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| Dinner Time; Graham, pm for entry | |
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| Topic Started: Thu Oct 29, 2009 11:04 pm (241 Views) | |
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Thu Oct 29, 2009 11:04 pm Post #1 |
 
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The Dancer's Nest was dimly lit, only a few magical lamps strewn haphazardly around the stage so the events could be seen; a young drow could be seen dancing across the stage, her white hair pinned back into a ponytail and her steel-gray eyes seeming to twinkle with child-like glee. The drums and flutes that played in the background seemed to blend together into a mesmerizing drone that fit perfectly with the dancers. The atmosphere was one of drunken camaraderie as the women continued on the stage, and there seemed to be no one who wasn't trying to get an eyeful of the women on the stage. Except for one man, who sat in the corner of the bar, letting the shadows caress him. His brown hair was slicked back neatly, and he was wearing what looked like a pair of metal gauntlets, that seemed almost to cling to his flesh, and never even made the slightest clank as he waved a hand lazily in the air, seeming to follow some tune only he heard. There was a glass of water before him, and he took sips from it every few moments as he sent token glances to the stage; he'd had more than his fair share of studies on drow done already, and it seemed time to move onto a more interesting race. As the waitress stepped forward, her entire outfit seemingly designed to entice by accentuating her small hips and ample bosom, Ahriman steepled his fingers together, leaning onto them as he stared into the darkness, listening to her without truly hearing. Finally, when she asked if he wanted a drink, he seemed to think for a moment, before he proclaimed, "Wine. Red. Nothing too old." His hand slid into a pocket, pressing against the familiar steel of his scalpel, and he gave a mild chuckle when she asked what he wanted to eat. There was the slightest of pauses, before the doctor spoke two words. The waitress's eyes grew wide, and her eyes darted around the room as she leaned close, not even noticing the view the doctor was being favored with. "How did you know we serve-" Ahriman's head turned slowly, and his smile seemed like that of a monster's, as he spoke in silken tones that caused her skin to crawl. "Is that really a question you want answered?" His gloved hand flapped nonchalantly away, as he closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. The wine arrived moments later, and he spoke with a distinct lack of emotion, his eyelids never even fluttering as he spoke. "Do try not to spill any, alright? I know that you must be at least a little unsettled, but I don't want to upset you. Please, if you'd be so kind as to bring me my meal, I think I may be able to help calm your nerves." He inhaled deeply, then breathed out as he pushed away from the table, even flailing his arms comically as he nearly fell from the seat. The waitress had already left, no doubt wanting to be far away from the doctor. He opened his eyes slowly, and grabbed the glass she'd brought between two fingers, and taking a sip gingerly, and then giving a soft nod at the choice. Finally, the waitress returned carrying a small pot, and Ahriman smiled calmly as he reached into a pocket, his glove touching against a soft rag this time. He waved her close, his voice sounding soft and cool. "Please, don't let me give you the wrong impression. I'd like to calm you down, you're much prettier when you're calm." She paused, giving a soft smile as she drew close. "Ye-" Ahriman had slid the rag over her mouth, smiling politely as he held it in place, his gauntlets making her scrabbling against his arms fruitless. "Breathe in, please. It will go much faster, and I don't want you to be any more strained than necessary." He still sounded as polite as ever, and he even held out a hand to grab her head as she crumpled forward, tipping it back to keep her from damaging her skull. As the waitress lay drugged in the seat next to him, he opened the pot and clapped politely as he saw what was inside. In the pot, six small pinkish animals could be seen crawling over each other, on a bed of steamed lettuce that seemed to surround them. There were soft cries for their parents coming from the pot, but there was no hope for an answer. As the young guinea pigs crawled over each other, and began to cry louder, one of them finally raised their gaze out of the pot, towards Ahriman. His hand slid into the pot lazily, and he grabbed the astute guinea pig by the leg, watching it dangle and smiling as its cries turned to those of fear; his teeth looked sharp and nasty, the exact sort made for sheering teeth. He pulled it close, his grip moving to its chest as he bit the leg off with a crunch, and chewed on the bone ruminatively, as the guinea pig's cries turned to those of pain. |
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| Graham Sideas | Thu Oct 29, 2009 11:26 pm Post #2 |
 
