Legend of the Fallen Warrior

							  Legend of the Fallen Warrior
								Author: Jason Lee
							Contact Info: l9jason95@yahoo.com
Prologue

  The dead stay dead, but in your case that isn't true.  You have experienced death and discovered that your life is as infinite as the heavens, but nothing good comes without a price.  On your first death the soul of a long dead tyrant attempted to possess your body, but due to your "uniqueness" it failed and is now fused with your being.  It speaks to you and it desires only one thing: Battle.

"Become the Legend I was and help me feel alive again."

You respond by opening your door and taking the first steps towards a new life.


Varik Grunts (Bandit)

  Of course, you have to start somewhere. You can't just go gallivanting into the Forest of Narsus and expect to make any meaningful progress.  Instead, you start simple:  A group of bandits under the name of Variks Avarice have been terrorizing your town of Old Hemlock for a few months now.  So, you go stir up some trouble with the Varik Grunts and hope someone notices.  Their hideout is very easy to find because they just don't care about hiding it or they are kind of stupid.  You started trouble with them by breaking a bottle over one of their heads.


Varik Soldiers (Bandit Thug)

  After your victory over the grunts you notice another group approaching. The Varik Soldiers have arrived and they aren't happy.  You stand in front of them and yell for them to stop. They turn and you can see these ones have actually been trained a bit. When they noticed the bodies, a laugh sounded out from the group.

  "You just beat up a bunch of potential recruits and think that you are some tough guy now, well let us show you what tough guys get around here."

All you do in response is walk towards them and start the battle.


Varik Marksmen (Bandit Archer)

"What in the name of Asmodeus are you? Why won't you die?"

  You stare as the soldier departs from this world.  You feel a pang of sadness over this but quickly remember these thugs are responsible for burning down New Hemlock and only the leaders of this petty gang know why. As you are thinking an arrow just barely misses you and hits a groaning soldier in the chest.

"Darn it, I missed. HEY, stay still!"

  Another marksmen stands behind the one who fired at the now dead soldier. They laugh at the dead and attack comrades, and they just continue to make things worse for themselves.


Varik Vulture (Bandit Plunderer)

  You might have been hit a few times but you are quickly discovering that immortality is a pretty huge advantage. Your kind of immortality is one where you never actually die, you just fall down and wake back up after your healing kicks in. The marksmen have been taken care of and now you continue deeper into their hideout.

  "Hey, did you have to kill them? I mean come on, do you know how long it takes to train a decent archer? You don't care do you? Well come here, I'm gonna teach about the wonderful ways of pain." He is surrounded by his posse of not very intimidating thugs.

As stoic as a tree you handle the words without a grimace and charge at the murderers.


Varik Evader (Bandit Assassin)

"Haha, that was fun, little pup. Go on and get killed already. Let me die alone!"

 The Buzzard was fast and strong but you were faster and stronger and with every victory you felt your strength growing.  Maybe you might make as much of a presence to be noticed by the Temple of Legends but that is far ahead and out of your league. The Voice returns:

  "Why are you fighting these weaklings? I need MORE than some weak group of bandits. Where are the Dragons, the Jotunn, and the Liches? Beat them and then maybe I could feel a little excitement."

The Voice sure is impatient. What makes it think you can fight a Lich? Anyway, better move forward.

The knife was just a little too slow and you ducked out of the way.

"Good, you aren't dead yet. Let us put you to rest, Immortal." He said the last bit with a sly sneer as if he believed you were faking it.


Variks Liar (Bandit Leader)

  The Evader thought he had you but it seems that immortality isn't your only gift, because it is becoming apparent that you are developing into a decent fighter as even the Evader couldn't pin you down.  The Evader lived up to his name though but was still defeated because where he had skill, you had endurance and patience.

 "The Lord is not going to like this at all. Ohh, lets get this over with. I know you will win but I am not going to just roll over and let you pass." Variks Liar growled at you as he pasted around the corner.

 This one seems weak, but don't let your eyes deceive you. The Liar is known as one of the best illusionist in the Seven Cities. He could end up slowing you down to the point where you just give up. So watch him and don't get distracted.


Variks Queen (Bandit Chief)

  The Liar had some nasty tricks up his sleeve,  multiple times he had refracted on image of himself in different directions causing you to slam right into the ground, wall, or table. He even managed to make you think your weapon became a snake which didn't last long.  Eventually, he fell just like the others and failed in his goal to stop you.  You are beginning to get lost in the euphoria of battle and find yourself loving the moment.  Another approaches.

 "Another worm dead, Our Lord is going to go ballistic."  She stands there wielding a massive battle ax and saunters over and begins to swing at you.  You just barely duck under her swing and she yells out. "Well, fight me or better yet, just stand there and die!"

No time to think, another battle has begun.


Lord Varik (Bandit Lord)

  She lay there bleeding out, "You are going to burn, even your immortality won't protect you from judgment."  She died sitting against a wall in a dingy hideout that smelled of alcohol and ginger.

  "You killed my wife, my friends, my soldiers, and my "fans". What in the name of Asmodeus has possessed you to attack our group so ferociously?" He almost seems to not actually care.

  For the first time you spoke to the murderer. "Not revenge, not for any righteous cause, not for glory, not for justice, but only for power. I wanted to fight and you were here. That is all."

  "Really? Well, you can have your fight, you animal. I will show why they call me LORD!" He is glowing and wields a spear fashioned of a green tassel and a bronze metal. He lunges at you and the battle begins.


The End of Lord Varik

  Just like the rest of his gang, he lay there bleeding and feeling woefully mortal. "How? How did you become immortal? Why you? Why not me? I DESERVE IT! I won't die like this! Not here, Not today!"

You spoke again, "Why did you burn down New Hemlock?"

  He grinned like a maniac, "How do you think I got this equipment? Sacrifices of family and blood gave me this. What did you do for your power, huh? Die? Well, would you kindly go do it again?"  His venomous words left his mouth and he died laying next to his wife.

  The Voice: "Hmm, I wonder why you became immortal myself, but I suppose we will have to wait for answers. Where to next? I want to see more and feel more."

  You just sat there resting and thinking "why you?". Now is not the time for introspection though, you need to feel battle again and the next viable place is the Forest of Narsus. After that comes Oz Jotnar and then... well its best just to move forward.


Forest Of Narsus

  You stand at the edge of the forest. This is it, the point of no return. It is said that those who enter the forest are cursed to never return home, you are here to prove them wrong.  The deep grime of the place really sticks out, every footfall ends in a snapped twig or a crushed leaf.  The smell of rot and the sound of insects fill your senses as your take the first tentative step into the Spider Queens territory.


Toxic Flies (Spider)

  As you enter the forest the sound of insects intensifies until you see a swarm of large flies.  There had to be hundreds of them and all of them around a foot and a half long.  When they noticed you they immediately began spitting at you; the substance was definitely acidic.  You took a while to reach them but when you did the swarm seemed to grow and infest the entire surrounding area.  It looks like you might be here for a while.

Voice: "Why are you fighting flies? Get a move on already! I want to see something more impressive than flies."


Stalker (Wolf)

  It took the rest of the day and part of the night to clear out the rest of the flies.  Maybe this wasn't a good idea, but it is too late to turn back now.  As you sneak through the darkness you notice glimpses of movement and slowly these glimpses become full views of the creature.  A wolf with dark and dirty hair, teeth dripping with saliva, and eyes that looked bloodshot.  It howled and the sound was like a groan from a much larger creature.  It dashed off into the woods but common sense tells you that it is still around.

