Lifeforms · Unique · Underground
Dust of Sages
When a thousand years of dust settled upon the worked stone floor of The Grey Tomb, a new sage was born. A creature, of dust, time, age, wisdom. The dust that was once the bodies of ancient wise men. It coalesced and swirled into being, small and wispy, dry as its home. It mutters words of wisdom for no one to hear. Begging its dark home for a soul to learn from.
Quest entry
Quest - Fallen Empires
Fallen Empires, monuments of old, sleeping kings and artifacts from eras long past. Do you dare write of what crawls out of tombs and shambles out of ruins? What befell the ancient structures that still haunt the world. … Open the quest
Full quest brief
Fallen Empires, monuments of old, sleeping kings and artifacts from eras long past.
Do you dare write of what crawls out of tombs and shambles out of ruins? What befell the ancient structures that still haunt the world. Are they truly abandoned or just awaiting a hardy soul to test their depths? Is the magic that destroyed the mighty fortress gone or does it seek its next victim. Only time will tell... Enter the Fallen Empires!
The Dust of Sages
When wise men are buried together, it is said their souls can be at peace. They will have endless discussion about all sorts of wisdom from the afterlife and beyond, much insight can be gained from them if you have the will to listen. In places where the dusts of these ancient men of wisdom congregates there can be a spontaneous eruption of new life. The birth of a new sage. The soul arises from epiphany in the minds of dead sages, rising from their mutual enlightenment and desperately seeking a body to inhabit. Typically, there will be none, and the spirit is weak, so it will garner a coat of dust for its body.
The Dust of Sages will then begin to examine its surroundings, searching every nook and cranny for another souls to learn from. Not finding one will cause panic as The Dust searches over and over again for something missed. This eventually spirals the creature into madness and depression, as, being a living thing, it no longer has access to the thoughts of the sages that birthed it, yet not courageous or powerful enough to leave the crypt of its own accord.
It is a pitiable creature. It possessed the wisdom of a thousand years of contemplation and discussion, yet has no outlet or muse. When at long last, the creature is discovered, be it by foolish treasure seekers or hardened adventurers, it will immediately seek to enter them and merge ideas. The Dust will fly up into their faces and assault their ears with the ideas of long dead men, things most mortal ears cannot handle or comprehend. It will sound like gibberish at first, but if The Dust is allowed to continue its assault the wisdom could prove maddening.
The Grey Tomb - Short Example Scenario
The Grey Tomb lies deep beneath the Ruins of Korhal, it was a sacred home of Korhal's dead wise men. A place of silence and contemplation, where your mind could reach out and touch the wisdom of the dead.
How Korhal fell is unknown, but it was abandoned long ago and only recently rediscovered. Tales of great treasure spread far and wide, and now you find yourself exploring massive underground burial complexes in search of riches and jewels. One of these riches is The Grey Tomb, a repository of the dead and home to The Dust of Sages.
If you survive your encounter with The Dust of Sages, you will be rewarded with the dry bones of a dozen wise men... But will you find the secret switch that leads to the Grand Library?
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Also for this quest
Other entries under Quest - Fallen Empires.
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Use alongside
Submissions that pair well with this one at the table.
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The Crowns of Glory
Some sovereigns prefer a different sort of tax from their subjects - whether freely given, or taken by force.
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The Quest For Helen
The PCs are sent to rescue the Lady Helen from the pyramid she has been trapped in...but it will not be easy.
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The Lost Empire
The Imperial city has been sucked into hell and the rest of the world has been ripped apart. And tying it all together is the Crystal Tower. The Tower lives in …
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The Gateway of Empire
A man-made bridge between two tall hills that began as a wonder to an ancient empire and now is turned into the final stand of a desperate kingdom.
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The Population Contraction
One of the events regularly overlooked in the history of the Cosmic Era is the Population Contraction that was concurrent with the Second Dark Age.
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Tome of the Ancient Kingdom
The Elders say there was once a great kingdom here. Yes, in this field of cattle, void of rubble or debris. Now, there are just a few fences and a barn for the …
Pieh, I feel that the submission is on the short side for content- what if the dust is encountered shortly after formation, or a body is available for the chorus of thoughts?
Really. Give this sub some more attention. Make it feel loved :)
I will echo (haha) the previous comment: it feels more like a stub; hence, I won't vote yet.
Give it some love, for what I read so far could grow to be great!
It may be a stub, but it's a neat idea, and not every submission needs to be multi-hundred word blockbusters. I like it fine!
This would be a good source of clues for a larger quest. How to extract an important bit of information or lore from such a creature without going mad in the process?
Great idea and an unforgettable name, Dust of Sages! I also feel that some information and a few more tantalizing bits are in order however. But the idea rocks.
Original idea, solid write-up and overall a submission with untapped potential.
I would really love to see you expand on this one, Pieh. This is an idea with a lot of potential and it would be great to read more about it.
This is one is nifty, and deserves use, or elaboration. Good stuff!