Walkers of Worlds

[Maharg67]

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EVERYTHING IS JUST FINE OR IS IT?

 

The world was back to being its old self, that is back to the world it had been when the nine teenagers, one a baby figure, had become linked to the mysterious alien artefact. Except now the alien device had vanished and the teenagers were sleeping peacefully, normally and eveybody was pleased about that. The aliens were gone! The vaults were gone! The strange changes were swept away.

 

So why was Professor Arkuman still concerned?

 

He stood in the ward looking at the eight beds and one cot. The family of the Nine were visiting, their real family that is or so it seemed. The teens woke up and their mother held the baby figure in her arms, kissing her small head as he lay his head against her with a blissful smile on her face.

 

Yet there had been some permanent changes it seemed. CentroMentality warned him of this. Professor Arkuman had to discover the finer points for himself.

 

He looked out the big window past some medical equipment out to a city skyline full of red brick buildings, some of them which were as high as ten levels, amazingly enough. The super continent of Matlier was at war as the Matliern Empire faced attack by a powerful alliance of three enemy empires. Crawlers, prop driven aeroplanes, two way radios, cannons, rocket-tubeguns, battleships, airships, armoured soldiers and more would be used to fight the war.

 

Above, in the sky, flew three fighterplanes, prop-driven Spitfires fitted with machineguns and rocket-tubes as World War Two was to begin.

 

Yes it had changed for this was all happening inside the Great Transdimensional Cube.

 

THIS IS THE END OF STORY #0 BUT ALL MAIN CHARACTERS WILL BE RETURNING

Edited January 27, 2011 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

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[Maharg67]

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WAITING FOR THE WAR TO START

 

Dibbie the neobaby took a gulp of sugary lolly-water as Tammie held the bottle for him and then gave a big satisfying burp as she took the bottle away. Tammie laughed and then picked up Dibbie. "You lovely little piggie you."

 

Dibbie laughed and got kissed in response.

 

They were having a picnic of sorts of the grassy hill overlooking the distant bay area of the city. If they had been normal teenagers they would have seen nothing except with binocular, something that would have drawn police attention. They were not normal teenagers and so they saw far more of the harbour, the bay and the harbourside areas than they supposedly could do. A fleet of ships was being assembled there being naval warships of various kinds and civilian freighters and liners converted hastily for war service. Thousands of soldiers, being Legionaries and Marines, were making last minute preperations before going onto troop-carriers or ocean liners. Aeroplanes and helicopters were fairly busy in the area. Sometimes they flew overhead. The expeditionary aircraft carrier was not big enough to carry anything but fairly small helicopters and aeroplanes.

 

Johnnie was finished making a sketch in a big old sketchbook and he looked up at the others. "This recoilless rifle idea would work easy enough. A man or woman could hold a fairly powerful one on his or her shoulder and strike at the enemy."

 

Joannie was sipping a thermos cuplid of coffee. She finished and spoke. "The military boffins will either ignore us or listen and steal our ideas as theirs."

 

"I suppose it is for the sake of the Empire." Eddie shrugged. "Anyway I sent that letter I spoke about to the State Governor. I suppose the letter will be taken as a joke but I included some draft quality blueprints and some estimates on how current weapons could be upgraded in various ways rather quickly such as the 2-pounder pompoms on the ships. Flying demons or enemy aircraft or dragons will soon feel the difference."

 

Tommie had a cake in each hand and seemed to be having trouble deciding which one to eat first. He looked around at the others with a look of interest in what was being discussed but when Tassie made a grab for one of the cakes, he slipped it out of her way. "What about the turbo engines for helicopters?"

 

"Upgrades would take too long." Tammie sighed. "At least for this expedition to assist the Holy Crusade Islands. I heard the Knights Templar are going to use their special weaponry and armour in the war to come. The Elementalists are certainly preparing for trouble as are the Slayers."

 

Tommie shrugged. "Knights Hospitaller, Knights of the Holy, Knights of the Light, the Psychicators, the Psychic Academy, you name it and they want part of the big war to come."

