ROLEPLAY copy (english)

[Flax]

Mykith hopped down from the dead creature's head, muttering the command word to extinguish the flames on his blades. Slowly the fire died away and the runes returned to normal. As he walked calmly toward the man he had rough up before killing the creature he sheathed his magnificent long swords. As he approached he noticed an elf recovering from some ill effect or the sort, and saw a priest of Rama running into an alley cursing them all.

He then gave a hand to the prone man ( Aldan ) saying :

-Look, I’m sorry for my behaviour a few minutes ago, obviously you’re not all bad, since you didn’t bolt when I turned my back. So would you mind telling me what just happened? Oh and by the way what’s yo…

Mykith was interrupted by an elf quietly approaching with his blades drawn, his intentions seemed unclear, but definitely unfriendly. In a flash Mykith spun, his swords appearing on the elf throat :

-If you know what’s good for you, drop your weapons…

[Rouroux]

Denelas, didn't flintch at the sight of the two swords. Instead, he sighed, and swiftly, he thrown himself backward, making a quick summersault, and kicked the longswords that were once against his throat to unbalance his new enemy, or he thought he was...

Mykith and Denelas were looking deep in each other's eyes, and fast they understood that they were not enemies, and that they were surrounded by a good dozen of guys all dressed in black.

They didn't need to talk for they understood the situation and quickly placed themselves back to back to face this new threat.

Then the attack started with a charge of the black men, trying to emprison their prey into a circle of death. But they didn't succed, for Mykith and Denelas were to fast for them, and dont ask me how, but they managed to be in a flanking position against the black crowd. And in total syncronism, they closed to the the center of the black mass, slicing into black shadows.

- They're not human! yelled Denelas to his temporary ally.

- You think I'm blind? was his answer.

But just when they thought they had the advantage, a flash came to their mind, and together:

- We forgot the other man!!!

They looked for him inside the melee, and found him prone, three shadowmen taking him away and threatening him with their crude weapons. They ran as fast as they could to his help. Mykith marked the first with an "X" that didn't leave it alive, Denelas opened the belly of the second up to his chest with his first blade and stuck his second in his head that was already dead. And the third, who has lost his concentration was pushed back by a not prone anymore Aldan and impaled himself into the sword of one of his accolytes.
The others knew they didn't have a chance et fled into the darkness that were the backalleys of the city.

That Denelas turned toward Aldan and said:

- Now before I kill you, I think you ow us an explanation of all this...

[Banzai Kamikaze]

The shadowy figure led the fallen priest in what seemed to be an abandonned temple. In front of the door, the shadow muttured something in a tongue the priest didn't understand.

"Darrh...Bigma. Dingna kurk."

A dark energy previously invisible swept away from the door. Inside the temple, the smell of rotten meat was nearly intolerable. The priest followed the figure, a chill running in his back. They took a long stair down, and opened a huge metal door on which the priest could read the following words:

Hamsa ! Nkot Mit Ghusta Ishnot !

The priest knew this language:
"Hellish ! This is the tongue used by long forgotten demons who roamed this land thousand of years ago ! Where are you taking me?"

"Our...allies could have some use of you."

As soon as the shadow touched the door, a voice shrieked a question in hellish:

"Weee do not...like strangers. Whooo is this priest?" (the voice ended his sentence with a terrifying sound)

Tired of being ignored, the priest answered:

"I don't have a name anymore. I wish to become powerful, and I heard you could help me. I..."

"SILENCE! We have heard enough !"

The voice paused a few seconds.

"Ambiiitious mortal...We shoould slay yoou for your trespasssssing, but as your friend says, weee coould use yooou. Arrrre you ready to looose everything you had and to serve a powwwer your imagination cannot fathom?"

Satisfied but a little scared, the priest answered:

"Y..yes ! But...I also wish to become very strong and..."

"Ifff you do as we ask, you willl be rewaarded with unlimited pooowwer ! Open the dooooor and walk in our forgotten land, or turn baack and die."

The priest slowly opened the door which covered a blood colored portal sparkling with energy. Hesitating, he looked back and saw the shadowy figure smiling at him. Then, the priest walked into the portal. He was teleported into a place undescribable, for a man cannot understand the demonic powers of Hell.

"Agaaaain, we thank youu for your help! Yooour master is still in ouuur land, wwwaaaiting for this fooolish priest. Yooou arrre welcome tooo pass."

The shadow answered:

"Thank you. But my master just sent me another task telepaticaly... I will be back soon. I trust I will still be welcomed?"

"Offf course... It's nooot every day the Demons ally with the Dead."

