Zamorak789
Bust :(
I've always been fascinated with magic and sword-play. It was my dream as a child to fight in the Lords army, to fight against the forces of evil and enemies to the nation. I wasn't born a peasant, after all, I am a Stormsword. Old folks such as myself often give advice to younger people we wish we had listened to and in turn they don't listen and repeat our mistakes. If there was ever a lie I was told it was that with old age comes wisdom. In truth, I've found that with old age comes old age. A kid born to a noble house, an important one with great favor to the Lord of our realm, will leave his family behind to go fight demons. He would give up the comfortable life of luxury to learn the truth of the world, to learn magic and sword-play, to fight dragons and tyrants alike. All the stories told of Zack Stormsword are true and I've finally decided to properly chronicle my life.
Beginnings are hard for me, truthfully. It's always difficult to describe the sweet innocence of childhood. I woke every morning to a servant following my fathers wishes, to the fragrant smell of freshly baked bread wafting in from the kitchens. The bed was always comfortable, smooth, and properly made with real downing. The earliest time I remember is when I was five and yet one thing persists through my childhood: The need to check the hidden compartment in my closet every day. The Stormsword family hadn't obtained it's name from it's ancestors, no, we were named nobility by the Lord some five hundred years before our story begins because of a special relic. The Stormsword itself sat there in that compartment, waiting for the day I came of age. The Stormsword is a true work of art that not even the greatest painter could do justice. It's pommel made of beautiful gold and silver, from the bottom of the pommel protruded the blue storm sapphire, a beautiful cobalt with cyan energy arcing through it's crystalline structure. The hilt is made of dragon bone and wrapped with hide strapping making it insanely durable and comfortable. Of course, dragon bone is famous not only for it's durability but the beautiful streaks of red that run through the bone, coursing with pure magic energy even millennia after it's own death. The guard is wide and forms a lightning bolt pattern shattering outwards from the hand to catch incoming strikes. The bolts are made of solid storm-steel, a metal invented by my family. The steel is said to be able to harness the power of lightning bolts themselves. Finally the blade, a double edged masterpiece sharp enough to cleave even other steels in half. Supposedly this sword in all it's glory could cut any metal and fire pure electricity without the use of magical runes. Truly, this sword is one of the greatest weapons in the world. Or so I had been lead to believe.
My early life was uneventful and overall boring. At the age of six I began attending classes on the basics: Maths, Science, History, and Warfare. I always exceeded at history and warfare, although maths had always been a horrible subject for me. I was seen as somewhat of a tactical genius for my age, understanding and utilizing military stratagems after only a week of study. I excelled at the war games we played and at chess. At the age of ten I ended my life as a scholar and moved on to what my family considered more important: Training. I was taken from my home and placed within a fort. The place housed fifty kids at a time from all over - some nobility, some abandoned by their family. Here I was treated as a common peasant and horribly beaten into shape. Failing to pass physical tests or perfectly recite the rules of war resulted in starvation or scarring. No man ever left this place unscathed. Personally, I left with roughly thirty scars on each arm and fifty on my back. I only spent four years in the fort learning the arts of war and how to fight. Graduation, as I remember it, was a complete free-for-all of all my classmates armed with wooden practice swords. Points were awarded for 'kills' and the bottom ten students had to spend another four years at the fort. I graduated in place nine.
At the ripe age of fourteen I returned home a changed man. I had learned how to kill a man although I hadn't yet done it. I knew exactly how to wield a sword and where to attack for the most gruesome deaths. Why gruesome you ask? At the fort we were taught that the most important battle is mental, not physical. By showing your enemies the pain and brutality they were to expect you could route an army without losing too many men. My father saw great potential in me as a warrior, as a leader, and as wielder of the Stormsword. This is when I met the most important man in my life. Master Kane, without whom I would never have lived this long or become as strong. Kane was a Master in multiple senses: He was claimed a master of the arcane arts, of sword play, and tactics. Truly the perfect man to show me everything he knew. Kane was cold, spiteful, and downright angry most of the time. His lessons were short and quick and I was expected to master all that he taught within a day. Asking for explanations was forbidden. After a time we began sparring weekly using practice swords. I had believed my skills perfect after those brutal four years but no training would prepare any man for the way Master Kane fought. He was like a whirlwind of attacks, an unstoppable tempest. Yet week after week as I improved I had a single secret goal: To force him to use his magic. Any time I would ask about it he would hush me or simply hit me. Master Kane made it clear magic wasn't a part of my training regardless of how much I wanted to learn.
