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This is the tale of a legend, a hero, and someday possibly a myth. Many Barbarians of the Nexus and myself were honored to have the company of a great Brother for quite a long time. MPython, The Serpent Lord, rests in peace now. If his rest is eternal, only the gods know. This is MPython's brave tale of how he obtained the title "The Serpent Lord." He once told me this story, and I am honored to retell it to you.
Wolven Scribe Angelicus
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*~Tale of The Serpent Lord~*
I
He was born roughly 30 to 34 years ago, to a tribe of wandering Barbarians whose totem animal was the Turtle, so naturally, they were more defensive than offensive. This tribe generally had a thicker skin than normal, figuratively of course. MPython's tribe was callous, brash, and generally 'thick-headed' and were immune to almost any form of insult. When MPython was a babe, his mother, Ote Maoreson, and his father, Sheni Maoreson, were devout members of the tribe. He witnessed unspeakable scenes of violence, as the tribe raided town after town, city after city, killing thousands... In the fashion of Genghis Khan, and his Mongol hordes. When he was a young child of about eight, he began participating in these raids on neighboring villages. Granted, his contributions were minimal, but he learned much; specifically how to anger and dishonor people.
Eventually, MPython's tribe settled down in the Serpent Valley, west of here along the border between Han and Shilla. It was a beautiful place, vastly superior to the Wilderness of today, but in some ways inferior to the Vale. In his late adolescence he went on a voyage of discovery, hoping to master his inner rage, and be able to focus it like the ancient Dragon tribes of the Western Kingdoms. His quest ended in failure and MPython wished to return to his Wife for carnal reasons. Approaching the camp, his sense of smell was assailed by the stench of blood and sweat. This being usual for training in the camp, he thought nothing of it. As he walked cautiously through the camp, wary of the ambushes that signalled us 'Training,' MPython noticed little things: hair here, a discarded weapon there, a spatter of blood here, an internal organ there, hidden beside a barrel of wine. With concern slowly rising up, he hurried to his tent, and entered.....to see his wife bent over the stove, with a claw having cleaved her skull in twain. Her blood still flowing...still warm. This had to have happened recently, ten to twenty minutes ago at most. While her blood pooled at his feet, he searched with his eyes; they darted left, he saw his father's axe; they darted right, he saw his ancestral War Platemail of the Moon. Arming himself quickly, fitting himself into his family plate, he set off to track the beast who did this. MPython stalked slowly, stealthily, he tracked the beast, followed him. The aura of death was heavy, the air was damp with the blood he just devoured. He tracked this beast to a cave, and entered. He felt the cool rock, gliding over the stone floor, he entered a large room. This cavern held a waterfall about twenty feet above him, and he anticipated the ambush would come from there. Suddenly, he was slammed from behind. The beast had followed him in, tricked him into getting his back against the figurative wall. He was trapped; between him and the entrance, there was a Snake-like being. It's lower half being very serpentine, while it upper half resembled a cross between a Dragon, a Bear, and an Owl. It's mighty arms looked distinctly like tree trunks, and it appeared neckless.
"Greetingssssss," it said. "I am the Guardian of Ssssserpent Valley. You and your tribe have tressssspassssed here. For that, you shall pay dearly. I have desssstroyed your tribe. I have sssssent your family to meet Shunnyo. I am the Sssssserpent lord, and you will learn to die."
It was a particularly vicious battle, and the two beasts almost caused a cave-in, MPython would dodge an attack only to have his dodged as well......
MPython suffered many grave wounds, and he ran out of natural energy very quickly. He was forced to run on adrenaline, he was growing careless, furious. He began to focus his rage, he went Berserk, Danced like the Winds in debilitating attacks. Soon after he was physically and mentally beaten, he retreated into the waterfall to lick his wounds and focus. He focused all of his energy, though it was difficult in the mental state he was in. He was thinking like a jaguar, thinking like a snake. Unable to form a reasonable thought, he felt a burst of energy, and...be it from insanity, bravery, or stupidity, he assaulted the beast again with a renewed vigor. Still without his normal energies, he was focusing with every blow. Every blow that did not draw blood infuriated him more. Every strike that glanced the beast enhanced my rage. Every wound he received strengthened his resolve, and enhanced his will to destroy the monster. He thought of his father, of his mother, his wife, and his son; all dead at the hands of this beast. With a powerful blow he knocked off the Snake-Dragon's 'Tail.' He stood over this cretin, hefting his White moon Axe over his head, he grimaced at the beast, and brought the cleaver down with unerring accuracy. The mighty blow struck, but it did not kill the beast. MPython severed the beast's spine, so that it could never...ever do anything again! MPython's immortal revenge was served, and he collapsed, unconcious. He didn't know who found him in that dank cave, or what happened to the Serpent Lord, but he does know that he had the last laugh......
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Tale of The Serpent Lord,
Told by the great MPython, the first Lord of The Serpent,
Retold by Angelicus, the Wolven Scribe
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