Riel Stories Epic

[Maharg67]

Riel Stories Epic

One 5.2[20]

Of Burning Deaths

Caula scowled, looking less attractive while she did so. "You are also mageborn but of the twisted kind no longer trusted by the majority of our people, damn them! Have you so neatly forgotten that you used forbidden magic so that my three sons each have two biological fathers? You are also their fathers."

"I have not forgotten and I have not forgiven them for betraying me when I tried to get them to turn against you. Not that they had much love, trust, or respect for you; they just had none for me." He gave an odd giggling laugh. "This is not just watered blood but you should know that, Caula."

It was clear that she hated him calling her by her first name. "I know of your attempt to betray me but I am not here to discuss that. I am here because I want to know if you have anything to do with the creation and selling of the half price, supposedly improved skooma that causes people to burn to death. It is giving skooma a bad name, that is even worse a reputation than it deserves."

The former Imperial Battlemage spoke out with a tone of bitterness. "I invented it with the assistance of an exiled narcane mage named Ventus Voria, a fifth cousin of yours, and we created the first batch together. I was paying him, generously, with both goldworth and knowledge. The Tharn-skooma, as I named it, was made to help sooth my endless pain and not to be sold. Your cousin ran away, taking samples and copies of how to make the stuff. I would not sell it for the result, for most people, would be a most terrible deaths. Not that I care for the fools that would buy the stuff but the deaths would draw too much attention to me; as you can see, I am not in a great position to run away. What I know of the effects of Tharn-skooma would go along with the reports that I have heard. This water has three bottles of the substance in it and I have drunk, recently, another bottle. You, and your battlemage bodyguards, can leave now. There is nothing more I can that would assist you except that both of us badly want to find your fifth cousin."

Edited February 4, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Riel Stories Epic

One 5.3[21]

Of Burning Deaths

 

The Empress grinned wickedly. "My cousin died eight years ago; I know because I was the one to thrust a dagger into his heart. We had a 'sharp disagreement' over a family inheritance issue."

 

"Well, that is awkward!" The figure in the tank sounded even more angry. "I was tricked but the fact remains that I can not assist you, and your Crimester cronies, with what is happening. Please do not try anything foolish. Do you really think I would have you brought into this chamber with out taking precautions first. I have also have a paid contract with the Dark Brotherhood who were happy to take the contract thanks to the Crimesters Guild trying to stop all Dark Brotherhood activities going on in the Shades. If you kill me, or have me killed, then Dark Brotherhood Assassins come after you and keep doing so until you are dead. Your illogical uncontrolled greed, many more people actually know you are the secret leader of the Crimesters Guild than you seem to know, has made you many powerful enemies. Now go away!"

 

Caula Voria gave him a look that 'should have' boiled him in his own liquid filled tank. Then she turned and walked out with her two lethal bodyguards following her.

 

Jagar Tharn tried to relax as much as he could as a naked young woman came to sit on a chair and to play music with a lute. Not only was she beautiful to look at but she played the music most excellently. She was very well paid for her discretion, attractiveness and great skills as a bard.

Edited February 4, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Riel Stories Epic

Zero 2.1[22]

Of the Orbis Observing

 

Orbis came silently, unseen, phantom like drifting through things and observing with amazing abilities. Orbis was one but in many places being one that is many that is one.

 

Orbis observed MythicDawn Cultists making preparations for the invasion of MehruneDagon's daedric armies and their support by the treacherous MythicFist soldiers. Mankar Cameran, the twisted leader of the MythicDawn and the MythicFist, completed his 'Paradise' (in the Oblivion Realms).

 

Orbis observed distorted red boneskinned creatures scurrying, in groups, in the areas close to the Dark Temple Zone in the Shades of the Imperiarna Undercity. Some seemed more aggressive than others but most were savage. When a group of Crimester Bashers (fighters) were ambushed by many of the creatures, they fought back hard as tough Shaders, using good steel weapons and arcane magic. Overwhelmed, they perished and their bodies were eaten. The creatures departed, taking a random selection of items with them.

 

Orbis observed that the Septum Empire was largely at peace and that the Emperor was withdrawing two Imperial Legions back to Cyrodiil from Provinces where they were not really needed. The Miners Guild protested but was largely ignored by the Imperium as Emperor Uriel Septum VII sat on the Dragonthrone and glimpsed the future with his mindeye.

