On the Infinite Dark ...
Author: Faelinn Shadowmoon
Foreword:
Date: January 1011 This document is a labor of love and a labor of duty. The threat of Bedlam and bois, collectively known as The Infinite Darkness, has claimed numerous lives across generations of living creatures in the Realms and throughout the known multiverse. Tasked by the Shiroboshi circle of Munuko under the trial of To, I chose to chronicle and document the known information about the Infinite Dark. This is something I had toyed with doing for years and had started with in the reorganization of documents in the Ivory Library. The credit should not solely go to myself for this task, but to everyone who helped me along the way and gathered the information where I could not. The war against the Infinite Darkness is everyone's fight. It is a fight for not just our world, but for everyone's world. The information is presented here in good faith and without personal bias as best as I am able. As more information is discovered, I hope to update this document and encourage others to do the same. I pray it is enough and counsel others to keep hope within their hearts. ~Faelinn Shadowmoon Lady of the City of Ivory High Priestess of Aurora Knight of the Crown First Lady of Faerie Lady of Darkvale Magus of the Realms ~~ On the Infinite Dark and those who stand against itBy Faelinn ShadowmoonThe struggle against the Infinite Dark (also known as the forces of Bedlam or bois) is not a new thing. Although the Infinite Dark has been in the spotlight as a dominant threat to the Realms for only the past few years, its history is much older. The first known documentation of bois, or mention of the plane of Bedlam, is �On the Sealing of Bedlam� written by Phiranos Hamofel in what is believed to be the year 56 of the common Realms calendar. In this document, Hamofel describes the plane known as Bedlam and the process in which an order or group of people known as the Wellmen sealed this plane off from the rest of the multiverse. Not many documents from that time period exist today, so no cross referencing of information can be conducted. This document is set in the time period before the rise of the kingdoms of Ulster, Armont and Argyle. Historians can place those dynasties to about 700-900 years ago by mortal reckoning. Through interactions with various divinatory magic, re-enactments, spells and questing for information we have a basic outline of what transpired that has led to our current situation. History Origins of Fae The story told of the beginning of the race of Faeries is merely that, a story. Though in all myths some truth exists. In the beginning in the plane of Bedlam, there was nothing. Suddenly, something became self-aware. It was different and noticed the difference between itself and others, and stepped or perhaps was taken out of Bedlam. This being became known as CuChulain. The story refers to others like CuChulain as being �points of light� inside the darkness of Bedlam, and CuChulain �drawing out� or �bringing out� other �points of light� like him. These lights were to become faeries. CuChulain and the faeries did not stay in Bedlam, but were taken on travels to the realm of Fae by beings known as Deep Fae. It was the Deep Fae that gave the faeries a home and allowed them to set up their courts and their lives in this new place. As all the light was taken out of Bedlam, only darkness was left. The equilibrium of the plane was upset and the darkness that was left, the bois, poured out of the plane in search of the lights. It is unknown in the story if this was to bring the plane back to equilibrium or if it was the nature of the dark to seek out the light and both were to be extinguished and made back into nothingness. As stated before, all legends and myths have some amount of truth to them, even if the exact details remain unknown. The Purging The great event known as The Purging was a war of fae versus fae powered by the tools of hatred. The politics and maneuvers of the fae during this time period were complicated and involved. Many records were destroyed during this great upheaval, and have only come to light in recent years. The weapons of a mortal known as Wayland Smith were used by the fae against each other to a devastating effect. Those struck by the weapons known as Wayland blades were destroyed, never to be called back to life and never to cycle. We now know that the Wayland blades act as bane weapons to the fae and send them to the plane of Bedlam. (See Bane Weapons and Wayland Smith below) Sealing Bedlam The sealing of the plane of Bedlam is referred to as the �Great Work� by the descendants of the people who implemented the plan. Generation upon generation of research and arcane studies went into the act and a supreme amount of magic was used up. To characterize the Great Work with one known document seems insufficient, but it is all that we have left from that time. (See On the Sealing of Bedlam). The only other clues to the sealing of Bedlam were recovered during the Fae war in 1007 at the Great Library in Fae. A mystic symbol was placed upon the gate drawn in the blood of troll twins. The blood being collected needed to be used in a special manner and then used to etch a