Balast

As Balast gripped Aesin's neck, feeling the throbbing veins and having full view of the sneering, livid face of the God of Order. Spittle whipped his face as he throttled the dog of the Conclave, but Balast felt his strength leaving him, his resolve fleeing, his hands shaking and growing weaker as the horrible pains within his stomach grew worse.. finally, felt a crashing sensation all about him as he was robbed of his consciousness and his life.


Sura

"Get me the Kraken and I can pay your share in five hundred thousand slaves," said the slaver, eagerly.

"Its a deal. I expect great profit in working with you. I will take my leave." Sura took a slight nod and left the markets.

When Sura met the outer streets of the market, the city was quiet, a little foreboding, bathed in the light of a thousand false stars.

Balast reappeared in Nibokerese and tried to hide as quickly as possible.  He needed the Athanor to save the tree but right now he really didn't need to be seen.

Sura, now out of the markets, wonders around the city.

Balast

Word of the death of Marcento hadn't yet spread - the City of a Thousand Hazes was still  in it's relative state of calm. Criminals and noblemen alike wandered the streets, traders in illegal weapons mingled with fruit-sellers and narcotics dealers, and private guards walked the streets.

Balast felt a small twinge of apprehension when he realized that he recognized one of the visitors to Niborkerese: it was a tall, flowing creature made entirely, it seemed, of sand.. Sura. The God of Sand had stopped to watch Balast.


Sura


As Sura walked the streets of Niborkerese randomly, he saw a familiar, if not friendly, face: the shifting, black-clothed God of the Hungry Dark, Balast.

Balast looked around him and then started running for Marku's house and the tunnel.  If he could just get to Marcento's quickly enough this might still be salvageable before the entire tree was imperilled.  He saw Sura and gave him a wave but moved away from him quickly.

Sura continues, not giving a second thought to Balast.

Balast

Balast ran past an open bath, through two winding alleyways - filled with rats and rogue Dhaal - through a small, nondescript market.. eventually, he reached the tall, gated tower of Marku, dominating the immediate horizon. Two guards at the gate looked at him suspiciously.


Sura


Sura walked, as casually as he could manage, past several steaming hot-springs, filled with naked flesh.. he wandered down a thin, cracked vein of an alley, filled with rats and strange mechanical insects..

He stopped. He'd failed at whatever he'd tried to accomplish.

Balast swore under his breath at the sight of the guards.  The daemon he could have convinced.

"You two, I need to speak to Lord Marku immeadiately.  I was here earlier and spoke to his daemon guardian and need to give him more information.  I mean him no harm but have little time.  Contact him and tell him Raelis needs to rejoin him."

Raelis

"Uh, well, sorry, friend, but we'll have to clear that with old pointy.." the guard told him. A few moments passed as one of the guards rushed inside, but the demon soon returned.

"You.. I do not recognise. Have we met? The guards claim we spoke."


Sura

(repeat)

Sura walked, as casually as he could manage, past several steaming hot-springs, filled with naked flesh.. he wandered down a thin, cracked vein of an alley, filled with rats and strange mechanical insects..

He stopped. He'd failed at whatever he'd tried to accomplish.

"In a sense we did, in a sense we didn't.  I appeared somewhat different before, robed in red and black.  Then I was law, not I am destruction.  You are a daemon, you should know of the twelve and the nature of the aspects.  I need you to contact Marku and tell him I have returned.  He has ventured into the palace of Marcento where I was slain and it is important that I return.  I cannot prove who I am but I can answer any question and I can describe Eridu and the function of the Armagedshon vowel to you as well."

Raelis

"I see." The demon seemed convinced. "We made a bargain and the bargain still stands. I'm afraid the lord isn't in at the moment, however. He might still be with Marcento."

Sura

(repeat)

Sura walked, as casually as he could manage, past several steaming hot-springs, filled with naked flesh.. he wandered down a thin, cracked vein of an alley, filled with rats and strange mechanical insects..

He stopped. He'd failed at whatever he'd tried to accomplish.

Balast cursed.

"How many men can you assemble quickly.  We need to move to reinforce your master now.  This is important.  Marcento has been killed and the entire Athanor is in danger of falling into chaos.  If we can sieze control of the central organs of Nibokerese quickly we might be able to stave off disaster."

Raelis

"Disaster..?" asked the demon, but he sensed the truth in Balast's words. "Of course. Marku had a detachment of Niborkeredic soldiers at his command. I will rally them. Come with me, Aspect-God."

The demon led Balast, as quickly as he could, behind the tower, where a humble barracks had been built out of tin and stone. Within, soldiers and fighting men were playing cards, talking, drinking, and otherwise having a good time while their master was in mortal peril.

"All rise!" roared the demon. "Know this, O Men: the Lord of Niborkerese, Marcento, has fallen by the blade of the Conclave. This man, Balast of the Aspect, brings us such news, and it rings with truth. Gather your guns, your poisoned blades, your wits and your courage - quickly! We are to rush the Palace of Marcento before Niborkerese crumbles entirely!"

