Private Tales In the Pursuit of Power

A private roleplay only for those invited by the first writer
It was indeed once true that those memories felt like an incurable wound on his heart. Dauner might have had a talent for martial arts, lightning energy manipulation and demonic energy. These would be more than enough to make him look strong. However, he wasn't one to delude himself so. He was weak, especially so was he emotionally. Where it took many but a few decades to overcome the pain of losing their loved ones, it took him several centuries. And even at the end of it all, all that was left of him was but a hollow shell, who knew not what to make of his existence after his revenge was complete.

"No need to be. They are but a relic of my past. Memories of a time long gone" he'd speak, a smile returning to his face. Dauner almost felt like laughing at the irony in Kristen's sentence. The darkness wasn't behind him. It was him. He had welcomed it. Embraced it. Become it. During his long life, Dauner had only fallen in love nine times. These nine times had made it clear to him, that he wasn't destined for love. The only thing that awaited him each time he fell for a woman, was the pain of parting, for there was only so long a mortal could live, be they human, elf, or other. In comparison, his near endless life, doomed him to eternal loneliness. So he cast away emotion, and embraced the darkness. If he was going to be forever lonely, at least he didn't have to look like it. And his acting was almost perfect, courtesy of millennia of practice. Well, at least, the one thing he didn't need to put up an act for his attraction to the opposite sex.

"Enough about my dark past. I'm more interested in learning more about you. Like, what's life in the academy like." Dauner had plans of establishing a separate academy for the initiates of the order. Having a dedicated establishment train them, promised greater quality of troops than the current system could provide. But that was a story for another time. However, perhaps by studying the Dreadlords academy, he could pick up some ideas for when he decided to start that project.
 
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Speaking of dark pasts.

Though Kristen resolved not to gloss over the history of the Academy as relayed to her by those who endured it. Such was important not only for context, but for the sheer truth of her homeland. Gone were the idyllic days of her childhood wherein Vel Anir could do no wrong.

A few bites, some wine, and then she began. "I will first say that it would be highly improper for me to pass judgment upon my Anirian forebears. What conditions they endured in their day, what necessities they had for the sake of posterity to abide, these are what has forged for me many distant centuries later the comfort and prosperity in my lifetime. Upon the great mount of their deeds do I stand. But, times change, and so it is that the harshness of old has been outstripped by the relentless march of those very centuries between then and now."

"I..." she continued, a somber note entering her tone, "...have come to know from my peers, all of whom having been in the Academy before the Revolution of Vel Anir, that they survived a truly hellish ordeal. The Academy, in its so-called 'old way,' went far beyond any traditional military standard of training or academic magical pursuit like what might be found at the College in Elbion. The Academy employed truly deplorable and horrid methods..."

A great agony within, composure in her countenance and in her posture. It was difficult to say the word.

"...torture...to push its Initiates to their very limits and to produce the most deadly battle mages Arethil has ever seen. This process always began very early in an Initiate's life."

Kristen took in a breath. Let it out. Smiled.

Now, at least, some sunshine.

"The Revolution has brought with it a new way to the Academy, however. Still its purpose is to create highly capable battle mages, formidable arcane warriors whose duty it is to serve Vel Anir, but where before the focus was upon making 'weapons' of the Dreadlords who survive, now it is not forgotten that Initiates are also bearers of the torch of humanity. Let me be clear: the Academy is, of course, very much still a rigorous ordeal, as one might expect of any military training regimen." She laughed. "Oh how many times I thought myself an utter fool for ever agreeing to be enrolled! Oh the myriad nights where I simply collapsed into my bed, aching all over from the pain and soreness of physical exertions the likes of which I never knew existed before! Oh the gripping terror I felt on my first mission outside the Academy walls!"

"But how fortunate I am. Fortunate that I enrolled into the Academy during these brave new age of the Anirian Republic. I enjoy free periods during class days, letters to my family, privacy, oversight into the methods of the Proctors instructing me, and other amenities for which I am grateful."

