The Burden of Legacy, Book One

A look back.  Naima in the garden.  A young Jhae'œn chooses a good book over the sparring pits. The present: Yaa'jyam and Ko'arja bring our adventures to the half giant village to meet the camp's leaders. Little is decided, and the language barrier continues to stymy real talk. As is often the case, a good cookout can help with diplomacy.  That and a little Amethyst divination magic.Oh. You didn't think Ressim was done, did you? Come on, bruh. You know better than that...

A look back in time. Jhae'œn's mother, Naima Marivaldi, departs from the House of A Thousand Blossoms.  She has foreseen what is to come, and rides out to, you know, save the world.The Present: Jhae'œn, Bargessa, Elma, and Gaielletravel to Aman Tuus, or “The Old Man's Tooth,”  site of the Amarazae mining operation. They quickly discover that trouble has recently visited the miningcamp. Adventurers that they are, they head into the swamps to investigate.However, they soon realize that The Great Dismal Moor is as full of wonders as it is rife with perils. And as Jhae'œn descends into his Walk, a different kindof adventure begins for Asha. Back at the Blossom, she makes a new friend...

"The History of the World," as described by Ezarh'had Daan Jhae'œn Amarazae, is a telling of the creation story among the Aman'haddi, or marsh Giants that inhabit the Great Dismal Moor along the southeastern borders of Cadraswé. According to the Ezarh'had Daan, he first encountered the Aman'haddi only a few days after beginning his Walk in 795, C.R. While the telling varies from speaker to speaker, the Ezarh'had Daan found this version by a warrior-griot named Ngaj'in to be the most compelling. Ngaj'in, one of the Assi-Wer rangers from the Agwó-Zos "dry-home," sang the version transcribed here as she, a young nameless Jhae'œn, and their companions, recuperated from battle in the ruins of the Aman'haddi's ancestral city. Many regale the tale of that epic battle as the more significant element of his time in the swamps, but in the years since his return to claim the Amarazae seat and face the ensuing catastrophes that befell Agwe, the Ezarh'had Daan insisted that this simple campfire song gave him the insight to survive his walk, and the strength to face what was to come. Here, the Chaugwé Theater is proud to present the first installment of "The History of the World" as originally performed by the late Ngaj'in of Agwó-Zos. Tonight, you will hear the second of nine verses, "The Night's Gentle Stillness. Please take a moment to refresh your beverages. The Merchant's guild from the Table of Silver has offerings on each tier of the amphitheater. They've even secured several kegs of tir'saak for those bold enough to try it. Sit back and enjoy our offering. And so on!

Its fine. Everything is fine. What's done is done. The past is in the past. Right?Elma and Gaielle have history. They got history with Ressim too. And somehow, but some twist of fate, it all comes roaring back through a little trinket found in the Amarazae mines. The Potter's Needle is more than an archaelogical find. And there are others who seem interested in it potential. Xi Chosé Alegwé of Covengarde, for example...For Jhae'œn, the Walk means leaving home. The place where he has played, and grown, and studied. And fallen in love. leaving home is hard. Growing up is deciding what matters, then regretting that decision. Then moving on. So on. And so on...

SettingOur story takes place on the continent of Agwé, on a world that the “Peoples of the Word” call Temman-Jâwé. It is a world of magic and monsters. It is a world of politics and commerce. It is a world of people, varied and complex. The action centers in the coastal nation of Cadraswé, a wealthy feudal state led by The Paramount and his Council of Inheritors. The capital, Cadras, is a bustling port city at the apex of the Bay of the Crescent Maw. The Bay sits on the southern edge of the continent, a region commonly referred to as the Coast of Tongues. The Cadrascont Mountains shield the coastal nation to the west. The Esmeran Mountains shelter its eastern borders along with the Dismal Moor and the unexplored rain forest known as the Goblin'sSmile. North, the flood plains dry and become the Staggerwind Steppes. The House of A Thousand Blossoms, a fortress in the Esmeran Reach, is home to the noble house of Amarazae. The Amarazae, one of eight Heritor Houses, rule the eastern most barony in the Paramountcy. The walled estate is the home where our protagonist's grew up, and to which he and his companions return following the events of season one.Season 1 Recap Jhae'œn Amarazae prepares to leave home forhis Walk, a rite of passage common among the nobility, when he is abducted by a spell casting crime boss  named Ressim Kalza. He is subsequently rescued by a pair of veteran mages, Elma Jascari and Gaielle Etomanwé. They discover that the kidnapping is connected to his father's plans around a mysterious artifact found on their lands. Season two picks up just after a harrowing trek from the capital city back home.Present events occur during the 34th Verse in the Chant of the Nak Tahli, or the year 495 by the Cadraswéan calendar. We open, however, three millennia “Before There Was Song,” 3000 years prior to present events. Our prologue takes us even further into the past. To the story of creation. Before the world was sundered…

