The necropolis, to see the king

=The dead city was silent but for the sound of carrion birds as night began to fall. One raven, slightly larger than the others, but not abnormally so, sat perched on the slightly crumbling roof of an old mausoleum. The building was non-descript, covered in signs of ages of decay, cobwebs and dust coating it. This however, was the chosen entrance into the place of meeting.

Inside another crumbling tomb, further into the city, Damyn was sat at a flat stone sarcophagus. The room was lit by ghostly fires coming from the eye sockets of numerous skulls piled in the corners. This was an old place, where he had met his brothers and sisters after Mychael's disappearance, before their foolish deaths.

The underground of the building was labrynthine, connected surreptitiously to many other such buildings throughout the crumbling city, including the one marked by theraven. He sat in but one room, the one he had chosen for this meeting. He had a skeletal servant posted near the entry, to escort their guest to the meeting.

He looked to his companions, his students, he were also waiting with him, and wondered at the outcome of the meeting. Soon, he would know...=

<< Enters the room under escort, talking politely to the skeletal guard as if the thing could reply. He stops inside the room taking stock of the gatherred people.>>

Well, it seems I have come without an escort, what a shame. Had I known I needed a date I would have brought Victoria. Now, Let us skip the useless formalities and move on to the heart of the matter. You say you have something to offer me in this time of need. So, enlighten me sir, what do you bring to the table, and what do you ask for in turn?

<< leans against the wall, noting the eerily familliar duo accompanying the man he can only assume is the necromancer.>>

=Damyn reclines his head respectfully, his hands foldedon the table. "Of course. First, I would like to offer you a steadfast ally. I know the value of power, and the power of knowledge. I am a seeker of knowledge, you see. I know then, that a man should make powerful friends, and weak enemies, yes?" The question was rhetorical, so he continued. "I first, offer you that which was lost and then found." gesturing the the pair with him idly with one hand. "Your children, such as they are, though I daresay they have become slightly more." Bowing his head to Vlad a moment, he continues. "Second, I offer you the might to stand against your looming foe. I know such a claim from a stranger seems laughable, but I assure you, we are quite capable of standing against your foes." he is still motionless. Not since Vlad's entry has he seemed to move, still as a statue, his voice radiating from the room with echoes and whispers. "In exchange, I ask for a modicum of sovereignty, and anonymity as I continue my research and experiments. If you wish to take the young ones under your tutelage, I will not raise a voice against your wishes. i do however, believe it only fair to tell you that the girl has a talent I have no often seen among my students, and I would wish to continue her training. Otherwise, may I humbly suggest that she find an arcane master to continue her teachings. She has a gift." his words were spoken without a trace of emotion. he stated only simple fact, as was his nature.

pausing a moment, he then continued. "I am no talentless charlatan. I am an artist, a servant and student of death itself. I am knowledgable of poisons and diseases, mundane and magical, as well as a creator of my own deadly strains and venoms. I am intimately familiar with the spirits of the dead, and with the power of death. I can call spirits, bind them. I can raise the dead, and imbue them with energies that would make them a scourge upon the land, and just as easily quell them. I am also not unversed in the combative arts of magic." he turned towards Claudia slightly, as he said this. This was an area of magic he did not offer to teach his disciples, did not touch upon. he considered a base, uncouth use of magic. "I can scry, and teleport if I must, and I do not stand alone." all this was spoken with no hint of bravado. he was laying well-prepared cards on the table, not speaking the entire truth, and skirting around some utterances. "Many men loathe and despise necromancers as nothing more than grave robbers. I assure you, I am an artist of death, such as yourself. I wuld make no such utterances to you without confidence."

he spoke truthfully. The constant exposure to the dead, as well as absorbing the demon's latent energies, and his own pursuit of knowledge and perfection of his abilities had driven him forward. There were carefully warded chambers within the bowels of his tower that no other knew about, and within them was contained a more vast store of knowledge. Artifacts from the dying elven civilization. the spellbooks of his teacher, Sarah Winterhaven, and many experiments and things he himself had created. He had carefully hoarded his knowledge, and cultivated his abilities, giving but small tastes to his students. Now he sat, looking at a man who was dead, but beyond death. A man who himself was an artist of death, and a student of her ways. So now he sat, and he waited, with the patience born of a man who knows death, and so does not fear it...=

<< listens intently as the death mage speaks, nodding as he mentally calculates the strenght provided by having an unknown hand ready to strike if needs be. He smiles slightly as the man finishes>>

I see. Well, it does seemt hat it would perhaps be in my best interests to keep you around, and quite possibly make the necessary arangements to secure an alliance between us. As far as the children go, they are free to remain with you. If My enemy does not know where they are, he can not use them against us.

