Chapter 7 - A Message in a Bottle

[Bit about the Phantom Fortress.]

Meanwhile, during the days leading up to Night of the Phantoms in 2016, something strange arrives on the shores of Crystal Sands. Jammers find a glass bottle with a note inside, as well as a small gift. They open the bottle and read the note, which says:

The paper the note is written on has been somewhat faded, and is quite small, with not much room for any more text. All of Jamaa, including the Jammers and Alphas, are intrigued by the message that’s reached them. But with no further context, it’s difficult to know how to help, or if the message was even serious.

Further context would come when a second bottle washed up on shore a couple of days later. Whoever was writing these messages had been captured by the Phantoms! Still, there were many details still needed. In the following days, the prisoners were able to share a few more details on their condition.

As these bottles make their way to Crystal Sands every few days, the Alphas prepare to begin the first step in immobilizing the Phantom Fortress. They also seek to restore the beauty of the area that the Fortress left it’s trail of destruction through. There’s a problem, however: The artifact they need to do so was hidden away, and the place it resides in is now surrounded by the same corruption they seek to cleanse. They must now journey to the very core of the Phantom Badlands.

Sir Gilbert and Graham have asked one of their bravest and most trusted adventurers to meet them at the edge of the Phantom Badlands. When they arrive, the Alphas explain that the area was once a beautiful and peaceful place, but now… the it’s sustained the most destruction and ruin they’ve ever seen. On the far border of the Badlands there is a shrine containing the powerful, historical relic that can be used to drive away the Phantoms. The two ask the Hero to take on the difficult task of navigating through the Badlands and reaching the shrine to protect it. In the meantime, they must return to the front lines and battle against the invading Phantoms. To aid the hero on their journey, Graham lets them know of some damaged Mechachompers in the area. As they depart, they wish the hero good luck.

The Phantom Badlands spread as far as the eye can see. The beautiful grass that once covered the area has been reduced to infected dirt and stone. The terrain is jagged and broken, with sheer cliffs and floating islands. Phantom tar runs through the rivers, and plant-life has been phantomized or killed off. And, as expected, the entire place is swarming with Phantoms. On the way through the Badlands, the hero runs into some messages that have been left behind. Although there is no name attached, the paint splatters around them indicate they could have only been written by none other than Peck.

Further into their journey, the hero comes across a sculptures of Mira. It stands in stark contrast to the landscape around it, a speck of hope amongst the hostile environment it’s within. Next to it are three crystals: Red, blue, and purple. The base of the statue has a slot for one of them, and a nearby note says the crystal chosen will determine which of three paths is opened. Regardless of their choice, the path ahead is lined with crystals and countless Phantoms.

Eventually the three paths converge, leading to an area of the Badlands where water, that’s been turned bright green Phantom Tar, covers the floor. When stepped in, it becomes harder to move. More Mira sculptures dot the area, emitting a strange power. It seems the sculptures have been enchanted with just enough power to keep themselves from becoming corrupt, and a bit of that pure energy is rubbed off on anything that touches it. which they use to turn the tar back to water.

The journey is long and difficult, as the path winds through both deep caves and near vertical terrain. Geysers erupt from the corrupt earth, and Phantoms are a near constant danger. There are no signs of life outside of Phantoms for the entire trek. The only safety is found with the occasional Mira sculpture and Mechachomper. Splatters of paint dot the ground, guiding the hero to the shrine they seek.

Finally, after an arduous journey, the hero finds the shrine. It’s a grand underground structure of a scale unlike much else in Jamaa. It’s seen better days, however, with the stone pillars beginning to crumble and statues of Mira leading up to the artifact falling apart. The corruption has clearly taken a toll on the shrine. The hero heads down the stone walkway, careful to avoid the paint splatters on the floor. There, they meet with Sir Gilbert and Graham once again. The tiger alpha informs the hero that the Phantoms have been driven from the front lines, and that the artifact should be just ahead.

The group approaches the pedestal only to find that the relic… is gone! Sir Gilbert, breaking from his usual stoic demeanor, begins to show signs of panic. If the Phantoms were to have the artifact, it would make stopping the Phantoms near impossible. However, Graham quickly points out that although the Phantoms have definitely been there, someone else has too. The bright paint splotches on the floor must be from Peck! Sir Gilbert doubts that, even though she’s known for her recklessness, she would try and take on a hoard of Phantoms herself. But no one else could have been through with paint. Graham thinks that maybe she took the artifact with her, and begins to study the area closer, taking note of the rubble and footprints. He spots a glow coming from under one of the rocks, and after he and the Hero lift it… the artifact is there! It turns out that the treasure they were after was Mira’s Feather.

Sir Gilbert explains that long ago, before Zios and Mira disappeared, she left behind one of her feathers as one of only a few relics. It still contains a bit of Mira’s power, and as such was hidden underground somewhere only the Alphas would know of. He’s unsure how the Phantoms discovered that it would be somewhere in the area, but they were most definitely after it’s power. Thankfully, Peck reached it first and cleverly hid it away. It was somewhat worrying Peck wasn’t at the scene, but there was something important to be taken care of.

The three reach the surface. Sir Gilbert stands on a cliff, overlooking the disaster that’s unfolded across the land. In his palm, he holds the feather, before letting go of it and letting it float down onto the corrupt earth. As it makes contact, a surge of magical energy is released from the feather, engulfing the surrounding area in a blue glow. The ground turns back to dirt and grass, trees flourish with leaves, the tar is cleansed and turned to water, and the skies clear of smog. The area has been restored to it’s former beauty.

Sir Gilbert and Graham thank the hero for their efforts. Now the Phantom Fortress has been trapped in place, but not for long. The Alphas march onward towards their ultimate goal, though worry still lingers… where could Peck be?

The next day, yet another message in a bottle arrives at Crystal Sands.

This paper is coated in purple phantom gunk, and clearly wasn’t written by the same author as the other messages. Phantoms have caught on to the prisoner’s method of communication. Because of their lacking understanding of the animal’s language and their… sloppiness… their plan to fool Jamaa is futile. It seems that the Phantoms can recognize this, as they only make this one attempt.

By this point, Jammers begin to speculate that the location of the prisoners is within the dreaded Phantom Fortress. Although the Alphas were already planning on bringing down the fortress, this new information requires careful planning. What was once a task that could be tackled with all the force in the world must now be performed as a delicate rescue mission.

This message sparks all kinds of speculation around Jamaa on who these prisoners might be. And all it took was an extra “a”… Could they be animals that haven’t been seen in Jamaa for a long time?

There’s a new addition among the prisoners, who’s apparently similar but different to the others, implying all the other prisoners are among the same species. Rumors and gossip of the prisoner’s identity continues to spread across Jamaa.

Apparently the new prisoner is someone well known… And there’s only one figure who is known for their sneakiness and would immediately have a plan to escape…

Finally, the Alphas have arrived at the scene. With Sir Gilbert speculated to be leading the charge, this will be Jamaa’s finest hour!