Hot wind blew through the town where it started for them, where it started for many an adventurer. Only these adventurers were the cause of the heat. The town was ablaze, roofs aflame, smoldering and crumbling as fire consumed the town. A group of four, once eager, bright eyed adventurers, ready to take on the world now callus to its suffering and striving to add to it. These four, these monsters in human guise broke off any regret or hesitation they may have felt by salting the earth of their past to forge their new path. In ages to come this destruction and headless slaughter of a place once seen as a starting point for beginners, of the weak and birthplace of hero’s ages past, would become known as the birthplace of evil, of dark beginnings.
Hero’s once but heroes no longer.
It didn’t take long but the four had slaughtered the weak, the old, the young and the foolhardy that came to try and stop them, and those that attempted to flee were tortured. The dead were piled into the center of the burning town only for those still living to be tossed on top as the entire mass was ignited. The shear wickedness showing the future that was to come for the world. The fire cracking and smoking with the scent of burning fat and flesh as the four stood around the fire. Watching their first stain on history being scorched into the earth.
“So” a heavily armored figure rumbled out, his voice horse, sounding more like rocks grinding against each other and causing the imposing 8 feet of a man pain. His body clad in heavy plates of armor, armor once dedicated to holy knights now coated in blood, gore and viscera of his victims. His gaze shifting to his three companions.
“So?” A cackling little voice came out. The figure only three feet tall and cloaked to hide his features, even so a pointed, beak like green nose could be seen poking out from behind the hood as the small figure. Gloved hands outstretched holding a dagger with a hunk of meat on the end, roasting it over the burning bodies. “If you are going to speak then finish your thought!”
A charcoal black hand coming down to slap the small figure on the back of the head. A scolding tone coming from the pointed eared woman it belonged to. Adorned in robes that if one had seen her elsewhere they would have seen her as a sister of faith, but after the atrocities she had done, assaulting minds of those until they renounced their faith in their gods to have the pain stop only to strike them down for giving up their faith so easily, they would know her as the twisted soul she was truly.
“Don’t be an ass you little cretin, you know well what he is bringing up, we talked about it before starting this purge of our past.” She chided the little filcher.
A lithe figure on the other side, slender, boney hand outstretched sending a wave of singing fire at the pile, making smoke and fire twist and lap at the air causing a billowing smoke to roll out as the anguished screams of the last few living were snuffed out in the blast of uncaring heat from the mage. “Agreed, we have finished this task to keep ourselves resolute in our resolve to go forward.” Eyes sunken and skin hugging skeletal frame more than holding onto muscle as the man darted his gaze to each of his companions.
“How long will it take each of you to finish preparing?” the mage asked before returning his gaze from friends to the pile of sin crackling before him.
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A grumble came from the giant of a man. “Many to visit, many to payback. Little more than year.” His gruff voice rolled out. A grumbling cough coming after he finished speaking. A hand moving to his throat, rubbing it to sooth the soreness from speaking.
The melodic voice of the sister came next with a nod of her head. “It is a three month journey to my lands, once there it will take half a year as I have companions already working to my benefit. I expect to be done before a year passes.”
“Hah!” the snickering little voice cried out, stuffing the meat it has been roasting into it’s mouth, smacking loudly as it gobbled the snack down. “Clans all in my control already, just need murder few enemies, be done in month! If you two take year I have time to collect all the gold from king for myself!”
“The mag gave a little snorted laugh. “Please if you could take the gold you would have done so already. Still collect what you can, it will take me almost two years to finish all I have planned. I will be severely lacking funds by the end so any gold you get will be of aid. Once you all finish your tasks you can find me in that dungeon we cleared out. I’ve taken to making it my lab.”
With that the team nodded in agreement to meet up as their tasks finished. Each one leaving on their own towards their own aims.
The mage made his way over to a burning building whose door still stood, pulling a key from his pocket he slid it into the lock and turned, the wood shifting, twisting and repairing itself as the doorway opened to an interior that was decidedly not a burning building but a dank cave, stepping through the door closed behind him before twisting back to its burnt, charred state before the building collapsed on top of it.
The cave, formerly a dungeon of some notoriety before being concurred by him and his companions. Now its former twisting laberinth being used to protect his experments and twisted spell learnings.
“Far too much to do and too little time to do it.”
He grumbled while making his way over to a slab of raised stone that had once held the core of the dungeon, now a center to focus his magic he looked over his latest project, a device to protect him as he worked. As well as an early warning system for his safety. A suit of armor lay strewn about, each piece floating slightly above the dark stone slab as runes of power twisted about. Each one fighting with the other.
“First and foremost, let’s get you working.” Pulling out a wand he placed the tip to the armors helm, carving new runes about the helm as he curled the fingers of his other hand, becoming ingredients from his shelf to float towards him gems of condensed mana obeying the call and fluttering through the air towards his hand, twisting over his wand as he lifted up slowly, giving each gem a tap towards a corresponding rune before drawing a circle of magical light around them. The light constricting around the gems, pulling them closer and forcing the magic to combine into a core for the runes, a soft glow emanating from the now fused gemstone as it settled into the helm, gently suspended behind the facemask as the rest of the armor gave a jolt, shift and rough clanking as the pieces all came forming together. Eyes light up in mock eyes that gazed out.
“Good, sit up” The mage commanded. The suit doing as it was told, its burning gaze locked onto its creator. “I am the great mage Alexander, but to you I am your master, you are my magical construct and guard, your duty is to protect me and my lab while I work, as well as any other task I put you to. Now go to the entrance of this floor and stand guard I will call for you once I have ascended.”
With that the mage Alexander gave his creation little mind as he started to fuss about his ingredients, wondering if he had enough for the wicked potion he needed to create.
The construct shifted, knowing where to go instinctively as it wandered down the twisting corridors to the sloping stairwell that lead to the upper levels. Its duty was given and it would fulfill them for its master. Standing watch still enough that it appeared more decoration that faux-life. Its magical gaze dimming to properly hide and disguise itself from any that may come down in attempts to harm its master.
There it would stand for the next three months as its master toiled away before being called for again.
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This is my first go, I may edit this later to mak ethings more consice or flow better, but for now I am satisfied with how it is. Do feel free to give tips or suggestions for me to improve wirting. So in the mean time please bare with me as I work out posting schedule and other such things!