Sleep

[Hibou]

Time is running out.

I can see your eyelids growing heavy. Your breathing is heavy and unrushed, but your heartbeat is hardly the same. You're slipping slowly, and soon you will be in the dark. Your movements are weak and enervated, and though you struggle, the icy hands pull you down. Below you is a sea of horror - of nightmares - that drifts and clashes with whitecaps of fear. In the distance a storm of madness brews, and it advances your way far too quickly. The night is closing in. Sleep awaits you, a sleep filled with septic embraces and wicked woundings. You will fall into the venomous slumber, and I will be waiting for you. You are slipping, losing grasp on the shores of day and plummeting into oblivion. Sleep awaits.

Time has run out.
-The Witch

[SA]

Ooooooooooooh.  The similes are sooo evocative.

Gimme more, dammit!

[Numinous]

I love it, beautiful.  Absolutely fine sample of emo poetry. I can't wait to see the setting which supports this fantastic little bit of material.

[Hibou]

Chances are you've already seen it ;)

[Hibou]

It is mine.

My kingdom is not lost. Time has forgotten it, and its people have gone, but I have not given it up. There is hope for my land yet. Though it is basked in eternal autumn, it has not failed to stand through the ages. I am here to comfort it, to protect it. It is precious to me, and it will not be harmed as long as I roam its lonely fields.

You are miasmatic to my kingdom. Your life is a plague of industry and lies that does not understand the darkness of the land. All of those who once dwelled here, and all of those who seek to dwell here yet are a threat. You will die if you come to my kingdom. I will make sure of that.

It is mine. All mine.
-The Fallen King

[Xathan]

I'm a fan. When do we get to see the setting, or if we all ready have, when will you point us in the right direction? soon? Please? *wants to see*

[Hibou]

It's been around the WotC boards for a while.

[Hibou]

Everything they tell you is a lie.

In the lower levels of the organization, they fight for purity and benevolence with unmatched valor and strength, but those who do so are blind. The ones who command them speak to their lessers countless falsehoods and misleading precepts, blocking their eyes from the realities that lie before them. They claim holiness and wage wars against They and all of those who would threaten the good of the people, when they themselves seek to undermine and destroy all that is pure. They are no better than the creatures of the night themselves, and those beneath them are oblivious to it all.

There is a way, however, to find the truth and see past the lies that define our false lives. The monuments of the lost civilizations tell us something. There are obelisks of similar origin dotting the continent, riddled with symbols and aligned in particular ways. The land does not end where we believe it to, but rather continues to places of horror that we can only imagine. There are long-forgotten tunnels and passages where we least expect, even beneath our own cities. And the libraries we keep of ancient tomes hold within their writings countless metaphors and hidden references to a truth that is masked by what our leaders tell us. Only one thing is certain: within the lies we shall find the truth.

Within the Nightmare, we shall find the answer.
-Saint Sarah

[CYMRO]

It's been around the WotC boards for a while.

A link would be nice.

[Hibou]

Everything of importance is being ported over, but here's the link for all of those especially interested:

http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=572588

[Soup Nazi]

Ahhh...I knew I recognized this writing style. The Angry Primate has finally joined us! Hooray! Welcome to CBG Witch Hunt/Mad Ape. The Nightmare will finally be ported to the place where it belongs.

[Hibou]

Thanks :)

[Numinous]

Wow, I feel honored...  I've seen your posts everywhere and...  just wow...  Can I have a digital autograph or something?

[Hibou]

Vilydunn - The Nightmare


The Nightmare, by Henry Fuseli, 1802.


Wake to see the light.
See the beautiful sky, the abstract clouds, the aromatic meadows.
See the people, the smiles, the children.
See the cities, the lords, the law.
See the wilds, the freedom, the opportunity.
See the friends, the family, the love.
See it all fade.
See the ravenous fire, the dim stars, the moonless night.
See the weeping, the plagued, the dying.
See the ruins, the madmen, the chaos.
See the death, the destruction, the futility.
See the darkness, the cold, the void.
See the nightmare. Live the nightmare.

All that was is gone, on a wind that steals your very soul. It was only a dream, a thought; a hope. But this is none of those. This is the Nightmare, where bad dreams come true.
Here, good is a lost cause. Things not of this world lurk at night just beyond the threshold of vision. They wait to tear, to maim, to murder. They wait for you.

Perhaps there is another world, another dream. A dream where animals frolic alongside the fey, men and women share love but no hatred, and where peace has no meaning, for that is all the world has ever known.

But if there is, the people of Vilydunn have never witnessed it. Here they live what they should never have to: hatred, death, destruction, and darkness. Yet somehow, they survive. And that is hope enough. Hope for the future that seems so very lost.


