OriginalZen

ONE PUUUUUUUUUUUUNCH

Well, it looks like I'm not gonna be able to join after all :(

But this looks like it's going to be really cool! I'll definitely be keeping up with it!

The Two Champions (Aristocles and Original Zen)

Finch suddenly became keenly aware of his diminutive stature as the city of New Minbenthac grew in the distance with every step. His wings fluttered slightly as he ran a hand through his wild, untamable hair. Damn nervous habits. He hadn't felt this uneasy since his days as a mere initiate in the Verdant Recon. Finch knew very little about the city, or even really what a city was like. He had heard from an old wood elf that this city was actually a colony city and that the city from which it had been born was likely even larger and more viciously defended. The idea of a place bigger than this being made by the hands of people shook the pixie a bit, but he knew better than to doubt the old sage. If the elven people were capable of constructing such intricate networks of treehouses and lofts amongst the trees, perhaps other people had even greater skill. Still though, the idea of a place where wood and stone only existed because they were allowed to do so after being smashed and cut by man gave him a halfway uneasy feeling in his wings.

Finch put that uneasiness to rest as a new uneasiness reared up in the form of a figure approaching in the distance. Recognizing that he was now about halfway between the city and the forest, the agreed upon meeting point, Finch stopped and placed his gaze firmly in the direction of this newcomer. He puffed his chest out slightly and attempted to look fierce, but not too fierce. After all, he had to work with this person. Couldn't have them running off in fear at their first meeting.

Finch exhaled his held breath as he realized that the approaching figure in the distance was not a human as he had expected, but in fact some sort of dragon! The features had only suddenly become apparent to him, but he was suddenly able to ascertain that his presumed ally was none other than a two-legged dragon in city clothing. He had heard rumors that the residents of New Minbenthak were dragons, but he had believed that these were nothing but tales to scare the children and keep them away from the city folk. His stern, stalwart pose a bit shattered by this realization, Finch decided that he would take a friendlier approach. No reason to send himself on a trip to the healer before his adventure had even begun.

He wasn't sure if the approaching person had seen him yet due to his small size, so just in case, he decided to lean coolly against a boulder to his right and wait for them to approach with what little style he could salvage after his brief internal struggle.

The Two Champions (Aristocles and Original Zen)

Yup! Sorry it took so long for me to get back. I was really swamped with last minute work, but I should be pretty regular from now on. I'll have my next post up in a bit.

ONE PUUUUUUUUUUUUNCH

Can I get in on this? CS can be posted before the end of the night!

The Two Champions (Aristocles and Original Zen)

Oh whoops! I didn't realize it was against the actual rules. Just thought we were being polite. I'll get that edited lol.

I've absolutely got to get to sleep, but I'll be back on tomorrow to continue. Night!

The Two Champions (Aristocles and Original Zen)

Lol I agreed with you so I just posted again and edited the first one to the background post. Feel free to reply at whatever length you want! My first posts as a character are always pretty long for some reason.

And yeah I don't plan on cursing too much haha. I guess I've just got a bit of a mouth on me and it translates to my characters. But I typically keep it around PG-13. I just thought it would be funny there. But yeah, not looking to get in trouble my first day lol. I'll keep it toned down.

The Two Champions (Aristocles and Original Zen)

Finch fluttered toward the colony city with a solid 50 emotions buzzing about his head. The only thing buzzing louder than his thoughts were his wings as they carried him at top speed through the forest in order to meet the champion of the city-dwellers.

Finch didn't particularly want a partner, though he certainly understood that he would need one. Though he would never tell anyone, when the community came together and decided that he was their greatest warrior and should therefore be the one to take on this quest, the only thing he felt more that an arrogant pride was an overwhelming desire to piss his leafy pants.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" the pixie spouted as he moved effortlessly past a low hanging tree branch. He wasn't scared. After all, he fought stuff that was bigger than him all the time. They just usually weren't fire-wielding, world-destroying superbeings from literal Hell. No, he wasn't scared. He was just...wary?

Oh screw it, he was god damn terrified.

Finch swallowed his self-realization and steeled his gut as he approached the edge of the forest. He was better than this, damn it. He'd defended a wood elf family from a duo of werewolves, for goodness sake!

As his feet touched the ground and he began to step out of the forest's underbrush and walk toward the settlement, Finch was filled with resolve. His home had been scarred. His people frightened. His world put at risk. And it was his burden to bear now.

"Damn it."

Finch stepped out of the forest and began his walk to the city which was already within sight.

The Two Champions (Aristocles and Original Zen)

"The unending battle between the urban and the natural is as old as history itself. Ever since sentient races began rebelling against that which had given them life, those who remained behind in the realm of the wild resented their relentless advances upon the forests and hills. First came the buildings, then came the towns and finally the cities, endlessly encroaching upon nature's greatest achievements. And now, that endless battle has come to our great forest. For the past 10 years, this colony city that borders upon our sacred forest has done nothing but grow, expand and prosper, all at the expense of our beautiful groves, our bountiful game. For years, the people of our two societies have bickered and conflict has risen."

The robed figure paused for a moment, briefly raising his head upward to view the other 7 figures gathered around the summoning circle. Simply standing in the circle's vicinity filled the hooded man with a strange feeling. It was something like power, but also like fear. A sort of mystical adrenaline rush. After considering this feeling for a moment, he continued, lowering his head once again.

