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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Emperor Valerian" data-source="post: 1520750" data-attributes="member: 15043">The Imperial Army Arrives With Terrible NewsAs the party set about healing their battered frames (Aeron –dead, Siabrey – half strength, Orion – one third strength, Shaun – 8 hp, Geoffrey and Pyrion – 4 combined hp, Hidalas – 10 hp, Tess – 12 hp, Luke – mental wreck, Grumki – full strength of Kord), another blast thundered through the room, and another hole was blasted into the wall.  The party could now see that the Imperial troops were charging over the walls of the city, swarming over the survivor skeletons, orcs, and demons with sheer numbers.  Above the continual din of the bombards, some party members thought they could make out roaring, but dismissed it.The couldn’t, however, dismiss the scampering, shouting noises behind them.  As the party spun around, they saw the dark vulture shape of a vrock, followed by 15 warriors, eyes bright, skin red, all dashing towards them at high speed.  It was Tess who saw that none of the warriors carried weapons, and strode forward, despite her battered frame.Using her ability to channel sound, she targeted the vrock in the lead, and a shrieking song the party last heard in the mansion of Lord Tor echoed through the Holstean Palace.  The vrock shuddered in mid-run, before his entire form turned to glass, shattering on the floor in front of the party.“STOP!  OR THAT WILL HAPPEN TO YOU TOO!” Tess roared.  She didn’t know it, but her frayed and burnt hair, coupled with her face, her beauty now covered in bruises and dried blood, made for a terrible and commanding presence.  The 15 warriors immediately skidded to a halt.Grumki then left the healing circles to use the “Looming of Kord,” leaving Luke in Siabrey’s comforting arms.“Sshh,” she whispered as he clutched her tight.  The last part of his old world is gone... wiped away...  “I’m here Luke...   I’m here.  I’ll always be by your side... I will never leave you alone... sshh,” she gently rocked him.  She could only imagine the pain he was going through... and she tried not to think of it.  Only of him, of comforting him in the midst of these demon corpses in this blood-stained room.Once they were sufficiently healed, Quin and Shaun took over watching the prisoners as Grumki then went to raise Aeron from the dead... a rather grisly process that had to be conducted in the open (Grumki didn’t want to drag him into another room only to be accosted by other demons without the party there to back him up).A full ten minutes later the party saw a copse of Imperial soldiers come around the corner.  Siabrey motioned them in, and told one to run back to his commander and inform him, and the Emperor, of where the party was at... and that the Countess was dead.  As proof, they offered her signet ring, currently still lying on the pile of dust that had once been her.  They also asked the man to run and fetch a high ranking priest to take the proof as well.Another five minutes brought the cold, measured clip of military boots echoing into the party’s ears. Luke had, by this point, composed himself, though Siabrey noticed he was still very quiet.  He was the one who saw the twenty commanders of the Imperial army, clad in their resplendent armor with their imperious helms under their arms.  “Siabrey, hon?  Why are all the commanders here?” she heard him ask.“I don’t know,” she shrugged.  Why ARE all the Imperial commanders here?  Shouldn’t they be with Alexander?   Maybe they just want to make sure that the Countess is dead... she reasoned.  Knowing Luke wasn’t in a state to accept orders, she gave him a loving rub on his back, before walking forward to meet them.They swarmed around her... and to her surprise... past her, like a tidal wave, descending on the boy.  It was then she realized something was wrong... even before they all dropped to one knee in front of him.“Oh god...” she almost gagged, and shuddered.  Luke’s worn mind was obviously confused, as he asked why they were kneeing before him.  Before any of them could reply, Siabrey was by his side... she knew what had happened, deep in her heart.“Luke... honey?” she grabbed him fiercely, trying to hide her own tears for his sake.  “Luke... you... you’re Emperor now.”  She looked sadly to the officers, who nodded with grim faces.“What?  How?” Tess asked sharply.  Alexander can’t be dead!  It’s just like before!  There’s confusion... he’s fine!  He’s probably laughing somewhere, trying to get his way up here to tell us to not worry!  Its invulnerable!No he’s not... remember what happened in the last battle? her mind corrected her, and her heart fell.“General Diogenes, Your Majesties,” the grizzled man Siabrey remembered Luke complaining about so long ago finally raised his head.  “Emperor Alexander fell, during one of the last assaults on the city walls.  He died at the front... leading the way,” Diogenes’ voice broke... the war veteran himself starting to break down slightly.  The man lowered his face, trying to hide his tears, but when he raised it, they continued to silently course down his face.  