BSF
Explorer
The Seekers of Legend spend a small bit of time at the Shrine of the Sword atop Mt Ternell. As they come out from the small cave, the sun is already disappearing far to the west. A journey down the mountain, in the dark is unappealing. Fortunately, there are a few small building on the level area before the Shrine. Pilgrims often stop here and stay with with the guards overnight. There is always a warm fire as well as food and drink to share with the pilgrims.
One of the guards introduces himself as Geoff and invites the Seekers of Legend to join the rest of the guards for an evening meal and conversation.
Names and drinks are exchanged. Food is shared. The guards politely listen to recent tales of the Seekers. Eventually questions about the Shrine arise and Geoff shares his perspective.
"A millenium ago the heroes of the world woke the mad god (AKA the slumbering god, Mhata Nahal) from his sleep in a semi-plane tied to both the ethereal realm and the material world. The mighty hero Ternell, High Knight of Pter, invoked the blessing of Pter himself and acted as a vessel for Pter's Avatar to stand between the mad god and domination of the world. Due to his great valor and sacrifice, the rest of the heroes were able to seal the gate to the world. This forced the mad god to retreat to otherworldly realms and leave the mortal races in peace.
Because the mad god was no longer tied to the world, Tholnar the Builder was able to complete the creation of the world. An entire mountain range rose from the plains to fulfill the vision of the world as it should be.
Pter gazed upon the world and he could see that though the mad god had been driven from it, there was still a corruption and taint that would plague the mortals. Working with Tholnar, the two gods shaped Mt Ternell in the very place the battle had occurred. The mad god's corruption was made manifest in a passage of evil memory. However Pter's power is greater than the mad god's. He made manifest a shrine at the top of this mountain. The shrine is the very cave you see yonder. It is said that Pter drew Ternell's sword from where it was buried in the earth and set it in the stone within that cave. This sword, the weapon of a High Knight and a Vessel of Pter, is bound with protective magic.
In honor of Ternell's sacrifice and in respect to Pter for his part in allowing the world to finish being shaped, Tholnar laced this mountain with Adamtine.
It was years later when a pair of women followed a dream and journeyed to the newly formed mountain range. One of the women was none other than Eve, one of the rebuilders of Greerson. The other woman was a relation of Ternell. Together these women braved the wilderness and passed through the Bowels of Mhata Nahal before finding the cave here. Knowing that they gazed upon Ternell's sword, they returned to their homes and spread hope through the world.
It was a short time afterward that the first guardians arrived and began to build the Ternell complex. Within a few years the first vein of Adamtine was discovered and craftspeople arrived to shape this rare metal into the finest swords available to a High Knight of Pter. As time marched forward, more people arrived and we built this into a strong fortress. We remain here to protect against the corruption of the mad god. Even after all these centuries, strange things still walk the land in these mountains. Foul things that must not be allowed to torment mortals.
The Shrine of the Sword is our lord's gift to the world. Those of us that live here make his strength manifest in our arms to keep evil at bay."
In the silence that follows, Geoff looks at Deigh.
"Deigh, if you don't mind my asking, what is the tale of that dagger you carry? I had a cousin that carried one very similar to yours."
One of the guards introduces himself as Geoff and invites the Seekers of Legend to join the rest of the guards for an evening meal and conversation.
Names and drinks are exchanged. Food is shared. The guards politely listen to recent tales of the Seekers. Eventually questions about the Shrine arise and Geoff shares his perspective.
"A millenium ago the heroes of the world woke the mad god (AKA the slumbering god, Mhata Nahal) from his sleep in a semi-plane tied to both the ethereal realm and the material world. The mighty hero Ternell, High Knight of Pter, invoked the blessing of Pter himself and acted as a vessel for Pter's Avatar to stand between the mad god and domination of the world. Due to his great valor and sacrifice, the rest of the heroes were able to seal the gate to the world. This forced the mad god to retreat to otherworldly realms and leave the mortal races in peace.
Because the mad god was no longer tied to the world, Tholnar the Builder was able to complete the creation of the world. An entire mountain range rose from the plains to fulfill the vision of the world as it should be.
Pter gazed upon the world and he could see that though the mad god had been driven from it, there was still a corruption and taint that would plague the mortals. Working with Tholnar, the two gods shaped Mt Ternell in the very place the battle had occurred. The mad god's corruption was made manifest in a passage of evil memory. However Pter's power is greater than the mad god's. He made manifest a shrine at the top of this mountain. The shrine is the very cave you see yonder. It is said that Pter drew Ternell's sword from where it was buried in the earth and set it in the stone within that cave. This sword, the weapon of a High Knight and a Vessel of Pter, is bound with protective magic.
In honor of Ternell's sacrifice and in respect to Pter for his part in allowing the world to finish being shaped, Tholnar laced this mountain with Adamtine.
It was years later when a pair of women followed a dream and journeyed to the newly formed mountain range. One of the women was none other than Eve, one of the rebuilders of Greerson. The other woman was a relation of Ternell. Together these women braved the wilderness and passed through the Bowels of Mhata Nahal before finding the cave here. Knowing that they gazed upon Ternell's sword, they returned to their homes and spread hope through the world.
It was a short time afterward that the first guardians arrived and began to build the Ternell complex. Within a few years the first vein of Adamtine was discovered and craftspeople arrived to shape this rare metal into the finest swords available to a High Knight of Pter. As time marched forward, more people arrived and we built this into a strong fortress. We remain here to protect against the corruption of the mad god. Even after all these centuries, strange things still walk the land in these mountains. Foul things that must not be allowed to torment mortals.
The Shrine of the Sword is our lord's gift to the world. Those of us that live here make his strength manifest in our arms to keep evil at bay."
In the silence that follows, Geoff looks at Deigh.
"Deigh, if you don't mind my asking, what is the tale of that dagger you carry? I had a cousin that carried one very similar to yours."
