Background: Rise oh sons of virtue, rise daughters of delight
Rise sons of pain, rise daughters of languish
Rise and be merry, rise and fill with hatred
Your last breaths are upon you, your last days are counted
Shall you sit and wait for it? Shall you rejoice in it?
No, you shall be brought into glory by it
The darkness is upon you
The light has left you
God has forsaken you
The Demons have embraced you
Now is time for greater glory
Now is time for greater honor
Now is the time for your pain to give you power
Now is the time for virtue to put aside
Now is the time for you to hate and kill
Kill…
Author Unknown~~~~~~~~~~~
The sounds of fear, the grasping of air, the haunting of death. A plague of fear hangs in the air, the stale taste of death fetters off, the weeping of children crying over the bodies of parents. And so the age will begin, and the end shall come. The end shall be sweet, and bitter, the taste of tears.
Raphael Augustus, the Dark Prince, the Dark Phoenix, he was not always as he is now. A creature of fear, pain, and death. One who cares little for the weak, or those less fortunate. No, he was once kinder, and a much more gentler man. But times change, people are reborn, and then cast away. Such is the way with the Dark Prince.
Raphael was born to Edward and Mary Augustus. To people who cared for their children, much the way most parents do. The Augustus family was in no way rich. They were farmers, eking out a living on the fringes of villages and towns. They provided for their family, and paid for their taxes from the cruel overlords. But they still prayed to the gods, thanking them for what they did have. Their children, and their home.
Raphael had three siblings. Two older brothers (Enoch and Mihr), and a younger sister (Anahita). Raphael was never the strong one it the group. His brothers were far older than him, about seven and six when he wa born. So when he was five, they were already working in the field. Instead he grew up with his sister, Anahita.
Anahita was a pretty girl by any standards, long blonde hair, big dark green eyes, and high cheek bones. She appeared as though she should have been born a noble. Raphael was not high on any standards. He was born a sickly boy, his eyes were deep set, and his hair turn white even before reaching ten. His eyes were a pale gray, and his fingers were long, and unmanly like. And thus when Raphael and Anahita grew up, it was not long before she had many suitors, while he sunk away, trying to hide from public eye. Anahita soon married the overlord’s youngest son, leaving Raphael alone.
The young boy, now only about fifteen, knew not what to do. He used to confide in Anahita, but now she was gone from him, forever. So Raphael spent his time reading the few books his parents had. However, he burned through those quite quickly. Leaving him once again bored, but soon he found out, from a traveler who stayed at the house, their was a library in a city not far from where he was. So, grabbing a coat, he head out, making his way to the city in two days time, of course neglecting to tell his parents.
Arriving there, Raphael was astonished by the city. Though many passed him, thinking him nothing but a street rat, a bum. As his coat was a farmers coat, and his clothing was dirty and such. But he soon found the library, and was overjoyed. He found several books that contained history, adventure, and many of the like. He stayed their for hours. He had not eaten, however, anything since his last bit a food he had taken from the house, and he was getting hungry.
The first time he stole something, it was surprising he got away. It was a piece of bread, and as the baker, a big burly man, went to grab the boy, Raphael tripped over a dog. But the boy was quick on his feet, and darted off. The man couldn’t leave his spot, called for the guards to chase him, but Raphael was long gone by then. He had found a decent spot behind the library, and there he ate his food. But now he was thirsty, however, he couldn’t go anywhere.
He was not to be alone for long though. Hector Staven, a common thief had seen Raphael’s escape and followed the boy. When he stepped up to Raphael, he scared the him, thinking him to be a guard or the like. Hector quickly introduced himself, explaining that if Raphael needed help, he was here to offer it. Raphael soon accepted. His life of crime was about to begin.
Hector took Raphael to his gang hideout, there he meet several thieves, harlots, and brawlers. They all worked for Hector, the man who had discovered Raphael, but everyone knew Hector took orders from someone else. Who that was, no one really knew, and Hector didn’t talk about it. But everyone knew it was true.
