As the aether stirs . . . adventure approaches .
A new dawn rises beyond the horizon, but even as the morning stillness waxes and wanes, the aether stirs evermore. Throughout the night, a four-toned whistle cuts through the quiet like a spectre, and the Echoes find themselves in the thrall of something much larger than themselves….
Escape from Sonare Isle.
The following will detail a general overview of the new isle, the recommended Campaign plotlines for Echoes to partake in for the month of August, the Isle's creatures, key NPCs, and a general FAQ.
The full information on Sonare Isle can be accessed at the SONARE ISLE page, or by navigating to the Isle through the Aevum Isles Map.
QUESTLINE.
Overcome the Ambitus and Escape from Sonare Isle. The Echoes find themselves either lured or mysteriously transported to a completely new Isle. There, they will face various mental trials in an unreliable, shifting landscape, and come face to face with members of the Aevum Realm's leading crime syndicate: Omerta Nostra.
SIDE-QUESTS:
Find and rescue Sandy Tylersen. A student of Arcanus University has been reported missing. Her last known location was inside the abandoned Sonata Train Station in Downtown Arcanus.
Locate and retrieve the stolen watch for the Arcanus Museum. A priceless artifact was stolen from the Arcanus Museum by three unknown thieves. Their only calling card is crescent moon with a dot in its center...
Investigate Omerta Nostra, and its four guilds at Rubato Square. Sonare Isle seems to be run by a crime syndicate called Omerta Nostra. While information on the true shadow organization is limited, the Echoes can find information on four of its most active branches.
Escape from a Coda. (prerequisite: Blipping, or following an Ambitus.) Deep inside a pocket of warped space-time, an Echo must face various trials related to their deepest desire or greatest fear, and escape the seemingly endless corridors of a Coda tower.
Discover the identity of the Omerta Nostra leader... Keep an eye out on @aevumdaily for more information!
How Do Echoes Get to Sonare Isle?
For the duration of Omerta Nostra, there are TWO ways to get to Sonare Isle: by choice, or by force.
BY FORCE:
The primary way to get to Omerta Nostra is to find oneself awakening onboard the elusive ghost train right as the train docks at the station. How you managed to get onboard at all is seemingly a mystery… but you are not alone. Other Echo, and even other Aercon have also found themselves waking up onboard the train without their knowledge. The last thing they remember is falling asleep in their own beds.
You have either been kidnapped, or have slept-walked on board to exercise this premise.
BY CHOICE
The particularly curious Echo may find their own way onto the Ghost Train at any time of day. This Echo may be in hot pursuit of the missing person's case of miss. Sandy Tylersen, or attempting to track down the stolen watch for the arcanus museum.
Both options will lead this echo to sonata station deep within Downtown Arcanus. It has been largely abandoned, and seemingly has been for a long time. But, with some sleuthing in the area (and perhaps taking a visit to the archives), Echoes will find the clues necessary to descend to the correct floor for boarding.
(for more information, please see the FAQ at the bottom of the event post.)
What Can an Echo Do While in Sonare Isle?
Echoes can explore the city, pursue one of the two available quests on @aevumdaily , collect information on the four Guilds, interact with Guild Members as they conduct various crimes, and generally pursue a way out of the Isle.
All of this while combatting their Ambitus, which will slowly form into a corporeal state for as long as the Echoes remain in Sonare Isle. Just as Arcanus Isle is a sandbox for Echoes to be placed in for interactions, so too is Sonare Isle — only this Isle is tailored towards crime, psychological horror, and action-adventure.
An Isle overview (including NPCs, key locations, and details on the "Ambitus" continues below.)
How Do Echoes "Escape" Sonare Isle?
Firstly: an Echo cannot blip their way out of Sonare Isle. (see: "Codas" in the Isle Overview.) There are two ways an Echo can escape Sonare Isle and return to Arcanus Isle.
RIDING ON A SONATA RAY.
This is the most common way an Echo will find a way out of Sonare Isle, as the second and third ways (known as "Medleys") are more elusive. The Sonata Rays (described in the overview) can be seen floating through the sky and across the Forte Seas outside of the dome. They can be tamed temporarily, in which case the Sonata Ray will allow the Echo to ride on its back before it dives into the Forte Seas, allowing the plunge to be survivable.
The Sonata Ray will assist the Echo in breaching through to the surface of the other side of the Forte Seas, which will have the Echo emerging in the Lunar Seas.
PASSING THROUGH A MEDLEY.
Medleys require more investigation on part of the Echoes, and are not reliable exits. There are two known medleys that exist, but both are scattered at random throughout Pizzicato Road, which itself is constantly shifting.
