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Post by DarkNova50 on Aug 23, 2010 20:39:22 GMT
Characters: Must be approved by creator Content Rating: Adult Genre: Adventure/Action The Onyx Crusade: Part II Embrace of the Void “By the reckoning of the Tamrielic calendar, the year is 4E, 07. The planes of Oblivion are gripped by chaos, and soon the mortal world will follow suit.
For the Princes of Oblivion, Mehrunes Dagon and Molag Bal, have been dethroned.
I killed them.
Now, servants previously loyal to the Daedric Princes flock to our cause. The ranks of the Onyx Crusade swell, and soon our grand design will be made known to all.
But there are still those arrogant enough to believe they can stop us. A group of adventurers, at the behest of Chancellor Ocato, makes for Cheydinhal, with the hopes of saving their gods, be they Daedra or Divine.
How very...surprised, they would all be, were they to know what I know.
But it matters not. Soon, the time will come when the bodies of the fallen Princes are skewered upon our blades; when the Earthbones are trampled to dust beneath our ranks.
The time of the Crusade is upon us!
...and I await you with open arms, Vanguard of Tamriel.”
_____________________________ _____________________________ The year is now 4E 07, and for the past seven years Tamriel has enjoyed a tenuous peace. Under the leadership of Supreme Chancellor Ocato, the Empire has managed to remain relatively intact. The Imperial Legion has been rebuilding since the Oblivion Crisis, the provinces have very nearly fully recovered, and the life of the average citizen has returned to a relative state of normality. Recently, however, there have been odd reports throughout Tamriel. Previously reclusive Daedra worshippers have begun to spread word of some foul abomination infesting the very heart of Oblivion, claiming that some of the Daedric Princes themselves have been slain. Of course, Daedra worshippers are known for being unreliable at best: their cries have gone relatively unnoticed by the public at large. What is concerning, however, are reports of large groups of Daedra congregating together around the continent. Previously unconnected species, such as Dremora and the Aureal, have been placed together at various sites throughout Tamriel...and yet extensive searches have revealed no signs of anything resembling Oblivion Gates. Furthermore, there have been no reported attacks on any settlements whatsoever... Wishing to diffuse the situation before another Oblvion Crisis sweeps over the land, Chancellor Ocato has sent word to many various individuals, asking for their help in investigating these sightings, and determining just what exactly is happening within the ranks of the Daedra... (This is where you come in. You don’t necessarily have to be a great adventurer to be contacted by Ocato...just have some kind of skill that a group might find useful on what appears to be a quick and easy mission.) The Rules:-Wait for character approval from me -Thou shall not über! -Werewolves and vampires are allowed (Way to be progressive, Ocato!) I trust each of you to roleplay one of these creatures responsibly, should you choose to -No character control -No killing of other's characters (unless given permission) -Character subplots and romances are not only allowed, but encouraged (let’s keep it classy, guys and gals) -No one liners -No essays (People have been discussing the tediousness of super long posts recently. Basically, if when it’s posted, you can see the whole thing on your screen, that’s fine.) -If you have questions, ask them! -Have a good time! (That is the point after all, isn’t it?) Absent CharactersAlright, let’s all be perfectly honest with each other here. We’ve all been in roleplays where the sudden and unexpected absence of one character brings the whole thing to a grinding halt. Otherwise known as ‘locking,’ most roleplayers have been guilty of this crime at one time or another (including myself). But this isn’t about blame. This is about trying to avoid this problem. If one particular character’s lack of progress is holding up the group for whatever reason, I’ll wait for three days for said person to make a post. At that point, I’ll send that person a PM, asking (politely; I know that sometimes real life issues come first!) if you could make even a minor post, just to get things moving. If you do not reply to said PM within two days, or are unable to post for whatever reason, I will temporarily take control of your character to get the roleplay moving again. The degree to which I will control characters in this position will be minimal: again, this isn’t meant to be a malicious kind of thing. It’s not a punishment. I won’t get mad at anybody for not posting (well, maybe I will, but that’s okay). Oh, I’ll also be making the determination of when a character technically starts ‘holding up the group.’ So, in summary of the rules...-I’m the King. What I say, goes. -You have no rights (Well, that’s not technically true...) -Play nice. A Quick Summary of Events:-The group met at the Imperial Palace. Certain people who shall not be named were anti-social. -Everyone learned that Mehrunes Dagon and Molag Bal were dead. -The group began their trip to Cheydinhal! -Some nasty Daedra showed up and tried to ruin everybody’s day. As an interesting side note, they seemed nearly immune to magical attacks. - Nearly everybody learned that Mehrunes Dagon wasn’t totally dead. -Gods started talking to various members of the group. -Wilfric is trying to kill Ja’Rashi; Tamara and Ji’Zahd are trying to protect him (or are they...? Yes, they are). -Malinus, Selene, Nina and Karst are all trying to find out more about the Daedra they’ve encountered. -Almar is sleeping in trees, apparently, and giving advice. -Some other people are doing some other stuff, or are otherwise missing.
