So off the cuff last night I got bit with the RP Idea Bug thanks to Ocha, about finding a book to control a library, and these are what I've come up with. There's two ideas here, one sci-fi and the other fantasy. These are not full, ready to use ideas (yet), I wrote them in like 30 minutes each. Suggestions for plot points or ideas is definitely welcome, to help flesh these out. Also, help figuring out which plot idea to use.
Fantasy:
Sci-Fi:
Fantasy:
Herilius was perhaps the greatest sorcerer who ever lived. And he lived for quite a long time- 241 years. He was well read and known for his book collection, volumes of magic, history, or legend that he either acquired or wrote.
But he died without an heir, and his great library has stayed empty to this day. His library is a great tower, floor after floor of shelves, studies, and laboratories. After his death the Wizard's Guild claimed the structure with no real objection from any party, but found that it was useless to them.
All of the books were indecipherable.
Herilius was not without his own sense of humor.
After much study of the books, the best of the Mage's Guild determined that it the cipher had been created and was being maintained by a spell, constantly changing the contents of each page so that it could never be understood.
Only one book was only partway understandable, an inventory of all the books in the library left to tease future generations, the last page empty save for one cryptic phrase:
"Find the master tome."
Herilius has been dead for a century, and explorers and scholars alike have tried to find the master tome and failed. The Wizard's Guild offers complete ownership of the library to anyone who can find the 'Master Tome' and decode the library. Many have tried. Many have failed. One day, someone may succeed.
But he died without an heir, and his great library has stayed empty to this day. His library is a great tower, floor after floor of shelves, studies, and laboratories. After his death the Wizard's Guild claimed the structure with no real objection from any party, but found that it was useless to them.
All of the books were indecipherable.
Herilius was not without his own sense of humor.
After much study of the books, the best of the Mage's Guild determined that it the cipher had been created and was being maintained by a spell, constantly changing the contents of each page so that it could never be understood.
Only one book was only partway understandable, an inventory of all the books in the library left to tease future generations, the last page empty save for one cryptic phrase:
"Find the master tome."
Herilius has been dead for a century, and explorers and scholars alike have tried to find the master tome and failed. The Wizard's Guild offers complete ownership of the library to anyone who can find the 'Master Tome' and decode the library. Many have tried. Many have failed. One day, someone may succeed.
Sci-Fi:
Ever since the species of the galaxy began to explore the stars, they've found the relics of the Precursors. The ruins of vast cities on planets no longer habitable. Derelict space stations left hanging in the void. And vast stretches of destroyed war fleets.
Their technology is highly advanced at best and beyond the comprehension of every space faring race at worst. Much of it is beyond repair, so only the rarest bits and pieces of their knowledge have survived the ages. It's still not known what caused their downfall, although most assume that it was due to a war.
The Precursors did things large, the space stations that have survived are far beyond the capabilities of any species today to build, and what little information has survived hints to something far greater: All their knowledge, stored in one ultimate station, hidden away where no enemy could find it.
Many legends have sprung up over the years regarding this station, the most common being that in one of their ruins is one of their common storage devices, a cryptically carved metallic cube. The cubes are almost all powered down and inactive, but this one is said to be special, still active, waiting the soul who can find it and decipher the navigational coordinates stored inside, the key to their library, to understanding what the Precursors knew- And what destroyed them.
Their technology is highly advanced at best and beyond the comprehension of every space faring race at worst. Much of it is beyond repair, so only the rarest bits and pieces of their knowledge have survived the ages. It's still not known what caused their downfall, although most assume that it was due to a war.
The Precursors did things large, the space stations that have survived are far beyond the capabilities of any species today to build, and what little information has survived hints to something far greater: All their knowledge, stored in one ultimate station, hidden away where no enemy could find it.
Many legends have sprung up over the years regarding this station, the most common being that in one of their ruins is one of their common storage devices, a cryptically carved metallic cube. The cubes are almost all powered down and inactive, but this one is said to be special, still active, waiting the soul who can find it and decipher the navigational coordinates stored inside, the key to their library, to understanding what the Precursors knew- And what destroyed them.