Part 4 : Forming Aelus

Sanctum of Ash'alar

"A black tower stands mightily in the eye of the sandstorm that forever rages. The tower housed the Sanctum of Ash'alar, a temple that contains vast knowledge of the universe bestowed by the Pantheon that shaped Aelus, and also new knowledge that was gathered by the Keeper from time to time"

Book of Caliph, page 251.

In the middle of the Bashir desert in Feluschia, lies a sanctum within a black tower. The sanctum holds books, grimoires, tomes, artifacts, and all sort of source of knowledge and lore from the time of Aelus' creation up to the current time. The sanctum is divided into four wings and a hallway that acts as the entrance to the rest of the area.

Hallway of the Ancient

The hallway leads to the main hall of the Sanctum. It is decorated with floor of glimmering crimson marbles layered with glasses that shines when the lanterns hanging on the wall light the hallway. The wall is also covered with pearl white marbles with fractures that were purposely cracked in an artistic way. Supporting the roof are huge pillars that made of teak glazed with amber. The ceiling, however, has the image of a gloomy night, covered with stars of different sizes with the moon as its center.

At the end of the hallway, lies a tall, wooden door with elven architecture that leads to the main hall of the Sanctum and the four antechambers. However, just beyond the door, Thalia, one of the wardens of the Sanctum safeguards the entrance. There, she decides whether to let in any travelers who wish to seek wisdom within the Sanctum. She is capable of sensing the true nature of the travelers, and sends away those with dark and evil desires to abuse the knowledge that they sought.

Main Hall

The main hall, with wooden floor, walls, and ceilings features thousands of pictures and portraits of beings with significant importance in the past, whether they may be noble or infamous during their lifetime. There are four doors that lead to different chambers containing vast knowledge and a repository of the teaching of the Keepers of the Lore, with one Keeper guarding each vault, and teaching the travelers what they sought to learn.

In the middle of the Hall stands Naxos, the Curator of the Sand. He leads every traveler to any hall that he seems fit for them. However they were warned that nothing that were seen, taught, touched, heard, and smelled in the vaults should be told to outsiders, so, no records or details of the mysterious vaults ever known by those who haven't entered them. The Keepers remain unknown, and exactly what knowledge that is contained in the vaults continues to be unheard.

P/S This was written hastily and I'm sure there are silly mistakes; grammatically or such.

Part 3 : Aelus

Millennium ago, Aelus was a young planet, filled with streams of molten lava, uninhabitable until the arrival of Pantheon, a group of colossal beings with cosmic power. They moved from young planet to another, shaping them till they deemed the planet to be habitable.

Golganoth, the Shaper, forged the earth. He gently flattened the land, built mountains and hills, dug caverns and moulded islands with his bare hands. Nepturon, the Tidebringer poured stream of water from his gigantic urn strapped on his back, cooling down the lava and formed granite, created the seas and rivers. Al'ar, the Gale breathed air to Aelus, thus created the sky and the cloud. Anivia, the Matron of Life, tilled and seeded the land. She also breathed life towards the land, creating the first life forms on Aelus. Finally, Aman'thul, the Keeper of the Titans, bestowed down time itself on Aelus, where the plants started to grow, and creatures evolving. Then, as Aelus had been shaped to their liking, they left, leaving the young planet to grow, becoming home for humans, dwarves, dragons, and more.

The land of Aelus is divided into seven great continents. The two continents up north, namely the Eastern Aria and the Western Aria were once a great continent, until the midland was destroyed by reckless use of magic and the constant war between the Tarshian Empire of the east, and the nomadic tribe of Hyor who rebelled against the oppression from the empire. During the War of Aria (Year 767 – 788) on the Plains of Hun, King Ilan the Third of the Tarsh led the empire magi into creating a grand spell that would totally obliterate the Hyorian pests forever, but at a cost. The spell succeeded on decimating the rebellious tribe whole, however, left an abyssal void that sundered the earth and everything in its path. King Ilan the Third himself had perished into the void, with much of his army. As the void grew, miles of Aria being sundered into oblivion, from the land of Tarsh, through the Plains of Hun, to the frozen forest of Irakleia, when suddenly, the void stopped growing. Thus, the sea occupied the spaces left by the void, separating Aria into two continents. Now, the Eastern Aria is governed by the ever cautious Tarshian Empire, and the Western Aria, a frozen wasteland and uncharted by any explorers due to its unforgiving weather that had consumed some.

