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Post by Tug on Dec 10, 2018 0:29:38 GMT -5
As the Colorfolk entered Blackwell, they did not expect what they saw. For context, the lower rank mages of Order of Masteri could make golems ranging from 5 to 7 feet tall, and it's strength was dependent on the magic inserted into it by it's creator, either through a core or commanded much like an animal. The higher ranked mages could make golems almost autonomous, with the two highest mages in the order, Dagonar and Alabaster, could create ones with minds or bodies as great as any low rank mage in their own Order...
What stood in front of the six Colorfolk was a 10 foot tall, 40 ton weighing monstrosity, something personally crafted by Dagronar and lost to time... The buildings and roads looked as if a bomb had gone off with how much destruction it was capable of causing just by removing such structures from their foundations...
"What is that monster?" asked Woman in Silver
"Something I don't think we can punch effectively..." lamented Woman in Gold
"Buck up ladies... We have to distract it long enough for the others to set up the anti-magic field..." ordered Woman in Blue as the other two, shrugged, and carried on with her. The three Colorwomen walked down the destroyed street filled with wrecked cars and debris, seeing the stone golem straight before them...
"Not... Here..." mumbled the Golem
"Hey ugly! We don't like you destroying Blackwell! It's the only place that makes decent Mexican on this whole island!" shouted Woman in Gold as the stone behemoth turned towards the trio...
"Kill... The Blue one..." groaned the Stone Golem as its eyes shown once it saw Woman in Blue's shining robes. The golem charged with an ungodly speed unfitting of its size, nearly taking out Woman in Blue if she hadn't dodged in time...
"Come on! It's fast AND big! That's totally unfair!" shouted Woman in Silver
"Well this fight got a whole lot tougher..."
.....
An hour passed and the other trio was still not finished setting up the anti-magic field...
"Hurry up Gold!" shouted Woman in White in a fuss
"I'm not as young as I used to be! Besides, if I'm not careful, one wrong move and the whole field won't activate!" growled Man in Gold
As he was chalking down the last few symbols, a dust cloud erupted and a gigantic shadow from within approached the magical trio... It was the Golem Monstrosity holding Woman in Blue by the neck...
"Not the Woman... Kill the Man in Blue..."groaned the Golem as he threw the Woman in Blue at Man in Gold, knocking out Man in Gold with the speed of the throw and Woman in Blue's weight, who was barely conscious herself...
"Melody! Silver! Help me slow it down!" yelled Woman in Gold in frustration as she grabbed one of the chains dangling from the behemoth's arms
"Argh! Fine! IT's futile though!" grunted Man in Silver as he grabbed the other arm's chain and with Woman in Gold, try to slow it down with sheer might...
"In... The... WAY!" as the Golem stomped its feet, knocking the Colorfolk off balance enough to pull the duo restraining it off their feet and sending them flying after the force of the pull caused them to let go of the chains...
The Stone Monstrosity had easily defeated six of the Good Colorfolk's strongest members, and was now heading towards their base...
.....
Daniel and the Man in White could see all this through the blurry visions of the seer's crystal...
"I have to stop it..." said Daniel
"Are you crazy? You barely know magic, how are YOU going to stop it rookie?" questioned Man in White
"I can't let anymore people get hurt because of me, it's time for me to fight too..." stoically spoke the usually weak willed Daniel
"Ah... Fine... Let me prepare you with what I can, I'm a tactician after all..." sighed Man in White in defeat...
.....
Daniel Erdagovern looked onward as a Stone Monster approached him, unfazed by the coming danger...
It was time to show everyone why he accepted this mantle...
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Dec 10, 2018 1:06:09 GMT -5
He approached the battlefield, taking note of the situation before him. The golem lost interest in the six and was now directing its attention elsewhere, looking for Man In Blue.
Daniel remembered what Man In White told him.
......
"The important thing is to remember your advantages- the golem is relatively stupid; its extremely hard even with magic to "program intelligence" if you will- golems, hommunculi- you name it, there's a reason why its intelligence is often no better than that of a small child. That's your first advantage"
Indeed, Daniel was remaining quiet and out of sight, trying to formulate the best way to approach the monster. This meant only one thing- from behind.
