|
|
|
|
|
|
|
DelicatexRose Vice Captain
|
 Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 4:06 pm
The Serpentine Path is a long, winding road that contains treacherous obstacles such as venomous reptiles, dangerous illusions, and lurking predators. Few Creatures dare to approach the Pass due to its ominous appearance. However, it is said that extravagant treasures are hidden within the mysterious wooded area.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 4:41 pm
Words of wisdom that only a mage could concoct:
x x x x x"A fool flatters himself, while a wise man flatters the fool." The serpentine path, said to be one of the most dangerous places in the world, that's what humans say, anyway. However Roran is no human, he is a young mage who was trained by Merlin himself. He wandered the small, winding path until he came across a small, wooden sign that had large red letters painted on it: DANGER. Roran looked at the sign wondering what was so dangerous. He looked ahead to see where the path led, but all he saw was the same small, dirt road with large pine trees on both sides of it. "Maybe I should check my map," the young mage said curiously. He opened his small, worn out messenger bag. This bag, however, was no ordinary bag. It was the size of a small backpack, but it could hold an infinite amount of materials. For example, Roran keeps twenty-three massive spell books, a few materials for a tent, water canteens, and some spare clothes in the bag and it looks and weighs as if nothing is in the bag. Roran dug around in the bag until he pulled out an old looking map. It was torn and crumpled at the corners, but it was still readable. "Lets see," he said aloud, "I think I'm...hmm." He put his index finger on the map navigating his finger through all of the areas he thought he traveled in the past few days. "There!" He shouted, excited to see he found the spot. "The Serpentine path. It says here that it's famous for its traps and snakes. Well, nothing I can't manage." The young mage folded the map back up and threw it carelessly into his bag.
Roran proceeded into the forest, looking around as he slowly followed the path, which seemed to be getting smaller and smaller. After about another hundred feet, the path ended, leaving Roran with no guidance as he ventured through the forest. "I guess it's just about time to set up camp, then," he said as the sun began to set, leaving the sky a hazy blue color. Roran opened up his bag once more and began unloading a large, green tarp, knotted rope, and a few wooden polls. Just then, the young mage heard a rustling in a near by bush. Roran stood still for a moment thinking, 'a snake? No, it was too loud to be a snake. It has to be something larger, but what?!' Roran stood up and faced the bush that had just rustled moments ago. He extended his hand, and created a fireball just inches away from his palm. "Show yourself, now!" A few seconds passed, but nothing appeared out of the bushes. Then, suddenly a dark figure jumped out of the bush, lunging toward Roran with great speed. Roran, out of fear, shot the fireball, which grew twice its size in a mere moment. The figure was hit by the basketball-sized ball of flames and fell to the ground, slightly injured. The figure got up and, to Roran's surprise, changed into a wolf-like creature. It was now clear to Roran that he attacked a werewolf, and there was a strong chance that its pack wasn't far. The werewolf began to approach Roran with pointed claws. With one quick motion the beast slashed its claw at Roran. Blood instantly began to ooze out of the claw mark left on Roran's arm. 'A werewolf, a werewolf...fire and thunder!' Roran thought frantically, as he anticipated another attack. The Wolf's claw came crashing down to the ground where Roran once stood, however, Roran was no longer standing there. From atop a tree branch, Roran began casting another spell, after he evaded the wolf's destructive claw thanks to his teleportation. "Fire and lightning seem to be the most effective when battling a werewolf, that's what I read anyway," Roran said quietly to himself. "Thundra!" Suddenly, random bolts of weak lightning come crashing down on the wolf. It howled in pain, as it looked up in the tree where Roran stood. The Hairy creature jumped up onto the same branch, knocking Roran off with its bushy tail. The mage plummeted to the ground, finally making contact with the moist soil. The wolf looked down at the dazed mage for a moment, before making its final strike. The werewolf jumped down from the tree with its claws pointed down, attempting to impale Roran. "No, this can't be it. One more attack!" Roran encouraged himself, and with one final spell a monstrous fireball shot up from Roran's hand, singing the wolf. The creature hit the ground about ten feet away from Roran, back in its human form. The man laid there, motionless. Roran got up looking around frantically. If he killed one werewolf, the pack was sure to appear. "In seeking wisdom thou art wise; in imagining that thou hast attained it - thou art a fool."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 4:47 pm
Aaron Matthews
After deciding that claiming whatever treasure laid at the end of the serpentine path would be a great way to help in the war, Aaron Matthews had wasted little time in setting off in pursuit of it. He wasn’t entirely sure what he could possibly buy with the treasure to win the war, but every war needs funds, so it wasn’t an entirely horrible idea to go after the treasure. Plus, it was only an hour away from his apartment, and since Aaron didn’t have any other ideas, he went to the path. He was never an impulsive person. The ghost knew that perhaps it would have been wise to consult another ghost or anyone else who was fighting for good before venturing down the path, but what would be the point? Asking around and trying to find comrades would not only be difficult, but time consuming as well. He had no knowledge of any organization or whatever if any existed. And who knows how long it would take for the enemies to find the treasure and take control over it if they hadn’t done so already. Hopefully for Aaron he could beat them to it. If he were able to get there in time, he could claim it and wouldn’t need backup to do so. It was not like he could be in any possible danger. He was already dead! If the spirit had to fight, he would. If you could pass through things and people and not be seen, heard, nothing….then what was there to worry about?
