Awoken

 It has been some time since I last wrote. Many things have changed, the girl I had planned to spend my time with has since moved on. I do not blame her for that, it was my inability to remain present when she needed me that led her to find another. I can not hold anyone other than myself responsible for one failed relationship after another. There have been many...some I have forgotten their names, others not so much. I had those that I had considered being bonded with only to have them fall to the long sleep, or I falling to it. To that end, this warrior has found that he has lost so many battles that he no longer knows what it is like to taste victory.

I can take the life of a monster without a second hesitation, taking the life of the enemy is easy...living for the sake of others seems to be the hard part. Now I am getting older, and I am looking to make some changes...but as the people of Valorn begin to fall to the long sleep and there are fewer and fewer of us adventures left. But as long as there are a few of us left then time will continue and by the Gods and Goddesses, I believe we can rebound.

With all this happening, there are other changes that I will be making. The biggest will be my leaving from Vanguard. It was the first and only Guild I have ever been a part of. It is sad, but it has come time for me to seek out something else. I had hoped to create my own Guild in time...but that seems impossible now no matter what. Because of that, I think I will just become a 'Guildless' and remain so for a time until I decide to join another. Maybe that will help others in Vanguard wake up. Sad to say but if my leaving made more rejoin the Vanguard from the long sleep...it is a small sacrifice to make.

I have cleaned the Guild Hall and now make my way to train for a bit. Then I shall rest and return. Until then, till the Darkness falls may we remain.

The Darkness Grows

It has been some time since last I wrote in my journal. It feels as though it has been years though it has only been a few months. Time flys as of late and I find myself burdened by sleeping longer and longer, I know this has strained my few good graces with those I call friends and allies. Even my guildmates are slowly drifting apart. It seems that no matter what we do nothing can stay the same as it was before...nor can it return.

In recent turns, I have found myself thinking of the past and all the ups and downs it has brought me. From leaving my people and renouncing my claims to the leadership of them after my father fell to my blade, to finding a home here among the people of Valorn. Finding a guild that accepted me for what I am and nothing more, and for finding many women that hold a special spot in my heart...even if some have since fallen to the long sleep or others find love in other arms. 

As time has gone by and I have gained many levels there is still lingering darkness that has found its hold within my soul. It could be because of my acceptance of the powers of the darker realm or it could be a shadow of my own soul but regardless it continues to grow as I do. I wonder if the Runes are partially to blame...but I am only lying to myself. This darkness is my own, the one I chose to bare when I followed the path I am on now.

I have for many cycles attempted to change how I am seen by the masses...and yet the truth is it is all a lie. I am not the man they know, I am simply an image of my own creation. They see a Drecq Lexenstar that is as fake as it can get. I do strive to be that version of me, though I know I can not. I am what I am, and that is something that I can not escape.

I am a Killican Warrior, I chose the way of the Berserker, I devote myself to using my emotions to fight and kill those that oppose me or to remove those that get in the way of my payee. I am a sellsword, a warrior in the purest of forms. I slay anything or anyone that gets in my way, I show no mercy and I have no remorse, I would slay even a God if it was required. 

The Runes of Torment are mine to control and to use as I see fit, they are but an extension of my true self...a warrior that is filled with rage, anger, sadness, despair, loss, and one that is able to throw away his humanity as if it means nothing. What does that say about me really? I guess in the end I will have to keep pretending for a while longer. I am a demon in human skin...a monster in plain sight, a wolf in human clothing. 

Then and Now

It has been some time since I have been able to find time to sit and write in this journal of mine. I have been spending much of my time doing what I do best, training and hunting. I will soon reach the next level in my training and then I feel that I will have to push myself even harder to get further. That said the higher my level gets the more I can feel the hunger within consuming me. The Demon Power Bracelet that I have has been embued with the power of those demons I have slain.

I have used this power to enhance my own abilities to create a warrior that strives to survive above all else. To that end, I have followed the primer left to me by my father before I fell him upon the great blade during the Rite of a Warriors End. I have allowed the energy to flow within me and I have started to use the Runes of Torment entrusted to me by my father to fight many foes.

I, however, am afraid that as I increase my own power this power within me will also increase and it may eventually take me over completely. Though I fight against it I have found that my emotional state plays a large role in the power and intensity of the energy within me.

