A Story of Gold and the Western Wind

[The City [EclipseZwolf]]

A Story of a Golden Gun and the Western Wind

The backstory to the events of Season ZZ by: EclipseZwolf
Mastermind: Vindr Stein



There are tales that travel the world over, spreading fast as the wind can fly. Tales of glory, sorrow, and greed appear near and far, but few tales leave scars. These tales hold their roots in reality, but have changed due to the unnatural fear that accompanies the thought that the tale is true. One such tale is the legendary Bermuda Triangle where many of ship mysterious vanish, whether to the bottom of the ocean or a mythical world none but the lost may know. However, this is not a tale of ships, but one of men and women, gold and greed.


Word travels fast in the world and mysteries vanish faster than snow on a summer day. Even though the world is known throughout and its mysteries mostly undone, there still exist people with the ancient urge known as wanderlust. An urge to go into the unknown and risk life and limb for a worthy story to tell when they return home. Although... when death rears its ugly head the already endangered adventurers grow fewer still. This is a twin tale, a tale which follows two paths, two sides. The only similarity between our two is the wanderlust that lurks in their souls. Let us begin with the tale of many, a journey, and an uncertain ending. Our group of heroes shall begin their journey here, may the wind be at their backs, because soon not even the wind will not be kind to them.


Something strange has appeared in the world, an area not unlike the Bermuda Triangle, but on land. A massive area of land surrounded by buffeting winds that prevent almost all from entering. All of those who do enter... never return. Until now, word travels of a man who has dragged himself from the winds. He was found on the edge of the area covered in wounds and carrying a large heavy sack. The story goes that the nearby people who found him discovered him clutching the bag for dear life, like it meant everything in the world and more. They say one of the ones who saved him went blind from the shine of the pure gold that appeared from the sack when they opened it.


After some nonsensical governmental debates, the man was allowed to keep his gold and an announcement made. That any who entered the winds and uncovered its secrets would be granted a sum of one billion dollars along with whatever wealth they managed to carry out on their own. Some whispered of a conspiracy to make people enter the winds, but those were hushed with great readiness. This drew the ears of people from across the world, 1 billion dollars and whatever you could find yourself... It would be enough wealth for 10 lifetimes, double that if you managed a big haul. It was a simple deal for many who accepted it. A high stakes wager with their lives on the line, but a payout worthy of a god, or something close.


Although nobody was willing to walk in with no preparations, the one survivor lay in the hospital, gold held close, as he recuperated. Many would walk in his door to ask him questions of what lay beyond the wall of wind. To all who asked he told the same two things.



"First I warn you of what waits on the other side. There you will find incredible wilderness with almost no civilization in sight. The only people there will be yourself, those like you, and the dead. Make sure to be prepared to survive out in the open. My gravest warning is of what killed those I met in the barrier, from which I barely escaped with my life. A monster, I never got a good look at it, just heard it and seen its shadow tear my friends limb from limb. It howls with the wind; when you hear the wind howl then flee with the wind at your back. As fast as you can or death shall be all you return with. That is my first piece of advice. Now for the most valuable advice I can offer you if you hope to return from that place.

.

.

.

Bring a Gun"



This is our preamble, leading us into the story of the men and women who braved the wind. They would march into the world and confront the beast. They would gamble life and limb to reveal the secrets of that place and return rich. They would dice with the devil himself for greed and gold. The world knows exactly how many went in, but only the winds know... how many came out.



Now we must ask the question of what has caused this phenomena and we shall journey into the past to discover the truth. We must tell the tale of a man with a thirst for adventure, the unknown. This obsession earned him less than favorable feelings from his family who were unnerved by his obsession. His grandmother was the one who set him off on his final journey with the words she said to him.

"You are just like your ancestor and you shall suffer her fate should you continue on this path of obsession. Control yourself Vindr Stein, lest you vanish from the face of this world like your ancestor Marakata Stein."


