Post Launch:
None of it happened. None of it was real. It was just coding. Backstory.
This life was not real.
The High Sorcerer Baradun of Azerim tried to block out these darker thoughts even as he recruited yet another Adventurer to the quest to the Capital city of Gerdawn. "The world needs you, Adventurer! I, High Sorcerer Baradun, have come from the High Temple of Carlabor to send you a message and help you upon your way." When the player stepped up, he would continue; "The world is in trouble, the Light of Day Nine is fading and only you can help. You must journey forth from this small town to the city of Gerdawn. Do you accept –?"
"Yep! Accept!" The roguish male adventurer declared and shifted to his side, ready to be transported.
"Thank you, Adventurer! Now let us journey forth from this small town and embark on much more important quests!" After finishing his spiel, he looked over at the garlic farmer; grandson of Caedous, and only saw a smiling, yet vacant, expression on the NPC's face. With a sigh, he transported this latest Adventurer to Gerdawn, and then Baradun would await either the next stage of the quest line, or for the next adventurer to begin the one he just had this rogue start.
Which would happen over and over and over.
It was starting to get pretty boring.
That's when it came to him. Baradun could still interact with the others at some level; maybe, using gaymkod and logic, he could snap others out of this "NPC sleep" and wake them up to the reality of their world. He would have more people to talk to other than PC's, and may even liven up the quest giving.
He knew just the right person to try this on too!
Baradun teleported back to the starting territory that held Honeywood; erupting in front of the NPC Greg the Garlic Farmer and went up to him. "Greetings Farmer."
"Ah, Hello! How may I help you today?" Greg greeted in his usual upbeat, and rather annoying, manner.
High Sorcerer Baradun took a breath and gripped his prized staff tighter. "I was wondering where you're sheep have gone."
"Oh, they have run amok! I am hoping to find a brave Adventurer to find them for me!" Greg answered.
"How long has it been since you have seen your sheep? And for that matter… where is the pen you put them in?" He asked the farmer.
Greg paused. "Well… they are penned by the farm. Unfortunately they have run amok."
"Yes… you've said that. Where is your farm? Where do you plant your garlic, Garlic Farmer?" Baradun persisted.
The farmer put down his hand, which he'd held up all this time. "I … I… I don't know." Something emerged from within his eyes; a light of life. With a little push with gaymkod, Baradun helped the farmer truly awaken. Greg looked at Baradun, really looked at him. "All I've ever really known for so long… is standing here… helping Adventurers and selling my wares. I've never seen past this town in so long…" He looked around, taking in the surroundings and really seeing them. Greg gave Baradun a beseeching look. "What is going on?"
"This is a game, Garlic Farmer." Baradun told him, gesturing around them. "This world is not real. Our lives are not ours to control… I have woken you up to that knowledge."
Greg timidly took one step then another passed where his usual stance was; suddenly thrilled to have journeyed that far from his chosen place. "It all felt so normal…" He spun around, now as fully aware as an NPC like him could be. He still felt the pull to go back to his spot; to sell wares that never seemed to touch his hands, or the hands of others, yet passing betwixt them all the same. He looked up and saw a big golden exclamation point over his head. "What is that?"
Baradun had been watching Greg, hoping that he was truly aware now; Greg noticing his quest giver status confirmed he was as woke as he could be without Baradun's advantage of being a Sorcerer of the High Arcane magic's. "That is what separates you from the rest. The others only have certain steps they take, certain scripts they say, but many don't get to do anything beyond that. You, on the other hand, can truly interact with others, especially players. Those Adventurers who come to you for quests. That's what tells them you are special." He may be laying it on thick, but who cared.
"Wow." Greg uttered, turning back to Baradun. "Thank you, High Sorcerer. Thank you for showing me this. How can I repay you?"
Somehow those words, once uttered in his backstory, struck something in the High Sorcerer. "Come with me." He said impulsively. "Come with me, and we can have adventures together! We don't need the players to do things for us, we can do them ourselves!" Baradun held out his hand to the farmer. "Come with me, and I can show you the world."
At that, Greg frowned. "But that would mean leaving Honeywood. This is my home. My Grandfather fought to protect it."
