It had only been a week since the fall of Westgate and yet, it only felt like yesterday that the great walls came crashing down. After a year of relentless siege, the enemy finally swarmed the walls in one fell swoop, killing without reason as they always did. There was no time for peace talks or delegations to meet with a representative, there was simply the Scorned. Like a massive green wave, they hit the walls over and over again withering it away until the inevitable finally happened. The Sol Protectorate had a fighting force well over one hundred thousand strong, now only around nine thousand remained. With the fall of Westgate and the Sol Protectorate in shambles, no more aid would go to the Viridi Protectorate or the Semper Fae. They were alone in a sea of sickly green. Not unless the Emperor's mission was successful, that was if the Scorn could even be killed by regular means. But then again, they wouldn't be using regular means, now would they? No, Emperor Janus was finally breaking out the big toys.

Elendi, standing erect on a balcony overlooked the capital city of Dramon. Millions lived here, with more flooding the streets every day. The Empire was at a breaking point, and the scales were not in their favor of survival. The Scorned were slowly making their way to the Heartland, and advanced scouts had already breached their borders. He pitied the Luna Protectorate, there was hardly anything they could do except slow the Scorned down and give time. Precious time that they didn't have. Rumors stated that even with the Luna's halting the Scorned, they would be here within the month. Already, the wealthy Nobles and Merchants were fleeing the city taking gambles on either Crepix or Cidanol as safe havens. If Dramon were to fall, then one of those cities and their lands would be next and it was only a matter of survival at this point. Already their were riots in the streets, and unrest throughout the city. The poor Alidia Guard, with their black armor and shiny swords were finally stretched thin for once. Elendi smirked at the thought, then turned away from the balcony and deeper into the palace. The meeting with the Emperor would be soon and he dare not be late.

The Templar arrived at the grand meeting chamber early, even the Emperor hadn't arrived yet. He looked about, seeing if any faces were familiar, but he spotted none. Only servants and maids were in the area, preparing the grand table for 'guests' but if only the people arriving had been guests. He strode in, helmet in hand and admired the chamber for its beauty with a twinkle in his hazel eyes. Ornate pillars lined the room, each one depicting some substantial event in the Empires history. There was one pillar that showed Emperor Valorum in all of his glory, and another that showed Prince Casdan and his victory over the Dramon Rebellions. The pillars themselves reached up and touched the ceiling and even more artwork. He turned his head back to look up, it was a very realistic mural of a battle scene. Dramoria stood in golden armor, surrounded by his faithful captains drenched in blood. They fought a horde of beast like Orcs, much different then the ones you could find today. He said a small prayer to Sol as he admired the great work of art before bringing his head back down.

Elendi himself strolling over to one of the large windows cut in the stone. These windows overlooked the gardens. There was a dazzling array of color, Semper Fae were probably the gardeners. Only they could do such beautiful work. Trees that bore exotic fruit stood amidst fields of speckled flowers. There were green hedges in the shape of a variety of animals and in the far distance stood what he thought was a greenhouse. Elendi was about to turn his head away when he spotted a women, wearing a white gown step into a flowerbed of red. The contrast was stunning and she stood, letting him have a good look at her. She had raven black hair, pulled into some exotic hairstyle, probably the fashion of the noblewomen in Dramon. She bent down and picked up a flower, bringing it to her face to smell. She smiled, the flower must have smelled good. He admired her beauty, she was like a flower herself in a way, dainty and fragile but beautiful all the same. She looked up at him and smiled, giving a small wave. Elendi felt his cheeks flush-

"Ahh I see my daughter is in the roses again." Came a deep voice to his right. Elendi broken from his trance turned to see Emperor Janus standing behind him. Elendi immediately dropped to a knee and bowed in respect.

"I apologize m'lord, I didn't hear you walk in."

"There is no need to apologize Templar Elendi. Now rise."

The man rose at the Emperor's request and stood at attention before him. Janus himself was a modest man, never really dressing in clothing that befitted an Emperor. Instead he swore a simple military clothing with a symbol of Luna upon his breast. His black hair was beginning to turn grey and his beard had already done so. His stormy grey eyes looked at him, as if in judgement. The man turned away from the window and began walking over to the table. Elendi followed.

"What do you think about the state of the world, Elendi?" Janus questioned.

"I... I believe that the state isn't good, my lord. Scorned are coming at us from the West and the city is quickly deteriorating into chaos and there's talk of open rebellion in Crepix. It's actually downright awful." Elendi said glumly.

Janus took a seat at the head of the table, one thing he admired about Janus is he didn't let others get the chair for him, he did many menial tasks himself. A true emperor of the people, and that was why they were quickly turning against him.

