Quick facts
Campaign: The Wonders of Arlia (Campaign 1) · Where: Ginger Town and Fire Mountain, Ginger Peach · Party: Greene, Juliette, Elyon · Next: C1 Chapter 02
The Ox-Queen gathered the first members of what would become The Cacklers and sent them after an old hermit who might be able to put out a cursed fire. Their payment turned out to be the first of the Star Orbs.
A world on edge
Arlia had gone centuries without a global empire, ever since the last reign of Isidar the Conqueror. That peace was starting to crack. Rumors drifted west across the Grave E. Sea about a private army that seemed to come from nowhere, somewhere east of East City. It called itself the Rose Ribbon Army. Towns in the East were being destroyed and ransacked, and since the army rarely left survivors, nobody knew what it wanted. The West, which had little love for the East, did not much care.
The Ox-Queen’s summons
The story began in Ginger Town, in the Crepe Republic, where The Ox-Queen had summoned three people. She called Greene because he had abandoned the Rose Ribbon Army. She called Juliette because of her past jobs and her recent loss. She called Elyon because of her latent talent, and because Elyon’s mother had just been killed by the Thorned Rose (Meo), who had also kidnapped her father, Kellam.
The Ox-Queen’s home sat on top of Fire Mountain, and a sorceress had laid a magical fire curse over the mountain that kept her from reaching it. She was desperate to have the fire put out before it spread to the rest of the Crepe Republic. She believed an old friend of hers could help: Master Toshi, a hermit and ancient martial arts master who had trained her father.
Master Toshi
The party found Toshi at his home on the coast of Ginger Peach. He agreed to consider their request only after they did him a favor. The next night a clutch of sea turtle eggs would hatch, and he wanted the hatchlings protected on their way to the water. The party fought off stirges and two kenku, and the little turtles made it to the ocean.
That night Toshi spoke with each of them alone. He told Greene about his own past adventure stopping the evil King Piccolo, and how his master, Mutatio, had sealed Piccolo in a magical container for the rest of time. He gave Greene his Power Pole. He gave Elyon his Flying Nimbus and talked with her about self-confidence and about his own former teacher, Master Korrin. To Juliette he gave a pair of scouter lenses, and he sympathized with her over her loss.
Putting out the fire
Toshi went with them to Fire Mountain. The Ox-Queen asked him to fire his most powerful kamehameha wave at the mountain to kill the flames. He hesitated, then agreed. The blast blew the mountain to pieces and destroyed the castle on top of it.
The Ox-Queen told the party their payment was somewhere in the rubble and that they would know it when they found it. After searching, they turned up the Four Star Orb. The Ox-Queen then told them the legend of the seven Star Orbs, ancient magical orbs created by Kami, the guardian of Arlia. Whoever gathered all seven could summon Shenlong, an eternal dragon who would grant any wish within his power, to the wisher’s content. She also told them the sorceress who had cursed the mountain was connected to the Rose Ribbon Army.
Toshi had one more piece of advice. His sister, Fortuneteller Yaba, might be able to find the other six orbs. She lived in a palace in Pepper City, though anyone who wanted an audience had to beat her champions first. The party set off to find her.
Next: Chapter 2: Yaba’s Trials