Селеста / Сelesta: Глава 11

Part 3 Chapter 11

Camrad_RIP 27.08.22 в 12:04

It is wrong to think of the Guardsmen only as fighters.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.22 в 19:21

Human rulers, not all, but many, turn some of their elite guards into perfect killing machines. They pump their bodies with elixirs, put them through expensive rituals, and subject them to a mental correction that allows them to discard the body's natural limitations if necessary. Bodyguards pay for strength, dexterity, and loyalty with a drop in intellect and lifespan, which, however, is considered an acceptable price.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.22 в 19:22

Vampires are few. For vampires, narrow specialization is unacceptable.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.22 в 19:22

"So the guardsmen of the Night Mistress possessed skills that didn't seem to belong to them at all. They knew how to investigate crimes, knew the basics of blacksmithing, and could lead a small convoy from one end of the country to the other. Of course, they knew the basics of various temple doctrines and the available magic. It was a background study" Reggie, for example, was often assigned to guard Maitre Hastin's students, and gradually he picked up the theory from them, just to understand what they were saying.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.22 в 19:23

Of Lord Latham's twenty subordinates, only two had been with him from the beginning, Reggie and Vantal. Many died, some were wounded incompatible with continued service, and some decided to move to a quieter position. The best sensor and the best searcher remained, and in time they grew to be commanders of their own units.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.22 в 19:24

When word got out that Mrs. Cache was to travel to the northern foothills, Reggie's five were naturally assigned to accompany her.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.22 в 19:25

Usually, the guardsmen preferred to travel without an entourage. Yes, it is easier in the company of human servants - a voluntary source of blood at their side, they also take on interaction with innkeepers, and officials and in general make life a lot easier. After-life. At the same time, people are not always able to maintain the right speed. And as they grow older, their bloodlust weakens and it becomes easier to bear. Older vampires, standing in the second stage of development, can hold back a week without strain, as long as they don't have to actively witchcraft. The time is quite realistic to stretch if you know some mystical practices or have a supply of elixirs at hand.

Camrad_RIP 29.08.22 в 18:03

Unfortunately, despite all her talents, Lady Caché was still considered a junior vampire. And, speaking of the magician, it should be particularly clarified that it is "considered" and exactly "vampire". Like most magicians, she was actively developing her energy, so her relatively young age of over a hundred years did not prevent her from getting some of the abilities inherent in the second step. For example, the need for daytime sleep was not particularly acute for her compared to her peers. The sun only burned her, not instantly turning her into a flaming torch and allowing her to run for cover.

Camrad_RIP 29.08.22 в 18:04

As for terminology, now only those who rose from death on their own were called risens. There were fewer of them with each passing century, and it was possible one day they would disappear altogether. True, this theory was contradicted by the presence of Seven Rivers, the White Bone Oasis, and some other lands, where the dead continued to return to un-life often, so maybe they would not disappear. In any case, the community of sentient undead was now more than half replenished by chicks, that is, children of older vampires. And they were called chicks either when they were very young, or by specifying, "chick of such-and-such," but they had never invented a separate name. At one time the term "converted" was used by analogy, but it somehow didn't catch on.

Camrad_RIP 29.08.22 в 18:08

As the youngest chick of Maitre Hustin, Caché took much from her progenitor, and her careful training allowed her to develop the skills she had acquired during the rebirth. Nevertheless, she was still young, and so needed blood, preferably once every couple of days. Eating at inns from other travelers or servants increased the risk of exposure, and besides, it was unknown if they would have the opportunity to stay among humans when they arrived at the site. And it was inappropriate for a young lady to travel exclusively in the company of men. As a consequence, she was accompanied by three mortals - two maids and a coachman who was in charge of the horses.

Camrad_RIP 29.08.22 в 18:10

"Mr. Reggie," the fact that Caché was sitting in the creaking carriage, behind thick curtains, did not prevent her from talking to the sergeant on horseback beside her. "Why did they send us at all? I mean, you and me? There must be some special reason for sending five guardsmen to the frontiers of the kingdom."

Camrad_RIP 29.08.22 в 18:11

The sorceress chose to remain silent about herself. After their failed attempt to explore the Necropolis, their trio was swamped with dull, routine work, from which they had, for the time being, successfully shirked. Making elixirs, calculating and performing rituals, casting webs or shackles of allegiance on the mind, and teaching at the School of Paths were just a few of the things they had to do in the past month.

Camrad_RIP 29.08.22 в 18:15

Many things were solely the responsibility of the humble community of vampire mages. Both for safety reasons (human servants, even the infinitely loyal ones, were not told everything) and for the reason of possibility. The energy is different, and some ways of witchcraft are available only to the undead. In addition, elixirs and artifacts made by vampires were more effective in the hands of other vampires, so Maitre Hustin always had a pile of various requests from heads of communities on his desk. They were slow to get through - there weren't enough mages.

