Under A Darksun: PART I SEGMENTS 1-124

[megamania]

UNDER A DARKSUN
SEGMENT 045
“Finding a Purpose”

It has been a few days since Mania saw the strange man. His words made Mania’s head hurt. What did he mean by finding a purpose or a faith? The biggest mystery may be the word “again”. When and where had he meant the man before? Why did his skin show no signs of age or sun?

Mania walked towards the arena looking for work. The Starlight Festival was coming up. It was a weeklong festival that included arena matches. Maybe they needed help setting it up. He had to do something.

A sealed wagon was going by him. Arena workers and a few templars in guard formation surrounded the wagon. From within the wagon something tried to contact Mania’s mind. Or was it his imagination? Whatever it was, it was evil and full of hatred.

Mania has discovered that Dirty Dogg and Jocasta had left on a caravan duty. Greene said they looked for him with great amounts of concern. He spoke of the man to Greene. In a childlike manner, Greene simply passed it off as his imagination.

A few children ran by him playing templar and rogue. Mania wished he still had that joy, that innocence, about him. That was when he first realized he was changing. He wasn’t a boy anymore. He was a man. It was time to act the part. Perhaps that is part of the answer Savos hinted at. But what kind of purpose would he have?

A sudden scream broke his thought. It came from ahead of him. He ran there and saw people running away from the wagon that just passed him. The doors were broken and a body of a templar lay in blood. The workers and remaining Templars were too concerned to protect themselves. The creature that was inside was tearing into the people…the children!

Running up and unclasping his magical club, Mania got a better look at the creature. “no….a tembo..”

 

[Roman]

Hurray new updates!

BTW: It seemede that Mania had been poisoned - has this had no effect? I assume the poison was too weak for our hero.

 

[megamania]

He passed the test..thus why I suggested it smeared on the skin (injection poison) rather than get into his blood. Now...the Tembo will be entirely a different story.

For those unaware of what a tembo is- imagine a bulldog/mastiff crossbreed with reptilian traits. Then give it nasty psionics and a better than average intelligence. Then CE just for the fun of it.

 

[megamania]

UNDER A DARKSUN
SEGMENT 046
“Tembo Bashing”

Mania instinctively calls up Inertia Armor covering himself in a faintly glowing psionic force field. He looks at the carnage before him. A templar is down, ripped apart and gutted. Two other guards bleed from their eyes and noses killed possibly by a psionic attack. A child is crying for its mother. She has blood covering her. Whether it is hers or the templar’s is uncertain. The other remaining templar holds a child firmly in her arms. Fear has made her pale and ugly. She screams for it not to eat her and throws the child to the ground between her and the vile creature. People are either running for their lives or frozen in fear.

The last two guards try to surround the tembo but it will not allow itself to be flanked. It then rushes at one guard. It leaps onto the guard, two claws tear through the ineffective armor and the teeth puncture the neck easily. New gore sprays onto the street. The guard couldn’t even scream. The other guard does so and turns and runs.

The tembo chews on the guard, lapping up blood and its liquids. It’s eyes scanning the crowd for a target…and finds one. The child thrown down by the templar. The beast stares at her and blood begins to pour from her eyes and nose. A soft whimper is allowed to escape from her before her head and body snaps back by the painful thoughts and memories forced into her conscience- killing her dramatically.

Something begins to swell up inside Mania. It is not fear though he is scared. No- but it is another primal emotion. Anger. Anger at the templars for bringing this creature here. Anger at the templar for running. Anger for the tembo itself. “ENOUGH!” Before he knows he is attacking he is swinging down with his magical greatclub in a full charge. His strike makes the tembo howl in pain and anger.

“Rargh! Baneful child must die!” It snarls in a grinding common tongue. It swings and strikes with one taloned claw. Blood bursts from the wound. Mania still has not registered the hit as he swings again. He puts all he can into it (OOC- Power Attack) and ruptures organs in the beast in a mighty blow that breaks bones and tissue alike.

