| The Awakening | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Mar 20 2018, 04:38 PM (48 Views) | |
| Rix | Mar 20 2018, 04:38 PM Post #1 |
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Noran Badlands Ikba Thal and his brother Rakhun had spent the night negotiating the increasingly treacherous terrain of the Noran Badlands, the vast stretch of rocky desert that dominates the northern territory of the the kingdom of Midbar. They carried with them them a small tight weave sack from which the aromatic scent of the terebinth resin they had been collecting wafted. The resin, much valued for its use in formulating the incense required for certain mystical rites, was produced by the Noran terebinth, a tree that grew only in this region of Midbar and which proved stubbornly resistant to cultivation. As with most economic assets the harvesting and trade in the resin was entirely controlled by the Shomrei Sha'ar, the dreaded order of clerics known to the outside world as the 'mad monks' that effectively ruled the desert kingdom. Ikba and Rakhun were in the dangerous business of illegal resin harvesting, sneaking in to the desert in the dead of night to gather the precious beads of resin exuded by the trees. The night had begun as normal, they had followed their usual path through the wasteland navigating by familiar landmarks on a route that would take them to their favourite stands of terebinth, harvesting just enough from each tree to prevent it being noticeable. Things had started to go wrong a little past midnight as by the light of the moon they spotted the dark, shrouded figures of clerics approaching down the ravine towards the stand of trees they were currently working on. Fearfully they had retreated back towards the cover of the rocks, to be caught by the clerics would be mean being put through the twelve purifications, a public ritual in which criminals were burned to death only to be resurrected by the clerics and then burned again. The brothers had often been forced by the clerics to turn out with the other townspeople to witness the ritual. To the brothers' relief the clerics having approached the trees stopped, removed a bag and a scraping tool and set about harvesting. With their usual path out of the ravine blocked by the party of clerics they began a slow concealed creep away in the other direction. At one point one of the clerics raised his head and turned it in their direction, seeming to gaze as if he had seen them, his face covered by the red shroud that hung down over the cylindrical hat that was a distinctive feature of their uniform; the brothers froze not daring to move lest it draw his attention, eventually he turned back to his task allowing them the chance to escape. Having managed to reach a position in the ravine in which they were completely obscured from view of the harvesting party they broke out in to a mad run down the unknown path, eventually climbing out of the ravine some miles further along and continuing through the wilderness until they were certain that they would not be stumbled upon again. Having lost sight of their usual landmarks, and fearing encountering the clerics if they were to return the way they had come they decided to try to estimate their current location and loop around the uncharted country back to where they imagined their town to be. Some hours later it was becoming clear that they had lost their way, the terrain was becoming increasingly hostile, the terrain steeper and the setting of the moon had plunged them into near total darkness. Eventually the first predawn light illuminated the horizon allowing them a view of the surrounding country. Sheer, jagged mountain peaks rose around them their profiles silhouetted against the lightening sky giving them the appearance of giant black teeth. The effect was highly unsettling and spurred the brothers to move on with haste, an hour later as the first rays of the rising sun broke over the horizon the brothers stood on the lip of a steep cliff gazing over a vast flat white plain at the far side of which a line of back lit mountains rose vast and dark into the sky. As the gentle morning wind began to blow the rich scent of terebinth resin was carried to their nose, a cursory hunt for the source brought them to a small stand of trees sheltered behind an outcropping of the rock. The bark of the trees glistened with a heavy encrustation of resin, while the ground around them crunked under foot, the trees looked as if they had never once been harvested. Forgetting their anxieties in the face of the unspeakable fortune they had stumbled upon they hurriedly began scooping up the precious material, filling the two sacks they had brought with them and stuffing their pockets with as much as they physically could. Having accepted that they could not physically carry any more and resolving to try to find their way back to the spot on future forays in to the desert they set of to try and find their way back home. Emerging from behind the outcrop the sun had now fully risen illuminating the plain below. The white salt flats gleamed with a near blinding glare, and in the middle of it was a sight that drained the last of the brother's courage, for out of the white plain, rising like a black finger, was the Obelisk. "Let's get out of here" muttered Ikba, his face ashen. "You don't need to tell me twice" said Rakhun adjusting the sack in preparation of setting off. As the brothers turned away from the sight to make their way back in the direction they had come the previous night they became aware of a reverberating in rock beneath their feet, steadily increasing in force followed by a sound like a distant blast on a rams horn trumpet. Turning back in dread to look at the obelisk they saw a ring of dust billowing outward from the monolith as a circle of ground surrounding it began to crack and fall inward like the opening of a great sinkhole. The sound of the trumpet blast continued to grow louder by the second and with it the reverberations; the brothers stood rooted to the spot in paralysing fear as the dust cloud rapidly grew and approached them. Soon the sound of the horn had reach a deafening volume, they dropped their sacks and clasped their hands to their ears as their skulls began to resonate with the sound, their vision reddening as blood from burst capillaries flooded their eyes. Next to them the terebinth trees shattered violently peppering them with sharp splinters of wood, the last thing they would ever see before their souls fled their bodies in terror before the voice of the Screaming God. Edited by Rix, Mar 20 2018, 07:46 PM.
