Dreadlords The Pride of Vel Numera

[Duresh]

Duresh felt a pang of insult at Alistair's suggestion, and knew that many allied with him would feel the same. He was accustomed to keeping his emotions suppressed when once he worked for House Banick, and so here that same suppression kept his head level.

He spoke evenly, "You have no capacity to make that guarantee. Even if you did, I could not speak for all of us on the matter, and it would do nothing to serve justice to those nobles whose callousness led to Forsaken suffering."

Which led him neatly to:

"Fyris Pirian was one of them. Siring a half-elf son, turning him over to the beasts in charge of the Forsaken."

What Duresh did not know was that Fyris had been misidentified and accused in error by the mother, yet such messiness often accompanied this brand of sweeping vengeful justice.

Alistair Krixus Maseno Luana

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Duresh was right. Alistair did not have that authority, at best the Forsaken might gain an ally in parliament that might be willing to voice some forgiveness for them, but most in the Republic would still continue to laugh at the ideas.

Alistair sighed, knowing where this was going all too slowly.

"So you will just continue to kill any with a connection to the Forsaken?"

It was not the wrong way about it. Alistair would likely do the same if he was put in the same situation, but such action would inevitably mean the death of many nobles. Something that the Republic would not handle well at the moment.

"We can't just let you keep killing people. I want to help you and your kind. I understand what it is like, but I will not stand by and let you harm the Republic."

It wasn't even about the people, most of those individuals had likely been assholes. If the Republic had a way to replace them safely then Alistair would be all for the murder, but the sudden removal by assassination led to gaps and weaknesses in the democratic system they found themselves.

Alistair raised his sword once again in a readied stance.

 

[Elise Virak]

Forsaken.

Elise nearly cursed as Kristen said the word, her teeth sinking into her tongue. The creatures had, and would always be a problem.

House Virak had never once used the services of the half-breeds, in fact they had decried the whole program. It had seemed foolhardy, misbegotten, and entirely without reasoning. Elise had only learned of it after the 'death' of her brothers of course, but even then she had thought it disgusting.

Though not for the reasons many others would have.

"Oh dear." Elise said, glancing at Val. "This is...the Forsaken?"

Her head shook, as if she couldn't quite believe it. The words too daunting to really take a hold of. "Val, Kristen is right, we need to get you out of here."

She said quickly. "My carriage is just on the edge of town. You might be safer there than anywhere else."

Elise Virak, of course, traveled with her own mercenary guard. The men and women who had sworn their lives to House Virak in perpetuity. Those who she trusted almost implicitly. "We can get you away from here until the situation is under control."

 

[Maseno Luana]

Privy only to the snippits of information afforded him in the last twenty minutes, Maseno felt himself more than a bit out of his scope here where the Forsaken were concerned. Were the promises and aid offered by Alistair something he should question? Why would he petition for the safety of what he believed were known murderers? This topic ran deep, he could tell. Far deeper than the surface level weeds he found himself in.

He didn't know enough to make any judgement on the matter, Maz would simply have to trust that what Alistair was saying and doing fell in line with what would be expected of them by their betters.

So he made a decision that he would learn more about these Forsaken from whoever he could. Proctor, Noble, Dreadlord, Guard - it behooved him to be informed of obvious threats against Vel Anir's people. That he was so ignorant to them to begin with was almost insulting, but he reminded himself that there must have been a reason why.

Have faith. Upon seeing Alistair raise his sword again, Maz curled his free hand into a fist, arresting control of several metal projectiles stowed upon him, ready to act at a moment's notice.

 

[Val Pirian]

"I..."

Val's brow wrinkled, then sunk. His shoulders stiffened. Fyris...dead? Duresh returned after so long? Val's own life at risk? He froze. Time slowed around him as he felt beads of sweat begin to pool on his forehead and temples. His feet refused to move, his boots planted firmly on the damp cobblestone of the Fountain Square.

"I can't just--"

The heir of House Pirian balled his fists and grit his teeth. Memories of the attack on their caravan as he, Aisling, and Elise had traveled together but a couple of years prior flashed in his mind. He recalled the night of the Revolution, how he'd trekked across Vel Anir proper while war raged around him. In that chaos, he found his resolve.

