~[Solo] Act 2: Chapter One Nosdyn~

[Nosdyn]

(It begins yall. Act 2. Act 1, the Ettermire saga is done now with the conclusion of Chapter 12. Now begins a new phase of Nosdyn's life. Takes place in Tular Plains. If there is interest I will be taking on a partner or two. This will be with regards to Nosdyn's rise to power. Will contain erotic scenes. You've been warned.)

They all worked together.

Roughly fifty of the Undead that originated in Alerar, directly from N'Jal's power and Nosdyn's own seed. A work of dangerous types of necromancy. Nosdyn knew the secret was life giving seed to the reanimated corpses of Ettermire's own fallen.

That day, over a year after the exodus from Ettermire to Tular Plains, Nosdyn worked in silence with his companions to build their village. It was a town built with demonic architectural preference. Some of the edifices appeared intimidating to look at. Directly at the front of the village, was a tower. Built for sorcery and accumulating knowledge and power. Nosdyn and his people had been working non-stop since they arrived in that region of Tular Plains. Haide. Away from any of the major cities. So as not to draw attention to themselves and work in secrecy.

He wiped sweat off his brow.

The demon folks were hard workers, combined with the tireless efforts of the undead.

Nosdyn knew his wife, Xelldra worked nearby. The sweat trickled off his muscular body. He was a blue skinned orc style demon, originating from a demon house of the Tular Plains. House Krotar. His muscles rippled with every movement he made. He was built for survival and endurance. The sweat trickles down his blue flesh. He had wild natural markings that resemble birth marks or tattoos.

His wife, Xelldra walked up to him and gave him a water skin.

He nodded and drank heavily from it. Water poured down his bottom lip, onto his beard. He wiped his face off with a rag at that point. He grunted from the hard work and sweat. They'd constructed the village after three months of hard work. Using the resource in the forests of Tular Plains they were currently in. He looks at his wife. "Thank you." He began. "What hour is it?" He asked, having lost track of time. He had not slept in a week. There was too much work that needed doing.

"Fifth hour. A Wednesday." She says softly. She kept track of minute details that her husband sometimes missed.

He nods and decided it was time to take a well earned break. He hugged his wife. "No rest for the wicked." He chuckled. "The village's construction is almost completed."

She nodded. "Record time too."

"Everyone worked really hard." He said. He rubbed his long beard for a moment. He was bald and had amber coloured eyes. Eyes that once stared at N'Jal as an equal, now they were enemies. He looked about at various crew working on this or that project. "Everyone." He commanded. "Let's take a well deserved break today. The village is almost complete." He says. And they obeyed his command...they were a well oiled machine.

And so it began.

[Nosdyn]

The sun shone brightly that day, adding to the tangible heat.

The sweat poured down his bare flesh as he stood there a moment talking with his companions. The single tower at the front of the village was lit up with activity that was arcane in nature. Research was going on there. Research into arcane secrets. He was giving them their debriefing. The village was on the verge of completion built by the mix of demons and undead. Nosdyn narrowed his eyes as he spoke to them. Soon they would break for a few days. They'd been working non-stop for the better part of three moons. Once the meeting is over, Nosdyn sighs. They'd accomplished a lot in a short period of time.

He looks at his wife, Xelldra for a moment. She wore her long hair at that point in a single long braid. Much like the female orcs would. He considers how far they'd come since they'd been slaves of N'Jal all those years ago. His wife looks at him with a soft smile on her lovely undead face. He feels her warmth when she placed a hand against his chest. He pulls her close in an embrace. "We have our own home now." Nosdyn tells her. He was referring to their village and it was free from N'Jal's influence.

"We'll have to name her at some point you know." She was referring to the village itself.

Nosdyn considered that for a moment or two. "That can wait." He hugs his wife close. "I think we need a bath first." He chuckled at that point. It had been many days since his last bath. He smiles at her at that point. "Shall we?" He asks. As they begin to walk to their own house, Nosdyn sees it.

A raven messenger bird from one of the major cities in Tular Plains swoops down towards Nosdyn. He extends his arm towards the messenger bird so he can land on his large arm. Nosdyn pets the large bird. "Youre back friend." He says to the raven.

