Tales of the Heroes

[whitesword]

Parker (Part 2)

Following the destruction of the stones, fear of Iott subsided briefly, and Parker travelled the world, but soon news reached him of a more imminent threat.  Beginning in 797 word began to spread that the leaders and heroes of the world, and their families, were marked for death.  The first to fall was Esetia of Magenthia, the Feyalin champion of Falan.  Soon after the daughter and granddaughter of Jaelata’linoan, defender of the Jungle, a Feyalin of Treetop, were slain.  At first there was only speculation as to who or what was behind the killings; most suspected Iott, but they were in disarray at the time.  Thought turned to the King Taker, who had not been seen in a decade, but the victims had little in common with his usual targets.  In fall 798, the assassins struck the Summerlight estate in Icefia.  They were driven off and Sir William reported that the attackers were unlike any enemy he had ever faced.  They all but ignored his blade and though they had the form of men, they did not bleed or show fear. But they were not undead, or any sort of construct he had faced in his long life.  It was as if they were empty vessels.  Soon, word of the “Empty Men” made its way around the world. 

Parker wanted to assist in locating the assassins, but, as Iott’s power waxed once again, it became impossible for him to leave the College grounds for more than a few days.  Iott held him directly responsible for the destruction of the circle and between 799 and 803 there were nearly a dozen attempts to kill or kidnap Parker, and nearly as many against Robyn, by agents of Iott. 

[whitesword]

Asinjin

In 797, with little warning, Asinjin was appointed Dean of the School of Creative Arts at the Bardic College.  Much to the relief of Parker and Russel, this meant he was not their direct superior.  Between 797 and 801, Asinjin occasionally left the College to check on his property in Intoria, but in late 801 Ajax sent word that the wizards of Iott greatly desired to capture him, for they believed that he was one of the few that could repair the Stones.

Asinjin spent much of his time researching the changes to magic and attempting to identify the nature of the Empty Men.  In a rare moment, he and Russel agreed that wherever the assassins came from, they had never been seen before. Whatever they were, they never dared to make an attempt to breach the College grounds.

[whitesword]

Ari
In 798, two years to the day after the Day of Broken Magic, when it seemed there was an opportunity for peace, Ari was invited to a meeting.  The powers of Elysium had attempted to broker a truce between Celestia and Olympus.  The Council of Ten asked Ari, Amaras the Messenger and Ben Dothan, the Ursinal, to attend the negotiations on behalf of Habololy.  The meeting was attended by many you had met during the battle in the Outlands and its aftermath, but also by neutral parties from Eylsium and Bytopia.

At first the meeting went well, but near the end of what was to be the first day, representatives of Tyrogatrore arrived.  They demanded that Stronmus withdraw his blood oath against Tyrogatore and allow access to the Beastlands.  Their demand was not well received and the meeting dissolved.  As Ari and the Guardians attempted to return home, they found that Amaras could not pass.  The clerics of Tyrogatore accused all of them of negotiating where they had no power to do so.  Ari and Ben Dothan were protected by Tfop and Allanda, but Amaras was a worshipper of Arsur’anyodel, and a native of Arborea, who had come to Habololy before the ban.  Stasis and Arsur’anyodel pleaded for him to be allowed to return, but they were denied.  This led to tension between the faiths of Stasis and Arsur’anyodel and the powers that had opposed their request that persists to this day.

[whitesword]

Kerkly (part 2)

Soon after he returned from Celestia, the Day of Broken Magic occurred.  For the Guardians this was a double-edged sword.  The mightiest spells were needed to summon the most powerful fiends, but similar magic was often needed to fight them.  This concern would soon be justified, as the agents of Greysnows would strike in the north and the west, and mysterious assassins began to strike around the world.  Word of these Empty Men stirred Kerkly’s mind; pulling at the edges of his memory.

In 801, as Iott reasserted its power, an event took place that had never before occurred in the history of the Guardian Temple: the warriors of the temple demanded an audience with the Council of Ten.  After a decade where evil seemed to advance and entrench, the warriors could no longer accept Anakova Brightsky’s message of pacifism.  For three days there was debate, and at its conclusion the clerics and paladins elected Kerkly as Master Clerist.

