The World of Vala: Ties that Bind - Book 1: The Arcanum

Prologue Arc

Arcanum Orientation Arc

School Daze Arc

Golden Hour Arc

This book opens up with Xiomaris, Ivan, Vera, and Ruko making their journey to the legendary Arcanum. Each player character lays down a unique path towards their goal of the Arcanum. Once admitted, they found themselves at the bottom of the heap of the first-year class.

As they go through their misadventures at the College of Druids, they run into several problems, including community service (bodyguarding Eve Heart), gaining the ire of a Billionaire (Boro Machuca), starting a gang (DiaboliX), and dealing with grades and responsibilities on their own time.

Things were going well for the party when DiaboliX is attacked by The Order of the Golden Sun, and Eve Heart is taken by the opposing gang, initiating a bloody conflict between the two gangs.

Needing help, the members of DiaboliX ran to Ruko Rovka and hired his Silver Sparrows faction, who readily agreed.

Accidentally implicating Machuca Inc. with a local drug rink Xiomaris Umbra created a chain reaction that led to the dissolving of local faction KAOS, the creation of another faction, Guerrilla Strategy, and a local information broker by the name of Feyd Del Mar temporarily joining DiaboliX against The Order of the Golden Sun.

DiaboliX beat The Order of the Golden Sun with the united forces in a triple battlefield assault. In the chaos of battle, Vera Samoon-Atlas defeated the leader of the Golden Sun, Misery Hadad, in one-on-one combat.

Despite the defeat of the leader DiaboliX had one more hurdle to cross: The Co-Leader Antonio Hester. As DiaboliX struggled with Antonio the group dropped a airship on him, run over him with various cars, and finally destroy the shrine to the God of Cruelty that Antonio drew his power from. It took Vera consuming the experimental God Fruit to take on Antonio as an Elemental.

As they put the Co-Leader down, Ivan lost Vaconic Control. With no control over his actions the party had to bring down Ivan hard in order to ensure the raging Vaconic didn’t destroy the city. Thinking quickly Xiomaris shoots Ivan with a Clear Thought Bullet and brings the Prince back to his senses.

Before the party had a chance to rest multiple Master Druids make it to the scene and attempt to arrest the members of DiaboliX. Unfortunately the only one that doesn’t escape is Ivan. Xiomaris transforms into Void and disappears from the scene as Vera and Damien flee towards the Ocean.

Ivan is captured and interrogated by Drakon, an armor-clad vigilante, and Sentinel, the great Druidic Hero. Both are trying to find out what happened between DiaboliX and the Order of the Golden Sun. It is here where Ivan finds out the Arcanum itself was attacked by void beasts, and while they have been dealing with the problems garnered by the Order of the Golden Sun, the city has been under siege.

Before they can interrogate Ivan thoroughly, Boro Machucha relieves them of their duties. Boro Machuca reveals that he has been given provisional power over the island of Alexandria as a temporary Mayor of the Island-Nation. He reveals to Ivan that his private army has taken down the city's void beasts and established control. Whereas the Druids could not. He offers Ivan a chance to join him, but Ivan refuses and walks back home.

While lost at sea Vera and Damien are almost struck down by pirates and their floating Island-Ship Verdun. They are saved by a loan man who reveals himself to Vera as Kaz Amory, the God of Heroes. Kaz is heading towards Alexandria because he senses the unique Vaconic power of his son, who he discovers to be Ivan Folgore.

As the party is reunited at the DiaboliX base Boro makes his brazen announcement. Boro announces that he and his corporation are now in charge of Alexandria. He goes on to explain that he has built a number of different alliances for the betterment of Alexandria.

He reveals that the Pirate Republic of Verdun will be patrolling the Waterways of Alexandria with Captain Nova Samoon-Wesley leading the pirate armada.

He then announced that while looking for her runaway son, Queen Genevieve Folgore of Kirin has discovered that he was hiding out in Alexandria. Without an heir to takeover the nation of Kirin was forced into a period of destablization. In order to stablize the nation Queen Genevieve has agreed to enter into an arranged marriage with Nico Samoon-Atlas in order to produce an heir.

Finally Boro pushes the announcement that he’s been waiting for. The borders of Rokander have been opened up with an exclusive alliance with Machucha Incorporated. God-King Grigor Xander Rokander, The God of War, has arrived to the city-state to collect his younger brother.

As he finishes his annoucnment Boro ends it with painting DiaboliX as enemy number one in his new regime, and signs off to the despair of our party.

With little to do with the Arcanum out of commission for thirty days, Nico orders the members of DiaboliX to train and prepare for a harsher return to a Boro controlled Alexandria.