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Aulakauss
Waker
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Posts: 194
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Post by Aulakauss on Aug 26, 2010 6:20:29 GMT
Karst tripped over her own feet a good few times on the way out, but somehow managed to keep up with the other two women as she made her way towards where Malinus stood seemingly alone. Absently, she listened to the others speak to him before straightening up and thumping a gloved fist to her chestplate when Selene said that the three of them could handle anything he summoned. "S'damn right we can handle it! I been dealin' with stuff like this all m'life," Karst proclaimed in drunken arrogance, "You just do yer thing. I'll be here t' clean up the mess." At that, Karst reached back and unslung her shortbow, then slipped a wicked looking arrow into it, an action she'd done so many times that even severely intoxicated, she had no trouble performing it. ~-----~ As Tamara ate and drank in silence, she sighed, troubled. Despite everything she'd gone through in the past day, none of it was the cause of her unease, however. Living as she had, Tamara had great amount of experience divining visions and dreams, and although most would have written her off as insane or superstitious for it, she knew better than to regard her recent dreams as merely common nightmares. Every night for the past two weeks she'd awoken, sweating, her heart pounding against her ribcage in fright. Every one of them was different, but all had a common theme: trapped, helpless, unable to act on her own. She watched in terror as her body performed unspeakable things of its own accord, her mind railing uselessly against the automation. Few things of this world could terrify the ancient cat, but this.. this was one of them. Finishing her rum, she tapped the bar with a claw, then tinked it against the side of her emptied glass and the barkeep refilled it for a few more coins, her ears laid back against her snowy dreds in both thought and creeping despair. In her every waking moment since the second night, her mind had been devoted to figuring out what it all could mean, so when she received summons from Ocato, she knew she had to go even when it meant dragging herself from Elsweyr to answer. The more she saw and the more she had time to think, Tamara was beginning to regret bringing her daughter, despite the furious insistence and protest put up by her initial decision to leave her behind. What horrors was that poor girl going to see? Sure, Karst had seen death in the invasion at the end of the Third Era, but her gut told her this was going to be worse. At least then, they knew what they were fighting. So deep in thought was she that she visibly startled when the barman touched the back of her hand. "Hey, are you all right?" he inquired gently. The Khajiit gave a tired smile and nodded. "Troubled, but fine, thank you, kind sir. I fear I end up subjecting my kin to more than she can handle by bringing her with me," Tamara admitted regretfully. The human patted her hand. "The red haired lass? I think you raised her good; she seems a tough one, miss. I wouldn't worry too much," he reassured her with a small chuckle. Tamara smiled a little more sincerely. "You're right, I shouldn't. Whatever fate has in store for us, we can no more fight it than we can the wind," Tamara kissed his hand briefly in thanks and made for the door, and the fresh air beyond it. As she left, though, she sighed again and shook her head. "Were it so easy, though.."
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Post by Darkom on Aug 28, 2010 19:56:54 GMT
Ja'Rashi ignored the other Khajiit, only shooting Ji'zahd a venemous look before returning to the door. He tried the nob, hissing in anger as it held fast, and gave the oak several heavy blows before turning back on the Khajiit.