CRESCENT MEDLEY - Tucked neatly inside an unobtrusive, easily missed alleyway is a door with a large crescent moon acting as the door’s stained glass window. Stepping through, the Echo will find themselves holding the doorknob of a tall, grand glass entryway. They would be stepping through a door inside the grand central station of MOONLIGHT LANDING.
JEWEL MEDLEY - A old, arched doorway. The air that filters through its open door smells distinctly of rock and sea salt. Passing through this doorway will lead an Echo inside the TEMPLE RUINS in Arcus Cove. The will have to navigate upwards through dilapidated rooms and corridors to exit the ruins.
Once an Echo has passed through a Medley, they cannot return to Sonare Isle except through Sonata Station and the Ghost Train.
Do all Muses have to Participate?
No! Campaigns, like their Blue Moon counterparts, are optional. But they are a fun introduction to new set pieces to Aevum Isle's setting.
Is there a Participation Bonus?
Yes! Aevum Isles awards 500 Emblems for participation in Campaigns. They can also be counted for rank ups requirements.
Isle Overview.
Set in an eternal twilight beneath a giant, dome-shaped ward, Sonare Isle is primarily known for Ritardando City – a haven for the nefarious minded in all of Aevum. Most Aercon who have made Sonare Isle their home sport music-related names. There is a thick undercurrent of distrust anywhere an Echo goes, especially towards the outskirts of the city, where petty crime, thievery and backstabbing runs rampant. Curiously, the closer one gets to the city center (landmarked by a giant Echo Tree), the less crime there is. Almost as if this sprawling band of criminals is held together by an superseding power.
BELL CLOUDS.
Every four days, clouds gather across the sky, flickering with multicolored lightning. On the fourth day, the cloud's thunder begins to peal, but it sounds like a large church bell. It will strike three times in warning. Once the fourth toll strikes, a silver rain will fall, known as Bell Rain for its small bell-like chimes as the droplets hit the ground.
The Bell Rain has a supernatural quality to it: allowing Echoes to scry across the Aevum Realm so long as the puddles remain in a silver state. They can only see so far as a five by five foot radius. Once the water turns bronze, it can no longer be used until the next Bell Clouds form.
REQUIESPER CREEK.
While of the Bell Rain is collected by man-made structures, there is one naturally forming deposit of Bell Rain known as Requiesper Creek. At the bottom of the creek is a special water-weed nicknamed Bluegrass, despite its copper-like appearance from above the water.
Requiesper Creek can be used as a large scrying pond when the water is silver, as it exhibits the same properties as other collections of Bell Rain. Bluegrass can also be collected and pulverized into dust, which is used as an ingredient in an alchemical solution called an Esper Potion. Only the Alchemists of Sonare Isle know the full recipe to create an Esper Potion, but it can be used to mitigate the Isle's adverse mental effects, including resetting the growth of an Ambitus. (see "Ambitus" below.)
CREATURES.
The following creatures are native Sonare Isle and will be updated into the Aevum Compendium after the campaign. Full information can be found on the Sonare Isle Map Page.
NEOBOP TERRIERS - Found all across Sonare Isle. Wandering dogs with an unprecedented ability to find all fixed points across Sonare Isle, and navigate Pizzicato Road. They are friendly and can guide an Echo from one part of Sonare Isle to another...provided they are given a treat beforehand.
SONATA RAYS - A large, ghostly creature found outside of the dome. They are mostly reminiscent of manta rays, and produce a haunting rendition of the Whitacre Express whistle. Leaving the perimeter of the dome will cause an Echo to suffer an intense migraine that will Blip them into a CODA. With the right immunity (see: "requeseper creek" and "leaving sonare isle"), Sonata Rays can be temporarily coaxed to allow and Echo to ride on its back through the depths of the Forte Seas.
STARCCATOS - Found all across Sonare Isle. A small, canary-like bird that produces a white noise chirp. They can mimic the most recently spoken words of any intelligent creature that has passed them by, and can recite these words to an Echo when given the name of the creature in question. Their chirping sounds like a old radio, and the static is indicative of the target's health.
WARP RAVENS - Found in CODAS. A dark bird with four pairs of wings and a third eye in the middle of its forehead. They are drawn to Echoes, but unless they are gifted something of significance to an Echo, they will watch from afar instead of assisting. The Warp Ravens can produce large purple portals at will with their call, and this is their primary way of navigation through a Coda.
The Ambitus.
