his fate. Of course, all of these traps were moot if you had the key to disarming them. I placed the ring in the proper receptacle on the wall, and turned it clockwise 90 degrees. There were some minor clicks and clanks, but I could see the mana lines disengage and allow me passage. Knowing time was against me, I headed into the vault.
“Come to me, beautiful.” I whispered as I picked up the intricate compass. It appeared as a gold rose, with a compass in the middle of it. The rose stem wrapped around my arm, and I swear it felt giddy, as if it knew it was up to no good. The rest of the vault I left untouched, as it didn’t interest me. Besides, most of it was blessed by Drevor, and he didn’t look too kindly upon thieves. Prize in hand, I left a note in its place and made my escape.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
“Bishop Andross? To what do we owe the pleasure?” A very surprised priestess of Gramash asked.
“I need to summon a hunter.” The enraged bishop answered, fury lacing his words. “Now!”
“Mind your tone, Bishop.” The Mother Superior spoke with steel in here voice as she entered the main chamber. She was clad in leather armor, and had a massive halberd slung over one shoulder. “You may be the top of your order, but even you are a mere supplicant in the House of Gramash.”
“Apologies, Mother.” He said through clenched teeth. “I must have forgotten myself in my desire to bring a thief to justice.”
“And what could a thief have stolen that has you so up in arms this early in the morning?”
“The Godly Compass.” The entire temple went silent at that pronouncement as several jaws dropped.
“I see.” The mother superior said, rubbing her chin. “To be able to infiltrate the vaults of Dremor, yes that would be something of concern. Was anything else taken?”
“No.” He said, though it didn’t quite ring absolutely true to the senses of the priestesses.
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“Very well. Leave me something of the thief’s.” As he walked past, Andross handed over a novitiate robe and a sheet of paper. Nodding, the priestesses all gathered around a statue of Gramash. Sixteen priestesses. Four at each cardinal direction, four at the ordinal directions, and eight at each of the half winds.
“Gramash, goddess of battle. We have needs that require divine assistance. A thief has plundered the temple of Drevor, stealing from them the Godly Compass. In his haste to escape, he has left a trail. We ask that you send to us a hunter, to chase the culprit and bring justice upon him.” As the priestess finished, golden light shot out from the statue into each of the priestesses. The objects floated from the hands of the Mother Superior, and stopped midway between her and the statue of the goddess. The black marble surrounding the statue suddenly rippled, as if it were liquid in a gentle breeze. Rising up from the depths came a creature that the light seemed to bend around. The only things that could be seen were a quiver of black fletched arrows, and a recurve bow. As the objects were absorbed into the chest of the arrival, it’s eyes glowed with an ominous red.
“Mission accepted. I will hunt down this Pliun III and retake what he has stolen. There can be no hiding from my sight. My muscles will never fatigue, my stamina will never give out. To the ends of this world and beyond, I will hunt my prey.” With an acrobatic leap, it hurdled the Mother Superior, who was looking incredibly drained. The doors to the temple thundered open as the hunter searched for his prey.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
For years, Pliun used the magic of the compass to aid in his evasion of the hunter. Eventually he was forced to sea, where he sailed among what today is known as the Dragon Isles. Eventually his skill as captain surpassed even his skills as a thief, and his prowess for never getting lost became the thing of legend. As his story grew, the name Plium was eventually forgotten. Instead, he became known simply as The Navigator. Having finally sailed through all the seas and oceans of Vitae, The Navigator knew his time was coming to an end. Rather than give the hunter satisfaction, he sailed his ship into the very heavens themselves. Those who remember his story need merely look to the west, to see the prow of his ship as it ever points towards the north star, a guide so that they may never become lost. Raging in the east, and always chasing him, the hunter maintains his dogged pursuit.
The Navigator
All journeys made under this sign will receive subtle influences showing the path of least resistance. So long as someone in the party is able to determine the direction of North, the party will never become lost.
The Hunter
While under the sign of the hunter, pursuit becomes much easier. Stamina consumption is reduced by 35%, and false trails are easier to recognize. Go forth, and know no fatigue as you chase down your prey!
The Navigator and The Hunter (combined constellation)
If the caster is in the Navigator’s party, the following apply:
Navigator’s party +15% movement speed
Hunter’s party morale -50%
If the caster is in the Hunter’s party, the following apply:
The Navigator’s party will be given far more choices for routes to take. Some beneficial, some not.
Hunter’s party +10% movement speed
Hunter’s Party may use Howl of the Hunt upon sighting the Navigator’s party, vastly increasing the chance of inducing panic in the party while invigorating all those in the Hunter’s party.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Southern Eel
Rising in the southern sky, one might notice a set of stars that seem to flow like a river. Eight stars in total, these represent the father of river eels. Any who have tried to capture one by hand can attest to their elusiveness, but their progenitor took things to all new heights. It is said that he could escape even the grasp of Death himself. Frustrated, Death offered to help raise him into the heavens and promised to never attempt to claim him again.
The Southern Eel
Imbue those in your party with the evasiveness of the river eel.
+30% chance to evade a killing blow
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Twins
Barbarians do not tolerate weakness. This is one of the universal truths of Vitae. At the age of five, their children must be able to spend three days in the summer wilderness with no help. At age ten, it is a week in winter. In order to be considered an adult, they must make a significant kill by the age of fifteen. The harsh climate demands that resources not be wasted, and this is a lesson most from softer climates never truly understand.
