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Author Topic: A Rude Awakening  (Read 699 times)

Illmyr

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A Rude Awakening
« on: May 14, 2008, 01:11:08 PM »
His pulse was a visible strum across his neck.  Sweat bit at his eyes as it danced down his face.  What he had seen, not with his eyes but with his mind, would not soon be forgotten.  The nightmare that still lingered in his thoughts was now the reality that encompassed him.

Exhaustion can be a funny thing.  Illmyr had managed to elude the Inquisitors, but to where did that take him?  For days he had been running, but their magicks had an odd way of knowing where his feet would take him.  Through forest and city did the Church hunt him, but he would not go willingly; his place in this world had only begun.  Fatigue managed to eventually capture its eluder, but not before he had drifted beyond reason.  The young spiritualist took rest without question on whatever would willingly lay beneath him.  As he awoke now, he found that to be the cold wooden floor of a seemingly empty home.  Strange that he no longer felt the presence of the Inquisitors on his tail.  Stranger that he felt the presence of many faint spirits, all whispering of the same dream:  murder.

Beyond the door to which Illmyr's pale hands clutched, he saw the creatures routinely making their way down the streets.  What is that they were doing?  Where were the tenants of this house?  Do undead need to sleep?  Do undead even need a home?  Questions bounced through his mind, but none seemed as pertinent as the last; will I make beyond this city alive?

Corotai

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A Rude Awakening
« Reply #1 on: May 16, 2008, 10:34:01 AM »
Illmyr's eyes beheld a small village, bustling with movement and happy faces; One of many wooden and thatched dwellings and one stone building. Clearly a place for a local lord to dwell. His trained eye could discern that although this village acted and seemed for all part normal, it was one full of those whom were killed. The people who dwelled in the home he had visited in particular brought him food and water. These people, they behaved as they were made to, there were powerful illusions and necromancy at work. Highly advanced dark magics that made them all seem nothing more than normal people, living normal lives. Concerned voices and curious children addressed the man, "Are you feeling alright?" The village had a small dock, local smithy, and monastary. The dark forces at work in the air around Illmyr were strongly tied to stone housing. "You look weary sir; Drink and eat, regain your strength." Near the stone housing, a group of wizard adepts were demonstrating to children the ways of magic. These children, and the wizards were among the living. Local priests performing services ignored Illmyr, they held no interest in him. Everything was proceeding as it would in a normal village. Atop the stone housing, a banner of white skies and a black sun flapped in the sea winds.

Illmyr

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A Rude Awakening
« Reply #2 on: May 20, 2008, 01:33:57 PM »
Fraternizing with the enemy? He could see the frail, detached spirits of the family afront him; he could taste the death in the air.  They reacted like programs, laying down every card in exactly the order a proper host should.  Illmyr wiped his face clean, pondering.  These were not the exactly the undead he expected to find, not at all. He should proceed with caution, hiding his powers.

"It was just a nightmare.  I am sorry to intrude upon your home, but I was quite weary.  Thank you for your hospitality."  Illmyr took the food with a smile, gracefully concealing his wavering heart.  Poison? The spiritualist didn't smell or see anything unusual, but it was of no consequence; if he did not eat and drink, he would surely collapse before he could take a step out the door.  He drank and eat quickly and quietly, though not frantic enough for it to be visible.  He would need his strength, but above all, he would need his illusion of ignorance.

Corotai

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A Rude Awakening
« Reply #3 on: May 20, 2008, 02:15:34 PM »
They didn't simply watch him eat, as he would soon notice; They partook in the devouring of fresh food. The magic that made them seem alive, it was very strong. Whatever was driving these illusions and powerful conjurations was something to behold, "Think nothing of it, many a traveler has passed through our quiet little village of Messillith. Most not so different from yourself Sir. But whatever you were dreaming about, it must have been something horrible." The gentleman gave Illmyr a hearty slap on the back, "No worries lad, you're welcome to stay here as long as you like. If you've any trouble what-so-ever during your stay in our cozy little port town, just march right on up to the stone building and ask for our local lord, he is a busy man, but looks after the wandering souls that stray to our village." The mean leaned closer, savoring a smile as he added, "I could use a hand too if you're up for it. I'm a fisherman." The lady gave the man a fierce look, to which he leaned back, "Maybe not." The necromancy driving these people wasn't shoddy. To give them that kind of lively personality. Illmyr could feel the presence of others not so fortunate as to recieve such a powerful necromatic enchantment. Zombies, they were near; but they weren't approaching. The rotting monsters happened to be far off. They were several buildings away, doing heavy lifting. Eerie was the place where children who used to be alive, sang as they played in the streets.

Illmyr

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A Rude Awakening
« Reply #4 on: May 24, 2008, 04:04:41 AM »
Freedom was within his reach, yet he couldn't bring himself to grab it.  Something about this town was just too far off. How did it just so happen that a village of living dead was cleverly concealed haphazardly among the living masses?

