《Stranded on the Old World》 Prologue Prologue: In the 20th Millennium Humanity is scattered not only throughout the stars but also on Terra the cradle of humanity. Millennia have passed since the schism that fractured the once powerful race and ended their Golden Age, but humanity is starting its epic comeback; the Terran Unification Force is slowly but surely unifying the differing factions on what was once Earth, it was the time of heroes and legends but also of unimaginable brutality; weapons believed to be lost to time are found and then used against their fellow man, the price of unification is steep but the Council of Terra promise their foundling Empire that it will all be worth it when they re-join with their scattered brethren in the wider galaxy. Magic and other Sorceries once believed to be the stuff of children¡¯s tales were rediscovered during the Dark Age of Man and now every human is capable to some extent at the manipulation of the power of their very soul to perform miracles, cast magic and reinforce their body to a superhuman degree. While the state of the sciences has declined the rediscovery of magic has made up for it. Through the unholy matrimony of Sorcery and Science the genetically engineered Arbiters have taken the forefront split into Crusades of a 100,000 super soldiers each, they are the invincible fighting force of the Unification Forces, Each Arbiter is worth a hundred men with their enhanced body alone and a hundred more with their devastating mastery of the magic arts.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Each Crusade force is joined by a legion made of between 500,000 and a million men and women who with their inferior human selves fight alongside the Arbiters making up the armoured divisions, artillery regiments, scouts, garrison forces, medical and non-combat roles. Each legion is given a small detachment of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers (ODST) humanities finest non-augmented fighting force. Known for their brutal tactics they fight with inhuman zeal earning themselves the nicknames ¡®Scions¡¯ and ¡®Suicide Corps¡¯ and ¡®Helljumpers¡¯. The ODST¡¯s are one of the last remnants of Golden Age tech and tactics. They are launched from ships in high orbit onto the planet bellow in their semi-coffin shaped drop pods with barebones armour and life support, not even one-in-ten make it to the ground undamaged and further one-in-ten don¡¯t survive the landing. It is a force for only the desperate, the insane and of talented War-Slaves. The War for Unification is coming to an end one final push and then the Council of Terra can turn their attention outwards towards the unyielding blackness of space. But that is an epic for another time, no this is a tale of an impossibly ancient man an Immortal who throughout the millennia of human history has fought and somehow not died in every major conflict and plenty of minor ones, now on the brink of Terra¡¯s re-unification he is thrust out and deposited on another world at the other end of the galaxy¡­ Chapter One : Lost in a Hive City (1st Person) Chapter One: Lost in a Hive City. Noble: My pod shock violently as the turbulence created by the thousands of my fellow ODST¡¯s and the 10''s of thousands of aircraft that tore across the sky over the landmass that was once Australia. Now an impossibly huge construction that covers the entire continent, equal parts city and fortress. ¡®There must be billions living there¡­ and they know we¡¯re coming¡¯. I look out from the torso sized view port in the pod and feel myself holding my breath as the first tentative burst of anti-aircraft fire quickly turn into a torrential up-pour as drop-pod and aircraft alike explode into flames. A massive aerial battle has begun around us as the Hive city sends its own fighters out to intercept us. The pod shakes again more viscously than before and as the armoured plating above my head is torn asunder under the stream of AA fire. ¡®Shit they shouldn¡¯t have anything this accurate at this distance¡¯ at that moment our ships in high orbit return fire, finally giving me and the other unfortunates a sliver of hope at making planet fall. But it¡¯s too late for me, the flak I took moments ago was enough to throw me off course away from the landing site the others would land and then clear allowing for drop ships to land the rest of the legion. Once they had gained a foot hold the plan was for the slow but mind-bogglingly massive troop landers for the Arbiters would land and then the city was as good as ours. There was a deafening impact as my pod careened through a skyscraper before stopping thankfully right side up in an adjacent courtyard. In the now shattered viewport I see shadowy forms picking themselves back up outside, ¡¯fuck fuck fuck¡¯ I curse as I rush to hit the release on my straps and I slam the door ejection bar, the front segment of the pod jettisons outwards crushing some poor soul into a low stone wall, I jump out rifle raised and quickly take in my surroundings. The shocked looks of my newfound company and the dozen skyward artillery pieces told me all I needed, I opened fire on the shell shocked artillery men ¡®shock and awe truly is the greatest weapon of the ODST¡¯ I muse as I gun down the nearest stunned soldiers. The gunfire shock them out of their stupor and they either dived for cover or reached for a gun, soon I was hiding behind my pod as several dozen very angry artillery men throw enough lead and lasfire my was to kill an Arbiter or six. ¡®Thank God they don¡¯t have any plasma weapons¡¯ if they had there wouldn¡¯t be much of my pod to hide behind. Still I couldn¡¯t stay here and honestly I really didn¡¯t want to, Gathering my courage and trusting in a life time of war ¡®that and my ballistic plate armour¡­¡¯ I make a mad dash towards a nearby artillery piece, I snap of some covering fire as I move and they injured screams and lessened fire my way tell me it did some good. Just as I dive behind my new cover tossing my rife ahead of me the area I had just occupied and the rest of the courtyard was engulfed in a storm of bullets, I look to the sky and see an Arbiter gunship hovering over the courtyard I wave my thanks as the sleek gold hover-jet tears of into the night. I go to pick my rifle up from where it was thrown I see a chunk of twisted metal impaled through it, I walk over to the remains of the drop pod and look around for the ¡®found you¡¯ I grab my beat up combat shotgun of the ground and see the case of shells a few metres away, after reloading and stowing the spare shells I ready myself and move of into the city. The streets all looked the same, it really screwed with my sense of time, it could have been minutes since I left the courtyard but I could have been hours ¡®I hope it hasn¡¯t been hours this assault wasn¡¯t supposed to become a drawn out engagement¡¯. Moving silently through the streets trying to stick to the shadows I heard the strange language spoken in this city. Ducking into an alley I wait to see what was coming. A patrol of six strolled down the street seemingly oblivious to war raging in their very city, after waiting for them to pass I step out of the alleyway and aim my weapon at the one with an officer¡¯s cap. An ear splitting boom erupts from my firearm and a hole the size of a dinner plate is blown through the officers chest, the others spin and start to ready their rifles, trusting in my experience I pump the action on the shotgun an intimidating crunch-crunch is heard in the near silent alleyway and I once again pull the trigger.