The Fall of Enderra

World News

Forgotten: No one can escape. A great flash emerged above all of Aronia leaving each with short term memory loss. Years lost to the fog of amnesia. Can no one recall? That appears to be the case. Whom or what is responsible? Panic has stricken the globe. Will civilization collapse? What will emerge from the reset? Only time will tell. To each citizen of Aronia from the Global Gazette, we wish all luck.

Welcome to Aronia. We hope you enjoy your visit.

You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.

Join our community!

If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

The Fall of Enderra
Topic Started: Dec 3 2006, 05:44 PM (133 Views)
Davyn	Dec 3 2006, 05:44 PM Post #1
whippersnapper Posts: 138 Group: Members Member #12 Joined: January 25, 2006	(( OOC: Okay, not really sure where I should put this, but since Sabre's other posts are here, I'll go ahead and throw it here. Enjoy! )) FIVE HUNDRED YEARS AGO... A lone figure stood atop a rocky ledge, peering out at the carnage in the valley below. Fires raged across the vast acres of farmlands and villages, plumes of black smoke billowing towards the heavens. The warm breeze carried with it the anguished cries of despairing people, many of whom were women and children. The nauseating stench of death and charred flesh hung heavily in the air, mixed with the smell of burning naptha and the discharge from various mana weapons. The sun was setting in the east, bathing the horizon in a somber purple hue that seemed more red tonight due to the flames below. Off to the south the massive bulk of the capital city, Enderra, continued to hover stubbornly in the darkening sky as it made its retreat. It would not float much longer, though, the figure observed wryly. Already he could see that the ornate spires of the cathedral were aflame as well as those of the royal palace itself. The half-dozen mana reactors that held the city aloft were under seige even now by his aerial forces. Enderra gave a dreadful lurch as one of the reactors suddenly exploded in a burst of flame and magical energies. Though this pleased the figure on the ridge, he did not fancy being in the vicinity when the glorious capital came crashing to the earth. The floating city was at least five miles in diameter, blocking the southern horizon almost entirely. The impact alone would be tremendous, even at his present distance. "My Lord Serrith," a sinister, gravelly voice addressed him over his shoulder, "our orbital forces are being decimated by the golem-riders and the Zydian knights. At the present rate they will breach our blockade and be within the atmosphere in a matter of minutes. What is thy bidding?" Serrith turned to look at the dreadlord who had addressed him. Like all of his kindred, the demon stood about a head taller than Serrith with curved black horns sweeping back from the forehead, goatlike legs and hooves, and enormous bat-like wings protruding from his back that had a span of at least ten feet. If this was not enough to intimidate the common Enderran soldier, the demon was wearing enchanted mithril armor that pulsed with a sickly black-green aura. The shoulder-mounted mana bazooka he bore was still smoking and the wicked war axe in his left hand was dripping with blood. "Spare me the formalities, Baalak," Serrith sighed, "Let them come. I have a special surprise in store for her majesty's champions. Have our forces pull back and lure them here." "It shall be as you command, Lord Serrith." Baalak gave a slight bow, then touched a glowing gem on his left bracer. A dark rift opened in the air behind him and the dreadlord stepped through, disappearing from sight. It was all too perfect. The power that Serrith had been granted by the runeblade, Soulbane, was incredible! In just a few short months he had managed to gather together an army more powerful than any other, the likes of which had never before been seen on the planet---and kingdom---of Enderra. The Zydian Order had been foolish to banish him from their midst. Serrith had tried to warn them, of course. The encroaching storm was inevitible. Only dark magic would have been able to save them. But, like the self-righteous, narrow minded do-gooders that they were, the elders shot down this notion immediately and had him expelled when his dabblings had come to light. Well...they would suffer for their lapse in judgement! Serrith had made a pact with the invaders and now led the assault on his home planet. He was no longer quite human; Soulbane had since corrupted him, turning his skin a deep purple-black and his long hair silver with blackened tips. A small price to pay for the revenge that was now his. Moments later, the whine of hundreds of mana drives tore through the sky. Glancing upwards, Serrith could see the bright red streaks of light that indicated his own orbital forces. They burst out of the clouds and swooped low over the valley, leaving sonic booms in their wake. Following them closely were the impressive forms of the golem-riders and Zydian knights in their customized war golems. The golems were