The raven lets out a sharp squak.

Nosdyn carefully removes the letter that was tied to the raven's leg. He feeds the raven a well cooked ration bite as reward for a job well done. The raven nuzzles Nosdyn for a moment then flies off after.

"That's the fourth parcel so far my lord." Xelldra says calmly to her husband. Something was amiss. Something was brewing.

"Our contact has agreed to the plan." Nosdyn says carefully.

"My lord. If this works..." She begins.

He nods. "Come. Let's worry about it after. Everything is moving now." Nosdyn says. Events were moving quickly at that point...

Nosdyn could barely contain himself.

[Nosdyn]

Meanwhile...

Within Xaliel, in a certain building within a certain district of the demon's capitol city. A small group of robed demons were gathered. The leader, a burly demon looked at the letter he'd received from their contact. The fourth letter in a row now. "So it's true." He says to his three other companions.

A demon standing off to his side rubs his chin thoughtfully. "The son of House Krotar lives."

Their leader looked away for a moment deep in thought. "He has an army and his own House now." He said calmly.

"If this is true..." The other started to say.

"There is not much time to waste." He pauses at that point. "Gather your best scouts, well see this new village ourselves."

***

Tharak, son of Nosdyn was working with his wife, Lilly in their alchemy lab. The arcane lights within the tower were always lit and they worked virtually non stop. Only getting rest when needed.

"It's ready." He tells his wife, Lilly.

She nods. "Father will be pleased." Lilly said, accepting of the demon's culture and heritage. At that point they ready the rest of the security measures.

Tharak stretches at that point. It was at that point he saw it in the pool of scrying they kept for defensive purposes. Tharak sees a small group of demons approaching their village. An envoy of sorts. Tharak has one of their undead servants summon their father and lord.

***

Once he was dressed Nosdyn looks at the envoy's leader carefully. They were from Xaliel and had the proper credentials. Nosdyn knew a different type of strategy would be required for the political types. A far more dangerous sort of warfare and games. He had his arms folded across his chest as he looked at the leader calmly. Nosdyn saw disdain and repulsion in the male demon's eyes from the undead that were present. But he played along. His wife, Xelldra stood by his side as well as Tharak and Lilly. "Welcome to Theselak." Nosdyn had finally named the village since she was going to have visitors and guests.

The demon noble looked at Nosdyn carefully. "My representative is considering your plan. So you know this matter is extremely delicate and we're pooling a lot of resources into this."

Nosdyn always hated cloak and dagger situations. But he'd grown considerably wizened in his old age. He showed an extreme amount of restraint.

Xelldra knew her lord though and knew when he had discomfort, that was one of those times.

"How long do you intend to stay?" Nosdyn asked.

At that point an old memory from Ettermire surfaced. His right eye subtly twitched. The memory was from when he was training the slums kids in Ettermire in their orphanage. That was an old and painful memory. He remembered Lancaster's boy. For a moment his right fist clenched tightly at the mere thought of Llukai Lancaster. Lancaster represented one of the major betrayals that Nosdyn had to deal with. He looked at the noble demon. The memory of Lancaster brought about a dangerous situation. He stepped forward at that point and suddenly grabbed the noble.

"I'm going to rephrase what I just said." Nosdyn was angry by that point.

He knew the games demon houses played with one another. He'd been trained in the fires of Ettermire. "I'm tired of playing these games. Do you agree to the plan or not? You're only welcome to visit here if you're in agreement." He threatened, too many ghosts and sins were on his shoulders by that point in his life.

Nosdyn was changing the arrangement.

The noble demon was held roughly by Nosdyn. "What is this?" He asked, confused.

Nosdyn was angry at it all. Tired of the loss and heart break he had to endure in Ettermire. "You're running out of time. Do you agree or not?" He asks.

"We agree!" The noble was released at that point and was gasping for air. And the deal was iron clad at that point.

"Tell your lord. I don't play games here. The time for the old shadows and daggers in the dark...that's over. You either assist with my cause or get out of my way. I'm making the rules now." He kicks the noble hard and they leave in fear. "...Soft." Nosdyn concludes quickly. He walks up to his wife and kisses her deeply.

