-The Legend Of KaW- --Part 1-- ---The Arrival--- "Noobies come this way!" "Returning players this way!" The Gateway, as usual, rippled with activity, as new and returning players walked out of it, to be sorted and directed to their places by heavily armed guards. A demonic towering sky-scraping monument, the Gateway was, surrounded by a massive five-mile wall of granite, engraved with mythical figures and glowing markings. Cheesemuffin was one of the odd ones of the bunch. Fresh into the game, a guard saw him. "Hey, you! Newbie! Over here!" The small Cheesemuffin obliged and went over. Being just over four feet tall with skinny arms and legs didn't help much with being intimidated by the towering soldiers. "Here's your kingdom-portal. It's Line C for you. MOVE IT!" Cheesemuffin went to look for Line C. Around him, more lines were being pulled apart and reorganized, guards overseeing everything. With a thick brown fog of dust blocking most of his field of view, finding line C would e difficult. Suddenly, he tripped on a branch near a dead tree. His face was near a suspicious foxhole, and a voice whispered to him, "Over here. Get to the hole! Believe me, you don't want to be here." "Bu-" "I don't have time to explain, go!" A gloved hand shot out and before he could react, dragged him into the hole. Cheesemuffin disappeared into a musky, torch-lit chamber, with the person who had pulled him in: a tall, robed fellow with a prankster's face and an oversized hammer strapped on his back with a belt. "Sorry for the rude introduction. The name's Smighter." Cheesemuffin shook his outstretched hand. "Cheesemuffin. Why's it so dark out there? I heard Kingdoms at War was a fun place!" Smighter's face fell, and he sighed. "It used to be... Up until the Mod update. Too many spammers, the mods got near-infinite power. It was... Chaotic." Above then, the dirt ceiling shook as more newbies shuffled towards their lines. "Come, it isn't safe here." "Wait!" Smighter's rolled his eyes, "What?" "This Kingdom-portal... What's it do?" "Everyone accesses their kingdoms with this, it updates their news, and allows for communications. You'll need yours. Hold on to it." The ceiling shook more violently. "Hey, there's something under here!" Something black and smoldering dropped through the foxhole. "Crap. Come on, come on!" Smighter and Cheese had sprinted fifty meters underground before the explosive rocks detonated and collapsed the chamber. There was no turning back now; Cheese had entered the world of KaW.
-The Legend Of KaW- --Part 2-- ---Rebellion--- Just a foot of dirt and a thin layer of pavement sat between the two escapees and the stampede above. The guards had risen the alarm faster than Smighter had expected, and guards were all but bombing the newb area. "Guys, this is Smighter, saying we need someone to save my ass and the hide of this newb!" He said into his Kingdom-Portal. "Good luck!" A new voice replied, "I hear they've sent a mod your way!" Suddenly, Smighter turned a sharp right to a corner that hadn't been there before, and threw Cheese in front of him. "Up the ladder, GO!" At the top, a trapdoor opened to reveal fifty-foot flames and explosions, and guards forcefully rallying the newbs. A few guards were occupied with other rebels, having a hard time against flurries f blades and hammers. "Which Mod?" Smighter whispered exaggeratedly, collecting himself and drawing his hammer, nodding Cheese over to a broadsword and scraps of a guard's armor. "Well, I'm not sure, but based on the mod's chat traffic, it's -" The voice faded out, and Cheese put on the last of the armor, holding the broadsword surprisingly easily. Behind them, a mob of newbs suddenly exploded in a flash of green, and everyone froze in their place. In the middle of the crater caused by the explosion, a gigantic, heavily armored and wielding a bladed staff, moose-man stood, eyes ablaze and nostrils flaring. "Moose." Without any hesitation, the Mod swung his staff at Smighter, almost missing but cleanly slicing his foot-long hair in two. "You SON OF A -" His hammer flashed like a sword, and a volley of strikes pounded Moose's staff. Wen he was done, another inch of his hair was gone. "Leave my hair alone, damnit!" Moose smiled. Another inch simply fell off, cut by the air around them. Smighter roared. As the two continued fighting, Moose effortlessly defending himself from Smighter's uncoordinated onslaught, Cheese moved around him, and drew his newly acquired broadsword. "Didn't KaW warn people like you to stay in your homes?" Moose laughed, "You do nothing but annoy the people, and I -" Suddenly, Moose started to shake, and his breath stuttered, as a four-foot long broadsword sliced across his left antler at the base. After a second, the extension burst into a hundred bony pieces. "WHO THE HELL DID THAT." The beast screamed as Smighter almost fell over laughing. "WHO."The ground started to shake, "DID." bits of rock began floating up, and Moose's eyes became balls of fire."THAT." "That was me, Mr. Moose." Cheese said it humbly, as of it were nothing more than a favor for an elderly person. "But you're a..." Moose's voice faltered, "A NEWB!!!" "Yes." Cheese didn't see it coming. A column of rock instantly formed around him and dragged him down into the ground, heating up and melting. Cheese, oddly enough, didn't feel anything. The shock blocked all the pain. "I'm done here." Moose turned to the crowds of subdued newbs, "LET THIS DEATH BE A REMINDER OF HOW EASILY I CAN KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU!" Cheese awoke upside down in a small rockslide inside another underground chamber. Smighter came by after a few Kingdom-Portal messages, and soon after they were headed away from the now chaotic Newb Area, and to the legendary Forums, KaW's most sought-after region.