Soon the training of Raphael was about to begin. Hector instructed Raphael on the art of sneaking, and stealing. On how to take money from a purse, or to enter a house and take money that way. Raphael found that with his body, it was relatively easy to get into a house, and take what he wanted. He was thin, and his fingers where long. He was also quick on his feet, able to make the best of any situation. Hector was happy with the training of Raphael, who soon became his second in little less than a year. Raphael’s first killing would be done shortly after that.
While robbing a house, Raphael had woken the owner. A big brutish man, a drunk, one who wanted to pound the shit out of Raphael. His first punch sent Raphael skittering across the floor. And the boy went flying. He knew he need to get out of the house. But everything was blocked. As the man punched again at Raphael he rolled to the side. His hand bumped against a fire poker, which was still in the fire. The man grabbed Raphael, and Raphael grabbed the poker. He jammed the poker into the man’s stomach. The man fell over, grabbing the smoking hole in his stomach, where his insides where burning. Raphael ran as hard as he could, away from where he was.
When he told Hector of what he had done, the older boy shrugged. He informed Raphael it happened at least once. But the thing was, Raphael had enjoyed it, more so than he did stealing. Raphael had become something else, a killer. But not a very good one, he needed training, and he knew it. He would get that training from Alphansi Kryni, a Dark Elf assassin.
Alphansi was a assassin, but he was looking for a protégé, a person who could learn the art of killing for profit. Raphael was just that man. Raphael was seventeen when Alphansi came to the Thieves Guild. He had heard about Raphael, and how the young man had made a few murders now, and looked the most promising. Alphansi took Raphael to his house, outside of the city, and started to train him in the art of killing.
He showed him moves, and how and when to roll away from attacks, to use everything to his advantage. Raphael gobbled any information he could from the elf, any bit he could bite and chew. He learned fast, and was soon accepting small time hits. But he gained a reputation early. He seemed to be able to step in the shadow’s and hide, he was able to move fast, and his heightened sense of speed made him faster.
And by the age of 26, he was a feared and respected assassin. He had killed men in strong holds, and people who tried to bribe him 10 times more than what he was offered, but he never broke a contract, he always pulled through. But this was not to last. He was given a contract on a man, a man who lived in an rickety old castle. Raphael thought this job would be a breeze, he would be proven wrong, deadly so.
The man was a vampire, a creature of age, and talent. A thing so powerful, it could brake a man’s will with nothing but a thought. And when Raphael attacked it, the thing laughed at him, laughed at one of the cities best assassins. But the creature saw potential in Raphael, he offered him a deal. Eternal life, and heightened sense of speed, and all Raphael had to do was serve him. At first Raphael was hesitant, and rightfully so, but when he saw the being move, in almost the blink of an eye, he quickly agreed.
The creature began it’s slow take over of Raphael, biting him in the neck. He drain Raphael of his blood, but just as Raphael was about to die, the vampire had him bite his (vampire’s) own blood. Raphael did so, but he soon passed away. And then awoke, his eyes darted open, and he looked at the vampire lord, who smiled down at him. Raphael stood, and he found his skills only made him stronger. He soon was trained in the art of the vampires, learning how to take the skills that he had and advancing them beyond what he was used to. He smiled, and he spent several years training, become stronger, become better. And then he killed the vampire lord, cutting off his head.
He brought his head to the man who had hired him, and was given his gold. His reputation was secure. But he had become more powerful, far stronger than who he used to be. A man of power, of strength and of duty. A sick and twisted duty, but a duty none the less.
Raphael took pleasure in the kill, and not just for the job, but to feed as well. To suck the life from those who, he thought, unworthy of it. He became something people feared, for his skills, and because of who he was. But Raphael would stumble upon someone he had not seen in thirty years. A woman by the name of Anahita. His sister, the one who had been married of to some nobleman’s son.
He had entered their home in the middle of the night, he had been paid, handsomely, to dispose of the overlord. Raphael did so, without out questioning the reason. The money was the bottom line. He broke in through a window the on side, smashed and jumped through. However, a guard dog was waiting and attacked him. He quickly disposed of the animal, cutting off the head. And then the mark came at him, his sword swinging, and curses emitting from his lips. But Raphael stepped into the shadows, and was hidden, though only for a moment, before he struck back out, hitting the man in the back, and ducking back in.
