Andy

Risk vs Reward

“We should go back, show those jerks who we really are!”

“Please, keep going! We need to get away while we have the chance!”

“We need time to think, somewhere to catch our breath. We need quiet!”

The poorly lit backstreets of Starhaven’s Draffsnarl district are interrupted by a lone silhouette limping through them, cradling an injured arm against their chest. Anyone not minding their own business in the less than reputable section of the refugee center that Starhaven was becoming would hear three distinct voices arguing in hushed tones, though the sight of a single individual would then leave them confused. The shadowed figure pauses for a moment, seemingly assessing their situation. The sound of several heavy footfalls bounce off the strange buildings making up the labyrinth of this section, making it impossible to tell how close they are. A moment longer and the figure darts off down another alleyway, away from the approaching footsteps.

“No, not away! Back towards them! We can beat them! Let us have control!”

“Keep going, keep going! Let us have control, we’ll make sure we get somewhere safe!”

The shadowed figure lurches in different directions for a moment, arms and legs spasming as though they were pulled by invisible forces apart from the center. A slight whimper echoes off the close walls of the alleyway as the injured arm flails, and the figure stops, clutching the arm once again.

“Stop! We are not giving up. We don’t have what we came for, and we are not leaving without it. We need to work together for a change, instead of bickering! Else we may as well do those thugs jobs for them.”

A moment of silence hangs in the air, as the lights flickers on above the figure, outlining a feminine form clad in utilitarian clothes. Fox-like ears sit atop their head, a mane of reddish brown hair with highlights of yellow and purple frame their face. Three tails swish back and forth seemingly in annoyance, before the light flickers out once again.

“….Fine.”

“….ok.”

“Good.”

Moving again, the figure heads towards the only lit doorway in the alley. Testing the door and finding it unlocked, they push their way inside, the door closing behind them silently. Inside, the room is shadowed, the only light coming from the streets outside. Debris from a makeshift camp, long abandoned, litters the room. They move into the mess, grabbing pieces of tarpaulin and long pieces of broken supply crates as they head towards a rickety looking discarded chair. Slowly they sit down, testing the chairs integrity, and when it holds they begin to set their injured arm as best they can, clawed fingers easily ripping through the tarpaulin to create strips to tie the sling together. The process is slow and seemingly painful, as the figure winces several times during the process. Ears perk up halfway through as the heavy footfalls get closer, and they freeze, breath stuck in their lungs for what seems forever before the footfalls depart. A long sigh escapes into the night, and the last few knots are tied on the makeshift sling as time passes once again.

“Hmmph, idiots. Didn’t even check the door.”

“That’s a good thing though, right?”

“Yes, and now, we have the advantage. Let’s hunt, sisters.”

“FINALLY!”

The doorway opens, the darkened interior broken only by a slight flash of light, as a mirror reflects the scene outside of it. The figure steps out into the alley once again, their stride, before limping and afraid, now full of confidence (if not also limping slightly still). No footfalls are heard as they retrace their steps through the alleys, even as they move quickly back towards the point of their previous confrontation. Slowing their pace, anyone watching would see the figure take on a predatory gait, almost disappearing amongst the shadows. Finally, their gaze settles on their target; another worn looking building, but this one guarded at its lone entrance.

“Only two? We are disappointed.”

“We must have drawn off a fair number of them….that’s helpful.”

“Let’s make this quick then, shall we?”

For guards, the two at the doorway are not good at their jobs. Neither one notices the figure move up behind the one to the left, just as he leans over to light a cigarette, the one on the right scanning through a magazine with scantily clad human females on it. The figure’s look of concentration as they strike changes to a feral grin, the guard’s cigarette falling from his mouth as his muscles seize, dropping him unceremoniously to the ground, momentarily paralyzed. Moving quickly, the figure dances to the right, the feral grin snapping back into rigid determination as they catch the guard’s chin in a powerful uppercut, knocking him unconscious. Standing amongst their downed foes, a look of concern crosses the figure’s face before they turn to the door.

“Sorry, we’re in a bit of a hurry. You’ll be able to move, just not until we’re done.”

“Oh don’t pity them. Wasn’t even a good fight!”

“Come on, let’s not waste time, or we’ll still be here when the others return.”

Inside, the warehouse is a mess of goods and sundries strewn about, almost as though they were in various stages of sorting at some point earlier in the day. The figure walks among the tables strewn with various goods and, grabbing a bag, begins filling it with items. The items going into the bag are a bit eclectic; clothes, knick knacks, various dried foodstuffs, no multiples of the same thing. As they work through the tables, they stop, noticing a humanoid figure slumped against a wall, it’s grey skin almost blending in. Small Preserver robots surround the humanoid, attempting to move the humanoid from it’s location. Casting their gaze back to the door, they quickly move over to the individual, shooing the small robots away from it placing a hand on it’s shoulder. It’s eyes open, and it looks up at the figure.

