To Heir Is Human II- Playground XIII, the 13th.... Options

[The Metal Mallet]

Flogir

Flogir groaned at the news Ian brought. Necromancers are harder to kill then it appears. He was sure this wouldn't make Rann and the others who traveled with him to kill Mannimarco happy. Hell, he wasn't happy about it either.

"I definitely need a drink now..." Flogir mumbled. Their small victory barely mattered now.

[Dantrag]

Rann

Rann was glad that Flogir became preoccupied with Ian's news instead of his current displeasure with his sister and her lover. He really didn't want to talk about it. All he wanted was to have a nice quiet drink, preferably with Dalrus. He didn't want to spend his time reminding himself of the thoughtlessness of some of his friends.

But on that same note, he didn't really want to think about Mannimarco, either. It angered him more than a little that the sick man (if he could be called that) still lived, and made him feel that he had somehow failed Kirana and Soldin, and that their deaths were in vain.

"Me too," he said wholeheartedly, with a tone of emotional exhaustion clearly evident in his voice.

[The Metal Mallet]

Flogir

As Flogir made his way to the Tiber Septim, he saw Flint, Voltar, and Altair standing nearby. He waved at em.

"Tiber Septim. We're drinking. Come," he said in a monotone and hurried fashion. Flogir thought he saw Flint stare at him oddly but he ignored it. He didn't really care at the moment.

[Lord Revan]

Issac

Without paying Rann, Amrita, Satyana, or anyone else any heed, he walked through the entrance and upstairs to where the rooms were. Not even bothering in shutting the door, Issac went into "his" room.

Taking the katana he'd stabbed Kirana with off of his belt, he pulled the blade out of its sheath and without thinking, embedded halfway in the coffee table. Issac sat down on the bed and stared at the blade, remembering how the blood of his matron had flowed over it.
The enchantment on it had long since been spent and the table did not burst into flames. The Altmer silently went over all that had gone wrong recently, from Mannimarco's resurection to the problmes he and Satyana had with Rann.

Issac looked up at the sword again, then he laid back on the bed and stared at the cieling. What would you have me do now? He asked the woman gone from the world. How would you work this out? The Altmer lay there, sprawled over the covers, as if waiting for an answer he had to hear.....

[Priest of Sithis]

Mannimarco

Excitement flowed through Mannimarco as he saw the commander go down through the undead's eyes. He was almost certain that Astratus would die, and the Army would crumble. Suddenly, the blasted vampire appeared, cutting and killing his masterpiece. Mannimarco grabbed a nearby bandit and tore the soul from him, then set the body on fire. Mannimarco cursed in any language he could think of. He turned and walked towards the Silhouette, then decided to approach the lizard man.

"Lizard man, you aren't from around here, are you? It doesn't matter, my only question is this. How does your kind rid itself of those living mockeries known as vampires? The s'wit has ruined my body, and my plans, countless times, and I am frustrated." Mannimarco roared his frustration to the sky. Then he realized something, and a maniacle grin spread across his face. He realised that Kirana had been in Ian, had come in contact with the vampire's soul. Mannimarco left the alien and walked off towards a dark part of the woods.

Mannimarco embedded the gem of Kirana into another undead, and made it so the undead could speak. Mannimarco created the body to the best of his ability, the body only looked gray. He even went so far as to give clothes to the body. He granted advanced muscle movement and heightened perception. He did everything he could, and the body looked to be human. The problem was, there was no blood pumping in the body, no heart beating no air brought in to breathe. The sound came from Kirana's mind, and the undead made no mouth movement. Mannimarco smiled at his creation, and then started to cast spells on the undead.

Mannimarco put a recall spell on the black soul gem. He placed an incantation on the corpse so that if it was touched by a living person, it would burst into flame. He created a leash for the undead, Kirana had freewill, as long as Mannimarco was allowing her freewill and was concious. He cast a spell that would reanimate dead tissue if Kirana attempted suicide. Then Mannimarco smiled, and walked the undead Kirana towards the shore.

Mannimarco ordered two snakemen and a bandit to row the undead across the lake halfway, and then to shout to the wall the following message:

"The King of Worms, his majesty, has honorably asked for a parlay in so much as to grant you noble fighters a gift, for enduring so long. Here is Kirana, former adventureror who stood against our noble King. She was given back the gift of life, and now she walks again! Who has such power besides the King and the Silhouette? Never die again! Join our cause, walk amongst your friends for enternity"

Then Mannimaro told the bandit to make Kirana walk off the boat into the water where she would swim across to the opposite shoreline. Before Kirana got on the boat, he cast a devious spell that required a blood sacrifice from the caster. Mannimarco plunged a knife into his hand and the blood dripped from the wound and dissappated. Mannimarco used the energy to create the last image he saw of Kirana and place it on the undead. Then he sent the snakemen and bandit across the lake with Kirana.

