Dubhaine Family/Etain/Roleplays/2017/August

Dubhaine Family
Fame	40
Wealth	19485
Home Region	Ashforth
Home World	East Continent

Clan Dubhaine:

• Aednadh
• Aibhlidhn
• Aoifa
• Brigdha
• Cathal
• Ciarghuala
• Etain
• Moira
• Rhidhana
• Scein
• Threiginion

August 22nd

Krimml - Day

Portal Energies

As the sun was rising, the crackling grew louder, and in the dawning light, sparks shot out from the column of light striking the odd commoner dead. Attracted to fellow portal stones, the magic contained within the portal circles sought union with more portal stones.

Sitting on a small marketplace wall, Etain of Shadowdale and Sheena of Nivemus were comparing insects preserved within pieces of amber while they enjoyed a bottle of wine. In a moment, Etain found herself being knocked to the ground by some fool and, then, sudden blackness. Sheena meanwhile had fallen from the flailing legs of the other two, and unable to grab hold of anything secure while falling, landed awkwardly with a painful crunch and shriek. They both missed the electricity exploding upon their satchels of four portal stones each, which the stranger attempted to save Etain from. Unfortunately for Etain, she knocked her head on the street a bit too hard and had to be rushed to the healers. Unfortunately for Sheena, she had a bone sticking out of her leg at a rather unnatural angle. The hopeful good samaritan disappeared in shame.

Oro of Nivemus was trying to fix her broken sword when sudden nauseousness overtook her, followed by an intense white light, as magical energy sought out the fourteen portal stones she was carrying; so intense was the light that Oro found herself permanently blinded.

Elermos of Fallangard felt a burning sensation on his bum when his two portal stones were incinerated by the magic lightning, burning the seat off his pants.

Chaos is a Plague

Growing in strength, the magical column of light grew beyond the portal ring, causing the terrified to flee and the foolish to gawk in stupor, until being consumed by the light, never to be seen again. Militia frantically evacuated sections of the town and cordoned off streets, as alarm grew within both cities. It was not long until the column of light had entirely encompassed the recruitment center district and all those training within, much to the chagrin of military advisors everywhere.

As if the guards were not stretched thin enough, news spread like wildfire that militiamen and citizen alike had begun expressing symptoms of the plague, causing yet further panic. Citizens avoiding militiamen, fighting back, in fear of infection. Guards reluctant to clear certain neighbourhoods. Thankfully, no actual fires erupted.

And then it was over. The magic at least; the plague remained. With everyone blinking in disbelief, the light column had simply disappeared. Gone. So suddenly that there was even disbelief that there had been a light before, no matter how long the light had sat there previously. Confusion reigned. Particularly when the Akeshate architecture of the recruitment centers within Krimml, and the Krimmlois architecture of the recruitment centers within Akesh Temple, were noticed. Drill sergeants stumbling out of the buildings in a daze were dressed in rather foreign styles. Throughout the respective cities, even as confusion and plague reigned, the work of rebuilding commenced.

Roleplay

Etain lay in a fitful swoon as the sorcerous plague unleashed from the portal's conjoining howled and raged through the streets of Krimml, unleashing a riot of blood that would be remembered for many years by those caught up in the violence.

Her inner world was flooded with the screams of tormenting facies as the discordant emotions of the High Firmament crashed into the world of men with that brutal and furious hunger familiar to any trained adept of the mysteries. For some weeks Etain's crusade to rid the onetime Imperial Seat of its unliving denizens had left many a dirty bird fleshless, and now they sought some measure of vengeance, swooping through the etheric tides with shrieks of distemper.

For the longest time Etain's astral flesh burned, it's earthbound counterpart writhing fitfully as if afflicted by swarms of noisome winged insects, and the slender thread connecting them strained perilously as her will sought safe anchor amidst the psychic maelstrom. Only her granddam's strenuous instruction and protective enchantments kept the thread from sundering, a thin cold blue light pulsing through the skein in time to her heart's beating.

"Begone!" she cried in desperation, a spectral blade held defensively in both hands as her astral form staggered under successive blows, her eyes darting from one threat to another to another in quick succession. The squawks of illogic and hatred were deafening.

"Be still," a voice spoke from the dimming portal light, unknown and yet somehow familiar, "it will soon pass."

Etain sidestepped as another of the facies swept at her face, her blade moving just in time to catch its tattered plumage, feathered cowl parting to reveal a daunt wraithlike form.

"Be still." It was a command, delivered with the authority of one who had lead armies.

"But they'll kill me!" she hurled back, immediately regretting the desperation in her voice. Was this the way a Dubhaine should face her death?

"No, it isn't young one. We face our death with fire!" a sheet of flame erupted from Etain's blade, the warmth of it flowing through the hilt and into her arms. As it did her fear subsided and her eyes were opened, revealing the screeching feathered forms for the impotent shadows they were.

"This is where I fell," the voice continued, and Etain's eyes were drawn towards the great west gate of the city, hung with spectral banners of a bygone age beneath which a resplendent armoured figure stood amidst the gate's wreckage, her armsmen dead or dying as the hosts of the Southlands sought entrance. Etain moved towards the fighting, all about her panic and confusion as the long siege entered its final bloody hours. Soon a city which had stood first amongst the jewels of the earth would be lain waste with fire and sword.

