Now that you've seen a few of those races I kept hidden before, I thought I'd reveal a couple of them to you. I'll do Vampyre and Ancients after Part Nine.
The Other- The Other are a mysterious race born in a magical plane. They spend the first parts of their lives as immortal, ageless blobs of energy. When they are deemed worthy, they are given the gift of mortality and sent to the mortal plane. Once there, they take the form of an individual of any humanoid, non-Ancient race. This generally means humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, and goblins. They live longer than the races they assume the forms of and tend to have higher magical ability, but other than that cannot be distinguished from actual individuals of these races. The mortal Other are led by an eleven-member Council that also keeps watch over other mortal affairs.
Arachnidians- Even less known than the Vampyre, the Arachnidians are another of the Ancient races. Their lower bodies are those of spiders, and their upper bodies and heads are vaguely humanoid but still reminiscent of spiders. They are one of the most diverse species, having a huge variety of colorations, sizes, and features. Many are powerful warriors but today they use their skills almost exclusively for hunting.
-last edited on Sept 17, 2017 21:27:14 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Sept 17, 2017 21:26:17 GMT
Characters (Part I)
Skrag- The Half-Breed, former Dragon Rider, brother of Skirj, lost an eye to Harrox, currently in hiding, our protagonist Skorj- Warlord of Skrag’s former clan, father of Skirj, smashed Gorle and framed Skrag, later exiled for his crimes Gorle- Chief of Skrag’s former clan, smashed by Skorj Trok- Gorle’s deputy Skirj- Son of Skorj, brother of Skrag, formerly the clan’s warlord, smashed by Skrag, brought back by Marrzak, formerly in possession of the Crown, retains a small amount of magic, currently at the Towers of Sorcery Kalkuzar the Golden- King of dragons, father of Darkaraz Darkaraz- Son of Kalkuzar, father of Zargan, Marrzak, and Lyzara Marrzak- Son of Darkaraz, brother of Zargan and Lyzara, smashed Kurukin and Dernis Jiwovz, adopted father of Alis Jiwovz, smashed by Olifin Zargan- Son of Darkaraz, brother of Marrzak and Lyzara, best friend of Skrag, smashed by Harrox Lyzara- Daughter of Darkaraz, sister of Marrzak and Zargan Kurukin- Member of Kalkuzar’s tribe, son of Kronokos, smashed by Marrzak Hithrol Jiwovz- Son of Dernis Jiwovz, brother of Alis Jiwovz, founder of the Dragon Riders, rider of Olifin Alis Jiwovz- Daughter of Dernis Jiwovz, sister of Hithrol Jiwovz, raised by Marrzak, smashed Dwalin, recently obtained a dragon egg, member of the Dragon Riders Dernis Jiwovz- Father of Hithrol and Alis Jiwovz, smashed by Marrzak, as a spirit helped to defeat Marrzak Gormund Crux- Former leader of the City by the River, brother of Edmond Crux, smashed by Skrag Edmond Crux- Father of Isabel Crux, brother of Gormund Crux, the true power in the City by the River, smashed in a tunnel cave-in Arik- Former gladiator in the Arena, friend of Skrag, aided in the revolt Go- Samurai, former gladiator, friend of Skrag Syldar- Healer, former gladiator, friend of Skrag, currently resides in the Towers of Sorcery Rennar- Former gladiator, friend of Skrag Luke Tunstall- Member of the Iron Wolves, former gladiator, friend of Skrag, smashed by Kelrin’s army Dwalin- Former gladiator, former mercenary, worked for the Baron, smashed by Alis Ishal- Former gladiator, spy for Edmond Crux, smashed in a tunnel cave-in Leidiriv- Former gladiator, competent in magic, friend of Skrag, currently resides in the Towers of Sorcery Brian- Former gladiator, quick to fight, smashed by Shadowwrath Zelfern- Former gladiator, lost his hand to Skrag, vowed revenge on Skrag Shadowwrath- Former gladiator, always wears his armor, friend of Skrag Ishappa- Former gladiator, the Executioner, secretly Isabel Crux, daughter of Edmond Crux, current leader of the City by the River Garfell- Former slave gladiator, leader of one faction Re’zar- Former slave gladiator, leader of one faction, smashed