RuneScape Forum Archive | The Black Pentagram

Dantalian

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PROLOGUE

“I welcome you, traveler. The fact that you come to me suggests you seek a story. Perhaps it is to relieve from the boredom you feel while training or perhaps you simply are in the mood for a story as you relax after a day’s training. Regardless, I shall tell you a story, so long as you wish to listen.

If you are not already sitting then pull up a chair, for the story I shall tell you will likely take a long time to tell.

Before I begin my tale, let me say a few things. Firstly, I shall introduce myself: I am Aquaregis, a mage by vocation, a runecrafter by trade, a traveler by practice, and a weaver of tales by hobby.

Let me now assure you that the story I shall tell is true so far as I know. Some of it I have seen firsthand, other parts have been told to me by trusted witnesses. However, I may have forgotten some parts and it may help me jog my memory of a certain character if you were to submit a bio for that character. If you do so, please include the name, age, gender, race, appearance, allegiance (civil/religious) and some history of that character to help me remember him or her.

And now, without further to do, I shall begin my tale. The tale of the Black Pentagram…” "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

22-Sep-2008 09:06:46

Dantalian

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CHAPTER I – THE NAME BEST FORGOTTEN

Like black jagged teeth, the mountains jutted into the darkened sky of the far north. Few had seen them, and even fewer had dared to try crossing them. For this reason even after thousands of years, almost no one knew of the terrible secret the mountains held; in their center was a large crater, which seemed to descend into the bowels of the earth. The air within the crater hung heavy with the smell of sulfur, but despite this stench, humans held ground here, for in this crater was a temple unlike any other on all of Gielinor.

Made of obsidian and black marble, the massive temple had stood since the late first age, the only visible changes were where the symbol of the empty lord, whose name is best forgotten, had been carved out, and replaced with the symbol of the current god who claimed the temple; Zamorak. At the bottom floor of the temple stood a colossal room, at one end of which was a massive gate carved onto which were the vivid likenesses of demons and other creatures, more powerful and wicked than any seen in Gielinor. Four of these figures bore large black circular gems which radiated an evil power that hung heavy on the room, before this gate stood an altar that had been dedicated to Zamorak, and in front of that altar was the most important thing in the temple. There, on the floor of the room was painted a massive black pentagram, lined with runes and surrounded by black candles.

Throughout day and night, Zamorakian priests, monks, and mages sat within the points of the pentagram, their eyes rolled back as they sat entranced, chanting arcane spells to bring powerful demons from the demonic plane to Gielinor in order to serve Zamorak. "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

22-Sep-2008 09:09:47 - Last edited on 14-May-2010 03:12:46 by Dantalian

Dantalian

Posts: 3,434 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

A man robed in red and black stood on the edge of the crater, his eyes scanning the temple below.

“Twenty-three, no, twenty-five elite marksman on the ramparts, four black demons at the front gate, and about ten Zamorakian knights on the pathway down,” he muttered.

“Piece of cake.”

The man did*’t turn around as a mercenary clad in runite armor walked up behind him.

“My men and I can handle the knights and demons if you would be so kind as to remove the marksmen,” continued the mercenary.

“I won’t require that of you,” replied the robed man, “I only ask you keep the monks and mages at bay while I complete my work in the temple.”

“Do as you wish,” replied the mercenary.

The robed man smiled, and began to chant,
“Oh mighty empty lord, heed my call,
Allow thy rage to descend upon all,
Against those who stand in my path,
My thou reveal thy unstoppable wrath!”

As the robed man chanted, the night sky became enveloped in cloud, and no sooner had the robed man finished then bolts of red lighting fell from the heavens, striking dead all of the Zamorakians within the crater. Behind the robed man, the mercenary captain stood in absolute shock. Within his ranks he had powerful mages, but none of them could produce a spell powerful enough to destroy a black demon in one hit. Yet this robed man, his client, with a single spell had killed not only one, but four black demons, and wiped out a battalion of Zamorakians. "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

22-Sep-2008 09:14:21 - Last edited on 14-May-2010 03:13:29 by Dantalian

Dantalian

Posts: 3,434 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

“The way is opened for you,” said the robed man, “Lead your men in and kill all the mages and monks you come across. Once my business is complete, I shall call you to me so I can give you my payment.”

“As you wish,” replied the mercenary captain, “Come on men, let’s earn our gold!”

