"And so I left, Oshujon sent people to catch me shortly thereafter and I've been on the run ever since." That was the end of his story I didn't like skip all the important breaking up with my boss type stuff, there wasn't any!
"So instead of attempting to change things from within or kill your boss, or really anything you just left and hoped things would work themselves out without you?" I admit I may have missed a part of this story that made it not come across as someone just throwing up their hands and giving up.
"You oversimplified what I said." We were still in the dirty rundown part of the city, which I have to admit felt as dirty and rundown as any place has ever felt.
"Yes I did, you took three hours to tell a five minute story, but it amounted to 'I didn't want to try and do something hard, so I left'" I'll admit it takes one to know one here, but you know hypocritical is what I am.
"I think you are failing to see how instrumental Oshujon's control is of the army, I mean they killed their gods and went to war with a completely different area on the strength of his charisma alone."
"I am failing to see why 'It would have been hard' was a good reason to just give up like you did." Braidin went to say something else and then just turned his back. I admit pissing off the person who was supposed to help me in this foreign land was probably not the smartest idea, but you know what I always say "Better to be right than comfortable." Its why I spend so much time in prison.
I was going to approach Braidin when I heard nothing. Which seems strange to say, but when you go from the chattering annoying poor and down trodden to no sound whateversoever, you worry. Its like being in the forest and all of a sudden you don't hear all the sounds of the forest something bad is about to happen, and here was no exception. The thud of boots and weapons being readied was the next sound I heard. Braidin put his hands up as we left the hovel I did not because I don't raise my hands for nothing.
"Don't worry I got this." I didn't see any of those magic reflection things so I decided I'd show this place why people fear Trezlan Lorentino! (no one actually fears me, which is a problem when it comes to gross displays of power!) And I came up dry, like I thought the magical power was there, I'd used necromancy earlier but I had noted it was harder, but I had nothing. The soldiers yelled at me to put my hands up and I did as I was told.
"Should I worry now?"
"Yeah please do, we're screwed."
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
What Breaks The Broken
"Enter." In case its not bloody obvious I'm retelling the story of how Braidin came to be a marked man. I figured I wouldn't have to write that out, but then thinking about it, you might somehow think I had become Oshujon's confidant and I don't know you might get confused. Anyway this was shortly after the marked ones had killed their gods and effectively took over the entire country, in spirit and practice. Oshujon had set up his office in the new capitol of the area, I don't know the city name he didn't explain it to me.
"My Lord." Braidin was not used to calling Oshujon his lord, despite them all following his orders he'd thought they had all been pretty equal, until they had taken over, than Oshujon became a lord.
"Braidin no need to be all formal, speak your mind." Braidin noticed other changes with Oshujon, his hand stitched leather outfit was gone, replaced with flowing silks of green, he also noticed a lot of extravagant jewelry.
"Oshujon the people are upset." That was putting it mildly, the people were almost revolting since the fall of the gods things had changed, storms had taken place where as before the weather was easier to manage, the people couldn't travel by wind like they had gotten used to, and crime had gotten worse, even with the threat of death.
"They'll adjust, they'll have to, we're going to war." He said it in a conversational tone, but it hurt Braidin like he'd shouted it. He'd feared that was what was going to happen, he'd seen the signs earlier, munitions and other weaponry was being stock piled and it seemed far more offensive weaponry than necessary.
"Why Oshujon? You got what you were after, we're in charge!" Braidin was pleading with his former mentor but the former marked one looked on at him with pity.
"Because my friend we have to free the rest of the world, free them from the tyranny of their gods." Braidin could see the desire in his old friends eyes. The arbiter of justice was gone, the ruler had returned, Oshujon was no more interested in freeing people than he was in taking over. Braidin was sure of that, even though he no longer had the sight that was a gift from the gods. He walked away from his friend, and away from the army, a broken man. He had helped create a monster and unleashed it on the world.
"My Lord." Braidin was not used to calling Oshujon his lord, despite them all following his orders he'd thought they had all been pretty equal, until they had taken over, than Oshujon became a lord.
"Braidin no need to be all formal, speak your mind." Braidin noticed other changes with Oshujon, his hand stitched leather outfit was gone, replaced with flowing silks of green, he also noticed a lot of extravagant jewelry.