"The second thing to remember is that golems, while powered by magic, can't cast magic. Doing so would drain the pool of magic in them to the point of becoming inert. They are dominantly close range fighters; a stone golem's only range attack is throwing stones. Lazy, sure, but when there isn't much going on upstairs, the simple is all they comprehend."
Daniel then took out the object that Man In White had given him; it was akin to a tarot card, but served a very different purpose.
"Until that anti-magic field can be activated, placing this directly on the golem is the next best thing. This card, when it comes in contact with the golem, will essentially be like putting a leak in a barrel of water; it'll allow the magic to leave the golem... once all the magic is gone it will revert to ordinary stone... and without a Masteri mage to revive it, shall remain ordinary stone"
"What about..."
"... no Masteri literature survives; the last remaining scrolls were destroyed centuries ago to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands" Man In White answered, practically reading his mind.
......
"I gotta make this count; I only got six of these" Daniel thought to himself. Slowly and quietly, he began sneaking up on the golem, as it walked up the street, looking for the Man In Blue.
He waited for the right moment... when Daniel got close enough, he ran up and slapped the first card on the back of the golem, somewhat midway behind the back and near it's left arm. "I guess a humanoid shape was the most practical" Daniel thought to himself. As soon as he slapped it on, he ducked behind some rubble and out of sight. The golem swung around violently, but saw no movement.
"Kill...blue one... kill... blue one" it repeated to itself. Daniel peaked and could see that it was already working. There was something about the golem that was almost "glowing" of sorts; the magic infused in its body that gave the normally inert stone animation, he reasoned. But now that "the card" had poked a hole in the barrel, so to say, Daniel could see it was working. The left arm of the golem suddenly lost it's glow, and in a matter of seconds, detached from the golem, and fell onto the earth, becoming ordinary stone once again.
"Arm... gone? ARM GONE!?!?" It shouted angrily.
......
"Remember- stone cannot regenerate. And without a masteri mage to repair it, a golem cannot fix itself. If you cut off any part of a golem, it becomes ordinary stone again. Your only chance to defeat it... is to whittle it down to size, literally" Man In White explained.
"I understand" Daniel said, preparing to go into the battle.
......
"It's working! Ok, so I need to do this five more times then?" He thought to himself.
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Post by Tug on Dec 10, 2018 1:27:27 GMT -5
As Daniel began to try for another go, he accidentally kicked a piece of rumble against the Golem's leg, and the Golem looked down to see its target quite literally under its "nose" so to speak...
"I found it... The Blue Man... KILL IT!" roared the golem as he stomped on the ground, sending shock waves across the earth, and knocking Daniel off his feet and a few feet away from the Monstrosity...
"Oh crap... Tuck and roll!" shouted Daniel as he tried to avoid the behemoth, now more forceful since his target was within view...
"Kill the Blue Man... Be Free... Crush... The... BLUE MAN!" roared the monster once more...
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Dec 10, 2018 2:31:33 GMT -5
"Out think it... out think it" Daniel thought to himself as he began running. Then he saw his chance. "I got it!" he realized. Luring the Golem towards a fallen large metal sign, Daniel positioned himself just in front of the sign. The golem went to punch him, and Daniel moved at the last second. The golem's remaining arm went into the sign, now wrapped around the arm like a metal sleeve of sorts, stuck. This was Daniel's moment
Running into an alley, he put distance between him and the Golem; a fair distance separated them by the time the Golem freed itself. Charging down the alley, Frank reached the point where the alley came to a "T" of sorts. He went to the left and was out of sight for a good bit. By the time the Golem reached the turn itself, when he looked down the direction Daniel had run... it saw nothing.
"Where... blue man? WHERE BLUE MAN!?" It screamed as it began going towards the direction where Daniel had run off to.
Daniel knew he had to count his blessings after this one, because he had the luckiest break yet. The golem, so fixated on looking forward, failed to consider the sides... like the truck loading bay that Daniel had ducked into... the reason he made the left at the T. Now that he was behind the golem again, he knew what he had to do. Once again sneaking up quietly behind the golem, he waited until they had reached near the end of the alley. Seeing the wrecked car that was off to the side, he knew what came next... as soon as the golem was in just the right spot, Daniel went up to it and slapped another of the cards on it, this time on the right leg, just above the knee. He ducked behind the car before the golem turned around. The golem scanned the area for the blue man, but found nothing.
