The Jovian War: Renegades (Present Time)

[Sir Nichtmar]

Nichtmar wore his brown robe he received from Oof, underneath the robe, a blue and black tattered tabard. His qama, a short black handled sword sat on his hip. On his back a small pack of supplies. Goblin walked next to him in his blue and white tabard, with a black cloak and pack. Goblin’s pack held something that Emperor Thrawn would kill millions for, the Azoth gate. If it wasn’t for the warning of Lady Elestirne, who knows who hands it would be in now. Nichtmar can’t get near it. It saps the dark magic that regulates his heart, dark magic bonded to Telemachus. Unaware that if Telemachus dies, Nichtmar may share his fate. When Nichtmar first arrived his heart was pierced by an orc blade. Telemachus saved him, but some may disagree, for this dark magic tugs at every ill thought. Right now, none of that matters. We are at war and Nichtmar and Goblin must find their friends and allies in hopes to one day remove the Jovians from power.

They walk towards the Kyuden.

“I don’t wanna be called Goblin anymore!”

“Ok, well what do you want to be called?"


Hours of debate later…

“Yep, call me Gron!”

“Ok, Gron it is.”

“Why are we here?”

“Well ‘Gron’ we are here because we need to talk to Tat about forming a plan, we need a safe place to stay and I think Cathan might be here. He’s a demon and he may know something about this gate.”

“Oh…but they eat weird food here.”


“I know.”


They walk through the gate of the Kyuden sharing a laugh.

[Kotaro]

Kotaro had seen the pair coming and was already walking toward them as they entered the gates. "Our cuisine may seem alien to you, but the same is true of yours to us." He smiled slightly and bowed. "It is good to see you again, Nichtmar-sama. And who is your friend?"

[Sir Nichtmar]

Nichtmar bows, but keeps his eyes on Kataro.

“This is my squire, Gob…I mean Gron.”

Nichtmars demeanor is grittier than usual, his tone darker. Too anyone who has known him they might notice.

“I need to speak with Tatsumara? Also, do you know where Cathan is?”

[Kotaro]

Nichtmar's change of tone was not lost on the samurai. This war has changed all of us... he thought, rather fatalistically.

"I assume Cathan is somewhere in the forest, probably planning. Tatsumura-dono should be inside the kyuden. If you'll follow me," he said aloud, turning on his heel and making the first steps toward Kyuden Tatsumura.

[Sir Nichtmar]

Nichtmar silently follows. He recognizs the faces of Mittelmarch refugees, he's glad more escaped, but it also darkens his mood. One more coal to the fire within his heart.

[Cathán Neamhnaofa]

Sitting far up in a tree keeping watch, Cathan sees Nichtmar and his squire enter the Kyuden. He follows shortly after not knowing why they were here, keeping his distance.

[Tatsumura Masamune]

The group entered the kyuden, walking down the halls till Kotaro opened a wall to a hidden passage. As the group made their way down the dark corridors, they eventually came to a long hallway filled with doors. They entered one of them, to find Masamune standing there, speaking with various people, around a table with several maps and reports laid out on it. Masamune looked up as the group entered, and smiled at the sight of his old friend.

"Nichtmar-san!! So you survived, as has Goblin I see. It is good to see you."

Masamune moved over to them, bowing to them before shaking their hands.

"How have you been my friend. Forgive the mess, but we were just discussing something of great importance. We came into information that the Jovians have a major shipment from Jove to Mittelmarch which should be delivered in the next day or so. I've sent out my forces to but a stop to it, and recover whatever we can."

Masamune looks at the slightly puzzled look on Nichtmar and Gron's faces.

"I'm sure that you two have both heard about the raids on the supply caravans from Mittelmarch to Jove. Well, here's your answer to who has been doing it. We have been taking the supplies the Jovians are shipping to Jove, and getting them back to the people of Mittelmarch. It hasn't been easy, but we know that the Jovians are becoming restless, and worn without the supplies, while the citizens of Mittelmarch are staying healty."

Masamune looks down at the reports and maps before continuing.

"It is strange for the Jovians to be sending supplies to Mittelmarch, thats why I have deemed this misson as high importance. I've sent my best to deal with the caravan. We should here something by the end of the day."

