Three Months Ago
With options quickly dwindling due to the rampage of the murderous Kinslayer, Daphne and Ainsley eventually met with Eleanor and Jass Strata, to determine what their course of action should be. Nightmare, who had told the others not to call him Maxim (as he was Maxim from an alternate reality) was present as well, and had learned it was his existence that had caused the Kinslayer to lose his honorable, heroic side. While the four women made the decision to unearth an ancient portal known as the Gateway, Nightmare secretly decided that he had to die, to save the Redmonts. Daphne struck a deal with Lumine Ravenholm -- Lumine could keep Navidium and the Redmonts would be gone forever, in exchange for defending the ruins of Northcross and the Redmonts while they retreated through the Gateway. During that week, while Ainsley and Richter worked to unearth the Gateway and prepare their forces and possessions for the one-way trip, Daphne and Eleanor journeyed to the Scarlet Isle to retrieve Camilla, the aged daughter of Maxim and Daphne. Though Camilla was initially angry at her mother, seeing her mother healed and pure again eventually won her over, and a refreshed, happy Camilla rejoined her family at last.
Isabella, Maxim's twin sister and one of the most powerful Brood vampiresses (as well as a daywalker, turned by Maxim while she was infected with a plague), volunteered to scout ahead, leaving Kaine as her representative in her absence; Darius accompanied her. The two never returned, but when Lumine sent word that the Kinslayer was headed their way, the Redmonts knew they had no other choice but to leave. It was then, that Daphne and Eleanor noticed Nightmare was missing. Nathaniel returned then, though in demon form, bringing word that the Navidians were mobilizing -- and planning to betray them. The Navidians attacked soon thereafter, and only Nathaniel's warning saved the Redmonts and their forces, the Absolution Brigade, from being slaughtered. However... it was then, that the Kinslayer arrived and began slaughtering both sides with reckless, wild bloodthirst.
Somewhere far away, Deanna executed Nightmare at his request, and the Kinslayer was made whole once more.
Maxim Redmont, though dishonored, defended his family valiantly -- Daphne and Camilla had already made their escape into the Gateway, escorted by Richter, and Nathaniel. Eleanor was preparing to jump through the rift as well, when Ainsley had shouted, "Maxim's defending us! All forces, cover the King Redmont!" Eleanor had tried to rejoin the battle, but Kaine hadn't allowed her to, insisting that Maxim would want her to get to safety. Only then, did Jass Strata and Danika McKennah join the fight, choosing to flank the vampire warlord they loved as he fought to buy his family a few more precious minutes of time to escape. Ainsley eventually joined then, and together, they decimated the Navidian forces -- Lumine himself took a high-caliber silver round straight to the chest from Maxim's revolver... and yet, the smile on his face as Ainsley looked back was something that would haunt her nightmares.
Two Months Ago
The Redmonts arrived in the Outlands, and began construction on a new estate/base immediately -- this place would be christened Northcrest, and Sanctuary II would be created by Ainsley herself in the heart of their new home, both in constructed catacombs beneath the estate and in the center of the estate itself. Only the highest-ranking Redmonts were allowed within, and it was in there that the steel coffin containing the monster known as Tybalt Redmont remained, following the move. Ainsley, before the jump, and ensured the Gateway on the other end would close -- from their previous home, there would be no connection. The Gateway now was set to connect to Aleris instead, though the Redmonts weren't concerned with that. Daphne, Jass, and Danika were concerned more with Maxim, who had distanced himself from all of the family due to feelings of dishonor and guilt; those three women, along with Eleanor and perhaps his daughter, would know how disgusted Maxim was with himself for his actions; even though the existence of Nightmare was why he'd lost sanity, he wouldn't forgive himself.
A week after their arrival, Maxim announced that he wasn't going to take back the throne, and that the ruling body of the Redmont family consisted of Daphne Redmont, Ainsley Redmont, and Jass Strata -- much to the chagrin of Danika McKennah. Two days later, scouts returned with perhaps the worst news of all.
The Ravenholm Empire was the dominant government of the Outlands, and more importantly... they had been for over ten thousand years. Somehow, Lumine Ravenholm had not only found a way to determine where the Redmonts had gone, but also to travel back ten millennia before the arrival of the Redmonts. In that time, he had conquered the Outlands -- first by conquering each warring tribe and uniting them, then by devising amazing tactics and strategies that the Outlanders had never heard of before, as well as ushering in a new age of technology for the realm. Firearms were invented, but mixed with magic. Because of the availability of both science and sorcery, it became common to see the two mixed to maximize the potential of many things, not just military applications. The Ravenholms were a powerful family, and Lumine had taken a wife as well; Leona Ravenholm, the succubus Witch of Augustgrad. Augustgrad, the capital city of the Ravenholm Empire, was simply enchanting; a huge metropolis made to please the decadence of Lumine's most loyal supporters... and heavily guarded by the bulk of his military as well. Stationed behind cloud cover, are the pride of his forces: the monstrous airships known as the Dreadstorms. However, while the Redmonts learned of the Dreadstorms, they couldn't find any reliable sources to tell them what the aerial fleet was capable of, how many there were, where they were stationed or even what they looked like.
Following this information, Maxim locked himself away in an antechamber connected to his private quarters in Northcrest and was rumored to remain in there under magical shielding to keep everybody out -- though he had in reality slipped through the Gateway into Aleris, convinced he had failed his family for the last time. Camilla and Daphne grew somewhat closer during this time, due to their shared worry of Maxim; Jass Strata and Ainsley Redmont likewise developed a friendship. Though united, the Brood and Dynasty were still unstable, and neither side was ready to fully trust the other. Eleanor, Daphne, Camilla, Danika, Aldrick, and a few others represented the Dynasty, while Ainsley, Jass, Richter, Kaine, Nathaniel, and others sided with the Brood. The turmoil between Eleanor and Nathaniel alone was enough to keep them occupied; Nathaniel was suspicious of Eleanor, thinking she'd try to kill him -- and Eleanor was anxious to learn if Nathaniel could still love her, even as a demon. Their shared worry for their son and daughters, however... was what brought them together.
(Footnote: Ainsley eventually revealed who she was, that she was the first demon Queen of the Redmont Brood from over two thousand years earlier in Redmont history. She provided irrefutable proof that Aubrey was planning to betray them for the Ravenholms, a fact that Jass confirmed -- and when Aubrey Ravenholm was eventually spotted as a lich, serving in the Imperial brigades as a sorcery general, Eleanor and Nathaniel mutually disowned her and accepted Ainsley as their daughter, since Ainsley's body was that of their daughter.)
In his absence, the Redmonts now face their hardest challenge yet, and the Ravenholms know that after ten thousand years of waiting, their hated foes have at last arrived to meet their doom.
Meanwhile, Maxim Redmont wanders the lands of Aleris alone, determined to find redemption and salvage what's left of his broken code of honor... or die trying.
And so, the scene fades to red.
Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2009 11:15 pm
