Friends no More

[LeoRabbit99 360]

Word gets out of the attack on Sutica and the capture of an ascended.

 

 

It was a cold night--a peaceful night. Crickets chirped out in the cold forests near Sutica, owls hooted in the evergreens, and the tide smashed into the beach shore. The moon was full that night, and it illuminated beautifully into the open sands near the ocean. Out in the distance, a lone corpse floated on the waves in the water, only accompanied by a few late-night crows pecking at its body. It was slowly brought ashore with the current, completely still. With time, the birds decided they had their fill and took off into the night sky, slowly fading into the distance.

 

The fingers of the corpse’s right hand slightly twitched in place. Its entire form shortly followed lead, making minor hints of movement. The undead finally drew the strength to rise, revealing its face. It was Richard, Creator of Monsters. For a moment, he stood still, soon turning his gaze toward yonder at the walls of Sutica. He glanced over himself, putting together that someone, likely of Sutica, killed him, although he did not know who. He growled in anger.

 

He roamed the beach, thinking of his time in Sutica while he was alive. That was his home for almost thirty years. The people were always horrible to him. And for what? Jokes? Mockery? Insults? It was all in good fun. Was it such a big deal that they needed to beat him at times for it? He was even impaled once and barely recovered with his life. They assumed the worst out of Richard and punished him for crimes he felt he was innocent of.

 

But it was his home...perhaps he could forgive them for their mistakes? No. Not after what they did. Simply for experimenting with chimeras on willing participants, they carved out his right eye and attempted to chop his hand off. After that, they banished him--from his own home. What they did was unforgivable.

 

He remembered the time he was flogged and had been removed from the Sutican watch. "EvAn. . ." He growled. It was his fault. All he wanted was to protect his home, and he was faced with ridicule. For slaying a goblin who refused to cast aside his axe after attacking another, Evan felt the need to beat Richard near death--which Richard was held accountable for afterward. Was it not his job to defend his people from those who would do them harm? Even then, Richard showed him mercy when he could have ended Evan more than once. But Evan cared not. When he was unconscious and helpless, Evan severed his hand. He would not show him mercy a third time.

 

He previously rode for Sutica upon hearing of Cyrene’s coronation. “That wench,” he thought to himself. She was an old friend. “She always thought lesser of me...she attacked me, she hated me for nothing, even after I tried to make amends. She doesn’t deserve her crown.” The morghuul shifted his way up the beach, pondering as his boots landed in the damp sands. “THeY WiLl. . .bE JUdGEd,” he said with a resolved snarl. He had work to do. Richard set out for his laboratory.

 

 

 

He would not return for almost another year. He spent his time planning...preparing. He could not falter or he would face failure. He knew he couldn't match the full might of Sutica's military. He needed to be cunning. He needed a plan. It was on the day 14th of Malin's Welcome, 1673, Richard returned to Sutica, a readied smirk upon his face.

 

Within the city, many of the citizens went about their business peacefully. Merchants exchanged their goods in their stalls, the blacksmith slammed his hammer in his forgery, and children cheered in the streets. All was well in Sutica, but their day of prosperity would be short-lived.

 

Near the entrance were Richard’s forces, consisting of a group similar to that of the one in his siege of the Cathedral. Beside them, a wagon was wheeled in by a horse, bearing a peculiarly large wooden crate. Behind the raiders stood Richard, hooded and mounted upon a bestial-chimera steed. Its skin was tough and its dirty brown fur was ragged and tussled. He trotted it forth, and it bared its dangerous teeth to those nearby.

 

 

The Suticans defenders were quick to defend their home, readying their shields as the enemies approached. They barrelled through, however the Suticans began to recover and pushed the raiders back. Whilst they bravely fought their way forward, they took a stand below the bridge in the gate. Seeing his chance, a man stepped forth, lurching a potion at it. The structure came crashing down, slaying a good number of the defenders. “To the arc!” The trade princess, Cyrene, ordered.

 

The defenders took heed to their leader and retreated back. Although many Suticans were injured or killed, they successfully drove back Richard’s forces--but some slipped through their lines. The imposters that made it pass began to light torches, bombarding the tree in the center of Sutica’s plaza with fire. It exploded in flames, the smoke rising high enough for all those in Sutica to see.