by Garfell Baj- Very short giant, former slave gladiator, friend of Skrag, husband of Elisa Elisa- Former slave gladiator, friend of Skrag, Other, wife of Baj Raja- Former slave gladiator, young child, joined Garfell’s faction Ormuk- Former slave gladiator, Garfell’s right-hand man, smashed by Person Andrasa- Former slave gladiator, joined Garfell’s faction Malik- Former slave gladiator, had a way with animals, joined Garfell’s faction out of fear Burgs- Former slave gladiator, joined Garfell’s faction, half-giant, befriended Baj, smashed by Garfell Person- Former slave gladiator, joined Re’zar’s faction, friend of Mozz Mozz- Former slave gladiator, joined Re’zar’s faction, befriended by Person, supposedly insane Pine- Former slave gladiator, joined Re’zar’s faction, owned a dog, smashed by Raja Conria- Former slave gladiator, joined Re’zar’s faction, former knight of the Lion Kingdom, Dragon Rider, rider of Knoxin, smashed in battle
-last edited on Jul 8, 2019 16:36:00 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Sept 18, 2017 22:23:21 GMT
Characters (Part II)
Beziov- Mysterious wizard, member of the Council Olifin- Dragon of Hithrol, found as an egg in an abandoned nest, smashed Marrzak Korin- Dragon Rider, dwarven smith, rider of Cloventail Cloventail- Dragon of Korin, daughter of Glenda Firestrike Jon Blockman- Dragon Rider, Rider of Potestas, secretly worked for Kelrin, wanted revenge on the elves, smashed Calin, Gorvechev, and Ponos, smashed by Legolie Potestas- Dragon of Jon, secretly worked for Kelrin, wanted revenge on the elves, smashed Glenda, smashed by Gorvechev Knoxin- Dragon of Conria, grandson of Kalkuzar, cousin of Zargan, brother of Ingita, smashed in battle Terra- Mermian, Dragon Rider, rider of Raini, close friend of Skrag Raini- Water Dragon, dragon of Terra Calin Firestrike- Dragon Rider, rider of Glenda, smashed by Jon Glenda Firestrike- Dragon of Calin, mother of Cloventail, smashed by Potestas Lief- Member of the Council, former member of the Little Council, advisor to King Leonus of the Lion Kingdom, competent sorcerer Petrion- Dwarven miner, member of the Council, smashed by Morath Morath- Servant of Marrzak, appears as a living shadow, appeared to be smashed by the spirit of Dernis, smashed members of the Council, smashed Alkkuto and Graylin, smashed by Septimus Kelrin Dragonsblood- Brother of Dernar, Kalrin, and Dakril, smashed Kalrin and Dakril in an attempt to gain the throne, defeated by William Exeter, built an army to conquer the world, smashed Dernar, smashed by Dernar Henphril- Servant of Kelrin King Dernar Dragonsson- King of the Dragon Kingdom, brother of Kelrin, Kalrin, and Dakril, friend of William Exeter, smashed Kelrin, smashed by Kelrin King Leonus Lionsson- King of the Lion Kingdom King Dwiarnemfafn- King of the Dwarves, has a very frustrating name Fingolfin- Elven general, trusted advisor of Queen Legolie, smashed by the shadows Queen Legolie- Queen of the Elves, smashed Jon Link- Elven general, trusted advisor of Queen Legolie Jarios- Student at the Towers of Sorcery, friend of Syldar and Leidiriv Wisdom- Student at the Towers of Sorcery, notably strange, received an especially troubling dream, Other, friend of Errica The Wanderer- Leader of the Council, smashed by Morath King Gerak Falconsson- King of the Falcon Kingdom, smashed in the siege Pterio- Advisor to King Gerak, former member of the Little Council, smashed in the siege Dancan- Military advisor and bodyguard to King Dernar, former member of the Little Council, smashed by Kelrin Mavros the Black Knight- One of Kelrin’s dragon riders, rider of Groklum, smashed by Darkaraz Groklum- Dragon of Mavros, supposedly smashed Skrag, smashed by Darkaraz Voin- One of Kelrin’s dragon riders, rider of Thymos, smashed by Skrag Thymos- Dragon of Voin, smashed by Skrag Vorkhan- One of Kelrin’s dragon riders, became a humanoid with dragon-like features due to his bond with his dragon Ki’all Ki’all Skull Face- Dragon of Vorkhan, smashed by the Mangler Arrana- One of Kelrin’s dragon riders, former thief, rider of Sichasia, smashed by Septimus Merlinsson Sichasia- Dragon of Arrana, created by Septimus Merlinsson through magic and alchemy, smashed by Septimus Merlinsson Vincent Caloon- Soldier in Kelrin’s army, led Morath to Kelrin Septimus Merlinsson- Extremely powerful alchemist at the Towers of Sorcery, created Sichasia, warned the Tower about the coming attack, smashed Sichasia and Arrana, wished to become an Ancient, experimented on himself, smashed Morath, smashed by the Keeper of Souls Pursigon- One of Kelrin’s dragon riders, rider of Fovos, defeated by Skrag and Zargan Fovos- Dragon of Pursigon, defeated by Skrag and Zargan
