The Travellers' Quest Part One: Origin Foreward The Travellers of Althea are a remarkable people, the richest and most well travelled people indeed. Some of them attained their rank by discovering catacombs, large, underground dungeons that hold many dangers, and a single great treasure: the Nether Star. Those that became Travellers this way have also become Explorers in the King's eyes, who grants them special abilities. Others simply purchased the rank from the King with their vast wealth. Regardless, they are all Travellers. The Travellers are alone in their ability to enter the Buildable End. The Great Admin created that realm in order to reward the Travellers; the Buildable End is the only place in existence where End Stone can be mined. Thus, Travellers have a monopoly on the supply of End Stone. Some of them took modestly from the Buildable End, which is what the King intended them to do, while others have taken vast amounts and even gone as far as depleting it. This tale is about the time in history that the Buildable End was depleted by the Travellers. The disaster nearly cost them all their rank, and threw the world into chaos... Origin On one dreary, cold winter day in the Kingdom of Althea, Builderman, the wealthiest Traveller of all, began construction of his eleventh magnificent structure, built entirely out of End Stone just as the previous ten had been. They were strewn about the hills of the East, and were considered to be amongst some of the best architecture ever built in the Kingdom. Many, many stacks of End Stone went into their construction, but the cost was negligible to Builderman, for he could gather End Stone for free. Every morning, beginning at ten o'clock, he would enter the Buildable End and gather End Stone for his latest project. Today, though, he suspected that he still had some left over, and so went to check his storage. Finding only, ten stacks, Builderman shook his head and headed off to the Buildable End. To his horror, when he entered the realm, he found it completely stripped bare, except for the obsidian towers, and the platform on which he entered the realm on. Dismayed, Builderman immediately went off to complain at the public square at Spawn. His remarks immediately caught the attention of a nearby Guardian, who hurried off to contact the Great Admin. Eventually, news of the apparent depletion of the Buildable End reached the other Travellers, so they quickly assembled a meeting in the Traveller's Guild. All the Travellers were deeply disturbed by the news. Many of them, like Builderman, had unfinished projects just waiting for the End Stone supplies needed to complete them. Most of the Travellers had believed that the Buildable End couldn't possibly be depleted, as it seemed so vast. Yet, their lavish use of the material was such that the reality was clear; there was no longer a Buildable End, and it in its place were 100 End Stone-based monuments to its former glory in the Overworld. Magicman, guildmaster and architect of the Travellers' Guild, suggested that perhaps they should use a different material for all their works, but everone immediately and flatly refused this suggestion. Silence followed the proposal's rejection, as nobody else had any ideas about what to do. Builderman, however, did eventually decide to speak. "My dear friends, the solution here is simple. Let us call upon the might of the Great Admin to restore the Buildable End with his powerful magicks!" Everyone slowly turned towards each other and nodded their heads in apparent agreement. Nobody was really sure if that idea would work, but nobody had a better idea, either. However, before the discussion could go on, the Great Admin and his team of Guardians forced their way into the Guild. The Guardians quickly put bars on the windows, and locks on the doors, while others pulled the compasses out of the Travellers' pockets. The Great Admin quickly shouted "SETJAIL!" The Guardians followed up his magic by using their own to jail all the Travellers inside the Guild; now entirely sealed to prevent their escape. The Great Admin called down a fierce bolt of lightning from the heavens to show just how angry he was. "FOOLS! INGRATES! THIEVES!!!" the Great Admin screamed. "Why have you stripped the Buildable End down to NOTHING???" None of the Travellers were particularly apt to speak. Builderman, confused at the Great Admin's choice of words, spoke first. "Lord Regent, Great Admin, did you not grant us access to the Buildable End so that we could use its precious stone?" "OF COURSE THAT WAS MY INTENTION!" the Great Admin roared, "BUT NOT *ALL* OF IT!!!" He called down another bolt of lightning, this time passing straight through the ceiling and hitting Builderman directly. The Great Admin waited for a few moments to calm himself down and collect his thoughts. "I cannot believe that such greed exists in this Kingdom that the Buildable End is now empty! I have never heard of a more ridiculous occurrence in my lifetime!" He continued. "If I were any less forgiving, I would strip you all of the rank of Traveller right here right now!" A natural thunderstorm just happened to start at that very moment, though few believed that it was a mere coincidence. "Alas, I cannot bring myself to punish you all without allowing you the chance to redeem yourselves..." Builderman rose slowly from the floor, wishing to speak. "You may speak, loyal subject." "Oh Great Admin, what penance would you have us humble travellers, servants of the King, do?" The Great Admin thought for several moments while he wondered just how far the Travellers would go to redeem themselves. "Very well. I hereby demand that 100,000 End Stone be brought to the King's Palace within a fortnight, or you will all be stripped of the rank of Traveller forever! Furthermore, I will not grant anyone else the right to wield the rank of Traveller; you all will be responsible for its destruction!" The Travellers shivered at the Great Admin's words. Builderman once again beckoned to the Great Admin, wishing to speak. "My Lord, we have conferred amongst ourselves already, and we hold no more than 5,000 End Stone in reserve. How can we possibly acquire such a huge amount?" "That is not my problem, Builderman. I merely ask that you bring the amount to the palace in two weeks time, or you shall all suffer the consequences of failure." The Travellers looked at each other nervously. The Great Admin sighed. "Very well, I see that your task is impossible with the law in your way. I hereby declare all travellers immune to the laws of Althea for the time being. My guardians will not punish you for any laws that you break in the two week period." The Great Admin and the Guardians turned to leave, but he decided to add one more warning. "Do not dare steal from the King or any of my Guardians, or you will be punished under the law! Begone!" With those final instructions, the Travellers quickly fled the now unlocked Traveller's Guild. Shortly after their departure, the Great Admin and the Guardians teleported away. The Travellers' Quest had begun... END OF PART ONE
