Within the deep forests of the spirit world, there have been long established territories allocated to a wide range of creatures. These forests have predated many events. Nearing the age before the very conception of the universe. When only gods and dragons roamed the realms. Within these very forests lie great opportunities, relics and old magics that could fundamentally alter the landscape and established laws. Such a place offers those that pursue power and knowledge an ideal environment for those that study the art of spell casting. In that same light, these spell casting researchers and practitioners often meet their ends here. Leaving behind their wares and magical achievements for others to plunder.
One such individual was Dharc. A young boy with long brown hair and dark eyes. He was a descendant of a tribe of Spellcasters known as 'Charmers'. Spellcasters gifted with the ability to form contracts with creatures that bare the same affinity to them. Allowing them to fight alongside the creatures, as well as posses their powers. Unifying into a more powerful force. Dharc had an unfortunate upbringing due to the circumstances of his birth. It had long been known and established that a single individual from each generation would ever be gifted with the status of 'Charmer' for each respective element. Wind, Water, Earth, and Fire. At any point in time, 4 female enchanters would be birthed and inherit the gift.
Here in lied Dharc's first issue. He was born a male and was recognized as possessing the gift and an affinity. This was unprecedented and caused quite a stir in his village. Many wondering if this was a new wave of opportunities for their tribe or a sign of ill omen indicative of Dharc's affinity to the dark element...the second issue that plagued him in his youth. Finally, the events of his imprisonment by his own clansmen from fear of the omen and misfortune his existence could surely bring the village.
As it turned out, however, weather it was due to luck or some semblance of pity from some greater being, the alien nature of his dark affinity within his village also made it difficult to build adequate forms of restraints to hold him. The shackles that clung to his body were enchanted to never come off, he could only hope that something within this world offered a means, but the chains themselves were enchanted with a spell to protect them from the basic elements and was therefore not equipped to resist his magic. Using the cover of darkness, Dharc was able to break from his restraints and escape. Beginning a journey of self discovery. This proved to be easier said than done, however. As there had never existed a charmer who was male, nor a charmer of the dark element, non of the texts available offered any help in his studies. He had no true dark spells and therefore no true way to defend himself.
His only saving grace was his trusted staff. Crafted from the bones of a long dead dark dragon he had found on his journey. It seemed to take to his magic better than he could have ever hoped. Though its name was lost to time, he was very thankful for its help. Using a bone from one of its wings as a base. Sanding and polishing it to offer a comfortable grip, he carefully secured the skull of the late dragon to the top of the staff. A strange bird like shape with strong curving horns at its side, accompanied by feathers that seemed to refuse the tides of time even long after the dragons end. To finish off the staff, he added the hide of a creature known as a zany zebra. A creature known for its surprisingly sturdy flesh. Using it to help in securing the bones together for added durability. Finishing the look off with some small jewels and stones he hoped would complete the look.
In contrast to the great care given to his staff, Dharc's shackles made it very difficult to procure comfortable clothing and he placed little emphasis in himself. Choosing to place his focus on the staff as a show of thanks for the creatures it was made from. He had managed to acquire a worn sandy gray hooded robe that stretched down to his ankles and was held together by a metal plate across the upper part of his sternum. As bottoms, he wore a pair of dark gray cargo pants with white bottom hems and a pair of simple black boots. Around each of his limbs worn white bandages he used as an added means of protection from the elements and a barrier of sorts between his skin and the iron shackles that clung to his body.
This young individual had been reduced to traveling the off road paths for quite some time. Many cared little about what possible circumstances lead to the shackles he wore and saw only a possible runaway criminal. Most, thankfully, choosing a neutral approach of simply pretending they didn't notice them. While some turning to violence from fear that he may have come to bring harm or steal. Leaving little opportunity to gather valuable information of the world around him.
Thankfully, however, He'd finally found a lead. A forest rumored to house a treasure trove of magic and artifacts with effects that could shake the very world around them. Resolving himself to finding a means to remove the prison that still clung to him, and the hopes of possibly discovering more about his charmer affinity, Dharc had entered the forest...
