The Grove (Open RP)

[Akunosh Inarus]

((Doo doo doo...fast-foward >.> ))

*The Three Sisters landed in Cha'arduun without incident. Nicole and Akunosh led them to his Estate, mounted on fresh horses, and left for Is'uldul. They arrived at the capital after several hours. It was dawn, and a light fog was starting to burn off from the morning sun. The paladins led them through the city's gates and up the slope of the hill, following the narrow, windy streets that led to the top. Akunosh studied the buildings that dominated the hilltop: the Royal Palace, the Iva 'en i' Seldarine Temple, the Enclave Council Hall, and the Is'uldul Military Academy. No one was awake at this hour, and the streets were empty*

*An angel suddenly appeared before them, clad in ivory colored angelic armor. The angel had no gender, but had long, flowing gold hair. With eyes of pure holiness, the angel looked upon the group and smiled*

"Akunosh, Nicole, Carzal, Ominous, and Cheshire, welcome to the glorious kingdom of Cha'arduun. The holy quest that you have undertaken has not gone unnoticed by Siriuthian and the Enclave. I suggest you speak with Darturia immediately. He has some things that he wishes to give to you all. Then, you may visit the Temple, where Siriuthian and the others will bestow their blessings upon you. Finally, Galur Rithari has asked to speak with you all. I myself shall visit the other nobles and call together the Grand Council. Then, by the combined efforts of your group, you shall bring peace and order to Cha'arduun. More than that, I am not allowed to say. Destiny shall make itself clear in due time. Farewell, dear friends, until we meet again..."

*Akunosh and Nicole exchanged glances briefly*

"Did you just...?"

"Yes...and you...?"

"Yeah. Alright, you heard the angel, lets talk to the Enclave first."

*Akunosh and Nicole led them up the twelve marble steps and to the Enclave's entrance. When the double doors had swung open, Akunosh was startled to find troops waiting for them. They were arrayed in two ranks, both running down the length of the corridor, and had left just enough space for the group to pass. Each rank was ten men deep and fifty men long. Each wore the golden cloaks of the Enclave and carried a spear at port arms with a sword hung at their sides. At the very end of the hallway stood Darturia and eight of the nine Templars*

"Akunosh, bring your group over here. We have much to discuss."

[Ominous]

Angels, now. Jeez, I was in deep. I just came along to set werewolves on fire...or was it zombies? Or vampires?

I hoped it wasn't vampires. I hated vampires. Whatever, there would be fire eventually.

[Cheshire]

*Cheshire had kept to himself the entire time; deep in thought and observance. First the sudden departure upon the speedy brig, then the anglic presence and finally the enclave, readied for war.*

*Cheshire stood straight and walked down inspecting the men. The five hundred seemed strong, ready and willing but would they be enough to have to fight vampires much less a nation if needed?*

*They reached the end of the hallway and Cheshire looked up to Aku to see where to go next*

[Carzal]

Angles, angels, angels.
Angels were usually messengers of their patron god, and the particular holiness of this one brought the tinge of guilt to Carzal's mind. He was technically the avatar of a certain god of light, but was able to avoid all responsibilities as the god of light was fighting an enormous war against evil, one that would likely never end.

[Akunosh Inarus]

A thousand Enclave knights. Surely Darturia meant war against Aria. Well, that was one less person to convince of her threat. Akunosh and Nicole walked over to where Darturia and eight of his Templars stood. The Arbiter looked solemnly towards them, then motioned for them to enter the Council Chambers just behind him. The grand, twenty-foot marble doors swung open silently, revealing the Council Chambers in its entirity. A massive oak table dominated the center of the room, surrounded by dozens of chairs. A massive sword surrounded by other weapons were laid upon a stone table against the wall. When the group had entered, the Templars sealed the doors behind them. It was only Darturia and the group.

"Akunosh, Nicole, the rest of you, welcome. I'm sorry for the briefness of this meeting, but it must be so. Time, I fear, is not on our side."

"The soldiers. Are they to buy us more time? Or are they going to join us in battle?"

"No. They have been called here for a different purpose. It shall be clear to you all when the time comes. Now, let this meeting begin."

