The Citadel of Shadow

[The Dementist]

Good to hear.

I'll be sure to do that. She will appreciate it, I assure you.

*When Rumerin leaves, the tenticles of the hallway part for him again, and one of those hideous but polite creatures watches him as he leaves.*

[Rumerin]

*He leaves, and smiles politely at the creature who lets him out.*

Thank you. Goodbye.

*He walks back into the Shadow Plane, a tall seemingly human completely at ease as he disappears in the shadows.*

[Rumerin]

*A few files in brown paper appear in whatever passes for a mailbox in this place (). They appear to be empty on inspection, but there is a small scrap of paper with it- a bill. These are the files Xealaz ordered, and they're not exactly cheap. Information will appear in them the moment payment is made. There is no indication of who it's from, except that under the total amount the words "as per previous agreement" are scrubbled in Rumerin's ridiculously small handwriting.*

[The Dementist]

*Xealaz looks at it and nods to himself, before touching a smooth, obsidian sphere on his desk.*

Vivia, Thantavin, Anya, Kadyn, and Kalan, I need to speak with you.

*Five flashes announce the arrival of the five, merely seconds later. Xealaz smiles at them.*

You are to move into the manor we....reserved in Eluria. Immediatly. Vivia, pay Rumerin for his services.

*They bow, and vanish.*

[The Dementist]

Outside the Citadel, a force is mustering. Creatures wheel around the Citadel, bearing burdens of weapons and materials of construction. Armies of humanoid creatures and Ratayas march beneath them, fully armed and armored. Other, massive, more horrible creatures crawl, stalk, and float around, waiting for their signal.

At the front of the army, wizards stand up and begin casting spells, weaving their hands and chanting. Before them, massive gateways open, revealing the swirling mists of the Astral. They begin to move through. From a tower high above, Xealaz watches with a smile of the greatest pleasure on his face.

It has begun.

[The Dementist]

Xealaz sits in the throne room, looking at the man who quivered on the floor before him, his face almost bored. The man had been brought to him, so that Xealaz might extract everything the man knew of this disturbance. In the corner of the room lay a pile of corpses of human men and woman who Xealaz had interrogated in a similar fashion. Each one had suffered greatly, as this one had already. He would suffer more, though at this point it was an exercise in boredom. Every one of them had told the same story, had seen the same thing. Two chains whipped out of his fingers, wrapping around the man’s arms and pulling him into the air. He doesn’t apply any pressure, just lets the man hang there, the chains fixing themselves to the ceiling high above. He would asphyxiate eventually, but Xealaz no longer cared about the man’s gasps. His voice is friendly, almost affectionate.

“Looks like you were right, Meresa. This is affecting your entire race. Go to Eluria. I want to talk to this Lunaria.”<br>
A woman walks out of the shadows, her head bowed. She wears the minimal clothes for decency, the rest of her body covered in runic scars and horrid tattoos. She raises her head, her raven black hair falling her away from her face, revealing the empty pits of scar tissues where her eyes one were.

“As you will, my lord.”<br>
Shadows begin to sprout from her body, enveloping it and forming a cacoon of darkness, which contracts, leaving only empty air where she stood. Xealaz’s mind wanders, covering a multitude of subjects rapidly. The preparations for war are going well, but loosing all human-spawned troops would cost him dearly. He could rebuild – he always could rebuild – but it would be so much simpler to save their lives. It shame he had to spare the irritant of the human race to do so, but it had to be so. He decided to watch Meresa. It might prove amusing.

[Velius]

A gate opens in the throne room, not far from Xealaz's throne but a respectful distance all the same.

Out of it steps a man with one red eye and one blue, with black rings running through the iris. This man bows and gestures to the gate.

"Lord Xealaz, High Dementor and Lord of all who follow that path. I am Luhzinan, servant of the Darkstar.

This gate leads to a land even more bountiful than the one you are currently trying to invade. It leads to the Plane of Passion, Arborea."

