Post by Seigmand Dezmar on Nov 9, 2012 15:33:09 GMT -5
(Hey guys, just a solo post to get Seigmand ready for the upcoming Saint's 2 Arc. Was hoping to have played this out over a slower pace, but heck, a guy's gotta be adaptable doesn't he? 
)
Within the arid wilderness near the Guastian-Roccian borders where the land was a flat and boundless plateau there was little to mark the vast landscape save for the far off cities within it's horizons. Here amidst the desolation only a few beasts made their homes, finding prey within those that wandered off the merchant roads and into their territory. Years of the plain's inhospitality towards man had made it common knowledge to stay to the roads, especially when the sun set. Most days nary a soul would ever dare come within a hundred miles of the place, yet today, as the pitch of night settled over the Phanto Plains, five of them dared that journey.
Each one was draped within heavy earthen browns and greens that covered them head to toe as they travelled on horseback in a fast and furious manner. With the steadfast gallop of their steads they rushed past the packs of monsters and the herds of predatory birds, driven towards a goal that only they knew.
With a sudden gesture one of them pulled tightly on the reins as their other hand bayed the rest of the group to slow. "This is it." The figure spoke, a woman's voice said sternly.
"Yeah, no way those brainless beasts would have just done this on their own." Another spoke, dismounting from his horse as the rest others followed suit.
Standing out from the usually featureless wasteland stood a ghastly mound of bones, blood, and fur erected two feet high. Torn clean of any meat the remains were a collection of the varying beasts from the nearby area, predator and prey alike reduced to nothing more than a monument to their deaths.
The woman approached, taking but a moment to look the other four in the eye as she said "Stay." before doing so. Getting close the stench was powerful, and it made all too much sense why nothing living had dared to pursue them past fifty meters back. With a swift strike she dashed the bones aside, clearing them from their original place until she paused to see a small and unique symbol etched into the ground beneath it. Nodding to herself she turned back to her team. "Tie up the horses, we've found him."
"About time. What in the world did he have to go so out of his way for this anyways?" The man asked as the five focused on the Earth below them till their Geomancy reached out and pulled forth a tall, narrow pillar of stone in front of them. It was a handy skill for keeping their mounts in place regardless of the area, and with their steeds attended to all turned their attention back to the earth where the mound had been moments ago.
"Wouldn't you be paranoid after what just happened? Now come on, we shouldn't hang around up here much longer." With a pulling motion of her hands the woman's power rent the Earth asunder, revealing to their joy a small narrow staircase with a flickering glow of light coming from within. As soon as they had all descended she once more channeled the earth around them to seal the path closed.
The pathway was crudely shaped and cramped, barely giving each of them room to walk comfortably. Quietly as they could they moved down deeper and deeper till at last they came out in a larger domed chamber. The light was coming from a small orb situated in the middle of the room, illuminating the sparse accommodations. There was little here, save for a few books and the smell of cooked meat.
"Do you think..." Another on of the cloaked group started to utter when all of a sudden the floor and walls came to life and swallowed them all. All of them looked within their cramped confides from all angles with surprise. Had it been a trap? The woman cursed as she drew back her sleeve and pulled forth a dagger that was strapped secretly to her forearm. "You know your roles, on my mark..." She crouched low and a moment later exploded with power as she bull charged through their prison like it was made of paper. Her team responded like a well oiled machine, each one flying out to cover a different section of the room with their weapon armed and at the ready. They pressed their backs to the walls so they could feel the vibrations of the earthen walls surrounding them as their eyes covered every angle of the chamber.
"I see you've been maintaining your training regimen Shandra." Seigmand Dezmar stepped out from the very confines he had used to trap the five in. "It's good to see you."
The five immediately sheathed their weapons and drew down to both knees with their heads down to the ground. Each one of the five pulled their hoods down at last, revealing all young boys and girls no older than 14. Immediately noticeable was that each of them wore a set of three small hoops in their left ear and each wore the same runic black tattoo that curled and snaked along the left side of their face and neck.
"May the Golems of the Crown always serve you well and to the end." All of the children uttered in unison, their order's pledge to Seigmand drilled into them to the point of Pavlovian response.
"Stand Golems. How did your mission fare?" Seigmand stood within the centre of the cavern, at last able to relax in the knowledge he was among his most trusted of subjects. The Golems of the Crown were in many ways his prize creations during his short reign in Roccia. Each was a child from the varying clans and tribes from around the nation that he had recruited for their skills and talents. Some excelled in combat, others in stealth, and some in the understanding of tracking and pursuit. Yet all had been educated and trained to do two things; to follow any order that Seigmand had given them, and to do so without any way their actions could be tied back to him. They were the perfect resource, the perfect tools, and each of them had been taught to appreciate above all else the approval of their king.
