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Highly esteemed Legate,

Writing to you is I, Nadiri Voutan Mair. You might have heard about what has befallen me, but if you have not I will give a short summary. A wild flux of irrate magic affected my body, and I have been transmuted so that my guise is now that of a Hobgoblin.

My mind however is still my own, and my mental faculties fully intact.

You can imagine how dreadful of an experience this has been.

Yet, there is hope. The Tower's foremost experts on transmutations, Nadiris and Apothars, have prepared a retransformation experiment. Reagents for this has been collected. Yet, there is one thing lacking. Little remain from my prior form, only but a few hairs from my pillow. Thus, more genetic human material is required to direct the magic into re-transforming me into a man, and our master transmuter have asked for human blood samples.

Perhaps I am vain, but I would prefer someone handsome rather than a street beggar. And so I pen this letter to you. Would you be willing to offer me your aid in this awful travesty that has befallen me?

I can offer little in recompense that I imagine you do not already have, but a chance to perhaps see something exciting in a marvelous arcane experiment. If you have anything else you would bid from me in return, do ask.

Humbly,
Nadiri Voutan Mair

Recluta Donisthrope,

Thank you again for your swift services. Reading through our contract again, written is 'individuals'. Is it possible to make an amendment to include 'institutions'?

Nadiri of the Tower of Q'tolip
Voutan Mair

P.S. I would invite you to meet with me in the Tower of Q'tolip, that is. It is the safest place for me, at the moment.

Recluta Danisthrope,

Thank you for your express reply. Let us meet in person to discuss terms? I will send a messenger when we are both available.

Nadiri of the Tower of Q'tolip
Voutan Mair

[A scratchily written letter]

Banda Rossa,

You have probably heard about my terrible magical mishap, where my body was transformed into that of a Hobgoblin. However, my faculties remain completely intact and my personality has not changed.

I am not asking to enter your Krak as I can understand you do not want your drinking customers upset.

My predicament comes from external sources placing bounties on my head.

You are a mercenary company.

I would like to negotiate a contract for your company to not take any contract/bounty raised against myself. Would that be possible, please write a reply and let us set up a time to meet.

Nadiri of the Tower of Q'tolip
Voutan Mair

Janissaries of the Fourth Legion,

I pen this letter to express my thanks to Soldier Elara for defending me against the ignorant woman who placed a bounty upon my head. It came as a dreadful shock as I woke up this morning.

I also write this to inform you of the unfortunate travesty which has befallen me. A magical mishap that took place against my will and against my own want has indeed transformed my body into that of a hobgoblin. There is no one to be blamed as for what happened. There were other present who can attest to this, for one Nadiri Shum. Despite the perhaps dreadful apperance of my body, I retain my full mental faculties and personality. I am still me. My foremost priority is still the protection of Ephia's Well and my dedication is to its people.

We are working at the Tower of Q'tolip on reversing these transmutative changes to my body. I do not intend to venture out, but I deemed it wise that you had heard from me incase I at some point were forced to. To inform you of my current state as to not frighten any posted janissary seeing the visage of a hobgoblin in Nadiri robes, with the hope that I was not directly cut down in the streets.

With Highest regards,
Nadiri Voutan Mair

[Adressed to the magistrates is a letter stamped with the official mark of the Astronomers of Q'tolip. The handwriting is somewhat scratchy]

Highly esteemed Magistrates,

I awoke today to the dreadful news that a bounty had been placed on my head by an ignorant inhabitant of the Well. I have with this letter attached a transcription of the bellows made.

Code Select Expand

Horrified, Well-to-Do Woman
THE ASTRONOMERS ARE HOBGOBLINS! They're infiltrating us. Ephia's Well. The hobgoblins, I see them. In their hoods. Lurking in the shadows. String the bloody lot of them up! Every last blue-robed hobgoblin freak!
10,000 dinars to the one who puts down that monstrous hobgoblin!
Soldier Elara was quick to inform the populace that taking up this bounty would have legal consequences, which I am grateful for. However, she is an enforcer of the law and not the one who makes the final interpretation, that is you. As I have so far not heard any clarification from anyone of you on this issue announced I write this letter.

