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The Fall
Nagash
Member, Leader of Men, Kickstarter, Alpha One
In the year 1009 Pre Fall, A time long before the age of the explorers, known now as the great fall. In those times, the world was unified, and peace was widespread across the realms. In this peace, trade between the nations was commonplace, and the world flourished into a new age of technological progress and magical enlightenment.
Sadly fate is a fickle mistress, forever-changing, the world with her very will, It was in this time of order and peace, that those who sought to change the world in their own twisted image came from the dark depths of the outer world — the Harbingers.
I was but an ordinary man living in a small village outside the walled city of Valysium. Back then, I had a loving wife and a family. Seras. I met her many years ago when I first arrived in Valysium and even to this day, I still remember how we met. She was a simple farmers daughter who was selling goods to a local trader in the city while I was looking for work. When I first laid eyes on her, I was ensnared by her charm. She had stunning amber hair styled in a short cut bob that reached her ears which complimented her tanned skin after years of working in the fields, but it was her eyes that grabbed you the most, they were the most beautiful shade of green I had ever seen.
"what do you mean you can't pay ten silver! its always been ten silver for this amount of mediherb."
"I'm truly sorry Serras, but it's been hard to sell goods outside of the capital lately, the best I can do is seven silver."
The man speaking was a portly gentleman that was what you expected when you said the word merchant, but he didn't seem to harbour any ill will towards the young woman.
"fine, I suppose I have no chose if that's all you can offer me but next time I want a better deal."
The young woman looked back at her goods and just sighed and took the money from the merchant's outreach hand and walked off.
I spent the rest of the day wandering around the city looking for any opportunity for work, but in the end, I found nothing. By the time I gave up looking it was already getting dark, the streets that had been crowded all day had died down to a trickle, and luminous globes of light started to fill the streets.
"sigh, even after all this time I still found nothing. You would think in a place this big I would find some sort of work but no. I suppose it time to go back and rest for the night and maybe drown my bad luck."
I had already rented a room in a tavern near the east gate when I arrived, but I was only expecting to stay a few nights, but that prospect seemed unlike after today.
As I walked through the doors, I was struck with the sound of the lively patrons, something I didn't need after a long day, as I walked towards the bar I saw her again. She was talking to the tavern keep about something that I could hear over the din of shouting from the other guests. As I drew closer to the desk, you could see on her face that she didn't look thrilled about her current situation.
"just my luck, first I lose out on a sale, and then I miss the gates closing, and on top of all of that, I'm forced to stay here for the night. could it get any worse."
"seems I'm not the only one having a bad day."
I jokingly said, but at that moment she spun on her heels and looked at me as if she was going to yell at me for making light of her situation. Yet It was at that moment when I felt something change it felt like all the bad luck I had that day had just washed away.
"Why don't I buy you a drink looks like we both need one after today" She just looked at me for a moment and then replied
"sure." In a calm tone that was at odds with her previous one. We spent the night talking about our bad days and laughing at each other's luck it just what we both needed after the days we had. As the conversation when on Seras had a proposition for me that would change both of our lives.
"if you're looking for work you could always come to my village, with harvest time just around the corner we need all the help we can get"
She said with her stunning smile. At that moment I wanted to do anything to get to know her better, so I said without thinking
"sure. not like I have anywhere else to go." We both laughed and drank the rest of our drinks and headed off for the night.
And that's how I met the love of my life Seras. After a few weeks working in the village, I moved in with Seras and her family and became part of their household, two months later we were engaged. In the years after that fateful meeting, we had two beautiful daughters that were the spitting images of their mother, and it was a peaceful existent. I made a living as a blacksmith in the village, and I knew everyone, and they all knew me, not that it was hard, mind you. It was a small village consisting of around fifty people, but It was the perfect life for me. It was all so simple back then, but fate all ways moves on.
So this is a prologue for a story I'm hoping to write set in the world of Verra pre Fall. If you have any feedback, it would be wonderful to hear it. I will try to update this story weekly, but real life may get in the way some times. Thanks for reading and I do hope you enjoyed it ^_^
Sadly fate is a fickle mistress, forever-changing, the world with her very will, It was in this time of order and peace, that those who sought to change the world in their own twisted image came from the dark depths of the outer world — the Harbingers.
I was but an ordinary man living in a small village outside the walled city of Valysium. Back then, I had a loving wife and a family. Seras. I met her many years ago when I first arrived in Valysium and even to this day, I still remember how we met. She was a simple farmers daughter who was selling goods to a local trader in the city while I was looking for work. When I first laid eyes on her, I was ensnared by her charm. She had stunning amber hair styled in a short cut bob that reached her ears which complimented her tanned skin after years of working in the fields, but it was her eyes that grabbed you the most, they were the most beautiful shade of green I had ever seen.
