"The Legacy of the Four" by Shadow Master
(BtVS/Darksiders/The Legend of Vox Machina/Parts of D&D and Similar Worlds/Others)
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the copyrighted materials contained herein. They are the rightful property of their respective creators and/or associated companies. I make no profit from this whatsoever and I have no intention of changing this at any point in the future. I write because it's fun and because there are those who enjoy reading my stories. Therefore please no legal action against me because I can promise you that even if you drain me dry it won't be enough to cover your legal fees. I am not a rich guy or even a fairly well off guy and corporate lawyers I'm told are expensive.
Note: As always positive reviews will be greatly appreciated, constructive criticism will be considered but not necessarily acted upon and negative/bashing/venomous reviews will at the very least be ignored and at most be burned as fuel to keep things going.
Note 2: Got this idea when watching the new show 'The Legend of Vox Machina' on Prime. It's a great show with wonderful animation, voice acting and plot. It was like the best kind of chocolate where you're never satisfied with just one piece of it. So with the buzz of having watched a wonderful show I thought about all the ways I could write a story involving it and this is what I came up with. Most of what I'll be using will be what's in the games and what was in the show but if there are any holes I will likely cherry pick some suitable fillers for the blank spots.
With that being said Dungeons and Dragons, the world Vox Machina is based on, might as well be a closed book to me with only the cover visible. Some other fantasy worlds I know better and some I know worse. So expect some mistakes, misunderstandings and some liberties being taken with D&D facts/lore/mechanics. While some might prefer that I at least become familiar with the game, play a few dozen games and study up on the specifics that's just too much work for something that's a hobby for me and therefore meant to be fun. For those that find too many errors or screwups take this as a challenge to write your own crossover involving these properties. Many of you who've reviewed my stories are great writers and I would definitely like to see your own spin on things even if it was just a one chapter story.
Note 3: I will be taking liberties with the various properties in order to tell the story I wish to tell but I will do my best to keep them to a minimum. Anyone who doesn't like even the slightest deviation from canon facts/lore should turn around right now.
And with that ON WITH THE STORY!
The Legacy of the Four
And so it was that the Horseman known as Death cast himself and his body containing the souls of all the kin he'd as well as the others he had slain into Well of Souls to once more sow the seeds of humanity once more. However even with this deed it would take time for the Earth to once more become fit for human habitation and growth. They wouldn't just pop back into existence as they once were nor could the damage done by the forces of Heaven and Hell be undone easily or quickly. Indeed much like the aftermath of the meteor that wiped out the dinosaurs planetary recovery and new growth would take time.
So too would the evolution from single celled organisms to the form that best represented humanity before it was wiped out as a result of Abbadon's betrayal.
Nevertheless it was not a process without its problems for the forces of Heaven and Hell still hated each other with an inexhaustible passion. With nothing to get in their way they would continue to use Earth as their battleground as one side tried to wipe out the other creating setback after setback in the process of humanity's restoration. It was through deceit, manipulation, revelation and determination though that beings of power chose to take up the task of forcing both sides to play nice.
Not because they were ordered to but rather of their own free will.
There were only four of them but that was enough to bring down entire armies and fell even the strongest of foes.
They were known as the Four Horseman.
The last of a mix of angel and demon born of work done by the demon Lilith first of mingled remains and then of unnatural compulsions.
Battle by battle, duel by duel, those who thought they could use the realm of Earth as their battleground freely were taught otherwise until finally the rulers of both the divine and the infernal agreed to never set foot on the future Kingdom of Man unless permitted. Naturally both sides did what they could to follow the letter of their agreement with the Horsemen but not the spirit of it. Both left behind certain items, certain magic and organic remnants that they hoped would give them the advantage when next the opportunity to clash arose.
Of course the Horseman realized this and with the aid of those who saw the wisdom of properly restraining the two armies or sought to atone for past sins a momentous act was undertaken. Using the most potent of the things left behind by either side a spell only the Creator should have been able to perform sealed almost all the gateways between the divine realms, the infernal realms and the Earth save those requiring a heavy toll by those who would use them. The heavy toll required of those who would seek passage would minimize the damage they would be able to do and the passage would only be temporary before they would be forced to leave.
It was a point of infuriating memory for both Heaven and Hell to have their own plans turned back upon them.
Thus time did pass, the remains of humanity past crumbled to dust and the greenery that remained spread as fertile ground as well as water permitted. Slowly but surely life not of plant but of animal returned but few lived long enough to witness even a fraction of the transformation that occurred from what was to what might someday be.
Even the Horsemen.
With the way blocked for the armies of old to do harm and the process of Earth's restoration alongside humanity proceeding they had accomplished what they set out to do. The betrayers had been slain, the seeds of Third Kingdom sown and measures taken to ensure the crop would have time to come into its own. Also while powerful and of mixed blood the Horsemen were not eternal despite what some might think thus did even they succumb to old age. This was especially the case since the power granted to them with the destruction of the Seventh Seal faded once their task was finished. Each sought out a corner of the Earth they found pleasing and when their time came they passed with the one thing that once they'd thought they would never have again.
Peace.
However there was one, wise and old, that worried what happened once might well happen again and so just as the Horseman had acted so too did the wise one. Sadly even the old one knew that recreating the Four would be impossible without recreating the conditions Lilith used in the past. To do so would require that the magic keeping both sides out be undone and that could not be permitted. Instead the wise one chose to mirror the actions of the ones that had undone the fall of man and sow the seeds of that which might be needed one day. One by one visits were made to the graves of the Horsemen and a portion of their lingering essence was siphoned off to be placed within a specially prepared object. Other things were placed within, things that could prove useful should the wise one's concerns prove to be justified and when all was done only one thing remained.
A spell was placed on the object to ensure that it would ever escape the grasp of those who sought it and yet draw inexorably closer to the one destined to inherit it one day.
Countless thousands of years passed with more than one trying to find it and wield its ancient power only for it to slip through their fingers if not elude their gaze entirely. Those wise enough to understand eventually ceased their search and convinced their descendants to never start looking again. The unwise sought it to their dying breath or until insanity gripped their minds leaving them helpless as well as hopeless.
