Kingdom of Ansteorra Forums

[Sirum]

[This RP was alluded to in Hunters of Heresy. Figure I might want to post the whole thing here. In another RP before this I remember Si having to sneak or fight his way through Sargothas.

I figured, hey, maybe he would actually inflict a wound on Erisvan before she threw him in the deepest, darkest pit of Erisvan's dungeons. She'd done it to Zag before, right? Kitz was never one to waste a good opportunity, though.

I always loved playing with Erisvan.]

[#] Before Sirum, the cavernous tunnel into the depths of Castlemare awaits. The air hangs still, dead. Not even the echo of screams of the gurgle of liquid can be heard in the inky blackness.

Sirum Hest, once back in the room, arches a brow at the discovery of the stairs, idly slipping a paw up behind his head to rub at his neck. "I can't remember how much farther it is.. curse my mind for blockin' out most of it..." Seemingly starting to worry. Why? He doesn't have all ten shots left, as he had hoped. But not everything goes as you wish, so.. he continues on, down the stairs.

[Repression is how Sirum dealt with most... well... everything. My excuse for how he managed to remain this happy, squeaky mouse after so much. Losing Canti again and again, nearly being killed by him as a Gholae, being corrupted by Erisvan, being cursed by Pytch's coins and forced to attack people, seeing Rivyn tear so many people apart in front of himself, fighting life and death against lich, greenskins and undead, nearly dying so many times, being exiled from his home by Kendrick. Most characters became more jaded over time by their experiences. Si just hung out with his friends and found better things to do than dwell on the past. x) It did make it a little hard to recall details about the finer points of it, though...]

Sirum Hest pauses at the bridge as he comes across it, to glance between the archway to his left and back to the bridge. He pauses to think aloud, again - anything to break the silence calms his mind. "Left.. is.. those horrible dungeons.. an'.. a gateway to Ansteorra?" Idly considering for a moment just trying to find it and go back home, despite the majority of his trip having been without much problem. But he had come too far, no? "An'.. this was broken last time. .. Only one way to find out where it leads." With that, he - cautiously - begins padding along the bridge.

[#] Sirum, stumbling through the murky dark without a light of his own, apparently, comes finally upon a lighter region. Lit by four glowing braziers, an ancient bridge spans a river of the same reddist liquid that Sirum has seen previously. Near-soundlessly it flows.. yet.. The sounds of painful torture and death echo ethereally from it, cries of help.. Voices that echo from Sirum's memory - Rakuro, Hikari, Faiga, Arjanus and Kivae among others. All of the hell of Castlemare reduced to one flowing stream.

You say, "[Arjanus wasn't there. :P]"
Lady Erisvan: [Sorry >.> Retcon and replace with.. Ruby ^^]
Lady Erisvan: [I'd forgotten who exactly was there]


['course... I remember everything.]

Sirum Hest pauses just before he reaches the bridge, to shift about and stare at the archway once more. His tail snaps up to coil tightly about his waist, as if trying to cling to the person who it was a part of. "T-Th.. that'll never h-happen again. Jus' as soon as s-she's dead, everyone'll be fine, an' n-not have to f-fear, an'.. ...", he stumbles right momentarily, to lean against the railing just before the bridge, appearing quite sick. If only he had brought Huggy with him. As the sickness passes, he takes a deep breath and brings his paws up over his ears, making his way onward.

(You see Gloom #1.)
> A dark shadow wrapped in a leather garment. It's features seem indistinct and hazy, as if the creature is not fully of this realm at all. [Ansteorra NPC]

[#] Before Sirum can reach the end of the bridge, he is faced with a dark shadow - floating effortlessly at the edge of the bridge.

Gloom #1 hisses evilly. "You were not unexpected rodent.. Yess... If you wisssh the Mistresss to be hosspitable.. you will passs with great .. deferance."

