<font color=skyblue>Brendon Grey

"Th..thank you, kind sir. I do not have much time, as I believe my party down below will leave me behind on thier journey...and I feel I must be a part of it...to whatever ends it may lead me. I will have to run to catch up as it is...but it was I that beaconed your attention, so I shall fulfill my part. The truth is, and I hope it is more easily understood by you than it is currently with me...I was ...led here by a force not of my understanding. To be clear, I shall recount in my best ability what I can recall.

I was created in the NWN forum...it is a world away from here...where different rules apply. Nothing much to be said about it. I was taken back one day by a urge to read material written by the membership of these forums in the role-playing forum...this one...and so I journeyed into this forum to study some works made by those brilliant minds that inhabit this world. What I found was extraordinary! Yet as much as I enjoyed reading this stuff...it was not fulfilling my urge to learn what I had been sent to learn. I felt a pull towards a particular story. One of a man called Larry Silverfall. He was once a good citizen until the tragic death of a beloved. Alas, he turned bitter and his heart grew cold towards all. I was totally entrapped within this tale, as I learned how whole armies fought against him and fell to his new powers of Moderatorship. This Larry was a demi-god that played with Shadow Magic, for what purpose he chose, I know not...but then a Hunger was released into the bowles of the earth by an enemy of his, using said Hunger to fight against the mad man. In the end, the Mage in the tower fell, and that was the end of his dark tyranny and corruption. I realized however, that the story had not been completed...that the Hunger yet lurked. I felt a need to come be a part of the destruction of this Hunger, before it does more damage. Also...there is something else. A voice in my dreams is telling me how to do it. The voice is a whisper...a faint whisper...and does not always beackon my attention...but some nights it does. It is not an audible voice...it is felt more that heard. The voice tells me that the Hunger is preventing restoration and needing to be destroyed. Sometimes I see lands that I know my feet have never before stood upon, yet I can see the land as clear as day! I know that it is the land in which we soon travel. It is a land of strange grasses and small shrubs...and in the dark distance, ruins of a building can be seen...yet nobody has ever investigated them. There is a wolf that howls into the night very near this strange land. She does not fear the Hunger, but the voice thinks that is foolishness.

Sir, I tell you all of this because I feel very much alone, despite newfound friends and I had hopes that you had appeared purposely to guide our footpaths. Alas, my friends have seemed a bit eager to rush to their deaths, and do not <s>post</s> talk much, so I am here alone, asking you for advice about fighting against an evil that ruins our world. If you have any wisdom to share with me, I would be most grateful." </font>

"Rashanbar it is a pleasure to meet a companion in this bitter nearly hopefuless struggle we are currently involved in" Dantes replies. A note of despair creeps into Dantes voice as he continues, "unfortunately the land was not laid at rest, by the death of the Modding One, and the restoration of the Ring OF Power. During that hard fought struggle, a great force was created. A force that runs out of check, and is beyond my power to stop. It seems we got rid of a mad mage, and in turn replaced it with an unyeilding hunger that threatens to destroy all of [EG?]. I have searched far and wide, through all planes and times, but I can't find any information about this hunger that is destroying our land." Dantes pensively stares off into the distance as he rides.
************************************************** *******
Ruby hears a voice in her head, and she suspects wyrd does too.
"Well met noble ones, my name is Turg'andel. I am the leader of the Olip'tnishk clan. I am helping out my friend in this great labor that he undertakes. I sense much goodness in you. It will be a pleasure to travel by your side."
When she looks over she sees Turg'andel smiling at her.

OOC: sorry about the unexpected short term depature. In the pointless task of restating the obvious. I am back :D

[ 10-21-2002, 02:02 AM: Message edited by: AzRaeL StoRmBlaDe ]

Unbeknownst to the group below, another figure watched and listened from high above in the trees. He was well-hidden; his deep blue cloak helped camouflage him in his surroundings and made him undetectable. He listened and watched with great interest... a grand adventure seemed to be unfolding as he waited. He smiled to himself; he was seeking adventure, to make his fame and fortune, and this thread called to him. The noble cause tugged at his heart as well, but he would not admit it to himself. And so he watched and waited, searching for the right moment to reveal himself...

