The Great Unknown #1 - The Lady From Nowhere

Introduction

Into the great unknown is a single-player tabletop RPG adventure set in the Amenia world setting of my own creation. I've been wanting to tell a story with these characters and this world for almost a decade, and as a decade past of not doing much with my creative urges, I finally decided to break down and tell it, while also experimenting with a new format. Why is it being told in this format, you might ask? Because one of my biggest hurdles with writing is constant self-doubt and overthinking things. With a format like this, I can't really try to "over-polish" things. What's done, is done. I can't go back to edit previous chapters, I can't plan too far ahead either. It's liberating in a way, and I'm so excited to share this experience with the world.

Character bios and art credits can be found here.

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 At the foot of the Tunduneq Lake lies the ramshackle town of Aqandu-Tundu, so-called 'resting side of the gods' as what the elders of all elders believed it to be, when they sailed upon the frigid shores all those years even before the great and mighty storms ravaged the known world and the everlasting blizzard took hold, freezing what little that was not already frozen. A strong town, once heralded as the 'Pearl of the Akineq' as it was often the first town travelers and merchants spotted when they dared to sail north. Inviting beaches and gargantuan mountains once defined the land in the old days, now the land was defined by the abandoned towns and the lost dreams that lingered in the quiet nights, whose only company was oftentimes the crickets and fireflies. 

It was some 120 years or so ago when the event that violently changed the path of the worlds' pre-determined destiny. A party of mages, whose names were lost to time but have been referred to as 'Kuneq', or the 'fake spirits', traveling in ships that resembled the shells of nautilus. They dressed in otherwordly yellow attire and wore frightful masks resembling monsters, though they claimed they were their ancestors. Akineq had long since been suffering when they arrived. The crops would not grow and the fish began appearing less and less. Upon hearing of their blights, the mages converged upon Tunduneq Lake and chanted the names of their ancestors. Within moments, the world over was ravished by mountain-swallowing waves and civilization-ending storms. Entire islands fell to the sea and entire nations were simply erased from history. As darkness loomed over a world ruined, the mages were never seen again.

Episode #1 - The Lady From Nowhere (Part I)

Time: 7:30 AM, October 17, a Tarnaday

Like all mornings that came before and all mornings that will come after, the snow gently fell upon the the quiet harbor. The sky sparkled all colors, green, purple and red as a pair of dancing deities performed for all to see. Accompanying them were the stars, soon fading, who the storytellers said were deceased ancestors who guarded and protected their children with twinkling eyes and everlasting pride. Two cousins took a break from their morning routine of delivering mail to the sailors, sat upon a frozen bridge and stared up at the sky, counting down the moments before all the stars would be washed out the upcoming day. 

The first and eldest of the two was "Little Miss" Aveal Turniga. Her ephitet was of course a misnomer, as she was quite tall in build and vigorous in constitution. Aveal was an outsider, sent there by her father to live with her uncle in hopes that the town nation of Qilivik would cultivate and nurture her expansive creativity in a way that their small home village of Tama'pena simply could not Though her isolation has been a weight unable to be unshackled, she smiles all the same, finding beauty and joy in her life.

The younger was Kon, short in stature, with short black hair and a plump body but a starry-eyed demeanor. A native to the town, born from Aveal's aunt, before she and her uncle eloped. Though little see Kon to be more than a kind-hearted simpleton, one with not a mean bone in their body, they hold many deeply guarded secrets and passions within them. Chief of all is the unending desire to find out more of their true father, of whom their mother refuses to speak of.

"...well, we should probably get moving" said Aveal, Kon noticed it took her awhile for her to take her eyes away from the ocean.

Kon nodded, "Yeah, sounds good. What was our next stop again?"

Aveal paused for considerably longer than a second, trying to recall what they were tasked with again. "You're the smart one, you're supposed to be the, uh... remeberer?" 

"And you're... ah, forget it. I think we were supposed to deliver this bag of parchment to the shipyard." Kon grumbled before shifting through their bag.

Suddenly, a rustling noise emerges, centered around the lightpoles. The noise sounds as if its fabric rubbing up against cold metal.

Roll initiative

• Aveal: 6 + 3 = 9
• Kon: 14 + 7 = 21

Aveal fails

Kon succeeds 

"I don't really hear anything" Aveal shrugged. "Are you sure it wasn't just the wind or something?"

"Nah, sounded more, you know, physical. I'll go check it out just to be safe." Kon says as his expression becomes rather wary.