Camrad_RIP 29.08.22 в 18:32

There were a total of eight vampires, possessing not only racial but also ordinary magical abilities. Subtract the Elders Hustin and Latham, who were engaged in administrative duties, and that left only six masters. For more than a thousand and a half tribesmen, overpowered by requests and, in the vast majority, willing to pay serious money to get their wishes fulfilled. Not surprisingly, mages were in great demand.

Camrad_RIP 29.08.22 в 18:33

A firm understanding of their importance was seamlessly superimposed on the irritation of not being able to engage in tasks that interested them personally. No, Mistress encouraged to research, but she demanded to provide the community with what it needed first. As a result, almost all mages had a grumpy, feisty, and sarcastic temper.

Camrad_RIP 29.08.22 в 18:36

Against their backdrop, Caché, who respected the much older Guardsmen than she did, seemed the epitome of politeness.

Camrad_RIP 29.08.22 в 18:37

"Elder Kalderan's office did the original reconnaissance, but they couldn't get to the excavation, Lady Caché," the sergeant replied. "There's an entire city there, if you don't know, abandoned during the Plague. Most of the buildings have gone underground, the locals don't go there, they think it's cursed. For some reason, the Saints are very interested in one of the temples. It's up to us to find out what they discovered. They sent at least four "Foundrymen" there."

Camrad_RIP 30.08.22 в 05:54

"Wow," the magician was impressed. "I bet they've got alarms, too!"

Camrad_RIP 30.08.22 в 06:01

"We're counting on you, Lady Caché," Reggie nodded.

Camrad_RIP 30.08.22 в 06:02

Ignoring the questioning glances of the maids, who could not hear her sergeant's answer, Caché leaned back on the bench and nervously tapped her hand with her fan. It was a disgusting habit from which she could not and would not get rid, for it gave her a more human impression. Foundrymen was a slang term for a member of the Archives and Development Department of the Holy Order of the Fire Saints; in other words, a theoretical mage. Or magicians-archeologists; they had to act in such a capacity as well.

Camrad_RIP 30.08.22 в 11:52

After the great catastrophe that destroyed the old world, almost all the gods stopped responding to human calls, and those who did respond did so reluctantly. Who was left? Few. The Lord of Hell, whose adepts often organized bloody hecatombs out of a desire to serve their lord, thus were under special control of the authorities. The Lord of Good Peace seldom condescended to his admirers and also demanded that they adhere to a strict moral code. Derkana the Changing, intervened in the affairs of the world only in response to requests from members of the ruling dynasty. And the deities of the clan cults of ancient families, who also helped only their own.

Camrad_RIP 30.08.22 в 11:54

The common man also needs a common god. One that does not require much and has a real return on the sacrifices.

Camrad_RIP 30.08.22 в 11:55

The founders and supreme shepherds of the first cults were magicians. They came from noble families, who managed to understand a little bit about the changing laws of the world, and put the crumbs of available opportunities at their service. If they had remained mere mages, they would have been burned or killed in any other available way. But priests were treated differently by the crowd. Gradually the cults grew, gaining power, their leaders sought and found functioning rituals, learned to channel the faith of mortals into a single direction, a single goal... The gods, at first no more than an abstraction, were becoming a reality. The collective unconscious of the mass of believers created supernatural beings, fleshing out the invented symbols.

Camrad_RIP 30.08.22 в 12:04

The Sacred Fire, worshipped by the saints, did not arise from anything. Its predecessors and progenitors are the cults of various hypostases of the Arcote Heart of the Flame, as well as the most ancient mysteries of Salline the Benefactor. Strange as it may seem, the primitive fertility rites continued to work, albeit with a great loss of effectiveness, so Salline was still revered among the peasants. It was from the Life-Giver that the fire priests learned some useful practices. They continued to do so to this day, to the greater glory of Fire, of course.

Camrad_RIP 30.08.22 в 12:06

The main developers of the new-old rituals, prayers, and appeals to their deity gathered in the Archives Department, and could often be spotted in abandoned ruins or even in cemeteries, studying long-forgotten writings. Because of their similar interests, conflicts between founders and the Dark Guild, or founders and vampires, occurred constantly. Caché, of course, had also faced ideological opponents before. She didn't like the process, so now, after Reggie's words, she wasn't expecting anything good from the upcoming meeting.

Camrad_RIP 04.09.22 в 14:07

"The foundrymen are waiting for us on the spot," she informed the maids. "At least four of them, full-fledged, ranked ones."

Camrad_RIP 04.09.22 в 14:09

"There was no grief," grumbled the elderly Sobire. "What do they want?"

Camrad_RIP 04.09.22 в 14:12

"Probably the same as us. Trying to dig up something useful."

Camrad_RIP 04.09.22 в 14:12

"Are we going to fight again? When I think of Phyrexen, my heart starts to race."