"...You and I have faced worse, Elise. Muster what aid you can, and I'll muster mine." Val's gaze shifted from his friend to his cousin. A serene confidence took him. "Kristen...I won't flee from this. Let's sound the bells, shall we?"

The Republic may have taken House Pirian's Dreadlords, but the stormguard were a good second line. Those more simple soldiers who had sworn fealty to Pirian, who had long since taken up their winged helmets and the Pirian cross. Vel Numera was the pride of his House; there would be some looking after it, that Val knew would be true.

 

[Duresh]

"I know. Nor can I stand by and allow what guilty nobles there are to live on unpunished."

Duresh had given up the way of the sword, the way of Vel Anir, the way of his father Garron Banick before fleeing the city. He sought a life of peace far to the east, closer to the lands of the ancestral orcish people of his mother's side. Yet he had been called back from peace and voluntarily stepped back into the mire of war by the plea made to him by the desperate Forsaken.

"Our paths will cross again," Duresh said. "Your duty and mine will ensure it. But here, I ask you, to allow me to go this once. To avert a greater bloodshed here in Vel Numera."

Still he was counting in his head. His protection against magic was almost through, and then the risk would be too great to stay.

Alistair Krixus Maseno Luana

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Kristen was quick to nod feverishly in agreement with Elise, ready almost to grab Val by the sleeve and get him to Elise's carriage herself if she must. Val had been the one to break her out of her paralyzing fear and trauma after she was rescued from the Blades, finally managing to get through to her and offering the patient ear and supportive heart she needed, and she would be devastated beyond imagination if Duresh were to slay him here.

But Val himself spoke out against it, against flight from the present peril.

In the first instance, Kristen was distraught. Frayed with endless worry. But this was quickly overcome (though not completely squelched) by admiration for his bravery. He knew full well the danger, yet he wished to stay. He wouldn't flee from Vel Numera in the midst of this crisis. In that moment he had the true spark of a worthy heir to Tobias, future Head of House Pirian.

Firm instead of feverish this time, Kristen nodded. "To the guardhouse, then! And we can inform Captain Rennil whilst we do so!"

Val Pirian Elise Virak

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair's eyes remained locked with Duresh's. In a way, he felt a kinship to this man. More than their harsh upbringing as weapons of war. They both felt a sense of responsibility for their kind, and they were doing what they thought best to protect them.

It was for that very same reason that Alistair could not let him just walk away. As much as he wanted answers and wanted to believe in Duresh and the other Forsaken, his people came first and he would not put their safety into the hands of those that they would just as easily kill.

Alistair cast the briefest glance at Maz before he sprung forward, swiping at Fursh with his sword. Magic wrapped around his free hand, but he held from casting anything as he remembered what Duresh had managed to do earlier.

"Maz!"

An eye flared up on Alistair's back so he could keep an eye on Maz's own action, whether it was attacking or providing support. The two needed to be working in tandem in this situation.

Maseno Luana Duresh

 

[Elise Virak]

Elise did not feel the need to hide her frown. Whatever danger there loomed within this little hamlet, she did not want Val exposed to it. A protectiveness came over her, as it did always when her friends were in any sort of danger.

There were few people in the world that she could call as such, and she would not see either of them come to harm. Bloody fool.

She thought to herself, letting a rather harsh and disapproving glare lay on Val so that he would know her ire. Though it was admirable to lead from the front, she supposed, Elise would much rather Val have tossed a few more Pirian cousins in the way first.

"Very well, but I'll not have you go alone." She acquiesced. "The Gatehouse."

Val could defend himself, and Kristen had grown in her Academy training, but Elise knew the Forsaken were nothing to be trifled with.

Fully trained, the bloody creatures could carve a swath through even a clutch of Dreadlords. She would not abandon her friend now only to later learn that someone had carved a smile upon his throat. Her magics, though still unknown, might be needed.

From a small pocket on her side she pulled a leaf of paper. It folded once over, and then she tossed it into the air. A spark ran through it, and the paper shifted, flying through the sky as though caught by the wind. Yet it's trajectory was noticeably against the breeze. Kristen would recognize the thing, and so might Val, a simple piece of trace paper likely crafted by a Dreadlord for Elise.

