This is my first story line. It is supposed to set up my character, Draco Danube as a young to middle aged person who is looking for answers. He is cynical and quite distrusting of those around him, especially the: 'people of flesh'.
He believes fact and evidence based arguments and dismisses those based on hearsay and faith. He questions: 'normal' or 'its always been like that'.
The medieval would call him a heretic.
I want to make the story line consistent with my in-game character's description so both the story line and the description will evolve.
Although I am doing my best to be creative, at worst perhaps my story lines will turn out to be: A Draco Danube FAQ.
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Draco's dark Secret:
Draco Danube has witnessed many merciful and generous acts.
Other times, he has witnessed some mind bending horrors. He has seen friends mauled by wild animals or crushed by land slides but his worst, most terrible experiences are those that involve the people of flesh.
The level of savagery he has seen inflicted by those races, outweigh anything a disturbed and frightened Tefusang can inflict.
The event that pushed Draco over the edge however was the Stone Breaker massacre at the Kran Sanctuary.
Thousands of Stone Breakers were slaughtered due to their greedy arrogance and their foolish trust of Enkidukai and the other races whom they thought would back them up in a fight. How wrong they were... How wrong they were.
A Kran village, a religious icon of sorts. 760 Kran families live there. It is situated on top of a huge natural iron crust.
The iron obviously has a great economic value to some races and to the Kran iron can serve as part of their staple diet. However this iron is supreme and holy. This iron is the same iron ore used to cast the Claymore of Talad.
Not so many years ago...
A Stone Breaker entered the village, with an entourage of Dermorians, Enkidukai and Diaboli and demanded to speak to the village council.
They requested permission to mine the village base for the iron ore. In return, the villagers were offered to be relocated near a cliff face that apparently harboured platinum. However the platinum was too difficult for those races to mine but they were sure, with the Krans unique mining skill and abilities, the Kran would have no problem mining it.
The Enkidukai delegate also indicated that once the Kran freed up the platinum and made the area safe to mine, they, the Enkidukai, would be happy to help the Kran refine the valuable mineral.
The Stone Breaker and his 'friends' were told by the council that they would have to talk to the villagers and ask for a consensus. The council asked the Stone Breaker to come back the following day to receive the villagers' answer.
The Kran are not stupid. The council understood how valuable the iron was to these people of flesh and they knew to-what lengths they would go to get their hands on it. Iron ore had become more and more scarce in this region, as these people rushed to build weapons for their armies in the race for military dominance.
But there was something else.
The council called an urgent meeting of all family leaders and standing in an open air theatre, Luca, the village Mayor, explained:
“There is a group of people, many different races, they want Talad's metal.
They have asked that we all leave this village and move to a land where there 'might' be platinum, a much more pure and nutritious metal, as you know.
I explained to this group that this location, our village, is a sanctuary, a place of worship, a shrine to our maker Talad. I also explained that I would give them an answer tomorrow. Of course the answer is 'no' but I wanted to create some time so that I could speak to you all.“ Luca paused, “so that we can prepare.”
The villagers started to mumble and through the chatter a single phrase was audible: The storm!
“Yes!” Luca nodded, “the storm, the inscriptions on the church walls.” Another pause, “it is coming.”
The chatter of the crowd turned to a whisper and then silence.
A breeze, dust swept across the floor.
“My friends. As with years past, you have trusted your council's judgement. Do I have your confidence again now. Can I tell these people of flesh: no?”
Silence. Not a word came from the family leaders that stood before Luca now. They knew that the word 'no' came with deadly implications.
Luca looked at the faces of the nervous crowd and smiled sincerely. “We have to make a stand and face the storm and protect our sanctuary.”
Luca's audience stood, sharing glances. Someone near the back of the crowd unbuckled his claymore and slowly lifted it above his head. Reluctantly others in the hall unbuckled their swords and gradually raised them and pointed skyward.
Luca's smile disappeared abruptly. He looked up at the sky, reached to his hip and unsheathed his claymore. He thrust it upwards through the air and let out a spine chilling roar.
Instantly all Kran in earshot froze for a thoughtful moment.
