Thursday, February 21, 2008

CroneCrater (Realm)

CroneCrater is an Everway Realm

If there’s any unsolvable riddle or sphere-shaking question you’ve ever wanted answered, CroneCrater is the place to go. It’s a far journey, and not an easy one to make. There are many consequences to having your question answered, not the least of which is foretold personal suffering, but if you’re willing to pay that price, you can gain immeasurable knowledge of the sort mortals rarely acquire.

Usurper Force: The Crone
Normal: Enlightened by Knowledge Inverted: Burdened by Prophecy

People: There are only 3 sentient inhabitants of CroneCrater, and they are sisters. Each has dark skin, long legs, and the head of a Horse. Thier flowing manes have grown since the earliest days of the universe, and their memories are just as long. It is said they can see into the future, across the boundaries to other Spheres, and even into the halls of the Gods themselves. They will answer any question put to them, and the price they ask in exchange is so very small...

The Price: In order to augur on your behalf, the women ask you to fill a shallow tray with your bodily fluids. The more difficult the question, the greater nature of fluid they need. A trivial question may take merely waste or sweat. Something more heartfelt might require filling the tray with your blood or genuinely shed tears. There is a tale often told of a man who sought the knowledge of how to become a god, but the sisters price was that he crack open his skull and drain all the fluid from his brain before they’d even tell him if it was possible. The stories diverge at this point over his ultimate fate.
More important than the fluid they use to augur with is a secondary cost. While searching for your answer in the pan, the women nearly always find some tragedy in your future. It is said they take delight in revealing these tragedies, and many stories tell of foolish men who ruined their lives trying to prevent the dilemmas foretold by the witches.
Still, if you’re willing to accept these costs, the Crones can give you all the answers you would ever need. Many Spherewalkers and statesman make the pilgrimage here every year seeking solutions to their problems. Some leave with greater troubles than when they arrived, so it’s best not to petition the Crones lightly.

Rumors of a Dragon: Recent expeditions to CroneCrater have turned back early, after having sighted an enormously fat dragon prowling the Realm. There is the possibility the Crones were swallowed up or driven away by this colossal beast. Only a truly brave individual would take the risks to learn if this is so.

Economy: It is unclear how the Crones get the food and other supplies neccessary to live.

Military: CroneCrater has no army, but who would be so brave as to make war against them?

Ecology: The land is barren and rocky, with only scragly weeds, the occassional scarred pine tree, and a few stout roses being tenacious enough to hold on. Crone Crater is so far north the Realm seems to only experience the seasons of Autumn and Winter... a touch of frost covers the ground from sunset till mid morning.

Rose: It is said icy winter-blooming versions of the same breed of Roses as grow in Beauteous Sea grow in a few rare clusters in and near Crone Crater.

Gates & Bordering Realms: There are no gates in CroneCrater, but the Realm may be accessed from the nearby land of Restriction.

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