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| Rix | Mar 29 2018, 02:27 PM Post #2 |
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Cave of the Blind Scryers, Mount Mavet Kal Durak had been climbing the steep path that wound its way up sun blasted Mount Mavet. He would normally not have attempted the journey during the day however the messenger girl that had been sent to fetch him had made it clear that the matter required his immediate attention and he had grudgingly departed shortly after following the girl back out in to the wilderness. The girl being more used to the terrain had disappeared ahead of him as soon as they had started climbing the foothills, however he had made this journey enough to know the route. Finding a small patch of shade cast by a boulder he decided to take a moments rest to recapture his breath and cool down. He was tempted to raise his veil, however controlled himself; he had not lifted the veil in over two decades and had vowed never to do so again. Instead he took a square of cloth from his bag and reached his gloved hand up underneath the red veil that draped over his face to mop his brow. As he did so he felt the terrible pitted, knotted surface of his face, the sunken hollow of his cheeks and the deform bony growth of his skull. Twenty six years ago had been the last time he had seen his own reflection, resolving then never to do so again, the practice of thaumaturgy had already at that time begun the process of ravaging his features, turning him into a ghoulish horror, he dreaded to think what he must now look like. Setting off again he continued his ascent for another twenty minutes before he arrived at the entrance to the Cave of the Blind Scryers, the dwelling place of the mysterious order of women so sensitive to the thaumic realm that they were capable of gleaning visions of the future. As he approached a figure began to emerge from the shadowy depths of the entrance cavern, she stopped in front of him, her ragged white robes draped over her slight frame and seemed to gaze at him with eyes that had been stitched closed. "You have come." she said matter of factly "Yes. I was told the situation required my urgent attention." replied Durak "Come. The First Daughter must show." she said turning from him and re-entering the cave. Durak followed her feeling relief as he entered into the cool of the subterranean chamber. As he followed her further in to the dark he began to struggle to see eventually being forced to conjure a small orb of fire to light his way, as he did so his guide winced as if pained. "I apologise. I know you are sensitive to manipulations of the thaum" he said noticing her discomfort. "It is no matter to apologise for. There has been a tension in the thaumic realm, we are feeling it more keenly at present. We should have anticipated your need for light and provided for you, forgive us." she said Navigating a twisting network of passages and chambers Durak heard a soft sound like the whisper of the wind through the branches of the terebinth trees. This grew in volume until they finally reached the Hall of the Scryers. In the dim light of his orb Durak could make out the hundreds of pale, fragile looking women that filled the cavern. They sat in a great circle around the edge of the cold dark waters of the Scrying Pool. The murmur continued to rise from their lips as they seemed to gaze into the frigid black depths of the subterranean lake from which chill air seemed to emanate. Presently one of the women rose and approached him while his guide went to join her sisters in the circle. "Grand Nuzir Durak, you are late." she said "I came as soon as I was made aware of the importance..." he began before she cut him off. "We knew you would be and we know why. I hope you feel sufficiently more comfortable now you are out of the sun?" she said "That I am First Daughter. Perhaps you would tell me now why I was summoned so urgently?" he said attempting to muster an air of dignity while attempting to avoid the disconcerting gaze of her eyeless sockets. "You must be shown. It is soon to occur." she said turning and walking toward an alcove at the back of the cavern. As Durak followed he began to make out the wretched figure lying on a pile of cushions that had been set out in the hollow of the wall, as he came to stand beside it he could see that it was the Oracle Mother who writhed in an apparent state of delirium. "How long has she been like this?" asked Durak "Two days." said the First Daughter "She cannot be helped" she added bluntly. "Then why have you brought me here?" he asked "See." she said turning to stare at the the ailing woman on the floor. It was at that moment the Oracle Mother violent jerked into an upright position seeming to regain her lucidity she began a hurried monologue. "The terebinths are shattered! The mountains trembled and fall down in awe! The souls of men have fled as the birds before the great horn blast! Prepare, Prepare! The days of fear and trembling have returned to Midbar from the white plain, the Screaming God has sent forth his spirit upon the face of the land! The gate is opening, I see the face of the screaming one!" at this the Oracle let our a rising howl of anguish which was soon echoed by the hundreds of scryers that filled the chamber. The ground began to trembled and jerk violently as the mountain was seized by a powerful earthquake, the screams ended as abruptly as the cavern gave a final wrenching jerk dislodging small pieces of rock from the ceiling. The Oracle Mother fell ungraciously backward and laid motionless upon the piles of cushions. "She has departed us." said the First Daughter "You must bring us another." Edited by Rix, Mar 29 2018, 07:59 PM.
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6:58 PM Jul 11

