It was night time in the City of Ash and it was alive with revelry.
Every table in every bar on every street corner found itself packed with the smelly, sweating, and ravenous patrons one would expect for a night like tonight; for tonight was a night unlike any other. Today marked the anniversary of the horrid War of the Breech many centuries ago after all.
The patrons dug into their food with a rabid intensity as onlookers waited anxiously for their meals to arrive, jealously alive in their eyes, while the rest of the crowd drowned themselves, mug after mug, with the various alcoholic drinks available; mostly mead and Something Else, a local favorite. The floors looked as if they were assaulted by the God of Decay with half-eaten chickens and gods-knows-what else littering the floor while bile and unknown liquids poured forth like a torrent of awfulness. This was expected. This scene is one that many a soul has traveled to be seen. While in normal times owner would be appalled to see the state of his bar, the bartender looked on with a smile on hand for today was the day everyone celebrated, and nobody was upset. Unless of course, you knew better.
No one alive today experienced it yet the stories are still told, albeit seldom spoken in whole, by the bards and by the elders. They spin a tale of monsters of flesh and metal stalking the country-side, whole armies annihilated by great beasts of war, and of the gods returning to the mortal realm, saving us in our darkest time. They know the stories of many a great hero, many that died and fewer yet that lived, that helped curb the tide of the assault on the mortal races. They know the stories of all seven gods that still reside in our realm, placed in fortified temples where they have kept the shield up that prevents the creatures of nightmares from returning. They also know that today was never a day of celebration. Today, to them, is a day of remembrance. Remembering the errors of the all the races that led to the Breach, the errors of commanders who led their soldiers to slaughter, and the greed of the many who prayed on the few still living during it all. Today they remember and look on at the parties with a stern gaze and speak a cautionary tale to those who will listen.
It was such an elder who found himself sitting on a famous corner, deep in the heart of the City of Ash, judging the crowds from a distance. As he sat, he was approached by a young man in search of a tall tale. The man towered over the frail build of the elder, though he approached with a smile and asked if a seat next to the old man was taken, to which the old man responded no.
"I hear you know a story or two about the Breach Wars, old man," the towering individual asked as he sat down.
"Old man," the elder asked, "I'll have you know I am no older than your parents may be, are they so old to you?"
"I meant no disrespect, elder," the towering man said with a chuckle, "I am a student at the great magic school at Itos, and I and my fellow classmates have traveled far to this city to hear the tales of the war. I have been told you know a story or two, and I would like to know where we went wrong in the past."
"Not interested in the parties," quizzed the old man.
"No, especially not if I can learn something to tell my friends back home," the towering man responded.
The old man smiled weakly and pulled his posture straight as he did. "Perhaps there is hope for you youngin's after all," he responded with a wink. "Alrighty, this is a story of heroes who did not know they were such at the time, a story of the gods who gave up their immortal life to shield us, and it is a tale of the common folk who banded together and saved life as we know it. They came from all walks of life, some of the noble pursuits and some not, while the gods themselves were our most holy. The war was terrible in all accounts, but I will start my story off at where we started winning, right here in the City of Ash, three-hundred, and thirty-three years ago. The gods, now walking among us, used their divine powers to seal the breach and thus ending the never-ending flow of nightmares that stemmed forth like a raging river into our real-,, " the old man paused as his head tilted to the left, "realm, that started," pausing again, this time standing up, "what is that awful ruckus?," the old man stopped speaking.
The towering individual turned his head, the same direction the elder did seconds before, and listened. "Heyyyyy, I am soo not drunk guys – Where's my food – where are we- what did – for – somebody needs to -I think you've – did you grab my – what is the mean- how oft- wherein th-" The more the towering man listened, the less he heard and the less he understood. He turned his attention the old man, who was visibly shaking, and asked; "what do you hear old man?"
"Don't you hear it? The screaming," he answered back.
The towering man listened again, and this time he heard it; growing louder every second he did, the sounds of people panicking and shattering objects, blood-curdling screams that filled the nights' air only to be silenced, and he listened as it was getting closer and closer and closer. "Stay behind me elder," the towering man shouted as he stood up and his hands erupted into flames, "I will protect you," he promised. Though promise as he did, the towering man's voice was soon added to the melody of screams, as the chorus of horror began to fill the air and erupt throughout the City of Ash.
From miles around people could see the fires that raged that night, and even further could people see the plume of smoke that trailed over the horizon the next day.