Sirum Hest tilts his head to the side at sight of the Gloom, taking a few cautious steps back and away from the creature as he considers his options. It was just floating there and he recalls a creature such as it not being particularly powerful - having seen it smote down easily by single furres during the cards. However, as it speaks, such thoughts vanish. "If she was expectin' me.. then.. everythin' I've been sayin' is true. So far she has put everythin' she can in my path between her an' myself instead of jus' appearin'. Such a cowardly Heretic, at least Kendrick has the spine to sit down with those he plots against. I don't really wanna have to destroy ya, though. At least not before I meet yer mistress. Can't ya jus' bloody get the hells outta my way?" As he speaks, he reaches back behind himself, waving his free paw over his quiver. [1/1 - Light Evo Enchant]

[Si tended to mimic those he was fond of. Canti would say 'bloody' a lot, Rakuro would grumble about any given number of hells. If he thought they were cool and confident, imitation was the greatest form of flattery in making himself sound cool and confident.

Glooms were something that had a chance of spawning if you picked a specific card in the Harlequine Card Quest. Which was great, fighting a baddy with your friends was far better than going into a coma.

Also, hey, look at that. That level in mage is actually good for something!]

Gloom #1 grins the kind of white, toothy grin that only a being of darkest evil can produce. "Hold your tongue, Rodent. You sssspeak of the chosen of Greydark, not some common sssneak-thief." Through sightless eyes it observes the spell being cast, and just as quickly as it is, offers a spell to its bonuses.. [2/2][Dark Evo Enchant] "The mistresssss expected no lesssss of you."

[j/k~]

You say, "[I swear Archer Mage is the best combination ever.]"
You say, "[ :-P The difference between Gloom and Si's enchants, is that Si isn't weak vs Dark.]"
Gloom #1: [But he just enchanted your arrows with Dark :-P]
You say, "[Oh. ... I thought he was enchanting himself. ):]"


Sirum Hest returns the grin right back to the Gloom, the kind that Rakuro would normally wear prior to turning into a raging madfurre and shredding everything inh is path. "I will not hold my tongue, because she is nothin' more than some worthless Heretic with nothin' better to do than prey on poor furres who have done nothin' to deserve her torment. Kendrick builds an' destroys nations by manipulatin' furres, Pytch works endlessly to be allowed to move freely through this world. What does your mistress do? She gives cards. To children. An' tortures them for no other reason than a sideshow. No wonder Kendrick endlessly mocks her an' treats her like the fool of the Heretic's. Now.." He frowns, noticing that his enchantment was wiped. He lifts the elemental blaster up in front of him and squints one eye closed, aiming it at the Gloom's chest. "..move!"

[He wasn't actually fond of the others. Si just knew Erisvan was an incredibly immature and prideful being. If he could force her to show herself in a fit of rage, he would be able to avoid walking through the horrors of Castlemare. Not that simple, though.

As for the Elemental Blaster, let's see... all his coin was invested into that. Something I knew wouldn't ever be used on any quest, just this one RP. Wasn't planning on sticking around Anst too much longer past this RP. It was this bit of magitech, like a crossbow with ten black steel orbs, five on either side. Each one could hold up to ten preps of elemental energy, held in existence by the black steel. Which had been established on some quest to be particularly receptive to containing magic. I figured, hey, no matter how much +to-hit he hoarded he was probably never landing one on Erisvan. Might as well go for magical nuke, eh?]

Gloom #1 releases a gutteral snarl, and stretches out his arms, rushing toward Sirum regardless of the threat. "Your little threatsss mean nothing to the Mistresss of Dessstruction!", It screams as it attempts to enfurl Sirum in its sinewy grasp in no way like some really bad reference to the bats from the original Beastmaster movie!

