How delightful...

[Siaphus Bleak]

"Really? Eheh, Hehehe, oh my. How delightful!"

Siaphus had propped himself comfortably upon a large pile of dirt and loose gravel, his chin and hands resting on the handle of a shovel. He had been talking to the corpse for over two hours.

"Oh yes, you'd be surprised. The people these days, they are tactless, unrefined. Not like you Edrik, not like you at all."

Mr. Edrik Scane had been deceased for seven months now, but few people knew it. He was a quiet man, rarely speaking to anyone if he could help it. He retained these qualities in death.

"Ah! you see? therein lies the problem. The fundamental flaw with Escorva's government is it's intolerance of occultism. I for one firmly believe that... wait... what's that? oh.. well I hadn't thought of it quite like that before..."

Occasionally the corpse of Scane would slump over into the dirt, in which case Siaphus would set it upright again and carry on the conversation as though nothing had happened. Over the course of several such events, the rotting muscle and ligaments of it's arm had weakened.

"Well sure if you wish to be so black and white about it, but personally I think there's plenty of room for variation of the Von Straum theory of negativity. For instance.. oh... Edrik!"

Edrik fell forward into his freshly opened grave. Siaphus reached outward and grasped it's arm, pulling it clean from the socket. His dusty remains lay flat in the gaping hole.

"Merciful Gods, Edrik! wait here.. you... you just wait right here, I'll get help!"

Siaphus cursed under his breath. The people had been digging their graves especially deep these days, a blatant attempt at halting any potential undead that might crawl forth from a fresh burial. Siaphus couldn't risk climbing back in and getting stuck himself, especially with poor Edrik in such grim condition. No, he needed help.

"Someone! somebody please! help me! my friend is in mortal danger! IF ANYONE CAN HEAR ME PLEASE SEND FOR AID!"

Siaphus called outward into the darkness, his loudest voice more of a high-pitched snarl than any normal man's yell. For once in his vile lifetime, he wasn't grinning.

[Cal Rish]

It was supposed to have been a simple arrangement. Cal was to lead the men to the location of the treasure, the men were to retrieve it, and they would split the spoils. Cal hadn't even asked for an equal portion; after all, it was more of a finder's fee than anything. For them to simply refuse to give Cal even a single gold piece was beyond unacceptable.

It had taken him two weeks of questioning locals and following up on rumors to finally discover the location of a small cache of gold and jewels, but Cal was forced to abandon his attempt at retrieval when he came across the odd, violent creatures guarding the small cave. His only recourse was to turn to a pair of seasoned fighters who seemed to have no problem dispatching the creatures. Upon returning to Cal, however, the men attacked without provocation, and they left without giving Cal his fair share. They left, laughing, as Cal lay bloodied at the mouth of the cave. They left with all of the gold. Cal's gold.

He would come across the men again someday, though, and he would take his revenge when that day came. That, he was certain of.

Cal was in an understandably vile mood due to the whole incident, and the splitting headache and swollen lip weren't doing anything to lift his spirits. He trudged along the trail through the woods, wanting to get away from the small village where he'd first caught wind of the rumor about the gold. He trudged along silently, paying little attention to the trail or his surroundings, playing over in his head the various forms of revenge he'd like to take on the men.

"Someone!"

The cry snapped Cal back to reality. It sounded disturbingly close. Cal crouched and prepared to Fade if he had to. Thank the gods it was nighttime.

"Somebody please! Help me! My friend is in mortal danger! IF ANYONE CAN HEAR ME PLEASE SEND FOR AID!"

Cal instantly sprung up. Using his staff to clear the underbrush, Cal rapidly moved through the forest in the direction of the cry and, without warning, crashed through a wall of bushes and into a clearing. What he saw in the pale light of the moon left him, for perhaps the the first time in his life, utterly speechless.

The man, with his garish clothes and skull-like face, seemed to be crouching at an opening in the ground. An opening that looked strangely like... Cal quickly glanced around and, seeing the headstones for the first time, realized he was in a graveyard. It was then that he registered the stench that was permeating the air -- the stench of decay. Cal had seen (and participated in) many unsavory acts in his life, but grave-robbing was one that he had steadfastly avoided. Even he had some respect for the dead.

Returning his vision to the strange man, Cal made an effort to close his mouth (which had been hanging agape) and tried to think of something to say.

"I heard... You... Your friend... Um..."

Cal closed his eyes, took a deep breath, forced a smile to his face, and started over.

"Is everything alright, my friend? It sounded like you could use a hand."