[Sir Nichtmar]

Nichtmar entered the secret room, dropping his gear in a corner. He nods and grabs Masamune’s arm, giving him the warriors greeting, patting his back. He listens to what he has to say.

“Good, I hope they killed some of those red bastards.”

He gazes over the papers on the table, and the faces of the men at the table.

“I suppose these men are trustworthy, since you have them in here.”

He turns to Gron.

“Gron, show them.”

Gron opens his pack and places the ruby ring in front of Masaume. It’s about 8 inches in diameter. Nichtmar keeps his distance.

“The Azoth Gate…I can’t touch the damn thing. It starts sucking the magic from the curse that keeps my heart going. And well if you didn’t know about that, now you do. This is what Thrawn wants.”

[Kotaro]

Kotaro instantly notices a certain malevolence about the scarlet ring on the table before him. "I'd heard about the Azoth Gate, even a little about what it does, but by the Fortunes, I had no idea it was this... unsettling," he said, never taking his eyes off the peculiar object.

He glanced at Nichtmar. "What can be done about this thing? Can it be destroyed?"

[Isen Ehtar]

Somewhere deeper in the secret tunnels of the kyuden Isen, still very weak from his recent ordeal, sits straight up in his bed. A feeling of strong magics runs through his very veins. Isen lays back down. "It is here," he says to no one in particular as he closes his eyes and fades to sleep.

[Sir Nichtmar]

Nichmar looks at Kotaro, "How the hell am I supposed to know? It's from hell, figured Cathan might know something."

[Tatsumura Masamune]

Masamune moves toward the artifact, reaching for it slowly, but stopping about an inch from it. The gate seems be pulling at Masamune's very being as he is so close. He pulls his hand away, staring at the dark object.

"This thing reaks of maho. I wonder what it's real purpose is for.....hmm..Cathan may have an answer, but I think that we should consult Isen on this thing."

[Cathán Neamhnaofa]

Cathán slips into the room unnoticed and stays back in the shadows. He sees Tatsumura, Gron, and Nichtmar with others around a table with maps. He listens to their conversation and notices a ring that gets put on the table.

(its the Azoth Gate) Cathán thinks to himself. At that very moment Cathán hears a voice, unfamiliar but at the same time very familiar. He's heard it before in his dreams. It started bout 2 months ago not very often at first but growing more and more every night, telling him of the Azoth Gate, of the power it holds and what it could do to. He never heard this voice while he's been awake until now.

"That is what you are looking for. It has great powers and will help you and your friends in defeating the Jovians. You must take it for you are one of the few that can really use it and control it." The voice says to Cathán. "You must get it from them, for they will destroy it or be unable to use it and you all shall fall to the Jovians soon enough. It will bring a most powerful army this world or any other has ever seen"

Cathán steps out of the shadows just after Tatsumura stops talking, "Ah the Azoth Gate. How did you come about to find such an artifact, Goblin?" Cathán asks. He walks up and stands next to Gron, his eyes never leaving the the ring.

[Sir Nichtmar]

Nichtmar nods to Cathan, "Oof, told me to get it out of Mittelmarch. What can it do?"

[Cathán Neamhnaofa]

"Depending on who has it, depends on what it can do," Cathán says. " To a mere mortal it's just a ring, but to a magic user such as Tatsumura," he nods at Tats, "it can transport him anywhere in the land. It is very risky for a magic user though, because it takes so much magic to simply transport from point A to point B. This is a very dark artifact that can do great and terrible things that none can imagine."

Cathán reaches out for the ring, as his hand nears it he feels the power of it pulsing forth. The voice comes back to him, "They must not know you have it. They will try to stop you even though it'll do all of you good to use it." His hand holds over the ring for a sec, feeling the power so close to him. He picks it up inspecting it and taking a closer look. A magnificent piece of work who ever made it. Cathán imagines what he could do if he had the ring.