[whitesword]

Shaar (part 2)

Despite the common expectations, and in the face of constant pressure from King Cyrus and the western nobles, Arion left High General Amana Rosetree as governor of the Protectorate until she was named Lord Protector in 799.  She was succeeded as governor by Metura Alayi, the beautiful but aloof Scaled Elven, Captain of the Knights.  Metura had been one of Marius’ first captives and the Adaptor that replaced her caused great mischief in the years it impersonated her.  Shaar developed a close relationship with both Amana and Metura, the two most accomplished female elven warriors in the Kingdom.  Both of them encouraged Shaar to accept an invitation to the Suian if it was offered, despite the fact that the competition was to be held in Iott.  Neither Amana nor Metura would be able to participate in 801 due to their obligations.  Amana had fought in 776 and was the highest female finisher.  She was a frequent sparring partner of Martine, and many of the other Icefian masters, and told Shaar with no reservations that she could win the Tournament.

Cyrus passed in 800, at age 99, and Shaar was in attendance at the funeral as the embassy’s representative.   Funerals for prominent people in those days were typically small, as all feared the servants of Iott or Greysnows would appear.  The funeral was held within the ancient Whiteknight estate, a few miles north of Fort Pinceer, deep within the Kingdom’s borders.  More than 400 attended, including representatives of all the lesser kingdoms and Gemblade line.  As the procession carried Cyrus to the family tomb, the assassins struck.  They walked out of the shadows of the courtyard, bypassing the mansion’s potent defenses.  At first, they all appeared to be Hunters of Men, in particular their feared Brethren, but as the defenders held their ground against the attack, it became clear among the enemy ranks were the Empty Men.  As the defenders were cut down, as they fell back to the tomb, Marius’ laughter could be heard emanating from the shadows.  Soon only Shaar, Alara Gemblade and Thanis Whiteknight stood between the assassins and the most defenseless guests.  For several minutes the three of them held the attackers at bey, until only the Empty Men remained.  While the skill of the defenders far exceeded the assassins’, their bodies began to flag, while the Empty Men were tireless.  Thanis, knowing he could fight only a minute or two longer pushed Alara and Shaar into the tomb and cut the rope holding the gate.  For the rest of the long night Shaar and Alara waited for the attack to resume, but in the morning the gate was opened they saw Arion, Ari and Nisoru in the courtyard with a host of paladins and knights.  Only two children of the Whiteknight line survived the attack, and only fifty attendees.  Days later, Arion renamed Pinceer, Fortress Whiteknight.  The children were taken to Castle Gemblade as royal wards.

[Asinjin]

Ajax part 2

Soon after, Ajax's prayers were answered and he received a calling from far off Kathow-tio-Horari.  The religion of Quan Yin, since disassociating from the Shalleshe, had moved to form a government which did not involve the pirates at all.  Now, having completed the task, they requested the agent of Stasis, bearer of his light, kingmaker, to come and bless the new leadership of the nation.  Having just gated, and not wanting to again, he was nonetheless compelled to not engage in a long sea voyage and left quickly for the islands.

Once there, he was treated to a land of milk and honey.  The beauty and peace was unmatched on Habololy.  For moments, he thought he was on an upper plane.  It was awkward being the only orc.  Children pointed and laughed, cloistered females scurried away.  There were few warriors to speak to, and the paladins did not carry weapons, nor wear much armor.  He found eager conversation from diplomats wanting to know of the world that was somewhat cut off from Kathow.  The ceremony itself was not overwhelming.  The official appointment of the Queen would be held at another time, and it turned out that Queen was a title without the traditional family lineage rules.  The nation had decided that the Mother of Quan Yin, the high cleric should not be the head of state as well.

Before the event, Ajax met with Ajinta Kuhami, who would be named queen.  A tall Horarian with great poise, her presence was commanding, her voice strong.  The Kingmaker did not hesitate to approve, both Ajax and the sword.  The Icefian diplomat, the high cleric of Stasis for Kathow, and the queen's family were present, along with several Yinite attendants.  After the knighting, Ajax was invited to stay and enjoy the festival in honor of the new Queen.  He agreed.  Also in attendance was the voice of the Golden Mother, the lizardfolk Sas.  The two could not be more different and the strange air the brewed when the met caused the room to shutter.

