Into The Mystic (4E) -- Please Help Shine A (Point of) Light!

Edit: Previously, I detailed a situational campaign hook and storyline here. I've decided to ditch the huge, overarching campaign story. For this campaign, I'd like my players to be heavily involved in the direction the campaign takes, and I don't want to try to railroad them down an "adventure path" style campaign. I'm scrapping the linear approach to story in favor of a story-web type construction. This should work well in the "points of light" model, with various points of light and points of shadow scattered about the web for the players to explore. I'll have room to follow the whims of the players, loosely tie adventures together, and fit in smaller story arcs rather than one overarching campaign plot.

Here is an introduction to my world via the first point of light I've created (which is also the PC's homebase). I'm looking for suggestions for locations, rumors, plot-hooks, NPCs, additional points of light (whether in the Eydun Islands or elsewhere), anything that comes to mind. I'm also looking for suggestions as to how the various races/classes might fit in as PCs. I've already accounted for dwarves and humans. It's going to be a bit harder explaining how any of the other races arrived at the isolated village of Tanavik.

I like to look for real world inspiration when creating locations, and this time I found it in the Faroe Islands -- a remote, treeless, mist enshrouded land that would fit right into a fantasy world. I skimmed the internet for some good flavor text describing the Faroe Islands, and came across a great New York Times travel article by Stephen Metcalf: "Into the Mystical Unreal Reality of the Faroe Islands." According to Wikipedia, geographically, the Faroe Islands "generally have cool summers and mild winters, with a usually overcast sky and frequent fog and strong winds. Although at a high latitude, due to the Gulf Stream, their climate is ameliorated. The islands are rugged and rocky with some low peaks; the coasts are mostly bordered by cliffs. The Faroe Islands are notable for having the highest sea cliffs in Europe, and some of the highest in the world otherwise." Wikipedia has this to say regarding the Faroe Islands' economy: "As an agrarian society, other than fishing, the raising of sheep is the main industry of the islands." Finally, on history, Wikipedia offers this: "Irish hermits (monks) settled in the sixth century, introducing sheep, oats and the early Irish language to the islands. ...Later (~650 AD) the Vikings replaced the early Irish and their settlers, bringing the Old Norse language to the islands...."

A rugged, rocky, treeless land with high cliffs stikes me as an ideal place for dwarves. This begs the question, how did dwarves arrive at this remote location in the sea? Based on what little I know about dwarves in 4E, "their back history now involves an era in which they were slaves to giants, which explains the enmity between the two races." While I'm certainly not married to the "fluff" contained in the rulebooks, I like this concept. In a bygone age, giants sailed the north seas. Back then, the PCs' island home base was a convenient waypoint between a major continent and a large island nation. The ravenous giants stocked the islands with sheep, so that they could restock their vessels with mutton on the sea voyage. A few misfit and low-ranking giants were left to tend the flock, assisted by dwarf slaves. The giants were eventually purged from the islands, but the descendants of those dwarf slaves remain to this day. They have carved out a home in the cliffs and low peaks of the islands. Centuries later, Viking-like humans (the Venidur) settled the islands.

Borrowing some of Metcalf's compelling prose from the above-referenced NYT article as well as data from Wikipedia and other internet sources (and changing names to achieve the desired fantasy flavor), I came up with the following introduction for the home base:

The Eydun Islands are a roughly arrowhead shaped archipelago of 18 upthrust hunks of igneous rock in the middle of precisely nowhere. It is oddly temperate, thanks to the mysterious currents of the Soulsea, and oddly green, thanks in part to the millions of seabirds that carpet the islands in guano each breeding season. The Eyduns are a moodily beautiful place, each island a giant slice of elaborately tiered basalt, tilted to one side and covered in green, tussocky felt. Streamer clouds, almost mannered in their perfection, encircle the mountains. Rocky cliffs, topped in arêtes and tarns, plunge into the sea, while up from the water jut massive, looming sea stacks. It rains here a lot, and waterfalls flow pretty much continuously. Some days, the only thing one can make out through the mist is the low gleam of the rills, dozens of them, snaking their way down the sides of the mountains.

