Dreams of a Broken Land

Dreams of a Broken Land depicts a chasm that splits a large metropolis apart. Buildings are crumbling into the pit, others still teeter precariously on the edge, and there is nothing visible in the chasm other than pure darkness.

Purpose

Haema was a visionary, known to sleep for days, sometimes weeks at a time, without need for any form of relief or sustenance. Prior to creating this painting, she had taken a waking fast for the entire month of Silence before beginning to slumber in the month of Sanctuary. When she woke on the first of Light, in the year 350 AP, she was driven with an unspeakable need to paint. It is a warning of what will come as The Tree of Sacrifice continues to feed off of the land.

Document Structure

Publication Status

After the public viewed the painting and responded, the artist returned it to her private vault and it has not been seen since - and the legitimacy of its existence is being questioned.

Historical Details

Background

It serves as a warning for those who still adhered to the ways of The Crimson Tree and a reminder that the Tree of Sacrifice still required blood.

History

The artist was a member of The Crimson Tree at it's height. Being of one of the long-lived races, she has been able to watch the slow decline of her world. She used her ability to control her sleep and her visions to try to gain access to knowledge that would help prevent an inevitable disaster, but instead only got this warning.

Public Reaction

She was condemned for creating something so frightening, and ridiculed for still buying into The Blood Tree myth. After she created this painting and witnessed the public reaction to it, she moved it to her own private vault and it has not been seen since. She herself had been seen so rarely since removing it from the public eye that there is no certainty as to when (or if) she died.

Legacy

Despite the growing evidence to it's legitimacy - including the events depicted in the painting actually happening in a capitol city, it is still considered taboo to discuss, and the belief in the existence of the painting is dubious at best. One of the quests the adventuring party can go on will involve discovering the last known location of the painting and eventually recovering it for analysis, in hopes it will provide some clues to saving the world.

Type

Imagery, Artistic

Medium

Canvas

Authoring Date

350 AP

Myth

The Blood Tree