EPISODE ZERO
SANDS OF BARA MAGNA
-ROXTUS-
-Tuma-
Tuma sat in his throne, awaiting his visitors. His visitors, of course, were particularly special today. One, a Rock Agori named ShadowVezon. The other, a Rock Agori named Atakus.
ShadowVezon trembled in the presence of Tuma - no, the Mighty Leader Tuma. Tuma had not started leading the Rock Tribe out of nowhere - he had proved his might, and it was clear just by looking at the towering Skrall that it was not a wise idea to fight him. Not that ShadowVezon particularly wanted to, as Tuma had specifically requested ShadowVezon be summoned.
"Agori." Tuma said, acknowledging both of his visitors.
"Mighty Leader Tuma, I am honoured to be in your presence." ShadowVezon replied, the utmost respect in his voice and his gaze fixed entirely on Tuma.
Atakus did not speak. At first, ShadowVezon thought Atakus was daring to insult Tuma by simply not acknowledging him, yet upon a closer look, ShadowVezon saw that Atakus had no tongue.
"You both know that the previous Agori figurehead, the one who you looked up to when I am not here to dispense my guidance upon you, fled roughly a month ago. Or, rather, he fled after it was determined he was stealing weapons and supplies meant for the Skrall for his own use. ShadowVezon, I'm sure you've noticed Atakus has yet to speak. Did he really have the gall to steal from those who sheltered him? I'm sure you can piece it together - he was safe here, yet was arrogant enough to steal from us, as if he was still one of us the moment he acted against us. Did you think it odd that some of our supplies conveniently stopped going missing the moment he fled?" Tuma snarled, becoming visibly angrier the longer he talked.
"It is indeed odd, Mighty Leader."
"Do you also think it odd that some fools have the gall to try and trick the Skrall?!" Tuma yelled, and his voice boomed through what felt like all of Roxtus.
"I happen to agree, Mighty Leader Tuma."
"Then, you will surely agree with me that he must be punished. Atakus here can regain his honour - if he is strong, he is not useless to us. If he is weak, he will die. He will fight in the arena. Now, ShadowVezon, I am appointing you here in Atakus' position. Please, do kindly pick a fitting opponent for the insolent Atakus."
ShadowVezon thought for a bit, debating with himself. Eventually, he decided that Atakus would face a Spikit, a fitting fate, he thought. The spikits needed feeding, and liars and traitors were excellent food for them.
"He will face a Spikit."
Atakus merely looked at Tuma and ShadowVezon in horror. He could not scream.
"You may leave now, ShadowVezon. Inform the diplomats Pahrak and Smoke Monster of your new position, and General Onaku of the Agori. But do not forget that you still answer to me, and me alone, that you do not have command over any one of the Skrall."
ShadowVezon left, and met up with Smoke Monster. It was Smoke Monster that had delivered the message regarding the Rock Tribe's offer to the Jungle Tribe, who had recently returned from doing so, informing his fellow Rock Agori of his new position and the upcoming arena battle. The two made their way to the arena, and met up with the Rock Tribe's other diplomat and its Agori General; Pahrak and Onaku respectively.
Unsurprisingly, the arena battle itself was short - one Agori is no match for a Spikit, and Atakus did not even make any effort to fight. If the mute could scream, the Rock Tribe could almost swear they heard Atakus scream as his body was reduced to unidentifiable chunks by the Spikit. The Rock Tribe had its justice, though it could only feel disappointed at how quickly the battle was over.
-ICONOX-
-Toru-
Toru paced up and down in the Glatorian waiting area as he waited for the Arena Battle to begin. Today, he was going to fighting a Glatorian of the Fire Tribe, Flaredrick. The stakes, as usual for Iconox, were Exsidian. As he was waiting, Nato; the Ice Tribe's Diplomat; came in, apparently with something very important.
"Toru, do not lose this battle. While it is not a massive blow if you do, every battle we lose means less Exsidian we can sell to the other tribes."
Toru, slightly taken aback, retorted. "I was not planning on losing this battle - if you're so concerned, you could try fighting in my place."