Staying in the Bell Rain for long periods of time will produce adverse side effects on Echoes. Known as Ambitus, an Echo will slowly begin to find what that the reality around them is not what first appeared. What may at first be a silhouette may simply be the shadow of a nearby lamppost. The voice of a beloved friend may morph into the sound of one's greatest enemy...
An Ambitus is the manifestation of an Echo's darkest fears and/or greatest desires. They only grow in frequency and strength and over time, slowly reaching a corporeal state and seeping into the Echo's waking world.
The longer an Echo stays in Sonare Isle after being touched by Bell Rain will suffer these hallucinations indefinitely until they escape the Isle altogether.
Ambitus have three phases. The first two range from harmless tricks of the mind to mirages that instigate the Echo.
An Ambitus' third phase develops under multiple circumstances. These are as follows: the Echo repeatedly comes in contact with Bell Rain. The Echo remains in Sonare Isle for upwards of 3+ days. Any combination of the above two.
Once the Ambitus becomes Corporeal, it can either cause physical damage, or effectively tempt the Echo to remain in Sonare Isle forever.
Ambitus are typically unique to the individual Echo, and are invisible to any other eye. (Including true sight.)
Ambitus are restricted to Sonare Isle and do not seep into any other Aevum Isles.
For the sake of RP, castmates have an innate exception to this rule, but these exceptions are rare in-universe.
Castmates with an Ambitus spawning from the same source material.
Castmates who share in the same fear or desire.
Echoes who are not castmates can see another Echo's Ambitus with the following rules applied:
The Echo who is attempting to see the Ambitus must drink an Esper Potion (see requesper creek.)
Echoes who are not castmates CAN see another's Ambitus when inside a CODA (see "coda" below.) even if they have not yet ingested an Esper Potion.
The Ambitus exhibits the following characteristics once corporeal:
The Ambitus is still invisible to anyone who has not drank an Esper Potion, is not a castmate. It can only be seen and interacted with by its progenitor Echo.
They are seemingly lifelike when viewed from afar, at a glance, or without close scrutiny.
Under further inspection, the Ambitus seems to be a mix of bronze Bell Rain, shadows, and mist. This is especially true if the Ambitus is attacked, and the Echo makes contact with it. The Ambitus can heal any wounds and damage inflicted upon it by stitching itself together.
The Ambitus can 'teleport' around, leaving behind clouds of bronze and black smoke behind it. When provoked, and aggressive towards an Echo, it takes on more of a smoke-like appearance.
The Ambitus can be directed, manipulated, and enhanced by antagonistic Echoes once they have reached their corporeal forms.
Key Locations.
Allegretto Circle - A fixed point in Sonare Isle. Allegretto Circle is the first location every Echo will find themselves familiar with in Sonare Isle, as it is home to the Ghost Train's boarding station. The train passes through every so often when it is not seen winding through the buildings of the city, but it cannot be reboarded.
Pizzicato Road - A road that never seems to stay in one place. It is constantly shifting around, but can be used to travel from Allegretto Circle to Ragtime Way and Rubato Square, so long as an Echo has the help of a Neobop Terrier.
Ragtime Way - The residential sector of Sonare Isle. Home to various small-time criminals of all creeds, Ragtime Way encompasses a bulk of the city. Ne'er do wells who want to lay low from the Arcanus eye retreat to Ragtime Way, and the entire complex teems with criminal activity. Echoes can find temporary lodging, supplies and food here. However, Echoes should be wary, because Sonaren Aercon will attempt to swindle Echoes out of their hard earned keys.
Rubato Square - A fixed point in Sonare Isle. Rubato Square is landmarked by a giant echo tree that eclipses a majority of the Isle's city center. The square is shared by four guilds of far-reaching crime syndicate called Omerta Nostra.
NOCTURNE GUILD
The Omerta Nostra thieves guild. Anything marked with a fermata symbol belongs to the Nocturne Guild, including a large black tent found at south-west of Rubato Square. The guild has tenuous amicability between its members, and primarily consists of the most accomplished thieves across the Isles. They are led by a man named Libretto Fortismo.
SMORZANDO GUILD
The Omerta Nostra mercenaries guild. Anything marked with a double sharp symbol belongs to the Smorzando Guild. Their tavern-like hall can be found at the north-east of Rubato Square. There is a profound feeling of camaraderie amongst its members, but also a distinct carelessness towards violence. They are led by a burly man named Tre'bel Cleft. (He goes by Cleft.), though Fanaleans refer to him as The White Wolf.
ETUDE GUILD
The Omerta Nostra alchemist's guild. Anything marked with an alto clef symbol belongs to the Etude Guild. Their towering complex of labs and study halls can be found at the south-east of Rubato Square. The Etude Guild has an air of suffocating competition and distaste amongst its members. A "dog eat dog" mentality as each member strives to prove themselves the most capable and clever mind in the guild. They are led by a sharp woman named Adagio Vivaldi.
