You stand on a high plateau, the summit of the highest mountain, deep in a range of the most rugged looking mountains you have ever seen. You feel energized by the mana that flows through the area. You know that you are standing on or near a nexus of ley lines, apparently an extremely strong one.
A short distance away, you notice an individual standing in front of a mirror. A second look and the fact that the individual is conversing with his mirror image bring the realization that they are twins. Suddenly, you also realize that you have seen the twin facing you before, his face is the image depicted as the God Dagmar, which can only mean that the other is Bamori. A heated debate between the twins grows in intensity, the strength of which you can feel from your observation point.
At some point, the debate escalates to violence as the two begin to exchange blows, though you are not sure who landed the first blow. During the exchange of blows, Dagmar manages to knock Bamori down with a well-placed hit. Stillness settles over the land as Dagmar triumphantly walks over to Bamori to help his brother up.
But you feel that something is wrong. The feeling continues to grow, as Dagmar gets closer to the prone Bamori. You try to shout a warning to Dagmar but no sound issues from your mouth. Just as Dagmar is extending a hand to Bamori, Bamori discharges a blast of energy at Dagmar.
The blast strikes Dagmar in the chest, the ground on which Dagmar stands shatters and collapses into a deep crater. The grass that surrounds the new crater blackens under the intense heat of the blast. A shockwave visible to your eye flashes out in all directions, carrying Dagmar across the plateau in front of it. Instantly Bamori is on his feet, charging across the intervening distance toward Dagmar. You are amazed to see Dagmar stand, neither shaken or damaged by the tremendous blast.
A similar blast leaps from Dagmar’s hand to strike the shouting Bamori dead center of his chest. With the same results of Bamori’s blast, Dagmar’s devastates the land directly beneath Bamori, but as Bamori is pushed backward by the blast, leaving a deep furrow caused by his passing, it is also evident that Bamori was better prepared for the counter-attack.
His backward travel stopped, Bamori utters an oath at Dagmar and then with a shout of rage, charges at Dagmar once again. Dagmar voices an oath himself and with a similar shout of rage, charges at Bamori. The two meet, almost exactly at the center of the plateau. The spot of which you know is the exact point of the ley line nexus.
The very ground trembles under the assault that the brothers throw at each other. Soon, the very earth shutters, quakes and ripples as volumes of energy, the likes of which are beyond your comprehension are released into the surrounding environment. So powerful are their blasts that the sky above them begins to show the effects.
A perfect circle appears in the clouds, which were lazily floating overhead, pushed back by the strength of their assaults. Soon, no clouds are directly above the site of the battle and it appears that the area of effect extends outward for several miles, as the clouds seem to hit an invisible cylinder and get pushed back.
Again and again the two brothers attack one another until suddenly you realize that sunset is upon the world. As the sun begins to set, you feel a sense of foreboding as the brothers release each other and float backwards away from one another. A calm and stillness descends over the now decimated plateau.
But you sense, this battle is not over. You feel energy flowing past you along all of the ley lines in the area. Soon, you are not just feeling the energy; you are actually seeing it flowing visibly toward both brothers. A look of anger darkens each of their faces. You are saddened by the anger on Dagmar’s face and frightened by Bamori’s expression. Rather quickly, the energy flowing to both brothers has caused them to take on a glow that rivals that of the sun and the energy flow.
As the last rays of the sun touch the plateau, both brothers release the energy they have gathered in a single blast toward one another. The blasts collide at the exact spot of the nexus. You are momentarily blinded and deafened by this catastrophic release of power. You know this is a blast that you will not survive, but amazingly, when your vision clears, you realize you still stand on the same plateau.
As the rays of the sun disappear over the horizon, you gaze at the destruction of the plateau. If you had not seen how beautiful a place this was only a few hours ago, you would think that anyone who described its beauty to you would be a liar. Never have you seen a more decimated place, and you hope to never see one again.
You also notice that you are not alone on the remnants of the plateau. Two beings also occupy the devastated landscape. Though they are somewhat indistinct and seem to fade from view from time to time, you recognize both of them. One is Dagmar and the other Bamori. They take a moment to look at each other and then the surrounding remains of the once beautiful mountain.
Bamori’s face registers a look of joy at what he surveys, then with a look of contempt at his brother, he fades from view. You realize that he is no longer there and has ascended to Godhood.
Dagmar’s face registers sorrow and despair. But only for a moment, for at the location of the nexus a visible fountain of energy begins to flow. Dagmar’s expression then changes to joy as he moves over to the fountain of mana that flows freely.
The ground trembles once again and to your amazed eyes, you see the damage, wrought by their fierce battle, to the earth healed. As the last vestige of damage disappears, the ground trembles once more. Eighteen perfectly formed crystal pillars begin to rise from the ground at equal distances from the nexus. Once they stop, Dagmar moves a short distance away from the nexus, holding his hands palms down, he then raises them toward the sky to face palms up.
You notice that the clouds flow across the sky at a much-accelerated rate. You realize that time is passing much faster than normal. When midnight approaches, time returns to its normal motion and you once again look at the spot where Dagmar stands. You also see that you now stand inside the circle created by the crystal pillars. Looking at the point of the nexus, you notice that the flow of mana has stopped and a tree has begun to grow there.
Dagmar gestures toward the area beyond the circle of pillars, causing you to turn and see what is happening there. Standing just outside the circle are 49 indistinct creatures, they surround the entire circle. You know they are some kind of guardians for this place, but beyond that, you have no idea what they are. You blink your eyes and suddenly, they are no longer visible, but you know they are still there.
Some activity causes you to turn to look back into the circle just in time to see Dagmar fade from view. It is at this time you realize that Dagmar had ascended to Godhood as well, but stayed to make things right. Suddenly, time begins its rapid movement, hours begin to pass quickly, but time continues to speed up.
From hours to days, then weeks, months and finally years pass; all the while you notice the tree growing in the center of the circle. As the tree grows you realize one half is ugly and twisted while the other half is beautiful and healthy. Soon the tree is fully grown, larger than would normally be possible here in the mountains, but something, perhaps the ley line nexus helps the tree grow.
Once again time returns to normal, with York’s faces shining brightly in the night. But you feel an oppressing calm over the area, frighteningly un-natural. A distant rumble begins somewhere far to the southeast that builds in volume. You are not sure whether you hear this rumble or feel it, but you know that it bodes ill tidings.
But before you can discover the source of the sound, you wake with a start to find yourself in your bed. The memory of your dream still burns brightly at the forefront of your mind, to the point where you ache as you get out of bed. |
