We open on a blue, peaceful sky with tufts of white cloud drifting lazily by.
A small brown dot upon the horizon growing ever closer. It becomes clear to us first that it is some kind of bird. As it draws closer and easier to define it is a majestic eagle. Its feathers glistening like bronze in the early morning sun.
As it glides past us the camera pans to follow it, trailing behind it we see the coastline of a large island, far, far beneath us. It’s a myriad of colors and shapes. Craggy outcroppings, rolling hills and fields and forests. And in the distance great mountains. The white and blue sails of a small number of ships and fishing boats visible even from this distance along the coast.
Superimposed above the landscape seemingly huge due to the perspective is our eagle. Gliding gently upon the wind and flapping its wings occasionally.
Suddenly, it goes into a dive and we come with it. Hurtling towards the ground so fast our perspective can’t keep up. Our eyes landing upon a hilly green landscape with a cold clear blue river twisting around the heights and valleys. It is breathtakingly beautiful.
Then our bird raises back into frame carrying not one but TWO massive salmon-like fish in its claws. Each nearly the size of the eagle. It’s flapping its wings hard but determined, fighting weight it should have no possibility of carrying but refusing to give up.
The Massive Spear of dark red material pierces its body. Like a bolt of lightning from a clear sky. And our Eagle begins to fall as do the fish from its limp claws.
We’re hurtling towards the ground now the wind rushing around us the skewered bird in center frame.
It chokes out a weak suprised noise with its final breath. The spear now in clear frame it is in fact not a spear but a massive arrow.
Which rapidly liquifies and twists around the entire eagle in a large cocoon-like shape.
A beat. Another second. And then Something. A shadow a dark shape BURSTS out of it. In a flash catching both fish and diving. As the much larger shape rises from the river below it is carrying thrice the bounty in it’s claws.
We see it clearer now. The eagle transformed. Two giant bat-like wings, a long feathered tail and two massive claws. It shrieks in victory as we look at it from above.
A dark shadow is suddenly cast above it. A truly MASSIVE shape blocking out the sun itself for miles around.
A massive draconic head leans down twisting it’s head slightly and huffs at the bird. As it pulls back a large humanoid shape on the dragon’s back becomes visible.
A man standing balanced on the dragons back and holding reigns. In a high-plumed war-helm like that of a centurion. His eyes like burning coals surrounded by ash and war-paint. His chest bare except for the full-grown bear-pelt slung across his shoulder. On him it looks like nothing more than the size of a scarf. Holding a gnarled wooden bow with a nooked darkred arrow that seems to drip slightly.
Ágrios, god of the Hunt. Grins at the once-eagle and its hard-earned bounty, his sharp and too long canines on display.
He ROARS in amusement, The once-eagle-now-more screeches in victory once again as does The Drake of Ágrios.
As it does God and Drake become translucent their movements neigh-imperceptible for but a moment and then they’re gone.
The bird flies swiftly, unbothered by the weight of its prey. Its clutch will eat well tonight.
It weaves across an open field a herd of horses galloping through below it. As we grow closer we see something else. Human bodies. Attached where the horses head would be. The centaurs are on the prowl, their muscular bodies firing arrows after some unseen prey.
The once-eagle beats its wings harder as we see a city, with chimnes and smoke, red banners, greek coloumns and airy houses mostly of white stone and a busy port.
We switch perspective to see it swiftly pass overhead in the background from the perspective of some dockworkers pulling a large black sea-serpent creature about 8 man long onto the land from one of the many boats.
It’s a Cetus. An uncommon but not unheard of haul though unusually large. It takes 10 men are pulling it with hooks and ropes and nets to get it moving. As a two guards a man with spear and shield and a black minotaur with a giant double-bladed axe watch on idly.
Suddenly it THRASHES breaking free, crushing one worker with a slap of its tail and snapping. It’s NOT DEAD.
The two guards spring to action with a battle cry. The minotaur wrenching the head down with brute strength and the man jumping off of him onto its head to start stabbing at it with a spear.
The Cetus HURLS the man into the ocean with one throw of its neck. Its headfins extending as it hisses at the minotaur.
Which suddenly turns to a gurgle as it chokes on black ichor. A gauntleted hand sticking out from its chest as an armored figure TEARS open the monster from the inside. Stepping outside of it as the Cetus gurgles and falls down with a heavy thud.
A moment of silence and confusion. Then the armored figure raises both blodied hands.
AHHH!!
AND THE DOCK ERUPTS IN VICTORIOUS SHOUTS! A LEGEND HAS ARRIVED!
Welcome players and friends to ÁTOPOS!
What will your legend be?