Death Undone

[Cerna]

(Open thread)

Cerna Rose Bloodwing was a peculiar Draenei in her previous life. She was a hunter and made her living skinning animals and selling the leather. She also was a Tailor. She'd often collect cloth from humanoid enemies and make her own bags and satchels to carry her gear And loot in. But this was not to last forever. See, when Cerna died from illness, She was reborn by an unknown entity and for many years was forced to serve him. She as a result, took on a more stern and stubborn personality. Comes off sometimes as totally savage even. But perhaps a champion willing to take the time to truly bond with her will break through her shell and bring out the kindly personality she once had.

[Nosdyn]

(Just so we don't get in trouble may contain erotic content. You've been warned. Note: the events of this thread coincide with the events of our other thread.)

It had been years since Nosdyn Krotar had been in Stonevale.

He was there that time to take care of some loose ends. He never liked large cities they were always emitting too much noise for his personal tastes. The demon was short in stature and appeared much like an Orc might. However, he had blue skin and glowing amber coloured eyes. He was built incredibly well. He had no hair on his bald head, but he had a long beard that was gray at that point he had it braided as well.

He didn't stay in the city of Stonevale any longer. He preferred the wilderness and camping out there. He had set up his camp a good distance away from Stonevale itself with it's pre civil war buildings and radasanth architecture.

Nosdyn was finished talking with his Ai'bron monk contact there in Stonevale and his business was concluded. He was certain to pass the parcel along to the Ai'bron people of The Citadel.

Nosdyn wore full leather attire. He lived in the Tular Plains at that point in a settlement he and his people forged together through the fires of war. Tular Plains was not a place for the weak willed. He walked forward quietly, he was never fast and thus walked slowly. His eyes were narrowed and the grim warrior was there to pass the time. He missed his people back home. But the business in Stonevale was far too important. With that task concluded, he began walking towards his camp.

It was located on the southern area of the wild land around Stonevale...

[Cerna]

Cerna noticed the ancient and although she was curious, she was also quite wary. She approached with caution and kept her hand on the hilt of her greatsword "You! Who are you?" She said sternly and harshly to state right off the bat that she doesn't play around. Especially with strangers She had never met beforehand. She sizes up the ancient appropriately, studying for weaknesses in case he was an enemy. She had a difficult time trusting anybody

[Nosdyn]

He heard the mysterious call out to him. His eyes narrowed for a moment but he was not hostile. He looked at her from beneath his hood. His glowing eyes staring at her from the shadows. He nodded. Noticing the girl was aggravated by something.

He spoke in a thick Tular Plains accent. The wizened old demon looked at her the entire time. "To you lady, I'm just a passersby as the locals like to say." He said calmly. "I don't like cities too much noise you see?" He said rubbing his thick beard gently.

"Had some business to conclude. I have not been out here in years." He noticed her sword. He grinned. "Are you with the local guard folks?" He asked. "I can get you an introduction with them if you are not." He said calmly to her. "I have a camp out here if you don't have a place to stay." It was the truth, he wasn't there to start trouble in his older age...

[Cerna]

"I am not with anybody." She said sternly. She's clearly having trust issues with people. Must've been through a traumatic experience. There seemed to be no other camps in the immediate wilderness. Though She clearly did not reside in the city. She may have at one time been a kind soul, but something seems to have changed within her. Perhaps She simply doesn't know how to cope with her new existence

[Nosdyn]

The blue skinned demon was not deterred. He didn't seen put off by her stern and serious nature. He nodded at her response. "Fair enough." The old soldier said calmly. He looked at her calmly. "Well you are welcome to follow me this way." He told her carefully in the direction of his small camp.

His camp was located on the southern ridge of Stonevale region proper.

He looked up glad that it was night. He started to walk forward motioning for the mysterious woman to follow him. She likely needed shelter. He was making a lot of assumptions, but he didn't mind. He could use the company anyway.

He was somewhat cold a breeze came in from the north from Salvar carrying with it the chill promise of winter's bite.

He offered her a spare cloak. "Here it looks like it will get chillier tonight." He handed her the cloak. "Consider that a gift." He said slyly. Handing her the warm bundle.

[Cerna]

She raises a brow and nods taking the cloak and wrapping it around herself. She still didn't fully trust this man, but it had to be better then sleeping in the open. She followed him to the campground slightly shivering as winter's bite took a nip on her

[Nosdyn]

He took point and walked with her to the camp he had set up. He used to stay in that region many years prior when he stayed at Stonevale so long ago. He felt the cold coming in much more fiercely at that point. Winter was rapidly coming. He knew from his personal journeys that Salvar was always cold.

