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Post by Baron Mordock on May 12, 2015 4:26:56 GMT
[From Eveleigh Empire > Avalendor > The Calm Before the Storm] It was called the Magnificent Fortress of Ultimate Power. Like many of the arcane colleges, it found itself nestled among the mountains, but unlike all, was not built into them at all. The castle rose like a force of nature from the very stones that formed the mountain itself, rising tall and overpowering beyond the height of the rocks around it. It was an imposing, powerful, and awe-inspiring monument to dominion over all forms of energy in the known universe. Its walls glowed with raw power, built literally from the metaphysical aether that created all things in nature. Even the sky around the castle's highest towers wavered in a borealis of various colors as a direct result of the massive amount of pure, undulating POWER that sat below. And while the outside of the fortress itself was a magnificent sight to behold, it was nothing compared to the luxury and decadence of the inside. Within the walls of solid energy which would often change color or crackle like living lightning, many tapestries were hung depicting the master of the fortress' many victories and achievements in his long career as the obvious master of the universe (not all of which were true tales, but all grand in scale and glory). Persian rugs and braziers of scented oils decorated nearly every room along with massive pillow like seats for furniture. In many side rooms, it was not an uncommon sight to find self-satisfied students involved in acts of debauchery with scantily clad women in erotic costumes from the far east or perhaps "broadening their senses" with the use of massive water pipes "enhanced" with generous amounts of opium. But this, all of this, was nothing compared to the master's chambers. True, this room held many of the same trappings, but yet so much more. Perched in the highest room in all the Fortress, the chamber was circular with windows overlooking the mountains in all directions. The tapestries hung all about like curtains to the windows and above, the entire ceiling sparkled with expensive jewelry and hanging lanterns glowing with unusually coloured flames, which would cause light to dance mysteriously all about the room. The bed was large and covered in the finest silks and framed with gold and a deep, red wood. Across the floor, the skins of a hundred extremely dangerous animals acted as a carpet and served again to evoke the power of the master who had "hunted" them. About the room, extremely attractive women from every corner of the world paced this way and that, their heads held low in submission as they carried large trays of exotic foods... and wore almost nothing at all save the various chains about their ankles and wrists. These self-same women would scatter wildly when the air became alive with static in this bedroom. They knew that it could only mean one thing: the master's return. Some ran from the room while others took to immediate position either beside the bed or at the doorways with their trays held above their heads. None would watch as the crackling energy split the air as a blast of lightning, striking the bare center of the room where the floor would ripple lightly as the energies interacted. Standing in the clearing smoke of the teleport spell, the master held his head high. His bald head gleamed against the light of the room as he took a deep breath to savor the scent of the incense and fruits that always reminded him of his rightful place as master of his own destiny. Baron Mordock flicked his robes and took a step forward, sweeping his hand in grand gestures to indicate all that was his... But he was not alone today. There was a woman with him, of pale pallor and dark armor. It was to her that he spoke as he showed off his surroundings. "Look upon my works, ye mighty, and despair. This is my home, the Fortress of Ultimate Power!" he called, his voice booming and powerful enough to cause the very walls to waver as if in terror of him. "Please..." he said, his tone dropping to an almost sweetly inviting sound. "Do make yourself comfortable... any pleasures you desire are yours during your stay here... ANY pleasures..." he said with a wry grin. He turned to one of the women nearby, still holding a tray of grapes above her head and trembling. He glowered upon her and swiped his hand across her face. "SLAVE! Attend to our guest!!" he growled as he stepped over her prone form to walk over to the bed, which even now was morphing in shape to that of an oppulant throne worthy of a king. "That goes for the rest of you! Lazy slaves will be executed! Chop-chop!!"
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Post by Lord Aebra Cheval on May 19, 2015 0:04:02 GMT
"I do hope you have a valid reason for cloaking yourself and preventing any form of communications from the Rainbow Tower," boomed an equally masculine, authoritative voice coming their way, appearing from a shimmering rift made of all the colors of the rainbow.
Lord Aebra Chevalier stepped out of his prism with a stern look about his face, both arms crossed as he scrutinized the room's interior with a fierce gaze. At the scantily-clad women, he made an audible sound of disgust as he moved in close to the Evoker, ignoring the fallen saint completely as she backed into the shadows.
"You have been away for three separate meetings of great importance, Asmodan; pray Creation has blessed you with sufficient reconnaissance. I have grave news and some rather interesting developments to bring you up to speed on, if of course you aren't too busy living in sin."
The man produced a burning red crystal and offered it to his colleague.
"This was supposed to bring you back to us the moment you had finished your mission. But I find it here, abandoned. You left the Safety of your tower without our only assistance. Are you mad or just a fool?"
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Post by Baron Mordock on Jun 2, 2015 21:13:30 GMT
Despite his grand gesturing and his self-important stance of pomp and power, the voice of the abjurer still caused the evoker to nearly leap out of his shoes. Mordock spun on his heel, his robes swishing through the air from the swift movement. Luckily, the fallen priestess had managed to slink into the darkness and out of sight before the other grand mage had managed to completely form, but that did not ease the pounding of the paranoid sorcerer's heart. He gritted his teeth slightly as Lord Aebra chastised him for his choices and his lifestyle but maintained his composure for the most part.
When he was granted a moment to speak, he scoffed and lifted his nose in contempt. "Clearly, it has become customary for one to forgo knocking when entering another's home..." he said with a slight sneer before addressing the man's concerns.
Reaching up, Mordock plucked the red crystal from the man's hand and moved to place it on an ornate glass table nearby. "Clearly, you've stood behind so many walls in your time that you've no concept of the finer points of surveillance work, Cheval. What would have become of me should those whom I was to meet insisted on searching my person beforehand? Your damned rock would have given away my intention to relay information and outed me as a spy. Further, if I was in contact with you and yours at all times, then that connection could have been traced as well. The best way was to make myself seem independent of any underhanded objectives..."
Turning again to face the man, Mordock crossed his arms across his chest, puffing himself out to appear larger and more impressive. "So am I mad for wishing to protect myself from idiotic distractions and obvious tells? Or am I fool for wishing to minimize any potential repercussions against my person should any tie to the tower be discovered? You tell me."
With that, he walked to his 'throne' and turned dramatically so that his robes would billow about before sitting. "Before I divulge what I have learned of our enemies, first I will hear this 'grave news' you have to deliver..." he said, gesturing with one hand to cause a chair to rise from the floor, constructed of the very same solid energy material that the ground was formed of. It wasn't as grand as the opulent throne which Mordock now occupied, but was still luxurious by comparison to the furniture of the plebian masses.
With the distraction of the proffered chair in place, Baron Mordock took a moment to scan the dark corners of the room, trying to get a bead on where Eleisia had gone. He didn't like not knowing where she was... She could leap from the shadows and slit his throat any moment... He also didn't like that he could not read whatever her intentions were. He prayed she was not fool enough to make an attack on Lord Aebra at this critical juncture. For one, a murder here would only be tied to himself and raise questions he was not prepared to answer just yet. For another, he wanted to hear what the man had to say. While 'information is power' was usually the motto of the illusionist or the diviner, he found that being at least aware offered wonderful opportunities...
Besides, it was best they kept his involvement with the dark forces quiet for now... Why waste a set of eyes on the inside, yes?
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