An Aesthetic shows you to a small reading room.

Stories of Ansalon from the view of Saige.

A little gully dwarf runs by and says 'Wordwrap Off 65 80.'
The gully continues 'Eyes hurt? Turn Color OFF!! (regular story dates)

Astinus says 'Enter the main library here to view only the author list.'
Astinus gently places a large tome on the table in front of you.
You note the spine bears the word 'Saige' scribed in brilliant blue ink.

Author:  Saige
Date    Wed May  1 15:55:51 2002



SubjectA vision received, and a quest that unfolds....



*This story will be a rather short interpretation of the real thing. If you
would like a whole copy, (which is several pages long in microsoft word
format), note me and I'll be more than happy to email it to you upon
completion.*

Looking down from his citadel, onto the city of Neraka situated far below him,
Saige watched in satisfaction as his troops drilled for a mock combat. Priding
himself in the ability of his men, he made sure they were trained several days
a week, a and prepared for anything. Turning he went up to the upper room,
where the private Altar to Takhisis was, to begin his evening prayers.

After several hours of silent meditation, Saige began to feel a bit chilled,
and he slowly, yet gently, slumped over. Awaking, he found himself standing
before two great cities.

A voice arose, and spoke of the chaos that now rained upon those cities. It
spoke of the devestation, but then spoke of the order that needed to be
brought back. It spoke of the power of one man, who could bring this city back
to its former glory 3 silohettes then appeared, standing in front of three
massive volcanoes. The voice spoke out once more, saying that these were the
Lords of Doom. Three men chosen, as the mightiest in the nation.

One of the silohettes stepped forth, and materialized. Saige then realized he
was looking at the mirror image of himself. The figure then returned, and a
blackness dropped over Saige.

The voice spoke out once more, fading as it did so. It spoke of the artifacts
of old...possesed by the former armies of Takhisis. It also spoke of ancient
items of the dragons.

Once these items were recovered, then the silohette would be replaced by the
new Lord of the city.

Awaking to find himself slumped over the altar, Saige immediately drew his
cloak and left.

*several long days pass, as Saige heads off on the back of a large blue
dragon, accompanied by another green dragon to assist him in recovering these
magical and sacred artifacts.*

Arriving at the ancient buriel grounds of Lord Ariakas, high in the mountains
north of Neraka, the three settle upon a cliff that is only a brisk walk from
the main grounds of the tomb. Upon arrival there, Saige entered alone.

Not knowing what to expect, he quickly noted the large sealed doors, bearing
the symbols of Takhisis. Knowing they must be warded, he approached, but as he
did so, the doors began to glow a faint red, and then opened.

Walking in, cautiosly, he noted that the tomb of the Lord was opened, and a
faint blue light was eminating from beneath.

As he carefully approached the tomb, the blue light flashed brilliantly, and
the lid slid completely off. Startled by this, Saige took a few steps back,
but remained firm and held his ground.

Looking in, he noted that there was nothing in the tomb...nothing at all...had
he just been seeing things? He knew he had seen the light flash from inside.

Walking closer, takign his time, he finally came to the tomb and peered
closer. It seemed as though the tomb had been empty to begin with, which left
him puzzled. But as he looked again, the symbol of Takhisis was carved into
the bottom of the to tomb itself. Reaching down slowly, he placed his hand
upon it. The same soft red color began to come from the symbol...and the tomb
actually lifted from its position! Stepping back, awed by all these strange
happenings, he saw that there was a space dug out of the raised tomb, as a
shelf would be. Looking in, he saw the handle of some sorts sticking out.

Reaching inside, he grabbed hold of it. As he did so, the handle began to glow
softly, then intensified as he drew it out. It was a large mace, it's handle
carved to reseble a standing dragon. The maw opened into the head of the mace,
which was s set with wicked looking spikes. It flared out, as if knowing that
a being of power wielded it once again. Immediately, Saige began to recall
Ariakan's own mace, blessed by Takhisis herself. It was said to never fail the
wielder in battle.



Author:  Saige
Date    Wed May  1 16:13:02 2002



Subject  A vision received, and a quest that unfolds... *Part II*



Gaping a bit by the power sealed within such an artifact, Saige turned and set
his face back to its normal grim look. Striding out of the temple, he stopped
as the dragon each looked down and nodded to him.

Turning and striding out of the temple, the dragons each bowed in reverence to
the sacred item that Saige held. The green began to realate its power and
properties to the young man wielding it.

Nodding in approval, Saige then reared back and shouted a praise to Takhisis.
The dragons, each joined in with their powerful voices. Remounting his blue
dragon, the three then headed off.

*As the story unfolds, the trio comes across a powerful red dragon, who, upon
hearing of this mighty quest, feels the power of Takhisis flow from the mace
that Saige wielded.

He then aided the companions by giving them an orb which glowed with the fires
of a red dragon. It burned to the touch, but Saige quickly gained control over
the magic, and thanked the magnificent creature for its gift.

On their journey back, they came across the den of a silver dragon, whom did
not find the tresspassers welcome.

Upon site, the silver attacked, causing a good deal of damage to the blue
dragon, forcing him to flee and land nearby. Yet, before the silver could
finish the blue off, the mighty green swope in.

Dealing a great deal of damage to the silver, the green knocked him to the
ground, where the blue pounced immediately thereafter. When the battle was
over, the companions were set to leave, but were held back.

The mighty green felt a powerful magic flowing from within the nearby den of
the silver. Upon further inspection, the dragon's treasury was located, and
the source was then understood.

There, laying upon a mound of steel and sitting inside a crystal casing, was a
pure and holy Dragonlance.

The fatal weapon caused the other dragons to shy away, yet Saige leaped off
the blue, and went to investigate.

Noting that it sat inside a crystal casing, Saige laid forth a hand, careful
not to touch it. Saying a few words of prayer, the whole case flashed,
blinding the companions temporarily.

Looking back, Saige looked around, and found a deer skin of some sorts, laying
nearby. bringing it over, he wrapped the casing up, being careful not to touch
it.

Turning the dragon each moved back farther, not trusting the deadly weapon.
Re-assuring them that Takhisis would know what to do with it, he approached
them and mounted the blue once more.

Eager to return with his prizes, they left at once, turning back and heading
for the the citadel.*

*Once more, this story is no where near indepth, but cince I wasn't finished
with the original, I had to summarize this, so, I hope you guys enjoyed.*

Saige, Lord of the Night



Author:  Saige
Date    Tue May  7 19:07:44 2002


Subject  Rebuilding the Temple...




Pacing back and forth within his chambers, Saige had practically walked a
path into the old stone of the citadel, which flaoted high above the city of
Neraka. Something ate at his mind, with a ferocity unknown to him before.

He had awoke, only a few nights ago, after returning home from his quest of
retrieving the lost artifacts of the dragonarmies, to a vivid dream, in which
he was surrounded by the entire city of Neraka.

Standing there, in front of a multitude of citzens, he mad promises to
rejuvinate the city, rebuild what had been lost, and redeem their worthiness
to her Dark Majesty's cause.

Once he had awakened, he instantly knew this was another vision, another
part of this ongoing quest of his. But, deep inside, he pondered how it was he
could do all these things he had promised in his dream...

Upon his millionth trip across his room, his young squire entered, holding a
pile of books and looking a bit confused at his Lord Knight's strange
attitude.

Laying the books down, he glanced over at Saige, who had still not noticed
his arrival, and simply smiled to himself and left, leaving Saige to continue
ripping his mind apart in thought.

Coming out of his trance, Saige noticed his squire leaving and glanced over
at the stack of books. He didn't quite remember ordering for these books, but
as he went over, he noticed one in a dark blue jacket. Grabbing it, he opened
it and read.

Almost as if the book pages had been guided by an invisible hand, they
flipped open and laid flat upon 2 pages. As Saige glanced down at these, he
marveled to see that the book held content on the lost city of Istar, which
now sat at the bottom of the Blood Sea. As he looked at the pictures, he
noticed a beautiful building, sitting amongst the rest of the city. Instantly,
he remembered the tale of this building, the very temple to Paladine that was
erected by the Kingpriest Himself.

Remembering the legend, the thoughts of how this temple was turned into one
of evil after the cataclysm arose, struck him. He knew how it was he could
bring a new faith to the people. In rebuilding the Great temple, he could
resurect the faith that had been lost after years of war and destruction.
Gathering his wits, he began to collect every bit of information that could
be provided for him, of the ancient city of Istar, and its formerly great
temple.

*Spending long hours each night, and researching normally until early dawn,
Saige had soon found all the information he needed in order to accomplish his
plans of ressurecting a part of the temple in Istar.*

Standing in front of a hill that was prepared in the midst of the city,
Saige summoned all his troops before him, asking for their assistance.

Leaflets and notes had been posted throughout the city. This was to be a
glorious day indeed, for it would mark the beginning of a new cause for the
city.

The citizens were asked to come, and show their support in full, and help in
this new beginning. The crowd that had gathered was sparse, but reassuring
none the less.

Saige knew now that he had support within the city, and it was only a matter
of time until he had gained the trust of the rest of the citizens.

Turning from the hill that was to be the new site for the erecting of the
Temple to her Majesty, Saige raised a hand for silence. The ranks immediately
quieted and the citizens all turned and waited to hear what was to be said.

Clearing his throat, Saige began to relate his vision to the mass of people.
He told them every part of what he has seen in his dream. Then, he told them
of his plans.

With the power of the Dark Queen at his side, and the continueing prayers of
those gathered, he would begin to summon the remains the distorted temple amde
evil by the Queen herself.

The people all hushed, and silence fell. Saige pondered whether they would
have enough faith in him, in his ability, and in the Queen, for this miracle
to take place. For it was a miracle he was asking for.



Author:  Saige
Date    Tue May  7 19:41:19 2002


Subject  Rebuilding the Temple...Part II




Speaking again, he gave the order for the prayers to begin. Each Knight took
to his knees, and began their solemn prayers of faith. The Skull Knights
present, each took a lead role in lending their prayers and leading the
civilians in prayer, a as everyone began to wait anxiously, to see what
would happen. Gathering his strength, he turned from the people and faced the
hill. This all seemed a bit crazy, for how could he possibly imagine that he
could do such a feat...

But he realized that he was doubting not only himself, but her Dark
Majessty, so banished the thought as soon as it came. Taking a deep breath,
Saige began to recite the words of sacred prayer used when communicating with
the Queen.

In a moments time, He felt his body strengthen, and felt the air around him
become heated. Opening his eyes, he was no longer standing before a hill, with
his army around him, but stood in the courtyard of a beautiful temple.

Glancing about, it took only minutes to realize that before him stood the
Temple of Paladine, greatest in all the lands, as it looked in its past glory.
As time passed though, the temple began to bleed from the outside walls.

It slowly became twisted, and distorted, in a fashion that was evil and
ugly, yet in a manor that was fascinating, imposing, and beautiful of its own
accord.

A faint voice then spoke out through his mind. He could hear his Queen,
speaking to him in a proud voice...

'This temple belongs to me now, my loyal follower. It once held the might
and beauty of all of Istar and the holyness of Paladine, but that foolish god
has fallen from his followers eyes. This temple is now my symbol of power.
Take it, and bring life back to my followers and their dying faith. Bring
back the glory of their Dark Queen and rebuild my follower's faith once
more...*

With that, the voice faded, and an incredible power surged through Saige's
veins. Knowing full well that his Queen was blessing him with the strength and
power to do as she promised, Saige released everything he had, allowing the
power to flow through him. Within moments though, the power began to fade, and
Saige began to become surrounded by an enveloping blackness. Diving deep into
it, he held on with every last strand of strength until he was consumed...

Waking from the blackness, Saige found himself in another darkness, only
this was the darkness of night. Suddenly, a bright light flared as a torch was
held nearby.

Saige opened his eyes to see all his troops, kneeling around him, and the
citizens, staring wide-eyed in disbelief. Many were glancing from him, and
back towards the hill, then returning to him. Pondering this strange
occurance, since it was sunr Saige opened his eyes to see all his troops,
kneeling around him, and the citizens, staring wide-eyed in disbelief. Many
were glancing from him, and back towards the hill, then returning to him.
Pondering this strange occurance, since it was

sunrise when the proecssion began, Saige stood. Shaking his head, a bit
groggy and weak, he looked towards the hill. There, shining under the pale red
moonlight of Lunitari, sat a block of stone, looking as if it had been dipped
in the goddess' very own blood. Stumbling a bit, Saige clambored up the
hill, his troops bowing their heads in silent reverence and the citizens
watchign, still in shocked disbelief.

Upon reaching the slab of stone, Saige finds that it is not the entire floor
of the temple, but is the exact size needed for the center of the
foundation.

Looking back, the crowd begins to cheer, slowly turning into an uproar and
shouts of praises to the Queen. Smiling, more in disbelief, Saige quietly
dismissed himself back to his Citadel.

Upon returning to his room, his squire began to clear the books that had
been brought in days before, but Saige stopped him, looking at the books with
a new interest.



Author:  Saige
Date    Tue May  7 19:45:20 2002


Subject  Rebuilding the Temple...Part III




Telling the squire to leave them, so he could continue studying, Saige began
to pick up another book, but weariness soon took its toll, and he collapsed in
his chair from the strain of the day.

Entering upon hearing the thud, the squire slowly dragged his master over to
his bed. Making sure he would be comfotrable, the Squire then turned to
leave.

As he left though, he noticed a strange bird perched upon the window looking
down upon the new stone foundation of the temple.

The bird appeared to be a raven, yet it was the largest that the squire had
ever seen. It began to sqawk loudly, then seemed almost to cackle with glee
and took off, into the night sky.

Not understanding the strange occurence, the squire left, seeing himself to
finishing his nights work before returning to sleep himself.

The story continues...but in what way will Saige's Quest be changed in the
coming future?....



Author:  Saige
Date    Fri May 10 18:55:04 2002


Subject  In search of the Gem of Minds




*The new temple in Neraka was progressing quickly. After the amazing feat of
power, with the help of his Queen in summoning the foundation stone of the
temple in fallen Istar, the population had begun gathering to assist, their
hopes resurected Saige watched from his study in the citadel, as night began
to fall. Many of the citizens had begun to go home for diner, yet many were
either staying or returning to work on. The night sky was ablaze with torches
from down below.

Glancing back through a book, open upon his desk, Saige sighed. He was
searchign for something. He knew that the temple could be built, and used
readily soon, but it would not hold the power it needed if that power was not
supplied first.

He was looking through a few books of ancient relics, for something in
particular. The night before, his Queen had appeared once more, and had shown
him the Gem of Minds. With this artifact, he could
restore the power unto the temple, making it greater than it had been in its
original structure. Though, finding the gem was the problem.*

*A knock upon Saige's study caused him him to glance up from his studies. It
was late, and he was about to go to his bed, but this knock was persistant.*
Going back to his reading, Saige called for the guest to enter. Throwing the
door open, Saige's squire ran in, a flurry of black as his cloak whipped
about.

Looking up, a bit amused, Saige pondered his squire's actions. He stood
there, trying to unravel his cloak, clutching a book, and speaking words that
flew out of his mouth in nothing but a garble of mispronounciations. He seemed
VERY excited.

Saige raised a hand, and the squire ceases speaking immediately, yet not
without a silent plea to go on. Shaking his head in silence, shaken from the
lack of sleep and the recent disturbance, Saige told his squire to speak, but
slower this time Nodding his head, his squire began to talk once more in the
fast, excited voice, but a sharp look from Saige caused him to slow his
tongue.

"M'Lord, I have found it, I have found it! I was jsut looking through some
books that I had found in your library and..." said the squire before Saige
cut him off.

"You have found what?" Spoke Saige.

"I found the Gem M'lord," said his squire, watching Saige's eyes light up.
"I was glancing through some books in the library that had just been
transfered up from the city."

"Let me see this book," said Saige as the squire handed it to him.

Opening it to where it was marked, Siage sat down, a bit in shock and
disbelief. Here in front of him sat a world of information on the Gem of
Minds, which he had been researching for the past few days.

Reading through it, he absorbed every last word, and then took the book
under one arm and told his Squire to go prepare his dragon. He was to be ready
within the hour.



Author:  Saige
Date    Fri May 10 19:42:45 2002


Subject  In search of the Gem of Minds Part II




*With the knowledge held in the book of the Gem, Saige actually gathered
enough information to determine the whereabout of Galen Dracos keep. With that
in mind, he checked a few older maps and some better resources, and came up
with a much more exact location, though, he was told that it was dated back
a very lonf time, and was doubtful if it even remained there. Never the less,
he would find out. Mounted upon his blue Dragon, he set out to the lands of
solamnia.

Arriving several days later, after travelling almost non-stop, Saige came
across the keep, after hearing some rumors in a few local towns. He found it
in a state of ruin, and his hoped dwelled almost instantaneously.*

"Damn it all to the Abyss....there could be NOTHING left in this wreck. All
that remains is burnt stone. Even the foundation was destroyed," muttered
Saige in anger, seeing his hope blown out.

"Perhaps there is more here, just in places that we cannot see," whispered
his mount, testing an area of ground and watching as it gave way a bit.

"Bah, the Queen has led me to everything, I shown my faith every time, why
should this time be any...." said Saige before he dissappeared in a loud
rumble and cloud of dirt.

Coughing loudly Saige began to curse out loud, but stopped suddenly, looking
about. He realized that up above him, a good 20 feet, stood his mount, and
around him seemed to be some kind of room, STILL INTACT!

Uttering a few words of praise to the Queen and asking forgiveness for his
unfaithfulness, he began to take in his surroundings. The dragon, chuckling to
himself, simply sat above and watched silently.

Saige stood in the confines of some underground room. The tunnel to the west
was blocked off by the cave-in, but several doors still led in other
durections.

Glancing up and seeing the dragon sprawl out, waiting patiently, Saige
turned his attention back to the doors and began opening and closing them,
taking in everything.

At the last door, he realized it led into another long corridor, made of
crude, yet sturdy stone. Whispering to himself a few words of disbelief, he
walked the corridor, long since forgotten.

After coming across several more empty and uninteresting rooms, he came to a
door different form the rest. This was made of a strange metal, and was very
warm to the touch.

Placing a hand above it, he whispered soft words of prayer and watched as
the door glowed a brilliant blue, then faded. Nodding in satisfaction, Saige
gently pushed one of the doors open.

In front of him lay a vast pit of lava, bubbling up from unknown depths. The
room was aglow with light from the pure heat of the lava, casting irredescent
shadows upon the walls.

Sitting in the middle of the pit was another platform, and upon it, set a
large stone case. Glancing about, there seemed to be no way of getting across
to the platform.

Muttering to himself, he began to turn back, to gain assistance from his
mount, but stopped. Turning back, he realized that this was a task he must
accomplish of his own accord and faith. Whispering a few soft words in
prayer, Saige began to concentrate fiercly on the task at hand. Uttering the
words over and over and in a louder voice each time, Saige began to feel and
energy pulsate from within. Glancing up, he realized that h Whispering a few
soft words in prayer, Saige began to concentrate fiercly on the task at hand.
Uttering the words over and over and in a louder voice each time, Saige began
to feel and energy pulsate from within. Glancing up, he realized that he
was aloft in the air. Taking advantage of his Queen's blessing, he moved
towards the stone. The heat from the lava caused him to begin sweating
profusely, and upon making it half way, his armor was heated with so much
force that he could feel his skin starting to burn.



Author:  Saige
Date    Fri May 10 19:54:13 2002


Subject  In search of the Gem of Minds Part III




Closing his eyes, he let out a scream, which echoed off the surrounding
walls, but stopped when his feet touch solid ground. Looking about, he
realized he stood on the center platform. Quickly removing his
breastplate, he looked down to find his chest slightly scared from the heat.
Muttering, he decided to leave it, as a personal symbol

Walking over to the stone, he looked down, to find ancient arcane symbold
sritting upon it. Raising his hand, he began to whisper another prayer when he
stopped. Looking down, the words began to meld into themselves.

Stepping back, he watched in fascination as the stone began to glow a bright
red, and then faded. Then, out of nowhere, a voice spoke.

"The gem knows the true master of its powers. It has felt your presence
Saige, and your Queens. It is ready to be taken, and brought into this world
for use once more."

With that, the voice dissappeared. Taken back a bit, Saige pondered whether
he had really heard the voice, or imagined it. His attention was drawn back to
the stone though.

The top had opened while the voice had spoke, and a pulsating red color
eminated form within. Stepping over, Saige looked down to find a gem, clasped
with a golden chain.

It was faceted with more faces than one could count, and seemed to flare out
of its own accord.

Grasping it, Saige turned, ready to return to the city. Wishing he did not
have to recross the lave though, he was amazed when he noticed a bridge across
where there had been none.

Almost dropping the gem itself from the shock, he grabbed at it, placing it
around his own neck for safer keeping. Walking the bridge, he quickly left,
hearing a crumbling behind as he fled down the corridors.

Turning back, he watched as the last room collpased upon itself. the first
room had collapsed too, yet now the opening was much larger.

Steppping down carefully, Saige's dragon made his way to his master, where
Saige prompty lept up into his saddle.

Saige had retrieved what it was he searched for. It was now time to return
home, victorious once more, in the name of the Dark Queen. The people would
once more know true victory in faith, as the temple would soon be completed.



Author:  Saige
Date    Thu May 23 21:19:57 2002


Subject  The Sacrifice to our 



*Several days have passed since the trip to recover the Gem of Minds was
completed. The building of the temple was progressing at a rapid pace. The
city of Neraka, for once in a long time, was beginning to re-unite under the
Dark Queen's banner However, one night, while standing out ontop the
ramparts to his citadel, Saige was enjoying the site below him, as he watched
the lights flaring from the temples construction site.

As he turned to go back to his studies, he noticed another group of torches,
flaring out down in the southern section of the city, away from the temple.

A small group was convened together, and as far as he could see, there was a
man in extraordinary white robes standing atop something, as if he were
speaking to them

Turning, he hurried to his study, and upon arriving, found his squire
waiting patiently by his desk*

'What is it Kaylis?' asked Saige as he began strapping his armour on.

'Sire, I have some news to report. Several guards have returned from patrol
and have taken notice to our preaching friend," replied Kaylis.

'So that would be who that is, causing the commotion in the southern portion
of the city," Saige said as he finished buckling his armour and strapped on
his sword.

*As Saige hurried from his room, he motioned to several of his honour guards
to follow him. He tried to place his thoughts back in order as he walked the
flights of stairs...

Upon arriving from his recent journey, in search of the Mind Gem, he
returned and was briefed on what news he missed during hsi absence. Within
that news was notice of a cleric, preaching in the squre.

He was about to skip over it, when his attention was caught by the fact that
this cleric was of some reknown. He had actually managed to hold the
population in thrall by his teachings.

Troubled with this, Saige had ordered his guards to throw the man out of the
city, and neglect him of his rights, but somehow, he managed to worm his way
back in, and now he was REALLY drawing attention

As he reached the end of the stairs, he looked into the caves that stretched
out before him. Seeing the large blue scaled creature laying in a den, Saige
approached with long strides.

As he approached, his aides hurried to wake the dragon in order to fix the
saddle upon it, but Saige threw a hand and cursed at them, telling them he did
not need a saddle for such a short trip. Jumping upon the dragon with the ease
of a skilled rider, the dragon reared back and took off. Banking over the low
clouds, the Dragon swooped in low over the city. Gliding over those working at
the Temple site, it roared in glee as it felt the fear sweep through the mass
of people.

Motioning with his hand, Saige and his mount turn and sweep over the low
buildings in the market place. Pointing a finger to a group of lights, the
dragon nods and curls its wings in, allowing it to gain speed.

Coming down upon the people, the dragon gathers its wings and in a fury of
wind, comes to a halt in midair above the procession. Fear begins to sink
through all those present, and even the mighty preaching cleric began to
tremble

But that was not to last, quickly, he regained his posture, holding a
medallion and speaking a few words, a light flared out that seemed to emminate
from his body and he spoke in loud words...*

'You, EVIL, are the very essence that is corrupting and killing the innocent
world as we speak. You, who worships that harbringer of death, that evil
seductress who has enthralled this people with her delusions of greatness.
Your days are running thin, and will soon end!

*Grinning, from atop his dragon, Saige, ordered the great beast to land. As
it came to the ground, he gracefully slid off and approached the cleric, the
crowd parting for him as he walked.*

'You, Harbringer of false hope, follower of weakling gods, pathetic
proclaimer of the so called truth, are the one who's days are running
thin..." replied Saige.



Author:  Saige
Date    Thu May 23 22:12:37 2002


Subject  The sacrifice to our Queen...




"I was told of your insulence within this city, and even gave you a chance,
by sparing your life, but you did not heed it. You are bearing false beliefs
to these people, and the penalty for that, is death."

"The power of my god will protect me, as will it protect us all!"
proclaimed the cleric, looking around, hoping to gain affirmation from the
crowds, but the crowd remained silent, as if transfixed by the moment.

*Smiling to himself, Saige unsheaths his sword, and pronounces aloud
saying...

"People of Neraka, look upon this cleric...this poor pathetic creature
serving the gods who ahve damned him. Look upon him, for you now look upon the
face of one who's life of service, has become his bondage. 

"He will soon become what was truly meant for him. The Queen will see to it
that he is properly used as according to her will!" echoed Saige's coice as
it carried over the crowd.

*Motioning his honour guards forward, who had jsut arrived, they captured
the cleric, subduing him only after he attempted to escape by shouting a
prayer. The feeble attempt only enraged Saige, who called upon the power of
Takhisis to silence the cleric. Once taken in, the crowd followed behind, as
the gathering made its way back towards the temple.

Upon arriving, the workers made way for the prisoner, who was taken to the
foundation stone that was brought from the depths of the Blood Sea. Here, he
was tied and bound.

Arriving with the crowd, Saige raised a hand to speak, and a silence swept
across the people...

