Would a World of Gods be any less violent than a World of Men?
Such a fascinating question. Throughout the ages, ambition and a need for wealth and resources have driven entire societies to destroy themselves in the bloody path of conquest, shedding their blood to seize a sizable bounty... Or for a chance to shine upon history in a momentaneous blaze of glory. Because Man lacked Heaven, and feared the world beyond death, they sought in every way they could ways to rise above their peers and grasp a distant utopia, regardless of the price they would have to pay.
But, what if in a world no more than a distant dream, did Heaven descend to grant unto Man its blessings? Would a world where the Gods speak and the humans listen drive the ambition out of human hearts?
Or... Would the envy of those superior to mortality, drive humans to ever more destructive lengths to sate their ambition?
---
Year 1215 of the Magna Byzantium Calendar
Mongolia
Forbidden Ruins
“For the record, this is going to get us killed.” A deep, sharp voice echoed through the cavernous chambers of a long hallway of black stone, three figures emerging into it as they turned a corner.
Only the pulsing red lines etched into the surface of the passage’s walls, as well as the flaming torch gripped in one of the three figure’s hands allowed them to see where they were walking towards, as they were so far underground that no sunlight could pierce through the layers of earth and obsidian that rested above them.
The first figure continued, glaring at the other two’s nonplussed expressions. His eyes, a gleaming gunmetal that reflected the orange sparks coming from the torch, curved with exasperation. “Forget what the Khan will do upon hearing that we broke into the Forbidden Ruins, the village is going to go nuts and burn us to the stake. I know I said fearing Death is silly, but don’t you think we should wait before going to the Sky Father-”
“Just can it, Tai.” The figure’s words were cut off by a rather unmanly yell, as a pale hand reached out from the dark to pull on the man’s single long braid of black hair, curling it around their fingers and causing him to twist towards the grip. “If what Zelme unearthed is true, then I don’t give two shits about what the Sky Father thinks.”
“I suppose doing heresy of the highest order would attest to that…” ‘Tai’ chuckled, still grimacing from the pain. “I’m just saying, however good you might think I am in a fight, there’s no way we’re getting away with fighting thousands of men if this fails, Jin.”
“...I understand why you’re worried.” All at once, the man felt his hair being let go of, a decidedly feminine sigh following the action as the second figure withdrew their hand and stepped closer to the torchlight, their face coming into view.
Pink lips turned pale as they thinned into a determined line, and Tai couldn’t help but stare at the golden eye that looked his way, its other pair obscured by a mane of long black hair. “Trust me...” ‘Jin’ spoke, her voice soft yet severe with the weight of someone willing to face the threat of murder with little hesitation. “We will not fail.”
Tai shifted on his feet, letting the silence stretch as he stared back at the girl’s eyes. Because of their difference in height, the tall man had to look at her properly. His lips twitched, as if he didn’t know how to respond to her, until…
“Oh Tengri damn it, we don’t have time for this bullshit!” The third figure barrelled right into the pair, causing them both to yelp as he seized them by the shoulders and pushed them forwards, his messy brown hair almost catching onto the torch’s flames if not for his quick sleight of hand in pushing it aside.
“...I suppose we don’t have time to discuss life or death, yeah.” His gaze averted from Jin’s eyes, he was quick to respond to the third figure’s actions. “Not when we’re in a suicidal trip like this, right Zelme?”
“Can you stop being a cynical smartass for a second, Subutai?” Zelme sighed deeply, addressing the man by his full name as he looked on ahead. “Look, we’re almost there.”
“...!?” His comment appeared to startle Jin the most, because ignoring the other two’s cries of warning the girl broke into a run towards the darkness, her silhouette highlighted by the glow of the wall’s red lines.
“Oh Sky damn it- Subutai, go after Temujin before she gets herself ki-” Before he could finish his words, Zev blinked as the man quickly threw him off and dashed ahead, leaving him in the dark as he carried off the torch with him. “...Of course he’d go immediately.” The man shook his head, a bitter tone in his voice.
Zelme sighed, hands inching towards the unlit torch strapped to his waist, but in the end the brown-haired man let out a curse and followed the torchlight in the distance, albeit at a slower pace than his two companions. I’m hardly their match as a warrior, after all.
Still, a smile grew on his face as the man chased after his two friends into the darkness, every step taking them further down the depths of the ruins that had been proclaimed forbidden to enter ever since the Sky Father entered these lands and its creatures declared it to be a ‘Source of Great Evil’.
But, if what Zelme had discovered was true, then this Great Evil was also a source of Great Power, and the ‘evil’ part may have been a mere exaggeration by the Gods. Even if it wasn’t, though…
...He didn’t doubt for a second that it would fail to stop Jin, not if it meant the girl could achieve what she dreamed of.
But, in his haste to guide his friend towards this forbidden secret and ignoring the cries of the Gods, Zelme -and indeed, his two friends- failed to realize that power would not be the only thing that their actions would bring to the world. As they raised their hands in defiance to destiny, such an act would not just change their fates…
...It would change the world.
