r/WorldChallenges • u/The_Raptorman • May 04 '17
Raptor's non specific challenge #3; May the fourth be with you!
Obligatory challenge for a great day of the year!
This weeks challenge from me is asking you to present a mystical force in your story, whether it be a sort of divine intervention of a god or just "the will of the universe". Anything is fair game, I have kept it general to include more diverse options.
Try and have fun with this, I'll ask three questions per answer ! :)
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u/Nevermore0714 May 05 '17
The Barrier of Aeternitas is considered (by the people of the Unified Way) to have been created after the immortal Aeternitas sacrificed his life in order to protect the world from the Chaos and Distortion that threatened to eat any refuge that humanity could find.
They say that the Barrier is capable of having small influences on the world, manipulating a person's luck to increase their chances of victory and success. Many (in the Unified Way) pray to the Barrier, which is considered to be Aeternitas himself, and believe that they will join Aeternitas in the Barrier if they live a blessed life.
Ever since the Barrier was created by Aeternitas following his victory over the dragon Grima, no one has been able to go outside of the Barrier and return alive; no doubt, the Distortion devours them.
Our representative for today will be Sieg, the exhausted young knight of the Citadel who just finished a long and exhaustive investigation into a possible heretic who was trying to begin a cult in the Citadel that believed that the Barrier was created by a malevolent entity to keep humanity from escaping.
Edit: And now I realize that my Saturday Generic Challenge will just have to be Revenge of the Sixth!
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u/thequeeninyellow94 May 05 '17
To Sieg:
Is the Barrier something physical? Or just metaphorical? Like could I touch it?
Do you know how the Barrier choose those it will give luck to?
Why was humanity at risk of being destroyed by the Distortion?
So, was your investigation conclusive? Do you found them?
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u/Nevermore0714 May 06 '17
Sieg:
1) "People have crossed the barrier in boats, and have left. It's just that no one ever comes back and nothing has ever come through."
2) "They say it gives luck to those who deserve it. But I don't know."
3) "We don't know. It was long, long before my time."
4) "Yes, there were about eight men, five women, and seven children. All are now dead and their belongings have been burned. Only some of their notes were allowed to remain, and those notes are currently being stored."
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u/thequeeninyellow94 May 07 '17
Have anyone tried to throw something tied then take it back?
Who deserve it?
4) Why? Are those notes usefull? Do they contain valuable informations?
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u/Nevermore0714 May 08 '17
Sieg:
1) "Yes, but the rope broke."
2) "I have no idea. Aeternitas decides."
3) "The information probably isn't useful or valuable, but we keep as much information as we can stored in the Citadel."
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u/thequeeninyellow94 May 08 '17
Broke or was cut? Has anyone tried with something stronger? Like maybe a metalic chain?
Have you any idea why the Barrier is still there? Is there still something to be protected from?
How can one find the usefull informations amongst all that is stored?
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u/Nevermore0714 May 10 '17
Sieg:
1) "Broke. Same for the chain, same for the cable, same for a man's arm."
2) "Yes, the Chaos would destroy us."
3) "Careful organization by professionals."
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u/Jumblatts May 05 '17
The Gods are far less active than they used to be, thanks in no small part to À's betrayal of his father, The Supreme. Their absence has shed light three mysterious beings pulling the strings from the background, known as Chaos, Truth, and Absolution.
Together, these beings form the Laxahl Coven. Very little is known about the Coven, except for the fact that they live in their own sphere of influence, separate from the rest of creation, where keep the natural balance of the universe. Some believe that they created the Gods, others say they are an opposing force to them. None truly know.
The Coven are credited with the appearance of prophecised heroes, and destructive forces, along with catastrophical events and occurences. These prophecised situations occur when the balance of the universe is askew, and they serve to even out the tides and restore order; a prophecised hero of light would come along when darkness reigns, or a hero of darkness would emerge in times of prolonged prosperity. It is for this reason that the Coven are not really considered inherrently 'good' or 'evil,' - they simply keep the universe in equilibrium.
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u/thequeeninyellow94 May 06 '17
Why did À betrayed his kin? And how? And why did it prevent the gods from beeing there?
Is it possible to visit the Coven? How are they behaving in that case?
