Alvang

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Alvang

« on: 07 October 2007, 18:05:27 »

The Fortress and Enclave of Alvang

Overview

The desolate fortress and town of Alvang built upon an island in the north of the Ancythrian Sea has been the bane of most races for many long years. This dark monstrosity was created back in 110 b.S. during The Age of the Blood by the minions of the dark elven witchking, the Móch'rónn Saban Blackcloak. Since then it has been known to be the center for all dark elven activities. Now it has become deserted and run down after the alleged death of Blackcloak in the third century a.S. The dark fortress and town have begun to crumble after years of being abandoned as a result of the untamed forces of the powerful winds that blow across the island. Most think Alvang was the name of just the fortress, but since it has been abandoned and all other names were lost in the past, it has become a common habit among the people to call the fortress and, also, the town, Alvang.

The island was unoccupied long before Saban Blackcloak, the rocky and hazardous environment keeping people away from the vast landmass in the Ancythrian Sea. No one knows or remembers if it had a name before then, that information lost in the past. Some say that Blackcloak was drawn to the island by some magical essence, where that essence came from is not known and possibly never existed. After Saban took over the island he named the fort that he built "All'valán" ("Above the Dream"). This symbolized his desire to become godlike. The island retained that name as long as Saban lived, but after his death the elven name seemed to vanish. The Caltharians began to refer to the fortress and town as "Alvang", adding a new ending that meant "settlement".

The enclave of Alvang has become known as "Sorcerer's Isle" throughout the land since it housed many dark mages and the Móch'rónn himself for a time. People of both Elsreth and Cavthan, the nearest ports in the Ancythrian Sea, believe that the closer one sails to Alvang the more perilous the journey will be. This might partly be because of the dangerous reefs that exist around the enclave and the storms that rage in this region. But many claim that the troubles in the sea are mainly due to dark magic coming from the isle. Even noted historians believe that the magical trap that was activated on the notorious Witchking's Night millenia ago is still the reason for the dangerous seas and the evil that is said to emanate from the abandoned isle. At any rate ships that travel too close to Alvang rarely come back in good condition. Alvang has been supposedly uninhabited for many years and ghost stories swarm to the place like flies to honey.

Location

The dark fortress of Alvang is built upon a an isle in the northern Ancythrian Sea, called "Sorcerer's Isle" by many, others refer to it by the name of the fortress itself. The sea is located in the northern half of the Southern Sarvonian Continent, and the fortress as well as the town of Alvang resides on this island which is officially part of the Enthronian Province. To the west of the sea are the High Fores that feed into this large body of water. There are two cities on the coast of the sea Elsreth and Cavthan. There are two reefs located near this isle, the Blood Reef on the southeast and the other, the Twilight Reef directly to the south. Both reefs are rather odd in referring to the color of the coral which is red for one and deep blue for the other.

Description

Upon the small island in the middle of the Ancythrian Sea, which was shunned by many for its inhospitable rocky environment, the dark elf, Saban Blackcloak had his minions build a large, intimidating fortress. The huge fortress and town take up less then a fourth of the island, thought the rest is unsettled due to the harsh, rocky enviorment. From the ocean there seems to be a small mountian chair on the eastern side, and cliffs and hills make up the rest of the island. The area on which Alvang was built is rocky but less then the rest of the island. The building was created more than a century before the unification of the tribes to form Santharia and was accomplished by foul magic and housed the vilest things in the world from the moment of its creation and, possibly, until now. The dark grey stone that was used to create this terror is said to still run red with the blood of many. People say that until this very day the stone is stained crimson after the Battle at Alvang which is also called The Witchking's Night. This castle of evil used to house Saban and his minions, who believed in him to be the son of the reincarnation of Coór, Coór'melór, and thus he was named the Móch'rónn (Dark Lord). Few that have claimed to have seen the inside of this terrible monument are still alive today. Most consider those men that claim to have set foot on Alvang to be mad and don't believe them. But despite of that many stories are told of the dark acts that were conducted within those blood-soaked stone walls - and of things that supposedly still happen there.

