Part 7>>>The Shadow of Love (an LoF adventure)

[Larry_OHF]

Larry

There was no way out of it. He was doomed from the instant he stepped out from the doorway to the treasury.

"Aaaahhhhh!!!!"

The brightness was too much! He had stepped out and looked onto Joseph's creation. But the brightness thereof exceeded his capabilities to behold it. Failing any saves that would take hold and save him, Larry went instantly blind when he saw the wall of magical lights. They seared his vision the instant he saw it, and he put his hands to his eyes and fell to his knees.

"Morgie! I can't fricking see!"

[TAOWolf]

She is distracted from the emerald by several things at once. Her whiskers and tail twitch with humor as the cleric inside the circle realizes he cannot use magic as her companions can.

She notices the fourth cleric working on a spell, and pricks her ears towards the stone floor beneath her paws. Narrowing her eyes at him, and utters in low growls and yips an illusion vanity spell towards him, one that will make him see his reflection in the stones at his feet.

She then turns her attention to Yevaud and Vincent, but they are holding their own for the moment. The biggest threat right now is the giant wasp heading towards Anarrima and the man. The stone throne broken, he is on his feet, reaching for a weapon. She does not trust him one bit, and the look on his face is explanation enough, but now is not the time.

She leaps to a point near the center of the circle grabbing Anarrima's staff and slings it across the floor towards her as she howls towards Anarrima. The staff slides towards the ring of blue fire and the very tip pokes out towards the girl. The wolf crouches low to the stones and waits.....

[ 01-22-2006, 03:00 AM: Message edited by: TAOWolf ]

[Larry_OHF]

For the Castle Group

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Cleric 1:

Watches on as his huge insect flies to intercept the elf and human.

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Cleric 2:

We've forgotten about him for now.
He was just laying there.

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Cleric 3:

With no dagger and magic not being of use within the sphere of blue fire...the cleric found himself trapped inside the enemy lines. He starts trying to find an escape through all the little dangers lying about the ground.

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Cleric 4:

Something was moving at his feet and he just had to look. It was a mirror image of himself!? What the..., and then it was too late. His spell was adequately disrupted. He growled in his fury and tried to think of another spell. Yet, the illusion on the floor of his mirror image was kind of neat to behold. He wondered what it would be like to cast that spell at a barmaid some day...What was he doing! He needed to pay attention to the task at hand!

OOC>>>Round lost for Cleric 4.

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For Vincent:

You have free move against Cleric 3 if you so choose.

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For Yevaud:

You have a move to post.

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For Ana and Marcos:

The bee is now within striking distance, and Anarrima takes a huge swing at it since it came at her first, stinger aimed at her chest. It easily dodged her short reach with the chair leg and tries to come in again from a higher angle and zoom in again, this time aiming at the side of her neck. The bow that Tao threw her way is within a few steps of her, but she cannot take her focus off of the bee at this time unless Marcos could get it to forget her for a moment. She continues to bat at the bee with great fear that she is about to die. These fiendish wasps were particularly potent on their venomous stings, as well as faster in the air. The great, high-pitched humming of their wings nearly made her freeze up in eery fear.


[ 01-23-2006, 03:57 PM: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]

[dplax]

Plaxica 85/85

Two hours had passed since the sun rose, shining from behind them as they slowly made their higher on the mountain. Ever up and up, trying to metaphorically reach the skies. Plaxica was not quite sure of what he was doing, but he guessed that if he had any chance of getting a message to the one they called Windbringer he had to go somewhere where the elements seemed to be commanded by him.

Daniel was riding piggyback on Plaxica's shoulders, thoroughly enjoying the position he was in. Not five minutes passed with him not remarking on a colourful flower or a bright beetle, which came across their path.

"Look, Daddy! There's another one of those bright green beetles on the ground just in front of you! Watch out not to step on it!"

Plaxica absent-mindedly nodded, and made a show of diverting his path away from the beetle. Behind him Ramella laughed, a crystal clear laugh, which brought brightness among Plaxica's somber thoughts.

"How many of those beetles have we seen so far Daniel?" - she asked him.

"There was the one on the rock at the stream, then two on the tree stump to the left and..." - he went on, lost within his own world.

"Aren't you forgetting the one, which landed on your hand?" Plaxica asked with a wink at Ramella.

"Oh yes! That makes nine of them then! Do you think it'll be ten?"

"We shall see."

Plaxica walked around a large boulder and noticed that they had reached a pass in the mountains. Turning back his gaze wondered over the plains and forests he could see below, stretching as far as the eye could see. The bright rays of the sun reflected off a river meandering far away in the distance. It was a beautiful scene, Ramella thought to herself, one which in earlier years she would have loved to paint.

Plaxica turned again, and started walking, but was stopped by Ramella's voice. She sounded tired from the climbing.

"Could we rest for a bit?" - she pleaded, and Plaxica, agreeing with her, set Daniel down.

"Run along and see if you can find another of those beetles! Or even better a slimy green lizard!" - he teased Daniel.

