Post: #1

Running his hand over the black steed the Duke was quite impressed. How the Count had managed to obtain a Bretonnian warhorse was indeed impressive. The creatures were so jealously guarded that it was nigh on impossible for anyone outside Bretonnia to have one.
It was indeed a generous gift, to mark and cement the alliance between himself and the Council. The Duke disliked the undead steeds, preferring the skilled horses he had ridden in life, and it had pained him when his favourite had been slain in the recent battle.
Looking round he could see the other vampires had made what preparations were necessary, and those who did not have steeds had been graciously granted them by Simon. Though he had no other Bretonnian warhorses, the steeds provided, whether alive or dead, were still strong.
"Do you think Walach will support us?" Victarias's voice was strong, yet it could not hide the undertone of sadness. The pain spoke clearly from her eyes, and for the first time the Duke was caught unawares. Out of the presence of Lesa he saw the vampiress clearly, and he could see why she had captured the eye of his brother.
"Maybe," he replied, "Walach is proud, perhaps the proudest of us as he was the most favoured. Yet since the Blood Keep was lain to dust he has become somewhat reckless, and can be hard to speak sense too. He has spent the last few years rebuilding the Keep, and dreams of taking vengeance for his defeat. I fear that his anger may perhaps lead him to rash decisions, and it is because of this we do not always see eye to eye.
However there is no doubt he is a skilled warrior, not as good as myself or Vekarin was. But still moreso than most of this Council, and the legion of trained warriors he can all could turn the tide against us. I hope that Mircea can curb his tongue. Walach takes insult very easily, and will remove his head without a second thought."
Looking round he caught sight of the vampire he had been looking for.
"Lord Todd. This contraption of yours. Does it have the room for all of us plus our steeds?"

Post: #2

"Room? Definitely, no problems there. We might have an issue with living steeds being unsettled by the atmosphere aboard the Patisserie but I'm sure we can work it out." Todd replied quickly and smoothly like the tradesman he was all those centuries ago in mortal life.

A brief, whispered conversation and Mrs. Lovette rushed off ahead to prepare for special storage arrangements.

Post: #3

"Excellent," The Duke replied, "Well in that case I suggest we board now. Time is of the essence and we have a long distance to cross." Turning to Victarias he gestured, "after you Milady."

Post: #4

"Milords...", Jeremiah panted, winded. After some thought he had sprinted after the vampires, luckily catching up with them before they had emarked on their journey.

"I humbly request that I may be granted permission to journey with you. I am not a necromancer and will therefore be unable to assist in the raising of the Zombie Dragons, however I may be able to assist in however menial a way in this voyage to Bretonnia", he bowed.

Post: #5

The Duke looked at human for a moment, before nodding his head.
"As you say, you may be of some use. Though know this mortal, even the slightest hint of treachery and I will remove your head."

OOC: Nihilus - can you expand on your last post in Desert Diplomacy so I can post again.

Post: #6

Victarias passed the Duke, smiling quickly to him before stepping into the Patisserie.

Post: #7

Mircea looked around before steeping inside the huge magical caravan, ''What an intrested contraption'' he muttered.

Post: #8

"How archaic! Utterly contemptible architecture, Imperial, say, a few hundred years ago? And it smells like a charnel pit!"

With this and a small look of contempt and surprise, Draithon flew over the side, leaving his dragon safely deposited in what seemed to be an empty space. Sliding off he walked to where his guards were leading the coldones into the Patisserie. He sighed.

"Close watch, I don't trust those pies, and the bodies seem contaminated. Give the Nauglir marching rations instead. Captain Darkwater, with me, Faenir, tail the human. The rest of you, as you were."

He leapt onto the nearest building before vaulting to the floor, dark cloak billowing behind him, where Todd was supervising the loading of council members and a few supplies. He stood up, dusting dirt from his hand.

"I can trust you to provide appropriate food for the living members of my party? Or will I have to get our own?"

"And yes not warpstone contaminated! It permetes the very air." He added with a sneer.

Post: #9

Todd yelled for Mrs. Lovette. He had a quick whispered conversation with her before she disappeared again. He turned to face Draithon, his face rearranging itself into a grin as though he was laughing at a joke in his head.

"There is some appropriate food. Originally meant for humans not elves, nor is there a lot, but it would suffice for the journey. And the smell can be kept to a minimum, if it offends your sensibilities."

It was then that the air began to thrum with a faint, but slowly rising pulse of arcane energies coming from the Patisserie.

"Hop aboard. We're about to leave."

Post: #10

Jeremiah had remained around the entrance of the unholy contraption since boarding. He was intrigued albeit intimidated by the dark forces at work upon, within, and manifesting as the Patisserie. He had been well within earshot when the dark elf-vampire hybrid had ordered his henchman to tail him. He smiled nervously at the intimidating dark elf.

"Erm...sir I surely pose no threat to this...", he glanced around wrinkling his nose at the stench of the Patisserie, "fine establishment. There is no need to keep tabs on me."

The imposing warrior seemed unfazed by the blithering human, and continued to stand his vigil. Sighing to himself, Jeremiah approached Todd, bowing deeply before addressing him.

"Milord, does this mighty vessel hold a library? I am in dire need of accomplishing some research...", he kept his eyes downcast, lost in the thought. "For the good of the war effort", he quickly added.

