Here's a story I wanted to share... [Archive] - Wizards Community

Here's a story I wanted to share... [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Kuroimaken
04-02-08, 07:07 PM This is a story I intend to use for one of the myths in my own campaign world, and I'd like you guys to take a look at it. Hope you all like it.

Once upon a time, there was a Utamajutsushi (Minstrel of Mana). He had a gift for music from a very early age, and his gift flourished with each and every passing day. They say his song was so beautiful and so powerful, that it could stop time itself, and make anything flourish, no matter how barren the land. And yet he could not find love.

The gods of yore were not quite keen of the business of mortals back then, except for their own entertainment. They took on human form to walk the land, enjoying the simple pleasures of mortal life when they grew tired of the life in their celestial abodes. And so it came to pass that the goddess of beauty herself eventually encountered the Utamajutsushi. She was so deeply impressed with his song that she bestowed him with a gift: the gift of eternal life. He would not age or tire, and those he loved would share his blessing. The goddess returned to her heavenly home, and continued to watch the Utamajutsushi from the skies.

Time passed -- considerably faster for mortals than it did for gods. The Utamajutsushi fell in love with an elven woman. She returned his love in kind, and in her honor, many ballads were composed by her betrothed. The goddess of beauty continued to oversee him, and his songs, now touched with the inspiration called love, continued to grow more and more beautiful. Eventually, the goddess fell in love with the Utamajutsushi.

This, however, drew the ire of one of the gods: Naerus, the god of poetry, who fancied the goddess of beauty himself, and prided himself in being the greatest musician above Heaven. But his foe was, without a doubt, the greatest musician beneath it. In Naerus' petty, narrow mind, the only way to settle this was with a dispute. He who lost would renounce to his love forever.

Naerus was, however, not determined to lose. He had mice gnaw at the strings of his opponent's instrument so they would snap when he played it. Naerus performed first, and his songs were received with great enthusiasm by all, except the goddess of beauty, who happened to be very well-versed in beauty in all its forms. She claimed that the Utamajutsushi's songs, which were filled with love, far surpassed his own. Thus, Naerus urged his opponent to play.

At the first note, the strings snapped. Naerus did not count, however, on the willpower that love granted his foe. He held the ends of the snapped strings with his teeth and began to play. Even with this obvious disadvantage, his music put Naerus' own to shame -- especially since, as he played, the strings themselves started to mend with the instrument once more.

Naerus was shocked, but he was far too vain to admit defeat. Instead, he cursed the elven maiden with a foul spell that made her horribly sick, spending every waking moment in pain -- and once she slept, her slumber would be eternal. Enraged by this development, the goddess of beauty summoned Naerus to the celestial court to stand trial for his cowardice. He was sentenced to be sealed until the day the gods were forgotten and gone.

But that still left the elven maiden and her beloved. Though the gods tried, Naerus' spell was powered by every single negative emotion of his heart, including his deadly hatred for the one who bested him. Thus, the Utamajutsushi began to play again, for he could stop time for as long as he played -- so his beloved would not suffer, and so that he could find a way to reverse the curse.
Kuroimaken
04-02-08, 07:08 PM Time continued to pass, however, because the Utamajutsushi was not so strong as to stop the entire universe. He would sing for his beloved, and tell her tales of his life, and grow flowers around them -- though her body was frozen in time, her soul was not. She could hear his every word, but not respond. Though his melody grew sadder, his love was stronger than his sadness, and so he went on.

Eventually, the gods were forgotten. This meant that Naerus was to be released. His every moment in confinement, he cursed the fate he had been dealt by his foe; he believed his punishment unjust. When he eventually broke the seal, and it became clear that the one he fancied was forever gone, his rage was released upon the world. His melodies were grieving echoes of terror, that summoned horrible monsters hidden beneath the world, and so he began to terrorize the world of mortals. Many died because of this, and many others despaired.

Eventually, one such lost soul found her way to where the fated couple rested. She was intent on forfeiting her life, because she believed no one should live in so much pain. Though she was great in both magic and sword, she could not keep her family from being killed, and as such sought a place to die. The magnificent field of flowers she stumbled about seemed perfect. But she caught wind of a haunting melody, and when she sought the source of the sound, she came upon the two.

She was told the story behind the curse, as well as Naerus' confinement. She pitied the two, because the pain she felt seemed unspeakably minuscule in comparison to theirs. Then, she learned that should Naerus be slain, the curse would be broken, and his melody would cease. The Utamajutsushi taught her the secrets of his songs, and told her that his melodies should have the power to stop Naerus long enough for her to deal a fatal blow.
Kuroimaken
04-02-08, 07:08 PM So it was that the lost soul confronted Naerus. Though she could hardly withstand the foul hymns of damnation, she began to do battle with the god that had ruined so many lives, including her own. Naerus' vanity, however, proved to be his fatal flaw. His opponent was fierce, but he was still a god; as such, he began to flaunt his superiority. When he took the time to do so, the lost maiden brought a flute to her lips and began playing the song she was taught. As predicted, he was dumbstruck, having no idea where she could have learned the melody that haunted his confinement for so long. The lost soul's sword pierced cleanly through his heart, thus ending his terror.

