Log: 01042013 - Ror and Rasaeri

OOC commentary: This rp was slow live, therefore a bit short, but still good! Speed is not always everything and it goes to show. Enjoy!

Landing Ashore

The two-masted ship slid calmly into the bay, banners of the eastern trading fleet flapping overhead as the crew checked and tied away ropes.  Overhead, the sun beamed warmly down from a sky dotted with white clouds, and over a railing, a young man emptied the few remnants in his belly into the calm waters.

A strong tan hand clapped him on the back, "We be landin', boy. You can stop tryin'a paint the side o' me boat now."

"Thank you... Your pay..." he started, as he pulled a small bag of coins from his coat pocket, but the captain stayed his hand.

"Ye've done more than enough to pay yer passage. Ye go on wit' yer coin and spend it on a pretty lass.. Once ye clean up, a'course," the gruff man chuckled and turned, then began barking orders at the crew to prepare for the unloading of cargo in the trade city of New Thalos. 

The purse went back into his coat pocket, and he went below-deck to gather his  meager belongings from the cramped cabin that had been his home for the past  weeks: a wide-brimmed hat for sun that he would definitely need, a cape for cold weather that he wouldn't, steel, flint, dried rations, and a dark leather-bound book sitting on his bed.

Lifting the flap of his pack, he loaded it all in, pausing last on his book. Flipping through all of its pages from front to back, he peered at its blank pages.  Reaching the back cover, he flipped the book in his hands and traced his finger over its bindings and edges, then slowly turned it back to its front.

He closed his eyes, visualized the pages of notes he had written the night before, and opened its covers... the writing and diagrams slowly inked themselves onto the pages as he thumbed through them, admiring his drawings of the boat and its design. 

"New Thalos docks!  Tie it off!  Gangplank down!  Start unloading the cargo!"

He emptied his mind and the writing faded to blank pages again an he shut it tightly, sliding it into the pack as he threw it over his shoulder and stumbled towards the door-- growing dizzy as he realized the swaying had stopped.

History of the Church of Mysteries (Church of Mystra)

As written down in the annals of history by Krogenar.

• Morus Lo Siew, son of a Kara-Turan merchant, using the annals of Nisstyre's journeys discovers the Great Nexus and is one of the first to enter into the New World.
• Morus Lo Siew in battle with newly established Cyricists loses his eyes to a spell gone awry, with his eventual defeat to the army of Cyricist he hides in an great tree outside of Westbridge.
• As thirty days pass inside the tree, Morus is visited by the goddess Mystra. The lady of all mysteries grants him the 'sight' and he is able to see as he use to, but without his eyes. At this time Mystra also grants him the mantle of the Magister and the title of her Prophet.
• Morus Lo Siew establishes the Cult of Mysteries, becoming one of the first three faiths of the New World. The others being the The Church of Strife and the Church of Celestia.
• Morus Lo Siew joins the peaceful Guardians in hopes that the realms will follow the ways of pacifism, his dreams soon fade away.
• Morus Lo Siew becomes one of the founding fathers of the Harpers, his magic designing the old clan hall. Some remnants of the old clan hall can still be seen.
• Morus Lo Siew in a fit of madness, spurred by the Cyrinshad commits suicide rather than following Cyric.
• The mantle of Magister and Prophet are lost to the Cult of Mysteries.
• Onovae La'Nael, the student of Morus Lo Siew, takes over the Cult of Mysteries.
• Onovae La'Nael dies at the age of 150 after serving the parliament of Westbridge and the Cult and at his funeral the goddess of Mysteries finally appeared to the entire realms.
• Mystra, the Mother Magi, creates the Church of Mysteries. Pax Faerunis is created.
• Mystra institutes the Tribunal.
• Mystra institutes the Knights of the Mystic Fire, the Priesthood, and the Lords and Ladies of Mystery.
• Mystra lays the mantle of the Magister on William, former Highpriest of Mysteries.
• William retires and the mantle of the Magister is lost once more. The Harpers, Church of Celestia, and Church of Mysteries are all that is left of the Pax Faerunis.
• The states of Tripower and Vector war, the Church of Mysteries takes in the wounded and makes pleas for peace.
• The Church of Mysteries after seeing the destruction of Espers in the hands of Vector, join the Tripower in fighting the empire.
• With the beginning of the prophecies, Mystra is forced to leave the realms to protect it against 'outside' forces. These forces are still unknown to mortal men.
• With Mystra's departure the Church of Mysteries lay in the hands of Epsilon, keeper of the Weave.
• The Church of Mysteries soon become stagnant and all forms of rank are soon discarded, membership falls.
• Mystra returns to the realms after transferring the babe of Elaine into her own avatar. The babe is safe from the powers of Cyric.
• The Church of Mysteries begins to return to former glory.
• All ranks are reinstated.
• The Mystrans, Grandal, Laisha, Krogenar, and Shara discover the first clues of The Hemelia Virus.
• Mystra's Power alters the Forest of Mysteries, home of the Mystrans.
• Chultan Fire Ants, Triceratops and other strange new animals wander the Forest...
• Three Charities Quest created. (say 'quest me' at the Librarian.)
• Krogenar named 'Lord General.'
• Danthor named 'Father Magi'.
• Grognard (former member of the Dragon Hoard) loses his undead status, and, under the tutelage of Laisha and Shara, begins his life anew as a Lay Mystran.
• Khalan (leader of Church of Justice) is angered by the Church of Mysteries' inclusion of Grognard - The Tyrrans are at war with the DHPK.
• At a meeting to re-affirm our loyalty to Khalan and his Church, Laisha and Shara watch in horror as Grognard attacks Khalan within his own Church, at the alleged urgings of Nisstyre himself.
• A major battle is fought between the DHPK and Church of Mysteries and the Church of Justice within the forest of Mysteries. It showed Gragnard's true betrayal to the Mystrans.
• The allegiance with the Church of Justice ends.
• Grognard is expelled from the Forest of Mysteries by Mystra and the CoM's leaders. He is reviled by Mystra, and told he must repent by stripping himself of all belongings, and begging forgiveness from all out allies.
• Grognard leaves the DHPK, and becomes a Loner.
• Khalan is ambushed by a group of Strifers. Laisha throws herself into the battle, saving him - but is mortally wounded.
• Khalan reinstates our allegiance with the Church of Justice, and praises Laisha as an example for both Churches.
• Grognard joins the Church, and replaces Krogenar as 'Lord General' Later, he leaves the Church.
• Krogenar founds 'The Order of The Shooting Star' - for striders and rangers only. He is named 'Strider Supreme' as the leader of the new order.
• Krogenar is made a member of the Tribunal, the first ever non-mage to hold the position.
• Azuth returns as a guide for the Church in Mystra's absence.
• Krogenar is removed as a Tribunal member, and decides to leave The Church of Mysteries. For his own safety, and that of the Church, his memories of his life as a Mystran are magically removed, and he is left to wander The Realms as he did before entering the Church.
• Laisha Goldfeather descends into the Underdark, and is not seen since.
• Simbul, Witch Queen of Aglarond, becomes a member of The Tribunal.