[Lord Revan]

Plys'Iea

The sudden arrival and departure of the Maggot King perplexed the alien warrior, but it also intrigued him. Enough that the creature rose and silently stalked after the necromancer lord. As the sorcerer worked and his treacherous plot was revealed, the alien's blood boiled at Mannimarco's indifference for the sanctity of death.

The dead do not deserve this audacity! He thought angerly as he listened to the message Mannimarco wanted delivered. While Tamrielic was not a language he could speak, the alien could understand it enough that all he couldn't do was speak in it.
However, the warrior did not reveal himself nor did he approach the Silhouette, as he personally doubted his leader would see fit to interfere. I'll watch how this turns out.... Sneaking away, the alien kept his senses stretched to the brink in order to keep Mannimarco and his pawn within his awareness.

Ian

As he waited for Astratus to acknowledge him, Ian gave a start as Mannimarco began putting his scheme together. No, no, NO! Ian silently screamed inside, his hand clenching tightly into a fist. I will destroy you, King of Worms, not even the army around you will stop me from putting you away forever!

This post has been edited by Lord Revan: Aug 10 2007, 04:27 AM

[Dantrag]

Cerpin

Ian, I know how angry you are right now, but you have to calm down a bit. Most mistakes are made when emotions overcome rational thought. Promise me you'll stay rational.

Rann

Rann had started to walk towards the Tiber Septim when Mannimarco shouted his proclamation. His hands clenched into fists, and his jaw tightened as he climbed the wall to get a better view of the reborn necromancer. He wanted nothing more than to fire an arrow from Soldin's recovered bow straight into his skull, but he knew that no arrow he shot could possibly make it across Lake Rumare. He felt that he should at least respond in some way, as most of the others on the wall seemed to be dumbfounded.

Actions speak louder than words, he thought, readying himself for what he was planning next, Sorry Kirana.

He brought his bow to bear and knocked an arrow. He couldn't get across Lake Rumare, but he could certainly hit the unholy figure swimming in it. He told himself one more time that Kirana wouldn't want to live as she was now before letting the arrow fly. He hoped the arrow would hit both to free Kirana from her misery (if it was even Kirana) and to make a statement to Mannimarco regarding his vile temptations.

OOC: you can decide if it hits or not, revan.

This post has been edited by Dantrag: Aug 10 2007, 08:04 AM

[Priest of Sithis]

Mannimarco

Mannimarco grinned as a figure on the wall drew his bow. He sent a message through the link, and it was dripping with sarcasm, "See Kirana, they don't want you around. The group will have killed you twice, one from a child you parented, another from a friend. They think they are doing your memory justice, but tell me, what justice is there in murderers? You may say that I am a fiend, in that statement you would be correct. But, think about this; they killed you to kill me the first time, now, why do they kill you if not for an "honorable memory?"

Mannimarco became angry and sent anger through the link, "I gave you the gift of speech! I gave you a body! I gave you the necessary freedoms needed to communicate with your "friends"! I am not without compassion, that is a necessary trait in my line of work. Why do you think they would pass up a chance to speak with you again, to talk with you? They want to leave you a martyr, can you believe that was your fate from the moment you were born? They want to use you as a cause, as a rallying cause to trigger false emotion! You and I both know that the boy you raised has murdered you, and a Daedric prince would jump at his soul when his day comes. Do you want that for him, girl?"

The arrow flew from the walls and shot across the sky. Mannimarco said through the link, "I would gladly send that boy's soul to Oblivion in my sted, girl, if I ever get my hands on his soul. If that arrow kills you, you may never see him again. You will be permanantly cast into enternal darkness, until the unmaking of Nirm! I can hide the gem, even if they kill me...they will never find you! You must get into the city, experience love again...see his face once more...." And the arrow flew closer.

[Lord Revan]

OCC: She's going to make a tough choice, not just for herself.

Kirana

As Rann's arrow flew towards her, Kirana watched it for a non-existant heartbeat. I'm also sorry, Rann She thought remorsefully. A moment before the projectile struck, Kirana cast an illusion. At the distance she was, no could tell with accuracy what happened, but the real Kirana rapidly descended beneath the surface of Lake Rumare.

