Three months...dang.

    Every writer has times where they can not write.  For me, the last three months was one of those times.  It is a pain when Life and mind just do not want to get along.  Not to mention the chaos that unfolds when you have to take care of people.

    Any way...back on track and I am working on a piece about how magic works.  And I am not talking about formula and mana and stuff.  I mean the real "Why it works!".  Any way thought you should be told.  And to boot I have also posted a little blurb on the Furbolg.

     It is short, but like their enigmatic masters, it is hard to observe them with out the Asterilians getting in the way.  Enjoy.

Furbolg: The Age of Awakening

    The rise of the Firbolg, much like that of the Asterilians, is not well understood. The current theory is that the Firbolg are not a natural species, that they were created by the Asterilias using human genes as a base. This is corroborated by tests done on Furbolg and species on their world.

    Testing shows that the Firbolg are a combination of Human genes and an indigenous species called the Bolg by the Asterilians. The Bolg are a herbivorous species, resembling the Buffalo on Earth, that graze on the planes of the planets southern continent. The same continent that gave rise to the Asterilians.

    How did this come to pass? Well it is believed that the Furbolg were created over a couple centuries. The Asterilians used the genes they preserved and selectively combined them with select bolg that met their designs. Over time, generation after generation, those domesticated Bolg started to change.

    Evidence of this forced evolution can be found in certain areas as pens and skeletons with varying bone structures can be found in the same general area. For what reason this was done is far easier to answer, cheep labor. The Asterilians are not a strong species, in fact they are quite frail compared to other forms of life.

    Over time the Asterilians likely discovered that to progress as a species, as a society, they needed a little more muscle. At the same time, to perpetuate the species they needed something to keep away other herbivores that would try to eat their seedlings. So to fill those two needs, they made the Furbolg much like we made the Golemites.

    There is little more on the Furbolg though. They appear to be an agrarian species that leans away from any form of violence. They will fight if pressed to do so with dire consequences for those they are attacking. They have very sturdy frames and their musculature is dense. But they lack a certain nuance of thought, their culture is primitive and subservient, tribal even.

    Sadly there is not much more to add about their culture at this time. This article will be updated if more information is discovered.

To be Continued: “Vyrmkin: The Age of Awakening”

Asterilians: The Age of Awakening

    With the revelation of the BG Drive and the ability to travel between the stars faster than any could imagine, there was also a concerted effort to be the first out there. As the governments of the world built fleets of probes to explore system after system. Others found the funds to build ships.

    From cults to greedy ceo’s, many lined up to build their own ships and find worlds for themselves. But unfortunately for a few cheap materials and bad quality control would lead to disaster. One such disaster occurred to the Church of Scientology who’s rocket exploded one minute after launch killing all of the leadership on it.

    But many were successful in their efforts. After launch and once in orbit their drives charged never to be seen again. It was one of these groups that exposed a carnivorous plant on an unknown planet to human DNA. And in doing so, they would create not just one, but two new species.

    The events that created the Asterilian race are better described by the people that created them. The following logs were found on the Asterilian home world in a place they hold sacred.

Oct. 14 2183: It has been a year since we launched. We have visited a hundred systems with little to show until now. The second planet of the system is a garden world rich in plant life and animals. It is a little smaller than Earth is, but not by enough to effect it gravity. We are set to enter orbit in a few days...it will be nice to get out of this can.

Oct. 29 2183: We made orbit of the second planet three days ago. Once it was done we threw a party with some of the last of our supplies. Edwards even had a bottle of Whiskey stashed some where in the ship. Greg thinks he has found a good place to land on one of the southern continents. With luck we will be landing in the next couple of days.

Nov. 03 2183: Planet Fall, we have landed...finally. There is a lot to do so that is all there is today.

Nov. 11 2183: We have been unpacking and setting up. The landing was perfect and this area is so beautiful. The valley we landed in has a sizable clearing that we are building in and forests to the north and east. We have not had time to explore any but we are making plans to send out some parties to see if there are any edible plants or animals we can hunt. Well my break is over, back to work.

Nov. 16 2183: Shit...they are missing. We are readying a search team to go out, but we aren’t sure where to look. (sigh) The beginning...we sent out five teams to collect plant specimens yesterday. All teams maintained radio contact throughout the day. But as the sun started to set, the team in the eastern forest missed their check in.

