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Closing Time

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Judas D'arc
Journeyman
Journeyman


Joined: 27 Nov 2011
Posts: 140
Location: Yew

PostPosted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 10:27 am Post subject: Closing Time Reply with quote

They found it shortly after their afternoon meal, a meager helping of stale bread and old stew. The food was neither appetizing nor filling, but the two children, like their discovery, were located in the poor quarter of Nujel'm, and thus their way of life. A stone's throw from the opulence that existed within the city walls, but there was such a disparity between the two that it might as well have been on another facet. When the guardsmen finally agreed to investigate their claims, it was only after numerous threats of what might happen to the young orphans if this was one of their urchin tricks. Fortunate for the children, it was not. Unfortunate for the corpse they had uncovered along the island's northern shore, it was the truth.

After sending the young boy and girl away, one guard turned to the other. "I know him."

"Aye?" The other guard glanced at his companion.

"His name's Snideworth," the first guard responded. "One of Lord Elias' household staff, if I recall it."

"Sebastian Elias?!" The second guard exclaimed. "Who'd be mad enough to cross him, like this?!"

"Nobody," the original speaker noted quietly.

"Which means ..."

The two guards nodded simultaneously with a shared comprehension and sense of self-preservation. It was a small amount of effort that followed, but bruising the orphans into forgetting this day's events almost made up for having to get the smell of the sea out of their uniforms.
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Judas D'arc
Journeyman
Journeyman


Joined: 27 Nov 2011
Posts: 140
Location: Yew

PostPosted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:13 am Post subject: Reply with quote

Years ago, the three of them had shared something akin to friendship, a relationship that was, in its own way, even more intimate than most friendships. Together, they had been employed by the female rogue Shelley, working alongside such memorable comrades as the rebellious noble Clauda D'estaing, the bastard scion Stower, and the shadowy Lucas Drachen. But that now seemed like another age, and as was typical in circumstances such as these, everything had changed. With the exception of Drachen, who still traveled the lands with guilt and regret his only companions, this trio were the only survivors of that once upon a time.

The first man, a bard known as Judas D'arc, had departed amidst a flurry of grief and violence. He had then wandered endlessly, before finally returning to his native Yew. He had rejoined Shelley following a series of adventures involving vampires and the town of Ashencrose. After the female rogue's death, Judas was named her heir, inheriting all of Shelley's obligations and worldy possessions, including her final legacy, the Emerald Trading Company. As of late, when not overseeing his dear friend's business affairs, the bard resided in Yew with his love Jolicia, and two elven orphans, Elendome and Shae, that they had agreed to shelter.

The second man, a hermit called Sokus, had been castrated during that same flurry of grief and violence and he been driven into isolation. However, he had remained a loyal man of Shelley until her end, which also meant that he currently served the bard, even if he did not consider Judas equal to his new role.

The third man, a mage named Garrott, had survived that flurry of grief and violence with his sanity less than intact. Madness had led him to become the "Left Hand" to a demon that eventually plagued the bard and his friends. Last year, Garrott had fatally cursed Judas in order to force a confrontation between the bard and Randall Reich, both of whom the mage blamed for the death of Claudia D'estaing. He had failed at this, and had been placed in Shelley's custody, until Reich had taken her and inadvertantly freed Garrott.

And this was the scene that had been set, when these three men met that night in a small glade north of the Serpent's Spine mountains, at the entrance to Sokus' underground cave dwelling.

"Why should I consider anything you might tell me?!" the bard angrily inquired of Garrott, the bow in his hands an obvious indication of his feelings on the matter. "You almost killed me ... tried to hurt Jolicia. If not for your actions, Shelley might still be alive!"

"Shelley and Reich were headed for that fight," Sokus' gruff voice interjected, "and nobody could've stopped them. Too much bad history there. That's all done, we're here to talk what's next."

Judas glared daggers. "Do not dare defend him!"

"I'll do what I want," the testicless hermit snorted. "When Reich freed him, Garrott could've run, but he didn't. He came to me, and when he learned what's happened --"

"Shelly didn't merely hold me prisoner," Garrott quietly spoke up. "She was trying to help me understand all of my mistakes. Then after she died, and then you killed Reich... " He paused for a moment, before continuing. "That's what it took to make me realize I'd spent too much time with my hatred. I was wrong to blame you for Claudia, and I'm sorry for everything I did. My days are numbered, the demons still pursue me for betraying them, but I still want to do better with whatever I have left."

