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Asulien; Change the name when we need to
Topic Started: Jun 4 2008, 06:16 PM (17,222 Views)
chadden
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High Advisor to the Archmage
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
"If that is your wish, I cannot force your hand. But there is more to consider and I want you to give it some thought. Lady Laiya has made it clear that she will look into my affairs. I want you to remain a commanding force in this investigation, Nathaniel, but to have my Seekers answer to a man who, in truth, should be answering to them could easily be scrutinized. There would be nothing to stop you renouncing the position once this is all resolved?"
"Stand against me if you must, for of course you will. Conflict is just another part of this flawed reality. You need to cling to your concepts and purposes, your feeble honour and glory. None of it serves any purpose in the end. And the end draws close." - Krodalis Thaendil.

"It really is amazing; she killed Kelan Wealer, not that I am complaining, but then the order welcomed her as their new leader. It makes one wonder if I were to ram a blade down her throat, would the monks then follow my commands?" - Mordain Thaendil.

One of the Last Guardians. Suck it.
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Gorfang
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Nathaniel Drakkon
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Nathaniel replied "Hmmm, yes, that could be problematic. She is the sort who would be spiteful enough to use that against you. If I can return to my duties as a mage once this is over, then I will accept the position." He nodded "I will not see Weissland weakened by these damned monks in any way."
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Anubis, IPU is dead, long live IPU! A-Team member.

"If a loyal servant of Weissland is threatened, I will aid him to my dying breath, with every drop of my blood. There are older and more powerful things in the world that have faced me and underestimated my resolve, to their end." - Nathaniel Drakkon

"For what is dead may never die, but rises again, harder and stronger!" - Aeron Damphair, a Song of Ice and Fire.

Visit the Drakkon Grimoire - The Collected, Completed Nathaniel Drakkon Fiction
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chadden
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[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
"Good, it is settled." He opened a drawer and took out a Seeker emblem. Slowly, he lifted it to his lips and whispered spell words. The emblem flickered and hissed before being still once more. "Each Seeker emblem is enchanted." He said as he handed it to Nathaniel. "When I am in the presence of other Seekers, the emblems whisper their names into my ear. Those carried by officers will reveal their own names to me, but also allows them, too, to hear the names of the Seekers with them." He rose slowly to make for the door. There was work to be done. "I despise this bureaucracy as much as you, but it is sickeningly necessary in these times. With this emblem, I appoint you, Nathaniel Drakkon, an officer within the Seeker Order. Furthermore, under my power I appoint you head of the investigation into the abduction of the King. Such an act is, again, for Laiya. As head of the investigation, you will answer only to me, and the Queen if she asks. You need not heed orders passed down by those accursed monks. Papers will be put together to confirm your position."
"Stand against me if you must, for of course you will. Conflict is just another part of this flawed reality. You need to cling to your concepts and purposes, your feeble honour and glory. None of it serves any purpose in the end. And the end draws close." - Krodalis Thaendil.

"It really is amazing; she killed Kelan Wealer, not that I am complaining, but then the order welcomed her as their new leader. It makes one wonder if I were to ram a blade down her throat, would the monks then follow my commands?" - Mordain Thaendil.

One of the Last Guardians. Suck it.
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Gorfang
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Nathaniel Drakkon
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Nathaniel smiled grimly "I wouldn't have heeded their orders anyway, but at least this way I'm not required to even listen to the pompous buffoons if I don't feel like it."

As he followed Mordain to leave he asked "One thing though, should the Queen be informed of the prisoner?"
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Anubis, IPU is dead, long live IPU! A-Team member.

"If a loyal servant of Weissland is threatened, I will aid him to my dying breath, with every drop of my blood. There are older and more powerful things in the world that have faced me and underestimated my resolve, to their end." - Nathaniel Drakkon

"For what is dead may never die, but rises again, harder and stronger!" - Aeron Damphair, a Song of Ice and Fire.

Visit the Drakkon Grimoire - The Collected, Completed Nathaniel Drakkon Fiction
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chadden
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[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
"The Queen places too much faith in the monks. She will involve them. I do not want that. For now, we will keep the prisoner here. Once we have more, and our new operations are safely under way, I will speak to her Highness."

He headed down the corridor with Nathaniel, heading for the large chamber where the new Seeker search force would be gathering. But he had to make a stop first at a small room filled with men and women who dealt with paperwork. He walked in and leaned over the desk of one of them.