The illusion of herself was in the line of the arrow and it moved in sink with the arrow it was knocked backward, and the groan of a zombie substituted a woman's cry. As the snakemen moved the boat into position to pick up the "body," the bandit was mildly surprised to feel nothing as his hand passed through the corpse.
But the corpse lifted twoard the boat, and the bandit was wise enough to pantomime that he was pulling it onto the dingy. Kirana remained below the surface, she could remain here indefinitly, not needing to breath.

For all intents and purposes, it appeared that she had been killed by Rann's shot, but what saddened Kirana was that she had to betray her friends in this way. You were right, Rann, I won't be able to live like this for long.....

Plys'Iea

What happened confused him greatly, his eyes saw the pawn get hit by the primitive arrow, but he "saw" the arrow go through her and couldn't feel the body at all. His eyes widened and the vertical slit pupils within them broadened as well.

Treachery.... The alien concluded, but against whom? Mannimarco or the people held up inside the city? As the boat approached their shore, the Plys'Iea came forward and stared down at the illusion which vanished in a matter of seconds.
The warrior had a sense that many more people than just him wanted to kill Mannimarco. Perhaps I'll be able to feed him to them..... He thought for a moment before letting his scheme slip his mind, that would come later.

Ian

Through his bond with Kirana he knew she'd staged her own death, Ian also felt her remorse. Feeling her again burned out the falmes of rage that had been in his heart. And the vampire calmed down again, I can remain calm, for now....

Shroading himself, Ian made his way to the walls and over them. Intent on locating Kirana, at least having her within sight would maintain an illusion of having her back among them. I will pay Mannimarco back for the hell he's put us all through!

This post has been edited by Lord Revan: Aug 10 2007, 06:04 PM

[Priest of Sithis]

Mannimarco

Muttering through the connection, "Wise choice, girl," Mannimarco eased away from control on Kirana, he made sure that she knew he was aware of her actions, but at the moment, all he needed was for Kirana to be touched by the vampire. Kirana knew that if she was touched by a living being, the undead corpse would engulf in flames. However, since Ian was undead, she could be touched by him. Mannimarco needed Kirana to do three things, and one of them was to touch Ian so he could identify his strain and dead cell level. He also needed a scope of the City, the other undead were dispatched too soon to get a good picture by the vampire. The last thing he needed was for Kirana to nudge the other soul out of Ian somehow, Mannimarco wanted the powerful soul out in the open, so he could absorb the power.

Mannimarco paced the beach, and congratulated the bandit by giving him gold. He called for Prater, the young dead boy, and asked him to locate the Silhouette. Mannimarco's ranks were getting thin, and the long deceased from the tombs and graveyards were rotting. Mannimarco needed fresh dead, and soon. Grinning like a madman, Mannimarco followed Prater towards the Silhouette.

Mannimarco noticed the giant lizard man near the shore where the illusion of Kirana had vanished. He also noticed unconscious clenching of the fist. Mannimarco pondered this, and wondered if it was a racial thing, how could a supposed ally be malign towards trickery and deceit? The Silhouette would probably like to know about the lizard man, but Mannimarco just let it go. However, he did make a mental note to himself to discover all Argonian weaknesses, mental and physical, later after the meeting. He would not be bested by some lizard.

[The Metal Mallet]

Flogir

Flogir was beside Rann as he watched him fire the arrow that appeared to kill the undead form of Kirana. Flogir turned to the troops.

"Don't listen to that Necromancer's nonsense! If I'm familiar with native Dunmer beliefs; his kind desecrates what you do for your ancestors who are meant to protect your burial grounds! To be alive but not is to be but a slave to the whim of a madmen!"

Flogir motioned to the corpses of undead littered across the battlefield. "Is that what you truly wish to become?" Flogir spat at the ground. "No! Of course not! Do not heed his words!"

Amrita

Amrita was also by Rann's side. "Nice shot!" she whispered enthusiactically in his ear. She had no idea on the importance that zombie previously had with the rest of the party.

This post has been edited by The Metal Mallet: Aug 11 2007, 06:31 PM

[Priest of Sithis]

Astratus

Commander Astrauts found a healer after the vampire left. He helped the wounded into sickbeds, and came to an awful conclusion. He can't have the dead come back to life, so he issued a mandate stating that any fatality in the coming days must be recorded and removed of its's head, precautionary to the Necromancer across the lake. Until he lay dead, this order must be followed. Astratus wiped the grim of off his clothes and hands, found a basin to wash up in, and looked around for a healer to attend to his personal injuries.

A doctor began to fuss over the injury and Astratus looked around hopefully for the quartermaster. Usually, during long fights with many injured, the quartermaster would bring alcohol for the gravely wounded to relieve the pain of their passing. Astratus needed a stiff drink, and the surrounding area was bloodied and grim. He needed the comfort of a bottle, and the solice that it brings. He needed to forget where he was, and escape for a few moments.

