What does a Hero Truly Need?
by: Zelkova48
Prologue: Defense of The Ancients
The magnificent world of Dota, a world overflowing with beautiful landscapes as far as the eye can see. From the misty Shadeshore ruins, to the blazing sands of the Scintillant Waste, or even the subtle Bleeding hills and treacherous Dark Reef prison, there is always something new to discover while exploring these widely diverse grounds.
The denizens of the world are of no exception as well when it comes to diversity. Dragons, goblins, time travelers, and mighty spirits are only among the few that walk the great world of Dota, with plenty more practically around ever corner and bend you would come across.
Yet with the whole of the world and it's people, it is not without conflict. War, disease, and natural disasters still ravage the land like any other world, and like any other world these are events that maintains balance between anarchy and harmony. The world of Dota is just another example of a continual cycle that tirelessly moves forward for good and for worse.
Yet there are those who are born from this cycle, the mightiest of heroes are products of the perpetual wheel. Be it a bastard son shunned by people around him, a rat of a being simply scrounging through ruins for a living, or an ambitious soldier who craves for the greatest of honor all rise above and beyond to become heroes in the eyes of others, and perhaps even in the eyes of the Ancients.
No one really knows about the Ancients, only the fact that they are older then the world of Dota itself. But one thing is certain about the them, they preserve the balance of the world. In a large field surround by hundreds upon hundreds of oak, willow, and pines trees is a massive battleground which houses the two gigantic Ancients. The battleground splits in half by a river indicating it's duality. On the left of the river is a lush and vibrant field blanketed by strong and healthy trees with thriving wildlife around every corner, Near the end of the field is a great monument literally sculpted by dazzling white stone surrounded by cherry blossoms and a massive fountain built into the mountain's waterfall. This is the side that represents benevolences and harmony, The Radiant.
On the right of the river is a land painted with scorched and decaying trees with a black and jagged earth from all the heat and magma boiling underneath, It is barely habitable with the exception of a few small adaptive creatures lurking about the battleground. Past all the ash and soot is the very heart of the land, a large jagged and burning obsidian obelisk stands jutting from the ground, lava and smoke escaping the planet through the corrupt tower. Behind all that is it's own twisted parody of it's counterparts fountain, a hastily and poorly crafted waterfall that spews out lava from all the cracks and holes on the side of the mountain. This is the side that represents malevolence and discord, The Dire.
This is where all the battles to maintain harmony and unity take place, heroes of all shapes and sizes worthy of battling the ancients are called upon by the omniscient forces behind the world. Through five on five combat they all gather and join forces for a single cause, maintaining order through chaos. It is a perfect system of balance throughout the world of Dota, the good can never win all the time and the evil will never prevail as often. Even those who speak for justice fight for the Dire from time to time, just as beings who wish for destruction fight for The Radiant.
As for the heroes who participate, there is no greater gain nor honor that can be achieved. As the hero count grew larger and larger with each cycle this has becomed known by all the participants as
"The Defense of the Ancients".