After noticing the sad state of lore for Unseen classes (can you believe that at the time I write this sentence, the only Unseen class with official lore is Assassin? Disappointing more than anything…), I have decided to try my hand once again at lore by writing on the Unseen faction overall, including class conversions, a brief treatise on the pre-story of Castle Adiart, and a secret so shocking that it may well blow your minds (totally not clickbait, there actually is a secret)! Note that this piece is likely incomplete in the form in which you see it. Sadly, my intelligence network is incomplete, and some of my scouts have yet to return…
When seeing this on the forums, italicized text like this will serve as Author’s Notes, as I realize that I can get a little…grandiose in my descriptions, and may fail to properly explain my writings within the writings themselves. If you see text like this, it’s either there to clarify because I think the section in question might be confusing in its present form, or it’s me speaking directly to you on the forums. Now to my actual message; the last part of that first paragraph simply means that I haven’t written all of these pieces of lore yet, and will update this post with my new lores as I write them, rather than create several different threads (since I plan on writing many pieces of lore on this subject). Speaking of many pieces, each piece of lore is hidden behind one of those little tabs below. Check them all out, or just the ones you’re interested in.
Before the Storm
It truly is saddening to see how much of the recent events in the castle have been tainted by rumor and gossip, though with the troubles occurring recently, it is easy to see how this came to happen. Allow me to begin this work by clarifying those recently contested issues of fact regarding the days leading up to the current trials at court.
First, I must touch upon a subject of great sadness…The King is dead. And while we have crowned his oldest son as our new King, as is proper, the King’s death was no accident. Our noble monarch was slain in his bed by an assassin of the treasonous rogues known as the Unseen.
I do not believe that the King that starts the game is the first King in the story (hereby referred to as “the first King”). My representation of the first King is a character that is never seen, for he is killed on what the game’s logic would observe as Night 0. This event starts the game, and the reason Day 1 is shortened is because of the crowning of the new King (the first King of the game, the second King of the story, hereby referred to as “the starting King”). From there, the game proceeds as normal.
The Unseen are a small group by their very nature, for they have secrets to keep, and secrets do not stay hidden for long when more people are made privy to their being. Two members’ roles within the group are known; the Mastermind, who handles sinister recruitment and whose face has reportedly never been seen, and the Assassin, who takes up the blade and strikes from the shadows to eliminate those the Unseen see as a threat to their plots. The other members of the Unseen are unknown…they could be any of the members at court, conspiring against the lawful Blue Dragon, and there are whisperings that even members of the royal family have aligned with the Unseen in a grab for power…
Royal Ties
I find that my writings have brought me to the subject of Castle Adiart’s royal family. Given the hasty succession of the new monarch as the throne desperately tries to avoid civil war in these trying times, the status of the royal bloodline has become somewhat hazy. Allow me once more to recount the surviving members of the royal bloodline and their relations to one another.
There is our newest King, firstborn son of the old King. His ascension to the throne marked the beginning of the trials at court, as the King swore “to punish those who seek to take the throne for selfish ends.” A noble statement at first glance, but some whisper that the King himself would fall under such a declaration…
There is our new King’s youngest brother…though the court does not care to address him in official record. Thinking of himself as a “spare prince”, he often neglected his studies and indulged himself in the luxuries of royalty. He can at times be seen wandering the halls of the castle in an inebriated stupor, harassing the good folk of the court, but he breaks no laws of the realm in this fashion.
Our newest King’s first son and the new crown Prince of Castle Adiart has grown up idolizing his grandfather. This scribe greatly doubts the rumors that the Prince could ever be aligned with the traitors who killed his grandfather, but must also acknowledge the Prince’s strange habit of spending his nights down in the dungeons…
One must never forget the fair Princess, daughter to our newest King. Wed to a prince of Castle Demwir in a political alliance, her beauty has long been the subject of much adoration among the people (and of many bawdy jokes at the tavern). It is important to note that through her marriage, her husband has been honored as a Noble of the court, and also holds the right to rule Castle Adiart should the throne once again be vacated.
