The Eye of Two Worlds (DM Cayzle) Monday June 10th, 2002 5:15:18 PM
As the dust clears, it becomes easier to see what has happened. Thomas, Jurgen, the living animals, and the bodies of Ilsidur, Luke, and Sly are all lying between two trees. The branches of the trees reach together and meet overhead. The branches look like they are supporting the length of the dead machine. Together the trees and dead machine form an arch. The arch rests on the floor -- a broken field of earth, broken flagsones, and tiles.
The hands and feet attached to the machine still move a little, like leaves blowing in the wind, fluttering and flexing slightly. Maybe the machine isn't quite dead?
Shiraz is standing slightly to one side of the arch. Looking out into the room beyond, he sees the old ruined temple of Alemi, now blasted to pieces. The ceiling has been blown away. Most of the walls are entirely missing. The floors are cracked and ruptured. Farther out is a wasteland. Above, the sky is dark and cloudy, as it has always been in the Void.
Trace is standing at the other side of the Arch. He can tell that he is in the old Chapel where the group originally rang the bell -- the Chapel in which he saw the crones as the Machine died. But the Chapel is in bad shape -- it too has been blasted, without a ceiling, and the walls have been knocked down. Looking out, he sees several weathered rocks that are around the Arch. Each stone, if you look at it just right, kind of looks like a person. Farther out is a forest, the natural living land around Heranmar. Above, the sky is clear, and Trace can see that it is sunset. As he watches, the sun goes down and night falls. This is not the Void!
Shiraz, in his grief, wants to carry the bodies out of the ruined temple of Alemi. But he sees now that the Temple has been pretty much destroyed. There is no "out" any more -- the churning cloudy evening sky is all he sees above.
Sir Thomas continues to grieve over the bodies of his friends. Pryte stands by and tries to comfort him. Jurgen too is overcome with grief -- and for some reason, with guilt -- but there is not even a horse to comfort the young man.
Sir Thomas Monday June 10th, 2002 9:45:34 PM
Emotions wash over Thomas like a stream that has overcome a beaver's dam with the melting of winter's snow in spring. Thomas stops Shiraz from moving the bodies. "We should pray for their acceptance first" is all he says. He drops to his knees and, still sobbing with grief, he begins to Pray to Alemi. He starts with a prayer of understanding about the situation to his lord and god, followed by words requesting guidance, strength, and mercy. He prays for his friends' acceptance into their respective halls of honor. Ilsidur to Marmathon Dur's, Sly and Luke to their eternal elven home. "They died for the betterment of others lives . . . " Thomas speaks, "they were consumed with our message." He finishes his prayer with the traditional prayer for the good journey of those who have passed. "Lord Alemi bless thee and keep thee. Lord Alemi make his countenance shine brightly upon thee . . . Amen" Thomas finishes his prayer and with tear-streaked, grief-ridden eyes he looks to Shiraz, "now my new friend. My companion of chaos. Fellow bearer of grief. Now we should lay their bodies to rest." Thomas stands and looks for a suitable place to start digging graves. He does not have a shovel, so when he finds such a place he uses his sword, dagger, and hands to dig three suitable holes. He finds suitable grave markers, preferably something of pride to each or with their name for identification purposes. When the graves are complete, Thomas casts the cure light wounds spell and touches Ilsidur's grave. He lays his hands on Sly and Lukes graves and spends his Lay on Hands power on the earth that covers their bodies. "Alemi's protection to you all." And Sir Thomas Hurley begins to cry again.
Shiraz Monday June 10th, 2002 10:56:37 PM
Shiraz looks around the tears streaming down the taur's face have made his fur matted. Seeing the others he walks over to the 3 heros that fell in defense of this town, and even the wold the taur stops for a moment and bows his head reverentialy<sp?>. Shiraz looks up at the heavens and then back at Jurgen, Sir Thomas and his horse, and Trace, then finally back at the bodies of his friends. "Alemi, bless this place, a place once yours and then desecrated, but now it has been washed clean with the blood of heros, of warriors who hearing Imod command us have courage, and courage these three mighty heros showed.Sly and Luke and Ilusidur, these heros of the wold. Let this be there burial ground here in this newly blessed temple of Alemi, in the town that they saved with their lives, forfeiting all the comforts they would have as they grew older and wiser. HEAR ME ALEMI, for I am SHIRAZ the MINOTAUR, friend of these heros, and they deserve as much for they gave themselves for you and all these people, this is what I beseech you." Shiraz loweres his hands that had risen to the heavens in his prayer and looks at Jurgen,Trace and Sir Thomas. "I need help preparing a burial Cairn and removing that infernal machine out of the tree. Who will help me?" Shiraz then pulls a rope from his backpack and goes to look at the machine stying far enough back to not get hi from any tentacles.
Jurgen Monday June 10th, 2002 11:30:04 PM
How could he? If he hadn't used what he had to send the machine into the air, they would still be alive. It grabbed them, only while flailing wildly. How could he? It was his fault. All his fault.