"I need ten documents put together. Each is to provide the Seekers with the authority to commandeer merchant vessels. Once they've been put together, contact me and I will mark them with my seal."

"Of course, Lord Mordain."
"Stand against me if you must, for of course you will. Conflict is just another part of this flawed reality. You need to cling to your concepts and purposes, your feeble honour and glory. None of it serves any purpose in the end. And the end draws close." - Krodalis Thaendil.

"It really is amazing; she killed Kelan Wealer, not that I am complaining, but then the order welcomed her as their new leader. It makes one wonder if I were to ram a blade down her throat, would the monks then follow my commands?" - Mordain Thaendil.

One of the Last Guardians. Suck it.
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Gorfang
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Nathaniel Drakkon
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Nathaniel listened to this but said nothing. Dealing with the monks would be difficult, and they would have to play a dangerous game to avoid provoking the Queen.
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Anubis, IPU is dead, long live IPU! A-Team member.

"If a loyal servant of Weissland is threatened, I will aid him to my dying breath, with every drop of my blood. There are older and more powerful things in the world that have faced me and underestimated my resolve, to their end." - Nathaniel Drakkon

"For what is dead may never die, but rises again, harder and stronger!" - Aeron Damphair, a Song of Ice and Fire.

Visit the Drakkon Grimoire - The Collected, Completed Nathaniel Drakkon Fiction
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chadden
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[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Mordain turned and they left the room. "Those papers will let the Seekers seize merchant vessels. They can patrol the coast, bait pirates into attacking and arrest them. That should turn some swift results."
"Stand against me if you must, for of course you will. Conflict is just another part of this flawed reality. You need to cling to your concepts and purposes, your feeble honour and glory. None of it serves any purpose in the end. And the end draws close." - Krodalis Thaendil.

"It really is amazing; she killed Kelan Wealer, not that I am complaining, but then the order welcomed her as their new leader. It makes one wonder if I were to ram a blade down her throat, would the monks then follow my commands?" - Mordain Thaendil.

One of the Last Guardians. Suck it.
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Gorfang
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Nathaniel Drakkon
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Nathaniel nodded "Indeed, pirates are rarely cautious enough to avoid a good target if it is presented. And the Navy will be able to round up others."
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Anubis, IPU is dead, long live IPU! A-Team member.

"If a loyal servant of Weissland is threatened, I will aid him to my dying breath, with every drop of my blood. There are older and more powerful things in the world that have faced me and underestimated my resolve, to their end." - Nathaniel Drakkon

"For what is dead may never die, but rises again, harder and stronger!" - Aeron Damphair, a Song of Ice and Fire.

Visit the Drakkon Grimoire - The Collected, Completed Nathaniel Drakkon Fiction
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chadden
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"Precisely. They will all need to be interrogated by Seekers, though. And any that might have something to do with this, they will then be brought here for further questioning by me. Perhaps the prisoner should be kept alive, for now. It is possible that he could identify some of the pirates involved."
"Stand against me if you must, for of course you will. Conflict is just another part of this flawed reality. You need to cling to your concepts and purposes, your feeble honour and glory. None of it serves any purpose in the end. And the end draws close." - Krodalis Thaendil.

"It really is amazing; she killed Kelan Wealer, not that I am complaining, but then the order welcomed her as their new leader. It makes one wonder if I were to ram a blade down her throat, would the monks then follow my commands?" - Mordain Thaendil.

One of the Last Guardians. Suck it.
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Gorfang
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Nathaniel Drakkon
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
"Yes, it would be a waste to execute him if he can at least add to our evidence. Also the more information we gather the less opportunity the monks have of claiming credit for anything." Nathaniel said.
Posted Image
Anubis, IPU is dead, long live IPU! A-Team member.

"If a loyal servant of Weissland is threatened, I will aid him to my dying breath, with every drop of my blood. There are older and more powerful things in the world that have faced me and underestimated my resolve, to their end." - Nathaniel Drakkon

"For what is dead may never die, but rises again, harder and stronger!" - Aeron Damphair, a Song of Ice and Fire.

Visit the Drakkon Grimoire - The Collected, Completed Nathaniel Drakkon Fiction
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chadden
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[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
((Sorry this has taken so long.))

