A/N: First of all, I have no D&D knowledge nor have I ever played it. Thankfully, someone came to me with the idea and we've been developing as it goes. His name is drake202, thank you for helping me on parts I didn't know and helping develop the plot of this story.
Regardless, I hope you enjoy this.
We know stories of old. Stories of countries and people, gods and demons, heroes and villains. People who were larger than life and countries that fell on the whim of one person.
We know of Heracles, Odysseus, and Theseus.
We know of Odin, Zeus, and spirits.
Yet, what if they weren't only stories?
What happened?
No one knows.
It's a good thing I'm a knowledgeable man.
Hm? You wish to know of a different story? Ah, that one. Yes, sadly that story must be explained to be understood. Don't fret, I'll try to make it quick.
Then, let's start as all stories should.
In the Beginning.
When gods and that which we consider supernatural in this modern day were free to roam on the earth. Until a cataclysmic event happened and the world was left broken.
A very vague explanation indeed. Well, apologies for having trouble explaining something when you yourself aren't sure what happened. Especially when the other side bent reality just by existing.
Yup. Regardless, gods were gone and so was the arcane, humans were now truly and utterly alone in their world.
But there were a few who remembered, Sorcerers who used their magic to give rise to kingdoms while ruling over the remaining population and magic.
Keep in mind the plural word. And they were human. So, like any normal human, they wanted more once they became dissatisfied with their own kingdom. No one knows who started the war but it started and the Sorcerer kings fought for each other's kingdom.
How I don't know? I'm simply an observer.
Arcane magic ripped and tore the already damaged war as the Sorcerers fought for twenty years. Finally, they stepped back and witnessed the damage they caused. The Sorcerers were killing off humanity and the population was dropping.
Horrified, the Sorcerers decided to abandon their respective kingdoms and allow humanity to recover. But not before enacting a powerful ritual that erased the memories of all the humans and their knowledge of the arcane and the fantastical before replacing them with new memories without the arcane. And that's how the history we are familiar with came to be.
Impossible? What a word. I'm simply an observer, whether you choose to believe me or not is up to you.
And the Sorcerer kings? They withdrew to the shadows to form a secretive cabal with a mission to search and retrieve any magical artifacts that may still exist, keep the knowledge of the arcane and Earth's magical past a myth, and find new Sorcerers to train and keep the tradition alive.
Yoma? Ah, those. Puppets. Nothing more, nothing less. The masters bide their time to gain access to the mortal plane and take it over.
Ah, was that a shiver I see? Truly, many things feel insignificant in the grand scheme of things.
The plant is sustenance for the deer, the deer is sustenance for the wolf or hunter, the hunter either hunts the wolf or is hunted, and the carcass becomes part of the earth. When you put it like that, there is no greater predator than nature itself.
Now, where was I?
Ah!? Yes, the Beginning.
Hm? I already went through the Beginning? True, but the Beginning is a simple term to explain how it all starts. What one believes is the Beginning can be another's end.
Now, a long time ago a young man named Reshar existed. A silverbrow, a subgroup of humans that descended from ancient couplings of humans and silver dragons, and a talented warrior. Nothing was beyond his grasp, weapons were simple, tactics were easily learnt, and with heightened sense and unbridled curiosity he was near unstoppable.
One day, this young man set out to become a great warrior, one of the greatest in fact, by learning as many martial arts he could while exploring the world.
His first stop was the hobgoblin monastery of Ur-Thaldaar. Here, the swordmasters administered cruel and deadly tests and challenges but Reshar survived and they permitted him to remain and learn.
There, Reshar learned the secrets of the Iron Heart, the most fierce and difficult school of bladework. Once he mastered it, he took his leave and left for the Great Golden Desert to present himself to the Wind Dervishes of Andrama. Once he mastered the Desert Wind School he set off to the islands beyond dawn and studied the ways of the Setting Sun.
In the space of three years, Reshar did the impossible and mastered all nine of the martial disciples.
In the days of Reshar, the individual schools, philosophies, and traditions we know as the Sublime Way were scattered haphazardly across the world. Adherents of the various philosophies were the fiercest of rivals, each seeking to prove the superiority of their own school over the others.
