Cooperative Worldbuilding - A Promised Necromancy

[PoeticallyPsyco]

"Take to wing, daughters and sons, for I tell you this: come the fifth, we shall have their walls!"

The collapse of the Empire of Humanity created an enormous power vacuum. Of the powers that rose to fill it, among the most curious is the entity that calls themself Harmony. Most hiveminds consist of a single insect colony, but Harmony consists solely of the queens of countless colonies and various species. Uttering these words, they and their children (the drones of each colony are not part of the hivemind, but still obey it) rapidly swept over the Duchy of Redwater, consuming vampire and human alike in an unstoppable tide. But the short lifespans of its 'brain' make Harmony mercurial, and they soon became bored of conquest and turned their attention to other pursuits within their new land... much to the relief of their neighbors.


"May I have your attention? Literally, I mean. I'm a collector, you see, of traits and personalities, and an attention like yours, so sharp, so rapid, so focused that it demands the awareness of anyone nearby... why, it would make the perfect centerpiece for my latest project! I simply must have it! Name your price."

[noob]

The collapse of the Empire of Humanity created an enormous power vacuum. Of the powers that rose to fill it, among the most curious is the entity that calls themself Harmony. Most hiveminds consist of a single insect colony, but Harmony consists solely of the queens of countless colonies and various species. Uttering these words, they and their children (the drones of each colony are not part of the hivemind, but still obey it) rapidly swept over the Duchy of Redwater, consuming vampire and human alike in an unstoppable tide. But the short lifespans of its 'brain' make Harmony mercurial, and they soon became bored of conquest and turned their attention to other pursuits within their new land... much to the relief of their neighbors.


"May I have your attention? Literally, I mean. I'm a collector, you see, of traits and personalities, and an attention like yours, so sharp, so rapid, so focused that it demands the awareness of anyone nearby... why, it would make the perfect centerpiece for my latest project! I simply must have it! Name your price."

Radamante, elven creator of homuncules trying to acquire parts of brains of people for his new creations.

"Nothing can break us today for we are already broken, We will fight because there is nothing else left to do, I have personally three flower pots and I do not think it is enough for victory but it does not matter because we do not have a choice"

[Metastachydium]

Radamante, elven creator of homuncules trying to acquire parts of brains of people for his new creations.

"Nothing can break us today for we are already broken, We will fight because there is nothing else left to do, I have personally three flower pots and I do not think it is enough for victory but it does not matter because we do not have a choice"

Village elder Alla "Pighead" Stonehelm allegedly rallied the remaining locals with these words not long before the second battle of Korgal's Ford.
It turned out flower pots are not especially efficient weapons against aerial attackers. The gryphons swept over the defenders and secured the road to the pass over the Cobbler's Ridge with ease.

♣

"Come now. They ruled these lands for a thousand years and the tide swept over them all the same."

[Riftwolf]

♣

"Come now. They ruled these lands for a thousand years and the tide swept over them all the same."

This requires a little context. The Sephoric Union was a ruling Kingdom of halflings who'd subjugated the local elven tribes through demonic pact, who controlled the Lowlands between Recadim and Wattler's Tor. 'a thousand years' is a bit of poetic licence, as the Kingdom lasted about 850 by their own reckoning. They were finally toppled by Sea Elf Hydromancers who called an unusually high tide in the middle of the night; the resulting flood was around four feet, enough to wipe out the ruling classes in their burrows, but only injure the local elven population. By the time reinforcements from Wattler's Tor could travel the muddy road, the entire kingdom had been sacked, the demon advisors staked out for the crows and all the elves heading north to the Verastian Freelands.

The statement came over a century later; a vampiric necromancer who'd sold his name for power had taken control of the Lowlands and was threatening the Citadel of Wattler's Grand. A cadre of halfling justicars were sent out to harry the necromancers army, and the comment was made by Cavamal, Demon General to his concerned Vampiric lieutenants.

"Did you look at it? Did you look at it? Did you? You did, didn't you? How many times! Don't look down the Lonely Road! Do you know what'd happen if you saw something?"

[PoeticallyPsyco]

"Did you look at it? Did you look at it? Did you? You did, didn't you? How many times! Don't look down the Lonely Road! Do you know what'd happen if you saw something?"

