Untapped ~ Prologue!

The air in the audience chamber *crackled* with power as Grandmasters from all over Vanaheim slowly filled the room. It didn’t matter if they were swordsmen, paladins, or mages; nearly all classes and professions had a representative. 

As the attendees became more numerous, factions and cliques began to become apparent. Various groups glared at each other, and a dividing line slowly emerged, wide enough for two of the tower-shield-focused classes to walk along side-by-side. Yet, despite how the room was becoming literally charged with power and tension, the central, raised area remained calm and serene, with powerful figures both male and female lounging almost too casually as they chatted amongst themselves. 

The roiling mana in the room went still and docile as it approached those elevated figures, turning the turbulent air into a gentle breeze. Eventually, the door closed, seemingly on its own. One of the people in the central area let out a sigh that reverberated throughout the cavernous space, silencing the murmurs and heated voices while simultaneously drawing all eyes to him.

“Well… I suppose we should get started.” He gently waved his left hand, and enormous, blocky numbers appeared in the air. “As the Water Sage of the Elemental Mage’s Tower and host of the one hundred thirty-four thousand, nine-hundred and twenty-seventh meeting of the tower representatives, I declare this meeting officially-”

Without waiting for the official ceremonial opening to be completed, a man bedecked in an immense amount of armor stepped forward, slammed the pommel of his war hammer on the ground, and shouted, “We've been waiting for the opportunity to have our own Sage for a thousand years! I demand to be recognized. The Tower of Defenders has taken the hits for all of you in the past, and if we don't get first rights for hunting the World Boss of Jotunheim now that the bifrost has reconnected to this world, the rest of you are welcome to try and do so without our help!”

The furious declaration rang throughout the room. Only the fact that the Grandmaster had a valid point kept the Sage of Water from drowning the man on the spot for interrupting him. Even so, it was a near thing, and the Sage’s hands trembled as he worked to contain himself. Taking a deep breath, he looked down his nose at the Grandmaster and belatedly finished: “-started.”

Immediately, across the room, hands were calmly raised as various groups waited for a chance to air their thoughts. To the great annoyance of all of the assembled Grandmasters, the Sage of Water instead turned around and sat down once more, content to discuss the issues of the day with his peers. With another gesture, a large swath of the previously opaque tower turned transparent, revealing a bridge of shimmering light suspended over the void in the sky. Its radiant arc served as a gateway to the newly reopened world of Jotunheim. 

For a long moment, silence returned to the room as each of the people stared at the flickering expanse with conflicted emotions. Many of those on the fringes, Grandmasters all, stared with hunger in their eyes, fists clenching into white-knuckled grips at the literal path to power the Sages were there to parcel out. 

Conversely, those in the center of the room looked on in various shades of disgruntlement or suspicion as they were reminded how the tenuous balance of power they had maintained for centuries was likely to be broken by the end of the meeting.

“We would be fools to allow this opportunity to slip through our fingers.” The Sage of Swords spoke softly, each word carrying the sharpness of his chosen weapon. Sword intent flowed along with every syllable, easily ignored by the Sages, though some of the weaker Grandmasters needed to actively defend against the passive slashing damage he exuded. “The path is open, and Jotunheim has lain dormant with its resources untouched for a millennium. We must move quickly to allocate the expedition rights, before opportunists or the unworthy claim Sagehood first.”

A scoff came from the opposing side of the raised central area, as a man with a frame as broad as his ambitions leaned forward, folding his arms as he glared at the whipcord-thin Sage of Swords. “Next you're going to be telling us we should take this opportunity to reconnect the rainbow bridge to Hel… or worse, Asgard.”

“Would it be so bad to have access to a world with Mythic cores freely available… to those who can take them?” The Sage of Swords shrugged serenely, though the air around him rippled with razor-sharp lines as he moved. “Think of the number of Sages we could raise from the ranks of the Grandmasters around us-”

“-Shattering the balance of power on the Sage’s Council forevermore, Eldrin!” the broad man bellowed back, though there was no heat in his voice; his normal speaking volume all but designed to be heard across a battlefield. “For a thousand years we have isolated ourselves, each of us perfecting our craft. For the same amount of time, the council has been deadlocked, unable to decide whether we should give those on higher worlds the chance to descend and interfere with our lives once more.” 

“This world has been nothing but a terrarium for us, Baccus,” a man nearly entirely covered in flowering plants declared, shifting slightly and sending sparkling spores scattering through the room. Whenever they landed on someone, their tension faded, and easy smiles broke out. “Sometimes we forget we don't represent our own power… we are here to guide future generations along our path. It's difficult to cultivate and prune those who need guidance… when all access has been removed.”

“Druid.” Baccus inclined his head carefully at the potent caster. “All I'm trying to say is, there is more to think on here than simple expedition rights. The first Sage to be raised will either cast their vote to open the path forward or close it off for the next decade. Once either option has been chosen, the arms race will begin. Besides, what of our economy? Flooding Vanaheim with materials from the lower worlds risks undermining our own interests. An unchecked influx will-”

“Take it up with your Class Sage. I, Kaldora the Sage of Water, declare my intent to allow expeditions to begin immediately.” The Elemental Sage glared at Baccus. “You may be the representative of your tower, but we all know that Minya, the Class Sage of Merchants, remains active. If you want to have your vote count as more than a proxy, convince her to step aside.”

