OOC>> Quite well, Larry, and very humorous, though this girl's lover is in bed with a unhealing wound. ;) I will delete the other post if people find it distracting. IC>>

SIR BLANDAMOUR (To King Beresfor) "Your Highness, may I be permitted to say that I find all of this talk of a piece of fired clay distasteful when it is your daughter's life that is in question? I quite fail to see why you hesitate in the slightest."

BERESFOR "You are impertinent, sirrah! Go slay me this dragon that holds my Gudrun captive, and your Order will have a strong friend in me."

SIR BLANDAMOUR (Bows) "I am glad to say that I am not under your orders, your Highness. Mine are to investigate this and to do as I see fit. Since I doubt that a man like your Highness would be requesting the Order's help, if your Highness' men could do it themselves, it would appear to behoove your Highness to take a less preemptory tone with me. I want to know the history of this item, what it is, and why the drgon covets it so, when he knows that such an action could bring on his doom."

<font color=white>The Steeplewood Forest</font>

<font color=darkseagreen>“I am surprised, Ligeia,” Iphigenia says to the younger woman, “a day spent in your company and he is still so carefully polite.”

“He is rather stubborn in that way,” Ligeia replies and then adds smiling mischievously, “but don’t hold that too strongly against him.” The women share a laugh and Ligeia’s smile broadens at the unexpected humor of the First.

Iphigenia waits as Raymond and TAO exchange greetings before speaking again. “Such conversation as awaits us is best conducted among such comforts as the grove might provide. Our home shall be yours while you are with us.” Turning to the East, she nods in the direction of a pair of enormous trees which suddenly begin to move.

“By your command, Mistress,” a low and resonant voice rumbles from the first of the trees and something like a face is apparent upon its trunk. With a slow and powerfully deliberate movement the tree seemingly uproots itself and steps to the side, its companion doing likewise. The song of a strong and confident voice drifts out into the opened space created by the movement of the speaking trees.

“That is Miriam,” Ligeia whispers to Raymond. “She is singing the song that will open the wards of the grove to you and TAO. Such a voice she has .....!”

There is a sudden twinkling of light as if hundreds of stars had burst into dancing movement along the forest floor and the howl of a great wolf [Ajax] brings Miriam’s song to its conclusion. A narrow parting emerges in the laurels that had been shielded by the speaking trees.

Turning to Raymond and TAO, Iphigenia smiles her words of welcome, “Come. Let us enter the grove.”</font>

<font color=silver>ooc: <font color=skyblue>Raymond and TAO</font> - Go ahead and enter. I’ll hold off on describing the grove for the moment, but suffice it to say it will make even the rest of the Steeplewood seem ordinary in comparison.</font>

[ 06-24-2002, 02:22 AM: Message edited by: Cyril Darkcloud ]

KING BERESFOR (to Blandamour, grudgingly) "Well, I don't suppose it would hurt for you to see it, just for a bit, though."
(He leads the knight to the inmost part of the castle, past guards, and carefully disarming traps. A massive steel door is reached, and he opens this with a golden key that he wears around his neck. The door opens, and a richly decorated room is revealed, with elaborate carpets and framed works of art on the wall. A superb table sits in the middle, with but a single chair. Upon it, nestled in a swirl of silk brocade, is an ivory vase, so elegantly simple that the glaze does not even completely cover it, but reveals the clay in a few places; but artfully, like a seductive woman baring skin. The glaze is faintly opalescent, and for some reason makes him think of a cedary smell, experienced once but never forgotten. Tranquility is in every curve, every variation of the color. Just to gaze at it makes him forget all of his worldly cares and touches his mind with the coolth of a child's spring morning, when all of the world seems new and green. Startled, he turns to the king, who smirks and says, "Yes, that is the vase called Peace of Mind. It was made by the master potter Ling Po as his masterpiece, an age ago. It is said that he made a dozen attempts before succeeding, each before it cracking in the kiln's fire. But finally he succeeded, and that is the result. It is mine, and I shall not part with it for a dozen daughters. I well know how to get more daughters, but there is only one vase like that."

Sanael Ganahr

Looks up after finishing with bandaging his leg and sees Isaura slapping the druid.

"You know Isaura - I don't think that a few slaps will make her any more cooperative. Why don't you apply your newly gained knife-skills and cut off her nose or something - I sure she'll open her mouth really quickly after that."

