RuneScape Forum Archive | A Tale of Four Champions

[#9PE5KKJ52]

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_______________The Wilderness_______________

Varrock. A huge city. Many people know it because of its size, or its training areas, or its palace, or its clothes stores. But it is known for something else, too.

It holds the palace of the Wilderness Champion, Joshua Demonbane!

For behold, every day the mighty warrior takes his group of fighters into the Wilderness, fighting any other! And in the Wilderness, there isn't any return! That's right, the Wilderness is the most dangerous Game there is! Not only armies of warriors roam it, but massive demons, hordes of menacing hobgoblins, packs of vicious Hellhounds, clans of Chaos Dwarves, and fearsome Giant Spiders inhabit the place! This is the terrifying world that the Champion of the Wilderness hurls himself into every single day!

Because of the massive danger and rewards, the Champion of the Wilderness is the highest praised champion. His section of the Champion's Palace was massive, nearly twice the size of Talmyr's.

Joshua adorns his palace with suits of armor, banners, and flags. He also has many carpets and rugs. He is the most serious of all the Champions, and the most focused to have victory. Because of this, he also bears the honorary title of Commander of a third of the armies of Varrock.

Joshua yawned and sat up, grabbing a long blade. In only his night robes, he jumped out of bed and swung the sword in a wide arc, slashing ten fake warriors in the process. Every morning, his servants set up watermelon, orange, and other fruit warriors in random places. Every day was a new challenge, to see how many fruit warriors he could find and destroy. He never found all of them. One day he almost found them all, but the last one was hidden in the basement, and there were spiders in the basement. Joshua didn't like spiders.

25-Jul-2007 14:34:34 - Last edited on 15-Apr-2008 16:07:41 by [#9PE5KKJ52]

[#9PE5KKJ52]

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The instant Joshua decapitated the last fruit warrior, his bedroom door opened and five enchanted suits of armor came marching in. Joshua smiled grimly, then jumped up and swung in a wide 360 arc, slashing three suits of armors' chests in the process. One enchanted armor's helmet fell off, soon followed by the crumpling of its whole body.

Joshua then parried two sword strikes and neatly slid his long sword into an opening for the eyes of person who usually would be wearing the armor to see out of. He then turned, parried again, and jumped up. Holding his sword straight out behind him, he jumped up sideways and kicked a suit of armor in the chest, crumpling it, then stabbing through another suit's head, causing it to fall into pieces. The last armor turned to run, but Joshua threw his sword at the space in between the helmet and the plate body. The last suit of armor fell off.

Joshua's servant bustled in, wearing a simple butler's tuxedo and holding an enchanting staff. "Nice job, sir," he commented nonchalantly, staring at the five suits of armor lying scattered.

"It was nothing. Good enchanting, though," Joshua said business-like.

"Would you care to go to the baths, sir?" the butler inquired.

"Yeah, I'll be there in a minute." Joshua proceeded to walk around his massive king-sized bed and go to his closet. Inside was a fruit warrior with a helmet. Joshua sighed and did a left roundhouse kick, sending the helmet-adorned watermelon head flying. He picked up a mango arm and munched on it as he picked out, with the help of another servant, a good outfit for the day. Then he proceeded onto the baths.

25-Jul-2007 14:34:39 - Last edited on 15-Apr-2008 16:08:57 by [#9PE5KKJ52]

[#9PE5KKJ52]

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Walking through the hallways, he saw a large fruit warrior. Joshua studied it for a while, looking at it, and then spun around and smashed its head off with a spinning kick while screaming, “Die, Papaya!” Then he grabbed the watermelon torso and dropped it four flights of stairs down to the marble floor. Besides that, there was the usual scarlet carpets, marble statues, and banners of his part of the palace.

Joshua's baths were not at all like Talmyr's or Drake's. Joshua hated such disgusting use of people.

As a refreshed Joshua walked through the hallways to the dining hall, he mused over the current events. According to the reports, Drake had just killed a man with giant blood in him, but the girl obsession was only growing. Talmyr had made an "acquaintance" with a ravishing woman named Sigea. Daren had made a new friend, named Rah, and the two were almost equal fighters.

About a quarter of the way there, Joshua spotted two fruit warriors. He grabbed one's head and squeezed it to a pulp with his bare hands. Then, licking his fingers, he punched the papaya fruit chest of the other one and splattered it.

A servant came up and filled him in on the latest political reports.

