Rebirth: Over the Horizon

The ship is battered and leaking. The sails are torn.

One of the masts is badly cracked. Yet the vessel still presses forward through the stormy seas.

After almost a full day at the mercy of the impossibly strong waves, light breaks through the heavy clouds. The violent tossing of the waves slowly abates.

"Land! Land!" Tiara shouts out, waving her arms from the bow of the ship.

"Elysia." Danni's whispers, sound almost disbelieving. "Oh, thank the Twelve!"

As if summoned by the bard's invocation, a sudden surge of blue light fills your vision.

When it fades, Ponrindan stands on the deck of their ship, greeting them with a smile.

"Well, well, well. All of you survived and succeeded before the deadline. Did I make my trial too easy?"

"You do seem to have fewer ships than when you left port. Well, no matter. It was your first trial. I suppose all of you passed."

"All of us?" Embris sounds surprised, perhaps even offended. "Surely the best of us contributed far more to this success than others."

"Are all of our efforts to be equally rewarded?"

Ponrindan strokes his seaweed beard, pondering the question.

"Hmmm. An interesting point. Each of you has passed my trial, but perhaps the one who has impressed me most is deserving of my special blessing, to fortify them for the trials ahead. And that can only be…"

"…Daedala." Ponrindan declares.

Embris and Velara both look shocked, shooting glares at the mechanical girl with mingled envy and newfound respect.

The God of the Seas ignores them, smiling at daedala and says, "You have the makings of a great sailor and a great merchant. You've shown initiative and focus. I will reward you with a blessing of your choice."

Daedala thinks for a moment and says "I want to become fastest on the sea."

"Very well!" Ponrindan waves his trident, conjuring a bowl of steaming soup.

He hands it out for her to take. The soup has a delicious, meaty aroma, and is full of chunks of strange meat.

"This soup is made from the legendary fish that dwell in the deepest seas of my realm."

"They swim faster than any creature can run or fly. Eat, and you will have what you desire."

Ponrindan vanishes in a flash of blue light. They sail into the port of Elysia.

The island is a single settlement a simple and spartan, but it does at least have a pier where the ship can drop anchor.

The Twelve's Chosen candidates are welcomed with open arms by the residents of Elysia's lone human settlement, who are visibly awestruck by the presence of the legendary characters among them.

They provide refuge and all the hospitality they can summon for the group.

Unfortunately, that doesn't amount to much.

The inhabitants live in mud and straw houses and have little to give other than barrels of rainwater and grainy seed porridge.

The few hundred settlers on the island seem tired and malnourished.

One of the Twelve reappears after a night of repose, the golden light signalling their arrival along with the first rays of morning.

Borthe stands at the head of the pantheon this time, dressed as a beautiful man in a robe made of golden grains and wielding a shepherd's crook.

"You've witnessed the people's sufferings here. When mortals fail to exercise their proper control over the land, this is what follows."

"Elysia is a land of great bounty, but it remains untapped and unconquered. For your second trial, you all will fix this."

"You are to put this land under your control, ensuring that those who live here not only survive but prosper."

"It is entirely up to you how you accomplish this. However, I'll be generous and make some recommendations."

Borthe conjures a floating, hazy image with a wave of his hand.

It's a chart of the island and surrounding oceans that God uses to point out interesting spots.

"Instead of planting crops, the locals forage for food."

"This is because the best agriculture on the island is located along the river."

"There is a nymph named Rio who lives in the river."

Elthnorn, dressed as a golden coyote today, chirps. "Ah, my dear grandchild," "Won't you tell Nolly that Grandpa says hello?"

Borthe, giving Elthnorn an irritated glance continues. "She has made the river and the surrounding lands unusable for the villagers."

"She uses sorcery to deceive people, or she simply seduces and drowns them." "

"She considers the river to be hers and hers alone, and she will not allow any intrusions. Find a method to open these lands up again."

"Then there are the forests, which are home to two major threats."

"The first are the island's boars, which the locals refer to as "deathtusks." They're huge and dangerous, and they've murdered a lot of people who tried to hunt them down."

"You'll also have to deal with the dryads enslaved by the forest's olive grove. I personally blessed these trees, and you will not find any more abundant."

"The dryads, like their river-dwelling cousins, are extremely protective of their grove and allow no one to enter. They must be dealt with as well."

"Then there's the west-facing hills. Granite, marble, iron, copper, and gold are all found in the caverns."

"Despite this, no mines or quarries have been discovered. The caves are home to a barbarian giant known as Sesinia, a cyclops."

"He eats the flesh of those who dare to enter his domain. You must also put an end to this threat."

"Remember, you will be judged by all of us, not just Borthe." Says Hecate, hearing her words all other gods shut their mouths for a second.

Borthe speaks again, "Nature is not only a tool for use of mortals, but it is also to be respected. We will all be watching."

With that said, they disappear in another flash of golden light.

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