 Just as you it would, it comes dashing from your right and attempts to tackle you and the fight for survival has begun.


Alpha Stalker (Bear)

  Voice: "What a poor doggy. Did you have to kill it? Try to tame the next one." It sounds bored and gives off the impression of someone lazily drinking tea.

  You ignore the Voice and continue to walk through the forest.  At this point you are starting to see glimpses of Oz Jotnar through the canopy. So, you climbed up a tree and watched the surrounding area for a bit.  It is almost sunset and the trees seem to stretch for miles around you and only stops when you look at the mountain or at your home, Old Hemlock.  It is massive and towers over the forest like a dictator imposing its power over the weak.

  After resting for a bit you decide to climb down and continue your journey.  When you touch the ground you immediately notice how quiet it has gotten and alarm bells start going off in your head.  Another wolf has appeared, but different: Its gray hair hangs off of it in tatters and one eye seems to have left its home.  It is large, as big as a small house.  It makes no noise and starts attacking you.

Voice: "YOU HAVE TO TAME THAT!"

  You ignore the Voice again and focus on the battle.


Stalker Pack (Grizzly)

  After you managed to put the beast down you can tell that the battle isn't over yet.  The howling started after you killed the alpha, a sad, mourning howl.  The howls went on for several minutes until it went back to being frustratingly quiet and you started noticing eyes gleaming at you from the darkness.

Voice: "Well, good luck, see you in the morning!"

  Suddenly, Stalkers were everywhere snarling, barking, and snapping at you.  It is going to be a very long night.


Jumping Spider (Troll)

  The sun has risen and you stand among the dead pack of Stalkers but just as you begin to rest another creature comes.  It seems that this forest really doesn't like you.  Its legs are at least around 3 and half feet long and its body suspends above the ground like a chandelier.  The hiss that came from its maw was painful and seemed to be trying to make your eardrums rupture.  You start charging it but it just jumps into the trees and continues screeching at you.

Voice: "Great, now we are chasing spiders. What's next, pigs?"

  You grumpily chase the spider and find yourself surrounded by others of the same species.

Voice: "Well, I am going back to bed. Wake me when you done with your friends."

  You charge and the battle begins.


Spider Beast (Forest Troll)

  Forget last night, today was unbearable. Being chased through the forest by a legion of man-eating spiders is significantly worse than dealing with Stalkers.  A couple of times you ended up snagged in webs or pinned by a few who got too close.  You survived though which is why you are now laying on the ground gasping for air and hoping for a nights rest.

Voice "It sounds like you finally finished. Was it fun? Did you meet new friends? No? Well then, get back to moving. We shouldn't stop here." Its voice was amused at your situation and was intentionally chiding you to get you to retort. You hold back because it is just a powerless voice in your head. You don't need to seem insane by talking to voices in your head.

  You begrudgingly stand up and get back to walking and the next thing that appears better not be a spider, if it is Asmodeus bless this forest because you might just burn it down.  Startled from your seething something large pins you down.  Its a spider because of course it is. Its eyes gaze at you with disgust and you return mutual disgust.  It is much larger than the others and also stronger.

Spider Beast: "Why are you here, bug? To kill my brothers and sisters? Are you after my Queen? It doesn't matter, your actions have been barbaric in nature. You must be put down." It spoke through a guttural hiss and its "voice" seemed to be furious. You ignore the fact that every creature here has attacked you first because you did come here looking for a fight.

  It lifted its leg off of you and proceeded to bite you but having been in battle non-stop since you started this journey, you know to roll out of the way and begin the counterattack.


Narsus (Spider Queen)

  That was a very angry spider and you are quite sure why.  You didn't intend to come here and murder legions of spiders that are related to an insane and brooding giant tarantula.  Also, you are growing into the Voices impatience and possibly part of its blood lust so make sure that you are still sane and not a raving murderer.  You actually managed to get some rest after the fight at least and you are closer to the mountain.

  As you are walking you start noticing an increased amount of spider webs, you groan in frustration at the fact that you will have to deal with another spider.  Lo and behold, the perpetrator appears; A giant black widow where the top half of its body is an old crone.  She might have been beautiful once but she has not aged gracefully.  Her gray hair is falling out and one of her eyes are blotted out by cataracts.  When she turned towards you she started cackling, yep and just like a witch too.

Narsus: "Ooh, are you the one rampaging through my home? Hmm, I was hoping to get cleaned up a bit before you got here. I hope you don't find me too old."  She laughed particularly loud after that.

Voice:  "Wow, watch out for the train wreck over there."

Narsus: "Now, now, no need to be rude."

Voice: "Well, look who has ears."

  Wait, she heard the Voice. You finally have a reason to talk. "How can you hear it?"

Narsus: "Oh, child, I hear everything. This is my forest after all, nothing escapes me." She grinned pretty evilly after that last bit.

  "Do you know what this Voice is?"

Narsus: "No, and I don't care. I just want to kill you now."

  "Hold on, can you at least answer my question?"

Narsus: "I won't answer the questions of the beast who murdered my children."

  "They attacked me, this whole forest is against me."

Narsus: "Yep, but I could feel your intentions on even before you stepped foot here. So I am going to kill you."

  "Hold on-"

She started weaving a web and covering the area making it hard to move.  The fight has begun and nothing can stop it.


Jotunn Scout (Troll Leader)

  She just started laughing and didn't stop until her throat filled with blood, then she coughed it out and laughed some more.  You were hoping to ask some questions but she seems pretty tied up right now.  You leave the area and out of the range of that cackle, but soon find yourself at the base of Oz Jotnar.  The largest mountain in the region that is part of a one thousand mile long chain of mountains effectively cutting off the lands of Etheria from its sister Zyzx.

  You finish gawking and notice a 8 and half foot tall beast walking towards you.  It is not sneaking or walking in an aggressive manner but you are on guard anyway.  When it was ten feet away it stopped and started to speak.

Jotunn Scout: "State your business, traveler." Its voice sounded like rocks rumbling in a bag made of marble.

  You appreciate that it didn't attack you on sight and chose to respond:  "I seek the Temple of Legends, and plan on attempting the Rite."

Jotunn Scout: "Oh really, then as a Prospective Legend, you won't mind if I send word to my King." You don't like where this is going.

 You: "Actually I was hoping to go through without any problems."

Jotunn Scout: "Ha, Legends are problems and we are also compelled to stop anyone from attempting the Rite." He took a stick out of his belt , raised his arm and pointed the stick towards the sky then pulled a string at the bottom of the stick.  The sound was deafening and a red light shot into the air.  "Now they know you are here, have fun."

  You respond by attacking him and starting a battle.


Oz Jotnar (Mountain)

  Why is that wherever you go someone wants to kill you?  To be fair, you started the fight with bandits, and you were on forbidden territory in the forest, but this time it isn't even your fault.  You sought peaceful passage and still have people wanting to kill you.

Voice:  "Get over it, this is the life of a Legend. For grand power you have to sacrifice something and in this case you have to sacrifice all social contact."

You: "You could have told me sooner, then I would have lived my life instead of taking other lives."

Voice: "If I did that I would be trapped in mediocrity and die of boredom. Now quit whining, there is no turning back now."

