Torvek looks down at the ring with question. "This hadn't been here before..." Deep breathing could be heard from around him. He looked around and saw a huge monument- the size of a small continent. He thought to himself. "Maybe that's where the deep breathing came from..." He kicks the ring- it makes a metallic sound. He stops. "Wait a minute! Why does this sound weird?"
The chakram went back into his hand- he puts it into his holder- it refuses. "Hrm? Why won't it let me put it back?" "Erg- get in there, you stupid thing!" He forces the chakram to get in, but it holds back. "Okay- fine. What is it?" He lets go of it and it circles around the middle of it. Strange dark blts eminate from the center of the ring and cascases into crackling energy. "So, Corelloth did this!"
The Elemental Gateway- awakening for one last time. Its glistening metallic body is covered with debris from the Chaos, as it slowly rises from the ground. "MMM... TORVEK. I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS MOMENT TO ARISE IN YOUR PRESENCE." Torvek senses that this may be a trap set up by Corelloth. "I've come to finish you off, whoever you are!"
The thing laughs hysterically. "OH, YOU HAVE? WELL, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO DEAL WITH MY POWERS FIRST, BEFORE YOU CAN EVEN TOUCH ME!"
Torvek grabs his chakram and holds it like a shield. He backs up and throws it at the gateway. It chops off a piece, making the gateway grunt. He grabs it after it comes back to him and he throws it at the gateway again- this time, a larger chunk came off. He repeated this several times, nutil the gateway became a pile of rubble.
"You... think... you... have... defeated...me? We'll... see. each... other... again... soon..." The various peices fade into nothing- the gateway is no more.
Torvek wipes his head with his hand. "Phew! That takes care of that!" He waves over at Chroma. "Took care of it for ya! I think that's what you would call 'fun!'" He smiles.
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Chroma really didn't know how to respond to Torvek... after all, if he had never stumbled into their world, if he had defeated Correloth sooner, if he had prevented her meddling in the Chaos... a lot of what had inflicted his Mother would have been avoided. Arch-nemisis or not, Chroma could see even if he didn't that he and Correloth were- or perhaps had been- two sides of the same coin. And if the coin didn't land on the side you wanted, you didn't blame the tails or heads side, you blamed the coin as a whole...
Then again, the child god knew Torvek, had played with him. He knew it wasn't a bad person, even if he brought about bad things. In the sullen manner of a child, Chroma replied "thank you Mr Torvek," before floating deeper into the Chaos, intending to check on the slaad to ensure that they didn't risk reforming into the corruption they came from and infecting his Mother once more. He'd probably do a lot of that over the centuries...
***
The Chaos Wastes, rife as they were with the energies of the Chaos, proved to be a magnet for elemental creatures. The genasi fought valiantly against them, but with only themselves and their behemoths they lacked the fire power necessary to take on the creatures. But then, genasi casters stumbled upon a way to use powerful enchantments to bind elementals, and force them to do their bidding. With elementals on both sides of the conflict, the forces were soon pushed back into the center of Ardune... for now.
With the rising trade in Ardune, the genasi soon found the bartering system they'd become accustomed too clunky and unwieldy. In an attempt to make things easier for all concerned, they invented a simple measure of coinage consisting of tin, copper, and bronze pieces. Whilst the coins themselves were low in value, the value they symbolized greatly increased the productivity of trading and lessened the time arguing about how many boot were worth a blade.
PP Expenditure 2PP - The genasi learn to bind elementals 2PP - The genasi create a coinage system
He looks back at the child god as he slinks off into the Chaos. Torvek looks up into the formless sky. "Time for me to head back home." He spreads his wings out and flies off to Daelgar. ----------------
He lands on the platform and places the chakram back on the table again. He sits on one of the stone seats and twirls the chakram around like a top in the bowllike groove in the table.
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The Aether Miasma was not so easily converted. While it appeared to air, breathable like air, it was still Miamsa. It took longer to work its devastating effects, but it still caused the breakdown of parts, and the death of people of Aetherhome, just a lot slower.
