The Big Dream [CDM Jerry] Saturday March 19th, 2005 11:13:58 AM
Ingrge packs his stuff and as is his wont is quickly gone without any long goodbyes.
Everyone knows he will return and trust him to his journeys.
The Emerald Talons settle in for a long deserved evening meal together. All is cozy and warm. The food is good--filling for both the body as the company is food for the soul.
Without warning, Olana and Lian jerk upright looking at each other in surprise. Both begin to glow. The room lights up with their light. The room begins to hum and then sings with anticipation as the elf and the half-elf rise into the air and slowly begin to rotate around each other.
[The portion that follows is a spoiler. It is to be read only by those with elven blood.]
Highlight to display spoiler: {Some sort of collective elven effect is at work!
As the elves in the group struggle to come to grips with these events, their conscious minds fade and a waking dreamlike state begins.
There is then a joining of minds. Elven minds. Minds that look at life in terms of centuries instead of years.
Nearby elves join in the union. Then more distant elves join in. Some join to a lesser extent being half-elves or other relates species.
The pool of collective thought grows until it becomes Woldwide!
The overwhelming thought becomes "Why?"
An ancient being joining the mix replies, "This has happened twice before. This is the third time."
"What has happened before? comes the overwhelming collective response."
"This. Prepare and listen."
A common Elven Dream begins.
---------
You are floating...in space..?
You can see The Wold turning lazily beneath you, so very far below--slow but steady, the planet rotates, basking blissfully in the light of the bright golden disk hanging above it. Sunlight dapples the large fertile brown expanses of land dotted with areas of green forest...it sparkles across the waves of the blue-green ocean.
The Wold is as it is.
Suddenly you become aware that there are three smaller discs approaching the bright one, also at a slow but steady pace...you realize that the bright disk must be the sun, and the others are the moons of The Wold.
The three new discs align to cover the sun completely, leaving it and The Wold in darkness. But there--right in the middle of the now-black sun-disk--a pair eyes blink open, as though awakened from sleep.
The almond-shaped eyes--the bright, brilliant hue of sky and sea--look down upon The Wold. They widen in surprise, as though viewing the burgeoning world for the first time in a very, very long time...then the expression in the turquoise eyes grows rather sad. A tear forms and falls from one of the eyes as it blinks.
The eyes in the black sun narrow slightly--as though the unseen person to whom they belong has suddenly begun contemplating...and then the eyes blink again, once more brightening with the enlightenment of a great idea..!
The eyes glow warmly--if there were a face to go with them, you just know that it would have a happy, friendly grin in place--and The Wold, turning in its slow, steady pace, begins to grow green. Focusing on the planet, you can see that the forests of The Wold flourish and grow lush once more, spreading their fertile growth across the faces of the both the continent of Yrth and the Fragmented Lands, as the owner of the eyes laughs delightedly.
You swoop down from your lofty perch and find yourself standing in an ancient forest, Culverwood, breathing in the good green scent of the ancient trees. There is a dark, malevolent blot at the edge of your senses whom the collective knows to be Parnoth the oppressor--then suddenly, the blot disappears from sight and you hear the great beast's agonized screams.
More screams and cries ring in your ears now--the voices of those who oppose and harm Nature, the voices of those who would hold back the elves and make them lesser beings, the voices of evil. Too long they have been allowed to run free, but now they face their just reward. Through it all, the owner of the eyes continues to laugh.
The dream ends and the personal you physically awakens with laughter still ringing in your ears.}
The elves come to rest on the ground and the nimbus of light around them fades. Their eyes open as if they have been asleep.
K'Nara Saturday March 19th, 2005 7:09:53 PM
Something shivers through the human blade singer.
"Lian...Olana...what--?" K'Nara starts to demand, and then a curious buzzing occurs in her ears. She shakes her head to clear it of the noise, and finds that voices seem to grow louder and softer within it...surging and ebbing as though they were an audial tide:
"Why?" The word is spoken as though by a chorus.
The response comes from a single voice--old...ancient, even:
"This has happ...before...ird time."
"What...fore?"
"This. Prepare..." There is more, but the buzzing drowns out the words to K'Nara's understanding.
"Lian! Olana! What's happening???" K'Nara asks--but the elves are still.
Then, within the buzzing--delighted laughter.
"What the--?" the redhead gasps, looking around her and turning in place, looking to see where this...stuff is coming from.
Then agonizing screams.
"Don't you hear that???" K'Nara demands frantically of the Talons who are awake.
And, again, laughter...laughter through to when Lian and Olana stir once more.
"What in The Wold just happened???" the leader of the Talons asks the elves of the party, looking quite shaken.
Lian Saturday March 19th, 2005 7:32:55 PM
The monk lays there, staring at the ceiling, mouth half full of half chewed food. His eyes are glassy. He swallows, stands and wobbles back to his seat. He says nothing.