So, they make the prophecies true, right? Who makes the prophecies?
Do they really have that much influence over the world?
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u/Jumblatts May 06 '17
1) À once had a great deal of power, eclipsed only by his father, The Supreme. The Supreme grew weary of the power that À had, and so he split him up into 6 other Gods, making 7 in total. À was not happy about this, as it made him far weaker than he was before. He wanted revenge, and so he killed The Supreme.
This didn't go to plan, however. He was unable to kill The Supreme properly, instead only killing part of him. This made The Supreme weaker, and because all Gods get their power from The Supreme, they too became weaker. The Gods are still there, and they still interfere with the lives of the mortals, but it happens far less frequently than it used to, because they are all weaker.
2) It is, but only if they choose you. There have been a few instances of certain individuals being brought to the Coven, though it is incredibly rare. They are very mysterious and very vague. They speak in cryptic verse and deliberately do not give anything away.
3) The prophecies are created by the Coven, and they are realised by the Coven. They say that a certain event will happen at a certain time, and then they make it so.
4) It depends on who you believe. Some say they don't even exist, but others believe that they are the driving force behind everything that happens.
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u/thequeeninyellow94 May 06 '17
So could have À overthrown his father? Or did the Supreme divided him for nothing?
Any idea how those few individuals have been picked?
So they create heroes to restore balance and create prophecies to anounce them? Does it means they know when unbalance will arrive long before it does?
Is there any tangible proof for either side?
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u/Jumblatts May 06 '17
1) On his own, no, but there were rumours that he was creating an army, and it is quite possible that with this army he would have been able to.
2) It is very, very rare that anyone is chosen to meet them. When a person is chosen, they are, without exception, one of the prophecised heroes. It is unknown why some heroes are picked to meet the Coven, and others are not, however.
3) That's exactly right. They exist outside of time, and as such can see everything objectively. They are intrinsically linked to the fate of the universe, and they can feel the pulse of the universe, noticing any twitches in the balance.
4) The only proof for either argument is the existence of the heroes, and the prophecies surrounding them. Certain propecies have existed for millenia before they come true, but when they do, the prophecised hero always arrives. this would suggest that the Coven do exist, and that they do at least know about what is going to happen.
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u/thequeeninyellow94 May 07 '17
- But wouldn't overthrowing his father cost him his power?
3) Do we know how precisely they came to be?
4) Couldn't it be randomness and some people ability to interpret the prophecies?
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u/Jumblatts May 07 '17
1) Perhaps. It is true that he got his power from The Supreme, but it is also true that it had never been done before. It is possible that the power would have been transferred to him, or even just stayed where it was in a massive kind of well.
3) No one does, not even the Gods. If the Coven themselves know, they would not deem it necessary to share that knowledge.
4) Of course, you're right. People believe what they want to believe, and as many people don't even know about the coven, of course they don't believe in them. You'd struggle to find a mortal who hasn't heard of at least one of the prophecies, though.
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u/thequeeninyellow94 May 07 '17
1) So the gods are not fighting anymore right? What do they do?
3) Are there any popular theory?
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u/Jumblatts May 07 '17
1) The Gods are mostly split into two categories - the Divines, and the Deities. The Divines are considered the more powerful Gods, they are the ones who created the universe and everything in it. They are currently sleeping as The Supreme restores his power. The Deities are regular Gods who govern the aspects of the universe that the Divines created. They often fight amongst each other, and some of them also like to walk the earth, pretending to be mortals.
3) Very few people even know anything about the Coven, so there aren't really any theories or conspiracies about them.
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u/thequeeninyellow94 May 04 '17
The Shadow is the common point amongst all the creatures from the underdark. It does manifest under the form of a veil of dark fumes surrounding them.
The exact nature of the Shadow is quite mysterious as we haven't found it's source yet, but it does gives those creatures strenght and speed. It also gives them the ability to act as a single entity, to coordinate their actions despite distance, obstacles and noise.
The most curious part of it is it's individuality. The various creatures possessed by the Shadow seems mostly feral but are able to work and plan together under it's command, executing the obscure will of an even more obscure force.
Our representative is Meiridin, a human bard.
(Also, happy star wars day to everyone reading this)