SoloAI - The Legend of the Crystals - Episode 1

 Hey, everybody! I'm sorry the blog hasn't been updated in a while. I've been very busy with work and university lately, but I have some news to share.

First, the Nightside Solo game will be put on hold. During this time, my computer died and I had to format it, resulting in the loss of all the character sheets and resources I had from this game.

Anyway, I'm going to start a new campaign and use a newer version of my custom system. Maybe later I can even play something with other system, who knows.

On the bright side, I received DALL-E 2 access a while ago and have been using it for my regular rpg campaigns.

I've been playing this solo game with Novelai lately, and realized that I could just copy and paste the whole thing here instead of summarizing it. Even if this way I don't explain how the rolls and everything else worked behind the scenes, I find it interesting because it is more "novelization" style. 

I'm using both DALL-E 2 and Stable Diffusion for the illustrations.

Introduction - The Setting

Gaia's world is formed by five elements: earth, water, fire, air, and spirit. The legends speak of five mystical crystals that would be the origin of everything that exists, and today guarantee the balance and stability of the world: the Earth Crystal, located inside the largest mountain in the world, protected by the dwarven kingdom; the Water Crystal, hidden in the deepest abyss of the ocean, protected by various amphibian races; the Fire Crystal, located inside an active volcano, protected by brutal orc warriors; the Air Crystal, which floats eternally surrounded by the flying citadel of the gnomes, and the Spirit Crystal, hidden in the heart of the largest forest in the world and guarded by the elven empire.

The so-called Guardian Races, however, are not the only ones to inhabit this world. From the versatile humans to the skilled halflings, several other races and peoples share the space, forming their own cities, nations, and countries. Although there are those who preach segregation, miscegenation is the general rule, with the large urban centers serving as melting pots of cultural, ethnic, and population mixtures.

But a shadow looms over the apparent peace. From the east, the Brahne Empire, formed by a human dynasty that prizes racial purity, threatens the peoples of the Confederacy. Relations between them are currently peaceful, trade is established between the two sides, and there are ambassadors and political envoys. But the Empire has had spurts of expansion in the past, with small nations on the border being absorbed in large military campaigns, and there is a constant fear that this will happen again.

A new great conflict may be brewing in secret. Once again, Gaia will need heroes.

This is a example setting from the Manual do Defensor, for 3D&T Alpha. I decided to play it just to have something more traditional, medieval fantasy, rather than something crazier.

Introduction - The Main Character

Leo Valwyn is the son of a couple in a group of walking merchants who traveled the world looking for valuable objects. On one of these trips, they found a mysterious portal in a desert, which they tried to disassemble, but Leo Valwyn's parents disappeared with it, leaving him an orphan.

The other merchants, not knowing what to do, started to collectively care for Leo Valwyn, until finally Leo's uncle, Richard Valwyn, decided to become his tutor for good until he reached adolescence.

Leo Valwyn moved away from the merchants to enter Cid Academy, seeking to become a wizard and to learn the secrets of the portals, so that one day he could figure out how to bring his parents back. While studying, however, he received news that his band of merchants, including his uncle, had been imprisoned while passing through the territory of the Brahne Empire. So Leo left the Academy, and traveled to Brahne, where he was able to persuade the authorities to pay them gold in exchange for the merchant's freedom. Today Leo works as an adventurer, seeking to obtain enough money to pay his friend's bail.

Introduction - The Beginning

Stonebird is a city in the Brahme Empire, located in the Blue Mountains. Although it is now a small town, in the past Stonebird was built to serve as a fortress during the Shadow War. Since the end of the war, the population has dwindled and the city has fallen into disrepair, but the old buildings remain, such as the Great Torch Wall that surrounds the city, the Cathedral of Melody in the center, and the terrible Castle of the Thousand Executions high in the mountains not too far from the city.

Lately, a series of disappearances have disturbed the peace of the Stonebird residents. They claim that ghosts are kidnapping residents and taking them to the forest surrounding the town, and offer a large sum of money for anyone who can stop the disappearances. Leo Valwyn, of course, is attracted to the proposal and agrees to do his best to solve the problem.