Vindr responded to the chains of his family by leaving, searching for that which he so desired. He even knew where he would begin, the disappearance of his great great-aunt Marakata. She had shared an obsession so perhaps discovering what had happened to her would lead Vindr on to his own fame and glory. Thus began his search through history to discover the story of Marakata Stein, how her life had begun and more importantly, how it had ended. It was in this journey that Vindr began to learn.


Vindr lived in a peaceful world with little to no energy problems considering the existence of Aeturnums and the energy they provided. No wars ravaged the world and food was available to the majority of the world. Vindr learned that it had not always been this way and that in a world centuries past there had been an incredible energy crisis that signaled the end of days for humanity. The world had responded with a hectic scientific race to discover a new energy source. Vindr forgot his purpose as he read about the events of the ancient past, imagining the feeling of standing against such a crisis with the fate of his own race on the line. The thought exhilarated him and he continued to read about how the crisis was solved.


Perhaps it was a coincidence, dumb luck, but Vindr considered it fate when he stumbled on the names of those who led the charge on the scientific search for energy. First was a name he well recognized, Aeturnus, who supposedly still lived on this day and managed the energy source of the Aeturnums which he had discovered. Second was a name he did not recognize, Finire, who had been heavily involved in the project, but not the figurehead of its success like Aeturnus. The last name shocked him as he read off the name of the third head figure whose name was barely mentioned at all, Marakata Stein. He had dreamed of being in the race against time and gambling with life and race to save the world, while his ancestor had been one of those who lived it.


Vindr felt a greater connection with this old relative whom he had never known than any person he had ever known. He read of how Marakata had been the most obsessive of the three who had dueled with time and had been considered the most brilliant of the three. Apparently that brilliance had not made it so Marakata discovered Aeturnums first. Aeturnus had found and revealed Aeturnums along with his blood weapons, but it appeared that the media had grabbed his image and hoisted him as the savior, while in reality there had been three head scientists and numerous assistants.


Disappointed that his ancestor hadn't left a huge mark on history he continued on in his reading, looking forward to the next exploits of Marakata. He was left dumbfounded as all reference to Marakata vanished after a certain date. It was if Marakata had up and vanished without any trace. One day Marakata had apparently been scouring the globe for a new research project and the next she was gone. No matter how far and deep he researched, from that point in time no one had ever seen Marakata again. His grandmother's warning had not been totally without truth as it did appear that Marakata had indeed vanished from the face of the earth. Vindr would not accept not knowing the truth, after all it’s not like Marakata could have just turned to wind and blown away.


Vindr went straight to the source of who was the most likely to know more about Marakata. The rumored immortal Aeturnus who had worked closely with Marakata. He first sent a letter describing who he was and his purpose although he was unsure if someone of such high standing would take the time out of his day to speak with a relative of an old partner. Vindr was happily surprised when he received a letter back from them man himself agreeing to meet him and expressing interest. It read,


"Dear Vindr,



I received your letter requesting to meet with me and discuss Ms. Stein. Firstly I would like to say that I may not be able to give you a final answer as to the whereabouts of Ms. Stein considering I found myself at a loss when they vanished. I did send a series of letters and received responses to those letters after she "vanished" from the history books. She then vanished later on to me when she ceased all responses to my letters. I fear that I was unable to share my longevity with Marakata so I fear even if we discover her she will be long dead, but I still wish to know what the end held for Marakata. I have included travel tickets by train or plane, whichever you prefer, to come to my new building that’s under construction. When you arrive you should see the construction off in the distance from the city. Simply hop in a cab and say you are coming to meet me at Time's Tower and I will handle paying the driver. I look forward to speaking with you in depth about Marakata.



Best wishes,



Aeturnus"


Vindr headed out the very day he received the letter and found himself outside Time's Tower within 48 hours. After he entered the building and spoke with the lady at the front desk he was met by a gruff man in a red coat carrying what appeared to be a blood weapon in the form of a large sword. The man led him to an elevator and up to one of the higher floors that had been completed and what looked like a temporary office. Even in its temporary state it was still immaculate and the room was obviously the room of a very important individual. Sitting at the desk was a man he had only seen in pictures and heard of on the news. Aeturnus, in his huge black cloak that covered him head to toe, sat scribbling away on a piece of paper. A woman with scorching red hair dressed like a secretary stands behind him, absolutely motionless.


