Hexane

Just got a second and finished watching the Drow Pimp battle. Wowza! As a suggestion, I'd recommend changing it up a bit, you did post the entire Hexane ending in text and kept it up for a year. That way, Even if someone had it saved, it'd still be a surprise.

(spoilers below, highlight if you want to see)

I thought two Phoenixes died and got prototyped in the Pimp battle, and he ended up retreating instead of getting killed. Am I remembering incorrectly, or...

Oh, yeah, I just noticed. The "suggestions" link below the MSPFanventures dropdown still links to the mspaforums, which are down. mspaforums.com/showthread.php?56641-Hexane-Thread-IV

Thanks for letting me know. I've removed that.

Asterion (the First Guardian) actually sacrificed himself a while back on page 2995 (can't add a link, I'm in mobile) to reduce Asterion (the Ego's) power. That's why it took him a year to fly to the session instead of being able to teleport to it using FG powers.

(Sorry about my lateness. I had homework and an orthodontist.)

Tale of the Orphans: Part 1

MacGòbhlan, Codifier of the Arcane, First Archmage, and Wizard-King of Alba and Voice of the Celts


Before the history of MacGòbhlan is narrated, here is some background information about the historical role of magic. While in modern times the average Roman citizen only encounters magic occasionally through the artifice of a street mage, in the pre-Industrial Era it, like religion, was an influential actor in politics, and its historic conflict with technology was the cause of many tensions and even wars between countries. However, after the Industrial Revolution magic lost much of its prominence, as a commoner could operate advanced devices with little training, while it took a mage years just to master simple spells. Still, remember that in the time period we are discussing plebians could not overpower many wizards just by purchasing assault rifles and ganging up on them in groups using brute firepower. A wizard was a feared man (or woman), commanding arcane power, and holding much influence, just like a bishop. However, this was a development of the end of the First Interregnum, as before the 12 century magic was a primitive and inefficient art, more of a force of nature worshiped by pagans and utilized by foul beasts than a tool of man. This changed, and history was forever altered, by the subject of this article.

