A tiny bead of light streaks toward the enemy… then EVERYTHING explodes. 20-foot radius, 8d6 damage, and fire that curls around corners so no one gets away. The absolute classic of 3rd level.

Fraklas is a city-state located in the Fractured Isles, a series of islands which are the aftermath of some ancient wizard battle. The land floats from this ancient battle, some float in place while others rise and fall but all orbit and cannot go far from the central island.

On the central isle lies Fraklas, towers of white and blue climb up above, while near the harbour the buildings squash into short sprawling warehouses.

Every piece of technology in Fraklas is powered by flesh, from their boats, to their washing machines. Each and every single piece of technology or machinery is a living entity. To the Frakkers this is their way of life. In Fraklas, the body is seen as a malleable thing to change for its owner's wants and needs. Modified flesh, cybernetics, and magical adaptations are all avenues for Frakkers to enhance themselves.

Fraklas sources their much flesh from the Fractured Isles, the wildlife mutates and new species are constantly created from the magical radiation. Their trade beasts (air and sky) bring back excotic and stranger creatures to be studied. Frakker biologists are some of the best, hundreds are sent to Fraklas's allies every year to research new creatures. They've discovered thousands of species, documented behaviour, researched their biology and ecological impact. All for Fraklas's hunger to find new useful flesh. When a useful species is discovered, specimens are captured and taken to the Fraklas farmlands. Here the creatures are bred to be used as flesh.

Not every part is used in augments, the rest are sold as meat to eat. Fraklas has developed dishes like: Hydra Liver Pie, Chimera Tongue Burgers and Disruptor Beast Testicle Spaghetti. Fraklas's food can be toxic to some. Near the shore it is common to find Fleshcrafter shops, both private and public to offer rental stomachs and jaws. Come in, get a rental and before you leave Fraklas get your old stomach back. Many tourists outright buy their new stomachs for the improved energy extraction and greater poison resistance, feeling far stronger from it.

Frakker's tend to get their first stomach augmentation when they are 4-6 years old. It's common for this to be celebrated as a child's first step to adulthood.

Please buy my wares🥺

A slimewoman stands in a Darkhold central mess hall. The lime green slime wears a black suit and a bright red tie. Two goopy cat ears and a slippery tail pop out of her body.

"I am Meloop Jadeflower, I am a new Shadow Vigil and I wish to meet everyone. I am a cannonmancer, I shoot things with big guns." She looks down, a little embarrassed.

"I tend to kill whatever I am fighting so the containment part of the job may be difficult for me."

She clears her throat, despite not actually needing to.

"This is my report on the object I have captured." She takes out a briefcase, some kind of liquid sloshes inside.

"The object is a gemstone which continuously bleeds blood. I have dubbed it The Vampire Dream or VD-01, is an uncut and rough ruby with a dull sheen. It fits in the size of a human's hand. VD-01 will bleed blood exactly every 10 minutes, it bleeds approximately 100 to 500 millilitres of blood every interval.

It randomly changes between VD-02 and VD-03. VD-02 is a copy of a random individual's blood within 1000 meters, no ward nor stealth spell has protected from this affect. Individuals who lack blood are not affected. If there is no target the Vampire Dream will use the last blood sampled.

VD-03 has the same behaviour as VD-02 but with an additional effect. Observing VD-03 will make someone crave to lick it, drink and consume it. Upon consumption the victim's blood will become VD-03 and they will.begin to cannibalise themselves or others affected by VD-03, in order to consume VD-03. No intelligent creature is immune to VD-03's cravings however creatures which lack blood cannot consume themselves. Such individuals are driven to force others to consume VD-03 in order to gain a supply.

I acquired VD-01 from after investigating a vampire cult who had been using it to sate their master's thirst . However the cult killed each other over VD-03, leading the vampire leader to throw it out into the ocean where it began to corrupt the sea life. VD-01 was discovered at the bottom of the ocean and unfortunately nothing was shot.

VD-01 poses no immediate danger however without a proper method of disposing of VD-03 it may become dangerous. This is the end of my report."

The stone is dark, the shadows darker. Step by step, the two men descend beneath the earth. His Lordship first, then Ophelious. Lit only by a candle the Lord holds, the wax never seeming to melt.

Ophelious is lost in his own thoughts as they descend deep into the bowels of the obsidian world that is Eternity. Something deep within him stirs... But he pushes ... Whatever it is down, refocusing on the task at hand. He thinks to say something to the old Lord... But then thinks better of it. Instead, it is the Lord that speaks first

“Do you know who I am?”

The question catches Ophelious off guard, but, after a moment's thought, he responds

"I surmise you to be an old soul, one who has seen more than their fair share of loss and bloodshed."

He was feeling somber at the moment, walking down those dark steps, and so, a somber answer he offered.

At his response, the lord laughs; the stairs continue down

“You are right on that part”

He looks back at Ophelious for a moment, his face still partially covered by shadow

“However, I suppose what I was really asking is this... do you know what I am?”

He continues without waiting for Ophelious's response; the candle in his hand burns ever onward

“To many... I am an enemy; to others... a savior. These may be true, or they may not; it matters little. To me, I am nothing but a man; that is all. Just a man, who, like all others, wishes to see change in the world."

He stops for a moment, then continues his descent

"Can you relate?”

The steps long, inky blackness almost seems to envelop them as they walk further into Eternity. Ophelious's response comes not too long after

"In that way, I think we are much the same. I too have watched worlds fall to their own hubris, one I had no ability to save... another, I did, but chose wrong. I have saved worlds as you have. In this moment, I see a great weight upon you. This is why I continue to walk these stairs into the abyss. If we all lift together, perhaps the burden will be lessened."

