Chronicles of The Omniverse Archived Nasazura's Rest: Main Temple

Tiko

Tiko

Draconic Administrator/Mentor
Administrator
Mentor
Nexus GM
as written by Tiko

The call has been sounded across the realm for those with a heroes heart. Whether you be old, young, veteran, novice, or wayward soul in need of new beginnings, all with the seed of a champion within them will feel the tug of the resonating call. The compulsion to seek out the temple from your dreams calls you northward into the icy peaks of Terra, to the Elysian Vanguard stronghold.

It is the same dream as last night, and the night before, and the night before that. You stand atop an icy ridge surveying the far reaches of the land that stretch for miles upon miles. At your back a regal temple stands sentinel, both tall and proud with its banner flying high. The cold chill of the wind bites at your skin with unrelenting fury, but strength hardens your heart for the coming storm. The realm cries out for champions, for those who can weather the perils they will face in the days to come.

A voice reaches you upon the wind carrying the strength of the mountains in its resonating words.

'The Champions gather.'
 
Last edited by a moderator:
as written by Tiko

The footsteps of the arriving group echoed up and down the halls of Nasazura's Rest as Shelby guided the new arrivals into the vestibule. The large entrance hall served as a central nexus point to the other areas of the temple.

Two halls lead off in either direction to the left and the right, and mirror archways were situated at either corner of the far end of the hall that appeared to lead further into the temple. Between the two archways was a large stone door engraved with runes and blanketed between layers of wards claimed the far wall.

Overhead an indoor balcony overlooked the vestibule, and people could be seen walking along the walkways. Some paused to look down upon the new arrivals with expressions of curiosity.

The tall windows allowed plenty of natural light to spill inside, and the beams of the fading sunlight seemed to illuminate the towering pillars and artfully carved bass reliefs that dominated the room alongside statues of heroes come and gone.

"Here you find the heart and soul of the Elysian Vanguard," Shelby explained. "The memory of those who fought - and died - to ensure the survival of the Order. Immortalized and never forgotten."

She paused a few moments to give them time to take in the spectacle as she too stood in a moment of contemplation before she continued.

"The left hall leads to the messhall, and the dormitories. The right to the infirmary. It is the Suhn'ra that I take you to though," she explained as she led them instead towards one of the two archways at the back of the vestibule. She offered no explanation as to what lay behind the warded door.
 
as written by Script

It was all that Kallis could do to keep his jaw from visibly dropping as the group made their way inside. He had never seen anything quite so grand as the chamber laid out before him. He immediately recognised one of the most prominent statues as depicting the elven woman who had greeted them outside - Sylvire Nasazura.

He knew enough of the Vanguard to realise that it wasn't narcissism that had motivated such a statue. The sorceress had, to his knowledge, passed on several years past.

It hadn't seemed appropriate to question it, when she had been standing right there.

The other statues were varied in both race and creed. He didn't recognise many of them, but noted the diversity of those represented with a smile. He was pretty sure one of the statues was of an undead woman! Perhaps his unusual nature really would go without judgement here.

His eyes lingered longer on the statue of a towering dragonborn than on the others. Taima. The paladin-turned-deity was the reason he was here today. The reason he was alive, and not merely his father's puppet. He was resolute in his determination to prove that she had made the right choice by sparing him.

It was just as they were preparing to move on, and his eyes were drifting over the last few statues, that an unexpected voice caught him off guard.

"Wow, they really overestimated how broad my jaw was. And my shoulders. Not that I'm complaining, but..."

Kallis turned with surprise to see another boy standing where there had definitely not been anyone standing a few moments before. He was of slight stature, and wore his hair in a long braided ponytail that hung down over his shoulder. Most notable, however, was the pair of large brown-feathered wings upon his back, like those of a tawny angel.

He was staring up at one of the statues with an amused grin, and following his stare... Kallis blinked. That was... definitely the same boy. A few of the features were off, but there was no mistaking it. "Uhm..."

The boy glanced across at the group of new arrivals, as though noticing them for the first time, and grinned. "Oh, hey." He waved cheerfully, as though it were perfectly normal to have appeared out of thin air in front of your own statue. "You're the new guys, right? Me too, sort of."

