The world has changed. It can be felt in the air, and the animals sense it. People know it from the wars and the disavowment of the gods. The rise and fall of empires are nothing to the world and nature. A blip in time, a mere passing moment. But now, it is different. The membrane between realities has weakened, and ravenous beings can enter to disrupt the normal flow of things. The world has changed.

In the center of a grassy meadow stands a tall tower made of chiseled stone that was once inhabited by a powerful mage. A mad mage whom kingdoms would commission adventurers to go after. Now the building, and the kingdoms, stand in ruin. Its stone walls are chipped, and it's crumbled bits litter the dirt ground at its base. The twisting hallways and stairwells are slowly being subsumed by nature. Going back into the dirt as weeds, vines, and wildlife engulf its once impressive stone walls.

The top of the tower was a shattered ruin where a single steel door remains slightly ajar and can never be closed again. Beyond the door, down a twisting stairwell, and inside the tower, magic stirs. The metal remains of the final guardian to the mad mage lay in a circular chamber just beneath the blasted top of the tower.

A suit of midnight black armor lays on the floor like a deflated wineskin with a two-handed Dane ax embedded nearly to the haft in the left shoulder. The final blow that defeated the last guardian of the mad mage. But magic stirs in the dust-filled circular chamber. It coalesces into a thick purple fog that hovers over the inert shell of the once mighty warrior. It travels up the heavy steel boots along the greaves that protect the shins and over the riveted plates of the knee guards. It seeps into the collapsed chainmail that covers the gaps and is under the steel plates. The magic travels along the breastplate and steel shoulder guards and sinks into the mailed areas of the neck, armpits, and elbows. A great helm rests at the top, and the magic falls into the narrow rectangular eye slits and the tiny holes above the nose and mouth. Magical runes etched with skilled hands into the steel began to glow, and the armor twitched as its limbs took the shape of heavy muscular arms and legs. The breastplate and back armor expanded, and the suit rose.

What was once a deflated piece of armor now had the appearance of a formidable warrior, heavy in body and girth. Every inch of its six-foot frame was covered in steel, mail, and hardened blackened leather. No flesh could be seen, nor was there any under the armor to begin with. Only purple magical energy solidified and disappeared inside the armor. Some of it oozed out of the warped plates where the ax blade was still stuck. The magic dissipates into the air.

The great helm tilted, and its rectangular eye slits looked at the ax. With strong arms, it yanked the weapon out, and the damage repaired itself, sealing the magic inside. The armor studied its hands and body and glanced around the room. He could not recall where he was, his name, or how he got here. His memory was shrouded in fog, but one thing was clear. He was a warrior. He was familiar with using the ax in his hands, though a distant memory told him he preferred the longsword. He raised his gauntleted hands to touch the plated front of his great helm. He reached and felt the back of his neck, which was covered in mail. He tried to remove the helm, but it was like he was trying to remove a part of him. It was not possible. The armor shook his head, not understanding.

He searched the dimly lit surroundings. The only light seeped in from the doorway behind him. It was faint, and the chamber was mostly shrouded in darkness. Red light illuminated the room, and when he looked at his hands, he saw that the light came from his eyes. He shrugged his plated shoulders as he recognized that he had abilities. He could will the light on and off. Interesting, he thought.

With the illumination, he noticed the skeletal remains of the fighter that must have stuck the ax into his shoulder. It lay just before him, a heap on the ground covered in rotting padded armor. Judging from the look, the remains appeared to have once been a mighty warrior. The armor turned his attention to the ax. As he studied it, he noticed runes faintly glow along the wooden haft and a narrow curved blade at the top. The sharp edge extends behind the haft so the weapon can slice and stab. It was a large weapon meant to be held in two hands. As he studied it, he became alarmed as a message appeared in his vision.

