The Castle Of Shadows

ightning split the darkened skies, followed presently by a roll of thunder. The relentless rain battered the countryside, mercilessly drenching wooded acreage and pasture alike. A smell of sodden earth was carried thickly in the air, along with a subtle hint of the wind-swept sea, which was barely a mile away. The thunder-clouds which had foretold the coming of the storm had gathered and expanded overhead, obscuring the night stars and allowing only the vague outline of the full moon to be discerned. The tempest's was a roaring, unstoppable fury, drowning out all but its own sound, impeding vision and movement as well.

The ground underfoot was churned mud, which tugged and clung to boots. A pathway, once a beaten track used daily by merchant caravans and peddlars, was now a slippery trial to navigate. Pot-holes and deep grooves threatened to swallow feet, and the harder, more stoney ground which presented itself was a blessing. However, it wasn't a random clump of rock; it was part of a uniform, lightly cobbled pavement. It became apparent, then, that there was some hint of civilisation in this otherwise quite rural district.

It wasn't a particularly large or grandoise castle, but sizeable enough; possibly the home of a nobleman rather than a fortress. During the day it would have been unmistakable, a lone bastion of grey in rolling grasslands, but the blackness of night, coupled with the rain which stung the face and the dulled, matt stonework of the walls themselves, did well to efficiently hide the building. The cobbles led across a gently sloping walkway, which provided the only means of passage over a shallow moat of murky water. The castle's gates were a pair of massive oaken doorways, patterned regularly with reinforcing bolts of iron. One of these great doors was ajar, leaving ample room for a body to squeeze past. The gate-house was an effective, and surprisingly cosy, shelter from the howling wind and pouring rain.

Beyond was a courtyard, carpeted in a lush green. Close to the walls grew tufts of moss, and occasionally toadstools, which had obviously benefited from the dampness and shade. Flanking the doorway were block steps, leading from ground level to the ramparts, and there was another such stairway across the grass, adjoint to a large keep. This consisted the bulk of the castle's interior, and had as its main feature a sturdy door, not unlike those at the gates. Apart from an ancient, fragile-looking cart, there were no further signs of life. There was a certain malevolence about the place, even though it appeared to be deserted, and a little neglected. The design of the archways, barbicans and main building were all of a solid, contemporary style, popular among stone-masons, but this didn't make the atmosphere any less eerie. The sky above seemed blacker than black itself, devoid even of the dimly glimmering moon. Shadows, perhaps an illusion of the senses and perhaps not, rolled over the walls like shifting mists.

Save for the falling rain, there was a forbidding stillness about the place, which was suddenly interrupted by a voice. It was soft, and was heard much clearer than it should have been over the din of the thunderstorm. The owner was a pale, dark-haired woman of average height, with piercing, ice blue eyes which showed clearly even in the minimal light. She was smiling pleasantly, and clad in an elegant black dress. "Quite a storm tonight, don't you think?"

"Certainly not one in which to be unwarily caught.." she continued. "My name is AshKaDan, and this is the home of Devilin Steel. You may call me AshKa, as most do, and of course, you are welcome to stay as long as you like, and at least until this dreadful thundering eases. Come, let me take you inside. I know the place looks a little run-down and forgotten, but we've only recently returned."

"You see.." AshKa continued, walking the perimeter of the courtyard towards the keep. She stuck close to the walls, which were a shield from the worst of the wind and rain. "Devilin was a bit of a bucaneer in his youth. Well, in truth, he was a very successful pirate, and amassed quite a fortune. Part of it included this very castle, though I'm not sure how exactly that came to be. I'm sure he'll tell you all about it, if you ask."

"He used the castle as a base, from which he pillaged the seas. It's said that the spirits of all those slain by his crew haunt the place, although I've never seen a ghost around here splicing the mainbrace, if you know what I mean!" she smiled. By then, she'd approached the keep, and was near enough for the distinct clamour of cheerful voices from inside to be heard, which until now had been smothered by the thundering rainfall. "Devilin's pirate career came to an end when he met a vampiress, and accepted the Blood Kiss from her. The castle was forgotten for a while, as our lord adapted to his new life as an immortal, but, well, he's back for good, now."