"Ewwww" - Daniel said at the mention of the beetle, but Plaxica knew that curiosity would drive the boy to pick up one of them, if he chanced on it.

Daniel ran off, thinking of his task as a noble warrior would have thought of having to enter the dragon's den. His heart and soul were in it, and he was intent on making his father happy.

"Don't go too far!" Ramella shouted after him as Daniel disappeared among the boulders.

Ramella sat down next to Plaxica, and took the gourd full of water from his pack, taking a sip herself first, then handing it to Plaxica.

"I think he really likes you."

"I'm not sure that I can be the father he should have had in the last four years."

There was sadness in Plaxica's voice as he took the gourd and drank deeply.

"You are the father he has always wanted." - Ramella said soothingly and put a hand around his shoulder.

Plaxica turned to face her and she could see that there were tears flowing down his cheeks.

"Is there something wrong, Plaxica?" - Ramella asked, wiping away the tears.

Tonight I can't fly, there are tears in my eye,
they are too heavy, holding me tight
I am nowhere again, all alone with my pain,
in my darkness I'm searching for light
Two winds blow my face, to the distance I gaze,
there are two different worlds pass me by
I know, I've got to choose, which one can I lose,
my mind ties my wings, I can't fly

The words of the song came almost unconsciously to Plaxica, and he could not make out, whether it was he himself remembering the song, or whether it was the spirit projecting these thoughts. He brushed at his eyes with his sleeve, wiping the new tears away.

"I am starting to lose faith in my ability to takes this unto the end, Ramella. This sudden truce with the spirit in me troubles me. I'm content that it no longer troubles my thoughts, but I fear what it might be preparing. I fear the reasons for which it suddenly agreed to allow me to see the Windbringer. I haven't come up with a valid explanation for which it would want this. Strangely I can't sense its intents, it seems to be hiding them from me."

Plaxica sighed, and took hold of Ramella's hands.

Two worlds. Two possible futures. And my mind can't decide. A possible life of peace with them, but hidden danger lurks around that bend. Or self-destruction. Possibly running away from all these problems. The last two are the same. I save those I love, but I also lose them. Two different worlds. Dare I endanger those I have come to love? Why can't I find the light in this darkness? Why can't I find the solution to my problems?

"Plaxica, you have made your choice, and I wholeheartedly support you in this choice."

"But you can not know the dangers!" Plaxica was exasperated. "Even I don't know them. The only way to remove the spirit might bring my own destruction, or even worse, I might have to hurt those I love! I'm not sure I want to do that."

Ramella found no comforting words, nothing she could say to help Plaxica in his despair. She did the only thing she could do. She bent in and kissed him. The kiss lingered between the two of them, pent-up emotions were released, wordless messages passed between them. For Plaxica it was one of the last threads of hope he still had.

OOC: lyrics used are from the song entitled Between two worlds by a Hungarian band called Stonehenge.

[ 01-23-2006, 04:20 PM: Message edited by: dplax ]

[dplax]

Plaxica 85/85

Five minutes passed without Plaxica or Ramella saying a single word. They did not need words. Words would have only shattered the fragile moment they now shared. It was when they had kissed for the first time. Neither of them had dared to break the silence then, for fear that what they had just gone through was unreal, and speaking would shatter the illusion.

"I found a lizard and three beetles!"

Daniel's shout from just a few feet away shattered the moment, and Plaxica and Ramella both turned to face him. He lifted his left hand from over the right, and the lizard immediately tried scurrying off to safety. It jumped from Daniel's hands and raced towards the safety of a crack in the rocks a couple of feet away.

Daniel rushed after it, forgetting about the beetles, which falling from his hands opened their wings and in a dazzling display of light reflecting off their shiny carapace, flew away to their freedom. The lizard made it inside the crack just as Daniel got there.

"Did you see how big it was?" - Daniel asked, strangely not annoyed at his prey having escaped him. Ramella nodded.

"I'll try and find a bigger one!" - Daniel shouted and ran off again. He was clearly thoroughly enjoying himself.

Now I gotta go, now I'll take my control,
and choose only one heart of mine
My eyes only see one world - let it be,
and when I'll look back, I will be blind
I'll lose one part of me, sinking deep in the sea,
and erase the half of my brain
Oh, gods, give me the will, or assign me to kill,
'cause I know that I will go insane

The song! Again that same song! Was Plaxica trying to influence himself, or was this the spirit's work? How strange that the words apply so well to his current situation. How strangely convenient even.

Plaxica realised that he would have to make his choice between the two worlds. It was not an easy choice. He barely took notice of the world around him as he sat there, alone in a world of his own creation. No! That was not a path he dared tread! Who knew what would happen once he descended down that shadowy road and entered the realm of insanity! He could not take that path! He could not! Only one choice remained.

I'm looking for coincidence before it gets too late
I've been in this rut for so long I'm starting to stagnate
I need to find a way out soon I really have to try
Is it possible to be alive not noticing you've died?

A different song this time. A different part of his past. Plaxica could not decide whether this was a good or bad omen. But again, the words struck a cord within him and he felt as if they had been written about him.

