A Quest for the Stars

Legends say that somewhere in the realm between dimensions there is an infinite expanse known as The Planetarium.

The Planetarium was an endless void illuminated only by the endless stars above and below. There was a solid floor, but its invisibility - or even transparency, for no one knew what it really was - gave its viewer the impression that they were taking a stroll in the universe.

At the center of it all, sitting on a throne of stars, was an entity known as The Smith. He was a tall, muscular individual. His gray pants and smith’s apron did little to conceal the outline of his calves and upper body, and he used one hand to carry his great Hammer of Creation with ease. His grim expression exuded an unwelcoming air, a graying bearded face with neither the time or patience to deal with nonsense.

No one knew his name, or where he came from, and those who knew him would only address him by his title. He was a master crafter with the ability to create anything he could conceive in his mind. His Hammer of Creation could turn mere dust into fine jewels, sharp weapons, or durable armor.

Yet, that was not the extent of his power.

The Smith's latest project was to visit each constellation of the night sky to collect the residue of dead stars - stardust - as the foundation of his latest invention: A set of stones, each with a different power. With the stardust gathered from Perseus, he created the Perseus Soulstone to grant whoever wielded it the Armory of the Hero; from the Dragon came the Draco Soulstone, granting its wielder the dragon's breath; from the Lynx came the Lynx Soulstone, granting its wielder bestial strength.

The possibilities were endless. The Smith's silently toiled away for years, using his power over the stars to reach each destination within mere minutes, hours, or days, gather the stardust, and work tirelessly in his forge. His goal was simple; he wanted to scatter a handful of Soulstones at a time - no more than five - across the cosmos and see how the righteous would use their powers. Would they do the right thing? Or would they, as the Smith often surmised, let the power corrupt them and use it for evil?

The Smith recorded his progress in the Planetarium. Whenever he sat down on his Throne of Stars, he would see silhouettes of the constellation shapes across the sky, and these silhouettes would light up whenever he brought a Soulstone and activated it for a test run. He would often admire his progress, like a painter staring at a canvas.

One day, when he sat down to activate a black stone for a test run, his face watched in horror to see a few constellations had been activated.

The Smith returned to his forge with haste. A red brick chimney on fire and platforms of glowing white sand would normally provide the only source of illumination in this otherwise dark room. But the Smith's cabinets were opened and spilled, broken glass scattered across the ground, and the last of the Soulstones rolled away from him towards the center of the black room.

The Smith stood at the edge of his platform to see his stones enter a swirling vortex of stars, which was circled by other white sandy platforms. A lone cloaked silhouette stood across from him on the platform opposite of him. This person gritted their teeth, having being caught in the act.

"You," the Smith shouted furiously. "My apprentice! Why did you do this?!"

The Smith's apprentice remained defiantly silent, either having no reason for their actions or concealing their true motives. They revealed a Soulstone in their hand - having the star pattern of a triangle - and made the leap for the vortex below.

The Smith reached out a little too late, nearly falling in himself. The hooded apprentice faded away, smiling as they did so. The Smith rose from the ground, his beard flowing and his apron flapping from the winds below. He discerned that all of his creations had entered the vortex as well, and those that were lit up back at the Planetarium had already been activated by the people who found them.

"Why did you betray me like this? After everything I've done for you! Insolent child!"

The silver lining was that the majority of the Soulstones had ended up in a single planet, which was likely the scoundrel's destination. However, the Smith was a leader of his own community. His people needed him, and he could not be away for long. Plus, most civilizations would run at the sight of a giant muscular man, and he would not be able to inquire on the location of his creations.

Gripping the black stone firmly in his hand, he gently tapped it with his forehead like a father would with his child. He gazed upon the five-star pattern of the stone, and soon saw a pair of eyes staring back from the inside.

"All of you Soulstones, made from dust and spirits, wander the cosmos like lost lambs. You are my last one, and to you I must entrust a sacred duty: Bring them all back, no matter how long it takes! And punish the one who caused all of this!" Gazing at the vortex below, the Smith winded up his fist. "You have your own power, but I have also entrusted you with some of mine. If any of the other spirits are willing to aid you, you are free to have them travel with you and they may choose their own masters. Those who refuse must be sealed away! Go forth, Corvus!"

With a mighty thrust with his fist, the black gemstone dove into the swirling vortex of stars.

***

The year was 1659 and the age of technology was upon the world of Io with the introduction of steam power fifty years ago. Five of the six kingdoms of the world of Io benefited from it, and while it was a slow process, this new power was accepted as the new standard. While horse-powered wagons continued to exist, humanity was in the process of mass-producing a four-wheeled vehicle that was manually operated by man; while mages continued to use magic to fly, a good portion of them became engineers and raced to build the first flying ship; railroads became even more popular.