Setting the ring back down in the center of the table, "You all know this ring was made for evil purposes, but the one thing few know is that this ring can be used by a demon with ease. The ring works only because a demon has been trapped in this ring and demons have a close connection with each other therefore making it like second nature for them to use it. If nothing else we need to keep this in hiding from as many people as possible. If it gets out that we have this, we're going to have more than just the jovians to worry about."

[Sir Nichtmar]

Nichtmar suggests. "If you can turn the tide of this war with this, maybe you should take it?"

[Cathán Neamhnaofa]

"I could turn the tide of this war but it will take much time for the ring to reach its full power. If you give it to me it will be in very safe hands and none shall be able to catch me." Cathán replies. "If you all agree, I shall take it now and be off so few know of us having the ring and none will think of me roaming the land with it."

[Tatsumura Masamune]

"I think we should wait for now on trying to use this thing."

Masamune looked around the room at everybody.

"You may be right, this thing may serve as a weapon that could save us....but at what cause. Truth be told, none of us know what this thing will do if it is used. For all we know, this could turn against us. I say we wait for now. We can place it in one of the rooms down here, and place wards around it to keep all but a couple of us out. We can set the wards not to effect Cathan, Gron and myself. Not even the Shugenja who place the wards will be able to get near it."

Masamune stood there, waiting for a reply, but the silence was broken by a man dressed in odd clothes, clothes that one might associate with a bandit, though upon closer look of his face when he removed his mask, he was one of the shogunate.

"Tatsumura-dono, we have dealt with the caravan, but there is something that you should see."

"What is it?"

"We have some prisoners."

"What do you mean prisoners, my orders have been to kill all Jovians that are part of the caravans, and leave the rest alone, only taking the supplies from the caravans."

"Thats just it my lord, the prisoners where jovian armor and colors...but they are dwarves."

With that last comment, Masamune looks around the room at the others. Before looking back at the young warrior.

"I'm afraid I must call an end to this meeting. We can deal with this Gate later today. You, take me to these prisoners."

Masamune left the room quickly, following the young warrior. When he made his way out of the kyuden, he looked out to see nearly 40 wagons slowly coming into the gates of the village. He made his way towards them, noticing they where mostly filled with armor, and weapons, along with dozens of unmarked barrels. When he arrived near the wagon with the prisoners, they were already being unloaded. Most were still unconsicous, but they were clearly all dwarves. As the last one came off, Masamune's almost dropped at the sight. The last one to come off was still unconsicous, but it was a face he knew well, it was his onee-san, Baethor.

[Kotaro]

Kotaro stood alone in the meeting room, his eyes on the crimson ring. He couldn't shake the sensation that this thing must be destroyed. He halfheartedly glanced at his sword, fully aware it would not be that easy. He knew he mustn't touch it, and had absolutely no desire to. This thing cannot be allowed to exist. It's too dangerous... he thought.

Turning on his heel, he left the meeting room and left the kyuden to stand at his master's side. "What's the situation, my lord?" he said, surprised but not quite shocked at the sight of the unconcious form of Baethor.

[Sir Nichtmar]

Nichtmar waited for Masamune and the others to leave the room. He doesn't know why but he was urged to give it to Cathan. He turned to Cathan.

"Take it...use it to kill Jovians."

He glances back down the hall to be sure it's clear and back to Cathan. "You may want to gate out of here. Masamune may not agree."

Nichtmar left it to Cathan's choice and headed outside. He saw the traiterous face and snapped. He grabbed a bucket of water near the well and headed for Baethor throwing the water and bucket at him. He immediatly recognized the runic hilt sticking out from one of the wagons. He grabbed it and headed for Baethor with an uncaring swipe he cut the ropes that binded Baethor and threw it to the ground infront of him. Then unsheathed his own sword.

"Get up, traitor!"

[Cathán Neamhnaofa]

After Nichtmar had left, Cathán picked up the ring. Without a second thought he used in and with in a sec he was gone.

[Baethor]

The battle was moving smoothly...What had gone wrong...The dwarf could barely think, he couldn't move, his head throbbed as he tried to remember what just happened... He remembered the caravans had held up in the mountain pass to plan, they were still another days ride from Mittelmarch, Shatar and his men had ridden on, Kain and his men had stayed behind with Baethor, at least for the night. Kain and Baethor stayed up most the night planning for every possible plan of attack on the caravan and how to counter it. Kain and his men would ride in the front of the caravan while Baethor and Third squadron would hold the rear. For the rest of the night neither slept, instead they stayed up late telling each other tales of their homes, and what happened to get them here in this land.

