The King of Fiends Lies Sleeping (Closed)
Mar 16, 2013 21:09:13 GMT -6
Post by Leon Durandus on Mar 16, 2013 21:09:13 GMT -6
(( OOC: As decided in this thread, this thread is for Leon Durandus, Freya Crescent, Yuna, and James Cabuelo. If anyone, like, really REALLY wants to join, shoot me a PM and we'll try to work something out. I probably won't make more than one or two exceptions, though.
Also! To be clear, we're not in Eden yet, we've still gotta find the mirror. ))
All was quiet in the forgotten World at the Universe's edge. The grass atop rolling planes swayed and hissed as the winds, undaunted in their travels, brushed gently over and around their fragile stems. Mighty willows draped the countryside in billowing, green curtains which stretched ceremoniously over the beaten, dirt road running through it all. High above, a thick, impermeable blanket of clouds, heavy and gray, stretched to the horizon in all directions, staving off the sun's rays and keeping them from a place that so badly needed their warmth. Homes of wood and stone could be seen in the distance, if one were inclined to look so closely, surrounded by ever-so-slightly larger structures of the same materials. This was not a World entirely without life, nor was it conductive to its prosperity. Rather, it was at a standstill, as though preserved in time by unseen forces from beyond, like a perfect crystal at absolute zero.
What interested the traveler, though, was the monolithic structure that served as its centerpiece. In the midst of the rustic doldrums there sat a most intimidating mountain whose peak ran the clouds through like the tip of a mighty pike. Jagged, steep, and uncomfortably vast, it may have been a humbling sight to a lesser man. Leon Durandus, however, was driven by a desire - no, a need to explore its depths. Of course, he had no interest in scaling the beast, for such a feat would have been of little consequence to his sinews, enhanced by the marriage of science to mysticism. What he sought were the cavernous depths of the mines that surrounded it, for therein was held a secret of tremendous power and importance. Leon, looking always to expand his knowledge of the cosmos, jumped at this chance the moment it was offered to him.
"It must be destroyed." The old man had said. "The thing that lives on the other side of that mirror has to be dealt with. I'm warnin' ya, you best not be lying about your skill with that hunk of steel you've got." He had grumbled and shook his finger at the wary swordsman. "I wager a hundred normal men couldn't topple this beast, and I can only afford to send four'r so - they've gotta be the best."
The ex-SOLDIER obliged, and, no, payment would not be necessary. He was told of an Inn not far from the entrance to the mines. There, he would meet his companions on this treacherous quest. The World, he said, was not named on any star map, save perhaps in the homes of the eldest wisemen and warlocks. Those who lived there did so in ignorance of the arcane magic at their doorstep, save for an enlightened few. The Inn's owner, Leon had been told, was one of those few. So, as he saw the quaint little tavern come into view, his heart grew staunch and resolute. Gotta bring my A-Game today. Now more than ever, I can't afford to screw up.
More than a few heads turned as the tavern's wooden door swung open and, from the melancholy infinite, Leon walked in. The sight of a traveler was rare enough, let alone one of his nature. A cloth cloak was wrapped about his athletic frame, but it wasn't enough to cover the slab of blackened steel strapped to his trim back. The local thugs were deterred by it alone, for the massive blade was easily heavier than its wielder. However, though his weapon was fierce and brutal, Leon's wore on his face a soft, friendly smile as he strode up to the bar and took a seat. "Mead sounds pretty good right about now." He said, his tone quite unassuming.
"Aye." The bartender absently cleaned a glass and gave a knowing look. "I don't suppose there's any use warnin' ya, is there?"
"'Fraid not, my friend." Leon replied with a pleasant, almost relaxed sigh and leaned on the bar. "This is more important than fame or riches. Maybe you can talk the others out of it when they show up, but I'm not going just for my sake." He stretched his muscles and shrugged off his cloak, letting it fall unceremoniously to the hardwood floor. "Nothing to do now but wait for the others - whoever they are."
Also! To be clear, we're not in Eden yet, we've still gotta find the mirror. ))
All was quiet in the forgotten World at the Universe's edge. The grass atop rolling planes swayed and hissed as the winds, undaunted in their travels, brushed gently over and around their fragile stems. Mighty willows draped the countryside in billowing, green curtains which stretched ceremoniously over the beaten, dirt road running through it all. High above, a thick, impermeable blanket of clouds, heavy and gray, stretched to the horizon in all directions, staving off the sun's rays and keeping them from a place that so badly needed their warmth. Homes of wood and stone could be seen in the distance, if one were inclined to look so closely, surrounded by ever-so-slightly larger structures of the same materials. This was not a World entirely without life, nor was it conductive to its prosperity. Rather, it was at a standstill, as though preserved in time by unseen forces from beyond, like a perfect crystal at absolute zero.
What interested the traveler, though, was the monolithic structure that served as its centerpiece. In the midst of the rustic doldrums there sat a most intimidating mountain whose peak ran the clouds through like the tip of a mighty pike. Jagged, steep, and uncomfortably vast, it may have been a humbling sight to a lesser man. Leon Durandus, however, was driven by a desire - no, a need to explore its depths. Of course, he had no interest in scaling the beast, for such a feat would have been of little consequence to his sinews, enhanced by the marriage of science to mysticism. What he sought were the cavernous depths of the mines that surrounded it, for therein was held a secret of tremendous power and importance. Leon, looking always to expand his knowledge of the cosmos, jumped at this chance the moment it was offered to him.
"It must be destroyed." The old man had said. "The thing that lives on the other side of that mirror has to be dealt with. I'm warnin' ya, you best not be lying about your skill with that hunk of steel you've got." He had grumbled and shook his finger at the wary swordsman. "I wager a hundred normal men couldn't topple this beast, and I can only afford to send four'r so - they've gotta be the best."
The ex-SOLDIER obliged, and, no, payment would not be necessary. He was told of an Inn not far from the entrance to the mines. There, he would meet his companions on this treacherous quest. The World, he said, was not named on any star map, save perhaps in the homes of the eldest wisemen and warlocks. Those who lived there did so in ignorance of the arcane magic at their doorstep, save for an enlightened few. The Inn's owner, Leon had been told, was one of those few. So, as he saw the quaint little tavern come into view, his heart grew staunch and resolute. Gotta bring my A-Game today. Now more than ever, I can't afford to screw up.
More than a few heads turned as the tavern's wooden door swung open and, from the melancholy infinite, Leon walked in. The sight of a traveler was rare enough, let alone one of his nature. A cloth cloak was wrapped about his athletic frame, but it wasn't enough to cover the slab of blackened steel strapped to his trim back. The local thugs were deterred by it alone, for the massive blade was easily heavier than its wielder. However, though his weapon was fierce and brutal, Leon's wore on his face a soft, friendly smile as he strode up to the bar and took a seat. "Mead sounds pretty good right about now." He said, his tone quite unassuming.
"Aye." The bartender absently cleaned a glass and gave a knowing look. "I don't suppose there's any use warnin' ya, is there?"
"'Fraid not, my friend." Leon replied with a pleasant, almost relaxed sigh and leaned on the bar. "This is more important than fame or riches. Maybe you can talk the others out of it when they show up, but I'm not going just for my sake." He stretched his muscles and shrugged off his cloak, letting it fall unceremoniously to the hardwood floor. "Nothing to do now but wait for the others - whoever they are."