Crystal Tears
15th January 2010, 07:57 PM
Fall free of the shackles of mortality,
granted through the elegance of the Majesty.
Your blood turned cold and empty,
as you drank from the still spewing wound.
The mark of murder that transcends reality,
blackness darker then the Shal.
Forever claiming the descendants of the betrayer,
the void of sin everlasting.
A ritual born of hate,
blood spilt of the purest grace.
Heartbroken and left to wander,
a punishment of the harshest type.
In his death your people were made beautiful,
yet empty is the gorgeous shell.
He who is the sky rose from his grave,
the Tyrant of the Earth fell from heaven,
the spirit of the traitor made null.
In the darkest depths of ash,
beyond the reaches of the divine light,
a beast rises up.
Eyes of cleansing fire,
chest empty of a beating heart,
a creature of pure malice…
Abomination of its kind.
The devils unite,
for tonight it dines on the souls of the lost.
Oblivion trembles as it comes to power.
The ultimate sin made anew,
Calen the betrayer,
rises once again.
- The Fox Prophet, The Rising Age, Seeking Quarter
Ten years ago, the Seeking Quarter came to an end with a mysterious spirit creature only known as the Fox Prophet appearing to each leader of the races. He appeared to Des’len Nirros of the Elves, to the Four Shadow Lords; Lady Ira, Lord Osus, Lord Avar, and Lady Luxria, and finally the ruler of Humanity, King Dorian.
He told them a simple poem, he spoke of the fall of Daggoth, and how he rose from his grave to become the God that many had come to love and cherish. He also whispered of Calen, the Elven warrior who struck down the Dragon Lord when he lost control of his hate and anger. He kept going, telling history, pleasing the Shadow Lords when he mentioned how the foolishness of the fabled Elf tore open a portal to the Shal realm and brought the damned race of the Umbra back into the light of the sun.
But as he reached the end, his song took an unexpected turn. He sang of the rise of the betrayer, that the ash world his spirit was sent to when he fell now trembles under the fallen God’s wrath. The Elves were thrilled, but when the Fox Prophet told them that the divine traitor would do to them what he had done to Daggoth, fear began to seep into their veins. The Shadow Lords roared in anger when the storyteller told of the second damning of their kind, sent back to the eternal void to suffer alone again. The Human King stayed silent, mulling over the idea of the fallen tearing down their God.
With that he left, vanishing into thin air. He left the races alone, and separated from one another they tried to think of how to stop what the mysterious prophet said was coming.
Eeva; a word from a forgotten tongue meaning “beauty”. It is said that Daggoth named the lands this, as he found that this world was beautiful beyond what he could have ever dreamed of.
The lands of Eeva are separated into three domains. To the west, there are the darkened lands of the Umbra, where the Shadow Lords’ powers keep the sun at bay by summoning a constant overcast or stormy sky during the day. When night falls, the clouds move away to reveal the sparkling, star studded sky which many of the Umbra have come to cherish above all else. Their capital city is the fallen Alarath, once home to the Elves before Calen perished and tore one final hole open that connected to the Shal. Many of their legends and myths have a home in the stars, and their buildings are constructed in accordance to certain notable ones. Alarath itself is situated under the Divine Star, the brightest star in the sky.
To the east is the Elven forest known as Nav’uo, extremely hard to navigate and understand, the forest is forbidding to all those who don’t possess a keen sense of direction and a rational mind. Only the Elves know how to properly travel this enchanted place, and to that end they make their home in the deepest depths of the woods. The ‘city’ is known as Fel’navi, and is the central gathering of the harsh and warrior race. It is here that major rituals and sacrifices occur. Separating the Umbra and the Elves is the large and intimidating Human empire that spans the North, Central and Southern areas. Silveredge is far to the south, built on the resting place of Daggoth to honour the risen Lord.
Magic is a skill that can be taught to all, yet truly mastered by no one. In ages past, it is believed that Daggoth saw the evil potential of spellcasting and thus made it so only certain types could be learned by the Humans and Elves. Humans, with their unwavering faith were given the ability of Curing magic, along with Aids and Ailments. Elves, with their powerful spirits and keen understanding of Eeva were given the power to control the four elements. However, when Calen rose to power, his tainted spirit granted the Elves another type of magic. It was the forbidden magic of the ash world, Demonic magic. It was also in his haste and fall, that he released the Umbra, who possessed the skill to summon spirits and to create illusions.
If one truly wants to master magic, then they must befriend others from all walks of life. Perhaps that was Daggoth’s intent, yet he was murdered before people could question him about it. Though it was clear that the Umbra were not part of his original design, for when he was resurrected, he was forced to stem the tide of the Shal beings by creating a fourth race.
The Dragons.
Powerful beasts of mere legend, Daggoth charged them with defending Humanity from the Umbra. As such, a major war was fought between the Shadow Lords and the mighty Dragons. When the Umbra finally surrendered, this allowed mankind to befriend the powerful winged beasts so they could try and end the Elven reign. Their first attempt was thwarted; Calen simply struck them down, now that the Umbra were lesser in number and not straining his magic.
