And Still, It Moves

[Epitaph]

Raspien smiled. As bratty as Rianna was, she was equally thick. The dark elven vampire had to remark about the irony of her accusing the others of hiding behind the skirt of a girl when he was prepared to do the exact same thing. Now, Rianna had given him the most delicious meal of all, a comely girl shuddering in fear, just old enough to be titillating but young enough for her blood to taste fresh.

As she fell into his arms, Raspien clutched her tightly and roughly, making sure that he caused her pain. He tried to remember what he did in situations like this, where he just didn’t want blood, but wanted to create another vampire as well. He looked at her for a few seconds, and her eyes melted into his. As the connection was established between the two of them, Raspien could feel her life force, everything that was once beautiful and precious about the girl, seeping away from her as she slipped into her trance.

Everything that was once beautiful, he was going to destroy. Everything beautiful, of course, that Xem’zund had left behind.

“Your Diana won’t save you now, will she?” Raspien asked, mocking the girl’s earlier faith.

The innocent girl was so entranced in Raspien’s temptation that she could say nothing but an earnest no. Raspien smiled. With a wicked smile on his face, he bit into her and destroyed everything about her that was once innocent and pure. Her life was like the flame of a candle that he had savored to extinguish.

And most of all, Raspien enjoyed it. He looked at her now, her face going white, body shaking from the blood loss. He let her fall to the ground, as he looked at the group of people watching on, horrified. “Don’t worry…” he said. “I’ll eat you too…”

With that, he pulled the remainder of a leg off what was once a chair, glad that it provided him with a nice sharp spike. He could see that the other of the two Tel Aglarim soldiers who wasn’t occupied with Rianna, and he was knocking an arrow into his bow. Unsure of who the soldier was targeting, Raspien decided to play it safe, and threw the chair leg like a javelin, straight into the shoulder of the soldier. The soldier grasped, and before he knew it, he was pinned to the wall, the spike having run through his shoulder. Though the elf had passed out from the pain, he was still alive to drink from.

Now, Raspien turned his attention back to the girl. He had been having too much fun with her to have it end now. He ran his own thumb over his tooth, cutting it in the process, so that a few drops of his blood could fall into the girl’s mouth. The blood fell into her almost still mouth, and the slightest bit of color returned to her skin. Raspien smiled and then turned his attention to whom he was going to eat next. He laughed wickedly as the two children cowered behind an old box in fear.

[Nightspoison]

"No!" The young elf's musical voice was filled with fear as he watched the male vampire change the poor girl who had tried to save them. Seeing her beautiful flesh grow pale and her bright green eyes dull as she neared death, put fear in his heart. In a strangled voice he screeched "I pointed out who you wanted! Let me go!"

Rianna's laugh was rich as she moved slowly towards him. Behind her she could hear the sounds of Raspien eating his fill. The sound of the young girl's scream was music to her ears. However, she paid no heed when he begin to change his prey. Her eyes were only for the young male in front of her. She could feel the pulse of life beneath his throat, could almost smell his sweet blood. She knew from experience that elven blood was rich and tasted like sweet wine. In a coy voice she whispers "Sorry sweetie, I take what I want. I don't give mercy! If you want mercy try someone else!"

As she neared the remaining four survivors, she noticed that two young children had fled, hiding behind the big box, that a priest had once given his sermons on. Ignoring them for now, Rianna moved towards the young soldier. Moving down to grab him, her eyes noticed the knife that the young man was reaching for. Raising a finger she scolded him "No hun. You won't stab your betters! Your my play toy that means..." she paused hearing the tell tale signs of a weapon being loaded, looking around her, her eyes fell on another fallen chair, moving to break the soft wood in half, she soon had a splinter like leg in her hands.

Her eyes fell on the old elf mere inches from her, his old eyes were hard as he held a steel crossbow in his hands. Shaking her head as he moved to press the trigger she murmurs "Sorry old man. You won't fool me today! You fooled me once! But no more!" She then hurled the chair leg at the old elf, his eyes widened as he was struck by it, pinned now to the wall the same as the soldier was, he let out a cry of pain as he begin to curse in ancient elven.

Ignoring the two wounded for now, Ri bent down, her red locks falling around her in an angelic curtain. Smiling sweetly at the young elf, her fingers moved deftly to pluck the knife from the man's shaking fingers. Pocketing it, she smiles murmuring "It won't hurt honey. Just look into my eyes, let all your worries fade away!"

