Post: #1

Across the Border Princes the rain continued to fall accompanied by thunder and lightning and to those with exceptional hearing a terrible wailing could be made out though it was impossible to ascertain the source. Afraid the people remained in shelter recognising something unnatural about the weather.

Simon stood by the beacon smiling as his spell slowly took affect.
"Perhaps we should have added Magneqrox to the bonfire as well?" murmured Aurelius,
"I doubt it would have worked on him in his current form Aurelius," said Simon still concentrating, "Have the others downstairs noticed anything yet?" Aurelius glanced down,
"I suspect so Milord," he said.
"Never mind, I think I've made my point as to how powerful I am," remarked Simon, "go and prepare for new guests on mass."

Post: #2

Mircea looked up at the beacon, the rain soaking his hair and cape firmly down.
''What is Simon doing?'' he muttered to himself, as he made a mental notice to his makeshift army outside the fortress to get ready.

He stepped up into the air, changing into a bat as he did so, flapping his way through the rain and thunder before landing near the beacon, and transforming back into human shape.
''Brother! What is the meaning of this?'' Mircea demanded.

Post: #3

Sariah turned to face him and placed a finger to her lips,
"Shhhhhhhhh!" she said, "Do not interrupt!" Simon turned to face the new arrival,
"that's quite alright my dear, the spell is finished," he said, "You are in my lands now brother, I don't have to explain myself to you or anyone. The rest of the council may be lowering itself to doing deals with Skaven, but I am keeping our goals in sight. Soon there will be changes in the vampire world, particularly with the balance of power."

Post: #4

''What do you mean by that? are you planning a coup in Slyvania so soon Simon? or are you trying to search for something, because that is the only reason why I would think that you would use a beacon'' Mircea said.

Post: #5

"To attack Mannfred now in my current condition and without Lesa would be suicidal and rob the world of an exquisite poet Mircea" replied Simon "Forces must be gathered and artifacts reclaimed Sariah has already forseen it and it cannot be changed."

Several leagues away the rain had stopped and in a local graveyard the earth began to stir and if anyone had been there they would have heard movement and footsteps behind the doors of the mausoleums and crypts.

Post: #6

''Artifacts? You want some sort of arcane device to aid you and your overthrow of Mannfred I see, I tell you now I do not belive in destiny, there is no fate that controls all of us, no matter what the worshippers of Tzeentch mights claim'' Mircea said.

Post: #7

Not known to the congregation of the Vampires present, two figures wearing long black cloaks watched with interest as the Blonde haired Vampire argued with the Black haired.

The taller of the two turned towards the other and in a strongly accented voice whispered, "It is them, let us watch for some time more".

Promptly the two retreated backwards across the low rolling hills until they had reached a small group of trees, where they could be sheltered from the torrents of rain, some one hundred meters away from the Vampires.

Post: #8

The cloaked figure tread on. Across the desolate battlefield, towards the lone fortress and epicenter of the wave of dark magic which coursed through the land.

Tha land stirred, as magic began reanimating the fallen corpses of warriors lond dead. And yet around the black clad figure none stirred. As he walked by the witch fires within the undeads' eyes burnt out and the skeletons collapsed once more

Cerberus moved as if in a daze. He saw the strands of magic and time past and future arrayed before him. His body driven by the sole impetous of seeking out the Vampire Council, whilst his mind traversed the myriad skeins of time itself.

The creature, known as Simon vo Carstein, had drawn the web of the future about himself. He sought to control fate by peering into the future and unleashing potent magic. Yet to become aware of the dance of time was to further succumb to its pull. Only the greatest of beings and lowliest of wretches escaped the machinations of fate.

To tread the prescient path without caution was to lay a snare for oneself, to engineer one's own destruction.

As chaos taint humg heavy in the air, and Simon twirled the strands of the future in a voracious rope, Cerberus marched unto the castle. With every step he struck at the fabric of time. Cracks became gaping chasms, the deceivingly perfect future wripped asunder, shattered into a multitude of tangential streams.

A short distance away Sariah took an inoluntary gasp as she was assailed by a plethora of prescient visions. Each twist in time strayed in a different direction, some contorting in upon themselves.

"Si-Simon", she sputtered.

In the everchanging fortress, a snarl rang out. A old adversary had returned to the field of battle.

Post: #9

Mircea turned his head. ''What's that noise'' remarked the vamprie lord as he began to draw his blade.

Post: #10

The two figures of Vyacheslav and Ingrid began to move down towards the group of Vampires. Both of whom were drenched to the skin in the moisture of the downpour, and to the Vampires before appeared even more pale then most.

"Simon, is that you!?", exclaimed Vyacheslav turning towards the blonde haired Vampire.