"Maybe Ja'Rashi believes some of what you say," he began in rapid Ta'agra, "But why would you ever bother protecting Merrunz? Even if you help Ja'Rashi now, you only do it to use me later. No matter what you say, you do not serve Him as I do, you do not know what it is to be with Him." Ja'Rashi's yellow eyes narrowed accusingly, the red fury dimming slightly. It still buzzed angrily at him, telling him not to trust the other Khajiit, but Ja'Rashi could ignore it now, if only a little.
Giving the door one final kick, Ja'Rashi collapsed into a nearby chair, his eyes still trained on the other Khajiit. He was beginning to feel some of the earlier fatigue, and a gnawing hunger had replaced his previous anger. Ja'Rashi ignored both, he had gone hungry before, and focused instead on what all Ji'zahd had said. He was not only bound to his Lord, able to speak with Him and act for Him, but he housed a portion of Merrunz inside his own soul. It all felt so incredible, so unbelievable, Ja'Rashi would never have thought it possible had he not experienced it firsthand.
He scratched his palm absently, rubbing a callus finger over the smooth fur where his tattoo once was. Ja'Rashi looked back up at Ji'zahd, more troubled than angry now, "What does it all mean?" he asked, for once unsure of himself, "What did this to my Lord? What did this to me?"
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Post by DarkNova50 on Aug 28, 2010 23:26:51 GMT
When Malinus told her that he'd been speaking with Almar, Selene tried searching for some sign of the Bosmer amongst the trees overhead, but found nothing. Rather than being unsettled, however, she found the idea oddly reassuring; an unseen Elven protector, vigilantly watching them from above.
"Hope you'll stick around, Almar!" Selene cried out, and from any outside observer's perspective, it would appear that she too was now speaking to the trees. "It's always nice to have you around...even if I can't see you!"
Calmly grasping the hilt of her blade, Selene turned to face Malinus and Nina. "I can't say that I know all that much about Daedra, but weren't the ones we saw on the road from Dagon's realm? And he was one of the Princes that Ocato said was killed..." Even though she realized it was neither the time nor the place, Selene still couldn't help but feel a slight pang of satisfaction, knowing that Daedric bastard had gotten just what he deserved...
The Paladin was silent for a moment, before brushing off the thoughts with a slight bob of the head and a broad smile. "Well, like I said, I'm not really an expert on all this academic stuff. You just let me know what kind of Daedra you're going to be summoning, Malinus, and I'll be ready!"
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Post by Vrek on Aug 29, 2010 4:52:07 GMT
"I appreciate the thought, Selene." Almar said, smirking as the Paladin's comment went straight to his ego.
The smiled faded the instant he saw the two Selene had brought with her. The assassin. He still didn't trust her, if only on the basis that she was an assassin, and a follower of the Queen of Lies, no less. And the beastfolk. A hatred seated in a lifetime of war would never be undone, no matter how long he was forced to work with them.
But it wasn't that primal hate that angered Almar. It wasn't Almar the Bosmer that was angry, but was Almar the soldier. "We can't begin until the beastfolk goes inside. It can barely stand, it would only put the rest of us in needless danger with it in that state." Even as he spoke, the archer drew back his bowstring slightly, watching the beast's reaction. He already knew it to be hotheaded: being intoxicated most likely would make it much worse. His lips tightened as he realized he was shifting his aim for a lethal shot. Another shift brought the theoretical shot to just past the Khajiit's shoulder. Killing was out of the question at this point, but he could just as easily spook the beast into going inside if things got violent.
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Post by FC4 on Aug 31, 2010 1:38:06 GMT
"Almar." Malinus spoke calmly and authoritatively to the Bosmer in the trees, knowing from his tone that the elf had likely drawn his bow. "I have worked on the borders of Valenwood and Elsweyr during my time in the legion, seeking to calm tensions on both sides of your racial conflicts. In continuation of that duty, I ask you refer to 'it' as 'her' and 'beastfolk' as 'Khajiit'." Malinus looked up not once to the trees when speaking such, and once finished moved straight to Karstine, placing one hand with gentleness on her right bicep.