Slowly the man's brown eyes begin to glaze, his fingers grew limp as he fell against her body. Looking into his bemused eyes, Ri could feel her heart leap with joy. She relished in this power, caressing his face with her hands, her mouth slowly moved to the pulse that beat against his throat.

Beginning to drink, her eyes glazed with the rush of warmth that flew into her body. Feeling him grow weak against her, she removed her lips from his bloodied throat. Moving to take his knife from her pocket, she moved it elegantly against her wrist, pressing her wrist forward a few bloody drops fell into the dazed soldiers mouth.

His skin slowly grew from waxy to a soft white. his brown eyes sparked as the flame of life came back into them. As he stirred, she tucked his knife into her belt. Turning to look at Raspien she mutters "Now that we each have our play toys. Why don't we finish this meal! I want to get out of here before any vampire hunters arrive!"

[Epitaph]

With his new sireling lying on the floor, Raspien looked on Rianna’s new charge irritably. He considered killing the former Tel Aglarim soldier just out of spite, because Rianna had no right to copy his unique style. Still, he refrained, but only because there was so much blood to drink. With an unamused chuckle on his face, he pointed to the old man that Rianna had now pinned up against the wall. “That one is for you...” he said. With that many people, Rianna disgusted him too much for him to share a drink with her. He considered drinking with him a privilege that Rianna didn’t deserve.

He pulled the wooded spike from the other soldier and then began to drink his fill alone. As the succulent blood ran down his throat, Raspien made sure to enjoy this victim just for the meal. The girl earlier had been a pleasure of a totally different experience, she had been an opportunity to touch the world’s purity and destroy it, an act of utter defiance to the gods above that favored the virtuous.

That was why Raspien was so annoyed with the flippant way that Rianna had changed the Tel Aglarim soldier. “I knew she was a spoiled brat, but this is ridiculous,” he thought angrily. “Siring is an honor, not the kind of honor someone in Tel Aglarim deserves. She wanted a play toy, something that she could keep around, not to commit an act of cruelty. Disgusting…”

Once he had drank his soldier dry, Raspien turned his attention to the two little children hiding. They were holding each other, whimpering loudly, and it was clear that they weren’t going to be able to do much. Raspien heard one of them, a little girl mention something about how he was the one who had killed her sister. Raspien laughed appreciatively at the situation.

The girl he had sired now stood up. Raspien looked at her now, she was young and frail, but with a vampire’s blood coursing through her veins, her strength would be deceptive. Raspien smiled at her, and he pulled the little girl who had whispered up by her ear.

“P-uh, puh- please don’t hurt me sir!” she begged.

Raspien laughed. “I won’t hurt you,” he said. “Go visit your sister!”

The little girl, wincing from the way that Raspien cruelly pulled on her ear, still had her eyes brighten when she saw her sister. “OH!” she said. “Ariel, you’re alive!” Raspien released the child, and her sweet little heart began to beat joyously as she saw that her sister was actually not dead. All her fear was gone.

Raspien smiled. He especially liked the way that the little girl’s look changed the moment her older sister’s teeth sunk into her.

“Killing family’s always a good place to start…” Raspien joked.

[Nightspoison]

Raspien's cold voice instructed her that the elf she was supposed to share with him. Was hers now and hers alone. Grimacing a bit from his harsh glare she said in a lofty voice "Fine, if you don't want to taste his sweet nectar, then all the better for me!" She then pranced away from her sire and moved towards the old elf.

Fear was in the old elf's eyes as he said in a croaky voice "Madam please! I beg you spare me! I'll tell you anything! Give you any treasure you wish! Anything...just ask! I know where the treasure of the king of Haidia is...I..I" his voice fell silent as the dark vixen's figure appeared an inch in front of his face.

"Shut up you old codger! I told you that I'd leave you be if you honestly told me where I could find REAL treasure! But," moving to take out the worn leather purse, she tossed in the old man's face and hissed "Tell me! How much are these worthless gems? How much! You sent me on a wild goose chase! For what? Just so I'd die! Well hate to say it, if you wanted me to die you should have sent me somewhere other then a deserted battlefield!"