 

Orbis observed the factional fights, the many minor conspiracies, the government efforts and other actions of citizens across the Empire and in other parts of Tamriel. There was nothing new in what was happening except for a few oddities that most might ignore such as the brief appearances of lesser daedra and lesser divines in some areas.

Edited April 1, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Riel Stories Epic

One 6.1[23]

Of Burning Deaths

 

Olisha met Samsal in the underground set of chambers that the Slayers Guild rented for them to use to investigate the Case of the Burning Deaths. The quarters were barely adequate for those that had to use them. The place had some plumbing, gas piping for lamps and one cooker, some basic furniture, fittings and decorations. The two of them were joined by three non-mageborn Slayers, two clerks, a forensic alchemist, a forensic healer, four hired Fighters Guild guards and a tracker with his two special bred and trained dogs. There were given vague promises of more resources to come but the twins had little hope of that happening; neither were well favored by the Slayers Guild Elders and certain missions seemed to be unfairly gobbling up guild resources.

 

Some cleaning had to be carried out, some repairs, and they hired some locals to do the work; they paid above the standard rates of fees, pleasing the generally goblin like hoblins that worked for them. The hoblins soon became longer term workers for the mission.

 

Everything had a long history in the Undercity and the housement (basement house) had once been the home of the leader of the short lived Magical Rational Society that had challenged the Empire to use magic in a 'more rational way' so as to allow for greater equality, democracy, security and safety for all of the people. The society had been crushed by extremely conservative Imperial factions and had vanished away.

 

Emmet Quando, the Elder-Leader of the Magical Rational Society, had lived in the housement many years before took up that position and before that had spent much time, and money, researching the histories of the Shades including that of the Dark Temple Zone. When he vanished so did all of his journals, research notes and many other items that he had collected.

 

The housement had undergone general renevations when Emmet Quando had moved in for free, the rooms being not registered with the Imperial Government. Some areas had been sealed off but there was no data on this. One set of chambers were quite shadowy and abandoned, being half full of stuff that looked largely like junk from the doorways. There was an 'odd feel' to one of these chambers but not a threatening one.

Edited February 4, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Riel Stories Epic

One 6.2[24]

Of Burning Deaths

 

Samsal stood in the main chamber of the housement, as designated by the team, that would be the focus of the mission. It was only sparsely furnished, fitted and decorated. A big pin-board was put up and on it were pinned notes, printed sheets, basic line-drawn maps and other information including an official, out of date, set of maps for the Shades. There was even a map for the Dark Temple Zone that was largely blank.

 

There was also a basic chalk-board on one wall on which had been placed some notes including a timeline of deaths and some lists. It was only the very start of such things.

 

"Again we have been guided by a unseen hand, or hands." Olisha snorted softly as she sat on a basic wooden chair beside a basic wooden table dotted with useful items. "We were sent here, to this housement, because of the person who lived here once. The place has been empty since he departed, he vanished, or at least officially so; that means it has been officially empty for years."

 

Samsal nodded. "I have had one attempt to gain copies of official records, about this place and its history, but have been largely unsuccessful. I doubt that this is accidental. The Imperium tends to keep good records on political activities; records may easily have become classified. As for 'unseen hands' well we can always hope that other resources will be sent to our aid."

 

They had been assisted in the past with imperial monies, devices, information and other resources but never over generously; the twins were always left to do much work and to gain valuable resources from elsewhere. They had no idea of the identity of their secret mentor, or mentors, but they had no 'sense' of danger either when it came down to it.

 

A hoblin worker, UbiDoro, came into the chamber being goblin like but with some areas of fur and a smoother, friendlier look. He bowed briefly. "Oh Olisha and Samsal, may I make you a fine mug each of sweet leaf tea and serve them to you with buttered sourbread with spice-cheese and soft boiled chicken eggs?" He turned to look at the pin-board, at what was on it. "The Dark Temple Zone is a very bad place. I went there once as a foolish semi-adult wishing to proof my courage. I was lucky to get out alive. My two friends were not so lucky."

 

Was this another gift of their mysterious mentors or was this just coincidental? Samsal spoke. "We will have a special meal together with you hoblins invited; we will assist in the preparations of the meal, of course."

Edited February 4, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Riel Stories Epic

One 6.3[25]

Of Burning Deaths

 

UbiDoro scurried away to the kitchen-dining chamber and, after sorting out some items, the twins followed. Except for three guards on guard duty, the lot of them were there including the two tracker dogs. They had sourbread rolls with spicy cheeses, pickled onions, dried fruit and sweet leaf tea along with cooled water. It was the kind of food common in the Undercity except that there was nothing strictly local this time such as meat-mushrooms or walking-fish or even cave-roaches.