[Archangel Zero]

After pushing away the shadowman with a strength born of fear and desperation, Aldan crumpled to the ground, shivering and weeping uncontrollably, repeating disconsolately "It's all my fault..." in between sobs. He was unaware of the callous elf threatening him and thus was nearly impaled by the enraged tree hugger. Fortunately, the rash blow was deflected by Mykith. The two warriors began arguing over the prone man. Caught up by their argument, they did not notice Aldan crawling towards one of the fallen shadowmen, his eyes on the thing's crude iron blades. He seized the primitive weapon and with a whimper, turned it towards his heart. He murmered a prayer to Kota, the White Lord, god of protection, so that he may forgive his sins and took a deep breath, readying himself for his last act on Ulien. Suddenly, a ray white light enveloped him his long hair fluttered upwards slowly, resembling gold in the mystical light. The appearance of the light broke up Denelas and Mykith's argument and they turned prepared to face a new threat... or so they thought...

Meanwhile, a luscious pale, black haired woman, dressed in a revealing black dress lounged in a plush chair sipping a glass of blood. Soft strands of shadow caressed her ivory skin as she looked out the window to the red plain below her tower. Her blood red lips curled languidly upwards at the thought of the suffering her future thrall was going through. She had created this painful realm for the priest out of the raw power that is the realm of Varnon, partly to keep him sane, partly to test him and largely to watch him suffer. Varnon. Her lips curved downwards. Varnon, the Lord of Destruction and Decay, the Emperor of Hell or Brainless Varney, as she was wont to call him mockingly, when he was well out of earshot, of course. She was working with him, but only until she could recover the Dagger of Ix. Supposedly, this fabled artifact, lost long ago in the Great War against Lîm-dul, the most powerful magus to have ever lived, had the power to kill a god with a single blow. If she could ever find it, she would be invincible. Lîm-dul had been stupid, his power had made him arrogant and the Dagger was stolen by a lowly slave. Kota had then decreed that it would be guarded by the descendants of Morvan, the hero of the Great War who stole the dagger and slew Lîm-dul with its potent magic. One of the children of an heir to Morvan would have a birthmark: on his left shoulder, a dagger would be burned by divine fire. This mark is the key to the planar pocket that holds the Dagger of Ix. If only she could find the Marked One...

[Flax]

Mykith was trying to stop the elf from making a fatal mistake, the man clearly was coerced into making the actions leading to this. His guard faltered as he thought of the man, the elf was pressing him hard, so much that Mykith got tired of playing defensive. He parried a few more blows, them entered a frenzy of quick stabs and slashes. The elf was clearly distabilized by the changing of tactics, but quickly adapted, waiting for Mykith to tire. The duel continued a bit longer, even when Mykith slowed his pace he still had the advantage, as he was to break his opponent's defenses a bright light erupted from on his right, he turned his haed to look and was astonished to see his new friend encapsuled in the light. When he turned back his attention to the fight, he was greeted by the thin boot of the elf on his face. He fell to the ground and rolled to the ground in a defensive crouch, awaiting the next attack, but it never came. His opponent ran toward the light, ready to kill the man in it. Mykith screamed a warning, then shouted after the elf while starting his own sprint, alas he would be too late...

[Archangel Zero]

As the elf lunged forward, intent on slaying Aldan while he was helpless, the man stood up slowly, his back to his attacker. The murderous life worshiper raised his dagger, preparing to strike, but Aldan swiftly stepped aside in a blurred motion and raised his hand up palm towards Denelas, shouting a single word of a language unheard by men for centuries. A bolt of blue light shot from Aldan's palm towards the dumbstruck elf. As it struck him, Denelas was flung away with such force that he collided with a nearby building, which shook with the impact. The elf did not move, his head hung limply to the side. Aldan turned towards Mykith, his eyes glowing blue...

[Banzai Kamikaze]

Red.

The color of fire and blood, of hate and anguish, of vengeance and despair. His name? He had no name. No. NO! A shriek of pain slained the priest, as his guts poured away from his mouth, and his ears were flooded by his brain.

"Fooooolish mortal ! Your name is Shelops. SHELOPS!"

As the priest, no, Shelops woke up in his burning prison, he could barely speak:

"Yes....Lord Asfak...I will do better next time..."

"Hmf! Thissss is taking too much time ! I hope the project of making a creature halffff Dead halffff Demon is worth the effort."

A cold voice startled Shelops. Even though he couldn't see her, he knew it was the Undead Queen. As usual, she would now take over the teaching and...