Dauner
 
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For some reason, the description of the dreadlords' old ways sounded a lot like the methods of a cult he used to know back in Segora. They called themselves the blood cult, and recruitment into their ranks was done by abduction of children, barely old enough to swing a sword. Kids, who in different conditions would have been playing with their peers, and enjoying the warm embrace of their parents, had no choice but to kill each other for the sake of survival. An unforgiving and cruel environment, where even the slightest mistake would get you killed. Only the strong survived, and the weak were eliminated, through the process of natural selection. The law of the jungle reigned supreme, where it was survival of the fittest. Well, after having participated in the event that led to the death of his sixth wife, the blood cult ultimately perished under the might of his armies.

The old dreadlords sounded a lot like the blood cult. Which brought Dauner to wonder. How did they ensure the loyalty of the dreadlords they trained in the old day. It wasn't even a question of whether the initiates, snatched from warm embrace of loving mothers, would run away when given the chance. The blood cult fed a secret poison to their new recruits, and distributed an antidote, which delayed the poison's effect for a month, every month. That way, anyone who left the cult would only have, at most, a month left to live, that is, unless they found a way to get rid of the poison. Did the dreadlords' do the same, or did they use another method? He just had to ask.

"Hmm. Interesting. Reminds me of some old acquaintances from Segora" he said, a touch nostalgic. "However, I can't seem to fathom how the initiates of old managed to remain loyal to those who had forced upon them such a life of torturous pain. Mayhap due to some leverage unknown? Prithee tell. I hope the knowledge you hold of this could illuminate the darkness that is my ignorance"

He asked only to assuage his curiosity, bearing no mind of using it in the order. The path to loyalty Dauner had chosen for the order was strength. Those loyal were rewarded with strengths and methods that would put them far above the ordinary man, given they trained hard enough. Those who broke the oath of loyalty, however, would see that strength stripped from them, without even getting the chance to retaliate. By holding their desire for strength, he could at least guarantee, to some extent, that their loyalties would be strengthened. Of course, he also issued several other rewards for hard work as incentive for more hard work.
 
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"I will stress that what I know is, inevitably, second-hand information, as it is with all things pertaining to the old way of the Academy. While I myself have no true experience with it, a few who do have spoken to me on the matter. And I believe them."

The words Kristen knew she would have to say next weren't going to be any easier than those before, but she stayed collected.

"It was indoctrination, pure and simple. Through the methods of old the ideals of power and service to Vel Anir were bored into these young Initiate's minds. It...is frightening to think about, but it does not take much to break down a mind, especially a young mind, and reshape it into a desired form." Every single Initiate, even the ones outwardly cheerful, had a certain look in their eyes, a lack, like a flame gone out in what should be a warm fireplace. In some, that lack had been replaced by something cold, or even sinister.

"For those of who may have resisted said indoctrination, there was fear." She thought of Edric, solely wanting to become stronger simply so he could run away and fight off the hunters who would come for him, his fear even now keeping him at the Academy despite the Revolution. "The penalty for desertion is much like it is in any army, save...the lengths which the Dreadlords will have gone to ensure its enactment."

Again she smiled as she looked toward a bright horizon.

"All this is more justifying reason and demonstrable necessity for the Revolution. Going forward, it is my hope that pride and love of one's country are all that is needed."

Dauner
 
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Although it became clearer to Dauner how the dreadlords manage to keep their members from fleeing, it was still a little obscure to him, why the order was able to stand for as long as it did. But he simply let go of further questions. After all, he knew too well of how loyal brainwashed broken minds could tend to be. He'd faced them first hand before. That was the first time he'd ever been successfully captured by any force on Segora, and that came at the cost of the lives of thousands of brainwashed soldiers, who simply threw themselves at him, fearless of death. He could now start to understand how the dreadlord's had earned their reputation in days of yore.

