The Well of Ascension

An excerpt from The Chronicles of the Faith

A number of theologians from every corner of Grayhawk are sequestered into the service of the Chronicles: a network of priests, academics and religious historians whose sole duty is to catalogue and index the various religious findings of the day. These findings are then bound together in an ever-growing tome that is labelled The Chronicles of the Faith. All things Malkarian are in this work. It is situated in Gran Breton, in a library sponsored by Bishop Ollis, a place where the talented priests and scribes go to learn about Malkar and the rituals, artefacts and worship that shapes the religion.

            Not a bible as such…more like a work in progress; a study aid for any of the Faith who wish to study it. A rich vein of information this chronicle is the envy of many scholars – even those in the prestigious academies of Gran Breton. It is from this work that the following extract is taken. Only those who are in the favour of Bishop Ollis, or on important Malkar research, are allowed to study the chronicles. Whilst the tome is relatively new its uncanny ability to get to the very heart of the subject matter makes it a valuable study aid.

            “…There a few cities like Estal. Battered and bruised over the years it’s transition from the brutal regime of Fermat to the relative peace of Alistir, the true king of the Estallians, has been swift - Estal is still a place steeped with history. Traditions are largely new but the ancient structures that have survived the transition are intact and a testimony to their robust nature.

            “Of all of these ancient structures (anything classed as five centuries or older) by far the most unusual is the dark catacomb that houses the Well of Ascension. There is some argument to the exact age of this magical well but the very best estimates put it in the latter part of the Second Millennium – which places it squarely in the reign of the Old Gods of Grayhawk…almost three thousand years ago.

            “Its location is challenging. Beneath the extensive sewer system is an under city, a great swathe of dark corridors and dwellings used by the few Estallians who hid from Fermat though their origins are much older. It goes largely unnoticed by the inhabitants but even they realise the roughly piled rubble bears a shady past. Currently, at time of writing, the well is home to a group of renegade killers and outlaws that have fled the rule of Alistir and his new regime. Dark and unhealthy they range from half-dead to undead, though they are basically mortal. Access is gained from a secret door in the Rat and Scabbard tavern in the Beggars District. Though many know the secret door few have explored the full extent as the stench and strange noises usually keep the most inquisitive at bay.

            “As described the pile of rubble appears unremarkable but there is a spirit here, a resident that has lived in the well for two thousand years or more. It is the considered belief of the Chronicles of the Faith that this spirit was placed at the well by one of the Old Gods…some say it could be the spirit of one of them but that is not yet clear. What is clear is that something dwells inside the well, and it is not troubled by the under class that live around it. It is as though it is waiting…though for what or who is a mystery.

            “Historically the well was a place where the faithful ascended into the parlour of the Old Gods. Legend has it that if a man was true enough he could cast himself into the well and end up in the reception of the gods themselves, able to communicate with the higher beings at will. This ascension was open to all, not just the priests and the devout…this marked it as different from the usual temple-based ascension more popular today. It is said that Cedron himself, the legendary god killer, used the well to gain access to Killashandra (the ten armed god of Chaos) and the resultant destruction of the goddess caused a ripple in the universe…a ripple that toppled all the gods.

            “The Well of Ascension is a relic from another age, though it’s power (and therefore it’s purpose) remain intact. It is magic waiting for something…a trigger, a cause, perhaps even an event. In all respects it is a place of religious significance that should form the basis of further study…though caution and wisdom should be used in this study. The Well of Ascension has a history…and possibly a future…”