Original Post Date: July 17th, 2018
Hermas was busy putting the final touches on his latest Oroth, a great curved sword, one that he believed would be his final work. His masterpiece, the most powerful tool he would ever create. This one was special, it was designed with a single purpose, to destroy the mad demon Godalt, the monster of purple flames. He knew once this oroth was completed the Jodkin would be angry, they would fear it, for any tool powerful enough to kill a demon like Godalt, would be powerful enough to kill a Jodkin. They would likely kill him for creating such a tool, but they wanted his best when the order went out, and as an Orosmith he had to follow the rules, too many souls had been spent in his latest creation. The only question he had left, was who would pair with this blade. Who would be the one to put down Godalt once and for all.
The gold and the silver shard of Tacimas was the final touch, his fathers own orotho. Time and Wind, would that be the best power to beat Godalt? Perhaps not… A shard of Red and SIlver, the one from his dream it was the one he needed. But he knew not who had such powers. He had searched high and low. Perhaps it was time he searched again, maybe he had missed something, maybe…
A woman walked in, of pink hair and red eyes. She carried with her a sword of red, her oroths, but something else, another weapon, but this one did not have any orotho how strange he thought.
Hermas: Can I help you miss?
Women: Hello, i am Archaia, and you must be Hermas…
Hermas: Yes, did the Jodkin send you?
Archaia: No, I come from the Silver Arrow.
Hermas thought for a long moment, The silver arrow? then this women, no this witch, she was from that cult he had heard the unfollowed complaining about. What would she, a heretic to the Jodkin want with him.
Archaia: I come to offer you a gift. An orotho stone of fire and wind. Hermas: … But how did you know what I was looking for… What do you mean a gift???
Archaia: This is the orotho of Syysmrysky, the fall storm.
Archaia called a silver and red stone from a ball of light and set it down on Hermas’s workbench.
Hermas: I have never heard of this name.
Archaia: She is an outsider, who once came here long ago. But her place is not among those of greater Canaan.
Hermas: An outsider? what would a heretic like you be dealing with outsiders orotho?
Archaia: let’s just say that my duties as leader of the cult of stars has a few particular perks.
Archaia: I do have a request in return for this favor… Make me an oroths of this sword
Archaia presents Hermas with the weapon she carried that he had noticed held no orotho.
Hermas: I can do that, but you must answer me a question, how did you know I was seeking a red and silver orotho?
Archaia: You searched much of Greater Canaan, and I have ears and eyes in many places. It did not take long to see what the legendary orosmith Hermas was looking for. And I just so happened to have need of a new oroths, and also happen to have a shard I mean the orotho you were looking for.
Archaia: I know you’re a man of business, I figured you would accept a fair trade.
Hermas: What kind of oroths do you want for your blade?
Archaia: Something powerful enough to kill a god.
Hermas stood silent, he knew what she had just said, but this would be useless here, an oroths to kill a god? The gods were all gone from this world, the closest thing was the Jodkin, or the demons like Godalt. What is it she really wanted? it didn’t make sense. Technically he could do it, but something about this woman didn’t feel right.
Hermas: This is something I need permission from the Jodkin for, I cannot just make a weapon such as that.
Archaia: Well you tell your Jodkin that you can not make your great weapon for slaying demons…
Archaia began to reach for the orotho she had come with, but Hermas picked it up first.
Hermas: I have seen this stone in my dreams… This is the one we need to destroy Godalt.
Archaia whistles towards the door and a hooded figure enters the room and removes her hood revealing long black hair and purple amethyst like eyes.
Archaia: This is Paigelia, a powerful warrior from the outside. She currently does not have an orothos.
Paige: So this is the inside of an Orosmith’s workshop… Interesting…
Hermas studied Paige for a moment. The stench of death, a deep depth of loss and sorrow. Purple and black he thought, a very rare orotho indeed…
Hermas: Her orotho is similar to that of Godalt… Tell me Paigelia, are you truly an outsider? And not some demon using a trick to fool my eyes?
Paige: So this Godalt is like me is he? hmm… Perhaps i wont need an orothos to fight him after all…
Archaia: What do you mean? Outsiders like you do not have much power here.
