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Lord DreamCrusher
Primal yet Intelligent, Savage yet Sophisticated
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2018
- Location
- United States
In the evening light a lone figure rode upon a mighty steed through a quiet forest, far from civilization in the dark recesses of the wilderness that few dared to tread. A deep blue tunic and cloak adorned the man complete with brown leather bracers, boots, and pads upon both shoulders and knees. He was no typical man, he was of the Order of the Stones. Onyx was his name, or designation depending on who you asked, as his sworn oath was to oppose the dark forces of the world that would seek to do harm to others. Above all they opposed the Cult of Tul'sanah who worshiped a mighty being intent upon destroying all existence from this realm to the next. This goal was stopped currently only by the fact that the gods had sealed them away in another dimension; a prison which the cult was ever-seeking to unlock.
It had been months since his last encounter with the cult, having stolen an amulet that he knew was important to them. Onyx didn't know the full details of the artifact and how it would be used but the simple fact that they valued it was enough to carry it and keep it from them. Had he any inkling of just how important it was to them he would have been more careful but, for now, he rode on atop his trusted stallion, a rare breed known as a Malden to which he had the fortune of acquiring early in his life. Malden's were special for the fact that they had been managed for centuries, filtering the best traits into one mighty lineage which came to be known for their strength, endurance, and durability without losing any speed from near the fastest of racehorses. Brutus, as the stallion was called, was near irreplaceable to Onyx and they'd long served together through many difficult times but they didn't ride aimlessly, not tonight.
The currents of magic were tricky to detect and follow but it was a vital skill that every member of the Stones had drilled into them. To this end he was following the ebb and flow of the currents through the air, tracking what he recognized as yet another site in which the cult would assuredly attempt to breach the planes in trying to find the great destroyer. His search brought him here, to a set of ancient ruins so long forgotten by the world that no one even knew what people had created them in the first place, and as he guided the horse up a series of overgrown stone steps it leveled out into an open platform where the telltale signs of dark magic rituals were easy for him to recognize. Figures clad in dull and simple robes worked to finish their task even as they noticed his arrival, hurrying to spread out the blood in esoteric patterns and mix the ingredients together to serve as a conduit for the necessary magic needed to tear a whole from one space to another. Onyx was outnumbered but it was nothing he couldn't handle, or so he thought.
Drawing his bow and tapping into the arcane, his fingers called into existence an arrow and string of magical energy that he pulled back. Before he could draw a bead upon one of his marks there was a series of shouts from all around him, an ambush! Dozens more of these cultists rushed him, focusing upon cutting off his exit and surging up the steps that were his only true escape. Onyx cursed under his breath at being caught like this but had little choice but to fight his way out. After all, he was well versed in how to engage multiple opponents at once. Breathe deep and stay calm, focus and take down what targets are of the most immediate threat. Magical bolts loosed from his bow and cut down a few of the approaching cultists before they could get too close, though it wasn't long before he was forced to shoulder the ranged weapon and draw his blade to engage in close combat. Brutus was no slouch either, kicking out with his mighty hooves and staying in motion to help throw off the enemies aim, but this distraction proved effective enough as the ritual completed with the sickly crackle of dark energies ripping open a glowing portal to another random location. Thankfully it seemed to be another dead end, a false location, and he exhaled somewhat in relief at that realization before the truth of this encounter became apparent.
Through the shouting and sounds of battle he heard the leader of this rabble remind them of their purpose, to retrieve the amulet he had stolen because it was the key to actually locating Tul'sanah so they could directly open a portal there. The realization clicked in Onyx's mind, especially considering that the cult would never normally work in such large numbers where secrecy was their greatest advantage. While he was holding his own for the moment, with at least a dozen bodies crumpled upon the old stones, there were yet more still arriving as reinforcements and he had to accept the fact that he was truly facing his potential end. With this in mind his fear remained of accidentally delivering to them what they so needed within this amulet. To that end he made a snap decision, one rash and born from desperation that he'd never otherwise consider. He couldn't escape the way he came, even Brutus would get bogged down trying to charge through the mass of bodies pressing towards him, and he couldn't simply leap from the raised platform for the fact that the fall would kill them both and leave the amulet to be easily recovered. No, that left but the unstable portal and whatever world lay upon the other side.
Kicking at his steed's sides with his heels, Onyx spurred Brutus into a charge through the unarmed priests in charge of the ritual, blowing past them and dashing through just as the energy collapsed; snipping off a few hairs from the horse's black tail but thankfully nothing more. At the speed they were traveling though there was no easy stop and, finding themselves within some strange metal room, Brutus's hooves skidded upon the floor in an effort to slow down but ultimately they both twisted to one side and smashed against the wall hard, Onyx's head striking with enough force to make his dizzy as the pain clouded his judgement. On instinct alone he managed to jump from the saddle as they recoiled away, allowing himself to fall into a heap upon the floor but otherwise avoid the risk of being crushed as Brutus fell over onto his side with a whinny of alarm. Eyesight blurry, Onyx struggled to fight to stay conscious as he raised his head to check upon his horse and was thankful to find that no legs were broken as far as he could tell. Nevertheless, his battle of wills was one he was losing and soon enough he slumped down to the floor once more and blacked out.