  You sigh and continue the walk to the mountain path. At the start of the path is a giant arch which has an engraving on the top: "This path was made for humans by Jotnar under the treaty put in place by Archon Harghest."

Voice: "Harghest? He became the Archon?"

You: "Well, yeah but that was around 450 years ago.  It seems that the Jotnar have taken good care of it."

Voice: "450 YEARS!? I've been dead for that long! Oh my god, my kingdom, my soldiers, Mariah, all of them gone. We have to keep moving, rebuild and bring back the my Legend. When was the last Legend around?"

You: "Close to 23 years ago, she is the one who built Old Hemlock and also made sure the Forest of Narsus never overtook any other cities."

Voice: "Then it sounds like its about time for a new Legend. Go, I have your back for this one and if you succeed you can have whats left of my kingdom."

You: "I'm sorry abou-"

Voice: "Don't, none of that. I am fine and need no sympathy."

  You then walk past the arch into the long winding path of Oz Jotnar.


Jotnar Ambush Squad

  You don't like this place; there are too many caves to hide in that are looming over the path and you are starting to hear what sounds like drums but very distant.  Someday you will get to have a moment to relax but for now it is best to just enjoy the excitement of being hunted.

  After a few more minutes of walking and losing a bit of focus, you trip on a near-invisible wire which caused spikes to fire from the  mountain wall and fire to burst from the ground.  You are inexperienced with traps but you have no trouble weathering the damage and decide to just lie still and let your wounds heal. Thirty seconds passed and you flipped yourself over to find a Jotunn falling towards you, you roll away and the Jotunn's knee slammed into the ground leaving a small crater.  That would have hurt.

 The Jotunn quickly recovered and faster than a creature of that size should move climbs the mountain wall where it then hides in a cave.  Right as it reaches a cave, another Jotunn sneaks up behind you and attempts to shank your kidney.  You quickly spin around and disarm the assassin and then throw him to the ground.

  It looks like another fight has begun, best of luck to you.


Long Range Extermination Squad (2)

  After stepping on a hundred caltrops, falling into a spike pit, and having poison launched into your face you managed to eliminate the rest of the ambushers.

Voice: "Oh what fun, and to think you are only a few miles into the mountains. Don't stop now"

  You sigh and continue walking down the long rocky path.  You finally get the chance to view your surroundings; to your left is a steep drop that leads into a deep stone valley and your right is too steep to climb without gear but you can still see many caves and drops above you.  In front of you is a perfect view of the sunset and the mountains reaching out as far as you can see. The clouds dance atop many of the mountains and you can smell crisp clean air.

  Then you hear a snap and a buzz like a bee flying by your head and you see a glint of light far ahead on the path. Whatever it was it missed and now you need to burn rubber chasing down the attackers.

Voice: "All these new weapons, how did the trolls learn to make these?"

  You wince at the racist comment and quickly shoot off, "Hey, don't be racist." Then continued running towards battle.


Berserker Shock Squad (3)

  They were pretty far away and you got hit a couple of times; it was like being hit by someone swinging an oak tree, but you managed to reach them and end them.  You collapse and stare at the sky for a while.

Voice: "How is what I said racist?"

You: "They aren't trolls, they are Jotnar and Jotnar were dealing serious slavery issues around 90 years ago until one Jottun became a Legend and warred with humans until they were freed.  My great-grandfather would tell me over and over about that war because it was important to him that the Jotnar live in relative peace."

Voice: "Since when did humans start caring about rights for other species?"

You: "We started caring when they started killing us, lets just move on."  Race issues were never fun and your family hated discussing them as it just brought up old war wounds.

You stand up and follow the path some more until after twenty minutes you walk into a group of Jotnar.

The one with two heads spoke first. "Okay, here is the deal, human. You fight each of us one at a time and if you win you can keep walking but if you lose I get to cook your bones and suck out the marrow. How does that sound to you?"

You: "I actually prefer it this way, so who's first?"

"Me, I am Dun Lu Weg of Iron Two Heads. My two buddies are Ket Nen of Org Bigfoot, and Ver Bert of Trout Watcher. We are the Berserker Shock Squad off-duty edition."

You: "It is nice to speak with someone before they try to kill me but I am itching to fight so lets get this show on the road."

Weg: "With pleasure." He then unsheathed a massive great sword and started roaring. You were eager to start the battle and began charging him.


Berserker Shock Squad Captain, Rend Grest (4)

  They were strong like gorillas and fast like lightning but you are immortal and could take a lot more damage than they could dish out.  It still took two days to beat all three of them and by the end, Dun Lu Weg was awake and watching the fight.

Weg: "You know, I thought I would hate fighting an immortal but that was a lot of fun, come back some time soon and we'll fight again. Also, good luck with my captain he is a handful."

You shake the hand of the bloodied Jottun and continue on the path.

"MY TURN!" A massive Jotnar, even for Jotnar standards, stands in front of you. "I AM REND GREST OF BULLY BOXERS! PUT UP YOUR DUKES!"

You step back, unsheathe your weapon, and realize that this mass of muscle is going to fight you with just his hands. His fist collides against you forehead, knocking you twenty feet away and onto your back.

Voice: "ASMODEUS BLESS, WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS THAT?"

  You quickly get up, still dazed and rocked, but ready.  Rend is already in front of you and wheeling his fist back. Good Luck.


Artillery Squad #1-9 (5)

  Five days. Five days to beat that monster.  He never tired, never stopped, and was always aggressive.  Five days to wear him down and best him.  Even the Voice was giving you advice and if it didn't you probably wouldn't have beaten him.  At some point, he picked you up and tossed you down the mountainside.  He then jumped at you and fought you in mid-air.  That crazy Jottun is now sitting in front of you... laughing.

Rend: "OH MAN, YOU FIGHT GOOD. REND COMMENDS LITTLE WARRIOR. KEEP FIGHTING. MY SQUAD IS WITH YOU NOW."

You: "I'm sorry but I have to make this journey alone. I will be back for a rematch, though."

Rend: "OKAY, I WAIT. I GET STRONGER. YOU GET STRONGER. REMATCH OF THE AGES!"

Voice: "That guy was fun maybe the trolls have changed."

You wave goodbye, and climb back up the mountain to your path.  You rest for several days because Rend is a very exhausting Jottun.

The sun rises over the crest of the Endless Ridge and you see the clouds part way for the light. You continue your journey.

Until... *pop* *whistle* *bang*

Several meters in front of you a crater appears into existence along with a powerful shrapnel shock wave.  The shock wave is nothing compared to the strength of Rend Grest's fist but it was enough to push you back.  You weather the blast and try to find the source and suddenly another explosion happens. Then another... and this goes on while you are dodging and running to the source of the popping sound.

In a huge crater you see nine groups of four Jottun surrounding their own machines. They see you and start firing their elongated pipes at you.  The fight has started.


Jottun Main Infantry (6)

  Your body is pockmarked with dozens of holes from the weapons they were holding. You watch the metal chunks get pushed out of your body and the holes slowly heal leaving little evidence that you just had a hole in your body.  You don't even sit to rest this time because you are ready to get as far away from this mountain as you can.  You are tired of dealing with weaponry you don't understand.  In the crater you find a tunnel and decide it is the best path.

