Prologue - Life after Death
Our entire lives, we tend to ask ourselves the same question, over and over, just like a child would repeat a catchy song which implemented itself in their thoughts. Is there life, after death ? Or do we simply pass away in to a void, where our souls, our bodies, and our minds transform to dust, to nothing more than mere shreds of our former selves, without use, without meaning, without purpose. Or, do we die, in order to reach a better place, a place called by some Heaven, by others Samsara, by few Valhalla, or simply, "The Beyond". Our entire lives we struggle to obtain perfection, to discipline ourselves and mold our own being in to a better person, in to something, which we strongly believe, that it would pure enough to allow us passage in to the perfect World which lies ahead after our passing.
Few have gotten to know the true answer, old scholars, wise preachers, historical personalities which marked the passing of the ages with their knowledge. There is indeed, life after death. But there is of course, a better, and a worse life. Those which deserve to pass to a better World, at the time of their Death, will be greeted by the Guardians of that plain, the keepers of the gates to the "Heavens". And together with them, they will gain passage to the place we all seek, to the place we strive to reach, they will gain access, to the perfect Realm.
Any story has two endings, and this one, is no exception to that rule, because, even though most manage to reach the gates of heaven, some do not. They are those who seek to embrace the darker path in life, to harm those which dwell around them, to create chaos, to spread agony, to destroy the balance which Mother Earth has gifted our World with. These types of beings never gain access to eternal happiness, but in exchange, they are transported to what most have come to come Hell, Purgatory, or simply, The Nether. In this dark, forgotten place, they rot in pain, tortured, day and night, struggling every moment, praying that they would receive what most of us seek to escape, Death.
And beyond these three Worlds, a separate Dimension exists, known as the "Realm of Passage.", a plain created to ensure that these three Worlds would never collide together, thus ruining the perfect balance created between themselves. All beings, good and bad alike pass through this Realm as they strive to reach the destination set for them based on their deeds in the living world. Though, the Realm of Passage, is not an easy and forgiving plain. It represents the last test, to all souls alike, the test which will truly prove if they deserve their place in The Nether or the Beyond. In time, thousands of beings have been lost here, devoured by the wretched creatures which formed out of the spirits of sinners passing through this Realm, or simply, lost in it's seemingly unending paths and roads.
The only ones who have free passage through this plain, to ensure the continued exchange between all the three Worlds, are the keepers of the Gates, both for the Nether and the Beyond. They are the ones which bear the maps to this scorched land, the ones which know the roads, it's dangers, and it's secrets.
But, one day, the unforeseeable took place. A group of keepers, traveling through the Realm of Passage to reap a new Harvest of souls had lost their way, after being attacked, for the first time in History, by the savage beasts which inhabited the deserted World. And in the blink of an eye, all Hell seem to break loose. The gates which led to the three dimensions were shattered, like thin glass smashing against a cold pavement, the skies turned a bloody red, as thunders echoed with fury past the horizon's line.
Lost in in a chaotic World, without their maps, without means to contact their Worlds for help, it quickly became clear that it was their Duty, as Keepers, to re-open the breach to all dimensions, and ensure the continuum cycle of all souls. Is everything lost, or is there still, a shred of Hope ?
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Chapter I: Howlers (Introduction)
It had been, several days, since he remained stranded on this deserted World. In the search for answers, food, and shelter, all his comrades perished, one by one, to the claws, teeth and jaws of the beasts which layed in wait at every single corner. He was alone, a single shadow, moving from rock to rock, silently, carefully, like a thief which would break inside a house. Two and a half days had gone away, since he had seen the last glimpse of a ray of sun, melting far away, enveloped by grey clouds thicker than smoke. His throat was dry, his feet were hurting, his arms were tired, his mind beginning to loose focus. Locked around his waist, a long, thin blade could be seen, covered in a red thick liquid, the remains of the blood baths it had experienced when fighting against the Realm's dwellers.
A thin blanket of mist started to slowly settle on the grounds, just as if the Realm itself was going to sleep, covering herself up to avoid the bone-chilling winds which traveled at night. In front of his eyes, he began to discern what seemed a cave of sorts, with a small entrance. A lightning-bolt suddenly cracked open the skies with blazing speed, ramming itself in to the edge of a nearby small mountain, separating it in two. And followed by the lightning, rain came. He tilted his head, eyes now glaring the the skies, smiling lightly as one by one, the drops of water splashed against his face, tickling him slightly. Everything grew silent, no more howls of agony echoed in the beyond, no more screams of suffering. He wondered, if he was the only one left on this deserted rock, and if he was, how much longer would he be able to last.