Mordain nodded, but kept walking. They entered a large chamber where a vast number of Seekers awaited them. The majority were in civilian clothing. They would have weapons concealed beneath.

"Seekers. What lies before you is a task of great importance. As you know, the King has been taken. We have a new direction to take in our investigation. The north-west coast must be searched, for a cove. And, as well as that, you are also to arrest any pirates you encounter. But this must be done with delicate subtlety. Pirates must feel free to continue coming to the coast; we cannot risk scaring off the ship that we are looking for. I will provide you with documents to take control of merchant ships. You have my full support for this task; you may do whatever you feel is necessary. All pirates are to be brought to a secure holding area. Any prisoners of interest are to be transported here, to me. You have your orders. Now go, for Weissland." He turned to leave, but paused. "And keep your mission to yourselves. Tell no one outside this room."

He passed back into the corridor with Nathaniel. "This will generate results. It has to."
"Stand against me if you must, for of course you will. Conflict is just another part of this flawed reality. You need to cling to your concepts and purposes, your feeble honour and glory. None of it serves any purpose in the end. And the end draws close." - Krodalis Thaendil.

"It really is amazing; she killed Kelan Wealer, not that I am complaining, but then the order welcomed her as their new leader. It makes one wonder if I were to ram a blade down her throat, would the monks then follow my commands?" - Mordain Thaendil.

One of the Last Guardians. Suck it.
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Gorfang
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Nathaniel Drakkon
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
((No problem.))

Nathaniel nodded "Yes, we have only two avenues of investigation. We must find the pirates responsible for transporting the King and his captor, and to continue we also need to gather all the information we can about this person from those in Asulien. I would imagine an Ahm-Sheran woman would stand out in an elven city even with the influx of humans from Ataya and so on."
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Anubis, IPU is dead, long live IPU! A-Team member.

"If a loyal servant of Weissland is threatened, I will aid him to my dying breath, with every drop of my blood. There are older and more powerful things in the world that have faced me and underestimated my resolve, to their end." - Nathaniel Drakkon

"For what is dead may never die, but rises again, harder and stronger!" - Aeron Damphair, a Song of Ice and Fire.

Visit the Drakkon Grimoire - The Collected, Completed Nathaniel Drakkon Fiction
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chadden
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[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
"Yet if she was in common garb, as our prisoner claims, then that could complicate matters. But even so..." He trailed off as they moved to stand on the very edge of the stronghold, gazing past the doors at the city around them. "We will need a false crime. Something terrible. We need to be able to label this woman as a real threat to encourage the people to come forward with information, to make them feel that it is of great importance to find her. This much is true, of course, but they cannot know the true reason. Theft and murder perhaps. Your thoughts?"
"Stand against me if you must, for of course you will. Conflict is just another part of this flawed reality. You need to cling to your concepts and purposes, your feeble honour and glory. None of it serves any purpose in the end. And the end draws close." - Krodalis Thaendil.

"It really is amazing; she killed Kelan Wealer, not that I am complaining, but then the order welcomed her as their new leader. It makes one wonder if I were to ram a blade down her throat, would the monks then follow my commands?" - Mordain Thaendil.

One of the Last Guardians. Suck it.
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Gorfang
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Nathaniel Drakkon
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Nathaniel thought for a moment and replied "That seems like the best solution. It should likely have been someone reasonably important but not important enough to warrant fear that we cannot protect people, and the theft should be something easily concealed, official documents or the like. Perhaps someone in the Order of the Light? Although that could provoke questions from them, so someone in the Army might be a better victim. The Army would be less likely to pry into such an investigation."
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Anubis, IPU is dead, long live IPU! A-Team member.

"If a loyal servant of Weissland is threatened, I will aid him to my dying breath, with every drop of my blood. There are older and more powerful things in the world that have faced me and underestimated my resolve, to their end." - Nathaniel Drakkon

"For what is dead may never die, but rises again, harder and stronger!" - Aeron Damphair, a Song of Ice and Fire.

