Shattering of the Sun

[Nightfane]

Light No More:
The sun had set on another day in the land of Harin. The farmers had put the livestock away and the townspeople had gone home for the night. Yet in their humble town something would soon wind its way through on a cloud of crimson. The night would be awakened with screams of pain and misery and the red sun would be torn asunder. All of this in the name of the Hollow Heart, cult of the Black Helios.

 

[Nightfane]

The First

At the edge of the woods surrounding Harin a rider slowly trotted forth. His dark clothes made him almost unseeable except for a green trim of horns around the hood of his cloak. This marked him as a cleric of Deyan, beast of the fields. Deyan was a demon who in deal with a farmer agreed to protect all the lands of his followers as long as they paid him in the sacrifices of all their livestock. Yet this cleric was far from the domain of the followers of this creature. For Harin was on the continent of Travers, a land where gods were merely images fools had placed their faith in. As he reached the edge of town something flashed in the fields around him seemingly dance to the low chant coming from his mouth.
"Nimothoth tetreoth Zintra Dalinsa IMGRON!"

Suddenly the fields ignited in flames, the source of which was from the blackest depths of the darkness. The cloud glowed an eerie red as it flowed to the nearby town. A scream clamoured forth from somewhere as the villagers ran towards their fields. All they would find was death as large insectoid creatures tore through them. Their chitonous hides were merely scratched as they were attacked by the farming implements. Just as quickly as the chaos began it ended. One villager still alive was dragged to the rider.

As the villager was jerked to his feet his shoulder's being separated in the process he looked into the bile green glowing eyes of the cleric, who dropped his cloak to the ground.
As the man looked onto him all he could think about was the plates of armor bonded to the man's flesh. His topknotted hair braided by strips of dried flesh. His eyebrow pierced by fanged teeth. The cleric reached for his belt and pulled out a blade with dripped with some kind of a liquid. He reached for to the man and began to carve a symbol into the chest of the villager. The screams made the insectiod men laugh and dance. Under the symbol he carved "the First has come, famine shall follow in my wake". He looked towards the crop and a shrill scream came forth as every field surrounding the village began to burn.
An insectiod look towards the cleric, "Lord Migadith, is our mission done?"

Migadith put his cloak back on and smiled, "No life shall ever grow in these fields again."

His horse trotted forward now the hollow center of the body which swelled with insects could be seen. He petted hits head and whispered into the ear, "Soon you shall eat again, Soon." He mounted his horse and rode away his warriors disappearing in wisp of black dust.

When the royal entourage came upon this site two days later, it was said no one was safe from becoming ill.

 

[Wicht]

...

 

[Nightfane]

A Bounty To Collect

The town of Aragon was known far and wide as the Artistic and Religious Stronghold of the Tio. There knightly order in the past one hundred years had spread from simple protectors of their temple into a much larger governing force. Their powers clearly non-magical had been called for on many occassions in the prior ten years to quell armies from the beast lands. Today though they merely patrolled the city. Their eyes searching for a "Shadowhunter", elven kingdom assassin.

Keltoth quickly moved between the large crowd roving the city market, which covered nearly a third of the city. Realizing his representation and occupation proceed him he was making sure to stay out of sight and vast open areas. He had come to Aragon hearing of the high potential to find those looking for bountyhunters. He had sniffed out trouble when on his entrance the guards asked him to go with them to the main governmental offices. Of course he lost them in a freak bird flock. They would never know of his connection to the animal life. He scratched his left arm, the tattoo of the purple dragon was begin to get to him. For too long it had not been unleashed and tasted the devastation of evil. He would need to find a bounty soon. Just as he came to an alley way someone far larger grabbed by his collar from behind and drug him into a nearby ally. Keltoth knew the smell of the person far too well.

