PC Profiles - Anthony Krafts - Ironclad

Arc Reaction: From the life of Anthony Krafts - Ironclad

Prologue: The Last Quip

The streets of Neverwinter always bustled with motion, from entire caravans of cargo to the lone wanderer seeking a place to stay at the local inn. The struggle to restore the “Jewel of the North” to its former glory required participation from all walks of life from artisans and engineers, who are tasked to rebuild the structures, to the mercenaries and adventurers hired to keep the peace both inside and outside its walls. The cultural diversity that followed was all but natural. Chaotic but lively seemed the apt description. From the city gates to Protector’s Enclave to the docks, the amount of foot traffic was staggering. However it was a different story during nighttime. While most of the streets are illuminated candlelight, the pervasive darkness of the narrow alleys and low passageways all but obscure the dark dealings that take place within. The shadows crept from corner to corner like a hunter.

The night belonged to those who would exploit the darkness and tonight was no exception.

A man in crimson robes glided across the shadowed cobblestone alley his form showing no motion for haste, yet the gleam in his eyes glowed in anticipation as he turned each corner, his lips curled into a wicked smile as the sounds of footfalls drew nearer.

‘So close now’.

A sudden gust of wind buffeted his robes as he turned the corner, kicking dust into the air that would’ve blinded him had he not held his arm aloft to shield his eyes.

“Deflexio!”

Four missiles of light slammed into a nearly transparent shield of force. Had he lowered his raised arm a fraction of a second too late, the missiles would have found their mark.

“Improvisation!?” He smirked at the other figure floating in mid-air. “It seems that some of you are capable of some sort of cognition.” The red robed man rose into the air with but a thought.

“But ultimately… Futile.” The robed man sneered and closed in on the other, who while clad in plate armor, nursed his left arm and breathed heavily. “Now…” The robed man raised his arms in expectation. “Struggle for me.”

The armored man raised his right hand and completed a flurry of gestures, “Incurtus Ulcor Imperio.” A bolt of lightning rushed from a hole in the armor’s chestpiece and raced towards the robed man, who lazily lifted his arm in response.

“Malus Hotentus Harum”. A spherical shield suddenly enveloped the robed man and seemingly absorbed the lightning. “Yes! Struggle in futility you wo-” His voice trailed off as the globe of invulnerability winked out of existence and a firebolt hit him square in the shoulders.

“Flagrantia Rubicans!” The man in robes retaliated in furious indignation. A crimson bead sped towards the man in armor and exploded with violent force, melting and shredding parts of his armor while sending him plummeting to the ground below.

“Your metamagics will not avail you worm!” With a sudden shift in weight the robed man sped after the fallen sorcerer, landing only a few feet from him. “Ah, this is the part where you whimper in pain,” The red wizard muttered another incantation and sent an arrow of acid splashing on the sorcerer’s armor making the man underneath grit his teeth in pain. “But you and your brothers never do cry out in pain or beg for mercy. You almost take out the fun in killing you.” The red wizard began gesturing for another spell. “Almost…” he continued as he began the incantation. A purple ray leapt from his fingertips and raced towards the armored sorcerer until out of the moonlit darkness another man in armor landed between them and erected a barrier of pure force to absorb the blast.

“Slaine!” The interloper yelled. “You’re finished. I’ve just informed the Harpers of your experiments and they’re on their way to lock you up.” The new man-in-irons raised both arms locked in gestures. “You used me. You used my blood to create these Solid Simulacrums. My affinity with lightning spells made my clones the perfect vessels for supercharging with electrical power and then after you’ve made them do your bidding you’d consume them through some sort of ritual to further augment you magical power.”

The red wizard gave an amused smile. “Very good Anthony, very good…” Slaine mocked Anthony with light clapping. “It’s just a real shame that the only thing the Harpers will find is your smoldering corpse. Flagrantia Rubicans!” Once again a fireball erupted in a fiery blaze. “I’m the better evoker!” Slaine finished with a sneer.

A figure emerged from the inferno in a sudden rush of movement, Anthony charged at the red wizard, flying in at high velocity, and delivered a flaming punch which sent him flying into a wall.

“Who said I was an evoker?” Anthony grinned as he once again closed in on the red wizard.

“Sagitta Magica Series Ignis!” Slain quickly fired as he struggled to stand. Six rays of fire rushed towards the iron-clad wizard.

“Incantus.” The rays hit a semi-transparent shield as Anthony thrust his palm forward. “Getting sloppy there old man.” He set down in a stance as he began executing a series of punches upon the red wizard.

“You-” A punch hit Slaine in the nose. “Barbari-” Another in the gut. “Gah!” Slaine groaned as he was too late to counter a well placed thunderwave.

