[b][color=goldenrod]Name:[/color][/b] Rowen Tuesti
[b][color=goldenrod]Role:[/color][/b] SOLDIER 3
[b][color=goldenrod]Location:[/color][/b] The Forgotten Capital
[b][color=goldenrod]Tag:[/color][/b] [@Holy Soldier]

[hr]

The forest eventually gave way to a city, which from the looks of it had no business being on dry land. The stark white trees that had been far more unsettling than Rowen cared to admit gave way to jagged shards of reef tearing through the ground. Logic dictated that such a phenomenon should have been impossible, yet every time his eyes passed over them they were still there. His knuckles had gone white from gripping his rapier far tighter than was necessary, but given the circumstances he felt like he could hardly be blamed for it.

Rowen reached for his communicator once more, but his hard expression didn’t change when all he got was more dead silence. Not static like he would expect from interference, but absolute silence. As if he was completely removed from the world he had known. The thought was remarkably unnerving, but the white haired SOLDIER dismissed it with a small sigh as he continued forward.

As he travelled further, Rowen became increasingly confident that wherever he had ended up, he was all alone due to the complete lack of evidence to the contrary. The jury was still out on whether or not that was reassuring though. Thankfully, the oppressive silence that dominated his surroundings was overtaken by the faint sound of crashing water, which seemed to originate from within a monstrous conch shell ahead of him. But more pressingly, there seemed to be some kind of [i]force[/i] that Rowen couldn’t even begin to describe drawing him towards it.

Rowen’s steps as he entered the strange structure were cautious, his eyes scanning every inch of it for any potential signs of danger. The energy that he was approaching had done little to settle his nerves, especially since it seemed to be growing stronger. But for some reason, his gut told him that he would have to find the source of it if he was to have any hope of leaving this strange place.

The inside of the shell was ridiculously elaborate, with a number of houses and even a bell tower dotting its landscape. Yet Rowen couldn’t help but notice that the place was still completely devoid of life. 

The sound of crashing water which had previously sounded faint had become an incessant roar in Rowen’s ears now that its source was in plain view. To call it a waterfall almost seemed like an understatement, as the torrential volume of water that it sent cascading down was almost frightening. Thoughts about where such an incredibly amount of water could come from were quickly dropped though, as Rowen realized that the power that had drawn him in this far seemed to be coming from what looked like an altar within the waterfall. Given that there were small platforms leading up to it, the SOLDIER’s destination seemed to be clear.

Hesitantly, Rowen glanced around the room one last time, trying to ensure that he was truly alone. Reassured that he wasn’t about to be jumped by some kind of monster, his rapier slid home into its scabbard with an almost inaudible clink. While he was fully confident in his abilities to make the small jumps across the platforms, it seemed prudent to keep at least one hand free. 

In a few quick leaps, Rowen traversed the platforms effortlessly, but he hesitated before jumping onto the main platform itself. His empty hand slowly removed his helmet, wanting to take in the impossibly white light in fully. 

[color=goldenrod][b]”What [i]is[/i] this place?”[/b][/color] he couldn’t help but murmur to himself. Now that he was this close, he felt that the power had a distinctly holy presence to it, but what that meant was beyond him.

Wanting to learn more, Rowen made the last jump onto the platform that housed the altar. But as he approached, something inexplicable happened. Without him so much as blinking, an old man had suddenly entered his vision. Instinctually, the SOLDIER’s hand went to the hilt of his rapier, yet he did not draw it. While the floating old man was yet another unnerving element to Rowen’s completely unwanted excursion, he did not sense any malice coming from the tranquil looking being.

[color=goldenrod][b]”I don’t suppose you’re supposed to be the welcoming party, are you?”[/b][/color] His voice came out calm and collected thanks to years of practice, but it was obvious that his new companion’s sudden entrance had managed to startle him. And even though he did not sense any outright threat from the old man, his hand had still not left his rapier just yet.