Shortly before the ceremony finished, a ceremony which took three days, there was an attempt made to kill the queen.  Had Ajax and Sas not been in attendance, it would have not succeeded.  But as the pirate force was not prepared for those two, the effort could fairly be called comical.  There were no Horarians killed, and even only two assailants in of two hundred were slain.  When it ended, the festival began.  Ajax enjoyed life as he had rarely before.  When Sas' time to leave came, he invited Ajax to visit him at the palace of the Golden Mother.  A year, perhaps two later, the time came to leave.  Horari proved a fine place and Ajax spent time in the mountains teaching the few martial paladins.  They named a tower in his honor and he promised to return.

Getting to the palace of the Golden Mother proved a challenge.  Ajax was concerned about getting there via gate for several reasons, and no ships that he knew of would make the trip.  He should have thought to ask Sas to have a dragon carry him. Even if he summoned a creature, it would not know the way.  After some time, he was told of one ship that would make the trip, the Guardian of the Tide.  It was sent for and arrived.  The smiling crew including a assortment of suspicious characters.  Weirdly shaped fey, a drow first mate, a shifty mage, a foppish captain and by Stasis' rarely used hammer, another orc!  What curse had been lain upon his brethren that would have forced him aboard a ship for years?  Ah, he was a half orc.

The trip was thankfully swift.  The sea nor the crew appealing to Ajax.  Competent and smart, they certainly lacked enough sense to be traveling in such a resplendent vessel.  Ajax worried clowns and their prize would soon be parted.  But then again, he felt that was about most sailors, so he tried not to hold it against them.  Spending that much time at sea might have the same effect on him.  His arrival at the palace was not the reaction he often received.  The dragons were not as impressed and while polite offered no pomp and circumstance.  He spend time conversing with Sas, and by extension the Golden Mother.  After some months there, he sensed the Kingmaker drawing him south.

A dragon named in the common tongue Firelight, gold in color, was offered / assigned / told to fly Ajax to his destination.  Flying was somewhat better than sailing, but the stops on small islands were dull and uncomfortable.  The dragon dropped Ajax off south of Layraedia, where he would not be seen and bid Ajax farewell.  Following the sword, he went north.  His time in Ekarude was eventful and spanned several years.

[whitesword]

“ by Stasis' rarely used hammer, another orc!”

[Asinjin]

Ajax part 3

From the moment he arrived in Layraedia, Ajax picked up a shadow.  The gnome followed him from a distance and Ajax would deal with him after he found a place to stay.  No one else was waiting for him, the nation had not known of his coming.  He received some strange looks and pleasant greetings.  It took him a few days of questions and directions to find where he was going.  The towns and cities were small, and he made his way through ten of them before coming to Hecten, a town of several thousand.  There, the sword lead him to a young man by the name of Virgil.  Suspicion turned to calm and the man soon accepted Ajax's help.  It was Ajax who was surprised to learn that the man was no king, prince, or in line for any throne.  He was running to be president of the republic of Layraedia, and he could use Ajax's help.

Before aiding Virgil, Ajax confronted his shadow.  The gnome did not flee as he walked up the hill to meet him.  Sitting on rocks, crossbow on his back and hip boots revealing his origin, the gnome smoked a pipe.  Ajax announced himself and demanded a response.  The reply was quick and direct, "Call me Gnayjax, I've been assigned to watch you.  I don't doubt you can kill me with ease, but I'd rather you didn't.  I'm only here to keep track of you.  If you let me live, I might even give you some guidance."  Ajax didn't like it, but saw no recourse other than to keep an eye on the gnome.

With Ajax in his corner, Virgil's path to winning the presidency was easier.  It took months, but he was successful.  Others came to know that Ajax was helping, but as there was nothin wrong with receiving advice and guidance, it was allowed to pass.  Some argues that Icefia's meddling was not appreciated, but Ajax made it clear it spoke for Stasis, not Icefia.  It was a hard argument to make.  Once he was president, Virgil offered positions to Ajax, who declined.   Ajax spent a few months longer in Layraedia before the sword drew him south again.

