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

Chapter 16
<><>
“So, let me get this straight…you mean to tell me that Skyvern Keep was actually invaded?”

Erevin nodded in confirmation. “Yeah, a small group of rebels somehow got in there without magic. That’s the part that worries me. The no magic bit, not the fact that they got in there in the first place, mind you.”

Nhur growled in frustration. This isn’t good, he thought to himself. Not more than a few hours ago had he returned to the capital after the attack on the Chantry’s tower, and he found himself presented with more than one problem which seemed to present a great threat to his plans.

The question on his mind wasn’t how to handle them per se…more like which one to handle first: the mysterious creatures which could be anywhere on the continent at this very moment waiting to strike as they did at the Chantry’s tower, or the escaped general who could very easily derail his intentions.

Making matters worse was that his spymaster was now more or less incapacitated. Looking over at Erevin, Nhur saw that the vampiric shade lay on his back with his leg wrapped in some sort of energy-based cast. Whether it was part of his natural powers or not was up to debate, but whatever it was, one of Erevin’s arms was also encased in the stuff.

“Just one question,” Nhur said at last. “Were there any werewolf-like creatures reported roaming around the area around the same time of the jailbreak?”

The spymaster thought for a moment. He had already told Nhur that he had run across an undead creature that was apparently somehow in league with the rebellion, so the Mahjarrat was keen to learn as much as possible about what else could possibly be their fault as well. Or at least if there’s some connection between the two events.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

31-Oct-2010 03:14:41 - Last edited on 23-Jan-2011 03:30:06 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

“No," Erevin replied. “All I saw was that undead guy, the tiger-man, Joran and Lukil, and the general fighting alongside some elemental creature that was there for some reason. No lycanthropes as far as I’m aware of.”

“An elemental creature? Wait, was it some kind of man made from rock, by any chance?” Nhur asked.

“Seemed like it,” Erevin said. “Why, is he one of our plants or something?”

“Actually, no," Nhur replied. “But I do know he was put in there for the attempted murder of a royal family member a few hundred-maybe thousand, for all I know- years ago.”

“So, mind if I ask what his significance is? It’s not like you to pay attention to something like that unless something really big involving it is about to happen.”

Nhur’s eyes narrowed. “He isn’t significant. At least, not yet. He was put in the same cell our dear general was occupying because I had hoped that the creature would eventually snap and kill him, or maybe that the general would react to it as a threat and instigate it.”

“Why? I thought you wanted to execute him yourself,” Erevin said.

“I did,” Nhur replied. “And I will, now that he’s an escaped fugitive. However, it seemed like a good idea at the time: the general dies in prison, and I execute his killer as retribution. Thus, two threats are taken out with one move.”

“How could he be a threat if he was in the Keep though?” Erevin asked.

“The simple answer, if my theory on his abilities is correct, is that he would have eventually found out that he could simply unfetter his spirit from his current form and anchor it into another a few miles away,” Nhur said.

“In a magic-proof prison? Seems unlikely to me.”

“That’s another interesting thing,” Nhur replied. “His form was caused by a curse which was cast long ago, which caused his innate magic to manifest itself in a mutated manner. The resulting transformation...it changed his power...his soul. It’s no longer magic, but not psionics either.”

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

31-Oct-2010 03:16:26 - Last edited on 23-Jan-2011 03:31:25 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

“Then what is it?”

“I do not know,” Nhur replied.

“Wait,” Erevin said. “This happened…a long time ago, right? If that’s the case, then how do you know this stuff? Records?”

Nhur turned to leave Erevin’s quarters. “Unfortunately, all records we have on that prisoner are either outdated or inaccurate. Some were also most likely destroyed at some point as well. No, spymaster, I know this because I was there when it happened.”

As the Mahjarrat began to take his leave, Erevin called out, “Wait! Just one question then.”

“If you’re going to ask why I did what I did to that shade, then all I will say is that my hand was forced in that encounter,” Nhur said over his shoulder.

“No, the elemental…shade…thing…is none of my concern at this point,” Erevin said. “What I want to know is if the sponge around the Keep was malfunctioning before its fall or anything.”

“No, not to my knowledge. Why do you ask?”

Erevin’s brow creased in concentration. “Oh, no reason,” he replied. Nhur shrugged, and left the room.

Erevin sighed, and then grunted in pain as his leg accidentally moved a bit. A few thoughts stood out to him as he replayed the conversation with the Mahjarrat in his mind. During the whole thing, Nhur had seemed…guarded. It was as if he was hiding something from him, but Erevin didn't know what it was.

On the other hand, the spymaster had at least confirmed one suspicion of his. The mage in the blue robes he had seen throw the lightning bolt which had caused the prison to collapse in on itself was definitely not part of any of the Mahjarrat’s plans. Nor, he doubted, was he in with the rebellion. He was certain of that much.

~^+^~

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

31-Oct-2010 03:17:06 - Last edited on 23-Jan-2011 03:32:27 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

Meanwhile, the very same man in blue had manifested in the catacombs beneath the Imperial Palace. He looked around for a second, and then got his bearings. He was a bit off of his intended target, but not too far off where he would be at risk of getting caught...or worse.

Picking up his pace, the man eventually came to a somewhat decent sized room decorated with hieroglyphs on the walls depicting some ancient battles. He recognized some of the figures as Rakshasas and Shades from ages past, but the specifics were lost on him. But that wasn’t important to him anyway, because they weren’t his target. Rather, the object he was here for lay in the center of the room in the form of a crystalline coffin inscribed with various runes.

He cautiously approached to coffin with his staff at the ready. He knew all too well what could happen if he wasn’t careful. The man muttered a spell of protection, and inspected the coffin closer. He saw the usual protective runes, as well as the wards meant to punish thieves and the like, but a certain one caught his eye. He looked closer, and saw that the shape of the rune looked familiar…almost like the Talisman, actually.

