Lore24 Roundup 17
- Aelyrya Payne
- Oct 3, 2024
- 9 min read
Updated: Oct 6, 2024
April 22nd - 28th (Days 113-119)
Welcome to Lore24 Roundup 17
It's been a long time coming, mainly because I got side-swiped by illness, holidays and other such issues. But now, we return to catch up with the mess that is Lore24! This time we focus more on artefacts, and the odd person of interest.
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Remember, all Lore24 posts are initial thoughts - they are not finalised at this stage!
Breakdown of Lore24 Roundup 17
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113. Diadem of the Open Seas
A beautiful platinum diadem studded with pearls, aquamarine and shaped slivers of mother of pearl, the Diadem of the Open Seas is traditionally worn by the High Priest or Priestess of the Congregation of Meredith, the oldest formal church of the Goddess. It was crafted by a young Ghawwas Ginnaya toward the end of the Age of Dragons, and was offered as a gift to the Congregation of Meredith to celebrate the completion of the first High Temple of Meredith on her Holy Island, Zriemaran, the Isle of Waves. The Goddess was delighted with the gift, and gave the young Ginnaya a lifelong blessing of prosperity. She then declared that the diadem should be worn as a symbol of the gifts of the sea, and she blessed the diadem itself with the gift of wisdom and clarity. The first High Priest to wear the diadem was named Delmar Cove, a Human, and he called the diadem “a marvel of Mortal creation deserving of the sea goddess’ blessing”. The diadem has been passed down from High Clergy to High Clergy since then, and was kept protected on Zriemaran during the Ages of Chaos and Darkness.
I love the ocean, and I also have an odd fascination with pretty headwear! On top of that, I had always been curious about what made diadems, in particular, just feel so... otherworldly. Maybe it's just the name... "diadem"... It has that distinctly exotic quality to it, I think. "Crown" and "tiara" just seem so normal to me, but "diadem" feels so much fancier. I know it's not really all that different to a regular crown and all but... you know...! In history, diadems were traditionally worn by royalty, but there are also instances of High Priests or "Priest Kings" wearing them.
114. The Mask of Shadows
The original Mask of Shadows was a powerful magical artefact created toward the end of the Age of Arcana. It was crafted to be used as a gift to one of Dolos Ghostcrafter’s churches, but an unknown party took interest in the artefact and stole it. It was imbued with an unknown, cursed magic, before being used by a nameless cultist to attack the Floating City of Devityn. While the cultist was defeated, the city was almost completely destroyed and the action sparked the second stage of the Fall of the Age, the Ruin of the Floating Cities. In an attempt to prevent the same thing from happening again, the Mask of Shadows was sealed away in an unknown vault, and presumed lost in the Fall of the Age. Some rumours say that it was broken apart and sealed away in pieces, but that truth, as well as the details of its abilities, are long lost.
Replicas of the Mask of Shadows have been created, but these weak imitations vary in appearance and ability, as nobody knows what the mask looked like or what powers it had. Dolos Ghostcrafter’s clergy have been known to seek out rumours of the Mask, though the purpose of this is kept secret.
The Fall of the Age of Arcana, which began with the Fey Retreat 500 years before the end of the Age, is a pretty big deal in terms of A'arden history as it led to 8000 years of chaos, darkness and destruction. The Mask of Shadows, intended as a gift for a God, ended up playing a major role in the fall of the Age, and is often spoken of in hushed tones and whispers. The fact that nobody knows its true fate only makes it more creepy, and infinitely more satisfying as a potential plot hook for future games!
115. The Legend of Berevan
During the Age of Renewal, an Archfey named Shanen, Lord of the First Elm, was a friend and associate of Dearil the Collector. Dearil sent Shanen to investigate a strange power emanating from Dùn Tùrdubh, but the Archfey was overtaken by a Mote of Corruption and attacked the local Baile. With the residents of Baile Tùrdubh trapped in a Corruption Barrier, none of the other Archfey or Sylvan Gods could get close enough to rescue them. However, also inside the Barrier and wandering free, was the Elven Hunter, Berevan. He had travelled to Tìr na Sìthe on a whim, and found himself the only hope of the residents of the Baile. He managed to lure and trick Shanen with old hunting traps before slaying the Archfey with Shanen’s own sword, saving the Baile and its residents. Recognising the skill, strength and power of Berevan, the Goddess-Queen appointed him as a Knight of her Court, giving him a new name, Anluan Berevan, in the process. Berevan remained the Goddess-Queen’s loyal champion until he died, sacrificing himself to save Aoibheall, whom he loved, and Arborea, from Fiendish incursion.
Berevan was originally the surname of an NPC that I had floating around in my head for quite some time. However, the character bearing it as a surname is a Duinesìth, while the name itself has more in common with the Elvish language I was cooking up rather than the Sylvan. So how did an Elvish name come to be used for the Duinesìth NPC? Well, I made up a folk tale to explain it all!
