Rykus comes home...

[Rykus]

The last rays of sunlight pierces the sky and fades into twilight. The only movement in the deathly cold keep is that of the dust settling into already thick cobwebs. The night wraps her cold embrace around the Necros Arcana, and waits...

Several hours later, just prior to the midnight hour, a pure black wall of energy with swirls of blood red mist materializes in the middle of the lower level of the keep. The only sound is that of a sturdy leather boot thudding heavily on the floor, followed momentarily by another, bringing with it the form of the Death Knight Rykus. Barely able to stand, Rykus's dimly glowing eyes search the room, locating his throne just steps away. Several more delibrately heavy footsteps brings the undead lord within range to collapse into the awaiting throne. After several more minutes of struggling, Rykus sits himself upright in the bleached bone seat and fixes his gaze upon the faint image of the woman standing in the middle of the room. Patiently he waits for her to speak....

"Rykus, your time has come to do my bidding once again. The life energy collected by yourself and the previous Illuminati has served me well, but it has not been enough. There is still much to be done and the time draws near for the next phase of our work.", the woman explained calmly.

"I have summoned a new group of men to join with you. They shall find their way to you very soon. These loyal men have been working hard to prepare more than just a fortress for our cause this time. During your time with me in the ethers, they have constructed a city in my name, and have made preparations for war. The first of these men, their leader, will arrive before the sun has risen this very morning. Go with him to inspect our new city and lay my hand and blessing upon it. Work with these men, teach them the ways of the conversion and with my guidance, show them the power I bestow upon my loyal subjects. They are your new bretheren, the new Illuminati, and together you shall bring forth a new era in my name.", Minax continues.

"For now my loyal knight, regain your strength and adjust this corporeal form to the weight of your own body in this world of men. Your strength will come quickly this night, and your mind will clear to find it's focus once again. I will return soon, when I am able, to help guide you all into the next chapter of our saga.", the voice relays as it begins to sound more distant.

"Before I depart, know this. There are other mortal souls who will seek you out. Embrace them and treat them as if I have summoned them personally. Test their resolve and loyalty in my name, then when you are sure of their power and desire to serve, call upon me and I shall also grasp their hearts and free them of their mortal coil. If they are sincere, you will have another whom you shall call comrade in the Illuminati. If they are not...", the voice fades out and the image of the dark woman fades entirely.

Rykus's dull red eyes study the floor for several long minutes, as if trying to recall where he is. Pulsing brightly for a brief moment, he lifts his head and turns his attention to the far reaches of his realm. His grounds have been intruded upon by a mortal in a black robe and blood red cloak. Surging with anticipation of an encounter, Rykus rises to stand and extends his arm straight out to his side. Within an instant a bladed staff glowing with arcane energy materializes in his hand. A single word whispered into the air summons his fallen steed.

"It is time to meet my destiny.", Rykus mutters quietly to himself, and with that urges his steed silently toward the massive yew wood doors of the Keep Necros Arcana.

 

[Guest]

Somewhere in a swampy region South of Trinsic, a rotten corpse's hand pushes it way through the muck. Grasping a twisted vine from a nearby blackened tree, Ru'ura'pente pulls himself from the leech-infested waters. Making his way to a nearby cache he left for himself aeons ago, he dons equipment only slightly spotted with rust. Calling to the ethereal void, his familiar, a large jet-black wolf, appears at his side. He Looks around the area only once, then begins making his way north, towards the moongate at Vesper. If one were brave enough to approach him, they might hear in the last moments of their life the cold words "Master has risen" hissed over and over...

 

[Patty Pickaxe]

WOOT!! Does this mean my favorite liches will be actively roaming Siege again?

 

[Guest]

Shivers run down Nay Nay's spine as she pauses in the dark of night. Rykus? Could it be?

Mists swirl before her eyes as her memory carries her back to what seems ages ago...... Of coming to the newly found land called Seige.... Of encountering this facinating being, called Rykus.

The memories floated on the mist, some clear, and some still vague as it all seemed like a dream back then. Visions of him appearing so suddenly, and without warning inside the door way where she had stepped into safety (or so she had thought) Terror gripped her as she realized how vunerable she was. Then as he spoke, offering words of caution and warning to a new weakling of this land, the terror was replaced by a dark facination of this being standing before her.

He led her on a tour to his training grounds not too far away. It was hard to comprehend if this was to reinforce the warning, or some magic to temp her to the dark side. But he led, and she did follow, eager to learn more. Heart racing with a touch of fear, but more excitement, and something else.... Something was drawing her behind him, calling to some hidden place inside of her....

It could of lasted only a few moments or it could of been hours... Time seemed to loose all meaning as he spoke of his life, or lack of...of the powers that called to him and of the 'One' that he served.....

When reality came back, she found herself wandering once again back to her guild house, unsure if it had all been a dream, a figment of her darker side trying to call her?

It has been many moons ago, and time has a way of erasing the finer details. She has heard his name whispered on the wind during the dark of the night, but never met the dark stranger again. She never knew what became of him, or even it he was real Till now..........

The mists swirled a bit more as a fierce wind blew, resisting being dispelled and angry at the interruption.... Nay Nay pulled her cloak tighter around her, glancing around as if the meer thoughts of the past would call the attention of Minax down upon her.

What was becoming of this land she called home? So many strange happenings of late have occured, and now the news of the one called Rykus returning. From where has he returned? She shuddered, not even wanting the answer to her question.

Slowly she steps back into the shadows to wait for more whisperings on the winds.....

