Post by Head Moderator on Jun 23, 2014 7:15:44 GMT -5
Once a beautiful, verdant elven land, it is now a place of ash, dust and horror. Upon the Triple Eclipse (2014) a cataclysmic solar storm beat down upon the upper half of Kir'viir, destroying most everything in it's path. Even the famed capitol of Kir'viir, Arhylle, a magnificent example of the elves organic architecture where buildings were grown rather than built was burned down to blackened stumps and melted glass. Now, it is known as the Scarred Lands and those that actually managed to survive the storm are known as the Scarred as mutations affected them all. The rumor is that if you travel to the Scarred Lands for even short lengths of time, you too will be stricken with a various mutation as well.
The Wall: Though it broke the hearts of every elf who assisted with the building of this massive enchanted wall, the leaders of Kir'viir deemed it necessary to keep the blowing ash and dark sands, and even darker residents separated from the still-thriving kingdom of elves. Now, a tall wall with a powerful mythal is being constructed, every day it grows taller and longer, dividing Kir'viir from the Scarred Lands.
Gatepass: Built in the center of the long wall, Gatepass is becoming a garrison, with the sole purpose of keeping the horrors of the Scarred Lands out of Kir'viir. A new order of knights has been formed, called Knights of the Bastion, who regularly make forays along the outside of the wall, pushing back the monsters and horrors that wish to enter Kir'viir. Most adventurers into the Scarred Lands would travel to Gatepass rather than the Iron Gate to enter the Scarred Lands. Each adventurer, knight or traveler into the Scarred Lands is given a magical sigil on their flesh, if they do not return before the sigil fades, they must enter through the Iron Gate and undergo all the evaluations to make sure they were not corrupted in some way. Sigils last for two weeks.
Portals (dangerous to use) have been set up to move further into the Scarred Lands. As of now, a portal can be taken to the (1)Ruins of Arhylle, and the (2)Ruins of Palisand, he catacombs of a church that once stood in the midst of what is now called the (3)Black Wastes, (4) the ruins of a library that is located on the eastern edge of The Lament (closest thing to Iskravalanya). ONLY THOSE WITH SIGILS may pass through these portals in either direction.
A small encampment outside Gatepass has begun to form, of Scarred who have made it to Gatepass and wait to caravan to the Iron Gate. They also offer themselves as guides and contacts to those who come in to explore the Scarred Lands - for a price of course - which always includes fresh water.
Iron Gate: This smaller gate in the wall is the only spot where Scarred can legally pass into Kir'viir (think of it like Ellis Island - an immigration station). Only a certain number are allowed to pass through each day, and they must be thoroughly evaluated before they are allowed through; the whole process could take weeks or even months. The Scarred that are approved are sent to refugee towns until they can find a home, or are given passage across the sea to the mainland to find a home there.
Silt Sea (East and West): Once a great sea of water that lapped along the shores of Kir'viir, the Silt Sea is now a huge, sunken basin of dust and wind-blown silt. Like water, the Silt Sea t is flat, its contents fill a low-lying area, and heavy objects sink and disappear beneath its dusty surface.
On a rare day when the wind is calm, the Silt Sea looks like an endless plain of pearly powder. Sometimes it lies as flat as a table and it seems like a person could see clear to the other side of the world. Other times the surface appears frozen in wavelike ridges that could come crashing down without warning. The most common condition is much more turbulent. The wind churns the dust into star-shaped dunes or massive swells, and the shape of the surface can change in an instant.
When the wind blows, dust rises to cover the Silt Sea with clouds that reduce visibility significantly. The slightest breeze stirs up a silvery pall of dust that clings to the surface like fog. The silt-laden air and the dust bed merge into each other, making it impossible to tell where one ends and the other begins. Stronger winds, which blow across the Silt Sea almost constantly, turn the dust bed into a roiling cloud of silt.
