A Sadistic Villain: Sereniel and Forsaken Azantar

[Raargant]

Azanatar was just as cruel as Cariousus could be... but he was a great deal more subtle, courtesy of a thief's nature. More sly, you might say. We had no plot, no lengthy interaction, but he was brilliant for offering an... unexpected touch of misery to a character's day.

This log takes a bit of backstory. On the "happiest day of Sereniel Quis's life" (sardonicism intended) she was abducted away from the priest by a jealous former friend-turned-banshee, had her voice taken from her, and was still suffering under the crippling injuries imposed on her by Cariousus - which included a curse that caused severe pain when she came into physical contact with other sentient creatures. She did get married... but only by writing her vows in the dirt. Her home was in Tarrandue and, presumably, as safe as any other could be.

Irpel squeaks 'I gonna go to town Sereniel.'

Sereniel nods, smiling at Irpel.

Irpel squeaks 'Bye bye Sereniel...'

Sereniel mouths, 'Take care...'

Irpel takes a step toward you, but stops itself. It quickly turns to the door.

Irpel opens the door south of you.

Irpel squeaks out its words as gently as it can - 'No hugiggles...'

Sereniel shakes her head, sadness in her eyes.

The door south of you closes.

Hamish yells 'Knock...knock..'

Sereniel sits up, all the same.

You close the door south of you.

The door south of you opens.

Sereniel mouths, 'I'm sorry...'

You close the door south of you.

Sereniel slides her way back up onto the bed.

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'So, you have run into the Scourge once before it seems'

Sereniel sits up with surprise, hazel eyes wide.

Sereniel mouths, 'Go away!'

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'You think a mere door can keep the Prince of Thieves out of this shabby house?'

Sereniel clenches her hands tightly into her blanket.

Sereniel shakes her head, hazel eyes scanning the shadows for the source of the voice.

Sereniel mouths, again, 'Please... go.'

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'You wish me gone? Terrible hospitality.'

Sereniel mutters something inaudibly, though you can only imagine it to be a curse.

Sereniel looks up, again, though. 'I can't.'

You feel a cold boney finger slightly draw across the side of your cheek...Azantar...

Sereniel pulls away, her mouth opening as though to scream though no sound leaves her lips.

Sereniel shudders. Odd... you only barely touched her...

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'Whats wrong, bard..have you no voice?'

The door south of you opens.

Sereniel sits up, slowly bringing her breathing under control. She shakes her head.

You scan south.

*** Range 1 (south) ***

Terilichus the Master Bard is here.

With a slight shower of feathers trailing his wake, Terilichus enters.

Terilichus closes the door south of you.

You look at Terilichus.

Terilichus looks at you.

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'And why not.'

Sereniel holds a hand to her head.

Sereniel mouths, looking steadily at Terilichus, 'Go...'

Terilichus says 'Well, good morning.'

Terilichus says 'Azantar.'

Terilichus nods.

Sereniel rolls her eyes up to the ceiling for a moment as though in silent prayer.

You see nothing but Azantar's boney hand pointing twords the door.

Terilichus coughs loudly.

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'Terilichus, it is your time to leave'

Terilichus opens the door south of you.

Terilichus mutters something quietly to himself.

The door south of you closes.

Sereniel sighs inaudibly. 'Who are you?'

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'I am a nothing here...but everything elsewhere.'

Sereniel narrows her eyes slightly.

Sereniel blinks, then smooths the blanket at her side. With one hand she traces: 'Whyareyouhere?'

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'You are in such a terrible shape, yet you still carry a dagger?'

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'Perhaps you bring this omen upon yourself'

Sereniel frowns and writes: 'Dangeroustimes'.

You hear a dark laughter from beneath Azantar's hood.

Sereniel continues, her frown only deepening: 'Whatomen?'

Sereniel winces slightly, eyes instantly directed in the direction of Azantar's laughter.

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'Look at yourself. You think you got this way by luck?'

The corner of Sereniel's mouth quirks up slightly.

Sereniel writes, simply: 'Perhaps.'

Sereniel writes, with larger letters, this time: 'Whyareyouhere?'

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'Open the door, and leave it open'

Sereniel shakes her head.

Sereniel writes: 'Gnomes.'

Sereniel writes: 'Anopendoorisaninvitationforguests'.

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'You have the choice now, I feed on you, or I feed outside.'

Sereniel inhales very slightly before writing: 'Idon'tunderstand'.

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'If you shut the door behind me, I will take it you do not care for my.....company.'

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'And that..will not go over well'

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'Open the door'

Sereniel frowns before writing: 'It'simpolitenottoshutthedoorwhenyougo'.

Sereniel looks down for a minute at her legs before looking up with a baffled expression.

You catch a small glint of Azantar's daggers in the shadows.

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'Open the door'

Sereniel narrows her eyes slightly before writing: 'Thisismyhome.'

You get a bottle of milk from a sturdy backpack.

Sereniel holds out her hand, a bottle of milk within it.

Azantar steps out of the shadows.

Azantar's hunger hits him.

Sereniel mouths, 'Let me.'

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'You have choosen'

Azantar steps out of the shadows.

You yell 'Help! Azantar touched me!'

Azantar gropes at you to drain your vitality!

Azantar's touch hits you.

You have been paralyzed!

You lose 13 experience!

(Recall.)

The Temple of Abstraction

You stand before the only temple existing in Southern Abbey

Way. The Temple of Abstraction is here as a benchmark for all

that is Balance and Neutral in the world. Large stone columns

rise up all around you, making you believe in the greatness of

the path of balance.

Sereniel cries out silently.

[ Undea ] [Male] Azantar Hain the Grand Master of Assassins

The effects of paralysis wear off.

Sereniel crawls, her arms nearly giving way from exhaustion.