Striking a deal with the Shadow Lords, Humanity and the Umbra united. Unable to ride Dragons however, the Umbra summoned Abyss Ravens from the Shal, and joined their allies in the sky. His magic broke, and Calen was struck down from his heavenly seat by the two very races he had sought to control. The Elves fled as their God tumbled down to the ground, in one final act of vengeance, Calen tore open a massive portal to the Shal realm.
If he could not have Alarath, then he would ensure Humanity would not have it either.
With a surge of power, the Shadow Lords betrayed mankind, forcing Humanity to retreat back to their lands as the Umbra twisted the once proud city into a mockery of what it once was. With that act of treachery, it was ensured that the Umbra would never mount a dragon as a ride.
That was the Betrayal Age, long ago history that is still fresh in people’s minds as they go about their day to day business.
The Rising Age: named for the prophesied second rise of Calen, the Earth Tyrant. Though many have brushed such a tale off as a mad spirit’s legend, an Umbra scholar in the remote Shade of Na’aya has seen changes in the stars. Their silver beauty is not nearly as strong as it once was, and the yearly passing of Eeva’s Comet has not come to pass. Ssus wrote down his concerns in his journal, and quickly ran to Alarath’s Astral Librarium to report his findings. It was there that Ssus and fellow scholars came to a horrifying realization, that the absence of the comet was an omen.
A terrible omen; one which they could only partly understand.
The silence between the races was broken, the Shadow Lords sent emissaries to both Silveredge and Fel’navi. They called for a gathering of scholars, mages, shamans, interpreters… Anyone who believed they could help shed light on the phenomena. The gathering was marked to happen in the ancient city of Sith, a place far to the North and built into the unexplored mountains.
Sith, a city once home to Elves and Humans alike, for years it laid quiet and abandoned. In its depth was a sacred hall of knowledge, where the ancient tongue and symbols from the Betrayal Age are preserved perfectly in the walls of the chamber. In the center is a statue of a dragon, fearsome and awe-inspiring, its eyes glowing from a still active ancient spell. In these halls, people gathered; commoner, or highborn. Anyone with knowledge of the arcane, or just an insatiable sense of curiosity appeared.
But another omen is about to appear, one with a far stronger message than the last. Those that have gathered for whatever reason are about to be thrown into an adventure that will be the ending tale of the Rising Age.
What will the Final quarter hold?
THE RISING AGE
The Final Quarter
Magic:
Healing + Aids & Ailments: Not meant for the front lines, those who specialize in healing can will a comrade’s flesh to heal in seconds, or eradicate poison from someone’s bloodstream. Aids & Ailments allow the caster to weaker enemy armor, while perhaps strengthening an ally’s.
Crystal Tears (High Maiden Cicily) (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/showpost.php?p=438725&postcount=3)
Zealot: Also known as smiting, Zealot magic is the brutal side of Daggoth. It takes the form as bright lights and arcs of lightning. It has a superb effective on the unholy creatures of Eeva, particularly demons. Using smiting magic on a pure soul however, can have ill effects on the mage who cast the spell…
ChobiChibi (Sir William Casland) (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/showpost.php?p=439106&postcount=10)
Elemental: Control of the four elements: Earth, Fire, Water and Air. Many creatures are aligned with a particular element, and using the opposite of them can make the battle that much easier. A word of warning though, as perhaps the most destructive aspect of magic, it can be hard to control, and can easily consume the wielder.
Mew Master (Shaman Ugdagah of the Fire Mountain Tribe) (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/showpost.php?p=438906&postcount=7)
Demonic: Opposing Zealots, Demonic magic is harnessed from the depths of the Ash world. Tainting your own soul, the mage wields the blackest of spells, able to use their mind to destroy an opponent. They can also receive prophetic nightmares from the demons they’ve made deals with, though each time the mage strikes a new deal, the darker their own soul becomes.
VirtualPlay (Demon Hunter Morea) (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/showpost.php?p=438738&postcount=4)
Illusions + Curses: Perhaps the most subtle spells, illusions can throw an enemy off, make the caster incredibly persuasive, or cause the enemy to kill him or herself. Curses are slow to take effect, often lying dormant for minutes to years (pending on the hex). However, once a curse has begun to take effect, those who turn out to be victims, will beg for a death the curse is likely to draw out for eons.
River (Mercenary Johann Stein: A Walking Weapon) (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/showpost.php?p=439106&postcount=10)
Evoker: The oldest of magics, and by far the hardest to master. Evoking summons a spirit to aid the summoner; whether it’s in a specific task or battle. Evokers must make deals with spirits to be able to summon them, and no Evoker can have more than four spirits tied to them at a time.
Weasel Overlord (Stargazer Leeryl Kkaht Rylkk) (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/showpost.php?p=438793&postcount=5)
Cicily
The Forgotten City of Sith, One week following the first Omen.
