Long Lost: An Ardus Abend Story
Jul 16, 2011 14:38:51 GMT -6
Post by Richter Abend on Jul 16, 2011 14:38:51 GMT -6
This tale begins roughly three months before Richter Abend was declared a heretic by the Church of St. Elimine, and an enemy of the Etrurian state. The primary characters are:
Ardus Abend:
The second child born to famed mercenary Rudger Abend and his wife, Tiana Abend, Ardus is the oldest living Abend, being four years older than Richter, and is the long lost head of a near-extinct family line. Ardus is a strikingly large man, three inches taller than his already tall brother Richter, and is quite more muscled than his younger sibling. He bears the signature pink hair of an Abend, and his hairstyle resembles that of a lion's mane framing his face.
Becoming a professional mercenary at the early age of fourteen under the commander of his older brother Eckhart, his senior of three years, Ardus is a skilled swordsman and a powerful fighter with years of combat experience under his belt. It was said by many that he was the fiercest and greatest warrior of all the Abends, surpassing even the ability of his father during his prime, though this claim could never be tested as Rudger had been crippled and rendered unable to fight years before Ardus had even been born.
At the young age of sixteen, Ardus was put in charge of a small platoon of professional Ilian mercenaries, then went on to be promoted to commander of the same Ilian mercenary company that Richter served in at the age of twenty.
At the age of twenty two, Ardus's company was hired on by the nation of Bern with the mission to put down a military uprising in eastern Bern. A disgruntled, disillusioned lieutenant, with the support of a then unknown group of brigands called the Ruinz Bandits, had riled up scores of other soldiers dissatisfied with the way their country had been treating them. Low wages, long marches, and a long distance from their families had been taking their tole, and they saw their king as uncaring and doing little to help.
The Kingdom of Bern, with much of their fighting force now preparing to march against them, needed a capable mercenary force more than ever, and Ilians, being who they were, were only too happy to fill that need.
But Ardus did not expect the battle ahead of him. Being soldiers, the opposing army was skilled and trained, but there was more to it than that. There was a strong, tactical mind behind them. Their every move was calm, calculated, and one step ahead of Ardus and the Bernese army. They caught Ardus and his company in a trap, luring him into a village, supposedly in distress, located at the bottom of a valley in the Bern mountains. There was no fighting. It was a trap. They attacked from all sides. There was no escape. His entire company was slaughtered, and he himself captured by the Ruinz Bandits.
They were going to use Ardus to extort money from Ilia. Their company commander for a big pile of money, but Ilia would not negotiate with the bandits. The treasury coffers were light and Ardus was to be left for dead. The Ruinz Bandits, disappointed with Ilia's lack of compassion for one of their own, decided then to sell Ardus into the underground slave trade that had its home in western Elibe, hoping to get a high price for such a choice specimen. The boat transporting Ardus, however, was struck by a storm, and shipwrecked on the coast of Valor.
Escaping from the wreckage, the pink haired mercenary ran for at least a day, making his way to nondescript cave, taking shelter there from the surviving bandits who would no doubt come looking for him first thing they could. The cave was dark, and cold, but from what Ardus could notice, it seemed like some sort of old, ancient ruin. Continuing further into the damp cavern, the mercenary commander came across a massive, stone door, with strange engravings on its face. They showed a great battle, which Ardus deduced to be the Scouring, and in the center, the largest grave image, was a cloaked man wielding a terrible magic. What Ardus didn't know is that this was actually the shrine of Brammiond and his tome, Apocalypse.
Ardus couldn't open the door, but as he loitered at the stone portal, a crack of dark energy shot out from what looked to be a rift in the air, striking the larger man in the chest and sending him flying backwards. Horrible things rushed through his head, dark thoughts and memories not his own. It felt evil. It felt daemonic. It hurt like hell.
The occurrence intrigued Ardus to no end as he tried to sort through the thoughts in his head, and what had just happened. He was also, however, thoroughly frightened as well, the images flashing in his head growing more stark, clear, and painful as he remained, and ran from the cave as fast as he could.
