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Reciting the Rules
Back story: Iosyne gave Aldric the job of finding Ezalor and helping to make sure he knew her tenets. Easy enough!
look Ezalor
He is a powerful Azudim vampire and stands tall. The pitch-black locks of his hair part down the
middle, each wave settling just shy of obscuring a pair of rounded ears. Tousled and thick, his hair
lengthens at the back before ending at the base of his neck, not quite reaching his shoulders.
Errant stands of hair escape the general style, hanging just above a pair of startlingly brilliant
blue eyes. These sapphire eyes seem to glow from his face, their intense colour magnified by the
utter lack of such in his unnaturally pale complexion. An ordinarily shaped nose sits above a pair
of pale red lips; though his lips lack vibrant colour, the crimson still paints a stark contrast to
the whiteness of his clean-shaven skin. A strong square chin juts out from the bottom of his face,
providing an angular shape to it. His frame is well-defined and large; honed chest muscles branch
out to a pair of broad shoulders culminating in huge, sloping trapezoid muscles. His arms are
tempered and hard, his hands large and roughly callused. A pair of mighty legs supports his frame,
lending an aura of firmness and power to his stance. Twin arcs of midnight black erupt from his back,
skeletal frame featherless and smooth. When unfurled these wings stretch to enormous proportions,
dwarfing even his large body; the sinew and bone structure belies the strength contained in them.
The bottom edges of his wings are jagged and uneven, differing lengths of spiked columns ascending
out from his back. He is wearing:
a pair of diffusal goggles
a noble signet ring of House D'baen
a mesmerizing rainbow ring
a fire-lashed ring
a celestial weaponbelt with ankh straps
a multifaceted apotropaic ring
a red and yellow ring of melted gold
a silver icicle knuckle ring
a D'baen gentleman's black hat
a lightning bolt puzzle ring
a buckler
4 all-seeing eye earrings
a vicious-looking dragon claw pendant
an elegant pair of black dress pants
a golden hourglass promise ring
a pearl white dress shirt
a polished pair of black leather dress shoes
a form-fitting men's jacket
a suit of scale mail
an iron ylem-binding gauntlet
a green crystal amulet
a white crystal amulet
a clarion eyeglass
look Aldric
He is a powerful Azudim vampire and is a hulking figure, the bulk of his muscled mass focused upon
the upper half of his body in a way that lends the man a wide chest and bulky shoulders. Eyes a
nearly piercing, lighter shade of gray are set above a slightly crooked nose that appears to have
been broken a time or two. His skin is an ashen gray in hue that seems to compliment the ebon shade
of the majority of his hair. Stretching from the front of his head, down the middle, and towards the
back of his skull, a rectangular strip of his hair has been left to grow longer than the short hair
around it to form a wide mohawk a crimson in color. Stretching from the shorter black hair atop his
head, strips of jet-black hair stretch down upon each side of his face to collect upon his chin in
such a way that creates the image of a more rugged jawline. He is wearing:
a ring of parting
a ring of the flood
a clarion eyeglass
a flowing black cloak
a bejeweled signet ring
a wide ebony weaponbelt
a loose-fitting ebon shirt
a sleek, bone-tipped darkbow
4 unremarkable rings of iron
a pair of steel-tipped combat boots
a baggy pair of black pants
a black-inked tattoo of a pair of crossed fists
You tell Arch Duke Ezalor D'baen, "Are you in the middle of anything?"
You close your eyes momentarily and extend the range of your vision, seeking out the presence of
Ezalor.
You see that Ezalor is at The Portals of Bloodloch in the portals of Bloodloch.
You detect 0 other people in that location.
Ezalor tells you, "Greetings."
You tell Arch Duke Ezalor D'baen, "Aha. You're awake. We're ahead of the game."
As you focus on the connection to your city's pylon, you feel the pylon gently hum in response. Your
surroundings shift rapidly until you are standing at the city's portals.
The Portals of Bloodloch.
This room has not been mapped.
Staked into the ground, a massive black banner is here. A sigil in the shape of a small, rectangular
monolith is on the ground. Suspended from a twisted iron pole, a flag of Bloodloch flies proudly
here. There are 2 statues of a two-headed dragon here. Feichin is here. He wields a tower shield in
his left hand and a menacing flail in his right. Arch Duke Ezalor D'baen is here.
You see exits leading northeast, east, southeast, southwest, west, northwest, and down.
You have emoted: "Have a minute?" Aldric casually asks, head cocking to the side as he eyes Ezalor, his hands shoved rather unceremoniously into his pockets.