Aiday stared at her rider is slight wonder; coming to the ancient city called ‘Sith’ was unnecessary. King Darion had sent numerous other trained advisors to this old world gem in answer to the Umbra scholar’s plea. Against the advisement of the Chapel’s high council though, the quiet priestess Cicily had gone anyways. She had no formal training in the old tongues or symbols, or with interpreting signs. The wyvern snorted, shaking her head a tad as lowered it so it was even with Cicily’s.
“You don’t have to worry…” Cicily smiled, gently touching the dragon’s snout. “I’ll be fine.”
It’s not that Aiday disbelieved her chosen, but she would’ve much preferred a more renowned guard then Sir Casland. Knight-Commander Selene did speak highly of him, but the beast would’ve much preferred the Commander’s company. Cicily was extremely shy and withdrawn, especially around men. Briefly she thought if the shyness was worse around attractive men, but Aiday had no way of judging a human male’s appearance. She could only assume it would.
‘I only worry because you insisted on travelling with a new companion.’
Cicily glanced over at the tall, armoured knight standing a few feet away. His eyes were focused on a piece of parchment that Selene had given to him just before their departure. The girl found herself wondering what the message could be, but that was Zealot business, and often if a member of the clergy stuck their nose in a knight’s duties all sorts of unpleasantries would be exchanged.
“He’s nice enough…” She whispered to Aiday, who simply let out short, quiet coo.
‘A wonderful demeanor won’t protect you from the less desirable in the world.’
“Selene assured me he’s quite the capable knight.”
Aiday rolled her deep purple eyes and raised her head, the long feathers sprouting from the back of her skull swishing softly in the wind. ‘You’re faith in strangers will be your downfall.’
“I’m not blindly faithful in them…” Cicily countered, looking at the ground and shifting uneasily. “I just don’t instantly doubt everyone’s capabilities, like you.”
‘But you are keen to instantly doubt your own skills; you are a very troubled human, I’m afraid to say.’
Cicily smiled, watching as others arrived, all coming to try and decipher the message. There was also the possibility they were here for easy money, a job offer, or something else that wasn’t quite what the invitation designated. The maiden didn’t mind though, as long as people remembered to keep their heads and respect each other, this might actually go far smoother than anyone thought possible.
“Are you ready Nalsha’dil?”
Cicily turned, nodding meekly towards the knight who nodded in respect to Aiday, who simply just snorted in response, shaking her head again before rising to her full, daunting height. She was easily two stories tall, perhaps even larger, with a massive wingspan and a long, deadly tail. The sleek, blue and white saddle on her back jingled a bit with the charms and metal clips suddenly moving.
‘Be wary Cicily, something is off about this place. I suspect our Lord’s eyes are not the only ones upon this ancient city.’
She nodded. “I will be, be safe Sisukae.”
‘I will not be far.’ With that Aiday leapt into the air, each beat of her wings just blasts of wind downwards until she flew upwards, doing a graceful twirl in the sky before disappearing from sight.
Sir Casland had a bit of frown on his face.
“She doesn’t trust me.”
Fixing her hood, Cicily bit her lip. “She’s just protective; she said something felt different about this place.”
Humans had a distinct lack of ability when it came detecting changes in what the Elves had come to call the ‘Lumar’. Lumar was a vague term for the world’s energy, or so Cicily had been taught. It shifted and changed constantly, its vibe depended on various factors. Her father once gave the example that before the Umbra appeared in Eeva, the Lumar never truly felt mysterious or abnormal. When the Umbra had appeared, the energy had changed around them, adapting and absorbing the people in.
She was only half Elf, but that gave her some sort of insight. The city felt off, and very foreign. Past that, she couldn’t tell. The Lumar was hard to interpret, very rarely did she ever get a distinct feeling from it, and as far as she knew, no other race except the Elves was capable of fully understanding the energy of the world. There were so many elves around her though, most glaring at her with particular disdain, that she didn’t dare ask if Sith felt odd to them.
Dragons were the only other intelligent creature in Eeva capable of understanding the Lumar, but most kept to themselves about it. Other than Wyverns, dragons couldn’t communicate with their riders or people in the same way a person may interact with another. Aiday didn’t seem to be able to elaborate on the issue though. All she had mentioned was someone might be watching.
‘Not exactly comforting…’ Cicily thought as Sir Casland led her towards the massive Betrayal Age chapel. It wasn’t as welcoming as the one’s nowadays, it looked dark and mysterious. ‘Understandable though, according to texts, during that time the people worshipped Daggoth’s might and power, not his compassion and understanding.’
The doors were shut however, with two massive Umbra guards standing in front of the growing crowd. They looked like a mix of horse and man, with the head of a cat. Their eyes, perhaps a bit bigger than what should’ve been natural were a bright, almost florescent yellow with emerald pupils. In their hands were crude, but deadly large cleavers.