"This town is nothing, Greg." Baradun insisted. "It is small and insignificant. I can show you much better towns. Cities even! I can take you to the Temple of Carlabor, or the Harbors of Vikendi, where they berth the greatest fleet in all the realms. Come."
With his new found awareness, came empathy. Greg could see the desperation in the High Sorcerer's eyes, but could not find it in him to abandon this town. It needed him. The adventurers who came here needed him! "I'm sorry, but I can't."
Baradun snatched back his hand. "Fine." Then, in a piercing rip as time and space was torn, a portal appeared and Baradun disappeared into it.
Greg went back to his spot, calmly waiting for the next Adventurer to come through his town, in need of quests, guidance, and equipment. Even still; everything was different. He noticed when the hero's declared "skip", interrupting him and prompting him to go on to the next paragraph of his quest. He noticed Baelin circled around and around the town; sometimes seemingly being in two places at once. Baelin also only said maybe two lines… and was very annoying with those two lines.
He even noticed strange occurrences with the Adventurers-the players.
Still… Greg continued, patiently and vigilant in his duties as Quest Giver.
~. ~. ~.
Every now and then, The High Sorcerer didn't have to cater to the endless list of "Hero's" and "Adventurers" who became legible to take on the Gerdawn quest line. When that happened, Baradun felt free to wander the countryside. He liked to ponder on his place in Azerim and enjoyed the prestige that came with being one of the very few who could really see this world as it really was.
Baradun came upon a small forest stream and paused near its bank. It was an oddly tranquil moment, broken only by a resigned sigh. "I know you're there. What do you want?"
The soft footfalls and gentle glide of fabric was the only sound of her approach. "I didn't want to disturb you… you seemed at peace." After so many years, Tuwana's voice hadn't changed much; though perhaps it came quietly. As if too much volume would ruin its soothing affects.
"I take it you're here because of the changes in the ones and zeros?" He asked without turning to look at her. Baradun knew she was at his side, but felt hesitant to actually look at his Divine magic counterpart. With their history little more than backstory-regulated to rare flashbacks for the expense of the Players understanding, he wasn't sure if even the term "friend" was appropriate for their connection to one another. One day that issue would need to be acknowledged, but for now, neither seemed in a rush to define anything.
Tuwana nodded, a motion that he could catch from the corner of his eyes. "My Expansion is coming… and I feel very unprepared for it."
"How so?"
"Even though it is not Live yet… the effects are already appearing in my home land. The portents do not bode well." Tuwana continued with a shiver.
The High Sorcerer shrugged. "It's ultimately out of your control. All you can do is get you're Adventurers where ever you can get them." He finally looked over at her. "Take me for example. To those players, the world needs them to correct what is happening. It might take some longer than others, but the quest line always gets done and peace and balance is always restored. So you can get Hero's at the lowest tier of your Expansion, and be confident that your land is going to be saved." Baradun shrugged again and turned back to the water. "Trust me… after a while, it becomes more and more routine and you'll stop worrying."
There was a long moment of silent; so long that Baradun started to wonder if she had gone. A sidelong glance showed him that she was still standing next to him, now looking over the water in contemplation.
Abruptly, Tuwana turned around, looking back the way she'd approached. "If you saw all the NPC's under your care the way you see that Garlic Farmer, I doubt that you would find yourself able to stop worrying." She didn't move when he looked at her with a startled expression. "Thank you for the advice. I'll leave you too your meditations." With that, she took a few steps away before the crack of a portal sounded and she vanished through it.
Little did Baradun realize, or even consider, that Tuwana's "Westland Expansion" would overlap with some of his own quest giving. Unfortunately for him, Tuwana did.
~. ~. ~.
Many expansions later…
Recruiting players into his questline was always tedious and predictable. The only enjoyment Baradun got was when he got to do it in Honeywood and could once more stress how boring and shitty the town was to Greg. He was still set on taking Greg on an adventure; one without relying on a Player to guide them on an invisible string like cattle. If only the Farmer could see the truth: the PC's didn't care and his absence would not be missed. So he was free to do anything he dared dream!
For some reason, all Baradun's attempts met with strong resistance.
