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Admiral Squish
2014-10-21, 09:58 AM
Welcome to Build-A-Legend! It's a simple game, but I do hope you'll enjoy it.
Your task is simply to create the legend behind the name of the week. It can be a creature, a place, an event, an idea, or pretty much any other sort of noun you can think of. It can be in any setting you can think of, from high fantasy, to sci fi, to alternate history, to official settings, of it can even be its own setting. Each week, on Friday, I'll update with a new name for people to build on, and put the last one into the archive of previous names. You can suggest new names if you want, and you can still post ideas for former names if you want. There's no rules, just have fun and try not to insult other people's creations. Do those count as rules?

Name of the Week: “The Glass Sea”


“The Iron Cathedral”


The first name was “The Iron Cathedral”

Forrestfire
2014-10-21, 10:01 AM
A quick googling says the St. Louis Cathedral (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis_Cathedral,_Fort-de-France), in Fort-de-France.

Red Fel
2014-10-21, 10:22 AM
Excuse me while I dig up my inner poet for a moment...

... blah blah, I've heard it before, there's no oxygen in there, shut up and be poetic...

Ahem.

The Iron Cathedral... It is said that in the Ore Hills to the west, atop a great smithy, lies the Iron Cathedral, a great citadel populated by enthusiasts of the crafting and use of metal. It is a church of steel, home to devotees of the sword and the forge. By day, its honeycombed halls are filled with the sounds of blade on blade and hammer on anvil; by night, the dim glow of ever-burning forges from deep within the bowels of the mountain lends the entire complex its warmth.

In its libraries can be found myriad texts on the art of swordplay, the secrets of metallurgy, poetry and prose in abundance, dedicated to the manifold forms of metal and their uses. In its halls can be found training dummies, sparring arenas, and tables where the Cathedral's disciples gather. In its armories can be found more weapons and armor than there are stars in the sky; it is the dream of every student of the Cathedral to master each and every one of them. And deep below, the sacred smithy, where the greatest craftsmen practice their art, teaching the next generation, each one hoping to create a work of functional beauty destined to be the stuff of legends.

I hear it smells like charcoal.

DM Nate
2014-10-21, 10:38 AM
All hail The Builder!

Grinner
2014-10-21, 11:22 AM
*snip*

Nailed it. :smallsmile:

Admiral Squish
2014-10-21, 12:40 PM
Very cool description! Much more detailed than anything I came up with. I did have a vague idea that it might be a nickname for a ship of some sort, but that's pretty much all I had.

Lord Torath
2014-10-21, 01:11 PM
The name of the place where the inquisition keeps its prisoners. (He got sent to the Iron Cathedral. We'll never see him again) Or the main temple of the evil church. Or both.

Also, warforged storage.

In an alternate setting, the latest Space Marine Battle Barge.

Red Fel
2014-10-21, 01:22 PM
Very cool description! Much more detailed than anything I came up with. I did have a vague idea that it might be a nickname for a ship of some sort, but that's pretty much all I had.

A ship? Hmm, I think we can do something with that.

... Oi, you get, back here! Who said you could eat? Get to work!

Ahem.

Step lightly, lads, and be aboard. Welcome to the Iron Cathedral, the finest warship in the fleet of the Imperium of Man. This is the most heavily fortified warship this sector has ever known. This craft is fully armed with the finest armaments the Tech-Priests could produce, including mass drivers, auto-turrets, antimatter cannons, and several weapons whose names it is a heresy to even utter without direct permission from the Emperor Himself.

Beneath this deck you can find crew quarters. Your gear is already being taken to your bunks. Towards the aft of the vessel are officer quarters and the fully-stocked dining hall. Of course, the Iron Cathedral is a military vessel, but given how many ranking members of the Imperium count aboard our passengers, we have grown accustomed to a certain degree of style and comfort.

Two decks down, we have several fully-outfitted chapels. This is not only a military vessel, but also a sacred temple of the Tech-Priests, and home to several high-ranking officials within the Church. Services are hourly, and open to those passengers who are not considered a risk of Warp or heresy. We have a truly inspiring orator, and these facilities are part of what gives the vessel its name.

I would stay and discuss the ship further, but instead I shall hand you over to Ensign Pulver, who will continue the tour. I must prepare to greet our next passengers. We have Inquisitors aboard this trip!

I suppose I could modify it to be a naval vessel instead of a WH40K spacecraft. I'd probably have done better with that, since I barely know thing the first about WH40K. But that's just an idea.

hymer
2014-10-21, 02:39 PM
While intimidated by RF, here was my first thought:

In the open plains west of the Stormbreaker Mountains, the armies of the North Alliance gathered five hundred years ago to stand against the invading hobgoblin hordes. The Alliance had only managed to gather in time because the Knights of the Hart had fought a long delaying action against innumerable hobgoblins, their chivalric numbers reduced to ninety, fiftytwo of whom had been dubbed knights during that very action. The rest of their legion had fallen.
Over three days the bloody battle raged in the plains, the hobgoblins attacking at night and the alliance attacking at day. The stubbornness and courage on both sides resulted in such vast and protracted slaughter as has never been seen before or since. But finally, the hobgoblin armies broke and were routed, when Lady Variana, the last surviving Knight of the Hart, bloodied but unbowed, personally led the charge at sunup on the fourth day. No tired hobgoblin could stand before her and those who followed her example, and those who still could took to flight. And so the North was saved, albeit at spectacular cost.

In the years that followed, the dwarves gathered the arms and armour of the fallen and built a great forge and smithy on the battlefield. And when the Lady died, still Lady Commander of the revitalized order, she was taken to the site of her greatest glory and interred. And the dwarves built over her a whole cathedral of the iron reclaimed from the arms of those who fell in the battle. And to this day, the Iron Cathedral stands in the plains, visible far off as a dark and solemn memorial, maintained in turn by all the peoples who came together five centuries ago to save themselves and each other.

Admiral Squish
2014-10-21, 04:14 PM
Goosebumps, guys. Seriously.

123456789blaaa
2014-10-21, 04:24 PM
This seems like it could be a fun forum game in general. Come up with a name and let other forumites expand on it.

BRC
2014-10-21, 04:59 PM
My brain jumped to something a little less inspiring, and a little more horrific.

It they used to call it the Great Cathedral, before the Plague came.

It came from the east, having devastated the kindly river-folk who lived there, and began spreading through the countryside. The good priests did their duty, setting out from their cloisters to offer aid to the sick, and comfort to those who could not be saved. That is, until one of the priests, his name is now forgotten, returned to the Cathedral, wild eyed. He ranted about seeing demons and dark spirits emerging from the bodies of the infected, about how the Infected were vessels of evil. The priest was escorted inside, to consult with the elders of the church. Apparently, he convinced them. From that day forward, the kindly priests no longer set out.
First, the priests used their magic, and the labor of the good folk of the city, to raise a wall around the cathedral grounds. Then, a second wall, then guard towers began springing up around the cathedral. A pair of massive gates were constructed. The Cathedral Gates almost never opened. When they did, it was normally to let groups of heavily armed soldiers out. These soldiers would go to an infected village, surround it, and burn it to the ground.
The once beloved Great Cathedral became the Iron Cathedral. An Impenetrable fortress in the heart of the city, a place of dread that only opened it's gates to send killers on their grim missions. Even as the Plague began to fade, the Priesthood's behavior became more and more erratic. The fanatic knights were sent to destroy places with even a hint of infection, and then places that had no signs of infection at all. Every day, priests in cloaks and masks could be seen blessing the stones of the cathedral, as if preparing for some great siege.
Finally, the King stepped in. No more could the Church's madness be tolerated. The Royal Army marched to the gates of the Iron Cathedral, but there was no response. The Church's Soldiers and priests could be seen on the walls, but there was no response.
Finally, a single masked priest was lowered on a rope, he approached the commander of the King's army, and uttered ten words"
"The Sanctuary Is Complete. Only the Chosen will be spared".
The priest refused to speak from that point on. The Royal army continued it's siege, but the gates never opened again. Today, only a token force maintains the siege. The Iron Cathedral, bristling with fortifications, reinforced by the countless spells of the mad priests, has sat quietly for years, a grim reminder of those dark days.