Facing off with the two towering guards was another Umbra. Ridiculously tall and slender with a mane of hair and feathers, the creature was standing there, arms crossed and body language saying she was growing a bit annoyed. Cicily couldn’t imagine with that, for all she heard was nasty grunts, growling and other odd sounds coming from the guards. To this, she replied in kind, though it sounded more like a snarl and then an abrupt snort.
The two guards looked at each other nervously, before stepping back. The massive doors behind them groaned, spiral engravings glowing a bright, livid green before chains were heard rattling and the barriers were slowly lifted out of the way.
“How does one do that?” Her knight asked, arms folded and head cocked to the side in wonder. “That can’t be any easy feat of magic.”
“Such enchantments were lost to us…” Cicily replied, though quietly. “W-when Calen rose to power; he murdered m-many mages who had s-such power... We’re lucky this enchantment s-survived or the doors would never open.”
“You cannot learn these spells again?”
“W-well…” Cicily thought. “I suppose but… Not for such l-large doors…”
The crowd began to move inside, and everyone then saw that the Umbra were trying to hide. A massive beast of a man was standing in the middle of the chamber, around him lay dead men, their choice in patched together armour and the reaper insignia on their chests suggested a raiding party from one of the isolated and touchy villages. The large man was dressed in furs and skins, and in his hand was a giant axe, while a second one stayed strapped onto his back.
“Daggoth preserve us..” Sir Casland muttered. “What is going on?”
There were four raiders left, three of them looking more formidable then the others on the ground. The fourth appeared to be some sort of mage, eyes with dark circles around them; he clung desperately to a large egg, long finger nails dragging on its shell.
“Foul Barbarian…” He hissed, “You don’t understand, I need this… IT needs this, to go back on my word…”
Cicily then spotted the two other dead men, large like the axe-wielding man; she imagined when they hit the ground, the world shuttered.
“Mage stole from Drake mother!” He slammed his axe into the floor, cracking the tiles and causing the ground to shake. “Ugdagah will return child to mountain!”
The mage practically hissed, his eyes turning far darker than normal, and his skin paling. “Damn ruffian, I will end you and anyone else in my way!”
Out of the ground is melded, a creature roughly the size of a child. It’s body black as the night and eyes a sick green. Broken chains hung from its wrists and ankles, and its claws looked more like twisted knives. Before the large man could react, it jumped at him.
Cicily pushed herself to the front of the crowd in time, outstretching her and she watched as wisps of white dances up her arm before shoot out of her palm. The energy shot right into Ugdagah, making the air around him shimmer and take a faint white hue.
The creature got one hit on its target, it hissed and slashed at him. Watching in anger as its once deadly attack was reduced to mere scratches and little nicks. Ugdagah swung around, his axe just barely missing the creature as it scrambled back, hissing at him before scrambling up the chamber way, trailing shadow. The other raiders attacked, and the crowd was thrown into chaos.
Most people were scrambling out of the way as a few joined the fight to even the odds for the man from the mountain.
* * *
The Rising Age Begins! Everyone help Ugdagah! Or… Don’t… Up to you, either way, have fun moseying about. Don’t obliterate the chamber though, that’s kinda important for the future. I don’t want a lot of recapping posts though; this issue was brought to me in FF DD, we keep recapping what’s been happening and not moving the RPG on enough. So quit that, RPGs are about adapting, don’t worry about getting something wrong or what not. Here, I’ll make it easy and tell you what not to do:
Don’t attack Ugdagah, if you’re fighting, you’re fighting to help him (other NPCs might be helping you as well).
Don’t destroy the chamber / chapel.
No bringing mounts into this place, they stay outside and fly around.. Squawking and being ride-like.
This fight isn’t meant to be an overwhelming challenge. End it quickly if you want.
To Weasel, I didn’t know what your character would say to the guards, so I just made you talk in Umbra tongue for your own creativity XD *lazy*
I tag all of you, though blatantly tag Denny and Becki. You don’t gotta wait for them though, KEEP THE RPG MOVING MWAHAHAH
And to Denny, sorry if I got Ug's speech wrong! D:
Glossary
Nalsha’dil [Elvish]: A respectful term for maiden of Daggoth, it is commonly used in reference to young women in the service of the Majesty’s Chapel. Literal translation: Girl who is holy.
Sisukae [Dragon]: Only to be used between Dragons and their chosen, Sisukae either means ‘soul brother’ or ‘soul sister’.
Lumar [Elvish / Magic (Spirit)]: A rough translation for world energy, it references to the magic force which is ever flowing and changing over Eeva. Dragons and pure Elves can interpret the Lumar, sometimes knowing danger is present before the others do.
Wyvern [Divine Creature]: The most beautiful type of Dragon, the wyvern are the closet mortal creature to Daggoth. While they cannot breathe fire or spew acid, they can telepathically communicate with their riders, giving insight to debates and interpreting the Lumar.
Others are welcome to add to the glossary! Have fun making up stuff! Just make sure to explain it at the bottom of your post and I’ll be happy to add it to the master list. ^^
granted through the elegance of the Majesty.