Having mastered all nine disciples, Reshar set out to end the rivalry. He returned to each place where he studied and took its single most promising pupil as his own apprentice then led the nine students to Sunspire Mountains, or present day Nepal, where he found the Temple of the Nine Swords. For many years, Reshar and his Nine Masters sought the path to perfection, walking further down the road of the Sublime Way than anyone had before. Since the founding, hundreds of students have gone to the temple and learned much from it.
After a century of studying and teaching, Reshar called his nine masters together and told them he was leaving to travel again. Age had never touched him other than to whiten his hair and add line to his face as the masters begged him to stay but he refused. Before he left, Reshar left nine swords that embodied the principles, skills, and philosophy of the recipient's first disciple, "As longs as these swords remain together, the temple will never fail," he prophesied to the Nine Masters, "Now, I go!" and set off alone, on foot and unarmed for he feared nothing in the world.
No one ever saw him again.
Me? Oh I have. What happened? Well, Reshar is a charismatic man, he made friends and allies but enemies as well while he traveled all over the world. Can I tell you? No. Sorry.
Regardless, a lifetime passed and one-by-one Resha's original disciples died or retired back to their own lands, the students they left became masters in their own right and guarded each of the Nine Swords with great care.
One night, the Rakshasa Lord Kaziir-Thet, came to the Temple of the Nine Swords disguised as a weary traveler and was given welcome. There Kaziir-Thet stole Supernatural Clarity, the sword of the Diamond Mind and fled with it into the mountains. The masters pursued but they could not capture the clever Rakshasa prince.
We already know where this is going. Time passed and the temple began to fail slowly, students of the various disciplines fell into bickering, consumed by the question of which path was best. Boasts and arguments became intrigues and deadly duels. In time, the remaining masters exiled the Tiger Lord and Shadow Master, who had plotted to murder the rest of the temple to restore order and harmony.
Enraged by the exile, the two outcast members allied with each other and together they raised an army of monsters in the wild and mountains. A year after the exile, they returned at the head of a fearsome horde and destroyed the temple. Legends say that all nine masters were slain that night. The Spirit Seeker slew the Shadow Master who was in turn torn apart by demons, the Wind Lord and Iron Master defeated the Tiger Lord but afterwards fell to the giants and other monsters of the evil army.
Many of the treasures of the temple, including the eight remaining swords were scattered to the four winds, most were carried off by the invading monsters but two were rescued by temple students who managed to escape.
Quite a tale, eh?
Then let's start another. This one is familiar. A villain, so to say but I like the term antagonist.
The time is WW1, there is a family and in that family is a young man. The young man craves power, power so he would never feel like this again. So, despite not believing in Hitler's vision of Germany, he joined Germany's new army.
WW2 has started ad a certain Nazi captain's forces invade a Polish city that has been housing Jews. While they were searching the house, there was a certain building that got the captain's attention. Once he asked the locals, he was informed how the house used to belong to a user of dark forces that ruled over the town.
Being a member of Hitler's cult society, the term 'dark forces' piqued his interest. So he decided to explore the house.
His journey around the house led him to the house's basement where a secret switch led him to a laboratory of some sort. There he found a remarkably well-preserved journal in Polish.
Already knowing the language, he read the journal and found that it belonged to a powerful Sorcerer who was once a part of the Cabal. He felt the rules were too binding and stringent. So the Sorcerer left to gain more freedom and hid in Europe where the Sorcerer began his research into immortality.
Using his power, the Sorcerer disguised himself as a miracle worker and formed a cult based on himself, luring many to serve him. In fact, the village where the captain stands was where the Sorcerer's cult lived. Here, the Sorcerer continued his research into immortality and found out that he could turn himself into an Undead Lich. He didn't want to, but he sacrificed too much to give up. As a failsafe, if the ritual failed, he inscribed the ritual on how to awaken one's own Sorcerer's magic, if he had failed, maybe someone else could have taken up the task and completed the ritual.