Teron
2014-10-21, 07:27 PM
I'm picturing a church, grand and ornate, with row upon row of sturdy pews filled with shackled parishioners. Every day, after the last service, priests walk down the aisles and distribute food and blessings to the congregation. Most bow their heads and quietly accept the bread and soft words, but sometimes one looks up and asks to go to confession. The priest smiles warmly, unlocks his chains, and leads him away.

rs2excelsior
2014-10-21, 08:19 PM
The city had been peaceful. Though it lay on the fringes of civilization, its people were happy and unworried. Their borders to the north were a freezing wasteland, completely uninhabitable by any sane man. Agriculture was difficult here too, but there were good roads to the east and the south, and enough raw material and trade to keep up a thriving economy. The city boasted a beautiful church, the Cathedral of Gold, to the god that watched over the city. Every day, the priests would come forth and give thanks to their deity for preserving the beautiful city.

They came from the north. Out of the frozen wastes issued forth brutal, wild-eyed barbarians. The people of the city were shocked, for they had no idea how anyone could survive in such a brutal climate. The city militia went out to fight, and were slaughtered to a man. Messengers were sent to the nearby cities, in the hope that aid would come before the walls fell. All were caught and brought in clear view of the city walls and towers. Three days later when the last one finally died, their bodies were barely recognizable as human. The city despaired.

The priests of the Cathedral of Gold were kindly men, who spent their days feeding the poor and educating the citizens. They too feared the wild invader. But one of the order's most basic tenets, found in virtually all of their scriptures, was to protect the innocent from those who would do them harm. So while the lords of the city panicked and sought their own safety, the priests took up arms and trained the citizens. The blacksmiths, at the request of the priests, began producing spears and javelins and armor from before sunrise to well past sunset. The priests demonstrated on the walls, and held off several barbarian attacks for six days, losing many of their order. Then, on the seventh day, the people of the city with the priests at their head burst from the city at sunrise. The barbarians were surprised at their strength, for nearly every man, woman, and child who could hold a spear had come to fight. Even the city lord who had first sought to abandon the city fought beside the lowliest beggar, a spear in his hands.

The battle lasted the whole day, and by sunset gave no sign of ending. By the light of a full moon it continued through the night. As the barbarians grew more desperate, so did the resolve of the city's people grow. The priests fought at the head of every battalion, always leading those they protected into the fray. By sunrise, the scattered barbarians fled, their chiefs killed, their resolve shattered. And the people of the city mourned the dead.

The lord of the city declared the church which had saved them all as the "Cathedral of the Shield" in the old tongue. Though the priests wanted the incident forgotten, the citizens celebrated them. But a mis-translation caught hold among the populace. It remains in use to this day--the church was from then on known as the Iron Cathedral.

Eldan
2014-10-22, 03:29 AM
Many know the Iron Tower, the fortress standing in the paranoid heart of that dreadful hellish city, Dis, where ancient Dispater rules with an iron fist. Few, however, have heard of what lies below the city, below its rust-encrusted sewers and red-hot glowing cellars, below dungeons made of only spikes and chains of cruel steel and the cold offices of lead and bone of the Duke's secret service, deeper and deeper still, lies the Iron Cathedral.
And many know God Street, where those lesser gods of evil law, too low to carve a desmesne of their own from the hateful lands of Baator, errect their temples of plain, fire-gleaming steel. But few, even among the gods, know what fate awaits those who fall even deeper, those evicted from god street.
Nothing in life is free. This is more true than ever in the afterlife, or at least it is in hell. There are the known costs and the hidden costs and the debts one breathes and lives just by existing here. In Hell, in God Street, even the gods pay their dues. The souls of their worshippers end up not in an afterlife of their patron's making, as do those of the greater among the divine.
There is not normally a day or night in Dis, only the hellish glow of red-hot iron walls under a sullen sky. But once every seventeen years, when the final gears of Mechanus click on a single tooth and count down the time of the planes, the storm of green lightning flickering from the Tower ceases, the carnelian and orange glow of the walls fades away and the smoke descends, chocking the streets in fog.
There are nights when even devils stay inside. For this is the Due Date, when the Iron Inquisitors descend to bring in the rent. And those among those least divinities of law who can not pay hell's tithe, who have not amassed the souls, are taken away. The Iron Cathedral forever echoes with their screams.
For in Hell, all pay their debts, in currency or in pain.

Admiral Squish
2014-10-22, 11:55 AM
This seems like it could be a fun forum game in general. Come up with a name and let other forumites expand on it.

Well, it definitely seems to have some potential, judging by all the response. Probably needs a better name than 'What is', though, if it's to catch on.

Rion
2014-10-22, 01:53 PM
Well, it definitely seems to have some potential, judging by all the response. Probably needs a better name than 'What is', though, if it's to catch on.
Depending on how long it should be, either "Build the legend beihnd the name" or just "The Legendary..."/"The Legendary [Insert name]".
I'm not the best at coming up with names, but the idea does have potential and more than a few of the Iron Cathedral stories have been insteresting. Definitely seems like something that could inspire both DMs and world builders.

Admiral Squish
2014-10-22, 02:12 PM
Hmm. A bit long... How about 'The Legend Of: X'?

Rion
2014-10-22, 02:22 PM
Hmm. A bit long... How about 'The Legend Of: X'?
Better than any of my ideas, but I'm really looking forward to if anything springs from this.

Stubbazubba
2014-10-22, 02:23 PM
Depending on how long it should be, either "Build the legend beihnd the name" or just "The Legendary..."/"The Legendary [Insert name]".
I'm not the best at coming up with names, but the idea does have potential and more than a few of the Iron Cathedral stories have been insteresting. Definitely seems like something that could inspire both DMs and world builders.

"Build Me a [BLANK] Worthy of Mordor..."

Or more generically:

"Build Me a [BLANK]"

But that sounds like a char-op thing, so:

"Build the Legend: [BLANK]"

Getting away from that formula, you have:

"Story Forge: [BLANK]" (alternatively Legend Forge, Mind Forge, etc.)

"Forge Me a [BLANK]"

"Build/Forge-a-Legend: [BLANK]"

I kind of like that last one.

Sorry, nothing to contribute on the IC just yet.

The Glyphstone
2014-10-22, 03:54 PM
The four hundred and fifteenth layer of the Abyss is the Blood Mines - an infinite landscape of open pits and winding tunnels, populated by countless slaves who labor through the endless days and nights under the whips of their demonic overseers. The ores thus dug out are delivered on the backs of yet more slaves to the center of the layer, and the massive Iron Cathedral that sits there. Half church, half hell-forge, it is the forever busy home of the demigod Feirus, the Tyrant Smith. Beneath his burning gaze, cursed artisans toil to craft weapons of war and destruction while chanting rhythmic hymns in his praise. Hammers ring on anvils in a cacophonous bell-like chorus, and furnace pipes wheeze smoke and steam as guided by talented abyssal organists. One smith may take decades to finish his work, for he knows that it will leave his hands to go for personal inspection before the demigod. Please Feirus, and work begins anew; should the creation be flawed in some imperceptible way, weapon and smith are dumped into the vats of molten steel for reuse.