At the base of the castle is a town, lying in ruins now, built during the time of Saban Blackcloak to house the dark mages loyal to him. The town was built to the north of the great fortress, the ramshackle huts barely enough to survive the storms that swept across the island, but they survived them, as they probably were strengthened by magical means. That was in days past though. Few ships have ventured close to the isle and survived in recent days. Some believe that the magic trap that was triggered on Witchking's Night and caused the demise of so many foes of Saban is still somewhat active and is the source of evil that still hangs over the island and the sea around it. Others say that the bladeserpents act as wardens to keep people away from the fell island. Though some still find themselves near the island and come back alive to tell of what they saw. There have been reports of small huts gone to pieces with time, collapsed upon themselves by the trials of age. The castle is said to begin to give way under the pressure of time and constant storms. Sailors have said to see the tall foreboding towers swaying in the winds during great storms. On the few days, when there are calm waters around the little island, ships that drift close enough tell of crumbling walls and a worn mountain of stone where a masterpiece of evil once stood. It is very rare that too curious adventurers survive a close encounter with Sorcerer's Isle and live. Sailors shun the island and deem it cursed, and they consider everyone cursed as well who deliberately sets a foot on Alvang. The few ships that do come back bring back interesting tales of the crumbling monument and lots of ghost stories. Many an adventurer is said to have sailed into the heart of the sea to discover its secrets, and has not returned.

Some adventurous sailors have attempted to sail to the island, yet they turn back, due to bladeserpent attacks and dangerous storms that seem to come out of nowhere. One ship has actually set sail to the island and returned with two survivors that were driven blind and mute, and most said they were insane. The owner of the shop Dark City in Cavthan, Meercos, claims to have also traveled to Alvang just recently and that he managed to return with treasure from the deserted town. Merrcos said that he convinced a man and his ship to take them there, on the way encountering a bladeserpent but getting away. When asked why he went he just shrugs and says it was for the treasure. The owner is a macanti and many do not believe his tale, but there are others that do. He tells of the ruined city of Alvang, shabby huts blown apart by the wind long ago. Other accounts tell us that frequently water covers most of the island but the pieces of the huts stay, the memory of darkness a stain on the land. Merrcos speaks of shadows that followed him when he ventured on the enclave, always watching his every movement. He says that the fortress was the more fearsome thing he had ever seen, the towering mountain of stone swaying in the wind - a sight that made him doubt whether he could still trust his senses. The large gatehouse and blood-soaked wall were gone to pieces , Meercos recounted, piles of crumbled stones showing nothing of the high gates former glory, the fortress bending to the will of time.

The fool claims he entered the fading fortress. He described what he had seen to a researcher for the Santharian Compendium as follows:

"In the entrance hall there sat a large oak table, split down the middle, old blood has stained the surface and the water that frequently rose took its toll on the hard wood. The remains of wooden chairs were scattered about. Remnants of the once living littered the floor. The thing that caught my eye was a rusted steel sword that had been driven straight through the wood of the table, and the barest remains of someone or something.

I searched the upper rooms, finding no sign of the battle that seemed to have taken place in the great hall. I went through taking artifacts and the like. Little amulets, trinkets and anything I could find. I couldn't open one of the doors, a strange metal door at the top of the fortress. I put my hand to the door to push it open and the metal burned red hot and scorched my hand!"

This our researcher could confirm, as he saw proof of it, Merrcos' right hand was indeed showing the signs of having been severely burned. Though, undoubtedly, the injury could have been caused by something else as well.

"I left after that, going back to the great hall. I assure you, I heard cries of anguish and pain coming from a door on the left side of the hall but I didn't stay long enough to see what it was. I have returned to the ship with my treasures, and survived the return trip - and I should leave it at that, as I don't plan to go to this eerie place that soon again."

-- Merrcos' Hartnan on his adventure at Alvang

Unfortunately, there is no one else to prove the story true. The sailors and the captain of the ship that supposedly took Merrcos to the island were reported dead no less than a week after the alleged visit to Alvang , their ship was lost at sea. The owner of the "Dark City" shop in Cavthan has been proclaimed mad by the people of the town, saying that he believes that he actually went to Alvang and the ghosts now follow him in the form of shadows, sneaking up on him in the dark. An Eyashene mindsoother was called to help him, but was unable to do so, despite the fact that she witnessed several feverish attacks on him, which erupted seemingly without reason.