Recently I have also taken an interest in someone. Though that in itself has proven to be a difficult task in the fact that my true love has returned as well. I find myself conflicted between the man I am now and the man I was back when my true love and I first confessed our needs for one another. Despite that, I feel as though I shouldn't get my hopes up...she has said she will be around more but already I haven't seen much improvement in that area.  So do I pin all my hopes on a woman that has a history of leaving and being gone for long periods of time with no idea of coming back...or do I continue the relationship with the woman I am interested in now...knowing she is around all the time and our relationship grows daily?

Then, I was young and foolish...Now...maybe I am just foolish.

3rd Rune of Torment: Rune of the Tormented Soul

*Note: This is told through the eyes of a narrator as someone watching the events unfold and not through the eyes of Drecq himself.

He had decided a while back to change hunting and training grounds and now the new monsters he faced were more powerful than he had encountered before and while this to him wasn't a bad thing it did make him push himself more and more almost to his own breaking point. The enemies were more aggressive and more cunning than the ones in the Blow Hole. 

His newly fashioned and customed armor shined brightly against the paleness of the surrounding darkness even though it was black and crimson. His sword glowed with the same red hue that his Demonic Power Bracelet and his eye began to shine brighter and brighter feeding his intensity.

He stood there a moment thinking of if he should use one of the first two runes that he had all bust mastered but then it came to him that if he was to master the first two runes he would have to feel the weight of the third rune. So he drew from his belt a hunting dart and proceeded to cut his hand drawing blood he poured it upon the ground and citied the incantation of the third rune. 

The blood swirled around upon the ground drawing out a circle with a large rune in the center and suddenly it burst into a crimson flame consuming his shape as it then remained as a ghostly crimson flame upon his armor. 

"Third Rune of Torment, Rune of the Tormented Soul," he suddenly kneeled to the ground feeling an unimaginable weight upon him then suddenly from within a searing sensation like a flame consuming him from within. It felt as if his soul was being burned and for every second he stood there it was being replaced with anger and rage until he could no longer feel the weight upon his shoulders.

Just then one of the monsters made its move and came towards him striking him upon the shoulder plate and just as it did so he raised arm and grabbing the monster by its face he squeezed until the head of the monster exploded causing its lifeless body to slump in front of him. 

Another monster made its move and was able to cause a wound to his right side. But even as the cut went deep into Drecq's flesh he did not show any pain instead he simply stood and taking his sword he quickly made a side cut, cutting the monster clean in half. 

There was no emotion left on Drecq's face, he showed nothing an empty shell with nothing left to show except his eye that burned brightly with a crimson flame that engulfed his once emerald green eye. 

Each monster that came near him he would quickly without hesitation swing his blade or simply step to the side with an inhuman speed then bring his sword down upon the monster without a show of remorse. If he took a hit he would simply grab the monster and break its limb followed by a powerful deadly slash from his sword.

Finally, there was only a handful of the monsters left and Drecq took a charged stance and without warning with speed unlike that of a normal man he charged thrusting the blade of his sword forward and moving quickly he impaled all 5 of the monsters upon his blade and reaching forward he placed his hand upon the first monster and uttered, "May the flames of my hate consume you." with that flames erupted upon each monster as he stood there watching them burn both his eyes glowed a bright crimson red before finally fading and the flames had consumed all of the monsters.

His armor turned back to normal and he collapsed to his knees his helm falling to the ground as he kneeled there simply looking up into the sky feeling his soul slowly return to normal. 

"I just lost a piece of my humanity...how many do I have left?"

The 2nd Rune of Torment

*this is an account of the actions as seen by a 3rd party witnessing it and is not written in the view from Drecq's personal view.*

He was facing more spirits and monsters than he had in the past it seemed that the cave was teaming with the likes of soul-less spirits and monsters that used the cave as a place to rest. His sword had fell several enemies already and he was growing slightly tired from swinging his sword and shield so much. Despite that he knew he couldn't give up here or he may not make it out of the cave alive and he really didn't want to be resurrected by the Gods and Goddess again at the Monument.