"I can't believe I'm doing this" Daniel muttered to himself. He bolted back down the alley, intentionally getting the attention of the golem this time.
"KILL BLUE MAN, KILL BLUE MAN!" It shouted. The golem began giving chase and was steadily catching up to Daniel. They must have gone 100 yards before anything happened.
"Oh please work" Daniel thought. Finally, after so many steps, the glow from the golem's right leg disappeared, and when he took a step and went to lift his leg, the right leg from just above the knee and down completely detached, becoming ordinary stone. Losing it's footing, the golem flew a distance before crashing into the ground with an enormous thud. Briefly disoriented, Daniel charged the Golem and placed two more of the cards; one on its head above the left eye, and other dead center of the lower back. He didn't have time to place the other two as the golem suddenly began registering what was going on and starting going at it with its good arm.
"DIE! DIE!" It screamed. Now Daniel had the speed advantage as the golem was reduced to hopping on it's good leg. But the damage had been done.
In addition to losing its left arm and most of its right leg, the two now added caused the left side of its head to collapse, and a gaping hole to form in its stomach area; the stone crumbled and gave way, allowing one to quite literally see through the golem.
"Get back here!" It screamed. But with every hop, little pebbles and stones now began falling off him; the four "holes in the barrel" were making the magic dissipate all the faster; but he would not go down without killing the blue man.
"I've got to find the anti-magic field; once its activated the golem can be stopped once and for all" Daniel said as he headed towards the location from the initial plan Man In White had outlined.
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Post by Tug on Dec 10, 2018 3:26:53 GMT -5
Daniel was nearing the edge of town where the Magic trio had originally set up the field, but the Stone Golem was gaining on him. Through crippled by the loss of it's right leg, it entered a more wild state using it's right arm in a sort of crawl motion. Every time it's arm it the ground, the earth shook with a violent thunder...
"Kill... Blue Man... Kill him... Be... Set FREE!" roared the behemoth, inching ever so closer to Daniel's tail...
'Almost... There...' thought Daniel as the Monstrosity's arm slam down almost on top of him, but he slid just narrowly avoiding it. he realized his was at the spot Man in Gold hadn't finished drawing, seeing his knocked out comrades surrounding him...
"It's now or never!" shouted Daniel as he slammed down the card onto the unfinished chalk drawing, where a blue light activated in six smaller circles that made one big circle surrounding the Stone Golem. The blue light lightninged across the ground shocking the stone monster, destroying at last two limbs. It laid there in agony as the blue light slowly broke away the stone...
"Dying... Wasn't part of... The deal... They said... Kill the Blue Man... And... I would finally... Be... Fre... E..." spoke the Golem for the final time as stones broke into pebbles leaving only a blue crystal whose light eventually dulled into being clear, meaning the magic essence controlling the golem was no more...
"This... This is wrong... I'm sorry you were used as a weapon of war... I refuse from here on out to never kill such an unwilling soldier again..." said Daniel as he looked on sadly...
.....
"Damn! Not even a weapon made by Dagonar himself could stop that new Man in Blue..." said Man in Green
"He truly is like his father..."added Woman in Orange
"Just you wait Erdagovern, I WILL successfully end your line next time!" growled Man in Black as he slammed his fist on the desk in anger, then throwing the seeing crystal out of spite, shattering it...
"Hey those are hard to craft!"
"ARGH!"
"Sorry Sir!"
.....
Congratulations Daniel on your first Colorman victory! With the skills you showcased, you certainly have what it takes to be one of us... Three cheers!" shouted the recovering Woman in Blue as the Colorfolk sat around a banquet table celebrating, with Daniel at the head...
"Thank you... All of you... With your help, I hope to properly inherit this mantle and make my father proud!" replied Daniel as the Colorfolk raised their glasses in agreement, happy to have a new useful member apart of their group...
But even though they increased their ranks, trouble was on their horizon...
.....
