RuneScape Forum Archive | ^+^ Onslaught ^+^

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

“I’m starting to wonder why the hell anyone would want to work here,” he muttered to himself as he surveyed the random desks in disarray. The only source of light in the back room came from a tiny crystal lamp on a nearby desk. The miniature lamp seemed to be holding a lone flame prisoner in its grasp, causing shadows to dance around it as it struggled in vain to escape.

Caden ignored the desk and trained his attention on a massive vault situated in the very back of the room. The door was solidly built from the finest steel in the region, and only had three circular slots on its surface. A yellow sigil pulsated with arcane energy around the slots, and the design seemed to pulsate in tune to the alarm he had set off mere minutes ago. The air seemed to thicken as Caden walked closer to the vault, and he was only mere inches away from it before an invisible force completely stopped him from going any closer.

He decided it was a lost cause, and turned his attention to the neatly ordered rows of six desks. They were arranged in a perfect square, and only by turning around had he noticed a ladder set into the side of a wall leading upstairs.
Despite the multitude of choices he had to make, Caden couldn’t help but feel drawn to the desk with the small lamp sitting on it. The dancing flame enticed him ever closer, only to bathe a pile of scattered papers in its glowing light. Most of them seemed of no consequence, but more than one document had caught his eye that day.

~^+^~

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

25-Oct-2012 00:39:36

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

Invoice #: 03829

Name: Gorvanki, Arnold

Item: Valuable Crystal, said to be a newly discovered subtype of sapphire.

Destination: Account 59392 in Varrock East Branch

Transit Status: Arrived; Confirmed 3 days ago [see notice 7483]

Additional Notes: Due to ill explained ‘strange behaviors’ of the transit crew, Convoy Leader Ebert has since turned in his two week’s notice. Apparently he believes the crystals were involved with the unexplained murders of Convoy Team 667. He advises all contact be shut off with the Gorvanki account until further notice.”

^+^

“Invoice #: 999

Name: MagiTek

Item: Classified artifacts and a coffin of unconfirmed origins

Destination: Account 6643; Varrock Museum [see Invoice Delta 9 for details]

Transit Status: Delayed; other

Additional Notes: Contact with Convoy Team 667 had been lost on the outskirts of Varrock. Reports indicate that every man and woman on the team had their skulls drilled through by an unknown weapon. Artifacts and coffin untouched. No personal belongings stolen. Retrieval Team Greyhound from Varrock’s Museum of History had come across the ruins of the convoy while on an unrelated mission. Museum has confirmed delivery from Team Greyhound, but has yet to confirm retrieval of the items by MagiTek employees.”

^+^

“Invoice #: 889

Name: Classified

Item: Classified

Destination: Classified account at Varrock East Branch

Transit Status: Ready to ship

Additional Notes: The clerk who had initially came forth with this request for the account has noted that his mistress had explicitly requested that the item in question not be used at all, even in dire circumstances befalling the Convoy Team transporting it. Convoy Team Drake has been specifically requested to handle this item transfer.

The key to vault 656 has been included on this invoice for convenience.”

^+^

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

25-Oct-2012 00:41:50

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

Caden looked at a small leather pouch which was on the edge of the desk, and picked it up. He heard the distinct jingle of keys, and loosened the strings to release a trio of silver bladed keys into his hands. Various numbers were on the loop of the items, each corresponding to a vault, but the red coloring around them gave him the idea that they wouldn’t have worked on the yellow sign surrounding the vault behind him.

He figured that maybe another vault was upstairs, and made his way over to the ladder. He heard a sharp hiss from above the minute his hands grasped the ladder, and looked up to see a pair of golden eyes staring back at him from the opening leading to the floor above. A scaled reptilian visage tarnished with the color of aged bronze seemed to force a sense of unease from the eyes, making Caden’s heart freeze with a terror that felt unnatural.

His hands loosened their grip on the ladder, and absent mindedly went to draw his sword as he slowly backed away from the ladder. The monster above scampered around and grunted in frustration as it attempted to fit its oversized body through the somewhat tiny opening, making Caden wonder just *how* the damned basilisk managed to get into the bank in the first place.