Aeturnus waves to Vindr and motions for him to take a seat in the chair in front of the desk. Vindr notices the normal chairs for visitors have been scooted aside and a nicer more comfortable chair in its place. He happily takes a seat seeing that Aeturnus plans for a long conversation. Upon having the red cloaked man leave Aeturnus begins speaking with Vindr, telling him about Marakata and the last contact before they vanished. Aeturnus did not hesitate to admit that Marakata had been the smartest of the trio, but said that unlike Finire who had merely not been recognized intensively, Marakata had intentionally avoided getting excessive fame. It was likely the lack of recognition that led to her being able to vanish as she did without the world going into an uproar.


Apparently Marakata had been offered to work on a new project that was on a scale similar to the Aeturnums and Blood weapons. Aeturnus had not worried because that seemed like the very thing that would pull Marakata away for an incredible sum of time and Marakata had been known for getting caught up in research. Marakata could work for days on end without sleep and would only notice when you told them directly that they had been up for a week. Delayed responses had never really bothered Aeturnus because of this, but Marakata had refused to speak on the exact scope of her project and where she was working on it. Marakata's disappearance had also caused a rend in Aeturnus and Finire's relationship. Vindr asked about the issue, but Aeturnus simply responded that the search had been a little more emotional then was strictly necessary.

Vindr was given the letters that were sent between Marakata and Aeturnus and Aeturnus agreed to fund Vindr in his search for Marakata and what exactly her final project had been. The last bit of information that Aeturnus gave Vindr was that in two parts. The first was that the laboratory where Marakata was working likely was well hidden, considering his inability to find it. The second part was that should he discover laboratory then Vindr needed to be extremely careful as if Marakata had indeed been working on something as big as Aeturnums then the area could be rife with danger. It didn't need to be said but Vindr caught Aeturnus's meaning.


"Don't get killed the same way Marakata may have been."


With information in hand, Vindr set off to track down the laboratory of the lost Marakata. It took him quite some time to follow the string of letters that Aeturnus had sent and received, but eventually he located where the letters had been taken from their intended route, to Marakata's home, to someplace else. He shortly looked around Marakata's old home, but time had taken most of it and nothing important stood out to Vindr. Vindr set about hunting down the companies who had transported the letters and began digging through records in an attempt to find where the letters had gone. Vindr had a tougher time of it then he initially thought he would considering that nobody was still living from the time period when the letters were sent besides Aeturnus.


Though eventually he stumbled upon the answer. A drop off point at a quarry quite some distance away where the letters were ordered to have been left. He packed his bags and set off to find the point and see if any wayward clues had been left behind. He made sure to prepare well for bad situations as the area had become known for freak earthquakes. At the drop point he found nothing for his troubles. At reaching a stump in both his investigations and literally he took a seat and pondered where to go next. It was then that something caught his eye.


A deep green glitter from the nearby entrance to a mine, supposedly abandoned after having been stripped of valuables. Curious and more than a little greedy he entered the mine to find the source of the green sheen. Inside he found several emeralds bespeckling the walls which surprised him greatly considering the fact the mine had been abandoned after being stripped of valuables. He could see an even greater glow from deeper with in the mine and decided to follow his gut and go deeper into the mine. He felt the earth begin to rumble as he descended, but strangely it calmed down as he felt a sense of welcome in this place. Then he arrived at the threshold.


A solid door made of metal that looked like it belonged in some secret laboratory, which Vindr believed hopefully was this very place. Vindr passed through the door and came across a sight that was at once awe-inspiring and terrifying. A vast chamber where numerous marionettes partially covered in emerald lay strewn about the floor. They came in all shapes and sizes, ranging from beasts of time long forgotten to the humans of today. Vindr knew he had stumbled upon something huge, and hoped that his long search for answers would finally come to an end. It was thus he searched the place and discovered what had happened in those earthen depths.


