Earthriel Epic

[Maharg67]

One 3.1[18]

 

"A faction of we SageWizards created the first of the SanctumOrbs back in the Mythic Age of Tamriel, or what we called Earthriel. That was back when there were great battles, and other dramas, with the deities of Tamriel. The Twenty-One Daedric Gods arose, as did the Thirteen Divines along with others." SageWizard Prograndis looked around at the big secondary domechamber around them that was now a command-control chamber. Holographic images floated in the air of views of the area close to the buried SanctumOrb. "We did not have a good time with them."

 

He turned to Aaron, who was visibly annoyed at the destruction of a valuable stealth-drone. "I do apologize for the loss of the machine but its destruction was not intended."

 

Aaron nodded. "I accept what you say but we only have three stealth-drones remaining. Two of them are out scouting the forests along with five recon squads. We know you did not intentionally destroy the drone or you would not be in the FEAR SanctumOrb, let alone here in the command-control chamber."

 

There were others there, from the expeditionary group, looking around in wonder. The BattleWizard was there but was quite calm about the whole matter as if she had seen such things before; she had! The man, who came from the town destroyed by the living-dead, stood and frowned hard at everything as if it was trying to provoke him but with only some success.

 

Sandrista, the Bladeknight, spoke out. "So how did you FEAR Troopers gain a SanctumOrb?"

 

Aaron shrugged in a quick, fluid, fashion. "It appeared out of seemingly nowhere." Then he described what had happened. He finished with; "We knew it had to be activated, some how, and we did so. You say it is young, for a SanctumOrb, and still growing in strength, sophistication and special abilities."

 

The SageWizard responded with a thoughtful tone to his voice. "About a thousand years old, I would guess."

 

NexusOrb: "1,440 years old, roughly speaking. It is a 12th Generation SanctumOrb, a paused in status seeding."

 

Paused in status seeding!?

 

Prograndis nodded slowly, as if to his own thoughts. "It is time that we exchanged more information, that we strongly considered forming some kind of alliance."

Edited December 12, 2013 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

One 3.2[19]

 

An alliance was formed and information was exchanged though both sides had such that they could not share for reasons of security, oaths and such like. They used a meeting chamber, a moderate sized secondary domechamber, and the meetings were not very long. Much of the swapping of information took place in a serious of briefings. The use of such language amused the locals but they were soon picking up on modern military language.

 

The first major meeting was shown projected holographs, provided by NexusOrb, showing the spread of Vissernt manufactured fleshgolems and other devices. Most had nothing to do with the dead flesh living and, ironically, much of it was used later to help fight the living-dead. The steammagic transports and other machines,the other devices, were used by both sides. Elemental firing muskets, or cannons, could not be used by the living-dead for elemental magic was damaging even if semiactive and ready for use.

 

The majority of Vissernt citizens were slaughtered on the First Night of Terror but there had been persistent clues that many remained in slavery, serving the living-dead empire, while some were traitors to the living dwelling in luxury. Messages had gotten smuggled out stating that one such 'traitor' was no traitor at all but was doing his best to spy on, and undermine, the bizarre new living-dead lords; what he was doing was both very brave and very dangerous.

 

SageWizard Prograndis pointed to a projection that showed the fortified city of Vissernt being largely destroyed in the night as the living-dead had no interest in using houses or many other kinds of buildings. Instead they had expanded out from the city catacombs to build a huge complex down there.

 

"From the start the dead flesh living were under some kind of control, were semichaotic in their actions." He indicated where human soldiers, supported by steelgolems, were fighting as a rearguard to allow citizens to escape. Mages had summoned elemental dragons, and arcane winged warriors, to fight the enemy monsters in the air. The air was full of magical arrows, assisted to fly upwards against gravity and to explode in fury, along with magical bolts of energy. Elemental musket balls joined them along with magical flares of light to expose the enemy. "Many died that night but a surprisingly large number of people escaped except that we do not know just where they went to though we have a clue. It involves an ancient, powerful, magical painting that is far from being a painting. The expedition has more than one goal to carry out, one important one being the wozzle infant and neobaby."

