[center] [center][h3]K i ’ i r a[/h3] [img]http://orig11.deviantart.net/48f3/f/2011/208/a/b/divider_by_canzeda-d41w92p.png[/img][/center] The robed cultists did not scream as they burned. They simply smiled at Ki'ira with teeth like daggers as their flesh singed and melted from their bones. The robes themselves did not catch fire; they simply smoked and sizzled whilst the wearers burned to death. Perhaps they did not feel pain in the way that Humans did. Perhaps they were not even human at all. The first row of cultists advancing upon Ki'ira slumped the ground as their life faded and their legs gave way; their weapons dissipating into the ether as their wielders died an unusually calm death. But the killing the first row of them was not enough, and every space created in the advancing black tide was filled almost immediately by equally furious cultists. [color=DarkGray]"HAIL THE KING IN BLACK!"[/color] they screamed, unabated by the momentary setback that was the death of a few of their kin. Their lament was like that of a chorus of demons, otherworldly and unnerving. Their voices sounded as though they had been warped and misshapen by powers not of Ansus; not even of the Gods. [color=DarkGray]"HAIL THE KING IN BLACK! HAIL THE KING IN BLACK! HAIL THE KING IN BLACK!"[/color] they repeated with no respite, advancing on Ki'ira slowly and ominously, despite her deadly flames lashing out in all directions. Buildings caught aflame, and the ground bubbled under the heat, but still they came. They did not fear fire, for they were the pions of something much worse than a cleansing flame. From the crowd, one cultist lunged further than would have been expected. Like a tiger, he pounced from the crowd of his kin, wicked axe raised above his head as he sprung through the air. He landed just feet from Ki'ira, and brought his axe wildly down upon her. There was a speed unmatched and unholy within the strike, and despite even the fastest reactions of the chosen of the Fox Goddess, the wild blow struck true. Cutting into Ki'ira's arm as a glancing blow, the cultist followed up his assault by slamming the flat of his axe into her temple; concussing her badly and knocking her from consciousness... [hider=Quest Note for rivaan]Snap. Myself = one vengeful bastard. Ki'ira is going to have to wake up during the aftermath (Volkimir's post timeframe) with a very bad headache and a very nasty cut on her shoulder. When she does wake up, however, you will find the city sacked and the sunshines gone. You will need to find out just what has happened...[/hider] [center][h3]E l l a r i a n[/h3] [img]http://orig11.deviantart.net/48f3/f/2011/208/a/b/divider_by_canzeda-d41w92p.png[/img][/center] Whatever illusionist that stood before Ellarian recoiled from the searing pain of being punched at full force by the giant of a man. The tavern began to waver in and out of sight; a conjured mirage by some manner of vengeful hunter, as the illusionist struggled to maintain its focus after being stricken by such a blow. Ellarian would have been able to see this creature clutching its face, blood pouring from a completely shattered nose, screaming in some incomprehensible language with a voice more shrill than anything he would have previously heard. [color=Darkgray]"Aieeeeee!"[/color] it screeched. [color=Darkgray]"Whyyyyyyy!"[/color] It took a moment to compose itself, though its face was still clutched behind two hands that ended in long, spindly digits with unkempt fingernails that were sickly and long to match. The creature sniffled a few times, before blinking its large, bulbous, black eyes one at a time. Perhaps the nature of such a creature would have confused Ellarian, or maybe not. But it was hideous, yet so pathetic that it was simultaneously tragic to watch. [color=DarkGray]"Why did you do thaaaaaat!"[/color] it cried again in its shrill, piercing shriek that was supposed to be its voice. It finally gathered the courage to lower its hands from its face slowly, dragging long strings of mucus and blood from its now horrendously disfigured nose as they went. The creature was... bizarre, to say the least. With a long, thin head over which was stretched a pale sheet of translucent skin, and a hunched stature that was indicative of something less than Human, it had become immediately clear to Ellarian that this trickster was [i]Ghedrin[/i]; an ancient race from times long past. Though many had their doubts about the existence of these subterranean dwellers, the proof of their extant nature at one point in history was irrefutable. And what masters of the illusionary arts they were! The creature cricked its neck, and gently touched the tender mess of flesh that was now its nose. It looked Ellarian right in his eyes, this time not blinking in its rather disturbing pattern, but its mouth was wide open, gawping. [color=DarkGray]"The Bastion!"[/color] it cried. [color=DarkGray]"I know you I know you I know you!"[/color] it gibbered with unusual excitement. It was almost as if the disgusting, misshapen fallacy of a man was starstricken by the legendary soldier who had nearly killed him with a single punch. [color=DarkGray]"You seek the King, do you not? The King! Yes, yes! The King! I sense the anticipation of Royalty! Yes. Yes!"