Mini-Story Intro: Sinistrad Arcanfury

Below the sun, the wastes of Vendigroth baked as they had for an age since Arronax's wrath. The wind scoured the earth keeping it raw of any nutrient which might bring life back; bring back the former beauty it once held. Sinistrad shuffled through the heat of mid-day, his shadow small and close cropped around his body. Above him a small creature danced about in the air, riding the small eddies and dust devils prominent in the area. Sinistrad looked up, "Come here you fool!" he scolded in a harsh whisper. He immediately looked down, eyes clamped shut. The sunlight still danced in Sinistrad's eyes as he retreaded back into the cowl of his robes.

In the distance two creatures stood. They appeared to be hunting prey, though it was of little concern what they were doing exactly. Sinistrad quickly motioned for his familiar to cut them down. It did so, with frightening efficiency. Again, Sinistrad continued onward. He was in search of the city of Tulla, city of mages. He hadn't the slightest idea where it was, other than somewhere in this hellish place. Elves, however, live a very long time, and so even if his search took him months he would find it and not contemplate the time lost too much. Occasionally when he ran out of supplies he would have to travel back to Arcanum proper, but thanks to his mastery of the school of Conveyance this never cost him more than an hour or two.

Finally, after the surprisingly short span of three months Sinistrad came upon the fabled city. She stood tall and proud, if a bit weatherworn, her back against a cliff. The great walls held the city like protective arms. Tiny figures could be seen going about their daily buisness. Then he saw something that troubled him, there did not appear to be a gate inside. One solitary figure stood outside by a pair of pillars. Sinistrad drew back into his cowl until only his thoughtful frown was visible. This did not bode well he thought, not only have they hidden their city in the most inhospitable place on Arcanum but it appears to be well guarded as well.

A whole day passed as Sinistrad pondered this predicament. Kill them! Kill them all! The persistant thought rang in his head but was brushed away as quickly as it appeared. That was not the answer, for sure. At last after considering any number of possibilities he simply decided to improvise and hope for the best.

Kill them all...

Sinistrad stood gazing from atop a low, yet far spread, hill whose base gently rested against the great city. He was watching the solitary figure at the 'gate.' He only assumed it to be a gate because it was the only thing outside of the walls. His eyes narrowed and pupils dilated as he concentrated on the distant figure.

The lone wizard, whom guards the city of Tulla, stood under the relentless sun. Immobile, confident, and shrewd, he scarcely blinked when suddenly a man appeared before him in a brilliant flash. The man held before him a wretched looking staff about the same height as its weilder. His robe flowed about him in a wild manner from the recent expenditure of magick, its gold swirls and designs sparkled hypnotically in the sunlight. Without warning, the strange man bowed politely and spoke, "I bid you welcome on this most beautiful day. My name is Sinistrad, Sinistrad Arcanfury. I see I have found what I sought, the great city of Tulla. Perhaps you might admit me entrance?"

"No. I do not think that would be possible," the man replied, even toned and calm, as if he had done this a thousand times before.

The smile visible in the shadow of the cowl vanished in an instant. The once cheerfully parted lips came crashing together forming a tight thin line. "Oh? Is that so..." Sinistrad said slowly, all hint of cheer drained from his voice, leaving only grim seriousness.

"Not many people find the city of Tulla on their own Sinistrad, for this we commend you most sincerely. Yet due to... philosophical differences with mages you might have encountered elsewhere, no outsiders are allowed in the city. We only take in the very young or the very sheltered, you have simply been exposed to too much of the outside world. I am sure you can understand. Now, if you don't mind I am going to have to ask you to go back from whence you came." The guard was very polite, and seemed somehow sincerely dissapointed at having to turn away a fellow mage, however, he meant every word he said.

Sinistrad gripped his staff tightly, his fingers wrapped further around the staff revealing a shining silver ring. The sun glanced of the surface sending a flash of light into the guards eyes, whom shifted his weight slightly to avoid it's brilliance. The man who had stood so rigid only moments before, and perhaps for hundreds of years prior, had wavered! Now! Now now now! A voiced bellowed in Sinistrad's head. Before the guard was even done blinking Sinistrad was upon him. Three spells were already encompassing the unfortunate man when he realized anything had happened at all. He found himself looking up at Sinistrad, towering above. That is strange, he thought to himself, then he realized the horror of what had happened. Soon enough the man was eye level with Sinistrad with the aid of the familiar who's wings strained but held.

"Look at me you insignifigant mageling! I am Sinistrad. I care, very, very little for your 'philosophy.' In fact, you might even say that I do NOT care at all. What I do know is this; I came here seeking Tulla, and whether I have to blast a hole in your feeble walls or rip your soul from your body and send it to oblivion I will get in." The man dangled about, arms flailing involuntarily from the constant jerking, but his eyes and ears were fixated upon Sinistrad as he continued, "I will give you this choice only once, your life hangs in the balance," Sinistrad finished with a slight smirk at the humor of the words he chose.