“Whatever you’re doing back here, drop the weapon and get down on the ground,” a harsh, feminine voice commanded from behind him. Caden turned around and saw a lithe woman in White Knight garb staring him in the face.

The white plated armor seemed as if it was a second skin on her, judging from the way it clung to her body almost too perfectly. Her face was almost statuesque as well, with sharp elven features which almost clashed with a human’s natural ugliness when compared to the woodfolk of the west. Her golden hair was cropped short, and a plain brown hood was draped across her shoulders, which matched the color of the crossbow which was leveled at him this very instant.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

25-Oct-2012 00:42:33

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

Behind her stood a dwarf in white plate armor as well. The stocky little fellow was barely recognizable as anything but a dwarf thanks to a long, well groomed beard of light brown which clashed garishly with his nearly flawless armor and pudgy face. A hand axe hung from the little man’s hip, but judging from his stance Caden knew the dwarf would be more than capable of killing something with it if the situation called for it.

“I won’t ask again,” the woman said. “Put the sword down, get on the ground, and tell us just why you were stupid enough to try robbing a bank in the middle of a siege.*

*I find it hard to believe this is your biggest concern with the city under attack,” Caden replied as he let his sword clatter to the ground. “I mean…c’mon. I have an account here and just want what I came for. That basilisk upstairs can chill out with the rest of the stuff up there for all I care.”

“Basilisk, ye say?* the dwarf asked, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “Now that be a good challenge, aye? C’mon, Gabby, you deal wit’ robber boy ‘ere an’ I’ll go git that stinkin’ lizard!”

“Not so fast, Pwent,” the woman snarled. “Remember Albert’s orders. We’re only here for the objective and that’s it. And as a side bonus, we also caught a looter.”

“Oh for the love of,” Caden muttered. “Look, just open up vault 1B and lemme get my ring from it. I swear, that’s all I want from this damn place!”

“Yeah right,” the woman said as Caden lowered himself onto his stomach. “Hands behind your back now. We’re taking you in too.”

“What, no last words?” Caden asked innocently.

“You’re getting arrested, not dying,” the woman said as she forcibly held his hands together. “Now shut up. Pwent, get the papers and let’s get out of here.”

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

25-Oct-2012 00:43:36

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

“Aye,” the dwarf saluted. The white clad dwarf rambled past the desks and stopped at the one with the lamp. The dwarf moved with a startling speed as he somehow managed to grab all of the papers on the desk in one hand and shove them into a barely concealed pack which matched the color of his beard. “Got ‘em! Now, can we go git tha’ Basilisk? Can we? Pleeeaaaseeee?”

“There’s no Basilisk, he’s just trying to get us separated,” the woman shouted as the alarm died down with the wave of her arm. Mystical energy held Caden’s hands bound together despite the fact that nothing was physically there, which only made his attempts to break free of his bonds only more frustrating than he was used to in the past.

“C’mon, just one last word?” Caden pleaded. His mind began whirling with thoughts as a plan began vaguely forming in his head. He thought he saw a cherub-faced imp on his shoulder bending over to whisper something in his ear.

“Will you shut up if we let you speak?” the woman asked. Caden nodded, and she added, “Fine. Just make it quick, though I don’t know what you’re hoping to accomplish with this.”

“Alright,” Caden said. A voice whispered in his ear a series of strange words, which he tried repeating to the best of his ability. “Fus.”

“Guy’s insane,” the dwarf said, anxiously casting glances at the ladder leading upstairs.

*That’s it?” the woman said. “By the gods, you must be real stupid if you thought to accomplish anything with that.”

“I’m not done,” Caden replied angrily. Dragging more of the strange words to the fore of his mind, he continued, “Ro.”

“Still mad,” the dwarf said.

“Still not done,” Caden retorted. One last word touched his mind as he spoke. “Dah.”