A man in grey colored clothing was shuffling through the rubble of the Attack on Blackwell, he had a hammer on his back...
"Man, that fight was intense, but from what I saw they left it behind... Ah ha! A Golem Core! Damn, that thing was a Siege Grade Golem, I'm surprised they left its retrieval for the clean up crews... Well, at least I know Adriana will get a kick out of this..."
.....
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Post by Toz76 on Dec 10, 2018 18:19:33 GMT -5
Back at the colorfolk's base, Daniel was shown into a strange room. The other seven colorfolk he had fought alongside were all there, lining the walls. At the far end of the room was a small marble pedestal, and atop that pedestal were five strange glass fragments. Daniel walked towards the pedestal hesitantly. Woman In Silver gave a reassuring smile as he passed.
Woman In Blue stood behind the pedestal, her hands held high. She began speaking in a somber tone.
"Today, we welcome Daniel Erdagovern, the latest of his house, to our noble order. He inherits today the title of "Man In Blue". He has already proven himself a quick thinker, and he is sure to do us proud."
A blinding light flashed from the five shards, and Daniel suddenly felt a tingling sensation as the light washed over him.
When he could see again, he realized his attire had changed. He was wearing robes of a piercing blue, lined with a sturdy black fabric. A quick glance around the room revealed it was very similar to the robes the other colorfolk wore.
Woman In Blue grinned. "Are you ready to begin your training in earnest, Man In Blue?"
Man In Blue nodded. "I am."
END OF ACT ONE...
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Dec 10, 2018 21:50:01 GMT -5
(May as well do something long overdue)
It had been a few days since Daniel had properly become the Man In Blue. For now, his training focused on expanding his knowledge on how magic worked; he understood the aptitudes and had memorized the eight laws, but there was still a ways to go.
Man In Silver has requested Daniel join him for a... different kind of quest this night.
“I just thought I’d demonstrate the kinds of powers unique to the spirit type colormen, compared to other magic casters” he explained.
They had come to a long abandoned house on the outskirts of town; cliche, but fitting. “Tell me Daniel- do you believe in ghosts?”
“...I believe that when one does the soul moves onto the afterlife” Daniel stated firmly, “All these haunted sites people go on about is utter nonsense, perfectly explainable by science” Daniel finished
“... a perfect description of 95 percent of “hauntings” lad; tonight I’m going to show you what happens the other five percent of the time” Silver explained. They proceeded to approach the grounds, Daniel beginning to feel rather uneasy.
“See, when the body dies, the soul and mind become one, the “spirit” of the deceased. Most of the time spirits move onto the afterlife, but occasionally they stick around”
“Why?” Daniel asked
“Oh, many factors... lingering regrets, got lost, died before their time. I... I often find myself visiting the children’s hospital more often than I like” Silver sighed sadly.
“Do ghosts look like people you see through or... bedsheets?” Daniel asked.
“Both; souls that are recently dead or the bodies were laid to rest ceremoniously look like people. But the longer a spirit remains in the mortal plain it starts to decay away, eventually looking...”
“Like that?” Daniel asked, indicating what seemed to be a whisp of white light, just sort of floating near the house, under a tree.
“God Eyes, son. First step is to revitalize the spirit; restoring them to a “proper” state; unfortunately only whole spirits can move on; no one knows why, but my theory is as the spirit decays they lose their ability to think and just become listless and wander wherever”
“Ahem” Man In Blue said
“Oh, terribly sorry, got carried away. Right, let’s begin” Man In Silver said. Raising his hand, he began chanting the spell that “healed” worn down spirits.
“It’s all right, we are here to help you. Just remain still so you can be made while again” Silver said as the whisp began wailing. Slowly, the whisp began to retake a human form.
“It looks like a... female” Daniel observed
“Ah ha, that confirms it. I did research on the property before going in; this must be the spirit of Catherine Johnson; in 1947 she entered this house and never came out; it was abandoned soon after”
“How could she just disappear?” Daniel asked, confused
“No one knows; the articles I read on the matter mostly read as obituaries than insight into the actuall disappearance” Silver explained
“What can we do?” Daniel asked
“The only thing we can do; help her pass on after so long” Silver explained. Slowly but surely, the whisp began to stabilize, until it looked like a see-through human.
