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Alright, I’ll warn you all now. The following post is going to be a long one. If you don’t want to read it then please don’t feel obliged to but if you do, there’s a lot of reading to be done.
Kudos to you if you make it to the end without falling asleep.
The Keeper.
In the world of magic, there are many mysterious individuals. But perhaps none are more mysterious than the woman who identifies herself simply as “The Keeperâ€.
Practically nothing is known of the Keeper’s true identity but the one thing everyone seems to agree on is that she’s old. Very old and very powerful. The hero Daedalus, himself thousands of years old, reportedly had an encounter with a woman early in his life who bore a striking similarity to the Keeper.
There are a multitude of theories about where the Keeper came from, the most widely accepted of which is that she is a witch or sorceress who somehow managed to find a way to prolong her life or may even have found a way to become immortal. But there is another theory, only spoken of in certain magical circles. This theory suggests that the Keeper may actually be the mythical Pandora. When asked about this subject, the Keeper simply tells the questioner to mind their own business and moves on.
The Keeper is utterly dedicated to removing evil from the world and has found herself embroiled in a seemingly endless war against a group of demons and their minions. Nothing and no one comes between the Keeper and her mission and woe betide the person who tries.
The Keeper has no time for family or friends. Her mission is everything to her. The only person in the world she actually considers a friend is the controversial heroine, Seraph. The two women share very similar goals and found themselves working together frequently. Over the course of time, a friendship began to develop and Seraph even took up residence in the Keeper’s home behind the scenes of the nightclub, Avalon.
The Keeper’s friendship with Seraph has proven to be beneficial for both women, The Keeper has proven to be a stabilizing force for the somewhat unpredictable Seraph and in turn, Seraph has helped bring some positivity back into the life of the rather pessimistic Keeper. Seraph even gave the Keeper a name, Selene, after declaring that referring to her as “The Keeper†all the time was tiresome.
Avalon.
Avalon was once a church but at some point in recent history it was converted into a nightclub. Regardless of the function it outwardly performs, Avalon has always and continues to be a sanctuary for those who need it. While the Keeper uses it as her base of operations, she freely welcomes anyone who seeks sanctuary within Avalon’s walls. So long as good exists within their heart at least. Avalon is particularly popular with young runaways and outcasts who simply have nowhere else to go. Special quarters have been set aside for “guests†and while the Keeper herself doesn’t really take an active role in caring for these people, there are a number of volunteers who are always eager to help. Chief among these volunteers is father Joseph Reed, a catholic priest who resides in Avalon himself and is determined to use the facility to aid others. And if he can convert the Keeper away from “that blasted witchcraft†then all the better in his opinion.
To ensure the safety of those seeking sanctuary within Avalon, the Keeper has enchanted the property with a series of astonishingly powerful enchantments which prevent violence on the premises. On many occasions, someone has attempted to remove another from Avalon against their will. Be it a law enforcement officer or just an angry ex. On one occasion, members of the adored and respected hero group the Freedom League even tried to remove a young man whom they believed was connected to a crime from Avalon. The result was quite extraordinary. The heroes were thrown head first out onto the street by invisible forces of an indeterminable nature. As if that wasn’t bad enough, they also had to deal with an angry Keeper. It was quite a display and a reminder to everyone that the rules of Avalon should never be broken and the Keeper should never be crossed.
Avalon has operated as a nightclub for quite some time now, with ebbs and flows in popularity. It’s unclear how long the Keeper has used it as her base of operations but some people believe it has always been her home base and that she was the secret owner whom no one ever met. It has only recently come to light that the Keeper resides in Avalon and some believe that there is something within the cavernous tunnels below the building that she guards. It has been suggested and rumoured that there is a gateway of sorts within Avalon. This gateway could potentially be where the Keeper draws her power from or even where she banishes the demons she vanquishes too. This theory may even explain the title of “The Keeperâ€, believed by some to be a shortened form of “The Gatekeeperâ€. As with just about everything else, the Keeper isn’t saying.
While the Keeper is by far the most notorious individual to take up residence in Avalon, a number of other heroes have called it home over the years. Notable individuals include Seraph, the identical twin spies Doubletake, the conspiracy theorist Enigma and even the legendary Scarab. The most recent resident, using the old church bell tower as a base, is the dark hero Nevermore. This young man seems to have taken quite an interest in both the Keeper and Seraph. Seraph, as always, is rather oblivious to his attraction to her and finds him more distracting than anything else as he always seems to be getting in her way. The Keeper shows occasional interest in Nevermore but constantly reminds herself that “the mission comes first†and as such backs away from any kind of involvement.