The Theocratic Kingdom of Helix was at the center of it all thanks to the local Artificers Guild, a school for inventors located in the capital named Helix City. By definition, an "artificer" was a skilled inventor or craftsman. And so, the Artificers Guild accepted inventors, smiths, alchemists, and mages of all kinds. It didn’t matter if Timmy Goodman brewed potions to heal the sick and the weak, or if Johnny Badboy loved causing destruction with fireballs; as long as they brought something to the guild, they were free to take the Guild’s four-year course and help themselves to the knowledge it provided. The Guild was a school where minds developed but the curriculum would only get tougher and tougher as the years went on. Only the sharpest minds in the world could ever hope to graduate from the Guild; where one hundred entered, only ten would come out triumphant.

Once they graduated, they were ranked based on their grades and given a diploma. That diploma was more than a badge of honor; it was a key to the rest of the world and with it the graduate was free to go anywhere they wanted. It was a license, a passport, and a job application all rolled into one. It was a graduate’s way to say “Look at me, world! I have the skills to make a difference in your life!” No longer students, graduates become employees to the Guild and as employees they carry out whatever commissions the rest of the world requests of them. Success brings honor to the Guild while failure brings shame to it. That's why only the best of the best - the top ten - can be employed by the Guild.

Speaking of graduates, it was time to check in on the Guild’s graduation ceremony of the Class of '59. It fell on the 7th day of Cobre, the third month, and students had begun to gather in the auditorium on campus. The ceremony was due to start in an hour, around noon, and all graduates were present and accounted for. Except...

“Excuse me! Pardon me!”

Lenoria Tsukino. The blonde girl had gotten up early to bathe and get ready for her special day, but as time ran out, she scrambled to find anything to wear. In the end, she settled for an olive-green sleeveless top, a pair of black slacks, her favorite white boots with oil stains on them, and a white overcoat that concealed everything from her thighs to her neck. She adjusted her goggles, which had jade green lens that matched her eyes, clasped her tool belt around her waist, and tied her scarf just tight enough so that she didn't strangle herself.

As early as she was, she somehow ended up running late.

“Stupid bus! They should wait a few minutes if they arrive at their stop early, not keep going!” It was a bright, sunny day when Lenoria dashed through the streets of Helix City. She avoided puddles of water, kids playing in the mud, a taco stand, and conveniently-placed pie stands to avoid staining her white graduation overcoat. It was given to her on the day she found out she made it to the top ten graduates of the Guild and took extra care to not fold it or even so much as crease it until graduation day. She didn’t even try it on until earlier in the morning and was relieved to see it fit her perfectly.

How Lenoria looks, according to AI.

Peddlers sold their wares on the stone sidewalks while carriages traveled on the cobblestone roads. A construction worker clumsily dropped a hammer from above her, but she spotted the falling hammer just in time to avoid it. She picked up the hammer and tossed it at the worker, who caught it and gave her an apologetic look. “Sorry, Lenoria!”

“It’s okay, Liam! Just be more careful!” The girl continued her jog to the Guild. She was determined to get there on time and nothing was going to stop her.

“Hey, missy!” A man in a trenchcoat emerged from an alleyway. “Care to buy a love potion for just ten gold pieces?”

Except for that.

“A love potion?” The girl jogged in place. “Everyone knows they don’t work.”

“This one does,” the man insisted. “Just give it to the man of your dreams, have him drink it with his eyes closed, and make sure you’re the first person he sees when he opens them!”

“No way. Go find some other sucker!”

***

Lenoria pocketed the love potion she bought from the merchant in her belt pouch and continued her jog for a bit longer before stopping for a short break. The glare from the sun and the sweat from her eyebrows made it difficult for her to see, and her body temperature was going up. It wouldn’t hurt if she removed her coat for the last stretch, would it?

She removed the overcoat, folded it as best as she could, and began her march to the Guild at a slower pace. She grabbed a handkerchief and wiped her face with it and put it away carefully to ensure it didn’t make contact with her coat.

After climbing a hill, the Guild building was finally in sight. It wouldn’t be long, she hoped, before she crossed the red brick wall that separated the Guild campus from the rest of the world. And judging by the position of the sun, she still had time to spare.

Just as she made her descent on the hill, Lenoria felt a big hand around her thin arm and a vigorous tug nearly made her collapse on the sidewalk. She recovered quickly and met the gaze of the person responsible for pulling her: A human male with rugged features and a shadow around his mouth where a beard should be. He didn’t have an imposing figure, but the girl knew better than to stay in his grip for long and quickly escaped his grasp.

“Hey, cutie pie! What’s the rush?”

Lenoria ignored him and continued her descent down the hill. The man rushed to block her way, but the girl simply weaved around him.

“What, no ‘hello’? I’m not good enough for you? That’s cold, baby.”

“Good grief, not again.” Lenoria stopped in her tracks and gave the man a bored look. “First of all, I’m not your baby. Second, if a woman doesn’t give you the time of day, that’s not code for ‘Convince me.’ And third,” she pointed at some bushes up ahead, “if you’re going to mug someone, make sure your helper doesn't stick out like a sore thumb.”