The boy drops his bag to the ground, slowly opening it. Once he finds his pick, he starts to dig a grave for Sly. His hands shake, but he cries no longer. He couldn't cry, he had to look strong. Shiraz the Taur was in tears, Sir Thomas the knight was in tears, Trace was too shocked to move. Jurgen had to help them. He had to forget about himself and begin to heal the emotional wounds of the others.
Taking a deep breath, Jurgen helps put Sly into his final resting place. This was the end for them. A part of him was telling him to strip them down and take what they had, while another was telling him to let them rest. He decided to listen to the second one, slowly covering them with dirt. He whispers an apology to them, before covering the last bit.
He again rummages through his bag, pulling out two bottles of Holy Water. One he pours over Ilsidur's grave, a symbol to who he appeared to be. The second he makes a small hole for, just above the grave. He drops it in, leaving just the cork showing.
"May you be protected, wherever you are..."
Next he grabs a scrap of paper from a leather binding, in Draconic, it reads "Sleep - For those enemies who just won't fall to the ground. Warning: No actual sleep is recieved from this spell, so it is not a sedative." He ignores this, digging a similar hole above Sly, dropping the scroll in, pushing dirt over it with his foot.
"Sleep well my friend, hopefully you'll find who your looking for."
This time Jurgen searches his belt pouch, pulling the Turtle out that he showed before. He looks at it, as if trying to remember something. Something that seems so far away, so long ago... He places it above Luke's grave, near Thomas's headstone. He has it in the ground, just enough so that it will be covered.
"Perhaps there is eternal fun waiting for you..."
He nods his head, not praying just respecting. His eyes almost water again, but he holds it back. No fear. No sorrow. He was to help these people. He was the only one who could help them. He had no pain for himself. No time for it.
"I know no gods. The only prayer I know was written by a mad hermit. Perhaps he knows something that I do not...
Destiny chimes in great tones. Powerful rings the dead way. Entropy bell leads past gods. Beckoning the Lands of Rest."
With that Jurgen looks to the remaining three. Sir Thomas, Divine Knight of Alemi. Trace Jacobs, Man of the Wild. Shiraz The Minotaur, Rarest of Rarities. Who was Jurgen? Nobody.
No! These were a strange band of heros. He would have to be someone. He would have to lead them. Or at the very least, help them. Yes, he was somebody, Jurgen Strumjager, Guide of Chaos! That was his fate. To put the others before himself, no matter what.
Looking around, Jurgen eyes the twitching machine. He pulls out 10 bottles, with an oily liquid inside. He shakes them around a bit, before letting it all out over top of the trees' bottoms. Half of it on each side. He makes sure to cover the visible parts that are at his knee level. He drops the bottles as his work finishes, some cracking while others just hit the ground with a thunk. The faint smell of oil can be detected, just barely.
"Thomas, Shiraz and Trace, I think it best we leave the temple. Ilsidur, Sly and Luke are gone from their bodies. I claim not to know where they are, but they died saving others. We should try to save all we can. We may have stopped the big giant thing, but there is still evil to be undone." He tries to slowly lead the group away from the temple, making sure they are a few hundred feet away before going back.
He then goes back, just close enough to see the bases of the trees. A hundred things go through his mind, before he just pushes it all out. A spell comes to his tongue, letting it begin. The motions of it appear much like a complex dance, slowly gliding along the ground with crisp, graveful movements. His words sound much like a song, twisting together.
[Casting: Flaming Sphere - Target: The Oil At The Bases Of The Trees - Duration: 6 Rounds]
[This post takes place over a few rounds. Sorry if I can't do that. I'm just thinking that we're in the calm, so I can do a bit. If not, sorry.
Jurgen - OOC Monday June 10th, 2002 11:31:54 PM [I see that Shiraz and I both posted at similar times. Well, there is a half hour difference, but I did start my post about an hour ago and am just finishing. What do we do in this case, as our actions conflict. Jurgen will explain what he's doing to Shiraz, if that helps :).]
Trace (Ceil) Tuesday June 11th, 2002 6:09:08 AM
Trace puts branches in Sly's grave (making a little bed of branches), pick up Sly's body and lay him in his grave and crosses his hands over his chest, but doing so trace notices that Sly still has his tattoo (and brighter than ever)? "That's strange?" said Trace,"Sly still has his mark in his hand and Ilsidur does not?" but finishes the grave but instead of a grave marker, Trace plants the sapling. The bury Faithful Luke next to Sly's grave (with beef jerky). "Now it is done, But I wonder?"
The moon rises, and so do other things (DM Cayzle) Tuesday June 11th, 2002 6:41:42 AM A Note From Your DM: Please feel free to post several rounds (or minutes or hours) of action and intention if you like. I encourage it. But if you do, don't be surprised if sometimes I halt your plans in midstream because I judge you'll want to respond to new events. Like this time. But even if you don't get to do your whole plan, I'm very glad to get a feel for what's going on in your PC's head. -- Cayzle
Still greatly grieving, Thomas, Trace, Jurgen, and Shiraz dig graves nearby.