Riding now, Ajax was still followed by the Gnayjax, who somehow managed to keep pace.  Although the sword did not lead him there, Ajax stopped when he saw a tower.  He didn't want to, but he thought he would test his shadow.  "The Iron Tower.  It appeared here years ago and is inhabited by strange Horarians.  Probably not unfriendly to you."  Testing the gnome, Ajax approached and soon learned the truth was not far from what Ganyjax had said.  Spending several weeks with the inhabitants, Ajax got back on the road and heading into the wilds of Ekarude.

Gnayjax proved invaluable when traveling through the tribes.  Koofa, Seveeni, Nohskites, Outenne, and on and on.  Gnayjax wasn't an expect, but he knew enough to avoid the unfriendly ones and help Ajax get to where the sword lead, to the Koofa tribe.  At war and killing each other for years, the tribe was on the brink of breaking down.  Nearby tribes had begun to take their land.  Ajax learned that only his intervention in ending the struggle and appointing a ruler could stop coming genocide of the Koofa.  The months of interactions were ripe with awkward and confusing moments.  Gnayjax had many a laugh at and with Ajax.  Finally, he found the target of the sword, an older man that had been blinded by plague.  With Stasis help, he helped the man see again.  The blessed made the tribe take notice.  The wise words of Ajax and the man, Bowdi began to sway the tribe.

As things were turning around, word came that the Nohskites were on the march.  Not wanted their enemies to unite, they wanted to claim a swift victory.  Ajax rode out and gave warning to the approaching horde, and they ignored him.  The Battle of the Lighted Orc was the tribes would come to call it was a sound victory for Ajax and the Koofa.  None on the battlefield came near to matching Ajax.  It took only an hour before the battle was over.  Relatively few died.  Several times, Ajax saw a bolt kill a charging tribesman.  There was only one crossbow on the field of battle.  The battle over, Ajax was successful again.

[Asinjin]

Ajax, part 4

Ajax traveled north, slowly.  He waited for the sword to direct him again.  Time was hard to gauge here.  The tribesmen did not use a system that Ajax knew, and even Gnayjax had a different calendar.  "My people don't' recognize the dates of lesser races and nations." he joked.  Ajax thought he might actually know, but decided not to press as the gnome had proven not to be vile.  When the sword called him again, it lead west, toward Yellowia.  Excitement welled in Ajax as he thought this might finally be the time when he would get to finish what he started decades before.

Departing Ekarude was difficult.  No dragons, no ships.  As he aged, he knew gating for travel was more dangerous, but he had no other choice.  Gnayjax went through the options with him, and there seemed none other than a gate.  Bidding farewell to his unexpected companion, Ajax stepped into a gate.  Gnayjax had a great smile as he waved goodbye.

Celestia called to him as he traveled.  Time was slow and the longing to stay great.  But Ajax nonetheless managed to return, appearing in the fields of yellow grass that told him he was where he wanted to go, ready to find Yellowia's new monarch.  But in the sunny fields, he was surrounded as soon as the gate closed.  It was an odd sensation that told him he did not appear as directly as usual.  Assembled around him was a collection not to be dismissed.

Ten hill giants formed a ring.  Between them archers, mostly elven and half.  Mounted behind the, lighthorsemen with bow and lance.  Flying above, Knights on Hippogriff.  Beyond the ring, two individuals, both human and late into middle aged, neither armored.  Ajax announced himself and demanded they get out of his way.

"As governor of Yellowia, I cannot allow that.  I know what you are here to do and I will not let that happen.  Sadly for you, I cannot allow you to leave either.  Surrender is not in your vocabulary, so this time we have been speaking has only allowed us to tighten the net around you."  Ajax was assailed by all manner of attacked, physical, magical and mental.  His prowess was near uncharted, but with time and Iottian planning, the force assembled against him had charted every move.  Cut off from the planes, his resistances removed, his attacks absorbed by non-evil giants, darkness opening up to dull his spells and mental traps distracting him, mighty Ajax was subdued.