"ZARAFEL UNH...........MPPH"

Vin Zarafel covered the mouth of the elf quickly. He motioned to the ally where a nearby Tio Guardian walked past. The guard quickly ran off when the signal of riotous outbreak was sounded. Zarafel removed his hand and stepped back quickly knowing his friends attitude towards this behavior. Zarafel would never admit he enjoyed doing just for the fact Keltoth hated it. Zarafel pulled out a piece of paper and showed it to Keltoth after letting him calmed down. Keltoth smiled as the both exited the ally and headed off quickly towards the Red Sun Inn.

The Red Sun Inn was the main stay for pirates and bountyhunters. This is the reason Illya Trajen had sailed here from her home in the City of Reonne on the other continent of Bazilin. Bazilin was under the control of a military kingdom. Bountyhunting became illegal only recently forcing her to leave her homeland. She was offered a position in the military but she never was the type to follow orders. She respected authority at long as it was not commanding her to do something anyway but hers. She had recieved a message sent by carrier pigeon from an old aquaintance. He asked her to meet him at the Red Sun Inn. He had great news about a large bounty. Her path in life was finally coming into focus.

She stepped off the boat and headed for the inn. She was followed by a small figure in a black robe adorned with crimson and silver dragons swirling in all strange patterns. He wore a strange silvery mask upon his face with eyepieces made of obsidian. His staff was made of silver as well with an inlaid crimson dragon rapping around it. He too had a meeting at the Red Sun. His special abilities were needed. He opened the door, suddenly he felt woozy and lost consciousness.

Keltoth woke up and looked around the massive circular room. He could see Zarafel shaking himself awake. He also noticed a female human standing looking as if she was ready to fight. The last figure he saw he could determine head or tails of what it was. Its cloak obscured all things but it too looked as if it was waiting for something. Then a bright flash and before all of them stood a shaved man wearing a black robe with the logo of a red sun upon him. He spoke, "Welcome all today we find out if you are the bounty hunters we are looking for". He clapped his hands and spoke an invocation suddenly the sand underneath them began to swirl and the floor let loose. Within seconds they were all following down a whole which appeared to have no bottom.

 

[Malk]

keep it up my brother

 

[Wicht]

Much easier to read- thanks

 

[Nightfane]

Sorceror of Sand

Keltoth quickly stood up the kopesh hidden beneath his cloak flying free. Its shimmering blade glistened in the low light of the candles. He began to curse in elven which garnered a quick glance from the silvermasked being. Illya jerked her whip free. The group seemed to be on edge. All of them had weapons ready for whatever may come. Zarafel spoke softly archaic runes of the plainsmen began to glow on his blade. The mask on the strangers face began to shimmer with runes of unknown origin. The dragon upon his staff began to slither around and up his arm. Suddenly the cloak around him withered into dust, his body was covered in strange white tattoos. The snake slithered around his body till it seemed to settle into place this fangs barrowing deep in a scar on his chest. In a flicker, the snake was now nothing more than a tattoo. His black skin almost completely hidden.

Keltoth shimmered slightly at the skin. It unnerved him for reasons he would care not to go into. It would only bring out a dark curse placed on his people for wickedness in their past. Keltoth broke the silence, " WHAT HAVE YOU GOTTEN ME INTO ZARAFEL". Zarafel shrugged. Illya pulled out a small vile from her pouch and threw it to the ground. The chemical inside let off a bright flash when it came in contact with the air around. The pool glowed a shimmery blue lighting the whole room. On the far wall was a throne with a skeleton sitting upon it.

Its head was adorned with some type of strange crown with twin cobras wrapping around ending in winged skull. All of its fingers were covered with jeweled sheaves ending in talos. In one hand it held a medallion with the same image upon its crown and the other held a staff on gold the logo upon it is top. Suddenly the staff began to glow. Sand began to swirl forth from the body of the skeleton. The sand began to encompass the skeleton forming a body. The form lifted into the air as the sand swirled. Slowly the sand dissapated till the being stood in front of the group. He smiled and spoke, " Long have I sat upon this throne waiting for someone to awaken me. Soon you shall feel the despair of your life being sucked away, soon your bones shall adorn my armies, and then I will reign upon this world yet again. NOW FEEL MY WRATH!!!"