The Travellers' Quest Part Two: Builderman's Quest Builderman didn't have the slightest idea where he could find a new supply of End Stone. The other travellers had made it perfectly clear that they would not allow any of their monuments to be sacrified for their End Stone blocks. Thus, the needed End Stone would have to come from that which was sold off to the common people. Builderman contacted Magicman, who he knew by chance had sold 20,000 End Stone to a town in the east. "Ah, my good friend Builderman, how goes your search?" "Magicman, that is precisely why I have come. Do you still have records of all whom you sold End Stone to?" Magicman quickly went through his bookshelves, and within a moment, found his volume of sales receipts. "Yes, they are all here." "Have you attempted to contact any of them yet?" Magicman sighed. "Yes, and unfortunately none of them were even remotely interested in reselling their End Stone, at any price. Many of them have already used the stone in construction projects, as well. Builderman reached for the book of records. "Clearly I'm going to have to coerce them to hand over their End Stone..." "I beg your pardon?" "I know plenty of commoners who would be eager to assist in such a venture." "You intend to grief the towns to recover the End Stone, then? That would be highly difficult, what with region protection and other security they may have in place. Even without the Guardians enforcing the law..." "Do they not call you Magicman for a reason? Do you have any magicks capable of getting past region protection?" Magicman looked quickly to his left, then his right, paranoid. "You must not speak of this, nor where you got it from!" He pulled a dust-covered yet glowing book from the shelf, and opened it carefully. "This book was enchanted by Jordanius the Mad himself. It was thought lost by the Guardians, but I have held it in obscurity ever since his banishment. "What can this book do, Magicman?" "It can bypass region protection, as well as the energy field that protects against murder, surely, but I cannot imagine that the Great Admin will overlook the usage of such evil magicks!" Builderman took the book from Magicman. "I have no choice. I must retrieve End Stone, at any cost, we must defend the rank of Traveller from annihilation!" "What exactly will you do?" Magicman asked, cowering. Builderman merely drew his sword, leaving the home of Magicman in a hurry. Builderman summoned a posse of mercenaries to aid in his plan, including Warriors, Hunters, skilled swordsmen, bowmen, and even a Trader, who he needed in order to gain access to the city of Telemachus. The posse crowded into the Trader's caravan, which Builderman was driving towards the city of Telemachus at a furious pace. The single largest sale of End Stone was to the city and residents of Telemachus. It was there that Builderman would make his first move. The Trader in Builderman's posse, Chaskion, was well known in the city of Telemachus, but had no shortage of critics. Many Telemachan public officials had previously denounced him for his activism regarding the city's trade and labor laws, which he saw as draconian and unneccessary. The people of Telemachus, in contrast, loved him, as he provided excellent quality goods at affordable prices. Regardless, it was not the people of Telemachus that owned the supply of End Stone; that supply was owned by the city's elites, and stored in the city's bank. Telemachus was a large, powerful city, with its own army. It allowed few outsiders the right to visit, and Chaskion was only outsider allowed to conduct business within the city. Builderman preferred using Chaskion's right to enter the city over a plan of direct attack. Despite the risks, Telemachus also just happened to be one of the only cities in Althea that did not have a resident Guardian protecting it. Builderman thus expected that neither the Great Admin nor his team of Guardians would intervene. As the caravan approached the city walls, Chaskion exited and waved to the guards. The caravan was allowed inside without so much as an inspection. The deception proved fruitful. "Alright Builderman, I've gotten us this far. What is your plan now?" "In good time, Chaskion. Am I correct to assume that the End Stone would be kept in the city's bank?" "Yes. If that's all you'll be after, I would like to be allowed to loot whatever else I like. I can carry 20,000 End Stone in this caravan as well as a large haul for myself, that will not be a problem. But how do you intend to break into the bank's vault?" "Patience, Chaskion. Let us get to the bank first." The Bank of Telemachus was located in the center of the city. Chaskion was a regular customer there, so, again, he would be let in without question. As they arrived, Builderman finally executed his plan. Builderman withdrew several blocks of TNT from inside the caravan. He opened the Book of Jordanius, flipping to a page in the middle of the book. "GRIEFICUS ENABILIS!" Energy began flowing from the book to the blocks of TNT, and after a few seconds they started to glow with a new enchantment. "I don't understand," Chaskion said. "What did you just do?" Builderman just smiled. "Take these TNT blocks and detonate them next to the vault door. This flint and steel should work nicely." Builderman handed the items over, and Chaskion accepted them. "Are you sure this will work?" "Quite sure," Builderman replied confidently. Chaskion shoved the enchanted TNT into his pockets and quickly entered the bank. Within moments, the vault doors were forced open, so Builderman and his posse leapt from the caravan and began taking up positions inside the bank. "Quickly, Builderman, load the End Stone chests onto the caravan with the sticky pistons! I'll be over here filling the caravan's chest with diamond blocks!" Builderman's