symbol. Specialized tools were then used in some manner. Re-opening of Bedlam Different people of different nations all over the Realms will debate the reasons for the opening of the plane of Bedlam. Was it done to save a single faerie? Was it done to save the Realm of Fae? Was it done to save all faeries everywhere? The fact remains that it was done and for a variety of reasons depending on who is asked. When a device known as a �Wayland Bomb� was detonated at the Queen of Hearts tournament in Rhiassa in 1004, a fae by the name of Bouquet D'Amandes was caught in the blast. As is the nature of Wayland magics used versus fae creatures, her soul was thought to be destroyed. Nero immediately called upon his divine boon to save her. He then asked Luna, Goddess of the Moon, how she could be saved. Later that year under the influence of the Moon Goddess, Dahal Devonshire sung a key of how she may be saved. The song contained the first Realms-wide reference of bois and Bedlam. When Bedlam was first sealed by the Wellmen, safeguards were put into place in case the plane ever needed to be opened. The tasks were said to be morally challenging and in some cases evil or decidedly �not good� in nature so that no one could accidentally open the gates, and only those with strong conviction could succeed. The song provided by Luna contained the steps necessary to open the gates. (See The Message) The deeds performed and the quest undertaken was recorded by Dahal Devonshire in 1005. (See Trip into bedlam) There are consequences to all actions and repercussions and interactions down the road that seem so simple looking back. (See Of Bedlam and the Maimed Child) War Against the Infinite Dark The term �Infinite Dark� was coined by Rel Zhirah of Chimeron to describe the nameless, faceless darkness that seemed to endlessly stream out of Bedlam. There are some who think it is called the Infinite Dark because of some deeper, more profound reason. Sadly, this is false. The term was chosen to highlight that this threat is not limited in its scope to the problems of Fae, but affects and threatens all. Insight into past and future Bedlam incursions have cropped up in the past few years by way of a large pocket watch. The watch has been seen in areas where the Nexus portals have occurred since 1008. The watch has movable hands that you can �set� to different times and it will send you to a place in time to view events that have or will occur. It is generally agreed that times set before six o'clock are in the past and times after six o'clock are events that have not happened yet. The hands of the clock have also been set to events such as �tea time.� The most stunning and perhaps dangerous thing the pocket watch has shown is a vision of our future if things do not change. The watch showed the hands broken and set to �thirteen o'clock.� In that time, Bedlam had over run our world and to stop the threat from spreading, Alexander Cecil tried to destroy the world. Various heroes and adventurers of that time line fell combating the darkness. The gods were destroyed and Iawen Penn organized the last resistance against the Dark. The world was decimated; life was choked out and consumed. This is our future if we lose. Forces of Bedlam try to permeate the Realms through portals and seeds. Tendrils of blackness extend from Bedlam into other worlds. Many have answered the call to fight, many have died. The battle is not impossible, but it is hard. There are those that would fight with us and see the battle won. All hope is not lost for us. The Infinite Dark What are bois? Simply put, bois is the stuff of the plane of Bedlam. Bois is a moving darkness, thought to be uncaring and singularly driven to absorb and consume everything it touches. Differentiated Darkness Though the enemy is a legion of nameless and faceless darkness, bois have been known to differentiate into specific types. This first information on this was written during the initial war against Bedlam by the mortals. Rodic Hamofel explains the �types� in his document �On the Nature of Differentiated Bois� which is re-printed in part below. (See On the Nature of...) Black Walkers Accounts of the Black Walkers write of them as monsters of the moonless night. Only ever found in the deepest of darkness. Black Walkers show no ability to convert their prey but instead to rend them limb from limb. Victims were found torn into pieces, pulled apart as a fowl might be by starving curs. Those who survived an assault dreamed of the terrible claws which brought them to mayhem. It is believed that Black Walkers were virtually un-killable, destroyed only once isolated from other bois and fully removed from the blackness they flock to. Soul Leaches Largely impossible to kill directly and ravenously hungry were the Soul Leaches which haunted the nights of our ancestors. Indeed many a Wellman was lost to these beasts; their fates unknown and certainly unthinkable. Each soul eaten made them stronger and they could only be stopped by pulling the spirits back out from the blackness. Removing a soul without purifying, however, was folly greater than leaving the man to the madness because soon those saved would come down with a fever which believed the