Then like all things the day came when humanity finally reached a point of evolution and civilization that mirrored what had existed prior to the start of Abbadon's fall then rebirth. The barriers keeping those of Heaven and those of Hell from repeating the past were still in place if somewhat weakened by the passage of time. The machinations of either side had a measure of success in bestowing Earth with new races of mixed blood for it was a loophole the Horsemen had been forced to put in their grand spell to not be banished from Earth themselves. No doubt both sides hope that the half or less breeds they have spawned would find some means on the reborn Earth to undo the barriers that keep them out.
Thus far their lowly servants have failed to bring about Heaven or Hell on Earth but as is often the case with ending a world…
…you only need to succeed once.
Luckily the arrogance of the strong often causes them to overlook the efforts of the weak and with the help of the wise new walls may rise to bar the paths of the enemies of humanity.
And some walls may be thicker than others.
As the people of Sunnydale, California approached the night of Halloween in the year nineteen ninety-seven a wall would arise that none had foreseen and thus none had prepared for.
No one had.
Ethan's Costume Shop
Sunnydale, California
Xander Harris' POV
~God? You listening?~ He thought as he watched the last item in the bargain bin get carried off by a five year old, ~Have I done something to piss you off? Maybe many things? If I did I am SO sorry!~
He knew the others would probably dismiss his idea but how else could you explain the chain of events that'd led him to where he was now. First he'd gotten into a confrontation with Larry about his poor opinion of Buffy only for the Slayer to butt in and solve the problem for him. This of course damaged his man cred around school which was the only thing keeping most of the bullies away from him. Then of course he wound up getting roped into chaperoning kids from the local elementary school around trick or treating for two hours. It was something that'd been done for the last ten years but he hadn't signed on for it because he was smarter than he was generous.
Kids that age weren't all bad but there were some bad apples that made him want to keep his distance and keep interaction to a minimum. Pour a few cups of sugar down their throats via Halloween candy though and you'd get your first peek of what the kids would be like if they got intoxicated. Their activity levels skyrocketed, inhibitions decreased and their ability to think before they acted was cut in half. Throw in the tendencies of some kids to test their limits and take advantage of the fact that any adult who laid a hand on them would get in trouble and you had a recipe for trouble he DIDN'T need.
Unfortunately thanks to the Hyena incident last year Principal Flutie was dead and with Snyder in charge chaperoning went from voluntary to voluntary under threat of detention. Of course since the Scoobies were Snyder's FAVOURITE students they'd gotten roped into the chaperoning under threat of severe punishment. While officially he knew that the asshole shouldn't be able to abuse his power like that given the strangeness of Sunnydale in general he just wrote it off as a minor example of the Hellmouth at work.
Bottom line: unless the Scoobies wanted to spend all their evenings in detention for the next six months they had no choice.
Then when he, Willow and Buffy got to the new costume shop he had a plan in mind for a costume that'd let him get it cheaply proving his financial sense. Unfortunately it'd required a cheap weapon that a soldier often used and with the bargain bin empty the odds of him finding what he wanted were small.
Still he refused to show up to for his batch of brats with nothing more than surplus army fatigues if for no other reason than he didn't want to give Larry and his friends an opening for their potshots. So with mild determination he began to search the isles for something that'd suit his needs while also being as inexpensive as possible. While he did have some money saved up it was meant for the road trip he and Jesse were supposed to have taken he refused to take from it. Even if Jesse was dead he was still determined to go on the road trip in his chosen brother's name to see all that he could. Willow could come along in Jesse's name but he conceded that she might be distracted getting ready for whatever college or university she decided to go to after the summer. She was after all the smartest girl in high school and could easily write her own ticket if she wanted.
He would love her company but wouldn't begrudge her if she should choose to focus on her academic future.
Strolling through the isles he paused at things that caught his eye but when he saw the price tags he moved on in search of something cheaper. It was as he searched that he spotted Willow and Buffy by one of the displays but when he raised his gaze to see what she was looking at he couldn't help but sneer. A puffy dress that'd fit right in with the classic Disney princesses when they went to some ball or another but honestly it was only of mild interest to him. He much preferred modern formal wear that flattered the figure without revealing too much.
Leaving something to the imagination gave his mind something to fantasize about.
"Yes I don't much care for such outfits either." A voice said behind him and to the right.
"AAAHHHH!" He exclaimed jumping up before whirling around to see who it was, "Don't DO that! Especially in this town."
"Sorry. Old habit." The man said before bowing slightly, "Ethan Rayne. Owner of this modest shop. Is there anything I can help you with? You seemed to be having trouble finding what you're looking for."
"Yeah. I need a soldier weapon to go with the army fatigues I bought but the bargain bin's empty." He explained short and to the point, "I'm kinda on a fixed budget."
"Spent most of your allowance on junk food I'd bet." Mister Rayne said looking like he'd done the same when he was younger, "I'm afraid that much of what is on display is at least triple what something from the bargain bin would cost. However…I may have something for you. Go to the cash register and I'll meet you there with some things for you to take a look at."
"Sure. See you there." He said not having anything better in mind to do.
With that they parted company with him heading for the cash register and Mister Rayne heading for the back room of the store. Letting his gaze wander about he felt wistful as he saw several costumes he wished he had the money to get ranging from superhero costumes to the lead roles of some of his favourite movies. He was sort of impressed at the quality that he'd seen where the costumes were concerned since he knew most people in the costume store business only got outfits meant to last a night at the very least or a week at the most. It was all a business after all where you tried to maximize your profits while minimizing your costs. Only those with the necessarily deep pockets dared venture into the market of creating costumes meant to last years since such outfits would be made of quality materials designed to endure.
~Guy must've dropped some serious cash into this place.~ He thought with a mental nod, ~Must be why things're so expensive. They might not be as pricey as those at Party Town but they're still a bit high.~
It was about five minutes later that Mister Rayne came out of the back room carrying an armful of things some of which were in bags while the others were out in the open for all to see. It didn't look like the man was having difficulty due to the weight but rather because of how awkward some of the pieces were to carry. When he arrived at the register he gently put the bags as well as the items down looking quite relieved to do so.
"What's all this?" He asked unable to think of how any of what he saw constituted a costume.