Please note, in case it wasn't clear last post: One side of the Arch leads to the Void. The other side leads to the Chapel at Heranmar, the Entropy Bell Chapel. There is some kind of space-warping magic at work here. The trees and machine together form some kind of dimensional conduit. You now have a way to walk into and out of the Void -- which heretofore was a one-way trip -- NO one ever came out of the Void that you heard of (except Marteaus's army), but now you have emerged.
I assume that you carve the graves from the earth on the Heranmar side of the Arch, since the Void side is more blasted, and besides, who would want to be buried in the Void?
While they dig, Jurgen and Shiraz talk about their desires to destroy this unique passageway in and out of the Void. Jurgen wants to burn down the trees so that no one can ever escape from the Void again. Shiraz wants to divorce the trees from the machine, so that there will be no way to enter the Void from Heranmar for any reason, noble or not.
On the Heranmar side, the living party members see that there are in fact five largish stones surrounding the Arch in what used to be the Chapel (before the roof flew off and the walls mostly crumbled). Roll a spot check vs DC 10 to see that the stones kind of look, at the right angles, like old women.
After the graves are dug, night falls completely, and the moon rises. Jurgen prepares his rememberances and markers. The moon's pale beams fall on the Arch and the bodies under it. The living walk over to the bodies of their fallen friends to carry them to the graves. The hand of Death lies heavily on Sly, Ilsidur, and Luke. The skin of the dead is alabaster white, and that skin is stretched taut over their bones. The hair (and fur) of the dead has changed color in the moonlight -- it too is pure white. The eyelids of the dead have contracted while they lay here -- now their eyes are open. But the eyeballs have rolled up, it seems, because only the whites are showing.
As the living watch, stunned, the bodies of their fallen comrades sit up! And then stand!
Their chests are still and do not breathe. Their limbs all move with slow control. They look from friend to friend with calm. Their eyes are still a pure pure white. They are the living dead.
Sly Foxx and Like Tuesday June 11th, 2002 12:32:38 PM
Sly sits up, slowly look around with sightless eyes. Then stands up along with Luke. Sly walks slowly to his friends and ask Sir Thomas, "Did...we...defeat...it? Did...we...stop...that...machine?"
Shiraz d20=15 d20=10 Tuesday June 11th, 2002 8:13:06 PM
The minotaur looks up suddenly and manages to shake off his surprise (will 15) at seeing his frieds rise and become the undead, but it stops there as he finds himself trembling in rage at whomever has done this thing to 3 heros of the wold. "Where are you cowardly necromancer to raise such heros, show yourself or be known a craven to all when I hang you from your entrails from my entrophy bell!!!!"
Jurgen Wednesday June 12th, 2002 12:39:47 AM
Before he knows what he is doing, Jurgen rushes forward with his arms out to embrace Sly. He hugs the living dead creature, holding tightly. He won't let go, even as he walks towards Sir Thomas.
"Sly! I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to kill you. It was all an accident. The tree... I didn't... I'm so glad your ok!" He
[Sorry, for the sloppy post. I've been having some computer troubles.]
Sir Thomas d20=10 d20=13 Wednesday June 12th, 2002 1:45:33 AM
Rolled 10 + 2 WIS = 12 Spot check
Through his tears, Thomas sees the five stones and notes that they appear to possess faces. He wipes his eyes and looks again in disbelief, but before he is able to discern any real detail about the rocks Sly approaches him and his living friends. "SLY!" Thomas gasps in disbelief. Thomas tries to say more, but his voice trails into a whisps of incoherent breathing.
Thomas rises to his feet to meet the young elf. "Sly, your eyes . . . your skin and hair . . . do you feel ok?" Thomas fights his disbelief, like Shiraz fights his own, (Rolled 13 + 10 WILL or + 11 Fortitude = 23 or 24 to save) and this one question is the only one that comes to his mind. And then Thomas thinks to answer Sly's question, he stutters, "yes. Yes my friend. You and Ilsidur and Jurgen destroyed the machine together." Thomas knows the telling is slightly inaccurate, slightly a lie, and some of it he is fudging, but he thinks it the best for all involved to think that they played a crucial role in the downfall of the machine. Mostly, because he thinks they did; maybe Thomas would make a good bard if Uteva would teach him to play an insturment. "I remember Ilsidur finishing his spell, and I felt . . . I don't know how I felt it but I felt your life force going into Ilsidur's body. You protected him from the draining force of the counter-spell. That closed the Void and killed the vampire giant. Almost at the same time, Jurgen swooped under the machine, I saw it out of the corner of my eye as I was trying to heal you and Ilsidur. He did something that caused these two giant trees, trees much bigger than those in the elven forest through which you lead us on the magical road. The trees lifted the machine from the ground and gave the killing stroke to it's working. On it's way up it took us from the balcony and then I remember nothing . . . nothing except . . . well . . . it seems I was mistaken about what I saw when I woke up. Do you feel ok? I have a healing potion in my pouch here. What say you my friend." Thomas treats his friend with caution because of the circumstances of the situation, but he relays the entire story, somewhat embellished for the benefit of some involved, while keeping some distance from Sly. Thomas hardens his emotions to deal with Sly in this state. He does not show signs of grief, but cannot hold back all of the signs of uncertainty and disbelief at what he sees.