'People of Neraka. I bring before you this very night, one who has denounced
the name of our Great Queen. He has scathed her with vile names, and has
cursed all of us who worship unto her.

The punishment for this crime of sacrilidge, is punishable only by death.
Therefore, it is by Takhisis' will, that he be used as the first sacrifice
made upon temple grounds. His body and blood will act as the beginning of our
Queen's reign.

*With that said, Saige raised his hands, and fell to his knees. Shouting a
prayer to reach the heavens, he asked for Takhisis to bless this sacrifice
with her supreme powers

Within seconds of his prayer, a flash of light streaked from the heavens,
and a bolt of black lightning struck the cleric square in the chest. His eyes
flashed open and his body convulses as the power surged through him.

The medallion on his chest flared out, but slowly began to dim, as the power
we sucked straight out of it. After several seconds, the bolt dispersed,
leaving behind nothing but a blackened foundation where the body had once
been.

'People of Neraka. I give you the power of her Majesty!' shouted Saige as
he took to a knee in reverence.

*The people all hushed, and each in turn said a prayer to her Queen. Pleased
with this unexpected, but helpful turn of events, Saige stood and motioned for
his guards.

REturning to the citadel, Saige began to unbuckle his sword and armour as
Kaylis entered...* 'So, I see you settled that matter rather well
m'Lord' saige Kaylis.

'Yes, I was rather pleased, and so was our Queen,' replied Saige, smiling
to himself.



Author:  Saige
Date    Fri May 31 20:28:38 2002


Subject  The Final Blessings...




*Reaching up to the altar standing before him, Saige carefully drew forth a
magnificient goblet, carved of pure platinum that had been darkened to a smoke
grey, and etched in the finest gold.

Placing a hand over the goblet, he stood slowly, and took a glance around.
All was in place. The altar standing before him was a masterful work of art,
donated by a group of local dark dwarves who had pledged themselves to her
majesty.

They claimed it was fashioned into the methods of the original altar in teh
temple of Neraka, before it had been destroyed prior to the war. None the
less, this was truly a gift fit for her Majesty.

Holding the cup out over the altar, Saige began to pour out its contents
onto the floor, which jsut so happened to be the very stone that made the
foundation, which had been drug from the depths of the Blood Sea itself.

The contents poured out onto the ground, a rich and thick composite of
blood, gathered from a sacrifice that was made to her majesty upon the
morning's opening ceremony.

It was now dusk, and time for the final blessings to be made. Leaving the
room behind, he swept up his cloak and slowly walked out, a procession of
clerics following once he came outside the main chamber.

Coming to the entrance, he came to a halt. Looking out among the courtyard
was a mass of people. The entire population of Neraka stood here, the luckier
ones in the front, the crowd strung all the way out the gates and backed into
streets.

Smiling to himself, he knew that the Queen must be pleased. Her people had
slaved day and night to complete this masterful work of mystery and dark
beauty. Truly, this was a piece of craftsmanship.

Fashioned and instructed by the dark dwarves themselves, the people had
created the temple in a mere matter of weeks. The mammoth of a temple was
constructed into three parts. An outer tower, with and outer sanctum and an
inner sanctum. This provided a place for the people to worship, and a
holier place for the true clerics of Takhisis to come. 

The outside was crafted out of a heavy black stone, found along the Lords of
Doom themselves. Several palces had been constructed of obsidian, to give the
temple a sheen to it that was hideous, yet beautiful all at the same time.

Saige truly marveled at the creation, and began to walk forward into the
open night air. Immediately, a hush fell across the crowds.

It was strange yet also added to the affect of the words which would soon
come from Saige's mouth. Standing quiet a few moments longer to add to the
affect, he slowly drew out the empty goblet from beneath his robes, and tipped
it in midair.

The crowd immediately cheered enthuisiastically, knowing that the empty
goblet meant that the initial sacrifice had gone well, and that it was now
time for the final blessings.

Holding up a hand for silence once more, Siage then spoke...*

The time had come, citizens of Neraka, to welcome the Queen's presence back
into our city. Poverty and chaos is gone. You have provided my Knights and I a
hospitable home, and for that, we have eradicated all forces who oppose our
Queen, and have freed this city once more from its enemies," said Saige,
while gesturing broudly with his gauntleted fist.

"Welcome to yoru new temple Neraka. Greet the presence of our Queen in this
city with your daily visitations and prayers. Ask only unto her for what you
need, and it shall be provided. With that, it is time the final sacrifice be
made," added Saige as he turned and faced the temple itself.



Author:  Saige
Date    Fri May 31 20:56:54 2002


Subject  The Final Blessing...II




*Motioning with a gauntleted fist, a group of gaurds walked up the steps,
escorting what seemed to be a prisoner. Garbed in pure white robes, the
prisoner kept his head bowed as he walked, as if knowing the doom that awaited
him.

Reaching forward, Saige grabbed the man's hood and pulled it off with a
respectful gentleness. Now, Saige looked upon the face of an elf, aged a bit,
but young by elven standards.

A medal flashed out from under his robes. It was crafted of a polished
platinum and contained the emblem of Paladine in his Dragon form.

Saige has been the one to greet the man, who just happened to be the head
cleric of his order who was in a nearby city when he heard another of his
clerics who had been preaching in Neraka had ben sacraficed in front of the
people.

Unbelieving that his god could allow such a thing, he demanded he be allowed
to see for himself. In his anger and astonishment, he had lashed out at Saige,
who had been the one to escort him to the spot on the temple that marked the
past cleric Calling upon his Queen, Saige instantly dispeled the holy
cleric, and called down her Majesty's wrath upon him. Standing before the
Queen, the cleric was of no match, even as he called upon his god with his
passing breath,

Saige had managed to save his life, only so it could be used as a sacrifice
this day.

Saige had pondered this moment though, as time had passed, and he
contemplated whether this sacrifice could truly be made. Ultimately, if this
elf were to be made sacrifice unto her Queen, his position under his god's
power would be enough

to save his soul perhaps, making the sacrifice useless to her majesty.
Pondering this, Saige had not been able to come to a decision upon what must
be done to keep this from occuring and henceforth saving the sacrifice.

As Saige stood before the temple now though, holding the elf by the arm, he
realized what must be done in order to complete the sacrifice and take this
soul to her majesty.

Saige would ahve to accompany this soul himself, through death and before
the gates of the Abyss, in order to make certain that the soul was guarded
from being taken during the trip.

This was not a deed easily accomplished, and Saige knew very well that by
making this sacrifice, he was possibly sacrificing his life also, and if the
Queen did not deem the sacrifice worthy, she may not offer him a chance to
return to his body but it was a sacrifice that had to be made.

Standing there with the elf, he slowly drew him inside the temple. The
honour guard detachment waited outside the inner sanctum, and watched as their
lord took the enemy by the arm and walked willingly into the arms of death.

Each knight saluted as Saige walked by, knowing full well what he intended
to do, and knowing it may be the last that they see of their lord knight.

Upon entering the sanctum, the elf fell to his knees before the spilt blood
that lay on the floor. He began to weep, and Saige allowed him a few moments
of this out of respect only, then slowly dragged him from the ground and up to
the altar.

Speaking aloud, his voice echoed through not only the sanctum, but out
through the doors and into the ears of a listening crowd...*

"My Queen Takhisis, it is I, Siage, humble cleric of your powerful deeds. I
come before you my Queen, to make the final sacrifice in blessings of thhis
newly constructed temple unto you.

You know what lies in my heart my Queen. You know wha tit is I intend to do,
and what it is I intend to accomplish here and now. I pray to you my Queen,
that you will look upon this sacrifice as being honoring to you.

Accept this gift, my Queen, brought to you by your people. Accept this elf
of goodness into your gates, that you may do with him as you please. But my
Queen, accept the sacrifice that I make now.



Author:  Saige
Date    Fri May 31 21:04:36 2002


Subject  The Final Sacrifice...III




I pray that my deeds to you have been faithful and loyal enough, that you
shall accept this and do with me as you wish..." Saige said, as he begun to
utter the powerful prayers of sacrifice known only to the High Priests of a
god.

*Shouting the words with a passion and fury that raged form in his heart, a
black fire began to arise from the ground. The flames swallowed Saige and the
elf whole.

The elf began to scream out in pain, and began to scream a prayer to his
god. Saige could feel the flames tearing his soul away form hs body, and began
to feel the elf's soul being drawn away as he shouted to his god.

Grasping for every ounce of faith and strength he had, Saige held firm onto
the soul of the elf, as the walked the fires of death and came to the gates of
the abyss.

Holding firmly to the soul, he felt the pull grow even stronger, and he felt
as if he would lose the soul of the elf, but then the gate opened, and a
soothing voice spoke, giving Saige a power he had never felt before.

Grabbing ont the elf, Saige made one last attempt, and ripped the elf into
the gates of his Queen. The gates slammed shut, and the screams of the elf
echoed throughout the bleakness. The darkness began to set in,

and the soothing voice arrived once more, speaking hideous sweetness into
Saige's ear. A darkness began to flash over Saige, and he was soon lost in
oblivion as everything began to fade away....*

*I leave my fate up to you, my Queen, and pray that my deeds and sacrifice
have caught your attention and perhaps something good may yet come of my
sacrifice, so, as I said, my fate lies in your hands.

Do with my soul as you see fit, for it is now yours my Queen.*


Author:            Saige
Date    Thu Jul 13 17:37:54 2006
Subject   The Return of Saige, I

 
Darkness, blacker than night, was all that existed. There was no 
light, no color, no sound; only darkness. Normal living breathing
men would have been driven mad by such a circumstance. However,
Saige was not a normal man. Nor was he living or breathing any
longer. Rising up to the call of his Queen, he had forfeited his
life in defense of his citadel. The forces of Good had prevailed
over him. Those damned dragons of Light had caught him and his
troops off guard while preparing for a counter-attack on the city
of Palanthas. The citadel had been residing just north of Neraka
taking on troops and supplies for what would be a glorious
victory. Saige and his men, so caught up in their visions of
glory, never even saw the first wave hit.
 
Those were but faint memories now; pictures, thoughts and dreams
that were as thin as dust. Saiges conscience could do nothing but
consider these wispy memories as his soul resided peacefully 
within the darkness. Here, within the folds of Takhisis own
protection, his soul laid waiting.
 
This was all due to a promise made by Her. A promised actually 
kept. On a day long ago, during Saiges middle years when he had
successfully helped rebuild the Queens dark temple in Neraka, she
had made him the promise. During the official blessings, Saige had
brought forth a priest of Light; an elf. It was that elfs soul 
that won the Queens promise. As soon as Saige had slit his
offerings throat and allowed the blood to flow freely over the
altar, Takhisis granted Saige the promise.
 
"You will not have a need to fear death, my Priest. For when that
day comes, I will be waiting to take your soul for safe keeping.
With me you will rest until called upon once more to walk the land
and at that time I will give you back your youth and strength for
a continuation of service in my name. So shall it be."
 
It was at the very top of his citadel, in the altar room that the
forces of Light had cornered Saige, High Priest and Commander of
the Skull Forces. It was there that they watched as his body died.
However, unbeknownst to them, the soul of Saige was not to be sent
to the river of dead amongst those belonging to Chemosh. Takhisis
herself intervened, fulfilling her promise and taking his soul
with her. Now, trapped within the darkness, there was little for
Saige to do. Time lost all meaning and soon he had forgotten how
long he had been here, resting, waiting... Days, months, years... 
There was no way to keep track. All that kept his soul at peace
was the fleeting memories that came and went in his deathly
slumber; memories of power, glory and victory.
 
The visions had become more and more constant though. For what
seemed an eternity, it was all Saige could do to conjure his
memories. Now though, they burned within his soul. The feeling was
strange at first, as feeling is an improbable thought for only a
soul. But soon the memories became stronger, those of his past
victories and triumphs. From the slaying of his former master
within the very walls of a temple of light to his consecration and
dedication of mind and body to Takhisis. From his achievements in 
gaining her favor as her High Priest to the ranks and titles 
within the Knighthood including his most cherished... Lord of Doom,
Dark Lord of Neraka. All of these sent an immense surge of power
through him and just when it seemed as if the memories would burn
hot enough to destroy his very soul...
 
Saige opened his eyes.
 
*To be continued*


Author:            Saige
Date    Thu Jul 13 17:44:31 2006
Subject   The Return of Saige, II

 
It was an odd sensation. One that seemed impossible, but there 
above him were the three moons of Krynn shining down upon him; the
third being masked however its presence felt none the less. Saige
laid there a moment staring up at the stars in the sky before
managing to right himself. Sitting upright, he looked down to find
his body garbed in his old armour and a black robe signifying his
clerical rank. Was this simply another memory? Perhaps it had
become so real that he had finally driven his soul to conceive...
But no, no this WAS REAL! Saige looked around, his eyes quickly
adjusting to the darkness. His body had been laying on a stone 
structure; a funeral stone perhaps? It didnt matter though, as
Saige laughed out loud, the sound of his own voice, his younger
voice, bringing back his strength.
 
"Dead men do not have such feelings, therefore I must surely be
alive?" he asked the darkness around him.
 
Suddenly, the air became deathly cold. The chill was enough to
send shivers down Saiges spine but a smile touched his lips for
he knew that he was now in the presence of the one he loved. The
one he served. His Queen, Takhisis.
 
"My promise has been kept, my loyal Priest. Your soul has been
returned to the mortal world. Now, it is your turn to uphold the
bargain. Go once more to my Knighthood and bring to them your
strength; for it is my will that you serve me once more."
 
Swinging his feet off the stone, Saige touched them down upon the
ground. Solid rock greetings he boots. How wonderful it felt to
have that sensation once more. Saige looked around, realizing his
Queen was still present, watching him.
 
"I will fulfill my end of the bargain, my Queen," he said as he
stood fully, flexing his muscles and tendons. "I will return to
the Knighthood but what will I find?"
 
A cold wind gusted around him suddenly, leaving his lips blue and
his facial hair frosted.
 
"You will find new faces and familiar ones alike. Your soul has
slumbered but it has not been absent from this world too long.
Return as I said and resume your duties to me, Lord Saige, for I
will not be granting you promises any longer."
 
With that, the presence of Takhisis vanished leaving Saige to
shudder slightly. Wrapping the black cloak around him, Saige set
off into the woods beyond. Judging by the location moons he could 
at least know the direction in which he traveled. As soon as he 
found some sigh of civilization he would know best how to make his
way to the Knighthood. For now though, Saige simply trudged off in
silence; something he had became keenly accustomed to during his
stay with his Queen...


Author:    Saige          
Date:      Wed Oct 25 00:10:57 2006
Subject  Preparations

Darkness had finally cast its shadow upon the plains just shy of
the Knight's Southern borders.  The mountains of Blode to the
southwest were haunting figures looming in the distance.  Saige
sat quietly in his tent. He had given his officers their orders
for the next few days and had instructed his new guards not to
allow ANYONE entrance.  He was greatly disturbed by the actions
of the Bundesphar the day before.  He knew that while they were
accomplished scouts, if they could cause this much havoc then so
could an enemy.  He could trust no one other than his own
personal guard from Neraka so he had sent for them specifically. 
He couldn't allow his departure to be noticed by others.  His
goal was secretive and in order to preserve that, he had
maintained that he wished to spend several days fasting and
praying to the Queen for empowerment over his troops.  In
reality, Saige had received a vision...  One that he had been
eagerly waiting for...  One that showed him the location of his
fallen citadel.  So, as the hours wore on and the encampment
settled in for the night, Saige prepared for his journey.  


Author:    Saige          
Date:      Thu Mar 22 22:24:57 2007
Subject  Saige scouts his old citadel, and finds more than he bargained for.

* Saige opens his eyes and glances at his immediate surroundings,
taking note that his location appears to be directly on the edge of a
sheer cliff. *

Saige says 'Well, I see you still enjoy toying with your servant, my
Queen...'

* Saige says through clenched teeth as he manages to stand and lean
away from the ledge, his transportation taking him to a position a bit
off from where he asked. *

* Saige checks his gear then taps on the edge of the cliff with his
boot to test its strength and nods. Looking out from his vantage
point, he can just barely see the fires of the army encampment far to
the northeast. *

* Saige thinks of his duties but then shrugs off the notion. *

Saige says 'You've much more important matters at hand, forget the
rest.'

* Saige says to himself and begins working his way through the
mountainous terrain. *

* Saige continues his trek through the mountains of Blode with little
more than some cuts and bruises. Cursing the heavens at various
stages, he continues talking himself through his vision... *

Saige says 'Through the darkness and the haze, along the mountains it
lays... How in the name of the gods will that help me now? A man could
lose himself in these mountains and die of starvation or encounter a
tribe of Ogres without finding what he seeks...'

* Saige growls and utters a curse under his breath as his right
leather gloves rips on the sharp edge of a rock. *

Saige says 'Perhaps taking the Bundesphar wouldn't have been such a
bad idea... this could take...'

* Saige stops in midsentence as he reaches the summit of a ridge.
Looking down into the mists of the valley below, a stone structure
becomes faintly visible as the wind moves the insubstantial mass. *

* Saige looks up into the heavens seeking the constellation that marks
his Queen. With a grunt of appreciation, he begins to descend into the
thickening mists and towards the structure. *

* Saige reaches the bottom of the valley after experiencing 20 minutes
of more bone crunching pain. It's no wonder every creature in the area
wasn't aware of his presence by this point. *

Saige says 'I swear on my soul Takhisis, that I better find what I'm
looking for here...'

* Takhisis's voice echoes in Saige's head in an agonizing yet sultry
manner. 'Do not think to make demands of me mortal, favored cleric
though you are.' *

* Saige instantly feels an unseen hand press onto his shoulders and
force him to his knees. Growling but maintaining himself, he
forcefully accepts his Queen's ire and utters an appology through
clenched teeth. *

Saige says 'My most, "sincere" appologies my Queen... I should be more
"grateful" that you've given me the liberty of locating my citadel...'

* Takhisis titters like a ditzy maiden, while the sound and feeling of
nails drawn across a chalkboard spreads through Saige's mind. In
moments, it fades to nothing and seems to disappear on unseen winds. *

* Saige cringes as the sound rings through his mind as much as his
ears, but as suddenly as it came it vanishes along with the force
pressing him into the ground. *

* Saige staggers and stands, feeling momentarily drained from
experiencing his Queen's wrath. Brushing the dirt off of his robes, he
resituates his armor and continues forward. *

* Saige continues his journey for another quarter of a mile before
reaching an area covered with broken flagstone, several small turrets
and holes in the ground which appear to be from larger stones that
plummeted from the heavens. *

* a dessicated silver dragon stalks silently along the broken parapets
of the keep, watching with hooded eyes. *

* Saige looks upon each piece carefully, recognizing each of the
larger masses as the very stones that once were part of his creation.
After entering into the graveyard of stones, he looks up as the mists
part just enough for the outline of a single decrepit t *

* Saige (cont) tower to be seen. *

Saige says 'So... the vision was true...'

* a dessicated silver dragon sniffs the air, recognizing the scent of
the man who imprisoned him decades ago, and leached his magical
essences as fuel for the blasted citadel. *

* Saige says as he looks upon the remains of his once great flying
creation. *

* Saige takes a few steps forward, feeling a strange sensation wash
over him but shrugging it off as his past returns to haunt his mind. *

* Saige becomes momentarily lost from his surroundings. For a brief
instant, he can feel the wind tearing at his cloak as he looked off
the balcony to see several flights of Metallic dragons closing in on
his creation. *

* a dessicated silver dragon deftly hops along the crumbling stone
that has been his 'home' for the past decades, dodging behind chunks
of rubble and clouds of mist until he has put himself behind the
blasted human. *

* Saige watches the past run through his mind, as the singly flight of
dragons he had travelling with him fell before the power of the cursed
Solamnics and their beasts of Paladine. *

* a dessicated silver dragon glances down, he grimaces at the twisted
hole that he made in his escape from the chamber that held him and
hisses softly in barely controlled fury. *

* Saige hears something nearby in the distance, but can't help but to
remain trapped in his remniscence... He watches as the solamnics land
in the courtyard, slaughtering his troops and storm the Tower itself,
finally to confront Saige in his own quarters. *

* Saige reaches down and places a hand overtop his thigh, the first
place where a Solamnic blade drew blood. Clenching his fists, he grins
slightly as he recalls the spell that he used to literally suck the
soul straight out of the Knight, watching as he withe *

* Saige (cont) withered away in front of his comrades. *

* a dessicated silver dragon grins cruelly as his bony claw wraps
around a large block of ruined stone. Quietly he hefts it, his
degenerating muscles straining with the weight of the stone block. *

* Saige looks up to see another Solamnic scream their cursed oath
before plunging his blade deep into Saige's gut. He could almost feel
the pain, as if death was ready to take him once more. Darkness begins
to flood his vision as he remembers his own death... *

* a dessicated silver dragon hisses, like steam escaping from a
gnomish contraption as he hurls the boulder sized block at Saige. *

* Saige hears the strange sound of steam from somewhere nearby and
instantly snaps out of his vision from the past. A whirling in the air
causes him to turn but not in time as the rock crushes his right
shoulder. The sound of splintering bone clearly audible. *

* a dessicated silver dragon sprints on all fours after the rock as
soon as he throws it, his membraneless wings looking more like deadly
scythes than tools of flight. *

* Saige staggers from the blow and the pain, falling to a knee and
glancing up in the direction of the projectile. A terrifying site
reaches his vision and his eyes instantly grow wide in fear, felt for
the firs ttime in a long time. *

* Saige raises his left hand in a halting gesture and calls out to
Takhisis to raise the very earth from the ground underneath his
attacker. *

* a dessicated silver dragon howls in pain as the rocks clip his
underbelly, and rolls to the side somewhat less than gracefully. *

* a dessicated silver dragon struggles to speak, as if trying to
remember something long denied to him. *

a dessicated silver dragon IC in Common 'You...will pay. Foolish pawn
of Takhisis!'

* Saige takes advantage of the delay and staggers to his feet, making
an effort to reach a nearby turret that sits crooked in the ground
where it had fallen. *

* a dessicated silver dragon whirls, the bony remnants of his wings
hissing through the air as he turns toward the bit of broken masonry
conceiling the wicked cleric. *

* Saige curses under the pain, his breathing heavy. Closing his eyes,
he calls again upon Takhisis and is satisfied as he feels his breath
coming easier. *

Saige says 'What in the names of the gods is it I face...'

* Saige utters through his clenched jaw. *

* a dessicated silver dragon moves faster at the sound of prayer,
vaulting to the top of the turret and kicking down the unstable bricks
and mortar above the fool cleric. *

* Saige covers his head with his good arm, shielding what debris he
can as he lunges out of the way, rolling and cursing loudly as he
rolls over his splintered shoulder. *

* a dessicated silver dragon skitters down the ruined tower like a
spider intent on its prey. *

* Saige looks up to take a good look at his attacker for the first
time and gasps, nearly coughing in the dust that raises like a cloud.
*

Saige says 'Yo... Yo... You! There is no possible... no possible
way....'

* Saige stammers as he staggers to his feet again and lunges out of
the path of the dragon. *

a dessicated silver dragon IC in Common 'Oh yes there is little
knight. It takes more than you think to stop the children of a god.'

* a dessicated silver dragon snatches at Saige as he lunges away. *

* Saige becomes snagged by the dragon's talon, tearing through the
platemail on his leg and catching flesh. The open wound allows blood
to begin flowing freely onto the ground. *

* a dessicated silver dragon hefts the knight up by his impaled leg,
dangling the cleric before him and snorting with contempt. *

* Saige screams out in agony as the dragon lifts him into the air.
Though through the pain, he forces his eyes to remain open, staring
straight into his enemy's eyes. *

a dessicated silver dragon IC in Common 'You will not die quick. This
is going to be slower and nastier than what you did to me. When I am
through, you will beg for Takhisis to take you to whatever personal
hell she has planned for you!'

Saige says 'I don't know how in the name of the Abyss you survived
after all this time... But I swear on the gods themselves that I won't
die by the likes of you... I... I have come too far!'

* a dessicated silver dragon punctuates the sentance with a small spit
of quicksilver, coating Saige's wounded leg with the deadly poison. *

* Saige howls in agony as the searing liquid sears his open wound and
his leg becoming nothing but a lump of burned flesh. *

Saige says 'Takhisis!!!'

a dessicated silver dragon IC in Common 'Now what were you saying? You
should know mortals never go anywhere, especially the she-bitch's
pets.'

* Saige he screams through his agony *

* Verdan ears twitch from his lair not far away as he begins to stir.
*

* Saige raises his his good right hand from his upside down state and
points his palm directly at the dragons face. With a cry of praise, he
attempts to summon the power of takhisis to call the dark fires of the
abyss onto his enemy. *

* a dessicated silver dragon grunts in pain as demonfire burns over
his form, searing away some of his scales. He rolls and thrashes,
dropping Saige unceremoniously towards the ground. *

* Saige falls to the ground, quickly scrambling and clawing at the
earth. Tears roll down his face as he grunts through the pain from his
shoulder and leg. Using his good leg he manages to push himself
forward with it in order to get some distance between him *

* Saige (cont) and his foe. *

* a dessicated silver dragon roars in fury as the last of the fire
dies out and he regains his footing. *

* a dessicated silver dragon bounds after the fleeing knight,
attempting to land directly overtop the wounded the man. *

* Saige hears the sound of the dragon behind him leaping into the air
and instantly sees the dragons intentions. Rolling onto his back, he
reaches for his spiked mace and pulls it free from its latch, raising
it an a final attempt to thwart the beast. *

* a dessicated silver dragon knocks the mace out of Saige's hand with
a casual gesture. Smiling, the dragon pokes a claw through Saige's
breastplate as if it were tinfoil. *

a dessicated silver dragon IC in Common 'Since you left me here, I've
wandered what it would be like to suck down one of your intestines
like a noodle.'