“The spirit.. has been stabilized” Silver said in relief
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Post by Toz76 on Dec 10, 2018 21:55:27 GMT -5
"What? Where am I? What's going on?"
"Don't worry, Mrs. Johnson, we're here to help you." Man In Silver said soothingly.
"Am I.... dead?"
Man In Silver bowed his head. "I'm afraid so. I'm sorry."
"But... my son! I never got to say goodbye..."
Man In Silver nodded gravely. "Maybe we can help."
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Dec 10, 2018 22:17:23 GMT -5
“But she died over 60 years ago; her son is surely of retirement age at least... if not passed on himself” Man In Blue realized solemnly.
“Then we need to figure out where to even start. Mrs Johnson, please. We need to know- what is the last thing you remember?” Silver asked calmly. He sincerely hoped that whoever was responsible for her death did not go on to kill her son... if her death was by the hand of another.
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Post by Toz76 on Dec 10, 2018 22:28:57 GMT -5
"I came in here because I thought I'd heard something... the floor collapsed beneath me..." the ghost replied, struggling to remember.
"I see... come along then, let's find your son."
The spirit set off, seeming to somehow know where to go. The colorfolk found themselves following her to a retirement home near the highway.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Dec 11, 2018 0:33:17 GMT -5
Finding themselves stepping inside the lobby of the retirement home, they wondered how best to proceed.
“What is your son’s name?” Silver asked.
“Darren; I can feel he’s here, I know it” The spirit explained. The two Colormen nodded before going to the front desk.
“Visiting hours are almost ov... oh! Mr Stephenson... We weren’t expecting you today... is it time?” The receptionist asked
“They know you?” Daniel whispered in confusion
“Retirement homes are my third most frequented of places” Silver whispered back. “No, it’s a different kind of business today... where’s Darren Johnson?”
“Room 214, But he’s got company at this moment... his son is with him” she said.
“We won’t be in his way. Come along, Daniel” Silver said as the two went to the elevator, then nodding at the spirit.
“She can’t see Catherine, can she?” Daniel asked.
“Only magic users with high spiritual abilities can see ghosts, let alone interact with them” Silver explained,
“What about me?” Daniel asked
“Let’s just say I’m giving you a hand” Silver winked. They proceeded to the room. Darren was sleeping as his son sat by the bed.
“I have a grandson? I only wish I could meet him” Catherine lamented.
“I’ll handle this” Silver began, stepping into the room.
“Mr Johnson?” Man In Silver asked.
“Can I help you?” The man asked, turning his head.
“I’m Ronald Stephenson; someone close to your father wanted a message passed onto him; is this a bad time?” He asked gently.
“If you want to write it down I’ll leave it here... but I would rather you not wake him up now. Dad isn’t doing so well” the man sighed.
Silver looked over at Darren, then looked around the room, before looking at Catherine. “I understand. I’m going to step out and get some paper then” Silver said before gesturing to Daniel. They whispered outside.
“He doesn’t have much time left, does he?” Daniel asked
“I’m... afraid not. The bonds between his body and soul have weakened... his last journey has begun” Silver explained.
“How much time does he have?” Daniel followed up with
“Not long... but he will find peace” he said, looking around The room and seeing all the photographs and mementos of Darren’s life. “He lived a good life, and will leave this world with no regrets” Silver said.
“But... his friends and family” Daniel asked
“They will miss him, but remember this; one’s departure...” then he looked at Catherine, “is another’s reunion” Silver assured.
“My son will... join me?” Catherine asked.
“In due time. For now, I think you waited to pass on long enough. I can help you cross over as soon as you are ready” Silver assured. Then he looked over “even if he’s not a magic user, humans are more aware of the spiritual when asleep. If you want to leave your son a message before you go, we shall wait” Silver explained gently, gesturing to her son again.
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Post by Toz76 on Dec 11, 2018 19:42:33 GMT -5
Catherine nodded, before drifting into the room through the closed door.
"Um... what happens to them once they... you know..." Man In Blue asked.
