TheWyrdWolf

I love this, i really enjoy the purely defensive nature of the piece and the themes you're striving for <3

“Brave the flames, if you wish to live.” _______________________________________ The words raced through his mind as he sat upon the edge of the river in some secluded forest grove at the edge of the world. He stared into the waters as his reflection stared back, observing the burns he had sustained in his flight from the past. He pictured the events of the day clearly, a tunnel of darkness trapping him in on all sides, stone walls closing in and suffocating him. Behind him, the sonorous proclamations and mocking tongue of a King of the Hells that sought only to drag him back into infernal chains. Before him stood a young woman, radiant beacon of ash and fire, a guardian wreathed in flame who barred his path and that of the darkness behind him. It had felt like a turning point. A single decision that would ultimately dictate the course of his future even if he had been damned to eternal torment in the Hells. Upon the cusp of the intense heat and ash that radiated from her, he hesitated. He had hesitated not because of pain, at least not at first, but for the first time in his life the path forward demanded suffering in the pursuit of something greater, no shortcuts, no bargains with dark gods or promises of power. Only pain, sacrifice and faith that there might be a glimmer of hope beyond those flames. He needed only to brave the fire. And so he did. The smell of burning flesh marked his decision and sealed his fate. When he emerged into the relative safety of the other side, he had collapsed out of pure mental and physical exhaustion from the events of the day. He could only watch as this woman and her guard stood in the face of evil, and banished it with cleansing flame and blade, casting it back into the depths from whence it came. In the midst of this clash of flame and shadow, a white dove had been struck down. It had been the same white dove that had lingered around him for many years, always watching like some silent guardian. As he held the dove in his hands, the realization struck him hard. He had called himself a protector. He had sought to redeem himself of the sins of his past, to make good on his promise and vow to the one he cared for. Yet all he had truly accomplished was nearly getting a stranger killed and losing his own life. He had shut the doors of the only path he knew that could see his connection to the Hells severed and now he was alone, an outcast once more. Once again his weakness and inability to do anything had been proven, he had to be saved by others and did not have the strength to do it himself. If he was so weak, how could he go about protecting others? The thought stabbed at his heart. In the aftermath of that battle, the Elder had arrived and he had been interrogated. He felt the judging stares of all around him, the hate in their eyes for what he was and yet he had been granted mercy. Banishment. “Do not return until you are free of the Darkness.” the Elder had said. As he stared at his reflection in the waters and tended to the burns he had endured, he was left with more uncertainty than before. The Black Church and all its Infernal hounds would hunt him now, he had no allies left, nowhere left to hide. He only had one thought in his mind. What now..