"Well, I must say, it's not the most fascinating story I've heard, but it is rather informative if nothing else. The stories and histories here on Arethil have proven to be quite a treat" he said, savoring a bite from his plate. To someone like Dauner who had lived so long a life, they tended to ofttimes become spectators, watching the world unfold like a movie. Dauner, however, preferred a more hands-on approach. He relished learning stories unknown to him, and loved making stories for future generations to tell even more. That was one of the reasons he was so active in the later part of his life on Segora, and on Arethil, thus far. His current adventure with Kristen was also going to be one of such stories, as well as the deeds he had planned for the Sovereign order. To turn the world upside down was the least he could do, to create a great story historians would drool over, like dogs in heat.

"Please forgive me if I have made you feel uncomfortable with my inquiries. My curiosity oft tends to get the best of me. How about we steer our discussions, this time, towards a topic of your choosing" he'd propose.
 
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It's not the most fascinating story I've heard...

It struck Kristen as a touch odd. Not that she found it insulting, no. The comment just seemed like it would more likely be made by someone who was a little older than Kristen first assumed Dauner to be—someone who had heard quite a lot of stories, the breadth of which surpassing the bounds of a twenty-four or twenty-five year old life. Mayhap he was closer, or over, thirty summers then? Well, certainly he was aging well! Mayhap he often found himself annoyed by people who assumed he was younger than he actually was.

Kristen took some bites as Dauner did the same. A little break from the conversation, and a little time for those mysterious words—"on Arethil"—to dwell.

She raised her hand and gave it a small wave to dismiss any concerns about her being made uncomfortable. Some things had been troubling to speak, but she had to face them. Face them and endure their unpleasantness, to say the least.

A topic of her choosing? Well, now was her chance.

She arranged the formation of her thoughts and her question. Said, "If I have misheard or misunderstood, do so correct me! But, you have mentioned...the void, coming to Arethil, being on Arethil..."

Despite her moment's worth of preparation, words failed and she laughed uncertainly, a little reflex. "S-Sorry, I do not mean to laugh, yet...well, I suppose I should simply risk making a fool of myself and ask my question in the manner most straightforward: Dauner, are you truly from another realm?"

Dauner
 
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Dauner didn't mind, or find, any awkwardness in Kristen's laughter, and the question that ensued was one he'd long expected. If anything, it came at a much later time than he'd thought it would. Kristen, although being the second person he'd told of his origin, was the first to actually take his words to face value. Azlat had simply assumed Segora was just another undiscovered continent on Arethil. To spare the misunderstandings, Dauner had never kept any intent to hide the truth about whence he hailed. That was a topic he was most willing to speak of, should the inquiry ever be made.

Dauner grinned, a slight amused. Acting flustered had always been a privilege of the cute. "It is as you say" he'd speak, taking a short pause as he took one more bite from his plate. "I do indeed hail from one of the myriad worlds that dot the multiverse" he'd continue. "Few are those who could boast of having stared into the abyss. Fewer still are those who have stepped foot in it. And I…", a hint of boastfulness would appear in his tone. "Happen to be one of the latter. It is an experience like no other" he said, making reference to the myriad times he nearly died during the first centuries, due to the sealing of his powers. If even one of the native inhabitants of the void ever made it to Arethil, it would become the greatest disaster this world had ever faced. The memories of running from enemies, for the sake of dear life, in the void, were the most humiliating he had in his life, and not a soul would ever get to hear of it. He had personally made certain of it.

"To make it brief, it is simply a place where all five sense are rendered useless" he'd continue, just in case Kristen felt curious about the void. "It is a place where the darkness is endless. Where sounds are twisted at the will of the cosmic entities that reside in it. A place where the smells are but a manipulation of the mind. Anything you can touch or feel in there is something that damn right trying to eat you. And the food… well, I doubt you can even call it that" he'd finished, managing to maintain his composure the whole time. The thought of life in the void, only made him feel happier, to now no longer be subject to the rules of that infernal hell.
 
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Kristen listened with open wonder.

Other realms, or planes, were an esoteric subject, but one not completely unheard of, of course. The infamous Pandemonium Crisis was a perfect example of the subject being brought to widespread attention. In terms of her religion of Celestialism, the Cosmic Pantheon and the Dark Ones dwell among the stars, and was that not separate from Arethil? And speaking more broadly, summoning was a common enough magical technique, creatures and non-sentient beings (usually these) called temporarily to Arethil to serve the summoner before the magic holding here expired and back they went.

