Description
A slender, smallish creature slinks nearby on the fringes of the
darkness. Unnaturally aged skin and murky grey hair are the first
things you catch a glimpse of, before she glides close enough to
peer at you from sunken, blackened eyes. Her crooked nose and flaring
eyebrows make her appear menacing, although you suspect this is
simply her neutral expression. You probably wouldn't want to see her
darker expressions, since she certainly wouldn't be any prettier
when she was angry.
Role
Out with the old Emperor, in with the New
Added Sun Jan 8 22:31:31 2006 at level 51:
In an unexpected move, the new Emperor Grunlath has asked me
to spy on the sect leaders, and let him know of any suspicious
behavior. Of course I agreed, but this has changed things. My
operatives were supposed to be removing all of the serious threats
to Dulmisa so she could take the vacant throne, but instead, it
appears that Dulmisa will need to meet with an unfortunate demise
if I wish to become the Shadow Lord now. We will see how trusting
Grunlath is with my spy reports when it is revealed the Shadow Lord
plots against him. I must choose my words carefully, and make sure
my moles can verify my reports, or else my head will be the one on
the chopping block.
+ My search for an advantage over my foes
Added Sun Jan 8 16:22:29 2006 at level 51:
I can sense the outlanders, ragers, and fortress collaborate against
me. I have managed to stay one step ahead of them, but they
weaken my support in the shadow sect by slaying my less fortunate
underlings. My bane from the outlanders and fortress is their quick
and easy access to various levitation magics, preventing me from
doing what I do best to keep them face down on the ground. Rumors
have come to me of scrolls in remote corners of the world that may
bring them down, but I am skeptical whether the vague clues were
with the handfuls of gold I paid. For me to travel alone to Thar Acacia
and the Silent Tower is almost certain suicide, but if the reward gives
me an advantage over these fools, it may be worth the risk.
It may just be easier for me to subvert another Arcane to do my bidding
although I will need to tread carefully on these grounds to avoid too
much more attention.
The unfortunate demise of Ahzeed.
Added Sun Jan 8 15:46:06 2006 at level 51:
He was becoming too powerful too quickly, and threatened to surpass
me for the Shadow Lord's seat. I was confident that the Shadow Lord
would take the throne this time, and I could not afford to allow Ahzeed
to compete with me for the power that was due to me.. I took no pleasure
in setting my long-time ally up for a series of misfortunate "accidents",
but could not afford to allow him to solidify his power and sieze control
in the chaos when I help install Dulmisa into the Emperor's throne.
The New Emperor, and My Small Setback
Added Wed Nov 30 20:02:19 2005 at level 48:
My manipulations had finally come to fruition and Niazuruzain
had taken the throne as Emperor, through no small amount of
misinformation of my own. Unfortunately, my plans for Dulmisa
to be Anathem'ed did not play out. She was too cunning to take
the easy way out and try to seize power against the will of the
council. Now things are worse for me, as the Shadow Lord
hovers over me looking for any excuse to cast me down. My
only chance to succeed now will be to build a loyal following
within the Shadow Sect and force Dulmisa out, or else speed
along her early demise.
Niazuruzain was the perfect candidate for keeping my future
throne warm for me. I am certain that the former Dread Lord
trusts me unquestionably, thanks to the numerous battles we've
waged together. When the time comes for the Emperor's throat
to be slit, none would ever suspect it was me who was behind
such a deed. I must bide my time and consolidate my power
over the Shadow Sect first, however. Dulmisa is still my primary
threat, even though all outward appearances must continue to
seem that I would pledge loyalty to her.
The thieves guilds continue to frustrate me...
Added Wed Nov 30 20:00:27 2005 at level 48:
It is a shame that I had been forced to waste so much time
learning abilities (push, weaponbutt blackjack, etc) that were
ultimately useless to me, when the true power that would make
me somewhat formidable is still barely beyond my grasp. After
continued visits to the guildmasters in Tir Talath, Dagdan, and
the Northern Mountain village, they refuse to teach me anything
worthwhile any longer. I have tried bribery, coercion, and
outright murder, but the secrets of parting block will not be made
known to me. After numerous confrontations with Devontair, the
cloaked figure in Tir Talath, and the other unmentionable teacher
from Dagdan, it has become clear that any further education on
this matter will need to be through my own experimentation and
observations. The thieves guilds of Thera are no longer of any
use to me, and for all I care, they should all be burned to the
ground when I assume power.
I have heard rumors of teachers in places such as the Silent
Tower and Thar-Acacia that would educate me of things that no
others were capable of. So far, my investigations in those places
and within the Lyceum have been dead ends. I will need to acquire
this tiny bit of leverage to cement my control over the foes of the
Empire, however, so will continue to see what I may learn on the
parting block ability.
