From: appel@erzo.org (Shannon Appel)
Subject: Where the Gods Walk
System: Elric!

This article describes a magical location for the Young Kingdoms. It may be set in just about any out-of-the-way forest location.

            THE GLADE OF THERIL

Today, the Young Kingdoms slowly slip into the unbreakable grasp of Chaos. But, it was not always that way. Once, balance ruled in the Young Kingdoms. Those were times when even the Lords of Laws were able to walk freely in the Kingdoms, and this article describes one of the places so visited.

It was long ago that Theril came to the Glade now named after her. When her perfection shone upon the place, it became one with order as well: flowers turned to crystal and leaves to gold. Now, though aeons have passed since Theril left the Glade, still it bears her mark.

The Glade of Theril is located within a totally normal wood. Adventurers will see no hint that the Glade lies nearby until they turn a corner, and find themselves within it.

Three tall, unnaturally straight trees mark out the glade, forming a perfect triangle. The bark of the trees is smooth, like leather, while the leaves seem to be of the finest silk. An even growth of short grass lies across the entire glade; like the leaves, it is silky, and unnaturally resilient. A variety of flowers grow within the glade as well. They seem to be made of colored glass, or crystal, and are extremely beautiful. Many small woodland animals live about the glade. They are quite docile, and totally unafraid of men. Some strange creatures, regular and orderly, are found nowhere else in the Young Kingdoms but the Glade of Theril.

Though all of the physical details of the glade should be eerily orderly, they are nothing compared to the music of the glade. At first, adventurers will not notice it, but after they have been in the glade for a few moments, it will slowly begin to break through the edges of their perceptions. It is totally unearthly, but also very beautiful.

True Dreams

Though it is clear that the glade is intrinsically magic, it can have even greater effects upon those who sleep within.

Whenever a player sleeps within the glade, he will have a True Dream if he rolls under POWx1, provided that his Chaos allegiance is not greater than his Law or Balance allegiance. If several characters all sleep within the glade, all who make their POWx1 roll will have the same Dream. These Dreams will always be of the past (many say that the Lords of Law live forever within the past). They may show ancient battles, long-destroyed cities or dead people. These dreams will always be of special significance to the Lords of Law. They may show items the Lords wish retrieved, families they wish destroyed, or cities they wish rebuilt. Typically, once someone has seen a True Dream within the Glade of Theril, he will continue seeing it whenever he sleeps (in the glade, or elsewhere), until he has done something to advance the particular goal hinted at by the dream.

Knowledge from the Glade

Art (any musical instrument) and Art (song) can both be learned within the glade, simply by sitting and listening to the haunting music. For each full week that someone sits within the glade, concentrating upon the musc, they gain 5% in their chosen Art (to a maximum of 100%) and 1 point in Law Allegiance (to a maximum of 10 points above the next highest allegiance).

In addition, the spell Will of Theril (Bronze Grimoire, pg. 40) will be learned if a character sits within the glade for a week when they have an appropriate Art of 50% of higher (this is in addition to the normal benefits gained from meditating within the glade).

Adventure Ideas

* If the players are servants of Law, they may quest for the glade,
hoping to find a place that will bring them closer to their gods.
Servants of the balance may also want to find the glade, hoping to
use its power to slow the growth of Chaos within the Young Kingdoms.

* The forces of chaos would work to destroy the glade if they knew of
it. When the armies of chaos begin to move, the players could find
themselves sudden war leaders, needed to bring together an army of
law to protect the glade. Often, foulness is hidden by fairness, and
the players would thus have to deal with traitors within their army,
determined to bide their time, and sully the glade by acts of chaos
when attention is turned elsewhere.

* Unknowing characters might sleep in the bizarre glade, and suddenly
find themselves plagued with the same dream. Such unfortunates would
have to seek out seers and soothsayers in an attempt to discover the
meaning of their dreams, and then would have to do the work of the
Lords of Law to free themselves from them. Alternatively, they might
throw themselves fully towards Chaos, hoping to find magic to banish
the words of Law.

* A new cult, The True Seers, could spring up around the Glade of
Theril. Each member of the Cult is initiated when he sleeps alone
within the Glade. He is then tasked to find the meaning of his
vision, and accomplish the desires of the Lords of Law. True Seers
could be found throughout the Young Kingdoms, each one a questing
traveller.

* There is always the underlying question of Why Theril once walked
the Young Kingdoms here. Do other things nearby show her mark? Is
something valuable (or inimical) to the Lords of Law nearby? It
would probably be easiest for Theril to return to the Young Kingdoms
in the Glade. Great prophecies could foretell her return. And
finally, perhaps it is easier for other things to come to the Young
Kingdoms, here, in the Glade, as well?

Shannon