Raven Meridius
Draken Decumus.
QUOTE
BRIEF SYNOPSIS AND DRAMATIS PERSONAE:
Alucardius: Once a vampire of the Order, Alucardius was a man of renown and glorious splendor. Due to troublesome issues with his vampiric wife, Alucardius was stripped of his position of power by his superiors. And thus became a rogue seeking to return to the clan’s good graces. He also fathered two vampiric children, Raven and Draken, whom he indoctrinates the ways of the Order.
Raven Meridius Vladmirius: Young eighteen year old Imperial. Under unnatural circumstances, she was born a vampire from her two immortal parents. Growing in a life of seclusion from the outside world, she kept herself busy with ancient books and texts of history. Raven was subject of admiration from her father, hate from brother, and scolded by her mother due to her knack for insidiousness and merciless demeanour. Growing up in a family later devoid of a mother figure, Raven became extremely manipulative and deceitful, becoming an expert in persuasion and skilled in the psychological entrapment. She harbors a strong desire for power and is a true megalomaniac.
Draken Decumus Vladmirius: The hot-headed, arrogant, bitter and wastrel son of Alucardius. Also born a vampire of Cyrodiilic blood. Unlike his sister, Draken was frowned upon by his father, and also was victim to Raven’s manipulative antics. Having strong ties to his mother at a young age, Draken was attached to his maternal figure. From the time he lost his mother, he became brash and hateful, fearing he was left alone. Growing up, Draken became careless and overconfident, yet gifted with an unbreakable determination and an iron will, trying to be free from his father’s strict ways and his sister’s deceptive nature. Much like Raven, Draken upholds the family value and seeks to obtain power. Also a known womanizer and harbors a draconian outlook on justice.
Verona:Wife of Alucardius, mother of Draken and Raven. She underwent a ritual with Molag Bal to bear vampiric offspring. Verona was a vampire in service of the Order for three centuries before she was accused of treason and betrayal, and sentenced to death.
Crassus: Vampire of the Order and friend of Alucardius. Crassus stands a high figure in the Imperial Legion, commanding numerous individual and subjects. Being a vampire, Crassus is sworn to keep the existence of the Order and their respected members a secret. He is responsible for erasing traces of vampires and also a major player in the power-games of the Order. Known for securing prisoners and beggars and using them as cattle in the lowest parts of the Imperial prison.
Maela(also known as Maesa) Sibylla Sextius: A beautiful blond-haired Imperial, apprentice to the Arch-Mage of the Arcane University. Known for her skilled use in alchemy. Becomes friends with Raven. Maela is involved in a Necromancer cult within the Mages Guild.
Sir Lentulus: A human nobleman. Influential and powerful, Lentulus is head of an organized crime in Cyrodiil. Having ties with the corrupt officers of the Legion, he secures illegal narcotics such as Moon-sugar and Skooma. Also has connections with thieves from Morrowind, whom he purchases ancient banned scrolls and manuscripts from the Tribunal. Also has two children after the third was murdered by Draken.
Regulus: Bald, Colovian vampire of the Order. Over two centuries old.
[i] STORY SO FAR:
Cyrodiil stands a prosperous province ever since the waning days of the Second Era. Being known as the heart of Empire, Cyrodiil became the seat of Imperial power and governance. Being a melting pot of the world, it was inhabited by a cornucopia of races from all corners of Tamriel. Unbeknown to most of the population, however, it housed the latest generation of vampires. The Order Vampyrum stood a civil tribe of vampires whom ousted and eradicated Cyrodiil’s original vampire inhabitants in clandestine warfare. Under the guise of mortal men and women, the vampires of the Order infiltrated politics and the highest seats of society to consolidate their own power and establish themselves as influential entrepreneurs, able to maintain secrecy amidst the population while pulling the strings of mortal kings and princes.
Among the members of the Order, Alucardius was an esteemed vampire who came to prominence at the end of the Second Era. Responsible for the annihilation of the barbaric clans of vampires in Cyrodiil, Alucardius was widely respected by the Order’s greatest members. Following the conquest, Alucardius came to marry a woman. Eventually, he came to father two offspring whom inherited the “Dark Gift”. As blessed as he considered himself to be, he soon lost his title and station when he unwillingly was responsible for a heinous crime to his kind.
