An Endless Pursuit - (Qin)

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DeepWebAssassin
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An Endless Pursuit - (Qin)

Post by DeepWebAssassin » Fri Mar 16, 2018 5:58 pm

I awoke upon the shore,
In the shadow of his throne.
I'd died and lost my way,
I'd failed to reach my home.

But then to me he came,
And gave to me a blade.
He breathed in me the breath of life,
And sent me on my way.

I dare not question why,
I feared to ask him how.
The only thing he told me,
Is that I served him now.

So from that place I left,
Perhaps never to return.
Until my new life ends,
And the feeling no more burns.

I sometimes wonder what would have become of me, had I taken the other path. If I would have ever had a chance at the life that so many seem to content to live. A family, a small cottage just beyond the city walls, a beautiful view of the sea. These are the things that complete us. These are the things that make the toil, the hunger, the loss, and the sorrow so bearable. This is our purpose, and what we impart to those we bring into the world to take our place as we grow old.

But to some men and women, this is not enough. Is that truly why I set sail for a land unknown? simply to seek more? Or was it to seek something different? Do I even recall? It feels like so long ago.

I remember the Captain, bathed in blood and red. He made a great many promises to us as we signed our loyalty to him, that man. The soul of a lion, with the charm of a rose. That man from Amn, that mover of mountains and speaker of unyielding truth. How we all listened to every word he said, truly believing that the day in which is banner unfurled over the citadel wall was soon coming. But alas, true victory is the most elusive mark of them all...

A great time passed and I only saw and heard of him in shadowy whispers. A name sullied by defeat, but refusing to remain on one knee for long. And surely, as quickly as he had been whisked away by the void, talk of a return began to spread. A man back from the dead, back from a place beyond, and stronger than ever before. I traversed many lands for a time, wondering to myself if I should try and reach out. I still believed that he held something that I needed. A key to a door that even with all my talent, I could not quite unlock. The question then, naturally, became something different.

"Do I have something he could use in trade?"

In the end I think I knew, there was only one way I would ever truly find out. Maybe I should have taken the Diviner's generous offering after all.
Last edited by DeepWebAssassin on Mon Apr 09, 2018 5:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: An Endless Pursuit - (Qin)

Post by DeepWebAssassin » Mon Apr 09, 2018 5:21 pm

Defend them from the shadows lurking,
And machinations ever working.
Deliver them from witch and warlock,
Secure their tower under iron-clad lock.
And under your shield they will take shelter,
From the calling of that great soul smelter.

But look not closer into his eyes,
See not the conflict that begins to rise.
In both your hearts rests a similar passion.
For the lives all perched in precarious fashion.
We are the same in that way, you and I.
We're both here to see if they live or die.



Perhaps we've crossed paths before. Maybe in another life. Who can really be sure? But working beside them was, in a way, a strange look into a twisted mirror. How interesting that fate would bring us together, they and I. As we fought, struggled, and overcame from one shadowy circle to the next, one thing was clear to me. I had met someone who walked a very similar path to mine. This was, perhaps, the third most interesting soul I have encountered in my time here. Someone second only to the great Lion himself, and his quiet and professional accomplice with the curved fishing knife.

But who are you really, dear protector? Do you even know? There are certainly days where I myself look into the mirror, and hardly recognize what I have become. There is no shame in it. Perhaps I too am I still playing a part that was assigned to me. I find myself hoping for my own sake that I am still on the path that I set out on so long ago. For if I've strayed from it, then all of this work has been for naught. All of this has been for someone else - a man who does not exist.

Of course, things again changed when I passed through the guided doors of the halls of peace and retribution. The moment my boots touched the old stone floor, the moment that the barrier did not turn me away, and I walked among the ruins of a world that so many of my kind had walked before me, I knew I was home. This place, beyond all others, is a place that truly reassured my restless mind. I am among similar company now, for certain. We are all different in what we want. What we need. But we are family, in the only way many of us could ever truly have one.