Episode 6: Chapter 12, On the Road Again Jhae'œn and his companions travel the Paramount's Road back to the House of a Thousand Blossoms. Its a straight shot, and a mere forty miles. Sure its raining, but it should be uneventful. Right? The Burden of Legacy The heir to the House of A Thousand Blossoms is coming of age.  He prepares to leave home on a ceremonial quest to discover his destiny and his true name. But before his journey begins, a strange artifact is discovered on his family's land. As his plans unravel, he meets a pair of spellcasters who tutor him in the ways of magic. But will their help be enough as the search to uncover an ancient mystery threatens to embroil the nation? The call to adventure cannot be denied. But what will the journey cost him?

Episode 5: Chapter 11, The Transparent Nature of Glass The past haunts the future. True when perusing the course of civilizations, or plotting one's way forward in the world. Elma and Gaielle reflect on their history, and peer through the window to see what the future holds for them. The Burden of Legacy The heir to the House of A Thousand Blossoms is coming of age.  He prepares to leave home on a ceremonial quest to discover his destiny and his true name. But before his journey begins, a strange artifact is discovered on his family's land. As his plans unravel, he meets a pair of spellcasters who tutor him in the ways of magic. But will their help be enough as the search to uncover an ancient mystery threatens to embroil the nation? The call to adventure cannot be denied. But what will the journey cost him?

Episode 4: Chapter 10, The Covenant of Destiny Jhae'œn's call for an emergency meeting of the Paramount's Council does little to clarify which of his family's political rivals might be behind his abduction. The Burden of Legacy The heir to the House of A Thousand Blossoms is coming of age.  He prepares to leave home on a ceremonial quest to discover his destiny and his true name. But before his journey begins, a strange artifact is discovered on his family's land. As his plans unravel, he meets a pair of spellcasters who tutor him in the ways of magic. But will their help be enough as the search to uncover an ancient mystery threatens to embroil the nation? The call to adventure cannot be denied. But what will the journey cost him?

Episode 3: Chapter 9, The Table of Harmony. Our unlikely company of heroes arrive at the Amarazae estate in Cadras to nurse their wounds and figure out their next steps. But some of the damage resists the healing magic of the Adseruan gleaners. And it would appear that the real battles have only just begun... The Burden of Legacy The heir to the House of A Thousand Blossoms is coming of age.  He prepares to leave home on a ceremonial quest to discover his destiny and his true name. But before his journey begins, a strange artifact is discovered on his family's land. As his plans unravel, he meets a pair of spellcasters who tutor him in the ways of magic. But will their help be enough as the search to uncover an ancient mystery threatens to embroil the nation? The call to adventure cannot be denied. But what will the journey cost him?

Episode 2: Chapter 8, "The Muck or the Mob" Fleeing Raseem and his Oarsmen, Jhae'œn, Elma, and Gaielle take the only route available: the sewers beneath Cadras. But a trek though the tunnels and the undercity of Ganaht Grimst carries perils of its own for the party. Oh. Are they a party now? Then let the adventure begin... The Burden of Legacy The heir to the House of A Thousand Blossoms is coming of age.  He prepares to leave home on a ceremonial quest to discover his destiny and his true name. But before his journey begins, a strange artifact is discovered on his family's land. As his plans unravel, he meets a pair of spellcasters who tutor him in the ways of magic. But will their help be enough as the search to uncover an ancient mystery threatens to embroil the nation? The call to adventure cannot be denied. But what will the journey cost him?

Episode 1: Chapter 7, "Old Flames, New Fires." Jhae'œn Amarazae finds himself in on the run with an unlikely ally. Will his new companion help him navigate the Breaks and find his way back to the Table of Harmony? Or will her past get in the way and make a bad situation worse? The Burden of Legacy The heir to the House of A Thousand Blossoms is coming of age.  He prepares to leave home on a ceremonial quest to discover his destiny and his true name. But before his journey begins, a strange artifact is discovered on his family's land. As his plans unravel, he meets a pair of spellcasters who tutor him in the ways of magic. But will their help be enough as the search to uncover an ancient mystery threatens to embroil the nation? The call to adventure cannot be denied. But what will the journey cost him?