RuneScape Forum Archive | ^+^ Onslaught ^+^

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

Forum Moderator Posts: 9,861 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

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Chapter 7
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“The sickness will not die from the lightning, however. We had found this out the hard way. That’s where the next secret of survival comes in. It must be burned out by the Divine Flame in order to proceed to the next stage of the counter attack.”

~Skarjil Datashade Glyph [Lore]: Survival IV
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A shadow passed between the small beams of light which pervaded the darkened warehouse. The form landed rather haphazardly on a ceiling beam overlooking what was supposed to be one massive storage area, and steadied itself quickly enough to keep from falling to the ground below. Which was a good thing, because for once the warehouse was full of people milling about random tasks, which wouldn’t be too odd if it wasn’t for the fact that the warehouse had been abandoned for at least twenty years after the original owner had left Varrock.

“Huh, looks like Myra’s tip was right,” the Spider whispered. He watched in fascination as he watched the members of the Shroud’s gang worked around the warehouse as if they owned it, and so far they appeared to be doing a good job with the ruse. Large and small crates alike were stacked in neat piles in various piles which were scattered around the area, joining with a small “V” logo on the walls to give the impression that someone had finally renovated the warehouse and rented it out for a legitimate purpose.

But the Spider knew better.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

^+^ If the Gods see fit to curse us with the Blood, then we shall raise ourselves above them ^+^

18-Jun-2011 04:11:45 - Last edited on 18-Jun-2011 04:12:41 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

Forum Moderator Posts: 9,861 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

The workers themselves were dressed in a dull red cloak which had covered almost every spare inch of their body, signaling their allegiance to the criminal kingpin known only to the authorities as the Shroud. Nobody knew just who or what the Shroud was, but nearly everyone knew that they were the premier gang that dealt mostly with loan sharking and protection rackets in Varrock since the Liberator’s had attacked the city a few years back. That is, until the Brotherhood had set up shop and began their murders throughout the city.

Of course, the initial killings only motivated the Shroud’s gang to up their prices for their “services” at first. Those who had the coin were quick to fall in line, while those who did*’t had a tendency to disappear pretty quickly. And those who fought back…well, the Shroud had taken steps to ensure that nobody would be stupid enough to take on a gang which boasted Warlocks among their ranks. That is, anyone who wasn’t protected by esoteric arcane enchantments themselves.

A chime sounded in the Spider’s head as a voice said, “So how’s the stakeout going?”

“It’s fine,” he answered. “Looks like the Shroud’s boys are all here.”

“So does that mean something big’s going down today?” it asked.

“Could be,” he said. “From what Myra told me, these guys might have a link to the Gentleman. Apparently they’re trying to set up a rendezvous with the guy for some sort of business arrangement, but knowing them it’s probably an excuse to rub out the competition.”

“So why not let them go at each other?”

“Because, Rovin, we have no way to confirm the Gentleman’s death if someone else does it for us,” he replied curtly.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

^+^ If the Gods see fit to curse us with the Blood, then we shall raise ourselves above them ^+^

18-Jun-2011 04:13:10

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

Forum Moderator Posts: 9,861 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

“Well when you put it that way…”

The Spider ignored the guard captain’s sendings as the room began to grow darker than usual. A sense of unease and dread filled the mercenary’s heart, but he managed to quickly throw it off as smoke clouds began pouring into the room. The gang members stared in disbelief at the sudden appearance of the clouds, and the Spider took that chance to fall silently to the ground and hide behind a pile of crates in the corner of the room. He muttered a short invocation for safety’s sake, though he doubted he’d need it as soon as he saw a pair of rather large humanoid forms appear in the middle of the smoke.

The figures stepped into the middle of the room, and one dismissed the smoke with a wave of his hand. When it cleared, the Spider saw that the forms were covered in the same red cloaks the gang members were, but ornate designs were stitched into the cloth work of the newcomer’s uniforms. They also wore masks that resembled fish heads, and instead of eyes two ruby gems gleamed from the eye sockets of the masks.

The gang members bowed to the figures, murmuring their respects to the beings. “Praise the Father,” one proclaimed. “The Father swallows all with his deep embrace,” said another.

“Where are they?” one of the figures said in a deep, gurgling voice. “Have the shadows come, or do they dare test the patience of the Father’s Hands?!”

“We’ve arrived,” a voice answered from the Spider’s side. He nearly gasped as a group of six men walked out of the shadows to his left.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

^+^ If the Gods see fit to curse us with the Blood, then we shall raise ourselves above them ^+^

18-Jun-2011 04:13:34

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

Forum Moderator Posts: 9,861 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

The men were dressed in black leathers adorned with only a small pentacle on the chest pieces. In the center of the pentacle was a single eye, which seemed to bore into the soul of any who dared look directly into the orb’s unflinching gaze. All save one also wore black hoods which covered their features, though the unhooded man was just as strange as his concealed counterparts.