The man spun trying to find the vampire, but to no avail. Raphael continued his torture till the man was on his knees. Then Raphael pulled out his dagger, and drove it through the man’s heart. His evil laughter resonating all around. And that is when a small child came down the stairs. Raphael turned and looked at her, an evil smile on his face. He charged at the young girl, only about sixteen. She screamed, turned, and tried to run up the stairs. But Raphael caught up with her. He sunk his teeth into her flesh, sucking the blood from her, while she whimpered in pain. Anahita soon came running down the stairs, and saw in horror her daughter die a slow death at the hands of the vampire.
Raphael was surprised when he saw her, but he felt something from her, like he knew her. And when he saw her eyes, he knee. And when he asked if it was her, she replied yes, without fear. Raphael turned away, looking down at his niece, now about ready to die. Raphael felt a mixture of sorrow, mercy, and very much ashamed of what he had done. He had attacked his own flesh. He gently placed the girl down, and had her feed off of his arm. Turning, yet saving her. Raphael apologized to his sister, and swore that he would raise his niece. With that, he took off, running away. With his niece in his arms. He found a house, on the Razor Cliffs, it was here he started her slow training. Though where she is unknown.
Raphael was never one to remain in the shadows, he was a man, a vampire, that loved the spot light, and loved being seen. Be it portrayed as a villain, or in a few rare occasions, as a hero. The Dark Prince had risen through the ranks of Asyut through betrayal, and a lot of cunning. He was truly a weapon, in both mind and talent.
He was, however, also a hero, in a sense. During his first reign as unofficial king of Asyut, a group of demons, lead by the Demon King, or Stratus, lead and attack on the surface world. Though Raphael was in no way one of the first “heroes” on the battlefield, he would attain some personal glory, at the expense of those around him. So while every other being their was fighting to defend their lands, Raphael was busy showing off.
By the time Raphael and his small regiment of troops descended on battlefield, Stratus and Smite were engaged in single combat. Raphael himself saw in Stratus a fighting equal and set a course that would take him and his men in to direct combat with the fiend. After crossing the battle in almost half the time it took for the others to finally meet, Raphael was engaging Stratus, after of course making a brief stop to say “Hi” to Rigmor.
At first Stratus was unsure of how to deal with this new menace, as he had never meet someone with so much persistence. What might have annoyed him the most, was the a vampire would fight along side that of the ‘good’ instead of joining with the Demon King and his armies. With Smite himself being attacked by a mage that seemed to sit behind the lines and simply offer a helping hand to Stratus. This aloud Raphael and Stratus a more personal battle.
At one point, Smite, in his eagerness to defeat Stratus, launched and attack at the demon, not knowing, or caring that an ‘ally’ was in the way. However, due to Raphael’s quick thinking, and even quicker reflexes, he deftly dodged the attack, and was even able to turn it into an attack on Stratus. Raphael seemed not to take the attack personally, as he seemed to think it added flavor to battle.
Soon however, the battle would change, as Stratus would be defeated, though he might claim he was just testing the surface world. Though before Stratus left, Raphael would do something no normal person, or vampire, would do. He bit the demon on the neck, absorbing his life blood. However, this would throw Raphael to the ground, and would take him out for the rest of the battle. However, in this state, Raphael would meet none other than Zjevha, God of the Demons, some would call him. It was here the Zjevha left a mark on Raphael, cursing him and informing him of what would happen. When Raphael awoke, he felt cursed, or blessed from his point of view, though he was unsure if it was because of Stratus or Zjevha, it was never explained to him.
Raphael soon left the battlefield, to leave the battered alliance behind, to fend for themselves. Soon the land was divided, as heroes set up cities, and started to form empires. Raphael himself set out to build his own empire, but it was unlike the other there. Raphael knew the only way to make himself out to be a legend was to become exceedingly wealth. So to accomplish this, he set out to build a large and expansive black market, all tied back to him. And with these he started to become rich beyond imagination.
However, it soon came to his attention about a certain relic kept in place by an ice dragon, Raphael knew this item could greatly increase his revenue and thus his profits. He then set out to capture it. Taking a ship from Asyut, Raphael headed south, past the deserts, and jungles, around the edge of the world. Finally coming to the artic like tundra of the south. Upon stepping on the tundra, Raphael saw chains that lead into the dragon mount. Following these, he entered the mount.
