A Champion's Journey, The Imperial Simulacrum Options

[Verlox]

Prolouge

Ernand Leoriane was greeted to his first sight of the Imperial City as he, along with his escort, crested over Brena's Hill, giving them an unparalleled view of the expansive rain-forest of the Nibenay Valley. The colossal Whitegold Tower, its silvered spire shimmering in the sun, gave promise to splendor. As a Junior Councilman of the Elder Council, Ernand would soon be enjoying that most marvelous of settlements. But the Imperial City wasn't the only site to behold in the great valley of Nibenay. From his perch atop Brena's Hill, the young Councilman could make out splendid villas of alabaster and limestone that belonged to wealthy nobles and Senior Councilors. The great Lake Rumare and its artery, the River Niben, could also be gazed at.

Sir Renard Liseux, the captain of Ernand's guards, moved his horse alongside his master's. "Your Grace, Chorrol is only another hour's ride from here. Would it please you if we bedded down there for the night?" Looking up, Ernand could clearly discern Masser and Secunda, and a few of the brighter stars. The Sun was only visible as a sliver of light on the western horizon. Although he would have preferred if they continued on their journey, traveling by torch-light if need be, Ernand knew that while his men would follow him, they wouldn't like him very much afterwards.

"Chorrol should be fine, Renard." Ernand could tell Renard was pleased by the grin that spread across his face. Signaling to the men, Renard spurred his horse back into formation around Ernand, and they proceeded to Chorrol. A Colovian town, Chorrol was situated in the Highlands on the border with Hammerfell. Founded in the 2703 year of the First Era by Kantus Jerril, the town's first Count. The city itself was rustic, to Ernand resembling the town in High Rock he was born in. Its timber structures were simple, square buildings with one or two floors. Silver Mining was Chorrol's primary trade, but the sheep and goat trade was always booming.

Twilight came and went by the time Ernand and his guards passed through the gates of Chorrol. A sleepy guard pointed them in the direction of the town's inn. It was fortunate that Chorrol was a very simple town, and that the inn received such a prominent position; right off the square. Passing up through the lane, Ernand couldn't help but admire the massive oak-tree that overshadowed the largest of Chorrol's buildings. Dismounting and hitching his horse, Ernand watched his guards tramp into the taproom. He followed more slowly, taking a seat in a corner. After the bar-wench had brought him his beverage, he was joined by Renard. "This isn't exactly the finest of places, eh, Renard?"

"No, sir, it is not," Renard indulged his master, feeling that a Councilman would think any place is trash, "Reminds me of home though, does it not?"

"Aye, that's true. Kambria bears a strong resemblance to this place. Chorrol is certainly warmer, though!" Both men laughed. "Do you think it will rain tonight," Ernand asked as he took a sip of his craythur, "Those clouds looked rather mean."

Renard tapped his chin with his forefinger in thought. "It could. We did have a light sprinkle last night, so it wouldn't be strange if we got some of the water up here in the Highlands."

"Should I expect a delay in travel?"

Renard grimaced. He knew Ernand wanted to get to the Imperial City so he could begin his career, and live the life of Nibenean luxury. Damn...I would be impatient, too, Renard thought to himself. As an older man, however, Renard could look on luxury as a reward, where as he saw Ernand as wanting the luxury as an entitlement, he was a member of the Elder Council after all. "Ernand," Renard rarely used his master's Imperialized name, preferring the formal 'sir' or, in private, his given name of Lochlainn, "How old are you?"

Ernand raised an eyebrow, but answered. "Seven-and-Twenty. Why?"

"You got your whole life ahead of you. Don't let a little luxury spoil you to the rest of the world."

"What makes you think it will?" Indignant, a hard edge crept into Ernand's voice, "I can assure you, Renard, that a Nibenean lifestyle will not 'spoil' me, as you put it." He stood from his seat abruptly, "I must bid you goodnight, Renard. I expect to leave early tomorrow, so be ready to leave by sunrise." With that, Ernand turned on his toe and left the taproom, leaving Renard sitting alone.