"Various pieces of costumes that were damaged during delivery to the store. Believe it or not this represents the pieces that were intact enough to be worth showing you." Mister Rayne replied showing a bit of irritation at the damaged goods he'd paid for, "The rest I wouldn't try to sell a hobo."
~O-kay…I can work with this.~ He thought though he was a bit curious so he asked, "SO what were you thinking of when you brought all this out?"
"Well while a soldier was what you'd originally planned was fine I wasn't able to find something suitable." Mister Rayne replied giving his explanation, "It was then when I came upon an idea: an adventurer! Straight from one of those fantasy novels or perhaps one of the few movies Hollywood actually did a good job on. They were freelancers for hire, seekers of glory and fortune! Best of all they were practical. While those that belonged to certain organizations had a uniform appearance most simply took advantage of whatever worked."
"So basically you think I can mix and match these pieces to make an adventurer costume?" He asked pondering the possibilities based on what he was seeing.
"Of course. The appearance of basic pants, shirts and boots hasn't changed all that much since the days of swords and arrows." Mister Rayne required picking up a large sword that looked to be a little malformed in the middle, "Despite its appearance this sword is still perfectly safe to use as a costume piece. Then there's this!
"A set of armour for the shins and forearms along with this dark grey cuirass." Mister Rayne said holding up the items in question, "Combined with the rest and I imagine that you would look quite impressive."
True. Imagining himself with this armour on with some stuff he had back home it was definitely a step up from the soldier idea he'd originally intended to go with.
"I have a few other pieces such as this crimson and gold hooded cloak, a damaged snake sword that you could probably pass off as a barbed whip to add an exotic touch." Mister Rayne said partially or fully pulling out the items as he mentioned them, "Given that each item is damaged and was going to be tossed in the garbage anyway I'm prepared to give you a discount on whatever you purchase."
"How much of a discount?" He asked uncertain if he'd be able to afford what the man would name as the total price.
"A discount large enough so that whatever you have in your pocket will be sufficient." Mister Rayne replied with an enterprising grin, "Interested?"
Kneeling down he began to look through the assorted items both the ones the store owner had already shown as well as a few others. Honestly most of the stuff while damaged in various ways didn't absolutely scream junk to him and he doubted they would to others unless they got picky about it. Letting his imagination run free he assembled, disassembled and rearranged the items to find the best possible combination for what he had on him. It took awhile, three or so minutes, but in the end there was only one thing he could say.
"Yeah. Let's ring'er up." He said before taking his choices and putting them on the counter next to the cash register.
This Halloween was shaping up to be one of the better ones even if he had to chaperone around as group of brats from the local elementary school.
Sunnydale High School
A Few Minutes Before Four PM
Willow's POV
"I still think you should've left the sheet at my place." Buffy said as they waited for Xander to arrive, "You're missing out on a big chance to get Xander's attention! Isn't that what what you want?"
"Yeah but…I just…I can't do it." She said knowing she was running away again, "What's under this…it just isn't me. It's too much too soon."
It was the truth.
She did appreciate what Buffy had tried to do for her but it just wasn't possible for her even with the prize of getting Xander's attention dangled in front of her. She'd spent years on the receiving end of hurtful words and cruel bullying that hurt her confidence outside of her schoolwork. Even if founding the Scoobies and facing things that'd make most people piss themselves but nonetheless surviving had raised her confidence level quite a bit it still wasn't enough. Not enough for people to see so much of her either exposed to air or hinted at with the clingy clothing. She didn't have the things that most of the cheerleaders had that caused every boy in school to drool over them and that meant the 'hottie' outfit Buffy had put together would've gone to waste.
Maybe in the future she'd have the confidence but not now.
"Sigh…part of getting confidence is taking risks Willow." Buffy said giving up on pressing her further, "If you play it safe your whole life you're not going to get very far. She who dares wins and all that."
"I'll…I'll work on it. Tomorrow." She said even though she didn't know if she'd have the confidence to make good on her word.
It was when she turned her eyes to the left that she spotted Xander and what she saw had her intellectual mind scrutinizing it all. She'd seen him talking with the store owner and the bunch of stuff on the floor but she didn't know what all he had planned. Now seeing the finished work she had to admit that it worked for him and it definitely made him stand out from the crowd of other 'volunteers'.
Right off the bat she could tell that each part of Xander's costume originally came as part of a different outfit based on the colour combinations and materials. Still Xander had managed to arrange them on his body in such a way that they all meshed together to form an impressive sight.
"Looking good Xan." Buffy complimented her eyes lingering on the sword hilt sticking up over his right shoulder, "Going as something outta 'Conan the Barbarian'?"
"More 'Dragonheart' actually." Xander replied reaching up to pull the sword off his back almost catching it on the crimson hood covering all but the front of his head, "I am the adventurer Alexander! Slayer of dragons and demons! For the right price there's nothing I cannot kill!"
"You're a mercenary?" Buffy asked looking amused by the corny lines.
"AD-VEN-TURER not mercenary." He replied making sure they understood the distinction, "A warrior who's his own boss and makes a living selling his skills to the people who need them."
"Wish being the Slayer was like that." Buffy said with mild bitterness, "Instead all I have is my allowance and Dad's money filled Christmas or Birthday cards."
"Too bad everything freaky and spooky is on the down low." He said with idle consideration, "Can you imagine opening up an 'I slay if you pay' business Buffy? You'd be raking it in!"
"He's right you know." She said as her mind went over the details as they surfaced in her mind, "Seeing as how there's only ever one Slayer at a time no other demon killing business would be able to handle jobs like you could. Exclusivity leads to lucrative returns especially if there's a big enough demand for demon killing."
"Slayer to presidents, prime ministers and other powerful people." Buffy said whimsically with a grin on her face, "I like the sound of that…but it'd probably be more trouble than it's worth. The paperwork alone'd probably drive me nuts."
Considering how Buffy acted during their study sessions for tests and when they were researching the latest threat it was probably best that the Slayer hire someone for the desk work. Desk work and meeting potential customers in order to give the best possible impression so that the best possible deal could be made. Maybe she could do it or at least the paperwork side of things leaving Giles to handle the meetings.
