Curse

Amity and Truth · Nov 18, 2006, 04:30 PM // 16:30

Can you find the skills in it?

Brace yourself young listerner corwd, i'm going to tell you a story of Amity and Mistrust. A story about a world full of Retribution, Holy Wrath and adventure. There once was a prosperous village near the legendary Healing Spring of Zanwakei. It was in full flourish when the shroud of distress came falling from the sky like a meteor of bad dreams.

Tranquail was Tanasen, when he saw the Guards arrive. They brought along the Guardian of old, the so called protective Spirit of the world. He was badly wounded and one of the village's monks promised him divine Healing.
"I admire your divine spirit young monk. But it's just a flesh wound! Now hear me though, crowd, and listen well for i heard Otyugh's Cry. Great danger will come to this village. A Maelstrom of events will suck it into a whirling Chaos Storm. The air is pregnant with the Taste of Death a and the very army of evil will arrive. I can sense their Dark Aura in this very second"
"Blasphemy!", then shouted a young woman "You old man, your legends are nothing but fairy tales. You're just an endless well of the profane. You paint yourself the image of a Martyr, like you could fool us with your Illusion of Weakness. We know better than to trust your flurry of lies"
"You think i'm just a vocal minority, foolish child? You dare calling the prophecies false? It's your poisoned heart, your depravity that shall bring this eternal darkness above all of you. But there is still time yet, fear not the reaper's mark. If you now turn around and..."
Lo and behold, the old man was interrupted, his face was that of Anguish and saddened pain as in front of him stood Tanasen, once one of his best friends. "Silence now, old man, don't you see you're all alone. Don't you feel our Gaze of Contempt? Leave now or you'll meet your doom in Teinai's Prison and rot there evermore"
"I see", the old man answered "well then, i won't help you in this Test of faith. When the wail of doom comes, heed my warning. Behold now, i will be gone. May your Heart of Shadow not be the end of us all"

Days passed, nothing happened though many spoke of the old Eremite's Zeal. Many a two mocked his words, standing strong in their conviction that their way was right and just. And so it took them by surprise, when the guard shouted "Incoming!".
The black horde was at their gates. Tanasen watched in Awe as he saw the leader of the horde, Verata, raise his fist. Dark red eyes stared at him and the voice ringed in his head "Fear me! For Victory is mine!".
Seeing the dark fury in front of him, he felt a deep Malaise and murmured "This is... the price of failure".
Within seconds the valley was overrun. The enemies primal rage forced his own men into a reckless haste of retreat!
"Fall back!" then shouted Tanasen and for a moment pride filled his heart when he heard his man scream "Lead the way!". With Godspeed they ran away, not a single tactic was there to plan their escape. And so it came, that by the end of the day many of his man were dead. The stench of putrid flesh was in the air. But what sent Tanasen into Frustration was to see his best friend suffer greatly from the malicious strike of a poisoned beast.
Defiant was Xinrea despite the mark of death on his forehead. "Friend! I can feel the enduring toxin in my icy veins, i know that the Assassin's Promise will soon impale my last spark of life. But i will not let shameful fear fall upon me. Grant me a Glimmer of Light, promise me to slay those beasts". It was then that his friend died, deep within himself Tanasen knew no words of comfort could renew life in Xinrae.
"I promise thee, friend", he proclaimed as he reached for Xinrae's Weapon "i will turn this into a weapon of fury and seek to fulfill vengeance upon those that did this to thee. First though i must seek the scribe's insight and if it has to be, i will feel the holy wrath as it turn's into the Judge's Insight. I did him wrong and so did we all."

It has been a long time since he had been to the Healer's covenant. He tried to recall where exactly the place was. All he knew it was a place inbetween Searing Flames guarded by a neverending Sandstorm.
"Father, oh how i wish your supportive spirit would grant me an Anthem of Guidance in this hour of need". It was then when he saw a glimmering mark upon the sky. As if he was in his father's guiding hands, he marched the way of the courageous.

Only the warrior's cunning allowed him to survive the Conflaguration of the Savannah's Heat. Like a natural ward against foes the environment was fighting against him. Rust was burning through his armor. His feet felt like walking on smoldering embers. If this were the Inferno the poets of old spoke about it was his Aura of Faith that led him through.

And in the middle of the Inferno, there was a place caught in a Deep Freeze with Ice Spikes littering the ground. In the middle of it, in icy shackles was the healer's covenant.
The monastery's doors were closed though it emitted a blessed aura of peace and harmony. A single monk stood in front of the doors "Tell me Soldier, do you suffer from blurred vision or is it ignorance that brought you here?"
Tanasen stood still, his breath turned into steam. He spoke the only words he could think of "Help me!"
"And why would i defile the contemplation of purity upon this place? The gods' themself would place a symbol of wrath upon us"
"Monk! You make this old thick skull crack with your words. Let me in! I was guided by the Light of Dwayna!"
"Your words fall on frozen soil soldier. None shall pass here", the monk spoke as if he was clothed in an armor of unfeeling. His zealous vow made him cold and heartless. It was then when the huge door suddenly opened and an old man walked out. It was the guardian of old. The one Tanasen himself had sent away.