Trace and Radiant (Ceil) d20=17 Wednesday June 12th, 2002 3:23:45 AM
(OOC: I don't remember Trace's wisdom bet with his basic roll of 17, Trace is not affraid of Sly}
Trace look at Sly in the arms of Jurgen, but he has to ask his now strange friend. "Little Brother, you are dead, you know? who is your master now? What do you want of us?"
Trace will stand apart from Sly until he gets a answer.
In Shock (DM Cayzle) Wednesday June 12th, 2002 7:12:50 AM
Shiraz loudly searches for someone (anyone) who raised his friends as undead things. But he sees no necromancer.
Sly walks forward slowly and asks if the quest succeeded. Jurgen hugs him and apologizes. Thomas, also visibly moved, reassures Sly.
Luke looks around and doesn't seem to think anything is wrong. He sniffs around the stones that look like people and then returns to Sly's side.
Trace is characteristically straightforward and asks Sly if he knows he is undead.
Ilsidur stands silently, just watching.
The stars twinkle overhead. The living have had a very long day, and they are tired.
Sly Foxx and Luke (the Undead) Wednesday June 12th, 2002 10:00:58 AM
"It was not your fault, Jurgen" Sly tells Jurgen. Then to Shiraz, he tells him "I'm not control by any one, I have my free will." To Sir Thomas "You have? The black robes was saving the town. Trace, my big brother, I'll have to tell you all about it later. Look! Ilsidur is up." Sly slowly motion for Ilsidur to come forward.
Shiraz d20=14 d20=18 Wednesday June 12th, 2002 8:07:39 PM
Shiraz looks around noticing in the process that the stones look like the crones that everyone has told him about. Managing to control himself the taur slows down and looks at the 3 undead. "OK, I am willing to accept you are here but I need to know why?"
Jurgen Wednesday June 12th, 2002 8:19:43 PM
As Jurgen's touches against Sly's skin, he shakes horridly. A chill runs along his back, forcing him to pull away. With eyes of a scared child, he stares at his re-animated friend. Suddenly it hits him. Sly Foxx and Ilsidur weren't brought back normally. They were dead that had a fake life poured into them. And as he heard speech from the undead creation, he knew he was right.
"THEY WERE NOT!" His voice cries out, as he edged backwards. Twice he almost tripped, catching himself just seconds before his head connected with solid ground. "You... You lie! That's not Sly anymore, that's something else! Get away." Without warning, Jurgen changes direction and hides behind Sir Thomas. Then he starts to bring light from the sun itself towards him, he summons it to protect him from these abominations.
"Stay away! You won't get near me! Sir Thomas Hurley, do something! We have to run... But if they came back, then there will be many others."
Sir Thomas d20=17 d20=20 d6=5 d6=1 Wednesday June 12th, 2002 11:12:36 PM
Thomas is very confused, but he knows that to make any headway, Ilsidur and Sly must start explaining how they apear to live, or the suspicion of those who were left alive by the power of the machine must be dropped. Thomas decides to act to force one of the two resolutions to the problem occur. "Jurgen!" Thomas speaks firmly and sharply to get Jurgen's attention, but also to calm Shiraz and Trace (should they have thoughts of acting on their own). Thomas wants the attention of all. "I am going to perform a test. I will prove that by Alemi's divine mercy our friends are alive but changed by the power of the machine. We will find a solution to our suspicions once and for all. Sly . . . Ilsidur, stand together. I am going to call on the power granted to me by Alemi. If you are undead creatures, you will become afraid of me. But if you are not undead then there will be no effect upon you. Be still my friends, I have faith about the result." Thomas positions himself 15 feet from his friends, pulls out his holy symbol, and raises it so that it hangs from his hand facing Ilsidur and Sly. "By the power of Alemi I command you unholy creatures to flee this place. Alemi Sis Baktul Arcadia . . . Beseech Beyeor!" (Rolled 17 to determin HD turning capability = cleric level + 2 - 2 for being paladin + 4 CHR = turn level 11 HD)
[OOC: sorry for the second d20 roll, it is not needed too bad for me]
(Rolled 5 + 1 + 4 CHR + 5 Paladin level (as Cleric of two levels lower) = 15 HD of turning)
When Thomas has another opportunity, he will detect evil from the altered white friends.
"The tests are complete . . . "
Trace(ceil) Thursday June 13th, 2002 3:40:42 AM
Trace just stands there, watching. Hes glade to see his freind again, but Sly has changed. Tarce tells Sir Thomas, "They are not evil, I know because Sly called me 'Big Brother'".
In More Shock (DM Cayzle) Thursday June 13th, 2002 11:35:24 AM
Shiraz asks why the undead Sly and Ilsidur are here, but has so far received no answer, except that Luke walks up to Shiraz and licks his hand with a cold, dry tongue.