Voice: "I don't understand all these new weapons, they remind me of the Archmages of my days but they had to harness their soul... not pipes.  This isn't magic though, I can smell the hand of tech and a superior intellect and I don't like it."

You:  "I actually haven't seen any of this before either, but I have heard rumors of Jotnar wielding sticks of lightning and fire. I never expected anything less than magic."

Voice:  "Its reminds of a story I read before I died, Archmage Cerbentus, who lived around 2400 years ago, managed to somehow render entire continents into storming, burning lands of ash.  I spent decades looking for that magic but I found no evidence of it, oh there was evidence of the devastation though. This tech might be what I was looking for."

You nod and focus on the path ahead, thoughts of grand power float through your mind and allow you a moment to daydream.

After a few hours of walking you begin to hear the telltale clang of an army and the tunnel opens up and you walk into a massive cavern.  it is hundreds of feet long and hundreds of feet wide, you can just barely see the ceiling looming over you, but more alarmingly is what is in front of you.  Hundreds of Jotnar preparing for war and you seem to be their target.  When one set his eyes on you, he yelled for the alarm and the battle begun.


Regent Cair Lorn (7)

Voice: "I can't believe you actually fought them all!" The voice cackles madly within your head and it doesn't seem to be close to stopping.  You admit to yourself that you just had more fun than ever before and you silently accept that you are going insane.  You turn look at the mass of unconscious, injured and dead that you left in your wake and you walk away solemnly.  When you turn around you saw something strange; a woman.  She was your height and looked like a goddess of battle covered head to toe in tattoos.  The markings seem to be dozens of wolfs dancing across her.

Cair Lorn:  "Quit staring, I know why you are here, let's get this over with." She spoke much like the Jotnar but with a grace that they couldn't ever reach.

You stop contemplating as she lunges at you and tosses what looks like a pineapple at your feet.  You have been here long enough to learn to kick things they throw at you away.  It soared away and exploded against the cavern wall causing a series of tremors.  She doesn't stop for a second and continues her battle with you.


Deep King Tar Nuk (8)

Cair Lorn: "Stop you win, follow me. Be quick about it!" She gets up turns towards the tunnel she came from and you follow her quickly away from the ensuing cave-in.

Cair Lorn: "You have one last challenge and then we will grant you admittance to continue your Rite."

  She spoke quickly and didn't allow conversation. She led you into what you imagined a Throne Room to look like.  Columns lining the path towards the throne are adorned with banners that have the symbol of a Jottun fighting a dragon.  You walk upon a red carpet with golden embroideries that have a very arcane look to them.  At the throne is what you assume to be is the king.  The one in the chair stands up and walks towards you unsheathing two daggers with a chain connecting both of them.

Tar Nuk: "Fight and you will have your answers." He spoke with the command of a true leader and you felt compelled to fight him.  Your excitement rose with your weapon and you answered with a stable stance and a steady stare.

  He charged with as much ferocity as the regent but this time he was too fast for you.  No matter, you have dealt with fast fighters before.  He isn't just trying to wear you down though, you could get tossed around like a sack of rice by him.  You are patient and take your time understanding his movements and then you struck.


Oz Jotnar Epilogue

The Voice:  "I have never seen a troll fight like that, I wonder where he learned that from?" Its voice rung like a bell within your head, is it getting stronger?

  You grunt as a response and you grab Tar Nuks hand and helped him to his feet.

Tar Nuk: "That will do just fine. What do you want to know?" He is bloodied but able-bodied.  He is calm and relaxed but you can tell that he was pushed to his limits in that fight.

You: "Why go to all this trouble to stop me? I thought the Journey was considered by Jottun as an honorable path."

Tar Nuk: "It is, but due to many False Legends we have had to up restrictions.  We didn't intend to send our whole army against you but my regent started getting afraid that you were sent to kill me."  He laughed at that while the regent glared at him. This must have been a very stressful week for them what with you tearing a swath of destruction through their territory. His laughter died down and he looked you in the eyes.  "I am sorry to say that you won't be able to stay here. You have to go straight to the next part and I wish you the best of luck. Follow the regent she will show you the path."

You: "Wait, do you know anything about the Temple of Legends? I  have heard very little about it and I would like to know about my destination."  You are starting to get annoyed with all the shuffling around and this goose chase is starting to seem endless.

Tar Nuk: "No, I don't know anything and even if I did I wouldn't tell you anything as I am held down by a very strict set of rules. Now leave, I have a kingdom to mend." He walked away from you and into the tunnel you came from.

Cair Lorn: "We need to get moving and fast. The doorway will only be open for so long." She turned and walked behind the throne to open a door, she waved you to follow. You try one last time to get some info.

You: "Where are we going?"

Cair Lorn: "To meet the Legend of the Ancient Dreamer himself, but you will do that alone. I am taking you to the entrance of his home; Twisted Marrow, a cave system that stretches deep underneath Oz Jotnar for miles.  Don't worry about light, some rocks there glow like fireflies. I don't know which Legend you are, but all of Jotnar needs you to succeed.  You destroyed our army and beaten our best soldiers, if you fail you will make us a target of every Jottun tribe in The Fold."  She doesn't really like you it seems but it sounds like she trusts you. As she finished talking you walked into a cavern with a metal door at the other end. "This is where I leave, remember what I said. If you fail, I will find someway to make your eternal life as miserable as possible." With her kind words she walked away and left you with the tall steel door.


Twisted Marrow

The Voice: "Legend of the Ancient Dreamer? That is a children's story that my great-grandparents told me. He couldn't possibly be real, let alone alive.  I guess you have no choice though, she sounded serious." Its voice chuckled deeply and went silent suddenly, "Something is watching us, it knows I am here. Be on your guard for there is more to fear than a fairy tale here."

  You walk towards the door and pulled on its handle. As it slowly comes open a burst of hot, musty air fills the cavern. Yep, this is going to suck.  You look through the door and see patches of weak purple light scattered along the walls. You step in and then the door slams shut on you.  There is no way out except forward.

  Echo: "Who enters the Marrow?" The voice rung across the cave with no discernible origin. It was the slow patient voice of an old man.

  You: "A Prospective Legend. I am searching for passage to the Temple of Legends." Strangely, you felt no fear. The dim purple light wasn't strong enough to reveal the path or anyone watchers but you still felt no fear.

 Echo: "Then enter, Seeker. Find me and I will show you the way." You could feel the echo leave you and knew that you won't hear another word from it.

 The Voice: "I don't like this place. I feel the grasp of a Dreamwalker and I have no desire to let it in here."

Echo: "HOLD! Who enters with you? Seekers travel alone." The anger was evident in its shout and you could tell it was surprised.

You: "Did you hear The Voice? How?" You were merely curious as to how the echo heard your unknown companion.

 Echo: "That came from within you then. I will allow it but do not trust that Voice, it is poison." It left again with no evidence of its calming vibrations.

  You have a long dark awaiting you and have decided to just take it all in stride.


Depth Crawler (1)

  The tunnel was not big as it left a foot or two of space around you but it is roomy enough that you can still fight, hopefully. You began watching out for potential threats until... you heard the clicking before you could smell the stench of sulfur. For once, you are happy that your sight is limited and you steel yourself.

  It quickly sunk into the dim purple glow and you could see its bug-like exoskeleton was oozing a light green substance giving it a polished sheen. It moved like a millipede and sounded like a cacophony of raining pebbles. The closer it got, the more you backed off until you noticed it wasn't alone. Behind you, above you, and ahead of you these crawling abominations ambush you.

