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Upir Armand Versielius
Char History By D. Bathory
A dimly lit room stands silent a
group of people sitting at the table pondering the events that have taken place
in the last few days, tankards in front of each one and a corpse hanging above
each goblet drips fresh blood into them, the one at the head of the table motions
as if to address the others but slips back into silence. The open fire crackles
with the last burning remnants of wood in the half, suddenly the huge heavy
doors at the end of the hall swing open and in the light from behind a silhouette
looms in the doorway it nods to the members of the room and enters, the doors
slamming shut behind him, he is lost in the darkness, slowly he walks towards
the party and the sound of a sword being slowly unsheathed is heard the members
of the room rise and a panic can be felt throughout. The figure now starts to
emerge from the dark his red eyes glinting fangs exposed and the shine of his
blade partly lights his face. The one at the head of the table whispers Armand
one charges forward in a frenzy, claws outstretched, fangs protruding, hissing
and snarling as he approaches the stranger smiles and he salutes the approacher
with a duelists salute, the attacker pounces at him and he smiles then the flash
of the blade and silence for a second before two thuds are heard one the body
the other it's severed head. The stranger closes his eyes and laughs at the
cowering group "I come bearing a message" he announces "leave
Russia this night and live fail and you shalt die" he turns slowly on the
group smiling he bows his head slightly and looks over his left shoulder "good
day Gentlemen" he slams the sword back into its sheath and laughs pulling
the doors open he steps through.
Two weeks pass and again he enters
the same castle as he did on that night the walls caked with dried blood tapestries
torn from the walls and left discarded on the floor what was the huge doors
lays upon the ground battered and riddled with holes, he enters the room and
there sitting on the oak table a man his back to the door he seems too busy
to notice he is no longer alone Armand creeps up behind him and gets to the
table he slams his fist on it, the man leaps from the sitting position and almost
falls as he turns round to see what the noise was, "ARMAND DO YOU NEVER
KNOCK?" Armand looks to the gaping hole that was once the door "hmmm
well I would only....."points " knock on what?" the man raises
a brow slightly and smiles "good point, you did not leave much did you?"
Armand smiles "indeed I did not ....... oh except this" he pulls out
an object from his bag and tosses it to the man, "YOU FOUND IT!" his
face lights up and he laughs "tell me where was it?" Armand smiles
behind the fireplace there was a secret passage my ghoul found it" he strides
over to the fireplace and pushes a loose stone, a door swings open to the right
hand side of the fireplace and the man peers in at a corridor leading behind
the fireplace" well well well, I never knew that" Armand smiles "are
you so sure?" the man has a puzzled look on his face "should I have?"
Armand shrugs you tell me ...... and while we are on the
subject of truth .... tell me what you are" he draws his blade and places
it to the mans neck, "ARMAND! WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU DOING?" Armand
smiles "I know you lied you are no count and this is not your family home"
the man smiles and looks into armands eyes "there you have me he lets out
a small laugh I am not what I said but nor are you 'Upir' I know what you are
but you know not what I am"
Armand slowly pushes on the sword till it makes a cut just above his Adams apple,
Armand stays his blade for a moment to listen to the man. "So tell me do
you still throw women and children into the pit with your hellhounds or was
that just a passing phase to follow in your fathers footsteps?" Armand
smiles slightly and says "so you know of my family?" the man chuckles
to himself "know them ...... I fought with your father in the crusades
we were mercenary's we worked for the highest bidder much like you do now after
the crusades I left for another Lord your father fought valiantly Armand ...
I just thought you should know that, before he died he told me where you were
in a convent outside Bulgaria I went to the convent to find you but I had missed
you by a week and you had returned to the steps of Russia I had my ghouls track
you down and watch you" Armand felt his arm twitch as he remembered the
ghouls he encountered the man smiled and let out a laugh "you still remember
nothing of that night?" Armand looked at him with a confused look on his
face "what night do you speak of?" the mans laughter grew "the
night you was embraced child" Armand felt his blood turn to ice and then
to fire "WHAT DO YOU KNOW OF IT?" he said in a raised voice, "stay
your blade so that you may hear Armand" slowly Armand lowered his blade.