"Of course, Councilor. Your will is my command."

*

His entrance into the Imperial City was even greater that he imagined it would be. At the bridge, Ernand and his escort were met by the other two members of High Rock's councilors. They greeted their new compatriot with much warmth, proclaiming that High Rock was well served by having the scion of the Leoriane as a member of the Elder Council. Ernand in turn acknowledged their greetings with a smile, but had to ask where his benefactor, Ria Silmane, was.

"She had business to do for the Emperor, Ernand. As you know, that traitor, Tharn, was executed some months ago. For a time, the position of Imperial Battle Mage was empty, left vacant by Tharn's death. Emperor Uriel, in his wisdom, had Madame Silmane appointed in his place. We hardly see her anymore; always off doing one thing or another for His Majesty." Ernand nodded that he understood, but inwardly he wished that Ria had been their to see his entrance into the Imperial City.

The councilors escorted Ernand and his guard through the streets, giving them a condensed tour of the Imperial City. With the air crisp and cold, the councilors cut the tour short when they arrived in the Elven Gardens District. They pointed out to him the location of the High Rock Councilor's Manor, and then left the younger man for their own villas in the country-side.

"Unpack our belongings," Ernand told his guards, "I'm going to have a rest." The manor was a small, but comfortable, building of three stories. The lowest floor was a large hall made from receiving guests and dining. The second floor was dedicated to housing the occupant’s personal guard. And the third floor was the Councilor's Chamber. It was here that Ernand found himself after he mounted the stairs.

The chamber was very spacious. A large, four-poster bed was against the wall for sleeping. There were numerous coffers and chests, and their was even a writing desk. It was a object on the desk that first drew Ernand's attention, and he moved to investigate. The object was a small letter written on tan paper. Picking it up, Ernand read--

To his most Esteemed Lordship, Councilor Ernand Leoriane
Greetings,

I apologize in advance for not being able to greet you on your entrance into the city. The Emperor had a very important matter for me to look into, and I was unable to get out of it. I promise that we will soon see each other. If not in private than in the Palace.

Your Friend,
Ria Silmane, Imperial Battle Mage

Dated Seventh of Sun's Dawn, 3E 395

Ernand smiled at Ria's letter and put it back onto the desk. Moving over to a nearby shutter, he flung it open to gaze out over the Imperial City. Things were good.

**

This post has been edited by Verlox: Mar 19 2010, 02:40 AM

[Verlox]

Chapter Eighteen

The skies above Rihad were turning dim as Ernand and Ravena arrived back at the city from their information-gathering. Though there were dark clouds in the sky, Ernand still shielded his eyes as he looked up to seek the position of Magnus.

“Hey, Ravena?”

Bulling her way through the crowds of peasants passing through the gates of the city, the bounty hunter took a brief second to swirl her head around to grunt at her companion.

Scowling at her, Ernand continued. “Don’t you think it’s getting a little dark? It’s not long past noon, and those clouds don’t look friendly.”

The Breton watched as Ravena spat on the ground, and twirled to face him, an unfriendly and mocking grin pasted on her face. “What is it, Ernand? Afraid of a little rain?”

“Gods no,” Ernand snarled back, “But the temperature is already dropping, and I don’t want to get caught in the rain when it’s almost freezing!”

“Wear a cloak. That is what they’re made for; to keep you warm.”

Ernand made haste to follow as Ravena turned on her heel and continued on her way through Rihad’s gate and up the street. The citizens of the city were out in force now, and Ernand felt as if they were utterly oblivious to the gathering clouds above.

*

Ernand grimaced at the mangy beast standing in front of him. He had seen mules before, on farms in High Rock. Stout, and sturdy beasts; cheaper than a horse and able to do twice the work, but apparently Hammerfell did not have a good history when it came to mules, for this shabby creature looked careworn, and had seen too many years.

