At last. I just want to get a basic idea down so have an actual thread. I'll build on it later.
All right, the plot. I wanted to make a general summary, but it turned out to be an essay instead. Here it is:
Rekera is - or rather was - a soldier who was part of a platoon ordered by the Church to track down and exterminate a group deemed "heretics" by the Church. The heretics fled to a remote area, a valley known as Vallum Tenebrarum, far from human settlement save for a small village. When the crusaders arrived, they learned from the villagers that the heretics were inside a mysterious castle in the center of the valley.
Unfortunately, this castle was Castle Umbra, a demonic castle tied to the existence of its master, the Demon Lord Saadrac. When Castle Umbra existed on Earth, so could Saadrac, albeit in a limited fashion. 47 years before, Saadrac had been defeated and the castle destroyed. The arrival of the heretics coincided with the end of the castle's 580-moon resurrection cycle. They entered the castle searching for a defensible position, and instead, found an ally.
Rekera and the other troops had scarcely entered the castle when they were ambushed by hordes of undead. The crusaders were scattered and picked off one by one. Rekera himself didn't get very far before he ran into Saadrac, Demon Lord and master of the castle. After a one-sided fight, Rekera was defeated and, as "punishment" for intruding into the castle, was transformed into a Lizardman (one of several such transformations), with the promise of being returned to human form if Rekera assisted Saadrac in defending the castle.
A year later, as Saadrac started to build his empire, a nameless group sworn to destroy Saadrac invaded Castle Umbra. While other survivors fought the demon slayers and were defeated, Rekera did nothing to stop them. The demon slayers succeeded in their task, though all but two of them were killed in the process, the both survivors later disappearing. As its master was defeated, the castle collapsed, the falling rubble destroying anything inside, save for the aqueduct where Rekera and the other Lizardmen made their homes.
Ten years have passed since that day. The surviving servants of Saadrac have had to live off the land to survive. Some instead chose to raid human settlements for supplies. And so Jakar, a young sorceror with plans to summon Saadrac, was warmly received at the very same village where the crusaders had once passed, since the return of Saadrac would mean the end of their troubles.
There was more then one way to restore Saadrac, and Jakar knew of several. During a intense thunderstorm, he channeled dark energy collected over the years into the castle ruins, and succeeded in partially restoring Castle Umbra. While inspecting his work, he encountered Rekera, and attempted to enlist his help in fully restoring the castle. Rekera was noncommittal.
What Jakar didn’t know was that his efforts to restore Castle Umbra had not gone unnoticed. A holy priest, Joseph, had tracked him to Vallum Tenebrarum and observed the resurrection. Noticing Rekera’s apprehension, and upon learning of some of Rekera’s past, he too attempted to persuade Rekera to help him.
Rekera was faced with a choice: he could assist in summoning Saadrac, and regain his human form and his human existence, or remain loyal to the Church and prevent Saadrac’s return. And each choice carries a price.
All right, the plot. I wanted to make a general summary, but it turned out to be an essay instead. Here it is:
Rekera is - or rather was - a soldier who was part of a platoon ordered by the Church to track down and exterminate a group deemed "heretics" by the Church. The heretics fled to a remote area, a valley known as Vallum Tenebrarum, far from human settlement save for a small village. When the crusaders arrived, they learned from the villagers that the heretics were inside a mysterious castle in the center of the valley.
Unfortunately, this castle was Castle Umbra, a demonic castle tied to the existence of its master, the Demon Lord Saadrac. When Castle Umbra existed on Earth, so could Saadrac, albeit in a limited fashion. 47 years before, Saadrac had been defeated and the castle destroyed. The arrival of the heretics coincided with the end of the castle's 580-moon resurrection cycle. They entered the castle searching for a defensible position, and instead, found an ally.
Rekera and the other troops had scarcely entered the castle when they were ambushed by hordes of undead. The crusaders were scattered and picked off one by one. Rekera himself didn't get very far before he ran into Saadrac, Demon Lord and master of the castle. After a one-sided fight, Rekera was defeated and, as "punishment" for intruding into the castle, was transformed into a Lizardman (one of several such transformations), with the promise of being returned to human form if Rekera assisted Saadrac in defending the castle.
A year later, as Saadrac started to build his empire, a nameless group sworn to destroy Saadrac invaded Castle Umbra. While other survivors fought the demon slayers and were defeated, Rekera did nothing to stop them. The demon slayers succeeded in their task, though all but two of them were killed in the process, the both survivors later disappearing. As its master was defeated, the castle collapsed, the falling rubble destroying anything inside, save for the aqueduct where Rekera and the other Lizardmen made their homes.
Ten years have passed since that day. The surviving servants of Saadrac have had to live off the land to survive. Some instead chose to raid human settlements for supplies. And so Jakar, a young sorceror with plans to summon Saadrac, was warmly received at the very same village where the crusaders had once passed, since the return of Saadrac would mean the end of their troubles.
There was more then one way to restore Saadrac, and Jakar knew of several. During a intense thunderstorm, he channeled dark energy collected over the years into the castle ruins, and succeeded in partially restoring Castle Umbra. While inspecting his work, he encountered Rekera, and attempted to enlist his help in fully restoring the castle. Rekera was noncommittal.
What Jakar didn’t know was that his efforts to restore Castle Umbra had not gone unnoticed. A holy priest, Joseph, had tracked him to Vallum Tenebrarum and observed the resurrection. Noticing Rekera’s apprehension, and upon learning of some of Rekera’s past, he too attempted to persuade Rekera to help him.
Rekera was faced with a choice: he could assist in summoning Saadrac, and regain his human form and his human existence, or remain loyal to the Church and prevent Saadrac’s return. And each choice carries a price.
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