Fantasy The Fhi'Rhax Chronicles

[Trektek]

In times long past, there existed a relic that had been called the Fhi'Rhax. It was said that whoever claimed this item, would possess the power to bring nations to their knees and would have the ability to shape the very land itself. The priests declared that it had been created by the Fallen God, Hydroxess as a tool for their followers to keep others in line. It was to be the first of many such relics, created through the very energy of the Fallen God themself. It seemed not to be however as the legends only speak of the one relic in this regard belonging to Hydrozess. As such, not much is known on this matter as records from that time are scarce. It was called the Forgotten Age for a reason.

What is known about the Forgotten Age is that a Mage who is only remembered as Gargantu acquired the Fhi'Rhax and with it, destroyed the armies of many nations, uprooting the very lands themselves, creating the Fallen Lands, a place of many high mountains filled with cavernous openings and deep dark valleys that contain even in this day and age, monsters left forgotten by time. Gargantu terrorized the lands until one day he mysteriously vanished, along with the Fhi'Rhax.

That was the end of the Forgotten Age and the beginning of the Age of Reclamation. It was a time of rebuilding when new nations sprung up from the old. The Dwarven Kingdoms of Shieldmoore and Flaming Blade as well as the Elven Kingdom of Y'lindrele were formed during this Age.

The following Age was the Age of Foundlings where many Human and Orc Kingdoms came into being, clashing among themselves and against each other in this time before more or less settling into a time of peace. The largest of these were The Empire of the Shining Bronze and Shattered Fist Lands.

The current Age is the Age of Exploration. An age where many Kingdoms and Nations have begun to rediscover that which was lost during the Forgotten Age. It is during this current age that a Council of Powerful Ancient Wizards (You Voters) have uncovered through an ancient prophecy that the Fhi'Rhax was to soon return to this plane of existence, possibly with Gargantu with it. There would need to be one who was chosen to combat this evil and gain the artifact.

Through their ancient magics, they have uncovered Four Candidates that could match the Chosen One of the Prophecy. They are:

Helman Shieldmoore, Age: 55, Profession: Blacksmith
Info: Helman is a young man who is an apprentice to Garlan Shieldmoore, his uncle to become a blacksmith. But that is what his family wants. What he wants is to dig deeply and explore ancient dwarven heritage from the Forgotten Age, before the founding of the Old Kingdoms. He wants to learn about the Ancient Ways and uncover their secrets. He might just get his way after discovering a closed off Dwarven settlement beyond the walls of his home.

Syl'La Moonstrider, Age: 110, Profession: Bard
Info: Syl'La is a young elven woman who sings the ancient songs of her people while striving to create new ones. After hitting a bit of a creative block on her writing from just traveling among the eleven lands, she plans to journey to the human ones to find inspiration for new material. It seems that a Goblin is tracking her, for what purpose?

Kevin, Age: 18, Profession: Squire Thief
Info: After getting kicked out from the squire program for taking bribes from smugglers and getting discovered by his knight, he now lives on the streets, stealing to survive and looking out for his next big score to get him rich.

Grim Skullcrusher, Age: 21, Profession: Knight
Info: A female Orc Knight that leads a squadron in protection of her people. She is an un-paralleled warrior that got to her position by being the strongest and the smartest of the bunch. Now it seems that Bandit attacks have been on the rise. Are these bandits being paid by the human kingdoms to soften up their Empire?



Choice:

1. Pick Helman Shieldmoore the Blacksmith
2. Sy'La Moonstrider the Bard
3. Kevin the Thief
4. Grim Skullcrusher the Knight​

 

[Twist]

A Stocky Wizard with long unkempt hair voices his opinion, his young features belying his age. His yellow robe sways as he gesticulates absently with his arms as he casts his vote...

(4) Grim Skullcrusher

 

[Dest]

A mage clad in red and black robes spoke up, the deep voice and weary face making him appear older than he was.

1.Helman Shieldmoore

 

[Crocodile]

A silent figure stood and watched patiently, their form concealed by their robes. Hands hidden by gloves, face hidden behind a golden mask. They gesture to indicate their choice.

1. Helman Shieldmoore

 

[sailorsdelight]

A tall, muscled human woman clad in the colourful fabrics of the desert loudly and cheerfully asserts her choice:

4. Grim Skullcrusher the Knight!

 

[Arnalia]

A refined witch, clad in a long flowing purple robe, diplomatically make her choice known

4. Grim Skullcrusher the Knight

 

[Stars Above]

A raspy voice calls out from the shadows. “Skullcrusher shall be our champion.”