The coastal village of Tanavik, a small cluster of timber houses with a population of about 70, lies snugly slotted in the hollow of a massive glacial bowl, facing an equally massive ocean channel formed out of an ancient fjord. Hulking mountains shelter the channel, which funnels a roaring surf right up to the village's front edge. In choral reply, waterfalls cascade down from the high escarpment behind the village. Out in the distance loom Karis and Kellingin, the two most iconic sea stacks in the Eydun Islands, known to the Venidur as "the witch" and "the giant." (As legend has it, dwarves drove the two ne'er-do-wells into the surf just as the sun came up, and they turned to stone.)

The Venidur settled the islands several hundred years ago. Their icon remains the turf-roofed house. With no trees to be found (hard basalt lies too close to the surface of the soil), when the Venidur first arrived they made rock foundations in the shapes of their boats, turned the boats over on top of the rocks and then, to stabilize and insulate these makeshift houses, put sod on the hulls of the boats. All structures of more recent vintage are built out of driftwood.

The very first Venidur sod-roof farmhouse still stands in Tanavik, though it has long since been converted into a claustrophobic tavern and gathering hall known as the Smoke House. Here, more than anywhere, one feels the spirit of the Eydun Islands. Though travelers are uncommon, the proprietor, old Ove, is quick to inform those who come that their coin is worthless here. "This is not a place for gold and silver," he says pointedly. "There is nothing that glitters in this house." It is in this ancient farmhouse, beneath its hulking, fire-singed beams, that our saga begins.

Location: Mjorki

The first location I've created near the PCs' homebase of Tanavik is a small, uninhabited, mist-enshrouded island named Mjorki by the dwarves. The southern 1/3 of the island is sheer cliff, with the rest rising to a mountain. Getting ashore is difficult, and can be performed only in perfect weather. Most of the time, the island is barely visible through the mist. Unwitting visitors can find themselves transported from this island into the Feywild. Until I have my hands on the MM, I'm at a bit of a loss as to how to populate the Feywild "echo" of Mjorki. From a Wizards Design & Development article, I like this idea: "A maze of thorns in which dryad briarwitches guard an evil relic." I also like the idea of a fomorian hag, exiled from her kin in the Feydark, served by goblins. Thoughts?

Religion -- God Wanted, Apply Within!

I like the idea that faith is a bit mysterious. While there are clerics with divine powers, there is room for debate as to the source of these powers. I also like the idea of a relatively new monotheistic faith spreading the lands. An important, and fairly early, bastion of this new faith is located in the Eydun Islands. It was established after the dwarves were freed, but before the Venidur arrived.

I think that the Venidur people are generally "pagans" and very much like the Vikings of the middle ages. I think that the original Venidur "settlers" of the Eydun Islands were actually raiders. They were on a mission to raid the monastery in the islands (not unlike the infamous Viking raid at Lindisfarne). However, for reasons that remain obscured to me at this time, rather than slaughtering the inhabitants of the monastery, the entire Venidur raiding party was converted! They sailed home and, under cover of night, retrieved their families and returned to peaceably settle the Eydun Islands and freely practice their new faith.

Here's where I need some help. I would like some input on how to distinguish this growing monotheistic faith. I'm particularly interested in iconography -- it would be great to have an instantly recognizable symbol associated with the faith, not unlike the Cross in Christianity. Any interesting religious services, tenets, myths, history, would all be welcome. Also, any cool ideas for the monastery would be nice. Right now I'm picturing something carved out of stone by the dwarves ... maybe some of the dwarves were converted by the first human pilgrims, or maybe they were simply hired.

Assorted Fallout

I'll keep posting, and hope that eventually someone takes interest and lends some input! If nothing else, this is a good way to organize my thoughts. A few thoughts for today:

(1) Name Change: While I love the name Eydun (pronounced Aidan), I think it is probably a better character name than a place name. I'm thinking of changing the name of the islands to Ildur (pronounced "Isle-dyur"). This is in keeping with the naming conventions of the Viking-like human settlers, the Venidur. The Venidur people take their name from their ancestral homeland (also called Venidur), which in turn takes its name from a mountain chain -- the "cjarn Venidor" (the Venidor peaks). Venidur roughly translates to mountain home. Ildur roughly translates to -- you guessed it -- island home. I'll call the settlers of Ildur the Ildraoi (pronounced "Isle-dree" --the men of the isles). What do you folks think? Is Ildur in improvement over the Eydun Islands?

