Post by White Raven on Mar 14, 2011 12:51:47 GMT -8
Background
The world was created by a pantheon of nearly omnipotent beings, which view the realm of mortals more as a diversion, or game. Much like we would view chess. This isn't to say that they are disinterested in mortal affairs though, indeed, they find them infinitely amusing, and critical, for they may base all manner of bets upon various outcomes in the world they each hold some measure of sway over.
One god stands apart from the rest however, for despite their immense power and knowledge, one thing about mortality would always mystify them. The short thread of a mortal life. This isn't to say that there isn't a god of death, no, for that belongs to one who presides over the mere end of existence, and catalogs the souls that enter their domain. No, instead the gods needed someone with a mortal’s viewpoint to oversee that which they could not, due to their own immortality, understand. War. Without being able to understand the impact of lives lost, or wounds taken, one could not properly judge it. Indeed, before the gods managed to create an office to hold sway over this particular dominion, countless races wiped themselves out while the gods watched, dumbfounded by this peculiar mortal behavior.
Now War, being once mortal was forced by his own ties to reality to form his domain somewhere upon the living realm. And so, the castle of War, was built, and he named it Aherra.
Setting
The castle of War is reachable by simple travel. Though the task is through dangerous terrain, and guarded by all manner of fell beasts, be they intentionally placed there, or simply attracted to the particular environs. First, one must travel to a volcano in the far northeast of the world, and from there, descend into the bowels of the earth, following a difficult trail through the very heart of the mountain itself. Then, should one manage to make it past this formidable trek, and escape death at the hands of the beasts along its length, they will find themselves at the entrance to War's domain.
The first part of War's domain is the plain of Rothirran. This blood-soaked grassy field seems to stretch on for miles, with the parapets of the castle a mere silhouette on the distant horizon. Often, there are great battles being fought on these plains, more often than not, more than one, but the figures do not react to those within the domain, and if one should come into contact with them, they would pass through as if they were ghosts. For these are nothing more than images of conflicts elsewhere in the world, displayed for War himself to watch from the balcony outside of his room. When one crosses the plain, they find themselves moving across it incredibly rapidly, where each step seems to move them several minutes run forward, making the arduous trek across little more than an hour's march.
The next part of the castle is the moat, and the drawbridge that crosses it. The moat glows with the heat of its volcanic origins, though this is not molten rock that flows here, but molten iron. The drawbridge itself is formed of glistening black obsidian, a slab as thick as a grown man is tall that sits open and inviting under most circumstances, with great heavy steel chains trailing up to the mechanism in the gatehouse.
The castle itself is made of solid bronze, with more of the molten iron cascading down aqueducts to provide its courtyard with an eerie red glow, and a form of defense as they make their way back to the moat from wherever they originate within the castle itself. The castle boasts many rooms, and seems to shift its layout as it sees fit, though whether this is due to the will of its master, or some other agenda is uncertain.
Some rooms of note
The banquet hall is primarily filled with a great long table, surrounded by chairs, while piled high on the table is a constant variety of freshly prepared food, suited to a variety of tastes. It is self-replenishing, and like the rest of the castle, reeks of magic.
The throne room is triangular in design, with its sole entrance at one point, the one that indicates the direction of the drawbridge, while the throne sits at the far end between the other two points, rises above the main part of the room by a series of steps. In the center of the room is a similar raised portion, although not quite as high, upon which it is common to stand to address the one seated on the throne, but serves other functions as well.
The training room is actually a series of rooms, each filled with mannequin-like dummies that will move to strike their opponents, giving them a workout as if they were facing living opponents. The deeper in to the series of rooms one travels, the more skilled, and lethal, the dummies become.
Meditation chambers are also near to the training rooms, and are simply empty rooms with comfortable mats upon the floor to sit on.
Aspects of War
Being a god is a big job.
An unbelievably immense and impossible task.
War, is, was, and shall always be a mortal.
He is not infallible, he is not inexhaustible, and he is barely capable of doing all of his work even with the magical abilities bestowed upon him.
That being said, he can have an incredible amount of mortal underlings, granted a weapon of power, and temporary immortality to help oversee various aspects of what encompasses his domain. These are called Aspects, and such a position has its benefits, and drawbacks, it is not a position to accept lightly.
