History:
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Knights:
Hawken Knights: Knights with Hawk-like armor, extendible metal hawk wings
--Hawken Knight transformation has the wings extend from the armor, light protection chain armor extend to boots and gauntlets, providing some protection for the arms and legs, and a helmet resembling a hawk’s head with the upper beak jutting out at the forehead level. A lower beak is absent. The wings extend enough for limited gliding and can also be wrapped around and crossed in front of the knight providing stronger defense against attacks. The Hawken armor is the weakest, and the Hawken Knights the lowest of the four classes, but the armor is also the basis for all other armors except the Holy Knight armor, and the oldest class of the three others as a result. Holy Knight armor is the oldest… Hawken Knight armor comes in a verity of colors and base designs, but they all have those traits common. The wings are solid, not transparent, and usually match the base armor color.

Eagle Knights: Knights with Eagle-like armor, feathered eagle wings which are natural
--The youngest of the four armors and classes, Eagle Knights are seasoned veteran Hawken Knights. Eagle armor is usually white or gold, but other color variations exist. When transformed, their wings extend just like the other armors. The wings are feathered and almost alive, feathered, and most are the color and texture of natural eagle wings, though a bit bigger. Due to them being lighter and more natural, Eagle Knights in their transformed state can actually fly, albeit they are limited in altitude. Eagle Knights fight with an air of nobility and almost always fight helmetless, most wear a headband matching the color of their suit, some wear helmets, but neither is part of the armor. Eagle armor is also the lightest and quickest, allowing much higher agility and speed in combat or any other test of dexterity. Though lighter, Eagle armor is also tougher then Hawken armor, except the wings. Using the wings for defense does work, but not as effectively. However, their wings seem to be able to deflect some attacks, along with the lighter armor allowing the knight to dodge attacks easier, and being able to flap and stir up wind make this armor class destinctly different from that of the Hawken Knights.

Dragon Knights: Knights with Dragon-like armor, metal dragon wings
--Dragon Knights have two transformations. One is their normal armor power-up. In this stage, their armor extends a helmet in the form of a dragon’s head with an open mouth for the person’s head and armored collapsible scales extending over the legs and arms to the gauntlets and boots. Also, wings extend from the slits in the back, metal, but dragonic looking, and transparent in alternating plates of gold and the elemental color. The armors also have the capacity to transform into a full sized dragon, but must first be in the first transformed stage and have a catalyst, a special crystal. The way the crystals work is they charge over time. They can also be instantly and fully charged in special few places in the world. Each time the dragon transformation is done, it completely drains the crystal’s charge, requiring the crystal to be recharged before being usable again. This limits the number of transformations to the number of crystals in the Dragon Knight’s possession. One other thing, there are only six Dragon Knights at any time, though there are supposedly seven Dragon Knight armors… Dragon armor is older then Eagle, but the design is newer then Hawken…so says common knowledge. Each dragon armor is a different color, and when transformed into dragon state, that color corresponds to their “element”. E.g. Red for Fire, Blue for Water and Ice, ect. The dragon form is also in this same color. Oh, and as a final note, it is unknown how long the transformation can last. It partially depends on what the knight does, and can also be canceled by the knight prematurely if he feels the need. There is a lot not known about Dragon Knights, so unless you see one doing something with your own eyes, take all you might hear with a grain of salt.

Holy Knights: High Knights of the most holy order, no wings…known…
--Holy Knights are the oldest of all armors by far. They weren’t built or created, but rather, legend has they were given. Much is lost to myth, but the facts are, they have no wings, there are only three in existence, making this the rarest of all armors, the three are Gold, Silver, and Copper in color, they have never been seen with wings, and they have no transformations. They are the most powerful of all armors defensively, and yet to the wearer, they seem light, allowing them to move, run, jump, dodge, all sorts of things, with ease. They have special power not available to any other knights, naturally. They have been seen to exhibit great powers and skills, but they aren’t seen often. It is thought that Holy Knights seek out a replacement amongst Hawken and Eagle Knights when they feel close to death, train the replacement, and then, finally, die, allowing the replacement to have the armor. How exactly this is accomplished is unknown, but it is also believed that Holy armor needn’t be given to one that has been a knight in any form. After all, they existed before the other knight classes of Immaria. Very little is truly known about the Holy Knights, I should make that perfectly clear, and their true capabilities are also unknown.

Steps echoed in the dim alley, its brick walls and cobblestone base lit only by the dim pit fires created by the beggars and vagrants in their rags. A few coughs and sniffles from the cold and the sick made noise enough, but the alley was mostly quiet.

He pulled his brown hood back, his brown hair lit red as it caught the firelight. He spread his fingers as he stretched his hands before the firelight, his hands pulling from his too short sleeves, his finger-less leather gloves getting warmer as they absorbed the heat from the small fire. He sniffed, the cold air’s chill surrounding his now exposed ears and cheeks. The image of the fire danced in his brown eyes, filling them with orange light. His youthful face was tired, but warmed by the heat and orange light of the fire. He rubbed his chin against his cloak against his right shoulder, lightly scratching the short whiskers of his unshaved right cheak.