Milo Sunday March 20th, 2005 3:07:59 AM
Milo is a blur of motion as Olana touches down on the floor, moving to her side in a split second. The halfling cradles her head in his hands, and turns, "Someone bring me water." Turning back to Olana, "Are you okay?" Milo's face is creased with worry.
Brother Bertram Sunday March 20th, 2005 8:52:25 PM
Bertram observes events with a wary eye for intruders, thinking the occurence an attack.
Gunther Sunday March 20th, 2005 9:17:39 PM
Gunther starts as Liana and Olana fall to the ground. Bolting out of his chair, he bounds to Lian's side...but then K'nara starts acting strangely. He looks over at Brother Bertram and Figment with something akin to panic. "Vat kind of strange magic is dis? Vat is happening to dem?"
Brother Bertram Monday March 21st, 2005 4:30:45 AM
Bertram approaches his friends quickly to see if he can offer aid, "I dont know Friend Gunther but we will find out."
Lian Monday March 21st, 2005 7:40:20 AM
The monk thanks Gunther and everyone else. "Thanks, but I'll be fine." (Famous last words!)
Figment Monday March 21st, 2005 10:48:03 AM
The mage just watches in wonder as the elvenkind have their experience, withno idea what to say.
Olana Monday March 21st, 2005 12:11:48 PM
Olana wakes from the dream with a wild grin on her face. No one has ever seen her so animated. She even punches her fist uncharacteristically into the air before grabbing Milo and hugging him so tight his ribs creak.
She then turns to those nearby.
"That green monster is about to get his come-uppence! Did you feel that? Did you see it?? Oh! It was magnificent! The power! And the forest! It will be SO magnificent!
"Someone is coming to put everything right!"
Um...What She Said..? - DM Donna Monday March 21st, 2005 12:34:43 PM
K'Nara stares at the overjoyed ranger.
"Is that what it was all about?" she asks, sounding puzzled. "I only got bits of it...some words...some sounds...but I have to admit, towards the end, there, somebody thought it was mighty funny..." The leader of the Talons shakes her head, still not as sure as Olana about the Dream.
Brother Bertram Monday March 21st, 2005 1:44:37 PM
Bertram asks mildly, "Care to tell the rest of us about it?"
K'Nara Monday March 21st, 2005 2:30:34 PM
"I wish I could," K'Nara answers Bert's logical question, "Only my particular...view of this...this...vision...was very garbled. I could tell that something very old was speaking to all elvenkind. I heard laughing...and then screaming...and then laughing again. It was weird."
Olana Monday March 21st, 2005 11:57:20 PM
With an exaggerated patience, Olana sits down and begins to tell of what she has seen. She goes into as much detail as she remembers - which is quite a bit. She seems a little giddy and intoxicated.
At the end - "I wish Ingrge were here. He'd be able to tell it so much better than I."
Lian d20+6=24 d20+18=32 d20+20=21 Tuesday March 22nd, 2005 5:07:22 AM
The monk takes a swig of wine. "I can't remember a thing."
He finishes food and retires to his room for the day.
He studies his book and goes into his khata for awhile.
Late in the evening, while Brusse is on patrol, Lian will use his new-found abilities to have a little fun with the ghost. Lian will cast Detect Undead to find where the ghostly guard exactly is and then cast Hide from Undead, stalking the ghost for several minutes. Before it wares off, he'll retreat to his room, before sees him. :) (If any Talons are around, he'll avoid them too because they'll give the monk away, Hide 24, Listen 32, Move Silently 21) He is simply having fun at the ghosts expense.
All Kinds of Developments - DM Donna d20=2 Tuesday March 22nd, 2005 6:30:51 AM
Olana tells of the dream--and the clues within the vision DO seem to point to an imminent reckoning for Parnoth...a prospect that K'Nara finds very pleasing. However, Olana's comment about Ingrge reminds the leader of the Talons about something.
"Oh, right, Ingrge..." she says, frowning, "He managed to pull off another Scry spell before he left, and he confirmed what I suspected happened: Holdrin does, indeed, have the Serpent Star--apparently the Hands of Love are convinced it's a relic from Caeroldra. The lantern now resides in the middle of Caeroldra's temple in the Emerald City."
The rest of the evening is devoted to discussing the Elven Dream, Bertram's proposal for a chapel to Domi, the near-completion of the stables, and other suggestions about adding onto the Tower.
Lian's maneuvers while Brusse is on patrol do, indeed, result in the monk successfully keeping his presence undetected by the phantom.
Lian Tuesday March 22nd, 2005 7:13:26 AM
The monk returns to the hall with the others and sits, listening about the chapel. "Brother Bertram, I'd be happy to help with the chapel."
"The heart will be difficult to recover if its in the city."