"You have bested me Sinistrad, you are indeed powerful. Tulla, however is about magic, not about power, you seem to have the two confused. Enter at your own risk," the man said forbodingly.

"I am glad you see things my way," Sinistrad spat bitterly as he harmlessly subdued the man who was now returned to his orignial size but immobilized. With that, Sinistrad strode up to the pillars which blazed suddenly with electric fire whisking him inside the walls.

The students inside gave eachother concerned looks as Sinistrad strode into the main courtyard. Before him stood a central tower, the dominating feature of Tulla. It appeared to have been carved from the rock of the cliff on which its back rested. Shadows lingered about the doorway into the main hall and suddenly all he could think of was shade. Once inside Sinistrad sought out the Master of Fire. After a few moments she finally stood before him. Somehow she knew how he had gained admittence to the city and she scowled at him hatefully.

"Please my dear, I am not here to hurt anyone... yet. Now, please give me the medallion you wear upon your breast, I promise to take excellent care of it."

"How dare..." the woman shrieked but her shrill voice was cut short and suddenly she stood abesentmindedly staring at Sinistrad as if waiting for something.

"Fool mages do not even have the slightest charms to protect themselves from the simplest of magicks..." Sinistrad muttered to himself as he deftly removed the precious amulet from about her neck. He had to move quickly the spell would only last a few seconds, but by the time it wore off her room would be magically sealed. Then, of course, she would have to expend the majority of her power just to escape the room let alone deal with him, and with that thought he was gone.

Once again Sinistrad stood in the great hall, this time he wore the amulet bearing the symbol of the school of fire magick. Before him a pulsating circle of light glimmered on the floor, all he had to do was step into it. He closed his eyes, thought of the power he was about to obtain, and stepped forward. Instantly he felt as if he were back out in the Vendigroth wastes. Intense heat battered him from all directions but when he opened his eyes he saw the floor before him was magically aflame. After all that now this? He thought to himself. He stopped a moment to rest and to put his precious robe in his pack where it would be slightly more secure. After drinking a potion squirreled away for just a circumstance as this, Sinistrad prepared to take the test. With a few quick gestures suddenly the fire in front of him appeared to move in slow motion. Each coil and tendril of flame could be clearly seen now twirling and whipping about at the dark smoke above them. The roar of the fire was now a dull distant hiss. Sinistrad knelt down and prepared to run as quickly as he could. He had no protection other than speed, completely naked save for a pack upon his back. After a deep breath he took off. The power of his spell drove him forward at a blinding pace whilst the flames rose sluggishly from the ground. All at once he was surrounded by fire, he could feel its warmth soaking into his body. The first few moments were pleasant, but after that, as he ran the heat began singe the surface of his skin. Alarmingly after only a few seconds he was already beginning to burn. The twists and turns of the pathway made it impossible to see how much further he had to go. Panic clutched at his throat but he pushed on. Finally he bursted out of the fire and smoke onto cool ground. Tendrils of flame still clung tenaciously to him but broke free once he ended the Tempus Fugit which had made his journey possible. Writhing in agony upon the floor, Sinistrad began to force himself to stand. Thankfully the damage to his legs was mostly superficial and so he simply cast a basic healing spell to ease the pain. After the imbibing of a second potion Sinistrad stepped through a second portal and found himself in a hallway full of water elementals.

"Cursed be this sand-blasted city; center of hell in my book!" He yelled vehemently at the water elementals which stood unhearing. They were obviously uninterested in his presence and he suspected they were somehow magically suspended until someone came within a certain distance. He took the spare time to don his cloak and staff. Sufficiently angered, Sinistrad gripped his staff and called upon the magical power within. With it, he weilded his own spells against the elementals. A wall of fire sprang up before him, a barrier of flame between he and the water. In front of the wall coalesced two fire elementals which stood awaiting instructions, and finally the two elementals were encased in shimmering spheres of protective force. No more running, he thought to himself, I'll show these pacifistic fools that magick was MEANT for the powerful! With that the elementals strode forth within their shields. They rained feiry fists upon the hapless water elementals which struggled to injure the fire elementals wrapped in their protective magicks. For good measure Sinistrad sent several balls of combusting plasma hurtling into the fray. When the smoke cleared there was nothing left but puddles, smoke, and steam. He then sloshed through the remainder of the coorider to receive his due rewards...

[EDIT] Proof reading, typos/spelling, smoothing the general flow...

 

re

a great story, one to be made into a book, or onto some literature website. :thumbup:

 

tree this topic is almost 5 months old....