 

UbiDoro pointed to a spread out map on a corner of the big kitchen-dining chamber table, it being iron reinforced wood in make. "Memories are blurry about what happened to the three of us young fools. I am thankful at times, for that being true. We went into the Dark Temple Zone using the Hallway of Spiders where very big, very poisonous, spiders are very common. We took much care in getting through the big spider webs with out attracting any real attention from the webs."

 

Olisha spoke after taking a long sip of sweet leaf tea from her clay mug. "We have been close to that hallway but we chose not to go through it. The spider webs are so thick that the way is impassible with out doing much destruction on the spiders and that would attract attention."

 

The hoblin nodded. "I went back, myself, to find that the spider webs were much thicker and the number of big, nasty, spiders was much bigger. Its like somebody doesn't want me going back that way. The WaltTako Brothers very keen to get into the zone, perhaps too keen. It was their idea in the first place and they who played on my fragile semi-adult ego to get me going with them. Well, if they did want me to get into trouble, they paid for it."

 

UbiDoro went on talking. "We got to the Milking Love Temple of Unseemly Delights. Not too dark that temple, just strange. It is said that their high priest would drink women's milk and that there were orgies of cow milk drinking. They must have spent a goodly lot of goldworth for the magic to keep the cow milk fresh."

 

He paused noticeably before going on. "The WaltTako Brothers started to move as if they already knew where they wanted to go, knew where they wanted me to go. I should have woken up to something being very wrong but my mind was very hazy. I remembered, later, that the brothers gave me some cheap wine and figured that it must have been drugged. The further we walked, the sleepier I got and the more fuzzy my thoughts became. We got deeper into the Dark Temple Zone."

Edited February 4, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Riel Stories Epic

One 6.4[26]

Of Burning Deaths

 

"It became a strange, bewildering, time for me as the brothers half carried me. They began to laugh at me, to curse at me for being unable to walk properly, and to tell me that they were selling my soul to get wealthy." The hoblin shuddered. "We passed many temples and other underground structures but then... we came to a most awful temple of all with statue-columns of twisted demonic monstrosities and things that were of twisted life. Shadowy things flittered. Then there was a tall, most terrible creature. It stared into my eyes. Then it said something most odd for its voice was most kind, though sad. It told me it would rather 'eat a fresh cherry pie than devour my life energies' and that I was 'not one of those meant for it to feed upon but that the WaltTako Brothers were. I heard terrible screaming and when I awoke from a peaceful sleep, and dreams, I was lying outside of the Dark Temple Zone with two gobbies paid to watch over me. I bought them a bottle of cheap beer, and a stick of rat meat dipped in melted cheese, each so happy was I."

 

Gobbies were more peaceful dependable goblins!

 

Olisha nodded. "The WaltTako Family accused you of murdering the brothers by trying to sell their souls to a dark temple."

 

UbiDoro shrugged. "That was never true and I would wonder why they would say so given that the brothers had caused a good deal of trouble for the family. Not that the family has every been very good. They are a mixed bag of petty thieves, gamblers, prostitutes, bouncers and other such jobs taken in the Hoblin-Goblin Quarter of the Undercity. I have always wondered who got the stupid brothers to try the trick of leading me into the Dark Temple Zone for they would not have had the smarts to think of such an idea themselves. Perhaps it was somebody in their own family and that they accused me to take attention away from themselves."

 

He grinned. "After that I renewed my faith in the Nine Divines, the Thirty-One Demidivines and the Great Divinity that overlooks them, and us, all. Bless us, Celestius, Guardian Demidivine Against Evil be it of mind, body or spirit."

 

Celestius was the Demidivine of the Imperiarna Undercity who protected followers, and even good non followers, from spiritual evil. Figures, murals, of her could be found in many spots through out the Undercity but especially in the Shades. It was said that the mysterious Guardians were followers of her.

Edited February 4, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Riel Stories Epic

One 6.5[27]

Of Burning Deaths

 

Olisha smiled. "You serve the Guardians!"

 

The hoblin made no attempt to deny the truth. "I do so but mostly as eyes, ears and a nose. They sent me, and the other hoblins, to serve you and to observe you but also to help protect you for we hoblins are all highly trained warriors and some of us are warrior-shamans. I blame myself, partly, for the death of the fool brothers for I let my ego guide me though perhaps I was under the influence of some subtle force of manipulation as the Guardians have stated. I do not know why they asked us to help protect you for you are deadly Slayers."

