#landsoffthemap

[jassrain]

Vilian origin story where the vilian turns out to be a girl who when she was little the hero didn't take the time to save her cat that was stuck in a tree or lost.

[jassrain]

"You have protective runes and spells woven into your clothes and you were defeated by an old man in an AC/DC t-shirt, humming their songs!"

"Yeah we were a bit thunderstruck."

"NOT HELPING!"

"You ran like a little girl."

"I did not!"

"Look there, he's back!"

"Ahhh!"

One can easily distinguish a true veteran adventurer from the masses, for one doesn’t fear those who show to the start of a dungeon with gleaming weapons and polished armor, but those who show up wearing casual clothing, looking like they just got done shopping in town not 5 minutes earlier.

[jassrain]

Hero and villain are married, but only their public personas. Neither knows the civilian identity of the other.

[jassrain]

What would you name a valley and or village under the protection of a green dragon?

Verdant, green, jade, and emerald are off the table since they're so common.

[jassrain]

A scam artist duo that plays at hero and villain, a mostly good routine until they enter The City with real villains and not a hero in sight.

[jassrain]

Flint sat in the section of the stands reserved for new and unknown gods, deities that have recently come into existence. The arena was built like the Roman coliseum, round with box seats for the roman, greek and norse gods and sections for their minor deities. Zues currently occupies the throne over the gods. Jupitor would preside next month. In the arena Thor was fighting with the Aztek war god, or was it mayan, Flint was annoyed with himself that he couldn't tell the difference. Not that it mattered asThor won the match with a ring-out by throwing Mjolnir. Now Thor circled the ring enjoying the praise, Flint offered token applause. Now Thor saw him and pointed at him in challenge. The norse god wore a wicked grin as the crowd encouraged Flint to accept. At first Flint stood to decline as usual and did at first, he then nodded agreement, Flint knew he had to accept or not be permitted in the arena eventually. With a great show Flint removed his black long coat and suit coat, folding them on the bench where he sat with his hat on top of both. He made his way down pushing the cuffs of his black shirt to his mid forearm, his boot heels clicking on the stone steps. As he walked his appearance shifted from suit slacks and tie to jeans and a button down shirt, jumping the rail to the arena floor his boots became biker boots.

“Aren't you afraid I’ll ruin your shirt and shatter your glasses?” Thor boomed, laughing after the cheers for Flint died down. Really Thor had little room to talk as his chosen appearance was that of a musclehead you’d see on Muscle beach, with braids in his beard and hair. He wore jeans slashed at the knees and high tops with duct tape holding the soles from flopping.

“My glasses and shirt are the least of your worries, thunder god,” Flint grinned as lightning played across his black wrap-around sunglasses. While he didn’t need them, wearing the glasses had become an old habit, much like the hat and long coat he left in the stands, or even the leather gloves.

At this point Zeus sat forward to watch, waving away his attendants. Flint had piqued Zeus’ interest on first arrival, now was a chance to see what this new lightning deity was capable of.

The announcer had just finished the rules, the basic no dirty fighting rules, Flint and Thor nodded agreement and began loosening up and stretching for the match. The arena would remove the loser if a killing blow was about to land and that would end the match, both could use their deity powers.

Thor charged with a haymaker, intent on a quick win, no testing or probing. Flint ducked the attack and aimed a punch to Thor’s gut, then dropped to sweep at Thor’s legs. Thor rolled as he landed and charged again this time aiming a kick at Flint’s mid section. Flint took it and trapped Thor's leg against his side, there was a very audible cracking noise and breath escape from Flint. With a visible grimace Flint pulled and spun Thor launching him at the wall. Thor gave a surprised yell and laugh as he flipped mid air and launched himself off the wall at Flint. Flint seemed to anticipate this and stood his ground, there was a loud crunch as the two collided. Flint remained standing one arm now limp at his side, Thor now had blood trickling from his nose into his beard.

Thor wiped his face and looked at the blood in his hand with a grin, “been a long time since I’ve seen my own blood,” Thor boomed, “how’s the arm and ribs?” Thor shook the blood off and wiped his hand against his jeans leaving a smear.

“Better than your face,” Flint rasped, spitting blood out, he flexed his fingers and raised the arm that was moments ago limp, “see? Good as new.” he thumbed his nose and wiggled his fingers at Thor.

The gesture infuriated Thor, instead of more hand-to-hand fights, Thor grabbed Mjolnir and flung it at the man with a roar. Laughing, Flint doubled over just dodging the hammer’s first pass and return to Thor’s hand.