"M'dear, you are not sober. I am going to be summoning Daedra, possibly unruly ones, in an effort to see how far this tainting twist has reached into the realms, and how it affects my conjuration. It could be dangerous, and I don't want you hurt by a rampaging Daedroth out of my control." There was no lie in his eyes; he wanted no one hurt tonight, and that was why he asked for warrior companionship. "Please, I insist you return to the inn, and enjoy your night."
Turning back to regard Nina and Selene, Malinus stretched his lips thinly with stone cold seriousness. "I am going to start simple, and see how far reaching this has gone in the realms. The experiment serves that purpose and more. It will tell me how useful the school of Conjuration will be in the coming mission, and we can interrogate any successful summons." Roberto motioned to Nina. "I imagine you can at least communicate partly with many Daedra, though if you cannot, I can speak some native tongues though not fluently. Hopefully I could goad them to speak Cyrodiilic."
Now he looked to the trees and then to Selene. "I will start with a Scamp, a minion of Dagon, to see what has become of them. I will work up with Clannefear, Daedroth, an Ice Atronach and a Dremora. Are there any other suggested summons before we start? I can do quite a few, but not too many, so each one has to count."
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Post by sibera on Aug 31, 2010 12:34:52 GMT
Ji'zahd shook his head at the tirade of the fellow Khajiit, like a child throwing a small tantrum because he couldn't have his favourite toy. "Why would I want to help? Because whether most people like it or not. Merrunz is apart of the Natural balance of life. It is what we templars strive to keep in balance. Destruction. chaos.. these things serve to push life along in different ways. Just as the other Deadra with what their spheres represent. Knock one out and the rest suffer in some way shape or form." he said in a gentle calm tone. He looked at Ja'rashi when he asked what did it all mean, what had done this to Mehrunes Dagon and himself. "We... honestly don't know what did this to Merrunz. Even we Templars thought that taking down a Deadra could only be accomplished by a God or another Prince as what happened during the Oblivion Crisis. What.. did this to you.. well.. Honestly it might be tied to whatever happened during that ritual that went wrong, Maybe Merrunz felt something changed and felt it best to imbue a trusted follower with a piece of himself to effectively save himself at some point." he explained in ta'agra.
Ji'zahd himself wasn't entirely sure about this either, running off his own theories of what had happened before hand and then at some point tieing them to this situation that was infront of him. "Are you hungry? I think I can hear your gut growl from over here." he grinned.
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Aulakauss
Waker
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Post by Aulakauss on Aug 31, 2010 13:49:01 GMT
Although the Bosmer's comments would have gotten under her skin were she sober, Karst would have had the sense and self respect not to bite at the taunts of someone she couldn't see, but the alcohol made her forget her self control. Taking a few steps forward, she lowered the bow in her hand and raised her right hand to point in the direction she'd heard the voice.
"Ah, I'm an 'it' now, huh? Why don't'cha come down here and say that to my face, treehugger? I'll bend ya backwards and shove your pointy head s'raight up yer ass!" Karst yelled furiously, "C'mon, ya coward!"
When Malinus spoke calmly to the Bosmer by name, she did not cease her glaring, though when she felt his hand on her arm, she spun around and pulled away in revulsion by reflex alone, taking a step backwards and rubbing her arm as if his touch burned. She hated the smooth hands of furless races touching her. His words, however, were kind and reasonable, but Karst wasn't about to give anything up that easily, especially when he mentioned they were going to speak to the Daedra. Gently, she shook her head.
"Nah, I can't. If yeh're gonna be summonin' Daedra for talkin' to, you gotta know how to talk to 'em. They're proud things, easily insulted. I dealt with 'em all my life almost," Karst offered and laughed, "Hell, if that's your intent, I'm prob'ly more useful than knife-ears up there."
