Storiesonline.net ------- The Runeswords by R22CoolGuy Copyright© 2012 by R22CoolGuy ------- Description: A story of Andor's beginning and more importantly the beginning of Deathbringer and the Swords of Law, known as The Runeswords. Codes: fant ------- The Orion sector, Rito III, 3158 GST (Galactic Standard Time) Reginald Ravensblade, Harpist of Time, sat idly watching the roulette wheel spin as the small gold ball travelled around in the opposite direction waiting to find its home. He was in the Maytag Casino, the largest, most prestigious gaming establishment on Rito III, a pleasure planet known for its gaming establishments. Reg had been on the planet for a week and had just finished his latest quest, another task where time had been manipulated. Several unscrupulous men had found an ancient relic and were using it to alter time to win at the various games of chance, most notably this very game of roulette. Reg was dressed in a fine silk black tuxedo with crimson bow tie and cummerbund. The sword hanging from his left hip was conspicuously out of place, but no one had called him on it even though he had been sitting at the table for some time. The large stacks of chips sitting in front of him were a testament to his skill, so perhaps the sword was as well. Either way, the other patrons, as well as the casino's employees, were leaving him alone. His thoughts were interrupted by his sword. "My Lord, he comes," the sword announced in a hushed, almost reverent voice. "Who?" Reg asked, absently grasping the pommel, but still watching the wheel. "22, black!" the Dealer announced as the wheel slowed and stopped, showing the ball sitting in the pocket of the black even number. Reg watched as a modest stack of chips were slid over to his position at the table. He had been steadily winning for the last several hours. He removed several chips and leaned forward and placed them on 23 red. "The Creator," Timekeeper replied. "He is looking for us." This time Reg did detect the reverence in the sword's voice. Reg looked up as a short, unassuming, elderly man sat down to his left at the gaming table. The old man was dressed in a tan cotton jumpsuit, of the kind worn by elderly men everywhere. Zippered in the front from crotch to neckline and held in place by a built in belt with a silver buckle. Attached to the belt on his right side was a large rune inscribed ring holding several intricately wrought keys of differing size and shape. He had closely cropped hair the color of burnt orange and crystal blue eyes. A strange dress for this upscale establishment. "Harpist, we finally meet," the elderly man said by way of introduction. "I am Dao." "I have been halfway expecting a meeting for some time," Reg replied with a nod. "You look more like a maintenance man than who you truly are. The key ring is an unique touch." "Maintenance man, Creator, it amounts to the same thing, do you not think?" Dao chuckled. "You like the key ring? It holds the keys to the universe." He could feel an almost imperceptible shudder from his sword. He glanced down at it with a frown. "Melvina said that eventually you would want to meet me." "Yes, you are an anomaly," Dao eyed him intently. "I am very curious about that." "How so?" Reg asked. "Because I, a mere mortal, was able to draw Timekeeper?" "No. More like you, a mere mortal, are fairly pulsing with Eldritch," Dao replied. "That is a little strange considering your race." "A gift from a friend," Reg shrugged. "An unintentional gift." "Yes, very strange circumstances and very unique. I was surprised to learn that your body was able to cope with the change," he smiled. "I also wanted to thank you for saving my daughter." "You are more than welcome, I was honored to help," Reg replied with a shrug and smile. "But, that is not why you are here, is it?" "Perceptive, very perceptive," he replied. "No, it is not why I am here. I need a champion, a troubleshooter, if you will." "I already have a title and an occupation," Reg replied drolly. "And I am sure that there would be conflicts of interest." "No, you misunderstand me," the man shook his head. "I do not want you, just your impressions. Your recommendations as it were. No, I want your friend and benefactor, one Aaron Whiterune, styled thief." "Then ask him, not me," Reg replied absently, more interested in watching the wheel spin and tracking the rotation of the ball. "I would not presume to speak for him." "It is not a voluntary position," he replied with a shrug. "I need to know how he would handle himself under less than ideal situations. Is he as resourceful as he seems? Tell me everything you know about him." "Why him?" Reg asked intently, now more interested in the conversation than the wheel. "He may not like being manipulated. Strike that! I know for a fact he will not like being manipulated." "Many reasons," Dao shrugged, "not the least of which is the fact that he is dangerous where he is right now. Too strong for the current climate, if you will. His abilities are upsetting the status quo. I would rather make use of his unique talents than to have to put him down." "Are you even sure you could?" Reg chuckled, thinking of his friend. "Many have tried and yet he still stands. If he thinks you are truly a danger he would put down the rose swords and call forth the 'Hand of Death'. I do not think even you would want that." "No, absolutely not," Dao smiled. Reg chuckled having seen that very same smile on Aaron's face quite a number of times. "No, I need someone that could instinctually correct shifts in balance," Dao explained. "There are numerous worlds and Mythos where his talents would be of assistance." "He is single-minded and does not react well to authority," Reg tried to describe his friend. "He does not like people being taken advantage of. He never backs down from a fight, but he does not look for one either. He despises tyranny of any type, or any type of oppression for that matter. If pushed he does not just push back, he shoves. Hard. He is loyal to a fault. Balance that against the fact that he has no use for authority and no qualms about his chosen professions. Does that give you some insight?" "Yes it does," Dao's smile became genuine. "He is exactly what I need. After that glowing review it is about time I met him in person. Do you still harp?" "Excuse me?" Reg replied, perplexed by the change in direction of the discussion. "I asked if you still harped," Dao repeated himself. "I ask because I would like to hear you play. Melvina speaks highly of you." "Here?" Reg replied, sweeping his hand around the crowded casino. "True," Dao nodded and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them the room was silent and more importantly empty. "Harp for me Reginald Ravensblade," Dao commanded. "Harp for me and I will tell you a story..." ------- He called himself Dao and he had been searching the Universe for sometime; searching for a fragment of what was left of his home world, Archan. He had a name at one time but, with no one to communicate with or introduce himself to, that name passed into obscurity a long time ago. He remembered his nickname though, funny how you can remember