Hey nerds, most of my writing partners are taking hiatuses and I've got that itch! You know what I'm talking about. I've gathered some old ideas of mine, ran some hooks through em, and hoping I catch something for any of em! I'm open to both 1x1 as well as group RP's. Let's dig in!
First up, an idea where two lovers worlds apart meet for the first time through their dreams. The original idea was that they, coming from very different backgrounds, would've never met otherwise, and they change each other's lives. My original concept for the plot is that she (if you choose this idea) gets in an accident after they establish a long-term relationship. Could be months or years, but they become this inspiring example of what a relationship should be to everyone that knows them. As close to perfect as any relationship could be. She ends up in a coma for a year or two and when he learns of her family's intent to pull the plug, he loses it. He gets in an accident and his car plummets into water and he is knocked unconscious. As he is drowning, he wakes up in another world, another realm where his memory begins to fade. He meets her again, though she remembers nothing at all of her life, and together they must unravel and solve the mysterious and ill-fated threat looming over this realm before his physical body drowns.
Next up, this is an idea I've attempted to start a few times, and I'm apprehensive to include this one because it's failed to gain momentum multiple times already. However, I feel there is so much potential here. The thing about this one is, I already have an idea of what this world is, its lore, etc and I feel protective of it. So if you're okay approaching this one as if an existing IP with its own set of rules and lore, skim through and see if it might float your boat.
Anyways, it's high fantasy/steampunk. Sky pirates crash in the wilds far beyond its borders, where no humans dare venture. The other worldly cargo they carried threatens not only the wilds and all of its inhabitants, but the entire world. Pirate(s) and fae(?) must set aside their differences and work together if there's any hope of vanquishing this threat.
Perhaps my favorite of the three. This is more of a character study than anything with any meaty story or plot, but that's why this one in particular has the most creative freedom when it comes to plot. We could come up with one together. This one would also work really well as a group RP, but I'm good with either. If this one moves forward I'd be playing as both characters, though the lord of lies would be more of a Gandalf in The Hobbit type of deal. His presence would come and go, and he's important, but the story doesn't revolve around him per se.
First up, an idea where two lovers worlds apart meet for the first time through their dreams. The original idea was that they, coming from very different backgrounds, would've never met otherwise, and they change each other's lives. My original concept for the plot is that she (if you choose this idea) gets in an accident after they establish a long-term relationship. Could be months or years, but they become this inspiring example of what a relationship should be to everyone that knows them. As close to perfect as any relationship could be. She ends up in a coma for a year or two and when he learns of her family's intent to pull the plug, he loses it. He gets in an accident and his car plummets into water and he is knocked unconscious. As he is drowning, he wakes up in another world, another realm where his memory begins to fade. He meets her again, though she remembers nothing at all of her life, and together they must unravel and solve the mysterious and ill-fated threat looming over this realm before his physical body drowns.
Growing up in South Africa had its challenges, but Khamari had been raised by his wonderful mother of African descent, and she embedded in him the desires of adventure. She was only half black but cherished her heritage so much so that she had often traveled across Africa in her youth, learning of her ancestors' culture, studying under their various shamanic practices, and had fallen in love with their world. She had been inspired by their perseverance and ability to defy the universe's attempts to make their lives hell on earth. In the face of adversity, her people found a sense of peace and wonder, always living in the now and never dwelling on the past. She had a way of making everything seem so magical, and often spoke of their dreams as if they weren't dreams at all. His mother was one of the kindest and freest souls he'd ever known. His father however, was a wealthy European man of great esteem who was always too preoccupied with his work to be bothered with him. Though there was never really a relationship between them, Khamari had looked up to his father as he was a very smart and successful man who was beloved by his colleagues, but even more impressive was the way his mother adored his father. He didn't quite understand their love but she nonetheless had loved the man dearly.
"You have a very special mind Khamari." She had told him. "Promise me you will never stop dreaming." They were her last words to him when he was eleven. His entire world had shattered with her passing...the woman who had shown him the beauty of life and whom had taught him to embrace his dreams and to look for meaning in everything that presented itself to him regardless what form that took. Looking back now he wasn't entirely sure he understood the complexity of her teachings back then, or what she had meant on her death bed. He didn't really get the opportunity to figure it out either as his father had shipped him off to boarding school back in the UK where the man had grown up. Khamari had become a resentful and angry kid, and when his criminal behavior got him kicked out of the expensive school, his father's brother took him in. Long story short, his uncle was an abusive asshole who sent him off to a disciplinary military school for delinquents and trouble makers stateside. This is where Khamari really went off the deep end, meeting all sorts of other criminals his age, and so long as his uncle continued to receive money from his father for assuming responsibility over him, the boy had always been left to his own devices.
Eventually he was released from the military school, having learned to "behave" when it was necessary, and how to take care of business without calling attention to himself or his friends. Successfully completing the program with high honors and respect, Khamari had made a name for himself, was even offered admittance into several Officer Candidate Schools for the US military had he agreed to go to school. Despite the offer, school was not a priority for him. Khamari had contacts in high places...people who would feed him valuable information be it intentional or otherwise; information he would exploit to make a somewhat comfortable living for himself.
Memories of his mother and her teachings faded as the years went on, even more so as he strayed further and further from who he once was. Lately though, she had been visiting him in his dreams, and though he couldn't remember anything about them by the time he woke, he could easily recall her presence. The waking life was at war with his sleeping life, and this sense of guilt would follow him throughout his days as he continued his endeavors in illegal activity. More and more he was feeling off about everything, unsure of himself and his choices, confused, lost, and distracted.
"Yo, Kham!" His colleague Alex snapped at him, waving his hand in front of his face. "Earth to Kham!"
"Yeah I'm listening." He replied unconvincingly.
"Alright," Alex said with a smug look on his face, "what's the plan?" Khamari felt his heart sink into his stomach, a new sensation he was not quite used to, and rather loathed.
"The..." He cleared his throat. "You know what guys...maybe I should be the driver tonight..."
"No shit dude." Jerome came at him sternly. "Pull your head out of your ass. Driver's still need to pay the fuck attention." Jerome, one of the newest members of their little gang, but arguably the one among them with the most street cred, scanned their assembled group. "This," he said pointing to Khamari, "is THE guy?" Jerome towered over everyone else. His presence was powerful and intimidating, and he had experience none of them did. Khamari glared at the man but made no threatening gestures. His heart wasn't in it, and even though he didn't understand why, he found himself agreeing with the more experienced criminal in this particular instance.
"Hey!" Kevin, another friend of Khamari's, chimed in while lightly pressing his fingertips into Jerome's chest before backing off. "He said he'd be the driver, which means he knows his head isn't where it should be for the job. He'll figure his shit out and get it back in the game." Kevin declared. "Won't you?" He stated more than he asked as he turned his attention to Khamari. Nodding his affirmation, Khamari felt a sense of relief wash over him, and they spent the next half hour or so going over the evening's plans.
The feeling of dread, that something was wrong about this entire situation was weighing heavier and heavier upon Khamari as he white knuckled the steering wheel. It made no sense! He'd been on countless jobs like this before, and though he may not have the street cred Jerome possessed, he was up there in competence and experience. This was his life, so why did he feel this way? The others were talking each other up and mentally preparing themselves for the job, but Khamari couldn't hear past the alarming buzzing in the back of his head. He did what he could to tuck it away and focus on where he was going, but he couldn't shake it. He turned down a street and his heart sank as he drove passed a hospital. It looked more familiar than it should have as they'd not been in town for very long, and this was their first job here. He could hear his heart beating in his head despite the white noise buzzing away. "I'm beginning to think this is a terrible idea guys." He blurted aloud suddenly as he drove past the hospital.
"This was your idea." Alex interjected. Despite his "feelings" they were all committed, and not long after he was parked outside a closed facility, and the others had headed inside. He stared out the windshield in the direction of Long Island, and could smell the sea water. He could hear the waves hitting the shore and entered a sort of trance-like state as he allowed his senses to numb his mind. Tap tap tap. He was yanked from his meditative state he wasn't even aware he had entered and wasn't sure exactly why. Tap tap tap. For the umpteenth time that night, his heart sank. Adrenaline pumped through his veins as he looked at the security guard outside his window. The man shined his flashlight into the van and it was then Khamari noticed the gun pointing directly at him.
"Please step out of the vehicle with your hands where I can see them sir." Khamari reluctantly opened the driver's door and put his hands up as he stepped out. Immediately the sea breeze engulfed his senses once more and he inhaled deeply and sharply. "Look man, I'm just enjoying the the Sound..." He tried to explain.
