FINAL FANTASY
Darkness Descends

If only it were so simple,
to cruise through life smelling roses;
but the obstacles blacken the countryside,
and we unwittingly crush them beneath our boots.

Dreams sustain us through the madness;
goals give a finish line to our race.
Yet they change with every turn, around every wall,
and remain elusive throughout the quest.

Mistakes are made, and regrets are our luggage;
we will drag them with us to slow us down.
The victories are flashes of light, sudden and unlasting, which allow us
to glimpse the road ahead before darkness descends.

Love is bitter, yet it is the bread that keeps us.
Over and over it fills us up, only to starve us.
The people whom we love shape our destinies and our strengths,
yet leave us cold and alone in the darkness.

There are others trying to race to the end;
occasionally, we bump into one or two.
The bonds we form help us down the path less lonely
but eventually, we lose each other in the darkness.

Alone is not a bad way to be;
it clears your head and focuses you on the journey.
Cherish the short intervals during the quest you have with others,
but be prepared to walk alone in the darkness.

Long ago, it was said that a Summoner by the name of Yuna banished the creature Sin from this world. The Calm came then; one that was said to be everlasting. Though it only lasted for three years, in reality; until the now High-Summoner Yuna was forced to come to Spira’s rescue once more. But this time, from an undead threat that had long been tormented. It was then that the continent known as Spira and all its people began to get along. Governments formed alliances, and the everlasting Calm did exactly what it was meant to do.
Last seemingly forever.

It has been four hundred long years since Yuna and her Guardians saved our world for a second time. We have continued to live in peace with each other. Every uprising has been peacefully subsided, each near outbreak of war avoided and put to rest. Temples of the ancient Yevonites crumble as we become more advanced, and forget the old ways. It has taken us four hundred years to completely forget the horrors that Sin and the undead Shuyin once brought upon us.

We live on a planet named Gaia, though this is not often mentioned. It is not strange that our continent, though it is vast and supreme, isn’t the only one on our fair Gaia. Across the sea there lies another. Like us, they have been forged into a vast alliance. Ivalice is what they call their lands. Aggressive would be a kind way of expressing their leader’s personality. He sees us only as a nuisance; and honestly, we think of him and his followers as the same.
His name is Vayne Solidor, the Emperor of Ivalice, a continent about the same size as ours. Though he and our leader, the High Maestress Yunalesca (named after the first summoner to defeat Sin) have agreed on peace, everyone can feel the tension. Our warships patrol our borders constantly, and it is even rumoured that war machina have been produced.
I am a firm believer that war has merely been suspended by this treaty, not avoided.

Oh, do forgive my rudeness. My name is Maechen, and I am a scholar. For a very long time, I have recorded the history of Spira both on paper, in spheres, and in my mind. Although at this moment in time, I am not in Spira, and nor am I in Ivalice.

I am on a newly discovered continent that has no real name, for both the Emperor and the High Maestress discovered it at the same time. Both myself, and the settlers from both sides have found this place to have a different feel to it. Magicks of all varieties are here; entwining themselves around each other and those who have newly arrived. At points, the feeling is grand, and powerful. Something to be admired and respected. While other times, in other areas, particularly around the coastal mountains and central forest, it feels horrid and evil.
I fear the darker feeling has been spreading. The creatures all around have become violent, and the mortality rate is rising. People have become aggressive, especially the leaders. Both on the island, and off…

Darkness is descending upon us… I can only hope that High-Summoner Yuna hears my prayers for peace. Before it is too late.

~Maechen

Maechen died two days later in a night raid believed to be carried out by the Ivalice Empire. Emperor Solidor denied any responsibility for the act. That afternoon, the High-Maestress met with the Emperor. It was there that Spiran friendly forces (including the Maestress) were attacked, leaving the Empire relatively unharmed in the action. The war that had been avoided for four hundred years had begun.

As the Warship ‘Auron’ escaped the Ivalice capital of Archades, the massive and powerful 7th fleet of the Empire made a swift and crippling attack on the New Home City, situated on Bikinel island.

Bevelle, the rival capital of Archades, revealed its new weapons about a week later. Long-ranged missile-Machina were unleashed, flattening the fortress and metropolis of Nalbina. It was believed that Emperor Solidor’s child was visiting Nalbina at the time, prompting this horrendous attack.