And so the mercenary captain led his men down the crater, with the robed man in tow.

Inside the temple, the monks and mages had felt the incredible power that had been called upon to wipe out their brethren guarding the temple’* exterior. Most of them were rushing to take up defensive positions within the temple. Pushing his way through the other Zamorakians, the high priest of Zamorak led a girl with long blonde hair deeper into the temple.

“Where are we going high priest?” asked the girl, “And what was that power I felt just now?*

The high priest responded without pausing to look back at the girl, “That power was definitely that of the empty lord’s, child.”

“The empty lord?” repeated the girl, “As in Zar-“

“Do not speak his name!” interrupted the high priest.

“But you do mean that god?” asked the girl.

The high priest nodded. “Child,” he said, “I am taking you to the last room of the temple. Hopefully, we can repel the intruders, but if not, I shall teleport you away from here to somewhere safe.”

“No!" protested the girl, “I want to stay here and fight! Everyone here has been so kind to me, and I’m not going to let you all die!”

“Child…” said the high priest, as he stopped and stared into her blood red eyes. “You are very valuable to Lord Zamorak and all of his servants; we cannot risk you dying here.”

“But…” started the child.

“Listen to me,” interrupted the high priest, “Once you learn to master your power, you will be able to single-handedly shift the favor of our battles with the Saradominists, under you, Zamorak will become recognized by all to be the true god of Gielinor, do you not want this?”

“I do,” admitted the girl. "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

22-Sep-2008 09:17:39 - Last edited on 14-May-2010 03:14:30 by Dantalian

Dantalian

Posts: 3,434 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

“Then there is no sense in putting you at risk here. Even if we lose the Black Pentagram, if you are safe, then we can still win the war against Saradomin. It may not come to this, but if it does… I will teleport you away. Seek out Lord Darquarius of the Kinshra, one of his men, Iban, has been entrusted to guard you should anything happen to me. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” replied the girl reluctantly.

“Good, now let us hurry.”

The high priest led her to the room which contained the black pentagram and had the door closed and barricaded. However, it was not long before they heard explosions outside, followed by the dying screams of their companions.

“It seems we have no choice, child,” said the high priest.

“No, wait!” shouted the girl as she was teleported away.
Outside, the robed man sensed someone being teleported out of the temple.

“As if I’ll allow that,” he muttered to himself, before casting a spell which he hurled into the abyss. The spell exploded outward, hitting the girl even as she was teleported, and distorted the teleport location. Satisfied with himself, the robed man blasted through the door and made his way inside the room which bore the Black Pentagram.

An explosion rocked the forest southeast of Varrock. When it faded, a girl with long blonde hair lay where the center of the explosion had been. Slowly, she sat up and looked around.

“Where am I?” she asked herself, “And also who am I?” As she asked this question she noticed a single blood red rose in front of her. Somehow, it had miraculously survived the explosion.

“Rose?” she said upon seeing the flower. She picked it and began to carry it with her. “Since I don’t remember what it was before… Rose will be my name.” So saying, she continued walking, with no clue as to where she was going. "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

22-Sep-2008 09:20:44 - Last edited on 14-May-2010 03:14:57 by Dantalian

Dantalian

Posts: 3,434 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

“Well, that was easy,” commented the robed man as he surveyed the corpses of the Zamorakians that now littered the ground around the Black Pentagram. He sent a telepathic message to the mercenaries, summoning them to the bottom floor. As they walked in, he asked, “Did you kill them all?”

“Of course,” replied the mercenary captain, smiling, “Now, about our pay…”

“But of course,” replied the robed man, and, with a flick of his wrist, he caused all the mercenaries to burst into flames. “Fools,” he said as he watched the mercenaries’ bodies burn away. “At least you made a good sacrifice to my master, Zaros. Speaking of which…” The robed man walked into the center of the black pentagram and began to chant, as he did so, the candles surrounding the pentagram began to burn with black flames. Soon after, a sliver of red light shone from a crack within the gate at the far end of the room, and the robed man collapsed.

The robed man found himself in the spirit realm, standing before a throne of red gold, on which sat a figure wearing a violet cloak which was adorned with gold and gems. It stared at the robed man with eyes that appeared like burning coals.

“Master Zaros,” said the robed man, bowing.