He never liked the cold much either, his people came from Haidia which was a very hot place.

He carefully guided her to the camp. He had dinner awaiting the two of them. He didn't plan for any of it, he just knew his appetite that was all. He stretched once they arrived. There was a fancy tent present that had a stylized "K" symbol which was the glyph of his family clan.

He sits down and offers her a hot mug with chocolate of all things.

He was a demon of many peculiar tastes...

[Cerna]

Cerna took the mug with gratitude. She still didn't trust him fully yet, but She at least acknowledged that he isn't a threat to her. Besides, as previously stated, anything was better then the open wilderness in a cold place. She took a sip of the chocolate to warm up and looked out to the horizon with wary eyes. The years of undeath had not been kind to her add they've hardened her heart. Perhaps She could benefit from traveling with this stranger

[Nosdyn]

Nosdyn drinks hot chocolate with her.

He considers where to go and what to do next. The campfire was quite warm and toasty. Owls and other avians called out into the night. Cicadas and other insects were also making their sounds in the darkness. It was chilly that night.

He never really liked the cold. He was from a hot place...

He listened to the sound of her drinking the chocolate and her breathing. She appeared much different than most sentient people of Althanas. He had to wonder if she was also a demon of some sort...maybe an older variant. I should not pry on such matters. He considered as he drank his chocolate. He looked at her calmly. "Are you hungry my friend?" He asked of the mysterious girl...

[Cerna]

Cerna looks at him "My master typically does not allow us to eat. But yes i am a little hungry." She explained. "Master?" She serves someone? Must be a really vile person if she isn't even allowed a meal... Cerna was of course tempted by the offer, But she knew what her master would do to her should he discover her eating anything.

[Nosdyn]

The information caused Nosdyn to frown deeply. He was never one for slavery...but he understood Corone proper was "the land of the free." He barely understood the human concepts of government and law. But in Ettermire they had oft used those vague concepts against him and his people. He knew that men folk often clung to laws and the like and some semblance of order and government in tightly regimented units.

The concept was laughable.

It went against everything Nosdyn and his people stood for. He looks at the girl calmly. "I assure you...young one...your 'master' won't harm you here." He knew the local guard kin. He would raise hell if someone did attempt to harm her. "So please my friend, just eat well." He watched her eat the whole time...

[Cerna]

Cerna ate a little bit before continuing "I wish it were that simple" She said softly as her stern attitude diminished ever so slightly. "My master and i Have a.....Bit of a mental link. As he does with all his "Servants." She told him trying her best to explain the situation she's in. "It's how we are tracked"

[Nosdyn]

Nosdyn listened to her talking gently. He nodded. "We have such types of branding here on Althanas too." He guessed she was an off worlder...there were several adventurers he'd come across that were from different realms and such. Things of the cosmos always gave him a headache. He barely understood matters of the stars beyond the Thaynehood.

He looked away for a moment. "Tomorrow I will take you to someone who can sever those bonds if you wish it." He was speaking of the local priesthood. They aided individuals he knew that were in such dilemmas. "I assure you we are safe from your "master" here." He said calmly. It bothered him that she was connected to a slaver like that.

Souls counted as a form of slavery in Nosdyn's eyes. His eyes narrowed calmly.

He looked at the food gently and decided to not eat with her.

She wasn't going to eat and he didn't want to force her to eat if she didn't want to. He considered the situation. "You don't have to eat though." He said calmly. He placed the food gently down. After he got her more hot chocolate...

[Cerna]

She nods and took another mug "so that's what this world is called huh?" She cracked a small smile. "My world is actually several different worlds all lumped together" She said of Azaroth in particular

[Nosdyn]

"The people who are more learned than myself call this realm Althanas." Nosdyn explained. He wasn't very knowledgeable about cosmic matters. "To my limited understanding is that there are many realms in the vaults of the heavens." In other words, the cosmic scale of things.

"When did you arrive here?" Nosdyn asked.

He was curious of the woman before him. He wanted to learn everything he could. He considered everything else carefully and realized something interesting. "Oh." He began. "I am called Nosdyn Krotar." He said gently not bothering to overwhelm her with his demon lord status. Out there he was just a man talking to a girl.

