The Tower of Green Flame
The gates of helheim have been opened. The shroud of darkness has now consumed our once peaceful world. At the heart of the land, great knowledge and wonder was free for all to know. Our cities tall and magnificent, we touched the clouds with our towers and used the realms own magic energy to power them. The mines ran deep beneath the realm and become cities and worlds of their own. It was there in the mines that gateways to the underworld were unearthed. To the north, the vast desert contains the largest kingdom of Mer'rathus. To the east, our closest neighbors from across the sea, rule over the great birch forests and small mountain covered islands. Their stronghold is Labyrinthia and home to the greatest fighters of all the land. Here at the center of our world, is the Capital and the Tower of Knowledge.
We have struggled to contain thr burning gates of the underworld from effecting our lands. Many Knights and Mages have died doing so. Our combined military forces work tirelessly to close the chambers near the gates, while others hold the line against the flooding armies and creatures. Reports from the outer reaches claiming portals have opened on the surface. It is of the most importance to find these new entrances to the underworld and close them.
Lately, a few portals have reached the surface near the Capital and Labyrinthia. Our numbers and resources are low. Somehow the minds of our own people, especially those in power, have become infected or changed. Yet those within the Tower of Knowledge have stayed immune to the side effect. To stabilize this problem, the Tower of Knowledge has sent one of their own. Azar, one of the ten most powerful wizards in the world will study and destroy the portal nearest the Capital.
Just off the coastline, rose a rock like structure with ancient ruins embedded within. Above the surface of the water appeared the Portal of Green Flame. Azar the red wizard of flame, boarded the Capital's flagship with a group of elite guards. As they embarked, the guards prepared themselves. Azar looked towards the north. He prayed in the direction of his home land and to the capital city where he once served. As they neared the island, Azar covered his hawked noise and pointed beard under is red hood. Now standing over the bow with the guards behind him, Azar felt the burning power of the green flame. As they disembark, the stone arched portal grew in strength. The guards looked around at the glowing jewels that dotted the rocks. Azar closely looked at the old black ruins. He did not recognize this architecture, but he could compare it to that from the underworld. However, Azar did not linger long from the portal. As it pulsated in power, a figure began to emerge from the other side. A large rock like hand grasped the edge of the archway. It's long nails tightened and cracked the portals arch. The figure came through, Azar called the guards to him. The creature in all it's might, towered over Azar and his men. The guards looked over Azar, noting the figure was the hight of two and half men. The beast was that of sharp rock and flexed with an aura of green flame. They could also see it's rocky hide was semi transparent and surrounded in green magic.
The creature slams it's fist into the ground sending green magical energy though the island. In the shockwave of dust and green flame, Azar and his guards are thrown down. The creature takes hold of two sharp stone pillars and brakes them from the ground. The jewels within them begin to illuminate and glow in an aura of their own. The creature throws one into the bow of the ship. It splashes into the shallow water and uses the other to cut down along side the ship. Azar stands and begins casting flames and red magic energy against the creature. The guards get up and rush the creature. Their wepons cut and stab into the flaming monster. The ship now taking on water lifts anchor and begins to push away from the island. The creature, growing in power and anger throws guards and stones against the fleeing ship. The creature turns and unleashes it's wrath upon the remaining guards. Azar now stands alone with the last of the guards crushed or impaled. Azar uses his magic to engulf the creature in pure flames. The figure opens it's left hand to the portal. Green magic enters into the creatures hand and nails. The aura of the creature grows and Azar's flames are consumed by green flames. From it's opposite hand, the power is redirected into a blast of green energy. The two colliding flames clash covering the island in smoke and flashing light.
The red wizard now uses his double sided dagger and short staff at the same time. The creature is unable to keep up against Azar's speed and magic. With a fire ball to the chest, the creature falls back into the portal. Green flames explode from the portal. Azar uses a flaming shield to protect himself from the blast. The portal of old stone and green jewels collapses and becomes a scared ruin.
Azar stands as hid shield fades into smoke. Walking over to the ruin portal, the green flame has disappeared. However, a single green stone remains. Picking it up, Azar concludes it resembles green glass, like obsidian. He places the stone on a nearby rock. Azar looks back to the capital, half hidden behind the hazy horizon. The ship also was landing in the south on the opposite shoreline. Azar took his pack that was half in the water, and opened it. He placed a decorative rug on the scattered stones. After he took a charcoal like substance and drew ruins on each of the fallen guards, Azar spoke each one's name along with other words under his breath. Blank pages began to move out of his bag in a reddish magic light. The pages surrounded Azar as he knelt on the rug. Runes appeard on each page with the name of the deceased guards. After the pages returned to his pack, the bodies of the dead guards combusted into red flame. Once all that remained was ash, Azar stood.
From his pack, he took a crystal orb in his left hand. Red storm like clouds appeared within the orb as a image within the Tower of Knowledge manifested. Before it could, Azar looked away and the image faded into smoke. It was than when something deep within his soul called to him, pushing him to the green jewel. In his right hand he took the jewel. Green magic came from the jewel and infected him. The magic entered Azar's veins turning them black with crackling green marks. In pain, Azar dropped the crystal orb. As it shattered against the rocks, the other wizards all felt a sharp pain in their chests. Azar fell to his knees as the green jewel burned his hand and the magic was gone. The jewel was now a black void. Azar fell forward and the jewel shattered into dust.
The eyes of Azar opened, but this was no longer the same Azar. His eyes were now black and green. The green flame was now apart of him. No longer could Azar think independently nor was he capable of using the right side of his brain. Creativity and emotions that once governed our realm were now unknown to him. The left side was also infected by this other worldly flame and the two were now bound as one. All that he was and had been, was now gone.
C.A.A. Patton
