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Moriath of the Night's Watch
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Date Posted: 21:04:11 06/10/02 Mon
The Soul of Britannia: Possession and Vengeance
By Spad of the Nights Watch
“I must tell the Master," the werewolf thought as he headed west through the woods from Castle Black.
He had seen much and had overheard the one called Spad telling the leader that he had the map of a location.
Upon reaching the Keep, the wolf stood upon his hind legs and once again assumed the shape of men. He enters the Keep and is met by one that he does not recognize.
“Report!” the one demands. The Wolfen looks upon this one and snarls, “What I know is for the Master, not for you. Bring me to him, lest I pull your pipes from your neck”
The response to the challenge is quick and painful as the one that was addressed reaches out and grabs the wolf thing by the throat. So firm is his grasp that one wrong move on the part of the shape shifter would be his last.
Seth Dusk says. “Lord Darkmoor has not been seen since the death of that Elven prince. He has locked himself in his chambers. Even I can not consult him. We are concerned that when he drained the mind of Elrond, more than he bargained for, he received....”
The shape shifter responds, “Well, what I have seen tells me that the Black Brothers and their allies know what you have kept secret and are planning to move to obtain it. I have seen their armorers craft new weapons and their mages gather reagents. Allies come and I have heard their names and they are a formidable force. The Virtuous Knights of the Realm and the Praetorian Eagles. All are gathered at Castle Black and about to move.”
Dusk glowers as he considers what is to be done next. Would that Lord Darkmoor was here, he would know what to do.
Dusk having no choice calls the Kindred together along with the Flesh Eaters of Darkmoor commanded by Mr. Plod and the drow of Bregan Daerthe commanded by Dae'arrna. To the assembled he directs, “Gather your squads and follow. Darkmoor will not be joining us. I will be leading this and we must find the Soul before all others. Lord Darkmoor has commanded us to do so. The cartographer has marked the location. It seems simple enough.”
Ethan yells from the group, “What about the markings on the map? What do they mean?”
Dusk replies, “Nothing that we can tell, for none knows the ancient tongue and our Lord, who may know, can not say. I heard him say that he thinks they are directions and that we have no need of those. Our mercenaries from The Faithful have a cartographer amongst them and know the exact place. We leave immediately.”
Meantime at Castle Black, Spad rushes to the gathering. He quickly approaches Moraith and presses into his hand a rune, saying "This cost the lives of two men, it is the rune to the location near which the Soul of Britannia rests. The Kindred are on the move, you must go now.”
Moriath conceals the rune in his cloak and dismisses Spad who thankfully retires to the pub below for an ale and an eyeful of that beautiful wench Moraith keeps working for him.
Moraith pushes himself from his throne and says, “As soon as VKR and P^E arrive we move. It appears that this location will have hazards known only to me and with that, Moraith calls his officers to his study.
Later, Ronin, Raven, Midnight Falcon, Fizzleby, Spad, and Karaash sit and listen as Moraith recounts his days in the Order and about the Guardians of the Soul.
He explains, “ Seth does not know about the Guardians and thinks that he is on a mere treasure hunt. Little does he know that the location of the Soul is guarded in ways that even he cannot comprehend. The most evil and powerful creatures will rise from the earth as soon as the Soul is disturbed. The Guardians will be our allies in this fight. The rune I have obtained is a short distances from the souls resting place. We will use gate travel to enter the land and approach the Kindred in stealth.”
Through a blue gate the force of Light and Virtue travels to an Island of Fire. A dense jungle stands before them and of in the distance the sounds of battle, screams, and maniacal laughter.
Moraith addresses the force. “Ronin and Spad take your men and head North by West and keep the sounds to your left as you circle in to the Kindred. Be cautious and let the Guardians do the work for you. Beware for if the Guardians sense you , they will attack you as any man. I will take the remainder of the forces South by West and we will meet and slaughter any Kindred that may have survived the onslaught of the Guardians. Remember these are the ones that murdered Elrond, slaughtered the Order of Virtues and set us on this path. There will be no mercy. This is my standing order and will remain in effect for all time.“
Karrash peers through the foliage, he sees the corpses of Lich Lords , Ogres, Daemons and Dread Spiders surrounding an open chest. The Kindred seem unfazed by the scene around them as they lift a royal violet box from the earth. A strange energy seems to emanate from the box as if it was a living thing. Karrash knows that he is looking upon the Soul of Britannia and it is soon to be beyond the Nights Watch’s grasp. He hastens to Moraith.
“M’Lord, now is not the time for stealth, it is time for action. They have defeated the Guardians and have what I believe to be the chest containing the Soul.”
With that, Moraith commands the attack. At first it looked as if the tide was to turn once again against the Brothers of the Watch, until suddenly a single Guardian materialized and turned its wrath to the Kindred forces. With a single mind it tore the soldiers of the night limb from limb. Never once did it turn against Moraith and his allies. It was if this one Guardian knew who the true enemy was. When the last Kindred was defeated, the great Lord of Ogres, groaned once and fell. His mission completed.
Moraith stands on the field of battle. Half his force dead or dying at his feet. He wipes a blood stained bandana across his face and uses it to staunch the axe wound on his left shoulder. He hears Spad and Karrash calling him. Their voices distant and hollow as if a league away.
“ We have found it, M’Lord Moraith! Come for it will not allow us to pick it up!” With that Moraith makes his way to the chest and within finds the chest of royal purple with in rests the hopes of all Britannians. Taking it, he commands that the dead and wounded be removed to Caste Black and a funeral pyre made to incinerate the corpses of the enemy.
Just before he enters the shimmering gate of travel, he looks behind him at the flames consuming those that took the lives of innocents. He thinks, “ Too bad Darkmoor was not one of them and that Dusk fled the field of battle. However, we made them pay today, a price for their misdeeds.” Finally, he thinks about the Ogre Lord that suddenly showed and helped turn the tide. It was if the beast knew exactly what to do and who to attack.
“Most unusual” Moraith thinks as the gate absorbs him.
At Kindred Keep, Seth Dusk knocks upon the door of his Lord. “Enter and what is the news. Do we have the Soul?”
Dusk replies, “Well M’Lord, we did and well………now we ………..don’t! One of the Guardians fought on the side of the Nights Watch! We had it and were about to leave and then they attacked us …and then we got surrounded…and then the Guardian came and I am the only one to return. The Nights Watch has the Soul...."
Seth reaches out a hand and extends its power to Dusk’s throat. “I told you not to fail! This you report to me?" His voice rising to a scream. “Get out of my sight and do not return until you have found a way to prevent the Nights Watch and its cursed Brotherhood from using the Soul."
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