could death within. Within one moon those saved would manifest as the darkness and continue the destruction of their kind. Rubis Banecroft, suspected heir to the Soul of his generation and one of the finest of Wellmen, was lost by just such a transformation. Dislumina A portion of the Bois much denser than others, no luminescence could destroy a disluminus save possible daylight. Large wings would consume all light present, funneling it to the dark center where is would be ultimately destroyed. Neither sword nor spell could harm a disluminus excepting at the very moment when the darkness was weakest. Eaters of Memory Perhaps one of the most horrific of all Bois, Eaters of Memory symbolize the very reason for which the greatest work was undertaken, Bois filling the shell of a man. The Eater of Memories wanders amongst the living destroying neither house nor field nor city castle. Instead the Eater of Memories uses it's human shell to attract others before it consumes the one thing which cannot be rebuilt. Without our memories our civilization will fall. It should be noted that the Eaters of Memory have also recently been called Skinwalkers. This term describes the quality of bois �wearing the skin� of someone and appearing in that manner. Serpens Postremo These long thin strands of Bois were lead by commoners as an ill omen and a portent of evils to come. This was often not incorrect although Serpents were sometimes found independent from any known crowds. More often than not they signaled the approach of a significant crowd of Bois. Vox Dominus Heard more than seen, this voice of despair can affect anyone afflicted by the dark sickness or by the �black dot� caused by attuning to certain levels of regional Fae magic. Those dominated will turn on their allies once a particular phase is uttered. A quick glimpse of this bois revealed a tall patch of dark with a well developed �head�. "Boulder Bois" A lone patch of darkness with the ability to shatter weapons used against it as if they were hit by boulders. Not much else is known about this type of bois. Tentaculus This very dense patch of darkness was originally thought to appear in the form of a ball. In reality, it is much, much larger. A dense ball is the �head� of this darkness while infinite tentacles spring up form the surrounding darkness. In the one instance in dealing with the bois, weapons had little to no effect against it except to herd or steer it in a direction. ZulaBois A singular piece of darkness that has taken the shape of Zula Darkwillow. This bois has shown itself to be unique, intelligent, and possessing personality quirks of Zula. It is unknown if it also possesses his knowledge at the time it was �created�. Sometimes called �NegaZula� or �Zula Bois,� this piece of differentiated darkness came about in a unique way. In 1008, at the annual Feast of Chimeron celebration, the gathered adventurers awoke to find one of the cabins enveloped by a pocket of Bedlam. Using an artifact known as the Z blade and his powers as a Knight of the Red Branch, Zula Darkwillow was able to �suck up� the pocket of Bedlam into the blade and, unfortunately, into himself. Zula would go on to be affected by a unique sickness that would have ultimately consumed him. (See Heroes of Destiny below). A month later, a trip into the Z blade would be organized to free two adventurers who were accidentally consumed by the powers of the blade. It was traveling into the blade that the Zula Bois was first encountered. Rorin Akanar, squire to Zula, relays his experiences in the missive �Quest into the Z Blade�. (See Quest into the Z Blade) Touches of Darkness Dark Sickness Dark or Black Sickness is an illness of sorts that those fighting Bois can sometimes be affected with. Sometimes the blows struck by the dark leave a lasting feeling of nausea and general sickness in the body of those affected. This illness cannot be cured by normal means or even the simple magics that cure diseases. The differentiated darkness known as Black Walkers have inflicted black sickness on those they fight and the Vox Dominus have been known to speak a word to drive those affected by the sickness against their allies. At the annual Yule gathering in Chimeron, Cimone received a letter from the being Father Yule as her winter gift, explaining how to cure the black sickness. (See Black Sickness and a cure) The Black Spot Those with access to the regional magics of Fae have many options available to them. Those that have access to the paths aligned to the Seelie and Unseelie aspects have noted that there is a �hole� or �black void� in the fifth level of magic. Anyone who tried to access that level of magic gains a physical manifestation of a �black spot� or �dot� in their spellbook. It is believed that this is a representation of Bedlam or bois infiltrating the magic of the land. Even if the mage is no longer attuned to the magic of Fae or to the Seelie/Unseelie aspects of Fae the spot remains. Vox Dominus have been known to speak a word to drive those affected with the �black spot� against their allies. Fury Bois Terifying creatures first appeared at the annual Feast of Chimeron in 1010 after the destruction of Wayland Smith's forges. Forged from hammering