The man had white hair cut close to his head, and though it looked like the crew cut looks which most of Varrock’s gang members wore proudly at a glance, the Spider was close enough to see strange symbols shaved into the side of his head. Even stranger were the shadows. The shadows themselves seemed to cling to the man’s skin, and the substance crawled over his features randomly as he crossed the room and approached the masked Warlocks. Even the Warlocks seemed uneasy around the man, which did little to help the Spider’s apprehension about the newcomers and their apparent leader.

“Ah, so the Hexblade shows himself at last,” one of the Warlocks exclaimed.

“I’m no Hexblade,” the man said. “I’ve left the Circle years ago in service of a more powerful master. One who richly rewards success and severely punishes failure.”

“And I take it you know we wish to deal with your master?” a Warlock asked. The Spider noticed that the voice came from what appeared to be the smaller of the figures, who he had suspected of staying quiet until that point.

The man sneered. “I know you really don’t want to deal with him,” the man said. “You’re simply not ready to deal with one of his power. And trust me when I say he is more powerful than your patron.”

“You assume too much” the lead Warlock growled.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

^+^ If the Gods see fit to curse us with the Blood, then we shall raise ourselves above them ^+^

18-Jun-2011 04:14:09 - Last edited on 18-Jun-2011 04:14:21 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

Forum Moderator Posts: 9,861 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

“And you assume the same master I’m referring to is who you wish to deal with,” the man replied matter of factly. “You don’t realize it now, but you really don’t want to deal with the real power behind my employer’s organization. You simply wish to deal with the puppet who thinks he’s pulling the strings.”

“The Gentleman seems to be the puppetmaster in this scenario,” the lead Warlock said.

“Such statements only prove how worthless House Tosir’s scrying attempts are,” the man said.

“Enough!” the smaller Warlock screamed. “We came here to parlay, not trade insults. Now do you wish to hear our offer or not?*

The man smirked. “If I did*’t want to hear anything I wouldn’t have bothered showing up,” he said.

The Warlocks nodded in unison. “Then our terms are simple,” one said. “We wish for the Brotherhood to stand down in our territories. Namely, the southeastern sector and the western sector. Both have valuable resources which the Shroud wishes to use for his own ends. In return, we shall stay out of your territories.”

The man seemed to think the offer over for a few moments before answering, “Unfortunately, I cannot promise such terms will be heeded. You see, the Gentleman takes what he needs to further his own ends, and if that means taking from your gang, so be it.”

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

^+^ If the Gods see fit to curse us with the Blood, then we shall raise ourselves above them ^+^

18-Jun-2011 04:14:41

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

Forum Moderator Posts: 9,861 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

The Spider waited silently as he felt the tension in the air thicken between the two parties. In truth, he had hoped that the Brotherhood representative would have just slain the Warlocks outright. He knew the Shroud’s Hands were potent in their own right, so anything that could prevent him from having to confront the Warlocks was a good thing in his book.

But that also presented another problem. Namely, anything powerful enough to kill a Warlock in service to the Shroud would pose even greater problems, chief among them being the simple fact that the killer would be an even greater challenge to the authorities than any simple Warlock would ever be.

Both of the Warlocks and their minions produced scepters shaped like horned skulls from the folds of their robes. “We did*’t say the terms were open to negotiation,” the lead Warlock gurgled.

The man took a defensive stance as he conjured a pair of twin green blades of energy in his hands. “Then I guess you’ll have to accept our terms then,” he spat. “Either put your weapons away and power down or die. Your choice.”

The Warlocks and their minions laughed. “Challenging the Father’s Hands and their charges shall be the last mistake the Shadows make,” the smaller Warlock replied.

The shadow covered man wasted no time in diving towards the Warlocks, who stumbled back in surprise at the bold move. The pair managed to recover enough of their wits to take aim at the man and shout words of infernal power, which caused a flurry of bat-shaped sparks to burst forth from their unholy scepters.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

^+^ If the Gods see fit to curse us with the Blood, then we shall raise ourselves above them ^+^

18-Jun-2011 04:15:08

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

Forum Moderator Posts: 9,861 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

The man’s energy blades crackled as they absorbed the sparks. The Warlocks looked at him, presumably astonished by the feat under their masks, and the man barked an unintelligible word which sent the bat sparks spewing from his blades and back at their original creators. The lead Warlock had managed to dispel the attack, but the smaller one wasn’t so lucky and ended up being ripped to bloody shreds within seconds.

By that point, the Brotherhood agents had drawn their own magical blades and began engaging the Shroud’s minions. Even though they were outnumbered by at least three to one, the Brotherhood members managed to hurt, dismember, and outright kill the Shroud’s gang members, though the minions of the Shroud did manage to put up a fight with their own silver weapons.

The Spider watched in awe as the Brotherhood agents finished slaughtering the Shroud’s members within mere seconds of the brawl’s start. The floor was slick with blood from both parties, and it was a miracle that the Spider was even able to start walking towards the nearest doorway without slipping on the slick gore.

However, a loud crash drew his attention back to the duel between the shadow covered man and the Warlock. The Spider looked back to see the Warlock on his last legs, with the shadow man and his minions steadily pressing the attack from both sides.

