Fauxwood was a mostly peaceful world—a hugely populated world filled with forgotten and unexplored mysteries. The world consisted of kingdoms, empires and republics that had controlled the land for millennia. Most of the world stayed out of the conflicts and problems of the six major powers: The Ebisu Empire, The Allah Empire, The Patecatl Cartel, The Ngai Kingdom, The Ipava Empire, and The Woden Consortium. The northernmost territory was the two warring factions, The Ebisu Empire and The Allah Empire. The tensions and distrust between the two had long been going on for over one hundred years with the occasional battle. The eastern territory was the land of smugglers, mercenaries and scoundrels who used deception and deceit to make a living in the lawless Patecatl Cartel. The southern territory was the Ngai Kingdom, a once icy plane, now a dry and desolate land, was home to peaceful and non-violent civilisations. The north-west civilisation was the Ipava Empire, a large woodland area that was occasionally covered in snow. Finally, the central occupation was the Woden Consortium, home to our very warrior.
Woden was a massively divided country, economically and socially. The northern parts of Woden were very undeveloped and barely lived up to the same wealth or appearance as the south. Towns were often left with little development over many years, businesses always seemed to die off, and crime seemed to infest the darkest of corners. Streets were left as mud; houses were made of wood and were home to merchants and traders trying to make a living. However, down in the south, it was like an entirely new world, full of wealth, power, and protection. Houses were built of marble; paths were made of stone, and it was home to powerful politicians who dictate the decisions of the country. In the north of Woden, a town resided where our warrior dwells. The town, Basdon, was but a simple place. Home to mainly merchants and traders, but also a popular stop for people passing to more northern territories. Within the area of Basdon, our warrior, Geoffrey Gold, stays within his humble shop, "The Fifth Head".
The Fifth Head had stood for 2 years now. Geoffrey had built it himself after he grew attached to the people, and the people honoured him after he had taken on the Verglas Spiders. His shop was like a paradise to the children of Basdon and the merchants who wished to be as strong and brave as him, it held great treasures that he had collected through his journeys. His artefacts ranged from the mythical Alzarr Spider Egg to the Plasma Core of a Kronum. His most prized possessions were the Midas Fruit and a Pidgar feather. The feather had come from the last of its species, the Pidgar hid in the most solitary of places and only revealed itself to those in danger. Lastly, the Midas fruit was covered in pure gold, it had temporary effects, but one bite would remove the powers that it granted forever. Each one of his possessions was kept behind glass boxes, serving as trophies of a bygone past. To keep himself sturdy and the shop open, Geoffrey often adventured for the typical supplies and items that passers-by would require from the rarest of organisms to the most common.
Geoffrey Gold, our esteemed warrior, was a man of many talents. He was brave and courageous; he was also skilful and had good knowledge. He was about the average height for males in Woden. He had black hair which was short at the back with a long fringe which often got in his eyes. He had bright green eyes which glowed in the rays of light. He commonly wore a leather tunic underneath his steel armour which he had forged himself, overlayed by a cape which draped down to his waist, concealing his sword. He also wore some fine leather boots which he always used to walk in. He was also covered in many freckles which also stood out in the harsh sunlight. Geoffrey was quite a skilful man; he knew his way with a blade and could also do many forms of acrobatic tricks if he ever came into close combat with any creature or being.
However, Geoffrey had many questions; how did he get there? What had happened to him in the past 15 years? Where were his parents?
His biggest lead to answer these questions came from the town itself. A grey-haired man, who lived opposite Geoffrey's shop, had met him when he first arrived in Basdon, who said he had known his parents for many years. Geoffrey was sceptical but soon realised that this man knew things about his parents and himself. The man, Wilf, told Geoffrey that his birthplace, Mosspanca, was raided by pirates from the Costelloe Archipelago (east of Woden) forcing them to flee south.