The first time I'd ever seen magic was when I was fifteen. Master Kane and I traveled from the great mountains back home. During the ride we were ambushed by a group of deserters looking to make money of ransoming me. It is true that at this point I was more than adept at combat but we kept no weapons. If I had a sword I'm certain I could have beaten them on my own. As it was, however, I had only my fists to their swords and axes. The carriage was burning, the horse and driver dead within moments. Kane and I had stepped out to avoid the fire and discern the situation when the five of them descended. The leader was a large hulk of a man wielding a claymore. Master Kane gave them a warning, which to me and the deserters seemed laughable. An old man without weapons. I had long forgotten his title as Master Arcanist. As the leader stepped forward I saw a circle of arcane runes appear in front of his hand and due to my training I at least knew the first and last runes: F and E. It didn't take long to discover it's meaning as a jet of flames erupted from the runes, bathing the deserter. His screams lasted only a few seconds before he dropped. The smell of burnt hair and flesh was horrid. The final four deserters had attempted to run. Master Kane seemed determined that no one survive as he summoned the winds themselves to bind the bandits before calling a storm of steel spikes which eviscerated the bodies, leaving them full of holes. It was the most blood I'd ever seen and the first I'd ever witnessed death.
It was after that I began my training as an Arcanist. My father was convinced by Master Kane after the incident that I needed a way to protect myself without a weapon, or at least learn to summon my weapons. I will explain magic to the best of my ability as though you, the reader, had never seen or heard of it. Magic is created through two very important components: Willpower and knowledge. All things used in magic must come from somewhere and must be real. In addition to these facts the object you are using must be binded to your own will. Finally you must understand how to create the runes necessary to call forth your magic. The simplest form is common to wealthy knights or paladins: Summoning weaponry or armor. Because you own the item in question it is easy to bind it to your will as it already serves you. Lastly giving your weapon or armor gives it a stronger tether to yourself, allowing you to call it to you with runes. This way you would never be without your weapon or armor. A true mage however wishes to learn more. Of all the elements the easiest to explain are Fire, Wind, Water, and Earth. The order I listed them in is the difficulty of binding them. Difficulty depends on the natural state of the matter and it's connection to our world. Fire is easiest because while it exists in large quantities fire is fleeting and doesn't last. Because of it's freeform nature and lack of resistance it is easier to bind fire than the others. Wind is similar although it is always present and changes. Softer winds are easier to tame than stronger winds like storm winds. Water is abundant and difficult to tame, although still liquid and easy to conform. Earth is the hardest because of it's rigid structure and connection to our realm. All other elements are derived from these and share similar difficulties although are never as easy as their base forms. What Master Kane did, summoning metal needles, is an incredibly difficult feat because of how deep natural metals occur, the fact they are stronger and more difficult to conform than even earth, and because metals are valuable.
((--From The Author--))
This is where I'm going to take a break tonight as it's currently 5:30AM and I have a D&D game to run in 6 hours (I'm great at time management, I assure you.) I intend to write more tomorrow. So about the partial user interactivity! The most enjoyable part of writing to me is the battles and fight scenes. A lot of times when attempting to write short stories or a book I fail because I try to skip important moments and development simply for the purpose of writing fight scenes. I've decided to write an overall summary of Zack Stormswords life and allow the commenters to decide which battles should be in detail. Basically, you see a fight I describe lightly and would like to know the specifics of how it went down you simply request it. Then I'll start writing these battles in full detail. This helps me get to do what I love (Write battle scenes) while practicing my writing skills as well as allowing you guys to ingest a piece of media which hopefully you enjoy. If you're interested in a fight but think it's too short (Such as Kane's one-sided battle with the deserters) then feel free to request an anthology of sorts (Such as important battles/moments in Kanes life.) Since I also just thought of it if you'd like more information on a specific character, such as their life and accomplishments, feel free to request that as well.
