RuneScape Forum Archive | The Death Mage

Dantalian

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~DISCLAIMER'S AND NOTES~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Before I begin my story there are a few things I want to cover:
First and foremost, this story will contain content that some people might find objectionable (though to my knowledge, none of it can be considered against the rules) I intended this story for more mature audiences; by mature I don't mean the "mature" we use as a synonym for "obscene", rather I mean people who have achieved a certain level of maturity, enough so at least that they don't begin raging the moment they see something they don't like.
Consider that my disclaimer as well, if you think you are the type to get seriously offended by things you find somewhat objectionable in a story, please find a different story to read.
This warning may seem overbearing to some of you, but I've seen people react in an immature manner to things they don't like being in stories. My disclaimer probably won't stop any people insistent on trol- er, reading and getting offended, but at least I can say I tried.
Secondly, this story has no hero. That is not to say there is no protagonist (which there is.) What I mean is that there is no shining paragon of virtue who I hold up for all of you to imitate. My characters are meant to be as human as possible; hence they have strengths and weaknesses, they make mistakes and they do things right. And just because a character holds or expresses a viewpoint does not mean I do. So if you want one of those knight-in-shining-armor types, you should look for another story.
Thirdly, you are welcome to discuss this story on this thread, however, if things seem to get too heated, I might ask you to stop; please respect this.
Finally, I will not be accepting bios for this story. If however, I decide to write a sequel at some time, I might allow you to submit bios for characters that will be in the sequel.
Well, that's everything. Assuming you haven't decided to leave yet, thank you, and enjoy the story.
~Niht Scinnre "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

12-Jun-2011 17:00:16

Dantalian

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CHAPTER I-SHADOWS OF WHAT WILL BE
A cold rain fell on Falador, driving most of her citizens indoors, where they could sit in front of their fireplaces and sip warm drinks while making comments about the lousy weather. Those who were simply visiting Falador, or passing through, quickly congregated into the nearest pubs, filling both the drinking rooms, and the owner's coffers. Meanwhile, the owners of stores, realizing they would find few customers on a day like this, shuttered their store windows, locked the doors against thieves, and headed home as well.
The only people out and about the city were a handful of unlucky guards who, after losing a game of straws, had been the ones assigned to keep watch on this dreary day. Though unpleasant, the duty was as necessary as ever, for no one in Falador would forget that just a short walk to the north was the fortress of the Kinshra, the black knights, who watched Falador with covetous eyes. Because of this, though they would grumble and gripe, no guard would ever actually consider leaving his post. But of course, their eyes being directed outward, none of the guards noticed the one person who traveled the streets of Falador on this day, bundled up in a fur-lined claok.
This was how Skia preferred it. While the guards knew enough of him to know he was no threat, and feared his family enough to not insult him to his face, they would still exchange murmurs and knowing glances if they saw him passing by.
Forcing himself not to think of this, Skia quickly made his way to his destination; a small cemetery on the edge of the city. He paused, and after bowing his head in respect for a moment, looked around for signs of disturbance and was pleased to find the only things out of place were a few leaves that had fallen onto one of the graves. Skia quickly made his way to this grave and brushed the leaves aside, then sat beside the same grave and began to think. "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

12-Jun-2011 17:01:18

Dantalian

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Skia was the firstborn son of Count Yahn Aeole, the current head of the Aeole family, one of the twenty families that had established the white knights in Saradomin's name centuries ago. The current Count, Skia's father, was known to be an exceptional commander and served as a role model to many aspiring knights.
Shortly before his father's death, Count Yahn had married a noblewoman named Catherine, the first daughter of a prominent Kandarin noble family. While the marriage had been one of political convenience, the two newly weds quickly grew attached to one another, and before long, Catherine had become pregnant with their first child, eventually giving birth to a baby boy shortly before her and Yahn's first wedding anniversary.
Unfortunately, the child had been sickly, and contracted a fever shortly after birth. Doctors were summoned, but were unable to treat the malady, and thus regretfully informed the Count and Countess that there was little hope of the child surviving the week. While Count Yahn had accepted this with outward serenity, the Countess had been distraught, and ever a devout Saradominist had immediately set out for the nearest church to beg Saradomin to save her child. For three days the Countess spent most of her time kneeling in supplication before the altar, only taking time off to eat some small meals and nurse her ailing infant. Apparently, Saradomin was moved by this show of piety, for on the fourth day, when the Countess arose to go to the church, she found her child sleeping peacefully. Cautiously joyful, she summoned one of the doctors, who upon examining the baby became clearly surprised, and announced that he seemed to have made a complete recovery, but cautioning that it was too early to be certain that the child didn't relapse. "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