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He really had no place in this... bar, if it could be called that. Graham's nose wrinkled at the assaulting scents of the room, the mixture of magic, alcohol, and other less then enjoyable aromas. He was in a rather chipper mood, or so he had been, all he wanted at this point was a glass of wine... He could sense the presence of someone... darker in the room. He let out a soft sigh, knowing this would be the man he was sent here to search for, rather then allowing himself to go to the tavern for his drink. He heard the telltale sounds of someones body falling to the floor, though he did not show it. He gave the situation a moment, passing through the crowds of... the only word he could muster for them was morons. He took a seat slowly, not speaking until he was comfortably set in his seat, "I hope you don't mind if I sit here." He smiled, his teeth showing easily. Graham skipped the annoying banter of formality, "I am Graham Sideas, and you must be the doctor I heard about..." He called over a waitress, requesting a drink of red wine before turning back to the table, "It seems we have some very similar desires, Doctor." He smiled again, pulling down his hood to reveal his pale face, and slicked back white hair. He ran a hand through his hair as his drink arrived, which he left sitting there for the moment. As he sat more comfortably in his chair, he cupped his hands on the table in front of him, keeping himself postured well. |
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Fri Oct 30, 2009 2:20 am Post #3 |
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The doctor looked up calmly, his glance showing no sign of fear, and indeed not even curiosity as he bit into the guinea pig's back end, the blood spurting onto his face and a few droplets even getting in his hair. He chewed furiously, even covered his mouth when he burped, and then shoved the rest of the beast into his mouth. He grabbed a piece of cloth from the table, dabbing at his mouth and then placing it in his lap as he leaned forward, giving a smile that was tinged with flecks of flesh and blood; his breath smelled of pure death as he spoke. "Would you like one, Graham? It's always impolite to eat without offering something to your guests." His hand slid into the pot once more, and he dangled a guinea pig in front of him, even giving a soft chuckle as it began to squeal loudly. "You say we share interests, yet you make no mention of what these interests may be. There are really so many things I enjoy...a good friend, a well-written book, and knowledge. Oh, how I love to learn." He paused, before he spoke in an airy tone, as if commenting on the weather. "I'd like to get a closer look at you, you know. Whatever you are, you seem to be a humanoid...most likely homo sapiens...what would you ask of me, Graham?" There was a soft politeness to his voice, and he seemed to set the demon at ease as he spoke, everything about his oozing professionalism and competence. |
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| Graham Sideas | Fri Oct 30, 2009 2:56 am Post #4 |
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Graham shook his head, his smile not diminishing from his pale face. He sat forward, setting his glass aside so he didn't knock it over, "Do not worry about me, I have had plenty to eat." He adjusted himself, taking in the man as best he could without his sight. The man seemed to be quite cold, as did many of the people he had seen recently. He ran a hand through his hair, his smile not diminishing. He continued on with his rhetoric, "Well, I have come because we both seek knowledge, though perhaps our final goals and our methods are a bit different, I say that we could learn much from each other, good doctor." He took a sip from his drink, squinting his eyes closed tighter as he did. Setting it down, he licked his lips to soak up all of the wine, keeping his composure as he did. Leaning forward once again, his face became serious, "Perhaps we can have some mutual benefit from one another, be it knowledge, favors, or otherwise." If there was one thing Graham took pride in, it was his ability to compromise, this man knew a lot about how humans worked, and though that wasn't a prime concern, necromancy would most likely require such knowledge down the road... |
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Fri Oct 30, 2009 11:52 pm Post #5 |
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The doctor's eyebrow raised at his proclamation, and he began to whisper arcane words slowly, his wide grin showing off every single tooth as he murmured softly; there seemed to be a dark edge to the spell, and the very air grew pregnant with pernicious dread, as he finished the incantation. The boy's yours, Zathuriel. Do try not to scar him too badly. He chuckled softly, and there was a split second of silence, before his eyes closed, and he reached into the pot quickly, pulling out the remaining five guinea pigs and squeezing them between his metal gauntlets quickly, their cries of pain cut short as he crushed their bodies between each other. His mouth opened impossibly wide, and there was a noise like a clogged drain being plunged in reverse, as the five creatures were dropped into his mouth, and swallowed in a split second, without chewing once. His feet began to tap a staccato rhythm on the ground, and the laughter that spilled from his throat was pure dark glee; if there was any humanity in it, it was nothing but the worst parts. Finally, he lowered his head, and spoke in a harsh whisper that, despite being quieter than every instrument in the room, still seemed to drown them all out. "If there was even the most minuscule thing you had to offer me, I would TAKE it." There was barely a second, before his presence could be felt behind the tiefling, and he inhaled deeply, with an obvious sound of pleasure. "A mere whelpling like you...trying to make a deal with a daemon several millenniums old..." His gloved hand descended on the man, grabbing him by the shirt and lifting him bodily from the chair as he drew him close. The scent of blood and flesh was much stronger now, almost stifling, as he spoke. "Your impudence intrigues me. That is the only reason you are permitted to live. It'd be in your interests to KEEP me intrigued, or you will discover what a doctor's medical knowledge, and a TRUE daemon's cruelty can do to someone." As he spoke, ten thin claws slid out from the gauntlet's fingers, pressing against his skin hard enough to draw blood. He set him down slowly, and inhaled deeply, before slamming his head into the table. The claws were still there, and they could be felt cutting into his skin just slightly. He chuckled, and made several loud hawking noises; a moment later, he spat up what could only have been the body of one of the dead guinea pigs. "Eat. I insist." |