You say, "[I've never seen it. .-.]"
You say, "[Puppetmaster, yes, but not Beastmaster. x)]"
Gloom #1: [Watch it. Campy++]


Sirum Hest laughs loudly as the Gloom advances upon him, squeezing the trigger on his invention once more. The fifth blast of white light surges from the tube and around the Gloom before him, sending the mouse flying back to the floor behind him. "Hehehe! Everythin' in my way will die at my paws if that's what it takes!" Enjoying this perhaps.. a bit too much.

Gloom #1 is destroyed utterly by the blast, or so it appears. How ironic.. destruction in the halls of the Heretic of Destruction...

[#] The blood-flow gurgles loudly, followed by an eerie feminine laugh.

Sirum Hest rises up to his feetpaws and tilts his head back to stare up at the ceiling with that same wicked grin, pointing the weapon up into the air. "Poor cowardly Heretic hides from the light. I've managed to get over my fears an' come all the way here jus' to see ya, an' yet the servant of Greydark still holds hers. Keep laughin', it'll lead me to ya." And with that, he crosses the bridge once more, continuing on through the hellish castle.

[#] In this room hangs tapestries, black on black threading, giving eerie shadows of death and destruction upon them. Marked by an odd sigil, they stand mute. The floor, soaked with dried or drying blood, gives no indication of what sort of macabre scene happened here, though beyond the shimmering curtains, an answer may be found.

Sirum Hest pauses in the room to idly inspect it, shifting about uneasily as he does so. Everyone else were hundreds and hundreds of miles away. Yet Erisvan could only be several hundred feet.. how unsettling. "Black.. red.. everywhere. .. Jus' as soon as she's dead, Kivvy, Kizzy an' me'll come here, an' we'll paint it blue an' green with pink hearts. An' 'Kuro can plant that kissin' booth flag up on top of the castle..", giving a brief smirk at Kivae and his trick. But it quickly fades, as he eyes each of the three exits within the room. The blood seemed to come from the curtains and where there was blood, there was Erisvan. Thusly.. at a slower pace than he had been moving, he goes forward, idly pushing one of them to the side with a paw. Had someone told him he would be here where he was tortured for months, alone, seeking Erisvan personally a year ago, he would've looked at them as if they were insane.

[The idea of claiming Castlemare as his clubhouse was a particularly comforting one. x) Purge all the evil and make a mockery of it all.]

You say, "[Hee.]"
You say, "[I remember this. Sirum hid behind the cauldron watching everything while everyone else rushed forward ^^]"
You say, "[First quest evar.]"
[#] xD[]


[#] Here, in the throne room of Erisvan, Sirum stands.. alone. Flames burst synchronously through the braziers - given that they are connected to the fires of Ebonstar itself. Far across the cavernous room, flecked with the stench of decay and dead air, reclines a figure, legs over the armrest of her throne of skull and bones. and at least four others, huddled around her. A quick movement of her paw sends the other shadows away from the primary one. "Sirum.. How pleasant."

Sirum Hest, as soon as he enters the room, locks his eyes onto the large cauldron in the middle of the room. Perhaps if he hid behind it, someone would come and find him eventually--no, too late for that now. No one would be coming, except perhaps Kele in search of Bryanna. Shame he hadn't managed to locate her. His eyes flicker upwards at the voice. Rather than shrinking away as most others would, a savage look appears in his eyes, as if he were a rabid feral. He walks forward through the room, glancing between each of the figures before his eyes finally rest on her. He holds the weapon up in front of him, though not aimed at Erisvan, instead turning each of the balls on the blaster a bit further left, making sure to hold it perfectly still as he does so, while replying. "I'm here," He begins with a perfectly calm tone, yet traces of fury able to be heard in it. "To repay ya. For the Six-Star, the cards, the torture, Kivae, Kitzerina, Rakuro, Canti an' everythin' else ya have done in the four years that I have known who 'Erisvan' was. ... There are no more minions yer gonna put in front of ya? Any last words? 'Cause I promised Kizzy I'd go to Pirostia with her this summer, an' I need to be gettin' back soon."