As the Vampires turned to face the two new comers Ingrid moved froward and next to Vyacheslav to lean upon her husbands side. It was all to evident that from wherever Vyacheslav and Ingrid had come from they had left in quiet a hurry. Vyacheslav's left hand was badly burnt and Ingrid's dress was ruined, ripped in far too many revealing places.

Post: #11

Miles away people fled into their homes as they saw the bizarre procession marching down their streets and past their houses. Corpses thousands of them some of them centuries old others a lot more recent they didn't seem interested in the living who could only watch in horror. It was the same all over the Border Princes the dead had dug themselves out of their graves formed up into columns and begun marching in a westerly direction towards the region known in the old tongues as Ikaana.

Simon held Sariah concerned when he heard someone calling him. He observed the new arrivals "Who calls to me by name!" he shouted down to them. As he said the words he reached out with his mind to his new servants across the Border Princes "Come to me converge at Nexeternus I command you to." he thought

Post: #12

"It is I Simon, Vyacheslav and Ingrid von Carstein" , Vyacheslav replied, as Ingrid surreptitiously winked at Simon. "I know you my brother, Isabella spoke of you as the greatest poet the Old World has ever seen"

"And you", Vyacheslav said, whilst turning to the black haired Vampire. "Are Micrea Tepes, Micrea the Impaler, I presume, what great fortune it is that we are to have encountered the both of you in a such a, decrepit place such as this."

Post: #13

''I know of you Vyacheslav'' Mircea responded. ''Were you not a Spymaster? Vlad told me about you, you and your wife, Vlad supplied me some infformation from you in the first war, what are you doing here all so soon?

Post: #14

"We are here, Micrea, not of our own will, but because of the actions of that treacherous upstart Mannfred von Carstein, who is constantly besotting Vladimir's name. As you may know Ingrid and I reside within Castle Templehof and control the surrounding mortal populace, such as the town of Templehof itself." , Vyacheslav explained, as
it became all to evident that Ingrid was growing increasingly angry.

"And then that bastard Count, comes to our Cities and Keep and begins to besiege them without warning or care for his action as though it was not really him making them." , Ingrid interjected, her dark blue eyes appearing red for the slightest moment.

"As you can see," , Vyacheslav continued. "We had but no option other then to leave our lands behind as without proper warning of Mannfred's actions our defenses were pitiful. Now, however it appears that we have stumbled upon you my brothers, are you members of this "Council of Vampires", which I have heard of whispered by my neighboring Counts?"

Post: #15

"A member? I am its founder and I do seem to recall you though we have never met before now." said Simon "If you have remained loyal to the memory of grandfather then we are allies. If not then I will have you killed now and dispose of a rival before he becomes a threat."

Post: #16

Cerberus strode into the presence of the von Carsteins, the magical energies which had coursed through the air dwindled. His gaze fell upon Sariah. Her presence was fractured, and like most prescient beings she distorted the time streams around her.

With but a glance he traversed the myriad tangential streams. In some he saw her death, in others a magical artifact of immense power.

“You search for the fabled Carstein ring. Perhaps I may be of some assistance.”

Post: #17

Mircea sighed, ''Simon I have said it once and I will say it again, you have absolutly horrible security, fire them, they clearly are incompetant to keep letting in random strangers.'' he said dryly.

Then eh turned to the newcomer. ''Now what is your name and purpose stranger?''

Post: #18

"You may call me Cerberus", he said turning to Mircea. The lines of time connected Mircea and Simon, Cerberus delved into the web of time, gleaning much of their past history, heedless of the remainder of Mircea's question. The brothers' lust for their sire's ring would bring them into direct conflict, Cerberus mused.

"Do not blame your brother, the weaker undead collapse within my presence", Cerberus rasped.

Post: #19

"Our you questioning our loyalty towards the greatest Vampire to ever exist?!" , Vyacheslav questioned, whilst staring incredulously at Simon von Carstein. "My family's loyalty resides to the true vision of Vladimir von Carstein, and no other.", Ended Vyacheslav, still looking onward unphased at Simon von Carstein, as Cerebus began to speak.

Post: #20

"As does mine" replied Simon "Very well brother I will trust you as a member of the family. Its time we got together anyway I want to form an alliance of von Carsteins within the council. I don't trust the others except for Lesa who is married to Milosh who is one of us."

Turning to face Cerberus he said "The ring is quite safe where it is and will remain so until I claim it." Your help is not required and your presence is damaging my servants and upsetting my wife which is a crime in the lands of Ikaana. One punishable by death!"

Simon glanced over at the horizon. The first columns of undead were approaching Nexeternus. There would be many more after them.