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| Graham Sideas | Sat Oct 31, 2009 12:19 am Post #6 |
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Graham's eyes narrowed, or rather, he hoped they did. He did not enjoy being manhandled so... easily. He felt his face twist into a scowl as the claws pressed into his skin, drawing blood as easily as a blade would. As he was let back into his chair, he readjusted himself, his face keeping in it's rather annoyed shape, his eyes staying closed. He took a sip of his drink, keeping his face locked forward. As he set his drink down, he ran his fingers through his hair, bringing his hand around to wipe the blood from his face. He flared his nostrils, keeping his voice calm, "Apparently, you see yourself a lot higher then you actually are, but I assure you that it is within my power to offer you most anything you wish, so long as you give me time. As for your threats, I assure you that doing such things to me would not be in your best interest..." His scowl curled back into his smile, him finding his utensils, his teeth showing as he did, "And if you insist, who am I to disagree." He really didn't taste much of it as he ate the little creature piece by piece, he had been driven to eat worse many, many times before this. Rubbing off his mouth after finishing the little creature, Graham let off a slight burp, his eyes opening a bit, "So, what is it someone as overblown as you would want?" |
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Sat Oct 31, 2009 12:42 am Post #7 |
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The beast in the doctor's body chuckled softly, before sinking into his own seat. "I've spent more time in the abyss than you can imagine. It's dark, dull, and more uneventful than you can imagine. Up here, it's much more fun." He waved a hand around, before laying a hand on the table, tapping it gently. "But our little doctor friend is much too nice for my own tastes. When one has power, they use it. As for 'everything I wish'...I wish for nothing. Our dear doctor has the true aspirations." He ran a finger down his throat slowly, letting the magic slip away as Ahriman took control once more, his cool voice almost a balm after the bone-chilling alien nature of the daemon. "I would tell you what I desire, Graham, but I'm afraid people of this age wouldn't even understand me. It'd take several dozen quite confusing terms, and it took ME about seven years of non-stop education to truly grasp it, with several highly qualified mentors." He paused, before waving a hand through the air, causing the air to whistle softly as it was cut. "But, for your sake, I'll explain it simply. Sickness, death, weakness...all of these have causes. Physical causes, mental causes. One could have their entire body unable to move, yet still be able to think. I would like to know what exactly the causes for the human weaknesses are. If a man shows fear because a part of his brain is too large...cut off a chunk. If a man grows sick because he drinks too much wine...get rid of it. But simply put, my boy..." He leaned forward, his wide grin almost threatening to eat him. "I want to know what makes people tick. People of every race, of every time, old, young, men, women. I want to SEE what makes all of these people so unique...and how they may be mimicked. So many of your races have fascinating new balances of weaknesses and strengths...why then, can't we combine them all, until we have created a single race which holds no weakness? Complete immunity to disease...always refusing to age...nearly impossible to kill...as fast, strong, and resilient as possible...and me, at the head." |
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| Graham Sideas | Sat Oct 31, 2009 1:06 am Post #8 |
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Graham brought himself forward, laying his chin against his hands. Tapping his fingers against his palms, he took a moment to consider it. Wrinkling his nose, he blinked slowly. The coming sigh showed a bit of annoyance in his coming tone, "So you wish to lead a race that cannot be killed? Isn't that a bit difficult, as I'm sure you have weaknesses yourself..." He readjusted himself, letting the statement hang. Taking another sip of his wine, he wiped a bit of it off of his chin with his cloak before continuing, "Or perhaps you have some sort of Narcissistic god complex?" Saying this was probably not the greatest thing to do, but at the moment, Graham was aiming to enjoy annoying this rather arrogant man. Albeit, he would admit that the man's goals were interesting, and that his skills were most likely great, but the arrogance of it all bothered him. For a moment, he let his mannerisms drop, "and I will also add that your choice in food is as bad as a wandering tramp." He held back his smile at the whole of it all, leaning back in his seat like a king in his throne. |
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Sun Nov 1, 2009 1:47 am Post #9 |
