09 & Epilogue - 05/22/23 : Castles in the Distance
When they turn the pages of history
When these days have passed long ago
Will they read of us with sadness
For the seeds that we let grow?
We turned our gaze
From the castles in the distance
Eyes cast down
On the path of least resistance - "Farewell to Kings" by Rush
When these days have passed long ago
Will they read of us with sadness
For the seeds that we let grow?
We turned our gaze
From the castles in the distance
Eyes cast down
On the path of least resistance - "Farewell to Kings" by Rush
The battle of Caer Tinigal continued, with both sides reaching their limits despite the odds leaning heavily in Dagult's favor. Fantorath attempted to close the gap by summoning phantom warriors to his aid, but they were unable to strike any decisive blows Uriel struck at Fantorath in fury, but the dragon seemed more concerned with Elandriel, who continued to greatly injure him with point-blank shots from her musket. Pulling upon his necrotic powers and focusing them in great concentration on a single target, Fantorath brought about Elandriel's demise by flooding her body with negative energy, which caused her to slowly fade away into sand. Before she was completely destroyed, however, Elandriel drew the Silent Treament rifle and let loose one final shot, critically wounding Fantorath and at last slaying the target of her undying hatred. Together, the ranger and the draconic king faded away into dust and sand on the wind. Cygnus was the last to stand against Dagult, and the two clashed near the throne as Dagult's allies approached. Cygnus launched into a final tirade against Dagult, standing his ground to the last. "The king was a blight on this land, but at least now I know he was a being following its nature. You have no such excuse. You destroy everything you touch in a bid for control you will never have. But I thank you for one thing, for once in a long time, both parts of me are in agreement that you cannot be allowed to live." Dagult simply responded with a retort; "Control I will never have? Watch me take it." Cygnus resisted a powerful immolate spell with all of his being, but could not withstand Dagult's following attacks. The rebel king disarmed Cygnus and then ran him through with his blade, Ignus Aeternum. Cygnus accepted his demise with stoic determination, giving Dagult one final ominous portent as a farewell. "Someday you will see how small you are in this universe. The Hand of Cygnus will forever be your enemy." Cygnus' final act was to reduce his blade, The Hand of Cygnus, into a sword-sized sliver of platinum; its true form, ripped from the plane of Mechanus itself. He then launched it through the windows, the sliver sailing into the heavens and streaking across the heavens like a shooting star, its destination unknown. Cygnus breathed his last, and so did the rule of King Roderigo. Dagult approached the massive open windows of the palace and proclaimed victory to his troops with a single rallying cry; "Oceanus!", earning widespread cheers of victory. The Usurper's Gambit, at last, was over, and Pontus Tinigal knew the name of its new king.
Meanwhile, Cordelia was led to a ship by her escorts. Eleanor recognized the Primewater Pleasure, upon which she had helped to solve a murder weeks prior. After some time and small tak muddled by tension and grief, the group was greeted by Gellan Primewater, who led them to the middle deck. Within the main cabin, Eleanor and Cordelia were met by none other than the thief lord, Zelem Corvo. Zelem bade the two to sit, and shared his sympathies for what they had lost. He assessed their states by asking them what they intended to do, and what they would be willing to do to proceed in their lives. Both Eleanor and Cordelia agreed that it was paramount that they survive long enough to return and try to retake Oceanus, inspire rebellion, or at the very least harm Dagult's new institution. They bemoaned that to their eyes, evil had won over the forces of good. Zelem stated that it was not the good or the evil that wins out; it was the clever, and they would have to be more clever than Dagult if they wanted to proceed. To that end, Zelem offered both Eleanor and Cordelia places in the Devil's Hand thieves guild, offering to train them to act with subtlety, operate clandestinely, and most importantly, survive. The two accepted, ready to begin the new chapter in their quest for revenge.
In the waters outside of Pontus Tinigal, a weary goblin floated amongst the flotsam in the middle of the ocean. Frel slowly came to, feeling her sunburnt skin and sore limbs; as she regained most of her consciousness, she realized her predicament and began to panic, losing her ability to tread water. Just before she could sink however, she was yanked out of the water onto a makeshift raft. Her vision blurred, Frel looked to her savior; a red-skinned tiefling man that she recognized as Spite Maleficarius, whom she had fought in a magical illusory arena. Frel stated that she was ready once again to try and conquer the world with her strength and might, once she was done hacking up seawater. Spite grinned insidiously and welcomed Frel to F.O.U.L.: the Federation of Ominous, Unkind Lawbreakers, which Frel accepted with delight.
