Fahren al-Heit - 09 - The Road of Promise


It smells badly. My eyes are locked in rapt concentration; I am fighting as a fool. Allowing six of them to surround me. I need to switch targets to keep my life energy intact or else the lifestone will see me soon. I am not afraid of death that luxury has long since been taken from me by Asheron himself. Death is a nuisance at best a delay in my mission at worst. Fatality means starting the weaving of the protection spells again, recovering my energies and heading back into the Black Spawn Den. It abhorrent to me, dying so soon into a cycle of a hunt.

I have succeeded in lowering the creature’s life force to the needed level; I have mana for two spells, maybe. The undead granted us Isparians a boon during the shadow invasion, they leaked some spells like none seen before, devastation in the form of a slow moving wall or a ring emanating from the caster. I use the ring. A feeling of power comes over me as five of my opponents rear back as death a washes them. The one remainder falls to a lower war spell. A welcome rush of scintillating energy whirls about me in a rainbow rush of color. I have achieved another level of proficiency. I am a Battle Mage of the 40th level.

The rest of the cycle is uneventful, there are many warriors and mages here tonight, the prey will be hard to locate. My guild is having a meeting that I have been contemplating attending. My decision is made. The meeting is a formal affair with good information. After the meeting I hear of a group heading to reach the focusing stone. The talk among mages such as myself is this item is most coveted. Though its beyond my skill to wield it will be useful to me one day soon.

The run to the dungeon is eased by the size of our group, many creatures join in the parade they confusingly lope along side of us not knowing whom to attack before they turn to find more understandable prey. Calloween is our leader; he has scouted this dungeon many times and already has gathered the artifacts needed for us to begin. As far as adventure goes this is far from an exciting one. While the exploding golems are amusing and deadly nothing can stand for long against the force assembled. I feel I have cheated this dungeon by being a part of a legion. Still we each soon hold a potato-sized lump. My skills are insufficient to ignite the energies within it. I store it deep within a pack and with it pack dreams of a day that is soon to come.

The interlude is brief but invigorating. My routine has become duller then my days at the academy. In all I harbor resentment for the Black Spawn Den, whispers of the tremendous battles that reside within have been few and far between. I find many of the warriors equipped with flame blades and shields quickly attack the creatures I have begun to fight. Most of these are far from Ispar’s finest, rather they are rude and condescending. Who could have conceived my savior from these louts would be the tragic Martine?

My comrades in my Monarchy tell of interesting new portals having appeared seemingly overnight. It was confirmed that Martine, who is no longer quite human, has discovered a new land and placed these three pylon portals as a way for use to travel across to them. His reasons are suspect at best. The lure to those of Ispar was too great and many have left Osteth for the exotics of this land. As more succumb to the lure I have found less and less inhabiting the Spawn Den. This has actually altered my enjoyment of the place. I have now found it a challenge as more and more Tuskers find me as I battle. I begin to see why so many spoke of the potential to learn and advance.

I had decided to not travel the new Island until I had achieved my goal of the 50th level of proficiency, at which time I will begin study of the fourth magical school, Creature magiks. I had been lead to understand that only by the 50th level would I have the capacity for taking on a new skill. Then, rumor came from the new land of a Tumerok ritual that can make me ready earlier, and so I make plans and begin to gather provisions. I am in hopes of finding a comrade to journey with. With some luck I will begin soon.

-F Gahru'n BM and loyal follower of The Silver Citadel (LC)


Original Thread : 09 - The Road of Promise