Unless he were to encounter other ghosts. How would that play out? Maybe he’d fare well against one or two, but what if there were more than that? How could he claim any treasure if he was just one ghost fighting several? As he walked and thought more about this, he had concluded that if the treasure was already claimed, then this mission would just have to be a reconnaissance mission instead.
Not long ago had he first started his adventure down this path. This was the first time in his afterlife that Aaron had ever been out of the city, nor had he ever actually gone on the Serpentine path because of how dangerous he had been told it was when he was a child in school, about the snakes and traps in the forest of which the path led through. Definitely different than the city. This change of environment led to a startling realization that had never before dawned on the ghost before: he was not making any noise. Trekking along the path there was no sound of his sneakers padding against the cobblestones. There was just silence as if he was not even there. And physically speaking he wasn’t there. Aaron was a spirit now, and even though he had done well with coming to terms with this, there were still some things about his afterlife that unnerved him at times. This was one of them. Making no noise at all made him feel completely alone, a feeling he never felt a lot of in the city. It was surprising how many souls still lingered in the city, trying to find closure and tie up all loose ends before finding peace.
How could he not realize sooner how he had failed to realize his silent movement until just now? It took Aaron a while of pondering before the answer sprung into his mind: the city! So much happening all around him on the streets always kept his mind busy, so he never had the silence needed to notice that his sneakers made no noise as he would walk along the sidewalk. Yes, the city, and also his mind either daydreaming or dwelling on his situation could be the case.
After shaking off the shiver in his spine that came from that new discovery, Aaron forced his mind to think of something else. He continued down the path, now trying to imagine what types of treasures would lay before him: crowns? Golden goblets? Gold coins? All of the above and then some all in a pirate’s chest? Or a leprechaun’s pot of gold? Wait, that was at the end of a rainbow! What did real treasure look like? Aaron had just realized right then and there that the only treasure he had ever seen was in movies. Was what he was imagining even remotely close to what was to be found on this path? What if he were to come across the treasure and not even realize what was in front of him?
His panic was cut off sharply when he heard series of gnarling, fire soaring, thunder, someone shouting out what anyone could guess to be a spell….a battle! Aaron wanted to cheer with glee to know that his idea of venturing down this path wasn’t a waste after all! People have already gone down the Serpentine path. Obviously Aaron wasn’t the only one to think of going after the treasure. He hurried toward the end of the cobblestone path, the battle beginning to come into view. Only by the time Aaron had gotten there, the battle had ended. A teenager stood over a seemingly lifeless man. And now the mage seemed to be in a panic, looking around for who knows who or what. And Aaron couldn’t have been more confused. What was happening here? Was the fight between good and evil, or evil against evil? Were the two people involved on the same team and just turned on each other over greed concerning the treasure? Aaron just stood there staring at the mage, wondering what to do, if he had to do anything at all at this moment. Was the mage good?
After a bit of rushed pondering, Aaron decided to ask, which would seem simple, but was a bit of a challenging task for a ghost. After taking a moment to focus, he used a good deal of energy into speaking. ”Who are you?” came his voice, which sounded soft, but clear and coming from all directions around the mage.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2011 5:55 pm
Words of wisdom that only a mage could concoct:
x x x x x"A fool flatters himself, while a wise man flatters the fool."x x xxRoran still couldn't get over his encounter with the mysterious werewolf that had happened moments ago. The dead corps still laid there, cold and still. The man looked to be in his early twenties and already, his face began to grow pale. The young mage didn't mean to kill him, just hurt him enough to stun him. Guilt began to set in as Roran's breath began heavier and heavier, his head grew cloudy, and all he saw was the man's lifeless body. It was an awful feeling- the feeling of guilt. A random fact Roran remembered stated that some of the greatest mages, magicians, monks, and priests went crazy due to guilt. 'This can't be happening, no I- I couldn't have just...' A million thoughts consumed Roran's mind at once. Still on the ground, Roran knew he had to do something, he had to eliminate these thoughts and clam down. The mage sat up and crossed his legs, then began to meditate. He cleared his mind of all thoughts and all emotions. Suddenly, all of his worries melted away as the serenity of solitude took over. Even though Roran was most vulnerable when he meditated, it was a precaution he had to take. Mages are prone to information overload, they can remember an infinite amount of knowledge and memories, however sometimes all of this information will enter a mages' mind at once. When this happens, a mage is potentially susceptible to death. Roran could not risk death. Hopefully no other werewolves would attack.x x xxAbout five minutes into Roran's peaceful meditation, he heard something. Something so faint, yet so