But for someone to cross over? Fascinating!

His description of the process of it was...familiar, actually. Quite familiar, and Kristen's eyes lit up with recognition.

"Oh! Dauner, have you perchance used any of the Portal Stones here on Arethil? Why, such was the method by which my travel from Vel Anir to Alliria was made much more expedient! The experience is very much how you described your own." She smiled grandly. "Ah, though it is thoroughly unpleasant, with the protection of Aionus Himself, He who made them, may we of Arethil traverse safely. Though I digress. I feel as though there is a striking similarity between the Portal Stones and your own act of, as you say, 'stepping foot in the abyss.'"

Dauner
 
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How peculiar! Dauner never had the chance to use these portal stones before. Till now, he did all his travels on foot, or atop a mount, for that was the best way to take in all that the land of Arethil had to offer. But to think that they had something akin to stepping through the void. Fascinating. He wouldn't expect any less from a creation of gods. He didn't like them, but he couldn't deny their power. Even him, who had spent 7000 years in the void, barely had enough understanding, to blend into the void, much less use it for long distance teleportation. Once again he was reminded of how long ahead, still, his path to ascension was.

"I haven't had cause before, but now, I feel as though it could grant me a greater enlightenment, so I look forward to trying it out." Since portal stone transportation was a guided process, he could naught but assume it was a tamer version of void passage from his. But he only wished, the techniques used in creating this guided passage would serve him well.

"I particularly hold interest now for the method used in their creation. Mayhap, if I studied the portal stones enough…", he giggled a little. "It could prove an interesting pastime if nothing else. If I may ask, what are the current regulations on portal stones on Arethil? Are they all under strict surveillance? I cannot but assume such a method would mostly be reserved for those who either hold wealth, or power"
 
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Kristen gave a small wave of her hand. "Oh, nothing so regimented."

All the better by Kristen's estimation. She viewed the Portal Stones as holy sites and would abhor the idea of some worldly nation laying claim to what truly belongs to Aionus.

"Given the nature of how the Portal Stones work, they are only useful for individuals and smaller groups. The areas around the Portal Stones tend to be left alone, for staying near them becomes, shall we say, uncomfortable over time. Seems only the Dwarves can stand it; that, or they have construed a means of withstanding it, for they have in their city of Belgrath a Portal Stone at its very heart."

She lifted her glass, glancing off in thought as her eyebrows gave a little perk of consideration. Then looking back to Dauner she said, "There remain undiscovered Portal Stones out there somewhere upon Arethil, and we know this from the count of inactive destination runes common at the base of each Stone. Why, it would be the achievement of a lifetime to actually discover one! I dream of such fortune."

Dauner
 
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Dauner began to analyze the new information he'd just received. Those within proximity of the portal stones would feel discomfort, implying there was a radiation of energy from the stones themselves. Given the nature of these stones, it was most likely to be either spacial flux or void energy, both of which he'd already grown used to from his stay in the void, so they posed no threat to him.

Then there were the dwarves, who seemingly had either learned of a way to resist the void energy corruption, or were innately immune to it. He'd quickly make a mental note to visit Belgrath when next he had the time. Mayhap, with the information he'd learn from there, he could gain insight on the way to return to Segora.

And finally, there were still undiscovered stones. That was a good sign. If he managed to get one, he could do research on how they made use of the void, and maybe even develop a world coordination system across the multiverse. By then, it wouldn't be hard to use the portal stone to directly get back to Segora, if only to extract the souls of the traitors who had stabbed him in the back, and bestow upon them endless torture. Thinking about how the gods on Segora would wail at the return of the catastrophe was a touch humorous. He ended up accidentally letting out a muffled laugh, before regaining his composure.

"Indeed. That would prove quite an achievement. I feel like I might just create a division within the order whose sole purpose would be to find these artifacts" he said jokingly. His words, however, carried a hint of intent, meaning he wasn't completely joking about it.
 