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Ahriman remained in his seat for several moments, staring icily at the demon before he spoke; he seemed to have chosen his words carefully, but he was still as polite and soft-spoken as he had been before. "Everyone has flaws, Graham. I do not delude myself on the fact that I could easily be felled. But, as you so aptly noted...I want to lead a race that cannot be killed. And who best to test this on but myself? My form is actually rather frail, and in a direct confrontation I would most likely be killed. But, it is with my mind that I will be able to conquer the physical weaknesses of any single race, and combine them into a being who can cover each weakness with another strength. I hold no delusions of grandeur; only hopes for what may be." Ahriman paused for a moment, before grabbing his mug and taking a long swig. There was a muffled belch, and he spoke in a soft tone that seemed almost mocking beneath the thin veneer of kindness. "Do you know what causes disease, Graham? I do...why don't you let me tell you? They're tiny little monsters, called bacteria. These beasts are too small to see, even for me. Don't think I didn't notice it, you're obviously blind." He leaned closer, and the scent of rotted meat and blood grew stronger. "These beasts can invade the body through the smallest of cuts...through the very air you breathe...through your nose, your ears, your eyes. Anything that can allow air to pass, can allow these little beasts too. Bacteria are nasty little buggers, and they have a habit of rapidly making copies of themselves once they get inside you." He seemed to have hit a full steam, speaking in fervent tones that seemed almost reverential in their respect. "A single bacteria can become millions within hours. These millions of bacteria steadily eat away at your body in small but dangerous ways...they slow the beat of your heart, make it harder to breathe, and even force your stomach to expel its contents in a hope to get rid of them. Even now, millions of millions of bacteria are in your body; in your intestines, making sure your body gains nutrients from your food. In your stomach, helping to break down what you eat. Anywhere you can imagine, bacteria exist. And these dim little creatures can, within the course of days or weeks, topple societies. Take the bubonic plague, a true scourge where I came from..." "First, your lymph glands swell, creating rather large protrusions. The pain is enough to bring the most hardened warrior to tears. Then, their lungs fill with fluid. At first, this is a rather mild effect, causing simple shortness of breath, and a nasty cough. Then you begin to cough up your own lifeblood. Headaches and fevers quickly follow, and death occurs anywhere from a day to a week after you get it. Death was quite literally assured for the infected. And the true genius is...those with this disease infected others, simply by having them breathe the same air as them. How can you defeat an unseen enemy, who travels through the air you breathe, Graham?" He paused, before leaning even closer and speaking in a hushed whisper. "I know how." |
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| Graham Sideas | Sun Nov 1, 2009 1:59 am Post #10 |
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Graham was at the edge of his seat, listening to every word. He ignored the mocking undertone, paying attention to the message, rather then the way it was given. These... Bacteria. They were fascinating. His grin came on it's own as he listened. He tapped his fingers against the table anxiously, glad that his hunch that he could learn much from this man be true. When he finished, Graham spoke in a more respectful tone that one would imagine be possible from his lips, "How would one battle such a powerful enemy as these, bacteria?" His eyes were narrowing beneath his eyelids, he knew. His grin only widened, "Or rather, what would you want to offer me such secrets?" He was not a dumb man, and he understood that everyone has something they want, be it peace on earth, or a bag of gold. Graham extended his hands as if offering something, "I assure you that I have a lot to offer, beyond how It may seem." His smile did not diminish as he let the statement hang in the air, although it did wrap itself around his glass as he drained the final remnants of his wine, disappearing under his sleeve for a moment as he cleared his chin of the few remaining drops. Graham turned his attention back to the man, his eyes opening almost lazily, his smile returning, his teeth showing slightly under his pale features. |
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Sun Nov 1, 2009 2:25 am Post #11 |
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Ahriman's grin spread even wider, and he held out a hand. "You certainly can help me, Graham. But we'll get to that soon enough. For now, I think you deserve a happy ending for your troubles." He paused, drumming his fingers on the table before speaking in slow tones. "You're familiar with alchemists, yes? In my world, alchemy is the newest form of magic. However, we called it science. And science gave us wonderful things you couldn't imagine. It gave us what we call medicine; mixtures of various plants and man-made substances that are quite fatal in large doses, but work perfectly to kill bacteria in smaller ones. Of course, people still get sick, as there is a certain point where the body simply has to fight off invaders itself. Medicine is simply a helping hand along the way." He grinned widely, and then spoke in tones of wonder and glory; it was clear the doctor still cared about his world greatly. "We had things called automobiles. Giant machines of steel and rubber; they could cross Istan Desert in a day, at the most. Airplanes...the same thing, except they soar gracefully through the sky at speeds you can only imagine, able of carrying hundreds of people at once. And, my personal favorite...bombs." He paused, seeming to grasp for some analogy, and finally giving a grim chuckle. "They're giant metal balls, filled with all sorts of things. When they're thrown, these things begin to get all shook up, and they explode. A single bomb could kill dozens if used correctly. Naturally, this led to the largest bomb of all; a weapon that twice devastated a town this size in the course of moments, and left a powerful energy in its wake, that warped and twisted everything it touched for several decades. Even today, children are being born with a few too many fingers in those towns." |