"Take a seat Elendi. I fear you are right after all, I am the sixty-seventh Emperor of the Caldania line and most likely the last. My only heir is Ielenia. A strong, kind women but the world is a cruel place and I fear for her safety." he paused and caught Elendi's gaze, "If only things were different, then perhaps..."

A servant then burst through the main entrance and declared, "My emperor, your guests have arrived." before bowing deeply in respect. He held the position, waiting for his master's will.

Janus coughed slightly and looked at the servant, "Bring them in then." The servant nodded and turned away.

Janus looked back at Elendi with a soft smile, "Now the fun begins."

Veronica sat lazily in her cabin aboard the Dauntless with a parchment filched from a merchant ship a few days ago. They had dozens of them, each the same. It had bothered Veronica that things had gotten so bad in the empire, and these parchments brought her worry to a peak. That was why, according to the map and compass on the table in front of her, they were headed for the city of Dramon. Normally, this would be a death sentence. Veronica and her crew were wanted several times over for their exploits, and all aboard would surely hang should they be caught. But the parchment that Veronica held was one of desperation. It spoke of things so dire that even Veronica felt squeamish. Her profits had doubled with the increased traffic among the sea lanes, but she had been feeling a looming sense of guilt for each ship looted. Even with instructions for the crew to take only what they needed the feelings of remorse were not eager to fade away.

Thus, Veronica was now sailing for Dramon. She had discussed the matter with the crew and they had put it to a vote. Surprisingly, many of the crew members had felt the same way that Veronica did about the increased despair among the kingdom. Of course, there was also the problem that if the kingdom fell, so would their lifestyle. With a surprisingly one-sided vote, the crew agreed to take this chance to earn both freedom and glory. A knock upon the door to her cabin roused Veronica from the fog that had addled her mind. Tossing the parchment upon her desk, Veronica stood and walked before her desk while she called for the person at the door to come in. A few moments after she had done so the door opened and in stepped Veronica's first mate, Jess. Jess was younger than Veronica by a year or two, and was an orphan that had stowed away on one of the merchant ships her parents had raided. Not wanting to leave the girl to her fate, Veronica's parents took her in.

A smile crept to Veronica's lips as she saw Jess, and soon after she said. "You have news to report?" Jess was stiff at attention when she said. "Yes captain, Dramon has come into view, we'll be arriving shortly." Veronica nodded and said. "Very well, you may leave if you wish, Jess." Giving a salute, Jess left to return to her duties. Veronica stepped out of her cabin a short time later, telescope in hand. She walked to the bow of the ship and lifted the device to her eye, scanning the docks of Dramon as they approached. Veronica ordered the crew to make ready and strike the colors, they didn't want a fight on their hands.

The crew secured the cannons and made sure to close all of their ports, the more nimble of the crew climbed up the mast to lower the flags to signal that she ship wasn't going to be a threat. After roughly half an hour, the Dauntless pulled into the port of Dramon and Veronica departed ashore. She told the crew to make ready for an emergency departure encase negotiations fell flat, and made her way towards the palace. Around ten minutes later, Veronica made her way up the palace steps and produced the letter she had previously been reading. The guards allowed her in, but Veronica made it clear that she would be keeping her personal belongings with her, weapons included.

Six minutes later, Veronica walked into the chamber where Janus and Elendi were present. Giving a slight bow, Veronica held up the letter with a smile and said. "Your majesty, I believe there is a bargain in our future."

Elaine was staring intently at the parchment that had been sent to her. It had the royal seal on it, making it very urgent. She had opened it and read the content of it. It contained the words of, what she assumed to be, the king attempting to recruit people. She had been hearing of the worsening of the battle between the Scorned and the armies of their country. There was little activity here at Northgate. The occasional attack had kept them on their toes but it was way worse at the other gates. These past ten years, she had been helping out the guards at Northgate so she wasn't a stranger to the Scorned... or fighting.

When she had broken the news to her mother, Wynona had originally panicked. It was one thing protecting the gate so it would be protected but it was completely another thing to face those things head on. It had taken hours to convince her mother that she just had to go. She knew it was practically a suicide mission but there was this gnawing feeling in her heart that told her to go. The thought that other children were losing their parents thanks to these monsters didn't sit well with her. Wynona had decided to let her go, after seeing that Elaine would never back down. She told her to be careful. The entire town sent her off with tears, hoping her the best of luck and her safe return. A return she could never gurantee.

Currently, she was on a carriage towards Dramon. She had managed to get a ride from a passing merchant as she had planned to only walk to Dramon. It would have taken days, but thankfully, the blessing in the form of a merchant had come. He agreed to take her there and she was loaded in with his merchandise. She didn't mind. It had been years since she had been to Dramon - the last time being when she was at IAM. She wondered how much it changed over the ten years she was gone. "Hey, kid, we're here." The merchant called out to the back. Elaine opened the flap at the back and then surveyed the area. It hasn't changed much, save for the new buildings and the likes. She felt the carriage stop and the merchant soon opened the flaps himself. "You know where the castle is kid?"