Ezalor tips his hat slightly. "How can I help you?"
You have emoted: "Let's chat," Aldric says with a beckoning gesture of his head.
Arch Duke Ezalor D'baen says, "In a moment. I have a few conversations ongoing."
You have emoted: Aldric's chest rises as he takes in a deep breath, lips pursing somewhat as he regards Ezalor with what seems to be a curious stare. "Sure, moment," the bulkier man mumbles, releasing the breath.
<some time passes>
You have emoted: "Y'know," Aldric comments, tongue clicking against the roof of his mouth. "You're lucky the Malevolent sent me instead of coming Herself," the Azudim almost amusedly comments. "She don't take real well to waiting."
Ezalor squeezes his eyes shut, pinching the bridge of his nose. "No, it will not do to keep Her waiting. I will attend to these matters later then."
Ezalor begins to follow you.
You close your eyes and begin to focus on your haven.
An agonized screech fills the air, the sound far off and distant. The screeching is consistent, its
pained source seeming to grow closer and closer by the second. In little time the nearly deafening
shriek seems to come from directly before you as a shadowy mass that churns and convulses makes
itself present. An amorphous hand bursts forth from the shifting mass that lunges towards you and
wraps itself around your body before dragging you away, silence once more pervading your previous
area.
Ezalor follows you to the ether.
A grim, fog-encircled battlefield.
-- v49852 ---
[+]
--- 0:0:0 ---
Blood. Blood seems to be one of the most prominent features of this battle-worn field that stretches far off into the distance, its borders marked by a fog that appears so dense it seems more like a wall than an environmental feature. Clanging metal, weary moans, and anguished cries can be heard coming from every direction here, the source of which seem to be various figures that are visible only until either being killed or killing, upon which point they simply melt away to nothingness. As the figures dissolve and vanish from sight, they leave nothing but blood, and in most cases rather disturbing mental images of their pained faces of death behind. Arch Duke Ezalor D'baen is here.
There are no obvious exits.
You have emoted: With little hesitation, Aldric makes his way towards the center of the battlefield, spectral figures clashing at his sides in gory fights that seem to be prevalent upon the field as a whole. "So," he comments over his shoulder. "Rule one."
Ezalor drinks in the surrounding, focusing his stare at you as he listens intently.
You have emoted: Aldric pivots on his heel, casting an expectant gaze at Ezalor. The bulky man gives a quick beckon. "C'mon, rule one, go ahead and tell me what it is," he yells from the distance away.
Ezalor shakes his head once, muttering to himself as he takes a deep breath to clear his mind. He abruptly moves into action, striding urgently to catch up, heedless of the bloody surroundings. "Rule one. To accept pain. Revel in it. Embrace it," he says as he catches up.
You have emoted: Faster than one would think possible for such a large man, Aldric's fist is cocked back, then thrown harshly towards Ezalor's jaw. The action elicits a look of amusement from the Azudim, eyebrow arching as he pensively examines Ezalor.
Ezalor's head flings to the side with the force of the blow. He slowly brings it back to its original position, pale skin darkened slightly from the hit, hands firmly set at his sides. His lips draw into a line for a moment as he concentrates, willing his Blood to act - the bruise starts to fade before he stops abruptly, a small smile replacing his concentration, mark still very much intact.
Ezalor's smile widens slightly for a moment before he abruptly shifts into action, one fist shooting up at your torso.
You have emoted: Aldric takes the blow directly to the torso, his grin widening despite the audible grunt produced as a result. "Now, -why- must the pain be embraced?" the man quickly asks as he hops in place, fists raised now in front of him in a defensive stance. His movements are quick and fluid-like, and yet not once does his gaze leave Ezalor's frame. "Pain's a great thing, and it's real easy to say to embrace it, but you need the -reason-."
You have emoted: Aldric pumps two quick jabs in Ezalor's direction, aiming for his wrists.
Foregoing any defensive action, Ezalor absorbs the blows with a grunt, shooting his head forward to smash into your jaw. "It is a natural course," he hisses as he moves, "A core construct of everything. Without pain, one does not truly exist, does not truly feel all that there is to be felt. To seek to shun one facet of the world is to show weakness, to cast aside that which would make you all the stronger. Pain is the fire in which one truly experiences all there is to be experienced. The fire in which one re-forges themselves stronger." He steps back, arms dropped to his side once
more.