"This is private property." The security guard responded, neither shutting his light off or lowering his pistol. "Hands on the car sir." Khamari didn't know what to do...but he feared he would have to subdue the security guard somehow if any of them were to make it out of there. "I didn't realize that, I apologize. Let me just get back in the van and I will go..." The walkie talkie chimed the sound of static as if someone on the inside were trying to talk, and Khamari didn't miss the look that came over the guard's face.
"What was that?" He asked alarmingly.
"Nothing," Khamari said. "Just the radio..."
"Hands on the van now!" He approached Khamari, gun still raised, when Alex's voice came over the talkie.
"Kham! Wh--- t--- it isn't g--- get rea--- --- go---" They both looked into the van and then back at each other. Khamari raised his hands into the air thinking he was about to get shot. "-----NO!" A voice screamed over the walkie.
With the gun still pointed at Khamari the security guard put his flashlight away and pulled out his own radio. "This is officer Sanchez requesting backup....." Khamari spaced out the rest of his words. He knew he needed to act soon, and the voices over the walkie were sounding dangerously distraught. His adrenaline was pumping, and his vision was tunneling. The alarming buzz in his head assaulted him once more. Then gun shots sounded over the walkie in the van followed by screams and Khamari's eyes went wide with terror.
"Shots fired! Shots fired!" The security guard called into his radio. He cocked the hammer of his pistol and steadied it with both hands now taking an offensive stance. "PUT YOUR HANDS ON THE VEHICLE SIR!" Khamari heard sirens not far now. "SIR!" He could see the flashing lights now. Without thinking he looked past the security guard's shoulder, widening his eyes, reached out with a hand and screamed. "No wait!" As the security guard turned to face the non-existent threat Khamari rushed him, knocking the pistol from his grasp and knocking the man down. He grabbed the gun and pointed it at the security guard. The man recoiled and put his hands up.
"Don't move or I'll shoot!" Khamari yelled. The man wasn't even looking as he cowered on the ground. The cops would be there any second...he fled the scene faster than he'd ever run from anything in his life. His jacket came off and he used it to get over the barbed wire fence, still managing to tear his shirt in places as he did so. Soon he found himself running across a beach, Long Island barely visible across the Sound in the night. He could hear officers on foot in pursuit, but far enough away he had yet to be spotted. With sheer dumb luck he made it underneath a dock where he climbed through a small crevice along the sea wall. Using his shirt he wiped down the gun he had taken as he hid there. He waited there as he listened to sirens and police searching for him for what seemed like hours before eventually allowing his exhaustion to get the better of him and falling asleep.
"You have a very special mind Khamari." She had told him. "Promise me you will never stop dreaming." They were her last words to him when he was eleven. His entire world had shattered with her passing...the woman who had shown him the beauty of life and whom had taught him to embrace his dreams and to look for meaning in everything that presented itself to him regardless what form that took. Looking back now he wasn't entirely sure he understood the complexity of her teachings back then, or what she had meant on her death bed. He didn't really get the opportunity to figure it out either as his father had shipped him off to boarding school back in the UK where the man had grown up. Khamari had become a resentful and angry kid, and when his criminal behavior got him kicked out of the expensive school, his father's brother took him in. Long story short, his uncle was an abusive asshole who sent him off to a disciplinary military school for delinquents and trouble makers stateside. This is where Khamari really went off the deep end, meeting all sorts of other criminals his age, and so long as his uncle continued to receive money from his father for assuming responsibility over him, the boy had always been left to his own devices.
Eventually he was released from the military school, having learned to "behave" when it was necessary, and how to take care of business without calling attention to himself or his friends. Successfully completing the program with high honors and respect, Khamari had made a name for himself, was even offered admittance into several Officer Candidate Schools for the US military had he agreed to go to school. Despite the offer, school was not a priority for him. Khamari had contacts in high places...people who would feed him valuable information be it intentional or otherwise; information he would exploit to make a somewhat comfortable living for himself.
Memories of his mother and her teachings faded as the years went on, even more so as he strayed further and further from who he once was. Lately though, she had been visiting him in his dreams, and though he couldn't remember anything about them by the time he woke, he could easily recall her presence. The waking life was at war with his sleeping life, and this sense of guilt would follow him throughout his days as he continued his endeavors in illegal activity. More and more he was feeling off about everything, unsure of himself and his choices, confused, lost, and distracted.
"Yo, Kham!" His colleague Alex snapped at him, waving his hand in front of his face. "Earth to Kham!"
"Yeah I'm listening." He replied unconvincingly.
"Alright," Alex said with a smug look on his face, "what's the plan?" Khamari felt his heart sink into his stomach, a new sensation he was not quite used to, and rather loathed.
"The..." He cleared his throat. "You know what guys...maybe I should be the driver tonight..."
"No shit dude." Jerome came at him sternly. "Pull your head out of your ass. Driver's still need to pay the fuck attention." Jerome, one of the newest members of their little gang, but arguably the one among them with the most street cred, scanned their assembled group. "This," he said pointing to Khamari, "is THE guy?" Jerome towered over everyone else. His presence was powerful and intimidating, and he had experience none of them did. Khamari glared at the man but made no threatening gestures. His heart wasn't in it, and even though he didn't understand why, he found himself agreeing with the more experienced criminal in this particular instance.
"Hey!" Kevin, another friend of Khamari's, chimed in while lightly pressing his fingertips into Jerome's chest before backing off. "He said he'd be the driver, which means he knows his head isn't where it should be for the job. He'll figure his shit out and get it back in the game." Kevin declared. "Won't you?" He stated more than he asked as he turned his attention to Khamari. Nodding his affirmation, Khamari felt a sense of relief wash over him, and they spent the next half hour or so going over the evening's plans.
The feeling of dread, that something was wrong about this entire situation was weighing heavier and heavier upon Khamari as he white knuckled the steering wheel. It made no sense! He'd been on countless jobs like this before, and though he may not have the street cred Jerome possessed, he was up there in competence and experience. This was his life, so why did he feel this way? The others were talking each other up and mentally preparing themselves for the job, but Khamari couldn't hear past the alarming buzzing in the back of his head. He did what he could to tuck it away and focus on where he was going, but he couldn't shake it. He turned down a street and his heart sank as he drove passed a hospital. It looked more familiar than it should have as they'd not been in town for very long, and this was their first job here. He could hear his heart beating in his head despite the white noise buzzing away. "I'm beginning to think this is a terrible idea guys." He blurted aloud suddenly as he drove past the hospital.
"This was your idea." Alex interjected. Despite his "feelings" they were all committed, and not long after he was parked outside a closed facility, and the others had headed inside. He stared out the windshield in the direction of Long Island, and could smell the sea water. He could hear the waves hitting the shore and entered a sort of trance-like state as he allowed his senses to numb his mind. Tap tap tap. He was yanked from his meditative state he wasn't even aware he had entered and wasn't sure exactly why. Tap tap tap. For the umpteenth time that night, his heart sank. Adrenaline pumped through his veins as he looked at the security guard outside his window. The man shined his flashlight into the van and it was then Khamari noticed the gun pointing directly at him.
"Please step out of the vehicle with your hands where I can see them sir." Khamari reluctantly opened the driver's door and put his hands up as he stepped out. Immediately the sea breeze engulfed his senses once more and he inhaled deeply and sharply. "Look man, I'm just enjoying the the Sound..." He tried to explain.
"This is private property." The security guard responded, neither shutting his light off or lowering his pistol. "Hands on the car sir." Khamari didn't know what to do...but he feared he would have to subdue the security guard somehow if any of them were to make it out of there. "I didn't realize that, I apologize. Let me just get back in the van and I will go..." The walkie talkie chimed the sound of static as if someone on the inside were trying to talk, and Khamari didn't miss the look that came over the guard's face.
"What was that?" He asked alarmingly.
"Nothing," Khamari said. "Just the radio..."
"Hands on the van now!" He approached Khamari, gun still raised, when Alex's voice came over the talkie.
"Kham! Wh--- t--- it isn't g--- get rea--- --- go---" They both looked into the van and then back at each other. Khamari raised his hands into the air thinking he was about to get shot. "-----NO!" A voice screamed over the walkie.
With the gun still pointed at Khamari the security guard put his flashlight away and pulled out his own radio. "This is officer Sanchez requesting backup....." Khamari spaced out the rest of his words. He knew he needed to act soon, and the voices over the walkie were sounding dangerously distraught. His adrenaline was pumping, and his vision was tunneling. The alarming buzz in his head assaulted him once more. Then gun shots sounded over the walkie in the van followed by screams and Khamari's eyes went wide with terror.