The conflicts that shaped Britain were often ones between natives and invaders. The First Imperium attempted to Romanize the native Britons, but a collapsing empire forced the retreat of the ancient legions. The next, more serious invasion occurred in the chaos of the early First Interregnum, as invading Germanic tribes poured into southern Britain, displacing the native Celtic peoples that had once been Roman subjects. The Anglo-Saxons suddenly had an advantage over the remaining Celts, as southern Britain retained much of the old Roman infrastructure, and they quickly established powerful realms that united into a kingdom, England, its territories spanning the ancient lands controlled by the Romans. Much resentment and fear towards the invaders was cultivated by the Celts, especially in Wales, and in this climate, a man stepped into the fray. MacGòbhlan (Scottish Gaelic for "grandson of Swallow"), his given name lost to history (or perhaps he only had one name) was supposedly found in the wilderness by a shepherd, who brought the baby boy back home to raise as his own son. MacGòbhlan, however, had no taste for herding sheep, and as a youth he ran away to wander the lands of Britain. Always curious, he was miraculously able to gain an education in those tribal lands through some coastal merchants, and he recorded his observations of his Celtic kinsman. He felt the antipathy of the natives, his kinsman, distant or close, towards the Anglo-Saxon conquerors of England, relevant even though at that time the kingdom had been usurped by a Norman ruler, William the Bastard. MacGòbhlan became more involved in the traditions of the Britons, until one day, he stumbled upon a mysterious group of pagans. These were one of the last remaining practitioners of the ancient Celtic art of druidry, a primitive nature-worshiping magic. MacGòbhlan stayed with the druids, recording the various rituals of the order, trying to make sense of the practice. He began to experiment, to understand the fundamental laws of this magic, and after years of toiling, underwent a breakthrough. He devised many of the founding theories of magic, such as the laws of arcane potential and conductance, elementary spell patterns, and basic rituals. However, he did not publish his discoveries for a simple reason: He had a mission. The Britons and Gaels, both Celtic kinsman, had been marginalized and dominated ever since the first Roman boots landed on the shores of Britain. First came the Imperium, then the Germans, and now the French! He knew he would have to put an end to this. From now on his driving force would be to "secure the existence of [his] people and the survival of Celtic culture." Returning to Scotland, he began to put his plans into action, teaching trusted acquaintances in his new practice of magic, but always making sure that he was the most capable wizard around. Then, in the year 1124 C.E., MacGòbhlan saw an opportunity to strike, and his seizure of it would further push his name into history. The High King of Scotland, Alexander I, had died childless, sparking a succession crisis. In the chaos, MacGòbhlan revealed himself as a sorcerer and carried a claim on the throne fabricated with his artifice. After defeating the other contender for the throne, David, he usurped the crown and declared himself Mage-King of Alba. This new state would practice a unique form of government: arcanocracy, a system where the provinces of Alba would be ruled by sorcerer-nobles who did not inherit, and those with the potential for wielding magic could be educated in a national academy established by MacGòbhlan himself. While retaining some elements of feudalism, arcanocracy was closer to the imperial bureaucracy practiced in China since the Han dynasty. In addition, the Latin Church would be banned, and an arcane state religion derived from ancient Celtic beliefs was to be instated in its place, with MacGòbhlan as the Archmage, or religious head. Many of the peasants were horrified at the sight of their churches being sacked and sorcerers ruling the land, and MacGòbhlan had to contend with many revolts against the "pagan witches" who had taken over Scotland. However, in the end the peasants learned to obey their new masters, in fear of harsh punishment. MacGòbhlan's later reign was a time of peace, and the Mage-King, through his craft, lived for more than a hundred and fifty years. During that period a famous rivalry with the Kingdom of England, one that would last for seven centuries, began, as MacGòbhlan's Celtic irredentism put him at odds with the rulers of the kingdom. However, his reign would end in terrible bloodshed, for in 1257 C.E., the Sunset Invasion would arrive in Europe. While reports of an unknown force pillaging Iceland had come before the further movement of the Aztlan forces, no one could have been prepared for the horror that would descend upon western Europe. On one fateful day in the Scottish Isles, a massive armada of ships arrived. They were seemingly of Norse construction, but carved with alien patterns and decorated with colorful feathers. The native villagers fled in horror as a titanic army of strange warriors, wearing feathered headdresses and wielding sharp iron weapons, marched into land, on a spree of killing, looting, and capturing "important" prisoners. The army landed in mainland Scotland, crushing the best efforts of the wizard-enhanced Scottish armies and leaving nothing but destruction and death in their wake. MacGòbhlan was almost captured himself, but was barely able to flee as the Aztlan forces breached his castle. Those who were captured were less fortunate, as they were sentenced to be sacrificed to the Aztlan sun god, first at primitive shrines and later at large stone temples quickly constructed with leftover tools and slave labor. The Aztlan army turned Scotland into a beachhead and logistics hub for their further incursion into Europe, an important node connecting Greenland and the New World to the Old World. Even today, there are still traces of the Sunset Invasion in Scotland, old artifacts, non-Old World genetic sequences, villages that were razed and never rebuilt, and, most notably, a number of stone pyramids still stand as a testament to the old Aztlan religion. However, MacGòbhlan, who by this point was nearing the end of his life, had one last trick up his sleeve. With failing health, he ventured once more to the land of Wales, until he reached a scenic beach. With a boat he sailed out into the sea, muttering ancient spells as he ventured into a fog. Finally, he reached a clearing, centered around an island that had not been touched by human hands for seven centuries. In this mythical place, he would find his successor. Perched atop a hill was an ancient castle, crumbling and worn. Into this castle MacGòbhlan walked feebly. In a chamber below ground lay a stone sarcophagus, surrounded by moldy tapestries, and inscribed with ancient symbols of royalty and druidism. At this place MacGòbhlan began his last great work. He conducted a great ritual, one meant to save Britain and the Celts, from the barbarians of the Sunset, and to continue his legacy. As the ritual progressed, an ancient energy began to pulse within the castle, and at the moment of its completion, the sarcophagus lid slid off by an arcane force. In the sarcophagus lay the body of a man, dressed in ancient armor and wearing an ornate crown. The man had been miraculously preserved, and MacGòbhlan watched as the man began to stir in front of his very eyes. The one true king of Britain had awakened, returning in the Island's time of greatest need. MacGòbhlan, now on his deathbed, describing how times had changed since the king had slept and instructing him of his mission before collapsing, the life force having been drained out of him. The man knew what must be done next. From the castle strode Arthur, revived king of the Britons, and as he sailed back to the mainland, one thing was certain: a Pendragon must succeed where a Gòbhlan had failed. However, the history of the Age of Strife is something we will not be covering in this series.

(So, that's the backstory for post-Scratch Mack written. I know an Axtec invasion, which I ripped straight from a Crusader Kings 2 DLCs, sounds implausible, but it will be explained in a later article.)

Yeah. I try to work in the historical context of the humans' names and their geographical location in Hexane.

This is getting interesting...
And now we start finding out way into new things, unanticipated by the original "summary".
EEEEE this is gonna be great!

I dunno, I don't think we're as close as a lot of people think! I give it about a year more, honestly.

I'm offended that you think the penultimate battle of Hexane would only be 2.5 minutes long!


But nah, we still have a lot of things to wrap up! If Hexane were almost done at this point I never would stopped.

Thank you, but... what does this even mean?

Terrible. Like, the worst ending to anything ever. The fact that it was so bad was partially what made me come back to Hexane, to show that ANYONE can do better than whatever that was. Sure, it was pretty, but it left way more questions than answers, it didn't even SHOW the final battle, and there was no closure at all.