Zolo's Guide To Travelers, Chapter Twelve - Dangers of the Dark Planes

Admiral Squish
2014-10-22, 09:09 PM
I did have a really cool idea for one, was gonna write it up as a monologue, but I can't seem to make the dialect work, so I'll just jot down the details.

The Iron Cathedral, A-K-A Shipyard 42, A-K-A Big rusty, A-K-A 'the big brown one, you can't miss it'
Construction on the building began in New York City, in 1912, just a few months after the Titanic landed safely in the city. After that, there was a sudden boom of demand for 'ocean titans', massive luxury cruise liners. It's remained the largest shipyard on the eastern seaboard. They were regarded as incredibly safe, steerage tickets were relatively cheap, and they could just name their price for luxury tickets. There was a bit of a competition between shipyards to make the biggest, the most luxurious ocean titan. The structure was named by a reporter with a particular fondness for florid language, and the boss liked the name so much he took it. When the Great War broke out, Britain conscripted the HMS Titanic to ship supplies in from overseas and transport massive amounts of troops. After it took four torpedoes and rammed a kaiser battleship in half on a battle, soon other ocean titans were tapped for military duty. Big Rusty was the first shipyard to launch an 'Unsinkable' a military-grade ocean titan. Titanium construction allows for thicker armor and more reinforced design, and the sheer size allowed simply massive artillery cannons could be mounted onto it. The unsinkables became huge symbols of military power, like the over-sized battleships of WWII, such as the Bismark or the Yamato, and have great psychological impact. The Iron Cathedral has rusted since its first construction, the labor required to keep it coated and polished not available during the war. It's now ~1930, and the Iron Cathedral is one of the only stable sources of employment in the midst of the depression. The crew takes great pride in Big Rusty never being empty. They send out a ship one day and lay the frame for the next the very following day. To be employed by the shipyard, you need to be the best of the best. The best welders, the best plumbers, the best carpenters.

The Oni
2014-10-22, 11:50 PM
I'm picturing a church, grand and ornate, with row upon row of sturdy pews filled with shackled parishioners. Every day, after the last service, priests walk down the aisles and distribute food and blessings to the congregation. Most bow their heads and quietly accept the bread and soft words, but sometimes one looks up and asks to go to confession. The priest smiles warmly, unlocks his chains, and leads him away.

Honestly, this is the scariest try of the whole lot. Points for brevity.

Yora
2014-10-23, 02:26 AM
Many know the Iron Tower, the fortress standing in the paranoid heart of that dreadful hellish city, Dis, where ancient Dispater rules with an iron fist.
That was the first thing I was thinking off as well.

Eldan
2014-10-23, 02:37 AM
That was the first thing I was thinking off as well.

It does sort of offer itself, given that everything Dispater even looks at is called the Iron Something. The "Cathedral" was the difficult part.

The alternative was being a smartass and dig up the etymology of "cathedral" (looked it up, ecclesia cathedralis (church with a bishop's seat, from Kathedra (throne).)
So, that probably doesn't work either, or we'd land in Song of Ice and Fire.

Yora
2014-10-23, 02:45 AM
My first hunch was the headquarter of Dispaters lieutenant who is in charge of managing his cults of mortal worshippers.

Eldan
2014-10-23, 02:53 AM
I did consider that, but I don't actually like the idea of religious worship of the archfiends all that much. I like to keep them separate and different from gods.

Rion
2014-10-24, 08:47 AM
Is it going to be a new thread, or just reusing this one?

Admiral Squish
2014-10-24, 10:36 AM
You know, I figured other people would just start posting threads of a similar nature, but I could certainly convert this thread, easily enough. I just have to come up with a new prompt.

Admiral Squish
2014-10-24, 11:46 AM
Alright! I've edited the first post and officially converted this from a simple question to a forum game. Let the fun parts begin!

Name of the Week: "The Glass Sea"

illyahr
2014-10-24, 12:25 PM
Adventurers around the world tell horror stories of what has become known as "the Glass Sea." In a geographical sense, the Glass Sea is a desert but that descriptions doesn't do it justice. The Glass Sea is a featureless expanse of dirt hundreds of miles wide. No being has ever crossed the Glass Sea. The only people to ever survive travel there did so by immediately turning around and heading back the way they came.

No mountains, no plant or animal life, no dunes to walk over. There are no clouds, only an endless expanse of the fine white sand that gives the place its name. Magic recovered one man, the only survivor of an expedition of hundreds, who cried out in his madness that he had walked for days but hadn't moved at all. With no landmarks to shoot by and no hills to gauge distance, you are lost as soon as you lose sight of the border.
-Adventurer's Guide chapter 2: Regions to avoid.

The_Werebear
2014-10-24, 12:45 PM
The Glass Sea, or more accurately translated, Tranquility that Conquers the Storm, is an uncommon semi-martial style from the city of Shan Hui, across the Ocean of Tigers. I say semi-martial, because the style is specifically designed around preventing fights from starting or preceding rather than actually winning them. The style relies on three primary elements - Tight emotional discipline, at least basic skill in weaving enchantments, and knowledge of harmonic resonance. While there are some physical elements, this is a primarily mystic style, and suitable for practice for those who lack direct combat prowess.

Glass Sea's first practitioners were monks of Shan Hui, who were distraught with the frequent violent brawls that wracked the city's dockfronts as it grew from a tiny port to one of the largest and busiest port cities in the world. The monks attempted to quell the fighting of the sailors and port ruffians through rational discourse, but were (predictably) violently rebuffed. Frustrated, the monks worked with several magical adepts among their ranks to develop a way to nonviolently stop the fights. A breakthrough was achieved when it was discovered by the monks that certain mental harmonics could be projected through a basic enchantment link. The style was refined and perfected, the monks able to arrive at a fight and provide a sense of wellbeing, spiritual peace, and enlightenment into even the most hotheaded and violent of brawls.

Glass Sea, despite its usefulness, is not without drawbacks. It requires a practitioner who is talented at both weaving enchantments and able to maintain an inner harmonic balance. Sadly, many enchanters are not emotionally suitable to achieve such inner peace, leaving the number of viable practitioners rather limited. Furthermore, as it is reliant on mental effects, it is of limited use against creatures with no mind, or inanimate objects without a spirit embodiment that can be reached.

The greatest display of such power was what granted the school its colloquial name "Glass Sea." The water dragon spirit of the Bay at Shan Hui was injured by sabotuers from a rival city, causing it to rage and bringing massive storms. As Shan Hui was slammed repeatedly with typhoons and rogue waves, a party of monks bravely boarded a rowboat and reached the dragon, There, they were able to project a peace so powerful into it that, for a full year and a day, the waters of the bay at Shan Hui were flat and still as a piece of glass. During the tranquility, the spirit was healed and the balance of the bay restored.

From - An impartial study on Martial And Mystic arts of the Southern Ocean of Tigers

Red Fel
2014-10-24, 01:48 PM
In the wake of the Seventh Great Mage War, many lands were left ravaged, devoid of life, and uninhabitable. But few places suffered more than Aronthere, known thereafter as the Glass Sea. It was during the battle for Aronthere that Keldirac, Archmage and Acting Arch-Chancellor of Aronthere, wielded a terrible spell against his enemies.

