Caw of the Raven

120th of Ashan 717

This area is unmoderated. Please click on "Forum Rules" at the top of this page or go to the "Unmoderated Areas" forum to see the rules for playing here.

Moderator: Basilisk Snek

User avatar
Alistair
Approved Character
Posts: 3421
Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2016 6:12 pm
Race: Human
Profession: Wanderer
Renown: 1000
Character Sheet
Character Wiki
Plot Notes
Personal Journal
Letters
Point Bank Thread
Wealth Tier: Tier 10

Caw of the Raven

Image
120th of Ashan, Arc 717

A knife in his back. It must have been a miracle that it wasn't lethal, though if it had gone further and for moments longer, the miracle would have been outlasted. Alistair couldn't wail, for he was too shocked - he had only just left the confines of the city to explore the local fauna, seeking to acquire some unique animal entity for his mate. He was met instead with a blade in his back, and if not for the moment in which the assailant pulled back to lunge once more and far more dangerously, the mage would have died on the spot.

He blinked, disappearing, gaining a distance. Reaching into his satchel for his collection of medical kit supplies, he applied a bandage by wrapping it around his back, his fingers nimbly working around his body before cutting off the bandage and sewing it together. If not for his skill, he wouldn't have been able to do this on the scene, but fortunately he finished just in time for Deovan to be able to close back most of the distance. It was a desperate measure, but it would stop him from dying. He imagined that the only reason he hadn't died was that the man unluckily plunged his knife into a bone, and as a Necromancer who'd undergone bone manipulation, Alistair's bones were incredibly thick.

The assailant wouldn't make that same mistake again, and he had already disappeared somehow amidst the mage's blink.

There, he felt it. Lethal Range. The man sought to attack him from behind again, maneuvering as agile as a cat to his backside. The mage bent forward quickly, before drawing his weight back and flinging his elbow against the man's jaw. He turned around and pushed him with all of his might, though the man did not even meet the ground before he regained himself. He was quick, and his reflexes were incredible. Alistair drew his blade, but only in time to meet the impact of the man's dagger, which nearly disarmed him in the clash.

Fucking hell, he cursed to himself, grimacing. He didn't know who this man was, or where he'd come from. From his feral claws, his incredible physique, his cat-like eyes and his outstanding reflexes, he imagined he was a Lotharro, but that was all he could point toward. A Lotharro. Why would one want him dead? Was he a Seeker?

Alistair's blade drew back and struck, only to be met by a last-second parry by the assassin. He riposted, lunging his blade again into the direction of the black-clad assailant, only to be met by a second dagger, a much longer one. While his blade skid and struggled against the sharp end of the dagger, Deovan's offhand raised and he threw the smaller dagger directly aimed at Alistair's face. The mage dodged incredibly narrowly, the blade nearly shaving the side of his head.

He pulled his blade back and struck forward with all of his might, slashing horizontally. The Raven recoiled from the blow, but parried it nonetheless, the two of them grimacing equally as their blades clashed. This man was stronger than he was, physically. Alistair would eventually be worn out and killed if he relied only on his own physical capabilities. While he'd done exceedingly well with a sword this trial, his skills with a blade were fledgling and easy to learn. Deovan would gain an upperhand as time went on.

Magic, then, was the answer.
Last edited by Alistair on Wed Jul 05, 2017 6:13 pm, edited 6 times in total. word count: 601
User avatar
Alistair
Approved Character
Posts: 3421
Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2016 6:12 pm
Race: Human
Profession: Wanderer
Renown: 1000
Character Sheet
Character Wiki
Plot Notes
Personal Journal
Letters
Point Bank Thread
Wealth Tier: Tier 10

Caw of the Raven

Image
Before the man knew it, his blade would completely strike through Alistair, passing by as if a spectral entity. His eyes appeared confused, but only for a moment - not long after their expression became pained. The man linked to a Nail, and from his body launched forward a flurry of jagged rocks at incredibly high velocity. Several of these rocks punctured the man's black leather armor and some drew blood, leaving him visibly injured with multiple puncture wounds across his torso.

He drew himself backward, leaping acrobatically to the side, backstepping several times to draw a distance. It was then that Alistair disappeared in a flash, and from behind him, swung his blade vertically. The Lotharro's cat-like reflexes allowed him to reply, meeting the mage's blade with his long dagger. He became disarmed at the impact, and in response, the Raven threw himself backward and rolled into the location of his thrown dagger. Picking it up, his eyes narrowed.