The man walked to the fireplace and
kicked the remaining ashes "well it was twenty years ago as I am sure you
are aware that your father fell to the hands of traitors to his Lord he was
a good man but stubborn,I had known him for many years and we had been in many
battles yet never once did he suspect the things we fought were the same as
I, you see your father was blind to the ways of cainites he just put there strange
ways of dying down to them being heathens and yet he did not question why after
I received a fatal blow in a battle against the Turks how I lived, I suppose
he thought it a miracle from the Lord :he laughs slowly yet you and I both know
the real reason do we not Armand. We continued to fight side by side for a few
years then the politics of the kindred stepped up a notch and I found myself
under orders to kill his and indeed my lord, I knew your father would side with
the lord so the night before I slipped a sleeping potion into his ale, I had
hoped he would sleep through it all and when he awoke
the task would be complete......however he was more resilient than I thought
indeed the potion did place him into sleep but he awoke too soon and the battle
had already began, he awoke to find me slaying our own guards hacking them to
pieces as I strode to our Lords camp the fool armed himself and came after me"
Armand stands silent and he knew what was to come "I entered the tent and
our lord was standing oblivious to what was going on I drew my dagger and crept
up behind him I was a few feet away when your father burst into the tent screaming
assassin I stopped for a second and the lord turned to face me I lunged at him
dagger outstretched then I felt the pain in my back and when I looked down there
sticking through me was your fathers blade this angered me and I grabbed the
lord by the neck pulling him towards me I plunged my fangs into his artery and
ripped my head back, half his neck came away and the blood came like a fountain
I could hear your father behind me once more and as I turned he had got a lance
and stuck it into my side was still holding it and was trying to impale me he
pushed with all his strength yet to no avail I grabbed the lance and slid it
out I then pulled it sharply to me and your father overbalanced and fell towards
me .............. know this Armand it was not my wish and it was a cruel twist
of fate that he fell. Into me and his own blade that still resided in me went
through his heart I screamed out and pushed him sharply off the blade but it
was too late the damage was done, I tore the blade from myself and dropped it
at my side I knelt next to your father as he lay dying blood coming from his
mouth and chest I looked upon his face and I knew he was not long for this world
so I did the only thing I could do....I embraced him". The man stops and
walks slowly to the table where Armand sat speechless, he looked at Armand whose
head was hung "Unfortunately I did not think upon the consequences Armand
and tried to get your father to accept his new life, but to no avail, about
six months later he took his own unlife by walking into the sun." Armand
looked up at him
"And you let him do this?" he asked coldly the man shook his head
"no Armand I was not there had I been it would not have happened".
Armand remained silent for a while then said "you say you was not there?
tell me is it not a sires responsibility to look after his child for a while
in your clan? where was you if not there?" the man lowered his head "I
was not there as I was on route to find you Armand I made you father a promise
in life that if he should die I would protect you and teach you all I knew"
Armands brow raised slightly "well find me you did". The man nods
"yes but it was too late you had been taken by the Tzimitzie my only happiness
in that was it was not the new clan of tzimitzie the flesh manipulators, at
least there is honor in your clan, which reminds me Armand, my blade I take
it you found it? may I have it back? Armand smiled slightly "in a while
first finish thy tale". The man frowns "very well"
he continues "I went to Russia,
Prague, Germany even Transylvania in search of you and everywhere I went you
had been and gone, I discovered you was working for the hand as a ...... Well
you know what you are, and in every town and city that I traced you to I began
to notice your trade marks" Armand smiled slightly "well it helps
to leave a reminder to the Prince or Cardinal" the man nods "indeed"
he continues"eventually I caught up with you back here in Russia and you
certainly lived up to your name of 'Upir'. Armand lets out a small laugh "yes
I was called it way back in Romania the sister at a convent called me it and
soon the townspeople all nicknamed me, the name followed me til this day and
....... well it is what I am so why not keep it". The man nods. "Armand
one thing I never knew ......... your embrace? what was it like?"
