Will you use this power to protect the mortal life you so desire
Or will you use it to take the throne that is rightfully ours?
Living the simple life of a teacher was all Thomas Kindell ever wanted, and since arriving at Archbook it seemed he finally achieved it. He spends his days teaching his students while his nights are spent enjoying the company of his close friends and fellow workers.
But his everyday life is shattered when, one night, he is attacked by a strange man hiding within the shadows. On the brink of death, he hears a voice call out to him from deep within the darkest parts of his soul…
“Awaken to your true nature, and I shall give you the strength to survive this night.”
Desperate to survive, he cries out to the entity within and blacks out. When he comes to, Thomas finds his attacker dead at his feet and his mouth filled with blood. His attacker's blood.
And thus begins his fight for survival. With the stranger's death, Thomas is forced to take his place and is thrust into a power struggle between several magical war lords for the throne of their world. Forced into a corner and haunted by dreams of a looming apocalypse, Thomas must decide whether he will fight to preserve his way of life, or throw it all away and take the throne for himself.
QUICK INFO
Pairings: 4 (2 MxM, 2 MxF)
Age Rating: 17+/18+
Thomas Kindell
The Substitute Cardinal Lord of Archbrook
"No matter what lies it tells me, I'm still the man I've always been."
Since he could remember, Thomas' life had always been mired with questions and disaster. While he took the questions in stride, the disasters that seemed to follow him wore the man down. It was one of these disasters that eventually forced Thomas to leave his beloved family behind and join his friend on the island of Ivanholm. Though he thought he had finally found peace, fate would have other plans. After a strange man attacks him in the middle of the night, Thomas now finds himself with power he never knew he had, and a target on his chest...
As a teacher, Thomas loves the work he does and strives to bring out the best in his students. He dedicates his time to them, and ensures that they are prepared for the world outside his classroom. Outside of work Thomas is responsible and kind, but has proven himself to be quite the charmer.
Victor Cain
The Patron Saint of Vosoyan
"I am the light which banishes the dark, and the shepherd of the lost."
Little is known about Victor, only that he fell from the sky one summer evening. Though the village which first found him were weary of the man, he soon proved himself worthy of their admiration by smiting a group of violent beasts that threatened to destroy their homes. He shows no respect for the gods of the land, instead worshiping a foreign god, one who both blessed Victor with the holy power he uses, and cursed him with a brand that marks him as the son of the first murderer.
Though strict, Victor is known to be highly charitable, and welcomes the needy and the sick into his home as if they were family.
Sonja Solberg
The Snow Queen of Skovgaard
"The cold winds may weather the strongest mountain, but my love will never wane."
Sonja was once the princess of an old kingdom, raised to one day lead its people. But one day, her home was attacked, and she was taken by a group of barbarians. In the years that followed, she lived with them, learning their ways, and even marrying the son of the barbarian king. Her family did not forget about her, however, and once they found her, they unleashed a bounty of horrors that left the woman with those she loved dead. In retaliation, she returned to her home to slay her father, and plunged the kingdom into an eternal winter. The freezing cold should have killed her, but instead she remained frozen upon the throne of the forgotten kingdom, awakening centuries later to a sensation deep in her heart: the man she loved had been reborn.
Sonja can be as soft and welcoming as the flames of a hearth, but she can also be cruel and unforgiving as the most bitter winter. And despite her large and muscular appearance, this young queen is as graceful as you would expect from royal blood.
Rudiger Eichel
The Count of Bluthugel
"They say the dead feel nothing, but every day without you was nothing but pain for me."
As the young lord of a vast and rich land, Rudiger easily let his ego get the better of him. But one day, he had offended a vampire, who decided to teach the young lord a lesson by passing his curse onto him. While the experience had been humiliating, Rudiger managed to recover some semblance of a normal life thanks to his beloved wife. But his subjects would not stand for a vampire as their lord, and so one night they burnt his keep to the ground. Rudiger survived the attack, but his beloved wife perished. The count wandered the human world for ages, jumping between towns in order to feed in peace, until one day he felt a sensation deep in his heart: the woman he loved had been reborn.
Rudiger is often distant, not much different from other vampires. Though he still has some of his cockiness, age and loss have tempered his ego.
Anthony Salazar
"I ain't no good man, but that don't mean I'm a bad man."
The image of a working horse is one that has always fitted Anthony. While he was never the brightest in school, one could never question his work ethic. Unlike his friend Thomas who went on to college, Anthony went to work for Archbrook Academy almost immediately after high school as its groundskeeper. Despite keeping constant contact with his friend, Anthony thought that he would never personally see Thomas ever again. But as luck would have it, one fateful day he gets a call from his friend, pleading to let him stay in Archbrook with him. Always the reliable one, Anthony welcomed his friend with open arms, even helping him score a position as one of the academy's faculty.
Anthony can be childish at times, but his lax and cheerful personality makes him easy to get along with.
Terra McIver
"I wonder what role I play in your story?"
The image of Terra having her nose in a book was one that's familiar to those that know her, her mind often off in some world within the pages she reads. She and Thomas were roommates and close acquaintances in college, the two helping one another succeed. Though they left on amicable terms, Terra found herself missing her old roommate. But as luck would have it, one fateful day she sees the man's name written into the school's faculty roster. Eager to reconnect, Terra offered herself almost immediately to be his guide for his orientation.
Although she seems to be kind of scatterbrained, Terra is very intuitive and can understand people very well.
Tisiphone Zabatos
The Fury of Dis
"How many oaths have you broken so carelessly?"
Tisiphone is one of many fallen gods from an old war who now tries her best to rise again to power. As an oathkeeper, Tisiphone can summon the broken oaths of her targets to bind and punish them.
Kazuki Yukimura
The Fox Guardian of Tenjinuma
"As long as Aaliyah is by my side, no one can defeat us."
Once the runt of the litter, Kazuki now leads the kitsune tribes as one of their youngest leaders at 300 years old. Alongside Aaliyah, him and his beloved form a duo that is nearly impossible to conquer.
Aaliyah Nagi
The Ifrit of Alsada
"The flame of me and Kazuki's love will burn you to cinder."
Aaliyah was the slave of a corrupt sultan, but escaped and traveled the world after tricking him into releasing her and destroying him. Alongside Kazuki, she and her beloved form a duo that is nearly impossible to conquer.
Lacrima
The Phantom of Riobello
"I will show you the suffering I know."
Lacrima is a spirit who lingers due to an offense committed long ago, one that she has forgotten alongside her real name. As a spirit, the only emotions she can feel are those that she felt at the time of her death, thus, her heart is forever weeping.
Zuri Ihejirika
“Your gift was power. Mine’s was tenacity.”
Once a simple human girl, Zuri spent her childhood and much of her adulthood studying magic. She prides herself in the knowledge she has attained, and views the others as undeserving of their power. She almost claimed the title of Cardinal Lord, but was defeated with trickery and then humiliated by being forced to become a servant of the Cardinal who betrayed her.