Visit the Drakkon Grimoire - The Collected, Completed Nathaniel Drakkon Fiction
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chadden
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[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Mordain nodded. "Yes, a target in the army would suit our needs well. This information must be passed throughout the city." He looked around, ensuring once again that they were out of ear shot of anyone else. "And there is another matter still, Nathaniel. What we spoke about on our journey here, from Valoruin; the nature of the monks intent, and their potential involvement in all this... That needs to be investigated. But such a matter is delicate, perhaps too delicate for even the Seekers to handle. And so I wonder. I wonder if your Watchmen could be of any use to us here? I need people to look into the monks affairs, without being noticed. Furthermore, the Watchmen have no ties to me and that would give us deniability should anything go wrong."
"Stand against me if you must, for of course you will. Conflict is just another part of this flawed reality. You need to cling to your concepts and purposes, your feeble honour and glory. None of it serves any purpose in the end. And the end draws close." - Krodalis Thaendil.

"It really is amazing; she killed Kelan Wealer, not that I am complaining, but then the order welcomed her as their new leader. It makes one wonder if I were to ram a blade down her throat, would the monks then follow my commands?" - Mordain Thaendil.

One of the Last Guardians. Suck it.
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Gorfang
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Nathaniel Drakkon
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Nathaniel nodded and spoke quietly so only Mordain could hear "Indeed, they could do that. I will think on who could help and contact them discreetly. The Watchmen are quite suited to this, as they mostly operate alone. If anything did go wrong the monks would only have an isolated incident with little to follow up on. And as you know, my lord, the Watchmen do not give out their secrets easily. Although it is unfortunate that the leader of the Order of the Light knows about our existence, I doubt he would share that information with the monks, it would be breaking an oath sworn in front of the King."

The mage said more clearly "I suppose I should also get one of these masks the Seekers wear and a uniform, so as not to stand out."
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Anubis, IPU is dead, long live IPU! A-Team member.

"If a loyal servant of Weissland is threatened, I will aid him to my dying breath, with every drop of my blood. There are older and more powerful things in the world that have faced me and underestimated my resolve, to their end." - Nathaniel Drakkon

"For what is dead may never die, but rises again, harder and stronger!" - Aeron Damphair, a Song of Ice and Fire.

Visit the Drakkon Grimoire - The Collected, Completed Nathaniel Drakkon Fiction
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chadden
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[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Mordain gave a simple nod to address the former of what Nathaniel had said before answering. "You will find that down the hall. A small stockpile of uniforms is always kept ready, for such an occasion." He watched as the Seekers began pouring out of the stronghold to move on the coast. Hundreds of men... this would likely draw attention from the monks, and he would need a way to keep them busy. The Mage of Shadows thought deeply as his mind began to turn with ideas. Risks came to mind. The most obvious solution was also the most dangerous one, and likely the most effective. He would need time to think before making another move.
"Stand against me if you must, for of course you will. Conflict is just another part of this flawed reality. You need to cling to your concepts and purposes, your feeble honour and glory. None of it serves any purpose in the end. And the end draws close." - Krodalis Thaendil.

"It really is amazing; she killed Kelan Wealer, not that I am complaining, but then the order welcomed her as their new leader. It makes one wonder if I were to ram a blade down her throat, would the monks then follow my commands?" - Mordain Thaendil.

One of the Last Guardians. Suck it.
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Gorfang
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Nathaniel Drakkon
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Nathaniel left Lord Mordain and found the stores. Pulling down the hood of his black robes he tied his shoulder-length grey hair back tightly before donning one of the leather masks worn by the Seeker Order. Next he took the leather armour worn over the Seeker's clothes and buckled it on, a set of bracers and a jerkin. It was not the first time he had worn armour. His robes were short sleeved which meant the tattoo on his arm was on display, now the bracers covered it fully. The robes were non-descript enough to look like those worn by the shadow mages amongst the Seeker's ranks. He pulled the hood of his robes up again, so the parts of his head, like his hair and neck, not covered by the mask would be concealed. Finally he took a black cloak and clasped it around his neck. He left the larger hood of the cloak down across his back for the time being. The armour over his robes and around his body made him naturally stand straighter, drawing him up to his full height.

Before he left the room, he cast a simple illusion spell over his staff, making it appear to all as a plain staff of wood and metal, disguising the head piece which was representative of his family heraldry. That would have been a clear give-away of his identity to the monks, unless they were too dim to take notice of such things. He had no way of knowing how knowledgable the monks were in the heraldry of Weissland, though what was common knowledge to many in Weissland had to be assumed common to the monks as well.
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Anubis, IPU is dead, long live IPU! A-Team member.