Elaine smiled thankfully at him. "I can manage sir. Thank you very much for letting me ride." She then hopped off of the carriage. She was about to take out some coins to pay him but he quickly shook his head.

"It's fine kid. Good luck in whatever you're going to do. Something tells me you'll need it." He then began unloading his merchandise. Elaine turned to see that people were already flocking towards the preparing merchant. The merchant looked at her again and then urged her to go.

The half-blood nodded thankfully once more before making her way to the castle. She was on a hurry though so she quickened her pace. No time for sight seeing or looking at the merchandise, surely there'd be time for that later on. She was stopped at the front gate before she presented her letter. They let her in after that. She was quickly met with one of the servants and then taken to where the meeting would be. She saw a pirate looking lady waiting as well. When they were motioned to enter, the pirate was the first to do so and she just fell in step. Once they stopped, she also bowed her head in respect. However, she stayed a little behind the woman wondering what she deal she was going to make with the king. Poor girl didn't know much about sea politics.

Ysran took out his map of the town. There looked to be quite a distance to travel before making it to the castle. The city streets were full of life, noise, and joy. Or at least, he hoped joy. Ysran would constantly get turned around, only being able to recognize his location via landmarks. Asking the commoners, they would point him in the right direction, but he would constantly get lost. He some how managed to wander over to a harbor! Not as impressive as his of course. Looking around at it, an enormous ship caught his attention. It looked like one of those Pirate ships. He wondered what that was doing here. If it was a pirate ship, what would a pirate be doing here? Ysran quickly lost interest and began to wander again in the direction of the castle. He eventually found a man in armor holding a spear. Maybe he was a guard? Ysran went over to the man and asked, "Excuse me, can you show me how to get to the Castle?" Ratherth an speak, he merely pointed forward. In The distance was a huge structure. It was the castle."Oh." How had he missed that. With his newfound knowledge, he walked towards it.

Ysran looked down at his map once more. This was definitely the place. Putting away his map, he stepped towards the main gate of the castle, but the guards stopped him.

"Sorry, can't let you in. Official business only."

Ysran pulled out the letter and gave it to the guard." I got this letter the other day, I'm here about the whole recruitment thing".

Looking over the letter the guard let him pass, and Ysran wandered in. The halls were buzzing with people back and forth on what was likely about this whole "Scorn" thing. Wandering through a pair of massive doors, there was a Elf and what looked like a pirate. The Elf he could understand, but why the pirate? He stepped next to the Elven lady behind the pirate. He thought he heard the pirate say something about making a deal. He didn't know what kind of deal a pirate would make, and he kind of didn't want to know. He guessed he would just wait for the king to adress him, last time he pissed off royalty, he was almost eaten alive. But this time he wasn't a giant Eldritch fish diety, so his chances of being eaten were significantly slimmer.

Vesanior walked into the dim speakeasy. It was a tiny place that not many people knew of, which often made it the site of many shady, or down-right illegal dealings. However most of that business was conducted in the night, and few visited the speakeasy during the day. So when Vesanior walked in it was completely empty, except for the surly Orc barkeeper. He was old, with wrinkled dark green skin and hair whitened by age. He had a long beard, several parts braided with metal locks. His dress was simple, a leather tunic and wool pants, both stained with food and drink. He was currently rubbing the counter with a wet, soupy rag, trying to remove an old blood stain in the wood.

Vesanior crossed the room, nearly slipping in a puddle of spilt beer. He sat down on one of the stools. The barkeep noticed, and sighed before pausing his cleaning to fill a wooden mug with cheap beer. As he placed it on the table by Vesanior, the Fae greeted him.
"Hello, Jrax. How's it been for you?"
The old Orc grunted, a man of few words. After a few more minutes of scrubbing at the stain he appeared to give up, and moved the stool on his side of the counter to be opposite to Vesanior's.
"You've heard 'bout the Westgate?" the Orc finally said.
Vesanior's mouth went a little dry at that. "Unfortunately, yes," he replied.
"Worried 'bout that Garden?"
"Course not," said Vesanior with a grin. "It has existed for hundreds of years, and it can exist for hundreds more. Dunno what the fuss is with those "Scorn" things."
"Still, the Emperor reckons they enough to be pulling out the big guns. Ya know, the Artifacts."
"Mmm, really is about time for that."
"Yeah, he's also sent out a bunch of these letters." The Orc said gesturing to something on the table. It was a official, very important looking letter. Vesanior had not even seen the Orc place it there.
"May I?" he said. The Orc nodded. The Fae gingerly picked up and read the letter.