The fated couple was united once again thanks to her. The Utamajutsushi thanked his pupil for having done that which he could not accomplish, but she was still in deep grief. She claimed that her life was still meaningless, despite her revenge.

"The good you have brought upon this world shall one day come back to you. And when that day comes, you shall find love again. I give you my blessing that your child be good, talented and strong. It is much too easy to fall prey to the darkness in one's heart, but those who persevere shall surely be rewarded. Let that be my advice, and let your heart flourish again."
Paul_V
04-02-08, 09:23 PM Awesome story, but it leaves loose ends. What happened to the Utamajutsushi and his wife? Did they passed away when time caught up with them (as it happens when you spend centuries in the Astral Plane), or did they live happily ever after?

I would ask the same about the girl, but I think she's a key plot element of your campaign, which means her story develops at the same pace as the PCs'.
elliott20
04-03-08, 09:49 AM me likey this story. It draws a very nice mythos for your campaign world. Seems to me that the couple's story is not yet finished though, as you left the fate of the couple and the lost soul unfinished. (Though, if you ask me, I would preemptively end the couple's story so that the PCs can come in and meddle with it.)
Kuroimaken
04-03-08, 02:25 PM Well, this is actually a multi-purpose story. I intend to use it for my campaign world as well as a story I'm writing with a friend of mine.

For the latter, this story actually relates to the birth of elves, half-elves, and of one very special kind of elf. In this story, there are regular elves, sea elves, and the like, but the moon elf is very special. The moon elf in that particular world is born once every millenium, and has great potential and power within himself. Guarded by the moon, the Moon Child cannot be killed as long as the moon shines in the sky. However, since it's a known fact that he possesses great power from birth, his peers (the regular elves) tend to be very afraid when their birth comes to pass. Therefore, they are often banished from their homes. The elven lore regarding moon children reveals that they have as great a potential for evil as they do for good. The couple in the story gave rise to the regular elves, while the lost soul found love again and gave birth to the first Moon Child.

As for how I intend to use it in my campaign world, I'll have to withhold that information because my players know I frequent the boards.

Awesome story, but it leaves loose ends. What happened to the Utamajutsushi and his wife? Did they passed away when time caught up with them (as it happens when you spend centuries in the Astral Plane), or did they live happily ever after?