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Kristen took him right at his word, her eyes lighting up with no small excitement. His muffled laugh and his tone may have been a fair suggestion that it was but mirth, yet to her it was a matter wishful and dear, the sort of thing which hung like the stars far above more terrestrial goals. A wondrous dream.

"Well! Allow me in no small way to stoke the flame of that idea! I will of course be heavily engaged in my training at the Dreadlord Academy with scarcely an opportunity such as this one that I have now, but—oh!—come two years time when I graduate I shall be much more available for the endeavor. Surely you'll write me though, should unprecedented fortune be yours and you actually do find an undiscovered Stone?"

This did get Kristen to mildly pondering though, of the Sovereign Order that Dauner established and what he intended for its ultimate purpose to be.

Dauner
 
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"You can count on the fact that I certainly will" he replied to Kristen's request, putting down his knife and fork by his now empty plate. The dinner had been quite agreeable, but the company was what made it even more of a delight.

"I must admit, I haven't had such a pleasant meal in a long time, and all credit for that to the pleasure of your company, Kristen" he'd continue.

Most meals he had, were simply by his lonesome, or together with the council, as they discussed issues concerning the order. As such, the opportunity to just let go of all stressful, work-related details, and speak of more pleasant topics with the right company was one most welcome.

He assumed that would prefer to make haste in solving the issue with the desecrators, so he decided to call it a day early, so they could get more rest and thus time to prepare, if they were to depart the next day. Those details would be discussed soon enough anyway.
 
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"And I, as well, am thoroughly delighted to have had the pleasure of yours."

Cordial smiles, words of parting, and Kristen was being shown back to the guest house by the female squires from before. Such a fantastic night and lovely dinner! She had not been treated so well since...well, since before her enrollment into the Academy to be quite frank. As much as she strived to become a more resilient person, to learn how to weather the hardships of martial duty, still she had to admit that there was a part of her, not insignificant, which missed dearly those luxurious days of yesteryears.

In the quiet and the stillness in which Kristen lay down on the bed in the guest house and prepared to sleep, then crept forth the firm awareness of the task ahead. Grim business. Yet if not her, then who? Who else would see to the justice of those innocents killed in the Our Queen of Stars Chapel? She was resolute in delivering it to them.

Sleep nearly had her.

And then, like a final whispering challenge to that resolution she held so fully in her breast, came the terrible echo of Proctor Magomo's words should she fail.

I will destroy you, Pirian.

* * * * *​

Early she woke. It wouldn't do at all if she slept for long enough to be seen as a laggard. This...and the excitement, of course, which thrust her from any notion of deep sleep several times throughout the night. It was a joyless excitement, an anticipation of the task before her which made her restless.

Now, at least, she could be in motion. She could work toward the task's fulfillment.

I shall continue forward.

Yes. No matter what lay ahead, she must. 'Twas not only the deliverance of justice to the fallen which hung in the balance. So did the course of her very future.

Kristen prepared herself quickly through her morning routine, donned all of her armor and collected her traveling pack, and left the guest house. She figured the stables of Castle Sovereignty to be the best place to meet with Dauner and whomever else might be attending them on this journey.

Dauner
 
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Dauner didn't need sleep. Far from it, he had enough energy to stay a full month awake, and required but a few hours of meditation to replenish it. However, he still indulged in the act every so often, if only to serve as a reminder of when he was still but a normal human. As morning came, so too did he wake, early enough that it was dark outside. He spent the rest of the time rounding up with work.

"How goes the progress with handling Kodan hostilities?" he asked as he placed his stamp on one of the last documents he had left to handle.

"The council is meeting today to decide on whether to begin mobilization of our troops, sir" a woman in golden knight uniform replied. Miya Grenwald was her name. A woman in her early 20s, and a talented adventurer personally recruited and trained by Dauner, who now served as his aide and personal assistant.

"It seems like war is now inevitable"

"Would you want it otherwise?"

"No. Not really" he said finishing the last document. "Have the council know they have my permission to proceed with the annexation of Koda"

"As you command, my liege. Anything else?"