Before the Skill Sage, Baccus, could allow his thunderous expression to morph into words he might later regret, the Sage of Illusions, Rothric, smoothly interjected, “No one wants to stifle growth for control. Trust me when I say that I, more than anyone, know how much of a mirage ‘control’ truly is. We stand at the precipice of a new age, and I know where your heart truly lies… the fact is, our currency will not spoil. For you see, my wine-loving friend, despite what you charge for goods, our true currency is knowledge. The flow of goods on or off of this world means little compared to the acceleration of learning. I say let the materials flow, let the cores be used, let our ranks swell!”

Gesturing to the side, he called the attention of the group of approximately a hundred Sages to the thousands of Grandmasters surrounding them with thunderous expressions. “Or, some among these will go and do it anyway, with or without our blessing. Then, we will not gain allies… but may instead find our position as Sages suddenly vacant for one of our students to fill.”

Baccus, long since used to being one of the superpowers on this planet, felt a sensation he hadn't in hundreds of years. The blood drained out of his face, and his mouth went dry. His words shifted to grumbles, and he uneasily leaned back in his seat, realizing his arguments had already failed. 

Taking that moment to push his agenda, the Sage of Swords steepled his fingers and grinned wickedly. “If the expansion and distribution of knowledge is what we seek, why stop here? Since it has already been brought up, I don't mind pressing harder. The bridge to Jotunheim is open; why not unblock the bridge to the higher worlds as well?”

The resistance to his words came immediately. 

“You overreach!”

“Scoundrel-”

“I knew you were going to do this.” 

The last complaint was a soft grumble from Baccus, who remained out of the argument otherwise, though he slowly shook his head as Kaldora took the floor once more. “The higher worlds were closed for a reason. No one of us has the authority to unseal them, and as it is not a priority of this session to discuss it, nothing we say here will convince us to unseal the way.”

“Authority… or the will to do it?” Eldrin sneered at the expected opposition. “We possess the means. Why shouldn’t we act? Or do the Sages on your half of the council fear what lies beyond? If we do nothing, we are trapped. Worse, to your point, Rothric, we are stagnant. Knowledge without the ability for action is merely wasted potential.”

The arguments went back and forth, round and round, the tide of opinions shifting back and forth. Many among the Grandmasters spoke up, but their words were ignored—they were only there to witness the Sages' decisions. Finally, Eldrin lifted his hands and tried to force the decision. “Let's vote on it! Who cares if this was meant to be a discussion on something else? We are here, and I think the majority want the way unblocked.”

The chamber rang with the sound of agreements being made, allegiances and friendships being tested, strained, and forged. The call went out, the tally was cast, and the result became clear: a tie.

As always, a tie. 

Eldrin’s eyes twitched as he glanced around the room, meeting the eyes of his staunchest ally, the Sage of Blood Rites. “Once more, we are at an impasse.”

“No, we have found clarity,” Rothric denied him, his body increasing in size and appearing in the air evenly spaced across the room. His illusions spoke to the assembled multitude. “It's time for the next generation of Sages to rise. The Grandmasters of Vanaheim wish for true influence in such matters. I say it is high time you earned it. If you wish to shape the course of our world, it's time for one of you to rise. The first to ascend to Sagehood will become the tiebreaker. Both factions on the Sages’ Council shall hereby nominate one tower to begin expeditions to Jotunheim.”

“I don’t care if I get nominated or not, my tower will be marching on the bifrost by dawn!” The Grandmaster of the Tower of Defenders shouted over the hubbub, instantly needing to grit his teeth and activate a few defensive skills as the displeasure of the Sage's Council turned on him. Still, as was his path in life, he stood resolute. “Nominate me or don't. I care not one whit!”

“Surely you do not want to be the one to cause our world to descend into conflict and war? Look around yourself. Do you see the world of the Sage’s Ladders, where any can climb to the pinnacle of potency… or have I found myself back on Midgard, scrabbling in the dirt to gain my first profession?” The Druid Sage spoke lightly, hoping to calm some of the raging tensions. “If it matters so much to you, far be it from me to stop you. I nominate the Tower of Defenders for the stability and foundation-building faction.”

“The Stormbinder Tower for the climbers!” Eldrin immediately called out, causing those on his side of the debate to nod in agreement, while his opponents winced at the nomination. “Shieldbearing defenders focused on soaking up as much damage as possible, compared to ranged damage dealers who have been weaving talismans and scrolls for a thousand years, with no one to use them on. I wonder… which of the two will be able to take down a World Boss faster?”

Each nomination was quickly confirmed, and the Sage of Swords held a triumphant smile on his face as he stood and leisurely stretched. He chipperly waved at the others on the council and turned to leave, only for the broad grin on Baccus’s face to stop him cold.

“That was pretty slick for a swordslinger, but it seems there was a small detail that slipped your mind.” The Sage rolled his shoulders happily as Eldrin began to fidget, not wanting to demand information and prove his lack of knowledge. 

Luckily, but certainly not happily, the merchant didn’t make him wait very long. “Yeah, adding another Skill Sage to the council might tip the balance in your favor a little bit. Let's call it temporarily. But, if the Tower of Defenders claims that core, there won't be another vote. All of a sudden, there will be a Class Sage active and making decisions again. Just as the Grandmasters had no true say today, by the time this is over… the entire Council could be overruled just as easily.” 

Eldrin went pale, but he simply huffed and turned away, storming out of the room with Baccus’s laughter chasing after him.