“Gotcha,” Flint whispered to himself as he dodged two more throws of the hammer. Flint dodged the next throw and on the return pass grabbed Mjolnir stopping its flight to Thor’s hand. There was a considerable struggle on Flint’s part to hold the hammer in place, that struggle could be seen in the lightning playing across the lenses of the wraparound sunglasses. Thor was struggling to call Mjolnir and that could be seen in the lightning arcing between his fingers. “And now!” Flint gave the hammer the slightest of tugs and Thor came flying towards the hammer. The whole crowd gasped as a thunderous sound erupted from the arena and Thor landed on the ground and moments later vanished, transported to the infirmary, Flint released the hammer allowing it to follow after its master.

“Well done!” Zeus boomed, actually walking onto the arena floor to Flint, “to Flint!” Zeus raised Flint’s good arm in a victory pose, Flint was breathing heavily, almost gasping for air.

“Thank you Lord Zeus,” Flint rasped, “I hadn't had a challenge like that in a very long time, though probably not as long as him.” he pointed in the direction of the infirmary.

“Not since Heracles lifted Mjolnir and knocked a few teeth loose,” Zeus laughed, “a story for another time, now join me, lightning god for a drink.”

“Who am I to refuse a king of gods? It would be a pleasure,” Flint accepted, the rasp gone from his voice.

[jassrain]

"Mom or dad? Which parent did you inherit your powers from?"

Not an easy question to answer, thing is mom and dad were half-bloods, and while my siblings got the brunt of the looks they didn't get the powers. Sure my mouth and nose extended forward a little and I had my dad's teeth and mom's eyes, I looked mostly human. The powers didn't come from mom or dad, the powers came from their dragon parents. These guys didn't get it, they soon will...or end up extra crispy. "Neither, actually."

[jassrain]

Rain pinned the spinning gold coin to the desk with a ruler, carefully she scooped it up on the end to examine.

“My dad gave it to me on my eighteenth birthday, he said it should have been mine sooner but his mother made that difficult,” a young man stated as he watched Rain examine the coin on the ruler. While his lineage was very wealthy, he was raised middle class. His intelligence impressed Rain so she sponsored him in his collegiate endeavors, she was his guidance counselor and that's all he knew of her aside from a collection of antique oddities.

“He included some odd instructions regarding how the coin was to be used….why aren't you touching it?” He finally asked, seeing her looking at it held in a pair of small tongs, or large forceps.

“Because it's dragon gold and seals a contract between your family and the dragon. My touching it would upset the contract almost as bad as your father's mother nearly did,” Rain waved to some tabloids and well respected newspapers with articles about a scandal that nearly bankrupted a company until a few days ago. “Such pacts are rare but can go for generations. There is a price, usually paid by the last in the family line.”

“That doesn't sound like an explanation,” the young man slumped in the chair.

“Fine, I'm the half-blood daughter of a dragon,” a low growl filled the office, “and dragons rarely get along.” She placed the coin in the boy's hand quickly. “Now, you have two dragons interested in your fate, that one came first,” she nodded to the coin, “so I think it's time I step back and let your family friend take over your care.”

“But what if I have more questions?” The young man asked as he pocketed the coin.

“I'll be here, though I doubt you will need my services.”

[jassrain]

A crimson robed figure rings a bell at the cave entrance. "Hello?" It calls into the cave with a rasping voice while looking at the bell curiously.

"Just a moment" a feminine voice boomed from inside, "have a seat, I'll be right out."

The crimson figure looked around, then sat on a stone chair that wasn't there moments before. A stone table and an earthwear tea set soon appear as well.

"I don't often get visitors and the lair is a mess, so please forgive my not inviting you in" a woman says from the cave entrance. At first she appears disheveled in a green housecoat and fuzzy slippers and sweats, with a rat's nest of black hair that shimmers green as it catches the morning light. As she sat across from the figure her appearance shifted to a woman wearing green wizard robes with an elaborate scale motif and light slippers.

"What brings you to my," she paused in thought while pouring the tea, "well, I already said lair, so lair?" She offered cream and sugar, both were declined by the crimson robed figure, the spirits she offered, however, were accepted.

"It seems" the figure rasped taking a sip of the tea, "your vale has come to be infested with humans."

"Oh, I know," the woman smiled and leaned back in her chair as she took a sip herself. She shrugged "I find them fascinating, I've only been to their village picnic and the tavern" she shakes a dreamy look from her face at the thought. "I don't see them as an infestation."

"Others thought as you, they soon found that thought folly" the figure warned.

"What do you suggest? I flame the lot of them? Or employ you to do it?" She raised an eyebrow. "A dragon knows who comes calling, litch."