Likewise, the Aether began to slowly eat away at the Aegis Azure, not physically person, but directly converting the magic and diving energies into more Miasma. It must be admitted that Mara had become, over the centuries, fairly passive in maintaining the Aether. However, she took notice of the Miasma trying to break through the Aegis Azure. The Miasma would then not only convert the aether but then the air, and even perhaps all of creation. It was a threat that had to be dealt with. However, investigating the Miasma only made her more sick, for it fed off her divine power and sapped her strength when she was in it. It became apparent to Mara that the Miasma was the ultimate corruption of the universe; it could not be destroyed or changed. But, it could perhaps be moved to somewhere safe.
Mara knew that she would have to withdraw from the world, and it would not be her responsibility to maintain the fight against the Miasma; it would have to fall onto the shoulders of the Mortals. She looked over the world and found most of the mortals wanting--fighting, squabbling, or just dead. Her frost giants had kept peaceful and maintained the security of the Astral Orrery for thousands of years and now were the last cohesive group of Frost Giants in the world, perhaps; so too the Elves had kept to themselves and continued to preserve as a single nation. Mara figured the Frost Giants had enough responsibility, so she went to the Elves. Mara told her most pious priests she was giving them the responsibility to protect the world from destruction, writing down portentious and ominous warnings of doom in religious texts through the hands of their scholars.
The mandate was simple. The Miasma could only be pushed back, and if they failed it would move further into the universe and slowly eat away at the world until all was lost (the aegis azure was destroyed). However, to move the Miasma back required great power and thus could not be done with ease or by even mortal magics (and yet Mara could not maintain herself in the world either). As reward and as part of their new purpose, Mara gave unto the Elves a mana conduit, to protect. The conduit gave the priets more power, but was actually capped, with only its full power available via a key mechanism. Mara told the priests that she would keep the key herself, and that on each great calibration--every 1000 years--they must send someone to receive the key from Mara and activate the magics. The great calibration would be when the moons were in calibration and other objects in the aether would also be, and even the stars aligned. Only then would the divine power of all worlds and planes be in such harmony to provide the power necessary to affect the Miasma.
Mara said her goodbyes to the other gods and prepared her final home. She went and took the long forgotten grove, created by that long-dead god of Life, and placed it within her heart, expanding it with lush gardens and more trees and a false sky showing the earth. She took from the world several animals and plants that she like and put them in the garden to keep her company. Both Mara avatars then retired to the grove to spend the rest of their days in peace and contemplation in the company of each other, and to wait for the heroes to give the key to.
PP Expenditures
3 PP - Create Artifact - Aether Miasma - This is the basis for apocolypse. The Aether Miasma will spend 1 point of decreate every one thousand years to decreate protective artifacts, but particularly the Aegis Azure. In other words, it would take 3000 years to destroy the aegis azure, at which point the Miasma moves into the world and destroys all life etc. In other interstitial points, the Miasma could attack say other such artifact (looking at you Aetherhome).
2 PP - Nourish Populace (from artifact) - Elves, other - The Celestial Order. An organization dedicated to keeping the world from being eaten by the Miasma by operating and initating the defense mechanism of the universe. Second PP is to spread it to other races and groups, though the organization is very secretive.
1 PP - Mold Land - Move a magical conduit to the Elven lands, under the care of the Celestial Order. Make sure that every 1000 years the various bodes (with help from the Orrery of course) are in alignment.
1 PP - Create Plane - Heart of Mara - moving Mara's grotto back to the moons! This time it is a plane that, in a physical sense, is located in both moon's centers (yes at the same time). The grotto has been groomed to have gardens and some animals, and its sky shows the earth. It has a fountain and pool in the center, being the representation of the Skyway River. Anyone entering the Heart of Mara simply appears aside the fountain. Visiters can interact with the goddesses, and take the key which resides in a box in a nearby room.
1 PP - Guide Populace (Artifact) - Iron States - worship Mara.
Quest Summary:
The Miasma looks to eat the Aegis Azure and gain entrance into the world and its very yummy air, people, etc. The Miasma, at the end of the LOC2, starts on the cusp, ready to begin eating away at the Aegis Azure. Every 1000 years, when the heavenly bodies, planes, and all of existance is in alignment--the "great calibration" the magical power is enough to push the miasma away and heal the aegis azure. In order to do so heroes must embark on a quest that involves entering the skyway river somewhere, and travelling along it until reaching the Heart of Mara. There they can take the key and return to the Elven conduit and activate the source (though it must be at the right time). Success will mean that, mechanically, the Miasma artifact effect will not happen. Bad guys can also try to get the key (Mara won't stop whom gets the key usually). Three failures results in the end of the world. This quest can be modified such that multiple success can push the Miasa to the edge of the universe, ending the ice age.