"Oshujon the people are upset." That was putting it mildly, the people were almost revolting since the fall of the gods things had changed, storms had taken place where as before the weather was easier to manage, the people couldn't travel by wind like they had gotten used to, and crime had gotten worse, even with the threat of death.
"They'll adjust, they'll have to, we're going to war." He said it in a conversational tone, but it hurt Braidin like he'd shouted it. He'd feared that was what was going to happen, he'd seen the signs earlier, munitions and other weaponry was being stock piled and it seemed far more offensive weaponry than necessary.
"Why Oshujon? You got what you were after, we're in charge!" Braidin was pleading with his former mentor but the former marked one looked on at him with pity.
"Because my friend we have to free the rest of the world, free them from the tyranny of their gods." Braidin could see the desire in his old friends eyes. The arbiter of justice was gone, the ruler had returned, Oshujon was no more interested in freeing people than he was in taking over. Braidin was sure of that, even though he no longer had the sight that was a gift from the gods. He walked away from his friend, and away from the army, a broken man. He had helped create a monster and unleashed it on the world.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
What Makes a Man Marked
We all make mistakes. Me I've made them my entire career is laid bare with them everywhere (including keeping a journal of my exploits!). Braidin's mistake was believing in justice. I know that seems like a weird thing for a mistake to spawn from, but I'm getting there you have to give me time. See Marked One's as I previously talked about were a punishment. You broke the law, you either died or became one who did the killing, except Braidin didn't break the law, no he chose the order because he believed in justice. And to Oshujon that made him special, someone he could laud above all the others. The others were forced into the work, even Oshujon himself. But Braidin chose it, he didn't do it for revenge, or anything else. He believed in it.
Ordinarily I think Oshujon would have not allowed Braidin to join his order. He would have admired the man's resolve but ultimately told him its not a life you seek out and sent him on his way. But the Oshujon Braidin ran across was not the one I met. No he had changed, and it was partially my fault. I showed him a world without gods, without being slaves to their whims and follies, and he liked it. The gods allowed him to leave for a time thinking if he saw the world without them it would harden his resolve to serve them, but it did not. It hardened his resolve to destroy the gods themselves. The old general was back, his anger at being cast into servitude rejoined.
His first plan was to build an army, an army of marked ones. He imbued them with his power (granted by the gods mind you, hilariously he became the instrument of their destruction) and then instructed them in the way their world was broken. Braidin believed what he was saying because it all rang true, the gods had abandoned the people and expected their servitude to dying ideals. The people in the west had to rely on the gods for their weather patterns, and travel, but at the same time had to serve them and still people died in poverty with only a mistaken hope they would be rewarded in the next life.
Of course the marked one army did not slip the eyes of the gods. They were of course their own servants, but by the time they noticed what happened their powers were too weak. They had come to rely on Oshujon to squash rebellions, never realizing of course he could lead one against them all the same. And he did, bringing with him industry to replace their magic. It was only after all what was said and done happened that Braidin realized what had happened, and how despite doing this all for the people only certain ones actually got the benefit, and that my friends is where next entry will start.
Monday, March 17, 2014
From Marked One, To Marked Man
"We'll have to keep our heads down." He didn't mean literally of course we weren't in a conflict, but he did provide me a heavy cloak with a hood so as to disguise myself. This seemed counter to Hanlon's plan of course, but Hanlon wasn't here and plans change I guess.
"I don't see how that accomplishes my goal of getting Oshujon into the open." I mean I wasn't there for the atmosphere, I was there as the worst bait in the history of bad baits.
"Hanlon doesn't understand what Oshujon wants you for, he think its some kind of ransom or something else to hurt Hanlon, I know what he wants you for." I noticed Braidin also wore a a long coat with a hood to hide himself. I couldn't make out a lot of features on him, but I could see he was bald with a fairly long beard, his body was also stocky and he was very much shorter than I, almost a shorty to be honest.
"And you understand him?" I was trying to get a feeling for who Braidin was, he was trying to drag me through dirty alley after dirty alley, eventually arriving in a dirty box city populated by the underlings of any society (little communities like this are where you end up when no one has any use of you anymore, its worse than prison because when in prison you can actually feel like you are being restrained from succeeding, in a shanty town, you still have hope you can move up in life, secretly knowing you never will). He pulled back his hood and I could see the marks, he was a marked one. I pulled in my breath and he nodded.
