This thread will collect the Pantheon Chronicles, that is, the summary of the events of each turn in "mythic" format. Material from the Pantheon thread will be periodically moved here.
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Pantheon 1.0 - Chronicles - Archive
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Pantheon 1.0 - Chronicles - Archive
Last edited by Xar on Fri Nov 02, 2007 3:26 pm, edited 3 times in total.
The Pantheon Chronicles, Vol. I
Shadows on the Mortals: Being an Account of the Divine War
The armies of Nephirthos marched south, towards Ai-Bhakti, but they were met in battle by the combined forces of Amplarx and Avatar, and betrayed by Toringian's troops in the midst of the battle. The great betrayal almost spelled doom for Nephirthos's troops, but as the God of Chaos fed off even this betrayal, growing more and more powerful, another betrayal was consummated in the shadows... Raphael, general of Amplarx and one of his Chosen, met Geitrir Mirgair, Champion of Nephirthos, on the field of battle. The duel between them shook the very earth, but in the end, both died of their wounds. Amplarx's army, beheaded, went into a panicked rout, and without his support, Nephirthos's army managed to defeat Avatar's and Toringian's forces, pressing forward, although weakened. The survivors of Amplarx's army were eventually rallied by Emryel, a low-ranking officer in Amplarx's service, and they headed towards Ai-Bhakti, to join the defence of the city, where they were also joined by Avatar's and Toringian's survivors, as well as by a small contingent of undead sent by Argothoth, and led by his Champion, Odal Manhur, even as a small contingent of Bhakti's followers led a delegation to Nephirthos's forces, in hopes of reaching a peaceful solution without any additional bloodshed. But additional troops marched from Nephirthos's frozen home in the north, under the leadership of Kalfrich Geinnik, one of Nephirthos's warlords, and the God of Chaos and Destruction gorged himself over these dark deeds...
Yet time and fate were not with Nephirthos; for the God of Malice would soon discover that he had underestimated his foes. In his arrogance, he had discounted threats he should have paid attention to; and as he prepared to lift the siege of Ai-Bhakti, certain of having conquered a great victory, the other gods struck hard. Many among Nephirthos's armies died as mysterious assassins poisoned food supplies, even as Amplarx's forces rushed out of Ai-Bhakti and attacked Nephirthos's soldiers, and other assassins slaughtered Nephirthos's generals, beheading his army. Madness plagued Nephirthos's forces as the Mad Queen spread her influence over them, and when they turned back, bewildered and in disarray, it was then that the armies of the Northern Kingdom, which had patiently waited for their chance to strike, attacked and annihilated Nephirthos's forces. Few survivors ran back to the mountain cities of the Lord of Malice, speaking in fear and dread of the power of the gods of the lowlands...
Elsewhere, Toringian's crusade marched against Argothoth; the Master of Time's power delayed the army long enough for his undead to gather in Ai-Argoth and mount their defenses. A long and bloody battle ensued, but Toringian's crusade was unable to pierce Argothoth's defenses, and the numberless dead in the war swelled Argothoth's ranks and power, just as war itself swelled Toringian's power. Toringian's crusade, undefeated but daunted, settled around Ai-Argoth, preparing for a siege, while soldiers and common people alike prayed to Argothoth for deliverance, not only as the Lord of the Undead, but also as the new King of the Dead.
But other dangers besieged the God of Battle, as heavenly rebellions threatened his celestial throne; and thus he was forced to lift the siege of Ai-Argoth - but he would not do so without loss. For Argothoth's assassins spread through his armies, murdering his generals and leaving his army leaderless; and even as this happened, Odal Manhur and his contingent of undead returned in all haste from Ai-Bhakti, to meet Toringian's forces on the field of battle. There, in the hour of need, Toringian's surviving champion met Odal Manhur in a desperate attempt to save his army, and was destroyed. Toringian's armies fled in a rout, shaking at the power of the dead.