That story is the closest thing to a description of the haunted island, some believe it, and others think that the man's story is just the ravings of a mad man. Only the ghosts said to haunt the island will probably know the truth.

Coat of Arms

As of now the island is uninhabited and there is no coat of arms. None remember the time of Saban Blackcloak and his terrible reign upon the island and there is no known evidence of the small town and fortress having a coat of arms. If there once was one then that information has been lost in time.

People and Culture

In times long past dark elves, orcs, and dark mages populated the island, filling the isle with every ounce of evil they possessed. The many different tribes that had been enlisted by the Móch'rónn are mostly lost in history. The isle was populated by a mix of dark elves, orcs, mages, and other creatures that flocked to the fortress for one reason, power. Now the only thing that could be living on the island are ghosts or zombies, and you can't exactly call that "living". Sailors that get caught in a storm around Alvang have reported mysterious phenomenons in that area. Such as hundreds of ghost faces being reflected in the rain several peds above sea level. Others tell of ghost sailors fighting against drowning or ghost ships crossing in the distance. More tales can be heard of watchers looking at passing ships from the enclave of Alvang and shrieks being heard from out of nowhere. Sailors believe that the spirits of all those that were killed on the Witchking's Night still haunt the island. These are just the tellings of sailors but none dare to challenge their words.

Climate

Throughout the year there are storms in the Ancythrian Sea. The summer is the harshest time of year for storms. When these storms hit they become extremely violent with high winds and thunderstorms that can capsize a ship. During these few floods water will cover a lot of the island, leaving the bloodied battlements of the forgotten fortress and dangerous jagged peaks as a beacon of warning. When the waters recede the ancient ruins of a long deserted town still remain. The shattered homes that once housed dark mages seem to be forever cursed to haunt the place. The storms might wash away some of the taint upon the land little by little but always sailors come back to port with the stories of a haunted fortress and a ghost town. This strange and aggressive climate doesn't seem explainable for man a scholar, and because of that people think that the storms are generated by dark magic that still lingers in Alvang, and the seas around it.

Flora

Nothing is known for sure about the plants that can be found on his isolated island or if any can be found.

Fauna

The sea is home to the notorious bladeserpent, a beautiful yet deadly creature that has caused misery to many a sailor and their families. Encounters with the bladeserpent have only happened at night, and in the northern part of the sea, close to the enclave of Alvang. Some say the serpents are guardians for ghosts against intruders into their island, but that's just one of many sailors' tales. What seems to be sure is that there are dark secrets buried in the depths of the sea, and while this all seems to make a good tale for a travelers listening to such accounts, one might rethink if one plans to cross the sea for some reason.

Myth/Lore

An old tale is told about the town of Alvang, which usually scares sailors from going far north on the sea. Its origins are lost in time but there isn't a soul that lives on the Ancythrian Sea that hasn't heard of it, or at least a part of the true story. The people tend to believe this story and stay clear of Alvang because of that. What happened on Alvang that day is a mystery to all yet that doesn't stop people from spreading stories about ghosts putting a curse on them, and the spirit of Blackcloak cutting out the hearts of the other members of the crew that went to the island. If you can peal away the layers of sailor tales you might actually get the original story for once. Here's the closest thing to the original tale to be found, the tale as it was written down in "Master Tribell's Miraculous Narrations.

The Undiscovered Sea. There was once a boy who thought he could do anything. Ever since he was little, anything that he was told was impossible, or forbidden, he’d try his best to try it anyway. He was the kind of child who, if given a pair of wings, he might also have been able to fly with them. His spirit was stronger than the spirit of an entire army. He had more energy than all of the other children in the world. But it did not last forever.

Now this young man decided that he wanted to be a sailor. So, when he was old enough, he left Cavthan, his hometown, and sailed the world for thirteen years. When he returned, he was even more headstrong and confident than before. Once he had seen the world, and had come home to settle down again, he thought for a bit. “Now, I’ve sailed all of the seas in the world - I've been to the hot waters of Aeruillin, and I've seen the dangerous reefs of Nybelmar, and even have been on Akdor's shores, but one sea I still haven't mastered . . .” He only just realized that he had never sailed the entire Ancythrian Sea. He had traversed the sea to the west before, but he had never ventured to the mysterious north. At first, he was not really interested in the trip and preferred to enjoy a fisherman's life instead - but the temptation didn't die down. One day finally, he overheard a man talking about the evil town in the northern part of the sea that was guarded by ghosts of the vengeful dead. This piqued his interest even more, and fired up his curiosity. So, he formed a crew and set sail for Alvang, despite the warnings of the townspeople.