"My lord, we have done as you commanded. We bring news of the invasion on Roccia and Silica City, as well as as much info that we could collect on the leaders of the operation." Shandra, a girl who's rough voice and stoic eyes betrayed the youthfulness of her face and body, came forward as she removed a large pack from her shoulders. Seigmand turned his eyes on Shandra as he reached for the pack and began to peruse it's contents. Several scrolls, a few from his personal study he had requested, as well as some of the ledgers from the keep's records were all safely stowed within. He let a small smile slip through, and Shandra beamed joyfully at her king's approval. With a gesture the rest of the Golems all took their packs and placed them down near Seigmand before adopting their kneeling position around them.
"What of room I asked you to destroy? The one beneath my study?" Seigmand once again held his gaze on Shandra. She nodded once, with an air of hesitation to her response. Seigmand took notice of it but didn't question further. He knew that Shandra least of all would dare question what she had seen in that room, much as it might have confused her. To think of the setback the invasion had had on his own plans exacerbated him, but by the looks of the the scrolls and items the rest had brought the loses had been minimal. A couple months work it would set him back, presuming he could still get his kingdom back. Seigmand waved a hand passively towards the children, meaning they were free to relax and take it easy till he called on them.
As they all lounged about the cramped basement room one of the Golems approached Shandra. "What was in that room that our King asked you to destroy?" The blond boy, only 12 years old yet carrying the scars of a seasoned warrior whispered.
"...Nothing. Just some documents was all." Shandra finally answered after a long pause. Yet the room had indeed been vexing to her. Whilst gathering what her King had asked Shandra for, she had seen enough to know he had been planning something. Maps of Guasto hung from all walls, while historical records concerning the rulers of Guasto's past had been collected in piles. All that would have been benign on it's own, had it not been for the tomes. The black thick tomes full of dark rituals and strange diagrams had sent a chill down her spine when she'd seen them. As much as she had wished to ask what it was that Seigmand had been doing with them, she knew better than that. She turned to her King in hopes of seeing his warm smile affirm the good work they'd all done, yet what she saw scared her more than the images within his secret tomes. She saw pain and fear written on his face, and he seemed to be clutching at his skull and shuttering.
"LORD DEZMAR!" Shandra rushed up to come to his aid, causing a stir of distress in the rest of the Golems.
"NO! GET OUT!" He threw out his hand and a wall of stone drew up to separate himself from the five children. As much as they wished to come to him, they all stood back and looked to Shandra who only stood and stared at the wall. Much as they wanted, they have been ordered to stay out, and stay out is what they would do.
Roxa. Roxa. At last I've found you. Seigmand felt a painful force on his mind, the sensation that he was being torn from his senses. He could feel something desperately climbing, reasserting dominance. It was a feeling that was familiar, but it had been so long. He wondered if it hurt so badly because of that, or if was because of the storm of emotions that the name had brought up in the consciousness that was now taking over once more. Roxa, you won't escape me again. It was the last thing he remembered before he felt himself lose his grip on reality, returned to the darkness once more.
The wall collapsed, and the children all stood back, afraid of what might have happened. Yet to their relief Seigmand stood perfectly calm before them, a simple smile resting on his lips. "You have done better than you could have imagined young Golems. Your king is very proud of you."
"My, my king, are you okay?" Shandra looked at him nervously, holding the same cautious optimism in their eyes that she did.
"Forget it children, I minor lapse of illness. It is not for one's subjects to see their king in a state of weakness." Seigmand stepped towards Shandra and placed his hand on her head as he knelt down to her height. "Your king has more he needs of you all, this information has created some...unique opportunities for me. Now, what I need is..." Seigmand hunched close and whispered into her ear for some time. At last when he pulled back, she only nodded with confidence and called out to the Golems to move out. They quickly gathered their gear and made for the surface, gone in less than a minute.
Seigmand stood in isolation once more, unmoving till he heard the shuddering of the earth close around his hideout. Slowly he reached behind him and pulled his staff from it's holster. His hands traced a line along its length, all his attention focused on his weapon.
"Paracelsus, wake up. It's time to go to work again." Seigmand spoke softly in a tone like that of a mother to it's sleeping child. With a soft hum of light his staff disappeared within it's glow before reappearing as a gigantic key-sized blade with a face on it's base. It had a dazed expression on it's face, looking around for a moment before it focused on Seigmand.
"Again? Do you mean..." He uttered in a raspy voice.
"Yes, our plans for Guasto will have to be put on hiatus for a moment. We've found Roxa Sairen, and I think he's long overdue for giving us an answer as to what happened that day on the Tower of Salvation. We're going to find out..." In that moment the form of Seigmand phased and distorted for a moment before reforming as that of a ghostly pale young girl. "...one way or another, and then we'll make the him pay for disrupting my plans in Roccia."
