RuneScape Forum Archive | ^+^ The Age of Nhur ^+^

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

Arain’s Translation; Section II
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“We have sacrificed our worlds and more in order to overcome the Dark One and his dread master. Should future generations come across our ruins, we ask of thee: Honor our memory and leave the mystery of our disappearance from the planes unsolved.”

~Skarjil Datashade Glyph: ‘Final Wish’

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Chapter 11
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“Yes, I know. I told you, it shall take quite some time to make sure everything is accurate.” Lorkaj Drakan was about to reach his boiling point. Of course, it didn't help that his minions hadn’t reported back from Skyvern Keep yet, and it was because of that matter he found himself trying to make excuses to justify his actions-or inaction, thus far- to his ‘family’ back in the New World.

He thought it ironic that the very reason he left their ranks in the first place was because of their unreasonable expectations of instant success, but yet he found himself catering to that trait just so he could make some decent coin to fund his other operations. It was frustrating, to say the least.

The Vampyre sat in his room back in Ukrosha’s Imperial Palace. It was a somewhat expensive looking room, as were all the guest rooms in the wing usually reserved for diplomats and other VIP types. Ornate designs were carved into the stonework, which were also complemented by the ever present and always so eerie shadowstuff.

The architect had somehow managed to fit the shadowstuff into the grooves of the designs, and the effect made them seem almost alive. Yet, the room was also adequately lit courtesy of wall mounted candles dotting the corners of the room, which seemed to dampen the effect to the point where it was actually soothing in its own odd way.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

19-Sep-2010 03:34:22 - Last edited on 20-Jan-2011 02:13:09 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

Of course, the furniture was just as ornate as the walls. The bed itself seemed fit for a king, much less a mere merchant, and the desk was big enough to fit all sorts of things on the top alone. Lorkaj had yet to open the drawers to see how big they actually were, but in truth, he didn't feel the need to anyway. His most important belongings were back at his estate in the city, except for a somewhat small crystal globe which he had brought with him to the palace. It was the very same globe he found himself staring into this very moment.

The face present in the globe stared daggers back at him. The owner of the face was obviously female, and like Lorkaj, was very pale. “So, I ask again. How much time should it take for you to actually sort through the mess?”

“Not long, I assure you. I just need the combat data, actually,” he replied coolly. “You have peaked my interest, however. Why the rush? I was under the impression the project would only commence once all of the arrangements were made.”

“The magic types are getting very eager to start,” the female replied. “They believe that this deal will truly benefit them, and I believe the anxiety of waiting is spreading among the other Vampyres involved with this as well.”

“Then consider my curiosity sated,” Lorkaj said dryly.

“Unless your curiosity gets the results you promised, I don’t care whether or not if it’s sated or thirsts for more,” the female shot back.

“Trust me, dear. The feeling is mutual. Now, I’m afraid I have other matters to attend to, so if you don’t mind…”

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

19-Sep-2010 03:35:21 - Last edited on 20-Jan-2011 02:14:13 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

“Lorkaj,” the female solemnly said. “I’m serious. Drakan wants his results, and soon.”

“All in good time, ‘Milla. All in good time.” Lorkaj dismissed the vision from his globe before leaning back in his chair and breathing a sigh of relief.

Now that he thought about it, it had been only a day since he had assigned his minions to watch the shade general for battle data, and it was now nearing nightfall. The serum should have only lasted for the day anyway, so what was taking them so long to get back to him?

~^+^~

The Rakshasa moved swiftly through the forest, stepping quietly over various twigs and avoiding contact with the foliage of the forest as it went. It couldn’t afford to alert anything to its presence. Or, at least, not yet.

Howls erupted from the woods behind him. The tiger-man kept moving, never looking back to see if the demon wolves were on his trail. So far he hadn’t seen any sign of them, but that didn't mean much. Some of the best warriors and hunters who had fought the creatures and lived to tell the tale had reported that they were extremely stealthy when they wanted to be.

More howls sounded from the distance. The Rakshasa hurried on, and eventually came to a small clearing. There was nothing overly special about it, save for a tree which had fallen to the ground during a storm at some point.

Against his better instincts, the tiger-man ran swiftly towards the tree, and wormed his way into the branches. Luckily for him, he found that his muddy brown fur matched the color of the branches as well as the ground beneath him.

He heard the crunch of leaves first. The Rakshasa looked over, and saw the paws of what he guessed to be no more than three demon wolves seemingly disappear into the muddy ground. That didn't do much to diminish their aura of ferocity, however. One of the demon wolves stood on its hind legs, sniffing the air.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

19-Sep-2010 03:35:51 - Last edited on 20-Jan-2011 02:17:49 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

The Rakshasa winced, and prayed to the Spirits that the creature wouldn’t notice him. At first, it appeared that his prayers had been answered. The creatures had turned back and disappeared into the forest.