 

Aasta responded. "Then you have attained your first goal of finding the two small ones."

 

Prograndis gave her an odd look for a moment. "I suggest that we focus on that matter later on."

 

The meeting continued.

Edited December 14, 2013 by Maharg67

[Robert55]

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :cool:

[Maharg67]

One 3.3[20]

 

Aasta, Aaron and Aasha frowned softly at the SageWizard, their eyes going hard for a moment.

 

Prograndis sighed. "Very well, then! The enemy captured the original AriziToongio and Grazern, that being the official name of Goobly the neobaby. They did so to clone them, infect-infest them, and send the clones back to the peoples of the original captives. I have checked and confirmed that your AriziToongio, and Goobly, are clones. They were most likely unstable but the SanctumOrb had 'fixed them up'. It has also cleansed them of the infection-infestation in an amazing fashion that the Living Alliance has been able to do."

 

He went on. "The Living Alliance consists of the Cyrodilin Empire, the Skyrim Citystates, the Ayleid Kingdoms, the Dwemer Underlands, the Sunset Isles League and the Black Swamp Kingdom but others are joining thanks to the growing menace of the dead flesh living empire, the Necrotrinia."

 

Aasta nodded. "We have already adopted Goobly, and AriziToongio, as our own. I suppose that was not one of your goals."

 

The SageWizard frowned at her. "My concerns are with the poor clones, as much as with the original wozzle and neobaby. We had already picked up surviving clones and have done our best for them but only bringing them here will give them new lives. Sending people here could be a new goal."

 

"The SanctumOrb is still growing in size, internally, and we would need to remain aware of security, safety and quarantine concerns." Aaron spoke as if choosing his words with care. "You may send the clones and those who are looking after them. We have one large domechamber that we can spare."

 

NexusOrb: "None of your tricks, Prograndis! I have datafiles on your life, and deeds, that suggest you can be quite cunning at times."

 

The SageWizard frowned softly but then grinned. "Okay, okay, no tricks!" Then he went on to list existing goals of the expeditionary group that he had been leading.

Edited December 15, 2013 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

One 4.1[21]

SageWizard Morphiary was angry and, though he would not admit it, frightened. The Necrotrinia was an empire that was slipping out of his control, the Necrolords of the Necroloria Council increasingly undermining his commands, and now he found himself exiled from Vissernt. The city was so changed that it was no longer a human metropolis at all.

Morphiary strode along a dirt path in the morning light, knowing he would have to find shelter from the sun soon or burn thanks to his horrible illness. The two steelgolems following him carried huge backpacks full of gear and part of one backpack was a shelter that he could hide in from the sun. He grinned to himself at the knowledge that he had cheated the Necrotrinia, had built in weaknesses to the design serums that helped create the dead flesh living.

Around stretched long abandoned farm lands with crops gone wild and collapsing buildings. Many structures showed damage done on the Second Night of Terror.

Something crawled onto his shoulder, from his own compact backpack of items too precious for him to risk putting any where else, at managed to look smug with its rather gummy face. "I would not grin too much, oh great Morphiary, for the Necrotrinia discovered what you did. That is why you are exiled out here and soon you will be hunted by the most dangerous kinds of living-dead. Must you try to betray everybody and everything?"

Morphiary shrugged. "What can I say but I am what I am and I am who I am. The Necrotrinia can not win; the Living Alliance bound to crush them once it gets enough forces to the area, to surround the territories that the living-dead have conquered."

Yet even as he spoke, the Twisted SageWizard had an uneasy feeling that he had overlooked something, had been kept from knowing at least some vital information by the Necrotrins, the so called higher castes of the living-dead of the Necrotrinia. The Necrolords were only one caste of the Necrotrins though the most powerful as far a Morphiary knew. Yet he had come to doubt if that was really the case as he had come to doubt many of his assumptions about the Necrotrinia.