Armand shrugs the same as any other
I think, I was at a convent as you know the one where my father had me sent
to learn, one night the towns church bell was sounding this only served as an
alarm I dressed quickly and grabbed my blade prepared for battle with what I
thought was mear marauders and pillagers, this however was not the case as I
soon discovered I came out the convent and the town was in chaos, fires raged
out of control on the thatched roofs,women, men and children all lay slain in
the streets, crys of pain and loss filled my ears, the stench of death, blood
and burning copses filled my nostrils and made me urge at first. I had not seen
scenes such as this in my whole life, I had seen dead and wounded in the convent
chapel of rest as the nuns had tended the wounded from battlefields and travelers
who had been ambushed by bandits, yet this was far bloodier than anything I
had encountered.
As I walked down the pathway from the convent I looked all around myself for
the animals that were committing these atrocities as I surveyed the carnage
that lay all around me I looked back up to the convent there on the roof sitting
was this half decayed .... thing looking at me as it gnawed upon a severed leg,
it's eyes white and skin a deathly looking pale, maggots fell out of a wound
in the side of its face and crawled on the roof near where they fell. Although
this site shocked me I knew I was one of the last surviving in this hell hole,
I drew my blade and gestured for this thing to come at me, instead it mearly
looked at me and continued to feed upon its trophy, I felt repulsion and anger
rising in me and I looked around my feet, I found a buckler and picked it up
and hurled it as hard as I could at this creature, I hit it in the face and
it lost balance and slipped from the roof, it landed in a heap at the bottom
of the convent and laughed to its self, the laugh was demonic and sent a shiver
through my body, it raised it's head and looked straight at me, I could see
what I can only assume was a smile start to spread across it's hideous face,
its teeth were caked in blood and it's hair matted with earth and blood,
"we have come for you Versielius" it hissed at me, I stepped back
in disbelief, this thing that looked like it had crawled from a freshly dug
grave knew my name, I took some steps back and swallowed hard "how do you
know my name demon?" I demanded, it started to laugh once more and started
to arise to it's feet "the master knows much and is here for you, it is
his intent to take you Versielius, and there is nothing you can do about it",
the anger rose in me once more and I pointed my blade at the approaching creature
"who is this master you speak of?, tell me that I may cut him open from
crouch to gizzard"
the creature just looked and smiled at me, "you will know when the time
is right Versielius, we are but messengers" I wondered why this thing was
so arrogant and seemed so sure of his movements and I suddenly realized we was
not alone, I looked over my shoulder and saw more creatures such as the one
before me, all seemed to be at various degrees of change some not as advanced
as the one in front and almost human looking, I slowly edged around and used
my peripheral vision so I could see the original one and his counterparts clearly
my blade still on guard and slowly moving form him to the others I awaited their
next move. "What are you?" I asked the original one answered saying
"there is an Arabic name, a common one that we all fall under, it is known
as Ghoul" I looked at this ghoul and said "so it is your masters plan
to make me a 'ghoul' is it?" he laughed at this "no Versielius .................
you are to be something else the master wishes to bestow you with a far greater
'gift' you are to be Upir" I froze at this name for I had heard of these
things from a traveler who had supposedly been attacked by some such creature,
they were reputed to live upon the blood of the living and leave a grave at
night not alive nor dead but a mear corpse haunting its own deceased shell,
some reputed to bestow strange powers, I remember how the nuns crossed themselves
upon hearing the name and prayed for the unfortunate traveler saying he was
to become one of the damned, the traveler was taken from the convent by a strange
man one evening and was never to return. Regaining my courage I asked when this
fiend was due to come for me to which the reply was when you least expect it,
I then realized that slowly they were retreating backwards away from me shuffling
back to the outside of the town I watched awaiting a last charge but it did
not come, I looked back to the original ghoul he was crouched behind a gravestone
gnawing upon his victim once again, this repulsed me and I realized what had
happened again as a waft of burning flesh entered my nose my senses returned
to me and the anger arose once more, I let out a battle cry and flew at this
abortion of god I wielded my blade in preparation for attack and the ghoul knew
his time to die was near in a whisper he said "when you least expect it
versielius" and with that his head was separated from his body in one blow.