• Firstly, I would be grateful for a clarification to the general public that this bounty shall not be deemed legal to act upon

• Secondly, being a Voiced Citizen myself, a dedicated servant to the city and a veteran of the battle of Arslan, should it not be illegal in itself to raise a bounty upon my head? Has this woman not commited a crime, trying to incite bounty-hunters to kill me? This could set a very poor example for the future if not acted upon

There is truth to the reports that a terrible arcane mishap took place, and my body was transmuted into that of a hobgoblin. However, my mental faculties are still fully intact and my personality has not changed. Thus, I find it highly unmoral to be treated like less than human only due to my apperance. We at the Tower of Q'tolip are working on a solution to returning my human form.

Highest regards,
Nadiri Voutan Mair

Great job.

I really enjoyed Cosine. He was a great counterpart to Caddy, and our interactions coming from different viewpoints of the world was always stimulating. He was the main representative of the Astronomers for me learning about the factions of the server.

Just like FSP I don't have many screenshots of Cosine that don't include spoilers so I will just leave this:

Stranger, my hat off to you! 

[Adar 24th, IY 7787]

[A thick leather tome, containing the personal writings of scribe Amound al-Dok]

Adar 24th, IY 7787

Arrival
I have reached the Ephia's Well after a long journey of the caravan across wastes and desert, from my posting at the refugee offices at Baz'eel. Truth be told, I do not know if this is a promotion, or if I have been just stowed away further yet from the Palace. Perhaps a bit of both, too slow to run the Palace Halls, but deserving of something more than a mere outposting. Never the less, the Ephia's Well seems to have a grave need of scribes, things seems to be out of order.

My personal belongings had arrived, but was handled by some young scribe named "Martin", apparently the son of the Chief Scribe. They were thus sent back to Baz'eel and I can now expect them to arrive again in... Six months and twelve days. Dreadful.

Other than that, I have been introduced to my post by Deputy Chief Scribe Aaisa al-Samar, a quick witted ashfolk. She seems to run a tight ship, perhaps they are indeed just understaffed.

I had a brief run in with Legate Marcellus Saenus, I look forward to get to know him better and this applied way of "Asterbadian Principles" on which this city is run. Who knows if it will work out in the end?

I hope my brother can find solace and peace here.

[Signed with a flourish]
Amound al-Dok

So, there it goes. Figured I'd write a few lines and post a few cool shots I've got.

I created Caddy back in this fall, making a new character to explore the server after having the EFU-itch again. I didn't really know much about the setting as I only played a short while at the start of the new chapter. Caddy was intended to be a gutter-bandit, where either I was executed for my crimes or I would plead for mercy and conscription as punishment, getting to join the Janissaries and try out one of the factions. It didn't turn out that way, as in the middle of my low level circuit I was stopped by a gang of thugs in Green, and their Sergeant Ludovich, who recruited me. I figured I would cut the prolgue and just jump straight into the Janissaries.

Caddy was very loosely mapped out from the start, a man from a small village having served in an army and fought in wars, now finding himself in a strange land but unable to escape the shackles of his past experiences. I drew inspiration for him from Joe Abercrombies books and the Northmen.

Now, shots!

Caddy started his confusing life as a Scarab suffering from a terrible texture bug. It took me a few days to figure out what was going on. In the beginning I actually thought Shum was some kind of exotic Cinquefoil breed


He was taught the ropes by the other members of the Legion, and there was also room for me to learn. I could not for the life of me be bothered to remember what "Apothar" or "Zenithar" was in the start


He got to defuse bombs with the boys. Never trust a "Bachelor in Mechanicus"


Dealing with the minor (major) nuisances of the Well, the scribes


One small intimidate roll, and I had a riot on my hands. I learned that Mr Mro Po was actually a beloved character of the Well, and not to be trifled with


Might have accidentially unleashed a primordial evil, some great snake spirit. Who could've known?