For his part, the Warlock managed to at least ward off the lesser minions with magic, but it was only a matter of time before he fell. And it was at that moment the Spider did what he thought was possibly the stupidest move he could think of at the time.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

^+^ If the Gods see fit to curse us with the Blood, then we shall raise ourselves above them ^+^

18-Jun-2011 04:15:26

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

Forum Moderator Posts: 9,861 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

The Spider managed to conjure several strands of shadow in his hands. Tugging to make sure they were anchored correctly, the Spider pulled as far back on them as he could….and began swinging back and forth. He quickly built up momentum, and in no time he was going fast enough to catapult himself into the middle of the fray, just barely missing another flurry of bat shaped sparks as he landed.
“Sorry guys, but the fish head guy comes with me!” he cried. The shadow covered man only looked on in amusement as the Spider swiped aside attacks from the other agents, and the Warlock took advantage of the opening to disintegrate two of his attackers.
The Spider elbowed a Brotherhood agent’s face while he landed a punch on another’s shoulder, driving both of them back a few steps as the shadow covered man began to laugh.

“This…is unexpected,” the man said.

“Yeah, me busting a gang *anger out of trouble surprises me too,” the Spider replied sarcastically as he dodged a bolt of red energy coming from the Warlock. One of the surviving Brotherhood agents had managed to knock the skull scepter out of the Warlock’s hand, and drove him to the ground with a kick to the ribs.

The Spider quickly swept the agent’s legs out from under him, and rushed to the infernal spellcaster’s side. The Warlock protested loudly as the mercenary hoisted him up on his shoulders, and the Spider raced towards the nearest shadows.

The agents began to chase after him, but a quick order from the shadow covered man stopped them in their tracks. “Stop! Let them go. We need survivors to spread the word of what happened here,” he said as the Spider vanished into the shadows.

~^+^~

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

^+^ If the Gods see fit to curse us with the Blood, then we shall raise ourselves above them ^+^

18-Jun-2011 04:15:51

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

Forum Moderator Posts: 9,861 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

“Wakey wakey,” the Warlock heard someone say as he began to stir. The spellcaster opened his eyes, and saw that he was hanging upside down….on the side of a building close to Varrock’s center.

At first panic gripped him, but then he remembered the events leading to his unexpected extraction from the man known as the Spider. He couldn’t help but laugh at the irony of being saved from defeat by the same man who had made himself a nuisance to his employer over the last two years.

“Wha…why?” he asked, confused as to why he wasn’t dead yet. His vision flipped over itself as he felt himself being pulled up towards the rooftop, and when all was said and done he found that he was tied up with some sort of shadowy substance. In fact, his spell-enhanced vision indicated that it was similar to the shadowy substance the Hexblade had on his skin...

The Spider stepped into the Warlock’s view, and his suit had a red tint thanks to the ruby jewels serving as the eyepieces of his ceremonial mask. “I have questions,” the Spider said menacingly. “And you better pray you have the answers I need.”

“I suppose I don’t have much of a choice,” the Warlock replied.

“Damn straight. Now tell me, why did you bother meeting with that Brotherhood party?”

“We wanted them to stay out of our way,” he answered. “If the Brotherhood were to get their hands on some of our resources, it won’t be pretty.”

“What resources could you possibly have that they’d want?”

“I’m…not sure,” the Warlock lied. “All I know is that the Shroud has hired alchemists and mages from the lands to the Dark East and Northern Seas for some kind of experiment. For what, I truly cannot say.*

The Spider sighed. “Then I don’t suppose you’d know how to get in touch with the Gentleman now, aye?”

“I’m afraid not,* the Warlock said. “The Shroud set up that meeting, and well…you were there to witness the proceedings, I assume.”

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

^+^ If the Gods see fit to curse us with the Blood, then we shall raise ourselves above them ^+^

18-Jun-2011 04:16:29 - Last edited on 18-Jun-2011 04:16:42 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

Forum Moderator Posts: 9,861 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

The Spider scratched his masked head. “So I’m nowhere closer to an answer than I was a few hours ago,” he murmured.

“I’ll tell you what,” the Warlock said as he began working his fingers in the motion of a spell. “You take off my mask for me, and I’ll get you an audience with the Shroud.”

“Now why the hell would I want to do that?”

“Well….I’ve always wanted to see the sky with my own eyes, for starters. But the Shroud has a way to get in touch with the Gentleman….and once he hears what happened to his warehouse, he’ll certainly want revenge.”

The Spider shrugged. “Well, if that’s what it takes to get closer to my goal…” He drew closer to the Warlock, and gripped the mask tightly in both hands. It came off easily as the Warlock finished his spell, and the last thing he saw was the blinding light of the sun.

*^+^*

The Warlock shrieked in pain as the mask wrenched free of his face, much to the Spider’s surprise. Smoke billowed out from under the spellcaster’s hood, and when it cleared all that remained was a grinning skull that appeared to be much more ancient than anything that the Varrock museum had on display at any given point in time.

“Son of a….I can’t believe the damn thing tricked me!” he screamed in frustration.

The chime sounded in his head once more. “Hey, find anything useful from that stakeout?”

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

^+^ If the Gods see fit to curse us with the Blood, then we shall raise ourselves above them ^+^

18-Jun-2011 04:17:01

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