Lukas Wermort

Backstory - WIP

• Foreword

  For sake of convenience, I thought it would be best Lukas' backstory here on RP Repository. At time of writing, the full story hasn't been completed, but I will certainly update this page as new chapters come out!
  
  To stay up to date on this particular story or if you're interested in reading more stories by me, you can find them on my AO3 page at:
  https://archiveofourown.org/users/CorvusVonWolff/
  
  Thank you so much and I hope you enjoy!

• Chapter 1: Innistrad

  Air whizzed by his face, stinging his eyes. The dread feeling of a free-fall took hold of his body. And as the darkness began to encroach upon him, Lukas woke up with a start. His heart racing, he quickly sat up in his bed. The young man's eyes darted around, taking in the comforting and familiar surroundings of his room.
  
  Oh Sweet Sigarda, not another one, he thought to himself.
  
  He swung his legs around, his socked feet touching down on the cold wooden floor of his bedroom. Sighing, he rested his head in both his hands, taking a moment to collect himself. The morning sunlight filtered into his room though the curtains of the lone window in the room. A well-kept cello sat on a handmade stand in the corner of the room.
  
  "Lukas!" a shout came from below, "Get down here! Breakfast is ready!"
  
  Lukas' eyes shot to his bedside clock, his drowsiness suddenly evaporating upon hearing his father's voice. He had slept in. Jumping to his feet, he urgently threw on a casual outfit that lay conveniently on his desk chair.
  
  "Coming!" he cried, as he fumbled with the buttons of his shirt.
  
  Dashing down the stairs, Lukas turned a corner and rushed into the dining room. His parents and two siblings were seated around the table, waiting on Lukas to arrive. Sheepishly, he took his usual seat at the table, and the Wermorts began to dig into their breakfast. In addition to their usual poached eggs and bacon, the table was adorned with a small assortment of cured meats, jams, and freshly baked bread -- as was their weekend tradition. In the center of the table laid two kettles -- one for coffee and another for tea -- each sitting on top of a miniaturized, candle-powered brazier to keep them warm.
  Still a little embarrassed, Lukas poured himself a cup of tea to warm himself up.
  
  "Good morning, Lukas" his father stated somewhat wryly as he folded the town flyer he was reading, "Rough night?"
  
  "Y-yeah, I suppose you can say," he responded, trying to push the memory of his dreams out of his mind.
  
  "Did you have another nightmare?" asked Maria, the eldest of the Wermort siblings.
  
  "Oh no! I just was up late, er, polishing my cello," Lukas lied, sensing the concern in his sister's voice.
  
  "It is well and good that you take good care of it, but you shouldn't sacrifice your rest without good reason," his mother replied, "especially considering your frequent bad dreams."
  
  "Hrmf. What's the reason to worry about that? Dreams are dreams," Lukas' father said, "Everyone forgets them unless they're really weird, like that one I had where I was chasing-"
  
  "Abe, please. Not at the table," whispered Lukas' mother, quickly cutting off the father's story.
  
  "Right. Of course. Sorry, Claire," he sighed, as Sebastian -- the youngest Wermort sibling -- left out a small chuckle.
  
  As the Wermorts finished up their meal, Maria and Abraham went off to run errands, as the rest of the family cleaned up in the kitchen. Having nothing better to do after the washing up was done, the Wermort brothers departed for a customary weekend stroll. It was a crisp autumn afternoon in the Gavony countryside. The wind and sunlight danced upon the vibrant trees. The defensive town walls of Solsburg -- a trading town in Nearhearth -- looked proud and strong in the afternoon sun, ready to repel whatever creatures of the night dared to attack. It was a much needed reprieve from the oppressive, frightful atmosphere that was native to Innistrad.
  The brothers walked on, silently taking in the peaceful surroundings. Lukas -- as was his tendency -- was lost in thought.
  
  Maria seemed rather tired this morning, he thought, I wonder what she's been up to...
  
  Being the eldest child, Maria was expected to take on the family trade of wine making, a mantle she eagerly took on. She was an attractive young woman with a dark cocoa complexion, much like their mother, but refused to take on suitors. She would largely spend her time with father, learning the ins and outs of wine making and selling, but Lukas could swear sometimes he'd see her sneaking off sometime at night.
  His train of thought left him as Sebastian suddenly poked him in the side beneath the ribs, making Lukas jump with a yelp. His reaction caused Sebastian to erupt with laughter.
  