To Jrax Stromclar, who fought as general of the old Orcian legion. We, the nobles of Caldania, have heard of your courage and strength in the past wars. Now, in this time of crisis we wish for you to join us on a mission to stop that which blights our great nation, the Scorned. Please come to discuss...
At that point, Vesanior stopped reading for it was mostly more official blabber. However his eye did catch on the signature in the bottom. That of the Emperor himself...
"Are you going to-" he started but was cut off by the Orc's sudden laughter.
"Really?" The Orc chuckled. "Look at me now! I am no soldier! Maybe years ago, but today I am an old man."
The Orc wheezed some, catching his breath. He then noticed that the Fae's gaze was still fixed on the letter.
"You can keep it, if you want. Probably someone you would convince to buy it," said the Orc. Silently Vesanior nodded his thanks, still fixated on the letter. He said farewell, and emptied a large amount of coins on the table. More than enough to pay for the beer, the Orc noticed as he put it away. He looked to the door, but the Fae had already left. Finally the Orc shrugged, and went back to cleaning.

A tall armored man stood at the door of the palace. Showing an official envelope to the guards, he was let in. He walked through the palace, eyeing the great treasures lining the hallways. Finally he reached the dining room
door, where a servant ushered him in. Seeing the Emperor he bowed. "Jrax Stromclar, former general of the great Orcian legion, my lord."

Beselot sat on the monastery garden’s grassy floor with his legs crossed and eyes closed, under the warm caress of the Sun’s rays. From time to time he would be refreshed by a gentle breeze. Just yesterday he came to this monastery dedicated to Sol after many months journeying around the Empire. He felt exhausted by the struggle against evil and corruption and he needed a period of respite that the relative safety of the monastery provided.

Unfortunately, it seemed that safety would not last for much longer. News have reached his ears through the gossip network of the monastery that the Westgate has fallen to the Scorn. Very soon the entire heartland of the Empire will be under siege by the unnatural monstrosities from the Ebony Mountain and then nowhere would be safe. Panic has already begun to grip the citizens and even the monks within the monastery are showing more and more anxiousness every day. Beselot may have chastised them for their lack of composure if he didn’t feel the unease within his chest as well.

He didn’t concern himself much about the Scorn during his travels. He heard a lot of rumours about the war on the western borders of the Empire, but at the time he considered that an army should handle a matter of an exterior threat while he tried to solve the problems arising in the Empire’s interior. Alas, it seemed that the Scorn has now made itself an interior threat as well.

Beselot was shaken out if his meditation by the sound of an approaching monk. He was a young man, of similar age as Beselot, who only recently entered the service to Sol and was thus left with menial duties, such as being a messenger boy. Right now he came to Beselot holding a letter in his hand. His manner of holding the letter, with a degree of awe and respect, told Beselot that the sender of the letter must be someone important.

The paladin of Sol accepted the letter and thanked the young monk. As if to confirm his suspicion he saw the Royal Seal on the wrapping. He broke it and read the letter’s contents before raising his head to look at the monk again.

“Tell the head monk that I will be leaving again.”

---

The next day Beselot stood before the Emperor Janus and bowed deeply.

“Your Majesty, I have come to answer the summons.”

Elendi eyed the newcomers with a great amount of suspicion, each one could be a hidden assassin sent to kill his Emperor but, Elendi knew better then that. Still, he would keep a close watch on the pirate. If the Scorn hadn't became such a grave threat, then the Templar's would have came for her eventually. It was only a matter of time. Yet, Janus had decided to extend a personal invitation to her which baffled him. Why exactly would you need a pirate lord for a mission overland. Perhaps the Emperor had an ulterior motive after all, such as it was with negotiations and politics.

Elendi wasn't familiar with a lot of the others that had arrived. He took the last man to be the Paladin of Sol, but other then that, he knew him only be reputation. The orcish general was from a forgotten time, and almost out of place. Why exactly would he get an invitation? Then there was the high elf within the room. He looked a bit off as well, but then again, weren't all High Elves a bit odd? Finally there was the girl, couldn't be older then her twenties and Elendi again wondered why she was was here. Perhaps the Emperor would explain... perhaps not.

Janus rose, so did Elendi and the man addressed the newcomers with a smile.

"I welcome you all and thank-you for coming. Please sit, we have much to discuss."

Janus then sat back down, and on Que servants began to arrive bearing snacks befit royalty, and delightful red wine. Elendi sat down, and took a cup for himself, sipping it timidly. Once everyone was settled in, Janus spoke again cup in hand.

