Riel Stories Epic

[Maharg67]

Riel Stories Epic
Three 4.1[127]
Of Burning War

The Wraith Randdars moved through areas, of the malignant dark temple, with out triggering physical traps and the magical traps seemed to do 'him' no harm. The Wraith Randdars, a deeply cursed ancient necromancer, marked detriggering devices so that untriggered traps could be easily dealt with in a harmless manner. As the terrible entity cleared areas for the expeditionary group, it began to grow noticeably weaker as the powerful magic attacks on it took their toll. When the Wraith Randdars died it glowed briefly golden yellow and showed a white mage robed elderly man smiling peacefully. Then he was gone! There was a strong 'impression' that the man had suffered greatly for his crimes, from the terrible curse, and had now been given a 'second chance'.

They came upon bizarre statues, and other such structures, great chests of treasure that felt wrong to go near, bizarre weapons that nobody wanted to touch and other things such as strange Dwemer like machines. Except that the 'machines' were part organic, the organic side being most disturbing in nature.

The evil voice spoke to them as they faced a great free standing wall with a twisted version of Aldmer symbols covering much of it. "This great dark temple is an enigma, a place that should not really exist, as the Dark Temple Zone should not exist. For, in truth, the Dark Temple Zone is both in, but not in, the Shades of the Imperial Grand Undercity. It is also linked with Hawkhaven, is part of what is called the Multihaven."

The voice became silent and the few folk there studied the wall carefully. To their surprise, Olisha and Samsal found that they could easily understand the symbols except that, even then, the full meaning of the message was hard to define. The Grand Aldmer had been both very complicated and very subtle but the writing was not by them.

"Dark Aldmer were here long ago, a truly evil minority of the Grand Aldmer exiled, then hunted, by the Grand Aldmer." The evil voice seemed to find pleasure in relating such dark histories. "Very few ever got to know that the Dark Aldmer ever existed, partly because they only did exist for about 200 years before the Grand Aldmer caught them and destroyed all of them. Or so the story goes on the wall before you. What the Dark Aldmer got up to not even the Grand Aldmer were totally sure of but they expanded this very dark temple, adding both more prosaic and darker elements to it. Even the Dark Aldmer had to take care of basic needs."

Olisha, the Slayer, shook her head. "Something is missing here, is not quite..." She froze for a moment in surprise. "The Dark Temple Zone is one of thirteen zones that make up the first, most 'primitive', basis for what became later known as either Hawkhaven or Multihaven. The real name of it is hidden here, somewhere."

 

Samsal pointed to a set of relatively small symbols almost hidden away amongst the others. "Mundusdoto, the metropolis of ways between Mystical Mundus and Mundane Mundus, what ever that means. It is the same as what we found on that magical door, in this temple, that we could not unseal."

 

Olisha frowned. "I wonder if Mundusdoto is linked with Multihaven."

 

The dark voice chuckled. "So you mere mortals are not always so stupidly blind."

Edited April 2, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Riel Stories Epic

Two 13.1[128]

Of Hawkhaven Challenges

 

Using capture-orbs, the Hero Demidivines grabbed up all of the lightening fork-swords and sent them to where the LittleFatGirl was. LakeChild was happier with regaining 2,000 of the '50,000 genuine fakes' but there were plenty enough to go.

 

The five women, and their entourage, made their way through the pitiful mess that was Coinhaven. Surprisingly many had survived; this was mainly because Coinhaveners were used to their metropolis falling down around their ears or burning away or both.

 

The odd structure, solid and ancient, was exposed thanks to the clearing away of buildings around it. It was Grand Aldmer in design and build though very austere for their way of doing things. The five approached it with care, gaining the impression that they had been meant to find the building but that this had not been the doing of Lord White Champion. The message had stated so, it being sent to them by a nervous Coinhavener courier.

 

Blazoned on massive metallic doors was the ancient symbol of Lord Juno, Grand Artisan of Devices. It seemed that they had stumbled upon the home of Lord Juno or was it going to be that easy?

 

They remembered what the LittleFatMan had asked them to do and that was to find the Lake of Ever Laughing Tears, recover the missing 50,000 missing genuine fakes, discover where Master Juno dwells, seek out the path of oldest Hawkhaven and awaken the Hawkhaven Guardians. They had discovered where the lake was and had found LakeChild there.

 

The courier message did not identify the sender but it spoke of how they might get into the Grand Aldmer structure that was so much different from the Coinhaven ones around it. The language was a very old variation of Grand Aldmeri.