 

Bobbie sat quietly saying nothing as did Leslie. Bobby was an older male teenager at that moment and Leslie an older female teenager as she always was. Along with Dibbie, Joannie, Johnnie, Tammie, Tommie, Tassie and Eddie they made up the Nine. The Tenth was there in the form of a big young wolfdog and the Eleventh was a curious robotic looking mechanism, a chunky metal humanoid with a big clockwork handle sticking out of its back and the Twelth was another teenager, supposedly a female cousin. The Thirteenth was there but was invisible and yet to the others the Thirteenth was obviously close to them.

 

The picnic hampers were looking horribly empty. Soon they would start heading home, which was not too far away in the form of an urban minimansion estate almost overflowing with not just the immediate family but poor relations, friends and others who simply could not find a home otherwise.

 

Except that at that very moment three large cars, cumbersome and with rounded hoods along with fins, came driving across the grass in a very illegal manner. Sensing something very dangerous was about to happen, the teenagers crouched and prepared to face the threat. From seemingly nowhere came a arsenal of powerful revolver-pistols, pump-action shotguns, submachineguns and one lever-action rifle of Wild Western tradition.

 

The Mythic Dawners who raced out of their cars must have assumed the Nine would be easy targets for they had only basic revolver-pistols of the kind bought cheaply from organised crime networks or local independent gunsmiths selling illegally to anybody with the cash. Even as they ran towards the nine the five fanatics not only ran into a barrage of bullets and shotgun pellets from the Nine but from bullets from some soldiers who seemed to come out of the bushes with amazing speed.

 

They were Imperial Special Attack Service Troopers, or ISAS Troopers, and the Nine had of course known they were there.

[Maharg67]

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AT THE GOVERNOR'S PLEASURE

 

The big black cars took the Nine to the Governor's Palace that overlooked the ocean from a high cliff faced area. They passed relatively few motorised vehicles, most of them being non privately owned, and many more horse drawn ones. Big safety-bicycles, delivery-tricycles and even quadcycles were quite common. Pedalcabs took visitors and a few locals from place to place. It was a fairly busy day and business was doing quite a brisk trade with all the troops and other military people in the city. Nightclubs, danceclubs, brothels and other such establishments, legal and not so legal, were doing very well out of the situation.

 

The Governor was a tall, broad shouldered man in a green military dress uniform with his own special symbols on it. All Governor Generals and Governors were linked to the Imperial Military Forces, perhaps far too tightly so. Governor Patrick Stewart looked up at the Nine as they were brought into his large office chamber by some of the ISAS Troopers. Two remained sentry fashion, along with two of the Governor's own bodyguards who were in dress uniform also.

 

The Governor had been examing the various ideas as sent by Eddie. He spoke with a gruff voice that was forceful more than charming. "There are ideas that could revolutionise the military power of the Empire. The question is, where did you get them? Who provided them to you or where did you steal them from?"

 

The Nine were offended, except Dibbie who was snoozing against Tammie's chest.

 

Tommie spoke. "Those were our ideas. Eddie collected samples of our ideas and sent them to you. It is our offer to help the defence of the Matliern Empire against the AxisEmpires. We are only doing our duty as we have been taught."

 

The big man scowled. "Do you take me for a fool! You are but children and only commoners at that. It is well known that commoners lack the true intelligence of Imperials. You are at the Governor's Pleasure now, you are in my power, and I can do with you what I wish. So you will tell me the truth or I will have to deal with you very harshly." The man slid open a hidden drawer and pulled out a big, powerful revolver-pistol of a type not used commonly by the armed services any more, or at least not officially so.

 

Bobbie shook his head. "There is something wrong with you, Governor, and with your bodyguards. You are not what you appear to be."

 

The Governor arched his eyebrows and then he grinned. "No, we are all MythicDawners, even these fake ISAS Troopers. Nobody can match the cunning brilliance of the MythicDawn."

 

Which was when the ISAS Troopers turned swiftly, raised their autorifles and blasted away at the fake Governor and bodyguards, the bullets exploding through clothes and flesh with ease. The three MythicDawners fell jerking to the floor and lay there with shocked expressions on their faces. Seconds later, with a soft shimmering, the faces changed to their true identities. That is normal human faces dotted with daedric magical markers, patterns and with each having a deadric power-emblem fused to his forehead.