Now the war turns to the un-named continent. Rich with resources that could ultimately decide who wins this tragic war, the settlers of this place nervously wait as the horizon becomes thick with the shadows of airships.

DARKNESS DESCENDS

That's right! FINAL FANTASY: DARKNESS DESCENDS has officially begun! I'm sorry for the delay, I was originally going to post this on July 1st, but there were some issues that needed to be dealt with. anyways. I give you! The RPG!


// The mountain pass was a treacherous one.The wind was constantly hollowing in your eyes and the sun’s usually bright, warm rays failed to break through the thick, grey cloud cover which was constantly pouring out giant white snowflakes, and freezing rain. The rain stung the skin while the gale force winds ate away at the flesh, making the rain seem more like daggers. Truly, this pass was something to fear, something to avoid, and something to ignore at all points possible.
// However, for a small caravan of people, this pass was the only hope for settling the small mini wars that were plaguing this continent. The caravan was lined with food, clothes and medicine, especially the renown and dearly needed Vaccine. A counter-effective drug that destroys the Ivalician Disease that seems to have flourish and taken over this continents poor countryside. There was enough in this caravan for three major cities worth, as it only took a small dose (maybe three drops) of the sacred liquid to eliminate it from the body. Each vile was about as large as a pop can, made of glass, with ‘Vaccine’ written in large bold letters on the label. The liquid was a faint, lime green color that made you think it was more dangerous then helpful.

// “Damn it!” Selene cried. Covering her face from the hard gust of wind as the chocobo kicked. It’s foot slamming into one of the other caravaners, throwing him to the edge. The large yellow bird threw its head about, squawking and crying until the leather restraints finally snapped. Like a bullet, the animal careened forward. But with another loud and scream-like chirp the feathered runner slipped. It’s large, clumsy feet catching each other as the claws grinded into the ice. Selene watched wide eyed as the bird tumbled right off. Its cry cut short by another loud gust.

// The caravan was stuck on the bridge.

// The ‘bridge’ was actually a very narrow, very slippery rock path that sprawled across the largest and deepest canyon which had been carved into the mountain by water, wind, ice, and snow. Selene had only seen the bottom of this canyon once; it was filled with broken bones, jagged rocks, and sharp, ice stalagmite. The ice that formed the actual bottom of the canyon was relatively thin in most parts, and if you managed to live through hitting the ice, you would be swept away and lost in the icy waters.
// Until you appear bloated, blue and dead at the mouth of the river Frostwyrm. Where reluctant settlers will pull you from the water and either burn your body for the Ivalician sending, or send your soul before burying you, in the tradition of the Spiran culture.

// Selene was actually from Ivalice, and wore a deep blue cape that bore her homeland’s insignia. Representing she was highly respected by the Ivalician people, but most likely despised by the Spirans. She didn’t let it bother her though, if this little mini war stopped, the Leviathan could float right past this settle meant instead of turning the Spira friendly town into a smoking crater.
// Some sort of contorted screech shot through the canyon then. The woman turned around, eyes widening as a massive bird swooped down from the cloud cover, diving towards her until it swiveled at the last instance and wrapped its thick, black talons around the traveling medic before taking off. Selene didn’t even have time to see the other then its blurred shadow, but her eyes were settled on a thirteen inch long feather sitting at her feet. The others glanced at her as she cautiously picked up the feather. It was purple, a velvety, royal purple that glistening in the small amount of light managing to come down on the path.

// “Oh god…” Selene gulped. “Vultures!”

// On cue, more birds came diving from the sky. Ranging from sizes but all were between five to eight feet tall. Their calls were echoing off the deep canyons walls, creating some sort of horrid music that sung death to everyone on the pass. Selene pulled a slender, old style pistol from the holster on her leg and pointed at one of the birds. It glared at her, opening its long, spear like beak, letting a soft, cooing call escape its mouth.
// Selene didn’t wait any longer, she fired. The small, round bullet let out a magnificent bang and then a sharp crack as it slammed into the bird. The cooing it had let escape its beak ended with an unforgiving screech, and then it fell, disappearing into the looming cloud cover below the bridge.