DAL SEGNO GUILD
The Omerta Nostra principle guild. They own anything marked with the dal segno symbol. Their building, a sleek, modern embassy building, largely goes unused by its members, who are extremely elusive. Members of Dal Segno are most often identified by their dark clothes hemmed with bright purple and marked by a silver dal segno symbol. These clothes are typically reminiscent of train worker uniforms. The two most commonly spotted Dal Segno members are Octavia Fife and Rondo Viol.
The Codas.
Codas are pockets of warped space-time that fluctuate between past, present, and future. They are peppered all across Sonare Isle. Codas are always contained spaces, like buildings of any size or closed arenas, but they are most commonly within large, spiraling towers that, despite the dome's presence, seem to rise forever.
These spaces can be passed by at random. They are eerie, causing an unsettling level of discomfort simply by passing one by. They can only be entered when in direct pursuit of an Ambitus, but can be exited freely if an Echo does not venture too far inside.
If an Echo dies in Sonare Isle and its surrounding territories (including the Forte Seas), they will find themselves Blipped into a Coda instead of Terminus Tower. If an Echo dies in any fashion while inside of a Coda, the Echo will return to the beginning of the Coda, and need to retrace their steps and overcome new obstacles from start to finish.
The only way to exit a Coda is to concentrate on the outside world, oftentimes in the form of a goal or an emotional tether. (e.g., a friend, a family member, a place, etc.)
The Echo must concentrate entirely on this goal and/or tether while traversing through the Coda, which will warp and shift around them in an effort to keep the Echo trapped inside.
Full information on the Codas can be found at the Sonare Isle Map Page.
Notable NPCs.
The following NPCs are available for use within member threads. Given the nature of Sonare Isle, these NPCs can be used as antagonistic forces, temporary allies, rivals, and so on according to mun discretion.
Usage of NPCs is highly encouraged. If members would like clarification on an NPC's personality or personal knowledge, all questions can be directed to the Aevum Isles Masterlist Blog.
SONAREN AERCON.
Beat - A young orphan boy (14) who can always be found with his trusty camera. He knows information about almost everything interesting going on around Sonare Isle, but will always demand a form of payment - in food (especially desserts) or in keys - for his knowledge. Beat has no qualms spreading rumours along with his information, and is an uncannily good pickpocket. Beat knows the names of the all Guild leaders, and especially looks up to Libretto Fortismo. and has pictures of the two Dal Segno Members. He does now know their names.
Tremelo - A tall, lanky, grey-haired teenager (17) who looks after Beat and Polka. He is rough around the edges and defends his small trio with a handcrafted iron sword, and a not-always-working hex rune from Polka. When it comes to looking after himself, Polka and Beat, Tremelo can be convinced to provide Echoes with help just as easily as he can be paid by the Smorzando Guild to get in any Echo's way. Tremelo knows how to navigate Sonare Isle's various warping paths and fixed points. He can offer advice about Neobop Terriers and Starccatos, and may warn Echoes not to go near Codas.
Polka - A blonde-haired teenage girl (16) who can be most often found alongside Tremelo. While Polka is largely soft-spoken and distracted, do not be mistaken by her docile demeanor. She wields a red parasol enchanted with a shields rune, and carries various splash potions that can hurt her enemies. When she is alone, she is gathering ingredients at the edge of Requiesper Creek, or catching vials of Bell Rain. She can provide Echoes with information on the Ambitus, including its name, effects, and whether or not the Echo is in immediate danger. She does have a sense for who is developing an Ambitus and who is not.
OMERTA NOSTRA
Libretto Fortismo - The leader of the Nocturne Guild. He can be found in the Guild's tent or in the Guild's hall, which is a giant building further south-east in Ragtime Way. Libretto is a cunning man who seems amicable on the surface... and is until provoked. Unlike Cleft and Adagio, Libretto will not be outright hostile towards an Echo upon first-meeting, and values diplomatic tactics, including striking deals. Be warned, though: Libretto will often strike deals with Nocturne's half undecided, leaving the Echo to "owe him a future favor". Libretto has a favorable relationship with both Cleft and Adagio Vivaldi.