The quartermaster made his rounds as Astratus was cleared by the medical examiner. Astratus approached him, but the quartermaster said that due to the besieged cituation of the city, no alcohol or dry goods have made it across the lake. The quartermaster expressed his concern about the dwindling amount of supplies, and he made a guess as to how many days the city had left before rationing was to be involved not for the soldiers, but for everyone.

Astratus asked the quartermaster about possible supplies or any leads to getting supplies, when a doctor said that bandages were already being made out of bedsheets, sanitizing utensils was done by open flame, and there was practically no ointments or creams for infections or swelling. Astratus wondered if they could send communication to Vvardenfell, or Hammerfall, or even Summerset to receive aid. The pressure of command came crashing down on Astratus, and he felt alone. He called for his lieutenants, and asked them to find the emissaries to the other countries. Astratus craved the drink, but now was not the time.

[Lord Revan]

OCC: couldn't dead soldiers get cremated, it wasn't uncommon (Romans, Greeks, and other ancient civilizations did it).

Plys'Iea

Quietly, the hunter moved off, and dissappeared deeper into the camp, within the misty Great Forest. The thick fog that he encountered reminded him of his species' homeworld, a swampy place where the lesser animals were snapped up in an instant if they failed to flee from death.

And death was the final refuge, where those who had fought could rest undisturbed by the continuing struggles of the living. That was what had been put into the alien's mind by his elders and peers many decades ago, and this shell of a man, this Mannimarco, tore the sleeping ones from their peeace and shackled them to his will.

That was what mostly gave birth to the hunter's hatred of the necromancer lord. The other percentage was the physical weakness of the man, who relied upon his servants to fight for him and depended on that cursed sorcery to give him power and dominance.
That King of Worms was a demon in the alien's eyes, one who needed to be eliminated so this could be done properly.

This post has been edited by Lord Revan: Aug 11 2007, 08:54 PM

[Florodine of Hlaalu]

Dalrus, Tiber Septim


Dalrus had been in the inn the entire time of the battle. She was a fighter through and through, however, she was still a little exausted from her time in the vampire camp. She was a little unconfortable during the argument with Rann and Satyana, however, since she was close to both of them, she thought it best not to make too many judgements. She had assured Rann that she was still interested as he left for battle by kissing him on the cheek, and was hoping he would come back soon to hear how it had gone.

She hated the vampire lord and was determined to be the one to kill him, it was her goal.



The Silhouette, his camp


The Silhouette had watched the struggle from his hillside camp, however, he had not issued the order and would be talking to the commander who did. He was also aware of a reptilian, like himself, in the area. The Silhouette was slightly shorter, though this was hard to tell because the Silhouette seemed to be surrounded by a whispy black robe, that seemed to be neither solid nor gas. The Silhouette was, of course, not Tsaeci, and had been of another reptilian race, larger and more powerful. He was one of twenty that were in Akavir, and the others had all died in different ways. He was thousands of years old and the last of his kind. The most powerful and the most evil, the Wizard of the twenty. In Akaviri his name race was known as the Möldairê, meaning ones from shadow, he would prove that he was truly from the shadow when he finished with this city.

Mannimarco, you must not continue staying near the other reptilian, I wish to speak to him. I also need you to keep up your attacks, keep the city in fear while I prepare for the attack. Up on the north side of the valley you will find a village with a cemetary and freshly slaughtered inhabitants, there should be a few hundred for your use. Do this now! he ordered through the mental link he had forced into Mannimarco when he had given him his body.

Then he looked towards where he saw the Lizard man and suddenly his body seemed to be surrounded in black smoke, his face was still un obscured, but his whole body seemed to trail smoke as it glided quickly up and through the air. Seconds later he arrived near the lizard man.

"I do not believe I personally recruited you, what brings you here?" he said in an almost courteous tone of Akaviri.

[Lord Revan]

Plys'Iea

Realizing the being talking to him was the Silhoutte, despite his surprise, the warrior moved slowly and smoothly to face the war leader. As he brought his long staff down, the Plys'Iea bowed his long head, his lower jaw inches from his chest.

Taking extra care in his pronunciation, he replied in Akaviri. "War Leader, in the many years since I was left behind on this world, I have resided in the Argonian homeland of Argonia. When your armies marched through that land, I decided to follow for a time until I joined them one night at one of the flanking encampments."