Paige: Death is a power anywhere…
Hermas knew he was in trouble now, there was no way to get out of this situation with his life in tact, it was either go along with these two and hope Godalt was indeed killed, and the many lives saved from that demons death, or turn them away now and risk losing his head before he ever got the chance to see Godalt slain. The Jodkin would kill him either way after the tool he had just created. Perhaps, Perhaps he had a chance after all, a small one, if he played his cards right…
Paige approached the ruined temple that Godalt had taken up residence in. The ruins once belonging to a temple of one of the fallen gods of this world, but the time of gods has long since been over so she has been told. She approached weapon ready, her mother’s sword. She held the oroths that Hermas and Archaia had gotten for her to use to kill Godalt in reserve. She had heard them say that the only way to kill in this world was with the use of an oroths, a weapon created with the essence of someone, imbued with their innate natural power, imbued with their souls. A world where people used their souls to power weapons in order to kill each other. But she knew that death has power anywhere’s a lesson she learned once long ago…
She approached a platform at the center of what appears to have been an altar to some fire god. It was there she saw him, Godalt the demon of purple flame. The mad demon who had slain a Jodkin, wiped out 2 whole villages and had killed each and every would-be hero and assassin that the Jodkin had sent to slay him, up till now. Godalt looked like a cross of a Dragon, and a Hadren. A Drayhadren, but more dragon than hadren in appearance. Dark blue scales, some black. With the fur of a hadren growing through some scales around his tail and neck, dark purple. Small blue flames encircled him, and what seemed like a layer of black shadow over his body. He lay upon the altar, watching Paige approach.
Godalt: So what do you want then?
Paige: You’re a long way from the home of your kind…
Godalt: My kind?
Godalt stood and took a few steps forward, lowering himself from the altar. A trail of black smoke following each step he made, burning a footprint into the stone floor. He eyed Paige carefully and gave her a sniff.
Godalt: You have the scent of my kind. Why do you hide in that form? Are you a slave to the Jodkin?
Paige: It makes using this sword easier in this form. And no, I don’t work for the Jodkin.
Godalt: strange because you have the scent of one of them. Weak, but its there.
Paige: you killed one of them is that right?
Godalt: yes that’s right, he was a corrupt Jodkin. something they tell you doesn’t happen, but this one caused the death of my sister, so I made him suffer, and then his followers decided they wanted revenge. It was merely self-defense after that.
Paige: you’re a death seeker… But how is it that your here… there are only so many…
Godalt: A what? are you reading my orotho? Come now, tell me why you are here, to kill me?
Godalt: And what is it with that sword of yours… It is not an oroths… And yet.
The air of the ruins became cold, and whispers could be heard, many voices, but no words could be made out.
Godalt: the call of the damned. The souls of the underworld are calling.
Paige moves the sword in front of her to stare into the blade and to cast Godalt’s reflection upon it.
Godalt: I see now… You must be one of them… Well, I already told Malnova I would not be apart of it. I will seek my own life outside The Shayded.
Paige: Malnova and Archaia send their regards.
Godalt sprung into action, he wasn’t about to die here at the hands of Malnova’s puppet. He stepped into the shadow realm just as Paige struck at him with her sword. The coldness of death embraced him, but it was a feeling he was all too familiar with, yes, for he also held the power over death. Godalt leaped above Paige and with great speed and reflexes he bounced off the ceiling of the ruins and landed his paw down claws extended onto Paige’s back. But Paige proved to be just as quick and rolled out of the way at the last second. The sound of the voices from the sword grew and the ruins began to freeze. A whirlwind of souls formed around them and Paige struck at Godalt who caught the sword in his claws.
Godalt: neat sword, but the dead can not harm me, for I am part of death itself.
Paige: you must be related then…
Godalt: Not likely, I don’t believe anyone related to me would work for the likes of Malnova.
Paige: Perhaps not, but then again I never said I work for him, I just said they send their regards.
The whirlwind of souls began to freeze the air in the ruins and time itself began to slow down.
Godalt: Then… why are you here?
Paige drew the curved sword that Hermas had made, an Oroths of fire and wind. Odd how this could be used to kill a hadren of shadow and fire. A hybrid hadren with an affinity for death, why did Godalt seem so familiar to her.
Godalt: I see… The Jodkin’s sword maker…
Godalt’s talons glowed black and became covered in silver runes. He passed them through the whirlwind of souls and seemed to collect the souls onto his claws.
It was then she realized why he seemed familiar… He reminded her of herself.