The Lord of the Forums >>> Return of the Nightmare

[RevRuby]

even as she was lost in confusion ruby's breathing racked harder and harder in her chest. what was in the other womans mind was not something to reveal without hesitation, and was glad to have had the telling of it delayed. altho a simple yes it's the truth would have sufficed....how do simple words eek through ones mouth knowing what horrors there are?

another mind follows them in body. despite the pain in her chest she pushes on to a faster pace, wyrd behind her in a protective gesture of love.


wyrd runs with his beloved, and knows only that he must protect her. the vile creature behind them gave new reason speed on

[ 03-03-2004, 04:11 PM: Message edited by: RevRuby ]

[Larry_OHF]

OOC>>>Oh my heck, Cyril! I just learned about who "Echo" is in Greek Myth! That is freaking awsome! I was like "!!!" in class today.

Anarrima60/60

She was grateful for the help the elven man offered her. In elvish culture, it was not uncommon for those of one land to know much of those in another, and she was certain that she had heard of this one before, but she had been in the dungeons of the Drow so long, she was not sure what memories she would be able to recall. Either way, his stong arm was what she needed to pick up the pace and forget the pain in her side as she ran. Then he turned to look at something and she could tell he was bothered by what he saw. Yet, he hid his concern well...except she was a cleric of a goddess of light and beauty. Suddenly, by focusing her thoughts on the matter, she felt him. A sinister, dark shape behind them, following at a menacing pace, as though to taunt them. The realization of this dark entity shook her body in a shiver of the fear of death. She screamed out,

"My Goddess! The darkness shall overtake me! Save me, Lady Fairhand! Do not let your servant perish in Shadow!"

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Echo

Echo is a strange character. He was the servant to the Mad One long ago when the times were dark...maybe as dark as they are now, yet hope and hard work put an end to those days of shadow...or so everyone thought. Everywhere, echoes of the Shadow can be found. When the Mage fell from his thrown, light was restored on Ironworks, yet the darkness of the caverns beneath the forums...the Underforums, allowed for the perfect breeding ground of the Children of Shadow.
Echo, however, is not a child of shadow. He was from the beginning, and shall be until the end. What is his purpose, therefore, in this game? What will he hope to gain from his alliance with Rhianneth, who he seems to particularly fancy?

"Rhianneth...Rhianneth...neth..."

"You must run faster!...run faster...faster..."

"The time is up for your group...your group...group..."

"But one has joined you that you do not yet realize...and will be valuable to your quest...your quest...quest..."

"Do not let him go...him go...go..."

In this way, the echo tried to convey the message to Rhianneth that she must realize the danger is upon them and that they must be moving as fast as possible. But as well...he, in his own special way, mentioned that he had taken notice of the Reaper tailing them, and that his role in this mess was vital to the desires that Rhianneth held deep within. Yet he left much to her for interpretations. That is just how echoes are.
Mere shadows of truth and life.

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Brendon70/70

The ranger had taken up the position as leader of this merry band of running lunatics, sceaming and hustling to save their lives, but then he heard Ana scream in fear and supposed that the Enemy had finally caught up with them. Being the man that he was...whether it be called brave or stupid, he stopped and allowed Rhianneth and Ruby and the lion to dart past him. He drew upon his mighty bow, (How he was able to recover it, you'll never know... [img]tongue.gif[/img] ) and notched an arrow, meant to slay the thing that had frightened Ana from the darkness. He saw her and Saithele taking up the rear of the party as they ran from unseen danger. He drew back the bowstring and breathed in a long and steadying breath...then began to slowly exhale and focus his all in the shadows behind Ana. He was intent on stopping or slowing down whatever was back there in order to save those two elves...even if it meant his own life. He would never be called a coward for running while his group perished.


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OOC>>>Morgeraut, Brendon is watching for the Reaper, as Anarrima has alerted him to an unseen danger from that direction. I do not know of Reaper's abilities well enough to know if you or the Hag will forsee Brendon's aim with his bow, so just RP the way you think it should be done. You will also have to alert me as to whether or not your appearance is recognizable to your once-before travelling companion.

Mistral: You are free to do as you wish with the info you have, or you can ask.

Cril: Don't hold anything back on my account. Let'em rip if you so choose. Or not. I can handle either sequence of events.

[Morgeruat]

Reaper

The large man lumbered into view, no weapons were drawn but a malevolent aura fills the area before him, A shiver fills Brendons heart as pure blackened evil, greater than that of the one called Larry, if only in it's malice and hatred.

Despite the lack of weaponry on the man who was once a friend, you get the impression that he doesn't need them, and in the overpowering gloom you can't help but wonder if this is a fight you really want to pick.

Barely taking notice of you, and your prepared arrow the former knight continues jogging at his pace, and glances at Brendon saying in a low voice "If you delay me it will mean your death, by our friendship, I have no desire to see you dead, but if we are delayed in our escape, none of us shall see the light of day again."

[TAOWolf]

As the stepping stones come to a shuddering halt, she leans her staff against the oak and kneels. Pulling out two runes, a seed, and a mysterious looking crystal statue, she places these on the ground in front of her. As she removes her gloves with her teeth, her eyes glow softly silver, matching the slow rise of the moon as the darkness of twilight begins to descend upon the forums......