“Curious. Most of my memories appear to be missing. I do not know how I came to be in this place, and I am unsure as to who you are. Have we met?” the grey humanoid states, slowly rising to it’s feet.

“We are Ailynn, and no, we don’t believe we have. Are you alright?”

The grey humanoid rolls its neck and shoulders. “No permanent damage to my being is detected, though I detect I am not operating at one hundred percent capacity. I am Chimera, though I am unsure how I recall that designation. Query; what is this place?”

Ailynn shrugs her shoulders. “Drop off point for some of the gangs of Starhaven. Things they “collect” as taxes or “protection money” are brought here. We are just taking a few things off of their hands.”

Chimera looks to the bag, and then back at her. “I do not believe I am payment for these gangs.”

A wide grin spread across Ailynn’s face, showcasing her fangs, and she gave a short laugh. “No, we don’t think so either. Want to help us get what we came for?”

The emotionless grey face considered Ailynn for a moment, then nodded.

As the two spread out among the tables, filling bags with items taken from their rightful owners, those that had once chased Ailynn return, finding their comrades on the ground unconscious. Shouts and calls over comms commenced, before several individuals stand before the door, kicking it in.

“Shit, looks like they’re quicker than we thought.”

“We’re in trouble again, aren’t we?”

“Stow it, and help us figure a way out of here.”

Chimera drops the ration pack he is holding, as the thugs swarm into the room. They number about ten, and most of them spread out to surround the pair, a few staying back to guard the exit.

“Mistress Ailynn, it appears we have company. How should we handle this?” Chimera asked, no trace of fear in his voice.

“Mistress? Hmmm….looks like we need to fight our way out. Can you assist us with that?”

“Affirmative.”

Chimera doubles in size, startling both the thugs and Ailynn. The thugs hesitate for a moment, before one rushes forward, swinging a large rod at Chimera. It bounces off his chest and the thug looks at him agape, before Chimera’s fist is the last thing he remembers for quite some time. The room devolves into a rather one sided brawl, Chimera acting as a shield as Ailynn moves around the room utilizing hit and run tactics. Soon, the fight is finishd, all of the thugs either downed or fleeing.

“Oh, we like him.”

“We think so too…we should help him. We think he’s a bit like us; he doesn’t have anyone else.”

“Well Chimera, what do you say? Do you want to come with us?”

Chimera looks to Ailynn, then grabs the bags they had filled. “I find that agreeable. After you, Mistress Ailynn.”

The two leave the warehouse, stepping over the bodies of the unconscious thugs on their way out of the Draffsnarl and back to Ailynn’s home. There, they check the items against the requests on Ailynn’s data pad, sorting the goods into various piles to be delivered after a good night’s rest.

Leifandi

Leifandi exists in a parallel reality adjacent to Earth Prime, and though connections to the dimension are rare, they do occur as natural phenomena occasionally, though direct breach of the walls of reality is the usual method of transit between the two. There have been few visitors from other dimensions to Leifandi, and of those the most notable is Dr. Atom from Earth Prime. The planet is a near analogue of Earth, with oceans, forests, lakes, vast plains, and arctic areas, though there are no deserts. The most striking difference between the two, however, is the various array of crystalline formations that lay across the landscapes, sometimes entwined with the local flora itself. These crystalline formations are generally made up of gemstone-like material, with one major difference; these formations have some form of consciousness and sentience, with the ability to lend their innate power to the people of Leifandi most in touch with the planet’s mystical energy.

The People of Leifandi

Those who call Leifandi home are multiple and varied. The most human like are the ones are referred to as Leifandians. Their forms are as varied as other humans, though natural hair colorations can tend to hew towards the colors of gemstones, with dark greens and light blues being the most common. The most striking difference between a Leifandian and a human is their eyes; while a humans iris’ are round, a Leifandian’s are subtly faceted like a cut gemstone, only truly discernable up close. It is speculated that the facets are due to the crystalline structures that dot their planet, a melding of the two dominant life forms of the planet. Though some other theories exist, they are generally not held to have any basis in reality. Not all of the Leifandians are able to connect to the planet’s mystical energy, but those that are create a bond with one crystalline structure, allowing them access to the energy it represents and the ability to manifest it. The ability to wield Gem Magic is seen as a high honor, and those who can are usually destined for great things. It is quite rare for a Leifandian to be able to bond to more than one type of crystal; only certain individuals, like the Master Mage of the dimension, have ever been known to wield more than three, though history does tell of one who had mastery of nearly a half dozen or more. However, an individual capable of that type of control has not been seen on Leifandi in several centuries, if not longer.

