RuneScape Forum Archive | ^+^ Onslaught ^+^

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

“Then what’s so damn important that you need ME for?!” Azura screamed. She probably would’ve questioned the wisdom of letting her anger get the better of her in an argument with a fabled mass murderer, but she wasn’t seeing much of a way out. Chances are the mage had his lair protected against teleportation magic, so that route was closed. And she was sure he would kill her if she threw a few spells his way. Sure, she might get a few feet out the currently rotting door standing right behind Surok, but she did*’t like taking a chance that would most likely involve her being disintegrated…or worse, if the stories were true.

Surok sighed, and paced around the room. He looked troubled and angry at once, as if he was the keeper of an ancient secret that he was desperate to tell, but couldn’t for fear of a deity crashing through the ceiling and smiting him on the spot.

“I…can** say,” he said after what seemed like a tense eternity. “The story is too long, spans many eons, and is so convoluted to the point where even I don’t know the entire truth. But I can show you.”

The purple light seemed to get brighter as Surok pointed at the marble bowl. “You study the magical arts,” he said. “You should know what this is.”

“A scrying pool,” Azura said confidently as she approached it. “I’ve heard things about them, but never tried one out myself.”

“Good,” Surok replied. “Then I don’t need to explain the basics. But this one is…different. It can scry, yes. But it can also show…visions, for lack of a better term.”

“Visions of what?”

Surok shrugged. “It depends,” he said. “I’ve been unable to confirm exactly how it works, but the visions appear to be tied to a fate that varies between individuals.”

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

25-Nov-2011 01:08:49

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

“So…what, you think I’ll somehow magically understand what your plans are if I use this?” Azura asked, folding her arms across her chest. She felt the suspicion oozing into her tone once more, and she wasn’t the only one who noticed.

“If you’ve come into contact with Bensozia, you may very well see what’s so important,” Surok answered. “But I cannot be sure. I can explain if you see nothing of importance, but I’d rather you see what’s at stake here. I fear I cannot convince you otherwise.”

Azura looked at the scrying pool. “How do I use this thing then?” she asked innocently. “Do I have to drink from it, or is this one of those types that lets me see what I focus on instead?”

“Put your hands in the water,” Surok instructed. When Azura obliged, he continued, “Now close your eyes and try to keep calm. Focus on something peaceful.”

Azura followed his instructions, and began immediately calling to mind her days in Al-Kharid, before everything went south with her parents. She remembered the sweeping dunes of the desert to the south where she and her father used to go to test out his latest clockwork invention. She remembered coming home to the smell of kebabs cooking in her mother’s kitchen. She even remembered the joy of seeing her uncle Zaff drop by every now and then with presents.

At first, nothing seemed to happen. But when Azura tried to speak, she found that she couldn’t. In fact, she couldn’t feel anything in the black void where she found herself! If she could, she would’ve cursed Surok to the deepest pits of the Abyss for this treachery, but the thought soon left her as visions began to swirl amidst the blackness. All were aglow with the purple light of the scrying pool, and she could see and hear each and every one of them perfectly.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

25-Nov-2011 01:09:57

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

The first vision showed a man in massive blue plate armor etched with golden designs which seemed…almost holy, if not outright divine. His face showed signs of great age, and a golden monocle sitting on his left eye did little to lessen the effect. A pointed beard of white was the only section of hair on his head, and a pair of massive white wings were perched on the man’s back. Azura couldn’t tell where the man was, because all she saw in the background was a solid wall of gold that seemed brighter than the desert sun at midday.

“My love,” the man spoke with an angelic voice. Despite the heavenly quality to the man, he seemed sad and horrified at once, though his face betrayed no emotion. “What have they done to you?”

“T…they…” she heard a female voice sob. “Took him. The Heikka…I…I couldn’t”

“Hush,* the man said as he approached what Azura referred to as her viewing screen. “Rest. Just…rest. Let me deal with these invaders…”

The scene before Azura began to swirl, and soon she saw herself watching what appeared to be a courtroom of sorts. A massive jeweled throne sat behind a granite desk, and in that throne sat a man with shoulder length blonde hair. He wore simple robes of white, and the man’s eyes relayed a sense of divine intelligence that few could ever hope to match. He was arguing with the winged man from the earlier scene.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

25-Nov-2011 01:10:39

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

“I feel for your loss,” the blonde man said. “But as High King, I cannot-nay, will not!- grant you access to the Vaults. Powerful the artifacts may be, they do no good in the long run.”

“Fool!” the wing man cried in anger. His face was twisted with a rage that could match any demon’s on its worst days. “You don’t understand! The Heikka won** stop here. They took my…”

“I know very well about your daughter, Abaddon,” the white robed man said. “And once more, I truly am sorry for your loss. But the forces that took her won’t fall as easily as you think to the artifacts of the Primordials. That is a simple fact that you seem to forget.”

