The Current Onyx Storylines

The Open Threads

"May you live in interesting times," the old saying goes. Well, there's certainly no shortage of interestingness to go around. What follows are the major and minor plot threads running through the campaign. No doubt as we restart the campaign with new players and new characters, we will add a few more to the tapestry.

Hordes of Nazzer

The followers of the demon Nazzer have raised an army of men to destroy Anbylos and retake the land that once was theirs. Accompanied by the hosts of the Sulgir, demonic, poisonous, two-headed hounds, they have succeeded in taking the city of Zoros. The man who leads them claims that he cannot be killed. Well, he claims that the sword which can slay him has not yet been forged - same thing, right? Nebyr, Rasemba's Paladin, certainly has his work cut out for him...

Skathe's Ultimatum

Skathe, the god of disease, decay, and rust, is tired of not being given his proper worship in the lands of Anbylos. The neighboring countries of Zerbix and Elyl have temples for him, why should Anbylos be permitted to skimp? Thus, his priests have delivered this ultimatum: set up temples to him in Anbylos or suffer the 7 Plagues. The Pharos, Axaxaxas, has refused to consider the idea. And so the plagues begin. Bonebreak Fever killed hundreds of children and adults along the coastal cities before some desperate characters brought in large quantities of Zul's Balm to quell the outbreak. The Yellow Dust has poisoned the entire food supply for the northern cities, bringing the spectre of starvation for tens of thousands of people and their livestock, but that's not quite so simple to outmaneuvre. And there are still more plagues to come. But there is only one antidote for the final plague, the Red Death, and it lies somewhere in the Vemish Desolation...

Homelands of Vemyr

Xaz, the swashbuckling nomad, discovered that he is the last of the royal line of Vemyr, a country devastated by the gods for the overweening arrogance of its rulers. According to prophecy, if a king of Vemyr with the Rod of Rulership and Sash of Wisdom were to travel the length of the Road of Kings on his knees in true humility asking forgiveness from the gods, the land will be restored to fertility and prosperity. Xaz has decided to do what he can to fulfill the prophecy and restore his people's homeland. Through great effort, he has acquired the Sash of Wisdom. Now he leads a band of his fellows through the Vemish Wasteland, in search of the kingly Rod, in search of lost palaces, accumulating his horde of followers. When last we left them, he was having a dinner party with ghosts...

A Voyage to Metronymé

This storyline was only barely hinted at before the campaign went on hiatus. One night while asail on the Opal Sea the wizard Trogral received a vision in which he was called upon to travel to Metronymé's moon. And this is as far as we got, but both Trogral's player and I are both furiously plotting our moves...

Smoke on the Horizon

According to legend, one country will be given dominion over all lands until the end of time. That country is the Empire of the Twilight Rose. The Empress believes that dominion comes to those who take it and that now is always a good time for world conquest. But hey, the Twilight Rose armies are several countries away. So what if they managed to raze the Draconian citadel of Menelmaeth? It's definitely someone else's problem right now...

The Tied-Off Threads

As hard as it may be for some of the players to believe, we do complete story arcs - although I tend to think of them as in remission, rather than finished. Whichever the case though, listed below are the major plot threads that came to a satisfying resting place.

Gareth's Saga

When the campaign began, Gareth was an amnesiac with some magic arrows. When the campaign went onto hiatus, he was happily married to the Durani of Red Begra. Ah, but what a tortuous path he trod to get there! Why did people in power want him dead? Who was the woman of the statue who haunted his dreams nightly? As he delved into these mysteries he discovered his past and the curse put on him by Asta, the goddess of love. And still he persevered, against traitors, two gods, a goddess, a wicked sorceror, an evil high priest, and most importantly, the hearts of two women in love. At last he triumphed, finding a solution to the conflicting dictates of the god he served and the goddess he wronged, avenging a fallen god, and proving himself worthy to the woman he loved.

Sure Gareth's player called me a dick the whole time. But he enjoyed every second of the wringer I put his character through. And that's what it's all about, ain't it?

Back to the Onyx page.

Send questions or comments to: minotaur@hurloon.net
Last modified: Wed Dec 27 14:53:53 PST 2000.