Kyyrk
Vylmira's Wrath
[youtube]https://youtu.be/Z2AtSb8FLPM[/youtube]
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
The Spire is the entry point of the Pilgrim's Rest. Every being on their first visit enters the realm from the top of the Spire. The Spire stands tall over a sea of endless storm clouds, Lightning writhing and crackling under the surface. The Spire bears the hallmarks of a ruined temple, reminiscent of those found on Ilum. The only route offered to the travelers that venture here is a stairway leading down below the clouds...
The Grand Foyer exists within the storm cloud, yet the storm cannot enter it. The Grand Foyer takes the shape of a massive hall, intricately carved columns lining the sides. It is here that the newly deceased gather, preparing to make their final journey. On one side of the hall, the stairs lead back up to The Spire. On the other, a sheer drop into the clouds below. Those that visit must choose: Return to the Spire, or take the leap, and accept their fate.
The Fortress is the main structure on the Island below. Seemingly larger on the inside, the Fortress is home to the barracks, the armory, the planning hall, The Library, The Map, and the stair leading down to the Portal. There is also a second stair that leads to a chamber known only as The Tear. For the inhabitants of the Pilgrim's Rest, the Fortress is home.
The Library is the heart of the portal system within the Pilgrim's Rest. The books each represent a different destination. The user simply needs to select the book they wish, and place it on a pedestal in the middle of the room. The book is then transported down below, ready to be read, and fulfill its purpose of moving the user to a new location...
The Map is a strange device, one that assembles and displays the collective sum of the user's knowledge. Any who choose to commune with the device can create a flash of their entire knowledge, and store it within the machine. In addition, the device compiles a gatekeeper based on the knowledge uploaded. The Map stores the information separately, save for the galactic map, which compiles all collective knowledge to display an accurate map of both the galaxy, and the Netherworld...
The Tear is a chamber underneath the Fortress, where the living might interact with the dead. Some notable Jedi have been able to manifest themselves in the mortal world before, but not every being is capable of this. In the Tear, even Non-Force Users can come to visit those who step within. It is not without cost, though. The experience is draining for both participants, and the entire chamber seeks to instill a feeling of foreboding within the inhabitants. To reach beyond the bounds of death is unnatural, and the very fabric of the Force itself weeps at attempts to cross the threshold...
The Observatory is set on a large boulder off the coast of the island. The bridge extends from the Fortress out across the water to the Observatory. Within the golden dome, Inhabitants can use the Observatory to look beyond the veil separating the Pilgrim's Rest from the rest of the Netherworld. Only those proficient with the Force may accomplish this feat, and the user must have traveled to the location before they are able to see it from within the Observatory. The exact methods to utilizing this wonder of the afterlife, however, has been lost to history. Perhaps there is a way to re-learn what has been lost?
The stair leading down into the depths of the island emerges at the top of a large tower overlooking a vast subterranean ocean. The Tower stands in the midst of a natural harbor, guarded on the north side by a massive gate. On the balcony overlooking the harbor, one will find a pedestal with a book resting atop it. This book, when read, will describe the readers action as they are moved to a different plane of existence, before the book itself fades away after the reader realizes that they have been transported. This serves as the portal back to the Mortal Realm, or deeper into the Netherworld.
NETHERWORLD INFO
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
There was quiet. All was well. The day was saved. But in the flash of a blade, it all changed. And in the span of seconds, the world descended to madness. The Pilgrim found himself standing atop a foul spire, towering over the ominous storm clouds below. He ventured forth, seeking to find the bottom. Deep within the clouds, he Discovered the Foyer. And at the edge, the Prophet. She begged him to follow her below. To leap from the tower, and cast all his cares aside. And he did.