bois into pohese tertential bane weapons, the Fury Bois are the result of Wayland's newest experiments. The fast moving bois convey the property of Wayland blades with their swords, which glow with the eerie pulse of Bedlam. Recent divinations have reveals that these bois may be defeated much like the original seven Wayland blades. The information has been lost and distorted over the years, but it is hoped the knowledge might be brought forward again. Once the Fury Bois have been captured, the means to kill them are complicated. They must be trapped in five Circles of Protection. Then they must be surrounded by four light spells cast by three spellcasters. The Fury Bois must then be Enfeebled and weakened twice, and finally Banished from this plane. As difficult as it stands, it is not an impossible task. Allies of the Infinite Dark Wayland Smith Stories from the First Age of Faerie tell of a mortal man named Wayland Smith who brought about the First Purging. Wayland was a blacksmith skilled at crafting many fine blades. The most prevalent story tells us that faeries stole away Wayland's child and replaced it with a changeling. Wrought with anguish and fury,Wayland set out to retake his child and extract vengeance from the creatures that wronged him. Wayland crafted seven blades from the souls of faeries and used them to wreak havoc on the fae. At the Queen of Hearts tournament in 1004 where the Wayland Bomb was detonated, a book was left behind. (See Wayland's Book). The �hatred of the half-souls� of the blades is indeed terrifying. When the seven blades were brought together, beings known as the Furies were unleashed. Though not intentional creations, the Furies did much of Wayland's work by striking down fae, noble and peon alike. As time passed, Wayland did not die as all men should. It is unknown how he persisted past death becoming a ghost. He became known as the Undying Mortal. Though he lacks a body, his work still continues in new and terrifying ways. It has been shown by the denizens of Hell that Wayland has begun crafting new weapons to once again Purge the fae from existence. Evidence of this was seen at the Feast of Chimeron in 1010 when one of Wayland's forges was discovered. From the darkness of the pit, two creatures with glowing swords rose combining the most terrifying aspects of Fury and bois. These creatures were the unstable result of Wayland crafting bane swords from bois. At the time of writing this, it is unknown how many Fury Bois are in existence. One thing is clear though, the Undying Mortal does not sit idle at his forges. The Black Star Guild The Black Star Guild is an order of mages dedicated to the destruction of fae. While they have not taken an active role engaging with the forces of the Infinite Dark, they share similar goals. The Guild has chosen to not actively fight the bois, but help if they are able. If the bois destroy fae, then it only furthers the Guild�s goals. Those Who Stand Against the Dark There are some in our world, and in others, that would make the fight against Bedlam their own. Listed here are our known allies against the tide of rising darkness. Goddess of Light Philosophers will wax poetic about the balance of light versus darkness and the eternal struggle of the two. Can one exist without the other? Are they merely two sides to the same coin, equal yet opposite? Philosophy aside, it remains a fact that the embodiments of Light in our world have chosen to take a stand against the living darkness. Aurora, Goddess of the Sun is the most prominent divine being that stands against the dark. Aurora is the Goddess of Light, Hope embodied in it's eternal form. She is personified as a woman, though her consciousness takes many forms and manifests itself within every being. Classically, she is the daughter of Gaia, and the true older sister of Luna. Her worship started as basic sun worship by our farming-based ancestors, but as time and the ethos evolved, she matured into her more modern role. Aurora claims the aspects of Hope, Light, Faith and Purity. She has been known to be a benevolent goddess to those that seek her help and a terrible foe to those that stand against her. Luna, Goddess of the Moon, is known as one of the most prominent chaotic goddesses in our Realms. She is commonly known for holding sway over lycanthropes, change, and madness. In her lesser known roles, Luna has been known to shelter secrets and act as a minor light goddess. Just as the moon sheds light to the night, so does it cast light on some secrets and hide others. She has been known to be unpredictable in interactions with mortals. Both Aurora and Luna have been shown to possess the ability to look inside of Bedlam. Though the ancient ban forbidding the gods to answer about the plane has been lifted, they are still bound by the Rules. They cannot freely share what they see unless prompted by their mortal followers. To freely tell what must be done would tread on the toes of free will. If asked direct questions about specific things, both goddesses have been known to answer. Faylie, the patron Goddess of Banecroft, is a nature goddess with a focus on protection and a minor aspect of light. Though she is not well known outside the lands of Banecroft, Faylie's faithful have joined in the fight against the Infinite Dark. It has been revealed to her followers that Faylie has fought the bois in other realms and continues to do so. Church of Aurora The Church of Aurora, with branches to the west in Ivory and to the south in Coventry, sometimes differ in policy and practice, but both are devoted to the Lady of Light. To her mortal followers and directly to the author, Aurora spoke: �My daughter, a great Darkness has been unleashed unto this world. I call to all of my faithful to combat this growing Darkness. Destroy the place of Bedlam and destroy the bois.