  "Don't do that!" Lukas chided.
  
  "But it's too funny not to!" his brother laughed, "I wanted to get one last little prank in before I leave for Thraben tomorrow!"
  
  With a huff and a harumph, Lukas stuffed his hands in his pockets and continued to march down the path as Sebastian giggled. Lukas' train of thought shifted focus from his elder sister to his younger brother. Haven taken after their father, Sebastian had a much lighter complexion than his two older siblings, but he also seemed to inherit his mother's love of teasing and jests. Despite his lighthearted disposition and seeming immaturity, Sebastian was somehow a serious contender for the priesthood: a fact that continued to befuddle Lukas for quite some time.
  After perhaps half an hour of walking, the two turned around and started headed back towards town. The air was a little bit cooler, and the setting sun began to paint the sky in an array of beautiful colors. Despite the pleasant surroundings, Sebastian looked taciturn, as though something was on his mind but he was struggling to put it into words.
  
  "Luk," Sebastian began tentatively, "Why don't you come with me back to Thraben? Master Alfred said that you have some real potential to-"
  
  "Seb, you of all people should know I have no interest in going back," Lukas interjected, "I'm needed here where I can help people."
  
  "B-but, now that the Archangel Avacyn has returned, her heavenly host is able to protect us!"
  
  "Which is all the more reason for me to stay! Solsburg still need cathars who can come to her aid on a moment's notice! No means no and that's final!"
  
  Seeing that he couldn't change his brother's mind, Sebastian sighed in defeat. The two trudged back to town just as the sun began to settle on the western horizon. As the brothers crossed the threshold to the town, the town gates were shut behind them, a great wooden barrier between the townsfolk and whatever lurked in the dark of the night.

• Chapter 2: A Waking Nightmare

  As night fell, the bells of the Church of Alabaster Light rang out in the dark gloom. Throughout the town streets, a light fog spread across the roads and alleyways of the humble trading town. Save for some town guards and a few drunks staggering home from a debauch at the local pub, very few lingered on those late night streets. It was a fairly usual night for Lukas, as he patrolled those misty lanes. The air was cold and Lukas was obliged to carry a lantern in order to peer through the fog. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary thankfully, and he completed his circuit without any hassle. However, rather than returning back to the guard station for a brief respite as usual, Lukas was tasked with another duty this evening. One only inspired absolute dread in his very soul.
  Soon enough, he arrived at the base of the decrepit old watchtower. With a knowing nod to the guard who had previously filled that post, he looked up the staircase to the tower's loft. A cold chill crawled up his spine.
  
  It's fine. It's fine. It's fine, he reassured himself as he climbed the rickety old staircase, You've done this before, you don't have to worry.
  
  As he reached to upper most floor of the tower, Lukas shut the door to the staircase behind him and kept his back to the relatively sturdy wall as he caught his breath. Collecting himself, he hung his lantern on a convenient hook, and set about his duties, all the while trying not to notice the prodigious height at which he now stood. He rocked on his heels anxiously and occasionally muttered to himself, just trying to pass the time in that ancient watchtower. Lukas' thoughts turned to his previous conversation with Sebastian, sending a pang of guilt into his chest.
  
  Maybe I was a bit too harsh with Sebastian, he thought, I mean, he didn't mean any harm after all...
  
  Lost in his thoughts, the young cathar was then startled by a faint white light, coming from out of the distance to the East. He turned quickly and spied two figures flying in the night sky. One was unmistakably an angel, serene and graceful, but the other looked much more like a human, glowing ethereally in the light of the stars and spectral moon.
  Overcome by his curiosity, stepped closer towards the edge of the tower's ramparts. Onto woodwork that had seen too much abuse throughout the years.
  With a sickening crack, the wooden floor beneath the Lukas' feet split.
  
  And Lukas plummeted from the tower.
  
  His mind raced. Everything was happening all at once. The cobblestone streets fast approaching. For a brief, fleeting moment, Lukas thought he saw a bright flash.
  
  And then darkness filled his vision.