Part 3 of - The Shadow of Love

[Larry_OHF]

OOC>>>I ran some checks and balances on this criter, and plugged in your post. This is what I got.

The Neogi to Roderik

The neogi studied the human for a moment, weighing him for threat level. The human began to talk, and the neogi could feel the suggestive magics in the air with the song-speak. How dare he try such mind tricks! Speaking in the undercommon, as this one clearly knew how to...the neogi responded,

"You are already my slave...but you must first be taimed."

The neogi said something in another language and a gust of wind was summoned from the air in the room to blow at Roderik.

OOC>>>The 3rd level spell was attempted to blow you against the wall, so that you become disoriented. The trick is, when you are exausted, you are more suseptible to the mind-control of this creature.
Roll for your safety!

[Morgeruat]

Roderik 70/70

Cursing his luck the bard was glad he had perpared himself for treachery, his stance gave him a great deal of support against the buffetting, blasting winds(ooc made my save). "Curse the Stormbringer" he thought, as he tried to both stand upright and come up with a plan, if the creature could ward off mind affecting spells, as he feared, most of his magicks were useless, but with his skill, and perhaps a few allies...


The bard's chanting was lost in the howling of the wind, it was a tuneless song, without subtly or decent pacing, about a group of monsters given to banitry and preying upon the weak. Knowing that his summoning would be at best random (at worst chosen by some malevolent god), he didn't try to specify which bandit creatures he would call, knowing that once they arrived they would serve him no matter what they were. and in serving him, they would allow him time to plan, and defeat the beast.

ooc cast Monster Summoning I

[Larry_OHF]

A mist formed in the middle of the floor and from that mist stepped a chipmunk.
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Just kidding...

From that mist stepped a dog. (a Doberman, precisely).

It looked toward you in submissive reverence, then turned to the creature that stood before it and growled horribly, baring its teeth.

The neogi paused and considered its new target.

OOC>>>The wind gust did no damage to you physically, and now you have a pet to sic on my neogi. Take'er away.

[ 08-12-2004, 04:53 PM: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]

[Morgeruat]

ooc some bandit eh?

Roderik 70/70

Looking a bit startled, but pleased with his new servant, he unleashed it with a single command, "Bandit, Sic Him." As the dog charged the Neogi, the minstrel began weaving his weapons in a deadly dance as he slowly advanced on the spider-like monster.(ooc: started my offensive spin)

[Larry_OHF]

For Roderik

The dog did as it was commanded, and charged the creature in front of it, not afraid at all.

The dog jumped up to grabbed onto the Neogi's long neck, and growled as it hung there. The neogi responded by flailing about, shaking and scratching at the beast to let go. Its shrieks were painful to the ears as it screamed in anger and pain. Yet for what seemed like a long time to these two was but a small fraction of time. The neogi was finally able to shake the dog loose and said a gutteral word in magical language that caused a fireball to erupt from its front legs and strike the dog where it had fallen. Burnt flesh smell was eminent in the room.

OOC>>>The neogi was properly distracted as you had hoped to give you a chance to sneak in a strike. Your move. The neogi has forgotten you for this turn.

[TAOWolf]

She whispers upon the air, to the snowy white owl, then turns as her eyes shift back slowly, and begins picking up her pack and equipment. As she gently taps the end of her staff to the ground, she looks first at Larry, then Liam, and finally Arcades. She steps lightly and softly to stand next to Arcades, waiting...

[ArcadesSabboth]

Turning to look at Tao, he smiles and picks up some small stones from the ground. Much like humans wittle wood, he uses his magic of Stonesculpting to shape the stones into various animals, helping pass the time.

[Cyril Darkcloud]

Elsewhere ..... A place close to the sky

Finally the last sounds of the celebration have faded into muted notes within breeze. He climbed to this place some hours ago, after his absence would be noted by none save his daughter. Already the Scattering has gone before him and he must follow so that this terrible labor at last might be finished. He should hate the thought of returning once more to that hellish place of shadow but there is that within him which relishes the call of the Scattering. His burned fingers tighten their grip upon the newly made handle of the Stormreaver – the wood is from the land of the outsiders. ~ Fitting ~ he thinks ~ and necessary for what is to come in the wake of these next days.