"No. I trust the council can run the order properly in my absence. You may leave"

As Miya left the office with the documents in hand, so too did Dauner begin his preparations to depart. The sun was barely over the horizon, when he met Kristen at the stable, Rokan right behind him.

"I shall see to your command, my liege" Rokan would say, before leaving the two.

Dauner only ever had one type of clothing he wore when out on an adventure, and it was his usual black out fit. A black jacket over a black shirt, and black pants. Armor felt annoying, so he never wore it unless ceremonially.

"Kristen!" he'd call out as he approached. "A lovely morning to you" he'd speak his greetings as he did.
 
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"Yes. Good morning, Dauner," Kristen said, smiling and giving a small nod. Behind her, her horse was being led out of the stables and into the first thin slivers of the dawn's sunlight.

The burned-down village from the report—Yslan, so it was called—lay ahead of them. Long had Kristen prayed the night prior, and longer still this morning. With Aionus's grace would they find some substantial clue there in Yslan pointing them in the right direction.

Dauner's lack of armor was noted, her eyes sweeping up and down his dark attire; this was something Kristen would not have paid much attention to before becoming an Initiate. Mayhap it was a good sign, that he didn't expect any hassle or interference from the denizens of Koda. Or, like a select number of her fellow Initiates, he too was gifted with magic that rendered armor more cumbersome than helpful.

Somewhat in this vein of thought, Kristen asked, "Are you at all concerned that the Kingdom of Koda might cause trouble for us?"

Dauner
 
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Taking nothing but a sword and a horse with him, Dauner rode with Kristen towards Yslan. When, came in sight, the burnt out land, Dauner would spare not a moment in harboring feelings for the deceased. Instead, he'd keenly and meticulously analyze the area. The village, now turned into a desolate wasteland, was empty, with only a handful of souls wandering it, most of whom were of the Kodan military. Dauner's guess was they, too, were investigating the massacre.

"I see no reason why they would" he'd respond to Kristen's inquiry. "To move against a dreadlord would be inviting diplomatic tensions between them and the Anirian republic. And I am but a lowly mercenary" he'd say taking out a badge, which identified him as a mid-tier mercenary from the Reaper's Den mercenary guild of Alliria. It was still a secret to most, the ties between the guild and the order, and thus there was no reason for Koda to show hostilities. "I'm afraid I'll have to use you as a shield today" he joked.
 
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A brief journey from the Castle to Yslan, the sun passing by overhead in its slow arc through the day. Their shadows had grown short by the time the decimated village appeared over the green landscape of the Reach. In the daylight and under the clear skies, the gray and black ashes of the village stood out like a tumorous blot on the otherwise pristine land surrounding it.

I'm afraid I'll have to use you as a shield today.

Kristen laughed. "'Tis my aspiration to be such for my faith and for my country! What harm in a little practice?"

Mirth aside, Dauner's point was a good one. Once she identified herself and stated that she had no quarrel with them, the Kodan soldiers ought to be receptive enough. And all the better if they thought Dauner to be little more than a mercenary (and better still if they asked her nothing about it, for she was a terrible liar). For whatever hostilities there were brewing between the Kingdom and the Sovereign Order, there didn't need to be bloodshed here today.

Such was her hope, at any rate.

Seriousness, then, looking toward Yslan and the soldiers poking around in the ruins. "I suppose we ought to go and give our greetings."

Dauner
 
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"Yes. I suppose we should" Dauner would respond, galloping forward right after. Upon noticing them, the Kodan troops would move to intercept.

"Halt! Identify yourselves!" one of them would speak forth, as he blocked the path forward. Given the situation, it was normal for the soldiers to be alert of strangers. Lest they be the perpetrator, returned to admire his work.

"Good morning, brothers" he'd greet after ridding himself of the noble tone with which he broke words with Kristen, and donning a rougher one. One more fit for the mercenary he was supposed to be playing. He was more than used to speaking in various manners, be they that of nobles, mercenaries, peasants, and even beggars. You name it, he'd played that role at least once before. "Dauner's the name" he said, taking out his mercenary badge. "Mercenary from the Reaper's Den. Got a job to investigate what happened to poor little community"

"Tad far from home isn't it?" the soldier asked, suspicion still lingering in his eyes.