Not much is known about the spell, now called simply Keldirac's Last Spell. It is said that it cost him ten years of research and a piece of his soul, and that he developed it as the ultimate deterrent to war. Certainly, the Last Spell was effective in this regard. The ritual is said to have taken seventeen days, although none who were present survived to confirm this. What is known is the end result - a massive conflagration, visible across the continent. The cataclysmic pyre rose high into the heavens, parting the clouds themselves, and the fiery blast continued for three days, shedding light as though the sun itself had set down upon the plains of Aronthere.

Even in the wake of the blast, the place was impossible to traverse. For miles around Aronthere, there was a thick, smokey haze, reeking of burnt earth and congealed with ash and soot. The air itself was scalding, and those who attempted to enter the billowing steam clouds screamed as though the flesh was being broiled from their bones. It took several weeks before the air was a tolerable temperature, and months longer before the massive clouds of ash cleared from the sky, allowing the sun's healing light to reveal the extent of the scarring of the land. Even then, the place could only be traversed in heavy stone footwear; anything else would heat up to a blaze, thanks to the searing temperatures retained by the ground below.

When at last the Royal Surveyors were able to travel to what had once been Aronthere, no trace of the kingdom, nor its people nor their attackers, could be found. No life; not plant, not beast, not man. No remains, no debris, no ruins, no stones. Nothing remained above the earth. The soil itself had been blasted spectacularly. Not a single patch of ground remained intact; all had been instantly glazed, burnt to a crisp. The surface was a fine, glassy sand, which carried on the occasional breeze and filled the Surveyors' lungs with hacking coughs. Beneath the sandy layer, the land had been flattened and melted into crystalline glass; smooth, jagged, and lifeless. The sunlight played magically across the landscape, an almost whimsical highlight to a terrifying event.

The land remains, to this day, a blasted waste. No plant may find root in that hard, cruel soil; no beast may find water, nor may man find shelter. Keldirac's Last Spell was successful, in that sense; never again would any dare lay siege to Aronthere. Indeed, the horror of that spell, and its aftermath, quickly ended the Seventh Great Mage War, and to this day, the Glass Sea remains, a bleak and beautiful warning of the inevitable conclusion of all magical conflict.

- A History of the Great Mage Wars, D. d'Tormagny, ed.

I'd also suggest breaking this out into new threads, in the future. Just for cleanliness' sake.

The Hanged Man
2014-10-24, 02:13 PM
In the days when the Dwarves still labored in slavery to Giant masters, they were permitted to worship only Giant Gods in Giant Temples. But in the mines below, the Dwarves kept their secret faith. They hacked crude icons of their Gods from the living stone with mattock and pick, and hid them in tunnels too narrow and too deep for the Giants to investigate. So long as the ore carts came up full, and all the slaves were accounted for at the nightly headcount, the Giants assumed all was well.

In time, these tunnels and cracks became depots for other contraband. Tools first, and then the weapons those tools allowed them to make. Whenever there was more ore found than necessary to meet the quota, the excess was diverted and forged into the instruments of rebellion, under the somber gaze of stone idols.

In the apprenticeship of a Dwarf Smith, it is considered a major rite of passage to take a pilgrimage to these tunnels, seek out one of the rust-pitted anvils where the rebellion left them, and forge a simple Axe in the style of the ancient Dwarven Slaves.

Edit: Oh crap, it changed while I was writing. Oh well, at least I'm in early for the new one!

illyahr
2014-10-24, 02:46 PM
In the wake of the Seventh Great Mage War, many lands were left ravaged, devoid of life, and uninhabitable. But few places suffered more than Aronthere, known thereafter as the Glass Sea. It was during the battle for Aronthere that Keldirac, Archmage and Acting Arch-Chancellor of Aronthere, wielded a terrible spell against his enemies.

Not much is known about the spell, now called simply Keldirac's Last Spell. It is said that it cost him ten years of research and a piece of his soul, and that he developed it as the ultimate deterrent to war. Certainly, the Last Spell was effective in this regard. The ritual is said to have taken seventeen days, although none who were present survived to confirm this. What is known is the end result - a massive conflagration, visible across the continent. The cataclysmic pyre rose high into the heavens, parting the clouds themselves, and the fiery blast continued for three days, shedding light as though the sun itself had set down upon the plains of Aronthere.

Even in the wake of the blast, the place was impossible to traverse. For miles around Aronthere, there was a thick, smokey haze, reeking of burnt earth and congealed with ash and soot. The air itself was scalding, and those who attempted to enter the billowing steam clouds screamed as though the flesh was being broiled from their bones. It took several weeks before the air was a tolerable temperature, and months longer before the massive clouds of ash cleared from the sky, allowing the sun's healing light to reveal the extent of the scarring of the land. Even then, the place could only be traversed in heavy stone footwear; anything else would heat up to a blaze, thanks to the searing temperatures retained by the ground below.

When at last the Royal Surveyors were able to travel to what had once been Aronthere, no trace of the kingdom, nor its people nor their attackers, could be found. No life; not plant, not beast, not man. No remains, no debris, no ruins, no stones. Nothing remained above the earth. The soil itself had been blasted spectacularly. Not a single patch of ground remained intact; all had been instantly glazed, burnt to a crisp. The surface was a fine, glassy sand, which carried on the occasional breeze and filled the Surveyors' lungs with hacking coughs. Beneath the sandy layer, the land had been flattened and melted into crystalline glass; smooth, jagged, and lifeless. The sunlight played magically across the landscape, an almost whimsical highlight to a terrifying event.

The land remains, to this day, a blasted waste. No plant may find root in that hard, cruel soil; no beast may find water, nor may man find shelter. Keldirac's Last Spell was successful, in that sense; never again would any dare lay siege to Aronthere. Indeed, the horror of that spell, and its aftermath, quickly ended the Seventh Great Mage War, and to this day, the Glass Sea remains, a bleak and beautiful warning of the inevitable conclusion of all magical conflict.

- A History of the Great Mage Wars, D. d'Tormagny, ed.

I'd also suggest breaking this out into new threads, in the future. Just for cleanliness' sake.

Oooooh, yours sounds like the encyclopedic version of what I put. I love it. :smallsmile:

Admiral Squish
2014-10-24, 05:01 PM
Hmm. I figured putting in posts like the one on the end of that last page would be enough to separate different name-of-the-week sections. Plus, it would mean you could bookmark the thread instead of looking for it each week when a new one is posted.

But then, I do believe there is a time limit after which you can't change the name of the thread anymore, so a lingering thread would eventually have to have a permanent name at some point. Plus, it would probably be annoying to try and find the parts of the thread for old names of the week...

What do other people think, lingering thread, or recurring thread?

Grim Portent
2014-10-24, 06:15 PM
I would suggest a single thread with links to each new name's start point in the original post.

It's compact and easy to navigate, but it does require maintenance to keep it up to date.

THEChanger
2014-10-24, 07:06 PM
The Glass Sea

In the far north of the world, past the tree line, beyond the Spine and into the place people call Frostfell, there is a peculiar place. In the midst of permafrosted earth, there lies a massive plain of ice, which sinks into the earth many miles down. It is said the ice is so perfectly blue you can see your reflection in it, and so large is the plain that it is called the Glass Sea. Scholars say that, when the world was new, the land that would one day become the Frostfell was far further south, where temperatures are warm enough that water would not be frozen. The Glass Sea used to be a massive inland sea, filled with life. Over millennia, the land slowly drifted north, pushed by molten rock far below the surface. And when it finally got far enough north, the whole sea just froze, giving rise to the Glass Sea as we know it today.

