RuneScape Forum Archive | A Noble Sacrifice

Ascertes

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The Acolyte

The sun was shining on that day. I remember vividly the details of what happened before the War was over. I write this book as a spirit passed beyond. The Shadow Realm is a strange place, and it seems even though I am incorporeal I can still touch and hold the things around me. The madness takes hold over me progressively, and I hope I can record this entire tale before I am no longer sane.

On that day Zamorak stood in the center of us acolytes, all attired in black cloaks with hoods drawn over our heads, bent in a gesture of submission. We brought him the stone as was our task, but our Lord was not through with us yet.

The war thus far had gone poorly. Bandos had once again betrayed us, and the combined might of the enemy trio was slowly overwhelming our forces. We had been pushed out of the southern plains, and in the north we fought futilely against the other gods. The raid to obtain the Stone was one last, desperate attempt to save the war. Or so Zamorak had said.

We had gathered in a small field amidst a clearing of trees, while birds sang around us and the grass bent and flowed in the wind like a tide. It was strangely peaceful. There was not a cloud to be seen, either.

We had raided the stone from a secret compound far to the west of where we were now assembled, right from under the noses of those petulant and arrogant Saradominists. By the time they figured out that their greatest treasure was taken from them, we were long gone.

We presented the stone to Zamorak, and his eyes lit with reverence and, dare I say, lust. He took it from us, and held it above his head in his hand, holding it in front of the Sun, watching the light catch the edges and faces of the hexagonally patterned stone. He smiled, revealing a jagged, sinister grin.

"Now they will tremble before me," he said, though it did*’t seem like it was to anybody in particular. -Ascertes, King of all the Hallowlands and the Everchosen of Saradomin.

31-Mar-2014 05:25:11 - Last edited on 25-Apr-2014 03:40:14 by Ascertes

Ascertes

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He turned his infernal gaze to our head Priest, a fat man who had grown so gluttonous he could hardly stand, and wore a red cloak with a cord tied about his waste and worn, leather sandals. "Prepare the incantation," commanded the god. Our priest barked an order, and we began to recite a spell which I cannot remember, though it was one of the first we learned as servants of the God of Chaos.

Together we began to sway, arms upheld in song as we sang our final mortal words. Zamorak sang along with us, his eyes shut tight and hand clenched around the stone as he murmured his own divine spell.

The stone glowed with a demonic light, the edges of the hexagons turning a vibrant, bloody red. Faster we sang. Faster we swayed. The pace increased as the stone pulsed with newfound strength.

The sky darkened and blotted out the sun. Lightning crackled overhead. The earth shook with each passing note.

The stone was blinding then. Fire leapt from the earth. The birds in the surrounding trees took off and fled. The grass turned brown and dead as our magic sank into the ground, calling upon the earth to give us strength. Trees withered and died while their life force fueled the power of Zamorak and his new weapon.

Our incantation stopped. Zamorak threw the stone to the ground. A light, then...nothing.

I remember waking up after it happened. The sky was red and black with clouds and ash. The field we had been in was gone, and a smoldering crater had replaced it. It was dark. Very dark.

The world had gone black; the ground charred and devastated. The trees had been reduced to ashes, and it was eerily quiet; even the wind seemed to have died and lent all of its strength to our God. All of the acolytes were gone, and I saw no bodies. -Ascertes, King of all the Hallowlands and the Everchosen of Saradomin.

31-Mar-2014 05:25:17 - Last edited on 25-Apr-2014 03:42:13 by Ascertes

Ascertes

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Zamorak, however, remained. He had not moved it seemed, as he was in the center of the valley he had created. The stone was still in hand, but it had returned to its benign and humble state. Still he held it, though, inspecting it like he had never seen it before, like he was uncertain that the device he clutched in his hand could have caused such great devastation. His smile was gone, and he looked almost angry. I called to him, but he did not hear. He observed his surroundings then, and said to himself "So it is done."

I'm not sure what happened then, but I saw a scythe and a hooded figure, and again knew nothing.

I awoke again sometime afterwards, with Zamorak gone and an incredible sword placed where he had been standing.

I attempted to touch the new sword, but when I reached out I saw how ghostly my hand was, and then I knew: I was dead. What had transpired had been Zamorak's final act. We had been part of a noble sacrifice.
___________________

The Priest

Zamorak be praised! His victory was at hand! He defeated the tyrannical and subjugative gods in his greatest moment of triumph! I was there then, and even though I am doomed to walk for eternity in the land he created in his glory, I consider myself blessed, being able to live forever in his finest creation.

When we gave him the stone, I had never seen Zamorak in person before. Oh, how clearly I remember him! His glorious wings covered the ground in shadow, his eyes pierced the hearts of all he looked upon, filling us with awe and fear and pride!