"Yes. Yes it is. But I don't really have the luxury of choice, you know. I at least gotta eat, to keep these muscles in shape" he said, tapping his muscles as he laughed, poor though his joke may have been. He didn't introduce Kristen, but instead left her introduction to herself. What bit's she wanted to say, and what she'd rather left unsaid, Dauner wasn't too sure of those, so he didn't take the risk to divulge more than she'd require.
 
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"And I am farther still from home," Kristen said, bridging off of the one soldier's comment when she had the opportunity. From her mount she swept her eyes over the Kodan soldiers, then placed a hand to her chest. "Lady Kristen Pirian of Vel Anir."

With an arc of her leg she dismounted swiftly from her horse. She stood before the soldiers with a dignified posture.

"I was in Alliria, at a Celestialist chapel there, when a gruesome massacre began to unfold. It was foiled, this massacre, yet the perpetrator remains shrouded in mystery. And so I have come here to Yslan with Dauner, for there is much reason to believe that what happened at that chapel and what happened here may well be connected."

"That so?" said another of the soldiers, tone noncommittal. Quite guarded, these soldiers, though with such dire questions left unanswered and lingering over the ashen ruins of Yslan it was hard to fault them for it.

"Yes." And by way of reassuring them, Kristen said, "I am interested only in justice. The common kinship I share with these poor people of Yslan is not one of country, but of faith and of the decency found in all good men and women. I would see them avenged as much as those in the chapel."

Dauner
 
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The soldier took a second to scan the two furtively. He could simply turn them down, but doing so didn't seem like the best course of action. Although Koda and Vel Anir were on two entirely different continents, The reputation Vel Anir had built for itself over the years was nothing to scoff at. Being ordinary soldiers, it would be the end of them if they invited trouble with that behemoth for the king.

That aside, they really weren't in any position to turn down help. Despite their efforts, they'd failed in finding the culprit, and orders from above would see them soon abandon the case. The best they could do right now was silently pass the baton to someone else, and Kristen seemed ideal for that.

"Follow me" he'd finally break the silence, as he'd lead them into the ruins, and towards their encampment.

"Lead the way" Dauner would reply, dismounting, and pulling his horse along as he followed the Kodan soldiers. Along the way, he took time to observe the ruins. With Kodan soldiers all over the place, it would have proven difficult for the order's scouts to investigate the ruins proper. But they likely would at least have some useful information to deliver. In any case, Dauner would meet up with his contact from them soon enough.
 
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'Twas a ghastly scene.

Skeletal frames of houses stood like blackened obelisks of the quaint lives that had once been lived here. Ash mixed with dirt on the ground, little plumes summoned with each step to twist and curl in the air at their feet before dissipating to obscurity. Still there lingered a faint acrid smell in the air, its sinister subtlety as offensive to the nose as the ruins were to the eyes.

That it had come to this! There was the barbaric, and then there was the purely evil, and what had happened here in Yslan was of this foul latter category. Thankfully, it seemed the Kodan soldiers had already done much work in removing the dead.

Kristen followed the lead Kodan soldier, leading her horse by the reins alongside Dauner.

As they were passing through the little village square of Yslan, Kristen slowed somewhat, her brow flattening in consternation. She glanced around, from one husk of a home to another, seeming not to find whatever she was looking for.

For what small distance she may have lagged behind, she caught up, saying quietly to Dauner then, "Did you by chance...feel something?"

Dauner
 
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When Kristen brought up a most peculiar inquiry, Dauner drifted into thought, in consideration of that. There was a chance that what she felt was just the contact from the scout team the order had deployed. There was also a slim chance that it was the perpetrators, returned for whatever reason they would have. And finally, the most likely, was that it was a congregation of spirits, vengeful of their unfortunate and undeserved deaths.