[Their planned vacation to Pirostia... that would have been an interesting adventure indeed. The only time Si ever went there was on a week or month long Path'en adventure with everyone else, in the lands Amin'Briathe originated from. Where FOUR was claimed. I wonder if there was some adventure there I missed out on sometime in 2005?

And... Bryanna had been captured. Sirum probably gave Erisvan the perfect opportunity to try out her new toy, the Seal of Mind. Oops.]

Lady Erisvan stands upon the skulls that litter the front of the throne. Cape-less, her black leather and steel armor-suit is made more distinct, even in the shadowy light of the hall. Her voice echoes in the chamber. "No, Si-si.." She says, empulating Kitzerina - as they were one and the same. "All that is left for you is.. me."

Sirum Hest calmly - or perhaps, carefully? - walks up the stairs before him, weapon still held perfectly still pointing out the side before him. "Primes damn you're a disgustin', evil bitch.", he says with a glare and tail flailing about behind him like an animated whip gone map. "To even try to sound like such a sweet femme. I still can't believe ya came from her head, yer nothin' but the product of that stupid book. Now.. that nothin' is left." He pauses, once finally at the top of the stairs. "Goodbye, Destroyer." And with those words, his left paw comes up and slams down onto the tube of the weapon, sending all ten balls on the weapon - even despise only five of them being filled - falling to the floor about him. As they fall, each one releases the magic stored within it. The light, rather than being a targeted blast, flows through the room like an ocean had formed above Erisvan's chamber, filling it within seconds to the brim with the gigantic ocean of light. Surely anything within the room that was evil would be turned to dust - or at least leave them near death. [50/50]

[The book. Librum Haereticalis. Kitzerina had read it when the Morgoth killed Thibor, to gain unholy power and slay the Morgoth. Taking his place. It didn't erase Kitzerina, it just created Erisvan and locked Kitzerina away in her mind. It occurs to me that a lot of things were in thirds, in our continuity. Three Brothers, three shards of the Scrollkeeper, three thirds of Kitzibeth.

Ah, look at Si. Fancying himself a Paladin. Smite dur ebil. ... Not quite.]

Lady Erisvan cackles as the weapon misfires. Should Sirum succumb to the natural urge to look at the finely crafted blaster, he would find rusted tubing, and slowly decaying wooden remnants; as if the weapon had been buried in a bog for a thousand years.. or more. Even Sirum's vision would start to fade, as his now aged eyes could develop cataracts or age-induced astigmatism. Those far enough away from the scene would see a terribly aged Sirum.. an ancient Sirum - furre flesh barely holding on to the tendrils of life itself. Such was the fate of those who would approach Erisvan in her own home. As Greydark, as Erisvan. "I liked you better when you were younger.. Si.. "

You say, "[So.. she made Sirum old?]"
Lady Erisvan: [Quite. He's about 60-70 years old now, and aging at a furious rate. Normally Erisvan controlls the destruction field - but she's let free just for Sirum.]

Sirum Hest's eyes squint closed as his vision goes blurry, falling backwards onto the floor away from the throne of skulls, cringing from the fall and resting both paws upon his knees, as he breathes heavily. As the years go by, he.. strangely, begins laughing, a weak, hoarse laugh. Truly his mind lacked sanity. "H.. ah.. ahaha.. I've.. burned to death.. witnessed.. all my friends torture.. and.. so much.. more.. .. y-you can do noth.. ing to me I have.. n.. not experienced.. y-you.. st.. stupid.. wench..", his laughter breaking away into coughs then, an aged paw slipping into his pocket to pull forth something tiny, that his paw tightly wraps about. His face takes on a relaxed, tranquil look, as the aging process continues.

[It's the point where she didn't even frighten him anymore. She just filled him with uncontrollable anger. Which is why Si came back with a level in Rage when I eventually came back to Anst. Anything even remotely related to Erisvan made him snap, dagger up and fly at it like a furry blender.