-The Legend Of KaW- --Part 3-- ---Forums--- The Forums were a rather interesting place, a sprawling empire of constant change. Every now and then, a window or roof on a building would change drastically, warping and distorting to the new color and shape. Every so often, a whole new building would spontaneously erupt from the ground, to be recognized as another Thread. Smighter led Cheese gently but firmly through endless crowds of Forumers, all unfamiliar faces, all different. Many wore fancy capes, and top hats seemed very popular. "Where are we going? I haven't even learned to play the game!" Cheese protested weakly. Smighter laughed, "You don't learn to play the game, the game becomes a part of you!" And so they went on. Every so often, a towering green figure would shift through the crowds, Smighter casually excusing it as 'probably a mod checking for trolls.' As if they'd moved to another country, the sharp, flat slopes and uniform blocks of the Questions and Feedback Forums went away and were replaced, with an uncomfortably noticeable line, with smooth-roofed, tiled apartments and huge open structures. They'd entered Off Topic. "Stay close," Smighter warned. "Things here get awful hairy awful fast." So Cheese stayed close. They shuffled through crowds of thousands, towards the obvious square in the center of the Off Topic. A huge iron sign hung from massive chains from the biggest building in the square, with words made of cannonball-holes: Blumpy's Bar And Grill "Cheese." Smighter's voice was clear among the jumbled sounds of the crowd. "Yeah?" "There's a mod incoming. Troll fight. Stay as close as possible, and go!" Smighter began to sprint towards Blumpy's. Effortlessly sliding through the crowds, Smighter paved a narrow path for Cheese to follow. As they got closer to the bar, they could hear screams and shouts. A distant rumble was also becoming more noticeable. "In here!" A stranger beckoned from a previously unnoticed archway in the side of the building. Smighter grabbed Cheese and went in, slamming the heavy iron door behind them, the stranger sliding a lock into place. "Who's the newb?" The stranger asked. "Cheesemuffin." "The name's Winters. Well met. Benny's closing in on the Grill; follow me." The rumbling from before had gotten louder, and the narrow passage they were running through began to shake a little. Below them, the Bar and Grill was in a state of chaos. A massive troll, hideous and lizard-like, was throwing a player around, proclaiming, "Shifter ish best! Player ish noooob!" The player whipped out a flintlock pistol, loaded a little black pebble into it, and shot it at Shifter. Just as the explosive burst in the troll's face, the rumbling ceased and the front door burst open. In the cloud of splintered wood, a mod even bigger than Moose stood. An armored giant, Benny stood in emerald armor, covered in engraved gold playing and spewing flames from his spiked golden shoulder plates. His helmet gave the illusion of a demon, glowing faintly. "Shifter. Stop this fighting." Still hurriedly shuffling through the passage, the trio watched through thin grating as Shifter cocked his head sideways and asked, childlike: "Why? Are we trolls not allowed to partake in KaW activities?" "Don't ******** me, Shifter. This is your last chance." Shifter chuckled, "Then I shall continue having a good time here at Blumpy's. Good day to you, Benny." Suddenly, the room flashed. Shifter flew back into a table, and Benny drew a golden staff. "We don't have time to watch the how, get going!" Winters ran forward, Smighter dragging Cheese behind them. They went down a staircase, past the disoriented Shifter. Benny noticed them, but made no move. Trolls posed a bigger threat than noobs. Down they went, to another secret tunnel, and traveled three miles underground in a stone passageway. At the end, Winters opened a door, and they went in. Smighter turned around, and with a serious expression, told Cheese: "Any questions you have, ask them now."
