RuneScape Forum Archive | ^+^ Onslaught ^+^

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

Phase I: March on to Onslaught

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Chapter 1
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“Listen carefully, youngbloods. For I have the secret to surviving the Onslaught…and the opening of The Gate.”

~Skarjil Datashade Glyph [Lore]: Survival I

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The torches of the guards standing outside of the Goblin Village poked many a hole in the darkness of the night. But the figure entering the old shanty town didn't seem fazed by the sight of the armed guards, who were eyeing the newcomer with an obvious sense of unease.

The sight seemed to greatly contrast itself. On one end of the spectrum stood the goblins, creatures of primitive intellect which also had the unfortunate racial curse of green skin with many warts, wrinkles, boils, and many other unsightly features. And they smelled like crap for the most part, which probably wasn’t too far from the truth as it stood. The many goblins the figure had seen beyond the guards also seemed to be wearing the same rags which the guards were using for clothes as well, and they too eyed it with eyes full of fear.

On the other end of the spectrum stood the figure itself. Most of the defining features were covered by a black, carapace-like armor which seemed to be little more than the being’s actual skin. Elaborate designs of an infernal and unholy nature decorated the figure’s armored arms, and a sigil depicting a Raven was emblazoned on its chest, which only stood partially revealed from under a sweeping, blood red cloak with gold trimmings depicting the same Raven symbol as its armor did. Covering the figure’s face was a mask which was an eyeless yet feral depiction of what looked like a cross between a bat and a wolf, although a bundle of hair tied into dreadlocks sat on the back of its head.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

08-Feb-2011 04:04:50 - Last edited on 16-Jan-2014 02:15:08 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

“What you want?” one of the goblin guards asked at last.

The figure merely stared at the sniveling creature. “I’m here to see your leader,” it said with a voice that was obviously male, yet ancient.

“General Bentnoze?” one of the guards asked.

“I mean your ‘true’ leader,” the figure replied with no small amount of impatience. “The Baron,” he added as the guards looked at each other in confusion.

The guards audibly gulped as they began shaking at the mention of their current boss’ name. “H-he say he be expectin’ yous,” the first guard said.

“Then it would be prudent for you to take me to him,” the figure said. “Now, if you don’t mind.”

The guards nodded, and motioned for the figure to follow them as they began walking towards the back of the village. The figure had noticed that all of the eyes of the inhabitants had seemed to watch his every move as he approached the largest building in the area, but he didn't seem to care. After all, he had bigger things to worry about than the ill thoughts of mere goblins.

“He be there,” one of the guards said. “But I dunno if…”

“Oh, he’ll be available,” the figure interrupted. “He knows the consequences of doing otherwise.” The black armored being pushed past the goblins and rickety wooden door, and entered the building’s main hall.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

08-Feb-2011 04:05:36 - Last edited on 11-Feb-2011 02:47:17 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

“Hm…Impressive," the figure noted upon his entrance. The hall itself was something similar to what he had seen during his time in the mead halls of the Fremennik Province, except…grander. More tribal, even, and this seemed fitting for the building’s current occupant.

Various furs covered the wooden walls, and torches gave the room an ambiance that seemed fitting for a Fremennik chieftain more than a baron. The hall itself was empty of furniture save for a massive throne made of bone, and its current occupant, which was a massive Ogre who was dressed in the ceremonial armor of Bandos’ finest warriors.

The creature itself was somewhat more revolting than the brutal armor, however. The black-clad figure smelled the obvious stench of days old meat and ale on the Ogre, and it didn't help matters by keeping it’s exposed bulge of a stomach free of dirt and spilled drink.

But the face was more bearable to look at, for instead of the feral and dumb look which Ogres were known for, it had an elf-like quality to its eyes and nose, and whatever tusks it had at one point were filed down to barely visible nubs on its lower lip. Somewhat tapered ears completed the elfin look, and its hair was well kept for an Ogre, as it was tied into thick individual braids which were decorated with many pieces of gold and silver bands that would make any king envious with greed.

The Baron’s eyes widened as he saw the figure enter the room. “I..You,” he stuttered. “I mean, you’re here. And she’s not.”

“Our mutual ally is…preoccupied,” the figure said as it approached the throne. “She has a problem that involves…well, at the risk of sounding absurd…hats. Dangerous hats. And caves. So she sent me in her place.”

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

08-Feb-2011 04:06:46 - Last edited on 11-Feb-2011 02:48:08 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

“I shall be the first to admit that sounds like the kind of problem she’s known for,” the Baron admitted in well spoken common. “So, let’s get down to business, shall we?”

“Since you insist, the Raven Knights have agreed to your proposition,” the dreadlocked figure said. “We shall dispatch a small legion to supplement your… ‘Acquired Forces’...on your march into Falador. Some magical beasts as well, chief among them our Manticores and Basilisks."

"Excellent,” the Baron replied as he clasped his hands together. “And I presume she will help lead the march?”