"Yes I know Oshujon well, I was at one time one of his marked ones, and now I'm a marked man just like you are, and what he wants from you Mr. Lorentino is how to kill a god." And with that of course everything got a lot more complicated.
"I don't see how that accomplishes my goal of getting Oshujon into the open." I mean I wasn't there for the atmosphere, I was there as the worst bait in the history of bad baits.
"Hanlon doesn't understand what Oshujon wants you for, he think its some kind of ransom or something else to hurt Hanlon, I know what he wants you for." I noticed Braidin also wore a a long coat with a hood to hide himself. I couldn't make out a lot of features on him, but I could see he was bald with a fairly long beard, his body was also stocky and he was very much shorter than I, almost a shorty to be honest.
"And you understand him?" I was trying to get a feeling for who Braidin was, he was trying to drag me through dirty alley after dirty alley, eventually arriving in a dirty box city populated by the underlings of any society (little communities like this are where you end up when no one has any use of you anymore, its worse than prison because when in prison you can actually feel like you are being restrained from succeeding, in a shanty town, you still have hope you can move up in life, secretly knowing you never will). He pulled back his hood and I could see the marks, he was a marked one. I pulled in my breath and he nodded.
"Yes I know Oshujon well, I was at one time one of his marked ones, and now I'm a marked man just like you are, and what he wants from you Mr. Lorentino is how to kill a god." And with that of course everything got a lot more complicated.
Friday, March 14, 2014
Never Trust A Man with Pee Problems
Things change as time goes by, streets get paved, get lights, get industry build up, build out etc etc. But there is one thing that never changes. Dirty dive bars that have more ugly people in them than anything else. These never change. Like the locations are still hole in the wall places that even rats avoid, the beer is still dangerously undrinkable (I learned my lesson from bandit town thank you very much) and the people you meet there you want to avoid. Like not in a "They might be dangerous" sort of way, more in a "they might give you a disease that rots your flesh" kind of way. I don't know where these people come from, at times I swear they move through time as some kind of scummy artifact, forever to be shown to the rest of us as an example of what not to be in life.
I was sitting at this particular dive bar looking for my contact, a man I only knew by Braidin who was either late, or not coming. I had seen several people come in look at the bartender and then take up their position in the bar to rot away their lives. At least now the bars had radios so we could listen to music played through some magic (I don't understand technology sue me). Hanlon I think was exacting some punishment on me, I mean sure scummy places are out of the way of authorities, but there's a reason for that! They suck!
"You Lorentino?" There were two of them, this was my first hint neither one was Braidin. They smelled as awful as the place looked.
"No Mr. Lorentino can not make the meeting, I'm here in his stead." They looked at each other briefly and then directed me to the back of the bar, the bartender didn't so much as look up from his paper at the exchange. Once in the back I felt a blow to the back of my neck that really hurt, like seriously thinking about how hard he hit me makes me wince to this day.
"Get in the cuffs and shut your stupid shit eating mouth." They had shackles but they didn't appear to be the anti magical kind. I was not pleased let me tell you.
"Did you idiots actually read up on who you were going after?" Magic came harder for me than I expected, like I hadn't used necromancy since I'd been away but its normally wasn't this hard to pull some power up, still did though, both of my would be attackers hit their knees in pain. "First off I'm a necromancer, which means I can do this to you idiots, and secondly I've had problems pissing as of late which means my age was catching up with me which is bad for both of you even more." I made it hurt more than I needed to, I guess because I had to exert to do it, and probably because I was just angry in general. They both died horribly and I felt better, just in time for the real Braidin to come busting through the door behind him was a bar full of bodies, I hoped the people had just been knocked out.
"Lorentino?"
"I'll skip the introduction and tell you we probably should leave."
"Good plan."
I was sitting at this particular dive bar looking for my contact, a man I only knew by Braidin who was either late, or not coming. I had seen several people come in look at the bartender and then take up their position in the bar to rot away their lives. At least now the bars had radios so we could listen to music played through some magic (I don't understand technology sue me). Hanlon I think was exacting some punishment on me, I mean sure scummy places are out of the way of authorities, but there's a reason for that! They suck!