"Shots fired! Shots fired!" The security guard called into his radio. He cocked the hammer of his pistol and steadied it with both hands now taking an offensive stance. "PUT YOUR HANDS ON THE VEHICLE SIR!" Khamari heard sirens not far now. "SIR!" He could see the flashing lights now. Without thinking he looked past the security guard's shoulder, widening his eyes, reached out with a hand and screamed. "No wait!" As the security guard turned to face the non-existent threat Khamari rushed him, knocking the pistol from his grasp and knocking the man down. He grabbed the gun and pointed it at the security guard. The man recoiled and put his hands up.
"Don't move or I'll shoot!" Khamari yelled. The man wasn't even looking as he cowered on the ground. The cops would be there any second...he fled the scene faster than he'd ever run from anything in his life. His jacket came off and he used it to get over the barbed wire fence, still managing to tear his shirt in places as he did so. Soon he found himself running across a beach, Long Island barely visible across the Sound in the night. He could hear officers on foot in pursuit, but far enough away he had yet to be spotted. With sheer dumb luck he made it underneath a dock where he climbed through a small crevice along the sea wall. Using his shirt he wiped down the gun he had taken as he hid there. He waited there as he listened to sirens and police searching for him for what seemed like hours before eventually allowing his exhaustion to get the better of him and falling asleep.
Next up, this is an idea I've attempted to start a few times, and I'm apprehensive to include this one because it's failed to gain momentum multiple times already. However, I feel there is so much potential here. The thing about this one is, I already have an idea of what this world is, its lore, etc and I feel protective of it. So if you're okay approaching this one as if an existing IP with its own set of rules and lore, skim through and see if it might float your boat.
Anyways, it's high fantasy/steampunk. Sky pirates crash in the wilds far beyond its borders, where no humans dare venture. The other worldly cargo they carried threatens not only the wilds and all of its inhabitants, but the entire world. Pirate(s) and fae(?) must set aside their differences and work together if there's any hope of vanquishing this threat.
Long before the collapse of natural order and the peak of the technological revolution, in a mysterious land teeming with creatures and spirits untouched by civilization, an airship transporting perilous cargo flew through the heavens. This was no ordinary airship, nay, this was a pirate ship. They were freebooters, buccaneers, and raiders alike...the scallywags of the skies. The Tainted Thunder would normally prey upon cargo ships and other transports, the occasional diplomatic vessel, and from time to time they'd encounter privateers whom had received bureaucratic backing via royal decree to put an end to them. Obviously, no such luck had befallen any privateer as of yet, and despite the Tainted Thunder crew's customary raiding, sacking and pilfering; their merciless and lawless savagery, a staple of their attacks always ensured someone lived to relay their words. This boastful and prideful signature of theirs, showcasing their tendency to escape any lawful justice unscathed, even going as far as to taunt entire governments that would stop at nothing to see them fall from the sky, ultimately led them to their most profitable venture yet. It required no plundering or murder; no deception or acts of terror, no...it was a much simpler task. The Tainted Thunder was commissioned by one of the governments that had hitherto hunted them across the globe to transport the cargo they carried, and in doing so would not only be pardoned for every crime ever committed, but granted land, the means to maintain it, and enough coin to spend the remainder of their lives comfortably. Some cargo.
A young deckhand aboard the Tainted Thunder leaned on the railing at the stern of the ship, his mop and bucket also leaning lazily beside him, as he gazed out astonishingly from the aft of the ship. The Tainted Thunder left arcane vortices in its wake that slowly dissipated and rained down upon the land far below. Clouds seemed to bend around the craft as it flew, parting right before the bow made impact and then disintegrating within the trailing vortices. The boy could feel the splash of mist as the clouds came crashing together at the rear before vanishing. He laughed gleefully, wearing his smile wide upon his face as he threw his hands into the air and cheered, his celebratory cries muted by the ship carving its path through jet streams. He looked up and squinted, shading his eyes against the sunlight, and spotted winged creatures in the distance far above them, and had never felt happier in the disadvantaged life he'd lived up until then...dragons! Real life dragons! They paid them no heed however, for dragons were incredibly intelligent and social beings, and they understood that this particular ship, the one known as Tainted Thunder, had never once took up arms against their kind. To do so would be a special kind of suicide, but besides that, the boy had heard rumors that Captain Astraeal had gone to a dragon's aid in his youth, forever forging an understanding and respect with the serpentine species. He waved at them, but whether the majestic creatures noticed or not, there was no response.
The boy looked starboard and port side, and nothing but an infinite stretch of open sky greeted him. When he looked down he saw nothing but the canopies of trees, the uncharted spirit wilds where no man brave enough to enter had ever returned. Civilization existed in pockets all around the world, thriving peacefully beside the mystical wilds that claimed the majority of the planet. Stories from a bygone era, told primarily by word of mouth for hundreds of years before modern storytellers began documenting them, each differing in their own unique ways, warned humanity about a time in the distant past where they had aspired to conquer all of the land. Even with industrialized tools, weapons, and even armies at their disposal, the stories all mention the very near extinction of men. Their hubris led them to war against the planet itself, for the spirits and creatures of the wilds are said to be the planet's own children, or that they and the planet are one and the same, depending on which story one listened to. Modern civilization understood the balance that must exist between humanity and the wilds, and the stories teach them to respect and fear them. Some are predisposed to challenge this normal of course, organizing and leading rebellious groups hellbent on proving such stories as fables, into the wilds never to return or be heard from again. Those stories are also well known and documented, serving as further warnings against such foolish aspirations. Still, there are some who venture into the wilds with peaceful intentions, a search for enlightenment...to join the spirits and become one with the planet themselves. Their successes and/or failures, due to the very nature of their motivations, would forever loom over humanity as a mystery.
"Aye!" A large burly man yelled at the boy. "Quit yer daydreaming and get back ter work!"
The boy stiffened up when he heard the man snap at him, and then fumbled to retrieve his mop. "Y-yes sir!" He replied.
The man eyed him with annoyance and a look upon his face that told the boy he had erred. The boy felt his heart pounding in his chest, barely managing to keep his hands from visibly trembling. The man leaned in. "I ain't no sir...get back ter work!" He walked away laughing, clearly amused at the terror he'd induced within the deckhand.
After what seemed like hours, the boy headed into the bowels of the ship to return the mop and bucket to a janitorial closet. As he was headed back the way he'd come to return to the cabin where the berthing compartments as well as the crew's communal area and lounge resided, he heard a strange noise. He looked around to ask if anyone else had heard it, but the rest of the crew was above deck, so her mustered the courage to investigate the sound himself. Letting his ears be his guide, the young deckhand wound his way deeper into the bowels of the ship until he came upon the cargo hold, the noise growing slightly louder as he navigated his way through the Tainted Thunder. His heart stopped in his chest and he held his breath as he came upon a door with a fog rolling out from beneath. A humming sound, accompanied by the occasional guttural cry of some creature, could be heard coming from behind the door.
Too young to understand this was the moment to report the strange finding to an adult, anyone really, he found his resolve and bolstered the nerve to push the portal open. The fog caked the floor inside the room, which appeared to be the brig, and inside the brig was a strange looking cage. The cell, much like the ship's propulsion, seemed to be a fusion of technology and the arcane, magical restraints showering down from its ceiling upon the most terrifying thing the boy had ever laid his eyes on.
It was some sort of quadruped demon! It was slightly larger than one of the apex felines he'd seen in books back home. Its black oily flesh seemed to leak wisps of shadows. Long tendrils protruded from its front shoulder blades, waving around impatiently, a long, barbed tail that ended with something resembling the toothed pod of a carnivorous plant whose name was escaping him just then. The pod pulsated, a crease appearing ever so slightly around its circumference as the creature inhaled and exhaled, revealing sharp teeth-like extremities hiding behind the opening he knew was there. Rows of bone-like ridges ran up its face, growing in size as they continued down its back, seemingly becoming the barbs along its tail. Horns jutted from the sides of its head, which was half covered by some sort of exoskeleton, rows of glowing eyes, varying in size, beside the bone-like ridges. Its legs were muscular and its feet were shaped strangely, as if they were also hands. It wasn't until the boy noticed the rows upon rows of razor sharp fangs within its massive maw, that he realized the fog was coming from its mouth. The creature's rows of eyes were locked onto him...he had its full attention, and there seemed to be intelligence behind those malicious eyes. He felt his curiosity swell inside him.
In front of the magical cage sat a man wrapped in as much darkness as the monstrous beast. He noticed the man's glowing green stare, the inhuman eyes looking right at him, and gasped.