 

"Even we Slayers depend upon others keeping a look out while we are sleeping and we can be overwhelmed so that every fighter counts to gain victory." Samsal smiled warmly at the hoblin. "Will you write down your story for us."

 

The hoblin sighed. "My writing skills are poor but I will try to do my best."

 

Olisha also smiled. "Then you can write the true story!"

 

The hoblin scowled softly. "I should have known better than to try to lie to you. A strange old man, in hooded robes, came to me and gave me some golden coinage to betray the brothers by letting them think they fooled me. I have since given thrice the sum as donations to the Nine Divines to cleanse myself and I threw the original coins into the Sacred Pool of Evil Gains. I really do serve the Guardians and I confessed to them the truth. I wonder why I lied to you."

 

"To test us, of course!" Samsal gave a luke warm half smile. "Because you are not what, or who, you say you are."

 

The figure laughed softly even as the hoblin shimmered and changed, expanding upwards and outwards to become a man in a dark grey and brown patterned hooded robe with the hood thrown back to expose an albino head. He had odd pink eyes and very white hair. There was magical leather armor and he held a magestaff in one hand that was the standard one metre long. The emblem against his chest, held there by a thick silvery chain, proclaimed that he was a Guardian serving Celestius the DemiDivine.

Edited February 4, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Riel Stories Epic

One 6.6[28]

Of Burning Deaths

 

The Guardian snapped his fingers and, with a soft sparkling shimmer, appeared a large heap of containers on a previously empty area of floor. With them appeared some odd devices and, curled up sleeping peacefully on a floor mat, the real UbiDoro.

 

The tall, broad figure spoke. "We have assisted the two of you, at times, but so have others whose identity is unknown to us. We Guardians try to stop anybody going into the Dark Temple Zone and anything come out from there that is dangerous. The real UbiDoro was found sick of mind, body and spirit outside of the dreaded zone. We have healed him, with the assistance of others, but still there are times that he sickens. There are more resources hidden both in this housement and linked with it; there are deceptions, and secrets, to be found here. I must go now for there great need to be elsewhere. I will return, to answer your questions, as soon as I can. I am the Guardian RevastoTi."

 

Then he was gone, with another sparkling shimmer.

 

Olisha sighed. "I suggest that I organize things here while you go and visit the Investigators Guild." She turned to the three non-mageborn Slayers who were all potent, strongly skilled, battlemages. "Aisha, Trento and Vaish, I need you to go and have a look around the Shades to pick up what else is happening. Take great care for dangerous forces are at play in the Shades; that is even more dangerous than is normal for the Shades."

Edited February 4, 2014 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Riel Stories Epic

One 7.1[29]

Of Burning Deaths

 

The Legionaries marched along in neat ranks, each with magical armor and weapons. They also had magic that assisted with weight, with speed, that worked through the armor. With them moved horse troopers, big horse drawn wagons (big horses and big wagons) and some rumbling steammagic driven tractors that hauled even bigger tractors or steammagic siege-weapons. There were big hulking golems that hauled oversized backpacks of great weight. Most Legionaries were humans and most of those were Common Cyrodilins but there were other humans along with non-humans.

 

The Legion marched into Cyrodiil, crossing the border through a big border-fort filled with elite Borderguards. As they did overhead flew two steammagic airships that observed the area around the legion. Yet the flying airborne observers failed to spot the MythicDawn traitors spying on the movements of the Tenth Legion. With new type brass-glass telescopes, the traitors carefully hid and noted down the strength of the legion. They were high up on a ridge overlooking the Imperial Highway and fort.

 

Then the four of them were taken quickly as elite Blade soldiers came out of the forest, that clad the ridge. Two died and two traitors were captured. Baurus stood there holding his long, gently curving, sword that was blooded and he realized that he had killed for the very first time in combat. Then he threw up. The other Blades did not hassle him but waited patiently for him to finish so that one could pass to him a clean cloth and a canteen of water.

 

Soon they were on the move as they would need to take the captive MythicDawners to Cloud Ruler Temple where they would be interrogated. They had buried the dead traitors in shallow graves after taking any useful items from them such as clues to their real identities.

 

The Blades failed to discover the other spies that hid inside the opening, of a cave tunnel, in the sloping cliff wall of the ridge. They wore red of bone-platelet armor, were twisted humanoids, and each had three strange black eyes.

Edited February 4, 2014 by Maharg67