 

AT THE REAL GOVERNOR'S PLEASURE

 

Real ISAS Troopers came into the room, that is more of them, and with them came a high ranking ISAS officer, other officers, some specialists and the real Governor who was washed and dressed but looked like he had suffered harsh treatment at the hands of the MythicDawn.

 

The real Governor watched with disgust as the fake Governor was dragged away. Then he sat in his seat and turned to a calm gentleman type butler. "James, please get refreshments for the visitors, including the ISAS soldiers. You know what you need to do."

 

The Butler nodded only and then vanished with impeccable speed.

 

Johnnie frowned softly. "What to do?"

 

The Governor looked at Johnnie hard. "Your Governorship is what you are supposed to say. Brilliant young geniuses you are but do not assume that means you can forget traditions and manners. Yes, the soldiers and real bodyguards never all get the same food from the same kitchen. This makes it a lot harder for food to be poisoned. Now, we will wait for some special guests to arrive but in the mean time we will begin to investigate your rather astounding inventions. Of course your family is being notified. You are not prisoners but you are conscripted under Imperial Special Wartime Regulations."

 

The Nine could not really see the practical distinction between the two ideas; either way they were trapped even if the prison was a grand and luxurious one.

Edited February 1, 2011 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

3 of 6 (127)

 

CONFINED AND PUSHED TO THE LIMITS

 

The Nine were driven for days to write down every idea, to study blueprints and other diagrams of current technologies, to speak with various specialists, to brainstorm in groups, to be questioned by various specialists and to be tested in various ways. They were allowed to see their parents but not in private but in a room with couches watched through one way mirrors. Every word was listened to and recorded. They had to strip and put on new clothes before going to or leaving the meetings with their parents.

 

The Nine were not very happy.

 

With their 'ESP' they spied out what was happening beyond their confined spaces and learned that the Governor was the one behind the severe restrictions on their lives. At first they thought it might be out of patriotic loyalty to the Empire but it soon turned out that the Emperor and some of his cronies were planning to steal the ideas of the Nine as their own. The Governor wanted more political power and saw himself as being a Governor General at least. To achieve power he was willing to do almost anything including having the Nine killed.

 

But the Governor was having problems. Some amongst the team were complaining about his treatment of the Nine and were openly suspicious of the attempts to publish a series of restricted journals giving credit to various scientist and engineer cronies of the Governor for the work of the Nine. The Governor was planning to deal with them harshly.

 

Which led to the dark secret that the Governor was a much learned, experienced and powerful necromancer and had used these dark abilities in the past to help him become Governor.

 

SPYING ON THE GOVERNOR

 

With combined mindeye they spied upon the Governor, now in black robes stained heavily with dried blood, standing in a small chamber deep below the Governor's Complex. The chamber was ancient and of cut, fused stones of one of the Ancient Peoples. The symbols of the dread ShadowOnes were cut into the wall. The ShadowOnes had been intrinsically powerful necromancers of ancient evil who had been driven into hellish exile by the ancient Alliance of the Light. But some necromancers were still stupidly arrogant enough to make feeble contact and contract with them. The Governor was one of these.

 

He carefully spilt fresh virgin's blood into a shallow bowl carved into a stone alter that was blood red as if blood stained over thousands of centuries. Even as the blood flowed into the bowl, it bubbled gently and a soft mist rose from it. The virgins had not been killed. No point in doing that to a nice source of virgin's blood. No, the blood had come from the Nine themselves. The Governor considered himself to be very clever and had taken blood meant for various tests.

 

He raced his arms to the stone figure melded into the wall before him and spoke in an ancient language that sounded rather normal, really. "Oh ancient and mighty ShadowOnes, I offer to you the blood of innocents, the blood of virginity, the blood of fresh life. Listen to my pleas and grant me a boon so that I might further..."

 

But the ancient voice that filled the chamber, dull and throbbing with hatred and pain, was full of contempt. "Fool, the blood you bring is more than unacceptable to us, it is poison to us. You have defiled our ancient alter with the blood of the Light, of the EnlightenedOnes. The Nine are young and virginal but they are also endlessly reborn, endlessly ancient. There will be no boon for you but only punishment for your stupidity."

