|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Flynn MacCumhaill Captain
|
 Posted: Fri Nov 24, 2006 3:25 am
The Orb of the Prophecy Dyrwyndd: It's a standard fantasy world, with the standard contingent of standard fantasy races: orcs, goblins, elves, dwarves, humans, halflings (i.e. hobbits), humans, and human-cross-any of the above, to make half-orcs, half-elves, etc, etc, etc. It has a standard prophecy regarding an obligatory glowy stone, known as "The Orb", or, when clarification is required "The Orb of the Prophecy." According to the prophecy, the orb shall bring darkness and despair to the land it is housed in until it is destroyed.
Or is that, if it is destroyed?
A bleak and bitter winter has settled over the land, bringing three years with no summer. The Church of Coilean, Guardian of the World has sent forth a band of adventurers to find the stone, and bear it to the Pillar of the Sky, in order to cast it down to shatter among the Teeth of the World. This would be hard enough with only the terrain and weather to contend with, but they are also faced with opposition from the Cult of the Death God Melete of Grace, who are determined to bring about the end of the world, presumably hoping to bring themselves to the bosom of their morbid goddess.
On the other hand, the Church of Melete Graciana have sent out a fellowship to bar the progress of the Cultists of the Mountain God Coilean, (who, with their wintry rites, rituals and beliefs, clearly want to break down society with this endless winter, and force all to turn to the worship of their icy god), claim the Orb, and bring it back to the major and most sacred temple of Melete Graciana, when it shall be able ot be held securely.
The Orb currently resides in... a secret location. Alright, it's in a huge, cathedral-like underground limestone cave, which is, naturally, not easy to get to, and approximately equidistant from the starting-points for each party. Oh, and there are two different ways in, of course.
Having obtained the Orb, the adventurers must proceed either back to the temple of Melete Graciana, or onward to the Teeth of the World. The temple is significantly closer.
Having failed to obtain the Orb, the other party must strive to stop the Orb's progress -- by whatever means possible -- toward that state where it will cause the End of the World As We Know It.
Simple, innit?
Of course, there are various monsters and hindrances to face, along with plenty of geography, and each other. All in all, it promises to be a complete and utter farce. Current Status Calling all players. Role call is here. The thread is currently not yet open for playing.
A side-note: for clarity, would the Melete Graciana party please colour their posts in warm colours -- reds, browns, orange, so on, and the Coileanites in cool colours -- blue, green, purple, et cetera.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 24, 2006 3:26 am
The party of adventurers were gathered about on the dark polished granite floor of the great temple of Melete Graciana. Her altar stood on the dais at the farther end of this great, wide-open, echoing space. A whole day's sky was painted across the vaulted ceiling, from morning to midnight. Rosy Dawn and fiery Dusk were absent, the colours flowing from the soft blue of early morning, over near the great entranceway, through the brilliant cloud-streaked cerulean of midday, then the blue veil faded to transparency, and diamond-studded night in her dress of black velvet shone through, at her darkest and most stunning above the marble altar.
The high priest, his hair cut short and his white beard sculpted to a neat point stood before them, his hands buried deep in the wide sleeves of his heavy blood-red and black velvet robe. It was cold in the temple: all that open space looked grand, but even a bonfire build up over half the floorspace would not warm this huge enclosure. Not that there could be a fire inside there anyway: that would violate the sanctity of the place.
"As you know," the priest began in a resounding baritone, "the Church of Melete Graciana have ascertained the cause of this endless winter. The Cult of the Mountain God Coilean have invoked their icy God, through the power of the Orb. The, hoom, the Orb of the Prophecy. The Orb which must never be destroyed, else we shall be plunged into the darkness of the End Of Days. The Orb which they now seek out to destroy.
"For this reason, we have called upon you. It is your duty to find and seize the orb before they have the chance to obliterate it. Before they have the chance to plunge the whole world into a winter which can never end!
"I have already given you maps, and all the information I can. We have been able to trace the general location of the Orb, but have been unable to find it precisely. We trust that you are better-qualified, and hope you shall have better success. Any supplies you need, we will be more than willing to provide. The world relies upon you."
The silence was dreadful, deafening, once he finished speaking, and he looked at each of the group in turn.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Flynn MacCumhaill Captain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Flynn MacCumhaill Captain
|
Posted: Fri Nov 24, 2006 3:27 am
At the same time, another group of adventurers were standing in the grand nave of another religious building. This one lacked the great, pretentious vaulted ceilings of the temple of the death-cultists -- being a narrower building, the roof was a simpler single arch. The floor was marble, worn smooth and dull by the passage of many feet, and the altar upon the dais which extended the full width of the building at the farther end, was hewn from a single great piece of oak. The light was pale and pink-tinged, filtered through the quartz-paned windows up behind the second-storey triforium gallery. Like the other church, the building was very cold.
The assorted party were standing thronged about the high priest of Coilean, a large man of venerable age, clean-shaven, with his snowy-white hair in a long braid, falling over the bulky white fur collar of his fur and midnight silk robes. He sighed, his mouth twisting up to one side as his eyes drifted across the group.
"All of you know why you are here," he rumbled, his bass voice filling the church. "The death-cultists of Melete of Grace have awakened the Orb of the Prophecy, in order to use it to bring destruction down upon the world, and send us all to the shadowy realms of their dark goddess. Of course, this cannot be, so we need you to seize and destroy the Orb before any more harm can be done. Maybe then we shall be able to see spring again.
"I have already given you all the information and maps we have -- in the leather folder. Marked on there is an area in which the Orb is likely to reside... but it is hidden, and, honestly, there have always been too many other thing to attend to prior to now to be able to launch a proper search. Now, it is almost too late, and we cannot afford to delay any longer. The stone may be hidden by arcane or physical means, or even both. I... am afraid I cannot say.
"We have supplies for you arranged already. If there is anything else you will need other than what we have provided, please, let us know. We shall do whatever we can.
"May Coilean be with you."
He shook the hand of each of the party in turn and patted them on the back, hoping that he would see them again, but somehow unsure that he would.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