)Within the arid wilderness near the Guastian-Roccian borders where the land was a flat and boundless plateau there was little to mark the vast landscape save for the far off cities within it's horizons. Here amidst the desolation only a few beasts made their homes, finding prey within those that wandered off the merchant roads and into their territory. Years of the plain's inhospitality towards man had made it common knowledge to stay to the roads, especially when the sun set. Most days nary a soul would ever dare come within a hundred miles of the place, yet today, as the pitch of night settled over the Phanto Plains, five of them dared that journey.
Each one was draped within heavy earthen browns and greens that covered them head to toe as they travelled on horseback in a fast and furious manner. With the steadfast gallop of their steads they rushed past the packs of monsters and the herds of predatory birds, driven towards a goal that only they knew.
With a sudden gesture one of them pulled tightly on the reins as their other hand bayed the rest of the group to slow. "This is it." The figure spoke, a woman's voice said sternly.
"Yeah, no way those brainless beasts would have just done this on their own." Another spoke, dismounting from his horse as the rest others followed suit.
Standing out from the usually featureless wasteland stood a ghastly mound of bones, blood, and fur erected two feet high. Torn clean of any meat the remains were a collection of the varying beasts from the nearby area, predator and prey alike reduced to nothing more than a monument to their deaths.
The woman approached, taking but a moment to look the other four in the eye as she said "Stay." before doing so. Getting close the stench was powerful, and it made all too much sense why nothing living had dared to pursue them past fifty meters back. With a swift strike she dashed the bones aside, clearing them from their original place until she paused to see a small and unique symbol etched into the ground beneath it. Nodding to herself she turned back to her team. "Tie up the horses, we've found him."
"About time. What in the world did he have to go so out of his way for this anyways?" The man asked as the five focused on the Earth below them till their Geomancy reached out and pulled forth a tall, narrow pillar of stone in front of them. It was a handy skill for keeping their mounts in place regardless of the area, and with their steeds attended to all turned their attention back to the earth where the mound had been moments ago.
"Wouldn't you be paranoid after what just happened? Now come on, we shouldn't hang around up here much longer." With a pulling motion of her hands the woman's power rent the Earth asunder, revealing to their joy a small narrow staircase with a flickering glow of light coming from within. As soon as they had all descended she once more channeled the earth around them to seal the path closed.
The pathway was crudely shaped and cramped, barely giving each of them room to walk comfortably. Quietly as they could they moved down deeper and deeper till at last they came out in a larger domed chamber. The light was coming from a small orb situated in the middle of the room, illuminating the sparse accommodations. There was little here, save for a few books and the smell of cooked meat.
"Do you think..." Another on of the cloaked group started to utter when all of a sudden the floor and walls came to life and swallowed them all. All of them looked within their cramped confides from all angles with surprise. Had it been a trap? The woman cursed as she drew back her sleeve and pulled forth a dagger that was strapped secretly to her forearm. "You know your roles, on my mark..." She crouched low and a moment later exploded with power as she bull charged through their prison like it was made of paper. Her team responded like a well oiled machine, each one flying out to cover a different section of the room with their weapon armed and at the ready. They pressed their backs to the walls so they could feel the vibrations of the earthen walls surrounding them as their eyes covered every angle of the chamber.
"I see you've been maintaining your training regimen Shandra." Seigmand Dezmar stepped out from the very confines he had used to trap the five in. "It's good to see you."
The five immediately sheathed their weapons and drew down to both knees with their heads down to the ground. Each one of the five pulled their hoods down at last, revealing all young boys and girls no older than 14. Immediately noticeable was that each of them wore a set of three small hoops in their left ear and each wore the same runic black tattoo that curled and snaked along the left side of their face and neck.
"May the Golems of the Crown always serve you well and to the end." All of the children uttered in unison, their order's pledge to Seigmand drilled into them to the point of Pavlovian response.
"Stand Golems. How did your mission fare?" Seigmand stood within the centre of the cavern, at last able to relax in the knowledge he was among his most trusted of subjects. The Golems of the Crown were in many ways his prize creations during his short reign in Roccia. Each was a child from the varying clans and tribes from around the nation that he had recruited for their skills and talents. Some excelled in combat, others in stealth, and some in the understanding of tracking and pursuit. Yet all had been educated and trained to do two things; to follow any order that Seigmand had given them, and to do so without any way their actions could be tied back to him. They were the perfect resource, the perfect tools, and each of them had been taught to appreciate above all else the approval of their king.