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| Graham Sideas | Sun Nov 1, 2009 2:33 am Post #12 |
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Graham couldn't help but smile even wider, fascinated by everything this man had to say. This world he came from, it sounded so... amazing. The technology they had must be such a grand thing... it brought him to wonder what brought this man here, when he had such a great place he called home before? What would bring a man from such an advanced place to this world, where magic ruled. He listened close.. this bomb... it sounded so amazing. The mere thought of a simple metal ball destroying an entire town? It was almost inconceivable to him. What a powerful person it must have been that thought of such an experiment... It brought him to wonder how powerful the sorcery of this man's world must have been. He grinned, setting his hands down, "How were such things conceived? It seems almost impossible, carrying hundreds in the sky, destroying a city with a simple metal ball, healing illnesses with mere alchemy. It's almost as if your world's magic has surpassed our worlds by at least a hundred times..." His grin diminished as he listened, although it wasn't quite gone. |
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Sun Nov 1, 2009 2:41 am Post #13 |
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Ahriman chuckled softly, before laying his hands on the table. "Can you recall what your world was like 500 years ago? Surely much of what you know now was barely in its starts back then. In my own world...we had societies matching your own about 700 years past. In this time, people became unhappy with simple answers, like "magic does it" and "trust the gods". Smart people decided that real events had real causes, and that if these could be studied, they could be used. Do you know what causes a fire to set other things aflame? In my world, we learned long ago that energy exists in many forms, and that they enjoy spreading from places of plenty to places of less. And that is the simplest of what we learned. With this alone, we can make it possible to harness the sun in small glass bulbs, and light homes. Or we can harness lightning, and use it to power anything you can imagine. In my world...a man can send a message from Balefire to Cascadia in a split second, and know exactly why it is so." A moment later, a hand had gripped the back of his neck, and it was obvious the doctor was peering closely at him. He spoke after several moments, almost happily amused. "Your eyes are quite atrophied...I imagine you spent some time in the darkness, years ago? In true black, there is little use for sight." He paused, then spoke almost offhandedly, as if responding to a comment of the temperature with the weather. "In my world, this could be cured in a matter of hours. Even here, I know what has to be done so that I can bring you some measure of visibility to the world." |
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| Graham Sideas | Sun Nov 1, 2009 2:59 am Post #14 |
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The knowledge this man held was almost breath-taking, he thought to himself. Running his hand through his hair, he was almost falling off of his chair as he hung on every word the man spoke. There was almost impossible actions in his world, harnessing something as powerful as the sun in glass? Without melting it? And interacting almost weeks away in seconds? He couldn't even surmount an answer to such a thing. Listening even closer as the man proceeded. And his next statement made Graham's ears flicker like an animal hearing a snapping twig. His eyesight... repaired? Was such a thing possible? He looked to the man, although he really didn't need to, but it was an uncontrollable action, "You're saying you could repair my eyes, and allow me to see again?" This man had to be bluffing, not even the greatest of clerics could clear his eyes, yet this man was able to, using his "Science"? Graham resisted the urge to lick his lips in anticipation, though he couldn't cease the slight shaking in his fingers, tapping them against the table beneath them. |
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Sun Nov 1, 2009 3:20 am Post #15 |
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Ahriman chuckled softly, and then spoke. "Your clerics hope to the gods for their answers, and expect to be repaid. I, however, put my stock in knowledge and understanding of the human body. Surely even you know of the brain, yes? In my world, several thousand people have taken the time to study the brain, heart, and various other organs in rigorous detail. Think of us as...blacksmiths, for your human body. When you have a dent or a nick, it's us you go to for the cure. And naturally, we've spent much of our time studying how it's done. There are parts of the brain that are necessary for sight to truly work; the eyes are simply conduits for these parts of the brain. Your brain can never forget how to see. All we need...are new lenses." He turned to the woman, tutting slowly as he ran a hand down her cheek. "Such a shame to waste them..but they're for a good cause. Would you be so kind as to grab her and bring her to an alleyway for me, Graham? I would appreciate privacy as we do this; it could take some time." He rose from his chair, moving swiftly for the doorway, even drawing a gold coin from his pocket and flicking it over his shoulder. |
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5:59 PM May 23
