Loryon's application [Denied]
Posted: Sat Jul 24, 2010 4:11 pm
« Many young adventurers, still innocent and hopeful, have asked me what exactly is Rookgaard. And always, I answer that Rookgaard is an island of indicible evil, and that it is their best interest to leave it at the first opportunity. Alas, not many of them ever believe me, and as a result, they end up dead or worse, they disappear, never to be seen again. I say that this fate is worse, because I believe that death is merciful compared to what one might encounter on this island.
I started my unwilling life as a Rookgaard citizen on its shore, cold, half-dead, with my mind completely confused. My memory was also blank and, as of now, I have never managed to gather but glimpses of my previous life. I remembered a hoard of gold and shiny jewels, I remembered wine and prostitutes aplenty, I remembered being a rich man living in a pyramid, a paladin who had taken the path of vice and vanity.
And as I tried to stand up and see where I was, a tremendously loud and deep voice, the voice of a deity who I assume to be Banor, resonated in my mind:
« Loryon, you were my champion but you have betrayed me. Since you served me well for many years, I give you one last chance. Find true humility on this island where I exiled you, and your soul might be redeemed. »
And this is how I learnt that my name was Loryon. I don't remember what happened next because I passed out and woke up in a bed. Villagers had saved me. They said I uttered horrible words in my sleep but refused to repeat them to me. I realise that I could have been hallucinating, yet the memory of the divine words was so clear that I never doubted that they were real.
At first, I tried my best to leave the island. I tried swimming, I tried building a raft, with no success. I try talking to the Oracle who sometimes teleports away worthy new adventurers, but she refused to speak to me. Others describe it as the statue of a beautiful woman with celestial traits, yet she appears as an old hag with crackled skin to me. This is only one of the many mysteries of Rookgaard.
With time, I learnt to accept my fate. I started living as humble of a life as I could, helping those who had arrived to the island to leave it as fast as they can. It is not easy for I kept some of my reflexes of a warrior and consequently made some money whilst exploring the island, although I know it's nothing compared to my former wealth. My main weakness is that I cannot resist wearing beautiful and refined outfits.
And that is when I began discovering that this island is pure evil. It is inhabited by human-eating orcs who practice blasphemous rites, and the dead is walking amongst its perverted animals and vegetation. Adventurers are lured to it with promises of wealth and success, but most of them die, disappear or get trapped forever in its contemptible village like I am. And worst of all, most of the locals are thoroughly wicked. I sometimes find myself affected by the ambient madness, but I generally resist it.
The most wicked villager is Amber. At first, she seduced me with her pretty green eyes. We bonded and she spoke to me of the continent called Tibia. She claims to be the only other person from Tibia who lives on Rookgaard, but she has always eluded questions that pertain to the exact reason for her presence here. I have learnt that I was living in Ankrahmun, although I am not sure if I can even trust that. As we got closer, I discovered her true nature. She is a witch. She worships ominous gods, and she seduces young men to sell them to the orcs, who worship the same gods as her. She almost got me, until one day when I heard her speak to the shadows in a baleful tongue and recognised my name. I confronted her and she laughed and admitted that she was only interested in me to sell me to her repugnant friends once she would have gained my trust.
Yes, Rookgaard is evil, and I hate it. »
I started my unwilling life as a Rookgaard citizen on its shore, cold, half-dead, with my mind completely confused. My memory was also blank and, as of now, I have never managed to gather but glimpses of my previous life. I remembered a hoard of gold and shiny jewels, I remembered wine and prostitutes aplenty, I remembered being a rich man living in a pyramid, a paladin who had taken the path of vice and vanity.
And as I tried to stand up and see where I was, a tremendously loud and deep voice, the voice of a deity who I assume to be Banor, resonated in my mind:
« Loryon, you were my champion but you have betrayed me. Since you served me well for many years, I give you one last chance. Find true humility on this island where I exiled you, and your soul might be redeemed. »
And this is how I learnt that my name was Loryon. I don't remember what happened next because I passed out and woke up in a bed. Villagers had saved me. They said I uttered horrible words in my sleep but refused to repeat them to me. I realise that I could have been hallucinating, yet the memory of the divine words was so clear that I never doubted that they were real.
At first, I tried my best to leave the island. I tried swimming, I tried building a raft, with no success. I try talking to the Oracle who sometimes teleports away worthy new adventurers, but she refused to speak to me. Others describe it as the statue of a beautiful woman with celestial traits, yet she appears as an old hag with crackled skin to me. This is only one of the many mysteries of Rookgaard.
With time, I learnt to accept my fate. I started living as humble of a life as I could, helping those who had arrived to the island to leave it as fast as they can. It is not easy for I kept some of my reflexes of a warrior and consequently made some money whilst exploring the island, although I know it's nothing compared to my former wealth. My main weakness is that I cannot resist wearing beautiful and refined outfits.
And that is when I began discovering that this island is pure evil. It is inhabited by human-eating orcs who practice blasphemous rites, and the dead is walking amongst its perverted animals and vegetation. Adventurers are lured to it with promises of wealth and success, but most of them die, disappear or get trapped forever in its contemptible village like I am. And worst of all, most of the locals are thoroughly wicked. I sometimes find myself affected by the ambient madness, but I generally resist it.
The most wicked villager is Amber. At first, she seduced me with her pretty green eyes. We bonded and she spoke to me of the continent called Tibia. She claims to be the only other person from Tibia who lives on Rookgaard, but she has always eluded questions that pertain to the exact reason for her presence here. I have learnt that I was living in Ankrahmun, although I am not sure if I can even trust that. As we got closer, I discovered her true nature. She is a witch. She worships ominous gods, and she seduces young men to sell them to the orcs, who worship the same gods as her. She almost got me, until one day when I heard her speak to the shadows in a baleful tongue and recognised my name. I confronted her and she laughed and admitted that she was only interested in me to sell me to her repugnant friends once she would have gained my trust.
Yes, Rookgaard is evil, and I hate it. »