As the night sky stretched over Revelmoore, many businesses were closing up shop to comply with the new curfew instated by the city's standing policy of martial law. This was to increase security in the wake of the Open Lord's assassination. Outside of one particular tavern, two women stood debating whether or not to enter. Vesper DeVir, a drow paladin of Desna, and "Gold Eyes" Makoto, a human smuggler and general oddity, eventually entered the establishment known as Trollskull Manor. Vesper had one mission that she was quickly trying to back out of; to apologize to proprietor Reilly Springs for a terse encounter they had previously. In addition, they were also following a suggestion from Piece of the Puzzle to seek 'a friend' at the establishement. Vesper was urged to continue by Makoto, and as they stepped in, they were surprised to see another woman in the tavern as well, this one adorned with emerald green silks. Vesper introduced herself and Makoto to the other woman as a way to stall her apology; the other occupant turned out to be Yilani Deniz, another of the Red Spirits like Reilly and a renowned hero of Revelmoore. She briefly explained her role as the founder of Asclepius, an apolitical charity organization focusing on providing aid to those displaced by war and conflict. Unable to talk around her task any longer, Vesper swallowed her pride and apologized to Reilly, who replied in some confusion. She had 'already offered [Vesper] the arm', referring to her offer to pay the price in flesh for killing Vesper's lover Urstul. Vesper continued, clarifying that she meant that she had come to understand that Reilly had done what she needed to, in order to protect those who she loved. With her new faith, Vesper had learned the value in such things, and although she would always love and mourn Urstul, she could no longer hold Reilly at fault. After inquiring about 'the friend' Vesper and Makoto sought, Reilly realized that Puzzle had wished for them to meet High Dragon Solauvaire, archmage of Revelmoore. This was something they could arrange, and Reilly asked if Vesper knew anything about Solauvaire given her association with Veszaltyrr, Solauvaire's father. Vesper in fact knew a great deal, revealing that Veszaltyrr kept multiple clones of himself to ensure his survival. Solauvaire was, in fact, another of these clones, but one experimentally imbued with sentience and allowed to grow and mature at a normal rate. This was a shock of a revelation, and was something Solauvaire himself may not have known; something to find out another day. Reilly, though still a bit confused due to her adherence to fey law, accepted Vesper's apology and made amends with the repentant paladin. As they continued to speak, the group was suddenly interrupted by the arrival of a man collapsing through the front door. Immediately Reilly and Yilani recognized Renaer, another of the Red Spirits. They were shocked to see Renaer as he was; injured, home early from his mission in Oceanus, and without his wife Bonziel. After healing him of the worst of his injuries, Renaer finally spoke; Bonziel had been killed, and their mission had failed. Reilly and Yilani moved Renaer to a comfortable space to talk and let out his grief, while Vesper and Makoto left to allow them their time to mourn. Vesper noticed Urstul's katana now on Renaer's belt as she left, but said nothing as she departed. Renaer lamented that he believed the mission to stop his father had been all for naught; he had lost his wife, and his father had still won the throne despite everything. He had failed to protect anyone from Dagult's ambition, and had lost something dear for the trouble. Reilly and Yilani comforted their friend, stating that despite everything, Renaer had still fought for what was right, and still had to do so even though so much had been lost. They offered their support as friends (with Yilani unable to participate politically as leader of Asclepius, but still wishing to support her companion), and promised to be there for him. Yilani in particular stressed that Renaer had to use his gifts and his kind spirit to help others, because who else could if not him? This stirred something in Renaer, who stood up with tears still flowing, and stated that he knew what to do, even if it meant playing right into what Dagult wanted for him. He asked his companions to accompany him to the Castle Ward. The two agreed, unsure of what Renaer had in mind. Defying the curfew and braving a thunderstorm, Renaer made his way to the chamber of the Masked Lords and proclaimed that he was putting himself forward for consideration to be the new Open Lord of Revelmoore.
