1 Awakening (1)

It was a dark night in the middle of winter. A raging blizzard battered those unlucky enough to not be in the comfort of their home. If one looked closely, a silhouette of a man holding a box could be seen. He made a beeline for the orphanage, setting the box outside its doors. He took one last look at the baby boy sleeping in there, sliding a note under his blanket.

"Charles Solomon, you are the last hope of the Solomon House." he sighs. "Your parents went to great lengths to get you out of that hell-hole, you better not die!"

With that, the figure retreated into the world of snow.

Moments later, an enraged howl was heard in the distance, and the same figure could be seen holding bolts of radiant light in his hand as he rushed off into the distance.

--------------------

It was noon. The sun hung high in the sky, shrouding the Material Plane with its holy light.

Charles Solomon was now a teenager. Compared to those of his age, he was slightly shorter. Despite this, many of the kids, even older ones, stayed clear of Charles due to his fearsome reputation of beating up whoever pissed him off.

Today, all the boys aged 13 or older gathered in the great hall at the orphanage. Today was the day of awakening, where those of age had a chance of awakening a class.

In this world where strength reigns supreme, having a good class is the basis of everything. There are a total of 12 classes:

Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, Warlock and Wizard.

People belonging to magic classes are generally called "Casters", people belonging to melee classes are called by their class names. Casters are perceived to be the strongest due to the destructive potential of spells.

Because many of those who had awakened as a caster returned to the orphanage to flaunt their prowess, Charles dreamt of becoming a caster.

He wanted the power to fly; he wanted the power to call the wind and summon the rain; he wanted the power of magic.

Due to his obsession with magic, he often sought out those who returned to visit, hoping that they would teach him things about magic. As a result, Charles was already very knowledgeable about the world of magic even before attending the awakening ceremony.

A short while later, a priest walked into the hall and beckoned for the children to follow him. "We will be heading to the Great Cathedral now." said the Priest.

The Cathedral wasn't far from the orphanage, and the group arrived several minutes later.

Upon entering, they were greeted by the sight of hundreds of children solemnly kneeling in front of an altar.

The priest whispered to them. "Kneel down near the back and keep quiet."

The group followed his instructions and soon settled down. It was at this time that several aged men and women with mysterious auras appeared on the balcony, looking down at the kneeling children.

It was also at this time that the priest stood behind the altar, starting to call children forward one by one.

After what seemed like an eternity, Charles was finally called up to the altar. The priest quietly said, "I will now conduct a ritual to help you awaken your class, if you are fated. No matter what happens, do not panic."

He stood up tall, spreading his arms into the sky, as if to praise the sun. He whispered "O great Tymora, goddess of fortune, lady of luck, your humble servant asks for thy glance. If he is fated, then may he receive guidance."

Then, as if responding to his prayers, Charles saw a golden coin fall in front of him.

It was at that time that Charles felt a splitting headache, and when he opened his eyes again, he was on a boundless plain. He looked around him in wonder, and when he looked up to the sky, he saw an unforgettable scene.

He saw silhouettes of the gods sitting on thrones all around him and, directly above, a gigantic upright gold coin floated there.

The coin began to fall.

Just as the coin of about to crash onto the ground, Charles found himself up above, watching it fall.

Then, it landed.

He saw heads, and he heard the crisp laughter of a lady.

Then, one of the gods - an old man with a white draping beard - stood up. "Child, I am Azuth, the God of Arcane Magic," he boomed, "I grant you the power of Magic, and bless you with the spirit of fire. You're a wizard, Charles."

With that, Charles' vision went black.

avataravatar