(2) PC Races/Monastery: As I mentioned previously, I've accounted for human PCs with the Venidur settlers. I've accounted for dwarves with the descendants of slaves who remained in the islands after the giant empire collapsed. [Interesting thought on these dwarves -- they've developed for hundreds (or more) years in isolation from their mainland kin. A dwarf PC could be motivated to travel to see how dwarves live elsewhere.] I figured other races would have to be either exiles, shipwrecked, or of similar origin. But it occurs to me that the monastery I described in the last post need not have been a human monastery! I think it was established by another race, which will in turn allow for PCs of that race. I'm going to eliminate halflings and tieflings from consideration immediately -- neither seem to fit in my mind. I'll also eliminate eladrin, not a good fit and I already have something else in mind should anyone want to play an eladrin PC. That leaves elves or dragonborn. It doesn't seem quite right that elves would end up in a monastery to a monotheistic faith on a treeless island. So I'm leaning heavily toward dragonborn. Might be neat if the faith that is spreading through human lands much as Christianity did in its early years originated with another species! How does that strike you -- cool with lots of potential, or just plain weird?

(3) Adventure Location: I've already established that Ildur used to be an important stop along a route used by seafaring giants, and that these giants stocked the islands with sheep and dwarven slaves. Perhaps an important giant died on the islands, or on the voyage, or maybe just thought the islands scenic and indicated a wish to be buried there. For whatever reason, there is a giant tomb on one of the islands, carved into a mountain by dwarven slaves. The dwarves are superstitious about it. I don't know any more about the tomb, or what creatures and/or traps might occupy it at this point, but seems like a cool location. Input would be greatly appreciated.

Firstly, is this an online game, and are you looking for players?

Okay...there's a lot of stuff here, and I like where it's going. I'll offer some of my thoughts on a few questions you asked though.

On Religion: Points to consider.

The dwarfish population probably "inherited" a version of the giants' old culture, as it was practiced on the island, though it's not inconceivable that they retained at least some of their own pre-slave culture as well. Either way, you need to decide how they interacted with the monks of the monestary. Were they friends, foes, or 'live and let live?' Did the monks try to convert them? Did they succeed?

The question of the new human raiders being converted is a headscratcher. I can think of a few ways it could be explained, but there may be easier alternatives. For example, what if the "vikings" precede the monestary? Then the monestary could actually be a missionary, with the express purpose of converting the pagans (and dwarves). Especially if this is a relatively new development, it would create some potentially entertaining social situations as the "philosophers with clubs" went at it, with the souls of the island hanging in the balance. Then the PC's could take sides if they wanted, or try to stop the madness.

The question of the new religion is largely one of aesthetics. I don't know if I like the idea of it being solely dragonborn...but there's no reason dragonborn couldn't be in the mission. The symbol should be fairly simple...easy to identify and grasp the meaning of with even the slightest of glimpses. These symbols tend to carry the most power. Even something totally iconic, like a circle, can be a great holy symbol. I'd suggest designing the faith and its tenets before worrying about what it looks like.

On Races: Speaking strictly for myself, I've always liked the "feel" of humans being the commonplace sentient, with other races being commensurately more rare. I know if I were thinking of a dragonborn character, one of my intentions would be to play up that exotic feel. With that in mind, you might have the island populated primarily by dwarves and humans...with the others being exceptions to the norm, or perhaps part of the mission. This does reflect my personal aesthetic, which may or may not be congruent with the setting you have in mind.