Twenty was the number of men that set sail that day, yet only two returned. One week after the ship left, a few broken pieces of plank with two ragged, old men on top, floated to the Cavthan shore. One of them, the captain of the vessel, could not talk. The other was blind. They both were scratched up very badly, and their skin seemed to be a yellow color. Now though the blind man was not also mute, the townspeople could get some words out of him, but not much of a logical sentence. “Lights,” he would say, “Pretty Blue Lights.” The captain, who was mute, stayed to himself from then on, jumping at every noise he heard, and cowering at every whisper. He never looked at the stars again, they seemed to scare him. He would always sleep alone, in the dark, with his head covered. No one ever was able to find out what happened on that ship so long ago. And no one ever had the courage to find out. Some think the daring youth became the daring captain, though none can prove it. The mute captian could not give them an answer and his now jumpy nature keep people away. Only a few people ever knew the truth. His old relitives, though they kept it quiet from most of the town, the humilation too much to bear if anyone they knew found out. Soon everyone gave up on the mute and the blind, and they faded into the background.

- Master Tribell's Miraculous Narrations", p. 79

History

The Age of the Blood

125 b.S. - Axiastras

The marriage of Saban and Axiastras took place. From then on Axiastras was Saban's virtual prisoner and political pawn. Through her Saban demanded what he wanted from the elven tribes and expected their co-operation. Angered by the poor treatment of the Avá'ránn, the Circle refused to recognize Saban's commands and elected another leader, the first male Avá'rónn, Anthioullsn.

110 b.S. - The Founding of Alvang

The little fortress on the island in the middle of the Ancythrian Sea was build by the Móch'rónn's minions and became the center for all dark elven activities. The island was soon given the name Sorcerer's Isle.

Saban saw that his wife Axiastras was useless to him, Saban imprisoned her in Alvang, where he raped her. Her son she named Serveran.

106 b.S. - Anthioullsn

Anthioullsn was one of the greatest Ylfferhim, who - according to the prophecy of the Ionmis Globe - managed to capture the Móh'rónn's heir in a final confrontation at the Thaelon while he lost his own son as well as his life in the dungeons of Alvang. His deeds will ever be remembered among the Ylfferhim elves.

62 b.S. - Battle At Alvang (The Witchking's Night)

The heir to the Móch'rónn, Serveran, guided an enormous army of joined forces of all races to the enclave to put an end to the Móch'rónn's dark ambitions. He commanded elven archers and was joined by the human Helcrani leader Corvas with his army and the renegade dwarf Gonthrol and a hundred of his fellow dwarves.

A traitor had alerted Saban of the coming assault and Saban had set a trap before leaving to attempt to topple the earthen titan beneath the Hèckra volcano. In the end Alvang turned out to be a gravesite for many, as during an assault on the enclave, a magical trap was set off and nearly all of the fighters in the army had been wiped out.

The nature of this trap is unknown. Many historians believe that the magical slaughter still lingers over the island, and the sea, spreading evil with it. This theory is hard to disprove as there are large amounts of accidents involving ships that sail to close to the island.


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Ta`lia of the Seven Jewels

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Re: Alvang

« Reply #1 on: 15 October 2007, 02:02:08 »

Garret, that is quite an interesting place! I will give you a rough check tomorrow or the day after. What I missed from a quick look was the description of the fortress itself and the town (if there is something left). You saying it is evil and monstrous doesn't give me a picture of it. There is sure a tower still standing, a wall which crumbles etc...


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Re: Alvang

« Reply #2 on: 15 October 2007, 02:14:23 »

Reminds me of Karazhan from WoW.... very cool. Description could use some work, as Talia says... you get a visceral feel of the place but not so much of an indepth description of how it looks.