* a dessicated silver dragon licks his lips with a dry cracked tongue.
*

* Saige cries out in pain, once again screaming for Takhisis. *

* Verdan hears his goddess's call again. Grudgingly he scans the
forest below, hoping she doesnt want much. *

* Saige writhes in agony, with nothing left to do but suffer under the
excrutiating pain. *

* Verdan's rider calls out 'Silver Dragon, 3 o'clock!', and Verdan
wings down towards the ruined building, spotting a weak looking silver
dragon and grinning at his fortune. *

* Verdan smiles as his rider chants the words of a spell, and a
lightning bolt catches the silver in the back. The tingle of magic
seems to bring strength to Verdan as he prepares for the lethal end of
his dive. *

* Saige opens his eyes, covered in dirt and blurred by tears of pain,
he feels his soul tugging to leave his body, a feeling known and
experienced once before... *

* Saige hears his enemy cry out, but not in jubilation of its kill.
Instead, a faint roar is heard in the sky above and the visage of
another creature is visible before darkness creeps in and he falls
into blackness. *

* Verdan tears into the silver flanks, crushing the silver underneath
him and bathing Saige in its blood. With a contemptious howl, Verdan
tears the terrified silvers head off in one clean motion. *

* Verdan smiles and chants over the fallen dragon, hauling its
comparitively small form up and draining the little bit of magic the
silver had left. *

* Verdan barely notices his rider dismounting, or retreiving the
fallen knight. *

Vedan IC in Common 'I don't see why we have to haul that bleeding mess
of a soldier back to camp. He's not one of us.'

* Verdan snorts with derision as his rider scolds him, 'You know the
Queen called you here, no doubt to save this man's life. Hurry Verdan,
we must get him to the healer!' *

Vedan IC in Common 'I continue to wonder why she puts her faith in
these frail insects.'

* Verdan languidely lands, much to the chagrin of his rider as he
hauls the prisoner off to the healers. *

* Verdan murmers to himself as he looks over the faded green uniforms
of the soldiers, 'They may be troublesome, but perhaps it was worth
not eating them all...' *

* Verdan glances back at the hoard of treasure he has pillaged in his
time with these men, the survivors. *

* Verdan settles down, closes his eyes, and ignores the hustle and
bustle of the little bees that feed him. *

'-Fin-'


Author:    Saige          
Date:      Thu Mar 22 22:24:57 2007
Subject  Saige awakens from his injury, and Kailith begins enlightening
           him about the Dragonarmy remnants.


Saige says 'Kai...lith?'

* Saige says through dry cracked lips. *

* Saige squints slightly as his eyes adjust to the change in the light
and he finally has an opportunity to see the man before him. *

Saige says 'Whe...re... where are we?'

* Saige says through dry cracked lips. *

Kailith says 'At a camp of Dragonarmy Remnants, apparently they
rescued you.'

Kailith says 'Takhisis must have smiled on you.'

* Saige attempts to slide his wounded leg off of the makeshift cot he
was on. His armour mostly stripped off and his wounds tended to, he
glances around the tent looking for his clothes. *

Saige says 'Yes... th..e Queen has a wa..y of doing such thi..ngs...'

* Kailith grins sardonicly. *

Kailith says 'I guess the old ways are better suited to rapid
responses.'

* Saige smirks and disregards the man momentarily as he spies a bowl
of water sitting on a crude table nearby. Reaching over, he cups the
water and brings it to his lips before repeating the action to clean
his face. *

Kailith says 'If you don't mind me asking sir...why have we not
pressed our enemies? '

* Saige pats his face with his wet hands, noticing the roughness and
estimating himself to have been here for several days. *

* Saige glances at the man. *

Saige says 'Our enemies?'

Kailith says 'Yes sir, the Solamnics, the elves, the dwarven cowards.
'

Kailith says 'All the lesser races.'

* Saige pays a bit more attention to the man, eyeing him suspiciously
before answering. *

* Kailith smiles congenially. *

Saige says 'We have our orders to maintain our ranks and our
fortifications until the Queen gives us our sign... But tell me
soldier, how is it you found me here? None should have known me to
have even been missing.'

* Saige asks as he puts a small amount of weight on his wounded leg,
testing its strength and feeling it hold slightly. *

* Kailith sheds his face like a bug shedding its shell, revealing the
young angular face of Kailith. *

Kailith says 'To a cleric, many hidden things become known.'

* Saige growls slightly under his breath. *

Saige says 'You?'

* Saige asks almost skeptically. *

Kailith says 'I will tell you a great truth, if you promise to listen
with open ears.'

* Saige grunts as he pulls his other leg off the cot and makes an
attempt to stand, nearly falling in the process before catching
himself and maintaining his balance on his good leg. *

Saige says 'Ay.....e. Go on with it, as it appears I'm not going
anywhere for a short while.'

Kailith says 'So be it. '

Kailith says 'All is not as it seems, I am not a fool cleric of
Takhisis.'

* Kailith pulls forth his medallion, flipping it and showing the
broken scales of Hiddukel. *

Kailith says 'I show you this in faith, for all I have to say this
night is truth, for tonight truth serves my master better than
deception.'

* Saige hobbles over to a nearby chest where his affects lay
scattered. Throwing off the sheet, he pulls his breeches on with a
curse of pain on his injured leg, mostly ignoring Kailith as the
anguish blocks out his words. Exhaling sharply, he turns. *

Saige says 'Now, what were you saying?'

* Kailith dangles the medallion of faith in plain view. *

Kailith says 'Got your attention?'

* Saige eyes the medallion, looking from it, the Kailith's face and
back. *

* Saige growls deeply under his breath but shrugs, looking around for
the rest of his equipment. *

Saige says 'So, you managed to dupe even the Queen... I'm surprised
she hasn't struck you down dead yet.'

Kailith says 'I did not dupe her, I merely impersonated her clergy.'

Saige says 'You'll have to explain to me sometime what the difference
is.'

Kailith says 'But for now, my Lord's plans are of great benifit to you
and her.'

* Saige gets to his leather underarmour and picks it up, studying the
hole in the gut and feeling the bandage wrapped around his mid
section. *

Saige says 'Plans? '

* Saige scoffs, tossing the leather armour to the side. *

Saige says 'Tell me what plans you and your Lord of Lies could
possibly have that would help Her and I?'

Kailith says 'Please, if I was going to lie I would not have shown you
my true face.'

Kailith says 'Or my true god.'

* Saige snorts and hobbles over to a quarterstaff leaning against the
table with the water. Picking it up, he tests its strength before
uttering the words of a prayer for strength and snapping the staff in
two. *

* Saige puts his weight on the stick, testing it as a temporary
crutch. He nods and appears satisfied. *

Kailith says 'I was sent to infiltrate your Knighthood, and aid you,
to spread desperation to the forces of good.'

Kailith says 'Do you know what I found? An order more decadant and
weak than the Solamnics.'

Saige says 'Fairly bold words coming from one as low and conniving as
yourself, don't you think?'

* Saige asks as he makes his way over to his discarded breastplate and
leans down to pick it up. *

Kailith says 'In case you forgot, I found you, and had the balls to
come in here and find you before your elite soldiers.'

Kailith says 'But please, bear with me a moment longer.'

* Saige shrugs on the armour, feeling a slight discomfort as the cold
steel presses into his bandaged midsection and shoulder. *

Saige says 'I'm listening still, aren't I?'

* Saige says as he tries his best to assemble his armour. *

Kailith says 'You know my words are true. Can't you feel Takhisis's
displeasure as her force moulder, inactive within fortresses her
enemies have long forgotten'

*Arikaih continues on her pathway, watching the wolves work as they
follow blood trail.

Kailith says 'Hell, thats why you lead this expedition isnt it?'

* Saige pauses a moment, allowing his mind to wander to the army of
lazy disrespectful soldiers on the fields south of Taman Basuk. *

Kailith says 'To prove to yourself and her Dark Majesty that you still
have a purpose, that you still have...POWER.'

Saige says 'I came for my own reasons, selfish as it may seem, I had
my own goals to achieve.'

Saige says 'I did this for myself, not for Her.'

Kailith says 'Really? I'm sure they both played a part.'

* Saige says feeling his wounds burn slightly as his Queen surely
hears the remarks. *

* Saige snorts in derision. *

Kailith says 'Perhaps thats why she allowed you to do this? Because
she is sick of waiting.'

* Arikaih sees something in the distance and whistles shrilly, calling
all the wolves to her side. *

Saige says 'Take your twisted words elsewhere, they will be of little
use to perverse my mind.'

Kailith says 'If you can tell me that I have lied to you, I will
leave.'

* Saige growls under his breath. *

Kailith says 'My god remembers the glory days. The Dragonarmies.'

Kailith says 'Takhisis must too, why else would she chose these to
rescue you.'

* Arikaih walks slowly toward the vision, seeing a camp, ringed with
sentries. Slowly she heads toward the camp, her hand on her dagger. *

Saige says 'Damn you to the corners of the Abyss. Those days are gone
and Her armies paid with their lives. An obvious reason why they no
longer exist.'

Kailith says 'No longer? '

* Saige raises his eyes to meet Kailith's and squints. *

Saige says 'Yes, no longer... what other lies do you wish to feed me
in this condition?'

* Arikaih stops before a sentry, and after a bit of talking, is
pointed toward a large tent in the center of the camp. She slowly
approaches it and softly coughs. *

* Saige growls as he finishes assembling enough of his armour to
regain some respect for himself and his station. *

* Saige looks up at the closed tent flaps, taking note of another
presence. *

Kailith says 'Really? They were defeated, but can you tell me the
current situation is much better?'

* Arikaih speaks quietly from outside the tent. "Lord Saige?" *

* Saige snorts again, ready to go on a long winded speel until he
hears his name spoken from outside and sounding extremely familiar. *

* Saige holds his hand up instead, halting his and Kailiths
conversation. Hobbling over to the tent entrance, he uses the
makeshift crutch to open one of the flaps. *

* Saige peer out. *

* Arikaih sees the movement and raises her hand in a salute. *

* Kailith does not turn around. *

* Saige squints slightly, looking from Arikaih back into the tent to
Kailith and then back to Arikaih again. *

Saige says 'Takhisis truly wishes to curse my mind...'

* Kailith sighs at the thickheadedness of others. *

* Saige says and turns, heading back into the tent. *

* Arikaih reaches into a pouch and pulls out something, setting it on
the ground. A black furball streaks into the tent with Arikaih
following *

* Kailith finally turns around, chuckling to himself at the new
arrival. *

* Saige continues hobbling past Kailith back to his makeshift cot.
Placing his hand upon it, he leans against it with his back to both of
you. *

* Saige shakes his head, muttering under his breath to himself. *

* Arikaih growls deeply, drawing her dagger a bit from it's sheath.
"You traitorous demon." *

Kailith says 'Who me?'

* Kailith looks confused. *

Arikaih says 'You who conned the highest clerics of Her Majesty...Yes
you bloody bastard'

* Kailith shrugs and points to the medallion around his neck. Pointing
to Saige, he speaks, 'I told him the truth.' *

* Saige quietly mutters something about needing a hard drink. *

Arikaih says 'Funny, you tried to lie to me in a mist form.'

Kailith says 'No that was truth.'

Kailith says 'A more powerful weapon than lies more often than not.'

* Arikaih turns as the black furball comes to her side and whimpers.
She kneels beside him, pulling something silver from her pack and
handing it to the puppy. *

Kailith says 'I came to give Saige the same message I tried to give
you.'

* Arikaih stands and looks at Kailith, her hand no longer on her
dagger. "And, Pray tell, what message was that?" *

Kailith says 'My Lord has told me the Dragonarmies shall rise anew, to
usher in a new age of strength for the Dark Queen's forces.'

* Saige hears the small wolf growl at his feet. Looking down, he spies
his flask in the creatures mouth. Snorting and shaking his head, he
reaches down and grabs the flask, ruffling the creatures ears before
standing and pulling out the cork. *

* Saige inhales deeply from the flasks contents, seemingly satisfied
and paying no attention to the conversation behind him. Lifting it to
his lips, he takes a long pull on it. *

Arikaih says 'Dragonarmies? '

Arikaih says 'They don't exist'

Arikaih says 'They are a thing of horror that all Silvanesti children
are threatened with.'

Kailith says 'What do you call the survivors outside? They've been
devoid of their Queen's attentions but here they are.'

* Kailith laughs, recalling things he has heard of the horrors of
Silvanesti. *

* Arikaih looks slightly over her shoulder, back toward the tent flap.
"How?" *

Kailith says 'The same when any evil group of soldiers survive.
Probably raiding and acting as bandits. With perhaps some Mercenary
work if they feel like doing an honest man's work.'

* Kailith smirks at the word honest. *

* Saige takes his fifth pull from the flask and empties the container.
Growling slightly, he holds the flask upside down just to make sure he
got everything out before putting the stop back in and slipping it
inside his boot. *

* Arikaih looks toward the puppy as it starts yipping. She shakes her
head at it. "He needs no more at this time." *

Kailith says 'I see you train your pets wisely.'

* Arikaih glares at Kailith. "They are not pets. They are companions
and friends." *

* Saige turns and glares at Kailith before addressing Arikaih. *

Saige says 'Tell me Arikaih, what is the current situation? Where are
we?'

Arikaih says 'Current situation of the camp you left...they still sit
and are now happy that we no longer haunt them.'

Saige says 'Aye, yes yes... but where are WE right NOW? All I've seen
since awaking from my battle is the inside of this damned tent.'

Arikaih says 'As to right now...we stand in a tent in a camp north of
the Silvanost forest.'

Saige says 'Whose camp do we stand in? I've yet to see those who
managed to save my life.'

Arikaih says 'They are loyal to Her Majesty, but I know none of them.'

Kailith says 'Didn't you hear me earlier? We stand in the camp of some
Dragonarmy Remnants.'

* Saige turns to glance at Kailith. *

Kailith says 'Green's by whats left of their uniforms.'

* Arikaih turns her attention to Kailith. "You actually mean to tell
me that some of those from the days forgotten remain as they were." *

* Kailith peers at the tent and rubs the material between his fingers,
'I could use a nice Silvanesti tent like this. *

* Saige hobbles over to the entrance and forces the flaps open, taking
his first look at what lay beyond. To his surprise, he spies exactly
as has been told to him. *

* Saige watches as several of the men near a fire stare over at him,
speaking together though their words are undistinguishable. He
continues to stare around the encampment. *

Kailith says 'They are not as they were. No more than bandits now who
pay Takhisis lip-service. But I think they, as you Lord Saige, know
the time for glory is once again coming. '

Kailith says 'Can't you feel it? Like lightning is about to strike.
Her armies, with the servants of the other dark gods, pushing back the
fools who follow the light, and driving them into despair!'

* Kailith's eyes shine like that of a fanatic for a moment. *

* Saige watches Kailith as he appears caught up in the glory of his
words. *

Saige says 'Tis a shame, that my Queen does not allow me to live in
such visions as it seems your Lord allows you.'

Saige says 'How in the name of the gods are these remnants... this
ragtag group of bandits living in the past, going to rise up to the
might of those who currently hold Her Majesties regards?'

Kailith says 'Well do you think that this is only scattered group of
soldiers left over from that long war? That they will not flock to you
and your column of loyal soldiers when you reform the Dragonarmies?'

Kailith says 'You know Takhisis won't mind either. She repects the
strong. She honors those who knock down old weakness with new strength
and conviction.'

* Saige snorts derisively. *

Saige says 'We would all be hunted down. Hunted and slain by Her
armies. You know nothing of the power that is there...'

Kailith says 'Then why has that power not crushed the Solamnics? Why
have you not crushed the elves? Why have you not struck Takhisis's
enemies?'

Arikaih says 'What power, Lord Saige?'

Kailith says 'How many dissatisfied soldiers do you think sit and wait
for something to happen, waiting for a chance at glory. How many do
you think would take up a new banner, an old banner, a banner proven
and blodied in combat?'

Arikaih says 'You brought me into her ranks and set me at the barracks
of the Thorn Wizards, thinking that they would teach me...yet they
shunned me...just as my own father did.'

* Saige glowers, appearing to clench his teeth before inhaling deeply
and curving his rising temper. *

Arikaih says 'Instead, She sent me another direction.'

Kailith says 'And now Takhisis sends you here.'

Kailith says 'Do you think my Lord did this? No.'

Saige says 'It is not my place to question the authority of those
above me. The ways of the Knighthood DICTATE that you do NOT question
your superiors.'

* Arikaih shakes her head at Kailith. "I know for a fact that I was
sent here by the presence of the Queen. She set me on this
pathway...to find you Lord Saige." *

Kailith says 'I thought your superior was Takhisis.'

Saige says 'Indeed, Takhisis is the superior of us all, and I would
never forget that.'

Kailith says 'To my knowledge, Lady Ayasana only has her position
because she claims to speak for Takhisis, but as a cleric you KNOW
what Takhisis wants. '

* Saige glares at Kailith. *

Kailith says 'You know your goddess, you know how she operates. You
know she only agreed to the charade of 'honor' because she thought it
would lend her forces more strength. Has it?'

Saige says 'With a tongue like that, I'm surprised you haven't been
ousted from the ranks yet. I know for a fact had I caught you speaking
in such a manner about myself I would have challeneged you on the
spot.'

* Arikaih turns and pulls a full wine skin from her pouch and walks
toward Saige, holding it out to him...the puppy barking excitely at
her feet. *

Arikaih says 'He would not, milord'

Arikaih says 'The Lizard and I found and exposed him for what he was.
We battled and he escaped, due to lack of help from my fellow knight.'

Kailith says 'Battle? There was no battle. I left.'

Arikaih says 'You ran like a scalded bitch'

Kailith says 'When my purpose is to leave, why slow myself down with
combat?'

* Saige listens intently as he declines the offered wine skin. *

* Arikaih nods at Saige and replaces the skin in her pouch *

Saige says 'So, you were removed from Her Majesties armies... What
then are you still doing bearing Her marks then?'

* Saige points at your armour. *

Kailith says 'I was not 'removed'. I left because Hiddukel bade me, to
prepare for the coming of the Dragonarmies. I took on the guise of a
Knight to reach you, but by the time I finished the rituals of
disguise you had left the camp and a better oppurtunity'

Kailith says 'presented itself.'

* Saige grumbles something about deceit and a true face of honor. *

Kailith says 'You know the history of Takhisis. She cares nothing for
honor, only strenght and power.'

* Arikaih laughs out loud. "Strength and power? Then she needs to look
farther than some of those who accompanied you, Lord Saige." *

Saige says 'Watch your tongue Arikaih. While this one may no longer be
one of Her accepted, you and I still serve the Queen as loyal Knights.
Honor and discipline are what make us strong.'

Kailith says 'Do you beleive that? Does SHE beleive that still?'

Arikaih says 'Honor and discipline...this I agree with you on, but how
can others around us be without both and still stand able to hold
their offices and ranks?'

* Saige glowers at Kailith. *

* Kailith glances at Arikaih, smiling slightly. *

* Saige glares at Arikaih and then back at Kailith. *

Saige says 'It seems you've succeeded with your venemous charm to
ensnare one of us so far...'

Saige says 'But regardless of what you say, I know what our fate will
be.'

Saige says 'I know what the law says in regards to traitors and
deserters.'

Arikaih says 'Is it so shocking that I can think on my own?'

Saige says 'And I know for a FACT what will happen.'

Kailith says 'Please. I bring no venom to my future superior and his
soldiers.'

Arikaih says 'I bring no venom to those I respect and trust, milord.'

* Saige snaps his mouth shut, eyeing Kailith suspiciously after his
comment. *

Saige says 'Future superior? '

* Saige scoffs. *

Saige says 'You actually expect ME to go through with YOUR...
delusions of grandeur?'

Kailith says 'The penalty for desertion is death. But if half of them
desert with, and the soldiers, goblins, and ogres rally under the 5
colored banner, do you think they will be able to stand against you?'

* Saige snorts. *

Kailith says 'The forgotten races of the world are itching at a chance
to spill human blood, and they will serve her, eagerly.'

Saige says 'What makes you even think that the soldiers would leave
for such a cause? They are well trained and know their places.'

* Arikaih starts laughing. "Trained...when one night is all it takes
for them to fall asleep and for me to do what I did." *

* Saige eyes Arikaih with a small but apparent amount of hostility. *

Kailith says 'Because soldiers often follow their immediate superiors,
especially when they see the state of stagnation her army lies in. '

Kailith says 'You control a full third of her military, and I am sure
some of the thorns will follow you as well.'

Kailith says 'The goblin hordes, oppressed draconians, jealous ogres,
and abyss knows the minotaurs may even once again serve. '

Kailith says 'Not to mention the four neglected flights of dragons. '

Saige says 'I have one intention and one intention only...'

Saige says 'And that is to follow the will of Takhisis.'

Saige says 'And while your god of deceit has shown you all of this,
Takhisis has shown nothing of it to me.'

Kailith says 'Then look to her and see what Her Dark Majesty thinks of
this.'

Kailith says 'I know she relishes watching her children fight to prove
who is stronger. This should be no different.'

* Saige utters a curse under his breath and winces outwardly as he
shifts weight to his damaged leg. *

Saige says 'I will need to commune with Takhisis about.... this.'

* Saige says in regards to the conversation at hand. *

* Kailith nods. *

Saige says 'But I cannot spend anymore time here. It's hard to say
what rumors are being spread through the encampment of my men to the
east.'

Saige says 'I must find the commanding officer of this group, as well
as the dragon and rider who managed to save my life.'

* Arikaih shakes her head and exits the tent. *

Kailith says 'Then I will take my leave. When you come to your
decision, know that you could gain valuable time to entrench yourself
and gather your forces by sending word back that you have been cut off
by ogres. '

* Kailith don's his helmet, the long hair of his disguise replaced
with shorter, more comfortable hair. *

* Kailith pushes open the tent flap and steps out, preparing to make
his departure into the night. *

* Arikaih stands just outside the tent, the wolves at her side, the
remaining puppies playing and growling. *

* Kailith salutes Arikaih as he passes by. *

* Saige remains in the tent, even after the flaps fall and he stands
alone, he considers Kailith's words. *

* Arikaih slowly bows her head to Kailith, remaining at her post. *

Saige says 'Gods damn you my Queen... what in the abyss have you
gotten me into...'

* Saige growls through clenched teeth. *

* Kailith begins murmering as he finally leaves the camp, 'An open
mind is like a fortress with its gates unbarred and unguarded. Lord
Saige has a closed mind, but my words are seige weapons.' *

* Saige hobbles outside of the tent into the cool evening air. *

* Arikaih turns and salutes Saige. *

* Saige steps forward to stand beside Arikaih, acknowledging her but
continueing to stare out through the encampment. *

Arikaih says 'It's strange, milord. '

* Saige says in a voice much milder than used earlier. *

Arikaih says 'To see Her followers here...and they are still
completely loyal to Her...yet they have not succumbed to the
listlessness that I have seen on a regular basis...especially on the
lifeless faces of the sentries around "that" camp.'

Saige says 'Those "lifeless" sentries, as you so put it, are good men
regardless of what I tell them. Quite a few have served on the fields
already. Though they have all just sat idle and wasted away the past
few years it seems... Such a waste...'

Arikaih says 'And I was shocked at how I was recieved as I met the
sentries here. They met me at their boundries, and spoke to me with
such honor and respect...I was speechless at that small bit of
courtesy.'

Arikaih says 'Are you saying that I have not fought?'

* Arikaih turns toward Saige and pulls her shoulders back,
straightening her stance. *

* Saige snorts. *

Saige says 'The men you see around you are far from respectful. If
anything, they treated you in such a manner in hopes that we would
leave without returning to kill them all off.'

Saige says 'And you have spent time in the ranks... but you have yet
to see time on a field of war, child.'

* Arikaih shakes her head. "No...I see them without a leader and
needing a direction to be led toward. *

* Saige remarks, noting her age above all else. *

Arikaih says 'Field of battle? Not all your damned fields of battle
take place in war. Perhaps it is you who should step back and take a
look around you.'

* Arikaih bows to Saige and turns, walking away. Under her breath, she
mumbles. "You were once strong...what happened." *

* Saige chuckles to himself at her animosity and looks up into the
heavens. *

Saige says 'Looks like I must have struck a nerve.'

* Saige says to himself with a slight grin before hobbling towards the
fires of the encampment in search of the leading officer. *

* Saige FIN *


Author:    Saige          
Date:      Tue May  1 05:16:28 2007
Subject     The Darkness Within

The light from a single candle burns softly, sending a faint and eerie
glow upon a line of wooden casks before fading into the darkness.  The musty
smell of rot and decay mix oddly with the faint sweet smell of wine.  A lone
figure sits upon a wooden stool, leaning back against the line of casks,
bathing in the darkness.  

Bringing the wooden mug to his lips, Saige drinks heavily of the fluid
within before pulling it from his mouth and breathing out a heavy sigh. 
Looking into the darkness, beyond the light of the candle, he stares.  

"You and me...  We're not all that different you know," he says through
slitted eyes, still staring into the darkness.  

He takes another deep breath, staring into the now empty cup...  Pulling it
to his nose to inhale the sweet perfume of the alcohol.  

"You're only friend seems to be me and this light...  But the light won't
last forever...  Sometimes I even wonder if it will last longer than me... 
Perhaps, perhaps not...  But I will always be here if I can help it.  Even
darkness needs a friend.  "

He reaches back and twists the spout on the nearest keg, watching as the
wine pours out and fills the wooden mug.  With dulled senses, he manages to
shut the spout but not before spilling some onto the ground.  With a sigh,
he pulls the mug back towards him, oblivious to the mess.  

"There was once a time when I had everything you know...  " he says as he
waves a hand in an encompassing manner.  

