Description
Eyes the brown of freshly-turned earth shine in the ambient light, betraying
an almost tangible curiosity in their murky depths. A finely-shaped skull,
peppered with white down, constantly roams the environs, searching for
anything and everything;the rattle of the gold ring piercing his sharp beak
is noticeable with each sweep of his head. Broad shoulders support an
athletically avian frame - subtle grace is apparent in each deliberate move.
The profound blackness of his main plumage shines in iridescent glory, but
only serves to highlight that all-pervading darkness. Several small blades
and light, flexible armor complete the epitome of a proud warrior... or an
efficient killer.
Role
The Dancers
Added Wed Jun 9 15:47:43 2010 at level 1:
A frozen, desolate plateau, somewhere in the northern mountains. Two arials
are engaged in a quiet battle. Across cracked, refrozen snow they vie like
hallucinatory dancers. Each delicate step, each violent gesture, each ripple
of their wing-cloaks seems to weave a lyric masterpiece. More's the pity that
there is no living soul to witness the heartbreakingly beautiful end to two
of the greatest assassins the world has ever seen. An animated allegory
unfolds as one, resplendent in garb of such a pure white that the mystical
frost he summons with each slice of his sword seems soiled in comparison,
suddenly stops and faces his foe. The adversary, in a pitch-black infiltrator
piwafwi that somehow shimmers purple in the partial sunlight, barely nods,
concealing his flame-wreathed inferno blade in the folds of his robe.
"You know this can only end one of two ways, brother. You are tired, out of
energy. Old. I owe you much, but still, you will burn."
"But still... it's a lovely day to die."
"You throw away life eternal for the chance, the feeble hope that your
apprentice will put right your mistakes! That that unserious child will
succeed where all your practice and patience," the word spat like a curse,
"has failed. You are delusional."
"And you are so full of bitterness it has stained your aura, and blocked your
chi. Too selfish, too proud to share your knowledge! Ha! If you die here the
dark arts die with you. I've already heard the song of victory."
"Victory, pah! A renewal of the Old World with all the walkers milling around
like so much cattle is no victory. We are the pinnacle of the gods' efforts,
and when we have immortality we will have it all! Listen!"
A sigh, burdened with the weight and wisdom of a thousand years, turns from
breath to ice in an instant. "You listen. Life eternal is not for you or me,
brother. The only eternal life is the promise of the generations to come.
Life is what matters! Life should go on, but not us. Men, gnomes, giants...
even the elves know that much. And with a pure spirit, and the energy born of
the Righteous Wind, my apprentice will carry this simple message forward. How
could you be so foolish? How were we ever friends in the first place..."
"You will not have to trouble yourself with such concerns much longer. After
I am done here I will give little Voko a quiet, painless death. And _I_ shall
go on.... From dream to memory, brother." A fist opens and the sorcerous
steel flares once again.
"From dream to memory."
The first arial suddenly drops to the ground, thrusting his ice blade through
the rock and snow between his talons. The second quietly chirps as he
realizes his mistake, a second too late. A million million needles of
hoarfrost leap from the wounded earth, turning the two birds into so much
pink mist. The plateau is quiet once again.
Journal entries (1)
Added Wed Jun 9 15:49:46 2010 at level 1:
It's been six months now. Six months since Master Elric disappeared and I am
starting to get worried. I should be patient, I know, but... six months. If
someone asked me six months ago if the old man had anything to fear from that
bastard... No, dammit! No. I will remain calm. I will give my thoughts to the
Light. 'I dream of the Old World, a place of freedom and peace long gone. And
though I die, that memory lives on...'
-
Another six months. The old man is dead. That bastard betrayed Raven-clan, I
know it. And if the old man's dead I'm next. I don't stand a chance!
But there's no use worrying over it. If I have to die I'll leave a scar, take
an eye, something. Not much of a dream, but at least I'll be remembered.
-
Another year. It continues to amaze me how little practical fighting the old
man taught me. All of the positive thinking, renewing the world, sensing the
Taint, and preparing the old man's tea just so... and not a gods-dammed
mountain kick or air punch to speak of. Sigh. The clan-brothers have left for
other training houses. Just me and the books.
My master is dead, the world is falling apart, I'm the only one left. This is
an impossible situation, but I'm hopeful all the same. Some interesting
entries about a forbidden meditation called The Way of the Endless Breath.
Anything to give me an edge in the coming battle, anything to stave off the
boredom.
-
Ten years since Elric disappeared. I've read every one of his books, twice.
Apart from his unhealthy obsession with cold-weather gardening I haven't
learned anything I didn't already know. Train, hunt, meditate. And again. And
again. Gods. I'm in remarkable shape though. It feels as if I've barely aged
since I began the Endless Breath. I can see why Elric wanted this technique
to be a secret!
