A Narcissist's Reckoning
In the Third Era, the Era of Mortals, a chieftain in Nilesia conquered the nearby clans and incorporated them into his realm. It was a powerful maneuver and cost him dearly, but in the end he prevailed. The invincible feeling that accompanies a victory such as this swelled his chest. His court diviner, a dwarf wizard named Molac, Diviner of Bypass , urged King Narcisus to control his hubris.
"Nay," said Narcisus. "There is nothing for me to control that has not been earned. For did I not lose my finest berserker and barbarian in the fights? Do I not deserve to entertain these feelings for a fleeting moment?"
"My chief," Molac began, "may feel as he pleases, but with each hour further into this thrill, the deeper a seed is planted and driven into your heart. That seed with sprout a great clone that will destroy you. I have seen this."
"Fah!" the chieftain said, waving a hand dismissively. "You only see sheep entrails and broken sticks. Perhaps your divining is wrong." The chief ignored any further pleas from Molac, even ordering his guards to keep him away unless he were specifically requested.
The chieftain crowned himself King of Nilesia. He ordered his defeated enemies into his servitude for seven years after which they earn their freedom and to be treated like any other citizen in his lands. He proclaimed a new age for Nilesia, free from foreign rule and oppression. In this he enacted laws that forbade harassing citizens and servants and serfs and workers of any kind. Indeed, his lands did prosper. Displaced people from outside the regions heard of his proclaim and came to work the fertile fields or forest the trees. Merchants began to set up shops in the larger town squares, some even purchasing or building homes. The largest city was Bypass.
In the city of Bypass the king lived, and stretched his arm far into the Great Forest to the west and the lush hilly woods to the east. He successfully ordered engineers and farmers to carve steps into the hills to provide level farmland. This proved useful and the irrigation stamped the region as the wheat producer for a hundred years.
His diviners, including Molac, Diviner of Bypass , were brought in to tell of what future lay ahead. Always the diviners would tell of great fortune for the region. The king would ask Molac of what of his fate, tempting him to speak ruin. Molac would grind his teeth and say, "The world is not done with you yet, O Great Narcisus." This response always pleased the king who would allow Molac at his feasts.
On the tenth anniversary of his victory over the rival clan the king ordered a statue be constructed in his visage to sit atop the tall watchtower Milkney Mil. This watchtower was the tallest in Bypass and featured a domed roof. He declared upon this dome shall rest the statue.
Work began immediately. He insisted it be made with white stone from the hills and so elaborate cranes were built to facilitate this great weight. Artists flocked to Bypass to win the king over with their designs. He offered a bounty of 1,000 gold pieces to the winner. A contest was held and the winning artist carved the statue. It weighed several tons and took a team of fifty to hoist it in place. It settled into its pedestal.
The crowds had gathered to see the spectacle. Narcisus gathered his family and stood below, raising his hands in awe of himself. He demanded everyone bow in respect. At this point Molac came through the throngs to warn the king of the prophecy but it was too late. Just as he predicted the clone of himself tumbled from its pedestal, too heavy to fit on top. it fell down in an instant upon the king and his family. Molac was not quick enough with any spell to prevent it from happening, no one was.
Upon the death a great mourning came. Although the king was prideful beyond redemption he had provided for them and united them. The statue had shattered into hundred of pieces, almost all bloodstained. This is why the prophecy and a summary are inscribed on a small statue near the white stone pathway near the tower. The statue is the king in his prime on a small semi-circle of lawn overlooking the city. The statue has never been moved by quake or person. It is where we get the word "narcissus" Molac went on to serve the next leader until his assassination from a group sympathetic to Narcisus. The assassination proved the stepping stone to a long a bloody conflict, the War of Nilesia .
Summary
The tower of Milkney was a Third Era structure built by a prideful king. He fancied himself king of the whole region and built a tower in his honor with a statue on top. The prophet Molac said the king's hubris would be his downfall. The king defied the prophecy and kept building. When complete, the tower's weight destroyed the foundation and it tumbled upon him and his entire family.
Date of Setting
3E 10
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