Lore24 Roundup 15
- Aelyrya Payne
- Jun 11, 2024
- 9 min read
April 8th - 14th (Days 99-105)
Welcome to Lore24 Roundup 15!
Returning to the artefacts and legends, we investigate some new places, a couple of constellation origin stories, and some fun objects of power! If you want to see the original post, they can all be found on my Mastodon.
Remember, all Lore24 posts are initial thoughts - they are not finalised at this stage!
Breakdown of Lore24 Roundup 15
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99. The Making of the Scar
In the country of Curtana, right on the border with Duuintriya, is a great chasm that spans almost the entire width of the county. This chasm is known as The Scar, and has existed there since the Age of Dragons. It is said that the Scar holds doorways to realms beyond; the Hells, the Abyss, or further still, and monsters regularly fly or crawl from its depths. Legend has it that the Scar was formed during Ythrynaar’s Reign of Ash, when the Dragon Gods fought against the Interloper World-Eater for the sake of all Mortalkind.
The legend states that after the murder of her son, Eron-Enis, Anisa-Elma was overtaken with rage and flew to the Interloper Dragon to fight. Ythrynaar was an older Draconic entity, and much larger in terms of physical size, but the Goddess of Strength and Protection was driven to win. Anisa-Elma sent Ythrynaar into a fall, but just before he hit the ground, Ythrynaar managed to spin himself back into the air. But one of his four wings hit the ground, gouging a massive chasm in the landscape before his wing was ripped clean off, falling into the new chasm. Anisa-Elma tried to fight more, but was driven off by Ythrynaar and his cohorts. Instead, she returned to the new chasm and burned away the wing of Ythrynaar that had been left. The wing bubbled and boiled, melting the rock and forcing the chasm deeper, so that the bones would never be found. This place was named the Scar and has been a wasteland ever since.
This legend is closely linked to day 102's "The Legend of the Dragon Constellation" because it stems from the death of Eron-Enis, the Draconic Herald of War and Peace. The Scar is 280 miles long and approximately 9 miles across at its widest point, so it's a pretty significant mar on the landscape. It also gives you an idea of how big Ythrynaar was, if just the end of his wing was enough to gouge a hole 9 miles wide in the earth!
100. The Heart of the Forest
An artefact of the Ancients, the Heart of the Forest is the triggering factor behind the creation of new Fey worlds. It is a sacred object of the balance of life, capable of creating new Planes and Demiplanes with ease and encouraging new life and abundance. It was an artefact that was cared for by the Mothers of the Fey, five sister Ancients credited with the creation of many Fey worlds across the Multiverse. In A’arde, these Ancients are named as Brittania, Caledonia, Albion, Don and Danu.
Despite its great power, nobody is truly certain what the Heart of the Forest looks like, or if it has a physical form at all. Some stories say that it is a great tree around which the Ancients gather, while others claim that it is a tiny, golden seed suspended on a platinum chain. Others still claim that it is but a pulsing light that beats to the rhythm of life. Perhaps there is truth to all of these claims, but the greater mystery still is… where is the Heart now? After Danu’s destruction, her sisters chose to hide the Heart in order to preserve Danu’s essence within. Four tombs were constructed, and the Heart hidden within one of them, though able to teleport to any other at random. Some treasure hunters have sought out the Heart for millennia, but none have ever succeeded, and few have ever returned fully intact.
A little something I had prepared during my Homebrew Havoc Season 1 days, but never got to use, the Heart of the Forest is a very important Fey object within A'arde. It is something they protect with great ferocity, and even the members of the Winter Court will not stand by and allow anyone to take it from its resting place.