Losing his privileges, Alucardius because a scheming rogue and a secretive man, forging relationships with key mortals of the highest echelon in society, namely a noble and crime lord known as Lentulus. Owning more land than most of the nobles and receiving banned manuscripts from Morrowind, Alucardius planned to use Lentulus to further his own agenda. He simultaneously used the purchased scrolls and books to increase his knowledge and that of his children, while also reinforcing his “friendship” with the nobleman. Having false pretense, Alucardius plans to purchase all of the land marks in key locations in Cyrodiil to form and construct hidden underground cattle cells for his vampire brethren, to facilitate feeding possibilities to those who would travel. This would serve to drop the death rate of civilians in the idea that the Order can further walk through the centuries of history undetected.
As his plotting begun, he sought to train his children, Draken and Raven, in his footsteps. With the absence of a mother figure, Alucardius raised the two with rigorous discipline in fear that his plans could potentially be hindered. Knowing his daughter was truly gifted with manipulative traits, he sought bring her into his sway, more so than his son whom he regarded as dispassionate. Alucardius took Raven to test her hunting capabilities in a social gathering in Skingrad.
During the absence of his father and sister, Draken also had traveled to a party in the Imperial City. Full of lust and hunger, he lured a young woman back to his abode where he later killed her. Feeling distraught for disobeying his father, Draken buried the corpse in the cemetery in the back of his home.
Following a successful kill, Raven returned home with her father, eager to continue on her lessons and training both physical and mentally. From expanding knowledge in philosophy to martial skills, both siblings were ready to begin their plans.
Raven, sensing her brother quiet and more secluded, sought to pester him with venomous words coated in honey, thus eventually able to make him confess. Distraught and angered, Raven seized the opportunity to forge a brief alliance with her brother in hopes of using him to aid her in her quest for power. Secretly knowing he was a potential scapegoat if her plans ever failed to blossom.
Draken, having no choice but to accept his sister’s offer for a mutual family partnership, joined arms with her in a secret plan to topple the Lentulus family and to rise as powerful members of society themselves. Knowing how manipulative Raven is, Draken played along with the idea, pitting his hopes on his determination to be dominant.
Taking the first steps of her carefully crafted scheme, Raven begun to seek membership in the Arcane University, where he hoped to get a foothold in the Empire’s magical and political dealings, as well as potentially meet allies and pawns in her game. Following her meeting with the Arch-Mage, Raven accompanied a young apprentice named Maela to gather alchemical ingredients. Both were ambushed by bandits later that night, and as skilled as the vampire was, she was defeated and kidnapped in the bandit’s hope for a ransom.
Not present during his sister’s disappearance, Draken became infuriated and sought to rescue in hopes of remaining in his father’s good graces, and among other things. Starving himself for four days, Draken became a walking monstrosity, but with a prowess and the efficiency he never before had the privilege of using. Draken came across one of the bandits, and was able to locate the headquarters in which his sister was being captive. Draken assaulted the bandit fort, and destroyed the camp in a merciless slaughter.
Raven, starved and near insanity, was able to escape her captives by seducing the guard and later killing the others. She was later reunited with her brother, who was able to return to the household safely. Upon reaching the manor, Draken and Raven met Crassus, a vampire of the Order. While there, they were verbally disciplined by Alucardius. Even so, Alucardius saw that Crassus took an interest in Draken’s destructive feat, and thus openly allowed Draken to freely pursue a career in the Legion if he proves himself capable. Raven, showing her worth, was given permission to go to the Arcane University, where her plans are soon to unravel.
Prologue: Part I
"There was but one tribe in Cyrodiil, a powerful clan who had ousted all other competitors, much like the Imperials themselves had done. Their true name was unknown, lost in history, but they were experts at concealment. If they kept themselves well-fed, they were indistinguishable from living persons. They were cultured, more civilized than the vampires of the provinces.”-Immortal Blood.
"Know first that we are no simple tribe of savages, tearing throats with the orgiastic abandon of our scattered, tribal brethren. Ours is a civil fraternity, to which we are bound - every one - by our dual hunger for flesh and influence. By the virtue of Imperial structure and bureaucracy, Cyrodiil has become our stronghold in the Third Era, and we suffer no savage rivals within our boundries, reveal ourselves to none, and manipulate the hand of society to mete out our agendas. Maintain supple appearance through satisfaction of the thirst. Second, devote your pursuits to the procurement of influence, political and otherwise. Our strength is not in physical numbers, but in skillful manipulation of society. ”-Manifesto Cyrodiil Vampyrum.