-last edited on Sept 19, 2017 23:27:15 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Sept 19, 2017 23:24:32 GMT
Characters Part III
Cyril Isenthorne- A leader in the Towers of Sorcery, descendant of their founder William Exeter- Childhood friend of King Dernar, also known as Reginald Dobson, defeated Kelrin in a duel, uncle and caretaker of Virida, buried Dernar and Kelrin, smashed by Marrzak Gorvechev- One of Kelrin’s dragon riders, rider of Ponos, smashed by Jon Ponos- Dragon of Gorvechev, smashed by Potestas Volkmar- One of Kelrin’s dragon riders, rider of Strike, smashed in battle Strike- Dragon of Volkmar, smashed in battle Zachaery Thoran- One of Kelrin’s dragon riders, rider of Athliotos, Kelrin’s archmage, extremely powerful sorcerer, smashed by Kalkuzar Athliotos- Dragon of Thoran, smashed by Kalkuzar Korst- Warlord of Skirj’s clan, smashed by Thoran Didime- Member of the Council, twin of Didima, smashed by Morath Didima- Member of the Council, twin of Didime, smashed by Morath Vasilla- Member of the Council Mystika- Member of the Council, a seer, highly trusted by the Wanderer, smashed by Morath Barkot- Member of the Council, traveler, smashed by Morath Hattie- Member of the Council, smashed by Morath Elowyn- Member of the Council Harrox- Bandit, hates goblins and orcs, smashed Zargan, smashed by Skrag Shayden- Leader of the Bandits, smashed at the Dragon Kingdom castle Alkkuto- Bandit, light-hearted, smashed by Morath Hoid- Scholar, believed he understood the Well, gathered a group to find it, ran away upon discovering he was wrong, smashed by the shadows Ethan- Member of the Iron Wolves, friend of Hoid, entered the Well and released its power, smashed by the shadows, Other Irya- Ork from the west, friend of Hoid, Other Doli- Dwarven warrior, hated trees, smashed by the shadows Digls- Dwarven miner Sir William- Lion Knight, smashed in the battle at the Falcon Kingdom castle Leinad ap Payton- Lion Knight, friend of Link Graylin- Sorceress at the Towers of Sorcery, smashed by Morath Gyr Taluk- Last of the Dragon Knights, stayed at the castle after all others left, sought to rebuild the kingdom Virida- Niece of William Exeter, orphan, joined Alis to find Hithrol, Queen of the Dragon Kingdom Orrolc- Sorcerer, works for a hook-handed man, fought Hoid’s group, kidnapped Harrox, led the hook-handed man to Septimus’s gem Nalira- Dragon, friend of Zargan, has a camouflage ability Jarrum- Dragon, friend of Zargan Yvetha- Dragon, friend of Zargan Kronokos- Dragon, father of Kurukin Ingita- Dragon, sister of Knoxin, granddaughter of Kalkuzar, cousin of Zargan Jerico- Resides at the Towers of Sorcery, friend of Syldar and Jarios, older Errica- Mermian, resides at the Towers of Sorcery, loves the sea, expert on humanoid transformation Cottor- Mercenary, brother of Neren, worked for the Baron Neren- Mercenary, brother of Cottor, worked for the Baron Caisara- Mercenary, worked for the Baron, doesn’t talk Scarlette- Werewolf, mercenary, worked for the Baron Jayden Crow- Mercenary, called Dragonslayer, worked for the Baron Cancredis- Arachnidian, brought Legolie, Fingolfin, and Harrox to safety Tepidiari- Arachnidian, the first met by Legolie Fibriati- Arachnidian, considered a great linguist Agersti- Arachnidian, guard for the Queen Phronetia- Arachnidian Queen, formerly guarded an Honorblade, possibly several hundred years old Flevasces- Arachnidian, brought Legolie’s Honorblade to the Queen Levridum- Arachnidian warrior, accompanied Legolie’s group to the Well, formed a friendship with Skrag
