| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Display using:
|
|
*Trouble in the Vale*
Posted: 18 Apr 2005 03:34 AM |
Those passing through icy vale will notice the following:
The Righteous Sword knights on duty there look more sullen, and miserable, than you have ever seen them. They still walk their patrols, and attend to their duties, but everything about them from the gait of their walk to the slope of their shoulders, radiates misery and discontent. Many seem to be afflicted by a virulent flu, with streaming eyes and incessant sneezing, although none of the locals display such symptoms.
Anyone spending time talking to the residents of the vale can discover:
In the early hours of the morn, the body of one of the patrolling knights was stumbled upon by a local trader on his way to start work. There was no visible sign of what killed him, but his face was literally frozen in an expression of utter terror. Indeed, his entire body was frozen solid, perhaps from the bitter cold as he lay undiscovered for so long. The body has been returned to Midor for proper ceremonial burial, as the efforts of the priest in the vale could not restore life to such a corpse. |
'The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof.' - Richard Bach, Illusions. |
|
  |
|
|
*Trouble in the Vale*
Posted: 27 Apr 2005 12:56 PM |
Stories are spreading across Vives of a truly horrific fate befalling one of the Righteous Swords in Icy Vale. It seems that one of their number was attacked by some unknown means whilst walking patrol. He has been frozen in place on a hill overlooking the town, much like the knight that was slain in such a fashion a week or so ago...but with one very noteworthy difference.
This knight still lives. His entire body is frozen solid apart from his face. His eyes follow every movement, and his mouth apparently opens from time to time in a terrible, silent scream.
No weapon has been found that can so much as chip the ice surrounding him. No magic has been able to free him. No flame so much as melt the smallest fraction of this icy cage.
And so he stands, through night and day, living an unceasing existence of purest suffering, whilst the discontent of his comrades intensifies every day under his never wavering gaze. |
'The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof.' - Richard Bach, Illusions. |
|
|
|
|
Re: *Trouble in the Vale*
Posted: 02 Jun 2005 07:16 AM |
*stories are spreading through Midor of a previously almost unheard of event becoming common place in Icy Vale*
Desertions. More and more troops are needing to be sent to the Vale, as the faithful of Midoran fall prey to mysterious afflictions, desert their posts or simply are never seen again. A system of troop rotation is implemented to quell the problems, but with seemingly little success.
Those privy to rumours amongst the Midoran clergy hear that Vidus is growing unhappy with this, and is personally moving to resolve the situation. A meeting has been called to this end, but none can find out who exactly he is meeting with, or who will be responsible for ending the problem... |
'The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof.' - Richard Bach, Illusions. |
|
|
|
|
Re: *Trouble in the Vale*
Posted: 19 Aug 2005 05:49 AM |
*The temperature in the vale has dropped to life threatening levels over the last few weeks, even the hardiest of residents will not step outside at night, and not just because of the cold. Midoran patrols have virtually ceased, sullen guards stand duty at the gate, the icy temperature is matched by the looks cast their way from the locals.
The tent that was placed over the frozen, yet still somehow alive Midoran knight has been ripped away every night, his pleading eyes and horrified expression mute testament to the travails they all suffer. Rumours were rife that it is now only a matter of time before the order to withdraw comes.
However, all that changed today. Each of the Midoran knights now wear a beautifully crafted necklace, with a single vibrant red stone displayed at its heart. The stones seem to pulse faintly, and the Midoran's once more seem dutiful and alert, no longer prone to the terrible bite of the cold, nor the illnesses that ravaged their ranks.
However, an eerie silence now fills the vale. The snowstorms have ceased. The wind barely blows. And time itself seems somehow distorted, as though a peculiar lethargy has swept over the entire town. Residents will, over the next week, talk of sitting down for breakfast, only to finish their meal and find that dusk is upon them, the day passed unheeded.
Alternately, others will tell of a day spent at work, craftsman creating wares that it would easily take a day to make yet leaving their work to find the morning is not even half way done. Many inhabitants begin to exhibit signs of extreme tiredness, and many more are not seen for days, having slept for what seemed like a night to find much of the week is gone.
All is not well in the Vale...* |
'The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof.' - Richard Bach, Illusions. |
|
|
|
|
Beware of Priests bearing gifts
Posted: 19 Aug 2005 12:04 PM |
"The amulets have been distributed?"
"Yes Lord Bishop. They have been well received. Very well indeed".
"Excellent. Please send the emmissary with our most hearltfealt thanks and let her know our Lord is very pleased with her gifts. And let her know that He looks upon her requests with great favour"
"Yes Lord Bishop. I will escourt him there personally myself"
"See that you do, and see that no harm comes to him under any circumstances. Midoran's will be done"
"Midoran's will be done, Lord Bishop" |
Purpose in life: finding better ways of allowing players to kill themselves. Repeatedly.
--
"...Cause he mixes it with love
And makes the world taste good."