An unknown man of advanced age, to an unknown child, perhaps his son or grandson. While the appearances of the Lonely Road are mysterious and unpredictable, survivors commonly report hearing this conversation upon seeing the eldritch road alongside their path. The conversation is also one of the few reliable ways of gauging your danger in such a circumstance. If the child whines "But I didn't see anything! There was nothing!", you should stand still, stay silent, and hope that the road disappears on its own. If it remains, back away slowly, and do not look to see what might or might not be travelling it. If the child claims to have found something instead, we recommend the same, though if you dare, you may be able to retrieve an artifact or riches from the roadside. But if the child exclaims that they do see something down the road?

RUN.


"What danger is a monster, compared to the right words in the wrong ear?"

[noob]

"What danger is a monster, compared to the right words in the wrong ear?"

Hernsech "Troll Face" Prickleberry talking about the merits of spreading rumours over creating monsters when trying to get someone dead.

"Too much risk, not enough recognition, I will not do this job again"

[Sapphire Guard]

Katri Fairhand after successfully stealing the Horn of the Purple Unicorn from the Forest Shrine. Her supreme skills at stealth made it most difficult to grow her reputation, as her victims often never noticed they had been stolen from at all.

"How did you manage to get nine Druid clans to unite against us? I've never seen them agree on anything before!"

[brian 333]

Katri Fairhand after successfully stealing the Horn of the Purple Unicorn from the Forest Shrine. Her supreme skills at stealth made it most difficult to grow her reputation, as her victims often never noticed they had been stolen from at all.

"How did you manage to get nine Druid clans to unite against us? I've never seen them agree on anything before!"

Akina Shadowglass, Amir and Lord Vizir to Major General Eiba Mengdesis of the Great Supreme Ducal Arch-City Fortress of Syrupleaf in the final hours of the Battlefailed. Her body was never found among the wreckage of the Fortress Keep, though her invisible dagger was found in his right kidney after he plummeted to the ground from twenty stories up the massive Ducal Keep moments before summoned elementals toppled the last great wonder of ancient human construction on the continent.

Historians have long tried to connect her to Selenaria the Daughter of the Moon, a shapechanger who ruled the region for a generation afterward, but it is agreed by most that had she survived the purges that followed would have fnund her.

"I can sail East and end my journey on the West coast, or so the whalefolk say. I propose to go North where the last humans went, and discover the lands where vampires have yet to tread."

[PoeticallyPsyco]

"I can sail East and end my journey on the West coast, or so the whalefolk say. I propose to go North where the last humans went, and discover the lands where vampires have yet to tread."

Smyler, once the Grinning Demigod, patron and king of sailors and pirates... now merely a (mostly) mortal captain again.

"Ye must be unbelievably brave or unbelievably stupid to take a Selkie's skin, lass. Don't ye know what her tribe will do to ye? Well, if she loves ye, you've at least got a chance. Here's what I know about the trials..."

[Metastachydium]

Smyler, once the Grinning Demigod, patron and king of sailors and pirates... now merely a (mostly) mortal captain again.

"Ye must be unbelievably brave or unbelievably stupid to take a Selkie's skin, lass. Don't ye know what her tribe will do to ye? Well, if she loves ye, you've at least got a chance. Here's what I know about the trials..."

Haal, Font of Wisdom to Ina Fairhand at the shores of the Strait of Seals. Before he could finish the sentence, the tribe caught up with Ina, clubbed her to half-death and dragged her underwater. She was never seen again.

♣

"Where is your face? Where is your face??"

[Sapphire Guard]

Unknown disembodied voice during an apparition of the Lonely Road to the young Lord Brasshammer of Shadanna, then an unknown bloodslave and soon to be a storied apprentice with the Silent Hand.

In keeping with his training, he did not reply, which many believe to be the reason he was the sole survivor of the caravan he was travelling with to the Exsanguination Fields, along with his baby sister whom he was holding at the time. This allowed his escape, and the deaths of many great leeches to follow.

"Dragons usually don't stop by the fishmongers too often, my lady. I haven't seen your friend, but it he passes by, I will certainly let him know you were asking."

[PoeticallyPsyco]

"Dragons usually don't stop by the fishmongers too often, my lady. I haven't seen your friend, but it he passes by, I will certainly let him know you were asking."