-The Legend Of KaW- --Part 4-- ---The Cafe--- ----One Year Later---- Cheesemuffin's first year had been an interesting one. He'd learned everything about KaW, from the now godlike mods to how the forums worked. Smighter had introduced him to the rest of the rebels, and gotten him settled in the Fan Fiction forums, where he made himself a new broadsword and a set of armor. One day, Cheese went down to the Writer's Cafe, the rebel hangout. Upon entry, he signaled Irin, the ever-busy bartender/warrior, for his favorite drink. As he sat down, Irin slid a frothing flagon of Writer's Rum to him. "I hear Feather's coming back today," she said, smiling a little. Cheese had never heard of 'Feather'. "Oh? Who is this?" Irin laughed, "You'll find out." So Cheese sat and drank three more flagons, scribbling writings on a roll of parchment he always carried with him now, until Smighter came by. Thrusting his chest forward and throwing back his shoulders, he burst in, walking with unprecedented swagger. "What is this rubbish doing in my cafe?" He bellowed, pointing and gesturing absurdly as everyone watched, "I cannot stand for this! There must be perfection!" Suddenly, his voice an act broke and he burst into laughter, "Who am I?" The cafe burst into laughter for a few seconds, then a sudden burst of wind knocked Smighter off his feet. A man stood in the doorway, holding two thin blades, wrapped in a light cloak. His head was covered only with a hood, giving him a swift, assassin-like look. "I don't enjoy mockery." Cheese looked behind him across the counter, and Irin nodded. FeatherHunter walked up to Cheese, and scrutinized him thoroughly. After sheathing both his blades, he spoke. "Who's this?" Irin answered quickly, "Cheesemuffin. He's one of us." "I don't trust him! He doesn't look... Writer-worthy...." Smighter, now standing but off-balance, groaned. "Here we go again. Welcome back, Featherduster!"
-The Legend of KaW- --Part 5-- ---Preparations--- -5 Days after Feather's return- "There's something I would like to share with you," Feather spoke grimly and slowly, ordering a flagon of ale with a hand signal to Irin. Cheesemuffin's brow raised, "Eh?" Receiving the ale, Feather continued. "Surely you've heard tales of KaW's 'fabled ones'? The mighty Spragga and his silent sieges of the world, the infamous Blade?" Cheese nodded, taking a chug of his rum. "Well, I've discovered something that may give us the power of the Fabled Ones." Without warning, a knife appeared, directly between Feather's resting fingers. A rebel in a heavy metal suit lined with fur, Winters, spoke through a heavy mask, "Don't throw that term around, Feather. They're bad news." As the heavy soldier say down beside them, causing the table to creak dangerously, Feather explained, "I found an artifact on my expedition to the Northern Lands. Something about it doesn't seem right, it seems like it's radiating something." Feather presented Cheese and Winters with a strange little cube. ---KaW_Admin's Castle---- Beneath massive arches of obsidian, lined with ornate blood-red tapestries, an armored giant with blazing shoulders walked towards the Throne. Benny presented himself before the Admin, humbly removing his helmet and dimming his shoulder-flames. He felt the Grand Master's eyes gazing at him, waiting for his words. "KaW_Admin, I wish to resign." In a shadow, darker than any shadow ever seen, two blazing orbs of light widened. "You are no better. You are no better than the rebels that litter this place like flies." A sense of dread pierced Benny's heart, and yet he spoke. "I don't care. I wish to resign. I do not want to help you regulate the world of KaW anymore. I have my own business." The Eyes glared hatefully, and the Admin delivered his punishment. "I trusted you," The invisible voice chuckled, "I TRUSTED you with these... Scum. And suddenly, after years of dedicated service, you quit. You are a traitor, Benny." "So be it. I resign." "IMPOTENT WHELP!" The Admin's invisible hand hit Benny with such sheer force that the former Mod was sent flying from the castle. Over a massive cliff he fell, his prized gold and emerald armor rotting away as he went. Just before he hit the ground with a sickening thud, he recited the reason he'd resigned. "It is you who is the traitor, Admin!"
