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Post by frankthetriviaman on Dec 21, 2018 16:39:46 GMT -5
To understand why such a decline though, it is important to understand the world everyone lives in.
There were many factors at play; between large amounts of knowledge being lost over the centuries, and technology eclipsing the use of magic in many regards, slowly but steadily the number of magic users began to decline.
As the number of magic users declined, so did the number of factions; these organizations were how magic users connected and learned magic. Each faction was unique in its own way, even if they were just "generic" magic users (i.e. a faction that doesn't specialize in anything specific, like the Masteri and golem magic). With each disbanded faction, knowledge would be lost as no one was there to maintain the libraries of each respective faction; estimates suggest that when compared to the golden age of magic (the renaissance), the current number of magic factions is less than 1/5 what existed at magic's height.
Though this claim is disputed, some argue that the establishment of the Akademie der Magier in Germany, the school where almost all current mages get their magic training today, effectively destroyed the long-held apprentice system that mages, until then, had trained under.
Before the academy- if one wanted to learn magic, he or she would join a faction, be chosen by a "master" (an established mage of great knowledge who would personally teach the apprentice), become a pupil, and devote their life to studying the craft. Once they had reached a certain level of mastery, they graduated from being apprentices to being fully fledged mages. In some factions, they had the freedom to have their own life outside the faction, including raising a family, while in others, they were expected to devote themselves to the faction, in the same way some monks devoted their lives to the monastery they lived in.
With the establishment of the academy though- it rendered the apprentice system moot, and with it, crippled the ability of many factions to hire new members. The fact that academy graduates often enjoy a great degree of freedom after graduation since they are not tied down to any one faction is another appeal of the academy versus a traditional "faction".
To see the effect the decline in magic use is having on the general magic population, let's see the kind of goings on in the world:
In the Magic underground, at the offices of the Ministry for Assessment and Administering of the General Population Indication Census (MAAGPIC), clerks were filing away the latest numbers and indications... and taking the final count of disbanded factions.
"Well, that does it then; the last member of the Order of Avios passed away two months ago" one sighed as another name was added to the list of defunct factions.
"Saw it coming a mile away though; in this day and age an entire order based around magic that allows one to turn into birds... it wasn't going to last" his colleague pointed out.
"I suppose you've got a point Mary; any others I've got to add?" he said as he finished writing down the name.
"Yes Steven; The Almrania Brotherhood's last four members sent a letter of dissolution; they will be retiring to the care of their children and the faction is officially disbanded" Mary explained as she held up the document.
"Which one was that again?" Steven asked as he consulted some charts.
"They were a "general" faction; but the corn they grew and sold was highly regarded and popular, even here" Mary explained.
"Wow, a faction dedicated to growing corn... like anyone will miss that" Steven said sarcastically... before writing a note to "go buy Almrania corn" after work.
"Now now, all the general factions had some way of making money. After all, can you imagine what would happen if we found ourselves having to live without the wine of the Falgria Order in Northern Italy?" Mary pointed out.
"Expect that to become a reality in a couple generations; membership went from 38 to 29 and the average age of the members is 62" Steven said as he looked over their census submission. "Not to mention they've been cash strapped so they sold most of their vineyards to the Academy of Magic; went from 25 acres to nine acres" Steven explained as he continued writing some notes.
"Why would the academy buy that land off them?" Mary asked, confused.
"Put two and two together; ever since the academy went up the number of factions went down. This is just the first phase; once the Falgria disbands they'll buy the rest of the land and make a Northern Italian campus to ease the pressure off of having mages from all over the world come to Germany" Steven stated
"That doesn't sound like the academy... maybe they want to help the faction survive" Mary suggested.
"As if the academy wants it to; what could it gain from a faction of wine-producers anyway?" Steven asked sarcastically.
"Falgria wine is very popular, don't jump to conclusions" Mary assured.
"I'll believe it when I see it" Steven declared before going over other lists. "What other orders disbanded?"
"Let's see... The Samresuna, The Order of Calronvia, The Order of Maeron, Brotherhood of Cistria, Sisterhood of Golmen, The Straw Hat Pirates, the Whitebeard Pirates..."
"Those last two aren't real factions" Steven said bluntly.
"Just making sure you are paying attention" Mary smirked before hiding a manga book
......
Akademie der Magier, Germany
"You didn't have to do this you know; we could have come to you" the academy's headmaster explained.