Zarafel jumped forward lopping the head of the figure. He landed and spun around smiling as the body feel limp to the ground. As he began to walk back towards the group, hands reached up from the ground grabbing on to him dragging him down. Illya snarled, "Now it begins!"

 

[Nightfane]

Monsters of the Past

Illya's whip cracked in the air towards head of the Sand Sorceror, but as it grasped it the head disappeared in a wisp of sand returning to its body. The newly reformed being began to chatter in undecipherable language of clicking and hissing. Energies swirled from its bodies flowing into the ground beneath it as it rose in the air. Insectiod wings began to grow from his back. The vains of them shimmering in golden brilliance. He dropped his staff and the ground seemed to ripple with energy. The masked man barked in an a language similar to elven and slammed the head of his staff to the ground. Shockwaves began to expand outward from where it hit. As the shockwaves moved through the hands holding Zarafel they exploded in a cloud of sand.

Where the sand landed though, Spiny skeletals insectoid like beings of sand shot up. Their maws chittering in the same strange language as their master. They began to slowly move towards their prey. Keltoth yelled, " WHAT ARE THESE THINGS?" No one seemed to respond. They were all to busy trying to avoid the fiends now confronting them. The masked stranger called out, "My name is Lothane and I can certainly tell you what these things are.
<lothane ducks one of the fiends and slams his staff upward into the chin of beast>
They are sanddraggers. Long ago the valley of Gelthoth was a desert of darkness. No one dared enter it for fear of the kingdom that existed in its heart. It was said
<parried attack of a the sandgrabber's rapier and a planting of staff in his midsection hurling him against a wall>
these creatures would drag down any uninvited guest in those lands. Their bodies would never return. Only a few bones from a skeleton would be spat up in pools of blood. Their would be gnaw marks on these bones."

Keltoth spun slicing the head off the sandgrabbed which exploded into a strange black sand. "YOU MEAN THEY EAT FLESH?", he screamed until sudden realization set in at what he had just done. The other soon realized too and began to perform the similar actions. Illya wrapped her whip around one and ran up the wall wrapping the whip around a lampholder and dropping down. The leverage jerked the head from the body of the creature. It too disappeared in a cloud of black dust. The Sand Sorceror began to snarl and click in the same strange language. He landed and charge Illya. She rolled underneath the swipe of his staff's blade adorned top. Zarafel with one fell swing removed the three heads of the beast in his way. He rushed towards the Sorceror. Lothane sat down and drew a circle around himself in which he began to adorn with runes. A purple glow began to encompass him. Suddenly the mask fell away revealing his tattoed face. He rose chanting:
"RIZKA KELZASH DELIZ FRIZNT VELOSH"

The Purple energy now swirled around his form giving a strange new appearance. He landed and new staff sprouting from his hand. The more he chanted the more he changed form till a dark reflection of the Sorceror stood before the group. He motioned and the remaining sandgrabbers charged towards the sorceror. As the group came into close of contact, Lothane spun around his hand flowing forward unleashing all the energy into the sand creatures causing them to be turned into a glassy relfection of its past self. He then through his staff towards it shattering the glass into a billowing cloud of black dust.

He then turned to look toward the group only to see a charging elf and his kopesh barreling down on him. Without paying attention to the other Illya slung her whip around grabbing Keltoth's ankle, just as Zarafel brought the flat of his blade against the side of Keltoth's face. The now unconscious body of Keltoth fell to the ground. Lothane quickly put his robe and mask back on. He picked up his staff and moved a safer distance from the unconscious Keltoth. The same man in the red sun adorned tunic appeared red armor now showing underneath it.
"Malaran be praised, I think we have found what we are looking for. Well once that one has been awoken."

 

[megamania]

I sense you have played the Darksun setting before.

Keep writing. I'm curious where this is going.