It was then that the man realized that this opponent - this mage - was capable of killing him. He began to exercise his 'outs', raising his arms non-threateningly and beginning to speak, in a thick accent clearly originating from the far west.

"You are Alistair Venora, yes?" he asked, clarifying his target's identity. "I believe this is a mistake. Why don't we both lay down our arms and come to discussion?" he asked. The nobleman shook his head, glaring at the assassin.

"This is no mistake," he replied. "You're here for me. Why?"

"You have something I want - that ring," he said, referring to the artifact Vuda had given him. The mage had no idea how he'd learned of the significance of this ring, though it stood as evidence that he had some sort of connection to Etzos's magical politics. Had he investigated Vuda? Or Talia? "For that ring, I will give you something in return: your life. Lay down your arms and cooperate. This can go well for the both of us, if you allow it to. I know that wound of yours isn't going to get any better," he spoke, with a smirk.

"Neither are yours," the mage replied.

"No, but I can endure. That's what my people are known for, yes? Far unlike yours; mage or no, you are but a human man, and men die from wounds like that all the time. The ring, and I will leave, and you can find treatment. Otherwise, I will make your body twist and turn in ways that send ichor oozing through that adolescent wound. You know I can."
word count: 440
User avatar
Alistair
Approved Character
Posts: 3421
Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2016 6:12 pm
Race: Human
Profession: Wanderer
Renown: 1000
Character Sheet
Character Wiki
Plot Notes
Personal Journal
Letters
Point Bank Thread
Wealth Tier: Tier 10

Caw of the Raven

Image
There was no mistake; he needed to kill this man now. It was that, or death. The man had incredible endurance - Alistair wasn't quite sweating or panting, but the wound had worsened the physical exertion, and he wasn't far off from all those things. Deovan on the other hand, despite being more grievously injured than him, seemed nearly at full condition. He needed a lethal blow. Considering he wished to reanimate the man for his physical virtues, decapitation wasn't possible. It would have to be a blade to the heart, or through the jugular.

The man sprinted at him, and he ran incredibly fast. As Alistair prepared to parry the inevitable strike from his short dagger, he leaped, flinging himself over the mage's head. He was going to strike him from behind and finish him right then and there, and Alistair barely had time to react. He blinked behind where he expected Deovan to land, as a last ditch effort, and was rewarded in that the man landed where he'd expected. As Alistair swung for the assassin however, his absurd reflexes kicked in, and the Raven struck forward to meet the Baron's blow. Alistair decided that he would need to take a risk - this game would not last forever. He would lose if it came to a battle of fatigue.

He splintered the Raven's dagger, cracks of a chromatic black-indigo covering the steel. Alistair's blade swung right through the steel, as it lost its place in space and could no longer be considered physically tangible. He placed his offhand against the hilt of his blade and, before swinging across Deovan's chest, he straightened the sword to lunge directly into his heart, a spot he knew precisely from his medical practices. He impaled the man through his pectoral, and dug his longblade deep through the organ that pumped his blood. Deovan did all he could in his last moment, clawing Alistair across the arm and jabbing the tangible hilt of his dagger against his abdomen. The mage pulled back, pushing the dead assassin off of him as his eyes closed, though not for a final time.

Immediately, he worked to trap his soul among the Emetyte well he'd acquired from the Heart of the Wild, though he was sloppy not having done so for some time. He focused immensely, funneling the Raven's soul into the well, ushering it inside. It complied, but only by force.

The mage would bring him to the Coven's Etzori dwelling through a portal, and there, install a well of Emetyte near to where he'd claimed his final blow. First, though, he treated himself to the best of his medical capabilities - he bandaged himself, cauterized the wound, and took supplements to ensure the flow of his blood.

After doing so, he returned to Deovan. He retrieved his long dagger and kept it as a weapon for the minion to wield. On Deovan's person, he found a letter from the King of Mac Teagan, whatever that was. He discovered the assassin's name, and his title. The Raven. Likeable; he would call him that from now on. He discovered his motives - to isolate and kill Vuda, who the King referred to as the leader of Etzos.