Hungry Myron (age 6), in one of his elaborate games of pretend, which his parents have long since learned to humor or ignore. Coincidentally, a similar conversation occurred between the young selkie 'princess' Andromeda and her friend Storm, a Shifter (apprentice) spear-fisher... hundreds of miles away, and dozens of years earlier. In fact, some might call the conversations "identical".

Whether or not Andromeda's dragon friend did eventually pass by has been lost to history.


"What the?! You can't be in here! Get out, before I call the -- Oh! I'm sorry mylord, didn't recognize you in that getup. Scared me half to death, you did! Right this way, sir."

[noob]

"What the?! You can't be in here! Get out, before I call the -- Oh! I'm sorry mylord, didn't recognize you in that getup. Scared me half to death, you did! Right this way, sir."

Sandy Copperfield, a servitor of Archmage Bilimoro who was terrified at the idea Bilimoro became even more insane after he visited her while she was in a rebel group but who managed to hide that by pretending to not have recognised him thanks to the fact Bilimoro was for some reason wearing a bright blue scarf which was unusual.

"I need you to bring fire while I sneak behind their lines, do not worry about the risk of the fire spreading and killing me, it will be a lesser issue than if I do not manage to do my job"

[+5 Vorpal Bunny]

"I need you to bring fire while I sneak behind their lines, do not worry about the risk of the fire spreading and killing me, it will be a lesser issue than if I do not manage to do my job"

The now-matured and battle-hardened Lord Brasshammer of Shadanna to his fire sorceress sister Ardenta, Lady of Shadanna on the Day of the Beshadowed Sun, returning with a crack team of vampire slayers to the Exsanguation Fields to avenge the loss of their caravan all those years ago. The vampires were in the midst of a necromantic ritual that involved speaking the darkest curses, sacrificing innocent beings and spreading the blood of vampires through the air, which if completed would darken the land for a thousand years and curse all within with vampirism.

True to Lord Brasshammer's reputation, he, his sister and his team successfully disrupted their blood magic ritual, setting the camp aflame and killing their leader right as the eclipse was about to end. This would mark the end of the vampires' dominance over the region as others followed Brasshammer's example, hunting down and killing every last leech in under a decade.


'It has been long, hard and cruel. My team, my people, have suffered many losses. But at the end, I see a light at the end of the tunnel. I see a world where the living triumph over the dead and the Black Arts are extinguished forever. Follow me into one last battle, my brothers, as we drive the dead from this land!'

[Sapphire Guard]

Fey Prince Devinokinien, prior to the battle that rooted out the last of the Devourers from his lands. To this day, none dare step into the Great Northern Forest, and his summoned demon still hunt the scattered survivors to ensure they never achieve such power again.

"Don't underestimate Bilimoro, my friend. He may be a poor general, but Dhelar, Otuvia, Arik, the Archprelate of Dunfeld, Ervinden, the Church Inquisitors, and Bob Godsdamned Steelforge have all tried to take his head."

[+5 Vorpal Bunny]

"Don't underestimate Bilimoro, my friend. He may be a poor general, but Dhelar, Otuvia, Arik, the Archprelate of Dunfeld, Ervinden, the Church Inquisitors, and Bob Godsdamned Steelforge have all tried to take his head."

Prologue quote for The Devious Ways of Dracoliches, warning of the extreme resiliency, cunning and power of these beings. This was written in the context of Bilimoro failing to lead the last great army of Devourers against Fey Prince Devinokinien, getting his forces wiped out for his trouble. However, while Bilimoro failed to conquer the kingdom, he was still able to reanimate many of the dead warriors, plunder the Seelie palace and survive the onslaught of the Fey Prince himself.

Particularly astute observers may notice that any undead that would've threatened his power died during that battle...


'The Devourers are destroyed, but the threat of the dead remains; even now, Bilimoro moves dark designs against our lands. With the three artifacts of the Fae under his control and corrupted towards his will, he recruits new armies of the dead from our corpses and the animals alike. Soon, he will march once more, and all the lands will feel his wrath. The days where we once thought him unwise have long since passed.'

[noob]

'The Devourers are destroyed, but the threat of the dead remains; even now, Bilimoro moves dark designs against our lands. With the three artifacts of the Fae under his control and corrupted towards his will, he recruits new armies of the dead from our corpses and the animals alike. Soon, he will march once more, and all the lands will feel his wrath. The days where we once thought him unwise have long since passed.'