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. The aiming had been rushed and I had fired low. This time one of the men was completely bisected at the waist. I immediately dived back into the alley as the patrol let of their first bursts of retaliatory fire. The stone chips and pings of the wall as a hodgepodge of bullets and lasrounds glance of my cover. Taking a deep breath I ready my gun and pop around the corner firing of my third of five loaded rounds and killing another of the soldiers. As I ducked back around into the relative safety of the alley I heard the heavy footsteps of the final three, they had decided to charge. Not wanting to be caught in the confines of the alley in step out to meet them rapidly firing off my last three shells in a desperate attempt to avoid a melee, the one in the lead catches One in his face and a second in his guts. The next sod behind him had his leg is blown clean off. Lucky number three dashes in close swinging a short mace like weapon at me, I lean back to dodge the blow aimed for my head, as the head of the weapon passes I could hear the crackling of electricity and the smell of ozone even through my helmets filters. A short kick to the chest from me forces him back, thrusting the barrel of the shotgun into his mouth and pressing him against a wall. I hurriedly load a shell, pumping and firing into the terrified man as he futilely swings at me. My dark grey fatigues under my black armour soaked up the splattering of blood and felt almost comfortably warm against my skin. It reminded me of a simpler time when the bow was the peak of ranged weaponry. ¡®Nope stop thinking of that era, it is done and dusted. Damn nostalgia is one hell of a drug¡¯ I sighed to myself as I moved on. ¡®Damn, the city should have been taken hours ago!¡¯ several hours had passed since the fight in the alley, I had come across a few similar groups a patrolling soldiers, I was down to my last shell for the shotgun and my dull black armour was now splashed with crimson, and slick with the blood and gore of the enemy. I spun at the sound of movement behind me bringing the shotgun to bear, I freeze in the middle of the street waiting for my stalker. A soft pitter patter of paws on cobble stone sounds and a small possum looking creature with six legs scurries across the street, releasing a breath I didn¡¯t know I was holding I stand and turn back the way I was going when just around the corner several metres ahead another patrol hurries around. There was a moment of silence as we stared across at each at each other, broken but the booming of my shotgun, my last shell taking one in the face his body dropping as blood pooled where his head had once been. This snapped the others out of their stupor. One dressed slightly different than the others the trim on his combat armour indicating he was from a different unit, he waved a staff at me ¡®wait staff¡­ oh a sorcerer... shit¡¯ when staff was pointed at me a dark bubbling orb came from it. Growing until it blocked the entire road it then rolled slowly towards me ¡®Humph Indiana Jones flashbacks anyone¡¯ I muse. Before I realised the effect the ball was having on the world around it. Everything it passed over was left blackened and warped as if scorched by flame, Metal streetlamps withering and turning to slag. As it came towards me I ran at it chucking the shotgun through it at the sorcerer, the heavy weapon caught him in the chest and he stumbled for a moment I saw nothing else because at that instant I entered the ball. Pain racked my body, the blood covering my armour dried an flaked away in an instant, the plates of armour smouldered and started to smoke, The air burned my lungs at damaging my fairly quick regen, a minute later I stumbled out the other side of the spell, I chanced a look back and saw the spell hit the possum from earlier. The animal writhed in pain as its fur burnt away, to my horror the animals flesh then exploded mutating wildly before stopping the creature was definitely dead but no longer recognisable as a possum now the size of large dog the grotesque abominating was a horrific pile of semi mutilated flesh already starting to rot. It¡¯s not often I¡¯m glad I¡¯m a null, but thank god I am, cause that would have fucked me up otherwise¡¯ the men looked at me in terror after catching on to the fact I¡¯m still breathing , reaching for the holster on my chest I whip out a small chunky laspistol. Firing rapidly each streak of red from my barrel cutting across the distance leaving a trail of red behind, each round burning a hole the size of a fist through each opponent, the actual lasround was about the size pf a needle point but the heat it radiated was so much that it would cause catastrophic damage to light infantry armour and soft tissue. I targeted the sorcerer first putting three holes in him, two in the chest and one in the head. It¡¯s better safe than sorry with sorcerers. I cut through the enemy formation like a hot knife through butter, for the most part their hurriedly fired rounds glanced of my armour. I could put my trust in the golden age chest plate and helmet. My standard issue ODST greaves and bracers¡­ less so. A sharp pain in my thigh told me one had managed to actually hit me somewhere unarmoured, relying on my accelerated healing to stop the bleeding within the next few seconds. After the short gunfight and two battery packs for the laspistol later, I once again painted red, moved through the city streets alone and confident in my ability to take on five or guys but anymore was inviting trouble. Laspistol in hand I dashed around a corner felt and immediately a scorching burning sensation tore its way through my unarmoured midsection. Sliding down the wall I empty my pistol into the offending party, apparently the last group had a straggler. With my left hand keeping my insides¡­ inside me until it could heal even with my accelerated healing it could be an hour or two until I regained full mobility and with my right I discard the now chargeless laspistol and draw from my thigh holster my final fire arm, the streetlight reflected of the dull scratched stainless steel of the ancient revolver as I moved onwards. Limping my battered ass towards the sounds of gunfire in the distance hoping to join up with the rest of the unification forces within the city, I notice a strange purple light coming from what looks struck great resemblance to the gothic cathedrals of old. Upon entering the building it is impossible not to notice the lights source, a large ovular portal several times my height glowed at the far end of the cathedral. Moving slowly forwards I hesitantly remove my hand from guts holding duty and place my slick grip over my right hand steadying my exhausted bodies aim at the portal. The portal flashed brightly and I dived for cover behind some pews. Watching with wide eyes what could only be described as a demon exited from the portal standing three metres tall and with muscles which put Arbiters to shame. The monstrosity spoke to itself in some strange tongue. Its gaze fixed right at me. ¡®guess it could hear the bloody heart attack I was having¡¯ I pop up from behind the pew and empty the six shots from my cylinder into his centre of mass each one blasting a gaping hole in his chest. He didn¡¯t slow, let alone register the grievous damage, I snap the revolvers breach ejecting the spent cases as a quickly back pedal away from the demon. Using a speedloader I rapidly reload and this time I aim for the head, as I raise the heavy gun he breaks into a sprint appearing before me in the blink of an eye backhanding me into an adjacent stone pillar several dozen metres away. My freshly healed but till tender organs screaming at me, the demon slow walks up to me as I double over and retch blood. The revolver somehow still in my hand sounds like thunder and echoes around the building as a I desperately fire at his head and chest at the fourth round I had finally blown away all the muscle and bone away and could see his ¡¯two?