The world was created by a pantheon of nearly omnipotent beings, which view the realm of mortals more as a diversion, or game. Much like we would view chess. This isn't to say that they are disinterested in mortal affairs though, indeed, they find them infinitely amusing, and critical, for they may base all manner of bets upon various outcomes in the world they each hold some measure of sway over.
One god stands apart from the rest however, for despite their immense power and knowledge, one thing about mortality would always mystify them. The short thread of a mortal life. This isn't to say that there isn't a god of death, no, for that belongs to one who presides over the mere end of existence, and catalogs the souls that enter their domain. No, instead the gods needed someone with a mortal’s viewpoint to oversee that which they could not, due to their own immortality, understand. War. Without being able to understand the impact of lives lost, or wounds taken, one could not properly judge it. Indeed, before the gods managed to create an office to hold sway over this particular dominion, countless races wiped themselves out while the gods watched, dumbfounded by this peculiar mortal behavior.
Now War, being once mortal was forced by his own ties to reality to form his domain somewhere upon the living realm. And so, the castle of War, was built, and he named it Aherra.
Setting
The castle of War is reachable by simple travel. Though the task is through dangerous terrain, and guarded by all manner of fell beasts, be they intentionally placed there, or simply attracted to the particular environs. First, one must travel to a volcano in the far northeast of the world, and from there, descend into the bowels of the earth, following a difficult trail through the very heart of the mountain itself. Then, should one manage to make it past this formidable trek, and escape death at the hands of the beasts along its length, they will find themselves at the entrance to War's domain.
The first part of War's domain is the plain of Rothirran. This blood-soaked grassy field seems to stretch on for miles, with the parapets of the castle a mere silhouette on the distant horizon. Often, there are great battles being fought on these plains, more often than not, more than one, but the figures do not react to those within the domain, and if one should come into contact with them, they would pass through as if they were ghosts. For these are nothing more than images of conflicts elsewhere in the world, displayed for War himself to watch from the balcony outside of his room. When one crosses the plain, they find themselves moving across it incredibly rapidly, where each step seems to move them several minutes run forward, making the arduous trek across little more than an hour's march.
The next part of the castle is the moat, and the drawbridge that crosses it. The moat glows with the heat of its volcanic origins, though this is not molten rock that flows here, but molten iron. The drawbridge itself is formed of glistening black obsidian, a slab as thick as a grown man is tall that sits open and inviting under most circumstances, with great heavy steel chains trailing up to the mechanism in the gatehouse.
The castle itself is made of solid bronze, with more of the molten iron cascading down aqueducts to provide its courtyard with an eerie red glow, and a form of defense as they make their way back to the moat from wherever they originate within the castle itself. The castle boasts many rooms, and seems to shift its layout as it sees fit, though whether this is due to the will of its master, or some other agenda is uncertain.
Some rooms of note
The banquet hall is primarily filled with a great long table, surrounded by chairs, while piled high on the table is a constant variety of freshly prepared food, suited to a variety of tastes. It is self-replenishing, and like the rest of the castle, reeks of magic.
The throne room is triangular in design, with its sole entrance at one point, the one that indicates the direction of the drawbridge, while the throne sits at the far end between the other two points, rises above the main part of the room by a series of steps. In the center of the room is a similar raised portion, although not quite as high, upon which it is common to stand to address the one seated on the throne, but serves other functions as well.
The training room is actually a series of rooms, each filled with mannequin-like dummies that will move to strike their opponents, giving them a workout as if they were facing living opponents. The deeper in to the series of rooms one travels, the more skilled, and lethal, the dummies become.
Meditation chambers are also near to the training rooms, and are simply empty rooms with comfortable mats upon the floor to sit on.
Aspects of War
Being a god is a big job.
An unbelievably immense and impossible task.
War, is, was, and shall always be a mortal.
He is not infallible, he is not inexhaustible, and he is barely capable of doing all of his work even with the magical abilities bestowed upon him.
That being said, he can have an incredible amount of mortal underlings, granted a weapon of power, and temporary immortality to help oversee various aspects of what encompasses his domain. These are called Aspects, and such a position has its benefits, and drawbacks, it is not a position to accept lightly.