Most scholars suppose that this took place over huge amounts of time, so much time that entire peoples would have risen and fallen as the land moved into its current position, and so anything that once lived in the Glass Sea would have been long dead before the water froze, bones perhaps being preserved at the bottom of the massive circle of ice. Yet many travelers will swear that they have seen, when the light strikes the icy surface just right, the bodies of massive, reptilian beings, frozen in time beneath the waves of ice. If true, then perhaps the land containing the Glass Sea did not move so slowly as scholars believe, but was thrust northward with great speed? And if that is so, what power could have moved a whole continent fast enough to freeze such massive creatures in place? And why? And what of those travelers who have gone made upon the great ice sheet, claiming to hear voices coming from below, begging to be freed, and scratching their fingers raw and bloody in desperation to follow those haunting commands?

Perhaps the only people to know the secrets of the Glass Sea are the Helwyr Ia, a secretive humanoid people who live upon its icy shore. They are constantly wrapped in the fur of the great mammoths which also roam that frozen landscape, and no outsider has ever seen one of the Helwyr Ia under their furs. They do not speak to outsiders lightly, but for those who bring the gifts of iron or magic, the Helwyr will serve as guides across the icy surface of the Glass Sea. No one guided by a Helwyr guide have ever gone mad, or been lost. Several of their shamans have been observed drawing circular runes that bear a striking similarity to the seals Binders use to call Vesitges into the world, but the squat, stocky people do not appear to have a magical tradition of their own. Indeed, magic seems to operate on strange rules in this part of the world, making the casting of spells, manifesting of powers, even the practice of more esoteric forms of magic like Binding, Shadowcasting, Invocations, or shaping of Incarnum risky. Truly, the Glass Sea is a dangerous place, not suited for the weak of body or heart.

Geostationary
2014-10-25, 12:44 AM
It is the nature of mirrors to reflect, yet what they reflect is not truth.

It is a realm of lies and perceptions, a method with which we deceive the world and ourselves. The small lies are internal, and we are comforted and terrified by them alike. The larger lies dwell deeper, swimming just beyond the point of perception, eluding true notice save when observed indirectly. The greatest lies?

They dwell deeper still.

These are the powers called upon by the mages who work with the Is-Not, scintillating monstrosities of gossamer and deceit, lies so bold as to deceive the entirety of the world, drawn out by the currents of magic that reach in and extract them from the mirror.

Yet from where do they come? Mirrors are but reflective surfaces- no more and no less.

But the liminal world just touched upon by reflections and our lies?

That is the Glass Sea.

The Oni
2014-10-25, 06:44 AM
Of all the artifices ever constructed by man in his hubris, few are more infamous - or more coveted - than the Glass Sea.

The formidable cauldron-sized vessel consists of a huge crystal bowl that seems to contain a quiet but constantly rocking ocean of liquid glass. It is constantly churning, ever so gently, drawing the misplaced contents of the universe into its depths. The scintillating color can hypnotize a weak mind for hours, but those of strong will may use the Glass Sea's true potential.

With their thoughts occupied by the subject of something they once possessed and lost, any living soul may plunge their hand into the Glass Sea and retrieve it. This can be an object, a person, even a memory. However, the waters of the glass sea are murky and their undertow is great. Should the user's will or strength falter, the object of their desire will slip through their fingers and into the Glass Sea, lost forever. Worse still, one too stubborn to let go of their desire may be pulled in alongside it, becoming worse than destroyed. Regardless, the Glass Sea may only be used once by an individual.

It is rumored that a soul devoid of desire who reaches into the Glass Sea will retrieve inner peace, and that on that day, the sea will go still as ice forevermore.

Admiral Squish
2014-10-26, 10:42 AM
Now we're gettin' to some really unusual ideas. I had a vague idea the name could be applied to a very calm or clear body of water, or a desert turned to glass, but I never imagined the world behind mirrors populated by lies, or a cauldron that retrieve anything one has lost, or a mysteriously solid-frozen sea that serves as a prison for unnamed monstrosities.

Anyways, I think I've decided I'm gonna go with the new-threads-each-week idea, I've got a document prepared on my computer that I'll be able to update and post.

Eldan
2014-10-26, 11:29 AM
Focusing on the "Sea" part instead of the "Glass part".


The Glass Sea is one of the more unnerving regions of ocean known to mortal naturalists. It is an ill-defined region, for its borders constantly shift, but it generally lies about fifty nautical miles off the Screaming Cliffs of Zashada.
The name, for once, is quite apt, though the water is not as clear as glass. It is, in fact, far more clear than any glass ever made. One can see into its depths, unhindered by any turbulence, current or drifting matter, down to the ocean floor. There are other strange effects of optics, too, for one can see in exacting detail every rock, every creeping animal, to a depth of miles, where everything should be lying darkness. Some have described the effect as being like standing on air, for it becomes difficult of even telling where the water begins.
Most sea life seems to avoid the region, but one can occasionally see a shoal of fish gingerly making its way into the region. But there is life here: unique to the region, there are great slimy, creeping, formless things that slither through the water unhindered. The featurelessness of the water makes it difficult to tell how large they might be, but they seem to dwarf any ship that has ventured into the glass sea, if one trusts the shadows they cast on the ocean floor.

CoffeeIncluded
2014-10-26, 11:40 AM
Adventurers around the world tell horror stories of what has become known as "the Glass Sea." In a geographical sense, the Glass Sea is a desert but that descriptions doesn't do it justice. The Glass Sea is a featureless expanse of dirt hundreds of miles wide. No being has ever crossed the Glass Sea. The only people to ever survive travel there did so by immediately turning around and heading back the way they came.

No mountains, no plant or animal life, no dunes to walk over. There are no clouds, only an endless expanse of the fine white sand that gives the place its name. Magic recovered one man, the only survivor of an expedition of hundreds, who cried out in his madness that he had walked for days but hadn't moved at all. With no landmarks to shoot by and no hills to gauge distance, you are lost as soon as you lose sight of the border.
-Adventurer's Guide chapter 2: Regions to avoid.


In the wake of the Seventh Great Mage War, many lands were left ravaged, devoid of life, and uninhabitable. But few places suffered more than Aronthere, known thereafter as the Glass Sea. It was during the battle for Aronthere that Keldirac, Archmage and Acting Arch-Chancellor of Aronthere, wielded a terrible spell against his enemies.

Not much is known about the spell, now called simply Keldirac's Last Spell. It is said that it cost him ten years of research and a piece of his soul, and that he developed it as the ultimate deterrent to war. Certainly, the Last Spell was effective in this regard. The ritual is said to have taken seventeen days, although none who were present survived to confirm this. What is known is the end result - a massive conflagration, visible across the continent. The cataclysmic pyre rose high into the heavens, parting the clouds themselves, and the fiery blast continued for three days, shedding light as though the sun itself had set down upon the plains of Aronthere.

Even in the wake of the blast, the place was impossible to traverse. For miles around Aronthere, there was a thick, smokey haze, reeking of burnt earth and congealed with ash and soot. The air itself was scalding, and those who attempted to enter the billowing steam clouds screamed as though the flesh was being broiled from their bones. It took several weeks before the air was a tolerable temperature, and months longer before the massive clouds of ash cleared from the sky, allowing the sun's healing light to reveal the extent of the scarring of the land. Even then, the place could only be traversed in heavy stone footwear; anything else would heat up to a blaze, thanks to the searing temperatures retained by the ground below.