"You stay put, I'll go check it out." Aveal smiled and messed with her younger cousins' hair as she approached the source of the noise.

...

...

...

"See Kon, nothing to worry-"

Immediately a figure fully cloaked pops from seemingly nowhere. Even in the excitement, you can see that the cloak is tattered and brown, clearly patched and sewed together from scraps.

"RAWR!" it screams, "I SPOOKED YOU!" 

"EEK!" Aveal screamed. Startled, she recoiled back, thankfully never did she lose her footing from the relatively narrow bridge. As clarity once again overtook her, she noticed her 'spooker'. Standing at a measly 5'5 was Mona Langstrom, her best friend. Uncleaned brown hair -- an oddity even for her -- and a messy face, covered with both freckles and dirt defined her appearance for many, neither of which helped her reputation as the towns' very own petty thief. Still, she had a good, or at least decent, heart and a big brain. Kon broke out in laughter, cackling as loud as an angry bird. Aveal cast him and her friend a dirty look "You conniving little brats" she huffed, before regaining her composure, her signature smile once again appearing on her face. 

"'Course not" said Kon.

"Oh pul-leeze, he's as guilty as Smuggler Yuq" Mona smirked, giving her friends a playful look. Kon looked displeased. 

"Traitor" Kon whispered to themself, crossing their arms in faux-anger.

"What is it they always say? There is no honor among thieves, bro." 

"I do wish you'd stop that though" Aveal sighed, looking at her friend with heavy eyes and a heavier frown.

"You know I can't just stop, Vee. Mum can't work and-"

"I'm just worried, Mona. You know you and your mom both'll always have a roof with us." Aveal cut in, her tone both warm but also intense.

Mona simply rolled her eyes and shrugged. "Hey, you guys mind if I tag along? S'not like I got much better to do this morning..." 

"Course you can." Kon smiled, elbowing his cousin, who still had a downtrodden look. Her face shifted to a beamy smile in an instant, as it always did.

"Just be prepared! We've got a lot of walking to do, and I do mean a lot." Aveal chuckled lightly to herself, extending her head as an invitation to her friend.

"So, where to, gang?" Mona asked.

"Oh you know, the docks." Aveal answered.

Mona has joined the party!

Time: 8:00 AM

After half an hour of walking, the three make their way to their final stop. Before them, they see a rough-and-tumble building, constructed with red bricks and painted a faint blue, though much of the blue has been faded and many of the bricks chipped and worn. There was a comfort to its structure, however, a sort of realness and grit to it. Aveal always thought that its rustic charm helped embody what Aqandu-Tundu was really all about. Being the only real shipping business on the island, it was what weary-eyed travelers and savvy merchants from near and far usually saw when they were first entering their humble home. However, something was off and it didn't take a perspective mind to notice.

Though it wasn't as busy as the docks in Tasik or Aulutaq, it was still usually quite busy. This morning, not so much. Nary a soul could be spotted in the courtyard or any surrounding locations, nor were any of the lamps lit or ships maintained. Usually sounds of shanties and the physical labor of transporting goods filled the streets, but now all that could be heard was the harsh breeze pressing against the seemingly abandoned place. 

"You guys feel that, right?" Kon asked.

"Like somthin' isn't right? Yeah, got goosebumps." Mona replied.

Roll perception

Aveal: 4 + 3 = 7

Kon: 11 + 7 = 18

Mona: 3 + 5 = 8

All failure

Aveal spoke up, "I don't see anything out of the ordinary, you know, aside from how... empty everything is. I'll go look around."

"Sounds good" Mona nodded, "Let's take a look inside."

"What about me?" Kon inquired.

"You just wait here and keep a look out, li'l buddy. Could be dangerous, like pirates or something" Mona replied, ruffling her young friends hair, a frown popped on their face. 

"And what if it is dangerous, what if-"

"Me and Aveal know how to take care of ourselves, dude" Mona cut in, a commanding nature in her voice "'sides, if something DOES happen to us, would suck if we didn't have anyone to call for help, you know? Like, let's say we're not out in an hour, you get some guard or hunter to look for us, alright?"

"Y-yeah, I guess that's fine" Kon sighs and looks for a crate to sit on.

"And besides. Someone needs to guard the cargo" Aveal cut in, removing her bag holding the goods they were set to deliver and wraps it around Kon's shoulder. "Don't want it to get dirty or anything."

"...Alrighty." Kon replied.

