The Shadowmire Rift

[Sebben]

The Shadowmire Rift

There is a thin veil that separates the living from the dead, a worn and ancient tapestry of partition. On each side a story is told, brilliantly woven into the fabric. At times, this veil grows even thinner and the dead rip their way into the realm of the living. Shadowmire is just such a place. On both sides of the veil, our story unfolds.

Our tale starts with a knight named Lord Soth. His heart was dark, but deceit and manipulation can make even the most vile seem chivalrous. For the eye sees what it wants, and the land was in desperate need of a hero. Soth married his young love, Lady Korrine, and all seemed well. That is, until she was unable to provide him with a son. She sensed Soth’s unrest, and felt him look at her differently. She decided to take matters into her own hands. Korrine went to a witch, Elphaba, who promised she would conceive a son. However, Elphaba warned her that the child would be a direct representation of the father’s soul. Korrine, never knowing the true depth of Soth’s abysmal nature, quickly agreed.

While Korrine lay with child in the beautiful Dargaard Keep, Lord Soth was being called upon to fight evil in many lands. As he was fighting to save a group of elven priestesses from a vicious ogre lord attack, lust got the better of him. He convinced the young elf, Isolde, to go back to Dargaard Keep with him. Soon after, Korrine gave birth to Soth’s “son”, a horrid abomination. Soth, in his rage, killed the mother and the beast-child. Lord Soth’s knights covered the double murder up, and after a time Soth impregnated Isolde.

Soth’s sins found him out, as they always do. Isolde could not hide the newborn child. Lord Soth was stripped of his rank and chased into Dargaard Keep. As his keep lay under siege, Soth realized how far he had fallen and prayed for redemptio n. His prayer was heard and a quest was set before him to stop a cataclysmic, realm altering event. Although he knew that this quest would cost him his life, Soth agreed. On his way, the knights under Soth convinced him to give up the quest, leading him to believe that Isolde was being unfaithful. He returned to the keep to confront Isolde just as the cataclysm occurred. A huge chandelier dropped on Isolde and their son, engulfing them in flames. She cried for Soth to save the child, but he simply watched them burn as she called down a curse of undeath upon him.

Soth burned but never died that day. His knights became death knights, each one burdened with a sin for eternity. Pride, Lust, Wrath, Sloth, Envy, Gluttony, Greed, Blasphemy, and Contempt tortured Soth for hundreds of years, constantly reminding him that he was solely responsible for all of their misery.

But… there are two sides to this thin tapestry, and the rift occurs as the two tales weave together. Let’s now check the other side.

In the realm of the living, a bard named Sebben was slowly making his way across the land. Sebben was different than any other bard, as he would go to the places that noone else would dare go. He would sing songs and tell tales of redemption to those that most needed to hear it. The dwarves, heartsick from losing Snow White to the prince, were inspired by a Sebben song. He sang of a city, simple in its elegance, yet sturdy and strong. So the dwarves, now reinvigorated, set up an industrious mining and lumber camp just outside of Yew.

Sebben did not play for kings in fancy palaces. He played in the lowliest, dirtiest taverns and inns imaginable. He believed that a greater good lie within all creatures, though some lay nigh dormant. Sebben aimed to grow that goodness. He brought hope to several drow, a couple of orcs, and even a fallen knight.

His journey brought him to a grieving father who had just lost his daughter. Sebben sang a song of resurrection and she heard his call. Little did they know that while she was on the other side, Soth had set his sights on the pretty young lady. She had brought back the fleshly passions in Soth. So, as Sebben called her back to life, Soth tried everything he could to keep her. Sebben’s call proved more powerful, however. The father was so happy to have his daughter back that he gave Sebben a small plot of land near Trinsic.

Soth was infuriated, and in another famous fit of rage he took his blade and actually cut a hole in the veil between living and dead. When he did so, Soth as well as his knights once again became flesh. The knights stormed out of the rift in search of Soth’s love. Soth could not venture far from the rift without instantly being pulled back. Instead of choosing to fight Soth, Sebben found out that Soth really only wanted to attempt to find a lover. Sebben and Soth struck a deal. Sebben would allow Soth and his knights to at tempt to find what they sought if they would monitor the rift. Soth agreed, but did not realize that powerful liches and undead would constantly try to come through.

Sebben decided to build a small town near the rift, a sort of haven for the underappreciated misfits of the world. The dwarves, upon hearing this, pooled their resources and built the city for him. Many outcasts came to reside in what is now known as Shadowmire. Death knight and bard share their hopes and dreams. Dwarves and orcs share a drink at the same table. Drow and wood elves coexist peacefully. It is a town in a constant struggle with undead, but at the same time a quant little town where everyone is friendly. Sebben named his companions Prevailing Truth. Soth continues to try to find love. Both reside in Shadowmire.



-Sleepy of PT

[Sebben]

We have been playing on the shard for about two months now and have really enjoyed our time here so far. A ton of work goes into maintaining something like this. The staff does a great job overseeing the shard and working with the players. They deserve a big Huzzah!

Prevailing Truth was a guild I formed on Great Lakes near the beginning of UO. We were never a big guild, RL friends mostly. We all live on the Gulf Coast in hurricane lane. Our numbers include teachers, engineers, lab techs, lawn cutters, mechanics, and a strait up bums. We know that just as in RL, the game has a great array of players and personalities. We understand this and we respect this.

We are adults playing a game. This is not a problem for us. We know we are not good pvp'rs. We don't care about dying each and every time someone runs up on us. We enjoy the pvp aspect of the game so we try. If you kill us and decide to trash talk or rage, go for it. Trash talk is another part of the game, but if you think it matters to adults think again. Personally, it only makes me laugh at those shallow kinds of people. It is only a game after all.

That said, the social aspect of the game can be real. Friendships can be forged on the internet. These boxes we play games on have changed our world so much. The only time I get to spend time with my brother is when we kill dragons together or just sit and chat over vent.

We look forward to playing with the community of the shard. We are not role players. We are not pvp'rs. We are not power gamers. We are just a group of friends wanting to have a good time meeting new friends. It is our hope, just as it was the orcs I'm sure, that our town is a jumping off point for events and pvp for those who want.

As the town gets closer to completion we'll start trying to get stuff going. Our plan is to have the usual vendors available in the town as NPCs. We own the house on the west coast of Skara and in front of Destard, and will have runes there when we are ready to get it in full swing.


Cheers,

Sebben of PT

[Prurk]

Welcome to the shard.
Best of luck to you and your friends.

[Berginyon]

Sleepy stole my story! I am going to have to smack him around a lil bit!

[Kid Steeze]

Nice story enjoyed reading it.

[trusoria]

Where is shadowmire located? Thank you. I would like to visit there once my adventure gear is all ready.

[Kylock]

I believe Shadowmire is in the North Trinsic Swamps. The Aceopolis city, and my unfinished T2A city are also in the area.

You should beable to find runes to Ace on the boats right next to the West Britain Bank

[trusoria]

is there a storyline to Acepolis town as well?

Thank you for the directions!

[aXe]

Well, we aren't really a RPing guild so we don't really have a story made out for our town. Sounds like a good idea that could attract some more people to our town though! Come check it out sometime though!

[BlackFoot]

ACE town is coming too close to shadowmire boundries. beware