The Mahasarpa Campaign, a land of jungle ruins, an yuan-ti oppressors. Where swami, muni, and devapalas fight to hold back the curse laid on this once great civilzation long ago.
Centuries ago Saurama the Destroyer was locked away, defeated by the Deva of Mahasarpa. A prophecy was spun on the great loom that foretold that one day she would be reborn to take her vengence on the world. This is the tale of the Harbingers of that doom.(A vWorld Expansion)
Here begins to split thread for Chapter Eight of the Mahasarpa Ascension campaign. This thread splits from the first page of Chapter 8's main thread and is considered the 'side thread'. In the courtyard of the Afsar Abranjin Jawali, the Crown of Silver Courage, in Mahanaga a small group broke off seperately in hope of speeding the Harbingers search for several different results at the same time.
Asvina 10th, 1096, Mid Summer, Early Morning
A shimmering portal opens on the edge of the Bahanis River, the largest river in Mahasarpa. The Bahanis River travels down out of the mountains and passes near to Bhalluka, flows around Vriscika's island city state, and then cuts Lakshmana in half where it exits into the sea. The portal opens on the banks of the river, just a quarter mile out of the city where a small tributary emptys from a pond into the Bahanis River. This place is a second home to Brahmin Vivec, or perhaps a first home.
Out of the portal steps Vivec, Rhokti, Toranoshi, and the Mystic of Nog. Instantly everyone but Vivec feels strangely sick. Even Rhokti who is used to travel through the Void is not feeling well. Sailors would tell the group its sea sickness if they were on a ship. The feeling passes in a few minutes as the three get their land legs back.
A small pond, dotted with water lillies, and lotus blossums is nestled among a few rolling hills, all covered with lush grasses and flower patches, far from the jungle to the north. Wildlife is abundant here, deer, birds, and small creatures of the grasses scamper about. There is a feeling of peace, and purity here -- a major contrast to the foul swamp just left moments ago. To the south, a quarter mile down the river, is Lakshmana, the largest and most cosmopolitan of the city states in Mahasarpa.
This is all pretty common knowledge, except for Rhokti.
LAKSHMANA
Population: 45,000
Ruler: Rajah Kharan Djikah (male human Kshatriya 14)
Imports: Timber, metals
Exports: Grains, arts and crafts, wine
Alignment: LN
The southernmost of the Seven Kingdoms, Lakshmana is a
refined and civilized land far from the threat of the jungle and
its yuan-ti inhabitants. The rajah of Lakshmana fancies himself
the greatest of the rajahs, perhaps even worthy of the longabandoned
title of maharajah, and imagines that his court is the
most important of all the courts of the Seven Kingdoms, simply
because it is the most luxurious. In actual fact, the court of Lakshmana
is largely irrelevant to the rest of the Seven Kingdoms,
which allow Rajah Djikah his delusions as long as they don't
interfere with their ongoing struggle against the very real
threat of the yuan-ti.
ORGANIZATIONS
Like the Crane clan of Rokugan, Lakshmana is home to the
finest academy of arts in the entire Seven Kingdoms. The
Khubali College trains expert painters, sculptors, architects,
stonemasons, weaponsmiths, and other artisans, claiming to
carry on the artistic traditions of Mahanaga. Unlike the Kakita
artisans of Rokugan, Khubali does not consider swordplay a
fine art, and no weapon masters emerge from this academy.
LAKSHMANA LANDS
Lakshmana is a coastal city, situated where the great Bahanis
river meets the sea. It claims the most fertile croplands of the
Seven Kingdoms, and it also boasts a thriving trade with foreign
lands and cultures unknown to the other kingdoms. For
this reason, most citizens of Lakshmana encountered in the
north are merchants, though some artists and thrill-seekers
occasionally travel to see the ruins of Mahasarpa first-hand
(usually hiring Bhalluka guides).
Note, the other thread is near the "Mahanaga" ruin on the map. You are off the map to the south. You can check out the vWorld map in the Crossover thead for more of a global view.
Last edited by Vardaen on Tue Jul 08, 2008 4:22 am, edited 1 time in total.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
Rhokti staggers onto the shore and promptly throws up on it. Pazi doesn't look much better. Neither furred creature has been on a boat other than the one that was destroyed by the chuul. Soon enough, he recovers and looks around. He looks at the city, and bares his teeth, a gesture usually reserved only for talkative yuan ti. "How do the people of your city feel about the Varana, Vivec?"
Vivec looks at the city for a moment as he steps out and sighs, happy to be home. Only a few seconds after his feet touch the ground he leaps forward and dives into the nearby river. He splashes for a minute, seeming to bathe in the water and then floats tot he surface.
Toranoshi staggers as the portal closes behind him and he blinks several times in a row before he sits down with a lack of grace unusual to the dhuka. He glances at the rest of the group and shudders as he notices that he isn't the only one who suffer from the odd journey.
As the dhuka begins to feel a bit better, he glances northwards, towards the city of Vriscika and sighs loudly as this is the first time in years that he is close to his city of birth. For a moment it appears as if the man has a sad expression on his face and mumbling low and only to himself he arises and turns south and to the new adventure that awaits him.
Vivec looks to Rhotki nad nods an affirmative. "We are used to everything here. We see peoples from all nations, neither Vanaran nor Hengeyoki are strange in Lakshama."
The Mystic steps from the portal and sways from side to side. His hovering feet are on solid ground for a moment before he regains his inner focus. "<Ancient> Interesting way to travel." He lifts back up into the air a few inches off the ground and refolds his arms over his chest, the effects worn off. He stoops near the river and drinks of the clear clean pool even as Vivec swims in it. "<Ancient> I think a good bath would be an excellent idea." He places his pack on the shore and wades into the water as well, cleaing himself in the pure waters of Vivec's pool. It doesn't take long before its obvious there are some properties to this pool, as both Vivec and the Mystic are sparkling clean, washed pure of hair, skin and clothing in a matter of several minutes, no sign of the filthy swamp remaining.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
Toranoshi glances at Vivec and the mystic and notices how clean they become. Finally the dhuka shrugs and follow their lead, walking into the water and begins to clean himself.
Rhokti, on the other hand, regards the river with great suspicion. He turns and waits for the other three to stop wasting time in the water by grooming his companion and allowing her to groom him.
Vivec finally emerges from the pool looking refreshed and revitalized. "It is good to be out of that corruption." He squeezes his clothing gently, wringing out what water he can. "We should be off though, I have a friend in the city that should have the type of font I will need for the scrying. We'll stop by my house first though, so you know where to meet us when Toranashi." He then waits for the others to prepare themselves and gets ready to walk back to his house in the city.
Looking south, the group can just see the tips of temple spires and the tops of ziggurats of the city state. The small pond area is in a small sunken area, and the rolling hills around it block the general view of the city. As of yet, no one has been able to truely see the city sprawl. It doesn't take long, and the three in the water feel not only refreshed as if having a nice bath, but all of their clothing, and anything they bring into the water is also purified and cleaned. Washing away the weeks of travel in the tainted Mahavana jungle revujenates everyone -- everyone but the monkey that still smells like the stink of weeks in festering bogs rife with undead animals and rotting flesh of worms and yuan-ti. The pond sweeps all the filth away, down stream out of the outlet, and off to the holy Bahanis River and eventually the sea. Fish swirl around Vivec's feet, dozens of them, a whole school no doubt, they seem pleased to see the Brahmin returned to the water giving up bubbles and jumping out of the water every now and then.
The Mystic smiles, "<Ancient>This is a wonderful place, but what do we do now?"
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