"I hear things," Sokus continued. "You're not Shelley, and you're falling short trying to be. There are debts that are owed us, and others that need to be repaid. Too much unfinished business, the kind you're not used to handling, and you can't do it alone. If you keep trying, you'll end up dead."

"Shelley left everything to me," the bard countered, but still he lowered his weapon.

"Because she trusted you," the hermit stated. "So don't f*** it up."

Judas sighed heavily, then looked between both men. "What exactly are you asking for?"

"Keep the trading company," Sokus explained. "Let us handle the rest. You're a s*** bard and an even worse criminal. Don't pretend trying what you're not."

"And you?" The bard then turned back to the mage. "What do you want?"

"A second chance."
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Renthar
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Joined: 05 Mar 2012
Posts: 17
Location: Somewhere in Sosaria

PostPosted: Tue Oct 22, 2013 10:16 am Post subject: Reply with quote

Despite his centuries of existence, the tall, strange-eyed sorcerer named Renthar had always considered himself the hunter, and never the prey. All those innocents he had slaughtered as part of the Dark Lord Mondain's army. All the flesh he had eagerly devoured before his decades of imprisonment as a lunatic and cannibal. All the others he had victimized on account of of need or due to whim. Renthar had always been the one in control, until this very moment, when he finally understood what it was like to be the hunted.

A group of three men, clad in a familiar dark leather armor, closed in, their weapons brandished and ready for the attack. The strange-eyed sorcerer stumbled backwards, struggling to remain on his feet. One hand grasped feebly at the bloody hole in his right side, from which he had removed an arrow only minutes before, while the other held an ancient-looking book protectively against his chest. The chase had led them to Spiritwood, near mainland Skara Brae, but Renthar feared that it would not last much longer.

"I didn't steal the book!" The tall sorcerer shouted at them with feigned confidence. "Your masters allowed me to take it from your library as part of our bargain." When they failed to respond, Renthar realized that mere words would not provide him with an escape, so he decided to appeal to their greed instead. "There's another circle of magic, a hidden one besides the eight we know," he informed them as he held the text out to them. "This is worth far more than whatever the Camorra pays, why waste its secrets on them?"

"This isn't about the book," one of the assassins stated, his kryss pointed at Renthar. "It's about Randall Reich. And the Offering. And your betrayal."

"I see," the strange-eyed sorcerer frowned briefly, before his lips transformed themselves into a strange smile that did not seem consistent with his dire circumstances. "Well, betrayal, I understand."

As the lead hunter stepped forward and the two flanking him nocked their arrows, Renthar let both the ancient text and his wound slip from his fingers, chanting the first spell incantation that came to mind.
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Renthar
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Location: Somewhere in Sosaria

PostPosted: Thu Oct 24, 2013 2:30 pm Post subject: Reply with quote

After the three leather-clad servants of the Camorra had over-powered him, they had taken both Renthar and the ancient book that he carried into their custody. They had shared little information about their destination, but the tall, strange-eyed sorcerer knew that only one destination was likely: Nujel'm. Once they arrived, Renthar would be handed over to their masters and subjected to whatever punishment it was that they reserved for traitors. Or that would have been his fate, if the mercenaries and their prisoner had not mistakenly stumbled across that battlefield.

The strange-eyed sorcerer would later come to understand that it was entirely his good fortune that Skara Brae happened to be invaded just as they arrived from the mainland. For days, a dark army had been randomly attacking the cities of Felucca and Trammel, and the odds of them choosing that particular place at that particular moment were hardly good ones. They were even less than the probability that Renthar might have survived his predicament. However, what transpired had worked to the tall sorcerer's advantage; when the sword-wielding captain struck, Renthar acted quickly and stole back his tome before escaping into the night. It was unfortunate that the amusement of watching his captors meet a terrible end faded as soon as he noticed the symbol that adorned their killer's armor and shield.

"Oh no," the strange-eyed sorcerer muttered as he fled towards the moongate . "Not her again." One minute later, and Renthar had reached the shimmering blue portal that led to freedom. At this point, with the whole of the Camorra after his head, there was only one destination made sense. No matter how poorly he might be received there.
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Judas D'arc
Journeyman
Journeyman


Joined: 27 Nov 2011
Posts: 140
Location: Yew

PostPosted: Sat Oct 26, 2013 3:35 pm Post subject: Reply with quote

The quiet life always seemed to elude them.