The Voice: "Okay, good luck. Wake me when you are out of this cave." You felt the sensation of The Voice throwing up its hands and leaving from where ever. It is getting stronger as you didn't get mental images of it before.

  Bugs aren't going to slow you down even if they smell like someone fell in an outhouse. You shake off the initial fear and begin the claustrophobic battle.


Fading Goblins (2)

  You crawl through the carcasses of those insufferable millipedes to escape into a less claustrophobic space.  You lean against the wall for a little while to catch your breath but the odor of your enemies is making that very difficult.  You resolve to just rest when you can no longer smell that sickness.  That is going to take a while.

  You take note of how the purple glow of the cave stones is slowly shifting into a greenish-blue glow that reminds you of stomach bile, perfect.  As if you needed a visual reminder of the feeling in your stomach; it seems this place was made to torture its trespassers. After who knows how long, you might've puked a few times but you are finally adjusting to the clashing colors and assaulting smells.

  Until you felt like something stabbed you in the leg when you kicked in the direction of the stab, you hit something.  A nasally voice moaned in pain then stood up and ran away.  You can't see where else it could have run to but decide to just keep moving forward until you were hit by another one.  Reacting the same way but this time getting a glimpse of the thing.  Its body was see-through like glass but when you hit it, its true form showed.

  Standing 3ft tall and holding the expression of the most terrified defenseless animal in existence, the goblin stood up and whistled.  You could already hear the reinforcements coming but you can't see from where.

  You shake off the shock of fighting an "invisible" enemy and begin defending yourself from the bombardment of old fruit and caltrops.


Star-Brite Golems (3)

  The goblins have obviously trained for siege scenarios as the caltrops were used to cut open small wounds while the old fruit would cause infections and disorient with the smell.  It worked on you for a while but you managed to regain your composure and "forget" your nose for a little while.  After fighting off, most of them the rest ran off howling their fear on their way through the walls. You don't know how they managed to move through solid matter as if it was air but you decide to be much more wary as you traverse these tunnels.

  The Voice: "BY ASMODEUS, WHAT IS THAT SMELL? It smells like someone is burning an old cabin filled with rotting food!" You guess that it is best that you are "used" to the smell and recognize the strangeness of the voice's sense of smell.

You: "How can you smell? Aren't you just the remnants of a soul?" You could feel the smirk on its face and felt a cold shiver down your spine. This is not good.

  The Voice: "Don't you have to worry about the bright lights ahead? Keep moving." The Voice "left" but you know it will come back.

  You decide to heed The Voice's advice and started watching the light ahead. It pulsed slowly and consistently every three seconds and at the azimuth of its brightness the purple glows in the wall shimmered with it for a split second. As you approach you began to see a figure within the light. Scratch that, many figures, all of them grouped together seeming to communicate with the light. They turned and the light immediately turned dark red while the purple glow on the wall left you alone with the crimson.

  This light made it easier to see the figures and you decided that Golems are best left in homes as workers, not in caves as soldiers. They all were around six and half feet tall with the light coursing through them like veins as their eyes glowed with an incandescent rage. They moved together and started trying to grab you, one managed to grab your foot as it fell. You are surprised at the strength it exhibited as if it held you for a second longer, your foot might have snapped.

  You shrug that shock off and start fighting them off. At least they don't smell.


Bannecs (4)

  At last, you stand among the rumble of the Star-Brite and push through the what is left of them.  Their lights have mostly died except for the gems in their eyes, you decide to take one of the gems in case it gets dark again.  The Golems were strong and smart but they lacked actual combat ability, you guess that they were a malfunctioning group that someone abandoned down here.  The gem in your hand is back to the bright white fluctuating glow and you place in it your pocket.

Unknown: "Did they wear you out? Poor child, maybe this journey isn't for you." The thing that spoke sounded like dozens of variations of angry and hateful. You could taste the malice in its voice and you can guess that this is something hunting you.

  You: "You can see me, so you can see that I am not worn out. You, whoever you may be, are wasting your time. I don't tire and this is my journey."  After your comment, you could hear its laughter rolling through the tunnels and in that moment the the walls of the tunnels began to fade away.

  You now stand within a large smooth room were all the walls are entirely without defects. You move to the wall and feel that it is still stone but so smooth that it seems to be an impossibility.  In the center of the room is a mass of flesh that strangely gives off no smell.

The Voice: "Hold, Do not approach. That is a Bannecs, a mass of magically enchanted flesh fused together with hundreds of the worst criminals in the lands. It has a singular conscious but it can split itself into a hivemind.  We have stumbled into its prison and are now its target." The Voice gave off no fear but worry crept through its voice and helped you to remember that if you somehow die, The Voice dies.

Bannecs: "Disgusting, why do you intrude our home? We smell the Tyrant on you, where is it? WE have a score to SETTLE!"  Its voice did not come from the rank mass of flesh but instead it comes from the walls surrounding you. With that a part of the mass split off from itself and began charging you while the rest of it started splitting into greater numbers.

  Once it split, the smell wafted from it and you started gagging.  Whatever it is, it has been here for a long time festering and rotting.  You are going to end this as fast as possible to escape the stench before you collapse into a mess of vomit.


Kholders (5)

  Every time you killed a part of the Bannecs it screamed. It sounded as if it thought you weren't going to not just kill it but wipe its existence from the face of this realm.  At the end of its ropes, it experienced fear on an existential level and reacted by turning its body inside out which emitted the full strength of its rotted stench.  That wasn't enough to stop you because you have been smelling horrible things since you got here. So, you struck it dead and when you did the walls started stretching and pulling in impossible directions and you ended up back inside the tunnel.

You: "OKAY, Why was that thing here and why does it exist?" You are becoming rightfully enraged at this situation and hope that The Voice can supply come sort of answer.

The Voice: "Finally got some teeth... good. As a "reward" I will answer your question.  You see, a Bannecs was something created in my time and it has been a very long since a new one was made. A group of mages focused on the proliferation justice called the Absolute had gathered at my court and they were demanding severe punishment for the worst of the worst.  You can't just kill the worst criminals, apparently, because of the Rule of the Necrotic which states that a being of significant evil and malevolence will come back to life.  I believe that this is just superstition but the Absolute would not give up.  So I settled, and helped them find a way to punish our worst criminals without killing them.  One Absolute named Grant Bannecs had suggested bringing them all together and binding them to each other with Necromancy. I was always a fan of Necromancy but I had obligations that stopped me from using it. I watched them torture and maim the criminals until they became a mass of perpetually rotting flesh. We accomplished our goal as they are now in a hell worse than death but we didn't expect Grant Bannecs to bind his own soul to it.  Grant was not a powerful mage but the concentrated evil mixed with Grants magically trained soul ended up making him into a pseudo lich. He escaped before we could stop him and he went around the lands creating more Bannecs, this was one of those Bannecs Grant created.  Okay, you happy? I'm going to bed."  With that you were left alone in the tunnels. You contemplated the story and felt that there was a lie or two in there but you just couldn't find where.

  You trudged forward through the tunnels intent on getting out of there. The tunnel has started winding left and right which is leaving you a bit disoriented.  Suddenly, you felt as if the air itself was made of lightning and it began to tingle all around you while a buzzing sound increased in volume as you moved forward. You started seeing a "layer" of white and black dots speckling your vision and when you blinked they increased in number. Up ahead, you felt a thing approach you and you could tell that its intention was to use you as dinner.

