Lore24 Jan 9: Those Who Came Before

Wanderers and explorers sometimes sometimes come back to civilization with tales of strange buildings made from materials that are unknown even to the greatest craftsmen, filled with objects whose purpose cannot be ascertained. These places always seem abandoned, and at best are inhabited by the local fauna. When asked, even the gods say no more than these strange structures are left behind by those who came before.

Nobody knows what these sites were used for, what these ancients were trying to achieve, or even what they looked like. Speculation, of course, is rampant. Some who have spent some nights in the buildings report dreaming about strange reptilian creatures that have human-like hands, but crawl on the ground, their lower torso resembling snakes. Others claim they were abducted from around the structures by large-headed humanoids with no noses, small mouths and huge, jet-black eyes. Others still say they saw inside the buildings pictures of animal-headed men lining the walls.

The strange artifacts found in these places are just as mysterious. Some have been figured out at least partially, such as the strange collections of spikes and tubes that can shoot burning rays, or the crowns made from unidentifiable metals that induce pain and convulsions in the wearer at the push of a button. But for others people don’t even have the faintest idea on how they could be used, or for what purpose they may serve.

 Image by Franklinchan

 

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