Lifting the Curse [Players Wanted] (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=99080.new#new)<br/><strong>Lifting the Curse [IC]</strong><br/>Lifting the Curse [OOC] (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=97258.new#new)<br/>Lifting the Curse [Characters] (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=97259.new#new)<br/><br/><hr/><div align="center"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><em>Introduction</em></span></span></div><hr/><br/>It was just over a month ago, that the three brutes entered the village of Daelinshire, named after the great Daelin forests on which outskirts it lay situated. The creatures looked a bit like big, fat humans. That is, if big fat humans grew more than ten feet tall, and weighted more than 1000 lb. They weren't even armed, running around with small trees that they used to smash things, or rocks they simply grabbed from the ground and hurled against things. Yet, their simple brutal power was enough to wipe out Daelinshire's standing militia. In mere minutes, the few guards that still remained alive either surrendered or fled. The giants didn't care much for surrender. They just smashed the bowing heads in, and continued to advance into the village and wreak havoc. As rocks flew through the air, tearing down houses, the giants advanced, trampling the peasants that were too struck by fear to flee under their heels.<br/><br/>A single black raven seemed oblivious to the pillaging and slaughter, as it landed on the opposite side of the town. A puff of gray smoke briefly surrounded the bird and when the smoke had cleared, a middle aged man had taken it's place. The man, who later introduced himself as Xenion Blackfeather, was dressed entirely in black robes, while a simple black string held his graying black hair into a ponytail. He quickly ran into the fleeing council of elders and proposed them a deal. The man would rid the village of the giants, if the village paid him something in return. Something the village had plenty of, the man had warned them. The council, completely desperate, gave in without a second thought, glad to pay something they had in abundance to get rid of the giants, without even considering what the man was after.<br/><br/>When the deal was agreed upon, the man lifted one hand in the air, and three dark orbs appeared around his wrist, flying around in small circles. "Your time is over!" the man yelled in the tongue of giants, before the three orbs left his wrist and flew towards the brutes that menaced the town, flying over or past any obstacles that obscured the path between those orbs and the menacing brutes. The giants had just enough time to see the orbs of darkness pierce the sky and head in their direction, but not enough time to dodge them. The orbs struck each of them, entering their bodies close to their heart, without so much as leaving a scar.<br/><br/>While the initial damage appeared nihil, it quickly became apparent just how effective these orbs were. One after another, the brutes fell to their knees, hands in front of them on the ground. As the brutes howled in pain, their appearance changed, their hair quickly grayed, and then fell out of their head. Their skin grew dark and scarred to pieces, some pieces literally falling off their bodies, and exposing the flesh and organs beneath them to the open air. Teeth fell out of their mouth, and finally, the brutes succumbed to the ground, which shook as their heavy body masses collapsed. Even then, they still lived for agonizing seconds, before their hearts gave out, and the light dimmed from their eyes.<br/><br/>With the giants dead, the peasants where aghast by the devastating magic the traveler wielded, but nonetheless admitted that the man had saved the town. "Name your reward!" the eldest of the elder spoke to the traveler, before reminding him: "But remember that it has to be something we have in abundance."<br/><br/>"In abundance you do!" Xenion replied, as his gaze wandered off, and big eyes moved from young maiden to young maiden. "Give me twelve of your prettiest girls, at least half of which must be virgins, and I will guarantee the safety of your village!"<br/><br/>The council was in shock. For a moment, they wondered if they misheard the man or perhaps the man was joking, but when they realized the man was completely earnest, the council refused. "Never!" they screamed at the man. "How can you ask us to give our daughters and the daughters of our townsfolk away? We'd rather have died at the hands of those giants than meet your insane demands. Now, get out and never return here!"<br/><br/>"Fine, I will take my leave." the man answered, expecting their hostility. "But not before giving you something to think about. Sleep!" For a brief moment, a shadow fell over the town, despite the clear blue sky. One by one every male, be they human or elf or exotic traveler, fell to the ground and sunk away into unconsciousness. About a minute later, Xenion was the only man still awake. Of the townsfolk, only the women were still standing, watching in horror as their men lay on the ground in coma. "In one year, I will return." the man warned the women, as he turned around and walked towards the edge of town. "I will once again demand a dozen of your girls. If you agree with me then, your men will wake up. Otherwise, they will die." After a few more steps, a puff of smoke erupted from the ground where the man placed his right foot, once more obscuring the man from sight. Before the smoke had settled, the man had disappeared, and a lone raven squawked, as it flew away towards the horizon.