Young Jurgen realizes he is hugging a living corpse and freaks out. He backs off fast. He casts a Daylight spell, based on himself, illuminating all in a 30 foot radius. That puts the undead comrades still in shadow. Does Jurgen move forward to shed light directly on his dead friends?
Sir Thomas, convinced that Sly and Ilsidur are not really undead, try to use the power of his faith and god to force them to flee. He fails in that attempt, although he does not know why. Maybe they aren't undead, although they sure do seem to be! Maybe his attempt simply failed. Sir Thomas detects no evil from them, although the Void itself, perceptible through the Arch, remains as evil as it always was (Thomas remembers how the evil of the Void made him sick).
Trace is more accepting of the undead -- although he is also nervous.
The wind blows through the trees on the Chapel side of the Arch.
Sly Foxx and Luke Thursday June 13th, 2002 6:41:11 PM
Sly stands beside Ilsidur and watches his friends go through their fears and tests. Sly tell Ilsidur (Who stands next to him)"Maybe they are tired. . . Maybe we Should let them sleep for a while. . . And we can keep guard."
Trace(Ceil) Thursday June 13th, 2002 6:44:07 PM
"You may not be Evil, But you make me uneasy. I think I'll sleep in the trees tonight." Trace tell them all.
Jurgen d20+6=24 d6=5 Thursday June 13th, 2002 7:41:24 PM
Jurgen watches the divine knight carefully, trying to figure out why his powers did not work. He groans slightly, realizing that neither his magic nor Sir Hurley's was working on their friends. But wait, Jurgen wasn't close enough.
Breathing deeply, he goes forward. His entire body seems to fight against this, but he screams in his head to go on. If they were his friends, the wouldn't hurt him. If they weren't, the light would save him... Hopefully.
When he gets close enough, Jurgen starts to speak a long unheard of tongue. His hands grasp together, then rip apart, then slam against the other. White energy then begins to gather, held only by his flesh. Then, he releases it out in a blast, towards Sly.
[Casting: Disrupt Undead - Target: Sly - Success at AC 24 - Damage: 5]
If Sly was still Jurgen's friend and alive, he would be fine. If he was his friend and dead, Jurgen was releasing. And if he was an enemy? It didn't matter how he was stopped. It was just important that it was destroyed. Undead weren't natural. Undead should not exist. Undead WOULD not exist.
[Jurgen's biggest fear is undead, and in the first mission his friends become one. Somehow I see building a trusting relationship will be difficult. ;)]
Shiraz d20=10 Thursday June 13th, 2002 8:31:03 PM
Shiraz looks at the 3 undead friends at Sir Thomas, then back up and shrugs his shoulders. "Just dont attack us I would hate to have to kill a friend who was already dead."
Sir Thomas Thursday June 13th, 2002 10:29:48 PM
"As I expected; our friends are not undead creatures, but still our friends." No longer having a reason to question why his friends are still alive, Thomas just accepts the fact that they stand before him . . . though Ilsidur's presence still provides some uncertainty because he has yet to move or speak. Thomas lets Jurgen run his own tests so that he will be able to accept the fact as well. While Jurgen is convincing himself Thomas tries to feel the mental link through the entropy bell that they felt before the destruction of the machine. He concentrates very hard. He lets his thoughts wander to the crones, to friends of old, to his family, to his fellows children of chaos, to Alemi, to his hands and the mark they bear . . .
After that, Thomas asks Sly and Ilsidur to recount what they know and remember about the fight. He pulls his shaving mirror from his backpack and gives it to Sly. "I think it's about time you understood why we are acting this way. I'm not sure you understand quite yet."
Sly IS Undead! (DM Cayzle) Friday June 14th, 2002 12:52:04 PM
Sly suggests standing guard over his friends, who are quite tired. Trace replies that he'll be sleeping in a tree, in that case.
Jurgen steps forward, bringing Sly, Luke, and Ilsidur into the magical daylight. None of them flinch. So since Sir Thomas could not turn them, and since the light did not hurt them, perhaps they are really not undead?
But Jurgen's final test is conclusive. He casts Disrupt Undead on Sly, a spell that only affects undead. And it DOES affect Sly. The undead half-elf takes five hit points of damage as a wound opens on his arm. Sly is undead, beyond doubt! Probably Ilsidur and Luke too, most likely.
Shiraz asks the undead to NOT attack -- a funny comment considering it is the living who have acted with hostility, not the dead!
Ilsidur remains quiet, lost in his own thoughts.
Thomas, uncertain, tries to invoke the Entropy Power. He is not sure if he hears a bell or not. But suddenly he notices (no Spot roll needed) the largish rocks standing in a circle on the Chapel side of the Arch -- they DO look like old women. There are five of them, facing in toward the Arch. He senses that they are on watch.
The paladin hands Sly a mirror.