-last edited on Sept 21, 2017 21:28:17 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Sept 21, 2017 21:27:49 GMT
Chapter 257
The temple was quieter than the Eternal Watcher had expected. Then again, it had known it would be empty, so why its expectations were any different was a mystery. It briefly considered exploring this question, but brushed such inclinations aside. There was more important work to be done now.
Besides being quiet, the temple was very dark- utterly without light, in fact- but this did not bother the Eternal Watcher. Such limitations on sight as the need for light were the realm of mortals and lesser immortals. In its full form, the Eternal Watcher could watch everything in the world at once and absorb as much information about each bit of it as a human only could by focusing on one small thing with its entire mind.
Slowly, the Eternal Watcher drifted through the ancient hallways and rooms, none yet cluttered with the dust and decay of abandonment and all still carrying the scent of battle, recalling each and every thing that had ever happened within them. Everything except the most recent events. Those were too terrible to consider just yet. If the Eternal Watcher had been a lesser being, it likely would have been unable to consider them at all, so horrible were they. But it was not a lesser being, and such overwhelming emotions were entirely alien to it. Indeed, although it saw everything and never forgot anything, as with most of the Ancients emotion was something it had never truly learned, if it even had the capacity to do so.
At last, the Eternal Watcher came to the secret places of the temple, those only it and a handful of trusted others even knew the existence of. No, that wasn’t right. Only the Eternal Watcher knew now. All the others were gone, all smashed in their petty war. That was the reason the temple was empty. Actually, that was the reason the Eternal Watcher had come here in the first place. It was time to tell the last tale.
-last edited on Sept 23, 2017 22:34:53 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Sept 23, 2017 22:34:36 GMT
Chapter 258
This was the part the Eternal Watcher hated the most- taking a corporeal form. Such bodies were so limited in so many ways, but they were sadly necessary for true interaction with the physical world.
The form the Eternal Watcher chose was vaguely humanoid, in that were one to glimpse it from a distance on a very foggy night one might mistake it for a terribly deformed man. But in most ways it was very different from the forms many of the other Ancients had commonly used. For one thing, it had no legs and no lower body, merely a collection of wispy tatters that almost resembled fabric hovering a few inches above the ground. Instead of a head, it sported a massive human eyeball, a small joke that the Eternal Watcher found no less amusing for the lack of an audience. The form did have arms, but, like most of the rest, only in a very general sense. There were several of them, all made of coils of a very fine fiber, the only thing suitable for painting the stories on the walls. For that was what the Eternal Watcher was here to do. It was here to paint the last tale of its people, the last tale it would ever tell.
This tale was to go on the final wall, in the final space, which was the perfect size for what the Eternal Watcher intended. That this was the case did not pique its curiosity in the slightest. First, it painted itself and the rest of the Ancients in their preferred forms. It did not paint the Keeper of Souls, of course. That first and most secret of the Ancients was not part of this story, save as an ever-present invisible force watching from behind the scenes, much like the Eternal Watcher itself. Then it painted them all fighting amongst themselves, not really how the war had gone, of course, but suitable for these purposes. Last, it painted the sole survivor of the battle, other than itself, standing alone: the Faceless Warrior, the one that now called itself the Wrath of Shadows.
