Never expected to make something of a weeks work in a single day (finished 23;30)
THE PYROMANCER STRONGHOLD OF THE ELEMENTAL PLANE OF FIRE.
Mystara BECMI D&D
Those
passing through the gate to the Elemental Plane of Fire in the Great School of Magic (GSM) Dependance, must however travel 67 miles South east to reach the Glantrian
Pyromancer Stronghold (see Havard's awesome map here; http://pandius.com/fire_pln.html), even though the Flame Geyser can be seen from here.
Originally there was a gate in the former location of the Communal Magic room
(currently 35’ abovethe Griffon Stables of the Great School of Magic) but this was made unreachable due the Fire disaster caused by the Fire
Elementalists in 875AC. The gate does still exist, yet it is extremely hard to
open it, as it needs a stable flame to open the gate; an almost impossible feat
35’ in the air. Since the the Fire Elementalists moved to the GSM Dependance
(892AC), they have to use this route. Some mages use Teleportation from there,
yet most mages do not have such acute knowledge of a location in the Pyromancer
Stronghold, and have to walk (or fly). Eitherway they need guards to safely
reach the Stronghold, as many enemies regularly attack the Stronghold and those
within.
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| This is the art I based the Pyromancer Stronghold upon |
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Erected
around the single Flame Geyser, located on the very same location ass the city
of Glantri on the Prime Plane, this steel and solidified magma and flame construction
resembles three gigantic (335’ tall) blades on a large seemingly circular
stronghold, with three hexagonal corner castles holding the base of these
blades. In between these castles, three powerful barbicans and a wall of
battlements is placed.
The whole
structure seems to concentrate the very magical energy of this Plane into a
powerful stream infusing the whole area, and even permeating into the Prime
Plane in Glantri. This excess energy feeds the Elemental Fire nexi) and gates to the Elemental Plane of Fire in the whole
nation of Glantri.
This Flame
Geyser is actually a reaction of the Plane of Fire on the magical energy drain
from the Sphere of Energy (to which the Plane of Fire is aligned) due to the Nucleus
of Spheres’ alteration by the Immortals in 630BC and thereafter. The Immortals
created a breach between the Prime Plane and the Plane of Fire, on the location
of the Nucleus of Spheres and some minor adjustments to the Nucleus of Spheres
to enable this. The Nucleus absorbs this energy by its Dilithium crystals,
converting it with Radiance into magical energy, but in effect also spreading
this altered energy over the Prime Plane Mystara. As such it might appear the Flame
Geyser expels fire into the Plane of Fire, yet this is a mere reaction of
the immense amount of energy from the
Sphere of Energy sucked in through the breach, violently expelling any excess
back into the Plane of Fire.
It was a
great surprise when in 1009AC the Flame Geyser suddenly flickered, then
collapsed and ended. The Pyromancers, not knowing they took energy from the
Sphere of Energy drained by the Radiance were dumbfounded, and could not discover
what did really happen, why the geyser stopped and how to reignite it anew. For
all experiments and research, they could not even locate the breach, deep
“underground” in the Plane of Fire which was the cause of the Flame Geyser, as
it had been collapsed into itself. As they had no contact with Energy Immortals
they never learned why and how this happened (and even if they had , these
Immortals would not explain). They continued the research many months to find
solutions. And even though this was easier, as no one in the Plane of Fire
coveted to possess the Flame Geyser any longer, and no wars needed to be
fought, they still could not resolve the issue.
Until one
moment in the year 1013AC, a minute breach opened, consumed some experimenting
pyromancers and the Flame Geyser bursted into life anew. This was the moment
the Radiance no longer drained from the Sphere of Entropy, but from the Sphere
of Energy again. A similar but reversed effect happened in the Realm of Night (see adventure M5 Talons of Night) on the
very same location, where an Entropic geyser in the middle of the Necromonger
capital (Night’s version of Glantri)
suddenly were deprived of their energy influx they gained in 1009AC. The
Radiance somehow drains from the Sphere of Energy again. Nobody knows how, why
or by whom—yet clever Thanatos is suspected; “Death can’t die, and always live to kill or try” was one of his
favourite sentences after the discovery of the renewed drain on Energy.
The
Pyromancers were over enjoyed, the Plane of Energy inhabitants too; new wars
were ensued to try to gain possession of the Flame Geyser.
DM note; no matter who controls the geyser, they can’t influence the effects it
has on the Radiance, and with that on the Prime Plane. However, they might be
able to increase their use of magic on the direct area in the Plane of Fire,
create magical weapons, and new spells, which might have effects on Plane of
Fire inhabitants travelling to the Prime (or other) Plane. In 1750AC the
Radiance finally explodes violently, also permanently destroying the geyser of
flame and most of the Pyromancer stronghold. The balance will finally be
restored.