"I guess I can try the second of the Runes...though I question its toll on me considering the last one." He spoke to himself as another monster approached quickly and took a swing at him and he was able to block it with his shield and then swing his sword upwards catching the monster off guard and able to slice it from the ribs ups its shoulder before it slumped over dead.


He quickly slammed his sword into the ground and drew his hunting dart and stabbing his palm he let the blood trickle to the ground before reciting a small incantation and watching the blood wind around him forming a summoning circle and a new rune appears upon his armor and begins to glow. His eye glows red as fire and a small flame bursts forth and then red energy shines through where his lost eye is.


His armor glows crimson red and suddenly he finishes the incantation with, "Second Rune of Torment, Torment of the Mind's Eye."


In a matter of moments, his body convulses and he lets out a hellish beastly roar as images fill his mind with untold horrors and they play like him seeing events in real life causing his mind to into a frenzy. He sees images of his past, those he admired, those he loved, those that he watched both close and afar and the horrible deeds that could befall them at any time. The things he saw he could never bring himself to mention and he could barely comprehend what was going on.


Within moments he gripped the sword hilt and begun his assault of the monsters and spirits around him as he unleashed a fury greater than that of what was done with the first Rune. His mind filled with image after image and it filled him with rage and desperation. His body moved like fluid through the air as he found himself using his sword, shield and bare hands as a weapon. He even found himself headbutting a monster so hard it cracked the monster's skull.


His rage took over and in a moment he lost all thoughts all sense of self and in an instant, it felt like he had seen a light and then all things fell silent and then he came to. He stood in the center of the cave and there around him was the fallen monsters.


He was so exhausted he simply collapsed there where he stood using his sword to hold himself up he could barely breathe his lungs burned and his heart raced, his ears rang and his body ached.


"If this is the power of the first two Runes...there is no telling what the third rune will do...that said...I can begin to see why the last rune the Fourth is not one to be taken lightly."

Surviving the Torment

Using the Torment of the Temple consumed a great deal of my lifeforce and caused me to lose a great deal of blood. It took me several turns to replenish enough to be able to train again. Because of this, I have decided to limit the use of this power. Plus it has had other effects on me as well. The effects of Bloodlust has caused me plenty of issues with my mental focus. Instead of a focus on slaying an enemy quickly and effectively I have instead turned to brutality and I have caught myself slaying an enemy in ways that drive this lust for blood as well as slaying monsters that didn't really need to be slain simply to fill this lust.

I have also found myself consumed by the rage and my eye shines with a crimson red all the time now so much so I try to hide it by keeping my faceplate down so others do not see it.

If torment of the Temple is this powerful and causes this much problem for the user...what will the Torment of the Mind do?

A Lone Warrior stands ever alone

It has been some time since I have come here to the cave that the locals call the "Blow Hole" while I do not care much for the name there is little I can do to change it or much else it seems. I have found that there is much that remains the same no matter how hard try to change them.

When I started this journey I had the thought of being the lone warrior just traveling the lands doing what I could do to train and hunt and spend less time with people. But over time I found that the company of others had its own nice effects on the body and soul. So I made changes to my way of thinking and this lone warrior was no longer alone...or at least so it only seemed.

In the end, every time I found someone I was to become close with they always found a way to walk away or enter the long sleep. So this warrior has once again begun to ask himself this question, 'why do I seek to change who I am for the sake of others?'

While here in the tranquil darkness of the cave, I have had time to think and in the end, I have decided that the world never really changes. The Gods do not change nor do their whims and sadly neither does the world. Instead, the lands remain the same...it is only we people that change.

As a warrior, my reason for living is to fight on the front lines, to remove the threats of those that can not remove those threats themselves or are too weak to fight for themselves. But I would be lying too. Because that makes me sound like a noble person...but truth be told...there is nothing noble about a Warrior like I. I seek power to destroy those that are my enemy at all costs without hesitation. I use anything and everything to remove my enemies even if that means doing something unhonorable.

War...has only one rule...survive. To that end as a warrior, I live, fight, and kill to survive at all costs.

I am the lone warrior that shall rise to power...I shall use my power no matter how dark or evil it is to do what needs to be done no matter the consequences to myself. I will become a demon on the battlefield if need be and show no mercy to my enemy. Such is the way of my clan and a warrior.