The gods licked their wounds and regrouped; armies were prepared, and fleets built to sail through the endless oceans and meet with battle. But danger was always present, and the strained fabric of reality had still not healed after the great damage it had suffered - damage which most gods were not even completely aware of yet. To the south, the fabric of reality gave way once more, opening another rift for demons to invade the world. Elsewhere, Toringian, God of War, was defending his divinity against an assault by upstart servants, and Arrai, the newly ascended God of Life, had suddenly and unexpectedly disappeared. Stars were falling from the sky, wreaking devastation and strengthening the God of Chaos; unnatural storms weakened the power of the God of Love, and rebellion threatened the Northern Kingdom. What little breath the Divine War had allowed the warriors was now about to be needed.
From the north, Amplarx's and Maeror's armies marched southeast, towards Toringian's lands. There, they met with the God of War's soldiers, and together, they pressed the attack against the demons. Beleaguered and harassed, the demons were defeated in many battles, until eventually they routed and dispersed, forcing the hosts of the gods to track them down one by one, a long and ultimately fruitless endeavour. Yet, very few demons had escaped, and the demonic rift had been closed by the power of the gods. At the same time, though, the strained fabric of reality, and the power of an unnamed god, caused yet another rift to open - just outside the walls of Ai-Amplus. Demons poured out, and besieged the newly built city; at the same time, rebellion and unrest grew in the Northern Kingdom, threatening the throne itself.
And so it was that Amplarx stretched forth his hand, and blessed Ai-Amplus, and repelled the demons; and while he did so, and the creatures fled in despair, divine power flowed into the rift, sealing it forever. Yet the deities were not done: and they wove potent magics, to strengthen the fabric of reality itself, so that no more rifts would open. And thus, for a time, it seemed that the Divine War had ended...
... Until the unthinkable became reality, and to all gods everywhere, the call rang like a bell, mourning for the passing of a deity. For Arrai, still new to divinity and young in his years, had died - and his brothers and sisters felt the sudden emptiness where once his presence had existed. Yet the knowledge of how or why this had happened was missing; for no one had known of Arrai's whereabouts for months, and thus the manner of his passing was also unknown. Yet he was beyond all succour, beyond even the power of the other mourning deities: divine death had come to the world.
Elsewhere, in the Northern Kingdom, the rebellion grew enormous, and word spread that at least two deities were behind it. Only Argothoth opposed his power to the fell might and influence of these deities, but even the Lord of Death could not stand alone; and while other deities proselytized in the Northern Kingdom, but spent no power protecting it from the rebellion, the leaders of the rebellion toppled the lawful king, and slew him on an impromptu altar where they revealed their true allegiance, calling upon Nephirthos, God of Malice, to accept the sacrifice. It was then that the undead queen returned to her kingdom, only to see her husband sacrificed, her children slain, her kingdom lost, and the followers of deities crawling among the ruins of all she held dear, seeking converts while all crumbled into darkness, and the banners of Nephirthos and Toringian were raised, triumphant...
... But their triumph was short-lived. History will say that righteous Toringian, treacherous Toringian, turned against his non-brother Nephirthos, in the smoking ruins of the Northern Kingdom and in the southern city of Ramos. And his mercenaries did besiege the Lord of Chaos's city, even as they tried to route Nephirthos's armies from the Northern Kingdom. The Divine War had started anew; and the gods took sides, and many sided with Toringian, yet none sided with Nephirthos, and alone, he stood against many. Yet even while his followers were besieged, did his power grow, swelling and feeding off the chaos of war, the malice contained within the civil war that still festered in the Northern Kingdom, the betrayal of Toringian; and Nephirthos did laugh, even as poison rose from the ground of Ramos, opposed only by Amplarx's divine power, and Nephirthos's blessed follower, wreathed in the Winds of Change, spoke words of terrible might to grant power to his lord. And thus an ill wind blew from the mountains, sweeping past the great forests and into the lands of the other gods; and this wind bore with it ashes and tears, and all that they touched turned to malice and chaos. And many followers of the other gods, touched by the ashes of the Winds, turned to the Lord of Chaos, even as in the heart of his power, attempts were made to seduce one of his citadels away from him. And amidst the din of war, another deity disappeared; as her power decreased, Solina, the Lady of Dreams, was nowhere to be found.