He turns his attantion to the captive druid

"Oh - and if she won't do it, I'll be glad to. You see druid - I owe you and your companions a little pain and revenge - after all have you seen what that damded wolf did to my trousers?", he gestures to the large tear in his trousers and the surrounding bloodstain, "Do you know how hard it will be to remove the blood."

He rises and walks over to the dead wolf and retrives his dagger. He starts to clean it, but appears to reconsider.

"No reason to clean it yet - after all it'll problbly get bloodied again in a few minutes"

With a little smile on his face he then starts to advance upon the bound druid.

OOC: Lets see if this will make her talk [img]graemlins/firedevil.gif[/img]

[ 06-24-2002, 10:09 AM: Message edited by: Ar-Cunin ]

<font color="plum">"ENOUGH!" Addison shouts as he slams his staff onto the ground.

"There will be NO MORE threats of torture against our captive!"

All eyes turn to him in shock and surprise.

"Lady Galadria, regardless of your previous explanations, I cannot believe that your Order condones torturing helpless prisoners. She is NOT evil, hence your actions are not justified."

"As for you good ranger" (his voice drips with sarcasm) "I hope you are only trying to intimidate our prisoner. But whether you are or not is of no consequence. I will not stand idly by and allow more torturing of the druidess."

He then turns his attention to the captive.

"And as for you, nature worshipper. I know that you are withholding information from us. I suggest you tell us everything that you know, otherwise, your life will most likely be forfeit. You attacked us and we defended ourselves. There is no apology for that, and we will do the same again if need be. The only difference is that you most likely won't survive a second attack on us.

Tell us what you know and I will see to it that you are freed and allowed to leave without further harm. Refuse and I can offer NO such garuantee for your safety."

"One last thing, druid. If you prefer to keep your knowledge to yourself, that is your choice. But our mind-warrior here (nods in Kishin's direction) can probe your mind and retrieve any information we need with or without your approval. You literally have nothing to gain by withholding this information. The choice is yours."</font>

<font color=skyblue>Smiling fondly at Raymond, she ruffles his hair with one gloved hand, then hugs him back.....

Glancing up, her eyes flash silver upon hearing Ajax's howl, and amusement colors her face as she lays a hand on Raymond's shoulder, "Lead on......"</font>

SANCHA (She focusses on the monklike man with renewed hope, then looks at Kishin, feeling the velvety fingers of his mind manipulating abilities and resolves to tell all.) "We...we work for the dragon, Lord Kinn'zuwannik." (She licks dry lips) "He promises to protect our wild lands from human settlement from the Kingdom of the Peaks. Our Chief Druid told us that he wanted to keep your party of adepts away, so that you cannot join the paladin, his forever accursed name is Blandamour, who hurt my sweet Diana. That is all I know. Will you let me go?"

OOC> Addison and Kishin ccan tell that this time, she is telling the truth.

<font color="plum">Addison looks to Galadria and says "She has truthfully told us everything she knows and I gave my word she would recieve safe passage if she did so. There is nothing more we can learn from her, so there is no reason to restrain her any longer."

Addison doesn't need his <font color="yellow">ESP</font> spell to read Galadria's thoughts. Her look expresses an equal mix of anger and frustration. She does NOT like having her authority challenged. She did not give HER word, why should she honor his. Besides, what if this thankless wench attacks us again?

Seeing her hesitation, Addison continues.

"We defeated her and her allies easily enough. IF she is foolish enough to attack us a second time...I will not interfere in any way."

He then turns to the druidess.

"In return for your freedom I ask that you not stand against us again. If you do, I will come back to your grove and raze it with every <font color="yellow">fire-spell</font> that I know."</font>

SANCHA (to Addison) "Thank you, kind sir, if I am released, I shall not harm your party in any way...only...only...can I go and visit my Diana? I think that she is dying."

LADY GALADRIA (She unties the druid, and as she does she winks at Addison) "Very well, we have kept our end of the bargain. You may go and visit the invalid, but no more libelling Sir Blandamour in my presence, do you hear? I know that if he had to harm this Diana of yours, he had good cause, such as, she probably attacked him as you did us. It does puzzle me that he left her wounded, for that is not like him. But, if the wound is unhealing, I know that he did it, for the wounds that his sword, "Cold Iron," deal out do not heal except by his will. Tell your leader that he is warring against the only chance that his daughter has."