| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
Arivia
Great Reader
Canada
2965 Posts |
 Posted - 18 Jun 2004 : 19:24:31
|
Well, here are some of the first fruits of what I've been doing on the new FR planar structure-and yes, I was trying to write like the old PS works.
The Fated Depths
The Fated Depths are perhaps the worst of the fiendish planes to go to-It won’t suck your soul out, but it will gradually kill you, anyway. The Depths are an inhospitable place to Faerunians-but some life does exist there.
Entering the Depths
It’s not too hard to find the depths-just drop into the River of Blood, and follow it all the way down. Oh, you don’t want to do that? Then things get harder. There aren’t many portals to the place-no reason to make them-and what ones do exist are holed up behind kuo-toa whips, or at the bottom of Abyssal layers. I can tell you of a few(There are likely more.):
Angel’s Burden: There’s a layer in the Abyss called Angel’s Burden(for reasons best left unmentioned here). It’s a place of dark, lightless, submerged or near-submerged underground passages and caverns. One of these caverns holds a small amount of air, and a small town(Nightwater) on a stone ledge. Nightwater’s nominal leader, the tanar’ri Relkarn, lives in a mysteriously untouched needle of blackish rock, extending below the surface of the water. Inside the needle, underwater, is a portal to the Fated Depths-the key an aboleth tentacle, I’ve heard.
The Elemental Plane of Water:
One of the plane’s myriad coral constructs contains a portal to the Depths. Watch out for black coral, and more fiendishly influenced creatures around that coral.
Fury’s Heart: Under the surface of the Blood Sea lies the ruins of some ancient civilization. This one appears to have been aboleth ruled, and shows their influences in their architecture. The remnants of the ruins cloak a portal or two to the Depths, including an unusual one set to always deposit those who travel through it on Sekolah’s back.
Areas of the Depths
Contrary to what most may tell you, there are definite areas to the Depths. None are any more or any less deadly-they’re just different.
The Maw: The Depths does also have a top. Namely, where it meets the River of Blood. The River comes cascading through the Deep Caverns, runs along a stone shaft, and enters the Fated Depths(I’ve been told by those who have taken the journey that it’s fairly easy to spot when you’re entering the Depths-the water turns from red to pitch black.). There’s no surface impact, though-you just get propelled along by the force of the water straight into the Depths. Now, the Maw isn’t where the River enters the Depths-it’s where all those souls and items floating down the river get thrown along to. Used to be a good spot, I heard-until a group of demons claimed it as their own. They displaced the old group around the Maw-by killing them, of course. No other way to do it.
Sekalka: Sekolah makes its domain wherever it goes. No one has dared challenge that successfully ever. So, its coming likely results in a large exodus-and of course, not all make it out. Sekalka is the term the locals use to refer to the area Sekolah dominates-miles. Inside Sekalka, the amount of sahuagin dramatically increases, and so does the turbulence of the water. Sekolah likes it crashing, it seems. Not much more to say, except that Sekolah has been seen(by those daring enough to pass inside Sekalka) with some valuable things incrusted in its skin. But no one’s ever taken them. Who would dare play lure with a god?
The Jetsam Floats: Floating around the Fated Depths is the River’s refuse. The areas it largely collects in are called the Jetsam Floats. Now, what is garbage to those who the River passes through varies wildly-so someone searching through the mess might find a magical sword one second, a dead demon the next. Skimming, as searching through the Floats is called, is a dangerous activity-the garbage eliminates what little vision a Faerunian might have in the Depths. Remember, though, that not everything from the River falls into the Floats-it’s just where it usually goes. The odder items get taken pretty quickly.
More to follow, but are there any questions on this piece?(Mind you, this came out of a half-hour in History class, so it may not be exactly up to snuff...)
|
Edited by - Arivia on 21 Jun 2004 07:56:02
|
|
|
Sarelle
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
508 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jun 2004 : 19:41:22
|
This is quite nice Arivia. I like Sekalka and the Jetsam Floats especially.