Even as Ramos fell, another of Nephirthos's cities was taken through betrayal. Maeror's armies, hidden to the sight of deities, marched to Black Citadel; here, assisted by a betrayer among Nephirthos's ranks, they breached the city and slaughtered thousands, massacring all who oppose them, including many women and children. At the dawn of the new day, while standing on the bloody ground where so many innocents who had simply defended their homes had lost their lives, the betrayer, named Vann, proclaimed that Maeror was now the ruler of the city, which would be renamed Hope.
Even as that happened, hostilities in the Northern Kingdom increased as Toringian's followers were driven out by Nephirthos's, and epidemics broke out, killing thousands more due to poor hygienic conditions. And in the meantime, in L'im Verthackas, a great tournament began, a tournament intended for gods and their champions, but which most gods spurned or forsook. Of all the gods, few accepted the challenge and sent their champions: only Thyddian, Maeror and Morgath, of all, entered Solus's competitions. And while Morgath's demonic champion, Ramath, won the challenges of strength, Thyddian's won the challenge of beauty and Maeror's demonstrated mastery of challenges of skill, ultimately winning the tournament, and bringing honor to the God of Tragedy. Meanwhile, Fort Hope's weary conquerors were besieged by an army sent by Nephirthos, to reconquer his citadel; even as this happened, the ether was shaken with the vibrations of another, terrible event: for Solina, too, Lady of Madness and Goddess of Dreams, had perished. Great was the mourning of the deities and the pain of Movahl, who loved her as the news spread to the other gods...
Shadows on the Mortals: Being an Account of the Divine War
The armies of Nephirthos marched south, towards Ai-Bhakti, but they were met in battle by the combined forces of Amplarx and Avatar, and betrayed by Toringian's troops in the midst of the battle. The great betrayal almost spelled doom for Nephirthos's troops, but as the God of Chaos fed off even this betrayal, growing more and more powerful, another betrayal was consummated in the shadows... Raphael, general of Amplarx and one of his Chosen, met Geitrir Mirgair, Champion of Nephirthos, on the field of battle. The duel between them shook the very earth, but in the end, both died of their wounds. Amplarx's army, beheaded, went into a panicked rout, and without his support, Nephirthos's army managed to defeat Avatar's and Toringian's forces, pressing forward, although weakened. The survivors of Amplarx's army were eventually rallied by Emryel, a low-ranking officer in Amplarx's service, and they headed towards Ai-Bhakti, to join the defence of the city, where they were also joined by Avatar's and Toringian's survivors, as well as by a small contingent of undead sent by Argothoth, and led by his Champion, Odal Manhur, even as a small contingent of Bhakti's followers led a delegation to Nephirthos's forces, in hopes of reaching a peaceful solution without any additional bloodshed. But additional troops marched from Nephirthos's frozen home in the north, under the leadership of Kalfrich Geinnik, one of Nephirthos's warlords, and the God of Chaos and Destruction gorged himself over these dark deeds...
Yet time and fate were not with Nephirthos; for the God of Malice would soon discover that he had underestimated his foes. In his arrogance, he had discounted threats he should have paid attention to; and as he prepared to lift the siege of Ai-Bhakti, certain of having conquered a great victory, the other gods struck hard. Many among Nephirthos's armies died as mysterious assassins poisoned food supplies, even as Amplarx's forces rushed out of Ai-Bhakti and attacked Nephirthos's soldiers, and other assassins slaughtered Nephirthos's generals, beheading his army. Madness plagued Nephirthos's forces as the Mad Queen spread her influence over them, and when they turned back, bewildered and in disarray, it was then that the armies of the Northern Kingdom, which had patiently waited for their chance to strike, attacked and annihilated Nephirthos's forces. Few survivors ran back to the mountain cities of the Lord of Malice, speaking in fear and dread of the power of the gods of the lowlands...
Elsewhere, Toringian's crusade marched against Argothoth; the Master of Time's power delayed the army long enough for his undead to gather in Ai-Argoth and mount their defenses. A long and bloody battle ensued, but Toringian's crusade was unable to pierce Argothoth's defenses, and the numberless dead in the war swelled Argothoth's ranks and power, just as war itself swelled Toringian's power. Toringian's crusade, undefeated but daunted, settled around Ai-Argoth, preparing for a siege, while soldiers and common people alike prayed to Argothoth for deliverance, not only as the Lord of the Undead, but also as the new King of the Dead.