After walking through numerous tunnels, and mazes, and having to defeat many numbers of traps and draconian, even a miniature dragon, Raphael finally entered the center chamber. And in this chamber he found none other than Zjevha. The mighty devil god. Zjevha was sitting on the remains of a dead dragon, undoubtedly the same one Raphael was coming to meet, and in Zjevha’s hand he bounced a blackened skull. The object Raphael had come to collect. After a few mixed words, Zjevha laughed, and vanished, taking the skull with him, and leaving Raphael shaken. Due to the time it took to get to the mount, and then return, Raphael missed another battle between the demons and the surface, though the out come of that battle was still unknown. What is known is that when Raphael came back another battle was brewing, the battle between Jericho and the demons, and many were coming to heed the call.
Among the more prominent there was Alexandros and Rigmor. When Raphael got there, however, instead of going directly to help in the defenses of Jericho he stopped at Amaria’s tomb, only to find it desecrated by Stratus, this of course affected Raphael little. However, Stratus himself was there, and the two engaged in a small duel, though the outcome was the same as the first one, a draw. Though what was important is that a vampire had stood toe-to-toe with a demon, a king no less, and had lived, and even managed to score a few hits.
However, the true battle was at Jericho, and like the first battle, Raphael hung back, waiting for the enemy to grow weak. He soon saw his chance and charge, quickly advancing inward and assisting Rigmor against the demon horde. Raphael however soon advanced towards the Stratus as soon as the mighty lord had almost killed a few generals and lords of some other cities. Raphael launched himself at the demon lord, hungrily wanting battle. The two sparred for quite sometime, but were soon joined by both Rigmor and Alexandros, both of which had defeated various rivals. With the combined effort the three pushed back Stratus, causing him to retreat. However, as Stratus was leaving, he put Raphael in a special place in his heart, the place was where Stratus put his most hated rivals.
Raphael would fight through various battles, both against Stratus and Cryax. However, he would not be there when their end came, from whoever delivered it. No, Raphael was somewhere else, he was stopping an even greater evil from spreading through out the land, far away, in a distant land.
Raphael was given information through Lady M, an old informant of the vampire. She told him of a danger looming far across the Great Sea, and past New Antioch. Though what it was, she was unsure of, so shortly after the battle of the Endless Dunes, Raphael left for the Edge of the World. It was here that Raphael would come first in contact with the Order.
While the Order had been on the first continent for sometime, their aims were mild, and relatively unseen. But when Raphael set his feet upon the shore of the new land, he was meet by priests and knights, though they merely looked at him in contempt, like he held a disease. At first the assassin thought it was because he was vampire. Though soon he learned it was because he was an ‘unenlightened’, a being who had no grasp of the ‘Creator’. However by talking to the local, he was able to discover many of the teachings, even being accepted by some, however, he still felt like an outsider. For two years he walked about, gleaning information.
Then it came, like a pit of hell from long ago, a man rose. A former High Priest, governors of Cathedrals, their giant cities, who went by the name of Yin decided to wage war against the Order. He claimed that the High Priests had committed blasphemy in the eyes of the creator, and ordered the knights to rally against them, naming them the Templar. On the other end of the spectrum, the High Priests ordered that Yin be killed. A Grandmaster by the name of Hector the Second, lead the armies of the Order against the Templar. Raphael on the other hand, saw a chance to gain great glory.
He decided to throw in his lot with the Templar, as he knew they would be more desperate for help, unlike the Order. He somehow wormed his way into the inner circle of the Templar, and became one of the few men Yin trusted. With his easy smile, and his witty charm, he was welcomed by all in the Templar. For the first five years, it seemed like the Order would crush the Templar in to the dust of history. However, a Grandmaster by the name of Crain, was convinced to help out Yin against the Order. By attacking Hector from the back, who was attacking the capital of the Templar, he forced the other man to route. Raphael, knowing the grab the bull by the horns, set out in pursuit of Hector’s damaged army.