The Breton turned his head at the sudden burst of profanity, and wasn’t surprised to see his companion berating the merchant for, as Ravena colorfully put it, “putting a price tag on a pile of dung”. Ernand laughed in spite of himself, and looked at the other mounts the merchant was selling; powerful, well-bred whites and blacks, far exceeding his price range.

Damnation, he thought as he looked at one of the steeds stamping the ground with a clean hoof, Even before Valenwood I couldn’t have afforded one of these horses. I guess that’s the West; only the rich, their servants, or the lucky have a mount around here. For everyone else, his eyes moved back to the mule, There’s that.

Turning away from the sorry mule, Ernand moved over to behind Ravenna, putting a calming arm on her shoulder. She didn’t look particularly pleased to have it there, but she did stop her tirade, snarling at the merchant as she turned on her heel and stalked out of the stables, leaving the Breton to deal with negotiations.

“Oh, thank you, Good Master,” the Redguard merchant bowed deeply to the Breton, “I thought that monstrous woman was going to take my head off! Did you see how she was fingering her blade? Most dreadful!”

“She might have,” Ernand muttered as he looked out the stables, his eyes finding the bounty hunter tending roughly to her own horse. “Look, I don’t need a prize-winning mount, but neither will I stoop so low as to purchase that,” he extended his arm to point at the mule in the corner. “You have to have something that is of a more reasonable price.”

The merchant, now standing upright again, cupped his chin, and his eyes went downcast in thought. “If you don’t have the money, I can’t sell you a horse,” he said after a few moments, and Ernand’s heart dropped. “However,” he continued, “For five hundred drakes, I’ll sell you one of the camels I keep at the West Gate. It was ill-thought venture of mine to use those camels for desert trading, but that didn’t pan out. I’m losing money just on their upkeep.”

“A camel? I don’t know how to ride a camel.”

“No, no,” the merchant was now very earnest, “It is very easy. Almost like riding a horse. No difference!”

Quirking an eyebrow, Ernand regarded the merchant with no small amount of skepticism. “I’ve seen those beasts before,” he said after a short pause, “And I have seen people ride them. It looks nothing like riding a horse. Not to mention their foul temperament! No, I will not purchase the camel.”

The merchant shrugged his shoulders, and now seemed willing to abandon the sale entirely. Ernand, however, knew that traveling to Stonekeep on foot could take hours, and he didn’t have many options open to him. Sighing, the Breton reached down to his belt and unhooked his pouch of coins. Digging around in it, under the now alert gaze of the merchant, he pulled out forty septims, and dropped them into the merchants outstretched palms.

“I’ll take the mule,” Ernand muttered dejectedly, “At least I know how to ride one of those.”

“Good, good,” the merchant said in an absent tone as he fingered the gold coins greedily, “Take the beast and go.”

Taking a lead from the wall, Ernand moved over to the mule in the corner, who by then had flopped onto his behind, as if it knew it was leaving the comfort of the stables and was trying everything it could to avoid that fate. Grimacing, Ernand tied the lead around the mule’s neck, and with a strong pull, brought the mule up onto its legs.

“Come on, you damnable beast,” Ernand growled through gritted teeth as he pulled at rope tied to the immobile mule, “Come on!” He continued his futile tugging for several minutes before he felt the rope being torn from his hands, and he looked to see Ravenna, annoyance and anger burning on her face, with the lead. With a mighty pull, the mule let out a yelp and scurried towards Ravenna, who shoved the lead back into Ernand’s hands.

“Stop mucking about! If we’re to be on the road by the time the rain comes, we need to leave now!”

Ernand watched as Ravenna once again left the stable and mounted up onto her own horse, and as she wheeled the steed around, she looked at him and pointed towards the north. “You catch up,” she called as she propelled her horse into a slow trot, “Or stay behind. I don’t really care which.” Finished, she spurred her horse faster, and sped off in a cloud of dust.

Rejected, Ernand did nothing for a few minutes but think, How am I supposed to penetrate Fang Lair, let alone rescue the Emperor, when I cannot even get a mule to move! Dammit, Ria, you chose the wrong person!. However, he stopped that line of thought when he felt a nudging at his side, and he looked down to see the mule pushing again him.