On stormy days, the wind roars over the silt with a loud howl. Not even the blazing sun at midday can penetrate the obscuring dust. Visibility is cut to only a few feet in every direction as the storm intensifies. Dust coats everything over the sea and along the shore, and anyone wandering nearby faces great danger. Not only does the dust get into the nose and lungs and eyes, but it swirls around a body, forming a sandy embrace. The ground and sky disappear. Thick dust covers the land, making it hard to walk. Direction has no meaning when a silt storm rushes onto the
shore, for the dust disorients even those who know the area well. It’s easy for those caught in the swirls to walk into the sea itself, becoming lost forever beneath its churning surface.
When a large storm springs up, everyone within 50 miles of the shore had best find shelter and wait it out. The air becomes so thick that the only way to breathe is to wear a cloth over one’s nose and mouth. Those who stop to rest in the open will find themselves buried beneath a drift of gray powder before they know it. On some days the silt rises thousands of feet into the sky, blocking out the sun and turning day into night. Once the wind dies down, it may take days for the disturbed powder to settle. Then the wind kicks up again, and the whole process begins anew.
SOUTHERN SCARRED LANDS
The Sundered Fields: Only charred dirt and rock remain of what was rolling fields and low stone walls, the main source of water to the area was what is now called the Ashen River. A few tribes of Scarred make their home here, using animal hides and blackened stone to build rough homes.
Ashen River: The water is gone, the riverbed now filled with ash that flows and shifts as if it were still a river. There are a few traces areas where deep underground water wells up into the ash.
Priviola: A settlement within the Sundered Fields, where the Porcelain Eye is located.
Greenview: This bustling new village of Scarred named the area for the view across the bay of Kir'viir's greenery.
The Crematorium: All the residents were burned to ash, not one survived. Lit by a pale greenish glow of poisonous gases, everywhere you look are the ashes of creatures that once lived in this city.
The Lament: Once an arable swath of plateaus and valleys, this area is now scattered with the burnt corpses of towns and the mausoleums of cities. The Scarred that survived attempt to eke out a life here, but in the dark of night the lamentations of all the thousands upon thousands that lost their life is heard on the hot wind that blows through.
Stronglimb: Once a mighty treant, Stronglimb was burned alive during the Scarring. Now his ghost serves as a guardian to the area where he once lived and thrived.
Temple of Iskravalanya: This lone edifice stands within the Scarred Lands, it's entire outside scoured of any decoration it might have once had. It's windows blocked up and one set of double doors that allows entrance. Inside resides an elven noble who has taken the name Saint Iskravalanya, which means Protected-from-fire-and-flame. It is rumored that she took no mutations, nor any type of damage from the Scarring and has not once set foot outside since the Scarring. The lower level of her home has been converted into a temple area where the Scarred come to pray to their new Saint to guide them, heal them, and protect them. Her devotees camp outside the temple, and there are whispers of a prophecy that one day she will step outside, and grass will grow beneath her feet, and the land will flourish again.
Bone Town: Bone is as prevalent in the Scarred Lands as forest used to be, and so the Scarred have begun to build a town of the bones of the animals and people that died during the Scarring. It has not been given a formal name as of yet, so it is simply called the Bone Town.
The Burial: Rorthaniel the Black was an evil master of dreams. He bent them to his will and his enemies crumbled. His only weakness was his phobia of being buried alive. Deep in his castle within Kir'viir, his worst nightmare came to pass as the Scarring occurred and Rorthaniel was buried alive as his castle sank into the ground. It did not kill Rorthaniel, and when he regained consciousness, his mad imaginings boiled over and his screams were terrible. If anyone dares venture down to the deepest floors of the buried castle, they will find a knotted system of roots, almost impenetrable and crawling with snakes and huge spiders, extending throughout the whole castle. Somewhere in there still is Rorthaniel, whimpering, terrified, his fears creating more and more of the disgusting creatures that crawl over him.
Twystened Wood: This is the remains of a thick forest, in the south of the Scarred Lands. The trees themselves are bent and warped, almost resembling figures writhing in agony. Footpaths fool the eye, as what seems a clear trail one moment is discovered to be a dead end when one tries to navigate it. Illusions and enchantments have been woven over these paths, meant to bewilder the enemies of the Twystened Sidhe, the Dark Lady of Twystened Wood. Only one bearing her favor is able to freely travel the forest’s paths; others will often discover they have become lost.