For roughly a month, Ardus wandered Valor, surviving in the dark, dank brush before noticing a passing ship, flagging it down. Who would be foolish enough to sail near Valor in good weather? It turned out that the boat, sailing from Lycia to the Western Isles, had gotten lost at sea, and had not known that they sailed near the "Dread Isle". They took the shipwrecked Ardus to the Western Isles, where, with no clear way home, he has been living ever since.
He couldn't return home, not like this. He had failed his men, ruined his family's already tarnished honor, and even let his little brother get killed. No, instead he remained in the West and continuined his mercenary work while all the while researching what he could about the Scouring, and the dark energy that struck him that one day.
Noello Floentes:
Noello is a bright, young mage of the age of 17 from the Western Isles. Measuring a good seven inches shorter than Ardus and being a good deal less muscled, the two make an odd pair. Ardus is a strong, silent mercenary, while Noello is a smallish, loud-mouthed, mischievous type.
Since he was 10, Noello was one of five students studying under the great sage Alalastus, and demonstrated abilities that put him at the top of his class, as well as making himself Alalastus's favorite pupil. The others, however, couldn't stand Noello. He was cocky, and had a habit of biting off more than he could chew.
Noello first met Ardus when the latter came into Alalastus's school looking for information. The first thing he mentioned was the Scouring, something that instantly made Noello's eyes roll. Another muscled headed loser looking for the Divine Weapons no doubt. Who even wanted to get their hands involved in all of that, especially after what happened with Hargus and the Ruinz Bandits?
Noello hadn't heard the entirety of Ardus's tale, as Master Alalastus had taken Ardus somewhere quiet to talk while his students trained. Curious but obedient, Noello waited until he saw the tall pink haired man run out the door. He'd be back. They always were.
And Ardus did indeed keep coming back, at least once every month or so, looking for more and more information. While at first Master Alalastus was more than happy to provide him with information, eventually the two became more akin to research partners as Ardus delved into stories not even Alalastus was familiar with. Noello overheard their discussions, inadvertently reading documents and notes Ardus and his master had looked up. He grew even more interested.
However, Noello's studies had to continue, despite the interest he had taken in his Master's new project, but he grew frustrated. Why was he, the most talented of all Alalastus's students, not allowed to research with his master when some brute was? The magics they discussed were beyond fascinating. So powerful, but lost to the human race for a thousand years. He had to see it.
Late at night he ventured into his master's archive, stealing his master's key, and found one of his master's research books. Flipping through the pages, the spells he found were incredible, but most of the stronger spells were significantly incomplete. However, Noello's pride could not let him leave without testing his ability against one of these spells.
Choosing a spell called Bolganone, he began to recite the incantations. Power began to course through his body, and a great ball of inferno began to well up before him. He had not the practice nor the arcane knowledge to tap into the spells full power, but even then, the energy it gave off was extraordinary.
But despite the boy's skill, Bolganone was far beyond his ability. Only shortly after the spell began to charge, the ball of fire burst like a bubble, spewing embers and flames all over his Master's office. Instantly, the paper, binding, and wood of the library burst into flames. Horrified, Noello attempted to put out the flames, but it was too late. The fire was spreading too quickly, and by now had ignited the entire room. All this knowledge, lost! No! What had he done?
The fire raged around Noello, trapping him within the room. The boy mage scrambled to find an exit, but it was too hot. The fire burned too brightly. It was the end. Suddenly, though, the door came crashing down with Ardus bursting into the room. He scooped up Noello, and the two went running out of the archive, leaving the flames to spread to the rest of the school, burning everything.
Shortly after, Alalastus arrived at the smoldering wreck, and was not pleased with his student, needless to say. He put the boy's mind slightly at ease with the knowledge that the sage himself kept copies of the most important books at his own home, with much of the rest of the knowledge being committed to memory over the years. It didn't change that fact, however, that Noello had stolen his master's property and burnt an entire library to the ground. So, as punishment, Alalastus banned Noello from his schooling, and ordered him to travel with Ardus, assisting the mercenary in his quest for knowledge while Alalastus himself found another place to rebuild his school and rewrite what he could of his archives.
