Dawn of Ages: Chapter 2, Part 3 The Ridge

[PenPlays]

Previous part: The Legend of the Reaper

Dawn of Ages

Chapter 2: The Cornovaria Chronicles, Part 3: The Ridge

It was nearly dusk, and Maisley had led The Ring straight to the base of the ridge. Tristain readied his bow as they arrived.

"We'll rest here until midnight. That is the only time the stone holding the Death Cane will open.

Later that evening, the group sat by the fire as Tristain kept watch.

"If we see this 'Reaper'," Tristain asked, "do we consider him friend or foe."

"Are any of you on a search for eternal life?" Maisley asked. The group looked at him silent. "Then he is an ally. The Reaper is simply misunderstood."

They all stood there for a lifeless moment.

"Gah!" Maisley shouted looking at the moon. "It is the midnight hour! Quickly! Through the trees and up the ridge!"

There were steps etched into the ridge wall. Easy for a man to climb up.

On top, a stone caricature of the Guilds marked the Death Cane's haven.

"So, it is real," Nordoric said. "Not much of a legend is it?"

Maisley began to activate the revealing spell.

As the winds of the north,

Roll over the east.

Rise from the south,

So on the west 'doth death feast.

The art covered stone disappeared.There was nothing inside.

Maisley turned around towards the edge of the ridge.

"What is this foolery Maisley?" Drinnian asked.

"It seems as if the staff withered away," Owlan said.

"Impossible!" Malivan said. "Magic wands, staves, and canes are intangible. Maisley, is this some kind of a fairy tale?"

"I..." Maisley started, "I do not know what to say."

"Whoever is out there, come out! Weapons on the ground!" Tristain shouted, bow ready.

The rest of the Ringsmen pulled out their weapons and faced Tristain's direction.

"What's going on?" Maisley said. Owlan slowly drew his sword, unaware of what was going on.

"Tristain has a heightened sense of hearing," Malivan said. Maisley's sword, the Grainaldus, began to vibrate, its magic abilities preparing for use. Maisley's eyes shrunk. He pulled his sword out in front of him at the very moment...

...a massive sound wave hit. The Grainaldus shielded Maisley from damage as most of the Ringsmen fell off the ridge. Tristain moved out of the way just in time.

"Blast it all!" a voice from the shadow's said. A black robed wizard walked out from the forest beyond the ridge.

"You had to have arrived at the worst possible time!" the wizard said. The wizard charged, cane and sword making contact with a clang!

The sound brought Drinnian back on his feet. Everyone who fell survived. Owlan ran off hoping to assist Maisley.

"Quickly," Drinnian said. "Get up! Get up you fools!"

Atop the ridge the battle continued.

"The Death Cane is not for fools such as you!" Maisley said.

"The sword Grainaldus is not for timid men such as yourself either!" The wizard reacted with a swift maneuver, grabbed the Grainaldus, and lodged the sword just above Maisley's heart. The wizard pushed Maisley off the ridge hoping to finish him off with the fall.

"Maisley!" Drinnian shouted.

"Look upon me, foolish Avalonians!" the wizard shouted atop the ridge.

"All will bow before the vicious hand of Mallock the Malign!"

"You mad man!" Owlan said. Mallock grimaced and rose the Death Cane. Air runes began to form around the wizard.

"Haven't you heard of the Legend of the Reaper? Owlan asked. "You'd be a fool to use that on yourself."

"Who cares when the death are always waiting!" Mallock said. Magic energies started to charge through the runes.

"No!" the dying Maisley said.

"Please no! Please, stop him!... I don't wish for the curse of eternity...please!"

"The cane can reawaken the dead!" Malivan remembered.

"Owlan!" Nordoric shouted. "You must stop the wizard before the spell is casted!"

Tristain ran out form the forest.

With an idea and determination, Owlan charged the wizard...

And passed through him as if he were air.

"Never doubt a Wizard of Eden!" Mallock shouted. He charged at Owlan.

Owlan swung his sword aggressively, forcing the wizard to turn around. Mallock continued, backwards, in Owlan's direction as Tristain fired an arrow, straight through Mallock's eye.

The wizard fell into the fire and disappeared into the wind.

"Now with that wind wizard gone," Drinnian said," you may rest in peace my friend."

"This sword..." Maisley said, "is... a token...of gratitude... for the one... who let me... rest...in... peacccccce..."

Owlan and Tristain returned.

"If Tristain had not reacted," Owlan said, "Maisley would have been desecrated... I'm so sorry Drinnian."

"This is for you," Drinnian said. He handed Owlan the Grainaldus.

Maisley was returned to the town. His wife accepted his lifeless body with tears in her eyes.

"Thank you gentlemen," an ominous and pasty-faced man said to the Ringsmen. "Thanks to you, Cornovaria is saved, but I can't be everywhere, so I bestow upon you my duties to protect those who risk desecration." With those words the man walked on. He wore black, and carried both a lantern and a scythe. Could it have been?...

On Stalkhead beach, Drinnian sat in the sand. He lacked his usual spunky attitude.

"Maisley was that close to you, eh?"

"It's more than that," Drinnian said with a depressed tone. "When I was younger, I was a prisoner. I had stolen from the King Draconus and I was punished for being so misguided. My guard was a young man who aspired one day to become a Lord. We were bothered by each other's presence, but we eventually grew on each other. We talked about our futures, women, childhood memories, and we grew to be the best of friends. I eventually found out that he had been saving his earnings to free me, saying that it was just an act of kindness. The King had pity on me and granted me a wish before I left. I wished that the King make my guard a Lord. The King couldn't grant me that wish, but he sent us where my guard's chances were greater. A Mystic Isle called Cornovaria. Sometime later, I aspired to become a leader, so I left. When I returned, I found out my old guard was a Lord. He achieved his goal, but it was short lived..."

Drinnian began to cry.

"Know that I will never forget you...Maisley..."

*

C&C is always welcome.

I'd like to claim the following credits for UPDH:

Landscape Design: Studs Up Rocks and Cliffs

General Building: Mosaics, Stained Glass, or Complex SNOTted Floor Designs (ridge top)

Next Chapter: Wrath of the Undead

Edited January 16, 2014 by Penkid11

[Tomsche]

A great and tragic story, I think it is the first time I see a 'supporting actor casualty' in the storylines (sorry anyone if I missed it if you did it before), adding that extra touch of drama to the whole storyline.

I especially love the part where Owlan charged through the Wizard, he has that look and feel of the 'no good for anything' warrior that you find in every ,ore or less comical rpg stories, that guy that tends to fall in traps and such yet escape unharmed from it.

[de Gothia]

Great story, great mocs and perfect photos! Great work!

[Lord Vladivus]

Great story, and the action is brilliant too! I like Death- cool fig!

[Torgar]

great story and minifig posing!

[MKJoshA]

Very moving story. Nicely done.

[soccerkid6]

Interesting story The cliff face looks good as does the landscape

[Gideon]

Good job on the minifig posing and storytelling

The photography is also good, but I think the pictures are a tad too washed out. I think you could lower the exposure a step or so and get the colors to look better.

A small note on the first picture, when using dual-side faces and headgear/hair which doesn't cover the whole back side you should be careful how you orient the minifigs. The tan-haired guy has an extra mouth in his neck

UoP DoH +1 for studs up rocks and for mosaic floor.

[Kai NRG]

DoH +1 for studs up rocks and cliffs and mosaic. I do think with a bit more time you could have done a better job on the mosaic, but it's pretty nice.

[Gunman]

Great story and action going there dude :)