When the bard known as Judas D'arc and the mage Jolicia had first returned to Yew, it was a consequence of Randall Reich's feud against the Emerald Trading Company and the manipulations of the sorcerer Renthar. The couple's intention had been to escape the endless parade of troubles that had pursued them since they had first met, nearly two years prior. But as Judas stood outside their Deep Forest home that early autumn morning, he realized how unlikely it was that they would ever succeed.

At that moment, four dilemmas in particular occupied his attention. First, the return of the Enchantress Minax, whose armies were striking against the cities of both Felucca and Trammel. Second, the request by Sokus and Garrott to oversee the late Shelley's more extra-legal affairs. Third, the imminent failure of the Emerald Trading Company, which had been experiencing far more loss than profit under his ownership. Fourth, the return of the Camorra, who had discovered that Judas and his friends were responsible for disrupting their sacred Offering ritual. This last one was complicated further by Renthar, who had appeared in Yew with an ancient text he claimed could put an end to the Camorra's threat. The bard was poorly versed in the ways of magick, and had left the matter to Jolicia, but he also knew the sorcerer could never be fully trusted.

With a deep sigh, Judas glanced back at his home. There was a small twinge of guilt, as he considered Jolicia and the elven orphans Elendome and Shae. All three were likely still asleep, and he hoped their dreams were both warm and pleasant.

The quiet life. It had been good while it had lasted.
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Renthar
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Joined: 05 Mar 2012
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Location: Somewhere in Sosaria

PostPosted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 11:56 am Post subject: Reply with quote

Deep within the bowels of Wind, a place preferable to the deep wind within his bowels, the tall, strange-eyed sorcerer Renthar was diligently focused upon the task before him. The ancient text he had retrieved from the Camorra's library contained many secrets, references to a hidden circle of magic of untold potential, but it was one particular section that held his attention. This was the spell that he had previosuly offered Jolicia, a weapon that could rid them of their mutual foe. Much to Renthar's surprise, she had actually accepted his offer, agreeing to assist in both its preparation and casting. He knew that her recent abuse and interrogation at the hands of the Camorra's hirelings had motivated her decision, but he wanted to believe that she would have reached it without their influence. Jolicia was nothing if not practical. The strange-eyed sorcerer was also curious how much of the truth she had shared with Judas and the rest of the Emerald Trading Company, but ultimately, that was her burden to bear alone.

The blood of a pure noble of Nujel'm. Crystals from the Prism of Light. The bones of a Dark Father. Once Renthar's uneasy allies had finished gathering these ingredients, their spell would be unleashed. And all of this would have an ending, regardless of the consequences that might follow.
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Renthar
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Location: Somewhere in Sosaria

PostPosted: Mon Nov 04, 2013 1:53 pm Post subject: Reply with quote

Two days later, and his eyes opened, hesitantly and disoriented by the brilliant morning light. His bones still ached, his veins were still sore, and his mana still intermittent spurts, but Renthar was finally awake. The tall, strange-eyed sorcerer had scarcely stirred since collapsing on the first floor of Jolicia's Felucca home, and there was a part of him that wished he would never have to. Except there was a world outside the comfort of that room, and his pride would not allow him to rest while there were still questions unanswered.

Renthar and Jolicia had cast their spell, but what of the consequences?

His memories of the ritual had their vague and uncertain moments, but for the most part he recalled everything that had transpired. Together, they had called upon an ancient power that existed outside Sosaria, and made it an offering. This being dwelled within the absence of light, unnamed and unrepresented except by the symbols used to contact it. It had revealed itself in voice alone, a dark murmur that nestled intrusively against their minds every time it spoke. After temptations and negotiations, the ancient power had assented to their bargain, granting favor to its supplicants.