"I think I will take you up on that offer, good sir."  Was he a fool? Likely yes, but the Makrokosmos were duty bound to oversee equilibrium among the spiritual planes, and the undead did not exactly sit on the balance.  With a graceful bow, he flicked open the door and began his tour, ever aware of the whispering nightmares at the back of his mind.

Corotai

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A Rude Awakening
« Reply #5 on: May 27, 2008, 03:10:43 PM »
Words sounded after his departure, "Enjoy your tour!" In his wandering, Illmyr would pass many things: First among these was the church, but his awareness would inform him; It was not a normal church. It was home to some very unusual presences best described as dark priests. Clearly not priests connected in any way to the inquisitors that pursued him to the outskirts of this village. The power of these priests was similar to a certain power in the air. The very power that seemed to be everywhere in this village; and even into the distance toward the edges of a barely visible peninsula. Moving on he passed a local smithy, whom was preparing horseshoes, swords, armor, and various pieces of metal mostly used for ships or farming. Passing that he would move into the docks, the sound of the birds was exceptionally perceptable here. Birds that flew overhead, seeking to steal away the hard earned batch of fish caught by the sailors. Moving beyond that he would come to a storehouse, in which dwelled the zombies that were stocking it with goods. It was a place he wasn't permitted. He would come upon the wizards and children whom were being given a demonstration of magic, many of them ignored him. Some of the children glanced curiously at him. He passed a great deal of houses and dwellings. They were within the meager defenses of the village. Finally, he came upon the stone structure with its strangely frightening banner; A place of formal representation on the kingdom he was within. The place in which he could consult and meet with the master of the village. The inside of the building was cold, it was like an entirely different place from the outside. It wasn't as bustling with life, in here he could feel a power that was leaking through the illusions. Something he couldn't realize from outside in the town, whatever was here; It was very, very powerful. The closer he got to it, the colder it would feel to his senses. People greeted him, but people whom were shrouded in illusions. They were obviously necromancers to his trained eye, and in the main chamber he was greeted by an older man with a flowing gray beard, "Welcome to my village. I was informed by those you visited that you might come by. I trust you've been well accomadated by your hosts?"

They were in the room alone and there was no sign of guards or monitoring magic. A small office filled with papers and documents of various kinds. The strangeness of the environment in this building was clearly coming from him. His magical power... Even at rest it was a crushing force, a blizzard which would chill even the slightest bit of sweat that may form upon Illmyr's face. This man, was not a man, but a gifted lich of great power. The illusions of warmth couldn't mask what Illmyr was feeling. He knew, normal people would be unable to feel the chill of the lich's power that filled this place; Normal travellers and trade merchants, were completely ignorant of these facts. This was the man best suited to answer the questions Illmyr had. The Lich laid a piece of paper down and placed upon it his seal, confirming his status as the official lord of this village to Illmyr; This also would confirm for Illmyr if he had knowledge of official meetings between nobility, that in this situation he was being treated as a messenger of emissary of some kind. His safety was promised during this meeting by the laws of whomever ruled this kingdom.

Illmyr

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A Rude Awakening
« Reply #6 on: June 03, 2008, 01:29:47 AM »
Illmyr looked at the crest and then returned his gaze to his host slowly.  It's meaning was quite familiar to him; in many meetings with the Church before his exile, he was given a similar kind of reassurance that his life would continue past this meeting.  Still those encounters were with priest, and not a lich.  The spiritualist would have to choose his words very carefully, for a single misstep could throw his purpose directly out in the open.

"Your crest seems unfamiliar to me.  Is this village a kingdom unto itself?"  The words fell out of his lips.  He was breathing in the cold that hung around this man, chilling the room.  It would be wise to make this meeting quick; if he began to waver visibly, favor would not be his for long.

Corotai

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A Rude Awakening
« Reply #7 on: June 04, 2008, 07:33:39 AM »
The man before him perked an eyebrow, "I suppose it shouldn't be a surprise to me. Our kingdom is really quite small and of the settlements we're made of; This one is the smallest. Yes, we are a kingdom of a small area on this coastline. We're strongly rooted to the peninsula you are likely to have seen in the distance. Our kingdom goes by the name Black Dawn. A humble kingdom are we, but no so humble as to be a part of neighboring Calgoa. We see things differently than the worshippers of the paladin lord of that realm. That doesn't stop us from conducting commerce." He walked and collected some menial things, herbs soaked in a water glass he drew into his hands and drank from. Taking a bite of the fine looking vegetables, "Tell me sir. Have you any business of an official kind with us? I should inform you, matters of a strongly impacting nature would require you go before our king. I of course am offering you safe passage and escort if that is so. I am after all just a local lord for his majesty." He gestured an offer of the food and water he drank. "Where are my manners, I am Arcellius. By profession I was considered a magister before my commision as lord. May I have the honor of your name?"

 During their meeting, an entourage of inquisitor pursuers had tracked Illmyr to the village. Entering they beared forth an official church crest, demanding to see the local lord to speak of a heretic on the run believed to be residing in the village. Six men in total comprised the party. The group were steadily led toward the stone structure of the town.