Either the ritual failed or these were the writings of a madman but we know better and so did the captain. Instead of dismissing it, he attempted the ritual and found out he had magic. In the rush of new power, the Nazi captain took all the scrolls and equipment he could find and set fire to the laboratory, destroying the evidence. He then ordered his soldiers to kill all the villagers and set the village on fire. He now had power but he had to disappear to gain more, so, while the soldiers were busy, he used a scroll to learn a spell before ordering them to bundle up and throwing a giant fireball in the middle of them and burning them.
Without witnesses, the Nazi dissappeared, free to pursue his own path to power. Years passed, the former Nazi grew in power using the journal and scrolls he had stolen. But time waits for no man and he started to grow old but he couldn't stop once he gained this power. He didn't want to lose this power or become an undead, he didn't even know if the ritual worked. After some experimenting, the Nazi managed to alter the ritual and instead of transferring his soul to a phalactry and then to an undead body this ritual allowed him to possess a still-living body after forcing the soul out of its body then his soul could take possession of the body as his own. It worked but now he needed a supply of fresh bodies.
So, the former Nazi travelled around war torn Eastern Europe during the Cold War. He took advantage of the terrible conditions that plagued the countries in Eastern Europe using the magic the Sorcerer gave him and did the same thing he did. Started a cult.
Hey, he had the right idea, he helped them and they gave him their bodies should he need them. Promised riches to the poor and a better life for the unfortunate. And he delivered. Until they had to give their bodies to him.
Thirty years passed and the ritual was starting to lose power. His magic was still as strong but the more he used the ritual, the weaker the bodies became, their physical peak becoming three weeks instead of the original year. In desperation, the Nazi looked for a more permanent form of immortality so he traveled throughout all of Asia where he heard rumors of immortality that came from that part of the world. If magic is real, maybe one of these could be true but they were only stories.
His travels brought him to Nepal where rumors of ancient warriors that lived there whose power and skill could grant one immense power. There, he found an ancient monastery of the Temple of the Nine Swords where he found a group of monks called the Followers of Reshar, this group was dedicated to preserving the art of the Sublime Way and await for the chosen of Reshar to be born.
Intrigued, the Nazi stayed and learned what he could and the Monks accepted his desire to learn and permitted him to stay. Here, he learnt the story of Reshar and unlike many others, their memories were not altered for they still remembered Earth's ancient past thanks to their training in the Sublime Way. in time, the monks told the Nazi how Reshar attained immortality by mastering all the nine styles he harmonized himself with the world and gained immortality. They also told him about Reshar's return where he found the temple in ruins and blamed the survivors and for the loss of the swords. In the end, he told the survivors that the end of the world was approaching and it would decide everything.
Charging his students to seal themselves in the temple, they were ordered to survive so that one day they will find Reshar's descendant for only he can master all nine styles and bring back harmony. Before he left, Reshar left his followers his equipment and a pendant that had two functions, show the way to Reshar's descendant when he is born and ready to learn and the second function was to act as a compass to find all the nine swords and that they were to find the chosen of Reshar and train him in the art of the Sublime Way and to find all nine swords so that harmony can be restored to the world once again.
Aside from the pendant, he told his followers to give his descendant his equipment, his journal that he penned over the course of his life, and the nine scrolls that he had personally written with each of the nine styles in detail so that he can learn directly from Reshar himself.
Having all these objects in a Bag of Holding enchanted so only Reshar's bloodline can open it. Once the Nazi heard this and he learnt everything he could, he killed all of the followers and took everything in the temple and the pendant, so he can find Reshar's descendant and mold him into the ultimate warrior so he could take over the boy's body for his own and master the Nine Styles and find the Nine Swords before gaining Reshar's immortality.
Quite the tale eh?
Now, let's start with our protagonist, the hero of this story. Well, morally anyway.
On a moonlit night, a baby was born. He had dark brown hair that bordered on black with a silver streak on his bangs with blue eyes and a curious light in them.
He grew up for ten years in a normal family where he was loved. He lived a steady life in America.
At the age of ten, his streak of silver hair frames the right side of his face. Here, he was playing with a stray dog when he was knocked out and taken.
Once the Nazi returned to his Church, he taught his followers the Sublime Way where they became his bodyguards, enforcers, and assassins. Time passed and the pendant activated. It took some time to find the kid but they were able to and the Nazi was curious. How would the parents train him?