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Ta`lia of the Seven Jewels

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Re: Alvang

« Reply #3 on: 15 October 2007, 02:29:31 »

Garret, I was more thinking of a paragraph or two. You have not changed all you put in blue like one couldsuggest now, I guess it were just these two sentences:

"The castle is said to begin to give way under the pressure of time and constant storms. Sailors have said to see the tall foreboding towers swaying in the winds during great storms. On the few days there are calm waters around the little island, ships that drift close enough tell of crumbling walls and a worn mountain of stone where a masterpiece once stood"

it is an easy escape to say, that there are no visitors there. Saba is long dead and I bet there were adventures there seeking for treasure who did a proper description of the huge fortress. if anything of the city has survived it was surely well build as well.

Give you a night and a day time to think about and write a little more, please! you have the chance to describe a ghost town, so don't give it away!


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Arceon Barrurbeleth

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Re: Alvang

« Reply #4 on: 15 October 2007, 02:45:43 »

Hope I can steer this the right way!

Alright, Garret, let's see what you have here:

Overview:
-you should probably say in which Santharian province is Alvang a part of and you should add a part about it's current appearance
-why do people believe that the journey is more perilous when you get closer to the island? What do people tell about the dangers of the island? Does it gets dangerous because of large cliffs and heavy waves or are there tales about huge monsters lurking around the island? Explain some dangers the sailors have to face...
-why did the people name the island Sorcerer's Isle? If it is because Saban Blackcloak lived there, you should write so

Location:
-same issue as in Overview, include the name of the province Alvang is in
-it is said in the Saban Blackcloak entry that the island is located in the center of the Ancythrian sea and you write that it's located in the north of the same sea. As I think we should not have contradictory information in both entries, I suggest you stick with the old version so that the isle is located at the center of the sea

Description:
-you have contradictory information here as you say that "on the small isle, Saban Blackcloak had his minions build a huge fortress"
-again the issue from the Overview: why do ships rarely come back from the Sorcerer's Isle? Why do ships even pass there? Isn't the direct route between Elsreth and Cavthan (which are, as it appears, the only settlements on the coast) much safer?
-as Talia said, there might be a few adventurers seeking the treasure from whom we can get more detailed description of the inner fortress

Looks good already thumbup

, although there are a few spelling mistakes and some parts need to be rephrased!

Cheers, Arceon


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Re: Alvang

« Reply #5 on: 15 October 2007, 02:59:45 »

Thanks to the help ... Working on fixing up the entry right now and will be sure to put your comments to good use

This info from the artical about the Ancythrian Sea ... Thats where i got the north part ... Also on the map it shows the island more in the north so i went with that information ...
Ancythrian Sea
-The fortress on this tiny island in the north of the sea was built by dark elves, the minions of the Móch'rónn Saban Blackcloak a few centuries before the joining of the ancient kingdoms to Santharia.

-In the northern part of the sea lies the enclave of Alvang, site of the Battle of the Witchking's Night.

Thats the only part about your comments wasn't sure about since most of the information i gathered says its in the northern part of the sea.

Thanks


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Re: Alvang

« Reply #6 on: 15 October 2007, 04:10:57 »

Ok well i added stuff to parts that needed stuff added from the comments i got . . . thanks yall . . .

In the description section i added alot. Worked the description into a little story kind of, hopefully this works out all right . . . Edits made in blue


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Re: Alvang

« Reply #7 on: 15 October 2007, 19:11:44 »

Just a quick note:

Quote

Alvang is in the Enthronia Province

I meant that you incorporate this sentence into another one. Example:

The dark fortress, located in the Santharian province of Enthronia, is built...


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Re: Alvang

« Reply #8 on: 17 October 2007, 03:58:08 »

The description looks much better now, let's see the rest of the entry:

People:
-I understand that it maybe not known precisely which races inhabited the island but due to Alvang's caelgraphical

position people can suppose and guess which races lived on Alvang
-general question: is "Alvang" name of the fort or the town? Or both? If its the name of the fort you should think of the name for the town and vice versa
Flora:
-which creature resides on the island?

Myth/Lore:
- what do people tell/assume what these two persons have seen on the island or around it, what do they assume what happened to the rest of the crew and the young man which was the main character of your story at the beginning? You can use these examples to make your story more interesting and the island of Alvang itself, more mysterious

After you have integrated these comments, bell-ring me so I can give you an Uri!


