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Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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Interlude III
<><>

“The threat within our history is real. The danger posed by He’rkhine and the Mad Minds is great. I hope that should anyone bear witness to the events transcribed within my writings, they would act wisely and either take great strides to prevent the growing Onslaught from happening within their own worlds…or destroy any physical knowledge of the artifacts mentioned here that has survived in hopes that His puppets will give up their unholy quest to restore their Lord to power.

The former High Kings of the Elder Council were not the kind to beg. Nor am I. Yet, I feel that my honor as a Royal Magistrate Arcane will not be stained should I warn future victims of the fate that inevitably awaits them if they choose to delve into secrets which are best left buried.”

~Skarjil Datashade Glyph [Personal]: Samael’s final plea

<><>

Viez stood in his father’s darkened study as the sky outside turned pitch black. The half-demon was currently standing at a pedestal with a picture of an eagle engraved on the sides, studying a tome detailing the specifics of portal magic. He flipped through the book’s pages with haste, and his face bore a smile as he found what he was looking for at last.

“Wha*cha gonna do now?” he heard Zimberfizz squeak from his perch on a nearby bookshelf.

“I’m going after him,” Viez said. “Assuming he’s still alive and hasn’t blown any cover he might assume, my father needs to know that Alya’s dead, and who’s responsible.”

“Fair enough, that,” the imp replied. “Well, g’luck then, mate. Looks like you’ll be needin’ it and all that.”

Viez grunted in reply, and turned his attention back to the tome before him. He memorized the intricate details of the casting perfectly, though he couldn’t stop himself from practicing them in the air a few times just to be sure.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

06-Feb-2011 01:34:27 - Last edited on 06-Feb-2011 01:35:27 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

When he was certain he wouldn’t mess up, Viez recited the ritual. The room grew hot as an infernal portal opened up in the middle of the room, but he did*’t mind it. As a half-demon, he was afforded some protection against his father’s native realm, so heat wasn’t a big deal to him.
Viez said a word of power, and his form shifted and distorted as intricate red armor made from pure demonic magic formed around his body, and a massive sword manifested in a sheath on his back. Only his head was left untouched, although it wasn’t unprotected. A halo of shadows danced around his brow, flickering with small sparks of divine influence.

“Hot damn, kid!” Zimberfizz said. “What, you goin’ to war or somethin’?”

Viez regarded the imp with a somber expression. “No, but close enough,” he said. “I’m going to Nethraka. I’m expecting the Watcher soldiers stationed there to not be too happy to see me if all goes badly.”

~^+^~

The High Mage finished reading the last of the marked pages of the tome set on the table before him. “I must say," the spellcaster said. “I…I’ve never seen anything like this before. Who would have thought that a world merged with shadows would have even existed?! And native tribes of tiger-men? Ancient ruins predating our own knowledge of the multiverse? High Watcher, do you realize what you have found?”

Arain nodded, smiling to himself at the mage’s praise. “I assume that this tome would be of great importance to scholars everywhere,” he replied. “But I feel I must remind you, that history presented in the tome also serves as a warning. Just think, it the Talisman caused as much trouble as it did there, how much damage could it do in this day and age when most of the powerful secrets of combat and the trades are either outright gone or well hidden?”

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

06-Feb-2011 01:36:02 - Last edited on 06-Feb-2011 03:50:35 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

“And I agree,” the High Mage said. “In fact, I believe that I came here to retrieve this Talisman in the first place?”

The elf nodded, and bent downwards slightly, rummaging through a hole he had conjured magically. His face twisted every now and then as he either missed something or grabbed the wrong item, but finally he brought out a small, wooden box. The box itself was nondescript, and the mage supposed it was to keep its prize out of the wrong hands.

Arain slid the box across the table to the High Mage, who opened it and gasped as he laid eyes on the Talisman. Picking it up gingerly, he took note of every detail on the artifact. The texts were right, he thought. A closed eye sat in the center of the object, embedded into the form which most normal amulets tended to be crafted as in this day and age. Golden spindles bent in awkward positions protruded from the edges, and the backside seemed to be pure gold.

Hell, if he didn't know any better, he’d think that the item was a priceless treasure and not a prison for an ancient evil.

“So this is what caused so much trouble,” the mage said reverently. He brought the Talisman closer to his neck, and Arain’s eyes widened.

"I don’t think that’s wise,” he said. “If the texts are anything to go by…”

“I know very well what I’m doing,” the mage said as the Talisman clasped around his neck. He felt a surge of power flow through him as the eye widened, and he thought his senses became enhanced, though he couldn’t be sure.

Arain stared at the mage, blinking in disbelief as the High Mage let out a dark, unsettling chuckle. “S-sir?” he began.

Delrith sneered at the mage as he pulled his hood back. The boney arms and hands of the High Mage turned red and muscular as they resumed his normal demonic form, and his height grew to that of a normal lesser demon.

“As you can see, I’m not your damned High Mage,” he growled.

~^+^~

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

06-Feb-2011 01:36:52 - Last edited on 06-Feb-2011 03:51:54 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

“I’m tellin’ ya’, we had no idea about any o’ this!” Commander Rakin cried.