[Nosdyn]

They kiss for a long moment. She knew her lord was angry. "The past bothered you again didn't it?" She asks. She knew her lord, she knew what made him tick how he operated.

"Too many ghosts and skeletons in my closet." He says as he holds her close. "I just want this done right. On our own, entirely of our own skill set." He explains calmly to them. He holds her close trying to calm down. At that point he noticed his son walked up to him.

"Father." He says calmly.

Nosdyn nods. He thanked his son for coming to spend time with them. "I am certain the work was done well." Nosdyn said to them. He was invigorated by the recent events with the nobles from Xaliel. "We might have company after this very soon." He explains calmly. He looks at his wife. "It was Llukai Lancaster those thoughts surfaced this time." He explains to her.

"The past is returning to hurt us." She explains. "I am worried for you my lord." She hugs her husband. The proud demon was suffering internally and fighting a battle within his heart and soul.

He holds her close. "Come. Let's go home for now." He says. He thanks Tharak once more, and they head back to their tower.

"Let's just rest today before the storm comes my lord." Xelldra said carefully and he agreed.

They would take needed time to relax...

[Nosdyn]

A calm breeze that was warm flowed in from the west that afternoon.

Nosdyn looked up from his bed as he held his wife. The bed felt comfortable, there was a bed sheet wrapped around the lovers that was sewn in the haidia tailoring style. It was already afternoon, they had taken their bath a few nights earlier. It had been good. Nosdyn kisses his wife. For the first time in his life, he had a balance with himself...but something troubled him. He wasn't entirely certain what was wrong. He gets out of his bed calmly and gets dressed. He looks at his wife, Xelldra for a moment. Nosdyn knew what was coming for them all. It was not N'Jal...N'Jal was a later on problem. He steps out of their house and greets various of their citizens and looks around. He looks at the tower where his son and his own wife lived and worked. He nods.

He'd grown a lot from the night he found N'Jal in that cave...

Thoughts from his past surface for a moment and he taps the side of his head gently.

One of the male undead walked up to Nosdyn calmly. "Mi'lord...what's the matter?" He asks.

Nosdyn knew that man, he was a good warrior and a loyal soldier. "Derroth." Nosdyn nods. "Just was thinking about something from before." Nosdyn explains gently to his cohort.

Derroth nodded. "Mi'lord. Memories can oft be dangerous." He begins to counsel Nosdyn gently as the undead often did. "You went through a lot in Ettermire that would break most folks." He says. "You came out stronger in the end for it." He looks off to the west for a moment. Then he looks back towards Nosdyn. "Mi'lord people approach, likely from Xaliel." He says as he notices a small group of demon approaching the town.

Nosdyn nods. "Here we go." The tower loomed at the front of their village. At that point was a small city. Nosdyn looks at the small group of demons from Xaliel, they were the same group he was in contact with. He folds his arm across his chest as he looked at the leader of the demons. The same demon noble from before. It was all coming around full circle. Nosdyn stands a full five paces away from the demon entourage. His eyes narrowed.

Derroth stood by his side the whole time, and several more undead joined Nosdyn a few more moments later.

Nosdyn spoke. "I've been through this before in Ettermire. State your purpose." Nosdyn said and perhaps sounded a little harsher than he meant to sound.

The demon noble and his scouts looked at Nosdyn and had a sincerely confused look on his face. "After last time, my lord back in Xaliel agreed to your plans as I told you before. We're here to stay..."

His eye twitched. "...No. You're not. We built this village on our own entirely of our own accord." Nosdyn paused for a moment and became serious. "Are you really representing this generations demons?" Nosdyn suddenly asked. He knew how demons once were...and this current stock was a poor representation.

[Nosdyn]

At that point, Nosdyn noticed it. The wind was coming in from the east just then. Not the west, he looked around for a moment or two then back at the demon noble. The wind's change was subtle, but was a matter that affected Nosdyn. The wind picked up at that point coming it at a much stronger gust.

Derroth noticed that too. "I'll get the others indoors." He assured Nosdyn.