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Re: Alvang

« Reply #9 on: 28 October 2007, 07:55:00 »

Newest edits made in red . . .

Under Myth/Lore . . . the story came from the information about The Merchant Town Cavthan . . . I figured since it was about Alvang would be good to include it, but I didn't write it so I can't change it, add, or delete anything . . . if it needs to be removed then i'll remove it . . .


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Re: Alvang

« Reply #10 on: 28 October 2007, 19:29:12 »

Lime Green=Comments
Yellow= rephrasing suggestions and grammar

Overview
The desolate fortress and town built upon a tiny island in the north of the Ancythrian Sea has been the bane of most races for many long years. This dark monstrosity was created back in 110 b.S. during The Age of the Blood by the minions of the Móch'rónn Saban Blackcloak. Since then it has been known to be the center for all dark elven activities. After the death of Saban Blackcloak, the town and the fortress itself have been abandoned and ruined down, it was crumbled as by time thus by powerful winds that blow across the island. Most think Alvang was the name of just the fortress, but since it has been abandoned and all other names were lost in the past, it has become a common habit amongst the people to call the fortress and, also, the town Alvang.

The island has become known as Sorcerer's Isle throughout the land since it housed many dark mages and the Móch'rónn himself for a time. People of both Elsreth and Cavthan believe that the closer one sails to Alvang the more perilous the journey will be. Many claim that the troubles in the sea are due to dark magic coming from the isle. Historians believe that the magical trap that was activated on the Witchking's Night is still the reason for the dangerous seas and evil that is said to come from the abandoned isle. This information seems to be true and ships that travel close to Alvang never come back in good condition. Alvang has been supposedly uninhabited for many years and ghost stories swarm to the place like flies to honey.

Location
This dark fortress is built upon a tiny isle, called Sorcerer's Isle by many, in the north Ancythrian Sea. The sea is located near the middle of the Southern Sarvonian Continent~~, a little more towards the north than the south.~~, and the fortress as well as the town of Alvang reside on this island which is officially part of the Enthronia Province. To the west of the sea are the High Fores that feed into this large body of water. There are two cities on the coast of the sea, Elsreth and Cavthan. Being on the coast of the mass of water in which this island fortress was built, they are the closest cities to be found. There are two reefs located near this isle, the Blood Reef on the southeast and the other, the Twilight Reef directly to the south. Both reefs are rather odd in referring to the color of the coral which is red for one and deep blue for the other.

Description
Upon the small island in the middle of the Ancythrian Sea Saban Blackcloak had his minions build a tall, intimidating fortress. The building was created by evil and housed the vilest things in the world from the moment of its creation and, possibly, until now. The dark grey stone that was used to create this terror are said to run red with the blood of many. The stone is still stained crimson after the Battle at Alvang which is also called The Witchking's Night. This castle of evil used to house the son of the reincarnation of Coór, Móch'rónn (Dark Lord). None that have seen the inside of this terrible monument are still alive today(what about the owner of the shop "Dark City" you mention later...) though stories are told of the dark acts that were conducted within those blood-soaked stone walls.

Around the castle is a small town, build by Saban Blackcloak to house the dark mages loyal to him. The town was built to the north of the great fortress, the ramshackle huts barely enough to survive the storms that swept across the island, but they ~~survived and that was good enough~~still stand, even until this day. That was in days past thought, few ships have ventured close to the isle and survived in recent days. Some believe that the magic trap that was triggered on Witchking's Night is still somewhat active and cause and evil to hang over the island and the sea around it. Others say that the bladeserpents act as wardens to keep people away from the fell island. Though some still find themselves near the island and come back alive to tell of what they saw. There have been reports of small huts gone to pieces with time, collapsed upon themselves by the trials of age. The castle is said to begin to give way under the pressure of time and constant storms. Sailors have said to see the tall foreboding towers swaying in the winds during great storms. On the few days, when there are calm waters around the little island, ships that drift close enough tell of crumbling walls and a worn mountain of stone where a masterpiece of evil once stood. It is very rare, though, that these ships survive a close encounter with Sorcerer's Isle and live. A few of them that do survive bring back interesting tales of the crumbling monument and lots of ghost-stories. Many an adventurer is said to have sailed into the heart of the sea to discover its secrets, and has not returned.