Something to think about.
Even if it'd likely never be made a reality.
"Alright you gang members and prostitutes in training! Shut up and get over here!" Snyder bellowed effectively silencing the various conversations going on about the lounge, "It's time to show you the groups you will be responsible for and had better bring back in one piece and NOT be a bad influence on."
"He does realize that he's risking the whole reverse psychology thing here right?" Xander whispered to her and Buffy just loud enough for those immediately around them to hear him.
"I'm pretty sure he doesn't care." Buffy snarked while keeping her expression neutral, "If people listen to him he wins. If they make trouble he gets to give them detention or expel them. There's no downside for him."
"Diabolical." He said with false awe that made her giggle beneath her ghost costume.
It was just as she was beginning to look away that she noticed something about Xander's costume that caught her eye. It looked kind of like one of those old fashioned accessories women wore around their necks that had a carved head on it or family crests. She couldn't remember what they were called but they were made out of ivory or some sort of white stone she was pretty sure. There were a few in the pictures drawn in the books she'd helped Buffy 'borrow' from Giles' office but there were some significant differences in the medallion Xander had.
The medallion was square shaped with small claw-like points at each corner and at the centre was the image of four horses standing or galloping shoulder to shoulder. It was a little impressive that whoever had made the medallion had managed to squeeze in four horses without skimping on the quality of the work. It had a silver chain strung through one of the gaps at the base of each of the claw points that while not expensive jeweller quality wasn't some cheap piece of junk metal either.
"What's that supposed to be?" She asked pointing at the medallion even as they walked towards Snyder.
Slowly.
The longer they stayed out of his orbit the better.
"Dunno. The guy at the store suggested it could be a sign of an adventurer's rank or maybe the sign of the guild the adventurer belonged to." Xander replied with a shrug, "The Cavalry Guild or the Riders Guild or something."
Riders…rider…something about that word was causing a buzzing in her brain but even after a solid minute of thinking on the matter she couldn't dredge more than a fragment or two of info up. Something Giles had mentioned about the various ways that certain demonic entities could use humans as hosts in order to physically interact with the human world. Not really all that helpful so she decided that she'd think it over later and maybe ask Giles about it.
He'd probably know what she was trying to remember.
XXXX
Timing.
Chance.
Chaos.
Uniqueness.
All of these things are tricky things that handling them in an effort to gain a positive outcome is as much about luck as it is intellect and skill. However if you do your best and lady luck happens to be on your side you can accomplish something the world has never seen before and probably never would again.
When it happens atop an active Hellmouth being harnessed by multiple practitioners for various different goals requiring a variety of set up methods…well…either the place will get magically nuked or the local as well as potentially the global status quo would quake.
This is a case of the latter occurring.
In other timelines, other realities and worlds this night would be marked with beings of fiction manifesting in the bodies of people who sought to imitate them. However despite how worrying that might seem in those worlds the powers that ruled over the light in each one knew that the effects would be temporary. Any feat of magic no matter how impressive when fuelled by one deity could never manage something permanent or even empower the humans to the same level as the beings they were pretending to be. When added to how most of them took action to nudge variables towards terminating the spell earlier then Ethan Rayne planned nothing should come of Halloween besides a few minimal remnants.
However in this one reality, as unique to the multiverse as the multiverse was to it, there was something that did not exist anywhere but this one reality.
For in this reality an inheritance of the Four was made, a legacy that had navigated its way through countless years, only to find its way around the neck of a singular individual. An individual born and raised in the energies of the Hellmouth and possessed of the the oddest kind of luck of anyone on the planet. An individual that in many parts of the multiverse had a quality that ensured that any magic performed on him and sometimes even in his vicinity would not work as intended.
That individual was Alexander LaVelle Harris.
Just as it had in many other realities when Ethan Rayne spoke those final words the power of Janus flowed through the clay bust before reaching out to touch those wearing items bought from the store. One after another people were transformed into whoever or whatever they'd dressed up as to varying degrees. Some merely gained powers with their costume remaining the same as always while others went from normal humans to something decidedly not. Nevertheless Janus had been smart enough to realize that going too far would only get him into trouble with certain officious balance obsessed bastards. Therefore any person who dressed up as something with the power to affect all of Sunnydale or more would only be given access to a fraction of that being's power.
Fortunately most beings of town level or greater power often experienced situations where someone or something successfully rob them of their power or weaken it considerably. Therefore the afflicted wouldn't think of anything but those past situations to explain why they weren't as strong as they remembered being. Janus knew he could still have all the fun he wanted even with these restriction and then when the sun rose he'd let all the afflicted return to normal with only a handful retaining anything from the experience.
That was what would've happened but as was often the case with Xanders across the multiverse when the magic hit him things went more than a little wonky.
Part of it could be attributed to the mix and matching of the armour pieces along with the slightly broken weapons on his person. With most of the people who'd bought something from Ethan Rayne's shop they'd had a clear image in their mind of who or what they wanted to dress up as and what they were supposed to look like. However in Xander's case the bits and pieces he'd chosen for his costume had come from no less than seven different sources and as for what he'd wanted to dress up as it'd been just a general thing with the label 'adventurer'. As such he'd given Janus and the spell connected to him quite a bit of room to work with but unlike what some might think Janus wasn't controlling everything. It was more akin to activating a computer program with a clearly defined purpose and a set of rules to follow that could be left to proceed on its own once you clicked on it.
Needless to say that after tonight he was going to pay much closer attention to the spells he empowered.
However the more likely reason why things took a turn for the bizarre was the medallion that the Sunnydale boy wore around his neck. Contrary to what some might think it had never been a part of the consignment of costumes and accessories that Ethan Rayne had procured for the night's entertainment. Indeed the man would later wonder where he'd gotten it from since his memories didn't contain anything that'd explain how it came to be in the back room. All Rayne could recall with some clarity was that he'd felt strongly about adding it to the armful of things he'd planned on bringing out to the young man. There was no articulated reason for the feeling but it'd been too strong for him to ignore without considerable effort so he hadn't bothered.
When the power of Janus made contact with the medallion though the chaos enthusiast would quickly come to wish that he'd put a LOT more effort into it.