[/color] it continued on. [color=DarkGray]"They need you! Yes! Yes! Master Ansur needs you! The city will fall! Your shield is needed!"[/color] Ellarian surely did not have a chance to get a word in edgeways. The thing spoke too fast; too loudly; too [i]annoyingly[/i] to interrupt. But it seemed to mean no harm: perhaps its deception was simply a misunderstood attempt at true hospitality. Or perhaps, more likely, this creature had been sent by a much more understanding master to find Ellarian on his way. [color=DarkGray]"I can take you, yes?[/color] it started once more. [color=DarkGray]"We Ghedrin 'very good at moving fast! Very good! Yes yes! [i]Tay[/i] take you? Yes?"[/color] [hider=Quest Note for harbinger]Disgusting little creature, yep. But it seems to know of Ellarian and his quest, but Tay speaks ill of what you may find at Kolantis. He is offering to use his talents as a racially adept illusionist to speed Ellarian along on his way to the capital. Should you choose to accept such an offer, Tay can grant any enchantment upon Ellarian that would conceivably bolster Ellarian's speed en route. Hell, he could even teleport you. But maybe it is worth finding out more. NPC control is yours. Go wild, baby.[/hider] [center][h3]T h e W i n d w i t c h[/h3] [img]http://orig11.deviantart.net/48f3/f/2011/208/a/b/divider_by_canzeda-d41w92p.png[/img][/center] A woman carried a child upon her back in a rough sling harness hastily put together from strips of leather and cloth. She held a bundle of preserved food in her arms, but soon found herself so stunned that she dropped it to the ground with a dissatisfying thud. She stood, speechless, for a few moments. She blinked hard, and then rubbed her eyes to ensure she was not succumbing to madness. She was almost sure that she just saw the woman materialise from nothing from a sudden dust devil. And that did not make any sense. Still, the events of the last few hours made little sense in any regard. She had only just managed to flee Kolantis with her child, to get as far away as possible from the unannounced slaughter. She had left behind everything save for what valuables she could fit in the small pouches in the harness. She watched for a few moments. The child upon her back also could not help but stare. [color=Blue]"Holy shit!"[/color] she heard the near lifeless body cry at last, gasping into action. The woman flinched a little upon the sudden burst of life, despite being over fifty feet from the anomalous (and frankly, foulmouthed) woman. But she could not ignore the silent plea of somebody in need, so she waddled over slowly, scooping up some of her dropped food as she approached. In less than a minute, The Windwitch would have had her sight of the sky blocked by a passing woman of the simple folk. Her head fully in her field of vision. [color=DarkGray]"Um. E-excuse me, miss. Are you... are you okay?"[/color] [hider=Quest Note for Corvidae]What a wonderful entrance. Feel free to take NPC control of this passing refugee; perhaps you can begin your reemergence into Ansus by gleaning some information about the current happenings (mainly the sacking of the City).[/hider][/center] [center][h3]C i n n e a d[/h3] [img]http://orig11.deviantart.net/48f3/f/2011/208/a/b/divider_by_canzeda-d41w92p.png[/img] As the morning light filled the Great Hunter's eyes once more, for the first time in over thirty thousand cycles past, it would have been immediately obvious that the world was not as it was before. Gone were the days of vengeful mortal lords who sought simple killing in the name of their own pride. The world had been ushered into an age of darkness. Cinnead was surrounded by the dead husks of leaves that had fallen from the solitary tree too early. The summer was not over, yet all around, the highlands looked cold and faded; as though somebody had washed the colour from the world very subtly. The bark of the legendary tree had sustained itself for thousands of years after Cinnead's death, drinking the blood of the slain hero himself and that of his fallen foes. But now the eternal tree was empty and hollow. Rotten from within, roots dead and withering, clutching to nothing but the loose, dusty excuse for earth. Yet there was still a simple beauty about the place. A certain hollow beauty had attached itself to the solitary tree and its vista; empowered by thousands of years of being regaled in stories and song. The chains that Cinnead had used to shackle himself to the tree had long since rusted and broken away, remaining as little more than scraps of indistinguishable material lining the base of the tree. As the hero slowly rose and grasped the spear that rested to his side, a heavenly, yet transient, chorus resounded through the highlands. It lasted for a mere moment, but the echo lingered for a few moments more. Before Cinnead stood an apparitional boar: ghostly white, composed not of flesh but of a sourceless mist. It whistled a tune familiar to only the Spear of the West, and immediately charged into the distance. It left behind a trail of lingering fog as it danced and pranced and [i]galloped[/i] through the highland like a whimsical child. Perhaps this apparition was leading the great Hero to a place in which he could find his purpose... [hider=Quest Note for VoiD]Welcome to Ansus! I've left this pretty open for you so that you may get your bearings. The ghostly Boar could be leading you to anywhere of your choosing: you can either create somewhere new (potentially to find your spear), or you could be lead to somewhere already established, like the capital! Feel free to create NPCs and situations as you see fit, and I will adapt to the direction you take.