-The Legend of KaW- --Part 6-- ---The Cube--- "Well, this is all very interesting," Winters spokes through his helmet, "but what in the hell is it?" Feather's gaze fell onto the cube, and he juggled it nervously. "I don't know. I figured you guys would have some idea, considering you're the only ones I've seen using any magic, besides Stora, who just left for an expedition." Winters sat up with a start. "I don't use magic on strange things. Specifically strange things you claim to have found buried on an expedition. I don't trust them." His words went unnoticed as Cheesemuffin took the cube, and noticed eight little sections, each with a slightly different pattern. Absentmindedly, he began to twist and turn the pieces, which seemed to be attached to a revolving base in the center. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?" "I have no idea," the last twist was near, "but it never hurts to find-" Suddenly, the cube clicked, and a huge gust of air shook the cafe. When the dust that had been thrown up settled, a booming voice shattered the air. "I, the Admin of KaW, declare the newest update to KaW, open! As of this update, moderators now have total power over the WHELPS that pollute our world. The time of this update will be within ten days of this message being released." The cafe was silent. Nobody said a word, but anger and fear hung in the air like fog. Smighter was the first to make any noise, attracting everyone's attention by putting on an obsidian pauldron laced with gold, and proceeding to put on the rest of the armor set. "What? If we're gonna die, may as well die in battle! Come on, we're going to the Admin!" "A most unwise choice, Smighter." In the doorway, a figure stood. His green armor looked long-rusted, and the flames on his shoulders flickered.
-The Legend of KaW- --Part 7-- ---Benny the General--- "This cafe isn't enough." Benny's words spoke sense to their ears, Smighter thinking hardest about a response. "The Admin is unkillable. There is nothing we can do. Unless we get to him." "Then why in the hell don't we just go to him?" Benny's look of disapproval made him feel stupid. "We have to let the forums know. Twenty people is nothing, a million is an army." Until this point, nobody had thought of why Benny was here. Winters hissed through his gas mask: "What brings you here, of all places? Why not OffTopic, or OGD?" So Benny told them how an OffTopic appearance would have attracted too much attention, and how the most trustworthy resided in FanFiction. Stora , interest now, asked, "So... Wen do we start? We only have ten days." --Off Topic-- ---"Revolution"--- -Posted by Benny (Feb 19, 2012)- A thousand heads turned to face Benny, and a single voice, heavily laden with the hiss of trollspeak, shouted, "What in the bloody hell do you mean the admin has a plan!?" "He plans to release an update within nine days. You all heard the message." A scared murmur ran through the crowd. "This update will not only give the mods infinite power, there is also a secret part. We will all be RESET." The crowd went silent. All of Off Topic listened with great care to Benny's words, soaking in all the information, piecing everything together. "That's right. He will have total power, and NOBODY, not even the mods, will remember his tyranny. We'll all be living in HIS world!" The Admin watched all this with contempt. He watched the player's words form before him, he watched the forum's post count skyrocket. But he took no action. Serpent, the sly shapeshifting mod, in the form of a snake, asked, "Why do you not kill them already? It's booooooring!" "Because, dear Serpet," the Admin stated, "I want them to have their fun. This is but a game."
-The Legend of KaW- --Part 8-- ---Assemble--- -Admin's Chamber- Within Benny's thread, the crowd was in orderly chaos, selecting leaders to prepare against the Update. Cheesemuffin, with a watchful eye, scanned the building's massive gathering chamber, looking for Smighter. Instead, he found Shifter. The hulking troll walked up behind him, creaking floorboards as he did so. {I do not wish to help you, small human.} "Oh?" Cheese's hand slipped to his knee-scabbarded knife, untrusting of any troll, especially of Shifter's caliber. "How does that hurt us?" {I do not care for your status,} Shifter's voice, like grinding stones, sent a grave message, {We trolls don't help.} "Now what's the meaning of this?" Benny, in rusted armor, had joined them. {This update will not hurt us. We, as an entity, are essentially the anti-Admin. His rules do not apply to us.} Benny's shoulder-flames flared for a split second, as he spoke. "Did I mention it was a restart?" {We will start again.} Benny mumbled something gravely, and walked away. -----3 Days Later----- -----Teja's Castle----- Standing atop his observation tower, the King of Kings observed his efforts. Since the declaration of impending wrath, his kingdom had begun working double, spewing demonic ashes and elemental plasm in the air like Hell on earth. He observed as titanic iron machines shuffled out of his cursed foundries, and as behemoth dragons shot up into the sky by the hundreds. Teja was not one for magic, instead relying on his twin scythes, each one honed to impossible sharpness by the demons of the Banned. His armor, made entirely out of Mithril and gold, improved upon his godlike stature, and made it apparent that he was greater. But he was a humble King of Kings. He turned back and walked into his chamber. When he say down on his bed, contemplating how much time he would need to send the supplies to the readying armies of Players, he saw his throne, topped by the Admin. "Hello, Teja."