[Siaphus Bleak]

A toothy grin made it's way to Siaphus's face as he turned around to meet his guest.

"Ah! Hells be praised, a savior! we must act quickly, yes, quickly indeed. My friend Edrik, poor Edrik, he has fallen into the grave! and his arm..."

He held the rotting limb aloft, dusty bits of flesh and detritus falling off as he did so.

"It was torn from it's very socket, as I tried to save him! but surely, yes, surely the both of us can accomplish far more than myself alone."

Tapping his fingers together in anticipation, he took a couple of shuffling steps toward his new guest.

"Oh! and where are my manners, hehe, eh, hmm, I daresay they've escaped me, hehe, for the time being. My name is Siaphus, Siaphus Siberius Bleak."

He removed his tophat and gave an exaggerated bow, white hair falling in spidery tendrils to his face.

"And who might you be? hehe, to who does my dearest friend Edrik owe his life?"

Siaphus turned around briefly, to face the opened grave, kneeling and calling down to the corpse of Edrik.

"Worry not, my friend, soon you will be saved!"

[Cal Rish]

Realizing he wasn't in any immediate danger, Cal relaxed and found an easy smile spreading across his face. This strange man seemed friendly enough, if a bit demented. Taking a few quick steps, Cal moved next to the crouching figure and peered into the open grave. The smile faltered momentarily as the revolting stench of decay assaulted his nostrils, but the smile was back in a flash. Disgusted as he might be, he at least was able to appear calm.

The corpse was slumped in an awkward position at the bottom of the freshly-dug hole, its head at an impossible angle and the body half-gone from decomposition. The eyes were amazingly still visible, and they stared accusingly up at the pair, as if to demand its missing arm back. Cal took in this sight in an instant, and happily convinced that the strange man's friend wasn't a zombie turned to face his companion, striking a servile pose.

"It's very nice to meet you, my distinguished friend. Mr. Bleak, is it? I'm Cal Rish, Cal to my good friends, such as yourself."

Cal's smile faded to a look of concern as he gestured toward the grave. "Edrik seems to be in quite the bind. Would you mind my asking why you need him back up? He looks rather comfortable, and it's not every day, after all, that a sleeping man is awoken in such a manner."

Cal knew he was taking a gamble with the tone and phrasing, but his intuition told him it was the appropriate way of addressing Siaphus. Damned headache... it would be far easier to read the man if he could concentrate. Cal kept the look of concern on his face, even adjusting his body position to reflect the submissive image he wished to portray. Awaiting a reply, Cal studied the man for any clues regarding his personality. Every bit of information he gathered, from facial expressions to body language to choice of words, could be used to craft the perfect response to whatever Siaphus chose to say.

[Sir_Hobbleton_Smith]

The wraith Tavarus had always enjoyed amusing himself by watching and eavesdropping on unsuspecting strangers- especially the odd and unpredictable ones. Thus he was drawn to Siaphus Bleak. He had been watching the strange person throughout his two hour one-sided conversation with this Edrik. By the time a man by the name of Cal Rish had shown up, Tavarus had been amused greatly. He could see Cal's disgust when Cal had discovered the true scenerio that he had drawn himself into. It was now that Tavarus decided to intervene. Tavarus broke his body up into black dust and floated above the damp grass, a grim cloud in the lonely graveyard, to the spot beside the gaping hole that served as the grave of Edrik Scane, may he rest in eternal peace.

"I believe I can help you."

Tavarus spoke as he materialized. He immediately began to rub his grisly hands together and began to speak again before the other two had a chance to react.

"You see, Siaphus, my friend, I do not believe this man, Cal, has any intention of helping poor Edrik out of this dreadful hole. Indeed, I believe he would rather like to be on his way, can't you see? He says Edrik is 'comfortable'. He does not understand your complex emotions for Edrik. But people like you and I... we obviously think alike. I would be very glad to help you reclaim your unfortunate friend from this pit. I understand your plight."

Tavarus began to nervously scratch the side of his face as he continued to speak.

"Yet... Seeing your attachment to Edrik has reminded me of something rather sad- I have no friends of my own. Please, dear Siaphus, would you take my helpful deed as a token of friendship? People like us should stick together... What do you say?"

Tavarus licked his lips with a ghostly half-rotted tongue, thinking of how pathetic his offer of friendship must have sounded.