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Post by shadow666 on Aug 31, 2010 14:19:45 GMT
Nina nodded at Malinus when he mentioned about speaking to the daedra and that she might be able to communicate with them. "Yes i will be able to speak to them, but as a follower of mephala, the dremora's most likely wont be nice towards me.. but i still will be able to communicate with them." The assassin glanced over at the Kajiit woman, whom she hadn't spoken to directly yet, as she spoke about knowing ways of speaking with them also.
"Well between the two of us we should be able to get something at least out of them if they do not turn hostile.. I would mention summoning one of my mistresses' minions.. but i do not believe that taint has reached her realm, as i would have known what we are to learn tonight already.." She continued and smiled at the woman as she did so.. she was glad of some help despite the fact that Nina was really pushing her social boundries at the present moment.
"If that arrow goes anywhere near me a throwing knife will be embeddd in your skull" Nina concluded casually, knowing the faint sound of an arrow being drawn, as being an assassin there are always those who will be wanting to try and shoot you in the back.
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Post by FC4 on Aug 31, 2010 18:24:51 GMT
"And I've been a scholar of them for longer than your life, m'dear." Malinus responded to the young Khajiit as he moved to a spot in the clearing, and placed his cane tip into the ground. "However, I haven't the time to bicker, so if you insist. But I will teleport you into the inn if you prove detrimental to yourself and others." He told her briskly, wrapping both hands around the oaken staff before him.
"I will summon directly before me, in the heart of the clearing. Almar, since you are hidden keep your weapon at ready. Nina, Selene, and Karstine, keep your weapons down or sheathed until needed as we don't want to provoke them. If we are ready, I will begin with the Scamp." Malinus nodded to his 'guards' before closing his eyes and inhaling slowly, beginning the spell.
Many conjurers held up their hand or outstretched an arm in flamboyance and a small manner of aid in their astral projection into Oblivion. Malinus, however, remained motionless, not needing to preform the physical actions and not desiring to push his magical tendrils any faster into the damaged realms. For a few seconds, he was motionless even in breath.
But the Battlemage's brow furrowed as he once again broke the Liminal Barrier and reached out towards Mehrune's Dagon's Deadlands. His previous summoning had been rough to manage, but he had slipped in and out; now he traveled with a purpose toward a goal, and Oblivion gave fierce resistance. His magical senses could feel the turbulence and torture around him as he went, as if the entire realm had been shattered to chaotically floating boulders of rubble. Waves of nausea and horror and pain washed over the mage in brief cascades, as his magical presence neared or failed to avoid this 'rubble'.
A sea of destructive chaotic energy engulfed Malinus, who furrowed his brow further in concentration as fiery golden light wove in tendrils around his body. He could sense other energies within the turbulence; some recognizable, some very new to him that almost broke his concentration in wonder. But finally he found the energies of the Daedra he sought and projected his will forcefully upon the being, seeking to drag the creature out from the storm and into Mundus.
The golden lights around him grew in intensity as the spell progressed, sweat gathering on the old man's skin. They whirled and weaved over his body before plummeting to the earth to disappear as Malinus attempted to bring the Daedra before him.
OOC: Take it away, Darknova.
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Post by Vicorva on Sept 1, 2010 15:21:44 GMT
She had known only darkness. Invisibility was no barrier to those who already held you in their arms, could feel your weight, could sense your struggle.
The night sky, the fading light of the moon were the last things she saw; the excruciating pain of a daedric scimitar twisting in her belly the last thing she felt before oblivion claimed her, body, mind and soul, her lifeblood pooling around her.
Then there was warmth and the familiar crackling of a fire.
"Get up." Ephemera's brow furrowed at the unfamiliar growl of a voice. "What, do you think I'm some kindly old innkeeper or something? Unless you plan on paying me, get up. I know you're in there."
She opened her eyes and sat up, feeling only a mild tugging at her stomach muscles. There was a dark figure across a haze of fire; a man, stocky but not muscular, with touselled hair and a rough, unshaven chin.
Her hands immediately went to her stomach; a thick bandage was wrapped tightly all around her waist. She lowered her lashes. "Who are you?"
