Heatherport |
A hungry and curious fire genie makes his presence known in the coastal town of Heatherport. He is hungry because it has been months since he fed on the misery and fear of mortals. He is curious because he has heard of this place, whispered rumors of a splendid city that many of his kind have visited, but never returned from. Pulling himself to his full height, The genie lets his infernal mane burn at its brightest. The people of the city take no notice of him. He speaks at length of the suffering he will bring, the torment that he shall rain down upon their homes, and the mercy they shall beg for. The citizens go about their business. He summons great conflagrations to scorch the sky above them. He is ignored. His hunger goes unabated, but his curiosity is intrigued by what secrets this city holds. The first of those secrets is that Heatherport is imperious to his destructive talents. Generations ago the sages and thaumaturges of this place decreed that the city was perfect, that it should forever remain in a state of glory. To that end they wove an elaborate network of spells that would constantly renew the city. It will not age. The city itself is bound and fixed upon the world, its identity and essence embossed upon the permanence of the rock and water. But such spells require energy. By sundown the fire genie tires of this place and turns to seek out new sources of terror to nourish his soulless appetite, but finds he is unable to leave the lagoon. An unseen barrier bars his passage. His mane sputters as his unholy energies begin to drain away. Heatherport's second secret is the stone floor of great lagoon. It is etched with concentric circles of runes and glyphs: spells of confinement, spells of unmaking, and spells of extraction. These are obscured from view by the accumulated bones of fire genies who have come before and fueled the city. The last image the decaying genie takes with him as he slips beneath the placid water is of the citizens of Heatherport all watching his descent, smiling. |