-
Journal entries (2)
Added Wed Jun 9 15:51:32 2010 at level 1:
I'm stronger, wiser, but no older. It's troubling, but I can't say why,
exactly. I spend more and more of my time in meditation. Though the world
outside continues to fall into the Nine Hells, I might live for a hundred
years, or longer! Imagine all the good I'll do! Nothing else worth report but
some strange, perhaps portentous, dreams. A sick and dying world with rivers
of blood and skies of constant thunder. A dark arial swoops around the
corners of my dream vision, but I can't make out his face. Nothing important,
I think. But I'll be ready.
-
Fifty years now, and I haven't lost a step or a feather. Something is not
right, no. Something is very wrong. The dreams are now nightmares. It feels
like I'm being stalked through a world of poison and lies. My clan is fallen
and my people are all dead. The forces of the Light are hounded by horrors
too... horrifying to describe. And every morning I awake with that dark
arial's blade at my throat. Perhaps more meditation will help.
-
Over a century, and the mirror insists only days have passed since my master
fell. The nightmares have awoken. In defying nature I've become unnatural.
I'm the dark arial I've been running from all this time. I'm cursed. Damned.
-
Elric always said the darkest night comes just before the dawn, and he was
right. As I slept last night I saw a vision. A duel between two Raven-clan in
the cold northlands. It was heartbreaking, beautiful, and I sobbed for a day
and night. There it was. The truth of the Endless Breath and the lies I've
been telling myself since. It's absurd. How can a damned soul can suddenly
receive such grace? How can an abomination of an arial deserve a second
chance after wasting two lifetimes in the dreaming of vile misery, missed
opportunity, and spiritual greed?
No, those aren't the important questions. How can I make it right? I've a
great deal of work to do before I leave the old dojo, the old life, the old
man. The forbidden knowledge has been destroyed. I feel weaker, but knowing
that each breath must end makes them all precious. The time for meditation is
at an end, finally. Now I fight. Not for the promise of the Old World and its
mythical purity. Not for Raven-clan and Elric. Not for revenge or shame.
I fight, and kill, and die, so that others may live.
-
From dream to memory
Added Wed Jun 9 15:52:57 2010 at level 1:
There is a small stone dojo hidden in a box canyon somewhere below Arial
City, in the scree and shadow of the mountains. The ground is
well-maintained; a small garden is surrounded by river rocks just outside
the door. Two taller stones poke out from the holly, one engraved with
"Elric", and one with a crude drawing of a charcoal-darkened avian figure.
Inside are the common accouterments of a self-sufficient warrior: weapons and
armor, potions of various sizes and shapes, and a respectable collection of
scrolls and tomes. Across from the bookshelf is what appears to be a blank
wall, but at a particular angle one can make out the faint carving of letters
and words. And one could imagine, after a few glasses of firebreather, a
picture developing in the mind's eye.
"A frozen, desolate plateau, somewhere in the northern mountains. ..."
From dream to reality
Added Sun Jun 13 00:53:14 2010 at level 19:
I forgot what a normal life, with normal aging, feels like. I'm exhausted or
wounded almost all the time. It's a gift.
The assassin masters down here aren't the philosopher-warriors I grew up
with. They're merchants of death, more or less, and business is good. Fire
giants and dark elves lurk just out of sight. The Empire never made it to the
high places, besides the odd, hapless scout, but they _infest_ the lowlands.
Undead, dark arts, greed, indifference. But my disgust is inconveniently
tempered by a genuine pity. There but for the grace of the Light...
You're allowed a weakness, Voko. Or, with blood on my hands and enemies on my
back is the fact that I can still feel a good thing? Ahh hell...
I've presented myself before the Fortress and pledged all that I am, and
probably ever will be, to the spiritual descendants of the Great Shokai.
Magical powers, enchanted stone walls, respect and fear are all fine,
desirable. I won't lie to myself about feeling scared and intimidated in some
of my recent battles. It'll pass.
The Maran have one thing I cannot live without, though: friends, comrades,
brothers and sisters. I'm tired of being alone. I'm tired of the unreasonable
pride, and guilt, that flows from being a lone crusader. I'm... just tired.
Hahaha. Rest for my aching wings. More later.
A spark of faith
Added Thu Jun 17 13:49:45 2010 at level 25:
Why do they ask "why?" I'm trying to save them, as well as the rest of the
world, but it's always insinuations, insults, and inane questions! "Why would
you kill me? I only hurt orphans and widows! I'm no threat to you!" Ugh. If I
was in this fight for gold or glory I'm sure I would have given up by now.