But other dangers besieged the God of Battle, as heavenly rebellions threatened his celestial throne; and thus he was forced to lift the siege of Ai-Argoth - but he would not do so without loss. For Argothoth's assassins spread through his armies, murdering his generals and leaving his army leaderless; and even as this happened, Odal Manhur and his contingent of undead returned in all haste from Ai-Bhakti, to meet Toringian's forces on the field of battle. There, in the hour of need, Toringian's surviving champion met Odal Manhur in a desperate attempt to save his army, and was destroyed. Toringian's armies fled in a rout, shaking at the power of the dead.
The gods licked their wounds and regrouped; armies were prepared, and fleets built to sail through the endless oceans and meet with battle. But danger was always present, and the strained fabric of reality had still not healed after the great damage it had suffered - damage which most gods were not even completely aware of yet. To the south, the fabric of reality gave way once more, opening another rift for demons to invade the world. Elsewhere, Toringian, God of War, was defending his divinity against an assault by upstart servants, and Arrai, the newly ascended God of Life, had suddenly and unexpectedly disappeared. Stars were falling from the sky, wreaking devastation and strengthening the God of Chaos; unnatural storms weakened the power of the God of Love, and rebellion threatened the Northern Kingdom. What little breath the Divine War had allowed the warriors was now about to be needed.
From the north, Amplarx's and Maeror's armies marched southeast, towards Toringian's lands. There, they met with the God of War's soldiers, and together, they pressed the attack against the demons. Beleaguered and harassed, the demons were defeated in many battles, until eventually they routed and dispersed, forcing the hosts of the gods to track them down one by one, a long and ultimately fruitless endeavour. Yet, very few demons had escaped, and the demonic rift had been closed by the power of the gods. At the same time, though, the strained fabric of reality, and the power of an unnamed god, caused yet another rift to open - just outside the walls of Ai-Amplus. Demons poured out, and besieged the newly built city; at the same time, rebellion and unrest grew in the Northern Kingdom, threatening the throne itself.
And so it was that Amplarx stretched forth his hand, and blessed Ai-Amplus, and repelled the demons; and while he did so, and the creatures fled in despair, divine power flowed into the rift, sealing it forever. Yet the deities were not done: and they wove potent magics, to strengthen the fabric of reality itself, so that no more rifts would open. And thus, for a time, it seemed that the Divine War had ended...
... Until the unthinkable became reality, and to all gods everywhere, the call rang like a bell, mourning for the passing of a deity. For Arrai, still new to divinity and young in his years, had died - and his brothers and sisters felt the sudden emptiness where once his presence had existed. Yet the knowledge of how or why this had happened was missing; for no one had known of Arrai's whereabouts for months, and thus the manner of his passing was also unknown. Yet he was beyond all succour, beyond even the power of the other mourning deities: divine death had come to the world.
Elsewhere, in the Northern Kingdom, the rebellion grew enormous, and word spread that at least two deities were behind it. Only Argothoth opposed his power to the fell might and influence of these deities, but even the Lord of Death could not stand alone; and while other deities proselytized in the Northern Kingdom, but spent no power protecting it from the rebellion, the leaders of the rebellion toppled the lawful king, and slew him on an impromptu altar where they revealed their true allegiance, calling upon Nephirthos, God of Malice, to accept the sacrifice. It was then that the undead queen returned to her kingdom, only to see her husband sacrificed, her children slain, her kingdom lost, and the followers of deities crawling among the ruins of all she held dear, seeking converts while all crumbled into darkness, and the banners of Nephirthos and Toringian were raised, triumphant...