[The Dementist]

Velius said:

A gate opens in the throne room, not far from Xealaz's throne but a respectful distance all the same.

Out of it steps a man with one red eye and one blue, with black rings running through the iris. This man bows and gestures to the gate.

"Lord Xealaz, High Dementor and Lord of all who follow that path. I am Luhzinan, servant of the Darkstar.

This gate leads to a land even more bountiful than the one you are currently trying to invade. It leads to the Plane of Passion, Arborea."

*Xealaz looks at the man, his face completely still. The various paths of his mind are racing though.

(come here come here how come here the seals weak repair seals)
(Arborea arborea land of Eladrian hunt hunt kill destory)
(Darkstar Darkstar who is the darkstar)
(Such a gift such a gift he gives us such a gift why such a gift.)

The last thought path gains precedent as he looks at this intruder.*

"Truely, a generous gift. To what do I owe the honor of this?"

*His other paths keep racing, sending out mental orders to the citadel as he speaks. Creatures begin to scurry about in the citadel, preperations for war beginning, incase he takes this gift. Five Rataya enter the room, waiting for their master's orders.*

[Velius]

"Your daughter, Karla Pendrell, interfered with an experiment my lord was interested in, and, in so doing, has opened the way to Arborea for us. While the latter was a pleasant gift, she still ended something before it had the time to run its course. As such, the Darkstar decided it was time for a family reunion.

Plus, to be perfectly honest, few can stand against Morwel alone. Any help would greatly improve our chances, as well as give us access to very rare materials that can be used for later projects. We have much to gain, in other words, from such an alliance."

[The Dementist]

*At Karla's name, a slow grin spreads across Xealaz's face. His paths converge into one, his decision reached. An attack on Arborea, which would allow him to strike at his daughter as well? This was too good an opprotunity to pass up. The paths split again, each one doing calculations - how much resources can be diveted from the Abyssal war, how much would be needed for such an endevor.*

An alliance sounds like it would indeed be benifical to us both. Of course, every alliance requires terms. What does your master propose?

And, if such an alliance is formed, I will of course require that you, or someone of your level, will stay here with me as your masters ambassador to me, and I will send an abassador to stay with him.

[Velius]

"The Darkstar only wishes to have his choice of test subjects and materials, as well as an area of his choice should the conquest be complete. Other than that, you may take the rest. You may have all else, including your daughter if she should be captured.

I was sent for that very purpose, my lord. The Darkstar would gladly accept such an ambassador in the tower near Eluria."

[The Dementist]

*Xealaz thinks for a second. Giving this Darkstar complete choice of test subjects? That would be too much to ask.*

"We accept your master's offer, with two stipulations. First, we must have access to some of the powerful beings captured - we will allow you master first choice, but we must be allowed some choice. Second, the area your master chooses for himself must leave me at least an equal area to take for my own, should the conquest go successfully."

*Creatures begin walking in allready, twelve packs of Rataya fully armed and armored, ready to go though the gate to serve as the initial strike force.*

[Velius]

The Summoner nods.

"Those terms are acceptable. Perhaps we shall have a choice by choice system for the test subjects, with the Darkstar being the first and then yourself, then the pattern repeats. Fair and even.

We happily accept that term as well."

[The Dementist]

*Xealaz grins.*

Wonderful.

*He nods to the Ratayas. The leader grins and lets out a few deep, croaking barks, and the Ratayas begin to surge foward into the gate. More creatures, a cadre of Hjol and others, begin to move into position, but infront of them, a large number of the hideous drones begin to slide though the gate, following the Rataya.*

Tell me more about where the gate opened.

[Velius]

"The gate opened on an out of the way and secluded grove atop a rocky bluff. It is difficult to reach and is therefor a wonderful place to begin. We are already building a fortress there, and the Deathknight Nicholai is personally seeing to the defense of the place to keep it from falling before completion."