Morningstar was one of the first characters I wrote the lore for (though not THE first). I had the idea for Morningstar to be a reference to Lucifer (of Biblical fame) which I'm sure is very obvious to anyone even tangentially familiar with the story of his fall. Morningstar is one of the most important characters in the lore, being the one who ultimately lands the killing blow on the Dark Lord (see The Fall from last week), but his story is simply an easy introduction to the broader narrative - a narrative in which he plays a relatively small part.
I'm hoping to sort of reveal these in a way that slowly peels back the layers of connectivity that I've tried to build into the individual stories, starting with everyone's favorite fallen angel, Morningstar.
Hope you enjoy,
Cheers,
Bobby Dillon
Co-Founder, Dystopic Entertainment
I'm hoping to sort of reveal these in a way that slowly peels back the layers of connectivity that I've tried to build into the individual stories, starting with everyone's favorite fallen angel, Morningstar.
Hope you enjoy,
Cheers,
Bobby Dillon
Co-Founder, Dystopic Entertainment
Morningstar, the Fallen
He thrust forward with all remaining strength, piercing through the Dark Lord and fell to his knees, screaming. Rage, fear, pain, and hatred burst forth from his piercing shout. The fury of this rush of emotion blinded him. He had never felt such as this – as though a piece of him had suddenly been torn from his being.
The pain wracked his body, paralyzing him. He fell prone, unable to pick himself up. The gathered demons, remnants of the Dark Lord’s fell host broke the silence, issuing forth a collective, guttural shout as if mourning their fallen Lord. They set upon Morningstar with wild abandon, tearing his armor from his body before setting their claws upon his skin.
Morningstar felt nothing but pain, saw nothing but darkness, and heard nothing but the fearsome, angry cries of the demons, furiously thrashing at his body with claw, tooth and sword, slicing and ripping into his wings – a pain as he had never known before. They gathered him up and threw him from the Eye. He fell, tumbled from the Olympian height, broken and bloody as the Demons lifted above their heads the remains of their liege.
The proud Angel of Morning faded from consciousness.
*******
“Your boldness is your downfall, Morningstar. You presume to wrest command from this council and take it for yourself – for what purpose? It will serve none but your own pride. Or do you simply seek to be free from oversight, free from accountability?”
Morningstar held the collective gaze of the Radiant Council. A fire rose in his chest, burning his heart, fighting to be let forth. He would put them in their place, show them the truth.
He took a deep breath, steadied himself.
“You wear your emotions as plain as day Morningstar. We see right through you – the rage that builds at a moment’s notice, the fury that bubbles just below the surface. You are not fit to lead us. You are rash and arrogant. A fine general you are, but nothing more.”
“How can I be anything but when my every decision is run through the mill and every imperfection held up as an example of arrogance or pride or shame? You have made me thus, in your shortsightedness, in your collective inability to accept change. In your ignorance.”
“Watch your tongue, boy. Understand to whom you speak. We are not common soldiers for you to talk down to so. We are the collective wisdom and might of the Angels and you will respect us as such.”
“The Dark Lord will march upon us within the month – what good is your collective might and wisdom if it cannot see that. Are you all truly so blind?”
“No army has ever assailed our bastion at the Eye and breached the walls of our Holy Keep. It cannot be done, no matter how powerful the Dark Lord may be.”
Morningstar scoffed. “And you call me arrogant. You blind old fools dare to call me arrogant and rash, yet you cannot see the danger three inches from your nose.”
“This is your last warning, o ‘Angel of Morning,’” the Council sneered, speaking in one voice. “Do not think that your strength in combat or your tactical prowess make you indispensable to us. We have hundreds who would leap at the opportunity to take your place. You lead because we allow it. Do not forget that. You are dismissed.”
Morningstar felt as though he would burst with fury, his fists clenched and his jaw tight, as he turned from the council chambers.
*******
He didn't know how far he had fallen, nor how long he had lain in a heap on the ledge overlooking the snow-covered Frost Plains which still, despite his tumble, stretched out far below him.
His mind was aware of little beyond the hellish pain radiating from his open wounds and broken bones, though a groaning rumble, growing in volume and rattling the earth around him, made itself known.
With great pain, he looked up, toward the peak above the blackened clouds from which he had been thrown. A glow, the color of blood and fire, shone from the peak and a tenebrous shape appeared, slowly, as flames burst forth from the mountain, all around him, above and below. The mountain bled with molten, oozing fire as rock, soot and dirt spewed forth from the peak and the rumble grew, the earth itself bouncing under the angel's prone, broken body.
He faded from consciousness.
*******
Morningstar, bound and kneeling, addressed the Radiant Council, his pride never wavering.