Next are the Crystalloids, creatures of crystal who roam the planets surface and tend to the various flora entwined with the crystalline formations along with those formations who stand apart. Not much is known about these creatures; some speculate that they are some offshoot of the crystalline formations themselves, a sort of progeny, while others believe that they are a younger version of the crystalline formations, experiencing Leifandi before eventually settling in to be one with the planet. They vary greatly in height and color; imposing figures made of greens and blacks or smaller, nimbler figures of orange, yellow or blue. One thing is clear however; these beings share some connection to the crystal formations, and history has various accounts of them being fiercely protective of the crystal formations and any flora they intermingled with. There have been interactions between these beings and those Leifandians who can connect to the planet’s mystical energies, but there is no recorded history of these beings ever speaking in any sense of the word.

And finally, the crystalline formations themselves. As stated, they share some connection to everything that exists within the planet, often intertwined with local flora. However, outside of the knowledge that these formations have some form of sentience and a connection to the mystical energy of the planet, little is truly known about them.

Leifandian History

In the earliest eras of Leifandi, there was conflict, much as it is with other worlds. Conflict between the Leifandians and the Crystalloids, as the Leifandians sought to move beyond their nomadic lifestyles and begin to settle in larger and larger encampments. The early Leifandians may not have known the connection the Crystalloids shared with the crystalline formations, only knowing that the flora that was melded with the formations made for sturdier construction materials for shelters. These early conflicts led to the discovery of Gem Magic, and it was through this discovery that an understanding between the two was founded. The first Leifandian Master Mage (for it is not known if there was a Crystalloid or crystal formation that held that title before it was passed to the Leifandians) oversaw the foundation of cities and villages in harmony with the land itself, able to draw out both the necessary materials and the energy by which these settlements could begin to build around.

Once the cities and villages were established, there was an era of general peace, as the Leifandians grew to understand their connection to the planet’s mystical energy and the crystalline formations themselves. It was not without its periods of upheaval, however, as there are almost always individuals who wish to garner more than what they have. During one of these periods, it was noted that the overuse of crystal magic had a horrible side effect; if a Leifandian mage drew too much energy from their bonded crystal without its consent, the formation would explode into splinters, and if those splinters affixed themselves to any Leifandian or Crystalloid without the force of will to resist they were drained of something, be it life force or something similar, causing them to become devoid of all reason and feeling. For those who could resist the splinter’s effects, they found they could control those who had become Soulless, and used them to attempt to wrest Leifandian society for themselves. It took the Master Mage of this time, a woman by the name of Berea Whitestorm, and a number of her acolytes to put a stop to the use of the Soulless, defeating the tyrant Ademamon and his followers. Berea then founded schools for the teaching of Gem Magic to Leifandians, urging them to live in harmony with the crystals they formed bonds with, as a way to keep the practice of the Soulless from returning to Leifandi.

Since then, with the instruction and guidance of the Master Mages and their acolytes, the denizens of Leifandi have been able to live in relative peace, both with the various communities that gradually continued to grow and with the world itself. Today, most Leifandians settle disagreements with the help of arbiters in each of the settlements, or with more than one if the disagreement happens to be between people of two different settlements.

Leifandian Culture and Spirituality

Leifandians have had an interesting history with the crystal formations of their world. Once the connection they bore to the planet’s mystical energies was discovered, many Leifandians believed the crystals to be extensions of the planets will, and for a time there was a great reverence to the formations and the Crystalloids. As time went on and Gem Magic became less rare among the Leifandians, there came a period where there was much discussion about the nature of the crystals, their bond to elemental powers and their place in society. Since that period, there are various beliefs that have cropped up; along with the idea that they could be extensions of the planets will, there are also schools of thought that purport them to be elemental beings or, perhaps, gods.

Regardless of the truth behind the crystal formations, the Leifandians have worked the crystals into their culture. Almost every Leifandian has some sort of necklace or bracelet bearing a piece of crystal infused flora, as this does not form a bond like a pure crystal piece does for a Gem Mage. Most non-gem mages are some sort of artisan, able to successfully work with both normal flora and crystalline flora. These artisans make everything from new housing or other structures, to furniture and clothing. Clothing consists of the colors of the crystalline formations, being gauzy and breathable for the summer seasons and sturdy and layer able for the winter seasons. Gem Mages usually wear clothing in the color of their bonded crystal, and the crystal is either woven into the fabric of the clothing or as an accessory that can be attached, as it must touch the skin for the mage to draw on it’s power.