... But their triumph was short-lived. History will say that righteous Toringian, treacherous Toringian, turned against his non-brother Nephirthos, in the smoking ruins of the Northern Kingdom and in the southern city of Ramos. And his mercenaries did besiege the Lord of Chaos's city, even as they tried to route Nephirthos's armies from the Northern Kingdom. The Divine War had started anew; and the gods took sides, and many sided with Toringian, yet none sided with Nephirthos, and alone, he stood against many. Yet even while his followers were besieged, did his power grow, swelling and feeding off the chaos of war, the malice contained within the civil war that still festered in the Northern Kingdom, the betrayal of Toringian; and Nephirthos did laugh, even as poison rose from the ground of Ramos, opposed only by Amplarx's divine power, and Nephirthos's blessed follower, wreathed in the Winds of Change, spoke words of terrible might to grant power to his lord. And thus an ill wind blew from the mountains, sweeping past the great forests and into the lands of the other gods; and this wind bore with it ashes and tears, and all that they touched turned to malice and chaos. And many followers of the other gods, touched by the ashes of the Winds, turned to the Lord of Chaos, even as in the heart of his power, attempts were made to seduce one of his citadels away from him. And amidst the din of war, another deity disappeared; as her power decreased, Solina, the Lady of Dreams, was nowhere to be found.
Even as Ramos fell, another of Nephirthos's cities was taken through betrayal. Maeror's armies, hidden to the sight of deities, marched to Black Citadel; here, assisted by a betrayer among Nephirthos's ranks, they breached the city and slaughtered thousands, massacring all who oppose them, including many women and children. At the dawn of the new day, while standing on the bloody ground where so many innocents who had simply defended their homes had lost their lives, the betrayer, named Vann, proclaimed that Maeror was now the ruler of the city, which would be renamed Hope.
Even as that happened, hostilities in the Northern Kingdom increased as Toringian's followers were driven out by Nephirthos's, and epidemics broke out, killing thousands more due to poor hygienic conditions. And in the meantime, in L'im Verthackas, a great tournament began, a tournament intended for gods and their champions, but which most gods spurned or forsook. Of all the gods, few accepted the challenge and sent their champions: only Thyddian, Maeror and Morgath, of all, entered Solus's competitions. And while Morgath's demonic champion, Ramath, won the challenges of strength, Thyddian's won the challenge of beauty and Maeror's demonstrated mastery of challenges of skill, ultimately winning the tournament, and bringing honor to the God of Tragedy. Meanwhile, Fort Hope's weary conquerors were besieged by an army sent by Nephirthos, to reconquer his citadel; even as this happened, the ether was shaken with the vibrations of another, terrible event: for Solina, too, Lady of Madness and Goddess of Dreams, had perished. Great was the mourning of the deities and the pain of Movahl, who loved her as the news spread to the other gods...
The Pantheon Chronicles, Vol. II
The Cracking of the World
It was in this time of peace, when all seemed to be quiet, and the approaching storm had been seen by no one - in this time of bliss, when even Nephirthos's armies stood still, and the Lord of Malice had declared a truce - that the Harbinger of Destruction struck. Nephirthos poured his malice and his power deep into the earth, cloaking his actions in darkness, hiding them from the eyes of his fellow gods: for months, he laboured in secret, weakening the earth itself with the power of pure malice. And eventually, the earth gave way: no longer could it endure such scorn and despite.
That day, the ground shook and groaned, and the sky grew clouded and dark; even the sun hid its eye from the cataclysm about to take place. All over the world, mortals fell the shadow of dread around their hearts, the fist of fear gripping their souls, and evil radiating from the ground. But none, not even the wisest, no, would have imagined that the Lord of Malice would go so far, that in his fury and lust for power, he would violate the world itself; and none could foresee what came after. The ground shook with such violence as to make whole cities crumble, and thousands died, screaming, buried under the rubble of once-majestic towns; and the rumblings, the earthquakes, grew stronger and stronger, till all those who had survived had fled their ruined cities, and feared what would come. Then a terrible sound, as if the very rock at the heart of the world had cracked, echoed across the world - and all was changed, forever. Shattered by the power of Nephirthos, the land groaned and broke, its fragments shook and shot away from the site where the God of Chaos had brought his power to bear: the sea, angry at the violation of his sister, surged with the fury of a thousand tsunamis, and swallowed large portions of the land, killing many tens of thousands in its rage. Chunks of what had once been a single, lovely land were brought apart, or forced together, and terrible earthquakes created new mountain ranges, further wreaking havoc on all mortals and gods had built: only in the north, Nephirthos's cities had remained almost untouched by the catastrophe, as the god had laboured deviously well, and had protected them from the cataclysm he would unleash. But elsewhere, Ai-War and Ai-Toring were sunk under the sea, and all those who lived there died, weakening the God of War severely: Ai-Solin and the surrounding lands also were swallowed by the sea, and Solina's worshipers followed their deity into oblivion; even Drakkan, Nephirthos's farthest town, could not be protected and was devoured by the sea. Cities once deep into the land, such as Ai-Lamentum and Ai-Thyddian found themselves facing the sea; Ai-Maeror found itself suddenly in land, and its ships marooned. Ai-Amplus, Ai-Sanguine and Ai-Arx were destroyed when mountains rose where once the cities stood.