He turned and headed towards one of the buildings, his mind already working out new plans. The steelgolems followed him with unusual quietness thanks to his powerful, subtle spells that also concealed the tracks of their passing. Trouble was the magic left its own traces and he knew he would have to find some kind of non magical cleverness to help him escape.

The SageWizard passed some long dead remains of Legionaries heaped up beneath a cracked statue of one of the Thirteen Divines.

Edited December 15, 2013 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

One 5.1[22]

 

SageWizard Prograndis sat up with a groan of pain and rubbed his temples. His head throbbed with receding pain. None of the others, in the prison domechamber cell, gave him any looks of sympathy. The BattleWizard sighed heavily and shook her head as if in pity. The Blades frowned hard at him. The other man, the one who had come from the destroyed town, grimaced but no more than usual.

 

Prograndis had tried to take control of the FEAR SanctumOrb and FEAR NexusOrb had punished him for it. Then FEAR Troopers had rounded up all of the outsiders and put them into the big domechamber.

 

He groaned softly. "It was worth a try; would have solved a few problems."

 

BattleWizard Gloridisha snapped. "It was a very stupid thing to do! We badly need the cooperation, the support, of these strange warriors and what do you do but cause them to distrust us."

 

Prograndis seemed confused. "It felt like the right thing to do."

 

Sandrista snorted. "So much for the great intelligence of the SageWizard Prograndis."

 

NexusOrb: "That is not the SageWizard Prograndis but a sophisticated clone created perhaps by the workings of another SageWizard. Into his mind was secretly placed conditioning that would have him cause trouble for your expeditionary group such as the problems you had at the town of Furrington and the way you were held up in Bruma when illegal soulstones were found in your baggage. He is innocent so do not attack him."

 

A power-door slid open and in stepped Aaron. He was frowning softly. "NexusOrb has informed us of the true situation. You are all to be released back into freedom in part of the SanctumOrb. We will have to find a name for you, a clone of Prograndis. What about Promagnis? You can stay with us, if you wish."

 

The clone looked at Aaron with an expression of deep confusion. "Why are you being so kind to me?" Then he paused before speaking again. "Yes, because you were also created as clones that did not know what you really were; you were also created as victims. If you can find freedom, and a cause, so can I. I have fragments of memories that came from my clone-host and that one is the real SageWizard Prograndis who also created me."

Edited December 15, 2013 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

One 5.2[23]

The BattleWizard shook her head. "The main reason behind the expedition was to discover what was behind the clone of SageWizard Prograndis. The High Council of Magic and Alchemy, based now in Bruma, discovered the truth about the fake Prograndis with the help of those that will remain unnamed. Prograndis had become suspect of treason some years ago and some council elders wanted him executed but the majority wished for a fairer assessment of his possible guilt."

She turned to the clone, now named Promagnis, and smiled. "You have served the Living Alliance well for Prograndis is no traitor but at least one council elder, of the High Council of Magic and Alchemy, is. It is suspected that the traitor, who ever she or he is, has links with the creation of the dead flesh living in Vissernt. You have helped to keep eyes averted from the real Prograndis because the traitor amongst us has been spying upon us and sending reports to the Necrotrinia through other traitors to the living."

Gloridisha turned to the brooding man, the one who was no Blade. "You came forward to offer us assistance in infiltrating into Vissernt. You did so because you used to manage the underways of the city, that is the sewer tunnels, utility tunnels and the catacombs. You said you knew the Vissernt Underways more than anybody else. That was not true. You were just another corrupt flunky of the very corrupt City Government and Vissernt Guild. You sent people down there to work in the underways but never enough because you stole many of the government funds allocated for the underways."

The man looked at her with an expression of dour contempt. "You have already lost the war and you do not even know it. Vissernt was always just a diversion. That much I did learn though my masters thought me stupid. No, creation of other living-dead has been taking place in other spots in Tamriel for many months now. My wife, and one child, were hostages in Vissernt. As for not knowing the Vissernt Underways, that is not true for secretly I ran a smuggling ring that brought illegal goods in, and out of, the city using the Underways. So I kept up the facade of being an ignorant fool."

