Board Thread:Roleplaying/@comment-24123288-20150401175844/@comment-25828117-20150402190314

1E 700.

Somewhere in Volenfell…



“Look out!”

Just before a giant burning boulder fired from a trebuchet could pulverize a dwemer commander, a brave young soldier pushed him out of the way and took the full load for himself. Crashing away with a great piece of the fortified wall, deep into the city below.

The man struggled to get back up on his feet, his dwemer armour had lost its shine and was dented all over. Amazing, that he could’ve made it this far without dying.

Once he was back on sturdy ground he turned to see what he had narrowly escaped. A huge smouldering gap within the strong stone fortification remained. At one side of this wall, the golden evening sun backed by a horde of Chimer brandishing morrowindian weaponry, and at the other side, the deep bronze city of Mazaruk, who’s high and mighty towers were burning uncontrollably.

“Sir! We must get you to safety! These simple chimer are destined to spare no one within this city.” A young dwemer soldier shouted at the discombobulated commander.

At that moment the giant, with gold encrusted drawbridge fell open as one of its counterweights has been successfully sabotaged by the Chimer artillery. With the gates now wide open, a stream of blood thirty and vengeful mer stormed into the city. Taking the battle to the remaining guard below.

“They breached the city, Sir! It’s now or never”

The commander nodded at his newfound guard and both of them ran across the giant city wall as they were under fire by archers at the base of the wall below. Their own archers, using the automatic spear bolt arches sporadically falling by chimer arrows to the neck or through one of the orifices in their plated face mask, resulting in a sudden gurgle and swift death. Technologically they outclassed the Chimer in almost any way. But the sheer size in numbers proved devastating.

As both dwemer reached the lift system that would lower them, along the two hundred yards long wall into the deep city. The commander stopped and looked down as small shadows below flowed into the city like mad rats on the run.

“The city is lost... I pray that our forces in Red Mountain are having more success.”

“Don’t say that! We can still hold them back, sir!” The younger mer said hoping his commanding officer would come to his senses.

“Take us to the lower hall, young master” The commander then said in a soft tone, as if he suddenly lost the gravity of the situation.

“But... The men on the street! They need your orders!”

<p class="MsoNormal">“I am giving YOU an order here! Stop hesitating and pull the lever!”

<p class="MsoNormal">Bitter but reminded of his rank the soldier obeyed and pulled the lever, causing the cranks to move into action. And the lift to descent down into the city, where no sunlight reached.

<p class="MsoNormal">“… Sir, if I might ask… Why are we going to the lower levels? We must defend the streets… not the Engines or sand pumps, they are beyond the comprehension of the chimer and can sustain themselves. We aren’t going to help anyone down there.” The soldier did persist.

<p class="MsoNormal">The commander sighed: “Alright..”

<p class="MsoNormal">It seemed the least he could do is fill the lad in, or… at least, a bit.

<p class="MsoNormal">“We are going to safeguard the Volen stone.” He said in a stern voice.

<p class="MsoNormal">The soldier was taken aback for a bit. Leaving nothing but the sound of the distant fight and mechanical clattering of the lift to fill the elevator.

<p class="MsoNormal">“The Volen stone? Did you just say “The Volen stone”?!” He almost yelled in disbelief.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I… I thought it was a thing of myth… of legend. Something my mother would tell me about when I was but a child.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Well” The commander clarified

<p class="MsoNormal">“It IS very real… And you can imagine what could happen if the chimer get their dirty paws on it. All our work in Morrowind would have been for nothing.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“… I… I understand” The young dwemer replied, feeling slightly sheepish about his defiance from earlier.

<p class="MsoNormal">At that moment the lift passed ground level and was now heading deep into the mechanical bowels of the bronze city.

<p class="MsoNormal">“But how are we going to do that?” The soldier then turned back to his commander.

<p class="MsoNormal">“The vault, of course. We have to bring the stone to the vault. In the lower hall”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Yeah, but we first need the stone to…” The young man fell silent.

<p class="MsoNormal">When he suddenly gazed on the shining stone the Commander suddenly held in his hand. It looked like an emerald, shaped like a spheroid that could fit perfectly in a dwemer’s hand. It was also, surprisingly light for its size. Which was probably the reason why the Commander could wear it around his neck the whole time.

