Prophecies

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Gurns
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Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2001 5:01 am

Prophecies

Postby Gurns » Wed Dec 22, 2004 10:12 pm

It had been a long time since I had looked at the "prophecies", as some were calling them. The runes that appeared on the monoliths, rather than the visions that were shown. I just called them the runes, or the verses.

But now the priest of Auzrom'tvorl had said the prophecies were correct, even if he disputed the visions.

I remembered the prophecies as being obscure, mysterious. But Selune or Noloth'e had included them as part of the monoliths, so presumably they were important. Although what some gods think of as important...never mind. And the priest said they were correct, so this might be the only thing that both sides agreed on.

So, what did they say? I dug through my notes. Then looked around and dug some more. It had been quite a long time since I had visited the monoliths, and I know I didn't throw those notes out, or re-use the paper, or... Ah, there they are.

Re-reading them, I frowned. The obscure, mysterious verses seemed only too clear. Hardly obscure at all. Amazing what... I stopped to think. It had been a long, long time since I'd seen the first monolith. Evidently I'd learned a few things along the way.

Hear then, the prophecies of Selune, the Moonmaiden, the Lady of Silver, as shown in the Monoliths of Noloth'e, Priestess of Selune, and a Weaver of the Moonlight. Interpreted by Gurns, Master Bard and Bearer of the Amulet of Oberon.

Think that's pompous enough for prophecy?

The first monolith rests in an overgrown park, in the wilds of what was once Myth Drannor, once foremost city in the land. On this monolith, the runes say:

    The worlds own end is from beyond the threshold of its veil
    Death is no barrier when the shadow gathers to it the agents of unspeakable evil
    Deception will be the undoing to those that oppose the darkness in discords undoing
    The serpents of the deep will waken from their sleep
    The last stand of ancient times must be found and sealed for all time
    The ancient oaths must be maintained to keep the ancient evil at bay
    From the ashes arise the Chosen, their faith and fury goes unbroken


Which is to say:

Auzorm'tvorl, who would destroy the world, comes from beyond this world.
When He gathers His forces, the barrier between life and death will be porous.
Beware! Deception and discord could doom efforts to oppose Him.
The ancient dragons will awaken again.
The site of the last battle is important, it's where the barrier of death is most porous.
The oaths of the Ancient Heroes are crucial to victory.
The Ancient Heroes will return, ready to fight again.

The second monolith is in an icy marsh in the moors. The runes say:

    A marker graces the shoreline of the river of time
    His fallen memory forever remain in heart and mind and charred ruins
    His door was opened wide yet slammed shut and locked by those with the key
    Blackened wings and cruel heart fade
    The spoils to the victors go, the union of light and dark refuses to grow
    Troubled times will soon be seen and apart they must travel
    Some for good and some for greed, hope and promise sing unbroken


I see this as a historical summary. Auzorm'tvorl's binding and imprisonment were a blessing, and an important mark in time. No doubt the folks living then thought the memory of that event would live forever. Auzorm'tvorl was almost victorious, but the gods intervened and imprisoned Him. During His imprisonment, He has, we are told, lost a great deal of His power. Although the good races and evil races cooperated to fight Auzorm'tvorl then, that alliance didn't last long. The races have set up their own cities, made their own histories, and, naturally, have had their own problems. But the potential for cooperation is still there.

The third monolith is in a small cave in the cold northern mountains.

    Whispered dreams and shaded paths seek the artificer’s glory
    Death is no barrier, the prayers are spoken, the rituals unfolded and done
    Deception lies deep in the shadows, lies upon lies, tainting day and dream
    From the deep they come to find the favor of his vile nature
    To hold the soul and bring destruction to foe, to ally, to unchosen
    Great trickery and woolen eyes will see to our certain demise
    From the fields of pitch the harsh song of betrayal rings clear


Trobriand, who built the thanatars, was seduced and overwhelmed by Auzorm'tvorl.
The spirits of the Ancient Heroes will return, the conditions for their return are already in place.
Auzorm'tvorl and His allies will attempt to deceive you, lying all the time.
Auzorm'tvorl gathers allies "from the deep" (All right, I don't know what that means.)
Auzorm'tvorl is out to destroy everything: foe, ally, and neutral alike.
Beware! Auzorm'tvorl and His allies will try to fool us, and if we fall for it, we're doomed.
The priest of Auzorm'tvorl, and his...disciples?...have been seen in Baldar's Gate and in the Troll Hills, both of which are next to the Black Fields.