The Bishop once asked me if I wanted all of this to build toward something greater, or if I was only doing it for myself. I told him what I thought he wanted to hear at the time, but as I grow older and wiser, as I gain experience in the way of the world, I reconsider. I find myself wondering if perhaps he was right after all. I find myself seeking answers to questions I never knew I had. A shame that he no longer seems to be present, I feel like there was much more I could have learned from him.

It is time I went on a journey, I think. To seek out the knowledge he once offered up to me. To find the answers that my heart longs for, and decide for myself who I am, and who I will become. I'll read the tablets for myself, and their wisdom may come to guide my steps. Or, perhaps it'll all be lie. Either way, I'll be able to put this to rest soon.
Last edited by DeepWebAssassin on Tue Aug 06, 2019 9:12 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: An Endless Pursuit - (Qin)

Post by DeepWebAssassin » Thu Jul 19, 2018 5:24 pm

It is not ours to ask why the letters spell what they do. It is not ours to question the sins that these names have committed. We are, all of us, free of this responsibility. Unchained of the burden that comes with this knowledge. But more and more, I find myself entertaining the desire to play arbiter. Perhaps I've just become tired with the code that has seen me through so far. Perhaps I've grown wiser with another year, and my understanding of the world has expanded and allowed me to change my methods for the better. Or perhaps I'm just a fool, drenched in blood, looking for purpose like the rest of them. I told that little Wasp the path he has chosen cannot be wrong, for it is the one he chose for himself. There are not victims of circumstance, no unfortunate travelers led astray. No - we are all responsible for our greatest accomplishments, our most crushing defeats. All of it, in entirety, belongs to us. Composes us. Defines us.

But as I stand betwixt the four pillars like a wolf caught in a trap, I found myself questioning much of what I knew. How could a man- so uncouth, so unwise, so untrained to the ways of our art- how could HE be allowed to play the judge of life and death? How could HIS HAND direct the shadows unseen to carry out this holy task? I felt as if I had been cheated. That I had been twisted to a petty cause that is not befitting of my Lord's name.

HE DOES NOT DESERVE SUCH A PRIVILEGE.
HE HAS NOT EARNED THE RIGHT.
LOST, LIKE THE CHILD, HE WANDERS.
STUMBLING LIKE A DRUNKARD.
SMILING IN DEFEAT.
LAUGHING IN PATHETIC SQUALOR.
CORRUPTING THE SOUL OF THE SERVANTS.
THE INJUSTICE CANNOT PASS FOR TRUTH.
IS THIS WHAT WE ARE TO BECOME?

For the first time in my life, I refused. I wanted to reach out and strike the words from the tome. I turned my back on that which I have held as sacrosanct, and I left those hallowed stone halls not as a hunter, but as a prey. I understand what is to follow, and there is nothing I can do to stop it. But I will fight with all that I possess. For mine is vengeance and retribution. Protection and mercy. Life and death. Every scout that never made it back, every page missing from the book of truth, every shadow cast by the light of Kings. Fate has led us all to this very moment, and now as the actors all take the stage, we can finally begin. May the best of us prevail. But may that always also be me.

Fail not in thy duty, fearless hunter. Those much greater than ourselves are now watching.

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Re: An Endless Pursuit - (Qin)

Post by DeepWebAssassin » Tue Aug 06, 2019 10:18 am

I used to be a man asleep
Dreaming of what shadows keep
Piled upon the battered heap
That composed my soul

Awoken by a piercing sound
I felt the tremble of the ground
And by the hunter I was found
To answer for my sins.




The more I speak the words, the easier they come to my lips. The shamelessly greedy merchant, the confident mercenary, the tireless servant, the narcissistic performer. Trying to see through it all is like peering into a roaring flame. Chaos and light, with little to actually see.

But there are those who do see, if only for a moment. I can feel their eyes upon me. Not upon what I've shown them, but upon the truth. The shadow that binds me to who I am. The scorched dirt beneath the bright flames. This is where the truth is visible. This is what cannot be hidden. Even the most masterfully made armor leaves the wearer vulnerable in places, and what I have made for myself is no different.

