From LP to RP : Session 15
Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
Lore: The cover artwork was designed by artist Peter Saville, using a data plot of signals from a radio pulsar. Radio pulsars are highly magnetized, rotating neutron stars that emit beams of radiation from their magnetic poles.
The sea of stars shimmered, a vast, inky expanse dotted with the faint ethereal glows. Zephyrius, a wizard of considerable, if somewhat eccentric, renown, navigated its currents in his enchanted skiff, a vessel woven from solidified moonlight and whispers. He sought inspiration, a spark to ignite his stagnant magical research.
He drifted, his senses stretched wide, listening to the subtle hum of the cosmos. For days, he’d heard only the usual murmurs of the sea of stars, the faint, magical echoes of dreams and desires. Then, a rhythmic pulse, a sharp, staccato beat, cut through the waves of the sea of stars.
Intrigued, Zephyrius altered his skiff’s course, following the insistent rhythm. The pulses grew stronger, clearer, like a cosmic metronome. Ahead, a swirling nebula of amethyst and silver pulsed with the same rhythm, a beacon in the vast darkness.
As he drew closer, he saw it: a tiny, impossibly dense point of light at the nebula’s heart. It emitted beams of energy, sweeping across the sea of stars with astonishing regularity, each sweep accompanied by the sharp, rhythmic pulse he had heard. The pulses were not just sounds, but waves of pure, focused magical energy.
“By the Whispering Stars!” Zephyrius breathed, his eyes wide. “A celestial heart, beating with the rhythm of creation itself.”
He recognized the phenomenon, albeit in its rawest, most astral form: a radio pulsar, a spinning neutron star, its beams of energy carving through the fabric of reality. The sheer power, the unwavering regularity, captivated him, as it would the gods themselves.
He carefully approached, his skiff shimmering with protective enchantments, and began to study the pulsar. He observed the precise timing of the pulses, the intensity of the energy beams, the way the nebula around it shimmered and resonated with each pulse. He felt the raw, untamed power of the pulsar’s magnetic field, a force capable of bending the very essence of magic.
An idea began to form in Zephyrius’s mind, a new spell, born from the heart of the pulsar. He envisioned a spell that could replicate the pulsar’s rhythmic energy, a spell of focused, precise power, capable of delivering magical energy in sharp, controlled bursts.
He began to weave the spell, drawing on the pulsar’s rhythm, the intensity of its beams, and the resonance of the nebula. He chanted, his voice echoing through the sea of stars, his hands moving in intricate patterns, mimicking the pulsar’s spin.
“Bind!”
The skiff shimmered, and a beam of pure magical energy, pulsing with a rhythmic intensity, shot forth. The beam struck a nearby matter wave, a chaotic swirl of fear and doubt, and instantly dissipated it, leaving behind a clear, tranquil space.
Zephyrius grinned, a rare and brilliant sight. The spell worked, a testament to the pulsar’s power and his own ingenuity. He named it “Unknown Pleasures,” a spell of focused, rhythmic energy, capable of both destruction and creation.
He turned his skiff, the pulsar’s rhythmic pulse still echoing in his mind, and set his course for the material plane, eager to test his new spell and share his discovery with the world. The sea of stars shimmered behind him, the pulsar’s light a beacon in the vast darkness, a testament to the infinite wonders of the cosmos, and the magic they inspire.
Mechanical Stuff/Image of Mechanical Stuff:
Link to Mechanical Stuff pdf: https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/b1PT05-5AJy4
Pertinent Links:
Lyrics: https://genius.com/albums/Joy-division/Unknown-pleasures
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unknown_Pleasures
Listen:
Shout Out: Huge shout out to Whiskey, Blood, and Dust a fantastic account here on Substack that you should absolutely be following. Its an account that has inspired me to start posting me my own maps on Substack notes!