I could write for ages about his glory, but the story of that day must be told! We brought our glorious god the stone, as we were bid by none other than Zamorak himself.

I myself had the honor of handing this new device to Zamorak, and I remember feeling as if I were the greatest hero of the age. My acolytes and I had taken the stone, sundering the pride of those snobs who follow Saradomin, who claims to be a "god." -Ascertes, King of all the Hallowlands and the Everchosen of Saradomin.

31-Mar-2014 05:25:22 - Last edited on 02-Apr-2014 05:29:32 by Ascertes

Ascertes

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We gathered in the center of Forinthry, as we had been told by Zamorak the Great. Simply holding the stone, he seemed to appear even more powerful by the second, if that was even possible. We would have the honor of seeing Zamorak in his greatest triumph. He had defeated Zaros and his Empire; We would see him win against the others, too.

He told me to make the acolytes sing, and sing we did. Chanting our divine and holy message, we gave Zamorak our lives so we would fuel his victory. He sang with us, his every word beaming with power and potential.

He held the stone in the air. A wave of red light flashed through his body, and into the earth he embedded the stone. The world flashed red, orange and white. I had protected myself with old spells which held but for a half second before being trampled by the windfall of Zamorak's vengeance.

Why I did not pass on I am still not certain. It is a great thing to remain on this world however, and forever witness the glory of our Lord.

Our actions that day were indeed a noble sacrifice.

The Deity

Forinthry was left scarred at my hand. There's not much I do not remember, and I regret almost nothing. The war had turned against me, as if it had ever been in my favor. The final straw was when that oaf Bandos once again, for the perhaps maybe the thousandth time, had turned against me.

K'ril had gone missing not long before. Enakhra had travelled to the desert and had not been heard from in centuries. Lucien and Zemouregal were off planning their own schemes away from the war. Bilrach had remained dutiful and loyal as ever, as if it that made a difference. And as he had always done, Drakan made excuses to send as few of his Vampyres to the front as he possibly could. Thammaron had died in his siege of Uzer. Zebub was defeated at the battle of Entrana. -Ascertes, King of all the Hallowlands and the Everchosen of Saradomin.

31-Mar-2014 05:25:28 - Last edited on 25-Apr-2014 03:45:44 by Ascertes

Ascertes

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The war in the desert had been sealed with Thammaron's death. All of our strength and forces had died with him there.

Zebub lost me the war in southern Forinthry. His successors proved to be incompetent and spineless cowards. The gradual retreat bled us white, and we were driven back all the way to Sennisten itself.

Sennisten was, perhaps, the only redeeming feature at the time. The great city and former capital of Zaros held the river Salve for us, protecting Hallowvale from encroachers. But not even Sennisten would save the war. We may have held it for perhaps a few decades, but my men were spent.

Our only non-total failure was Forinthry. K'ril's crushing victory at Annakarl before his disappearance had sent the self-righteous Saradominists reeling in panic. The cornerstone of their defense in Forinthry had relied upon Annakarl. From that defeat they crawled all the way back to Paddewa and Dareeyak, shivering at the thought of my next move. It turned into a bloodbath not long after, with thousands dying every year and none of us gaining a single advantage.

But they never dreamed of what I would do next. What choice did I have? Retreat to Infernus? No. I had come too far to retreat. I would not give in while a chance still remained.

The only reason I sent that fat man and his tag-alongs of dream-filled children was beause I had nobody else to spare. Truthfully, I did not expect them to succeed. I guess bigger can mean better, at least in that priest's case. That aside, they even came back with the Stone ahead of when I anticipated their return.

When I learned of their success, I understood what I was about to do. For a moment I even doubted the course of action I had resolved for myself. They were petty, sentimental thoughts; I pushed them aside. -Ascertes, King of all the Hallowlands and the Everchosen of Saradomin.

31-Mar-2014 05:25:34 - Last edited on 25-Apr-2014 04:18:13 by Ascertes

Ascertes

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When I held the stone I could feel its power. The energy of creation itself rested in my hands. Not for a second did I doubt it would do what I needed of it. Before that day was out, I was sure my victory would come.

They would tremble before me.

I told them to sing their little incantation. What I didn't tell them was that it did absolutely nothing to enhance the stone's power. More or less, it made them feel involved.

They were filled with pride and spirit, and I admired that. They had done much knowing the missions I sent them on would likely cost them their lives, and still they remained unfathomably loyal. To leave them out of this pivotal moment would have broken them emotionally, and I was in desperate need of allies.

Those acolytes and even that girthed priest proved their worth to me. They had earned a spot of respect in my mind, and no more so when they committed the ultimate sacrifice.

A noble sacrifice. -Ascertes, King of all the Hallowlands and the Everchosen of Saradomin.

31-Mar-2014 05:25:44 - Last edited on 25-Apr-2014 03:47:27 by Ascertes