"If a loyal servant of Weissland is threatened, I will aid him to my dying breath, with every drop of my blood. There are older and more powerful things in the world that have faced me and underestimated my resolve, to their end." - Nathaniel Drakkon

"For what is dead may never die, but rises again, harder and stronger!" - Aeron Damphair, a Song of Ice and Fire.

Visit the Drakkon Grimoire - The Collected, Completed Nathaniel Drakkon Fiction
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chadden
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[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Mordain had moved back to his office. He was slumped forward, resting his head in his hands. He was... weary. Weary of the dark times that had blanketed his life, weary of being in constant conflict, weary of the political games he was now forced to play. The Seekers were on their way to the coast, in force, and they would generate results. That much he was certain of. The Seekers had few equals in the known world; they were certainly more than a match for pirates. But then there were the monks, who would insist on being involved. Mordain could not work if required to tip-toe around their 'good intentions'. Compassion was weakness. That much he knew to be true. The Queen wanted her husband found, yet she dared to worry about the morality of his methods. It made him... weary.

And there was Kristian, who remained a target for Krodalis and a threat to everything else. He had too many things to worry about, but he knew a solution to one problem.

Marr entered the office with a man in shackles. He cast the cowering prisoner to the floor.

"I trust you have a good reason for bringing this filth into my quarters, Marr?" asked Mordain without looking up from his desk.

"Of course, my Lord." He smirked. "I believe this man could be your scapegoat for what transpired in the city."

Mordain raised his head to bring his heavy gaze down upon the quivering necromancer. "What makes this man such a good candidate?"

"He slipped through the paperwork, my Lord. He isn't in the charter. With a bit of fabrication, he could become the attacker."

"What you speak of are lies!" hissed the man.

Marr struck him brutally across the side of the head, before kicking him in the chest as he doubled over. "You do not speak unless spoken to, scum!" he bellowed.

Mordain waved his hand. "Calm down, Marr. You have done well. Have a Seeker take him to a cell. I must speak with you."

Marr knocked on the door. Two Seekers entered to drag the man away. "It will be difficult to pull this off, Mordain. Without getting caught, that is."

Once the door was closed, Mordain folded his arms and sat back. "It must not be air-tight."

"What?"

"The monks will try to interfere with the Seekers movements on the north-west coast. This I cannot allow. The best way to avoid that is to give them something else to keep their attention on." He sighed heavily. "Me."

Marr moved closer to the desk. "Mordain, what are... what are you saying?"

"When we deliver this man as the culprit, there must be room for doubt. Laiya already suspects me of covering things up. For now, it is beneficial to feed that fire. Keep their attention focussed on me and away from the Seekers."

"What if you are found out, my Lord? You could be killed! Laiya has the Queen's ear."

"Not as much as she would like, I assure you." He shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "I am left with precious few options, Marr. One problem at a time. When I know whether or not the monks had something to do with the King's disappearance, I will be ready to make my next move. For now, this will be our play."
"Stand against me if you must, for of course you will. Conflict is just another part of this flawed reality. You need to cling to your concepts and purposes, your feeble honour and glory. None of it serves any purpose in the end. And the end draws close." - Krodalis Thaendil.

"It really is amazing; she killed Kelan Wealer, not that I am complaining, but then the order welcomed her as their new leader. It makes one wonder if I were to ram a blade down her throat, would the monks then follow my commands?" - Mordain Thaendil.

One of the Last Guardians. Suck it.
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Gorfang
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Nathaniel Drakkon
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For the time being there was nothing Nathaniel could do other than contemplate who amongst the Watchmen he knew could help them, and just what he could tell them. He began to meditate. It was necessary to do so, the spirit was growing more powerful and only the meditation seemed to be halting that.

Sitting down cross-legged on the floor of one of the many rooms in the Seeker's base, he relaxed, slowed his breathing, and drifted to a different state of conciousness.
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Anubis, IPU is dead, long live IPU! A-Team member.

"If a loyal servant of Weissland is threatened, I will aid him to my dying breath, with every drop of my blood. There are older and more powerful things in the world that have faced me and underestimated my resolve, to their end." - Nathaniel Drakkon

"For what is dead may never die, but rises again, harder and stronger!" - Aeron Damphair, a Song of Ice and Fire.

Visit the Drakkon Grimoire - The Collected, Completed Nathaniel Drakkon Fiction
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