Ashan: Burning Night

ooc: This is my first attempt at a thread in a long time so bare with me I am sure there will be plenty of rust. I am going to do something a little different. This world is yours to create so I am not going to post any bios whatsoever ooc.

This is the prologue to my new thread, the small trading kingdom of Ashan is at war. This is the last night of Ashan's freedom. Any and all characters are welcome and you do not have to use the same character in this prologue as in the main thread. The main thread will be time skipped eight years after this one. However if you do decide to play a different character there has to be a link to the one used in the prologue.

Most of all just have fun. As usual if you have any questions or advice feel free to email me at tayw17@gmail.com

The wind carried through the hard desserts of the badlands to the south, up the Frier river, skeeting fleetlingly through the thick leaves of great Landir, the ancient forest that predated the founding of Ashan. Growing stronger, more daring it slapped the waters upon the stone embankements of the port of Ashan, the financial backbone of the once great trading nation. As it continued on lifting the burning flag of Ashan, the soaring Red Falcon twitched in flames.

It had taken four hundred years to build Ashan to what it was. It had taken less then a week to reduce it to rubble. The once fresh smelling sea breeze air now carried a putrid stink of smoke and blood. The groans of death were deaf upon his ears though as he looked on from the balcony down into the burning chaos. The outer city was a flame from the constant volleys of fire arrows and fireballs from their mages. Six days it had taken the Emperial army to march from the battle of Tremier.

Hmph.

It was no battle it was a slaughter. Never needing more then a skeleton army to defend against pirates and the like most of the army had been untrained levees called upon to protect their homes. They were no match for battle hardened veterans the Empire had sent. Even now as he gazed down at his home land, the burning smoke and ash mysting his eyes the outer gate broke.

Ashan was lost.

"What do we do now?"

Taking a deep breath to clear his thoughts from the madness of the battle he wondered that as well. But there really wasn't much of a question. He and his men had a duty, he wasn't sworn to Ashan. He was sworn to the princess. He tried to sweep off the grey ash from his white tunic but it merely smeared more. He was stalling trying to consider a plan. He glanced back at the dozen men waiting patiently for his answer. Each wore the same white uniform with the Red Falcon stiched carefully on the back, although he wore the triple bars of a captain.

Of the fifty men that made up the Princess's royal guards they were the only ones he had left. He brushed his hands through his short brown hair all the way back until it found the hilt of his blade on his back. Unsheathing the monster, he raised it high with ease. He was larger then most men his age.

"Logain? What are your orders?"

His eyes fell upon the man, no boy that spoke. Drice Malehn. A foreigner that had proved his merits and more importantly had been his friend since they had run into each other. He was smaller then most men, half the size of himself, and if that wasn't enough to set him out his unmistakable green hair succeeded. His fingers were already upon the twin blades that hung at his waste. There was something at odds in his eyes as he kept looking out into the city.

"We do our duty my friend." Logain finally spoke. "Find the princess and get her to saftey, as long as she breathes so does Ashan."

Nathan sat perched on the roof of his bar, bottle of wiskey in one hand and his sheathed sword in the other. Against the distant fires in the background, the sun beginning it's descent over the cityscape of Ashan. The fires seemed continued to slowly spread, as if the sun itself fed fuel into the already burning buildings. A single tear formed beneath Nathan's green eye and slowly began its mournful trek downwards. A brush of his arm wiping away the drop, Nathan's face once again lost any sign of emotion as he tipped back the bottle and took another swig of the bitter drink.

Slowly making it to his feet, the bartender poured the remainder of the bottle out onto the roof and watched as the small river cascaded over the side of the building. Empty, Nathan dropped the bottle and gave a halfhearted smile as it followed the course of the drink. A final tribute, to the life he would never see again...

...and the woman he would never hold again. Again, Nathan's eyes focused on the distant fires and the clouds of smoke hovering over them, silently egging the fires on towards the center of the city. Nathan's eyes unfocused as his gaze moved past the chaos to the sea beyond. To where his wife and son would hopefully be well on their way to somewhere safe from the evils of the empire. Safe from the madness of war and destruction. That they made it out in time was a miracle in itself.

And it was all thanks to that man. Who he was and where he came from, none were sure. What Nathan did know was that he came into the bar frantic and crazy like. Said he was a scout for Ashan. Said he reported a 'massive' army on it's way to crush the beautiful city. The patrons at the bar had laughed the man off, as had Nathan himself. The 'scout' had been in a state of panic, and yet none seemed to find him credible. Maybe if he had been wearing a uniform, he would have been taken more seriously. Either way, what mattered was that he had enough of an effect on Nathan that even though the bartender laughed it off at first, something inside him was shaken up enough to send the wife and kid on an impromtu 'voyage' while Nathan took care of the bar. The next day, the world changed.

That scout had saved the life of his wife and son. As short as it seemed it would be, Nathan knew he would remember that man for the rest of his life....