116. Cian of the Claigeann Coille
Everyone knows that the Fey creatures, the Claigeann Coille (Forest Skulls), are born from sorrow. But the first of them, Cian of the Mourning Glade, is considered the most tragic of all. Cian was once a Sluagh Prince, beloved by his people, the Sluagh of the Emerald Glade, and destined to become King. But he was not destined to become a Sluagh King. A Hag cursed the Emerald Glade, killing it and all its residents slowly and painfully. All, that is, except Cian, who could do nothing but watch as his people and land turned to foetid swamp; for his destiny was to become a King. He tried everything; all the magic he knew, calling in favours… all worthless against the Hag’s curse. But he also could not leave. He was bound to his land; tied to it. And so he watched as it rotted and died, his sorrow enough to make even the most cold-hearted deity weep. Cian’s spirit form dissipated, merging with the land, the swampy earth becoming his new body, and the skull of an Elder Greathorn becoming his means of communicating. The Claigeann Coille were born that day, and Cian became their King; the King of Sorrows and Despair.
I have always loved the image of a creature made from the forest, using a skull as its head. I don't know why, but it's always been something that's stuck with me. The Forest Skulls became my version of that; sad creatures resembling other monstrosities but actually being pretty benign. They're actually more like puppies than anything else; they just want kindness and companionship, despite their frightening forms.
117. The Lucky Coin of Aramis
Aramis was an orphaned Halfelin who managed to change his fortunes after meeting the Goddess Circe. His cheery nature, even in the face of loss, won him her blessings and she bestowed upon him a single gold coin. “Keep this coin in your hand; never spend it or give it away,” she said. “When you need to make a choice or gamble, turn the coin thrice in your left hand to tip the odds more in your favour. But remember, never be greedy, for it is as easy to lose a fortune as it is to lose a life.”
Aramis turned his life around. He started a profitable business, married a lovely woman, and had two sons. He remained humble throughout his life and refused to be swayed by greed. But his oldest son was fuelled with a desire for more. The son tried to convince his father to use the Lucky Coin to make them richer, but Aramis refused. His son killed him and took the coin, blaming the murder on burglars. The first time the son tried to use the coin, the coin burned with a heat like Hellfire and welded itself to the son’s hand, sending Circe’s Curse racing into his arm. The son cut off his hand in an attempt to stop the curse, but the events showed that he had murdered his father, and he was executed. Once the execution was over, the coin, still welded to the son’s severed hand, vanished.
Curses based on greed are pretty common, so I had to include one of my own. At first, Aramis was a nameless Human, but I thought it would be more interesting to make him one of the Halfelin instead, especially as it meant I could use Circe as the Goddess involved! "As Lucky as Aramis" has become something of a colloquialism for someone with unnaturally good luck.
118. The Tome of the Night Terror
A holy book of sorts, the Tome of the Night Terror is sacred to the followers of Melasoneiros, the Divine Serpent of Nightmares, Death and Desire. It started as a book of prayers and rites, but over time it absorbed the essence of so many nightmares that it became capable of summoning them too. These nightmares were so potent and powerful that they were capable of killing, and the clergy of the Night Terror realised that improper use of the Tome would serve only to lose them more followers. The High Priest of the Divine Church of the Black Serpent sealed the book away in the catacombs of a grand temple known as the House of Nightmares, a secret place that only the highest of Melasoneiros’ clergy may visit. Within these catacombs the book is now used to perform the darkest and holiest of Melasoneiros’ rites and rituals, able to summon the Divine Serpent himself to the Material Realm for a short time. It is protected by a variety of dark creatures, including Bone Nagas, Shadow Knights, and Death Hounds, and the House of Nightmares itself can only be located by someone who has been there before. The Tome itself is said to be bound in leather made from black scales and sealed with clasps made from silver.
In many ways, hiding away a powerful holy relic of your own God instead of using it seems a bit silly. But in this case, I think the clergy of Melasoneiros did the world a big favour! Sometimes it's better to accept that you've bitten off more than you can chew, and with the book indiscriminately killed both believers and non-believers, the Divine Church of the Black Serpent stood to lose more than they would gain from the use of the book.
119. Greenthorn
Greenthorn is a sentient magical weapon containing the soul of a powerful Dryad, who willingly bound herself in order to take revenge on the people who destroyed her Grove. Her weapon is in the form of an Elven Spear, with an uneven leaf-shaped head and thorn-like decoration along the shaft. Greenthorn’s core is made from a piece of her tree and encased in Green Fey Silver, decorated with gold. She is said to be energetic and enthusiastic, and is hopelessly devoted to her “cause”, whatever that may be. Only her “Master” is ever allowed to know her true name; they are forbidden from speaking it in front of another and she will generally respond to the names “Greenthorn” or “Thorn”. She loves music and will occasionally sing to her Master. Greenthorn’s powers include summoning thorned bushes to impede movement, shooting poisonous thorns at targets, and being able to magically teleport to her Master, or her Master to her. She has other abilities, but details are sketchy to all but her Master. She is known to seal herself away in a spear-shaped pendant for easier transportation, and her current whereabouts are unknown.
Fun fact: my Sunday group have actually encountered Greenthorn! However, she disappeared from their possession before they could find out more about her. The reason for this was that they were creeped out by the fact that she was kept in a box by herself in a lead-lined cupboard, and decided that it would be better to just... not investigate and check it out later. However, once free from the cupboard, Greenthorn was free to teleport back to her Master, which she did with great joy. What was really rather funny is that the party KNOW her Master too! But they never questioned his sudden weapon change.
So there we go! Objects and protagonists galore with a side of sad myth! Next Roundup will end the myths and move on to a new topic: Magical Creatures! Follow me on socials to keep up with my various projects!
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