apparent at the same time. It was a voice. But this voice wasn't angry or vengeful like Roran had feared. It was soft and curious, it wasn't the werewolves pack. Roran awoke from his temporary slumber and opened his eyes. He quickly scanned the area to double check that he wasn't being attacked. However, all the mage saw was a rather ghostly figure standing a bit of a distant from him. Roran stood up and defensively and picked up his staff in case he were to need to cast a spell. Now it was clear, the figure asked Roran a question, 'who are you?' The mage stood there a bit confused for a moment, trying to make sense of this all. About five minutes ago he killed a Werewolf, the very thought still brought a chill up his spine. Now, there is a new person who seemed to bit a bit older then Roran, but something was weird about him. He didn't seem evil or have bad intentions, so why is he here? Also, he wasn't normal, but he's not a mage. 'Could he be another race of a magical being?' Roran thought to himself. The mage thought for a bit before answering the mysterious man's question, "My name is Roran," he paused a moment, examining the figure. "I'm a mage from the Divine Castle. I, I didn't mean to kill the werewolf. He attacked me and I-" Roran stopped himself from disclosing anymore information. It was now time to let the stranger speak, just to see who he is and whether he can be trusted or considered as a threat. "And who are you? How did you find the Serpentine Path without a proper map?" The mage was now filled with questions, hoping the man could be trusted."In seeking wisdom thou art wise; in imagining that thou hast attained it - thou art a fool."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 6:58 am
Aaron Matthews
((edited))
Through his small state of disorientation, Aaron blinked in a bit of surprise as to how easy it was for him to speak the way he did. He didn’t need to put so much effort into it. But how? Back when he was helping his family move on from his death, everything he did to send a subtle message of any kind required so much energy that it would make him feel tired and sometimes even light headed. Aaron still felt the same way now, only now he was annoyed about how he could’ve saved himself the disorientation. When the disorientation had passed, the ghost looked down at his feet, immediately thinking of an explanation for why he could speak so easily now. It did not take long for him to realize the shadows on the ground where his feet were. He looked up and chuckled at how simple his answer was: the tree branches above his head were shading him for the sun. Aaron had learned early on in his afterlife that it is easier for him to communicate and interact with things when he is either in darkness or a dimly lit area, even in the shade. Matthews laughed again at how he had missed this. Strolling through the forest, he would always be in the shade—
Wait. Being out of sunlight meant not only would he be able to communicate easily. It also meant he could be…..seen. If not completely visible, then he’d be lightly visible to the point in which you could see through him, but still see him standing there. And judging from the amount of shade the tree was giving him, the ghost could be so visible that he anyone would believe that he was still alive. He quickly turned his attention to the young man, who was now introducing himself, telling him that he was a mage from the Divine Castle, a place Aaron had heard of, but had never been anywhere near and knew very little about. Roran also began explaining the fight that had occurred moments ago, afterwards asking the ghost how he knew of the Serpentine Path. The teenager had been attacked by a werewolf and had killed the latter in self-defense. By the sound of his voice and the look on his face, Aaron could tell he was telling the truth. That was a relief. Aaron wouldn’t have to worry about fighting him if the teen had killed out of greed or spite.
”Um, well, I’m Aar—“ he stammered to correct himself. “I was Aaron. Or, I guess I still am.” The deceased man felt absolutely stupid. At first he wanted to be politically correct, only to second-guess himself immediately afterwards. To make up for his error, Aaron decided to just inform Roran now, regardless of how awkward it may absolutely make the situation. ”I’m no longer….uh…..alive,” he said the last part softly. ”I used to live and work in the city. I want to—“ He cut himself off, reminding himself that he shouldn’t reveal his motives for going down the Serpentine Path. This was also why he hadn’t revealed his last name. Yes, Aaron was alive and could not be targeted for anything, but his friends and family could be. It’d be best to just keep the information to a minimum until he could determine absolutely that the mage was not on the side of evil. Telling him he lived and worked in the city probably could not put anyone in danger, since a lot of people lived and worked in the city, so Aaron did not beat himself up too bad about revealing that. ”I was told of how to get to the Serpentine Path by another ghost. I couldn’t really get my hands on a map. Literally,” he chuckled the last part. ”One of the downsides of being a ghost. So it took me a while to find the path. It was basically a marathon of trial and error.” Then something rushed into his mind. "Did you say werewolf?" He looked over his shoulder and did a quick sweep. "I don't see anything, but it's not a good idea to stand around, especially here. They run in packs, don't they? They can't hurt me, but I can't say the same for you." Aaron turned to face the mage. "I can help anyway I can, but it'll be hard if I'm in the light. So what's the plan? Fight or flight?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