Still kneeling she lightly caresses the statue, and places each of the runes to her lips, then replaces them next to the statue. She places one single drop of pure river water on the seed, and then looks to the moon.....

The bracer around her neck begins to hum softly, pulsing with the vibration and pull of the ley lines, and she lifts her arms to the evening sky as she begins to softly call her magic and goddess to her..........

The statue begins to pulse to life with the bracer, slowly at first then faster as her chant becomes a blur of words, until the sound and taste of old ancient magic begins to float upon the wind... the wind.. the wind carries this sound through-out the valley, down into the tunnels........up into the cliff faces......

A single seed, left on purpose near the spot of the tear in the ley lines begins to sprout upon hearing the magical song........

and somewhere in the forums, the soft whispers of wings flutter and shake themselves awake, hearing the call and answers softly as wind flows under wings and the gentle whisper of flight begins..........

[ 03-04-2004, 01:54 PM: Message edited by: TAOWolf ]

[Larry_OHF]

Brendon

He loosened his pull on the string and stared, in awe.

"Mor...Morgie?...Is that you? Wha...

No matter, let's just get out of here!"

Brendon waited until the three last people had run past him, then he took up the flank...expecting Rhianneth to know in which direction to lead the team out.

[mistral4543]

Rhianneth

Her troubled eyes met his, as her head shook helplessly. "I am here to aid, Brendon, not to lead." She chewed her lips wretchedly as she continued, "I can't remember the setup of this place." Her knuckles cracked hard as she gripped her quarterstaff tighter.

"May the heavens help us out of this catastrophic mess."

[Cyril Darkcloud]

The tunnels of the Underneath of the Forums

The group pauses in its flight for a few tense moments as a newcomer whose presence is at once both familiar and frightening joins their number. For the span of these moments it would seem as if the onrushing of darkness the group had sensed was none other than the grim shadows which have grown so heavy over the life of the Fallen. Even as they converse about which tunnel to follow into the light of the surface, however, another voice brushes their concerns aside with sudden and sneering threat. Within the pouches that Brendon carries lies a gem, a diamond unusually large and containing within its facets a dusky swirling of restless shadow, and from this gem a voice speaks. “Yes, run! Seek what light is yet to be found beyond these tunnels. Run, fools! But know that death pursues on wings of shadow and that such wings have borne it close.......”

The silence that follows upon these words is heavy with malice. Such malice is not mere metaphor, nor is it simply a presence felt within the emotions for with a terrible and swift silence malice takes shape as it steps outward from the shadows. The woman, she called Rhianneth is the first to be seized a so great is the force with which she is struck that a single blow shatters the many skins of enchanted stone which had protected her. Another blow from the same source strikes the lion brutally reducing its protective growls to a shriek of pain. Another set of powerful hands seizes the elf Elethias and slams him into the cavern wall with such force that he loses consciousness amid the sound of snapping bones. Malice stands in towering shadow both before and behind the group, twin forms of great size clutching swords that hum.

The silence that follows the initial assault is broken only by the humming of the swords and the cold speech of twin voices that insist, “None shall contest our claim!”

Rhianneth - Your stoneskin spell has been destroyed and you are stunned.

Wyrd - has taken 45 points of damage.

Elethias - You have taken 60 points of damage and are unconscious. You’ve also broken a few ribs.

[Cyril Darkcloud]

The tunnels of the Underneath of the Forums

Their surprise is complete and all that remains is to complete the slaughter. An explosive rumble echoes through the walls of the tunnel, however, and the great blades stay their motion at the height of their arcs. Following the explosion a surge of a different kind is perceptible as if power of some kind has reached into a hidden seem of the Forums [the actions of TAO and Arcades]. What might well have been killing blows become simply attacks made to weaken opponents whose death must now come at a later time. Brendon and the Fallen are brutally struck as the giants step into the shadows and are gone from this place leaving the priestess and the psionic to ponder the horror of what has happened and to tend to the wounded.

Brendon - You have been struck twice for 63 points of damage.

Reaper - You have likewise been struck twice for 74 points of damage.

[Cyril Darkcloud]

For Arcades

From within the Ley Lines

It was to have been a channel, a conduit through which destroying emptiness might reach with focused appetite to consume all that might be reached. Now it is nothing but stone crumbling to ruin and space filled with the stink of burned flesh. Even within fullness, however, emptiness might be found and so it is here as great doors are swung opne deep with the earth and Hunger reaches out blindly after the mighty life that it perceives within this place. Great is the life of the dragon and long has it been lived, greater still is the emptiness that takes and consumes and the grasp of the emptiness seizes the dragon ......

...... There is a movement, as of power, along this channel and for a moment the consuming emptiness pauses and a dragon, exhausted but alive amid collapsing stone and burning flesh, has a moment within which it might move ......

Use that moment well and you'll be one of the few to have escaped the Hunger.

[Cyril Darkcloud]

For TAO

Several howls sound in the distance as the scent of blood is carried outward by the winds. One such howl sounds with a disturbing nearness and even the protection offered by the clasp cannot completely dispel the chilling effect of such a sound upon the blood of one who hears it. In time the other wolves shall trace the scent of blood through these winds back to this place. Before that time arrives, one wolf shall have bounded into near to where the woman stands ......

...... The chill in her blood as much as the pitch of the howling in her ears betokens that very arrival.