With it, her guards would know she needed them and would come running, lead by the little slip of paper. The little message gone, she looked to Val and Kristen to lead the way.

 

[Maseno Luana]

There were several moments where he though he might have to turn in Krixus as well. Regardless of the half-orc's words, the man had murdered someone in cold blood. An unarmed, untrained civilian no less. That he thought he might escape justice for this heinous crime was beyond him. That he thought he might talk Alistair into letting him escape was simply not going to pass while Maseno was here.

He didn't know Alistair's magic well, but he was prepared to fight him, needs be. Luckily it didn't come to that.

All he needed was that look from Alistair to move into action. Waiting, ready, and fully prepared, Maseno opened his right hand to issue forth a burst of several throwing knives from his figure. If he couldn't get ahold of Duresh by his magic, then he'd take him down one dastardly flying weapon at a time.

 

[Duresh]

He knew that he was facing two opponents. But, maybe it was that he was no longer in his prime or maybe that he was outclassed or maybe that it was simply bad luck, Duresh nevertheless could not escape from that rooftop cleanly.

Alistair was the forward threat. He charged at Duresh and Duresh had no choice but to defend himself, block the incoming sword. He had intended in the same motion to step to the side, to perhaps remove himself from the path of whatever attack Maseno might be launching at him.

His intention was not realized so well.

He indeed sidestepped, but all too late. Two of the knives embedded themselves in his back and he gave a sharp grunt and went staggering, almost losing his balance, over toward the edge of the roof. Blood began to wet his shirt beneath his light armor. He wheeled around to face his two opponents.

The count in his head was almost done. He was seconds away from using his magic. Seconds he may not have.

"This is a mistake," Duresh said, grimacing hard with pain, standing on the edge of that roof with his heels out in the open air and his sword raised defensively.

Alistair Krixus Maseno Luana

 

[Val Pirian]

Val felt emboldened thanks to Kristen's gusto, a bit of the old feedback loop as they seemed to be inspiring each other. He smiled as he began to step forward.
"Aye, the guardhouse!"

Then he caught a glancing blow from Elise's glare, staring greatswords at him. 'Twas a look that could have shattered castle walls. Hoh boy, did Val know that look. Only two people could stare that look of sheer disapproval directly into Percival Pirian's soul. One was Elise, the other was his own mother. He cleared his throat and straightened his jacket.

"I wouldn't have dreamed of it, my dear! Besides," Val replied, struggling to maintain that air of confidence as he lifted his hand showily. He waggled his fingers and a few, small arcs of blue electricity danced between their tips. "It's not as though we're defenseless! Onward!"

With that final declaration, he'd begin the jog to their next destination.

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Duresh was quick, with years of training clearly coming through. Thankfully, Alistair and Maz had one completely unfair advantage. They were one and he was two.

As they continued their dance across the rooftops, Alistair became aware of another advantage they had. Duresh's heart really wasn't in it. He did not want to kill them. It was almost enough to make Alistair regret his decision, but he would not be lulled into pity. That would lead to mistakes.

"You are right. You should have surrendered peacefully." Alistair responded with a clear sense of sadness, but it quickly turned to steel as he lashed out with his blade once more.

Duresh Maseno Luana

 

[Maseno Luana]

Maseno's hand followed the progress of the blades that had missed their target, bringing them about in an arc to poise them for another assault. Where he stood at the precipice of the building was no sign of defeat or victory - he could easily escape again right over the edge and Maz meant not for that to happen.

"Surrender now," the young Initiate voiced just before Alistair made for his second rush in, "there need not be any further bloodshed."

He inched further toward the edge as well, catching the gleam of colorful woven festival streamers between buildings in his peripheral. Maz frowned, splitting his telekinetic hold from the daggers presently floating mid-air and pointed at Duresh down to the streamers. With his free hand he gestured toward them and then shortly yanked back, ripping them from their tethers to snake the line of streamers upward with the intent to entangle the orc within them.

 

[VigiloConfido]

3...2...1...

Duresh caught Alistair's blade and deflected it, the clash of steel punctuated, oddly, by Duresh swinging his cloak around, the cloth swirling just before Alistair's face. Yet the reason for the motion became apparent.

