1x01 Pilot

**Pilot** is the pilot episode of Adventures of Veshelia. It was played from August 3rd, 2022 until...

## Plot

As a plague of unknown origins begins to spread throughout Veshelia, the Celestial Inquisition sets out to find the source of its spreading. The problem? Their lead doesn't exist. Not yet, anyway.

## Synopsis

Inquisitor Thomas Finch is moved from the the city of Omiestra to serve the Celestial Inquisition of Veshelia. The episode opens with him waiting in Inquisitor RedSeeker's office, taking in the multiple magical trophies she's collected over the years of killing magic-users.

Victoria makes a large raucous outside before she enters the office crudely, ripping off her wet cape and nearly hitting Thomas with it, collapsing into a chair and throwing her dirtied feet onto it, and refusing to acknowledge Thomas until after she's picked at her teeth. It is then that she asks Thomas who he is as he straightens his posture, and he informs her that he is a transfer from Omiestra.

RedSeeker pulls out his profile and throws it on the desk, reading through and questioning Thomas on the accuracy of the statements. It's noted that Thomas is one of the most skilled Inquisitors of the time, though he did not want to transfer to Veshelia. On the paper, it's shown that Thomas's parents both died almost fifteen years ago, when he was a young boy. Victoria then points out a special note, which says to allow him to keep a flask that he carries and that it is explicitly not carried with alcohol. When Victoria questions what's in it, he replies, "It's not liquor, ma'am. I assure you. It has purely religious intent."

Victoria seems displeased by the answer, mocking Thomas for his piousness. When she claims that Thomas is a "pious little shit," he replies "aren't we all?" out of genuine confusion. He says the prayer, "through Selestra may we find salvation," which seems to placate Victoria greatly.

The two discuss the plague that's spreading across the land-- it's acknowledged that the plague is at its worse in Veshelia, especially when compared to Omiestra, however Thomas has been heavily affected by watching his loved ones die. Victoria agrees with this, surprisingly not mocking the man, before she proceeds to give him his first orders in Veshelia.

He is ordered to go with Raukel Jestrek to intercept a Lostrethk to interrogate a Chosen One on possible leads for the plague. They know it's a magic-user's doing, but lack the arcana knowledge that would provide a connection-- thus what the seer is for. Thomas meets Raukel waiting in the hallway outside, where Raukel proceeds to act like a lost, confused, eccentric old man, much to Thomas's distress. Raukel only drops the act when Thomas becomes concerned that he's having a stroke, breaking down laughing from amusement, to which he tells Thomas the second he heard "a bigshot" was coming to Veshelia, he knew he had to prank him.

Raukel and Thomas, on strained terms, head to a Church of Sylvanus to witness one of the Seer's readings at midnight-- however, abruptly, Raukel takes off running through the complex alleys of the city, with Thomas, confused and a bit panicked, chasing on his heels. However, yet again, Raukel tells Thomas he was simply messing with him and was curious to see how good his reflexes were. Thomas askes Raukel if he doesn't trust his abilities, seeming slightly annoyed by Raukel's incessant "jokes."

Raukel asks Thomas about himself. Thomas simply says that he's been "guided" to Veshelia by Selestra, and reveals that he's never met a seer, or a Chosen One, before. Raukel teases Thomas, telling him to "not jizz himself" when he meets one... which Thomas does not deign with a response.

In a small dingy inn somewhere in the city, we cut to a Frey Ailmar, a well-dressed elven wizard, who is cowering on top of a chair in disgust. On the floor of the hotel room sits a large rodent, which Frey conjures up a mage hand to throw out the window, though the magic seems fickle and weak. Frey seems proud of himself for the small accomplishment, murmuring to himself in pride while also commenting he really "needs to get a new room."

Frey then gets dressed, putting on a cloak and grabbing his longsword after briefly hesitating, before exiting the inn. He keeps his head covered and bowed down, seemingly eager to not be noticed by the other patrons at the inn or people on the street. We hear then a bell tolling in the distance, and it's revealed Frey is also making his way to the Temple of Sylvanus for the Lostrethk.

Frey gets there first, while Raukel and Thomas arrive only a few minutes before the ritual takes place.

After the customary beginning to the ritual, The Seer (Sylvania) enters, head bowed, and led by a Priest of Sylvanus and an Interesi. She comes to stand before a statue of Sylvanus before seemingly "addressing" the room, scanning the crowd before her eyes land on Frey. She points an accusing finger at Frey where he sits in the crowd, much to the elf's distress as he looks behind him, as if thinking she's pointing to someone behind him. Frey looks greatly distressed as The Seer comes to kneel before him in the crowd, holding Frey's hands in her own and pressing her forehead against them as she has a vision, leaving her eyes entirely black like a starry night, filled with small specks of light.

The Seer begins to sign frantically, which the Interesi translates:

> "You crave something. Desire it. You thirst for a nectar that has never touched your tongue nor caressed your lips, and yet you know the taste of it intimately, don't you? Lost child. You tremble before a tree spanning to the stars, whose sap is so sweet that it has made flowers flourish, and yet it dries before ever falling upon your trembling tongue. You have a hole in your chest, Starlight. A void where there should be a supernova-- an echoing silence with no creation. Little comet, starstruck, starry eyed wanderer-- an asteroid whose flickering out before its ever struck ground. Fear not, Starlight. Where there is nothing, something must come."
>
>

Frey seems greatly discomforted by this prophecy, seeming uneasy to have the crowd and Seer's undivided attention on him as he trembles-- however, when The Seer goes to rise, Frey goes to grab her wrist but stops himself. Frey begs, saying the words "please" over again, but not specifying what it is he needs-- likely clarification or comfort-- however, when The Seer goes to sign to him once more, the Interesi grabs The Seer's hand, stopping her. The Interesi addresses Frey, telling him that "the Gods do not given counsel freely." The Seer seems greatly uncomfortable in the Interesi's grasp, though she says nothing.

Frey responds by telling the Interesi the gods "don't have to," before pulling out ten gold coins to pay them with. Frey then turns to The Seer, and interestingly enough, begins to sign constellation himself. While his movements are shaky and awkward from lack of practice, The Seer seems to understand him easily enough as Frey asks her for guidance and counsel, referring to himself as a "blackhole in need of gravity."

Meanwhile, in the crowd, Raukel and Thomas become impatient as their opportunity to speak to The Seer themselves shrinks by the second. Raukel curses, surprised that the elf in the crowd has the money required to buy a private reading, causing Thomas to chastise him as they're "in a place of worship." Regardless, both men begin to try and navigate the thick crowd to get closer to The Seer and Frey, with Thomas trying to squeeze and weave between people while Raukel simply begins grabbing people and moving them out of their way.

Their actions seem to catch The Seer's attention, however, as she looks directly in the crowd to look at Raukel, and then make eye-contact with Thomas. By the time Thomas and Raukel look away, the elf that the Seer was speaking to is gone, lost in the crowd, as Thomas comments they need to get to The Seer themselves to speak to her privately. Thomas begins to search the crowds in search of the elf while Raukel continues to try and get to The Seer, but Frey is nowhere to be seen and the crowd is too thick for Raukel to reach The Seer in time before she turns to leave, guided into the backrooms of the temple by the Interesi and priests.