32nd Nachgeheim 2512
Early afternoon
"I doubt that you are unique in that regard. They are a blight upon the world, and their conquest would result in all things being undone."
And I can't tell whether she's humouring me or not.
"How do you intend to realise that goal?"
"My current plan has some.. fairly large holes in it. Initially, I intend to purge chaotic, vampiric and orcoid areas within the territory of the world's civilised peoples. Once the interior is sufficiently protected, I intend to commission a series of
waystones to be built at sites of geomantic significance with the aim of controlling the winds of magic, stopping it flowing in ways useful to chaos and allowing my allies to prevent its use by such people. The elves of Ulthuan and the lizardmen of Lustria already use such techniques in their own territory, and
Magister Patriarch Verspasian Kant of the
Light College has expressed an interest in the creation of such a network within the Reikland Empire."
The leading Liche Priest stirs very slightly at that announcement.
"Obviously, the involvement of either the elves or the slann would be
preferable, given the experience they have with such systems. However, the knowledge of the Mortuary Cult in the manipulation of hysh would be invaluable. I'm not sure that the Light College has quite gotten their heads around the idea of the undead being able to use it."
Queen Khalida turns her head slightly to her left. "Speak, Djubti, lest your ire incite our guards to violence."
"My queen, quite aside from the madness of attempting to slay the Gods of Chaos in their own realm, this is a transparent attempt to trick us into sharing secrets of the arcane with these primitives."
"Your reverence, there is no deceit here. I am directly asking you to share your wisdom with the ignorant so that we may all benefit from it. And then only on the subject of hysh manipulation; the secrets of life extension and reanimation are yours to keep and share only with the devout. We both know that the slaves of the Chaos Gods have come to Nehekhara before, and all too often have done so from the lands to the north. It is in all of our interests to stop this."
"Do not think that I did not see the daemons amongst your own host, charlatan."
"Ah, those." I turn my head towards Queen Khalida. "May I demonstrate, your majesty?"
"With caution, ambassador."
I hold out my left hand and
call forth a daemonette. Without any way to transmit their hypnotic glamour they're a
lot less physically appealing. It looks more like a skinny transsexual beastman than a succubus.
"This was once a daemon of Slaanesh. Then it faced
me and tried to make me desire it. It failed, and the ring I wear converted every mote of magic in its make up into orange light. I take particular pride in destroying daemons in this way, since each daemon is a fragment of its patron and by doing this I permanently weaken them." Though in an equivalent period they're probably gaining more than that amount of power from their mortal servants. At least I'm reducing the net gain. "Test it, if you will. There is no longer anything of Chaos about it."
He looks to his queen. She nods. He raises his right hand, skeletal fingers half-clenched as he calls the wind of magic to him. For a fraction of a second bands of blinding white light swirl around his fingers, then they unify into a brilliant beam of white light which blasts into my construct.
And does precisely nothing. I'll give Djubti credit for not staring at his fingers.
I'm not sure
exactly what spell that was. In
my day you needed High Magic for Banishment, but
Alric made it clear to me that that isn't the case in reality. If-.
Djubti raises both hands, and his acolytes do the same, all chanting words so magic-infused that the ring can't translate them for me. The general tone sounds like ancient Nehekharan, though the intonation is different to the versions I've heard before. This time I'm forced to shield my eyes with my hands as the light blasts forth… Again, to no effect.
"Satisfied, your reverence?"
His teeth
click against one another. "Your majesty, it is free of all Chaotic influence. What it
is, I cannot say."
"Could it be that he can do as he says?"
"It is conceivable. The sites of all cities in Nehekhara were chosen with geomantic considerations in mind; it does not surprise me to learn that the barbarians to the north were less discerning. Creating an alignment over a larger area would benefit all those who exist under its aegis. But it would not kill a Chaos God; merely reduce their influence."
"Of course not. That's just stage one."
The queen regards me curiously. "Then what would you do next?"
"Rebuild the Old One's polar gates, and so restrict the flow of the winds of magic to the world."
Djubti's eyes flare.
"You do not have that knowledge!"