the things that taunt and torment you yet important things end up drowned in the waters of Nepenthe. His nickname was Dao, and that was all that he had. Some within Dao's race had achieved the highest plane of existence and had cast aside their corporeal forms. They existed as pure energy and thought, able to live amongst the stars, Dao was one such entity. That was the only reason he had survived the cataclysmic event that destroyed his home world, although it very nearly destroyed him. After Dao regained consciousness he had tried searching for any of his family or friends and when that failed he reached out searching for anyone that might have survived the catastrophe. Surely, someone else must have survived? He had searched and sent out energy, feelers if you will, all to no avail. He could not believe that he was all that was left of the thousands that had achieved astral enlightenment, that he alone survived when others of even greater intellect did not. He grieved for the lost for some time and then decided that the best course of action to honor the dead was to start anew, start over and build a new world. He wanted to create something that would last, something that would be protected, something that would survive. ------- When the star providing warmth and light for his world died, taking his planet with it, a new star had been born. The left over matter created a solar system with eight planets, seven of which could support life. Dao was cast adrift on the solar winds, for time immeasurable, until he healed from the aftereffects of the explosion and was strong enough to chart his own course. Staying relatively close to his original home world, he chose this new solar system and its third planet as his new home and settled on an island in an archipelago south of the equator. He had named several of the planets in this solar system. The third planet he named Andor, the fourth planet Goth, the fifth planet Tarra, and the sixth planet Omegadon. The third planet was not uninhabited; in fact two separate, distinct sentient races had been seeded on the planet and had risen to the top of the food chain. As equal predators it naturally occurred that they became mortal enemies. Both races had reptilian characteristics: the Wyrms of the Sky were more serpentine in nature and the Guthards were more lizard-like. It amused Dao that life, it seemed, always started with the reptiles, although he had had a hand in that. Both races were born of Eldritch and commanded the power within all living things. Wyrms were large dragon-like sentient creatures that mated for life and lived and hunted in pods of six to eight. They were capable of breathing both fire and acid. They walked upright on powerful rear legs, but ran on four. Their front legs doubled as hands and they were nimble enough to weave spells with those front talons. Their powerful tail was both weapon and balance for their upright stance. Their race was further subdivided based on type; color being the more common, while metal the more rare, with platinum their royalty. Wyrms lived in a loose monarchical society whose queen arose from the platinum family. The monarchy was handed down from mother to daughter. The queen's only responsibility was to rally her subjects during times of war or other strife. During all other times pod units lived a semi-autonomous existence, working together to better the pod or family unit. Wyrms only clutched thrice during their breeding years, usually laying two to four eggs per clutch. After learning to shift their shape to humanoid, it was not uncommon for them to interbreed with the second age races. Whether they chose wyrm mates or humanoid mates, female Wyrms always produced a clutch that they tended in wyrm shape. Guthards were a warrior race of reptilian nature. Large muscled and scaled bodies, taloned fingers, broad foreheads, pointed ears laid flat against the side of their heads. They dressed simply, wearing only loincloths. When they reached manhood, the males shaved their heads bald with the exception of a single braided stalk of hair in the center of the back of their heads. The braids and hair bands denoted their respective tribes, as well as rank and honors achieved. Guthards lived in tribal or clan villages, spread throughout the landmass south of the mountains. Inter-clan conflicts were not uncommon and in fact were normal methods of proving prowess for the males. They hunted in small, four to six male units, each taking part in both the kill and the spoils thereafter. Although primitive in appearance, their looks were dangerously deceptive. They were skilled trackers, hunters, and weapons makers. Their passage of manhood included not only the demonstration of their hunting, tracking abilities, but also included navigation by star position, combat methodology, battle plan and all matters related to warfare. Their females protected the village and their young, and provided input in warfare planning. It was not uncommon to find unpaired females assisting in hunts and village raiding. The two races divided the main landmass into separate territories, with the Wyrms staking claim to the mountains and all lands north, while the Guthards inhabited the plains and southern lands. Other races began to flourish during the first age, but the first-borns maintained a stranglehold at the top of the predatory tree. The second age would change that. ------- It was from this new home that Dao had started his search for a fragment of his old home world, a fragment that would enable him to create magnificent instruments for both good and evil. He knew that the metal contained within the fragment would be far more powerful than any metal that he could find in this new world. No weapon created by the different materials that could be harvested from this new world would be able to stand up against his creations. That was his intent. Archanite would be unrivaled in its toughness and hardness, its ability to take and hold an edge, and would accept further enhancement, enchancement from Eldritch, more easily than other known metals. He rethought the notion that he would only create instruments of good and evil and realized he would also need to create great instruments to balance them. But before all that he would create an instrument that would protect this world, this Mythos. An instrument that could not be defeated, could not be overcome by force or guile, not by him or any of his kind, not by a force of nature, nor even by a dying star. ------- Dao was on the trail of a large chunk of rock and had been so for close to an age. It could have been longer since he had nothing in which to mark time with, no calendar, or any other way to mark the passing of time. Like the tail of a comet, the rock's essence had fanned out behind its travel through space. Dao had tracked its movement through this backwater galaxy, hundreds and hundreds of light years away from the supernova that destroyed his world. The rock had passed close by the Yellow Dwarf that provided warmth for this particular solar system and abruptly veered course when snagged by the gravitational pull of the third planet from the