“Well, this certainly explains a lot,” he said to himself.

Drawing back from the object, he shook his head, and concentrated his energies into another spell. He knew that Prophetic Runes usually manifested under certain circumstances, so it couldn’t hurt to see if this one could at least shed some light on his predicament.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

31-Oct-2010 03:17:33 - Last edited on 23-Jan-2011 03:33:20 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

An image filled his mind. He saw the Mahjarrat talking to a creature he recognized as the gargoyle-shade from Skyvern Keep. What they were saying was beyond his hearing, but he didn't need to know that right now. All he needed to know was right in front of his eyes, which was that the Mahjarrat had the Talisman now.

Of course, he already knew that-he was there when the creature came into possession of the artifact, after all- but what he didn't know until now was that the creature was unknowingly being manipulated by that which he tried to keep imprisoned.

The man saw a pair of yellow eyes floating above the Mahjarrat’s head. It seemed unaware of his presence at the scene, but the man knew better. His theory was confirmed when a voice rang inside of his head.

*Too late…Fallen Son…It is only…A matter of…Time…*

With that, his vision blurred, and he was back in the catacombs. Acting quickly, the man cast a spell which he hoped would counter the being’s influence over the Mahjarrat…or the Talisman. Which one was being manipulated, he knew not, but what he did know was that such a spell was necessary before things got much worse than they currently were.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

31-Oct-2010 03:19:00 - Last edited on 23-Jan-2011 03:34:14 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

He felt the energies of the counterspell soak into the coffin, and he saw the Prophetic Rune die out as its light faded. The man tried connecting with its energy once more, and found himself looking at a scene of the Mahjarrat walking down a corridor. The eyes weren’t there anymore, but he felt the thing’s diminished presence nonetheless.

His vision returned to the catacombs shortly thereafter, and the man looked once more at the coffin.

“Well played,” he said. “I guess I should’ve expected as much from you, but I must admit…I am truly surprised.”

The coffin didn't answer, and the man didn't expect it to. Instead, he shook his head in disgust, and teleported away from the catacombs. It was time to inform his potential ally of a change of plans. A very unfortunate change of plans, but a change of plans nonetheless.

^+^ The End of Chapter 16 ^+^

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

31-Oct-2010 03:20:01 - Last edited on 23-Jan-2011 03:34:48 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

Yeh, short chapter this time. Probably gonna be the last one for a few weeks since I have to write a 10-12 page paper for Social Psych class in the meantime, but after that's done writing on 17 should be underway fairly quickly.

No ETA's this time, but I will say that it's a somewhat big one like 13 was. Just as important in its own way too, though not as dramatic as an entire tower of mages getting sacked ^_^

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

31-Oct-2010 03:26:02

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

Quick manual bump/update. Writing on next chapter is currently underway. Don't expect it until sometime after the Thanksgiving holiday (the U.S. one) at the earliest thanks to...the ever infamous psych paper that needs to be finished first >.>

On the bright side of things, this next bit should mark the beginning of the end, leaving us with...maybe 5 decent sized chapters to go (plus the ending interlude stuff). All I'll say on them atm is that things are going to get really crazy. Not everyone is coming out of this thing in one piece

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

16-Nov-2010 04:44:27

Azigarath

Posts: 9,271 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Finished reading up to this point. I think I understand everything now, i hope.

anyways i'd like to explain a bit about what I said as similarities I mentioned at my last two posts, I meant to say that two names were similar - just Gareth and Azi - but of course its known and doesnt matter.

also, in my first story the Koteks also had a slight bond with nature which is a bit similar to the tiger-men in this story, but then I remembered that I have never posted the sequel to my first story so the minor similarities are like a big fluke and makes me look like an lol guy.

other than that the story approaches its finale and i cant say I know what to expect, but I'd imagine that there's gonna be maybe one or two twists and maybe even change who or what is known to be evil and/or good, that kinda thing but we'll have to wait and see, so keep up the typing at your own pace.

i like pie

oh, and I forgot to mention that I actualy felt sorry for Rashj *:

oh right, and one more thing. whenever I read someone else's story, i can't help but imagine what would happen if my own characters or factions were in some minor way invovled in the story, so when I read this story I actaully thought about two stories at the same time, so i think that's what caused some confusion for me.

I can say that Auslanders woudlnt get along very well with the Rashada or whatever the tigermen are titled. I just cant seem to remember the exact word for some reason.

30-Nov-2010 20:49:30 - Last edited on 30-Nov-2010 20:56:04 by Azigarath

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

Well, that makes sense now. As I said before, any similarities are coincidences since I've only started reading your stories within the last year (fun factoid: I've had this concept without the rs references written out before that. Just never got around to doing anything with it before now

)

And I felt bad for Rajh too. Though he'll get his shot at revenge soon >8) ( <--- evil face that went through 'Nam. Hate the smiley system we have on these forums tbh)

As for what to expect as this starts getting toward the end, I really won't/can't comment on it. Partly because I have a tendency to give out spoilers by accident (some of which are also key parts of the coming stories), and partly because I really don't know what else to say that hasn't been said already >.<

But as far as who's good and evil...I'd like to think that anyone who's paid close attention to some of the little details could figure most of that out before this even ends, though I guarantee that a few surprises in that area are waiting.

<>
On another note, next chapter is about a third of the way done in the proofreading stage. Still need to finish writing it, but it should be done by next weekend at the latest.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

05-Dec-2010 03:01:13 - Last edited on 05-Dec-2010 03:04:40 by A Mad Hatter

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^+^ The Age of Nhur ^+^