¡¯ beating hearts within what was left of his rib cage. The demon as if realising he might be in danger dashes towards me in a terrifying burst of speed his talon-like nails arcing towards my throat. ¡¯this is gonna hurt a looooot¡¯ I put my final two rounds through one heart each. It didn''t even slow him a little. His obsidian talons catching me in the lower throat tearing it from my body and then continuing on to cleave across my torso leaving deep silver scratches over my chest piece and sending me flying straight into the portal, the last thing I see is the corpse of the demon finally collapsing where I had shot him. Chapter 2: Angel Fall Chapter Two: Angel Fall Noble: Groaning I attempted to stand up in the crater my impact with the ground had created, the air around me thick with the glowing feathers; the signature characteristic of the ¡®Angel Fall¡¯ phenomena. The air smelled of ozone and lightning crackled around me, I look up as the sky clears above me. The words of the godly collective still fresh in my mind¡­ ¡°Ah¡± their spokesperson starts, ¡°so good of you to turn up¡± I look around wildly trying to get my bearings. One moment I had been getting mauled by a demon I ¡®well daemon but same difference, Demons have been extinct since the start of the Golden Age¡¯. Ignoring my evident confusion the speaker continues ¡°we were originally going to just drop you planeside with no warning but then we remembered that you¡¯d be packing technology from the golden age and that,¡± he pauses as if for dramatic tension ¡°is a big no-no¡±. As he finished his surprisingly casual opener I realised where in Oblivion is was. And boy do I mean Oblivion the Warp, the Nether or the Immaterium are all terms to describe the same place. The place souls go when their mortal bodies die and the place where the energy that fuels magic resides when it¡¯s not using ones soul as a conduit to manifest itself into the Material realm or physical plane the place where humans and xenos and all things real. And where in the vast expanse of non-existence was I? I was in the council room and it looked no different from when I was here last. The ancient stone walls expanded higher than even my eyes could see above to where a ceiling would have been in the real world but here one could see a vast expanse of darkness broke up with small specs of light. Each small flare of light insignificant in its own right but together the trillions upon trillions lit up the council room.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Tearing my gaze from the star map of the universe I turned my attention to those in the room with me. Seated in a semi-circle around me where rows upon rows of chairs most empty. But hundreds still where filled with shadowy figures each one radiating a power unique to each individual. The kind of power that many could only dream of. Each and every one of those figures was at least a god most while only minor-deities where still gods and more than powerful enough to make armies tremble before their might. I tried to expand my senses outwards no longer focused on what my ¡®physical¡¯ senses could pick up but my other set, a set that had gone unused since I was last in this room. Two! There were two power signatures I recognised and I quickly homed in on them. Two figures were sitting up towards the back each one watching me with a scary level of intense interest. One figure was slimmer than the other his light brown eyes looking over me ¡®Hermes¡¯ I thought, ¡®same as ever still trying to figure out the best way to pickpocket everyone he meets¡­ or sees¡¯ while his power or aura or whatever you wanted to call it was powerful it was unique in that it seemed to erase itself from your attention. If you didn¡¯t know what to look for you would never notice it was there. The other figure while slim had a different edge to it wasn¡¯t the boyish slimness of Hermes, no this was womanly. As I made eye contact with her it clicked who it was ¡°Athena¡± I muttered under my breath her dark very changing eyes bore into mine as if trying to see my non-existent soul. Her aura was intense to say the least it felt like a bridled horse rearing to go. It was the calm before the storm and it terrified me. I removed my helmet to show respect to my betters and nodded politely to the Olympians in the back. The speaker continued to speak for some time he spouted some nonsense about my habit of not-dying was while funny for the first few thousand years was starting to get stale so they were going to ship me off to someplace called the Old World. He explained that it was something of a testing grounds used by the gods since the galaxy let alone the universe was so huge even for gods they utilised the Old World as a small scale model all the same major races present out in the wider universe where represented there. I was being dropped there for two reasons I was to be my races representation on the planet and the only one since my kind are spread so thinly across the Materium and because the expected reaction of those planetside to someone like me was going to be hilarious. Then as if it were an afterthought he reminded me that my modern equipment wasn¡¯t allowed that the world had to progress at its own rate so everything I had was going to be taken for quote ¡°safe keeping¡±. Much to my relief that particular responsibility was to be given to either Hermes or Athena. Then before I could utter a word of my own I was stripped of my belongings and a portal appeared beneath my feet. I felt myself break into billions and billions of pieces and an instant later there was a thundering boom and I was put back together the Angel Fall to my new home was over before I¡¯d even known it had started. Chapter 3: A Warm Welcome Chapter 3: A Warm Welcome Noble: With the sky clear, the localised lighting storm gone and the angelic feathers faded back in the Nether all signs of an Angel Fall ever taking place had vanished bar the crater I was still standing in. The first thing I noticed was the breeze it was pleasantly cool against my skin. The second thing was that I was naked which in hindsight explained why I had any skin exposed to feel the breeze in the first place. The third and at the time the most important was that I was about to vomit. After a few elegant minutes on my knees hurling I unsteadily rose to my feet. The problem with Angel Fall was that being pulled apart and being promptly fired out of a warp powered lightning bolt and then being put back together planetside had the unfortunate side effect of making even the most experienced and veteran of my kin green around the gills. Looking back up from whence I came, I saw that the sky was a familiar shade of blue without a cloud in sight. Climbing out of the crater I got the first proper look at my immediate surroundings. The ground was while scorched around my impact zone otherwise a lush and vibrant green, the grass pleasantly soft beneath my feet. I was situated in the centre of a small clearing, the trees in a ring around me where towering giants thrusting into the sky like a million spears. After a few minutes of walking around the clearing to see if the gravity was any different than that of Terra ¡®hmm there¡¯s something but it¡¯s negligible¡¯. I didn¡¯t feel any lighter or heavier for that matter just different. The sun was no longer in sight and the sky was slowly darkening. I hurried around the edge of the clearing collecting stones and sticks and larger pieces of wood.