It was after Sundown when the fourth and last team got back. Though it was not long until the teams wanted to go out again to search for the missing people. But the captain stopped them before they could go running into the woods.

But now that the sun has risen again, he teams are getting ready to head out and search...I am joining them. Oh...time to head out.

Nov. 17 2183: Shit….shit shit shit...Jennifer, something got her...not sure what but she was struck by... something in the arm. We barely got her back to camp, she was screaming all the way. (sigh) We are not even sure what is going on with her...we are running tests right now…

Nov. 19 2183: Jennifer is dead...it was...I can not describe it...horrible. Her arm...it literally melted off of her. What ever she was infected with dissolved her flesh into a soup. Even the bone was starting the break down some how.

The next day we had to keep her under...the toxin had invaded all of her body as we returned. It was all we could do...her organs...her body...by the end of the day she was dead. Her heart...it burst...literally. Soon after the rest...I mean...she just...liquified.

God...what did this...did the others...what is on this planet?

Nov. 20 2183: We buried what was left of Jennifer today...we have lost six people to this planet. We started with one hundred and sixty five, now there are one hundred and fifty nine left. I hope that we don’t loose many more.

Dec. 8 2183: Another group have gone missing in the east forest. The captain has ordered that the east forest is off limits and that all teams should be back before dusk. Since the attacks have happened at dusk, the captain believes that what ever it is may be nocturnal. So as long as we stay out, no more should be lost. We hope…

Feb. 16 2184: Something odd happened today, several people reported that they saw a human wandering around the edge of the east forest. It was not long after that the entire colony heard a shot ring out in the quiet. The entire colony showed up to fine Mr. Jackson standing over a...well...something.

All we could see was a tangle of vines with thorns on the ends of some. Mr. Jackson said that he was patrolling the perimeter of the colony when he saw a humanoid figure awkwardly moving...almost shambling towards the colony. He called out to it to stop multiple times, but it did no respond. Once it got closer, Mr. Jackson started to see something was wrong...the shape was wrong and green like a plant. Shortly after he took action and shot the...thing.

We are moving it to the lab and placing it in the containment cell...just in case.

Feb. 19 2184: The Science team has been working on the...well body I guess. What they have found is remarkable and disturbing. The organism is a plant based life form but appears to have evolved a basic circulatory system for distributing nutrients more efficiently. The organisms vines also appear to have a form of muscle fiber that allow the vines to rapidly move and for a rudimentary heart to pump.

The plant appears to have a collection of bulbs with a major one containing a number of distinct organs including the heart. The organs are currently being looked into. What is creepier is a series of bulbs on specific vines that appear to be eyes, a mouth attached to a structure that looks like lungs and a voice box.

This thing appears to be mimicking humans. No one is sure why it would evolve to try and mimic a humanoid form...but that is being looked into.

Feb. 27 2184: It took a while...but the science team...shoot I do not know where to begin. Well I guess the science team results, they found that one of the organs in the organism contained various animals DNA. Clusters of cells somehow contained all of the animals DNA and the organism used that as a way to mimic the animal. More though...they found human DNA in the organism...it matched the DNA of one of the missing team members.

That means there are more of these things out there...possibly many more as we know very little about these organisms.

Feb. 28 2184: Good news for once...Krystal is pregnant. It is wonderful news though we were not going to start the breeding program for a couple years yet. So I hope that her relationship can hold up under that as she will need to have more children from other partners.

There are only one hundred and fifty four of us now. Two thirds of our population are women. To manage a viable gene pool we will need to choose who has children with who and every woman will have to get pregnant with multiple partners to expand the population in a way that will prevent inbreeding.

Here’s to hoping all goes well for her. The medical team are preparing for this change in plans.

Mar. 5 2184: No one is sure what happened, but four people are just...gone. Their house is empty and there is no sign of them...none at all. No struggle...they are just...gone.

Mar. 7 2184: It happened again...another house is just empty...four more are gone. Security is organizing cameras and trying to create a perimeter.

Mar. 12 2184: Twelve more are gone. But we know why, the creatures are taking them. Camera’s caught a group of them moving around the perimeter of the settlement after midnight. Security has also reported seeing movement in the east forest at all hours.