<p class="MsoNormal">“It’s…” The soldier said, amazed by the gem’s magnificence.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Dangerous” The commander finished as he put it back around his neck and underneath his plated armour and illustrious braided beard.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Keep your head levelled, young master…”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Uhm… Yes. Certainly… Sir.”

<p class="MsoNormal">At that moment the lift came to a standstill, and the metal doors opened to reveal a long giant echoing seemingly empty hall deep underneath the city, but even then, the booming sound of war could be heard above them, albeit slightly muffled because of the layers upon layers of stone between the hall and the surface.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Let’s hurry!” The commander urged his companion.

<p class="MsoNormal">But the moment both of them got out of the lift, from behind the tall pillars that graced the long corridor, about four chimeri assassins appeared.

<p class="MsoNormal">Prompting the commander to draw his sword.

<p class="MsoNormal">“If you want the Volen stone, come and claim it!”

<p class="MsoNormal">Quickly after the dwemer spoke those words, a trio of assassins ran towards him with rabid-like fury.

<p class="MsoNormal">The old war veteran anticipated the fast reflexes of the assassin and thus could perfectly dodge and parry their blades.

<p class="MsoNormal">With his younger companion naturally fighting along with him.

<p class="MsoNormal">Narrowly dodging the stabbing of small probably poisoned blades.

<p class="MsoNormal">After deflecting a very poor stab from on the assassins, said assassin left his stomach unprotected which allowed the commander to pierce it quickly and steadily with his sword, cutting through the light armour like a hot knife cuts through butter.

<p class="MsoNormal">The chimer, whose face was covered by desert scarf and headband bar the eyes. Stopped dead in his acrobat-like tracks and fell to the floor. The fight was far from being over though. The younger soldier had trouble parrying the professional killer before him and felt the strain take over in his forearms. Meanwhile the commander locked another assassin’s blades below the waste, pulling the mer off balance and head-butted him right on the nose, subsequently, breaking it. Causing the assassin to go limb and also fall to the floor.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Ah!” The young soldier suddenly shouted as his wrist was slashed by the blade of the chimeri assailant, causing him to drop his own sword.

<p class="MsoNormal">The chimer chuckled, ready to go in for the killing blow, but just before his blade could reach the heart of the stunned young dwemer, his weapon was blocked by the commander. Followed by a power thrust right into the abdomen. The dwemer practically lifted the assassin of the ground, unto his sword for a few seconds, to let the life drain out of him, before dropping him on the floor.

<p class="MsoNormal">Breathing heavily the commander looked down at his fallen foes and looked at the young soldier whom held his wrist with strain. But before he could say anything else the tip of another blade pierced through his chest.

<p class="MsoNormal">The young dwemer’s eyes widened as a result.

<p class="MsoNormal">“No…” He muttered. Looking horrified at the events occurring in front of him.

<p class="MsoNormal">The commander tried to turn to see what had hit him, but he knew… it was the fourth assassin which had been waiting for this exact moment. He then turned back, looking directly into the eyes of the young dwemer.

<p class="MsoNormal">Muttering his last words: “You know what needs to be done”

<p class="MsoNormal">After which he fell to the floor, and the assassin that stood behind him all the time revealed himself.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Well well…” The chimer smirked from underneath his covers.

<p class="MsoNormal">The young dwemer tried to walk back, but stumbled on his legs, whom started to feel numb.

<p class="MsoNormal">The chimer slowly walked towards him.

<p class="MsoNormal">While the soldier did everything in his power to crawl back  while looking straight into the eyes of the assassin.

<p class="MsoNormal">“It seems ‘we’ won” The chimer mocked.

<p class="MsoNormal">The soldier suddenly held his arm stretched towards the assassin.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Not quite…”

<p class="MsoNormal">Before the assassin could laugh in the face of his victim a small dart pierced his skull, fired from the wrist bolt of the soldier.

<p class="MsoNormal">A gurgle later, the assassin fell to the ground.

<p class="MsoNormal">Exhausted, the young mer remarked:

<p class="MsoNormal">“Dwemer technology… Friend”

<p class="MsoNormal">But the sense of victory was short lived as suddenly some small rubble fell from the tall ceiling of the hall. More chimer were on their way, and they were close.

<p class="MsoNormal">Still numb somewhat numb in his legs, he tried to get up to the best of his abilities.

<p class="MsoNormal">Looking at his wrist, he noticed that the wound had gotten infected in rapid tempo, and his veins started to look green and swollen.