Its task complete, the Eternal Watcher took a step back- not that it had any feet but the metaphor was appropriate- and relieved itself of its corporeal form. There was only one thing left now. Calmly, as if merely settling down for a short sleep, the Eternal Watcher allowed itself to fade away into nothingness, as if it had never existed.
Many thousands of years passed, and the temple was swallowed by the desert. The Wrath of Shadows visited a few times, but save him it was empty until a man named Septimus Merlinsson stumbled across it after a long search.
-last edited on Sept 24, 2017 18:40:45 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Sept 24, 2017 18:40:31 GMT
Chapter 259
A stray gust of wind caught the edge of Hithrol’s cloak and flung it open, leaving him exposed to the pelting rain. It took him several seconds to get a strong enough grip on the offending piece of cloth to pull it back against himself, and by the time he did so his tunic was sopping wet. Not that it really mattered though- the rain had thoroughly soaked through all layers of his clothing long ago. Not for the first time, he wished he had had Olifin drop him off a little closer to his destination. With a sigh, he resumed trudging forward and promptly got his right foot stuck ankle-high in a puddle of mud. It was, perhaps, he reflected as he retrieved first his foot and then his shoe, not the best night to meet an old friend.
Despite the still-pouring rain and his intense desire to be inside and away from it as soon as possible, Hithrol paused at the door to the tavern. The sign naming it was hidden by sheets of rain and a bit of mud that had somehow been flung up onto it and stuck there, but judging from the forbidding architecture and general sense that if the building could talk it would be screaming “stay out”, Hithrol figured he had the right place. Relinquishing his iron grip on his cloak, he placed one hand on the hilt of his sword and pushed the door open.
Inside at last, Hithrol nodded to each of the rather fearsome-looking men standing guard on each side of the doorway and keeping an eye out for trouble, and pulled down the hood of his cloak. Still catching his breath as he stared down at the solid floorboards beneath his feet, he barely noticed two figures walk up to him. “’Ello, Hithrol Jiwovz,” said the taller one, “Fancy meetin’ you ‘ere.”
The feeling of dread in his stomach growing once again, Hithrol looked up to see two people he had hoped to see never again. “Hello, Cottor, Neren. It’s, uh, been a long time.”
-last edited on Sept 25, 2017 21:46:32 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Sept 25, 2017 21:45:39 GMT
Chapter 260
A twisted grin came over Cottor’s face as he began explaining things, “Me an’ me brother were just sittin’ at our table, mindin’ our own business, when ‘e says ‘Cottor, isn’t that that Hithrol Jiwovz guy?’ And I say it can’t be, that what would ‘e be doin’ in a place like this, but I look up anyway, an’, lo an’ be’hold, it was you after all. I thought you’d be smashed by now, what with that crazy girl who smashed Dwalin bein’ after you ‘nd all.”
Hithrol met his eyes. “No such luck.”
Cottor kept talking, barely pausing to hear Hithrol’s reply. “Funny thing ‘bout that night, with that girl. When we all came back, no blade, no money, no Dwalin, the Baron wasn’t too pleased, was ‘e Neren?” Neren shook his head, showing the same twisted grin as Cottor. “None too pleased at all. ‘E said Neren ‘nd me ‘ad best get out of ‘is sight, out of the whole town, or ‘e’d send the others after us to teach us a lesson. You see, since we’d planned the whole thing, and since it’d gone so wrong, ‘e thought we weren’t deservin’ of his employ any more. And now, four years later, ‘ere we are, face to face with the man that made it all go so wrong. What d’you think we’re gonna do now, Hithrol Jiwovz?”
“You will not lay a finger on him.” A new voice chimed in from behind the two mercenaries.
Instantly, Cottor and Neren went pale as ghosts. “We didn’ mean nothin’. We didn’ know ‘e was ‘ere with you.”
