Describe an Imaginary Place

[Talysia]

Great columns, so big that they seemed to support the sky itself, stretched upwards into the heavens; immense marble pillars that shone intensely as the sun hit them. Here, at the highest point in the world, was where the gods met, or at least, that was what the rumours said. A single altar, also made from the purest of white marble, sat atop the surface of the mountain, and upon it rested a basket of roses. Someone had been here, but who? I thought I was the only person in the world to ever come up here.

 

[Illithrim]

It was incredible. A school, unlike anything he had ever seen. The massive tower was a monument to the perfection of the elven craftsmanship. The combination of diamonds, sapphires, rubies, amethyst and opals was unbelievable. Yet, there it was. The center tower was the tallest. Each of the five others stood equal in height. Each with two magnificent statues carved out of the gemstone that made up the tower.

 

[Talysia]

That's a nice one, Illithrim.

Stark and imposing, the mountain rose above the horizon like a monolith. This place, rumoured to be where legends were born, was set apart from the rest of the world by the difficult wasteland in front of it. There was nothing in that vast expanse, just a vista of jagged black rocks as far as the eye could see. The mountain, equally as dark, was topped with bright snow, but even that looked fearsome, doing nothing to lighten the tone of the scene. At least there were no bleached bones lying in his path, he thought, although some small part of him wondered if there was that much left of those who had preceded him.

 

[The_Warrior]

This is my second one. I hope it okay if I do another one.


In the middle of the long bright feild of green grass, there were stuctures that could be seen in the middle of it.
In the the front, there were three tall cave like openings (taller then a skyscaper) with carvings on the tops and the sides of them. These openings were made out of stong stone that had a purple tint to it. In the spaces between the openings, high up, there were many little boxs of the same stong stone bunched up on top of eachother.
In the field in front, small brown huts layed in the front. Most of the women drawfs stayed in them. They cooked the food and and took care of the young.
In the same area of the huts, railroad like tracks were set between the open sapces were the huts weren't at; to lead the carts into the the to the stuctures.
On the two ending sides of the stuctures, there was a extensive woodened walls the circled around to the other side. Unkown things happend within the walls.
The sun usaully shined down in the field, thus making the drawfs awfully tan.
Smoke and exhaust from the mines usaully filled the sky, though the sun stoped it from darkening the sky.


Okay, well this looked longer then I expected when I was writing this, though when I posted it (I'm editing now), it doesn't look as long.

 

[Talysia]

Yep, Warrior, it's fine - you can do as many as you like. At least, that's what I've been doing.

Running through the forest at night was a challenge. The trees, so green and full of life during the day, seemed so imposing in the shadows; their roots and branches proving to have adequate weapons to the unwary traveller. The forest canopy, so thick at this time of year, meant that I could not see the sky, so no moonlight filtered down to light my way, and the creatures of the night seemed to mock my efforts to escape. Owls silently swooped about me on ghostly wings, whilst the howling I could hear in the distance was surely wolves, and I hoped that they would leave me alone long enough to escape this trial.

 

[The Ace]

Beneath the canopy of leaves, the harsh glare of the sun became a soft, green light. The mighty trunks, all shades from palest grey, a myriad of browns to the deepest black, were variously spotted with red and yellow lichen. The floor was a deep carpet of the greenest moss, gently undulating off into the distance, and off to the left, a tiny, silver stream laughed to itself as it leapt and danced toward the sunlight.

 

[Pyan]

Beyond the entrance to the cave, the roof started to descend sharply, until it was less than a yard high. Now on hands and knees, we crawled on, our way lit only by the bobbing circles of light from our head-torches.
Suddenly their sharp outlines disappeared, as the tunnel opened up into a vast cavern, only dimly delineated by the little cluster of pinprick illumination in one corner. As one, the now feeble beams raised themselves to a distant ceiling, covered in clusters of brilliant clusters of crystals, sparkling like the stars in the depths of a winter night.
"Gawd" muttered Hobson, reverentially.