“What? You want to be like that horse? Ha,” Ernand let out a mirthless laugh, “Somehow I doubt your stubby legs could carry you, let alone me, that fast.” But the mule continued to nudge him, and Ernand finally relented. “Fine, but if your back breaks, it’s your own fault.”

Swinging a leg over the mule’s back, he lifted himself onto the animal, and he was surprised to see that the beast didn’t seem to mind the weight, and with a light tap at its sides, it began to follow the path left by Ravenna’s more powerful horse, its stubby legs crashing furiously against the ground.

Well, Ernand thought as he balanced himself further on the mule, I’m surprised. And here I thought it would die when I got atop it! Well then, Gods willing, now I’ll be able to get my horse back, and this little guy will serve quite ably as a packmule.

*

Rain was coming down in a torrent as Ernand and Ravenna rode along the north road into the mountains. Magnus was utterly blocked out by the dark clouds, and the wind had picked up, and it was to the point where Ernand could barely see fifty feet ahead of himself.

“Ravenna!” he yelled out to the woman slightly ahead of him, who seemed to be doing just as bad as he, “We have to stop. I’m soaked clean through, and I don’t think I can take this much longer!”

“Toughen up!” he heard the Redguard call back, “I’ve been through worse. Stonekeep isn’t much further anyway.”

Damn woman, he thought angrily as he spurred the mule under him in an attempt to keep up with Ravenna’s horse, She is going to get us killed, if not out here, then certainly in that goblin-infested palace. Ernand was brought out of his thought when, after rounding a slight bend, he caught his first sight of Stonekeep. Even though it was still a good distance away, the towering edifice of the keep itself was enough to penetrate the dark and the rain. Even though it was far inferior, the palace conjured up images of the Imperial Palace in the Breton’s mind.

“There it is,” Ernand heard Ravenna yell, and she dropped back closer to him, “If I know goblins, and I do, they will be hold up in that keep, or in their own trashy dwellings to protect themselves from the rain.”

“What? So we’ll just waltz right in through the front gate?”

He saw through the rain Ravenna’s bright smile, and his heart sank some that his suspicious was confirmed.

“It’s as if you’re trying to get me killed.”

“Going through the gate will be twice as easy as going over the walls.”

“Yes, and twice as dangerous.”

“So?”

With Ravenna’s apparent disregard for safety, Ernand simply dropped the subject. At the least, he was sure she would go barreling through the gatehouse first. And when she falls, I won’t have to deal with this, and I’ll just take her horse.

It was still another hour before the pair arrived at the walls of the Stonekeep. Dismounting, they both led their mounts along by hand. Shielded on their right from the wind by the wall, they now only had to contend with the torrential rain. Fortunately, Ravenna assured him, this only provided camouflage from goblin eyes. Ernand didn’t quite believe her, but the rain was certainly preferable to a clear day, when goblin sentries could have seen them coming from a mile away.

They moved along the wall for a few minutes before they arrived at the ruined gatehouse. The portcullis was gone, and the great wooden doors were standing wide open. Ernand watched how, after she gave him the reins to her horse, she snuck forward and poked her head into the gatehouse, before finally disappearing into it, motioning for Ernand to follow.

The interior of the gatehouse was dry, albeit terribly foul. Piles of trash, bones, and half-eaten rabbits intermixed with droppings and ash from fire pits.

“We will leave the mounts here,” Ravenna said as she took the reins back from Ernand, leading the horse to a set of stalls that lined the south wall of the gatehouse, “We can’t very well take them with us.”

Ernand couldn’t fault her logic, and he followed her example with his mule. After shutting the stall door, Ernand was then alerted when he heard the ring of steel leaving scabbard, and he whirled around to see that Ravenna had drawn her sword. Following her example, the Breton wrenched his scimitar out of its scabbard.

