resources:adventure:the_still_point
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resources:adventure:the_still_point [2017/01/03 22:14] swampselkie |
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| ==== Part Three: The Still Point ==== | ==== Part Three: The Still Point ==== | ||
| - | Chased by dust and shackles, our heroes make their way through winding corridors within the bowels of the temple. At last, they find a room where a number of priests are gathered in a state of terror. They panic when the adventurers appear at first mistaking them for emissaries of the Yielding Breath or the Constant Stone. | + | Chased by dust and shackles, our heroes make their way through winding corridors within the bowels of the temple. At last, they find a room where a number of priests are gathered in a state of terror. The priests panic when the adventurers appear, at first mistaking them for emissaries of the Yielding Breath or the Constant Stone. |
| - | Still considerably agitated, the priests explain that they fled into the temple upon the escape of both the Yielding Breath and the Constant Stone. For this is the truth of the temple: it was built as a prison for both entities. They are dangerous, greedy gods who once competed for numbers of followers and claimed each follower as their own a little too eagerly, to prevent the other from getting hold of all that delicious belief. The temple was built out here as a delicately balanced god trap, relying on the properties of each god to aid in keeping both of them contained. | + | Still considerably agitated, the priests explain that they fled into the temple upon the escape of both the Yielding Breath and the Constant Stone. For this is the truth of the temple: it was built as a prison for //both// entities. Those are dangerous, greedy gods who once competed for numbers of followers and claimed each follower as their own a little too //eagerly//, to prevent the other from getting hold of all that delicious belief. The temple was built out here as a delicately balanced god trap, relying on the properties of each god to aid in keeping both of them contained. |
| This twisted mess of corridors and trapped rooms is designed to convince each of the two gods that its role is that of warden to the other. The Constant Stone believes the strong walls to signify her own domain, while the Yielding Breath takes the ever-shifting layout of the prison to be a sign that she is in charge here. The idea was for the two gods to pursue each other eternally through the huge temple, while the priests of Naras were to guard the place to ensure that the trap was never broken. | This twisted mess of corridors and trapped rooms is designed to convince each of the two gods that its role is that of warden to the other. The Constant Stone believes the strong walls to signify her own domain, while the Yielding Breath takes the ever-shifting layout of the prison to be a sign that she is in charge here. The idea was for the two gods to pursue each other eternally through the huge temple, while the priests of Naras were to guard the place to ensure that the trap was never broken. | ||
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| However, at the time of the Upheaval, most of the interior of the temple became flux. And with the associated shift in the temple’s internal architecture, the balance was broken and the gods were unleashed. | However, at the time of the Upheaval, most of the interior of the temple became flux. And with the associated shift in the temple’s internal architecture, the balance was broken and the gods were unleashed. | ||
| - | The priests believe that one area of consensus remains - the very centre of the mechanism, which every priest knew implicitly, even without ever seeing it. There, at the axle of the wheel, the whirling mechanism that is this temple, one may find the Still Point, the Turning Moment. From there, it is possible to see Eternity but remain separate from it. And this is the key to this temple’s mechanism - the Constant Stone and the Yielding Breath do not see each other as rivals because they are opposite and opposed, but because they are aspects of the same concept. They each represent Eternity, and the way to defeat Eternity is to occupy the present. The Still Point represents the present, and if one can lose oneself there, one may resist Eternity. | + | The priests believe that one area of consensus remains - the very centre of the mechanism, which every priest knew implicitly, even without ever seeing it. There, at the axle of the wheel, the whirling mechanism that is this temple, one may find the Still Point, the Turning Moment. From there, it is possible to see Eternity but remain separate from it. And this is the key to this temple’s mechanism - the Constant Stone and the Yielding Breath do not see each other as rivals because they are opposite and opposed, but because they are //aspects of the same concept//. They each represent Eternity, and the way to defeat Eternity is to occupy the present. The Still Point represents the present, and if one can lose oneself there, one may resist Eternity. |
| Well that’s good to know. The priests, alas, are rather on edge from their long ordeal inside the temple - they have sought the Still Point without success for longer than they can say, and the appearance of suspicious-looking newcomers is too much for them. One of their number begins crying that they just want this to be over - if the gods find them, they will pledge themselves to the Yielding Breath in hope of oblivion. | Well that’s good to know. The priests, alas, are rather on edge from their long ordeal inside the temple - they have sought the Still Point without success for longer than they can say, and the appearance of suspicious-looking newcomers is too much for them. One of their number begins crying that they just want this to be over - if the gods find them, they will pledge themselves to the Yielding Breath in hope of oblivion. | ||
| - | Of course, when dust begins to rise within the room, the general panic only increases. As they implore the Yielding Breath to let their deaths be quick, a few of the priests begin to decay, their extremities crumbling to dust; but the Yielding Breath does not let their bodies disperse yet - they reach out to the other priests, spreading the decay to them. The party beats the priests back before they themselves are afflicted. | + | Of course, when dust begins to rise within the room, the general panic only increases. As they implore the Yielding Breath to let their deaths be quick, a few of the priests begin to decay, their extremities crumbling to dust... but the Yielding Breath does not let their bodies disperse yet - they reach out to the other priests, spreading the decay to them. The party beats the priests back before they themselves are afflicted. |