"I have made my choice." - he announced to Ramella. Yes, it is the only possible way. If I fail, he will have to kill me.

"Yes?" - Ramella asked, a gleam of hope in her eyes. Event hough she could not be sure, she suspected what thoughts Plaxica was going through. She knew that whatever his choice were to be she would support him, as long as it did not involve him dying. She did not know what she would do, if the Plaxica she had only recently found were to disappear from her life permanently.

"I shall continue to try and find this Windbringer. If he knows of no way to cure me of this affliction, well...then we shall see."

He does not want to tell me what would happen then. - Ramella thought, but she knew that Plaxica had taken the choice, which gave him the most chance. She hoped that that chance would be turned into something positive.

It took them fifteen minutes to find Daniel, who was still busily chasing lizards. Plaxica helped him catch one, and then they set off again, moving ever up the mountains.

OOC: songs in this post are: first one is again from Between two worlds by Stonehenge, while the second one is from Choices by an English banned called Threshold.

[Legolas]

Inquisitor Marcos of Snowdale - 98/98

As if the workings of the gem had not been enough, the room was alive with magics born of chaos, malice and desperation. It was sickening, detestable. And from this taint of a sacred force had spawned a mindless creature intent only on death and suffering.
There was no need for words or mercy, it would neither understand nor accept either. Like the constructs before, thoroughly purging the threat was the only answer.

He stepped between the healer and the giant, noisy, perilous bug, and swung his hammer.

[Larry_OHF]

Cleric 3:

The cleric was backing up, shuffling his feet so as to not step down on the little traps that the stupid elf had thrown about. He glared menacingly at the half-elf that he had thrown his dagger at, Vincent. It appeared that this one would live a few moments longer.

Suddenly, the blade barrier fell down, and became non-existant. The cleric's eyes widened in fear and he looked at the emerald as though it were the source of his newfound trouble. "NO! WAIT! WHY?", he yelled, and fear now overtook his visage. He turned and began to run, forgetting to watch where he was stepping. Sure enough..."AHHH!" he cried as he fell to the floor and grabbed at his shoe to pull the metallic object from it.

[Morgeruat]

Yevaud

The elf smiled as the human faltered, his spell fading, and his foot punctured. "You who give praise to the misery of others should be happy to know that your own misery will be brief." The distinctive low whistle rose from the sword that was suddenly moving, ever so slowly, occasionally accented by a metallic *tink* as a few caltrops were knocked aside. The result was suprisingly musical as the elf closed the distance. "You're mine." And then there was silence and a disturbing half-grin on the tattooed face of Yevaud as though he would enjoy few things more than cutting apart this priest, one piece at a time.

[Elif Godson]

Vincent Pathfinder 98/98

The advancing clerics barrier had fallen, and he started to run away getting just out close melee range and then fell to the ground with a yelp as he stepped on one of the bladesingers caltrops. Taking the attack of opportunity, he led forward with longsword to thrust and the dagger to parry anything unforseen keeping his eye's focused on the target but unfocused. (If you have ever done any fighting/sparing/fencing that will make more sense.)

[Larry_OHF]

Cleric 3:

The cleric that was inside the blue area of Tao's protective guard tried speaking a single word of power and pointing it at Vincent, the nearest of the two advancing enemies. Nothing happened, and he again turned his gaze to the emerald. "NO! DAMN YOU! NO!" The cleric realized that he was about to get pincushioned by these two guys, so saw no other option but to try and run to the side of a fellow cleric for protection. He rolled, sticking himself several times with caltrops laying around which now penetrated several places on the cleric's body. He screamed, but it was better than dying by the sword. He got out of the blue area and tried to stand, but his foot still had the caltop embedded in his boot, so he tried hopping along, though fell in doing so and pushed some caltops deeper into their wounds. "AARRRHHH!!" Brethren! Save me!!"


Cleric 1:

"You have been forsaken, my brother! Cowardice will not be rewarded! Die with what dignity you have left in the name of our god!"

For Marcos:

The bee had been coming in at Anarrima, but had not expected the human to jump into the way and bring a hammer with him! The bee was caught off-guard by the attack, and got hit hard with the hammer in its hind-section. If this had been a normal giant bee, the hammer would have went squish into its gooey belly, but this thing was a fiend, and its hide was a bit thicker than that. However, the hammer did crack that hide rather well so the bee flew away from the attack as a natural response. The cleric that held control of it ordered it again to work for him. But that would not bring any results in this round of battle.

Anarrima:

Anarrima took advantage of the time Marcos had bought her. She ran over to the staff to grab it, but now that she had some time, she tried calling a spell to mind and began to pray for that power. It had to be a quick but efficient one. This battle was getting old, and her companions were all busy just keeping themselves alive from these crazy clerics of some unknown deity.

OOC>>>Marcos has hit the bee for some good damage since it was a surprise attack. Anarrima is working on a spell-prayer that hopefully will be ready soon.

[ 06-23-2006, 02:22 PM: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]