The strange-eyed sorcerer struggled for words that could accurately describe their creation. An abomination, conceived by their shared hatred and lust and greed, and given substance by the rotten flesh and demon bones of the Dark Father that had been gathered by the Emerald Trading Company. Although submissive to its parents' will, the monstrosity also possessed a low-sentience of its own. And with the crystals from the Prism of Light and the blood of a pure noble of Nujel'm as its guidance, their creation had commenced the hunt. He was not normally one for regrets, but even Renthar was troubled by what had occurred. Most of the abomination's victims were as intended, high-ranking members of the Camorra and their guards. But on three separate occasions, it had disobeyed them entirely, with the devouring Lord Whent's pet hairless cat, the beheading of his ten year old son, and the fatal violation of one of his servant girls. Finally, its parents had no choice but to will its death, and they had felt relief once the monstrosity had self-destructed beneath the sea.

A small groan escaped his lips as the tall-sorcerer slowly rose to his feet and dressed. The unity he had shared with Jolicia was not entirely faded, and he could still feel her whisperings of remorse. She had done as she desired, but the guilt of unintended casualties would be a difficult burden. Renthar was tempted to ascend the stairs and offer whatever comfort and support she might need. However, their bond had also allowed him to understand the severity of the pain his past manipulations had caused her. For the first time in perhaps forever, the strange-eyed sorcerer decided not to insinuate himself, and instead left her a brief note. It stated that he was leaving to discover whether the spell had made a difference in their conflict with the Camorra. Following this, he would return to the City of Wind to resume his studies, which is where she could find him if needed. This choice, and the sign of a conscience that it represented, was a hint that he had experienced a change, and Renthar was uncertain it was a welcome one. But with the ancient text he had taken from the Camorra's library, the ritual's success a taste of its promise and potential, at least the coming days would hold purpose for him.

And then the tall, strange-eyed sorcerer departed, content in the knowledge that as always, time remained his ally.
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Judas D'arc
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Joined: 27 Nov 2011
Posts: 140
Location: Yew

PostPosted: Wed Nov 06, 2013 2:35 pm Post subject: Reply with quote

A new day, and a lonely and restless Judas D'arc wandered the streets of Vesper, his every step conflicted and filled with remorse. A fortnight prior, he was residing in Yew with Jolicia, overseeing the affairs of his late friend Shelley, and confident that his Emerald Trading Company was in good hands. Now, he was in a new city and without Jolicia, Sokus and Garrott were in charge of Shelley's business matters, and the Emerald Trading Company was in shambles. A mere two weeks was all that it had taken for everything to fall apart.

This time, the threat of the Camorra had proven almost anti-climactic. Lord Sebastian Elias and his secret society sought revenge for the disruption of their sacred Offering. Following Sofia Elias' refusal to obey her father and leave the Emerald Trading Company behind, the Camorra's leather-clad enforcers had made their presence known. There were attacks, and poor Jolicia had been captured and tortured. In fact, the only reason they had spared her was to make her live in fear of their return; the Camorra wished for their targets to suffer until they begged for death. However, Lord Elias and his compatriots were not nearly as capable as they had been under the late Randall Reich's guidance, and the conflict quickly turned against them. As the Emerald Trading Company and Renthar prepared an ancient ritual to strike against their foes, a dissenting Arturos Castile and Paytience Fawn had confronted Sofia's father in Nujel'm. He did not survive the experience, and after Renthar and Jolicia had cast the spell and unleashed a demon upon their enemies, the Camorra's new leadership quickly surrendered, agreeing to any terms that the victors desired.

Two nights ago, Judas had contacted Sokus for more information about what Renthar and Jolicia's magicks had unleashed, and his response had been far from reassuring. According to his old friend, Lords Whent, Tollin, Kerakis, and Bartleby, all presumably prominent members of the Camorra, had been killed. Eight guards, five of Whent and two of Elias, had been slain. One of Whent's children had been murdered in his bed, a servant brutalized to death, and Whent's hairless cat was also rumored to be missing. While the bard believed Jolicia's guilt was sincere, he also knew that the blame was equally his own. When Judas had learned what the spell entailed, he had opposed it, yet had not taken any action. Worse, there was a part of him willing to accept its evil because of how decisively it had ended the threat of the Camorra. Even beyond that, the bard was at fault for repeatedly dragging Jolicia into a life she never wanted, until she had no recourse but to turn to darkness for their very survival. And at the moment Jolicia looked to him for support, he had offered her only doubts.

A mere two weeks ago, Judas was residing in Yew with the woman that he loved more than life itself. Now, he was just a lonely, restless bard wandering the streets of Vesper, his every step conflicted and filled with remorse.

The End
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