Man, I need to really check myself before coming on all grumpy-like...take two...
Hey, there, friends! Quick hello: though I'm not new to the world of writing (been...like...I dunno, more than fifteen years now, I think), I am new to this site, and I have high hopes for the sheer number of active members here that I can find enough intrigue for a new story arc I'm working on. So, without further adieu, let's get into it! Oh, and sorry for any poor formatting! I'm still figuring this site out.
*Also, please note that any artwork I post is not my own. I'm currently in the process of building a map for the continent this is on, so that will come later.*
Woe to those who tread the Ashlands,
For sickness bears an icy grip,
On body, mind, and living spirit,
There's no return, no round trip.
Dominating the horizon from nearly every part of the continent of Ethos is a mountain so tall, it is said not even dragons could hope to reach its top. Easily taller than all other mountains, this great behemoth stands as a beacon to entire civilizations. It is a directional point. A magnetic center. And an undeniably rich magical resource.
This mountain is the Ash Maw, the central point of not only the continent, but also the Ashlands, a desert of soot, ash, and disease. From the North-East and South-West sides stretch the remainder of the range that the Ash Maw was once at the center of, broken into two pieces and scarred by the black mark of the Ashlands.
There are several rumors that spread about the coming of the Ashlands, but it was over a thousand years ago. Who could possibly know for certain what caused the devastating eruption that continues even to this very day?
Two things are for certain, though: the ashes carried by the deep clouds that still rumble from the mountain center are imbued so heavily with the essence of magic that those ashes are in high demand by every civilization on Ethos; and something in the air within the Ashlands, themselves, causes every race to lose themselves to the desert, never to return home.
Well, almost every race.
Though not the largest civilization on Ethos, the race of varonians (human) have some form of natural immunity to the toxic fumes of the Ashlands. Because of this, an elite few are trained from a young age to become Ash Collectors in every generation. And it is the Ash Collectors that all other civilizations rely on.
The catch for varonians is nearly none of them can tap the Arcana - the magical essence - within the ashes alone. They require the aid of other races, primarily the wide variety of elves that dot the landscape farther away from the center of Ethos. In exchange for most of the ashes collected each quarter year, those who trade with varonians offer their services to help the varonians build their cities, farms, villages, and outposts.
That is how it has always been.
art by AbelardTullus
The work of an Ash Collector is difficult to say the least. Ash Collectors should never travel alone, but they also cannot burden themselves with heavy things, such as steel weapons. So, what are they to do?
The only job of an Ash Collector is to get as much of the ashes from the Ashlands as possible. The closer to the Maw one can get, the more powerful the ashes. Of course, if it were easy, then anyone would do it. The Ashlands are not a mere walk in the park. For beneath the dunes, the Ashborne slumber. These are the lost souls twisted by the toxic air, killed and covered in soot, then risen again with a magical energy so potent that it can infect anything it touches. Including those immune to the air, itself.
From great wyrms that may have once been ancestors or simply distant relatives of dragons to mutated beasts that roamed down from the mountains after the eruption to all of the elves, dwarves, and even varonians that were unlucky enough to be caught...all are still alive. At least, in a way. And it only takes one burning touch from these creatures to be Marked as the next Ashborne. There is no cure to the Mark; it is a death sentence.
Luckily for Ash Collectors, all Ashborne react to sound. And the sound of footsteps or even some fights can be easily drowned out by the constant rumbling of the ever-awake mountain.
If the Ashborne wasn't enough, varonians are not entirely immune to the effects of the constant rain of soot and ash. Though they are resistant to the toxicity of the air, breathed in ashes can slowly make even the strongest Collector go insane. As such, Collectors must wear specialized gear to keep them from coming into contact with the air as well as clothing that covers most of their skin to keep it from being Marked. Most of this gear is light, but it costs precious water, of which Collectors carry very little.
Travel light. Travel swiftly. Travel together.
Now comes the question of where our story begins and what part we play in Ethos.
Our story is simple: we are the Ash Collectors. Some of us are fresh, while others have made a few trips and seen a few things. We may not always get along, but we have a job to do, and our survival, as well as the survival of our entire race, depends on us.
But...something is wrong. The mountain is beginning to quiet, and the rumbles are not as fierce as they used to be. It's as though it is dying. So this next trip will be a special one: we must find out what is wrong with the mountain. And what we find is probably the last thing we expect.
Dragons.
More Notes from Mowkie:
Okay, that's all I can think of right now. Obviously, this is not the same post I wrote last night. I'm sure I'll have other things up as I go. Hidden below will be the overall planet magic system. I'll be adding in ash modifications at a later point - if this generates interest. Enjoy, and if you have questions, do feel free to ask!
**Hider not working, and the magic system is kinda long...that'll come later.
Hey, there, friends! Quick hello: though I'm not new to the world of writing (been...like...I dunno, more than fifteen years now, I think), I am new to this site, and I have high hopes for the sheer number of active members here that I can find enough intrigue for a new story arc I'm working on. So, without further adieu, let's get into it! Oh, and sorry for any poor formatting! I'm still figuring this site out.
*Also, please note that any artwork I post is not my own. I'm currently in the process of building a map for the continent this is on, so that will come later.*
Woe to those who tread the Ashlands,
For sickness bears an icy grip,
On body, mind, and living spirit,
There's no return, no round trip.
The Mountain
Dominating the horizon from nearly every part of the continent of Ethos is a mountain so tall, it is said not even dragons could hope to reach its top. Easily taller than all other mountains, this great behemoth stands as a beacon to entire civilizations. It is a directional point. A magnetic center. And an undeniably rich magical resource.
