OOC: what level is that reduction spell, I will edit my spell list, for after we rest, so I may include it. Or I could just polymorph you into a rabbit, or something for a time :D j/k

Also Ruby, I hope everything turns out for the best for you, and the little one.

[ 01-29-2003, 11:38 AM: Message edited by: AzRaeL StoRmBlaDe ]

OOC: 3 things
#1 is Cyril please replace one of my magic missle spells with a reduction spell, once we rest long enough.

#2 is I trust larry will edit out all these OOC posts when we are done.

#3 we are heading toward the gnome settlement, and will stop to rest at the first available place that we can find, just waiting on word from the DM on a description of a place like that, or a suggestion from the NPC gnomes.

<font color=silver>ooc: Change duly noted, Azrael. The party is about to get its chance to rest.</font>

<font color=thistle>The makeshift litter makes travel a bit faster and the gnomes guide the group with a practiced and familiar ease through the lightless warrens. From time to time strange gibbering sounds drift into the hearing of those with sensitive ears, but the source of such noise seems to remain distant. After the group has moved along a wide passage for some time, Cedrick stops and removes a small metallic bar and a tuning fork from his belt pouch. Approaching a slight depression in the cavern wall he stoops and fits the tuning fork into a small hole in the rock. “We have hidden the way to our village,” he explains. He then strikes the fork with a swift blow from the bar, producing a low clear note of striking quality. The stone here is cunningly designed to hold the tone of the note in this small cleft and prevent it from escaping out into the wider passage. At the sound of the tone there is a shifting within the stone of the cavern wall and an small opening appears. “We must move quickly,” he says, “for the magic is old and the opening shall not remain long.”</font>

<font color=silver>ooc: If folks move quickly, everyone should make it through. Most of the group will have to crawl. It will be a tight fit for Morguerat and Wyrd, but neither should get stuck – the experience will just be unpleasant.

The group will need to move through a low and narrow tunnel a short distance before the passage opens out in a chamber big enough for the group to rest.

<font color=indianred>Brendon</font> and <font color=lightgreen>Syrathic</font> - As far as you can tell nothing has followed the group and there do not seem to be any signs of activity nearby.</font>

<font color=indianred>Brendon heard the message given and was the quickest to move. He'd already scouted the area, and all appeared well. He quickly dropped to the ground and scurried into the tight opening, following his bow's lead. There would certainly be no danger ahead of him, so he took no precautions to judge his path.</font>

ooc: Hope the baby feels better soon, Ruby.

<font color=lightgreen>Syrathic HP:43/74

Syrathic nodded as he heard the gnome's explanation. With a quick look around to see if he could find the source of the gibbering sounds (not that he expected to see anything), he followed Brendon into the tunnel. The Elf did not like enclosed spaces like this very much, but he took hold of his fear and followed his friend. "Don't trip over your bow," he said to Brendon with a chuckle.</font>

Carefully lugging the rune stone behind him, Dantes, with Dankorona following walking rather easily, pull the stone through the narrow passage. Dantes sees there is an opening ahead and he is much pleased, as this will give him a chance to memorize some new spells, as well as study this runestone, so he would have to carry it, with him anymore, and he could give it to the gnomes to guard their passage. Dantes had no idea what they were going to encounter before the end of their journey, but he definitely wanted to be ready for it.

