NationStates Jolt Archive

Hub Thread (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=499949)

Dusk was giving way to night, a dense fog rolling in off the coast of the Southern Sea. Torches had been lit in Castle Marorc, center of the new...and fragile...Gathered Clans government.

The clan heads had agreed that Israfel was the most capable to unite them, but there had been bitter disputes as to whether he should. Tribal pride was the leading cause of the disputes, as each clan leader, tribal chief, and city-state overlord jockeyed for position in the new governmental structure.

Gavriel of the Nephili Tribe and Kandr of Clan Marius were for Israfel as High King. Feratu of Clan Venym and Piotr DarkBlade were staunchly against him.
Morden of the Jackal Clan, Tepes of Zadok, and Khilgau of Berina had yet to make up their minds. Tepes and Khilgau were Warlords who had carved themselves territories from the few remaining human lands in Chthlu, cities heavily fortified against attack from without.

Gavriel and Kandr were arguably the richest and most powerful of the Lords of Chthlu. Their territories were in the north, close to the delta region where all remaining humans had fled and which held the necessities of Chthluan life. Feratu and DarkBlade were of the class of Vampyr known as Dark Ones. They were the most ancient of the Vampyrs, the two original clans that had wandered down to the deltan coast area when the Empire of Koth had obliterated most of the Vampyric nations in the war with the Xeraphian Empire. Alaric of Xeraph had prevailed, at a terrible cost, over the Kothians, and a portion of the remnant of the Vampyric nations had settled on the most southern portion of the adjoining island-continent. One Vampyric nation had remained part of the Xeraphian Empire, Vhammpyr, and to this day holds sway over the far northwestern part of the Empire.

Clan Venym and Clan DarkBlade were ancient by anyone's standard. Direct descendants of the Lords of The Caves of Blood, whose rulers came from Atlantis, they were the only remaining vampyrs who carried within themselves the poison of Set, the Serpent God. One drop of their spittle would kill a human in less than ten seconds. They were instantly recognizable by simply glancing at their eyes, which were the eyes of a snake. Verticle slits for pupils surrounded by a blood-red eye. All had a vaguely scaly appearance, and were known for their tough hides.

The Nephili and Clan Marius had devolved from the ancient archetypes. They were less vampyr than their snake-like cousins, but had many similar characteristics. Their one major difference was their immense stature, averaging 9'-10' in height and correspondingly heavy-muscled physique. They had at some time in the indeterminate past mated with the Wolven Hordes, part of the evil Kothite Empire, and the resultant size and speed of these clans were notable.

Israfel held his hand up for silence, then spoke. "My lords, we're here to discuss more than just my ascendancy to the Throne of Chthlu. We need to make a decision as to what is going to be done with the swamps of the north. As you all know, there are not any claims presently pursued by the human nations to the north and west. Indeed, they seem to avoid the area. The only humans there are they that Tepes and Khilgau chased there." A smattering of laughter spread across the room." Suggestions,m'lords?"

Khilgau stood, was recognised, and he spoke. "M'lords, as a slight change in venue, I wish to point out that our neighbor to the east, Deatheron, reportedly has what they call 'the undead' in their territory. This supposedly includes vampyrs. Has anyone any further information on this?"

A deep voice from the rear of the room answered. "It has been rumored for centuries that there were 'kindred brethren' in the other nations of this land. Has anyone ever seen any? No. And even if there were, so what? If they are not a part of The Gathered Clans of Chthlu, they are inferior and need to be destroyed so as to keep from polluting our lineage."

"And I suppose that statement applies to Vhammpyr as well, m'lord Gavriel? I'd like to see any of the tribes or clans of Chthlu take on the Vhammpyric Warriors of Teii the Priest-King." At the name of Teii, heads bowed in respect. The legendary ruler of the mightiest vampyr nation on earth was no one to trifle with. If the combined might of all of the clans of Chthlu were gathered together and multiplied by a factor of ten, it could not even begin to contemplate taking on Teii and his warriors.

Gavriel bristled at the stinging rebuke. "You know damn right well that I didn't mean Vhammpyr, Feratu. I meant the degenerate strain of the vampyr lineage. Those brutish lumps of meat that exist only to feed on warm blood. The throwbacks to a more primitive time. And may I point out that it was your namesake that was ousted from power in centuries past when he rebelled against his Emperor and was executed for his trouble. Drawn, quartered, and the remains encased in a poisonous silver-oxide coffin, if I remember correctly...." Feratu grabbed for his sword but Gavriel beat him to it. Holding a double-edged razor-sharp katana to Feratu's left eye, he said, "If you want to go through life sightless, Feratu, go ahead and draw that sword." Feratu didn't move a muscle, but there was no fear on his face.

A thick, gravelly rasp broke through the tension. "Are we going to fight among ourselves, or are we going to get down to business. Gavriel, put away the sword and you, Feratu, simmer down. Save the viciousness for the attacks on the humans in the delta." This was from Morden, Lord of the Jackals.