He shrugged, waving one hand in a gesture of vagueness. "More like one of the really really old guys, I guess. I'm Peregrine. Peregrine Redgrave! Says right here on my awesome statue."
 
as written by glmstr

Priscilla blinked and briefly eyed each statue in the room. None of them even rang a bell to the Lutetian, even with their surprising variety and penchant for the unusual, that much they had in common with her own coven back home. Every other day there was some sort of outsider, magical being or plain old weirdo wandering through that forest. It was a curious thing, how they seemed to be drawn to that portion of Lornaine. Were these people drawn in by their own instinct? Was this some sort of profane spell the elders concocted to further their unfathomably complex machinations? Or, was it bigger than them, was this the will of the kin of the cosmos, the old gods themselves? They bend reality to their will, the realm of mortals such as herself was a mere game to them, moving pieces and pulling strings to amuse themselves or to further some unknown agenda, who could say that this wasn't another step in their grand schemes?
Was this just a string of coincidences that her mind is trying to make sense of? All of assumptions were valid, and each similarly likely.

Priscilla Marie herself was no exception to the long list of strange folk to find themselves in those woods.

What seemed more perplexing than all of that, even, was the fact that she didn't recognize a single being from these statues and murals. None of the tales told by her mother or anyone else in the family ever mentioned these ones by name, but some of the details of their likenesses seemed vaguely familiar. Then again, living with hermits does that to you.
 
as written by Tiko

"Amazing," Ritza uttered as she gaped upon the vestibule.

She hadn't looked upon anything even remotely like this in her homeland, and it filled her with a sense of wonderment. Just what all did the world offer beyond her village?

Shae meanwhile remained quiet, and there was little emotion upon her face as she looked over the statues. If anything, she seemed uncomfortable at the moment.

____

"This way," Shelby said as they reached a large winding stairwell situated on the other side of the archway.

As they reached the landing of the second floor, other entryways became visible. To the south was a long hall that appeared to spill out above the vestibule and form one of the two balconies that they had seen from below, and to the east another hall stretched outward - presumably connecting with the other archway that had been opposite the one they had entered. About midway down that hall was a set of wooden doors.

"Down that way you will find the library," Shelby explained.

Rather than head down either of the two halls available to them, she continued their trek upwards towards the third floor. The third floor was devoid of any apparant halls or entryways, but instead appeared to be one large open space largely devoid of decor. Towering windows overlooked the temple grounds outside, and like the vestibule below an indoor balcony had been errected overhead where it encircled the room with a walkway. Stone pillars situated throughout the room helped support the roof above, and the floors were scuffed and worn.

The stairwell they had arrived from went no higher, but across the large open room a second stairwell continued upwards yet and towards the fourth and final floor of the temple. It was there that Shelby led them next. Those with a keen eye might catch note of the divets and gouges in several of the stone pillars as Shelby led them across the open hall and to the final stairwell.
 
as written by Script

Kallis mumbled an introduction towards the winged youth, who seemed unphased by the general lack of acknowledgement, before following after Shelby. Peregrine kept pace with them for a while, but when Kallis rounded the spiral of the stairs, he realised that the boy had disappeared as suddenly as he'd appeared. One moment he'd been right behind Jude and his clingy maid, the next he was gone. Had he jumped over the bannister?

It wasn't the strangest thing the young warlock had seen by a long shot, and so he shook his mind of it and continued onwards.

The empty chamber prompted him to raise an eyebrow in curiosity at its intended purpose. Some kind of ritual chamber? Or perhaps it was unfinished?
 
as written by glmstr

The large and empty room also proved peculiar to the witch-child, particularly the scores and gouges in the stone walls. Such markings in a fortress such as this rather heavily implied a few conclusions. Priscilla jogged up to Shelby, the tour guide, and pointed to some of the cuts in the walls.

"Was this room used to contain some sort of beast, or is this a sort of sparring room?"
 
as written by Tiko

"This room serves many purposes," Shelby explained. "But yes, sometimes the weather does not permit outdoor engagements. You have a good eye," she observed. "That will serve you well."
____

The last leg of the climb took them high up into the dome situated atop the temple. The trip was no doubt exhausting for those already weary from their mountain climb, but Shelby remained stoically set on leading the rag-tag group to the very height of the temple.

