Jump to content

[Lore] Mount Faba


Bellosh

Recommended Posts

Mount Faba - Tomb of the Tyrant King

 

Everyone in Long Guo knows the ancient story of how Faba, the self-proclaimed “God of Order”, once harnessed the powerful Pearl of Destiny to bring law and order to a chaotic land with an iron fist. All Long Sun know how the story ends; with the Champions Xi Hua and Xiao Huo stealing the Pearl, using it to end the wickedness of Faba and his army of spirit-monsters by turning them all into terracotta statues. Kept hidden for more than two thousand years however was the final resting place of the Pearl of Destiny, and of the statue of King Faba.

 

After Xi Hua and Xiao Huo became the first Empress and Emperor, they decreed that the Terracotta Army be buried in a vast subterranean mausoleum, beneath a mountain on the desolate frontier of Long Sun civilization. Under the newly named Mount Faba, the statues of King Faba and his minions were to sealed for all time. It took many long decades, thousands of laborers, and no small help from the Pearl of Destiny itself to hollow out the mountain. When the Tomb was finally completed, the Imperial Watch wiped the minds of every living soul with involvement or knowledge of the project. To prevent future emperors from potentially misusing the Pearl of Destiny, the Watch sealed it inside the Tomb as well, along with the rest of the Terracotta Army.

 

To this day, the Imperial Watch keeps all details about Mount Faba a secret at all costs. Even emperors are kept in the dark about King Faba’s Tomb and its contents. Only the Watch knows exactly where the Hollowed Mountain resides, in a forsaken region devoid of nearly all life. The main entrance is said to be a door disguised as a rock face, marked with a carved-out inscription bearing the following message: “Descend into the Realm of Darkness to claim the Heavenly Power”.

 

According to those precious few sources that haven’t yet been destroyed by the Imperial Watch, the entrance leads into a crystal-lighted, geometric labyrinth of rock-hewn catacombs which crisscross, travel upwards and downwards, lead to dead ends, and otherwise run for miles and miles. The walls of the Outer Catacombs are flanked by a seemingly endless procession of terracotta spirit-monsters, frozen in place at the moment of their transformation. Booby traps abound; most notably pressure-plate activated crossbows and pitfalls leading to pitch-black abysses.

 

No clues exist as to how to reach the vast Inner Sanctum in the heart of the Hollowed Mountain; an expansive chamber that can comfortably fit several skyscrapers. On the floor is a miniature palace-city, complete with mechanically flowing rivers of quicksilver. Light crystals on the rock ceiling resemble stars from ground level, while crystals down below give the Tomb City an ethereal glow. Inside the buildings are statutes of King Faba’s higher-ranked minions, along with treasures beyond count. However, dark rumors warn of a curse that inflicts madness and severe physical pain upon all intruders who breach the Inner Sanctum, so explorers must beware!

 

The Tomb’s ultimate prizes — King Faba’s statute and the Pearl of Destiny — are sealed in the central Sanctuary Hall, surrounded by a quicksilver moat. The sole way inside is through an enchanted door, an inscription above reading; “May the Mandated One present the Mandated Five”. What scant evidence that exists hints that the door is openable with dragonbreath magic, but other than that, the riddle has no definitive answer. Should the riddle be answered, the Pearl may finally be won.

 

Be warned: while the Pearl of Destiny ordinarily appears as an orb of smooth obsidian, legends say it ignites in flame whenever someone touches it. Only a wielder with a strong-enough Will will be unburned and have their wish granted. The Pearl grants any wish the heart desires, but in the process the Pearl’s power amplifies a wielder’s personality traits. Failure to balance light and dark results in grotesque mental and physical corruption, much like what happened to the demonic dragon Faba himself.

 

Should the Pearl of Destiny ever fall into the wrong hooves, it could spell doom for all of Long Guo. On the other hand, a worthy hero may one day need the Pearl to prevent a great calamity from devastating the land, or even the world.....


~The Secret Testament of Emperor Xin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...