Trial by Fire, Part I (quest event)
Posted: Sun May 02, 2004 6:26 pmMarius brooded in the depths of his tower, purusing tomes of ancient, forgotten lore. All was peaceful in the confines of his tower, where none dared challenge him. Until now.
Suddenly, there was a brilliant flash of light, and the tower was rocked by a wave of heat. Marius the Black snatched up his staff, striding boldly out to the front doors of his castle, near blasting them off his hinges with a mere gesture.
"Who disturbs my sanctuary?" He demanded. At first, no one was there but then a pillar of fire shot from the sky. It scorched the ground and left a smoking crater, upon which a dread horseman appearaed. His very eyes blazed with fire, and his laughter was the sound of a raging inferno. With but a glance, searing words of fire blasted across Marius' mind, embedding a name upon his soul:
CORONA.
"I am the fire that BURNS!" Shrieked the intruder, borne upon his steed, madness raging in his eyes as the world around Marius became living fire. The flames tore at his skin, blistering and boiling him and Marius retreated, sealing the doors of his tower behind him.
Gasping for breath, Marius clenched his staff with both hands, crouching forward in anger.
"None disturb my tower! Away!"
Marius called upon spirits dark and foul, creatures of nightmare made true. Spirits of evil and malice shrieked in contempt but were laid helpless before their masters' will. It is said that Xanderbaras is the master of the minds of living mortals:
Marius is the master of the dead.
Out of his tower shrieked a veritable army of undead, raining death upon the living flames. The creatures of fire shriked and fell, but not before reducing many to ash. The battle was fierce, but Marius dark spells held out against this brazen intruder, this Corona, this Master of Fire. In the chaos of battle, Corona escaped, the brilliant light of the fire beasts concealing his escape, but not his final, mocking maniacial laughter.
When naught but the undead stand around him, and the stink of burnt corpse-flesh hung low and greasy in the air, Marius considered what this message meant. And certainly it was a message; a warning. But why? Why to Marius the Black, Lord of the Tower of Scorn? It was something to ponder, but now was not the time for reflection. No, now was the time for action. Certainly, dire portents were heralded for Britannia. None would harm the prize he covetted so dearly, and certainly not this fire-wielding brute.
Marius would have his revenge against this indignity.
The great Necromancer raised his staff, and a shadow slithered from the ground. Gazing into it's depthless orbs that passed for eyes, Marius commanded the creature.
"Go, you know what to do."
Immediately, the creature slithered sinuously away, bearing a message all Britannians would hear. It was a message, an ill omen, a word of warning from the aristocratic tyrant to the people he would crush at a whim.
"The Corona Comes."
Suddenly, there was a brilliant flash of light, and the tower was rocked by a wave of heat. Marius the Black snatched up his staff, striding boldly out to the front doors of his castle, near blasting them off his hinges with a mere gesture.
"Who disturbs my sanctuary?" He demanded. At first, no one was there but then a pillar of fire shot from the sky. It scorched the ground and left a smoking crater, upon which a dread horseman appearaed. His very eyes blazed with fire, and his laughter was the sound of a raging inferno. With but a glance, searing words of fire blasted across Marius' mind, embedding a name upon his soul:
CORONA.
"I am the fire that BURNS!" Shrieked the intruder, borne upon his steed, madness raging in his eyes as the world around Marius became living fire. The flames tore at his skin, blistering and boiling him and Marius retreated, sealing the doors of his tower behind him.
Gasping for breath, Marius clenched his staff with both hands, crouching forward in anger.
"None disturb my tower! Away!"
Marius called upon spirits dark and foul, creatures of nightmare made true. Spirits of evil and malice shrieked in contempt but were laid helpless before their masters' will. It is said that Xanderbaras is the master of the minds of living mortals:
Marius is the master of the dead.
Out of his tower shrieked a veritable army of undead, raining death upon the living flames. The creatures of fire shriked and fell, but not before reducing many to ash. The battle was fierce, but Marius dark spells held out against this brazen intruder, this Corona, this Master of Fire. In the chaos of battle, Corona escaped, the brilliant light of the fire beasts concealing his escape, but not his final, mocking maniacial laughter.
When naught but the undead stand around him, and the stink of burnt corpse-flesh hung low and greasy in the air, Marius considered what this message meant. And certainly it was a message; a warning. But why? Why to Marius the Black, Lord of the Tower of Scorn? It was something to ponder, but now was not the time for reflection. No, now was the time for action. Certainly, dire portents were heralded for Britannia. None would harm the prize he covetted so dearly, and certainly not this fire-wielding brute.
Marius would have his revenge against this indignity.
The great Necromancer raised his staff, and a shadow slithered from the ground. Gazing into it's depthless orbs that passed for eyes, Marius commanded the creature.
"Go, you know what to do."
Immediately, the creature slithered sinuously away, bearing a message all Britannians would hear. It was a message, an ill omen, a word of warning from the aristocratic tyrant to the people he would crush at a whim.
"The Corona Comes."