For the medallion was no ordinary piece of metal but rather was a one of a kind artifact that'd been created before the restart of both the planet Earth and all the life forms on it. Forged by one who if his identity had been known might've been called the origin for Odin and containing the essences of four powerful beings it had a reaction to the power of Janus. The bits of essence had been small in the beginning, the limit of what the one could extract from dead remains, but the passage of time as well as exposure to several supernatural hot spots had changed things. While no one capable of perceiving the energies could claim that the medallion was fit to burst from the power that'd grown to be much more than what it'd been neither could they call the amount minor or even average.
When the two powers collided more happened than anything anyone could've predicted.
First came the physical changes to Xander with him gaining a full five to six inches in height, his muscles while they had not invisible gained both in size as well as definition and hair that'd been dark as coal lengthened even as it turned bone white. Next, to those watching, the various parts of his costume underwent startling changes ranging from going from fake looking plastic and faux leather to genuine functional armour. The weapons? From cheap plastic props that'd experienced some damage to perfectly combat ready weapons that possessed the expected wear and tear you'd expect from items that'd spent years on the battlefield.
A bit disturbingly the areas of distortion on the large two handed sword that was on his back changed to take on the appearance of numerous inhuman faces that might be roaring.
Or screaming.
Or preparing to eat something most people would refuse to part with.
Tough to tell.
However it was when the changed young man's eyes began to glow and ephemeral images of beings straight out of nightmares began to manifest around him that it happened. With all the subtlety of what happened in Tunguska in nineteen oh eight minus the same level of property damage a discharge of energy was released. It swept over everything and in defiance of science but in perfect keeping with the arcane it did not fizzle out past a certain point or after passing through sufficient solid objects.
No instead it rippled outwards in all directions, crossing borders and boundaries without regard for almost anything, until one side of the ripple slammed into another finally putting an end to it.
Too bad any and all beings sensitive to the paranormal, supernatural and mystical got hit with the mother of all migraines as a result of coming into contact with it. Those lacking in the proper education were merely surprised by suddenness of it all, the who interacted with such things on a weekly basis immediately knew that something was up and those that could be considered experts…well…all of their reactions were quite a thing to see.
Those that coveted power were ensnared by what they felt, desiring it for themselves, and immediately went to work to track the wave back to ground zero. All of them believed that if they could learn enough and gain enough that they could claim the power for themselves.
Those that feared power were scared about the implications of such a powerful and far reaching shockwave. In all of recorded history there had been only a handful of incidents that had such far reaching effects and all of them had the potential to upend the natural order. They too began efforts to find out where it'd all come from but only with the intent of destroying or at least banishing the cause to 'anywhere but here'.
Then of course there were those who existed as a happy medium between power hungry and paranoid who were curious about what'd happened. They wanted to know more and were reserving judgment on the particulars until they had enough hard data to draw some rational conclusions. Some of them were better versed in the supernatural and mystical than others but they all shared a desire to know more before taking action.
Of course we can't forget one group who considered themselves to be the preeminent guardians of 'The Balance' and leaders of the forces of light against the infernal.
To say that if they had human bodies they'd have shit themselves after experiencing the wave would be putting it mildly and be very, VERY funny.
The Higher Planes of Existence
"I told you we should've killed him off after he broke our prophecy!"
"We couldn't! It's specifically written in our divine contracts that we can't harm a single hair on a human's head UNTIL undeniable probable cause shows up or they actually do something sets the mortal world on course for oblivion."
"Yeah and there's no way any of us saw this coming. That creator forsaken amulet has wards of obscurement on it strong enough to render it invisible to even our methods of locating it. There's no way anyone's going to believe that this is anything other than a random convergence of variables. Until that changes our hands are tied. Metaphorically speaking that is."
"We DO have probable cause! Harris proved with his resurrection of Slayer Summers and the breaking of his prophecy that he is capable of defying destiny. THAT ability will almost certainly be magnified by the changes that he is undergoing disrupting our efforts to maintain The Balance which is our sacred duty assigned by the Creator himself. This imperils the entire mortal realm and could lead to a repeat of that which decimated the planet once before!"
"And considering the busy calendar we've got lined up for the next two to three decades it's not a matter of IF Harris would destabilize things but WHEN he would. Power attracts power after all and given the origins of the medallion the amount of damage Harris could do to The Balance would be astronomical!"
"Precisely! Therefore we would be negligent in our duties if we did not act with all due speed to eliminate this threat to The Balance as soon as we can."
"And HOW do you plan on eliminating the threat? Many would point out that Harris doesn't deserve to be killed or wiped from existence for things beyond his control. The bleeding hearts as the mortal humans call them would insist that we temper our actions with compassion and mercy."
"As much as I hate to admit it you have a point. The pantheons of old might not have the sway they used to but we still need most of them to see our plans carried out. It would be most vexing if they chose to withhold their aid because we were too heavy handed in dealing with Harris. Suggestions?"
"Dimensional displacement. We send him to a part of the multiverse where magic, monsters and nonhuman races are common everyday things. Our reason can be that we believe Harris could learn to control his empowerment there among those with experience in such matters. Once he has 'mastered' his new abilities to the point where only deliberate and intentional actions were possible for him we would 'of course' bring him back home."
"And why would we ever want to bring that troublemaker back? If he gains the 'mastery' you imply he would only disrupt our plans even more.
"You forget my friend that the power he's gained is very likely THEIR power. Power enough to make both angel and demon feel fear is not so easily mastered even in a world where it is commonly studied and taught. It could take him DECADES if not CENTURIES to be worthy of being called its master. The part of the multiverse I have in mind has a temporal progression rate nearly identical to ours meaning we will have quite a bit of time to prepare for his return. IF he winds up returning at all."
"I see…he is indeed a mortal who forges strong ties to those he calls friend and he undoubtably will make many such friendships as he learns to master his empowerment. They will become as chains keeping him in that other world since returning here would mean abandoning them or worse asking them to abandon all they knew to follow him. I doubt he would possess the needed personality traits to make either possibility a reality even if his new allies chose to follow him."
"And if we're wrong we'll gain a powerful new piece on the battlefield that the other side won't be able to duplicate since we had nothing to do with its creation. Any allies that return with him will likely need some adjusting since their universe likely runs on different rules but it would not be beyond our ability to handle."