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As Damien opened his eyes, his hazy vision struggled to piece together his new environment. A dark stone structure with some kind of dark brown moss on the ground below. Damien didn't immediately get up. He had just woken up in an unknown environment, and yet his sense of danger was telling him that moving now could prove hazardous. Tuning his senses to his surroundings, he made note of what sounded like snarling beasts growling and nipping at each other in the distance. The sound was haunting. It didn't sound like noises something like wolves or bears could make. They sounded monstrous. Like creatures straight out of a horror movie. Only after several long and agonizing minutes--when the sounds from the creatures had long died down-- did Damien have the courage to move.
Finding his way upright, Damien scanned the rest of the cave he had found himself in. a river stream was flowing strongly deeper into the cave. Probably the origin of this cave system. Turning an observant gaze at where he had heard the snarling beasts, he spotted a hole in the cave ceiling. What appeared to be moonlight peeking inside, granting Damien a small light source. It didn't take long for him to begin forming a hypothesis of his current situation.
"Guess I ended up in someone that died...makes sense, since that god mentioned I wouldn't get a reincarnation." Damien commented lightly. Still trying to get use to the sensation of a new body. "Suppose I should be thankful I didn't wake up in the middle of a mauling...?" he concluded. A cold chill running down his spine at the thought of being literally eaten alive as soon as he woke up in this new world. Silently making note of the several meter distance between the opening in the ceiling and where he stood. "Guess the original guy got chased and fell down that hole...hell of a drop, but I'd guess he didn't get to suffer long...Let's just hope there's another way out. No chance I'm climbing out. Especially with whatever the hell those were still out there..."
Connecting the dots up to this point, Damien began studying his surrounding more closely. The escape route immediately removed from his mind was the ceiling. The height of that fall was enough to likely end the unfortunate owner of this body instantly and Damien was not confident in his climbing skills. This left two other options. Going deeper into the cave,or traveling against the current of the underground river. There were risks associated with both choices. The river seemed to come from an opening in a wall. There was no room to travel the river above surface. So he would have no choice but to go underwater cave diving in potentially total darkness for an unknown period of time. Losing your sense of direction in such a situation would lead to a very quick but painful drowning.
The opposite direction didn't offer much more comfort either. There was no way to tell how deep this cave system was, and with how strongly the water current was traveling, there could be many branching networks deeper down leading to god knows what destination. This still left the obvious issue as well. The same total darkness predicament. His only hope now is that whoever this guy was, he had the foresight to bring a torch. Thinking about the matter of supplies, Damien decided to look down to inspect his body, in the hopes of finding something of use. What he saw, however, Made him pause.
'Blood…' there was a series of grave looking slashes all over his clothing. Dark red stains littered the robe he was wearing, and the substance at his feet he had originally thought to be a type of brown moss was ordinary green moss that had been bathed in dry and clotted blood. He was left guessing as to how so much blood could have come from one person and was forced to rethink his original assumption of avoiding a mauling.
"Damn. I thought he'd gotten away, but now I wonder if it the fall really was what got him…" Damien commented, still in a daze as he inspected his body to ensure he didn't still have any open injuries. Instead, however, what welcomed him was, yet, another surprise. He was wearing shackles. They covered not only his wrists and ankles, but also his neck. "you can't be serious. You're not gonna tell me I'm in some escaped convict, right!?" Damien screamed. A frustrated expression on his face as he wondered what else he should expect.
Trying his best not to despair at the series of unfortunate events, Damien began sifting in the dark. Focusing his eyes as much as possible to see if he could find anything of use. The first item he spotted was what appeared to be a decorative staff. It was adorned with a creepy bird like creature's skull with two curved horns on the sides of its head. Trying to piece together a premise, Damien figured the old host was some kind of archeologist that got held up by some primitive tribe. The staff seemed to be some sort of shaman ritual tool, so maybe they snagged it from someone while getting away and were assaulted by those creatures…? It'd been less than thirty minutes since he woke up and he was quickly finding more and more things to worry about-- Never the less, Damien quickly brought the staff with him under the moon light. Taking a moment to search his robe and pockets for anything and everything that could be useful given his situation.
1x water skin
6x pieces of some sort of jerky
2x vials of a strange blue liquid
1x vial of a strange blood red liquid
1x small dagger
1x small paper journal
1x creepy bird staff
All in all, not the worst start….