Sylvan — Roleplayer Guild

Why can I see the open sky if I'm inside the Tower?

Runa stood where she had appeared, her backpack hanging off one shoulder as she thought about this conundrum, when a small device appeared and gave a brief announcement that could be clearly heard throughout the arena.

"All contestants, welcome to the second floor Evankhells hell! The first test will begin right now. There are four hundred people on this floor, thin it to two hundred."

Thin it to two hundred?  Do they want us to kill each other until there're only two hundred people left?

A moment later, she heard rustling in the grasses, as two people, twins by the look of them, came into view about five meters away.  One wielded a wand, the other a long needle, of the type commonly seen in the tower.  Master always said that the one who strikes first is the one who laughs last.  With that thought, Runa charged the pair of fighters.  The wand-wielding twin shot a bolt of shinsu at her as she charged, which hit her in the chest, leaving nothing but a handful of red sparks.  These sparks crackled down Runas arm and surrounded her fist as she zipped past the swordsman and slammed it into the wand-wielders face, blasting him back as the built up sparks explode outwards from Runas fist.  The man lay limply where he fell, his face smoking slightly.  As she rounded on the swordsman, who had turned to face her, she saw, then felt, a massive wave of shinsoo break over her as she raised her arms to protect her face and chest, red sparks gathering on her arms and throughout her hair and crackling in her eyes, the hum of energy filling her ears as she looked around and saw bodies all around her, and a very tall man shouting and... waving at her?  Runa wanted to get a closer look at the man, and jogged towards him, the lightning increasing her speed somewhat.  Once she reached the man she gave him an annoyed look, hands on her hips as she looked up at the very tall man.

"What do you mean taking out the trash?  They may not have been very good at fighting, but they're still people."

Runa
20 Years Earlier, Outside the Tower, Village of the Elements Outer Boundary

"Mommy, what’s that giant tower on the horizon?"

A younger Runa asked, turning to her mother and pointing at the Tower, a look of childish curiosity on her face.  Turning to look at her young child, Runas mother got a distant look in her eyes.

"That is a place nobody returns from, young one.  A cursed place, full of blood and death.  Do not think of it again, there is nothing good there."

After this brief exchange, Runa and her mother continued along a dirt path towards a shaded village and Runa, ever a curious child, swore to herself that she would visit the mysterious tower one day, although the village elders hoped she would forget her dreams as she grew.

1 Week Before Present Day
Outside the Tower, Village of the Elements

"Yes mother, I'm sure I'm going.  I have to find out what is truly within that tower!  You said it yourself, nobody in the village has even been near the thing in ages!!!"
Runa said, almost shouting with frustration at her mother’s worried attitude as she packed a bag with all she thought she would need, throwing it together in a chaotic mess of food, clothes and other supplies.

"Runa, the ancient stories tell of only death coming from that tower.  If you go inside, you might never come back!"

Runas mother replied, almost whining and shaking with worry as she paced around her daughters’ room.  After a few minutes of this, and other similar exchanges, and ancient old man knocks briefly at Runas door before sticking his head inside.

"Ah, so the rumor is true, my young student.  You are leaving soon, as you so often mentioned when you were younger.  It is a shame to see my most talented student go, but if that is the path your heart is set upon, let the blessings of the 5 elements follow you wherever your travels might lead.  And do not forget to nurture the lightning within you, and never let your spark die."

"Master!  I'm sorry, I was going to come and say goodbye before I left...  Thank you for all of your knowledge and assistance all these years!  I hope to return here after discovering all there is to know about the tower.  I have to know what secrets it holds, and why the ancient stories tell of nothing but death and flight for our people there.  I need to know how true the ancient ballads and stories actually are."

Runa snaps to a still, standing position for the first time since she started packing, and gives a formal, polite bow to the elderly man, before resuming her halted task.

"Perhaps, though, you could share one last meal with the village before you leave, to give all of us something to remember you by, and to give you something to remember all of us by.  The blood of the five elements should not go alone, even if it is only company in spirit."

the elder said, with a respectful nod towards Runa and her mother in turn.

"Yes... that would be lovely, and it would give your father and I another joyous memory with you, seeing you off like that."

Runas mother left it unsaid, but all three knew that the village did not expect Runa to return.  That night, the village had a massive feast, with almost everyone in attendance, that went on throughout the night.  In the morning, seen off by her family and a few close friends, Runa left her family and village behind, possibly forever.

Present Day
Tower Doors, 1st Floor

After a fairly uneventful week of travel, Runa arrived at a large, ornately carved set of wood double doors, the end of this leg of her journey.  She resettled her pack and walked up to the doors.  She reached up and pushed hard on both doors, expecting them to be locked, or at least heavy, and stumbled forwards across the threshold and falling onto her face.  The doors turned out to not only be unlocked, but extraordinarily light given their size.

As she was picking herself up off the floor, she froze, seeing a strange creature with an oddly pointed face staring at her as it sat, one leg over the other at a tea table, a delicate porcelain cup raised halfway to its mouth, and what could only be described as a look of perturbation and surprise on its strange face.  Both parties kept still, frozen in that tableau for a few seconds before the creature set its cup down with great ire and stood, offering Runa a hand up and introducing itself.

"Welcome to the Tower.  I am Headon, the Administrator of the First Floor.  If you wish to climb the tower, you must first pass a test equivalent to the value of your wish.  Tell me, why do you seek to climb the tower, irregular?"

"Wait... This is the tower?  I just... got in?  And you, Headon, what do you mean about wishes and tests?  All I want is knowledge.  I need to know about this tower and its history."

"Then your wish is knowledge, of course, and to gain that knowledge, you must pass the test on each floor, until you get to the top, where any wish can come true. Now, to come up with a suitable test... Ah, I know!  If you can shatter this cube within five minutes, you will pass my test, and can move on to the next floor."

Headon gestures with his staff, causing a cube of solid, translucent blue material, half a meter to a side, to materialize nearby, hovering at about chest height for an average human.

With a very If I have too shrug and roll of her eyes, Runa takes off her backpack, and surveys the cube.  As she starts walking around, however, she quickly recognizes the feeling of the lightning pulsing in her veins, but it seems to be coming from her skin, and the stuff around it, the energy pouring into her body like it never had before.  Filing this information away for later examination, Runa took her stance in front of the cube, centered her breathing, and struck.  As her fist struck the cube, a blaze of electric power blasted out from her fist, shattering the cube and filling the room with the echoes of a thunderclap.  Runa stared at her fist afterwards, momentarily stunned, muttering "I... I can do that?"

"Ah, just as I suspected.  Congratulations, irregular Runa, you passed the test.  Good luck climbing the Tower." Headon said with a foreboding chuckle, as he waved his hand, transporting Runa, and her backpack, up to the second floor.

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