Hearing Ravenna whisper fiercely, “Give me some light,” Ernand raised his hand in the air and muttered a few words, and a ball of green light shot through the air and hit the ceiling, bathing the gatehouse with soft luminescence. The spell served to reveal the cause of Ravenna’s alarm, two goblins, caked in filth, and passed out on the floor near the wall opposite Ravenna and himself.

They didn’t seem alerted to their presence, and even Ernand knew that was strange. Goblins were not heavy sleepers, and his eyes sought out what could make these creatures sleep so. Ravenna, apparently, had no such need to know, and the Breton could only watch as she advanced towards the slumbering monster. Sword firmly in hand, she wasted no time in thrusting her blade down onto their heads, splitting their skulls open.

“You don’t waste any time, do you?” Ernand asked, his mouth quirking into a grin.

“Ha,” Ravenna let out a quiet laughed as she cleaned her sword using the rags the goblins had worn for clothes, “At least I know you aren’t squeamish. I was sure you’d raise an issue over that.”

“Over goblins? Gods forbid I ever get that soft!”

Safety restored, the pair once again turned their attention toward the task at hand: Stonekeep. The door to the bailey was still intact, although covered in small holes. Fortunately, the holes were large enough to look through.

Lowering himself to his knees, Ernand looked through one of the holes. He couldn’t clearly make out the bailey on the other side, the wind and rain obscuring his vision, but he could see the numerous ugly huts that stood out against the dull gray of Stonekeep’s walls. Ravenna’s eyes, however, were sharper, and her quick intake of breath made the Breton somewhat nervous.

“What? What is it?”

She did not answer him directly, asking, “Detecting life. Do you know a spell that can do that?”

“No,” Ernand answered, shaking his head, “I don’t. It’s not something I ever thought I would need.”

“Pah, you Breton’s are useless!”

Ernand shrugged, not offended by the Redguard’s scorn. Intrigued, however, he ventured to ask, “What do you see out there?”

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I see no smoke coming out of those huts, so either the goblins are all holed up in the keep, or they simply aren’t here.”

Getting back to his feet, Ernand brushed off the dirt from his pants, and raised his sword. “Perhaps we should risk a dash across the bailey,” he said, grasping the heavy door handle, “It’s better than holing up in here; gods know how long this stench is going to cling to my clothes.”

Ravenna nodded, and together the Redguard and Breton pulled the gatehouse door open. They were instantly assaulted by wind and rain as they got their first real look at Stonekeep’s bailey. Not bothering to take in the scenery, the pair rushed out. While Ravenna saw no need to cover her head, Ernand took care to raise the hood of his cloak, but by the time they had made it to steps of the keep leading into the Great Hall, both were soaked.

“So where do you think your mark is,” Ernand whispered as he lowered his hood and ran a hand through his matted blonde hair, “This place is quite large. It could take hours to cover every nook and cranny.”

She didn’t answer him at once, and Ernand watched as she stepped further into the Hall. In fact, she didn’t seem to be listening at all. She had lowered her sword, and her face took on a blank look as she stared at the moth-eaten tapestries of by-gone glory. Puzzled, the Breton followed her, his own sword ready, and the words for spells present in his mind.

It took the pair a few minutes to walk the length of the hall, until they arrived at the dais. Ernand noticed how Ravenna’s face hardened as she looked down at the broken throne, where the monarchs of Rihad once sat.

“Goblins,” she said suddenly, shocking Ernand enough that he flinched. Ravenna didn’t seem to notice. “Terrible monsters. All they do is destroy. I’m sure this once a great palace, and now look at it.”

Her voice was toneless, and Ernand began to feel a little uneasy. “Yes,” he began haltingly, “They are terrible. High Rock has had its own share of problems with them. But we aren’t here to hunt goblins, Ravenna, we’re here to capture a convict accused of murder and escape from prison, and,” his mouth quirked some, “horse theft.” A light noise echoed in the dismal Hall, and Ernand instantly wheeled about to look back the way they had come. He saw nothing, however, and he lowered his sword. His heart beating furiously, he turned back to Ravenna, saying, “We should leave the Hall. We’re like sitting ducks in here.”