In his stupor, he heard the governor say, "Unfortunately, you are unkillable.  So I apologize, but we have to put you in a place that is removed.  Don't worry, we don't abide torture, so we have put some other orcs there to keep you company."

[Asinjin]

Marcus Stormlight (Valdis, wizards)

At first a rival of Lyla, he became an ally after the tournament where they battled.  At her request, he traveled to an alien world.  When he returned, he fought to protect magic.  For his efforts, he was made governor of Yellowia, his homeland.  Not a better choice could have been made in his mind.  The first governor, while talented in arcane magic, did not understand the Yellowian life well enough.  The ins and outs of the nobility, the style of the king, the life of the simple farmer.  Marcus when all of these well when he left, and it was part of the reason why.

Back and in command, despite what the king may have thought, he dealt with the nobles adeptly.  He managed to keep Iott's interested and the interests of arcana at the fore.  He turned aside Gneon's advances.  He kept the Borkondof hordes at bay.  His direction and leadership went unrivaled among the governors.  He knew it was true, and Lyla told him as much to dismiss any doubts he might have.

A master of magics of lesser power, he thrived where those that relied on the big spell failed while magic was broken.  Yellowia never fell in with the rebels and doubters were made aware of their foolishness.  He identified and recruited new spellcasters, enlisting the college to help.  For 15 years, he was in charge.  Governor of Yellowia, master of the fields.  It was then he was faced with his greatest challenge.

The Iottian Protocols were given to all of the governors Iott installed.  They were a booklet on how to deal with the worlds most dangerous individuals.  These were not allowed to be read under pain of demagiking until the time when one of the individuals arrived in the nation of the governor.  Marcus was alerted to the arrival of one such individual and sprang into action.  The only thing worse than prematurely opening the protocols was to fail in implementing them.  Ajax, Servant of Stasis, Bearer of his Light, Kingmaker, was on his way.  Marcus opened the protocols and put the plan into action.

With every ability of Iott at his disposal, since the protocols were in play, Marcus assembled the necessary agents for the plan.  For Ajax, whose goal was to name a new king, one that would undoubtedly prove superior to King Alawin, Marcus would be able to enlist the aid of several nobles who did not want a stronger king.  Doing this, calling upon the military, and the king himself, who also did not want to be replaced; Marcus was the master manipulator.

The plan in place, Ajax arrived and with no meaningful problem, he was subdued.  For one like Ajax, that was only the first issue.  He had to be place somewhere he would neither die nor be found.  Yellowia had one such place, a prison plane aptly called Banishment.  The difference was, once Ajax was there, no one would be allowed out of it.  And so Marcus sent the much ballyhooed orc away.  Praise and glory was his and Yellowia remained the best run governor state in the world.

For five more years, he was in control.  Even after the defeat of Kallark, he maintained Yellowia and kept order.  He was the best there was.  As he liked to do, Marcus read the Shouting Gale all the way through.  Many times, he corrected it and every issue had several corrections ordered by the governor.  Today was no different, except the error was blatant and ridiculous.  Someone would lose the job over the headline, "Governor predicts Iottian withdraw."  He teleported soon after to the college.

The first arrow defeated his displacement, and he was unphased.  The second defeated his resistance, and he was unmoved.  The third defeated his invulnerability, and he paused.  The fourth defeated his replay, and he grew concerned.  The fifth defeated his breath and he gasped.  He could still hear.  A bowstring pull and curse in southern Yellowian.

The students found the governor dead, stripped of most of his possessions, three arrows scatted around him, one in his back, one through his throat and one in the back of his head.  The last had gone in until it hit a metal skull halfway up the shaft with the arrow through the eyes.

Sorcerer 9 / Studious Sorcerer 9

[Malchia]

Marcus Stormlight (Valdis, wizards)

The first arrow defeated his displacement, and he was unphased.  The second defeated his resistance, and he was unmoved.  The third defeated his invulnerability, and he paused.  The fourth defeated his replay, and he grew concerned.  The fifth defeated his breath and he gasped.  He could still hear.  A bowstring pull and curse in southern Yellowian.

The students found the governor dead, stripped of most of his possessions, three arrows scatted around him, one in his back, one through his throat and one in the back of his head.  The last had gone in until it hit a metal skull halfway up the shaft with the arrow through the eyes.