The Tembo, knowing it is about to die, strikes at Mania’s mind. Blood comes from his nose and eye as dim memories of a painful sort course through his mind. Images of a large evil man loom there. Strong pain is associated with the image. “Die Bane child. Die!”

Mania strikes it again killing it. Dizzy from the wounds and the opened up memories Mania swoons and drops to a knee, kneeling on his club.

“Are you insane?!?” comes a familiar voice. Keela and three ½ Giants arrive bowling over crowd members too slow or stunned to move.

“who is Bane?” is all Mania can say.

 

[Roman]

Now that is a revelation! So Mania is the child of Bane!?!? IIRC Bane is a sorcerer-king, correct? Wow!

 

[megamania]

UNDER A DARKSUN
SEGMENT 047
“Different Perspectives”

Mania still was shaken. His wounds were treated and wrapped by two templars under Keela’s direction. He was given cool pure water to drink with a hint of citrus. It reminded him of Keela’s favorite drink at the family home. But he couldn’t forget the evil laugh the creature gave or the image of the large man that gave it within his head. Other memories were swelling up- refusing to disappear but fully revealing themselves either.

Keela walked into the room. She was dressed in her templar attire still. Black silk with patches of reinforced leather this time. She was beautiful…and she knew it. She walked quietly in the room. She was uncertain if he was awake or still in shock. Her champion had slain a tembo by himself. He was glorious and she wanted him. Here and now. But it would have to wait. “Mania- are you awake?”

“yes”

“Are you okay? You are very quiet and still?” She stands before him now then kneels down bringing her face closer to his. She looks into his eyes trying to decipher his thoughts and emotions.

“yes”

“I have thought about you each and every day since we have been apart. I…miss you.”

Her eyes…her mouth…even her hair…beautiful. But the tembo..the templar…the blood….

She sits down now, looking at her clasped hands on her lap. Uncertain what to say. She finds it an odd feeling and not one she likes. “I wanted to talk to you about the other day. My parents are very protective. They meant nothing by it…none of it. I explained it to them. They will come around. You’ll see.” She looks up at him. Still lying on his stomach he moves his face away.

“Your father wanted me dead. He hired help to kill me”

“After this week, the Starlight Festival, I can show you how much I care for you…without reprisals. It is Nibenese law that once a couple has had union, either may have a concubine…a lover. I want you to love me Mania.”

Mania becomes completely still. “what?!?”

“The Shadow king and I will have our night of union during the festival. After that night, I am free to have another lover. I want you to be that lover.”

“Concubine…. a sex slave?!?”

A long pause as she is lost at why Mania has become agitated with her. She has never bared her heart this way. She feels weak and exposed. Why is he doing this to her? Why?!?!

Mania sits up. Tears welling in his eyes. The pain is too great to contain. It is not his torn ribs but his heart that aches. He stands up quickly startling her. “You profess love but will not share it unless it is with a SLAVE?!? Is that what I am to you- a slave? A puppet? A plaything? I thank you for treating my wounds but I did not ask you to do it. Do not in the future. You Belong to the Shadow-King. You belong to Nibenay. You are a templar. You sicken me. Good day!” and he leaves.

She reaches out then hesitates. Tears well up then rush out of her eyes and down her cheeks. The thought finally sinks in…she does love him. But she is indeed a templar of Nibenay, wife of the Shadow king. Damn him. Damn him unto the gray! Damn him.

She curls up in a ball and sobs, shaking violently. Her twisted emotional thoughts locked inside ...tormenting her.

 

[megamania]

Now that is a revelation! So Mania is the child of Bane!?!? IIRC Bane is a sorcerer-king, correct? Wow!

Is he or isn't he? Mania has a memory of a large evil man in his earliest childhood. The Tembo constantly refers to him as baneful. Has Mania remembered a name or just the pronoun? Was that his father or a grown man that was seen by him as a child?

And don't forget- Tembos are CE. Maybe he sensed a weak spot and went for it.

Time will tell.