A few days later the city Arcadia, located fifteen miles away, was attacked and destroyed. Then Sev’mo, and then Barin, and so on. Soon there-after reports of a new, smaller than the one told of in the history books, Breach was received by the Council of Seven, and the armies of the mortal realm were quickly mobilized. Any questions as to how this could have transpired under the watch of the Gods were quickly answered, as a God was missing. Without notice Rofella, Goddess of War, had vanished from her temple and disappeared into the night. With her disappearance, the shield that protected our realm waned until it broke allowing the Breach to once again return; albeit in reduced effectiveness. As the main armies mobilized to surround and fight the monsters of flesh and metal, a plan was quickly put in motion. The Seven Kingdoms would each send a small force led by one of their best commanders to find the missing god.
Time is of the essence. For with each passing week, the other Gods grow weaker as the strain of maintaining the shield has already started to drain their energy. With each passing day, the enemy pushes closer and closer to their temples. With each passing hour, smaller Breaches open all across the countryside. The dawn of the apocalypse is here, and the fiery inferno of our end times have arrived.
- - - - - - -
The Basic idea for this story:
We are going to play the role of a Commander/Representative for the Council of the Seven, sent in to find the missing God and bring it back. As the name suggests, the Council is the seven major Kingdoms that inhabit our world. The council was founded during the War of the Breach to coordinate all the armies under one banner. For all intents and purposes, the War of the Breach was a war fought against a supposed demonic force that nearly destroyed life as we know. It took the combined efforts of all the races, as well as the return of the gods, to stop it and save life as we know t. The Council of Seven now serves as a mostly diplomatic body, that's primary goal today is to prevent large-scale war between the major Kingdom’s. It is now transitioning to a more military-focused group, as all the finest commanders have rejoined its ranks to coordinate the new war.
Our characters, the Commanders/representatives that represent the Seven main Kingdoms (if enough interest is present, and the Seven Kingdoms are already represented, minor Kingdoms might be represented as well. I am pretty firm that 7 is our number of players) the search for Rofella and the small armies that follow in our wake. Guided with her faithful weapon and set of armor, that yearns to be reunited with their master, our group sets out and faces challenges that threaten the fate of the world.
Setting for the story:
This will be a high-fantasy, though potentially dark, story. Standard fantasy-style races are the races, with some wiggle room for creating non-traditional ones as well. Small wiggle room is very tight.
The gods of our story:
CLAIMED: ROFELLA -
The seven major gods of our story are Rofella, Vel’Dia, Ardur, Calim, Guurut, Haliopecia, and Yamthurr; each currently resides in the mortal realms in their “mortal” forms. While weaker, the gods and the Goddesses are still much stronger, faster, and smarter than most mortals alive. Their powers are weaker in our realm; however, they are still strong enough to use their divine magic in projecting a shield that has protected our realm since the first Breach was sealed. While their primary focus in our world is to maintain the shield that prevents the return of the monsters, their temples have become destinations for all who seek guidance. While getting into the temple cities are hard enough with the thick walls and protective nature of their guards, it is possible for the mortal men and women of all races to visit their deity's in the flesh.
Rofella: Goddess of War and of Peace
Temple Location: Arnafell (Arr-nuh-fell): Kingdom of Aurr
Rofella is the Goddess of War and all battles. In the mortal realm, she stands at a minor height for a god at seven foot three inches tall with a lithe, feminine frame that fills in nicely. Her ears reflect that of an elf, with sharp-pointed tips. While many are quick to make assumptions about her status as Goddess of war from her form alone, make no mistake about her skills as a fighter. Lightning-quick strikes and breathtaking agility in combat, Rofella will waste no time in disposing of any and all that challenge her. When a commander goes to her temple to seek advice in a military matter, she offers guidance on how to win a war or how to prevent the war from breaking out; her advice is usually very useful in either scenario.
Vel’Dia: Goddess of Life and of Death
Temple Location: Langren (La-na-gen)
Vel’Dia is the Goddess of Life and death. Her form in the mortal realm shifts depending on the person viewing her. To those young in life, she appears to be a hooded, sick-looking, witch with wispy white hair and sunken eyes. To those who see her in this form, a sense of dread and uneasiness washes over them like a river over a rock. To those old in life, she appears to be a sweet looking young lady with long blonde hair kept in a ponytail in the back while wearing a long, flowing, white dress. To those who see her in this form, a calming sense surges through their body like they are meeting a friend or a loved one after many years apart.
Ardur: God of Magics and the Arts
Temple Location: Magiee (ma-gee)
Ardur is the God of Magic and the Mundane. In his mortal realm form, Ardur is the shortest of the God’s standing at a height of just six feet tall. His attire is a simple white robe with an equally simple hood that falls way too far down his back. While every form of magic is known to him, he will very rarely divulge his knowledge to those that flock to him for information. Magic is a gift, something that needs to be learned through trial and error in the mind of Ardur and much too dangerous to be taught to those who have no notion on how to control it. Magic in the hands of a vengeful vagabond leads to tragedy while magic in the hands of a trained wielder rarely does.