State of the Union

Why do we wreak havoc at every high-society gathering? I'll tell you. Rats plague the sewers. The poor starve on the streets. Things from beyond the edge of madness encroach upon our cities. And worst of all, those who run the government just couldn't care less. They're all too busy collecting taxes and spending said tithes on shiny baubles and fine wines. They look the other way when those who look to them for aid beg for a copper. Now next time you see us, you'll understand why we do what we do.
-Ellis, a member of the Entertainers based in Calahaye of Faelunas

Once, the puny kingdoms of the day were united under the banners of a few much larger and mightier territories, but like all grand nations they were doomed to crumble into feuding mockeries of what they once were. What was Bryynaldor is now shattered into Sundayr, Harvandor, and Bravila, but even these three countries do not envelop all of the land that used to be. Likewise, Tehrale and Faelunas were once a single, mightier kingdom that ventured its borders much farther west and south halted only by the warlike sea-nations, but times have been unfortunate even to the blessed Oracles.

While the world of Vilydunn is more or less at peace, bonds are fragile and wills are soon to snap. Tensions build between factions as the seasons struggle on, and it is certain that the neutral beauty will burn out, a flame too well fed.

Bravila, Land of Peace
[spoiler]
Located on the southern part of the continent of Vilydunn, Bravila is a nation of order and caution. Its people live under a government called the Triad that is split into three divisons: Political, Spiritual, and Environmental. Its three governors and their respective advisors convene biweekly to consult on all national matters. The Kingdom of Bravila has always been one to declare a half-neutrality in times of war, initally claiming that it will take no side but quickly offering aid to the highest bidder as time rolls on. Its military is not very large compared to that of Sundayr or other regions, but what it does have has been vital in protecting the kingdom in the rare few times it has been attacked. Its capital city is also called Bravila, though many Bravan folk call it the City of Smoke because of the fumes that rise from its sewers  (Bravila's people make heavy use of fire for waste disposal and light at all times of day). Bravila(the city) is located at the mouth of the Shee River that spills into the Tulsun Sea. Its people are generally of the tulsan race.

[/spoiler]

Cimilrin, A Past Beauty
[spoiler]
Occasionally while wallowing in self-pity amongst the drunkards and town lunatics at the local tavern, stories arise of a forested kingdom once so glorious and fair that fell into darkness mysteriously, its people simply vanishing. This story has much fact in its origins, however, and those who hear it would be wise to pay attention. It is the tale of Cimilrin, a northern jewel in The Nightmare's darkness. Little is remembered of what Cimilrin was or is like even now, for none who ever dare venture madly into the realm ever return. Some say that the king was actually a powerful sorcerer who went mad, murdering his subjects and casting a shadow upon his reign. None with any sanity go there now, fearing that the mad king still walks the countryside tending to long-gone subjects and withered memories.
[/spoiler]

Faelunas
[spoiler]
A territory located south of Cimilrin's Verelwood and the Whitesea, Faelunas is a sister to Tehrale in its nature. It is a land of enlightenment and curiousity, possessing a glory reflected in its prominent art and lifestyles. Faelunas is sometimes called the Western Oracle(Tehrale is called the Eastern Oracle) because of its significance to the rest of the world both in religion and science. It is a monarchy, with the caesar of the kingdom sharing decision capability to some degree with her benevolent adviser. Faelunas's people are well-equipped for war, but they rarely have been in battle in recent times - the sea kingdoms rightly fear the power of Faelunas and Tehrale too much to make more than flighty skirmishes on shipping and coastal villages. Faelunas's inhabitants are generally of Nusan descent.
[/spoiler]

Grugast
[spoiler]
Grugast is the fabled fatherland of the Aust'ene. Little is known about it except it is cold, mountainous, and very difficult to access. It is located on the northernmost peninsula of Vilydunn, and its southern end is bordered by the Forbidden Swamps. Travellers say that the culture in Grugast is radically different from that of other nations, often being "uncivilized", but like all of Vilydunn's inhabitants the isolated nation shares something in common: it too is haunted by what waits for it at night.
[/spoiler]

Harvandor, The Shores of Light
[spoiler]
The sultanate of Harvandor is a balmy, exotic rulership that is perhaps the most active of the all mainland kingdoms at sea. Its entire shoreline is covered in white, sandy beaches, and its inland ground consists of plains and jungle. The sultana of Harvandor tends to visit cities all across her scepter's reach, and often travels to Sundayr and Bravila on peaceful endeavors. Harvandor as a nation takes great pride in its navy, and is profoundly well-known for its exotic foods. Harvandor, however, combats dark things that those of other nations do not see and have never seen. There is something about Harvandor that interests the wicked denizens of the Nightmare.
[/spoiler]

Sundayr, the Morning Realm
[spoiler]
Sundayr is the most populated land of the west, and deeply immersed in the Western Faith. While most other people in other kingdoms practice their religions as but a small portion of their daily life, the inhabitants of Sundayr base everything around theirs. They do so because they believe that The Holy Star will deliver them from the perpetual darkness invading their lives, and though in many cases it seems otherwise, they continue. Sundic lifestyle shows no signs of changing anytime soon, rooted strongly in war-like and evangelical habits that it presses on its neighbors. In its short lifespan, the Morning Realm has shown to be one of the most war-like of nations (annexing smaller, independent territories after threats of force), but even this does not save them from their fears and their dreams.
[/spoiler]