The next morning every man was on edge, every one had a hint of fear in their eyes, Baethor knew, a little fear was good. Keeps a soldier on his toes. The caravan began to move in the cold crisp air, a light fog blanketed the land and forest, It would have been an opportune time to attack, so Baethor had his men at the ready...But no attack came that morning.

Kain and baethor ordered that men walking would switch with men and the wagons, so that there would not have to be stopping and resting unless the horses desperately needed it. They were making good time, the late morning sun had burned the fog away, scouts with crossbows were watching the tree's for any signs of movement. Near the middle of the day, the men were passed around dried meats and bread to keep them going, as well as water. No man complained, they all knew the importance of this mission for Mittelmarch.

Late afternoon, nothing had come yet, Baethor swore he could see smoke raising from Mittelmarch just over the horizon, they were almost home, the horses had begun to falter they decided to let them eat and rest...Baethor could feel it coming...everything was to quiet, the calm before the bloody storm...He ordered his men on alert and kicked his horse towards the front of the caravan, he saw Kain talking to his men doing the same, of course he could feel it to...They locked eyes for a moment and nodded to each other, Baethor turned and headed back to the end of the caravan....

"MOVEMENT IN THE TREELINE!" One of the scouts yelled, firing off a crossbow bolt that thunked harmlessly into a tree unseen. The men rallied shield went along the sides of the wagons and men remounted. It had begun...

Glints of light flew from the trees Thunking harmlessly into shields, bouncing off of metal armor, shuriken stuck to the sides of wagons, a few struck the horses and the wagons began to move, Baethor and Kain could be heard at either end barking commands to get the wagons moving as the train began to roll another barrage, this time of arrows, once again, doing little more then spooking the horses. Thats when they moved, a wall of fog shot from the trees, and rolled past the caravan, Baethor could see them moving, the Shinobi of the kyuden, and for this fog they must have some of Tatsumuras wizards with them...

The din of battle rang out, shields crunching against solid bodies, Baethor road hard through the mass of ninjas, trampling some with his horse, reaching a wagon he saw being over run he rode along side his sword drawn, red runes flashing as he swiped at the ninja, beating them back. The dwarf jumped from his horse into the wagon, the horse ran off as Baethor got his footing. He saw the mixed races of Third squadron fighting harmoniously, but again the onslaught of speed and blades they were starting to falter, Baethor stood atop the moving wagon and plunked his sword into the wood, grabbing a dead scouts crossbow he aimed it and fired, one shinobi fell with a bolt in his neck, Turning for a bolt another ninja descended upon him, Baethor caught his ribs with the edge of his shield, Then broke the crossbow over his head, knocking him from the wagon. Grabbing his sword again, Baethor turns back in time to see a ball attached to a long chain swing in and catch the side of his head, knocking his helmet free, the dwarf fell from the wagon to the ground and rolled shakily to one knee, then to his feet. His vision doubling from the hit the dwarf Can not tell if he is fighting 5 or 20 men, he takes his defensive stance and tries to focus, as he does a horse rides through them and a longsword cuts them down, It was kain. He had rode back to protect the dwarf.

Baethor shook his vision back into place, he had a concussion for sure, but he could not rest. He charged the nearest ninja, cutting one down, another receiving his shield hard to its temple. A spearman charged Baethor, but was easily parried, running up the length of the spear the dwarf barreled into the shinobi and knocked him flat, the man held up his hands and close his eyes, The dwarf stopped the chop meant to remove the mans head...Choosing to knock the man out instead with his shield. Baethor saw a man wreathed in flame walk from the fog, one of the wizards, he was casting something. "Kain! Look! They're gon' ta set the wagons ablaze!" Kain turned and spurred his horse towards the shugenja, and that was the last Baethor saw his captain and friend...The dwarf felt a pin-prick in his neck, and felt a warmth start through his veins.