a remarkable feat of technology and magic. Each stood roughly fifteen meters tall and was humanoid in appearance. They were heavily armored and crafted with reinforced, enchanted mithril that was impervious to most melee and mana-based attacks. The golem-riders had been the frontline of defense for the Church for several centuries now and were generally heralded as heroes by the common folk. It was every young man's dream to someday become the pilot of one of these magnificent machines. The Zydian knights, however, were easily distinguished from the common golem-rider. Their war golems were each custom-made and were said to be infused with the power of the various Gods and Goddesses that protected Enderra. In addition, the knights of the Zydian Order were more versed in the magical arts than the Church soldiers, thereby enhancing their prowess in any battle. The weaponry on their war golems was generally more powerful than those of the common golem-rider and it was rumored that some of the knights even had the uncanny ability to see several seconds into the future. Needless to say, this made them extremely dextrous and deadly in battle. This applied not only to combat using their war golems, but in hand-to-hand tactics as well. No matter, though. Serrith had a surprise in store for them all. As Serrith's aerial forces were being torn to shreds by the golem-riders, the soldiers and knights had taken their battle to the valley below. The massive demons that had laid waste to the farmlands and villages turned as one and began advancing on their mechanical adversaries. Some of the demons below were no bigger than a house cat while others were as large as small hills! Nevertheless, the Zydians and Church soldiers advanced fearlessly, crushing their smaller opposition and going into pre-set formations to take on the larger demons. Roars of frustration echoed up from the valley as Serrith's demons were felled. But the forces of Enderra were not without their own losses. Here and there, various golems lay smashed on the battlefield. Their limbs were strewn about haphazardly, sparking and burning in the chaos. The few soldiers and knights that managed to escape the wreckage of their golems were immediately set upon by the hundreds of lesser demons milling about the feet of their colossal cohorts. Despite such small victories, however, it was apparent that the demonic forces were being driven back. Serrith smiled wanfully. No matter. It was all part of a ruse... "And now, my bretheren...you die." Serrith stretched forth his right arm. Waves of dark magic were channeled through his limb as the dreaded Soulbane appeared in his grip, pommel first, then forming the hilt and finally the blade. Even if the weapon had not been bathed in a purple-black shadowy aura, it would have given any opponent cause for concern. The blade of the sword was itself nearly four feet long; large enough as to be awkward, although Serrith weilded it with little effort. It was serrated its entire length with a hooked tip that was obviously intended to cause maximum pain and suffering in an enemy. Along the blade and even on the hilt and pommel were carved intricate silver patterns and the hilt was inlaid with six gleaming opals. Serrith swung the weapon gracefully, then plunged the blade directly into the ground before him. Despite being almost entirely rock, the Soulbane sank into the earth with ease. A small fault appeared in the rock and ran down the sheer incline towards the valley below. Where it parted, a sinister greenish glow seeped up from the bowels of the earth. Within moments, the crack had reached the battlefield below. It split suddenly, then began to encompass the entire onslaught, demon, man, and golem alike. When the two splits met again, the glowing band of energy surrounded an area of roughly a mile in diameter! At that point, a hideous howl seemed to echo up from the ground on the battlefield. It happened rather suddenly. The earth trembled in a violent quake and even more faults appeared in the ground. They formed a strange pattern over the entire battlefield only moments before the earth itself erupted in a fury of confusion. Most of the soldiers and knights perished without knowing what had even hit them...but Serrith reveled in it all from his vantage point some miles away. A gigantic black worm had emerged from the ground and was consuming everything in its path. Several golem-riders tried to fly away from the melee, but found themselves ensnared in the powerful tentacles lashing out from the leviathan's mouth. Even Serrith's own minions could not escape the clutches of the beast; they were devoured as well. Not that Serrith really cared. He smiled at his handiwork, then turned to descend the ridge, his dark cape billowing in the breeze. "Cowardly tactics, Serrith. I am most disappointed in you. A true leader would be down on the battlefield with his troops." The voice rang out in the air and Serrith suddenly found himself with a blade pressed to his throat. He struggled to swallow his surprise. How on Enderra had HE managed to sneak