Ashralan faith did not last for much in the free nations, the attempt to dominate them by using divine magic was shaken of by the strong will of the people and their lord sensed the intrusion of a foreign power in his realm, one that will need to be dealt with.
Yorik was busy looking for the unshaped hidden in their society but managed to easily discover Ashralan exarch machinations and begun searching for him, to bring to the creature the doom it deserves
Meanwhile on bloodmyst the freemen begun to learn how to adapt to the cooler climate, partially recovering from the shock of the incoming ice age and fed from the easily adaptable bloodstone vegetation.
5 pp Guide (1 from aether Ripples). Ashralan new followers abandon him, a small cult still remains but it is consider heretical, a rare thing in the usually open minded free nations.
1 Pp nourish (from bloodstones) - Free Nations begin to adapt to the incoming ice age
Yorik search for Ashralan exarch to hunt him away from the Free Nations. Can you remind me how combat between exarchs work?
Meanwhile in Qar'Dask unshaped researchers managed to perfect their gibbering cratures, infusing grand distortion shards into their last beholder speciment. Its warping energies corrupted the creature, increasing its madness and melting its flesh. The first Gibbering Orb was born... the unshaped at first regretted the loss of their last beholder speciment, however they was pleased by the raw strenght of this new breed and begun producing more in secret.
In the ruins of chillhund archipelago large bloodstone formations begun to emerge. Powered up by the leftover chaotic energies unleashed by the sundering and making that area of the sea even more dangerous
1 PP Mold Land (from Bloodstones) - new treacherous islands emerge where chillhund archipelago once stood
Meanwhile the Wondermaker came in contact with a gnome of the circle, he grew fascinated by the gnome ideas and decided to grant him one of his magical wonders in exchange.
1 Create PP (from the Wondermaker) given to Nixis, its a gift to the Circle,
I'd love it to be spent in some kind of item that grant a boon but also have some hidden bane or price for the user
The Circle expanded into the free nation with vigor, finding the system of governance on the bloodmist isles to be simple to maneuver around and arrange special deals with. In their exploration, they came across, for the first time, bloodstone. They immediately began working with the bloodstone, exploring it for new forms of drugs that they could extract from the red rock. Eventually, they manage to create a machine to extract the essence of the bloodstones from the rock and infuse it into previously inert powder. The resulting drug they called BloodSpike, and it was their greatest success ever. It provided strength and endurance for whomever took it, allowing them the ability to do tasks that previously no gnome had been able to do before. The Circle began distruibuiting it widely.
Another group took notice of the creation of BloodSpike. When a user of BloodSpike became completely addicted, the concentration of Bloodstone went out like a beacon to the Unshaped, drawing them to the user and, more often than not, resulting in their posession by the Unshaped. The Drug also seemed to reduce innate resistances to their possession, something the Unshaped were very interested in.
1PP: From Wondermaker: Create Artifact (lesser): Bloodstone Refinery: Takes Bloodstones and creates the drug BloodSpike. Bloodspike boosts strength and con, but at high levels in the bloodstream, results in the lowering of immunities to Unshaped Possession and serves as a lure to bring the Unshaped to the user.
1PP: Nourish Populace: The Circle flourishes, expanding into the Free Nation further
1PP: Guide Populace: Unshaped begin infiltrating the Circle
The Asikan Empire was perhaps at its prime. The dragons were growing and adapting to the new clime, taking on new characteristics to remain vital. The population was growing exponentially, and, soon there was little left to explore on their continent home. So the dragons, who still remembered the attack on the Imperium, sent out ships to the south. They landed, and soon formed the Empire's first colony. Armed with draconic magic, the colonists were able to establish a sizable community, and protect themselves from the terrors of the continent. However, as few people wanted to leave the comfort of their safer, continent home, the only people who wound up in the new colony were criminals the Empire wanted to get out of the way. They built a prison on an island offshore, and eventually, all the Empire's most hardened criminals were sent there. Dragons, who had become a startling shade of azure, kept the prison, known as the Vault to the people of the Empire. The blue dragons lived in the caves that pierced the cliffs surrounding the Vault, and regularly patrolled the skies above. A constant storm surrounded the Vault, keeping all but the blue dragons, who were used to the storm, at bay.