The Entropy Saga Continues
(If you haven’t read the first part of The Entropy Saga, you can find it along with the Nightstalker entry earlier in the archive. If you want to understand this part of the story, I would advise you read that part first)
The Magic Wars Begin
In the shadows of the world, Nightstalker lurked. In the shadows of Nightstalker’s mind, Entropy plotted. Vengeance and destruction were all he could think of. Vengeance upon those who had wronged him and the destruction of everything and everyone they loved.
That infernal Shaman had weakened the spirit of destruction and trapped him in this imbecile meat suit that called itself Nightstalker. Nightstalker had declared himself Entropy’s jailer, pretending to be more than the self obsessed criminal everyone knew him to be. Shaman had lowered Entropy to battling this immature mortal for sporadic control over a body.
Magic had been responsible for Entropy’s downfall. And magic would be responsible for his rebirth.
In his time previously possessing Shaman, Entropy had learned a thing or two about magic himself. He knew powerful spells but knew of no way to free himself from Nightstalker’s hold. But he knew of other magic users upon this world. Far more powerful mages than Shaman. Perhaps one of them could work their magic and free him.
Entropy schemed and plotted and eventually came up with a plan. He set his sights on perhaps the most mysterious woman in the world of magic. The Keeper.
Gaining control of Nightstalker’s body once more, he lived up to the boys name and stalked the Keeper from the shadows, observing her talent with the arcane arts. She truly was powerful. Even more powerful than Entropy believed. The Keeper detected Nightstalker/Entropy’s presence and ripped him from the shadows. But she hesitated for a moment. Her heart told her she should strike down this dark stalker but she sensed some good lingering in his heart.
Her hesitation would cost her greatly.
As Nightstalker/Entropy rose calmly and introduced himself, the Keeper felt her eyes darkening. The malicious spirit was using Nightstalker’s control over darkness to drain the light from the area. He knew he couldn’t hope to defeat this sorceress without giving himself some kind of advantage. But the Keeper knew the darkness all too well. She had spent her long life hiding from society and battling the evils that lurk in shadows. The Keeper engaged Nightstalker/Entropy in battle. While Nightstalker attempted to hold his own, the fight was ultimately one sided and the Keeper closed in on the villain to strike him down once and for all. But Entropy had one last trick up his sleeve. He lashed out with a spell that took the Keeper aback. She had no idea what this creature had done to her but she immediately felt it’s effects. She could feel herself weakening and the magic draining from her.
Oh no. She knew what this was.
Centuries ago, the Keeper had encountered an enraged and powerful warlock. The warlock used a similar spell to drain her magic. The effects were only temporary but her battle with the warlock was one of the few times she had come close to true death. She had narrowly won that day thanks to a healthy dose of sheer luck. She believed the warlock and his magic had been lost that day in the fires that consumed his tower. She had not thought to prepare a counter spell to this magic, believing she wouldn’t encounter such a powerful spell again. But it seemed her new adversary had discovered what she thought lost and her mistake would now cost her it seemed.
The battle began to turn as Nightstalker lashed out at an increasingly weakening Keeper. The world darkened around her once again. She felt the darkness creep into her mind too. Her thoughts clouded and she began to pass out. But the last thing the Keeper remembered before the darkness embraced her was a blinding flash of light.
Seraph had arrived.
The angel of Freedom discovered her friend at the mercy of an enemy she knew. While Seraph had never encountered Nightstalker or Entropy herself until now, she had served with the Freedom League who had established a file on the spirit of destruction and his current host after several of their members had battled him before. She attacked immediately, knowing full well how dangerous her adversary was. The fact that her friend was already unconscious at the hands of this monster only served to motivate her further. Seraph’s light powers were in sharp contrast to Nightstalker’s control over darkness and the light seemed to hurt Nightstalker. The battle was short lived but did not end the way Seraph had expected.
Nightstalker ran off, fleeing into the darkness, seemingly terrified of the angel he now faced.
Seraph collected the Keeper and flew her back to the safety of Avalon where she began to recover. She also contacted the Freedom League and informed them of their encounter with the villain. The Freedom League in turn contacted both Comet and Shaman who had a personal interest in finding and defeating Entropy.
When the heroes arrived, finding the Keeper still weak but recovering, Seraph informed them all of her encounter with Nightstalker/Entropy. No one was sure of the motivation for stalking the Keeper but Shaman deduced that it had something to do with freeing himself from Nightstalker. As they were discussing the matter however, the League received a call from one of their reserve members who had encountered Nightstalker thrashing around in an industrial area of the city, apparently blinded by Seraph’s light. Both Comet and Shaman rushed off to find their nemesis and were closely followed by the Freedom League, leaving the Keeper with Seraph to recover.