“You refused to listen. So I took action while you talked. I made a decision that will win this war before it starts while you ponderous, antiquated fools stood by.”
“You defied our orders, putting an entire commando in danger. In turn, by doing so, you risk information vital to our very survival falling into the Dark Lord's hands.”
“But that is not what happened. Rather, I have acquired information as to the locations of each of the Dark Lord's closest advisers and done so quietly – they will never know we are coming, but we must move fast!”
“Your zeal and aggression have become too much of a risk. You clearly have no idea what you have risked by merely going beyond our Green Fields,” the Radiant Council spoke.
Morningstar, resigned, lowered his head. “What is your decision?”
“We do not make this decision lightly.”
“Tell me.”
“Exile.”
Morningstar stood rapidly and shattered his bonds with a deft movement, to the shock of the collected council members.
“I would rather you kill me. You know what awaits a lone Angel beyond our borders. You know the superstitious drivel the people believe. You know that demons have become bolder than ever before and roam in packs across the Land,” Morningstar pled furiously with the Council. “You can't do this to me, after all I've done for this Council, for our people, you would doom me to a fate worse than death?”
“We do not make this decision lightly. Do not pretend that you are guiltless here, Morningstar, we are not cruel, nor rash, nor unfair. Your own actions bring you to this. You have endangered us, defied us, deceived us and mocked us for the last time and no longer can we slap your wrist and send you back out. You have served us faithfully and well, this is true, though it in no way balances the scales. It will be exile.”
The building rage could no longer be contained. Morningstar, free of his bonds, launched himself at the council, screaming with rage. As he came within arm's reach a concussive blast knocked the wind from his lungs and launched him to the floor of the council chambers.
“Your true nature is no mystery to us, Angel of Morning. You cannot be controlled, you cannot be guided. You are no longer welcome in this Holy Keep, nor are you welcome within the borders of our Green Fields. Henceforth you are exiled under penalty of death.”
“You think my soldiers will just let you do this? They are loyal to me – not you.”
“Indeed, which is why they will share your fate. Be gone, Morningstar. Not without mourning do we do this. We held you in the highest esteem, once.”
*******
The heat pounded his skin, waking him. He took stock of his surroundings and understood that inaction meant death. Recent events flooded his mind. His exile commando slaughtered, along with the rest of his Angelic people. He thought on this and felt...
…nothing.
He sat up with extreme effort, grunting and yelling as wounds reopened.
His wings were useless in this state. Bloody, scratched, torn and shredded. He would not fly his way to safety.
Suddenly an urge, a calling, drew his gaze to the peak of the Eye. The tenebrous shape he had witnessed held his gaze. A chair? No, a throne – a throne of blood and fire.
He slowly turned away with great difficulty, wanting nothing more than to head toward the Dark Throne which had arisen above him. He knew, however, that he was in no shape to continue. He gingerly made his way down the mountain.
But he would recover his strength.
He would take this prize – his reward for slaughtering the Dark Lord like the vermin he was.
He deserved it.
He would return.
The pain wracked his body, paralyzing him. He fell prone, unable to pick himself up. The gathered demons, remnants of the Dark Lord’s fell host broke the silence, issuing forth a collective, guttural shout as if mourning their fallen Lord. They set upon Morningstar with wild abandon, tearing his armor from his body before setting their claws upon his skin.
Morningstar felt nothing but pain, saw nothing but darkness, and heard nothing but the fearsome, angry cries of the demons, furiously thrashing at his body with claw, tooth and sword, slicing and ripping into his wings – a pain as he had never known before. They gathered him up and threw him from the Eye. He fell, tumbled from the Olympian height, broken and bloody as the Demons lifted above their heads the remains of their liege.
The proud Angel of Morning faded from consciousness.
*******
“Your boldness is your downfall, Morningstar. You presume to wrest command from this council and take it for yourself – for what purpose? It will serve none but your own pride. Or do you simply seek to be free from oversight, free from accountability?”
Morningstar held the collective gaze of the Radiant Council. A fire rose in his chest, burning his heart, fighting to be let forth. He would put them in their place, show them the truth.
He took a deep breath, steadied himself.
“You wear your emotions as plain as day Morningstar. We see right through you – the rage that builds at a moment’s notice, the fury that bubbles just below the surface. You are not fit to lead us. You are rash and arrogant. A fine general you are, but nothing more.”
“How can I be anything but when my every decision is run through the mill and every imperfection held up as an example of arrogance or pride or shame? You have made me thus, in your shortsightedness, in your collective inability to accept change. In your ignorance.”
“Watch your tongue, boy. Understand to whom you speak. We are not common soldiers for you to talk down to so. We are the collective wisdom and might of the Angels and you will respect us as such.”
