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 Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2009 4:26 pm
I believed all love had gone
Had no strength to carry on
Thought my world was upside down
The day you walked into my life
Went to work to set things right
What's the secret that you used?
Oh you made me believe in magic
The moment I gazed into your eyes
Well you made me believe in magic
Your music brought magic to my life Far from civiliation within the mist shrouded woods known simply as Forest of the Silent resides a tower like no other. Being almost four hundred feet tall at it's peak, and a perfect square in a hundred yards by a hundred yards at the base. Made of black marble and steel, it has a warmth to it that seems to come from somewhere within the metal. Covered with thousands of opens of all sizes and shapes through the large spikes, the wind is constantly blowing through them creating a strange sort of music which seeps into your soul causing a feeling of despair... yet hope at the same time. One of the more easily seen magical effects on the tower, to all who see in aura's will only see a bright blue blue where the tower is... the magic is that dense around it.
Hanging from the highest spire of the top spire of the tower is an even more strange sight than the hundreds of ravens which are continuously roosting around it. Hanging on a winch arm is what seems to be an overly large wind chime made of eight black chains in a spiral pattern. But instead of large pieces of hollow metal or some other substance... there are eight bodies, each of a certain god or goddess that Zantara had killed. Each body had the spell Flesh to Stone placed on it and holes drilled through them at certain intervals in the marble bodies. As the wind spins the strange wind chimes around, their music echos over that created by the wind adding to the melody.
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Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2009 4:36 pm
Places of Interest The Doorway
The tower has only one public entrance which leads to a hidden corner withing the Shinigami Library... a huge 15 foot tall half oval doorway on the northern side. The door is made of a dark red steel almost the color of blood. If such a person was to look at it closely, they might see the images of ravens in all sizes sitting in a representation of the Tree of Life that crossed over both of the doors depressed within the metal. These doors represent the Counts new mindset as a Raven Lord, a part of his portfolio that he'd been disregarding for many months.
Above the doorway on both the Library side and this one is a long saying which goes as thus
There is in all things a pattern that is part of our universe. It has symmetry, elegance and grace-- those qualities you find always in that which the true artist captures. You can find it in the turning of the seasons, in the way sand traits along a ridge, in the branch clusters of the rose bush or the pattern of it's leaves. We try to copy these qualities in our lives and our society, seeking the rhythm, the dances, the forms that comfort. Yet, it is possible to see peril in the finding of ultimate perfection. It is clear that the ultimate pattern contains its own fixity. In such perfection, all things move towards death.
The boneyards
To the south of the tower resides 2 miles of swampland filled with the corpses of a dozen wars. The stench of decomposing flesh is always drifting in these stagant waters. This is where the Count keeps the few unintelligent undead that he has use for. From skeletal dragons to fossil raptors and the even larger Great Boneyard undead creatures. A single stroll through these small 2 miles and your likely to run into almost any undead creature you can possibly think of. Yet.... they never seem able to leave.
In the very center of the swamp is a large black portal which spits out corpses into the waters ever so often. This portal has been open for many millenia... and is an almost permanent fixture to these lands. The entire swamp is held under a Unhallow spell, making the undead all that harder to control and destroy. It is said that if you can get to the portal and go through it, you will be transported to a place of riches beyond imagination. If this is just a rumor in unknown... but ever so often a magical item can be found within the swamps brackish waters.
There is another effect over the swamps which is less known.. for very few travel it's depth during the night. For at night the mists begin to rise and they hide the horrors of the night. This inky mists will seep into your very soul bringing out whatever living creature it finds darkest fears and make them corporial. None are immune to this and it effects all equallly. At daybreak, the mists fade back into the waters waiting for the next night to be brought up.
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Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2009 11:29 am
The Throne Room
Location: Highest point in the Tower
At first sight, the throne room seems to be always empty with only the blood red banners and carpeted floors to offset the stark greyness of the room which seemed to be out of place with the known dimensions of the tower stretching out almost 300 yards in length from the single doorway to the throne.
And Yet..
At a second look, a skeletal corpse in blackened full plate armor sits on the throne, cobwebs covering everything with the banners and carpet nothing more than cinders and ash. The smell of death is heavy for only a brief moment.
...And Yet...
A giant black spider with the head and torso of a pale skinned, silver haired masked humanoid sits where the throne once was, a thousand, thousand strands of silk brought together in one single cocoon behind it. As the man-spider plucks the strings you can sense somehow that each silken strand connects to a smaller piece of the creature that is out in the world growing, learning ever expanding the senses of the "true essence" that is the master of this Tower. From Gods to Slaves, the learning of a million souls come here to the Cocoon of Ages where something has been growing for neigh on five thousand years biding it's time.
....And Yet....
The throne room is as it was before, empty and desolate. Was it all an illusion or a glimpse into another time? A game perhaps, or more like a warning to those who trespass?
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Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2009 11:58 am
Each of the 29 levels of the tower is dedicated to a certain "style" of strange and dangerous knowledge filled with weapons, books, scrolls and other instruments on related topics with the last nine (and the bottom) levels set aside for experimentation, eating and bedchambers with the kitchen located in the 1st level basement.
The sounds of odd whispering, pages turning and people moving and working can be heard from the very moment that a individual enters the tower but no one can ever be found..except for the small flashes of movement out of the corner of your eye.