"But la...lass! This is re...real treasure! See its..' fumbling to pull out the two semi precious stones, the elf says in a choked voice "These be emeralds! Valuable gem! Worth tons of gold!"

Rianna's laugh was short and cruel as she said succinctly "No...these aren't emeralds...there only worthless stones! Nice try...but not good enough!" she then moved to sniff his sounded shoulder, a pleasurable sigh escaping her as she says gently "Your pain will end though you old fool! You won't trick any one else!" She then sank her fangs quickly into his throat. She drank greedily off his rich blood. Smacking her lips when she finished, she let his body fall limp, still pinned now dead to the wall.

She then turned and gave Raspien a harsh glare. In a coy voice she whispers "You should have tried his blood! It was after all divine!" After teasing Raspien she went to her changeling.

Looking at him warmly she coos "What is your name honey?"

The elf vampire looked a bit unsettled as he said in a weak voice " Fëanor Lossëhelin mistress...I...I'm thirsty..."

Rianna giggled as she moved to kiss the elf's full mouth. In a gentle voice she murmurs "I have food for you." her eyes then drifted to the young boy. He was crying looking frightened as his little companion was sucked dry by Raspien's changeling.

His little voice was crying "Why? Why Ariel? Why'd you kill her! Sh...she was you sister!" tears were glistening in his young eyes as he wailed and looked around in panic. Realizing he was the only one left, he tried to make his way for the door.

Sighing as she walked forward, she said in a sweet voice "Sorry little one. Today isn't your lucky day." She then nodded towards her little pet and murmured "He's yours."

Feanor's dark brown eyes lit up hungrily as he staggered towards the young boy. Bending down the child's tears were silenced as the elven vampire fed from the young child. Was the boy's cries were silenced, he rose looking satisfied.

With this done, Rianna then turned towards Raspien and said strictly "Lets get out of here. I'm full and I think we've done everything that we needed to here."

[Epitaph]

Raspien scowled. “I don’t take orders from you,” he said to Rianna, before turning his attention away from her. He made no effort to leave, but instead turned his attention over to his new charge, the girl who once had so much courage to oppose him, but was now just another of his minions. He laughed when he thought of her soul looking up in heaven, as it watched helplessly as her body killed the sister she had sworn to protect.

Just to spite that soul, Raspien decided that he would torture his new vampire. “Have you eaten?” he asked, watching her as she sucked greedily on the corpse of her sister, even after it had shriveled to little more than a prune.

She nodded. Raspien smiled. “Good,” he said. “You have not yet earned the right to speak. Or a name. Rianna may have no respect for custom, but I do. You have no name until I give you one.” The girl nodded obediently.

Raspien smiled. She was going to be a perfect charge. The last bit of heroism she had showed in life made her that much more appealing for him. It was time to go. He looked around the room, seeing if there was anything he might want to take with him. There were a few gold coins here and there, but nothing all that particularly interesting. The Tel Aglarim soldiers had their weapons, and while Raspien could concede they were of a fine quality, as a former Kyorl soldier he thought it beneath him to accept one of their weapons.

For a moment, Raspien was going to be content leaving with the bastard sword he had found outside, but he soon changed his mind. He had yet to complete his act of spite.

“Woman,” he said, pointing at his sireling. “Did you have a weapon.”

She nodded.

“What was it?” Raspien asked.

The girl began to open her mout, but with a lightning reflex, Raspien was able to kick her straight in the mouth. She went flying towards the wall, and her frail body winced visibly with pain. “Don’t cry in pain,” he warned as he broke off another stake as if he was about to kill her. “I told you not to speak…”

The girl obeyed. She pointed over to a scabbard that had been near the corpse of the old elf. Its clasp had been broken, probably why she hadn’t had the weapon on her in the first place.

“For right now, this is mine,” Raspien said, as he went over and unsheathed the sword for his own use. “When you’re not useless, you can have it.”

The girl nodded obediently.

With that, Raspien was ready to leave. “I’m going to Alerar now,” he said. “Make some profit before I do anything else. Rianna, if you think you can be less useless than you were here, then you’re welcome to come as well.”

And with that, Raspien began to leave, his new charge following in tow.

