Djinn_in_Tonic
2007-07-19, 02:07 PM
River's End
Eligible for Rookie prize
From the archives of Bartelemus Cadashaw, Adventuring Magus:
“Many are the tales of the river Styx, and there is much truth behind them. With but a sip of its water a man may forget his name, his purpose…even his will to live. Others speak of its lethal fumes; still others whisper dark tales of malevolent spirits, caught within its waters forevermore.”
“I have been to hell and back, and I know these to be true. Many a comrade of mine has met his terrible end on the banks of that fateful river. I know more than any man about those hellish waters…and yet there is one thing I do not know. One thing that haunts my dreams at night…where does it all go? Where does the river Styx end?”
The river Styx is a cosmic anomaly, winding through many levels of many planes. It seems to have no beginning and no end…but in truth it has both. As the River Styx bubbles up from the tops of the celestial mountains, carrying away the sins of the faithful, it begins its long, winding journey through the planes, until at last it reaches its destination…River’s End, the last and final layer of the infinite Abyss. How the infinite ends is unknown, but end it does, into the vast ocean that is the final leg of the Styx’s journey.
*****
River’s End is a plane of endless water, cascading into infinite sea. Small islands hanging in the air are all the land in this desolate place, and these are completely uninhabitable, for the crashing waters of the Styx leave no area dry for more than a few seconds. What begins as a single waterfall splits into a myriad of streams as it hits the islands, until deeper down the plane is completely awash with torrents of crashing water. The thunderous reverberations of falling water fill the plane with noise, and almost nothing can be heard over the tumult.
Aside from that, River’s End is an empty layer, filled with nothing but the endless waters and the souls of those trapped within them. It is rumored that deep within the layer is the final resting place of dark gods long since vanished from the world, now pinned beneath the hellish waters. If this is true, none have lived to speak of it, for the Lady of the Last River does not deal kindly with those who have entered her realm unbidden.
Planar Traits
Gravity: Normal Gravity
Time: Timeless
Shape/Size: River’s End is infinitely deep (at least in theory), and infinitely wide.
Morphic Traits: Divinely Morphic. The Lady of the Last River can manipulate the streams and islands as she sees fit, although she seldom has reason to do so.
Energy Traits: Major Negative Dominance
Magic Traits: Impeded Magic.
The River Styx
The river itself is a danger to man and beast alike. Any being caught by the waters is swept away unless they succeed on a swim check (DC 25). Creature incapable of movement are considered to have failed this check. Every round a creature remains immersed in the waters they must make a Will save (DC 25) or take 1 point of Wisdom drain. When a creature reaches 0 Wisdom it falls into a coma, and thus is swept away by the river.
If a creature drinks of the water, it must succeed on a DC 25 Will save or forget everything it knows. Such a creature loses all knowledge, skills, feats, and class abilities until restored by a Wish or Miracle spell.
Finally, the fumes of the river alone are enough to kill lesser men. Once per minute, a creature within 50 feet of the water must make a Fortitude save (DC 25) or take 1 point of Constitution damage.
Eligible for Rookie prize
From the archives of Bartelemus Cadashaw, Adventuring Magus:
“Many are the tales of the river Styx, and there is much truth behind them. With but a sip of its water a man may forget his name, his purpose…even his will to live. Others speak of its lethal fumes; still others whisper dark tales of malevolent spirits, caught within its waters forevermore.”
“I have been to hell and back, and I know these to be true. Many a comrade of mine has met his terrible end on the banks of that fateful river. I know more than any man about those hellish waters…and yet there is one thing I do not know. One thing that haunts my dreams at night…where does it all go? Where does the river Styx end?”
The river Styx is a cosmic anomaly, winding through many levels of many planes. It seems to have no beginning and no end…but in truth it has both. As the River Styx bubbles up from the tops of the celestial mountains, carrying away the sins of the faithful, it begins its long, winding journey through the planes, until at last it reaches its destination…River’s End, the last and final layer of the infinite Abyss. How the infinite ends is unknown, but end it does, into the vast ocean that is the final leg of the Styx’s journey.
*****
River’s End is a plane of endless water, cascading into infinite sea. Small islands hanging in the air are all the land in this desolate place, and these are completely uninhabitable, for the crashing waters of the Styx leave no area dry for more than a few seconds. What begins as a single waterfall splits into a myriad of streams as it hits the islands, until deeper down the plane is completely awash with torrents of crashing water. The thunderous reverberations of falling water fill the plane with noise, and almost nothing can be heard over the tumult.
Aside from that, River’s End is an empty layer, filled with nothing but the endless waters and the souls of those trapped within them. It is rumored that deep within the layer is the final resting place of dark gods long since vanished from the world, now pinned beneath the hellish waters. If this is true, none have lived to speak of it, for the Lady of the Last River does not deal kindly with those who have entered her realm unbidden.
Planar Traits
Gravity: Normal Gravity
Time: Timeless
Shape/Size: River’s End is infinitely deep (at least in theory), and infinitely wide.
Morphic Traits: Divinely Morphic. The Lady of the Last River can manipulate the streams and islands as she sees fit, although she seldom has reason to do so.
Energy Traits: Major Negative Dominance
Magic Traits: Impeded Magic.
The River Styx
The river itself is a danger to man and beast alike. Any being caught by the waters is swept away unless they succeed on a swim check (DC 25). Creature incapable of movement are considered to have failed this check. Every round a creature remains immersed in the waters they must make a Will save (DC 25) or take 1 point of Wisdom drain. When a creature reaches 0 Wisdom it falls into a coma, and thus is swept away by the river.
If a creature drinks of the water, it must succeed on a DC 25 Will save or forget everything it knows. Such a creature loses all knowledge, skills, feats, and class abilities until restored by a Wish or Miracle spell.
Finally, the fumes of the river alone are enough to kill lesser men. Once per minute, a creature within 50 feet of the water must make a Fortitude save (DC 25) or take 1 point of Constitution damage.