Nosdyn nodded and looked at the demon noble with a very dangerous expression on his face. He was thinking largely of the political back stabbing he had to endure in Ettermire that lead to his current situation. He had clawed and fought hard to get to where he was at. He looks at the demon noble coldly. "The deal is off." He suddenly said, and he meant it. He didn't survive being smote by N'Jal to be thrust into another bad situation like Ettermire. "You all made a mistake coming back here." He motions to his guards who were always waiting in the shadows. They emerge from the darkness and step forward. "I'm through playing these type of games. I'm not sure what your lord thought they were gonna accomplish here." He looks at the demon. "The nobility is the reason my family was exiled and my father is dead." He gave the signal and his people attacked, loyal soldiers.

A half an hour later it was over, they'd been so caught off guard that they had not expected a demon with actual balls. He looks at Derroth calmly. Who returned once those who could not fight were safe. "Fortify our defenses in case they send a larger force. We will defend this town with our very souls if need be." Nosdyn states proudly. He was defending his father and his house's honour by that point in the game. Nosdyn was already angry by that point and proceeded to walk towards his son's tower...he needed to consult with him and Lilly.

[Nosdyn]

(Experimenting with a slightly more interesting style)

He considered what they had been doing up until that point. They'd been following N'Jal's orders up until they defeated her. It was not her death, but that would come in time. He looked ahead and saw the approaching demon nobles from Xaliel. Nosdyn kept himself neutral face, he knew what they were after, what they wanted. Their leader approached...Nosdyn did not even falter one movement. He simply stared at the demon, also, orc like they were natives of the Tular Plains. This generation of demons are cowards... He thinks and he recalls the proud demon that was hid father. By that time into the transactions, they knew what type of demon Nosdyn was.

A year had passed, Theselak, their village, had grown into a sizable city. The position of the city on the tular plains had been a strategic choice. They were far enough away from Xaliel that they would have to send each other parcel by raven. One such raven was resting on Nosdyn's powerfully built shoulder. His amber coloured eyes stare ahead at the demon's approach. His wife, Xelldra stood by his side as well as his son, Tharak. They all bore the Krotar house name from his own Father. The leader of the approaching demons walked up to Nosdyn. His name was Theraz. Nosdyn knew that from the parcel they were sending one another.

"You've been busy." Theraz said calmly.

Nosdyn locked gazees with Theraz. "Your deal is being considered." He said calmly. Nosdyn was plotting and scheming which of the demon houses he would side with, it would come down to the best offer. "Keep into considering my dealings with N'Jal." He said calmly as he looked at him calmly.

Theraz seemed to have a little more backbone than the last few that Nosdyn had to flay. "So you say..."

That set Nosdyn off. He gave the order, and the demons from Xaliel were all killed off within the hour. After Nosdyn had the undead place their heads in boxes and mail them back to Xaliel. Nosdyn had become quite cold over time...

[Nosdyn]

He stood there over the corpse of the fallen as his undead allies consumed the corpses. His eyes were narrowed and he was breathing deeply, his chest rising and falling with each angry breath, his fists clenching and unclenching. He knew what he'd done there would be open warfare between Xaliel and Theselak as long as needed. Nosdyn looked ahead to the distance for a long moment. He half expected to see demon giants heading to their small and tiny city to destroy it.

But he knew, deep down there was need for strong demons who were no nonsense. He wipes the sweat off his brow and looks away from the horizon and back to his people. They were done feeding.

"Those...get rid of them. do not allow them to turn." He says to Derroth and the others. They nod.

The bodies are immediately burnt of and disposed...

Xelldra, his wife, takes a moist towel to wipe the flowing sweat off his body. "Here's a good a place as any." She says in regards to a quick bath.

He removes his leather vest.

She cleaned him off slowly primarily his large fists. She smiles at him. "Your temper was always attractive." She said with a soft smile.

He chuckled gently at that. He ran his hand gently through her braided hair. "Let's get indoors." He winked.

That was when Tharak, son of Nosdyn approached having sprinted from the sorcery tower. "My lord we have a small problem." He said gently.

[Nosdyn]

A breeze came in from the west, piping hot.