The disorienting magic of the trails is only the first of the wood's many baffling mysteries. The temperature within the wood is slightly cooler than the surrounding lands, and more humid. Those within the wood may find themselves sweating, a magnet for the land’s numerous biting insects. Alarmingly, sound does not propagate normally among the gnarled trees and patches of thorny briars: Someone calling from within 30 feet may sound like a distant echo, while strange snatches of sound, like the sinister laughter of the Dark Lady’s courtiers, may carry for miles.
While wildlife and birds appear to be abundant within the wood's wild growth, closer examination will reveal that these creatures are mutated and warped from the shapes normal to their species. Numerous wild and bizarre creatures dwell in the twisted forest; chimerical monstrosities, some never before beheld by mortals, haunt the impenetrable thickets and shadowy clearings beneath the ancient, gnarled trees. Some of these creatures are deadly pets of the woods’ dark mistress, while others are mortals, cursed and distorted in body and mind after they displeased the capricious Fae that rules this evil place.
Shell Deer: The pitiful creatures known as "Shell Deer" are commonplace within the forest, their segmented carapaces rattling as they hide within the many thickets and tangled undergrowth of the woodland. Slower than normal deer, the mottled surface of the rigid shells covering them camouflages well within the dense undergrowth
The Montori: The unsettling creature called the Montori is one of the few abominations of the forest that is unlikely to immediately attack those it encounters. A misshapen, roughly humanoid mass of drooling mouths and blind eyes, it crawls through the forest pleading incoherently for someone to cure its accursed state. A few of its innumerable eyes still retain some ability to see, so it will accost strangers, desperately trying to enlist their aid in its campaign against the Twystened Sidhe. While it can be killed, those bitten by it may find themselves transformed into a similar pathetic horror. The creature does not ordinarily use this power on those it meets, but if it is attacked, it will ruthlessly defend itself. Once a foe is overcome by the thing’s curse, the original moniton will attempt to overpower the newly accursed creature, devouring it if possible. While this horror is determined to end the reign of the Dark Lady, it is also quite mad, and loses its train of thought with every shift of its amorphous form.
The Paths of the Punished: As one approaches the central groves of the wood, the forest takes on a deceptively bright and cheerful aspect. During the day, it can be seen that the central paths are wide and well cared for; in the moonlight, they glow with night-blooming flowers and green-glowing fireflies. Intruders among these deceptively tranquil grottoes will soon discover new horrors, even more terrifying than the woods’ previous encounters. There, impaled against trees, are the remains of those who have angered the courtiers of the Twystened Sidhe. These unfortunates were not merely slain; the elven necromancer Mortameth has “restored” them, making them into pitiful and accursed undead. These things writhe and twitch, impaled in eternal agony.
Bound Ones guard these crossroads. Surprisingly fast, these hellish watchers lurk near many of the junctions and intersections of the forest’s labyrinthine trails, where they ferociously attack any who fail to display the favors of the Twystened Sidhe or her Court.
The Court of Dark Memory: Near the center of the forest are the hidden halls that house The Court of Dark Memory, one of the last bastions of the Unseelie Courts in the Scarred Lands. The bizarre courtiers that dwell within these strange halls are barely recognizable as elven folk, for they have been twisted by mutation and touched by the corrupting magic of the Twystened Sidhe. The folk of the Unseelie Courts have always been wilder and more varied than the Seelie Court elves, but these creatures have been shifted in strange and terrifying ways. Mortameth, the Castellan of this strange place, rules over the household of the Dark Lady, ensuring that the Twistened Sidhe’s needs are well met. Strangers coming to this place may be surprised to be welcomed after the deadly trials they have endured to reach the dark court, but the Unseelie elven courtiers are eager to greet newcomers: If they are not amusing and novel, then perhaps they will be useful pawns in the courtiers’ power struggles.
The Gardein Hwit: The most distorted and tortured of the corrupted elves, these creatures are the personal guard of the Dark Lady. Forever bound to loyally serve their liege, they were once Faerie Knights of the Unseelie Courts, haughty and beautiful, deadly and subtle. The guardians of the Gardein Hwit have fallen far from the paragons they once were.
