Disclaimer: I own nothing in regards to D&D, the modules used to help create this story, or the character of Jumi. The only thing owned in any sense, is the story line itself, and the three main characters personalities. The Jumi is a character created by Cheese Master based on the Jumi characters made by Squaresoft.
This is the work of three people and not one alone is responsible for the contained story. This work consist of many modules and lots of imagination. The authors are Cheese Master, SilverBane, and myself. A combined effort resulting in lots of laughs, fighting, and much more. This is the story.
Ch1 - Chosen
Over four thousand years ago, an unlikely group of humans, elves, and jumi saved the world from darkness and despair. For that time at least. What is a jumi you ask? Well they are a creature elven in appearance, with out the pointy ears. Their spirits resides in their core, a gem, the size of a medium fist, which rest where the belly button would be. One of the most obvious ways to spot a jumi, is the hair and eyes, for it will be the color of their core, and sparkle like a gem.
Currently our view is taken to Krom. A small community through many adventurers have passed. Coming in from a two week journey from the docks, is a topaz jumi who looks around his late teens. Though jumi have been seen before they were still more hidden than elves were. He smiled politely at the people who stopped and stared as he walked by but this wasn't casual. He was here, looking for two other jumi that lived in Krom. The only other jumi that lived here.
"Excuse me,' He asked a guard. "Do you know where Lavitz the Lapis Lazuli mage resides?" A jumi's full name would be their first name, followed by their core and what profession they were in.
"With his master, Malkist." The guard replied. Once he received directions, he nodded his thanks and headed out. Finding the right location he knocked and waited. It wasn't too long until an older man opened the door. Must be Malkist, Lavitz's master.
"Can I help you?" Malkist asked.
"Yes, I am looking for Lavitz."
"Ah, I'll get him for you," Malkist turned and called: "Lavitz, you have a visitor. Make it snappy." The sound of snapping fingers was heard as the old man sighed.
"Ass," He muttered and moved away as Lavitz stepped into the doorway. His eyes were a very deep blue, finely chiseled features, that would make any woman's heart flutter, framed with an arrogant smirk.
"Can I help you?"
"My name is Tolqwist the Topaz fighter. I come from the Bejeweled City bearing a message." The Bejeweled City is where most jumi's reside. "Some mages about two days away from here uncovered some jumi artifacts. The jumi council will pay for your services to retrieve them and return these artifacts to the Bejeweled City."
"Certainly," Lavitz chuckled. "Of course they would require my services, with a few selected others." He waved his hand casually at Tolqwist as he said this.
"There is one more we need to find," Tolqwist said. "Danielle the Diamond Cleric."
"Oh her," Lavitz rolled his eyes. "Well if they want her she'll probably be at the temple." His tone was bored, obviously he didn't care much for her. The mid-day sun was high as they set out. Following Lavitz to the temple, Tolqwist knocked and watched the door open. Not seeing anyone, he went to step forward bumping into an invisible force.
"Oh yes," Lavitz chuckled. "A powerful mage had given the temple an unseen servant." He meant his Master Malkist. Tolqwist only shook his head and slowly walked forward not wanting to run into the unseen servant again. Searching for a few minutes, they found a cleric.
"Last I saw of Danielle she was headed to the broom closet to gather supplies."
"Because all she is good for is cleaning," Lavitz whispered. Tolqwist shot him a glare and sighed.
"Wait here," Tolqwist told Lavitz. He merely shrugged and leaned against the wall watching Tolqwist walk away. Rounding a corner he found some one, leaning into a closet. He wanted to make sure this was Danielle and caused a shimmer. This was a jumi trait shared by all jumi, mostly for location finding. Because of this you won't find many jumi thieves. It emitted a high pitch noise and caused the gem, hair and eyes to sparkle.
"Lav-" She stood up fast ready to blame the jumi she thought responsible. He facial expression changed from stern to gentle when she saw Tolqwist "Oh, hello." She gave him a polite smile.
"Are you Danielle" he asked, though the question was really not necessary. Her hair, was clear though glimmered like a prism. In the right light, you could see that it fell to her waist. The only part of her eye that could be seen was the exact center, the iris. Around her neck was her holy symbol, this one stood for the highest Goddess Edin.