(On the road to Tarrandue…)

Sereniel rests, body breathing deeply with the labor of moving.

You rest.

think I'm... going... to kill... something...

Sereniel swears, no sound leaving her lips.

(Continues home.)

You close the door south of you.

Sereniel sighs with clear relief.

l hawk

A very fierce gatherer of prey.

A neck tag says 'I belong to Shaw'.

Sereniel mouths up to Keros: 'I'm sorry'.

A sturdy backpack is lying here.

Sereniel draws unsteadily: 'Stillhere?'

You scream in agony as plague sores erupt from your skin.

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'It's not nice to leave house guests unattended'

A hunting hawk shivers and looks very ill.

Sereniel shakes her head. She truly looks -terrible- with labored breathing, and sweat and dirt sticking to her pale features.

Sereniel nudges the backpack.

Sereniel traces with one dirt covered hand: 'Dropped this'.

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'Yes, and it seems you pay for your greed'

Sereniel rubs at her forehead, only succeeding in creating a thin streak of dirt cross it.

Sereniel writes simply: 'Isthereanythingelse?'

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'Concerning?'

Sereniel blinks, her forehead creasing with thin lines. 'Me.'

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'Now you get upset?'

Sereniel almost does smile at that. 'Tootiredtobeupset'.

Sereniel continues with a more serious expression: 'Whydothis?'

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'Do what?'

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'You choose to steal from a backpack that wasn't yours'

Sereniel writes stiffly: 'Keepmecompany?'

Sereniel writes: 'I'mnotthebesthostess,presently'.

You cure a hunting hawk's serious wounds.

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'I've noticed'

Sereniel seems to almost laugh or, at least, her eyes do: 'Thenwhystay?'

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'For there is little else to do'

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'The cities are mine...none dare walk in them'

Sereniel sighs inaudibly and nods.

Sereniel writes: 'Whatisyourname?'

You cure a hunting hawk's serious wounds.

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'I go by many names'

Sereniel pauses, then writes, slowly: 'I'mSereniel.'

'SerenielArnmark'.

Sereniel can't quite stop the smile that forms from writing her (new) name.

Sereniel writes: 'You?'

You hear a deafening whistle as one of Azantar's daggers fly through the shadows and sticks into the wall nearby your head....

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'Names are not important'

Sereniel barely flinches, her body too tensed for that as she slowly turns her head to stare at the dagger.

Delain NEWBIE chats: 'My dagger is talking to me...that's a little weird...'

Sereniel narrows her eyes slightly.

Sereniel NEWBIE chats: 'Only if you talk back, dear.'

Azantar's boney hand reaches from the shadows, inches from your face and grabs the dagger...pulling it slowly across your cheek as it retracts into the shadows.

Sereniel flicks her wrist, sending a card flying expertly into the wall on the opposite side of the room.

Sereniel shudders slightly, but forces a smile to her lips.

Sereniel writes: 'Fun,yes?'

Sereniel adds then: 'Agift'.

Sereniel writes: 'Forthemilk'.

Sereniel glances over at her card.

Azantar steps out of the shadows.

Azantar quitly steps out of the shadows, takes the card and slips it into his cloak before dissapearing once again.

Sereniel smiles softly to herself.

Sereniel writes, hesitantly: 'MayIgetyousometea?'

Sereniel glances up curiously into the shadows.

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'No'

Sereniel nods, sliding herself over into the 'kitchen' area.

You gather some materials and create a torch.

You get a brightly burning torch.

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'I have not tasted any form of drink or food...except for the time of my curse'

Sereniel lights the stove quickly before filling a small iron kettle with water and placing it atop it.

Sereniel frowns, turning around on a small gnomish stool to look in Azantar's general direction.

Sereniel mouths: 'Why?'

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'I drain sustance from living things, not food'

A hint of recollection crosses Sereniel's eyes and she quickly lowers her gaze.

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'And while I had to rely on mortal nourishment, it was quite disgusting'

Sereniel, for lack of better occupation, takes a single cup out of the ground-level cabinets.

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'Lets try this once more...open the door, and leave it open.'

Sereniel pauses, laying the cup on the ground. She shakes her head.

Sereniel writes: 'Whydothis?'

Sereniel writes: 'Whatpleasurecanyoupossiblyderive?'

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'You wish me to feed upon you again?'

Sereniel shakes her head.

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'Then open the door'

Sereniel mouths, 'Nay...'

Sereniel writes, before making her way to the door: 'Youtakepleasureindominatingme?'

You look at yourself.

Sereniel shakes her head incredulously.

Sereniel writes, by the door: 'Pleaseshutonyourwayout.'

You open the door south of you.

The door south of you closes.

Sereniel smiles very softly.

The door south of you opens.

Sereniel sighs softly, curling her way onto the bed.

You scan south.

Sereniel narrows her eyes very slightly. 'Back?'

Azantar steps out of the shadows.

Azantar pulls his hood low and nods.

Sereniel nods as well, clearly disconcerted. 'Why?'

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'But yes...I do not see how you can enjoy such things'

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'As tea...it is all so...tasteless'

Sereniel nods slowly, taking a sip of her tea as she does so.

Sereniel writes: 'Pleaseshutthedoor?'

Sereniel writes, again: 'Gnomes.'

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'Afraid of them?'

Sereniel blinks, before her lips form a faint smile. 'Nay.'

Sereniel writes: 'Theycomeinuninvited.'

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'For if I were you, I would be much more afraid of being locked up in this house with myself'

Azantar steps out of the shadows.

Sereniel nods hesitantly but only replies: 'Ayebutthem,atleast,Ihavecontrolover'.

You hear a dark voice from beneath Azantar's hood 'Very well, have your control....I go to visit my cities.'

You boggle at the concept.

think How... unpleasant.

You sigh.