The Last Days of Atlantis Flashbacks

[Brian Scott]

The Last Days of Atlantis
A Weird Fantasy Role Playing Game
These “flashbacks” are found in my LDOA homebrew and act as background to it. The vast majority of people that live in the World of Pangaea are unaware of the origin of their world.

Cincinnati, Ohio
October 26th, 1979 11:55 pm
Jenny and Zoso ran through the dark woods and started frantically to climb a small but difficult rocky cliff. When they reached the top, they found the friend they were looking for.
He stood, with back turned, wearing the wizard robe his mother sewed.
“Gene!” Jenny belted out while catching her breath. She held up a letter half crumpled from her mad dash “This letter Gene. What is this about? We’re worried for you.”
“Don’t be.” Gene said in a calm voice. He turned to them and both saw the necklace he was wearing “Soon I will ascend.”
Zoso noticed right away that the necklace looked exactly like the one Gene had drawn up for their Saturday night game. In the game it was called the Pearl of Infinite Dreams.
Gene grabbed the Pearl and said “Yes! I have it, thanks to the Shadow Lord, I can now enact my dream.”
“Gene” Jenny thought carefully at what she was to say. Her friend was obviously unhinged. “The Shadow Lord and the necklace are just things you made up for our game. They’re not real. Please. Get away from the cleft and come back home with us.”
“Gene, does this have something to do with your brother’s going missing? Zoso and Jenny walked closer, now being in arms reach.
“He’s no longer here. He’s become the Shadow Lord.” A single tear ran down Gene’s face. He’s lost to the Shadow, but with this (he grabbed the pearl) with this I’m going to create Pangaea.”
The two stood there not knowing what to do. It was obvious to both that the game had made his mind snap.
Gene closed his eyes and appeared to be concentrating on the pearl in his hand. It was then that the Pearl started to glow with a bright light. Both of Gene’s friends were shocked, but Gene opened his eyes and was filled with joy.
“Look! It’s working!” Gene exclaimed.
The air about them started to stir and the three looked around.
What happened next was the proof of what he was saying. Behind Gene a hole ripped open in the very fabric of reality showing a vast, starry expanse.
“I told you! I told you! Gene yelled out.
His friends were frozen in disbelief, but Jenny found the strength to talk.
“Gene, if this is true and he’s now the Shadow Lord then your brother has been consumed by the Shadow and can’t be trusted.” She grabbed his arm in a gentle way to reassure him. “If he gave you the Pearl then you know there are strings attached to it. Strings that will devour your very soul.
Gene looked at them both and then to Jenny and said, “The Shadow Lord didn’t give me the Pearl; I stole it from him.”
The revelation shook both of his friends. Jenny released his arm, a fear for her friend started to overtake her.
“I must do this” Gene said, his sanity seeming to come back to him. I’ve wanted this for so long.” He looked at them both “I love you both so much. Remember me” and with that he entered the portal before either of his friends could stop him.
Zoso and Jenny looked into each other’s eyes looking for an indication of what to do next.
They had both known Gene for all their lives. Both had loved and been in love with Gene at one time or other. The look in their eyes answered what they were to do.
They walked through the portal, hand in hand, to find their friend.
As they finished walking through, the portal closed behind them, on the ground a photo Gene had dropped. It was of him, Zoso, Jenny and Gene’s brother sitting around the table playing their Saturday night game. The picture betrayed the makeup of the group and was an indicator of what was to come

 

[Brian Scott]