"The whole world, within my very grasp...  She even offered it to me once...
Offered me the whole thing.  Gods, I was young and naive then.  Foolish... 
But those were the best years...  "

He brings the cup to his lips and drinks deeply, coughing near the end as he
nearly drowns himself in the sweet poison.  Disregarding the wine spilt
across his armored chest and robes, he continues to stare into the bleak and
empty space beyond the candle 's light.  

"How I envy you...  So silent yet ever listening.  Only able to have half of
this world and knowing full well you can never own it all.  It must be
hard...   But owning something is better than nothing I suppose...  Half the
world belongs to you for half the day...  At least for half a day, you are
god...  "

He slumps into his seat slightly, his eyes closing as the sweet poison takes
it's hold.  His breathing eases slightly and his mind begins to relapse back
into the emptiness that has become home.  Yet somewhere in the dark recesses
of his mind, he knows the poison isn't strong enough.  Tomorrow, he'll awake
and continue to wait for his sentencing.  Oh if they only knew.  Perhaps an
execution would be for the best...  But the will to survive remains
strong...  Too strong still...  

"Oh...  How I envy you...  " he says before the light fades and he returns
to the folds of darkness.  

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Fri May 25 23:08:39 2007
Subject     Harnessing the Berserker, Part I

Just for reference, this is a portion of a global RP that took place last
evening between myself, Merek and Kevril.  Cleaned up its 12 pages long, so
this is simply a taste of the action.  For any interested in the full
script, send me a note.  

* Saige motions to Kevril and holds out the necklace to him.  *

Kevril ICs in Common '-smirks- You want me to minister it?  '

Saige ICs in Common 'I am entrusting you to place the necklace upon Merek
while I maintain control of him...  Do you trust your queen?  '

* Merek stares hard at Saige, wondering the meaning of "Control" he had in
mind.  *

Kevril ICs in Common 'For as long as I live.  You just want me to put it on
him?  '

* Saige nods solemnly and looks back to Merek.  *

Kevril ICs in Common '-Holds the two ends of the necklace intently, focusing
on Merek's neck-'

Merek ICs in Common 'I hope you arent more of a fool than cleric, Saige. 
You are placing this man in mortal danger.  '

* Merek bows his head down, to allow Kevril access.  *

Kevril ICs in Common 'Every day of my life has been in mortal danger since I
was born.  Who are you to cause me any more fear of death?  -Talking as a
distraction, he approaches Merek and places the necklace around his neck-'

* Saige maintains his stance, several steps away from Merek and inhales
deeply before half closing his eyes and whispering soundlessly.  *

* Merek's eyes instantly go blank, recoginition disappearing as his size
increases to 7 feet (an illusion) and the intensity in the room grows to an
immense stifling aura.  *

Kevril ICs in Common '-The illusion causes Kevril to lose focus, and he
fumbles with the knot and it slips out.  He nearly drops the necklace, but
catches it at the last moment-'

* Saige continues his prayers, calling upon his Queen to focus Her powers
through him.  His lips move with an uncharacterical grace yet no sound can
be heard.  *

* Merek's distant smile retains it formality though his eyes glow a horrible
orange and he snatches the sword leaning against the wall into his hand and
lifts it like it were a pencil.  *

Kevril ICs in Common '-Dodges Merek's outstretched arm as it grasps the
sword, and he tries once again to tie the knot on the necklace-' 

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Fri May 25 23:10:25 2007
Subject     Harnessing the Berserker, Part II

* Saige's eyes suddenly appear to darken while his lips continue moving
fiercly in prayer.  The words suddenly take up a voice which is not his own
and a black aura begins to spread from his body, flowing out and encasing
Merek.  *

Merek ICs in Common '*slaps the little man away without a second thought,
brandishing his sword he looks to Saige, his smile never disappearing and
charges with speed that could equal an elven sword-dancer.  '

* Merek raises the sword above his head with too much ease, one-handing the
weapon as though it were a mere toy and then hesitates.  A quizical look
furrows his brow as though he has no idea what is going on, sword still
raised.  *

Kevril ICs in Common '-Crumples as he hits the wall, his breath knocked out
of him.  Struggling to his feet, he finds the necklace across the room, with
Saige and Merek in between-'

* Saige continues to voice his prayers, the power of Takhisis coursing
through his body as he maintains control of the powerful berserker.  *

* Merek struggles internally, the confusion on his face holds steady, as
though he were trying to awake from a dream.  *

Kevril ICs in Common '-Slinks behind the two and grabs the necklace.  At a
sprint, he dives and grabs Merek in a choke hold from behind as he tries to
tie the necklace on-'

Kevril ICs in Common '-Finally, the knot ties solidly, and Kevril utters a
few words to bind the knot magically-'

* Saige senses through the power of his Queen that the necklace has been
secured.  With another push, the dark power of Takhisis flows out even
heavier and swirls around Merek, covering him up to his waist.  *

* Merek's face contorts into an ugly contortion, his forehead bulges oddly,
his eyes retaining all of the horror occuring inside of him.  *

Kevril ICs in Common '-Bucks wildly as he holds on to the weak choke hold,
more for his own protection than an actual threat-'

* Merek stands solidly, holding the recruit behind him by the man's own
strength as he chokes Merek with the burden of his weight alone.  *

* Merek's eyes glaze over again and that distant recognition disappears.  He
charges Saige with the man flapping across his back, swiping the sword in an
arc with a loud (Swish) * 

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Fri May 25 23:13:06 2007
Subject     Harnessing the Berserker, Part III

* Saige's focus on his Queen's power prohibits him from seeing Merek's
attack.  Without a chance to move, the sword swings down upon him.  Whether
it was the shear power of Takhisis or pure luck, the blade is repelled
slightly, *

* Saige (cont) but not before the point tears down across Saige's face and
over his left eye.  With a violent scream, he falters momentarily but keeps
contact with his Queen, using Her power to quell the searing pain.  *

* Merek's grin widens though stuck somewhere in the back of his mind he
recoils in horror, watching the blade arc with such horrible strength behind
it, the act makes him snap, with resignation he just stares on dully,
remembering the dreams of all those had killed so horribly when the demon
took over.  *

Merek ICs in Common '*a growl of anguish and pure anger escapes his lips as
he swipes again and again.  *'

* Saige's blood runs down the right side of his face from the hideous gash
left by Merek; s blade...  But through his strong will to survive he pushes
forward and unleashes a final barrage of power from his Queen in an attempt
to subdue Merek.  *

* Saige hands are outstretched and the dark flow of energy pours out and
flows over Merek.  *

* Merek's size finally begins to grow less, his eyes regain a sense of
clearness as the energy hits him, his berserk dying off as he sinks to his
knees, Kevril's feet finally touch the ground.  *

Kevril ICs in Common '-Tightens his hold, not knowing the the battle is
over-'

* Merek coughs slightly and drops his sword, no longer retaining the
strength to hold onto it.  *

* Saige's voice leaves him and he also falls to his knees, his lips still
moving wordlessly and the gash across his face rendering his ruptured
eyeball useless.  Reaching up, he feels the warmth of his blood and gasps in
a bout of pain.  *

Kevril ICs in Common '-Finally realizing that no one is still fighting,
Kevril removes himself from Merek and allows him to breath easily.  He
stands and brushes himself off as if nothing happened-'

* Merek stands up and the sword leaning on his back falls on kevril behind
him *

Kevril ICs in Common '-Bruises his forearms as he parries the huge sword
away-'

Kevril ICs in Common '-Incoherent mutterings of asshole can barely be
heard-'

Merek ICs in Common 'I saw it all...  Im sorry.  '

* Saige lowers his face to the ground, the wound sending violent spasms of
pain from his skull throughout his body.  Summoning what strength he has
left, he calls upon his Queen to heal his wound...  *

* Merek turns to face Saige and see's the blood trickling down his face.  *

* Saige can feel his Queen's taunting presence laughing within his soul. 
Reaching out to Her, he begs for Her healing touch.  In a sense, She does
reach out with Her powers of healing...  *

Merek ICs in Common 'Is it over...?  ' 

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Sat May 26 00:53:21 2007
Subject     Harnessing the Berserker, Part I

* To note, this is part one of three summarizing a global RP that took
place last evening between Saige, Merek and Kevril.  The entire RP was
logged and is 12 pages clean.   If anyone would care to see the RP in its
entirity, feel free to send me a note and I will make sure you receive a
copy.  What you read here however will merely describe a portion of the
action.  Enjoy.   

The large chamber within the Temple is eerily dark, shadows dancing along
the edge of the walls cast by a single flame burning magically in a cold
hearth.  Saige looks to Kevril and holds out the necklace, a fang wrapped in
a leather thong its only decor.  Kevril looks at the necklace, then back to
Saige.  

"You want me to administer it?"  He says with a smirk.  

Saige's eyes move from the necklace to Kevril.  "I am entrusting you to
place the necklace upon Merek while I maintain control of him...  Do you
trust your Queen to protect you during that time?"  

Merek meanwhile stares hard into the eyes of Saige, pondering quietly upon
the meaning of the word "control" and wondering what was going to happen
once the necklace was placed upon him.  In turn, Kevril shrugs and steps
forward to take the necklace.  "For as long as I live.  You just want me to
put it on him?  

Saige nods solemnly and turns to face Merek while Kevril takes hold of the
two ends of the necklace, intently focusing on Merek's neck as his target. 


"I hope you arent more of a fool than cleric, Saige.  You are placing this
man in mortal danger," Merek states as Kevril steps towards him.  Watching
Kevril for a moment, he looks back to Saige and realizes his words would go
unanswered.  Orders were orders.  Kneeling slightly Merek bows his head to
allow Kevril access.  

"Every day of my life has been in mortal danger since I was born.  Who are
you to cause me any more fear of death?"  Kevril says as he approaches
Merek, though his words of confidence appear more clearly in his face as a
mere distraction from what could potentially transpire.  

Saige maintains his stance, several steps away from the two men and inhales
deeply before half closing his eyes and whispering soundlessly.  As he
focuses his power and Kevril brings the necklace close, Merek's eyes
instantly go blank, recoginition disappearing as his size increases to 7
feet and the intensity in the room grows with to an immense stifling aura. 
The transformation causes Kevril to lose focus, and he fumbles with the
knot, the necklace slipping out.  He nearly drops it but catches it at the
last moment.  

Saige continues his prayers, calling upon his Queen to focus Her powers
through him.  His lips move with an uncharacteristical grace yet no sound
can be heard.  Merek's distant smile retains it formality, though his eyes
begin to glow a horrible orange and he snatches the sword leaning against
the wall into his hand and lifts it like it were a pencil.  Kevril dodges
Merek's outstretched arm as it grasps the sword, and he tries once again to
tie the knot on the necklace around the berserker's neck.  
 
(To be continued)

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Sat May 26 01:01:07 2007
Subject     Harnessing the Berserker, Part II

(Continued...  )

Saige's eyes suddenly appear to darken while his lips continue moving
fiercly in prayer, beads of sweat forming above his brow.  The words
suddenly take up a voice which is not his own and a black aura begins to
spread from his body, flowing out and swirling around Merek.  

The berserker slaps Kevril away without a second thought.  Kevril crumples
as he hits the wall, his breath knocked out of him.  Brandishing his sword,
Merek looks to Saige, his smile never disappearing and charges with speed
equal to that of an elven sword-dancer.  Raising the weapon above his head
with great ease, one-handing the weapon as though it were a mere toy, he
suddenly hesitates.  A quizical look furrows his brow as though he has no
idea what is going on, the sword still raised and ready to strike.  Nearby,
Kevril struggles to his feet, and looks urgently about the room.  He finds
the necklace across the cold stone floor, with Saige and Merek in between. 

Meanwhile, Saige continues to voice his prayers, the power of Takhisis
coursing through his body as he attempts to maintain control of the powerful
berserker.  Merek struggles internally, the confusion on his face holding
steady, as though he were trying to awake from a dream.  Kevril slinks
behind the two and makes a grab for the necklace.  At a sprint, he dives and
latches onto Merek, keeping him in a choke hold from behind while he tries
to tie the necklace onto the enraged man.  Finally, the necklace ties
solidly, and Kevril utters a few words to bind the knot magically.  Saige
senses through the power of his Queen that the necklace has been secured. 
With another push, the dark power of Takhisis flows out even stronger and
swirls around Merek like a raging storm, covering him up to his waist. 
Merek's face contorts into an ugly fit of rage, his forehead bulging oddly
but his eyes remain open, retaining all of the horror occuring inside of
him.  

Kevril maintains his hold on the berserker, bucking wildly as he holds on to
the weak choke hold which is more for his own protection than an actual
threat.  Merek then stands solidly and he braces against the burden of
Kevril's weight.  His eyes glaze over again and that distant recognition
disappears.  He charges Saige with the young man flapping across his back
and swipes the sword in an arc, the blade making a harsh sounds as it slices
through the air.  
 
(To be continued)

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Sat May 26 01:59:01 2007
Subject     Harnessing the Berserker, Part III

(Continued...  )

Saige's focus on his Queen's power prohibits him from seeing Merek's attack.
Without a chance to move, the sword swings down upon him.  Whether by the
shear power of Takhisis or pure luck, the blade falls slightly short of its
mark but not before the tip tears down across Saige's face and over his left
eye.  With a violent scream, he falters momentarily and the power of
Takhisis starts to dissipate.  An urgent voice inside his head damands his
attention.  Granting him some clarity he regains contact with his Queen,
temporarily forgetting the searing pain and blood.  

Merek's grin widens, though stuck somewhere in the back of his mind he
recoils in horror, watching the blade arc with such horrible strength behind
it.  The act makes him snap and with resignation he just stares on dully,
remembering the dreams of all those he had killed so horribly when the demon
took over.  A growl of anguish and pure anger escapes his lips as he loses
control once more and swipes again and again.  

Saige's blood runs down the right side of his face from the hideous gash
left by Merek's blade...  But through his strong will to survive he pushes
forward and side steps the attack.  With a rush of confidence, he unleashes
a final barrage of power from his Queen in an attempt to subdue the
berserker.  Saige's hands stretch forth and the dark energy pours out and
flows over Merek.  

Merek's size finally begins to grow less and his eyes regain a sense of
clearness as the energy hits him.  His berserk rage begins dying off as he
sinks to his knees and behind him Kevril's feet finally touch the ground.  

Kevril tightens his hold, not knowing the the battle is over and unsure
whether or not he truly wants to release the now subdued man.  Merek coughs
slightly and drops his sword, no longer retaining the strength to hold onto
it.  Saige's voice leaves him and he also falls to his knees, his lips still
moving wordlessly and the gash across his face rendering his ruptured
eyeball useless.  Reaching up, he feels the warmth of his blood and gasps in
a bout of pain.  

Kevril finally realizes that struggle has ended and removes himself from
Merek, allowing him to breath easily.  He stands and brushes himself off,
glancing about with wary eyes.  Merek then stands up, causing the sword
leaning on his back to fall onto kevril behind him.  Kevril bruises his
forearms as he parries the huge sword away and Incoherent mutterings of
asshole can barely be heard from under his breath.  

"I saw it all...  I'm sorry," says Merek, staring into the darkness of the
room.  

Saige lowers his face to the ground, the wound sending violent spasms of
pain from his skull throughout his body.  Summoning what strength he has
left, he calls upon his Queen to heal his wound, feeling his Queen's
taunting presence laughing within his soul.  Reaching out to Her, he begs
for Her healing touch.  Mocking laughter rings loud in his ears as She
grants only part of his request.  The blood stops flowing freely but the
vision remains absent and a faint voice can be heard like a whisper...  "Tis
a small price to pay for such a prize, wouldn't you say, my servant?"  

Merek turns to face Saige and see's the blood trickling down his face and
pooling onto the floor where he kneels.  "Is it over...?"  He asks.  
 
(The End)

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Tue Jun 12 03:52:54 2007
Subject     Research be Damned...

The candle flickered momentarily before extinguishing the last of its
life in a pool of wax.  With the absence of the light, shadows began to
dance upon the desk and through the stacks of books piled high before a
solemn figure.  Several other candles provided enough light to continue
reading however that last candle marked the 10th straight hour of research. 
Flipping the final page, the figure closes the book and places it gently
upon the desk.  The faint glow remaining elsewhere eerily illuminated the
grizzled face of an aged man a black patch covering his left eye.  

With a heavy sigh, Saige stands from the desk and steps forward to place his
hand upon the spent candle.  As he attempts to remove the candle, some of
the liquid wax spills down across his hand and instantly hardens.  Pausing,
Saige stares at the wax, its color strangely resembling his own blood.  

"An omen?  " he mutters to himself.  With a smirk he laughs slightly and
continues to remove the candle and replaces it with a fresh one.  Using the
flame from another candle nearby, he brings life to the new wick and watches
it quietly for a moment before turning and peeling the hard wax from his
hand.  A quick glance back at the books reveals the cause of the exhaustion
apparent on his face.  

"Hundreds of tomes and not a single useful reference.  This has been a
complete was of time," he says aloud, his voice echoing throughout the
stonework of the cavern.  Hidden deep within the Lords of Doom, his personal
quarters remain intact as they have been since their creation by the Dark
Queen herself.  Years ago, not long after the founding of the Knighthood,
she had graced Saige along with Her two other Knightly hands with the title
Lords of Doom.  Each was granted a personal sanctuary deep within the
mountain ranges bearing the same title as well as dominence over one of Her
cities.  As for the sanctuaries of Konan and Danvighar, it was unclear as to
their location let alone their usefulness.  Saige had immediately seen the
advantage of his gift and had turned it into his own temple dedicated to war
and meditation.  The main chamber housed a large map of the known world and
parts of some unknown lands and regions as well as troop locations that were
still kept modestly up to date.  The current room housed his personal
library, a vault of wisdom preserved throughout the ages.  It was here that
he consulted many of the very same texts he had first studied when he
created his own flying citadel during the early years of the Knighthood's
wars.  Now he had hoped to find a reference to the black crystals which were
necessary to the flight mechanisms of Kailith's fortress but...  

"All I find are scant references, some of which are nothing more than
riddles and others that seem the rantings of a crazed old man!  " he yells
in frustration as he throws one of the books against its shelf.  The force
of impact causes the now empty shelf to tip slightly and rock.  As the side
of impact makes its trip back down the edge of a book comes into view laying
on the very top.  Eyeing the blackened leather volume, Saige squints
slightly, trying to recall what or why that particular book was there. 
Making his way around his desk he approaches the shelf and stares at the
book several feet above his grasp.  Grabbing ahold of the woodwork, he rocks
it again and the book falls from its high perch into his open hands.  Dust
spreads about causing him to sneeze and cough violently.  A moment after it
settles, he looks closely at the book and studies its cover.  Crafted from
some oddly blackened leather, the tome itself seems a millenia old.  Gold
bindings keep the pages in tact and as he opens the cover a faint green aura
eminates from the finely scripted text on the first page.  

"Where did you come fro...  " is all Saige manages to say before he suddenly
finds his voice rendered useless.  His face contorts slightly as the glow
from the text begins to burn brighter.  He feels his strength beginning to
slip and before he can even attempt to drop the book he senses himself
losing consciousness.  Falling to the floor he manages to take one last look
at the book which still had not left his grip before slipping into
darkness...  

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Tue Jun 12 04:15:25 2007
Subject     Research be Damned...

The candle flickered momentarily before extinguishing the last of its
life in a pool of wax.  With the absence of the light, shadows began to
dance upon the desk and through the stacks of books piled high before a
solemn figure.  Several other candles provided enough light to continue
reading however that last candle marked the 10th straight hour of research. 
Flipping the final page, the figure closes the book and places it gently
upon the desk.  The faint glow remaining elsewhere eerily illuminated the
grizzled face of an aged man a black patch covering his left eye.  

With a heavy sigh, Saige stands from the desk and steps forward to place his
hand upon the spent candle.  As he attempts to remove the candle, some of
the liquid wax spills down across his hand and instantly hardens.  Pausing,
Saige stares at the wax, its color strangely resembling his own blood.  

"An omen?  " he asks himself.  With a smirk he laughs slightly and continues
to remove the candle and replaces it with a fresh one.  Using the flame from
another candle nearby, he brings life to the new wick and watches it quietly
for a moment before turning and peeling the hard wax from his hand.  A quick
glance back at the books reveals the cause of the exhaustion apparent on his
face.  

"Hundreds of tomes and not a single useful reference.  This has been a
complete was of time," he says aloud, his voice echoing throughout the
stonework of the cavern.  Hidden deep within the Lords of Doom, his personal
quarters remain intact as they have been since their creation by the Dark
Queen herself.  Years ago, not long after the founding of the Knighthood,
she had graced Saige along with Her two other Knightly hands with the title
Lords of Doom.  Each was granted a personal sanctuary deep within the
mountain ranges bearing the same title as well as dominence over one of Her
cities.  As for the sanctuaries of Konan and Danvighar, it was unclear as to
their location let alone their usefulness.  Saige had immediately seen the
advantage of his gift and had turned it into his own temple dedicated to war
and meditation.  The main chamber housed a large map of the known world and
parts of some unknown lands and regions as well as troop locations that were
still kept modestly up to date.  The current room housed his personal
library, a vault of wisdom preserved throughout the ages.  It was here that
he consulted many of the very same texts he had first studied when he
created his own flying citadel during the early years of the Knighthood's
wars.  Now he had hoped to find a reference to the black crystals which were
necessary to the flight mechanisms of Kailith's fortress but...  

"All I find are scant references, some of which are nothing more than
riddles and others that seem the rantings of a crazed old man!  " he yells
in frustration as he throws one of the books against its shelf.  The force
of impact causes the now empty shelf to tip slightly and rock.  As the side
of impact makes its trip back down the edge of a book comes into view laying
on the very top.  Eyeing the blackened leather volume, Saige squints
slightly, trying to recall what or why that particular book was there. 
Making his way around his desk he approaches the shelf and stares at the
book several feet above his grasp.  Grabbing ahold of the woodwork, he rocks
it again and the book falls from its high perch into his open hands.  Dust
spreads about causing him to sneeze and cough violently.  A moment after it
settles, he looks closely at the book and studies its cover.  Crafted from
some oddly blackened leather, the tome itself seems a millenia old.  Gold
bindings keep the pages in tact and as he opens the cover a faint green aura
eminates from the finely scripted text on the first page.  

"Where did you come fro...  " is all Saige manages to say before he suddenly
finds his voice rendered useless.  His face contorts slightly as the glow
from the text begins to burn brighter.  He feels his strength beginning to
slip and before he can even attempt to drop the book he senses himself
losing consciousness.  Falling to the floor he manages to take one last look
at the book which still had not left his grip before slipping into
darkness...  

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Thu Jun 28 05:37:39 2007
Subject     Darkness. The Voice. Answers.

Darkness...  Total darkness...  

Saige sat up suddenly, or rather felt himself sit up.  He couldn't see a
damn thing in the complete darkness but he could feel that he was sitting on
a chair.  Moving his hands down to the object he realized it was HIS chair. 
Reaching out he could feel his desk in front of him as well.  But none of
that made any sense.  A thick haze covered his mind and he tried to find his
way through it.  He remembered finding the book.  The strange book with
runes from the top shelf.  Yes, that was it.  There was something about that
book.  Something very strange.  He had opened it...  But then what? 
Something had happened.  He saw something...  Or rather someone.  And then
he fell.  He fell right over there.  

Turning he looked to where his bookshelf would be.  Even in the darkness he
could see it clearly in his mind.  The darkness...  Why in the abyss WAS it
dark?  Turning back to his desk he reached towards the corner until his
hands found the candelbra.  Moving his hand up the cool metal he suddenly
realized why there was no light.  The candles had melted completely down. 
That meant more than a day had passed.  But how much more?  How long had he
been out of it...  And why was he in his chair?  Shouldn't he have been
laying on the ground?  Gods be damned he simply couldn't make any sense of
it.  

Opening a drawer on his desk he pulled out a new candle and felt around
until he located the flint to light it with.  Within a moments time he had
managed to light the wick...  And suddenly he stood up away from his desk so
quickly that he knocked over his chair.  His desk had been stacked high with
books.  There had easily been a hundred volumes and tomes strewn about his
chamber and yet now they were placed neatly back upon their shelves.  In
their place upon the desk was a single book.  THE book.  

Its oddly blackened leather cover outlined the age worn vellum pages which
laid open to a specific page.  As Saige looked down at the script, the
letters themselves began to glimmer the same green that they had flared to
when he passed out by the shelf.  With a cautious effort, he took a step
towards the book and the glow flared only momentarily before subsiding... 
Almost as if it recognized his presence.  

"Or MY presence..." echoed a voice within his mind.

Leaping back and turning all at once, Saige called a prayer to his Queen
shielding him from any sudden attack.  But the attack never came.  He
continued turning, holding the candelbra aloft and scouring his chambers yet
to no avail.  He was the only one there.  But whose voice was that?  He
hadn't imagined it, had he?  

"No, I am far from an imagination.  But now is not the time.  Be thankful
our Queen still has need of your soul on this world.  Look at my book and
take the knowledge you seek from it."

With that, the voice was gone and the haze that was clouding Saige's mind
vanished.  Shaking his head violently, he continued to glare around the
chamber though all he could hear was his own heart beating rapidly within
his chest.  Cursing to himself, he walked over to his desk and picked up a
silver flask.  Unscrewing the cap he took a long pull of the vile liquid
within and recaped it.  Tossing it aside, he turned back to the book laying
open but continued to keep his distance.  

Watching closely, the script pulsed softly, almost as if inviting Saige to
take the book into his hands.  Resisting the temptation that suddenly sprung
to mind, he instead studied the pages laid open before him.  After scanning
through the first page he was amazed to find the answer he had been seeking
right in front of him.  Studying the book for a moment he finally set the
candelbra down and picked his chair up.  Seating himself, he stared once
more at the book before cursing his cowardice and taking the blackened
leather tome into his hands.  The script pulsed warmly and almost seemed to
flow from the pages into his very hands.  Intrigued by this new sensation,
he turned his eyes to the worn vellum pages and fliped them over.  As he
read through the priceless knowledge he had a vague realization that he'd
seen all of this before...  Now was not the time to question such things
however.  Pushing the thought to the back of his mind he continued to absorb
the knowledge and the history of the black crystals...  