up here?! The figure holding the pulsating mana blade to Serrith's throat was encased head to foot in gleaming ivory armor, inlaid with silver, gold, and black patterns. The deep purple cape draped loosely over the shoulderpads and the red dorsal appendage on the helmet indicated his status as not only a Zydian knight, but the Queen's Champion as well. Serrith's eyes narrowed and a shrewd grin crossed his features, "The same could be said of you as well, Adamir. But I suppose you figure that cutting off the head of the serpent is more important than attacking the body, hm?" Serrith laughed, unable to see Adamir's expression behind the reflective visor of his helmet, "That is it, isn't it? Oh, Adamir, old boy...you're so predictable sometimes that it's painful." "Not nearly as painful as it will be when my blade severs your head from your shoulders...old boy. I have waited a long time for this, Serrith. You never should have left the Zydian Order." "Leave?" Serrith laughed disdainfully, "If you will recall, dear Adamir, I was banished! And for what? For trying to save a world that didn't appreciate the forces they had at their disposal." He gave a derisive snort. "The forces you speak of are forbidden dark magic." Adamir looked Serrith up and down, taking in his distorted features, "But I see that you have had no problem with that. I suppose you figured that allying yourself with the enemy was preferable to dying knowing that you've defended your planet and kingdom?" "Of course, Adamir. I do not share the warped sense of honor that the Church has drilled into the brains of its soldiers and knights. Enderra turned its back on me...I am only repaying the favor." "You could have been great, Serrith. It is a shame that it has come to this." As he spoke, Adamir took several paces back, withdrawing his mana blade and holding it in front of him in the formal fighting stance, "Draw your weapon, traitor. We shall settle this here and now." Serrith laughed, "You really are a fool, Adamir. I have no idea why Usera chose you as her Champion. You don't even have the sense to dispose of your enemies when you have them in your grasp!" So saying, Serrith raised his runeblade and charged the Zydian knight. The battle between Adamir and Serrith on that lonely ridge overlooking the battlefield has since become legendary. No one quite knows exactly how long it lasted or how well the brave Zydian knight fought his enemy. It is rumored that the clashes of their blades tore down entire acres of forest. However, there is one thing that the historians of surviving neighboring systems are quite adamant about. After Serrith had inflicted a mortal wound on Adamir, he left the Zydian to die a lingering death. Before his death, however, a young novitiate from the Zydian Order stumbled upon the dying knight. It was then that Adamir conferred upon this novice the last known Cryo Band, the mystical bracers that were the Zydian knights' source of power. He then charged the unknown apprentice with a grave task. The kingdom...the entire planet of Enderra was dying and had little hope of surviving the onslaught of Serrith and his forces. To ensure that one day the Enderran dynasty would be reborn, the princess Allora had been magically sealed within a crystal and sent through a dimensional rift in space/time. The novice, Adamir explained, was to follow her and ensure that she was safely revived. With his last ounce of strength, Adamir called upon the elder Gods and wove the spell that sent the young, unsuspecting novice trailing through the dimensions after the missing princess. Not long after that the planet Enderra was laid entirely to waste. The once-great kingdom that boasted a fusion of magic and technology was no more. To date, it is a lifeless planet, scarred and barren. The soil is little more than sand now, stained forever red by the blood of those slain by Serrith and his unyielding forces. As for the former Zydian knight, it is rumored that he is still alive and that otherworldly forces are sustaining him; the same ones that offered him the runeblade, Soulbane, in the first place. The demonic forces still sweep the galaxy, seeking to exterminate all life and causing ruin and chaos wherever they set foot. As for the princess Allora and her hapless defender? No one is quite sure where and when they turned up. Or if they even have yet. The only clue as to the outcome of it all is an old prophecy made by a dying monk on the planet Drathelon: WHEN METAL AND MANA UNITE AS ONE THE REIGN OF CHAOS SHALL BE UNDONE. BUT FOR THE LIGHT TO TRIUMPH AND WIN THE TECHNOMANCER MUST RISE AGAIN.
	Blizzard Exec #1: I don't have a World of Warcraft account! Do you? Blizzard Exec #2: No...sigh I have a life. Randy Marsh: Give me the sword! I have a Warcraft account. I'm a newb, but I may be able to get it to Stan in time. Blizzard Exec #1: A newb! We can't trust the Sword of A Thousand Truths to a newb! Randy Marsh: It sounds to me like you have no choice! --South Park


1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)


« Previous Topic · The Highlands · Next Topic »