The monk waits until there is a lull in the conversation to bring up the next concern. "I tailed Brusse for awhile this evening. He had no idea I was even around. Our sentry also seemed to have gotten lost in his own tower. Should we speak with him?"
Brother Bertram Tuesday March 22nd, 2005 1:37:46 PM
Bertram looks to Lian and says calmly, "That is why we must destroy the temple, Friend Lian."
Lian Tuesday March 22nd, 2005 11:05:28 PM
Lian's mouth drops. "W-wait, destroy Caeroldra's temple? There are innocent worshippers that might get hurt! Not all are zealots Bertram."
Gunther Wednesday March 23rd, 2005 12:05:45 AM
Gunther remains silent...contemplative, which is strange for the cat trainer (at least the deep thought ;). Turning to all the assembled Talons, Gunther sighs deeply. "I have a confession to make..." Gunther takes another deep breath. "Ven I vas young, I vas captured and raised by orcs. Vhich explains my accent." Gunther winks at K'nara. "Dey taught me many valuable tings about varfare and animals. But... dey also taught me many oder tings...tings about elves. During my travels alone, I have learned dat most of vat Grell has taught me about de elves it wrong." Gunther shoots a quick, guilty look over at K'nara, Olana and Lian. "But vat dey say is true...old habits die hard. So I have more dan a little reservations about dis elven savior." Turning to face away from the Talons, Gunther toys with his shirt. "And I vould understand if you didn't vant me to stay vith you... Since I am prejudiced." Gunther sighs deeply as he stares out into the hall, unwilling to look any of the Talons in the face.
Milo Wednesday March 23rd, 2005 12:20:57 AM
Spending much of his time in contemplation, Milo remains a constant shadow to Olana, remaining close to his love physically, though his mind seems to be far away.
Olana Wednesday March 23rd, 2005 1:59:00 AM
Olana snuggles up to Milo. "Culverwood is going to grow, and this place will be a wonderful place to live," she whispers to him.
Being the optimistic type, Gunther's misgivings don't bother her too much. She figures he'll come around. If she were honest she'd admit to being a bit worried about Ingrge, and she hopes he's all right out there in his wanderings.
If there things to be built, she will help.
K'Nara Wednesday March 23rd, 2005 5:52:56 AM
K'Nara thinks about Bertram's assertion and Lian's reaction to it.
"Any assault on the temple must be carefully planned." the leader of the Talons says firmly. "It isn't an impossible task--but it will be extremely tough to pull off. I'll have my City contacts find out more."
Gunther's confession takes K'Nara aback a little bit, but she turns to the man and asks:
"As prejudiced as you say you are--you still fought alongside the elves in this group, didn't you?" K'Nara points around the table. "You could have allowed any of us to die in battle--especially when we first skirmished with Mop and his...dragon-goons! Instead, you stood toe-to-toe, coming VERY close to getting killed yourself.
"Who amongst us can say we don't feel prejudiced from time to time--I know none of us here would be inclined to give help to one of those dragon-goons that Mop and Parnoth seem to have acquired. However, you, Gunther, acted for good in spite of any old perceptions you had. This alone makes you worthy of staying with the Talons. I know that I'm not going to demand that you leave us."
More Revelations - DM Donna Wednesday March 23rd, 2005 5:57:21 AM
The next morning, both Remus and Rainara are very excited--it seems that the Talons' elves aren't the only ones who shared the Dream...ALL of the elves in the area had the exact same vision.
Just about all of them are as excited about it as Olana--especially the part that seemed to imply that Parnoth was finally going to know the sting of justice that he has eluded all these centuries.
Brusse, however, seems put out when K'Nara brings to his attention that he had not detected the monk while on his rounds last night. He disappears into the basement and isn't seen for the rest of the daytime.
Figment Wednesday March 23rd, 2005 8:28:19 AM
The mage asks Olana. "Was the Serpent Star in this dream in any way? If not then perhaps we ought to just leave it alone. Also, is it possible for us to contact the Tines - the ones at the confrontation I mean - and try to patch things up? Obviously there is more to them than their ubiquitous leader...".
Gunther Wednesday March 23rd, 2005 8:30:44 AM
The warrior breathes a huge sigh of relief at K'nara's words. She was so wise...so compasionate...so, well, nice looking in that tunic. Whoa, where did that come from!!
Gunther spends the rest of the night outside in the unfinished stables, sleeping with the panther. He thinks long and hard about what K'nara said, and his place with the Talons.
When he arrives at breakfast in the morning, Gunther is all smiles. First one to the table, he sets about serving all the food, whistling as he does so.
Lian Wednesday March 23rd, 2005 9:12:58 AM
After morning prayers and exercise, Lian joins the group and isn't suprised to hear that all the elves have had the dream. "Was anyone hurt?"