Beginnings are hard for me, truthfully. It's always difficult to describe the sweet innocence of childhood. I woke every morning to a servant following my fathers wishes, to the fragrant smell of freshly baked bread wafting in from the kitchens. The bed was always comfortable, smooth, and properly made with real downing. The earliest time I remember is when I was five and yet one thing persists through my childhood: The need to check the hidden compartment in my closet every day. The Stormsword family hadn't obtained it's name from it's ancestors, no, we were named nobility by the Lord some five hundred years before our story begins because of a special relic. The Stormsword itself sat there in that compartment, waiting for the day I came of age. The Stormsword is a true work of art that not even the greatest painter could do justice. It's pommel made of beautiful gold and silver, from the bottom of the pommel protruded the blue storm sapphire, a beautiful cobalt with cyan energy arcing through it's crystalline structure. The hilt is made of dragon bone and wrapped with hide strapping making it insanely durable and comfortable. Of course, dragon bone is famous not only for it's durability but the beautiful streaks of red that run through the bone, coursing with pure magic energy even millennia after it's own death. The guard is wide and forms a lightning bolt pattern shattering outwards from the hand to catch incoming strikes. The bolts are made of solid storm-steel, a metal invented by my family. The steel is said to be able to harness the power of lightning bolts themselves. Finally the blade, a double edged masterpiece sharp enough to cleave even other steels in half. Supposedly this sword in all it's glory could cut any metal and fire pure electricity without the use of magical runes. Truly, this sword is one of the greatest weapons in the world. Or so I had been lead to believe.
My early life was uneventful and overall boring. At the age of six I began attending classes on the basics: Maths, Science, History, and Warfare. I always exceeded at history and warfare, although maths had always been a horrible subject for me. I was seen as somewhat of a tactical genius for my age, understanding and utilizing military stratagems after only a week of study. I excelled at the war games we played and at chess. At the age of ten I ended my life as a scholar and moved on to what my family considered more important: Training. I was taken from my home and placed within a fort. The place housed fifty kids at a time from all over - some nobility, some abandoned by their family. Here I was treated as a common peasant and horribly beaten into shape. Failing to pass physical tests or perfectly recite the rules of war resulted in starvation or scarring. No man ever left this place unscathed. Personally, I left with roughly thirty scars on each arm and fifty on my back. I only spent four years in the fort learning the arts of war and how to fight. Graduation, as I remember it, was a complete free-for-all of all my classmates armed with wooden practice swords. Points were awarded for 'kills' and the bottom ten students had to spend another four years at the fort. I graduated in place nine.
At the ripe age of fourteen I returned home a changed man. I had learned how to kill a man although I hadn't yet done it. I knew exactly how to wield a sword and where to attack for the most gruesome deaths. Why gruesome you ask? At the fort we were taught that the most important battle is mental, not physical. By showing your enemies the pain and brutality they were to expect you could route an army without losing too many men. My father saw great potential in me as a warrior, as a leader, and as wielder of the Stormsword. This is when I met the most important man in my life. Master Kane, without whom I would never have lived this long or become as strong. Kane was a Master in multiple senses: He was claimed a master of the arcane arts, of sword play, and tactics. Truly the perfect man to show me everything he knew. Kane was cold, spiteful, and downright angry most of the time. His lessons were short and quick and I was expected to master all that he taught within a day. Asking for explanations was forbidden. After a time we began sparring weekly using practice swords. I had believed my skills perfect after those brutal four years but no training would prepare any man for the way Master Kane fought. He was like a whirlwind of attacks, an unstoppable tempest. Yet week after week as I improved I had a single secret goal: To force him to use his magic. Any time I would ask about it he would hush me or simply hit me. Master Kane made it clear magic wasn't a part of my training regardless of how much I wanted to learn.
