IdeaLover
Feed me ideas!
"You, who has wandered between worlds and come to rest in the Wayward, what is your name?" A man's voice reaches you. As you look to the source, sunlight coming from beyond an open door hides his figure. As your eyes adjust you see a tall but aged old man dawning a simple hooded robe and aided by an ornate staff.
"..." You answer with your name and nothing more.
"I see, but I forget myself. I am Forrest Aethers, the First Waygoer, and caretaker of the Wayward." Forrest looks you over once, before turning away. "I feel you have many questions, I did as well, but first, allow me to tell you a story of this world and its people. You may find some of your answers within." He leaves the dark room and passes the threshold of the door.
You gather yourself and follow him through the door. Your eyes adjust further, but you shield yourself as a strong gust of wind goes by. Upon opening your eyes, you are entranced by a clear red sky and a black sun. Despite those two oddities above, the land that stretches out below you appears normal, if not rural. Only then do you realize where you stand.
On the balcony of a tower of sorts, your gaze reaches the horizon. You turn to look behind you, expecting another part of the tower in which you had awoken. But there is nothing more than a sealed door.
"We must be going." Forrest gestures you to follow him. He taps the ground twice with the butt of his staff, the stone bricks that make up the floor lower into a staircase. "It's a long way down, plenty of time for my tale."
As the two of you descend the tower, Forrest asks one more question. "How old do I appear to you?"
"..." You find the question odd but give an honest answer.
He chuckles to himself. "You have the choice to believe me or not, but I have lived here for over ten centuries. Of my life before, I have little recollection, but it seems my time here has been endless..." As if remembering his entire life, Forrest stops for a moment, trailing off.
Inside the tower is dark aside from an occasional window. In the faint light you believe you saw tears and a pained expression on his face.
Forrest continues down the stairs, saying nothing of what you may have seen.
"I was and am the first of our kind to come to this world. The tower we are in now was the only structure at the time. The world below was untouched by man, still wild and free. Much of it remains so even to this day.
"I remember exploring the tower for several days. Learning of its secrets, every day I would return to that door above, hoping to see another like myself. A hundred days and hundred nights, I may have gone mad if it was any longer. My first companion was a man close in age to myself at the time, Steiner Tinders.
"In those hundred days I had found the tower's entrance on the base floor and only one other room, a small storehouse with dried meats and other lasting foods. In those first days, I did not hunger. I took stock of what food I had and determined how long is might last me. Luckily, I had been a farmer. Without proper tools, it took many tiring days to ready even a small field and with no source of water I had to rely on rainfall.
"Steiner was a good man but brash at times. He helped me with the fields, but he preferred the hearty taste of meat. Not long after his arrival, while we were moving our latest harvest to the storehouse, we...no, rather he found the entrance to another room. I swore I had never seen it before. Inside was a workshop of sorts, tools I did not recognize and materials I did not know of. Steiner was ecstatic. Apparently he was trained in the use of these tools, and he had never seen such well maintained stations. There weren't many materials, but he insisted on a sword for each of us and a few tools he felt were necessary. I remember my own joy when he promised to make a few tools that I had wished to have when toiling in the fields.
"Forgive me, I was enjoying a fond memory. In the days that passed we used our new tools to build structures we each felt were helpful to our survival. The thought of returning home, never even crossed our minds. Another hundred days had passed. In that time we had built small homes outside the tower and had cleared way for more fields. On multiple occasions we had attempted to explore the nearby areas, but the both of us knew very little of what we ought to look for. We made crude maps of the terrain and took note of anything that caught our eye. At sunset on that day I met my second companion.
"A young woman, she was terrified at first and wouldn't leave the Wayward. It took a few days for her to calm down. We mostly spoke to her from beyond the door and offered her food. Steiner was enamored with her from the start. Her name was Alice Scythia. She had an odd affinity for the elements. She knew which way we should go to find fresh water. On our next expedition with her we found a cave containing ores that Steiner could use. Alice was even able to help him refine some of ores more efficiently by adjusting the heat of the furnace. The two of them grew close very quickly. Just as before a new room was found within the tower. Alice had us both swear never to enter that room.
“Norton Orion was my third companion, a brilliant man who brought many ideas and inventions to this world. He was often at odds with Steiner, but the two had a mutual understanding as crafters. Steiner would smith the basic parts while Norton devised the more intricate components. His workshop appeared adjacent to Steiner's. They used to argue over the others’ racket while they were focusing, but I have a feeling they enjoyed each other's company. Norton told us of wonderful technologies. His knowledge was vast, but he focused on arming us. He was the first to voice desire to return home, that was until he met her.
“Irene Kindred was the name of my fourth companion. Unlike Alice, Irene was blunt and sometimes loud. She took a liking to Norton and often assisted him with his work. I remember them arguing once. Irene had done something to one of his inventions. Norton wasn’t mad, no, he was intrigued. Irene couldn’t explain herself. Often things like that would occur. Something happening with no clear explanation. Alice would sometimes try to explain, but Irene was somewhat secretive. Like Alice, her room was one not to be seen. At the time, we believed it to be simply a commonality among women.
“At the end of the next hundred days we found two within the Wayward, Taos Argos and Taos Estella…”
Forrest stops for a moment, staring out a nearby window. This time you clearly see tears falling down his aged face. “I believe that’s enough reminiscing. The dead are best forgotten.” He turns back to the stairwell and descends the steps. “Much time has passed and many more have arrived via the Wayward. As we built and expanded beyond the tower, we learned of the Ward that protects us. Past the Ward are dangers beyond comprehension, demons and beasts that show no mercy. In our blind pursuit for knowledge, we forged weapons, developed skills, and beseeched this world for power.
“Over the years armies grew. We expanded farther and farther beyond the Ward. But it all came crashing down. We awoke the terrors of this world. The Ward alone is the reason for our survival. The people are now fearful of the outside. The remaining armies have been forged into three factions. Rather than exploring the world once again, they control the land with their power. Only the Guild still sends Waygoers into the unknown. I won’t tell you to join them, but I feel you will of your own accord.”
You and Forrest arrive at the base of the tower. He taps his staff against the ground and the doors to the city open. “Before you go, do you still have any questions?”