I buried the body's of the slain, and took the wounded into the convent, where the nuns tended their wounds, I sat there a shell of a man and considered the events that had taken place, I pondered the ghouls words and this fiend he had spoke on and vowed it will not happen.
I spent the next few weeks searching all the old ruins and caves searching for any of these undead creatures, I would spend nights sitting in the cemetery's awaiting one if not the one Upir who supposedly was going to claim me, I researched all I could on these upirs, their origins and myth's, supposed sightings, anything that may be of use, I sought out Gipsy's and travelers trying to discover their supernatural powers, I would frequent taverns in and around my home that there had been various travelers who knew of their ways and yet although I started to understand the nature of the beast I had yet to find one. Weeks blurred into months and months to years and still nothing, at most an occasional glimpse of something but never enough to prove now to confront. I had heard tales of these fiends in most places around the world and was told I should go to Moldavia and seek a man who frequented a tavern there, I was told he was a travelling salesman and had some dealings with these monsters. I did not know to what extent nor even if it was true but I left that very night. I arived at Moldavia and went straight to the tavern I put my saddle bags in my room and went down to eat, I had a brief description of the salesman and so I looked around the tavern, there were not many there about 5 at most and I could not see anyone who fitted the description I had been given, so I sat and ate and drank ale for about two or three hours, I had not drunk for a long time and I soon started to feel the effects, I slumped across the table and sang songs I must imagine I was making quite a scene as the owner came up and told me to be silent or he would give me no more ale and throw me out into the snow, I scoffed at him a little and then decided it was not wise as I needed a bed and to meet this man. As I sat in my drunken stoupr I looked around at the decorations and thiings hanging on the walls, these included plants that i had not seen and crosses and crucifix's everywhere, I tried to focus on the plants and could not work them out so blurted out "Landlord what ish with all this plant things in here?" the woman behind the bar came rushing out to where I sat and said in a concerned tone "it is to stop THEM" I looked at her like she was going insane and said "and who on earth are THEM?", she pauses a moment and looked around sheepishly and said in a whisper "vampyr" I laughed and said "you mean upir?" I rose to my feet and said "and you think these pathetic plants will stop them?" I pointed a the hanging plants and drew my blade "there is only one thing these fiends understand the feel of cold steel and decapitation works wonders" I pointed my blade at the hanging wolfsbain and sliced at it missing i swung in a circle and collapsed into my chair where I promptly passed out.
I awoke at some stage in the night to find all my possetions unpacked from my bags and all folded and piled neatly around the room next to my head hanging on the wall was my trusty blade and abviously i chuckled to myself yet more wolfsbain and garlic, as I lay there trying to work out why I had awoken I sudenly realised I could hear banging, at first I thought it was someone knnocking on my door but soon realsized that it was in fact outside, I staggered to my feet still feeling the influence of the ale I had consumedand went to the small window at the opposite side of the bed I strained my eyes to see what was causing the sound in the light of the barn I could see shadows moving, though iI could not tell what was happening I knew something was amis and thought about my horse "horse thieves" I whispered I quickly dressed and grabbed my blade and threw the scabbard onto the bed, I ran down the wooden stairs and opened all the bolts on the door, I went out into the night strying to walk as softly as I could on the snow so as not to be heard, I could hear muffled voices coming from the barn and knew that I was going to be facing more than one I got myself en guard and crept along the side of the barn, "that is my final offer" I heard one say"take it or leave it the choice is yours and I care not iether way" I crouched down and crept behind the barrels and hay leading into the barn I looked to see how many foes there were and saw two one looked somewhat pale in complection the other quite stocky and wearing lots of furs, before them on a barrel layed some items I could not tell what they were but one was a bottle of red looking liquid and the other was some sort of talisman. The pale man reached for the bottle the other man grabbbed it and said "you know my terms on this, so what is the answer first?" the pale mman retreated a little and said "the Ventrue always pay thier way you know that, now give i to me and you will be richly rewarded I will personally guarantee it". The man in furs said "I know but this is not the usual deal as you are well awair"
To Be Continued