By the time the heroes arrived at the industrial area, Nightstalker had barely regained his sight. Consumed by his utter hatred of Entropy, Shaman attacked immediately. Nightstalker/ Entropy attempted to flee but was cut off by the other heroes. The villain lashed out at the collective heroes, continually trying to escape but always being stopped. The battle raged on until Nightstalker/Entropy managed to escape the other heroes. He was unable to shake Shaman though. The mystic warrior’s hatred of Entropy pushed him to keep hounding the villain. But during the battle, Shaman attempted to once again reach into Nightstalker’s mind and attack his hated enemy directly. What he discovered chilled him to his core.
This wasn’t Entropy he was fighting. It was Nightstalker.
There was no trace of Entropy that he could detect. Shaman demanded answers. Nightstalker eventually informed him that during Entropy’s fight with Seraph, he had caught a glimpse of Entropy’s mind and his plan. The angels light had weakened Nightstalker enough to loosen his grip on Entropy. And Entropy had seen an opportunity. Free of his imprisonment in Nightstalker’s mind, he could take a new host. And there was a perfect one right before him.
Entropy’s goal was the complete and utter destruction of everything. And on this world he knew of one thing that was responsible for more death and destruction than almost anything.
Religion.
What better way to destroy these humans than to use an angel to motivate them to destroy each other. He would barely have to lift a finger. They would destroy each other in the name of their lord, should an angel tell them.
Entropy had abandoned Nightstalker for another. The voice in his head had been silenced. He would now whisper words of evil to a being of pure good. He would corrupt her and complete his goals of destruction and death with little more than beauty and faith.
Nightstalker informed Shaman that he had fled in fear. Now that Entropy was free, there was surely little preventing him from exacting revenge on his jailer, as he had promised. Why then had he attacked the heroes instead of informing them of this, demanded Shaman. Nightstalker, who had been a villain long before Entropy’s possession of his body had learned that the so called heroes rarely listened to or believed a word he said. And while he had done his best to contain Entropy and foil his plans, the spirit was now free and there was little if anything Nightstalker could do about it. All he could do was flee and attempt to secure his own freedom from the heroes and governments who would surely now try to imprison him for the atrocities Entropy forced him to commit.
Shaman took but a moment to consider the implications of what Nightstalker had just informed him before leaving him to be subdued and contained by the other heroes. He rushed back to Avalon to confront Seraph about these accusation.
Seraph naturally denied the allegations against her but Shaman was so confused and mentally strung out by the sheer hatred he had for the creature who had in the past forced him to commit heinous acts that he could barely think straight. His hatred ultimately got the better of him and he decided it was better to be safe than sorry. He attacked Seraph with his full might. He would subdue Seraph and sort everything out once she and Entropy had been contained. Seraph, hardly believing the audacity of this man, struck back
Seraph was widely considered one of the most powerful beings known to man and the true extent of her powers had yet to be determined. As they fought, Shaman grew increasingly paranoid about the horrific things Entropy could truly do with someone so powerful at his disposal. He himself contained massive mystical energies and did not hold back. The two fought tooth and nail until Seraph appeared to gain the upper hand. But Shaman, blinded by his hatred, would not allow Entropy to win. He could not allow it The fate of everything rested upon what he did here and now.
Releasing all of his stored magical energies into one last spell, Shaman let loose on Seraph and shut down her mind. Better safe than sorry.
The angel dropped to her knees and collapsed, unconscious.
One final blow came, not from Shaman or Seraph, but from the Keeper who had arrived just in time to see Shaman release his spell upon her one true friend. Still weak, she was unable to do any true damage but nonetheless struck with great force, sending Shaman flying. The Keeper rushed to Seraph’s side and tried to wake her. But she could not. Shaman’s spell had sent the angel into a coma like state. She demanded that Shaman reverse what he had done. He refused. So the Keeper tried herself. But she was still too weak to employ such a spell.
The Keeper was enraged.
She attacked Shaman and the two weakened magic users battled through the area around Avalon until Comet arrived and intervened, ending the battle by removing Shaman to safety. The Keeper returned to check on Seraph, only to find her gone. She was informed that the Freedom League had taken her. She raced to the League’s headquarters, demanding that they free Seraph immediately and allow the Keeper to wake her. The League tried to explain that they couldn’t do that. They couldn’t risk waking Seraph until they could determine if Nightstalker’s claims were true. Freeing Seraph with Entropy within her mind could be disastrous for everyone.
This only further enraged the Keeper. Then and there she declared Shaman and his allies in the League her enemies. They would pay for what they had done to Seraph. Every last one of them.
Over the weeks and months that followed, battles raged between the Keeper and Shaman, each employing their own allies in the fight for Seraph. The violence and destruction only increased and there were casualties on either side. Shaman, knowing that he was responsible for his friends being hurt, attempted to apologize to the Keeper and end the fighting. But she would not accept his apology. She did not want it. The only thing she wanted from Shaman now was Seraph. The one thing he could not give her.