Trace (Ceil) Friday June 14th, 2002 1:57:26 PM
Trace watches the faces of Sly and Ilsidur very closely. This is making him nervous he never, every seen a friendly undead.
Sly Foxx and Luke Friday June 14th, 2002 2:15:31 PM
Sly reels when the spell hits him, but Sly look down at the wound. Them with unseeing eyes, look at Jurgen and ask ". . Why? . ."
As Sir Thomas hand Sly the mirror, Sly takes it and ask, "Ffor me?" Then look in the mirror, "I'm...Dead!...I'm Dead!...The last thing I remember is the Machine sucking the life force out of me, Ilsidur and Luke... I remember it was trying to do the same to you... But every thing went black... What happens now?... I still feel like there is something undone?... Must I leave you?... I'm not wanted or needed any more?"
Ilsidur (undead) Friday June 14th, 2002 10:39:28 PM
Ilsidur breaks out of the trance that seems to have been holding him in place. He looks around at his friends, and shakes his head. "What is going on? I feel...strange, different somehow. I expected that counterspell to drain the life from me, but it appears that it has not."
"I thank my lord Marmathon Dur ... wait, I can't feel his presence! Why am I not more upset about that? I feel power inside me, more power than I ever had before. But where does that power come from? Did my lord die with the other gods?"
The white-skinned dwarf moves forward and looks at all of his friends, both old and new. "It seems we are all safe. That is good. So why don't I feel like celebrating? I perceive everything as if through a haze."
"Sly, what is wrong with you? You seem to look like ... death? What happened to you at the end? I remember you grabbing onto me, and trying to pass me your strength, then I remember nothing after that." He moves up to Sly and takes the elf's hand, and looks at it clasped in his hand. "Your hand is cold ... wait, my hand is white and cold, too. What did that machine do to us?" He looks around at the others, and notices that they all appear to be normal. He sees concern, and worry, and maybe fear? on some of their faces. "Are you afraid of me, of Sly, of us? I am the same dwarf that has been with you through the past year or so, both good and bad. Trace, Sir Thomas, remember the big fight against Void and his brother Bear? Remember the elven tree city where you first met me? Remember us raising that young child from the dead at the gates of Hook City? I remember all that. Do you? Have you been changed, somehow, too? Why are you afraid of me?"
Lasly, he looks around at what has happened to the machine, the gate, the temple, the new arch. "Where are we? How did we get outside the Void?"
OOC: A Present from Kent (DM Cayzle) Friday June 14th, 2002 11:42:16 PM Out of Character Announcement: Kent has awarded every Southern Lights Player 400 gp each because I sent him your character sheets in a timely fashion. I was the second DM to do so -- If I had been first, it would have been 500 gp!
So add 400 gp to your PC sheets! And thanks, Kent!
Cayzle
Sir Thomas d20=7 Monday June 17th, 2002 10:23:56 AM
[OOC: Thanks Cayzle for turning our CS in early/on time, and Kent for the gp!]
"No!" Thomas exclaims to Ilsidur's question, "it is not fear that we feel. We are quite concerned about this result, and what it means. I remember all of that too Ilsidur . . . happy memories mostly. I hope you do not see fear in our actions. We will not attack you any longer." Thomas walks up and hugs Ilsidur. The hug is warm and from Thomas' heart. When it is over he goes to Sly and accepts his mirror back. He then hugs the young, undead elf. "I love you guys. I could not possibly be afraid of you."
Thomas steps back from the undead and tries to help the group remove its focus from the fact that some of them are walking dead. "When I tried to envoke the power of the bell a moment ago in an attempt to help solve the mystery of how and why this paradoxically blessed result came about, I saw that this grouping of rocks looked like the five crones from heranmar. Sly, you were there in Heranmar when they saved us from the mob and told us that we would be curse or cure. Let's go look and see if we can't divine some help from their images." Thomas walks over to the rocks, hopefully with Sly on his heels. He walks up to each rock and inspects it carefully. Thomas tries to match each rock to the crone in his memory. "Sorrow . . . Justice . . . Wisdom . . . Watcher . . . and the one I know as Protection . . . I see your faces, and mourn your loss. If my friends did not die because of your sacrifice, then I thank you. My you rest in peace." (Rolled 7 + 2 WIS = 9 Spot check) Thomas looks for anything unusual about the rocks. Something archaic, symbolic, or significantly unnatural. He runs his bare hand across the rocks to feel their contour. He rubs the tatoo on his hand after each touching of the rock. "We still have the ability to do great things."
Reunion (DM Cayzle) Monday June 17th, 2002 10:34:29 AM
Anyone who touches the five stones feels his tattoo tingle. There is a sense of being watched -- more of being look after and guarded, not spied on.
At this moment, there is a noise at the center of the ring of stones, under the Arch -- and when the group turns around, they see Altemia is there! And in the living flesh, not undead.
Altemia d20+13=26 Monday June 17th, 2002 3:13:48 PM
Altemia stands there a moment, a bit disturbed and disoriented. She sees her friends standing across from her as well as the minotaur who joined them when she left. Something seems to be wrong with Sly, Luke, and Ilsidur, though.
