Splintered Thandar Lore

Five years ago…

In the Old City district of Thandar, the prominent Rogue Alchemist Nivgol visited the Academy for Gifted and Talented Young Wizards with the promise of a new method of channeling and improved focus for all Wizardly staves and wands.  Fame quickly spread, as his new invention was proven more potent than all other traditional methods. The Rogue Alchemist summoned the best and brightest minds at the Academy as his young proteges to support this bold research.  

His work centered around a new energy elemental ore, that he dubbed the “Dekatriastone.”  Curiously, whenever the stone was machined, it would always have precisely thirteen sides. So, in beautiful symmetry, thirteen Wizardly Apprentices were assigned to this project. Their mission was both simple and highly challenging: unlock the mysteries of the stone to produce the most powerful Channel ever – by harnessing the highly resonant chi forces from within the stone itself.

While several test subjects successfully used the experimental foci (notably, the Apprentice Magnara used her modified staff and wand with impressive results in several mystic duels), other Wizards struggled to harness the stone’s power. In addition, many mages viewed the Dekatriastone as highly unstable; it could result in random and unwanted energy discharges!

Sadly, the experiments run by the Rogue Alchemist were quickly shut down by the Wizards’ Guild after a tragic self-inflicted fireball culminated in the death of a young Apprentice, ironically named Hopper the Hopeful. Fearful of losing his precious Dekatriatone, the Rogue Alchemist fled Thandar, taking all known samples of this mystic stone with him.  When the authorities came looking for Nivgol for his criminal negligence, he placed himself into exile, rather than risk jail time in the Imperial prisons. His new plan was to perfect the stone’s power and then return to Thandar to dominate the Schools of Alchemy and Wizardry.

Present Day

The Rogue Alchemist has now returned to Thandar with a new and improved recipe for harnessing the mystical energy of the Dekatriastone. His latest version of the enchantment can now adapt and self-regulate and no longer poses a risk of fatal accidents. 

To finalize the alchemical formula, he has splintered the 13 facets of the stone into a series of magical spells that can manipulate the laws of nature, magic, and combat across the City State of Thandar.  These must now be tested across battlefields throughout the City.

In each battlefield setting, the rules of engagement would be precisely controlled and monitored by a pure Dekatriastone.  In these experiments, test subjects could come from any background, not just Wizards, since the stones’ power would be used to manipulate reality, not just as a simple focus item.  After completing the gauntlet of the thirteen battlefields under the spell of the Dekatriastone, the Rogue Alchemist will then use his acquired knowledge to begin building powerful Artifacts and Relics, powered by the Dekatriastone. 

And as for the test subjects, mercenaries from throughout Thandar have been summoned to participate in a battle contest, supposedly run by the local Battle School. While the mercenaries foolishly compete for gold, they have little knowledge that each time they enter one of the thirteen unique battlefields, they are helping to perfect one of the thirteen facets of the Dekatriastone, as part of Nivgol’s sinister plan.

Once the tournament is complete, the Rogue Alchemist will be one step closer to building an impressive weapon of mystical destruction.  Impressively, he can conduct his dangerous research in public since no one suspects him nor realizes that he has returned to Thandar.

Once all of the battlefields are unlocked, the thirteen splintered facets of the Dekatriastone can be cleverly reconfigured,  granting the  Rogue Alchemist unspeakable sorcerous power.  Let the games begin!