� Those faithful to the light have struggled against the dark personally. From fighting on the front lines, wielding divine light, or simply offering hope and healing to those in need, Aurorans can be found in the most unlikely places as they join the fight against the dark. Children of Luna The faithful of Luna, outside the Church of the Five Ladies, are scattered throughout the Realms and have no formal organization. The methods of the followers of Luna differ widely between individuals. Some have acted as messengers, front line fighters, healers, and battle casters. Luna's faithful see themselves as the bringers of light in the darkness, just as the moon lights the night. Though they do not see this fight as a religious matter, they fight as fiercely as they are able. Knights of the Crown The Knights of the Crown are sworn to do the right thing when necessary and to safeguard the crown of Coventry. Historically, the king of Coventry has always been an avatar of Aurora. As the knights watch over the Lady's holy city in the south, Aurora takes a personal interest in the knights of the order. Though they are not an order dedicated to the Goddess, she has been know to provide powers to the knighthood. The knights see themselves are protectors, defenders, and warriors poised to fight for good. Knights of the Crown in good standing are granted two powers: the ability to heal those wounded both mentally and physically, but not if their souls have been severed from their bodies, and also the ability to wield their weapons with the blessing of the Light as if they were true Swords of Light. The ability to wield the powers of the light as a martial force, makes the Knights of the Crown apt for combating the darkness on the front lines Benevolent Order of Wellmen The Wellmen are a mysterious but very old organization, as with all secret societies, not much is known about them. The Wellmen see themselves as the guardians of civilization in all its forms. Knowledge, building, reasoning. These advances are triumphs that separate us from simpler creatures. The organization of the Wellmen starts with families as the duties to the order are usually passed down through the generations to biological relatives. Originally thought to be twelve families, it is unknown how many exist since many were destroyed prior to the sealing of Bedlam. The little we know about the organization�s structure has been gleaned solely through conversation. We know that a conclave of the Mind is one of the main decision making bodies and they report to something called the Soul. The Wellmen have been very careful to shelter their communication methods and organization scheme from the public for safety concerns. The Wellmen value their privacy as it makes them more able to move safely and combat threats. They can be found in all areas of the Realms where civilization thrives. While we don't know what motivates the organization outside of their larger directive to guard civilization, they have made this fight their own. Many have a deep faith in Aurora and see it as their sacred duty to combat this darkness. Strangely enough, it was the Wellman known as Maudlin who helped break the seals of Bedlam. We do not know the reason for this and she has not been seen since. (See Cover Letter) With or without us, the Wellmen will carry on their fight against the Infinite Dark. Some would readily be allies. Some are too riddled with tradition and secrets to accept an alliance. Those Who Fight for Their Own Denizens of Hell The devils of Hell are long enemies of fae. For hundreds of years, the fae and devils waged wars on one another. Each side claimed victories, but eventually they came to an end with those from Fae paying a tithe to Hell. Hell has been an interesting player in the war against the Infinite Dark. The nature of the denizens of the plane of Hell is not uncommon knowledge to many adventurers in the Realms. The devils thrive on making deals and taking pleasure where they can, even at the expense of others. In the war against the Infinite Darkness, Hell finds itself unwittingly on the front line as that realm borders Bedlam and Fae. Bois frequently pour into parts of Hell and the devils find themselves ill equipped to fight a legion of enemies to whom they cannot apply their usual tactics. Devils have made grabs for the fae duchess Ophelia, weapons of Light, and anything they can to try to stave off the threat. (See Ophelia and Swords of Light below) If the old adage �the enemy of my enemy is my friend� holds true, then the devils may indeed be allies...allies who are willing