Some, more braver, adventurous sailors have attempted to sail to the island, yet they turned back, due to bladeserpent attacks and dangerous storms that seem to come out of nowhere. One ship has actually set sail to the island and returned with two survivors that were driven blind and mute, and many said they were insane. The owner of the shop(name? Such a famous figure should have a name...) Dark City in Cavthan claims to have traveled to Alvang and returned with treasure from the deserted town.(how he go there? Why was he going there anyway?) The owner is a macanti and many do not believe his tale, but there are others that do. He tells of the ruined city of Alvang, shabby huts blown apart by the wind long ago, he tells that, frequently, water covers most of the island but the pieces of the huts stay, the memory of darkness, a stain on the land. The man ~~spoke~~speaks(you first use present and then past, I'll put present for now but you can change it if you want) of shadows following him, always watching his every movements. He ~~said~~says(same problem here...) that the fortress was the more fearsome thing he had ever seen, the towering mountain of stone swaying in the wind. The large gatehouse and blood-soaked wall gone to pieces. Piles of crumbled stone showing nothing of the high gates former glory.

The fool ~~claimed~~claims(is he still alive? if he is than use present in all examples above (which I did). If he is dead than change all examples to past), because when you describe him first, you made him look as a person that still lives) he entered the fading fortress. In the entrance hall a large oak table sat, split down the middle, old blood had stained the surface and the water that frequently rose taking its toll on the hard wood. The remains of wooden chairs scattered about. Remnants of once living things littering the floor. The thing that caught his eye was a rusted steel sword that had been driven straight through the wood of the table, and a barest remains of someone or something.

He said that he searched the upper rooms, finding no sign of the battle that seemed to have taken place in the great hall. He went through taking artifacts and the like. Little amulets, trinkets and anything he could find. One of the door he couldn't open, one strange metal door. He said as he put his hand to the door to push it open the metal burned red hot and scorched his hand. This he had proof of, his right hand showing the signs of having been severely burned though it could have been something else. He left after that, going back to the great hall. The man ~~told~~tells of hearing cries of anguish and pain coming from a door on the left side of the hall but he didn't say long enough to see what it was. He ~~claimed~~claims to have returned to the ship with his treasures, and survived the return trip.

There is no one else to prove the story true. The sailors and the captain of the ship that supposedly took him to the island were reported dead last than a week later, their ship lost at sea. The owner of the shop Dark City in Cavthan has been proclaimed mad by the people of the city, saying that he believes that he actually went to Alvang and the ghosts now follow him in the form of shadows, sneaking up on him in the dark. That story is the closest thing to a description of the haunted island, some believe it, others think that the man's story is just the ravings of a mad man. Only the ghosts said to haunt the island will probably know the truth.

Coat of Arms

As of now the island is uninhabited and there is no coat of arms. None remember the time of Saban Blackcloak and his terrible reign upon the island and there is no known evidence of the small town and fortress having a coat of arms. If there once was one then that information has been lost in time.

People and Culture
In times long past dark elves, orcs, and dark mages populated the island, filling the small piece of land with every ounce of evil they possessed. The many different tribes that had been enlisted by Móch'rónn are mostly lost in history. There are many cultures of those people that stayed there for a while but after so many years of the island housing no race all culture is lost(this sentence is a bit unclear, try to rephrase a bit). Now the only thing that could be living on the island is ghosts of zombies, and you can't exactly call that living. Sailors that get caught in a storm around Alvang have reported mysterious phenomenons in that area. Such as hundreds of ghost faces being reflected in the rain several peds above sea level. Others tell of ghost sailors fighting against drowning or ghost ships crossing in the distance. More tales can be heard of watchers looking at passing ships from the enclave of Alvang and shrieks being heard from out of nowhere. Sailors believe that the spirits of all those that were killed on the Witchking's Night haunt the island. These are just tellings of sailors but none dare to challenge their words.