ooc: Hey everyone! Sorry I'm late, Cyril, I was writing out stuff for my character so that I wouldn't forget. I'm a newbie, so maybe I'm over-preparing... but I appreciate any help! My character will reveal himself very soon... as soon as I make my final decision on his equipment. Silly me, being so indecisive.

ruby is startled out of her humming by the voice. *thank you* whispers through her mind. she continues to stare wide eyed. she is quite uncomfortable around people, but an animal with the intelligence of a person and face to match!? it is woderous.

once she manages to take her eyes away from him, she decides the time spent travelling would be more productive if she tried to tap into the power of sir morguerat's sword. she expects a cold voice, intelligent but not necassarily giving. it's a scary thought because she has never 'spoke anything without flesh and blood behind the voice.

she tries a tentative *hello?* without response she tries again, *i'm ruby, and my companion is wyrd. i hope that since you reformed yourself for my size that you approve of me.*

OOC: Cerek I'm working on Sir Morguerat's response it's quite in depth, and needs some revision.

<font color="yellow">Crysomer

*feeling a prescence touch the mind of the blade, the sword awoke, it had been having an uneasy time, it's wielder had become unworthy of it, and it had slowly tapered off it's power, the last surge it had given to Morguerat had been to teleport him away from the mod mage's tower when it was beginning to come down.

This new presence was something entirely different, it was tinged with uncertainty, but the heart was good, even if she was not up to the highest standards demanded by the Paladin Code. This was not unexpected for few were ever able to uphold the strict regimented lifestyle demanded by the Code, but the fact that Crysomer had been touched by this female was completely unexpected, the sword normally contacted any recipient of the blade to determine their worthiness, not the other way around, and perhaps being caught off guard by this mortal is what piqued it's interest, for it responded, not at first, it contemplated the woman for some time before responding, about fifteen minutes after she had given up trying to "talk" to it, it decided to respond, **Well, what in the name of the nine hells do you want, can't you see I'm just a bloody sword, and everyone knows swords don't talk, most of the time we're content to be bathing in the blood of evildoers or riding in a nice comfortable scabbard, but no you're not content to let me sleep are you, so it's "wake up the sword", and then "tell me what you can do for me sword" I do have a name you know, you could start by calling me by it, hrmph** and the presnce in Ruby's mind disapears, most likely returning to whence it came.</font>

startled again out of her humming, ruby appears very frightened. *i....i'm sorry. i thought you would have a name. b-but i didn;t think to ask s-sir morguerat. i-uh, w-would you please t-tell me your name? i don;t r-really expect anything. th-this is new to me, i-i'm sorry if i've of-fended you.*

she nervously runs her fingers through wyrd's mane again. and looks around to see if anyone noticed her shocked state.

<font color="99FF00">
Aye I was one of my gods chosen, the highest ranking paladin of Helm my order, when they were decimated by the Mod Mage, my faith never wavered, but darkness was forced into me, thoughts, desires and impulses that had never been there before, as well as a knowledge of pure unadulterated evil, evil that if it wasn’t contained in the magic arrow, would have been a source for unimagined horrors, some worse than the Hunger we seek, but I never let it bear me down, the gods are less forgiving of their Paladin servants than they are, even of their own priests, perhaps it is more of an inner vanity in Paladins that we don’t allow ourselves to screw up without casting off our mantle and deciding we are not worthy, I have never heard of a similar case with clerics, the gods are more forgiving to them.

“I always assumed, since they follow the agenda of the power they serve, where Paladins follow their hearts and what they believe ultimately to be the best path for humanity, rather than doing only what the gods themselves desire, perhaps it’s not our own arrogance, but the gods deciding that since we do not devote ourselves entirely to them, that we should not get a second chance to fix a wrong doing on our parts. Regardless, I was tainted by the blackness in Larry’s soul and despite many quests I have yet to regain my powers, or any semblance of hope that my trials are going to be rewarded in the afterlife. I’ve even lost my ability to sense things on a spiritual level, things a common follower, one who is not even a cleric, possesses, I feel adrift in the world, the one thing I clung to was my faith and it always guided me, but now my faith has abandoned me, I do not feel I abandoned it, although of late I must admit to having my doubts, I’ve all but given up hope of ever becoming a useful servant of Helm again, I feel as though I failed in my duty as a watchknight of Helm, by allowing myself to be poisoned by the Mage’s evil taint.