to make lop-sided deals and use others to full extent for their benefit. Those Who Choose Neither Bois have been called the embodiment of darkness or a living, moving darkness. With one of the major religions of the Realms being the worship of the Dark or Nothingness, it has been questioned if there is a connection between the worship of the Dark One and the Infinite Dark. Church of the Dark One/Darklore Refounded by Blade and Stryker after being lost for generations, Darklore boasts a large membership in the northern Realms. When asked in private correspondence about Darklore's thoughts and stance on the bois, this reply was composed by Syruss of Grimloch. �I do not believe they are of the One, however I do feel that they are sending things to the Dark One through their actions. I would not take a side with the bois, and I would gladly cut them down if they came my way. Them, they, you, me we all go to the all one way or another I would take great pleasure in sending them there a little sooner.� Order of the Revenants The Revenants boast their position as a very ancient organization dedicated to the teachings of the Dark One. Though they often come to blows with the Church of Darklore, the Revenants are less overt than their counterparts. When asked in private correspondence about the Order of the Revenants thoughts and stance on the bois, this reply was composed by Rev. �You bring up an interesting topic. From the information that I have on the bois, I would have to say that is not the returning to the One as followers of the Dark One believe it to be. How do I know this? It�s simple really. Our purpose in the world as Revenants, is to acquire power for the Dark One in preparation for the final days. With that said, all we sacrifice goes to the Dark One. I know for a fact that the energy sent, does not go to the bois. Also the fact that the bois were contained in a prison so to speak, and just recently released. The bois could be another tool sent by the Dark One in order to fulfill the same end result. Is this a good thing? Well this is where myself and Jaha might differ. Anything that helps lessen the light in this world is a welcome sight. Would I or another member of the Revenants join with the bois in order to help destroy the light? Lets be honest that is what this is all about, to see who is on each side. I would have to answer �No� The Revenants have no interest in ever dealing with the bois in any manner. The Revenants view the bois as another fledgling religion, we will treat it with the same affinity as we would with Darklore. We stay out of its way, it stays out of ours and so on. If the day should come, and we would have to change that opinion, so be it. The Revenants were here before them all, and we will be here long after they fall.� Those Who Stand of the Edge Deep Fae Very little is know about these great beings. They are the original denizens of the plane of Faerie and granted the fae residence in their plane. It is speculated that if the King and Queen of Fae in their own domain are the equivalent to gods or at least demi-powers, then the Deep Fae are even more powerful. Twilight Fae A horrible casualty of the destruction wrought by the Infinite Dark, the Twilight Fae have suffered horribly. They now number three, all female, and the one pregnant female is to have a daughter. They have been on the receiving end of all the Infinite Dark can bring, but still survive. If nothing else, they offer us an example of hope against the seemingly overwhelming odds. The King and Queen of Fae The monarchy of the fae court has dealt with the threat of Bedlam in their own ways. Both the king and queen have given their blessings to those directly helping the fae and condemned the use of Wayland magic lest more fae be sent to Bedlam. Through divinations, it was revealed that CuChulain can remove a large section or force of bois at the expense of his �personal light�. Many have taken this to mean that the king can directly destroy bois, but at the cost of his life. For the safety of Fae and the faeries, this was quickly taken off the table of viable options. The queen, Nimbus, has dealt with Bedlam in a more personal matter. Nimbus has revealed that she has absorbed or consumed parts of Bedlam in the past to keep it from spreading. The consequences of this are unknown but very unnerving. Some worry that since what was left of Bouquet D'Amandes became part of Nimbus, there might more something more sinister going on. There is nothing to confirm this however. Combating the Threat of the Infinite Dark Bane Weapons Bane weapons are powerful and decisive weapons used against their chosen target. Many have hesitated to chronicle the process to create these weapons because of their great destructive capability. The basic properties of creating bane weapons are passed with great caution. (See Bane weapons) Bane weapons are particularly effective weapons against a chosen target. However, they have also been classified as weapons of hatred and genocide. The mere mention of a specially targeted weapon has been known to increase hostilities and threaten stability. There is only one know bane weapon to be used against the bois. (See Ophelia below) As stated