“The Dark Lord will march upon us within the month – what good is your collective might and wisdom if it cannot see that. Are you all truly so blind?”
“No army has ever assailed our bastion at the Eye and breached the walls of our Holy Keep. It cannot be done, no matter how powerful the Dark Lord may be.”
Morningstar scoffed. “And you call me arrogant. You blind old fools dare to call me arrogant and rash, yet you cannot see the danger three inches from your nose.”
“This is your last warning, o ‘Angel of Morning,’” the Council sneered, speaking in one voice. “Do not think that your strength in combat or your tactical prowess make you indispensable to us. We have hundreds who would leap at the opportunity to take your place. You lead because we allow it. Do not forget that. You are dismissed.”
Morningstar felt as though he would burst with fury, his fists clenched and his jaw tight, as he turned from the council chambers.
*******
He didn't know how far he had fallen, nor how long he had lain in a heap on the ledge overlooking the snow-covered Frost Plains which still, despite his tumble, stretched out far below him.
His mind was aware of little beyond the hellish pain radiating from his open wounds and broken bones, though a groaning rumble, growing in volume and rattling the earth around him, made itself known.
With great pain, he looked up, toward the peak above the blackened clouds from which he had been thrown. A glow, the color of blood and fire, shone from the peak and a tenebrous shape appeared, slowly, as flames burst forth from the mountain, all around him, above and below. The mountain bled with molten, oozing fire as rock, soot and dirt spewed forth from the peak and the rumble grew, the earth itself bouncing under the angel's prone, broken body.
He faded from consciousness.
*******
Morningstar, bound and kneeling, addressed the Radiant Council, his pride never wavering.
“You refused to listen. So I took action while you talked. I made a decision that will win this war before it starts while you ponderous, antiquated fools stood by.”
“You defied our orders, putting an entire commando in danger. In turn, by doing so, you risk information vital to our very survival falling into the Dark Lord's hands.”
“But that is not what happened. Rather, I have acquired information as to the locations of each of the Dark Lord's closest advisers and done so quietly – they will never know we are coming, but we must move fast!”
“Your zeal and aggression have become too much of a risk. You clearly have no idea what you have risked by merely going beyond our Green Fields,” the Radiant Council spoke.
Morningstar, resigned, lowered his head. “What is your decision?”
“We do not make this decision lightly.”
“Tell me.”
“Exile.”
Morningstar stood rapidly and shattered his bonds with a deft movement, to the shock of the collected council members.
“I would rather you kill me. You know what awaits a lone Angel beyond our borders. You know the superstitious drivel the people believe. You know that demons have become bolder than ever before and roam in packs across the Land,” Morningstar pled furiously with the Council. “You can't do this to me, after all I've done for this Council, for our people, you would doom me to a fate worse than death?”
“We do not make this decision lightly. Do not pretend that you are guiltless here, Morningstar, we are not cruel, nor rash, nor unfair. Your own actions bring you to this. You have endangered us, defied us, deceived us and mocked us for the last time and no longer can we slap your wrist and send you back out. You have served us faithfully and well, this is true, though it in no way balances the scales. It will be exile.”
The building rage could no longer be contained. Morningstar, free of his bonds, launched himself at the council, screaming with rage. As he came within arm's reach a concussive blast knocked the wind from his lungs and launched him to the floor of the council chambers.
“Your true nature is no mystery to us, Angel of Morning. You cannot be controlled, you cannot be guided. You are no longer welcome in this Holy Keep, nor are you welcome within the borders of our Green Fields. Henceforth you are exiled under penalty of death.”
“You think my soldiers will just let you do this? They are loyal to me – not you.”
“Indeed, which is why they will share your fate. Be gone, Morningstar. Not without mourning do we do this. We held you in the highest esteem, once.”
*******
The heat pounded his skin, waking him. He took stock of his surroundings and understood that inaction meant death. Recent events flooded his mind. His exile commando slaughtered, along with the rest of his Angelic people. He thought on this and felt...
…nothing.
He sat up with extreme effort, grunting and yelling as wounds reopened.
His wings were useless in this state. Bloody, scratched, torn and shredded. He would not fly his way to safety.
Suddenly an urge, a calling, drew his gaze to the peak of the Eye. The tenebrous shape he had witnessed held his gaze. A chair? No, a throne – a throne of blood and fire.
He slowly turned away with great difficulty, wanting nothing more than to head toward the Dark Throne which had arisen above him. He knew, however, that he was in no shape to continue. He gingerly made his way down the mountain.
But he would recover his strength.
He would take this prize – his reward for slaughtering the Dark Lord like the vermin he was.
He deserved it.
He would return.