[Siaphus Bleak]

Siaphus was pleased by this 'Cal' and his kind words, the warmth of their sincerety giving him hope that Edrik may yet be saved, but before he had a chance to voice his thoughts, he was approached. Siaphus had seen his fair share of ghosts and ghouls and goblins and all manner of horrible, nightmare-beasts, but it had been a long while since they had offered him friendship. He was wary, untrusting. He grew hostile.

An unbound shroud. An incorporeal without tether, and... evidently without manners as well.

Siaphus shifted towards the creature and placed his hat back upon his head.

"People like us? ehe, heh, is that what you said to me?"

His grin fell from view, his voice spiking into aggitated severity.

"I shall bear no such insult, Shroud! You dare place me at the same level as you? Show me to your master so that I may better teach him to train his summonings! but first let your superiors speak, you shall communicate when ordered to do so."

Doffing his hat once more, he turned back to Cal with a toothy grin.

"Please pardon that, heh, interruption, the conjurors of today grow soft, unleashing their minions with reckless abandon, heh. It does so pain me to see such poor manners in such a finely crafted Wraith. I assure you, it is most pleasant to make your aquantaince Mister Cal."

He extended a bony hand in friendship.

"Now, hehe, hmm, what say we lend Edrik our respective hands, hmm?" WORRY NOT EDRIK! WE'RE COMING TO YOUR AID!

Siaphus turned with scorn to the unbound shroud.

"Speak thy name foul thing, my patience with your interruption wears quite thin, wether or not you seek mortal friendship."

He jabbed a finger forcefully in his direction

"Learn. Your. Place."

[Sir_Hobbleton_Smith]

Tavarus had expected such a response, yet he still trembled with rage. Siaphus' reaction had been very similar to that of the other cabalists and necromancers Tavarus had ever tried to befriend. They just did not seem to be able to grasp the matter that he had no master; he was sure that he had not been conjured, yet he knew nothing of his creation. He realized that he had been much to hasty in approaching Siaphus.

Tavarus decided to play along with the situation, and instead of unleashing a wrath of destruction with his war hammer, as he would have so much liked to do, he began to smile.

"My name, Master Siaphus, is Tavarus. It is true- I do not know my place. You see, I have certain problems with my memory. Yet, I can assure you that I am no conjuration. I have no master."

Tavarus hoped that his response had not further offended Siaphus, yet he was telling the truth. He began to rub his long, pale fingers together, awaiting a response, or perhaps another order.

[Siaphus Bleak]

Having engaged himself in the act of helping Cal rescue Edrik, Siaphus was in a bad position to converse, but he did so anyway.

The situation is of greater mystery than I speculated. Could it be he is simply free-roaming? no... it could not be, all incorporeals are bound. Or are they?

With a mighty heave, he brought himself straight upward from the grave.

"Good sir Cal, would you be so, hehe, so noble as to aid our ailing friend while I speak to this... this Tavarus?"

Siaphus approached the wraith with curiosity and caution.

"I see, heh, a great many things in you Tavarus. I see the vestiges of hatred, I see pain, I see a fair bit of rage, hehe, hmm, pulsating throughout what you call your body. Above all though, I see honesty."

Slowly, Siaphus removed his hat.

"For the time being, you shall be adressed as equal. Prove yourself free of bond and you shall retain that status. Heed me though, Wraith, I am not by any means weak. I know what you are capable of, and you may rest wholly assured that I am capable of quite the same."

Siaphus turned back towards Cal and shouted.

"Forgive my, hehe, my delay, friend. This could take a fair bit of time."

"Please, if you are capable then sit down with me. I have questions..."

He grinned.

[Sir_Hobbleton_Smith]

Disappointment and hatred were familiar feelings to Tavarus. Joy was a thing with which the wraith was completely unaccustomed, but joy was what he felt when Siaphus declared him his equal and, furthermore, asked him to sit down and speak with him. How often had he ever been asked to converse before this? He could not remember, but he did not think it had been a common occurrence. For the first time he was glad he had stepped out of the forest and revealed himself to this man.

He sat himself down, which was quite an awkward and unusual thing for a wraith to do, and looked up at Siaphus.

"I would be obliged, good Siaphus, to answer any question you may feel the urge to ask. I can assure you, I follow no schedule, nor do I have anywhere to be. Yet, let us not disregard Cal and your friend any longer than necessary."

Tavarus waited for the man's inquiries, which he hoped he would be able to answer.

[Taskmienster]

This thread has been waiting for over a year. If you would like to complete it, or work on it further, you can PM myself or another staff member and ask for it to be moved. However, till that time, it will be resting in the Scara Brae Archive forum.

Thanks,
~Task