Moving closer, she ignores the others and focuses on those three. Her eyes widen and she turns to the others for confirmation.
"They're dead aren't they?"
As she turns, she notices the arch that she came through and the faces on it (spot 26). She notices the likeness to those in her dream. Turning quickly to her friends, Altemia tells them of her dream.
"My friends, when I left you I fell into an unusual and deep sleep. I dreamed of
the Entropy Bell -- it was ringing. I heard the hum of the evil machine of the Dark one. I felt the gods die. Finally, in my dream, I opened my eyes.
I was standing at the center of a circle --around me stood the five old women that I see in the arch before me.
Four crones speak at once without moving their mouths: "Saviour. Destroyer. Saviour. Destroyer." The fifth one says, "Accursed, you must bring your friends to our sign in Heranmar! You must bring them now! They are almost too late! Late! They must speak with dragons! Seek us in Heranmar NOW! Use the orb!"
So you see! We must hurry! But what are they speaking of with their sign and what is the orb? You can fill me in on what I missed later. They seemed very insistant."
Altemia turns to look each of her friends in the face. Her eyes slide past Sly, Luke, and Ilsidur quickly and fall to rest upon the tall minotaur. Altemia studies him for a moment and nods, accepting him as the others accepted her so long ago (so it seems), no questions asked.
[Cayzle: Just one note of clarification -- the Arch is made of the former (and still active in a feeble way) machine of the Dark One, lifted by two trees. Outside and around the Arch -- not part of it -- are the five large stones that look somewhat like people. Questions?]
Sly Foxx and Luke (undead) Monday June 17th, 2002 4:07:27 PM
Sly releases the mirror to Sir Thomas. When Sir Thomas walks to the rocks circle, Sly slowly walk behind him. With disinterested eyes Sly look at the rock formation. "There are women, I can fell something but it comes from the middle of the circle." Sly just stands there for a moment then greets her, "I'm glade your back, Little Sister."
Trace Monday June 17th, 2002 4:16:07 PM
"Yes, We have a little problem with both Sly and Ilsidur. But I'm glad to see you back again. I'm sure Sly would say the same. This is getting stranger with every passing hour. I wish these old Crones could talk to us again." Trace tells Altemia, as he leans on his bow.
Shiraz Monday June 17th, 2002 4:41:58 PM
Shiraz looks at the myesterious woman in the middle of the stones and bows slightly, "Welcome back little one, I am Shiraz the Minotaur." Shiraz looks around at the others leaving the undead friends out for a minute, "Now what??" the taur asks to those who did not die. " They were and are of and like us but what can we do to restore our friends?"
Sleep at last (DM Cayzle) Tuesday June 18th, 2002 7:35:27 AM
Just for the record, today has been a Looooong Day! You found the machine, saw the Dark Army, watched people drop dead in the streets, destroyed the machine, and some of you became undead. Frankly, the living among you feel dead with fatigue and weariness. You really MUST sleep. Trace is nodding off. Thomas is slowing down. Even Jurgen is not his usual bundle of hopping energy. Altemia just woke from a sleep, sort of, so she is not as bad off. So you camp out, with the Undead and Altemia to watch.
In the night you all dream, at one time or another, of Heranmar. You are looking down on it. In one quarter, the moon has landed and settled on the ground. The round shape of it sits ON Heranmar. It is white with a flame inside. It is beckoning you.
In the morning, what do you do?
Shiraz Tuesday June 18th, 2002 11:29:13 AM
Shiraz wakes early before the others and rolls up his tent and bed roll and pack it away while looking in he direction of Heranmar. Munching absently on a trail ration the taur sits on the ground and watches his companions sleep then stand sand gopes to Altemia, "Well met agian and glad I am to have another with us. Last night I dreamed of a strange city and its name becomes me to come. What can you tell me of Heranmar?"
Sir Thomas Tuesday June 18th, 2002 12:23:29 PM
Thomas wakes slowly. He usually would be up earlier, but the fatigue from the previous day kept him in his rest much longer this morning. He wakes and prepares to leave. He then prays to Alemi and to the dead Domi - he figures, why not, if Ilsidur, Sly, and Luke can return from the dead certainly a god can with the right influence.
Upon finishing his prayers, Thomas tells the group what he knows. "Heranmar is a small port town. It is the town where all of this Entropy Bell stuff began. It is where Trace and I first landed when we arrived from the northern continent. It is where we met the crones . . . and Sly. It seems to me that Heranmar is where we need to go. I know we should hurry, but I am drawn to investigate this circle further." Thomas walks to the middle of the circle and places his hand on the ground. He tries to 'sense' if something is buried there. If he cannot he will dig a small hole. If he finds nothing he will return the dirt and investigate the crones again. He will walk around each crone and run his hand over the rock as he goes. He knocks on them and tries to push them as well. Finally, when he is satisfied that there is nothing left to investigate about the rock formation he looks through the portal into the Void. "I would like to destroy it because at least a full third of the dark army is prevented from marching on the Wold if we do. However, I don't think there is time for us to do it. Any other ideas?"