"It is with great honor that my father died trying to bring justice to Aria. The Hyorian tribe was savages, barbaric. Many of our brothers and sisters had fallen in the battlefield, in the name of Tarsh till finally; justice prevailed, where the Hyorians were wiped from the face of Aelus forever. With this, I bless our fallen comrades, our ever vigilant soldiers for their valiant effort and prayers from the Chapel that brought us peace, and my father, King Illan Svir Rosernberg the Third, the Savior of Aria"

Queen Anora Fordz Rosernberg

Queen of the Tarshian Empire, Year 802 -885

Part 2

Zaa, the Serpent's Embrace

He is an ancient warlock that several scholars have different opinions on his origin. Some said that he was abandoned by his parents in the enchanted forest of Irakleia and mastered sorcery all by himself, centuries before the devastating sundering of Aria. Some said he was once a serpent, transformed into a sentient being, a human by the twisted magic abuse during the War of Aria, hence his mastery in art of venomancy. There's no actual theory as of where he came from, as there were almost none ever recorded in history about him. However, none can argue that this enigmatic figure is dreaded by even the most stalwart soldiers.

Some said he roams throughout the world for fun, toying with anyone he encounters, and finally killed them in joy. Some even said he ate them as there were no corpses but blood left, while some said they were corroded to nothing by his venom. None had ever survived encountering Zaa, so details about him are scarce.

However, in the journal of a man named Zech, a mage of the Tarshian Empire, had the most detailed and precise information about Zaa ever recorded, as Zech had personally came across the Serpent's Embrace and the first to live to tell the tale.

"It was already night yet the battle for the coast of Hun hadn't ended. These brutish Hyorian put up an epic fight, however, defenders of Tarsh remained unmoved, ever vigilant to defend their homeland. Spells after spells were thrown at these savages, but they were endless. For every Hyorian fell, two came up to fill back their rank, and four more at the back. Their magi were the worst we could've endured, as they worked in unison hence, more powerful magic, something my brethren couldn't achieve in many years.

As the battle went on, I heard a laugh. A sinister laugh. The footmen were too caught up with the battle to notice it, but me and the other magi heard it well. We looked at the direction of the laugh, and there stood a figure in gleaming green armor, untouched by the war. Then, it proceeded to the battle.

We were surprised when it hissed, raining purplish liquid to the ranks of the Hyorian. Then, we heard them screamed in agony. The liquid seemed to corrode even the armor of the Hyorians. Many fell down, rolling around while trying to remove their decaying armor, but then remained motionless, presumed to be dead. A Hyorian was seen trying to kill the figure with his sword, but the figure effortlessly dispatched the foolish warrior, and to our surprised, it bit the warrior on his neck, with two fangs obviously seen, sank in the flesh of the warrior. The warrior fell.

Then the figure flickered in a flash, and gone. The massacre of the Hyorian ranks in mere seconds left the battle quite. The magi were whispering to each other, questioning who was the figure and wondered its alliance lay with whom. But then, a scream was heard from behind. We looked back, and the figure was choking a mage and held her high. A serpent was seen gliding from its hand towards the mage, and bit the mage at the neck. At first, the mage was struggling, but then remained still. The figure dropped the dead mage down, and walked to us with a malevolent smirk on its face. Chains of lightning lashed to the figure from the tip of my staff, while flames and spears of ice were fired towards the figure by the other magi. Grand explosion marked the striking of the spells to the figure."