For days, weeks, the ground shook and groaned, and the lands shifted, and the people died, screaming at the skies, cursing the gods who had forsaken them, or begging them for help. Looting and pillaging became commonplace, and many died or were wounded, raped, mutilated by the worst that is in mankind. And all the while, in his dark fortress, the Lord of Malice laughed, and fed off the chaos and mayhem he had unleashed upon the unsuspecting world...
The Cracking of the World
It was in this time of peace, when all seemed to be quiet, and the approaching storm had been seen by no one - in this time of bliss, when even Nephirthos's armies stood still, and the Lord of Malice had declared a truce - that the Harbinger of Destruction struck. Nephirthos poured his malice and his power deep into the earth, cloaking his actions in darkness, hiding them from the eyes of his fellow gods: for months, he laboured in secret, weakening the earth itself with the power of pure malice. And eventually, the earth gave way: no longer could it endure such scorn and despite.
That day, the ground shook and groaned, and the sky grew clouded and dark; even the sun hid its eye from the cataclysm about to take place. All over the world, mortals fell the shadow of dread around their hearts, the fist of fear gripping their souls, and evil radiating from the ground. But none, not even the wisest, no, would have imagined that the Lord of Malice would go so far, that in his fury and lust for power, he would violate the world itself; and none could foresee what came after. The ground shook with such violence as to make whole cities crumble, and thousands died, screaming, buried under the rubble of once-majestic towns; and the rumblings, the earthquakes, grew stronger and stronger, till all those who had survived had fled their ruined cities, and feared what would come. Then a terrible sound, as if the very rock at the heart of the world had cracked, echoed across the world - and all was changed, forever. Shattered by the power of Nephirthos, the land groaned and broke, its fragments shook and shot away from the site where the God of Chaos had brought his power to bear: the sea, angry at the violation of his sister, surged with the fury of a thousand tsunamis, and swallowed large portions of the land, killing many tens of thousands in its rage. Chunks of what had once been a single, lovely land were brought apart, or forced together, and terrible earthquakes created new mountain ranges, further wreaking havoc on all mortals and gods had built: only in the north, Nephirthos's cities had remained almost untouched by the catastrophe, as the god had laboured deviously well, and had protected them from the cataclysm he would unleash. But elsewhere, Ai-War and Ai-Toring were sunk under the sea, and all those who lived there died, weakening the God of War severely: Ai-Solin and the surrounding lands also were swallowed by the sea, and Solina's worshipers followed their deity into oblivion; even Drakkan, Nephirthos's farthest town, could not be protected and was devoured by the sea. Cities once deep into the land, such as Ai-Lamentum and Ai-Thyddian found themselves facing the sea; Ai-Maeror found itself suddenly in land, and its ships marooned. Ai-Amplus, Ai-Sanguine and Ai-Arx were destroyed when mountains rose where once the cities stood.
For days, weeks, the ground shook and groaned, and the lands shifted, and the people died, screaming at the skies, cursing the gods who had forsaken them, or begging them for help. Looting and pillaging became commonplace, and many died or were wounded, raped, mutilated by the worst that is in mankind. And all the while, in his dark fortress, the Lord of Malice laughed, and fed off the chaos and mayhem he had unleashed upon the unsuspecting world...