In a fleeting moment, he could hear the small sliding of rocks down a smooth cliff. He turned his head, eyes and ears scouting for the intruder which may have caused the disturbance. Minutes passed away, and he noticed nothing. Everything was just as empty, as cold, and as saddening as it was before. He turned yet again, slowly making his way to the cave when without notice, the growl of a blood-crazed beast reverberated through-out the area, as a black creature with long, thin teeth, four limbs and a head which slightly resembled the one of a snake's pounced from near a corner, barking like a mad dog. Leaping through the air, it's red eyes seemed to pierce through the man's soul as it's long, hideous tongue ran across it's teeth, as if almost tasting the fresh meat.
He gasped at the sight of the horrific apparition, turning around with haste, his legs beginning to run just as if he was in a marathon. He could hear the howls of other creatures, it's kin, trying to get in touch with the beast to get a part of the prey. He kept running, dashing past corners, sprinting through small tunnels, down roads he had never traveled before, until the echoes of terrifying creatures were lost. With the beast still chasing him, he took another right turn, and suddenly stoped, facing a dead-end. Turning around, his eyes glared at the hungry monster which took it's place in front of him, as if studying the man, deciding when to pounce.
"Hmph."
A grim smile crawled on top of his lips, as Alakor rose his gaze for the first time since the chase started.
"Your friends would have been.. some-what of a problem, Howler. You alone, on the other hand, are nothing more than child's play."
And with those words, his hands locked around the hilt of his sword, pulling it out, the beast taking two steps back as the man chanted: "Burn, White Phoenix." and with those words, his blade seemed to metamorph in to a beam of pure, white fire, causing the creature to leap in a desperate attempt to finish off it's prey. With a smirk, the man charged forward, muscles contracting, blood rushing through his veins, adrenaline increasing his thirst for blood as he leaned back, arching his back until it almost touched the cold earth, the creature flying inches away above him.
The end came, in a few seconds, as with a perfect slash, the white flame separated the monster in two bits, black blood blenching out of the beast's stomach, raining down upon the victor. Rising from the ground, he sheathed his sword, approaching the creature. Dipping one of his fingers in it's blood, he wrote on a nearby rock. "Alakor Neferu, Guardian of the Gates of the Beyond, alive and searching for others such as myself.". Placing the date next to the writing, he dusted himself off, and began moving once again.
Were there others in this World, which still survived after the entrances to the dimensions were closed, or was he truly, all alone ?
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Details and Explanations
Time, Date and Information: This Story will be about a group of Gate Keepers from both the Nether and the Beyond which got suck during the closing of the doors to the three dimensions. The reason for this act is unknown, the way to escape is unknown, and there are no clues. If they desire to once again return to their Worlds, they must battle the dwellers of the Realm of Passage and seek answers and clues for why this tragic occurrence took place. We will begin by first finding each other, and then we will set out as a group in search of anything that could guide us to the right path. This is a Role-play set in a "Fantasy World" and thus i wouldn't like to see rocket-launchers, grenades, jet-packs and such rushing around while we're defeating the bad-guys.
Abilities, Magic and Powers: Some of you may have seen Bleach, the anime. I have developed part of the style of the powers based on the way they are shown in the anime. Basically, each and every one of you will be wielding a weapon (to your choosing, anything from a knife, to two swords, to a katana, to a scythe, anything at all), which will be allowed one primary abilities (a sort of "Oh my God he didn't push that button" kind of ability) and two secondary ones, a defensive and a offensive one (When you will be using your abilities, regardless of which one, you will need to call upon your weapon, such as i showed in Introduction - "Burn, White Phoenix". In that moment, your weapon will transform, and you can go ahead and start killing or running). Leaving aside your weapons, you can of course conjure magic using your hands, though calling down rains of fire and magical dragons and faeries to smite your foes won't take place. You can of course call forth a fireball, a frost-blast, generally the usual stuff.
Later in the story, i will introduce another, surprise, set of powers, as our characters evolve.
Difference between the Keepers of the Nether and the Beyond: The difference is some-what basic (leaving aside the good/bad angelic/perverted personalities). Keepers of the Beyond will mostly rely on their weapons when fighting, these beings having a weaker attunement to Magic, while the Keepers of the Nether generally tend to posses greater magic capabilities than the Keepers of the Beyond, while having a tad weaker weapon abilities.
Character Application:
Name:
Age:
Appearance: (your keeper can look like anything you want him to, as long as he is not a flying duck of sorts, you do not necesarilly have to be a human)
Appearance URL: (if you happen to have a picture of your character)
Race:
Weapon(s):
Abilities:
Gender:
History:
I have a - very - interesting plot, incredbile turn of events await, and much, much more ! You shall not regret joinning ! *winks*
My sheet will come shortly, please feel free to post yours, i will reply as soon as possible !