The two enter the building. As not even the sun has yet risen and no torches or lamps have been lit, the interior of Crystal Coral is all but completely dark and there's a stillness in the air, or lack there of. For Aveal, the weight of what she was doing collapsed in on her like an avalanche -- she was BREAKING AND ENTERING into a business that may've been compromised by some criminals. For Mona, this was just a normal Tarnaday, though with some added danger. After a few seconds, their eyesight's adjusted to the blackness, even and they make out vague shapes out in the distance, seemingly crates, trash and bars. It is a sailor establishment after all, there was... a lot of drinking involved. The floor on the other hand was surprisingly clean, if a little dusty and water-damaged. Even the dirty ol' seamen have some standards. 

"Hold still, Vee, I got 'dis" whispered Mona, rummaging through her her bag before she pulled out a pack of matches and a small torch.

Suddenly, a crimson red light helps illuminate the darkened building, though for Aveal, she can't really argue that this lessened the tension. Firstly, fire is already quite rare in Aqandu-Tundu, so its appearance outside of cooking is a bit unusual already. Secondly... well there isn't really anything profound, it's just kind of spooky... a flickering source of light in a dark place that... hey... wait, the light, it's moving!

"Mona, w-where are you?" Aveal called out, slowly walking around as the light slowly vanished from her eyes.

...

...

...

"Mona, are you ok-?" 

"BOO!" 

"EEEEEEK!"

Mona leaps from within the darkness, rushing her poor friend. Torch in one hand, an extended claw-like gester with her other, looking like some ethereal creature from the dreaded Outbound Void, a land so terrible and feared that not even the most seasoned of explorers dared to explore. The fading light, shimmering as a sphere outwards, allowed Aveal to see her mischievous little smile, her unkempt brown hair, her tattered clothes... but also something else. Something not her. 

Roll for perception

Aveal: 15 + 3 = 18 [success]

Someone, or something, not her appeared faintly visible out in the corner of what visibility the torch offered. The thing or creature or whatever was tall and lanky, easily clearing Aveal by several feet even as it looked like it was just hunched over. Its skin was smooth, like it was sanded down, with a light blueish-green complexion that was broken up by a series of warped and uneven lines. Almost glowing, but not quite.  Half of its face was invisible contrasted with the darkness, which Aveal surmised may have been its "hair" or perhaps it simply only had a half face. It looked like a doll, inanimate. That was until it slowly, mechanically, spun its neck, the rest of its body was left unmoved and silent, as its face, featureless and hollow, glared directly at the girls' face. 

Slowly recoiling in fear, her face was flushed with distraught and her movements became erratic, but dulled. She could see Mona's face transition from impish delight to concern, but she paid it little mind as her heart beat a million a minute. Her emotions peaked when suddenly her footing was lost. Did she trip or slip? She couldn't tell, all she knew was she was tumbling down on the ground. A sharp pain surged itself through her body as she found herself falling upon the razor-edge of some forgotten piece of furniture, cutting through her shirt and leaving a shallow, but like cut alongside her back. As her head fall back, everything went black for a second. But oh, how long that second felt.

"Veevee!" she heard Mona call out, the stammering of her footsteps against the hardened cement floor tiling was like thunder against Aveal's banged-up head, not at all remedied by the quiet dusty air that unhelpfully prodded against her face. Mona of course extended her hand outward, offering a gentle smile, to which the downed girl replied with her own subtle but hopeful smile "All good? You look like you saw a ghost"

With the light returning to her vision, now gazing upon the frightened face of Mona and the dingy walls, Aveal's composure returned to her

"I'm... I'm fine. I think I saw a doll or something." she replied.

"Huh, like a toy? Girl, you're the bravest person I know, why'd a wee doll make you freak?"

"Wasn't a small one. You know, like those giant ones the storytellers used to dangle in front of us as kids to scare us into not going out at dark or something?" Aveal tried to explain, dusting off her clothes and grabbing her friends arm, pulling on it lightly to get to her feet. A sharp pain once again ringed through her body and she was momentarily stunned.

Wordlessly, Mona cocked her head back squinting her sharp eyes and looking in all sorts of directions "Can't see crap, Vee. Prob'ly just your mind playin' tricks on you, right?"

"I... maybe, I don't know" 

"Well, 'nuff of all 'dat, can you walk?" 

"Y-Yeah" Aveal huffed, "Think I got cut on something..." she paused to chuckle, shooting her friend a smug look. "I don't think you could carry me anyway. Remember last time?" 

"Well, if you're gonna be like that. What's it that my mum says? 'If you're good enough to talk shit, you're good enough to be fit'." 