“But I know they can be reverse engineered!” Abaddon screamed. “My research…”

“Was done in secret, away from the prying eyes of the Magistrates,” the white robed man finished. “Trust me, I know full well what you’ve been getting into.”

“If you truly know, Lord Nergal, then you would approve of my plan!”

“NO!* Nergal screamed. “I will NOT allow you to follow through with it. The disease is simply too dangerous to trust in Skarjil lands, and the foes you wish to fight may very well use it against you! Do you remember the folly of…”

“Lord Lucifer was a fool,” Abaddon said. “He believed the Dark Arts would allow him to combat the Arts of the Mind. But we knew beforehand that the magic he studied was unstable at best.”

“He also circumvented another High King’s decree,” Nergal replied. “And he paid dearly for his arrogance.”

“So that’s what this is about,” Abaddon said, pacing around the room. “All you care about is your little prestige that comes from decreeing what you wish, is that it?”

“I have no..."

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

25-Nov-2011 01:11:49 - Last edited on 25-Nov-2011 01:12:36 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

“Don’t lie!” Abaddon screamed. He shook his head in disgust and turned to leave the room. “How foolish was I to think I could come to you. All you High Kings are the same.”

The vision swirled before Azura once more, and she saw the winged man sitting at a workbench of sorts. She couldn’t even identify the things on the bench, but she heard the man muttering to himself nonetheless.

“Nergal is a fool,” Abaddon murmured. “I’ve found a way to kill the Heikka at last. The disease might not work on them directly, but the result…” He held up a circular golden object and inspected it closely. Azura couldn’t make out any details, but the man giggled disturbingly anyway. “Yes…yes, I’ll use this to hunt those…those…abominations! They will all know my vengeance come three days from now.”

A loud crash alerted the man to something behind him. His face twisted in rage at whatever he saw, and he screamed. “No! Don’t you DARE touch me!” A muffled sound answered him, and he replied, *I don’t care! He has no authority over me anymore, you hear me?! Nergal has no control over my research any longer!” Abaddon held the circular object behind his back, and Azura noticed it glowing. She also heard the sounds of muscle twisting and bone contorting, and she thought she heard a howling sound from the recesses of the darkness.

Abaddon’s face grew pale as surprise passed his ancient face. Then he started grinning. “Forgive me, My Love,” he said. “Please…forgive me for what I have found…and for what I plan to do now that I know this works.”

The scene dissipated into the blackness as a new one set itself in front of Azura before she could even wonder what had just transpired.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

25-Nov-2011 01:13:12

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

The new scene showed the man referred to as Nergal, and he was sitting at a circular table surrounded by men and women donning robes of various colors. Only one was wearing armor of glittering diamonds, and a crown of silver sat on a head of gray hair, but beyond that Azura couldn’t make out any facial features.

“So he’s done it,” Nergal said to the others at the table. “Abaddon has gone and started his unholy war against the Heikka.”

“Is that such a bad thing?” She heard a woman in pale blue robes ask. “I mean, you know what they serve…”

“I also know that they conduct unholy rites on innocents in the name of their Sleeping God,” a man in red robes said. “So why should we worry if they get attacked?”

“You all don’t understand do you?” Nergal asked. Nobody at the table said anything, causing Nergal to sigh. “Listen, Abaddon’s gone mad! He’s unleashed this…this…disease! This plague! Whatever it is, it’s transforming our citizens into abominations, and for what? To avenge the loss of his lover and child at the hands of the Heikka!”

“Better them than us,” a man in black robes said. “Don’t misunderstand, Nergal…I understand that this…virus…will take a toll on our citizens. I won’t deny it. But if it helps rid us of the Heikka once and for all…”

“Dammit, people are dying out there!” Nergal screamed as he slammed his fist on the table. “Our own people, no less! I won't deny that Abaddon may have found a weakness, but we need to ask ourselves*what happens if he succeeds? Do you REALLY think he’ll just drop his power in a vault somewhere and lock it up? What’s to stop him from coming for us? Or the rest of the planes?!”

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

25-Nov-2011 01:14:14 - Last edited on 25-Nov-2011 01:14:32 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

The man in the diamond armor coughed, and everyone looked at him with respect in their eyes.
“I agree with Nergal that Abaddon presents a threat to the rest of us,” the man said, his voice full of power. “But I feel that we cannot move against him if he begins winning the war against the invaders. If we were to attack the only one making any progress where we had failed…it would be catastrophic.”

Nergal hung his head in defeat. “So it’s come to this, Yahweh?” he asked. “Are you really that concerned about your image to the point where you’d rather let damage be done before acting?”