 

Richard’s forces finally dwindled, but they were but a distraction--only meant to pick them off as Richard proceeded with his plan. He turned his peering, dead eyes to Nin Taliame as he fought, a dear friend to Richard in life. He ordered some of his followers to retrieve him--and that they did. They brought him before Richard, bound in ropes and helpless. The Creator of Monsters examined the drowsing ascended from above on his mount as he remained unconscious on the floor. He had known him since he was a child. He scoffed at the thought of it. Where was he when his teacher carved out Richard’s eye? Where was he in Richard’s suffering? When he turned to Nin for guidance in his life of rot, he was met with only the pure scorn and hatred of Nin. He did not feel remorse. He was bait for his vengeance, nothing more.

 

 

Richard looked to his scattered followers as they fled. It was time. He nodded to the few remaining forces beside him, and a couple attended to the wooden box, beginning to unlock its hinges. Richard padded a few steps closer on his steed, his unseen eyes gazing upon the crowd with malice. In time, the men opened the crate. A small bit of trash and blubber came falling out of it. It seemed like nothing...but something emerged. Out of the depths of the container came a 9-foot tall pile of green mush that slowly moved toward the city. Bones and half-decomposed body parts floated within the mass of fluid in the ooze, slowly breaking down in its acidic substance.

 

 

It stampeded right over the trade princess, who stood forefront to protect her people, badly injuring her legs. The battle was wide and long. Many of the defenders suffered burns from the acidic goo of the monster, putting them out of commission. Whilst they fought, Richard snuck in, making his way to the top of the cliff just next to the main square.

 

Ultimately, the ooze was defeated with the valiant efforts of Sutica's defending soldiers and the powerful magic of a few magi, but at a heavy price. The injured from the battles were rushed to the clinic. The beds were quickly filled, and chaos reigned as people scurried to heal their comrades.

 

As most of the people were preoccupied in the clinic, Richard revealed himself atop the hillside. He peered down at the familiar faces. Although his stature was ridden with rot in his state of undeath, his familiar facial structure and beard gave him away. They soon recognized him as Richard. He smirked.

 

"I hAvE. . . NIn. . . ” He looked toward a particular ascended in the crowd. “YoUr. . .bEloVed stUdeNet, EvliRa.” He croaked, a hint of retort present within his tone. “MeEt mE. . . WITh fIVe oF yoUr beSt. . .anD ONLY fiVe. . . AT the RuiNs NeAr. . . ThE doMinIon.” With a few paces backward, he began to slowly make his departure, forseeing an attempt of pursuit. “If YoU bRiNg morE . . . He dIEs."

 

Many were worn out from the fight, but one woman surged out toward Richard. It was Elvira Naromis. She sprinted forth, springing away from another who had been holding onto her. She went to rush up in clear dead pursuit after him. The Ascended unsheathed her saber with a clear strong fury in her eye. But she was tired, spent.

 

Richard dashed off with his ghoulish endurance, his destination clear. They would meet again...soon.

[TheTri 384]

A small blond figure in tattered silver silver robes takes slow, small breaths, bound by chains to a large quartz pole, "R-Release me. . ." The Ascended stammered toward Richard, his malnourished and beaten body incapable of making any attempts at escape, "Take this damned blindfold off. . . And release me. . ."

[Vindicant 642]

((big kudos to Leo for making a cool eventline that rivals legitimate ET))

Karyssmov chuckles a bit upon hearing the news.

[Its_Just_Leap 399]

Ethel Serene would a small sigh as she caught word of her little Ascended buddy being kidnapped, and worse by an old friend. "I had wished that your soul would be safe Richard. I had known you in life to be a man of honor and courage, but now. . . you're just a monster." The small mage would start to put on her Sutican guard uniform as she reminisces on events from her past. Memories of Richard being alive. "To be fair. . ." She chokes up a bit "I should have killed you years ago when I saw what you had become. Its for the best. Now either I'm going to be the one to end the husk you've become, or the other guards and Ascended will." She would pick up her Silver Wand from her bedside and clip it to her belt along with her short sword. The small woman gave herself a few moments to make peace with the situation at hand before making her way outside into the streets of Sutica.

[thesaintjaleel 792]

Jhazeem chuckles slowly from LoTC hell

[Chase 3793]

The Praetor growls to himself upon hearing of the attack on The Trade Federation. "Richard Baruch." he muttered, which warranted a concerned glance from his Imperator, Arwenia.  Who sat at her desk, toiling away at paperwork.