PP
4 PP (Artifact) Shape Populace (Greater) Blue Dragons
1 PP (Artifact) Guide Populace (Lesser) Blue Dragons join the Asikan Empire
5 PP (Artifact) Nourish Populace (Lesserx5) The Asikan Empire expands across Asika, and then expands into a new colony on the old Imperium. A prison called the Vault is established in this new colony.
1 PP (Artifact) Mold Land (Lesser) An impenetrable storm surrounds the prison called the Vault.
Monis continued to grow, harnessing the expanded underground lands, growing rich and powerful on the minerals and new plants growing there. Using their abberant magic, they took humanoids captured long ago and warped their descendants into creatures better suited for the impenetrable darkness, and ofmore use to them.
In the end though, they had come to realize that they could only dig so deep before the heat frew unbearable. Forced to look upwards once more, they sent out elite groups to meet with the more powerful of surface groups: The Loremasters, the Asikan Empire, the Free Nation, the Loremasters, and Beacon.
((These are MS threads, for anybody interested))
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There was few continents and lands the loremasters were not aware of. Their members explored far and wide, recording and documenting plants, aniomals, peoples, nations, and histories. And everwhere they went, they carried with them the worship of Veros, teaching the world about the god of knowledge.
Over time, they accepted a new mission, recognizing that unlearned people could not truly appreciate their efforts and goals. Arouond loremaster enclaves, the group began to open schools, inviting locals to send their children, to educate new generations.
PP Expenditures 1 PP - Guide Populace (Lesser) - Carried by the Loremasters, worship of Veros expands into the Asikan Empire 1 PP - Guide Populace (Lesser) - Carried by the Loremasters, worship of Veros expands into the Iron State 1 PP - Guide Populace (Lesser) - Carried by the Loremasters, worship of Veros expands into the nation of Ithilain 1 PP - Guide Populace (Lesser) - Carried by the Loremasters, worship of Veros expands into Jade Nation 1 PP - Nourish Populace - Loremasters begin to open public schools in and around their enclaves 1 PP - Guide Populace (Lesser) - Monis begins to meet with surface nations 1 PP (Artifact) - Nourish Populace - Monis 1 PP (Artifact) - Spawn Beast (Lesser) - Grick 2 PP + 1 PP (Artifact) - Shape Populace (Lesser) - Grimlocks 1 PP (Artifact) - Mold Land (Lesser) - Expand the underdark a little further, under the continent of Asika
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Torvek strives to the idea to advance the colony and to make their home have the environments that they need to thrive and survive the other worlds when they go on their adventures.
He gives them the opprtunity to craft small boats at first, they then progress slowly to build slightly bigger boats that can hold more people. They have learned to craft boats from the environment by using the conifers and palm trees accordingly. The first boats were wooden logs that were spread apart by tied up leaves. They weren't as successful, but they had crafted long canoes and those were successful. They had then progressed to rowboats- which were also a success after a series of trial and error.
They had grown fatigued from the work, and he needed to push them to more work to help with their voyages. He gave them more food- coconuts and elk to keep them at bay. There were also some plants that grew in different climate zones. The low mountains grew berries of different varieties, the forests grew some edible plants- cocoa for one, and the shorelines had an abundance of pineapples and bananas. The coconut still dwarfed the shoreline.
Finally, the island had work for more improvement. He decided to raise it again- this time adding marshlands and rainforests to the landscape- as well as a small dry desert area in the middle of the island next to the tall mountain. He had finished his work.
PP Expenditure:
2pp- Guide Populace- The Dracos have learned to make boats and are starting to learn how to sail across water. 1pp- Nourish Populace- The amount of food available to the Dracos increases. A few new fruits and vegetables grow in certain climates 1pp- Mold Land- The island grows a little bigger- forming marshlands, rainforests and a desert area below the mountain.
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