"Is it the Erybai that scares you child?" The man asked with a cold emotionless voice. "Or is it me?"
The young deckhand didn't know how to respond. They both frightened him, for they both radiated a sense of dread...there was nothing natural about either of them...but it was caged, and the man seemed to be guarding it. He wasn't sure if he was scared per se. "W-what's an Erybai?" He asked.
"Come closer." The man replied. "It can't hurt you, see?" He held up his hand and clenched his fingers into a fist. The magical restraints tightened around the Erybai, squeezing until it stopped swaying...until it stopped moving entirely...just stared down the boy, patiently. The boy approached against his better judgement, the creature's eyes following him as he did so, until he was only a couple feet away from the man and surrounded by the unnatural fog. "See its tail?" He asked, and the boy nodded. "That bulb can open up like a second mouth, and its clamp is like a vice grip. Inside the bulb are retractable quills that produce an acidic toxin that can dissolve your flesh." The boy's eyes filled with awe and trepidation. "The spines along its back are as tough as steel. Those tendrils act as additional eyes and limbs, and emit sound waves at frequencies humans can't hear. They can cause confusion, nausea, disorientation, and sometimes induce hallucinations, depending on the subject." The boy gulped. "Each of its eyes can see in a different spectrum, its sense of smell rivals that of the most competent dire wolves, and it can open its jaws nearly ninety degrees."
"Whoa..." The boy gasped, his eyes full of wonder and apprehension. The Erybai just lied still, its unblinking eyes latched to the boy. "Why is it looking at me like that?"
"Erybai are creatures of chaos and darkness." The man explained. "They are not of this world. There are layers to reality, and your primitive brain is only capable of perceiving this one. The Erybai is of the Void. It is a place of darkness so absolute, so wholly malevolent, that the very fabric of the realm spews corruption and decay. Aberrations like this Erybai are spawned from the Void itself to spread its corruption however it may. It is looking at you like that because you are undoubtedly the most innocent thing aboard this vessel." The man's words lacked any empathy, his voice so full of indifference that the boy wasn't sure if the darkness was coming from him or the Erybai.
"What are you? How do you know all this?" The deckhand asked.
"I am a Nullifier." He answered. "Myself, and others like me exist to resist the Void...it will never cease in its attempts to spread its decay. Its hunger for worlds like yours is endless...it knows no bounds, and will stop at nothing until it consumes everything...until all there is, is the Void..." The boy's eyes filled with utter terror. "It has consumed many worlds, but its appetite is insatiable." The boy looked at the Erybai, the creature's eyes still locked onto him in a malicious gaze, watching intently, patiently. Then he looked to the Nullifier, not sure what he was either, suddenly conscious of the fact he had never been in a more helpless predicament in his life.
A whistle broke the tension from somewhere behind the boy. "Godsdamn!" One of the pirates squealed obnoxiously. "You really need to learn to lighten up!" He said in an uplifting tone, laughter at the edges of his words. He patted the Nullifier on his shoulder and the man of darkness craned his head to look up at him with his expressionless face, glowing green eyes regarding the newcomer. The crease of his lips tightened and his eyes narrowed slightly after a moment.
"You shouldn't touch me..." The Nullifier warned.
The man raised his hands disarmingly into the air between them. "Alright, alright...don't get all dark and broody again..." He exaggerated a shiver as his body convulsed for a second. "We'll leave you to it then! Always a pleasure friend! Nice to have you onboard...you really bring a special kind of charm to the place! We'll have to exchange some stories over some sunfire peach moonshine later!" He pulled the boy from the brig and back into the cargo bay area, his hands clasped gently upon the deckhand's shoulders as he led them from the deepest depths of the ship's belly. "You know you shouldn't have been down there Smitty..."
"I know...I'm sorry Jedidiah." Smitty replied. "I was putting the mop away and heard that...Erybai thing."
Jedidiah squeezed the boy's shoulders affectionately, but assertively, and gently shoved him along. "You're lucky I was the one that found you down there." He answered, flashing Smitty a disarming smile. "Get outta here kid." He watched Smitty scurry away, relieved he found him when he did. Those two were trouble, he knew, as he stopped and looked back toward the brig in contemplation. Eventually, he made his way back above deck where he made eye contact with the first mate, a lean, mean brute that wore his older age in his complexion as opposed to his hair, as he had none. The first mate's muscles were tightly toned rubber bands, and the man's weapon of choice was his own body. He'd trained with monks deep in the Jaded Torre Mountains for years, the only thing any of the crew really knew about him other than the fact he was terrifyingly ruthless.
"Jed!" He called to him. "I need you--"
His orders were cut off however, as the ship quickly lurched starboard, throwing a few pirates to the deck. The normal comforting sound of the Tainted Thunder was replaced by an even louder one, a sound that came from somewhere else entirely. Jedidiah ran to the edge of the airship to spot whatever was causing the disturbance, as did many others including first mate Gaeleath Novak. Jedidiah couldn't hear his orders over the sound that was now drowning out the Tainted Thunder's own. Captain Astraeal joined his crew above deck the moment an enormous militarized airship dawning the crest of Corenthia rose above the clouds. It nearly tripled the size of the Tainted Thunder, igniting a frantic shock among the pirates. They had never seen an airship so massive, and until then, didn't know such ships existed.
It all happened so fast. Jedidiah ran below deck to find Smitty, got thrown around into bulkheads as the ship got attacked. All he knew was that the boy didn't deserve this fate, but then the ship fell into a dive, and as he braced himself the bulkhead flew away from the airship leaving a gaping hole in its place. Jedidiah tried to hold on to a railing in the corridor but was ultimately sucked out the hole and into a freefall above the spirit wilds. He must've been a couple thousand or more feet above the canopies of the trees when he hit open air, the wind rushing past his face. The adrenaline caused his mind to think a thousand times faster than normal, but really, there was only one thing he could do. He pulled on a tab near his shoulders and a bunch of rounded tent-like airbrakes lifted from his suit, followed by a parachute, but the parachute was damaged and sent him twirling through the air at even greater speeds. His only chance now was to cut himself loose from the failed chute, and the forest was racing toward him from below.
When he awoke he found himself entangled in a swarm of vines hanging from the tallest trees he'd ever laid his eyes upon. He pulled a knife from a sheath on his ankle and cut himself loose, dropping a dozen feet or so to the bed of the forest. It was considerably darker beneath the canopies and he couldn't see very well, but his eyes were slowly adjusting. The smell of smoke was unmistakable however, and so he followed his nose, stumbling his way through the spirit wilds until he came upon a body. He rolled them over only to see the Nullifier staring back at him with his glowing green eyes.
"The Erybai..." The Nullifier stammered. He craned his neck to look toward his abdomen. A large jagged piece of debris had impaled him through the gut, black fluid was dripping from his lips. "You have to..."
Jedidiah scoffed. "Oh no," Jedidiah waved his hands and laughed nervously. "Me? Really? That's your plan?" He looked around frantically. "You got the wrong guy! If you're putting your faith in me then we're all doomed!" He laughed and continued looking around. "It's probably dead…besides, there are worse things out—"
"NO!" The Nullifier cried out. "There is nothing worse, and it must be stopped by any means necessary." The Nullifier pulled Jedidiah by his collar until their faces were only inches apart. Jedidiah couldn't swat the man's hands away, or break free...the dark warrior's strength was uncanny...impossible even. "Left unchecked...the...Erybai will spread corruption...the forest so...pure...will decay and the Void will...spread until it claims this world. You must stop it...this...vessel has expired...I cannot--" The strength fled from the Nullifier's grasp and Jedidiah nearly flew backwards but caught himself. He watched as the corpse seemed to deflate and the green glow in its eyes evaporate into the air, dissipating as it slowly rose until nothing was left.
A young deckhand aboard the Tainted Thunder leaned on the railing at the stern of the ship, his mop and bucket also leaning lazily beside him, as he gazed out astonishingly from the aft of the ship. The Tainted Thunder left arcane vortices in its wake that slowly dissipated and rained down upon the land far below. Clouds seemed to bend around the craft as it flew, parting right before the bow made impact and then disintegrating within the trailing vortices. The boy could feel the splash of mist as the clouds came crashing together at the rear before vanishing. He laughed gleefully, wearing his smile wide upon his face as he threw his hands into the air and cheered, his celebratory cries muted by the ship carving its path through jet streams. He looked up and squinted, shading his eyes against the sunlight, and spotted winged creatures in the distance far above them, and had never felt happier in the disadvantaged life he'd lived up until then...dragons! Real life dragons! They paid them no heed however, for dragons were incredibly intelligent and social beings, and they understood that this particular ship, the one known as Tainted Thunder, had never once took up arms against their kind. To do so would be a special kind of suicide, but besides that, the boy had heard rumors that Captain Astraeal had gone to a dragon's aid in his youth, forever forging an understanding and respect with the serpentine species. He waved at them, but whether the majestic creatures noticed or not, there was no response.
