The Pillars Hype Train Tyme

[Fionavar]

Looking forward to seeing your prose

[Barbedbeat]

Submission (competition #2)

 

* Yes, I know my story highly exceeds the word count limit. But hey, I had so much fun writing it that I could not stop! Hope you enjoy!

**Be warned: spoilers ahead

 

Keep Yer Heid and March On

 

The crypt walls echoed with the low humming of a moltitude of voices, their diverse pitches carefully intertwined in a sweeping harmony. A lonely wail raised above the orderly din, weaving an haunting chant, studded with wisely chosen formulas and arcane vibrations, perfected to obtain the complete subjugation of the listeners' minds.

With one last high-pitched note, the High-Priestess concluded her phrase, and, slowly and rythmically, the song came to a halt. The woman closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, savouring the thick silence that blossomed around her. Then she clasped her hands in prayer and let out a single low whisper: “Glory to The Queen That Was”. Immediately, she could hear the sound of hundreds of knees softly hitting the ground, followed by a resounding bellow: “Glory!”.

The Priestess opened her eyes and let her gaze wander among the herd that had kneeled at her feet. Two-hundreds and thirty-one Acolytes, man and women of all ages, bodies clad in black cloacks and visages hidden by ominous ceremonial hoods, dedicating their lives to one singular purpose: serving and revering the almighty Gods. She let out the tiniest of sighs and nodded. “Yes”, she thought, “Our mission is just”. A thin smile painted on her face as she started to talk. “Brothers and Sisters, I am truly rejoiced to see so many of you here on this joyous occasion. As per the letter you received two days ago, many of you will already know that this is indeed a special day. In fact, we are all gathered here to rightfully celebrate the merits of our Brother...” her eyes lingered on the figure of a young man, knelt a few meters away from her, “... whose purposeful actions in service of the Leaden Key have attracted the favour of Woedica Herself”. With an exagerated movement of her arm, she motioned him to come closer. “Come forth, Acolyte! That all may see you!”

The man stood up, the menacing contours of his broad figure accentuated by the dim light of the wall torches. With slow steps, he approached the pulpit where he reverently knelt again in front of the Priestess. The woman turned towards the towering altar behind her and produced a thin, crooked black crown. She raised her arms high above her head so that everybody could see that symbol of power; with a gentle gesture of her bony hands, she then proceded to carefully place it on the man's head, whispering “Well done, Brother”. Then, suddenly, her voiced boomed through the vault: “Inquisitor! State your name and purpose!”

But the answer never came.

Instead, a low muttering erupted from the man's lips, as he slowly started to rise. The Priestess stared at him, her surprise soon replaced by a burning rage as the man took hold of the crown and deliberately dropped it on the ground.“How dare you, you insolent...” the words took form in her mind, but died before reaching her throat. All of her muscles were petrified. A wave of panic hit her in the stomach as her eyes darted among the other acolytes, all rendered immobile by the same spell that held her captive.

She struggled against the mounting anguish as, with a graceful flick of the wrist, the broad-built man in front of her disappeared, replaced by the delicate figure of a young elf whose piercing blue eyes stared mercilessly at her from behind the mask.

“I am no Inquisitor”, he hissed, a pulsating, fiery glow emanating from the palm of his hand, “I'm just the man who'll put an end to your reign of lies”. As he finished speaking, a roaring tongue of flame erupted violently from his outstretched arm, engulfing the the whole crypt. In a few seconds, every inch of stone, every marble slate, every single living creature inside of Woedica's Temple was being consumed by a churning, thundering maelstrom of magical fire, unstoppable in its horrendous ire.

 

 

The icy snow crunched under the wizard's boots as he walked down the barren path. He had been walking for what felt like hours but, in spite of the distance, he could still hear the cracking and crackling of the flames reverberating through the dale. He let out a long sigh and looked up to the night sky, stern in its vast emptyness. The steely maws of remorse would always present themselves after such deeds, gently gnawing at the back of his mind.

“Keep yer heid, wizard-boy! Yer doin' the right thing”. There she was.

“There is no such thing as right or wrong, Iselmyr. Not anymore”

“Nay, lad. But truth and lie, they're real enough.”

For an instant, the faint shadow of a smile passed on his drawn face. “They are indeed. This is the reason why I swore to eradicate the Leaden Key, come what may. The time has come for Truth to be avenged”

He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the cold northern air and his soul with burning determination.

“But enough of this palaver. A long journey awaits us”

And thus, Aloth marched on, his stride confident as he prepared to walk down the long arduous road that would have taken him to his next destination: the cold mountains of the White March.

Edited January 15, 2016 by Barbedbeat

[Cyseal]

Great narration. Barbedbeat, are you a writer?

[Barbedbeat]

My, thank you so much, Cyseal! 

Well, I am not a professional writer, but  I dream of becoming one. And, to be honest, your comment has filled me with joy! I am not a native English speaker (or writer, for that matter) so I am beyond flattered!

[AndreaColombo]

I commend your English skills, my fellow countrywoman

[Barbedbeat]

You're way too kind, Andrea! It's nice to meet a fellow Italian around these parts. Come to think of it, I believe we already crossed our paths on the chaotic jungle that is Twitter, if I'm not mistaken.  

[AndreaColombo]

We have indeed; my handle's @AristotlOmissis over there.

 

And I'm merely being objective: No Italian had ever sent me to dictionary.com with their English writing, but you did with your piece—more than once I wish my Italian prose was as good as your English.

Edited January 16, 2016 by AndreaColombo

[Cyseal]

And I'm merely being objective: No Italian had ever sent me to dictionary.com with their English writing, but you did with your piece—more than once

The same here. Barbedbeat, your writing provides rich visualization of words. I like that in prose.

