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jdrich
2005-07-21, 12:40 AM
Eldiorn, The Unseen City

Introduction:

“We’ve been walking for three days looking for this hidden city, and we have not found a thing. I feel as if we are walking in circles, and Joren is getting restless. This fog hasn’t broken the least bit, and constantly I find myself waist-deep in water sweating from the damp heat. Last night I could have sworn I saw a figure moving through an opening in the trees. I rose, and followed it as long as I could. I used all of my best tracking skills, and still I lost the creature. The footprints seemed to just disappear.” – Uri Henfetter, Blademaster

“This place is getting to me. I am constantly being watched. I sense Uri feels it too. The fog itself haunts my dreams. Today I saw a face in the mists, grinning with wild eyes. I blinked twice, and it was gone. I must have been dreaming, but I knew it was there. Uri doesn’t believe me, but I think we should turn back.” – Joren Gale, Cleric of Sune

Stats:

Large Town
Population – 3,400
Gold Limit – 100,000
Power Center - None
Primary Religion – Tymora (Or some other god of luck)
Climate – Any moist region
Alignment – Chaotic Good
Racial Demographic – 93% Swampstod Halfling (New Race – See Below), 3% Dryad, 1% Fey, 1% Treant, 1% Shambling Mound, 1% Other (Plant/Spectral Undead)

Background Information:

Long before the Swampstod Halflings ever came upon the great city of Eldiorn, it was known as Tergothia, Westernmost of the Elven Sanctums. Back in the ages of the great Elven Wars, Tergothia protected the Taelfram Pass from the legions of aberrations and undead that marched upon the elven kingdom, threatening to wipe out the last remnants of the elven race. The infamous abomination Kzherl Maim led the invasion of the city, and with the help of the traitorous Jantriach Elves was able to twist the city into a lifeless blight.

For several weeks the powerful mages of Tergothia battled the cruel and sinister creations of Kzherl Maim, until the damned abominations were crawling over corpses to breach the city’s walls. Ulenin Perzair, Westernmost Archmage, knew that if Kzherl Maim reached the inner core of the city he would be able to twist and contort the heart of Tergothia, a gigantic artifact capable of focusing pure magical energy until it eventually took substance. The Westernmost ordered the remaining elven troops to flee the city to the north while the remaining magi wove a powerful trap for Maim.

The undead legions stormed the city, and eventually Kzherl reached the city’s core. He grinned widely, striding into the dome that contained the great artifact. His joy was short-lived, however, as the gyroscopic artifact began to rotate, sending waves of magical disruptions through the chamber. Kzherl watched, breathlessly, as the machine began to distort time and space itself. He saw visions of other planes within the spinning vortex of the gyroscope, but, had he known more of the machine, he would have realized that something was terribly, terribly wrong.

Ulenin Perzair burst from his hiding place beneath the machine’s crater and surprised the abominable lord, arcing a bolt of lightning from his fingertips towards the hideous half-living Kzherl. The bolt began to bend towards the spinning artifact, its sheer mass energy drawing in all magical energy. The entire chamber began to shake, collapsing in on itself and trapping the two mortal enemies inside. Kzherl charged for Ulenin, while the mage attempted another spell. Just as Kzherl’s claws ripped into his flesh Ulenin finished his minor cantrip, bathing the two in magical energy to very little effect. The triumphant Kzherl shrieked in terror as both he and the Archmage were swept into the swirling vortex created by the artifact, obliterated by the sheer energy within.

Moments later the artifact reached critical mass, and could no longer hold itself. The machine exploded in a hail of fiery shrapnel, destroying the entire landscape for miles around. To date, no elf will step inside the bounds of the ruins of Tergothia, sensing immediately great peril.

For a millennia before the waking of the lesser races, Tergothia had time to regrow. It became an enchanting forest with trees that were unnaturally high. The elves attributed the growth to the pure magic that existed in the soil. Over time, the dryads awoke within the forest as seekers of a verdant dawn. The living trees created all walks of senient plant life, from the lowliest weeds to the most ancient of trees. Slowly, though, the forest receded. Dark mists rose from the deep forest and clouds of acidic vapor were espoused, killing many of the ancient trees.

It was soon after that the Swampstod Halflings traveled to the swampy forest, intrigued by some instinctive compulsion to habitate in the hundreds of square miles of bogs, marshes, and forests. Soon after they entered Tergothia, they were not heard from again. Once in a while a Swampstod Halfling camp shows up on the edges of the forest, and for a time they trade minor magical trinkets as well as some rarer, more powerful items. They always happily part with the magic, and take whatever gold seems fair. They insist that visitors stay with them for a time, and many do for the Swampstods’ wit and humor is unparalleled by any other.

Physical Description:

jdrich
2005-07-21, 12:40 AM
Just In Case?

jdrich
2005-07-21, 12:41 AM
Just In Case?

Sucros
2005-07-21, 01:07 AM
Very promising. Looking forwards to the rest.