In brief summary, the starting King is the oldest son of the first King, the Drunk is the King’s youngest son, the Prince is the first son of the starting King, the Princess is the daughter of the starting King, and the Noble is the Princess’ husband, not of the bloodline himself but still able to ascend to the throne due to his royal marriage.
From here, this scribe will endeavor to make an accurate account of the servitors of the Unseen as the scouts report in with relevant information
Illusionist
Terrible to Waste
“I see. Well, I have no reason to doubt you yet, but be sure to provide the court with any info you uncover. With any luck, you’ll find this cutthroat skulking about the castle.” Anyone who looked into the room might have thought this statement passing strange, for the woman speaking was alone in her quarters. But for the Psychic, physical distance meant little, as she was in the middle of telepathic communication with a member of the court who claimed to be observing the visits made by the court during the nights.
Ever since the death of the King and the subsequent efforts of the court to apprehend the culprits, known as the Unseen for their belief that none could identify them, the Psychic had been using her powers to establish a network of trust between various members of the court, in an effort to gather vital intelligence and bring the treasonous plot to an end. Her efforts had paid off, as the captain of the guard had been discovered to be allied with the Unseen thanks to her efforts, and put to the sword in public execution the day before.
The Psychic severed her communication with the Observer, for he protested that her voice in his head was disrupting his watch, and could not provide more information to her anyway. As she prepared herself for bed, a knock came from the door. Grumbling slightly at the fact that she would have to see to this visitor before her rest, she opened the door to find a middle-aged man before her, wrapped up in a cloak that looked much too large for him.
“Good evening, dear. I understand that you once worked closely with the Court Wizard, is that correct?”
Though her time with the Court Wizard was less of a professional relationship than him performing rather unpleasant tests on a young clairvoyant, she put on a soft smile and asked, “Why yes, that was me. Does he have a message for me?” After a moment, her smile disappeared, and she asked, “Did something happen to him?”
“I certainly hope not,” replied the Mastermind with a faked expression of worry. In truth, he did hope that the Court Wizard was still alive, since he had sent his Assassin to eliminate that accursed Physician. “I’m only here because I would assume that your work with the Court Wizard means you have some magical background. You see, I found this strange orb, and though it seems to have some magical power behind it, I’m afraid I haven’t the slightest idea what that magic entails. I was hoping you could help me to shed some light on the issue.” As he spoke, he removed a glass orb, decorated with strange etchings, from a satchel under his cloak.
The Psychic knew this sort of object well. It was a scrying orb, the same sort that she used when her power was weaker. A person with clairvoyant abilities could use the orb to envision a distant person, place or object to strengthen and focus their link. Although the etchings were unlike any she had seen on such an orb, she felt confident that she could easily figure out their purpose, and whether or not they affected the device.
“I believe I can figure out this artifact for you, sir. Though if I may, I’d like to sleep now. I’ll examine this tomorrow, and let you know what it does.”
“Thank you, dear. Now then, you mentioned sleep? Sounds lovely at this hour.” The Mastermind and Psychic laughed, although for different reasons, before he shuffled off down the hall. The Psychic set the orb on her table, before finally lying down and drifting off to sleep…
Except for the fact she couldn’t seem to sleep all of a sudden. All she could think about was the orb she had been given by the strange man, with his kindly smile and…why couldn’t she remember anything else of his face? Curiosity finally getting the better of her, she tossed off her covers and went to the table, intent on studying this blasted orb.
But the moment she focused her mind through the orb, it responded to her mind, glowing a dull red and casting a projection onto the wall of her room. She saw the old King speaking with the Court Wizard, although the King looked as young as he did in his royal portrait. Their lips moved, but their voices could only be heard in the Psychic’s head.
“You say the girl can project her mind? This is…a troubling power indeed.” The King seemed grim in his countenance.
“Indeed, my king. Her thoughts echo in the heads of others, and she suddenly knows their secrets as if she had lived their lives.” The Court Wizard, unlike the King, seemed almost excited by the conversation, but he quickly noticed the King’s unrest. “Is…something wrong, my king?”