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Fri Jul 13 03:44:48 2007
Subject     The Decision Is Made... Part I

Saige stood at the crest of the hill looking down upon his small
encampment.  Bonfires dotted the valley where his troops had stopped for the
evening.  The flapping of their tents in the cold mountain wind could just
barely be heard from his vantage point.  Turning, he looked into the
distance at the mountains they still had to cross.  Beyond those massive
earthly fortresses was his point of interest.  It would take several more
days of forced marches but they would make it in time.  

Finding an outcropping nearby, he sat down and used it to support his back. 
In his hands he held his breastplate.  Turning it over he ran his fingers
over the symbols etched into it; a skull with intertwining lilies, their
stems appearing shrouded in thorns.  Somehow it was slightly amusing.  He
had never been the emotional type.  Even in his days of youth, serving the
temple of the gods, he had never honestly cared.  Though somehow there was a
feeling of remorse buried in his soul.  He had spent most of the years of
his life serving this standard...  This cause.  The Knighthood had always
provided him with the necessary strength to carry out the commands of his
Queen.  It was a foundation; one that he had built the principles of his
existance upon.  His entire military career rested upon this foundation... 

"But the time has come for you to realize that your foundation is solid no
more.  A crack has festered within and it will soon crumble with or without
you.  Do you wish to be destroyed with it?  "

The voice...  Staring at the breastplate, Saige mulled over the question. 
This "voice" had recently become part of his conscience and apparently felt
it necessary to question him when he found himself at a crossroad.  He
couldn't quite remember how it had happened...  But it had something to do
with that book he had found in his library...  Something or someone had
found a way to infiltrate his very soul through that book, however the who
and the why was yet to be solved.  For now, the voice seemed content to prod
him along.  It had taken him some time to become acquainted with the concept
of another individual sharing his thoughts but soon after he had begun to
realize the power this individual not only wielded but shared.  Saige found
himself to be physically and mentally stronger than he could recall being
since his younger days.  Even the absence of vision in his left eye was
unnoticeable.  So for those reasons, he continued to humor himself and the
presence within him.  

Laying his head back against the cool stone behind him, Saige stared up into
the heavens.  The sky was black but the stars were blindingly bright. 
Somewhere up there, his Queen was watching him.  Even now he could feel Her
eyes burning into his soul.  Regardless of the crossroad at which he now
stood, She would win either way and he understood that.  The choice before
him was not one meant for Her, it was meant for him.  Soon he would have to
inform his troops that he was no longer one of their own.  At that point in
time, they would have to choose for themselves whether they would continue
to follow him or leave to return to the lands of the Knighthood.  

"But you have been a strong leader, both on and off the fields of war.  They
recognize you for such and those who understand power will follow you to the
end.  The rest, well, the rest are weak.  Let them die pitifully where they
wish.  " 
 
*To Be Continued*

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Fri Jul 13 03:47:22 2007
Subject     The Decision Is Made... Part II

*continued*

Smirking slightly, Saige focused his attention back to the breastplate and
stood.  Turning, he placed the piece of armour upon the rock outcropping.  A
befitting tomb, persay, for the soul of a soldier.  It was time to move on. 
The voice was right.  The Knighthood was no longer the foundation it had
once been.  This had been true for many long years but he was just too blind
to see it.  It was now time to find a new path.  A new path that would lead
him back to the glory he once knew.  

"She has shown you the path we are to walk.  She will not fail us if we do
not fail Her.  Remember that...  "

The voice became distant in his mind and soon faded, yet the words echoed
on.  Indeed, it was time to travel that path.  Takhisis had led him to the
Dragonarmy remnants a year ago and had given him a vision of the future to
be.  With Kailith now in charge of those forces and his own prepared to
join, they would truly be a force to reckon with.  More would follow no
doubt and their army would grow beyond its potential.  Those who stood
before them...  Would fall before them.  Saige would see to that himself. 
It was time to lead the armies of Her Majesty and to spill the blood of Her
enemies.  First though, he needed to reach his destination.  There he would
find the crystals he needed to power the Dragonarmies fortress.  Once that
is complete there will be no stopping them...  

Without even turning to look back, Saige left the crest of the ridge he had
been standing upon.  Heading back down the trail he made his way to the
encampment.  His breastplate remained upon the figurative tomb; a reminder
that he left part of his soul there that eve.  As the stars shone down upon
it, the armour seemed to suck the light into oblivion, leaving the tomb
enshrouded in eternal darkness...  
 
*Fini*


Author:    Saige
Date:      Mon Nov 5 09:21:23 2007
Subject     Dawns early light


Darkness covered the land as the early morning hours crept
forward. The wind had changed, bringing in a cold air from the
southern mountains; Black Wind. A name given by the local
populace to this sort of change in the weather. Unexplained
for centuries the people had given in to flights of fancy and
mysticism, believing this sudden change in temperature to be a
foreboding sign of death. Well, they would soon see their
mystic beliefs become a reality.

Twenty of my best soldiers, handpicked for this task, were
closing in on the central building which housed the newly
declared "officials" of Sanction. These men were nothing but
wealthy merchants, slave traders and thugs; self-declared
rulers since the Knighthood had moved out. There is something
to be said of such people who fancy themselves leaders without
ever truly leading. This night however would be their last.
Little did they know that the Black Wind had swept in and was
coming to claim their souls.

I watched from my vantage point above the wall as my men
effectively disposed of the guards. Moving into position, they
waited the precise measure of counts as I had ordered before
entering the complex; just enough time for me to seek Takhisis
for Her power. Looking off to the side where the crenulated
wall had cast a shadow of darkness, I pointed.

"Go."

It was all that needed to be said. A black shape emerged from
that same shadow and took off silently towards the complex,
moving with a liquid grace defined only by a creature of prey.

As the figure disappeared into the night I quickly completed
my prayer. Staring at a ledge of the third floor balcony I
felt the rush of the godspell and soon found myself standing
precisely where I had been watching. Stepping down I
approached the door and glanced down at the handle, latched
and locked.

"Pity, I should have figured that Governor Cowldroff was
smarter than I credited him for. All the same, a lock may
hinder a thief but it will not stop the hand of death."

Calling again upon Takhisis, I felt once more the rush of
power. It was thrilling to know that She supported me in my
tactics. Unlike those I would have been expected to use within
the Knighthood, She almost seemed to prod me forward as I
delved deeper into the heart of lawless violence. Releasing
the spell I felt my body become weightless and translucent.
Looking down at my hand which held perfect stability in my own
eyes, I reached out and smiled darkly as I watched my hand
pass effortlessly through the balcony door. Stepping inside I
took careful stock of the room's layout.

I was standing within an office of sorts, more like a chamber
for which the governor would receive guests. Several items of
luxury graced the room but my eyes quickly passed them over in
disgust. I was not here to take anything other than the life
of those who stood in my way. To the left was a narrow
corridor while the right appeared to lead to another set of
double doors. Knowing the floor plans from my previous visits
I knew that the bedroom chambers lay just beyond those doors.
Making my way towards them I quickly passed through just as
the last remaining affects of the spell vanished. Now there
was no turning back.

A massive bed carved from a beautiful dark wood rested solidly
at the far end of the room. A curtain of red velvet was pulled
closed around the upper frame effectively hiding those within
as well as those outside. Breathlessly I made my move. Drawing
forth a slender blade I had picked specifically for this job I
rushed forward and ripped the curtain aside. There was a
sudden jolt as the sound of my attack awoke the two occupants
in the bed. As the first stood and opened bleary eyes towards
me I deftly lashed out with my blade, making a clean cut
across the throat. Long mounds of blonde curls fell from in
front of blue eyes and I immediately knew I had chosen the
wrong first kill. Blood sprayed across the white sheets as the
figure, a woman, crumpled onto the bed and died drowning in
her own blood.

A sneer crossed my face as I glanced over to the doors where
the second occupant had bolted. Turning, I strode towards him
as he attempted to pull open the doors which remained locked.
Realizing his imminent doom, he grabbed a nearby candelabra
and whipped about, flourishing it in a chaos of hasty attacks.
Standing just out of reach of the object I stood patiently and
observant with the same sneer evident on my lips. Tiring
quickly from the series of pointless attacks the man slowed to
a steady defensive position and breathed heavily. Still I
waited and soon the man voiced the questions racing through
his head.

"Who are you? Why is it that you've come to kill me? Who made
you the offer? I can double it if you like. I can give you a
lot of things that a man of your..."

"ENOUGH! I grow tired of your babbling you worthless sack of
meat. I'll answer your questions but only because the time has
not yet come..."

"I am Lord Saige, Commander of the Dragonarmies. I've come in
the name of Takhisis to claim this city for it is Hers and
Hers alone. It was She who bade me come to end your existence
and I doubt that you, a mortal, could ever double let alone
meet the rewards of a god."

My sneer turned into a malicious smile as the man stared
openly at me, his features mixing from fear to confusion and
back as he knew his fate. He truly was nothing more than a
sack of meat, his gut falling out over his waistline and his
face a mound of pudge with small beady eyes quivering within.

"Wha, why would I be of any consequence to Takhisis? I'm
nothing more than a merchant who has taken an opportunity once
the Knights left. Surely you can let me live and it would be
of little differen..."

At that moment a horn sounded through the complex; one single
tone that ended as quickly as it began. As the sound ended, I
stared hard into those beady little eyes that now visibly
shook as they glanced about the room seeking a route to escape
by.

"The time has come, Governor."

"Bu...bu...but I'm not ready yet. I've much more to do and
gain before I di..."

The blade in my hand protruded cleanly from between his eyes,
lodged in that fat pudgy lump of flesh he had for a skull. His
eyes almost seemed to watch me a moment longer, wide and
bright with fear as the light faded from them. Watching him
die I quickly grew impatient and kicked him aside away from
the door. Pulling the locking pin I opened it and proceeded to
walk out to the room's main entrance. Unlatching the lock to
the grand door leading in and out I opened it. There in the
hallway stood all twenty of my men, each covered in the blood
of their victims yet calmly awaiting further orders. Glancing
at each of them, I gave them an approving nod. Another quick
sweep of the room however provided me with one small detail I
had overlooked.

"Has Shadow completed his mission?"

One of the soldiers stepped forward, saluted and proceeded to
speak.

"Shadow arrived just as we were entering the complex. He
effectively removed all outside threats on each level before
proceeding outside towards the outer perimeter to scout any
other activity should an alarm have been raised."

Stepping back in line, the soldier resumed his position and
waited. I could only smile and laugh aloud. It must have been
a maniacal sight, myself laughing while covered in the blood
of my victims; but I caught sight of the men and their eyes
shone with their own inner joy at the carnage they had
released. To prey upon others in such a fashion is only
natural, as we all have bestial instincts.

Taking one last look at the building, noting the bodies in the
hallway that had been mauled by a vicious beast whom I was
extremely proud of at the moment, I gave the orders to begin
our last phase. The bodies would be removed from the complex
and strung up around the outside for all to see; a testimony
to those who would stand in the way of Her chosen. Sanction
was now officially ours with no one left to stand in the way.
The coffers of the dead would fund our army and help raise
proper defensive fortification around the city. Indeed the
Queen was happy.

**********

As the first of dawn's early light flared over the mountains,
I took a deep breath of the cold air which was quickly
disappearing with the night; the Black Wind. The name was
fitting. My warhorse snorted and stamped beneath me, sensing
the change of weather as all animals can. I looked towards the
city once more to watch my armies move in undisturbed, for
there was no one left to throw money at the masses. Instead,
the civilians simply watched as the line of troops marched
methodically into place. I could almost see their faces as
they walk by the governor's complex, eyeing the corpses of
those who would defy us.

Now the real task begins. Word had arrived from our scouts
that the war had come to a halt, the major armies had drawn
their lines and had come to a stalemate, neither gaining
further ground. This only increased our opportunities to
become a major factor in the coming future. Everything was
proceeding according to Her will.

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Wed Dec 12 03:47:45 2007
Subject     Crusade of the Barbarians I

Members from the Dragonarmies have elected to participate in a mock war
that is being limited to the clan for RP purposes. In the future, this may
be opened to outsiders but for the time being I'm merely looking to test my
system.

The following is the opening point of this mock war. I will be posting
similar updates in the future which will work off the results of various
rounds. So for the time being, relax and enjoy.

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** 

A fire crackles in the belly of an enormous stone hearth that encompasses
the west wall of the grand chamber in which you now stand. There is an eerie
silence looming as you wait quietly with your comrades. A servant has come
by, bringing wine as well as bread for you to eat as you await the arrival
of the Dragon Highlord, Saige.

After a short period of time, the massive wooden doors on the north wall
open. A cold wind swirls into the chamber and the wood shifts in the
fireplace, scattering sparks high into the air. A figure clad in black
armour emerges through the wooden doors from the adjacent room. His silver
hair is tied back by a leather thong and a black patch etched with silver
runes covers his left eye. He walks with an air of authority and immediately
you realize that the man before you is Saige, the chosen of Takhisis and the
Highlord of Her armies. 

He stops on the opposite side of a massive wooden table. Motioning with his
left hand, several aides rush into the room and sprawl out several maps of
the Taman Busuk area. Another map is laid out nearby showing the regions 
of Khur and Balifor. Pulling out two slender daggers from his belt, Saige
impales the map with one at Sanction and another on a mountain range near
the city of Alek-Khan. Without looking up, he simply raises his good eye and
stares at you and his other officers.

"Each of you has been called here for a reason. Each of you comes from
various backgrounds amongst the army, some of you having just recently been
promoted to your current status. The Queen has shown me that you are Her
chosen. She has a mission for us and I dare say that only death awaits those
who fail... so let us not fail."

Standing upright, Saige pauses for a moment and turns to face the fire, the
light glinting from the runes on his eye patch.

"Barbarian tribes from the lands of Khur and Balifor have commited a grave
mistake. They've seen fit to begin raiding our supply lines as well as
killing our border patrols. I've sent several armed forces in to make an 
example out of their leaders but it appears to have only made them bolder.
Therein lies their error."

"I sought the Queen for a solution and she has shown it to me through a
vision. Once the lands of Khur provided an endless supply of seasoned
warriors to our armies. Hostile as they were, they served to protect their 
heritage. They no longer fear us as they once did, but that will change soon
enough. Each of you has been given a letter detailing the troops and
supplies granted to you. You will go forth and end this conflict. In doing
so, we will once again place these mongrels in their proper places and fill
our ranks for the future."

Saige turns from the fire and returns to the table. His face is cold,
pricise and devoid of emotion. You can tell he has plotted this out
thoroughly in his mind and that there is no turning back.

"The last scouting report shows a force of barbarians which had recently
attacked a supply train heading south through western Khur. They attacked
just outside the city of Alek-Khan and fled into the mountains to the
east."

"Other reports have also arrived that forces are building up in the area
around Delphon. It is hard to say what lies farther to the east but I can
only imagine that the tribes have united in this cause against us.  This
attack will require careful and patient planning. I expect each of you to
heavily weigh your options everytime you make a decision. I want to see
results, not excuses."

Saige looks at each of you in turn, his one good eye smoldering with the
blood lust of a seasoned warrior. He remains quiet a moment longer and then
raises his chin and takes a deep breath.

"Dismissed." 

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Tue Dec 18 21:53:54 2007
Subject     Dragonarmies: Crusade of the Barbarians, I

The beginning...

The skies were red as blood on the eastern horizon as the sun was beginning
its ascent into the morning sky. The Lords of Doom belched black ash high
into the air, mixing with the sunrise to create a unique but fitting
background to the ongoing scene. The Dragonarmies were on the move.

The soldiers had all been assembled into their proper regiments, each
consisting of sub groups easily identified by the banners which waved in the
breeze. Their commanding officers had all been brought together several days
ago and given their orders. Some had eagerly taken their orders while others
required prompting. Regardless, those who were fit to lead were now doing
so.

The sound of a horn cut through the cool morning and the cruel beat of drums
added to the commotion as each officer took his and her armies to the gates.
From here they would begin their conquest to quell the barbarian uprisings
to the east. Once more the Dragonarmies would rule these lands with an iron
fist, just as Dragon Highlord Saige, chosen of Takhisis had foreseen.

The flags of the lead officer, Kevril, Colonel of the Armies, could be seen
moving north just outside the city. He had chosen to spend more time
preparing his troops. Having the largest show of force would require a great
deal of discipline to control and he would accept nothing else. While his
forces began to assemble outside of the city, several light- footed scouting
groups could be seen heading north through the mountain trails. He was an
intelligent leader, which could easily be seen in his decisive tactics.

A second force rivaling that of Kevril was exiting the city as well. Those
belonging to Athin, Major of the Armies, were beginning their trek southward
towards the mountains of the Zhakar. Athin had established himself among
them during the war and was even now returning to ensure that his claim
remained his alone. With a strong following of soldiers, he would begin
maintaining the southern front. Word was in the air that the Ogres residing
in the foothills south of Zhakar had become active in the wake of activity
ongoing in Sanction. They would know the power that was upon them soon
enough. 

A set of black flags could be seen leaving through the northern gates,
belonging to Luerk, Captain of the Blackwood Contingent. If there were ever
a band of soldiers to fear, it was those creatures now heading through the
winding roads that would lead them to Neraka. Known for his cruel and
unusual methods of persuasion, Luerk was the perfect officer to oversee this
portion of the army. They would most likely disappear from sight soon
enough, but reports would begin to emerge from the bordering lands of a dark
and unmerciful force. They would kill without being seen and would leave no
survivors to tell the tale, much like a plague that destroys the masses.

Finally, the last to leave the confines of the city walls was a much smaller
but equally potent force. Led by Arikaih, a female Lieutenant and member of
the unique scouts known as Wolfbound, this army much like Kevril's opted
instead to remain near the city itself. It had taken some prompting for the
Lieutenant to accept her role from the Dragon Highlord, but he knew there
was no other individual fit for the task. She was dangerous. Her experiences
in life had raised her in such a fashion and that edge would turn her into a
fierce and unyielding leader. For now, she continued to heed the commands of
her Highlord and did so with keen intelligence, even if she did not realize
it herself. 

The armies of the Queen were a force to be recognized. The Barbarians in the
East were about to become an example for the future. Once the armies had
brought the tribes of Khur under their rule they would tend to the Ogres to
the south and northeast, then the goblins to the northwest. With the
combined strength of these lands they would be ready tear down any who stood
in the way of their Queen's ambition, as well as their own... 

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Sat Jan 12 17:33:25 2008
Subject     [FWD] Taking advice to heart

[FWD Note] - [  5] Arikaih: Taking advice to heart
[FWD Date] - Wed Dec 19 12:37:37 2007
[FWD To  ] - all [Original to:] dragonarmy
[FWD List] - story


Arikaih stood quietly with Sciath and Teryn, watching the troops
practice. Every once in a while, her scouts would talk quietly to her,
explaining things to her. She would nod and watch what they were talking
about more carefully to catch the point they were making.

A noise to her left alerted her and the scouts, causing each of them to draw
their weapons. Arikaih sighed in relief as Fron and the remaining scouts
appeared in sight. Fron nodded to Arikaih. "They know what we can teach
them,"  she said quietly. Arikaih nodded. "Make you way and join the rest of
the troops. Sciath, Teryn show them the way,"  The two scout bowed deeply,
then motioned the remainder of the scouts to follow them. Arikaih motioned
toward Fron. "Fron, you and I need to talk," she said quietly to the
Wolfbound. 

They retired back into the small grove of forest nearby, allowing the 5
wolves to run and play as well as listen for anyone else. After what seemed
like a small eternity, the two women stepped from the grove. "I tell you
Lieutenant, SHE is watching and SHE does know what lies in your heart and
mind,"  Fron said with a nod, holding up her hand to silence the forthcoming
words from Arikaih. "I realize that those morons who tried to be HER
followers, those idiots who call themselves 'Knights of Takhisis',"  Fron
said, pausing to spit on the ground as though the words were a curse unto
themselves. "taught you very little in what you are. You started as an
urchin, begging on the streets for survival, running for your very life from
those who should have taught you. It was HER will when you met with Lord
Saige and were escorted to that damned Keep in the middle of no-where. You
made your decision not to be just another 'fop', listening to that bitch who
claimed to speak for the Queen. You made the decision to travel and you were
found by Eshri. SHE did that too. SHE could have left you to die in the
forest."  Fron smiled, her face beaming. Arikaih reluctantly nodded,
remembering all too well the things that were told to her at first by Lord
Saige as he reveled at his Queen. She shivered as she remembered the child
who had been treated like a scullery maid by the 'False Voice'. "I realize
that you know little about that which you are, but I will tell you this. SHE
knows and some day SHE will send someone to you to teach you that which you
do not know." Fron continued. Again, she put up her hand as she saw
Arikaih's face darken. "No disrespect, but the magic you do know you HAD to
learn by yourself. No one taught it to you. SHE sees this and knows this.
And SHE will rectify this. One day, SHE will send someone who is a Master
Mage and his command from HER will be to show you what you were denied."
Fron said, finishing her little speech. 

Arikaih looked away from Fron, her red tinted eyes darkening. When she
turned back to the woman at her side, she narrowed her eyes. "I don't need
you to tell me what lies before me. Your Queen did not give me what I
earned. I did that to myself. It was NOT your Queen who killed for food or
stole to survive. I did what I had to do. All YOUR Queen has shown me is
that those who bust their ass for HER are treated like common barn animals.
I will stick by what I told you until YOUR Queen shows me otherwise. Then
and only then might I believe all that you have told me,"  Arikaih snapped,
shimmering into the wolf form that she knew so well and distancing herself
from Fron. 

Fron shook her head. "More drastic measures must be taken before this one
realizes what she is,"  Fron thought, turning and motioning for her wolf to
come to her side. She pulled pen and paper from a pouch at her side and
quickly penned a note. She handed it to the white wolf at her side. "Ice,
take this directly to Lord Saige. He must know what has happened here." The
wolf took the rolled note in her mouth and loped toward the city. "If anyone
can speak directly with HER, perhaps he can shed light to the lost one." 

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Sat Jan 12 17:33:43 2008
Subject     [FWD] Change of feelings

[FWD Note] - [ 21] Arikaih: Change of feelings
[FWD Date] - Sat Jan  5 13:53:47 2008
[FWD To  ] - all [Original to:] saige
[FWD List] - story


Arikaih ran, her wolf form slithering through small openings where her
human form would have stopped and gone around. Her red tinted eyes saw
little things, helping her dodge around things that would have slowed her
down.

Invisible eyes watched from afar, keeping an eye on the mage-wolf. An
invisible mouth smiled as invisible hands seemed to grip the ground, causing
it to sink.

Arikaih felt the ground give way under her feet. She tried to slow her fall,
but was unable to. She fell to the bottom of a depression, lying in a
crumpled wolven heap. She slowly changed form against her will. She slowly
sat up, shaking her head. She looked around, her hand slowly going to her
dagger.

The invisible eyes seemed to smile as invisible slowly became visible. Dark
colored robes covered the person, hiding everything with the hood. It stood
in the shadows of the depression, watching Arikaih. "You won't need that
here, child," a solid voice said as it pushed the hood away. 

Arikaih started at the sound of the voice, turning her head to face the
voice. A woman stood in the darkness. Arikaih snarled at the woman, starting
to pull the dagger from its sheath. She watched as the woman waved her hand,
and Arikaih dropped her hand away from the dagger, crying out in pain. Again
she snarled at the woman, lifting her hand while whispering.

The woman laughed as Arikaih lifted her hand. "Your childish parlor tricks
will NOT work on me." The woman waved her own hand, silencing Arikaih.

Her power silenced saw Arikaih glaring at the woman as she advanced on her.
She lunged at the woman.

The woman saw Arikaih lunge toward her. She waved her hand at Arikaih,
sending the mage against the wall of the depression.

Arikaih hit the wall hard, falling against the ground. She raised her head,
looking up at the woman. She slowly rose to her feet, walking around the
woman. 

The woman watched as Arikaih stalked around her. She shook her head,
laughing. "Do you think that your little childish actions mean much to me?
Tell me something, child. Are you like that False Voice who hears and sees
only what is beneficial for her? Or are you something more?" the woman said,
her eyes slowly changing between blue, green, red, black and white.

Arikaih listened to the woman as she walked. Not paying attention to her
surroundings and the ground beneath her feet, Arikaih stumbled to the
ground. She landed hard on her knees. She looked back, catching a glimpse of
a root slithering back into the ground. She stood back up, turning angrily
toward the woman.

The woman watched as Arikaih got back up. She smiled, almost feral, at the
attitude Arikaih was showing her. She stepped toward Arikaih, raising her
hand again.

Arikaih watched the woman raise her hand, and then felt herself listed into
the air. She dangled while she looked at the woman with surprise in her
eyes.

The woman walked angrily toward Arikaih. "You keep denying what has been
given to you. SHE can take it away, but SHE has decided on something more
'interesting' for you," the woman said, raising her other hand.

Arikaih grasped at her own throat, coughing and sputtering as though
something was choking the air from her lungs. She fought for what seemed
like an eternity until darkness took her and her eyes closed.

The woman held Arikaih in the magical grip, causing her to black out. She
dropped Arikaih to the ground. "This one MUST learn," she thought, looking
at Arikaih. "She belongs to the Queen." The woman laughed, slowly kneeling
over Arikaih, a dark dagger appearing in her hand. 