“Ah, my faithful servant Caihoc,” said the figure, “It has been how long since I last beheld you?”

“Too long, my lord,” replied the robed man, “I regret to inform you that the traitor Zamorak has usurped your title, and now claims himself to be a god.”

“I thought as much,” said Zaros, “However, in his arrogance, he has not foreseen my return.”

“Could it be?” wondered Caihoc, “Are you strong enough to escape the spiritual realm now?"

"The problem is that I am too strong,” replied Zaros, “The stronger the spirit, the harder it is to enter the corporeal realm. I have been gathering the powers of other spirits to escape, but it will still be a long time before I can force myself through. There is thankfully, another way for me to return.” "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

22-Sep-2008 09:24:18 - Last edited on 14-May-2010 03:15:28 by Dantalian

Dantalian

Posts: 3,434 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

“Another way, my lord?” asked Caihoc.

“Yes,” said Zaros, “As you know when I arrived on Gielinor, I moved quickly, gathering the lands of the east under my control, and moving west. Unfortunately, a number of gods, under the command of Armadyl, god of justive, and Saradomin, god of light, challenged me. Still, they were unable to prevail, until that traitor, Zamorak…” here the empty lord trailed off, his voice quivering with rage.

Caihoc waited for his master to calm down before he ventured to ask, “Master, will you please tell me how to help you return.”

“Ah, yes,” said Zaros, “Both Armadyl, and myself created portals which opened to different realms, to which, we each have access. You already have seen the portal to the demon realm, which I have access to.”

“The gate within the temple!” Caihoc exclaimed.

“Indeed,” said Zaros.

“But, master, how can I open it?” asked Caihoc.

“You noticed the four gems located in the gate?” asked Zaros. After Caihoc nodded, he continued, “Those are in a sense, “keyholes”.”

“But if there are keyholes, then there are keys,” commented Caihoc. "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

22-Sep-2008 09:27:09 - Last edited on 14-May-2010 03:15:56 by Dantalian

Dantalian

Posts: 3,434 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

“Correct," said Zaros, “Both Armadyl and I created three weapons for our followers, each at least as powerful as that “godsword” that was made in the third age. However, the real purpose of the weapons is as follows; each belongs in a temple, if one of my weapons is put in the correct temple, it releases my "darkness" which will then come here and unlock one of the locks, likewise, one of Armadyl's weapons, if put in the correct temple will unleash his "light” which shall unlock one of the locks on his gate.”

“What about the fourth lock?” asked Caihoc.

Zaros smiled, “I shall entrust a portion of my "darkness" to a mortal. That mortal shall be able to open the fourth lock with that darkness.”

“I see,” said Caihoc, “So I must gather the three weapons you created.”

Zaros sighed, “It will not be so easy, Caihoc. Someone realized the danger of those weapons and placed a seal on them. Guthix then placed five seals on the seal that other person created. The first seal is formidable, but it cannot be damaged at all while the other five are intact. You will need to find and destroy those five seals… they are likely in areas that are important to Guthix.”

“But even if we destroy the five seals, it does no good unless we can destroy the main seal. Master, do you know where it is, so I may secure it?” asked Caihoc.

“You have already secured it,” said Zaros. Noting Caihoc’s confused expression, he continued. “The main seal is the Black Pentagram.” "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

22-Sep-2008 09:29:15 - Last edited on 14-May-2010 03:16:28 by Dantalian

[#4NOKTSX8A]

Posts: 7,404 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Evening, dear Aquaregis. Some research led me to the beginning of this remake according to the current history present in game.

As you said, it is indeed a shame that you have to leave the current plot in order to make a more accurate tale, after such developments that we followed throughout the past years, with your amazing cliffhangers, turns of plot, and the remarkable bio development that you gifted us with.

Shame I cannot be a more avid supporter, life does indeed take its toll on you after a certain age... I'll still be around and I'll always read your stories, Aqua, you're and amazing writer, none can take that away from you. I can only hope you find a little notch in this amazingly growing tree that is your tale, to place my character...

I'd love to see the new Selene, however I'll leave it entirely up to you to decide. (I too lost some important things, such as the bio for this character)

Always supporting, hugs, Kain.

23-Sep-2008 20:02:24 - Last edited on 23-Sep-2008 20:03:44 by [#4NOKTSX8A]

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24-Sep-2008 17:49:33

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The Black Pentagram