The Bell - A Wondrous lie, or a Glorious Truth

Few subjects rile Agyrian Scholars more than the "Bell." Even this statement is understated, as it seems as if every culture, faction and cult has a differing opinion of what the Bell is or isn't. Here, we will not claim to give you the "Truth"; we will instead arm you with knowledge so that you can make up your own mind.

The Corruptions of the Bell - an article by Ruque P"shairr

Each Age is ended by the tolling of the Foul Bell. It is my belief that the land and sea is corrupted with each "ringing" and that this debasement grows worse with every Age. Good seas are made to boil, continents sink, and plagues are let loose upon the lands. In Ages past, there were no caustic storms, maelstroms, malevolent plants or howling mountains. There were rich lands covered in forests of green trees, peaceful animals, and honest folk. Things were better than today... And it looks as though things will only get worse in the following Ages...

I also believe that the Bell"s Corruption is not strictly limited to the physical land. Our evidence indicates that several of our Fourth Age "monsters," were nothing more than common or friendly creatures in ages past. For example, in the Third Age, a beast of burden called the "horse" was quite common. They were beautiful creatures, peacefully grazing upon the grass plains, and used by many civilizations to move cargo and folk. Some were even trained to perform tricks. Today the "horse" only exists in distant memory. After the last ringing, no horses can be found in Agyris, only the bandu; a vile, flesh eating mockery of a horse, that hunts in packs and destroys the countryside for miles around. What happened? All evidence points to the so-called "WonderBell." With each Ringing, new types monsters are created, corrupting the "natural" order of Agyris. This must be stopped before our world is nothing more than a churning sea of monstrosities. How much longer before humanity becomes corrupted? (Some claim that prospering city of Irva is proof that it has already happened.) To my reckoning, it seems as though the once peaceful Antharr and Wythir have been tainted, and even some of the numbers of the hardy Durga are following dark paths. Is anyone safe from the Bell? Who will be next?...

Factions and Bell Philosophies

There are hundreds of organizations and groups found in Agyris. Many have far reaching philosophies that influence

Here are some of the more noteworthy ones:

Greytongue

"Everybody knows The 'Bell' is destroying Agyris, right? And that it is the cause of everyone's whining and suffering and woe. Lies! It is all rubbish. There is no Bell. It is an invention of the wealthy & powerful to inspire fear and servitude in the masses. That's why no two stories about the 'Bell' are the same. Some say its' good. Some say its' evil. I say its' a Lie. Where is this 'Bell'? Who has really seen it? Show it to me, and then just maybe I'll believe. Until then, we say that it's an outdated myth."

The Bell - " There is no bell, there never was a bell, and there never will be one, either.."

Actions - The Greytongue produce and distribute literature that denies the existence of the 'Foul Bell.' Since the Bell is a lie, the Greytongue seek to destroy those that spread the "false rumors," and destroy the conspiracy, one liar at a time. This can create many difficulties for friend and foe of the Bell, alike. Membership - Though there are less than 200 followers in Sirvat, Greytongues" membership is growing, thanks to an extensive street campaign, targeting the "lost" of the city. Greytongue goes in and out of style in Irva, but a few followers can be found in every major city.

Faction Headquarters - Greytongue is headquartered in the Tower of Expanded Awareness, in Sirvat. It is a fitting location, since it is surrounded by hundreds, if not thousands, of "seers" who have no proven ability to locate the Bell"s whereabouts.

Feyhand

"The Bell is an instrument of evil, created by the Unspeakable One to unleash chaos and destruction upon the lands. Minion of the Bell are organized, and are massing , preparing for the final battle. We must find and stop the Bell, before it is completed, and the dark ones ring it to destroy all. Our history is full of Ringings that have laid waste to our world. Why won"t anyone listen?!"

The Bell - " It is broken apart in every ringing, but it takes time, sometimes centuries, to return it back to it"s final state. The Bell Prophecy tells us that we are upon the end of the 4th Age, and that the next ringing is just around the corner. Something must be done, for we cannot allow this to happen..."

Actions - Feyhand, under the helpful guidance of a very wise Seer, seek to undermine the plots of the enemy, the "Hooded League." This is fairly difficult, since most of the populace is either not interested in the Bell, or don"t believe that it even exists. Many actually believe that the Bell is a symbol of goodness, and are waiting for the Bell to ring in a new age of prosperity, "the BellAge." The Feyhand are probably the most dedicated of all of the Factions, and the most difficult to persuade that the Bell is anything but evil. Membership - Feyhands numbers are completely unknown, though there are a few adventuring groups that act on behalf of the organization.

Faction Headquarters - There are no permanent quarters of the Feyhand, since they are convinced that they would be rooted out if they were to stay in one place too long. It is known, however, that the isle of the Muse harbors Feyhand sympathizers from time to time. All in all, a fairly paranoid Faction, which is just reinforced by the fact that many members disappear with alarming frequency and silence..

the Pentath

"The so-called gods have lied to you. They have betrayed your belief in them, and all that you have sacrificed. They are cowards, and must be stopped. Entropy is the only form of punishment that they understand. Since the land and the gods are one, we shall make Gyr pay with entropy." The Bell - "There is no Foul Bell, there is no WonderBell. Both are cruel lies, formed to distract you from the Truth. What is the Truth? The Gods are using you for their own pitiful ends. Turn your back on them, and show them that you will be their pawn no more. Let us corrupt that which they have created, and make it ours."

