Zakiax
(?)Community Member
Vicious Firestarter
Offline
- Posted: Tue, 09 Apr 2013 01:10:23 +0000
Setting
You awaken, however disoriented, in complete blackness. A sharp, defined pain pierces the base of your skull where you had apparently been struck, the stench of moth-ridden cloth dominates your nostrils. The metallic taste of copper and blood create a nauseous effect, adding to your confusion.
Finally you arrive at your senses, and start getting a feeling of the world around you. Cold stings of metal around your neck and ankles reveal that you are chained and shackled, while the firm stone beneath you gives little back comfort as you lie on the floor. As soon as your eyes adjust to the darkness, you take a look around your cell; there is not much to see. A cube of solid stone surrounds you, not even the classic jail bars give you a sense of greater space, as there is not even a prominent door to be found. Sitting up, you realize that the only source to the outside world is connected entirely to a small, half-foot by half-foot window that casts an dim, yet luminous, moon light into your cell. Following the light, you notice a small plate with moldy bread resting next to a grime-covered bucket, which was chained to the floor. Taking a closer look around, you realize that everything in the room is chained to the wall somehow, even yourself. Curiosity consumes you, and you rise from the floor, attempting vigorously to ignore the ache and pain the seemed to seep from every joint in your body. Examining yourself, you notice that all of your equipment has been replaced by worn-and-torn rags, even your very shoes replaced by cloth sacks attached tightly by hasty knots.
Other than the bucket and moldy bread, your cell would become your home for the next few hours as you sat, alone, in bordom, until you heard the muffled sounds of footsteps and deep voices approaching your cell. Listening closely, you hear the noises stop and the creaking sound of a lever being pulled. To your dismay, you find yourself pulled back to the beginning of the chains, their length being pulled back into the wall. With your entire body in a state of tetanus, you lie stiff and rigid on the ground as the voices and footsteps continue, louder and louder, until they stopped. Others appeared to be moving on further down a corridor, though even with all this noise, it was impossible for you to pin-point exactly where the noise is coming from. A jingling of keys and the opening of a lock signal the wall in front of you to carve out a perfect rectangle, clouds of dust flying out of the cracks. The wall moves forward slightly, then completely off to the side, revealing a rather crowded doorway. Three humanoid figures stood stiff in the door-way, one in long, flowing robes and two others behind it, each boasting an enormous suit of armor. The front one inches towards you, and as he steps into the moon-light, you realize that he is a very young and youthful half-elf. Mumbling a few words, your chains suddenly come undone, yet you lie motionless on the floor. The robed one spoke:
"I doubt you will believe me, but I can assure you I mean no harm. Over the course of the years, we have been studying your skills, as a person and as a combatant, and you have been selected by the King to partake in an epic quest. Accept and be successful, and you shall be rewarded with riches beyond your wildest dreams. It is time to leave now, the King himself would like a word with you and the others selected before you are cast off."
With those final words, the two humanoids in the suits of armor, who's race was impossible to identify, lift you roughly by the arms and begin to drag you out of your cell. Before you are able to see beyond the doorway, the guards hastily tie a cloth sack over your head, and quickly drag you up and down countless sets of corridors and stairwells. Your shoulder joints begin to ache and your knees rub raw before you feel a smooth carpet beneath your knees. Feeling your skin almost rubbed off, you attempt to stand on your own and walk with the guards. You do so for a few yards before they force you on your knees. Unable to determine your surroundings, you do hear at least four other people being drug behind you as well before being forced to kneel as well.
Finally, the black bags are removed your face. You notice five other people around you, but something else in front of you seems to catch your eye. Before you lies an enormous red carpet, its edges embroidered with golden thread, leading like a tongue out from two enormous wooden doors. The doors had attached two gargantuan solid gold knockers, each as big as yourself. The outsides of the door appeared embroidered and carved with the finest arts in the land, and six enormous latches and hinges on each side lined the edges. Beside the doors, paintings, presumably of previous royalty within the halls, dotted the wall all the way up to the ceiling, which has to be at least seventy feet tall. Suits of empty armor lined the walls to your left and right, with tables and cushioned chairs in between a few.
As you're taking all this in, you hear the ear-piercing noise of a horn playing a royal tune, and then of a high-pitched male voice:
"All kneel before King Rollafin, emperor of the Kingdom of Sharadeth!"