 

[Rosemary]

The stream was edged with small pebbles, bull-rushes and forget-me-nots, while willow branches reached down to trail upon the surface of the gently moving stream.
It was a tranquil place, just the sound of water bubbling around the rocks, the bird song and rustling of leaves as a gentle breeze blew through the trees. Sunlight had only just started to shine through the canopy above and the mist still hung above the stream. Drops of dew, glistening like diamonds clung to the grasses and reeds. A few shafts of light played upon the surface of the tiny stream, sending rippling reflections across the bark and leaves of the overhanging trees.
Tiny fish and tadpoles swum in the shallows, darting away as an otter emerged from amongst the reeds and silently entered the water.

 

[Talysia]

As the sun rose, its light caught tiny motes of mica in the rock, making the whole cliff glisten. Tenacious shrubs twisted and coiled their way around the rocks of that sheer face, somehow thriving where no other living thing could survive, and right at the top, long grasses trailed over the edge, waving gently when the wind caught them. Here, in this place, nature ruled, and the extent of her kingdom was glorious.

 

[Rosemary]

We pass by a stand of pine and fir trees, the ground beneath littered with cones and pine needles. The wind whispers and moans as it flows through the branches above, an eerie sound out here upon the moorlands. Eventually we come to the end of the moors and scramble over a dry-stone wall. There is a cart track on the other side, enclosed by the wall on one side and Hazelnut bushes surrounded by a carpet of yellow Primroses on the other. Tiny lizards bask on the warm stone wall until my shadow passes over them and they quickly disappear between the stones.

 

[Talysia]

The sun rose, and golden light spilled onto the sea, rippling and shifting in glorious patterns until the aureate waves dissipated on the shore. The sky, a wash of pinks and yet more golds, was clear of all but a few clouds, dark in colour but not threatening, and a flock of early rising birds flitted across, silhouetted and black, like shadow puppets on a screen of the biggest kind. Save for the soft whispers of the waves hitting sand, all was quiet.

 

[Giovanna Clairval]

Pines loomed over the river drown in shrubs. A mountain rose to the east, waiting for the moon to hang from one of its peaks like a flag in the night wind. Lamps trembled at each window, calling for silence.

(Do you notice something... rather unusual?)

 

[Culhwch]

There was no pity in that place. The relics of countless generations of alim were scattered throughout the dunes, but the burning sands had outlasted them, and only the cruel, hot wind was left to skirl along paths once walked by mortal feet. Pillars of blood-red stone rose from the ground to mark their sacred places, dragged from miles and miles away, carved by hand into the faces of gods and demons, now worn smooth by time. It is relentless, the passage of years, and soon enough no trace will be left.

 

[crystal haven]

As I entered the outskirts of the small town, my heart lifted. This was home; I had grown up here. The streets were mostly made with cobble stones, intersecting with mud tracks, which ran between the shops to the houses down below; the poor area. My family lived further up the street. Following the path into the centre of the town towards the market square, I remembered all too quickly how steep a climb it was. My tired legs and shortness of breath forced me to stop part way. Gradually the excitement turned into worry. Not one person had passed me either going into the town or coming out. The wooden fronted houses, shouted their wares along this street - or at least they should. The tables were deserted, strewn, tipped over. This was quiet, dead and very weird. It was as if everyone had gone. A whole town deserted, empty and devoid of any feeling whatsoever. My pace quickened, diverting down side streets, anywhere to find someone, anyone.

Now panicking I ran towards the market square. There were no guards either. The large arched entrance gates were fastened back. No questions were asked as to whom I was or if I had a pass. The smell of rotting meat hit my nostrils as I got nearer. Everything was left out, birds picking over the carcasses. Suddenly I was overtaken by nausea. I clung to a wall for support. I must pull myself together. I need to find my family. I need to get out of here.

 

[Talysia]

At first, I thought it was a simple cavern, but the clawmarks on the walls and ledge outside convinced me otherwise, and I went in. That was when it struck me - this must be the lair of some great beast, possibly a flying one, as I had climbed halfway up a mountain just to get here. Flickering light from a dozen braziers glinted off the various golden and jewelled objects piled with seemingly careless abandon at the rear of the cave, whilst a pile of bones and skulls sat off to one side, grinning inanely at me as I tentatively moved further inside. A great hollow in front of the treasure horde (for that must surely be what it was) put me in mind of a sleeping place, and I gasped. It was immense.