"My lord, we have done as you commanded. We bring news of the invasion on Roccia and Silica City, as well as as much info that we could collect on the leaders of the operation." Shandra, a girl who's rough voice and stoic eyes betrayed the youthfulness of her face and body, came forward as she removed a large pack from her shoulders. Seigmand turned his eyes on Shandra as he reached for the pack and began to peruse it's contents. Several scrolls, a few from his personal study he had requested, as well as some of the ledgers from the keep's records were all safely stowed within. He let a small smile slip through, and Shandra beamed joyfully at her king's approval. With a gesture the rest of the Golems all took their packs and placed them down near Seigmand before adopting their kneeling position around them.
"What of room I asked you to destroy? The one beneath my study?" Seigmand once again held his gaze on Shandra. She nodded once, with an air of hesitation to her response. Seigmand took notice of it but didn't question further. He knew that Shandra least of all would dare question what she had seen in that room, much as it might have confused her. To think of the setback the invasion had had on his own plans exacerbated him, but by the looks of the the scrolls and items the rest had brought the loses had been minimal. A couple months work it would set him back, presuming he could still get his kingdom back. Seigmand waved a hand passively towards the children, meaning they were free to relax and take it easy till he called on them.
As they all lounged about the cramped basement room one of the Golems approached Shandra. "What was in that room that our King asked you to destroy?" The blond boy, only 12 years old yet carrying the scars of a seasoned warrior whispered.
"...Nothing. Just some documents was all." Shandra finally answered after a long pause. Yet the room had indeed been vexing to her. Whilst gathering what her King had asked Shandra for, she had seen enough to know he had been planning something. Maps of Guasto hung from all walls, while historical records concerning the rulers of Guasto's past had been collected in piles. All that would have been benign on it's own, had it not been for the tomes. The black thick tomes full of dark rituals and strange diagrams had sent a chill down her spine when she'd seen them. As much as she had wished to ask what it was that Seigmand had been doing with them, she knew better than that. She turned to her King in hopes of seeing his warm smile affirm the good work they'd all done, yet what she saw scared her more than the images within his secret tomes. She saw pain and fear written on his face, and he seemed to be clutching at his skull and shuttering.
"LORD DEZMAR!" Shandra rushed up to come to his aid, causing a stir of distress in the rest of the Golems.
"NO! GET OUT!" He threw out his hand and a wall of stone drew up to separate himself from the five children. As much as they wished to come to him, they all stood back and looked to Shandra who only stood and stared at the wall. Much as they wanted, they have been ordered to stay out, and stay out is what they would do.
Roxa. Roxa. At last I've found you. Seigmand felt a painful force on his mind, the sensation that he was being torn from his senses. He could feel something desperately climbing, reasserting dominance. It was a feeling that was familiar, but it had been so long. He wondered if it hurt so badly because of that, or if was because of the storm of emotions that the name had brought up in the consciousness that was now taking over once more. Roxa, you won't escape me again. It was the last thing he remembered before he felt himself lose his grip on reality, returned to the darkness once more.
The wall collapsed, and the children all stood back, afraid of what might have happened. Yet to their relief Seigmand stood perfectly calm before them, a simple smile resting on his lips. "You have done better than you could have imagined young Golems. Your king is very proud of you."
"My, my king, are you okay?" Shandra looked at him nervously, holding the same cautious optimism in their eyes that she did.
"Forget it children, I minor lapse of illness. It is not for one's subjects to see their king in a state of weakness." Seigmand stepped towards Shandra and placed his hand on her head as he knelt down to her height. "Your king has more he needs of you all, this information has created some...unique opportunities for me. Now, what I need is..." Seigmand hunched close and whispered into her ear for some time. At last when he pulled back, she only nodded with confidence and called out to the Golems to move out. They quickly gathered their gear and made for the surface, gone in less than a minute.
Seigmand stood in isolation once more, unmoving till he heard the shuddering of the earth close around his hideout. Slowly he reached behind him and pulled his staff from it's holster. His hands traced a line along its length, all his attention focused on his weapon.
"Paracelsus, wake up. It's time to go to work again." Seigmand spoke softly in a tone like that of a mother to it's sleeping child. With a soft hum of light his staff disappeared within it's glow before reappearing as a gigantic key-sized blade with a face on it's base. It had a dazed expression on it's face, looking around for a moment before it focused on Seigmand.
"Again? Do you mean..." He uttered in a raspy voice.
"Yes, our plans for Guasto will have to be put on hiatus for a moment. We've found Roxa Sairen, and I think he's long overdue for giving us an answer as to what happened that day on the Tower of Salvation. We're going to find out..." In that moment the form of Seigmand phased and distorted for a moment before reforming as that of a ghostly pale young girl. "...one way or another, and then we'll make the him pay for disrupting my plans in Roccia."