-The Legend of KaW- --Part 9-- ---7 Days--- "Oi! Cheesey! We gotta get moving now!" Cheesemuffin snapped his fingers, spraying a shower of flames into a nearby cannon. An impressive burst shot out the end. "Yes, everything seems to work. Feather, go get the rest of the cafe," FeatherHunter sped away. "And you, troll." Cheese beckoned to the corner of the camp's Southern wall, where a small figure lay huddled, deep in thought. {I would really appreciate you not calling me that} "D_bo, are you coming with us?" {Well, I see no reason to help a bunch of emos who write crap on scrolls. It's really not-} A heavy cursed iron broadsword pressed against his neck. "Thanks for your company. Get on the third war-wagon." The troll gathered his tags from the corner, strapped them on, and pulled an impressively shiny dagger out of his tattered pocket, grumbling as he went. --Teja's Castle-- --Throne Room-- Sparks flew and a metallic shriek filled the air, as the Admin's blade skimmed along Teja's armor. "Why bother fighting? Or running, for that matter? It's not like you'll win." Teja grabbed an elemental arrow from his showcase and hurled it at the admin with deadly precision. The head lodged itself in his chest plate, before bursting into flames. "Why bother making the update? It's not like we'd rebel if you didn't." The admin brushed the flames off, and snapped the arrow in two. "I have reasons, very good ones too, to get rid of you insolent, disrespectful, disobedient WHELPS!" Teja barely avoided the lightning bolt as the admin retreated. --Rebel Army March-- --Moving Cafe-- Irin'a eyes glowed as she guided the Cafe, serving drinks galore as they went. Benny and cheese, joined by Winters and Feather, discussed the plan. "The admin is a coward; he does not defend, but hides." From his chest plate he withdrew an emerald knife, and stabbed it into the corner of the map, leaving a symbol where the blade hit. Past the horizon, a gigantic tower could be seen. "The admin lies over there." ~Oh, this is good. I want in~ A lanky Mod, covered in rogue-like green armor covered in leather stood behind them, twirling a knife. ~Wrathbane, at your service. Just to let you know, the Admin is actually... That way.~ "I told you. He will use tricks and mirages to hide. We have five days." Without a word, Cheese stood up and walked out of the Cafe. At the table, he left a note: "Going to trolls, bbl"
-The Legend of KaW- --Part 10-- ---Four days--- --Rebel Army March-- --Moving Cafe-- ~We're not far, three days'll do it.~ Winters' fist hit the table, almost spilling Smighter's drink. "Wrath, you're a mod. Tell us why he's doing this." ~I have no idea.~ "THAT'S IT!" All eyes turned to the corner of the cafe, where Stora was gathering her things. "I'm sick and tired of doing nothing, waiting for you guys to make a move. We're all going to die in four days, Cheese is off about to be torn apart by trolls-" D_bo chuckled and then quietly went back to eating his biscuit. "You've all done some pretty damn stupid things, but this is a first. I'm going with Cheese." With that, she teleported away, faintly coloring the room blue for a second. Wrathbane stroked his goatee, and declared: ~I know why he's doing this!~ The cafe waited. ~He's bored! He knows we can't win this... I mean, he thinks we can't! It's just an empty threat!~ Smighter, now drunk, shouted, "Oi, you... Yer a liar! A dirty filthy stinkin' liar! Yer workin' wit de Admin... *hic* I don' trus' ye." --Chasm-- --Secret Troll Sanctuary-- "Shifter! Shifter! One of the annoying boobs has entered the chasm! He calls himself... Cheesemuffin! There's also a perdy one wit him!" Shifter, seated lazily in his throne, tapped the floor with his cane. A massive door at the end of the throne room opened, and he waited for the noobs to enter the room. "You noob!... I'm gonna hit you wit my mane!... Come at me bro!" A hellish chorus of shrieking voices blocked all thoughts out of Cheese's mind. He'd noticed Stora's appearance, but he had better things to deal with. The two entered the throne room, and the door closed. All sound from outside was blocked, and he could relax. "What brings this... Cheesemuffin into my throne room?" "We need your he-" "No." "Bu-" "No." "If you could just-" "No." Stora stood back, still having a headache from outside, and could only watch as Cheese drew his broadsword and easily held it roughly against Shifter's neck. "Imagine the best troll ever." "I can't imagine myself any other way!" "Every troll and every person, coming together to save KaW." Shifter thought, and replied, "Keep talking." "We need you and your army. You guys make up a third of KaW." "Hah! Youh're right, Cheesemuffin." Suddenly, Shifter's face changed dramatically, and he said, "Unfortunately we are not willing to help. Problem?" Stora only had time to teleport them back to the cafe before Cheese swung, breaking a barrel of Writer's Rum. Cheese turned and glared at Stora. "My... Rum..."