But no, I have to try. A thousand whining, moaning ghosts are worth the
trouble if it means _one_ saved soul.
One damned soul who didn't haunt me was the Imperial tout. A long, painful
battle, then blessed silence. I claimed his sword, clearly made in some
Imperial forge, as a trophy. It nearly hummed with the darkness of its
creation, but it didn't bother me. It's strange, but it almost spoke to
me. A mute testimony to a life of blood, pain, slavery, and... purpose?
Purpose, moral clarity, faith, a pure heart. My intention matters more than I
hoped or feared. Yes, death is my gift to the world, but it doesn't make me
the same as my enemies. I hunt and kill to save, protect, inspire. They do it
for greed, power, sadistic joy. Perhaps the enemy, or my own empathy, made me
doubt my mission. No longer.
I took my new blade to the only place worthy to reforge the sword, but the
Master was not in. Another time.
Religious experience
Added Wed Jun 23 10:17:55 2010 at level 30:
"'I didn't see Him, but I know He was there': a basic article of faith."
(written down the right margin)
I found another home. Soulful noise rang from the metal and rock. The smell
of fire and sweat sharpened the sense. I saw a tiny ember suspended, shining
in the air between us. And yet, as me and Torgar spoke, everything seemed to
intensify; the light was brighter, the 'ding' clearer, the odor stronger. We
created something there. Neither of us even apprentices, but we forged
ourselves, and each other. Incredible.
I spend a lot of energy being as calculating as I can. When possible, I
scheme. So what changed? This test from the Noldarians ignited a place
beyond, or behind, reason and intellect. Part poetry, part sermon, it felt
like a battle. My enemy was doubt. I won. No dream of the Old World, or real
skirmish, was ever so... memorable.
I can do something _great_, with the guidance of the Noldarian, and the
wisdom of the Forgemaster. Can't wait.
"'Feather, blood, bone - this is not all that I am.': a basic article of
faith." (scribbled at the bottom)
Life
Added Thu Jul 8 18:07:22 2010 at level 47:
130 years. Feathers still bright, talons still sharp and straight. After all I've
seen, I feel about 1030 years old.
The War wages, and after killing and dying for the Light, I've only
abated the problem. Built a dam of corpses, sealed with blood. It holds,
for now. But, as Elric said, its about life. Life going on. I can't tire or
lose heart, but I need a new strategy.
So I will step up to take control of the Fortress defenses. I petitioned the
old felar Warlord to become Marshall. The War wages, and my blade
sings brighter, sharper, and straighter than ever, but when I'm gone...
Who knows? The Forgemaster thinks I'm not ready to be "smelted".
Have to respect the wisdom of an immortal warrior, sung of in
song, but dammit. I'm not getting any younger.
Addendum.
Added Fri Jul 9 00:53:29 2010 at level 50:
Let's see how long I can stay alive. Death is inevitable.
But battle in impossible circumstances is taking its
toll.
And besides, it I'm going to be a leader I should
somehow impress, inspire those I serve. Yes. Life, at
almost any cost. For now.
Death
Added Sun Jul 11 01:37:52 2010 at level 51:
Death is an ally. My stock in trade, my deepest curse, my
current predicament.
I feel undead, wandering aimlessly from grave to grave.
At the same time I've never felt more alive. Blood rushes, blades
spark, and even in defeat my spirit sings with the promise of
life to come.
Either I'm going mad, and will be naught but a ghost within
the year... or, maybe, that Imperial horde did me a favor I'll
never be able to repay.