Tre'bel Cleft - The leader of the Smorzando Guild. Also known as the White Wolf, Cleft can most often be found in the Guild Hall, located right in Rubato Square. Cleft is boisterous and loud, and takes pride in his unchallenged might as a leader. He is a violent individual, especially when challenged, threatened or otherwise provoked. The Guild is mostly known for enacting cruel punishments on its own members, and members of other guilds for not falling in line with Dal Segno's orders. Cleft has a largely hostile relationship with Adagio Vivaldi, and a neutral relationship with Libretto Fortismo. The Guild is notably short on Esper Potions, which are locked inside the guild's vault.
Adagio Vivaldi - The leader of the Etude Guild. Newly elected into the position of power, Adagio Vivaldi is stern, ambitious, and is incredibly persuasive. She has connections all across Sonare Isle and Arcanus Isle, and knows how to play her cards to get what she wants. She is an expert marksman with an enchanted pistol... so that also helps. She pulls the ears of the members of the Etude Guild to keep an uneasy truce from top to bottom. Adagio has an outright hostile opinion of Tre'bel Cleft, specifically, and makes dealings with the Smorzando Guild harder to maintain as a result. She is highly competitive with Libretto Fortismo, but is more willing to work with him.
Octavia Fife - A member of Dal Segno. As one of the elite members of Omerta Nostra, Octavia comes off as pompous and above-it-all, oftentimes looking down on the three guild members. She has a silver walking cane with a Warp Raven as its handle, and wears a half-length cape with the dal segno symbol on its back. She spends most of her time mitigating tensions between the Etude and Smorzando Guild. Octavia has a great reverence for the Omerta Nostra leader, and considers him as ranking above the Echoes. She may wax philosophical about Omerta Nostra's dealings in way of "illusions of order", "mysteries without solutions", and other poetic ways to say "there is no order without chaos".
Rondo Viol - A member of Dal Segno. While Rondo Viol is one of the elite, he carries himself with a outright casual air. This extends down to his clothes, which are reminiscent of a railroad fire police uniform. He can be spotted more frequently than Octavia Fife, and generally deals with operations in Ragtime Way. Rondo Viol has an interest in the codas and Bell Clouds, and maintains structures that collect Bell Rain in large quantities across the Isle. Like Octavia, he speaks highly of his mysterious leader — implying that he is not to be trifled with, and may or may not have an invested interest in the Echoes.
FAQ:
CAN I ROLEPLAY MY CHARACTER DISCOVERING THE GHOST TRAIN?
Yes!
Your character is free to sleuth through Sonata Station to your heart's content. While the appropriate clues have been posted on the Aevum Daily blog, there is A GUIDE for members who would like to use this as a rp plot for a campaign thread.
DOES MY CHARACTER HAVE TO ENGAGE WITH THE GHOST TRAIN?
To gain access into Sonare Isle, yes. The train is the only way into the new territory.
However: your character finding or waking up on the ghost train as part of a thread is not mandatory, and you can start all of your campaign threads already in the isle with whichever method they got there.
WILL THERE BE UPDATES ON THE SANDY QUEST AND THE WATCH QUEST?
Yes!
Keep an eye on @aevumdaily for updates on the Sandy Quest, the Watch Quest, and various overarching plotlines for the duration of the Campaign.
CAN I COME UP WITH MY OWN NPCS?
Yes! This is highly encouraged throughout all of Aevum Isles.
NPCs native to Sonare Isle will fall into one of three categories: a low-ranking member of one of the three guilds (Dal Segno is not included), a thief who lives in Ragtime Way, or an Arcanus Aercon who has stumbled into Sonare Isle and needs help to escape.
CAN I USE THE OMERTA NOSTRA MEMBERS IN THREADS?
Yes!
You can use the ALL named NPCs in threads. Remember that although there is no "wrong way" to play an NPC, they do have defined personalities. Those are defined above.
WHAT ABOUT THE OMERTA NOSTRA LEADER?
...Spoilers! :)
For now, the Omerta Nostra Leader can be eluded to and spotted in threads. This includes threads taking place outside of Sonare Isle, now that the Campaign has launched!
He won't interact with Echoes face to face, but a perceptive Echo may be able to spot glimpses of him watching from afar. If an Echo were to follow him, he would disappear around a corner with no trace, disappear down a dead-end alley, or enter through doors with nothing behind them.
He is tall, dark-skinned, and always appears when an Echo is under duress with every intention of watching events unfold.
I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION BUT IT’S NOT ON HERE.
Please let us know by asking your question in the Aevum Isles Masterlist’s Ask Box!
Questions sent elsewhere (such as the Aevum Isles FAQ discord channel) will not be accepted, and instead Staff will ask to transfer your question to the Masterlist at this time.
You can find the Aevum Isles Event FAQ tag (HERE), the Aevum Worldbuilding FAQ tag (HERE), and the general FAQ tag (HERE).