“As I’ve said, the Dark Lady is preoccupied,” the knight answered. “I shall go in her place instead.”

The Baron contorted his face in confusion. “That’s unusual,” he said. “She has said in the past that Falador was a target she had wanted to take personally. Something to do with old grudges, and I’d like to think that she would be there to collect on old debts.”

“Trust me,” the knight replied. “I too have a way of collecting old debts and settling old scores. She has personally requested my presence on the battlefield, and you and I both know the price for going against her wishes.”

“This is true,” the Ogre said. “So, I have heard your message. Is there any other development I should know about?”

The Raven Knight shrugged. “Unless you have spoken with our ally recently, that’s all I have to say,” he answered. “So for now, I must take my leave. My apologies if this seems sudden and rude.”

“No worries,” the Baron said as he waved the knight out the door. “Believe me when I say the last thing I wish to do is make any more enemies than I already have.”

The knight nodded, and turned to leave, his cape swirling gracefully thanks to the draft which flowed through the room. After he was out of sight, the Baron sighed in relief.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

08-Feb-2011 04:08:12 - Last edited on 15-Dec-2011 01:29:32 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

“Comrade, you really don’t believe him, do you?” he heard a heavily accented voice ask from behind the throne.

“No, I do not," the Ogre replied flatly as he watched his agent step out from behind the throne. The agent appeared to be a youth who had only just reached his sixteenth winter yet, but the Baron knew better than to judge by appearances. The fair folk from the lands to the north and east were known for their hardiness and deceiving looks when it came to age, and his ally was no exception.

The ‘youth’ was dressed head to toe in the black armor of a long forgotten order of assassins, which had faded yet ornamental symbols embroidered on the shoulders depicting a feather and crow’s claw. A black hood overshadowed his face, masking the shaved but growing beard of a young man, and green eyes seemed to literally shine out from under the darkness created by it.

“So, what’s the plan?” the agent asked. “Do I go and kill him, or what?”

“No," the Baron replied. “We accept his ‘aid’ for now. And when the time comes, we remove this…inconvenience. If what I fear is true, our vampiric ally may no longer retain control of the Raven Knights, but that doesn’t mean we can't use the situation to further her ends nonetheless.”

“And ours?” the agent asked.

“Yes. And ours, Rock,” the Ogre answered.

"I don’t like it,” Rock said.

“Neither do I. But if all goes well, we can’t really complain. Besides, it’s not like there’s anybody who knows enough about this to interfere with our goals. So outside of the obvious, what could possibly go wrong?”

~^+^~

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

08-Feb-2011 04:09:12 - Last edited on 11-Feb-2011 02:50:49 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

The Graveyard of Shadows stood silent as the night had sent the creatures native to area scattering for cover. But even so, not all of the predators of the wilderness slept during the night.

Branches snapped as an unarmed man ran haphazardly into the graveyard. He heard the shrieks of arrows pass over his head, and the inevitable thunk as they embedded themselves in the nearest tombstone. The man didn't look back, and kept on heading into the graveyard. Several of the nearby restless dead seemed oblivious to his presence as he quickly ran past them, and he almost ran smack dab into a thick stone wall as he chanced a glance over his shoulder.

But the mouse was smart, and the cats, somewhat dumb. I could probably lose them in here, he thought mischievously to himself. Looking back to find his pursuers, he saw that a young ruffian in green dragonskin armor had been attacked by a zombie or two. His friends, who were apparently a woman in some kind of blue plate mail and a man in the robes of a mage, were also entangled in a mass of zombies who had taken a sudden interest in the group. Probably for food, he thought.

The man wasted no time as he quickly opened the door to a small mausoleum, and stepped inside. The door closed behind him with a slam, and the man looked around for a light, only to find that the tomb was already decently lit. The tomb was bare, save for a coffin in the middle of it.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

08-Feb-2011 04:10:33 - Last edited on 11-Feb-2011 02:51:24 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

The man decided he had nothing to lose, and opened the coffin. At the very least, death by an undead was much more bearable than giving the goons outside the satisfaction of slitting his throat. The man had balked a bit as he saw the coffin’s inhabitant.

The corpse inside appeared to be relatively new. Pale flesh on its face was obscured by a red scarf, and a mane of black hair met a cloak of matching color at its shoulders. The corpse’s clothes also appeared to be blood red, and they seemed to be some kind of armor from an age of mystery thanks to the odd arcane markings he saw on them. A red feathered hat was clutched in its dead hands, and it seemed even odder than the rest of its clothes thanks to the obvious wear and tear of the ages.

“Ah hell,” he said to himself. “What do I really have to lose?” The man braced himself, and climbed in the coffin, closing the lid behind him.

~^+^~

“What…have…you…done?”

He looked to his right, and saw a skeleton dressed in familiar blue robes. It was odd, because despite the centuries of rot which wracked his body, the skeleton still seemed to be alive.