"Oh, but I needed to. I more than anyone hate to see the size of our vineyard shrink, but if the land is to end up in the proper hands, I alone should bear responsibility for this decision" the elderly mage explained.
"At 84 years old and the head of your order, I simply must commend you on your vitality. The thin mountain air surely must be taking it's toll on you" the academy's headmaster replied.
"Oh, not at all... I climbed mountains in my youth! Well, I best be going" he said, shaking hands before the headmaster kindly asked some of his workers to escort him to his ride home. As he walked away, the elderly mage began silently weeping, "Fate is a cruel mistress... the very institution that ended the apprentice system, is now the ones who gave us the money that will help us thrive for just a little while longer" he thought as he walked through the academy's halls.
Some time later the headmaster called a meeting off the important people who ran the academy.
"As of today, we now own the 16 acres of Falgria Order's land we made the offer for last month" the headmaster declared.
"Excellent! When do we begin construction of the new campus?" One of the younger members of the board asked excitedly.
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Post by Toz76 on Dec 21, 2018 23:52:18 GMT -5
"We begin immediately, as soon as we can clear up this petition from the Guild Of Damoni and Altavoces U Pixan." Headmaster Luncrett replied.
"You know we can't possibly concede to their request!" Advisor Erodelbmud slammed her fist on the table. "A "Black Stuff" academy? Preposterous! We can't allow this dangerous "Black Stuff is Okay" doctrine to take hold!"
"I fear we have no choice." Advisor Winxan replied. "George Tenoch from Altovoces U Pixan spoke to me yesterday. Apparently they've reestablished the Apprenticeship system for Dark Magic. If we are to prevent the Black Stuff from gaining traction, we must at least consider the possibility of opening the Academy's doors to practitioners of the Dark Arts."
Suddenly, a woman in thick red robes ran in.
"Alaine? What is it?" The headmaster asked, concerned.
"Councilmembers! There's been a security breach! Hartley College in New Furness, USA... it has a class on the "History of Magic", and it's surprisingly accurate..."
"Damn! We need to find out who's responsible and shut them down before everything we've worked for is lost!"
********
But far away in Iceland, the news had already spread to another rival faction. A man and a woman were boarding a helicopter. And their intentions towards this professor were far more... violent...
********
"Alright, class, today we're going to discuss some of the great heroes in Magic History." Daniel said, pointing to the whiteboard. "Now, I'm sure you're all familiar with various figures throughout history that magic powers have been ascribed to, and you're probably expecting me to discuss them. King Arthur. Jesus of Nazareth. Queen Hatsheput. But we'll save them for another day. Today, I want to talk about two of the greatest magic heroes in history, who have been all but forgotten: Hephastus Of The Sword and Damoni Silverfinger."
"I'm sorry, who?" Frank asked, raising his hand. "I don't want to be rude, but it seems like you're just throwing a lot of names at us all at once and expecting us to care or know what they mean."
"All in good time... Hephastus Of The Sword lived nearly 2000 years ago. We don't know that much about him, other than that he was born in what is now England around the time of the first Roman excursions into the region. Hephastus became the leader of a revolution against them, and some say he even arranged Caesar's Execution. But whether he was magical remains a mystery. However, texts recovered from various archaelogical sites report that he created his army, the Light Warriors, out of "a ray of sunshine". Whether this is true or not, the legends of Damoni Silverfinger are far less ambiguous..."
"Yeah, it says here he tamed a Hydra and shrunk it down to use as a third arm? And that he was revered by a people called the "Anamaloids"? Surely this is nonsense." Frank replied, looking at his notes in confusion.
"Right you are! Now then, let me tell you about the legend of Hephastus and the Sword Of Destiny..."
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Dec 22, 2018 0:39:37 GMT -5
Daniel proceeded to tell the story of the humble blacksmith, who rose from ambiguity to become one of the most important figures in the mythology of magic. A story so convoluted that attempting to explain it in this post is borderline impossible. Thus the lesson proceeded.
......
"Wait Headmaster, did you say the Falgria Order? As in... Falgria wine?" one adviser asked out of curiosity.
"Of course; I did promise them that construction would begin after they harvested the last of the grapes from the land we bought though, so by immediately I certainly meant..."
"You can't just rip up their vineyards!" He said in shock. Going over to a cabinet, he waved his hand and the wall turned around and revealed a wine rack. Taking a bottle and pouring a glass, he was almost frantic in giving it to the headmaster.
"Now you know I'm not really one to..."
"Just drink it, please!" the adviser pleaded, and so Luncrett did. After a few minutes of pondering...
