They arrived, not as an army, nor as conquerors, but as a riotous procession of mischief and motive: a company of leprechauns unlike any the world had ever seen. Upon setting foot on Sapience, the band scattered like sparks upon dry grass, each drifting toward the cities of the world, drawn by curiosity, impulse, or schemes known only to themselves.

It was the corpulent entrepreneur whose path would shape the strangest chapter of the day.

Guided by a cluster of Targossian adventurers, a rotund leprechaun was led to the great bridge of Delos, the crossroads where travellers from every corner of the world pass beneath open sky for commerce and leisure. There, with the satisfied air of a merchant who has discovered the perfect stall in a bustling market, he unveiled his enterprise.

A towering cannon wrought entirely of gold. Its barrel shimmered with engraved rainbows and dancing coins, and along its flank sat a narrow slot, inviting tribute. The rules were simple and irresistible.

Gold sovereigns would feed the weapon. Gold sovereigns would awaken it. And when enough tribute had been offered, the cannon would unleash its radiant fury upon any city they desired.

The response was immediate and fervent.

Adventurers gathered from across Sapience, their satchels heavy and their grudges heavier still. Coins clattered into the gilded maw of the cannon in a steady rain, the sound ringing across the Delos bridge like a metallic hymn. Rivalries old and new stirred in the hearts of the gathered throng. The chance to wield colourful destruction proved irresistible.

At last, the weapon roared to life.

The first to seize its power was the adventurer Kodachi, whose hands guided the golden cannon as it loosed its radiant wrath toward the spires of Mhaldor. A dazzling arc of prismatic fury tore through the heavens before plunging toward its distant target, and the gathered crowd erupted with wild delight.

Again and again, the cannon was fed.

Again and again, it answered.

With each dazzling discharge, it became increasingly clear: the thirst for spectacle, vengeance, and mischief among Sapience's adventurers burned nearly as fiercely as that of the leprechauns who had brought the weapon.

But all revelries end.

As the final echoes of prismatic thunder faded into the evening sky, the leprechauns quietly gathered themselves once more. The leprechauns' pockets bulged with new wealth. Millions of gold sovereigns disappeared into their rapacious grasp.

With satisfied grins, strange songs, muttered ramblings, and manic laughter, the band reclaimed their gleaming cannon and vanished from Sapience as suddenly as they had appeared.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Summary: A group of leprechauns briefly set up a gold-fed rainbow-shooting cannon as a business venture upon the Delos bridge. Adventurers were eager to invest in the opportunity to direct its power at the various cities across Sapience.



Penned by My hand on the 23rd of Miraman, in the year 1001 AF.