The Kiyoshi Chronicles
Vol 1. ORIGIN
The bamboo Forrest; A place shrouded in mystery, with ever changing topography with some saying it has never been successfully explored. However, known only to a few living wizards, a small expedition of green hat wizards attuned to the elements and nature set out to explore the depths of the Forrest and the secrets held within many years ago. Accompanying these wizards were a band of warriors hired for additional protection throughout their expedition.
The group couldn’t fathom the trials they would encounter ahead and a close relationship began to develop between these warriors and nature attuned wizards.
As the expedition came to an end, this group of warriors denied payment from the ever curious wizards. Instead they requested their help in establishing a settlement deep in the center of the Forrest. They desired a tranquil location to establish a home far from the reaches of society where they can live in peace. This settlement became birthplace of what is known today as ronin village. Home to a culture deeply enriched in tradition, focus, discipline, perfection in all they do, honor, and honing their martial art. It is here where our protagonist’s story begins.
As sunlight trickles through the dense foliage of the bamboo Forrest, a dull repetitive clank can be heard as kiyoshi, a young samurai ronin in training, practices his swordsmanship with wood swords against his father. For years, kiyoshi’s life consisted of days full of training with swords, archery, black smithing, hunting, foraging, and meditation. Honing each craft to a level of perceived perfection. There was never any variation in his daily schedule and more importantly he nor anyone else were allowed to leave the sanctuary of their settlement due to risk of exposing their tranquil home.
In an attempt to protect kiyoshi from the corruption and vile of the outside world by strictly forcing the long passed down traditions of their society, his family forged a curious, wandering, and rebellious spirit. Kiyoshi would often sneak out exploring the unknown place he called home. Every day he would push how far he ventured more and more.
One day, as if guided by the changing Forrest itself, kiyoshi ventured all the way to the northwest end of the Forrest. As he peered through the last few stalks of bamboo, the thick fog cleared up and revealed a calm lake covered in paper lanterns. A few hundred feet further along the shore line sat an old man. kiyoshi sprinted towards the man wide eyed and full of curiosity. Rightfully so, the wizard was startled and taken aback as this young teenager was sprinting full speed directly towards him. Once they were within arms reach of each other, they both stood frozen. Observing each other intently and looking over every detail of each other. Kiyoshi was full of questions about this man and place he has never seen before. Everything about this man was new to him. He had a long white beard, purple robes, a pointy purple hat, and purple ring that sparkled like the stars in the sky.
As for the old man, he was confused by the curiosity and awe of this young man. He was shocked by his tightly tucked in kimono and sword sheathed in his waste. This man hasn’t seen anyone look or dress like this before in all of his travels of the runiverse. He couldn’t help but feel similarly to some of the old stories he read about advanced civilizations stumbling amongst tribes untouched by society. The old man looked up to the sky and started to chuckle realizing just how little is still known about the world. The old man could immediately discern that kiyoshi was a thinker, a man with a passion for discovery, a man with an unquenching curiosity for the unknown. Eventhough they are from worlds apart this man saw a little of himself in kiyoshi. So much so, The two agreed to meet everyday at lantern lake at the same time.
Through the years kiyoshi learned the old man was actually a purple order wizard who was wise beyond his years and possessed deep knowledge and understanding of the world. Together, the two shared stories, wisdom, and trained together in their respective arts of the ronin warrior and arcane magic.
PRESENT DAY
Kiyoshi met his old friend by the lake as was customary however, his old friend was deep in thought on arrival. The purple wizard twirled his purple mystical ring around his finger. The old man began to disclose a revelation that has consumed his thought for many weeks now to kiyoshi. He began to say he has heard whispers being told all across the runiverse of other wizards experiencing a phenomenon of unprecedented significance where 1100 mystical and magical flames spontaneously combusted all across the verse.
He then points to the middle of the lake at one of the lanterns.
He says that one spawned right in the center of the lake. It was immovable and gave off very powerful magical energy. Out of fear of the unknown the wizard concealed it in a paper lantern to make it hide in plain sight. He proceeded to say that there have been stories about wizards trying to study the flame. However, some ventured to closely and passed through the the flame. Some were changed to ash and others into dark, demonic, ghastly, ethereal souls. The wizard began to share his fear of darker forces and magic being at play.
The wizard told an analogy of fire in order to explain his thoughts to kiyoshi. Fire with malicious intent, in the hands of a selfish mind, in the hands of carelessness will bring upon weaponized death and destruction. However, in the hands of a pure mind, a thoughtful selfless mind, a careful mind, fire can be tamed as a tool to provide warmth and food for a community.
If the whispers were true, then dark forces were at play and using the flame. How else would such demonic creatures be the result. It was the wizards theory that the “good” might be lagging behind but that if the best minds of the runiverse could tame and study the sacred flame then maybe this powerful magical entity may bring about some good to the verse. This purple hat wizard who values the potential in kiyoshi and who has watched him master the blade, it’s dance with the energies of the universe, and seemingly blend swordsmanship with the arcane knowledge passed down to him, invited kiyoshi on his quest of understanding this phenomenon.
Kiyoshi and the wizard studied the flame continually observing its properties. As each day passed more whispers of these demonic transmutation occurred and new news began to suggest they were organizing and amassing. A flame, a source of light, incidentally strengthened the shadows and darkness of the verse.
Months have passed and much has been studied of the flame that combusted in the middle of lantern lake.
Kiyoshi is now a young man. The wizard ,a friend, a father figure to kiyoshi, has aged considerably. He was dying and they both knew it. Kiyoshi felt anger and sadness amongst a host of other emotions. The two sat there on a few boulders by the lake of lanterns starring at the flame. The wizard twirled his ring around his finger. The purple wizard slowly faded to grey and he told kiyoshi to not be sad for he cherished the many years and for being the son he never had. He said he will miss him and to never give up in the quest for understanding the flame. Like a moth to a flame the wizard shuffled to the sacred flame and passed through it. He vanished and all that remained were a pile of ashes.
Kiyoshi was frozen and in shock. Tears ran down his cheeks as his face was cemented with confusion. He sat for hours not moving shedding tears with his head down. A gust of wind wiped the last tears off his face but also dispersed his old friends ashes. A faint light sparkled underneath the remaining ashes which grabbed kiyoshi attention. He stood over and starred blankly at his friends remains, frozen in indecisiveness. As if at war with his own curiosity he debated digging through what remained of his beloved friend but couldn’t. As if fate itself made the decision for him, another gust of wind came and fully uncovered the item. It was his friends purple ring but it was different this time. As if the flame imbued itself in the ring becoming a very powerful magical artifact.
Kiyoshi put on the ring in honor of his late friend and as if a thought was carefully placed in his brain, not of his own origin, he grabbed a jar and approached the flame. As if the flame itself was calling kiyoshi. Something that wasn’t possible before today occurred. Kiyoshi put a piece of this circling inferno inside this glass bottle. As if the sacred flame or the ring allowed him to tame a small piece of its mystical power. Kiyoshi placed this bottled inferno inside his kimono.
Kiyoshi didn’t know what had happened exactly or what it all meant. One thing was for certain, this warrior now felt that with these new magical items, his knowledge passed down from his family, his wizard mentor, and from his time studying the flame, he felt as if he could help shine a light on this corrupted dark world. As a result, Kiyoshi vanquisher of shadows was born. A scion of the sacred flame has risen. This is his story.
Entered by: 0xcab4…284B
