Graveyard of Empires Writings and Inscriptions: Difference between revisions

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== Caverns of the Dead ==
== Caverns of the Dead ==
* In the entrance chamber (just beyond the ascetics' cavern):
* In the entrance chamber (just beyond the ascetics' cavern):
<poemquote>
<blockquote>
Those who Pass Beyond these Doors
Those who Pass Beyond these Doors<br>
Shall Face Tests to Prove whether they are Worthy
Shall Face Tests to Prove whether they are Worthy<br>
To Enter the Presence of those Matriarchs
To Enter the Presence of those Matriarchs<br>
Who Stood Against the Outsiders
Who Stood Against the Outsiders


Cerida, with Logic as Cold as the Northern Ice
Cerida, with Logic as Cold as the Northern Ice<br>
Brita, As Vigorous as the Dawn’s Symphony of Bird-calls
Brita, As Vigorous as the Dawn’s Symphony of Bird-calls<br>
Feldma, Protector of Wisdom’s Dying Light
Feldma, Protector of Wisdom’s Dying Light<br>
Oswitha, Warm Bloom of Southern Isles’ Compassion
Oswitha, Warm Bloom of Southern Isles’ Compassion<br>


When Those from Beyond Threaten the World
When Those from Beyond Threaten the World<br>
The Way shall be Revealed in Cataclysm
The Way shall be Revealed in Cataclysm<br>
For New Guardians of our Inheritance and Home
For New Guardians of our Inheritance and Home<br>
To Claim the Shard of the Mother from its Resting Place
To Claim the Shard of the Mother from its Resting Place
</poemquote>
</blockquote>
* Above a door facing west, located north of the entrance chamber:
* Above a door facing west, located north of the entrance chamber:
Cerida’s Gifts, / Reason Incalculable, / Will not be Divided
<blockquote>Cerida’s Gifts, / Reason Incalculable, / Will not be Divided</blockquote>
*Above a door facing north, located in the passage accessible via the collapsed tunnel:
*Above a door facing north, located in the passage accessible via the collapsed tunnel:
First Brita’s Courage and then Feldma’s Wisdom,
<blockquote>First Brita’s Courage and then Feldma’s Wisdom,<br>
Look then to Cerida and Oswitha’s Sacrifice is Unnecessary
Look then to Cerida and Oswitha’s Sacrifice is Unnecessary</blockquote>
 
== XenoTel<sup>2</sup> ==
* The text of the party's agreement with Beelzebul and the DVLs:
<blockquote>
It is agreed that in exchange for:
# ensuring Rallion and his companions reach their intended destination safely from their attempted shadow stepping. That is, near the door to Xenotel.<br>
# That Beelzebul and his companions and associate will do all in thier power to prevent the automatons in the spindle from interferring with our mission to assault and destroy Xenotel.<br>
# That Beelzebul and his companions and associate will do all in thier power to ensure that the cube constructed by Prixithalma takes Xenotel's place.<br>
We are agreed that the following conditions will be sought by Rallion:<br>
# Defeat Xenotel
# Prevent the Dwarven armada from arriving.
# Ensure that the Probability sword strikes the killing blow to defeat Xenotel.
</blockquote>
* Note: It was further specified by Kauri and Laris that the free passage guarantee outlined above would apply to the members of the party named in their agreement: Rallion, Peronell, Nash, Kauri, Prixithalma, Tree, Lambertus, Axelbot, Spiderbot, Bavmorda, Alys, Laris, Oskar
 
== Lungmold's Writ of Passage ==
Sir Lungmold of the Mycelium,
                        Lord of the Lower Halls of Malgrim and the Surrounds
                          Parliamentarian of Sir Lungmolds Embassy, Magrim
 
                        * Legal document of Sir Lungmolds Magrim Embassy *
 
Holder of these documents and those named. Server Under Sir Lungmold
This document Allows the Holder to Move freely Troughout Malgrim,
The Lower Halls of Malgrim and the surrounds, without Detention or Harrasment
Under the Protection of The Winter King.
 
Lucifur - Govenor of Sir Lungmolds Embassy
 
Sybille Nanchak - Secratary, Treasurer
 
Bili Nanchak    - Assistant to Sybille, Mover and Shaker
 
Azra            - Cook
 
Jax            - Matenance and Security
 
Sir Lungmold of the Mycelium,
Lord of the Lower Halls of Malgrim and the Surrounds
Parliamentarian of Sir Lungmolds Embassy, Magrim       
 
Signature ~ Sir Lungmold
 
The Winter King    Signature ~
 
== Maps Held by Party ==
- Lungmold's map of the tunnels of outer Malgrim (from Winter Elves)
 