“Having a mind-reader in the court is a risk I cannot take. She can subvert any number of my spies, gather information to conspire against the court with none being the wiser…We must deal with this. She cannot be allowed to live, lest she turn against us.” The Psychic couldn’t believe what she was hearing. The King, ordering the death of a little girl with the same powers as her? But the Psychic had been trained in her gifts, and taught to aid the King however possible. But…if this was the old King she was seeing, then this was some time ago…which meant…
“My king, perhaps the girl can be of use to us. We can take her in…study her abilities. If we teach her loyalty to you, you need not worry about her aiding your enemies, and if we can learn where her powers come from, we can strengthen your spy network and never again have to fear dissent!” This was exactly what the Court Wizard had done with her, and the Psychic realized that the orb was allowing her to see through time, showing her the King and Court Wizard plotting to take her from her home and train her as an agent in service to the King.
They had taken her away from everything she had ever known…A scared little girl, who only wanted her mother, forced to live in the castle, subjected to tests, focusing seven years into perfecting her abilities until they came as second nature, all because the King wanted power? He wanted to be safe? And even then, he couldn’t keep himself safe from the Unseen! The Unseen…The treasonous rebels who sought to depose the King, but if the King was so heartless, were the Unseen truly evil?
Then the image changed, and the Psychic saw the old man in his black robe. The etchings on the orb started to glow, and the Psychic, barely paying attention, recognized the symbol for darkness. The old man seemed to lean down from the wall, and whisper directly into her ear. “Meet me in the bowels of the castle tomorrow night. We will bring you justice for the hardships you have faced.” The Illusionist smiled. Justice was finally on her side.
Marshal
Rule of Law
The Sheriff sighed as he returned to his quarters. The last two days had been rather troubling for him. He was the finest interrogator in the kingdom, able to extract any information from his subject, even without resorting to violent methods like some of the more…unscrupulous servitors of the King. He slowed his walk as he remembered the night before, being dragged down to the dungeons and thrown into a dark cell. For the first time in his life, he was the one being interrogated, for he had found that the Princess of the kingdom was secretly working with the Unseen. Despite his accusation, most of the court believed the Princess, and she had been pardoned of treason. That night, the crown prince had paid him a visit.
“You seek to sow discord among the royal bloodline?” Asked the Prince from just outside the cell door.
“For the last time, it is immaterial that she is the King’s daughter. She wishes to see this court torn apart, and she has allied with the traitorous Unseen to do so!”
“Silence! I will not have you speaking ill of my own sister. You will hold your tongue, and if you choose to ignore this warning, I won’t let the court try you for your stupidity. I’ll be judge, jury, and executioner.” After that, the prince had left the dungeon, leaving the Sheriff to spend the night in the cold, dark cell until one of the castle servants had come down the next morning, discovered his plight, and freed him.
The next day at court was hardly better. Being that the Sheriff had been publicly slandered the day before, they wouldn’t have listened to him even if he had ignored the Prince’s warning and resumed his accusations. But because he held his tongue, the princess continued to operate with impunity, and it was only thanks to the loyal captain of the guard that the Unseen’s assassin was intercepted and killed as he attempted to murder the king’s butler in cold blood. The king’s physician, sadly, had been hanged due to the false accusation of a madwoman, who blamed the physician for the death of her husband. How the court could trust the scorned widow or the traitorous Princess over him was baffling to the Sheriff.
Now, the Sheriff returned to his quarters, knowing he must continue to root out the Unseen traitors but also knowing that he likely would not be trusted in his accusations. As he ruminated on this conundrum, he noticed that the torchlight in the passage was growing dimmer, and suddenly he heard another pair of footsteps behind him.
“Shame what they’ve done to your good name, sir.” The Sheriff stopped and turned to face the man addressing him; a plain looking fellow of middling age in an oversized cloak. The Sheriff thought the cloak strange, but the castle was drafty at times, and perhaps this fellow didn’t take well to the cold.