A Player run Eventline by TheWyrdWolf Trailer Humanity stands unified, for the first time in living memory and many ages. A continent united beneath a single banner, a single purpose, a single Emperor. Yet this unity had not come without a steep cost and while the Emperor Hadrian I had forged his dominion through blood, with the Descendants engaged in brutal war with one another, the forces of the Arch Betrayer gathered in the darkness, granted the reprieve to grow ever stronger. Unhindered, the seeds of corruption were sown deep within the once pure lands of the silver woods and with the wakening of the Wraith Lord Reikenor by the hand of the Black Church would a terrible scar be wrought on the very body of Azuras itself. A festering gateway into the Abyss, spewing forth the hordes of shambling abominations who clamour for only one thing. Corruption and Chaos. With their newfound ally in the Wraithlord and no sign of the Deific interference, the Black Church and the Black Sepulchre at their side would only be spurned into greater acts of defiance against the Descendants. While the Descendants were embroiled in war, the sons and daughters of the fallen Aengul Xan alongside the Templars of Malchadiel had been fighting alone against the encroaching darkness as the raids and incursions of the Black Church only grew more frequent and more bold. In this time, significant and irreparable damage had been wrought on the communities of the Druii, who experienced the slaughter of their leadership and followers alike. Yet, perhaps there was still a glimmer of hope? At the behest of Emperor Hadrian, at the conclusion of his campaign to unify the Empire, the Baroness Phoebe Lucia Malory of the Barony of Sternfell had been tasked to settle upon the Southern Shores, protecting a vital chokepoint through the vast southern mountain ranges that acted as a bulwark against the Darkspawn threat. With her sacred charge, the Baroness would have to fortify the southern coast against forces beyond comprehension, steel their resolve and most importantly. Hold the Line. The Barony of Sternfell would be the first to face this threat, yet even as they prepare to expedition and establish their foothold, across the Empire the trumpets of war sounded once more and the faithful of Humanity prepared themselves for a Crusade. The forces of darkness were no more idle, Cultists, Witches and Demons alike sailed under the cover of darkness across the narrow sea, putting in motion their foul machinations that would see the Empire undone and unravel everything that the Emperor of Azuras, Hadrian the First had built. Would the Barony of Sternfell hold out long enough for the Crusade forces to arrive, or would they succumb under a mantle too heavy to bear and in the end be raised to join the army of the dead that would inevitably march north? OOC NOTE: G’day everyone! First and foremost, I'd like to thank everyone for watching the little teaser trailer I put together and for taking the time to read through this post. This will be the first of my player run event lines for this map. (Not a Story Team Event, it is a Player Run Event.) I’m keen to get this underway and will be slowly ramping up activities starting this week. I’ve been looking for an excuse to run something like this ever since the new Necromancy rewrite dropped and while I've had plans to run similar events throughout the map, they didn’t end up happening for a variety of reasons. However, with the evolving ST event line currently taking place and with the call for a Crusade against the Black Church and the Black Sepulchre, this has given me the perfect excuse out of character and the perfect reasoning in character to carry out my plans. My hope is this will be a large collaborative effort from both sides that will be a story worth telling. It will hopefully also give Sternfell and the Crusade players a tangible set of objectives to try and achieve over the course of events. I’d like to put out a big thank you to PKDON and Seva for giving me the PRO permissions I needed to be able to run these events in the first place and i would also like to give a big thank you to Nectorist for declaring the Crusade in the first place and for his words at the end of his post that just go to show there are players out there that are willing to cooperate for a more compelling narrative if given the chance. Without their willingness and cooperation to see a collaborative story unfold, none of this would be possible, or well.. Just very difficult to pull off successfully. Also i’d like to thank Echo, Venomous Pup, Dizzergrey and Ms Amesti for giving me a few minutes of their time as actors in the trailer. Also excuse the lack of exciting cinematography, it turns out it's a lot harder to film for a player event than it is for a story team event when you don't have as many exciting new event builds to cover. The Barony of Sternfell Now then, this brings me to the Barony of Sternfell, a new vassal under the Empire led by Seva who will be occupying the Southern Shores. They will largely be the focus/target of this Eventline as the forces of darkness attempt to prevent the Empire from establishing a foothold close to their lair and create a staging ground from which the Crusade may attack. Sternfell is unique in that it will not simply be a city that appears overnight, it will start off as a camp and slowly be built up over time. It will be forced to face the harsh wilderness, exposed to the elements, have to scavenge for resources and build up its strength over time. If this interests you, then go and check them out! Here is their recruitment post: Event Discord: https://discord.gg/xv6H4JzJ Formatting done by PolarLoLs

Hold the Line. A simple enough task, surely? Though as the days drag on and the nights grow longer with the mournful howls of the dead and demonic yonder the narrow sea. Perhaps there would be a moment of pause in your mind? A flutter in your heart, as if skipping a beat. The Barony of Sternfell. She had heard the name before, read it in the numerous missives passed to her by mortal agents. Under a moonless sky the Witch and her entourage make the crossing, setting foot upon the southern shores under the cover of darkness. She had a simple task, a Disciple of Chaos, an Agent of Ruin - she would test the line of Sternfell. Would they buckle, or would they break?

Brings back the memories..

One of the last living servants of Aeriel sat silently atop a hill overlooking the churning waves in the bay below. Those churning waves and the all consuming abyssal darkness below were a sign of the changing times. Though her body had grown old, weak, she still found ways to serve. But for now, The Last Sage sat in silence and enjoyed what she expected to be the last moment of quiet she would enjoy for some time.

Take care mate <3

A fel presence lingers in the depths of the Galley, gnashing teeth echoing through the oaken halls as a disembodied voice spills from the stygian shadows. "Let them come."

Looks great <3

In the bowels of the ship, a particularly loathsome and vengeful spirit watches from the shadows. Their baleful presence swirls around the cookie jar and pastries kept in the mess below..