I like where you're going with this. I hope to be able to help a little:

For your monotheistic religion: Several symbols immediately jump to mind depending on the direction you want it to move in.
1) Directed away from an elitist perspective of the clergy: Perhaps the pagan clerics are generally not just viewed with respect but as superior to the normal person. Some clerics may have taken advantage of this leading to a perfect way for the monastery to gain followers. They preach that all men are equal, etc, etc. Symbols: A common tool (examples: a hammer, a spade, a pitchfork, a sickle), a horizontal scepter (or other implement the pagan clerics may carry around. Symbolizes placing down the scepter and joining the common man)

2) Pacifism: While this does not strike me as the sort of religion to work with dragonborn, pacificism or in a lesser aspect, peace could be a strong motivator if the towns are viking-ish and raid/combat one another endlessly. Symbol: A broken sword, a conch shell (no idea but they look cool and make nifty sounds)

For the Monastery I'd like to know why you didn't want to consider Eladrin? They are a very mystical race and I could see using them in this manner. Dragonborn are much more martial in a tough, I'll kick your mother sort of way.

As for how to add other PC races: The true reason/why/how a race got there isn't that important for some races from a PC perspective or even a NPC perspective. Perhaps thousands of years ago there was a land bridge from Y and they made it there. The way to make them fit is through Origin stories. Say you have a tribe of elves living in the north forests of one island. They call themselves the Children of the Storm, they worship a god of weather. Their belief is that their god summoned a great storm that carried all his most loyal followers to this island and that here they are to be tested for survival amongst the harsh environment in their forest.

Teiflings could be the ancient denizens of some old pact between devils. But what they believe now is that they once dwelled within the pits of Hell/Abyss/Whatever your world uses for the realm of demons (not devils). As mortals, they were seen as useless and either ignored/killed/enslaved. Their god (who could be a demon thinking of capturing more souls, a sympathetic angel, a god or even just a powerful immortal being/spirit that took pity on them ) led them to the serene beauty of this world er..islands.

Shayuri said:

Firstly, is this an online game, and are you looking for players?

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I'm in Florida, and most of my group is in Texas, so we will be playing online via Fantasy Grounds or maybe the DDI gaming table, depending on how that product turns out. I've got a group of four, but I may actually be able to accommodate one more ... of course, then you would have to stop reading this thread!

Shayuri said:

The dwarfish population probably "inherited" a version of the giants' old culture, as it was practiced on the island, though it's not inconceivable that they retained at least some of their own pre-slave culture as well. Either way, you need to decide how they interacted with the monks of the monestary. Were they friends, foes, or 'live and let live?' Did the monks try to convert them? Did they succeed?

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Great input and insight here. I think the dwarves and pilgrims hit it off well. In fact, I'm quite certain the dwarves built the monastery. And I think that some (if not all) dwarves in Ildur have "converted" -- why? Well, much like Christianity, I think the core of this religion is very marketable, especially to the downtrodden (e.g. former dwarven slaves stuck on remote islands for centuries). Also, and I can't really articulate this yet, I think this religion is different from others in that it really works. I'm not sure yet what cataclysm(s) did in the old empires, but for a long time the intelligent races have either (a) felt abandoned by the old gods, who no longer protect them or answer prayers; or (b) fallen to the worship of mysterious and alien gods with unfathomable (or downright evil) intentions, who do indeed answer some prayers, but at a steep price (think of religion in the Howard Conan stories). So when a religion springs up worshiping one "Althing" kind of god, and their clerics/paladins actually have working, reliable divine powers, and they preach tolerance and acceptance and do good works across the lands, and their main iconic symbol actually seems to provide some protection from the Dark (e.g., the Cross vs. vampires), well, it's only natural that folks will buy in. And I just now developed pretty much all of that thanks to you, Shayuri, so thanks!

Shayuri said:

The question of the new human raiders being converted is a headscratcher. I can think of a few ways it could be explained, but there may be easier alternatives. For example, what if the "vikings" precede the monestary? Then the monestary could actually be a missionary, with the express purpose of converting the pagans (and dwarves). Especially if this is a relatively new development, it would create some potentially entertaining social situations as the "philosophers with clubs" went at it, with the souls of the island hanging in the balance. Then the PC's could take sides if they wanted, or try to stop the madness.