Shaken from memories by the sounds of distant screaming getting closer, Nathan knew it was time to act. The empire had come as the madman had said they would. Now it was up to Nathan to try to help those who needed it. Although a bartender by trade, Nathan had been lucky enough to have a mostly military clientel. When a tab got high enough, Nathan would convince the soldier to pay it off through lessons in swordplay and battle tactics. In turn, Nathan had come to be quite efficient in the use of the longsword and the shortsword. Even had a lesson in shooting with bows now and then. Although no worrior, Nathan knew himself to be better off with a weapon then most in this, up until recently, docile country. Now he would use what he knew to defend those who needed him as long as he had a breathe in him...

OOC: I have been away for some time, but this looks good. I haven't figured out how to join quite yet, but I just wanted to say I'll make a post.

The Academy was in flames.

Oh, it hadn't been hit. There was nothing at the Academy for the armies to care about; they didn't study war or great magicks here. No, the fire had simply spread its way over and was now cheerfully reducing the beautiful architecture to rubble.

...Not that it had been the crowning achievement of Ashan or anything. Nope. The Academy wasn't even named after anyone. It was just the sort of necessary building a trading capital ought to have, especially one of an up and coming nation like Ashan. Well, it had been up and coming for four hundred long years, so..

"I am never going to graduate, am I."

He was supposed to be running or screaming or both. Everyone else was doing it. He had seen one of the teachers trampled to death in the chaos. The memory made him frown; Magister Brownsworth had been a pleasant teacher. He wasn't sure if it had been bravery or horror that had led the poor man to stand fast before the undergraduate horde.

But he didn't like running or screaming, so he stayed put, watching the crowds mill about in a frenzy. By his estimate, he'd been there for an hour now, watching the smoke clouds. You'll have to leave soon, the pragmatic voice in his head pointed out. Eventually, the wind would blow sparks onto this tree, and that would be that. He didn't really see much point in dying.

Slipping off the branch, he climbed his way down the tree and wandered away from the footsteps.

The ground trembled beneath another volley of fire cast down into the city by the emperial mages. The wave of death poured through her and she shifted slightly the only movement that betrayed the pain behind her innocent hazel eyes. Her nose twitched and her stomach churned nearly sickening up. She breathed trying to focus.

"They will be demoned damned if they think they can take this bar without a fight." a rough voice bellowed from the door.

She sighed heavily giving a mock frown to one of the children taking shelter inside. She raised her hand and small ball of light played upon her fingertips floating like a bubble towards the little girl. She squeeled happily when it popped on her nose. Arieko smiled looking over the dozens of people that had taken shelted within the Shattered Sun.

"Master Berak please step away from the door before you get hurt." she whispered checking to make sure her shields held just in case. Outside seemed chaotic but she understood the pattern all to well. What seemed like random attacks by the mages was actually a presise bombardment upon targets she had even helped to select. Which made the wave of deaths even more nauseating. But what alternatives did she really have?

She ran a finger through her hair briefly exposing the tips of her ears.

"I hope he doesn't get his fool neck killed. I'll kill him myself if he does." Berak whispered sitting next to her.

Arieko nodded. "He can take care of himself Berak."

"Quiet as a mouse, she is. She won't eat much, won't make a sound neither."

"Look kid, I don't care if she's the queen of the lands, I ain't got no room for another mouse. This place is in the middle of a war-"

"That's exactly why I need you to take her in, Marcus. I don't have anywhere else to put her that's safe. I trust you."

"Well, you shouldn't."

"Fair enough. Will you take her?"

"I ain't making no promises. Besides, how do you know I won't sell her to a slaver for a bit of gold?"

"Because we both know that if anything happens to her, I'll find you, Marcus. And I'll skin you up both sides and make you wish you were dead."

Marcus scratched at the half grown beard. Astra was a hard woman and he knew that he couldn't afford to make her angry. His gaze shifted to the small girl standing between them. She wasn't more than six or seven years and the tiniest slip of a thing. She looked as though she'd hardly seen a decent meal in days and the gaunt circles under her eyes told him it had probably been more like a week. Where Astra had found the lost soul was beyond him, but he didn't question her. Not after she'd saved his life. No, he was oathbound to her.

"Marcus?"

"Aye, alright. I'll take her in. How long will you be gone?"

"Can't say. You've seen this place." Astra pointed around at all of it. "Ashan is dying, Marcus. Someone has to do something about it."

"And you think you're one to do it?"

"I don't know. Maybe." Her mouth was set in a grim smirk. Marcus knew the look well enough. There'd be no turning back at this point. Astra was determined to see it through, no matter how foolish anyone else thought it. As he opened the door and ushered the little girl inside, Marcus wondered if he'd ever see Astra again. From the looks of the city, probably not.

"Go on then. I'll make sure the girl's safe." And as Astra turned on her heel to leave, he called out as an afterthought, "Hai! What's her name?"

There was no response as Astra turned a corner and was gone from sight.

OOC: I'm bored and I really liked this character concept, so I'm continuing. With or without the original poster.

Astra hurried down the alleyway determined to find some escape from the city. If she could get out safely, maybe there was hope for Ashan's citizens. And maybe I can finally get Ellison out of this damnable place, she thought.

