Ravaged Realms

Introduction

There was a large explosion and the light reverberated down the damp gloomy corridors as the inferno dissipated, each flame licking the tall roof. The two robed men fell to the floor screaming, desperately clawing at their faces to put out the flames still eating away at their flesh.

Melindra put her naked, scarred arms down to her waist, quickly allowing them a short rest before starting her next conjuration. Her crow-black hair fell across her sharp blue eyes as she quickly turned toward Gustaf, her blue-black robes following in an elegant swirl.
"Which direction?!" she called out to him over the sounds of clashing steel and angry shouting.

Gustaf parried the blade of one of the opposing acolytes with his well-used steel shield while running another through with his sword, the acolyte taking a trembling step back, blood gurgling from its mouth. A silent black arrow spun through the air, dispatching the other acolyte as it was recovering its poise.

"She said to follow the six-eyed lion! Follow the images on the walls, they are bound to be what she was referring to," replied Gustaf, readying his stance as more acolytes pressed on, his old eyes sharp with determination.

The air was filled with a musty odour of wet mould and the pungent smell of death. It made Melindra nauseous but she pushed it aside, gathering all her focus on conjuring another fireball. Before she could start her intricate movements, however, three black arrows swirled past, each lodging itself firmly into the charging acolytes' skulls.

Gustaf took a deep breath to gather his strength. As he turned, he saw Eldril nodding at him, nocking another arrow. The elf's green skin provided a natural blend with the shadows in these underground hallways.
"I found it! This way!" snapped Melindra, breaking the short rest into a determined stride.

After a short moment, the high corridor broke into a large cave with stairs descending onto the cold, wet, natural rock that was its base. What had been a muffled background noise now turned into echoing incantations as they entered the cave. At the far end stood an altar surrounded by braziers and hooded figures, all focused on the man at the centre of the altar. This man was an old venerable priest dressed in black robes interlaced in complex golden patterns.

At the end of the stairs, two large beings could be seen, their scaly horned heads slowly arching upward toward the approaching party. Once spotting them, the beasts rushed up the stairs, covering ground at impossible speed.

"Brace for impact!" yelled Gustaf, taking a defensive stance, his shield locked before him. The common sight of arrows swooshing past him didn't even make him flinch. He and Eldril went back a long time and he would trust the elf's aim over that of anyone else. As the arrows closed in on their target, he knew he would not be disappointed this time either.

The first humanoid creature took one arrow to the chest, its hard chitin scales shattering it on impact but the second one hit better, its barbed tip lodging itself deep into the creature's eye socket. If it was pained by this event, it didn't let it show, its movement keeping at a steady pace.

"Focus on the priest and the altar! I've got this!" called Gustaf as the being smashed into him, pushing him back several feet.

Melindra was already weaving her intricate patterns, fully focused on the altar below. Her wrist was open, the blood flowing with pulsating power into her weave.
Eldril aimed his elegant bow of dark oak at the chanting acolytes, releasing a barrage once more. The arrows were followed by a wave of flames, bursting forward like a tsunami of living pain. For a moment, the cave was alive with dancing shadows, each telling its share of the events that took place, before the flames crashed down onto the altar, quickly consuming every acolyte in smoke and ashes.

As screams filled the air, Gustaf felt the scale-covered arms of the closest beast slam across his full-plate, its claws ripping through the metal like knives through rotting flesh. A sharp burning feeling spread across Gustaf's chest, pulling his breath with it. In one quick desperate move, he swung his sword down-ward, severing the being's arm by its elbow. As the being took a step back, it howled in shock at the wound before being caught in the neck by a black arrow, forcing it off th stairs in an unnatural dive.

"After all this time, you still need me to watch your back, human?" said Eldril. "Have you learned nothing?" he continued, laughing heartily. Gustaf glared back with a knowing smile, quickly raising his sword to deal with the second creature.

As Gustaf braced for the incoming tackle, the smoke around the altar had raised, revealing the priest still standing strong. The old man was fully entranced, focusing on the air above the altar where a rift could be seen slowly spreading across the cave.

"Shit, we just lost our edge," said Melindra, biting her lip in frustration.
"Not necessarily..." replied Eldril, a smug smile crossing his face. He pointed toward the priest. With a sudden flash of steel, the priest was pulled back from his trance, his chest bleeding profusely. As he fell to the floor, in his stead stood a man dressed in shadows and smoke. The blade was quickly retracted into the cape of smoke and the man gone once more.

Eldril's smile slid from his face as the cracks across their reality kept spreading. It was obvious that the Xeltari had reached too far for them to interrupt its descent. As tentacles spewed forth with a sickly swooshing sound, Gustaf ended the last beast by driving his sword through its throat, following the elf's strategy.

"OK! Listen up, we hoped it wouldn't come to this but that Xeltari is about to break through!" called Gustaf straightening his posture.
"I can dispatch of it for sure, but it will take most of my life force," said Melindra, stroking her freashly sealed wounds. "You contain it and I break it!" Her eyes were shining with determination.

"Let's do this!" Eldril let go as he nocked another arrow, seing Gustaf descent the stairs at a furious pace, his sword held high...

Roleplaying, what is it all about?

Hi there,

Thank you for looking at my game. Most people who view this game will be familiar with roleplay but if you are not, let me give you a quick explanation.

In all its simplicity, roleplay is like acting. Not on the big screen or in the theatre, but with friends and family. Each player plays a character and are guided by a Realm Master (RM), which acts like the director of the story.

The truly great part about roleplaying however, is the fact that there is no script to memorise or specific behaviour you have to adapt, this is all down to your own imagination. Of course, you don't get paid for it either ;(

Imagine that you are reading a book but the character in the book is you. Would you have done things differently? Well, in a roleplaying game, you can! The RM writes the book, if you will, filling it with background, areas, description and a plot, all to your benefit as the player. You will then have free reign to do what you want. Don't get carried away though, for you see, just like in the real world, all actions have consequences, some for good and some for bad.

Together with the RM and other players, you will create a journey that will take you to new lands, new experiences and new challenges.

Are you ready? Well, come with me and I will show you my world...