# Dawn of a dark day.



## trimeulose (Dec 5, 2002)

D'jviek awoke from his slumber. If things were going as planned then today the shrine would physically be complete. He glanced down at his clothes. He wore the heaviest set of garments any noble could command. They wore like regular clothes, but anyone close to D'jviek knew that they were much more. D'jviek rose in his bed and glanced at the tapestry on the wall.

The king of Suzail, no, the former king of suzail staring down at him. The one thing that Azoun never imagined was that Tilverton could be so precious, so important. In any case the new regent, however closely she was in blood to Azoun, would not command the athority of the late king. D'jviek had to admit, even he cowared beneath the might of this man. This was a new day, for everything. The alter would become consecrated today and become whole spiritually, assuming the workers finished the physical aspects.

"It is time for my assets to be realized." Lan that mongral of an idiot had wished himself intelligent and thereby had brought about his spellcasting ability. It was an insult to brother Kaul who worked so very hard to become the necromancer he had. Now Lan not only went into battle with his Greatsword, he cast fireballs as well. "Well enough of that!" and D'jviek rose from his bed.

The glass rod he had used for so long stood on his cabinet. He picked it up and hooked it to his belt. Today blood was to be spilt, with any luck it would all be Lan's. After Lan "consecrated" the shrine, D'jviek would send word to the new regent about his devotion and how he would raise an army to protect the kingdom if need be.

D'jviek wandered into recieving hall to practice with his sword before, "performing". Today was to be a great performance and he needed to rehearse.

The bright light from the arrow slit woke kaul with a start. The sun had just started to rise and had just made its way over the treeline. Kaul went to his mirror and began to rigidly dress himself. "JAMIS come!" the servant came as quickly as he was called and began to do his duty as the only he was allowed. 

He precisely placed the buttons the way his master wished and retrieved the silver and green cloak. Today would be a day that his master would want to wear green and silver. He had to know what his master wanted or there would be penalties.

"I want the gold and orange today jamis." Kaul's voice was ohh so calm. Too calm for him to be uttering the words. 

Jamis began to shutter, he wondered what his master would do for his own wrongings. There were plenty of things that could happen to a simple helper here, if you didnt do what the masters wanted. He finished dressing his master to complement the orange and gold cloak. He then began adding the accessories that were his duty to add. When he finished he began to bow out of the room. Perhaps if he left soon enough Kaul would forget his transgression and nothing bad would come of it.

"See yourself to master Jacob when you have finished your chores." Kaul didnt even look to his servant when he fainted on the floor. He liked to play with his servants. He would not have Jacob do much to this servant, he was a good one after all. But the servants must know what he expected before he did, if they didn't what good would they be.

Kaul wandered to the recieving hall, that is where D'jviek had been for a few minutes and they needed to discus matters. 

As he entered the room D'jviek pulled the door open for him. It was a gesture of brotherhood. Both were expecting the other. Kaul looked at D'jviek and began with an arguement "You must learn to practice in the appropriate places! Why can't you practice outside, or in the caves? Must you practice in the recieving hall where all our guests will see the damage you do. We have to replace everything that you damage!"

"You say that as if money was a problem. Not only that, but since I practice in here it allows me to make more precise strikes without damaging your precious art work and furnishings. I'm getting much better now. I feel I am being guided to new things and new heights of combat prowess. And if you question me again I will see to it that our master finds out. One way or another."

"As you say, money and expenses are not a problem, they are the least important to us. But we do have matters of importance today, and we should be about them."

The two brethren walked the halls silently, but as they passed the entranceway D'jviek turned and asked Kaul, "Did we have company last night?"

"Not that I know of why?"

D'jviek turned to the door and stared. Kaul looked toward the door, his eyes had only glanced at it before. He now knew why D'jviek had planted the thought as deep as even Kaul could make one himself. The locking bar was gone. Only one person could even try and lift the bar by himself, and that was Lan.

Both of the young lords spoke. Kaul was muttering under his breath, "He wasn't just forcing us out this tim. This time he left. I never thought he'ld get the nerve." D'jviek was cursing loudly, "My tribute will be complete, and it will be that mongrol of an idiot who finishes it."

There was no need for Kaul to use The castle's one minded ability to know who D'jviek was referring to. D'jviek ran to his barracks. Kaul went to check the treasury.

D'jviek burst into the room with a furry behind him. The troops looked uneasily from one to the other. He was in his Full Plate mail, a gift from his church. The troops knew that this meant he was to command them today. They all stood at attention waiting his orders.

"Darion I need at least two men who can track, and your best at that." the words rippled through the troops as sure as D'jviek was fully dressed for battle. Even as he spoke he thumbed the glass rod hanging at his belt.