It is a desolate place it seems... yet in the next breath it gives off the feeling of comfort such as you'd find in a warmly lit library back home.
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Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2009 11:59 am
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Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2009 12:00 pm
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Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2009 5:47 pm
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Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2009 4:14 am
Sati Wrapped her cloak around her. She'd been all over searching for answers to her problem until eventually her hunt had brought her to the Shinigami Library. If she could not find the answers within then she was doomed to her cursed existence. Not that she wasn't used to it by now, but it was becoming troublesome. And it seemed she had arrived in good time. The Shinigami Library was known for being accepting of other races, and was holding a special late night opening for those patrons who wished or needed to travel under the cloak of darkness. As she slid inside nervously she looked around. It was working. The most unusual creatures were mingling inside, talking and finding books they sorely needed. Even human-looking being mixed among them without a care. She pushed her hood back from her face and smiled. Wonderful. Aside from a couple of curious glances no one stared at her or ran from her.
She slithered her way between the shelves, taking her time as she moved from section to section. It was nice to feel normal here. The only other places she felt normal were among her own kind. She slithered around a gargoyle of some kind, giving him a polite nod as she passed. Finally she found what she was looking for. She set her staff down carefully against the shelves and reared up. Curses. She selected a few books and brought them back down with her until she was perched at her regular height of about 5 1/2 feet. She curled her tail beneath her and began to read.
A couple of hours and many dozens of books later she felt weary, and no further forward. She sighed and placed the books back. Time for a break and then she'd try again. She slithered towards the food area she had seen on her way in and got lost a little. It wasn't long before she was in front of an odd looking door covered in metal ravens. Her curiosity was piqued. She reached out and ran her fingertips over the metal and wood. The door cracked open and she pulled her hand back with a gasp. She looked around. No alarms. No angry shouts. Perhaps this was another part of the library. If it was a private reading room she could take a little nap. She slithered inside curiously.
This was not another part of the library. She turned back to the door, noticing for the first time the word written above the door. She read them and looked towards the tower in the distance. It looked very ominous. She clutched her staff to her ample chest and steeled herself. With a flick of her tail she closed the door behind her. This looked like the home of a wizard or witch. And they knew about curses. Maybe her salvation would be here.
With determination she began the long crawl towards the entrance of the tower, gazing around nervously at the swamp. She used the staff to light her way, glad for that small magic, and pulled her hood up against the cool wind. Who knew what lived here?
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Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2009 3:40 pm
As the serpent woman draws closer to the Tower, she would catch sight of what most people would consider "after-images" darting around the grounds... or perhaps even "ghosts" if you believe in such things.
Dozens of oddly colored humanoids ranging from simple humans to the tallest of Giants going hither and yonder around the grounds, all seeming to be in a rush to get somewhere. Some would disappear through doorways, or step through walls while others could be seen sitting at the various pagoda's chatting with others of their identical color as if this was the norm. But what was all the more odd was that at times they conversed with each other, yet totally ignored those of a different "glow" as if they did not exist.
As she drew closer to the tower in the sheer silence of the location, the woman would finally notice a single creature standing in front of her wearing a billowing black cape that seemed to be alive in some way as there was suddenly no wind to move it. It's face hidden deeply within the robes, it spoke up softly, it's voice neither masculine nor feminine yet something in between.
"The Master welcomes you to his tower, and wishes to invite you up to his home."
With a slight downwards motion of what could possibly it's hips, the creature gave an approximation of a bow and began to float backwards to the closed gate, that opened wide on well oiled hinges to welcome her with open arms.
Proverbially of course.
High above her and the creature, almost at the highest point of the castle, the orochi smiled softly from behind his black and red serpent masque with the high cobra-like hood on each side. His finely crafted armor shimmered softly in the glow from the fireplace as he slithered off of the balcony into his main study. His perfectly polished black scales almost glowing in the dim orange light, he gathered up a large black and red halfcloak which he tossed over his right shoulder and headed out of his room, still chuckling to himself as he headed....down.
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Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 1:28 am
Sati slithered he way towards the imposing tower, noticing (it was impossible not to notice) the odd ghostly figures that seemed to inhabit the area. At first they had frightened her and she had waved her staff at them in an attempt to keep them away. Before long she realised they weren't even paying her any attention. Curiosity got the better of her as she moved forward and calmed down and she watched them as she made her way to her destination. It soon became clear that they only interacted with those of their own colour and she had to wonder what the meaning behind it all was. It was almost as if she was somehow seeing into dozens of different dimensions or times at once, with those in the other places unable to see beyond their own space.
She finally made it to the base of the tower. At first she stared up at the imposing door. She almost didn't notice the creepy creature waiting for her until it spoke. She stared at it. Or tried to. There was more robe than being and she couldn't even make out its gender, never mind its features.
"Oh... I see... thank you." She stammered, a little taken aback that she should be receiving an invitation so easily. She hadn't even told it what she was there for. "Who exactly is...?" She began to ask, but the creature was already floating away from her.
The gate opened as it retreated as easily as if strong servants had done so. But Sati saw none. She hesitated a moment. Was this really a good idea? But, the master was apparently waiting for her. She didn't want to be rude and ungrateful. And what if he could help her?
She moved forward, following the shrouded creature wherever it led. Provided it did not simply vanish. She wondered what secrets this tower held. How did it get to be connected to a library? Who was the master? And where was she going anyway?
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