🏰 StrongHold Golem – BOSS FIGHT

Slab

Author: ! BrotherHanan 🌀 Lord of Kinetics !

Status: Complete

TaleSpire Version: EA - Chimera

Created On: April 25th, 2020

Last Updated: July 10th, 2022

Type: Creature, Single Structure

the years after the curator’s defeat
0 – 5

Terry retires his Gear Forged Power Plate Armor, leaving it behind in Mi Casa. He and Cinder go to Mina in Oar’s Rest, where she teaches Terry about painting, sculpture, and the fine arts, as he recovers from his battle trauma and wounds. They later settle down in Vale, his farming hometown in the hills to the West, and open a workshop where Mina constructs elaborate sculpture art, and Terry develops various mechanical items to advance Vale’s agriculture using special irrigation and other mechanical innovations. With the Curator and Ulthain now gone, Cinder’s mother, Morgantha, reunites with him and, so Cinder can live the life of a true dragon, they fly off to Mi Casa where they make their home. The Snoogs continue to meet annually at Mi Casa.
However, between these visits, with the Snoogs dispersed, goals resolved, and Cinder no longer with him, Terry begins to struggle with severe anxiety and night terrors. At first, this is alleviated by Mina’s wise words and comforting presence, but, as the years progress, the stress becomes anguish, and one night, he hears a familiar whisper. “Muuuuuuuurdeeeer….” Finally, ashamed and unable to cope, Terry retreats from his life with Mina, never to return, leaving behind only a letter. He spends nights terrorizing criminals as a vigilante enforcer of justice and takes on odd mercenary contracts. But finally, Terry finds himself at Hojo’s doorstep– wounded, heart broken, sleep deprived, and aimless.
5 – 10

Terry’s injuries afflict him at a physical and chemical level, and Hojo can see that his spiritual is unstable, exacerbated from having been so long separated from his dragon bond. Understanding this, Hojo takes time to help Terry to recover balance and find independence. Terry observes the adventurers in practice, and when he’s mustered the strength, begins participating in small jobs– and the light in his eyes is beginning to return. When Hojo finally deems it appropriate, he informs Terry that he’s earned the prestegious role of an Academy Instructor, so that his old friend may impart his unique and exceptional combat expertise to the upcoming generation of adventurers. However, Hojo keeps a watchful eye, as Terry’s displayed questionable conduct before.
In Terry’s unconventional teachings, he instructs each of his assigned pupils to select a partner who he deems their Bond and teaches each pair to fight cohesively, reading one anothers subtle cues to execute deadly coordinated tactics and techniques. Each party under Terry’s tutelage must also designate a leader who must bond with the leader of a sibling party. Terry teaches these parties to disrupt and control the battlefield, how to strategically distract, deflect, defend, and how to harmonize with their leader’s bonded party in larger skirmishes.
As Terry leads various parties in major operations and expeditions, and these groups climb the ranks, standing among some of the Academy’s most successful and famed adventurers. However, some of Terry’s practices don’t sit well with everybody. He heavily encourages his students to collaborate with Tinkersborough’s engineers to add practical enhancements, both to their student’s armor and their bodies. In training and on mission, he refers to his students as hunters, and the quarry, their prey—and his students have taken to this. And, eventually, he’d forgone the Adventuring Guild policies and employed his own personal code, which resulted in a number of brutal executions where mercy could have been shown.
After a grim mission, Hojo and Terry engaged in a heated debate, and Hojo recognizing something dark resurfacing in Terry, exiled him from The Adventuring Academy. But when Terry left, many of his students left with him. After that, Terry took on the title, Dragon Knight, and founded the mercenary guild known as The Golden Dragons.
15 – 20

