City of Thornhaven

Part 1: Enchanted Beginnings: Introduction

In the heart of the dreamscape of Underlight, where reality and imagination intertwine, Thornhaven stands as a testament to the wonders of the mind. Encased within the ancient thicket, a labyrinth of twisted branches and thorny vines, the city pulses with a life of its own. Atop the lofty peak of Mt. Illapse, where clouds kiss the heavens, a regal couple presides over Thornhaven. Their crowns, adorned with jewels of the past, symbolize the weight of tradition, their lineage stretching back to the very inception of the city. With watchful eyes, the King and Queen oversee the city's affairs, providing guidance and counsel to the great Houses and other denizens of the city.

Where the boundaries of dreams and reality blur, a sinister presence looms among the misty outer limits of Thornhaven. Here, the Mistborn dwell – eldritch beings born of nightmares and shadows, lurking at the fringes of consciousness, waiting to ensnare unwary dreamers within their grasp. Their monstrous mutated forms are mammoth in size. Twisted and grotesque, their appearance defies average comprehension.

Led by the enigmatic figure known as Riken, the Cryptid Collective often operates in secrecy, their actions veiled from the eyes of ordinary dreamers. Armed with ancient knowledge passed down through generations, they employ esoteric rituals and powerful artifacts to track and contain the ever-shifting threat posed by the Mistborn. Each member of the Collective is a guardian of Thornhaven's tranquility, sworn to uphold the sacred duty entrusted to them by the Primordial Elementals.

As the sun sets behind the jagged peaks of Mt. Illapse, casting long shadows across the city, whispers of ancient prophecies echo through its winding streets. For within the heart of Thornhaven lies a dormant power, a force older than memory itself, waiting to be reawakened by the hands of fate.

Part 2: Shadows of the Thicket: Thornhaven's Dark Past

Long ago beneath the canopy of the thicket, in the depths of Thornhaven's ancient Garden of Life, another realm thrived unseen by mortal eyes. Where the murmurs of the breeze intertwine with the melodies of flowing streams, it was here amidst the verdant tapestry of nature's embrace, the Lesser Elementals found their abode.

These elusive spirits, akin to whispers in the wind and flickers in the flame, are the silent custodians of the elements' more subtle nuances. Unlike their Primordial kin, they bear no grand titles or solemn duties, but instead embody the caprice and whimsy of the natural world. Within their elemental gardens, these sprites gather, sharing a collective consciousness that dances between riddles and rhymes, mischief and wisdom. They offer cryptic guidance to those who seek it, weaving intricate webs of mystery and intrigue that entwine with the very fabric of Thornhaven's existence.

Just as the Primordial Elementals are the guardians of equilibrium, so too are the Lesser Elementals the keepers of nature's enigmatic essence, their presence a reminder that balance is found not only in grand gestures but in the delicate interplay of light and shadow, truth and illusion.

The greater elemental spirits are manifestations of nature's primal forces. Zephyr, the ethereal whisperer of Insight, dances on the wind's breath. Pyra, keeper of flames and harbinger of Lucidity, flickers with the intensity of a thousand suns. Terra, the steadfast earth-shaper of Will, anchors Thornhaven's foundations with unyielding strength. And Aqua, mistress of hidden waters and guardian of Resilience, flows with the resilience of a timeless river. Together, they form the Primordial Elementals. They command thrones of ancient stone, each imbued with the essence of their respective elements. From these thrones, the Primordial Elementals govern Thornhaven's equilibrium, their presence an embodiment of harmony amid the shifting tides of the dream realm.

In the dawn of time, when dreamers and creatures alike roamed the dreamscape in blissful harmony, the Primordial Elementals bestowed their blessings upon the Dreamwrights. With reverence, they crafted refuge for each focus, nurturing the seeds of Wisdom, Stability, Passion, and Strength until they blossomed into the sacred Four Orbs of Being. These orbs, pulsating with raw elemental energy, became the cornerstone of Thornhaven's existence, anchoring its delicate balance of the dreamscape.