"Before I get to your questions, I shall say a few words." He took a drink, "As you all know, the Scorned have broken through the Westgate, breaking the Sol Protectorate and leaving a sizable gap in our defenses. The Luna Protectorate has been sent forth to hold their advance for as long as they can but I fear it will not be enough. With the Viridi Protectorate helping the Semper Fae, and all other legions holding their own territories, we only have a month before they arrive at Dramon." He took another sip, letting the information sink in.

"If Dramon falls, everything else will as well. Not right away mind you, but the end of civilization will arrive shortly after. Now, I gathered you all here for a task, one that I do not ask lightly. In some way, shape or form, you have distinguished yourselves from the common rabble of the Empire. I need adventurers, heroes and even villains," He glanced at Veronica, "If we hope to triumph."

"The world is ending, but we can stop it before it's too late. I ask thee, no. I beg you, journey to the Ebony Mountain, kill the heart of this damnable Scorned, and bring peace to Eon." He took another sip of his wine, then held it out for a refill.

"It will not be an easy task, probably even suicidal, but if there is even the slimmest of chances of success then why not try it? If we fail, then no one will remember us anyway."

"You may walk out now and I will bare no ill will towards you. Or, you may accept this proposal and learn what comes next."

"So, any questions?" Janus finished.

@Medjedovic@PsychoNeurosis@Lord Orgasmo@Polaris North@Valor

Veronica gave a smirk at the obvious discomfort that Elendi broadcast. It was true that she was wanted ten times over in most human holds, but with desperation had come tough choices. As Janus spoke, Veronica thought about what she would ask for. Helping the empire in their time of need would quell Veronica's guilt about profiting from the situation, but that would be a moot point if all that waited for her was a sturdy set of gallows. When Janus asked after questions, Veronica raised a hand and spoke. "Will those of us with more profane histories be offered a chance of freedom when this all finishes? Assuming that we do not all perish in the attempt it would feel like a rather deep betrayal if all that awaited myself, my ship, and my crew was the executioner after lending a hand to see the sun dawn upon the works of man once more, aye?"

Veronica crossed her arms as she finished speaking. She knew that asking for a pardon for her history was a fairly risky move, but Veronica was well known among her crew for placing their well-being above a lot of things, even profit. So it wasn't far out of Veronica's character to already be trying to secure their future for such a risky task. Though this now lay with Janus to decide. Veronica would probably still help regardless, but her help would probably come in more indirect services. Still, nothing to be done by Veronica at this point.

Elsewhere, on the ship, Jess directed the crew to restock on what they could. Barrels of food, barrels of black powder, cannonballs, weapons, drink, rope, clothes and cloth, everything. If the human world was ending then Jess knew Veronica would want them to be well prepared ahead of time. The crew that weren't loading the ship were busy with reinforcements and repairs. The Dauntless could take a beating already, but it was best to make sure that she was well prepared to take such an assault. These weren't going to be humans they were fighting, and it was best to make sure that even the most minor of problems was corrected.

Jess scribbled furiously onto parchment as supplies were bought. She crunched the numbers for the amount of gold they were spending and made sure to keep plenty of money in reserve for later supplies. The crew drove hard bargains to get the supplies cheaply, which helped to offset the cost. Veronica would be pleased, though the amount of joy this would bring depended on what Janus said.

Veronica helped herself to some of the snack and food brought out, since it was rare that she got to eat food that wasn't seaworthy and able to be kept for long periods of time. It was best to exploit her position while she could until Janus made his choice. Hopefully he made the wise one, though Veronica wasn't going to hold her breath.

The half-blood sat down and then listened carefully to what the Emperor was saying, not even minding the questioning gaze the armored man gave towards the whole group. They seemed to be of differing social classes and even one of them was a pirate - Veronica Freyjal was it? She only noticed that when the pirate had spoken up after the Emperor was done talking. She had heard about this certain pirate from some merchants, but only in passing. She sounded like a legend on the seas, to be honest, but she sees now that she was true. Elaine didn't mind though. The fact that Veronica was here meant that she wanted to help. Whether it was for fame, for more money or for, as she said, pardon, it was all the same. She was here to help.

In under a month, Dramon will fall, he claimed. Elaine cast her eyes downwards, taking an interest on the food that was presented to them. Though she didn't seem to be too interested in eating any of them, her appetite was at an all time low. Dramon will fall. Those words were something she had dreaded to hear; even if, deep inside, she knew that was going to happen sooner or later. The image of the village burning with everyone's body strewn on the ground and blood everywhere flashed before her eyes. She blinked, and she was back at the meeting table. Death was something that does not shake her anymore, but she was determined to not let that happen to her village or anywhere else.