"So it's decided then?"
"Yes. Time to send him on his way."
A Desolate Place Beyond Long Forgotten
"They never learn." He muttered with a slightly wizened voice.
"Ya cannae have expected anythin' different. They followed the Charred Council for quite a'while before the Horsemen cast'em down." A large man said with what could be called a Scottish accent, "Considerin' the mess they've made o' this second go around we should just let'em slit their own throats and be done with the whole group."
"That would be the easiest course of action my old friend but not necessarily the best one." He said dismissing the image of the higher planes out of disgust, "Alexander Harris is the Inheritor of the Four. That the medallion I created has survived to the present without any harm or alteration is proof enough of the Creator's blessing both in its creation and in its purpose. We cannot allow it to be permanently removed from this realm nor can we allow Alexander to die in that other universe."
"Aye neither would be good but wha' can we do? Not like either of us can do much at this point thanks to keeping a low profile for so long." The large balding man with a beard said nodding in agreement, "Ya got somethin' in mind?"
"As a matter of fact I do and it will also serve the purpose of motivating young Alexander into finding a way back to us at the same time." He replied as he conjured another image of teenage redhead dressed for a street corner but passing through objects like a ghost, "There will be some changes to be made in order to properly tie her to Alexander and be of use to him where he's going but they are necessary."
"Wait! Ya aren't plannin' on turning her inta one o' THEM are ya?" The Big Guy asked with distaste and a bit of concern, "Ya do thae an' I would nae want to be you when Alexander gets back."
"She will share many similarities with the Watchers in that she will be tied to Alexander and physically will be no stronger than your average mortal." He replied reassuringly even as he summoned his mystical might, "However due to her own bloodline and the side effects of Janus' prank she will gain formidable magical strength. What form it will take will depend on her and the choices she will make from this moment forward but I have faith that it will be an asset one way or another."
"An' she won't be a slave ta him or us?" The Big Guy asked in order to confirm something important.
"No. Unlike the Charred Council she will retain her free will and should they return I will personally do all that I can to restore her to independent corporeal form." He replied with resolve that left nothing to doubt, "No matter the cost."
"Even the one they seem ta like whenever one of us acts like it's the good old days again?" The Big Guy asked sounding uncertain if he'd be so brave.
"Even if they dispense that one." He replied not liking that potential future either, "There is a price to be paid for everything one does and I am prepared to pay the price for what I've done."
"Then let's get this done." The Big Guy said ready to get down to business.
With that a portal that had not been used in so very long flickered to life with a crackle of energy and an expansion of power. Neither he or the Big Guy were worried about whether or not they'd be safe.
When a Maker made something they built it to last.
The Tal'Dorei Empire
Capitol City of Emon
Reality - 012522
Xander's POV
"…Uh…wha…wha's…happen'n…" he mumbled as the wind blowing over his face roused him back to consciousness.
He didn't know what'd happened or how he'd lost consciousness but he did know that his body felt sore all over like he'd just finished a full body three hour workout. Every muscle group felt like it'd been put through its paces and only got relief once the one in charge decided that it'd met its mark. Even the hair on his head felt like it'd been given a workout but he didn't understand how that could happen short of some very vigorous combing. One thing he could say though was that a nice hot bath would feel real good for his aching muscles right about now.
Opening his eyes to find out where he was so he could figure out how to get back to his house for that bath he soon lost interest in a lot of things.
Finding out you're plummeting from the sky towards a large roof of a building in some sort of medieval city tended to do that to a person.
To his credit he didn't start screaming in fear or start waving his arms all about like an idiot trying to prove that it was possible to grab hold of air like it was wood. Whether it was exposure to the freaky in Sunnydale or just something that could be called inner strength he knew that neither would be of any help to him right now. Instead he chose to follow his instincts and right now that meant putting the sturdiest thing he had between him and the impact to come. Feeling a weight on his back that he judged to be good enough he reached over his shoulder to pull forward what was there and found it to be a rather large sword. It bore a vague resemblance to the fake one he'd purchased from the new costume shop but there was no mistaking how real as well as how creepifying the weapon before him was. Nevertheless it was wide enough to be used as a substitute shield and looked strong enough to take the impact so without hesitation he put it between him and the roof that was mere seconds away.
This is gonna hurt. He thought bracing himself for what was to come, A LOT!
CRRSSHHH!
SPLSH!
"AAAHHHH!"
"What the fuck!?"
Shaking off the fog that the impact had thrust upon his mind he took stock of how his body was feeling and honestly he'd come out of the fall a lot better than he'd expected. While not given much time for it he'd predicted that the best he would be able to hope for would be two or three broken bones and a new collection of gashes to bandage up. Given how high he'd been when he'd woken up and the likelihood that he'd started further up it was a safe bet that he'd reached or was close to reaching terminal velocity. Even if his sword took some of the impact and the construction of the roof was such that it took even more he'd known that there was no way he'd survive without a scratch.
~By the feel of it I might need an ice pack, a bandage and whatever passes for over the counter painkiller but nothing else.~ He thought as he opened his eyes, Guess I got lucky.
He'd later regret that last statement.
Looking about he discovered that he'd apparently been dropped through the roof of a bath house of some sort since wherever he looked he saw the usual accessories. Towels, bowls, containers that looked like they had bath salts in them as well as a few wooden bath tubs big enough for a few people to relax in. Judging by the three people using one of the tubs for cover they'd evidently been in the middle of something when he 'dropped in'. He couldn't see much more than the tops of their heads and their eyes but the glares being sent his way made their mood quite clear.
"Heheheh…sorry about dropping in like this…" he said standing up in the now half full tub he'd landed in, "I'll…I'll be going now…"
He got two steps before a hand clamped down on his shoulder preventing him from going any further without dislodging it.
"I'm afraid 'sorry' isn't going to be enough for ruining our one a month spa day." Spoke a woman with a nice British accent even if she was clearly angry with him.
Turning to look over his shoulder he found himself wishing he hadn't and yet at the same time glad he had done so. Why? Because in the tub behind him were three women naked as the day they were born (though one of them might just've been a blessed thirteen year old) and while two of them had done whatever they could to cover up the one who'd grabbed him hadn't bothered.