Climate
Throughout the year there are storms in the Ancythrian Sea. The summer is the harshest time of year for storms. When these storms hit they become extremely violent with high winds and thunderstorms that can capsize a ship. This also can cause severe floods which will make the island of Alvang seemingly disappear. During these few floods water will cover the entire island, leaving only the bloodied battlements of the forgotten fortress as a beacon of warning. When the waters recede the ancient ruins of a long deserted town still remain. The shattered homes that once housed dark mages seem to be forever cursed to haunt the place. The storms might wash away some of the taint upon the land bit by bit but always sailors come back to port with the stories of a haunted fortress and a ghost town.

Flora
Nothing is known for sure about the plants that can be found on his isolated island, but some source of food can be found there since there is one creature brave enough to visit the haunted island, the white deer.

Fauna
The White Deer are strong swimmers, most noticeably demonstrated in the successful colonization of the islands of Denilou and Alvang. The sea is home to the notorious bladeserpent, a beautiful yet deadly creature that has caused misery to many a sailor and their families. Encounters with the bladeserpent have only happened at night, and in the northern part of the sea, close to the enclave of Alvang. Some say the serpents are guardians for ghosts against intruders into their island, but that's just one of many sailors tales. What seems to be sure is that there are dark secrets buried in the depths of the sea, and while this all seems to make a good tale for a traveller listening to such accounts, one might rethink if one plans to cross the sea for some reason.

Myths/Lore
An old tale is told about the town of Alvang, which usually scares sailors from going far north on the sea. Its origins are lost in time but there isn't a soul that lives on the Ancythrian Sea hasn't heard of it, or at least a part of the true story. People aren't sure what to thing about the story. Some choose not to believe, others find it hard to believe, and most claim it to just be a sailors tale.(although you cannot change the story, you can still write what people think and believe about it, here)

The Undiscovered Sea. There was once a boy who thought he could do anything. Ever since he was little, anything that he was told was impossible, or forbidden, he’d try his best to do. He was the kind of child who if given a pair of wings, he surely would also have been able to fly. His spirit was stronger than the spirit of an entire army. He had more energy than all of the other children in the world. But it did not last forever.

Now this young man decided that he wanted to be a sailor. So, when he was old enough, he left Cavthan and sailed the world for thirteen years. When he returned, he was even more headstrong and confident than before. Once he had seen the world, and had come home to settle down for a bit, he thought for a bit. “Now, I’ve sailed all of the seas in the world… except for one.” He only just realized that he had never sailed the entire Ancythrian Sea. He had gone west across the sea before, but never north. At first, he was not really interested in the trip. One day, however, he overheard a man talking about the evil town, in the northern part of the sea that was guarded by ghosts of the vengeful dead. This piqued his interest, and fired up his curiosity. So, he formed a crew and set sail for Alvang, despite the warnings of the townspeople.

Twenty was the number of men that set sail that day, yet only two returned. One week after the ship left, a few broken pieces of plank with two ragged, old men on top, floated to the Cavthan shore. One of them, the captain of the vessel, could not talk. The other was blind. They both were scratched up very badly, and there skin seemed to be a yellow color. Now though the blind man was not also mute, the townspeople could some words out of him, but not much of a logical sentence. “Lights,” he would say, “Pretty Blue Lights.” The captain, who was mute stayed to himself from then on, jumping at every noise he heard, and cowering at every whisper. He never looked at the stars again, they seemed to scare him. He would always sleep alone, in the dark, with his head covered. No one ever was able to find out what happened on that ship so long ago. And no one ever had the courage to find out.

- Master Tribell's Miraculous Narrations", p. 79

Alright, Garret! This is good already, although it may need a more extensive check from Artimidor or another more experienced member because I'm not authorized to give (or tell you to put) the blue arrow! thumbup


« Last Edit: 06 November 2007, 22:29:43 by Arceon Barrurbeleth »	Logged

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Garret Arroway

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Re: Alvang

« Reply #11 on: 29 October 2007, 01:26:57 »

Newest Edits made in brown . . . Thanks


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Arceon Barrurbeleth

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Re: Alvang

« Reply #12 on: 30 October 2007, 04:26:43 »

Quote

People aren't sure what to thing about the story.

It seems that you want to get out of writing about what do people think about sailors' stories. It's quite easy to write something up here, just sit and think for a few minutes and it will all come to you, trust me!