King Roald was planning a large feast for all of the kings and Champions of the world. The Duke of Lumbridge had just fired Hans for mistaking a friendly warrior for an invader, and ran around the castle screaming. The strange Tzhaar beasts had just opened a new Game, called the Fight Caves. Ali the salesman had just bought rights to test a new super-growth formula on all Kharidian Camels. The King of Ardougne had just declared West Ardougne habitable. King Nardode Shareen of the Gnomes was laying down the plans to have more glider landing points, in order to fund his newest scheme, the attack on Ape Atoll. And Miscellania had declared war on Lunar Isle for violating the water boundaries.

25-Jul-2007 14:34:43 - Last edited on 25-Jul-2007 14:40:34 by [#9PE5KKJ52]

[#9PE5KKJ52]

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And finally, the swamp had been declared "most dangerous place in all of RuneScape" by the Merchant Ali traveling Guides Company.

He didn't like this impending war on Ape Atoll, and he liked even less the Lunar Isle-Miscellania war. But firing Hans was probably the best thing anybody could ever do. Yet, Joshua always feared the Tzhaar games. They were gradually getting more and more attention. As were other new games. He feared that there was going to be a confrontation soon, which meant less time in the Wild. Joshua planned to stop it before it got too bad.

All thought of the new Games disappeared when Joshua walked into the dining hall. His favorite meal was served, again: delicious, golden-brown chicken with sausage on a roll for the first course of the meal. On his left side was a bowl of mango and sliced apple with honey. And on his right, a cinnamon bun smothered in chocolate syrup smiled at him invitingly.

Without a word, Joshua grabbed a chicken leg and tore off some of the succulent meat, sighing with pleasure as the delicious stuff touched his taste buds. After eating the chicken, he took a silver fork and picked up a honeyed apple, while with the other hand stuffing down the sausage. To wash it down was some of the finest aged Seer's Village wine.

When he was finished with the mango and apple, fruit juice dribbling down his chin, he picked up the cinnamon bun and took a massive bite. The chocolate, cinnamon, and honey mixed together to make a near-sickeningly sweet taste in his mouth. Sighing, he drank the last of his wine and wiped his mouth. Then he got up, handing his plates to a waiting servant.

25-Jul-2007 14:34:47 - Last edited on 15-Apr-2008 19:49:14 by [#9PE5KKJ52]

[#9PE5KKJ52]

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The next stop was the training room. Here the bulk of the fruit warriors were. As soon as he walked in, he was provided with a steel long sword and a wooden shield, his classic training weapons. He saw five fruit warriors around one hundred feet away, so he grabbed five throwing knives and sank them into the fruit. Tomato juice bubbled out like blood.

However, fruit warriors weren't what he trained on. He trained on heavy suits of adamant enchanted armor, each holding a different weapon. The first three started to come his way. He crouched and leaned sideways to them, minimizing the target. He waited for the impending magic blasts and throwing knives.

As the first throwing knife came, he batted it away contemptuously with his steel sword. Then a magic blast came, a wobbly ball of pure water. He raised his shield, but at the last second he jumped backwards, gently tapping it with his shield. The water bomb careened sideways and smashed into the wall, shaking the mortar.

Then he got up and charged. The first suit of armor swung down with an adamant two-handed sword, which Joshua skillfully parried and followed up with a stab to the back. The armor fell to pieces (literally) and he moved onto the next suit. He readied himself for the blow. A battleaxe swam towards him from the left. He jumped up and grabbed the helmet, stabbing through the eye opening.

For an hour, he continued to train, until finally there were sixty suits worth of armor lying around in heaps. Not a single scratch on him.

As he walked out, two rather scantily clad woman servants walked out and helped him into his famous armor: black dragon hide with a thin layer of rune armor melted in. The perfect defense. He never wore a helmet. When he was ready, he kissed the servants and walked out.

25-Jul-2007 14:34:52 - Last edited on 25-Jul-2007 14:42:11 by [#9PE5KKJ52]

[#9PE5KKJ52]

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Well, come on, no man can go totally without fun, right?

As he walked into the next room, he had his pick of weapons: a dragon battleaxe, a dragon long sword, a dragon scimitar with magical energy put into it so he could use it as a staff, or a long metal staff. He chose the scimitar, also shouldering a quiver filled with a bow, fifty arrows, and ten throwing knives. He was ready for another day's work in the most dangerous game of all- the Wilderness.