dwarf star: a blue-green planet. He trailed the rock's path to the blue-green planet, where it had entered the atmosphere and crashed. He was astonished to find that there was life on the planet, sentient life! The meteor had entered the atmosphere, passing close to the northern pole and had impacted the ground on the northern portion of an island landmass in the northern hemisphere. Having ascended beyond a corporeal form eons ago Dao followed the trajectory, invisibly, to the outskirts of a small village on a coastal area in the north of this large island landmass. Dao's senses detected that a huge meteor had impacted here ages ago and a hut was currently sitting above what was left of it. He flitted about trying to determine the technological advancement of this settlement and was dismayed to find that they were not very far along the advancement scale. Rudimentary skills in agriculture and weapon manufacturing, coupled with poor sanitation and medicine seemed to sum up this society's advancements. There seemed to be some major event happening in the village square so Dao proceeded to the area and began to learn the language. What he found dismayed him further. There was some type of public trial going on involving a woman and her three identical children. The woman was accused of, did he have it right? Witchcraft? These people were barbarians! Anyway, apparently the fact that her children were triplets and healthy had caused alarm within the village. Also the woman's small crops were always the first to come in and were always the sweetest, hardiest, or largest. A recent storm which had devastated the area had completely missed her home. Dao could feel the power pulsing from her, as well as from her children. The rock, that fragment of his home, must have leached its energy into the area and the little family must have been mutated by it. He wanted that rock and those children as well. The woman could not be saved if he wanted to take the children with him. Perhaps he could ease her passing, though. He watched as the woman was led away to a stake and tied to it. She cursed the townspeople as bundled sticks were laid around the stake. A man with a lit torch threw it on the pile of sticks and they ignited. The children watched in horror as their mother was consumed in a bright white light and disappeared. The townspeople watching the event fled in terror leaving the children huddled together, alone and unattended. Assuming the corporeal form of an elderly man, Dao walked into the square and stood before the children and addressed them in their native language. "Your mother is gone," he said. "There is nothing more for you here. The village people are afraid of you and will only do you harm. Would you like to leave with me?" "Why did she have to go?" the little girl asked. "Well dear one, Death comes for us all in the end," Dao replied sagely. "Do you want to leave this place and go with me?" After receiving nods from the three children, Dao cast them into suspended animation and hid them amongst his essence. Resuming his ethereal form he returned to the hut and, using the power of the rock, he lifted it out of its resting space into the air. The rock was huge, at least 30 yards in diameter and denser than any known matter in the galaxy for its size. He noticed a glint of red and rotated the rock to find a large crystal of red. The crystal, mostly obscured by the surrounding stone, was almost four feet in diameter and over six feet long. A most unexpected bonus to be sure. The large rock with its ruby crystal was all that was left of his home planet after a supernova, and resulting black hole, destroyed the solar system. The metal within the rock had power, naturally infused with the power of Eldritch and then intensified during the supernova. He dubbed the resulting metal archanite and would use it to create magnificent weapons. The archanite in its unrefined state was black in color and highly radioactive. When refined, the metal would change color to white and lose its radioactive qualities. In either state the metal was highly magical, and could be infused with even more power. At the very center of the rock the metal was in its purest and most concentrated form. He named it star of archanite and it was silver in color. The red crystal was a ruby and perhaps the largest he had ever seen. No, strike perhaps, it was the largest he had ever seen! It was also infused with Eldritch and pulsed with its own natural light. He was not sure what he planned to use it for but he did intend to use it as well. ------- Dao returned to his new home world of Andor with the rock of archanite and the three sleeping children. Taking on his new corporeal form he created a medium sized cabin next to a pool of water fed by a cold mountain stream. The cabin had multiple rooms and beds for each and Dao laid the children down and moved the rock to his mountain forge. This particular island was dominated by a volcanic mountain and that was Dao's destination. He climbed the path that led to a vertical crack in the mountain's side and entered his work area. Having found the crack when he first picked this new home, he had enlarged the chamber and constructed a forge that was heated by the volcano itself. He scoured the mountains of the mainland for the material to create his anvil, and after finding what he needed he enchanted it with runes and Eldritch. His hammer was fashioned from the same material as the anvil and equally enchanted as well. Now, having the material for his weapons, he could begin his work. Setting the large meteor aside for the moment he went back down the mountain to wake the children. Entering the cabin and checking on the children he was surprised to find them awake and huddled at the head of their beds, as far away from him as they could be. Surprised, because he had placed them in suspended sleep and here he found them awake. Their power was strong enough that he could feel it radiating out like the heat from a bonfire. He studied them for several moments trying to get a sense of their temperament. "Do not be afraid, little ones," he smiled, while talking slowly and softly. "I am called Dao. You have nothing to fear, I will take very good care of you." "W-W-Where are we?" the little girl asked hesitantly. "You are at my home, your home now," Dao smiled. "What is your name, little one?" "M-M-Melvina," she stammered in reply. "I want my mommy." "Your mommy is gone, Melvina," Dao replied softly. "The bad villagers did not understand how special she was, or how special you three are. It happens with ignorance. Can you tell me your brothers' names?" "My name is Driscoll," replied the boy to Melvina's right. "I am Randolf," the other replied. "Is this really our new home?" "Yes, you can stay here for as long as you like," Dao smiled. "It will always be your home. Now, who is hungry?" Three hands shot up and Dao chuckled and led them outside where a table was set with fruit, breads, cheese and roasted fowl. While they ate, Dao learned that they were eight years old and Melvina was the unofficial leader. Randolf was the adventurer, while Driscoll liked to make things with