Ravenna seemed to rouse herself from her thoughts, and agreed with a nod of her head. Together, with the Redguard leading, they moved silently through Stonekeep. To Ernand, all of the corridors looked the same, and it wasn’t long before he got turned around. However, he noticed that Ravenna didn’t seem to have that problem, and each turn looked carefully chosen.

“Do you know where we’re going?” Ernand asked as they entered a long hallway lined with shuttered windows.

“Rogues like to have one entrance and two exits. I guarantee you that our quarry didn’t go up into one of the towers.” Ravenna stopped speaking when her foot came into contact with a rough bit of the floor. “Damnation,” she muttered, as she titled her head to call to Ernand, “Give me light, I can’t see a thing in here.”

Obeying, Ernand muttered the incantation and extended his hand, and once again a ball of green light illuminated a dark place. “Heh,” he snorted as he lowered his arm, “Part of me was expecting to see the whole floor strewn with bones and body parts.”

Visible to him now, he could see the scowl that crossed his companion’s dusky face as she muttered, “You think too much.”

Ernand frowned, but raised no objection and continued to follow behind the Redguard. “So,” he said after some moments of silence, “You said she would not have gone up into one of the towers. And we’ve scoured this whole floor here, so where else could she have gone?”

“The goblin tunnels, most likely.”

His face blanched when he heard Ravenna identify their destination, and he began to stammer, “The tunnels? Is she mad?”

“Most likely,” she began, “But Neira’s choice of haven does have some logic to it. Goblins wouldn’t return to their tunnels if they have a whole palace to live in, and they also provide her with a back exit to gods know where if she needs it.”

“And we’re to follow her into a death trap,” Ernand sputtered, his nerve starting to fail him.

Ravenna reply was characteristic, and with a deep growl she replied, “If you’d rather leave, be my guest, but I’m going down to find her!”

Ravenna voice echoed through the corridors, and a chill went down Ernand’s spine. Adjusting his scaled vest to a tighter degree, he raised his hand and muttered a few words, and the spell of light that had lit the hall was dispelled.

“Why’d you do that,” Ravenna said in a rising voice, “I can’t see a thing now!”

Shushing her, Ernand halted his steps to listen. He could hear a small scratching sound through the walls, and a tapping sound behind them, along with the sound of metal hitting stone. Whirling, Ernand raised his right hand, and with the words of magick spoken, another spell of light shot through the darkness towards the beginning of the corridor. The ball of light hit something, and exploded, revealing a trio of armed goblins covering their sensitive eyes from the light.

He heard Ravenna spit out a curse behind him, and he, too, felt like swearing. Instead, he back up some until he was beside Ravenna, and he asked, “So what is the plan?”

Taking only a few moments to think, Ravenna turned her head to Ernand, “Do you know spells from the College of Destruction?”

Ernand nodded.

“Fry them, freeze them, I don’t care. Just get rid of them. Our cover is blown anyway.”

Nodding again, Ernand moved forward a few feet, and sheathed his sword. By then, the three goblins had recovered their eyesight, and were rapidly advancing towards the Breton and Redguard, screaming in the foul tongue. Raising his arms and extending his point and pinky fingers on both hands, the Breton summoned his magick, saying under his breath, “Csavarok a villám,” and small bands of electricity began to spark between his outstretched fingers. The energy built until the sparks became a clear stream, and the energy was great enough that Ernand released the spell.

Two magical bolts of lightning launched from the Breton’s hands, streaking through the air forty feet until they struck one of the goblins, sending the monster flying backwards until it slammed onto the hard floor, twitching as the electricity continued to run through its body.

The other two goblins halted their advance, slightly perturbed by this display of civilized magick. Ernand took the chance offered to him, and sent two balls of light towards the monsters, making them illuminated targets in the shadowed corridor. Behind him, he heard Ravenna whispering an oath before she raised her sword and charged past him.