"Getting rid of humans is what I came to offer to do for you" the litch lowered the hood, his skin was taught and stretched over his skull, wispy hair played in the light breeze. The only sign of life, aside from movement, was the unnatural icy blue glow in the eye sockets.

"I'm going to keep them, you may peddle your services elsewhere" she said with a snort.

The litch glared a moment while finishing the tea, "you will regret not accepting my offer. They will learn of you, your hord and come to kill you and take it for themselves."

"I think my only regret will be wasting fine spirits on you, good day."

[jassrain]

"Captain Crimvaren, ma'am," the cabin boy, Jim, huffed out. The youth was in a panic and scared, it read from his heavy breathing to wide darting eyes, and his pallid complexion.

"Take a breath Jimmy," Rain said as she stood up, her smoky voice soothing in tone. "What has you in such a state?" She asked, tightening the belt of her breaches after tucking in her tunic.

"Ma'am, the sky is strange….you have to see this, maam." The youth calmed enough to speak clearly.

"Then I'll have a look" she walked past the boy tousling his shaggy hair. She set up her boots next to the door and remained barefoot. After a brief glance at the ornate long coat she pulled the tricornered hat on to shade her eyes as she went out on deck.

On the deck there was dead silence, no one calling for sail work or rigging adjustments. Also missing was the sound of the sails snapping in the wind. There was the creek and groan of the rigging as the schooner bobbed.

"Are we in the doldrums Mr Hawk?" Rain asked, approaching the helm, snapping her fingers in front of the man's face when he didn't answer.

She finally turned to look at what had the crew so stunned to not answer their captain. The sea was still like glass and reflected the deep purple sky and maroon horizon of the sunset. There were however three moons in that sky, one full and two crescent. The crescent moons framing the full, giving the appearance of an eye.

"Jim" Rain said, pressing a key into the youth's hand, "give Skillet a sip of rum then help him distribute it to the others."

"Captain" the boy nodded, then from the stairs to the main deck "where are we, Captain?"

"Well off the map young Jim, well off the map." Dismissing Jim from her thoughts, Rain went to the rail and scanned the aft horizon.

[jassrain]

"Who dares cross my threshold?" The voice boomed and echoed through the cave entrance. The cave was large and natural for a hundred yards, long enough for the fear of dark places and any claustrophobia to kick in. After the natural cave it opened to a large carved cavern, worn dwarven runes marked the threshold and door posts.

"An adventurer on a high quest for the kingdom on the other side of the mountain" Rain answered suppressing the urge to giggle.

"What is the quest for?" The voice asked, booming like thunder. Rain heard a playful tone in it as a laugh was suppressed as well.

"Riches and glory, and if there's time save the princess" now Rain couldn't resist laughing and barely could say the last words.

A crimson dragon head rose to look at Rain and also started laughing. "Rain, daughter, it has been much too long." The dragon was now smiling and shaking with suppressed laughter. After a moment a man with flame red hair wearing an ornate dressing gown was pulling her in for a hug. "I'm glad you still play the game when you visit."

"It's the least I can do, not many adventurers left in the world" her voice was muffled against his shoulder as she returned the hug.

[jassrain]

"Mom or dad? Which parent did you inherit your powers from?"

Not an easy question to answer, thing is mom and dad were half-bloods, and while my siblings got the brunt of the looks they didn't get the powers. Sure my mouth and nose extended forward a little and I had my dad's teeth and mom's eyes, I looked mostly human. The powers didn't come from mom or dad, the powers came from their dragon parents. These guys didn't get it, they soon will...or end up extra crispy. "Neither, actually."

[jassrain]

"Where is he? Anyone have eyes on him?" A panicked voice came out of the walky.

"Still looking sir, sir, were the shadows always this dark?"

"Never mind the shadows and find him, we know he's here and hasn't left!"

"Right, switching to motion sensors and thermal tracking."

"Like that's going to work," Rain interjected, "he's a vampire and fast enough to move between the pulses."

"Look lady, vampires aren't real….they're…."

"They're what?" Lockheart's rich voice asked from the shadows.

"Oh fu…."

[jassrain]

"Why is the landscape moving?"

"Because it's not landscape, it's a dragon, a very large dragon."

"Then shouldn't we be running?"

"How far do you really think we can get, you thought the dragon was landscape."

[jassrain]

"I change my vote" Emeralda squeaked after seeing the mountains shift and swat two dragons down like gnats.

"Yeah, I agree," Naru nodded, "that beach trip sounds better and better."

"Oh well, too late now" Emmy sighed hoping to keep her fear out of her voice.