 

[Rosemary]

The long awaited rains had begun to fall, bringing to an end a very long dry-season. Violent thunderstorms and cyclonic winds had accompanied the urgently needed rains. Lightning seemed to tear apart the darkened sky then pierce the distant horizon, while thunder crash and rolled amongst the storm clouds, vibrating through the homestead.

Kr’amis had watched the storms as they raged outside, the lightning illuminating the land and the trees, as they bent beneath the onslaught of the fierce winds. Kr’amis had also spent many hours in the stables, talking and stroking Zircon and the other horses, to calm them during the worst moments of the storms. Then during the day, clad in waterproofs and rubber boots, he had struggled alongside his father, fighting the buffeting winds as they tried to locate any of their livestock who might be in danger.

Out on the plains, after the first downpour; steam and then finally a crisp coolness arose from the ground. This replaced the shimmering heat haze, while the parched and cracked earth turned to thick red mud.



Torrential downpours or light showers fell during the following months. Along the coastline, across the rolling spinifex plains and into the ranges, until at last, up there high in the rugged ranges, the run-off began. Gradually the water made its way down little rocky gullies, increasing in strength along the watercourses and riverbeds, until finally it became a roaring, surging wall of water. The raging torrent took with it trees, branches, rocks and other debris which lay in its path, as it gushed through the deep and winding gorges, poured over and down rocky cliffs as thundering waterfalls, until it arrived out on the coastal plains. Here it swept along the riverbeds, flooding out across the land and then finally out into the ocean, turning it into a muddy brown colour.​

 

[Ishar]

The sleek stone walls rose up in a circle all around, pushing high at the sky. Clouds gathered around the top almost fearful of blocking the light from entering the basin and touching the fine sand that covered the ground. Carvings were the only thing that punctured the walls, symbols of all shapes and sizes etched into the marble in a seemingly pattern that draws the eyes. Their meaning is unknown. But his thought is lost as his eyes land on the huge skeleton of a wolf in the cetnre of the basin. Bones of silver and his head only reaching its knew.

 

[Rosemary]

At the far end of this country hamlet stands the 14th century old church, with its square bell-tower, made of the same creamy coloured stone as the cottages. It stands on the site of an Anglo Saxon Church, parts of which the invading Normans encompassed into their new church. The arched and carved oak door silently swings open. Brilliant sunshine streams down through stained-glass windows, casting a rainbow of colours into the dim interior of the church. Intricately carved animals peer out from amongst delicate foliage which decorate the time-worn wooden pews. Outside the Ravens circle above, their harsh calls loud in the silence of early morning. In the ancient old grave yard are well tended tombs and graves, watched over by angels and saints, wildflowers growing amongst the headstones, bringing some bright colours to the dark shadows cast by the ancient Elm, the Yew and Ash trees.

 

[Talysia]

To the untrained eye, it looked just like any other mine - a deep pit, carved into the landscape where man had found veins of some mineral or other in the exposed rock, and surrounded by trees. The only access to the place, a narrow road used by carters taking ore to be processed, was now all but a mere path where grass had encroached over the centuries. If no-one had found this place, then the secret would never have been uncovered.

There was no sound in that open place, save for the wind blowing through the open mine. From the dusty floor, looking up at those bleak, black cliffs, she could see the bones of countless dragons emtombed in the rock, their bones (which must surely have been excavated for some unknown reason) poking out at oblique and unnatural angles. Mournful looking dragon skulls cast their eyeless gazes out over the landscape, and some subterranean water flow was making its way slowly down from inside one of those vast sockets, dripping down the bleached bone like tears.

 

[Rosemary]

The river made its way slowly along the bottom of the gorge, eddying and flowing around the rocks. High above, the golden Spinifex grew to the very edge of the escarpment and amongst the huge round boulders of ironstone. The roots of the white Ghost Gums snaked out, seeking a hold on the craggy cliff face. In one area there were outcrops, ledges and overhangs, while in another the face of the gorge was almost smooth but rippled with bands of different colours, while further below the vibrant red shades of rock had been eroded by countless raging torrents of water, as it battered the rocks in passing. The winds had also altered the walls of the gorge, etching and sand-blasting, wearing away over thousands of years, leaving the gorge with weathered features.