The two glared at each other for another few seconds, then Gavriel backed off. "Morden's right. We must save our energies for the acquisition of the swamps. My recon people tell me that there are about 6,000 humans in the entire delta, split up into many individual groups that they call 'families'. Theses families consist of 8-10 people, and most live in a few of the larger villages. Defenses are largely non-existent. It seems to me that we can kill and consume the men and use the women for the breeding farms."

This thread is linked to the SNW Hub Thread. It was written by myself (Auralinia) and out of the goodness of his heart, VOTG placed it here as a seperate thread after I was unable to do so because of the Jolt/Link problem and the decrepit condition of my computer.

Many thanks to VOTG.....Auralinia does not forget a favor......

The fog was still heavy when the first of the Chthluan forces crossed the border into the delta region north of Chthlu. The heads of the clans, tribes, and city-states had come to an agreement not only as to the necessity of this foray, but had even agreed that Israfel was to be High King over the Realm of Chthlu. Feratu seethed with indignation, but saw the inevitability of the situation. He and Piotr DarkBlade were outvoted five-to-two, and so they had to bow their knee to the new High King, the first in over 400 years.

The plan was simple: Clan Jackal and Clan Marius would advance along the western border, the Nephili would move right up the center of the delta, Feratu and Piotr DarkBlade would push through the high ground on the east, and the Morden/Tepes forces would act as a second wave to deal with any pockets of resistence the humans might put up.

The humans held forth in a surprisingly strong manner during the first two days of the invasion. Chthluan casualties were running three percent higher than anticipated. But...it was just a matter of time before the human armies broke and ran. The Venym Clan were the first to break through, and the route became a slaughter. Humans died by the thousands at the hands of the Chthluan armies before Israfel called a cease to the war. Of the estimated 88,000 humans that defended their territory, over 13,000 were killed outright and consumed in the victory fires. Another 61,000 were rounded up and placed in Harvest Camps, there to be held until the conquerors needed food. Four-to-five thousand were still at large and were to be hunted down. The human women, about 14,000 of them, were placed in special camps and prepared for breeding. Those who were too old to breed were tossed into the wolf pits for the enjoyment of the Vampyrs. The Wolves of Paketika, those monstrous creatures twice the size of normal wolves, feasted that night along with the Vampyrs.

Israfel ordered the leaders of the humans brought to him, and one-by-one had them impaled on spikes of oak. They lined the road to Israfel's tent, their screaming eventually fading away as they bled their lives out on the ground of the delta........

The victory feast went on for another three days until even the vampyrs had had enough of blood, women, and song. The camps were strewn about with thousands of human body parts, most partially eaten, now rotting in the blood-soaked earth, teeming with maggots and other scavengers.

Israfel sat in his tent and brooded as to what the next course of action should be. He was awaiting word from Aval as to the Deatharon Emperor's thoughts concerning an alliance. He was also quite curious as to the Lich Emperor's response to the idea of a Common Zone between the two nations.

The only other nation near to Chthlu was the nation known as the Alliance of Aldarum, and Israfel knew nothing about them. He was toying with the idea of sending emissaries there when a commotion broke out about thirty feet from his tent. A dozen soldiers were kicking and dragging two humans towards his tent, and with a final round of shouts and jeers, threw them into Israfel's tent.

" M'lord", said one of the filthy, blood stained men, "these two humans claim to be the chief rulers of what was once called Amyricus."

Israfel looked at the tattered and bruised humans. "What are your names, and what is your rank? Quickly! Or I'll roast you over a slow fire."

The pair, a man and a woman, looked briefly at each other, and then the man spoke. "I am President Williams of the nation of Amyricus. This is my wife and Vice-President, Racaela."

Israfel snickered. "Doesn't seem like your'e presiding over a hell of a lot right now, does it Mr. Williams?"

Neither human answered. Israfel contined looking at them as if they were lab rats about to be sliced and diced. He cocked his head and lifted his eyebrows, as if a thought had occured to him. He lifted his hand and said, "Leave us. I need to talk to these two in private."

He did indeed have a curious idea..................

Just as Israfel was about to speak, a spine-chilling voice emanated from the dark recesses of the massive tent. It was a sibilant hiss, as if a hundred serpents were gliding across a marble seplucher, and an unearthly coldness descended upon the small group. "So, child, you seek to conquer the entire human race, eh?" An evil chuckle filled the tent. "Well, Israfel, no one can accuse you of a lack of purpose."

Israfel was terror-stricken. The fear that gripped him was unimaginable. He knew without knowing who it was that was speaking. The humans were groveling on the floor, near to being unconscious from the dark heaviness of the presence. Israfel found his voice. "Who are you, Lord?'

A deep, profound darkness filled the tent. Israfel could hear, faintly, the howling of the damned in the farthest reaches of his mind, and the blood-curdling screams of those in lowest Hell. He sensed an ancient presence, and witht he gradual lifting of the darkness, he beheld who it was that had come to visit him.

In abject terror, Israfel fell to his knees, his face buried in the filthy rug, hands clawing the ground as if trying to dig his way out of there.