Duresh vanished from sight, as if his form had simply bled out from the world, the cloak the last part of him to fizzle away into Invisibility. He could have dropped off of the edge upon which he had been standing, he could have jumped to the adjacent window, perhaps even evaded in some acrobatic feat along the present rooftop. With sight of him gone and all the noise of the general revelry in Vel Numera, it was difficult to tell. All that was left were a couple drops of blood where once he was standing.

No attack came at either Alistair or Maseno, so even that could be ruled out.

The orc had gone; presumably, having failed in his persuasion of the Dreadlord and Initiate, to nevertheless hurry back to his Forsaken allies, hoping that his persuasion there would not fail as well.

Alistair Krixus Maseno Luana

 

[Kristen Pirian]

"Captain Rennil!" Kristen said, throwing open the door to his office in the Vel Numera barracks. She was all excitement and alarm, this tempered only by a slight need to catch her breath, for she and Val and Elise had come with all haste.

The Captain was a venerable man, the wrinkles radiating out like fan brushes from the corners of his firm, if world-weary, eyes every indication of it. He'd a shaved head, a salt and pepper beard trimmed to a fine point, and his voice had a rough and gravelly tone, one worn down by too many years of shouting; a fact which, now that he was not in such active combat service in his current station, belied his general kindness.

"Lady Kristen," Captain Rennil said, rising from his desk, certainly caught by surprise by the force of her entry. "What is it? What's the matter?"

"Fyris! He has been murdered! Forsaken—" she caught herself, pinching her eyes shut and gesturing with her hands, knowing that Captain Rennil might like herself not know who they even were until told, though there was no time to explain thoroughly, "—that is to say, assassins, are plotting further malice! We must sound the call-to-arms!"

Seeing the esteemed company who had come with her, and so bombarded with the abruptness of Kristen's report, Captain Rennil looked to Val and Elise each in turn as if for confirmation and said as he started coming around the desk, "Lord Percival, Lady Elise...are you two alright?"

Elise Virak Val Pirian

 

[Elise Virak]

Elise stepped into the room just seconds after Kristen, thanking her past self for the choice in clothes she had made for the day. Running in a dress had always been an atrocious exercise, and though her choice hadn't been prophetic for battle, she was still more than glad for the utility.

"We are, Captain." The lady of House Virak said as she stepped to Kristen's side.

Her eyes flickered towards Val. In Vel Numera she had no real authority, and so she would leave the ordering of the Guard to the two Pirian's. "But, I suggest you heed young Kristen's call."

Though, obviously she would still have her opinion.

"She is hardly one prone to dramatics." Elise glanced at the young Initiate. "And we must prevent further loss of life."

Her own guards would already be rushing to make their way over here. Their heavy armor thundering as they rushed through the village with their great tower shields.

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Like some sort of cheap magic trick, Alistair sliced towards Duresh, expecting to cleave him in two only to catch on a cape. Then, nothing. Duresh had disappeared. Alistair blindly slashed out once more but caught nothing. He cursed under his breath as he took a step back, now being careful and cautious, not wanting to provide an opening for a counterattack.

However, after several moments, it became ever more likely that the orc had fled. This time, Alistair cursed far more outwardly. He looked at Maseno for a moment, trying to collect his thoughts. There was no point in trying to track an individual who had specifically trained to avoid people like him.

"Let's go find the others...We need to come up with some sort of defensive plan."

Hopefully, Kristen had already informed the guards. Then, maybe they could set some sort of perimeter around all high-valued targets.

Maseno Luana VigiloConfido

 

[Val Pirian]

Val was hot on the coattails of Kristen and Elise. The two of them had said it well already.

"We are unharmed for the moment, Captain," Val assured the venerable soldier before dourly adding: "If there are any stormguard on call in Vel Numera, now would be the time to deploy them."

That alone *should* have communicated the gravity of the situation. Val met the glance from Elise and nodded.

"I suggest we cooperate with Lady Elise's forces in securing the perimeter of the area. We cannot allow the fiends responsible for this travesty to escape."

 

[Maseno Luana]

Maseno nodded and followed after Alistair to do whatever duty was needed of him.

((OOC - Bowing out of this thread as I don't have the time. Please continue without me.))