Revenant
11-19-09, 01:49 PM
Closed to Madyrn.
The ancient structure of the Citadel of Radasanth towered over the dusty streets surrounding it. Its long shadow beckoned to warriors from all walks of life, drawing them to partake of its particular brand of nourishment. Even though he had fought here on multiple occasions, William felt the familiar tingle of excitement in his bones as he approached the Citadel’s entryway.
Just inside the entryway, visitors were greeted with a simple yet tastefully decorated waiting room. The few small chairs and benches inside the room were all currently unoccupied, but William felt to jittery to sit. Within moments, William was greeted by a solemn monk, the same monk that had always served as William’s guide in the Citadel. Idly, William wondered if the monk would have taken longer to arrive if he had sat.
“Welcome back to the Citadel, applicant,” the monk greeted him in a somber, professional tone.
“I’m surprised anyone here would remember me,” William replied, equally as somber.
“The Citadel remembers all who enter it,” both men spoke together, finishing their traditional greeting. The greeting had become an inside joke between the two, and they broke into welcoming smiles afterwards.
“Welcome back, my friend,” the monk warmly greeted William this time. “It’s been a while since your last visit.”
“Well, the urges haven’t been as strong lately. I’m still not entirely sure why, but I think my trips here have been helping.” William referred to the urge for violence lurking in the back of his mind, an urge which had been inside him ever since the infernal sorcerer Kal’Necroth had bound a demonic essence with his soul in an attempt to create a living engine of destruction.
Only recently had William began to understand that fighting against the rage that dwelled within him made it harder to control. Since he had started coming to the Citadel and actively summoning forth the demonic power in his veins, William had been able to clearly manage his destructive urges. Though he still couldn’t completely control it, William was making strides in mastering the demon within him.
“That is good news,” the monk beamed at William. “Why don’t we see what we can do today to further your goals. Come with me.” William nodded and trailed behind the swift moving monk as he led William through the labyrinth of twisting passages which filled the Citadel. Before too long, the monk halted in front of a small alcove where William could prepare.
“This chamber had been readied for your use,” the monk gestured. “May you find this test of skill to your liking.”
William thanked the monk and begun his pre-fight ritual of disrobing. In his life outside the Citadel William had to take care to keep as much of his flesh covered as possible to keep prying eyes from seeing the charring effect his demonic power had on his body whenever his emotions ran high. As he unwrapped the heavy woolen bandages from around his body, William noted that his skin had already begun to blacken and crack in several places from the excitement he felt about the upcoming fight. Wishing for the day when he would actually be able to control his power and would no longer need to hide himself from view, William bundled his gear and set it aside.
The heavy wooden door which led into the Citadel’s battle chamber swung easily on its well maintained hinges, revealing a dimly lit stone chamber beyond. The simple chamber didn’t fool William, who knew that it would magically transform into a realistic battleground once he entered. Steeling himself, William concentrated on a mental picture of the terrain that he wanted and stepped into the room.
The air around him instantly became almost unbearably hot. Opening his eyes, William found himself in the center of a large stone platform which hung suspended from red hot, thick iron chains over the heart of a massive volcano. Similar platforms hung suspended in midair throughout the volcano’s maw, each too far from one another for combatants to move between them.
As he pondered the situation William noticed that each platform also had smaller chains which led from the platform to a mass of dark-skinned humanoid shapes who ringed the entire lip of the volcano’s mouth. These humanoids chanted and danced about as they tugged on each platform’s chains, causing the platforms to move and sway towards one another. With good timing, someone could jump from one platform to another, though a miss would mean a molten death.
William held off on summoning his demonic power, waiting for his opponent to appear.
The ancient structure of the Citadel of Radasanth towered over the dusty streets surrounding it. Its long shadow beckoned to warriors from all walks of life, drawing them to partake of its particular brand of nourishment. Even though he had fought here on multiple occasions, William felt the familiar tingle of excitement in his bones as he approached the Citadel’s entryway.
Just inside the entryway, visitors were greeted with a simple yet tastefully decorated waiting room. The few small chairs and benches inside the room were all currently unoccupied, but William felt to jittery to sit. Within moments, William was greeted by a solemn monk, the same monk that had always served as William’s guide in the Citadel. Idly, William wondered if the monk would have taken longer to arrive if he had sat.
“Welcome back to the Citadel, applicant,” the monk greeted him in a somber, professional tone.
“I’m surprised anyone here would remember me,” William replied, equally as somber.
“The Citadel remembers all who enter it,” both men spoke together, finishing their traditional greeting. The greeting had become an inside joke between the two, and they broke into welcoming smiles afterwards.
“Welcome back, my friend,” the monk warmly greeted William this time. “It’s been a while since your last visit.”
“Well, the urges haven’t been as strong lately. I’m still not entirely sure why, but I think my trips here have been helping.” William referred to the urge for violence lurking in the back of his mind, an urge which had been inside him ever since the infernal sorcerer Kal’Necroth had bound a demonic essence with his soul in an attempt to create a living engine of destruction.
Only recently had William began to understand that fighting against the rage that dwelled within him made it harder to control. Since he had started coming to the Citadel and actively summoning forth the demonic power in his veins, William had been able to clearly manage his destructive urges. Though he still couldn’t completely control it, William was making strides in mastering the demon within him.
“That is good news,” the monk beamed at William. “Why don’t we see what we can do today to further your goals. Come with me.” William nodded and trailed behind the swift moving monk as he led William through the labyrinth of twisting passages which filled the Citadel. Before too long, the monk halted in front of a small alcove where William could prepare.
“This chamber had been readied for your use,” the monk gestured. “May you find this test of skill to your liking.”
William thanked the monk and begun his pre-fight ritual of disrobing. In his life outside the Citadel William had to take care to keep as much of his flesh covered as possible to keep prying eyes from seeing the charring effect his demonic power had on his body whenever his emotions ran high. As he unwrapped the heavy woolen bandages from around his body, William noted that his skin had already begun to blacken and crack in several places from the excitement he felt about the upcoming fight. Wishing for the day when he would actually be able to control his power and would no longer need to hide himself from view, William bundled his gear and set it aside.
The heavy wooden door which led into the Citadel’s battle chamber swung easily on its well maintained hinges, revealing a dimly lit stone chamber beyond. The simple chamber didn’t fool William, who knew that it would magically transform into a realistic battleground once he entered. Steeling himself, William concentrated on a mental picture of the terrain that he wanted and stepped into the room.
The air around him instantly became almost unbearably hot. Opening his eyes, William found himself in the center of a large stone platform which hung suspended from red hot, thick iron chains over the heart of a massive volcano. Similar platforms hung suspended in midair throughout the volcano’s maw, each too far from one another for combatants to move between them.
As he pondered the situation William noticed that each platform also had smaller chains which led from the platform to a mass of dark-skinned humanoid shapes who ringed the entire lip of the volcano’s mouth. These humanoids chanted and danced about as they tugged on each platform’s chains, causing the platforms to move and sway towards one another. With good timing, someone could jump from one platform to another, though a miss would mean a molten death.
William held off on summoning his demonic power, waiting for his opponent to appear.