"I did not mean to offend you, I am simply concerned. This fight isn't... never mind."
"Oh, thanks," Toru replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "The battle is about to begin, so it's time you left."
"Good luck."
The arena battle was preceded with Rahkshi Guurahk; Leader of the Ice Tribe' pacing between the between two fighters, both wielding a sword and a shield.
"May your swords and shields preserve the peace." Rahkshi Guurahk then proceeded to leave the arena and blew a horn, signifying the beginning of the battle.
Toru charged at Flaredrick, hoping to win the battle quickly. Flaredrick quickly dodged, and succesfully slashed at Toru's left leg with a sword as he did so. Toru recoiled backwards, yet used this to his advantage to succesfully slash into Flaredrick arms as Flaredrick to take advantage. Toru jumped back, and waited for Flaredrick to make the next move. Flaredrick lunged forward, trying to slash into Toru's right leg, something Toru was prepared for and blocked, but what he was not prepared for was for Flaredrick bashing into his stomach with his shield, making him stumble as Flaredrick dashed behind him and shoved him to the ground, his right foot on Toru's back and sword pointed at his head.
"Concede!" Flaredrick yelled, perhaps overconfident.
Toru was not giving up just yet. Not this quickly, not with that little of a fight.
"I do not concede!" Toru yelled back, kicking his right foot back into Flaredrick's left leg, causing Flaredrick to trip over as Toru got to his feet. Toru ran at Flaredrick, shoving him into the walls of the arena with his shoulders, but found that Flaredrick responded by slashing at his other leg - successfully this time, now meaning that Toru had quite a lot of difficulty staying upright. Flaredrick, though, had been disoriented, though not unable to block a few swings from Toru with his shield. Toru, trying his best to stay upright, found himself almost falling on Flaredrick's sword, and ended up falling over as he felt Flaredrick put his foot on his back once more.
"Concede." Flaredrick said, sternly, ready to react to any move Toru might have made.
"I... concede." Toru responded, slightly bitter.
A horn blew, marking the end of the battle.
"And with that, the Glatorian Flaredrick has won Exsidian on the behalf of Vulcanus!" announced Rahkshi Guurahk, walking over to Flaredrick and bowing in honour of his victory.
Both fighters left the arena, and Toru entered to the Glatorian waiting area to see Nato.
"I told you I was concerned. "
Toru did not respond, apart from making a gesture with his hands, and walked out.
"But, it's not the end of Iconox." Nato added.
Toru shrugged, and stopped to meet with FF, General of the Ice Tribe.
"Due to injuries sustained very recently, I will not be able to escort any caravans delivering goods today. " He pointed to the wounds on his legs.
FF simply nodded in acknowledgement, and Toru proceeded to seek medical attention for his wounds, grumbling to himself about his loss in the arena.
-ATERO-
-Voltex-
Two figures sat around a campfire just outside of Atero, beneath a star-streaked sky. Night had fallen over Bara Magna, and with it, cold. The two figures were two Agori, one relatively normal, the other a Glatorian. Both of the Iron Tribe, and they were here for they would not be welcome in nearly every other village barring Roxtus - but for them, staying in Roxtus is slightly uncomfortable due to all the spikes. The two were having a discussion, and to an observer, seemed like best friends.
"How many of us are left now? I know that Sahmad almost died recently." asked the Glatorian - his name Luroka.
"I have no idea. But it's even less than it was. Thought Sahmad was going to be here too." Voltex asked, though not particularly out of concern, but out of curiosity.
"Probably late, or doing some slaving for the Skrall as he usually does. He'll probably arrive in a few days. I've acquired quite a bit recently, so we can definitely wait."
"I assume that's the job you did. How much did the Skrall pay you to hunt Atakus down and bring him back to them?"
"Quite a lot. Enough to survive for another month or two, though I lost some to the Vorox hiding it away. I hid them where I always hide things as of two years ago -you know where that is, Voltex. More secure than the last place, I believe, and nearby too."
"It is."