“I’m sure you didn't, but that’s not important right now," the real High Mage retorted. “On the other hand, I want to retrieve that damn Talisman I was told about before anything else goes wrong!”

Rakin and his boss were making their way down the hall towards Arain’s private study. The aged spellcaster was walking quickly, with the dwarf trying to keep up as much as his stubby little legs would allow him to.

“Just one question,” the dwarf said. “If yer here, who was the other guy pretendin’ to be you?”

The High Mage shook his hooded head and replied, *I don’t know. But it worries me greatly that someone on the outside knows what it is you have. No good can come of this.”
The pair was standing at the door of Arain’s study, the armored sentinels motionless and silent at their arrival.

The High Mage was about to open the door, but a sudden burst of fire blew it clean off from its hinges, which collided with the mage and sent him sprawling backwards to the ground. Rakin readied his trusty warhammer and assumed a battle stance as a lesser demon entered the hallway.

“Great,” the demon hissed as it looked at Rakin. “This is…just great…”

“I dunno who the hell you are, but yer goin’ down big fella!” Rakin cried as he lunged at the demon. The unholy creature laughed as it stepped to the side and avoided the dwarf’s blow entirely, and it made its way over to the fallen mage. The creature bent low to examine the spellcaster, but a bright light suddenly filled the hall.

“Make sure the High Watcher is safe!” he heard his boss say. The light caused Rakin to shield his eyes, and when he sensed the light was gone, he peeked through his hands and saw that both demon and mage were gone.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

06-Feb-2011 01:37:54 - Last edited on 06-Feb-2011 03:52:30 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

Rakin hoisted his warhammer onto his shoulder, and slowly inched into Arain’s study. The room looked like someone had tried casting a spell of mass destruction in it, and it occurred to the little dwarf that the demon probably attempted just that as he arrived mere moments ago.

The bookshelves were toppled over; their contents sprawled all over the place. Some of the books seemed to be completely shredded, and others were clearly burnt. The table in the center of the room was smashed, as well as other pieces of furniture that Rakin couldn’t identify. After all, he’d only seen the inside of Arain’s study only a handful of times, so he had no clue what was in it in the first place, let alone if anything had changed recently.

“R-rakin,” he heard Arain say. The dwarf looked over to a fallen bookshelf, and saw the High Watcher buried under some rubble, alive and well…well, barely alive, and his clothing seemed as tattered as the grime coating his face and hair.

“Sir, we have a problem!” Rakin cried as he ran over to Arain. The dwarf began digging through the rubble furiously as he filled the High Watcher in on current events, but Arain cut him off midsentence.

“It’s Delrith,” Arain said. “He has the Talisman…”

“So we get yer ass outta here and go after ‘im then!” Rakin replied.

Arian began coughing. “Leave me here,” he said. “I’m sorry, but I’ll be useless in a fight right now, but the others won’t.”

“Even if I could get the others to git up, where the hell are the demon and High Mage?” Rakin asked.

“If I know my boss, I’d say that he probably took the fight to a wide, open area to keep the fortress intact. But he’s not all powerful, so he couldn’t have gotten too far by now."

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

06-Feb-2011 01:38:32 - Last edited on 06-Feb-2011 03:53:19 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

Rakin mulled over the elf’s words as he stopped digging. An idea suddenly came unbidden into his mind, and it was a long stretch. But he realized that the elf was probably right. Rakin ran out of the room, and began banging his gauntleted hands against his armor as he made his way into the general living quarters.

“A’right you fools, we’re under attack!” he screamed. “Everyone git the hell out in the courtyard with yer armor an’ weapons, an’ I wan’ it done five seconds ago!”

Groans escaped the rooms, and nobody came out into the hall. Just about every troop stationed there was used to the Commander’s obnoxious banging against armor or whatever he could find that was hard when he wanted something, so to them it may as well just have been another drill.

When nobody came out after a few more minutes, he began banging his armor again. “Correction! Comely elf lasses are in the courtyard an’ wanna see yer fancy armor an’ fightin’ stuff! First come first serve, boys!”

He didn't have to repeat himself as the soldiers made their way out into the hallway in full regalia. In record time, no less!

~^+^~

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

06-Feb-2011 01:38:55 - Last edited on 06-Feb-2011 03:53:51 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

The High Mage wildly slung spells at Delrith as the demon attempted to choke the life out of him. Each of the arcane projectiles seemed to have no effect on the demon, which was odd since demons were usually extremely susceptible to magic in the first place.

Delrith laughed. “It’s his power,” he said. “I feel it flowing through me.”

The mage summoned a massive surge of energy, and released an icy gale that caused Delrith’s skin to begin frosting over. The demon only continued laughing, but stopped as it heard something. The High Mage thought he heard it too, and he realized that the entire barracks had came into the courtyard. Delrith turned to face the assembled Grave Watchers, and the High Mage saw that they had drawn their weapons and were eying the demon warily.

“Don’t mind me,” he cried. “Just kill the demon! Don’t let him leave this courtyard!”