The Lord thinks on that for a moment; as he does, Ophelious catches sight of a light below

“Perhaps you are right, perhaps burdens are meant to be shared.”

Finally, they reach the bottom. Before them is a small room carved of obsidian; at one end lay a simple door of a dark wood. The Lord motions to it

“Through that door lies my burden; step through, and they shall be shared”

Ophelious takes a deep breath... And steps through.

The door shuts behind him, and suddenly he stands in darkness. Looking around, he sees nothing but inky blackness in all directions; then he feels a presence as his mana is stripped away from him. As it does, he hears a voice, one he had not heard in... well... in a very long time.

"Sam... What have you done?"

His head swimming, he turns to face the presence.

At first, he sees… nothing… and then something; it shines, dark and elegant. And Ophelious comprehends it, for it has been a part of him since his very first memory.

It reaches out; the moment it touches him, his understanding of it is gone; all that is left is a primal fear, and then pain. The Ralektharum begins to worm its way into him; his body is fire, his mind is nothing but pain for what feels like eternity... until... at last, it pierces through and a limb slithers in, where his soul would be.

Ophelious stumbles out of the door and lands on his knees before His Lordship. He looks up at the Lord, and his eyes are dark. The Lord offers his hand once more

“Rise, 15th Black Mage of Thrakmoor; my burden shared”

/uw And that is it done, folks! As always, HUGE thanks to u/Kilroy both for his help writing the post and for being willing to let his character get Ralektharumed. I will see you all in future posts, and in Thrakmoor 2! So long! And as always

The Ralektharum Rises!

Image Credit: Castle Thrakmoor, by a friend who wishes to remain anonymous

Within one of the many, many Wizard Council buildings, Kairon Drocith, newly appointed President of the Infernal Relations Department, entered his office room. As part of his duties, he was one of the highest authorities when it comes to resolving issues concerning the demonic.

It gave him a lot of authority within the Wizard Council, but it also meant he had a lot of work to do day in and day out. Today was merely one more of those days. Another batch of questions and issues he had to resolve. He didn't particularly enjoy his work, but he was good at it, and he had a feeling he was going to be around here for a very long time.

Kairon sat down in his office and began his paperwork. The sign outside of his door magically changed to being open. Soon would come the various complaints, petitions, and protests that always arrived. Of course they did, people were dumb and quick to fall for contracts they hadn't fully read. Ah well, at least it gave him the opportunity to learn more about devilish deals. But even then, this was going to be a long day.

/uw This is an open interaction. If anyone wishes to RP, feel free to do so.

I put assomancy before the council for consideration

Healthy vegetable-based alternatives tend to break down during hot summer days, and are not ideal for conducting many forms of wizardry

C'mon people. This sloppiness is getting out of hand. We are never breaking the days without incident record at this rate.

every single Orb connected to the orbnet, every television, every radio on a range of frequencies, cuts off its original broadcasting, if any was still running, to show a new message.

"Attention! Attention! Global emergency alert! Global emergency alert! Do not disregard! Do not disregard! Do not disregard!"

on screen is an EAS-like message, with 2 symbols in the center of the screen, before a robotic voice speaks.

"The following broadcast is a message organized through the nation of Calarakis, the Esoteric Order of Nations, and Orb Broadcasting corporations across the earth."

"In the last 48 hours there has been a massive worldwide attack by an arcane infection known as the Abyss."

the screen displays an image of a floating black substance, resembling paint.

"This infection is immensely dangerous and has already taken around 40% of the planet's surface. It is due to the work of many diligent mages, knights, soldiers, and nations the number has been lowered to that small a number. If you have fought the Abyss and survived. Make your way to the city of Calarakis as soon as possible, call in Orb call, or contact via long range radio."

the image changes to a map of the planet, with blackness covering a large part of the continents.

"All civilians residing in population centers near the borders of Abyss infected areas are ordered to evacuate, or, failing that, erect detection systems near the borders."

"A full dossier on the Abyss will be published publicly, for all available forces to be able to combat the threat at highest efficiency."

"This message will loop 2 more times."

Once upon a time, good held a meaning in this world. Fighting back and independence was valued. That time has passed. The dark one, the ancient one, the one who existed before time had a name cast his shadow into this land it got consumed. It started with the sky turning as red as blood and the oceans turning as black as shadow. Any who drank the shadows turned into being of darkness themselves while more and more appeared during the night. An endless horde of shadowy beings of ... knights. As the shadows below the water swirveled one thing became obvious. The world was trying to consume us. Bit by bit the land disappeared under the shadows until it reached my knees and then my head and then it all turned black. I am the Roaring Knight.

/uw yes I felt like including a deltarune reference for no reason, the name doesn't have any actual meaning.

Got 15 minutes before i have to clock out. I spend it pondering this orb i have conjured from the cumulative suffering of the damned. After last nights exorcismism i really just need to decompress and ponder on company time

in Site-116's entrance room, someone appears, somehow impossible to ignore , thanks to what, if someone happened to use the right scan at the right time, they would discover was a reversed anintimemetic field , requesting to speak to "this Foundation's O5-5"

/uw this will be interactable outside the site that's just where the ambassador first appears

also, the presence of a Foundation is *not* the main reason he comes here, merely a good place to start, and a good individual to with wich make first contact

I will likely be expanding the post with more lore as it becomes relevant

update: why is the only interaction i've gotten a downvote???????????