 

Jadekia snorted. "I have a strong 'sense' that getting into the building is not going to be the hardest challenge that we face. Notice the claw marks on the door."

 

Yes, they noted the claw marks that showed amazing power, and hardness, to effect Grand Aldmer armor of that nature.

Edited April 5, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Riel Stories Epic

Three 5.1[129]

Of Burning War

 

With some difficulty, by utilizing all the knowledge that they had gained, the Slayer group opened the great thick metallic magical gate that was in a free standing wall. Even as the gate sprung open with surprising speed out of the gateway leaped a monstrous undead golem of incredible power.

 

At once the massive zombie-golem, the one 'gifted' to the expeditionary group, slammed into the other monster and the incredibly brutal, violent and merciless fight was on between the two undead creations. They smashed heads, fists and feet at each other. They rammed their bodies against each other. They shuddered and roared inhuman rage and agony. The noise filled even the great dark temple.

 

With amazing speed both monsters perished, almost at the same second, and even as they did so two humanoid spirits became free of a great curse to vanish with calm smiles. They were both Grand Aldmer, being one woman and one man, in silken robes.

 

The scouting group walked along a straight tunnel that went for over 100 metres before it ended at a great chamber. As they went along the tunnel, the smaller group would feel odd sensations at regular intervals of 10 metres, as if they were going through invisible barriers.

 

They came out into a vast chamber that seemed impossible to fit into Tamriel. They came out into, onto, a great enclosed viewing platform.

 

They stared in shock, and wonder, at what they had discovered.

 

Vast organic-metallic towers rose high into the sky and spiral rampways were rimmed with platforms, each with a body capsule of a strange type, each with a body in it. There were hundreds of towers, at least, and most likely billions of bodies.

 

Many thousands of huge organic-metallic creatures swarmed through the air, over the ground, through the slimy water filled pools and yet even more smaller ones did the same. The minions served the towers, the bodies, and each other in many ways.

 

Olisha spoke to her twin brother. "So we did not truly escape after all."

Edited April 9, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Riel Stories Epic
Three 5.2[130]
Of Burning War

The others gave the two an odd look.

Samsal spoke in response to Olisha. "We mageborn have been tricked into coming to a fake Tamriel that is a trap for the Nameless Enemy, the Never Ending Hunger. What of the others, such as those from Terrariel?"

Scully stepped out of shadows, smiled quietly and spoke in the same manner. "The real Scully, Mulder and others of their network, are still on the supercontinent of Terrariel. The real mageborn are on the supercontinent of Earthriel. You are fakes, as we are, but the two of you have a very special part to play in what is to come. This version of Tamriel is fake, as all of its features, yet they are accurate."

She turned and indicated the sweeping landscape that now showed more features such as massive slow flying platforms that looked as graceful as bricks, great moving towers that served the stationary towers in various ways and dangerous looking black-gray patterned war robots like graceful flying sting-rays. "TransMatrix, the dark rescue plan for humanity created after World War Four devastated the Earth and badly damaged Mars, that was by then Terraformed. Humanity created the TransMatrix as a temporary ark to save billions of people."

 

The fake Scully went on talking. "Not all wanted the TransMatrix Project and some decided it was better for humanity to die rather than be supposedly enslaved to the TransMatrix. Deciding they had the right to choose, despite the great majority of humans voting to risk the TransMatrix, a group rose to create long term booby-traps in the TransMatrix designed to destroy both humanity and the TransMatrix."

 

Olisha frowned. "You are not telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. The TransMatrix was a massive mistake. We (the mageborn technomages of Earthriel) were the ones who created the TransMatrix. The truth is returning to us at last. You serve the TransMatrix and its solid delusionary realities."

 

The fake Scully shrugged and then burned away into nothingness.

Edited April 11, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Riel Stories Epic

Two 14.1[131]

Of Hawkhaven Challenges

 

With difficulty, the Hero Demidivines opened the great metallic door, with the terrible claw marks riven into it. Then they moved carefully into a metallic cube shaped chamber. As soon as the group was inside the chamber, and the big door was locked tight behind themselves, they could open the other door facing them. It was identical appearing to the one that they had come through.

 

They came out into a typical English type rural landscape that was anything but typical. Pink elephants floated in the sky while white elephants almost over filled small pagodas. Cottages, in their hedged off properties, were next to oversized shoe shaped houses.

