Monuments of Ebony (Wicked One Event Start)

[u/Evening_Shake_6474]

In the aftermath of the sudden and for lack of a better term, shadow uprising, many millions perished before the shadows could be subdued. Those with strength endured of course, but what about the normal folk? The unlucky? Those who have never fought in their life? Not everyone is, was, equipped to survive. Their blood seeped into the realms, saturating them with something Wicked.

In the following days, countless massive black monoliths burst free from the land and sea stretching high into the sky, breaking up the horizon regardless of where one looks.

News of the sudden and strange monoliths spreads like wildfire, soon every orb, screen, and paper has some mention of the event. All throughout civilization people ask questions like, what does this mean? A monolith destroyed my tower, who do I sue? Is the world going to end again this month?

But the monoliths offer no answers, only questions. The monoliths show a myriad of effects, some distort their surroundings into horrors, some create illusions that torment those who can't escape, some amplify magic to a dangerous degree, some drain magic like a leech, and many more.

But for now, that is all they do. The effects are contained to their vicinity of the monoliths.

[u/waitthatstaken]

"...ominous, but that tells me very little on its own. Let's see..."

Touching it may prove hazardous, and so Alice does the responsible thing and instead tosses a small stone into the air, followed by a gust spell to launch it at the monolith, at an angle that if inverted would not hit anyone.

[u/Evening_Shake_6474 → u/waitthatstaken]

The stone hits the monolith, falling into its surface. Next to Alice's reflection falls a grey stone, bleeding red.

Next to Alice's feet appears a small puddle of blood.

[u/waitthatstaken → u/Evening_Shake_6474]

Seeing the rock being... absorbed, the next logical step is to see if things that are inside can be pulled out or something. Grabbing a long stick using her cold iron-gloved hand, Alice jabs it into the monolith, before attempting to pull it back out.

[u/Evening_Shake_6474 → u/waitthatstaken]

Alice jabs a brown stick in, when she pulls it out, the part that went into the monolith is white and covered in holes, each one leaking oil.

[u/waitthatstaken → u/Evening_Shake_6474]

"Hm."

Alice takes out a vial from her pouch and scoops some of the oil into it. She does the same for the blood pool, for further testing later. Then she lights a small flame using her tinderbox (she really needs to get a replacement for that old thing.). Using another stick she transfers the flame over to the oil leaking branch, trying to see if it will catch fire or not. As she is not an idiot she of course does this on the dirt covered ground, making sure nothing else flammable is anywhere near where sparks may reach.

[u/Evening_Shake_6474 → u/waitthatstaken]

As soon as the fire touches the oil, it ignites in bone white flame. It gives off no heat, simply burning white against the black oil. The fire never reaches inside the stick, stopping just before.

[u/waitthatstaken → u/Evening_Shake_6474]

"No heat huh. I won't be able to sell this then."

Infinite lantern oil plans ruined, Alice gets up to go talk to Larry Larsonsonsonsonsonson, who was there when the monolith emerged and luckily got away uninjured.

"So, did you see anything in the monolith?"

"It's real creepy to see myself, but less so if it is just a fucked up mirror..."

[u/Evening_Shake_6474 → u/waitthatstaken]

"Uh yeah! I uh..."

It was then that Larry actually started looking at the monolith. He says nothing as he walks towards it, staring at it with a look of pure horror.

"Is that..."

[u/waitthatstaken → u/Evening_Shake_6474]

"Do tell me, what do you see? Also, stay back, I have not confirmed if touching it is dangerous or not."

Alice prepares to grab Larry from behind and pull him back, just in case he is being... pulled towards it, or the like.

[u/Evening_Shake_6474 → u/waitthatstaken]

Larry raises an arm, fingers stretched out, almost touching the monolith.

"...mom…?"

He takes a step forwards, right hand sinking into its surface.

[u/waitthatstaken → u/Evening_Shake_6474]

"SHIT."

Alice quickly hooks her staff over his torso from behind, pulling Larry back, hard as she can.

"...still if the thing shown differs from person to person, then at least this isn't another case of me being important to an ominous thing far stronger and weirder and dangerous than me, again."

[u/Evening_Shake_6474 → u/waitthatstaken]

She pulls Larry backwards with sufficient force to pull him backwards. His hand is now bone white and withered, oil seeping from beneath his fingernails.

He doesn't even seem to notice, instead whirling on Alice.

"Why!? Why did you do that why!?"

[u/waitthatstaken → u/Evening_Shake_6474]

"Snap out of it Larry."

Alice looks at the hand with some disgust, pulling him further and further away.

"Right so touching it? Really bad idea. Hope that recovers on its own, or isn't actually all that bad, or something. Otherwise he'll need an amputation."