Hours later, Arikaih slowly opened her eyes. She lay on the ground in a
dirty hole. She slowly sat up, blinking her eyes against the sun above. She
slowly started to stand, but cried out in pain radiating from her chest and
stomach as she returned to a seat on the ground. Her hands hovered over the
painful area as she slowly removed the clothing covering the area. Under the
cloth, her chest and stomach were covered with fresh blood and wounds carved
in the shape of burnt crescent. Again she started to stand, this time
carefully avoiding too much movement of her stomach. She looked around her,
her eyes blurred by the hint of pain and the movement of the injured area
slow and guarded.

She carefully climbed out of the dirty hole, standing on wobbly legs next to
the depression. She looked down, seeing for the first time the shape of the
hole. It, like the wound carved into her front, was the shape of a crescent.
She shook her head. "It's not possible. There is no way that this could have
happened. It's not real," she said quietly to the open air. With a flash of
brightness, a nearby tree dropped its limb to the ground with a thud. "I
heard that," a voice whispered in her head. "You are mine. You will NOT
gather your release that simple, child," the voice whispered again, this
time accompanied by pain from the fresh cuts. Arikaih stumbled to her knees,
crying out in pain. She looked skyward, her red tinted eyes taking in full
sight of the Dragon Constellation of Takhisis. The very stars of the
constellation seemed to twinkle at her, as though something watched her. 

Arikaih bowed her head, closing her eyes. "This time I truly believe in
you," Arikaih whispered. She raised her head toward the constellation. "Your
command is mine to follow. What would you have me do?" 

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Sat Jan 12 17:33:49 2008
Subject     [FWD] Taking command

[FWD Note] - [ 22] Arikaih: Taking command
[FWD Date] - Sat Jan  5 14:01:05 2008
[FWD To  ] - all [Original to:] saige
[FWD List] - story


Her eyes settled on the troops placed under her command, watching their
movements. Close behind her, on either side of her, stood Sciath and Teryn.

Watching closely, she would slightly turn her head to one side or the other
and ask a question. Either Sciath or Teryn would answer, causing Arikaih to
nod and turn her head back to the front.

The field commander called the troops to attention, releasing them from
their formation for more training. Arikaih turned to Sciath. "Speak to him,
it is time. Bring him to me," Arikaih said quietly. Sciath bowed her head,
jogging toward the commander. Arikaih growled quietly to the golden wolf at
her side, sending Eshri also to the field.

The field commander turned away from the scout moving toward him. He turned
his back, practically ignoring the scout, until Sciath forced the man to
listen to her. Sciath spoke to the field commander, telling the man of the
orders from Arikaih. Eshri moved quietly nearby, listening to the field
commander's complaints and refusal to follow the command. 

Sciath repeated the command to the field commander, getting more frustrated
with each passing moment. Eshri listened to the confrontation, flicking her
ears.

Arikaih watched the scene with a bit of amusement on her face. After a bit,
she started the walk to see what the problem was.

Sciath shuttered as Arikaih placed her hand on the scout's shoulder. "I will
take it from here, Sciath," Arikaih said in a quiet voice. Sciath bowed to
her, backing away and returning to her post with Teryn. 

With Sciath away, Arikaih turned her entire attention to the field
commander. "I sent my scout to have you me speak with me, not to have you
argue with her." The field commander snarled at her. "MY troops are doing
will in their training," he snapped at her, his hand fiddling with his
sword. 

Arikaih smiled slightly, catching glimpses of the troops around them,
listening to the confrontation. "They are my troops, assigned to me by the
orders of Lord Saige," she said, her voice still quiet. The field commander
snarled at her again. "You are nothing but a jumped up child who probably
got her assignment by warming the Highlord's bed. These troops have been,
are, and WILL be under my command," he snapped at her, drawing his sword its
scabbard. 

Arikaih's face went devoid of all emotion, her red eyes beginning to glow
eerily as they started narrowing. "You really don't want to do that," she
said in a voice that was filled with hatred and anger. The field commander
laughed and advanced toward her. 

She gripped the handle of her dagger, drawing the obsidian blade from the
sheath, her free hand rising slightly as she whispered quietly. The field
commander continued to advance on her, then stopped abruptly, dropping his
sword with a cry. His hands immediately grabbed at his face and eyes.

Watching him with a careful eye, she re-sheathed her dagger and kneeled
down, picking up the sword he had dropped. She hefted it experimentally,
getting a feel for the weight of the weapon. 

She turned to the field commander, swinging the sword at the man. She closed
her eyes as she was splattered with his blood as the man's head dropped to
the ground, followed by his body. She turned to the troops standing around,
watching them. "Are there any others who have any problems?" she asked, the
sword held tightly in her hand. Seeing no objections, she dropped the blade
to the ground and turned, walking away. 

She stopped at the first soldier she came to. "You are who?" she snapped.
The man bowed deeply to her. "I'm Private Jonis," he replied quietly. "No
longer," she growled at him. "You are now in command. Fail me and your fate
will be worse than his," she said, looking toward the scouts nearby. 

Noticing Fron joining Sciath and Teryn, she motioned for the three people to
join her. They slowly approached. Arikaih nodded at Fron. "This is Field
Commander Jonis, Fron. Keep me apprised of his work," Arikaih said, stalking
away from the troops with Sciath and Teryn at her back. Fron watched amused.
"Perhaps she has finally met with the Queen," Fron smiled as she thought.

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Tue Jan 15 03:47:48 2008
Subject     Anger, Confusion, Regret...


Saige paced his chambers within the city of Sanction. It didn't make
sense. How could it? The sounds of his rage echoed throughout the corridors
and even the guards positioned outside flinched nervously.

Releasing another bellow of anger, Saige turned on his heel and stormed back
to the wooden table. Upon it laid a sheetof parchment, the words inked onto
it still burning in his mind. Slamming his gauntlet down, the paper caught
air and lifted slightly, falling gently to the ground.

Bending down, he picked it up and crumbled it in his fist. Holding onto it,
he took one last glance before tossing it into the fire burning in the
hearth. The paper may have been gone, but the truth on it would remain.


Lord Saige

We regret to inform you that Captain Luerk Trell, of the Blackwood
Contingent, has vanished. There has been no contact from him nor suggestion
as to his whereabouts. We request immediate orders for the progress of the
campaign against the Barbarian Tribes of Khur.


"Gods be damned... Trell was the most experienced soldier under my command.
What in the Abyss could have happened to him?"

Saige stared deeply into the flames. He had come far since leaving the
confines of the Knighthood. Those days of confusion were nearly forgotten.
He had struggled to gain his Queen's attention and had earned it after his
confrontation with the silver dragon. Along with the discovery of the
Dragonarmy remnants, he had provided a new face for his Queen's vengeance on
Krynn. 

Kailith had done well during his time as Highlord securing the remnants into
an operating army and raising a fortress to house them. However, after
stepping down it was Saige who had turned this army into a formidable force.
He had brought in officers capable of leading the Queen's minions and his
campaign against the Barbarians was to be the first of many against those
who would defy Takhisis' right to rule. But with his most capable officer
gone it was like losing one of his own appendages.

"Not as if that has stopped me before, but..."

Saige reached up and touched the patch with silver runes covering his right
eye. The memory of the dragon's breath attack which took half his vision
still caused a ghostly pain. Growling a curse under his breath, he turned
and strode out of the room. The guards jumped as the door slammed open.
Making quick salutes, both began sputtering offerings of support but were
quickly silenced.

"Stay your duty. I have business to attend to elsewhere. Deny any who
require my presence."

With that, Saige stalked out of his command area and mounted upon his steed.
Grabbing the reigns, his black warhorse kicked onto it's back legs and then
took off out of the city, heading north into the mountains... to a path
leading straight towards the Lords of Doom. 

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Thu Feb  7 05:14:50 2008
Subject     The Example

Storm clouds had gathered, darkening the skies above the lands of Taman
Busuk. A heavy mist blanketed the city of Sanction, caused by the
evaporation of torrential rains which poured into the rivers of lava flowing
down from the Lords of Doom. Life appeared dark and dismal in the region,
but then again the merit of life was merely a reflection of one's self...
and for Saige it was a reflection he had come to know all too well. 

There were those who questioned his outlook, questioned his decisions,
questioned the audacity of his strategies... of his faith. Those individuals
generally found themselves at the opposite end of a blade or worse. The
color of robes was of no concern neither was the color of metal protecting
their fragile bodies. Saige had always made sure that those who defied him
paid the ultimate price... and this moment was no different.

The man had fallen to his knees, quickly sinking into the viscous mud. His
black hair was a tangled mat of blood and grime as it fell pitifully over
his face. The rain did nothing to dampen the sound of his agony as blood
fell to the earth from his mangled arm.

"MER-CY!!!" the man cried, his voice cracking mid syllable. "I beg of you...
MERC..."

<>

The man was instantly silenced by a lethal blow to his head. The body
slumped forward, face first into the mud. Watching the gruesome display,
several hundred soldiers stood in silence. For a short period of time, the
only sound remaining was the pounding of rain on armor and the sickening
memory of the man's neck breaking. It was after this moment of silence that
Saige turned from the body and looked upon all those who had gathered at the
city's central market.

"Let it be known..." he said, his voice cold and unforgiving "... that
anyone who dares to disobey an order given to them by their superior will
earn the same priviledge as the former Sergeant here..."

At that moment, Saige bent down and plucked a silver emblem from the man's
tattered uniform. Removing his gauntlet, he placed the precious metal in his
hand. Mud ran through his fingers as the rain washed the surface clean.
Closing his fist over the cold insignia he finished his statement.

"... a one way ticket to what ever god wishes to claim your worthless
soul."

No one said a word. Silence continued to engulf the crowd of soldiers who
only moments before had been jeering and mocking the imprisoned officer.
They had expected a beating, perhaps even lashes and public humiliation.
Instead, they saw that the Highlord of the Dragonarmies was not to be
crossed. Saige had said what was necessary. Without a second glance at the
body sprawled before him he turned and left, making his way north towards
his compound. The rain continued to fall heavily afterwards and as the crowd
broke up many left with a new found understanding of the term 'failure' and
just how dire the consequences were. 

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Sat Feb 16 18:22:56 2008
Subject     Awaiting Captain Trell's Return

Saige stood overtop a large table in the center of Captain Trell's
command tent. Sprawled across it were maps detailing the surrounding area of
Neraka, Sanction and further northwest into the region of Throtyl. A full
day had passed since the Captain left to meet with his troops near the
border of Taman Busuk. A large goblin encampment had been located by his
scouts and it was Saige's own orders which had detailed the "conscribing" of
the foul creatures. Regardless of his distaste for them, they would be a
true asset to his war machine. The thrill of fresh, innocent blood drove
them into a frenzy and made them heartless butchers. For this reason alone,
they would have a special place in the Queen's armies.

But it wasn't the promise of additional troops which caused Saige to spend
hour after hour staring at the maps laid out before him. No, there were
plenty of other things that would have his attention above a petty subrace
such as goblins. Instead, it was the tactical strategies that held him
enthralled. If there was one thing Saige truly enjoyed more than fine elven
wine, it was tactical combat and genius strategy. Few who walked the lands
of Krynn posessed such a natural gift and for those who did, glory and power
were always the reward. Even the wretched Solamnics had some keen
strategists within their upper hierarchy and that was what made them worthy
opponents. 

Saige studied the layout of the mountains, the direct routes of travel
marked along with other secretive routes which were being scouted this very
moment. Those same routes stretched as far as the borders which Saige eyed
all the way up to the location of the Captain's troops, hidden by the the
dwindling chain of mountain peaks. It was an excellent plan indeed and one
that met even Saige's approval, though he would never give such praise
directly to his Captain. To do so would be a show of weakness and could
eventually cause a soldier to think higher of themself than they should. He
had to keep every officer and soldier securely under his thumb in order to
maintain the strict discipline he demanded. 

Still... the boldness of the Captain's plan intrigued Saige. Perhaps he
should consider keeping this officer close to his inner circle so that he
could keep an eye on him. In these days, with the kettle of war ready to
flow over once again, it was wise to keep friend's close and enemies closer,
even if they're only potential threats... 

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Sat Mar 22 06:23:08 2008
Subject     Attack on the Highlord... A change of fate...

 
Please see the following link for the RP.
 
http://ansalonforums.com/viewtopic.php?p=489#489
 
Major thanks to Kaydian for portraying an NPC and to Arikaih for support!
 
 
-Saige

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Sun May 11 05:23:18 2008
Subject     It is time...

Everything was eerily quiet. The sensation was familiar, much like the
calm before the storm; however it was not a storm which caused Saige's
unease. No, it was the absence of something else... 

It had been far too long since the last report was received from his
commanding officers in the field. Saige turned on his heel, facing a
cowering scout who stood rigid with a pale face. 

"What news from the Southern Border? What news from Arikaih?"

The scout licked his lips, nervous and unsure of how to appease the
Highlord. "M'lord, I've already given you that information. There has been
no word in recent days."

Growling a string of curses to the gods, Saige turned away from the man,
sickened by the sight of cowardice yet sickened moreso by the unease in his
own gut.

"And what of Kevril and Athin? What of the armies assigned to them near the
borders of Khur?"

Again the scout licked his lips, his brow heavy with sweat. He was beginning
to fidget and he knew he must stop and focus on answering the Highlord,
regardless of how many times he'd been asked the same question. "Again
m'lord, there has been no word. Luerk is the only officer who has requested
further instruction."

"Gods be damned!" shouted Saige as he slammed his fists onto a wooden table,
splintering the leg towards the nearest corner. This was not good. How could
this army expect to survive if everyone had deserted him? Did they think it
better to find a new lord to serve? Surely not, for none had expressed
enough concern to take matters into their own hands. Instead they had all
become content... and in this world, to be content is to be dead.

So be it. If there were no others with the audacity to take matters into
their own hands then they didn't deserve the ranks given to them from the
start. It was time to end this once and for all. The lands of Khur would
fall. The borders of Taman Busuk would be sealed and the future of the world
would remain bleak and dismal... but one goal at a time.

"Send word to the armies... I will be taking my place in the field. All
forces are to begin an immediate march towards the city of Kortal. We will
re-group on the east side of walls and whichever officers choose to show up
will be given orders to attack. Those who don't will be left behind to
rot."

"Y..ye..yes Sir!" the scout stammered before saluting and turning to depart.
A commotion and the sound of hooves beating against the hard ground
confirmed that the message was being relayed. Now it was only a matter of
time. Saige had made the calculations a hundred times over. He had weighed
the odds and guessed at the strength of the enemy. It was time to put his
skill to the ultimate test.

Stepping over to a chest alongside the inner wall of the chamber, he
unlatched the bronze lock and opened the lid. He began pulling out his
armor, one piece at a time. First his helm, adorned with small protruding
horns crafted in the manner of a dragon's mane. Next came a black
breastplate etched with silver runes and so on until his full attire lay out
before him. 

Indeed... it was time. 

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Thu May 29 03:23:04 2008
Subject     The Attempt... The Failure... The Revenge...

The Attempt:

 The armies had arrived in Kortal. Marching from North, South and West
they had converged on the city and routinely set up camps while awaiting the
arrival of the other commanding officers. Looking down from the city walls
however, Saige knew there would be no one else.

Highmaster Luerk had brought the Blackwood Contingent down from the lands
surrounding Neraka. Major Arikaih had brought her armies from the south
where they had been patrolling the borders due to small incursions being
made by the Ogres. Saige had then gathered the armies once in the hands of
Colonel Kevril and Major Athin and merged them together upon their arrival
at Kortal. It would be from this point that they would strike into the heart
of the barbarian lands of Khur.

Looking back to the west, Saige could finally see the end of the column.
Dusk was settling upon them and the last of the troops would arrive by
nightfall according to his judgment. The day had been long however and he
would need his rest. It was time to retire. He would need to be ready to
meet his officers in the coming days to plan and coordinate their attacks.

Retreating down from the walls of the city, the Highlord made his way to his
command tent positioned outside the city walls. It would do no good for his
soldiers to see him sleeping in the comfy quarters of a city inn. Besides,
he would need to remind himself of the rigors ahead. Peace always brought a
sense of slothfulness. 

Nodding to the guards standing watch outside he made his way through the
tent flap and removed his garments. Resting upon his cot he grabbed a map of
the surrounding area and studied it quietly until sleep took him. 

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

A commotion outside of his tent caused him to wake, though his eyes were
nothing more than slits barely visible to those who were quietly sneaking
through the flap. There were 4 of them, tall men draped in dark cloaks. By
their smell, Saige could tell they were native sons to the lands of Khur.
The faint scent of sweat mixed with oils used for their customary markings
which come from the roots of plants found throughout the plains. Indeed it
had proven wise for Saige to have studied their culture. But now was not the
time to praise himself. He knew why they were here and the tension in the
air told him what they intended to do. 
 
(To be continued)

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Thu May 29 03:28:53 2008
Subject     The Attempt... The Failure... The Revenge... II

The Failure:

The sound of knives sliding from leather sheathes brought his mind to
action. Within moments they would strike at the very heart of evil bordering
their lands. They would take the Highlord's life and watch from safety as
his armies fell apart. If only it would be that easy...

The first man raised his blade into the air, ready to plunge the lethal edge
down into the flesh of his enemy. It wasn't until the last moment that he
saw the face of the Highlord. Saige's eyes were wide and bright, staring
directly into the man's soul. His lips moved quickly and silently but the
prayer was heard. Takhisis reached up from the Abyss and clutched at the
attacker's heart with icy cold fingers of death. It was quick and silent but
the momentum of the man's death swing sent him toppling into a nearby
comrade and threw the remaining three men into chaos. 

That was all the time Saige needed. Leaping from the cot he rolled to the
corner where his weapon lay. Grasping the mace by the solid hilt, he pushed
off with his left foot and threw the weight of his body into another
attacker. Bringing the man crashing to the ground, Saige raised the spiked
weapon and brought it down with an inhuman fury, splintering the man's skull
into a bloody mess. Two more attacker's remained. Standing now, with a
gruesome smile upon his face and the blood of his enemy splattered over his
body, Saige beckoned the other two forward.

A quick word was exchanged between the two and one of them turned, fleeing
into the night. He would be dealt with later. The remaining attacker cried
out a ferocious battle cry and charged. Bringing the weapon down, Saige met
it with the handle of his own and deflected the blow. Reversing the charge,
he sent the attacker backwards sprawling over the cot upon which Saige had
been sleeping only minutes earlier. As the two stood and faced one another
the Barbarian began speaking in his native language. It was an odd
combination of sounds with an almost melodious pitch. Saige would have been
interested in asking the man to switch to common but his speech was brought
to a gurgling end as a bolt from a crossbow fixed itself through his throat.

Several soldiers rushed through the tent flap with weapons drawn. They
immediately took in the scene, recognizing the Highlord to be safe they
encircled the enemy now laying upon the ground. He was nearly dead, the
light fading from his eyes. Bending down, Saige grabbed him by the hair and
pulled his head up. He wanted to ensure that the last face this man saw
before death took him was the face of his enemy, still alive and ready to
slaughter his kinsmen. 

A final combination of blood and air gurgled from the man's pierced throat
and his eyes darkened. Nodding, Saige dropped the lifeless head to the
ground and stood, striding from the tent. As to be expected, many of the
soldiers and officers began voicing questions and concerns but Saige
irritably waved them all off. Ordering them silent he requested his horse be
made ready and asked the scouts to track down the direction that the fourth
Barbarian retreated in. Saige would find the man and force him to answer for
this attack upon the Highlord's life.

(To be continued) 

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Mon Jun  2 05:52:42 2008
Subject     The Attempt... The Failure... The Revenge... III

The Revenge:

Two days had passed since the attempt on the Highlord's life. Saige had left
orders for the Highmaster to maintain discipline of the army and to send a
small force in his direction but he began to question the necessity.
Regardless, he continued to ride his mount into the ground in a relentless
chase of the final would-be assassin. Early in his journey his mind had been
racing. Rage and obsession clouded his judgment and he nearly killed his
steed by the pace he was demanding. However, he finally came to his senses
and slowed the beast. 

The fourth barbarian had made the mistake of traveling north into the
Delving. There was nothing but rock and sand for a hundred miles upon
leaving Neraka. The occasional rise in the ground and the dust kicked up by
the fleeing attacker allowed Saige to monitor the distance between them.
Knowledge of the land and a quick calculation informed him that he had a
chance to catch the wretch in the middle of the night if he rode his horse
to death. It would be risky, for if the horse died too soon then he would be
left stranded. In his mind though, it was a risk worth taking. Digging his
heels into the creatures flanks, he pressed forward.

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** 

The horse slowed to a pace, it's legs shaking and it's body quivering.
Leaping from it's back, Saige drew forth a knife. As the horse's knees
buckled and it slumped to the ground, he reached forward and drew the blade
across the creature's throat. No point in leaving it suffer as it had served
it's purpose. 

The ground had begun to flatten and tall grass was sprouting in patches. He
was now standing amidst the lands known as the Delving, located north of
Taman Busuk and just south of Nordmaar. Somewhere nearby was the unwary
barbarian. Saige intended to make this painful as the man had already caused
a delay to the attack plans for the armies.

It was not even a half mile from the place where Saige's mount dropped that
he found his prey. The barbarian's own mount stood nearby, snorting softly
and pawing at the ground as it sensed a stranger approaching. Not wishing
the give his adversary the option of fleeing once more, Saige pointed at the
horse and mouthed a silent prayer to his Queen. The horse's front knees
began to wobble before giving way beneath its own weight. Crashing to the
ground, the creature made a whining sound as its legs cracked and broke...
just enough noise to wake the now alert barbarian.

Leaping to his feet, the man looked around. His eyes apparently still weary
from sleep, he completely passed over Saige once before turning and focusing
on him. Shouting something incomprehensible, the man took a look at his
horse and appeared to wince. Saige watched with quiet amusement until the
man drew forth his weapon, a long knife wrapped with leather at the hilt. 

Clucking several times with his tongue, Saige shook his head disapprovingly.
It would do the man no good to offer a fight. He would do better instead to
take his own life before Saige go a hold of him. The thought must have been
lost on the man however. With a shriek similar to a war cry, he ran towards
Saige in an attempt to catch the Highlord off guard. It was a brave move but
at last it was nothing but a foolish mistake... one that would soon be
regretted. 
 
(To be continued)

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Mon Jun  2 05:54:33 2008
Subject     The Attempt... The Failure... The Revenge... III (C)

The Revenge: (Continued)

As he ran forward, Saige stood unflinching and merely waited. When the
barbarian was not but 10 feet away Saige called out to his Queen, asking her
to blind his foe with eternal darkness. As the man pulled his weapon back to
strike, Takhisis answered the prayer and stripped the man of his sight.
Releasing a howl of pain and confusion, the man stumbled and nearly fell
right in front of Saige. Striking him now would have been easy, but that was
not what the Highlord needed. He had questions that would be answered
first.

Side stepping the man's reckless attack after the loss of his vision, Saige
caught the wretch by the hair and ripped his head backwards causing his body
to bend and his knees to give out. In the blink of an eye, the man was flat
on his back, his head bleeding from a gash caused by a rock on which he
landed. Cursing his luck and the humor he was sure his goddess found in
this, Saige lifted the man and slapped him several times. The man's eyes
opened without seeing and then closed. He was out cold. This was not what
Saige had intended... but then things could have been worse. 

Looking around, Saige found he was now stranded after killing both his and
the barbarian's mount. Cursing the world loudly he found a line of rope from
the horse's lead and used it to bind the barbarian. Content that the wretch
was out cold and not going anywhere, Saige set off to find some high ground.
He would have to wish the god's luck upon him if he was to get on his way
back to Kortal and the war soon. 

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Mon Jun  2 05:58:16 2008
Subject     SQ - The Crossroads


An hour's worth of walking brought him to a crossroad and to what was
either a stroke of blind luck or a gift from the gods. Saige however, was
willing to put his money on the former given the line of curses he had given
to every god he could think of during his trek. A wagon with two horses was
tethered to a sign post. Beyond, several men stood gawking at something upon
the ground. Saige had meant only to steal the horses but something drew him
to what the men had found. Be it curiosity or the will of a god he felt
compelled to see it for himself. This feeling however did not alter his
sense of judgment. 

Approaching the men from behind, Saige released his weapon and attacked. The
first man dropped instantly with nothing more than a stunned gasp. The
momentum of the weapon bludgeoned him and crushed his skull. The second man
had little time to react. Caught off guard by the sudden attack he grabbed
what was closest to him, that being a shovel and tried to defend himself.
Saige's mace splintered the long wooden handle and a quick backswing
shattered the man's jaw and knocked him to the ground. Stepping forward,
Saige placed his booted foot across the man's throat and applied pressure
until he felt the flesh and muscle give way, crushing the man's airway.

A quick inspection proved there to be no others lingering in the immediate
area. Returning to the place where he felt compelled to look earlier, the
ground appeared to be cut and shaped in such a way that words had been
formed. This either being of magic or of godly will, there was little doubt
about the purpose behind the words. Finding the urge to stare and gawk
numbingly painful, Saige finally gained control over his mind and turned his
eyes away. Cracking his neck, he shuddered slightly and decided it best to
grab the wagon and return to his captured assassin. Besides, he had a war to
plan and an army waiting for his return. So why did he have the urge to
suddenly go treasure hunting... 

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Sun Nov  9 07:37:31 2008
Subject     Arrival in Neraka

The sun had begun its decent behind the Khalkist mountains allowing
darkness to commence its reign upon Neraka. Denizens of the city hastened to
complete their daily routine; soldiers, priests, merchants and commoners
alike scurried throughout the streets.

In the courtyard of the Temple, the air stirred slightly as an unusual
breeze passed through. Within seconds the breeze strengthened and became
violent, swirling dirt upon the ground into a vortex. Several individuals
nearby were forced to shield their faces from the force of the barrage and
were momentarily oblivious to the massive creature swooping in from above. A
pair of enormous talons ripped into the earth causing the ground to shake as
the monstrous apparition landed. When the dust settled, a pair of wings
stretched out and the glimmer of blue scales announced the arrival of a
child of Takhisis.