With that, Darturia casted a spell upon the door, creating a magical barrier that would prevent any sound from escaping the room. He turned towards them and let his solemn, wary eyes settle on each of them, as if to study their very souls.

"You have done well selecting your companions. I sense no taint or darkness in their souls that would compromise your tasks. Two fighters, two paladins, and a mage. I have just the right equipment to aid you in this mission. You may accept them or decline them, its up to you. And yes, you may keep them and do whatever you want with them afterwards. We have no other use for them."

Darturia walked briskly to the stone table and retrieved a longsword. The sheath, made of a strong wood, was white as ivory, and the crossguard, hilt, and pommel were as shiny as silver. The Arbiter walked over to Carzal and presented the weapon to him. He drew the blade halfway out to display it.

"Valyrian steel. Forged by the Elves in Rosevale and Rainwood during the time of the Ancient Kingdoms. Sharper, lighter, and more durable than steel, matched only by mithril and few others. It was carried by the late Templar Viserys Santagar before his recent unfortunate death."

Sliding the blade back into the sheath, he handed it to Carzal and walked back to the table. He retrieved another longsword, this one dark gray in appearance, and presented it to Cheshire.

"Also Valyrian steel, forged by the same Elves during the Ancient Kingdoms. The hilt, crossguard, pommel, and sheath are made dragonbone, a rare and expensive material, no doubt. It was carried by Ser Rodrick Moore, sworn shield to the Prince, before both were killed by unknown assassins nearly a decade ago."

Darturia retrieved a wizard's staff, silver in appearance, and made of a durable wood. He handed it to Ominous.

"This was carried by our most powerful wizard, Galur Rithari himself, before he resigned as head of the Mage's Guild and began to teach at the Is'uldul Military Academy. He is a prominent prophet and sage, precise in describing every last detail of his visions. Galur once told me that a half-elf with fiery red hair would soon be its new owner. I suppose that its none other than you."

The Arbiter then retrieved another longsword, this one with a golden hilt, crossguard, and pommel with a black sheath. He presented it to Nicole.

"This was, long ago, my personal longsword, Justice. I carried it from day one of my induction into the Enclave to the day I became Arbiter. I have since retired it in favor of my warhammer."

Finally, Darturia stopped before Akunosh.

"I would like to present you with your gift, but it seems that it takes eight Templars just to lift the damn thing. It is the greatsword that lies on the table. Take a look for yourself."

Akunosh turned and approached the golden-hilt greatsword, staring at it in awe. Many runes were carved into the blade and hilt by magical means. The blade, five feet in length, was made of an unknown alloy. It shimmered with silverish-white energy and radiated of pure, holy powers. Awestruck, the paladin touched the hilt softly, tracing the runes.

Akunosh's heart jumped when he recognized one of the insignias; it was his coat-of-arms.

"That's...that's my coat-of-arms..."

"Yes, that it is. The sword you behold before you is the one wielded by Saint Khensthoth Inarus, Founder of His Name, First Arbiter of the Enclave, Advisor of the Emperor, and Protector of the Realm. None other than an Inarus could ever hope to wield the sword in combat. Go on, try it out."

The paladin wrapped his fingers around the two foot long hilt, holding it tighty. It took eight Templars just to lift this one sword, and if Darturia was right, he could lift it by himself. Pulling softly, sword lifted clear of the table. It seemed to weigh less than a regular sword half its size. Akunosh looked back at Darturia, uncertain if this was real. The Arbiter was smiling softly.

"So...it is true."

The Arbiter looked towards them all one last time.

"The weapons are yours if you want. Otherwise, return them on the table. I shall think nothing less of you if you return them."

[Ominous]

I took the staff with a "thank you." Staring at its silvery coat mesmerized me for a second, but I quickly snapped out of it and looked up. It was a powerful enchantment I was holding in my hands, and I knew that whatever it did would come in handy very soon.

Now, I wondered, what DID it do? Or did it do whatever I wanted it to? Only time would tell.

[Cheshire]

ooc: just for future reference, although Chesh might seem like a warrior by demeanor, he considers himself more of a ranger than a warrior.