[/hider][/center] [center][h3]E r e b u s T h a n e[/h3] [img]http://orig11.deviantart.net/48f3/f/2011/208/a/b/divider_by_canzeda-d41w92p.png[/img] There had not been a storm of such magnitude in hundreds of years, or perhaps thousands, according to the village elders. The village had come alive with rumours and murmurings of a change in the balance of Ansus. A crescendo of tales grew quickly in the tight-knit community who had long lived with stories of a great, Uncrowned Dragon King who had long before walked the land. The storm spoke in magnitudes of the veracity of the villager's suspicions, and the shaft of thunder erupting from the mountain like an eldritch volcano of mystical origin served only to confirm such. They had known what to do. There was no reason for the villagers to squabble, for they had dreamt of this for longer than any of them could recall. The bonfire at the village heart was cleared, and the hovels were decorated with long unused ornaments from years gone by: bone fragments from creatures that surely no longer existed, and intricate constructs of string, beads, and feathers from birds that were supposedly the forerunners of even the Dragons. It took only an hour or two for the village to transform from a sleepy settlement on the reaches of Ansus, to a vibrant festival prepared with electrifying colours and exotic foods prepared hastily. The storm grew fearsome, and the people of Thorn gaped at the bar of lightning until it faded, and with it, the storm, vanishing just as suddenly as it came upon them. There was silence for many heartbeats... And an even more terrifying flash of lightning, coupled with deafening thunder, struck the outskirts of the village. Such explosive power left all the gawping villagers blinded for a moment or two, but the return of their sight was worth little celebration compared to the presence of a scaled man, standing in the ember-filled strike crater, smoking heavily, but very much alive. One elder stepped forward from the visibly stunned crowd: [color=DarkGray]"Erebus Thane, my liege. We have awaited your return for thousands of years. We are humbled by your presence,"[/color] he bowed low, and the entire village followed suit. [color=DarkGray]"You walk the land once more. Will you bring this chaotic world once more to order?"[/color] [hider=Quest Note for EnterTheHero] Nice choice of entrance! As i'm sure you will know about the RP from reading other IC posts and the OOC OP, you are free to control any and all NPCs present, and improvise quite literally any situation or place on the fly. Using such a method of roleplaying, your character could likely find out about the world's current woes and make a descision on where to go from there. The world is quite literally your oyster, and I will constantly adapt the environment and NPCs to suit what you are doing. Make your way into Ansus, and be the Dragon that this land deserves. Just don't piss off Norco Khan, he likes killing dragons.[/hider][/center] [center][h3]N o r c o K h a n[/h3] [img]http://orig11.deviantart.net/48f3/f/2011/208/a/b/divider_by_canzeda-d41w92p.png[/img] Some time had passed since the Hunters had arrived in the village. Some of whom had slipped off into the bustle no doubt the find themselves the company of a woman or two, whilst others were visibly more inclined to find themselves the company of a good ale and a hearty meal. Rations were, after all, not unlimited. And the spoils of the hunt always included lavish celebration. In fact, the only man not accounted for was the chief: the slippery man who had the look of jealousy in his eyes. Most of the hunters paid no mind to the absence of the chief, preferring instead to be led by the Wolf King, anyway. The very presence of Norco in the village caused quite the stir, and much unrest to boot. Children stared for longer than their mothers' would have wanted, and jealous men looked on in envy. Many women gave him passing looks, some disgusted by his titanic proportions, and some giving him suggestive eyes that perhaps indicated that they looked upon a [i]real[/i] man. But nobody dared approach the legendary warrior who now bore his legendary axe. It surely was a sight to behold. After some time, a curious man worked up the guile to finally engage Norco in conversation. [color=DarkGray]"Um. Hello,"[/color] he started. The man had to wave a little to catch Norco's attention. The Wolf King was significantly taller than he. But then again, the Wolf King was significantly taller than everyone. [color=DarkGray]"I was just wondering... I was talking to some of the hunters and... well... Are you... They... They say that you are Norco Khan reborn? How is that... you know, possible?"