This is the second half of a review of the grand narrative AoS event at NOVA Open 2018. The first part, covering the events of Thursday and Friday, is published here.
This part picks up on Saturday morning, revealing the threat of a massive godbeast looming above the capital city.
Saturday morning the Godbeast had fully arrived and some players had been able to talk with it. A few players pledged their allegiance to its cause (whatever that may be), and still others sought to kill it. One player in particular wanted to capture its soul (the audacity of those Deepkin Aelves!).
The final plan that came to fruition over many games and alliances was the taking of various ritual sites in order to cast necromancy most foul. The ritual drew the Synder from any citizen that ingested it, sacrificing millions of lives to drive that magically honed soul force at the Godbeast like a spear.
This magical attack did indeed harm the Godbeast, who responded by plunging his bulk at the capital city of Sy’Dell. He destroyed the city and left a gaping hole where it once stood.
The player’s champions and their skyvessels raced after the Godbeast, trying to determine where it was going and what it was doing. This event was the first of two on Sunday, the Skyship Race. After catching up to it, the players discovered the Godbeast’s plan. He burrowed deep in the Sydell mines and captured a crystal which emitted a form of radiation that grew the Synder deposits. The Godbeast was planning to steal the crystal and leave the Dawnlands with it!
It was then that the players had to make a choice. They could have helped the Godbeast, and possibly destroy what kept the Dawnlands constant in the realm of Ulgu. Alternatively, they could attempt to harm the Godbeast in order to get him to flee and leave the crystal. A select few players tried attacking the crystal directly. One player even tried to “heal” the Godbeast’s brain to restore some empathy.
In the end, the players attacking the crystal shattered it, causing ripples of other realms to flicker in and out of Dawnland. Some crystal fragments plummeted to the ground with the direct force of Ghur, with great beasts and vegetation immediately springing forth and fighting for territory and survival. Still other pieces dripped to the ground like molten lead, creating lakes of Chamonic Metal and mountains of ores to be mined. Spears of fiery shards ripped the ground as Aqshy’s fiery force seared other parts of the land. These fires raged around parts of the land whose crystals bloomed with the life of Ghyran, simultaneously consuming the life and providing nutrient-rich ash fields for life to grow almost immediately again. The result was that all realms now have a presence in Dawnland. The generations of the people of Dawnland who survived this cataclysmic event are constantly being shaped by these realm shards.
But what happened to the champions, you ask? Well, the Slann which connected directly with the Godbeast’s brain and warned it was rewarded by having his soul ripped out and added to the Godbeast’s living memory. The greedy Kharadron Captain who had signed a magical contract with the Godbeast to share in any information or reward the Slann got also had his soul ripped out.
The Wood Aelf player who healed the Godbeast’s memories was allowed to stay on it as it descended into Hysh as a living colony.
The Mushroom Goblin player who had been infecting the Godbeast with her mushrooms cut open an artery and dove inside. She was never seen again, though a small patch of mushrooms bloomed on its arteries soon afterward.
The emissaries of Mork (or Gork) punched their way out of the Godbeast’s eye and plummeted back to the Dawnland. Most of the forces attacking the crystal followed shards of it down, as capturing even a small amount would be a tremendous prize.
Speaking of prizes, an undead vessel laden with Godbeast guts and various parts lumbered its way out as well. The Ghoul King Brothers had their treasure.
Finally, the foolish Undead Thaumaturge who purposely ingested a tiny fraction of the Godbeast’s lifeforce was transformed back into a fiery-haired mage with a new lease on life. Though he had a new life to live, his scorned masters in Shyish would not be happy at this betrayal.
Thanks so much, Matt Tucker, for writing both halves of this review of the event!
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