“Silence!” Delrith screamed at the mage.

The entire Watcher squadron advanced on the demon quickly, weapons swinging. Those who made it within striking distance suddenly clutched their throats and kneeled on the ground coughing, while the archers began firing their arrows at the demon’s heart. The warriors turned into Doomhounds in the span of a few seconds, and raced towards the supporting archers, who dropped their bows and drew shortswords to meet them.

“Well, that’s a handy trick,” Delrith said happily. Turning to the mage, he added, “I wonder…”

He didn't finish his sentence as a burst of lightning flashed in his eyes, causing him to release his grip on the High Mage. The spellcaster floated to the ground, and brought his staff slamming into the ground as he released mystic energies of all sorts at Delrith and the Hounds.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

06-Feb-2011 01:39:31 - Last edited on 06-Feb-2011 03:54:43 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

The High Mage felt a sharp pain in his head, and his vision danced. When he regained his senses, he saw an armored figure before him wielding a massive sword. “Back away from my father,” the figure said. “He needs to live for now."

*^+^*

Commander Rakin took stock of the situation in the courtyard. His warriors had apparently turned into Doomhounds because of Delrith, and he felt his fury rise as he saw many of his archers either converted or outright slaughtered by the beasts.

“Damned dogs,” he spat. Looking at Delrith, he added, “An’ it’s all yer fault too, demon.”

The dwarf commander hefted his warhammer, and charged into the fray swinging wildly. Many Hound heads were smashed in that day, and he had somehow managed to avoid certain death by disembowelment by the Hounds as he reached the end where Delrith stood waiting.

“Viez,” the demon screamed. “What the hell are you doing here?!”

Rakin saw an armored half-demon fighting the High Mage. “She’s dead!” the abomination screamed. “They killed Alya! And I know who did it!”

The High Mage blocked a blow from the half-demon’s oversized sword and rattled off an incantation. Magic darts flew into the creature, who deflected them towards the horde of Doomhounds with his own weapon.

Rakin let loose a cry of fury, and charged the half-demon as his vision turned red. He still can’t recall what happened that day, but soon enough the half-breed was on the ground, disarmed and bloodied. The next thing he knew, Delrith stepped in front of him, and the demon was furious.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

06-Feb-2011 01:40:03 - Last edited on 06-Feb-2011 03:56:51 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

“Hands off my kid,” Delrith said. Rakin ignored his warning, and instead attacked Delrith, giving himself over to the lure of battle. The demon managed to avoid most of his blows, only taking some hits as he stepped into Rakin’s swing, and grabbed the dwarf’s hammer.

“Down, short one,” Delrith said. The demon gripped the hammer in one hand, and sent the dwarf sailing into the air and right into a pillar near the entrance with a single swing. Looking at Viez, Delrith grabbed his son in one arm, and teleported away before anyone could make another move.

Commander Rakin watched through dazed eyes as the High Mage obliterated the Doomhounds with his magic. The flashy display of power only took a few moments to finish, and when it did, the aged spellcaster kneeled over him.

“He’s gone,” he said. “Delrith is gone.”

Rakin could only moan as pain began flooding his senses thanks to the wounds he did*’t even remember getting. “W-what now?” he managed to ask.

The mage shrugged. “First, we get you and the survivors some medical attention. Then, we go back to HQ so we can investigate the best path to take from here.”

Rakin couldn’t hear what else the mage was saying before he passed out.

~^+^~

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

06-Feb-2011 01:40:43

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

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

Delrith appeared in his home in a burst of hellfire, causing Zimberfizz to snap to attention unexpectedly. The demon ignored the imp as he carried a bloodied Viez and warhammer into the parlor, and set both of them down.

Delrith looked at his son with a concerned expression. The dwarf had managed to maul the half-breed’s face terribly with his weapon, and blood seemed to be pouring out of nearly every conceivable orifice on his face.

“S-she’s gone,” he muttered.

“Who did it?” Delrith demanded. “I want this proof which you speak of.”

Viez held out his hand, and dropped a small, glowing card on the ground. The half-demon began coughing violently as Delrith picked the card up, and turned it around to see its contents. He saw a very familiar symbol on it, and rage began building inside of him.

“Misthalin?” he cried. “Misthalin dared to attack my brood!?”

“Wh-what? No, that can’t be right!” Viez said as he began coughing up blood.

“Well, who else has this symbol then?!” Delrith asked as he shoved the card into Viez’s face.

Viez couldn’t answer because of his coughing, but Delrith didn't seem to care about his son’s fate. He was more concerned about what course to take next, but that didn't stop him from noticing that his son had stopped breathing as well.

“So wat*cha want me to do?” he heard Zimberfizz ask.

“Take him to the ritual chambers,” Delrith replied. “It looks like I’ll have to call on an old friend to get to the bottom of this.”

It was at that moment that he had forgotten the most important question, and he felt what passed for his heart sink.

~^+^~

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

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

06-Feb-2011 01:41:20 - Last edited on 06-Feb-2011 03:58:08 by A Mad Hatter

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