Why Astra had found such a soft spot for the child was immaterial now. She couldn't explain it. She just knew that the girl needed help. And it had to be Astra that helped her. Was this what the churchmen meant when they said the Gods talked to them? Or was this simply the result of a woman growing past her prime and realizing that she'd missed out on the fabled family life? She had to admit that she kinda liked the idea of a white picket fence and a lazy little farm tucked away somewhere. But who was she kidding?

A resounding boom, followed by a shudder beneath her feet caused her to skid to a halt. Slate tile spilling off the roof above her narrowly missed falling on her head. She slipped into a vacant doorway and waited for the trembling to pass.

As she waited, she heard a pair of voices.

"What you think he meant by that? A mudder's son? My da ain't no mudder."

"Oh, shove it Elliott. He was just baiting you. Why don't you just forget it. We got a job to do you know."

"Who cares about guarding this tripe anyways? City's already fallen. We should take our bit and head out like everyone else."

"You want to piss off Blakeshorn, then fine by me. Not me. You seen what he did to Fllint last month for falling asleep on his watch? Man won't ever see straight again. Nope, I'm told to watch over this lot and that's what I"m gonna do."

Astra paused only long enough to judged that the men were just around the corner. Mercenaries, she guessed, but it would be a lot easier if she just skirted around them. When she could see another volley of the mages' fire arrows, she slipped past them and into the next alley. The thunderous boom hid any sound she might have made.

Turning another corner, Astra caught herself up short and ducked back into the shadows. Imperial soldiers! The square before her was crawling with them. Astra checked her belt. One dagger and a throwing knife. Not exactly what she considered a tactical advantage. She cursed herself for not bringing her rapier with her, but it was too late. If she made it out of the city alive, she could count all the mistakes she'd made tonight.

Ooc: I hope this is ok. If it isn't Drice, I can change it.

"My lady Please, we have little time." Elias begged from the massive doors to the Princess's chamber. The Princess herself stood peering out unto the kingdom of Ashan. It was beautiful, but soon it will be nothing more than a pile of smoking ash.

Elias hurried to her ladies' side as she had always done. Since the day she had arrived at the castle, 5 years ago, both women had shared a special bond. She remembered it just like it was yesterday. She arrived at the castle at the age of fourteen to work off a debt. Not her debt of course, but her mother’s. She spent days trying to get a glimpse of the princess, but with little luck. There were rumors that the Princess has fallen deathly ill, and no one could cure her. Terrified for the princess, Elias did the only thing she could think of. She hurried to the gardens. Finding the Gardens almost in ruins, she gasped. Quickly she knelt down and touched the ground. She gathered all energy from around her and pushed out into the garden. Almost instantly the garden began to grow. All its brown and yellows turned to greens, reds, and blues. Smiling she went in search for the proper herbs in which to brew into the perfect potion. It took her nearly all day to complete it, but when she was done she knew that the Princess was saved. It was not so easy to convince the Doctors.


Elias tried three times before she had to resort to sneaking into the Princess's chamber in the middle of the night. This was their first meeting, and it would not be the last. Secretly the Princess agreed to drink the potion. When the Princess completely recovered the following morning the Doctors declared it a miracle. The Princess was not amused. She dismissed all of them and appointed Elias as the Castle Healer. She soon known as the Green Witch, the name the Princess often refered to her as.

Gently Elias touched the Princess arm. “Come from the window before your lungs fill with ash. This is no time to grieve. We must escape the castle; we must hide in the garden. Logain will know to look for you there.”

The Princess nodded, tears running down her ivory checks. This was the first time Elias had seen her lady cry and most importantly the first time the Princess had ever been speechless. This was the one thing Elias could not heal, and it broke her heart.

Quickly Elias grabbed the Princess's hand, and headed out the chamber doors.

Zran Coprus was leading the remainants of the ashan army in the palace and he planned to take as many imperial soldiers out as possible every serving man or woman found watever weapons they could he knew it was hopeless but he didn't care with his 8 months pregnant wife out of the city oh sure he was sad that he would never see his wife again nor be there for his sons birth. The palace wasn't built for battle but for comfort with many side entrances and exits he knew he wouldn't last long so instead of sittin round waiting for death he opened the palace gates and charged through the winding streets with his small force in tow and came to a square filled with imperials so he did the only sane thing a man could in a time like this yelled "Charge!" and he and his small force caught the imperails unawares and slaughter 30 or so of them before they knew wat was happening then he watch as the imperial flanked his force on one side and surrouded him in death while fighting he watched as his focre grew smaller and smaller untill it was only him fightin eight men at once all surrounding him and yet he still was not dead sure he had many nicks and cuts and one wound on his side that he would die from if he didn't get medical attention soon which he knew he wouldn't in stead he focus on the battle killing a man here and there then the inevitable happened......

zed, make a note of the last post date before posting in a thread. This one, for instance, hasn't been active since April. Due to the few number of people on these boards, it takes a while for a thread to drop off the list. Generally, those among the top 5 are still active.