Malvoisin
First Post
PROPHET'S LEAP
The settlement called Prophet's Leap seems little more than a temporary arrangement of merchant's tents, traveller's bedrolls and a few dusty shacks, but it has been in existence for several centuries. Some of these tents have been pitched here for decades, serving the needs of those who seek counsel from Khubsheth the Prophet and those who merely seek to explore the mysterious Barren Hills that lie between the mountains and the Great Desert. Other tents serve the needs of the bandit tribes who occasionally emerge from the hills to sell their brutally acquired wares.
Though there is no accepted authority here, no mayor or council of elders, all who dwell here pay heed to the rare pronouncement of the Sphinx Prophet, and most pay at least lip service to the advice of the lesser prophets who periodically wander out of the Barren Hills. Most matters in the town are handled by those who are personally involved, through negotiation, violence, or bribery. The occasional affair affecting several people or the town as a whole is usually taken to the nearest available prophet for adjudication, though interpretation of the prophet's words can become a problem all its own. The bandits who rove the Barren Hills regard Prophet's Leap as neutral ground and consequently deal harshly with any outside force that attempts to assert control over the settlement.
The town's name comes from the rock found in the center of Prophet's Leap. What appears to be an ordinary boulder protruding from the dry ground, the Stepstone has two human footprints imprinted at the top, as though someone had softened the stone and then leapt from the top. The residents of the town claim that centuries ago, a wise man and his followers came to speak with Khubsheth. After several days of consultation, the wise man was seized with the gift of prophecy and became the first of the Barren Hills prophets. The wise man spent may days prophesying from atop this stone, before leaping from it directly into the heavens. As the wandering crowd stared upward, a passing merchant, noticing the throng of potential customers, quickly set up his tent and began selling things to them. This was the beginning of Prophet's Leap.
The population of Prophet's Leap rarely grows beyond 100, unless several caravans stop here at the same time. Most of the time there are only 20 or so people here: a few pilgrims waiting to see Khubsheth, a traveler or two stocking up before venturing into the hills, the occasional mystic or scholar engrossed in studying the borders of the Barren Hills, and the regular inhabitants. Among those are:
Arsev ben Traiga: One of the oldest inhabitants of Prophet's Leap, Arsev is also the wealthiest. You wouldn't know it to look at his ragged tent or shabby attire, however. This wizened half-elf has been cheerfully buying and selling things to and from travelers and bandits for more than a century and can acquire nearly anything a customer could want, given a few weeks. The battered table outside his tent is filled with a mixture of useful items and antique bric-a-brac and is nearly always surrounded by customers bargaining fiercely with the old man or one of his innumerable great-grandchildren.
The Speaker to Dust: With his wildly unkempt hair and beard and his flea-ridden robe, The Speaker to Dust looks the very model of a mad prophet - well, an extemely angry one, anyway. The Speaker regards Prophet's Leap as his personal domain and complains loudly and continuously about the moral decay and corruption displayed by the local merchants who defile the sacred Stepstone with their lust for wealth. He can most often be found near the stone, haranguing passersby and prophesying doom, both general and specific.
Knag'rr the Finder: Knag'rr was once the pride of her tribe, a tracker and warrior of great renown among the gnoll tribes that haunt the Barren Hills. Three years ago, her tribe vanished without a trace while she was out on a scouting mission. After scouring the Barren Hills desperately for almost two years, she took her problem to Khubsheth, who told her that she would find her lost kin while guiding a traveler through the Hills. As a result, she has gained a reputation as a reliable and inexpensive guide for small groups venturing into the wastes.
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OOC: Players, please go ahead and introduce your characters to the settlement as you see fit. Be sure to give your character's motivation for traveling to this remote place. A likely reason would be that he/she seeks the counsel of Khubsheth the Sphinx Prophet, but other reasons could also be valid. Jump in and have fun!
The settlement called Prophet's Leap seems little more than a temporary arrangement of merchant's tents, traveller's bedrolls and a few dusty shacks, but it has been in existence for several centuries. Some of these tents have been pitched here for decades, serving the needs of those who seek counsel from Khubsheth the Prophet and those who merely seek to explore the mysterious Barren Hills that lie between the mountains and the Great Desert. Other tents serve the needs of the bandit tribes who occasionally emerge from the hills to sell their brutally acquired wares.
Though there is no accepted authority here, no mayor or council of elders, all who dwell here pay heed to the rare pronouncement of the Sphinx Prophet, and most pay at least lip service to the advice of the lesser prophets who periodically wander out of the Barren Hills. Most matters in the town are handled by those who are personally involved, through negotiation, violence, or bribery. The occasional affair affecting several people or the town as a whole is usually taken to the nearest available prophet for adjudication, though interpretation of the prophet's words can become a problem all its own. The bandits who rove the Barren Hills regard Prophet's Leap as neutral ground and consequently deal harshly with any outside force that attempts to assert control over the settlement.
The town's name comes from the rock found in the center of Prophet's Leap. What appears to be an ordinary boulder protruding from the dry ground, the Stepstone has two human footprints imprinted at the top, as though someone had softened the stone and then leapt from the top. The residents of the town claim that centuries ago, a wise man and his followers came to speak with Khubsheth. After several days of consultation, the wise man was seized with the gift of prophecy and became the first of the Barren Hills prophets. The wise man spent may days prophesying from atop this stone, before leaping from it directly into the heavens. As the wandering crowd stared upward, a passing merchant, noticing the throng of potential customers, quickly set up his tent and began selling things to them. This was the beginning of Prophet's Leap.
The population of Prophet's Leap rarely grows beyond 100, unless several caravans stop here at the same time. Most of the time there are only 20 or so people here: a few pilgrims waiting to see Khubsheth, a traveler or two stocking up before venturing into the hills, the occasional mystic or scholar engrossed in studying the borders of the Barren Hills, and the regular inhabitants. Among those are:
Arsev ben Traiga: One of the oldest inhabitants of Prophet's Leap, Arsev is also the wealthiest. You wouldn't know it to look at his ragged tent or shabby attire, however. This wizened half-elf has been cheerfully buying and selling things to and from travelers and bandits for more than a century and can acquire nearly anything a customer could want, given a few weeks. The battered table outside his tent is filled with a mixture of useful items and antique bric-a-brac and is nearly always surrounded by customers bargaining fiercely with the old man or one of his innumerable great-grandchildren.
The Speaker to Dust: With his wildly unkempt hair and beard and his flea-ridden robe, The Speaker to Dust looks the very model of a mad prophet - well, an extemely angry one, anyway. The Speaker regards Prophet's Leap as his personal domain and complains loudly and continuously about the moral decay and corruption displayed by the local merchants who defile the sacred Stepstone with their lust for wealth. He can most often be found near the stone, haranguing passersby and prophesying doom, both general and specific.
Knag'rr the Finder: Knag'rr was once the pride of her tribe, a tracker and warrior of great renown among the gnoll tribes that haunt the Barren Hills. Three years ago, her tribe vanished without a trace while she was out on a scouting mission. After scouring the Barren Hills desperately for almost two years, she took her problem to Khubsheth, who told her that she would find her lost kin while guiding a traveler through the Hills. As a result, she has gained a reputation as a reliable and inexpensive guide for small groups venturing into the wastes.
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OOC: Players, please go ahead and introduce your characters to the settlement as you see fit. Be sure to give your character's motivation for traveling to this remote place. A likely reason would be that he/she seeks the counsel of Khubsheth the Sphinx Prophet, but other reasons could also be valid. Jump in and have fun!