"Um... schedule another meeting tomorrow... I think an important consideration must be made before we proceed with construction. In fact I also want you to..." and he whispered some instructions into his ear.
......
"... and once the 25 signs had come and gone, there was an encounter with one called Vlad; a being so evil he managed to escape hell and died twice" Daniel continued.
"Are you sure that's right?" Frank asked in confusion.
"Honestly, no one knows. But more importantly don't forget that this is mythology after all, there's a metaphor in all of this" Daniel said.
"What is it?" Toz asked.
"if I knew I would tell you; but the important thing to remember about Heph here- he was a true magic hero in the traditional sense of the word- he rose from humble beginnings and went on to make a name for himself, in the process making the world a better place" Daniel said. More of Heph's feats were talked about over the next 40 minutes.
"But sir- what about the succubus?" David asked.
"The succubus? Well, I, uh, you see..." then Daniel saw the clock, "and I'm afraid that's all the time we have; remember- next class we talk about legendary magic artifacts" Daniel said as the four went to leave.
Daniel reviewed his notes on the succubus; it was due to be covered in the magical creatures lecture, but even he was dismissive of this one.
"A demon with an attractive female face and body, yet also has horns, wings, fangs, a tail and cloven feet... that seduces men in their dreams to steal and feed off their life force... ok, magic may be real but THAT is the most absurd thing I have ever heard! I mean who would get aroused by that... thing?" Daniel said, looking over the drawings of Succubi. "Ugh... well they only appear in dreams anyway and I'm not attracted to those kinds of features so... oh what am I even saying?! They probably don't even exist" Daniel grumbled as he left the classroom to go to the teacher's office.
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Post by Toz76 on Dec 22, 2018 0:50:45 GMT -5
At the end of the day, Daniel returned to colorfolk HQ. The first thing he saw was Man In White and Woman In Blue talking to a strange old man, wearing some sort of brass armor and covered in soot.
"Look, Kendarboo, I want to believe you, but the last three locations you sent us just ended up being weird blood cultists." Woman In Blue said.
"Trust me, colorfolk, this time I'm sure of it." Kendarboo said, handing over a dirt-covered sheet of paper. "There's next to no civilization out in those woods, just bears and deer. It'll be a piece of cake."
"What's going on?" Daniel asked, joining the group.
"Oh, Man In Blue, this is our friend and ally Kendarboo Flickerbee. He's an artificer, and his magitek devices help us locate Prism Shards. He claims he's found one deep in a cave in the national park, but it's up to us to retrieve it... if his instruments are right this time..."
"Well, is it okay if I join the mission to retrieve it?" Daniel asked, intrigued.
"Sure, why not? Man In Silver, Woman In Silver, and Woman In Gold are prepping in the armory." Man In White replied.
So Daniel set off on his first Prism Piece retrieval mission.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Dec 22, 2018 0:54:35 GMT -5
"So, usual payment, correct Kendarboo?" Man In White asked.
"But of course" Kendarboo nodded.
"Very well" Man In White said. "Woman In White, go prepare the Gift of Carrot!" Man In White said.
"Again?!" She yelled from the next room
"It's for Kendarboo!" Man In White said.
"And the Tale of Tail?" Kendarboo said.
Daniel was understandably confused by all this, as Man In White sighed and then began speaking, "Once upon a time, long, long ago, there was a..."
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Post by Toz76 on Dec 22, 2018 1:04:01 GMT -5
Daniel decided to bid a hasty retreat to the armory.
When he got there, he was quite surprised by what he saw. Man In Silver was wearing his usual robes, a thick helmet, and a quiver of arrows. Woman In Gold had adopted a sleeveless vest, a large wooden staff, and a belt full of all sorts of knives. Woman In Silver was wearing chain mail and had some sort of magic amulet around her neck.
"I'm sorry, what? You know guns exist, right?"
"Yeah, but medieval weapons are awesome!" Woman In Silver yelled. "Try the flail!"
"Don't try the flail." Man In Silver interjected quickly. "We don't have time to get you fitted for your own armor or anything, so just pick a weapon and maybe a magic ring or something. Your colorfolk robes will provide ample protection."
Man In Blue nodded and turned to see a wall of cutlasses, battle axes, and even a whip.
"Um... I don't know how to use any of these..."
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Dec 22, 2018 1:13:22 GMT -5
"Just pick whatever feels right" Man In Silver explained.