It had been months since his last encounter with the cult, having stolen an amulet that he knew was important to them. Onyx didn't know the full details of the artifact and how it would be used but the simple fact that they valued it was enough to carry it and keep it from them. Had he any inkling of just how important it was to them he would have been more careful but, for now, he rode on atop his trusted stallion, a rare breed known as a Malden to which he had the fortune of acquiring early in his life. Malden's were special for the fact that they had been managed for centuries, filtering the best traits into one mighty lineage which came to be known for their strength, endurance, and durability without losing any speed from near the fastest of racehorses. Brutus, as the stallion was called, was near irreplaceable to Onyx and they'd long served together through many difficult times but they didn't ride aimlessly, not tonight.
The currents of magic were tricky to detect and follow but it was a vital skill that every member of the Stones had drilled into them. To this end he was following the ebb and flow of the currents through the air, tracking what he recognized as yet another site in which the cult would assuredly attempt to breach the planes in trying to find the great destroyer. His search brought him here, to a set of ancient ruins so long forgotten by the world that no one even knew what people had created them in the first place, and as he guided the horse up a series of overgrown stone steps it leveled out into an open platform where the telltale signs of dark magic rituals were easy for him to recognize. Figures clad in dull and simple robes worked to finish their task even as they noticed his arrival, hurrying to spread out the blood in esoteric patterns and mix the ingredients together to serve as a conduit for the necessary magic needed to tear a whole from one space to another. Onyx was outnumbered but it was nothing he couldn't handle, or so he thought.
Drawing his bow and tapping into the arcane, his fingers called into existence an arrow and string of magical energy that he pulled back. Before he could draw a bead upon one of his marks there was a series of shouts from all around him, an ambush! Dozens more of these cultists rushed him, focusing upon cutting off his exit and surging up the steps that were his only true escape. Onyx cursed under his breath at being caught like this but had little choice but to fight his way out. After all, he was well versed in how to engage multiple opponents at once. Breathe deep and stay calm, focus and take down what targets are of the most immediate threat. Magical bolts loosed from his bow and cut down a few of the approaching cultists before they could get too close, though it wasn't long before he was forced to shoulder the ranged weapon and draw his blade to engage in close combat. Brutus was no slouch either, kicking out with his mighty hooves and staying in motion to help throw off the enemies aim, but this distraction proved effective enough as the ritual completed with the sickly crackle of dark energies ripping open a glowing portal to another random location. Thankfully it seemed to be another dead end, a false location, and he exhaled somewhat in relief at that realization before the truth of this encounter became apparent.
Through the shouting and sounds of battle he heard the leader of this rabble remind them of their purpose, to retrieve the amulet he had stolen because it was the key to actually locating Tul'sanah so they could directly open a portal there. The realization clicked in Onyx's mind, especially considering that the cult would never normally work in such large numbers where secrecy was their greatest advantage. While he was holding his own for the moment, with at least a dozen bodies crumpled upon the old stones, there were yet more still arriving as reinforcements and he had to accept the fact that he was truly facing his potential end. With this in mind his fear remained of accidentally delivering to them what they so needed within this amulet. To that end he made a snap decision, one rash and born from desperation that he'd never otherwise consider. He couldn't escape the way he came, even Brutus would get bogged down trying to charge through the mass of bodies pressing towards him, and he couldn't simply leap from the raised platform for the fact that the fall would kill them both and leave the amulet to be easily recovered. No, that left but the unstable portal and whatever world lay upon the other side.
Kicking at his steed's sides with his heels, Onyx spurred Brutus into a charge through the unarmed priests in charge of the ritual, blowing past them and dashing through just as the energy collapsed; snipping off a few hairs from the horse's black tail but thankfully nothing more. At the speed they were traveling though there was no easy stop and, finding themselves within some strange metal room, Brutus's hooves skidded upon the floor in an effort to slow down but ultimately they both twisted to one side and smashed against the wall hard, Onyx's head striking with enough force to make his dizzy as the pain clouded his judgement. On instinct alone he managed to jump from the saddle as they recoiled away, allowing himself to fall into a heap upon the floor but otherwise avoid the risk of being crushed as Brutus fell over onto his side with a whinny of alarm. Eyesight blurry, Onyx struggled to fight to stay conscious as he raised his head to check upon his horse and was thankful to find that no legs were broken as far as he could tell. Nevertheless, his battle of wills was one he was losing and soon enough he slumped down to the floor once more and blacked out.
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