hired help began assembling as he worked to steal the End Stone. The Warriors went outside and transformed themselves into Giants, while the Hunters unleashed egg after egg of Skeletons, Creepers, and Zombies just down the street from the bank, forming a barrier which any Telemachan forces would have to cross. Builderman meanwhile loaded the End Stone chest onto the caravan in no time. "Have you got all of it yet?" Chaskion hollered. "Yes," Builderman replied. "This will do nicely!" Wazan, one of the hunters, suddenly appeared in the vault, looking quite exhausted. "Sir, the Telemachan Army is already on its way. We can hear them marching, no less than 200 blocks away! We don't have much time!" Builderman looked to Chaskion, who looked back with only an empty stare. "I hope you're ready to execute your escape plan now, Builderman!" "Yes," he replied. "Quite ready!" He withdrew the Book of Jordanius from his pocket and proceeded to one of its early pages. "Deedos, Deedos, DEEDOS I SAY, DEEDOS UPON THE TELEMACHANS!" The sky turned bright red as Builderman continued chanting the words from the book of evil, and the Telemachan Army, now about 100 blocks out, completely froze in their tracks. The bowmen in Builderman's posse now came out from their cover, and began raining arrows upon the helpless soldiers. One by one the Telemachan soldiers fell to the barrage of arrows, all while Builderman cackled voraciously. The Hunters' mob of monsters was equally deadly, causing further damage to the Telemachans. If they were able, they surely would have retreated, but that was made even more impossible by the huge gaps in the street being created by the various Creeper explosions. And if that wasn't bad enough, the Warriors in the posse took great pleasure in squishing the Telemachans into shapes thinner than signs, item frames, or paintings. The Telemachans were soundly defeated. Builderman steered the caravan towards the city's exit, with the rest of the posse following him on foot. They triumphantly raced past the city's first milestone, nearly into the wilderness, when all of a sudden a bolt of lightning struck Builderman and the caravan, sending him flying and tearing the caravan to bits. One of the warriors reacted quickly enough to catch him using his giant form. "Are you alright sir?" he asked, putting Builderman down gently. "Yes," Builderman replied, "but the quest has failed. The lightning strike destroyed both the Book of Jordanius AND the End Stone! I do not understand!" The ground shook violently, and Builderman began fleeing in terror. "BUILDERMAN! Do not run, you fiendish lost soul!" The Great Admin and several Guardians appeared in front of Builderman, stopping him in his tracks. The Great Admin continued. "I was prepared to accept griefing, stealing, even the murder of innocents to allow you to complete your quest," he said, "But the use of Jordanius's evil magicks? Unforgivable! Blasphemus!" "My Lord Regent," Builderman said, "Did you not say that we Travellers could do ANYTHING to fulfill our quest?" "OF COURSE I SAID THAT, YOU BUFFOON!" the Great Admin roared. "BUT I DID NOT INTEND FOR YOU TO USE THE MOST EVIL MAGICKS THIS WORLD HAS EVER SEEN TO DO SO!" "My Lord..." "ENOUGH BUILDERMAN! I HAVE SEEN MORE THAN ENOUGH!" The Great Admin pulled out his own enchanted book. "BAN BUILDERMAN!" Lightning struck Builderman again, who disappeared just as quickly as the bolt of light. "As for the rest of you..." the Great Admin said, "JAIL GROUP POSSE!" The entire posse was whisked off to jail, instantly. Builderman's quest was now over. END OF PART TWO
The Travellers’ Quest Part Three: Totalus’s Quest Totalus was the most popular, well-known traveller of all, who also happened to have a significant fortune. He provided 40% of the financing for the Travellers’ Guild, which he visited frequently. After hearing of the banishment of Builderman, Totalus travelled to the Guild to meet with Magicman other top Travellers. As a result of Builderman’s destructive actions, two Guardians were now on guard at the Travellers’ Guild, ostensibly there to keep an eye on Traveller activities. The Travellers present at the meeting included Magicman, Totalus, Kindler, Decarius, and BigClan. Given how much of a disaster Builderman’s quest had been, the remaining Travellers thought that it would be safer if they coordinated their efforts. Totalus planned to buy up End Stone from towns and cities as would sell it, Magicman would begin efforts to transmute cobblestone into End Stone, Kindler would attempt to reave End Stone from abandoned places, Decarius would offer his services as an architect for End Stone, and BigClan would do anything else he could think of to earn End Stone, as he had neither large amounts of money nor supplies. Totalus departed the meeting first; he had arranged for a meeting with the desert town of Al-Sebar in the East, which was considerably far from the Guild. The mayor of Al-Sebar had bought 5,000 End Stone from Totalus in the recent past. The mayor needed the stone for construction of a temple to the town’s local deity, but Totalus was aware that construction had been delayed several times in the past, including three days before. He therefore maintained hope that he could persuade the mayor to resell him the End Stone. He arrived in Al-Sebar at sundown, and was immediately directed to the mayor’s home. “Mayor Cheetahman, it’s good to see you again, and even better that you’ve agreed to see me on such short notice.” “Yes, yes, let’s just get straight to the point, Totalus. We all know about the Travellers’ Quest. I’m going to make my offer very, very clear to you: give us possession of the nearby Village that you stole from us, or there will be no exchange!” “Stole? I did not steal that Village, Mayor! It was unregioned and untouched when I first discovered it!” “That means nothing! It is adjacent to OUR land, and WE found it first! You arrived hours after we did! When we were finally ready to claim it in the evening, you swooped in and took it for yourself, you thief! Haven’t you claimed enough Villages in this world already?!” Totalus was taken completely aback by the mayor’s ferocity. “Mayor, I simply cannot help you.” I’ve already sold off that Village to a Trader. Perhaps I could interest you in another village I recently acquired?” The mayor fumed at Totalus’s offer. “Are you MAD? You have stolen yet ANOTHER Village? Which town have you robbed of the trade benefits this