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ARMOR: MAGIC REMAINING 98.25%

ITEM IN HAND: ENCHANTED DANE AX

A TWO-HANDED WEAPON SUITED FOR CHOPPING AND SLICING. THE CURVED BLADE THAT ENDS IN A POINT CAN BE USED TO IMPALE AS WELL. THE BLADE IS THINNER AND LIGHTER THAN A WOODSMAN AX, WHICH IS DESIGNED TO CUT WOOD. DO NOT USE THIS AX TO CUT WOOD! IT IS A TOOL FOR WAR. THIS WEAPON HAS BEEN ENGRAVED WITH RUNES THAT PROVIDE IT AN ENCHANTMENT THAT ENHANCES ITS SHARPNESS FOR BATTLE. AGAIN, DO NOT CHOP WOOD. THAT WOULD DAMAGE THE EDGE AND POTENTIALLY RUIN THE RUNES, WHICH WILL THEN REMOVE THE ENCHANTMENT.

THE CURVED BLADE ALLOWS IT TO HOOK OPPONENTS AND THROW THEM OFF BALANCE. IT CAN ALSO BE USED TO LOWER SHIELDS. THE WEAPON IS WEIGHTED ON THE BLADE END, WHICH ALLOWS FOR MORE POWERFUL SWINGS BUT WITH A SLOWER RECOVERY. THE VERSATILITY OF THE CURVED BLADE ALLOWS FOR THRUSTING ATTACKS FOR GREATER REACH.

The knight shrugged his shoulders. It knew this about axes, but learning about the enchantment was helpful. He was curious about the magic remaining in his armor. If he used abilities, like repairing himself or creating glowing eyes, it might reduce his magic. He shuddered to think what would happen if it reached 0.0%. The chamber held nothing of interest other than the remains of the warrior before him. There were two exits. The bent steel door behind him and an open archway in front of him. The archway glowed, and he was compelled to go through it. Curious, he studied the archway, and another message appeared in his vision.

ARMOR: MAGIC REMAINING 98.25%

QUEST: SAVE THE GIFTED ONE

GIFTED ONES ARE RARELY BORN. THEY ARE GRANTED TREMENDOUS POTENTIAL AND ARE SOUGHT AFTER BY POWERFUL BEINGS THAT WISH TO CONSUME THEM. YOU MUST FIND AND PROTECT THE GIFTED ONE FROM HARM. THAT IS YOUR PURPOSE!

He was curious about the steel door and wanted to explore, but when he turned, he felt a force push him toward the archway. He could not remember who he was, but the compulsion irritated him. He recalled that he did not like being told what to do, and in fact, he used to be a leader! He bowed his head, resisted the compulsion, and forced himself toward the metal door. There was some resistance, but he overcame it and was free to do what he chose.

Through the door was a winding stairwell that led to the top of the tower. The roof had been blasted off, and the knight was greeted with fresh air and the night sky. The moon bathed everything in a silvery light. The stones on the roof were scorched black from a powerful explosion, and the knight saw six additional skeletal remains. These were not as preserved as the one in the chamber below. Many of the bones were scattered, broken, and charred beyond recognition.

The magical suit of armor searched the remains, and all were destroyed from the ancient explosion. He saw damaged weapons and gear, and one of the remains stood apart from the rest. It looks like a group of adventurers was fighting a mage, the knight thought to himself, unsure how he knew that. Something from his past, perhaps? His curiosity satisfied, he followed the slight nudging toward the archway.

The knight walked down through the twisting corridors of the tower. He recognized the traps and the battles fought with the other defenders, and they were familiar to him. The concept of an adventurer that included raiding mages’ towers and dungeons was something that he could recall and understand. He shrugged his broad steel-covered shoulders and exited the building out into the meadow.

He felt a nudge urging him to head east, and the message appeared again.

ARMOR: MAGIC REMAINING 98.25%

QUEST: SAVE THE GIFTED ONE

GIFTED ONES ARE RARELY BORN. THEY ARE GRANTED TREMENDOUS POTENTIAL AND ARE SOUGHT AFTER BY POWERFUL BEINGS THAT WISH TO CONSUME THEM. YOU MUST FIND AND PROTECT THE GIFTED ONE FROM HARM. THAT IS YOUR PURPOSE!

The knight accepted his fate. Magical ax in hand, he trudged in the direction of his quest.