The man tossed aside the leg of meat he'd just finished and gave her a wry smile. "Me? I'm your Saviour. Xavier the Saviour." He bowed where he was sat with an efficiency undiminished by his mocking manner. "That's right. Xavier the Saviour." He sniffed, turning his head up ot the air, then placed dark eyes back on the pale switch of a woman sitting across from him. "I saved your life. That means I own you. So, as your new master, why don't you tell me what that little group of pious playthings you were trailing after are trying to do, and why they've attracted the attention of such colourful enemies. If you answer my question correctly, I might call your debt as paid." He lifted his head to sniff the air again, frowned, and then looked back at her. "Maybe."
Ephemera hesitated.
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Post by DarkNova50 on Sept 2, 2010 0:49:37 GMT
Silent, and with a sense of awe, Selene watched the summoning take place before her, captivated by the arcane ballet of golden, prismatic light. The lights wove and darted around Malinus' body, before making their way into the earth before them.
At first, delicate lancets of golden light rose up from the spot, entiwing with one another as they rose up. But, as Selene continued to watch, it became apparent that something was...wrong. Dark tendrils, like liquid shadow, quickly overtook the young lights, swarming over them and snuffing them out.
Selene looked up at Malinus, tried to cry out, but it was already too late. The shadows lashed out at the battlemage, coursed up through his arms, almost as though the previous spell had gone into reverse.
The shadows before them, however, had finally resolved into a shape; an inky silhouette, slightly larger than a man, stood before them, before materializing into a Dremora. Selene immediately went for her blade.
"Malinus!" the Paladin cried out, eyes narrowing on the form of the Daedra. "Are you alright? What happened to the Scamp?" To her surprise, the Daedra had not drawn its weapon, had barely moved at all, merely looked over those assembled as though...intrigued.
"Idiots," the creature spoke casually. "Your pathetic attempts at conjuration cannot aid you anymore. We are no longer enslaved by any imbecile who dares call upon the strength of the Daedra."
To Selene's horror, the Dremora seemed to possess the same unusual black markings as the one they'd encountered on the road. However, there was something else...odd, about it. It seemed somehow larger, more muscular, than the one they'd encountered before, and there were segments of its armour where Selene could have sworn she saw them moving, as though they were actually organic parts of the creature's body...
"What do you want, then?" Selene asked, raising her blade. "Why haven't you attacked us?"
The Dremora seemed to ignore Selene, however, turning instead towards Malinus. "You, Human. You were the one who attempted the summoning, were you not?" The creature crossed its arms over its chest, as though unconcerned with Selene or the others surrounding it. "I would know to what end."
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Post by Elgen on Sept 3, 2010 10:30:58 GMT
Upon arriving at the inn (which I suppose we have), Aron went straight to the common room, after undonning his armour in his room (which I can't remember if he wore in the first place). He'd been looking forward for his tankard of beer for quite some time now, if not only to calm his mind. He didn't think his resting time would be long, considering the present company. They seemed prone to attracting trouble, no matter where they were. That was probably why swordsmen such as himself were allowed within the group, as he still doubted he could do much about daedra. There was only so much you could do with daedra without magick, and most of those things ended with the fatality of either of you.
Aron closed his eyes and shut the surroundings out for now. For all he cared, an oblivion gate could open in the middle of his face and he wouldn't care. He would deal with stuff later.
OOC: so yeah...
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Post by FC4 on Sept 3, 2010 12:21:43 GMT
Malinus could feel the energies flowing into the earth, rising to give shape to the being he sought to control. It was all going well, giving Malinus hope he might still be of use.
And then it whirled into a hellish result.
Fire of the coldest, most searing kind he'd ever felt ran through his mind and into his body, as his magic became engulfed in shadows before those who watched. He had still not opened his eyes, focusing on the spell, and struggled to bring it back under control. Something lashed out at him, a whip of cold energy that ran down the path his spell had taken, riding into him against the magical current.