Then, there was the more serious missions


The calm before the storm, where Caddy would lose many of his friends. This turned him to religion, becoming a follower of Agaslakku to honor those which had fallen, which he saw as much greater men than himself


Diplomatic missions with the Legate


Scouting missions of far distant lands


Then came the day... Legate Marcellus was lost somewhere below, and a brave few dared the darkness to rescue him


Through massive chambers, fighting hundreds of Tormented in different shapes and sizes


Until there was a final giant, barring their way. A giant that would mean the end of Sergeant Caddy of the Fourth Legion. As his friend once told him "Don't charge that hard."


And so he rests
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/531135333493112832/1186399229464297482/tormented.JPG?ex=65931b62&is=6580a662&hm=d5c2b3fa3a52c2829d36bbbc872ef345585940415eac78176a001736208fc2c1&;

I would like to extend my huge thanks to all of you who partook in making Caddy a great ride. Too many to mention by name, but to the Boys in the Green. I can't recommend playing a Janissary enough if you haven't already. To the Legates, and the Scribes, the figures of government who involved him in politics. To his rival faction members in the Rose that gave him someone to spit at at every assembly. To the Astronomers, often his companions in matters he didn't understand. To various other friends, brigands and cultists, who made him all the more enjoyable to play. To the DMs for all the cool stuff they do for us.

I wasn't done by Caddy, I had much I planned and things I would have enjoyed doing. But rather go out with a bang than to fade away! Now, I won't be posting any loot. Because I heard from Halfbrood, that if you are a badass, you can go and see Caddies loot yourself in the module. So go out there, and be a badass.

Until the next,
JMaxon

I didn't mean to sound too negative with this post, even though on a second read perhaps it might come off that way. Generally it's a great job by the area creators!

**and i used enjoyable too much. Diversify is not a word in my vocabulary.

EFU should be a difficult server at times, but not because of being unable to see what is on the screen, or having seizures induced by foliage FRIKKEN GLITCHEN in and out of the camera view. I understand that when crafting areas making them pieces of art is enjoyable with all the new assets given to us by beam dog. However, even though beautiful these are not always enjoyable to play in.

Particular criminals of this are:

The Mongrelwoods and the Orc quest. A lot of trees and foliage makes it difficult to see your character, enemy characters, and obstacles on the ground. These are already dangerous areas, you need to be able to pilot your character.

Yuan-ti quest in the 95th. Also some trees that gets in the way, though not as terrible as the mongrel wood. Also not as much of a problem as it is not quite as dangerous.

The Spirit Wolves random explorable in the Frozen Tear. MY GOD how white can it be. This is whiter than driving your Toyota Prius to the yoga. Enjoying a mayo sandwich.  I stare into the whiteness of the abyss and nothing stares back into me because I have received retinal damage.

Making it a slight bit less foggy would preserve the atmosphere but make it a lot more enjoyable!

At the highest pillar is engraved in dwarves runes a mythical beast, standing on his hind legs roaring at the sky. It reads "And here roared, the Gendarmes of Khoral'duun, conquerors of the 94th - and beyond." The names Gegnar Telinar Reggogaxe, Urtha Gravelgut, Zhatar Skaldagan, Gardir Grimprize and Dram works down the chest of the beast. Then, in a rather abrupt change from the dwarves runes follows in common written 'Jean-Nicolas Pierre D'Avencourt, Benjamin Bloggs, Evelyn Drax, Sybil Barristan'.

The Veneroida plot was wrapped up in Chapter 3 with I believe all of the PC-played characters choosing to follow it into the Underdark, Wither free. I don't know if a better end awaited them, but at least they got away from the Maiden.. Can't recall the names at the moment, but maybe SC has them?

I can't quite recall as it was so long ago since I had with any of the doggos to do, but I think it is just with time. Or because I also quest quite frequently so it was that. But I think just time will do it. As I remember it didn't take very long either. Get out there and explore the world and your doggo will be big in no time!