Tragically, things only got worse.
One of the Keeper’s spells went tragically wrong and resulted in the death of Shaman’s beloved wife. The mystic warrior was heartbroken. The Keeper, never intending for innocent parties to be caught in the crossfire, attempted to apologize. With the roles now reversed, Shaman could only remember that he had given the Keeper the chance to end this already. If she had just accepted his apology, his wife would still be alive. The death of his love left only hate in Shaman’s heart. He would see the Keeper dead if it was the last thing he did. And the Keeper would not allow her friend to remain in such a purgatory. The war continued.
Some time later, in a desperate attempt to stop the bloodshed, Comet confronted Nightstalker, now in AEGIS custody. Something had felt wrong about this since the very beginning but he had been too distracted by the fighting among his friends that he failed to recognize it. His suspicions were confirmed by a sinister laugh that chilled him to his very core.
This was not Nightstalker. This was Entropy!
With malicious glee, Entropy revealed his plot to his hated enemy, Comet. He had fooled everyone. He knew the Keeper would detect him in the shadows. He intended it. He planned to draw her into a fight and infect her with a spell. He planned to draw out Seraph to weaken the brat Nightstalker. He planted the plan in Nightstalker’s mind and kept quiet, knowing full well that the simpleton would believe he had been freed of his possessor. He knew that Nightstalker would reveal this plan to Shaman and that Shaman’s anger and hatred would push him to attack Seraph. He had not simply infected the Keeper with a weakening spell. He had infected her with emotion. The normally stoic Keeper now felt every emotion tenfold. Her anger at Shaman pushed her to strike at him with everything she had, even at the expense of logic. Entropy planned to have two of this worlds most powerful beings tear each other apart. They would destroy one another and take this world with them.
And even if his master plan failed, there was still the cherry on top of Nightstalker being imprisoned. If he knew these simpleton humans as well as he thought, they would surely attempt to extract him from the meat-bag in some form or fashion, overconfident in their skill. And if that didn’t work then maybe the imprisonment would weaken Nightstalker enough for Entropy to free himself. He swore to Comet that one way or another he would have his revenge on this world. He swore that everyone Comet knew and loved would die in fire and thunder.
Comet was disgusted by the deviousness of this being who had arrived on earth with him. He felt guilty for unleashing this monster. But at least now he knew the truth. He could inform the others of this and end this war. Entropy only laughed again. Even if they believed him, it was already too late.
The dye had been set and blood had been shed.
Shaman and the Keeper had committed acts upon each other that neither could forgive. They would fight each other until one or both of them were dead or they destroyed the world in the process. There was nothing Comet could do to stop it now.
The magic wars had begun.
The end would soon follow.
@Vampyrist said:
That is some seriously awesome storytelling right there!
Thank you. I’m glad you like it. It took forever to type the bloody thing.
I should really learn to proofread long stories like that before I post them. There were so many typos!Very nice story and character with the Keeper.
@JR19759 said:
@Anarchangel said:
(I like to think MadJack was thinking of me and my love of bugs when he included those insect wings…Probably not.)You mean you didn’t telepathically nudge him in the right direction like I did with the angel wings?!
So, that was this buzzing sound in my head! I knew there was something going on …
Really love your new version of Dragonfly! I’d like to see a “buddyfight” between him and my version of Red Bee, whom I’ll present to you later this day in my own thread…
@Mad Jack said:
So, that was this buzzing sound in my head! I knew there was something going on …It was Dragonfly, buzzing in your ear, planting subliminal messages
@Mad Jack said:
Really love your new version of Dragonfly! I’d like to see a “buddyfight” between him and my version of Red Bee, whom I’ll present to you later this day in my own thread…I’m looking forward to it. I love a good insect character.
You know I’ve always liked Seraph but looking at her original design compared to the new one, I can see how awful the first one was. I wonder how many other characters are lurking around here that could benefit from a makeover. Prowler springs to mind.
The character of Red Star began, like Ricochet, as little more than a name included in another characters back story. A friend came up with the general idea for the character and named her “Red Star” after a type of bird. I typed up a short bio for her and we chucked it in the list of characters I’m working off of now with these creations.
It wasn’t until I randomly chose Red Star as my next heromachine project that I decided to actually do a little research and discovered that my friend had gotten the name of the bird wrong. It’s actually known as the Redstart. But by this time the character was already Red Star in my name.
I just thought I’d include this little story in case any of you knew anything about the Redstart. I do know that we made a mistake but I’m ok with it.
Anyway, here’s the rookie hero Red Star.
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