These hellish guardians have each been reshaped into unnerving monstrosities, each combining strange aspects of horror and beauty. The bizarre alterations and perversion of their once-beautiful forms fill many of them with wrath and despair, an unending anger that can only be expressed against those outside the Court of Dark Memory. Magically compelled to be true to their charge, they cannot betray her: They patrol the forest, discharging their duties with as much cruelty and sadism as possible. Filled with suffering, they make all around them suffer.
The Court of the Fallen King: The Dark Memory is not the only court that remains in the haunted Wood. One of the Twystened Sidhe’s lovers retained his majesty, if not his humanity. Most of the Dark Lady’s victims are hunted and slain by her courtiers and their dark guardians, but she ordered that Nemerood not be molested: She would not have her court slay a king, even if he was only a king of men. The creature still lives within the forest, hidden and exiled. Altered from the shape and limits of humanity, King Nemerood has lingered within these woods for hundreds of years, even before the Scarring twisted the woods even further. He tried to return to live among men a few times, but gave up hope several decades before the Scarring. He is now a creature seemingly crafted of burning stone, clad eternally in royal robes that likewise burn with cold blue fire, the King is a nightmare, not a ruler.
Insane, yet strangely wise, King Nemerood holds court within a hidden grotto. A throne crudely carved from the remains of a hollow tree dominates the stony hollow, sheltered by towering dead oaks. There he dispenses his off-beat wisdom and deranged (yet, not unsound) advice to a motley group of courtiers: A few Scarred elven exiles, an elderly human knight, and a handful of animals. The elven exiles are strange and fey beyond even others of their kind. His lone human courtier is the aged knight Sir Derwulf, who swore to discover the fate of King Nemerood many years ago. The knight’s quest successful, he was touched by the plight of the monarch, and chose to remain with him in the forest. The oddest members of his court are a family of strangely intelligent foxes. These creatures silently wait on the lost king, bringing him the strangely-mutated game of the forest for his food and silently giving warning when strangers approach.
CENTRAL SCARRED LANDS
Black Wastes: A vast swath of utter wasteland, it has existed since the creation of the Scarred Lands. So named due to the dark tint of the ever-present dust and ash, it is a place promising death. The few plants that have managed to grow in the perimeter are wretched, stunted things, and there is no animal life. Dust storms that rip at exposed flesh and tear it from bone are known to blow across the wastes. There is little shelter to hide from such things, saving partially burying oneself in the sun baked soil. In some spots if you step down too hard blood will seep up through the black sand and stain your boots.
Spellcasters have noted that this area twists their spells. Any spells that create or heal seem to be lessened in power; conjured food turns to ash in the mouth, healed wounds open up under strain, and summoned creatures are frail and weak. Conversely, magic that harms or destroys seems to have a greater force, fire burns hotter, desiccating spells can reduce creatures to withered husks and magical diseases are almost terrifyingly contagious.
The Ancient Bones: One of the few landmarks within the Black Wastes, the destruction of the land has uncovered what first appears to be a curving pillar rising to the sky. In the rare moment of a calm between duststorms one can see that there seem to be a row of them. If someone were to follow them, they would eventually discover another row, running almost parallel to them, a good distance away. If this person was particularly diligent about mapping, they would see that these rows actually formed what appears to be an enormous ribcage, although the pillars themselves are something other than bone or rock. In this place, necromancy is peculiarly strong, and any who die nearby often rise as the undead, at least until the dust storms rip them apart into the wind.
The Skull Trail: Pylons of skulls, every 33 feet, seem to mark a trail through the wastes. The skulls themselves come from a variety of sources, mostly elven and animals. The trail often runs near to a wide, gentle ditch, 10-15 feet wide and around 3 feet deep. The trail often splits off, and periodically ends. None of the paths seem to lead anywhere. If a particularly sensitive individual were to pick up one of the skulls and wonder where it came from, they may be granted a somewhat cryptic answer. To them, and to them only, the wastes suddenly disappear, replaced with a similar landscape, except that while the wastes are a place of dust and death, this is a place where grass and trees are abundant, the ditch, if nearby, can be seen as a clear river, and if they happen to be at one of the dead ends, they may even see a beautiful little town, the buildings in a wholly unique architectural style known to the elves of crystals and trees. The individual can walk around, but if they try to interact with anything, the vision ends. A cupped handful of water becomes dust, the building, if touched, dissolves into the air. The vision also ends if the individual would have seen anyone, although they can hear other beings if near a town. These sounds have a habit of walking up behind the individual, right before they feel a hand rest itself on their shoulder. Should they turn around in fright, they may find it was just one of their companions, curious as to why they were suddenly acting strange, or if alone, there may simply be nothing there.