Ardur will also turn away any who come to him for assistance with whatever questions or comments relating to their art. To him, art is not about the final product before you but rather the journey you went on creating it. Furthermore, as experienced over the years, those that come to seek his advice are not true followers of his message. His followers will instead gift him their art, be it a painting or a song, and expect nothing from it but the applause of a grateful god.
Calim: God of Chaos and of Order
Temple Location: Anvialia (Ahn-vale-ya)
Calim stands at a staggering height of twelve feet tall, making him the tallest of all the gods. Clad from head to toe in thick, steel armor with one eye dark as the darkest night that flows out of his helmet like a thick dark fog while the other is as bright as the sun above that lights up his temple. His frame is that of a dwarf, with his legs and arms being short and stocky while his chest exudes muscular bravado. His mission on the mortal plane, besides keeping the shield up, is to maintain balance on the scales of justice. Too much order in the world means too many laws which leads to a repressed populace while too much chaos leads to strife and uprising. Calim sees no guests in his court but instead uses his rather large following to do his work for him. If Calim senses the scale is off balance, he will send his followers to do his bidding for him.
If an area slips into an ordered mess, he helps incite the change in the populace. If an area is slipping towards a chaotic upheaval, he uses his followers to help guide the area back into the right. The world as a whole has become more balanced, and in Calim’s eyes, that’s how all things should be.
Guurut: God of the Sun and the Moon
Temple location: Solune (Sol-une)
Guurut stands nearly eight feet tall. During the day hours, his appearance is one of fiery fashion, with vibrant reds and yellows being the predominant theme while a loud, boisterous personality embraces all who come near. Parties as legendary as time has seen have taken place in his temple, with copious amounts of both alcohol and foods being consumed. Though as night rolls around, his appearance instead changes to more somber colors. Black and a dark blue color scheme wrap his body tightly during these hours, while a mellow and often sad personality pushes away any who come to see him. It is in these hours that people find that they have a chance to reflect on who they truly are in the temple.
It is during both dawn and dusk, do the two sides of this coin mesh. His appearance is a clash of purple and white, and a calm personality emanates forth. Those at his temple during these hours have a chance to reflect on what they truly want.
Haliopecia: Goddess of Love and the Mad
Temple Location: Nebuoste (Neh-bu-o-stay)
What you bring to her temple is what you see with Haliopecia. Newlyweds flock to her temple in droves to get the blessing of the Goddess, which she happily doles out. The couples are treated to pure white, pristine marble tiles on the floor with drapes flowing in the wind as a faint, but the identifiable scent of nature drifts through the air. Her followers will treat you with kindness and respect, and Haliopecia herself will give you her blessing for a life full of happiness and love.
The Mad who come to her temple is treated with a far different sight. Here, their madness is made physical. The voices that whisper to you before are now on full blast, the visions of things that could not exist are made physical, while the thoughts that you knew could not be true are confirmed. The pristine marble tiles are broken and covered with dust and the drapes that effortlessly blew before are tattered and torn to pieces. The smell of nature is replaced with that of brimstone. Though this is not without its purpose. Her temple allows your inner madness to be made real to gradually, over time, be cured. The insane, the broken, and the mentally unstable who find refuge here face the brunt of their demons with the kind hand of the Goddess herself guiding them along their path back to sanity.
Yamthurr: Goddess of the Wise and the Fools
Temple location: Intebunie (In-teh-boo-ni)
Yamthurr stands at the height of nine feet tall and is cloaked in a simple, black dress that flows behind her as she walks. Her temple is filled with endless amounts of scrolls and books, depicting the history of the world from when the Gods arrived in the mortal realms, to the study of all the known plants and animals; if it exists as a book or scrolls it is somewhere in her temple. Scholars flock to her temple to find information on their subject at hand and most, if not all, are left feeling empty as they leave without finding a shred of knowledge that they needed. The Goddess, and her followers, allow any and all to enter her halls and to seek out the knowledge they seek yet she rarely gives it freely.
A wise person, in the eyes of the Goddess, seeks knowledge and knowledge alone. Her followers read and read, and when they are finished, they read someone. Random books and scrolls are grabbed from the shelves and placed on the tables, where they are examined from start to finish. Those that come seeking specific knowledge are met with books and scrolls that never seem close to their area of study, no matter how much of the library they search. A fool’s errand for the fools.