Two nit-picks though - didn't the PGtF mention several portals to the Elemental Plane of Water? I would imagine there would be more than one between such similar planes. If you didn't mean that to be the only one, maybe you could make it a bit clearer. The second one is - I would have thought portal/s to Fury's Heart would have had more of a Umberlee connection. Again, it might be that that was not intended as the only such portal, and if so I apologise.
But mostly, nice to see such flavour to the genericity (not a word, I know) by the PGtF. |
Chair of the The Rightful Return of Monster Deities to FR Society (RRMDFRS)
My character, drawn by Liodain: Sarelle / Sarelle (smaller) |
 |
|
|
Arivia
Great Reader
Canada
2965 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2004 : 19:08:04
|
quote:
Originally posted by Sarelle
This is quite nice Arivia. I like Sekalka and the Jetsam Floats especially.
Two nit-picks though - didn't the PGtF mention several portals to the Elemental Plane of Water? I would imagine there would be more than one between such similar planes. If you didn't mean that to be the only one, maybe you could make it a bit clearer. The second one is - I would have thought portal/s to Fury's Heart would have had more of a Umberlee connection. Again, it might be that that was not intended as the only such portal, and if so I apologise.
But mostly, nice to see such flavour to the genericity (not a word, I know) by the PGtF.
Oh, no, they aren't the only ones by any stretch of things-they are just a few example ones. I'll fix that last sentence.
EDIT: I'll likely do this sort of thing for all the other planes I'm covering, also-then wrap it up in a nice PDF package, and send it to Alaundo... |
Edited by - Arivia on 19 Jun 2004 20:11:09 |
|
|
|
The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jun 2004 : 07:51:38
|
I like this Arivia  . It has just the right amount of "flavour" from the PS setting to be appealing to those of us who remember the old planar locale write-ups from the Mimir.
In fact, it reminds me a little of the 2e 'The Sinking Tower' burg on the Elemental Plane of Water. Did you use that particular write-up as an inspiration?
|
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
|
|
|
Arivia
Great Reader
Canada
2965 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jun 2004 : 07:54:41
|
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
I like this Arivia . It has just the right amount of "flavour" from the PS setting to be appealing to those of us who remember the old planar locale write-ups from the Mimir.
In fact, it reminds me a little of the 2e 'The Sinking Tower' burg on the Elemental Plane of Water. Did you use that particular write-up as an inspiration?
Nope. Honestly, I was at my wits end figuring out how to develop this-until I got to reading through Planes of Chaos, especially the section on Naratyr. Not that I stole anything-it just showed me how to breathe life, so to speak, into a completely inhospitable area. By the way, would anyone mind if I did an irregular Planar Travelogue, focusing on pieces like this? |
Edited by - Arivia on 21 Jun 2004 08:00:23 |
|
|
|
The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
|
|
Arivia
Great Reader
Canada
2965 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jun 2004 : 08:21:20
|
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
I wouldn't mind it, just as long as I can contribute? I've got a lot of material here that is just waiting to be posted...
Well, of course you're welcome-we seem to be tackling them, together, so-perhaps another scroll is a good idea? |
|
|
|
The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
|
|
Arivia
Great Reader
Canada
2965 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jun 2004 : 08:29:50
|
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
Agreed. Since it's your idea though, I suggest you open the scroll in the most appropriate forum...
*wanders over to the Adventuring section of the library, uncorking a tube at Arivia's belt-from that is pulled a blank scroll, and fresh ink is set to it...* |
|
|
|
Sarelle
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
508 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jun 2004 : 14:33:59
|
Could other contribute, even if they don't have access to Planescape material? I do understand if not.
I have a few random ideas juggling around that I'd love to eventually give some flavour to, and publish. |
Chair of the The Rightful Return of Monster Deities to FR Society (RRMDFRS)
My character, drawn by Liodain: Sarelle / Sarelle (smaller) |
|
|
|
Arivia
Great Reader
Canada
2965 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jun 2004 : 19:58:02
|
quote:
Originally posted by Sarelle
Could other contribute, even if they don't have access to Planescape material? I do understand if not.
I have a few random ideas juggling around that I'd love to eventually give some flavour to, and publish.
I have no problems with such-the relevant scroll can be found in the Adventuring section of the library... |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
The Fated Depths.