  You struck out and hit a solid mound which rung like a bell through your head and caused you to collapse. You quickly regained yourself and tried to find another way to fight it.


Living Walls (6)

  That damned thing was almost as annoying as this place smells as it had managed to stay just outside of your range long enough to bombard you with those unbearable sensations and led you into a trap of more of them.  You killed them eventually though and found that they are, basically, giant pill bugs with antennas coursing with lightning. You kick the bodies to the side and continue walking through the tunnel.

The Voice: "This place just loves throwing everything at you, doesn't it? Whats next, primates with psionic powers?" It was giggling slightly and was relaxed but disturbed at the same time.

You: "Please, don't give this place any ideas. How about something normal or at least not out of this world?" You decide that this place is as bad as the Forest of Narsus but with the extra problem of not being able to burn it down.

  As if on command, the walls changed into a fleshy substance and started breathing and squirming. Emaciated hands shot out from the walls and tried to grab you. You didn't have none of that though and immediately started destroying the hands that popped out. Each hand you destroyed caused the walls to start bleeding a bit more each time until you were ankle deep in the "juices". You decided to just run through until you could think of a way to kill it.


Keeper (7)

  It seems that the wall just didn't like losing all those hands and eventually everything turned back into the stone comforts of the Twisted Marrow. You wipe off the blood and rest for a bit.

The Voice: "I really hate this place but I can feel your fatigue. I guess you should rest but just know, I can only protect your sleeping body a little bit. Go ahead rest, you'll be "safe"." It was sarcastic and actually meant it at the same time and you were to tired to deny its proposition.

You: "I will be out for one hour and that's it.  How are you going to protect me?"

The Voice: "Like this" With that a shield formed around you. "I will only do this when you are sleeping, don't expect any more help than that."

You thank the Voice and nod off.

One Hour Later

You wake up in a larger place with a large statue in the center of the room. Symbols of unknown origins cover the walls and reach around the floors. If you look long enough, you start to little things running through the symbols working but you also start getting quite a migraine. So, you stopped staring and walked to the center of the room.

Statue: "Prospective Legend, stop and watch." The statue changed its form until it was in the shape of a giant ax-wielding orc. "It seems this is the beast that most wants to kill you right now. Defend yourself." The orc started to spin in place and wheel its way towards you with that ax aimed right at your neck

Well, this thing just got down straight to business and so the battle begins.


Legend of the Ancient Dreamer (8)

  Monsters... why do you have to fight monsters all the time?  The orc was at least something you are used to fighting even though it took a while to beat but it kept reforming when you destroyed it but you still stand victorious.

Statue: "You may pass and face your final Rite." It shut down and went back to its static position. On the opposite end of the chamber, the wall opened up into another large room. You walked in, prepared to face some great beast only to find an very, very old man sitting cross-legged in the middle of the room. There was light coming from the ceiling, you looked up to find a starry sky watching you.

Ancient Dreamer: "It has been a long time since a Prospective Legend has taken this path. I have watched these stars revolve around the sky tens of thousands of time since the last one came here. I assume you want to get this over with. I will answers your questions once you have beaten me." His voice was calm and soothing, a huge contrast to this place. You happily oblige the elder and take up your weapon.

  He walked towards you and got in a stereotypical karate stance. You attacked first and he reflected your attack back at you. This is not going to be fun.

Twisted Marrow Epilogue

  Counter after counter, you managed to eventually get through his defense only for him to tell you..."It is time to stop playing around." An aura project from his body and pushed you away as his strength was coursing through the very essence of his being, you collected yourself and prepared for the fight. Suddenly, the aura went away and left the old man by himself. "Just kidding, I can't fight like that anymore, come here, celebrate your victory."

The Voice: "What an impressive old man, I haven't seen something like that since I was a child." Its voice was filled with glee and excitement.

Dreamer: "Could you tell that Voice to shut up? I can't handle the incessant noise it has been causing." The Voice grew very annoyed but seemed to remember that it can't fight and promptly left.

You: "How did you do that? How are you still alive?" You couldn't contain your curiosity anymore and are actually quite happy to speak civilly for once.

Dreamer: "I was once the strongest unarmed fighter in Zyzx until I became a Legend and lost that strength to the endless sleep I have put myself into. You see, I only wake up when a Legend opens that door and my sleep has left me in a very decrepit state. As the Dreamer, my sleep keeps me alive and allows me to travel throughout the world but my physical body suffers and withers away. First, You have passed the Rite. The Twisted Marrow takes your mind and makes it try to kill you but you didn't just survive your own mind, you also survived the mind of that Voice that inhabits you. Your journey isn't over yet but are getting there. Your next will be challenge will be the Kharm Sheath Desert in the lands of Zyzx. It will be brutal but you can make it. Any questions?" He is very kind and allows you to relax before you ask.

You: "Do you know what Legend I am?"

Dreamer: "No." He smiled and you suddenly teleported to a desert, ggrreeeaaat.

The Voice: "Really? That old man is going to die someday and I will laugh long and hard when he does." The Voice stayed this time and just watched everything happen while you stood dumbfounded. You turn around and see the Fold stretching to the horizon behind and you look ahead and see nothing. Well, better get moving.


Kharm Sheath Prologue

  This world is a cruel place and the land of Zyzx is the nasty boil on the scarred face of Aetheria. Zyzx has always been this way and time has only made these lands harsher. From lands scorched by magic to homes corrupted by the presence of undeath, Zyzx has never known peace and all attempts have been horrid failures that only escalated the danger of these cursed lands. There are no history books that speak of why this place is the way it is but there are embers... memories of the lives that have been taken away by this hell and those memories are screaming to be found. Zyzx is the romantic land of adventure that, in reality, is home to the horrors of Aetheria.

  You walk over the dunes and through the heat only to find a forlorn solitude accompanying you. The heat isn't as bad as you thought it would be but the sand is coarse and gets everywhere. The storms feel like shards of shattered Thaumerite battering you with no hesitation and the cold bites like a venomous snake. You hold on though, for you are strong both of body and of mind but all walls crumble in time. Soon you might find that you are left wasting away for eternity in the dunes of Kharm Sheath.


Baby Dune Diggers (1)

  Dead silence stalks your every step and even The Voice can't speak beneath this pressure but all things come to an end and your lonely walk is interrupted by the sounds of the ground churning. You turn in the direction of the sound to find sand being shot fifteen to twenty feet into the air and its path is coming towards you. A long tan beast with thousands of razor sharp teeth and an armored carapace launches towards you from the ground.

  You quickly prepare yourself, only to find other "worms" coming towards you. You prepare for battle with greater haste and dodge just in time. Too thirsty to speak and too hot to care, you charge them and begin the battle.


Camel Spider Herd (2)

  The bodies of the worms lie still in the sands and their carapace makes them seem undamaged but you know their insides are torn apart. You watch the sun at high noon and curse at not having any shade, you might start missing the tunnels at this rate. Time seems to drag on as you walk through the dunes and soon you find yourself listening intently on distant sounds. You think you hear pebbles falling but you can't see the source but you find out that it isn't pebbles.