Shelops' though were interrupted. He fell again in the horrible plane where he would now be teached. The demons also sent him in another plane, where they poured a lot of power in Shelops. Even though they were cruel with him and liked to watch him die in a place where death is not allowed, he didn't suffer near as much as in this plane.

Black.

The color of darkness and decay, of malediction and fear, of suffering and death. His suffering started, stronger than before. His eyes popped out of his face, as he absorbed deadly powers. This time, he would not cry. He could not ! For crying only increased the pain. Shelops decided to cut his throat, so that no sound could come out of him. Blood spilled, but Shelops didn't care:he couldn't die here anyway.

Then, he felt cold...deeply cold. He knew...

"They cannot hear us. You are improving,dear... I am pleased. But you know you work for me, for the Dead ! You will fake your loyalty to the demons, or you will not get the power you seek."

Shelops sent a telepatic though to the Undead Queen:

"My life is yours ! I am not a demon, neither am I Undead. I am a fusion of the two. I cannot die of age or disease, but I can die of wounds. I wield the demonic rage of Varnon, lord of Destruction, but I wield the lethal thinking of the Undead Queen. I am yours to command !"

The terrifying voice was loud:

"YOU ARE NOT READY ! You speak like you are invincible. You are, but a child: you scream when I tell you to, you suffer when I want to, you die if I need you to. Understood?"

"Y...yes, my queen."

Shelops was happy of his mutation: by not being totally undead, her "mistress" could not see his thoughts. Shelops knew better than to betray the Undead Queen. She was too poweful for him...for now.

[Flax]

Mykith halted as he saw the elf crash into the wall. Seeing the man turnig his glowing blue gaze on him, Mykith raised his blades in a defensive ''X'' to halt a magical attack.

-Whoa..... calm down, look, I can understand what you did to the elf, but remember I'm on your side... 'Tis true I shoke you well back there, but I belive you're not to be held only accountable in part and if you help me find the true culprits, I shall speak in your name in the Temple of Justice. Please, let us be friends not enemies, we should concentrate our strenght on th....

Mykith shouted in pain feeling a strong burning sensation inside his left shoulder. His blades dropped to the ground and he followed them shortly after as he fell to his knees, still clutching his shoulder. The pain was unberable, if he could just let his arm free in the air, everything would be fine, or so he though. He trussed up his sleeve, thus exposing his strange birthmark, a dagger of some sort, as soon as it made conctact with the air, a brillant flash erupted from it, he was screaming even more than before...

[Archangel Zero]

Silently, Aldan touched Mykith's birthmark, releasing a flash of intense blue light. After it, the mark was gone and Mykith unconscious, an obsidian dagger lying before him. Aldan picked up the dagger, put it into a pouch at his belt and hoisted Mykith onto his shoulder. With his free hand, he gestured and a portal opened before him...

The Queen of the Dead was extatic, her experiment was working perfectly, no matter how much that moronic demon complained. Soon, when the miserable Shelops was ready, she could start building an army of these creatures. With their superior speed, strength and intellect, her Kyanthi would surely recover the Dagger of Ix. Unfortunatly, Shelops still retained a slight too much willpower. "Oh well, she thought, I will surely find a way to placate the fool and I'll correct that defect in later models..."

[Rouroux]

- Where am I?

There was nothing to be seen. There was but blackness all around him. Denelas rose to his feets. He looked all around him and saw only an ocean of darkness. the only thing he could barely see was a very small and faint light far away. He walked toward the light. It took several hours, at least it seemed. Suddenly he was surrounded by a ring of trees. Then he noticed a man in a cloak sitting on a log near the fire.

-Ah you are finally here... I was hoping to talk to you before going to the havens.

-What?

The man rose and turned toward Denelas whose eyes widened before he knelt before the mysterious man.

- You do not need to kneel before me Denelas.

Denelas rose looked in the eyes of his old master and finally hugged him in a quick motion.

- Wow!!! what a reunion!

- I thought you were dead, master. How come...

- But I am dead. That giant reptile stepped on me a while ago.

- But if you are dead...am I too?

- No you are not dead. Here you are between life and death, or in common term, in a coma.

- Than why all this? What's happening?

- The Creator let me speak to you for I have information to give you. The man, Aldan of name I think, is no the real enemy. There are greater forces at sake. Though, I have come also to give you help for you will not be able to defeat your enemy. Here take my bow.

Then he took an elven bow inscribed all over it with elven runes.

- It's a gift from the queen Elia. She gave it to my ancestor for his bravery during the war of the 3 nations. Now it is yours. And in addition of that, my spirit shall lend you all that is left of elven magic I had.

- It is too much master. said Denelas.

- No it isn't. Now you must go. Your friend requires your help now.

-What frien...