The Edge of Dreams
October 26th, 1979 11:56 pm, One year later
They stood on a small, floating mass of land overlooking the Dreamlands. A year had gone by since the three of them entered the portal and now only the two of them stood. Gene was looking out into the vast space, the Pearl of Infinite Dreams around his neck.
Besides him stood Zoso, now dressed in robes indicating an arch-mage.
“The Grand Ritual has been enacted. The next part will happen soon” Gene said in a matter of fact way.
Zoso looked over to his friend and said “It doesn’t have to. You can still stop it.
“But I won’t” Gene turned his head to look into Zoso’s eyes. The two young men looked at each other, knowing that he was not going to change his mind.
“This will Kill you” Zoso said.
“This will transform me” Gene grabbed the pearl and started to focus his mind.
Zoso put his hand on his friend’s shoulder and in a weaken voice said “Please Gene, don’t...”
Gene took the hand and held it to his lips in a long kiss.
“I know you’re still angry about what happened to Jenny but believe me when I tell you the three of us will be together again, as if none of this had happened.
Zoso wrapped his arms around his friend in a last-ditch effort for one more hug, but Gene pulled them separate.
“You must go. If you stay the Great Rite will tear you apart. “
“But what will I do while waiting for your return?? I’ll be dead by the time you come back.”
Gene smiled and gently kissed his friend on the lips and said: “I give to you, Zoso, Master of the Magical Arts, the stewardship over all the Realms of Pangaea, and the immortal life that goes with it.”
Zoso’s eyes showed he was going to say something else, but Gene cut it short by saying “Begone now! The Great Rite is here!” and with that, Zoso was teleported out of harms way.
The nebula of dream and matter created by the Great Rite had expanded and now was upon Gene.
He kept holding the Pearl and his lips moved with no sound escaping them as he finished the Great Rite.
As the cloud took over, Gene’s atoms started to break away and scatter into the cloud. The pain was unmeasurable, but Gene didn’t bat an eye as his whole being scattered and mixed into the Great Nebula.
What happened next only took minutes but was eons in the making as the Realm of Pangaea formed and transformed, and the life on its surface and deep within along with it. Minutes later, the world of Pangaea was formed.

 

[Brian Scott]

The Vault of the Creator
Many, many years ago…
The vast night sky hung over the lonely vault, outside it’s gate appeared The Arch-devil Asmodeus, stepping from a puff of brimstone. He looked the Vault over, not being very impressed by its design. But he guessed that was the whole purpose, to be overlooked.
He went up to the front gate and ripped it from it’s anchors. Too easy he thought. Certainly, this couldn’t be the Vault of the Creator.
The Arch-devil walked down the cobble pathway to an open arch, his cloven hoofs clanking as he went on.
Upon reaching the archway, he saw a robed man, his face hidden by the hood.
“You are NOT the Creator” Asmodeus said in an authoritative voice.
“No. I’m his Champion, Zoso” Zoso pulled back the hood revealing his face to the devil.
Laughter burst forth from Asmodeus’s mouth.
“You? Asmodeus stopped laughing. He pointed beyond where Zoso stood, to a gladius sitting in the middle of the room on a dais. “I’ve come for the gladius of the Shadow Lord. Stand aside and I’ll make your death quick when I leave here.”
Zoso cocked his head to the side and said, “You’ll not be leaving here with that gladius, devil.”
With this the Arch-devil grew angry and started walking in, only to be meet with a powerful jolt of magical blue energy. Asmodeus struggled to take just one more step forward but couldn’t. He fell to one knee and cried out in pain as the magical blue energy quickly started to make his skin bubble.
Reluctantly Asmodeus fell back “A... magical ward... like none I have seen before...”
“Enacted by the Creator himself. I lie to you not devil, you will not pass here tonight.” The words were confident and sure. Zoso raised his hand and wave it at the Arch-devil and said “Now begone” and teleported Asmodeus away from the Vault, a look of shock on the Arch-devil’s face as he realized what was happening.
Zoso turned his head and looked at the gladius. It’s Roman markings still looking as if they were made yesterday. It’s blade black as night, with the name
“Jeremy Nolan” etched in white light on its surface.
“Don’t think for moment I don’t know it was you who summoned him.” The letters on the blade glowed brighter for but a moment.
“Try all you will, you’ll not gain your freedom.” A wave of anger over come Zoso. He had to leave the room. After all anger only feed his prisoner.