“What do you mean, my good name? I have no good name anymore. The entire royal family has denounced me because they refuse to believe that the princess is a traitor.” The Sheriff could feel his anger rising in the place of his misery.
“I believe that you are still an honorable man. And the work you’re doing is essential. The problem is not yours, it’s that of the royal family. They believe themselves above their own laws. It’s a tragic thing for those who don’t hold their favor, wouldn’t you agree?”
The Sheriff stopped to think for a moment. This man was right…the royal family frequently broke their own laws in their questionable behavior. The Drunk harassed the good people of the court, the Prince dragged them to the dungeons and threatened them with murder, the King sent his own guards to execute people with no fair trial…He honestly wasn’t surprised anymore to think that the Princess had cast her lot with the Unseen. It was simply another example of a royal bending the law to suit their own ends.
The Mastermind could see the frustration on the Sheriff’s face. He sighed and casually stated, “It’s a shame that such people are the same who enforce the laws. They find themselves above all reproach for their misdeeds.”
At this, the Sheriff straightened as if shocked. His epiphany had come with one undeniable truth; justice could not be done so long as the royal family stayed in power. He reached for the Mastermind’s shoulder in the now pitch-black corridor and said, “I think, my new friend, that it is possible to show the royal family their proper punishment. But I cannot do it alone. Would you help me in my goal?”
“Certainly, Marshal. But not here. Come…It’s time to introduce you to my new Assassin. I believe you’ve met her before.”
Sellsword
Root of All Evil
The Mercenary stood guard outside her employer’s door, watching vigilantly for any who might seek to do them harm. As she waited, her thoughts turned to the court that day. The sight of all those nobles, pockets jingling with gold, and she was contracted to a simple Psychic who paid her in food alone. She found herself yearning for the riches of the others at court. Then he appeared.
At first, she thought him a visitor to her employer, and drew her weapon in an effort to frighten him off. He merely chuckled in a gravelly voice, and said “I have not come for your master. I have come for you.” He lowered his hood, and she recognized him as one of the rich men she had seen at court that day.
“My…associate and I seek protection in these troubled times, and you come on good word as a reliable bulwark against the threats of the court.”
“Words are cheap. I don’t work for cheap.”
“Oh, money is no object. We intend to hire you long-term, and we can repay you with the treasures of the King himself…”
He flashed a purse of gold, and she could hear the coins jingling within. Despite her sense of foreboding, she found herself intrigued by his offer.
“How long-term are we talking here?”
“Until our business with the court is concluded. In the meantime, consider this…a down payment.” He tossed the purse to her, and she caught it skillfully. “Find me tomorrow night if you’re interested.” He donned his hood once more and seemed to vanish into the shadows. The Mercenary tossed the coin purse into the air and caught it once more, feeling the weight of the gold she had received.
She was definitely interested.
…I mentioned a shocking secret, didn’t I? Well, this is troubling… My most experienced scout hasn’t been heard from since he sent me a missive to tell me that he had uncovered the true origin of the Mastermind. He was apparently hesitant to put all the details in print, and given the nature of his information, I fear he may have been targeted for elimination…
You really wanted that secret, didn’t you, reader? Sorry to say, but I can’t give away the secret so early in this lore masterthread’s existence. You’ll just have to wait until my “scout” is able to “report in.” But because I’m not completely heartless, you do get a teaser as to what the secret is meant to be about, and if you pay attention to the lore, you might be able to figure it out before the scout returns.
Sad to say that more here will have to be forthcoming. Post below with fanmail, constructive criticism, or suggest which scout reports back to me next. You might just see your suggestion be next added to this totally unofficial masterthread.
And before I go (yes, I know I’m rambling), I’d like to give one Internet to Summoner Vulgard, for being the first to suggest a class for the masterthread. Illusionist…You gave me a hardball, friend, but it was exactly what I needed.
Update Logs
2/22/18: Thread created, with Before the Storm and Royal Ties, as well as lore for the Illusionist, Marshal, and Sellsword.