101. The Shards of Narses' Mirror
Narses was a Diviner of some prowess who attributed his success to his “Muse”, a beautiful Fey creature that taught him how to use water as a divining tool. The Fey eventually created a beautiful mirror for Narses to use with his divinations, revealing to him that the reflective surface was blessed with the waters of a divine pool in the hidden parts of Tìr na Sìthe. Narses’ colleagues and friends were all very jealous of his Mirror, and when he died many fought over who should have it. During a struggle, the mirror was broken by accident. The frame remains in a museum in the Heartlands to this day, while the twelve broken shards have been lost over time. Since Narses’ death and the breaking of the mirror there have been rumours and reports of various shards cropping up over the years, most often being used as foci for divination-type magics. Vastly underpowered compared to the full mirror, these shards are rumoured to greatly improve the efficiency and accuracy of Divination magic, but bad luck is rumoured to follow them. Many people who have been associated with a shard have met tragic and brutal ends, while many who actively and openly seek them go missing. Whether this is because the shards are highly coveted and worth killing for, or because of a vengeful curse upon them, is up for debate.
A twist on the Broken Mirrors Bring Bad Luck Trope, this broken artefact isn't truly the cause of bad luck, but rather the victim of it! It's not the mirror's fault that people are so desperate to get their hands on it they'd kill... Or is it? The lingering question as to whether or not the mirror is the source of the misfortune surrounding it is part of this artefact's charm, and the fact that the question may never be answered makes it something for anyone experiencing A'arde to mull over.
102. The Legend of the Dragon Constellation
Eron-Enis was a young Dragon God beloved by all for his charm, wit, and wisdom. He was the son of Anisa-Elma and Cestilav-Elseid, the grandson of Ajukna-Tirana herself, and was hailed as blessed from hatching. He was the Herald of War and Peace, and as he grew and ascended, even the dark Dragon Xhesika-Vetone sought his company, finding him to be intelligent and engaging. However, when Ythrynaar began his Reign of Ash, the Interloper Dragon too found his attention captured by the young God. He pursued Eron-Enis, hoping to bring the dragon to his side, but Eron-Enis refused every advance. Ythrynaar became enraged and slew Eron-Enis, sparking a rage-fuelled battle with Anisa-Elma that resulted in both being wounded. The rage of Eron-Enis’ family was so powerful that when they faced Ythrynaar in battle once again, a meteor was summoned that slew the Interloper and ploughed his body into the ground. As the Dragons mourned the loss of their beloved Herald, Boone called Ylli-Gentian to him, and offered to place Eron-Enis amongst the stars. Ylli-Gentian took the offer to the other Dragons, who all agreed that it would honour Eron-Enis to continue his role in death. Boone lifted the dead Dragon God into the skies and preserved him among the stars as the Dragon Constellation, to continue his role as an almighty Herald.
The constellation of the Dragon represents luck, fortune, authority and growth. When the constellation is Rising, it is a symbol of power, change and spirituality. When it is waning, it represents opportunity being out of reach. When Sybil appears in the "mouth" of the dragon constellation, it is known as "The Dragon's Call" and represents a great summons, often to seek growth or development in power, or enact major change. It's a very important constellation in our Sunday game, as the party includes a Star Druid, and they are currently taking part in a rebellion that seeks to oust violent occupiers.
103. The Forge of the Quartet
As both a temple and a working forge, the Forge of the Quartet was a holy place of great significance to both Artificers and Forgeworkers alike, as well as the supposed “birthplace” of Graphiks. The Forge itself appeared during the Age of Renewal, transported to A’arde in the form of a massive tower with an underground workshop, and many of the intrigued Gods sent their Chosen Champions to investigate. The Champions numbered twenty-five, and when they explored the tower they found but a single, living occupant; an old man close to death, surrounded by the unfinished forms of his “children”, the first Graphiks. Of the Champions, four volunteered to remain and reignite the Forge, the grand workshop below the Tower; the Champions of Muse, Golduin, Jernmand Peder, and Solon Highriser. These four rebuilt the Forge, thus bringing the first Graphiks to life, and the old man dedicated the Forge to the Champions’ Gods before passing away. The Forge became the centre of the study of Artifice, and paved the way for many of the inventions that led to the prosperous Age of Arcana, including the Flying Cities. During the fall of the Age of Arcana, the Forge was lost; the tower destroyed and the workshop buried beneath a mountain of rock and the ruins of a flying city. The location of the Forge was rediscovered in Y6A996, after the efforts of an unknown exploration group bore fruit. Artifice has since become a legitimate Calling once more as its legacy is rediscovered.