This mountain is the Ash Maw, the central point of not only the continent, but also the Ashlands, a desert of soot, ash, and disease. From the North-East and South-West sides stretch the remainder of the range that the Ash Maw was once at the center of, broken into two pieces and scarred by the black mark of the Ashlands.
There are several rumors that spread about the coming of the Ashlands, but it was over a thousand years ago. Who could possibly know for certain what caused the devastating eruption that continues even to this very day?
Two things are for certain, though: the ashes carried by the deep clouds that still rumble from the mountain center are imbued so heavily with the essence of magic that those ashes are in high demand by every civilization on Ethos; and something in the air within the Ashlands, themselves, causes every race to lose themselves to the desert, never to return home.
Well, almost every race.
Though not the largest civilization on Ethos, the race of varonians (human) have some form of natural immunity to the toxic fumes of the Ashlands. Because of this, an elite few are trained from a young age to become Ash Collectors in every generation. And it is the Ash Collectors that all other civilizations rely on.
The catch for varonians is nearly none of them can tap the Arcana - the magical essence - within the ashes alone. They require the aid of other races, primarily the wide variety of elves that dot the landscape farther away from the center of Ethos. In exchange for most of the ashes collected each quarter year, those who trade with varonians offer their services to help the varonians build their cities, farms, villages, and outposts.
That is how it has always been.
art by AbelardTullus
The Ash Collectors
The work of an Ash Collector is difficult to say the least. Ash Collectors should never travel alone, but they also cannot burden themselves with heavy things, such as steel weapons. So, what are they to do?
The only job of an Ash Collector is to get as much of the ashes from the Ashlands as possible. The closer to the Maw one can get, the more powerful the ashes. Of course, if it were easy, then anyone would do it. The Ashlands are not a mere walk in the park. For beneath the dunes, the Ashborne slumber. These are the lost souls twisted by the toxic air, killed and covered in soot, then risen again with a magical energy so potent that it can infect anything it touches. Including those immune to the air, itself.
From great wyrms that may have once been ancestors or simply distant relatives of dragons to mutated beasts that roamed down from the mountains after the eruption to all of the elves, dwarves, and even varonians that were unlucky enough to be caught...all are still alive. At least, in a way. And it only takes one burning touch from these creatures to be Marked as the next Ashborne. There is no cure to the Mark; it is a death sentence.
Luckily for Ash Collectors, all Ashborne react to sound. And the sound of footsteps or even some fights can be easily drowned out by the constant rumbling of the ever-awake mountain.
If the Ashborne wasn't enough, varonians are not entirely immune to the effects of the constant rain of soot and ash. Though they are resistant to the toxicity of the air, breathed in ashes can slowly make even the strongest Collector go insane. As such, Collectors must wear specialized gear to keep them from coming into contact with the air as well as clothing that covers most of their skin to keep it from being Marked. Most of this gear is light, but it costs precious water, of which Collectors carry very little.
Travel light. Travel swiftly. Travel together.
Our Story
Now comes the question of where our story begins and what part we play in Ethos.
Our story is simple: we are the Ash Collectors. Some of us are fresh, while others have made a few trips and seen a few things. We may not always get along, but we have a job to do, and our survival, as well as the survival of our entire race, depends on us.
But...something is wrong. The mountain is beginning to quiet, and the rumbles are not as fierce as they used to be. It's as though it is dying. So this next trip will be a special one: we must find out what is wrong with the mountain. And what we find is probably the last thing we expect.
Dragons.
More Notes from Mowkie:
- Okay, so my original thought was pulled up from an RP I did on another site...five years ago. Not a great move, honestly. I haven't RPed in almost six years, so I'm a little rusty. That being said, I went back and looked at everything, and I realized that not only did it look meh at best, but it wasn't very appealing to even me...much less would it be to anyone else.
- SO, take two! This story spurs from a random idea I had about a year or so back that caused me to recreate an entire continent on my world, Partheus. I've slowly been working on a map, various locations, and I have multiple cultures already worked out. So...why not turn this story idea into one that was more group-friendly? Thus, Heart of a Mountain is born!
- I'm not looking for a ton of people to join - this is still for a small group (about four people). Again, I'm rusty, and I do have a lot on my plate real-time. But I miss the feeling of actively writing with other people. No matter how much writing I do on my own, it just can't replace the fun I have with others.
- All of my dragons (See Here) and more are available, and because of their unique problem, they will have certain modifications to them that we can get into with greater detail as we get into the story.
- While the story will start with baby dragons, there will be no time in the story - itself - for training. However, due to the nature of being an Ash Collector, each of your characters will already be well-trained in some form of close combat and possibly even ranged combat. We can totally work something out.
- If enough interest generates, I will finish the map quickly and show you where your characters can come from, the generalized culture from each location, etc.
- We will probably use dice for this - to keep things fair - with modifications to each roll based on certain elements: how easily acquainted with Arcana they become, whether or not they can tap into the ash, weapon proficiencies, etc.
- Oh, and one more thing: I do live in Korea right now, so for the people in the States, especially, there will be long periods of time I won't be online...probably because I'm sleeping or getting what little time with family I can snag. For the sake of this, I'll have some things in place that will allow people to keep interacting with each other that can progress character development without pulling anyone out of the story. This way, we can stay active wherever possible and have fun without dragging people who aren't as active along.
Okay, that's all I can think of right now. Obviously, this is not the same post I wrote last night. I'm sure I'll have other things up as I go. Hidden below will be the overall planet magic system. I'll be adding in ash modifications at a later point - if this generates interest. Enjoy, and if you have questions, do feel free to ask!
**Hider not working, and the magic system is kinda long...that'll come later.
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