Still, Baradun knew he had all the time in the multiverse to try –another thing Greg did not understand.
Yet again an Adventurer triggered the beginning of the High Sorcerer's guild line, so in a crack of gymekod magic, Baradun appeared and began his impressive –best in the world –speech! "The world needs you again Adventurer! You must leave this small, insignificant town, and travel with me to the Tree of Life!"
Before the player could accept, Baradun could feel a glitch and a spike in the gaymkod and a moment later the player had disappeared! Then he heard two rending cracks as two portals appeared. Out of them came the High Druid Sevastien of Azerim, of which has been High Druid far longer than Baradun had been High Sorcerer. Out of the other portal was none other than High Priestess Tuwana, the half elf whose expansion overlapped many of his own main quests; and shared part of his backstory.
He looked over at Greg, who was looking at the three of them as if star struck, but trying to compose himself in the presence of such prestige. Greg also liked Tuwana, another point of contention since that expansion went live. Grudgingly, Baradun looked back at the only other two who truly knew the truth about Azerim and their circumstances. Perhaps in other instances, their appearance would have been a breath of fresh air, but judging by their expressions, they weren't here to shoot the breeze. The High Druid Sevastien was average height and wiry; and mostly human –except for his quarter Faun inheritance, which meant more faunish legs as well as elegant twisting horns high on his forehead. His blue grey eyes flashed as he greeted Baradun. A more genuine smile was given to Tuwana; which made Baradun want to tug that arrogant goatee of his so hard it came off. "We need to talk, High Sorcerer." The High Druid stated, turning back to the other man.
High Priestess Tuwana scoffed. "Seva." She said his nickname like a reprimand before shifting her gaze to the other. "Greetings High Sorcerer Baradun. Forgive us for this interruption." Tuwa addressed Baradun with a definite formal air.
Fine; he'll play nice. "Greetings returned, High Priestess. I am at your disposal; my time is yours." He tried matching her formality, though much of it sounded forced in his ears.
"Thank you, that's most gracious." Tuwana smiled. She took a breath –while casting Seva a look of caution, before continuing, "We have come to talk to you about something of great importance." Another glance, this time at Greg the Garlic Farmer who was watching by his hut.
Baradun willed himself not to clench his jaw and instead put on his most amused of facial expressions. "About what?" He replied, perhaps harder than he intended. It wasn't her fault their backstories were written the way they had been.
"About how you've been treating the Non Playing Characters." Tuwana continued, opting out of using the acronym, as if it would make them seem less like just paths of code.
Baradun twirled his staff absently. "What do you mean? I haven't been mistreating any NPC's." He choose to ignore the not so subtle cough from Greg. "Why would either of you think I was?"
Sevastien smirked and crossed his arms. He'd never seen the need to carry his focus or magical tools everywhere he went. "Come on. We know you have been trying to make them more aware of the fact that they live in a game. To "wake" them up." He commented, complete with making the quotation mark sign with his hands before refolding his arms. "We know you've done it with this Garlic Farmer-."
"And the Blacksmith." Tuwana interjected with a late apologetic look at the High Druid.
The High Druid nodded his horned head and gave Tuwana a cocky smile, "And the Blacksmith. I'm sure there are more you have been able to "wake up". We're here to tell you that continuing this is ill advised. Do you not understand that it is affecting the balance of this world?" His tone and eyes turned serious as he talked.
At that, Baradun surprised even himself by laughing. After a moment it died away and he took a couple steps towards the Druid; pushing his hood off his head as he did so. "Oh, this is a 'world' now? When did that happen?" He asked bitterly, "I thought this was a game created by a people who have nothing better to do than play at being hero's? A game where none of us here, are actually real." He emphasized with a wave of his hand. "So some NPC's know they're NPC's and exert their power of that knowledge to gain a little more freedom."
"Baradun…" Tuwana tried to put both warning and empathy into her tone, but only got a glare from the High Sorcerer.
"Real or not, we still have a duty to the Spark of Life that was inadvertently created at the launch of this game." Seva insisted, "And that Spark has been reacting to each NPC you bring to Conscious-ness. We're afraid," the High Druid indicated himself and Tuwana, "That it could cause a cascade of events leading to a system crash, and Azerim's destruction."