As they reached the final floor of the temple, they found themselves looking upon the physical heart and life-blood of the temple. The Suhn'ra.

The large dome offered a brilliant view of the outside sky and surrounding mountains, and though from the courtyard it had offered no glimpse through it and into the interior of the Suhn'ra, it appeared to be transluscent from this side.

At the center of the room a large crystal hovered suspended above a stone pillar where it was encased in a ball of arcing energy that remained in place through the placement of four rods around the pillar. Resting atop the pillar itself was a small gem, seemingly unobtrusive in nature, and yet emminating in great power.

Circling the room were several stone arches with runes etched into their stone face as well as upon the floors around them. To the left of the stairway was situated another pillar of stone, this one with a large orb set into its face. More runic symbols were carved into the stone around the orb, seemingly similar in nature to those carved across the archways.

To the west and the south were doorways that led outside to the defensive walkway that they had been able to see earlier from the courtyard.

"This is the Suhn'ra," Shelby explained. "It is both the strongest line of defense in the event of an attack upon the temple, as well as one of three points of evacuation in the event that the temple should fall. Any who are able should make haste in reaching this room in such an event."

She looked to those accompanying her a moment before continuing.

"I do not show you this to frighten any of you, but only to prepare you. The day you chose to answer the call, is the day you stepped into a war that has been waging since long before our time. We must all be prepared for the worst."
 
as written by Emperor Jester

Throughout the entire trip, the young doctor could not help simply starring at the marvels of ancient stone craft, be it statues, stairs, or the building itself. So up-prepared for the spectacle that was Nasazura's Rest was poor Hendrik, that he found himself quite slack jawed behind his generously private jacket collar, thankful for the coverage the material offered. He'd produced a small, hand-sized notebook and pen from one of his many pockets, jotting down notes and things he found interesting.

He'd only stop to listen to their guide speak, or explain certain aspects of the tour, or the area they were currently being shown, but as soon as each sentence was ended, furious fingers would resume the creation of tiny, almost indiscernible little scritches as the ink tip glided across the slightly orange tinted pages. So far, the two areas he'd highlighted the most were the directions to the library and this place, the Suhn'ra. This place alone would be worth a sketch later, once the medically inclined arcanist found the free time to do so.

It was simply...marvelous.
 
as written by Script

The magnificent chamber left Kallis standing similarly wide-eyed, staring around at the various magical marvels within. He was no arcanist nor wizard, but his understanding of the arcane arts was sufficient to recognise some of the nature of the wards and enchantments here. They were impressive, to say the least.

His eyes swept across the room, taking it all in. When Shelby began to speak, he looked back, only to do a double take as he did so. The boy from before, Peregrine, was perched atop one of the archways with a smile. This time Kallis was certain he hadn't been there before.

The obvious conclusion, then, was that the boy was a spirit of some nature - his connection to the statue below being the clearest hint.

As Shelby came to the end of her explanation, Peregrine's smile faded, his expression becoming solemn.

The change was lost on Kallis, whose attention remained on the knight herself. "What defences does the room provide?" he asked. He could divine the purpose of a few of the room's enchantments and artefacts, but not all, and not the specifics.
 
as written by Tiko

Shelby looked thoughtfully at Kallis before deciding to entertain his curiosity.

"Do you see that small gem resting atop that pillar?" she asked. "It's called the Haywire gem. It is one of several ancient artifacts forged by the original order. It disrupts a great many forms of communication and scrying. Coupled with the natural disruptive properties of the mountains, and amplified by the power of the Suhn'ra, the effects of the Haywire Gem are quite potent. If any of you have brought any sort of modern technology with you, you may find that some of it doesn't work within these mountains."

Indeed if anyone had such items on their person they would find that those requiring signals to be sent and recieved, were largely disrupted. Cellphones and other means of communication would be rendered useless, along with navigational devices such as GPS systems. Likewise any innate tracking or scrying abilities would be on the fritz as well. Attempts to utilize them would be like wading through a disruptive field of static. Telepathy too would be interfered with by the disruptive power of the Hayfire Gem.

"But come. There will be time enough to learn all the secrets that this temple holds," she told him. "There is more yet for you to be shown, before the sun sets."