 

In the middle of a small clearing lay a dead, rapidly decaying, body of a tall figure in white robes that were not so white when one examined them close up with care. Lord White Champion had come with wares to Wonderhaven and had perished for daring to do so.

 

Four Knights, of the Royal Card Nobilities, stood in softly glowing magical power armour beside their armored steeds of Grand Fighting Riding Roosters. Clearly they had killed the falsely named Lord White Champion but the denting of armor, and some splashes of blood, showed the fight had not been an easy one even for such powerful fighters.

 

The Knight of the Red Diamond knelt briefly and then she intoned. "At this moment of mutual departure, one should know the truth that lies hidden behind the old wallpaper in grandfather's attic. Thus that one came and offered no less than 8,000 'genuine fakes' but alas his brain was as of less than emptiness, his rottenness truly horrid, and he did not perceive that Wonderhaven is already all but a 'genuine fake' full of genuine fakes. For his impertinence he was sundered of his head, of his existence that sort of a life. To kill something that is not truly alive, what is that."

 

Something exploded and part of the roof of a great big, amazingly complicated, structure was destroyed. It was a long way in the distance but was still clearly evident, showing it to be a truly massive structure.

 

"That is where Lord Juno dwells!" The Knight of the Black Spade pronounced in his growling way. "Perhaps Republic Princess Alice will take you there. She took the 8,000 genuine fakes there for Lord Juno to examine. Lord Juno likes very much to examine Alice or any woman who will allow him to do so; take care."

Edited April 10, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Riel Stories Epic

Three 6,1[132]

Of Burning War

 

Back in the dark temple, the Slayer Group found the magical gate sealing itself behind themselves.

 

The frightening little girl spoke to them with a voice of dripping icy blood. "The reason you got through that gateway, and were not destroyed, was my doing. I made sure both happened, forcing back brutally powerful guardian forces of the TransMatrix. Now I am fading and have a second chance. I will leave behind some gifts from the LittleFatFamily."

 

For a moment she looked like a tired old woman with sad eyes and a sweet wrinkled face. Then she was gone with a flash of golden-white heavenly light.

 

Behind was left a magical sled two thirds full of a large, neat stack of well secured boxes, barrels, flat-chests and other containers.

 

There was also a strange bronzed metallic quad structure with a silvery sphere from which rose, at the center, a long silvery tube. From this puffed small glowing spheres of bright white that shot through the air in all directions as they began to cleanse the temple in a hard to understand manner. There were flashes of burning heat, some screams quickly cut off and the bizarre magical darkness began to become just normal darkness.

 

They were all in a stunned state and needed very much to catch up with what was going on. It was decided that they would go back to the Second Grand Aldmer Coveta of the Thirteen Grand Aldmer Covetas. Olisha operated the sled that hovered as it moved back towards their new home. They had found, stored, items from the temple and carried these along with their own equipment and supplies.

 

As they left the temple they somehow failed to note the LittleThinMan standing, very close to them, watching them with a sad smile. In much patched gray robes, he was rather pathetic looking as he rested on a rickety looking wooden staff. He staid there until the group was gone and then he turned to walk deeper into the amazingly huge temple complex that had many more mysteries to be found than the expeditionary group had begun to find.

Edited April 10, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Riel Stories Epic

Zero 12.1[133]

Of the Orbis Observing

 

The Orbis observed the return of the smaller Slayer group to the Second Coveta where they began to try to work out what they had experienced and what they had learned.

 

The Orbis observed the Hero Demidivines group move deeper into Wonderhaven and encounter more of its strangeness.

 

The Orbis observed the powerful Albiri Alliance hurl back the szykynes (special kynes) and destroy most of them in a series of cunning, brutal, moves.

 

The Orbis observed kyne armies continue to move towards the surface even they continue to be fought by smaller armies that do not want them to go there.

 

The Orbis observed the siege against Imperiarna (the Grand Imperial City) including by kynes flowing from the Dark Temple Zone into the Shades. The Undercity defenders fought hard and clever, having gained experience in dealing with kynes.

 

The Orbis observed two large battle-fleets start to approach each as the Septum Imperial Navy set out with its steammagic warships, airships, Marines and magical flying-machines to deal with the threat from the Friendlies Archipelago.

 

The Orbis observed the TransMatrix.

Edited April 12, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Riel Stories Epic
Two 15.1[134]
Of Hawkhaven Challenges

The Hero Demidivines felt the changes take place, at the same very moment, and as they halted so did their whole group. The five remembered fully the existence, the nature, of the TransMatrix and that Mundus was linked fundamentally with the TransMatrix; the same was true of much else.

