Sanctuary: The Beginning
"Once upon a time or so they say. There was a time when even I was considered young. My grandfather told me this story as I am telling you this story, and his probably told it to him. Thousands of years ago dragons would dance in the night air; their flames would burn in every color that a rainbow could think of and some that a rainbow could not. Magic was welcome in the heart's of men. It would come as a welcomed guest and leave like a whisper of midnight breeze. Man was both master and servant to the magics that bound the world. Fantastic beasts lived in harmony with humans, which is not to say that humans lived in peace with all of these creatures. Some of these beings hunted humans and others actively hated them. Demons plotted in their cavernous dungeons, and the disciples of light battled them vigilantly. Humans did war with each other and managed to find reasons to war with every other sentient society. Things were not perfect when the shadows came. Have no illusion that we can place the blame of our woes on what happened next.
"This is not a story where I tell you that thousands of years ago things were better. This is a story where I tell you that thousands of years ago things were very different. Things were dangerous outside of the metal cities that humans now feel chained to. Never going out beyond the wastelands of their own creations to the world abroad.
"Listen close young one and I will tell you of when the shadows first came and how they were driven from this world. The shadows first came to this world finding purchase in the hearts of men that were already gripped in darkness. The shadows whispered promises of power and reward if only for a very little thing. Build a doorway from the void into our world. They saw to the construction of the gate through their mortal vessels. Their promises were not false because these vessels never ages while possessed by their guest of darkness. Though their souls may have rotted they never aged and they became leaders of men and knew wealth beyond their imagining. When the gate was opened, they fell dead, unable to see the harvest reaped from their many hundred years of servitude. The shadows destroyed life were ever they went. They were not creatures just of death. They found much more joy in the misery and suffering of humankind than just meaningless destruction."
"But, grandpa! Why didn't the dragons burn them with their flames?" Her green eyes burned with indignation.
"Oh little impatient one. They tried, and they did. The dragons were the first to fall. At least the dragons were the first to disappear but some say they hid their souls in the hearts of men to keep them safe from the shadows war on their kind. That some men bore the souls of dragons like blades inside of them and could draw them out to strike down any foe. These men, who may very well be just the myths of people who wished the dragons had not died, were called Dragonsheathes. That little one is a tale for another time.
"The shadows began killing anything that stood in their way and soon the whole world was shrouded in the darkness of despair. Even in such bleak darkness their was a flicker of hope. Seven warriors rose up against the shadows and against all odds prevailed. Their flicker became a flame and their flame became and inferno as the shadows withdrew back to their gate. Retreating back into the void. The seventh warrior followed them into the darkness and shut the gate behind him so that they would never be able to return. He swore as the gate closed behind him that if the shadows ever threatened this world again. The six warriors would be raised and would drive back the shadows where ever they might be. The seventh warrior would always return at our time of greatest need. He would bear the key and lock these interlopers back behind their gate of darkness."
"This is not a story where I tell you that thousands of years ago things were better. This is a story where I tell you that thousands of years ago things were very different. Things were dangerous outside of the metal cities that humans now feel chained to. Never going out beyond the wastelands of their own creations to the world abroad.
"Listen close young one and I will tell you of when the shadows first came and how they were driven from this world. The shadows first came to this world finding purchase in the hearts of men that were already gripped in darkness. The shadows whispered promises of power and reward if only for a very little thing. Build a doorway from the void into our world. They saw to the construction of the gate through their mortal vessels. Their promises were not false because these vessels never ages while possessed by their guest of darkness. Though their souls may have rotted they never aged and they became leaders of men and knew wealth beyond their imagining. When the gate was opened, they fell dead, unable to see the harvest reaped from their many hundred years of servitude. The shadows destroyed life were ever they went. They were not creatures just of death. They found much more joy in the misery and suffering of humankind than just meaningless destruction."
"But, grandpa! Why didn't the dragons burn them with their flames?" Her green eyes burned with indignation.
"Oh little impatient one. They tried, and they did. The dragons were the first to fall. At least the dragons were the first to disappear but some say they hid their souls in the hearts of men to keep them safe from the shadows war on their kind. That some men bore the souls of dragons like blades inside of them and could draw them out to strike down any foe. These men, who may very well be just the myths of people who wished the dragons had not died, were called Dragonsheathes. That little one is a tale for another time.
"The shadows began killing anything that stood in their way and soon the whole world was shrouded in the darkness of despair. Even in such bleak darkness their was a flicker of hope. Seven warriors rose up against the shadows and against all odds prevailed. Their flicker became a flame and their flame became and inferno as the shadows withdrew back to their gate. Retreating back into the void. The seventh warrior followed them into the darkness and shut the gate behind him so that they would never be able to return. He swore as the gate closed behind him that if the shadows ever threatened this world again. The six warriors would be raised and would drive back the shadows where ever they might be. The seventh warrior would always return at our time of greatest need. He would bear the key and lock these interlopers back behind their gate of darkness."
posted by Goddamn Batman at 6:26 PM
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