Tome of the Ancient Kingdom
The Elders say there was once a great kingdom here. Yes, in this field of cattle, void of rubble or debris. Now, there are just a few fences and a barn for the bovine herd. At the most, you'll find some fresh dung. No treasures or artifacts of bygone ages here. What fate could have befallen such a place, as to leave no trace? Come closer, and I will show you...
The Tome of the Ancient Kingdom
The thick and dusty grimoire with a solid binding and durable, yet-yellowed, pages, that prove highly resistant to wear, bares a cover of gray slate and shimmering purple letters that reads: "THE LAND IN ALL ITS GLORY."
Inside, you will find that it holds the secrets of the ancient kingdom known as Nortelbean.This hefty tome contains dry and wit-less text pertaining to all aspects of the Kingdom of Nortelbean. It describes the people, as they looked to the cloud covered skies in horror; and many other things about them. Every single person who vanished that day, with Nortelbean, is detailed in irrefutable completeness, watching the black storm descend upon the towns and keeps, throwing them into chaos, and then no more.
The buildings and even the cobblestone streets are described with seemingly unnecessary details, though scholars believe no detail should be overlooked in uncovering the mystery of this tome. With a complete reading of the book, you will come to feel as if you had been living there the moment it happened. Some have gone insane from such knowledge, believing themselves trapped in a black fog while the world around them is eaten by unseen forces.
The Truth of Nortelbean
In its final days in this world, Nortelbean's inhabitants saw nothing strange, nor did anyone expect such a fate, as is clear from the text inscribed within the tome. That is, until the clouds came. They descended from high above circling outwards and spiraling downward suddenly. It happened very quickly, that The Reader claimed his treasure.
There was a great God, a God of literature in all it's forms, who desired more than a mere book. Having read every text that was ever written or would ever be written, from grocery lists to epic volumes of poetry, The Reader was bored with what he considered to be mundane. All of the worlds written knowledge was his, and he was the master of the written word. He wanted more, but he was not a God of plays or acting, dance or song. He wanted a book. So he reached down with he cloud-covered hands and scooped up a chunk of the world. The Kingdom of Nortelbean.
The Creator was upset with The Reader's meddling in mortal affairs, for it was not his task to do so. "The Reader reads," Explained The Creator, "He does naught else, but watch the written words of men to be sure they will never gain more knowledge than they can handle."
"I have read every text a mortal may ever write," He argued, "There is nothing to fear from our fearful worshippers"
"Patience, Reader," The Creator asked of him, "There is always more that will be written. The Reader reads, The Creator creates, The Destroyer is the one who takes away, not you."
The argument was resolved, but the fate of Nortelbean was still set in drying ink.
Eventually, even a God will misplace something. As all things come to pass, so is the fate of Nortelbean. A book with no author except human ingenuity itself., it is a work to be marveled at. A treasure unlike any other, a story a God would seek to enjoy. A mystery with no end. Where will you find the Tome of the Ancient Kingdom? Will you read it? Will you understand what it is? You just might; and that is where our adventure begins.
Fallen Empires, monuments of old, sleeping kings and artifacts from eras long past.
Do you dare write of what crawls out of tombs and shambles out of ruins? What befell the ancient structures that still haunt the world. Are they truly abandoned or just awaiting a hardy soul to test their depths? Is the magic that destroyed the mighty fortress gone or does it seek its next victim. Only time will tell... Enter the Fallen Empires!
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? Responses (4)
Echo likes.
Your description led me to the truth of Nortelbean swiftly and without force, even before you stated the truth. .
The sub leaves me hungry for more, though - after the aperitif, a chunk of meat should come.
Care to add?
Please do ;)
I'm glad you like it. I wasn't sure how it would be received, since the ending what somewhat rushed (my muse seems to have taken a vacation).
I hope to add more eventually, as it is, I suppose, actually unfinished. However, I believe it is finished enough to be useful and inspirational, just not quite plug and play.
I will come back to this, but maybe not before the quest is over. So, please be patient. :)
An intriguing story.
This is a great start to something - perhaps the change was not irreversible.