"Wondering about the afterlife?" Man In Silver asked. "No one really knows. Some believe there's an afterlife. Others believe are souls are reabsorbed by the magic energy of the universe. Personally, I believe in reincarnation. But ultimately, that's something we aren't meant to know before our time."
Man In Blue nodded gravely.
Suddenly, Man In Silver stood, as if sensing something from the next room. "Catherine returned through the wall, glowing brighter than before. "I think... I'm ready to go now."
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Dec 11, 2018 21:49:48 GMT -5
“I shall help with the final passage” Silver said as he raised his hand. Catherine flower to the point Daniel had to cover his eyes... but in a matter of seconds, she had gone.
“She is at peace now” Silver said as he gestured for the two to leave. “What about you; what do you believe?”
“Well, after that dream I had where I met my ancestors... I believe there must be something on the other side. Reincarnation... i think we get one life and we need to make the most of it. Besides; if reincarnation was a thing, why don’t we retain memories of our past lives?” Daniel asked.
“I believe that in reincarnation, the spirit separates into soul and mind- the soul, one’s essence, is what takes on new life. The memories and experiences though- they are kept in the mind”
“What happens to the mind here?” Daniel asked
“I don’t know... there are some things we may never know” Silver sighed.
They returned to base next. Silver dropped off Daniel so he could go on alone.
“I hoped you learned something today Daniel; may not be the most... practical knowledge, but I hope it is something you’ll appreciate” Silver explained.
“Where are you going now?” Daniel asked
“I don’t want you going to my next stop... it’s a burden i alone must carry- I cannot in good conscience force it upon anyone else” Silver sighed
“Oh, you mean...” Daniel began, but Silver nodded before leaving for the children’s hospital.
Daniel turned around and headed back inside to meet the others
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Post by Toz76 on Dec 12, 2018 0:45:28 GMT -5
"How was that?" Woman In Silver asked as he entered.
"That was... heavy. How does he cope with that day in and day out?"
"It's hard to say. He's a naturally positive person, with a wife and kids that love him. That's more than most people can say. I know I couldn't do it."
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Post by Tug on Dec 12, 2018 2:38:41 GMT -5
As Daniel began to discuss more about the spiritual side of magic with Woman in Silver, in Hawthorp City, a "certain group" began to gather...
Thirteen people sat around an oblong table as the man at the head of the table began to speak...
"Ladies and Gentlemen, our fair island is being besieged, nay, invaded by very insidious creatures I can only deem magicial in origin... Various individuals in variously colored cloaks have been terrorizing the inhabitants across the island! First there was the attack at the college, then those two pasty ones almost set fire to an apartment building, and most recently, that stone monster that destroyed Blackwell and seemingly disappeared... Everyone, I believe all of these to tie to this order's ancient foes, the ones who are from way back in our order's founding on Ordos... I believe, we are dealing with the dangerous 'Color Folk' passed down in myths through our generations... So, to save the peace of our island, I believe it time for us to strike back! For I am Arkwright Edogog, leader of the:
Knights
Needed
Universally for
Coordinated
Kombat,
Leadership,
Endurance and
Hope,
Experts in
Attack and
Defense
For I am a knucklehead, you are a knucklehead, we are ALL knuckleheads! Proud knuckleheads determined to defeat the evil! Now knuckleheads, let's be off!! Let evil fear the name knucklehead! Cower before us, for the knuckleheads are coming!"
"Aye!"
The Twelve other "Knuckleheads" raised their fists in support, for it was time to defeat the evil plaguing the island known as the mythical "Color Folk of Ordos"....
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Dec 12, 2018 10:57:05 GMT -5
Why the KNUCKLEHEADS hated a faction that was historically good for most of its existence, no one truly knew- especially since the first era of the Colormen they were the celebrated sworn protectors of Ordos. Some speculated they formed in the dark era and only saw the factions that let their hearts be corrupted, failing to see the good ones that made up the majority, but bickered with each other over differing philosophies and goals. All would become clear in due time
......
“I don’t get it; why is everything like... this?” Man In Blue asked Main In Gold; he was trying to make sense of this archives limited resources on the past, but wasn’t getting anywhere.