"O...k..." Daniel said in confusion. He went over to the armory and his hands hovered over some weapons... before finally picking a sword.
"this one feels right" Daniel nodded before giving a few test swings.
"You don't know the half of it" Man In Silver thought to himself.
"So what happens now?" Daniel asked.
"Man In White's our tactician; he'll fill us in on the plan once he's done with the story" Man In Silver explained.
"How will we know when he's done?" Daniel asked.
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Post by Toz76 on Dec 22, 2018 1:21:48 GMT -5
"Well, technically, the full Tale takes about 39 hours to tell in its entirety... but usually after half an hour Kendarboo gets bored."
As if on cue, Man In White entered.
"Finally... anyway, here's the deal. You've been sent to a random location in the middle of the forest in North Ridge National Park. There is an unexplored cave system near there that he suspects the Shard is in, but those caves are unstable and dangerous. Stick together and stay safe. I'll cast the teleport spell when you're ready."
"We're ready now." Woman In Gold said.
There was a rush of light and color, and suddenly the four colorfolk were in a dense evergreen forest. Unfortunately, they'd been teleported right into a giant patch of blackberry bushes.
"Ow! So many thorns!"
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Dec 23, 2018 1:13:53 GMT -5
It took a few minutes for them to brush themselves off and regroup.
“Ugh, I knew we should have fine tuned that” Woman In Silver moaned as she brushed herself off.
“So what now?” Daniel asked
“Keep an eye out for anything suspicious” Man In Silver said
Daniel looked around and saw...
A guy in a giraffe costume on a pogo stick taking pictures
A guy in a tiger costume dancing the hula
A guy in a zebra costume doing cartwells
And finally, a guy in a gorilla suit riding a unicycle passed by as he played the banjo “HELLLOOO!!” He said with a grin as he went by
“Uh, nothing of meaningful significance, let’s go” Daniel said as the four left the costumed group behind, never to see them again.
“What are we looking for now?” Woman In Silver asked as Man In Silver looked through binoculars
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Post by Toz76 on Dec 23, 2018 1:21:58 GMT -5
"Probably a cave entrance, but I don't know where we'd... AAAH!" And the ground gave way under Man In Silver.
"Oh, neat, he found it!"
"Don't worry guys, the stalagmites broke my fall!" He called back.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Dec 30, 2018 14:21:07 GMT -5
“We’re coming down!” Woman In Gold shouted. The quartet reunited down below and assessed their situation.
“How will we know if there is a prism shard present?” Daniel asked.
“Very simple- the prism’s pieces glow when near a Colorman or colorwomen, and will only allow a good hearted wielder to touch them” Man In Silver explained
“I thought you said the prism was neutral?” Daniel asked, thinking back to something he said the other day
“In a base state, yes. But the diaries of Matthew Erdagovern explained how with the Spirit, the Prism was “freed from corruption” and became an artifact that only the good hearted could wield; but be warned Daniel, for there are also artifacts that only evil can wield” Man In Silver warned
“So when you say that prism magic is incompatible, and I only say “incompatible” only because I can’t think of another adjective that makes sense in context, with evil- you mean those who have too much black stuff in their hearts” Daniel realized
“Correct; and we see this in many aspects of our lore- the Colormen artifacts and colorwomen rings have a violent reaction to anyone with a corrupted heart- and those who tried to take prism magic who weren’t worthy suffered greatly. Have I told you the tale of Sir Adrian yet?” Man In Silver asked
“No, but I don’t think that’s important now” Daniel said
“Quite right, now, the fragment. Where should it be?” Man In Silver asked
“Well I’d imagine we look for something that looks like glowing, colorful glass” Daniel quipped
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Post by Toz76 on Dec 30, 2018 14:51:42 GMT -5
"Hang on, there's a tingling behind my eyes..." Woman In Gold said suddenly.
"Ah yes, that means the Prism shard must be close." Man In Silver said.
"So hang on, if only someone with a good heart can touch Prism Shards, how do the evil colorfolk have any?" Daniel asked.
"Well, there seems to be an exception for people with Colorfolk blood... well, that's not the right word, but you get the idea. The evil colorfolk can touch them, for example, and my children can as well. It's a bit of a weakness, but if we were too powerful, there would be no challenge, no reason to get up in the morning." Man In Silver explained.
"Also, what the heck are "Colorwomen rings"?" Woman In Silver asked.
"Wasn't there some old legend about how in the olden days, colorwomen had fewer resources, so instead of giving each member a different unique artifact, they just made a bunch of different colored rings?"