"Yes, I think so," Danielle fingered her hair and shrugged. Tolqwist explained the same thing to her as he did to Lavitz but didn't mention that the mage would be going with them.
"Sounds good to me," Danielle said. "I just have to make arrangements with the higher cleric."
"Meet me later this evening at the inn," Tolqwist nodded and left. After telling Lavitz the same, he went straight over and ordered a strong drink. He had a feeling he would need it to deal with Lavitz. It wasn't until later that business started to pick up, getting more crowded. When Danielle arrived she looked around for a moment before she spotted Tolqwist, and edged her way over. Nodding hello's and hi's to the few that called out Danielle sat down. Before words can be exchanged between the two a screech was heard from the doorway.
"Lavitz!" Many female voices chorused at once. Most of the woman rushed forward surrounding him.
"Of course," Danielle rolled her eyes. "Can't go anywhere with out attracting all the girls attention." She gave him a quick glance over before turning her back to him. Unlike the other woman, Danielle found him attractive, but could not stand his attitude. Also she refused to run around as a servant for him doing the most menial task, that he always seems to have some girl doing.
"Just a moment," Tolqwist got up interrupting Danielle's thoughts. He went over pushing his way through the girls. Shouts of dismay were heard as he reached Lavitz.
"If you're quite finished," Tolqwist blandly stated.
"Oh, yes," Lavitz nodded. "If you'll excuse me ladies." The girls all groaned as both made their way back to the table. As they sat down Danielle raised a clear eyebrow and stood up.
"Wait a second."
"He's going with us," Tolqwist said.
"Does he have to?" Danielle stopped realizing how rude she was being but then saw the smug smile on Lavitz face. "Oh, no, I'm not going." She turned to walk out the door.
"Just a moment," Tolqwist called out. She stopped and let out a sigh before turning around. Sitting down she gave Lavitz a polite smile, forced. As Tolqwist explained the offer once more, the other two jumi's ignored each other.
"We can meet in the morning to head out," Tolqwist said. "Passage is paid for the boat to the Bejeweled City and you will have a place to stay over there."
Early the next day, Lavitz arrive with a horse and supplies. Danielle was already waiting outside with Tolqwist and his horse. Not wanting to ride with Lavitz, she shared Tolqwist horse with him and was able to reach the digging site, with in a few hours.
"Good day," Tolqwist greeted dismounting. "We were sent to retrieve jumi artifacts that were uncovered here."
"Ah yes, you three are no doubt jumi," One of the mages said. "They are over here." Leading them over, they found a bastard sword, a circlet, and arm bracers.
"We tried to use them, but we can't wield the sword, none of us can, though others can wield swords." The other mage spoke up. "The circlet doesn't do anything when put on, and the bracers, won't clasp. The runes are the only evidence we have that they are jumi artifacts." Tolqwist reached over grabbing the sword. Astonishingly, it turns completely topaz, and sends a rush of a feeling of power through his body. Power and strength. Momentarily he forgot his surroundings and stood mesmerized.
"Whoa," Lavitz breathed seeing Tolqwist look astounded and saw the sword change. "Let me see the bracers." Grabbing them, he put them on and felt a similar surge go through him with a feeling of defensiveness instead of strength. Danielle's eyes got wide, seeing the sword change and the bracers also change, this time to deep blue. Taking the circlet, she looked it over before gently placing it on her head. She also got a surge, with a comfort of increased wisdom.
"We got a problem," Lavitz spoke up taking Danielle away from the feeling. "These won't come off." He was fumbling with the bracers which now clasped wouldn't budge. Danielle reached up and tried to pull off the circlet but it wouldn't budge. Tolqwist stuck the sword in the ground, but it stayed topaz. The mages watched with great interest, amazed and fascinated.
"Well we will just have to explain to the council what happened," Lavitz shrugged. "They can probably get them off." Thanking the mages, they were a few paces down the road when a voice was heard in all their heads.
'Halt!' A loud commanding voice commanded All three looked around confused. The voice was a deep masculine. 'In your belt dunderhead!'
'Try your arms!" Another voice added this one lighter but still masculine.
'Or on your head!' A female voice joined the group.