“Enough!” A sphere of bright light suddenly surrounded the robed wizard just as Anthony rushed in for a stomp. Anthony tried a couple of jabs at the sphere before he started casting a spell. But before he could finish the sphere disappeared on its own. “Incendium Gehennae!” Another fireball, but of greater intensity, burst behind Anthony and sent him flying past Slaine. “The all of you are beneath me! Flagrantia Rubicans!” Another fireball sent the iron-clad wizard through a wooden shacks’ wall, before another fireball obliterated the entire structure. Slaine obviously taxed by the magical exertions still looked very much pleased with himself as he stared at the smoldering ruins. As he turned to walk away a sudden voice stopped him in his tracks.

“Uh uh, I didn’t say you could leave.” As Slaine turned to look Anthony plowed him with a blazing tackle and pinned him to the ground. He then proceeded to pummel Slaine in the gut then the head. A split second later Anthony was sent flying though the air held aloft by a translucent hand.

“You’re-” Slaine spat out blood. “-out of your league, boy!” He angrily smashed Anthony to the ground then hurled him through another shack before igniting another fireball.

Bloodied and burned, Anthony still staggered forward out of the rubble.

“How?!” A frustrated Slaine all but screamed.

“Not an evoker, remember?” Slaine could picture the smirk on Anthony’s face even with the helmet visor down. Anthony gestured to dispel the Bigby’s Hand but was instead grappled by it.

“And now… to end you-” Slaine stopped mid-sentence as he saw what Anthony was holding. “How did-?” He began patting himself down as though to confirm the theft.

“Took it when I pinned you to the ground. Noticed you hung it on your sash. You really should tie a string on your wands just in case they fall off. Been fiddling with it for a while now, identifying the enchantment and working to modify it-.” Anthony trailed off as he was thrown and pummeled by the Bigby’s Hand. The wand pulsed with magical energy just as the construct dissipated.

“You are broken, and will soon perish,” Slain triumphantly strolled towards Anthony’s prone form. “But don’t worry, your so-called brothers will join you in the afterlife soon enough.”

“Nope,” Anthony answered back. “I know this wand connects me to them. I know it siphons off a tiny part of my psyche to all of the clones, just enough for you to empower and command them. I know I may not be able to beat you-” Anthony coughed up blood as he struggled to speak. “Since you’re an archmage with the glowstick of destiny and all that… But beating you was never the point.”

The wand’s pulse grew brighter. “Wha- What are you doing?!” Slaine yelled, his mind running multiple scenarios on what Anthony could have done. But before Slaine could act a bolt of lightning sent him flying towards the adjacent wall, its source was the other armored spellcaster, Anthony’s ‘brother’.

‘I’ll channel my psyche and magical power to the rest of the simulacrum. With enough willpower they’ll be able to break free from the wand’s domination. They can use my mind to process external stimuli, to finally… live.’

Slaine began casting a more potent spell in desperation, only to have it fizzle before completion. He looked around find the source of the counterspell only to find not one but two completely identical Sorcerers before him. “Stop you useless cattle!” He exclaimed, causing both sorcerers to stop advancing. “Return to the laboratory or I’ll-” Two bolts of lightning hit him squarely in the chest and cut off his spiel. Now badly wounded, Slaine desperately attempted to cast a teleport spell working his gestures and incantations furiously, but as the spell neared completion it winked out, countered.

“Abjurer…” Anthony said as a matter of fact.

The two armored sorcerers, knowing that Slaine, even though injured, was still a formidable opponent, didn’t let up on their attack as they sent two more lightning bolts racing towards the cornered wizard.

“Even with this…” Slaine sputtered, as he landed next to Anthony. “You… lose… ” He let out a guttural laugh even as he coughed up blood. “Your mind… won’t be able to handle the strain. You’ll be a husk…” Slaine gloated.

Anthony found that he couldn’t respond to the to Slaine’s words. He felt his mind stretching and thinning. Like a web of strings his thoughts became tangled in a sea of dissonant whispers and he knew that to drown in it would destroy his sense of identity. He found so many thoughts wanting to be heard, so much sensation needing to be interpreted and so much intent waiting to be put to action. He knew that he had to bring order to the cacophony that was his brothers’ thoughts and awareness to the void that was their identity. However, he also knew, that to do so was to intentionally dive into that sea of thoughts and be cast adrift forever lost in the expanse.

But first…

“I… I… ah… Ant~hony…” Anthony could barely string the words together as he shifted get a better look at the red wizard “f-flips the f-finger at the d-dead man beside him…” To which his body responded by raising aforementioned middle finger at said dying red wizard.

As the light from both wizards eyes fade so too did the light from the wand. Both wizards lay motionless on the cobblestone street and the voices of both armored sorcerers started to fade as Anthony slipped into unconsciousness.

‘Dammit, why can’t it be young ladies saying my name?’