“Er now! That’s our fire!”

He was spun about as a strong hand took hold of his shoulder and whirled him around. He faced three men, all in dirty, raged clothes and brown cloaks with numerous patches. He was quiet as he pulled back from them, stepping around the fire. He flipped his hood back over his head and turned away. As he walked down the alley, he could hear their steps behind him.

“Whot’s tha matter? You used our fire, you gotta pay us now.”

He continued to walk, though he cracked his knuckles. He heard their steps speed up against the cobblestone, so he stopped. Their steps did as well. He turned.

“Leave me be, I have nothing against such as you.”

“Heh hey, he be thinkin’ he’s one of them there-“

“Aye, he does. Mayhaps we should show em’ whot happens to them what cross us.”

Two of the men drew clubs of wood from their cloaks. The young one nodded.

“So be it…”

His cloak was flung back and his right arm reached over his shoulder for the end of a spear, grasping it just below the point. Pulling the spear over his shoulder he spun it in his fingers. With the butt end, he swung it forward, driving it into the nearest man’s stomach with a sickening thud, and then whirling the other end so it shot across at the other man just above where he gripped his club.

“Haw haw! You missed, ye did!” He yelled, brandishing the club. But as he did, the longer end of it fell off and clattered to the cobblestones below, just above the man’s griping hand. His jaw dropped.

Twirling the spear with two quick motions, he caught his cloak with one end and tossed it into the air, at the same time returning the spear to the sheath along his back. His cloak fell around and he placed his arms through the sleeves. He nodded to the third man as he pulled the hood back over his head and then turned and walked away. Perhaps he could find warmth elsewhere…

“…ohhhh…uhh…what…oh!”

He pushed himself off of whatever he had been laying on, but he was a little weak and his right arm gave way, causing him to fall back to his side.

“Blast it…”

His muscles ached and he felt a lump on the back of his head. He blinked his eyes several times before they would stay open. He was laying on a small, lumpy cot which had an obnoxious musty stench. The room was made of wood, walls, plank floors, and ceiling. The wood was all more or less identical. There were a few crates stacked in the corner that his eyes were looking at when he first opened them. The light provided for the small room came from two round windows on the wall his feet were facing.

He sat up, slower this time, and continued looking about the room. In the center was a table with a candle stand carved in the middle, within which a wax candle rested. It wasn’t lit. On the left wall from where he sat was a heavy door, and opposite that were the two windows spaced along the wall. On the far end from him was a two level bunk bed made with the same cushions as the lumpy cot he sat on. The whole room seemed to rock and creak. For a moment, he thought it was his mind, still numb from the lump, but soon he realized that the room was indeed rocking, and the boards indeed creaking.

He stood up slowly, still a little woozy, and walked to the door. He found it had no handle, and both pushing and pulling on it met with no success.

“…must be bolted from the outside…”

He looked it over for any crack large enough to see through, but there were none. He turned around and faced the windows for a moment. The light from the windows reflected off of the dull red of the armored vest he wore. Having not been polished and lightly covered with dust, it did not gleam in the light as it should. The vest was peculiar in itself. It did not seem to have fastening nor belts holding it on, no openings or scales for piercing weapons to get to, and along the back, over his shoulder blades, were two slots cut into the armor and a scabbard slung across the back diagonally between the slots, set into the vest. Beyond that, he wore leather pants and a matching cloak, both dull shades of brown, with metal boots made of the same red metal of the vest, padded on the inside, of course, and likewise, gauntlets made in the same vein and color. His eyes were a piercing gray and his hair was black. He had a scar across his left cheek that had a smaller secondary cut that crossed it making it a deformed X. He had several other minor scars on his arms between the end of his sleeves and the gauntlets, but nothing that had been serious.

He walked toward the window on the right, detecting the fresh scent of a fall day outside. The two windows were small and round, having a matching shaped glass cover on hinges connected to one side and swung open. He got to the window and looked out. He gasped.

“This is no ordinary ship…I’m not on a ship sailing the seas, this ship sails the skies!”

Out the window he did not see surf and waves, he saw birds and clouds, and far below he saw vast stretches of blue, tan, and green of the sea, beach, and grassy plain. He was in something he had only heard legends about, he was a captive on an airship! His eyes looked above him and caught sight of an outcropping of the deck where a spire tapered to a point above which was mounted a massive whirling shard of metal, though it looked more like a disk because of its speed.

A flock of sea gulls flapped their wings as they moved out of the way of the ship and it passed through the flock. They squawked their indignation as the ship’s bow parted them and they were left behind.

A hard rapping against the wooden door followed by the sound of a heavy latch being pulled caused him to turn and look at the door. It opened revealing a dim hall beyond, but just to the wall on the far side three feet from the door. Standing in the doorway was a man, and another was just beyond him in the hall. The lead man wore a brown leather vest over a dull red shirt and blue cloth pants. He had heavy black boots as well. As he stepped into the room, his features became visible. He had dull red eyes and fire red hair situated on his deeply tanned face. He also had light brown stubble across his chin and cheeks. His muscled arms were also deeply tanned.

