Name of Location: Toi’luna Ocooseenee (Roughly translates to “Isle of Faces” but more literally means, “island surrounded with senses of humor like a mirror”)
Description:
Among The Ruins is a stone path leading to a small waterfall, about 5 feet high. From the precipice of the steps you can see a large, towering building with a rounded roof in the distance. As all else in The Ruins is being reclaimed by the Makubwa Lori so is the Isle of Faces, but at a rate decidedly less than most. From farther back huge, stone faces can be seen carved around the diameter of the roof. This is where the Isle got its name. When finally confronted with the behemoth of a building it’s easily five stories tall. The slightest, most faint hum can be heard resonating off of the building to those with keen ears or senses. There is a massive moat around the perimeter of the building, a pond or mini lake of sorts, and in fact this is where the waterfall is created. The waterfall flows and flows, as does the stream below it, though the moat is completely still. It’s not known where the water in the moat originates from and is speculated to be magically sourced. The stone is white and porus, in some places covered in moss, vines, or lichen.
The entrance to Isle of Faces is a bridge spanning the radius of the moat. The bridge is stone and not suspended but instead a thick slab of that same white stone, the bulk of it being submerged in the water. The actual walk way skims the surface of the water, just some few inches above it. It’s wide enough for two people to walk comfortably side by side and there is no railing. Lily pads, a few ancient, dire koi, and peep frogs live among the waters. A large spiral staircase follows the building all the way up to the top landing. High pillars create a high ceiling, at least half of the whole building’s height, and the inside is a marvel of craftsmanship. With beautiful florettes carved into the stone pillars and a strange, beautiful calligraphy of code lining some of the floor they say that within the belly of the Isle lie secrets to baffle scholars and adventurers alike.
The artisan of the building still inhabits it from time to time. The legends surrounding the qi’ora that guards and created this place are many. A man marked by Cassion, believed to have been exalted, was bound to roam even after his untimely death and so they say he is not always found here. The man is a ghost named Ku Sak’ni’lo Otunqirana, having earned all three names once he created this building. As the legend goes in his death he is not a friendly ghost. The spirit of Otunqirana haunts his masterpiece terrifying anyone he finds trying to delve into his secrets. They say this place was created as a vault, going deep into the earth, where he would hide his transmutation experiments and things he created out of alchemy.
The legend of the building is thusly;
Long ago when The Ruin was still a bustling place the man named Ku Sak’ni’lo began construction of a massive building. He had a manner of respect among the lost people and the creation of this masterpiece was celebrated. Due to being marked as Sojourn construction was slow, but it only allowed the man to dwell and truly perfect this work of art. While he told no one the true purpose and called it merely a “massive gazebo” it was rumored to have been a secret vault to an underground system of tunnels where many labs were held for his various experiments. As an expert cryptographer they say he left the secret to opening this vault on the floor, written in his handmade script of elegant code. The people of The Ruins, despite their misgivings of the true purpose, loved this structure and would often use it as a forum area in his honor. A place for ideas and knowledge to be harbored and spread. It was said there they cultivated many ideas, about magic and otherwise.
There are rumors of masterpieces of craftsmanship being guarded by terrifying automatons or golems deep within the vault. What they are guarding no one can agree on. Some say he found the secret to life, but was poisoned before he was able to consume it. Others say that massive weapons of destruction are hidden in there, locked away as failed experiments too dangerous to use. Some say he created gems with immense power, able to shoot fire or ice from their maw. After his death many tried to pry open the vault to no avail, his spirit would fight anyone off and even if the robbers or those curious that had a moment to themselves on the Isle the secrets find they are too tough to break. They say that some of the florets move as well, part of the puzzle of the vault. The puzzle itself has surrounding mythos, saying that the code on the floor describes a riddle that is a specific time of day you are supposed to be there in order to complete the puzzle. Along with a warning about the vault itself.
What truly lies beneath this massive haunted dwelling is unknown, though all those who know the story and have seen it for themselves are sure some conspiracy hides within the behemoth. The humming is louder on certain nights than others and occasionally light can be seen coming off of it, but none dare approach it then. Another rumor is of a lady of the lake lurking in the depths of the moat surrounding the building, quite the formidable foe. Any who dare come to Isle of Faces will be blown away by the breathtaking beauty and truly stumped at the puzzle before them. Who will make it into the vault, and who will make it out alive?
NPCs at this location (please just name them here, submit a separate development post for them)
Ku Sak’ni’lo Otunqirana (ghost)
Goods / services available here? none
Modnote: You can explore this to your hearts' content, and self mod, but finding your way into The Vault is a high risk plot which needs a moderator!
Credits to: Dula
Art By: James Wolf
Submitted for Development: Oct. 3rd 2019