 

Which was when the ancient alter cracked down the centre with a sudden harsh, loud noise and the whole chamber exploded into harsh, sharp, bright flames. The Governor was consumed at once and died screaming in shock and agony.

 

The Nine were surprised but not as surprised as they would have expected to be. It was as if they had secretly known the truth about their nature all along.

 

IMPROVEMENTS

 

Conditions improved at once for the Nine. They had less pressure put on them, had more rest and relaxation time and even got to visit home under escort.

 

Security Police and some mysterious agents arrived soon after the Governor died and launched a major investigation. Soon eight lesser necromancers were discovered and dragged off to certain death by being burned to death under sedation. Various others, including scientists and engineers, were either imprisoned or forced to continue work under greatly decreased conditions.

 

Mean while the ideas of the Nine were starting to have an impact on the Empire that was quite impressive and profound.

[Maharg67]

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TAMRIEL HISTORICAL REWIND

 

Tamriellan history had rewound back to the time just before Mehrunes Dagon's major invasion focused on Cyrodiil. There were some changes but most things were the same.

 

The Imperials of Imperial Island and Imperial City magefolk with powerful intrinsic magic and special other abilities. Only Imperials, golems, bonded humans and some other bonded peoples could even approach Imperial Island. On the eastern coast of the Imperial Ring Sea was a city called Imperial Town and it was there that humans, Argonians and others could dwell, work and serve the Empire who were not either Imperials or bonded.

 

The Dark Brotherhood served only the Imperials and the Assassins Guild served any that could afford the price, with in limitations. The Mages Guild was separate from the Arcane University, the Mages Guild having its High Lodge in Imperial Town while the Arcane University was found in Imperial City serving only the magefolk's own wizards and lesser ranks and castes. Teleportation gateways linked the Imperial City with the Lesser Cities and some other sites deemed important, some being secret. The Thieves Guild was only one of the Crime Guilds. Other Guilds were the Fighters, Traders, Merchants, Artisans, Artists, Clerks, Scribes, Tutors, Scholars and a few others.

 

The Knights of the Blade (the Blades) served the Emperor as a whole Order Legion.

 

The one who was Grognak the Barbarian, a hulking Nord from the northern coast of Skyrim, was reading books in the light of cheap candles as mass produced in the Imperial City by means kept secret from most. The books were of the Tamrillan Empire and he had hired them for the night for books were still expensive, at least these books were that dared to speak the truth of the Empire. The Imperials sold cheaply or even gave away books that supported their propaganda. The barbarian did not seem the type to read books but he did so quickly even as he paused now and then to jot some notes down.

 

The Sage OhRoolen of the Cyrodilin Isles, a cluster of islands of the west coast of Cyrodiil, had paid with his life for learning and then publishing the fact that the magefolk, the Imperials, were slowly but steadily dying off. The Dark Brotherhood had taken his life though the Emperor himself had tried to save the life of the Sage, planning instead to put him into a luxurious prison. Why, because OhRoolan was magefolk himself and Imperials were not supposed to kill, or have killed, other Imperials.

 

The reading done, the hulking man took a swig of cidar from a large brass mug and then looked out the barred window at a blue summer sky dotted with white clouds. A floating-ship flew slowly through the air, a big saucer of almost graceful shape, bringing goods to Imperial Town and then, much of those goods, across to the Imperial City. It was pushed by magical means but it also used sails above, to the sides and below, including stabilizers. Such flying vessels were slower, less efficient but cheaper to run than the skycraft of the magefolk; apart from that only magefolk were allowed to operate the skycraft.

 

Grognak watched the floating-ship come into view and then leave his view. He finished drinking his cidar and then went to get a wash before he slept on a bed that he found a little too soft though locals would most likely find it a little too hard. He had hired the rooms for long term and had ordered the bed in especially for his own version of comfort.

Edited February 12, 2011 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

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SURPRISE VISITORS FOR GROGNAK THE BARBARIAN

 

Three thuggers came through the door at about the same time, crashing it to one side, being abnormally big and powerful for humans but also fast. They were magically enhanced puppets of the infamous Thuggers Guild and though disguised as typical travellers they carried baseline magical swords and knives.