"But no longer. It is true that we can not hope to take their filthy city from them. It is well fortified and we do not know their ways, nor their true numbers. But there are those who can assist us so as to make these observations irrelevant. Allies from the Abyssal Plane who will strike down our enemies and leav nothing behind but a trail of death and victory! And when the hated city-dwellers are gone, we shall return to elven society as heroes!"

A cheer broke out among the remaining seven as the lead elf thrust his fist into the air, firey zeal adorning his words.

"It is time, brothers. Let us summon our champion, draw our weapons and take back the lands that have been robbed from us!"

The elven cultists began their chant, their arms moving in sync as the practiced motions of the unholy ritual began to get faster and faster. The circle beneath their feet began to glow beneath them, at first a dull pink, but soon becoming a deep and menacing red. The head elf continued the ritual, chanting and motioning as the strange mystical adrenaline ran wild within him, his head spinning from the feeling of channeling a being of pure evil into his world. As the feeling grew, it began to change, the feeling of power leaving him and flowing into the center of the circle, leaving only the fear behind. However, he still did not stop the ritual.

He could not stop.

Oh god, why couldn't he stop?

As this terrifying realization came over the elf, he was wracked with excruciating pain as a man with skin red like blood and the size of two bears leapt toward him from the center of the circle and grasped his head with clawed hands wrapped in fire.

His screams were short-lived, the demon crushing his head after a moment of relishing in his agony. The monstrous creature turned to face the remaining cultists, all of whom were paralyzed with the same fear as their leader.

"Your foolish battles do not concern me," he spoke. "But do not worry. The city will burn. Just as the forest will burn. Just as all will burn. Just as you will burn."

As the screams of the warlocks filled the night, but even louder was the laughter of the demon, Gant'jen, as the flames began to spread and he moved towards the city.

----------------------------------------------

By morning, the demon was gone. The forest had been saved by its diligent denizens, but much had been lost to the fire.

In the nearby city, another fire had begun, but it had similarly been stopped before the utter destruction of the city.

Gant'jen had made himself known, and now he was on the loose. It was the war between these two societies that had released him. And now it was their responsibility to stop him before the rest of the world fell prey to his evil.

Our story begins a day later. Two champions, one from each community, have appeared. This is their story.

The Two Champions (Aristocles and Original Zen)

Alright! First, to set the stage a bit...

"The unending battle between the urban and the natural is as old as history itself. Ever since sentient races began rebelling against that which had given them life, those who remained behind in the realm of the wild resented their relentless advances upon the forests and hills. First came the buildings, then came the towns and finally the cities, endlessly encroaching upon nature's greatest achievements. And now, that endless battle has come to our great forest. For the past 10 years, this colony city that borders upon our sacred forest has done nothing but grow, expand and prosper, all at the expense of our beautiful groves, our bountiful game. For years, the people of our two societies have bickered and conflict has risen."

The robed figure paused for a moment, briefly raising his head upward to view the other 7 figures gathered around the summoning circle. Simply standing in the circle's vicinity filled the hooded man with a strange feeling. It was something like power, but also like fear. A sort of mystical adrenaline rush. After considering this feeling for a moment, he continued, lowering his head once again.

"But no longer. It is true that we can not hope to take their filthy city from them. It is well fortified and we do not know their ways, nor their true numbers. But there are those who can assist us so as to make these observations irrelevant. Allies from the Abyssal Plane who will strike down our enemies and leav nothing behind but a trail of death and victory! And when the hated city-dwellers are gone, we shall return to elven society as heroes!"

A cheer broke out among the remaining seven as the lead elf thrust his fist into the air, firey zeal adorning his words.

"It is time, brothers. Let us summon our champion, draw our weapons and take back the lands that have been robbed from us!"

The elven cultists began their chant, their arms moving in sync as the practiced motions of the unholy ritual began to get faster and faster. The circle beneath their feet began to glow beneath them, at first a dull pink, but soon becoming a deep and menacing red. The head elf continued the ritual, chanting and motioning as the strange mystical adrenaline ran wild within him, his head spinning from the feeling of channeling a being of pure evil into his world. As the feeling grew, it began to change, the feeling of power leaving him and flowing into the center of the circle, leaving only the fear behind. However, he still did not stop the ritual.

He could not stop.

Oh god, why couldn't he stop?

As this terrifying realization came over the elf, he was wracked with excruciating pain as a man with skin red like blood and the size of two bears leapt toward him from the center of the circle and grasped his head with clawed hands wrapped in fire.

His screams were short-lived, the demon crushing his head after a moment of relishing in his agony. The monstrous creature turned to face the remaining cultists, all of whom were paralyzed with the same fear as their leader.

"Your foolish battles do not concern me," he spoke. "But do not worry. The city will burn. Just as the forest will burn. Just as all will burn. Just as you will burn."

As the screams of the warlocks filled the night, but even louder was the laughter of the demon, Gant'jen, as the flames began to spread and he moved towards the city.

----------------------------------------------

By morning, the demon was gone. The forest had been saved by its diligent denizens, but much had been lost to the fire.

In the nearby city, another fire had begun, but it had similarly been stopped before the utter destruction of the city.

Gant'jen had made himself known, and now he was on the loose. It was the war between these two societies that had released him. And now it was their responsibility to stop him before the rest of the world fell prey to his evil.

Our story begins a day later. Two champions, one from each community, have appeared. This is their story.

The Two Champions (Aristocles and Original Zen)

Great! Shall I start us off or would you like to?