Our first scene begins on Leo's first night in town, with him watching the silent streets of Stonebird, waiting to see who was behind the disappearances.

The Great Torch Wall

I stood alone in the courtyard of the Great Torch Wall. The moonlight illuminated the great wall, towering over me, and the torches lining its sides. The torch wall was a symbol of the Brahmite Empire, standing at a height of nearly three hundred feet and encompassing five square miles. I walked along the outer perimeter, looking up at the stars twinkling through the cracks between the stones. It was dark, but not so dark that you couldn't see anything at all. It was just enough darkness for one to appreciate the beauty of the starry sky above and the moonlit ground beneath my feet. There were no sounds of any kind; it was silent except for the occasional chirp of an owl or the rustle of leaves from the trees.

I did nothing but stand and patiently wait for anything to happen. These accounts of ghosts told by the locals were most likely untrue, but nonetheless, people were willing to pay a lot of money to have them solved! I had to investigate these rumors myself before I could tell anyone else about it. But first, I needed to be sure that these ghosts really existed. I didn't want to waste someone else's time and money.

I turned around when I heard the sound of one of the doors of the houses behind me opening, and I immediately assumed that it was another villager attempting to leave their home in the middle of the night. I had already advised everyone earlier that staying home would be the best option so that I would not have any obstacles to overcome. But when I turned around, I found myself paralyzed.

A tall, slender figure clad in white robes emerged from the small, wooden door. It looked like a ghost, but it wasn't. A human skeleton walked out from the doorway with a bound figure draped over its shoulder. I had never seen such a sight before. It was dressed in white robes and wore a mask across its face. Its arms were long and thin, ending in bony hands with knobby fingers. The bones of its legs protruded from the bottom of its robe, making it look like a walking skeleton. The undead and the bound figure slowly made their way to the edge of the wall and the two moved together toward the forest.

Upon seeing that the undead was transporting a living hostage, my initial intention was to run and make an effort to rescue the captive. However, if I did this, I risked getting into a fight with the skeleton, which would prevent me from finding out where the other individuals had gone. So instead of running to help, I followed the two figures to the forest.

They walked away from the city gates, past the Great Torch Wall, and entered the woods. I continued following them as they crossed the edge of the forest, almost blending within the shadows. When I reached the edge of the woods, I saw that the skeletal figure had stopped. The prisoner was lying on the ground near the skeleton's feet. As soon as the skeleton set down the victim, it slowly turned in my direction, removing his mask and revealing his skeletal face. His eyes were dead and vacant, and he let forth a piercing scream with his mouth open in gaping.

The skeleton pulled a bone sword from its sheath, and the tip of the blade sparkled with a crimson glow. The handle was formed by a single long bone that curved upward and then back downward at the end. In between the two parts of the handle, a jagged line of bone ran straight down.

Suddenly, the skeleton rushed forward, swinging the bone blade at me with both hands. The blade glowed red and the weapon seemed to be absorbing negative energy. I jumped backward, avoiding the attack but almost losing my footing. My heart pounded hard against my chest. I quickly drew my wand and pointed it at the creature, hoping to defend myself. I had never faced something like this before.

I made circular motions with my wand while yelling out a series of magical phrases at the top of my lungs. With each movement, the air grew colder and icier, until snowflakes began to swirl around me. The wind picked up and the temperature dropped even further. The forest, was now covered in a blanket of frosty white.

The skeleton receded, and it became harder to see it in the thick, white fog that surrounded me. It was difficult to see beyond ten feet in front of me, and I began to wonder if it had been a good idea to cast this spell. The only thing I knew for sure was that the creature was still somewhere nearby.

I held my breath and listened carefully, trying to locate the monster. The snow was my friend, I should always remember that, and so, in silence, I closed my eyes and tried to feel my surroundings. I felt a slight breeze blow by my cheek, and immediately, I cast a spell, changing the swirling snow around me to create ice stakes that shot out toward the skeleton advancing toward me. 

I opened my eyes and saw the skeleton dart to the right, dodging the stakes with ease. I was impressed. It was agile, fast, and strong. And it was clearly more powerful than me. However, as it tried to dodge, he ended up leaving himself vulnerable to my subsequent assault, during which I aimed my wand towards the corpse's head and released an icy blast. The skeleton's head was encased in a block of ice, weighing it down to the ground and preventing it from moving.