time? I have heard MORE than enough!” The mayor quickly beckoned to the guards. “Arrest him for his crimes!" Totalus resisted as the town guards attempted to grab him, using his compass to teleport to the roof. “Stop him!” another guard nearby, running down a watchtower, shouted. Bowmen took up a position on the city walls. They tried their best to shoot him, but failed. Totalus escaped Al-Sebar without so much as a scratch. “Damn them!” he screamed. “Damn them all to the Nether!” Totalus hurried to the Village near Al-Sebar. He remembered that he had set up a private Stargate there for his client, so he used his compass to forcibly enter. Totalus used a temporary spell to turn the Stargate into a one-way gate to take him home. As soon as he arrived, he fumed at the way he had been treated in Al-Sebar. “What right did they have to question my acquisition of Villages? After all, they are first come, first serve…” Totalus briefly considered returning to Al-Sebar with a mercenary force, similar to how Builderman raided Telemachus, but thought better of it. He also did not possess the evil magicks of Jordanius that Builderman had. He would need a different plan. Totalus simply contented himself with a good night’s rest.
The Travellers’ Quest Part Three: Totalus’s Quest CONTINUED When Totalus woke the next morning, he went straight to the Sengian branch of the Bank of Althea, to check up on his bank balance. Assured by the tellers there that his fortune was safe, Totalus turned to leave, but was stopped by a most curious sight. Another traveller, Flippian, was also present at the bank, and was making a large withdrawal. Totalus was quite surprised to see him; Flippian only rarely made appearances in the world of Althea; he was most often present in the distant land of Off Line. Totalus hurriedly approached Flippian. "Flippian, my dearest ally, what brings you to Sengia?" "Ah, Totalus, I didn't notice you were here! I have been in quite a rush this morning, you see, as I've just learned of the Travellers' Quest. I'm withdrawing a great deal of money to aid in the quest. Have you spoken with any of the other Travellers lately? I want to know how I can help!" "Yes, indeed," Totalus answered. "In fact, we should go to the Guild right away. I'm sure that Magicman could use a hand with his efforts, and the three of us might find a use for your great wealth in recovering End Stone!" The two travellers returned to the Guild, where Magicman was still hard at work trying to transmute End Stone. Magicman gave them with a new target; the city of Monaco, which was home to great monetary and material wealth, but most importantly, several large Dens built of End Stone. Magicman would not have even dreamed assigning it as a target, were it not for Flippian's sudden appearance. Flippian was of such great wealth that no method of attacking and looting the city was unavailable to them. The risks were now tolerable. Totalus and Flippian consulted a tourist guide to the city of Monaco to pick a more specific target. They chose the Diamond Dupers Den; the largest and most extravagant Den in Monaco. It was built with tens of thousands of End Stone, as well as countless other valuable materials. If it could be looted, the Travellers' Quest would be one step closer to completion. Looting it, however, would be considerably more difficult than simply walking up to it and mining the walls. Totalus and Flippian came up with a rather unorthodox plan to steal End Stone from the Diamond Dupers Den. They visited the local mall in Monaco and bought up magical pistons, capable of pushing blocks much farther away than standard ones, as well as operating automatically once activated. They intended to set up the pistons in front of the Den and simply push the End Stone blocks outside the city limits where they could be mined freely. However, because such a plot would be highly visible, the two travellers required a devious distraction. To this end, they hired hundreds of local people to show up at the Den at precisely sundown. Additionally, because the Diamond Dupers Den was protected by region magic, Totalus and Flippian would need an insider to help them. They gambled at the Den for hours, looking for any employees who might be disgruntled enough to help them with their plot. Totalus found their man while using the restroom; his name was Jojo, and he was employed as a 'maintenance engineer' at the Diamond Dupers Den. Jojo was fed up with how the other Den employees treated him; they often mocked his duties and his official title, often referring to him as the 'crapman'. He was more than ready to take revenge. They made their move at sundown. Flippian's makeshift mob arrived just in time. Totalus checked with Jojo to see if the final necessary preparations had been made. "Are we ready Jojo? Did you add everyone on Flippian's list to the maintenance roster?" "Yes," Jojo replied, "you and Flippian will be able to place blocks, but not remove them. That's the best I could do." "That is good enough, Jojo. Now we must wait for our distraction." "And what might that be?" Jojo asked. Totalus directed Jojo outside, where the mob was forming. "Oh my!" Jojo said. "I certainly hope they all won't need to use the restroom!" Flippian meanwhile assembled the mob in the Den's plaza. "Listen, everyone! Gather 'round! Very good." He stood atop the stairs leading into the Den. "Pretend as if you are actors in a play for the King! Run through the Den with fear in your hearts and terror in your eyes! I want nothing less than an absolute panic! Go, go, go!" The mob charged into the Den on Flippian's order, causing immediate havoc and spurring the Den's guards to action. However, once they realized the scale of the mob they were dealing with, many of the guards simply threw away their armor and ran for their lives. The mob made quick worth of the clients inside the Den as well. Gold ingots and redstone spilled everywhere as the various game tables and coin machines came crashing down; not a corner of the bustling gaming floor was spared the chaos. Within five minutes, everyone had fled, leaving the place completely empty. Totalus and Flippian immediately began deploying their magic pistons. It only took another few minutes to put them all in to place and activate them. The magic pistons worked exactly as the Trader who had sold them had said. Push by push, block by block, the Diamond Dupers Den was placed outside of city limits. Totalus