"No, that would be ridiculous. We have artifacts same as the dudes." Woman In Silver rolled her eyes.
"What are these "artifacts" anyway?" Daniel asked.
"Can you all just shut up? I've got to be home to pick up my girlfriend in a few hours, so the sooner we find this prism shard, the better." Woman In Gold snapped.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Dec 30, 2018 19:16:09 GMT -5
The four went in the direction of the tingling... by that, meaning as the tingling grew stronger they knew they were getting nearer. They turned another bend, and at last, found what they were looking for.
"This is it... this is the missing fragment" Man In Silver noted. The glowing piece of what looked like glass grew stronger in intensity as the four approached it. The colors they saw flowed throughout, yet never mixed.
"Guess this is it then; well, let's reunite it with the others" Woman In Silver noted.
"Not... so... fast! I will be taking that!" A voice screamed. The foursome turned around to see an older gentleman in robes similar to Man In Silver's usual mage robes... but he was holding a gun.
"I KNEW we should have brought a firearm" Daniel muttered.
"Gerard, you don't know what you are doing" Man In Silver said, indicating that he knew the party in question.
"How did you even find us?!" Daniel asked, confused.
"I came into this forest first, of course. I must admit, I've been looking for some treasure for a long time now, and when I saw Stephenson here enter a cave with your party in tow... I knew he was onto something" Gerard stated.
"Who is this man?" Daniel asked, confused.
"THIS is Gerard Galvermore; he claims to be an archaeologist but he's nothing more than a petty treasure hunter" Man In Silver muttered. "We go way back; when we were younger he told me about his fascination with very old items. He said he loved their artistic value, and wanted to collect them for the world to see. As we got older he came to me because i happened to have knowledge about the very things he was interested in, since some magic artifacts have gone on to become legendary artifacts in secular lore. Little did I know he was using me to make a quick buck" he continued.
"Nothing personal, just business" he said as he continued to get closer to the fragment. "See, its better to have them somewhere where they can be cared for, after all" he stated.
"They belong with their rightful owners! You just sell them to the highest bidder!" Man In Silver stated. "This artifact rightfully belongs to my faction and you know it!" Man In Silver declared. Woman In Gold went to make a move, but Woman in Silver stopped her.
"Tempting... but selling it will make me richer. Man's got to eat after all... and have more money to find more artifacts" he said with a laugh as he went to claim his prize.
"I don't understand; is he a mage or not?" Daniel asked.
"He is a mage; a "non-faction" mage though; he concerns himself more with making a quick buck than honing his craft though. Don't you remember ANYTHING Gerard? These artifacts are more than just "treasures" they are sacred heirlooms of their factions!" Man In Silver pointed out.
"Finders keepers, Stephenson! You found it, I keep it!" He laughed again as he went to pick up the fragment. But to his shock it superheated and he was forced to drop it.
"Argh! What is this!? You did this, didn't you!?" He said, holding his hand in pain.
"No... you did this to yourself. You only use magic for personal gain at the expense of others... you allow your wicked ways to influence your choices and as a result of your consequences your heart has become corrupted" Man In Silver said, focusing on Gerard.
"Shut up! If this has that kind of charm on it, then it must be quite powerful. I'll... I'll use it against you!" He said, picking up the fragment, fighting the pain as long as he could.
"I'll reduce all of you to ash, take this!" He screamed, preparing to cast a spell, using the fragment akin to a wand. But in a blinding flash of light... he was turned to solid stone.
"What... just... happened?" Daniel asked, shocked.
"The same fate that befell Sir Adrian" Man In Silver explained. "I have a pretty good idea what he was going for... it wouldn't have worked regardless, Prism fragments don't work that way" he noted.
"What happens now?" Daniel asked. Then he heard cracking. The Gerard's hand that had been holding the fragment began to crack, until a small explosion of sorts took place, and the hand was no more. The fragment fell onto the ground. Man In Silver went over and picked it up... this time, nothing happened.
"I think its safe to say it's mission accomplished" Man In Silver noted.
Daniel looked at what was left of Gerard, "Was this... too harsh?" he asked.
"He only cared for monetary gain and was will to steal, sell and do whatever it took to make a quick buck. I can only imagine the pain he caused others when they heard about their precious artifacts going up for auction. This is long overdue justice served; for every "dead faction" he stole from, there was also an existing faction where he decided to sell an artifact instead of returning it to them. But what a way to go" Man In Silver noted.