Or she'd just been pissed enough at him that she didn't realize that the only thing the water concealed at the moment was everything from the thighs down.
Even as he quickly averted his gaze and tried NOT to act like some awkward virgin blush he fumbled for some way to get out of the mess he was in. Buffy and Willow would probably brow beat him into apologizing even though there was no way that he could've prevented himself from crashing through the roof in the first place. Still he had a choice left to him and both had their share of consequences.
The first was that he could shake off the woman's hand and make a run for it since the time she'd need to find something to cover up would grant him a decent lead. Sure he had no idea where he was or where he should go and yeah she probably knew the place better than he did but the chance of escaping her wouldn't be zero. Once he got a better idea of where he was and what the locals were like he'd be in a much better position to formally apologize to the three ladies.
However the potential cost was that the more time the ladies had to stew in their anger towards his unannounced arrival the higher the cost of appeasing them would be. Seeing as how he only had the clothes, armour and weapons he had on him he didn't exactly have a lot to bargain with.
The other option would be not to run and try to make amends as best he could without giving up something he'd need to survive. It'd keep the cost small and with a little luck what the ladies would ask for wouldn't be beyond his ability to pay or work off.
In the end there was only one choice.
"Then…what can I do…to make it up to you?" He asked trying not to think of the things he'd only ever seen in the magazines Jesse borrowed from his Dad's room.
"How much silver you have on you?" The angry woman asked in a scheming sort of way.
"Um…silver? That's money right? Not actual silver bars or plated things?" He asked only vaguely comprehending what the lady wanted.
"You got shit for brains or something? Of course it's money!" The woman replied incredulously at his question, "And if you give me everything you've got MAYBE I'll let this slide. MAYBE!"
"Well that's going to be a bit of a problem…" he said as he began to check pockets to see if dumb luck could help him out, "…because it looks like I haven't got a silver to my name. Anything else do?"
"Hmmmm….that sword of yours looks creepy yet expensive." The woman replied after a moment's consideration, "Give it to me and all will be forgiven. Gilmore'll probably pay enough for a week's worth of ale for something like this."
Before he could say anything she managed to pluck the large sword from his grasp with sufficient ease that he suspected she had some experience liberating possessions from their owners. However before she could do more than heft it in the air something happened that surprised just about everyone. With an ominous sound the metal of the weapon began to glow orange as though it'd just come fresh from the forge and judging by how there was an 'ahhh' and a clank the weapon really did become too hot to handle.
"Huh. Nice little security feature." He said carefully reaching to grasp the hilt and pull it out of the ground, "Wonder if it has a mind of it's own or won't let anybody but me use it."
"You don't know what your own sword does?" A new woman's voice asked making him think of someone naive yet perky.
"Nope. Just thought it was an ordinary hunk of sharp metal." He replied being mostly honest.
He'd actually thought of it was an ordinary blunt piece of plastic in the shape of a sword before he woke up here but clearly it had changed.
"Does your armour do anything or are you clueless about it too?" The angry woman asked sounding like she was only wincing in pain rather than something worse.
"I'm guessing that the person I got all this from left out a lot of details." He replied not certain if any piece of his costume was as it had been or ordinary in the least, "Don't suppose you've got jobs that need doing? Nothing too complicated 'cause a man of many talents I'm not."
"Fine." The angry woman said before issuing a loud whistle.
Ten seconds later he heard the sounds of a commotion going on downstairs that was a mix of people declaring their surprise and thinks getting smashed.
Five seconds later the sound of very heavy footfalls ascending what he presumed were stairs.
Two seconds after that a large brown bear wearing armour of all things smashed through the door before coming to a stop like a dog that came when the master called.
"Trinket? Be a dear and keep an eye on this one outside while I get dressed would you?" The angry woman asked to the bear she considered a beloved pet.
With an odd series of actions that implied greater than normal intelligence the bear clamped down on his free hand and began pulling him towards the door to the upstairs bath room. It wasn't painful and it didn't break the skin but that'd change if he tried to pull his hand free without the bear's permission. With a mental shrug he followed the bear out of the room, remembering to close the door behind him, and once there the bear plopped its ass down so he decided to do the same. Took a bit more doing than usual with the giant sword out of the way but once it was done he was as comfortable as one could be on a wooden floor with a wall at your back. With nothing particular to do he went back to trying to figure out where he was, how he got there and what he should do next.
As far as the first was concerned based on what he'd seen so far he was definitely someplace medieval and judging by the pointy ears two of the ladies had elves were common. Pausing for a moment he wondered if the female he'd thought was some impending teenager was in fact a dwarf lady or some other naturally height challenged fantasy race. If the girl was in fact a woman and of one of those short races then it implied that there could be many more nonhuman races walking about. Definitely going to be a must to get cliff notes on each and every one of them just so he didn't wind up pissing them off or accidentally proposing marriage.
It could happen.
This was him after all.
As for how he got there there was only one possibility that made sense: magic. Something magical happened Halloween night and not only did it send him someplace VERY far away and POSSIBLY a long time ago but it turned his costume real. What sort of spell, ritual or ceremony did something like that he didn't know but odds were high that it was something only Lord of the Sith level dark mojo user could pull off. So at this point he was of the opinion that either Giles' line about Halloween being dead for the craziness was bullshit or someone decided to perform a big 'fuck you' to that tradition.
Definitely a mental note to track down that someone and express some discontent and anger at being pulled into their mess.
On the matter of more immediate plans the first was obviously figuring out some way of making it up to the ladies for dropping in uninvited and seeing them in their birthday suits. He might be a guy and the memory of their fine female forms would remain one of his happy places for a good while but Willow and Buffy had trained him well to repress his inner pervert. Oddly enough it worked three out of five times when they weren't around and five out of five times when they were present so you had to give them credit for what they'd accomplished. ANYway thanks to their training and his desire to be better than Tony FUCKIN' Harris he was obligated to do what he could to atone. What exactly that'd be he didn't know but he'd give it his best albeit with some lines in the sand he would refuse to cross.