Tenets of the Church of Istishia

These were general guidelines laid out by the Church of Istishia on how to effectively roleplay an Istishian. The advice was to please modify them to suit one's particular needs.

• Address each other as 'Sister of Water' or 'Brother of Water'. Show openly respect to each other and with genuine affection. Istishians should appear as a large family.
• If one was able, items should have a more watery tone to them.
• One should act generally peaceful. Note that this does not mean "be a punching bag", it means: don't look for a fight. When the time comes, Istishians fight if necessary.
• Speak in "watery terms". Saying things like: "Farewell, until next our fates flow together.", "The Rok's is but a pebble that will skip off Istishia's mighty oceans!"

History of the Church of Istishia

Originally compiled by Krogenar. (If it's wrong, yell at him.)

• Fafnir founds the Westbridge Chapter of the Church of Istishia.
• Quaster joins the Church of Istishia soon after, and Fafnir and Quaster begin to bring people to the new Faith.
• The Hemelia Virus strikes The Realms. Many believe it the work of The Rok.
• In his travels to find a cure for Hemelia, Krogenar believes he is visited by Istishia, in the depths of the Great Northern Sea. Believing himself rescued from death, and charged by Istishia to find a Cure - he returns to Westbridge as a believer.
• Krogenar preaches in the Market Square of WestBridge that only Istishia can save The Realms from the Hemelia Virus.
• Krogenar inducted into the Church, becomes a Brother of Water.
• Fafnir leaves the WestBridge Chapter of the CoI in order to create other Chapters throughout the Realms.
• He leaves Quaster to look after the Church in his absence.
• Fafnir takes up the mantle of every profession he can master - warrior, gladiator, strider, sage, etc. - in order to make himself more useful to the CoI.
• Krogenar joins the Church of Mysteries at Laisha's offer.
• Believing that Krogenar cannot serve two Churches - Quaster excommunicates Krogenar from the Church.
• Quaster put on Trial before The Church of Justice for the Rape of Zaria. Kaylan presides over the hearing. The hearing is inconclusive.
• Krogenar is reinstated as a member of the Church.
• Fafnir returns as a warrior to WestBridge, and continues his training, but is rejected by Quaster as a member of the Church - believing that he abandoned the Church.
• Kaylan, Paladin of Tyr, announces the pending Trial of Quaster - now that he has gathered enough evidence.
• Fafnir and Quaster reconcileFafnir is a member of the Church again, though he claims that he never left.

Church of Players

Faction name: Church of Players
Faction type: Faction
Status: Defunct
 
Former townships: Old Thalos

A history summarized

Found and adapted from the annals of the Apostles of Sune:

The Great Realms, are a continent on the world of Toril and was divided into empires (Tripower, Vector, Sephiroth, Heifong). In the past the cities within these empires were lead by factions. But these factions are no more and power has been consolidated in the hands of the clans. Of which the Tripower Kingdom and the Vectorian Empire are two. Overhead, the Ragnarok - known to many as simply the Rok - sat in the sky. It was a giant meteor that was said to bring destruction and chaos, while some believed it would bring rebirth as well. At one point the Tripower Kingdom created a Makou cannon to destroy the Rok, nicknamed "Stalin's Organ", but it failed and the Rok remained until it fell.

Makou and MagiTek energies are used up to this day to power the realms, although MagiTek is shunned by many. Magic always had a very visible, tangible presence. There were and still are numerous immortals, some of which make appearances in the Realms and others which do not. Travel over great distances is still accomplished by magical means or by airships.