The Copper Cat Story

Vanz Ellon and Cynthia DeVarnack are the Copper Cat and the Dove. They reside on the world of Sertavria, making a rather lucrative living as thieves for hire; it's a vocation that has served them well until one particular commission forces them to seperate. Vanz finds himself on the run from authorities for earlier thefts, and Cynthia is to be executed for the death of a Priest of the Temple of Dianae. All seems lost until the timely intervention of the Regina Annileina Illyanus, the 17 year old ruler of the Hahn Provincialities. The Regina demands that the Dove be placed in her custody, and suddenly events take a turn for the worse as the Regina herself is attacked by a quintet of unknown assailants. Vanz Ellon manages to fight them off, and as a reward the Regina offers him a choice--face prison time and probably execution, or help House Illyanus deduce who commisioned the Dove to steal the Hahn Provincialities' sacred amulet.

Grudgingly, the pair accept the Regina's terms and their strange journey begins. It becomes apparent that the group who attacked the Regina earlier were now after the Dove's amulet--which she can't remove. Consultation with scholars reveals the amulet is bonded to the Dove's life force and cannot be removed by normal means. Taking a desperate gamble, Vanz and Cynthia proceed to the Bronze Tower of the Goddess Dilathessa. Within the tower lies a probable answer to Cynthia's problem--the Column of Souls: a mystical vortex which seperates the good from the evil, sending each to their respective places in the afterlife. If a living person steps into the vortex, their soul will be temporarily seperated from their corporeal body--effectively rendering the host body lifeless for a short time. Theoretically this should release the amulet from Cynthia's neck. The Dove takes a breath and steps into the magical vortex--and it's then that disaster strikes.

The Copper Cat watches helplessly as his companion hovers between life and death, the amulet still locked in place. In desperation he reaches into the mystic flames of the vortex to pull her out, saving the Dove and getting burned by mystic flames in the process. Later on the Dove notices that Vanz's green eyes, like her violet eyes--are glowing. Whether this is a curse or a blessing remains to be seen, as further discoveries reveal plans that go deeper than terrestrial politics and power plays. The Copper Cat and the Dove are left to wonder where their journey will take them--as they find themselves surrounded by strange cults and otherworldly monstrosities, they can't help but speculate as to who the true puppet master is--and whether they really want to know.





		*The Story* Vanz Ellon and Cynthia DeVarnack are the Copper Cat and the Dove. They reside on the world of Sertavria, making a rather lucrative living as thieves for hire; it's a vocation that has served them well until one particular commission forces them to seperate. Vanz finds himself on the run from authorities for earlier thefts, and Cynthia is to be executed for the death of a Priest of the Temple of Dianae. All seems lost until the timely intervention of the Regina Annileina Illyanus, the 17 year old ruler of the Hahn Provincialities. The Regina demands that the Dove be placed in her custody, and suddenly events take a turn for the worse as the Regina herself is attacked by a quintet of unknown assailants. Vanz Ellon manages to fight them off, and as a reward the Regina offers him a choice--face prison time and probably execution, or help House Illyanus deduce who commisioned the Dove to steal the Hahn Provincialities' sacred amulet. Grudgingly, the pair accept the Regina's terms and their strange journey begins. It becomes apparent that the group who attacked the Regina earlier were now after the Dove's amulet--which she can't remove. Consultation with scholars reveals the amulet is bonded to the Dove's life force and cannot be removed by normal means. Taking a desperate gamble, Vanz and Cynthia proceed to the Bronze Tower of the Goddess Dilathessa. Within the tower lies a probable answer to Cynthia's problem--the Column of Souls: a mystical vortex which seperates the good from the evil, sending each to their respective places in the afterlife. If a living person steps into the vortex, their soul will be temporarily seperated from their corporeal body--effectively rendering the host body lifeless for a short time. Theoretically this should release the amulet from Cynthia's neck. The Dove takes a breath and steps into the magical vortex--and it's then that disaster strikes. The Copper Cat watches helplessly as his companion hovers between life and death, the amulet still locked in place. In desperation he reaches into the mystic flames of the vortex to pull her out, saving the Dove and getting burned by mystic flames in the process. Later on the Dove notices that Vanz's green eyes, like her violet eyes--are glowing. Whether this is a curse or a blessing remains to be seen, as further discoveries reveal plans that go deeper than terrestrial politics and power plays. The Copper Cat and the Dove are left to wonder where their journey will take them--as they find themselves surrounded by strange cults and otherworldly monstrosities, they can't help but speculate as to who the true puppet master is--and whether they really want to know.