== Summary of Report on Interogations of Matriarch's People by the Dragons ==
 
After thorough interrogation of the captured human warriors and vivisection of select specimens, the initial hypothesis that the entire human race is native to Meidia must be revised. While the prisoners themselves were born in this dimension and will admit to no knowledge of a previous home, there is clear evidence that members of this particular tribe have ancestors from Elsewhere. Specifically, the supernatural powers of some of their shamans (i.e., those who don’t practice blood magic) depends upon a unique “negative” trans-spatial force. This negatively charged intrinsic quality allows them to manipulate energy to create effects similar to what the Draic’kin can achieve, but by very different means; they are, in effect, energy sinks that passively collect power just from existing on Meidia. The likeliest scenario is that two groups of humans have mixed in this tribe – one native and the other Outsider. This would explain the sporadic nature of these abilities in the current population. While this is interesting from a theoretical standpoint, it follows from the distinctive nature of the negative trans-spatial force that further study of this tribe will not lead to any insights regarding a means for our own people to return home. Their original dimension must differ considerably from the Draic’kin home, at least in terms of energy signature. The best course of action, therefore, is to eliminate the unusual shamans and pacify the remaining tribe members.
 
== Notes on the Matriarchs by Asra for Kauri ==
 
i.    The Matriarchs are ancient heroes who sacrificed themselves to preserve the knowledge of their people. They are the guardians of knowledge, wisdom, courage, and good health.</br>
ii.    The Matriarchs called their original acolytes to the Great Mountain before they cast off their mortal forms, teaching the earliest Daughters and Sons secret wisdom that was used to fight back the wilderness’s monsters and establish a realm of peace surrounding their holy mountain.</br>
iii.    Eventually, though, the Matriarchs grow ancient and chose to sacrifice their living form to become eternal guardians. They were able to continue shepherding their acolytes, who consulted the Matriarchs’ wisdom in prophetic dreams and visions.</br>
iv.    When the Dragons came from the Outer Darkness, the Matriarchs helped lead their living acolytes in war against those abominations. Despite their great wisdom and goodness, though, the Matriarchs and their children were almost undone by the unnatural power of the dragons.</br>
v.    Some, like Oswitha’s children, fled the dragons; others, hid themselves on the holy mountain; most marched to their deaths in an attempt to destroy the Outsiders.</br>
vi.    When it was over, the Dragons had triumphed. However, the Matriarchs were kept hidden and safe. They whispered in the dreams of their children, keeping alive the memory of freedom – both through the Dragon’s realm of terror and the Dwarven Empire that succeeded it.</br>
vii.    Finally, when the Matriarchs’ great-great-grandchildren won their freedom from Outsiders, the Mothers called a new generation of acolytes to the Holy Mountain. There they lived lives of simplicity and hard work, guided by dreams and visions filled with the Matriarchs’ wisdom.</br>
viii.    The ascetics of the Caverns of the Dead taught me and Azra about the Mothers. Neither of us attained the same degree of enlightenment they enjoyed, but we were improving. When the earthquake killed them, we tried to continue our mediations on our own, but it was hard.
 
==On the Fabric of Realities and the Spaces Between (by High Inquisitor Jaegger) ==
1. How to Open Portals
a. Find a soft-spot between realms (e.g., a specific point where the alt. dimension abuts the current one)
b. Instructions on how to create a tool to find nearby soft-spots
i. Globe of glass filled with mixture of blood and mercury with a ball of noncarbon submerged in it)
ii. This globe will tug towards the nearest soft-spot
c. Release energy, focused on the soft-spot (spells, electricity, sacrifice of sentient beings, etc.).
i. If sufficient power is expended, a portal will open
ii. Lower energy worlds need relatively little power; equal energy worlds need a lot; higher energy worlds need an impossible amount
2. How to Close Portals
a. Siphon sufficient energy (specialized artifacts; rumored minerals found in special locations) b. Portal will flicker and then close as power is taken
3. Theoretical Ideas
a. Sealing a Dimension
i. Likely impossible with alternate dimensions, but maybe doable with medial dimensions
ii. Medial dimensions protrude from regular dimensions into the nothing between worlds
iii. There are discreet anchor points in the primary dimension; destroy those points and the medial dimension will float off into the void
iv. Idea to modify alt. dimension tool to find anchor points: replace nanocarbon ball with ball of material native to the medial dimension
v. How to destroy? Maybe a release of energy or specialized artifact that could cut through the anchor
b. Moving a Medial Dimension to a new alt. dimension
i. Feed massive amount of energy into an anchor point
ii. Use an artifact to guide movement through the dimensional spheres (impose conscious will onto the anchor as it breaks loose)
4. Appendix
a. List of locations Jaegger identified as soft-spots
b. Location of anchor point for DVL world; located inside Gharazal, the imperial capital i. Equations suggest two more anchor points (they can only be so far apart, so they are on Meidia or in its near vicinity)
i. Equations suggest two more anchor points (they can only be so far apart, so they are on Meidia or in its near vicinity) (edited)
 