A part of me hopes they call me by who I really am. They put the shapes, sounds, and ideas into words so they can accuse me. So they can read to me my sins. Not because of any guilt or regret that I feel, no. Rather, I want to hear it so I could know the words for myself. I lack the vocabulary and perspective to accurately describe what I see when I gaze into the polished glass surface. To have another do it for me would be the easiest path to the truth.

Of course, the easiest path has never led a man to the place I seek. No, mine is the path of struggle. I'm not too different from the Lords I've served in that way, I suppose. We could have all chosen a simpler life. An easier path. But we find ourselves toiling upon this road fraught with highwaymen and bramble. Our sight obscured by formless fog. Our ears deafened by the cacophony of tolling bells and blasting trumpets. The burden of decision upon our minds.

Sometimes I wonder what they'd say. If the faithful would trust me to linger among them still. If the elf and her fey would venture with me into lands cursed, to break the endless cycle of murder within the embattled manor. Or if the Lady would welcome me to her Mass in the darkness below - a guest to a spectacle I know nothing about. There is one left alive who has truly seen me for what I am. Though I am both eternally thankful and deeply frustrated that he is the least outspoken of them all.

As I drift away to sleep, I often find myself longing for the next day's duties. In the absence of the need for me to practice my arts in earnest, they are the only things that free my mind from the thoughts that invade it.

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Re: An Endless Pursuit - (Qin)

Post by DeepWebAssassin » Sat Aug 17, 2019 2:12 pm

"TAKE COVER!"

He heard the Wyrm roar and knew what was about to come. The ground bucked and shook beneath him, and the force of the nearby blast knocked him from his feet. He landed upon his back, his world a blur. As he laid there, staring listlessly into the strange, alien sky, a wave of exhaustion came crashing down upon his battered body.

His eyes were dazed and unfocused behind the charred skull mask he were. He saw the thin wisps of smoke rising from his equipment and realized the wards protecting him from the hash acid storm had begun to fade. Soon he'd feel the perpetual sting of that caustic rain, making it all but impossible to focus on the task at hand.

He'd worked his way doggedly to his feet, his senses becoming less of a blur and his ears filled with less ringing than before. Just as he thought he had gained his bearings, the next order was shouted out.

"ADVANCE! INTO THE TOWER, NOW!"

"No rest for the wicked", he muttered dryly to himself. He adjusted his mask with a hand, snatched his dagger up from the nearby devil it had become lodged in, and made quickly for the tower with the others. They rushed eagerly toward the newly blasted breach, stepping over what little remained of the pile of Drow bodies that had been massed before the explosion. The fight wasn't over, but the plan had reached the point of no return. Victory or defeat would be decided in the blood that was spilled in the coming rooms. One way or another, the assault was coming to an end.

They scurried into the darkness of the room and directly into the infernal behemoth that awaited them within the tower's opening chamber. It emitted a piercing, utterly terrifying roar and lashed out at them with bloodied, fleshy appendages.

And then, he awoke with a start, as he always does. His breathing quick and fearful, his brow beaded with sweat. He collapsed back into the minimalist, makeshift bed he'd made for the night. His eyes remained fixed on the ceiling of his small stone room for a long, reflective moment as he calmed himself. After a few minutes, he resigned himself to rising early. Sleep wouldn't come easily tonight so he may as well get back to work. He grabbed his gear and made a few final checks before opening his door, striding over to the portal, and stepping into the soft blue light.

He landed quietly on the other side of the portal, reflexively crouching into the shadows while he gained his bearings. He noted three large silhouettes moving in the low light just down the path. They hadn't seen him yet. He soundlessly removed his daggers from their sheathes and controlled his breath. He laid there in wait as the trio drew closer and closer, consumed with their garbled talk of the day's conquest and banditry.

Later, while the carrion birds picked at the flesh and muscle, he'd reflect on that moment. He'd wonder if anyone would understand, if he tried to explain. The masks he wore were a saving grace, in that they didn't allow for anyone to see him for what he really was. But in the end, that kind of simple deception is only a minor, and very lonely victory. Maybe one day he'd cross paths with someone who he could share it with. Maybe he already had, but they too wore a mask.

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