*While everyone was admiring their new presents, Cheshire was busy inspecting his for any enchantments, good or bad. After a few long minutes, he concluded there were no enchantments, only copious amounts of old magic infused into the metal, most likely cast as the smiths forged the blade itself he guessed. Finally when his paranoia faded, a touch of anxiety tickled his mind: by taking this blade would he be forswearing his katana-style blade, crafted personally for him by the master smith and friend Dune?*

*He finished pulling out the long sword from it's sheath, slowly and deliberately, immersing himself in the work of the blade. Tip-to-butt, the sword was nearly four feet in length without a single chip or scratch to be seen yet from the wear of the hilt, it was obvious this was a seasoned sword. The blade was nearly black with intricate inlay which was white at the tip and faded into a dark gray at the hilt to match the color of the crossguard (more dragonbone guessed Cheshire), although it was oiled and well taken care of, the blade itself barely barely reflected light.*

Why would a prince's shield have a blade of this caliber?

*Cheshire bit his lip in thought and sheathed the longsword*

I suppose I should keep this blade, even if it is just to add it to my collection of treasures but it does beats my normal steel longsword

*Cheshire faced the Arbiter and lowered his head in a small bow*

Arbiter, I thank you for this gift and shall use it well but I must play the role of the ungrateful guest and ask for more... my quiver half full and I only brought the bare minimum food and potions for the trip here. Can you arrange our provisions to be filled before we leave?

edit: just clarifying some items and fix the flow

[Akunosh Inarus]

((ooc: sorry bud, couldn't tell...plus, you weren't there when I wanted to bug ya about what Chesh was :p ))

The Arbiter looked towards Cheshire and nodded.

"Of course you may ask for more. You are all welcome to take whatever you need. There are enough arrows in the armory to equip an entire standing army. Plus, there are plenty of potions at the Mage's Guild and provisions in our storage rooms."

He then looked towards Ominous, offering a friendly smile.

"Galur would be proud to see you with his staff. If time permits, you may ask him about it. I'm sure he would have some things to say about it."

Darturia looked at Nicole.

"I appreciate the gift, Arbiter. I will cherish it for a long time."

"Good. It will once more taste battle, as it was meant to. Use it well."

He turned to Akunosh, who was still holding the blade in awe.

"Khensthoth would be proud to see you with his sword. Be careful not to drop it on your own toes, though...the bones in your foot would be shattered like glass."

"Thank you, Darturia."

Akunosh looked towards the Arbiter, carefully examining his face.

"What comes next?"

"Go to the Academy. Speak with Galur. Then go to the Temple and see the deities. By the time you return here, the Council will be ready."

"Thank you, Darturia, for everything."

"Its nothing. Now go, while the morning is still young."

Darturia deactivated the magical barrier and let the doors swing open. The thousand gold cloaked knights continued to stand at attention, waiting for Darturia's orders, whatever those might be. The Is'uldul Military Academy was just across the street, the same place that Akunosh had graduated as an officer.

Leading them into the entrance, he lead them to Galur's office. As the head of the Academy, his office was the largest and most furnished. The paladin opened the oak door silently. There, sitting before them in a leather and oak chair was Galur himself. The blind, ancient elf looked towards them with his unseeing eyes, smiling softly.

"Welcome, old friend. Come, bring everyone in, there are enough chairs here for everyone."

Though he was physically blind, he could still see via magical means. In fact, he could've prevented himself from going blind, but instead refused treatment. Galur had stated many times before that what the eyes see and perceive are false illusions. Through magic, however, one could strip away the facade and see the true meaning behind every last thing. Finally, the prophet spoke again.

"I'm certain that you all have questions. I'm certain that I have the answers that you seek."

[Ominous]

I looked around to see that no one else had asked Rithari anything yet, so I hazarded a question, myself. "Lord Archmage, I wish to ask you of the staff that has been given to me. I see it's a beautiful crafting of wood, and that it has a definite aura about it. But, I've no clue how to use it. You said that it was destined for a half-elf with firey red hair...am I the wrong person for it? I fear that I'm not strong enough to use it...I couldn't begin to decipher its enchantment, even at my level of magical awareness."