“Just go back to your seats.” The brothers obliged, leaving Hithrol a clear view of the newcomer. He was shorter and slighter than Cottor or Neren, or Hithrol for that matter, but something in his stance and demeanor made it clear that he was not to be trifled with. His matted black hair hung over his face and down past his shoulders, not quite managing to obscure the strip of cloth he wore over his left eye or the long pointed ears that stuck out from either side of his head. His right eye shone yellow from its socked in his sickly green face and his mouth seemed twisted in a perpetual frown.
Hithrol smiled, “Just the man I wanted to see. How have you been, Skrag?”
-last edited on Sept 26, 2017 21:16:27 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Sept 26, 2017 21:14:39 GMT
Chapter 261
Skrag didn’t answer at first, merely motioned for Hithrol to follow. The half-breed’s table was in the corner of the room, and Hithrol noticed that despite how crowded it was inside, all the surrounding tables were empty. Once they sat down, Skrag finally said, “I go by Grask now.”
Something about the name was familiar to Hithrol. Ignoring the fact that his friend had just ignored his question, he tried to place it. At last, after a few silent seconds that seemed to bother Skrag not at all, he remembered, “That’s what you called yourself in the forest, after you lost your memory. Why…” He trailed off, starting to put a few things together. “You want to forget again, don’t you? You want to forget about everything, about Zargan, so it can’t hurt you.”
Skrag scowled, “Wouldn’t you? If you lost Olifin, or Alis? Wouldn’t you want to forget?”
It took a moment for Hithrol to come up with the right reply. “Maybe. I don’t know. But even if I did, it wouldn’t work, Skrag, and you know it. You can’t just run away from your past like that. Like it or not, it’s part of you. All the good times, and all the pain too.”
“What would you know about pain? I lost my family, my home. And then I found a new home, and it was good, and then it was taken away from me, along with my eye! I lost everything that night!”
People were beginning to stare, but Hithrol didn’t care. “What do I know about pain? I lost my family too, Skrag. First my mother, then my father, and I thought for a long time that I lost my sister too. Then my father came back and was taken away from me again. And I lost my leg just like you lost your eye. Sure, you’ve seen pain, but so have I, and I like to think I’m better for it. Can you say the same?”
Skrag just scowled again and stared down at the table. “What are you here for anyway? Why don’t you just leave me alone like you have for the past four years?”
-last edited on Sept 28, 2017 22:22:50 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Sept 28, 2017 22:22:20 GMT
Chapter 262
Not for the first time, Hithrol had to hold in his anger as he gave his friend a calm reply. “You know that’s not true. Me and Olifin and Skirj and Korin, we tried to reach out to you, but you wouldn’t let us. You said you weren’t ready to talk to us yet, and do you remember what we did? We kept trying, and you kept pushing us away, and we still kept on trying until you disappeared. I tried, Skrag. You know I did.”
“You didn’t answer my other question.”
“Fine.” Hithrol sighed. “I’m here because I want you back. We want you back, Korin and Cloventail and Olifin and me, I mean. Even without Zargan, you will always have a place with the Riders.”
Skrag raised an eyebrow, his expression softening for the first time since Hithrol had arrived. “The Riders?”
“Yes, well, we’ve had some new recruits while you’ve been gone. It’s not just dragon riders anymore.”
After a short pause, Skrag opened his mouth, and for a second Hithrol thought he had made a breakthrough, but then the familiar scowl returned. “Good for you. I don’t see why you need me.”
Once again, Hithrol’s patience was tested, but he gritted his teeth and took a deep breath which he let out in a sigh. “We want you because you’re our friend. Why do we need another reason?”
Now it was Skrag’s turn to sigh. “Look, Hithrol, I appreciate that you came all this way to find me, but I’m not going with you. I don’t belong there anymore.”
“You don’t belong here either, Skrag, and you know it. Look around. Everyone’s afraid of you. That’s not belonging.”
Skrag got to his feet and leaned forward, looking down to meet Hithrol’s eyes. “I’ve made my decision. I’m staying. Nothing you can say will change my mind.”
Hithrol met his gaze coolly. He waited a few seconds and said, “Terra and Raini are back.”
There was a long pause and Skrag found himself no longer able to maintain eye contact. “Just give me a few minutes to collect my things. On second thought, you’d better come with me. We don’t want those two mercenaries who attacked you earlier getting any ideas.” Hithrol simply smiled and followed his friend upstairs.