 

[Brian Scott]

All Souls Hospital
San Francisco, California, 1984
Zoso walked quickly through the Infectious Diseases ward. His time on Earth was short and there was much to get done.
He passed a nurse with the name “Samantha” on her uniform and gave her a look. The nurse tilted her head to Room 312.
Zoso stood in the doorway looking at the horrible sight. Laying in front of him was his High School Lover Dennis, ravaged by AIDS.
Dennis seemed only half aware, looking like he weighed no more than 80 lbs. His face was ghost white with Kaposi’s Sarcoma markings adorning his face.
“Dennis” Zoso said in a low voice. He had to talk but felt like he was intruding. Dennis looked up; his face showed confusion.
“Jacob. Is that you?” his head started ever so gently to twitch uncontrollably.
“It is.” Zoso said as he walked gently across the room to the side of his bed.
Dennis’s hand reached up to Zoso who took it into his own. “But how? The four of you disappeared. Where did you go? They looked for you for so long...”
“That’s not important now my friend. I’m here and I’m going to help.”
Dennis started to laugh, or at least tried to. He was so for gone, even that little reaction was too much.
Zoso sat on the bed, he lay his hand on Dennis’s neck and took out what looked like a small bottle and held it up. “Look. I got you a Potion of Healing” Dennis looked up through his cloudy eyes and closed them “I don’t understand. Like in your games..” Dennis remember the four of them, Gene, Jenny, Jacob and Jeremy playing every Saturday. Dennis himself played a few games. His character was a Knight.
“Yes. Like in the game. Only now it’s real. Gene made it real. Pangaea is real.”
All of it was too much for Dennis to take in. He started coughing. Zoso got closer and using his voice to focus the man said: “Dennis I need you to drink this. Trust me. Just open up your mouth.”
Dennis opened his mouth very slightly and Zoso poured it in. The second Dennis swallowed he felt a flood of energy overtake him and in an almost instant he was healthy and strong again with no sign he was ever sick. He looked at Zoso and around the room.
He leapt out of the hospital bed and went to the mirror. The sight of his blemish free face made him to cry. He turned to Zoso and said “It’s true. You created your world. But how?
Before Zoso could answer, Nurse Samantha came to the door with a very angry face “why the naughty word doesn’t you just use a blow horn she said to Dennis. “I’ve been out here all this time making certain now one interrupted you but there is only so much I can do. Though the uniform didn’t, the nurse’s form changed into a man’s body, but the face shocked Dennis. The face looked ..washed out with no mouth or eyes “what the naughty word? Dennis belted out.
Zoso stood between the men and said “This is Charade, a metamorph. My lover”
“This can’t be happening” the sentence escaped Dennis’s mouth just as he looked back over to the nurse, this time it looked like Bette Davis in “Whatever Happen to Baby Jane”.
“But it is Blanche! It is! And then it changed back into Nurse Samantha.
Zoso was pissed. Charade was being jealous. “Charade go back out. We’ll be there in a minute.
The Metamorph left. Zoso looked Dennis in the eye “Look, I know it’s a lot to take in, but we have to act fast. The magics I have placed here will be gone soon. All will be explained later, but I need your help and I need to know if I can count on the most handsome knight in all the realms.” Zoso smiled.
Dennis was speechless but nodded yes. “Good!” Zoso said. My stays here on Earth are limited for now. I need you here to help me out. The first two things I need you to do is open a bank account and buy a Lake House in Cincinnati for me. “As he was telling Dennis all this, Zoso opened the closet and took out a plastic bag that had the clothes Dennis came in with. He gave them to Dennis, who took them and started getting dressed.
“Jacob, do you have more…Healing Potions? I know so many who are dying...” Zoso cut him off saying “I’m afraid not. Potions like that are hard to come by even for one such as myself.”
As he was putting on his shoes, Dennis said “what about Resurrection? Can you bring someone back? Patrick, my Lover, died two months ago.” He looked up to Zoso with pleading eyes. Zoso came over and put both hands on his ex’s shoulders and said “It’s possible, but Dennis it’s a life for a life. I know how you feel but believe me the dead should stay dead.” There was a very short but pregnant silence broken up by Charade entering the room again as Nurse Samantha, only to change into a black middle age woman. “She’s coming around the corner and almost saw me”.
“Ok lets go! Zoso said as he took Dennis’s hand and lead him out of the room. The three men casually walked out the door, passing the real Nurse Samantha along the way. Dennis and the nurse looked directly at each other, but she didn’t even bat an eye.
“Yea about that, I had to make it so that all who knew you have forgotten you. I can’t have someone looking into how a man with a terminal illness suddenly got cured. “
Dennis shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. All my friends died in the last few months”.
“Not all Dennis. Our Saturday night group is still alive, just held…prisoner for the time being. But we’re going to free them.”
Dennis looked bewildered by it all as they walked out to the parking lot. “But how am I going to do the things you want? Do you have the money? “Zoso smiled at this and took out a velvet pouch and opened it. Inside were golden coins, minted with a face Dennis had seen before. “Are those Atlantean coins? Like in the game?? “
Zoso laughed saying “They certainly are my friend and there are many more of those for you. You’re going to take those to a collector I know and he’s going to give you a good amount for them.
They got up to the car and as they were getting in Dennis asked “You said they are prisoners. Who imprisoned them? Zoso’s face turned serious for just a second and said “Jeremy”.
Dennis didn’t know exactly what that all entailed, but he was not surprised to learn this. The Brothers were always at odds.