When at last the Royal Surveyors were able to travel to what had once been Aronthere, no trace of the kingdom, nor its people nor their attackers, could be found. No life; not plant, not beast, not man. No remains, no debris, no ruins, no stones. Nothing remained above the earth. The soil itself had been blasted spectacularly. Not a single patch of ground remained intact; all had been instantly glazed, burnt to a crisp. The surface was a fine, glassy sand, which carried on the occasional breeze and filled the Surveyors' lungs with hacking coughs. Beneath the sandy layer, the land had been flattened and melted into crystalline glass; smooth, jagged, and lifeless. The sunlight played magically across the landscape, an almost whimsical highlight to a terrifying event.

The land remains, to this day, a blasted waste. No plant may find root in that hard, cruel soil; no beast may find water, nor may man find shelter. Keldirac's Last Spell was successful, in that sense; never again would any dare lay siege to Aronthere. Indeed, the horror of that spell, and its aftermath, quickly ended the Seventh Great Mage War, and to this day, the Glass Sea remains, a bleak and beautiful warning of the inevitable conclusion of all magical conflict.

- A History of the Great Mage Wars, D. d'Tormagny, ed.

I'd also suggest breaking this out into new threads, in the future. Just for cleanliness' sake.

Aww, that was my idea. Though I was thinking more along the lines of the land melting. Actually, I might try something if I have the time.

The Glyphstone
2014-10-26, 01:17 PM
Metaphors ahoy!


They say that all roads lead to Kalazhim. That might be exaggeration, but saying that all trade routes lead to the legendary City of Merchants is no lie. The smoothest valleys, most plentiful oasis, and swiftest sea-winds seem to conspire to make Kalazhim the hub of trade all across the known lands. The bazaars bustle day and night, all year round, but if one truly wishes to see a wonder, they must visit Kalazhim in midsummer, when the glass and gem merchants of the south travel en masse to hawk their wares against glassmakers of other regions and those local to Kala, and even certain vendors from other worlds. An entire section of the salt flats is kept clear for the glassblowers, who set up their tables and stalls in rows that stretch further than man's eye can see in every direction. Find a window or rooftop to observe from above and see an endless shining tide of reflections and sparkles. Locals call it the Glass Sea, both for its appearance through their windows and for how easily an unwary customer or visitor may be swept away upon the sparkle and splendor, to be cast adrift back at shore with their moneybags empty and their arms loaded down with beautiful creations.

-Zolo's Guide To Travelers, Chapter Five: The Sands of Kala

illyahr
2014-10-27, 11:48 AM
Aww, that was my idea. Though I was thinking more along the lines of the land melting. Actually, I might try something if I have the time.

It was like mine was the Bard version and his was the Wizard version. :smallbiggrin:

Red Fel
2014-10-27, 12:11 PM
It was like mine was the Bard version and his was the Wizard version. :smallbiggrin:

More like yours was the Hitchhiker's Guide version, and mine was the Encyclopedia ad Nauseam version. :smalltongue:

Okay, challenge to self: Next time, do it in the style of either Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett. That's going to be fun.

Coventry
2014-10-27, 12:31 PM
Trade Potential Analysis, remote city of Maenas Celedril.

Summary:

The city is mostly self-contained, but is willing to accept trade caravans for good that are not locally available. However there is one notable high-cost, even higher payoff option that might be available if the correct conditions occur.


Glass architecture:

The translation of the name of the Elvish city Maenas Celedril into Common is usually "Glass Sea". Maenas Celedril was home to a number of elven artisans that mastered the ability to work in glass. Over time, they married the craft with the natural elven talent for magic, and they began to build elegant, flowing buildings from the material.

The Common name was coined by the first Human to lay eyes on the city, Chapman Marsh, in -4734 DR. In his journal he described crossing the mountain pathways, and then seeing "a sea of glass; tall spires gleaming in all the colors of the sunset" stretching across the valley before him.

Notes: The elves of Maenas Celedril are very particular about whom they will sell their work to. They will refuse to talk to most non-elves, so an elvish representative is required to even begin discussions. The project design must meet certain aesthetic qualities, and must be for a cause that suits the elven way of living. Payment is usually in the form of magic or rare magical components.

As a result, acquiring their work will be very rare, and will be exclusively available to ultra-rich eccentrics that follow the elven ways.

illyahr
2014-10-27, 12:37 PM
More like yours was the Hitchhiker's Guide version, and mine was the Encyclopedia ad Nauseam version. :smalltongue:

That's what I said. :smallcool:

GorinichSerpant
2014-10-27, 01:55 PM
The Glass Sea is an a fairly large sea except the water there has some odd properties. If you were to look at it, you'd see the surface of a very calm ocean, except stuck in one position, like a picture. If you looked away then looked back, it would look like a different painting drawn at a different time. And if you looked carefully, you'd see that the waves are rolling, only at a very slow pace. There are fish swimming in slow motion within, seaweed floating at a turtle's pace and so forth. The oddest thing is, is that this isn't a effect of the region, but of the water itself. You could walk across the Glass Sea bare foot if you don't stand still for to long. When it rains, the rain water forms puddles on the Sea's glassy surface. Merchants have turned quite a profit using the Glass Sea's water for preservatives.

Taet
2014-10-27, 02:53 PM
Object 2.09.3343-G.

Glass hand-writing tool and plastene copy of its writing.

MEASURES. 65mm x 30 mm.
MATERIALS. Blackglass with leaded glass outer coat.
AGE. Late Anthropocene or early Astrene. Copy of middle Anthropocene original?
MAKER. Unknown mark.
WRITINGS (if any). Writes a circular crest of a seahorse.

REMARKS. This is not, as you hoped, a Waterford crystal. Waterford was open when blackglass production began but closed centuries before the Glass Sea spill. What you have here is a Glass Sea blackglass item. It looks back at two different traditions in glass work. But it is not an artless copy. It is a tribute. This house is honored to have seen it. M. Suarez.

You are luckier than you know! Blackglass was invented to keep radioactive metals trapped in it. But the leaded cut glass is blocking enough of it that you may sometimes hold and use the tool. This house will charge you for the lead lined box in which we return it and we must recommend that you keep it in the box when not in use. M. Ezekwesili.

This house recommends that you sell to a private collector. Most Glass Sea works are too radioactive for public spaces and museums only put out copies in false blackglass. Many of the artists who traveled there chose to work in the raw material of the Sea and make huge works that, like themselves, could never leave. That you have a piece which could be removed from the area is rare. M. Jones.

Eldan
2014-10-28, 04:01 AM
Wait, are we writing SCP now? You need to [expunge] a few more things, then, and add comments by Doctor [expunged] :smalltongue:

Demon Prince
2014-10-28, 05:02 AM
As far as wonders go, the glass sea isn't particularly special. It's not possessed of some magical hazard that kills all who enter, nor does it grant some special boon to those that enter. The sole really special thing about it is that it's completely transparent. Like glass.



And you have no idea how many adventures have involved getting down there and finding treasure. All the detritus that's fallen away is plainly visible to the naked eye here. Every fallen ship, every fallen corpse, every lost city. Hell, people have gone down into the vents to see if some of the runes scribed there might cause the transparency, thinking that maybe they can design something like it as an invisibility-granting device. No such luck, by the way, but that only deepens the mystery. And other oceans, too, have been plumbed by many, now that people know what kind of crazy stuff can dwell within them, perhaps ages before they otherwise would have.