Woman In Silver, during this time had been scouting the area. "Area is secure; is there anything else we must do before returning home?" she asked Woman In Gold.
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Post by Toz76 on Dec 30, 2018 23:34:50 GMT -5
"I don't think so, let's just get home and put it with the other five."
**********
But what none of the other colorfolk knew was that Gerard was being watched. His daughter Frankie had placed a charm on him, allowing his actions to be seen when viewed through an enchanted water bowl.
The colorfolk didn't know the full story with Gerard. His wife had fallen very ill shortly after their marriage. Medical bills were expensive, and in order to pay them, Gerard was forced to turn to finding and selling artifacts. What he did wasn't illegal, and while it may have hurt some people by selling off their ancient artifacts, Man In Silver was wrong about his motivations.
So when Gerard was effectively killed by the Prism Shard, Frankie knew what she had to do. She reached out to an old friend, Sir Awkright Edogog, and his most noble order, the KNUCKLEHEADS...
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Dec 31, 2018 0:46:43 GMT -5
In the back of Frankie’s mind though, there was something that was bothering her- her father had been spending less and less time at home, and when she did see him, he had been talking more and more about “making a buck” rather than “getting money to pay off the bills”.. and even she couldn’t help but admit that her father should have returned artifacts of existing factions to their rightful owners.
......
Gerard was not dead, unbeknownst to everyone- he had only been petrified by the Prism. Though he could not move, his mind was left to muse on his actions.
“What... have I done? I mean, the places were abandoned and the factions disbanded, who would miss them? The times I went to the graves, it’s not like anyone was visiting them anymore... but, but right do I have to disturb a resting place? But that was only a fraction of my finds! The other places were abandoned halls and bases... true I did trespass and lie from time to time, but I didn’t want to hurt anyone! Maybe I should have returned the artifacts of the existing factions, but I found them, I had every right to make money! But all those people who begged for their artifacts back... it’s not like they didn’t pay me. But, it was theirs and the right thing to do was return it. What am I saying?! I took those artifacts so I could make money! Money for... for...! No... what have I become?! I did this so I could pay off the medical bills, when did I care about becoming rich? Why the hell did I say finders keepers, that was their arifact, why did I try to steal it at gunpoint?! For that matter, why do I have a gun for my line of work? I swore that in my hunt I would never hurt others and... Oh my G... what have I become?!”
Gerard fully realized what had happened... he did the wrong thing whenever he effectively stole from an existing faction, and the more he did it, the more he allowed his heart to be corrupted. It was true the selling of artifacts of dead factions did nothing, but once he began refusing to return the artifacts of surviving factions in favor of making more money, the black stuff in his heart began to influence his motives to be darker. By the time he confronted the Colormen, he had reached a point where he was more concerned about making money to get rich than paying off the medical bills... even at the expense of others.
“I threatened to turn them into ash... why?” He finished
The “statue” of Gerard seemed to shed tears from the eyes, and a black, tar like substance seemed to seep from his heart area. When it fell on the floor, it fizzled and dissolved away. It wasn’t all of the black stuff in his heart... but the remorse he felt had allowed for a partial purification of his heart.”
......
In a caravan on the island, a woman was looking over a crystal ball when she suddenly looked up, “there has been a disturbance on this island!” She realized
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Post by Tug on Dec 31, 2018 23:40:25 GMT -5
"Adriana, you felt it too, right?" asked a man in her doorway
The woman looked up from her crystal ball towards the man in her doorway and said, "That was a high concentration of pure magic, it seems troubling, but out of caution, I want you to take Gilford with you and check it out."
"I'm on it..." responded the man in grey colored clothes as he left the wooden cart, passing a sleeping dog, a carved stone statue, and an eight legged horse on the way out...
"Hey Gilford! The mistress has a job for us!"
.....
In Gracefield Park, the Men in Silver, Gray, and Purple as well as the Women in Silver and Gold were having a training session in the various arts of the Colorfolk...
"Remember to sense your opponent with your mind's eye, not your actual eyes." spoke Man in Silver to the blindfolded Colorfolk as he swung a wooden club at them, intending them to avoid it, with only some successes...
"Ow!" yelled Man in Purple
"You'll never properly train your skills if I catch you peeking Roy..." scolded Man in Silver
"Sorry, it's just can we take a break yet? I'm getting kind of tired..." complained Man in Purple
"Evil never rests, besides, you've all been slacking on you're magical training, so this day trip is a bit of a punishment, and with that another round people!" ordered Man in Silver
The other Colorfolk groaned in response, all hitting Man in Purple in annoyance...
