CUDAN

An empty city appeared beyond the Fairytale Forest. On bright mornings the sun sparkled off the city's spires, trees slowly breaking through a hard grey carpet to greet it. The inhabitants of Keystone, a very different city, entered this strange new place and learned its name: Cudan. Magic was also very different here. Using so much as a simple cantrip could, if the caster were unfortunate, result in a burst of pink light and any number of strange effects, from mind-swapping to fiery eye-beams to unexpectedly laying an egg. And, if a Keystone visitor were even more unlucky, this surge of what became known as "weird magic" might prompt the metallic footsteps of sinister dog-like robots, stalking between moss-clambered buildings, intent on eliminating the spellcaster. Upon returning from Cudan, Keystonians experienced a dream of a silver tower surrounded by a deep blue pond, tiny fish in the pond assembling to spell out a message: "We're here...help us". Further exploration of the weird city led adventurers to the Yarnians, a species of woollen creatures living in a 'bowling alley', whose leader, the woollen bee Micky Miles, recognised the description of the location in the dream. On passing the Yarnians' fiendish trials (bowling, portrait painting, karaoke), Micky agreed to take a party there. There at the silver tower, hidden within a deeply overgrown park in the north of Cudan, adventurers met the Survivors, who explained Cudan's unfortunate history.

Over a century ago, Cudan was a bustling human city of industry and incredible technology, an artificer's dream, with gadgets and rituals strange to the people of Keystone. The one thing they did not have was magic, which was considered just a fairytale, make believe. That was until their "scientists" discovered the existence of the weave, the layer of reality from which magic is drawn. These "scientists" used a great machine, a "Weave Accelerator", to draw magical power and experiment upon the Weave, hoping to gain mastery of magic and further their city's progress. Something went horribly wrong. The weave local to Cudan was torn and distorted. Surges of weird, corrupted magic wracked the city. Buildings turned into monsters. People exploded into colours and lights. Unable to reverse their experiment, the Cudan rulers and scientists released the Inhibitors, robots intended to track down and imprison those causing the surges. The disasters continued. Full control of the robots was given to an "Artificial Intelligence" known as "M.A.", in an attempt to increase the Inhibitor's efficiency - but that control could not be regained. "M.A." saw stopping the weird magic as its only priority - and was willing to kill in pursuit of it. Thousands died. Many fled the city before the Inhibitors locked down the borders. A small surviving group of leaders and scientists fled deep underground to live quietly, hidden from the Inhibitors. It was the descendants of that group, the Survivors, who, at some risk, magically sent the dream (a form of communication the Inhibitors would not be able to intercept) of a meeting place at a tower.

Here they told Keystone's brave adventurers of their hope to heal the Weave, with the help of heroes strong enough to stand against the Inhibitors. Keystone was asked to help explore Cudan for the results of eight huge surges of weird magic that occurred across the city when the local weave was first distorted a century ago. These surges were thought to have left a permanent impact on Cudan. Finding whatever it is that these surges (theorised to be linked to the eight schools of magic) created could hold the key to saving Cudan - and perhaps Keystone, too. A Cudan citizen, one Jack Tenpenny, son of the Survivor's leader Parnaby Tenpenny, volunteered to temporarily reside in Keystone and help guide this mission. Not long after this, weird magic events started to be observed in the Fairytale Forest. It appeared that the corruption to the Weave was spreading Keystone's way. Various parties of Keystone heroes successfully assembled the eight magical items from around Cudan. There were journeys into a world contained within a huge egg, and into strange illusions. Heroes became monsters, defeated evil books, and fought dance-battles in a 'night club'. Through this, Jack Tenpenny befriended many Keystonians, becoming a regular part of city life. All eight items were at last procured, the last being found as the weird magic reached Keystone, causing chaos and fear. Adventurers then used the Weave Accelerator to travel to the Weave itself, taking with them the eight items and a magical-technological wand created by the Survivors to heal the Weave. There these adventurers encountered an ancient gnome known as the Caretaker, who refused to allow their attempt to proceed, leading to conflict. The heroes prevailed and proved the Caretaker wrong, as they successfully reversed the damage done.

Back in the material plane, the weird magic was gone. "M.A." and the Inhibitors stood down and deactivated. The Survivors of Cudan could emerge for the first time, and a great Friendship Festival was organised to welcome the Survivors, to usher in co-operation and understanding between Keystone and Cudan. At the Festival, the true nature of the Survivors was revealed. Whilst Cudan had indeed been a city of technological wonder, it was also a city of imperial conquerors who used their cleverness to take and exploit other civilisations. With Cudan in ruins, the Survivors now intended to do the same to Keystone, using the Inhibitors as their tools. Their leader, Parnaby Tenpenny, announced this at the Friendship Festival with a simple message: "Surrender". Jack Tenpenny coldly killed both a Yarnian protestor and a member of their own people who objected. Keystone, of course, did not surrender. War was fought. Keystone battled the Survivors on multiple fronts, defeating their airships and giant robots, their attempts to exploit the Yarnians, and their ploy to use their technology to gain intelligence. Keystone also took the fight to the Survivors' home, infiltrating the silver tower, where both Jack and Parnaby Tenpenny were defeated despite their towering mech-suits, leading to the capture of Jack, the death of Parnaby, and the destruction of the Survivors' base. Keystone celebrated an incredible victory against all odds. But Cudan had one last weapon - a huge mechanical dragon, inhabited by an electronic copy of the consciousness of Parnaby Tenpenny, which attacked the city. An incredible team of some thirty heroes responded, powering dozens of attacks into the metal beast, such that it too was destroyed in an inferno of fire that made the night glow. Now Cudan is left to the Yarnians, to nature, and to the handful of Survivors who may still be out there. Perhaps there will, one day, come a time to return...

Written by John Beavis