Mar. 13 2184: Early in the morning shots rang out in the night. By the time the sun was up there were about twenty of the creatures dead outside the perimeter. No one is missing, but this can’t be good. There were so many...what can this mean.

Mar. 17 2184: There are so many...they started to come out of the forest and are standing outside the perimeter. Not just a few, but what looks to be hundreds. They are staring through the makeshift electric fence. More are coming and people are getting nervous.

Mar. 18 2184: They are through the fence...they just pushed their way through. Security is fighting them but the number of shots have slowed.

I can hear them at the door...trying to get in. We gave them a name, Asterilians.

In case we do not make it through the night, I am transferring our logs to holographic storage. If any one finds this, they should know what happened to us. Shit...the door is giving out…

To be Continued: “Furbolg: The Age of Awakening”

The Watchers & The Game

    Oh where to begin...I am Watcher First Class Reginald Barcleft, second adjunct to the Watcher Council and I am the one writing these documents. I am not sure who is reading them...but this is to help you understand the origins of this information. If you are not supposed to be reading this, like say you are a member of what we call the “Child Races”, then stop...you’re not going to are you...oh well the consequences are on you.

    As you probably already read, with the creation of magic humanity found a way to elevate itself to a high form of existence, a process called ascension. The catch was that when we did that, we were not ready. Humans are as they always have been, a petty squabbling bunch of children. The difference now is that those kids have the keys to daddies gun safe and are using them.

    The Watchers Association was created to make sure that humanities new found power did not interfere with the development of the child races. Formed some time after the ascension (time is kind of different in this plane of existence) the Watchers were meant to observe our children and to report on their progress while the rest of humanity explored the vast reaches of the cosmos...yeah that didn’t last.

    Approximately eight hundred years after we ascended they started to return from their sight seeing...and all hell broke loose. Humans were getting bored, there wasn’t a lot to entertain the majority of people and many started to muck about or just get into fights. Some of these entities returned to the physical realm and manipulated the child races.

    This advanced all of the child races greatly with new knowledge about magic. But other less scrupulous people wanted power and glory sparking conflict as they went. This is when “The Game” was established. Yeah...that is what we call it.

    The game was created by some of the best minds of humanity and created a framework for the “proper” way to interfere with the cultures that had been forming for a millennium. The rules were to be enforced by the Watchers so that no one entity could completely muck things up, in theory at least.

    Over the centuries the rules have been refined and new rules have been added to the game. And during all that time the Watcher have been chronicling and refereeing The Game. So...what is The Game?

    The Game is best compared to a different game called a Table Top Role Playing Game. Each Participant in The Game is given a subject of the child races based on a series of questions we ask. Entities that are deemed unfit are not allowed to play.

    Once given a subject, the entity is then allowed to manipulate the “character” as they deem fit with out interfering with their free will. An entity can not personally take over that character and drive them around like a car. Instead they become a voice in the characters head offering choices and helping them to make decisions. So yeah, those people that are talking to them selves may not be just talking to them selves after all.

    As an added part of the Watchers directives, a subset of the watchers will create adventures around events in the world. While we do not outright create events altering the balance of the universe. We do find events that can be entertaining with a subtle push and make sure the players know what way to push to make those events more interesting.

    Unfortunately there are always those that do not follow the rules. These are referred to as the Dark Ones in the terms of The Game. Those that have been rejected for participation in The Game, but manipulate or even blatantly take over some one. Usually we can find them quickly because they want to live out the dark fantasies they have like that of being a Criminal King Pin, Murderer, Rapist, and more.

    But others are harder to find and may even be left alone because their role becomes to deeply ingrained in the events of society to remove. Despotic Leaders tend to fall into that area. Entities that have gathered enough power to be untouchable but also reign havoc on world or even universe just for the fun of it.

    But it works out I guess because these villains make things more interesting. Though if it were up to me I would tear them out of those poor souls and then deal with the mess. Anyway Dark Ones have been responsible for many of the tragedies and conflicts in recent history. You will read about them in time.

    So...I guess that is that. I am a Watcher and my role is to observe the Child Races, discover their history in some cases, document those events and goings on, and to make sure the other entities do not get out of hand while playing The Game. Well I guess I have better get back to it. I have been struggling with the Asterilians report and so I need to get back to that.