In the nearby bushes, five armored figures watched in wait...
"Alright men, seems now is the best time to strike..." said one
"Alexandre, Castelmore, like we practiced!" said another excited as the trio jumped out from the bushes
"Wait, no!" silently screamed the first knight
The Colorfolk undid their blindfolds as they heard a strange rustling in the bushes, and saw three armored men emerge, striking dynamic poses for each...
"Halt you despicable Colorfolk! For we noble knights have come to stop your nefarious deeds! By our virtuous spirit we shall end your reign! With the power of the sword!
"The spear!"
"And the Halberd!"
"We are..."
"The CAVALIERS DE TROIS!"
"As well as our comrade... Knight Eren!"
A fourth man wielding a sword and tower shield slowly emerged from the bushes and struck a "pose"...
"Dammit you three! I told you to stop acting like that! What are you superheroes? And you, Eren, I thought you were better than to get sucked up into their antics..." complained the new knight who left the shrubbery
"Aw Bastille... You're no fun..." pouted the Swordsman
"Who are you people?" asked Man in Silver
"I was waiting for that question foul villain, we are members of the fair order the KNUCKLEHEADS, and as granted under the authority of our fair leader, I, "Iron Mask" Bastille have deemed now as the time to lay waste to you, fair Knights, attack!"
Before the Colorfolk could respond, a chained spear flew towards Man in Silver's head, he just barely dodged it's speed thanks to the spiritual sensing he had been training the others in...
It was time for the Colorfolk and KUCKLEHEADS to clash for the first time in centuries...
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jan 1, 2019 0:08:39 GMT -5
"Foul villain? There must be some mistake! We are good wielders of the craft!" Man In Silver declared.
"We will not fall for your tricks! We shall smite thee!" The first one said with a charge as tried to attack, but Silver dodged in time.
"Now look, it is YOU who has been tricked already. Clearly someone has deceived you into thinking we are the bad guys. Why do you fight us when we are not enemies?" Man In Silver asked.
"That opinion is one sided; we shall crush you in the name of all that is good!" The second said with beaming pride.
"And yet you are willing to attack innocents in the name of a misguided quest. If you truly are good, you will see that we mean no harm and you will leave us be. We have no intention of harming you, but we will defend ourselves from such senseless aggression if need be" Man In Silver declared sternly, as the others nodded and began taking up defensive stances.
"I see all talk and no action is what you are! Let them have it!" the halberd wielding knight declared as the group began attacking the Colorfolk.
"Non-lethal only, everyone! We will not stoop to their level!" Man In Silver declared as he stepped back while the others took up the front.
Man In Gray was up against Jaune the sword wielder, Man In Purple was up against Alexandre the halberd user, Woman In Silver was up against Castlemore the spear user, and Woman In Gold was up against Knight Eren, who wielded a shield and a sword.
"What was it Man In White said about these weapons? This is a fight for our tactician; but there's no way I can slip away to call him now; he probably wouldn't get here in time anyway. I'll just need them to keep these knights occupied while I do my thing" Man In Silver thought as he prepared for his eventual role in the battle.
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Post by Toz76 on Jan 1, 2019 14:55:13 GMT -5
The fight quickly devolved into chaos. The color folk were mostly unarmed, which most of them hadn't trained well in. And they couldn't hold still long enough to cast a spell, or they'd get hit by one of these medieval weapons.
Eventually, Woman In Silver was able to evade Castlemore for a second, and began chanting in what seemed like gibberish. Castlemore looked down in shock as his pants seemed to transform, until suddenly they had turned into a rocket engine strapped to his waist. Then it ignited, and Castlemore was sent flying.
"Nooooo! Carry on without me, Cavaliers!"