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Several minutes and a couple of blisters later I had achieved in setting a handful of kindling aflame. Moving quickly I placed it in a campfire I had encircled with larger rocks. With fire light to see by I set to work on the collection of stones I had acquired. ¡¯damn it been awhile since flint napping was a relevant skill of mine¡¯ wiping my brow I appraise the sharpened and shaped stones and flint shards. I feel a smile tug at the corners of my mouth. Before I could continue with my Stone Age construction project a howl cuts through the quiet of the dusk. With the sun rapidly falling under the horizon the woodlands where cloaked in shadow the uneven light negating my semi-decent night vision. The howl sounds again this time from another direction. This time it was close. Standing up I see movement at the edge of the clearing. They were staying within the forestry to hide their numbers. I grab a branch as long as my forearm, setting the branch aflame. I hold the make shift torch out from my body and peer into the darkness. They came quiet as a mouse too quiet for my ears to pick up. Standing over a meter at the shoulder, the large almost hulking forms of the wolves stalked into the clearing keeping close together the dozen monstrous creatures eyes reflecting the light of the fire. One larger than the others snarls and the advance stops 20 metres from my position. Never having been one to wait for others to strike first I throw the torch at the wolf pack. The orange glow traversed the space between us in a heartbeat. Striking one of the beasts, the wolves looked curiously at the torch before a bark from the Alpha brought their attention back to me. Standing with my back to the campfire I stood waiting for them to advance and they did so. The thrown torch succeeding in making them come to me. After all it would suck to charge out heroically only to be surrounded and torn to shreds much better to fight them near the fire. Accelerating rapidly into a sprint the wolf pack crosses to me faster than they had any right to, the one in the lead leaps at me it means to tear me apart with fang and claw. Dodging to the side I move out the way only to be tackled by the second wolf. The first wolf landed in the fire its pained cries brought with it the final moments of sunlight. The wolf that hit me was a metre away grabbing one the sharpened stones I had made earlier from the ground, I dash over to the wolf just as it turned to meet me. Holding the stone knife underhand I arc it into the wolf¡¯s eye. Again. And again. And again. Until the wolves writhing ceased I plunged the jagged rock into the creature. Covered in blood I rose from the corpse. Throwing my arms outwards a savage howl of my own tears from my throat. This is how a fight should be, no rules of engagement, objective other than survival. One where the only thing at stake was the one thing truly yours. Your life. I had forgotten what it felt like. The remaining 10 wolves circled cautiously, now wary of the tool in my hand. Slowly changing which hand in which the knife is held I eye up the pack. Simultaneously we all explode into movement. The pack moves inwards and I wove outwards to meet their furious charge. What followed was a short but unbelievably brutal melee, afterwards as I lay their under the corpse of the Alpha I struggled to remember any details of what had occurred. All I could recollect was flashes of movement each one stealing the life of my immediate opponent my body moving entirely on instinct and muscle memory. Exhausted from everything that had occurred since my final orbital drop I passed out next to a crackling fire and surrounded by corpses. Chapter 4: Party Time Chapter 4 ¨C Party Time Noble: Awoken by a bright light. I rise from the ground covered in a dry flaking crimson. The sun high in the sky, I could feel a pleasant warmth in its glow. Caked blood flakes of me with every movement, I groan in pain as I limp over to the long dead coals of my fire. Collecting my stone tools I look at the corpses and decide to get to work. A few hours later my arms are covered in a fresh layer of blood and I now have 10 wolf pelts in varying conditions as well as meat ready to cook. I spent the next few days curing the leather and working on my stone implements, having succeeded in creating a full getup from the wold fur every inch of my pale skin was covered in the unpredictable pattern of the wolves¡¯ fur. With the wolf fur acting as a sort of natural camouflage I collected my small selection of stone tipped spears and set off the scout the surrounding area. Holly: Holly D¡¯Arvit shivered as a soft breeze got under her collar. Looking over to her two companions she mused about what a strange sight they must be a motley crew of still fairly new adventurers Gellar not included ¡®that old goats probably half my age¡¯. She looked fondly at the Satyr Demon who had frozen and was peering into the shadows, sniffing at the air the parties scout slash tracker slash hunter stepped into a patch of sunlight which had broken through the foliage high above. His dull red flesh under his leather armour gleamed in the sunlight. ¡±Oi guys get over here and be quiet¡± the demon whispered harshly load enough that she could hear quiet enough for the sound not to travel far, ¡° I¡¯ve picked up a scent but no obvious tracks¡­ I don¡¯t think we¡¯re alone in here¡±.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Looking over to a tall man in plate helmet under his arm, his dark hair appearing to absorb the light around it. Allen the parties designated leader pursed his lips for a moment before speaking ¡°what we need is information Gellar we¡¯ll follow and see what we¡¯re dealing with, we¡¯ll come up with a plan then.¡± He paused to check we were both on board with his plan, a curt nod from Gellar nearly poked Allen¡¯s eye out he¡¯d stood to close and the demons long goat like horns almost speared his dark brown almost black eyes. Turning around chuckling softly he looked to Holly for confirmation. A flashed thumbs up later and they were on the move. With Gellar at the front and Allen and Holly trailing a step or two behind them moved silently through the underbrush or as quietly as a knight in full plate can move. Soft metallic clinking excluded the party moved with speed through the forest in what confusingly felt like a spiral around something whatever it was they were getting closer. After half an hour a trudging the party finally made to the end of the scent trail. According to Gellar whoever or whatever they were following must either fly or be experienced in covering their tracks for there where none for him to follow. Instead he followed what he claimed to be a day old and peculiar scent a mixture human sweat and wolf it was that worried them if it was a Lycan and if it was hostile we were in great danger. Eventually we came to a clearing. Hiding within shrubbery at the edge of the clearing Holly peered watched as a figure entered the clearing from the opposite side the figure was swathed entirely in wolf furs without an inch of skin visible, he stood perhaps a little under the average height presuming it was male and human Holly thought her mind racing. The forests were the home of the Wood Elves and none could enter without their consent so how this person had gotten this deep was indicative to a hole in the Wood Elves defence. Holly glanced over at her companions both looked on with grim expressions upon their faces likely coming to similar conclusions. The figure walked over to the centre of the clearing shrugging the hooded cloak from his shoulders Holly got a long look at the man¡¯s face. He wore his hair in a long undercut like style, cropped short on the sides but long enough on top to wear tied back as he did. He face was gaunt with prominent cheekbones giving his face an angular appearance. As he turned she saw an ugly mark on the left side of his head. A painful looking burn scar starting at the outer edge of the cheekbones and extended past where his ear would have been, it reached below the collar. He sat opposite them at a small campfire. Holly looked at her party and shrugged, none of them knew what to do, their confusion was quickly dashed against the rocks as a harsh voice cut through the silence in the air ¡°would the three of you please come out I promise I mean no harm¡± the voice gone silence filled the gap again Gellar looked panicked he had been sure they were out of sight, ¡°unless of course¡± the voice started again, ¡°you mean harm to me¡±. Sighing loudly Allen stood up dusting the dirt of his armoured knees ¡°we hear you, we¡¯re coming over¡±. Chapter 4.5 :The Old World Encyclopaedia
The Old World Encyclopaedia A joint effort by many of the world¡¯s leading universities to create both an objective history of the world as well as a place to write down all the knowledge known as fact. Progress has been slow but steady over the last 500 years it has come far with thousands of authors each one vetted by a council with representatives from all the major races and nations. This book is a work in progress and subject to change.