Instead of isolation however, they offered one of his allies the greatest minion he would possibly ever acquire. This man's physical skills were incredible. Few men could ever survive their first blink from a legendary Rupturer, let alone a Nail, and a preliminary splinter. He imagined had he not utilized his cheap execution tactic, the man would have demonstrated even more of his agility and strength... and with an Emetyte well inside of him, he would be an even greater warrior in death.

The mage did as he always did in the creation of a Revenant - he worked tirelessly to hollow out his body, using Corpse Molding to open his chest and take out the organs. Revenants did not need unnecessary additions, and his insides would rot much more viciously and frequently than his outsides. There was no need to tax the well in preservation unnecessarily.

When the unnecessary components were removed, Alistair utilized Corpse Molding yet again to attempt to manipulate his muscles. He filled in the empty space with durable flesh, a cushion to protect the Emetyte. He flipped and turned over every portion of the man's body to ensure he was built efficiently and without any disfigurements. Deovan's musculature was perfect for his style of fighting, and so little adjustments needed to be made.

By the time all was said and done, he closed the man's figure - again with Corpse Molding - and padded him down to feel for any strange bulbs or blotches of empty space along his flesh. He was perfect.

The Raven's eyes opened, this time never again to shut.

"By decree of King Aedan of Mac Teagan, I will have your head," he whispered beneath his breath. Words he said often.

"Hush now, Raven," the Necromancer whispered, "You serve a different Lord now."
word count: 857
User avatar
Maltruism
General Staff
Posts: 2430
Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2015 10:57 pm
Race: Prophet
Profession: "Mastermind"
Renown: 0
Plot Notes
Office
Personal Journal
Templates
Point Bank Thread
Wealth Tier: Tier 1

Featured

Contribution

Milestones

RP Medals

Staff

Miscellaneous

Events

Caw of the Raven

Image
Come and get your Loot!

(There's plenty more where that came from)


ALISTAIR:
Rewards:

  • Story: +5
  • Collaboration: +0 (solo)
  • Structure: +5

These points Can be used for magic.

Knowledges:

  • Blade: Dagger: A Dual-Wielder May be About to Throw One
  • Blade: Longsword: Reach Advantage is Lost in Close
  • Blade: Longsword: Coordinating Swings With Rupturing Moves
  • Blade: Longsword: The Need to Learn New Attacks to be Less Predictable
  • Deovan: Also Called "The Raven"
  • Deovan: Even "Nailed", he Fights Well
  • Deovan: Serious Physical Skills
  • Deovan: Wanted Vuda's Empathy Ring
  • Intimidation: Threats Based on Greater Endurance in an Equal Match
  • King of Mac Teagan: An Unknown Figure
  • King of Mac Teagan: Hired Deovan, "The Raven"
  • Necromancy: Revenant Creation
  • Necromancy: Soul Theft
  • NPC: Deovan: Lotharro Assassin (Deceased)
  • Rupturing: Splintering to Negate a Weapon, Rather than Armor
  • Surgery: See to Your Own Wounds Before Processing a Thrall
  • Surgery: Thickened Bones are Like Inner Body Armor
  • Surgery: Wrapping and Sewing a Torso Bandage on Yourself
  • Unarmed Combat: Back-Swung Elbow Spin and Follow-up Push

Injuries:

Serious back stab,
deep claw slashes on arm,
light laceration on chest: Give it two or three weeks.
Gonna hit you with some moderate stepping. Mostly the difficult Soul Theft, which taxed you to light stepping, set you up to get real nauseous and start hearing voices for a few trials after finishing the full measure of corpse molding to prep Deovan. Gonna have a tough time sleeping with all these voices wailing choruses of the damned in your head, and your wounds opened up again. Good thing you've got Coven folks to watch over you while you recover over the next several trials.


Fame: +/-3

Indicative fame, someone knew you had the ring.
Could be god or bad fame.


Loot:

+1 Revenant, Deovan Von Adonnaigh, "The Raven"


Loss, Devotion:

Nothing to speak of


Comments:

I see you've already got your new minion's stats and image included on your CS.
Works for me, Saves me the trouble of researching all his stats. :D
PM me with any comments or concerns :D
Even futile whining about overstepping, which I will totally ignore.
Call it "grandfather's revenge" :lol:
word count: 359
Post Reply Request an XP Review Claim Wealth Thread

Return to “Western: Etzos”