Zippy Zip-A-Long

[Maharg67]

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[Maharg67]

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-25-

THE ADVENTURES OF HERCULINE

A FORMAL CEREMONY

 

The Blades acclaimed Martin to be the new Emperor in the Cloud Ruler Temple's Grand Hall. BladeKnights, BladeGuards, BladeMages and other Blades were there in ceremonial armour but there were others to hold witness. There were two high ranking Mages Guild wizards, a representative of the local Countess, a representative of the Imperial Government and some others including two artists that would sketch and then paint seperate views of the event.

 

Herculine was impressed more with how the Blades had managed to get the ceremony up and running in such a short time than she was with its grandour. She stood against one wall and quietly observed the various traditional steps of the ceremony. Martin did not seem very comfortable but he was more confident than he had been. Later Herculine would do her own paintings and even a couple of sculptures from her photographic memory.

 

The Blades' recognition of the new Emperor was but their own tradition at work. Martin would need other ceremonies to take place before he would become Emperor Martin Septum. Yet now his position was more solid than it had been and his authority over the Blades was firmer.

 

BladeMages were coming and going using teleport devices that only fairly powerful mages could use. BladeAgents were also coming and going, working as secret couriers travelling to Bruma and beyond. A magical flying-platform had just recently arrived from Bruma bringing people and goods.

 

When Herculine indirectly studied the blonde woman, a minor noblewoman, who had come with the flying-platform, she knew at once that this was a dangerous enemy agent. This was a woman of deadly experience and skills of many kinds including magic, assassination and deception. This was no fanatical member of the Mythic Dawn but a member of the Dark Brotherhood. Herculine had seen this woman once before during a bloody and painful encounter with a group of Dark Brotherhood killers. She made plans to get closer to this dangerous infiltrator.

 

-CONTINUED-

Edited May 7, 2011 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

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-26-

THE ADVENTURES OF HERCULINE

CONFRONTING NINANAJINA

 

Herculine slipped through the maze of hallways in the highest of the basement levels. Ninanajina had gone that way earlier, dropping off her robes to emerge in tighting fitting, dark assassin style gear. Herculine followed her at a distance and was puzzled for she was starting to sense that this woman had changed some how. So when she heard the fighting ahead of her, she made no assumptions and rushed to do battle.

 

Ninanajina was beautiful, deadly and agile as she did battle with two Mythic Dawn agents who had summoned up daedric armour of their kind. They had also summoned daedric magical swords and shields. Mythic Dawn agents inside Cloud Ruler Temple itself? The idea was a terrible one, a deeply concerning one.

 

Ninanajina was armed with concealable weapons and was at a disadvantage but somehow she kept the two fanatics at a distance. They were not as well trained or experienced as her as fighters, nowhere near so. She dodged their blows easily enough but was having trouble dealing with their daedric magical swords, shields and armour that clad them from head to foot. Her longknife would not penetrate such armour and her flexible light armoured tunic would not resist a stab or slicing motion from one of the daedric swords.

 

Herculine stepped into the open and hurled two shimmering silvery blades. Both Mythic Dawn agents collapsed to the floor, crying out in pain, and their magical summoning spell ended. The bonded daedric magical armour, longswords and shields vanished.

 

Ninanajina studied Herculine warily and then she spoke. "Why did you not attack me?"

 

Herculine got to the point. "I fought you once, along with other Dark Brotherhood assassins, a long time ago. Somehow you have changed. You have become 'lighter'."

 

The other, darker skinned woman, nodded. "I served the now dead Emperor as one of the Imperial Eyes, spy and assassin. I am now working with Jauffre and other Blades. I followed these two Mythic Dawn infiltrators who came in the same magical flying device that I did. Something is very wrong. Cloud Ruler Temple should be magically shielded so that no daedric infiltrators can summon up daedric magical devices here, weapons or otherwise."

 

The two Mythic Dawn agents could not be questioned. It was not because of Herculine's attack but they were dead and it had been done by daedric magic imploding inside them. Herculine doubted that the stupid fanatics would have even know about the treacherous way in which they had been set up to die if they were captured. There was no useful information to be found on them and yet Herculine did pick up some interesting fragments of psychic impressions left behind.

 

She turned to the former Dark Brotherhood assassin. "Will you work with me?"

 

Ninanajina simply nodded and Herculine gave her three special but limited magical devices to help her deal better with summoned bonded daedric devices in future.

