The Downward Spiral

Fiction about Ravenloft or Gothic Earth
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WolfKook
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The Downward Spiral

Post by WolfKook »

Though I'm not a friend of using DLs and other important characters in my stories (or adventures, to be honest), this epic, episodic storyline (I hope I'll be posting a chapter weekly) revolves around the DLs, the relations between them, and the events that will slowly bring about the ToUD. I'll use a lot of ideas from both official and unofficial sources. Hope you enjoy it.

I'd really appreciate your comments / suggestions for new chapters. I'll create another thread for those.
"The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom"
William Blake
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Post by WolfKook »

The young girl walked carelessly about the halls of the sturdy castle, as if oblivious of all the dangers that stood right around the corner. Her bare feet almost danced on the cold stone floor, while her loose vistana skirt seemed to float in the air. She knew she was being watched, but she didn't care. She wanted to be seen.

"So you received my message".

The cold, hard voice had a distinct, though a little outdated, balok accent. The girl smiled, knowing perfectly that He was just behind her.

"I did, meu Lord.", she said, turning around. Suddenly, she was not a young girl anymore. Her face turned into that of an old crone, and her body quickly bent with the weight of a hundred years that had suddenly fallen upon her shoulders. "and I believe you're aware of the dangers involved in what you ask".

He looked down at her, his face showing no expression whatsoever. His stone-cold eyes, however, gave her his answer.

"...Perhaps my people would need a better motivation than the reward you offer, meu Count..."

The Count finally smiled, amused at the brazeness of the old vistana witch. "Are you trying to blackmail me, raunie?" He asked. Few people had dared to do such a thing in the last couple of centuries, and those who had had not lived to tell the story. However, the crone was not like most other people.

She returned the smile. "We have already had our agreements in the past, and I certainly hope that they have been as benefitial to meu Count as they have been to my people".

He looked at her, trying to read through her motives. She knew he needed her and her tribe, and he knew she was going to try and take the upper hand of the dealings. His initial offer, thus, had not been too generous. He was expecting her to come, and was prepared to negotiate.

"And... What do you want, raunie?"

Her glance suddenly turned fiery, and her smile twisted into a clenched grimace. She was expecting this question, and was already prepared to answer.

"WE, meu count, want you to deliver us the head of the Dukkar".
"The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom"
William Blake
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Post by WolfKook »

My Liege,

I have to report that, as you expected, the situation in western Invidia is getting more and more unstable. The feelings about the siege of Hunadora are mixed, and the people's perception of Aderre grows even worse as the news of people dying in the front start reaching their families, and the toll of the taxes payed to support this war begin to asfixiate the country -and the noble houses in particular. Moreso, the fact that Aderre insists on maintaining his forces around the castle of Gundar, despite all voices claiming otherwise, doesn't improve his public image.

Indeed, said noble houses may well prove to be our best allies. I have already contacted one influential landowner by the name of Sorlin Bielovich, who seems outraged by the actions of the so-called Dukkar, and have given him the proofs you provided. He seemed especially interested in the invoice made for the supplies and men provided by the falkovnians. He soon, however, got caught with the documents about Aderre's background. At first, he dismissed them as fake, but I managed to persuade him to take a look at them.

I tried to give away as less information as possible, as you ordered me that he would have to figure it out for himself. Effectively, he proved to be a sharp man, and soon jumped to conclusions. Soon, he was asking me how can a man make such a strategic display to kill his own mother, and how it resulted that the only person who profitted on the whole thing ended up being his own grandfather. Indeed, he was more than enraged when I showed him the records on Invidian finances on the last couple of years.

For what I know, this Bielovich has already started spreading the news like wildfire. This self-adressed Dukkar will have a hard time explaining himself when he comes back to Curriculo. And that would only be the first step of his downfall...

Thus, my report on the first step of our king's plan was one of success. I await further orders,

Ct. Letifer
Kargatane
"The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom"
William Blake
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Post by WolfKook »

My dearest George,

You may be surprised that this letter reaches you. Indeed, I will also be surprised if it does. Even though I still have a few contacts throughout this land, it seems that you're further away than I thought.

I do understand what you're feeling, and even though no member of the family blames you for your actions, as you probably know, I do understand what you're going through. However, it's not like a Weathermay to simply walk away from his responsabilities and leave his family, his holdings and his whole world behind for a simple mistake anyone could have commited.

I know, though, that you're a free spirit. You have always had your mother's fire in your eyes. I've tried to keep up with all the news that reach us from the other corner of the world, and I have to say that I'm very proud of you, and you know I wouldn't bother you if I wasn't in desperate need.

There's just so much I can tell you in a letter. Let's just say I've been seeing... things... around here that trouble me. But it's not myself I'm concerned about: I'm dying, you know, and my final rest is near. If I'm right, however, Geniffer and Laurie might be in dire danger. Worse still, I can't tell them anything, else the threat to them may become even worse.

I certainly hope you receive this letter, and I certainly hope you come home, where your family needs you, and where you may purge all of your guilt.

Yours,

Jules Weathermay
"The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom"
William Blake
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Post by WolfKook »

"Lucita!!!"

Gabrielle woke up, covered in sweat. The strength of the nightmare she just had forced her to sit, but then the pain of her multiple wounds pierced through her whole body, as a reminder of the hell she had gone through the last months, and the nightmarish night she had just had.

Megan crossed the door, her scream not being too much of a sign of alarm as it was of relief. She had been treating her wounds for quite some time now, and she had not shown any signs of recovery, until now.

"Where is she?" - She asked her. After her initial yell, Megan knew exactly who she was talking about.

She made a mental image of the girl, a young, beautiful child of unmistakably vistani heritage, who seemed to portray none of her father's (or her brother's) traits. She searched her with her mind, as fuzzy as it was with the events of that night, and suddenly recalled something about her father driving her to safety.

Matton. no one knew anything about him since that horrid night...

"She seems to be missing, Milady -she answered -. She and Lord Matton disappeared the night of the attack".

Gabrielle Aderre fell silent, with eyes lost. Megan started to approach, when she saw a tear fall down her cheek.

"Then it is true".

"What, milady?"

Gabrielle turned to look at her, straight in the eyes. Megan was suddenly overwhelmed by the apotheosis of emotions that dwelt in those eyes: She was sad and bitter, but deeply enraged at the same time, and that same anger seemed to be fueling her whole being, waking in her a burning passion and an enthusiasm that, given the situation, made her wonder if the vistana has lost her mind.

"He's got her"
"The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom"
William Blake
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