[/color] Khan's resting face frightened the man so that he did not have the nerve to stand the moment of silence, so he filled it with more idle talk. [color=DarkGray]"Did you hear about the capital? Terrible news. Lots dead. Are you on your way now?"[/color] The man realised that Norco, if it really was the legend himself, probably did not know that Kolantis was even the capital of Ansus. He was just trying to fill the silence without getting cleaved in half. [color=DarkGray]"I'm... I'm going to go,"[/color] he glumly stated, gesturing behind him with his thumb. [color=DarkGray]"I have a, uhh, a thing. That I need to do. A thing."[/color] With that, he turned on his heel and quickly walked in the opposite direction, clearly not having a goal, and definitely not having a 'thing' to do. But just as Norco Khan would have thought himself free of the rather annoying fellow, he turned back again and hastily made his way back to the Wolf King's side. Perhaps such a manoeuvre was foolhardy, because the bellowing of wind underneath his obscuring cloak blew it upward just enough for Norco to catch a glimpse of a pouch of silver: the leather familiar, and the silver too. Such a coinpurse could have only been made by the Eastern Peoples. Somebody of the East had recently given this man a sizeable sum of silver... [color=DarkGray]"Sorry![/color] he shouted, a nervous smile creeping across his face. [color=DarkGray]"I forgot to ask you something!"[/color] he half shouted as he began a speedy walk towards the Wolf King. [color=DarkGray]"I just wanted to know if..."[/color] The man got closer and closer. He never finished his question, but punctuated his meeting with the man of legend by pulling a knife from his cloak and making a clumsy lunge for Norco's belly. [hider=Quest Note for Blackbeard]You probably don't need a quest note. I want to see you brutalise this guy. Extra points for extra savagery. Though he did reveal that something is amiss in the capital. Also, I would assume ol' chief'y has done a runner. I don't think Delunio is real... [/hider][/center] [center][h3]P r i c i a[/h3] [img]http://orig11.deviantart.net/48f3/f/2011/208/a/b/divider_by_canzeda-d41w92p.png[/img] As the forest crawled away beneath her, Pricia would have seen the Bastion of Light grow from between the trees; emerge from the solid base of the mountains of the Heartlands. Rivers would speed by, and clearings in the forests dotted the otherwise constant green scrub like small gems encrusting a verdant crown. Though the world was changing for the worse. The greens were fading to blackened decay, and the vitality of the forest was waning like the fire had done in the monastery of Goethia. The extent of the demise Ansus was suffering had become so real, and so saddening. But not even the Bastion was a safe haven any more. As she flew closer and closer she could see no guards. There were always guards stationed there. There was not a time in history in which the doors were unguarded; a frightening notion indeed, then, that the Bastion was unwatched and left to the mercy of whatever kleptomaniacal rabble lurked in the forest. Landing at the foot of the Bastion, Pricia would be greeted with no reasoning to soothe the twang of dread that surely found its way into her heart, and was instead met by a grisly sight: the guards slaughtered, their bodies mutilated and humiliated. There was no sign of any invasive force, or even any struggle. Just death, no mercy. Inside was more of the same. Holy men crucified upon structures constructed of the bones of their comrades, streams of blood dragged on five filthy fingertips. The holy inscriptions upon the walls smeared with some unusual black substance and written over by a single, repeating lament: [h3]H A I L T H E K I N G I N B L A C K[/h3] The Chamber of Light at the very top of the tower was absent from the horrifying scenes in the lower levels. It seemed almost untouched, save for the Great Pyre which had seemed to have been torn apart by hand. In the dust lay a grisly book bound in leather and sealed tight... [hider=Quest Note for Invisible]Not good. Not good, at all. You can explore the Bastion a little more, if you would like, and examine the scene at hand (it is pretty obvious what has happened here) or you can, as the kids say, GTFO there. if it were me, my basic instinct would have been to get my ass to the Capital, but... well, yeah. (DO bear in mind, should you make a hasty exit for the capital, you will arrive after the timeskip that has happened through Dead Cruiser's post and my response to him below, so you will arrive on the night of the aftermath, at the same time as the Band of Thieves sacking the royal treasury. Also, that book. You can't open it. But it would give Pricia bad vibes. Take it with you or leave it and come for it later??? [/hider][/center] [center][h3]A l t i m [color=Darkgray] A n d[/color] A n s u r[/h3] [img]http://orig11.deviantart.net/48f3/f/2011/208/a/b/divider_by_canzeda-d41w92p.png[/img] [color=DarkGray]"Altim..."