4. Grim Skullcrusher the Knight

 

[Spacekitty]

An wizened wizards in purple robes gives sighs and casts his vote.

1. Helman Shieldmoore

 

[Lazaro1505]

A rather sizely figure covered head to toe in a red cloaked was the next to speak on out, their skeletal looking fleshy fingers tapping against the table within the Council Room, a pair of individuals in dark armor stood beside them, the individual just waving one hand into the air and muttering with a disinterested voice “I would have suggested just taking all of them in case one falls… but if everyone is going for one choice today… then it’s clear who I’m choosing…”

1. Helman Shieldmoore

 

[Eliasdagood]

An androgynous, silver haired elf in pale blue robes tilts their head, observing the people they've chosen as candidates. "Sy'La Moonstrider. Let the one who saves this world know more of it than violence." They whisper.

 

[LecternOfJasper]

A glimmer of light wavers behind an ornate lectern set to the side of the council chamber. A clipped voice comes forth:

" The dwarf shall discover the forgotten depths of this world, and bring a new light unto the follies of mana. Shieldmoore is the one."

 

[Cosmo]

The small, huddled figure in a worn, brown robe tapped their fingers against the table for a few minutes before saying, "Kevin."

Why did they vote Kevin? Perhaps because no one else did? Perhaps because they saw something in the thief? Or perhaps because they were the only one without a given last name?

 

[Trektek]

Votes:
Helman Shieldmoore the Blacksmith- 5 Votes
Grim Skullcrusher the Knight- 4 Votes
Sy'La Moonstrider the Bard- 1 Vote
Kevin the Thief- 1 Vote

The Council of Ancient Powerful Wizards has spoken with their votes after much deliberation. Helman Shieldmoore the Blacksmith shall be our chosen hero and the one that will hopefully fulfil the prophecy. The way forward will be dangerous for any that was chosen. So we can only hope that we have made the right choice in this matter. Time will tell.

We shall use our magics to subtly affect the outcome and decisions of the chosen one to aid them at great junctures of indecision or when we believe that a course of action will more greatly benefit the cause of the Prophecy.

The leader of the Cabal raised his wrinkled hands above a glowing orb, releasing moving images into the air. The very image of young Helman Shieldmoore came into focus as he was just pulling an iron ingot out of the furnace.

------------------------------------------

Clang...

Clang.....

Clang....

Helman's hammer slammed again and again into the iron ingot as he began to mold it into the item that he wished.

Clang...

Clang...

Clang...

The color started to cool from a firey red to a light yellow. Better get it back into the forge before it turns cold. You can't move the metal like that. Otherwise you'll develop cracks and fissures in the metal. Cold Shunts would make the weapon more useless than a Giants Mallet in a Tiny Cave. One good swing and it'll shatter at a break point. Helman had seen it happen before when he was first learning how to forge.

He worked the metal too hard for too long, letting it get far too cool. But he had been too intensely focused at the time, eager to impress his Uncle Garlan. The finished knife had looked strong and powerful. It had an inlaid handle with a built in hand hold grip and jeweled ornate guard. The knife itself had been given a fuller so that it could be lighter without losing any of its strength and power.

It was to be a wonderful gift. But as it was tested for the first time, it shattered on a metal dummy. The cold shunt had caused a weak point that broke the blade shortly before the handle. It was an embarrassing moment. But one that he used as a learning event. From then on, he never let the blade cool to less than yellow while he worked on it to prevent any such cold shunts from forming.

Helman removed the metal from the forge and began hammering it once more.

Clang....

Clang....

Clang....

Sizzle....

The young dwarf had placed his Knife in the oil to fortify it by quenching it. Only some kind of oil will do. Water risks the chance of causing stress cracks to form. But that issue never occurs from oil. A hearty hand was placed on Helman's shoulder. It was his Uncle Garlan.

"Ach. Good work lad. That looks like a fine blade that ye be having forged."

Helman smiled with pride as any dwarf would do when their work was complimented in such a way.

"Thanks Uncle. I've been practicing."

"And it shows."

A steam horn loudly blared at those words and Garlan pulled lightly at his beard.

"Aye. Looks like its already that time. I'll close up. Why don't you get on home. And tomorrow you can put a handle on the blade and do any grinding you need to finish it."