--
<@James42> Lawful good isn't in your vocabulary, it's on your menu.
|
|
|
|
|
Time draws to an end
Posted: 22 Aug 2005 03:46 AM |
The Midoran knight stiffened to attention as his superior approached, offering a smart salute to the mage. The ruby necklace both men wore cast a blood red tinge across the snow covered landscape, the sounds of the approaching mans steps somehow more muffled and distant than even the wintry landscape would allow for.
The knight's duty was nearly done for another day, his shift had been a quiet one...no sign of orcs stirring from their holes in the hills beyond the gates to the Vale, and no sign of the snowstorms and magical attacks that had plagued them over recent months. Nonetheless the knight noted a worried expression upon the face of the approaching officer, and his pulse quickened in response.
"Any problems to report soldier? Anything at all out of the usual?" The mage barked his questions with military precision.
"No Sir. Midoran has blessed us, and ended the...troubles we faced here. All is quiet" The knight's tone was sincere, and expressed genuine relief.
The mystic leaned on his staff, as he met the knight's gaze and acknowledged his words with a reserved smile, before replying in a cautious tone.
"Midoran blesses us each and every day. Nonetheless, I fear that one battle has been won, but more may yet need to be fought. My skin crawls, and I can sense powerful magic at work. Something is...not right. Stay alert, and let me know anything out of the ordinary that you see. I fear the ice bitch and her pathetic minions have not learnt their place yet..."
His words were cut short by an eruption of crystalline shards of ice from the ground, a localized blizzard that swept upwards and enshrouded the startled mage from head to foot. The numbing cold of the ice did not touch him, as the ruby on the necklace he wore blazed with sudden power. Nor did the razor sharp edges of the shards of ice pierce his skin, as they danced about his form. A faint nimbus of red light protected him from the assault.
However, light seemed to be refracted and distorted by the cloud of ice, and the mages expression was one of horror and terrible agony, his mouth opening and closing soundlessly, his fingers trying to weave arcane symbols of protection, but moving too slowly, as though the air had turned to treacle.
The knight watched, wide eyed, his gaze fixed on this latest attack, his training overcoming his horror, his eyes recording every detail even though he stood helpless, knowing this was an assault that his steel could be no help against. And so he stood, frozen in place, his calls for help muffled into silence the moment he opened his mouth. A silent witness whose tale would soon be known throughout the ranks of his fellows.
And so, before his eyes, his commander aged. With each passing heartbeat it was as if a full week had passed. It was hard to see through the whirling ice, but over the course of no more than half an hour...a short time yet interminably long for both victim and witness, a lifetime passed for the stricken mage. His hair turned white, his skin sagged from his bones, his back curved and his stance lost its authority, his once commanding gaze now reduced to the peering of a man half blinded by cataracts. The storm of ice shards fell away when the enchantment was done, and all that could be heard was the dreadful wheezing of a man who had lived beyond his years.
From a mage and military commander in the prime of life, he had been reduced to a wreck, his appearance that of a man who had known over a century of hard life, a crippled and ruined body and a broken mind, with drool rapidly freezing upon his chin and a low moaning the only sound he seemed able to make. And the ruby, the ruby that was supposed to protect those stationed in the vale...it was cracked, split asunder, all light and power gone, drained away.
The knight stepped forward and hesitantly led his commander to shelter, his mind already formulating his thoughts into a report that must surely be sped to Midor. And as he did so he muttered, with dreadful irony...
"Does this suffice as something out of the ordinary Sir!?"
With haunted gaze he continued his thoughts aloud "How do we fight such a foe, when they strike from afar, and will not face us in battle, let us hope those wiser than I can find an answer, or I fear we all shall fall here in the Vale..." |
'The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof.' - Richard Bach, Illusions. |
|
|
|
|
The quiet before the storm.
Posted: 27 Aug 2005 03:41 AM |
And so the troubles continued, and worsened. An eerie quiet had settled over all the icy lands, and tales were told by the few who dared wander their hidden depths, tales of a constant storm of ice and snow, slowly moving towards the Vale with figures seeming to move within the heart of the storm.
A gargantuan form with scales seemingly carved of solid ice flew at leisurely pace in the sky over the Vale, seeming to watch for something from the east. And on ocassion, some claimed they saw an equally large, yet somehow even more dread form soaring with unnatural grace aside the ice dragon...Frezt had left his cavern and taken to the skies. It was the first time in living memory that he had done so for anything longer than just a brief hunt, and his angry roar at this disturbance to his usual leisurely existence suggested that someone would pay for awakening his ire.
Yet the resolve of Midoran's followers was undaunted, once the wearying effects of the perpetual cold had been thwarted by the necklaces they now wore, they strode the lands in confidence. There had been some disquiet caused by the fate of the commander who had aged so suddenly, but an exchange of dispatches had soon ended the murmurings. Now their attitude seemed one of hope, expectation even.