You have emoted: "Yeah!" Aldric excitedly responds, eyes widening almost maddeningly just before he takes the massive blow to his jaw. His head whirls sideways, an audible, almost sickening crack produced as a result of the action. "YES!" he triumphantly shouts as he reaches his hands upwards towards his head- one is placed on top, the other on his chin. With one swift movement, he jerks his head sideways, an action that brings about another series of audible cracks. "You -get- it," he eagerly breathes.
You have emoted: Holding up two fingers towards Ezalor, Aldric simply responds, "Rule two."
Ezalor allows a grin to spread on his face, a slight tightening of his eyes portraying the pain of action from your previous blow. "Equality. Never to grow complacent, secure, or lazy in whatever position you might have obtained. That merit, power, your own worth are the components by which you are measured. Never think yourself better because of some empty title, some comfy position."
You have emoted: "Not bad, not bad," Aldric says, as he nods approvingly at Ezalor. The Azudim begins a slow pace around the older Consanguine, lips pursed again as he tilts his head thoughtfully. "It's a bit different for us, than the mortals y'know," the man comments, nodding somewhat as he speaks. "But the gist is there. Know no greater. Know no lesser." At this point the words come a bit faster, interest in this rule in particular obviously showing by the man's tone alone. "Real good motivation there, yeah?"
Ezalor nods, his grin widening slightly. "I had great pleasure in teaching D'baen's former Praetor that lesson," he says with a small frown, "Woman believed that her position meant her utter incompetence and insanity would go excused."
You have emoted: "-Exactly-," Aldric agrees emphatically. "Any position is a position that can be stripped and given to somebody else. Nothing structural is ever permanent," the man rambles on again. Offering a dismissive wave, he pauses in his circling of Ezalor to ask, "And the third rule?"
"Power," Ezalor whispers, a sudden intensity glowing in his eyes. "Seize power. Use it. Shape the world as you would see it, exert your will upon the world. If you have power, use it. If you do not, seek it. Never let social constructs, obsolete chains hold you from what you truly are."
You have emoted: Aldric's hand rises and clenches into a fist, his head nodding approvingly. "Seize it. It is yours," he repeats. "But power's nothing when you simply sit on it and enjoy the benefits." The man's head nods again, more quickly this time as he takes up his stride once more, his steps made with an odd, noticeable excitement. "Now, tie 'em together," he instructs. "They're great by themselves, but they're tools that work best together."
"Embrace pain," Ezalor says with a small nod, "Use it to see clearer, understand fuller than you ever have. Re-forge yourself into something stronger, something capable of attaining power." He raises a fist into the air before him, fixating his gaze upon it. "Take power. Use it to bend the world to your will, use it to obtain more. Never become merely satisfied with what you have. Any advancements you do seize through power, be fully aware that there are always those who can and will seek to cast you down, to rise to the same levels. You are not your position, you are not what you have attained. Never grow complacent, stay ever vigilant, ever hungry."
You have emoted: For what seems to be the final time, Aldric ceases his circling of Ezalor, lips twitching upwards into an obvious display of approval. "You've got it," he says with a nod, a hand extending to heartily clasp Ezalor's shoulder. "You've -got- it."
You tell Iosyne, the Malevolent, "Goddess.. Ezalor -gets- it. I'm impressed."
Ezalor nods, hand raising up to offer a squeeze to the one holding his shoulder. "The Malevolent's teachers opened my eyes to this," he says, "To cast aside my inhibitions. To purge my weaknesses, revel in what I am and what I can become. An enlightenment and a hunger I had never imagined before."
You have emoted: "The Malevolent knows," Aldric affirms with a nod, his tone taking on a note of seriousness not yet heard during the entire interaction. "Good work."
You reach out with your mind and focus on leaving the Haven.
You leave your Haven to return once more to reality.
Ezalor follows you to the ether.
The Portals of Bloodloch.
This room has not been mapped.
Staked into the ground, a massive black banner is here. A sigil in the shape of a small, rectangular
monolith is on the ground. Suspended from a twisted iron pole, a flag of Bloodloch flies proudly
here. There are 2 statues of a two-headed dragon here. Feichin is here. He wields a tower shield in
his left hand and a menacing flail in his right.
You see exits leading northeast, east, southeast, southwest, west, northwest, and down.
Extending a hand toward Ezalor, you say, "It's been a pleasure."
Ezalor clasps your hand. "The pleasure was all mine."
You nod your head at Ezalor.
Feelings, sensations that you thought were dead. No squealin' remember, that it's all in your head.
5
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