His companion stayed behind him, but he appeared to be wearing clothes of varying shades of blue. He wore shorts, a short sleeve shirt, and a vest, the vest and shorts the same shade, the shirt was lighter. He had a red bandanna covering the top of his head, but his sandy hair still stuck under the edges of it. In the dim hall, nothing else could be seen clear enough.

“Who are you? I demand to know who my abductors are!”

“Abductors? We rescued you, ya dolt.”

The man in the red armored vest narrowed his eyes.

“My question still stands. Who are you?”

“And why should we tell you? You’re not exactly in a position to be making demands. We have some questions for you, now that you’re awake. We wanna know what you were doing in Annandoria.”

“Annandoria? I have traveled all the land of Immaria and into the realms of darkness beyond and never have I heard of such a place.”

“Immaria?” The other man asked. “I’ve never heard of it. You seem to be confused, mister…?”

“Sir. Sir Blue Hawk, Hawken Knight of Immaria. And it is you who are confused. How could you not know of Immaria?”

“Nice title, but not very helpful. I tell you, I have never heard of any Immaria. Annandoria is the ancient ruin of a city from long ago. There is little living for miles around, and no towns or cities anywhere near. There are many thieves that have tried to loot the place and treasure hunters as well. We consider it a sacred place, but some would kill you if they found you there, we would not. We found you inside of a building just after it collapsed. If you tell us the truth, we will not hurt you. We just want to know what you were after. What did you take?”

“Nothing! I am a knight, not a thief! The last thing I remember before I woke up here…I was…I was…”

“You were what? Were you looking, or stealing?”

“Neither. I was fighting.”

“Fighting? Fighting whom?”

“I…I don’t know what they were. They were evil and dark. Fast, deadly. Only the knights stood a chance against them. The people were running, the royal guards were dying…I was left alone to protect Prince…Prince Arnin! What happened to him?! What have you done with him?!”

The man in the doorway arched an eyebrow, but remained silent. The other man spoke.

“You were the only one we found, and I find your story…lacking. If you’re going to lie, make it something believable, at least.”

“I’m not lying!”

“Well, we found you and there was no sign of a battle or a prince. If you don’t want to tell us the truth, we’ll just leave you in here a while until you do.”

“Prince Arnin…”

The two men sighed and then stepped back through the door.

“Wait…on my honor as a knight, that is the truth. I do not know how I came to this…Annandoria, but surly you can see I have nothing from there. I took nothing of value to you or anything that would defile your sacred place.”

“Yes, we know. But how do we know you weren’t planning to steal something?”

“I am a knight.”

“Not a very good answer.”

“You said there were no towns or cities near, yet I have no stead nor ship nor method of travel of any kind for a long journey. If I came there of my own accord to steal something, would I not have some method to get back with it?”

The other two men looked at each other for a moment. The one that had been speaking nodded to the other.

“You have a point, but you could have been waiting on someone. But we didn’t find anyone else in the area either, so at least that much is true. But if you weren’t there on your own, or at least of your own choice, where were you doing there.”

“I do not know. The last thing I remember…” Several images of darkness, creatures, deeds, thunder…flashed through his mind.

“Yes?”

Blue Hawk shook his head. “I have no knowledge of how I arrived at your ruins, so I have no understanding of why I would be there…”

The other man thought for a moment.

“All right. I believe you, you honestly don’t know. Well, that was a fruitless conversation, wasn’t it?”

“If I may ask, who are you two? And this…ship? I have never seen a ship that could sail the skies! I have heard tales, but I thought they were legends, myth. How is this possible?”

The two looked at each other. The one that had been speaking looked back at Blue Hawk.

“My name is Reman, and this is Drake. But…what do you mean, you’ve never seen an airship? They’re everywhere. Everywhere except the Zirach.”

“Zirach?”

“It’s…kinda hard to explain. The Zirach is an area of darkness. It is a mass of noxious fume and venomous gas. If you try to enter it by ship, either sea or air, well, from the few who have ever made it back, it was either fatal or had driven them insane. The few still alive mumble and scream. There is nothing there. Nothing we would call life, anyway.”

“The Zirach…”

“Well, is there anything we can call you? Sir Blue Hawk is kinda long, isn’t it?”

“Davis. Edric Davisson, actually.”

“What’s that?”

“That is my name!”

“All right, Edric Davisson, Blue Hawk…Edric?”

“That will be…adequate…”

“Alrighty. Edric, follow me and I’ll take you above deck. Maybe you’d like to see the ship from the outside.”

Reman motioned for Edric to follow him down the dim hall, and Drake followed quietly behind. Edric was confused, how did he arrive in such a place that they had never heard of Immaria? At the end of the hall was an equally dim stair. They went up three flights and exited into a small hallway. At the end of the hallway was a door with a round window in it. Reman opened the door and the three stepped outside into the light.