Dreaming of Hope ✦•······················•✦•······················•✦ As was the case for most of his life, sleep was something that had been fought against and resisted, but tonight was different. As Alistair surrendered to the abyss of his dreams, his dreams tonight would be different. The young Oyashiman sat atop a lone hill at the centre of the valley, overlooking the awe inspiring landscape around him. The verdant plains stretched out around the base of the mountain and the undulating hills and forests were full of life and splendour. The clouds in the skies above danced and shifted, each one a memory playing out for him to see. Beyond that, the skies were filled with stars that each twinkled like a diamond. He took a deep breath of the cool and crisp fresh air, the light upon his face was radiant and full of warmth. He felt at peace, a sensation that should have felt out of place and unnerved him. To his right, a small pond with almost crystalline waters sat undisturbed. Colourful Koi fish circled each other in the depths and as he watched them he was graced with his own reflection in the waters. Gone was the visage of the Jade Prince, those up curled horns and green skin that he had been cursed with fading before his eyes. Instead his gaze was met with the man he had always wanted to become, yet it was the man that fate had cruelly denied him from ever being. ✦•······················•✦•······················•✦ ✦•······················•✦•······················•✦ A cool breeze blew across the mountain top and through the branches of the blooming cherry blossoms around him and he was greeted to the sound of clattering chains in the wind. The weight around his arms suddenly felt heavy and his throat felt as if it was encased in wrought iron, a suffocating tension. The mirage in the waters shifted, his reflection torn between the man he would never be and the devil he was. Thick and heavy black chains were clasped tightly about his wrists and were connected to a ring of iron around his neck. The bonds of slavery and the mark of his damned fate. For all the landscape around him had changed from the blasted hellscape riddled with the hordes of Hell and for all he struggled to defy his fate, the chains were a constant reminder he was doomed. A stray beam of sunlight caught his attention, momentarily distracting him and drawing his attention to the landscape beyond. A feminine voice called out to him in the back of his mind, as ethereal and Aengulic as one could imagine. “Isn’t this better?” Another deep breath. It was. For all the pain he had suffered, for all the suffering he had caused and for all the choices he had made to lead him astray. Here, in his own mind, he could at least pretend to be free. He set out down the winding path from the mountaintop, descending into the lush valley below with his sights set on a blooming grove nearby. The chains around his neck and wrist were dragged behind him as he went, a looming shadow he would never be rid of. “So what do we do now?” the voice called out from his side and as he turned to look, a younger version of himself walked alongside him with a hand held in his. Alistair could not help but smile at the boy, he could see in his younger self the dreams and aspirations that had not yet been smothered by the suffocating powers that had been his downfall. “Although these hands of mine were destined to be of Ruin and Destruction, I would see them instead as tools of Creation and Hope. What do you think, Renji?” he replied to his younger self, taking his hand as they continued walking through the tall grass and fields of flowers. “I think.. I think I would like that. That seems nice!” the exclamations of the boy, his enthusiasm sent a mix of emotions through his own heart. He could remember being excited about the world of possibilities, a world he would never get a chance to explore ✦•······················•✦•······················•✦ ✦•······················•✦•······················•✦ As the two of them stepped beneath the canopy of trees and into the secluded grove, the ground was covered in blood red flowers and at the centre of the grove was a small unmarked grave. He knew this place, he had been here before and it was sacred, but it was a secret he held dear not for himself, but for another. His attention was immediately drawn however to the excited yelp of a dog in the immediate area. “Kaida!” the boy exclaimed in joy, releasing Alistair's hand and rushing forth as the young pup came bounding out of the grass with several flowers stuck in her mane. Alistair swallowed hard, a hand coming to his chest as he felt the pangs of regret and guilt eat away at him. “Kaida..” came his own words of disbelief, dropping to his knees as the young boy and the dog chased each other around the blooming grove. He recalled how his father had forced him to brutally murder her, a sacrifice to the Hells and a lesson which would corrupt the innocent soul of the dog forevermore. Here in his dreams however, she was safeguarded as she always was meant to be. The young pup bounded up to him and nestled her head against his leg. “Kaida.. My sweet girl.. How i’ve missed you..” as his arms came to wrap around her in an embrace and as tears welled in his eyes. The reunion would slowly fade away as consciousness dawned on him once more. ✦•······················•✦•······················•✦ In the Waking World ✦•······················•✦•······················•✦ In that secluded cavern nestled in the mountainous range south of Lichtenwald, the sound of a hammer rang out repeatedly. The echo of metal on metal in short bursts of activity, followed by long silences filled with naught but labored breathing and gasps for air. Alistair held a strange relic in his hands, the toolhead of some long forgotten Artificer he had claimed beyond one of the many sealed doors on Aevos. He studied it intently, sweat dripping down his forehead and staining his clothes as he slumped against the cave wall with hammer in hand. The Hells had sapped his strength and it had been some time since he had been forced to push his aging body like this, but the efforts would be worth it in the end. "Let this be a token of a changed man, let this be a solemn vow that i will become the man you always thought i could be." As the light of day dwindled once more, the distant echo of hammer strikes would sing out across the mountain for some time yet..

Take care of yourself, enjoy life <3

+1 Necro is long overdue an overhaul and wipe

What areas do you believe the current Villian/Antag players on the server are currently lacking in? And how would you recommend they go about resolving those issues to provide better narratives for others? Less serious questions, favourite game to play outside of Lotc? And if you're into Anime, favourite show.

A wretched half-blood sat atop the stone mesa that commanded a superior view of the desert around her, those verdant green eyes settling upon a ruined city amidst the haze. The parchment was thumbed idly between two fingers, unopened. She had no need to read its contents, she already knew what it contained. "So it begins."