As far as autonomy, I can see fit to allow you to continue as you have, since, had you not revealed yourself to me now, I would have remained oblivious of you for some time. I simply ask in return that you provide a proper accounting of your resources to the crown, information that will be seen only by myself and the Lord Chamberlain. Furhter, you will of course be required to reveal any information you have regarding the securotiy of the realm and make a portion of your forces available for the defense of the populace as a whole.

I do not require you to be personally present for battle, that would endanger someone who, and I mean no offense, seems to be more adept at research and castings rather than brutal warfare.

I can only assume you operate out of F'tallian, which means that there are only three people yet living outside the city itself that know where it is, this will remain the case in order to secure your defenses and allow you the peace and quiet your required for study, however, one of those is the wife of our foe, should she learn of your whereabouts, I can not save you.

Keep that in mind. We do not face mere men here. We face Dragon Knights. Aurorans full of faith anf fire who do not fear the dead. I certainly hope you have more than shambling monsters to aid us, otherwise I may have agreed to nothing in exchange for great freedoms you do not deserve.

=Damyn nods to Vlad, understanding that this was the best he had expected from this meeting, perhaps better than he had expected.

"I will have the figures and book keeping to you at your leisure. As for forces, I can offer you the dead. Every battlefield and graveyard is a recruiting station for such as us. You shall never need for tireless, obedient troops. If something...more..is required, trust, it is within our means to grant you the greater of the undead, though slow and costly, as you are most assuredly aware. the enemy are holy men, but perhaps that will avail very little to more common ills. Poison and disease kill just as readily as bone claws. Also, there is the matter of our not unformidable navy, which of course will be at your disposal. You will not be disappointed."

Nodding again at Vlad's frank interpretation of his skills, he speaks. "You would be most correct. I had a very...talented teacher, but the subtle arts are more to my comfort. However..." he trails slightly, and the cold smile can be felt. "I have no qualms about tearing the very life from your living foes if need be."

folding his hands in front of him, he nods to Vlad again. "I believe this shall be a most profitable partnership."=

~Claudia stood in the background with Xavier standing nearby. She watched the exchange between Damyn and Vladamir and her eyes narrowed curiously. Giving Xaviers hand a squeeze, she spoke into his mind, as always.~

"Our teacher is talking about us, isn't he?"

~She noted how Damyn turned a little in their direction.~

"What are they speaking of, brother?"

Excellent, I will be expecting to hear from your messengers shortly with the necessary documentation and will have our agreement written up for your signature within the night. Be certain that your messenger is discreet. I trust none of my advisors or nobles, any more than I trust my brother to let me live through this matter.

<< looks at the twins>>

I would be most interested to see how the brats have come in their training some day. Perhaps we will have a chance to do so after we settle the matter of my dear brother.

=Damyn nods, making a mental note to arrange the necessary documents. Of course he would be underscoring some of their resources, but not by a huge margin. He crosses his thin fingers over each other, nodding again. "Trust, it will be done shortly. And with the discretion due one of my nature. We are not loved, and so have grown used to doing all we can within the shadows."

standing then, slowly, assuming the meeting was at a close, he rests his hands against the table. "they have done well by me, and I have not ceased to be impressed by their strides. I hope you will be impressed as well, by their capability."=

~Claudia shook her head and spoke only to her brother,~

ML Xavier: "He called us brats, I resent that comment. No matter, lets focus. Father doesn't seem concerned. Why doesn't he want to take us back?"

~She waited and hugged the arm of her brother, tilting her head to the left.~

ML Damyn & Xavier: "Will our father be taking us home? He hasn't even bothered to greet us."

~ stands impassively s the two men duiscuss their arrangements. He pats Claudia's hand absently when she " speaks".~

ML Claudia: " Ignore the insults dear, father still veiws us as the children we technically are, a fact we will exploit soon. You must also realize, should he make any sort of fuss over us now, it puts him in a weaker position to negotiate from. By acting as if we do not matter, then we no longer hold value to the necromancer in this discussion. As for going with him...we would serve our purposes better by remaining away while Jaric makes his march on the capital."