A second human male popped out of the bushes, this one holding a knife and shocked he was found. “What do we do now?”

“Grab her and go!”

Lenoria's eyes darted back and forth between the two thugs. Ten feet ahead of her and ten feet behind her. She had more than enough room to make her escape, but she dreaded the possibility of her coat getting torn or (even worse) red stains on it. And conveniently for the two men, there were no witnesses around.

“This just isn’t my day, is it?” The girl gently placed her folded coat on a wooden sign. Dejected, she turned her attention to the first man with irate eyes, raised her fists, and made the ‘Bring it’ gesture.

Lenoria cracked her knuckles in anticipation. She stood between the two thugs and there was a gap between each of them, giving them all a semblance of freedom.

It was chillingly quiet. The Guild was still a distance away and unless anyone there could see or hear what was about to ensue hundreds of feet away, there would be no witnesses who could help her out.

A girl facing two thugs had two options: Submit to their demands and go quietly or scream for help. The lecherous gazes from both men hinted at them hoping Lenoria took the first option. However, a girl who had taken a self-defense class, - say, in kickboxing - had a third option.

And that was to fight.

The first thug launched himself at her with his fists, but his form and stance had left him open to a swift boot to the jaw. from the girl. Teeth immediately fell out and the girl was sure she had cracked a bone somewhere. The thug faceplanted the ground instantly and every muscle in his body had stopped moving.

“Next!” Lenoria turned around to see the second man charge at her with a knife, but she was ready to counter. He lunged at her but, in one quick movement, the girl placed her right hand on the man’s wrist to stop it from moving while she used her left hand to smack the knife away to the right. The girl kept her forearms crossed while the knife went flying out to stab a nearby tree.

Sweating profusely, the second thug got on his knees and bowed in quick succession. “P-please don’t hurt me! I promise we’ll stop!”

Not hurt him? A man who was surely about to mug and kidnap her was pleading for mercy? Lenoria couldn’t help but wonder how many people cried for mercy to these two. Maybe they were just starting out and they were just a couple of bumbling buffoons. Maybe they were actual professionals and the dice just weren't in their favor today. But letting them go would just give them another chance to attack her or another woman.

They had to face justice, whether they deserved mercy or not.

The girl grabbed a rope from her haversack and smiled at the defenseless mugger. “I think I gave you two enough bruises for one day. I got something else in mind.”

***

“Constable, come quick!”

Constable Richards waded through the growing crowd to arrive at the scene of a crime that had taken place. The grizzled hobgoblin’s eyebrows furrowed with disbelief. One man was beaten down while the other was found babbling incoherently. Both were tied by a silky yet sturdy rope. The word “Weenie” was written on their foreheads with black ink.

With his police-issued baton, the Constable tapped the babbling man’s head to get his attention. “You. Explain what happened.”

“It was horrible…” The bound man said.

The other man immediately woke up and groveled at the constable’s feet. “Please, sir! Just take us to jail!”

The Constable looked over at the guards who called him. “What’s all this? Explain!”

“Apparently, they’ve been beaten up by a student, sir,” one of the guardsmen explained. ”It was a ‘savage, flat-chested girl with blonde hair,’ sir.”

The Constable grunted.

“His words, not mine.” He handed the Constable a piece of paper. “We believe this was left behind by the perp, and it’s addressed to you, sir.”

The Constable snatched the piece of paper. He mumbled as he read, then squinted his eyes to read it again to make sure he read it right.

These two tried to kidnap me. If this is Constable Richards, please meet me at the Guild’s courtyard after the graduation ceremony if you have any questions.

~Lenoria

“Who is it, sir?” Asked the guardsman.

The old Constable sighed and folded the paper. He pocketed it away and fixed his gaze in the direction of the Artificers Guild. “Son, have you ever looked into the ‘Domestic Terrorist’ file? Well, oddly enough, she’s one of the good ones.”

“T-terrorist?” The young guard stuttered. “How can a terrorist be good?”

“She knows how to make explosives, has enough magical knowledge to make your typical wizard blush in embarrassment, and she’s smart enough to name every bone she breaks if you’re dumb enough to piss her off. The neighbors often wonder if they’ll be blasted to oblivion every time she gets a batch of gunpowder for her experiments.”

The young guardsman waited for the Constable to continue. “But…?”

“She’s no criminal. In fact, she can’t help but step in whenever a woman or child is in trouble. Doesn’t matter who it is. And yet, she refuses to join the force…” The Constable grinned. “Still, she did clean up this district in the four years she’s been in town. Rape cases have gone down to an all-time low. Whoever taught her how to fight must have been quite the teacher.”

“So…we DON’T arrest her?”

“That would be the smartest thing you said all day.” The Constable pointed at the two muggers and snapped his fingers. “Book ‘em, boys. Looks like we finally have a lead in our kidnapping case.”

A Quest for the Stars is a work with an entry in Paizo's Community Use Registry. No portion of this work other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission.

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