A conversation with the Imperial Assassin as I remembered it...
Added Fri Nov 25 14:33:43 2005 at level 47:
Background, Ahtathurn and Azrael had spelled me up so I could easily
slay Kelayna and Hirken during a Fortress raid. The two Citizen
Mages had both been very generous with their spells, not only
this time, but many times in the past. I never had any difficulty in
getting elemental shields or a metabolic slowing (I rarely even
had to ask), which had helped me take on challenges that would
otherwise have been beyond me. Halfway through the raid, the
Imperial Assassin spoke with me and the exchange went some-
thing like this...
The Imperial Assassin tells you 'So tell me Nivult, why is it the
sects of this Empire are supposed to hold the power, but instead
it is these wretched citizen mages?'
You tell the Imperial Assassin 'they serve my purposes for right now.'
You tell the Imperial Assassin 'the mages hold no true power in
the Empire, they are simply pawns for use by the Shadow Sect
right now.'
The Imperial Assassin tells you 'Then tell me why it seems like
you're their pawn. Why don't you demand from them their
powerful artifacts? Why are they allowed to even be graced by
such things?'
You tell the Imperial Assassin 'The trinkets they take are of little
consequence to me... if something is a worthy donation, I will
take it, stealing it if necessary, but while they serve my uses in
striking the Maran down, I will take advantage of them.'
You tell the Imperial Assassin 'when the Shadows have achieved
a position of strength where we can do this alone, the mages will
be expendable.'
The Imperial Assassin tells you 'This answer does not satisfy
things. I want the mages to know their place.'
So, I pondered these words and did what anybody in my line of
work would probably do. I cased Azrael and Ahtathurn and stole
some choice items while they slept in the throneroom, including
the Spike-toed boots which were most recently possessed by the
Shadow Lord. I pondered how I would demand some of the items
which they wore, and the fine line I needed to walk perplexed me.
They were both formidable allies and potentially deadly foes to
me. They had both aided not only me personally, but the Empire
greatly, with little benefit other than the prestige of being a
Citizen. I had to choose my words carefully, for I realized that they
could both just as easily prosper as Anathema and do more to
cripple me than even the current foolish Marans were capable of.
I am fairly certain that to make demands of them at this point would
be a standoff where I could not afford to gamble with the outcome.
For now, I will wait and watch for the power shift which is due to
come from the soon-to-be appointed Emperor, and make sure I am
on the right side of the ensuing conflict. If the Imperial Assassin
minds his place and lets me handle this situation as I deem best,
then we can avoid a conflict that ends with having to turn a veritable
hornet's nest loose upon the Imperial Palace. The citizens will
grovel and pay their dues to the Empire, but not until I have the
support I need to backup my demands.
Nivult, the early years
Added Sun Nov 6 11:24:46 2005 at level 41:
This is not your typical hard luck story of a youth who strayed from
the good path. This girl was bad from the beginning, but was always
good at convincing others of her innocence. She was always
pushing her boundaries as a child, and literally getting away with
murder. There was always a veil of suspicion upon her, although
witnesses were never found alive. She was only fourteen when she
outgrew the small village of Dagdan, leaving behind an infamous
reputation (and possibly a few skeletons rotting in nearby fields).
She grifted from town to town after that, avoiding the larger cities
when possible. Her early experiences with Galadon, for example,
were not very positive. How was she to know that the guildmaster
with a funny name (Szyrivlyrha, maybe?) was so inept at holding on
to her possessions that she would swear a out death warrant when
Nivult decided to help herself to a few choice items? Predictably, the
thieves guilds proved to be more of a hindrance then an aid in her
travels. She learned a few tricks when she was able to find a willing
teacher, but for the most part she had been content to work alone,
and had no qualms about victimizing other thieves when the
opportunity presented itself.
She had decided early on that the Empire would be the perfect cover
for her illicit activities. Although her motives would appear genuine,
she planned on amassing unthinkable amounts of treasure and
power at the expense of anybody who had anything worth taking.
There were also a few unsavory places that she wanted to see
burned to the ground, Dagdan being the first to go. Perhaps Dagdan
would make a nice prison camp, where complainers who do not
follow her visions can spend their remaining days in misery.
But those days are still to come. For now, she will bide her time
appearing as a trustworthy citizen, working her way up the chain,
until an opportunity presents itself to seize power. She sets her
sights upon the Shadow Lord's seat for now, and has no doubt
that a few of her supposed allies in the sect will need to be
eliminated in the process, but that is a sacrifice Nivult is willing to make.