 

[megamania]

UNDER A DARKSUN
SEGMENT 048
“Starlight Festival Day 2”

The first day of the festival Mania spent in seclusion. He had little money and less concern for it. He heard the music and the laughter. He stayed in bed. He spent much of this time thinking about what the mysterious stranger had said to him. He was right but didn’t know how to find purpose or a belief. It was for this reason he traveled to the arena. He wanted money also but he had hoped for something. He had hoped to discover purpose. Instead –he found death.

The image of the templar pushing the girl down for the tembo to feed on instead of herself still bothered him. Then there was Keela’s speech about her love for him. His head ached and he decided to go out. That night there was gladiatorial matches most of the night. He spent much of the night absently watching it. He knew the fighters below were mostly slaves forced to fight each other. The only reason for this- the pleasure of the crowds and the nobles.

He watched the people in the stands mostly. Many of them had saved for the past three months to get into the arena to watch the games. But to what purpose? Testing one’s skills and abilities was fun, even exciting, but not as a spectator. At least not for him. Were these people trying to play out a different or better life style through watching the matches? Did it make them feel alive? What was the purpose of it all?

Then something did catch his eye of interest. Another fight had broken out but this time it was within the nobles’ section. A bet between House Dree and House Leetreah had gone bad. People just watched as the nobles swung clumsily at each other in an effort to punch the other. Then the slaves began to fight. The slaves knew how to fight. One slave pushed the other. He is return pushed back. That slave went back and struck the noble. The noble fell from his stand into the crowd of crazed commoners. Mania could not see how seriously he was hurt. There was a sudden burst of energy that came from nowhere and struck the remaining noble. Clasping his chest, he then fell over the edge into the crowd.

At this point the ½ Giants came in battering and bullying the innocent and guilty alike. Several templars directed the dim-witted creatures to contain the nobles and their slaves. They contained everyone they could reach. A magic user was here!

Magic use generally was an evil act. Magic took power and energy from plants and the earth to shape into spells. Most spells then did further damage. A scant few learned to control and temper their use of magic to a degree of not harming the area’s life. They were called Defilers and Preservers. Neither was tolerated within the city limits of Nibenay. Who ever used magic within the arena had just taken a great chance.

Mania left soon after. He wished Jocasta and Dogg would come back soon. Their trip was lengthened and they traveled to Balic. They would miss the festival in its entirety. Jocasta would not mind but Dogg would be devastated.

 

[megamania]

UNDER A DARKSUN
SEGMENT 049
“Death x Too Many”

Addi Leetreah was hurt. He fell twenty feet off the balcony. He would have died if not for the commoner below. Best use of a commoner he had ever known. At least Crues Dree did not survive the night. Mistanna killed him with the magic she unleashed. Magic bodyguards are expensive but often well worth it.

Nearing his home within the city he felt confident and safe. Still, he did not see Mistanna anywhere. Was she invisible and playing games with him again? She was a bit wild that way. This was his last thought as three thrown knives strike him then disappears magically.

This is how the feud began.

On the next day, members of each family were confronted by templars about rumored ills against the city and state. Templars and city psions did mandatory mind readings. In each case, more than possible state conspiracies were pulled from their exposed thoughts and memories. Each family found mysterious thievery occurring within their homes and businesses.

But there were no more deaths.

Each family knew that to kill a member of the opposite family was to invite their uncontrolled wraith. It was the unwritten rule between warring families. Accidents always did happen but it was just that- accidents.

This is why when the Dree family came home from a mandatory templar meeting, they were so shocked then outraged. Nothing like this had ever been heard of or foreseen.

12 guards, 2 psionic guardians and three noble family members too young to go to the meeting were slaughtered. Torn and cut up and spread throughout the home. In blood was written “Freedom”.

Thus the first noble war ever began in the city-state of Nibenay, during the Starlight Festival.

 

[Roman]

“You profess love but will not share it unless it is with a SLAVE?!? Is that what I am to you- a slave? A puppet? A plaything? I thank you for treating my wounds but I did not ask you to do it. Do not in the future. You Belong to the Shadow-King. You belong to Nibenay. You are a templar. You sicken me. Good day!”

Well said Mania!

In any case, good updates.