However, before the tiger-man could sigh in relief, he heard a low growl sound from behind him. He slowly turned his head to the side, and saw in his peripheral vision the gaze of one of the creatures.

“Hey,” a voice whispered in the wind. “The hell is that thing anyway?”

The Rakshasa’s eyes almost popped out from his head in surprise. He knew that it wasn’t uncommon for those about to die to hear the Spirits speaking to them in their hour of need, but he had always thought those incidents were little more than tales meant to bring comfort to those about to die. To actually hear them was something new entirely, and the tiger-man had little doubt as to his fate now.

The demon wolf seemed to hear the voice too, and started pawing at the ground. As it kept its gaze on the ground, the Rakshasa tried to worm his way out from the branches. He was almost home free when the creature suddenly looked up, and locked its gaze on him.

The Rakshasa wasted no time in scrambling out of the tree and drawing his hunting knife, which he held in a defensive stance. The demon wolf roared, and lunged at the tiger-man, who had stepped to the side and swung at it.

The knife made a scraping sound as it connected with the skeleton-like protrusions on its forearms. The demon wolf landed, and turned its head, snapping at the knife madly. The Rakshasa dropped the knife in surprise, and backed away from the creature.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

19-Sep-2010 03:36:49 - Last edited on 20-Jan-2011 02:18:41 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

The next thing he knew, the Rakshasa found himself being pinned to the ground by the creature. He struggled and attempted to throw it off of him, but to no avail. It took all he had to keep the creatures’ snapping jaws from finding their mark at his throat. All of a sudden, an idea hit him.

The tiger-man began to focus, feeling the power of nature flow around him. He let the power into his body, and as he did so, he noticed that he felt stronger, bigger even. With a powerful shove, the Rakshasa threw his adversary off of him, which landed in the tree branches.

The small victory was short lived, however, as more of them began to appear at the edges of the clearing. They all looked very angry.

“What, more of ‘em?” the voice asked.

The Rakshasa spit out a quick prayer in his native tongue to the Spirit for aid. Whether or not it listened, he didn't know, but he didn't have time to ponder on the matter as the creatures began rapidly drawing near him. As the first enemy neared, the tiger-man took a powerful swing, which connected and sent the creature flying back into the forest.

More of the wolves threw themselves at him, however, and soon the Rakshasa found himself attempting just to stay out of the way of their teeth and claws. He managed to connect a powerful swing here and there, but his strength alone was not enough to turn the tide of battle in his favor.

Worse still, he couldn’t find his knife in the fray, which worried him greatly as he felt his strength begin to fade.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

19-Sep-2010 03:37:20 - Last edited on 20-Jan-2011 02:19:26 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

The Rakshasa noticed the creatures getting bigger. Or, he thought, maybe he was just getting smaller as he reverted back to his normal stature. The creatures noticed this, and renewed their attack.

The Rakshasa made one last attempt to attack one of the creatures, but he fell to the ground. At first, he thought one of the monstrosities before him had finally flanked him and was tearing his innards out at this very moment, but then he noticed that the creatures were struggling to stand up as well.

In fact, he felt the ground shaking. The tiger-man looked around, and saw what he guessed must pass for fear in the eyes of the creatures. He couldn’t blame them, to be honest, for he felt nearly the same himself. The Rakshasa felt the ground beneath him move erratically, and he soon found himself flying through the air. He landed in some shrubs near the edge of the forest, and looked up just in time to see a massive mound of earth stand on its own accord.

The earthen mound stood nearly fourteen feet tall, towering over both the tiger-man and the demon wolves. It shook bits and pieces of bedrock and roots from its form, and began moving toward the creatures. The mound picked one of them up in its newly formed hands, and snapped it in half with a sickening and seemingly effortless crack.

The smarter creatures of the pack, seeing the sheer brutality of the newcomer, turned and began to run off in the direction from which they came. Some of the less intelligent ones threw themselves at it, meeting their gory ends as the mound proceeded to pop their heads off, rend limbs, and just generally crush the life from them.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

19-Sep-2010 03:38:10 - Last edited on 20-Jan-2011 02:21:11 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

As the mound of earth did its brutal work, dirt began to fall from its frame, shrinking its form slightly. The Rakshasa threw itself to its feet as it saw the glint of rock emerge from the dirt, and happily cheered his unlikely savior on. Soon enough, there were no more challengers for the newcomer to vanquish, and the former mound now resembled more of a stone man more than a pile of walking dirt.

The Rakshasa approached the stone man, and threw itself to the ground in submission. The newcomer only grunted at that, which surprised the tiger-man greatly. Surely the Spirits would look kindly on a gesture of respect, wouldn’t they?