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Wow, really great idea (and I may use it in another part of this world). However, I'm stuck in my head with the picture of these bloodthirsty Venidur raiders showing up to sack a monastery and slaughter the monks, only to end up on their knees worshipping the monks' god! The why is hard, because it is necessarily kind of sudden. My first vague thoughts: (1) The monastery has nothing worth looting. No gold, silver, only bare essentials and humble trappings and vestments. This is a revelation to the Venidur, because they think ALL organized religions are essentially greed-ridden money laundering operations. So they slow down long enough to scratch their heads ... and then ... (2) A cleric at the monastery performs some kind of miracle. Could be as simple as healing the leader of the Venidur raiding mission, who had fallen ill on the sea voyage or maybe was seriously wounded when his longboat crashed on the rocky coast? Either way, I think it's been a long time since any Venidur has seen healing magic, and the idea that this cleric would give it freely to someone who was coming for the sole purpose of killing him and his people ... well, that could be a significant experience. I'm grasping for a 3rd reason to list here, but it is eluding me at the moment.

Shayuri said:

The question of the new religion is largely one of aesthetics. I don't know if I like the idea of it being solely dragonborn...but there's no reason dragonborn couldn't be in the mission. The symbol should be fairly simple...easy to identify and grasp the meaning of with even the slightest of glimpses. These symbols tend to carry the most power. Even something totally iconic, like a circle, can be a great holy symbol. I'd suggest designing the faith and its tenets before worrying about what it looks like. On Races: Speaking strictly for myself, I've always liked the "feel" of humans being the commonplace sentient, with other races being commensurately more rare. I know if I were thinking of a dragonborn character, one of my intentions would be to play up that exotic feel. With that in mind, you might have the island populated primarily by dwarves and humans...with the others being exceptions to the norm, or perhaps part of the mission. This does reflect my personal aesthetic, which may or may not be congruent with the setting you have in mind.

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I'm not really thinking that the religion is solely dragonborn. Rather, I'm thinking that this particular monastery was founded by dragonborn worshippers (and maybe the faith began with dragonborn and spread ... has to start somewhere, right?). My thought is that this monastery has become an important bastion for training in the faith. Pilgrims, including some of those rare few who are chosen (e.g. clerics and paladins), find themselves called here, and travel from far parts to study here in this isolated monastery. So it was founded by dragonborn, but some of the local dwarves joined up, and every once in a while new "students" arrive -- could be from any race. And there is also a steady stream of those who have studied here going out into the world to spread the faith. So a PC could be a descendent of the dragonborn founders (but may or may not be a cleric, paladin, or even religious ... after all, not every preacher's son becomes a preacher, you know?). But there is also room for a PC cleric/paladin from any of the races really. Also, pilgrims might serve as the primary contact between the peoples of Ildur and the outside world.

Thanks so much for the time and thought that went into your response, Shayuri!

Jack of Tales said:

For your monotheistic religion: Several symbols immediately jump to mind depending on the direction you want it to move in. 1) Directed away from an elitist perspective of the clergy: Perhaps the pagan clerics are generally not just viewed with respect but as superior to the normal person. Some clerics may have taken advantage of this leading to a perfect way for the monastery to gain followers. They preach that all men are equal, etc, etc. Symbols: A common tool (examples: a hammer, a spade, a pitchfork, a sickle), a horizontal scepter (or other implement the pagan clerics may carry around. Symbolizes placing down the scepter and joining the common man) 2) Pacifism: While this does not strike me as the sort of religion to work with dragonborn, pacificism or in a lesser aspect, peace could be a strong motivator if the towns are viking-ish and raid/combat one another endlessly. Symbol: A broken sword, a conch shell (no idea but they look cool and make nifty sounds)

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Awesome! First, I love your suggestion that this religion flourishes because it takes the "common person" approach and shuns the elitism of other religions. That is excellent, and I definitely intend to use that! In this religion, there are no high priests demanding tribute to keep their dark gods happy. This religion is all about helping your fellow man/elf/dwarf/etc. and shining a light into the Dark. In a PoL setting, this kind of thing could catch on like wildfire ... and no doubt there would be many interested in trying to stamp out the flames! I also like your suggestions re: symbols. I'm going to give a lot of thought to the idea of a common tool. Or heck, maybe even a candle or torch, symbolizing "shining a light into the Dark" which fits right into the whole notion of PoL.