Demons The many different kinds of demons they can be distinguished by their size, skin colour, horns, tail and many other variations of their numerous features. While believed to be extinct in the wider galaxy, they are a thriving and common race upon the Old World. There are as many separate and differing species and sub-species of demons as there are internal factions within the Demon race. Each demon itself is unique due to a particular trait of Demonkind. Over the course of its life a demon will undergo changes to better suit its lifestyle. If one lives its entire life upon rocky mountain ranges it may evolve legs similar to that of a goats as well as other features, it may develop goat like horns. If one lives as a warrior it will grow in height and bulk becoming a hulking bastion of muscle whist taking on the features of a bull becoming similar to a minotaur from ancient Terran mythology. The many and differing tribes cities and nations of demons vary greatly from savage stone age tribes to flourishing cities.
Elven Races Long ago the home country of the elves was destroyed after escaping the elves split into four factions each with a different philosophy in how to rebuild their race. Unable to come together again they split apart. Differing greatly from their cousins both physically, culturally, magically and religiously. The elven races are blessed with longevity once reaching maturity the stop aging.
High Elves Their Ancestors believing that the only way to rebuild their race was the endless pursuit of knowledge. Now scattered across the world High Elves are most commonly found within places of learning where they either study or teach. Their long lives helping them in both endeavours. Occasionally a high elf may wish for some adventure or perhaps some field study, often joining up with adventurer and expedition parties their knowledge and sorcereries making them valued sought after. A High Elf¡¯s Usually stands head and shoulders taller than humans, their distinctive amber skin acting to further attract attention, many high elves prefer the solitude of the libraries and laboratories commonly attended by members of their race.
Dark Elves Choosing the mysterious ¡®Dark Path¡¯ their ancestors split into several dozen tribes each one splitting into several more as time passed. The path they follow is sinister and ever-changing firm in their belief that the resurgence of an elven superpower is the ultimate end. And that the ends justify the means, their tribes move over their lands ever in search for more power. Often turning to gods of a darker nature for the power they seek. The Dark Elven tribes now often sell themselves as high end mercenary bands, the entire tribe working together to be a self-sufficient military organisation through both their martial and magical powers their reputation as a force unto themselves upon the battlefield is well earned but their rise to power has left their race changed in many ways their skin an ashy grey and their pupils eyes and dark red many find them uncomfortable to look upon.
Wood Elves Retreating from the now ruined cities of the ancient and long lost elven empire the wood elves turned to the dense forests. Taking comfort in the quiet and peaceful life one could find within the woods. The wood elves are happy to stay within the wooded expanses they now occupy content to slow rebuild their race in a new direction. The wood elves have evolved over the many generations to better suit their environment, shorter than the average human and of lithe build their hair and eyes the colours of the woods.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
Mad Elves While their cousins searched for power, knowledge or a refuge to live peacefully, the mad elves instead turned themselves towards the future. The Mad Elves live a nomadic life seeking a purpose for their near eternal lives. Believed to be mad by their cousins a Mad Elf will find a path be it that of a warrior or a carpenter and focus themselves solely to it. They will see the path through to the end over the course of years if not decades and after they complete their path and master that particular trade, they will turn to another and start again. This makes the mad elves the most varied of the Elven races as a whole but the most specialised as an individual. They bear little resemblance to their cousins with no standardised appearance or path to follow.
The ¡®Dark Path¡¯ The pursuit of power by any means necessary. Be it by the dark elves or cultists the dark path places it¡¯s mark upon it followers. It is unknown what the dark path entails it differs depending on the higher beings involved and the individual seeking power.
Adventures Guild Secular non-governmental Guild partnered with the Mercenaries Guild. Has jurisdiction over small parties and solo adventurers.
Mercenaries Guild Secular non-governmental Guild partnered with Adventurers Guild. Has jurisdiction over larger bands and Merc armies.
Magic The soul in all living creatures and some others facilitates the transferal of energy from the Immaterium to the material via the soul. Mages are anyone who can manipulate the energy provided to them from their soul. After mage there are four paths for a mage to achieve greater power: - Warlock - Sorcerer - Wizard - Priest/cleric/monk There is little difference in practice, what differs the most is the mages magical philosophy.
Warlock Magic comes from a higher power. The warlock is a mage who through a deal or contract to a higher power is granted power. Warlocks are often sent on missions from their patron in exchange for artefacts or other items of power. The rewards may take a more esoteric form such as good luck for a short while or a favour etc.
Sorcerer Magic comes from within. Sorcerers are those who through great personal effort managed to break their magical limits and become a true user of their soul and the mana it provides. Sorcerers are often untrusting of others and take great pride I their struggles triumphs. They are often completely self-reliant and loath relying on others.
Wizard Magic coms from books and learning. This type of mage fits High Elves to a ¡®T¡¯. Through many years of hard study often under the tutelage of a teacher or master, the Wizard unlocks the secrets of the Immaterium via the pathway of knowledge and learning.
Priest/Cleric/Monk Magic comes from the God they worship. While in definition the same as a Warlock the Clerics powers are often given to them not for their use as their tool in which to effect the material realm. Their powers are given as reward for unyielding faith and loyalty. It is through this unbreakable resolve and faith that a priest may be capable of miracles.
Beastmen Often confused with Demons as they often take on animal like qualities. Like the demons there are many species and sub-species from the wolf like lycan to the feline like Catacan.
Lycanthropes Lycanthropes are wolves given a twisted human form. Lycanthropes or Lycans are a race of wolf like humanoids. Capable of moving swiftly on all fours or walking on hind legs like a man might. Lycans are universally feared and respected for their martial prowess. Their heightened senses make them excellent scouts and trackers, their ability to move swiftly over any terrain allowing them to fight in a similar manner to cavalry and raw physical power and speed making them superior fighters. Lycanthropes have earned themselves a sinister reputation due to the possibility of a lycan becoming addicted to slaughter Lycans with the self-control become berserkers worthy of sagas but hose without go ¡®feral¡¯ attacking and killing all they chance upon.