[Carzal]

Carzal hefted the new swords, examining it critically. It was a nice sword he had to admit, similar to his current longswords, although without the intrinsic magic forged into it.
He clipped it to his waist. It was inferior to his current ones, but weapons did get lost.
In the Arbiters office, Carzal took possession of a nice chair. Comfort was hard to come by, and Carzal had gone through more than his share of wars, only rarely as an officer or a leader, and knew how precious comfort was.
When Ominous finished his question, Carzal voiced some of his own:
"Who, what, when and how?"
He was vague on the why, but it didn't matter as much as the other questions.

[Akunosh Inarus]

"...Ereshkigal..."

Galur's word was soft, almost unheard. He let his unseeing eyes rest upon Ominous, listening respectfully to the mage's concern. Then, he gave the same respect to Carzal when he spoke his quick, straight to the cut questions. He smiled and looked back at Ominous.

"Please, by all means, just call me Galur. And no, you are not the wrong person destined to wield her. Yes, I said 'her.' Her name is Ereshkigal, and she's got one hell of a fiery attitude. However, beneath her eccentric and often brash behavior is untold ancient wisdom. She's far older than the Old Kingdoms of 40,000 years ago, older than the Altmeri 70,000 years before then, and older than the Aviri 250,000 years before then."

"As for deciphering her magical enchantments, you are unable to do so because she doesn't wish for you to. Not yet, at least. She'll decide when she'll let you use her effectively. Her magic is ancient and powerful, equal to those of a dragon's innate magic. You'll probably have to show her you're capable of casting spells for her to...accept you. When she accepts you, you'll find that she auguments all of your spells, most likely reducing time you spend casting and leaving you less exhausted afterwards while amplifying your powers. I hope that answers your questions."

He turned to Carzal and gave him a quizing glance.

"I may be able to forsee the future, my friend, but I cannot read your mind without first breaking into it. And I'm certain you wouldn't appreciate that in the least bit. Please clarify what you mean."

Akunosh and Nicole remained quiet, waiting for the others to ask their questions before asking their own.

[Carzal]

Carzal smiled. However powerful he was, he couldn't break into Carzal's mind, no matter how skilled. Carzal didn't pretend that his own meagre skill was more than Galurs, but... He tuched the pouch on his belt for a moment.
"Akunosh gave us all some vague idea of what was going on, but I am assuming that you can give us a better idea of exactly what we are going to do, and how to do it." He looked at the old man expectantly.

[Ominous]

As he finished speaking, I got off a quick "Thank you Arch...Galur. I hope the way I use Ereshkigal will pay you back for your gift."

This staff interested me. I'd definately have to experiment with her dangerously at the most innapropriate moment - on the battlefield.

[Akunosh Inarus]

Galur listened to Carzal and Ominous, then checked to see if the others had any questions. Seeing that they didn't, he gave his reply.

"Of course, my young friend. It is a campaign that must not be taken lightly. Darturia is rallying the Grand Council, the only organization that has the power and authority to rival the monarchy. Every Great and Lesser House will be represented, and it'll take a while to get them all here. In the meantime, the Temple has almost finished their preperations. I have no clue as to what they've prepared, but I get the feeling its for the better."

The prophet paused, cleared his throat, and continued.

"What you are going to do is this: once the Grand Council has been called, you'll convince them of the necessity to eliminate Dagoth Aria. Some of the Houses are for this action, others against it. You may be asking yourself why you're doing that in the first place. The answer is simple: the monarchy has made it clear that it will not act against Aria. To second guess the monarchy's decisions without first calling a Grand Council is considered treason in the King's eyes. The man is insane, to say the least."

"When you have the support of the Grand Council, this news must be brought to the Royal Palace. I have forseen everything that has happened, is happening, and will happen, but I cannot say any more without taking the risk of destroying the delicate fabrics of time. I'm certain you understand."

"Once the monarchy has your support, they'll authorize Darturia to send troops to aid you. Fighting in mountains is a hellish campaign, and there is no possible way that you can defeat her allies by yourself. They'll focus on eliminating bases, fortresses, and other establishments so you don't get unexpected enemy forces flanking you from behind."

Galur paused again.

"You will then run across a difficult decision, and I can only hope you make the right choice. One choice leads to success and the annihilation of Aria. The other...the other leads to perpetual darkness and evil unlike any this realm has seen. Of that, I can say no more."