Helman gave a hearty grin and a small bow.

"Thank you Uncle. I will."

After gathering up his things, Helman left the shop, starting in the direction of his home. But after a short while, he went down a different path.

His home city of Hammerton, also known as the Shield of the Mountains, was very large. So large that if you didn't know your way around, it'd be very easy to get lost. Of course, that wasn't the case with Helman Shieldmoore. He grew up there and was even a part of the Royal Dwarven Line, though a very distant cousin. But the point was that they had a history, dating back at least to the founding of this city, if not before.

And Helman wanted to find out what that was. His true passion was not blacksmithing, even though he was good at it, was History. Blacksmithing was in his blood, and was something that his direct family expected of him. That was probably why after some education and some mistakes here and there, he took to it like a fish to water.

But learning the unknown, that was something that he had to truly dig for. That was something that he wanted to discover, not just for himself, but for the world at large, for all of Dwarven Kind.

Hidden away in the outskirts of the city, was a small cavern that Helman had been working on for some time. An ancient Journal that he had found led him to believe that their were ancient treasures locked away just beyond the cavern.

His ancient dwarvish was rusty, but he was pretty sure that it was a cash of jewels and books?

Grabbing a pickaxe, the young dwarf began to continue chipping away at the wall and within an hour, it finally opened. This was it. He finally broke through after a month. HIs hard work had paid off.

Looking through, it was a huge space beyond. No treasures or books. At least not yet. AT least not at first glance.

But wait. Up ahead, that is not part of the rocks. That's a large building carved directly out of the rock. Carved directly out of a black rock, with ornate carvings and all kinds of jewels that sparkled even in the darkness.

Other buildings seemed to litter against the walls as well with a great stone statue in the center of the "town".

This is a lot. Almost too much for one dwarf to do. Perhaps he should bring help? His friend Balen Hammerfist could possibly help him. He'd be good in a scrap if there was any physical dangers. They were thick as thieves when they were children.

Of course, there was always Greta Blacksteel. They weren't very close, but she had a great knowledge of the Ancient Gods, which could come in handy in a place like this that has been locked away since the olden world.

And last but not least, there is always Kale, the Golem Servant of his family. He has been taking care of the family for generations, some kind of life debt in place. Perhaps he could be useful?

Or, of course, he could always just push ahead by himself. Others might try to stop him from this discovery. He needed to think on this.

Choice:

1. Go to Balen Hammerfist for help exploring the Ancient City.
2. Go to Great Blacksteel for help.
3. Go to Kale for help.
4. Venture forth without gaining any help. Others might just try to stop him.​

 

[Twist]

Holding the rim of his oversized pointy hat down, the Wizard in Yellow closed his eyes as he tried to delve into the dwarfs mind. Pictures of others, those close to Helman and those not so much, passed through his thoughts as the small smith pondered possible aid. Focusing on two of the thoughts in particular, the Wizard's eyes twitched beneath his caterpillar brows as he supposed their suitably. Something in the back of the Wizards mind clicked almost, as he foresaw a possible outcome, one that made him smile if it did indeed come true.

Lifting the rim of his hat to reveal his turquoise eyes, the Wizard announced his choice.

3. Go to Kale for help

 

[Lazaro1505]

“Would be far more helpful to send in some ‘aids’ to guide the hero in their journey… but suppose we should stick with this ‘prophecy bullshit’ exactly…” the red cloaked figure said bitterly out loud to no one in particular, just giving a sigh as they continued tapping their skeletal like fingers against the table. But he did raise a hand as it glowed sickly green with magic, a skeleton whose eyes glowed with the same color and clothing like that of a servant appeared from a glowing vortex on the floor. “Jerry, would you perhaps mind fetching us some refreshments while we observe… this would certainly take a while…” and with that, the skeleton disappeared back where it came from.

Now refocusing onto the current vote, the necromancer just gave a casual wave of dismissal as usual and said “suppose I shall go with the golem then… their loyalty and strength would certainly be useful in keeping the shortie alive…”

3. Go to Kale for help

 

[Arnalia]

The purple clad witch snapped the fingers of her right hand, her goblet magically filling itself with a red and nicely scented beverage. Leaning her head on her left hand. Thinking out loud. "Going alone should be out of the question. Too dangerous." She shook her head. "I would have suggested Balen Hammerfist but he may cause problems with his reliance on brute strenght. We don't need broken artefacts, do we ? She chuckled. "As for Greta Blacksteel she sure is skilled but....who know what she would do with that discovery ?" The witch narrowed her eyes. "The Golem Kale look like our safest bet. And beside, maybe he will surprise us ? The witch smiled enigmatically.