Fortunately for him the ladies he needed to repay didn't take as long as girls did back home to sort themselves out after a bath since it only took the angry lady and her friends ten minutes to exit the room fully clothed with their hair respectable enough. The angry woman had her brown hair in a braid and was wearing an outfit of black and blue with a mass of white fur covering her right shoulder. The one he presumed had been the naive and perky one was also an elf with orange-reddish hair wearing an outfit of various shades of green with thigh high brown boots. The one he figured he'd mistakenly took for a kid had short hair and wore silver armour over a blue and white tunic with something hanging from around her neck that reminded him of Buffy's cross necklace.
"Since you don't have any silver and Gilmore probably wouldn't appreciate being sold dangerous gear even if it would fetch a nice pouch of money if he played it right we'll need something else." Angry woman said having calmed down a little but still not pleased with him, "So until I say otherwise consider yourself the indentured servant of Vox Machina. We say and you do no matter what."
"Fair enough but I draw the line at sexual servicing and anything that'd get me thrown in a dungeon." He said figuring that he had to set some guidelines just to be safe, "Outside of that…well…I'll let you know if I've got a problem with it and we'll negotiate."
The redhead and the short for her age woman blushed at his words but the angry woman didn't bat so much as an eyelash making him think she either had the better Poker face or simply was more 'experienced' than the others. For a moment though it looked like the angry lady might fight him on this but then the moment passed with her nodding in agreement.
"It's a deal then." Angry lady said before the sounds from downstairs had her looking a little shifty, "Now let's be off. You're the first indentured servant Vox Machina's ever had and I plan on putting you to work pronto."
Thus as one the group went for the stairs heading down the as swiftly as they could but once they reached the bottom he felt tempted to take back the comment about the bear being intelligent somewhat. Clearly it'd come through here with little regard for what got in its way as it answered the call of its master. While it looked like people, both patrons and servants, were still trying to make sense of chaos he doubted it'd last long. Sooner or later the manager or whomever was in charge of the bath house would go looking for whoever was responsible and knowing his luck he'd probably get lumped in with angry lady.
Especially since he did put a hole in the roof he kinda was responsible for SOME of the damage.
Once they were out into the streets the path followed was a haphazard one though he supposed that if the three ladies lived in this city they might actually be following a real path. It took minutes but eventually they came to a stop though that might've been to keep from ruining the benefits of their bath by sweating too much.
"I take it you didn't have enough 'silver' to cover what your furry friend broke?" He asked just to confirm his theory.
"No more than you had to pay to have the roof fixed." The angry woman snarked as though her answer would've been common sense.
"Any chance the owner knows where you guys live?" He asked worried that their getaway would get nullified if there was someone waiting for them.
"Doubt it." Angry lady scoffed even as she straightened up from her resting position.
"Yeah. Even we don't know where we'll be sleeping for more than a few days." Miss Red Naive and Green said sounding rather depressed at that fact.
"It took us awhile to save up enough to go the bath house." Little Lady said sounding disappointed at the ruined special day.
"What exactly do you guys do for a living?" He asked sounding curious about what could leave them so short of coin.
"Oh a little of this, a little of that." Miss R'n'G replied trying to avoid the specifics.
"Mercenaries then?" He asked figuring that it was the logical option since adventurers really were mercs by another name.
"Got a problem with that?" Angry woman asked with a bit of a lazy edge.
"Not really. Depends on what jobs you take." He replied honestly looking at each of the women in turn, "So long as none of them hurt or kill innocent people I've got no problem."
"We'd never do something like that!" The green clad redhead exclaimed sounding offended that there was even some suspicion.
"Maybe not but most mercs will do anything if they're offered enough money for it." He said laying out the truth.
"Not Vox Machina." Angry woman said with a bit of finality, "We have standards."
"We do?" Miss Green asked sounding a little surprised.
"YES we DO." Angry lady replied sounding displeased at the undermining of her previous statement.
"But weren't you saying this morning that we'd be needing a new job soon and any would do?" Little Lady asked clearly not reading the mood angry lady was trying to create.
"I didn't mean THAT!" Angry woman said before letting out a sigh of exasperation, "I just meant that we're a little short on money at the moment and finding work soon would be a good thing."
"Yep. Money is definitely of the good as long as it doesn't hurt good innocent people." He said understanding the need for employment when the wallet starts feeling a little light.
"Yes, well, sometimes you've gotta do what you gotta do." Angry woman said sounding like she didn't care what she had to do to keep her purse plump.
"True." He said conceding that life didn't always give you the choices you wanted and could live with, "Name's Xander."
"Vex." Angry woman said without elaborating further.
"I'm Keyleth of the Air Ashari." Miss Redhead Green said with a friendly smile.
Honestly she was reminding him more and more of Willow.
"Pike Trickfoot." Little Lady said with a grin.
"Well now that all the introductions are out of the way let's go find the others." Vex said sounding like she didn't like the whole getting to now you stuff, "They need to know that laying low might be a good idea for awhile. Just until the roof and the other things at the bath house are fixed."
With that the group of five began moving being cautious to check intersections and open areas before proceeding on their way.
~Why do I get the feeling that Vox Machina has a habit of needing to duck trouble and consequences?~ He thought as he followed the ladies to wherever they were going.
XXXXX
Post chapter notes: Before anyone gets ahead of themselves Xander is NOT going to be a full powered in your face Horseman from the beginning. At this point in the story he is either a one half or two thirds Nephilim and one half or one third his original DNA before the Halloween spell. His body will have all the innate benefits of having Horseman Nephilim DNA but like most RPGs he's just starting out with base stats for his class/job/species. He'll have to train, gain experience through quests and the occasional out of nowhere artifact in order to get stronger. Will he ever become as strong as the Horsemen in the games? I haven't decided yet. At the very least I plan to have him do justice to the legacy of War and the others while at the same time making several people I don't like suddenly find themselves in need of fresh pants.
PS- Any suggestions on a romantic interest for Xander? Can be an existing character from the cartoon, the actual Critical Role campaigns featuring the lead characters of the tv series or a completely original character build that would mesh with the existing universe/reality. Just do what you can to make it consistent with Xander's usual luck with women without them killing him or him killing them.