Imperial Palace, 3E 202. Tirdas, Last Seed.
The night sky proved itself to be an infinite void of shining stars that resembled a dark blanket dotted with glowing gnats. Beings watching from balconies of their buildings as the celebration for the coronation of Emperor Uriel Septim IV drew countless races from Cyrodiil to the main city itself. Anyone in the endless cityscape can find it beautiful. People gathered around the Imperial Palace, a building where the empire’s finest rulers and authority dwelled. It was truly a sight to marvel at. From the inside, however, it's different. The conflict from within the palace was a tempest of panic and paranoia. From the inside, the problem is desperation and fear and the bone-chilling possibility that someone wants a political leader dead. With a single member of the High Council in place, the state of the Empire’s sanity threatened to crumble. And not all was as it had seemed.
Safe at last, the Chancellor Decius mused optimistically, his frantic eyes searched the chambers of the Imperial palace. He entered with his cadre of bodyguards, each Imperial soldier flanking him with mild caution, armed to the core with Imperial swords. Decius was far from being harmed. He watched intently The door behind him shut closed, locked by his most trusted advisors.
“There, we are safe now. Any attempts against your life shall be futile. Your decoy is at the ceremony, in care of our finest guards. If the rumored assassin attacks, you shall be secure,” said a young female voice. Decius turned around to see Raven, his protégé, his assistant and his pupil.
An Imperial of youthful stock, Raven stood of tall height and lithe built, and was the symbol of authority. Even with her apparent age of being in the early twenties, time and time again she baffled those around her with her intelligence and cunning that would benefit the empire. Black lustrous hair fell past her shoulders, matching her soft dark mages robes. Aside from her morbid attire, she was undeniably attractive to most, if not all men and women. Her face was without any faults and blemishes, her mouth was as soft as silk. Her skin was pink and flourishing, a sign of health and proper self-care.
Unlike Raven, however, Decius was pale and wrinkly, unfit to be branded chancellor. His face was a bedraggled and teeming with stress. Dark circles developed under his ageless eyes, giving him an animalistic and hungry look to them. A hooked nose was plastered in the middle of his regal face. The nails on his fingers were uncut and his hair untrimmed. By all means, he appeared as a walking corpse.
Sulfuric colored eyes stared with sympathy at Decius. He responded with a similar expression. “Thank to your investigation, I can rest peacefully knowing I am in good hands.”
The confines in which he surrounded himself was familiar, a largely sparse room with thirty comfortable throne-like seats surround a large center. The center itself might have been a circle within a circle, bearing the symbol of the Nine within it. The atmosphere was cold and dreary, mimicking the feeling his guards must of felt when standing watch as security on such a night.
“You seem unwell today,” Raven said to him, adopting an expression of concern. He dismissed her with a raise of the hand. “I am but fine. Stress has taken hold of me and I have not been able to feast for many hours. The information on the conspiracy against the Emperor you have provided has left me awake in all these days.”
"I apologize,” she lowered her head in obedience. "If I knew it would have been the product of discomfort . . . "
“No need, my child. It is for a good cause. The sooner we can discover this villain, the better. None of this would of happened if not for your careful planning. I could have been dead, you know.”
“We are safe now, Decius. Please, sit and rest. Allow your mind some ease,"Raven said, resting a cold hand on his arm. Her voice was soothing and innocent. If she only knew what is at stake, Decius thought to himself.
He smiled. “One day, you will be granted authority to take my place once I breathe my last breath. I am certain you will be ready, by then. But do me a favor; stop worrying about an old man.” he chuckled.
“It is my duty to learn what I can from you,” she replied.
“Then do as I say, and be at peace with your mind.” He waved his hands sideways to her, dismissing her sans malice. Raven did as she was told, gingerly walking away to speak with Guard captain which stood himself against one of the many pillars that surrounded the chambers. Decius felt for her. Poor child. So innocent. So young. If she only understood what it means to be in power. One day she will learn, one day.
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