Around you, the guards who had escorted you and the others knelt gracefully as the tune of turning cogs and machinery create a white-noise in the room. The doors before you quickly began to open, and a large, built human stood before you. On his head rested a small golden crown, nearly a tiara, encrusted with rubies and emeralds on the points. The base of the crown was embroidered with a soft-looking white fur, that sat upon a thicket of long brown hair. A chiseled, white face looked before you with piercing eyes and an enormous physique. He had sheathed an enormous Great Sword, with a light blue glow seeming to pour from within the case. He wore a tight, red silk shirt and brown pants with two large work boots, which were soaked wet. A matching red-silk cape trailed behind him as he approached the group of you. He began to speak, with a booming voice that filled the entire hall:
"Good evening, Chosen Ones! Sorry for such a... crude invitation, but I am King Rollafin, emperor and leader of the Kingdom of Sharadeth. I have tracked you all down from across the continent, and for one reason or another, you have been chosen to embark on an epic quest, for not just the Kingdom, but for the entire continent of Lilideth!"
"For years, my kingdom has been at war with the undead armies under the command of Karkkarot. My finest knights, the ones whom I would select to partake in such an adventure, remain under the torture of endless battle and suffering at the hands of the inextinguishable power of undead. As our armies die, Karkkarot's magic resurrects them to fight for his side. He is an unstoppable enemy. We have called upon the other kingdoms to restore our ancient alliance and rise forth together to crush our foe, but no Kingdom believes that any others has the power to help. Our ancient bitterness is all that fuels us anymore. But we have a plan."
"We require a party of brave adventurers, we have chosen six of you, to journey across the continent to the sacred Valley of the Dragons and awaken their power. With the dragons assisting the Kingdom of Sharadeth, we may yet be able to restore the alliances that kept us strong and together in the Golden Days. "
"Unfortunately, I cannot have word escape that I have captured innocent civilians to make them do my bidding. If you deny to take this quest, or turn on my Kingdom once you have the dragons... well, simply do not underestimate the power I wield. I will have a guard escort you to our armory. Despite the war, we have plenty of heavy armor and slightly magical-affiliated items at your disposal. Have a guard escort you to what you're looking for. When you are ready, meet back here in the hall for further instructions. While you are in the armory, you may as well introduce yourself to your party-members... I have a feeling you will be with each other for some time."
As his lengthy speech came to a close, you find the guards farther behind you, ready to escort you to where you would like to go in the armory.
Your adventure begins...
You awaken, however disoriented, in complete blackness. A sharp, defined pain pierces the base of your skull where you had apparently been struck, the stench of moth-ridden cloth dominates your nostrils. The metallic taste of copper and blood create a nauseous effect, adding to your confusion.
Finally you arrive at your senses, and start getting a feeling of the world around you. Cold stings of metal around your neck and ankles reveal that you are chained and shackled, while the firm stone beneath you gives little back comfort as you lie on the floor. As soon as your eyes adjust to the darkness, you take a look around your cell; there is not much to see. A cube of solid stone surrounds you, not even the classic jail bars give you a sense of greater space, as there is not even a prominent door to be found. Sitting up, you realize that the only source to the outside world is connected entirely to a small, half-foot by half-foot window that casts an dim, yet luminous, moon light into your cell. Following the light, you notice a small plate with moldy bread resting next to a grime-covered bucket, which was chained to the floor. Taking a closer look around, you realize that everything in the room is chained to the wall somehow, even yourself. Curiosity consumes you, and you rise from the floor, attempting vigorously to ignore the ache and pain the seemed to seep from every joint in your body. Examining yourself, you notice that all of your equipment has been replaced by worn-and-torn rags, even your very shoes replaced by cloth sacks attached tightly by hasty knots.
Other than the bucket and moldy bread, your cell would become your home for the next few hours as you sat, alone, in bordom, until you heard the muffled sounds of footsteps and deep voices approaching your cell. Listening closely, you hear the noises stop and the creaking sound of a lever being pulled. To your dismay, you find yourself pulled back to the beginning of the chains, their length being pulled back into the wall. With your entire body in a state of tetanus, you lie stiff and rigid on the ground as the voices and footsteps continue, louder and louder, until they stopped. Others appeared to be moving on further down a corridor, though even with all this noise, it was impossible for you to pin-point exactly where the noise is coming from. A jingling of keys and the opening of a lock signal the wall in front of you to carve out a perfect rectangle, clouds of dust flying out of the cracks. The wall moves forward slightly, then completely off to the side, revealing a rather crowded doorway. Three humanoid figures stood stiff in the door-way, one in long, flowing robes and two others behind it, each boasting an enormous suit of armor. The front one inches towards you, and as he steps into the moon-light, you realize that he is a very young and youthful half-elf. Mumbling a few words, your chains suddenly come undone, yet you lie motionless on the floor. The robed one spoke:
"I doubt you will believe me, but I can assure you I mean no harm. Over the course of the years, we have been studying your skills, as a person and as a combatant, and you have been selected by the King to partake in an epic quest. Accept and be successful, and you shall be rewarded with riches beyond your wildest dreams. It is time to leave now, the King himself would like a word with you and the others selected before you are cast off."