teleported outside the city wall and began placing TNT to blast chunks of End Stone away from the building; there was no time to mine the blocks one by one. A caravan, hired earlier by Flippian, now arrived on the scene to carry the End Stone loot. Workers began loading the caravan with the valuable End Stone. By now, the mob had now moved closer to the city center, and the city's military forces were much too busy dealing with them to investigate what was happening at the Den. Totalus and Flippian began cackling wildly as it seemed that their quest would be the first to succeed. As the last charge of TNT went off, liberating the final pieces of End Stone from the Den, Flippian's workers counted the load. "There are 45,635 pieces of End Stone loaded, m'lord," the lead worker announced happily. "Excellent," Flippian said. "When we have safely arrived King's Palace and deposited our loot, you shall be paid 500,000 emerdollars, the amount we agreed, as well as a bonus!" The lead worker jumped for joy. As Totalus, Flippian, and their small band of caravan workers made the journey towards the King's Palace, the two friends and allies began to reflect upon their success. "You have single handedly saved the Travellers' Quest, Flippian. I could not have had such success alone!" Flippian merely smiled in response, finally adding, "Do not thank me, but thank those that manage my fortune! This day was won by money, not by builder. I do not presume greatness!" The two of them began laughing as they rode off into the starry night. The Travellers' Quest now had its first success. END OF PART THREE
The Travellers’ Quest Part Four: Kindler's Quest Kindler, before the beginning of the Travellers' Quest, had always been an average, peace-loving, loyal citizen of the Kingdom of Althea. His trade was that of the Reaver, builders who have been granted license to destroy abandoned and desolate buildings that were no longer in use. He was very good at demolition, and as such, earned an excellent living. However, that living was now tied to the fate of the Travellers' Quest; demolition is very dangerous work, and Kindler required his full range of Traveller abilities to work quickly and safely. If the Travellers' Quest did not succeed, his livelihood would be in a precarious position. Kindler's part of the quest directly involved his talent; demolition. He was to search the world and find any buildings that were built of or contained End Stone, and demolish them. Unfortunately, he travelled for days and days without finding so much as a single building containing End Stone. When he visited Naples, a town in the East, he heard rumors in the local pub that virtually all of the non-traveller-owned End Stone buildings in the world had been disassembled and stored in the Royal Bank at great cost. Apparently, public hatred for the Traveller was such that cities across the kingdom were willing to spend millions and millions to keep their End Stone out of Traveller hands. Nevertheless, Kindler's reputation for fast, safe, and most of all affordable demolition preceded him. The city council of Telemachus called upon him to demolish the town bank; it was quite ruined and beyond repair. They offered him a fee of 100,000 emerdollars, a large sum that would greatly assist the Travellers in their quest. Yet, their desperation for efficiency could not be misconstrued as trust; they had hired two companies of mercenaries and even a Guardian to provide security. While Kindler worked on demolition of the ruined Bank of Telemachus, the Guardian hired by the city council kept a close watch. Despite her job of essentially spying on Kindler, she was quite openly friendly with him and apparently wished him no ill will. Although he preferred to be left alone while working, Kindler was all too aware that if he did not chat with the Guardian, he would be seen as suspicious by the city council. "So Kindler, how exactly did you and the other travellers manage to deplete the Buildable End? Based on what I've heard of it, that shouldn't have even been possible!"Kindler chuckled. "I honestly have no idea, lady Guardian. I myself only go there rarely." Kindler quickly motioned for the Guardian to get clear, and then brought down the bank's northern wall. "What I should like to know, lady, is why you have been so friendly with me, but have refused to tell me your name!" The lady Guardian laughed. "It's simple," she replied, "If you don't even know my name, they'll never believe that we had this little chat!" Kindle began piling up the rubble from the northern wall and packed it all into his nearby Ender chest. "I see." He moved towards the western wall and began breaking it down. Kindler raised his pickaxe for a mighty swing against the wall, but now the Guardian had moved right next to him and caught his wrist! "Just how much are they paying you to demolish this?" she asked. "What?" Kindler gasped. The Guardian eased her grip and Kindler quickly broke away. "What difference does it make to you what I'm being paid?" The lady Guardian frowned. "Because every emer of the massive fee they're giving you is being paid for off the backs of the common people of Telemachus! Did you think the rich and powerful people in this city were paying you? Hardly! They tax the common people to poverty to pay for the city's expenses!" "Why do you care?" Kindler asked. The lady Guardian responded, "I believe in liberty. The people of Telemachus, like all people in Althea, are not free. They are mere subjects of the King. The crushing taxes imposed upon them are perhaps the most real display of that truth, but not the only." "Then why did you become a Guardian?" The lady Guardian paused. "To work towards freeing the people." Kindler hurriedly assembled a small bench and set it down next to him. He also set down his tools, sitting down on the makeshift bench as he did so. "Why don't the people of Telemachus appeal to the King to address these grievances? He is not a tyrant!" The Guardian laughed. "The King has done a very good job of convincing us, his subjects, that he cares deeply. I have seen firsthand what he has ordered us to do to those that dare question him." Kindler was not convinced. "How do I know you're not lying and that this isn't some sort of trick?" The lady Guardian held her hand out. "Come with me, I'll show you. You can trust me." Kindler briefly hesitated, then quickly grabbed hold of her hand. They teleported away in an instant.