Though, Elaine must note, their task was just a little too close to the realm of impossibility. If the Sol Protectorate was obliterated back at Westgate, then how did they expect a group of six people to go up against the breeding place of the Scorned where there is, undoubtedly, thousands of those monsters? But they must have a plan for this. She took a sip of the liquid that had been placed in front of her as she continued to think. No, she wasn't thinking about whether or not she would join - she definitely would join - but she was thinking of what to ask the Emperor.

She leveled her eyes to the Emperor. "If I may ask, do you have a plan in mind Emperor Janus? Or perhaps any information that would put us at a great advantage against the Scorned?" Finally, she vocalized her question. Should she find out that they had no plan or information, she would know that they would have a much harder time in doing this. This would also be fine with her. Elaine thought that she could trust these people to know more than her about what was happening. The only thing she knew about the Scorned was that they came from Ebony Mountain, they could be killed and they killed without remorse.

No one left the room when Janus finished talking, which surprised the Templar. He wasn't expecting much, these people were almost certainly on the bottom of the barrel from the list that had been sent out, but they didn't look like cowards at least. The women of the group before Elendi, asked questions to the Emperor. The pirate, of course, asked for a pardon but not just for her which also surprised him. He had heard of the rumors, but didn't actually believe a pirate cared for anyone but themselves. How odd indeed. The other girl asked something piratical, what was the plan? Elendi knew of course, but it wasn't in his right to speak at the moment. He would of course, let the Emperor address their questions.

Janus turned towards Veronica and smiled softly. "A noble pirate? You seem to be many different things Veronica Freyjal. As for your questions, no. I don't think the execution block will suit you. Your entire crew and ship will be pardoned if we live long enough to see a future. However, I do need your ship in the meantime, as I need all ships now in the harbor. I need them to take civilians away from Dramon while they can still get out. So Veronica, if you join this suicide mission and your ship cooperates, then you shall be pardoned for your crimes. If not then you may leave. I'll give you some time to think it over."

Janus shifted his gaze towards Elaine. "Of course there's a plan child. I am not be wise as my forefathers, but a plan I have."

The old man looked back towards the rest of the group, "Since the rest of you haven't left yet, I will assume that you are on board. Now, let us be off. There is a place we must go to and one seldom visited by outsiders."

Janus then stood up, prompting Elendi to do the same. The old man walked over to a bookcase lining the wall and after a couple attempts, found what he was looking for, a secret entrance with a book as the lever. "Could never get that damn book on the first attempt." he muttered under his breath.

The bookcase parted, secret compartments and mechanisms did there work and upon finishing, there revealed a staircase leading down, it was lit by torches. Janus turned back to the group and said, "I hope none of you are afraid of the unknown." before beginning his descent.

The stair case was disorientating to Elendi, he felt as if it went on for miles and down and down it went. The temperature dropping ever so slightly, then warming again. He lost track of time but before long, the Emperor's pace quickened and they entered into a hallway bathed in brilliant light coming from seemingly nowhere, yet everywhere. Elendi had to blink in surprise as his eyes focused, taking in his surroundings with much surprise. He had never known about this place, and probably for good reason.

"Welcome to the Hall of Dramoria. Father of the Empire, leader of Mankind. The list goes on and on. Come now, for we are close." Janus said solemnly.

He led them down the hallway, the walls depicted realistic pictures of events detailing Dramoria's life. From his birth, to the founding of the Empire upon this very rock and then, to his death. It was all there. They were near the end of the hallway now, two black doors stood behind three very opposing figures. They looked like they were made out of some metal, and closely resembled humans but were much taller and lacked any visible face. It looked like their entire bodies were smooth One wielded a shield and sword taller then he, another wore robes and had a ruby circlet set upon its smooth head and the last one wielded an immaculate bow.

As the group got closer, the figures began to move closer to them ominously. Elendi, seeing this, grasped his hilt and moved closer to Janus. Janus however, looked at Elendi with a smile, then brought out his pendant. It was a silver owl, the sacred animal of Luna. Upon seeing this, the figures bowed and went to opened the doors for them. It was odd magic indeed, but Janus said nothing.

The doors opened slowly, they must have been as thick and heavy as an evertree but as they opened, Elendi could see a very large room beginning to appear. The doors finally clicked into place, opening the passage for the group. Ahead of them was a room of many bizarre things, most intriguing of them all was perhaps the very large skeleton hanging from the ceiling. Elendi vaguely thought it resembled a lizard but much, much larger. Whatever it was, it was long since dead.

