Christmas Wizards

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bbookz
Posts: 18
Joined: Sun Nov 05, 2017 7:09 pm

Christmas Wizards

#1 Post by bbookz »

My Christmas presents to some friends. Not shown in the photo but I stained some short wooden candlesticks which kind of have a fluted column look, which the figures are magnetized to site on. The names are gaming handles my friends have used going back for a while. They are reaper minis I believe. To top of it I've written some decidedly bad fiction to go along with them, which I've attached in the odd chance that someone wants to read it. At once the most creative and geeky gift I've given.

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An account of Ceptos, Archmage of Baltmor

The following occurred in the twelfth month, during the 37th year of the reign of King Marshal
Over the years, the port city of Baltmor had sunk into a decrepit state of decay. Far from the capitol and the oversight of the king, the corrupt duke and his nobles squandered the people's resources. Filth was allowed to blanket the dank streets and misery abounded for the common folk living by the water in ramshackle hovels. The filth was piled high, and its pungent odor hung like a fog, shifting with sentience in the wind. The foul stench attracted dark and evil creatures from afar and on one ill fated night beckoned an ancient evil.
On this horrid night, a commotion was heard by the docks of Fells Point. The ill-equipped and useless guardsmen fled in terror when the first screams began near the turgid water. One man was left to respond, the Archmage Ceptos, scion of the King, who had recently been assigned to restore order to the city. Hearkening to the noise, Ceptos took up his sword and the Staff of Sundering and strode towards the docks.
There he encountered the gibbering, ravenous hordes of the Ratlord as they piled forth from the belly of a foreign galley. The rats roiled over the slums in a mass of fur and tooth, overtaking folk and leaving behind a trail of blood soaked rags and broken bones. With an arcane word, Ceptos slammed his staff to the ground summoning a translucent dome shield which the hordes surrounded but could not penetrate. The rats seethed, then scattered as a huge shape approached, which was revealed as their ruler, the infamous Ratlord, harbinger of pestilence. Standing as tall as two men, with black scythe claws, glowing red eyes and slavering, jaws which oozed dark slime and blood, the creature passed through the shield where its hordes could not.
Ceptos, standing tall, squared off against the massive beast and gestured for it to come forward. The Ratlord let out a growl, lowered itself to all fours and momentarily gathered its might before launching with blinding speed towards Ceptos with outstretched claws. Taken aback by the the raw power of the beast, Ceptos countered with the staff, blocking the claws in a clash of sparks, but was pushed back and stumbled to one knee, losing grip of the staff in the process. Knowing his power would only allow a single spell without the far flung staff, Ceptos feigned a wound, staying low as the beast approached to finish its prey. Turning and rising as it charged, Ceptos swept his blade in an arc as he sidestepped. The strike severed a paw but the Ratlord also scored a wound whipping its ragged, bone exposed tail into the hero's side as it lurched ahead screaming. Seeing with new eyes, the beast approached more cautiously and circled the mage for a second pass.
Staggered, but not mortally wounded, Ceptos held his sword high, uttered a word of power and as a glowing rune appeared his weapon was wreathed in a corona of flame. The beast did not cower. It gathered itself again and shot forward, twisting in mid-air as it slashed. Slowed by the wound, Ceptos arched while leaping away from the deadly claws and avoided decapitation, but his cheek was slashed. Having trained in both the martial and arcane arts, Ceptos deflty managed to whirl the flaming sword around as the beast passed, catching it with the flat of the blade and setting its hind alight. The enraged beast, turned again, but this time its eyes were full of pain and desperation as the flames spread. As it rushed to attack, Ceptos stepped forward to meet it head on, and lunging, drove his blade through its open maw, before shoving its smoldering carcass to the earth. The rat horde broke in fear and scattered. Ceptos charged wildly, letting out a ragged cry, and flung scorched rats left and right with blows, driving the wretched creatures into the bay to drown.
After this night, Ceptos assumed full command of the city. He banished the dishonorable nobles, re-trained the guard and brought forth an era of renewal and growth. Today, many decades later, the city still flourishes as a wealthy trading port. Its walls and halls are watched over by many statues of the mighty Ceptos, champion of Fells Point.

An account of Apokryphos, Loremaster of the western kingdom.