But as the wheel of time turned and shadows crept upon Thornhaven's doorstep, a darkness stirred in the heart of a man grew to be consumed by ambition. Ogithus, his name became a whisper of dread upon the lips of dreamers, sought to harness the power of the Primordial Elementals for his own nefarious purposes. Through deceit and treachery, he ensnared the elemental spirits in a slumber, draining their essence through the sacred Four Orbs of Being. Thornhaven trembled beneath the weight of his acts of tyranny, and the once-verdant Garden of Life withered in the grasp of his corruption. Only the protective embrace of the thicket spared a fragment of its essence, birthing the Lightless Hollow, where shadows dance and secrets now linger like ghosts of the past

Driven by his insatiable thirst for power, Ogithus ascended to the helm of the Divine Summit, once revered as a bastion of enlightenment and wisdom. Guided by the seductive whispers of Sydrah, the enigmatic God of the Void, he preached a gospel of dominion over time and space. His charisma, like a beacon in the night, drew souls into the swirling vortex of his fanaticism, where sacrifices and rituals became the currency of power.

But as the shadows deepened and dissent simmered beneath the surface, Ogithus's grip on reality slipped like sand through his fingers. Madness, like a festering wound, consumed him whole, twisting the once-hallowed halls of the Divine Summit into chambers of torment and despair. Thornhaven, caught in the throes of darkness, teetered on the brink of oblivion, its fate hanging in the balance like a fragile thread woven between the realms of light and shadow.

As time flowed on, the full history of Ogithus faded into obscurity, and with it, the significance of the Primordial Elementals drifted into forgetfulness. They remained in stasis, distant from their thrones, as memories of their pivotal role in Thornhaven's equilibrium slipped away into the mists of time, leaving behind only whispers of a bygone era.

Part 3: Contours of Now: A Glimpse into the Present

At the dawn of a new era, Thornhaven finds itself amidst echoes of uncertainty. The Oracle's somber voice pierces the tranquil air, her words weaving a tale of impending doom. She speaks of a Chaos Eclipse looming on the horizon, a catastrophic event poised to disrupt the delicate equilibrium of Thornhaven's reality. With a sense of urgency, she implores the teaching council to take heed of her warning, to brace themselves for the inevitable upheaval that threatens to cast their cherished city into shadow.

The teaching council, shaken by the Oracle's dire pronouncement, convened in solemn deliberation. Together, they vowed to heed her warning, to marshal their resources and prepare Thornhaven for the impending storm. With a sense of urgency, they set about preserving the city's history, gathering scrolls and artifacts, recording memories and tales passed down through generations.

A sense of foreboding hung heavy in the air. Amidst the somber preparations, a palpable tension gripped Thornhaven as whispers of the Chaos Eclipse spread like wildfire throughout the rest of the city. Each passing day brought with it a mounting sense of unease, as if the very air crackled with an impending storm. The people of Thornhaven moved with urgency.

Just as the Oracle foretold, an arcane time portal began to materialize, its swirling vortex a maelstrom of esoteric energy ripping through the fabric of reality, threatening to consume everything in its path.

As the portal widened, tendrils of temporal distortion snaked through Thornhaven, distorting space and time with their malevolent presence. Buildings shimmered and wavered as if caught in a mirage, while the very ground beneath their feet seemed to shift and quake with each passing moment.

The King and Queen, faced with this new and unforeseen challenge, rallied the people of Thornhaven to action. With all hands on deck, the Royal Guards ushered the citizens in closing off the inner planes. They erected protective wards and barriers, channeling their collective energy to stem the tide of encroaching chaos.

Despite their best efforts, the portal continued to expand, its voracious appetite consuming everything in its path. With each passing hour, Thornhaven drew closer to the brink of oblivion, its fate hanging in the balance like a delicate thread stretched taut against the forces of entropy.

In the midst of this chaos, the Oracle stood as a beacon of hope, her words of wisdom a guiding light. With a steely resolve, she urged everyone to press on, to hold fast against the tempest of time that threatened to tear their world asunder. To set their minds at ease, she shared a final prophecy: that their efforts would not be in vain.

And so, with hearts united and spirits unbroken, the people of Thornhaven braced themselves for the ultimate test of their resilience. For in the face of adversity, they knew that their shared history and unwavering determination would be their greatest weapon.

=Also See:

Elemental Sprites

Reference:

• https://forums.underlight.com/viewtopic.php?f=134&t=10797&p=28849&hilit=thornhaven#p28849