his hands and loved animals. Although they were nearly identical, the boys at least, small differences in the boys' mannerisms set them apart. The children were beautiful, an adjective not normally used to describe boys. Melvina was clearly going to grow up to be a beautiful woman, while the boys would be quite handsome after they reached adulthood. Dao explained that they now lived on an island uninhabited by anyone else. The boys wanted to explore, while Melvina wanted to stay close to Dao. Dao cautioned the boys that while there were no other inhabitants, there were still plenty of dangers on the island. They were to call out if they ran into trouble that they could not handle. Dao watched the boys disappear in the underbrush and then turned and smiled at Melvina. "Well, little lady, I have work to do," Dao explained to her. "You can come with me and watch, but no touching, understand?" After receiving a nod in the affirmative, Dao reached out and took her hand and together they climbed the path to his forge in the side of the mountain. Melvina looked around in amazement at Dao's workshop and forge. He politely answered all her questions and set a stool by his work table for her to sit on. Climbing up on the stool, Melvina watched Dao at work. It took him the whole of three days to break down the meteor and begin the smelting process. He worked late into the evening each day and Melvina stayed with him the entire time. She was a patient little girl, asking questions when appropriate, but not bothering him at crucial moments. Like any other woman, her eyes lit up when he unveiled the ruby crystal in its entirety for the very first time. Her excitement level caused Dao to chuckle and he promised her that she could have part of it. He took additional time to cut the crystal in half and fused her half into the rock of the mountain cavern for later use. He ended up with several stacks of bars of white archanite, as well as stacks of silver star of archanite. He withheld many large rocks of pure black archanite as well and fashioned them into useable bars with his hammer and anvil. Beside its other obviously magically properties, black archanite inflicted wounds tended to heal slowly or sometimes not at all. Dao assumed correctly this had something to do with the amount of alpha radiation the rock gave off. Discarding the remaining rubble he had the beginnings of several swords and many other weapon parts. He finally finished on the morning of the fourth day and started on runes of power. Taking out a rolled up piece of parchment, Dao unrolled it and set small weights on the corners to hold it flat. Taking a quill pen and inkwell filled with ink he had prepared from a mixture of animal oil powdered archanite, he began writing runes on the parchment. As his quill traced the lines on the parchment, a silvery viscous light appeared out of the air and flowed into the lettering, like water filling a trench. As each rune was completed it would flash with a brilliant silver light and rise off the parchment and into the air. The rune would hold its shape for a moment and then dissipate in a silvery glow, finally fading into nothingness. The mountain would rumble and the ground would tremble when each rune dissipated. "What are you doing?" Melvina asked, looking at the parchment. "Creating words of power," Dao replied, absently. "The written symbols are called runes." "What are the runes for," Melvina asked, reaching out to touch the flow of silvery light. The light shifted its course and began to flow onto her fingertips. Dao reached over and gently removed her hand from the flow. Melvina lifted her hand up and turning it this way and that to study the silver light encasing her fingertips. Her skin began to absorb the light until eventually none remained. "That tickles!" she giggled. "What was it?" "I imagine it did tickle," he chuckled as well. "It is called Eldritch and it is the life-force of this land. With it you can accomplish amazing things." "Like creating runes?" Melvina asked, studying his writings. "You never answered me why you need them." "I am going to create great swords of power," Dao replied. "I need the runes to bind the swords and give them great power." "Are they Runeswords?" Melvina asked, awe clearly in her voice. "Yes, exactly so," Dao replied astonished. "Runeswords!" "What will they do?" Melvina was clearly interested. "Why, they will give their wielders, their lords, great power," Dao proclaimed. "Some will be for good, others for evil, and still others for balance. In their runes will be their true name, their power, and their binding." "Can I help?" Melvina asked bright-eyed. "I believe you already have," Dao laughed again, dipping the quill into the inkwell. "Will you teach me the runes?" Melvina asked. "Cauth," Dao explained as he drew the symbol. "It is the rune of power. It will magnify your power if spoken at the release of your attack." "Careem," Dao explained as he drew the rune. "It is the counter rune. It will counter any attack except Himith." "Caral," Dao explained as he drew the rune. "It is the rune of warding. With it you can trap or prevent access." "Unhimith," Dao explained as he drew the rune. "It is the rune of life." "Himith," Dao drew that rune. "It is the rune of Death. These two counteract each other and only each other." "Nathamdose," Dao drew the rune. "It is the rune of command. With it you can control the will of another." "Damna," Dao drew that one as well. "It is the rune of holding, if you want to stop multiple targets." "Et," Dao drew the rune of binding. "It is the rune of binding and is quite powerful. It will only bind one thing, be it a person, a building or a city." "El," Dao drew its rune. "It is the rune of protection. It is preemptive in nature." "Spoken all together, except Himith, it is an oath to end all oaths!" Dao smiled. "And a ready source of power when the flow of Eldritch cannot be accessed." Dao thought for a moment and then sighed, putting the quill back into the well. He leaned back, steepled his fingertips, and closed his eyes in meditative thought. "Are you done?" she asked. "Yes, for now," he sighed again, opening his eyes. "I need a special rune and I must find the precise word to use. It must be different, unused, and powerful." "Well, you are powerful," Melvina replied. "You could use your name, you could be a rune." "Well... , yes, yes I could. That will work very nicely," Dao replied, leaning forward, taking the quill out and scribing his name, which floated up and glowed brightly before disappearing. "Dao, the rune of making or un-making," Dao spoke the word into existence. "Now, I need another word that will be the binding rune, the rune of control for all of the swords." "I want to be a rune," Melvina proclaimed. "You could use my name." "No, I do not think... ," Dao stopped speaking and started thinking. "Why, yes. Yes, I think that will work just nicely. Melvina, let us go find your brothers." "Goody! We get to be runes!" Melvina exclaimed, hopping down from the stool and taking Dao's offered hand. The two left the forge and travelled back down the path to the clearing and began to search