-The Legend of KaW- --Part 11-- ---Bellemorte--- After a good several minutes of fighting with Cheese over his "precious, expensive rum", the Cafe calmed down and things were back in order. Winters and Benny were hunched over the map, Wrathbane was flirting with Irin (to no avail) with Stora timidly trying to get him to stop, and in the impossibly large back room, Cheese and Winters were practicing their magic, Cheese summoning waves of fire and Winters freezing everything around him. However, D_bo's troll eyes were open even wider than usual, and he was nervous. "Hey, D_bo," Stora called, "Why so shaky?" {Belle. She scares the crap out of me, unlike your other mod friends. She's here!} "Well, why's that a bad thing?" {She's working for the Admin!} A second after Wrathbane and Benny took up arms and sprang from their seats, a boom came from the back room. *Oh, it's nice to see you, Cheese* Bellemorte, the Mod of FanFic, kicked his sword out of reach. "Always a pleasure." Cheese didn't try to move, an obsidian katana, deathly sharp even through his heavy armor, pressed into his chest. Belle didn't seem to notice the cloaked figure trailing snowflakes come up behind her. Raising his rune-covered glove, Winters stepped forward. And accidentally touched Belle's heel. In one split-second movement, Belle had stood up and swung the katana into Winters' waiting hand. "Why hello there," Winters whistled, not expecting the next attack: a rather violent kick in the nethers. Cheese, on the other hand, was busy not enjoying the view but grabbing his sword and summoning a great flame, throwing Belle almost out of the hole in the roof she'd made. Instead, the Mod landed cartoonishly on the ceiling, and proceeded to walk upside down. *It's a shame, really. I thought you guys were friends of mine.* She pulled out a tissue and polished off her blade. Unfortunately, she failed to notice Cheese raise his rather heavy broadsword and swing it down full force in her direction. Rather than hitting her, everything in front of Cheese was torn to shreds and exploded into flame. {Well, your friend's managed to destroy half the place with a single strike} "Shut up D_bo," Feather calmly sipped his tea. Among the dense smoke, not a single loving thing was visible. Confident, but suspicious, Cheese clapped the ash off his gloves and sheathed his blade. But he froze in his tracks. *Aww, how sad. Your friend isn't here to celebrate with you...* A pouting whine came from somewhere above. Some ways down the trail of debris the Cafe had left, Winters held tightly to his staff, sending a last string of magic to the ruins he had been to weeks before. -------------- Sorry for being late
I had this written weeks ago, but I'm a lazy **** and didn't upload it. Wah. ------------------- -The Legend of KaW- --Part 12-- ---Requiem--- "What the hell. This shouldn't be happening," Cheese was throwing measuring spells in a directions, at the map and weather devices mostly. Above the army, the sky had turned to obsidian, laced with the occasional burst of blood-red lightning. The cloud pulsed with a demonic glow, as if to say 'You are not welcome here'. Damn right they weren't welcome there. Around them, the ground was making a crude transition to a cold black stone, splitting, splintering and cracking menacingly. "It is your decision, players." The voice of the Admin, grim and terrifying, overrode all other sounds and infiltrated the players' minds. "Continue and try to stop this restart, ultimately resulting in EACH and EVERY one of you dying," The ground beneath one of the nearby war wagons, part of Smighter's army, gave way and sent the rider and cargo to their deaths. "Do you wish to continue?" A whispered chuckle followed. Even as the inverted hell above them began to rain fire and brimstone, the players moved faster. This was their KaW, and no restart would take that from them. "I offered you a choice. Now I welcome you all to the last place you'll be before your lives are wiped from KaW." The heavy cannons in the back of the army began to fire, making solid hits with the Admin's tower and killing several summoned demons circling the area. "Do as you wish, you have no hope. The restart's already begun." Behind them, beyond the horizon, a very faint grid of white was beginning to show against the sky. Cheese did nothing at first. He looked in Chongo_Hombre's direction, waiting for a command from the strongest player. Before Chongo nodded approval, however, the battle had already begun. The trolls came out of nowhere, launching themselves from catapults, throwing explosive rocks as they went. Larger trolls charged straight past the players' army, bringing the fight to the Admin's army with heavy hammers. "Very well. I await you in my chamber. You have thirteen hours."