The two armies meet at the Battle of Thousand Swallows. Hector, who had recently gathered a force from surrounding villages, had amassed about fifty thousand men, while Raphael had only about thirty five thousand men. However, many of Raphael’s men were veterans of war, or were assassins, while Hector’s were mainly peasants and such, however, he still had the Golden Cavalry, a group of men ready to die for the sake of the Order, and the Creator.
The battlefield was set in a place called the Valley of a Thousand Swallows, with jagged cliffs surrounding a bowl. Marshes set of to the west side, and a lake a little northeast. Raphael himself was approaching from the southwest and Hector had set up camp around the lake.
Raphael started by moving his some of his men into the marshes, wanting to attack Hector by surprise. He set one of his most trusted generals to do this, and most of his assassins went through the swamps. He then set up his army, with his vanguard taking the center, and his sword men on the flanks. With his cavalry set off to the right flank, he figured his left flank was secure, thanks to the marsh. He soon saw the smoke from Hector’s camp, scouts soon informed him that Hector was moving out, to engage.
The Grandmaster was spoiling for a victory, and he thought he would be able to overthrow Raphael in one fell swoop. He put his cavalry in the center, hoping to break Raphael through the center, and then put his strong men on the flanks of his army. Soon the armies came face to face, and they greeted each other in a hail of arrows, cannons, and roars. As soon as it started, Hector had his cavalry charge forward. Raphael on the other hand had his men stand and wait. However, at the last second he ordered them to draw the long twelve foot spears that they had kept low, hidden. The Golden Cavalry ran head long into a wall of spears, only a few made it back out and to the main army. With that Hector ordered his men forward, growling at his own stupidity.
As the armies meet, Raphael saw that Hector would soon horseshoe his flanks, so he had his own cavalry charge, him, of course, taking the lead. Sword meet sword, and Raphael then had the right flank stopped, and then started to draw it back. Soon Hector’s own back was pressed to the marshes, begrudgingly he ordered his men into the bogs. Unfortunately for Hector, Raphael’s horde of assassins were waiting for just such thing. And as he started to pull in, he felt the bear trap tighten, like a vice. His archers were immediately cut down, followed by many of the peasants, after that, it turned into an all out retreat, which quickly turned into a slaughter.
Soon Hector himself was captured, and in a duel between himself and Raphael, he was beheaded by the assassin, though it was about forty bouts before he fell. Later that night Raphael had a dream, the being claimed to be Samael, the servant of Noah, the Creator. He gave Raphael specific instructions about what he wanted him to do. Later that year, when the vampire returned to the capital, he met with Yin, who had named himself Emperor. Upon meeting in a council, Raphael drew his blades and slew the man, as well as most of the high ranking generals and men inside, including Grandmaster Crain. Before anyone knew it, Raphael had retreated.
Though he didn’t realize it, Raphael had perhaps prevented the apocalypse of the world by killing Yin. Other wise he would have summoned Berserker, the World Eater, from his long slumber. For one of the Cathedrals in his way to glory was the gate to his world. But when Raphael killed the leaders of the Templar, he left them alone and naked, which allowed the Order to simply march through and slaughter all. This took about fifteen years total to do. Soon Raphael returned to his own land, back to Asyut.
Upon returning, he had learned that much of his own guild had been routed out of Asyut. Ra Kin himself had been killed by his own men, and much of the city was lost to others. Raphael himself saw this as an opportunity to gain power through subversive means, being quiet with his influence. Taking upon the name Augustus Guild, he made sure that no one there knew anything about him, though many had never heard of Raphael before, as the handles of the Guilds had changed much in fifteen years. Though there were those out there who did know of him, which he had to promptly kill off, or get them to ally with him.
Soon he had control of the old palace, and had formed alliance with guilds. He then focused on expanding his power, reaching out to other cities. Alexandria, Antioch, Date, and Jericho to name a few, his name became very potent in certain inner circles. He also did something rather curious, he started a church in Asyut, labeling it for the Creator. He made a powerful Cleric, Father Constantine, head of the church.
And now we are in the present, watching, and waiting to see what happens. He has joined up with Raven Von Winter, and met an Order member, Kellhus. What now will await the assassin, that is unsure, and what Samael told him is still unclear, his own goals a mystery.
~~~~~~~~~~~