Nosdyn smelled blood and death on the wind. He looked off in the direction that his son, Tharak, pointed off in. Nosdyn spotted it, his eyes narrowed as he saw a large group of burly demons approaching their town. He raised his fest to ready his soldiers. Nosdyn saw the leader of the group made his way towards their position, he was unarmed. At least not immediately. Nosdyn noticed that right away and deduced they were not hostile. Nosdyn had protocol in place with his loyal warriors in case of any contingency, that was a result of the training from N'Jal.

A demon with familiar markings on his attire made his way towards Nosdyn and his people. The same group as before, my contacts. In Xaliel. He thought to himself quickly. The demon was a red colored humanoid with sinewy muscles. Nosdyn was a larger specimen but he used his strength as necessary. He would hear the strangers out. Nosdyn narrowed his eyes in concentration .

The red skinned demon bowed his head with surprising intent. "You are Nosdyn Krotar are you not?" He asked right away. "The son of House Krotar."

They know me... He realized right away. Nosdyn nodded in response. "I am." He began. "My father was Tharak Krotar." He noticed the look in the demon's eyes...priceless. Right then something happened that Nosdyn had not been expecting.

"Once we served Lord Zieg." He explained. "With his disappearance, there has been a hole in Xaliel's supremacy." The demon said carefully then knelt down in front of Nosdyn. His entire contingency also knelt down and that group of demon soldiers joined Nosdyn's cause. "We've come here to offer you our services Lord Nosdyn."

That... caught his attention. He was a recognized demon lord now.

Nosdyn let it all sink in. Once he'd been exiled because he'd not been part of his own house. Once his father and his family had been killed by assassins. Once it had all not mattered to him...that day, a chance to avenge his father was too good to pass up. "Understand why this is about to happen to you." Nosdyn said coldly. He raised his fist in command....the act was ruthless and brutal and the entire contingency of demons was killed off within a matter of an hour. The entire group of demons was killed off with brutal effectiveness. Nosdyn looked grimly at his son. "I am a recognized lord now. We are making progress." He grinned at that.

His people knelt down before Demon Lord Nosdyn.

[Nosdyn]

Nosdyn commanded his people to rise. They did that a moment later. Nosdyn spoke at that point. "We defeated N'Jal together, we defeated Ettermire. We will defeat whatever Xaliel throws at us too!" He raised his fist to rally his people. They cheered at the corpses of the fallen. "Dismantle those corpses and feed my brothers and sisters." Nosdyn commanded. They did so and looted the bodies defiling them. Nosdyn walked up to his wife at that point. "My wife. What is it?" He asked of her.

"The game will get interesting now." She said at that point. She'd developed prophet like skills at that point. "Xaliel is frightened of you my lord. You can harm them now." She added.

"N'Jal was just the start for us. The Thayne were just the start." He explained for her. "Come my wife, I hunger." He told her truthfully he needed her.

Xelldra nodded. "Of course my lord." She responded with a soft and seductive smile. "Let's head indoors." To their estate she meant.

He agreed. Then followed his wife home.

Before then though, there was a loud squak from his courier raven. He looked up and extended his arm. The raven landed on his arm. He rubbed the bird's head gently. "What is it my old friend?" Nosdyn asked. And saw there was another parcel attached to his leg from Xaliel. Nosdyn removed the parcel and handed it over to his wife for a moment. "Read the document my love." He commanded. He fed the raven gently.

Xelldra read the document allowed to him.

He frowned. "They are cowards."

She agreed. "And they are afraid of you." She added.

"They have requested an audience." Nosdyn listened to his wife reading the parcel.

"It's likely a trap." She said gently.

Nosdyn turned towards his wife for a long moment. "They requested I go alone. But we're all smarter than that are we not?" He chuckled. "After me and you are done fucking tonight." He said. "I want to hold a town meeting." He said. "We will prepare."

She raised her eyebrow and licked her lips. "We will counter trap them." She walked home with her husband.

And once he was done feeding the raven, the raven flew off nearby to take care of animal needs. "Indeed we shall. We been through this in Ettermire." He told his wife. "No more shall we fight for scraps." He said calmly. "We're carving our own route. Without the Thayne." He said and kissed his lovely undead woman deeply.