The monk is also stunned at Gunther's confession. "For having biggoted thoughts Gunther, your sure willing to help us 'bad' elves. Your stuck with the Talons my friend."
The rest of the morning is spent outside, tending to a few minor chores. He tends to Merlots wounds and supplies the old horse with a fresh apple.
Feeling bad about teasing the ghost, the monk finds him and explains that his trickery wasn't meant to be mean, just to keep him alert and attentive to his duties. He also explains how he eluded the spirit. "Brusse my ghostly friend, your alright." The monk is about to leave, when he turns and asks the guard a favor. "I have two tasks for you my friend, first is that you find me an appropriate nickname. Second, are you able to leave the property of the Tower and how far can you go? I have a letter that needs delivering and I can't think of anyone better."
Brother Bertram Wednesday March 23rd, 2005 1:52:53 PM
Bertram, nettled that Lian would think he was planning to kill innocents, buries himself in prayers, plans for a new chapel, and studying about both Gargul and Domi.
Milo Thursday March 24th, 2005 12:29:18 AM
Milo is happy to burrow his way into Olana's embrace, but still worried, speaks up quietly, "Oh, my dear, I'm afraid that we've a long road ahead of us. Parnoth isn't going to just roll over for us. If his life is to be taken, there will be a terrible struggle." Feeling as though he has said enough, the halfling closes his eyes, content to simply be.
Olana Thursday March 24th, 2005 2:11:40 AM
Olana thinks hard on Figment's question. "I didn't 'see' anything that led me to believe the Star had a hand in this. It seemed to centre around a person. Those eyes... but, you never know. I wonder 'why' we had this dream. Maybe we're supposed to be doing something. Oh dear, this is sounding terribly vague, isn't it."
Milo's thoughts have her worried. What if the Talons were supposed to kill Parnoth, and the whole dream revolved around their success? For the first time since the dream, she has doubts.
Lian Thursday March 24th, 2005 6:44:04 AM
After his basement rendevue, the monkreturns and sits and listens to the group talk of the temple and Parnoth. He has no idea he upset Bertram in anyway, all he had said innocently.
"I didn't see any Serpent Star either. Actually, wasn't really looking too carefully to be honest. It was difficult to stay focused on anything. Truthfully, if Serpent Star was in the dream, it was likely in a symbolic form. A sound, a smell..."
What's in a Dream? - DM Donna Friday March 25th, 2005 9:10:32 AM
Remus and Rainara are very excited about the dream's possible meaning, but go about their chores.
K'Nara reports at dinner that night that her contacts in the Emerald City confirm that apparently Parnoth has given his official sanction to the Hands of Love as an ally to the throne.
"A lot of whatever free elves there are in the City are leaving." K'Nara says sourly. "Not that you can blame them--any elf that isn't owned by someone of the Kingdom is considered an illegal alien and, thus, forfeit to become property of Parnoth. His council is supposed to be voting on a proposition this week to extend that to all who have elven blood as well."
Brusse informs Lian that he is, by dint of the curse that keeps him here, tied to the Tower and its grounds at the time of his death. That is as far afield as he can possibly go.
Lian Friday March 25th, 2005 11:59:52 AM
The elf thanks the ghost for his help. ......................................
"Parnoth doesn't own me! But all with elven blood....?!" "I wonder if Milo should buy us?" Grins the elf.
Lian Monday March 28th, 2005 9:23:43 AM
The monk sits for awhile, letting everyone talk, then retrieves a piece of paper from his pocket. "I really must get word to my parents and friends near the Culverwood. If there is going to be a battle with the Lizard, I need to bring them here so that they are relatively safe. Word must at least be sent to the local elves."
Taking Care of Old Business - DM Donna Monday March 28th, 2005 12:12:00 PM
K'Nara practically spits: "Parnoth shouldn't own ANYbody...but he's enacting laws that are allowing him to get away with murder...or, at least, slavery." The redhead frowns thoughtfully.
"Just let Remus or Rainara know the details, Lian--the sanctuary of the Tower should be open to any elf of the Culverwood...it's supposed to be here to defend them."
Rainara tells Gunther that there is a local leatherworker who thinks she can fashion a fairly decent set of blue dragon armor from the hide pieces that were salvaged earlier. Her name Kalendreen and she'll be coming to the Tower sometime soon to see the hides and set a price.
Brother Bertram Monday March 28th, 2005 12:51:14 PM
Bertram arranges for money to be laid aside for the chapel, also pondering to what best do with his lastest treasure allotment.
Olana Monday March 28th, 2005 11:56:06 PM
Olana ponders her current armour and equipment, wondering if a few upgrades are in order.
"Lian, that might have been said in jest, but if we had it written down somewhere, that someone in our party 'owned' us. That might save a lot of trouble." She shrugs and smiles, thinking it a practical, if rather odd, solution.
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