<p class="MsoNormal">“poison…” He muttered to himself, feeling a cold shiver go across his back.

<p class="MsoNormal">There was no one to help him. And there simply was no time. But he knew what had to be done.

<p class="MsoNormal">Determined, he stumbled towards the lifeless body of his commander and grasped for the volen stone that hung around his neck. After which he pulled it off and looked at it for a few more seconds. Then he clasped it firmly into his hand and limped towards the vault.

<p class="MsoNormal">The more he advanced, the weaker he felt. His spleen felt like it was going to burst. Around him, more rubble was falling down. The city was sinking.

<p class="MsoNormal">Yes, Mazaruk was built on a giant sinkhole. Which would seem dangerous, but the energy provided by the constant movement of the eternal sands of the Alik’r provided the city with many base powers. Now it seemed as if the fighting had widened the sinkhole, taking the pillars at the edges on which the city was built with it.

<p class="MsoNormal">The ground started to tremble as well now. Causing the soldier to fall on his knees for a moment as he made his final journey.

<p class="MsoNormal">Eventually he made it towards the vault. A giant box made of the finest dwarven technology known to him. At this point he was breathing heavily, his heart could go into cardiac arrest any moment now.

<p class="MsoNormal">With the last vestige of power that rested within him. He pushed the switches that would open the vault. Slowly, the giant mechanical marvel opened its gates as it’s methodically locks opened one by one.

<p class="MsoNormal">Until finally, an empty pedestal within the giant box awaited the volen stone showed itself.

<p class="MsoNormal">The soldier shuffled inside, shivering as he put the stone on the pedestal. Now all he had to do was close the vault…

<p class="MsoNormal">But at that moment, when he wanted to walk about and start the closing mechanism. A giant earthquake occurred, causing giant blocks of the ceiling to rain down into the giant hall. And like a boat with a hole in it, a flood of sand started flowing in, almost like liquid gold.

<p class="MsoNormal">The soldier was pressed towards the wall within the box by the sand. As it rushed inside. Soon the vault and the lower halls were flooding with sand, that only sped up the inevitable. The city would sink into the earth.

<p class="MsoNormal">Now, on the surface. Giant sinkholes would appear on the city streets taking everything with it. Citizens, Soldiers, friend or foe… Nature didn’t pick sides. Moreover, the pressure in the steam pipes could not compete with the sand rushing in on the lower levels so like deadly unpredictable geysers, it would burst through the surface, releasing the boiling hot gasses unto anyone unlucky enough to have been standing there. It was complete chaos.

<p class="MsoNormal">So much so that in these final hours both sides simply stopped the fighting and tried to run towards the exit. Of course, the Chimer artillery outside the city gates didn’t know what was going on so they continued their bombardment of the city, causing giant boulders and debris to crush the fleeing hordes of mer. People where trotted over in a mad dash towards the gates. Until after a few hours the city was totally deserted, and in a last tug of war with nature was swallowed whole, by the earth. Until nothing of Mazaruk remained.

<p class="MsoNormal">-

<p class="MsoNormal">4E 205

<p class="MsoNormal">The Sleeping Giant Inn

<p class="MsoNormal">“Arik?...”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Arik?!”

<p class="MsoNormal">The redguard was sort of startled as his name was called once again.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I’m sorry, mister Orgnar… I wasn’t quite here… Sir”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Listen, kid… You don’t have to call me ‘sir’ or ‘mister’… I just need you to serve our new ‘customers’… Not have you standing there, yet again, daydreaming about lost dwemer treasure…”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Certainly si… Orgnar”

<p class="MsoNormal">The Nord sighed.

<p class="MsoNormal">“It’s times like these… I really miss Delphine.”

<p class="MsoNormal">-

<p class="MsoNormal">Name: Arik

<p class="MsoNormal">Age: 20

<p class="MsoNormal">Gender: Male

<p class="MsoNormal">Race: Redguard

<p class="MsoNormal">Class: Pilgrim

<p class="MsoNormal">Appearance: short cut frizzy hair, darker skin tone, small goatee, deep emerald green eyes, build athletically and lean. Wears civilian clothes with an apron at the moment

<p class="MsoNormal">Weapons: A sharp kitchen knife perfect for cutting resilient potatoes.

<p class="MsoNormal">Spells: none.

<p class="MsoNormal">Backstory: TBR