Your blood turned cold and empty,
as you drank from the still spewing wound.
The mark of murder that transcends reality,
blackness darker then the Shal.
Forever claiming the descendants of the betrayer,
the void of sin everlasting.
A ritual born of hate,
blood spilt of the purest grace.
Heartbroken and left to wander,
a punishment of the harshest type.
In his death your people were made beautiful,
yet empty is the gorgeous shell.
He who is the sky rose from his grave,
the Tyrant of the Earth fell from heaven,
the spirit of the traitor made null.
In the darkest depths of ash,
beyond the reaches of the divine light,
a beast rises up.
Eyes of cleansing fire,
chest empty of a beating heart,
a creature of pure malice…
Abomination of its kind.
The devils unite,
for tonight it dines on the souls of the lost.
Oblivion trembles as it comes to power.
The ultimate sin made anew,
Calen the betrayer,
rises once again.
- The Fox Prophet, The Rising Age, Seeking Quarter
Ten years ago, the Seeking Quarter came to an end with a mysterious spirit creature only known as the Fox Prophet appearing to each leader of the races. He appeared to Des’len Nirros of the Elves, to the Four Shadow Lords; Lady Ira, Lord Osus, Lord Avar, and Lady Luxria, and finally the ruler of Humanity, King Dorian.
He told them a simple poem, he spoke of the fall of Daggoth, and how he rose from his grave to become the God that many had come to love and cherish. He also whispered of Calen, the Elven warrior who struck down the Dragon Lord when he lost control of his hate and anger. He kept going, telling history, pleasing the Shadow Lords when he mentioned how the foolishness of the fabled Elf tore open a portal to the Shal realm and brought the damned race of the Umbra back into the light of the sun.
But as he reached the end, his song took an unexpected turn. He sang of the rise of the betrayer, that the ash world his spirit was sent to when he fell now trembles under the fallen God’s wrath. The Elves were thrilled, but when the Fox Prophet told them that the divine traitor would do to them what he had done to Daggoth, fear began to seep into their veins. The Shadow Lords roared in anger when the storyteller told of the second damning of their kind, sent back to the eternal void to suffer alone again. The Human King stayed silent, mulling over the idea of the fallen tearing down their God.
With that he left, vanishing into thin air. He left the races alone, and separated from one another they tried to think of how to stop what the mysterious prophet said was coming.
Eeva; a word from a forgotten tongue meaning “beauty”. It is said that Daggoth named the lands this, as he found that this world was beautiful beyond what he could have ever dreamed of.
The lands of Eeva are separated into three domains. To the west, there are the darkened lands of the Umbra, where the Shadow Lords’ powers keep the sun at bay by summoning a constant overcast or stormy sky during the day. When night falls, the clouds move away to reveal the sparkling, star studded sky which many of the Umbra have come to cherish above all else. Their capital city is the fallen Alarath, once home to the Elves before Calen perished and tore one final hole open that connected to the Shal. Many of their legends and myths have a home in the stars, and their buildings are constructed in accordance to certain notable ones. Alarath itself is situated under the Divine Star, the brightest star in the sky.
To the east is the Elven forest known as Nav’uo, extremely hard to navigate and understand, the forest is forbidding to all those who don’t possess a keen sense of direction and a rational mind. Only the Elves know how to properly travel this enchanted place, and to that end they make their home in the deepest depths of the woods. The ‘city’ is known as Fel’navi, and is the central gathering of the harsh and warrior race. It is here that major rituals and sacrifices occur. Separating the Umbra and the Elves is the large and intimidating Human empire that spans the North, Central and Southern areas. Silveredge is far to the south, built on the resting place of Daggoth to honour the risen Lord.
Magic is a skill that can be taught to all, yet truly mastered by no one. In ages past, it is believed that Daggoth saw the evil potential of spellcasting and thus made it so only certain types could be learned by the Humans and Elves. Humans, with their unwavering faith were given the ability of Curing magic, along with Aids and Ailments. Elves, with their powerful spirits and keen understanding of Eeva were given the power to control the four elements. However, when Calen rose to power, his tainted spirit granted the Elves another type of magic. It was the forbidden magic of the ash world, Demonic magic. It was also in his haste and fall, that he released the Umbra, who possessed the skill to summon spirits and to create illusions.
If one truly wants to master magic, then they must befriend others from all walks of life. Perhaps that was Daggoth’s intent, yet he was murdered before people could question him about it. Though it was clear that the Umbra were not part of his original design, for when he was resurrected, he was forced to stem the tide of the Shal beings by creating a fourth race.
The Dragons.
Powerful beasts of mere legend, Daggoth charged them with defending Humanity from the Umbra. As such, a major war was fought between the Shadow Lords and the mighty Dragons. When the Umbra finally surrendered, this allowed mankind to befriend the powerful winged beasts so they could try and end the Elven reign. Their first attempt was thwarted; Calen simply struck them down, now that the Umbra were lesser in number and not straining his magic.