At first, The Golden Dragons Guild was spoken of in hushed whispers, then the Bards shared song and tale about their grueling victories over wicked beasts and the entities that would do Valleria harm. Aspiring fighters from far and wide come to join the Golden Dragons, and upon passing the trials, they are assigned their Bond, and begin training. Before long, The Golden Dragons become a dangerous army for hire— a faction that commands the respect of every kingdom, as they repeatedly take on and overcome challenges that standard armies can’t handle or lack the courage to attempt…… or, for operations that must remain anonymous. Wulf and Gash, the exceptional daughter of Gnash, forged a dangerous Bond, and would become his Generals. And, pre-occupied, and too proud to face Hojo, Terry stopped showing up for Snoog reunions.
Their services are most often sought after by King Tirtius in East Cliff to help him gain a foothold in the barbarian wastes up North. Dragon Knight frequently finds himself coordinating efforts with Galmir RedRock, the dwarven commander he’d challenged and lost to, in single combat, many years ago. They’d become friends since then, though they would often butt heads about some ethical issues.
Knowing the Golden Dragons’ code forbade them from killing children, Tirtius instructed Terry to finally dismantle the last stand of the barbarian army, while Galmir’s forces invaded their, now helpless, largest cities. And at Tirtius’ command, slew every soul they found. Dragon Knight, understands that a soldier follows orders, and deemed King Tirtius responsible for the massacre, and he immediately traveled back to East Cliff and condemned cursed Tirtius that he would be erased from history for the shame his actions brought upon his kingdom, and that after his reign in this world, he would spend his eternity not in Valhalla, but in the Shadow Fey, reliving all of his many failures. Dragon Knight declared that the Golden Dragons no longer answer to King Tirtius, and walked out.
Infuriated, Tirtius, swore to have Dragon Knight killed for insulting him so publicly, in his own court. However, he feared that in a time of dire need, the mighty dragons of Mi Casa would come to Dragon Knight’s aid. So, he ordered Galmir and his forces stationed in the arctic badlands to storm Mi Casa, and slay the dragons in a surprise attack.
They attacked at a time they knew Dragon Knight was half a continent away. Yet, for the first time in years, Terry sensed Cinder in distress, then felt his pain, and experienced Cinder’s fear— and suddenly, all connection was gone. Terry, having this part of his soul ripped from him, suffered a heart attack, and fell into a coma.
20 – 25

Dragon Knight awoke months later, in the infirmary of Mi Casa. He discovered that when Wulf and Gash learned what had happened, they led the Golden Dragons in a siege to take back Mi Casa and the surrounding region from Tirtius’ forces. They were in the process of repairing the walls, and training their troops. They reported that the East Cliff military had killed all Mi Casa residents, and that the Dragons were not found…. but the East Cliff markets were putting on parades and celebrating as they had recovered a dragon’s horde, and their economy was enjoying trading exotic golden dragon scales and giant dragon bones as durable as adamantine.
Dragon Knight wandered the empty upper halls of what was once Cinder’s home—and a sanctuary to the Snoogs. Until he arrived in the art gallery, where a set of Black Armor loomed. Dragon Knight donned the armor, and once again hears the whisper…. “muuuuurdeeeeeer.” That very day, Dragon Knight trekked down into the Shadow Fey with his prized fighters, and stormed through the Undead Keep. He destroyed to undead sovereign of that castle and all his subjects to make room for the new cursed king, his generals, and the cowards who follow them.
Once satisfied, he marched his armies to the walls of East Cliff, and challenged Gilamar, their standing champion, once again to a duel—this time to the death. Dragon Knight slew his opponent, with both armies as witnesses, and in a show of grit and might, earned the right to decide East Cliff’s new ruler. He strode into Tirtius’ council chamber, lifted him from him from his throne by the head, pressing both thumbs in Tirtius’ eyes, and whispering to him—“You wish to introduce children to this war, good KING!? Then I will oblige you. Your legacy ends today.” He then pulled the skull apart, splitting his head in two, and throwing it off the palace balcony. Soon after, the body of every descendant of Tirtius followed, thrown from the balcony to the streets below, for all to see. Dragon Knight glared over the horrified crowd and watched announced to the people.
“Rejoice East Cliff—I have liberated you from a cycle of incompetent rulers, and I offer you the gift of agency! No more will you scramble to satisfy the whims those who hold a sword at your throat. I have seen kingdoms and councils from Valleria to the realms beyond, and have observed their faults and follies. And it has become clear to me that only one form of leadership will ever be good. Look to your cousins in the mountains—Tinkersborough has devised a way for you, the people, to determine your destinies. They call it Democracy. I now place the power of democracy into your hands, and I hereby declare war on true tyranny. No more the most violent rule— you will choose your leader, and I will enforce their power. Then, I will bring this gift to every nation in Valleria. No undeserving aristocrat, nor royal imbecile will ever inherit your destiny again. Rejoice East Cliff, and revel in taste of new freedom!”
Next, I will free the Elven Forest from the shadow of their Elder Druid. Under her oversight, they were nearly decimated in a civil war. Centuries old, and yet she’s remained embedded in their Will Tree, never learning a thing about the world beyond. Yet she holds the final say in all major decisions. This is the foolishness that failed to dissolve the civil war before it had cost them countless innocent lives.