The Travellers' Quest Part Four: Kindler's Quest CONTINUED The place at which they arrived was terribly dark; the only light provided by redstone torches. Kindler tried walking but instead hit his head upon iron bars. "Walk carefully," the lady Guardian said, whispering, "We can't use any light while we're in here." "Where are we?" Kindler asked. "A top secret jail for dissidents. Anyone who was ever uttered their opinions or objections to the King's rule often enough to be discovered has been brought here and tortured. The King is very clear about what to do with dissidents." The Guardian suddenly began looking around suspiciously. Kindler still couldn't see. "Quickly, follow me! Someone is about to be brought in!" Kindler and the lady Guardian hid in the shadows as a man suddenly appeared in a jail cell down the hall. "HELLO?" the man screamed, frightened. "WHY AM I HERE?" Another person suddenly appeared outside his cell, a Guardian wearing a redstone cape. "You know why you're here, Chaskion. You've been off sharing your true thoughts about the King again!" "NO! NEVER! I HAVE ALWAYS HONORED THE KING!" "That's not what our informants have been saying of your little meetings." The cape-wearing Guardian pulled out a glass bottle full of green, bubbling liquid. "You're a fool, Chaskion. The King was willing to overlook your little escapade in Telemachus, and he even let you keep your trading license!" He uncorked the bottle. "But he is not so forgiving a second time..." The caped Guardian threw the potion between the bars, directly at Chaskion. It shattered in a cloud of gas, causing him to shriek in pain immediately. "Your opinion is NOT WELCOME in this kingdom, Chaskion! The King's rule is absolute and you have no right to question it!"" Chaskion continued screaming and did not respond. "Your opinion is worthless, except perhaps if you enjoy pain!" The caped Guardian began cackling wildly at Chaskion's suffering. Kindler and the lady Guardian recoiled at the sight of the torture. They teleported back to Telemachus without further delay. "Do you believe me now?" the lady Guardian asked. "Yes," Kindler said, "but what can I possibly do?" "Lead the people of Telemachus into revolt against the city council. If you choose your words carefully, they will follow you." Kindler scratched his chin and began contemplating a revolt. "What could I possibly have to gain from doing this? " The lady Guardian sighed. "Do you really believe you're just going to be able to buy End Stone? You Travellers have become quite unpopular in recent times; you won't find anyone willing to help you for any price." "Then why should I risk my neck to help people that hate me?" "There are still thousands of blocks of End Stone hidden in the city. If you are willing to lead this revolt, the people might be inclined to assist you in acquiring them." "Are you sure?" Kindler asked. "Yes. With the help of the people, you can complete the Travellers' Quest, and we can begin our real work - revolution." Kindler finally agreed. Kindler and the lady Guardian made their way towards Telemachus Square, which at this hour was packed full of people. Before they arrived at the entrance to the square, the lady Guardian grabbed Kindler's shoulder and whispered into his ear. "This is where you must proceed alone, Kindler. I must not reveal my opposition to the King, nor my allegiance to liberty. Good luck." She walked away hurriedly. Kindler continued into the square, hardly believing that he could gather anyone's attention, much less convince people to revolt. He decided to give it a try anyway; his own future, as well as the future of all Travellers depended on it. The crowd seemed to be getting larger and larger as Kindler approached the center of the square. Sweat began rapidly accumulating on his forehead, his pulse raced, and his head started to spin, but Kindler kept going. He made it to the center of the square, almost tripping and falling upon a stone block which he climbed. His knees were wobbling, and he was thoroughly unconfident in himself, but he was ready to try. "People of Telemachus! I stand before you now to tell you that you are not alone in your struggle against tyranny!" A few people turned to stare at him, their faces filled with horror as they quickly turned and left the square. Kindler started to speak up again. "The city council has no right to tax you all so harshly while the rich people of this city pay nothing!" More people started to notice Kindler, and to his dismay, also began hurriedly leaving the square. "Will you not join me on the quest for your own liberation?" Finally, a group of the city council's mercenaries heard him and began to approach. People were now running full speed out of the square. "Oi, you, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Kindler considered making a run for it. "Call the Guardian, quickly! Let's get 'im!" the lead mercenary shouted. "We have a dissident!" In a flash of light, the lady Guardian suddenly appeared. Kindler started running. "STOP HIM! she screamed. Two mercenaries bolted after Kindler, tackling him down to the ground within a few seconds. They dragged him by the shoulders to the lady Guardian. "Leave us," she said. "I'll deal with him myself." Kindler was too shocked to speak. "I'm sorry Kindler, but it seems I have vastly misjudged the will of the people." Kindler finally spoke, tears now streaming down his face as he realized the betrayal. "Please, let me go!" "I can't. If I do, the King will discover the truth about me. I'm going to have to kill you, for the sake of the revolution!" "NO!" Kindler cried. The lady Guardian raised her sword and with a single blow took the life of Kindler. Moments after his head hit the ground, the lady Guardian sighed. "It's a pity," she whispered, "that the people are too afraid to stand up for freedom." END OF PART FOUR