Striking a deal with the Shadow Lords, Humanity and the Umbra united. Unable to ride Dragons however, the Umbra summoned Abyss Ravens from the Shal, and joined their allies in the sky. His magic broke, and Calen was struck down from his heavenly seat by the two very races he had sought to control. The Elves fled as their God tumbled down to the ground, in one final act of vengeance, Calen tore open a massive portal to the Shal realm.
If he could not have Alarath, then he would ensure Humanity would not have it either.
With a surge of power, the Shadow Lords betrayed mankind, forcing Humanity to retreat back to their lands as the Umbra twisted the once proud city into a mockery of what it once was. With that act of treachery, it was ensured that the Umbra would never mount a dragon as a ride.
That was the Betrayal Age, long ago history that is still fresh in people’s minds as they go about their day to day business.
The Rising Age: named for the prophesied second rise of Calen, the Earth Tyrant. Though many have brushed such a tale off as a mad spirit’s legend, an Umbra scholar in the remote Shade of Na’aya has seen changes in the stars. Their silver beauty is not nearly as strong as it once was, and the yearly passing of Eeva’s Comet has not come to pass. Ssus wrote down his concerns in his journal, and quickly ran to Alarath’s Astral Librarium to report his findings. It was there that Ssus and fellow scholars came to a horrifying realization, that the absence of the comet was an omen.
A terrible omen; one which they could only partly understand.
The silence between the races was broken, the Shadow Lords sent emissaries to both Silveredge and Fel’navi. They called for a gathering of scholars, mages, shamans, interpreters… Anyone who believed they could help shed light on the phenomena. The gathering was marked to happen in the ancient city of Sith, a place far to the North and built into the unexplored mountains.
Sith, a city once home to Elves and Humans alike, for years it laid quiet and abandoned. In its depth was a sacred hall of knowledge, where the ancient tongue and symbols from the Betrayal Age are preserved perfectly in the walls of the chamber. In the center is a statue of a dragon, fearsome and awe-inspiring, its eyes glowing from a still active ancient spell. In these halls, people gathered; commoner, or highborn. Anyone with knowledge of the arcane, or just an insatiable sense of curiosity appeared.
But another omen is about to appear, one with a far stronger message than the last. Those that have gathered for whatever reason are about to be thrown into an adventure that will be the ending tale of the Rising Age.
What will the Final quarter hold?
THE RISING AGE
The Final Quarter
Magic:
Healing + Aids & Ailments: Not meant for the front lines, those who specialize in healing can will a comrade’s flesh to heal in seconds, or eradicate poison from someone’s bloodstream. Aids & Ailments allow the caster to weaker enemy armor, while perhaps strengthening an ally’s.
Crystal Tears (High Maiden Cicily) (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/showpost.php?p=438725&postcount=3)
Zealot: Also known as smiting, Zealot magic is the brutal side of Daggoth. It takes the form as bright lights and arcs of lightning. It has a superb effective on the unholy creatures of Eeva, particularly demons. Using smiting magic on a pure soul however, can have ill effects on the mage who cast the spell…
ChobiChibi (Sir William Casland) (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/showpost.php?p=439106&postcount=10)
Elemental: Control of the four elements: Earth, Fire, Water and Air. Many creatures are aligned with a particular element, and using the opposite of them can make the battle that much easier. A word of warning though, as perhaps the most destructive aspect of magic, it can be hard to control, and can easily consume the wielder.
Mew Master (Shaman Ugdagah of the Fire Mountain Tribe) (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/showpost.php?p=438906&postcount=7)
Demonic: Opposing Zealots, Demonic magic is harnessed from the depths of the Ash world. Tainting your own soul, the mage wields the blackest of spells, able to use their mind to destroy an opponent. They can also receive prophetic nightmares from the demons they’ve made deals with, though each time the mage strikes a new deal, the darker their own soul becomes.
VirtualPlay (Demon Hunter Morea) (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/showpost.php?p=438738&postcount=4)
Illusions + Curses: Perhaps the most subtle spells, illusions can throw an enemy off, make the caster incredibly persuasive, or cause the enemy to kill him or herself. Curses are slow to take effect, often lying dormant for minutes to years (pending on the hex). However, once a curse has begun to take effect, those who turn out to be victims, will beg for a death the curse is likely to draw out for eons.
River (Mercenary Johann Stein: A Walking Weapon) (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/showpost.php?p=439106&postcount=10)
Evoker: The oldest of magics, and by far the hardest to master. Evoking summons a spirit to aid the summoner; whether it’s in a specific task or battle. Evokers must make deals with spirits to be able to summon them, and no Evoker can have more than four spirits tied to them at a time.
Weasel Overlord (Stargazer Leeryl Kkaht Rylkk) (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/showpost.php?p=438793&postcount=5)
Cicily
The Forgotten City of Sith, One week following the first Omen.