Camrad_RIP 04.09.22 в 14:13

Don't lie," Caché threatened with her fan. "There's nothing wrong with your heart. You can't breathe because you eat a lot of rolls, you're too heavy, and the fat is hanging down your sides. When are you going on a diet?"

Camrad_RIP 04.09.22 в 14:14

"When we come back home."

Camrad_RIP 04.09.22 в 14:15

"That's what you always promise!"

Camrad_RIP 04.09.22 в 14:15

"Forgive me, Lady Caché," the junior in both age and position, Lesica, cautiously intervened in the altercation. "But if foundrymen are working there, they must have guards. Why are there so few of us, then?"

Camrad_RIP 04.09.22 в 14:19

"Well, first of all, no one is going to fight. We'll come quietly, see what they've got, maybe copy or take what we need, and leave unnoticed. In any case, we'll try very hard to make it work. Secondly, we should take you to Guardsman training. Just so you know what they can do. One squad for the security is more than enough, they can't be stopped except by the highest magic or the prayer of a high priest."

Camrad_RIP 04.09.22 в 14:22

"But foundry workers fit both definitions."

Camrad_RIP 04.09.22 в 14:22

"Exactly! That's why Sobire is angry."

Camrad_RIP 04.09.22 в 14:22

"It's not that I'm angry," the maid corrected her. "but I remember what happened the last time. We were nearly caught by the whole Province, the garrisons alerted, and we had to hole up in the swamp for a month. Barely got out of there. Well, Mr. Reggie won't take any chances, he knows his duties well."

Camrad_RIP 04.09.22 в 14:24

In the vampire community, personal servants had long since become a very special caste, with unique rights and responsibilities. They could speak on behalf of their masters, an attempt on their behalf was tantamount to an attempt on a vampire, with the aggravating circumstance of the frailty of human bodies, and they were allowed access to secrets that even the leaders of powerful cults couldn't know. The explanation for this extraordinary position of mortals was simple: loyalty.

Camrad_RIP 04.09.22 в 16:51

The close servants, or, as they were called, the day retinue, had always come from families that had served the Masters of the Night for generations. From childhood, they were imbued with the idea that giving their blood to vampires was normal. They did not see them as monsters, and they saw the possibility of associating their lives with them as something between a higher good and a well-made career. In the worldview of the would-be intimates, religion was firmly intertwined with knowledge of the realities of undead society, so they revered but did not idealize vampires. In agreeing to the bonding ritual, the suites imagined their future fate fully, without illusions.

Camrad_RIP 04.09.22 в 17:35

The mortal, bound to a vampire, received a piece of his master's power, creating in return a kind of imprinting, only at a deeper level. Servants loved their masters. But this did not prevent them from seeing their masters' faults and even, depending on the relationship, from scolding them for their faults. Given their long lifespans - being a member of the day's retinue allowed them to live up to two hundred years and remain active - some of the retinue treated vampires as if they were their own children, and behaved accordingly.

Camrad_RIP 04.09.22 в 17:39

Of course, there were disadvantages, too, which meant that not all vampires approached mortals. The violent severing of the bond by the untimely death of a servant was hard on the master, affecting his body and setting him back for decades. If a servant fell into the hands of the priests alive, they could put a curse on his master, or simply find his whereabouts to kill him. Many were unwilling to take the risk.

Camrad_RIP 04.09.22 в 17:41

Sobire had been close to Caché since she was a child, and their bond was almost spontaneous; the ritual merely cemented and strengthened the existing one. She secretly considered the vampires her daughter. She allowed herself to criticize, argue, and in general, did not see Caché as a superior being, sent down to earth by the will of the Dark God to serve as a guide to His will. Her grumbling was taken for granted by Cache.

Camrad_RIP 04.09.22 в 17:43

The second maid, Lesica, had only recently entered the ranks and was inexperienced in every way, which she confirmed by confessing:

Camrad_RIP 04.09.22 в 17:49

"I once saw two of the seniors of Elder Zervan's retinue fight. If the guardsmen are not inferior to them, then five is probably enough."

Camrad_RIP 04.09.22 в 17:53

"Don't say that in front of them," Caché said, listening to how far away Reggie was. "They'd be insulted by such comparisons."

Camrad_RIP 04.09.22 в 17:55

"It's understandable," Sobiré lowered her voice. "How much evil Zervan's pack has brought? Bless me, Dark One, but it's a good thing they're gone."

Camrad_RIP 04.09.22 в 17:56

"Sobire!" The magician hissed warningly.

Camrad_RIP 04.09.22 в 18:02

"I didn't say anything," she didn't seem the least bit embarrassed. "The people, the servants, and the others, almost had a party when they found out the Mistress had executed the Elder. All right, all right, I exaggerate! But it's true that no one felt sorry for him."

Camrad_RIP 04.09.22 в 18:03

So it is, LadyCaché," Lesica squeaked in agreement at the look in the vampire's eyes. "He was feared, badly."

Camrad_RIP 04.09.22 в 18:04