Excruciating pain coursed up his arms and into his body as he cried out, his bad kneeing giving out and sending him to the ground. He lay there in a shuddering mess, mind scrambling to try and reflect and dissipate the energies driving through him. He grit his teeth as all his Mysticism failed to subdue the power.
"Malinus!" the Paladin cried out. "Are you alright? What happened to the Scamp?"
"Idiots," the voice spoke casually, with the harsh and raspy tone of a Dremora, not a scamp. "Your pathetic attempts at conjuration cannot aid you anymore. We are no longer enslaved by any imbecile who dares call upon the strength of the Daedra."
Malinus shuddered again as the pain became a dull throbbing, his mind failing to subdue the energies but succeeding in ignoring the pain. His eyes turned towards the summon as he propped himself on his elbows, sweating and fitfully breathing. It was a dremora, alright. But of an appearance he'd yet to ever see. Larger, more muscular than usual, with the black veins threading through it's skin. But the more intriguing aspect was the armor, which occasionally moved, either shuddering, twisting, or contracting and relaxing, like muscles.
Malinus knew that Dremora actually did often design their armor from their own skins while in Mundus; few actually wore proper Daedric armor except high ranking Dremora. Most utilized their own magical properties and chose the Daedric armor appearance, hardening their outer skin to create the armor. But this was the first time he'd seen a Dremora make his skin armored and keep it behaving like his skin. New look with new powers, huh?
"What do you want, then?" Selene asked, raising her blade. "Why haven't you attacked us?"
The Dremora seemed to ignore Selene, however, turning instead towards Malinus. "You, Human. You were the one who attempted the summoning, were you not?" The creature crossed its arms over its chest, as though unconcerned with Selene or the others surrounding it. "I would know to what end."
Malinus starred back at the creature, analyzing the situation. "I seek... to understand." He gasped, working to regain control of his breathing enough to speak well. "Understand what is happening... to the Daedra. The Realms. Your odd markings." Malinus pushed himself into a sitting position, one hand grasping his staff and the other flat upon the ground. The pain had subsided now, mostly.
"How far has it reached? And Mehrunes Dagon's realm... it was shattered... in pieces. What has happened to it and his servants?" Malinus inquired, briefly attempting to rise and deciding against it.
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Post by DarkNova50 on Sept 3, 2010 18:24:57 GMT
The Dremora seemed to be considering Malinus' proposal, studying the Human seated before him in silence. Finally, the creature seemed to have made its decision, a sneer breaking out across its features.
Selene had to keep herself from striking out at the beast.
"So you wish to parley..." the Daedra mused. "So be it, mortal. I will answer your questions. And perhaps afterwards, you will reciprocate."
To Selene's shock, the creature actually eased itself to the ground, sitting before Malinus so that they were nearly at eye level with one another. "You speak of Dagon's realm, mortal, and of his servants; neither of which exist any longer." It raised its arm, gesturing at the black tendrils visible beneath its skin. "It is a blessing; a symbol of the power of our Master. Even now, the power that consumes and reshapes Oblivion itself courses through me and my kyn, granting us newfound strength." The Dremora looked down, gestured at Malinus' own hands. "A strength that you shall know soon enough, mortal..."
Selene looked at Malinus' hands, and gasped when she saw a small number of thin, barely noticeable black lines running beneath his skin. "Malinus!" Even as Selene cried out, the lines seemed to be receding, fading from Malinus' flesh, but even then...
"So you see, mortal, that what was once Dagon's realm is not shattered. It is being reforged, shaped anew to suit the whims of the Prince Killer. Already the realm of Molag Bal has been converted, and the others will be soon to follow.
The remaining Princes cower and huddle like frightened animals. They believe that together, they can oppose their unseen adversary. But each passing day, more of their once loyal servants flock to the cause of the Crusade; the ranks of Daedra loyal to the Princes diminish with each passing day. And soon, we will march upon the remaining realms; they too will be reshaped, and their Princes will share in Dagon's fate."
The Dremora gazed curiously at Malinus. "Now do you 'understand,' Human?"
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