Tales were even told of a small group of off duty Midoran soldiers braving the nearby icy caverns, a place sacred to Helkris, rumoured to contain a palace that housed one of her ruling priestesses. This group had supposedly lit a huge bonfire in the caverns, and shouted insults at Helkris and her minions. The fact they had only been answered by silence seemed to fuel their confidence, and gave heart to all stationed in Icy Vale.
No more attacks came. No more examples were made. Silence had descended, and everywhere in the cold lands, people and creatures waited... |
'The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof.' - Richard Bach, Illusions. |
|
|
|
|
Re: The quiet before the storm.
Posted: 28 Aug 2005 09:14 AM |
Dark stormclouds have descended on Icy Vale. No word has been heard from there in the last few hours. Though some speak of a couple of pale and frightened looking men fleeing out of Mineath caverns before the onslaught of the storm. The mountains above Mineath are covered in the worst snow blizzard seen in generations, but huge pale skinned giants can from time to time be seen striding their way through the highest reaches of the mountain range.
Tremblings can be heard from Fiirhallen, and the sound of war drums emanate from its hidden depths.
And Midoran troops have been gathering outside the city. Several troops of knight are standing in ranks, waiting for the word to move towards the Plains. |
'The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof.' - Richard Bach, Illusions. |
|
|
|
|
Re: The quiet before the storm.
Posted: 28 Aug 2005 02:03 PM |
((OK, sorry for the first OOC post in this thread. But here is what happened, that everyone who was at the event should have hopefully understood. Most of this is commonly available information.
- Helkris followers took control of icy vale. They slew the Midorans and any who opposed them, but left the townsfolk unharmed. Although this was not known as all contact ceased with the vale.
- A joint force of Midorans, Naruthians and their allies attacked into the vale. And fought across the nearby mountain range.
- A Naruthian dragon named Brimscale accompanied the assault.
- On arriving in Icy Vale there was a pitched battle between followers of Helkris and Naruth. Helkris was victorious, and all the Midorans and Naruthians fell.
- Brimscale and Frezt had a cataclysmic battle in the skies, spilling over into Gladden farmlands.
- Naruth personally intervened, restored life to all who had fought for her...once the battle had moved into Gladden. And Helkris and Naruth fought in the skies above Vives, whilst Vilyave sought to protect the land from the fallout of their battle by weaving a shield of protective winds above the lands.
- Brimscale was struck down, and powerful ice magic from a nearby ritual nearly slew him. At the last possible moment, the ice magic was turned aside from him, tales differ as to how this happened. At the same time, a great deal of fire magic was pulled from the skies and somehow combined with this ice magic. But where this combined energy went is not widely known.
- The mind staggering amount of magic in the ensuing battle between all 3 sisters, combined with the effects from the battle between the two dragons, seemed to set off a world wide cataclysm.
- Every priest and devoted follower of a god heard their god ordering a withdrawal from battle, and an order to cease using magic of any kind until the cataclysm was averted.
- The world was nearly torn apart by the resulting earthquakes. Magic swept through the world in physical, tangible form. Some places in Vives were torn asunder, and new paths opened in mountain ranges and the like. And areas near the center of the cataclysm were changed by magic sweeping through them.
- As it seemed inevitable the effects were going to be catastrophic, to an extent beyond imagination, hope took wing and soared into the air in the form of a flight of majestic dragons. Of a scale and ilk never before seen in Vives. Their awakening cry was heard all over Vives, coming from places as varied as Ferein, Brandibuck, Mgok Tukar, off the shore of Port Royale, off the shore of Midor, and across the lands. These dragons joined with Brimscale, Frezt and Vaast'liax. Though these three dragons, like their new companions, now seemed somehow whole, and filled with a power and majesty they had not had before. Vaast'liax especially seemed somehow changed beyond recognition. And all soared across the skies, somehow fighting the tendrils of malevolent power that by now nearly covered the entire horizon. And as their cries rang out in unison, the earthquakes slowly ceased, and some sense of normality returned. When their work was done, the dragons turned away from one another and disappeared back whence they came.
- The Midorans took the opportunity to leave Icy Vale. And have returned to Midor, withdrawing all claim to the Vale.
- The effects continue to be felt across Vives. And magic is at best an untrustworthy tool for now...and quite possible to spiral lethally out of control. Aftershocks continue to shake Vives, and the world itself seems to be groaning and shifting, with changes being wrought with every day...
((Really ooc now. A LOT of changes IG, now and over upcoming weeks. Please do not walk past places blocked with boulders, as they are meant to be impassable. And please bug report any problems as bound to be a few that have crept in.)) |
'The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof.' - Richard Bach, Illusions. |
|
|
|
|
Re: The quiet before the storm.
Posted: 13 Mar 2020 12:41 PM |
| *bump* |
'The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof.' - Richard Bach, Illusions. |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|