Were - races All of the ¡®Thropic¡¯ (Lycanthropes for example) have the ability to grant power tome humans exclusively through bite and blood transfusion a human can become a were-[parent species] Were races have greater chance of turning feral if left to their own devices thankfully there is quite some ritual and magic do be done before the transformation. Were- races appear human unless they wish otherwise in which they explode out of their own skin and take on a form similar to that of their patron thrope albeit with lessened physical powers.
Catacan Feline in appearance, depending on the sub-species they could have the features of a tiger or those of a house cat. The Catacan look much like a human, if a human was covered in fur had claws and a felines head and tail. The Catacan as a race is famed for their abilities as master spies and assassins as well as some of the greatest skirmishers. Their natural balance and agility lending itself to many walks of life.
Demi-humans The half-breed offspring between a human and Beastmen. Often appearing human with minor features of their beastman parent such as ears or a tail etc.
Demi-races The demi races are half breeds. From the powerful demigods to the common demi-human the demi races are commonplace aren¡¯t always able to be identified at a glance.
Chapter 5: Meet and Greet Chapter 5: Meet and Greet Noble: The trio entered my sight and I had to stop my jaw from dropping. I know the gods had said that many of the races missing in the larger galaxy had presence here but it was a shock to them in the flesh. The group moved cautiously towards me, with the Demon and the Elf staying back and to the sides of the armoured human. They stopped several meters from me with hands resting comfortably on their weapons. We all stood there in palpable silence; everyone stared at each other. It was only now that they were closer that I realised that the young man in half-plate before me was an absolute monster. I¡¯ve always been average height at around 180cm but the armoured knight towered over me unlike any normal human should. He stood head and shoulders and then some above me he must have been two meters and change at least; with broad shoulders and a narrow waist; with handsome face and square jaw he looked the gallant knight in shining armour but his dark brown almost black had a savagery in them like barely restrained violence the eyes of a warrior. He flashed a smile probably trying to break the tension. He ran a hand over his shaved skull his short black hair showing several weeks since he cut it. After a moment he held out his hand which dew a sudden inhale from the demon, ¡°Hello stranger¡± he had a deep rumbly voice,¡± how the devil did you managed to get here and what the hell you are doing?¡± ¡®Wow this guy doesn¡¯t beat around the bush eh?¡¯ I reach out and shake his while answering ¡°As to how I got here¡­¡± I nod at the charred crater in the centre the clearing,¡± and for what I¡¯m doing I haven¡¯t the faintest idea¡±. At my words the group released a collective sigh moved in closer for easier conversation. Night was nearing so I lead them over to the campfire and offered them some of my wolf jerky a sign of good faith. No sooner had we sat down question time began. The trio spoke shouted and interrogated me over the top of each other.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°You mean to say you fell out of the sky?¡± questioned the High Elf who had introduced herself as Holly D¡¯Arvit. Her amber skin glowing gold in the firelight and a worn leather bound notebook in her hand ready for note taking. ¡°Have you ever hear of Angel Fall?¡± Two shook their heads but the Elf heartily nodded and began explaining what she knew to her companions with me filling in any gaps or misinformation in her frankly impressive knowledge. She only got a few things wrong and the only thing worth mentioning was the belief that only Angels could travel via Angel Fall, it took a while to explain that it¡¯s a method of instant transportation most commonly used by messenger Angels and the like. Gellar Stone-Stepper the Demon spoke up next¡± How are you still alive the local villages have been suffering raids from oversized wolves these past few months? In fact we¡¯ve been contracted to hunt them down but we found you instead!¡± At his I nearly fell over laughing. Barely restraining myself to a quiet chuckle I indicated to my furs and the meat they were eating ¡°not sure how to say this¡­ but I think I solved your wolf problem.¡± The demon looks at me with a stupid expression half way between a smile and shocked jaw drop. I recount the events of my first night on the Old World. Night had fallen in full and the only light in the clearing was the small fire we were circled around. After I finished talking the knight who I now knew as Allen Hardgrove made me an offer I couldn¡¯t refuse, ¡°I¡¯d like you join our party¡± he said after the moments silence from when I finished my recount. I stand up and hold my hand out from across the fire Allen mirrors my action and clasps my hand firmly ¡°it would be a pleasure¡±. The rest of the night was spent trying to get acquainted with each other Gellar I learnt was a ranger in a mercenary army for close to fifty years and now was an adventurer in this party as an excuse to travel one last time before settling down. Whilst on the other hand Holly joined up for some field work and practical experiments in conjunction with the research into different magical arts she had dedicated the last 300 years of her life to. Allen on the other hand had recently completed his training had been knighted and given his freelancers colours. A white tabard which for the life of me couldn¡¯t figure out how he kept it so white, with a blue fist clenching a spear. The freelancers crest was worn on the tabard over his torso and painted on his shield. As his first foray in hired sword business he had signed up with the adventures guild and ended up working alongside his two companions for over a year now. The group had fought in dozens of skirmishes and battles throughout the continent as well as taking contracts for monster hunting, subjection and extermination. Which was what they were doing when they ran into me. It occurred to me before I fell asleep beside the fire that I hadn¡¯t given them a name ¡®this the Old World¡­ James Noble died on Terra lightyears away¡­ so who am I now? Chapter 5.5 : The Old World Encyclopaedia
Wood Elf Guardians The mighty Guardians are Wood Elven soldiers who have sworn to defend their kin to the ends of the world and then some. Being the only Wood Elven regular unit to wear armour of the heavy variety. Each Guardian has complete autonomy over their personal equipment so while not all go for the heavy armour near all do. The signature armour of the guardians is a full set of Blessed Bark plate armour. The tree the bark came from is tended by the forests most talented spellweavers to create the flawless plate armour as strong if not superior to steel plate. It is much light and retains an almost supernatural flexibility which causes the wearer to experience minimal movement restrictions from the armour. Wood Elf guardians also make up their races primary melee force, making use of weapons ranging from swords to axes and spears all created from the same enchanted wood as their armour except hardened for better use as weapons. Guardians are found most commonly in the small villages they are often tasked with guarding against the denizens of the forests usually the village teams are only platoons of a dozen or so each depending upon village size and population. To find them in larger numbers one must travel to one of the cities where they stand a constant vigil against not only the creatures of the woods but also hostile foreign personal.