==Account of an Attempt to Destroy the Shadow Realm by the Ancient Dwarves ==
    1. They broke one of the anchor points in Curabel
    2. Only stopped by the assassination of the team working on this; other dwarves did not see it as a priority
    3. The dwarves used a crystal lens to focus the power to break the anchor point; it was lost during the rebellion (last known to be in the possession of the Council that led the dwarves) (edited)
 
==Three Volume History of the Elves==
1. Azrael knew the origin of the elves (learned from their elders)
2. The Dragon Emperor feared reprisals from the Summer/Winter Kings and this drove his anti-elven policy
3. The elves were actually deserters from the armies of the Summer/Winter Kings; they refused to fight

Latest revision as of 20:01, 15 March 2023

Writings and Inscriptions Discovered by the Player Characters

Caverns of the Dead

  • In the entrance chamber (just beyond the ascetics' cavern):

Those who Pass Beyond these Doors
Shall Face Tests to Prove whether they are Worthy
To Enter the Presence of those Matriarchs
Who Stood Against the Outsiders

Cerida, with Logic as Cold as the Northern Ice
Brita, As Vigorous as the Dawn’s Symphony of Bird-calls
Feldma, Protector of Wisdom’s Dying Light
Oswitha, Warm Bloom of Southern Isles’ Compassion

When Those from Beyond Threaten the World
The Way shall be Revealed in Cataclysm
For New Guardians of our Inheritance and Home
To Claim the Shard of the Mother from its Resting Place

  • Above a door facing west, located north of the entrance chamber:

Cerida’s Gifts, / Reason Incalculable, / Will not be Divided

  • Above a door facing north, located in the passage accessible via the collapsed tunnel:

First Brita’s Courage and then Feldma’s Wisdom,
Look then to Cerida and Oswitha’s Sacrifice is Unnecessary

XenoTel2

  • The text of the party's agreement with Beelzebul and the DVLs:

It is agreed that in exchange for:

  1. ensuring Rallion and his companions reach their intended destination safely from their attempted shadow stepping. That is, near the door to Xenotel.
  2. That Beelzebul and his companions and associate will do all in thier power to prevent the automatons in the spindle from interferring with our mission to assault and destroy Xenotel.
  3. That Beelzebul and his companions and associate will do all in thier power to ensure that the cube constructed by Prixithalma takes Xenotel's place.

We are agreed that the following conditions will be sought by Rallion:

  1. Defeat Xenotel
  2. Prevent the Dwarven armada from arriving.
  3. Ensure that the Probability sword strikes the killing blow to defeat Xenotel.
  • Note: It was further specified by Kauri and Laris that the free passage guarantee outlined above would apply to the members of the party named in their agreement: Rallion, Peronell, Nash, Kauri, Prixithalma, Tree, Lambertus, Axelbot, Spiderbot, Bavmorda, Alys, Laris, Oskar

Lungmold's Writ of Passage

Sir Lungmold of the Mycelium,

                        Lord of the Lower Halls of Malgrim and the Surrounds
                         Parliamentarian of Sir Lungmolds Embassy, Magrim
                        * Legal document of Sir Lungmolds Magrim Embassy *

Holder of these documents and those named. Server Under Sir Lungmold This document Allows the Holder to Move freely Troughout Malgrim, The Lower Halls of Malgrim and the surrounds, without Detention or Harrasment Under the Protection of The Winter King.

Lucifur - Govenor of Sir Lungmolds Embassy

Sybille Nanchak - Secratary, Treasurer

Bili Nanchak - Assistant to Sybille, Mover and Shaker

Azra - Cook

Jax - Matenance and Security

Sir Lungmold of the Mycelium, Lord of the Lower Halls of Malgrim and the Surrounds Parliamentarian of Sir Lungmolds Embassy, Magrim

Signature ~ Sir Lungmold

The Winter King Signature ~

Maps Held by Party

- Lungmold's map of the tunnels of outer Malgrim (from Winter Elves)

Summary of Report on Interogations of Matriarch's People by the Dragons

After thorough interrogation of the captured human warriors and vivisection of select specimens, the initial hypothesis that the entire human race is native to Meidia must be revised. While the prisoners themselves were born in this dimension and will admit to no knowledge of a previous home, there is clear evidence that members of this particular tribe have ancestors from Elsewhere. Specifically, the supernatural powers of some of their shamans (i.e., those who don’t practice blood magic) depends upon a unique “negative” trans-spatial force. This negatively charged intrinsic quality allows them to manipulate energy to create effects similar to what the Draic’kin can achieve, but by very different means; they are, in effect, energy sinks that passively collect power just from existing on Meidia. The likeliest scenario is that two groups of humans have mixed in this tribe – one native and the other Outsider. This would explain the sporadic nature of these abilities in the current population. While this is interesting from a theoretical standpoint, it follows from the distinctive nature of the negative trans-spatial force that further study of this tribe will not lead to any insights regarding a means for our own people to return home. Their original dimension must differ considerably from the Draic’kin home, at least in terms of energy signature. The best course of action, therefore, is to eliminate the unusual shamans and pacify the remaining tribe members.