However, to every rule there is an exception. Long ago, there was an age where the summers flourished for nearly twice as long as normal. In this time of bounty, the barbarians relaxed their rules a little. One such relaxation was the birth of a strange set of twin girls. Born with their backs fused together, they often struggled through life. Despite the bounty their village was enjoying, there was little help for the girls. They were slower than the other children, and were constantly mocked for their appearance.
With nobody to trust, the girls learned to work together. At night they would talk with their father, one of the village’s hunters. He tried to train them, but they would never master the silent ways of the hunter. When he realized that, he asked a favor from a guard friend. He took the girls in, and began training them in the way of the warrior. Here, finally, was where the girls started to shine. Forgoing a shield, each one chose to wield an axe and a sword. Their life of working together had instilled within them a nearly prescient sense of what the other would do by the slightest shifting of weight. Under his guidance, they became nearly invincible.
Though they would never be able to lead a charge, they were the perfect warrior to close a bottleneck. Always back to back, their blind spots were miniscule and fleeting. Utterly savage in battle, they never gave nor asked for quarter. As they grew older, their legend only grew. From their first true battle, protecting a child from a pack of dire wolves, to the countless stories where they held the gate against all comers. Eventually they reached the point where their mere presence ended battles.
Though they eventually became the chief of their village, they always showed something that was incredibly rare in the unforgiving North. Compassion. The children they grew up with never faced retribution for their antics growing up, and enemies that fled the field were allowed to leave with their lives. At the end of their lives, the gods decided that they should be immortalized for their actions. As they took their last breath, a ribbon of light detached itself from the aurora, and whipped down to claim them. Should you be lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time, you might see the aurora flow around and through the constellation much as battle once flowed through the twins. To this day, it is a requirement that every five years a barbarian warrior find a clearing and search for this sight, to gain insight into the art of battle.
The Twins
Through their long lives and lack of mobility, the twins often found themselves surrounded and outnumbered while on the field of battle. Despite the odds, their trust in their skills and each other always carried them through.
Increased group coordination when outnumbered
+10% chance of striking a finishing blow
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Ashen tree of life
Vitae is a world of things that defy explanation. Massive dragons that take to the skies, elemental spirits that disappear in the blink of an eye. There are myriad examples, but none moreso than the Ashen tree of life. With unknown origins, even the gods themselves can’t explain how a tree manages to live in the world of the dead. And yet, there it grows. With bark as white as bone and leaves red as blood. Those who are lucky enough to rest beneath its leaves tell of the most relaxing sleep they have ever had, filled with dreams of the best times of their lives.
Ashen Tree of Life
The tree is an enigma to even the most learned of scholars, but it is undoubtedly beneficial to those who seek it out.
Minor essence leech: Those who battle under this sign are able to harness a portion of the death energy from slaying enemies and use it to refill a portion of their stamina or heal minor wounds.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Colossus
Long ago, the ancient dwarves lived in peace with the dark elves. In order to protect their kingdom, both races decided to use their best skills to create the world’s strongest guardian. Legend has it that the amount of material needed was mined from what is now Shineheart. For nearly a decade, ten of the largest forges consumed an entire forest’s worth of wood per month to create the armor and inner workings. Mana gems were crushed by the cartload to allow the dark elves to scribe their enchantments. Piece by painstaking piece, the Colossus was assembled. At its core was the largest artificial mana gem ever created. Carefully shaped to resemble a beating heart from a piece of quartz the size of a bull, it took twenty of the elven archmagi and twenty of the dwarven rune masters a full month of constant mana transfer to ignite it.
In the end, it was all for naught. Little to anyone’s knowledge, deep within the crystal was the tiniest of imperfections. While under most normal testing, the imperfection would only cause the slightest of tremors in the mana flow, the Colossus would be pulling mana at an unprecedented rate. The slightest of tremors became a slight ripple. A small wave. Building upon itself, by the time it was noted it was already too late. A self-sustaining loop had formed, and a tidal wave of mana erupted, destroying the massive construct. Should one be truly daring or truly mad, they could travel deep into the Bog of Eternal Shadow and see the giant foot, all that remains of the once mighty construct.
Today, it is immortalized in the largest constellation in the sky. With its feet at the horizon, its head nearly reaches the zenith of the night sky. It forever stands as a monument and reminder, that with great ambition comes great danger.
The Colossus
Carved of enchanted stone and covered in the strongest of armors, the Colossus was meant to be both a sign of cooperation between two races as well as the guardian to an entire kingdom. Though it was lost to an accident, the memory of it remains.
+50% defense
Add an additional 50% to defense if the party is acting in a defensive role
Constellations skill
Constellation
Bonus
Constellation
Bonus
Confidence of Selene
Increased archer speed, decreased enemy elemental magic
Demon’s Hand Nebula
Mana regen doubled
Drevor’s Spear
Stamina consumption reduced by 20%
Emmerian’s Staff
Fire magic costs 10% less, is 20% stronger
Trion and Greystreak
Stealth skills 25% more effective
Death’s Embrace
50% more damage to undead
Bruin’s Heart
Potions 20% more effective
Gramash’s Sheild
+20% defense, 5% chance to reflect magic
The Colossus
+50% defense, +100% defense if defending
The Twins
Increased coordination, +10% chance of fatal blow
Ashen tree of life
Minor essence leech. Kills recover stamina and heal minor injuries
The navigator
Never become lost so long as North can be determined
The Hunter
Stamina consumption reduced by 35%, greater chance to recognize false trails
Combined Navigator and Hunter
Navigator: +15% movement speed, Hunter’s party -50 morale
Hunter: +10% movement speed, Howl of the Hunt, Navigator party sees multiple course options
Southern Eel
+30% chance to evade a killing blow