 

[Brian Scott]

A dystopian Future, 30 years ago
Smoke from the ruins of buildings belonging to an advanced civilization rose up into the air. Over a loudspeaker a robotic voice told the people to get inside. Curfew was here.
Into a darken alley ran a lone figure whose face was covered by a ski mask.
In the alley the figure looked around to see if he was alone and took off the mask to reveal the face of Zoso, Pangaea’s Arch-mage.
He went to the end of the dead-end alley and took his spot and pulled out an ancient artifact that took him a long time to find, a quill pen and a sheet of parchment. He cut his finger and dipped the quill into it and wrote a single name on the sheet of parchment: Jeremy Nolan.
Almost instantly the dark cloaked figure of Jeremy Nolan, now the Shadow Lord, appeared before him.
Nolan looked around as if disoriented until fixing his gaze on Zoso.
“You? Why did you summon me? And why here?” The Shadow Lord looked around still trying to figure out where he was.
Above the two a mechanical craft floated over, a large screen on its side showed the stern face of an elderly woman looking down.
“why here? You have no power here Mage.” No sooner had the Shadow Lord said it then Zoso took out a remote and turn it on. Immediately five Prison Bots came floating out and bound the Shadow Lord with metal bands. The gladius he was holding in his hands dropped out of his hands from the struggle.
Zoso quickly ran over to pick it up.
Jeremy looked angry at the Mage, the Prison Bots tighten the bands around his neck, making it hard for him to talk.
“These will not hold me long! Even here I am Master of Shadows!”
“I know.” Zoso said in a calm, quiet voice. “They will hold you long enough for me to do what I must.” The tone in his voice was filled with hurt, like a victim talking to his Tormentor.
Jeremy looked to Zoso with his blacken eyes and said “Do it! Just get it over with. Kill me with the gladius and take the mantle of the Shadow Lord. “
A single tear rolled down Zoso’s cheek.
“Is that what you think this is all about? I’ll not be taking on your curse tonight.
No now you will pay for what you did to us, especially Jenny. I’m going to make certain that you and this gladius harm no one else. “
The Shadow Lord started laughing
“A Fools’ Errand at best. Eventually I’ll be free. And even it not, you cannot destroy that gladius. It was forged of Darkness in the Shadowlands at the beginning of time.”
Zoso did not replied but stayed silent, holding the gladius up, it’s flat side of the blade to Jeremy.
Zoso felt the Blade call to him. The evil inside trying to take over. But he was resolved in what had to be done.
“Jeremy Nolan, by the power of the blade I take you as my prisoner. “
Jeremy shouted out “NO! Jacob don’t!”
“I’m sorry Jeremy, but I must. “with that Zoso’s eyes blacken over as the darkness of the gladius overtook him.
Slowly the Shadow Lord dissipated, becoming shadow himself and was drawn into the gladius. On the side of the blade Jeremy’s name, like the name of all those that becomes the blade’s prisoner, began to glow bright blue instead of the bright white it had been.
At long last Jeremy Nolan was now completely the prisoner of the blade.
Zoso regained his composure and the Shadow left him. He was now completely in control of himself. At the end of the alley he saw Authority Bots coming down to take him in.
He raised the gladius and used it to teleport him back to Pangaea.