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

25-Oct-2012 00:44:36

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

“So…Fus, Ro, and Dah? What, you speakin’ magic on us now?* the dwarf asked.
The woman chuckled as well. “I did*’t think you for a jester,” she told Caden as she forced him to stand up. “Now, c’mon. Just follow us and we’ll be sure to let Tiffy consider just cutting off your hands instead of outright killing you.”

“Fus Ro Dah!” the dwarf shouted in mockery. The stout fellow was happily hopping futilely in the air shouting the strange phrase over and over, to no effect. “I still don’t think ye thought any o’ that woulda worked!”

Before the group reached the bank booths, a loud crash sounded from upstairs. Both woman and dwarf stopped and looked up in confusion, then turned their attention towards Caden. Despite their calm demeanors, he knew that they thought he had an accomplice up there.

“I’m telling you. Basilisk. Upstairs,” he said. “Might wanna get that thing before it finds a way out and follows us.”

“I’ll be gettin’ it,” the dwarf replied as he hoisted his axe in both hands. “Maybe this’ll get that damn show he put on just now outta me head.”

“Oh, for Saradomin’s sake…you’re just crazy if you think there’s really a basilisk!” the woman scolded the dwarf. “Let’s be rational here since that’s why you got this job over that Sir Owen! Of course a prisoner will try splitting a greater force up. That way he has a better chance of overpowering us when we’re alone!”

“Nah, ye’ll be fine,” the dwarf retorted as he began climbing the ladder one rung at a time. “If Hound couldn’t beat ya in a bar fight, I doubt this twit could do much. Now, sit still an’…”

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

25-Oct-2012 00:45:28

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

Before the dwarf could finish, a large form crashed through the ceiling just a few feet behind him, causing everyone to be thrown to the floor as it landed with an earth shaking thud. Caden coughed the dust from his lungs, and heard an all too familiar screech in the air as a massive armored form lurched slowly into view.

“Goddammit…this guy again?” he wondered out loud.

“You know him?” the woman asked suspiciously as she brought her crossbow up to aim at its face.

“Sorta,” Caden said as he scrambled backwards. “He threw my brother and I through a wall when we entered the city.”

“Hoy, there be a Basilisk too!” the dwarf shouted excitedly as a shrill hiss sounded from behind the figure. The yellow eyes peered eerily at the dwarf from behind the large knight, and bared a set of reptilian fangs as it emitted a gurgling sound that reminded Caden of a newborn goblin drinking from a spring.

The knight only responded by slamming a massive metal fist into the nearest desk, causing may papers to explode from the wooden containers.

“Ok, so there’s a Basilisk,” the woman said as she fired a volley of bolts at the massive knight which had only broken on contact with the black armor. “You still broke into a bank, so don’t act surprised when we bound you up again and haul you off to prison!” Caden felt his hands separate from each other as he scraped against a piece of broken wood, and upon being sure that he wasn’t hallucinating once more, began crawling on his knees towards the ladder leading upstairs.

The knight seemed more interested in keeping the woman currently attempting to lodge a crossbow bolt or two in its plated face in its sight, while the basilisk was circling the dwarf who had managed to walk over to the yellow runed vault without getting killed by its baleful gaze.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

25-Oct-2012 00:46:42

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

Caden ignored the combatants, and hoped that neither of the foes would notice him as he reached the ladder and began steadily climbing it. The wooden ladder creaked audibly, but nobody seemed to care once the knight slammed a heavy fist into a wall which the woman- Gabby, Caden corrected himself- had been standing in front of before dodging with a skilled roll. The building shook from the impact, but the stonework held true despite the sheer force of the blow, and Caden pulled himself to the top floor as the material the ladder was made from began turning a dark gray and crumbling to dust.

“Ah cripes!” he heard the dwarf known as Pwent shout. “Oi, Gabs…I forget…do Basilisks ‘ave a death stare too or what?”

“Both Basilisks and Cockatrices have a baleful gaze,” he heard the woman reply over the click clacking of bolts breaking against armor. “They can kill with a gaze if whatever they’re looking at is weak enough. But I doubt you’d be affected since you’re just too stubborn to die.”