The answer? They didn't, they loved him, cared for him, scolded him, and helped him.
The Nazi couldn't understand why they did this. They had the potential to have one of the strongest weapons and they didn't take advantage of it. The kid has all the power while the Nazi had to struggle to get here. He was jealous.
So, he had the kid kidnapped and the parents murdered. Once the kid was with them he cried as he woke up and demanded to be returned, he was hit across the face as a sword was given to him, "Become strong enough, then you'll see them."
From then, the scared kid became angry and he attacked.
To say that for four years the kid trained would be an understatement. He was tortured, plain and simple. Forced to fight for days on end on occasion, eat more than he could, hit over and over, to survive. Depending on how you see it, he was lucky he wasn't completely broken physically.
His body became scarred, he could only sleep by being knocked out instantly, his mind lost hope and became cold, calculating, he could barely remember his parents or his own name. The only thing that kept him going is the hope that he'll see them again.
The Nazi only felt more jealousy. The kid mastered the Sublime Way faster than he did and anything that was sent his way he'd survive and be ready again.
And his mouth, he regretted not having him gagged. But he needed the kid's brain to be in peak condition for his take over.
One day, the kid found out of the death of his parents and the Nazi's plan for him. He lost all hope and all that remained was a wish for revenge. Fortunately, he heard of the Bag of Holding that held his ancestor's equipment. Now, all he had to do was wait.
Finally, the kid was fourteen. Blue eyes and bags under his eyes as scars littered his body as the Nazi's current body started failing. He wanted to be transferred to the kid's body but the kid wasn't ready so he had to make do with another follower. Of course, the ritual wasn't prepared and they had little time so they needed all hands on deck. This left the kid in his cell alone.
Unveiling a knife he took when they served him food, he picked the lock that kept him in as he tasted the possibility of freedom. First, while everyone else was preparing for the ritual, he raided the treasury and took what was supposed to be his, including the pendant, before setting it all aflame and running.
Once the Nazi awoke, he was horrified and told his followers to protect the laboratory and put out the fire. He later learned that the kid escaped and was outraged but didn't send any assassins to track down the kid. He let him go so he can become powerful on his own. It's not like he didn't have any backup plans.
He opened the laboratory to show clones of the kid as he grinned, "Let him do the legwork, when it's time, I'll come retake what's mine."
Where was the kid? Well, he learnt that if he learns all the styles and retakes the Nine Swords, he'll have the power to kill the Nazi. And from there, the kid trained as he traveled the world, making money and meeting different people and learning a bit.
Where is he now? I think that's a story best told by him.
A seventeen year old kid was sitting on a bench as he's looking at a pendant. He's wearing a white long sleeved shirt with blue jeans and some gloves with red sneakers and another pendant but silver with a dragon on it.
He raises it up as it points to a certain direction as his blue eyes stare at it, "'Descendant of a Hero'. What a bunch of bullshit." he growls as he gets up and starts on his way to the lead he was following.
He walks with a glare and bags under his eyes while staring at the bang in the right side of his face, a peculiar silver color that reaches his chin unlike the rest of his short hair.
He notices the TV as it talks about the Phoenix Conglomerates attempt in helping the poor overseas.
I snorted. What a poor attempt. Nothing but a publicity stunt and a way to get more customers overseas. True acts of kindness are quiet, spur of the moment. Never should they be this loud. Or should they?
I'm still confused about that. Reshar's journal was surprising, kindness. What an interesting concept. Helping someone without expecting reward. I remembered the first time I experienced it, I was forced to fight for my life.
Yet, afterwards, I felt more. Finally, I could give kindness. It felt nice. But, why was no one kind to me with him?
Gritting my teeth, I turn away as I look for the school I'm looking for.
My stomach growled as I ignored it, already used to the sensation of an empty stomach due to it being a regular occurrence. Regardless, I find the school as I shift a bit before looking around and finally sighing as I walk in.
The thing's right there, in presentation for everyone to see.
The Umbral Awn was a simple dagger, hard to see what makes it special. Good thing I know.