Jack of Tales said:

For the Monastery I'd like to know why you didn't want to consider Eladrin? They are a very mystical race and I could see using them in this manner. Dragonborn are much more martial in a tough, I'll kick your mother sort of way.

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I'm not stuck on dragonborn. I don't know much about them right now, and when I get the books I might not want to use them depending on the fluff that I decide to keep/scrap. All I really know about the dragonborn right now is that they had a mighty empire, and fought the tiefling-controlled human empire at some point. But for some reason, I was picturing them in cleric vestments, monk garb, and paladin gleaming armor and thought -- cool. But it could just as easily have been men (from a different land then the Venidur). I don't see eladrin, just because I envision using them very sparingly and see them having more of a role in the Feywild than in the mortal realm. I kind of like the idea of an eladrin PC who was enslaved by something (maybe the fomorian hag mentioned in an earlier post?), escaped, found himself lost in the mists and somehow ended up in our world, maybe floating in the Soulsea before washing up near the monastery. He was discovered, dragged ashore, nursed back to health, but kind of like Jason Bourne has little memory of who he is or how he got here. Of course, when the PCs encounter his former captor, it will all come flooding back....

Maybe I should just wait until the players tell me what race/classes they want to play, and decide from there? If I need a race that isn't already built in, I could decide that was the race of the monastery's founders. Or, I could just go with whatever race the cleric plays for the race of the founders, and the cleric can be a descendant.

Jack of Tales said:

As for how to add other PC races: The true reason/why/how a race got there isn't that important for some races from a PC perspective or even a NPC perspective. Perhaps thousands of years ago there was a land bridge from Y and they made it there. The way to make them fit is through Origin stories. Say you have a tribe of elves living in the north forests of one island. They call themselves the Children of the Storm, they worship a god of weather. Their belief is that their god summoned a great storm that carried all his most loyal followers to this island and that here they are to be tested for survival amongst the harsh environment in their forest. Teiflings could be the ancient denizens of some old pact between devils. But what they believe now is that they once dwelled within the pits of Hell/Abyss/Whatever your world uses for the realm of demons (not devils). As mortals, they were seen as useless and either ignored/killed/enslaved. Their god (who could be a demon thinking of capturing more souls, a sympathetic angel, a god or even just a powerful immortal being/spirit that took pity on them ) led them to the serene beauty of this world er..islands.

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All good ideas. There is no community of elves on the islands. I deliberately decided there would be absolutely no trees on the islands (which is the case with the Faroes, on which I modeled Ildur). So there is no elven forest. I can see an exiled or shipwrecked elf ending up here. Or maybe an elven ranger on a secret mission that he hides even from the other PCs? Anyway, I kind of like the idea that only dwarves, the Venidur, and whatever race founded the monastery really have any foothold on these remote islands. Members of any other race need just a little bit of interesting backstory to get here. However, I do really love the "Children of the Storm" concept, and may use that to place a colony of elves on a larger, relatively nearby island modeled loosely after Iceland. "Children of the Storm" -- yeah, I really dig that.

Like the eladrin, I want to keep tieflings relatively rare, using some of the fluff that they are descendants of those human nobles who made dark pacts with demons or devils yada yada yada. I imagine any tiefling PC would either be an exile, or on the run. But I'll definitely work with the wishes of the players.

Great stuff here, JoT, thanks so much for your input!

You're welcome! Glad to be of some help.

I think I have an idea for a 3rd option of converting. It may or may not work in 4rth Ed...but you might be able to handwave the game mechanics of it all, since it's ancient history now.

From outside there was a great crashing noise. The hallowed walls of unpainted basalt shook slightly; testament to the skill of the dwarf hands that made them. But the Cardinal could not take comfort in that. To have moved them at all meant the invaders had gotten through the outer gate and crossed the courtyard with their ram. It meant many of the brethern had died trying to stop them.

It could not be for naught.