12-Jun-2011 17:03:04

Dantalian

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Countess Catherine, however, never had a doubt that her child would survive, and certain that this was the work of Saradomin, made her way to his church shortly after the doctor had left, in order to give her god her heartfelt thanks and make a sizable gift to the church. It seemed that her faith in Saradomin was not in vain, for her child did not relapse into his illness, and knowing that he was safe from the threat of death, the child was given a name; Skia Mot Aeole.
Skia could not help but wonder if his father regretted that Saradomin had saved his sickly son's life. He knew that his father would never admit to such a thing, possibly not even to himself, but nonetheless couldn't help but suspect it was so. For Skia had been a great disappointment to his father; his early illness had left him physically weaker than most boys, and given him an aversion to bright light. While the young sons of other white knights had been engaged in mock-sword battles that would prepare them for eventual knighthood, Skia had been sitting in dark rooms studying ancient books by candlelight.
Thankfully for Count Yahn, his wife had conceived a second time, and produced another son, who they had named Seamus Asil Aeole. Seamus was Skia's polar opposite; he was at the peak of physical ability, enjoyed the exerting games of the white knights, and was good at them. By the time Seamus was seven, he had already gained the loyalty and admiration of boys older and bigger than himself.
With Count Aeole paying more attention to Seamus, Skia had delved deeper into his studies, and became even more eccentric. He had begun staying asleep during the day and staying up during the nights, when he was less likely to be interrupted. He dressed in black and deep purple, the colors of the night he loved so dearly, and finally, to his parent's great alarm, he began spending a lot of time in the cemetery. "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

12-Jun-2011 17:04:11

Dantalian

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Skia didn't understand what was so terrifying about this, nor why some people would make a sign meant to ward off evil should they so happen to even look at a grave. To Skia, a graveyard was simply where one's ancestors in a sense, slept, while their minds wandered the afterlife, basking in the rewards of Saradomin. He had absolutely no intention of disturbing the graves, considering that a nigh-unforgivable disrespect; on the contrary, he did his part to upkeep them, since few others would. He considered this the duty of one who could now enjoy the relative peace and security of this age thanks to the work and sacrifices of those who now lay under the earth, and sincerely hoped that wherever they were, his own ancestors were proud of him for up-keeping their resting place.
However, few, if any, shared Skia's sentiment, and none took the time to find out why he spent time in a cemetery. Instead, they avoided him and whispered about how he had probably sold his soul to Zamorak, and that his choice of clothes, as well as his love of the cemetery and the night, “proved” this was so. To Skia these insinuations were both amusing and bitter; there were some teens in Falador who dressed in black and red and were self-declared “Zamorakians” (mostly to spite their elders) however, they had no illusions about Skia, as he had used some fire strike spells to make it painfully clear that those “Zamorakians” were not welcome in the cemetery to have “rituals” or vandalize the graves. Of course, the “Zamorakians” had been certain not to tell anyone about that incident, and as such, the people of Falador had still kept their assumptions. "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

12-Jun-2011 17:04:39

Dantalian

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Eventually, Countess Catherine had gotten so worried by the rumors, that she had asked one of the Saradominist priests to talk to Skia. The priest had come to the cemetery, expecting to be treated rudely and hear about why “Saradomin sucked” and thus was pleasantly surprised to be greeted respectfully by Skia. He had inquired about Skia's habits, and was at a lost for words when Skia pointed out that this cemetery, being a Saradominist cemetery, was consecrated ground. The priest had not stayed long, and was quick to assure the Countess that her son's soul was quite safe from Zamorak's clutches, something she was very relieved to hear.
While this was enough to relieve Countess Aeole's concerns, it was not enough to allay those of the Count. While he was pleased to hear that his son was not in danger of damnation, Count Yahn was more concerned about how his son's habits could tarnish the Aeole family name. Furthermore, the Count and Countess' daughter, who was about a year younger than Seamus, had found out, and told her father something about Skia that firstly made it very unlikely that he would produce heirs, and secondly could do serious damage to the Aeole's prestige if it came to light. Thus, Count Yahn had consulted his wife and noting Skia's magical abilities, suggested they send him to the Wizard's Tower as an apprentice to further his training. The Countess had agreed, and the suggestion had been repeated to Skia. "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

12-Jun-2011 17:05:11

Dantalian

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Skia, unlike his mother had no illusions as to his father's motives. He was well read enough to know that by an ancient law of the white knights, a recognized mage could not inherit his father's title or lands, and that by being sent to the Wizard's Tower, he would be away from Falador (and the potential to embarrass his father in front of the white knights) for indefinite periods of time. Skia grudgingly and silently praised his father's cunning; in one move he was both clearing the way for Seamus to become the Aeole heir, and getting rid of the biggest threat to his reputation. Furthermore, since Skia didn't really care to inherit his father's position, and was interested in learning magic, this was a move that was all but guaranteed to succeed. Thus he had consented to the suggestion.
Today was to be his last day in Falador, hence Skia was up while it was still light out. He had come to the cemetery one last time to make sure everything was in order, and to help calm himself before he left.
Realizing that the time for him to be escorted to the tower was fast approaching, Skia stood and begin making his way toward the cemetery exit. He paused for a moment once he had stepped out of the cemetery, making a quick prayer for the dead not to have their rest disturbed, then continued to the center of Falador.
As he arrived, a man clad in the traditional clothes of the Wizard's Tower; a blue robe and a similarly colored pointed hat, materialized in front of Skia. Noting the cloaked figure in front of him, the wizard peered inquisitively through the rain and asked, “Are you Skia Mot Aeole?”
“I am,” Skia replied, slightly parting his cloak to give the wizard a view of the blue robes he had worn under it; the robes were made of fine silk, a concession Skia had given his father after refusing the offers for first gold trimmed, and then fur lined robes that his father had insisted were becoming of a nobleman's son. "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