[/color] Ansur began, knowing not what to really say to the man blessed by the God of Wisdom himself. [color=DarkGray]"You cannot be afraid. We have returned for a reason, and the people of this world will look up to you to be the one free from the grip of fear,"[/color] Ansur looked upon the the city walls, his heart filling with despair and anger upon the sound of the slaughter within. [color=DarkGray]"And there is no source of power can draw upon besides our own. Take what you can from me, and I shall do the same,"[/color] he nodded, a knowing look in his eyes as he addressed Altim, the Hero of Cynderia. [color=DarkGray]"Altim, you [i]must[/i] save the King. He knows that you walk once more. You must find your way to the palace and lead he and his family through the hidden passageways and out from the city. I will find you again when the time is right. But, Blessed of Faerthus, nobody but you would know what to do from there. On my honour, I will find you again."[/color] And with that, Ansur urged Altim to hurry through the wartorn streets of Kolantis on perhaps the most important task a man could be bestowed. He watched Altim skillfully slip through the gates unnoticed, and into the streets... Dismounting, Ansur strode meaningfully through the gates, brandishing his sword and cutting down a pair of raging cultists who rushed in an attempt to strike him with their demonic weaponry. They died without a sound, and their slumping to the ground was inaudible over the cacophonous chaos raging deeper into the city. The night was alight with unchecked fires and the sound of steel on flesh. Ansur took a knee when he was inside the city limits. As though he were praying, his blade's hilt rested against his forehead. But he prayed not to the Gods, for their silence was assured; he relied not on the intervention of divinity to cleanse the world of darkness, for that was his charge. Drawing upon powers long forgotten in Ansus, Ansur was to demonstrate why it was he who led Mankind through the Northern passages and once more into prosperity. The blackened night shattered as though it was little more than a veil of silk. A blinding light erupted from the shadow hanging upon the capital and a mighty shaft of holy fire exploded into existence, showering Ansur with brilliant, white light. The cultists who were approaching were utterly incinerated, and those not immediately purged from the world shielded themselves from the furious, heavenly light. The light remained for just a moment longer, and the world stood still for a brief moment. Kolantis was then engulfed in an explosion of white light, and the demonic excursion was cleansed. But at a cost. For the Gods could no longer involve themselves in the affairs of man, and all those untouched by the favour of a God were incinerated too: men, women. Children. All gone. All burned in holy fire. [hider=Quest Note for ravenDivinity]This is a weird one, I admit. Due to a timeskip, your next post will likely have to include a retrospetive or flashback scenario to discuss the tribulations of Altim saving the royals. Sorry to dump it on you like that, but it's what happens sometimes, right? :P If you want, we can collaborate and i'll help you structure it all together so it makes sense. PM me. [/hider][/center] [center][h3]V o l k i m i r [color=DimGray]TIMESKIP[/color] [color=Darkgray]O n e N i g h t A f t e r T h e S a c k i n g O f K o l a n t i s[/color][/h3] [img]http://orig11.deviantart.net/48f3/f/2011/208/a/b/divider_by_canzeda-d41w92p.png[/img] The treasury was silent save for the clamour of thieves. They sacked and pillaged and stole in the most calculated manner possible, but even despite the lack of the royals, and the lack of the guards, and the lack of everybody in general, it was still a terrible crime: to steal from Ansus itself. One that would have been punishable by death should they have been caught, or should it have happened under less favourable circumstances. They pillaged for quite some time, loading sack upon sack with the most valuable goods: chalices, medallions, gold coins, gold blocks, ancient relics and royal family heirlooms. It was a feast for the greedy, perhaps more so for the Thieves than for Volkimir, who simply wished to find himself a suitable suit of armour, and perhaps a relic or two. His motives remained unclear. It had been perhaps two hours, maybe three past the deepest of the night that they had arrived and plundered to their heart's content. With full loads of treasure and the hunger for theft satiated, they left through the same doors they had arrived. But their exit was not as simple an affair, for they were not met with an empty, open street leading straight to the city gates, but Ansur standing alone on the flat, polished stone walkway. He did not move upon seeing the thieves, as if he knew of their presence. [color=DarkGray]"Who are you?"[/color] he asked. [hider=Quest Note for Dead Cruiser]FIGHT ME, BRO. Following up this section of the arc may require a collab between you and I. Please PM me so we can arrange a time / document to work on [/hider][/center]