The Calamity Star
by The StalkerThis is an idea for use during the Wrath of the Immortals adventure/campaign, so if you're playing that or planning to you might want to take a look. It's working well beyond my expectations IMC, so maybe other people will find it interesting too (well, I can hope, can't I?)
"The Calamity Star"
The Prophecies of Jarrot the Mad.
Jarrot "the Mad" was an Alphatian diviner who lived over a thousand years ago and was much revered in his younger days, for he was said to be able to foretell the future. As time passed, more and more people came to rely on his predictions, but when he failed, Jarrot felt guilty, especially if people had suffered great loss from believing his predictions. Because of this, Jarrot kept pushing himself to the limit of his abilities. At one point his prophecies apparently convinced him that Mystara itself was threatened by some great cataclysmic event. He foretold the possible destruction of the world, and some believed him. His claims stated that "with the end of the first millennium of the new empire, a new star will appear in the sky as a harbinger of doom, for it will foretell the end of the world". He was much ridiculed in Alphatia when the Empire passed well beyond the year 1000 AY (year 0 AC to Thyatians) and his predictions did not come true!
Yet Jarrot felt that he needed to find out more from his predictions and kept pushing his divining abilities to their limits in order to discover more information about the end of the world. Eventually, the strain broke his mind, and Jarrot went insane. Yet rumour has it, that he wrote his doomsday-prophecies down in a secret text called "The Calamity Star".
This is the lost document of Jarrot the Mad.
(1)
As the new empire, mighty and sly,
its first millennium passes in bloom
a strange, new star will appear in the sky
as the omen and harbinger of doom.
(2)
The Calamity Star foretells conflict
and how the world will end and be no more,
dividing mighty as none could predict
giving opportunities to cause war
(3)
Leaving so without hope those seeking peace
against those wishing order to harass,
succeeding in unseen war to release
as above the sun and the moon do clash
(4)
Nations will behave strangely and traits lose
so none recognise them the slightest bit,
as the much skilled it cannot rightly use
while those with no incentive now have it
(5)
A death and consequent situation
seems random, yet causes further decay
as suspect debates yield no solution
and thus it will only cause more dismay
(6)
The foul murder of an innocent man
will serve to further dim the lights of peace
as the deaths of devout men peace will ban
where those involved wish it only to cease
(7)
And those men of murder falsely accused
will flee helped by those seeking peace restored
though fate its power otherwise abused
for the opposite, as evil implored
(8)
The slaughter of innocents at a feast
will thus turn brother against another.
Stern announcements solves not matters the least
but reveal pacts as brother wars brother
(9)
In lands where none wish it, war comes about
while none involved seek it, though there be blame.
Without cause the dwellings of the devout
will be sought out and then consumed by flame
(10)
The accused through those who peace desire
will succeed to escape, but cause much death
bringing so the burning blaze of fire
and so dooming peace to draw its last breath
(11)
The lord from beyond armies does summon
leading them against allies without trust
defeating all, heroic or common,
old grudges must fall, lest people be crushed
(12)
Shadow falls withering peaceful flower
in lands between seas where the sun does stroll
as arcane artists then unleash power
to freely roam where it's beyond control
(13)
In lands of daybreak first casualties fall
while then to the civilised lands of gold
the lord from beyond his armies will call
so innocents feel conquest's bitter cold
(14)
Ancient brother will try with greatest art
his ancient brother in rage to destroy
as with secrets of old neither will part
and so to kill both great power employ
(15)
Thus the reluctant king lion to be
abandons allies who cannot be told
seeking out new ones, great trust is the key,
to find in the enemies of the old
(16)
For the quest for allies someone must care
and calls for someone who into this delves
and they will meet with peril and despair
and be opposed by Immortals themselves
(17)
Agreements are made, to some treachery,
to some freedom they dare not rely on
old friends and new foes form conspiracy
stopped not, assassins slay the king lion
(18)
To find peace, the lands united must be
forcing the lord from beyond to defeat
his curse, the Calamity Star, all see
and so land and wilderness doom must meet
(19)
The Calamity Star grows in the skies
as all realise that the time is near
and it will cause despair and endless cries
mark the fall of hope - the coming of fear
(20)
For then out of the skies the stars will fall
and the world with flames engulf and so drown
ruining land and town, destroying all,
killing men, knocking mighty mountains down