At the moment he's holding the magic pebble Kiv gave him on his last birthday, brought with him in his pocket. Designed to give calming, peaceful thoughts and feelings to the one holding it. If he was going to be reduced to dust, she was going to watch him die with a smile on his face and the memory of a friend on his mind. Denying Erisvan the sight of him broken was a splendid idea.]

Lady Erisvan's destructive force has certainly done a number on her throne and the surrounding items, rendering much of it to dust or broken things. She ends the the effect mentally when the time is about right for her to - to keep Sirum just at the periphery of death by old age. "Poor poor Si-si.." the voice is Erisvan again. "You came all the way here just to fail. Yet.. you destroyed.. You worshipped me until the end." Her head lolls over to the side, pensively. "You have shown me love, Sirum Hest."

Sirum Hest continues on with his heavy breathing, even wheezing, though even from his age his paw manages to keep wrapped around the tiny object so very tightly. He - quietly - manages to mutter out, as he slumps over to the floor. "..I.. destroyed.. for.. Kizzy.. an'.. all my.. friends.. not.. y.. y.. you. Y.. you.. are.. nothing.."

Lady Erisvan laughs - the pitiable old furre at her feet only framing the twisted Norman Rockwell imagery. The Heretic floats down from her perch, and alights next to Sirum, kneeling down near the aged Sirum. "All destruction belongs to Holy Greydark, Sirum Hest. You would do well to remember that as you begin your new life." Her paw remains still, bathed in a purplish glow.

Sirum Hest's ears flick back into grayed headfur as he somehow feels the glow about him, appearing much as if he would like to hiss in response, but being unable to do so. "S.. st.. ay.. a.. wa.. y..", is all he managed out this time.

Lady Erisvan cackles. "Bryanna told me that it was simple. Rewrite rewrite just keep thinking just keep thinking.." An odd mantra, to be sure! The glow around her arm takes on a darker, more sinister hue - for this was no longer the Mind Seal, but the Mentalius Fatalis, the corrupted seal. Tendrils of through invade Sirum's mind - blocking mental pathways, reformatting at the lowest level. Sirum had somehow been able to shake off the six-star last time.. "..Now my ancient love. You were nobody. You are my Sirum Hest. Mine. Forever. And you love only me." She smiles evilly. "You wish to spread my love.. the true love of Greydark the Dark Master of Broken Things."

Sirum Hest's mind perhaps might have been able to put up even the slightest fight, were it not currently so aged and tired. As the seals energy seeps into his mind, his paw uncurls, a small, smooth pebble dropping from it and onto the floor. Once Erisvan has finished speaking, he murmurs out in response, "Nobody.. yours.. forever.. love.. spread Greydark's love..", in a completely monotone voice - almost as if he were a robot.

Lady Erisvan snarls almost happily. "And to make my vengenace upon this bastard world complete, you shall be as you were before, yet with love for me alone." The glow fades to near-invisibility. "I do so like the much younger you.." The unsealed paw flashes with a black aura, emitting a thin ribbon of magical energy which curls around Sirum's aged form, returning him to about the age of 18 physically. [11/11]

You say, "[>.> You reeeally wanted to age him.]"
Lady Erisvan takes the 5th ^^;[]
You say, "[Ah well. 18 physically != 18 mentally. x)]"
You say, "['Sides.. an 18 year old Si would have the physique of roughly a 15-16 year old."
You say, "[Er."
Lady Erisvan: [Somehow I have this image of a 16 year old Si being prepubescent >.>]
You say, "[Though, question: 'Be as you were before'?]"
You say, "[He isn't. :P He's just really, really runty and scrawny.]"
Sirum Hest isn't sure what Eris is telling Si to do by 'be as you were before', though. []
Lady Erisvan: [That's means that you're Sirum again. No major changes except that now you have homicidal urges against everyone and everything that Erisvan would have those urges against, and a nice happy six-star that's hidden on your inner left forearm. It's more fun to keep you from being detected too soon, yes?]
You say, "[Ah, right.]"
You say, "[And how would he react towards Kitzerina, should she ever appear? :P]"
Lady Erisvan: Standoffish. He loves Erisvan, not Kitzerina - though they are the same person. He's not be homicidal toward her, but he'd certainly treat her like crap.[]
You say, "['Kay.]"
Lady Erisvan uses this as an excuse to bring Kitzerina around more ^^;[]
You say, "[Aw.. I'm going to have to smack Kizzy around? :-(]"
You say, "[Sirum's not whitetrash. ;.;]"
Lady Erisvan: [Sirum's Grey xD]