 

-CONTINUED-

[Maharg67]

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-27-

THE ADVENTURES OF HERCULINE

IN THE UNDERWAYS OF KVATCH

 

HerculineAfa made her way along one of the Underways of Kvatch that were above the sewer tunnels but below the basements of city buildings, at least most of them. The Kvatch Catacombs were down there also. She held a glowcrystal-torch in her right hand and a wand in her other hand. In a hooded robe she was disguised as one of the fringe that dwelt down there be they political fanatics, petty criminals, not very powerful necromancers and many others. The Underways were also a way for livestock and freight to be moved from the city outskirts right through to the Kvatch Central Markets. City Guards and Sheriff's people patrolled it and had outposts there.

 

She made her way past a pair of wererats, wiry and small, hunched in an alcove of sorts. They were clutching some dead rats and seemed wary of being attacked. They were in raggedy clothes and cast off leather armour, were armed with steel knives. She turned and smiled at them, careful not to show too many teeth. Then she threw to them a small heshen bag full of a mixture of food including fruit, cheese and meats of various kinds. Despite common opinion, wererats did not prefer to eat rats.

 

One grabbed the bag out of mid air and she spoke in an odd accented voice. "What you want?"

 

She smiled some more. "You see any Mythic Dawn down here or necromancers?"

 

The wererat nodded. "Not see them, smell them. They wear disguises but wererat noses know the difference. They were in the Twin Tuffle Tunnel at its western end. We do not do more for you. Those Mythic Dawn are dangerous."

 

HerculineAfa sighed. "Then you do not want the one hundred imperial coppers that I have to offer you along with five vials of ratintude."

 

She showed them the promised items and make a vow on the Nine Divines. Then the three of them set out on their way to the twin-tunnel. On the way, knowing the Mythic Dawn followers would not be at the destination, she managed to coax other, more important information out of the wererats. They were happy enough as she added a good quality tinderbox to the deal. Yes, the Mythic Dawn Followers were down in the Underways of Kvatch but something very nasty had been busily killing them off, one by one and in small groups.

 

-CONTINUED-

Edited June 26, 2011 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

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[Maharg67]

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:armscrossed: PEANUT BUTTER MAN :facepalm:

 

I am the Peanut Butter Man

Ever fearing to be

spread upon hot toast

on butter

and devoured

by a hungry mouth.

Edited February 3, 2012 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

:thumbsup: = okay

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: = good

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: = very good

[Maharg67]

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:yes: HATING OR NOT HATING: :no:

 

Not Hating

Is Long Term Survival

For Hating the Other

Hurts Oneself

More than it does the Other

Edited February 3, 2012 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

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[Maharg67]

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-49-

FALLOUT BLUES

DANZ003 (DANZER)

 

The professor led the others towards a cluster of surviving cluster-block buildings made of self repairing smart-materials and with still active basic network-systems. The travelled quite a long distance through rough Wastelands, over cratered areas with razor-wire and the blasted wreckage left over from the attempted NeoSoviet attack on the DC and later, after Doomsday, the Troubles. After Doomsday surving Federal military, National Guardsmen, emergency service people, survivalists and others had formed an alliance. It had later become the Republic of the DC, the RDC. The buildings ahead were fortified and clearly showed the flags and painted symbols of the RDC.

 

Argyle spoke as the group crouched behind some rubble. "The republic started out with good intentions but it became autocratic, militaristic and expansionist. In theory it is democratic with a small parliament and local councils but the real power lies with the Presidium of President, State Treasurer, High Marshal, State Elders and State Ministers. The VicePresident is something of a joke, being elected by the toothless parliament."

 

But Herbert then spoke. "Behind the twelve men and women of the Presidium lies a shadowy figure that is largely a secret even to many republican VIPs. Those who know of him, call him the Shadow Puppeteer because of the way he manipulates people from the shadows. He is brutal at times, cunning, brilliant but surprising fair and generous at other times. Until recently he kept his activies focused on the RDC but recently he has been sending out spies into the rest of the DC Wastelands. It may be that he and the Presidium are concerned about the new and older increasing threats in the DC. Who could blame them?"

 

James looked thoughtful. "Perhaps I could do a deal with him and gain resources for Project Purity except he sounds dangerous."

 

Herbert shook his head. "Far too dangerous, Professor Ashworth. It is said he has shady links with the DC Syndicates, with the Commonwealth Institute, with the Brotherhood Outcasts and that he does deals with powerful gangs who create buffer zones around the republican territories."

 

The group decided that the republic was too threatening to approach so they began to make a long detour around the RDC settlement so they could continue to head towards Megaton.

 

-CONTINUED-

Edited June 7, 2011 by Maharg67