With those final words, the two humanoids in the suits of armor, who's race was impossible to identify, lift you roughly by the arms and begin to drag you out of your cell. Before you are able to see beyond the doorway, the guards hastily tie a cloth sack over your head, and quickly drag you up and down countless sets of corridors and stairwells. Your shoulder joints begin to ache and your knees rub raw before you feel a smooth carpet beneath your knees. Feeling your skin almost rubbed off, you attempt to stand on your own and walk with the guards. You do so for a few yards before they force you on your knees. Unable to determine your surroundings, you do hear at least four other people being drug behind you as well before being forced to kneel as well.
Finally, the black bags are removed your face. You notice five other people around you, but something else in front of you seems to catch your eye. Before you lies an enormous red carpet, its edges embroidered with golden thread, leading like a tongue out from two enormous wooden doors. The doors had attached two gargantuan solid gold knockers, each as big as yourself. The outsides of the door appeared embroidered and carved with the finest arts in the land, and six enormous latches and hinges on each side lined the edges. Beside the doors, paintings, presumably of previous royalty within the halls, dotted the wall all the way up to the ceiling, which has to be at least seventy feet tall. Suits of empty armor lined the walls to your left and right, with tables and cushioned chairs in between a few.
As you're taking all this in, you hear the ear-piercing noise of a horn playing a royal tune, and then of a high-pitched male voice:
"All kneel before King Rollafin, emperor of the Kingdom of Sharadeth!"
Around you, the guards who had escorted you and the others knelt gracefully as the tune of turning cogs and machinery create a white-noise in the room. The doors before you quickly began to open, and a large, built human stood before you. On his head rested a small golden crown, nearly a tiara, encrusted with rubies and emeralds on the points. The base of the crown was embroidered with a soft-looking white fur, that sat upon a thicket of long brown hair. A chiseled, white face looked before you with piercing eyes and an enormous physique. He had sheathed an enormous Great Sword, with a light blue glow seeming to pour from within the case. He wore a tight, red silk shirt and brown pants with two large work boots, which were soaked wet. A matching red-silk cape trailed behind him as he approached the group of you. He began to speak, with a booming voice that filled the entire hall:
"Good evening, Chosen Ones! Sorry for such a... crude invitation, but I am King Rollafin, emperor and leader of the Kingdom of Sharadeth. I have tracked you all down from across the continent, and for one reason or another, you have been chosen to embark on an epic quest, for not just the Kingdom, but for the entire continent of Lilideth!"
"For years, my kingdom has been at war with the undead armies under the command of Karkkarot. My finest knights, the ones whom I would select to partake in such an adventure, remain under the torture of endless battle and suffering at the hands of the inextinguishable power of undead. As our armies die, Karkkarot's magic resurrects them to fight for his side. He is an unstoppable enemy. We have called upon the other kingdoms to restore our ancient alliance and rise forth together to crush our foe, but no Kingdom believes that any others has the power to help. Our ancient bitterness is all that fuels us anymore. But we have a plan."
"We require a party of brave adventurers, we have chosen six of you, to journey across the continent to the sacred Valley of the Dragons and awaken their power. With the dragons assisting the Kingdom of Sharadeth, we may yet be able to restore the alliances that kept us strong and together in the Golden Days. "
"Unfortunately, I cannot have word escape that I have captured innocent civilians to make them do my bidding. If you deny to take this quest, or turn on my Kingdom once you have the dragons... well, simply do not underestimate the power I wield. I will have a guard escort you to our armory. Despite the war, we have plenty of heavy armor and slightly magical-affiliated items at your disposal. Have a guard escort you to what you're looking for. When you are ready, meet back here in the hall for further instructions. While you are in the armory, you may as well introduce yourself to your party-members... I have a feeling you will be with each other for some time."
As his lengthy speech came to a close, you find the guards farther behind you, ready to escort you to where you would like to go in the armory.
Your adventure begins...