| After some time wandering through the maze of interconnected rooms, they come to an open section of the temple where a series of moving platforms can be made to bridge a chasm. On the other side, they can see a large dome-like structure around which everything else seems to be rotating. Braving a number of traps, they work out how to bring the platforms into alignment and cross the chasm, entering the central dome…. | After some time wandering through the maze of interconnected rooms, they come to an open section of the temple where a series of moving platforms can be made to bridge a chasm. On the other side, they can see a large dome-like structure around which everything else seems to be rotating. Braving a number of traps, they work out how to bring the platforms into alignment and cross the chasm, entering the central dome…. | ||
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| The Still Point, it turns out, has malfunctioned as a result of large areas of the temple becoming flux. From within the dome, they watch the internal machinery in the process of slowly tearing itself apart, as sections of the mechanism whirl and whip around dangerously. Assessing the situation, Vermillion decides that the Still Point must be repaired, and identifies three key sections to work on. Before he can begin, however, the Constant Stone and the Yielding Breath appear on platforms at opposite sides of the dome. Largely ignoring the adventurers, the gods proceed to challenge one another - it is clear that, to them, our heroes are merely a resource they’re competing for. They circle the encounter area, sending their minions to attack each other and the humans. Fighting back stone statues and dust zombies, Christian and Selphina cover Vermillion as he repairs the mechanism…. | The Still Point, it turns out, has malfunctioned as a result of large areas of the temple becoming flux. From within the dome, they watch the internal machinery in the process of slowly tearing itself apart, as sections of the mechanism whirl and whip around dangerously. Assessing the situation, Vermillion decides that the Still Point must be repaired, and identifies three key sections to work on. Before he can begin, however, the Constant Stone and the Yielding Breath appear on platforms at opposite sides of the dome. Largely ignoring the adventurers, the gods proceed to challenge one another - it is clear that, to them, our heroes are merely a resource they’re competing for. They circle the encounter area, sending their minions to attack each other and the humans. Fighting back stone statues and dust zombies, Christian and Selphina cover Vermillion as he repairs the mechanism…. | ||
| - | And not a second too soon! As the Still Point reactivates, the gods are caught in the moment, paused in time by the temple’s greatest defense mechanism. Our heroes flee the temple. | + | And not a second too soon! As the Still Point reactivates, the gods are caught in the moment, trapped in time by the temple’s greatest defense mechanism. Our heroes flee the temple. |
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| Pausing only to loot the lost city and then to construct a large pulley to transport Vermillion’s statue up over the walls, the adventurers escape Naras. Vines are spreading across the temple, and none of them wishes to discover whether the intruding vegetation will break the mechanism and release the gods once more. Having buried the statue in the desert just outside the city, they make their way back to Batra. The scholars at the Grand Academy are interested to hear what they have to tell them, and pay them for the information. | Pausing only to loot the lost city and then to construct a large pulley to transport Vermillion’s statue up over the walls, the adventurers escape Naras. Vines are spreading across the temple, and none of them wishes to discover whether the intruding vegetation will break the mechanism and release the gods once more. Having buried the statue in the desert just outside the city, they make their way back to Batra. The scholars at the Grand Academy are interested to hear what they have to tell them, and pay them for the information. | ||
| - | Back in Acryn, they pay a visit to Augusta Trilling’s offices. They explain the situation to a rather bewildered secretary (who knew nothing of Augusta’s terminal illness or of the contract she made with the party, and seems unsurprisingly concerned about her own career). Uncertain whether to even believe them regarding the death of her employer, the secretary shows considerable hesitation over whether or not to pay them. Vermillion leaves in frustration, but the secretary eventually furnishes Selphina and Christian with 12R apiece from the staff biscuit fund. Christian departs, while Selphina decides to torture the secretary emotionally, leaving her utterly broken with no remaining sense of self-worth. | + | Back in Acryn, they pay a visit to Augusta Trilling’s offices. They explain the situation to a rather bewildered secretary (who knew nothing of Augusta’s terminal illness or of the contract she made with the party, and seems unsurprisingly concerned about her own career). Uncertain whether to even believe them regarding the death of her employer, the secretary shows considerable hesitation over giving them any money. Vermillion leaves in frustration, but the secretary eventually furnishes Selphina and Christian with 12R apiece from the staff biscuit fund. Christian departs, while Selphina decides to torture the secretary emotionally, leaving her utterly broken with no remaining sense of self-worth. |
| - | Vermillion, meanwhile, is busy reporting Selphina to the watch - it’s rather abundantly clear that she’s a dangerous Tuireann cultist. A few rather apprehensive grunts head out to apprehend Selphina; she has already left Trilling’s offices at this stage, but they are able to interview the sobbing secretary. The incident is added to Selphina’s file. | + | Vermillion, meanwhile, is busy reporting Selphina to the watch - it’s rather abundantly clear that she’s a dangerous Tuireann cultist. A few rather apprehensive grunts head out to, well, apprehend Selphina; she has already left Trilling’s offices at this stage, but they are able to interview the sobbing secretary. The incident is added to Selphina’s file. |
| Having sold several paintings from Batra for a tidy profit, Vermillion returns home. His statue is… waiting for him. Doing his best to appear nonchalant, he begins reorganising the room. The next time he looks, the statue’s pose has changed…. | Having sold several paintings from Batra for a tidy profit, Vermillion returns home. His statue is… waiting for him. Doing his best to appear nonchalant, he begins reorganising the room. The next time he looks, the statue’s pose has changed…. | ||
resources/adventure/the_still_point.1483481656.txt.gz · Last modified: 2017/01/03 22:14 by swampselkie
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