I crept closer to the skeleton, who appeared to be struggling in vain to get to its feet. I placed my wand next to its chest and cast a spell to freeze it completely.

The skeleton froze instantly, its body encased in a layer of ice. The bones of the skeleton cracked and crumbled under the weight of the frozen water. A few seconds later, it was completely destroyed, and I stepped over the broken remains of the undead and looked towards the hostage he was carrying, tied on the ground.

It was only a kid. He couldn't have been older than fifteen. His hair was matted and dirty, and the clothes he was wearing were torn and tattered. His skin was pale and his eyes were bloodshot and filled with fear.

"It's okay, let me help you." I knelt down and untied the ropes binding the boy's wrists. The youth was trembling and breathing heavily, and he kept looking at the skeleton's remains. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" I asked him, but the boy didn't replied, still staring at the skeleton with glazed eyes.

That made me very uneasy, as It was evident that the youngster had been traumatized. It was imperative that I bring him back to the village as quickly as I could.

***

The small wooden house had a single door and a window, and a fireplace. The floor was made up of dirt, and there were a number of wooden boards forming the wall and ceiling, with a wooden beam supporting the roof. The walls were made up of smooth wooden planks.

The house had a modest living room, and it was crowded with people, standing around the fireplace and talking loudly about the events of the night. The adults were standing around the fire, huddled together, speaking with concern and worry in their voices. Everyone's attention was focused on me in the room.

"So that's what I think is causing the disappearances, skeletons. I don't know if there are more of them, or if I killed the only one that was causing all this." I remarked as I scratched the back of my chin and looked around at those who were present.

"You sure must be a powerful sorcerer to defeat that skeleton," one of the villagers said to me, "but it's too bad you didn't find any bodies or anything else that might have helped us figure out where everyone has gone."

I nodded in agreement and told everyone, "I was unable to see anyone, but if he was leading the unfortunate youngster into the woods, then it must be the location where the solution to where the missing individuals went will be found."

"Well, if you say so, Mister Wizard," the woman with the long black hair replied with a nod, "Then, we're going to need to go into the woods to search for the other victims, so you better come with us. We'll leave first thing tomorrow morning."

"Before you leave, let me ask you something. Don't you have any guesses as to what might be causing these skeletons to appear?" I inquired.

"Not really,"  someone responded.

"So this never happened in this region before?" I continued.

"No, it hasn't. The Brahmite Empire is the safest country in the world!" Someone else answered. 

I gave a short nod before turning my attention back to the fire. "I see," my tone of voice got lower. "Then I shall see you tomorrow."

The villagers made their way out of the home and headed toward their own houses. I returned to the small home I had rented for the night and took off the cloak I had worn over my robes. It was time for bed.

***

The sun rose over the horizon and bathed the forest with a warm golden glow. The trees of the forest seemed to stretch toward the sky, reaching for the light of day. They stood like silent sentinels and watched as the forest was revealed with new life and vigor.

Steps crunch against the grass, coming from the forest's edge. A small group of people strolled through the forest, the wind blowing through their hair as they passed by.

I walked with them, watching as the forest continued to reveal itself as the sunlight reached further into the depths of the forest. The leaves on the trees were bright green and the air smelled fresh and clean. The forest was alive, vibrant with life and vitality.

However, when we arrived at the spot where I had faced the skeleton the day before, we found the spot empty, except for a trail of footprints in the grass that led deeper into the forest. Even though no one spoke, I could tell that the villagers were suspicious of me because of the way they were looking at me. It appeared as though they thought I was trying to trick them.

Following the trail, we soon came across another set of tracks, and then, a third. The footprints led deep into the forest. I stopped walking and turned to the others.

"Do you think we should follow them?" I asked the villagers.

"Of course, we should," the woman with the long black hair replied.