The following occurred in the twelfth month, during the 16th year of the reign of King Louis the Wise.
Having toiled for many years for his king, Apokryphos was granted a sabbatical from his post as teachor of adepts at the School of Sorcery. The king sent Apokryphos to a southern hamlet surrounding the Monestary of St. Denis, where he could focus on neglected scholarship and finish the now famous codex of lore that bears his name. He worked in solitude in an austere cabin at the edge of town, adjacent to the main trading route, where he could be reached quickly in case of an emergency. Now at this time, the western kingdom was at peace, with the only news being rumors of a plague in the foreign lands to the distant south. Far from the capitol, the hearsay was ignored by all.
It was a chill evening and shadows loomed as the sun set behind the trees on the day that Apokryphos finished the final word of his codex. He was sipping strong wine and enjoying his pipe by the threshold, when he first sited the wagon train rumbling up the trade road from the south. It's gothic exterior was covered in esoteric runes and its interiors were aglow with an unnatural green light.
Not to be taken by surprise, Apokryphos fetched his Dragonkin Staff and his recently completed tomb and approached the train cautiously, keeping to the shadows. The train lurched to a stop in front of the town and after a pause, its many doors opened revealing silhouettes flooded by witch light. A high pitched and otherworldly wail pierced the night as a mass of ragged humoid shapes shambled forward. The stink of death was overpowering. An army of zombies, with souless dead eyes, burst oozing wounds and sloughing decayed flesh marched to bring torment to the living.
This was the great plague the people whispered of come up from the South. Apokrophos was well aware that the army must be controlled by a great evil, but with the horde within sight of town he was forced to reveal himself in order to stem the tide. Striding purposefully, he approached the oncoming minions and lifting his staff shouted a word of power that unleashed a torrent of searing dragon fire towards his foes. The front central ranks of zombies crumbled to ruin, but to his horror, the flanking monsters continued on towards town as if nothing had happened. At that moment, the unearthly scream sounded again, and a dark hooded figure stepped from the lead wagon. Wearing ancient, once grand robes, you could still make out strange faded symbols and here and there an embedded jewel in the frayed fabrics. These were priestly robes of a once great desert kingdom, now lost to antiquity. The approaching foe, emanating an aura of dark energy, reached up and removed his hood with skeletal hands revealing itself as a Liche, a long dead, evil sorcerer sustained by unholy magic.
Its empty eye sockets glowed green with seething anger as it raised its staff. A black vapor leaked out, coalescing into viper like shapes which coiled to strike then shot towards the hero. Prepared for the attack, Apokrophos deflected and negated the magic with his staff which glowed red as it absorbed the energy. The effort pushed him back before he found his footing. What Apokrophos was not ready for was the liche's battle prowess and arcane power. With stamina unheard of in a mortal, the creature immediately attached again, striking with a sustained green bolt of energy. The attack was not intended to immediately overcome its enemy, but drain his magic. Apokrophos blocked the energy beam as the first screams rose from town. As each townsman fell, energy flowed back to the liche and the beam pulsed, growing larger as it threatened to engulf Apokrophos. His staff burst into flame with the effort to absorb the blast and with desperation in his eyes he lost his grip and was flung, spinning to the ground. The liche lowered his staff and his jaws agape with malignant glee, sauntered towards the downed hero. Apokrophos was dazed and reeling. His ribs were bruised from the fall and his hand scorched by his staff, which had fallen and was out of reach, smoking where it lay. His mind raced, and as his enemy loomed steps away, it dawned on him with sudden clarity that he was not defenseless.
Rising to one knee, Apkrophos raised his codex and with a thought it snapped open to a page shining silver and gold. The liche stopped abruptly, raising a hand to block the light while craning its neck in an effort to inspect the object. Apokrophos stood, and read aloud words of power envoking restorative life magic. The Liche grimaced. Raising its staff, it took slow ponderous steps toward Apokrophos in order to end its foe, but as it reached forth its hand began to vibrate violently and was torn apart, disintegrating. The Liche spasamed and turned to flee, but the book's light flared and it crumbled, falling to ground in a tangled jumble of bones. It's lifeless skull rolled to a stop at Apokrophos' feet. The terror was ended and there was a moment of stillness. As Apokrophos strode into town the people came out to greet and bow before him, knowing it was only by his presence that they were spared.
Thus ended the short retirement of Apokropohos, greatest sage of his time. With the defeat of the Liche, his renown grew and many students flocked to learn from the great loremastor and protector of the realm. Apokrophos is revered to this day for teaching a generation of mages and bringing forth an era of enlightenment. His Codex stands as one of man's greatest creative works.
SpellArcher
Green Istari
Posts: 13841
Joined: Sat Sep 13, 2008 11:26 am
Location: Otherworld

Re: Christmas Wizards

#2 Post by SpellArcher »

The pictures were there but now I can’t see them?
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