['Homicidal urges'... if Sirum had used his bow, every single other PC in Anst would have died before they knew what hit them, especially with Ciran and Catherine at his beck and call. Even Rak and Marl got KO'd one after the other against him in the sewers, with the stat boost Erisvan had given him, when they chose to hunt and attack him - save him from her corruption. So I did something a little different with Si. Something that symbolized Erisvan perfectly in it's simplicity, it's ease of destroying things. I gave him a hammer. A perfectly simple, mundane, ordinary hammer. He broke a fair few things with that, lit sacred places on fire and had his necromancers corrupt the earth. Vanished and reappeared around the tavern with the true speed of an air elemental. Inflicted a cocktail of fun little poison needles on those who had earned Erisvan's displeasure, Harle-style.

I think Si was such a dangerous person to corrupt because he was a seasoned adventurer who had been allowed to keep his mind. He knew everyone in Anst, he knew the ins and out of the guards and everything else, he knew how every single other monster or servant who came to Anst had died. Never attacked groups of people, always so quick to flee whenever there was a chance he could be outgunned. With Ciran and Catherine he employed guerilla warfare so thorough that the entire city was on edge. They were using the corrupted church as their plaything, watching smoke rise from the docks, laughing at the blighted ruins of the Clerics Guild. There was no way in hell he was dying like Canti-Gholae had, not another stone in the graveyard, not when he had Erisvan's will to serve. For her to love him.]

Sirum Hest, once again, after Erisvan has finished speaking, murmurs out in response. "As I was.. only you.." His voice perks at the end as he returns back to eighteen. The clothes that far too loosely fit him are now a perfect fit - if not still a bit too loose. His paw wraps around the pebble on the floor and tucks it back within his pocket, almost out of reflex - after all, couldn't lose such a thing his mind was still fixated on for some reason. He then sits up, peers around the room blankly, and smiles as his eyes finally rest on Erisvan. "My love!" He exclaims, while leaning forward to embrace her.

Lady Erisvan wraps an arm around Sirum, and kisses the top of his head in quite possibly the creepiest stalker-movie way. "Welcome home, Sirum Hest. I love you too."

Lady Erisvan: [And on that final horriffically evil note, I'm going to go grade. ^^]
You say, "[And that seems like about the perfect place to end the RP. x) Or at least it would be the end of a chapter in a book."
You say, "[Later, Kitz. ^^]"
Lady Erisvan: [Bai ^^]


[Wasn't quite what I planned. From thoughts of being in Castlemare's cells, to a month of serving Erisvan as the finest thrall she ever had under command. She didn't give him silver eyes, she didn't addict him with a cocktail of drugs, all she did was make him love her and do anything in the service of making her happy. What stronger or more motivating force is there in the world than love?

Erisvan was probably a more compelling villain than any I've read in any other story. God, you just loved to hate her. Kendrick would bully you, Pytch was more LotR-style villainy, but Erisvan would destroy your mind, body, soul, everyone and everything that ever mattered to you. Cyan put her in the rock, at the end of that month. I believe that's where she stayed in the crumbled ruins of Castlemare, though I can't recall too well. I do remember seeing her minions out and about again. Did she ever make a reappearance...?]