Tehrale
[spoiler]
Tehrale is the sister land to Faelunas, and is commonly called the Eastern Oracle. It shares many qualities with its sister kingdom, though its government is a theocracy-republic ruled by the High Curates of Tehrale, who believe piously in a slightly different version of the Holy Star faith than the people of Bryynaldor. Like its sister, Tehrale is a nation that sports many artists and scientists, especially astronomers - and these produce the best maps and other geographical tools in all the world. Tehrale prefers not to have a large military anymore, though in the past it had a large force that warred often with the offshore city-states, and these states know well how fast Tehrale would rise up and crush them were they to launch any large-scale assaults. Outsiders say that Tehrale's forested land is haunted by dark creatures of malicious intents and desires, who kidnap travelers and whisk them off to horrible, twisted fates.
[/spoiler]

The Nightmare's Gaze

http://img142.imageshack.us/my.php?image=vilydunn10rm.jpg

That map shows most of the Nightmare. Grugast and Cimilrin are partially cut off at the top, and parts of the Ghostsea and Eruqwar also do not appear.

[Hibou]

The land does not end in Grugast.

I say this referring to its northern reaches. Where the mountains lie in the height of the world is truly just a barrier, not an end; there is something beyond. It is like a land bridge on the other side, before expanding into a massive, ever-frozen place of snow, plains, and mountains. Icy lakes and rivers wind along in ways they should not, and wicked things lurk amongst the white - all under a sky that never sees the day. At the heart is a frozen sea whose surface glistens with starlight as if the stars dwelt in the lake and cast figments of themselves into the dark overhead. There is something lurking there, but I know not what.

I write this letter knowing that I am lost. I have traveled north and found the frozen beyond, the path to warmth and safety now obstructed by the sinister wills of those who dwell here - there are creatures watching me. The sun shines so rarely and so dim through the clouds that it is but a torch in a downpour, and the thin, perma-frozen trees offer no shelter from the blistering winds. The air is so cold here that each breath you take seems to grow hard within you. Through the ice-like blasts of my own respiration, I see them dancing. They frolic with malicious glee and wicked excitement at my plight, my strength fading fast. Their ways tell me that I have not been the first to come this way, and I know I shall not be the last. But none who do will ever see the sun again.

Beware of Grugast's northern reaches.
-Rukkiss'ee, explorer


How cowardly this place is. All its inhabitants are weak, even their blessed Day Guardian, a cowardly entity too bashful and frail to save the world in its "blessed" light. They do not see what awaits them, what watches them, what hunts them. They do not see the truth. But I have.
-Shadowburn

The Rhythm of Life - The Sun, The Sky, and The Year

So precious is the Sun to the world of Vilydunn that the lives of all revolve around it. They mark their time by the days, and mark their years by the passing of five seasons made recordable by the sun's phases. Without it, their world be chaos and confusion among the masses. Without it, they would surely die.

The Days

[spoiler]
Vilydunn's day is a 24 hour cycle of roughly the same amounts of daylight and darkness(varying from season to season). While this may seem short, to those who live these days a night seems like forever. The darkness of the eve in Vilydunn is like a shadow creature that lurks all around you, lunging at and caressing your body with spectral limbs. And a year of 400 of these gives despair even to the most faithful of priests.
[/spoiler]

The Seasons

[spoiler]
The Nightmare sees different from other worlds, though those who are part of it know it not. It is governed by the Five Seasons: Spring, Wae, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter are generally the same as they are in other worlds, but Wae is a frightening period where intense fog and mist greedily envelop the land. Sight and sound are somewhat obscured, which makes travel difficult. Breaks in the fog come as they do in the clouds occasionally during an overcast day, but they are rare. All of the seasons tend to be roughly 80 days long(more or less) each year.
[/spoiler]

The Sky: Night and Day

[spoiler]
It is said that if one were to fly high enough they would find themselves without air and without life in mere moments of wandering a vast, uncaring dark void, but beyond that somewhere among the stars is Azlorn, the Great Field of Altruism. In an attempt to reach its greatness, some ambitious lords of the past have attempted to build towers so tall as to reach the Day Guardian and beyond, but none have ever succeeded. The most sound of architectures have only ever reached the clouds. Many of these towers have become the Great Seeing Spires of Vilydunn, havens for those who wish to ponder in a place of solitude and refreshing winds.
During the day, the sky is colored blue, green, or purple, depending on the area(the Forbidden Swamps have a green sky looming above their entire expanse). The Day Guardian appears everywhere, cascading across the sky in its golden glory, hiding the stars from view. As it sets, so do the colors of the sky fade until everything is black and littered with the stars. In the journal of Ust'er, a Harvaian Philosopher, it is said that the heavenly lights follow some special pattern, though no one has discerned it. In all its beauty, there is wonder as to why folk are not gazing upward each night - but the folk of Vilydunn do not have time to do so. They must watch around them for what prowls their fears and their world. They must watch for what hunts them.
[/spoiler]