// It was utter chaos on the bridge; vultures were everywhere, swiping people straight off the bridge and then tossing them into the air. It was hard to believe that the bigger ones could open their mouths wide enough to swallow a person whole. But it succeeded. You could see the people trapped inside the flyers, pushing against the stomach walls while they were being digested alive. If the vulture happened to open its mouth, it was only so the people on the bridge could hear those trapped inside scream.

// “Ms. Raminas!” Selene turned, that was her name. She only got to glance at the man who had called her name before something grabbed her. The claws were careful enough not to tear into her skin, but tight enough to cut you if you dared to move. Selene watched the ground beneath her feet disappear as it brought her upwards, tightening its grip as the high, and freezing clouds above made the bridge disappear from her sight.

// She was thrown! The cruel flyer did a flip and tossed the girl high into the air. Her heart was racing, as she knew the bird was one of the larger one. She grasped her gun tighter, focusing hard to making her body twirling into a head long dive. Her blue eyes were focused on the large, black hole that was the bird’s open throat. Her thumb grazed over a small switch on the side of pistol’s muzzle. With a smirk plastered on her face, she watched the tip of the muzzle glow, small licks of flame disappearing into the clouds.

// The bang this time was muffled. An incandescent bullet fired from the muzzle, turning into a wicked fireball of various shades of orange, red and yellow. It grew large enough to be considered a threat to a person before it disappeared into the vulture’s throat and then stomach.

// One thing about a Vulture’s stomach acid, which only an Ivalician would know:

// It’s explosive.

// The curse of a bird let out a strangled squawk before green and blue flames shot out of its mouth. In an instance the bird was gone and Selene fell through a large puff of feathers. Her body was thrown out of the dive by a gust of cold wind, and she began to do dizzying loops through the air before her hand barely grasped the edge on the bridge. Her fingers began to quickly numb from the ice and her arm ached from the sudden grasping of the ledge and weight of her own body being blown about by the wind. She slipped her gun back into its holster and swung her other arm upwards. With many grunts and groans she tugged herself up enough to see the precious caravan.
// Half way off the edge!

// The sight of seeing the dark-steel crates leaning halfway out of the back of the wagon as the smooth wooden wheels grinding against the ice, making it all the more easy for the contraption to fall off, made her yelp, catching the attention of a vulture that dived at her, making her left hand slip free.
// Selene was relying on her wounded right arm to keep her alive, and as her fingers slipped. She knew she was failing.

// But her view was obscured by a man. Selene locked eyes with him in her moment of complete helplessness (which was much to her dismay). They were brown, an average colour, but there was something different about them. They had a distinctive attractiveness about them; this attractiveness seemed to cover the man entirely, though Selene was hardly noticing this due to her state. His shirt was wet and clung slightly to his body while the rain, snow and wind played with it further.
// “There’s a cliff there love.” Charming, but had a sour undertone of stating the complete obvious. With a mental frown Selene managed to catch a glimpse of the caravan.

// “Forget me, get the caravan!” She cried, not seeing his reaction due to watching the crates press dangerously onto the wooden frame of the poorly constructed contraption. He didn’t even glance at it, only stayed fixed on her.

// “Oh, but how can I leave a pretty face to drop to a grisly death?!”

// She was pulled up; her body ached from the strain it had gone through as she collapsed onto the chilly, but comforting icy surface of the bridge. She turned to the man who saved her, thank you, was about to escape her mouth until she pulled out her pistol and shot.
// He looked shocked, but snapped out of it when a large purple demon-bird slammed into the side of the narrow pass and then fell into the depths of the canyon. Selene didn’t wait, even as her body raged against her will. She darted through the chaos, narrowly avoiding beaks, bullets and other random obstacles (including a random rolling pirate) to grab a hold of a thick leather strap.

// Her arm ached as she held onto the strap. The caravan was pulling her forward, as and the crates were now putting way to much pressure on the back. Hundreds of curses shot through Selene’s mind, yet none of them seem to suit her situation was the other caravaners were busy fighting off Vultures or trying not to slip off the damned icy edge.

This entire situation seemed hopeless.


Alright, so it begins! I would like to see everyone post their interpretation of the fight before it ends. Which will probably come by my next post and such. Have fun!