Again that emphasis on the sunset.
 
as written by birdee10

Jake had followed quietly at the back of the group, contemplating the woman's words. He was unsure how to feel about them. She did seem truly remorseful, but was she faking? He sighed inwardly, he was too exhausted to think. Even the sights of the temple seemed shroud with a haze that kept him from being truly awed. But apon hearing about the gem that stops scrying, he grined.
"Well, that's a relief." He said quietly to himself, almost as if he didn't mean too.
 
as written by Script

Kallis nodded, content with the answer he had received. If there were other defences that Shelby did not mention, no doubt he would learn of them at another time.

He caught Jake's murmured words, standing close as he was to the otherwise quiet boy, and glanced towards him with a slightly raised eyebrow. "Is there some reason you're worried about being scryed on?" He kept his voice low to match Jake's, so as not to publicise the conversation to the whole group.
 
as written by birdee10

Jake glanced at the teen next to him, debating to tell him or not. There is no reason not to. the Fire Mage concluded, Its not a secret and I've got to talk to someone.
" My Mother. " Jake finally said, "She is apt at playing with people's heads. Being that she is not pleased with me, I had to take, ah, lengthy measures to keep her out of my head. But she has to be able to scry on someone to mess with your thoughts. So, that," he dips his head at the stone. "Probably just saved my sanity."
 
as written by Script

Kallis offered a small, sympathetic smile to Jake. "I... ah, I'm sorry to hear that. I know what it's like to have ... issues with family." He hesitated, looking down at his feet for a few moments in thought before he continued, not making eye contact. "I've never met my parents, and suffice to say I hope that I never do."

He paused again. "You're Jake, right?" The other boy had been largely quiet since they found him, and with Kallis having made little effort to engage in conversation himself, they'd hardly exchanged a word during the journey. "I'm ah... glad you have a reprieve here, anyway."
 
as written by birdee10

"Yep" Jake said, nodding at his name. "And your, ah... Cally? Caleb?... Sorry, I'm so bad with names, it's ridiculous. I missed about 4/5th of the people in the court yard and I'm certain it's going to come back and bite me in the ass. But a sprite warrior, in fount of a freaking castle, after a hike up a huge ass mountain, and we're suppose to know the names of everyone in this place?" He sighed, calming his frazzled nerves. He tended to ramble when he was nervous.
"Anyway, thanks. And, if you're ever felling like you want to have a parents really suck party, I'm sure some of the others have got to have pasts more messed up than ours. They can join too."
 
as written by Script

"Kallis," the warlock answered with a small smile. "I'm sure everyone else is in a similar boat, regarding names. I certainly don't remember them all. There'll be plenty of time to learn them in the future though, I'm sure."

He glanced around at Shelby, who had started to move on to the next place on the tour. "We're falling behind, though. We should talk more later, and listen now."

With that, he set off after the knight once more.
 
as written by birdee10

The young Mage filed away the name, hoping to be able to recollect it at a later date. And although he had more words for Kallis, they did not escape his lips. He simply nodded, and followed two or three steps behind the other.
 
as written by Tiko

The group was left to largely converse among themselves as they retraced their steps, and made their way back outside.
 
Ari led Lucian into the main temple hall, crossing the threshold into the Vestibule. The entryway of the temple was every bit as magnificent as it was vast, lined with towering statues of heroes of yesteryear. A statue of a beautiful elven woman, clad in robes and a long cloak, took pride of place at the far end of the hall: Sylvire Nasazura, the temple's namesake. Great pillars and artfully carved bass reliefs decorated the room, adding to its imposing image. The teenager shot Lucian a grin over his shoulder as they walked. "Fancy as shit, right?"

What the vestibule wasn't, however, was much warmer than the courtyard. It was to a degree, sheltered as it was from the icy winds of the mountainside, but the cavernous space meant that any heating it received from the rest of the temple was scarcely felt. Thankfully, Ari wasn't stopping there, and led him west - deeper into the temple proper. They passed others in the halls, but none questioned Lucian's presence. Some glanced at him, offered smiles or nods, but most were going about other business.

"So what brings you here? Looking to sign up?" Ari asked as they walked. "I warn you now, they say you'll get used to the cold, but they're lying."
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top