12-Jun-2011 17:05:40

Dantalian

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The wizard stared at Skia's robes for a moment, then nodded his head in satisfaction and said, “Very well, please stand next to me and remain still.”
Skia was confused at first, but noting the runes that the wizard had removed from his robes, quickly understood. Of course they would be teleporting to the Wizards' Tower, few accomplished wizards would walk any real distance; most figuring why waste the time when you could easily take the paths of magic and reach your destination almost instantly?
As he stood near the wizard, Skia felt an odd sensation, like he was being pulled upward, shortly thereafter, the world around him was hidden by bright light, and he began feeling dizzy. A moment afterward, it seemed like there was nothing above nor below him. The feeling vanished as suddenly as it had appeared, and Skia felt himself on solid ground once more.

Back in Falador, two people standing in the shadows of the general store watched as Skia and the wizard were teleported away. One of them was a young squire of the white knights; yet despite being only a squire was considered skilled enough that he was permitted to wear the armor of the white knights; his helmet was off, making his bright blond hair and deep blue eyes visible, and his left hand rested on his sword's hilt with an air of confidence that only comes from those who have long ago become comfortable with the art of the blade.
His companion was a voluptuous young lady, with long dark hair, and piercing silver blue eyes. She was dressed in hardened leather armor, and like her companion, carried a sword with the ease of one who has long ago grown used to it.
“Well Seamus,” she said after Skia had vanished, *It seems you're now the heir of the Aeole family. Congrats.”
“It's not like Skia is dead, Elizabeth,” Seamus replied, “He'll return eventually.”
“True,” Elizabeth conceded, “But he'll come back a wizard.”
“What's your point? That we'll have to worry about his magic when he gets back?” asked Seamus. "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

12-Jun-2011 17:06:02

Dantalian

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Elizabeth laughed at this question; she had expected it, Seamus was an excellent swordsman and bowman, but as far as book knowledge went, he was a complete idiot. Deciding not to keep him in the dark, she explained, “Per the rules of the white knights, a wizard cannot be the heir of one of the white knights' families. Should the firstborn of a white knight become a wizard, the father's titles, lands, and holdings shall become the inheritance of the next son, or, if there are no sons after the wizard, shall become the dowry of his first daughter. If the white knight has no children besides ones who have become wizards, his titles and lands shall become property of the Church of Saradomin, who, after his widow dies, shall pass them out to one who has proven himself worthy of such titles and lands.
That's in the laws of the order of white knights, Seamus, so in fact, you are father's heir from this day forward.”
Seamus paused for a moment to consider the implications of this before smiling. “Well, I was more fit for this position than him,” he said confidently, “Father deserves some credit for thinking up such a creative way to get Skia out of the way... I'm glad to know that he can no longer tarnish our family's name, and even more happy to know the one best suited to be heir has become it.”
Elizabeth didn't reply, just like Seamus, she was happy to see Skia out of the way, but she had to disagree with his declaration of him being the most fit member of the Aeole family to be heir. In Elizabeth's mind, there was someone far more deserving, but, Seamus, like her father, believed that all a women wanted in life was to sit around doing makeup and getting fancy dresses. Why, her father still thought she carried around a sword merely to imitate Seamus... She wondered how he would react if he knew that the only white knight squire to ever best her in swordsmanship was Seamus, and even he, the best of the squires, had won only slightly more than half of their matches. "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

12-Jun-2011 17:06:30

Dantalian

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But Elizabeth knew better than to say anything. Unlike Seamus and their father, Elizabeth saw the advantage of keeping one's strengths a secret. And even while she might lose to Seamus in swordsmanship, he didn't know that she had been holding back by only using her sword. Elizabeth always had a pouch holding runes on her belt, and could use them in while fighting with her with her sword, using with a mix of magic and steel. In fact, she had challenged Skia to a duel of magic before and won, but she knew he hadn't been going all out; unbeknownst to him, she had seen him going against those “Zamorakians” who had meant to defile the cemetery, and was well aware that when her eldest brother got serious, he was more skilled in magic than Seamus was with his sword.
She was happy to see Skia go, but not for the sake of the family name not being tarnished. Skia was too perceptive, and might notice if Elizabeth tried anything sneaky. Not that she had anything in mind at the moment, but nonetheless, she did consider him a threat to anything she might decide to do. Already, her mind was reeling with possible plans, gauging their feasibility, and trying to decide which she should try to implement.
“Elizabeth?”
Elizabeth snapped back to reality, realizing she had spaced out. Turning to Seamus, she gave him a disarming smile and said, “We should go back now before dad notices were missing. That servant girl you convinced into covering for us can't hide our absence from him for too long.”
“You're probably right,” replied Seamus, “Besides, I have a fun night planned with her.” "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

12-Jun-2011 17:06:59

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