What a bunch of dumbasses.
That said, I'll have to do this later, too many eye-
What was that? I look around as I spot a group of four girls walking around, each one of astounding beauty but it was weird. No one paid them any attention. They were also powerful.
Well, it seems like I can't just hit-and-run this anymore, I can't have the chance of being caught. Seems like this is going to take a lot longer than I originally thought.
My stomach groans as I quickly walk away and grit my teeth.
Let's see if I can find someone to rob. Preferably, a mob boss.
"Hey, isn't that guy cute?" The blonde points out as the person in question leaves after staring at the dagger.
"Katsuragi! You shouldn't talk about strangers like that." The black-haired girl scolds the now-named Katsuragi.
Katsuragi could only chuckle and return to their class.
Grabbing a long pipe, I felt myself get into the Desert Wind stance as I wore the Phoenix Helm that hides my face while fighting a group of drug dealers.
Thrusting forward, I follow with a spin as I continue it before stabbing the edge and kicking forward as the dealer is sent back and I spin behind me and hit another before thrusting behind me as it hits another and I turn while forcing my back onto my side of the pipe and swinging it around onto his jaw as he falls unconscious.
Taking note of the carnage, I start patting them down for money and look around for more.
What? I need to live somehow.
Finally, after a whole week of fighting thugs and being on the front page multiple times I have enough money to get a small studio and an identity to enter Hanzo Academy.
My time exploring has left me with a lot of experience with math, enough to pass in school. I think. I hope.
"So," the hacker asks, "What name do you choose?"
Name. Right, I had a name. What was it?
Caleb. Yeah, it was Caleb. My last name?
Can't remember, but Aridam should be fine.
"Caleb Aridam." I say.
Opening my eyes, I groan as I look at the small studio I got for myself for my stay here.
Can't even sleep right without having nightmares.
Honestly, the week after I escaped was the worst, couldn't trust anyone, had to steal constantly, barely got any sleep.
I change into a black long sleeve shirt as I stare distastefully at the scars before putting on the white short-sleeved button-up over it and the slacks with some sneakers for my first day in Hanzo Academy.
Opening the door to the sun as I glared at it with hate before closing the door and locking it as I walked to the school, not expecting much as I looked around on my way there.
This is hell. I groan as I ignore the questions being sent my way from my classmates and glaring them away if they tried again.
Sighing, I continue staring at the dagger as I notice the girls once more. It's weird. No one else really pays them much attention but I know they're warriors.
I take a deep breath and relax as the effects of their looks kick in.
They're very beautiful too. Their bodies really don't fit the average image of a high schooler with their large busts, slim waists and wide hips that really bring attention. Add into the fact that their individual looks make them stand out yet no one is really paying them that much attention.
The black-haired girl has long black hair with blue eyes and walks with a feeling of authority to her, almost like him.
No, not like him. His gait was pragmatic, measured, and was with a purpose. Hers is more refined, measured and balanced that left you wondering where the sound was.
After relaxing from my burst of unreasonable anger I continue studying them. The blonde had a playful grin and has one of the buttons unbuttoned on her button-up shirt while swinging her hips to a beat and having her steps reflect that. Hyper, very unpredictable and determined.
Her chest is puffed out and her steps have a constant rhythm to them, that in and of itself says a lot of someone. Confident and with a direction in life with a goal she'd reach at her own rhythm.
The pink-haired girl had weird pupils but that's a whatever kind of thing, her steps were a rhythm that reminds me of nursery rhymes as she walked childishly but she had attentive eyes as I unfocused my eyes to make it look like I was staring off into space and she only shrugged and followed the others.
Finally, the twin-tailed girl with white hair and red eyes, her steps were measured and composed but she was constantly around the pink-haired girl so they must have a close relationship. Too close if the pink-haired girl's pout is anything to go by. Not lovers but sibling-like maybe? Overbearing? Regardless, the white-haired girl had an eyepatch and her eyes were focused. I didn't see any scars so maybe it's something else.
Following them as I silenced my footsteps and entered the Child of Shadow stance before boosting it with the Cloak of Deception, erasing my presence as I followed them outside to another building as I got out of the stance as the Cloak of Deception fell and I stared at the building before entering.