for the boys. ------- Over the next several days Dao tried and failed to come up with the proper word and was almost ready to set it aside when it finally came to him. The children's strength was greatest when they were together. Individually they had power, but together acting in unison their power almost rivaled his own. What if he combined their names and used the resulting word? Yes, that would work fine, now which combination? He reflected on how they interacted together, how they worked in combination. Yes, there was the combination: Mel-Dri-Ran, Meldriran! With the rest of the words of power finished he was ready to start his work and he knew the order in which he would create them. Informing Melvina that he planned to start the next day they finished the preliminary work and spent the rest of the day practicing manipulating Eldritch. ------- The forging of the first sword took Dao nearly three long years to complete. Since it was his first he took a more cautious route to its completion. The actual sword work only took several months, it was the enchanting that took the bulk of the time. Well, the enchanting and determining how best to insert a sentient life force within the sword. Melvina stayed at his side during the entire forging, while the boys explored their surroundings. Not that there was not time for instruction or formal education, for Dao had set time aside everyday to teach the children languages, mathematics, the sciences, and other more natural courses. Dao also spent time everyday instructing the children in the ways of the various types of magic and most importantly the lore of Eldritch. There was even time to teach the Way of the Sword, with every day spent honing their sword forms. By the time of the first sword's completion the children had achieved Adept levels of mastery in the known manifestations of Eldritch. Dao's first sword was a simple unadorned bastard sword, with downward curved quillions, hand-and-a-half grip, and a wheel, (or ball) pommel. The blade was forged from silver star of archanite and had a double edge. The hilt was unadorned, no gem shone in the wheel pommel. It was, in all appearances, a simple bastard sword, of no great value. Infused in the bastard sword was all the power at Dao's disposal, a considerable amount. He even went so far as to imbue it with a portion of the spirit of Death. No mean feat since the Grim Reaper was not enthused about giving up part of itself, but Dao, as usual, prevailed. All that was required was a sentient force and his first sword would be complete. The being needed to be single-minded, unwavering, loyal to a fault, and most importantly, powerful. Its voice should instill fear, or awe, as needed. Actually, all of the swords would need an equivalent life-force. Now, where to find a worthy and most importantly, a willing entity? Where to find a being willing to give up their corporeal form, give up mortality for immortality? He reflected on the traits he required for his sword's sentience for several days before a worthy solution presented itself. He asked Melvina to accompany him and he transported them to the large landmass north of the archipelagoes. More specifically, to the top of a small rise just east of a lush valley with a large village on the banks of a meandering river. They walked down the hill toward the entrance of the village. "Be wary, Melvina and watch yourself," Dao cautioned her. "Mind your lessons and follow my lead." Melvina looked at him and smiled as they stopped at the entrance and waited for their escorts. Presently two Guthard warriors approached and after a short discussion led Dao and Melvina into the village and toward a large wooden building used as a meeting lodge. The two visitors waited outside while one of their escorts entered the lodge. The clan chieftain came out and welcomed them to the village and bid them enter the lodge. Dao and Melvina entered the lodge and sat in the offered spots. After introductory rites and homage to the chieftain Dao explained what he required. He presented it as a great honor for any warrior that volunteered. The warrior would live forever achieving even greater honor in the service of another. Dao explained that the warrior would have to give up his mortal shell and be bound within a great weapon of power. The chieftain was intrigued and would pass on Dao's request to all the clans, for which Dao thanked him. Dao gave him directions to the island and the number of warriors he would need. The chieftain offered the hospitality of the clan, which Dao and Melvina accepted. Dao and Melvina spent several days in the company of the Guthards as the word went out and candidates arrived vying for the opportunity of a lifetime; to live eternally and have an impact on events in the future. Dao had not intended to, but the opportunity presented itself so they stayed and evaluated the warriors that arrived in the village. It was determined that since Dao only required one candidate during this visit that a competition of sorts would be used to determined the best candidate for his first sword. A series of events were devised to test the volunteer's strength, stamina and mental toughness. The winner would have the great honor of exchanging their corporeal form for one of metal. The events were planned over several days and slowly whittled the field of contestants down until at the end only one warrior was left standing. Dao was surprised because the winner was not the one he had expected to win, which only went to show that looks were deceiving. He thanked all of the contestants and the clan chieftains who had arrived with their warriors and especially the local chieftain who had housed everyone. It was determined that similar games would be held every three years since that was the length of time Dao thought he would need. An unintended result of the competition was the bonds formed by the various tribes. Another result was that the tribes decided to unite under the leadership of the chieftain of the winning contestant and would change after every competition. More importantly, with the tribes united, the Guthard began to advance in their proficiency with Eldritch. Those advancements would include the design and construction of transportation platforms throughout their lands. Now the various tribal areas could not only communicate with each other but also travel from site to site in a blink of an eye. The Guthards built great edifices to their one God and sacrificed a portion of their bounty every year at high summer. In reflection Dao would marvel that with the advent of the competition the Guthards had advanced to a unified civilization with a religion. ------- The following morning Dao was ready to bring his first sword to life so he gathered Melvina and the Guthard warrior and brought them up to his forge. Dao actually felt a small amount of trepidation since what he planned to accomplished had not been done before. He understood the mechanics of what he intended but he was not sure if it would actually work. Taking the bastard sword from its resting place he set it on one half of the specially constructed altar and had the warrior