"what do you mean you can't pay ten silver! its always been ten silver for this amount of mediherb."
"I'm truly sorry Serras, but it's been hard to sell goods outside of the capital lately, the best I can do is seven silver."
The man speaking was a portly gentleman that was what you expected when you said the word merchant, but he didn't seem to harbour any ill will towards the young woman.
"fine, I suppose I have no chose if that's all you can offer me but next time I want a better deal."
The young woman looked back at her goods and just sighed and took the money from the merchant's outreach hand and walked off.
I spent the rest of the day wandering around the city looking for any opportunity for work, but in the end, I found nothing. By the time I gave up looking it was already getting dark, the streets that had been crowded all day had died down to a trickle, and luminous globes of light started to fill the streets.
"sigh, even after all this time I still found nothing. You would think in a place this big I would find some sort of work but no. I suppose it time to go back and rest for the night and maybe drown my bad luck."
I had already rented a room in a tavern near the east gate when I arrived, but I was only expecting to stay a few nights, but that prospect seemed unlike after today.
As I walked through the doors, I was struck with the sound of the lively patrons, something I didn't need after a long day, as I walked towards the bar I saw her again. She was talking to the tavern keep about something that I could hear over the din of shouting from the other guests. As I drew closer to the desk, you could see on her face that she didn't look thrilled about her current situation.
"just my luck, first I lose out on a sale, and then I miss the gates closing, and on top of all of that, I'm forced to stay here for the night. could it get any worse."
"seems I'm not the only one having a bad day."
I jokingly said, but at that moment she spun on her heels and looked at me as if she was going to yell at me for making light of her situation. Yet It was at that moment when I felt something change it felt like all the bad luck I had that day had just washed away.
"Why don't I buy you a drink looks like we both need one after today" She just looked at me for a moment and then replied
"sure." In a calm tone that was at odds with her previous one. We spent the night talking about our bad days and laughing at each other's luck it just what we both needed after the days we had. As the conversation when on Seras had a proposition for me that would change both of our lives.
"if you're looking for work you could always come to my village, with harvest time just around the corner we need all the help we can get"
She said with her stunning smile. At that moment I wanted to do anything to get to know her better, so I said without thinking
"sure. not like I have anywhere else to go." We both laughed and drank the rest of our drinks and headed off for the night.
And that's how I met the love of my life Seras. After a few weeks working in the village, I moved in with Seras and her family and became part of their household, two months later we were engaged. In the years after that fateful meeting, we had two beautiful daughters that were the spitting images of their mother, and it was a peaceful existent. I made a living as a blacksmith in the village, and I knew everyone, and they all knew me, not that it was hard, mind you. It was a small village consisting of around fifty people, but It was the perfect life for me. It was all so simple back then, but fate all ways moves on.
So this is a prologue for a story I'm hoping to write set in the world of Verra pre Fall. If you have any feedback, it would be wonderful to hear it. I will try to update this story weekly, but real life may get in the way some times. Thanks for reading and I do hope you enjoyed it ^_^
The dead do not squabble as this land’s rulers do. The dead have no desires, petty jealousies or ambitions. A world of the dead is a world at peace
5
Comments
I like it. I enjoyed it. More is needed!
Next installment when? =D
Thanks for the kind words. I was planning on posting it last week but I didn't have the time so expect it sometime this weekend (I hope)
In the few years before the fall, the mages of the Kaivek race had foretold of a calamity that would affect Verra in the coming year's they said this event would bring untold devastation and ruin to all of Verra. Maybe if the world took stock of their warning sooner, things could have been different. Sadly fate never plays the way you want her to in most cases, she seemed to have her own plans. At the same time, the various nations of Verra had started became antagonistic to each other, relationships build over decades were slowly being worn away. Each race wanting more land for their people or more wealth to fill their coffers and it was in this time of unrest that the first wars in over two hundred years had occurred between the Pyrian and Aela. It was in this time of turmoil the warning of the Kaivek was sent to all who could do anything, but it went unheard.
At the time, no one knew what was going to hit Verra and to our blissful ignorance never did we. It has been seven years since I moved into the village of Tala with Serras and her family. As an outsider, it took a while for people to warm to me, but In those many years, I started a family with Seras, and we had two beautiful daughters. Ruby and Lily. When Ruby was born, we decided it was time to move out of Seras parents house and make our own home in the centre of the village. At the time, I was working as the blacksmith, and I enjoyed every moment of it. I praise the gods for my wonderful life and the family I had, but that changed when they came.