"What are you doing?"
Stop! Not an enemy. Only a teacher or something.
I relax as I have to stop myself from attacking as I keep a poker face, "Nothing sir, just curious."
The grey-haired teacher quirked a brow, "You must be the foreign exchange student. My name is Kiriya, I'm the math teacher here."
I nod as the bell rings, "Sorry for bothering you."
Turning, I notice the 'No Entry' sign as I walk to my next class.
Suspicious.
Groaning in pain, I lean over the ramen I ordered as I groan, "Not feeling so good Caleb?"
The owner of the stall I frequent asks as I nod, "Still not used to school."
I slurp on my noodles as my headache starts clearing up as I continue eating. I still use my vigilante persona occasionally to get money but that's only occasionally.
The Umbral Awn. How can I get it?
I heard footsteps as I looked out the stall to see a familiar pink-haired girl run to the park as an idea came to mind. I can befriend her. She seems like the most naive but…
"Oh look, a tiger cub."
"Wait, if the cub is here where's it mother?"
GRRRRR.
"Ahhhhhhh!" I scream as I run away from a hippo.
I felt my world spin as I tried to take in air after being kicked by a kangaroo.
Thank god for my training. I'm still alive, but that shit hurts.
Let's say prior experiences have opened my mind to the fact that cute does not always equal harmless.
But, then again the tiger was provoked, the hippo attacked me cause I looked shady, and I punched a kangaroo for someone's dog.
I trained hard and have common sense, and never in my life have I said that I use common sense much.
I sigh as I get up and follow the pinkette's trail as I try to think up what to say to gain her trust.
You know what, I've got nothing. I'll invite her out to some food.
I spotted her on a bench as she was hugging her knees while wearing the Hanzo Academy uniform.
Now, how do I start a normal conversation that should not end up devolving into combat?
"Hey, um are you okay?" I ask the pinkette who peeks through her arms before she stays quiet.
How do I get her to open up? "Hey, my name is Caleb Aridam, or Aridam Caleb here, I'm new here, would you mind showing me to a sweets shop or something?"
She seems to perk up a bit, "I know a place."
Now, we're outside as I'm arguing against the lack of sour or spicy treats as it sparks up an argument as she eats the sugar bombs she calls sweets, "All I'm saying is that sour treats are better than whatever you're eating."
"No," she pouts, "Sweets are called sweets because they have to be sweet!"
We stare at each other until I sigh, "To each their own then, let's leave it at that."
"I'll show you the wonders of sugar sweets one day." She says as she tries to sound threatening but fails hard.
"Whatever, anyway, ready to open up?" I ask as I take a sip of Sprite.
She pauses and gives me cursory glances before nodding, "My name is Hibari, me and my friends are part of a martial arts dojo and we have an upcoming tournament."
Nodding along, I ask, "It's not anxiety, right?"
Shaking her head with a sad look in her eyes, "I-I just feel like I'm the weakest, that I'm holding everyone back."
She's probably right. Her stature doesn't show much, she doesn't seem to have muscles and she's pretty clumsy. But, sometimes, weakness can lead to surprising places.
"Well, why don't I help you? I'm a martial artist myself, maybe I could help you become a better fighter and you can show me around. I am new to Japan and all, it gets kinda lonely, so it'd be nice to have a friend who can show me around." I say as I give her a small smile.
She pauses surprised but shakes herself out of her stupor, "I'm sorry, but I think I can take you."
Raising a brow, I turn to her, "Wanna bet? How about a light sparring session?"
Hibari seems to pause but nods, "Why not?"
So, we walk to a clearing as I get into the Setting Sun stance, knowing that it's best to hold back somewhat in pure strength and not activate any special abilities.
She got into her own stance as we waited and she attacked first as she sent a punch but I caught it and threw her over my shoulder as her back hit the ground and she groaned in pain.
Her eyes blink in shock as I grin, "So, still think I can't teach you a thing or two?
A/N: Well, here it is, again, if I have the characterisation wrong, tell me and I'll try to fix it. Thank you drake202 again for your help.