For the past three years, much to Noello's initial distaste and eventual enjoyment, has been traveling with Ardus.
Ardus Abend:
The second child born to famed mercenary Rudger Abend and his wife, Tiana Abend, Ardus is the oldest living Abend, being four years older than Richter, and is the long lost head of a near-extinct family line. Ardus is a strikingly large man, three inches taller than his already tall brother Richter, and is quite more muscled than his younger sibling. He bears the signature pink hair of an Abend, and his hairstyle resembles that of a lion's mane framing his face.
Becoming a professional mercenary at the early age of fourteen under the commander of his older brother Eckhart, his senior of three years, Ardus is a skilled swordsman and a powerful fighter with years of combat experience under his belt. It was said by many that he was the fiercest and greatest warrior of all the Abends, surpassing even the ability of his father during his prime, though this claim could never be tested as Rudger had been crippled and rendered unable to fight years before Ardus had even been born.
At the young age of sixteen, Ardus was put in charge of a small platoon of professional Ilian mercenaries, then went on to be promoted to commander of the same Ilian mercenary company that Richter served in at the age of twenty.
At the age of twenty two, Ardus's company was hired on by the nation of Bern with the mission to put down a military uprising in eastern Bern. A disgruntled, disillusioned lieutenant, with the support of a then unknown group of brigands called the Ruinz Bandits, had riled up scores of other soldiers dissatisfied with the way their country had been treating them. Low wages, long marches, and a long distance from their families had been taking their tole, and they saw their king as uncaring and doing little to help.
The Kingdom of Bern, with much of their fighting force now preparing to march against them, needed a capable mercenary force more than ever, and Ilians, being who they were, were only too happy to fill that need.
But Ardus did not expect the battle ahead of him. Being soldiers, the opposing army was skilled and trained, but there was more to it than that. There was a strong, tactical mind behind them. Their every move was calm, calculated, and one step ahead of Ardus and the Bernese army. They caught Ardus and his company in a trap, luring him into a village, supposedly in distress, located at the bottom of a valley in the Bern mountains. There was no fighting. It was a trap. They attacked from all sides. There was no escape. His entire company was slaughtered, and he himself captured by the Ruinz Bandits.
They were going to use Ardus to extort money from Ilia. Their company commander for a big pile of money, but Ilia would not negotiate with the bandits. The treasury coffers were light and Ardus was to be left for dead. The Ruinz Bandits, disappointed with Ilia's lack of compassion for one of their own, decided then to sell Ardus into the underground slave trade that had its home in western Elibe, hoping to get a high price for such a choice specimen. The boat transporting Ardus, however, was struck by a storm, and shipwrecked on the coast of Valor.
Escaping from the wreckage, the pink haired mercenary ran for at least a day, making his way to nondescript cave, taking shelter there from the surviving bandits who would no doubt come looking for him first thing they could. The cave was dark, and cold, but from what Ardus could notice, it seemed like some sort of old, ancient ruin. Continuing further into the damp cavern, the mercenary commander came across a massive, stone door, with strange engravings on its face. They showed a great battle, which Ardus deduced to be the Scouring, and in the center, the largest grave image, was a cloaked man wielding a terrible magic. What Ardus didn't know is that this was actually the shrine of Brammiond and his tome, Apocalypse.
Ardus couldn't open the door, but as he loitered at the stone portal, a crack of dark energy shot out from what looked to be a rift in the air, striking the larger man in the chest and sending him flying backwards. Horrible things rushed through his head, dark thoughts and memories not his own. It felt evil. It felt daemonic. It hurt like hell.
The occurrence intrigued Ardus to no end as he tried to sort through the thoughts in his head, and what had just happened. He was also, however, thoroughly frightened as well, the images flashing in his head growing more stark, clear, and painful as he remained, and ran from the cave as fast as he could.