History: War of the Breach
Four-hundred and forty-four years ago, the War of the Breach started in unceremonial fashion. Near a major city in the depts of the strongest empire known at the time, the first Breach opened between or world and another. Strange creatures, descriptions long since lost to time, began to slowly emerge and engage the populace in brutal combat. The empire deployed its military might against the strange enemy, one said to be of metal and flesh. Initially, the army had success in their endeavors. Through trial and error, they found ways through the armor, into the flesh and they backed the creatures back towards the portal and encircled it. Somehow, they even managed to close the breach.
For the next few decades, the Breach never appeared again and the empire chalked it up to demonic magic gone afoul. The commanders stopped training their soldiers on how they initially sealed the breach, stopped telling their populace on what to do if there was another Breach, and started to forget all of the lessons paid for in blood decades earlier. Meanwhile, the empire spread further and further in their conquest of the realm, expanding their borders many miles in all directions as they waged a perpetual series of wars out of envy. When the breach returned, a century later, and three times as massive as before, they were caught off guard and with their pants down. Towns were overrun and burned to ruin as countless garrisons failed to defend their population. Armies were simply cast away by the never-ending horde of enemies that spewed forth from the abyss.
The enemies of this empire, sensing some weakness from the Empire while also underselling the threat of the Breach, began to push back and started to invade. In the five-year-long struggle that ensued, the Empire had set up an effective perimeter around the sight of the Breach, retrained its soldiers on how to kill the beasts, and was in the process of driving them back when her mortal enemies struck a killing blow. Three separate factions had captured the food-producing areas spread out across the Empire, depriving their soldiers of the sustenance they desperately needed to keep up their strength. As soon as famine broke out in one small section of the defensive lines, the monsters exploited it. As they routed the Empires' best soldiers the monsters quickly spilled out of the containment and began to flood the countryside. They fought too many wars in times of strife, and it led to their downfall.
The other kingdoms quickly learned of the grave mistake they made as the horrors from beyond descended on their own soldiers. At every battle and every skirmish, their armies were massacred. The other kingdoms quickly came together as one and banded under one banner, led by the remaining seven most powerful kingdoms. It was decided that they would create a defensive line, centered around the City of Ash, and make one final, triumphant stand against their foes.
History is a bit unclear on what happened next. Some Kingdom’s claim their prayers for help were answered while most others assume the Gods took pity on their creations and came to our aid. What is clear, however, is the effect they had on the situation. Their arrival brought with it the shield that now protects us to this day at the start. Every Breach that had sprung up in the decade long fight had quickly closed within seconds of their arrival. Secondly, the God’s began to use their abilities to both teach and equip us mortals with the tools to fight. Ardur gifted his magic to those who could handle it, Rofella gave her strategies for battle to the generals who would listen, while the other God’s focused on healing those that needed their help and bringing balance to the world.
Within a year, the fighting was over. The cost to the mortal realms was great, with the surviving population for all races being vastly lower than where it was even a few years prior, yet the mortal realm proceeded to usher in a new golden age of which we are still prospering from.
`Excerpt from the book “The War of the Breach”
Kingdoms:
Kingdom of Aurr:
Primary races: Dark Elf - Human - Dwarf
Situated as the farthest most Kingdom of the Seven, the Kingdom of Aurr inhabits a land that is under constant assault from the elements. Cold, snowcapped peaks dominate the landscape that host a hard, but sturdy people. The Kingdom as a whole came together when Rofella chose the fortress city of Arnafell as her temple. Quickly, the numerous warring bands that inhabited the mountainside fell under the banner of King Aurr himself, who used Rofella’s guidance to great effect. There are few major cities in the Kingdom, with Arnafell being the largest, instead, there are numerous smaller style towns, carved into the mountainside, that dot the landscape.
To their north serves an enemy as old as their kingdom, the Wild Ones. The Wild Ones are a large faction to the direct north of the Kingdom of Seven, with a standing army that is estimated to be half as strong as the combined armies of our own. They worship demonic forces and are twisted in both mind and body. Every year, they send an attack through the mountain passes to try and break into the Kingdom of Seven, but every year they are repelled by the Kingdom of Aurr; whose mountainside fortresses and large standing army are trained to fight in the harsh conditions.
With Rofella’s influence seeping into the core of the Kingdom of Aurr, the people have changed as a result. Warlike in nature, the people will always seek to end the enemies that threaten their safety before they can strike. Though if there is a way to keep the peace without bloodshed, the citizens of Aurr will always explore that option as well.
Enemies:
Current information about our enemies is scattered at best. The reports from the front have spoken of monsters of flesh and metal, with varying descriptions. Our enemies seem to be sentient, and unique in their actions. Though the history books have the information in the temple at Intebunie, Yamthurr has yet yielded those books to scholars or tacticians.
Awesome to hear! I am battling a nasty bug right now, and don't have a lot of writing energy in me to get the OOC finished. I will keep everyone in the loop as time goes on.