All because of a little optical trick. Hunh.

ILM
2014-10-28, 09:06 AM
The Glass Sea is a hand-sized, perfectly wrought sphere of clear glass, inlaid with swirling strands of blues and greens that coil and unwind and drift in imperceptibly slow motion within the sphere. At its core lies a huge, flawless pearl roughly one thumb across, so pure that it seems to gleam with iridescent light. The heavy orb is cool to the touch, but holding it for too long causes one to be affected by slight vertigo, like the ground isn’t as solid as one thought.

Reports indicate that it is currently in the possession of the Magisterium of Ravine, held in the top-most chamber of the Black Spire that towers over the royal city of Ravine. It is the High Magister’s ultimate bargaining chip, and what allows him to keep the King and his Steel Crusade at bay – thus making it the only reason arcane magic hasn’t been wiped out already from the country.

The Glass Sea can be traced back to Aglaron Sunswylde, the quirky tinkerer best remembered for such amusing contraptions as the Decanter of Endless Water. Unfortunately for him, Sunswylde never really achieved fame or fortune; the Decanter, even today his most (some would say only) famous design, only garnered the public’s attention when Rosamund d’Arvet used them to create the Silverworks, the incredible waterworks gracing the impeccable gardens of the royal palace. Over time, Aglaron’s unsuccessful efforts drove him to more and more audacious creations, and at the end of his life he invented with little regard for safety or reason.

The Glass Sea is his last known design.

It is said that after years of research, he traveled to the Elemental Plane of Water and traced the largest, most powerful conjuring that he could muster. Combining dimensional and binding magics of untold magnitude, he was able to rip away and steal a sizeable amount of the Plane’s essence. The story doesn’t detail how he managed to escape the presumably enraged denizens with his life and to flee back to the Prime Material, though it does provide a plausible hypothesis as to why he was found drowned in the middle of his home, nowhere near a sizeable quantity of water.

Non-intrusive investigations by forensic wizards have revealed the deadly simplicity of the Glass Sea: activating it simply unbinds its enchantments and releases all the water it contains. They were not able to quantify exactly how much water would be created, but were adamant there was at least enough to drown the entire kingdom of Candalis and probably a couple of its neighboring lands. In addition, the sudden appearance of so much water in what would, for all intents and purposes, be a single point in space, would cause an explosion of such unimaginable power that it would obliterate everything for miles. The Glass Sea cannot be activated remotely, so this would almost certainly kill the user – but evidently, the King has decided that the High Magister may well prefer to detonate the device rather than face righteous Redemption at the hands of the Steel Crusade. And so the statu quo remains, while Mages and Crusaders wage a hidden war, careful never to escalate the conflict past the point of no return…

GorinichSerpant
2014-10-28, 11:31 AM
The Glass Sea is a hand-sized, perfectly wrought sphere of clear glass, inlaid with swirling strands of blues and greens that coil and unwind and drift in imperceptibly slow motion within the sphere. At its core lies a huge, flawless pearl roughly one thumb across, so pure that it seems to gleam with iridescent light. The heavy orb is cool to the touch, but holding it for too long causes one to be affected by slight vertigo, like the ground isn’t as solid as one thought.

Reports indicate that it is currently in the possession of the Magisterium of Ravine, held in the top-most chamber of the Black Spire that towers over the royal city of Ravine. It is the High Magister’s ultimate bargaining chip, and what allows him to keep the King and his Steel Crusade at bay – thus making it the only reason arcane magic hasn’t been wiped out already from the country.

The Glass Sea can be traced back to Aglaron Sunswylde, the quirky tinkerer best remembered for such amusing contraptions as the Decanter of Endless Water. Unfortunately for him, Sunswylde never really achieved fame or fortune; the Decanter, even today his most (some would say only) famous design, only garnered the public’s attention when Rosamund d’Arvet used them to create the Silverworks, the incredible waterworks gracing the impeccable gardens of the royal palace. Over time, Aglaron’s unsuccessful efforts drove him to more and more audacious creations, and at the end of his life he invented with little regard for safety or reason.

The Glass Sea is his last known design.

It is said that after years of research, he traveled to the Elemental Plane of Water and traced the largest, most powerful conjuring that he could muster. Combining dimensional and binding magics of untold magnitude, he was able to rip away and steal a sizeable amount of the Plane’s essence. The story doesn’t detail how he managed to escape the presumably enraged denizens with his life and to flee back to the Prime Material, though it does provide a plausible hypothesis as to why he was found drowned in the middle of his home, nowhere near a sizeable quantity of water.

Non-intrusive investigations by forensic wizards have revealed the deadly simplicity of the Glass Sea: activating it simply unbinds its enchantments and releases all the water it contains. They were not able to quantify exactly how much water would be created, but were adamant there was at least enough to drown the entire kingdom of Candalis and probably a couple of its neighboring lands. In addition, the sudden appearance of so much water in what would, for all intents and purposes, be a single point in space, would cause an explosion of such unimaginable power that it would obliterate everything for miles. The Glass Sea cannot be activated remotely, so this would almost certainly kill the user – but evidently, the King has decided that the High Magister may well prefer to detonate the device rather than face righteous Redemption at the hands of the Steel Crusade. And so the statu quo remains, while Mages and Crusaders wage a hidden war, careful never to escalate the conflict past the point of no return…

I see your tieing this to the previous topic, on a different note, if you can't come up with wonderful (and horrible) uses with a Decanter of Endless Water, then they are simply not trying hard enough, a limitless water supply at hand's reach has so much potential.

ILM
2014-10-28, 11:53 AM
I see your tieing this to the previous topic
I genuinely am not - what previous topic? The Iron Cathedral?

Taet
2014-10-28, 12:46 PM
Wait, are we writing SCP now? You need to [expunge] a few more things, then, and add comments by Doctor [expunged] :smalltongue:
What is SCP? I was thinking Antiques Roadshow. :smalltongue:

Admiral Squish
2014-10-28, 02:29 PM
I'm debating if this Friday's word should be Halloween themed, considering it's gonna go up on Halloween itself.

123456789blaaa
2014-10-28, 04:30 PM
I'm debating if this Friday's word should be Halloween themed, considering it's gonna go up on Halloween itself.

Do eet. This isn't even a question.

BTW, it would help with organization if you could link each point in the thread a new word is posted. Post #30 for the Glass Sea for example.

ramakidin
2014-10-28, 08:03 PM
A spell of devastating magnitude known only to some of the most powerful conjurers known to exist. When used 10 30ft*30ft*30ft waves are summoned composed of possibly billions of needle sized glass shards. With the force of a tidal wave, the glass shards demolish nearly everything in its path for almost 2 miles, leaving a 3 foot deep wake of glass shards. After 3 hours any remaining shards will begin to become one complete sea of glass.

Its most famous usage was the Halfling Massacre on the border of Yondolla's Footprint when it was used to completely eradicate the invading barbarian forces. To this day, their remains can still be seen perfectly preserved under the glass. Some had the audacity to try to cut the glass and take out artifacts but this happens rarely as this particular "Glass Sea" was declared a war memorial.

Admiral Squish
2014-10-28, 08:48 PM
Do eet. This isn't even a question.

BTW, it would help with organization if you could link each point in the thread a new word is posted. Post #30 for the Glass Sea for example.

I don't know, declaring a theme seems to dramatically limit the possible interpretations of any given name. Every idea that comes to me, as soon as you say 'Halloween' it seems like it'll just be variations on the same concept.