The head of the dragon flexed as if to crack it's neck then turned to look
back at it's rider, a solidly built figure who was beginning to stand from
the saddle strapped to the beast. Swinging a leg over, the rider leapt from
the dragon's back and landed upon the ground with ease. By now those who had
been standing nearby had regained their composure and two approached the
newcomer while others stood rigidly at attention.

Of the two men, one bearing the trappings of a Captain stepped forward and
snapped a crisp salute. The rider, now standing before the two men, removed
a grotesque helm fashioned in the image of the dragon looming in the
background. It served two purposes; the first for protection and the second
to impose fear upon those who stare upon it. As he removed the helm he
tilted his head forward, then pulled it back and ran a gloved hand through
thick black hair. His face was cold and stoic. A black patch with silver
runes covered his left eye but did little to hide the jagged scar beneath.
As he leveled his stare at the two men before him, a slight grin crept to
his lips.

"Gentlemen."

"Highlord," responded the Captain, still holding his salute. "It's good to
have you back Lord Saige." 

He was a younger man in his twenties; well kept with a powerful physique.
The Highlord was quite impressed for he appeared a promising individual who
commanded respect from his men and understood that upon the field of war,
failure meant death. Next to him stood a Lieutenant, also holding a salute
but appearing filthy as if he'd just walked out of a bar brawl. The Highlord
nodded to this man.

"Get that saddle off Cobalt and then make sure he has fresh meat
Lieutenant." The man nodded with a grin and departed to tend to his duties.
"And for the god's sake clean yourself up afterwards. By Takhisis you're not
a black blooded gob." 

Sighing and uttering a curse under his breath, Saige turned to the Captain
and jerked his head towards the Temple. "I'll be in my quarters. I want you
to gather up whatever officers are in the area and have them report in three
days to the Council Chamber."

With that, the Captain turned and left leaving Saige alone in the courtyard.
Glancing up at the dark sky, he snorted at the sight of his Queen's missing
constellation as well as that of her immortal enemy, Paladine, sovereign of
the Solamnic Knightood. 

"Interesting."

That said, Saige headed to his quarters for a well deserved drink. 

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Thu Jan 29 05:50:33 2009
Subject     KoD: A Meeting in Sanction

Ok, back during the Knife of Dracart roleplay Dante and I had finished a
a segment on the IC channel which I told him I would write up into a story
and post. Well, I was a lazy ass and never got around to it until now. Later
is better than never, right? Anyway, enjoy this glimpse into the recent
past...

***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   

It was late in the afternoon. Storm clouds, ever present, had amassed to the
north of the city of Sanction. The air in other areas of the world would
smell fresh this time of year with the promise of rain; in Sanction it
merely smelt like charred ash. This was mostly credited to the flowing
rivers of lava which poured down from the northern mountains known as the
Lords of Doom. But the city itself had also acquired the stench of war. To
the faint of heart, this smell was repulsive; enough so to make one wretch
the contents of their morning meal. To a seasoned warrior though, this was a
seductive perfume: campfires, forges, the metallic scent of iron and steel
mixed with hot oil and leather. All of these things combined to give
Sanction its own scent to be feared as it carried across the winds of
Ansalon. 

Saige stood by himself atop a lone tower on the northeast side of the city.
It was quiet, with nothing but the wind and the occasional sounds of life
below. What he also enjoyed was the pure unobstructed view of the fire
erupting from the bowels of the earth far to the north. Those mountain
ranges had always fascinated him and even now in his middle years of life he
found solace as he stared into the lifeblood of the world. 

This day was different though. Saige wasn't upon this tower to simply pass
time or to contemplate the proper means of motivation for his soldiers. He
was here to genuinely think and to openly question his Queen about the
situation that Her armies had gotten themselves into. A violent gust of wind
sent his cape fluttering and stung his face but that did not cause him to
hesitate. Takhisis was displeased at being questioned by someone so
insignificant but he inhaled Her fury like one who finds pleasure in pain.
The toxic fumes rising from the rivers of fire burned his lungs and seared
his face but still he pressed on, pacing the flagstone and continuing to
question in hope that an answer may manifest itself. 

"The knife, my Queen... An artifact valued so greatly has been lost due to
the incompetence of your chosen. How is it, that one white robed bastard of
a bitch was able to do this? Are we not the only ones waging this war? Is
there no way to keep the creations of Light at bay? Or are you stretching
yourself to thin, trying to attain too much at once?"

A convulsion suddenly wracked his body, sending him to his knees. The pain
was excruciating and Saige cried out but he managed to gain control and
grasped the parapet, his fingers white down to the bone beneath his leather
gloves. With effort he brought himself back onto his feet and stared
defiantly into the heavens. 

"Struck a nerve did I?..." he said through clenched teeth. Prepared to spew
more insolence towards his Queen he suddenly noticed a figure approaching.
It was a tall man well over six feet in height with a rigid build. The
stranger wore the trappings of a soldier in the Red armies and almost seemed
to be sniffing the air before the sound of his voice broke the silence.

"Old man... It's been too long..." the man said, coming into view. A hood
was pulled up hiding his face in deep shadows but his eyes betrayed a
familiar glimmer. 
 


Author:    Saige          
Date:      Thu Jan 29 05:57:05 2009
Subject     KoD: A Meeting in Sanction, II



Saige's brows narrowed as he stared at the figure. With a smirk, he closed
his eye and shook his head, the pain suffered moments before still very real
in his mind. Bothered by the fact that the pain may have been evident upon
his face he turned away and stared north into the mountains.

"Dante," Saige said briefly with an edge of vehemence.

Dante grinned wickedly, sliding his hand up the shaft of his spear as he
eased himself into a more comfortable standing position. He didn't bow or
salute, though Saige was of a higher rank he belonged to a different army.
The disrespect however was evident and did nothing to pacify Saige's
demeanor.

"Ah you do remember me then. I thought you might have forgotten... either in
your wine or old age." 

Saige took a deep breath and slowly released it. With a touch of sarcasm he
responded, "No, I've not forgotten... though I must admit that the red in
your uniform suits your chaotic habits."

Dante pushed his hood back off his head and nodded in agreement. "Aye, that
it does, doesn't it?"

"Tell me Dante, what brings you to this tower that I picked specifically to
get away from the world?"

Dante shrugged gently and smirked. "I talked to some of those blue fools who
said you would be up here. So I figured I'd come to... get reacquainted with
an old friend."

Saige couldn't help but to grin, his back still facing Dante. Though it had
been awhile since the two had last fought upon the same field of battle, the
younger man was still as blunt as ever.

"Well, since you're obviously not missed by your commander, then perhaps
your time here can actually be of some use." 

Saige turned to face Dante. With arms crossed over his plated chest he eyed
the young man as if judging an enemy.

"What news does the Red army have regarding the lost artifact?"

Dante chuckled gently and reached into a small pouch, retrieving a handful
of black substance and shoving it into his mouth. He chewed on it for a
second and then walked to the edge of the tower before spitting. "You know
I've been ordered not to share information with you blue fools, so why do
you even ask?" 

Saige raised his brow, questioning the snide remark. "Don't think I wouldn't
kill you where you stand just because we serve together under the Queen.
I've killed greater men than you for much less. Now back to my question, and
to the abyss with what your commanders have told you. What have the Red
armies learned in regards to the knife?"

Dante sneered at Saige but merely shrugged in response, "The Red armies have
learned nothing that the other armies don't already know. I however have
some new information.'

Once again, Saige raised his brow in question. "Out with it."

"Last I heard, a monk carried the knife," said Dante, pausing for emphasis.

Continuing to stare at the man, Saige nodded his head. "And?..."

"And he was somewhere near Palanthas. I was going to go and search for him
but Luerk found me here and has since kept me under watch."

"The green Highlord can be a fool at times," growled Saige. "Why would he
keep you under watch and what would you expect to do upon reaching Palanthas
anyway? Peak up the robe of every god forsaken monk in the city?" 
 


Author:    Saige          
Date:      Thu Jan 29 06:03:21 2009
Subject     KoD: A Meeting in Sanction, III



Dante laughed heartily and shook his head. "I have ways of getting
information. I have a fairly good description of this monk so finding him
should not be that difficult."

"Then why in the name of the gods are you still in this city? Any mindless
twit could get out of here without being noticed."

"I heard you were in town. I can make it to Palanthas in good time so I
figured I'd see if you had any information I didn't."

Saige turned and took a deep breath, releasing it slowly as he walked over
to the parapet and kicked a booted foot on top. "I've heard nothing yet. My
spies seem to always be two steps behind the current holder of the
artifact... But you at least bring me some hope." 

Glancing sideways at Dante, he continues, "You're leaving for Palanthas
tonight. You'll also be accompanied by two of my Sivaks. Don't try to be a
loner and scamper off either or I'll be sure to have your hide the next time
we meet. As for the green Highlord and your Red commanders, to the Abyss
with all of them. Do this and report back to me. I'll make sure you are
rewarded properly. Is that understood?" 

Dante remained silent for a long while with his eyes closed. After a moment
he opened them and looked at Saige. "You know, I don't much care for having
tag-alongs. I could move much faster alone, but I'll do it."

Saige let loose a whistle of surprise, though the expression on his face was
subtle.

Dante asked "I do have one question. What kind of 'reward' are we talking?"

With a smile, Saige responded, "Don't worry about the reward until you bring
me back the artifact. It really doesn't matter unless you fulfill your end.
But I promise you it will be worth the risk. You'll find both Sivaks in the
courtyard already prepared for the journey.'"

Dante nodded gently and threw his hood up on his head. "You'll hear word
from me in two weeks time. If I find it I'll be back here. If I don't then
I'll send a messenger." Turning, he began heading for the stairs by which he
arrived. 

Saige glanced back over his shoulder at the younger man. "Oh, and Dante?"

Dante stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Yes, Old man?" 

"Don't fail. I can be forgiving but our Queen is much less."

"Me fail? That's laughable," he responded before disappearing down the
stairs.

Saige simply sneered and returned his eyes to the distance. Somewhere out
there was the answer to his problems. If only they could find the dagger...
damn the gods above...

 

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Sun Sep  1 15:10:09 2013
Subject     Change is Coming...

(This is an account of RP that occured globally last evening between
Saige and Ayasana, taking place outside of Neraka at Matar Manor. Please
read this as viewed from Saige's POV)

* Saige paces the corridors of Matar manor. A black cloak casts a shadow
across his face. His eyes are closed and his breathing is slow and measured
with each step. *

* Ayasana leads the Blue regiment into the village outside the walls of the
Manor. Noticing a group of warriors in familiar livery, she signals the
regiment to begin breaking off into companies and hold in place. *

Ayasana ICs in Common 'Camped them outside, did he? Still a cautious old
fox.'

* Saige slows his strides and comes to a stop. *

You IC in Common 'Finally, she is here...'

* Ayasana continues riding toward the gate, flanked by 4 of her knights.
Disregarding the men camped nearby, she holds her head high, a crooked grin
on her lips as they enter. *

* Saige continues walking and makes his way to the map room. *

* Ayasana rides up the long promenade, past the fountains, to the main
entrance of the Manor. The 

* Ayasana continues, not breaking stride as the doors open for her. A
servant points quietly to the Library whispering "the map room m'lady,"
pulling his forelock and backing away. *

* Ayasana gingerly pushes the door to the room open, one hand on her katana.
Taking a deep breath, eyes narrowed into slits, she quickly walks in. A
familiar form is outlined by the fireplace. *

* Saige hears the door open. He feels the hesitation of his 'guest' and
knows immediately that it is actually his 'host' coming to join him. *

You IC in Common 'Welcome home, Ayasana.'

* Saige speaks with his back still turned, facing the fire. *

Ayasana ICs in Common 'I could say the same to you, Highlord. It has been a
long time.'

* Ayasana heads to a side table, reaching for a decanter of brandy and a
fine crystal goblet. "Shall I have rooms prepared for you, or have you seen
to that already?" *

You IC in Common 'That has already been seen to. You run a fine
establishment here.'

* Saige gestures to the decanter in Ayasana's hand. *

You IC in Common 'I hope you don't... mind.'

* Ayasana notices the decanter has already been tapped, she grins to
herself. Glancing over at the main table, she notices a large map of Taman
Busak, covered with notes and group tokens. *

Ayasana ICs in Common 'I would expect no less, actually, I'd be alarmed if I
found it any different.'

* Ayasana walks over to the map. *

* Saige's lip curls into a smile as he continues watching the flames of the
fire burn away the life of the logs. *

You IC in Common 'Notice anything... interesting?'

* Ayasana mulls over the map, looking at the token placements. She reaches
down and moves one further north. "The 4th Talon was moved closer to Jelek
three days ago. Otherwise this look up to date" She tilts her head, looking
over at him. *

Ayasana ICs in Common 'But why would you have the rest of the wings placed
as well, they are not generally our concern.'

Ayasana ICs in Common 'Red Green... even White and Black... how do they play
into this?'

* Saige remains quiet, allowing the crackle of the fire to speak instead. *

Ayasana ICs in Common 'What is this about anyway?'

* Saige nods his head and turns from the fire to face Ayasana. Reaching up,
he draws the hood of his cloak back. He appears weathered and rugged, his
bearded chin narrow and his cheeks drawn in a bit as if he has been
traveling lightly for weeks. But his eyes deny any sign of weakness. They
appear keen and penetrating, dancing with the light of the fire. *

You IC in Common 'They are now our concern.'

* Saige motions to the tokens: white, green, black then red. The first three
tokens lie face down. The red token appears face up. *

You IC in Common 'I have disposed of the Highlords belonging to the White,
Green and Black armies.'

* Ayasana's eyebrow arches questioningly. Closely watching the Highlord's
expression. *

* Saige pauses momentarily. *

Ayasana ICs in Common 'You did what? '

You IC in Common 'Actually, I have only disposed of the Black and Green
Highlords... the White Highlord was practically willing to kill himself for
me, the simple minded fool.'

* Saige smiles as he stares down upon the map. *

* Ayasana smirks slightly, but her mind races at the implication. *

* Saige looks up and watches Ayasana closely. *

You IC in Common 'That's right Ayasana...'

You IC in Common 'I've done what I should have done a very long time ago.'

* Ayasana straightens up, still watching her "guest". Looking for any
indication that he had lost his mind, or was maybe more cunning than she had
previously thought. *

* Saige smiles and returns his eyes to the map. *

Ayasana ICs in Common 'That is a bold step, m'lord. Are you certain that
Takhisis approves of you killing her chosen? '

* Saige's eyes narrow and his voice takes on a vehement note. *

You IC in Common 'If killing two of her 'chosen' doesn't prove favor, then
she chooses poor champions. 

* Saige watches Ayasana closely for any trace of ridicule but eventually his
face relaxes and the smile returns. *

You IC in Common 'Besides I had a vision in which our goddess appeared
before me, vengeful for the fact that I had not been actively promoting her
name in this world.'

* Ayasana nods slowly, still watching carefully. * 
 
(Continued...)

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Sun Sep  1 15:14:57 2013
Subject     Change is Coming... II

(Continued...)

You IC in Common 'She demanded to know why I, her servant, was allowing the
world to peacefully continue its existence in ignorant bliss.'

You IC in Common 'So I told her... the reason she appeared weak was because
the rest of her 'chosen' were weak.'

You IC in Common 'Of course... this did not go over smoothly. I paid for
that comment but the curse of my tongue is nothing new.'

You IC in Common 'However... I did strike a point. Her leadership amongst
the ranks was weak and I offered to fix it.'

You IC in Common 'So... I fixed it.'

* Saige stands back from the table and takes a deep breath, releasing it
slowly as he recalled the memory of each encounter. *

You IC in Common 'In the absence of all other leadership, I have declared
myself Emperor of the Armies.'

* Ayasana jolts slightly, but quickly regains her composure. *

You IC in Common 'I stand here now, to find where your loyalties lie.'

* Saige flicks his gaze to Ayasana, keenly watching her. *

* Ayasana again feels a jolt, her face reddening. Her eyes seethe as she
hisses "You have to ask, to... to question me? Me of all people?" she
sputters. *

You IC in Common 'Ayasana, I must question everyone.'

You IC in Common 'This is not a situation to be taken lightly. Any
preconceived assumptions would be the act of a fool.'

You IC in Common 'Do you consider me a fool, Ayasana?'

* Ayasana's hand goes again to her blade," If you were anyone else, I would
call you to task right here"

* Saige watches Ayasana closely without flinching. *

* Ayasana pauses, still enraged, and then drops to one knee, offering the
sword to Saige. "My loyalty is to our Queen, and as her Chosen, to you, my
Emperor." *

* Saige's lip curls back into that familiar smile. Nodding, he steps
forward. Ignoring the blade he places his thumb upon Ayasana's forehead. His
touch is as cold as the dead and it seems to radiate from within. He utters
a prayer to Takhisis, calling for her blessing and a death curse should the
oath be broken. *

* Ayasana stands, sword still in hand, looking into Saige's dark eyes. "My
Queen has my oath and holds my life in Her hands. Should She order me to
slay you, I will. Until that time, I, Aya'sana uth Matar, am at your
command. *

* Saige nods in approval. *

You IC in Common 'Very good. There is still one problem that must be dealt
with.'

* Ayasana twirls the blade then slides it smoothly back into its saya.
Looking back at the map, she notices the still upright Red token. *

You IC in Common 'The acting Red Dragon Highlord has remained defiant, and
I've not yet had the opportunity to 'plead my case' as you will, in person,
as I did with the Green and Black Highlords.'

You IC in Common 'Since Ciskei abandoned our cause and disappeared, that
army has seen several leaders rise and fall due to fighting within their
ranks.'

Ayasana ICs in Common 'The Red Wing was never very disciplined...'

* Saige glances up and smiles at Ayasana's comment. *

You IC in Common 'At this time, an Ogre by the name of Brak'kta has claimed
leadership and currently positions himself in the area of Blodehelm.'

You IC in Common 'He needs to be dealt with. All 9 foot 400 or more pounds
of his savage hide needs to be drawn and quartered publicly in front of his
own people.'

* Ayasana smiles wryly. "Serves them right, a brute like that leading them.
However, all things must come to pass. When do you wish to deliver this
excruciation to Master Brak'kta?" *

You IC in Common 'Soon. It will not take long before word spreads that I've
dealt with the other Highlords accordingly. From the information my scouts
have secured, Brak'kta already keeps close company with a large contingent
of guards. '

You IC in Common 'The last thing we need is for this to escalate into a war
between wings. We need to make this happen quickly and then quell any
insurgency that arises.'

* Ayasana traces a finger along the main trade route." He is at least 5 days
march from Neraka, 7 from here...." *

You IC in Common '7 days... How soon can you have your forces assembled and
ready to march?'

* Ayasana smiles a slight, crooked grin, then looks up at the new Emperor,"
My regiment awaits outside the gates, we were already assembled to march to
Kortel when I received your summons. I can send a messenger to Neraka and
have them ready by the time we reach there. Your people, however, look to
need some recovery still." *

* Saige nods and waves away the final comment with his hand. *

You IC in Common 'My men will march until they're dead if I tell them to.
They will leave tonight and meet up with the scouts I have in place. Then
they will join your forces here.'

You IC in Common 'From there on, you will accompany me and we will go have a
chat with Brak'kta.'

* Ayasana nods absently, peering at the route. "I will have my commanders
alerted, they will accompany you to that point, the messengers for Neraka
can leave tonight as well. I am going to ride Starfire to here..." points at
map... "...and arrange a supply train to meet up with us. Then I will meet
with you at this point and continue the march with you." *

* Saige nods in agreement and straightens, glancing at Ayasana in the
process. *

You IC in Common 'Very well then. I hope you are ready, Ayasana... Change is
coming...'

You IC in Common 'Fin.' 

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Mon Oct  7 16:21:08 2013
Subject     The March to Pashin


A river of fire flowed from the north, moving like a serpent as thousands
of torches flickered in the night. It had been a lengthy journey through the
arid and rocky region of Western Khur involving nearly two weeks of forced
marching and little sleep, but Ayasana's forces were arriving in good order.
Her keen knowledge of the region helped them utilize the trade routes for
their supply chain. Strong roads were the foundation of a strong empire.

Saige watched quietly from atop the walled city of Pashin. A self-described
mayor stood nearby, nervously fidgeting as he attempted to count the number
of soldiers setting up camp. Saige smirked as he heard the man continuously
start over as more and more troops arrived.

"Do not fret, Mayor Dahl..." Saige said in a soothing voice. "Every single
one of those soldiers has a bag of coins he is eagerly waiting to spend. And
luckily... there's not another city around for miles."

The mayor glanced at Saige and with eyes glittering like newly minted coins.
"Why, you're absolutely right my lord. We shall welcome every single one of
your men. And in your honor, I will order the taverns to remain open all day
and all night!"

The smirk returned to Saige's face and he resumed watching his army arrive.
The mayor took this as an excuse to leave and did so, thankful to be away
from the glaring eyes of the Emperor's draconian bodyguards. The Sivaks were
large and daunting. They did not cover themselves as did their brethren
travelling abroad. As a matter of fact, Saige encouraged them to be seen. He
found their intimidation upon his guests rather amusing.

It would be well past mid-morning before the last of the army arrived. The
Blue army was one of the largest, and under the leadership of Ayasana it had
grown tenfold. The benefit was the discipline that the female warrior
demanded. This was not an army patched together with raw recruits. Every
single soldier was sent through rigorous training. If they failed, they
died. It was a simple and effective method. Fear drove them to succeed,
success gave them courage and courage made them fearsome.

Saige took a breath of the cool evening air. Focusing on the task at hand,
he considered his options for the future. With a supply train established
back north through Khuri-Khan to Sanction and Neraka, the army would be
supplied and ready to move again in a few days. The scouts would be
returning by tomorrow evening to report on the terrain entering Blode. Once
he had that knowledge, Saige would take a portion of the army and begin the
march towards Bloten. He and his Queen had a meeting with the current
Highlord of the Red army, and She was quite displeased with his work ethic.
Saige couldn't agree more... 

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Mon Oct 14 12:22:09 2013
Subject     Tavern Tales: The Emperor's New Groove (I)


Night had fallen in the east on the continent of Ansalon. The sky was a
canvas of darkness upon which even the stars struggled to shine. Saige found
himself watching out the window of a finely decorated bedroom. The tallest
building in the city of Pashin had once belonged to the Mayor. However, he
politely vacated the premesis when his steward's throat was cut as an
example of the alternative option.

A decanter of wine sat empty within the Emperor's grasp. It had already been
filled twice before and Saige was beginning to feel the effects of the elven
luxury. The borders of Silvanesti, to the south, were closed to the outside
world but trade still occured due to the needs of the greedy within. Luckily
for Saige, it seemed the Mayor had been providing some valuable services
given the stock of wine in the cellar. Any other evening, Saige would be
content to quietly drown himself in the warmth of the alcohol while he
studied troop deployments and scouting reports, but tonight was different.

A task laid ahead of the Emperor the task of bringing a lazy and
insubordinate Highlord to heel. Takhisis was displeased with the current
work ethic of Her armies. She had spent a great deal of effort to secretly
build up this war machine and the time was soon approaching to unleash it
upon Krynn. Some, however, seemed to be too content in their current
position of power. That would need remedied. If this Ogre Lord was incapable
of heeding the call of His Queen, then Saige would remove him from power and
find someone more suitable.

It was the reason he had marched half of the Blue Dragonarmy to this place,
for he knew that little would be settled over a glass of wine when dealing
with an Ogre. Bloten was still another week's journey to the northwest but
what was really important at this moment was the mindset of his soldiers.
Ayasana was their Highlord and she had done an effective job at instilling
obedience. But Saige knew it would take more in the face of death to keep
the formations in line. They would need another form of motivation...
Something that worked from within the ranks. For this plot to work, Saige
needed loyalty and obedience, qualities which were hard to find within the
ranks of the Dragonarmies. His Queen had given him Her blessing, but that
blessing only lasted until She found someone more suitable to lay it upon.
Saige needed to find a voice among his troops to lay his own blessing upon
in order to guarantee they would be ready to fight when the time came.

The light of the silver moon crept through the window, casting ghastly
shadows throughout the room. More time had passed during his musings than he
had realized. It was time to go to work. Saige hefted his booted feet off of
the desk and rubbed some life back into his legs. Standing, he crossed the
room to a large banded chest where he kept his armor. In the bottom were
simple clothes, more fitting to a commoner. These would suit his purpose
well. After changing into this new attire, he disheveled his appearance
further and slopped the last contents of wine from the decanter down his
chin. Grabbing an umarked brown cloak he stepped to the open window and
grasped the talisman under his shirt. Without hesitating he whispered a
prayer and stepped out into the open air. Within moments his feet lightly
touched the ground under the cover of darkness.

"Now..." Saige mused to himself. "Let's go find something to drink..." 


Author:    Saige          
Date:      Mon Oct 14 12:25:06 2013
Subject     Tavern Tales: The Emperor's New Groove (II)

 A mandate had been issued by the Mayor of Pashin, that all taverns were
to remain open 24 hours a day while the Dragonarmies occupied the territory.
Pashin was not a very large city, but it was a key location for trading
between Khur, Blode, Silvanesti, Balifor and to a lesser extent the nomadic
tribes living in the eastern Plains of Dust. Because of this, Saige had
found himself frequenting multipe taverns and was learning a great deal of
knowledge unbeknownst to the other patrons.

The mercenaries made up the brunt of the army. Many of these men lived by
their sword. They were loyal because they were paid to be loyal. For now,
Ayasana's exploits and Saige's coffers were bringing them wealth. Further
talks of war only heightened the perception of potential income. They were
obedient for this reason, but their loyalty was uncertain. It was here that
Saige would need to plant his seed of motivation.