As she neared the shattered gates she realised that time looped back upon itself, forever capturing those last few moments of heroism as the bearer of the voice set her will against that of a continent and said, "kill me if you can, I will not yield."

"This is what it is to be a Dubhaine...?"

"Aye, this is what it is to be a Dubhaine. The burden of our race and sex," a hand rested gently on her shoulder, turning Etain to face it's owner. The familial resemblance was unmistakable, the powerful sinewy frame with its long limbs and the prominent features, firm of purpose yet fair and becoming, a woman of rare beauty and courage.

"Why?" the question came unbidden and Etain felt slightly foolish for asking it, her eyes faltering.

"Does there need to be a why? Is it not enough that the world needs women like us?"

"I do not know," Etain turned her head once more to the battle, willing the host to break. She froze in horror as time's dam burst and glorious heroism was exposed in all it's mundane detail, the pain of wounds taken and purpose undone as a tide of flesh and steel and hatred frothed with blood as it crashed against the lone blade of Rhidhana Dubhaine.

As Etain rubbed at her eyes, wiping away tears of sorrow, she realised that the vision was passed and she was once more in the mundane world. The comforting form of Nangellis, assistant to Ker Iestw the Chirugeon, loomed over her proffering a cup of warm, bitter-smelling tea.

"How are you feeling young mistress?" Nangellis had trained under Neris the Wise, widow of Helion the Physician, and shared the widespread respect for Etain's House.

"Please don't fuss Nan, I'll be alright in a minute. It was just a dizzy spell," Etain sat up and swung her legs from the cot, still feeling somewhat faint but doing her best to disguise the fact. The vision was receding and with it the throbbing ache in her skull.

"Don't you Nan me young lady! Does your Grandmother know you're gallivanting around dressed like an urchin? What on earth would she think? Mixing with adventurers?"

"It's alright, she knows," Etain took the cup and sipped it. The unmistakable sour flavours of willow-bark and arrow-root clogged her tastebuds and she considered setting the cup down, but the look on Nan's face suggested she wouldn't brook disagreement, so Etain steeled herself and gulped the noisome concoction. Experience told her it'd be a good hour or so before she really felt the benefit, and a nagging little voice in the back of her head wondered if perhaps just waiting an hour would have been as beneficial.

"You rest a while longer dearie," Nangellis took the cup and gently eased Etain back into the cot, adjusting the covers. Almost immediately Etain's eyelids began to droop and the dreamy realisation that the tea had contained a sedative was just forming as her eyes closed and she sunk into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Hunts

Date	Region	Time	Hours	Enemy	Strength	Outcome	Money	Loot	Status
01.08.1017	Sordidus	Night	1	undead	a disorganised few	victory		ancient crown
		Night	1	monsters	a few	victory	0g 2s	rope	+1 adventuring
		Night	2	monsters	warband	victory	0g 2s		+1 swordfighting
		Night	3	monsters	large group near home	victory	0g 8s	moonstone monster hunting book
04.08.1017	Viseu	Day	1	monsters	a few	victory			+1 swordfighting
			2	monsters	a few	victory	0g 1s	expensive toy
			2	monsters	warband	victory	0g 3s		+1 adventuring
08.08.1017	Braga	Night	1	undead	a disorganised few	victory
			1	undead	a disorganised few	victory	0g 1s	broken armour strange flute
			1	monsters	a few	victory	0g 1s	junk
			2	monsters	warband	victory	0g 5s	flintstone
			1	monsters	large group	victory	0g 9s
09.08.1017	Braga	Night	1	undead	a disorganised few	victory			+1 adventuring
			1	undead	a disorganised few	victory
			1	monsters	a few	victory
			2	monsters	small group	victory		bee's wax
13.08.1017	Krimml	Day	1	undead	a disorganised few	victory			+1 honour
			2	undead	small group	victory	0g 1s	rope silver goblet
			3	undead	small group	victory	0g 6s	soap fool's gold	+1 adventuring +1 swordfighting
			2	undead	organised unit	victory	0g 10s	junk very fine silk soap
			2	undead	large group near home	victory	1g 3s	junk expensive toy	+1 swordfighting
14.08.1017	Krimml	Night	2	undead	small group	victory		silver goblet
			1	monsters	a few	victory
			2	monsters	small group	victory	0g 2s	murder knife
15.08.1017	Krimml	Night	1	undead	a disorganised few	victory		silver goblet
			1	monsters	a few	victory		silver goblet
			2	monsters	small group	victory		rope polished silver mirror
			2	monsters	small group	victory	0g 6s	polished silver mirror
18.08.1017	Krimml	Night	1	undead	a disorganised few	victory		small lamp
			2	undead	a disorganised few	victory		small perfect diamond thief's hand
			1	undead	a disorganised few	victory	0g 1s	bandages & alcohol bar of soap
			2	undead	a disorganised few	victory	0g 1s	junk expensive toy
23.08.1017	Krimml	Night	1	undead	a disorganised few	victory		strange skull
			2	undead	a disorganised few	victory			+1 swordfighting
			2	undead	a disorganised few	victory			+1 prestige
27.08.1017	Krimml	Night	1	monsters	a few	victory
28.08.1017	Krimml	Night	1	monsters	a few	victory