The Travellers' Quest Part Five: Decarius's Quest Decarius, like Kindler, had a reputation for excellence in his trade, which in this case was that of the architect and builder. (A sharp contrast to the blunt force talents of Kindler) He entered the ranks of the Travellers accidentally, having one day found a catacomb while building a foundation for a client. This granted Decarius the upper Traveller rank, Explorer, and with that rank, he set in motion of the events leading up to the Travellers' Quest. Decarius pioneered the usage of End Stone as a decorative block; prior to his usage and promotion of the material, it was largely seen as an ugly as useless block by the populace at large. He was personally involved in the construction of ten magnificent architectural works constructed entirely out of End Stone. Thus, Decarius felt deeply responsible for the sudden and violent course of events that had followed the emptying of the Buildable End. After the failures of Builderman and Kindler, Decarius was determined to take it upon himself to recover End Stone, using his talent for architecture to do so. The city of Telemachus had finally seen to the demolition of the ruins of their Bank; they were now entirely focused on replacing it. To do so, the city council, much to Decarius's surprise, an architectural competition. Anyone who believed that they could construct a suitably marvelous bank could enter. Initially, few builders seemed interested in entering, and even Decarius found it a bit superfluous without knowing what the prize would be. However, the city of Telemachus was again desperate for speed and so announced a prize so extravagant that few believed it - 100,000 End Stone. The number itself seemed to be an insult aimed directly at the Travellers. The amount was so ridiculous that the Great Admin himself made an appearance before the people and city council of Telemachus to assure that it was genuine. Furthermore, the contest itself was also an insult to the Travellers; only Decarius was capable of conceiving and building the decorative styles necessary to enter and win the contest. A day after the announcement of the competition and the prize, Decarius and the other travellers once again held a meeting in their Guild regarding the Quest. The problem they now faced was startlingly clear; all caches of End Stone in the world had been locked away beyond their reach - even the great Casinos of Monaco now chose to close down and empty themselves of End Stone rather than risk robbery. Totalus's success, while great, had seemingly sealed the Travellers' fate. There was not a single block of End Stone left vulnerable in the world for them to steal. The prize for the Telemachan architectural contest was all that remained. The competition began the day after the Travellers' meeting. Decarius was amongst the first entrants to arrive and register. The entrants were handed a stack of book and quills each, and told that they would have three days to win the contest. At the end of each day, the contestants would go before a panel of judges, where their blueprints would be examined and assessed. Decarius felt increasingly confident. He was just as good at persuasion as he was at creating great works of architecture. At noon, the contestants were each led to private studies were they could work in silence. The competition had now begun. Decarius knew that only the most unique architecture would win the contest. Extravagant architecture of the usual kind was simply not going to be enough. He needed to design something knew; something never before seen in Althea. Decarius decided to go with a geometrical form that was considered nearly impossible to actually execute; the dome. Designing a dome on paper was easy, of course, but designing one that could actually be built was a true challenge. Decarius was all too aware that he would be laughed right out of the contest if his design could not actually be built. Decarius's considered his first twenty designs to be utter trash; impossibilities that couldn't possibly be built. The next twenty-five he made suffered from the same problem, as well as stylistic problems; they were simply ugly. A significant pile of crumpled paper was now taking shape beside his desk. He began to feel frustrated; even designing a viable dome was proving impossible. Several tries later, he managed to design one that seemed viable, but it left little for decoration. Decarius sighed, and looked up at the clock on the wall. It was nearly ten o'clock. He was surprised that the guards hadn't come to check on him yet. He looked at his latest blueprint to pass the time. Hearing steps some distance away, Decarius cringed. "This design will have to do...for now..." The guard finally entered the private study, lantern in hand. "Time's up for the night. Please give me your blueprint so that I can make copies for the judges." Decarius handed over his latest blueprint; the only viable one he had. The guard nodded. "Follow me to the judges' chamber." Decarius behind the guard nervously. constantly reminded of the fact that he was the Travellers' last hope at survival. After a few moments of walking, Decarius and the guard entered the judges' chamber. The judges' chamber was quite ornate for a room that served merely as a meeting room. The walls were covered with rare paintings made by Depom, the tables held decorative plants seeded by MangoGirl, and the ceiling had been built by Exavious himself, giving an excellent view of the night's