"You Lorentino?" There were two of them, this was my first hint neither one was Braidin. They smelled as awful as the place looked.
"No Mr. Lorentino can not make the meeting, I'm here in his stead." They looked at each other briefly and then directed me to the back of the bar, the bartender didn't so much as look up from his paper at the exchange. Once in the back I felt a blow to the back of my neck that really hurt, like seriously thinking about how hard he hit me makes me wince to this day.
"Get in the cuffs and shut your stupid shit eating mouth." They had shackles but they didn't appear to be the anti magical kind. I was not pleased let me tell you.
"Did you idiots actually read up on who you were going after?" Magic came harder for me than I expected, like I hadn't used necromancy since I'd been away but its normally wasn't this hard to pull some power up, still did though, both of my would be attackers hit their knees in pain. "First off I'm a necromancer, which means I can do this to you idiots, and secondly I've had problems pissing as of late which means my age was catching up with me which is bad for both of you even more." I made it hurt more than I needed to, I guess because I had to exert to do it, and probably because I was just angry in general. They both died horribly and I felt better, just in time for the real Braidin to come busting through the door behind him was a bar full of bodies, I hoped the people had just been knocked out.
"Lorentino?"
"I'll skip the introduction and tell you we probably should leave."
"Good plan."
Thursday, March 13, 2014
You Win Your Plans are Better Than Mine
"And so since you happened to be rescued in time for my operation I sent you out there for the perfect trap." We were back at Hanlon industries, everyone else didn't seem bothered by the fact Hanlon was there despite it seeming like he'd been gone for a while.
"I'm glad you told me about this trap." I was not in fact glad.
"Had to leave you in the dark to sell it, you're a lot nicer to the help than I would have ever figured Trezlan, I always thought you treat people badly, I mean that would explain why they don't like you, but no you treat people pretty nicely, so now I have to find fault with them, well found fault with them all of your friends are dead, except for Mordere, though he wasn't really your friend to say and though he's still very much alive despite being quite old." Oh yeah this is the way that Hanlon told me everyone I know died, see how he cushioned that blow? Yeah Nidget died falling off something (hilarious for someone short), Andre was killed in some kind of sparring incident at his church (all the reason not to belong to one) and Therod had her throat slit in an alley, she was one of the first victims of the conflict we currently are in. Also Valrym is still alive, but he wasn't my friend either.
"Well I'm just so glad I could have been of use to you." He stopped and smiled, and I knew I was in trouble.
"And you still can be, see I know the real Oshujon is looking for you, but he's not on this continent clearly even though I'd heard he was." Hanlon stopped talking for a moment as if searching for a thought that had alluded him, "As far as I can tell anyway, which tells me he's sitting at home, building his power base, and I need you to go there and deal with him for me, consider it payment for me busting you out of prison." I didn't bring up the fact I was only in prison because Hanlon's schemes put me there, because I didn't want to get on his bad side.
"Sure this seems like a great plan, go to a place where your enemy is strongest because he's looking for me specifically, what could possibly go wrong?"
"Exactly Trezlan that's the spirit!" Hanlon didn't let me even sarcastically comment properly! And that's how I ended up hiding in a disguised Hanlon vessel on the way to the west, because I make bad decisions and let Hanlon talk me into dangerous situations. I'm an idiot.
"I'm glad you told me about this trap." I was not in fact glad.
"Had to leave you in the dark to sell it, you're a lot nicer to the help than I would have ever figured Trezlan, I always thought you treat people badly, I mean that would explain why they don't like you, but no you treat people pretty nicely, so now I have to find fault with them, well found fault with them all of your friends are dead, except for Mordere, though he wasn't really your friend to say and though he's still very much alive despite being quite old." Oh yeah this is the way that Hanlon told me everyone I know died, see how he cushioned that blow? Yeah Nidget died falling off something (hilarious for someone short), Andre was killed in some kind of sparring incident at his church (all the reason not to belong to one) and Therod had her throat slit in an alley, she was one of the first victims of the conflict we currently are in. Also Valrym is still alive, but he wasn't my friend either.
"Well I'm just so glad I could have been of use to you." He stopped and smiled, and I knew I was in trouble.