Actions - The Pentath Syndicate has taken up war against the land itself, corrupting the natural order of things, and causing great damage. The Pentath claims to have poisoned the seas, and caused each of the Cataclysms at the end of every age. Because the faction has many layers of deception, there is no way to document their claims."

Membership - It is believed that 5 houses of Ato Wizards form the core of the Pentath, using their knowledge of the Symphony to corrupt the land. It has said that they trace their lineage back to a single Mage of the 2nd age, Mantiris. Their numbers are unknown, though their powers cannot be denied.

Faction Headquarters - The faction has no known headquarters, though there seem to be many in Irva that are following the Pentath banner. GM"s Note - The Pentath is the complete fabrication of the Hooded League, in order to distract the masses from their plan. Occasionally, they will plant members into situations that lend attention and solidity to the organization. Interestingly, "real" folk have attempted to join the false syndicate, and are creating their own chaos at a grass-roots level.

the Wonder Ringers / Bellfaith

"The WonderBell shall ring in a new age of plenty, if we only silence our internal voices for a moment, and just listen. Only then will the WonderBell be allowed to ring. The Gods know that it is true, but we must earn their trust before it will be revealed. When that day finally arrives, golden light will ring out across the lands, blessing all and returning the land and sea back to its proper state... It shall be a day of endless joy."

Actions - The Wonder Ringers attempt to spread the Bellfaith to all corners of the Discovered Lands. They believe that only when the majority of society is enlightened, will the WonderBell be rung as reward. They are peaceful in their tactics, and will speak endlessly to any who will listen. Lately, they have been printing cheap fliers to get their point across, and distributing them as far north as Daria, and as far west as Maejira.

Membership - The Bellfaith has been embraced by most of the major cultures, except Galilae, whose citizens generally deny the existence of any bell, and Dranoy, where the faith counters the races" basic principle of violence. Dari and Muse seem to be hesitant as well, with few members of either race fully participating.

Faction Headquarters - The BellFaith is headquartered in Jathas, where the enlightened citizenry have embraced the cults peaceful teachings.

the Seekers - (The Arkmen, Landscorn)

"The Ringing destroys land, right? With each Ringing there is a test of everyone's merit, and morals. We as a group fail these tests, and land is taken from us. Soon there will be no land left. It isn't our fault, it's the fault of all of the tainted and impure. We will never be rung into a new Age, as long as all of the tainted are with us. We could go on a crusade to destroy them all, but that would be very costly, and would take hundreds of years and lives to accomplish. Clearly, the Gods are telling the wise to leave behind scorned, and the tainted lands, and find the new promised lands. the Bell - The Bell is the instrument of the Gods, built to judge their creation, man/durga/asidri, as a whole, and punish them if they have not lived to their potential. It is neither good nor evil, it is simply the combined judgment of all of the Gods. It is rung more often, as the moral fiber of "the created" disintegrates. Known as "the Judgment Bell." It cannot be destroyed, or even toyed with, by mere mortals. To do so inspires the wrath of the Gods, and their renewed judgment"

Actions - The Seekers build great arks, to carry them to the promised land; Maero, surrounded by the crystal seas. They fill these arks with supplies, and gather animals of the land that are pure, to bring them to their holy island. The Seekers also wage war with the immoral, attempting to convince them to give up their ways, so the Judgment Bell will stop tolling, and everyone can live in peace.

Membership - Not surprisingly, many members are priests of Voya. This has caused some conflicts in the priesthood, but since the faction appeals to the values of the religion, membership continues to grow steadily. There are active Arkmen in Veldune and Jathas.

Faction Headquarters - The Arkmen organize themselves from the Halls of Measure, in the city of Mysia.

the Bellicose

"The Bell is nothing but a signal of decay, a warning, to the end of Gyr. Like a great clock, the Bell rings in the end of every Age, each but an hour to the Gods. Betwixt each ringing is a span of time, an Age, each which grow shorter as the end approaches. The next Age is always half as long as the last. Eventually, there will only be minutes, and then seconds between the Ringings, until nothing remains but entropy. From this entropy, new worlds will be born next to new gods, and the cycle will begin again. the Bell - Look around you. Everything you see, is in some state of decay: the rust on the plow, the leaf on the tree, the skin on your hand. Anybody who tells you any different is a fool, or is lying to you or themselves. The Bell is this inevitable decay. You cannot stop the ringing anymore than you can stop the sun rising tomorrow morning. Sure, you can blindfold yourself to the suns morning rays, but the lights' still there, right?"

Actions - No action. You can only smash the fools who are fooling themselves, and really, it doesn't matter what they think anyway. The only value in life are the few pleasures that one can steal from their rotting existence. And since life is for the most part meaningless, so are the consequences. Take what you want now, 'cause it will soon will disappear.

Membership - There are several hundred casual members of the Bellicose, though very few are active.

Faction Headquarters - The Bellicose are not organized enough to have an official 'headquarters,' but sympathizers are directed to the Burning Bishop Pub, in Irva. There, many members gather nightly to sulk, compare their observations of decay, and to preach the emptiness of life.