Janus paid no attention to any curious looks or questions. He led them straight though the room, past many treasures of jewelry and metals. Each locked behind a display case, with a small plaque detailing what was inside at the front of the case. They eventually reached an area at the other side of the room, and here they first came into contact with the Artifacts. Each one was housed in a display case with no visible opening. They were all elegant and beautiful, last touched by Dramoria himself. Legend had it that the wielder of an Artifact could change the look of it, if they so desired. So to seem them as they were when Dramoria used them, well, that was quite a treat for Elendi.

Janus then turned to all of them and asked, "Well, shall we begin now?"

@Polaris North@Valor@Medjedovic@PsychoNeurosis@Lord Orgasmo

Veronica gave a smile and said. "Very well then, a deal has been struck. I'll inform my crew of their new task when I get the opportunity." Veronica then spent the next few moments waiting until Janus began to move. When he moved to the nearby bookcase and began to pull at the books, Veronica rose from her seat and made sure she had everything with her before turning to the now-open bookcase. Veronica gave a slight laugh and said. "If I were afraid of ta' unknown I wouldn't have been born on a ship." Before heading down just behind Elendi. Veronica would've jumped in first, but Janus had to lead the way and Elendi was sure to put himself between the emperor and the others. As they walked downward Veronica began to guess at where they were headed. A vault of some kind was a predictable answer, but what kind of vault? Veronica had no need for gold and other supplies.

When the group approached the trio of statues, Veronica gave them a once-over. They appeared to be made of metal, so her sword would be useless. Reaching for one of her pistols en case of an attack, Veronica was rather surprised when Janus quelled the statues by presenting an amulet. This vault clearly held something more important than gold and gems. Veronica's eyebrow arched as the doors were opened. The first thing that caught her eyes was the giant skeleton hanging in the room. It was fearsome in appearance and thankfully dead. Casting her eyes around the rest of the vault, Veronica began to count the various display cases and smiled to herself. These could only be the rumored artifacts of power that had long been hidden away. Such weaponry so soon? Perhaps Janus really was desperate to end this blight once and for all. Veronica had to quell her mind as it turned to methods to seize the entire vault of weapons. Now wasn't the time to think like that since she had just been given a pardon for all previous crimes. It was a waste to jump back into the old lifestyle so soon.

With no direction of where to go from here, Veronica merely stood about and waited for Janus to instruct them on what they were doing. After all, there was probably a fail-safe to prevent people from merely taking them at will. Thus, merely trying to open a case and take the contents was likely not a wise plan.

Elaine smiled when the Emperor said he had a plan, even though he added a little comment to degrade himself. Well, at least the Emperor wasn't a very stiff, no-nonsense, all business type of guy. It's hard dealing with those people. She should know. The previous Captain of the Northgate Guard was exactly like that. It becomes a lot harder to let loose when you need to. Sometimes, being all business can get you killed. It's nice to kick back and relax even at the most trying of times. It's what kept her going at least.

As Janus stood up and walked over to the bookcase, she followed. Her eyes shone when the bookcase slid open and revealed a secret path. Afraid of the unknown? That fear had been removed quite some time ago. After all, there was nothing that can scare her more than the sight of a bloody mess. "Trust me, Emperor, I have seen things. Things that makes you unafraid of anything else." Thinking back to that moment of seeing that sent chills down her spine. If only it was a bloody battlefield, then she wouldn't have this kind of reaction. But something like that? Oh man, one cannot simple forget about it. Elaine dove in without a single moment of hesitation, right behind Veronica.

When light began to envelop them, Elaine shut her eyes for a moment and opened them again, letting her eyes adjust to the sudden change in lighting. Hall of Dramoria huh? She looked at the paintings that depicted his life, certainly amazed by this. The stories of Dramoria always fascinated her for one reason or another and there was no shortage of said stories in her village. However, one mere painting here trumped any storyteller she knew. It was like one painting already showed her the entire happenings. Or maybe it was just her imagination. Who knows.

As they neared the end, three beings stood in their way. "The Warrior, the Mage, and the Archer?" She unintentionally said out loud as she inspected the three figures. They were made of metal, each had something that represented their class, she assumed, or preference of weaponry. When they moved, she saw the others in the group move to get their weapons. Elaine knew that her arrows can do nothing to metal beings so she only stood there. Thankfully, Emperor Janus held out his pendant - though she did not see what it was - and the three beings stopped and went back to their places and the doors opened.

It revealed a chamber. There were many odd things inside, things that the others did not seem to know as well. There was something hanging above their heads - a large skeleton. It reminded her of a lizard but it had wings spread out. How... odd. If she would let her imagination go wild, she would guess that that skeleton was one of the ancient myths - a dragon. But that was impossible, dragons never existed. Everyone knew that and that was the truth... right? She was quickly ripped away from her thoughts as she needed to continue moving to follow everyone else. She curiously looked at the other artifacts, jewels, metals and other objects in there. They were hidden so well. It's a shame no one can see them. But she supposed it is a treasury.