The Nameless Monument: There is a statue, lost in the depths of the wastes, though it is heavily eroded and was probably also uncovered by the Scarring. It is apparent that it was once a statue of a head, possibly tilted towards the heavens. Time, however, has not been kind to the ancient giant. The features are worn away so much that the race and even the gender are now obscured, and little can be made out about the expression. The most interesting thing about it is only revealed if someone notices that the base seems to have been mostly buried over time. If it is exposed, there is writing in Primordial. There is also what appears to be a crude depiction of two raised humanoid arms, shattering a chain that bound them together.
The Oracle of Diti: This is a blood red crystal that juts out of the dead soil of the Scarred Lands, that pulses with otherworldly energy. Perhaps this is a channel to Diti, Rock of the World?
The Ashen Vale: The Ashen Vale spans from where the people of Kir'viir once tread the lands of Palisand to the very edge of the tip of the Ituri Forest. It stops, just before Arhylle. The land has been decimated and the people and animal stock that once graced its presence and the beauty of the lands have all but been destroyed. Ruins now stand where once were proud structures, the trees that once stood tall and unwavering are nothing more than burnt out shells, fit for no purpose. It is true and unbridled devastation.
Unfortunately, that is not the worst of it. All is not quiet in the Vale, for with the destruction of its people and its lands, it weakened the divine between the realms allowing the break through of monstrosities that would only be found on the elemental planes. While those remain try and fight back the incursion, it is a losing battle for not only are they forced to deal with a new breed of elementals (ash and oil), bred during the desecration but the voices, and trapped souls of all those that died.
The atmosphere is sweltering and a deep mist hangs on the air, covering clothing and weapons with a debilitating ash. The ground is treacherous, with pot holes, and quick-ash. Geysers that spew molten fire are opening and closing, in different positions every day. The once beautiful waters of the ocean, are now as dark as oil, and as thick as it. Things lurk beneath the waves, that batter against the ashen shore.
Bay of Ash: The coast of the Scarred Lands is a mess, destroyed and littered with the wreckage of an unknown number of ships and the corpses of great sea beasts. Some are little more than rotten timbers and bleached bone while others are almost salvageable, or still warm but not bleeding anymore. The Bay of Ash is the worst of all, and full of wreckage, piles of great corpses, and greasy fires.
NORTHERN SCARRED LANDS
Ruins of Arhylle: The crystal city of Arhylle is now blackened tree stumps, and melted glass that has dried and solidified across the area like lava. Only a few cellars still remain of this once-magnificent city of the elves. Thousands of elves and city residents were killed when the storm raged, leaving their ghosts to haunt the ruins now.
Field of a Thousand Skulls: The story is that right before the Scarring occurred, the knights and warriors of Arhylle had gathered on the marching fields in full armor for a ceremony. As the Scarring hit, within seconds every warrior and knight was incinerated, leaving their skeletons behind, and their blood turning the entire area red. Bones and remnants of shattered weapons and rusted armor dot the area. An oppressive sense of doom and despair fills the accursed area. Those picking up these shattered remnants may be briefly touched by the memories of the dead, shaken by the memory of their death, or saddened by memories further back of a time of happiness with their families. Throngs of restless dead haunt the field, and few travelers pass through it without encountering the uncanny spirits that linger there.
Castle Oldemere: Castle Oldemeer is in the northern Scarred Lands, a day's journey east of the ruins of Palisand. All traces of its haunted keep, Castle Oldemeer, are gone. The wild legends about magical explosions, battles with liches, and a mist-cloaked city visible only in the light of a full moon could still be true, but no one has visited the area since the Scarred Lands were created.