The boy looked starboard and port side, and nothing but an infinite stretch of open sky greeted him. When he looked down he saw nothing but the canopies of trees, the uncharted spirit wilds where no man brave enough to enter had ever returned. Civilization existed in pockets all around the world, thriving peacefully beside the mystical wilds that claimed the majority of the planet. Stories from a bygone era, told primarily by word of mouth for hundreds of years before modern storytellers began documenting them, each differing in their own unique ways, warned humanity about a time in the distant past where they had aspired to conquer all of the land. Even with industrialized tools, weapons, and even armies at their disposal, the stories all mention the very near extinction of men. Their hubris led them to war against the planet itself, for the spirits and creatures of the wilds are said to be the planet's own children, or that they and the planet are one and the same, depending on which story one listened to. Modern civilization understood the balance that must exist between humanity and the wilds, and the stories teach them to respect and fear them. Some are predisposed to challenge this normal of course, organizing and leading rebellious groups hellbent on proving such stories as fables, into the wilds never to return or be heard from again. Those stories are also well known and documented, serving as further warnings against such foolish aspirations. Still, there are some who venture into the wilds with peaceful intentions, a search for enlightenment...to join the spirits and become one with the planet themselves. Their successes and/or failures, due to the very nature of their motivations, would forever loom over humanity as a mystery.
"Aye!" A large burly man yelled at the boy. "Quit yer daydreaming and get back ter work!"
The boy stiffened up when he heard the man snap at him, and then fumbled to retrieve his mop. "Y-yes sir!" He replied.
The man eyed him with annoyance and a look upon his face that told the boy he had erred. The boy felt his heart pounding in his chest, barely managing to keep his hands from visibly trembling. The man leaned in. "I ain't no sir...get back ter work!" He walked away laughing, clearly amused at the terror he'd induced within the deckhand.
After what seemed like hours, the boy headed into the bowels of the ship to return the mop and bucket to a janitorial closet. As he was headed back the way he'd come to return to the cabin where the berthing compartments as well as the crew's communal area and lounge resided, he heard a strange noise. He looked around to ask if anyone else had heard it, but the rest of the crew was above deck, so her mustered the courage to investigate the sound himself. Letting his ears be his guide, the young deckhand wound his way deeper into the bowels of the ship until he came upon the cargo hold, the noise growing slightly louder as he navigated his way through the Tainted Thunder. His heart stopped in his chest and he held his breath as he came upon a door with a fog rolling out from beneath. A humming sound, accompanied by the occasional guttural cry of some creature, could be heard coming from behind the door.
Too young to understand this was the moment to report the strange finding to an adult, anyone really, he found his resolve and bolstered the nerve to push the portal open. The fog caked the floor inside the room, which appeared to be the brig, and inside the brig was a strange looking cage. The cell, much like the ship's propulsion, seemed to be a fusion of technology and the arcane, magical restraints showering down from its ceiling upon the most terrifying thing the boy had ever laid his eyes on.
It was some sort of quadruped demon! It was slightly larger than one of the apex felines he'd seen in books back home. Its black oily flesh seemed to leak wisps of shadows. Long tendrils protruded from its front shoulder blades, waving around impatiently, a long, barbed tail that ended with something resembling the toothed pod of a carnivorous plant whose name was escaping him just then. The pod pulsated, a crease appearing ever so slightly around its circumference as the creature inhaled and exhaled, revealing sharp teeth-like extremities hiding behind the opening he knew was there. Rows of bone-like ridges ran up its face, growing in size as they continued down its back, seemingly becoming the barbs along its tail. Horns jutted from the sides of its head, which was half covered by some sort of exoskeleton, rows of glowing eyes, varying in size, beside the bone-like ridges. Its legs were muscular and its feet were shaped strangely, as if they were also hands. It wasn't until the boy noticed the rows upon rows of razor sharp fangs within its massive maw, that he realized the fog was coming from its mouth. The creature's rows of eyes were locked onto him...he had its full attention, and there seemed to be intelligence behind those malicious eyes. He felt his curiosity swell inside him.
In front of the magical cage sat a man wrapped in as much darkness as the monstrous beast. He noticed the man's glowing green stare, the inhuman eyes looking right at him, and gasped.
"Is it the Erybai that scares you child?" The man asked with a cold emotionless voice. "Or is it me?"
The young deckhand didn't know how to respond. They both frightened him, for they both radiated a sense of dread...there was nothing natural about either of them...but it was caged, and the man seemed to be guarding it. He wasn't sure if he was scared per se. "W-what's an Erybai?" He asked.
"Come closer." The man replied. "It can't hurt you, see?" He held up his hand and clenched his fingers into a fist. The magical restraints tightened around the Erybai, squeezing until it stopped swaying...until it stopped moving entirely...just stared down the boy, patiently. The boy approached against his better judgement, the creature's eyes following him as he did so, until he was only a couple feet away from the man and surrounded by the unnatural fog. "See its tail?" He asked, and the boy nodded. "That bulb can open up like a second mouth, and its clamp is like a vice grip. Inside the bulb are retractable quills that produce an acidic toxin that can dissolve your flesh." The boy's eyes filled with awe and trepidation. "The spines along its back are as tough as steel. Those tendrils act as additional eyes and limbs, and emit sound waves at frequencies humans can't hear. They can cause confusion, nausea, disorientation, and sometimes induce hallucinations, depending on the subject." The boy gulped. "Each of its eyes can see in a different spectrum, its sense of smell rivals that of the most competent dire wolves, and it can open its jaws nearly ninety degrees."
"Whoa..." The boy gasped, his eyes full of wonder and apprehension. The Erybai just lied still, its unblinking eyes latched to the boy. "Why is it looking at me like that?"
"Erybai are creatures of chaos and darkness." The man explained. "They are not of this world. There are layers to reality, and your primitive brain is only capable of perceiving this one. The Erybai is of the Void. It is a place of darkness so absolute, so wholly malevolent, that the very fabric of the realm spews corruption and decay. Aberrations like this Erybai are spawned from the Void itself to spread its corruption however it may. It is looking at you like that because you are undoubtedly the most innocent thing aboard this vessel." The man's words lacked any empathy, his voice so full of indifference that the boy wasn't sure if the darkness was coming from him or the Erybai.
"What are you? How do you know all this?" The deckhand asked.
"I am a Nullifier." He answered. "Myself, and others like me exist to resist the Void...it will never cease in its attempts to spread its decay. Its hunger for worlds like yours is endless...it knows no bounds, and will stop at nothing until it consumes everything...until all there is, is the Void..." The boy's eyes filled with utter terror. "It has consumed many worlds, but its appetite is insatiable." The boy looked at the Erybai, the creature's eyes still locked onto him in a malicious gaze, watching intently, patiently. Then he looked to the Nullifier, not sure what he was either, suddenly conscious of the fact he had never been in a more helpless predicament in his life.
A whistle broke the tension from somewhere behind the boy. "Godsdamn!" One of the pirates squealed obnoxiously. "You really need to learn to lighten up!" He said in an uplifting tone, laughter at the edges of his words. He patted the Nullifier on his shoulder and the man of darkness craned his head to look up at him with his expressionless face, glowing green eyes regarding the newcomer. The crease of his lips tightened and his eyes narrowed slightly after a moment.
"You shouldn't touch me..." The Nullifier warned.
The man raised his hands disarmingly into the air between them. "Alright, alright...don't get all dark and broody again..." He exaggerated a shiver as his body convulsed for a second. "We'll leave you to it then! Always a pleasure friend! Nice to have you onboard...you really bring a special kind of charm to the place! We'll have to exchange some stories over some sunfire peach moonshine later!" He pulled the boy from the brig and back into the cargo bay area, his hands clasped gently upon the deckhand's shoulders as he led them from the deepest depths of the ship's belly. "You know you shouldn't have been down there Smitty..."
"I know...I'm sorry Jedidiah." Smitty replied. "I was putting the mop away and heard that...Erybai thing."