 

[Nightfane]

The Truth Revealed

For an hour, they ate. No words spoken only the constant hate filled stare of Keltoth. His eyes would have burned holes into the head of Lothane if he could. He thought to himself several times, "The others are too busy eating. I could be across this table and have removed his head before they know what is going on." It seemed as if Zarafel could sense what he was thinking. For each time the thought crossed Keltoth's mind, Zarafel grabbed the handle of his sword which was sitting on the table and each time Keltoth went back to eating. They feasted like they had never tasted food. Well no food as good as this. They quenched their thirst with the blackest of ales and some strange colored juice. When a servant came through at one point, Lothane asked him for some water only to get no reply. The tension was about to burst.

Suddenly Keltoth jumped his chair flying out from behind him. He screamed and pointed at Lothane, "HOW CAN YOUR KIND DARE EVEN SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY AFTER THE EVIL YOU HAVE BROUGHT UPON MY PEOPLE? I PLEDGED TO HUNT YOUR KIND FOR ETERNITY. I PLEDGED TO REMOVE ALL TRACES OF YOUR EXISTANCE. YOU ARE THE ZIMKARAY: THE SHADOW OF THE ELVEN, THE LOVERS OF PLEASURE AND PAIN, THE BRINGERS OF OUR FALL. DEFEND YOURSELF NOW, OR DEFEND YOURSELF AT THE FOOT RAZIHM, MY LORD HUNTER!!!" Keltoth had grabbed his blade and brought it to bear with a speed no one expected.

Lothane stood removing his hood and mask. He looked Keltoth in the eye and spoke in even tone, "Keltoth Kephra Earthtreader, son of Kharandras Shadowhunter, Grandson of Malkinae Shadowhunter, Great Grandson of Randar Earthtreader, I know you well. Long has your family been the bane of my people. Your footsteps always sound in our ear. Our eyes always looking behind us to see the Purple Dragoned cloak.
<with a flick of lothane's wrist keltoth's out cloaks flew away revealing a purple dragon adorned tunic underneath>
You hunt what you have long considered the reason why your people fell, but your people WERE MY PEOPLE
<with a hatred lothane spit at the feet of keltoth>
Your ancients long ago to make you not tread upon the path my race chose, said we betrayed you after a great time of peace. A lie that begat more lies. We are the race of those who chose to see what the world had to offer and fell into its decadence diminishing the grace of your people. We left fully knowing what we had done, but our leaders too found ways of making us hate you. We were told we were scorned for learning something held so dear by you and your kind. By the time I was born only a few remembered the truth and they hid it, for if it was told to all they would lose all power they had. NOW HERE ME AND HERE ME WELL, I BEAR NO GRUDGE TO YOU OR YOUR KIND. I know the truth, I have read the truth, I have seen the fault of both our peoples and I blame none. They did what they had to. They did what would guarantee their survival. I am Lothane Zikan Azmael, Librarian of the Zimkaray. I am the seer of people, the knower of my people, and the forbidden of my people. I am the lost. For I know the truth and I shall never be able to return. "

Lothane slumped back into his chair. He picked up his mask and stared into the backside looking at his reflection. A tear rolled down his cheek for things he wished not to acknowledge could never be forgotten now. He took a sip of juice and place the glass back down. Illya and Zarafel looked towards the speechless Keltoth. He just threw up his arms, "What is this? You expect me to care for your words. My fathers have seen what your people do, my fathers have seen what happens to my kind at the hands of your people, and you expect me to care about your sad little story? I will not kill you today, but by the blood that flows through me if you dare take one misstep I will slay you and carry your body back to your people. You may be forbidden to return in life, but in death I will use you to through your people into chaos. Agreed?"

Lothane looked back toward keltoth and with a simple nod an agreement was made. A large creaking was heard as all the light in the room began to fade as massive shutters began to cover the windows. At the end of the room a small door opened and the man entered again. He walked to the end of the table opposite the others and sat down. He placed a massive tome in front of him and began to scroll through it. He looked up, "Now that we have that out of the way, Let us begin."

The pages of the book began to flip chaotically as he began to speak "Long ago this world was not as it is. This world was a lifeless shell...........