The Lord of the Forums, Aftermath III>>>Death in the Shadows

[Larry_OHF]

OOC>>>Please everyone see the notes in the discussion thread.

[Sir Exxon]

Kethotar

After having tended to Shaithele's wounds, Kethotar looks satisfied with himself. "There we go," he says. "You've taken a fair amount of damage, so you might still feel some a slight stinging pain at times, but it'll heal itself within the week."
Looking around at his new party, the ranger smiles to himself. "It's weird how one battle can bring people so close," he says. "I don't know any of these, but yet I feel that I can trust them." He turns back to Shaithele. "Do you know any of these at all?"

OOC: Shaithele has been cured so he's up at 48 HP.

[ 09-22-2003, 09:32 AM: Message edited by: Sir Exxon ]

[Morgeruat]

Shaithele 48/51


*translated from elven* “I thank you for your kindness, I was once among the nobility, but I have no place there now” Saithele visibly checked himself against saying more, and he cursed himself for letting that bit of information slip, his joy at conversing with another elf was eroding his guard, if it slipped much further he would be forced to leave to protect himself and his secrets. After taking a moment to regain his composure he continued
"You’ve been more than kind Kethotar, the minor aches of a bruised ego take longer to mend than my arm under your care. Dankorona and Kethotar then, Well met, I also hope we may continue as allies in this lightless realm. Pray tell who are these others? Despite the happy coincidence of arriving with Kethotar and the human, I know them not, nor do I know of them.

Dankorona, do you know who leads this group, before we can set out there are thigns that need to be established.


As he spoke his mind's eye wandered and he searched his heart for that which was most prescious, the connection to his love which had been suppressed by the magicks enforcing his exile, as usual however there was only emptiness in the place where he should have been able to see her milky face fraimed by silver hair streaked with gold. The image made his heart ache with longing, not only to see her, but to merely be allowed to sense her well being, a privelage granted by the elven marriage rituals, and perhaps the most harsh penalty of his exile, for he knew that her bond was similarly suppressed. The few times such a sentence had been ordered one or both parties of the marriage had withered away in anguish. But Elethias was determined that he would not share that fate, although his exile seemed an eternity, in time it would end, and he would be reunited with his love.

[AzRaeL StoRmBlaDe]

Dantes - 66/76

Dantes left the gnome deep in thought, pulling his cloack of shadows down over his head cloaking his body in the illusions of shadows. He couldn't stop running his finger over the smooth edge of the runestone, and thinking. If what the gnome said was true, this stone could have something to do with the hunger and the even greater evil of the shadow giants. Funny he didn't mention anything of Euryale and the grimlocks and shadow hounds that had just attacked the gnomish settlement. Dantes couldn't help but think that this runestone and the one from the dragon were somehow related. Dantes ventured toward the center of town, where his companions and some new faces were gathering. He arrived there just at the end of the elf's question to Dankorona. Dantes looked at the elf's strange garb and mask a moment before a slight bit of recognition seemed to touch his eyes, though this was invisible to the rest of the party due to the cloak. Dantes lowered his cloak, showing his wise green eyes, and raven black hair. His sharp, almost elven features made him look around the age of 25 though, his eyes betrayed a wisdom very far beyond the rest of his features.
"With the disappearance of Morgeraut, I guess the honorary title of leader would fall to me. Though we are all here of our free will, we are together in our dedication to the destruction of the hunger and the saving of the entire realm of Ironworks. First of all I thank you all for your assistance in dealing with the grimlock war party that attacked this peacful gnomish settlement. You all fought bravely and I know some of you are wounded, here each take one of these, if you aren't that wounded I would suggest keeping it, As you should already know the Underdark can be a dangerous place" Dantes gave a wry smile and then handed each of the assembled party a healing potion he had obtained from the gnome, keeping the rest for himself, to be distributed later as needed.
"Secondly I saw some of you in battle and others I just get the impression that you can take care of yourself. . " Dantes said looking at the scarred former gladiator, "Yet the Underdark is a lonely place full of dangerous surprises, If any of you would care to join us I would most welcome you to our party. Yet let me not mislead you about our goals and our chances of success. We are indeed on a very important mission, yet the importance of the mission is only outweighted by the danger, as the whole of Ironworks is in peril. If we had only known one tyrant would be replaced by another even more dangerous power. . . You have seen first hand the second major battle in this war of ours. I expect us not to have as good of odds in the coming battles. Were you to join us you would be facing an evil beyond your comprehension, and myriad enemies that have yet to fully reveal themselves or their full power. If you think my words bear ill tidings, I can only say that they are probably not strong enough. I do not even dare expect that we all live through this. But if we each do our part we may yet have hope, and be able to spread that hope to the rest of Ironworks. I know it is more to ask of you than you probably expected coming here, and I will understand any who may not be ready to risk their own life, and I will understand any who may not want to take on a task like that, lord knows I rather wouldn't. In fact the only thought that keeps me on this fool's mission, is the thought of what failure will mean. It will mean the unraveling of the entire realm and an end of existance of Ironworks, snubbed out like it never existed. You need not make your decision now, we shall all have to rest for at least a few days while we gather strength, pray, memorize spells, do research, or heal. I only ask that you think about what I have said to you today and of what the future could be, for the better and for the worse. If nothing else I will have been proud to stand beside you this day as a friend." With the conclusion of his speech Dantes bowed low and then pulled his hood up and waited for the reaction from his companions and would be companions, a ball of shifting shadows silently taking in everyone's reactions, and thinking, ever thinking.

