Ebon Skull Archives: Lanthantos, Anti-Paladin of Wrong
From Atlantic Roleplay Wiki
This is reposted from OES documentation for the pleasure of the Atlantic Community. Story by Lanthantos of OES.
I am Lanthantos.....I was born in the city of Jheholm some time ago....I am 28 mortal years old at the time of this writing. I started out adventuring around Britannia.....fighting as a warrior, but not very well at first ....killing cats, dogs, and whatever to increase my fighting skills. I encountered 3 lizard men while seeking larger and more challenging prey in the jungle near the city of Magincia one day...and this was my first run in with death, the three creatures were too strong for me at that time, I fought valiantly......but alas..they overcame my weak sword strikes and slew me, I wandered the lands as a ghost for a short time before being resurrected, confused, and in a daze......upon resurrection, I lived again...and vowed revenge against the beasts which had slain me, I would have it...in time.
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Chapter 2, A warrior the child becomes
As the years passed.....I slowly developed my fighting skills and was offered a position as a soldier in the army of the Dark Runemasters (DR) a group of men based out of the town of Moonglow. I fought side by side w/these men.....and this is where I first entered the darkest of the dungeons of the land, we slew many powerful beasts, and every time I saw a lizard man...my eyes grew red, and I slew all these w/a genuine fury. I encountered my old friend death a few more times, but without the fear I had known before, my fame grew more, and my riches as well. These were golden days for me, I met many fellow warriors, and became friends with most of them, enemies with some also. After some time in this guild, the leader Zalasta, mysteriously disappeared leaving myself and my friend who had followed me into its ranks, Xanatos, back on our own again. Xanatos purchased a guildstone, and we formed another group, person by person, The Mystic Knights of Avalon.
I was 3rd in command of this new guild, under Xanatos's command, and the 2nd in command, Gigi. Slowly the ranks swelled....it was an honorable guild...doing good deeds for citizens of Britannia, and killing the murderers of the lands. Our ranks swelled, I recruited many people into this group, Allanon being my prodigy. This went on for some time, the laughter, the merriment, the camaraderie, then one dark day...something happened...and my life was changed forever.
Chapter 3, Sunset
I was in a dungeon, Covetous, fighting harpies and gaining feathers for my slowly developing archery skills...then was attacked mercilessly by a group of "good" fighters, for no reason at all....other than they wanted the armor I was wearing, they all had the blue aura of goodness about them...and the titles of Admirable, Kind, and the like. I was confused, all this time fighting for the light...and what was supposed to be for the best for all....slain by my own kind. My heart blackened...and my anger transpired to swift action....I resigned from the Mystic Knights.....and vowed to have my revenge. And I did this w/no mercy at all. I joined forces with another warrior full of anger and hatred, Marduk. Xanatos also joined my quest...he being an old friend, heard my story and was sympathetic to the cause.....he joined forces with us also, leaving the Mystic Knights of Avalon in Gigi's control, and we set out to wreak mayhem and terror upon the world of Britannia.
Chapter 4, Bloodbath
We slew many a man and woman, me burying my arrows into their bodies...as Marduk and Xanatos would cast their magicks upon them....killing them swiftly...and with no remorse...as I laughed insanely...a wicked smile crossing my face, after they were dead....I would dismember their corpses...and kept a collection of heads in my house......all their terror stricken faces gazing endlessly in terror at me, I was full of bloodlust and my thirst for blood seems endless. During these times I had to be very careful as well, for I was a hunted man with a price on my head. The feast of flesh continued for some time, Marduk was full of sheer power as his spells left his body.....striking down the opposition, he was my partner, my other hand. One sad day, as we walked through a forest near the large city of Britain, 6 men appeared out of nowhere screaming "murderers, off with their heads....." being the brave souls we were.....we stayed and fought....our swords swift and bows quick, but alas....not quick enough...Xanatos and Marduk perished....being sentenced to remain a ghost for a long time to come......they would not come back to the land of the living this time, for at the cost of a great penalty. Tears filled my eyes....as I uttered the words "Kal Ort Por" through gritted teeth, and appeared outside my house. I was the only one of the group...that had monitored how many I had killed carefully, and kept from being sentenced to life as a murderer for a long period of time, it was over, and I knew it. Marduk never came back to life, as did Xanatos, their murders ranging well over the 50 man mark, so I sadly wandered the lands alone for some time.