Aiday stared at her rider is slight wonder; coming to the ancient city called ‘Sith’ was unnecessary. King Darion had sent numerous other trained advisors to this old world gem in answer to the Umbra scholar’s plea. Against the advisement of the Chapel’s high council though, the quiet priestess Cicily had gone anyways. She had no formal training in the old tongues or symbols, or with interpreting signs. The wyvern snorted, shaking her head a tad as lowered it so it was even with Cicily’s.
“You don’t have to worry…” Cicily smiled, gently touching the dragon’s snout. “I’ll be fine.”
It’s not that Aiday disbelieved her chosen, but she would’ve much preferred a more renowned guard then Sir Casland. Knight-Commander Selene did speak highly of him, but the beast would’ve much preferred the Commander’s company. Cicily was extremely shy and withdrawn, especially around men. Briefly she thought if the shyness was worse around attractive men, but Aiday had no way of judging a human male’s appearance. She could only assume it would.
‘I only worry because you insisted on travelling with a new companion.’
Cicily glanced over at the tall, armoured knight standing a few feet away. His eyes were focused on a piece of parchment that Selene had given to him just before their departure. The girl found herself wondering what the message could be, but that was Zealot business, and often if a member of the clergy stuck their nose in a knight’s duties all sorts of unpleasantries would be exchanged.
“He’s nice enough…” She whispered to Aiday, who simply let out short, quiet coo.
‘A wonderful demeanor won’t protect you from the less desirable in the world.’
“Selene assured me he’s quite the capable knight.”
Aiday rolled her deep purple eyes and raised her head, the long feathers sprouting from the back of her skull swishing softly in the wind. ‘You’re faith in strangers will be your downfall.’
“I’m not blindly faithful in them…” Cicily countered, looking at the ground and shifting uneasily. “I just don’t instantly doubt everyone’s capabilities, like you.”
‘But you are keen to instantly doubt your own skills; you are a very troubled human, I’m afraid to say.’
Cicily smiled, watching as others arrived, all coming to try and decipher the message. There was also the possibility they were here for easy money, a job offer, or something else that wasn’t quite what the invitation designated. The maiden didn’t mind though, as long as people remembered to keep their heads and respect each other, this might actually go far smoother than anyone thought possible.
“Are you ready Nalsha’dil?”
Cicily turned, nodding meekly towards the knight who nodded in respect to Aiday, who simply just snorted in response, shaking her head again before rising to her full, daunting height. She was easily two stories tall, perhaps even larger, with a massive wingspan and a long, deadly tail. The sleek, blue and white saddle on her back jingled a bit with the charms and metal clips suddenly moving.
‘Be wary Cicily, something is off about this place. I suspect our Lord’s eyes are not the only ones upon this ancient city.’
She nodded. “I will be, be safe Sisukae.”
‘I will not be far.’ With that Aiday leapt into the air, each beat of her wings just blasts of wind downwards until she flew upwards, doing a graceful twirl in the sky before disappearing from sight.
Sir Casland had a bit of frown on his face.
“She doesn’t trust me.”
Fixing her hood, Cicily bit her lip. “She’s just protective; she said something felt different about this place.”
Humans had a distinct lack of ability when it came detecting changes in what the Elves had come to call the ‘Lumar’. Lumar was a vague term for the world’s energy, or so Cicily had been taught. It shifted and changed constantly, its vibe depended on various factors. Her father once gave the example that before the Umbra appeared in Eeva, the Lumar never truly felt mysterious or abnormal. When the Umbra had appeared, the energy had changed around them, adapting and absorbing the people in.
She was only half Elf, but that gave her some sort of insight. The city felt off, and very foreign. Past that, she couldn’t tell. The Lumar was hard to interpret, very rarely did she ever get a distinct feeling from it, and as far as she knew, no other race except the Elves was capable of fully understanding the energy of the world. There were so many elves around her though, most glaring at her with particular disdain, that she didn’t dare ask if Sith felt odd to them.
Dragons were the only other intelligent creature in Eeva capable of understanding the Lumar, but most kept to themselves about it. Other than Wyverns, dragons couldn’t communicate with their riders or people in the same way a person may interact with another. Aiday didn’t seem to be able to elaborate on the issue though. All she had mentioned was someone might be watching.
‘Not exactly comforting…’ Cicily thought as Sir Casland led her towards the massive Betrayal Age chapel. It wasn’t as welcoming as the one’s nowadays, it looked dark and mysterious. ‘Understandable though, according to texts, during that time the people worshipped Daggoth’s might and power, not his compassion and understanding.’
The doors were shut however, with two massive Umbra guards standing in front of the growing crowd. They looked like a mix of horse and man, with the head of a cat. Their eyes, perhaps a bit bigger than what should’ve been natural were a bright, almost florescent yellow with emerald pupils. In their hands were crude, but deadly large cleavers.