The two sighed, and eventually fell to sleep. Contrary to rumours, they dreamt. What they dreamt of: a world where they weren't reviled outcasts.
-TESARA-
-Timelord-
Timelord stared at a map of Bara Magna in his hut, thinking over the offer the Rock Tribe had extended to the Jungle Tribe. He did not know how to feel about it as the leader of the Jungle Tribe, and had invited his brother, Andekas, to help him. Tesara was divided based on this offer, and if he was not careful, he knew he could very well instigate a civil war between Tesara's twin villages. Hopefully, Hyethut, the General of the Jungle Tribe, would help prevent a Civil War - as he was not only a General, but the leader of a recently revived religion called Grunkharism; and Lan, as diplomat, could negotiate something should the worst ever happen.
"Brother, I need help. I cannot make this decision alone, and I cannot many any rash actions. As always, I rely upon your wisdom." Timelord spoke, softly.
"I believe we should delay accepting or rejecting it. As of right now, any outcome will result in a civil war, meaning many will die. I have no desire to see our tribe cull itself because of a simple disagreement. If one should happen, I will do my best to end it as quickly as possible. I do not know about Hyethut and Lan, but I believe they will support you and I in such a case." Andekas replied, matter-of-factly.
"Thank you for your kind wisdom, brother." Timelord sighed. Tesara was in a very complicated situation, and it would be no doubt complicated to uncomplicate the situation.
"Timelord, sir." Timelord and Andekas looked up to see Lan.
"Is it about Quin?" Timelord asked.
"We haven't found him, but we believe him to be a Fire Agori. I'll try sorting it out with Vulcanus, but I don't think they will punish him. I've already sent a message." Lan sounded disappointed.
"If he sets foot in our villages again, arrest him," Andekas suggested, and Timelord nodded. "We may be able to distract and unify our villages if we draw attention to Quin's theft of our goods for the time being. It won't work forever, but it will take people's minds off for a while and give us more time to thik."
"That would involve antagonising the Fire Tribe, can we afford that?" Lan asked, unsure of Andekas' proposition.
"I will decide that." Timelord said.
-TAJUN-
-Underscore-
Underscore gripped his head as he sat, in a tent with various letters from the other tribes at his feet - mostly angry ones. He had a headache. He was contemplating what the Water Tribe could do. As the Water Tribe's diplomat, it was his job to sort things out with the other tribes. Right now, the other tribes weren't exactly fond of the Water Tribe. First, many of their caravans delivering water arrived with half the goods stolen, empty-handed, or simply disappeared. That alone was enough for Underscore, yet, unfortuantely, that was not all. The Fire Tribe had started accusing the Water Tribe of murdering two of its Glatorian Trainees and its former leader, Raanu. The thing was, nobody he knew in the Water Tribe ever saw them arrive in Tajun - and if someone from the Water Tribe was responsible, well, he wasn't about to let them off considering the trouble it had caused him. He did want to get to the bottom of these unfortunate accusation, though he wondered how long it'd take - if it took too long, the Fire Tribe might very well do something rash, and he particularly wanted to avoid that. Underscore's train of thought was then interrupted by the tent opening, bringing in a blinding light, yet then it stopped. Underscore looked around once his vision had adjusted, and saw that Jed, leader of the Water Tribe, had walked in with two bowls smelling of something all-too-familiar: thornax stew.
"We need to secure our trades. Have you found anything to help with that?" Jed asked, sitting down next to Underscore and handing him one of the thornax stews.
"Not yet, and thanks," Underscore looked at a letter from Vulcanus. "I've been thinking about the accusations. It's very important we prove them wrong, moreso than the trades, though that is not to imply securing our trades is not important."
Jed did not speak for a while, eating his thornax stew, then sighed. "Manducus needs to win the next few matches he has away from Tajun. We both know our own caravans aren't secure enough, but the other tribes? They don't seem to have the same trouble."
"Indeed, I hope he does. Jed, sir, if you wouldn't mind I'd like to ask Terrorsaur about sparing some troops for the next few trades. We're not in any wars, and hopefully will avoid being in any right now, and we really need the extra security." Underscore stopped, and began eating his own thornax stew after slight hesitation.