Year 0 The Fall
When the fall first started, no one knew exactly what was happening or so the nations would say. The sad truth is, they were so wrapped up in their wars with the other nations that they failed to notice, or even care about the incoming disaster. It was only when the first of the harbingers landed on Verra and brought the ancients did they take stock of the situation, but by then it was too late.
Every nation tried to put up a resistance against the ancients. Yet after years of grinding wars, they were pushed aside by the endless hordes of madmen and abominations. In the end, nothing stood in the way of the ancient and their hordes. Sadly that was not the worst of the crises, from deep within the harbingers a wave of vile and baleful energy started to spread over Verra tainting all in its path, death was long and painful. Still, it was those who did not die outright that would cause the most harm to the people of Verra. These monster were a shadow of there old selves once the great races of verra corrupted into a new form twisted by corruption.
We had heard the rumours of the chaos rising from the outlands, but we did not heed the warnings of people escaping to the city. If I had taken them seriously, maybe things would be different. On that night, that damned night, my life changed forever. I was in bed with Seras when the children came running in crying their eyes out. "mommy, daddy wake up!" as we got out of bed we saw a fiery red glow from outside our window. It was the dead of night, so there should not have been any light outside, but when I looked outside the window, I released what had happened. The air was heavy with smoke and ash from the now-ruined city of valysium it was like hell had opened up in the night and swallowed the city whole you could see hundreds of silhouette bathed in the fire running away from Valysium.
I rushed to get my family out of the house, thinking about the warnings we were given and how late it was.
"get up we are leaving, grab as much foods and cloths as you can" "what's wrong your scaring the children." Seras seemed to be in as much shock as the children not at what was happening outside but my trobled tone. I blanked her out, focusing on grabbing as much as I could. Not knowing what we would face I had no chose but defend my family, so I moved the backboard from the bed and reached under the bed to grab a box with a stamp of the royal army a part of my old life I had sward away. Inside was an old but well kept long sword that had been wrapped up in a stained cloth it had seen use in its time, but it was the only thing I had to defend my family.
"Hurry we must leave now before it's too late." Odd now that I think back on that, I knew it was too late the moment the screaming started, and we saw the bodies outside. I rushed my family out of the door, trying to cover the children's eyes from the horrors in front of them. We tried to run away, although it was fruitless the shadowy figures were everywhere. Clad in raven black armour with blood and ash hanging from the recesses and a strange glow coming from them all. It was in that moment when we saw them that one of the madmen charged us with a look of pure animal rage and swung his sword towards my head, it was a clumsy swing one that had no finesse, but the intent was clear. He wanted blood.
For a moment, time stopped, as the look of the man changed from rage to shock, as my sword had skewered him through the mouth it had been nothing more than Impulse but I had killed the lunatic. It was only when I heard the scream of my daughter that brought the world back into focus. Two of the madmen had gone around me during my duel and grabbed my family and started to drag them away, in that split moment I rushed the two men with a rage I had never felt before and decapitated the bastard holding. I honestly thought I could take on all of them and take my family to safety, but as I rushed the last of the madmen I felt a heavy blow from behind, and my world faded to dark.
All I remember after that was screaming and the damp feeling of blood dripping from my head. I must have been out for a moment or two, and I was lucky to be breathing I thought, yet when I awoke, I wished I had died. "so you're awake then I was not sure if I killed you" the mocking voice stung my ears as I was awoken to the screams of the dead and dying. "You have heart and strength stranger; we could use you in our new world order where the strong will serve the Ancients. Of course, you won't be needing them where you're going." The sadistic bastard looked at my family while licking his lips. At that moment, I knew what he meant and terror-filled my body. He nodded to his follower and one by one the villagers were slaughtered, people I knew and loved as family were killed before me without a second thought. I was in shock I knew we were all going to die, but I could not give that was until I hear the last words from Seras were "I love you." and in that instance, all three were decapitated. I cried out in rage and ran towards the leader and then nothing. I felt a dull pain in my chest, and a chill went through, I looked at the man who was smiling as he slid his sword between my ribs and kicked me to the ground.
I watched in the dirt as the village was set alight, everything I knew was gone. Everyone I loved gone. Everything was lost to me, but I knew I would see them again in the realm of the gods.
Yet that did not happen.
Well, this is part 2 of my series. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. Please post any feedback on the story as I would be grateful to hear ^^
hahah yeah. I was hoping to show how dark the world would have been when hit with corruption