Thursday Mar 28, 2024

Heralds of Akkadia – 0

Caverns of Kish

Sargon is now 16 years old. Cupbearer of trusted King Urzuba of Kish. It is a rare position to be granted, particularly to a kid whose parents are unknown. Picked up as a baby, from a basket found in a river, by no less than the King himself.

Sargon has been feeling distracted with dreams and heavy thoughts, and today, a foggy and cold evening of the year 2330BC, he decides to follow his gut feeling, and manages to find a cavern, south of Kish and in the middle of an arid nowhere. With his torch on his left, short sword on his right, he takes his first steps inside.


Mythic Writer Notes (Click to Expand)

I have worked on this idea of a game for some time, so I kind of know where to go. However, I still used TAC to dump my ideas into a plan. TAC gave me this:

The Adventure Crafter first Turning Point

I expect on this scene to have Sargon meet An-Aelilda, priestess of Kish, since he saw her on his dreams. Scene Alteration gave me “Altered”. I’ll be using TAC for this game, so the focus table will be the one of the Mythic Magazine. I’ll ask if An-Aelilda is not yet there? Or if she is not the person of his dreams. Mythic says she is not.


Sargon turns on his torch, as just after a few meters inside these rocky caverns, it gets pitch dark. Looks back, the sun still shines outside. Some fog, which even makes it inside the cave until the first few turns.

Blurry, eroded figures on the wall, old godly shapes with wings and small tiny priests below them. To Sargon they only make sense after tales shared by his king-father as a kid: “This is how we learn from our ancestors, who met the gods and were given the gift of reason and understanding, the voice of Inanna and the wisdom of Enki”, the words of Urzuba ringed on Sargon’s head.

End of the caverns, no one is there. Sargon promised he had seen a woman figure on this place. But there is no one here. It is not like he dreamed.

Sacred Silence


Mythic Writer Notes (Click to Expand)

I expect to meet the priestess here. Scene Alteration: Proceeds Normally. I imagine a divine hideout, what does it look like? I ask the description tables. Carelessly Healthy.


Silence. Sargon felt peace. A table with some herbs, small figurines of clay, pottery and clearer drawings on the wall. Winged figures of the Goddess Inanna. Powerful. Mighty.

A woman in long, white and gray robes appears, a staff with small spiky horns on the head, held on her left-hand approaches in small, calculated steps from behind. Sargon had promised he was alone and no one followed him. Where did she come from?

“I suppose I am late. I am sorry, and forgive myself in the name of the gods” – Says she
Sargon turns around, points at her with his torch, right hand on the grip of his short sword on his belt. Daringly says:
“Who are you? What is this place?”
“I am afraid you already know the answer. Sargon.” Says the woman, in a calm voice, and then continues, “My name is An-Aenlilda, and I am but a mere servant of the spirit gods. And this place, is but a sacred temple, whose name and worship you have already seen”.

The priestess proceeds slowly, and lowers her mask for a brief moment, in an attempt to take a better look at Sargon. Her face, barely resembles to one of a human, with twisted corners and a broken skin. Gives a brief smile, and again covers her face with the faceless mask.

“Why did you show me your face? How do you know my name?”
“I was told your name, as I was told to show you my face. It is not my will. You are the first of men to have seen my true face. And now you are witness of your dreams. It is nothing but a gesture of the goddess.”
“I don’t remember you in my dreams. I dreamed of someone… beautiful”
The priestess chuckless. “Am I not? Well, that is what makes me the cursed and the gifted. No. It is not me who you saw. It was her”. She points with her right-hand finger at the winged figure, carved in the wall.
“Goddess Inanna?

A Divine Request

“It is a rare occasion… yes. But not impossible. These caves are not easy to find. And you were here before time. Such is not a good omen, as such means the gods are in a hurry.”
“What do you want from me?”
“You were born from the river. A basket that ended up in no one else but the King of Kish himself. A gift. And now the gift is ready to take meaning. Tell your father, King of Kish, of your dreams, and Inanna will guide your spirit accordingly.”
“What for? How would he believe me? The gods do not speak to mere boys like me. The king will have me killed for heresy.” – Says a worried Sargon
“Not if you tell him that Inanna is aware of him and follows his deeds closely. Inanna knows he is innocent. He will have the blessing to set eyes on the Stones of Creation. He will understand these words.”
“This sounds… strange. But even if I follow your suggestions, what if he does not believe me? And what if I don’t do what you say?”
“I must rest now. The air we breathe is heavy. Come after the third sun. Answers will lay down on their own. Now go, child of the rivers.”


Mythic Writer Notes (Click to Expand)

This concludes three scenes. No new characters or plotlines. This was merely a setup, and the session zero! From here, I expect Sargon to hesitate, and probably head back to his King with these divine messages. What will Mythic have for us?


JeansenVaars

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