Gem Magic

Gem Magic is only capable of being utilized by individuals born of Leifandi; there has been no documentation of any Crystalloids being able to bond with a crystal and wield it’s innate power. To be able to utilize a crystal’s power, one must first have an innate ability to sense and connect to the magical energies of Leifandi. In time, there is usually a feeling of being drawn to a specific formation, and upon arriving there a small chunk of the crystal is always awaiting the mage who was called. The crystal can be cut and refined without losing it’s abilities, though some mages choose to use the crystal in the form it was presented to them. A bond is formed between the mage and crystal, and over time the mage develops the ability to use their mystical abilities to draw out the inherent power of the crystal to perform various spells and effects. Most Gem Mages cannot bond with more than one crystal; even the current Master Mage of Leifandi is only bonded to two crystals. Those who have the power to form bonds with more than two crystals are rare, once in a generation beings.

Notable Sites

• Perle: Capital city of Leifandi, oldest and most renowned settlement on Leifandi. The planning of the city allows it to be the dwelling place for thousands of citizens while also being one of the more open and natural settlements on the planet. The city itself is a love letter to the harmony wished for by the early Leifandians.
• The Leifandian Mage Academy: While there are a multitude of branch sites throughout Leifandi, the main one sits in Perle, as both the oldest and grandest of the locations. Many of the Gem Mages who graduate from the Perle academy come from the city itself, however mages from the other cities are always invited to attend as well, to foster good relations between those who grew up in Perle and those who did not.
• Whitestorm Rotunda: This is the hall in Perle where leaders from all over Leifandi meet to discuss matters of importance and work out any issues or disagreements between the settlements themselves. Also usually the seat of the Master Mage, though they generally split their time between the Perle Academny and here.
• Lake Ontovia: The largest inland lake on Leifandi is also home to the most varied group of crystalline formations on the planet. The majority of Crystalloids are seen here, which has led some to designate this site as the settlement of the Crystalloids. While the area can be visited by anyone, there are certain boundaries the Crystalloids enforce, and only the Master Mage and select other Gem Mages have been allowed beyond.

Risen

Phoenix paused before leaving the spot Mortis had left him at when he brought him back to the land of the living, wondering for a moment if he was truly free of Hades’ imprisonment. When no hell hounds arrived to drag him back down, he took a moment to look up at the sky. For the first time in a long, long while, it was blue with white clouds dotting it, rather than grey stone and ever present smoke.

Alighting to a nearby rooftop, Phoenix turned full circle, taking in the view of the city. This wasn’t the first time he’d been in Freedom City, but it had been a while, and he needed to get his bearings. The hustle and bustle of the city surprised him to a small degree; there seemed to be even more people here than before. Life kept on moving, it seemed, regardless of what it left behind.

Phoenix scowled inside his helmet, shaking his head as he felt a memory returning. Anger, hot as his flames, hot as Helios’ fire itself, threatened to consume him. “No, not yet.” he thought to himself, trying to tamp down the emotion. “I need more info first. Plus, I have a promise to keep. Doesn’t do well to flake on a promise to a necromancer.”

He looked down to his right wrist, where the computer was running calculations, parsing through the encrypted communication signal he’d piggybacked on when he shook Mortis’ hand. It pinged, indicating it had finished it’s task, granting him remote access to Freedom Hall and all it’s systems. “Daedalus, you old fool. Still using your old security methods, as though you don’t think ANYONE knows how your mind works.” he thought to himself, using the holographic display to page through the system. His brow furrowed as he read through damage reports and logs from the Freedom League, shocked at how devastating an enemy Una had been even before she’d managed to re-manifest in the physical plane. The Freedom League Dark was going to have it’s hands full trying to keep all of reality from falling apart it seemed, and if he wanted to be around to enact his plan, he’d have to help out in some way.

Continuing to absent mindedly scroll through the system records, something caught his eye. Blueprints, schematics for something big, another of Daedalus’ grand creations. But it didn’t seem like it was going to be a part of Freedom City. Phoenix began looking over everything more in depth, studying the plans and notes, smiling to himself as he did.

“Well, it looks like I know where to go to find him after all of this gets sorted out.” He though to himself, before unlocking the helmet and removing it from his head, his curly brown hair blowing in the wind. Looking up at the sky, he pointed a finger towards the heavens. “Just wait, Daedalus. You’ve got a little surprise coming, one you would never have expected.”