However, one of us warned to look up, and we did. The figure leaped to the air, and reached its hand towards us, where suddenly it rained the same liquid that decimated the Hyorians. As soon as the droplets touched the soldiers, they fell, shrieking in pain. The corrosive liquid melted the armor and flesh of the footmen. The magi shared the same fate, as their robes were crumbling bit by bit and their flesh disintegrating. All fell down, some died faster, while the other still trying to rid the liquid from them, but it was futile. I was the only one managed to put up a barrier, protecting myself from the deadly rain. Soon, I was the only one survived, as others died gruesomely.

Then, the figure stood directly in front of me. It hissed in glee, obviously showing its snake-like tongue. Its green eyes were similar to that of a serpent, with slits that showed how it relished the slow deaths of my comrades. It stood in full-fledged emerald skin-tight armor that seemed scale-like, with bloodied taloned fingers. It fangs were dribbling venom with crimson lip that carved a malicious grin, and had a mane of that of a cobra with black, whisker-like tattoos on its face.

Then, it spat another greenish liquid, but without hesitation, I casted a spell that warped me to safety, while screaming at the pain of the acid that partially hit me at my arm."

5th Leo Year 773

Diary of Zech Fon Krieg, mage of the Circle of Magi of Tarsh, deceased.

Back with what I do best; writing !

Yeah. I like to write what I write best; fantasy story !

Enjoy !

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He walked through the hallway gracefully, like a serpent glides through the shifting sands. His eyes, ever watchful while his taloned fingers stretching inward and outward. Zaa hissed along the way, with a hint of venom dripping every hiss. The lanterns hanging across the hallway marked the coming of the Serpent’s Embrace with his slender silhouette on the marbles of the hall.

Suddenly, sparks of flames flickered in front of Zaa. This had made him paused his movement while observing carefully when suddenly a figure appeared as the flame vanished. The figure was cladded in black robe and an oddly crafted spear grasped on its right hand. It was Naxos, the Curator of the Sand, Zaa’s mortal nemesis. He staggered backward.

“I knew it was your taint that was desecrating this sanctified ground” Naxos claimed, impaling the spear into the ground. The marbles of the hallway cracked, with pillars of earth jutted from the ground. Zaa hissed, spitting corrosive liquid that was capable of dissolving the deadly spears of earth projected from the ground. With a lash of his hand, he fired two fang-like projectiles towards Naxos. Naxos deflected one and another, but was hit by a third that was fired during his evasion of the first two. Then, Naxos was covered in flames, and as the flames dissipated, so did Naxos.

“Come out, come out wherever you are –“sneered Zaa, echoing throughout the hallway. He hopped across the hallway, taunting Naxos all the while. With his every step, he left trails of corrosive liquid that dissolved the marbles he stepped on.

Then, two explosions blasted behind him. Zaa turned backward, and saw Naxos kneeling in agony, with another female figure besides him. It was Thalia, a warden of the Hallway of the Ancient, the hallway they were battling in.

With a swift wave of her hand, Thalia summoned shards of piercing glasses, and blasted them towards Zaa. He clapped his hand, and the earth cracked open. A monstrous basilisk lunged outward and swallowed the incoming missiles, and vanished in the thin air as fast as it appeared. Frustrated, Thalia withdrew her dagger from her pouch, slashing the air. Then, Zaa felt as if she was slashing him for real, as if was like she slashed him from his right shoulder to his left hip. However, as Thalia slashed the air for the second time, he reacted quicker, dodging the direction he assumed the invisible blade went. He lunged his hand forward, with a blast, where green gas appeared.

“Thalia, don’t breath in this fume!” warned Naxos. As both Thalia and Naxos covered their noses, however Zaa just laughed maniacally.

“Fools!”

Naxos’ eyes widened, as he looked at his robe disintegrating bit by bit. Thalia was already screaming in pain. They found out that the green miasma wasn’t just poisonous, it was caustic as well.

As the fume slowly tormenting the two, Zaa smirked at the anguish of his foolish opponents. Then, he proceeded leisurely towards them to finish them off.