PK Wins
Jun 13, 2010|Lv 19|Galadon|Skuratul vs 1: Voko (100%,KB)
Jun 14, 2010|Lv 21|Hamsah Mu'tazz|Dhaecoru vs 1: Voko (100%,KB)
Jun 16, 2010|Lv 23|East Sumner's Road|Moeghba vs 1: Voko (100%,KB)
Jun 17, 2010|Lv 25|Feanwyyn Weald|Haquan vs 2: Ragnor (76%,KB), Voko (23%)
Jun 17, 2010|Lv 25|Galadon|Junmorm vs 1: Voko (100%,KB)
Jun 20, 2010|Lv 26|The Outpost of Tir-Talath|Jindicho vs 2: Voko (50%,KB), Erothaylius (49%)
Jun 21, 2010|Lv 27|Darsylon|Haquan vs 1: Voko (100%,KB)
Jun 21, 2010|Lv 29|Darsylon|Loshnak vs 1: Voko (100%,KB)
Jun 22, 2010|Lv 30|Ruins of Delar-Tol|Zhlllian vs 2: Tiluarl (0%), Voko (100%, KB)
Jun 24, 2010|Lv 33|Fortress of Light|Artonaar vs 1: Voko (100%,KB)
Jun 25, 2010|Lv 35|East Sumner's Road|Jiomar vs 1: Voko (100%,KB)
Jun 25, 2010|Lv 35|The Redhorn Mountains|Sakilan vs 3: Jiomar (18%,KB), Voko (41%), Kheldan (39%)
Jun 25, 2010|Lv 35|Mount Calandaryl|Grumnish vs 1: Voko (100%,KB)
Jun 25, 2010|Lv 35|Darsylon|Mazthroil vs 1: Voko (100%,KB)
Jun 27, 2010|Lv 35|Balator|Grumnish vs 1: Voko (100%,KB)
Jun 27, 2010|Lv 35|East Sumner's Road|Anashi vs 1: Voko (100%,KB)
Jun 27, 2010|Lv 35|The Seaport of Hamsah Mu'tazz|Kirsly vs 2: Kemrin (18%,KB), Voko (81%)
Jun 27, 2010|Lv 35|A Dry Riverbed|Anashi vs 1: Voko (100%,KB)
Jun 28, 2010|Lv 35|BattleRager Village|Kirsly vs 3: Ernald (50%,KB), Daga (25%), Voko (23%)
Jun 28, 2010|Lv 35|BattleRager Village|Killanar vs 1: Voko (0%,KB) *Assassinated*
Jun 28, 2010|Lv 35|Eaststride Road|Anashi vs 2: Lillyan (56%), Voko (43%, KB)
Jun 29, 2010|Lv 38|Galadon|Prathis vs 2: Killanar (29%,KB), Voko (70%)
Jun 30, 2010|Lv 38|Shepherd's Row|Floreose vs 1: Voko (0%,KB) *Assassinated*
Jun 30, 2010|Lv 38|Mount Kiadana-Rah|Killanar vs 3: Ckath (60%,KB), Zaxina (3%), Voko (36%)
Jun 30, 2010|Lv 38|The North Road|Loshnak vs 2: Kerrivesh (80%,KB), Voko (19%)
Jul 1, 2010 |Lv 38|Balator|Cebdechek vs 3: Dakiah (33%,KB), Torgar (0%), Voko (66%)
Jul 1, 2010 |Lv 38|Teth Azeleth|Grumnish vs 2: Dakiah (50%,KB), Voko (49%)
Jul 1, 2010 |Lv 40|Village of Mal'trakis|Grumnish vs 2: Dakiah (66%), Voko (33%, KB)
Jul 2, 2010 |Lv 40|The Ruins of Ostalagiah|Killanar vs 2: Hiromae (56%,KB), Voko (43%)
Jul 4, 2010 |Lv 44|Balator|Kurzghar vs 2: Aelorn (74%,KB), Voko (25%)
Jul 4, 2010 |Lv 44|The Imperial Lands|Norifumi vs 1: Voko (100%,KB)
Jul 5, 2010 |Lv 45|The Eastern Road|Illian vs 2: Voko (0%,KB), Prathis (100%) *Assassinated*
Jul 7, 2010 |Lv 47|The Open Plains|Hilaskion vs 1: Voko (0%,KB) *Assassinated*
Jul 8, 2010 |Lv 49|Mount Kiadana-Rah|Niwa vs 1: Voko (0%,KB) *Assassinated*
Jul 9, 2010 |Lv 51|Outskirts of Galadon|Anashi vs 4: Erothaylius (24%,KB), Zasohebi (0%), Voko (75%), Arlovskah (0%)
Jul 11, 2010|Lv 51|The Eastern Road|Zubei vs 4: Erishmalin (6%), Ghrajjek (6%), Voko (3%), Zasohebi (82%, KB)
Jul 11, 2010|Lv 51|The Grove|Zasohebi vs 4: Hanord (34%,KB), Ghrajjek (16%), Voko (0%), Zubei (49%)
Jul 11, 2010|Lv 51|The Tahril Mountains|Varuk vs 1: Voko (100%,KB)
Jul 12, 2010|Lv 51|Glauruk Spawning Ground|Glundok vs 2: Voko (47%), Elundurili (52%, KB)
Jul 18, 2010|Lv 51|The Redhorn Mountains|Grumnish vs 2: Voko (93%,KB), Bhurel (6%)
Jul 23, 2010|Lv 51|Fortress of Light|Mazthroil vs 3: Loshnak (0%), Voko (100%, KB), Jerohk (0%)
Jul 23, 2010|Lv 51|Bramblefield Road|Kurzghar vs 2: Arkellin (87%,KB), Voko (12%)
Jul 31, 2010|Lv 51|Akan|Zxorga vs 1: Voko (100%,KB)