 

[Katharine]

Rykus!! *pounces* the sexiest undead lich eva! hehehehe He's back!

 

[Guest]

The call. The irresistable call. Amon Gwynne had heard that siren song before, but always managed to resist. Powers, more arcane than he had ever sensed before, were stirring in the lands of Sosaria.

Always waiting, always watching, he somehow knew that the call would come again. Would this be the time? Would his resolve, which had always kept him towards the Light, finally fail?

Can one have honor, even as one of the undead? Alive or Undead, he must follow whatever his heart tells him, however cold it may be. In Amon's own words, "As in Life, so shall I be in Death"!

And with this, he prepares himself to answer.

 

[Guest]

Yay!

Although I doubt threaded mode is used by many, I am replying off Patty's post to make this the official LICH resurrection cheerleading subthread!

*pokes Chenonceau's crypt with a stick*

Well, I suspect some of the undead will be staying dead...but it's worth a try.

-Skylark

 

[Rykus]

Lady Skylark,

Chenonceau has many powerful wards and spells of protection surrounding his tomb and phylactery. If you are inclined to help with the removal of these obstacles, Minax would surely reward you for your services.

I would not ask just any mortal for aid, but I know your ties to Chenonceau in his mortal life were quite close. This, if anything, may help more than our arcane power alone.

Sincerely,
Rykus

 

[riffraff]

I wish I had taken a screenshot.. the first time I laid my eyes apon a Lich. The game was not more than 2 months old when a message appeared at the bottom of my screen: A great evil has appeared in the Vesper graveyard! Wow what luck! Vesper was my home town and I knew exactly how to get there. My fighter/mage/tailor equipped his best Viking sword of ruin and headed out to see what this was all about. There must have been over 100 people in the small graveyard area. Some outside the fence, looking in.. others fighting off the spawn inside, yet others trying to loot the fallen (both players and undead corpses.) The lag was unbeleiveable. It was hard to walk even one step as so many people were packed in to the small area. Then it appeared.. the great evil we had been warned about, laughing at anyone who approached. A Lich was in the graveyard!! Many players fell.. but the newbie zerg was too much for the foul creature and it died within a minute or two. I had laid a few blows to the lesser undead and looted a few corpses but overall had a good time.

 

[Mandolin]

I loved it when Rykus would be around and have a different *Cackles* response when he'd kill somebody.. was it him or Ghost that would throw out *Snaps, Cackles & Pops* ?? I'd inevitably die as I couldn't see my screen from the beer dripping down it.. ok.. nothing to do with the beer, but it was a good excuse..

 

[Rykus]

Twas indeed the venerable Ghost Knight who snapped and popped. His bones were eons older than mine. He also did nothing to keep in shape, so the stiffness set in centuries before it should.

 

[Sergul'zan_SP]

The rain poured down as Zaknafein and Sergul’zan approached the long abandoned Temple of Mondain, the temple in which Sergul’zan served as high priest in the days of the great war. But such places had been abandoned upon the breaking of the Gem of Immortality.

For many years after the great war, Lord British kept a vigilant eye upon those places suspected of what he considered treason against Britannia; but those years were ended.

The foolish king stepped into the void with the shards of the gem, leaving his kingdom to fend for itself, and the minions in the shadows began to stir.

Sergul’zan, granted the gift of long life by King Mondain prior to his fall to the evil outsider of unknown origin, knew that the time drew nigh for the restoration of the temple to its past glory.

“Hand me the key, Zaknafein” he ordered to his guard Zaknafein, whose family line had loyally guarded the high priest for the years of exile.

“Yes m’lord” said Zaknafein, handing the large iron key to the high priest.

The key fit into the rusty lock in the ancient iron door and turned with surprising ease. The door creaked open to reveal the main chamber of the temple, which was nothing more than crumbling stone covered with moss.

“We have work to do, Zaknafein”

“Indeed m’lord…”

 

[Sergul'zan_SP]

The flickering light of the torches illuminated the main chamber of the newly restored Temple of Mondain. The high priest knelt in front of the altar, chanting rituals in the ancient language of the priests of Mondain.

The torches suddenly leapt with fury, and a great wind blew the iron door to the temple open. Zaknafein, rushing to the door with sword drawn.

“What business do you bring to the holy temple of the king, wanderer?” he asked a cloaked figure standing in the doorway.

“I wish to speak with the high priest immediately” stated the cloaked figure.

“The high priest is doing his daily ritual m’lady, perhaps ye would be willing to await completion of these rituals? I am under strict orders to let none disturb him.”

The cloaked figure threw back the hood, revealing a face of such beauty that Zaknafein was taken aback. Her eyes held him as if entranced, and he yielded to her wish, stepping out of the way.

“Surely the high priest has time to entertain the wishes of the Queen of Sosaria.”

“My lady, you live!” Exclaimed the astounded high priest as Lady Minax approached him, and he immediately falling to a bow of respect and loyalty.

“Our time to rise has come, Sergul’zan, Lord British has entered the void, and has once again failed to consider the needs of his kingdom. We have much to do.”

“What would you have me do m’lady?” inquired Sergul’zan.

“You shall construct us a city in lands far from here, well protected by both nature and stone. I have already begun to summon the loyal back to my service, the time to prepare for war is upon us.” Lady Minax stated calmly.

“As you wish m’lady, I shall seek out such a place.”

“See that you do. When preparation is complete I shall call those whose very names are feared throughout this land, and once again Lord British shall regret his folly.”

With that, the Lady Minax abruptly stepped out of the temple, and vanished from sight.

“Zaknafein! Come quickly, there is much work to be done!”