"For a woman who can't talk, your mother sure has a way with words."

"Girl, she'd whoop you in a heartbeat if you said that to her face" 

With Aveal limping, the two clumsily made their way out of the building. The light of the torch 

Party status

Aveal: Bleed, -1 HP

Aveal: Frightened 1

Meanwhile...

Kon let out a long sigh. Though none could see them, a heavy frown bore upon the youngin's face. A flurry of thoughts and improntu justifications for why they were never quite good enough to tag along for Aveal and Mona's adventures blitzed their mind as a canopy of sadness draped them. Their eyes drifted away from the shipping yard, which had become symbolic of their insecurities in these long minutes, to the sacred Mount Agulineq. The highest point in Aquandu-Tundu, Kon, along with almost all natives of the island, saw the mountain as their home, as it was customary for mothers to bare their children by the holy waters of its top -- for it was where the gods first danced with humans.

Roll perception

Kon: 1d20 + 8 = 19

And as their eyes shifted back, they had noticed the street lights to one-by-one turn off, heralding the sun as it arose in the quickly warming day. Still no sign of anyone near the docks, however the light clammering of distant footsteps became audible. Something else, however, became audible. The sound of snow crunching under ones shoe and the moving of heavy objects Like someone was hiding but honestly just sucked at it. Normally most people would retreat at this, but for Kon, the thought that maybe they too affected by what caused this place to go abandoned had crossed their mind and... well, if they needed help, Kon couldn't just ignore them either.

"Hey!" Kon shouted, trying to hide how uneasy they . "If you're trying to hide, well, I hear you! Are you Alright! I'm asking because, well, you probably know why!"

From the shadows came fourth the slow movements of a young lady, seemingly around Aveal or Mona's age. Though half-obscured by the darkness, Kon could tell she was unlike anyone they had ever seen, with skin that looked almost red or orange in tint and strange hair, though primarily black, shined brilliantly with red, greens and yellows, uniquely and stylishly braided in ways that looked as if they were washed in the waters of the divine lakes. Though her appearance was unusual, Kon was more concerned by the status she appeared to be in. Several unaided cuts and bruises were dotted across her otherwise beautiful face, which itself was awashed with a clearly distraught look. Dust and mud, mixed with blood, as well was visible all across her person, especially across her ragged clothes, which looked to have been of originally extremely high quality. Most unusually of all however, was what was on her head. Peaked at the crescent of her hair was a crown made of flowers and leaves, which shined vibrant blues, yellows and greens. Despite  the damage she had taken, nothing of her ornament appeared to be damaged to any extent.

"You don't look so good. I mean, obviously you don't but... I can help. At least a little bit." Kon remarked, slowly approaching her. The lady cocks her head and shoots him a perplexed look. This was clearly the first time she tried to communicate with someone who didn't speak her language. The woman stepped back, but before she could retreat, her stomach growled.

"Hungry, huh? The universal language, here, let me get you something. It's not amazing but I fixed it myself. Made extra because my cousin gets hungry, heheh" With a faint smile, Kon took out a small bag, still warm to the touch and extended it fourth, letting the woman know it was hers now. Though clearly still cautious, she scoops up the bag and unwrapped it, revealing that it was a cooked salmon. She recoils back, slightly confused by the fist but takes a bite out of it. A happy smile forms on her mouth. For a moment, it appears as if the harsh weather calms down and a pleasant breeze engulfs the two instead.

"Solla ya-paqoy!" the young woman says.

"Uh, sulla uah, paku too!" Kon replies, nervously scratching the back of their head. The mysterious woman let herself relax. From Kon's perspective, it seemed like the first time she got to relax in ages. She went to take a seat on the wooden crate Kon had been resting on and tapped the otherside numerous times, indicating that she wanted them to sit next to her. She grinned contently, though clearly hesitated in eating the salmon, as she raised it to her mouth, only to lower it with a small frown, only to repeat her process about three times. She then shivered, pressing her body together as a strong breeze passed them by. It just now occurred to Kon that she wasn't wearing any sort of coat. 

Kon rushed over to their new friend and quickly took off their black hoodie, sewn together by their mom and offered it to the black-haired woman. "I think you need this more than I do" they said, though knowing the other couldn't understand. Though surprised, the woman took the jacket and attempted to put it on, though struggled as it was a little too small for her. 

Despite the moment, the woman's face turns dark in an instant. Something is wrong.

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End of episode 1.