previously, Wayland blades are bane weapon for fae and faerie creatures. These weapons send fae to the plane of Bedlam where they are almost immediately consumed by bois. Swords of Light Swords of Light are blades that have been blessed with the purity and strength of the goddess of Light, Aurora. These weapons are able to disperse the gathered darkness and prove very effective in harming bois. Temporary swords of light have been created in the past by tying a living soul (in essence the internal �spark of light or life�) to a blade. This act, though powerful, is incredibly dangerous for someone trying to do so. It has been proven that if the sword is destroyed, the person whose soul was tied to the blade needs to be called back to the body. There are very few permanent Swords of Light in the mortal realm and most are treated as divine gifts directly from Aurora and her servants. The Bones of Shoshonna � Made from the arm bones of Squire Shoshonna of Chimeron, they have been forged into a 2'6� short sword and an 18� dagger. The Main Gauche of St. Daniel � Sir Daniel Roseblade's sword in life. When Daniel was elevated to sainthood after the Ascension War, his main gauche was left behind and became the symbol of the Champion of Aurora. The main gauche is a short sword measuring 2' 10� in length. Hope Eternal � Originally a 6'6� great sword, Hope Eternal was broken into a 5' longsword though the missing piece of the sword wishes to rejoin with the whole. This was a gift from Kethrellen the Red, a now deceased servant of Aurora, during the defense of Ivory against minions of Hell. The Sword (or Axe) of the Crossroads � A longsword bearing Garm's blessing. It was named for the fallen (but now resurrected) daughter of Garm and Aurora, Dalindanna. The sword has been reforged into an axe and is the weapon of the knight commander of the Knights of Garm. The weapon is a longsword measuring 4�6�. Northern Light Blades Northern Light blades are a set of identical swords forged from light and ice that have attributes similar to Swords of Light. These swords were first gifted to various nations of the Realms in 1009 by Father Yule in December. Each blade can only be wielded by individuals tied to a nation (through membership or knighthood) and a person may have a claim to wield one sword. Each sword is named for a quality, focus, or intent of the nation it was gifted to. The swords gifted in 1009: Scions of the Past � Barony of Banecroft Sleepless Knight � Blackwood Save the Queen � Chimeron Second Chances � City of Ivory Northern Freedom � Creathorne Higher Authority � Eagle's Rook Family Forever � Folkestone Noble Intent � Val Dara The swords gifted in 1010: Righteous Fury � Aeranor Tale Unwritten � Ashenmark One with the Universe � Grimloch The swords gifted in 1011: Light Rekindled - Coventry It is speculated that the Northern Light blades are effective against bois because they embody light in their core make-up. Some have questioned the relationship of the northern light phenomenon called �auroras� to the Goddess of Light, but nothing has been confirmed. Northern Light blade cannot be repaired by normal means once broken. They need to be reimbued with a piece of northern light or repaired in a way fitting to the blade's name. For example, Scions of the Past was able to be repaired by the blessing of two scions of Banecroft (those being Baron Sir Diamond and Magus Savyne Banecroft because of their son). It is unknown if someone can �re-attune� to a different blade once they have been attuned to a specific nation's blade. The blade Second Chances was given back to the powers of the Light and requested for the blade to have a "second chance" of it own. Since the members of Ivory became a part of Coventy, the blade was transformed into Light Rekindled. It is possible this could be done with another blade but has yet to be confirmed. Ophelia Ophelia is the Fae Duchess of Blossoms. Before the First Purging, the King of Fae set his ten most loyal Dukes and Duchesses to sleep in hiding so that they could be spared should anything terrible happen. Ophelia was one of the Duchesses sent to sleep. During the Fae war, the resting places of the forgotten Dukes and Duchesses were discovered and attempts were made to awaken them and recruit them to the cause of the returned Cuchullain. In the quest to wake the Duchess of Blossoms, we were met with an empty glass casket with tiny seeds dotting the inside blankets. The duchess was consumed by a bois known as a Soul Leach. Through divinations and insight garnered from inside the tomb, the soul of the duchess was pulled out of the Soul Leach using a bracelet of hematite. The duchess's crown was taken as it helped with plant magics and the duchess had to be �regrown� from the seeds. At the thirteenth Feast of Chimeron gathering, the sprout of the duchess and the hematite bracelet needed to be planted in Fae. The next day the sprout was gone and the bracelet was wrapped around the hilt of a 3'2� flower short sword. The duchess Ophelia used her remaining power to shape herself into a weapon to be used against the bois that had tried to consume her. Because of this experience, her aspect within Fae became Duchess of Blossoms within Light. In