"Through this door, is the Great Hall, the biggest single building in the whole castle, from which run all the passage-ways to the rest of the chambers, and to the towers above. In days of old, this hall was a place of great banquets and feasts, especially when the crew returned after a particularly profitable raid. It still serves pretty much the same function, though on an understandably smaller scale - although that's not true if Devilin brings home a few dozen friends."
[The Castle Of Shadows' chatroom, hosted on a SorceryNet IRC server, for real-time roleplay. Included are instructions to access the chat room from an off-site IRC client. Nicknames can be registered, although this is not required to be able to play in the chatroom.]

"One of the many additions Devilin made to the Great Hall were the Message Boards. These were initially intended for him and his crew to test their intellectual sides by writing poetry and such, but the best they could do were some rather obscene drinking songs. Thankfully, today's visitors are somewhat more intellectual, and have contributed excellent stories, poems and jokes, as well as the latest chess scores."
[The Castle Of Shadows' Message Boards, which include In-Character (for storylines, plots, poems, character development, and general message board roleplay.), Out-Of-Character (real life discussions, website feedback, general comments and the like), and Jokes (post your own or read those left by the patrons) forums. Nicknames can be registered, although this is not required to be able to post messages on any forum.]

"Our most frequent visitors, along with the Lords and Ladies of the House, are listed in a book of patrons, with any relevant biography, and their portraits line the upstairs hallways. I'm not sure whether this was intended as a tribute to them, or merely as informative material, although in some cases I think it's a sensible warning. Especially as far as concerns the Nomad.." For all her apparent calm, AshKa could have been accused of a discreet shudder.
[The heroes and villains of the Castle Of Shadows. Character information and pictures on display, and included is a form to submit your own characters.]

"Devilin's Study, on the other hand, is far more relaxing." AshKa went on, having composed herself. "Being a bit of a romantic as well as a swash-buckler, he is quite an intellectual at times, as are Lady Mistral and myself. Oh, Mistral is Devilin's betrothed." she smiled. "She and I are both avid readers, and can spend hours secreted away in that room, reading up on this wonderous land in which we live, its people and its places, and of the magic from which it is formed."
[An ever-growing wealth of extensive information on the realms of the Warhammer World, and of the races who inhabit them, their societies and histories, with a special emphasis on the undead, and the Warhammer vampire families.]

"The Warhammer World? Why, it is where I now stand, in the region known as the Old World. And this is the land of Cypria, a historic realm tucked away behind the Dragonback Mountains, and bordering the glittering blue seas of the Southern Gulf. I'm not a native, and therefore not officially qualified to, but I've heard Thanis, our local scribe, describing the land enough times to know its lore by heart. And he presented me with a very informative book about the Old World itself, which is a most useful addition to our library."
[Basic information on Cypria, and the Old World. Comprehensive details on individual realms or peoples can be found in the Study, but all that is necessary for a good idea of this World is summarised here.]

"As lenient and seemingly reckless as Devilin and his friends are, they are a little particular about the kind of behaviour in here. While the lords and ladies will all have their fun, they do insist on decency, and respect between visitors, and compliance with the unwritten laws of our community. Be sure to ask Alessandro about those; he's local and knows their customs better than I do.. oh, and he has such a way with words." AshKa went on, with a wry smirk.
[The Rules & Guidelines section lists the code of conduct with which patrons are asked to comply, to make their stay at the Castle Of Shadows more pleasant for everyone, especially themselves. Included are general role-play guidelines, several documents on Free-Form Roleplay, rules for Free-Form Roleplay combat, and house (behaviour) rules, as well as an overview of IRC commands for use in the chatroom.]

By then, AshKa had reached the keep's entrance, and gripped the doorhandle. She turned it, and with surprising ease, began to push open the heavy oaken portal. "If you're only passing through, I'd be pleased to recommend some further ports of call, approved of by Lord Devilin. Before you do go, through, please sign our guestbook, for Devilin would appreciate it, and don't forget to in case you wish to find your way back here."

"Of course, I do not wish you away by any means. On the contrary, I hope that your stay here will be a long one.." Lightning flashed nearby, and perfectly illuminated AshKa's face. So far it had mostly been shrouded in a halo of rain and obscured by the darkness of night, but now it was revealed in its all its sculpted beauty. A glorious sapphire gaze, rich ebony curls, and a dazzling grin set across an attractive mouth, which was dominated by a pair of flawless ivory canines.

Contrary to the usual laws of aural physics, the words which followed weren't lost in the ensuing bellow of thunder. In fact, they were in a way, much more audible and crisp, making themselves heard rising above the terrible wrath of Nature, making themselves clearly heard, and being considerably more chilling than the midnight coldness.

"A very long one.."

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