Said by Katri Fairhand shortly before she went on a mission to steal all those artefacts. This mission was a key-point in the chain of events depicted in the theatre piece named The Last Light of the Winter War.
(edited for consistency with previous posts)

"I can not jump this far not even with your help. I am just going to follow the path of the river up to the next bridge if there is one"

[PoeticallyPsyco]

"I can not jump this far not even with your help. I am just going to follow the path of the river up to the next bridge if there is one"

Andromeda the Soul Whisperer, to her warrior companion The Sea Monster. Who, being mute, simply scooped her up, leapt the gap, and (when she came up short) scaled the rest of the way up the cliff. Andromeda did enough screaming for the both of them.


"Of all the people who could have foiled this scheme, I have to admit, you were at the bottom of the list. Well played, Prickleberry. Well played."

[Sapphire Guard]

Keiril the Dark, after one of the runestones was precisely disabled at the moment to make his infernal gate shatter. It was almost certainly on purpose.

"Given the choice, I would prefer to keep as many toes as possible."

[PoeticallyPsyco]

"Given the choice, I would prefer to keep as many toes as possible."

The Archprelate of Dunfeld, being 'interrogated' by a drunk Bob Steelforge as to the location of his missing stash of whiskey. He was able to make it out with all digits attached, though he did moan that he would never get that twenty minutes of his life back.

♪You don't look like you belong here.
Did you pinch yourself to see
If you'd wake up from a nightmare
Or could you still be asleep?!♪

[brian 333]

♪You don't look like you belong here.
Did you pinch yourself to see
If you'd wake up from a nightmare
Or could you still be asleep?!♪

'Translations From The Lyrical' by Darktongue Gyston, Vampire Bard, during his 273 year stay in the dungeons beneath The Tower Of The Sun. When released from his prison cell by his lover Cyrran the Unrequited, he is said to have said that the darkest place in the world lies directly beneath the shadow of the Sun. He immediately thereafter consumed Cyrran and left her corpse where the sun would shine.

"All it takes to destroy true love is an outrageous lie. All it takes to destroy friendship is a believable lie. All it takes to destroy society is a truth."

[PoeticallyPsyco]

"All it takes to destroy true love is an outrageous lie. All it takes to destroy friendship is a believable lie. All it takes to destroy society is a truth."

Dhelar of Cairn Ty, once called "Silvertongue", standing amidst the ruins of the capitol of the Empire of Gold. It had survived the Succession Wars, Dhelar's own decapitation of its government, and even the Winter of Blood. But the increasingly extreme measures that the leadership resorted to following that crisis slowly but surely turned the populace of the empire against it. Among those that protested these new harsh laws was the beloved Lord Canton, and the revelation of what exactly the Council did to him in response proved to be the final straw. The Uncivil War consumed the Empire of Gold, and when harvest time came there were no fields left unravaged by battles and riots. The people starved, and the near extinction of humanity followed.

Her servants claim she actually sounded sad at the sight.


"The sound of crashing waves. Ever since I washed ashore, I hear them in my nightmares. And now, I hear them again..."

[Metastachydium]

"The sound of crashing waves. Ever since I washed ashore, I hear them in my nightmares. And now, I hear them again..."

Haal, Font of Wisdom to the Sea Monster during the latter half of the great naval battle in the Bay of Andaros, reminiscing about his return from his first death.<sup>1

1</sup>Yes, temporary or permanent loss of accents and mannerisms is a common side effect of coming back from the other side.

♣

"Despair is a disease, and so it spreads. There is a place for mirth and merriment even in these hours, so long as you remember this: the darkness does not rest."

[Sapphire Guard]

-Vice Deacon Jeriah Geach to his militia during the Winter of Blood.

"The main doors only open when you solve the three puzzles, so if you're visiting, best to factor in the time or else try the tradesman entrance."

[Lleban]

-Tower of Cristobal's official unpaid intern trying to rope in more prospective interns for the Winter season

“STOP YELLING at me you overgrown tadpole you aren’t the only one that had to make compromises to get here today. I saw our best chance to seize victory over Iskandar and took it. We all had to take the burden of doing whatever it takes to defend our own, don’t selfishly put the burden of your failure on us.”

[brian 333]

“STOP YELLING at me you overgrown tadpole you aren’t the only one that had to make compromises to get here today. I saw our best chance to seize victory over Iskandar and took it. We all had to take the burden of doing whatever it takes to defend our own, don’t selfishly put the burden of your failure on us.”