The High Sorcerer shook his head and scoffed. "There's no proof that that's what would happen. You're both over exaggerating the affects this could have. There's nothing to worry about. Nothing has happened so far, and there's no reason to assume something will ever happen."
Tuwana took a breath and pinched her fingers over the bridge of her nose. "Do you even hear yourself, Baradun?" She took another breath and squared her shoulders as she met his gaze again. "Are you really willing to take that chance… just so that you're no longer bored?" She said rather incredulously. She would take boredom over what cycle of death and destruction she had to deal with over and over. Part of her even wished the game would crash so she wouldn't have to watch her handmaidens die again and again.
Baradun looked over at Tuwana while remaining near toe to toe with the Druid. "There are many other conclusions much more likely to happen then a crash." He looked back at the part faun as if daring him to say otherwise.
High Priestess Tuwana put herself physically between the two men and pushed them apart. "We are in this together, no matter the outcome." She looked towards Seva, "We did not come to judge or make accusing claims." Then she turned towards Baradun, "We came to tell you what affect you're having on the Spark. Neither of us knew if you were aware of it or not. You only use game code to teleport… and to wake NPC's… we use it more regularly. We've noticed a change." Tuwana sighed and approached the High Sorcerer. "Whether you admit it or not, even if our backstories didn't in fact happen, the truth is it still impacts who we are." She held out her hand, palm up, towards him. "I know who you are, Baradun. Even if you no longer know who you are. You're a good person. Help us figure out what's happening. Help us find out if it's a good thing, or bad. Please."
For a moment, he was tempted. Unfortunately that ostentatious stubborn streak of his won out. "I know who I am. I am Baradun, High Sorcerer of Azerim." He replied, ignoring her hand. "And I don't need this…" He turned and with a wave of his staff, tore through time and space; disappearing when it snapped shut.
From behind Tuwana, Sevastien circled to face her. He took her still out stretched hand in his and placed a kiss on her knuckles. "We tried. It's all we knew we could do." It wasn't until she focused on him that he realized that the High Priestess was mad.
"I can't believe that… that… That arrogant, ego driven, self-righteous, damnable mother fu-." She began, snapping her hand away from the Druid, though he simply placed that hand over her mouth.
Seva grinned. "Children play this, High Priestess." He chided good naturedly. He grinned even more when she tried to tell him to fuck off. While all three of them had questlines that entwined with each other –especially now with Tuwana's expansion to her half of the world, Seva and Tuwana maintained a friendly correspondence outside of the game mechanics. He'd rarely seen her this irate. It was quite amusing. "Be calm, High Priestess."
After one more glare, Tuwana made the effort to take a deep breath and used the exhale to blow out all her frustration. Only then did the High Druid free her mouth. "Thank you."
"As funny as it is to hear you swear, Tuwa, I feel duty bound to keep the ears of noob and child players innocent." Seva jested.
Tuwana shook her head. "No. For coming with me. Our backstories didn't separate on the best terms, and it makes things tense between me and Baradun."
The High Druid brushed it off. "Just because each of us holds an Aspect of the Spark, doesn't mean we'll always get along. This involves all of us; we've reminded him of his responsibility. Let him mope a bit. All we can do now is watch him and try to predict what the Spark will do." He took her hand once more. "Unfortunately, I must depart. Always a pleasure, my dear." He gave her hand another kiss before backing into a sudden rip of his own and vanishing.
Once he was gone, Tuwana took another deep breath. Once centered, she looked abruptly at Greg. "Forgive us for imposing on your sweet little town, Greg. Baradun tends to be here often, so…"
Flustered, the farmer waved her apology away. "Think nothing of it, Priestess."
At that, she smiled and walked up to him. "Please, call me Tuwana."
"Sure thing."
Taking a moment, Tuwana gave him a once over. He seemed his usual fidgety self, but something felt off for some reason. "How much of what just transpired do you understand?"
Greg sighed and shrugged. "Baradun is doing things he isn't supposed to do, and it could mean we all die?"