Post: #11

The stench of the Patisserie began to subside, for now slightly enough that only the heightened senses of the vampires(and Geralt) could tell the difference. In the meantime Todd stared at the grovelling human. He was not impressed by Jeremiah's attempt to act pathetic, and fought off the urge to give him some unwanted help in his little stage-play by forcefully planting a boot on his face

"I'm not sure if there is one, you'll have to ask Mrs. Lovette." He replied with a bald faced lie. If he didn't know what amenities and facilities the Patisserie had no one would, but for now he decided to act dumb with a straight face and see if the human was stupid enough to wander around where he wasn't supposed to and give Todd a reason to take up the Duke's offer of decapitation.

Post: #12

The Duke settled himself on one of the side benches. He had seen much worse that the Patisserie, and the manner of the some of the others disgusted him.
"I do not know why, but something about our kind seems to turn most into arrogant bastards," he muttered to himself. A cough to his side made him realise Victarias has joined him.
"Excuse my coarse language milady," he apologised, "but sometimes the manner of our brethren exasperates me. I see no need why common manners and courtesies need to be forgotton, yet the elf presented a fine example of what our kind is like."
Around them the Duke's entourage sat at adjoining tables, having seen to theirs and their lords steeds. It was to be a hopefully short journey, yet one that the Duke hoped he would find out more about the woman who had stolen his brothers heart.

Post: #13

"You know so much has changed." Victarias spoke. Her voice seemed distant, almost a whisper. The Duke looked at her quizzically.
"The last I remember there was no Empire, no Kingdom of Brettonia and no Great War Against Chaos."
"The last you remember?" The Duke asked softly. Victarias sat back against the wall, her eyes closed.
"It was my one thousand, five hundred and sixtieth year in undeath." She began. The Duke looked at her again.
"I...died." She said simply.

Post: #14

Silence stretched from the moment until Victarias wasn't sure if the Duke was going to answer.
"So it was true," he said, almost to himself.
"True?" The Duke turned to look back at her as she asked, a half smile playing over his features,
"One doesn't not continue long in my position without knowing about things. Yet even information on you was but a rumour. I don't know whether he intended it, but in a way you became almost a legend. A woman strong, yet with honour. It was hard to find out what was exaggeration, what had been passed on wrong. Yet there was always one seed of truth. The unknown woman fought like a demon, yet was said to be beautiful beyond reckoning. She is said to have disappeared before the advent of Sigmar as the creator of the Empire. Most just assume she was nothing more that what she seemed. An old legend, maybe an old god that had passed into nothing. It was only the other half of the legend that made me think otherwise."
"What was that?"
"It was said upon her passing a daemon tore through the land in rage. Though the story was patched at best, the details of it were disturbingly similar to what I managed to learn of my brother's earlier life from him."
At this statement Victarias looked in surprise,
"He told you....?" A pained looked crossed the Duke's face before it hardened once more, and an air of rage became palpable around him.
"Oh yes. We have not always hated each other, Vekarin and I. Once........." Shaking his head the Duke stopped himself, before turning back to Victarias.
"What happened to you? When you died?"

Post: #15

Victarias lowered her eyes, lost in reflections to terrible to describe.
"Horrible, horrible things." She said, after several moments, her voice choked and broken. The Duke looked to her and he saw that tears streaked her face.
"Things no man, mortal or immortal, should ever have to know or see. Trust me when I say that you truly do not wish to know."

Post: #16

Jeremiah cringed at the biting tones of the vampire placing a considerable distance between himself and the masters of undeath. It was apparent that he was not going to advance his understanding of the daemonic any time soon. He was surprised at the silence of the incessantly annoying cat and wondered if it had anything to do with the reasons why the vampires had been so willing to allow him to board the infernal contraption and trapeze with them across Bretonnia.

Post: #17

"Thank you, with your leave Reyasaltien will be flying above us, sometimes with me. A dragons prodidgus appetite is difficult to accomodate. Forewarned is also forearmed, especially in my case, what with two veritable demi-gods looking for my head... a pity, life's easier without being wanted. "
Draithon muttered towards the end.

"An-yy-way! I'm curious about the machine, what is it powered on? Warpstone? Isn't that a slightly unstable fuel..."

Post: #18

''I would wonder were you would find a large quanity of warpstone'' Mircea interjected. ''The thing is quite valuable.''

Post: #19

Jeremiah all but shrieked in dismay, leaping to his feet at the mention of the infernal contraptions fuel source. Such a large concentration of warpstone on its own was bad enough, in tandem with the writhing darknesses which clung to his soul was deadly. The constraints and social courtesies bound by his near blatant fear of the masters of undeath were stripped away by the much more pressing horrors which lurked within him.

"A large cache of warpstone is present upon this vessel?", even as he the words left his lips he realized the veracity behind the dark elf's summation. It would explain the awful silence which had permeated his being, a pall which sent shivers up the length of his spine.

Were they feeding even as he spoke? Leeching the raw power bound within the warpstone, raging against the wards which kept them enthralled?
-------

He cursed, the foolish human had lead them upon a structure brimming with the dark powers of warpstone. The sheer magic power engorged the voracious creatures. However just as it had lent them strength, it had allowed him to return from his trance like stint at recuperation. But he was as powerless as the daemons against the bonds which held him, only the cleansing light of Neru could release him.

A coy smile blossomed upon his imaginative visage. As always there were loopholes, and he would exploit them.

Post: #20

It was clear to the Duke that Victarias had suffered, perhaps moreso than anyone he knew. The haunted look in her eyes told of a wound deep inside, one that perhaps would never fully heal.
"Yet you live once more," he said, before a wry laugh escaped him, "well in so many words. Did you find some way to escape the clutches of that place, or did Vekarin finally manage to succeed in what he had spend so long in trying?"