full moon. The judges were seated on high back mahogany chairs, behind a spruce table carved with the seal of the King of Althea. They were quite busy scribbling notes on paper. Meanwhile, the guard entered an adjacent room to make copies of Decarius's blueprint. Decarius took the only available seat, a small oak chair directly across from the judges' table, in the center of the room. As he sat, the lead judge, sitting in the center of the table, finally spoke. "Ah, Decarius, it's good to see that you have entered the contest!" Decarius stood up and stepped forward to shake the judge's hand. "I don't believe we've met before. Your name is?" "Oh, my apologies. I am Scomarvimn. I am quite a fan of your work." "I see." "Anyway, I cannot wait to see what you have for us today. I have seen more than a few disappointments today, so I hope you can amaze us!" The guard returned, almost as on cue, and handed each judge a copy of Decarius's blueprint, as well as one to Decarius. The three judges began quietly discussing the work amongst themselves for the next few minutes. After ten minutes, Scomarvimn's colleagues quietly got up, shook Decarius's hand with approval, and left hurriedly. The guard left with them. Decarius was now left entirely alone with Scomarvimn. The lead judge cleared his throat loudly and beckoned for Decarius to move closer. "Your design is technically impressive," Scomarvimn said. "Even the idea of a dome escapes many people. Few could even imagine how to execute such a design in our linear world. Yet, at the same time, I don't see the point." Decarius scoffed. "It's a dome. Why don't you go out into the world and tell me where you can find anything like it?" "Please, Decarius," Scomarvimn said, "A dome in itself is not a good architectural form, however difficult to execute it is. It is merely a gimmick." "A gimmick? Hardly! You won't find anything like it in all of Althea!" Scomarvimn did not budge. "That is not the point of this contest, Decarius. Your design is...lacking. It is detailed and precise, as I would expect from you, but its uniqueness is not nearly enough to convince me that it should be built." Decarius's fury grew. "What exactly are you looking for then? A building made of diamonds?" Scomarvimn laughed so violently that the table began shaking. "You speak hypocritically, traveller. Were you not the one that pioneered buildings entirely made up of End Stone? What is so great about them? No, don't answer that. Considering that there is none left, you must think very highly of yourself and your style!" "Enough!" Decarius shouted. "If this isn't good enough for you, show me what is!" Scomarvimn obliged him, pulling out a feather and an ink well. He began scribbling on Decarius's blueprint. When Scomarvimn finished writing, he handed the copy over to Decarius. "Take all of the changes that I have made and reconcile them with your design as best you can. If the changes are convincingly sincere, I will give serious consideration to your entry." Decarius quickly glanced over the changes Scomarvimn made. Many of them were radical changes to the structure, load support changes, decorative changes, and even the tiniest details seemed changed. The only element that remained unchanged was the dome itself. It was still a dome. "This is a disgrace! All of the changes you are asking for, they could never be reconciled with my style. I can hardly even recognize this building! I refuse!"
The Travellers' Quest Part Five: Decarius's Quest CONTINUED Scomarvimn cackled. "I am not asking for these changes, I am DEMANDING THEM! Either you make them, or I will personally ensure that you are not even recognized for entering this contest!" "You can't do that!" Decarius cried. "The other judges clearly supported my bid. I'll win whether you say so or not!" Scomarvimn slammed his fist down onto the desk. "And why do you suppose they left so suddenly? They may have their opinions, but in the end, they defer to ME, and ME ALONE!" "Why are you doing this?" Decarius asked, pleadingly. Scomarvimn's face changed to a look of total rage. "I HATE TRAVELLERS!" He could hardly restrain himself as he spoke those words. "You and all your brethren roam the world, all high and mighty with your portal building abilities, all while refusing them to the hapless public! I have tried for weeks, and WEEKS to have my own private network set up. and yet, not a single traveller has even responded to my requests! They will not lift a finger to help!" "Bullshit! We've made thousands of portals for eager builders, many of them for nothing in return! You exaggerate the truth!" Scomarvimn slammed his fist down upon the table once more, this time breaking it in two. Decarius slowly backed away. "Then explain to me why I, Scomarvimn, to this day do not have a single portal!" Decarius did not attempt to answer. "Aha! You are the liar, traveller!" Scomarvimn began pacing up and down the room. "And now is the hour of my vengeance! Thank you Seritious, almighty God, thank you!" Decarius contemplated running away, now quite fearful for his life. "I knew that you were going to enter this contest, Decarius. I knew just how desperate you Travellers have become for End Stone, and I knew that you would refuse, out of PRIDE, to change your precious design, even if it meant you would be sacrificing the future of Travellers forever! Now you will get NOTHING, do you hear me, NOTHING. BEGONE!" Decarius quickly fled before Scomarvimn could do anything further. The Travellers' Guild was several hours travel, even by compass, and though Decarius was reluctant to tell the others of his failure, he knew it would be found out eventually... END OF PART FIVE