I'm gonna be making the game into multiple threads from here out, which will make things a lot easier to organize and keep separate, and the new version does have a link to the start of this thread and the point where the thread changes to the 'glass sea' theme.

123456789blaaa
2014-10-28, 09:17 PM
I don't know, declaring a theme seems to dramatically limit the possible interpretations of any given name. Every idea that comes to me, as soon as you say 'Halloween' it seems like it'll just be variations on the same concept.

I'm gonna be making the game into multiple threads from here out, which will make things a lot easier to organize and keep separate, and the new version does have a link to the start of this thread and the point where the thread changes to the 'glass sea' theme.

Maybe...but Halloween only comes once a year. We have plenty of other times for more broad interpretations. It's up to you of course and I'm pretty sure it'll be great either way.

Admiral Squish
2014-10-28, 09:44 PM
Maybe...but Halloween only comes once a year. We have plenty of other times for more broad interpretations. It's up to you of course and I'm pretty sure it'll be great either way.

I think I won't officially declare a theme, but considering the date, I have no doubt plenty of people are going to interpret it along the lines of Halloween.

GorinichSerpant
2014-10-29, 09:12 AM
I genuinely am not - what previous topic? The Iron Cathedral?

I think that the Steel Crusade sounds like it would set it's HQ in The Iron Cathedral, simply by it's name.

ILM
2014-10-29, 09:58 AM
Oh, fair enough, I see where you're coming from. Not a conscious effort, but I did read the previous entries so who knows what went on in my brain? :smalltongue:

rs2excelsior
2014-10-29, 12:57 PM
Many centuries ago, there was a world-renowned artist whose name has since been lost to legend. From a young age he showed a prodigious talent in the arts, and his skill grew to nearly supernatural levels as he got older. His paintings, sculptures, and musical compositions were all in high demand. His quick sketches were better than the masterpieces of most professional artists. It seemed like he effortlessly rose to the top of every artistic field. So, naturally, as he grew old he was quite wealthy.

The legends say this artist was an amicable young man; neither proud nor boastful, and always friendly to everyone he met. They also say that as he aged he became quite mad. He would grow obsessive over his projects, insisting that they were far from good enough when they already far surpassed the work of any of his contemporaries. During this time, the rate at which he produced his art slowed greatly, but these pieces were his best and most sought after. The Glass Sea was his last project.

One day, the legends say, the artist received an audience with the local ruler and offered to purchase a specific area of land: an old crater that covered about 10 square miles. The king thought to humor the old man and offered a steep price for it, thinking the artist in his senility would believe he had actually purchased it without any money actually changing hands. The king was surprised when the artist agreed and immediately had the gold brought to the king. The artist hired a small army of workers to bring him supplies and to shape the bottom of the crater very specifically, and after dismissing them hired an actual small army to keep anyone from intruding on him. The artist disappeared behind this veil of secrecy to begin his work. He was never seen again.

The soldiers guarding the crater were instructed never to look in on pain of death. Their pay was brought to them in the night, left in a specific location to be picked up in the morning. One day, the money came with a note that their services would no longer be needed, so the soldiers left. Gradually, people began to make their way toward the crater. Eventually a traveler stumbled across it and looked around, since he had no idea that once it had been heavily guarded. He brought back stories of what he had found.

The crater was covered by a sheet of glass, shaped carefully to resemble the surface of a sea under a gentle breeze. Every wave was lovingly crafted; no two were found to be identical. If this was not wonder enough, someone noticed a shape under the glass. Digging a short tunnel through the crater's edge, they found that the surface of this "sea" was actually a single sheet of glass stretching over the entire crater. No one knew how it managed to stay in place without collapsing under its own weight. And underneath this sea were glass sculptures of fish and sharks and whales and mollusks, and every other sea creature known to man. The people were amazed at the stunning detail in each and every sculpture; they seemed to lack no detail. Most contended themselves with the sculptures near the edges, but a few intrepid souls went deeper.

The legends say that no one who reached the center made it back to tell the tale. Many of those who tried came back mad. They spoke of creatures unknown to even the most learned scholars, all made of glass. Of creatures who should not--could not--exist in this universe, suspended before them, captured in glass. Of foul, ancient creatures rising up from the ground...

The Glass Sea has been lost to time. The last writers who seemed to know its location have been dead for centuries. But the legends say that if it could be found, and if anyone could make it to the center of the Glass Sea with his sanity intact, he would see an impossible sculpture of a being, unimaginably ancient and powerful... and that he would know when that being would awaken.

The legends are silent as to what might happen if this creature awakes in our world, but it almost certainly cannot be good.

Admiral Squish
2014-10-29, 09:14 PM
Where is the freakin' like button. That's really detailed.

Fiery Diamond
2014-10-29, 09:58 PM
Sailors tell all manner of tall tales; 'tis a fact all know. From the mermaids of the Sislandia Straight to the Boiling Bay of the fabled Forgotten Isle which lies deep in uncharted waters, each is as fantastic as the last and none have a lick o' truth to 'em. Some of 'em are probably elaborate yarns invented by seamen bored out of their minds from weeks on the ocean, while others may be the result of hallucinations suffered by delirious malnourished souls. But if there's one tale that might have a smidgeon of truth, it's the legend of the Glass Sea.

The story goes that generations ago, the famous explorer Salabad Sinclair happened across a small island in the Deathly Mists (that's that notorious fog-covered patch of sea near the North Kingdom that no vessel has ever come back out of). On that island was a hut that caught his eye. Inside were wonders of all kinds never seen before by man, from magical trinkets and baubles to riches unheard of. I ain't so good at tellin' this part of the story. Anyway, there was a witch who lived in the hut. Salabad Sinclair was famous for solvin' riddles and bargainin' with natives and what-not, so he convinced the witch to let him keep one item to take home with him. Different folks tell how he did it different ways, so I ain't gonna bother with that part.

Anyhow, what he got to keep was this large glass bottle with a glass stopper filled with what looked like liquid glass with all kinds of tiny glass fishes swimmin' in it. Nice, magical curiosity. So he was warned never to open the bottle because of magical somethin'. So, bein' the curious sort, as soon as he was back on the seas he opened it up while standin' at the side of his ship. No sooner did he do so than a big wave hit his boat and he dropped the bottle in the ocean. In amazement, he watched as the sea turned to liquid glass all around his ship and fish made of living glass swam about. The Glass Sea spread out, far as he could see. He caught a few fish to take home, but as soon as they left the glassy waters they went still, just as though they were glass figures made in great detail. He fished out the bottle, but it was all but empty with only a teeny bit of liquid left in the bottom.

Details vary after that. What all tellings say is that he brought the fish and the bottle back to the North Kingdom with him and presented them to the King as a gift, which have been passed down in the royal family ever since. After that, sailors started reportin' sightings of patches of sea made of glass, with sea life of living glass. The Glass Sea is always movin', and the location of the Glass Sea has never been the same twice, so no one can ever confirm whether the sailors really saw it or not. And of course, nobody can attest to the truth of the legend. But the Northern Kingdom really does have a glass bottle with mysterious amounts of protection usually reserved for priceless artifacts; and every so often, when the fishermen go far out to sea, they'll come back with a curiously detailed glass fish mixed in with their catch.

Admiral Squish
2014-10-31, 08:03 AM
Welp, it's Friday, everyone, and that means: New Thread! This week's name: The Hounds of Kel'ranu (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?380942-Build-A-Legend-quot-The-Hounds-of-Kel-Ranu-quot). Go check it out!