He sighed. "I had already decided to help you and had sent false information in my messages. I 'sensed' it somehow when my wife and son were killed by the Necrotrinia."

Gloridisha frowned thoughtfully. "We already knew of the placement of Necrotrinia secret complexes in other parts of Tamriel and have even found one. We also knew your true nature as a Crime Lord and your links to the Thieves Guild. We also knew you were sending false information to Vissernt but I wanted to test you. So how do we get into Vissernt?"

Ramishe frowned. "With very great care!"

Edited December 15, 2013 by Maharg67

[Robert55]

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :ninja:

[Maharg67]

One 5.3[24]

A platoon of FEAR Troopers would go with the expeditionary group, as led by Aasha, but it would be equipped by elemental magical items and other Tamriellan gear. The 13 supersoldiers would try to blend in as Blade Auxiliaries with the assistance of the others.

The FEAR Troopers were faster, stronger, harder to harm than the Blades but the Blades had more actual combat experience. There was much training, and other preparations, carried out in the huge 1x2 Time Chamber. There time passed twice as fast as it did outside of the SanctumOrb and in most of the SanctumOrb.

 

Aasha, and Sandrista, studied FEAR Troopers shooting arrows at moving targets that were holographic projections of living-dead creatures. The clones were hitting vital targets with amazing speed and accuracy. The Blades were slower but more canny in choosing targets.

 

Sandrista spoke. "How do you fight so amazingly fast?"

 

"We somehow influence time around ourselves." Aasha shrugged. "We do not understand it fully though we know we gained the ability, and others, from the genetics of famous FEAR Operatives. We are still generating, coming to terms with, our other abilities."

 

NexusOrb: "TriMarshal Aasha, Project Generative Alpha has begun! Everything is going well."

 

Aasha nodded, an odd smile on her face. "The generation of the SVR realm is going well?"

 

NexusOrb: "FEAR Zero is 52.45% complete in primary terms."

 

The Bladeknight was obviously both puzzled and curious. "Are you generating some kind of magical realm?"

 

"That is as good an explanation as any." Aasha responded with a mild grin. "Hopefully I will be able to show you the realm before we depart."

 

Soldiers were training with swords, bows, spears and much else. The FEAR Troopers were working well with the favoured oriental style swords favored by the Blades.

 

That was when the alarms began to sound.

Edited December 15, 2013 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

One 5.4[25]

 

There was no danger to the SanctumOrb as a small army of Necrotrine Mercenaries, traitors to the living that were mostly humans but there were orcs, half-orcs and other peoples amongst them. There was something strange, sickly, about them and it showed in their eyes. They rode on four legged magical devices for such as horses would not tolerate their closeness any longer. Amongst the soldiers were specialists but also dark arcane mages and battlemages.

 

Monstrous steammagic tractors carried large amounts of equipment and supplies or troops while other big machines were actually warmachines. One was a massive wheeled steammagic catapult. It was impressive and daunting to observe but the big machines also seemed to be rather clumsy.

 

Just what were the traitors, to the living, up to? The mercenaries were clearly trying their best to be sneaky. Were they setting up some kind of ambush and, if so, what against? Vissernt lay to the east, at the center of the Necrotrinia. They were very close to the important crossroads and the bridge there. The crossroads was about half way between Vissernt and the city of Brandinfurg.

 

Then the twisted mages, and battlemages, along with some scouts began to look around as if searching for something. It was soon discovered they were carefully examining places where FEAR Troopers had killed huloms and made their bodies vanish. Clearly the Necrotrinia had been alerted, somehow, to the FEAR clones actions against the basic huloms and the evil empire wanted to know just what had been going on; unless there was more to it than that.

 

The Necrotrine traitors were easily burned by the sunshine and kept covered and, if possible, under cover. Apart from odd food they sipped at small bone bottles of a strange bloody milky substance that at times was seen on faces.

 

Ironically, at times, the mercenaries moved just above the hidden SanctumOrb.

Edited December 16, 2013 by Maharg67