Jedidiah squeezed the boy's shoulders affectionately, but assertively, and gently shoved him along. "You're lucky I was the one that found you down there." He answered, flashing Smitty a disarming smile. "Get outta here kid." He watched Smitty scurry away, relieved he found him when he did. Those two were trouble, he knew, as he stopped and looked back toward the brig in contemplation. Eventually, he made his way back above deck where he made eye contact with the first mate, a lean, mean brute that wore his older age in his complexion as opposed to his hair, as he had none. The first mate's muscles were tightly toned rubber bands, and the man's weapon of choice was his own body. He'd trained with monks deep in the Jaded Torre Mountains for years, the only thing any of the crew really knew about him other than the fact he was terrifyingly ruthless.
"Jed!" He called to him. "I need you--"
His orders were cut off however, as the ship quickly lurched starboard, throwing a few pirates to the deck. The normal comforting sound of the Tainted Thunder was replaced by an even louder one, a sound that came from somewhere else entirely. Jedidiah ran to the edge of the airship to spot whatever was causing the disturbance, as did many others including first mate Gaeleath Novak. Jedidiah couldn't hear his orders over the sound that was now drowning out the Tainted Thunder's own. Captain Astraeal joined his crew above deck the moment an enormous militarized airship dawning the crest of Corenthia rose above the clouds. It nearly tripled the size of the Tainted Thunder, igniting a frantic shock among the pirates. They had never seen an airship so massive, and until then, didn't know such ships existed.
It all happened so fast. Jedidiah ran below deck to find Smitty, got thrown around into bulkheads as the ship got attacked. All he knew was that the boy didn't deserve this fate, but then the ship fell into a dive, and as he braced himself the bulkhead flew away from the airship leaving a gaping hole in its place. Jedidiah tried to hold on to a railing in the corridor but was ultimately sucked out the hole and into a freefall above the spirit wilds. He must've been a couple thousand or more feet above the canopies of the trees when he hit open air, the wind rushing past his face. The adrenaline caused his mind to think a thousand times faster than normal, but really, there was only one thing he could do. He pulled on a tab near his shoulders and a bunch of rounded tent-like airbrakes lifted from his suit, followed by a parachute, but the parachute was damaged and sent him twirling through the air at even greater speeds. His only chance now was to cut himself loose from the failed chute, and the forest was racing toward him from below.
When he awoke he found himself entangled in a swarm of vines hanging from the tallest trees he'd ever laid his eyes upon. He pulled a knife from a sheath on his ankle and cut himself loose, dropping a dozen feet or so to the bed of the forest. It was considerably darker beneath the canopies and he couldn't see very well, but his eyes were slowly adjusting. The smell of smoke was unmistakable however, and so he followed his nose, stumbling his way through the spirit wilds until he came upon a body. He rolled them over only to see the Nullifier staring back at him with his glowing green eyes.
"The Erybai..." The Nullifier stammered. He craned his neck to look toward his abdomen. A large jagged piece of debris had impaled him through the gut, black fluid was dripping from his lips. "You have to..."
Jedidiah scoffed. "Oh no," Jedidiah waved his hands and laughed nervously. "Me? Really? That's your plan?" He looked around frantically. "You got the wrong guy! If you're putting your faith in me then we're all doomed!" He laughed and continued looking around. "It's probably dead…besides, there are worse things out—"
"NO!" The Nullifier cried out. "There is nothing worse, and it must be stopped by any means necessary." The Nullifier pulled Jedidiah by his collar until their faces were only inches apart. Jedidiah couldn't swat the man's hands away, or break free...the dark warrior's strength was uncanny...impossible even. "Left unchecked...the...Erybai will spread corruption...the forest so...pure...will decay and the Void will...spread until it claims this world. You must stop it...this...vessel has expired...I cannot--" The strength fled from the Nullifier's grasp and Jedidiah nearly flew backwards but caught himself. He watched as the corpse seemed to deflate and the green glow in its eyes evaporate into the air, dissipating as it slowly rose until nothing was left.
Perhaps my favorite of the three. This is more of a character study than anything with any meaty story or plot, but that's why this one in particular has the most creative freedom when it comes to plot. We could come up with one together. This one would also work really well as a group RP, but I'm good with either. If this one moves forward I'd be playing as both characters, though the lord of lies would be more of a Gandalf in The Hobbit type of deal. His presence would come and go, and he's important, but the story doesn't revolve around him per se.
A raven three times as large as the deadliest eagles soared high above Cyerna. It was flying northerly from the Isle of Osiris, an intelligence far beyond that of any of its kind guided its bright green eyes as it scanned the landscapes below. Gray feathers highlighted its bulk of jet black, and burgundy designs splintered along its obsidian beak and talons. This was no ordinary raven, and to those on the ground who were able to see it as it flew through the sky with an unnatural velocity would never guess what the bird could possibly be. Raiden had been tying up loose ends over the last few months. The divine had a way of seeing the world as a game board; every piece had a purpose, and moves could be strategically predicted and made. The time was nigh for the exiled god to make his next move. A thousand years carried upon a mortal's breath to that of his kind was but a blink. He had been waiting patiently and quietly for so long for his chance to make a comeback. He had hidden himself well from others who might see him punished, despite the hardships that went along with his banishment. They were weary of him, what mortal or god would not be? Where others possessed brute power, and others swelled at the prayers of their chosen mortals, he thrived on chaos and deception. He drew his immortal strength from the chaos of the mortals and their way of life. He drew his power from their faithlessness. Other gods had fallen prey to him countless times because they had been fools, regardless how superior their abilities were to his. In truth Raiden was considered young, not in the eyes of mortals, but to so many of his kind. He had been cunning and used their strengths against them to benefit himself, and in turn rose within the pantheon of his kin. So he had been cast out to be taught a lesson like an adolescent child acting out of turn. So he was.
Among the chaos in the world below however, he had thrived. How did they not see this inevitable outcome? The pieces were on the board; they were in place long before they had exiled him to the realm of mortals. Raiden knew much more damage could be dealt here than ever was possible among the gods. This made him laugh, but it was short lived. He had flown here for a reason, for the time to make his move drew near. He could see many outcomes as he watched the pieces move across the board, but he had a few tricks up his sleeve, unforeseeable variables that would surely tip the scales in his favor. He could only wait and see how they would be best utilized.
Raiden could feel the presence when he finally neared his destination, diving toward the earth. To anyone watching they'd see nothing more than a blur, like black lightning streaking down from the heavens There was a certain tree he needed to see before he could play his hand. The thing was masked in mystery and it had taken quite some time to discover its whereabouts, but it could very well be a deciding factor in the end-game. The exiled god blasted his way through the cratered summit of a vast mountain, its gradual slopes stretching for hundreds of miles in every direction. When the dust settled, black and gray feathers molted away, revealing the form of a man. His mane of jet black hair, similarly highlighted in gray, fell to his shoulders. He donned obsidian armor covered in the same burgundy designs. Black and gray feathers sprouted from his shoulders and extended down half his back, and his green eyes pierced the darkness of the mountain. He was soon careening through natural tunnels and lava tubes, making his way to the source of energy he had detected from above. A smile crept onto his face when he realized he was not alone.
Ahh yes, he thought, the land of dragons. Thought I recognized the place. It had laid dormant and undisturbed for many generations, but he could feel it stirring once again. Something had the dragons all riled up, but that was not why he was there... although, why not add a new piece to the board while he was? What he'd really come for was nearby, and the closer he got the more he felt its presence. Raiden strode up to a mechanism in the wall, handling it with ease, and the shifting of gears and sounds of metal scraping metal reverberated through the corridor. Inside was a decent sized hollow, more of a grove really, sitting within a dome shaped room of glimmering stone. In the center, his prize stood tall and wondrous. A mortal might tremble in its divine presence, and wonder how in the world it could survive underground, but Raiden knew better. The tree glowed in silver hues, its intelligence and mystique radiating outward, and its long serpentine roots dipped into the dimly glowing water at its base. Flowers and other marvelous plants decorated its base as well, and rather than receiving nourishment from the sun, Raiden knew it was the tree and its divine radiant glow. He could feel a pulse in the still air, much like a heart beat, and for all he knew that's exactly what it was. The tree was fairly young, not yet a millennia, but it stood proud and arrogant, as if that age meant something.
As effortless as it was for the fallen god to predict the movement, and actions, of all the pieces upon the board in play, he wasn't so arrogant to think there was no other hidden variables. He had to get it right this time. Everything had to fall perfectly into place when his turn finally came around, and he knew whatever insight he didn't possess that this tree could shed its light upon it. Standing there basking in the tree's silvery glow, he applauded the ages old seer and his accomplishments. To think a mortal had done this; how wondrously absurd! Raiden offered the wise tree a knowing smile, and bowed his head in respect.