“My hope for returning to the life of service and goodness a paladin personifies has long since fled, and as much as I fear to say so, perhaps it is for the best, I see through eyes unclouded by arrogance, I can see the world in shades of grey, instead of the absolutes, black and white, good and evil, and perhaps it is the fact that I can now see things more clearly that makes me unfit for service, I know not, but I still serve Helm, even if he does not accept the offering that is my life, I hope now, not to sit at his side in his fest hall in Mechanus, but merely to serve him in the manner I feel is best, and to better my fellows in the best ways I can.” the knight looked pained by admitting his faith was failing, perhaps the only time he had felt greater pain was when he was pierced by the stormbringer’s arrow at the hands of Neb, a foul servant of the dark and insane mage. After a time of walking, Morguerat waved his hand in the air nearby and dispelled the minor illusion that made Clonin invisible, he then mounted his steed, turned familiar, for the remainder of the journey.
</font>

[ 10-22-2002, 07:48 AM: Message edited by: Morgeruat ]

<font color="yellow">Crysomer

*the sword has been silent for some time, trying to get a feel for this new wielder, but her mind is locked away, very powerfully and defies it's subtle attempts to read her, there also seems something strange, as if her mind is more animalistic than any normal human's could be..., it can sense her aura, and knows she is good, but will she prove worthy? we shall have to see.... thought the blade **well now of course I have a name, everything has a name, even if it's not aware enough of itself to know it's own name, you shall have to find my name before we can continue this, and then perhaps I'll give you the honor of using me to destroy evil doers, ne'er do wells, and other assorted naughty people who need a good chopping, but you cannot hope to command me if you don't know my name, and if you cannot control me then it would be a simple matter for me to take control of you, my dear ruby** her name is felt deeply within herself and she struggled to assert her will, realising that the sword had just tried to subvert her will, testing her to see if she would prove strong enough to withstand it's assault, and she felt certain that unless shecoudl learn it's name it would continue to try.</font>

[ 10-22-2002, 07:57 AM: Message edited by: Morgeruat ]

ruby easily guides wyrd to sir morguerat and clonin. "excuse me," she says in a small voice. "um...your sword has asked me to discover it's name. so i have to ask, what is it's name?"

<font color=silver>ooc: Welcome aboard, Lord Starshadow! [img]graemlins/happywave.gif[/img]

Now where was I? O yeah ..... Time to start waking up the monsters</font> [img]graemlins/blueblink.gif[/img]

<font color=white>Terrakis</font>

<font color=gray>Great was the power wielded by the Modding Mage, great enough to warp the nature of reality itself to his will. Tales are still told in hushed tones of the strange and foul creatures of shadow that served him within the dark tower. Some few raving souls whose minds and bodies were broken in his dungeons would speak in frightened voices of other more terrible things, creatures of corrupted form whose very being was warped by the shadow magic of the One Who Mods into beasts of nightmarish evil. So great indeed was the power of the Modding Mage that it gave birth to horrors even without his intent. Once, in great display of power the very life was torn from the soil of the inner forums that the Tower of Shadow might be surrounded by a polluted moat filled with strange creatures. Deep within the earth, however, the selfsame act of power caught other lives in its grasp – mighty lives which were not consumed but were also not left unchanged.

The non-living shadow that has twisted itself into their being allows them to move in the dark places as few other things might. And, having recovered from the flooding which threatened to destroy them as it had so many other of the dark creatures that once made the tunnels and pits beneath the mountains their home, they now move with a swift and murderous aggressiveness to claim this dark realm as their own. Creatures of shadow and sinew with great strength and cunning and little need for magic they have been born, it would seem, to thrive here beneath the surging emptiness that consumes.

“He has fallen, the One whose might has made us,” Terrakis says to the others. “And although he never knew us, still he is our father and we are his heirs.” The giant rises from his stone chair, and places a dark metal helm upon his head. With a sweeping movement of a powerful arm he continues, “These caverns and the darkness within them belong to us by right and none shall contest our claim!”</font>

<font color=silver>ooc: Introducing a new creature – the Shadow Giant. The image below is a reskinned fire giant model from the NWN Toolset.</font>
http://img.ranchoweb.com/images/cyri...owgiant001.jpg

[ 10-22-2002, 02:20 AM: Message edited by: Cyril Darkcloud ]