"Sire when shall they be leaving?" Darion, the barracks commander of D'jvieks forces was tense and nervous. But then again, when you change from being the one in charge to simply the one who knows the men, things have a way of altering your mood.

"They are to immediately begin scouting for trails right now." D'jviek was in no mood for words, that much was obvious. He left the room as soon as the words were free from his mouth.

"Lesley, Berkan, Sean, and Theraon, you will begin searching for any and all tracks surrounding the castle, and you are to remember any that are recent save for the High Lord D'jviek himself. The men all bowed themselves out quickly, to do a good service for the high lord was to invite yourself to richs unknown. To fail Marquis D'jviek was to invite a slow lingering death, and failing Kaul was just as bad. Rumors had it that after they killed you they raised you as undead.

D'jviek ducked under the small arch-way that was the entrance way to the treasury. He looked around the room, a good deal of the bags of holding they had procured were missing as well as several portable holes. Kaul's voice came behind on of the large piles of rubies "He took only what he was entitled to. One third of our rubies are missing, and there are several magic items missing. He took some horseshoes of speed and several other items, I think he has the bridles that were meant to care for our long term horse trips."

"He means to travel by horse? That makes no sense, even for that mongral. He is just coming into his intelligence so he can't figure out for himself what is a good idea, but I cannot believe that this was his intention." D'jviek kicked a qual's feather token across the room.

"Maybe it was his intention to take a longer less efficient route because he could take his wealth in that fashion."

"Still it makes no sense even for him. I'm going to search the skies for him." D'jviek turned and started a small run from the room. Kaul of course knew exactly where he was going. There was only one tower that did not fall under the Dead Magic zone. This was the primary place where D'jviek would launch with his magic carpet. Benjamin replaced his master in the vault.

"Sir I thought at least you might like to know that I have finished enchanting master D'jviek's armor insofar as I can. I would like to take a small break before I am to report to the Vermin Lord."

"You might earn your break as soon as you help me scry for Lan." Kaul was anxious. He could not directly command D'jviek's Priest, but he was not about to let precious time be wasted while they needed to be tracking Lan.

"And, Where has master lan gone to?" His reply was more kurt than any of the servants and gaurds, but then again he was talking to Kaul and not his own master.

"For starters you will not refer to Lan as master anymore, he has left the castle and therefore has forfeited his right to Tilverton. That is why you must help me scy. Do not ask questions in the future or you might find yourself bounded to me in the life after death."

Benjamin was very lowly in his response he did not need to be a mindless undead his talents were too great. "As you wish my lord."

The three spell casters walked through the front door, Kaul muttering a word under his breath as he passed a large oil painting on the wall.

Once they were outside they began scrying. Scrying for Lan was imposible if he was wearing the right equipment, but he had taken other things that would be easier to track. Those would be the things they looked for. Benjamin began, " I see a black flaming longsword. It is two miles from here in the south east. It is stationary and surrounded by other magic items."

"That is black death a sword used for fighting the undead. That was one of the items Lan took with him. Wait....  I have something, it is the sword of the Dalelands and it is in the Underdark, no wait it is at Waterdeep, no Suzail, it must be protected by scrying magic. I should have known. I shall try something else."

"Master I am getting something, I tried for a ring of protection that was missing, it seems it is in the underdark, traveling east. I have no other knowledge other than that."

The Scrying went on for hours and after a time, the Trackers that D'jviek had sent out came up upon the three spell casters. They walked as if to their own deaths.

The next day, everyone was gathered in the great hall. One of the two archers had been recovered from Tilverton. He would not talk and soon he was choking on his own blood. The man's death had not come yet he would be further questioned later when he was better suited for torture. There was much discussion, and now D'jviek and Kaul ventured into the room.

D'jviek motioned for silence and kaul began the speech. "My faithful, we have all served the true lord. Today we found out that one among us did not share our tenacity. He left taking with him roughly one third of the wealth of your high lords. We intend to find him and sacrifice him to the dark lord. Jacob will run the inside of the keep, his word shall only be usurped by that of Ben. You can be sure that both of your commanders will not be happy if the castle is in shambles, or worse taken. D'jviek and I will track down Lan and bring him back. We intend to consecrate our alter."

The men began their shoutings of praise, there had never been such noise in the secret castle of Tilverton before. D'jviek silenced it with but a hand. "We know only one thing of where Lan went, and that is that he went away. He has covered his tracks well. I do not intend to lose this castle so you men will stay here and gaurd it. That is the entirety of the plan. Kaul and myself will leave, and indeed we will be the only ones to do so. Benjamin and Jacob will arm you. You know all rules and protocall. If the castle falls for any reason while we are gone you will only live so as to give me the pleasure of killing you myself. DO NOT FAIL ME!!


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