The Ghostfence rp: Playground 2 Options

[minque]

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[jack cloudy]

Eno Arval

Rothan's explanation took the edge off the tension that Eno was feeling.
"Well then, praise ALMSIVI you got out of there alive. And you're right, I am getting worked up over nothing. Let us continue on then." He replied as they descended the stairs.

True to the priest's words, they found the actual camp not much further down. It was uncertain just how far the ruins carried, but it was obvious that the temple at least had chosen to settle down as close to the entrance as possible. It was easier that way after all. A simple wall of hardened clay had been erected to seal off the rest of the ruins. Matts lay on the floor, reflecting the torchlight that would have otherwise been sucked up by the Daedric material.

Priests, acolytes, Armigers and even a handful of Ordinators went about their bussiness as the two men reached the end of the stairs.
"Ah, this must be the place. Now I just need to find whoever is in charge of the paperwork here. See if I can join a caravan going the other way. I've had enough adventure for a lifetime."



OOC: I took some liberties here with describing the inside camp and also with leading Rothan down the stairs. I hope that doesn't cause any problems. And I must admit that I wasn't planning on getting lost. I was just using Eno's superstition to draw an image of what I think that the Daedric ruins should be. In-game, they're often just a straightforward stairs-big open hall combo which is kinda boring.

Erna can be in the sealed off section. So if you want to summon some Daedra to cause a ruckus colonel, feel free to have them break through the clay wall.

And one last question, is Apelles inside the ruins or outside? I'm not planning on doing much, beyond wave hi if he and Eno are in the same place.

[bbqplatypus]

And one last question, is Apelles inside the ruins or outside? I'm not planning on doing much, beyond wave hi if he and Eno are in the same place.

OOC: Inside in a different chamber. At least, I'd say it's a different one. If you want them to bump into each other, that's fine.



Apelles followed Salms Ralas into an empty chamber of the ruins. Ralas looked straight at him with a penetrating and direct stare.

"How many dead?"

"None, sera. By the grace of the gods, all eight of us survived the ordeal."

"Almsivi be praised…" he breathed, relaxing momentarily. Then, the concern - the panic - returned to his face. "What was it? Was it the ash creatures? It was the ash creatures, wasn't it? Dammit, they're getting farther and farther out, coming more and more often! Surely there'll be more of them!"

Apelles stared at Salms for a moment, surveying his wild, yet sunken and tired eyes, heavy with worry and fear.

He's still haunted by the fate of the last caravan, Apelles thought. Then he spoke. "No…no, it was a gang of outcast Ashlanders."

Ralas's expression of fear turned to one of surprise. "Ashlanders? This far out? The nearest camp is hundreds of miles away."

"I know. My guess is they were probably outcasts, desperate for food and supplies. Nasty folk, those outcasts - I reckon the tribe kicked them out for a reason."

The Armiger relaxed. "Ah, yes...not common, but I've heard of it happening before. Never seen them this far out, though. In any event, it lightens my heart to know you all survived."

"You're telling me. I STILL can't believe I'm standing here." He allowed himself to smile for a moment. "By the way, I overheard that conversation you were having with the administrators."

Ralas shook his head and sighed deeply. "Yes, well…I suppose there's no point in denying it. We Armigers are spread thinner than cuttle on a Hlaalu's morning hard tack. Most of the Armigers escorting the caravan are rookies. We've got precious few experienced officers and a lot of new faces."

Apelles cocked one eyebrow. "Really? This'd be the first I've heard of it."

"The Temple is good at keeping secrets, my friend. The seams won't show as long as we don't run into any trouble. But when we do..." Salms snapped his fingers. "...three hells will break loose."

"Gods' blood..." Apelles gasped. "Then again, I suppose I ought to have known. Why else would you be hiring so many mercenaries?"

"Quite frankly, I don't think we're hiring nearly enough. But the situation is mostly the same everywhere, BUT...Addamasartus has some experienced men to spare. Maybe an officer, some additional men, but most importantly, they've got some experienced NCO's sitting here on their backsides doing next to nothing. I could get them out doing something useful, but instead they're here, keeping watch over this glorified guar stable! And that FETCHER Sadas Drathen knows it, too! But he won't hand them over to me. He's holding HIS personal grudge against me over the needs of the Temple! Over the lives of MY MEN!" He slammed his fist against one of the ornate stone pillars inside the chamber.

Apelles paused for a moment before gingerly proceeding with a question. "If...you don't mind me asking, sera, what exactly does this Drathen have against you?"

"A long story, not worth telling," he replied bitterly. "Suffice to say, it was a number of imagined slights, culminating in the day when the Patriarch appointed me to the prestigious post of head guard at the Tower of Dusk instead of him. It's considered to be a real honor, a test worthy only of the truly strong and pious warrior. Which is why he wasn't chosen, the worthless s'wit."

"Oh. Sounds like it'll be an uphill battle to convince him, then."

Salms' voice went quiet. "Yes, yes it will be. So are most fights worth fighting. And this...war against the Sharmat and his...vile thralls...is a prime example. It's claimed so many of us, stretched us beyond our limits, and the battle has scarcely begun. Sometimes I wonder if I even have the stomach for it anymore. I keep telling myself that Lord Vivec will protect and provide, but..." Ralas sighed and stared out into space for a moment. Then he looked back up at Apelles, his eyes almost dead with weariness.

"Do you know how old I am, outlander?"

"No, I don't."

"I'm seventy-four years old. I have wounds in places I can't even see. Right now, I'm one of the best...but that won't last. I figure I have about three, maybe four good years left before I start to break down. After that...I don't know. Probably forty years of teaching children the virtues of the Seven Graces, before my body takes its final revenge on me for treating it so damned badly. From the cradle to the grave, I will have served Lord Vivec with every breath I've ever taken. I shall sacrifice my body to him.

"And what do I have? Nothing...an Armiger's pay, no true home, no family, and nowhere else to go. Most of my friends seem to be dying left and right. Soon, I won't even have my health.

"Sometimes, I can see my friend's faces - death masks in my head. And I wonder...why Vivec didn't protect them. And I ask, when's he going to save us, if not now? And I wonder if, maybe...it's because...he ca-" He gulped, stopping himself, barely holding back tears.

"I know..." he wheezed, voice quivering, "...that Vivec has a plan. I believe it as an article of faith. But sometimes I wonder if it would be best if I had no part of it."

Apelles could see his body quivering, shaking like an old man without his cane. He could feel the words that were left unspoken upon his lips. Words of doubt and bitterness - an unspoken heresy that he was struggling with all his heart not to believe. His every word conveyed a deep, quaking religious terror.

Apelles put his hand on Ralas's shoulder, unsure of what to say.

"Are you going to be okay?" Apelles finally croaked out.

"I'll...I'll be fine," he answered.

"Are you sure? Because I'm here to help if you need me. We can beat this together. I'll even pray with you, if that's what you want."

"I know," he whispered. "You haven't let me down yet in the brief time I've known you. But I'll be fine. It's just...a bit of officer's anxiety, is all."

Suddenly, he straightened up and stood tall. The tears, the weariness, and any other sign of doubt were gone - he was, for the time being, every bit the confident Dunmer he seemed to be in Balmora.

"Besides," he continued, "we're thin enough on officers as it is. This caravan can't afford for me to quit now. Hell, if we lose any more officers, we might need you to take charge. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go back and continue to beg for Drathen's table scraps."

And with that, he both his way back to the main chamber, with Apelles following closely behind, not quite sure if he would ever view him the same way again.

This post has been edited by bbqplatypus: Sep 4 2009, 08:45 AM