Wood Elf Sentinels The silent watchers of the woods the sentinels act as the scouts, skirmishers and hunters of Wood Elf society. Often garbed in the lightest and most flexible of leathers and cloaked in their signature mottled green cloaks which allows them to use the inherent agility to move smoothly through the forest and to disappear into the sea of greens and shadows when needed. All who try to enter the forests of the Wood Elves will be intercepted by the fast moving units of Sentinels and either offered safe passage and a guide from their numbers or if the trespasses are not peaceful they will be shown away. Be it by words or arrow shafts none can make it past the sentinels of the forest without their consent. Preferring the bow and if needed their long hunting knives sentinels prefer to fight a guerrilla war against those who cross them. If their fore is too strong or too many for their small units, they will send a runner to the nearest village who will request aid from the Guardians before moving on to the next village and so on until the threat can be neutralised.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
Wood Elf Spellweaver The Wood Elves hold life sacred and loath the needless taking of it. This philosophy is never clearer than in a collection of mages unique to the forest loving elves. Instead of using their power to break the laws of the world or to force their own will and dominion upon the very fabric of reality as most mages do, the spellweavers instead aim to gently and subtly manipulate the fabric of reality. While lacking in flashy explosive spells theirs are instead more subtle like a breeze that might nock aside an arrow fired at the mage or grass to trip a charging horsemen. Like their magical philosophy they abhor war but will not hesitate to defend their person and their people. As the saying goes ¡®beware the wrath of a gentle man¡¯. While a game changing influence upon the battlefield that is not their collective role with Wood Elven society. Instead they also make up the majority of the healers their gentle magics well suited to the task. Some of the most talented may be able to enchant and shape the very forest itself, they are able to create the weapons and armour of the Guardians and the Sentinels as well as many of the tools and household utensils used by their peoples. But the greatest of spellweavers are capable of much more, for in times of great need they may beseech the forest itself to lend them its aid. The trees may act of their own accord to drive the threat from the forests borders the usually wild and dangerous monsters and wild beats residing within will come together as one with the Elves and fight for the continued safety of their home the forest.
Draught A concoction made from naturally occurring herbs and minerals. With many interesting and varying effects.
Potion To a draught what a savage throwing rocks is to a trebuchet. A concoction of plats herbs minerals much like a Draught but that is where the similarities run out each ingredient is infused with manna either naturally in the wild or a mage during preparation. A potion effects are at worst a hundredfold better than the best draught with a similar effect.
Internal magic Magic that is fully contained within the mages own body.
External magic Magic that is manifested externally of the casters body.
Mancer A ¡®mancer¡¯ is a mage who controls or manipulates that aspect of the Materium.
Pyromancer Possibly the most common and well known ¡®mancer¡¯ class out there; like the name implies they are adept at the arts of fire magic.
Biomancer A mage who is the master of biomatter most commonly that of living creatures though those that can control plant and other forms of biomatter are not unheard off. Biomancers are an important part of most cultures being the masters of biomatter they can rapidly heal the wounds of themselves and their compatriots making them invaluable battlefield medics and doctors. Some nations have contracted Biomancers to create super soldiers after all if they can heal die and shape biomatter at their will can they not make permeant improvements upon the body? No one knows what came of these experiments¡­
gods As numerous as they are varied. Whether created by mass belief by their followers, born from two already godly parents or awakened by shifts in the Materium they are the ruling force within the Immaterium. With near limitless power (depending on the god) the only true restraint upon them is their inability to directly influence the Materium unless very rare and difficult circumstances are met and even then only a small fraction of themselves and their power can manifest. As such they rely upon their follows to carry out their will. In extremely rare cases mortals can ascend whether by serving another god or through acts of mythical proportions while possible there are only a few cases of it ever happening and what scant information exists is of questionable reliability.
Chapter 6: The Village Chapter 6: The Village Noble: The soft rays of dawn woke me. As quietly as I could I walked around and stretched, the others were still sound asleep swaddled in their fur lined sleeping bags. In the uneven dawn light to see by and a brisk breeze to keep me awake I jog a few laps around the clearing and did my routine exercise by the time I was finished my body was covered in a sheen of sweat the sun was out in full force it¡¯s heat even this early in the morning beat down upon me and that the others were starting to wake up. Looking down at myself and my garb I had to admit I looked worse even then I¡¯d previously thought crude kilt, boots, Sleeved shirt and hooded poncho cloak thing. The furs where dappled in browns greys blacks and whites lending it an almost camouflage like property ruined by the dark red-brown blood stains covering almost every inch of it whether from when I slew the wolves themselves or the small game I¡¯ve hunted in the close vicinity¡­ plus the lack of any water so far I had resorted to drinking the blood of my kills lending a red tint to my lower face. Looking at my refection in a mirror Holly Had lent me along with a magically sharpening and sterilising razor lent by Allan. I stripped down to my waist and for the first time in the last few days since I had gotten myself wearable clothes I was once again exposed to the elements. In the small mirrors reflection a saw the others see me strip business as usual before as one a few seconds later they took a second look and stopped trying to start a fire and came over to me. They stared without a hint of guile at the continuation of the burn wound on my head. It covered much of the left side of my back and stopped just short of my waist ¡®whatever magical enchant was on the shell that hit me it really did a number on me. It¡¯s healing yes; but much too slow compared to my usual rate.¡¯ Their eyes stared entrapped by the constant swirling of the scar tissue. The area growing ever smaller and closer in appearance to my natural skin colour every moment. ¡°duuuude¡± Holly exclaimed,¡± I¡¯m a half decent bio-mancer and I¡¯ve never seen anything like that!¡± ¡®Ha wait until you see this¡¯. Putting down the hand mirror with half my face clean shaven the over covered in a white foam. I turned towards them and as one their eyes were immediately drawn to my right arm or lack thereof. Where my right arm used to reside a limb no human was born with extended from my torso to my fingertips. My original arm was long lost to time and curiously never to heal had been replaced by what at the peak of the Golden Age had been and ancient but tried and true cybernetic arm. It had traded all attempts to be fancy or have cool features like concealing a gun or shooting lightning for absolute rugged reliability and multiple redundant systems. Honestly the only feature it had was returning some crude semblance of sensory information via touch. The arm itself had over the millennia been completely stripped of paint the different metals, alloys, ceramics and other materials. The original colours showing. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. The top cover assembly was a deep scratched burgundy while the under assembly was silvery steel with brass fittings the servos and moving parts under a hardened armoured shell gleamed the colour deeply blued gunmetal. The few examples of piping or tubing in the arm was made of a black ballistic material. This arm had been my constant companion for a long while and it¡¯s human like silhouette made concealing it relatively simple. But here on this new ¡®old¡¯ world I guessed concealing it would be of paramount importance. A after a minute I turned back around and continued shaving they circled around so that they could continue to stare at my arm¡± honestly guys what is so special about mine? I know with magic you can regenerate whole limbs within a couple of months or get a living element prosthesis than will act exactly like the original all the way down to as good if not better sensory faculties?¡± Holly looked up from my arm, her icy blue eyes met after a short pause ¡°Magically yes there are all manners of getting your lost limb back but technology that can match up even somewhat comparatively are unheard of¡± She retorted. They tried to ask how I did get injured and why the evident healing factor I possessed hadn¡¯t healed the arm I dodged the question because even after all this time I have no idea who or what could have reaped permanent damage to me I just woke up in a crater minus an arm¡­ Sometime later after the novelty of my arm started to wear off we all sat around the fire as Allen struggled to get the fire going ¡°Need a hand boss?¡± Gellar mocked, Allen¡¯s dark features creased into a scowl as he continued. After another moment Holly got sick of waiting for breakfast with a snap from her fingers the tepee of sticks erupted in to flames. It felt great to eat something else than wolf jerky. The bacon, toast and hot tea and coffee had me salivating as soon as I heard and smelt it cooking. Over breakfast the part just shot the shit until it was time to figure out what to do. ¡°Okay guys!¡± started Allen catching a short glare from Holly, ¡°and gals, I say we should head back to the village where we picked up our contract for the wolves¡­¡± he stopped for a moment before turning his attention to me ¡° actually what the hell do we call you?¡± the others promptly chimed in wanting to know. Sighing ¡®well that didn¡¯t last long¡¯ after a moments consideration I once again held my hand out to Allen and said ¡° thought you¡¯d never ask Roland Noble at your service but everyone just calls me Noble¡± deciding to stick with the Noble surname just felt right for some reason. ¡°Well Roland Noble it¡¯s a pleasure to finally know what to call you¡± Gellar butted in before being told to shut up by Allen. ¡°As I was saying before I was interrupted¡± He shot a scowl at his demon companion,¡± Noble here has enough pelts for proof of completion and we¡¯ll have to get him registered with the Adventures Guild to officially become part of our party¡±. Everyone chorused their agreement and within half an hour we were trekking through the forest following Gellar. The demons experience as a ranger really shone through as we hiked along what couldn¡¯t even be called game trails. He had memorised every step of the way to and from the Wood Elf village they have been operating out of. The terrain acted borderline hostile. Every step almost tripped us up and the path behind showed no sign of our passing. It was almost as if the forest itself was alive and erasing all evidence of our existence. As the sun passed it peak several hour after we set out we came to the village so suddenly it took me a moment to catch on. There had been no indication we were about to enter a fully functioning village in it bustling with activity. ¡®How the hell did we not hear them?¡¯ the village was large enough for three maybe four- five hundred to live comfortably. The houses looked as if they were carved out of the trees themselves but closer inspection showed no signs being touched by tools ¡°magic¡± I muttered u der my breath. They looked completely foreign. Towering trees larger than anything on Terra stood like planted spears their canopies casting the village into soft shadow. Spiralling staircases wrapped around the monstrous trees and every several meters there was a branch growing out with cosy looking houses growing out of them I stared up in awe. This sight alone made coming to the world worth it. I followed the party through the village until we reached the centre where one building stood out the log building had two stories and a sign which read ¡®Adventures guild, tavern and inn¡¯. Guess we¡¯ve come to our destination. Chapter 7 - The Rookie Chapter 7: The Rookie The arena was packed dirt with wooden walls two meters tall separating the entertainment from the audience. The soon to be combatants sat on short wooden stools at opposite ends of the arena. Both where dressed only in white loincloths and neither was looking at the other. They had been waiting for some time now and had taken the time earlier to examine their opponent now all there was to do was wait. The stands around the arena finally filled today was the final day of an Initiate in the Guild before He would be officially recognised as a member of the Guild. Over the past three months of the process the initiate had to prove his competencies in many fields from blade work to hunting, from first aid to camping and finally now the initiate must only show the He is skilled enough before his peers for them to trust him in the field. He must duel his sponsor the Guild member who put his guild membership on the line to show his faith that the Initiate ha what it took to join the illustrious guild. ¡°Guild members present at this village, thank you for coming here on this beautiful afternoon.¡± Started the Hallmaster, he was an older looking Wood Elf a feat few can accomplish Wood elves being effectively immortal he would have had to have lived for possibly thousands of years to get to his current aged appearance. ¡°Our newest initiate has proven himself to competent in a multitude of areas and will no doubt be a great addition to the Guild but that all means nothing if you cannot trust him to strand at your side in battle.¡± The Hallmaster stood on a slightly raised podium so all in the audience could see and hear him clearly.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°The rules are simple show us you are worthy and of course no killing, not even the Spellweavers can heal that!¡± the spectators chuckled darkly. ¡°Fighters rise and move to the centre of the arena!¡± The fighters stood up moved to the centre where two daggers lay. ¡°Who sponsors the Initiate?¡± Called the Hallmaster into the arena. One of the figures stepped up to face the Hallmaster standing two meters tall with broad shoulders and narrow waist his closely cropped dark black hair and stubble stark contrast to his pale skin the kind knights get when spend too much time within their armour. He stood ramrod straight and announced to his peers ¡°Allen Hardgrove the Crimson Hound I sponsor this here initiate!¡± A smattering of murmurs started in the crowds many had heard of him and that his duel acting title and callsign was more than lived up too. When a new member joined the Guild their sponsor gave them a unique title and callsign that would be the name they were known by within the guild as it may be dangerous to loved ones if real names where used. The titlenames could be changed but only after committing great acts of renown. ¡°And have you chosen a Titlename for the initiate?¡± Asked the Hallmaster shutting down talking in the stands. ¡°I have,¡± Hardgrove paused and grinned wickedly at the initiate,¡± His Titlename shall be ¡®Rookie¡¯.¡± A dead silence fell over the crowd before all at once a great laughter erupted and soon many of the Adventurers where wheezing and struggling to breath after the stands calmed down the Hallmaster now sporting a poorly concealed smile tried to get on with the event. ¡°What is the reason for his Titlename?¡± A guild members given Titlename can near any reason it was the individual Hallmaster choice whether the name was to be allowed or not. The initiate visibly sighed as if in resignation as Hardgrove flashed a wolfish smile ¡°because when I raised the subject he said and I quote: I don¡¯t care what you call me as long as it¡¯s not Rookie; and believe me I checked the registry no Guild member has been given the Titlename Rookie in the past.¡± another small bout of laughter came from the stands eliciting a low chuckle from the wizened Hallmaster. ¡°Very well Rookie it is, do you accept your Titlename Initiate Roland Noble?¡±