We proceeded to travel deeper into the forest while following the path until we emerged into a clearing. However, this was not a typical clearing; rather, it was an area in which trees had been cut down and demolished in order to make room for a true military camp of the dead. Sculptures crafted from the decomposing bodies of enormous cicadas and other insects decorated the walls of the camp, and there was a large bonfire in the center of the clearing. I didn't saw any skeleton or undead, but in the center of the camp, there was a shrine erected to the worship of the dead.

The shrine was made up of a stone altar that was carved in the shape of a dragon, which was surrounded by four statues of the same creature, each depicting different stages of the beast's life. Above this structure was a tower made up of the bones of several animals, surrounded by green will-o'-the-wisp lights, which seemed to glow with an eerie, unnatural luminescence.

On top of the tower, there was a female dwarf necromancer who appeared to be in her early twenties. She wore a pair of black robes with a red sash tied around her waist, and she was holding a shortsword and shield in both hands. She was leaning on the tower, staring out into the forest with a look of deep concentration and intensity. Her eyes glowed with a faint blue light as she saw us approaching. She rose slowly, and the will-o'-the-wisp fires around the tower began to burn brighter.

"So you are the wizard who killed my guards." The woman said as stared at us. "I am called Adelishe. I assume that your friends are the people of Stonebird? You may have defeated my minions, but I assure you, I am not afraid of you."

The irate villagers swiftly drew their weapons, including scythes, hoes, and torches, in order to threaten the dwarf.

"Where are the missing people, woman?!" A bearded man demanded.

"Miles away, now part of the Brahme Empire's special army. An army of the undead." Adelishe explained calmly. "I turned then into skeletons."

The townsfolk became even more furious. "What kind of monster are you?" A burly man asked her. "Is this some kind of sick joke?"

"It's not a joke," Adelishe replied with a sinister grin, "It's what I do. I'm a necromancer."

Adelishe's words were met with a chorus of gasps and screams. The burly man who had asked the question earlier stepped forward and pointed at the necromancer with his torch. "You're a murderer!" he yelled. "You murdered all of those people!"

Adelishe didn't even flinch at his accusation. "It's true," she replied calmly, "But I am not alone in doing so. You see, I'm following orders from the Emperor. You'd better stay clear of me or else you'll be next."

A few of the villagers were starting to shout and scream at the dwarf necromancer, and I decided it was time to intervene in the situation. I held up my hand to silence everyone.

"Why don't you leave us be, Adelishe," I said to her, "And go get your victims elsewhere? There's no need for us to get involved with that."

The woman looked over to me with a curious expression. "Why, Mister Wizard?" she inquired, "Are you worried that if we fight, you might lose?"

"I don't want any more deaths on my conscience," I replied. "If the emperor's orders are as you say, I don't want to get involved. I believe that you should fulfill them in other place and leave these people out of it. It would be unfortunate if you had to kill these people in order to satisfy your master's commands."

Following an expression of astonishment on her face, the young necromancer nodded her head briefly to indicate that she agreed. "Honestly, I don't want to have to spend my time on frivolous fights either." She remarked. "So I will take you up on your offer and leave these people out of it."

Adelishe then turned her attention back to the forest. "However, I hope you will not interfere with my work again, wizard. Or else I'll have to teach you a lesson."

The woman took one last look at me and then raised her sword, using her magic to raise herself from the ground. As the dwarf levitated herself above the trees, all of the will-o'-the-wisps began to whirl about her, and the carcasses of dead insects began to rise into the air as if being dragged by an unseen force. They continued to spin around the dwarf as she was suspended in midair.

"Goodbye." She said as she vanished into the trees with the sound of crackling flames.

I looked around at the others. "Well, I think we can go back to Stonebird now. We've solved this case."

However, the townsfolk were not happy at all with my decision. "What were you thinking!?" The burly man demanded angrily at me, "She's going to come back here and attack us! You let her escape!"

"I am not here to oppose the emperor's orders. If I did, you would have the whole army here to decimate your village. Better to use diplomacy than to have to suffer later."

"Diplomacy?" The burly man scoffed, but his expression softened as he looked at the other villagers. "Then let's go," the man said, "We'll leave the forest to the necromancers."

Unsatisfied, but with nothing else they could do, they turned and headed toward their homes.

"You'll be sorry!" One of them shouted as they were leaving.

To be continued...