---
The Year is 1214 of the Magna Byzantium Calendar, and over a millennium has passed since the greatest empire in the region of Europa rose to prominence, contesting the power of the Ancient Empires of the East. Freed from the hegemony of the Asian powers, new cultures then spread throughout the continent, forming Covenants of their own to populate their lands with magic.
100 Years Ago, the Arthurian Empire, a nation whose leader had formed a Covenant with the Fae of Phantasmagoria, fell apart into a region of warring factions, with the islands of Albion the ones where the fighting became the heaviest, sinking its realms into Chaos.
With the fall of King Arthur, the Empire’s great neighbouring states swept in to seize the now lawless lands into their domains, swelling with new territory and riches while stripping the Fae and Arthurian men of their own. Skandians swept in from the North, the Imperial Hellenics from the East, and the Sun King’s forces took great tracts of land in the South.
A century has passed, and the glory of united Albion lies forgotten. The lands of Anglia are now nothing more than lawless domains or those where the people in power rule with an iron fist. The Welsh Kingdom of Draconia, the Kingdom of Eire and the Kingdom of Alba are impoverished by the instability of their neighbouring lands and pirates across the seas, which attack their trade and grow rich from stealing from their harvests.
Once the center of the world, Anglia has almost become a ruin, and if the chaos continues it will soon become nothing more than a land of ashes where no creature, Man, Monster or God will inhabit to care for its land or nurture it with life. If nothing is done, the sun will soon set upon its people.
All over its lands, the people of Albion cry out in discontent. They call for someone to save them, and once more save them from their terrible malady. With hunger, fear and hope in their hearts, they cry out to the sky:
Who? Who will be the one to deliver us from our suffering?
Who shall be the one to claim Albion, as Arthur once did?
Who shall be… Our Hero?
---
“William, watch your flank!”
The shout cut through the air, and at that same time the sound of steel digging into flesh echoed across the dense air of the forest.
“Gotcha!” You stepped away, withdrawing your blade from the whimpering creature before you in one fluid movement as you turned to deflect the other creature of its kind that had thought to ambush you from the side, the blunt edge of your sword smacking it dead center on its head, causing it to tumble along the ground from the impact.
Not that a sword to the face will do much to stop a Barghest from moving.
Normally, Barghests weren’t something that you had to worry about in the village- Even powerful as they were, a pack of Barghests wouldn’t wander into human territory unless they wanted to expose themselves against the cold iron of the guards’ swords.
This particular group, however, had been far too tempted by the prospect of human flesh and the apparent weakness of an isolated village, and so had stuck their snout where it didn’t belong.
You, as well as your mentor, were currently correcting that mistake.
Brandishing your sword against the Barghest that had been driven away, you snuck a glance towards its dying companion. The haggard black dog, wolf-like in appearance but for its pitch black fur and its maw which could stretch farther and bite tougher than any mortal canine, was quickly bleeding out from the deep slash wound on its side, and another cut on its leg would ensure it could only limp, but even if it was dying that didn’t mean it couldn’t fight.
Which meant that you needed to go on the offensive, lest the two monsters regain their coordination and get you in a two-pronged attack.
Cernunnos, bless this hunt. Offering a small prayer to the Antlered God, you leapt towards the recovering Barghest that attacked you and braced your sword for an attack. The Barghest was quick to answer when you drew close, its great maw pooling with eerie shadows as they snapped towards you.
A Barghest’s mouth was its most dangerous weapon. As a demonic creature, it was capable of manipulating the darkness in limited but deadly ways, such as to conceal itself when escaping from a greater foe or to summon a mass of shadows to manipulate in combat, such as turning into blades that could cut through flesh.
That was the action the fiend had taken against you, its powerful bite suddenly gaining new reach and deadliness as a length of blades appeared along its maw to descend upon your body.
However, you had already been expecting such a maneuver. With a contemptuous smirk on your lips, you easily halted your advance and side-stepped the Barghest’s leap. Left wide open for a split second, the Barghest could do nothing when you dived into his unprotected side and stabbed through its belly, sliding the blade and spilling its guts over the green grass.
As dark blood and shadows alike poured forth from the open wound, the monster’s legs trembled before it fell to the ground with a loud whine, and it dropped to the ground to bleed out.
You turned back to your first foe, only to find that the Barghest had decided to flee instead of aiding its packmate, the dog growling at you as its wounded body became enveloped in shadows that would take it back to whatever den it had claimed close by.
“Oh no you don’t!” You weren’t going to let some beast that had wanted to eat the village’s winter reserves get away. Flipping your sword, you gripped the weapon by the blade and promptly hurled it at the monster, years of your mentor’s well-rounded training giving practiced ease to your swing.