General Ikon The Usurper, leader of the Thurahk 12th Legion upon his victorious return following The Summer Of Blood to Kathrian Kinslayer at the Battle of Thurahk Gate.

Kathrian, seeking the throne of the 8th wealthiest dwarven kingdom, murdered his uncle, King Dakathzaar XII. The nobles who initially supported him proved unmanageable causing Kinslayer to flee to General iKon to beg his support.

Initially intending to bring the Kinslayer back to be tried for his crime, Ikon soon discovered the rightful heir after Kathrian and her senior advisors were possessed by demons. The bloody battles which followed decimated the once prosperous city, leading to the 500 year Succession Crisis which began with Ikon assuming the throne and judging the primary heir Kathrian guilty of murder.

No succession would occur for the next five centuries without bloodshed until the resignation of the self-styled Royal Steward of Thurahk Glystal Traad and her appointment of 13 year old King Haldan, the only person in the kingdom who could be found with the royal blood of Thurahk within tho kingdom.

The appointment lead to stability, prosperity, and a renaisance for the businesses of the kingdom.


"You can fight and scream all you like, but when you are stuck in the spider queen's web, your fate and her whim are one."

[Telok]

"You can fight and scream all you like, but when you are stuck in the spider queen's web, your fate and her whim are one."

- the Pentultimate Grand High WebPriest of Darkness and Suffering* at the Temple of the Great Spider shortly before being kicked into the Pit of Blessed Webs by a random adventurer and consumed by the temple's holy giant spiders.

*the actual gender of the grand poobah of the cult is unknown due to the cult's traditional secrecy, heavy ceremonial robes, spider face mask, and the consumption of the body by giant spiders.

"Eh, could be worse. At least its just plague zombies and not infectious demon possesions. Too bad we don't have the antidote here. Behead the orphanage."

[Metastachydium]

"Eh, could be worse. At least its just plague zombies and not infectious demon possesions. Too bad we don't have the antidote here. Behead the orphanage."

An order reportedly issued by Senior Inquisitor Kharaz Lagg during the operations carried out to secure the outskirts of the freshly retaken Bessta. The entire battalion under Kharaz's command was tried for this indiscriminate slaughter afterwards. The Inquisitor attempted to argue that the order was misunderstood and the Cleaners were only supposed to kill the head of the orphanage, but the judges were not impressed.

♣

"No. The gryphon heresiarch offered us safe passage towards the east, but the price he asks is steep – too steep; Unhult's oaths and sweet words, in the meantime, have as much weight as the foul breath he utters them with, and so we cannot take the north road. Beyond the hills to our west, we have the dead; to our south, nothing but the High Coast and the barren sea. It's over, son. It's over."

[brian 333]

♣

"No. The gryphon heresiarch offered us safe passage towards the east, but the price he asks is steep – too steep; Unhult's oaths and sweet words, in the meantime, have as much weight as the foul breath he utters them with, and so we cannot take the north road. Beyond the hills to our west, we have the dead; to our south, nothing but the High Coast and the barren sea. It's over, son. It's over."

These words are known to modern scholars only because Drift Langkleft collapsed the roof of what was intended to be a secret entrance to the dwarven realm of Aggrabenvold, and in exchange for their vow to defend the entrance, the last known human warband on the subcontinent of Aideni was offered food, shelter, and the nearby lands to farm.

Unfortunately, the nearly constant encroachments of ogres, griffins, and undead forced the dwarves to seal off the tunnels to the surface, isolating the humans who refused to join the dwarves clans. Legends say that humans married into the dwarves clans, resulting in taller and (slightly) more attractive dwarves among the Aggranenvold clans, which dwarves claim to be preposterous. The humans are recorded to have died out within two generations, having never had the numbers to maintain their population.

"Why are you so happy about all of this? All I see here are unsolvable problems."

[Metastachydium]

"Why are you so happy about all of this? All I see here are unsolvable problems."

Edlar Morok, moody beetlefolk and noted exorcist to Lorekeeper Ileni (nicknamed the Eager Quill) after their initial survey of the quarantined Halar-Esdre district. Where he viewed the hundreds of survivor under five previously unknown forms of the Influence an issue, she saw a puzzle and a new ground to break with research and reason.

♣

"Miles are but numbers and a line is not a road. If you ride, you ride alone."