3. Go to Kale for help.

 

[Stars Above]

“If the dwarf is unable survive a mere cave he will never recover the Fhi’Rahx.” The voice hissed. “He should go alone. Through victory or defeat, may his resolve be tempered.”

4. Venture forth without gaining any help. Others might just try to stop him.

(How much should I let the RPing affect my decision making? Because half the reason I choose four was I wanted something vaguely villainous to monologue about haha. The other half was because going alone is nice and dramatic. Though exploring with his childhood best friend would be too, especially if something unfortunate happened…)

 

[Dest]

The red and black robe mage smiled slightly as the dwarf was chosen. "While it would be amusing to send him alone, I'd rather we ensure that the prophecy comes to pass rather than risk losing the Fhi'Rhax to the void once more." The mages hand lit up with a flame as he made his choice.

3. Go to Kale for help

 

[Crocodile]

The masked mage tilted his head in seeming amusement at the discovery, looking pleased somehow this choice was moving ahead. He gestures again with a swish of robes as his gloved hand indicate his interest in the knowledgeable aid. They could only go deeper successfully if they knew something about what could be here. It could derail the endeavor, but knowledge was additive. The aid might want to know more.

3. Go to Kale for help

 

[Trektek]

Votes:
Go to Kale for Help- 5 Votes
Venture Forth without any Help. Others Might Try to Stop Him- 1 Vote

This time, it was much more a landslide with the action that was requested by the Ancient Cabal. The group seemed mostly in tune with the decision that was requested for the safety of the Chosen One.

--------------------------------

Kale! Of course he should go and ask Kale for help. The Golem was a servant of the family for generations owing to some kind of life debt to his Great Grandfather perhaps? He was a bit fuzzy on the exact details and nature of the Life Debt at the moment. But what he did remember was that Kale was a Strong and Powerful Golem. He would certainly be helpful in this task.

With that thought in mind, the young blacksmith hurried towards his home, past modestly built homes of other dwarves. He had gotten out of his blacksmithing duties early, so it would be a while yet until dinnertime. plenty of time to explore the ancient Dwarven Thaig hidden away and still make it back home in time for dinner. At least, that's the plan.

Up ahead, his family home, built into the very wall, extending outwards only a few feet in any direction for the entrance and the windows. The door had the family crest, a pair of hammers crossed over an open flame. Seeing it always made him beam with pride. Blacksmithing was in his blood and even though he wished to learn other things about the past, he loved performing it anyway and was good at it besides.

Now, before he would get further distracted, he needed to find Kale. He should still be doing the afternoon chores based on the current time frame, so maybe he would be at the nearby well, gathering water. With a light blip in his step, he hurried along to the well and sure enough, there was Kale holding six buckets of water across his back.

Lumbering and slow, the Stone Golem began his walk towards the house with the water in tow.

Helman approached Kale. "Good afternoon Kale, I hope that all is well."

The Golem gave a grunt of acknowledgement. It seemed that he really wasn't in a talkative mood today. Hopefully that won't affect his chances of gaining him as an ally on his exploration of the found city. He did really need Kale. Otherwise he might just have to go it alone. And that was not a prospect that he currently wished for any longer.

"So Kale, I found something today....something that you might be interested in and I was wondering if you wanted to come see it?"

Suddenly the Golem stopped as if intrigued. No words yet. But that seems like a good sign to continue.

Helman moved closer and spoke in a hushed tone.

"I found an Ancient Dwarven Thaig that had been lost to the ages. It might have who knows what kind of ancient Dwarven artifacts. Maybe even other Golems buried in there."

Shieldmoore took a look at the golem after he spoke those words. A smile crossed his face.

"Would that grin mean that you'd be interested in accompanying me on that endeavor?" He squeaked hopefully.

"Yes. I will join." Kale's voice was a deep gravely mess as he spoke, bbut Helman could understand him just fine. And just the sort of victory he wanted in this case.

"Great. After you drop off that water, let's head out on our adventure."


-----------------------------------------------

The duo arrived at the Ancient Thaig. It was still much as Helman had seen before, though now he ventured a bit more forth to get a better view. Stepping into the center of the town, they were close to a giant statue in the town square.