Even as they fully 'remembered' the true nature of a false Mundus that they were now linked to, they 'sensed' that false Mundus start to shift, to transform. At first it was in a more subtle, fundamental, fashion.

It had proven frustrating to get to Lord Juno's abode for no matter how far they had traveled, how many obstacles that they had overcome, the great structure was always to be seen on the far horizon and no closer at all. Even with the assistance of the Four Knights of the Cards, and a growing number of others, they could not seem to get any closer.

The CheshireCat appeared thrice to peer at them through visible only eyes but never communicated.

The WhiteRabbit dashed past madly holding his pocket-watch and crying out in alarm that something 'strange and terrible' was happening in Wonderhaven but also in Mundusdoto. That is Mundusdoto that was part of the very basis, foundation, of the Multihaven. That was a very long time before the term 'Multihaven' came to exist let alone Hawkhaven proper.

 

Republican Princess Alice had vanished, after setting out to go to take the 8,000 genuine fakes to Lord Juno for him to examine.

 

They came upon a great wagon, with a pink elephant harnessed to it, and in the back of the wagon four sleeping pigmen with tin-plate armor. There were the 8,000 genuine fakes, all packed away neatly in locked wooden treasure chests of much ornamental nature. Yet of Republican Princess Alice there was nothing to be found, or of her entourage either.

 

There they found a Waygate that the Demidivines 'sensed' had not been there very long at all and that had been used quite recently, more than once.

Edited April 13, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Riel Stories Epic
Three 6.1[132]
Of Burning War

The Tamriel, that we know, is a 'genuine fake' of numerous 'genuine fakes' designed and built to divert the first great attacks of the Nameless Enemy and to soak up the infestations caused by that attack." Baurus sounded somewhat confused but he reflected the feelings of many in the Second Grand Coveta's main chamber. "Who, what are we?"

"You are more real than we mageborn, Baurus, for you are soundly linked to this Tamriel but our real selves still exist in Earthriel." Samsal shrugged. "Our bodies are likely to be in some of those capsules, of the TransMatrix."

Mulder, Scully, and the other Guild Investigators had vanished away along with yet others that had never really been real. The false Tamriel was adjusting, was busy smoothing out its contradictions and other errors that very few had spotted before. The false Tamriel was not as well put together as the real one but that was being fixed.

The false Tamriel was becoming the real 'Matriel'. Matriel was the steammagic influenced version of Tamriel that the real Tamriel had never been. The real Tamriel had never kynes either or other features of what was becoming Matriel. The real Tamriel had many differences in its histories. Arcane magic was vanishing to be replaced by new kinds of elemental magic. Not just the histories of humanity were shifting but those of Mer, beastfolk and others.

 

Cyrodiil was becoming Myrodiil and other Provinces, cities and geographical features were changing but not just in name. The mageborn gained their own homeland, being the Magebarie Islands.

 

Imperiarna was becoming Republiana, the Imperial Republic's capital city.

 

The kynes vanished away, swept back to their 'new ancient' deep underground sources known as the Burning Lake Caverns. It was a pause, a break, but not the ending of the Burning War. Other changes also gave a reprieve to the peoples of Matriel and its Underworld.

 

There did not seem to be any obvious logic to what had happened or was happening and yet there were patterns to be discerned and studied. From the start forces had been at war with each other and had done their best to muddy the waters, to hide the truth from each other and others. Now the truth was coming out.

Edited April 13, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Riel Stories Epic
Three 6.2[133]
Of Burning War

 

"We were having difficulty finding the source of the burning deaths, of the infestation, because we did not know the truth about our own existence, about the very existence of our world." Samsal put forth. "Yet the infestation does not seem to be in all of us."

 

Olisha nodded. "The false Tamriel is becoming Matriel, according to the Second Grand Coveta. It sees, hears, otherwise seems to know much though far from all."

 

Around them people were gathering up information from the Grand Aldmer mechanisms as well as feeding other information into them. Summations, and calculations, were being made. They chose to wait there, in the relative security of that place, to see what would happen.

 

They made preparations!

 

They were still doing so when the Hero Demidivines, with their entourage, arrived through a Waygate to join them and to combine efforts in completing quests. Together they would help to seek a final solution to the Burning War.

Edited April 13, 2014 by Maharg67