“If that’s your only question will you not bother me the rest of the night?” Gold asked
“Fair enough” Daniel conceded
“Colormen history is broken into two sections: the first era and dark erA. The first era, our golden age and the golden age of Ordos- we were a United Force for good who protected the island from many threats; sometimes we were summoned to Europe to deal with evil lurking there. Then came 1657...”
“This must be the “dark era” you refer to then” Daniel observed
“Well look at you, catching on quick. Well, the short version is- in a time when all magic was considered evil by non-users, the people of Ordos turned their backs on us. We knew we had to go quiet and for reasons that can’t be revealed just yet, the Prism was broken. A pointless task if you ask me, the Prism could only be used for good anyway” Gold commented
“I thought most magic was neutral- that doesn’t sound right” Daniel commented
“Yes, it is confusing on the surface, but it’s actually quite simple- magic is neutral, but can be influenced. Remember the sixth law of magic?”
“Yes” Daniel nodded
“In the case of the Prism, this one of a kind artifact was influenced by the spirit to reject those with wicked hearts- as in Prism magic became incompatible with anyone who had too much black stuff in their hearts; the proof is in the artifacts: forged by man and powered by Prism magic they have a violent reaction to and thus are unwieldable by anyone with a corrupted heart. But it works the other way too- magic items do exist that can only be wielded by those with corrupted hearts, but they are rare thankfully”
“I can only imagine the reign of terror that resulted from the shattering of something so good” Daniel said in horror
“Don’t be ridiculous! Were you expecting the Colormen to go off and kill thousands of innocents or something? First of all- those who used the prism’s power before the shattering were stil good people and wouldn’t turncoat just because the Prism shattered. Second- the population of Ordos wasn’t that high to begin with so a rampage with mass casualties doesn’t make sense by numbers alone. There were only half a dozen lines that killed innocents early on- but they got bored with that pretty quickly since they didn’t actually gain anything from it and focused their attention elsewhere”
“Then this dark era must be a civil war more than anything else” Daniel concluded
“Hallelujah, the newbie can be taught!” Gold said sarcastically “short answer- faction split into multiple smaller factions, our faction the dominant good one, black’s faction the dominant bad one and numerous secondary factions of no importance at the moment. Now if you are done pestering me, get lost” Gold muttered
“Man, what could have happened that caused all this” blue mused. But that was a question for another day
(And hopefully that fixes the problems that have bothered me about the dark era for a long time; hopefully this variation makes more sense and makes history development a lot simpler)
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Post by Toz76 on Dec 12, 2018 18:59:53 GMT -5
Meanwhile, in the lair of the evil colorfolk, Man In Black was pacing anxiously.
"Our golem attack completely failed! How could this happen?"
"To be fair, you sent it at a major population center. I mean, what were you thinking?" Man In Off-White began. "Of course the others would-"
"Did I ask for your opinion?" Man In Black snapped. "We need to find a new way to make the colorfolk suffer."
"Why is that your only goal? You know the rest of us have actual aspirations, right? We want to start a new era where magic might is respected and we don't have to hide in the shadows, but we don't want to destroy the other colorfolk just because they're there."
"You're useless! Bring me Woman In Orange. If you won't destroy the colorfolk, I'll get someone who will!"
A couple hours later, Man In Black and Woman In Orange had made their way to a shady tavern in Blackwell called the Goddess Of Drinks. It was pretty empty, as it often was, but Woman In Orange knew the drill. She walked up to the counter and leaned towards the bartender with a grin. "My friend and I would like to order the Damoni Special."
"Certainly... right this way." The bartender led the two of them to a tiny service closet by the bathrooms. The two squeezed in and shut the door. Suddenly, the dark broom closet lit up as the back wall slid away to reveal a much nicer, much more crowded bar. A cool voice played over the intercom. "Welcome to the Magic Underground. This entrance sponsored by the Guild Of Damoni, magic army for hire."
