Pathfinder's Choice

**Pathfinder's Choice**is a Story Arc of the the Exteria Multiverse. It takes place in Elysiana, in the subplane of Caneiria, and follows the perspective of the bard Varsha Olank-Meeus and the rogue Ran Ninetales.

## Main Arc

### Fateful Encounter

Varsha Olank-Meeus and Ran Ninetales, two inhabitants of the **Iridian** kingdom, take notice of strange movements near town. They soon notice that a large attack is about to be made on the kingdom's capital through the use of corrosive **Greek Fire** by members of the rival empire, **Alkhaest**. However, Ran and Varsha prove their worth by sabotaging quickly their attempt and seizing the fire for themselves.

News of their success is brought to the king, Ulhran Iridion, who alongside his right-hand man Silvere, asks of the pair - in exchange for a great reward - to localize the main troops of Alkhaest, probably next to the border. Attracted by glory and riches, the pair quickly accepts and decides to investigate, although they notice an abundance of Undead creatures on their way.

### A Noble's Chessgame

Before arriving to the location of the troops, Varsha and Ran end up fighting a massive creature similar to an Eidolon, a supernatural creature guarding the path. When they defeat it, they fall asleep and appear in the flying palace of Cleomeda, in a dreamlike state. The man introduces himself as a Noble, a superhuman race which oversees the world.

Cleomeda previously made a bet with another noble, Axiotheus, about whether mortal races could prevent the war between Alkhaest and Iridian. Defending them, Cleomeda tested the pair's worth and now satisfied, promises to guide them through Axiotheus's attempts to sabotage them - represented by the multiple Undead attacks on their way. Then, he dismisses them, allowing them to return to their previous position in the Plane.

### Working for Alkhaest

The pair attempts to spy on Alkhaestian troops but are captured by Arkset, their general, who browbeats them into serving him. His attack on Iridian was just a decoy ; his true aim was to seize Orichalcum from Ulrhan's coffers. His true aim is apparently the creation of a superweapon, although its true nature is unknown.

Varsha quickly accepts to join Alkhaest due to sheer self-interest and encourages Ran to follow her ; the pair manages to steal Orichalcum from Iridian due to Silvere's trust, and then retrieve various other ingredients for Arkset, including **Hydra** blood and several powerful scrolls. However, the last ingredient, an excessively rare Noble stone named Asterium, is only found in a strange mansion deep within Alkhaest.

### Xenion's Cage

While looking for the mansion, the pair encounters an amnesiac, lost man named Xenion looking for his way towards "a very important person". They help him and protect him along the way, before leaving him in front of the mansion as they explore it, with a special key offered by Cleomeda.

The mansion turns out to be an ancient prison for an unknown Noble with a penchant for experimentation and who was in love with a mortal, a forbidden relationship who incited him to commit treason against Nobles and help with returning independance and freedom to the mortal races once again by eliminating all Nobles. The man's ambitions echo with Varsha's own opinion.

The pair ends up finding a path to an Asterium gemstone deep within the mansion and retrieve him, but Axiotheus summons a powerful Undead to chase them. Xenion dispels the undead with unknown power, and Varsha understands that Xenion is the imprisoned Noble who escaped the trap by sacrificing his memories.

### The Weapon and Betrayal

Varsha ends up going alone, alongside Xenion, to Alkhaest's capital, meeting with emperor Alkhaest III and his alchemist Melinda Kerkeyon. The latter informs her that the superweapon created using those ingredients will be used to deny Nobles their powers and force them to become mortal, in order to regain freedom and finally defeat Iridian in a war, since the kingdom has oppressed them using the Nobles' superior magic and favors.

However, by the time the weapon is completed, Ran, still loyal to her country, sells Varsha out to both Ulhran and Axiotheus, bringing the armies of Iridian as well as the undead forces of Axiotheus to Alkhaest's capital, intending on turning the weapon against Alkhaest and reducing it to dust. A massive fight happens between the pair, each defending its own ideals, and ends with the weapon firing succesfully - albeit due to Ran's actions, destroying part of the capital in the process and severely wounding both armies.

As the dust dissipates, the conflict is forced to reach a ceasefire, and Ran retreats alongside the army, promising to kill Varsha once the Iridion army recovers. Varsha bitterly replies, preparing for the next battle alongside Xenion, with whom she quickly falls in love.

## Characters

* Varsha Olank-Meeus
* Ran Ninetales
* Silvere
* Ulhran Iridion
* Arkset
* Melinda Kerkeyon
* Alkhaest III
* Axiotheus
* Cleomeda
* Xenion

## Trivia

* The Nobles described in this Storyline are intimately tied to those within Interra Enochis.