<font color=silver>ooc: I hope folks have not been waiting on me to post here as I see no great need to DM the act of resting and am quite willing to assume that the party will be able to rest without incident.</font>

Dantes 76/76

The time was well spent, and the all too breif rest period was well used by the party. The lightless caverns had a way of warping the flow of time. It was impossible to tell how much time had passed on the surface, since when they entered. It could be a few days, or a few hours. When one glanced overhead, all that was visible was the endless darkness of the stone roof of the caverns. Unphased and unyelding in its imensity. How deep underground they were, it was impossible to know. They might be a few feet from the surface, or a few miles from it. Of course, it always felt like the later. One could almost feel the depth in the air. It was stale, and old, yet warm. There was never a breeze in the Underdark. As the party rested the oppression of the rock overhead hung in the air. It was another member of the party on this journey, another constant on their lonely impossible quest, another disadvantage on this mismatched suicidal venture. They were looking for something that killed a dragon and destroyed an entire drow city, but the question was, what were they going to do once they found it. Dantes knew that he didn't have an answer for it. As powerful as his magics were, he couldn't touch power like that. As Dantes considered these thing he was afraid, not for the first time in his life. Dantes only had two real fears. The wrath of monsters, men, or even gods Dantes was not worried about. He feared failure, and he feared the unknown, One was definitely looming in their near future, was the other close behind? What would become of the world if they did fail? Dantes shuddered and quickly pushed those betraying thought from his head. Everyone feels fear, its just how you deal with it. Dantes dealt with it by pushing it to the back of his mind, and focusing on memorizing his spells, and resting, and preparing for their journey ahead.

OOC: I will allow a little more time, for characters to post some thoughts or something about what they did that night, then I am going to get us moving again, if no one posts, then we move all the sooner. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[ 02-03-2003, 04:22 PM: Message edited by: AzRaeL StoRmBlaDe ]

<font color=silver>ooc: Don't be surprised if <a href=http://www.ironworksforum.com/ubb/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=10;t=013843>this</a> gets incorporated into the plot somehow. What horrors could possibly be lingering in a forgotten passage of IronWorks so ancient it had faded away even before the one who became the Modding Mage arrived?</font> [img]graemlins/blueblink.gif[/img]

[ 02-03-2003, 03:44 PM: Message edited by: Cyril Darkcloud ]

OOC: lol, Cyril, you make me fear continuing, truly, but a paladin, even a fallen one fears not death in pusuit of his just cause.

IC: <font color="99ff00">While the party rested Morguerat was up long into the... "night", if their rest period could indeed be called such. The gnomes would be their greatest aid in discerning when the time to be about was upon them, but the large knight did not truly trust them, with an injured comrade it was possible that they would sacrifice time and speed in the name of a few more hours of rest for their friend.

Tucked into a crevice in the hollow they were using, a cloak had been draped, a heavy cloak one would have thought unnecessary in the stigfling warmth of the humid tunnels, by the light of a glowing coin a man began working on sharpening the already sharp fangs into a razors edge, they could be used for many purposes, the tip of a lance, a knife blade, and many other variations on the theme, once a few of the teeth were starting to show direction the former knight began to scrape the flesh from the claws, preparing them for use in a similar way.

As he worked he ponedered the course his life had taken, from a noble warrior he had become an instrument of evil, and escaped, becoming an agent of good once again, but his victory was short lived, unfortunately, his pain was growing by the day in these lightless depths, whereas before it had at least become bearable, the moments of despair always seemed to strike when he was feeling loss, such as in the chamber of the Silver, witnessing the senseless loss of one of Goodness's greatest heroes. His companions pitied him, Dantes knew more of him than the others, but Morguerat didn't really trust him, how could he, the man had claimed to be an ally, but had done very little in the true struggle against the one that Mods, providing only a distraction for the armies of both sides. Would he allow the man to cast a spell that would make him all but helpless? Would his companions use the chance to rid themselves of a possible loose cannon, a warrior with too much emotional baggage? Would Morguerat allow it? Perhaps he should "dispose" of his companions and continue on ahead, they all seemed motivated by greed, and as such could be subverted by that greed... But such thoughts were madness, and completely without a grounding in reality, for the moment. He would watch them carefully and at the first sign of darkness within them, they would all die by his hand.</font>

OOC: Don't worry too much, Morguerat is just rambling to himself, and trying to cope with the wind that constantly assaults him, mass particide is not a likely outcome from this, or is it? ;)