"Now you feel Grenth's Fingers, Tanasen? Has the Onslaught begun? I can feel Balthazars rage in me, mourning for those that could have been saved. I've spent days in meditation and now you come here, looking for a divine intervention? I should banish you from this place at once." "Well then, watch yourself, old man, when the hordes charge this place. No protective bond and no shield of judgement from the gods will put his shielding hands on you then. I merely ask for a reversal of fortune. The god's mark of protection so we may strike with the Strength of Honor"
"Your words ring true and i feel a vigorous spirit upon you i have not feeled back then. So i came to decide... Balthazar's Spirit shall guide you, while the rain speaks of Dwayna's Sorrow. It's now up to you to show the Defender's Zeal. Go now and counterattack"

Tanasen and the guardian returned from the place of old. When he saw his troops sitting there, restless without a shadow of fear upon them he felt the Leader's Comfort. "Hear me, soldiers! Today, is the day we will go to the limit. We will strike vengeance upon our enemies. We shall run as one and strike as one. We will smite those beasts in one hell of a purifying finale. We will show them Grenth's Grasp. With the spirit's strength and the gods' gift of health we will strike the victorous sweep! We will prevail! ". And his men roared, hungry for battle.

The battle was an onslaught of violence. The beasts where engaged in a blood ritual when the attack began. "Never surrender, never give up! And remember to find their weakness!" shouted Tanasen and threw a merciless spear into the heart of a fleeing beast "Stand your ground and make haste for we shall return now"
It was an epic battle, a true feast for the dead. A liquid Flame was raining destruction from the sky and turned into an epic Fire Storm as the battle lasted on. An endless barrage of arrows pounded from the clouds, blackening it. But the beast not only fought with illusionary weaponry, which could conjure phantasms or even conjure nightmares, their true nightmare weapon was Virulence and Contagion. The legions of dark, they chose to apply poison to their weapons. It was only for the monk's healing ring and Karei's Circle that the forces of good survived.

It was then that Tanasen sensed Verata's Aura. He the warlord of these troops, wielding the true warmonger's weapon. As rumored as he was, so was Verata's Gaze. "Make your time!", verata screamed and attacked with a thousand soldier's fury. But mystic vigor seemed to protect and mend ailment after ailment Tanasen was suffering from.
"What is this mirage cloak of yours? Don't tease me", verata screamed with ulcerous lungs. Tanasen though, turned the Ancestor's Rage onto Verata. A lightning bolt emerged from the sky. The sign of Balthazars Pendulum showed in the foggy clouds when the Avatar of Balthazar came down from the heaven and became one with Tanasen.
His voice was changed when he shouted "Do you see your fragility now? You now shall feel the Suffering my people have felt. You'll know the cold embrace of Rigor Mortis sending Chillbrains through your body. Ending your unholy feast. And in a well of blood your frenzy will come to an end. I feel the thrill of victory now. Be prepared to join the order of pain"
"I will survive! Evermore", verata then answered.

And the two battled for even more hours to come. Both sides clashed in a burst of aggression and not even Balthazar's Spirit could turn the tide of battle. It was then when the guadian of old adviced tanasen with a zealous benediction. "You must decapitate him to end his mystic regeneration"
And so he did.
"For great justice", Tanasen murmured and kneeled down, placing a ring onto Veratas dieing head. "This is the Signet of Judgement. Now, you're on your knees! You shall never find peace again you who brought the vile touch to our land". It was a chilling victory but it was a victory nonetheless. And it was then when one soldier shouted "They're on fire!" Lo and behold, he was right. It was a deadly paradox but the legions of death started burning. "That's right, immolate yourself!", did the forces of light chant their zealous anthem

Peace and harmony once again came back to the village.
The story ends here, and the morale of the story is, a little critical strike here and flashing blades there will awaken the blood of your audience more than an old incorrigible Ale-Hounds ramblings.

Shadowfrost · Nov 27, 2006, 11:29 AM // 11:29

Wow. Just wow. How the hell did you fit so many skill names in there? That is crazy!

Sophitia Leafblade · Nov 27, 2006, 11:44 AM // 11:44

Great Job Amity and Truth

MirageCloud · Nov 27, 2006, 09:34 PM // 21:34

Vows are spoken
To be broken
Feelings are intense
Words are trivial
Pleasures remain
So does the pain
Words are meaningless
And forgettable

All I ever wanted
All I ever needed
Is here in my arms
Words are very unnecessary
They can only do harm

-depeche mode