[Cerna]

She chuckles "Cerna. Cerna Rose Bloodwing" She stated. "I woke up in these lands only a few days ago. Where I'm from, my type of undead are known as Death Knights. Though on a grander scale there we are simply called Scourge. Back home many fear us. Revile us even" She explained

[Nosdyn]

He listened to her calmly. Death Knights... The name had a nice ring to it. He could definitely get used to being her ally. He nodded gently as he drank more of the hot chocolate. It was good, it tasted good and kept him warm. He nodded once more listening to her explanation of things.

"I'm what men folks call a demon lord." He began. "I originate from the Tular Plains where my people are from." He hated knowing that his people had been banished as a whole to Tular Plains. He thought to himself, he was getting tired though and decided it was time to sleep for himself primarily. It was a late hour. "I have readied your bed roll do you want to call it a night?" He asked her gently.

[Cerna]

Cerna nods She was beginning to trust him in a sense. They don't seem too different from one another. She followed him to the bedroll and laid down.

[Nosdyn]

They laid next to one another. He had positioned the bed roll so that it was next to his own.

He looked up at the top of the tent for a long time before he spoke again. "You don't sleep either do you?" He'd always been a poor sleeper but he liked taking some time to relax in general. He looked at her calmly. "Tell me more about where you're from." He asked her gently. He was trying to get to know her better.

He imagined her home realm was not that different from Althanas.

He always liked hearing the stories off worlders had to tell. They always excited him deep down. He laid close to her, his warm body generating a lot of body heat naturally.

He came from a hot place...his people were hot blooded.

[Cerna]

Cerna chuckles "Curious little demon aren't you" She said sitting up "My home world is a cluster of worlds known as Azaroth. Many different dimensions and planets make up the world. Along with all kinds of different people, Places and creatures" She began simply "My Race in particular is known as a Draenei. A Lightforged Draenei in particular"

[Nosdyn]

He imagined what that world might look like in his mind. Vastly different from his own. He closed his eyes for a long moment as she told him about where she was from. He imagined much like a children's book might look or the stories human folks told their children in youth. Adventures in far off forests...

He sighed content that she told him so much.

He nodded once more in the dark. The campfire outside was still lit and provided illumination.

Looking at the girl calmly he listened to her speak of her world and her people. He nodded gently and felt a kinship and connection to the girl. They were not that different...he admired her a lot. She reminded him of his precious Xelldra, they were not so different. "We are not so different." Nosdyn said. "I have travelled across Althanas much of my life. I only recently returned home to the Tular Plains. I was in the region around Ettermire for a long time. Many years." He told her. "Those years were not kind to me." He added. Hinting at the many battles he fought to get to where he was.

[Cerna]

Cerna laughs "the years weren't kind to me either. They're still not..." Her health had vastly deteriorated since She was afraid to eat."

[Nosdyn]

He kept his eyes on her.

He moved a little to make sure she was warm from a combination of the cloak he'd given her and the bed roll. It would provide enough warmth. He sincerely found her attractive despite her races as Undead.

He'd been trained by N'Jal to love and admire the Undead. He made sure she was kept warm. He relaxed back in his own bed keeping his glowing amber eyes locked on her.

He considered where the night should go next, and he sat up in his bed. Keeping his eyes locked on her.

[Cerna]

Cerna looks towards him and her stern expression changed to one of interest. She was taking interest which was more of a response then most got from her. Her health was pretty rough even for an undead however

[Nosdyn]

He noticed the look in her eyes...it was definitely a vast change from her stern almost cold expression from earlier.

He nods gently. "Do you want to share a bed?" He asked of her boldly. He'd always been a man of action. Preferring a more direct approach to things. He liked her anyway.

Nosdyn awaited her response...

[Cerna]

Cerna nods and moved to his bed roll. She was beginning to have a major headache caused by her mental link with her master. These headaches are usually given to slaves to punish them for insubordination. This may be why Cerna wouldn't dare touch her food regardless how hungry she is

[Nosdyn]

As he got to know her, he knew that her freedom was important.

He wrapped his arms around her as she slipped in the bed roll with him. He held her close. "You're cold..." He said calmly. Thinking back on the undead he was connected to destinies intwined. N'Jal had taught him the process to give Undead life and warmth of sort...

But he would take his time with the specimen before him.

He massaged her lower back with his large hands.

[Cerna]

Cerna nods "can't say I'm surprised. Back on Azaroth, my master decided to build his blasted citadel in a frigid tundra. We draenei do not really do well in frigid locations dead or not" She explained

[Nosdyn]

He listened to her stories, her explanation of things.

