World Building

From spirits call, I do Summon thee,

Wh.i.p.s of flame from spark or three.

Come of spirit of fire,

And bless me with thy glowing pyre.

produce flame.

The curse born were a sorry lot. It was for no fault of their own mind you. It's just that some times the punishments that the gods hand out can be… unkind. When the gods wared with one another humanity as it was then as it is now. Was divided. When the heretical gods waged war. Some humans sided with them. Those humans at the conclusion of the war were marked from then on. Their skin decorated by wretched writing marks like ink to brand them they are a testament to the god's cruelty. Sadly such pain is not just superficial. In their markings lie a curse. For so long as they do so exist they will draw and inspire the negative and hateful emotions in others. And more often than not be the target of said emotions. So it was not uncommon to stumble upon the sight that our adventurers did find.

"Ugh," a pained voice g.r.o.a.n.e.d as a foot was driven into the speaker's c.h.e.s.t.

Pyrrha knew that there would be a fair amount to learn about this new world. The sight of someone getting picked on, however, was a familiar sight, and like all familiar sights, she reacted in a familiar manner.

"Do you lot always make it a point to beat up those who can't fight for themselves?" she asks imposingly her xiphos gripped in her right hand.

"Mind your own business lady. This freak has it coming, he's a curse born y'know!" the largest man snorted derisively not even turning to look at Pyrrha.

Alvandur, frustrated with the situation as he was, began to mutter under his breath.

"From spirits call, I do Summon thee, wh.i.p.s of flame from spark or three. Come of spirit of fire, and bless me with thy glowing pyre. produce flame!" he whispered as power began to exude from the libram and his hand. He concentrated as the fire began to flow and grow eventually warping into a wave. With what control he could manage he directed the flames towards the band of ruffians.

"AGH!" they yelled as they moved away from the springing blue flames. Like a snake, the blue fire slithered from his hand and coiled around the curse born on the ground.

"Has he wronged you?" he asked imperiously his voice frigid despite the heat of the impromptu spell.

"N-no. b-but he's a freak! Curse born are traitor folk! Them's is evil incarnate!" one of the smaller ruffians yells his voice cracking as he faced magic.

"THEN BE GONE!" Alv said, feigning power, as he commanded the flames to hiss and roar. Despite the lack of sound facing the twisting flames seemed to send the message. Many of the smaller goons ran away with the largest one growling at him.

"This isn't over punk!" he said looking at Alv.

"And you freak! Don't think you're safe! When I get my hands on you I'll -"

"You'll what," Pyrrha responded as xiphos was raised, it's tip resting on the base of the man's neck.

"N-nothing" the larger one cried as he broke off on a mad dash away.

"Hey there man you alright?" alv said squatting with a hand out offered in support.

"Yeah, I'm gonna be okay. You didn't have to do that though, those guys just beat me up and go." the man spoke his voice meek and soft.

'Confidence issues?' Alv thought. His mind wandering to the state of the curse born and all that share such conditions. 'I guess when your viewed as something low on one side, and the other untrusting of humans, in general, you get put down a fair amount. *sigh* shit. Alright, let's look at rectifying this.'

While Alv's thoughts were on helping the young man out and how to help the curse born in general, or at least the ones resisting their lot in life. Pyrrha's mind flashed back to a certain goofy blond. Those same excuses ringing in her ears when she asked about his situation with Cardin. 'Jaune' she thought sadly as she looked to the young man they had just helped. His skin was rusty brown, his hair a shock of red, not crimson mind you, it was dulled like blood. The most distinctive thing about him though was the presence of markings. Like snakes constantly hissing and writhing on his flesh the marks moved constantly, they were hypnotic and were innately sinister. What is a curse born? She began to wonder.

Alv seeing the look on her face sent a silent message spell, his voice ringing in her head.

'The curse born are a race of people derived from mankind. When the gods warred they sided with the non-native gods. And when the war ended they and their descendants were punished by the gods. A mark to show their betrayal. It's said that the marks incite negative emotions in those who possess them and the darker and more evil the curse born the greater the voice of temptation.' Alv explained over the course of several sending spells.

'How did you know I wanted to ask that?' she asked as she looked to the young man that alv was helping sit up and offering water.

'The look on your face. It's the same look I've seen on my friend when she was confused.' he smiled softly at her as he replied.

"So friend care to tell me what that was about?" he said as he spoke to the curse born.

"Nothing much to talk about. People were getting sick and I'm curse born it's always our fault," he muttered sadly. Alv seeing this shook his head.

"It's not man, your a person, not your race, not your ancestor's faults, not your parent's faults you are your faults, your memories, your morals. Don't let some a.s.s hats with inferiority complexes tell you that you arent who you are just because they need to put someone down," he said kindly repeating the words his brother told him when he was faced with his own bullies.

"Thanks, mister but how am I supposed to do that when everyone's against me?" he asked as he looked to the ground beaten and tired.

"Y'know, I don't particularly know the answer. In situations like this, there are times where the right answer isn't clear, but when I'm in situations like that I like to remember a poem one of the greatest bards wrote would you like to hear it?" he asked as he grinned at the man and Pyrrha.

"Sure, it's not like it will change anything," he muttered as he fell backward on his a.s.s, he looked from the ground to the sky in sadness.

"Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul."

He began as he silently cast a minor illusion, twisting the spell he showed the man battles from this world. He showed a tieflling (horned human with classically demonic features.) paladin Justice face monsters of twisted flesh and madness.

"In the fell clutch of circ.u.mstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed."

He continued as the illusion changed now showed an old man as he held his holy symbol aloft as bolts of energy rose to meet a monstrosity of tentacles and madness.

"Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds and shall find me unafraid."

The illusion changed now showing off a human rouge who stood protectively over a container, the pure soul of an innocent inside. Before the brave rouge a creature of nightmare, an abomination of sickness and flesh shambled forward.

"It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate,

I am the captain of my soul."

The illusion changed one final time to show another woman, who looked about in her older years, horns hidden under her hair as buns. The woman seemed to be concentrating on shattering a jewel that was binding a score of innocents below her. Their screams and suffering powering a gate behind her.

"So you see friend, life will knock you down, how you get back up, on the other hand, is on you. These folks I showed you were some of this world's defenders of justice. Are you gonna just sit there and take it or are you gonna show the world you are your own man?" Alv said as the man looked thunderstruck, Pyrrha wasn't far behind, but her expression one of pride.