I hold up my hands in a placatory gesture. "True. Quite true. But I can hope that the slann do, and if they don't… Anything that can be discovered can be rediscovered. In the north, we're.. so used to thinking of the realms of chaos to the far north and south as being infinite, and their internal dimensions
are. But measured around the sides, or from above? It's not all that big. I believe that they grew out from the site of the gates above the world, and that if we push them back far enough we may learn more. This is why the leaders of nations sponsored me to come here; they are used to fighting to survive a year, a decade… I have been able to convince them
that ultimate victory is possible; that the permanent extinction-" The daemonette vanishes and the ring dims. "-
of our greatest enemies is possible.
That though it may be far off, there exists a path we may walk towards it.
Peace, prosperity, and a world without monsters."
"Tell me, your majesty: what does ultimate victory look like for you? For the people of Nehekhara?"
"I would see vampire kind extinguished."
"You will find few in the north who would not see that as a good thing. The Lahmians, the von Carsteins, the Necrarchs and the Blood Dragons all assail the lands to the north, and I promise that any knowledge you share of how to fight them will be most eagerly put to use. Furthermore, all information collected by my masters would be available to you in turn. I-. The Emperor of Reikland has.. seen fit to grant parole to
certain vampires living within his lands in exchange for saving his life. But they are very few in number. Certainly, Neferata's death would be met with nought but celebration."
"I would see all of the treasures looted from our lands returned to us."
"We can make that a part of any trading relationship. Not.. that you should have to trade for things stolen from you, but my masters don't keep track of
everything brought into their lands. Locating artefacts will be a time consuming business, but well worth it to maintain an alliance."
"We would seek to be restored to the flesh which
Nagash the Great Betrayer denies to us."
"I believe that all things are
eventually possible. I can restore your-" Cross fingers. "-mask now, if you would like? And flesh…" This is tricky. "I will try and be as plain as I can. I have no idea how to transfer the magics binding your spirit to your mortal remains to anything else.
However, it is well within my abilities to cover the bones of.. any of you, in flesh. Living flesh, as near as possible to what you had in life."
Djubti's eyes flare again. "Insane kings have wrapped themselves in stolen flesh before. All it does is draw carrion and the gods' wrath."
"Your majesty, it may be easiest for me to demonstrate? If I could have a volunteer, and if the venerable Mortuary Priest could watch closely?"
Queen Khalida raises her left hand, and one of her -check the shoulder to waist ratio- handmaidens walks forward and stops just in front of me. "Have a care, ambassador. My patience is not limitless."
I close my eyes,
focusing on my desire to bring people together through my actions, to unify and strike back against the monstrosities using this world as their playground. My
desire to heal the woman before me. I
focus on the intact genetic code in her bones and how it compares to those of modern Nehekharans, the precise structure of her skull and how the muscles and fat and skin would lie on it.
I float into the air, both hands held out towards her as the ring begins to create flesh from orange energy.
Organs appear to precipitate out of the air, held in place by orange light. Next,
connective tissues, muscle, fat, veins and arteries, blood, skin and-. Ah.
clothes.
A thought and a heart beats in her chest for the first time in centuries,
another and her organs start oozing their enzymes.
One last check…
Good.
Not
perfect. Her eyes are still vacant, her brain… It's in pristine condition but there's nothing going on.
I
lower myself to the ground with a shrug. "That is the best I can do, majesty. Perhaps the priesthood or.. others, can improve upon my work, but-."
"
Djubti, you are to begin the study of this at once."
"
Yes, my queen." He raises his right hand again and the handmaiden turns and heads for a side exit, followed by him and his aides.
I look to Queen Khalida. "I hope I have not offended?"
"
I am very far from offended.
For the first time since I awoke to this new life I can believe that perhaps the promises of the Liche Priests may still be fulfilled in full. I will tell you now that I am most interested in pursuing an alliance with your masters. More than that, I wish to reward you personally as well. Is there some gift which I could bestow upon you?"
"There is… One thing, but… I don't know enough about Nehekharan culture or your particular religious oaths to know whether I can ask without causing great offence to you, which is the farthest thing from my desires."
"Ask. I will not be offended."
"Your majesty… Are you free to marry?"