"And you still can be, see I know the real Oshujon is looking for you, but he's not on this continent clearly even though I'd heard he was." Hanlon stopped talking for a moment as if searching for a thought that had alluded him, "As far as I can tell anyway, which tells me he's sitting at home, building his power base, and I need you to go there and deal with him for me, consider it payment for me busting you out of prison." I didn't bring up the fact I was only in prison because Hanlon's schemes put me there, because I didn't want to get on his bad side.
"Sure this seems like a great plan, go to a place where your enemy is strongest because he's looking for me specifically, what could possibly go wrong?"
"Exactly Trezlan that's the spirit!" Hanlon didn't let me even sarcastically comment properly! And that's how I ended up hiding in a disguised Hanlon vessel on the way to the west, because I make bad decisions and let Hanlon talk me into dangerous situations. I'm an idiot.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Good Bye Not Oshujon
Guards are in rooms for a reason, guards tend to not like when prisoners suddenly become completely other people and free themselves from shackles. Guards normally react to that with gunfire, which is what they did here. They unloaded on him. Or I should say they tried to, its not so much the bullets didn't find their mark, they didn't seem to bother him at all.
"Are you done?" Hanlon was not so much displeased as annoyed. The guards were but small insects trying to bother a greater being. They looked at each, looked at their empty weapons and then fled the room, it was the smarter move of course.
"Who are you?" Not Oshujon was like a trapped rat, whatever line he'd been fed on why he was in power had fled down his leg.
"Hanlon." Hanlon of course would identify himself by last name alone not worrying about anyone asking which one. Not Oshujon ran up to strike, I guess overcoming his fear he went to the next response of fight, it was not a smart move either. Hanlon blocked the strike and snatched not Oshujon up by his throat. "Oh don't struggle your boss sent you to me to be killed it why he didn't come himself." I heard a snap and the body hit the floor with a slump, I once again was reminded Hanlon is not a person.
"Trezlan my dear boy you look well, I couldn't comment before of course keeping up the appearances you understand?" It was like we were meeting for tea instead of over a dead body on his gigantic destroyer.
"A little locked down Hanlon."
"Oh of course my bad." Another snap and I was free, again it wasn't magic, it was just force. He simply willed it into being and it was done.
"What now?"
"Now we escape Mr. Lorentino, the real Mr. Slats and his squad will have planted explosives on the hull of the ship and it will be exploding shortly, I'd recommend we not be here when that happens." And so we left, I mean sure I watched as Hanlon stalked his way to the deck of the ship and murdered a bunch of people with the wave of a hand, but I don't feel the need to go through all of that. We got on a ship with the real Slats and left just as the ship exploded in the harbor.
It didn't end the conflict, gods no, but it did signal the end of it for me. Well on this side of the world. More on that in the next entry!
"Are you done?" Hanlon was not so much displeased as annoyed. The guards were but small insects trying to bother a greater being. They looked at each, looked at their empty weapons and then fled the room, it was the smarter move of course.
"Who are you?" Not Oshujon was like a trapped rat, whatever line he'd been fed on why he was in power had fled down his leg.
"Hanlon." Hanlon of course would identify himself by last name alone not worrying about anyone asking which one. Not Oshujon ran up to strike, I guess overcoming his fear he went to the next response of fight, it was not a smart move either. Hanlon blocked the strike and snatched not Oshujon up by his throat. "Oh don't struggle your boss sent you to me to be killed it why he didn't come himself." I heard a snap and the body hit the floor with a slump, I once again was reminded Hanlon is not a person.
"Trezlan my dear boy you look well, I couldn't comment before of course keeping up the appearances you understand?" It was like we were meeting for tea instead of over a dead body on his gigantic destroyer.
"A little locked down Hanlon."
"Oh of course my bad." Another snap and I was free, again it wasn't magic, it was just force. He simply willed it into being and it was done.
"What now?"
"Now we escape Mr. Lorentino, the real Mr. Slats and his squad will have planted explosives on the hull of the ship and it will be exploding shortly, I'd recommend we not be here when that happens." And so we left, I mean sure I watched as Hanlon stalked his way to the deck of the ship and murdered a bunch of people with the wave of a hand, but I don't feel the need to go through all of that. We got on a ship with the real Slats and left just as the ship exploded in the harbor.
It didn't end the conflict, gods no, but it did signal the end of it for me. Well on this side of the world. More on that in the next entry!
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