A tremor, cliffs echo with the roar of a thousand Kran.
Outside of the village, the temporary fortress that housed the armies of four invading races, met the rumbling sound with a shudder. The ground beneath the soldiers' boots shook.
The following day the Stone Breaker and his entourage were met at the gates of the village by a line of 15 Kran, each with claymores drawn.
Luca left the line and walked over to the Stone Breaker. Luca looked down at him and said: “You have your answer sir.”
It is said that the Stone Breaker stepped backward slowly, just before running as fast as he could after his whimpering friends.
Though amused at their adversaries' retreat, Luca and his guards said nothing, because right now, well, this was the calm before the storm.
Luca turned to his guard and let out a sigh. “Prepare.”
Draco's memory of that evening is vivid, painful and filled with the smouldering embers of hatred.
Twilight, shadows from an orange sky.
Draco was assigned to protect the church, along with 18 other children, including his two sisters. Their instructions were: Anything with flesh, destroy it.
Draco and his friend Cranac, the son of Luca, stood at the church door.
A ring of adult Kran circled the perimeter of the church grounds. They cast long shadows that stretch out across the church yard grass and touched the boys' feet.
Suddenly Draco felt a hand slide into his. He looked around in surprise. it was his youngest sister.
“I'm scared Draco.” She said.
He held back his desperation and said softly, “don't worry. You are in Talad's house. How can any of us be hurt while we are here.” The he gave her the best smile he could.
The last of the day light slipped behind the hills. It was forbidden to light torches this night so for a moment there was darkness. As Draco's eyes adjusted he scanned the area around him.
Creaking branches, rustling leaves, eerie.
He saw Cranac step forward. “Over there.” Cranac said quietly.
The village wall seemed to be glowing.
“And there.” Cranac whispered.
Another glow. A very unusual sight. For a moment this new source of light looked warm and pleasant but as the two children scanned, they could see that the whole of the village wall was glowing. Then they understood: the village wall was on fire.
Draco glanced at his sister. “You are not armed. where is your claymore?”
“Inside! I'll get it!”
“Hurry!” Draco said.
The flames were now clearly visible, yellow and white, bathing the village in bright light.
Cranac said, almost laughing. “Well there goes our cloak of darkness.”
Draco nodded.
Then came the battle cry of the Stone Breaker. A low sound, haunting.
In reply, the ground trembled. The Kran encircling the church stamped their feet and rocked from side to side. All Kran of this village were now stamping.
The church building stood defiantly, indifferent to what was unfolding before it.
Draco leaned forward, he thought he heard voices.
The church encircling Kran suddenly broke their formation. Claymores streaked through the air. Dark liquid, blood of the flesh, sprayed in all directions as though the Kran were thrashing about in a pool of blood.
Through the air, a projectile came crashing down at the feet of Cranac. It was a stunned Stone Breaker that had been thrown, probably by another Kran. Cranac's Claymore came crashing down on the Stone Breakers body. It screamed with pain but a second blow silenced it.
Cranac's terrified eyes gradually turned from fear to rage. He thrust his sword toward the smoke filled sky and roared. Draco could feel the contagious fever of range building in him and did the same. Several other Kran, now engaged in the battle, up front, thrust their blood soaked weapons into the air also.
Cranac and Draco rushed forward to join their comrades in arms. They took up a position and filled a space that was opening up in the church circle.
Draco simply slung his sword toward the ground and with every swing he made contact with flesh and bone. Eyes wide, he slung again and again.
The once circle of Kran was now a straight line. The sound of pain from the Stone Breakers was glorious. The outer members of the Kran line were moving inwards, flanking this group of Stone Breakers. Finally the line was a semi circle of claymore wielding Kran.
A Stone Breaker tried to push through the circle near Cranac but Cranac simply picked up the short fleshy creature and through it back into the nest with the others, who were now trying to retreat but there was no hope.
The church circle, mindful that they were moving further away from the church yard, trod on the fallen Stone Breakers, crushing any of those that had survived their claymore blows.