* * * * * *

*hou Dun grunted as he read the reports. "This is unacceptable!" he roared at his servant, Fern, with disdain. "Why on earth are we losing players?" He unsheathed his two dragon scimitars, lovingly fingering the rubies.

Fern cowered a bit, then stood up again. He stared at his Champion and employer, a half-elf with flowing black hair, and a slight tan, making his fierce blue eyes all the more visible. "There has been some... exciting happenings of late in the four Great Games," he said evenly. "Daren has an equal, as does Talmyr, and Drake-"

"I know, I know," Xhou cut him off. "What I care about is getting people aware of the new Games, like Pest Control!" He paused and looked out the window of his lavish mansion overlooking the ship that transported people to the Void Knight Outpost every day. He sighed. "I am sorry, Fern," he sighed. "But we all have a common need here."

Fern looked up. "Oh?"

Xhou sighed again, and said softly, "We all know very well that the Four Great Game Champions have abused their power for countless years. They are treated better than royalty. I mean, Drake is constantly-"

"So you want to destroy the popularity of the Four Great Games, and bestow it on yourself?" Fern broke in, eager to avoid the conversation about Drake.

"Yes," Xhou said. Then he chuckled, swinging his scimitars at a rubber ball hanging from the ceiling. It snapped in half. "Soon, we will rise, Fern," Xhou said quietly. "And you can be at my side when we take the popularity."

25-Jul-2007 14:34:57 - Last edited on 15-Apr-2008 19:52:41 by [#9PE5KKJ52]

[#9PE5KKJ52]

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* * * * * *

Little did Joshua know it, but he was walking into a trap.

Joshua walked down the stairs to a brightly lit cavern. In it were ten people: his team of warriors that never lost. Carol, his second-in-command, was a young woman wearing Karil's armor and bow. She was one of Joshua's best friends.

Frank, a burly man with full Dharok armor and a massive Great Ax, was his newest addition. Then there was Joseph, a calm, thin man wearing full blue dragon hide armor and holding a Crystal Bow, and Lyese, a troubled middle-aged woman wearing ancient Torag armor.

Next was Jack, a lively young man with the average run-of-the-mill full rune and a dragon two-handed, Aaron, an average-sized guy with full Guthan armor and a massive Guthan spear, and Yaol, an ageless dark elf with a crystal shield, dragon mace, and full mithril.

Borl and Khard stood next to each other, dwarf and Khazard, and then there was Elyssa, a thin young woman with full mystic and a mystic elemental battle staff.

Elyssa was the newest member of his team. He wasn't sure how he felt about her. She was nice and caring, and very pretty, but he was unsure of her battle prowess. His throat dried up whenever he saw her, yet he felt no particular want of her.

Upon entering, Joshua was greeted with cheers.

Borl growled and his eyes lit up as Joshua passed him. "We are going to make mincemeat out that pitiful human team Dragons of the Wilderness!"

There were roars of approval. Joshua looked around. He raised his scimitar, muttering a spell, which made his voice amplified. "Let us claim victory again!"

The team followed their leader into the portal, and the Wilderness. Little did they know what they would find.

They walked through the portal and...

Fell out of the sky. He looked down and saw a huge river of lava speeding up to meet him. At the last second, he drew his scimitar and stuck it backwards into the ashen cliff.

25-Jul-2007 14:35:02 - Last edited on 15-Apr-2008 20:05:42 by [#9PE5KKJ52]

[#9PE5KKJ52]

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His descent slowed, but didn't stop. The air began to get very hot. His armor was unbearable. Desperately, he threw his gloved hand at the wall, digging into the ash. Still he slid inexorably down. He looked down, and had to shut his eyes. It was so hot that his eyes streamed.

Still he slid further, until finally, just when he had given up hope, he felt his scimitar hit a rock and catch. His descent stopped abruptly, jarring his bones briefly. Looking up, he saw little shapes falling from the dragon. His team!

He roared in anger and began to haul his way up the cliff. As he got higher and higher, it grew less hot. When he finally hauled himself up over the cliff, his eyes had stopped streaming.

He then saw where he was: a small area of land surrounded by a long pool of lava. An island. An inescapable island.

Somebody had rerouted their portal here, so they would be trapped.