"M-m-my Lord Teii. I am not worthy that you should come here....."

Teii, Prince of the Warlords of Vhammpyr, Warrior-Priest of the Order of Magi Vhammpyricus, ancient King of the Old Order Vampires stood over the prone body of King Israfel.........and laughed.

"Get up, your majesty. We have much to discuss."

Israfel swallowed hard, and braced himself as he stood up. No one outside of the Inner Temple of Vhammpyr had laid eyes on Teii in over 2,200 years. No one knew exactly how old he was, but it was fact that he had walked with the rulers of Atlantis over 12,000 years ago.

Israfel raised his eyes and looked upon the Prince.

"Well", said Teii, "You are the first person to see me in a very long time. Nothing to say?"

Teii stood about six and a half feet tall, his dark grey hair falling down to the floor and dragging behind him. His simple black robe and cloak were of a black so deep that one could not see it clearly in the darkness. Wisps of fog played around him as he stood grinning at the King. His mottled, leather-like hands held onto a white bone staff carved from the fore-leg of a dragon many ages ago. His stark-white face held two of the coldest serpent-like eyes that Israfel had ever seen, his skin tattooed witht the runes of his tribe, the Luficeii. His fangs perpetually dripped the venom of the Black Cobra which could kill a man is less than 10 seconds.

"My Lord, why do you grace this place with your presence.?

bump

Just as Israfel was about to speak, a spine-chilling voice emanated from the dark recesses of the massive tent. It was a sibilant hiss, as if a hundred serpents were gliding across a marble seplucher, and an unearthly coldness descended upon the small group. "So, child, you seek to conquer the entire human race, eh?" An evil chuckle filled the tent. "Well, Israfel, no one can accuse you of a lack of purpose."

Israfel was terror-stricken. The fear that gripped him was unimaginable. He knew without knowing who it was that was speaking. The humans were groveling on the floor, near to being unconscious from the dark heaviness of the presence. Israfel found his voice. "Who are you, Lord?'

A deep, profound darkness filled the tent. Israfel could hear, faintly, the howling of the damned in the farthest reaches of his mind, and the blood-curdling screams of those in lowest Hell. He sensed an ancient presence, and witht he gradual lifting of the darkness, he beheld who it was that had come to visit him.

In abject terror, Israfel fell to his knees, his face buried in the filthy rug, hands clawing the ground as if trying to dig his way out of there.

"M-m-my Lord Teii. I am not worthy that you should come here....."

Teii, Prince of the Warlords of Vhammpyr, Warrior-Priest of the Order of Magi Vhammpyricus, ancient King of the Old Order Vampires stood over the prone body of King Israfel.........and laughed.

"Get up, your majesty. We have much to discuss."

Israfel swallowed hard, and braced himself as he stood up. No one outside of the Inner Temple of Vhammpyr had laid eyes on Teii in over 2,200 years. No one knew exactly how old he was, but it was fact that he had walked with the rulers of Atlantis over 12,000 years ago.

Israfel raised his eyes and looked upon the Prince.

"Well", said Teii, "You are the first person to see me in a very long time. Nothing to say?"

Teii stood about six and a half feet tall, his dark grey hair falling down to the floor and dragging behind him. His simple black robe and cloak were of a black so deep that one could not see it clearly in the darkness. Wisps of fog played around him as he stood grinning at the King. His mottled, leather-like hands held onto a white bone staff carved from the fore-leg of a dragon many ages ago. His stark-white face held two of the coldest serpent-like eyes that Israfel had ever seen, his skin tattooed witht the runes of his tribe, the Luficeii. His fangs perpetually dripped the venom of the Black Cobra which could kill a man is less than 10 seconds.

"My Lord, why do you grace this place with your presence.?

Teii looked around the tent. "This place is a pigsty. Clean it up. We vampires have a bad enough name as it is without adding filth and clutter to the mix."

Israfel immediately ordered some humans to start cleaning the King's tent. "That's more like it", said Teii. "Now, to business. I have been watching your progress against the humans of the delta. And I see that you have a couple of their leaders here," as he gestured towards the President and Vice-President of Amyricus, the defeated human nation of the delta of Chthlu. Suddenly, he looked at Israfel and said, "Where is your place of nourishment? I hunger."

Israfel bowed low. "If it pleases you, m'lord, we have a large selection of humans to choose from. This way,please." They left the tent and walked towards a large barracks-type building. Before they got there, Teii said, "Select for me a suitable meal while I look over the rest of this wretched camp." Teii headed off in another direction, while Israfel slammed open the door to the building. He looked around at the filth and squalor of the human living quarters. "The next time I come here, this place had better be clean", he snarled. Pointing to a plump female, he said, "You, come with me. Prince Teii has need of you." The woman started screaming, so Israfel walked across the room and grabbed her by the hair and started dragging her out of the door. As she was kicking and wriggling, he swatted her with the back of his hand and rendered her unconscious. He brought her to a group of vampiric females and told them, "Make her presentable. Prince Teii has need of her."