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HAWK
An Epic Fantasy RP
For decades, the people of the once awe-inspiring kingdom of Astitha have been governed by a power-maddened tyrant known by his people only as Lord Werald – in reality, his name was actually Ronald, but no one quite fears the name “Lord Ronald” and they do “Lord Werald”, Sounds more evil. Wielding powerful magic, his rise to the throne was swift and destructive, laying waste to those cities and towns who opposed his rule. His armies, in fact, are not truly men at all, but the copy of one another. However, the workings of Werald’s military might is not of import at the moment.
A short time ago – several years, in fact – the Tyrant of Astitha was greeted by an oracle while he was taking his morning meal, plotting the evil deeds for the day and doing various things in nefarious ways. The oracle, happening to stumble into his giant, all-encompassing cathedral of dastardly delights, was overcome with a prophecy. Her utterance was simple and straightforward: “The Hawk will bring down the Tyrant’s House.” So powerful was this prophecy that the oracle swiftly passed away before she could explain her otherworldly words.
Now, it is not known widely, but the Tyrant has a single fear: Death. The ending of his life is his greatest fear, the antithesis to his being, and the nemesis to his soul. To counteract this, he became the most powerful magic-wielding being alive, slaying armies by the legion and turning himself invincible. For decades he had been known as such, but the words of a dying old woman told him otherwise. In a fit of fear – and, to be frank, cowardice – the Tyrant issued a declaration to the people: “All hawks are to be killed on sight.” A story was weaved to those too simple or ignorant was to why this was to occur, ranging from a disease only humans can get via hawk transfer, to the entire bird species being spies from across the seas and sent here to learn their secrets to destroy the kingdom. It went into the more deadlier minds – aka, farmers with loads of free time and incredibly superstitious – that ALL birds were nefarious in nature and must be destroyed.
As not all birds can just be wiped out with the snap of a finger, it took a long time – long enough, in fact, that this is where our story begins.
It is well-known that the Tyrant sends out random raiding parties of his equally proportioned knights at various intervals, be it at his whim or sheer boredom. It is not often that one can simply call upon their limitless powers and conjure up small armies of soldiers out of thin air to beat up some poor sod out in the country for sport.
On one such as these occasions, in the city of Dirthwood – pronounced Dirt-Wood, as the wood there isn’t very good and looks “dirty” – there lays a tavern, owned by a relatively young man named Jerd Giller with his beloved wife and two sons. Returning home from a prosperous night of inebriating the locals, the barkeep finds his home aflame with the remnants of the Tyrant’s knights milling about for no apparent reason – perhaps they were cold?
This, however, was unnoticed by the now aghast tavern keeper as his eyes fell upon the brutalized bodies of his family. Consumed by rage, the once-peaceful and caring man threw himself upon the unsuspecting soldiers with the ferocity of the northern Berserkers – large men rumored to be unbeatable in combat once their all-consuming rage comes upon them. Some also debate their abilities to turn into bears, though this hasn’t been proven yet. Giller found himself at the epilogue of the battle, wielding weapons he had sworn against and the blood of those who slew his wife and children. Before him lay the bodies of the slain soldiers, obliterated by his own hands and slaughtered where they stood. Some still had the look of surprise on their faces.
Weeping at his loss and how he had fallen, Jerd Giller buried his family – after a respectful service via the local clergymen and attending friends – behind his tavern, the only place he can now call home. Upon that day, he swore he would repay the Tyrant in kind for what he had done. However, upon reflection on that fateful day, he realized he did not truly want vengeance, but justice.
Justice for those who have lost so much.
Justice for those who have fallen in such a way as he.
Justice for his family and those who have lost theirs as well.
Upon this realization, Jerd began formulating a plan to ride across the world and gather unto him the skills and abilities needed to bring war to the cozy doorstep of the Tyrant of Astitha. However, upon leaving his home for this fateful journey, he happened upon a wounded hawk by his erstwhile home. Taking this as a sign, he took the bird inside and nursed it back to health. He waited until he knew it was healed, and returned to his quest, though he was not alone.
Thus, Hawk was created. Jerd Giller became the legendary Twin Blade, renowned for his use of wielding two-handed weapons in one hand and swinging them about with the ferocity of a berserker. With his journey around the world, he found and recruited who would soon to be equally legendary warriors, mages, and rogues the world has ever encountered. The mercenary organization, called simply Hawk, grew in reputation and fame at each engagement, contract, and job being performed perfectly. Some of the most powerful men and women on the planet have come from Hawk, taught by the Master-of-all-Trades Jerd the Twin Blade, and equipped with weapons and armor fabled to be the most potent of their kind.
Their progress, however, has not gone unnoticed. As soon as the word of an organization called “Hawk” was brought to the Tyrant, he did his utmost to crush it. This was fruitless, as each attempt ended with his soldiers destroyed and his enemies stronger than ever. Hawk was uniting the people against him, allying themselves with rival nations across the seas and beginning a revolution that will tip the balance of power in their favor.
But how to kill a man rumored to be invincible?
This, however, was twenty years ago. Jerd the Twin Blade is now in his sixties, still the leader of Hawk but lacking in the majority of his stronger comrades and brothers-/sisters-in-arms. With him now are rumored to be the six most skilled men and women Hawk has ever had, coming from each engagement with little to no casualties on their side, and the enemy obliterated from the battlefield like ash in the wind. The rebellion is still in the works despite two decades of preparation and force-gathering. Indeed, both sides have been stocking up in weapons, armor, and the fabled “black powder” the northern barbarians had discovered quite recently.
The Twin Blade might have a trick or two still up his gray sleeves, with the Tyrant ever vying for new ways to destroy his enemy by any gruesome means necessary. New dangers are being thought up every day, with new and more powerful creatures spawned every second. Recently, rumors have reached the Hawk Tavern – newly named, as it used to be a rather dirtier name along the lines of donkeys and rear-ends – about a weapon powerful enough to kill the Tyrant, and the news of the upcoming arrival of soldiers from one of the allied nations across the seas.
Who will win this battle for the ages? An old man long past his prime, leading a raggedy band of half-a-dozen men and women, or an invincible emperor with limitless power and an army he can conjure up at a whim? Only time will tell, and it’s already begun to go out…
 Lord Arimor Darkheart · Sat Dec 08, 2012 @ 04:13am · 0 Comments |
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