Sorcerer 9 / Studious Sorcerer 9

Sounds like the work of Ash.

[Zunder]

Sounds like the work of Ash.

Sounds a bit like Rin mixed with Ash.  Specialty death arrows maybe?  This is were we figure out the DM takes all our good ideas over era4, and combines them like voltron into a super villan

[Asinjin]

As I near the end, it is harder and harder to put the stories in an order that doesn't spoil a future one, so my apologies if that happens.

[Asinjin]

Cloud (Windblade, wizards)

The Day the Magic was Broken was a hard day for Cloud.  His return to Habololy marred by a battle with former friends that lead to the destruction of magical power, he went home to the Bardic College after the battle.  It took a while to get acquainted with the world again, but at least Cloud and his friends had been through this before and had a grasp of what to do.  Under a decade gone was far different from the centuries of their last absence.  Melodi had accepted deification.  Iott was in complete control until his return, but even now they were in power.

Cloud's instinct was to jump into the fray, go after Iott now as they reeled from the weakening of Magic.  A great debate ensued between those eager to end the war and those that preached caution.  The change in magic effected everyone.  No one was sure how Iott was effected compared to others.  Some magic was worse off than other magic.  Of the wizards three, Cloud was the most eager.  Russell was broken in a few ways and was little help.  Luigi seemed depressed and cooked a lot, and was also enamored with Melodi's status.

Cloud looked for allies.  For the next year, he traveled frequently, talking to those that were also eager to end Iott's reign quickly.  But disappointment was around every turn.  There was a new, more involved sect of Lakius, a religion which had appealed to Cloud for obvious reasons.  But the high cleric was aligned with Iott and the other sect leader, Nathan, was far more concerned with his religion than some great war against Iott.  The winged elven deity Taivas Valtias was not interested in a war either, seemingly having come to a truce with Iott.  From place to place, the only ones that matched his eagerness were orcs, dwarves, and tinkers.  So he aided them.  Joining as a consultant in the crusade lead by the orcs, Cloud was confident in success.

The plan was good, and Cloud delivered on the impossible, he parted the sea, allowing the crusaders to cross into Iott.  Flying above the army, ready to take on Iottian defenses, Cloud was suddenly struck by assaults he did not think possible.  The defense was lead by Lyla herself, as was appropriate for the Marshall of Iott.  In full battle regalia, in all her glory, Cloud knew despair.  The weakening of magic was not enough.  The veil pulled from Cloud's eyes, he felt foolish for his part in the crusade.  Whatever the case, by his own mistake or by the design of the Marshall, this was going to fail.  Cloud went into action to save the army.  He was met by a quartet of Iottian arcanists.  The magically identical to view casters blocked his way and moved in for the kill.  Cloud was no match for four of them.  His allies in the army was occupied.  He smashed one of them with blasts of wind.  He turned the spells of another back on himself.  The odds were insurmountable.  The choice was soon to die there or live to fight another day.  A devastated Cloud fled.

Back at the tower, he avoided others. He didn't know if they knew he had been at the battle.  His mind was tormented by thoughts of the experience.  He was infected by grief and thought surely there was a component of enchantment from Lyla that was causing this pain.  Months passed, and Cloud could do little of use.  There was nothing in his control it seemed.  As he had once before, he decided to leave for a while.  Into the sky, into the stars, he would wander there to find himself and return better off...at least he hoped.

There among the stars...

******REDACTED*******

...pain and anguish racked his body as he fall.  The sky was shook with energy and lightning.  How long had it been since he left, he didn't know.  This was not quite the return he had hoped to have, but if he could just survive the landing, he would probably be okay.  The uncontrolled decent seemed to take forever, it was frightening but exhilarating.  Cloud thought he saw the lights of a city below, but at this speed, it was hard to tell.

Although most thought it was an incredible thunderclap, in actuality it was the splashdown of a person hitting the water not far from a heavily crowded tavern called the Low Bar.

Wizard 10 / Elemental Caster 10 / Archmage 6

[Windblade]

Cloud (Windblade, wizards)


******REDACTED*******

I might be a little biased because it is my character but I love this!