Three brothers were with him, younger men than the greying Cardinal, dressed in dun hooded cassocks similar to his burgandy one. They were lighting the sacred candles that surrounded the central dais here in the sanctuary. Three, lit as one. Upon the dais was the altar, and on that was the great tome. As flames rose from the candle wicks he began to read in the old tongue; the language of angels as taught to the first prophet by the messengers of God. The three brothers sung a harmonious chord around him, complementing the scripture's reading.

At the far end of the sanctuary, the great doors; carved from the hull of the ship that had brought them here...burst. The pointed end of a great ram plunged through its timbers, spraying splinters across the cold stone floor of the nave, then withdrew. Through the hole came sounds of fighting...dying. Axes pounded, thick, coarse voices yelled. The hole widened.

The Cardinal felt fear, but did not succumb. If the ritual failed...if it took too long to be answered...if it would not be answered, COULD not be answered... If if if. But he was a man of faith. The brothers wavered, but took strength from him, and also stayed.

A great light shone from above, and warmth stole over their souls even as the red-bearded invaders, the butcherers, loped into the sanctuary, howling like beasts.

...and stopped where they stood, mouths agape, eyes burning with reflected fire. For the Cardinal's prayer had been answered. A man in a simple robe stood twelve feet tall before the dais, his eyes humbly downcast and great white feathered wings drawn up behind his back. White fire blazed around him, but did not burn.

Stop, the angel said calmly. Put up your swords and axes. Remove your armor and boots, for this is holy ground. The time of blood is ending.

There were more words after that, many more, and the Cardinal saw in time that the invaders had come not in spite of God's will...but in service to it.

Hee. So yeah. Calls an angel, who convinces them to convert.

Shayuri said:

From outside there was a great crashing noise. The hallowed walls of unpainted basalt shook slightly; testament to the skill of the dwarf hands that made them. But the Cardinal could not take comfort in that. To have moved them at all meant the invaders had gotten through the outer gate and crossed the courtyard with their ram. It meant many of the brethern had died trying to stop them.

It could not be for naught.

Three brothers were with him, younger men than the greying Cardinal, dressed in dun hooded cassocks similar to his burgandy one. They were lighting the sacred candles that surrounded the central dais here in the sanctuary. Three, lit as one. Upon the dais was the altar, and on that was the great tome. As flames rose from the candle wicks he began to read in the old tongue; the language of angels as taught to the first prophet by the messengers of God. The three brothers sung a harmonious chord around him, complementing the scripture's reading.

At the far end of the sanctuary, the great doors; carved from the hull of the ship that had brought them here...burst. The pointed end of a great ram plunged through its timbers, spraying splinters across the cold stone floor of the nave, then withdrew. Through the hole came sounds of fighting...dying. Axes pounded, thick, coarse voices yelled. The hole widened.

The Cardinal felt fear, but did not succumb. If the ritual failed...if it took too long to be answered...if it would not be answered, COULD not be answered... If if if. But he was a man of faith. The brothers wavered, but took strength from him, and also stayed.

A great light shone from above, and warmth stole over their souls even as the red-bearded invaders, the butcherers, loped into the sanctuary, howling like beasts.

...and stopped where they stood, mouths agape, eyes burning with reflected fire. For the Cardinal's prayer had been answered. A man in a simple robe stood twelve feet tall before the dais, his eyes humbly downcast and great white feathered wings drawn up behind his back. White fire blazed around him, but did not burn.

Stop, the angel said calmly. Put up your swords and axes. Remove your armor and boots, for this is holy ground. The time of blood is ending.

There were more words after that, many more, and the Cardinal saw in time that the invaders had come not in spite of God's will...but in service to it.

Hee. So yeah. Calls an angel, who convinces them to convert.

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I'm at a loss ... all I can say is ... flippin' awesome! Or, in what seems to be the current parlance of the interwebs, "you are made of win." I'm going to steal that virtually wholecloth ... might end up exchanging the angel for some other effect, might not, but the flavor, wow ... just wow. I mean, "the great doors carved from the hull of the ship that brought them here...." You are totally feelin' me! That one line just adds so much and emphasizes the flavor of remote Ildur. And I love all the other stuff. It's moving stuff. "There were more words after that, many more, and the Cardinal saw in time that the invaders had come not in spite of God's will...but in service to it." Wow, I think I got chills.