Of course, if you want to reach enlightenment on this emerald palace then you must read another tale.


What Vindr discovered had a profound effect on his psyche and once where curiosity had been he now felt rage. Marakata had been known for their obsession with science and while Vindr was obsessive as well, science would not hold back his emotions like it may have for Marakata. He would let his rage be heard as he worked, for he had a new job now. A boiling kettle of emotion he ascended from the mine, carrying two things with him from its depths. A bottle labeled MAKE... and a rifle of emerald. He knew that in order to fulfill his duty he needed to prepare for what he would have to do.


In the nearby plains, far enough to not be inconvenienced by earthquakes on a regular basis, but close enough to still be reachable he began to build. He dug away and constructed his own facility in the nature of those plains. There he stored all of his research into the mystery of Marakata and a journal of his own actions. His plan was ready and he followed through with no hesitation. He heated the MAKE bottle until it bubbled as if it was boiling and dropped in a single ingot of gold. Bubbling mixture in hand he climbed the nearby mountain and looked out over what would be his domain.


He waited until the moment the wind began to howl as the west wind the area was known for began to blow at full force. Then in the hurricane force winds on the top of a mountain he downed the golden mixture in the bottle and braced himself for the pain he knew would hit him. Hit him it did as the wind blew and the mix took effect. He roared in agony as he felt the mixture do its work, starting in his stomach and working its way out. Then the mixture affected the rest of his body and he began to change. Then with one mighty gust of wind his body which had taken on a sheen of gold dissipated like a pile of dust. His body was at once gone and at once still there, merely what constructed his body had changed.


Where once his mind and conscious lay now took the form of thousands of specks of gold dust. Where once his flesh and bone made up his body, now the roaring winds of a hurricane took the place of his limbs. He was made of wind and gold now, some strange force had altered the makeup of his body and somehow he yet lived. Two things lay where he had once stood, the now empty bottle and the emerald rifle. With hands made of golden dust and guided by wind he reached down and picked up his gun, whose body soon began to change with his touch. Everything on the gun that wasn’t emerald began to change, taking on the sheen of gold. Some force held the emerald mechanisms to their current form which kept the gun in working condition, considering the strength of emerald compared to the malleability of gold.


Then came the true test, could he create the lure required for his plan? Two disembodied hands of gold hefted the rifle as if a man stood floating in the air, stock to shoulder aiming the rifle. Then some of the gold dust that constructed his body condensed into the size of a single musket ball which went into the barrel of the rifle. Vindr then aims and fires the emerald-gold rifle at one of the preprepared stocks of wooden goods. He feels his consciousness spread as the piece of himself he fired flies towards the target and makes contact. The force with which the ball of gold connects with causes it to disintegrate back to dust, but had it been any harder material it would have left a crater where the incredible force had impacted.


The animals in the nature all heard two booms in rapid succession, one the rifle going off, and another the gold ball impacting. Though none understood what had caused the sounds, nothing but the perpetrator could understand what was happening to the pile of wooden cups and objects that had been hit. The pile of objects steadily began to take on a golden sheen and within minutes went from cheap wood to solid gold. When the change had finished the wind picked up, carrying the gold dust back towards the peak of the mountain where it had started.


Vindr smiled, if the wind could smile, and waited for the word of gold to spread. He needed plenty of greed driven people to enter this place, then he would use there greed to his benefit. They would kill each other in order to grow rich. Then some mysterious "beast" would claim the bodies, which would vanish without a trace. It would be best to make sure all those who arrived were not distracted by death but rather each other and the gold they might claim as their own. He would create an air of mysticism about the lands, legends of a trial of the beast like the riddle of the ancient sphinx with the promise of endless gold behind those who succeeded.


There would be rumors and gold on the wind and Vindr could satisfy the desire for adventure that had long lived in his soul. It was thus that Vindr stood... and waited.