 

These monstrous killers were confident they could take down a barbarian from the northern coast of Skyrim but even as they came into the main room, they found nobody there. They looked around themselves in surprise and some confusion. There were the books neatly stacked on the table that the Thuggers were supposed to collect and deliver to a secret address. They were worth a great deal of money and the Thuggers Guild would get well paid for stealing them from the owner who had hired the books out to the barbarian. They would make it look like the barbarian himself stole the books, vanishing with them from the city.

 

Grognak landed behind the thuggers and his magical sword blade thrust deep into the nearest of the killers. The dead thugger was still falling when Grognak killed the second. The second thugger was yet to hit the floor when Grognak sliced the throat of the third and last thugger. Then the hulking barbarian, more hulking than any of the thuggers, was standing amongst the dead body and was carefully wiping the blade of his broadsword clean.

 

Quickly he gathered up his few possessions into his backsack and a carrybag, along with the valuable books that he would return to their true owner at once. There was little he could do for the bodies but he did do some looting of useful items such as some coinage, the magical weapons, gold rings, a small bag of fire-powder and a goblin's good luck charm of finely carved bone.

 

He slipped out the window with surprising quietness, speed and agility. In the semidarkness of the city he made his way down to street level in a side-street at one side of the inn and then he was on the move to meet with Moxi the Foxi, the woman who had hired him the valuable books in the first place. Perhaps she might know why the Thuggers Guild would send some of its killers after him.

 

Though most establishments were closed, some were open for the nocturnal folks and night shift workers so he was able to stop and buy a bowl of noodles'n'eggs at a stall, along with a clay mug of coffee with honey stirred into it. As he ate sitting at the stall, a light flow of foot and vehicle traffic moved along the street being largely delivery carts and freight wagons but there were horse drawn omnibuses and even horse drawn trams. Amongst the civilians, mainly workers, there were a fair few soldiers and one was reminded that the Empire faced growing threats both from outside and from within.

 

On a wall a large sign warned against the MythicDawn, the ShadowOrder and other secretive internal enemies of the Empire. The warning was both to look out for these enemies and for people not to try joining these dark forces for their own gain.

[Maharg67]

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GRONAK CONTINUES HIS MISSION

 

The thuggers' attempt to kill him was only one of many such attacks meant to stop him from getting to speak to the Emperor. Emperor Uriel Septim IV had decided to push for reforms giving greater freedoms to non-magefolk in the Tamriellan Empire. Many magefolk and even non-magefolk elites were unhappy about this. They were trying their best to isolate the Emperor, to make him powerfuless, as he lay dying slowly in his imperial bed.

 

Except he was not slowly dying in his imperial bed in the massive fortress of the Imperial City Palace. The story was a lie, a trick to allow the Emperor and his trusted people more freedom to carry out a series of plans. They were attempts to deal with the triple threat of the daedra, the necromancers and the elties. Grognak was not sure about the cleverness of the plans or the wisdom and sometimes he sensed that the Emperor was up to far more than what most of his people thought he was.

 

Grognak met Baurus, the young Bladeknight, in the Tavern of Delights where nimble women dancers in scanty outfits danced on a long wooden stage jutting partly out into the taproom filled with customers. Baurus did not like the place and though he was dressed in street clothes he acted so much like a warrior that few of the locals were fooled. They did not care, though. There were always such folks in disguise being active in Imperial Town.

 

Baurus paid for a couple of cool beers in mugs, the beer being reasonably good for such establishments. A scantily clad waitress, looking more tired than sexy, brought the beer and was pleased to get a large tip from Baurus.

 

Grognak sighed. "The tip was too big, Baurus. You are supposed to be a local worker with out the income to be so generous, not a well paid Bladeknight."

 

Baurus shrugged. "I think they are not fooled anyway. I have been having strange dreams as if this whole... as if there has been another history unlike this one."