"I think the objects are talking to us," Danielle whispered.
'They finally figured it out, idiots!' The deep masculine voice uttered.
"Hey!" Lavitz glared at the bracers.
'Listen up, I am Knoff,' The deep voice introduced.
"Who?" Tolqwist asked.
'You're sword numb for brains!" Knoff said.
'I am Clade,' those must have been the bracers, the lighter voice.
'And I am Guhe,' The feminine voice introduced. 'Is that clear or do you need it spelled out for you?'
"Oh come on now, what is this,' Danielle asked getting annoyed like the guys. They were not appreciating the insults these things were calling them.
'As you already know," Knoff started in a bored voice. 'We are artifacts. What you don't know is that we were made by the Goddess Claress, before she was a Goddess.' Claress is the Goddess for jumi. 'Now found we will use you vessels, as a means to restore glory to Claress name and clean this world of things un-good.'
"Why us?" Tolqwist asked.
'You were the first jumi to touch us, therefore becoming the vessels, which we will use,' Knoff replied curtly.
"And if we refuse?" Lavitz asked.
'Then we will take over you and make you do what we want anyway,' Clade replied.
"Oh, please just lets go," Danielle pleaded. "The sooner we get to the Bejeweled City, maybe the council can do something."
'There is nothing they can do, little girl,' Guhe said. Danielle looked like she was around her late teens, maybe early twenty's.
"Little," Danielle questioned.
'Yes she said little, now please get on your little way,' Knoff spoke up not politely. The group hurried along, stopping in Krom to get further supplies and make arrangements for Danielle and Lavitz with their superiors.
"No that is quite understandable my boy," Malkist said even though Lavitz was in reality older than him, though he only looked about mid-twenties. "Go with my blessing." Lavitz collected what he needed and left. Malkist stood in place smiling at the peace then realized he needed some laundry done. Going through the house he saw a young girl Lavitz called upon to do chores and asked her to do it. She gave him a yeah right look before walking off.
"I believe that will be one of the few things I miss about that boy," Malkist sighed realizing he wouldn't have Lavitz to get girls to do all the small stuff for him. At the temple it was a different matter. This was a temple of Edin, the highest Goddess of the world. After Danielle spent some time talking with the high cleric, they came upon an agreement.
"What they come up with?" Tolqwist asked.
"I have to send a report about what happens," Danielle said. "If for some reason I can't come back right away, I have to send yearly reports, including on who I am with. Guhe said I might as well tell them I won't be back for a very long time." They headed to the coast as quickly as they could. Finding passage already paid, they sold the two horses and then boarded to find their rooms. A few females they passed already started to follow Lavitz around, while Danielle and Tolqwist looked about the ship. The passage overall would take about a month. At sea, Danielle was walking down the deck when she saw Lavitz talking and a group of females around him. Even Tolqwist was standing there listening. Getting closer she found out why, it was the same story she had heard enough she could recite it from memory.
"Once my father decided that I should leave to see what knowledge I could gain in the arcane arts, I decided to leave the continent." Lavitz said pausing to give the females time to sigh.
"More likely because his parents couldn't handle his ego," Danielle muttered and walked away. Tolqwist saw her but stayed on interested in hearing more.
"While we were at sea, a sea creature attacked the ship," Lavitz continued not even noticing that Danielle had passed. "I of course stepped forward to help defend it and saved the life of my now previous master Malkist, who is a descendent of Dalrik, one of the great hero's who saved the world those four thousand years ago." More sighs followed. "So he took me in, teaching me about being a battle mage. Once he could teach me no more, he said I was free to go, but I decided to stay, help take care of the old man." After hearing this Tolqwist got up, feeling that Lavitz was exaggerating on his charitable nature, and headed down to where Danielle went. She was leaning against the side looking over the ocean.
"How often have you heard that tale?" Tolqwist asked her.
"Too often to count," She replied. "You'll hear it many times over, believe me. That's what I had to see everyday." It was clear that they got along okay if Danielle and Lavitz tried but really didn't care for each other.
"How come you two don't get along?" Tolqwist asked.
"Because I can't stand how highly he thinks of himself," Danielle said. "And he doesn't think I'm worth his time because I don't fawn over him like the other girls. I'll be damned if I ever fawn over a guy wanting to do the simplest things for him."