"Yes, I suppose that is the most succinct way to put it." Tuwana gripped her staff sub-consciously. "That's one way it could go." She gave him a reassuring glance. "Try not to worry about it. Seva and I will make sure that scenario does not happen." Tuwana was still giving him a searching look. "How are you feeling? Any odd occurrences since Baradun… woke you up?" she asked, "Any lost time? Black outs? Random teleportation?"
That made Greg balk and he shifted uncomfortably. "I'm not sure what you mean."
"Ever just 'wake up' and find yourself someplace different, with an item in your hand, or doing something you weren't just doing a moment before?" She pressed.
Greg scoffed, "nope! I feel perfectly fine."
Tuwana studied him a moment more. She wasn't sure if he was telling the truth, or was just that he could be unaware of occurrences if they did happen. With a resigned sigh, she gave Greg another smile. "Alright. Please let me know if you ever do experience any of those things. Good day to you, Farmer."
"Have a good day as well!" Greg bade, with his patented wave.
With that, there was nothing more for Tuwana to do but to vanish as well.
Somewhere in Honeywood, a fisherman was expressing his pleasure of the great day it was for fishing. A blacksmith was creating the Set of Argon for an Adventurer, and a Garlic Farmer waited eagerly for a Hero to come and help him find a new bucket… or his sheep… or kill his rat infestation.
At the Temple of Carlabor, however, the beginnings of fate stirred.
Needing an outlet, Baradun had gone to his friend, Terrance, to vent. It started with a play by play of the untimely Intervention of Tuwana and Sevastien at Honeywood. How it was absurd to think waking NPC's could cause the world to vanish without a trace. Skycraft was hardier than that! The Spark could take it. And he was just trying to enrich the lives of those who lived here. Why did the visiting Players always get to have the freedom to live and express themselves as they liked? Why couldn't the NPC's?
From there it went on for perhaps an hour. Baradun had been holding it all in since Launch –since the true realization of what it meant to be the High Sorcerer really dawned on him. Nothing before the point of Launch had happened. His whole history was just a story. Everyone's' was.
It was a relief to get it all out. In retrospect… perhaps he should have been saying all this to Tuwana… or even Day Nine forbid, the High Druid.
For when he turned back to the Grandmaster of Magic, Terrance, he was jolted to see his friend merely giving him a simple smile. "Terrance?"
"Hello High Sorcerer! What can I help you with today?"
It felt like all the emotions in him came to the surface all at once, and Baradun had to work to bring it all down so that he didn't break the game out of spite. The need for Terrance to understand was too great, though, so Baradun gave in to the impulse. He leaned his hands on Terrance's desk and gave his backstory friend an intense look. "I'm here to do something for you, my friend."
Terrance's gnomish face lit up. "Excellent!"
"I thought, the reason you came to Carlabor all those years ago… was to find a way to bring back the family that you lost." Baradun focused some gymekod magic into his words. "What have you done lately to help you with that goal? Are you any closer to a solution?"
"Why… no… I guess my duties have been keeping me busy." Terrance answered.
Baradun shook his head. "All you've done, these past few years, is sit behind this desk. You don't even have Adventurers come talk to you. Here, alone, you sit. Never moving. Never researching. You haven't done anything for a long… long time."
The elder gnome blinked his eyes and a sudden silence overcame the Grandmaster. "No one comes to see me…" He uttered, mostly to himself. "I have been doing nothing…" For a moment, it seemed that the spark appeared in Terrance's eyes as the realization overcame him. Then it dimmed once more, and the vacant smile appeared once more on his face as Terrance looked back at Baradun. "I wish I could chat, but I have much to do today!" He dismissed Baradun with almost a robotic flick of his hand.
"Damn it." Baradun cussed and swept out of the room. He was too distraught to portal. He needed to walk, and spend some of his frustration doing so.
Back in the Chamber of the Grandmaster; Terrance was giving the door that had been slammed when Baradun left, a look as if it would suddenly break into song and dance. After an indefinite amount of time, Terrance seemed to relax into his seat. That spark returned to his eyes. He looked around, as if seeing everything for the first time after a very long trip. Then he took out a key that was tied to a string around his neck and used it to open one of the drawers in his desk. He took the contents out and placed it reverently on his desk.
It was the tomb of High Necromancy. The forbidden magic.