Chapter 5, False Dreams
My wanderings led me back to Gigi, who was a true friend and understood the hatred I had suddenly developed for the good folks in the lands, admitted me back into the Mystic Knights of Avalon, and after a short period of time, I was given the position of the Archer Division Leader, as my skills were higher than most in this area. We went to war with a guild that acted very strangely...like small children...talking in a very strange language and dialect....we fought them well...but not understanding this strange dialect made war meetings with them near impossible....so the war ended quickly. Gigi and I became very close during this time, and lovers for a while even. I felt full of life when with her, and we wrote poems to each other and went to all the corners of the lands together.....seeing all the wonders of Britannia's world. This was short lived however, and sweet, nonetheless, we still and are great comrades, but I have shared with her before my desire to leave the Knights of Avalons forces, and now the time has come to do so. Since I have wreaked havoc and done so much evil, I can never fight for the forces of light again, my soul is not in it. I feel drawn towards darkness. The last time I died...I wandered for some time as a ghostly being....enjoying the feeling of death, very strange indeed, but to be invisible to the mortals, to hear what they say, was a great thing in itself.....I eventually did resurrect, and live again....but my heart has changed. I no longer wish to continue with this group, I shall miss them, but my heart is not in it any longer...so I wander the lands again......in search of my destiny.
Chapter 6, Destiny
During my mindless wanderings...I happened upon a place....The Isle of Fire. There was an ankh , and a symbol near it...a pentagram. I saw these two, and my skin tingled...my eyes grew dark, and a strange peacefulness filled my being. "Ahhh this could be my destiny, there is something about this strange place, something is going to happen here, something to change my whole life...." I was suddenly pulled towards the town of yew...I wandered through the woods......saw a crypt and decided to enter it, for what reason I knew not....I walked across a bridge underground....then back up some stairs.....as I walked up.....my skin started to feel on fire. I rounded the corner at the top of the stairs...and there was that same symbol I saw on the Isle...the pentagram, "yes...this is where I belong.....amongst the damned..." and finally I knew my destiny.....and what I must seek out. At this moment the spirit of Marduk manifested itself to me, and spoke, "Friend Lanthantos, while we were alive, and adventuring together...I witnessed a ritual, in a place such as this, by a group called The Order of the Ebon Skull, they are like you my friend, except they are are dead, yet they are not, seek them out...and fulfill your destiny." Then Marduk slowly faded before my tear filled eyes and I fell to my knees beside the pentagram, and lost consciousness.............................
Chapter 7, Seeking Entropy
Since I awoke in that cold crypt later that day...I have wandered the lands in search of members of this group, but have yet to see one. So I rummaged through some texts I found in a very strange and futuristic place I came across and contacted them through a crystal there......I await their reply .....until then....
Chapter 8, Dark Paths
I finally met with one of the emissaries of the Ebon Skull, a dark figure named Valien approached me in Skara Brae one day, his visage was of a blackened warrior full of evil and I felt drawn towards his dark presence. We sat in the inn together as I told him my tale of glory and agony. His eyes grew sympathetic as he nodded when I told him of my adventures in life. He noticed the glow of honor still alive in my eyes but there was a darkness hidden within them as well. I said to this dark figure, "Sir, I feel as if my soul draws me to do what is against my honorable beliefs, I wish to serve the citizens, yet an angst fills my will, I end up slaughtering them, tearing their bloodied bodies to pieces, and grinning afterwards, and yet I still feel like I am doing what I am destined to do in my life." Valiens face twisted in a dark grin as he stated, "as yes Lanthantos, I see thee as a paladin, glorious in his existence, yet filled with hellfire and wrongdoing, a living oxymoron, an Anti Paladin in fact. What you have done is very wrong, as it is your destiny to do. I pronounce thee candidate for the Order if thy master Azalin will have thee."
Chapter 9, The Awakening
I followed the dark leader to the fortress of Golgotha that eve, the skies cried blood and fire as the black spires of the tower grew closer. The gates opened as Mortis the leader of the Wraiths let us into the threshold, and I stepped from the light for the last time. I climbed the stairs, eyes agape at the sight of blood and bones surrounding me. We kept climbing for what seemed an eternity, and finally reached the roof of the massive dark tower. I felt my spine chill as we turned the corner at the top of the stairs........sweat poured from my brow as I looked upon the home of Azalin for the first time. Valien said to me, "You must go from this point without me to meet my master, he wishes to converse with you alone." I took a deep breath stepping forward towards the small enclosure on the roof and came to the door which opened before me with a creaking noise like the lid coming off a long closed coffin. Azalin stood there, clad in blue and black, dark eyes bidding me forward. Silently I stepped in as his thoughts entered my head, and I took the sacred oath, then something strange happened. My will was consumed as I put my hands on the Ebon Skull, I felt the same honor I had felt before, yet I was somehow corrupted, my thoughts twisted beyond recognition, as thoughts of broken and dying bodies of innocents falling by my arrow and magic entered my head, I bowed to them as I killed them wrongly, laughing at them and drinking in their agony. Slowly these thoughts faded, and I stepped away from Azalin silently and bowed to him, "My lord, I shall obey thy commands and serve Oblivion from this day forth!" I raised my sword in the air, and became the Anti Paladin of Wrong.