As for the tale telling he found that she was right. For the rest of the voyage, Danielle would purposely stop and walk the opposite way when ever she saw Lavitz with his female followers, and Tolqwist was soon walking away as well. Especially when the words of: "Did I tell you of how I save my master," came from Lavitz mouth.
Reaching port, Tolqwist took the lead taking them to the Bejeweled City. Lavitz was born here, while Danielle was born on the other continent and had never seen the Bejeweled City. At one of the possible entrances, Tolqwist first had to find the rangers guards. The only way to be let in, is for them to materialize a door to pass into the mountain, where the Bejeweled City was located. Lavitz gave the inside a brief glance having been there, sixty years ago, while Danielle looked around in awe. A jumi lived a maximum one thousand years, reaching maturity at one hundred seventy. At that age they would look about seventeen by human standards. When they died of natural causes their entire body turned into the same gem as their core and became a part of the Bejeweled City. A part of the walls, the ceiling seeing as how there are gem bodies of many jumi over many generations. Inside it was enchanted to light and darken as the sun set and rises.
There was over a thousand levels in the city, taking up the entire mountain, and the quickest way to get to where you want is to use the magical teleports to go around. A guide on the inside brought them before the jumi council, several floors up, while a small feeling of intimidation could be felt looking around. You were surrounded by many jumi. Most of them older and very experienced. Still looking around in awe, Danielle wasn't sure where to start.
"We have the artifacts," Tolqwist stepped forward. "But these two," He indicated to Danielle and Lavitz, can't take them off.
"Really?" One council member got up and started to circle them. She was an older female, Amethyst. Most jumi born were female, it was a female dominated society. Males were less common.
"They say that they will use us to regain glory for Claress," Tolqwist added.
"Would their names be Knoff, Guhe and Clade?" The council member asked. All nodded. "Well what we do know of these artifacts is they were formally Jumi, many , many years ago. Knoff was a fighter, Guhe was a cleric while Clade was a sorcerer. When they died or just before they died, they were taken by Claress and their knowledge transmitted into the now known artifacts. When bonded to three individual jumi, they will work together and not part from each other any in any way until death. Except you," The council member pointed to Danielle. When a jumi died an un-natural death, their body doesn't change. If they were resurrected with out permission from the high council and Claress grace there were sever penalties, none of them pleasant.
"You can be resurrected by Guhe, once, with the grace of Claress." Danielle's eyes grew wide.
'All three have permission,' Knoff spoke though only the three could hear him. 'If Danielle dies a second time, like the first two if they should die, they can all be resurrected by what ever means, how ever many times necessary.' Tolqwist relayed what Knoff said word for word out loud for the council.
'Tomorrow we will depart to travel to the island of Arkapalago to avenge the wrongful death of the sea king of that island. Through these clods, we can help them achieve many great things, enhance their status perhaps.' Lavitz glared at his bracers while Tolqwist glared at his sword. Danielle couldn't glare at the circlet and settled for glaring at the floor. A jumi with no status was known as a clod, but Knoff made it sound like an insult. The order up was from the base of Clod, to half lucidia, lucidia, and then clarius the highest jumi ranking there was.
"Very well, tonight you will rest," The council member said to them. "Tomorrow you will part." The three were led to rooms where they could rest for the night. From one room muffled cursing was heard from Tolqwist until Danielle found something hard and threw it at the wall. He quieted down and thought for a moment of using his Jumi awareness to annoy her. The thought was quickly banished. Inside the Bejeweled City, if a jumi used the awareness, also known as sparkle, the entire jumi community will sparkle, everyone in the mountain. The punishment was most severe. First they would locate you, some how they know exactly who did it and then would bring you to the council. From there the punishment started. First they ripped out the core, most painful, and then replace it in the jumi and heal them. Then they would do it all over again, and over, and over, and over, many times. As long as the core is not left out too long the jumi won't die.
In the morning they were awoken with breakfast in bed. Word spread fast that they bore artifacts and got special treatment. Once fed and freshened up, they met up and followed Tolqwist out to exit the city. Danielle took one last glance before they were out and headed to the coast.