Denelas woke up. He was lying in a pile of broken planks of wood. Suprisingly, he held in his hand a bow all covered with elven runes. His clothes also has changed too: he was clothed by dark green shirt and pants, with a war long skirt. In fact, he was wearing the old war uniform of the Elven Nation during the War of the 3 Nations. His daggers has been replaced too by new ones also carved with runes.

Now he was ready to confront his enemies, in the name of the Great Elven Counsil.

When he looked up. He saw Aldan, Mikith on his shoulder, going into a portal. Denelas cannot let them get away. So he ran as fast as he could and jump after them into the portal.

[Banzai Kamikaze]

It was all over. The beast was slained by mighty warriors, a corrupted high priest fled, two men disappeared in a strange portal.

"We are united today, to face a great peril. Jerian, our beloved capital of our kingdom of Terias, has been brutally attacked yesterday. As the law states, I have taken full powers until things are settled back in. As the new dictator of Jerian, I ask you how we should act."

Lord Shaker, new leader of the city, shouted loudly in the senate room. A well built man, Lord Shaker seemed fully competent to guide the city. There was no answer to his question from the fifty senators.

" Did the beast make you all breathless? We need to act right now to track the source of this attack ! If I don't have your suggestions, I will act on my own."

Finally, an old senator spoke up:

"It has to be the nation of Danerek ! These bloody reptiles surely sent this creature to assasinate our leaders ! They will not have died in vain ! Let us burn their cities down and..."

"Quiet !"

The chatter fell silent.

"We do not have enough proofs to make such accusations, though I will retain your comment. Any other suggestion?"

"My lord...a guard has found the magic ball from which the creature got out. It clearly holds the markings of Yelvatha, a nation we are supposedly allied with !"

A joined surprised sound followed the declaration. Senators started to talk in every direction.

" Quiet ! These are very troubling news indeed... After our victory over the nations of Danerek and Yelvatha in the war of the three nations, a hundred years ago, I thought our alliance with the Yelvathans would be a permanent one.... I will talk with their ambassador immediatly to clarify their intentions. I..."

Three soldiers with shining blue armors entered the room. One of them approached Lord Shaker and talked in his ear. The dictator seemed troubled.

"Senators of Terias, I just heard that the kingdoms of Yelvatha and Danerek are on the brink of war ! Mutual assassinations attempts were made on their leaders ! The seven lords of Yelvatha have been murdered by Danereks ! A High Elven Mage has taken command of Yelvatha. The King of Danerek has survived the attempts by Yelvathans Elven Mages to slay him !

I have other bad news confirming our fears... The man who unleashed the beast and escaped in a portal was recognized as a mage acolyte from Yelvatha ! We may have no other choice but to go to war with them... For now tough, I will prepare our ten armies.

Senators ! I declare marshall law throughout the kingdom of Terias !"

Dozens of voices erupted loudly, some senators applauded, some protested. Lord Shaker left the room, giving orders to the ten generals of the Great Terias Army.

When he was alone in his room, Lord Shaker seemed satisfied.

"Good...Varnon and the Undead Queen will be pleased..."

As he said this, a shadow appeared near him. It was the usual messenger of the Undead Queen.

"We are satisfied with your results. Do not forget that war between the three nations is not enough."

Lord Shaker answered:

"I know...you need blood and destruction..."

[Archangel Zero]

White. The only thing Aldan could see was white. "Am I blind?" he thought, confused. But no, as his eyes adjusted to the strange lighting, he began to see shifting lights around him, all white, but tinted with other colours. The beauty of the sight was breathtaking. Suddenly he was aware of a presence at his side. He turned in alarm. A stooped old man wearing a faded white robe and carrying a faded oak staff stood before him, smiling benignly. He beckoned to Aldan silently. Aldan was compelled to follow him and when the old man walked through a doorway of light, he followed. Suddenly Aldan was standing in front of a middle-aged dwarf wearing a golden helm and armor depicting rocks and mountains and a beautiful elven woman with a crown of ivy and aspen branches and a sparkling suit of mithril mail gracing her body, the old man was at his side. They were in a room of polished white stone in which there were five comfortable chairs. On two of these lay Denelas and Mykith, visibly unconscious. The old man gestured for Aldan to sit down. Warily, he complied.

-"Sadly, said the old man, I sense the seeds of war in the world. I fear, my boy, that you will see much suffering before you and your friends can avert the tragedy that clouds the distant future."

-"What are you saying?"

-"We will explain more when your friends awake. Know this however: I am Idrasil, Mage-King of Ishtarak when the world was young, now protector of all good men and you are my champion."