lay down on the other side. Dao had Melvina begin scribing runes in the air, and chant the words of power as he tapped into the flow of Eldritch and began creating tendrils of power between the warrior and the sword. Pulsing threads of silver began attaching themselves from the sword to the warrior and from the warrior to the sword, until it seemed as if a bright pulsing ribbon of silver attached the two. The two entities, sword and warrior, began to glow with a silvery light as they became more ethereal, more transparent, except their outline, which glowed and pulsed in silvery light. Melvina paused in her chanting to watch as the two halves, sword and warrior began to draw together until they overlapped each other. The corporeal body of the warrior began to fade away as the sword's image began to sharpen until all that was left on the altar was the bastard sword. Dao concentrated his power into the fingertip of his index finger and carved only one rune into the blade, on both sides. He inscribed only the rune of making, since this sword would be above all others. The blade glowed brighter and brighter as Dao spoke words of power and lore into the sword in a language unknown to Melvina. He spoke the sword's reason for being and the purpose that Dao had for it, a purpose that he had not revealed to Melvina or her brothers. This first sword would be above the natural laws of the universe; space and time would not have rulership over it. It would be bound by only one law, a law that it would be charged to uphold: 'Death comes for us all in the end'. Dao picked the sword up off the altar he raised it high over his head. "Awaken!" he commanded as the sword burst into a silver flame and its rune glowed silver as well. "BEHOLD, I AM DEATHBRINGER, THE HAND OF DEATH!" the sword's voice, low and raspy, reverberated off the walls of the cavern. "I WILL BE THE INSTRUMENT MY CREATOR REQUIRES! I AM THE SWORD OF DOOM!" "Excellent!" Dao remarked. "Melvina, we did it!" Now that the sword was complete Dao began work on the sword's stone. The stone would be the resting place for the sword when not wielded. Since the swords would be sentient he needed to make sure that they would not act on their own behalf, the stone would see to that. When a sword was in its stone it could not leave on its own. Also, a sword would have no concept of time while there. It would be in a suspended state until removed by a potential wielder. If either the sword or the wielder rejected the other, the sword would have to return to the stone. The stone was wrought from a block of obsidian, found in the mountains to the north. Carved with the same runes that were found on the blade, the stone would have the ability to negate the power of the sword while it rested within. Dao would have to make concessions where Deathbringer was concerned, though. His thoughts concerning the relationship between stone and sword ran counter to Deathbringer's primary function. Deathbringer would have to be able to operate independently of the stone. So, he would need to allow for differences in requirements between Deathbringer and the other swords he intended to create. After the length of time it took to create Deathbringer, the stone was relatively easy and within a fortnight it was complete. Now all that was left was to attune the two. Taking the bastard sword by the pommel, Dao slowly inserted it into the stone. Sparks flew from the point of joining, accompanied by a grating noise, as the sword's blade disappeared into the stone. It was done. His first Runesword was complete! Now that Deathbringer was complete it was time to start on the rest of his swords. He proposed to forge two swords of neutrality, followed by three each of good and evil. There would be a hierarchy of sorts and he determined to create them in order of precedence. But before he could start he needed to sit down and devise the laws to which the swords would adhere. He already had the first law, the only one by which Deathbringer would be bound to. He thought about the purposes of the different swords he intended to create and that gave him the insight to create the Sword Laws. Dao moved back over to his desk and unrolled another piece of parchment, anchoring the edges with tiny weights. Melvina, his constant companion in his endeavors, took up her usual position on a stool to his right. Dipping his quill in ink, Dao began writing down the laws that would define his swords. The scribing of the laws was as significant as the scribing of the runes earlier. The procedure used was the same and the result was the same. Just like the runes previously, the laws were written into the very essence of the Mythos. The laws would stand as long as the Mythos stood, the same as the runes. Violating the laws brought on the ultimate penalty: Death. Death by the blade of Deathbringer. As his quill traced the lines on the parchment, a silvery viscous light appeared and flowed into the lettering, like water filling a trench. As each law was complete it would flash with a brilliant silver light and rise off the parchment and into the air. The words held their shape for a moment and then dissipate in a silvery glow, finally fading into nothingness. The mountain would rumble and the ground would tremble when each law dissipated. "Death is the ultimate arbiter and cannot be cheated," he scribed the words in an ancient language, but spoke them for Melvina's benefit. "Death comes for us all, in the end." "Time is a precious thing and should not be squandered," he wrote the second law. "It has but one master and none other may affect it." "Crystal when highly focused reveals all, nothing can hide from its gaze," Dao wrote out the third law. "It can even see into the heart of a god." "The Finger of God is as mighty as the Fist of Satan, but together, in the hands of the righteous, they will be a force to be reckoned with." "Truth is the truth, it requires no other understanding." "In the dead of night when terror is at its greatest there you will find the dark rune," Dao wrote the sixth law. "All that dwell there are its minions." "Justice is swift and its retribution final," Dao wrote down the seventh law. "The scales of justice will always try to find balance; always." "Destruction is the way of the world," Dao wrote out the final law. "It revels in its power over the weak." With the completion of the laws the real work began. The forging would be the easy part; it was the enchanting that would be the more difficult. Dao intended for each sword to bear an essence of that which it was. For Deathbringer it was a portion of the soul of Death. For the rest it would be what the sword was. A tricky thing to be sure, for Dao would have to try and obtain these essences and some were mere concepts. But in the end he was satisfied with the 'Swords of Law', as he called them. ------- Over the next thirty years Dao completed the rest of his swords. Each sword was finished before starting the next. In all, including Deathbringer, there were nine swords bound by eight laws. There were other lesser but equally significant rules or sub-laws that the swords would uphold. Probably the most important