Once all of these tasks are done Thomas approaches Altemia, "I am sorry to put welcoming you back on hold dear friend. Welcome back." Thomas hugs her. "You should know the way to Heranmar, it is near Hook City and Threshold, and we went there when we teleported from the bridge in Hook City, if you'll remember. It should not be far, by my recollection, but I think you would know better than me.
[OOC: My phone line went out last night. I hope it doesn't become a problem, but just so you all know.]
Sly Foxx and Luke(undead) Tuesday June 18th, 2002 3:20:28 PM
Sly was sitting down with his back resting on one of the statues and playing fetch with Luke. When the rest of the party awaken, Sly stands and watches the others. When Sir Thomas is done investigating the circle, Sly will follow him. When all the task are done, and ready to leave, Sly will follow behind the party.
Trace(ceil) Tuesday June 18th, 2002 3:27:54 PM
Trace wakes up, after a fitful sleep. Pack up and eat a little trail food. when everybody are ready to leave, Trace will put one of the left over Black Cloak over Sly, "Now no one will be scared when they look at you. Just thinking of you Little Brother."
Altemia d20+9=25 Tuesday June 18th, 2002 5:24:29 PM
The small elf blushes when Sir Thomas hugs her.
"Oh, yes. Um...Heranmar. I'd forgotten that we were there before. We've gone through so much lately it's all a jumble in my mind."
Altemia watches the undead members of their party sereptitiously (sp?). She wants to accept them as others have done, but their state of being, or unbeing, rubs something inside her the wrong way.
She watches as Sir Thomas examines the arch of stones and the area around them. She is more restless than usual, shifting from one foot to the other instead of standing still.
"Sir Thomas, I don't feel we will learn anything here. I also don't think the crones will let anything bad in from the Void. Can't you feel them protecting us in their way? Besides, it's the arch with the machine that should be destroyed if anything, not the crone stones."
Altemia actually giggles at the words crone stones, a sure sign of her nervousness.
"I really feel we must do whatever we must here quickly and get to Heranmar. The dreams I had before I met up with you and the one last night make me feel so. But where from here is Heranmar? What direction?"
Altemia takes a good look around the area they are in hoping it will give her some clues (Wild Lore 25).
Ilsidur (undead) Tuesday June 18th, 2002 9:32:14 PM
A small smile appears on Ilsidur's face when he first sees Altemia. "Well met again, young lady," he says. "I am ... happy ... you are back, safe."
He watches over his companions through the night, with little to occupy his mind other than his new status. "Maybe I am dead, but yet somehow not dead. This is most strange. I wonder if this is permanent, or merely a transition to something else?" Sometime during the night, he moves over to look at the circle of stones that seem to watch the arch. He tries to get a sense from whatever powers still rest in the stones, to understand if they are trying to send a message, and if they want the arch destroyed. "Will you watch over this opening in space for us, and make sure no evil can pass into this part of the world?"
At dawn, Ilsidur goes into a trance, wondering if there is still power to grant his spells. "Marmathon Dur, I used to pray to you every sunup for you to fill me with your power. I don't fell that connection any more, but perhaps there is still a way ..." He feels some sort of power enter his body, and he recognizes the power; it is the same power that he used in the past to cast his spells. He channels the power into specific spells, and realizes he can cast many more spells and more powerful spells, than he ever could in the past. "I wonder if this is all a part of my new state of being?" He tries to discover where the power is coming from, but so far is unable to tell.
As the group discusses what to do next, Ilsidur says, "I feel that we need to head into Heranmar. Since my appearance frightened you, my companions, so much, I think that Sly and I should wear our hoods up on our cloaks, so that we don't frighten anyone in town. We need to know what is going on in Heranmar, and the rest of the Wold, as well."
Jurgen Tuesday June 18th, 2002 11:56:21 PM
No longer is Jurgen scared thoughtless of his once living friends. Now he is mearly weary of these... guards. They were not friends. They could not be friends. They were thoughtless, lifeless beings and he had to keep himself safe in their presence.
So Jurgen's night was with little rest and even when he did have a chance to close his eyes, he slept lightly with a spell flickering on his tongue and mind, while his quarterstaff was less then a flick of the wrist away. Still, he recieved the sleep he needed ... barely.
When he awakens he goes to a point where he can see all the undead at once, while still mentally focusing his thoughts. He actually goes into a focusing position, his feet behind his head. Then he meditates, renewing the magically energy that he has in his body. And then he is done, after slightly more then a quarter of an hourglass.
His physically body is renewed, so is his magically. But his mind is frayed in knot upon knot. He does not wish to travel with these beings of death. He shouldn't have to. But he deemed himself worthy of risking himself for them, so he would have to stick with them.
"Let us go." The sounds of joy completely gone from his voice, mearly words. Jurgen stands and is ready to leave.
[Sorry about the no-post. My DSL was having problems and I found out it was the computer plug itself. Oh well :).]
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