Several weeks passed following Dagult's victory, as the immediate reparation efforts had to be tended to before any official proclamations. His coronation ceremony had arrived, however, and he addressed his new subjects carefully. "Before I take this crown, there are things that ought to be addressed." Dagult announced to the gathered masses, standing from his seat upon the Throne of the Oceans Blue. His voice was heightened in volume, reverberating through the halls and out to the streets below, by way of his magic. "No man rules a kingdom alone. I did not forge this new vision by myself. If this is to be an Oceanus of the people, then we must acknowledge the people standing here that made our coming future possible." "Viktorina Ashcroft! Long has she advised me in matters of war, and so shall she continue in this capacity. I name her Admiral Ashcroft, Lord of the Piratical Inquisition. No longer shall we suffer the transgressions of the Pirates of the so-called Freedom Isles; under her watch, our navy shall repel any and all from that debased hive." "Arlok; from the day we meet, you have stood as a stalwart defender against those who approached me with deadly intent. I would have you continue in this regard. I would have you lead the reborn Knights of the Oceans as their captain, and serve me as Ser Arlok from this day forth." "Uriel Ambermantle. My youthful indiscretions have yielded to me a reward far beyond what I could have expected; a strong son, a loyal son, one who rose to the occasion to free his nation from depravity. And yet depravity shall remain, as shall the remnants of our enemies. Thusly do I name you Judge Magister Uriel, and grant you the authority to ferret out enemies within our borders, and to deal with them with extreme prejudice. For we must never again suffer for the short sight of Roderigo ever again." "And lastly, to all that served in bondage, those whose hands built Oceanus and who were in turn denied the fruits of their labor. You are the unsung heroes of this war; those who took up arms, and those who died for the freedom they rightly deserved. With the power given to me by Oceanus and its people, I declare the kingdom's tradition of slavery to ended, effective immediately, and all those who have suffered in chains to be granted a share of the crown's stores of food and clean water. Never again shall the sweat of your brow go unrewarded; you shall feed your families, and when you ply a trade of your own choosing, it shall be for your own benefit, and that of your neighbors. That is the Oceanus I wish to build." "The path to recovery will be long. It shall be difficult. I will not fill your ears with empty promises of an easy road ahead; our nation's wounds run deep, and even as the war has ended, we must be prepared to sacrifice further to see her brought to her olden glory. It is my hope that we continue to fight, each and every day, for a better Oceanus. One that our children may look upon and be proud of. One that shines as an example of civility and honor in this unkind world. Our gem in the ocean, our sparkling prize amdist the waves." Dagult sat in the throne as High Priestess Kiyomi approached, the Crown of the Oceans Blue in her hands. It was a simple crown carved of brilliant lapis lazuli, blue as the waters below, with a single star-cut diamond sitting in its center. The priestess spoke aloud; "In the sight of Quell, The Sea King, Lord of the Blue and all the fair gods, I bestow this crown upon you and proclaim your right to rule. May you humble yourself before the divine, lead with an earnest hand, and stand with your fellow man to create a better world. By the power invested in me, I proclaim you Dagult the First, King of the Oceans Blue!" The crowd erupted into cheers, which Dagult allowed to carry on for a few moments before raising his hand and calling for silence. "I make this sincere vow to every soul here in Pontus Tinigal today. Our kingdom was born of rebellion against an unjust overking, and so has it been born anew in the same flames. I promise to the very gods themselves that I shall endeavor to forge a kingdom that endures and proves to be worth the blood spilled in the name of her freedom. And lastly, there is… one last proclamation I must make, concerning our land's future." "I said before that the road to recovery shall be difficult. Choices must be made that bring pain now, but will ensure prosperity for the times to follow. We must be ever wary of short-sightedness, and seek wisdom as we consider our options. To this end, I must name my heir, for I am no longer a young man and must consider the future when I cannot shepherd it myself." "I name this individual not because he is my son, but because he has proven time and time again that he flinches before no one. That he sees the world as it should be, and puts his entire being into making it be so. That he can weather the flames inherent in being a ruler, and can be forged even stronger for the matter. The people of Oceanus deserve a prince worthy of their stout hearts and determination to survive; and thus do I name Renaer Ambermantle to be Crown Prince of the Oceans Blue." The room fell into series of gasps and panicked whispers, again to which Dagult raised a hand. "Some of you may recall that Renaer stood against my forces in this past civil war. My eldest son and I have not seen eye to eye on many things. To err is to be human, and chief amongst my failings has been as a father to Renaer. Be that as it may, he has grown into a man staunch in his principals, firm in his convictions, and freely giving with his compassion. He will make for a fine king in his time, far better than I, and it is my belief that he will see the kingdom's need for such a ruler. He will not refuse. So I must selfishly ask of you, people of Oceanus; put your faith in me, and find it in your hearts to forgive Renaer. In naming him my heir, I voice my forgiveness and command my troops show him the same loyalty they showed me, even as he was once their enemy. He acted to protect the people, even if his allegiances were misplaced, and in the clashing of thesis and antithesis, I believe we have created synthesis. He will not lead you astray. Thank you." Dagult and Uriel shared a glance following the naming of Renaer as the heir of Oceanus; Uriel's eyes were filled with smoldering fury and betrayal, and yet there was naught he could do while cursed by the badge he had freely accepted. Unable to defy the orders he had been given nor harm his father, Uriel remained in silence. Dagult, however, looked forward despite the muted reception to his announcement; his eyes on the horizon, looking towards progress and further ambitions. With Renaer set to become the next Open Lord, Dagult had taken a massive step forward in his obsessive quest to unite the crowns of Revelmoore and Oceanus by naming Renaer his successor. The Usurper's Gambit was over; The ambition of King Ambermantle, however, would only end with his death.
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FACTION LEADERS
PLAYER CHARACTERS
URIEL'S UNIT
FREL'S UNIT
NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS
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