  Camel Spiders are nasty little buggers that maim, poison, and devour those who wander these sands and you just stumbled into a herd of them. Hundreds of them surround you and few seconds pass before they start attacking.

The Voice: "I thought we were done with spiders, make quick work of them so that we can see something different." An annoyed voice whines at you from the back of your mind. It seems to be to comfortable in your head if it thinks it can whine like that.

  You shake off the sound in your mind and focus on the battle.


Waste Eagle (3)

  You prefer your spiders charred with a side of complete annihilation and you are the perfect cook for that job. Tired and grumpy at having dealt with even more spiders, you resolve to burn down the Forest of Narsus when your journey is complete. No six-legged beast is going to hold you back from your wrath.

The Voice: "I was hoping that those moats of pestilence had gone extinct while I was away but it seems Kharm is as unchanging as ever. At least that fortress was destroyed, Asmodeus, that had to have been a rough time for even the Sheath." The voice was speaking to itself as if it wasn't trapped in your mind.

You: "What fortress? There hasn't been a castle here before." You took the hook as this place is a conduit of boredom.

The Voice: "It seems all things are forgotten in time. Around a millennia ago, a large fortress resided here that housed our worlds greatest tinkerers and inventors. It didn't take long for a passing horror to start wreaking havoc on the place and it slowly consumed the minds of all the residents. This led to an army of zombie inventors that were controlled by one of the most famous Beholders of all time, Ur-Shard. I believe it took around seventy years of war to finally destroy that place and execute that Beholder. You see, when a Beholder starts doing things like this you have to contact that Beholders tribe so that you don't end up causing a full scale world war with a bunch of horrors. Those contacted then give the "all right" to execute a rogue which took a long time. I was just a boy then, scant a few decades before I started my journey to become a Legend. That is another story for another time, though." The Voice then seemed to fall asleep and You weren't able to ask any questions.

 The silence didn't last long as it was broken by the sounds of large beating wings. You looked up to see around twenty circling above you and they all seemed to have the wingspan of a small house. One of them started diving towards you while you prepared for battle as your survival instincts dictate.


Grel tribe Guards (4)

  Even in the natural environment of a predator, you are still the hunter. Every mean you use is only proof to the power you exhibit and it is starting to show even when you aren't fighting. Inklings of your essence float throughout the air like tiny Kholders that are signaling for an attack. You are bored as these creatures aren't challenging you and you are already beginning to crave a challenge.

The Voice: "I remember when I reached the point you are at now. Despite how different my journey was, there are still similarities. I was bored with my enemies and so I started causing trouble with those I deemed worthy of the challenge. I was careless and ended up attracting a great number of detractors whom I eventually eliminated. That was a good time." A sigh was heard from the Voice as it reminisced a long past age.

You: "You seemed to be very caught up in the past recently. I thought you hated looking back."

The Voice: "I don't know, I guess its my age. I can't help but look back at when I HAD A DAMNED BODY!" With that The Voice left.
You seemed to have struck a raw nerve and while you don't (and shouldn't) feel bad for it, you still prefer the company.

  Up ahead you see a fairly large group of tents with a bustling group of... lizard people? Has a new species shown up in Kharm? Curiosity overwhelms you and you approach the camp. A group of guards immediately start running in your direction and they all point spears at you. You raise you arms and tell them that you mean no harm but they don't seem to understand your language or your movements. So, they attacked you.

  They are strong and fast but untrained and with a varying amount of experience. They used spears with barbed points, made from the carapaces of the Dune Diggers, that catch fabric very easily. You decide to see where this battle takes you.


Grel Tribe Warriors (5)

  You made sure not to kill any but you did leave them quite incapacitated. You look ahead to see another group coming towards. These ones moved with a wolf-like grace and held their weapons in ways only the best can. You prepare for a rough battle as you can count that their numbers are around a large squad, 12-14 units. A couple of them held nets in their off-hand instead of shields but they all has spears with something different attached to them. A red tassel tied below the metal point of the weapon that seems to indicate their place in society.

You: "Come and fight me. I am starved for something interesting." They reacted in shock but fear was not a part of that reaction.

  They stalked towards you while silently hissing, what seems to be, orders at each other. You begin this battle surrounded by very experienced warriors but you can see something they don't have: Training.


Grel Tribe Spitters (6)

  They all attacked at once but they fell one at a time, still making sure not to kill them. To you, it seemed to last hours but the battle couldn't have been longer than a few minutes. You were right; they weren't trained but they have the same amount of experience as a hardened veteran. You can see how they managed to survive in this place: Their strength, speed, and innate skill carries them through any encounter with a beast. This is a species born to be hunters.

  You can see that the bustling within the village has stopped and it has been replaced by pockets of them gathered together. Each member in each group sprouted "fans" from their necks and began spitting large gobs of a green substance. When the gobs hit the ground, it looked inert but intuition tells you that it eats flesh like a murder of crows.

  You zig-zag towards them and began incapacitating them.


Grel Tribe Chief (7)

  This group didn't need training as they are using a weapon as natural to them as their scales are. You stopped them groups and left none standing awake, although they still live. The guards you first met are beginning to wake up and they don't seem to be preparing to attack again. They just began watching you.

?: "Grazer, why you here?" The voice that came from your right sounded old and tired, its language was broken as if it wasn't used often enough.. When you turned, it was certainly old but it was full of life. He stood ten paces away, he was built like a Jottun and stood with the presence of a general of even a king. The guards just watch as this event unfolded.

You: "I journey to the Temple of Legends and I intruded on this place out of boredom. I was attacked by the guards and I responded with the same reaction." Honesty is sometimes the best choice.

?: "Grazer, I no know this Temple but I must hold you for short time. You defeated my warriors with ease, and without killing one. I am bound by the sands to challenge you for Chiefdom."

You: "I accept your challenge but my journey will take me away from here. I hope you don't mind."

?: "The sands have given this one the name of Chief Tacbrass. We will discuss my victory when I have bound to the dunes on the back of Sheila." With that, he roared an charged you while attempting to catch you feet with a net. While you focused on the net, he spat a gob at you and tried to jab you with his spear. Oh, this is going to be good.


Momma Dune Digger, Sheila (8)

  Tacbrass is a tricky snake and had you by the hair of your chinny-chin chin a few times but, in the end, he couldn't beat you. He lays down breathing heavily and looking defeated. Until he stood up and looked into your eye to tell you...

Tacbrass: "I have lost, I relinquish my title and pass it to you." He bows while passing you his spear, you decline and begin to speak.

You: "I didn't come here to take your tribe from you and I couldn't hold the position even if I wanted it. I am not staying in the Sheath as my journey takes me far away from here."

Tacbrass: "I can't be chief no longer. Our customs command us to follow the dunes until a chief appears to appease Sheila." He begins to walk away btu you again feel the tug of curiosity.

You: "Sheila? That is the second time I have heard you see that name. Who is she?" The Chief looks at the ground in disgust and spits into the sand.

Tacbrass: "IT. Not she. It is the reason why we are nomads, that creature has had us running through these dunes for five generations. We can't set up a proper home because its constant attacks on us. I have lost brothers, sisters, and friends to that evil and I don't plan on losing anyone else. Sheila was named by the first of us because of a twisted sense of humor and if I could get my hands around the neck of the one who named it. Err, you have seen the Dune Diggers, well, Sheila is where they come from." He is fuming and is visibly enraged at the mention of the creature. You can see the torment this tribe has experienced on the face of every person around you.