her form of a sword, Ophelia acts as a bane weapon against bois. When wearing her crown and in Fae or lands tied to Fae, Ophelia can be wielded by anyone she wishes. The duchess remains sentient and very much aware of her surrounding in her current form. She also is very selective about who can wield her. Hematite The properties of hematite in regards to Fae is old but poorly documented. The most common use of hematite allowed wandering spirits to interact with anyone wearing jewelry made of this stone. In the tomb of Duchess Ophelia it was found that hematite also aided in the removal of souls from a Soul Leach. By wearing a piece of hematite and wielding a silver weapon, one is able to pull out a soul from a Soul Leach. Once the hematite contains a soul, a new stone or �empty� one must be used. Weapons of the Wellmen When the Wellmen first found bois before Bedlam could be sealed, they fought with everything they could. Special weapons were forged and stores were created to house them. While most stores were destroyed, some have merely been forgotten to the ages. Some of these may still exist and hold tools we can use to continue the fight. One store was found in 1009 at Cecil's annual December get together. In this store house, an artifact known as the Book of the Moons was found as well as a strange �gun�. The Book, taken by the Wellmen, can allow travel through the multiverse to far off planes of existence in very little time. The Book of Moons is part of a plan to combat Bedlam seeds in other planes to stop the spread of Bedlam tendrils. The �gun�, known as a light gun, has the power to imbue arcane energy (in the form of magic missiles) into light based attacks. The device is similar to a crossbow, but uses the wielder's spell to shoot the light missiles. These light missiles are the only known weapon to hurt ZulaBois. Since there may be more stores out there, there may be more weapons and information forgotten that we can utilize to combat the threat of the Infinite Dark. Weapons and items to be used against the Infinite Dark can be forged by skilled blacksmiths or artisans provided they have Wellmen technology available to them. Broken and "useless" technology can be re-purposed into new items. Laurante D'Rhian is the most skilled builder outside of the Wellmen themselves and is able to create powerful items with this forgotten technology. Heralds of Destiny Not much is known about the Heralds of Destiny. They were first mentioned in a document recovered from the Black and White Masquerade in the fall of 1009, but first �came into play� so to speak at the annual Feast of Chimeron in 1009. The Heralds of Destiny are dangerous creatures, heralding a time when the world becomes unstable and the future is no longer clearly divined. They are great boons in the fight against the Infinite Dark, but as more come into play the harder and more impossible the task to defeat the Dark becomes. One Herald of Destiny was put into play unknowingly in 1009 at the Feast of Chimeron. In the creation of the ZulaBois, Zula Darkwillow became tainted with a darkness that threatened to consume him utterly and create a living gate of darkness. After brainstorming and failed ideas, it was decided to utilize an artifact known as a Tear of Aurora to cleanse the darkness within Zula. This came with the side effect that Zula would forever be changed and become of the Light. Zula was ritually infused with the essence of the Tear and, unknowingly, the Herald of Destiny known as the Light Keeper was activated. The previous Light Keeper, Sir Tristan the Light Keeper, was trusted to guard a book that contained valuable information on how to combat the bois. Deep within Sir Tristan's vault, an ancient text was discovered, but its knowledge was lost though age and damage to the book. It became known through divination that �heroes from another world� carried a copy of the book and the knowledge would become known to us eventually. First though, the heroes from another world had to begin to walk �the Emerald Path.� Zula has grown into his role of the Light Keeper by fulfilling the task of finding something to protect from the Infinite Dark. The previous Light Keeper had chosen to protect the knowledge of the Emerald Path. Zula has chosen to protect the Light or the memory of the Light in his role of Light Keeper. Though he has some ways to go, he is pursuing this goal with dedication and urgency. The Emerald Path It is unknown what exactly the Emerald Path is exactly. It is thought to be named after Emeraude Banecroft, cousin of Rubis Banecroft, who walked a path of discovery long ago. As the heroes from another realm embark on the journey of discovery along the Emerald Path, the information gained transfers to a copy of the book located at the Broken Harp Tavern in Perriden. Not much is known about the heroes from another world, but they can sometimes �see� though our eyes and �know� what we know. A trip to Perriden might reveal more information to anyone curious. |
Created by Faelinn Shadowmoon (Leanne Micciche)
at 01-26-11 03:14 PM
Last Modified by Faelinn Shadowmoon (Leanne Micciche) at 12-07-12 09:51 AM
Last Modified by Faelinn Shadowmoon (Leanne Micciche) at 12-07-12 09:51 AM