"Ah, the magic underground. The one place on this earth where mages like us can truly feel like home." Woman In Orange said, leading Man In Black through the bar. Stepping out through the front door, the two of them found themselves in a strange environment. The ground was made of a sparkly, reflective black substance, and the sky was a crackling blue energy field. Suits of Enchanto-Armor patrolled the streets, keeping an eye out for evildoers. A massive circular tower dominated the skyline, crowned by a magic screen that constantly scrolled slogans such as "This pocket dimension is maintained by the Order Of Gerade, Guild Of Damoni, Лед коснулся, Altavoces U Pixan, Piracy International Coalition, and the Akademie der Magier".
"The international magic community needs your help to maintain its stability! Remember, no war magic within the Magic Underground!" One of the Enchanto-Armors boomed as the duo passed.
"Let's see... the bounty hunters typically hang out in the Greedy American pub, over there." Woman In Orange said. "Surely we can hire someone more competent than the rest of our faction..."
Woman In Orange trailed off when a tall, tanned figure covered in scars stood to block the door.
Man In Black eyed the bouncer uneasily. "Shear, old buddy... long time no see..."
Shear crossed his arms and glared at the duo. "You two still haven't paid us back for that golem."
"Look, Shear, we're sorry, but we'll get the money, okay?"
"I'm not the one you need to apologize too. You've been using up the resources of the Guild for far too long. We aren't helping you with your little Civil War any more until you start paying what you owe. And if you don't pay it fast, then I just hope I'm the one they send when there's a bounty on your head."
"Fine..."
As the duo walked back, they conferred anxiously.
"Well, there goes are only chance of getting help from a third party..." Man In Black sighed.
"Maybe not." Woman In Orange replied with a grin. "Have you ever heard of the KNUCKLEHEADS?"
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Dec 12, 2018 19:16:33 GMT -5
“Yes, and they would never ally with us; their animosity of our kind goes too far back” Black reminded her.
“Do not worry... our goals shall succeed in due time” Orange assured before they walked to their next destination
......
“What I don’t get is what the big picture is; do we want to go public once we’re whole again or remain secret?” Daniel asked.
“We... we do t know. On the one hand we’d love to go public, but on the other we aren’t sure if the world is ready for a reintroduction to magic. What is the size of your college class?” Woman In Blue asked
“Four students”
“Exactly; seems in this day and age magic is a slowly dying practice. There a central, neutral organization when it comes to magic; one if it’s duries is taking a census of magic users to gauge how prolific the practice is. And the latest numbers aren’t good” she explained.
“How many are there?”
“At present, less than 8000 (NOTE: can edit accordingly) a 15 percent drop from the last census five years ago, and the lowest it’s been since said organization started keeping records... in 200 AD”
“Good lord... why so low?” Daniel asked.
“Many factors; I won’t bore you with them unless you want to know though” Woman In Blue assured
(more on that organization in due time)
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Post by Toz76 on Dec 12, 2018 19:30:51 GMT -5
"Are you sure there couldn't be other magic users, just hidden from them? I mean, there seems to be a lot of colorfolk at the base, and assuming there's the same amount of evil colorfolk, that means 400 total, and with the population being 400000 on this island, extrapolating that out means there's got to be millions of them?"
"What, are you saying there's some massive "magic underground" we don't know about?" Woman In Blue said, not knowing the answer was "yes". "Even if that was the case, it wouldn't be nearly that many. Outside of specific magic hotspots, magic users are rare at best. Everyone is capable of at least a little magic, in theory, but without a magical hotspot, most people will never know."
"And what's our local magical hotspot?" Man In Blue asked.
"Our faction is different. Our power comes from the Prism, or from the shards of the Prism anyway. That's how we search for them, actually. Being close to a prism shard gives us that tingling sensation behind the eyes- that's why the colorfolk who live here always look so tired. It's hard to sleep so close to five prism shards."
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Dec 12, 2018 21:30:18 GMT -5
“Speaking of which, you look rather tired Daniel, perhaps you should get some rest yourself” Woman In Blue offered.
“I think I will; good night” Daniel said, preparing to return home.
Woman In Blue sighed, “well, I could say he was onto something... but he needs to appreciate the bigger issue here... magic is declining, in more ways than one. Though perhaps I should have given him an honest number... but he needs to appreciate the situation” she thought, remaining firm in her choice to exaggerate.
There was a grain of truth though- in the last five years, the magic users population had indeed declined 15 percent.
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