An adult Kran turned to Cranac and Draco and yelled. “Get back to the church!”
The children turned and ran back, rushing into the huge open hall. There were 18 Kran children standing in a circle, claymores at the ready looking at the ceiling.
Draco and Cranac immediately raised their weapons and joined the circle.
“What is it?” Cranac asked.
“Up their in the beams. Enkidukai. 5 of them we think.” One of the children said.
“How did they get in?”
“Through that door. How do you think?!”
Cranac and Draco shared a glance. They were supposed to be guarding that door.
With the lightest of thuds and the softest of landings 2 Enkidukai dropped out of nowhere into the centre of the circle and with lightening speed they thrust daggers into the faces of 2 of the Kran children. The lifeless children collapsed where they stood.
Through the spaces that the dead children now left, the Enkidukai leapt through the circle and up the walls back to their hiding place in ceiling again.
Cranac grasped the moment, “Every one, run to the back wall. Now!”.
All of the children including Cranac and Draco ran to the back wall.
Cranac held up a hand. “Every one, not a sound.”
Silence. Footsteps across the ceiling rafters.
Draco muttered “...anything with flesh...”
“...destroy it!” Someone completed his sentence.
3 Enkidukai dropped from the ceiling. One thrust a dagger into the side of Cranac's head another went for Draco but a lucky, impulsive swing of his claymore slashed through the creature's middle. It howled in agony. Its cry of pain momentarily disoriented the other two Enkidukai, who paused too long to see another day. Claymores swung decapitating one and badly wounding the other who fell to the ground. It lost an arm before it was dispatched.
Children stood unflinching as Enkidukai blood dribbled down their blades on to their hands.
Kran children, eyes of fury.
One of the children started to stamp on the floor. The others soon followed. Dust started to fall from the churches rafters. The glass in the windows rattled. Each child was now stamping and rocking from side to side. A child roared. Others join in. The sturdy church was vibrating as though bracing itself from an earth quake.
The the remaining 2 Enkidukai dropped from the ceiling but this time at the opposite end of the main hall near the entrance. They were going to make a run for it. At that moment 2 adult Kran came through the door. One of the Enkidukai made a lunge with a dagger for a Kran's head but the Kran effortlessly pushed his claymore through the Enkidukai's belly and as if batting away an insect, slung the creature at the wall.
It was Luca.
Luca looked at his dead son laying in a heap.
The one remaining Enkidukai backed up. It had a choice, die by the hands of the children or the adults. Luca decided for it. Without paying much attention to what he was doing Luca punched it. It fell to the floor. The Kran then stepped on its head with a crunch.
Luca stared at the bodies of the three children individually, then up at the living, blood stained infants.
The other armies must have lost their appetite for battle because they fled.
Thousands of Stone Breakers died that night.
The Stone Breaker army in that region was all but depleted due to their losses and they withdrew all remaining troops soon after. The region is now mostly unoccupied other than the Kran village.
The temporary fortress that stood outside the village was set on fire by the retreating armies. The Kran used the fire as a crematorium, carting wheel barrow after wheel barrow of Stone Breaker carcasses to it.
It is generally considered true that the Stone Breakers were conned by one or all of the members of their alliance, when they were given an assurance that a second, third and fourth wave of attack from the other race's armies would follow theirs. They never did. The Stone Breakers were simply sent to their slaughter.
The 5 Enkidukai who were killed in the Sanctuary church were the only other race who got directly involved with the fighting. However it has been suggested that they had not actually intended to be part of the battle but that they were actually spies who were there with the aim of gaining some insight into Kran battle techniques and weaknesses. They had not counted on the Kran being so successful and unfortunately for them, found themselves trapped.
The iron ore and Sanctuary are both still there as are the Kran villagers but Draco is not.
The only Kran to die that night were those children. Children whom Draco and Cranac were supposed to protect. Draco will never forgiven himself for allowing those Enkidukai through the church door. Draco has also never been able to forgive Talad. Those children died in his house. How could he allow that to happen?!
From that day Draco wrestled with his faith and finally disowned the Kran belief that Talad is a god or that he even exists.