"Go ahead. You have my permission."
Underscore nodded, unable to speak as his mouth was full.
-VULCANUS-
-Quin-
Quin darted into Vulcanus, almost tripping as he did so. Very recently, he'd stayed in Tesara under the guise of being a Jungle Agori. A lie. He'd also taken some of their goods for himself. A crime. He'd thought he wouldn't be discovered. A falsity. Right now, he was hoping he could get away with it - because, right now, he very much was. He was no longer in Tesara, and had finally made his way back to Vulcanus. He stopped to catch his breath, and turned to look out at the rest of Bara Magna from the entrance of Vulcanus. It was midnight, yet there was a group riding something approaching. Bone Hunters? No, they were something else. Quin stepped closer to get a closer look, realising that the group was Flaredrick and a few Agori riding Sand Stalkers, pulling a cart. Quin recalled that Flaredrick had recently set off for Iconox to fight for exsidian, so his presence with the cart must have meant he was successful. Quin ran up to Flaredrick and began walking alongside the group.
"You won the battle, then." Quin stated, hoping he was not wrong, walking
"I did. It was a good battle - I fought Toru," Flaredrick sounded pleased with himself, then frowned. "I see you've reappeared after disappearing for a week." He sounded dismissive.
"It is a long and maybe ever so slightly complicated story. I'm back now, because I had to be," Quin defended himself. "We don't even have a leader. What was I supposed to do?"
"We do have a leader - Burnmad has been appointed in that position, and as our general, you should probably go tell him that you're back... and I will point out that in the absence of Raanu, you could have led in the time between." Flaredrick pointed in the direction of Burnmad's hut.
Quin got the message, and ran over, into the hut to see Burnmad looking between a Fire Agori addressing a pair of Water Agori - quite angrily.
"Either you killed our two Glatorian-in-training and our former leader, Raanu; you failed to care of them adequately; or they got killed by something stalking in the sands. I highly doubt it was the latter! Own up to your crimes or there will be retribution. The Fire Agori was very stern, and seemed to almost be holding back urges to assault and beat the Water Agori to pulps.
"We did not even see your Glatorian, or your leader. We are only here to deliver water, as per the results of the battle two days ago." One of the Water Agori replied, and was sounding very annoyed.
"I'm sure Burnmad will enact justice." The Fire Agori looked to Burnmad.
"Let them leave, and leave yourself. I've got a different matter to discuss." Burnmad looked at Quin, slightly annoyed.
The Water Agori left, followed by the Fire Agori, who stomped out frustratedly. The Water Agori very quickly inquired to each other about getting more protection for the return trip to Tajun.
Quin stepped towards Burnmad, waiting for Burnmad to speak.
"I would like to know why Tesara is inquiring about your whereabouts, and why they are accusing us of stealing from them. Our diplomat, ToaD, received a message from them shortly before you returned." No, Burnmad was not slightly annoyed. He was very annoyed.
"I stayed there, took some of their stuff without asking - it wasn't stealing, mind you - and left once they got angry about my generosity to myself." Quin smiled, knowing that he would not suffer any punishment.
"We'll sort it out later, then. Leave."
Quin left, perhaps too pleased with himself.
---
In the skies of Bara Magna, a peculiar object approached. It was small, and not entirely dissimilar to a helmet, golden in colour. But it was not one, as it contained strange energies. Bara Magna was not its world, and it was not to crash in one piece. For as it entered the atmosphere, it broke apart into six pieces, almost certainly never to be whole again, never to be seen again, and never to host a being's spirit again.
END OF EPISODE ZERO!
THE GAME BEGINS!
Any said or done in a PM where I or Vox are present could be used in a scene in a future episode from this point onwards.
I will also remind you about backdoor PMs, where I or Vox are not present - but do keep in mind you cannot perform any actions in a backdoor PM, since we won't be there to acknowledge them.
Episode 1 begins now, and will end on Tuesday.