-The Legend of KaW- --Part 13-- ---Absolution--- Brimstone rained from above and demons fell upon the army. Blades and smoke flashed throughout the battlefield, with the occasional mod flame or troll club breaking through the fog of war. Cheese's blade made a brief appearance as it flared, spreading a wave of flame. Amidst the wreckage of his strike, Bellemorte stood, wavering slightly. She inspected her hand, frowning at a chipped nail. Cheese had his broadsword held up, not too far from her throat, and a little ball of flame danced in his hand. "Why do you work for the admin anyway?" *I get free things for it, dear.* Cheese chuckled. ~Perhaps you just have nobody else to turn to? Perhaps your standards are just too low?~ A pair of scythes now clamped dangerously tight around her neck, and WrathBane's form appeared behind her. The battle raged on in other areas, Shifter on the scene, pummeling the enemy into the dirt. D_bo rode on his back, throwing explosive chips at the hordes. Like a bull, Shifter's hulking form burst through the crowds, sending bodies flying like rag dolls. "Perhaps," the voice of the Admin permeated the air, "I should release the Silent?" The battle seemed to slow down to a near halt, as the sound of thunder shook the scene. Suddenly, the ground erupted and thousands upon thousands of hideous figures, trolls and players alike, poured out. Each and every one hissed with mind-numbing hatred, and each and every one was either stitched or chained at the mouth. There was no turning back at this point, and the Players surged toward the tower, solidly colliding with the wall of Silent. As Cheese's blade whistled and Smighter's hammer banged, the mods were busy. Benny's staff was well-colored with blood and demon sweat, still swinging and spraying around him. "You've started your own demise, Admin. I hope you realize that." He hissed under his breath, making a solid connection with the brain of a silenced Player, pushing towards the tower. "Funny you mention that. You have ten hours." More cannon fire from the background sounded, and the tower suddenly lit up like a sparkler, before spraying heavy showers of stone below. Winters' heavy jacket proved no obstacle as he ran across the crowds of Silenced, atop a freshly fallen rock. Cold dead hands reached for him, and he almost stopped at the sight of several Silent friends. Stora's magic led her through, splitting the crowd in a line as she and Irin made their way through. The fire that rained from above clouded their vision, but forceful gusts of wind and electric blasts pushed the crowd away. Not far behind them, Feather's twin blades made quick work of several, followed by an arrow taking out the bigger foes. "Remind me, once this is done, to never go with Cheese anywhere!" {And why's that, Featherduster?} D_bo and Shifter had caught up with them, blasting through the swarm. "It's his fault we're in this mess I begin with!" "Is it now!?" Flames cleared still more of the horde as a heavy blade cleaved through seventeen bodies. "You'd best remember it was!" -- This WILL be finished, remember that
-The Legend of KaW- --Part 14-- ---Absolution, Part II--- A devastating battle raged on behind the party, merely holding the Silent from swarming back inward to destroy them. Only the most powerful, the generals of the Players had made it through, including Cheese, Stora, a disgruntled Winters, and Shifter. Leading them, Benny shuddered as he limped forward, using his staff as a cane. WrathBane's scythes were ablaze with the silent screaming faces of those he had destroyed in the battle, highlighting the horrible gash across his neck. Even the titanic Shifter was struggling, his club broken and his shoulders beaten. "Wrathbane." Cheese's voice took on a grim tone and flames danced across his armor. "What happened with Belle." The reaper's masked face revealed nothing, but his silence told more than enough. Belle wouldn't be making an appearance soon. "The gates..." Benny's voice shook and his shoulder flames seemed to give out for a second. "They are in sight." Sure enough, with the battle behind them, a gigantic door loomed overhead. Covered in locks and heavy bars, it seemed invincible. "Impressive. Six of you made it." Not long after Cheese raised his sword in response, a bundle of cloth thudded in the dirt not far away. FeatherHunter shambled out, tightly gripping Irin, who obviously didn't enjoy the ride of a Troll catapult. "Seven. All the same, you're running out of time. You have five hours, and this door is waiting." The door didn't need to wait, as it burst into flames and thousands of little obsidian shards. A glowing red gash could be pieced out from the wreckage, and Cheese's flaming eyes glowed through the smoke. The Admin was silent. The Silenced hissed louder than ever, and turned to face them. ~MOVE!~ WrathBane's scythes sliced through the wreckage, him leading the party into the tower as the horde closed in on them. Behind them, the remains of the door began to shift, starting to fly back into their original place, locks and all. -Reflection- The inside of the tower was like a sick child's room, covered in mirrors and strange symbols. A single massive staircase stretched up for as far as they could see, and on the inside of the staircase, a smoky green figure hovered at their level, silently watching them and wielding a bladed staff. "You know why you are here." The figure stroked the tiny stub on the left side of his head, and then touched the massive antler extended from the right. "You seek..." Moose's voice pierced their minds ad shook their souls. "Absolution." The tower shook slightly as a volley of cannonballs hit it. The party continued, not replying to the Judge. "Irin." A wicked smile flashes across the beast's face, "For years you have harbored the lost in FanFiction. For years you aided in their antics and allowed them to start this... This revolution." "Wrathbane... I chuckle when I see how far you've come. The infamous Reaper, you are. Just how many souls have you slain with those blades of yours? Just how many more will fall before this all ends?" ~Shut it, beast, lest you become one of those.~ Moose went silent, then resumed. "Benny. Why ever did you leave us?" A pleading hand, bony and gnarled, extended. "You were among our best, and yet you joined these... Infidels!" "Perhaps you remember why I left." Again, Moose went quiet. "And here we reach our last sinner." Feather and Irin showed flushed looks of relief, and Cheese's hooded face showed nothingness. "Do you remember our first little encounter, Cheesemuffin?" A massive antler materialized in Moose's hand, and he spun it around in his hand. "I remember when you were just a noob. You could barely lift your broadsword, just enough to cut off my precious antler. And now here you are... Come so far, and where have you to go? To overthrow the Admin?" Cheese flashed a glare at Moose, who only grinned wickedly and brandished his staff. "Now that you have reached the door, what do you wish to do?" "I plan to end this."
