VIMworld Universe Lore Series #1: Austrför’s Quest For The Great Magma Blade
This is the first feature length installment in our VIMworld Universe lore series, and marks the beginning of a series of stories to expand our world building. We hope you enjoy the read and look forward to Austrför’s imminent arrival!
Austrför scanned a foreboding horizon. In the distance, the peak of the Hjornbarg volcano pierced a swirling vortex of ashy, thunderous cloud. A brilliant purple hue emanated from the tip of the mountain, casting an eerie glow against the cloudscape and across the ground for miles around. Austrför looked aghast at the terrain ahead — magma fields, steam vents and all manner of dangers occupied every nook of Hjornbarg’s inhospitable terra. It would be difficult to navigate, made even more treacherous by the great toll the portal to this world had taken on his strength, almost down to that of a mortal. These portals were curious, springing up in various places across his dimension and others, signaling even greater perils. But that was not his focus. This particular portal had called to him with a familiarity that could have only meant one thing.
Deep in this volcanic hellscape was the great Magma Blade, the last hope in fully restoring his divine speed and powers. The blade, forged by legendary demigod bladesmith Ganjiang, had been crafted from the rarest metals only found clinging to cliffs at the edges of the outer dimensions. His mother, Hanna, had infused the blade with the raw power of her greatest conquest; scales from the slaying of the great fire dragon. She had cast a rare enhancement spell over the blade, one known only to Austrför’s divine lineage which allowed him, and only him, to generate unimaginable force and speed when wielded. The Magma Blade was his. This weapon had been created to elevate Austrför to his greatest power state, but it had been lost for aeons.
The Great Crossing
Tentatively, he approached the edge of the great magma field. Conscious of his weakened state, Austrför opted to move slowly and cautiously.. “Like a mortal”, his inner monologue quipped. For one so used to great bouts of speed, Austrför’s pace felt frustrating. Periodically the ground would crack and groan, spewing tremendous spouts of scalding steam — a reminder that certain doom bubbled away just metres below. Above, the thunder clouds that roiled around the peak became increasingly violent and the purple glow of the mountain grew in both brightness and intensity. It was as though they were reacting to his presence.
As he traversed the magma plain and approached the base of the mountain, he could finally start to make out the landscape of the mountain itself. The sheer cliffs and near vertical terrain created an intense anxiety. “Without my full powers, this will truly test me”, Austrför mulled. But there was never any thought of turning back. Retrieving this legendary blade, regaining his strength and returning dignity and pride to his mother’s great name were his only focus.
With each step, the air grew hotter and hotter, as though the atmosphere itself were beginning to boil. Each breath became increasingly uncomfortable and his extremities so hot, he had to stop periodically to make sure his beard and clothes hadn’t caught fire. He spotted a sheltered, narrow path ahead and ran to it with all the energy he could muster. “Not quite what I’m used to”, he joked to himself. Rockfall had partially blocked the path ahead. With great exertion, he managed to slowly inch a boulder roughly twice his size from the path and cast it off into the magma below. “Not quite mortal yet”, he muttered. The lava reacted angrily to this intrusion, bubbling and hissing, before swallowing the boulder, welcoming it back to the fiery depths of the planet.
With the obstruction cleared, Austrför took off running.
The Encounter
It had not been his imagination. As he moved through the landscape toward the heart of the volcano, the ferocity and frequency of lightning strikes were increasing, reacting to his presence. All of a sudden, an arcing, multi-pronged fork of brilliant blue lightning crashed against the mountain beside him. Rocks violently ejected from the cliff face, crashing all around Austrför’s position. Focused on the assault from above, Austrför failed to notice the loose stone around his feet, shortly thereafter sending him crashing to the ground. As rockfall continued raining from above, the narrow path he found himself on gave way, sending Austrför hurtling down a steep slope with such speed that he slid a great distance across the plane below.
Dazed, Austrför collected his thoughts for a minute. Without his godly powers, he found himself in genuine peril. No mortal had ever ascended Hjornbarg and the way things were looking, he feared he might not either. Without warning, the ground beneath him began to groan, with cracks shooting from his vicinity in all directions. He had come to find himself atop hardened lava and the rock fall had disturbed it. Suddenly, his position felt alarmingly precarious, as though standing on an egg shell dangled above certain fate. As material began to fall away, he felt a stunning heat emerge, stifling his breath.
With the landmass Austrför found himself on shrinking by the second, it was time to act. He reached towards a nearby rocky outcrop, desperately searching for anything to grab on to but it was no use. The land ahead had subsided and there was nowhere to go in the opposite direction. He balled his fists and bellowed loudly, in resignation.
“Do you need some help?” a voice called out.
— to be continued.
Who will come to Austrför’s aid? Find out in the next installment, coming very soon.
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