Yet some foul magic befell him, for when he awoke, he found himself alone. The spire just visible in the clouds above. The island was abandoned, uninhabited save for a collection of buildings dotting the surface. And so, he waited. Minutes turned to hours. Hours turned to days. Days turned to weeks. And still she did not come for him. At his wits end, The pilgrim began to explore the island. It was not long before he discovered the book. Hidden away deep below the surface, on a balcony overlooking the great Ocean Cavern. As he began to read it, he realized that the book spoke of him. Right this very moment. And suddenly, he was stood on a balcony overlooking the vivid Nar Shadda skyline.
He was not dead. Not entirely. The Traitor had bound him to her. Refusing to let him go. And though he spoke with her, pleaded to allow him his final rest, she refused. And so the Pilgrim returned to his island prison. Soon others began to join. Until a small village had assembled at the base of The Tower. The inhabitants lived in harmony, passing the time with simple tasks and chores, until one day The Pilgrim found something. Something he'd never noticed before. A bridge, stretching out across the waters, to a large rock perched off the shore. The great golden dome shone in the sunlight. And so, the Pilgrim discovered the Observatory.
But one day, he heard a voice. Calling to him. He sought it out, and found The Tear. A place where those unable to die might speak with those unable to live. And though he could see his true love within this chamber, The Pilgrim despised it. The very thought made him sick. It was something most unnatural, even for the place he found himself. But the lure of seeing her brought him back. Some days, she was not there, nor would she come, no matter how long he waited. In the end, the Pilgrim turned his back on the Tear. He would not find what he sought there.
As the weeks turned to months, and months turned to years, the inhabitants began to decline, slipping from thought and reason to peaceful rest, finally becoming one with the Force, and accepting their final rest. The Pilgrim clung to what few sentient souls he could, but he was soon left alone. The silence was maddening. And for a thousand cycles, he walked the shores of the island alone. And though he continued to safeguard the island, and watch over those who came to its shores, he did not speak again. Until that fateful day when his misery was ended. The Pilgrim passed from all knowledge, for who among the silent would tell the tale of the silent guardian?
To this day, the Pilgrim's Rest remains a beacon of hope, light, and rest among the dark terrors of the afterlife. It beckons to those without a home, to a final rest befitting a warrior who has nothing left to give. One final comfort before they are embraced by the Force for eternity...
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To create a safe haven in the midst of the Netherworld, serving as a jumping point for further ventures into the Netherworld
- Image Credit: X X X X X X X X
- Canon: N/A
- Links: N/A
- Landmark Name: Pilgrim's Rest
- Classification: Island
- Location: Netherworld
- Affiliation: Neutral
- Size: Large
- Population: Sparse
- Demographics: The Pilgrim's Rest is inhabited by wayward spirits, drawn to it as a place of peace and rest in the afterlife. Though it does not explicitly repulse Dark Side beings, none of the inhabitants are Dark aligned, suggesting that the place either does not appeal to Dark Siders, or some other force actively prevents their kind from entering. This, however, only holds true for the dead. Living Dark Siders that venture into the Netherworld by other means are able to enter with no resistance.
- Accessibility: The area is easily accessible by artificial Nether Portals (provided the user knows how to properly configure it), or by the natural Nether portal created alongside the Pilgrim's Rest, currently located on Ilum.
- Description: The Pilgrim's rest is an island, among an infinite sea of both water and cloud. The peak of the island is located far above the clouds, with stairs leading from the spire down into the mists below. Beneath the first layer of cloud is the grand foyer. Beneath that, the endless sea of cloud, and The Leap. Down below the Entry Spire, the island is lush and green, the "sun" perpetually hanging low in the storm-covered sky. A collection of buildings dot the island's surface, all old and archaic by current standards. The main building features a winding stair, traveling down a central support pillar to the heart of the island, featuring a small harbor at the center of an endless subterranean ocean. It is here that the portal home, or deeper into the netherworld is located. The surface of the island is sunny, yet constantly raining. However, the ground never saturates.
NETHERWORLD INFO
- Gate: The Pilgrim's Rest features a gateway buried deep under the island, which can be altered to travel to other places within the Netherworld.