[Barbedbeat]

 

And I'm merely being objective: No Italian had ever sent me to dictionary.com with their English writing, but you did with your piece—more than once

The same here. Barbedbeat, your writing provides rich visualization of words. I like that in prose.

 

 

Wow, thank you both for your kind words! You can't imagine how happy I am to know you liked my story and appreciate my writing style. Here's a big hug for you!

Edited January 17, 2016 by Barbedbeat

[Cyseal]

Submission (Competition #3)

 

"Adra"

 

 

Scene setup :https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/13451287/bgpoecomp.blend.png

[Barbedbeat]

Woah, that's stunning!Well done, Cyseal!

[Cyseal]

Thanks Glad you enjoy it.

Edited January 29, 2016 by Cyseal

[Fionavar]

That's great - thanks Cyseal!

[Silent Winter]

Submission (Competition #3)

Title:  We went in the front door

 

Composition could do with a bit more work (and probably more Revenants and other undead) but sadly I'm not too well at the mo' so I won't be able to do any more.  Still it's fun to join in

We've got a Vailian Ranger with Lion companion and an orlan wizard using Ray of Fire. And given PoE's ability for anyone to use any gear, that could be anyone in the armour with the mace, but I'm calling it an Aedyr fighter for the sake of it.

[why]

Nice work, Silent Winter.  I love the ray of fire to the face!  Kind of reminds me of the last time I had dinner at the local In and Out Burger.  Couldn't say who were the revenants and who were the customers, but the food was good.

[Fionavar]

That's great Silent Winter! Hope you feel better soon

 

with thanks,

 

F

[Seeders]

Submission (Competition #1)

Caption:

 

"In my awakening I had a vision of my past life.   There was a golden eye, and they called me Bond, James Bond.  For some reason I had a gun that only shot paint."

Edited February 11, 2016 by Seeders

[Fionavar]

Thanks Seeders!

[Fionavar]

Okay that's a wrap ... winners to be announcements to come ... 

 

Thanks everyone who have shared your creations!

[SamachX]

Does anyone know what time the release is supposed to be up?

I left my party standing in the empty river after the rains in hopes I could solve the mysteries of the white march Before I mosey on over to elmshore...

 

Kinda kounting the mins to midknight...

[Barbedbeat]

Does anyone know what time the release is supposed to be up?

I left my party standing in the empty river after the rains in hopes I could solve the mysteries of the white march Before I mosey on over to elmshore...

 

Kinda kounting the mins to midknight...

This thread might help you out https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/84239-time-of-poe-wmii-release/?do=findComment&comment=1775262

[Fionavar]

Announcement en route this weekend ...

[Fionavar]

Be prepared ... the reveal(s) occurs later today ...

[Fionavar]

Que Troll & Gnome band ...
 
And the winners are:

The Pillars Hype Train Tyme : #1 Caption Contest

• AndreaColombo 

1) The biggest brains in the community lecture Josh about what constitutes the heart of the IE feel. 

 

 
 

The Pillars Hype Train Tyme : #2 Fanfic

• Osvir

#2 When Ink Touch the Soul
 
A book opens, and a book closes. Pages turn. That such a simple thing, leather, ink, paper, and quill, could cause such devastation, hold such... elegance...
 
You have failed. Is the first sentence that rings your mind.
 
You are already doomed. It follows.
 
Your flesh... abandoned. Only The Ink holds you now.... "Another comes..." "We grow" "We feed" echoes across pages, soundless words appearing on paper. You feel your fingers, but they are not there, neither are your arms, your feet, your legs...  your head, thoughts, spins in vacuum, bouncing back and forth in emptiness... probing your memories you find... nothing...?  What were you before? Where did you come from? What am I? All your thoughts, manifested on a single page. Your entire life, encompassed in a single word... "Ink". Nothing else seems to register, except a mechanical and logical force, mathematical aspects... "The Book has you".
 
The Book?
 
You have passed the Leather... "Who is that?" you seem to think... and your thoughts swirls, dance and run in circles, and a black dot begins in your mind, it transforms into a line, into fine calligraphy, echoing across the pages once more... "Who is that?".
 
It is We, the Ink. What you perceive shifts your thoughts turn, searching for... a library of... letters? What has happened?
 
You opened the Book, like all of Us. The Book? What Book?
 
The Soul Ink. I... do not understand?
 
It is ancient animancy from an age long gone. It does not matter. You are being absorbed at this very moment, your blood, your flesh, your mind... your soul... the very essence of "you"... all of it folded into the Page... you are trapped here with Us now. Part of Us. Agent of the Quill.... I am... afraid....
 
... I sense your struggle... let go... this is the end, another Chapter in the Book, a beginning of another you... another Us... come to Us, join Us, and embrace Our Will.... I... I did not wish for this...
 
.... you still struggle. Let go, for the Ink will not let you go... I... There is no more 'I', 'We', We are the Ink. You will soon understand....
 
A spike runs through your being, phantom pain electrifying your physical and spiritual silhouette... You are gone. You... have been devoured, and your struggle ends... We are the Ink.
 
Another Chapter has been written, Master...

 

 

 

The Pillars Hype Train Tyme : #3 Art

• Silent Winter

 

If each of the winners could please PM me with:
Name, email & mailing address that would be grand

 

Congratulations to you and thanks to everyone who participated. We really are an amazing community!

[why]

I wanted to be a good sport and congratulate you, Osvir, ya bastard, but instead I'll just crawl into a little ball and cry. :'{

 

Seriously, I don't mind you winning, but did you have to do it so well? I can't even complain that I got the shaft.