The first time I'd ever seen magic was when I was fifteen. Master Kane and I traveled from the great mountains back home. During the ride we were ambushed by a group of deserters looking to make money of ransoming me. It is true that at this point I was more than adept at combat but we kept no weapons. If I had a sword I'm certain I could have beaten them on my own. As it was, however, I had only my fists to their swords and axes. The carriage was burning, the horse and driver dead within moments. Kane and I had stepped out to avoid the fire and discern the situation when the five of them descended. The leader was a large hulk of a man wielding a claymore. Master Kane gave them a warning, which to me and the deserters seemed laughable. An old man without weapons. I had long forgotten his title as Master Arcanist. As the leader stepped forward I saw a circle of arcane runes appear in front of his hand and due to my training I at least knew the first and last runes: F and E. It didn't take long to discover it's meaning as a jet of flames erupted from the runes, bathing the deserter. His screams lasted only a few seconds before he dropped. The smell of burnt hair and flesh was horrid. The final four deserters had attempted to run. Master Kane seemed determined that no one survive as he summoned the winds themselves to bind the bandits before calling a storm of steel spikes which eviscerated the bodies, leaving them full of holes. It was the most blood I'd ever seen and the first I'd ever witnessed death.
It was after that I began my training as an Arcanist. My father was convinced by Master Kane after the incident that I needed a way to protect myself without a weapon, or at least learn to summon my weapons. I will explain magic to the best of my ability as though you, the reader, had never seen or heard of it. Magic is created through two very important components: Willpower and knowledge. All things used in magic must come from somewhere and must be real. In addition to these facts the object you are using must be binded to your own will. Finally you must understand how to create the runes necessary to call forth your magic. The simplest form is common to wealthy knights or paladins: Summoning weaponry or armor. Because you own the item in question it is easy to bind it to your will as it already serves you. Lastly giving your weapon or armor gives it a stronger tether to yourself, allowing you to call it to you with runes. This way you would never be without your weapon or armor. A true mage however wishes to learn more. Of all the elements the easiest to explain are Fire, Wind, Water, and Earth. The order I listed them in is the difficulty of binding them. Difficulty depends on the natural state of the matter and it's connection to our world. Fire is easiest because while it exists in large quantities fire is fleeting and doesn't last. Because of it's freeform nature and lack of resistance it is easier to bind fire than the others. Wind is similar although it is always present and changes. Softer winds are easier to tame than stronger winds like storm winds. Water is abundant and difficult to tame, although still liquid and easy to conform. Earth is the hardest because of it's rigid structure and connection to our realm. All other elements are derived from these and share similar difficulties although are never as easy as their base forms. What Master Kane did, summoning metal needles, is an incredibly difficult feat because of how deep natural metals occur, the fact they are stronger and more difficult to conform than even earth, and because metals are valuable.
((--From The Author--))
This is where I'm going to take a break tonight as it's currently 5:30AM and I have a D&D game to run in 6 hours (I'm great at time management, I assure you.) I intend to write more tomorrow. So about the partial user interactivity! The most enjoyable part of writing to me is the battles and fight scenes. A lot of times when attempting to write short stories or a book I fail because I try to skip important moments and development simply for the purpose of writing fight scenes. I've decided to write an overall summary of Zack Stormswords life and allow the commenters to decide which battles should be in detail. Basically, you see a fight I describe lightly and would like to know the specifics of how it went down you simply request it. Then I'll start writing these battles in full detail. This helps me get to do what I love (Write battle scenes) while practicing my writing skills as well as allowing you guys to ingest a piece of media which hopefully you enjoy. If you're interested in a fight but think it's too short (Such as Kane's one-sided battle with the deserters) then feel free to request an anthology of sorts (Such as important battles/moments in Kanes life.) Since I also just thought of it if you'd like more information on a specific character, such as their life and accomplishments, feel free to request that as well.