-last edited on Sept 29, 2017 23:13:17 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Sept 29, 2017 23:13:02 GMT
Chapter 263
Hithrol had been right. The place had changed a lot since Skrag had last been there. As Olifin landed in the outskirts of the complex and he and Hithrol dismounted, it was all the half-breed could do to keep his jaw from dropping in surprise. Gone were the small, run-down houses that had greeted Skrag on his first arrival. Though a few reparations had been made during the half-breed’s time there, they had never been anything more than the simplest of dwellings. In their place were a dozen or so new houses of about the same size as the old ones but in much better shape and made of a pale stone with dark roofs. They even sported large, open pavilions under which the dragons- or other companions, Skrag remembered- could shelter during stormy nights. In addition to these houses there were a few other buildings made in the same style. One Skrag guessed was Korin’s forge and another, larger than the houses and with several huge, glassless windows, looked to be a meeting place. But the most impressive part was right in the center, the foundations of what looked to be some larger tower. Skrag could picture it completed in his mind’s eye, stretching up to the sky. Hithrol saw his friend’s expression and smiled, “Welcome to Paladeen.”
Skrag grunted. “Paladeen. Fancy name.”
At that, Hithrol had to laugh. “Come on. I’ll introduce you to the others.”
As they made their way over to the meeting hall, Hithrol explained that Terra and Raini were currently overseeing some of the issues related to the Falkrions, who they had apparently managed to find somehow. “She can explain it to you,” said Hithrol when Skrag asked, “I don’t really know that much myself.” The half-breed hoped she would be able to do so sooner rather than later. He had had to suppress a great deal of disappointment when he learned she wasn’t there.
-last edited on Sept 30, 2017 20:00:59 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Sept 30, 2017 20:00:46 GMT
Chapter 264
Waiting at the entrance to the hall were Korin, Cloventail, Alis, and several others Skrag didn’t recognize. After he had exchanged a few pleasantries with his old friends (and Alis, who had grown a lot since he had last seen her), the introductions began. Next to Alis was a young male dragon with black scales streaked with purple and bright green wingtips. He was called Therin, and he had hatched from the egg Alis had been given by Marrzak. Next in line was a young woman, about Alis’s age and named Emma Hester, with blonde hair and a cheerful disposition, and her pet griffin, Storm. After Storm tried to bite him twice, Skrag decided he didn’t like the griffin and moved down the line. Beside Emma and Storm was a grizzled man named Akars wearing old rusted armor. His steed was something Skrag had never heard of before, let alone seen- a large winged cat called a Eurausin, which Akars had named Haru. The next rider was a man who introduced himself as Royale. Skrag couldn’t see much of his face because it was wrapped in blue cloth except for a space around his eyes. The rest of his clothing- also blue- was in a style the half-breed had never seen before, and for that matter so was his dragon, a Drake, as Royale called him. Like a water dragon’s, his body was long and sinuous, but he had no wings (though he could reportedly still fly) and only four short legs. Instead of scales, he had colorful blue feathers. Palangein, as he had named himself, had piercing eyes, behind which hid a shocking intelligence. The last Rider was a woman dressed in all black, with white skin, black hair, and red eyes. Her name was Zariana, and she called herself a Vampyre, whatever that was. Her mount was a large direwolf named, rather ominously, Darkwind. Darkwind’s eyes glowed hungrily, and Skrag was reminded of the direwolves he had seen during his time in the deep forest, over three years ago now.
-last edited on Oct 1, 2017 20:00:55 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Oct 1, 2017 20:00:20 GMT
Chapter 265
Skrag spent the rest of the day touring the complex and talking to the other Riders, hearing their stories and telling his. It was uncomfortable, at first, talking to and being friendly with other people- strangers, most of them- after so long, but Skrag soon found himself smiling and laughing along with the rest of them. Still, something kept him from truly opening up to them the way he might have before the night when Zargan had been smashed. There was a wall around him now, one that he found himself utterly powerless to break down.
As night fell, and the other Riders began to turn in, Hithrol approached Skrag, something clutched in his hand and a strange expression on his face. “I have to admit, I haven’t been entirely honest with you.”