"Thank you." A voice whispered into his mind and he paused, for the first time unsure of his next move. "I have waited a long time for someone so...uniquely gifted to partake of my roots." The voice once again intruded his mind.
"For what purpose?" Raiden asked aloud, attempting to hide the skepticism from his commanding voice.
"Purpose?" The tree's voice gawked. The voice once again echoed in his thoughts. Raiden didn't like that the tree imparted its thoughts through his godly defenses without the slightest hindrance, but neither did he turn and leave."I commune with this world through these roots. The divine are incapable of seeing as we see... why else would have come? I care about the world, Lord of Lies, yet I can do nothing in its defense or best interest... for I am a blasted TREE!" The energy in the dome-shaped chamber quieted as the tree regained its composure.
"My concerns do not lie with this world Elsyer." Raiden said, thinking he had gained the upper hand by using the tree's name. "Or your well being."
"Granted. I am not ignorant enough to believe otherwise, even if you attempted to spin your lies and suggest it be so." Elsyer quipped.
"Glad to hear we are not in favor of wasting one another's time." Raiden replied with a quip of his own.
Elsyer laughed in Raiden's head. "Oh my exiled friend, you know nothing of the passage of time... not when you are rooted in place for eternity... the only window to the outside world offered through the planet's woven tales..."
"Get on with it then."
"I can see the pieces moving across the board as clearly as you, though my perspective is unique, of course. The current pieces in play will not act favorably upon you, unless you gain the insight I humbly offer."
"Didn't realize you cared." Raiden retorted. "That warms my heart..." A puzzled expression found its way upon his face then as he contemplated whether or not he actually had one.
"They will not act favorably upon this world either..." Elsyer cleared up. "Nonetheless, the knowledge you seek will aid us both. You can neither disagree or disclaim, for the consequences of your actions are laid out plainly for me to see. I also see how my infinite wisdom, imparted unto you by the sap of my roots, will put an abrupt end to your untimely exile, Raiden. All you need to do is partake of the roots."
Raiden wasn't surprised when the tree had spoke his name in his mind. Eslyer had known of his plan, and of the pieces across the board, and for whatever reason awaited his arrival so they could both gain an upper hand in the time to come. He offered the tree a grin and stepped up to its trunk. Placing a hand on the wood he could feel the heart beat of the tree. "I am a God, Elsyer. The pieces will only move in my favor." Raiden knelt down to see his reflection staring back at him in the silvery pool of water, inviting him closer. He only needed to drink. A hand reached into its depths cradling the length of a root in his palm.
"I wouldn't do that." A woman's voice echoed through the small dome shaped cavern. Raiden's smile widened... it was about time. He pulled his hand from the water and turned to look upon the uninvited guest.
"And why not?" He asked her. His smile was one of arrogance, and defiance. His aura emanated supreme superiority over her and she even shrunk a little despite her own formidable presence... but only a little. She did not allow herself to show such grand weakness however, and after reminding herself who, and what she was, she pushed her breasts back out confidently, defiantly meeting the god's gaze. She held her posture despite the piercing green eyes that not only saw straight through her, but saw her entire life's ambitions... stripped naked, bare for him to skim through as he pleased.
"Who are you?" She asked, ignoring his question.
"The one asking the questions." He said bluntly. His words carried such finality that she could not deny him.
"It will consume you." She said, almost in a whisper, her breath failing her in a gasp.
Raiden responded with a smile and cupped a hand full of Elsyer's water in his hands. "That's what I'm counting on." He brought the water to his lips.
"Wait!" The woman screamed so loud that ripples erupted in the calm pool at Raiden's feet. His cold gaze fell upon her dangerously. He did not say a word however, but neither did he drink the water. "I can't let you." She struggled to find the breath to speak the words, trembling as she did so.
The exiled god let the water fall through his fingers back whence it came, and took two steps in the woman's direction eyeing her coldly... inquisitively.
"I must know..." She began, but stumbled over her own words as she felt the man's gaze shrinking her resolve with each passing second.
"Why it is you were drawn to me." He finished for her. "As I was drawn to this tree?" She wasn't sure if he was stating that last part as fact or asking her a question she should answer. She stared at him wide eyed and unsure of herself... a foreign thing indeed. The scene was sad to Raiden, for such a powerful creature as her to cower before him like this... and she didn't even know he was a god. He felt embarrassed for her. "The affinity of your raven blood drew you to me just as sirens draw men to their deaths through their song." She looked puzzled. He sighed. "I am afraid you had no choice but to find your way to my side dearest...?"
"Morriganasivalindravyrnas." She answered meekly.
Raiden's expression was not amusing, his cold gaze remaining unchanged as if she hadn't spoken at all. He knew of her true, draconic name already, but he wasn't about to call her her as such.
"Morrigan..." She whispered, again losing her breath. "Morrigan Valindras."
"Dearest Morrigan." He finished. "Bask in the glory of your one true deity!" Raiden exclaimed as he lifted his arms in the air above him. Large black and gray feathers lifted behind both arms and she couldn't tell the difference between them. She couldn't tell if he had wings the whole time, or if they were an extension of his arms, or what. "I am Raiden, Lord of Lies; King of Crows; Ruler of Ravens. Divinity in the flesh."
There it was... she had seen something out of place. Only then did she realize how impossibly boring the tree looked next to the man. It appeared as a painting might next to the artist holding it up for her to see. She had fallen to her knees before he had finished, head bowed. "Raiden...." She panted over and over. Never before had she heard the name. Never before had she belonged to a deity. Never before had she worshiped a deity. Dragons were far too proud of creatures for such things, but in her heart and soul she knew he spoke truthfully. She knew to her very core the moment he spoke his name aloud that she belonged to him; that he was her god. That Raiden was god of all the black birds. It just felt... right. It was as though she'd always known so... had always known his name. She watched him return to the pool at the base of the tree and screamed against her better judgement, "NO!" He whirled on her, and this time glided right up to her and took her jaw in one hand, lifting her off both feet.
"Damn her to the hells Raiden. She would disrupt the flow of the game." The tree imparted into his mind, but he ignored it.
"Why not?" He hissed through gritted teeth while she hung in his grasp. She didn't kick or fight him, but she grabbed his wrists and pulled herself up just enough to speak.
"It will consume you my lord... but... not in the way you had hoped. It will ruin... you. Drive you to madness..." She said through labored breaths. Raiden released her and she hit the floor landing lightly on her feet. "It has done so to countless others. Even those who'd achieved great god-like power. There is nothing for you to gain... from that cursed ornament..." She searched deep for her next words, but they came easily. "You're perfect as you are..." Her eyes bulged upon hearing the confession leave her lips. She was basically a god in her own right, even among some of her own kind... countless other beings all across the world would tremble in her midst... yet here she was, learning the true meaning of being humbled.
"LIES!" The tree responded so loudly within their skulls that it hurt, even to Raiden.
The god laughed at the absurdity of it all. He smiled down at the raven wyrm and brushed her cheek with his hand. "Run along my child. I wish to speak with Elsyer alone." He didn't have to tell her twice.
Among the chaos in the world below however, he had thrived. How did they not see this inevitable outcome? The pieces were on the board; they were in place long before they had exiled him to the realm of mortals. Raiden knew much more damage could be dealt here than ever was possible among the gods. This made him laugh, but it was short lived. He had flown here for a reason, for the time to make his move drew near. He could see many outcomes as he watched the pieces move across the board, but he had a few tricks up his sleeve, unforeseeable variables that would surely tip the scales in his favor. He could only wait and see how they would be best utilized.
Raiden could feel the presence when he finally neared his destination, diving toward the earth. To anyone watching they'd see nothing more than a blur, like black lightning streaking down from the heavens There was a certain tree he needed to see before he could play his hand. The thing was masked in mystery and it had taken quite some time to discover its whereabouts, but it could very well be a deciding factor in the end-game. The exiled god blasted his way through the cratered summit of a vast mountain, its gradual slopes stretching for hundreds of miles in every direction. When the dust settled, black and gray feathers molted away, revealing the form of a man. His mane of jet black hair, similarly highlighted in gray, fell to his shoulders. He donned obsidian armor covered in the same burgundy designs. Black and gray feathers sprouted from his shoulders and extended down half his back, and his green eyes pierced the darkness of the mountain. He was soon careening through natural tunnels and lava tubes, making his way to the source of energy he had detected from above. A smile crept onto his face when he realized he was not alone.