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jan 1, 2019 18:35:13 GMT -5
Castlemore found himself flying very fast and uncontrollably. Lucky for him though, the "rocket" spells of the Colormen were purposefully non-lethal; you see, the rocket pants spell and all variations thereof, are what are known as "gag spells." For although relatively easy to learn, they cause minimal injuries to the target, in exchange for the ability of getting the enemy "far away and out of sight." The most the target could get were cuts, bruises... and occasionally motion sickness. In Castlemore's case though, He found himself flying straight for the New Furness Molasses factory, and straight for one of their supply warehouses. It was certainly a strange sight- a knight crashing into a barrel of molasses, and covered in very sticky syrup. "Uh... could someone spare a shower, and perhaps some soap?" He said; mostly uninjured but rather embarrassed about his sticky situation. ...... Back at the fight, Man In Purple was figuring out his situation against the halberd wielding knight. "I see now... the individual attacks may be strong, but it take him a while to recover, and getting close enough makes his long weapon useless" he observed. "on the other hand... what am I supposed to do if I get close? I suppose going for his neck would be the most obvious... ugh, if I could just remember what Woman in White said!" He muttered. So he went for the other way... making the knight focus only on him... only on him. The halberd turned out to be a rather predictable weapon; there were really only three attacks that could be done with what amounted to an over-sized ax on a long poll... side swipe left, side swipe right, and overhead chop. The swipes to the side were key here. He did his best to dodge the attacks, but he was running out of stamina and he knew it. Fortunately, he was right where he wanted to be. With one more roll, he dodged Alexandre's attack. Alexandre did a heavy swipe left, but failed to notice that the lamp post that he had been steadily walking towards. Man In Purple had made him move to just the right position, and when Alexandre swung the Halberd, he realized too late that he was swinging it towards the lamp post. The momentum of the Halberd meant he could not stop it in mid air, and though the metal head was strong, the wooden pole of the halberd was not so much. The way he was swinging, the wooden poll itself made direct contact with the lampost, splitting in two upon impact. Realizing he was now holding a broken half of a pole, Alexandre realized he couldn't continue the fight like this. "You haven't seen the last of me!" He screamed as he picked up the other half of his weapon and bolted. "Two down... two to... no, wait, why do I feel there is someone else here?" Man In Silver thought to himself, realizing that another set of eyes was watching the fight. ...... "Not good, Alexandre has broken his weapon and Castlemore is who knows where... I'll need to be ready for anything" the observer said as he readied his mace for his eventual entry to the fight, if need be. (Name withheld for dramatic tension )
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Post by Tug on Jan 6, 2019 23:47:46 GMT -5
Though some Colorfolk were having an easier time than others, the KNUCKLEHEADS were mounting a dangerous counterattack in response to their loss in allies...
"Ugh! I can't hit him! Curse that blasted shield!" grumbled an angered Woman in Gold
Woman in Gold was currently facing off against Knight Eren, who's tower shield was blocking everything she threw at him, an even the spells she tossed his way seemed to be dodged by his reflexes alone...
'I must thank Master Noir for heightening my reflexes, who knew it would come in handy against their unnatural powers... Time to use my ultimate tactic! For for the this knight's greatest move!' thought Eren, though highly emotional in his thoughts, it did not reflex at all on his face or even voice to people outside of his mind...
"Aren't you going to say anything! Grgh! I'm just going to smash that shield of yours!" yelled Woman in Gold as she spoke gibberish and magic coursed through her fist, intending to shatter the shield with it. Eren put up his shield to block the strike so she threw her fist, nut it was a faint as he reflexively pulled back as the Woman in Gold lost her footing due to the momentum of the throw.
"Shield Bash!" shouted Eren as he blindsided the stumbling Woman in Gold, knocking her out using the force of his entire body weight...
"Jane!" shouted Man in Gray as he noticed his compatriot hit the ground with a solid thud...
"Pay attention to who you're fighting!" furiously shouted Jaune as his sword sliced toward Man in Gray, "you lot have ruined the Cavaliers chance to use our new combination attack! So now, PAY THE PRICE!"
An enraged Jaune seemed to be emitting flames from his body with how much heat in anger he was generating. He caught Man in Gray off guard so much that the swordsman made a substantial stab wound...
"Calvin! Roy go support him, maybe cast magic on that wound of his!" ordered Man in Silver
"You know, it made sense to separate the Cavaliers in theory, but honestly hurting his companions really brings out the true potential in, not just Jaune, but all three of them. But, now seems like the time to end this!" said a voice as a mace slammed into Man in Silver's chest
All Man in Silver could do is cough up blood from his probably broken ribs...
"Colorfolk... Retreat!" coughed Man in Silver as he spurted gibberish that Bastille thought was just him losing consciousness, but really cast a smokescreen that the Colorfolk used to get away...
"Damn! They got away!" shouted Jaune as he slammed his sword into the dirt
"Patience Jaune, they may have fled, but now they know how dangerous we can be... Eren, you did well, I'll inform Noir of your success today, Jaune, you and the other two need more work... Now come on, I think Castelmore flew off in that direction..." spoke Bastille
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