This is from a campaign I'm currently running where the PC's have embarked on a quest to discover as much about the Invoked Devastation/Rain of Colorless Fire as they can. They do not know yet where this path will lead them. I do of course! ;-) Feel free to use this as a campaign hook. I am currently writing up detailed DM's notes for this campaign, complete with visual aids, which I will post at some later date. Every line in these two "documents" really does have some meaning. On my "Secrets of the Twin Cataclysms" page you'll find enough information to decipher much this hidden meaning.
While searching the library of a sage (I used Adventure 4: Diambeth's Delving from Fate of Istus, Diambeth being a bard and collector of songs), the PC's find a book with the following information. Campaign notes: In my campaign, Al'Akbar is the name of the god, worshipped by the Baklunish, who created the Cup and Talisman, and not the high priest who received the artifacts. Those espousing the alternate view need only change a few words.
Translation by His Holiness Anar Al'Hakir, High Marabout of
Antalotol,
Bey to the Sultan of Zeif.
Notes:
[1] Was the Invoked Devastation a punishment by the gods of a decadent and amoral heathen civilization?
[2] Who was he? Some believe he may have been the high priest mentioned below, but his actions would not be consistent with the teachings of Al'Akbar.
[3] Could this be the reference to the Rain of Colorless Fire that the sages refer to?
[4] There has been some arguement as to whether this, and the following line, refers to the Baklunish victims of the Invoked Devastation or to the Suel Empire.
[5] A reference to the faith of Al'Akbar's two holiest relics,
supposedly
given to his most exalted high priest by Al'Akbar himself in the day
following
a great devastation.
While most students of
the
arcane have heard of the destruction of the Suel and Baklunish Empires
in the respective events that ancient and anonymous historians have
named
the "Rain of Colorless Fire" and the "Invoked Devastation", very little
else about what actually happened is known and certainly nothing in the
way of details. Much of what little is known comes from painstakingly
analyzing
the oral histories (not the most accurate way to pass on information
over
a millenium) of the Paynim tribes (nomads descended from the
Baklunish).
Some information comes from the sparse surviving records from Suel
descendents.
The rest comes from magically divined knowledge (e.g. Commune, Legend
Lore,
etc), though this method has historically resulted in notoriously
vague,
incomplete, and untrustworthy information. It is unknown as to why or
how
this event resists such divinations. If this scroll represents what a
minority
of sages allege, it represents perhaps the only known surviving first
person
description by an actual witness to these world shaking events.
After this "accidental" discovery, the PCs became fascinated with
the
story of the Rain of Colorless Fire and Invoked Devastation, wanting to
find out more about this infamous legend. The party resolved itself to
find this rumored earlier and more accurate translation. After
expending
considerable effort and embarking on many dangerous adventures, they
finally
located a rare manuscript containing the following information.
The very difficult-to-find scroll was located in a very
difficult-to-find location... I used C3 The Lost Island of Castanamir,
placed in the Dramidj Ocean amonst the islands known as the Pinnacles
of Azor'alq.
The translation used here
is transcribed from the Baklunium Antiquiam, a treatise dating from
about
2968 B.H. How much earlier Ak'Omar the Seer lived and if he actually
viewed
the original scroll is unknown. It generally is agreed by the experts
that
his is the most accurate translation (lending credence to the theory
that
he worked from the original). The footnotes are presented as paired
notations.
The portion designated "a" is a literal interpretation, while that
designated
"b" represents an interpretation based on theological metaphor.
Translation of Ak'Omar the Seer
...(Beginning of text
lost)....
Dust. [1]
And the (lost fragment) was called and (lost fragment) opened.
And the Hand of Darkness reached across the heavens and
gripped the world
in its fist of
death.
Dust. [2]
And the Darkness of Doom did dull the sky and darken the
day.
And the mighty temples did rot and
crumble.
Dust. [3]
And the Horde of Evil did cavort in the streets and slay the
innocent and destroy the
strong. [4]
And the Reaper of Souls, Rider of Nightmares did laugh and
did cut down the righteous
and the impure
alike.
Dust. [5]
And lo, the Great Krystal of Askaf was placed upon the Key
and pushed into the Lock
of the Ancients. [6]
And the earth did quake and the thunder did deafen the soul
and the Eye That Watches
was awakened and the world
did
weep.
Dust.
And He lifted up His hands and He called out through All
That Is, for he WAS the
greatest wizard that lived. [7]
And He brought low the World of the Doom Bringers and
washed all trace of What
They Were in the Rain of Final
Retribution.
Dust. [8]
And the Towers did fall and the (ambiguous fragment)
scatter. [9]
And He was blinded by the power of the Eye and He was
consumed by that which he
did never
control.
Dust. [10]
And the Faithful did pass through the Gate of Who Will
Become to their Salvation
at the side of the Holy One on
the Needle of Time. [11]
And the Cup and the Staff of the Humble Servant was Gifted
unto the people so that
their faith would be strong. [12]
And the Gloom did creep through the Empire and snuff out
All That
Was.
Dust. [13]
Notes:
[1] No one knows how long the original document was.
[2a] A possible description of the Suel calling down the Invoked
Devastation.
But how could the Baklunish observer have any info on this? The two
events
were simultaneous, and almost 1000 miles apart.
[2b] The spread of faithlessness, the people straying from the true
path of God's will.
[3a] Physical destruction of the capital city.
[3b] Metaphorical destruction of the temples of the unbelievers.
[4a] Possible literary origin of the word "Hordling" - powerful evil
creatures from the Lower Planes.
[4b] The servants of the Gods. The wrath of the Gods personified.
[5a] Avatar of an evil god walks the earth.
[5b] Death in its nonjudgemental horror.
[6a] No other references to these objects has ever been found, and
it
is not known what they were or what their purpose was. Whatever
happened,
it doesn't sound good.
[6b] The "crystal" of enlightenment and "key" of truth opening the
"eyes" of the wayward believers to the ancient revealed word of God.
[7a] No info on who this person was, if he ever existed or what he
was
up to.
[7b] Metaphor for God? Priests? Followers? A single individual? People
have been killed over this arguement, folks.
[8a] The Rain of Colorless Fire? But only a god has this kind of
power,
and even then, there would be grave ramifactions.
[8b] The destruction of your enemies by the hand of God, like most
religious zealots pray for.
[9] Ambiguous fragment variously translated as the "walking dead" or the "bringers of death".
[10a] Destroyed by the power he released.
[10b] The danger of what you don't understand, of straying from
revealed
truth.
[11a] The magically-aided escape from destruction by a small group
of
survivors?
[11b] The truly faithful will be rewarded with salvation and ascendency
to heaven after death.
[12] The creation of holy relics. [12a] Unfortunately there is no holy staff symbol in the religion. [12b] However this does not sway the true believers. It could be an error in translation. Everyone knows that it was a talisman.
[13a] The obsession with, then break in the "...Dust." meter
structure
on every 2nd line proves that the writer was insane, doesn't it? [13b]
But then who wouldn't be insane after witnessing all this, or having it
revealed through divine enlightenment. Either way the tale is pretty
wierd
and unbelievable.
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