The Rakshasa decided to take the initiative and address the being before him. “Great Spirit, I thank you for saving me in my time of need. Please, if there is anything I can do to further appease you; all you need to do is ask.”

Grim looked at the Rakshasa in surprise. “Well,” he said. “I dunno about bein’ a ‘Great Spirit’ an’ all, but since you asked…”

“Yes?” The Rakshasa looked eager as his savior spoke.

“I’ll be needin’ help to find some… ‘friends’ of mine. An’ last I checked, your type were pretty good trackers.”

“This is true. The Roaring Sun Tribe has great trackers among our numbers.”

Grim felt a surge of hope go through him as he surveyed the sky. “Good. I dunno how far they’ve gotten now, so we need to start looking soon since it looks like it's gettin' dark.”

The Rakshasa nodded happily. “Of course. Follow me to my tribes' camp so we can make the preparations, Great Spirit. The demon wolves won’t bother us now that they’ve seen you kill a good number of their pack.”

“Demon wolves? Hell, those things looked more like damn werewolves to me!” Grim said.

The Rakshasa merely shrugged, and began to head back into the forest. Grim followed, which the tiger-man was happy to see. After all, it wasn’t everyday a hunter got to bring a Spirit back to camp!

^+^ The End of Chapter 11 ^+^

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

19-Sep-2010 03:40:05 - Last edited on 20-Jan-2011 02:22:12 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

Yeh, not gonna bother making any 'promises' or anything for writing new chapters since I know the minute I do something will come up and ***** me over on it. >.<

Though the one thing I can promise is that things will finally start hitting the fan pretty soon ^_^

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

19-Sep-2010 03:56:12

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

Chapter 12
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A massive shadow flew over Egrissa late in the night. No moon hung in the sky, which made its passage even easier. Not that it really cared, because if anyone or anything tried to attack it, all that would come to pass was the thing getting a free meal. Old sayings be damned; in its mind ‘free’ was a hell of a lot better than having to barter with lesser beings for shiny baubles and trinkets, not to mention dealing with the inevitable betrayal such creatures were known for.

The shadow came to a landing on a small cliff overlooking the small fishing village. Despite the near total darkness, the beings’ unnatural sight allowed it to make out even the smallest details from afar.

Of course, there wasn’t really much worth seeing that night anyway. Egrissa was a small fishing village of little repute, and the city’s only respite came from the fact that it was one of two Shade settlements near water, which allowed a rather profitable fishing market to boom in the area despite its rickety appearance. The houses of the village were made of wood from the nearby Bloodgrove Forest, which also gave it the unfortunate and unofficial status of one hell of a fire hazard waiting to happen.

Of course, it didn't have any tactical advantage at all, so the empire’s military had established a navy in another city by the name of Omi’r, which was situated on the opposite end of the continent and near the Sea of Cursed Isles. With no official military presence, that left the villages’ defense in the hands of the monks of the Masked God situated in a nearby monastery, but even that was a few hours ride away at best.

So, all in all, it wouldn’t take much more than a first year Chantry mage to bring the place burning to the ground.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

21-Sep-2010 03:54:12 - Last edited on 20-Jan-2011 02:23:46 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

The shadow let loose a deep throated chuckle. It wondered if it should just save any attackers the effort and sack the village now. It’s not like anyone would miss it, and it could probably finish its attack in a matter of minutes, if not seconds should it bring its full power to bear. To say the least, it would prove a pleasant distraction.

The sound of beating wings sounded from behind the shadow. It craned its neck, and saw a black half-dragon landing beside it on the cliff. The abomination bowed, keeping its eyes to the ground.

“It’ssss done,” the half-dragon said. “The Mahjarrat ssssayssss that he will pay once the deal issss honored.”

The shadow grunted. Its eyes flared a deep red, and the glow from them was only bright enough to reveal the deep, scaled pits in which its eyes rested.

“Phalarax,” came a deep, rumbling voice from the shadow. “Tell me…do you think Nhur shall keep his word?”

The half-dragon paused before replying, “It sssseemssss it’ssss in hissss besssst interessst to do sssso, Lord. He sssseemsssss….different than the othersssss before him.”

“Let us hope so,” the shadow replied. Phalarax only nodded. The shadow moved its serpentine neck to survey the scene before it. Phalarax, confused, shuffled towards the edge of the cliff, and strained to see what it saw.

"They move,” it said.

Before the half-dragon could ask who ‘they’ were, a chorus of howls sounded in the distance. The village below didn't react at all to the sounds, so Phalarax assumed it must have been hunters pursuing their prey in the Bloodgrove Forest.

However, he noticed small shadows moving in the hills below. At first, the half-dragon couldn’t make out much, but he slowly realized that they were hunched over on all fours. Almost like wolves, he thought.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

21-Sep-2010 03:55:27 - Last edited on 20-Jan-2011 02:25:54 by A Mad Hatter

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