Everlasting Flame of Zumyan:
Obsidian Obelisk: What was once a tall, slender tower of black stone has now become a ravaged obelisk of melted obsidian. The Scarring melted the massive tower like a candle, and the obsidian spread out around the tower and began to solidify into a mirror-finish of completely flat black obsidian.
Ruins of Palisand: Deathport is growing rapidly, taking over every part of what was once Palisand, an elven city, but there are still entire areas which have not been desecrated by the dead of Deathport and are simply the ruins of Palisand.
Deathport: The only existing 'city' in the Scarred Lands, this area is still growing as each day passes. What once was the thriving city of Palisand carved directly into the gleaming white cliffs overlooking the bay is now blackened rock and the home to the dead who capture and enslave the Scarred they can find to serve them in Deathport - and a few living necromancers. It will not be so long before they build ships and make way out of Deathport to ravage the areas around them!
The city is well protected, and any attempt to invade this city would be easily thwarted. The sun never shines upon Deathport, the skies are perpetually filled with grey clouds of ash as if threatening to rain - though rain never comes.
Deathport has a city guard, a policing force called the Black Eyes, they are part guard, judge, jury and executioner. It seems that this place has no court. Undead caught in a crime is harshly punished, in most cases through dismemberment and fire. There is a strange peace here, but behind that peaceful face are beings of pure evil.
At this time there are three powerful "Houses" that have taken major control over the new city. There is no one leader of the city as of yet, but the undead struggle and grow, and rumors flow that soon a King will be named.
House Vane: The strongest house so far in Deathport, this group has a large contingent of mummies at its core and its leader is a necromancer from Madder named Sophronia Vane, or "Sophra the Desecrator". They do not call their servants mummies, to these creatures the mummies are called Ancients. Some are over five thousand years old, and were robbed and awakened from the ancient tombs of the elves that were deep within the cliffs.
House Arkis: This house has attempted to take control of the slave trade, and is controlled by a family of vampires. Lord Dryden Arkis is the patriarch of the vampire clan. Their goal is to wipe out all competition with other slave traders so that they will control it 100%.
House Dusek: This house consists of a huge number of wraiths and ghosts. This house is key to the power struggle in the city, as they easily spy on the other houses without their knowledge, and are keen assassins. This house is led by a dread wraith named Tariq.
The Salt Desert: The sea dried up around northern Kir'viir during the Scarring, leaving a gigantic basin that is now salt. Traveling in the salt desert is dangerous, as the very air pulls the moisture from the body dessicating you hour by hour; day by day. Without water, a normal humanoid will perish in 24 hours, within 3 days your body has become a mummified husk.
The Badlands: The Badlands is a rocky broken expanse of land, constantly being shaped by geothermal and tectonic activity. The bedrock is splintered, forced up into jagged raw features. Fumaroles, volcanic vents, steam gushing fissures, and geysers are well represented in the valleys between the buttresses of stone thrown into the air.
Rotgut Spring: A natural spring bubbles quietly, bringing water and the stink of sulphur to the surface. The soil around is colored from brown to red to yellow and even white.
Mineral Pools: The most captivating feature of the Badlands are the mineral pools, rainbow hued waters heated to just below boiling temperatures. Rumor says these waters are charged with magical energy and if someone could survive the swim, they would be granted new youth and vitality, and cleansing of all diseases. There are lots of bones in the bottom of some of these pools that argue otherwise, as many Scarred have attempted to be cured of their mutations and failed.
Scarred Mountains: The Scarred Mountains are along the upper half of the western Scarred Lands from the edge of the Black Wastes up into the Badlands.
Jewel Caves: This cave system in the hills of the western Scarred Lands was once a series of gemstone mines, but the heat of the Scarring was so great that the gemstones melted: corundums, rubies, sapphires and diamonds have melted then cooled to create a crystalline cave complex, run through with still-viscous rivers of melted gems.
Shattered Canyons: Beneath the shattering force of the weather, the land is broken and rough, a maze of shifting caves and ravines, created and shattered by constant, eternal earthquakes. Volcanic eruptions are frequent here, showering the land with ash and rock, which is almost immediately beaten and taken back into the ground by the fierce weather.