"A shame to see how far you've fallen. To think we had served together in the Cerulean Watch." He chuckled. And Arwenia raised a brow, but she quickly went to work after a dismissive hand nod from Evar'tir. He sat down at his desk, and began to pen a letter. Though he held a large amount of spite for Richard, he could not shake the underlining feeling that he had caused Richard to turn to what he had. 

[The Templar 195]

A friend of Richard's in his unlife, but now only a ghostly apparition comprised of emerald stardust, Ianril gazes upon the exploits of his deceased comrade from the Halls of Xan. "if only you had listened to me, old friend.. You and I might yet still be allies.."

[Farryn 860]

Spoiler

 

 

Within her office, Elvira Naromis would be stood up by her desk. The room was alive with light and paperwork flooded over the floor like a mass ocean of work. Her radiant teal eye focused on a diagram of the elven ruins, the picture littered with labels and details written in the ancient tongue of Flexio. Many other parchments laid close to it, bearing information regarding Alchemy, regarding the darkness, regarding Richard.

 

Richard. She knew little of who he was alive, but knew a lot of him now he's dead. Forced to become a ghoul by Orsul, twisted by malice and hatred towards those who had once done him ill in his time of living. An Alchemist much like her, though set on causing havoc with his creations, while she sought to prevent it with hers. She recalled the times she had encountered him - his humanity breaking down bit by bit with each encounter until he craved to see the suffering of many. Her soulfire and blades carved into his form many times but each time, he returned and caused more causalities before she could stop him.

 

Yet now - her fire burned brighter than ever. Richard had captured Nin, one of her fellow brothers in Aeriel. She knew Richard wasn't one to offer hospitality to his captive, thus she knew she had to act quickly. This was not only her chance to end Richard once and for all, but also a rescue mission. Nin was rash and stubborn, Elvira would admit the boy did cause her some frustration as of late, yet she could not turn a blind eye. She knew full well this was a trap - she had been to the grand ruins near to the Dominion countless times and she knew its layout. With its many balconies and entrance, with one room - a perfect place for a trap, and to get a good amount of Alchemist Fire thrown down at them. Though, she had a plan

 

The Sage of Ruin leaned back and she grabs a few fresh pieces of parchment, going to write out five letters. Five people she knew she could trust, and all held the necessary skills to ensure Richard was taken down. Once finished, she turns to one of her Mortal Agents, who was revising his own work in a small armchair.

 

"Come here, my student. I have five letters for you to deliver," the woman would explain, handing out the rolled up pieces of parchment to her agent, as well as a list containing their names. "Ensure that they receive the letter and reply back as soon as possible."

 

The Mortal Agent nodded and took the letters, swiftly departing out. When the doors closed, Elvira released a deep sigh.

"...this is going to be another long year... just hang in there, Nin"

[firegirl7894523 247]

The widow lay in her house, sobs wracking her body. She held a brunt wedding ring, clutched tightly in her hands. Her tanned skin soaked from an hour of crying, her face, twisted with rage, sorrow and loss. She stroked the ring, delicate as a butterflies wings. Her dress, crumpled and stretched, arching around her body, providing her little comfort. 

 

"Why...why are you doing this?" She whispered to the ring, as if it could answer her. Only silence fell, and all that was left with regret and pain. 

 

  

[Jondead 260]

An Old Man would be sitting at a table at Mother Grove drinking some tea "Why do I have the feeling this is but the begining." he'd sigh taking a sip of his drink "An Ascended of Aeriel captured, how low they have fallen, they can't even keep their own brother safe." he would stand up from the table taking the tea with him as he'd move to a vantage point and look at the distant ruins "Aeriel protect you Nin, may she protect you better then she did I." A faint grin would from on his face as he would put on The Lion's Claws "Well, seems like I have a chance for redemption here." he says begining to head out to find the person in question, muttering a silent prayer as he moves to find them.

[DrinkPesticide 52]

Such a Sutican as mentioned earlier, one who'd debased, derided and mistreated the once-man daily, slept peacefully in his idyllic, wooden hut by a cliff side. Grey-Black shedding lined the old man's crib as he tossed and turned in slumber.

Such a creature found only acceptance on such a peaceful night.

Karma, universal balance, had failed. How cruel.

 

[Burnsy 437]

Moved to The Great Library. It shall be sorted into the appropriate category shortly.

 

If you feel this is a mistake, please contact myself or any FM and we'll restore it.