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Join Date: Jan 2008
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Deep in the Jungles of Brazil:
Archeologist Luther Vanguard makes an amazing find; he comes across a holy temple once belonging to the lost tribe of Cadamar! The hieroglyphics along the wall told of these proud warriors who were able to call upon the power of the heavens during times of crisis. This power would stream down from the sky and channel itself through a sword and into the body of the warrior. The tale went on to show ten of these “power” swords locked away in a vault. This power could only be wielded by the ten warriors chosen by the Cadamarian High Priest.
“Caliburn, Claiomh Solais, Gungnir, Kusanagi, Vajra, Mistilteinn, Dainsleif, Tyrfing, Vorpal, and Mjolnir” Luther read aloud “these ten will protect Cadamar from all forms of evil.”
As he searched the ruins of the temple he wondered what had become of the power swords. Finding even one of those would make him renowned around the globe. Of course this temple itself would definitely get him a grant from the University. Luther activated his flashlight and started down some well worn stone steps. The locals he hired as protection and guides halted at the top of the stairs and began shouting in Portuguese for him not to enter!
Luther Vanguard couldn’t understand their hesitation, before he could ask for a further explanation the steps crumbled beneath his feet and he fell down into the darkness. He fell for what seemed an eternity until he crashed in a pile of rubble and sand. He looked over and screamed as he was only inches from being impelled by a giant wooden spike. Everywhere he looked he saw spikes, several had the skeletal remains of bodies hanging on them. His light was only a foot to his left.
Turning it on he scanned the darkness above and saw to his astonishment the ceiling was intact, as if the steps hadn’t just fallen away. Then he looked around him with the light and the rubble was gone as well. What kind of magic ruled this place? Luther Vanguard got to his feet and dusted himself off. He noticed light pouring in through a crack in the left wall and carefully began making his way towards it.
Upon closer inspection there appeared to be a hidden door in the wall. But there was no obvious handle, only more hieroglyphics.
These he read to himself “pathway to the power, only those chosen by the all powerful Cadas shall enter. Be cautious of the venomous walls.”
He thought back to his research, Cadas was the chief deity of the Cadamar people. He was the god of death and heroes. The two things the Cadamarians respected above all else. Luther also remembered that Cadas normally put warriors through three trials. If the spikes were the first trial then he still had two more to complete.
That prospect almost made him hesitate, but only for a moment. He ran his hands across the smooth surface of the wall looking for anything that could possibly activate the hidden door. He found it almost immediately. What he thought was a vine growing along the wall was actually a rope. He pulled it and the door slide aside with a loud creaking sound.
He threw the flashlight through the opening first and several wooden darts shot out from the wall. Luther was sure each one was poisoned in some fashion. He mentally marked that off as the second trial and entered the next chamber. Picking up the flashlight he pointed it toward each wall and ceiling in turn. More hieroglyphics were to be found on the wall straight ahead.
“He who enters here will find the gravity of the Earth pressing down upon him. But he who succeeds will forever be granted the power.”
This next chamber was opened by pressing down on a switch embedded in the ground. He entered the chamber and scanned the room repeating the warning on the wall “the gravity of the Earth pressing down”. Luther looked up and saw a giant pillar of stone sliding down from the ceiling ready to crush him.
He quickly dove back through the opening in which he just entered as the pillar smashed against the ground. Luther Vanguard peered through the doorway and saw that it was now blocked by the rubble. His heart sank as he saw his dreams destroyed. But then he realized something. There would have to be another way into the chamber in order for the rubble to be cleared out and set back up for the next warrior that would brave the trials.
So he began searching for another way in. It took him all of twenty minutes but he finally found it. A small crawl space that he could barely fit in was in a darkened corner. It led parallel to the now closed off chamber. It branched in two directions, one that led into the chamber and one that passed it on by. He chose to continue into the unknown.
Luther climbed out and into small storage room. In the opposite corner of the room stood an empty weapon’s rack, empty save for one sword which still shined as if it had been forged only yesterday. He walked over to it, careful of any last traps, and read the inscription on the hilt of the sword.
“Claiomh Solais, the sword of light and fire” he clasped it in his hands and lifted it up holding it as he saw the warriors in the hieroglyphics hold the swords.
And absolutely nothing happened. No power was bestowed upon him as he had envisioned it would be. He turned the sword over in his hands and noticed another inscription of one word “harbinger!”
As he spoke the word, power emanated from the sword and flowed through his body. A burning sensation spread across his upper back as white feathery wings sprouted. The sword itself became surrounded in a blazing light and he saw an opening in the ceiling that led to the outside. Stretching his wings, Luther began to flap them and he rose up through the chamber and out into the moonlit sky.
He searched for the group of locals that had come with him but they had already abandoned him to his fate. He couldn’t blame them for being superstitious of the ancient place. There definitely was some left over magic residing in the temple. Luther couldn’t help but wonder what had become of the other nine swords of power? Had others succeeded in locating them over the years? But if so why had no one come forward with them?
It seemed to Luther Vanguard that there was still a mystery to solve here. He would find the swords and their keepers someday.
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