"Haha! Your done now Jovian! That poison will kill you shortly..." Baethor felt the warmth grow to a boiling heat as it hit his heart and pumped through his system, Soon that burning sensation was replaced in his mind by an image...His brother Doric, Stabbed by a drow blade, dying not in battle, but from a poison destroying his mind and body...But this was not drow poison, it would hinder the dwarf if he didnt do something, but it would not kill him...A bubbling rage swelled within Baethor as he dropped to a knee...The shinobi laughing drew a small version of the strange curved blades that their kind favored...as he approached and bent to cut the dwarfs throat, the dwarfs hand grasped around his neck, slowly crushing it, he looked up at the shinobi, his eyes bloodshot red as his rage consumed him. "YE WOULD DARE TRY TE POISON ME?! YE WOULD GIVE ME DEATH WITHOUT HONOR!?" The dwarf roared loudly as he crushed the mans throat in his gauntleted fist. The man dropped, his shouts had drawn attention of other ninja nearby. He turns to them and sheathes his sword, dragging the heavy battle-axe from his frog he shouts curses in ancient dwarven at them, the rage building in him a nearly visible force around him. The golden runes in his axe flare and shine brightly as the dwarf charges them.

It was told in tales from both sides that the dwarf fought as a demon, killing any who would have stood before him. fighting recklessly, shield and axe were deadliest of weapons that day, the shinobi took to retreating and several more fired more poison tipped darts into him. Baethor turned to his own men as he felt the poison overcoming even his own slayer rage. " THIRD SQUADRON! FULL RETREAT! AID KAIN IN GETTING AS MANY WAGONS AS YOU CAN HOME! GO!"

Turning was his folly he now realizes, a spear bit deep into the back of his thigh, and the dwarf dropped, he turned and broke the spear with his axe, but as he did he left himself open, a shinobi took the advantage and landed a kick squarely into his temple and the dwarf fell...he could still feel the poison now clouding his vision, blood seeping from several wounds he had taken in the battle, he saw the sky grow dark. a shinobi stood over him with a knife in his hands...He blinked for what seemed an eternity that had only been a second...He heard another mention something about tatsumura..and him wanting the dwarf...The dwarf opened his eyes, he turned to look, the Jovians had run, maybe 15 or 20 wagons with them...but the rest lay in ruins...Then the dwarf remembered nothing....Darkness....

The dwarf heard the blood pumping through his own ears..He was not dead...The weak human poison could not do the job fully, but he still his head throbbed, and he could not move his arms or legs...A splash of cold water his his face, followed by a hard object striking his arm. The dwarf strained to open his eyes... He saw...shapes...shadows backed by white light...He heard angry shouting. Something landed in front of him...He reached for it...It became clear in his vision as his sword...he stood slowly and shakily, barely able to move his arms he raises the sword just slightly at the massive shouting figure in front of him...It moved...Moved for him, an object in his hands, the dwarf moved to parry but could not support against the blow of the enemy before him, his own sword and his enemies biting deep into his shoulder, a sizable foot crashes into the dwarfs gut and sends him sprawling...the sword drops from his hands as he try's to stand...he hears more angry shouting, and suddenly feels violently ill...The bread and dried meat coming to the surface again. The dwarf rolls to his back, and see's his killer above him, sword drawn. the dwarf closes his eyes ready to accept death for his failure. He hears the ring of steel, and opens his eyes...Another figure, speaking in a cool cold voice, a weapon in his hands parrying the blow that should have felled Baethor...more speaking...suddenly the dwarf felt very weak...helpless...and closed his eyes again....

[Sir Nichtmar]

This wasn’t the Nichtmar they knew. This was someone else indeed, the curse had him. Someone was feeding dark words to push his mind where they wanted him to go. He didn’t see Storm, he didn’t Baethor, he only saw those in his way to destroying the Jovians. Honor and respect…the words were so far from him. Under his skin black tendrils could be seen reaching up his neck and out to his shoulders.

“Get rid of him…” the voice said in his head.

Nichtmar lunged in close and back handed his hilt across the face of Storm sending him spiraling out of his way. “Out of my way.”