He places the axe on the ground beside him and grows still once more his ears straining to hear a few faint tones that linger in the air of this place and he smiles a smile filled with both the joy of greeting and the sadness of loss. Soon even these traces of her laughter will be borne away upon the free and living air and the sound of the laughter of she who had been like half of his heart shall be lost to him again. Her spirit has been freed from the grasp of the Devourer – he shudders at the memory of ......

...... but it is best not to dwell on horror, even upon horror that has been defeated, on a day that calls for rejoicing. Yes, she has been freed and this is cause to rejoice, but still she is lost to him. Would that such were not the case ...... But it had been a terrible fight against himself during the ritual not to simply allow the life to pour out from him, to mingle with hers once again. Without realizing it he has picked up the Stormreaver and his fingers move along the burnt wood of its handle. He grows still once more and listens to the fading laughter. Again he smiles, the smile of one acquainted with loss and who has learned to linger in fleeting joy. He turns his eyes upward searching the night skies until they find the Great Nomad, the star which always wanders yet never is lost. For seven years his eyes have sought its light and he laughs himself at the thought that so distant a thing has been his one companion through all the long years of his Exiling.

It is good that he makes such a decision as this here where he is alone save for the company of the silent Nomad. Reaching into his pocket he withdraws a simple wooden ring, that same ring his daughter was careful to recover for him. He pauses and breathes deeply. To place the ring upon his finger now will be to bring an end to his body’s recovery from its wounds. ~ And yet ~ he thinks ~ what better state to fix within myself than this moment with her laughter still within my ears? ~ His eyes narrow, hardening his choice against the objections of the pain in his limbs and with a single decisive movement his burned fingers claim the ring.

The wind bursts into movement as he does so for the bitter touch of the Scattering knows not the savoring of joy. It calls and he must answer. He tightens his grip upon the handle of the axe and life moves out through his fingers to mingle his joy and his loss with the anger gusting about him. Below him the celebration has reached its end, but here upon this lonely spire of rock an unforgiving movement gathers its strength and a song of death is in the air. There is no warmth in his voice when he speaks, there is only the cutting chill of winter. “It is time,” he whispers, “I am coming for you.”

And the bitterness of the Scattering gathers these words that it might whisper them in the lightless corners of a dismal and cheerless land. And the silent stormwalker steps outward into the wind.

[Larry_OHF]

For Silt, Rong, and Lyulfe

After a time, the three companions decide that the Inquisitor appeared to be waiting for somebody. They assumed that he knew exactly what he was doing, so to stand there and watch him from a distance any longer was unfruitful. They needed to decide what there were going to do, and if they wanted this guy involved in it.

There mission was to let Larry know about the loss of the candle. If it meant getting in a scruff with this Marcos...then they needed to evaluate how much they really cared about this whole thing.

Rong
[b]
"I could paralyze him where he stands or put him to sleep for hours, with just a toss of one of my tools...but I don't think I want his bosses coming after me. I have been through enough as it is."

She glanced over to Lyulfe with a wink, as though the two of them shared some knowledge of a past experience...

"So...do we wait for Larry to show up here and risk revealing to this Marcos-guy the plan, or do we sneak past him and find Larry first?"

[Larry_OHF]

Nanashi

The prey was so close, yet he was protected from her. There was a field around the perimeter of Liam's home here that would ward against those that would do harm to those within, and she had almost missed the scent of it in the air.

She never would have found it until too late if it were not for the magic-detecting powers that her dark master had taught her. Anything that was of the Weave could be countered with the opposite powers of the Shadow Weave. It was the Shadow of the Weave, the negative from the positive. Nanashi had been a willing pupil from her Master all these years, and the work had paid off. She had powers that none could ever contest.

Alas, she dared not risk breaking the protective powers of this field, for surprise was needed on her side. She ws reluctant but accepted the idea to just sit and wait for the right time.