The fourth monolith is in the desert of Calimshan. Those runes say:

    The caverns walls close as the earth's flesh sighs in her sleep
    Death grips the key yet melts away, in the bowels of power out of memory
    A trinket, a jewel, yet nothing so trite, forces beyond touch held within
    Bonds are loosening ever so slightly
    Look to see the magic fading, madness from beneath is waiting
    Freedom will be found at a price, but fates are fickle and play not nice
    Victory is found at a price, death for life and life for death


Most of this is history, again. The key which let Auzorm'tvorl be released was hidden, or lost, beneath the earth. I never saw it, but am told it was a bright, shiny, and obviously magical object. I picture it as the perfect bait for a halfling trap. Over the eons, Auzorm'tvorl's prison grew weaker, the magical bonds holding Him entrapped faded. He can be defeated, the world can be free of His threat, but to kill Him will require the sacrifice of a life. And as we know now, and what doesn't seem to have been prophesized, to destroy each layer of the Host will require the sacrifice of a life.

The two damaged monoliths are the fifth and sixth. I don't know which is which. I base my ordering of the first four monoliths on the visions shown in the monoliths, and the visions are scrambled, chaotic, in the damaged ones. So, going by the one I saw first:

The fifth monolith is in a niche in a volcano.

    The seal's end cries and shudders through the deepest of dreams
    In times of ages lost and wane they fell to sleep, to rise up once again
    Promises made and promises kept, roads long buried once again swept
    A child's clarion call rings across the ages
    Moons fade lost like shades, broken pain dropped in fens and in glades
    Mountains tremble, oceans break, forests crumble as again they wake
    Prison walls in times of might fall too quickly forcing their flight


This monolith is mostly about the spirits of the Ancient Heroes. When the seal holding Auzorm'tvorl imprisoned was sundered, it seems the spirits of the Ancient Heroes rose again. Long ago, they had died, wandered into the spirit realm, and stayed dormant, if not exactly asleep. But their Oath brought them back. The "child" must refer to Noloth'e. Time past, ten eons of moon after moon, and the spirits rested, sunk further into their pain and defeat. Then when Auzorm'tvorl escaped, bursting out of prison, mountains trembled and the ancient spirits awoke, and rose, flew, scattering before Him, but once again aware of their task and their Oath.

The sixth monolith is in a garden in underwater Skerttd-Gul.

    One gleaming white star, a pretty gem in the shroud of deepest night
    A handful of stars, a story told in the constellation of dreams
    A band of constellations marching across the sky to light the road
    Waves of stars surging across the heavens to banish the dark
    Shaping the path, to quench the destruction promised from another time
    One star can banish the dark but is masked by the smallest of hands
    Bring hope, all hope, that light may yet shine after battle is done


Obviously, this is about finding allies in the fight against Auzorm'tvorl. Noloth'e started this alone. At first there were few who saw the monoliths, and experienced the visions. Then more, and still more. Joining together to fight Auzorm'tvorl. It was an awesome task for her, perhaps ten eons of preparation and waiting and more waiting, all alone, to make sure the coming battle was joined. Alas, the prophecy does not say we will triumph. Nor does it say Auzorm'tvorl will win. That outcome is unknown.

The last monolith may be the most visited. There in the black swamp, among the trolls.

    Beyond the lands of solid ground, where good and neutral and evil dwell
    Denizens drift and wander past while vile powers surge.
    Gold and silver, steel and gems, mystical elements merge
    Beauty to shelter the most sinister of beings within its shell
    Hear the cry from the moon's ancient daughter, feel the urge.
    Bring the armies, draw the heroes, the war is upon the Realms
    He who has dreamed vengeance for ten thousand years now wakes.


By now, everyone should be able to translate this one. There in Avernus, far from this plane where we live, Auzorm'tvorl grows stronger. Fitted into, or maybe it's fitted around him, layers of stone and metal, and many other materials, magically formed. No doubt it will be quite a sight. Not that I expect there'll be much time for sightseeing.

I rather wish I didn't understand all of the prophecies, didn't have an interpretation for every one of them. For a verse obscure would suggest there's still something more to discover before the final battle.
Clan Blindhammer
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Postby Clan Blindhammer » Wed Dec 22, 2004 10:22 pm

Bah, "from the deep" could mean many things, you halfbred horn honker.
Gurns
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Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2001 5:01 am

Postby Gurns » Wed Dec 22, 2004 10:34 pm

Clan Blindhammer wrote:Bah, "from the deep" could mean many things, you halfbred horn honker.

Which is why I don't know what, specifically, it means. Which is why I was careful not to say, for example, that it oh-so-clearly points to Clan Duergar, or the illithid, or some other group, joining Auzorm'tvorl, because it could mean many things. But it hardly seems important.
Clan Blindhammer
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Joined: Wed Dec 18, 2002 6:01 am

Postby Clan Blindhammer » Wed Dec 22, 2004 10:52 pm

Seems to be evidence enough to be blamin Nilan fer all o' our problems again! Here here! Mead to the halfbreed fer that insight! :)
Sonon
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Location: San Antonio,Texas
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Postby Sonon » Wed Dec 22, 2004 11:35 pm

leave nilan alone the assassin has done nothing wrong for a while he has been sitting next to the mir forest for forever
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Alysia group-says 'Lilen immolates a terrified squirrel to a charred crisp with his devastating inferno!'
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Lilen group-says 'where are all da trolls i was promised'
Lilen has left the group.

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