The Black Necklace I
From Atlantic Roleplay Wiki
Title: The Black Necklace I
Author: Trebr Drab
This is a story I've worked on for over four years to this point. It started when I first heard that the Liche Juo'Nar bore a black necklace that gave him powers over death, both his own and his undead legions.
This necklace brought to mind other necklaces in other stories of past events, and my four year search had started. Through old tomes and archives I poured my efforts, ever watching current events as they unfold. New witness to new things only added to my certainty, but I didn't have enough to convince you, fellow Britannians, that what I suspected could be true. Nae, even I had changed my suspicions often as I found subtle hints, read the past thoughts of other adventurers, and discovered new writtings of historic importance.
Until recently.
This is Minax wearing the necklace called "Mondains Embrace", just before it was taken from her recently by Odric. I ask you to keep this necklace, gold with a black center, in mind, because this is what it's all about.
But I must caution you, some of this is reaching towards speculation. There is enough, however, to show that something is definitely involved in all of this. As I set out this story before you, I think you will see that this is almost certainly the way of it.
When it began
It was ancient times, in a stronghold outside of time, where the would be overlord of all of Sosaria, he who in fact would be such in his own time, worked an arcane magic on a ruby of surpassing power, the Gem of Immortality. The would be ruler was binding this gem to himself to make him what he would become. This magic would turn the Ruby Gem of Immortality black, and give Mondain unequaled power.
"Mondain was using his father's gem against itself to produce a black jewel that would render him and his evil immortal."
The Stranger enters, just before the conclusion of the spell of binding, and defeats Mondain by first shattering the Gem of Immortality and then the would be overlord himself.
It is widely held that this was the end to the would be overlord, and the beginning of the many shards created when the Gem of Immortality was shattered, the beginning of our own time. But was it quite that way? He reached! For what, I ask ye? Did the spell of binding truly not be cast in conclusion? Or did Mondain finish the casting, on but a single shard, a sequence repeated within each shard of the shattering?
All we have had, until now, were scattered shards and the Relics of Mondain to bear witness to this event. These relics are said to still hold power within them, held over from the power infused in the living body of the would be overlord, through the power of the Gem.
(Look down to "Relics of Mondain")
"Mondain, the evil wizard, was slain. But some of his body parts were kept as relics, and they probably still contain magical energy."
Unearthed in the Hands of Twins
They were Lathiari and Kyrnia, twins born with surpassing skill in the arcane. Their desire to keep their mother from death led them on a failed journey through the study of magics and lore. Failed, that is, until after their mothers death, until the discovery of a "missing element" to their necklace of life preserving which they hoped would restore life to their dead mother.
But the life restored was not life, but unlife, and their mother cursed them and demanded an end to her unlife state. They cut her up and burnt the pieces. What became of this necklace in unknown to me.
However, they kept their mothers eyes, fashioning new necklaces that each of the twins would wear. They themselves then became liches through their mothers curse as the ages passed, perhaps due to the magics instilled in their mothers form, through her eyes, from this "missing element", just as Mondains form still held power.
What was this "missing element"? Was it Shrinestone, or it's corrupted version known as Blackrock? Or was it some other artifact, perhaps created at the shattering of the Gem?
"they were trying to find a way of infusing an amulet with energies that would magically protect the wearer from physical harm."
"Until a humid summer night, when they happened upon what they believed was the missing element."
"With a voice worn rough through years of silence she said, "My body…my life…thou hath returned none of these things to me…thine pathetic magicks have rendered me thus…a crippled vessel of passions long faded…a pain that every section of my body screams…a death, desperate to reclaim me…how dare thee interrupt such blissful sleep with this mockery of form…thou wilt never taste the glories thine hearts hath dreamt…mine power is hereby resolved to see you cursed…forbidden to walk amongst others…feared, and hated." ”
"They cut their mother into many pieces, and burned all of them, save the eyes, which they had fashioned into necklaces they wear to this day."
The Village of Paws
Paws was a village north of Trinsic, where much to do with all of this seems to be centered from this point forward, at least up to a point which I shall eventually get to.
This small village, about 40 years ago, was destroyed in an attack by orcs, leaving only one survivor.
It is important to note, orcs are the creation of Mondain, and perhaps passed on to Minax his lover and companion in evil.