 

Grognak nodded with a look of interest. "Which shows that you are one of the few that are glimpsing the truth. History did take place and was then rewound and changed. You are not going mad. There are others like you. Like them you will be gaining special abilities. Like them you need to assist in the battle against the real threat which is the Dark Nine. What orders have you gained about my meeting with the Emperor?"

 

Baurus did not look happy. "I was supposed to get orders delivered to me yesterday my a man called Charles Bronson. He is an actor at the Imperial Town Theatre who normally plays the role of a heroic warrior out to revenge the death of his wife and children. Tedious stuff but the commoners like it. Well, I did so when younger. I was born and raised here in Imperial Town."

 

Only magefolk could be Blades because they had to serve the Emperor as bodyguards and go where he went, including into restricted areas.

 

Grognak nodded. "Then I suggest that we go looking for this man, Charles Bronson, but not too much in a hurry. There are a pair of sharp eyed young women observing us from a corner. Unlike you, Baurus, they blend in much better and seem to be well trained in such things."

 

Baurus snorted. "Unlike you who stands out like a sore thumb."

 

Grognak grinned. "That is my disguise, Baurus, I do not pretend to be anything other than a barbarian from the north but I can blend if I have to do so. I shall have to give you and other Blades some lessons in espionage unless, of course, the young woman approaching us is one of you."

 

The woman selling flowers, she was normally dressed, stopped at their table and smiled sweetly before she spoke. "Baurus, you may as well wear a sign around your neck stating that you are a Bladeknight. Try to relax a bit. No, don't bother, you only look worse. Yes, Bladeagents are well trained in the art of espionage. The two women studying you are assassins of the Dark Brotherhood but the Dark Brotherhood will not attempt to do anything to you for you serve the Emperor. For now they remain more or less loyal to the Emperor but this may change at any moment as they fear that the Emperor will remove them from their privileges and power. The Emperor inherited the Dark Brotherhood and does not much care for them or they for him."

 

Then, after a pause, she spoke again. "I am Jadelene of the Blades. The actor, Charles Bronson, is wounded and lying in a Bladeagent safe house here in Imperial Town. He was attacked by magic when two shadowbeasts were summoned into his inne rooms. He only survived because he had been equipped with some emergency spells to use against such a threat. He is a Bladeagent. Please buy some flowers otherwise people will wonder why I am lingering here."

 

Baurus bought some flowers for his mother. Grognak bought some flowers to give as tribute to a local street shrine of the Divines. The three of them made plans to meet together, later, after Jadelene did some other tasks in the city.

Edited February 21, 2011 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

QUESTIONABLE HISTORIES OF (NEW )TAMRIEL

 

EXAMPLES OF TRICKY MAGIC

 

Sometimes magic goes wrong, strangely wrong and this can be for many purposes. Just the wrong time and place, meaning hidden or even one off influences, can do it. Some places are known for messing up magic and so are some people.

 

Summon 'Nothing' Jack

This mage summoned things and nothing appeared except everybody, including himself, gained the troubling sense that something was where it was meant to be. So troubling were these sensations, most upsetting to animals, that thankfully they did not last for long. Jack gained a reasonable income by moving to the Arcane University where he was studied by high ranking wizards. What they learned, if anything, they kept to themselves. Jack himself died peacefully at the university long after he lost the ability to do any magic at all. It was whispered the wizards did this to him after they realised his summoning was threatening to bring to Tamriel a very dark and dangerous magical spiritual force.

 

FLOATING MAGIC OF ARBINGTALE

The town of Arbingtale was, for three months, full of temporary mages for everybody developed the abilities to make things float in the air, to make themselves float just above the ground and the ability to create small floating clouds that carried light weighted things on them. The abilities went away gradually after three months but any babies concieved in the village during the three months was born to have the same powers permanently and then to pass then on.

 

FLUFFY BUNNIES AND THE NECROMANCER

Flane Bunnin was a strange necromancer who secretly dreaded the undead and who summoned giant dancing bunny rabbits, white or pink, wearing fluffy bunny slippers when he tried to summon zombies or skeletons or any other form of undead. Necromancers did not want to have anything to do with him. In the end he made a living entertaining children in open markets and at children's parties or even at orphanages for free. It turned out he was a good person after all.

Edited March 12, 2011 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

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