The old demon found himself enticed and wanting to learn everything about her. She is quite interesting... He thought to himself as he held her against his larger warm body. His hand massaged her lower back softly. Easing the tension out of her.

"I promise you where we are going soon is a hot place." He told her calmly. "You will be safe there." He began to undress her and himself...

[Cerna]

She blushed as he undressed her. Her tensions leaving her as he did so. She was still dealing with the headache, But she was content for the first time in her afterlife

[Nosdyn]

He held her completely close. Enjoying her somewhat chillier, cold body. He did not mind it at all. He massaged her lower back very gently he knew she'd been through a lot.

He wanted to provide her as much comfort as he could.

His hand softly massaging her. He was actually quite gentle with his touch.

He wrapped the bed roll sheets around the two of them knowing she needed the warmth. He thinks back to the secret technique N'Jal taught him and his people. He held her close the entire time. Massaging her, eager to explore her undead body and form...

[Cerna]

She purred content with his gentle touch on her freezing skin. He was the first to treat her with such kindness and she knew when to repay a debt

[Nosdyn]

He smiled at her closeness.

Massaging her lower back very gently. She was quite attractive to his eyes...he'd always had a thing for the undead.

He massaged her gently holding her as close as he could. Her chill skin felt good to the touch. He could warm her, he wondered if that secret technique would work on her undead anatomy as well.

He grabbed her ass firmly, massaging that as well. His arms holding her as close as he could. He kissed her deeply.

[Cerna]

She smiles softly and falls asleep in his embrace. She was exhausted from the entire Ordeal

[Nosdyn]

Nosdyn wrapped his arms around her as she fell asleep in his embrace. His hands massaging her gently.

He never really slept, he never could sleep. But he was content in her embrace.

His demon's heart was quickly falling for her.

He massaged her gently and made sure the warm bed sheets and roll was wrapped firmly around the two of them.

He stood up with her protectively the whole night...

[Cerna]

The next morning it was time. Cerna is to be brought to the Stonevale priests to sever her ties to the Undead King. Perhaps this will finally do away with her internal anguish

[Nosdyn]

Nosdyn awoke he never slept but he had watched over her the entire night.

He got dressed and assisted her with getting dressed as well.

"We'll go the priesthood right away." Nosdyn promised. He sighed calmly. Looking around and making sure that he got everything they needed. He clasped the great cloak he wore around his neck and placed his mask on. "I use my mask to keep prying eyes from knowing what I am." He explained. "Many races are hostile to our people." He explained gently. He puts out the campfire carefully to relight it once more later that night...

He guides her to Stonevale proper after, taking point.

[Cerna]

She nods understanding and pulls her hood up as well "I feel that"

[Nosdyn]

They made it to Stonevale proper.

The city was a fairly good sized city with many large buildings around. Nosdyn already hated being there, but he had made a promise to her. The woman next to him, and he'd been always a demon of his word. He always kept his promises he made. They were oaths. He held her hand, he looked for his contact within Stonevale.

They made it to the priest sanctum. It was a temple of Lady Y'Edda. One of the Thayne. He would educate Cerna about the Thaynehood later on.

He walked up towards the temple and nodded to the priests outside of the temple. "Is Crux present?" Nosdyn asked of his old friend. Crux was one of the high priests.

The man nodded. "Just inside Lord Nosdyn."

There was a mutual respect between the people of Stonevale and Nosdyn.

He respected their laws though he hated the concepts of laws and human government. He nodded and looked at Cerna. "We're here at the temple of Y'Edda." He said calmly. "My contact is a High Priest named Crux." Nosdyn explained to Cerna as they entered the temple.

Marble, it was bright there with plenty of lit candelabra. The temple was alive with activity. It made Nosdyn uncomfortable. But he wanted to help her. Help Cerna. They arrive at Crux's office.

"Lord Nosdyn so good to see you." Crux was a jovial man who had fierce intellect in his eyes. Short blond hair and wore the priest robes, he had brown eyes.

Nosdyn nodded at his old friend. "Pleasure." Nosdyn said politely. "Also...I am here to request a favor." He said calmly and looked at Cerna.

Crux nodded. He stood up from his chair and walked over towards Cerna. There was a strong scent of undeath from her. It made Crux wince just a moment but he collected himself. "Tell me Nosdyn's companion, what seems to ail you?"

Nosdyn didn't feel right revealing Cerna's ailments directly. So they let her speak.