The Voice: "Oh no, I see where this is going. Don't be a hero, keep MOVING! I have not done all this just to be born into some "saints" body." You are struck back by the anger in The Voice but you keep on track.

You: "What if I eliminate Sheila?" That sentence sent Tacbrass a barrage of emotions and he required several minutes to think of his response. The Voice was slinging curses at you like you just killed its children.

Tacbrass: "You are strong. This much I know. Sheila is stronger but I feel a glimmer of hope. I will show you her lair and I will watch you fail or I will witness my people finally reach their salvation." With that he stopped speaking and motioned for you to follow. The other villagers are stone-faced and offer no hints as to what awaits you. To you, it is just another battle.

The Voice: "YOU are a fool! I can't believe this. You are wasting time. Heroes, tch, can't I ever get a break?" The Voice stormed away and left behind quite mess. How? You don't know.

  After several hours walking through the sand, Tacbrass stops and lifts a large carapace off the ground to reveal an entrance way that looks like a bottomless pit. It is angled which will allow you to walk if only a bit impeded. Tacbrass continues walking until you reach a massive chamber that has thousands of tunnels leading out of it. There are four of the size you just entered from. The chamber is the largest you have seen before and the tunnel you entered from is near the center of the wall. The western and eastern wall looks to be a couple thousand steps away and would take maybe ten minutes at a full sprint for you to reach either wall. The southern wall is even further and would take at least four or five times that amount.

 Tacbrass waits and then you start to hear a rumbling. The rumble grows and grows until it is so loud that it rings in your head and has you a bit dizzy. From the center, a disturbance appears in the ground. Dirt is being pushed up at an alarming rate and you soon see why. Sheila is big, bigger than Jottun, bigger than a house, bigger than a castle, It looms in the chamber and you can tell only the head is out. This entire chamber is meant to be a cozy snug fit for Sheila and you are in its way. Well, better get cracking!


Kharm Sheath Epilogue

Power. It is what you strive for, at least that is what The Voice says you want. You could stop this journey now and live the rest of your life in comfort but this journey is too much fun. For several days, you fought a giant worm throughout the Sheath and you have covered dozens of miles during the fight. In the end, you sat and stared at the stars. You watched the sky sky shift from black to bright red, you don't know how long it took until you saw Tacbrass running towards you quite jovially.

Tacbrass: "I no believe it. You are impossible. Thank you. A thousand- no, a million times to the end of the world. Please come back to the village and rest, we have great cooks. I won't make you stay but I would be in trouble with my life-mate if we didn't feed you." He stood you up and helped carry you to his village and you were at first greeted with sad looks but then the Chief told them what you did. You have never heard a cheer so loud or one so full relief and hope.

  You spent the rest of the night eating and resting. The Chief was right, they are good cooks. You wish you could stay but you now have a craving. A craving that can't be fulfilled by food but only by glory. This kind of feeling is one you want to never forget. You know how to satisfy your desire and you will do everything you can to succeed. Not because The Voice told you to but for yourself and those you meet along the way. Become a Legend and rise to the summit, rise so high up that the ground becomes a memory and the clouds become your home.

  In the morning, there was a ceremony for you where every villager thanked you but all you could think of was continuing your journey. So, when it all ended around noon, you were excited to continue. The chief handed you a device he found within the sands some years ago and told you how it is always set in the directions the sun rises. It is a strange compass that's for sure. The Chief points you north and lets you go. You never looked back as you are taken by the dream of glory.

The Voice: "You think you're free, no, don't be stupid. I am still here and you won't be rid of me until you become a Legend. You have no choice. I will fi-" You finally found the off-switch to that annoying buzzard as you have been attempting to regain control of your mind for a long time now. You can still feel it there but at least you can have some quiet.

Frigid Aberration
  The Frigid Aberration lies beyond a cliff where Kharm Sheath ends. This cliff towers hundreds of feet high and covers the entirety of the border between these two wastelands. You now stand at the edge and you look down upon this frigid expanse. From here you can see Verham, the capital of Zyzx, and it lies far ahead.

  It is an impossibility that these two environments are so close to each other but, it is believed that the Frigid Aberration is how the Sheath originally looked. Vast, hostile, and known for some of the most exotic creatures in all of Zyzx but, time has left this land a shell of its former self as a once powerful empire was born here. The Sylph were created here and they fell from the greatest of heights in this Aberration. Only ruins remain of that empire and those ruins are the home of the weakened Sylph who can now only dream of attaining their old power. The Sylph lie scattered across our realm like ashes carried by a volcanic eruption and wherever they go, they are hated and chased away. Their history is no secret to anyone as genocide is a crime that will never be forgotten.

  The Legend of The Roaring Winds was born here and she started a genocide that lasted hundreds of years. A genocide of man, giants, horrors, and anything else that wasn't Sylph. The numbers are a mere statistic and scholars speak of those times in hushed voices and secret meetings in fear that The Roaring Winds might start blowing again.

  Your destination lies in the hills beyond Verham. Time is on your side but be wary, for fates worse than death hide here.

Crystal Floaters (1)

  You begin the long descent down to the Aberration and since you have no climbing gear and don't want to fall from this high up, you are slow in your climb down. You enjoy the silence of your mind and the sound of the wind moaning in an ominous harmony. Within the winds, you begin to hear a crackling like a frozen lake slowly breaking. You look over your shoulder to see a veritable army of floating crystals. The moment you laid eyes on them they began firing icicles at you. Icicles fast enough to lodge themselves into the rock wall. You groan and began thinking of a way to fight them.

Snow Watchers (2)

  What a pain that was fighting something when you are that disadvantaged but it provided its own entertainment. The crystal floaters death where accompanied by the wind going silent which is a bit unnerving. Now there are no sounds but you are at least on solid ground again. You trudge through the snow, happy that this can't kill you but still annoyed at being this cold.  Now that you are level with Verham, you can't even tell how far away it actually is. You can see those depressing hills looming around Verham and you can feel something watching you from those hills. You decide to just focus on your surroundings and keep moving. Good thing you did because you just noticed something hide itself in the snow.

  To your right a man-sized beast jumped out of the snow and began charging you. Until it jumped back in and a different one charged from another direction. This repeated until you were surrounded by a few dozen of them, every precaution was taken with them and they planned on hunting you down and they seem a bit surprised that you aren't running. They all have white, shaggy hair that covers their whole body and fists the size of hams. One of them roars and the others start charging you. The battle has begun.

Trachids (3)

  Their bodies became one with the snow as they fell and you immediately return to walking towards those distant hills. Now, you are just waiting for the next attack to happen as you pretty much figured out the pattern of this journey. You move from battle to battle with a small amount of rest in between and you suspect that this will last the rest of your life, however long that might be.

  Around your feet you begin to notice small flowers whose petals are as white as the snow and their stems glistens like an icicle. You pluck one to find that its roots run very deep and it is actually connected to other flowers. Such is the wonders of Zyzx, may they always bring light to your days.

  In the distance, you begin to hear hooting, like a war chant. You search for the source to find a group of nearly nude humans chasing you. You are stunned by their nudity and wonder how they survive out here when a spear goes flying past your head at a speed you have never seen before. The spear traveled through the air and as it past you it crack the air like a whip. Amazement trembled your body and you lost yourself in the battle.