The time was late, nearly crossing into morning, and Saige stood within the
confines of the final tavern. It was one of the smaller establishments in
the city but it was full, nearly beyond capacity. Many were simply taking
their drinks and standing outside. Like his previous ventures, Saige ordered
a mug of ale and casually made his way around the rooms, blending in with
the drunken state of the crowd by cheering and singing the chorus of various
songs.

Most of the discussions which Saige overheard were the same as in the other
taverns. Men were voicing their opinions over various topics including the
conditions of the march, the climate of the area, exploits of previous
battles, etc. Some cursed their commanding officers for the pace at which
they had been forced to march only to arrive here and sit around. Others
chimed in, reminding them that the money was still good and that the alcohol
tasted no different after the first mug. Some mused over their reasons for
being here at all. "I hear we're going to lay seige to Bloten." "But isn't
that occupied by the Red Highlord?" "Sure, but what has he done lately?"
"What has any of the armies done lately?" "I thought we were going to fight
the Solamnics." "The Solamnics are fighting themselves." "Yeah, I hear the
Knights have been baracaded in their castles since the Cataclysm." "Do they
even still exist?" "Who does this Emperor Saige think he is anyway?"

That last comment caught Saige's attention. The mention of his name brought
him near a crowded table occupied by a handful of soldiers. The speaker was
drunk, several empty mugs sitting on front of him. His comrades seemed to
share his liquored grievances as they spoke loudly amongst themselves.

"Emperor Saige..." said (a human hereby referred to as Garcia). "Where did
he come from anyway?"

"I heard he's one of Her own," said (a human hereby referred to as Weir). "A
cleric from the Temple."

"A cleric? What are we following a set of robes around for?" asked (a human
hereby referred to as McKernan). "Can't they carry the effigies of their so
called gods around the world themselves?"

This brought about a round of laughter until another voice interupted.

"I think you stop talk now, before Queen hears and punishes." The voice
spoke in crude common and was harsh, carrying with it a lethal edge. It came
from an individual sitting nearby at the bar, close enough to overhear the
loud conversation. A silence fell upon that end of the tavern. Several other
conversations continued but even they died out in the awkward silence. Saige
smiled to himself and continued to watch. " 


Author:    Saige          
Date:      Mon Oct 14 12:26:53 2013
Subject     Tavern Tales: The Emperor's New Groove (III)


The tavern had quieted down. The threat was evident in the voice of the
unnamed speaker. The man's back was turned to Saige and he remained that
way, though from what Saige could see, it was a back much more broad that a
typical human. It seemed that the drunken stupor had worn off of Garcia and
he turned to see who had intervened on his converation.

"Who in the abyss do you think you are?" exclaimed Garcia. "I'll have your
ass for threatening me."

McKernan jumped in as well. "Yeah, if you've got a problem with our
conversation then find someplace else to drink."

"Or we'll find someplace else for you!" added Weir.

The hulking figure continued to sit there quietly, his back still facing the
others who were now riled up with overconfidence thanks to the alcohol.
Saige found this peculiar. The man seemed offended enough to speak in
defense of his Queen but was not incensed to respond in defense of himself.
Saige had a hunch. Stepping nearby the trio, he chimed in. "Perhaps his
Queen has struck him deaf."

Several things suddenly happened at the same time. Garcia was in the process
of grabbing the neck of the speaker's shirt when Saige bellowed the insult.
A change immediately overcame the speaker and he stood up from his seat. He
was immense in size, easily towering a foot or more over Garcia who was only
about six feet tall himself. This made Garcia appear like a child, clinging
onto the man's shirt while being lifted off the ground. McKernan jumped to
his leader's defense but a quick strike from the giant of a man left
McKernan's face a bloody mess. He collapsed back onto the table, flinging
mugs of ale and plates of food into the air. With alcohol clouding judgement
and fueling the ego of everyone in the tavern, a brawl quickly ensued.

Saige found himself being wrestled to the ground by another patron. As the
two fought for position among the muck of the floor, Saige closed his hand
around the handle of an ale mug. He let his attacker gain position on top of
him but his victory was short lived. Saige swung the mug up and split the
man's temple. His body crumpled on top of Saige who was further hampered by
the fighting going on above and around him. Tables were being overturned,
chairs were being broken, liquid was flying through the air but it was
impossible to tell if it was ale, spit or blood.

Saige pushed the body off and managed to stand. However, as soon as he did
so another patron completely whiffed on a punch intended for an opponent.
Instead, he hit Saige square in the cheek. The punch knocked the Emperor
several feet across the room. Flailing in a helpless attempt to maintain his
balance, Saige fell into something solid. Looking up, he found himself
standind directly in front of the massive human who had defended him
earlier. The man's face was ugly by human standards and Saige suddenly knew
why. The man wasn't quite a man. He was a half-Ogre.


Author:    Saige          
Date:      Mon Oct 14 12:30:57 2013
Subject     Tavern Tales: The Emperor's New Groove (IV)


The half-Ogre didn't hesitate. He had already knocked McKernan out of the
fight. Garcia was sprawled out across the bar unconscious and Weir was
nowhere to be seen. Saige was the only one left who had offended him and he
was going to make him pay. It didn't take a sober man to see the intent in
the half-ogre's eyes, but Saige knew he couldn't avoid it. Instead, he
reached for his medallion and uttered a prayer for skin as tough as stone.
The punch struck Saige above his right eye and the force alone lifted him
off the ground and sent him tumbling several feet backwards.

Saige layed there on the ground, dazed by the blow but alive. The effect of
the clerical spell began to fade and his skin returned to normal as he
reached up to heal the wound. Oddly enough however there was no blood or
gash. Instead there was an indentation in his skull above his eyebrow. He
began to ponder the possibility of healing the deformity until a shadow
loomed above him. The half-Ogre was back to finish the job. Once more Saige
began to mouth the words of a prayer but to his surprise no attack came.
Instead, he was hefted to his feet and led out of the tavern.

The late night air hit Saige nearly as hard as the punch from the half-Ogre.
He hadn't realized how stuffy the tavern had become. His senses felt
heightened and this led to pain as his other bruises and wounds became
evident. Saige cast a glance up at the half-Ogre who was staring back at
him.

Before Saige could say anything, the half-Ogre spoke. "Forgive me, Emperor.
At time, I not know."

A smirk crossed Saige's face and he snorted. "And just how exactly did you
know?"

The half-Ogre motioned to Saige's chest where his talisman was now
displayed. "I see Her."

Saige considered this a moment. "All of Her chosen wear this Talisman. How
did you know who I was?"

The half-Ogre looked Saige square in the eye and said, "She tell me." Saige
studied the half-Ogre for any sign of deceit but found none. "Good," said
Saige. "The Queen has need of someone like you."

"I fight for Queen," the half-Ogre said while pounding a fist on his chest.
"What else I do?"

"I'm making you the first member of my Death Guard," said Saige. "But first,
we have much to discuss. Walk with me..."

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

Waking the next morning proved difficult, though a secret part of Saige
relished in the pain. In a way, it made him feel more alive. He dressed and
cleaned himself up before departing to the war room for morning reports.

Highlord Ayasana saluted him upon his arrival and then added a casual
greeting. "Nice of you to join us so early this morning m'lord."

Saige glanced at her with eyes narrowed as he returned the salute and
continued walking towards a table set with various trays of salted meats and
cheese. Ignoring these, he poured himself a mug of hot water and crumbled up
some dried leaves for flavor. He had to admit, the spices of Khur did much
to clear the mind in the dark of the morning.

Saige returned to a table covered with maps and other various paperwork. The
light shone full on his face and he saw Ayasana smirk before asking "What
happened to you?"

Saige returned the smirk as he rubbed absently at the narrow cut above his
eye.

"I got a new groove." 


Author:    Saige          
Date:      Sat Oct 26 14:10:19 2013
Subject     The Hour Arrives


A chilled morning wind blew down from the mountains as Saige watched the
soldiers line up into ranked formation. The ends of his heavy cloak snapped
in the cold air but his face remained rigid, his eyes no more than slits as
his gaze fell with loathing upon the city of Bloten. Hidden behind those
walls was the creature that dared to defy his reign.

It would have been a simple matter to have visited the subcommanders of the
Red Dragonarmy, spread out as they were, and coerced them to bend a knee
slowly dismantling them piece by piece. But Saige didn't have time for that,
nor did he have the resources to ensure their obedience afterwards. The
Queen had given Saige the call to battle. It was time to unleash Her wrath
upon the lands of Ansalon and to do so required the full might of Her
armies. But one of Her chosen refused...

The Red Army had a cunning Highlord in the early days, a mage who had fought
his way to the top through sheer force. Few were able to stand against his
power and eventually the Queen laid Her eyes upon him, choosing him among
the rest to lead Her creation. But as time passed he grew restless. The time
to unleash the full power of Takhisis' wrath came too slowly and his ego
overtook him. In his search for more power he found it necessary to join his
brethren within the Conclave, hiding inside the walls of their magical
tower. Whatever dark goals they wished to achieve they kept to themselves
and the void of the Highlord's absence left tormoil in the ranks of the Red
Army.

Over a period of time, various warlords rose up to claim the absent seat of
power. Takhisis, who has always favored the strong, relished in watching Her
followers climb each others corpse as they fought and killed for the right
to lead. Eventually, an Ogre named Brak'kta made several intelligent
decisions (thanks to his chosen advisor, a mage by the name of Teague) and
deceived (then killed) several key allies before killing the other warlords.
With no threats remaining, he claimed the right to rule as Highlord. The
only problem with Ogre's is that they only remain motivated for so long. 

Eventually, Brak'kta became apathetic to the cause. He had holed himself up
within the confines of his city and with others serving his every whim he
saw no need for further action. It was during this time that Takhisis had
called out to Saige. She informed her cleric that the time had come... She
was ready to make Her presence known! Saige would be Her chosen and so She
sent him forth. Ayasana, the Blue Highlord, immediately gave Saige her
fealty and offered the strength of her army to him. The other Highlords
required more... convincing. But in short time the White, Black and Green
Highlords followed suit. All that remained was Brak'kta, the Red Highlord.

Brak'kta had ignored Saige's commands to prepare his army. They should have
been strategically stationed to strike into the heart of Solamnia.
Instead... they remained encamped throughout the region of Taman Busuk.
Saige became enraged. The Queen had given Her orders and they would be
followed!

The clouds to the east remained black as they hung low around the mountains,
denying the light of dawn to shine upon the land. It was an omen, of that
Saige was certain. Queen Takhisis was angered. She was ready to conquer
Krynn now. Someone would pay for this delay and Saige was prepared to do Her
bidding.

He turned his attention back to the formation of soldiers. All appeared
ready. Highlord Ayasana was approaching, garbed in her battle armor which
was blessed by her Queen. She saluted as she came to stand before him.

Saige returned the salute and then spoke, "Are you ready, Ayasana, to
witness the wrath of Her Majesty upon those that ignore Her will?"

Ayasana appeared confident as usual. "I am, lord Saige, and so is your
army."

"Very well," said Saige. "We will move forward with the advance guard. If
Brak'kta lacks the courage to come out and accept his fate then I will call
upon our Queen to pour Her wrath upon him and those that follow."

Ayasana appeared grim. "It would be a shame to lose the strength of the
force within the city due to the failures of their leader."

Saige nodded as he donned the the final piece of his armor, a helmet imbued
by his Queen. "Indeed. But we are here to enforce Her will upon those who
defy Her. I will personally cut the throat of everyone inside those walls if
She commands it."

Ayasana nodded in agreement. "By your command, my lord."

"Then let it begin," said Saige as he mounted his warhorse. 

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Wed Nov 13 11:23:29 2013
Subject     The End and the Beginning, I

* This story is the result of a global RP between myself and Sylphshade
on the evening of Monday, November 11, 2013. It officially ends the
Dragonarmy RP Campaign in Bloten. * 

* Sylphshade watched as the southern gate of Bloten opened, exposing the
road down to the valley where the massive blue army's ranks formed. Taking a
deep breath, she nudged the horse into a slow cadence, while the ogres that
followed shuffled behind. *

Sylphshade ICs in Common 'This is not what I signed on for," she muttered
under her breath. "Not what I signed on for at all."'

* Sylphshade raised up the staff that held the white flag so it was clearly
seen by all. *

* Saige stood among his advisors, pointing out weak points in the massive
walls of the city nearly a kilometer away. Suddenly, one of the soldiers
called out and each individual turned to watch as the front gates opened.
"Well, this is unexpected," said Saige. "I thought we'd have to pull that
bulging sack of manure outside his walls." *

* Saige turned to Ayasana who shrugged her shoulders. She then nodded
towards the small number of troops exiting with a white flag raised. "What
are your orders? I can send a squadron of troops to escort them." *

* Saige continued to watch the troops filing out of the gates, slowly making
an approach towards him and his advanced guard. "No... Let them come to us.
Round up the men and have them arrayed into a defensive formation just in
case. Hand pick a personal guard. You will accompany me and we will move
forward to meet whoever this is." *

* Sylphshade's heart sank to her stomach as she took in the enormity of the
force before her. How did that idiot Highlord think he could withstand this?
Were those wargs in their ranks? "This is not good," she kept grumbling to
herself. "This is so not good." *

* Saige, Ayasana and his guards moved forward to meet the approaching
soldiers. *

* Sylphshade watched as a group broke off from the main body and rode
towards her. The banners let her know it was someone of rank, but the man
was wearing a cloak similar to hers. * 

* Sylphshade knew that rider from a couple years back. He was the one who
led a regiment of blue soldiers into Neraka from the plains. That meant this
man had to be this new Emperor she had heard about. The day was just getting
worse. *

Sylphshade ICs in Common 'So that is the one. Great. My first meeting with
him and I am surrendering a city already. '

* Sylphshade looked at the shorter one member accompanying the Emperor. "And
she was just returning from taking a city, this will look real good," she
shuddered at the thought. *

* Sylphshade cast an eye up to the clouds above. "Just need that dragon to
show up to make this a perfect day..." *

* Sylphshade pulled her horse to a stop, dismounted and tried to stand as
straight as possible, opening her cloak to expose the Red surcoat and her
blade. Then she strode toward the group before her. *

* Saige narrowed his eyes at the lead figure, a female by the looks of her.
Frost white hair stood out against her red surcoat and she approached with
an air of shaky confidence. This was rather unexpected indeed. *

* Saige stepped forward from among his troops. Ayasana stepped out as well
but remained a step behind, her hand upon the hilt of her blade. *

* Saige stood with his arms crossed, his helm hiding his face but not the
glaring blue eyes beneath. *

* Sylphshade took a deep breath to compose herself, remembering her
training. "Never let them see you in doubt." Slowly she reached up and
removed the bronze mask she wore, carefully placing it in her satchel. She
then looked up at the man before her. *

Sylphshade ICs in Common 'I am the Inquisitor Sylphshade Rephaim, here by
authority of the Council in Sanction, presently representing, albeit
unwillingly, the city of Bloten. May I respectfully inquire with whom I am
speaking and on what authority you may be acting on?'

* Saige continued glaring quietly at the woman before him, this Sylphshade.
Had his face been visible one would notice that he was actually studying her
composure, as well as the Ogre soldiers behind her, looking for any sign of
deceit. Behind him, Ayasana could be heard snickering as Sylphshade finished
speaking, requesting to know whom she was speaking to. *

* Saige found no sign of the deceit he was expecting. This was odd indeed.
Slowly, he uncrossed his arms and reached up to remove his helm. As he did
so, Aysana spoke up. "You're speaking to your Emperor, Inquisitor. Do
yourself a favor and kneel before your superior." *

* Sylphshade's eyes went to the Baroness and then back to the one she called
Emperor. "Well now I know all the players, let's see if I can keep my head
attached," she thought. Placing the flag on the ground before her Emperor,
Sylphshade stood back up at attention with her hands folded before her, and
bowed her head. *

Sylphshade ICs in Common 'My Emperor, I greet you, and welcome you to your
city. I am at your service, your majesty.'

* Sylphshade then lowered her eyes and waited. *

* Saige watched as Sylphshade laid the flag upon the ground, but made no
move to pick it up. He stood there with his helm removed, held under his
arm. *

Saige ICs in Common 'Tell me, Inquisitor Rephaim, what game it is you are
playing at.'

* Saige's eyes move from Sylphshade, to the Ogres and then back to the city
whose gates remained open. *

* Sylphshade looked up at the Emperor, questioningly. "Sire?" *

* Saige's face flashed with anger. "Where is your Highlord? Where is the
coward that refuses to acknowledge the will of his Queen?" *

 
CONTINUED...

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Wed Nov 13 11:25:35 2013
Subject     The End and the Beginning, II


 ... CONTINUED

* Saige's face flashed with anger. "Where is your Highlord? Where is the
coward that refuses to acknowledge the will of his Queen?" *

Saige ICs in Common 'I am here to see that he submits to Her will or to
painfully send him to meet Her face to face.' 

* Sylphshade nodded, and then matching his gaze began to reply. " The
Highlord Brak-kta is nowhere to be found, even after several thorough
searches and a series of questionings to his remaining commanders. Most of
his bodyguard appear to have been killed, and his lackeys slain attempting
to escape. The Red contingent of Bloten is fractured, and unable to continue
defending the city without a proper leader." She again bowed her head and
waited. *

* Saige appeared to absorb the information. He turned to look at Ayasana,
paused, glanced back at Sylphshade and then turned fully to Ayasana. *

Saige ICs in Common 'Send the advanced guard to the main gates. Have them
occupy the entrance and defend the entrance. Then send word to the main body
and begin moving our soldiers in to occupy the city. I want confirmation on
what the Inquisitor has just told us. Send out our scouts to hunt down
Brak'kta and anyone in his company. '

* Saige watched as Ayasana saluted and turned to begin making all the
preparations. He then turned back to Sylphshade. *

Saige ICs in Common 'Inquisitor, you will accompany me and my guard. Your
soldiers will forfeit their weapons and will await further orders. I want to
hear a full report from you on what you know.'

* Sylphshade nodded, and then looked up. "They are not my soldiers my liege.
They are merely witnesses to this meeting and they are yours to command. And
as you are the highest authority, I am yours to command as you see fit."
Once more she bowed her head in obedience. *

* Saige smirked as a satisfied smile pulled at his lips. With a nod of his
head, his soldiers stepped forward and disarmed the red warriors. The Ogres
put up some struggle but the overwhelming odds (and the number of sharp
weapons pointed at them) kept them subdued until the task was complete. *

Saige ICs in Common 'Walk with me Inquisitor. You can present your report as
we survey the condition of the city. I would very much like to see things
for myself. '

* Saige and Sylphshade, accompanied by a formation of soldiers, turned and
began heading towards the city. It would seem that quite a few tasks would
need settled in the coming days, but for now the mission was accomplished.
Brak'kta was missing or dead. His commanders (and potential rivals) were
dead or subdued. Saige would appoint a new Highlord of his choosing to clean
up the mess that was the Red Wing, but for now, there was no opposition to
his claim. He had become the Emperor. * 

 
END

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Wed Dec 11 13:40:55 2013
Subject     Tending to Minor Issues


A cold breeze entered the room through an open door on the balcony.The
curtains shifted, causing the shadows to dance upon the walls in the light
of a burning candelabra. Saige barely noticed. His attention was focused on
a map laying upon the desk before him. He was calculating. Always
calculating. Deployment schedules. Supply schedules. Training schedules.
There was almost too much to do in too little time, especially if they were
to be prepared to carry out their Queen's command to conquer the lands of
Krynn in Her name.

But tonight was different. Saige wasn't calculating on such a broad scale.
Tonight he was focused on a small area in the region of Western Khur. It was
here that reports had first surfaced. Brak'kta, the former Red Dragon
Highlord, was alive and encouraging rebellion. First in one village, then
suddenly in four more. Though the villages were of little consequence to
him, Saige found it interesting that these "uprisings" were occuring in the
same area as raids upon their supply line by a "masked" figure clad in
black. The attacker had been sure to leave witnesses alive to tell of his
actions.

Saige did not know who the masked crusader could be, but he knew it could
not be Brak'kta. All evidence pointed to the remains of that foul ogre being
etched into the stone of his bedchamber. But the knowledge of the general
populace was something else, and that needed contained. A few villages could
be handled easily. But if word reached further than that, it could hamper
the efforts of a future campaign.

Saige glanced at the map once more. He had troops positioned all through the
region, but the bulk of the armies still resided in Sanction, Neraka and now
Bloten. His first thought was to simply level the villages as the Blue
armies returned to Neraka. They were small enough that a few advanced guard
could wipe them from existence. Their presence would not be missed. But on
second thought... why destroy aa resource at all? They could simply "remove"
the problem and relocate workers back into the villages.

This proposition entertained him. A smile crept onto his face as a plan
began to form. In order for this to work, however, he would need more
information. And he knew just the individuals to task with this.

Walking over to his desk, Saige picked up a quill and parchment. Minutes
later, he had two missives written and officially sealed. Under cover of
darkness, courriers would be sent out to retain the services of two talented
individuals within the Queen's armies.

Adjucator Feirn and Inquisitor Sylphshade. 

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Wed Dec 11 13:53:12 2013
Subject     Mending Loose Ends


A cold breeze entered the room through an open door on the balcony.The
curtains shifted, causing the shadows to dance upon the walls in the light
of a burning candelabra. Saige barely noticed. His attention was focused on
a map laying upon the desk before him. He was calculating. Always
calculating. Deployment schedules. Supply schedules. Training schedules.
There was almost too much to do in too little time, especially if they were
to be prepared to carry out their Queen's command to conquer the lands of
Krynn in Her name.

But tonight was different. Saige wasn't calculating on such a broad scale.
Tonight he was focused on a small area in the region of Western Khur. It was
here that reports had first surfaced. Brak'kta, the former Red Dragon
Highlord, was alive and encouraging rebellion. First in one village, then
suddenly in four more. Though the villages were of little consequence to
him, Saige found it interesting that these "uprisings" were occuring in the
same area as raids upon their supply line by a "masked" figure clad in
black. The attacker had been sure to leave witnesses alive to tell of his
actions.

Saige did not know who the masked crusader could be, but he knew it could
not be Brak'kta. All evidence pointed to the remains of that foul ogre being
etched into the stone of his bedchamber. But the knowledge of the general
populace was something else, and that needed contained. A few villages could
be handled easily. But if word reached further than that, it could hamper
the efforts of a future campaign.

Saige glanced at the map once more. He had troops positioned all through the
region, but the bulk of the armies still resided in Sanction, Neraka and now
Bloten. His first thought was to simply level the villages as the Blue
armies returned to Neraka. They were small enough that a few advanced guard
could wipe them from existence. Their presence would not be missed. But on
second thought... why destroy aa resource at all? They could simply "remove"
the problem and relocate workers back into the villages.

This proposition entertained him. A smile crept onto his face as a plan
began to form. In order for this to work, however, he would need more
information. And he knew just the individual to task with this.

Walking over to his desk, Saige picked up a quill and parchment. Minutes
later, he had a missive written and officially sealed. Under cover of
darkness, his courrier would be sent out to retain the services of a
talented individual, recently recognized within the Queen's armies.

Inquisitor Sylphshade. 

Author:    Saige          
Date:      Sun Feb 16 08:22:03 2014
Subject     Summary. The Return to Neraka.


Saige watched idly from the top of a rise, just west of the city of
Pashin. Columns of soldiers were rounding the mountainous and rocky
territory of Blode as they made their steady trek back into the heart of
Taman Busuk.

It had been several months since their march on Bloten. The Red Warlord who
had openly defied Saige and his Queen had fallen within his own stronghold
before an attack could be launched. It was all rather befitting of the
circumstance. Saige had no doubt that Takhisis had Her hand in the matter.
Nonetheless, the stronghold of Blode was in various states of disrepair and
the force of Red Dragonarmy soldiers within were nothing more than thugs and
mercenaries brigands who had no idea how to fight as a cohesive unit.
Fortunately, Saige had with him perhaps the most skilled commander to walk
the face of Krynn.

Lady Aya'sana, Highmaster of the Blue Dragonarmy, radiated with rage when
she had laid eyes upon the remaining soldiers of Blode's Red Dragonarmy.
There wasn't an ounce of self-respect or discipline among them.
Subcommanders from the Blue army had screamed, whipped and beat the pathetic
excuse for soldiers into proper lines for inspection. Saige recalled smiling
in amusement. He had given her the task of turning these worthless creatures
into a formidable unit, knowing full well that under her guidance they would
either live to become battle ready soldiers or die in the process.

In the months following, Saige oversaw the reconstruction of Bloten. The
walls were rebuilt with stone from the mountain quarries. Supply lines were
re-established through the mountains west into Blodehelm where the ports
could be accessed. All the while, the fat was trimmed from the Red
Dragonarmy by Lady Aya'sana and her commanders. Nearly 1/8 of the original
force of Red soldiers had been killed during the severe training but such
was necessary. In the end, those left standing had been hardened into one
cohesive fighting force. Even the members of the Blue army had to
begrudgingly respect what the Reds had become.

But it was time to return to Sanction. Bloten was functional and bristling
with activity. It would become the focal point for future assaults on
Silvanesti. Several of the remaining soldiers from the Red army had proven
themselves capable of command in the eyes of Lady Aya'sana and Saige had
promoted them to the proper ranks to control the region.

Now, Saige listened to the beat of drums as his Queen's army marched. He sat
atop his mount at a point high enough to see the end of the lines leaving
the plains of Blode and the front lines entering the Burning Lands. Glancing
up into the sky, he squinted as the sun beat upon them without mercy. He was
surrounded by members of the First Nerakan Regiment ruthless and cunning
soldiers who were hand picked by Lady Aya'sana for their skills in combat. 

These soldiers would see him back to the seat of power in Neraka. From
there, Saige would begin consolidating his forces for the next phase in the
quest for his Queen's ultimate goal...

Total domination of Krynn.

The Storytellers of Ansalon, The DragonLance MUD

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