sub-law was that a sword could not lie to its wielder. There were, however, things they were forbidden to reveal. They could not reveal their powers unless specifically asked about them. They could not reveal the manner in which they were created or where. They could not reveal the individual laws unless their wielder was in jeopardy of breaking one. There were certain entities about which they might not speak, either, not the least of which were the Guthards. They could and should instruct their wielders on the lesser, yet equally important, sub-laws that they must abide by. Secondarily, they could not cause their wielder to lose his (or her) life through action or inaction, nor cause their wielder harm. Harm was a relative thing and each sword would need to determine that differently, based in some part on their wielder and his or her abilities. A wielder would always have free will to place himself or herself in danger even after being cautioned by its sword. In that case let the chips fall where they may. Thirdly, a sword might not reveal the location of another sword unless it is diametrically opposed to the other sword. There were few instances of that, however. Diametrically opposed swords would always try to instigate confrontation, to the exclusion of all else. In that case it was up to the wielder to maintain control, or not, as they saw fit. Fourthly, swords could not act on their own, except in extreme moments of danger to their wielder, and then only to the extent necessary to extract themselves from the danger, or place themselves in a defensive posture. For example, a sword might leap from its scabbard into its wielder's hand in preparation for combat of an extreme nature, to the extent of moving said hand into a defensive posture. Finally, there was the relationship between sword and stone. If a wielder died the sword must return to its stone. A sword could not reveal the location of its stone, or another's for that matter. A sword could not remove itself from its stone. Only a potential wielder might do so. There was a protocol for the sword/wielder relationship that must be adhered to at all times. When a potential wielder grasped the pommel of a sword, it must first discern the suitability of the would-be wielder before it can even be removed the stone. The sword must initiate the relationship by asking if the person grasping their hilt would be the sword's wielder. There are but two possible outcomes from the question: the sword returns to the stone or the sword accepts the wielder. The sword would provide its own scabbard and belt and removes any other primary weapon form the wielder's possession. A wielder may only possess one Runesword with only one exception. That exception falls in line with the fourth Sword Law. Most importantly the relationship between sword and wielder could not be ended by force. It began by mutual consent and could only end by the choice or death of the wielder, or by demand of the sword if the wielder acted in a manner counter to a particular sword's character. Those were the only possible outcomes to the relationship. Of course, Deathbringer being above the law, with the noted exemption of the first law, was not required to adhere to the sub-laws either. In its capacity of arbiter it might reveal what it needed to, it might remove itself from its stone if necessary, and it might act in any capacity while in its stone. It might manifest itself as an astral projection of its corporeal self if necessary to carry out its prime directive. All of this and more Dao instilled in his creations as each was wrought and enchanted and imbued with its sentience. When all was said and done he looked upon his creations with pride and approval. ------- The Swords of Neutrality he forged from silver star of archanite and each were longswords, both had rubies set in their pommels. The rubies bore the rune of control, Meldriran. They were Timekeeper, the Sword of Time, whose hilt was swept style, and Kalaban, the Crystal Sword, whose hilt was a straight cross guard. The Swords of Good he forged from white archanite; two were longswords and the other was a hybrid type, but all had the same ruby set in the pommel. They were Lightbringer, the Finger of God, Shalamar, the Sword of Truth, and Durendel, the Sword of Justice. The two longswords had minor differences in their hilts, mostly in the guards. Shalamar had curved quillons, one turning up, the other down, while Lightbringer had a straight cross guard and was unadorned save for the gem in the pommel. Durendel was a cross between a longsword and rapier. A single hand, swept hilt sword, with a blade length of three feet. It was designed for cutting as well as thrusting, with a double edged blade, a unique weapon designed for both armored and unarmored combat. The Swords of Evil were forged using black archanite. They were different types of sword but all with the same ruby. Nightbringer, the Fist of Satan, was a longsword with a basket style guard, swept hilt, wrought from silver star of archanite. The intricately wrought filigree style guard had small sharp thorns designed to pierce the hand of the wielder when gripped. Darkrune, the Sword of Night, had a straight cross guard with small fang like edges to catch and break an opponent's sword. Instead of a ball pommel inset with a ruby, it had a pommel fashioned after the head of a wolf with ruby inset eyes. Gor, the Destroyer was a broadsword, simply adorned, with a basket hilt. Every sword bore Deathbringer's rune, Meldriran, as well as the rune of making. There were other runes carved into the blade based on the sword and its purpose. Timekeeper was clearly the first 'Sword of Law' and had the most power and least constraints of the eight Runeswords. Lightbringer and Nightbringer were the most powerful of the Swords of Good and Evil. They were also the most restrictive, only the purest or blackest of heart could wield them. The other swords were powerful but limited in scope; justice, truth, things of the night, and destruction. Of all the swords only Gor was equal to Timekeeper in lack of constraint, quite literally nothing could stand against it. Of all the swords, Kalaban had the broadest scope, but required the kindest heart to properly wield it. Each sword knew the quality required to wield it and each determined its own selection process. Only Gor's rejection was fatal, while Lightbringer, Nightbringer, and Shalamar could modify their wielder. The other swords had varying ways to reject an unworthy candidate. All in all, Dao was quite pleased with the results of his forging. ------- It would be years later that Melvina would use the knowledge she gleaned at Dao's hand and forge two more Runeswords. She used that piece of ruby to fashion an elaborately carved throne. She bound the swords to the throne and gifted them to her people as a symbol of their majesty and might. Those swords would become a second exception to the law concerning the wielding of multiple swords. And with those swords she would add a ninth law: 'The quality of he who tends the roses shall determine whether or not they will bloom'. ------- By the time Dao had