-The Legend of KaW- --Part 15-- ---Revelation--- Behind the door, the Admin waited. The party opened the door, watched by a silent Moose, who had succeeded in shaking most of them to their souls. The door creaked open, it's deep rattling coinciding with the sound of more cannons being fired. Inside, the room was but wreckage, huge piles of rocks covered in bloodied tapestries, and pillars barely supporting the spire above threatening to give any second. The Admin himself sat in the throne, a battered stone construct, falling apart and moss-covered. The Admin was only resembling a human, aside from his demonic horns and lack of a mouth, instead replaced by twin fill sets at his jaw. His skin was an armored substance, looking like mottled dry flesh, and his left arm glowed green with fifteen balls of flame. "I see you have made it." Benny collapsed. The last glimpse of his shoulder flames went out, and his body convulsed as a green light shone through his chest. The soul was ripped from his body, and Benny went limp, his essence now circling around the Admin's hand. "You've come so far..." The Admin leaned forward, his neck making chilling Snapping sounds. "And yet, you come for nothing." Shifter charged at the admin, giant club in tow, but he too collapsed, as his chest glowed a fierce yellow and with a scream, his life was torn out and shredded afore his eyes. The Admin cocked his head, as though curious of the rest of the party. "Why do we try these foolish acts?" More snapping as the Admin began to stand up, sending splinters of stone and armor flying. "Why do we believe ourselves invincible?" The door behind them broke apart and fell away, revealing a pitch black emptiness. "Is it because of the protection we are given by our elders?" The sky around the tower, seen through heavy glass windows, seemed to tear, as more pitch black cut away at it. "Is it because of the help we receive from the wealthy, the powerful?" The Admin, standing now, did not react as Wrathbane charge at him, only tearing his soul from body at the last moment. "I too, at one point, believed myself invincible. I too, at one point, believed I could change KaW.". He stopped for a single raspy whisper of a breath. "Just like you... I stood before the Developers, accompanied by three friends...." "But then...." The corner of the room Stora was in suddenly disappeared, without a chance of rescue. "You may be aware this isn't a regular server restart." The tower rumbled as black overcame the cannons and players outside. "Normally I'd save everything... But you've given me no choice." Stones from above fell, dissolving into black before they reached the ground. "There is nothing to save, nobody to commemorate...." Through his helmet-like head, the Admin judges Cheesemuffin, "Except you." Just like Stora, Winters and Irin were torn away, without a hope of salvation. "Tell me," As the room around them lost its roof and walls, the floor beginning to melt away, "What does a god worship?" Cheese had no answer, the darkness continued to engulf everything, quickly closing the space between the two. "I'll tell you." The Admin began to walk towards Cheesemuffin, openly holding his arms out, waiting for the inevitable strike. Cheese did not draw his blade, he only waited. "God." The good around them began to glow, becoming permeated by blinding light. "Worships." Cheese's hand reached for the handle of his sword, and the blackness continued washing away. "The People." With those words, the Admin stopped, taking a mere fraction of a second to curiously inspect the broadsword impaling his heart. The space around them was all but gone, Cheese's armor being torn away, the Admin's skin being shredded to bits. As the Restart finished its first stage, the two stated at one another, two rivals in their final moments. The world no longer existed, their weapons no longer existed, their armor no longer real, their entire existence had become no more. As the last of his vision faded away, Cheesemuffin saw a land on the Horizon of his mind. Fin.