“I’ve made my choice,” he heard another voice say, this one sounding like his own. Or rather, he thought it was his own.

“Do you realize what this means?” the skeleton asked.

“Yes,” he heard the familiar voice say. “But it’s for the best. Believe me, this will end eventually.”

A scene of fire filled his eyes as he beheld a world of hellish fantasies and macabre imaginations. The rotting heads of living banshees filled the sky with an unholy wail, and the demonic lords of the Fade Realm marched at the head of their army of zombies and other unwholesome abominations.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

08-Feb-2011 04:11:21 - Last edited on 11-Feb-2011 02:53:26 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

He turned around, and saw a man in garb similar to the skeleton. But where blue was present, green had replaced, and it wasn’t until he looked closer that he saw the green bits were mold. But yet, despite the mold, the robe’s wearer was alive.

“Attack when you hear their howls!” the figure cried. “Make sure they do not leave this area!”

The scene faded to black as he saw the familiar forms of the Doomhounds approach the unholy army. Battle cries filled the air as both sides clashed, but they too were growing distant as an overwhelming word filled his mind.

Betrayal.

“Damned One,” he heard a familiar voice saw. A pair of yellow eyes manifested in the recesses of the darkness, and it was then that he knew the Invader was tormenting him once more. “This is only a beginning of what may be.”

He tried to speak, but couldn’t. Damned One? Who was really damned here…the one cursed with eternal unlife, or one whose plans had involved the logic of planes beyond mortal understanding? The undead or outsider? Or were they both the same? He didn't know anymore. Hell, it was hard enough to just remember who…or what…he was in the first place.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

08-Feb-2011 04:11:51 - Last edited on 11-Feb-2011 02:54:23 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

“You should be dead,” the voice said. “Yet you live to tear lives apart. An abomination of an existence, that is.”

I am dead…I think, he thought. Was he really, though?

“How many more lives must you destroy before you get put down? A million? A trillion? A cthullion? How many, Damned One? Tell me, do you recall the general? Oh how he would love nothing more than to put you out of your misery now, I bet!"

The voice continued it’s tirades as the eyes grew brighter. But yet, another light appeared from the corner of his eyes, and he tried turning over to see just what the source was.

The eyes narrowed as they saw the light. “Ah, the Deceiver comes,” the voice said. “Good. Go and be his puppet once more. I tire of this endless torment…for now." The eyes faded into nothingness, and he saw the bright light engulf his vision. He heard the sounds of violence as the light began to fade, the sound of splattered blood hitting the ground. He also heard the torments of the killers.

“Ha! What a nerd!” he heard a male voice say.

“Heh. Too bad he’s not a pro like us,” a haughty female voice said.

Another male voice agreed before the first one spoke up. “Too bad he didn't have like, billions of gold on him or something. How cool would that be?”

The light faded, and he found himself in the darkness of a crypt. At first feeling eluded him, but it returned ever so slowly as he began to regain a semblance of life. Or unlife. He still wasn’t sure which one it was.

He began working control back into his limbs, and sat up. He found that he was sitting in a coffin, and on the ground nearby lay a man with his throat and chest savaged. He also appeared to have been burnt at one point, for his arms were charred with a hint of arcane magic surrounding them.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

08-Feb-2011 04:13:21 - Last edited on 11-Feb-2011 02:55:48 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

“A tragic death, that one,” he heard a voice say from his right. He looked to the right as he ripped the coffin lid from its hinges, and saw a tattooed man in blue robes standing close to him. He felt the ripple of massive arcane power surrounding the man, and it was then that he realized what was truly going on.

“I thought I was…”

“Dead?” the man asked. “You are, in a way. In fact, you were supposed to remain in eternal slumber after we had hidden the Talisman of He’rkhine in the Sanctuary of Dagon, but matters have changed.”

“He’rkhine?” he asked. Then it came back to him. “Damn, you mean one of his prisons is loose?”

“Yes,” the man said. “And what’s more, a demon by the name of Delrith has possession of it this time. Hence, I’ve reawakened you in order to combat him.”

“But there’s a catch isn’t there? There’s always a catch.”

The man nodded. “Yes indeed. You’ve been asleep for so long. I’m unsure of the state of your powers, let alone your mind. So a test is in order.”

“This should be good.”

The man nodded towards the corpse on the ground. “This man was cut down in the prime of his life by ruffians after quick and easy riches. I think that violates the tenets of our Order, so why not hunt them down and execute a little poetic justice?”

He jumped out of the coffin to his feet. “Sounds good to me,” he replied.

The man smiled. “Excellent. The test should be simple enough, so don’t fret about not having your Skarjil crossbow. I guarantee that he still has it, and he will join you later if you succeed.”

The red-garbed man nodded as he donned his weathered hat. “I...understand. Anything else?”

“Well,” the man said. “Not really. But truth be told, it’s good to have you back among the living, V.”

^+^ The End of Chapter 1 ^+^

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

08-Feb-2011 04:14:46

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