Geoffrey crossed over the flint path to the opposite home that he spent most of his time in, other than his shop. He entered into Wilf's home, greeted by the warmth of the powerful sun. This home was a lot older than Geoffrey's shop; it was creakier and decaying and was not in the greatest condition from the decrease in his health over the past few years. Geoffrey continued into the bedroom he had help set up when Wilf first became ill which perfectly connected to his kitchen and dining room.
"Good day, Wilf," Geoffrey directed to the bedridden man, "Are you doing alright?"
"Same old, Geoff. Just gathering dust like the rest of my home." Wilf responded.
"Well, I can always bring you over to the shop and you can reminisce to the children over your stories" Geoffrey offered.
"Perhaps one day, do you not have your own adventures to address?" Wilf questioned.
"Certainly, but I cannot just leave you here. I have got to go restock on some Falgur essence, so I will be heading up to the highlands for a couple of days."
"I see, I remember those highlands. I used to take my wife up there, before I lost her, we used to love staring off into the tiny villages and watching the people wander the paths. Such a shame. Before you go, can you get me some water from the jug in the cupboard, please?"
"Of course," Geoffrey got up from the bed, took the glass that was next to Wilf and walked into the kitchen. He grabbed the jug from the cupboard and poured it into his glass.
Whilst Geoffrey poured the drink, he looked out the window towards his shop opposite. He watched as four recognisable men walked up the path and barged their way into The Fifth Head. This struck Geoffrey as an issue, he knew these people, which did not make the situation any better. Geoffrey walked back through to where Wilf laid, placing his beverage on the drawers next to him.
"Is something the matter, Geoff?" Wilf questioned.
"Some familiar adversaries have gone inside my shop," Geoffrey responded.
"What did you do this time?" Wilf questioned, laughing slightly.
"I might have created some trouble with the Ebisuan emperor, but nothing substantial," Geoffrey responded, chuckling.
"Nothing substantial, famous last words they are. What could you do to annoy such a powerful man?" Wilf chuckled back.
"Slept with his daughter. Probably not one of my most incredible journeys."
"Certainly, one way to put it. Are you definite that this is the reason?"
"No, I have got no idea why they have come."
Without another word, Geoffrey stood back up from the bed and said his goodbyes to Wilf. He then left the home and crossed back over to his shop. He looked around and saw people strangely looking at him.
He was remarkably familiar with the style of the Ebisu Warriors that emperor Kaito Hayashi held so highly. They all brandished shiny steel armour covering every aspect of their body which left a hefty amount of weight on the soldiers. They had massively recognisable helmets, covered in green, they were like a large bucket with an opening for the wearer to see out from. This was only the case for three of them, one of them brandished an entirely black apparel which seemed a lot lighter to the others. His most noticeable difference was his face wear. He had a half-covered face with that of an oni mask, it was void black with horns and fangs drenched in red. Geoffrey knew exactly who that was, he had threatened him during his escape, nine months prior. Geoffrey saw no way out of this, he could not run, he could not leave, he had to just go inside and cooperate with them.
He opened the door to his home, the men turned around to him. They took to a defensive stance, katanas in hand. Geoffrey brushed his cape away from where his sword usually would be, then the warriors stood down.
"What brings Ebisuans to a shop like this?" Geoffrey began.
"You know why. It has taken us many days to track down a scoundrel like you." The masked man retorted.
"Am I to be executed?" Geoffrey questioned.
"No, commandeered. You are to join my company while I transfer you to the Imperial city, the emperor requests your presence."
"What for? What is so important about me after everything?"
"He seeks assistance, in a pressing matter."
"That being?"
"Are you familiar with the Firecracker?"
Geoffrey's face changed. He was now an amalgamation of several emotions. The reference to such a powerful and destructive beast was exciting, but there was also this sense of severity. The Firecracker was not the tamest of creatures, it was fierce and a devilish scourge on the Japanese landscapes. Geoffrey knew that they were long since extinct, but a pressing matter meant that it was a present event. Things were about to change for Geoffrey; for better or for worse? It was unclear.