A sickening splat rose about the chaos as the dwarf shouted something in joy, which Caden ignored as he took stock of the situation. The top floor seemed streamlined to ridiculous extremes compared to the ground floor below, as row upon row of vaults lining every inch of the walls greeted his sight.

Other than a massive hole in the floor close to the back wall (which was suspiciously vault free, though Caden assumed the open window on it had something to do with the Basilisk downstairs), everything seemed perfect….at least, if it wasn’t for the petrified corpses of a few bank employees staring at him with pitiful gazes empty of life staring at him while he walked around looking at the vault numbers.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

25-Oct-2012 00:48:08

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

“Let’s see,* he mumbled to himself. “643…Vault 675….oh hey, here’s 656. That matches one of the keys!” Caden excitedly fumbled around with the pouch of keys as he struggled to grab the correct one with his gauntleted fingers, and felt his pulse quicken as he produced the key to Vault 656 on his first try. Ok, so whatever was in it wasn’t supposed to be used under any circumstances*but maybe something else in it could help him open his vault downstairs anyway. He hoped.

A show of red sparks reached out from the vault door and wrenched the key from Caden’s hand, causing him to jump back in surprise and almost fall through the hole in the ground. He hadn’t realized how far he had come from the ladder, but he pushed the thought to the back of his mind as the metallic door swung open almost silently. Caden peered into it and almost gasped.

The largest collection of weapons and jewelry he had ever seen greeted his eyes. Several of the items were just scattered around the floor randomly, while others were perfectly lined up on racks on the cold steel walls of the vault. Everything from everyday gold amulets to weapons forged with red metal which was reminiscent of the blood of dragons was there, along with items which he had no hope of ever identifying thanks to their strange shapes and sizes.

Caden walked among the strange collection, studying the items with great interest. The battle sounded as if it was still raging downstairs, though from the sound of the dwarf grunting in pain following many crunching and splashing sounds, it wasn’t something he wanted to be a part of at the moment. A metallic screech followed by the woman muttering many oaths to Saradomin made his head hurt, though the aura emanating from some of the odd jewelry put him slightly at ease.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

25-Oct-2012 00:48:52

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

An interesting amulet caught Caden’s eye. Picking it up, he saw engravings of twin dragons circling each other as if locked in mortal combat in the skies on the edges of the amulet’s face. A gold chain held it tightly, though the most interesting part of it was a cluster of what appeared to be six diamond shaped holes in the center of the dragons. A red gem sat in one of the holes, making Caden wonder if someone else had been there before him.

“Looks pretty, but I don’t think that’s what I came here for,” he said to himself. A loud cracking sound rose above the sound of the knight’s rampaging down below, followed by a victory cry from Pwent. The stout fellow’s jubilation was short lived, because soon after Caden heard the thump of metal being stopped by even stronger metal, followed by the sight of the dwarf flying right through the floor and into the vault he was currently standing in. The dwarf landed short of a pile of steel weapons, moaning in pain.

“I got tha’ there Basilisk,” he huffed. “But tha’ damn monster of a man can sure throw peoples when he wants to.”

“Trust me, I know,” Caden said as he tore his gaze between the dwarf and strange amulet.

“A’right, I got me breather,” Pwent said as he struggled to his feet and took a massive (for his size) battle axe and hoisted it up high. “Now c’mon, you done lookin’ ‘round or what?”

Caden shrugged. “I guess there’s nothing useful for me here,” he said. “Throw me a weapon and let’s hope that thing did*’t kill your friend down there yet.”

“Aye,” Pwent said as he kicked a sword over to Caden, who picked it up with his free hand. “I wanna get that jerk somethin’ fierce now for what he did. Don’t get in me way an’ we’ll be a’right.” With that, the dwarf leapt through the hole in the floor with a feral scream, and landed with a barely audible thud as he completely missed his mark by a few inches. Caden put the amulet around his neck and tucked it under his armor, steadied his wits, and followed suit.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

25-Oct-2012 00:51:10

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