When they finally stopped, they stopped in front the Artifacts. She was pretty damn sure there's not a single soul out there who doesn't know about the Artifacts. Was this his plan? Elaine didn't really know how to react to seeing them. The others looked calm but she was just ecstatic. Like, they get to see the Artifacts. She, a mere guard who is a half-blood, gets to actually see an Artifact. Never in her life had she thought that would happen. She looked at Emperor Janus and nodded slowly. Might as well know what he was planning though she had a pretty wild guess on what it is.

So the emperor had a plan huh? Well, at least that means he wouldn't need to think as hard. After a moment, Janus walked over to a bookcase on the side of the room. So he had it written down. Here's hoping it was a good plan. After shuffling through the books, thr bookcase slid over revealing a hidden passageway. Ohhhh...That's pretty cool. If he ever went home, he was totally going to get one of those. But then came the costs and building procedures came to mind. Aaand there went his interest in it. Snapping back to reality, he saw everybody beginning to leave through the passage. Time to go!

The passage led down fairly far. The temperature bagan shifting oddly. Down, then back up, then back down again. Where was this going?

Then came the paintings. So many of them! They seemed to be detailing the history of this place. There was a painting detailing a newborn, all the way to an old man decorated in a robe and a crown. As the party was led down the hall even further, a trio of metallic statues guarded a large iron door. They looked like a dungeons and dragons party. They looked like a knight, a wizard of sorts, and then an archer. Before Ysran had a chance to analyze them further, they came to life! Reaching for his blade, as did a couple of others. Before a second had passed, the emperor had raised his hand and stuck out his pendant. The statues stopped, bowed, and then opened the doors. Oh yeah, he was totally going to get one of those.

The room they were led to was full of strange oddities. The biggest mystery was an enormous skeleton of some strange creature. Ysran had no clue what it could be. Perhaps it was... A big lizard thing. He'd seen strange things before, but, they were alive. Or at least about as alive as an Eldritch horror could get. Then there was all the shiny stuff, but Ysran showed little interest. Shiny things were usually of no use, and were just to show off. Then Janus asked the question "Shall we begin?" "I'm ready if you are."

Vesanior steadied himself as he walked down the stairs, trying to imitate the gait of a fully armored knight. Illusions did a lot for appearances, but if you tried something truly ridiculous, like disguising yourself as a being much bigger or smaller than you, the illusion would either be very ineffective, or very draining on one's reserves of magic. So Vesanior imitated the knight in every way he could, the illusion he had cast would require less energy the less there was to fake.

Make yourself appear to be weighed down. He thought of all the moments he'd been encumbered by heavy bags of stolen loot during his early years as a thief. He cracked a grin, but it remained unseen by the rest of the party due to both his helmet's partial coverage of his face, and the position he'd taken at the back of the group. Still he attempted to maintain a knight-like demeanor, even when unwatched by the others. A good actor acts, but a better actor can become. No, this isn't right. A true knight would be weighed down but he'd be strong enough to push back up. He stopped slouching and finally balanced the imaginary weight of the armor with faked strength. Comfortable that he had adopted a realistic enough composure, he settled into an easy pace.

Afraid of the unknown? He'd almost chuckled. On the contrary, Mister Emperor, the unknown only offers wonders to me. If anything, it should be afraid of us. Once we see it, it is no longer unknown. We adventurers are the unmakers of the unknown. Finally, the seemingly endless descent abruptly stopped at a brightly lit room. Vesanior did not even try to locate the source of the light, he just assumed it was obviously magic. The Emperor lead them through the Hall of Dramoria. Boring, Vesanior thought. The gardens existed long before your foolish empire, and will exist when it is dust. I, myself, have lived through many of these events on your walls. Still, he pretended to be as fascinated by the murals as all the others.

When they came to three frightening golem-like creatures he was hardly surprised. One would suspect the most secret parts of the Hall to be guarded. After all, there was really nothing out here to steal, unless you could take the murals from the walls. Oh, I could probably find a way. He peered at the statues, looking at the magic in them to find out what they really were. Before he could get a good look, the robed figure snapped it's head in his direction, as if sensing Vesanior's gaze. Vesanior instantly stopped using his true Sight. The statue turned it's head back to Janus just as he pulled out an amulet. The statues then began to open the door. As Vesanior passed by the robed one, he stared suspiciously but the statue payed him no mind. The chamber they entered was truly more than what Vesanior had expected. So many artifacts! So many things that he could steal... if only he had a death wish. Finally, he could not contain himself. In a tone of childish wonder unfitting for the Orc he was impersonating, he asked "What in any Hell is that!", pointing up at a huge skeleton hanging from the ceiling.