Yahweh slammed his own fists on the table. “Nergal, you must understand,” the diamond armored figure said. “The Heikka are a disease to reality. You know as well as I do that any progress in war MUST come with a sacrifice.”

“I…understand,” Nergal said rather grudgingly. “But mark my words…there will come a day where we must deal with Abaddon once and for all. And when it comes, I will deal with him on my terms, decrees be damned.”

Yahweh chuckled, as did the rest of the table. “Then let us hope that day never comes in our lifetimes,” was the diamond armored figure’s reply.

The scene collapsed in on itself, and many more passed by Azura’s gaze rapidly. She couldn’t watch them as fast as they disappeared after showing up, but what she did catch disturbed her to the core.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

25-Nov-2011 01:15:46

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

She saw Aiden and Caden fighting an armored warrior of unknown origin. The walls themselves seemed to move on their own accord, and the strange warrior held a curved blade in each hand, which in turn was covered with some sort of armor that reminded her of an insect*s skin. The chitin-like armor encased the warrior’s entire form, but it moved too fast for her to follow.

Then she saw another strange warrior clad in bulky iron armor etched with odd symbols that reminded her of the demonic symbols used by dark mages. The warrior’s face was obscured by a hood, though two locks of fiery red hair emerged from the hood and rested on its chestplate. The warrior was surrounded by trees, but other than that she couldn’t see much of anything.

And Azura would’ve gasped if she could as a scene depicting Aiden- or Caden, she really couldn’t tell- with a massive blade protruding from his chest. He seemed to be dying in the scene, but she couldn’t be sure once a figure in red stepped over the body and knelt to inspect it.

But as soon as that scene faded out, a new one replaced it almost instantly. The scene lasted much longer than the previous ones, and showed the interior of what had once been a chapel dedicated to…well, she did*’t know. It could have been Saradomin’s, or maybe Armadyl’s place of worship. She did*’t see any identifying symbols pledging allegiance to any particular god on the stained glass dominating her view.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

25-Nov-2011 01:16:23

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

She saw a balcony silhouetted against the massive stained glass window- which depicted some sort of ocean scene with a sunrise or sunset- and saw a shadowy robed figure addressing a chair or throne enshrouded with shadows which seemed darker than the night sky.

*It’s time to stop hiding in the darkness, Mokosh,” she heard the robed figure say. “If what I’ve heard is true…then it’s only a matter of time before Ixamalesta’s allies come for us. And I’m sure both of us would make great…toys…for their dark desires.”

The scene shifted a bit so Azura could see the throne a bit better. She saw a man emerge from the recesses of the shadows, though calling it a man would be like comparing a cat to a dog. The figure was certainly male, judging from the build of its body, but any trace of humanity seemed long gone. Long white hair hung in disarray around a well muscled, albeit slightly decayed, bare torso.

A long, black skirt wrapped itself around the figure’s legs, and stopped at its feet, which were bare with pointed nails that resembled talons. The arms, however, ended in a pair of gauntlets that seemed suspiciously similar to those she wore at that moment, though the fingernails were just as deformed as the toes were.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

25-Nov-2011 01:17:27

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

And its face…oh gods, the face was a visage of unholy power. The figure had no lower jaw, but it was no issue since two massive canines protruded from the top of its mouth. Its eyes were filled with nothing but contempt for the figure before it, and it growled in a low, rumbling voice.

“I am not you,” the figure said. “YOU are Mokosh, old fool.”

“We are one and the same, old one,” the figure said. “Though I appreciate my humanity that you’ve given me, you are still me by extension…”

“HA!” the figure rasped. “By giving you your humanity back at the Gate, I’ve only sealed my own fate in return. Now, I ask of you…leave me be. Or else I shall escalate matters personally.”

“Very well,” the shadowy figure said. “But one thing…if you are no longer who I think you are…then what do you call yourself these days? Yahweh Incarnate? Or maybe Lucifer? Pray tell, how have you honored the sacrifices made so many years ago?”

The figure approached the shadowy man. It stood nearly twice his size, and as such it had to look down on the man. “I…am nothing,” the figure replied. “I am empty of my own power. I am blind to my own death. I am an Idiot for pursuing the path of the Gatekeeper before spurning the powers afforded the station.”

“You are more human than you let on, it seems,” the shadowy man replied.

The decaying figure chuckled an unholy sound that seemed to grate on reality itself. It was then that Azura had seen the faded form of the Zarosian symbol burned into its torso.

“Koshir,* the figure said mockingly. “You seek to name me? Very well. Est ixar Azathoth!”

Azura screamed as the void surrounding her began to choke her.

~^+^~

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

25-Nov-2011 01:19:11

Forums

^+^ Onslaught ^+^