[Cerna]

Cerna gave a light smile. "I explained this to nosdyn here last night, but I'm struggling with a mental link to my former master I'd very much like severed." She told the high priest calmly. She knew when her stone cold personality would be a bad idea

[Nosdyn]

Nosdyn caught that former master thing and that made him grin behind the mask.

He held her hand....

Crux was standing in front of Lady Cerna at that point and moved quickly to shut the door behind them. He nodded at that point. "I will sever those bonds that shackle you. I have seen such forms of slavery before." He said calmly. Having an intrinsic knowledge of the undead and other races and spells of that caliber.

He moves back in front of Cerna. "With your permission we can begin." He began to summon his vast power...

[Cerna]

Cerna nods and stood up straight to ready herself. Her long whiplike tail limp behind her and her hooves flat on the ground. "Permission granted. You may begin" She said giving consent

[Nosdyn]

The light burned brightly from within Crux's soul.

He was a highly skilled priest...one of the most potent practitioners of his art in that age.

He began by summoning the power at his command and locating the psychic bonds that tied her former master to Cerna still. Crux mentally worked to undo the bonds.

He severed them completely from her former master...

Once Crux freed Cerna, he dissolved the chains and bonds completely at a sub molecular level. He gasped once the process was done, he was a little out of breath and the process had taken three full hours. "You are freed." Crux finally said calmly. Catching his breath.

Nosdyn watched from behind his mask the entire time...

[Cerna]

Cerna nodded and recomposed herself once the process was complete. She no longer heard her former master's voice in her head. If he was mentally screaming at her now, She could no longer hear it "you have my thanks" She said to Crux and returned eagerly to nosdyn's side

[Nosdyn]

Nosdyn hugged her close for a moment and nodded. He shook Crux's hand gently. "You also have my thanks my old friend."

Crux nodded. "How long are you in town for?" He asked Nosdyn.

Nosdyn held his woman. "Few more nights then we're heading back home." He explained. Stonevale had always been too cold for him anyway...he continued to hold his now free woman. "Let's head back to camp." Nosdyn suggested to her.

[Cerna]

Cerna nods at nosdyn and looks at him "gladly" She said to him as she began to follow him back to the camp

[Nosdyn]

He held her hand as they walked back.

"Crux is a good man." He said calmly. "He's helped me out a few times in the past." He spoke gently. "Some humans don't judge other species but many do." He explained. "We always have to be careful." He explained to her.

His hand was wrapped firmly around her own. He didn't mind calling her his mate, as he was hers. He walked with her along side her. Things had happened well, and he'd saved her life as she had saved his own.

In a week's time they would begin the journey back to Tular Plains...home.

~The End~

[Cerna]

Cerna smiles and packs up her things to make the journey with her newfound Companion. She was glad he saved her from the torture she had endured for ages. Both here and on her home world. Now she was set to start the next chapter in her life. Adventure awaited her here in the world she found herself in. The world, Of Althanas

~End

[Shinsou Vaan Osiris]

Thank you both for submitting this thread for judgment!

I want to start by making some opening comments.

You originally asked for a full rubric judgment, but I declined this for one reason. This type of thread is an unusual one for Althanas. It harks back to the days of short, but fun, “burst RP” posting where there is less focus on quality and more on progression and involvement. It would be grossly unfair to weigh up a thread like this against an average Althanas thread, but at the same time there are some “basics” that need addressing and therefore as a compromise I’ve decided to score five stars out of ten (with 7 stars representing an “average” thread). This sort of equates to about a 30-40 on the old scoring scale.

On these types of judgments, I try to give three pros and cons. Due to the nature of this thread, it’s going to be abridged.

Pros

• It was fun for you guys to write. That should be the main goal of every thread on Althanas. Burst posting is rare these days, but it achieved at least this aim.
• It contained (relatively speaking) some character development, which is always a good thing on Althanas.
• There was a framework of a plot. Even if it needed expanding on, the thread wasn’t wasted in this regard.

Cons

• Posts were way, way, way too short for Cerna to be able to really learn about her environment and character. Some posts were a sentence long, which is nowhere near enough to be able to discern anything of any value.
• Nosdyn’s posts often contained repetition to the n’th degree. It’s always better to try to find different ways to describe the same things in a post.
• Too much dialogue, not enough action.


Final score: *****

Rewards:

Cerna receives 1,177 EXP, 150 GP and a hide cloak.

Nosdyn receives 1,132 EXP and 168 GP

[Shinsou Vaan Osiris]

All rewards added!