The blade struck true, burying itself right between the creature’s glowing red eyes. Said orbs widened briefly, trembling, before without a single sound the monster’s spell fizzled out of existence and it joined its slain companion in the embrace of death.
Heh, turns out training that move on the side did help after all.
“Well done, William.” As you were picking up your sword, your mentor’s voice approached, causing you to stiffen and turn back towards him with surprise. “Barghests may not be the strongest of Phantasmal Beasts, but they are still real monsters.”
“Teacher…” You stared at the man with a dumbstruck expression. “You’re already done?”
Your Teacher, Gallus, offers only a teasing smile on his wrinkled face. “Why are you surprised? I only had to fight four of them.”
You look behind them, and your face pales at the sight of the four canine corpses on the ground, whose bodies have been cut apart with mechanical precision.
“Unbelievable,” You shook your head, sheathing your weapon after you’d cleaned it of blood. “I don’t even know why you needed me when these fiends are no match for you, Teacher.”
“Oh, don’t be that way.” Gallus laughed lightly, clapping you on the back. “These old bones can’t keep up this kind of strain for long.”
Or so the man said, even as he strode in full plate and slung his longsword and steel shield behind his back.
Not for the last time, you wondered where the hell your Teacher came from, and why he decided to waste his time raising a nobody like you in a tiny isolated village, when he could be making a fortune serving someone like King Aedric or King Harold as a Royal Knight.
“Now, William.” Gallus’ voice broke you from your reverie, the man’s clear blue eyes turning away from the grisly scene and towards the forest. “Run back to the village and get some men so we can skin and butcher the Barghest corpses. Barghest meat makes for a fine treat, and their hides will make for fine cloaks, cloaks we could use when winter comes.”
You nodded, agreeing with his sentiment. With only a couple months before winter arrived, your people’s ability to patrol the outskirts of the village would become greatly diminished, not to mention their ability to hunt and forage for supplies and food. Barghest hides were notoriously thick and had the magical ability to isolate light and heat, making them ideal for moving safely in cold winter nights.
Still, looking back at him, you hesitated. “...Why don’t you go, Teacher? Not to downplay myself, but you’d probably get there faster…”
At that, Gallus laughed. “Asking an old man to run errands, boy!? Did they drop you on the head when you were born!?” You glared at that, something which Gallus noticed as his laughter petered out. “...Sorry lad, I shouldn’t have mentioned your family like that.”
“It’s alright… That wasn’t what I was angry about.” You sighed, shaking your head. You couldn’t even remember your parents’ faces- Gallus had taken care of you since you were a little kid, not even two years of age.
“I see.” Gallus chuckled. “Besides, there’s another reason you ought to go on your own.”
At that moment, Gallus’ smirk took a playful turn. “After all, didn’t you run off to help me out after ditching your girl at the village square?”
“She’s not my-” As you were about to deny his comment, however, your face quickly paled as the full meaning behind his statement sunk in.
Oh shit. You’d been so excited at the prospect of going hunting with your Teacher, that you’d completely forgotten to warn your friends you’d be missing.
Which meant that she would be…
“Alright,” You wheezed out, turning mechanically in the direction of the village. “Good work out there, Teacher. Now… I gotta go!”
As trees whizzed by, you jumped over the branches and roots in the way of your path, skillfully avoiding nature’s many obstacles on your desperate rush to get to the village before your chances of living through the end of the day became any lower than they currently were.
After all, while most of your village’s girls were already known for being able to fend for themselves and being generally scary, your childhood friend topped them all, what with being…
1) The child of a Fae, a half-breed capable of using nature magic.
Name: Cerenna
Age: 16
Level: 18
Skills: Nature Magic (B), Herbologist (C), Diplomatic (C),Staff Combat (C)
Future Artifact: Asklepian
2) Descended from Skandians, versed with a silver tongue, a mysterious ability to pop up whenever you don’t want to find her, and a disturbingly good talent for knifework.
Name: Flokia
Age: 17
Level: 18
Skills: Dagger Mastery (B), Silver Tongue (B), Stealth (B)
Future Artifact: Mistelteinn
...Maybe you weren’t completely screwed, though. After all, it’s not like you had left her completely on her own at the village to stew in her wrath while you inexplicably vanished into thin air. If all things were right, then your good friend should be keeping her calm before she decided to cast you into the depths of hell.
That’s right, surely he would have your back…
A) Robert, the son of the village’s greatest hunter whose talent is not too far from his father’s.
Name: Robert
Age: 18
Level: 18
Skills: Hunter (B), Sharpshooter (B), Survivalist (C), Scout (C)
Future Artifact: Failnaught
B) Edward, the son of an elder merchant that settled in the village after he deemed it too dangerous to keep travelling. A fellow apprentice, he is as skilled with economy as he is with the sword.
Name: Edward
Age: 17
Level: 18
Skills: Merchant (B), Swordsman (B), Scholar (C)
Future Artifact: Galatine
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Originally Posted by Mike1984