Ahh yes, he thought, the land of dragons. Thought I recognized the place. It had laid dormant and undisturbed for many generations, but he could feel it stirring once again. Something had the dragons all riled up, but that was not why he was there... although, why not add a new piece to the board while he was? What he'd really come for was nearby, and the closer he got the more he felt its presence. Raiden strode up to a mechanism in the wall, handling it with ease, and the shifting of gears and sounds of metal scraping metal reverberated through the corridor. Inside was a decent sized hollow, more of a grove really, sitting within a dome shaped room of glimmering stone. In the center, his prize stood tall and wondrous. A mortal might tremble in its divine presence, and wonder how in the world it could survive underground, but Raiden knew better. The tree glowed in silver hues, its intelligence and mystique radiating outward, and its long serpentine roots dipped into the dimly glowing water at its base. Flowers and other marvelous plants decorated its base as well, and rather than receiving nourishment from the sun, Raiden knew it was the tree and its divine radiant glow. He could feel a pulse in the still air, much like a heart beat, and for all he knew that's exactly what it was. The tree was fairly young, not yet a millennia, but it stood proud and arrogant, as if that age meant something.
As effortless as it was for the fallen god to predict the movement, and actions, of all the pieces upon the board in play, he wasn't so arrogant to think there was no other hidden variables. He had to get it right this time. Everything had to fall perfectly into place when his turn finally came around, and he knew whatever insight he didn't possess that this tree could shed its light upon it. Standing there basking in the tree's silvery glow, he applauded the ages old seer and his accomplishments. To think a mortal had done this; how wondrously absurd! Raiden offered the wise tree a knowing smile, and bowed his head in respect.
"Thank you." A voice whispered into his mind and he paused, for the first time unsure of his next move. "I have waited a long time for someone so...uniquely gifted to partake of my roots." The voice once again intruded his mind.
"For what purpose?" Raiden asked aloud, attempting to hide the skepticism from his commanding voice.
"Purpose?" The tree's voice gawked. The voice once again echoed in his thoughts. Raiden didn't like that the tree imparted its thoughts through his godly defenses without the slightest hindrance, but neither did he turn and leave."I commune with this world through these roots. The divine are incapable of seeing as we see... why else would have come? I care about the world, Lord of Lies, yet I can do nothing in its defense or best interest... for I am a blasted TREE!" The energy in the dome-shaped chamber quieted as the tree regained its composure.
"My concerns do not lie with this world Elsyer." Raiden said, thinking he had gained the upper hand by using the tree's name. "Or your well being."
"Granted. I am not ignorant enough to believe otherwise, even if you attempted to spin your lies and suggest it be so." Elsyer quipped.
"Glad to hear we are not in favor of wasting one another's time." Raiden replied with a quip of his own.
Elsyer laughed in Raiden's head. "Oh my exiled friend, you know nothing of the passage of time... not when you are rooted in place for eternity... the only window to the outside world offered through the planet's woven tales..."
"Get on with it then."
"I can see the pieces moving across the board as clearly as you, though my perspective is unique, of course. The current pieces in play will not act favorably upon you, unless you gain the insight I humbly offer."
"Didn't realize you cared." Raiden retorted. "That warms my heart..." A puzzled expression found its way upon his face then as he contemplated whether or not he actually had one.
"They will not act favorably upon this world either..." Elsyer cleared up. "Nonetheless, the knowledge you seek will aid us both. You can neither disagree or disclaim, for the consequences of your actions are laid out plainly for me to see. I also see how my infinite wisdom, imparted unto you by the sap of my roots, will put an abrupt end to your untimely exile, Raiden. All you need to do is partake of the roots."
Raiden wasn't surprised when the tree had spoke his name in his mind. Eslyer had known of his plan, and of the pieces across the board, and for whatever reason awaited his arrival so they could both gain an upper hand in the time to come. He offered the tree a grin and stepped up to its trunk. Placing a hand on the wood he could feel the heart beat of the tree. "I am a God, Elsyer. The pieces will only move in my favor." Raiden knelt down to see his reflection staring back at him in the silvery pool of water, inviting him closer. He only needed to drink. A hand reached into its depths cradling the length of a root in his palm.
"I wouldn't do that." A woman's voice echoed through the small dome shaped cavern. Raiden's smile widened... it was about time. He pulled his hand from the water and turned to look upon the uninvited guest.
"And why not?" He asked her. His smile was one of arrogance, and defiance. His aura emanated supreme superiority over her and she even shrunk a little despite her own formidable presence... but only a little. She did not allow herself to show such grand weakness however, and after reminding herself who, and what she was, she pushed her breasts back out confidently, defiantly meeting the god's gaze. She held her posture despite the piercing green eyes that not only saw straight through her, but saw her entire life's ambitions... stripped naked, bare for him to skim through as he pleased.
"Who are you?" She asked, ignoring his question.
"The one asking the questions." He said bluntly. His words carried such finality that she could not deny him.
"It will consume you." She said, almost in a whisper, her breath failing her in a gasp.
Raiden responded with a smile and cupped a hand full of Elsyer's water in his hands. "That's what I'm counting on." He brought the water to his lips.
"Wait!" The woman screamed so loud that ripples erupted in the calm pool at Raiden's feet. His cold gaze fell upon her dangerously. He did not say a word however, but neither did he drink the water. "I can't let you." She struggled to find the breath to speak the words, trembling as she did so.
The exiled god let the water fall through his fingers back whence it came, and took two steps in the woman's direction eyeing her coldly... inquisitively.
"I must know..." She began, but stumbled over her own words as she felt the man's gaze shrinking her resolve with each passing second.
"Why it is you were drawn to me." He finished for her. "As I was drawn to this tree?" She wasn't sure if he was stating that last part as fact or asking her a question she should answer. She stared at him wide eyed and unsure of herself... a foreign thing indeed. The scene was sad to Raiden, for such a powerful creature as her to cower before him like this... and she didn't even know he was a god. He felt embarrassed for her. "The affinity of your raven blood drew you to me just as sirens draw men to their deaths through their song." She looked puzzled. He sighed. "I am afraid you had no choice but to find your way to my side dearest...?"
"Morriganasivalindravyrnas." She answered meekly.
Raiden's expression was not amusing, his cold gaze remaining unchanged as if she hadn't spoken at all. He knew of her true, draconic name already, but he wasn't about to call her her as such.
"Morrigan..." She whispered, again losing her breath. "Morrigan Valindras."
"Dearest Morrigan." He finished. "Bask in the glory of your one true deity!" Raiden exclaimed as he lifted his arms in the air above him. Large black and gray feathers lifted behind both arms and she couldn't tell the difference between them. She couldn't tell if he had wings the whole time, or if they were an extension of his arms, or what. "I am Raiden, Lord of Lies; King of Crows; Ruler of Ravens. Divinity in the flesh."
There it was... she had seen something out of place. Only then did she realize how impossibly boring the tree looked next to the man. It appeared as a painting might next to the artist holding it up for her to see. She had fallen to her knees before he had finished, head bowed. "Raiden...." She panted over and over. Never before had she heard the name. Never before had she belonged to a deity. Never before had she worshiped a deity. Dragons were far too proud of creatures for such things, but in her heart and soul she knew he spoke truthfully. She knew to her very core the moment he spoke his name aloud that she belonged to him; that he was her god. That Raiden was god of all the black birds. It just felt... right. It was as though she'd always known so... had always known his name. She watched him return to the pool at the base of the tree and screamed against her better judgement, "NO!" He whirled on her, and this time glided right up to her and took her jaw in one hand, lifting her off both feet.
"Damn her to the hells Raiden. She would disrupt the flow of the game." The tree imparted into his mind, but he ignored it.
"Why not?" He hissed through gritted teeth while she hung in his grasp. She didn't kick or fight him, but she grabbed his wrists and pulled herself up just enough to speak.
"It will consume you my lord... but... not in the way you had hoped. It will ruin... you. Drive you to madness..." She said through labored breaths. Raiden released her and she hit the floor landing lightly on her feet. "It has done so to countless others. Even those who'd achieved great god-like power. There is nothing for you to gain... from that cursed ornament..." She searched deep for her next words, but they came easily. "You're perfect as you are..." Her eyes bulged upon hearing the confession leave her lips. She was basically a god in her own right, even among some of her own kind... countless other beings all across the world would tremble in her midst... yet here she was, learning the true meaning of being humbled.
"LIES!" The tree responded so loudly within their skulls that it hurt, even to Raiden.
The god laughed at the absurdity of it all. He smiled down at the raven wyrm and brushed her cheek with his hand. "Run along my child. I wish to speak with Elsyer alone." He didn't have to tell her twice.
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