While Artifice never became extinct, it did lose much of its power and influence during the Ages of Chaos and Darkness. It simply wasn't feasible to attempt elaborate machinations during times of upheaval and uncertainty, and many folk chose not to attempt it for fear of being unable to create anything of use with the limited resources available. On top of this, with resources so scarce and danger around every corner, there was the constant fear of enemies taking what had been built and using it against the ones the Artificer loved or was trying to protect.
104. The Earrings of Nemora Goldenrod
A heroine of the Age of Darkness, Nemora was famous for protecting the Grove of the Golden Bough from a Fiendish incursion. A young Halfelin-Gnome Druidess, at the time Nemora was granted dreams of impending doom by the Intermediate Deity, Shareen, but none of the other Grove druids believed her. The Grove of the Golden Bough was sacred to Xylo Treespeaker, the Gnomish God of Nature, and as he had not sent any warnings, the others believed Nemora’s dreams to be nothing but fantasy. Then one night, Shareen told Nemora to take two sprigs of Goldenrod and wear them about her ears, then cast a Grove Ward spell at four locations. Nemora exclaimed that she did not know how to do this, but Shareen explained that the Goldenrod would allow her to do so. Nemora ended up casting the four spells while under heavy Fiendish attack, but her actions saved the Grove from terrible calamity. The Goldenrod she wore about her ears was infused with both Divine and Sylvan magic, turning them into beautiful earrings that resemble Goldenrod. The earrings allow the wearer to cast Grove Ward four times, with a cast recharging every seven days. The earrings also allow the wearer to detect the presence of Fiends within 60ft, as well as providing a heightened sense of awareness.
Sometimes, it's worth listening to other Deities. Xylo was aware of the impending danger, but because Shareen had sought to help out by Marking a Chosen amongst the Druids of his Grove, he believed that his faithful would listen to the wisdom of his friend. However, that was not the case. The Druids of the Grove were so blinded by their devotion to Xylo that they refused to listen to anything that came from anyone but him. Ultimately, Xylo decided to punish their lack of wisdom by allowing the attack to take place, though Shareen still intervened.
105. The Creation of the Watcher Constellation
Warde, the God of Watchfulness, Guardians and Protectors, was one of the first to Ascend to Godhood, and was the very first to do battle in his new, ascended form. The Pyrtinos, a 16-eyed dog-Titan commanded by the Primeval Titans, attacked the Ascension location while many of the others were still undergoing transformation. Aegis tried to prevent Warde from leaving the compound, hoping to keep the Pyrtinos at bay while also continuing with the Ritual. But Warde, still weak from his Ascension, left anyway in the hope that his sacrifice would allow Aegis time to finish the Ritual without distraction. Against all odds, Warde defeated the Pyrtinos and took the beast’s eyes as his prize. The first eight eyes were embedded into Warde’s armour and weapons, while the final eight were crafted into a necklace, allowing Warde to see in all directions and never be surprised in battle, earning him the name “the Eternal Watcher”. When the war with the Titans ended, Warde tossed the necklace into the sky so that he may forever bear witness to any threats that would approach A’arde in the future. The new constellation, a ring of seven reddish stars surrounding a slightly larger eighth, became known as the Watcher, and is associated with Warde, protection and vigilance.
The Pyrtinos, also known as the Multi-Eyed Devil Dog of the Titans, is probably the only Titan that has been physically described in any detail in my lore thus far. The story of the Pyrtinos and Warde is one that I came up with very near the beginning of my delve into creating A'arde, though I'm not sure what made this idea stand out more than any others. Perhaps it was because one of my NPCs is a devout follower of Warde, but whatever the reason, at this time, the Pyrtinos remains the only Titan with an actual name.
Next time, our exploration into the artefacts and legends of A'arde takes a turn into the creepy! Follow me on socials to keep up with what I'm up to!
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