The alien raised his head, just enough of an angle that his eyes were no higher than the Silhouette's. "My kin and I arrived at this world almost two decades ago, one of our fleets was to guard a weapon in the making, but our foes destroyed it before it could be used."
He ducked his head down slightly, "In the retreat, my subordinates were slain, and I was left stranded. When I saw your army of Tsaeci, I saw an opportunity to fight again under your command. Such is how I came to be here."

[Dantrag]

Flogir

Flogir was beside Rann as he watched him fire the arrow that appeared to kill the undead form of Kirana. Flogir turned to the troops.

"Don't listen to that Necromancer's nonsense! If I'm familiar with native Dunmer beliefs; his kind desecrates what you do for your ancestors who are meant to protect your burial grounds! To be alive but not is to be but a slave to the whim of a madmen!"

Flogir motioned to the corpses of undead littered across the battlefield. "Is that what you truly wish to become?" Flogir spat at the ground. "No! Of course not! Do not heed his words!"

Amrita

Amrita was also by Rann's side. "Nice shot!" she whispered enthusiactically in his ear. She had no idea on the importance that zombie previously had with the rest of the party.

Rann

He nodded in acknowledgment to Amrita's compliment, but it was obvious that he wasn't sure if he agreed with the assessment or not.

Without a word, he quickly walked down from the wall, deciding to go back to the original plan of returning to the Tiber Septim.

[Florodine of Hlaalu]

The Silhouette, Outside the city


"And glad I am to have someone of more...intelligence than the greater majority of my soldiersss.." he replied, looking at the reptilian's interesting armor, though he passed it off without another thought. The Silhouette had never been addressed in the gruff, but pleasant title of 'War Leader,' he liked it, it was something he would definitely let this new arrival call him. "I am very sorry to hear about the deaths of your comrades," he lied. If he had shown any emotion but fury and cunning, then he would not be the Silhouette, still he did know what it was like. "I too have lost all my kin, they were, like me, taken down by our enemies, though it took many thousands to take down any of us. I am sure the Tsaeci regretted that decision," he said glancing towards the large Tsaeci camp.

Something about this creature did not seem tamrielic, and he did speak very good Akaviri. "You have a name I assume?"

[Priest of Sithis]

Mannimarco

Sending a message back through the link, Mannimarco said, "It shall be done." He turned away from the approach of the Silhoeutte and found the crypt to the Silhouette's instruction. He summoned en masse the corpses of the dead, and sent them on a shambling course towards the city. He laughed to himself as dead families arose and dead children still clutching their toys hobbled towards the city bent on destruction.

Mannimarco worried about the leash on his life, and called upon ancient memories to find a way to break it. He could find none, and the magic used to create the leash was primal, meaning it was used to create Nirm. The fact that the Silhouette can control it made Mannimarco jealous and afraid. For the first time, he felt like he had no secure backup. His charlatan tricks wouldn't save him if he was obliterated by primal magic. It was the magic souls are made of.

Mannimarco retrieved the skull of Reman Cyrodil from its hiding point, and Mannimarco began to crack the complex magic surrounding it. Mannimarco wished to attain the powerful energy locked away by the first Emperor. Energy given to him by gods. Mannimarco struggled against the fields, and fear slowly grew in his stomach.

[Lord Revan]

Plys'Iea

The alien warrior blinked, then decided not to bother the Silhouette with his lengthy full name. "My original name is not easily understood or remembered, so you may refer to me whatever you wish." Although he didn't trust that the Silhoutte was grieved by the deaths of beings he had neither met nor heard of, the Plys'Iea did not let it bother him.

What he was bothered by was the fact he was stranded here with no way to reach his people or escape himself. At least, I am fighting again, I have something to keep my mind on. The alien said calmly, "I thank you for your condolenses, War Leader. Their struggles are over now, but we must continue on regardless."

[Florodine of Hlaalu]

The Silhouette, outside the city


"Very well then, I will not bother saying my name either, for it is a curse in my former language and usually kills whoever says it," he said lightly. "Yes unfortunately we must continue on no matter who we lose. It is unfortunate," he again lied, for if it brought you to your goal, losing servents here or there didn't matter. He did become fond of many of his strong warriors, not because of their bravery, but because he saw their abilities as assets and rewarded them accordingly. So it was the skills others used to help the Silhouette, rather than the person himself that pleased him.

"I am letting you do whatever you want, fight the enemy in any way you see fit, just try not to harm too many of my men, and do not kill Mannimarco, he is under my control and though I am not necromancer myself (not that he couldn't, he just never saw the need) he is a useful asset." he made sure to make this clear, for the first time, The Silhouette actually felt excited to have someone new in his army. "Prepare for battle,"