[Nightspoison]

Rianna shrugged her shoulders modestly as she said "Touchy aren't we?" She then turned her attention to her surroundings. Broken bits of wood and weaponry littered the ground of the church. She saw that the old elf had a crossbow, made from solid steel and beside it was a quiver filled with crossbows. Moving to pick it up she turned it over in her hands and grinned. Placing it in her satchel she mutters "This will come in handy..." Gold was tempting, the shiny pieces of metal always helped her make a deal, or got her something that she desired.

But, for now she was content. Beckoning to her charge she murmurs "Lets go hun. Our work here is finished." She then headed towards the exit. Pausing as she became level with Raspien she mutters softly "Who was responsible for this town's damage? Who destroyed Carnelost Raspien? No normal force could have caused this destruction! It must have been a god!"

After she asked this question, she paused, she noticed his cruel treatment of his new charge. Wincing a bit as he struck the poor girl when she had nearly disobeyed him, she wanted to say something. But she held his tongue, as much as she hated the way Raspien was treating his charge, she knew better then to say anything. If her father had taught her one thing, it was not to meddle in the affairs of another vampire.

But for now her question was one of trust, she wanted to see how much she could trust him. So far, he had not treated her cruelly, but their was an air of contempt about him. Of disapproval in her actions, this she did not like. It caused her to wonder where his loyalties lied. She heard his offer to help him in Alerar. Pursuing her lips, her tongue traveled over the delicate skin as she murmurs thoughtfully "I'll help you Raspien...but only after I know I'll be safe and well paid. I don't do things easily Raspien. Two thinks work, money and the assurance that their won't be trouble."

She then beckoned to her own charge saying in a loving voice "Come on dear. We have to get out of here. All this blood, this destruction will look like the work of vampires. Soon hunters might come to investigate this place. We need to be long gone before that."

Fëanor nodded obediently as he shuffled forward. In a stronger voice he murmurs "Yes mistress, your wish is my command!"

She smiled fondly, ruffling her charge's long locks of blonde hair. She then pivoted on her feet, her impatience showed in her face. She wanted to be gone from this church, its destruction to her was too obvious. This would not be the work of whatever army caused the town's destruction, this was the obvious work of creature's who only thrived for blood. Tapping her foot rapidly she hissed "Hurry up and answer Raspien! Don't keep me waiting too long!"

[Epitaph]

Raspien thought about his answer long and hard. He knew that his new charge knew the answer, but he felt he could trust her not to say. However, he was more than willing to bet that if he didn’t give Rianna the answer, the Tel Aglarim soldier that she had sired would. With a sigh, he decided that there was only so much she’d be able to do with the information anyways. She was too disrespectful to ever come up with a grand strategy, and he knew well enough that a Forgotten One would have no use for her. It would be better if he told her than let her think otherwise.

“Uhh… I heard it might have been Xem’zund,” he said. “He’s a powerful necromancer, he probably also raised me from the dead. He means bad things as far as Raiaera’s concern, so good things for us…”

With that, Raspien’s little sireling went to fetch two parasols, which she was able to find in a now dilapidated church coat room. She brought them to him smiling meekly, and bowed as if to show she was honored to serve. The vampire considered slapping her just for its own sake, but let that fleeting fancy go. He needed to train her to accept his pain, but also realize that by anticipating his needs that she could avoid it. Instead he just snatched the parasols from her.

Speaking somewhat rudely, considering that Rianna was still in the room, Raspien congratulated his charge. “If I had been made to ask you for them, I would have given the second parasol to Rianna,” he said. “But you did well, you got what I needed without asking. It shows I can count on you. Rianna now will have to find her own…”

Raspien handed one of the parasols back to his little sireling and then opened his. Right before he left, he turned to Rianna and offered her an opportunity that was half a farewell and half an invitation. “Thanks for your help, you’re still a brat, but you’re useful. If you’re interested, there’s opportunity. Gold and whatever else you’re after. I’m taking my girl with me, you and soldier boy can do whatever.”

With that, Raspien left with his meek new sireling in tow. He cackled only a bit as he thought of all the things he’d now be able to do. He wondered, perhaps if one day, Xem’zund would hate the accident that had brought him up out from the soil.

(Spoils= I would like to claim both the sireling as an NPC, and a damascus schiavona as spoils. If this is too rich a request, please take it out of whatever GP I have and whatever GP I would be rewarded otherwise. The schiavona is for the sireling in the future, and not Raspien, if that makes a difference.)

