Creation is made up of a vast mysterious ocean cradling three land masses: Artus, Natagasta and Zaoarrans. Artus is a snow-covered land, fierce and unforgiving – just like its inhabitants. Rumors of sudden and unusual sightings of the two Sisullia, Katianna and Issabeau and lone Sentinel Gargoyle, Malfius grew from unbelievable whispers in dark corners of pubs to wild tales of narrow personal escape from the deadly army of lethal soldiers, known as BloodSkulls, who were hot after these Divine fugitives. Cross the path of these BloodSkulls and you’re dead.
As these stories started to spread across Artus, from the mouths of those who trek the trade caravans, a belief also started to form in the minds of Artus’ human inhabitants: if the two Sisullia and lone Sentinel Gargoyle were captured, they could be controlled. Motivated by power and greed, humans frantically spent a fortune trying to buy magic or the services of wizards or sorceresses to help them capture these mythical prizes.
Magical beings laughed openly and mockingly at the ignorance of these humans. No magic in Creation could match that of a Sisullia. And these BloodSkulls, whoever they were, wouldn’t last. This so-called dark magic wouldn’t and couldn’t withstand the pure magic of Sisullia. The collective belief magical beings had about humans believing that they could contain two Sisullia, and a Sentinel Gargoyle was outrageous and egotistical.
How typical.
Nevertheless, unspoken and lurking in the back of their minds, these sorceresses and wizards were disconcerted. How did these BloodSkulls, said to be humans, discover and control a magic that overtook the Isle of Lindorly and had the Sisullia on the run? They consoled their consciousness by telling themselves that time would change this; no humans could ever remain so powerful because a magic that powerful would soon tear their fragile form apart. The Sisullia would soon conquer the BloodSkulls, and all would return to what it was, as it should be.
Magical beings generally believed that humans were the most dangerous inhabitants in Creation because they never learned from their past mistakes. Greed and the blind aggression of youth perpetuated humans to their own destruction. So, they weren’t surprised it was humans who were the BloodSkulls. What eventually did come to surprise them was how successful these BloodSkulls were in yielding this powerful, dark magic.
Meanwhile, the usual humans on Artus, with little to no success finding magic to help them capture the two Sisullia and lone Sentinel Gargoyle, ‘ingeniously’ hired mercenaries. The bounties on the rogue fugitives became so high, that the competition was deadly. A frenzy had spread across Artus to catch these Sisullia and lone Sentinel Gargoyle.
Who would be the first to capture them?
What human was the smartest? Bravest? Most powerful?
What human would win?
Predictably, the humans then barbarically turned against each other to find the mysterious fugitives.
There is a well-known definition of insanity throughout Creation, and it goes something like this: doing the same behavior over and over again, each time expecting different results. And like greed, insanity is another thread in the fabric of human free will. The humans tried, and tried again, to capture the two Sisullia and Sentinel Gargoyle, and each time they expected success, only gaining failure.
Consequently, not only were humans killing each other over the prizes they hunted, the Sisullia and Sentinel Gargoyle also had to protect themselves from the humans. At first, Commander Malfius and Queen Katianna tried sparing the lives of the humans. But, if they eventually didn’t kill the threat, the threat would kill them and this human threat kept multiplying and coming to conquer. Over the years, the death toll of human mercenaries and bounty hunters who attacked was ridiculous and pointless.
Still the rumors and wild stories spread across Artus.
The humans had flair with it.
About the Sisullia:
“Saw ‘er me self with me own eyes with ‘er long eerie white ‘air and strange colored eyes”.
The Sentinel Gargoyle:
“Yes! The Commander ‘imself! Say he’s made up of nothing but raw muscle… a ‘uge bloody bugga with giant wings, three times taller than any man and will rip ya apart with ‘is bare hands!”
“Ooooooh!” The group of listeners cradling their mug of beer would whisper in disbelief.
Embellished stories fostered about the BloodSkulls:
“Me neighbor, Tobias, said them BloodSkulls weren’t ‘uman cause they ‘ad long fangs for teeth. Crushed pure iron with ‘im!”
Soon, stories started to include Zarus, a legendary and ferocious giant white wolf from the Forbidden Mountains of Canaan, who joined the fleeing Sisullia and Gargoyle as added protection. Bounties for their capture tripled. The white wolves of the Forbidden Mountains were rumored to protect a great treasure but any attempt to steal this treasure was met with certain death. First, one had to climb the snow beaten mountains that were impossible to pass due to constant blizzards that ravaged the steep cliffs. If you managed to make it some of the way, next you would face the unseen wolves, who had followed you without your noticing as their white fur blended in with the snow. Just when you think you’ve made it, a wolf has you in its mouth and your dead. These wolves are ten times larger than an Alpha male wolf, ten times stronger, extremely cunning, with skin impenetrable by any weapon.
Photo Credit – Deviant Art
Since the time when the first stories were told and during the next twenty-five years, every pub across Artus had either a tracker or hunter, some local human with delusions of grandeur, or a few bragging sovereignty soldiers weave a tale of almost catching the mysterious Sisullias and their two mythical paladins.
And during these twenty-five years, Katianna, Issabeau, Malfius and Zarus were continually terrorized by humans and hunted by BloodSkulls. These ruthless soldiers were majestic and frightening who stood no less than six and a half feet tall, made of thick brawny muscle, barreling chests and the strength of immortals. Heavy velvet crimson cloaks with black silk lining draped their breadth of shoulders, their bodies covered with shiny silver body armor that fit across their large chests as a second skin. On the silver armor, located over their hearts, is a small emblem of a glowing red human skull.
From cross bows to daggers, each soldier carries an arsenal of weapons and is able to quickly wield these with superior proficiency. However, what is most impressive are the BloodSkulls powerful swords. These swords are a conduit of the dark magic, rendering the Sisullia powerless.
The BloodSkulls unvarying mount, black war horses, are enormous – twenty-five hands tall (some even larger), unmerciful, with red glowing eyes who attack just as fearlessly and ferociously as the soldiers who ride them. Moreover, these war horses are the first animals in the history of Creation not controllable by a Sisullia.
Nevertheless, the BloodSkulls years of failure to capture Katianna, Issabeau, Malfius and Zarus never made sense to the pursued. With the BloodSkulls powerful magic, strength, and ability to outnumber them, it seemed the purpose was to keep the fleeing family away from their Isle of Lindorly, instead of capture. Whenever they backtracked to return to the Isle, the BloodSkulls would suddenly triple in number and fought with added brutality.
The further away from home Issabeau and her family traveled, the safer they were. Safer meaning that the BloodSkulls would still find them and attack, but in less numbers, maybe eight or nine at most. It seemed whoever commanded the soldiers ordered these little attacks as gentle reminders of what the Sisullia were up against, and to stay away from Lindorly.
Perhaps the number of BloodSkulls decreased, but there were always the reliable mercenaries hired by humans who incessantly hunted them at every turn.
Yes, a Sisullia had the power to fight mercenaries, even destroy the entire human race. But for what purpose? A Sisullia was love. Made of the essence of the Great Goddess.
However, the BloodSkulls were a different story. These humans had the power to destroy a Sisullia. A Sisullia, an All Powerful being, now powerless, at the mercy of unfailing humans they were meant to withstand.
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Enchantment
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