Joshua suddenly heard a roar of terror grow louder and louder. He looked up, and just managed to jump away before a fully-armored teammate smashed into the loose ash and burrowed in five feet. Ash and bits of metal sprayed everywhere from the impact. Joshua laughed and looked around. His other teammates were coming down in similar fashion. There were nine...

Then he heard a scream. He looked over at the edge. Two hands were gripping it. Somebody was hanging on!

He roared and pointed, but then heard a scream, and saw the hands disappear. He rushed over to the edge, and saw one of his team falling, falling, falling...

Then landing on a tiny island of rock, with the lava surrounding it.

"Come on!" Joshua roared. "We have to save him!" And without further ado, he jumped off the edge.

Joshua suddenly realized that maybe jumping off the edge wasn't such a great idea. Unfortunately, he was coming down fast, and he couldn't reach the sides of the canyon.

25-Jul-2007 14:35:08 - Last edited on 15-Apr-2008 20:09:22 by [#9PE5KKJ52]

[#9PE5KKJ52]

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The air rushed by his face, and his stomach lurched when he saw the lava. It was splashing all around the rock. He just managed to land on a piece of the rock island and move away before a lava geyser smashed into it and melted part of it. One thing was for certain: there wasn't much time before the lava swallowed the tiny island.

So he went over to his fallen companion, Jack, and picked him up. Joshua's armor was dragon hide, so it was ultra-resistant to heat. His full-rune companion, however, was wearing super-absorbing armor. When Joshua touched the man's armor, he screamed and dropped him. It was searing!

He looked up to see Elyssa pick up a staff and mutter something. A rotating purple mana ball flew towards Joshua and his friend.

But it wasn't coming quick enough. Far away, the lava river was surging. It was far, but coming fast. When it came, the island was going to go under. Joshua would survive for maybe a couple seconds, but his friend would melt immediately.

So he gritted his teeth against the pain, picked up his friend's armor, and jumped upwards to the mana ball...

And got pulled into the mana ball and shrank. As the two of them flew back to the surface, Joshua saw the surge of lava spread over the rocky island and leap upwards, almost as if it was disappointed that they had escaped their almost certain fiery death.

Joshua and his teammate were now up. Everyone had survived; now they had to find a way off the lava island, which was now starting to shrink.

Frank muttered, "This was a setup. Somebody wanted us to go."

Joshua looked around uneasily. The lava was rising. Already the rock he was on was way under. Rocks began to melt from the heat and sink down. Holes were bored into the porous rock. Their island was going to go.

25-Jul-2007 14:35:13 - Last edited on 25-Jul-2007 14:44:35 by [#9PE5KKJ52]

[#9PE5KKJ52]

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Carol loaded her Karil's crossbow with a grappling hook and rope, and shot it at a ledge of rock on the other side of the lava river. It hit, creating a zip line. The others cheered. Joshua smiled. Carol could always be counted on to get them out of tight situations.

Then the island began to groan. They looked around more uneasily. Joshua saw, on the other side of the island, lava was beginning to pour over. "We have to get off the-" his roar was cut off by a huge groaning sound. All the people were thrown to the ground. It began to grow very hot. And then, without warning, a huge crack appeared down the middle. It grew and got wider, until the whole island was torn in two. Lava bubbled out of the crack, hungrily eating away at the rock to get to the team of fighters.

Joshua grabbed a bendable iron rod from his pack, bent it to be in a half-moon shape, and handed it to one of his partners. He nodded and hooked it over the rope, and slid above the lava river to the other side.

The fighters took turns going, until it was just Joshua and Carol. "You go," Carol said. "I will be right behind you-" she was cut off when the other half of the island slammed into their half, knocking them over. It then began to tilt. Lava greedily ate up the land to get to them.

"Go!" Carol yelled. Joshua gaped at her.

"I can't leave you here! You will die!" His eyes teared with sudden fear. “I need you, Carol!” he screamed. “You’re the last one who…”

"You are the champion," Carol said with finality. "You cannot die." And then she walked towards the rope with him. He grabbed on. "Good luck," Carol whispered before shoving him.

Joshua twisted around while zip lining across the rope. He saw Carol waving at him. Then, with a sickening groan, the lava burst up through the island, flooding over the surface, and Carol. He felt warm tears come out and just as quickly evaporate. Carol was a great warrior, and a great friend. He would honor her.

25-Jul-2007 14:35:17 - Last edited on 15-Apr-2008 20:11:01 by [#9PE5KKJ52]

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A Tale of Four Champions