Lucidity: Though the location is fairly lucid, some features do not make sense. The Island is located on an endless ocean, from which one cannot escape. Any attempt to leave the island by conventional means will result in the traveler looping back to the island. The entry spire far above the island is floating amidst the storm clouds, and yet there is no discernible method for this structure to remain where it is. Certain structures also may be larger on the inside. The portal located beneath the island takes the form of a book, always adapting to describe the reader's actions as they are transported to their destination. People utilizing this portal would begin reading to no effect, only to travel when they first blink, or otherwise lose perception of their surroundings. When they look up from the book, it vanishes into thin air. Additionally, attempts to map the area will reveal that the Ocean Cavern's ceiling is higher than the sea floor when approached from above.
Hostility: The souls inhabiting the Pilgrim's Rest are wandering and apathetic, with these traits increasing the longer a soul spends time here. A being having just died, for instance, will still have a keen sense of self and purpose, often carrying out small tasks around the island for the sake of something to do. An ancient inhabitent, in contrast, would be content to simply sit and relax, shuffling from one resting point to another, with no aim or hurry. After all, why should they? They have found the thing their very soul desires more than anything. Rest.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
There was quiet. All was well. The day was saved. But in the flash of a blade, it all changed. And in the span of seconds, the world descended to madness. The Pilgrim found himself standing atop a foul spire, towering over the ominous storm clouds below. He ventured forth, seeking to find the bottom. Deep within the clouds, he Discovered the Foyer. And at the edge, the Prophet. She begged him to follow her below. To leap from the tower, and cast all his cares aside. And he did.
Yet some foul magic befell him, for when he awoke, he found himself alone. The spire just visible in the clouds above. The island was abandoned, uninhabited save for a collection of buildings dotting the surface. And so, he waited. Minutes turned to hours. Hours turned to days. Days turned to weeks. And still she did not come for him. At his wits end, The pilgrim began to explore the island. It was not long before he discovered the book. Hidden away deep below the surface, on a balcony overlooking the great Ocean Cavern. As he began to read it, he realized that the book spoke of him. Right this very moment. And suddenly, he was stood on a balcony overlooking the vivid Nar Shadda skyline.
He was not dead. Not entirely. The Traitor had bound him to her. Refusing to let him go. And though he spoke with her, pleaded to allow him his final rest, she refused. And so the Pilgrim returned to his island prison. Soon others began to join. Until a small village had assembled at the base of The Tower. The inhabitants lived in harmony, passing the time with simple tasks and chores, until one day The Pilgrim found something. Something he'd never noticed before. A bridge, stretching out across the waters, to a large rock perched off the shore. The great golden dome shone in the sunlight. And so, the Pilgrim discovered the Observatory.
But one day, he heard a voice. Calling to him. He sought it out, and found The Tear. A place where those unable to die might speak with those unable to live. And though he could see his true love within this chamber, The Pilgrim despised it. The very thought made him sick. It was something most unnatural, even for the place he found himself. But the lure of seeing her brought him back. Some days, she was not there, nor would she come, no matter how long he waited. In the end, the Pilgrim turned his back on the Tear. He would not find what he sought there.
As the weeks turned to months, and months turned to years, the inhabitants began to decline, slipping from thought and reason to peaceful rest, finally becoming one with the Force, and accepting their final rest. The Pilgrim clung to what few sentient souls he could, but he was soon left alone. The silence was maddening. And for a thousand cycles, he walked the shores of the island alone. And though he continued to safeguard the island, and watch over those who came to its shores, he did not speak again. Until that fateful day when his misery was ended. The Pilgrim passed from all knowledge, for who among the silent would tell the tale of the silent guardian?
To this day, the Pilgrim's Rest remains a beacon of hope, light, and rest among the dark terrors of the afterlife. It beckons to those without a home, to a final rest befitting a warrior who has nothing left to give. One final comfort before they are embraced by the Force for eternity...