In areas where massacres like this were carried out, there was a chance that the spirits of the dead, unable to cross into the afterlife due to lingering obsessions, would haunt the land where they last drew breath, turning it into a ghost town. If that was so, Dauner could only imagine the stress the soldiers working in such a place would have undergone. If it were truly so, then that would explain the reason for the agitation Dauner had noticed in them.

Whichever it was, Dauner, who paraded around with his spirit sense turned off, would have failed to notice if Kristen hadn't reminded him. He always tends to deactivate his spirit sense since it was quite annoying to see and listen to spirits, invisible to the mortal eye, ramble on and on all the time. This wasn't the first time he failed to activate it when on duty, and it probably won't be the last.

The final question was, to what end? To what end were the actions of the desecrators aimed at. The only answer he could think of, was a grand sacrifice, but still, to what end. Did they hold intent on using the lives of mortals to hold a grand summoning ritual? Or maybe to create a disaster that would spell massive destruction? Whatever it was, the more Dauner thought about it, the less he liked it. Should things progress as planned, Koda would soon become his territory, and the one thing he hated more than people messing with him, was people messing with what belonged to him. That, and if they failed to stop it, the Allir Reach may be in for a greater disaster than he'd first expected. But then again, all that was naught but assumptions, and he'd have loved it if it stayed that way.

"Whatever do you mean, Kristen?" Dauner replied with a question of his own, swiftly attempting to activate his spirit sense without anyone detecting him.
 
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A little pang of doubt overtook her, now that this sense of feeling had been spoken aloud.

"I don't...know." She cocked her head in way one might when trying to hear something faint. Like some vague premonition, or perhaps a twist of the wind which tempted one to think a whisper was among it, what she was trying to hone in on was difficult to grasp. Now she wasn't even sure she'd felt anything at all.

"I..." Her lips scrunched up to one side of her mouth in minor vexation. "Perhaps it was nothing. More of my own wanting there to be something rather than anything true and real."

She continued alongside Dauner through the little village square without slowing down. Though, inevitably, feeling a bit unsure of herself.

* * * * *​

In the village square, the burnt out ruins of the local chapel. Scarcely recognizable.

Within the chapel, devastation like all the rest of Yslan. Ash and debris sorrowful notes to what once was.

Buried in the dirt beneath this ash...

The Black Heart.

Beating.

Dauner
 
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Having successfully maneuvered his spirit sense activation without anyone noticing, Dauner took another glance around. It wasn't as much of a ghost town as he'd expected, but there were still quite a number of souls all over the place. Some vengeful, some just lost. Wandering about and poking at the faces of soldiers on duty, as if asking to be seen. To be heard. It was as though they wanted for nothing more than to tell a story they could tell no more. It was weird, but nothing too out of the ordinary, as far as Dauner's standards went. But others would probably think otherwise.

As Dauner turned his head to look ahead as they moved, he nearly froze. This energy he was feeling. It was one much more dreadful than the one he'd felt at the haunted manor on the Anirian border, when last he went through there. Given how much weaker he was now as compared to his heyday, it was hard to tell what that sense of dread was, or from where it came. All he could do now, was walk. The secrets hidden within Yslan would soon be dug out anyway. It wouldn't be too late to find out what that energy is then.


The group soon arrived at the Kodan encampment in what used to be the village square, now but a ruin filled with a mass of dirt and ash.

"Captain!" the soldier in the lead spoke. "We've got an Allirian mercenary and an Anirian noble here to see you. They say they're here to do our work for us" he joked, and as if on cue the other soldiers began to laugh.

"Very well. You can leave" the captain would say, turning to Dauner and Kristen as soon as the soldiers left. "Pardon my troops' poor display of discipline. As you may have already heard, our more disciplined soldiers are all heading for the borders, so we have to make do with these new drafted mercenaries" he spoke apologetically, more to Kristen than to Dauner. He most likely didn't want to leave a poor impression on a noble from Vel Anir.

"Pardon my manners. I'm captain Holm, from duke Siegfried's personal army" he'd extend his hand towards Kristen. Dauner would for the moment stay quiet, leaving the floor to Kristen.
 
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