completed the swords his children, yes he thought of them as such now, were fully grown and getting restless. They had explored every bit of the various landmasses of the archipelagoes and all lands to the north and south. They were adept at weapons and magic and of the three, Melvina was strongest in Eldritch lore. They had surpassed all of Dao's expectations and so it was with a father's pride that he revealed to them the last lesson he had for them, the lesson of creation. Dao revealed to his children that he had populated this planet upon originally settling here before his trek to discover a fragment of his home world. He told them that his current body was not his original form and that he had evolved to a non-corporeal state. After showing his children the fundamentals of creation he left them to their own devices and withdrew to contemplate all that he had created. He was immensely satisfied with his efforts. ------- Dao's three children picked different places to start their creations. They chose areas that suited their needs and their ideas on how they wanted to proceed. For all their desires for autonomy they went about the procedure identically, to the point that their creations had similar looks. Dao chalked that up to his children being triplets and thinking enough alike that they were always completing each other's sentences. Driscoll chose the forests and fertile valleys of the western reaches and created an even more fertile environment to start his creations. He loved the outdoors, the trees, shrubs, all manner of plant life. His relationship with animals was almost spiritual and those traits he instilled into his creations. Of the three, his knowledge of Eldritch lore was the weakest. That was not quite right; he was an Adept after all, but he was just more interested in how Eldritch related to plants, animals, and the natural world in general than he was in Eldritch for its own sake. He gave birth to a race devoted to the natural world and called them Elfen. The Elfen flourished in the forest environment and relished their role as stewards of the natural world. They created villages within the trees without ever changing the ecosystem. They lived in a harmonious relationship with their surroundings. They were the first-born of a host of different races through the ages, all sharing the knowledge of the lore of wood, rock, and water. All the different sub-races of elves, including the sea-faring races, and the Sidhe, as well as the children of rock, the dwarves, gnomes, and goblins, shared a common ancestor in the Elfen. Even the Shoc-Du, the dark elves, who were not elves at all. Over the millennia Driscoll would look back in pride on the mark his creation had made. ------- Randolf chose the lands east of the great forest that the Guthards had named Thangdaema. Loosely this translated to 'Tree Spirits', but Randolf liked the name and decided to use it. His nature of rules and honor he tried to instill in his creations. He gave them a thirst for knowledge and information as well as a sense of honor and righteousness. Over time the thirst of knowledge would consume his creations and overshadow all the other traits he gave them. It was with a heavy heart that he looked back on his children and realized they had become power hungry and delved in lore best left alone. The Thangdaemons built elaborate castles throughout their home lands and delved deep into the darker lore of Eldritch. They were the ancestors of the races of man, of Orc, Ogre and Troll, as well as, the other less known nefarious races. They were strong of constitution and their traits always bred true. ------- Melvina took a completely different tack. After conferring with Dao she explored the fifth planet from the sun and decided to start her creations there. Dao had named the planets when he first found the system and Melvina decided to name her creations after the planet of Tarra. Melvina, with Dao's help, seeded the planet with the necessary flora and fauna to support a multitude of differing life forms. After thanking Dao for his assistance she settled in an area within the central landmass and began her creations. Melvina was loyal, trustworthy, single-minded in her pursuit of her desires, and steadfast in her ideals, all of this and more she instilled in her creations. She added strength of thought, strength of heart, and will, as well as the ability to tap into the flow of Eldritch, as fundamental traits. The one thing that caused her anguish was that her creations were an evolutionary dead end. There would be no offspring races sprung from the loins of her children. In fact she would find that her most successful line would require interbreeding with one of her brothers' creations to even have viable descendants. To make up for that flaw she ensured that any coupling would be successful and would produce male offspring to continue the line. She was never able to determine why her children were so genetically flawed, but their capabilities and advancements in other areas far outweighed that disappointment. She took the remainder of the ruby that Dao had given her and wrought a throne worthy of her children. She tied the power of the rose swords to the throne and limited the potential wielder pool to only members of the royal line. Furthermore, she included the ability to draw upon great power when the ruler wielded the longsword. There were other incentives, if that was the proper word, that she included, when the longsword and the shortsword were wielded together. ------- Although the three created the different races they were revered equally by all. There were temples dedicated to each of the three in all the major cities of each of the races. They even had oaths they used, dedicated to the three Gods; 'By the Three', being the most common. The Tarrans related more to Randolf though; they had developed into a military society with different castes of warriors that held him in high esteem as their patron. The Thangdaemons on the other hand, related more to Melvina. She being the epitome of power and magic, they revered her abilities and built great temples to her. Driscoll's Elfen due to their love of nature stayed close to their creator. That is not to say that the others did not have followers with the Elfen, because they did. Driscoll held the clear advantage within his creation, while the other two could not say the same with theirs. ------- Of all his children, Dao loved Melvina best. A thing that he would never reveal to any of them, but a parent always has a favorite. Perhaps it was because she was most like him, or that she was so eager to learn, but whatever the reason he wanted her to succeed on a scale even greater than he had. So, with that in mind he observed her diligence, her single-minded focus in her tasks, with a heavy dose of 'Father's Pride'. He might have even added a little something extra to the brew that would become her 'children'. He probably should not have, but then again he would not later have his greatest tool. That, however, was a completely different story... ------- The End ------- Posted: 2012-02-14 ------- http://storiesonline.net/ -------