Notes on the Matriarchs by Asra for Kauri

i. The Matriarchs are ancient heroes who sacrificed themselves to preserve the knowledge of their people. They are the guardians of knowledge, wisdom, courage, and good health.
ii. The Matriarchs called their original acolytes to the Great Mountain before they cast off their mortal forms, teaching the earliest Daughters and Sons secret wisdom that was used to fight back the wilderness’s monsters and establish a realm of peace surrounding their holy mountain.
iii. Eventually, though, the Matriarchs grow ancient and chose to sacrifice their living form to become eternal guardians. They were able to continue shepherding their acolytes, who consulted the Matriarchs’ wisdom in prophetic dreams and visions.
iv. When the Dragons came from the Outer Darkness, the Matriarchs helped lead their living acolytes in war against those abominations. Despite their great wisdom and goodness, though, the Matriarchs and their children were almost undone by the unnatural power of the dragons.
v. Some, like Oswitha’s children, fled the dragons; others, hid themselves on the holy mountain; most marched to their deaths in an attempt to destroy the Outsiders.
vi. When it was over, the Dragons had triumphed. However, the Matriarchs were kept hidden and safe. They whispered in the dreams of their children, keeping alive the memory of freedom – both through the Dragon’s realm of terror and the Dwarven Empire that succeeded it.
vii. Finally, when the Matriarchs’ great-great-grandchildren won their freedom from Outsiders, the Mothers called a new generation of acolytes to the Holy Mountain. There they lived lives of simplicity and hard work, guided by dreams and visions filled with the Matriarchs’ wisdom.
viii. The ascetics of the Caverns of the Dead taught me and Azra about the Mothers. Neither of us attained the same degree of enlightenment they enjoyed, but we were improving. When the earthquake killed them, we tried to continue our mediations on our own, but it was hard.

On the Fabric of Realities and the Spaces Between (by High Inquisitor Jaegger)

1. How to Open Portals a. Find a soft-spot between realms (e.g., a specific point where the alt. dimension abuts the current one) b. Instructions on how to create a tool to find nearby soft-spots i. Globe of glass filled with mixture of blood and mercury with a ball of noncarbon submerged in it) ii. This globe will tug towards the nearest soft-spot c. Release energy, focused on the soft-spot (spells, electricity, sacrifice of sentient beings, etc.). i. If sufficient power is expended, a portal will open ii. Lower energy worlds need relatively little power; equal energy worlds need a lot; higher energy worlds need an impossible amount 2. How to Close Portals a. Siphon sufficient energy (specialized artifacts; rumored minerals found in special locations) b. Portal will flicker and then close as power is taken 3. Theoretical Ideas a. Sealing a Dimension i. Likely impossible with alternate dimensions, but maybe doable with medial dimensions ii. Medial dimensions protrude from regular dimensions into the nothing between worlds iii. There are discreet anchor points in the primary dimension; destroy those points and the medial dimension will float off into the void iv. Idea to modify alt. dimension tool to find anchor points: replace nanocarbon ball with ball of material native to the medial dimension v. How to destroy? Maybe a release of energy or specialized artifact that could cut through the anchor b. Moving a Medial Dimension to a new alt. dimension i. Feed massive amount of energy into an anchor point ii. Use an artifact to guide movement through the dimensional spheres (impose conscious will onto the anchor as it breaks loose) 4. Appendix a. List of locations Jaegger identified as soft-spots b. Location of anchor point for DVL world; located inside Gharazal, the imperial capital i. Equations suggest two more anchor points (they can only be so far apart, so they are on Meidia or in its near vicinity) i. Equations suggest two more anchor points (they can only be so far apart, so they are on Meidia or in its near vicinity) (edited)

Account of an Attempt to Destroy the Shadow Realm by the Ancient Dwarves

   1. They broke one of the anchor points in Curabel 
   2. Only stopped by the assassination of the team working on this; other dwarves did not see it as a priority 
   3. The dwarves used a crystal lens to focus the power to break the anchor point; it was lost during the rebellion (last known to be in the possession of the Council that led the dwarves) (edited)

Three Volume History of the Elves

1. Azrael knew the origin of the elves (learned from their elders) 2. The Dragon Emperor feared reprisals from the Summer/Winter Kings and this drove his anti-elven policy 3. The elves were actually deserters from the armies of the Summer/Winter Kings; they refused to fight