For roughly a month, Ardus wandered Valor, surviving in the dark, dank brush before noticing a passing ship, flagging it down. Who would be foolish enough to sail near Valor in good weather? It turned out that the boat, sailing from Lycia to the Western Isles, had gotten lost at sea, and had not known that they sailed near the "Dread Isle". They took the shipwrecked Ardus to the Western Isles, where, with no clear way home, he has been living ever since.
He couldn't return home, not like this. He had failed his men, ruined his family's already tarnished honor, and even let his little brother get killed. No, instead he remained in the West and continuined his mercenary work while all the while researching what he could about the Scouring, and the dark energy that struck him that one day.
Noello Floentes:
Noello is a bright, young mage of the age of 17 from the Western Isles. Measuring a good seven inches shorter than Ardus and being a good deal less muscled, the two make an odd pair. Ardus is a strong, silent mercenary, while Noello is a smallish, loud-mouthed, mischievous type.
Since he was 10, Noello was one of five students studying under the great sage Alalastus, and demonstrated abilities that put him at the top of his class, as well as making himself Alalastus's favorite pupil. The others, however, couldn't stand Noello. He was cocky, and had a habit of biting off more than he could chew.
Noello first met Ardus when the latter came into Alalastus's school looking for information. The first thing he mentioned was the Scouring, something that instantly made Noello's eyes roll. Another muscled headed loser looking for the Divine Weapons no doubt. Who even wanted to get their hands involved in all of that, especially after what happened with Hargus and the Ruinz Bandits?
Noello hadn't heard the entirety of Ardus's tale, as Master Alalastus had taken Ardus somewhere quiet to talk while his students trained. Curious but obedient, Noello waited until he saw the tall pink haired man run out the door. He'd be back. They always were.
And Ardus did indeed keep coming back, at least once every month or so, looking for more and more information. While at first Master Alalastus was more than happy to provide him with information, eventually the two became more akin to research partners as Ardus delved into stories not even Alalastus was familiar with. Noello overheard their discussions, inadvertently reading documents and notes Ardus and his master had looked up. He grew even more interested.
However, Noello's studies had to continue, despite the interest he had taken in his Master's new project, but he grew frustrated. Why was he, the most talented of all Alalastus's students, not allowed to research with his master when some brute was? The magics they discussed were beyond fascinating. So powerful, but lost to the human race for a thousand years. He had to see it.
Late at night he ventured into his master's archive, stealing his master's key, and found one of his master's research books. Flipping through the pages, the spells he found were incredible, but most of the stronger spells were significantly incomplete. However, Noello's pride could not let him leave without testing his ability against one of these spells.
Choosing a spell called Bolganone, he began to recite the incantations. Power began to course through his body, and a great ball of inferno began to well up before him. He had not the practice nor the arcane knowledge to tap into the spells full power, but even then, the energy it gave off was extraordinary.
But despite the boy's skill, Bolganone was far beyond his ability. Only shortly after the spell began to charge, the ball of fire burst like a bubble, spewing embers and flames all over his Master's office. Instantly, the paper, binding, and wood of the library burst into flames. Horrified, Noello attempted to put out the flames, but it was too late. The fire was spreading too quickly, and by now had ignited the entire room. All this knowledge, lost! No! What had he done?
The fire raged around Noello, trapping him within the room. The boy mage scrambled to find an exit, but it was too hot. The fire burned too brightly. It was the end. Suddenly, though, the door came crashing down with Ardus bursting into the room. He scooped up Noello, and the two went running out of the archive, leaving the flames to spread to the rest of the school, burning everything.
Shortly after, Alalastus arrived at the smoldering wreck, and was not pleased with his student, needless to say. He put the boy's mind slightly at ease with the knowledge that the sage himself kept copies of the most important books at his own home, with much of the rest of the knowledge being committed to memory over the years. It didn't change that fact, however, that Noello had stolen his master's property and burnt an entire library to the ground. So, as punishment, Alalastus banned Noello from his schooling, and ordered him to travel with Ardus, assisting the mercenary in his quest for knowledge while Alalastus himself found another place to rebuild his school and rewrite what he could of his archives.
For the past three years, much to Noello's initial distaste and eventual enjoyment, has been traveling with Ardus.