His broken face hardened, and he formed a mailed fist, which he then pounded into his chest armor... a move that all the other generals echoed.“Emperor Alexander V has fallen,” Diogenes said with a cracked voice.  The man stopped and coughed, then continued, his voice stronger but no less emotional, “All Hail Lucius II, Emperor of the Holy Santoric Empire!”“Hail!” the others echoed, and Siabrey looked at her husband worriedly.He’d taken on the same, hollow empty look as when he’d seen his mother die, and she pulled him closer, tears of despair and worry coming down her own cheeks.  Siabrey... be strong!  For him! she heard Kelir’s voice say in her head, You did well in Irulas when people assumed you were Empress... now Luke needs you to be with the same strength now!“It’ll be okay,” she whispered into his ear, lovingly, quietly, before looking up at the generals.  Her arm was still protectively wrapped around him, but her eyes had lost their previous fear.“My Good Sirs,” she started, “The Emperor is under a great deal of stress... I would appreciate if you gave myself, Baroness Keldare, Lord Dice, and Father Orion all the reports intended for him right now.  He needs time to absorb this,” she said firmly.  To her surprise, Diogenes did not scoff, did not laugh or shout, but merely stood, and nodded.“First things first,” Shaun began quizzing the commanders, “why haven’t you guys tried raising Alexander?”  The tone was quiet... Luke was sitting on the floor on the other side of the chamber, Grumki and Hidalas by his side.  Siabrey had spent the last few minutes pacing as the commanders had given battle reports and casualty lists... pacing that halted temporarily with Shaun’s obvious question.“We tried,” Diogenes said, “We tried three times.  We tried with the highest priests we could find... each time, Tarantor claimed him as his own... it was his time,” the general said wistfully, deep regret in his eyes.“Well, try again?” Shaun said impatiently.  He could fairly well see the effect the news had on Luke and Siabrey, and wanted them to be spared the burden.“We’ll try m’lord,” one of the generals stood, and walked off.  As his steps receded, slow, measured steps approached, and the pacing Siabrey saw her husband now standing next to the generals, his terribly devoid of emotion.“There’s... a great deal to be done... I imagine,” Luke’s voice, barely audible, came to her ears.  She nodded, walking up next to him.“Are you ready to handle it yet, hon?” she said with a whisper so the general’s wouldn’t hear.  “If you can’t, I’ll take care of everything,” she ran a hand down his face... and in the setting sun, Luke shook his head.“You have enough to worry about,” he leaned into her supporting hand slightly, his face blank.  “We need to do this together...Irulas needs to be rebuilt... as does Holstean and Kulloden....”“And someone still needs to get rid of the staff,” Tess spoke up, and Luke nodded slowly.“And we need a Count of Holstean and an Imperial Governor... not to mention a new Baron of Kulloden, and countless other noble positions...  Tess, Shaun, Orion...” Luke started to ask a question that all three of them immediately shirked away from.“Um... no Luke... no,” Shaun said quickly.  “I’m not noble material.  Tess doesn’t want to, and neither does Orion...”“Please?” Luke’s voice came over as quiet and pleading.  “I... I’ll need someone I can trust here... someone that can get things rebuilt.”“How about Quin,” Tess volunteered her brother without asking.  “I’m sure he’d enjoy it.”“He’ll do nothing but throw parties and waste the treasury,” Siabrey groaned,,, causing Tess to smile.“Yes... and cheer is what these people need, Siabrey.  They’ve just lived through hell... this whole region has.  Cheer will keep them going, and give them the strength to rebuild... to keep going, to rise from the ashes better than before.”“Well... considering what we now know,” Shaun said quietly, “I think we need to figure out where we’re going to be staying.”  All eyes turned to Luke, who held up his hands and pointed to the other four.“You pick,” he said softly.  A brief debate started, between those that wanted him to pick and him not wanting to pick, till finally... ironically, the first Imperial decree rose from his lips.“I decree you all should pick,” he said with finality.  Siabrey was relieved to see there was a little fire in his voice... his soul was reawakening after being bludgeoned so hard this day.“Fine.  Irulas,” Siabrey said, and the others nodded.  “Let’s get away from this place of death.”The party caught a ride with the cause of the roaring they’d heard... Xanadu.  Once back, they all prepared for an uncertain tomorrow, as one darkness left their world, while another, clad in the black of a dark staff, continued to spew its evil presence... = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = == = = = = Yes, I’m evil <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":]" title="Devious    :]" data-shortname=":]" />  This was also a long session... and at the end, there were many shouts from the players questioning my ancestry and my mother’s fidelity.  Overall, though, I think great fun was had by all... and it opened up into the last couple sessions nicely...</blockquote>

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