Arrival to Zorolai

Population Migration / Travel

The journey at sea had lasted roughly three weeks, though anyone not keeping count might have felt it was far longer....

The journey at sea had lasted roughly three weeks, though anyone not keeping count might have felt it was far longer. Pulminov was still working on ways to speed up their boats, but for the time being, the wind and water were all that moved the vessels bound for Zorolai. Many of the fresh adventurers on board had never sailed before and endured a tough journey. Others had found the rocking of the boats familiar or soothing, but they were still crowded, smelly, and surrounded by a blue expanse of nothing in all directions. After three long weeks stuck together, though, the ship had finally dropped anchor at Redbar Island, in the middle of Creston’s main docks.   Bags were offloaded, legs were stretched over solid ground once more, and the crowd of new adventurers arriving on the island were collectively herded toward the nearby OTC Headquarters for a mandatory meeting. There, three figures quickly arrived, prepared for introductions and briefings.   A round halfling man with golden, backswept hair stood front and center, his wealth worn on his clothes, and confidence far greater than his height clear in his posture. An elegant human woman stood to his right, dark skinned with geometric tattoos from fingers to shoulders, in a long sleeveless coat. A densely muscled half-orc man flanked their left with folded arms, a warrior’s history on his mostly exposed torso, clad in hides, and well-armed. With a great, deep breath, the halfling raised his chin and spoke out in a magically augmented voice.   “My furthest travelers and wonderful new associates: Welcome to Zorolai! Your journey has no doubt been far too long, so we’ll keep this brief, for now. I hope your travels have treated you as well as can be managed, but now that you’ve arrived, the real challenges lie ahead."   “By some means, you have all heard of what awaits on the continent beyond the shores of this safe little island haven. That continent, our Zorolai, is currently full of, quite honestly, the stuff of nightmares. But beneath the dangers and frights, there is an expansive, beautiful place, waiting to be explored, tamed, and built into a new world. We here, and all the people we represent, have a goal and a dream that this continent can fulfill, and all our hopes rest on your shoulders. Fear not, for it is an ambitious burden that we all carry together, and united, we may find that it is not too heavy a task. You all have a role to play to make that burden lighter, and rest assured, for our grand expedition to succeed, your role will be necessary.”   “For those affiliated with the esteemed scientists and arcanists of Pulminov Research & Industry, madam Amantha Preslock will guide you to your new quarters and workstations with briefings of her own. For those who stand with the fearless huntsmen and warriors of the Peregrine Pact, sir Julkon Hidepiercer will show you to the barracks and halls of his pack and grant you their initiations. To anyone here in service to the Ostron Trading Company, your packet from us should include a designation for your new home, which you will find in our Complimentary Lodging District here in Creston, as well as directives outlining your future with us. Today and tomorrow are yours to spend as you see fit around Creston; after that, your new work stations will be waiting to meet you, so be prepared. And finally, those of you who have arrived as working independents — of which, I believe there are many of you — will have an expeditioner’s packet of your own. Should you follow Miss Preslock and Mister Hidepiercer to the south-west coast of the island behind their direct associates, you will find your new home, and its stewards, awaiting your arrival.”   “Now then! I’m sure that many of you are famished and eager to get situated. Please, let me keep you no further. Once again, welcome to Zorolai, to Redbar Island, and to Creston! My name is Darion Wickercap, head of Zorolai operations for the Ostron Trading Company. Thank you for joining our grand expedition, and on behalf of our entire island, we look forward to having you.”   The halfling bowed and waved, then stepped back between the other two figureheads, and seemingly vanished as they stepped forward. The woman, Amantha Preslock, spoke first.   “Greetings, travelers. As the Expedition Lead for our branch of Pulminov Research & Industry, I can tell you right now, we have an immense and uncertain journey ahead of us. But it is not a journey we should fear; the uncertainty is only a sign of untapped potential.”   Her hands emerged from behind her back, weaving through the air, and a spectral image came together from arcane energy to show an unnatural image. A tear in space seemed to form around it, like a rip through paper but across three dimensions, with a void behind the gap that shed no color, yet stung at people’s eyes as if it were bright light. The very air around it seemed to twist and turn, as if bent out of place and straining to return to normal. The brief view of a hilltop at the bottom of the spectral image had discolored growths in the place of grass that bent and stretched as if being blown away from the hole in space. The image lasted long enough for everyone to get one good look, then dissipated back into the clean, windy air it had been before. - “For those who have never seen one in person: that, dear travelers, was an interplanar tear. Here on Zorolai, you can have some peace in knowing that the largest one in the world, the original Rift, is as far away from us as it can physically be. Little tears, though, like the one you just saw, are dotted across this continent like nowhere else, along with their much smaller ripple companions. And you can bet that they mean danger, the sort that nearly all the world would never have known a century ago. But out of the darkness of today’s crisis, a light at the end is emerging.” - Amantha reached beneath her coat and produced a small orb, caged in rings of steel but glowing with teal energy from within. As if repulsing her grip, it never quite touched her fingertips. - “This little guy, right here, is our first step toward a better, brighter future. And with your help, the potential of that future will start to become a lot more clear. Whether you’ve come with a desire to create or with the will to devote yourself to the pursuits of science and the arcane arts alike, everyone has the capacity to contribute, even if you don’t yet know how. Pulminov is the beating heart of world industry, and Zorolai is the catalyst that will empower possibility. To all of my associates: I look forward to your future with us. To everyone else: your hard work will give us the power to succeed, and our hard work will, in turn, give you the power to soar in a world where you have only walked. The more of Zorolai we can reach, the stronger our heart will beat.” - Her hand grazed her heart, and she concluded her short speech by pocketing the device once more. As she glanced over toward Julkon Hidepiercer with a grin, the half-orc sighed and unfurled his arms. - “Good day, people. Uh, look, the Peregrine Pact has sent one of its best packs here for good reason. You all saw that tear, just now. Those things spit out a lot of bad shit. Not all of it is shit you can see or even fight, but for better or worse, a lot of it actually is. And everything we know about Zorolai before these things were a problem is that there were already some of the most dangerous monsters ever documented out there. So now, well, it’s a bit of a shit show.” - “But hey, that’s why we’re here. There are no finer hunters of monsters, whether they’re a part of this world or from someplace else, than the warriors in the Pact. You can be damned sure this is a challenge we chose to meet head-on. And hey, to be blunt for a second: We get paid pretty damn well to do it. If that’s not enough for you, then maybe you’re here for something more than that — call it a purpose, if that means anything to you, or maybe just good old glory. Let me tell you, if taking on a predatory monstrosity you don’t know the first thing about, from a world you’ve never seen, in a place that’s poised to kill you in every way you can’t even imagine — and living to tell about it — isn’t the most glorious thing you can imagine, then hell, you’re probably more creative than me, ‘cause I don’t know what is.” - “So, yeah. We’re all in for a rough ride — especially you, my hunters — but that’s the whole damn point. Whether you’re out to impress your gods, or take your claim to fame back home with trophies and shit, or you’re just a simpleton trying to make a living and prove yourself, we’ve got your back, as long as you’ve got ours. We’re all in this together, hunters and others alike, and that’s a promise. So let’s get to it. Hunters: today, you rest, and we catch everyone up to speed. Tomorrow, the pack puts you to work, and there’s plenty to go around.” - Julkon folded his arms once more and stepped back. Amantha turned her smile back to the crowd and clasped her hands together, ready to lead the newcomers forward. - “Let’s get you all situated. Your new lives are waiting.”