Aldan was too stunned to comment, so the old man rambled on.

"This grizzled dwarf is the great dwarven hero Morvan and your warrior friend is his descendant (though he is doubtless ignorant of that fact) and this fair elven princess is the ancient queen of the elves Deidra Fairleaf. I have no doubt your elven friend will be quite surprised when he meets her, his great-great grandmother. Together, you three must thwart the foul plots of Varnon, Lord of Destruction. But wait... your companions rise at last..."

[Rouroux]

Though the position in which he was sleeping sould have been uncomfortable, Denelas opened his eyes as if he just woke up from a very very long and healing sleep. Next to him, in another chair, Mykith also was waking up. When he looked around him, he found Aldan, and a little more to the right, a dwarf in full armor, and an extremely beautyful elven woman. These two were sitting on two thrones made from gold and silver, carved with words he did not understand.

- Where am I? What happened?

The old man spoke:

- Denelas (last name-to be), a word in ancient elven that means Fairleaf, descendant of Queen Deidra Fairleaf of the ancient elven Kingdom of Lanarian, you are in the Hall of The Ancients.

Denelas's eyes widened in incomprehension. Did the travel in the portal distorted his hearing?

- You have been chosen to be the champions of the Three Ancient Nations to protect this land we most cherish, as are Mykith, in whom Morvan's blood flow , and Aldan.

This being said, Deidra looked softly to Denelas with her brilliant and deep eyes, as Morvan stared seriously but not angrily to Mykith.

- But why us? said Aldan. Why? I don't understand.

And Idrasil to answer:

- Do not worry. You will soon...my son.

[Archangel Zero]

Aldan open his mouth to speak, but Mykith cut him off unwittingly. He was only half listening to what Mykith said, for the implications of what Idrasil had said raced in Aldan's mind.

[Banzai Kamikaze]

A gust in the wind. The smell of cooked bread. The usual chatter in the village center. Just the normal morning in the small town of Trivian, halfway between Jerian and the forests of Yelvathan. The news of a possible war between Terias and both the Yelvathans and the Danereks didn't seem to bother the villagers. At least, not until now.

The hate for the reptilians of the tropical jungles of Danerek was unanimous, for Trivian townsfolks didn't like strangers. However, the elves from Yelvatha were always welcomed guests in this humble village. The martial law forced the villagers to question their relationships with the tree dwellers.

Not all agreed with the necessity of war. Peace militants were organizing a march in Trivian that day.

They should have chosen a better day.

The birds flying away, terrorized. The talking falling to whispers. The ground shaking, rumbling with a low rythm. The first flags grew up the hill. All the villagers turned around and stared at the huge columns of armoured infantry, flanked by dozens of shining knights riding strong horses. One knight in blue armor followed by another holding a Terias Army flag accelerated toward the center of the village. They looked intimidating, but their smiles were comforting.

"I am General Phiera, commander of the Third Terias Army. Townsfolks of Phiera ! Hear me ! (as he turned around, Phiera seemed satisfied of the innocent stares) As you know, our leaders were assassinated by a Yelvathan assassin, probably from the same source that tried to assassinate the Danerek King. The new High Elven Mage directing the Elves has mobilized its massive armies agains both our kingdom and the reptilians."

He took a deep breath and continued.

"It is our duty to prevent them from crossing our borders, to protect all of you. Do not be mistaken, we are not helping the Danereks, as they might be behind all this plot. The reptilians are also massing their beasts of war on their borders. Citizens of Terias ! A bloody war might have just started ! My army will stay in reserve here while the other armies bravely protect our land ! I only ask for hospitality and help to nourish my ten thousand tired men."

"And you shall have it ! (it was the old innkeeper, unofficial leader of the town who talked) You are welcomed in Trivian ! May Rama watch over you !"

Cheers filled the town as the metallic horde set camp in the fields.

But there was no joy in the wooden hangar used as a command post. Phiera was deploying maps on a table. His captains were glaring at him.

"This makes no sense ! Are you sure the reports from our scouts are real?"

His second in command answered.

"It has been confirmed from over ten sources. The Yelvathans are already swarming east. Our outposts were quickly overwhelmed. A few villages were burned by Elven mages. But, the yelvathans seemed to have retreated back to their forests."

"But why would they do this? And more importantly: Why did Lord Shaker order our armies to march in Yelvathan territory? We have no information about the wherabouts of their mages...I fear our men are walking in a deathrap!"

As the shocking possibility went around the minds of the captains, Phiera decided to stop the meeting and to rest. He sent messengers to express his worries to Lord Shaker, and hopefully, he will get an answer during the week.