Facing off with the two towering guards was another Umbra. Ridiculously tall and slender with a mane of hair and feathers, the creature was standing there, arms crossed and body language saying she was growing a bit annoyed. Cicily couldn’t imagine with that, for all she heard was nasty grunts, growling and other odd sounds coming from the guards. To this, she replied in kind, though it sounded more like a snarl and then an abrupt snort.
The two guards looked at each other nervously, before stepping back. The massive doors behind them groaned, spiral engravings glowing a bright, livid green before chains were heard rattling and the barriers were slowly lifted out of the way.
“How does one do that?” Her knight asked, arms folded and head cocked to the side in wonder. “That can’t be any easy feat of magic.”
“Such enchantments were lost to us…” Cicily replied, though quietly. “W-when Calen rose to power; he murdered m-many mages who had s-such power... We’re lucky this enchantment s-survived or the doors would never open.”
“You cannot learn these spells again?”
“W-well…” Cicily thought. “I suppose but… Not for such l-large doors…”
The crowd began to move inside, and everyone then saw that the Umbra were trying to hide. A massive beast of a man was standing in the middle of the chamber, around him lay dead men, their choice in patched together armour and the reaper insignia on their chests suggested a raiding party from one of the isolated and touchy villages. The large man was dressed in furs and skins, and in his hand was a giant axe, while a second one stayed strapped onto his back.
“Daggoth preserve us..” Sir Casland muttered. “What is going on?”
There were four raiders left, three of them looking more formidable then the others on the ground. The fourth appeared to be some sort of mage, eyes with dark circles around them; he clung desperately to a large egg, long finger nails dragging on its shell.
“Foul Barbarian…” He hissed, “You don’t understand, I need this… IT needs this, to go back on my word…”
Cicily then spotted the two other dead men, large like the axe-wielding man; she imagined when they hit the ground, the world shuttered.
“Mage stole from Drake mother!” He slammed his axe into the floor, cracking the tiles and causing the ground to shake. “Ugdagah will return child to mountain!”
The mage practically hissed, his eyes turning far darker than normal, and his skin paling. “Damn ruffian, I will end you and anyone else in my way!”
Out of the ground is melded, a creature roughly the size of a child. It’s body black as the night and eyes a sick green. Broken chains hung from its wrists and ankles, and its claws looked more like twisted knives. Before the large man could react, it jumped at him.
Cicily pushed herself to the front of the crowd in time, outstretching her and she watched as wisps of white dances up her arm before shoot out of her palm. The energy shot right into Ugdagah, making the air around him shimmer and take a faint white hue.
The creature got one hit on its target, it hissed and slashed at him. Watching in anger as its once deadly attack was reduced to mere scratches and little nicks. Ugdagah swung around, his axe just barely missing the creature as it scrambled back, hissing at him before scrambling up the chamber way, trailing shadow. The other raiders attacked, and the crowd was thrown into chaos.
Most people were scrambling out of the way as a few joined the fight to even the odds for the man from the mountain.
* * *
The Rising Age Begins! Everyone help Ugdagah! Or… Don’t… Up to you, either way, have fun moseying about. Don’t obliterate the chamber though, that’s kinda important for the future. I don’t want a lot of recapping posts though; this issue was brought to me in FF DD, we keep recapping what’s been happening and not moving the RPG on enough. So quit that, RPGs are about adapting, don’t worry about getting something wrong or what not. Here, I’ll make it easy and tell you what not to do:
Don’t attack Ugdagah, if you’re fighting, you’re fighting to help him (other NPCs might be helping you as well).
Don’t destroy the chamber / chapel.
No bringing mounts into this place, they stay outside and fly around.. Squawking and being ride-like.
This fight isn’t meant to be an overwhelming challenge. End it quickly if you want.
To Weasel, I didn’t know what your character would say to the guards, so I just made you talk in Umbra tongue for your own creativity XD *lazy*
I tag all of you, though blatantly tag Denny and Becki. You don’t gotta wait for them though, KEEP THE RPG MOVING MWAHAHAH
And to Denny, sorry if I got Ug's speech wrong! D:
Glossary
Nalsha’dil [Elvish]: A respectful term for maiden of Daggoth, it is commonly used in reference to young women in the service of the Majesty’s Chapel. Literal translation: Girl who is holy.
Sisukae [Dragon]: Only to be used between Dragons and their chosen, Sisukae either means ‘soul brother’ or ‘soul sister’.
Lumar [Elvish / Magic (Spirit)]: A rough translation for world energy, it references to the magic force which is ever flowing and changing over Eeva. Dragons and pure Elves can interpret the Lumar, sometimes knowing danger is present before the others do.
Wyvern [Divine Creature]: The most beautiful type of Dragon, the wyvern are the closet mortal creature to Daggoth. While they cannot breathe fire or spew acid, they can telepathically communicate with their riders, giving insight to debates and interpreting the Lumar.
Others are welcome to add to the glossary! Have fun making up stuff! Just make sure to explain it at the bottom of your post and I’ll be happy to add it to the master list. ^^