Sura

(repeat)

Sura walked, as casually as he could manage, past several steaming hot-springs, filled with naked flesh.. he wandered down a thin, cracked vein of an alley, filled with rats and strange mechanical insects..

He stopped. He'd failed at whatever he'd tried to accomplish.

Sura went looking for something to peak his interest.

Balast nods quickly.

"Send messengers to get as many of the senior Athanor to attend the palace as you can.  We need to move quickly to maintain our grip on Nibokerese or the entire city will become a war ground.  This fight is going to determine the survival of the Athanor in the long term and the security of this city in the short term - don't do this for me or for Marcento do it for yourselves, survival is key."

He turned to the daemon.

"Let us go - if Marku is still alive he may even have captured the assassin."

He leads the way at a run to the tunnel and thence onto the palace.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:00, Fri 05 Feb 2010.

Raelis

The soldiers followed. The demon, professing his distaste for martial situations, rushed to gather the other leaders of the Athanor.

When they reached Marcento's palace, following through the system of passages employed by the Athanor, Balast saw that the snide man who'd guarded the tunnel previously had been slain. Further on, and there was no sign of Aesin or Marku. Gore covered the floor and walls, however, and this wing of the palace had been trashed. Inside the room where Balast died, he felt lingering traces of chaotic energies.

"Alchemist assist us," breathed one of the soldiers, taking in the carnage. The guard moved to secure the wing.

Sura

Sura walked the streets, and as he did so he passed many interesting places: a garden filled with fruits and herbs that brought upon hallucinations, several drug dens, an 'Athanor-accredited' weapons merchant selling items stolen from a Conclave shipment, and finally a tall - if fairly small, width-wise - old manor, a small bronze sign at the front gardens declaring it to be THE HYDRATHAPOLES CLUB. At the gate to the Club was a tall, thin servant. Sura recognized the servant immediately: it was an old associate of his, the commendable Marthak, demon of the higher orders and once a servant of Sura.

The demon smiled when he saw the Lord of Sand.

"Lord Sura," he bowed. "I wondered when Yggdrasil would return you to our midst. How do you do, sir?"

Balast cursed quietly.  He turned and walked over to Marcento's corpse and knelt at its side (or where it was if its gone).

"Is there a heir to the Athanor?  Someone who can lead in this case or does this mean an internal conflict.  The senior Athanor should hopefully arrive soon and I would appreciate all you can tell me about them."
This message was last edited by the player at 10:40, Mon 08 Feb 2010.

Raelis

Marcento's corpse was recognizable, but only by his ornate, ceremonial armour and deep-red cloak; his face was a mess of gore and smashed bone.

A lower-ranked Athanorian was on the murder scene, keeping an official eye on Balast - who he didn't trust - and the soldiers, who he believed needed managing.

"I cannot tell you who Marcento wished to be the next Lord of Niborkerese, let alone Lord of the Athanor," he said. "I understand his son, Mordalahi, was being groomed as Lord, while the two other members of the Athanor ruling, Bralel and Jormung, have never gotten along - it could mean all out war, over Niborkerese and our society."

Sura

(repeat)

Sura walked the streets, and as he did so he passed many interesting places: a garden filled with fruits and herbs that brought upon hallucinations, several drug dens, an 'Athanor-accredited' weapons merchant selling items stolen from a Conclave shipment, and finally a tall - if fairly small, width-wise - old manor, a small bronze sign at the front gardens declaring it to be THE HYDRATHAPOLES CLUB. At the gate to the Club was a tall, thin servant. Sura recognized the servant immediately: it was an old associate of his, the commendable Marthak, demon of the higher orders and once a servant of Sura.

The demon smiled when he saw the Lord of Sand.

"Lord Sura," he bowed. "I wondered when Yggdrasil would return you to our midst. How do you do, sir?"

"I am well, Marthak. It has certainly been a while - yet Yggdrasil could not take all my memories from me. Sura studied the manor. "What is this place and why do you guard it?"

Balast nodded.

"In that case can someone get a callisti to assist with the handover of power.  We're going to need their truth abilities."

He bent down and began murmuring a rite of passing over for a god over Marcento's body.

Raelis

"We have plenty of Callisti at our disposal, and broken to our will," said the Athanorian. "It is our greatest strength. At any point you need one, simply ask. I carry several personally."

Sura

"This place is a club for certain gentlemen who wish to acquire a certain education, often within certain fields, some of which might be considered objectionable," said Marthak in the typical manner of the demon race. "I guard it because I have been asked to do such a thing, of course."

Balast smiled grimly.

"Good, get them to verify this.  I am in some senses the being you call Lis.  I carry his memories and his responsibilities and was entrusted by him with my duties.  I knew he whom you call Lis in the distant past before his death and worked with him and warred with him at various times."

"I see," Sura began. "And how does one gain access to this 'club'?"