I would ask the same about the girl, but I think she's a key plot element of your campaign, which means her story develops at the same pace as the PCs'. Well, it actually doesn't leave loose ends in regards to the couple. Their blessing didn't go away with time the way Naerus' seal did. As for the lost soul, well... I'm afraid I'll have to keep that to myself.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Kuroimaken 04-02-08, 07:07 PM	This is a story I intend to use for one of the myths in my own campaign world, and I'd like you guys to take a look at it. Hope you all like it. Once upon a time, there was a Utamajutsushi (Minstrel of Mana). He had a gift for music from a very early age, and his gift flourished with each and every passing day. They say his song was so beautiful and so powerful, that it could stop time itself, and make anything flourish, no matter how barren the land. And yet he could not find love. The gods of yore were not quite keen of the business of mortals back then, except for their own entertainment. They took on human form to walk the land, enjoying the simple pleasures of mortal life when they grew tired of the life in their celestial abodes. And so it came to pass that the goddess of beauty herself eventually encountered the Utamajutsushi. She was so deeply impressed with his song that she bestowed him with a gift: the gift of eternal life. He would not age or tire, and those he loved would share his blessing. The goddess returned to her heavenly home, and continued to watch the Utamajutsushi from the skies. Time passed -- considerably faster for mortals than it did for gods. The Utamajutsushi fell in love with an elven woman. She returned his love in kind, and in her honor, many ballads were composed by her betrothed. The goddess of beauty continued to oversee him, and his songs, now touched with the inspiration called love, continued to grow more and more beautiful. Eventually, the goddess fell in love with the Utamajutsushi. This, however, drew the ire of one of the gods: Naerus, the god of poetry, who fancied the goddess of beauty himself, and prided himself in being the greatest musician above Heaven. But his foe was, without a doubt, the greatest musician beneath it. In Naerus' petty, narrow mind, the only way to settle this was with a dispute. He who lost would renounce to his love forever. Naerus was, however, not determined to lose. He had mice gnaw at the strings of his opponent's instrument so they would snap when he played it. Naerus performed first, and his songs were received with great enthusiasm by all, except the goddess of beauty, who happened to be very well-versed in beauty in all its forms. She claimed that the Utamajutsushi's songs, which were filled with love, far surpassed his own. Thus, Naerus urged his opponent to play. At the first note, the strings snapped. Naerus did not count, however, on the willpower that love granted his foe. He held the ends of the snapped strings with his teeth and began to play. Even with this obvious disadvantage, his music put Naerus' own to shame -- especially since, as he played, the strings themselves started to mend with the instrument once more. Naerus was shocked, but he was far too vain to admit defeat. Instead, he cursed the elven maiden with a foul spell that made her horribly sick, spending every waking moment in pain -- and once she slept, her slumber would be eternal. Enraged by this development, the goddess of beauty summoned Naerus to the celestial court to stand trial for his cowardice. He was sentenced to be sealed until the day the gods were forgotten and gone. But that still left the elven maiden and her beloved. Though the gods tried, Naerus' spell was powered by every single negative emotion of his heart, including his deadly hatred for the one who bested him. Thus, the Utamajutsushi began to play again, for he could stop time for as long as he played -- so his beloved would not suffer, and so that he could find a way to reverse the curse.
Kuroimaken 04-02-08, 07:08 PM	Time continued to pass, however, because the Utamajutsushi was not so strong as to stop the entire universe. He would sing for his beloved, and tell her tales of his life, and grow flowers around them -- though her body was frozen in time, her soul was not. She could hear his every word, but not respond. Though his melody grew sadder, his love was stronger than his sadness, and so he went on. Eventually, the gods were forgotten. This meant that Naerus was to be released. His every moment in confinement, he cursed the fate he had been dealt by his foe; he believed his punishment unjust. When he eventually broke the seal, and it became clear that the one he fancied was forever gone, his rage was released upon the world. His melodies were grieving echoes of terror, that summoned horrible monsters hidden beneath the world, and so he began to terrorize the world of mortals. Many died because of this, and many others despaired. Eventually, one such lost soul found her way to where the fated couple rested. She was intent on forfeiting her life, because she believed no one should live in so much pain. Though she was great in both magic and sword, she could not keep her family from being killed, and as such sought a place to die. The magnificent field of flowers she stumbled about seemed perfect. But she caught wind of a haunting melody, and when she sought the source of the sound, she came upon the two. She was told the story behind the curse, as well as Naerus' confinement. She pitied the two, because the pain she felt seemed unspeakably minuscule in comparison to theirs. Then, she learned that should Naerus be slain, the curse would be broken, and his melody would cease. The Utamajutsushi taught her the secrets of his songs, and told her that his melodies should have the power to stop Naerus long enough for her to deal a fatal blow.
Kuroimaken 04-02-08, 07:08 PM	So it was that the lost soul confronted Naerus. Though she could hardly withstand the foul hymns of damnation, she began to do battle with the god that had ruined so many lives, including her own. Naerus' vanity, however, proved to be his fatal flaw. His opponent was fierce, but he was still a god; as such, he began to flaunt his superiority. When he took the time to do so, the lost maiden brought a flute to her lips and began playing the song she was taught. As predicted, he was dumbstruck, having no idea where she could have learned the melody that haunted his confinement for so long. The lost soul's sword pierced cleanly through his heart, thus ending his terror. The fated couple was united once again thanks to her. The Utamajutsushi thanked his pupil for having done that which he could not accomplish, but she was still in deep grief. She claimed that her life was still meaningless, despite her revenge. "The good you have brought upon this world shall one day come back to you. And when that day comes, you shall find love again. I give you my blessing that your child be good, talented and strong. It is much too easy to fall prey to the darkness in one's heart, but those who persevere shall surely be rewarded. Let that be my advice, and let your heart flourish again."
Paul_V 04-02-08, 09:23 PM	Awesome story, but it leaves loose ends. What happened to the Utamajutsushi and his wife? Did they passed away when time caught up with them (as it happens when you spend centuries in the Astral Plane), or did they live happily ever after? I would ask the same about the girl, but I think she's a key plot element of your campaign, which means her story develops at the same pace as the PCs'.
elliott20 04-03-08, 09:49 AM	me likey this story. It draws a very nice mythos for your campaign world. Seems to me that the couple's story is not yet finished though, as you left the fate of the couple and the lost soul unfinished. (Though, if you ask me, I would preemptively end the couple's story so that the PCs can come in and meddle with it.)
Kuroimaken 04-03-08, 02:25 PM	Well, this is actually a multi-purpose story. I intend to use it for my campaign world as well as a story I'm writing with a friend of mine. For the latter, this story actually relates to the birth of elves, half-elves, and of one very special kind of elf. In this story, there are regular elves, sea elves, and the like, but the moon elf is very special. The moon elf in that particular world is born once every millenium, and has great potential and power within himself. Guarded by the moon, the Moon Child cannot be killed as long as the moon shines in the sky. However, since it's a known fact that he possesses great power from birth, his peers (the regular elves) tend to be very afraid when their birth comes to pass. Therefore, they are often banished from their homes. The elven lore regarding moon children reveals that they have as great a potential for evil as they do for good. The couple in the story gave rise to the regular elves, while the lost soul found love again and gave birth to the first Moon Child. As for how I intend to use it in my campaign world, I'll have to withhold that information because my players know I frequent the boards. Awesome story, but it leaves loose ends. What happened to the Utamajutsushi and his wife? Did they passed away when time caught up with them (as it happens when you spend centuries in the Astral Plane), or did they live happily ever after? I would ask the same about the girl, but I think she's a key plot element of your campaign, which means her story develops at the same pace as the PCs'. Well, it actually doesn't leave loose ends in regards to the couple. Their blessing didn't go away with time the way Naerus' seal did. As for the lost soul, well... I'm afraid I'll have to keep that to myself.