A thousand thoughts suddenly forced themselves into Skrag’s head, a thousand lies his friend could have told, but he pushed them aside and remained calm. “What do you mean?”
“There is a third reason I brought you here. Besides Terra returning and wanting to see you again, I mean. A letter came for you, a few days ago. No one’s opened it- it didn’t feel right- but something about it seems important.” He held out his hand, revealing the smooth paper inside it, with Skrag’s name written on it in green ink.
Back in his own little house, which was sparsely decorated but comfortable, Skrag lit a candle with an old flint and steel that had fortunately survived the weather of the night before. Carefully, he broke the seal on the letter and read it. When he finished, he read it again, and then twice more. It wasn’t until after the fifth read-through, when he nearly dropped his candle, that he realized he was shaking.
-last edited on Oct 2, 2017 22:15:24 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Oct 2, 2017 22:15:02 GMT
Chapter 266
It was well past midnight, and Skrag found himself making his way down to a pond some distance away from the Riders’ complex. During his earlier years with the Dragon Riders, he had liked to sit under a tree by the pond to think. Thinking was definitely what he needed to do now. There was a lot in that letter he needed to consider, and he wasn’t going to get any sleep until he did so.
Skrag was about to sit down beneath the tree when he realized someone was already there, leaning against the knotted trunk. Whoever it was had been so quiet and so still that he hadn’t noticed the figure until he was nearly on top of it. Clearly, though, the figure had noticed him. “Hello, Skrag.”
It took a second for Skrag to place the new voice. “Zariana? What are you doing here?”
She turned to face him, “Thinking. You?”
“The same.” He sat down on the other side of the tree. For a few minutes, neither of them said anything, but then the half-breed decided to break the silence. “So, you say you’re a Vampyre,” he said, citing the earlier conversation, “I can’t say I’ve ever heard of your people before.”
Zariana nodded, “I can’t imagine you would have. There aren’t many of us, and I’m only the second to leave our home in living memory.”
“Second, huh? Who was the first?”
“That is an interesting story. Some fifty years ago, there was a Vampyre man who was hunting in the deep forest when he came across an elven woman who had wandered far from her home and had been badly injured by a direwolf. He brought her back with him, and helped to heal her, and while she was there they fell in love. But when she was healed, the other Vampyres forced the man to take the elf back to her home. This he did, but they continued to meet in secret, and eventually a child was born. When the Vampyres learned of the child, they allowed the three of them to come live together with the other Vampyres. They were happy for many years, but then tragedy struck. Both the man and his elven wife were smashed in an accident. Their son blamed the other Vampyres for what had happened, and he fled.”
-last edited on Oct 3, 2017 23:59:24 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Oct 3, 2017 23:59:10 GMT
Chapter 267
“What was his name?”
Zariana looked up, apparently having been lost in thought. “Oh, you mean the half-breed? His name was Zelfern. I was just thinking about how much you remind me of him, at least from how I remember him as a young man, when I was just a child, and the stories you told about yourself when you were younger. I think the two of you would have gotten along.”
A chill went down Skrag’s spine at the name. “I’m not so sure about that.” If Zariana heard him, she didn’t comment.
They talked for a while longer, about a number of things. Each shared a little more of their past than they had been comfortable talking about earlier, though Skrag omitted most of his time at the Arena. Eventually, Zariana got to talking a little more about Vampyres. “What really sets us apart,” she explained, “Is our ability to take life force from other living things to fuel ourselves.” Seeing that Skrag was taken aback, she sought to clarify. “We can sustain ourselves without food or rest basically indefinitely, as long as there are other plants and animals from which to draw from. But because it typically smashes or severely weakens those we are draining, we don’t really do it. It’s really only done in emergency situations, when there is no other way to survive, but even then those who do it can face severe consequences. The penalty for use of the ability without sufficient cause is smashing. We decided long ago that the only way to keep our people from abusing the ability was to impose harsh penalties. Trust me, you aren’t in any danger of a Vampyre ever using that power against you.” Skrag could only think of how quickly he had tired during his fight against Zelfern in the Arena.