“Stop, please! Can’t ya see he can’t defend himself?” A Jovian Dwarf steps in Nichtmar’s path.

With a quick stroke Nichtmar’s blade splits the dwarf’s chest from left shoulder to center gut. The blood sprays. The dwarf, with a look of shock, falls. Nichtmar raises his sword. His target, the neck of Baethor. There’s no reason he would stop now. He is committed. Baethor would surely die this day. It brought him satisfaction. Yet just before the blade struck Baethor’s throat another sword stopped his swing. It didn’t just stop it. It cut his weapon in two. Masamune stood before him. Nichtmar began to snarl as he saw his broken blade. He went for a wild slash at Masamune, but instead a cold blast sent him hurling backwards. His sword parted with his grip. He landed hard. He aches as he gets to his feet. The crowd was silent and in shock of what they just saw.

Masamune said one word, “Leave!”

Nichtmar looked to Gron. Gron didn’t know the person who looked back. He wouldn’t go with him.

Nichtmar raged as he went for the gate. Knocking barrels and crates over as he exited the Kyuden.

[Sir Storm Brightblade]

Storm stood by his lord and saw everything that happened. He saw the guards bring out Baethor and was hurt to see that what he thought were rumors were true. Baethor had betrayed.

He saw Nichtmar wake him up and throw the bucket at him. He winced a little knowing that Baethor would feel that and the fact that it was cruel to treat a prisoner that way.

He watched Nichtmar walk away, only to come back with a sword and threw it infront of the freed Baethor.

"Get up traitor.." was all that Storm had heard and he knew something was going to happen. When he saw Baethor get up weakly and pick up his sword, Nichtmar began the swing. Seeing Baethor not fit to fight, Storm tried to intervene. He didn't even get his sword pulled out before being back handed by Nichtmar's sword pommel.

He fell to the ground and hit his head on the stone pavement and blacked out.

[Tatsumura Masamune]

Masamune had watched the outburst with the water, thinking it was nothing, but after hitting Akururi, and slashing the dwarf, it became clear something was very wrong. This was not the Nichtmar Masamune knew.

He seemed to appear out of nowhere before the ogre. The sword was already on it's downward swing towards Baethor's neck. Masamune drew his katana, halting the swing. Then, the world seemed to freeze.

Masamune looked into Nichtmar's eyes, and seemed to be searching his soul, but there was only an emptiness. There was no rhyme or reason in his eyes, only hatred, darkness, and an unspeakable evil. That evil seemed to pour out of Nichtmar like fire into his sword. These flames were the flames of Jigoku, Masamune had seen them many times in his life. He poured his own soul into his blade, hoping the ice of his spirit could extinguish the dark flames.

Then, the world returned to it's normal speed, and the shattering of Nichtmar's sword was the only thing seen by all. Masamune looked at the defeated ogre.

"Enough of this, it's over Nichtmar."

The words feel on deaf ears, and the ogre lunged at Masamune. He made no movements, but the winds came, halting, then throwing the knight across the area. Masamune looked on at his out of control friend, seeing the hate in his eyes.

"Leave!!"

It didn't take long for Nichtmar to respond, he roared as he left, no weapons in hand, only his fury.

Masamune turned to the crowd, and the injured.

"Take the dwarves to the temple, and tend to their wounds there. Do what you can for the one here *pointing to the one that was just slashed*. I will come check on them in a bit. And take the cargo from the caravans to storage. We will see what is in it tommorow, and see if there is anything that can be sent to the drop points."

Masamune walked over to Akururi, and helped him to his feet, seeing the blood where he had been hit.

"You should get that looked at."

Masamune turned to the gate that Nichtmar had just ran out of. What had happened, and why did he have the feeling that things had been set against them that had yet to be seen.

The dwarves both injured and awake, were taken to the temple. Instead of going up the hill to the kyuden, they went around the base of the hill, to the sturdy doors of the temple that sat between the tall hill, and the mountains. The dwarves were not chained, though their armor and weapons were taken away. The dwarf that had been slashed was treated. He was extremely weak, but alive. The monks of the temple, as well as the shugenja, made sure to dress all wounds, and paid special attention to Baethor's wounds.