In the southern mountains of Resta lies a rugged valley full of both wonder and danger known to all as Lightning Ridge. For some it is a treacherous, but direct path between the western and southeastern regions of the country; one to be traversed only with a multiple bodyguards and when time is of the essence. For most, it is a cesspool of vicious beasts and unsettling mysteries that is to be avoided at all costs. But to the spellwarriors of the Hem Order, and any other warrior brave enough to face its dangers, it is a playground of adventure and the most advanced natural training ground for both their martial and magical abilities.
The valley zigzags between the mountains and features precarious footpaths alongside dark pits, jagged cliffs, and hidden caves full of snakes that can grow to over fifty feet in length. Alongside the kingdom's sprawling ridgewolf population, these gargantuan reptiles gorge on both weaker fauna and hapless travelers alike. Fleeing from these predators in a region in which the slightest misstep could send you sprawling to your death is the primary danger of Lightning Ridge, and the biggest reason that authorities strongly warn all but the most seasoned adventurers to stay away. And, owing to the tendency of ridgewolves to hunt in packs, it is why no one should ever go alone.
This region has two major landmarks for any adventurers who visit it to find. Lying to the north is the Tomb of Nicholai, a cave which composes the final resting place of Nicholai Desmond, the First Champion of Chaos. The cave is surrounded by seven strange stone spires that glow dark red in the moonlight, known as the Spires of Desmond. These stones are a particular curiosity because they are made from a dense mineral that is not known to be found anywhere else. Attempts to study these unique rocks have revealed that they are known for reflecting spells. The spellwarriors take advantage of this quality by practicing their magic on them, making of a game of volleying their spells back and forth to improve their power and control.
Nestled somewhere in the middle of the valley, adventurers may also find the ruins of an old Hem Academy outpost known as Fort Greymont. Built for the purpose of nestling some of their order close to the Spires and the dangerous predators of Lightning Ridge so that they may train the strongest of spellwarriors, this fort was commanded by a powerful Elder of the order known as Scott Whitetree. That was until a tragic rock slide buried the fortress for many years, causing the Elder and all of the people inside to starve to death. Although most people recognize this as little more than a natural disaster caused by a tree root growing out of the side of the mountain and dislodging some boulders, the templars of the Blackstone Order would learn a darker truth about the fall of Fort Greymont upon excavating the ruins.
Various journals and notes scrawled in a panic reveal that Scott Whitetree was no mere spellwarrior, but a terrifying despot who led his followers to his doom at the hands of Chaos himself. The details implied that he began to grow hungry for power in his mission to train the strongest fighters and arrogantly assumed that he could eventually become the strongest man in the world through the rigors of living in Lightning Ridge. Because of this, he began to order his subordinates to address him as the Snake God, the man who would become a peer to the Gods by killing snakes. He reinforced this idea through intimidation and frequent displays of incredible agility and magical skill and soon, he had turned all of his followers into believers.
The reports continued to unveil details of the death of Nicholai Desmond, who one day visited Fort Greymont to warn its inhabitants that the Snake God's ambition angered Chaos. Renounce their idolatry, he threatened, or be crushed by the wrath of the gods. The Snake God responded to this message with anger, commanding his spellwarriors to kill the Chaotic champion. Nicholai held his own against the newly superhuman spellwarriors, but was killed by the Snake God himself. In his rage, Chaos was said to have deliberately caused the rock slide to punish the man who made himself into an idol. Since then, the tower remains abandoned and partially buried, a haunting vision of desperation that proves that anyone can suffer no matter how strong they are.
Adventurers who explored the area since the templars cleared it of its dead and its secrets, have managed to find seemingly limitless stockpiles of documents containing the results of many years of research on the Spires of Desmond. Just a few of these papers have proven instrumental in the most significant magical discoveries of the Second Age, but the rest are surrounded by snakes, making them a most unobtainable treasure.
No comments:
Post a Comment