[Nightspoison]

"Fetch us some parasols Fëanor. We don't want the sun turning us to ash!" Rianna smiled at her charge. His smile was warm in return as he pivoted like a good little soldier and disappeared into the church's small coat room. Minutes later he returned with two more pretty parasols. The pink one he handed to his mistress and the blue one he opened for himself. He then stood meekly next to her awaiting her next orders.

Rewarding him with a light kiss on the cheek, Ri opened up her own parasol and grinned when the cooling shade covered her head. Turning to look at Raspien she mutters "Thank you for telling me. Your an arrogant prat, but you told me the truth. In return for that I'll help you. I'll meet you in Alerar come sundown tomorrow."

With small talk down, Rianna beckoned to her charge and stepped out into the bright sunlight. The parasol was wide enough that all Ri could see was small specks of light around her shadowed figure. Keeping her changeling close to her, she slowly made her way through the ruined town. Stopping once they were out of Carnelost ruins, she paused and turned to hold Fëanor's hand. Pulling him close she murmurs "We'll head back to Radasanth...we can find dinner there and a relatively safe place to nest."

'But mistress..what of these hunters you speak of?" the new vampire asked, concern on his fair pale face.

"Don't worry about them sweetie. If we hide they won't be able to find us!"

"Al right..." their was hesitation on his face as he wanted to say something, but didn't have the courage. Instead his voice fell silent as he meekly waited for his mistress to lead on.

Seeing his restraint she murmurs "Your a good pet. I'll reward you later when we find our safe haven."

A tiny smile traced the male's strong face as he nodded.

Smiling Rianna pulled him onward, their figures retreating into the shadowed trees. With their parasols up, they made their way safely through the forest unhindered. For now Rianna was safe. She had a full stomach and a new pet to play with, she'd worry about her half-sister's destruction later. After all for now she had a job to do in Alerar, she'd be well paid and then after that she could concentrate her efforts on taking care of her father's wish to destroy her bratty, annoying half sister who was a blight to the Mizami name.

(Spoils: Steel crossbow: Your basic automatic crossbow. It fires one bolt at a time. Along with the crossbow I ask that you include the pouch of bolts 9 in total since one was dropped.

Fëanor Lossëhelin- A Tel Agarlim soldier that Ri changed. He is simply her obiedient servant right now. he has no weapon and he will follow Ri's whims and her commands. Right now he is simply her playtoy. I will get a weapon for him in a later thread. Thank you very much.)

[Karuka]

This seemed to be a simple little "let's get together and establish that we knew each other" thread. Judgment's probably going to be pretty short, but we'll see.

Continuity: 5

I got what drove Rianna in life (treasure and the desire to annihilate her half-sister) and that this was a new beginning for Raspien. I also caught glimpses of Raspien's past. I do not, however, have a good sense of what Raspien is doing next, or what Rianna was doing in Raiaera in the first place.

Pacing: 4

It started slow and it stayed slow, the whole way through.

Setting: 7

I got a good sense of the setting as it stood, but would have liked to have seen more interaction with it.

Persona: 6

Rianna stayed consistent as a kind of bratty not-quite evil (but wishing she were) girl, and Raspien was consistent as a cruel jerk, but the characters themselves did not portray any real depth in the context of this thread.

Action: 3

Action stayed pretty flat the entire way through. There was nothing that brought me to the edge of my seat, no tension or suspense at all throughout the thread. There wasn't even a struggle when there were six survivors and two vampires, and there easily could have been.

Dialogue: 5

Mechanics: 8

Raspien had a few typos, and Nightspoison had several fragments. She also needs to watch out for using "your" when she means "you're" (possessive "it's your changling," v. "you're a vampire").

Technique: 4

There was nothing that really stood out to me as far as technique went, and hearing "play toy" consistently for Feanor got a little repetitive. English is a language with a multitude of synonyms, just to keep things interesting.

Clarity: 9

I understood everything that happened.

Wild Card:5

Total: 56 Congratulations!

Rewards

Epitaph receives 1500 EXP x 2 = 3000, 100 GP, and requested spoils.
Nightspoison receives 570 EXP x 2 = 1140, 300 GP, and requested spoils.

NPCs must be approved by a RoG mod at your next level up, and remember, they may not be used in combat without your opponent's permission.

EXP/GP added!