The Statue appeared to be a Dwarven Warrior made out of a Red Ruby, encased in a thick layer of dust. A hammer raised into the air with one hand and a heavy ornate looking shield in the other.

Beyond the statue was a large building that looked like a Temple of some kind. Engraved at its front was a large golden sun clearly made out of gold and silver, its entrance guarded to two statues of Dwarven Priests with their heads bowed.

To the West was an empty Bazaar which could be filled with who knows what kinds of items, or it could be empty. From where he stood, he seemed as though the Bazaar was still set up, even though it is empty of people.

To the East looks like a Barracks or an Armory. At its entrance stands two dwarven statues of Dwarven Warriors in Heavy armor, one wielding a Hammer and the other a Blade.

Where should he go first?

Choice:

1. Investigate the large Red Ruby Statue in Front of Helman
2. Enter the Dwarven Temple
3. Explore the Ancient Bazaar
4. Investigate the Barracks or Armory​

 

[Twist]

Scanning the images that floated above the Council Chamber, the fallow dressed fellow was wary of danger for their Chosen One and Kale in this unknown underground. With the delight of his discovery, little preparation had gone into this undertaking....

Portention sat within the pit of his stomach as he cast a cautious choice.

3.Explore the Ancient Bazaar.

 

[Arnalia]

"Caution." The purple witch warned. "That Ruby status could activate a trap. And that temple, she looked to the side, it WILL do something. I advise we explore the bazaar first. We may find something useful before venturing further." The witch stapled her finger satisfied with her answer.

3. Explore the Ancient Bazaar

 

[Eliasdagood]

The elf sighs, sad that their choice was overidden, but that's alright. "The bazaar." They say. "As the boy said, there could easily be golems. The statues are all best left alone for now."

 

[Stars Above]

“The blacksmith should seek steel. He lacks adequate armour and weaponry, and it is his craft after all.”

4. Investigate the Barracks or Armoury

 

[Trektek]

Votes:

Explore the Ancient Bazaar- 3 Votes
Investogate the Barracks or Armory- 1 Vote

Helman Shieldmoore thought to himself about which way was best from what he could see. Clearly, in a place such as this, there were endless possibilities of danger. However, that wasn't what bothered him in the slightest. He knew coming there, there could be all manners of traps and obstacles to what he truly wants, to learn about the past and discover what they had left behind. This place would provide that.

The Bazaar was an open area at least and something seemed to give him pause about all these statues. Were they normal statues? Or were they part of some ancient defensive system that he was unaware about.

Kale didn't seem uneasy about anything. But it was always hard to tell what the Stone Golem was thinking. And he wasn't always the most talkative either.

But, the bazaar it would be. If anything went wrong, it'd have the most places to try to get away or take cover.

Helman wandered over in the direction of the bazaar with Kale following not too far behind.

It seemed to be a semi-permanent series of structures between a series of long buildings.

Most of the bazaar itself seemed to still be set up after all this time, goods sitting out on display. Did the people who lived here leave in a hurry? Why else would some stalls still be set up.

He passes by a stall filled with petrified foods with some coins still on the table. Something told him that he probably shouldn't touch those. Either the food or the coins as he moved onwards.

Another stall seemed to have a bunch of weapons and some armor pieces, however the armor looked to be mostly leather that had been worn down by the age of time and many of the weapons looked rusted and ill cared for. If he searched through the stall, he might find something that was still useful among all the junk.

Moving further down, there was a stall filled with bottles that contained various colorful liquids. It was difficult to determine what they were filled with. He could possibility spend some time to try to decipher what they are. That would definitely take up some time though. But he'd rather be safe than sorry with mysterious liquids.

A large pile of clothing sits in the middle of the bazaar. It looks almost as though all those in the surrounding areas got naked, throwing all their clothes into a large pile. Of course, it was also possible that the pile was full of corpses or skeletons and it was just covered up by extraneous clothing after all.

At the other end of the Bazaar stood a Skeleton wearing fancy clothing and some bifocals? It stood behind a stall and seemed almost to be smiling as it beckoned the duo over. Perhaps it knew something about this place?

CHOICE:

1. Investigate the Weapons and Armor Stall.
2. Investigate the Liquids Stall
3. Investigate the Pile of Clothing
4. Investigate the Fancy Skeleton behind a Stall​