OOC:Sorry I got a bit long winded, I hope this makes sense

Edit: spelling/cohesion/atmosphere

[ 09-23-2003, 05:54 PM: Message edited by: AzRaeL StoRmBlaDe ]

[Larry_OHF]

Brendon

Brendon had stopped in his pursuits of learning all the Grimlock knew to listen to Dantes' speech and welcome the new members of the party, if they accepted the calling.


Gnób

Gnób's head had begun to feel less pressured, and he was happy for that. He still could not understand why his body refused to leave the area or bite into one of these animals around him. He then sniffed the air as he realized another human with an oder of sulfur had approached. It burned his nose to smell this one. It was human. It spoke in a loud voice that hurt Gnób's ears. Was it the tribe-leader of these creatures? Apparently so, since the rest of the herd had become more silent.

"Ghonb dul Gnób, telya du!"

[Sir Exxon]

Kethotar

Eyeing the creature who had proclaimed himself the leader, Kethotar immediatly recognizes him as the mage he had first met after his arrival at the battle. And after a few minutes of considering his words, the ranger rises, and walks over to him. "Honored Wizard," he says, and bows. "During the battle, I promised to protect you, or atleast keep the grimlocks away from you. And whatever your cause is, I will be happy to lend you a hand. I am skilled in both the art of battling and healing, ad I hope I can be of some use to you and the rest of your party." Kethotar have never been any good with words, but he is satisfied with his selection this time. "Oh," he adds, as he suddenly remembered another quite important factor. "My name is Kethotar, if I haven't already mentioned."

[TAOWolf]

She hears in the distance the horribly warped howls of six creatures, and too late realizes that her whisper has been taken by the Wind to the wrong source.. She thinks to herself, ~Fate has a way of bending words and wills to her way...~ She narrows her eyes towards the distant howls, and starts preparing herself for battle...

As she goes through her packs and belongings, she finds three cruical items she thought lost and smiles, knowing these may very well be what helps to save the ley lines, and bring things back into balance.

She also knows that what she and Cyril did those couple of last days before and at the end of the MOdding Mage's life are what has brought about this evil, that brought out the Hunger.... that brought this evil Wind to this place....


Images flash thru her mind, and she recalls everything she and Cyril spoke through the wind, trying to find the key....

OOC:next post will be a little long..... but will help Dantes, I think in part... The three crucial items are only known to me and Cyril as of right now..

[TAOWolf]

She runs through her mind those last couple of days, going over every word, every spell uttered, every whisper spoken, trying to find a hole, a key, anything that can help with this new dilemma...

~She recalls the words she spoke upon the wind, when she released the spell into the ley lines, and the Hunger devoured it unto itself as planned.... She then remembers what Cyril whispered upon the wind in response to her spell...

"Runes shalt thou find, and fateful signs,
that the king of singers colored,
and the mighty gods have made.
Full strong the signs, full mighty the signs
that the ruler of gods doth write.

Othin for the gods, Dain for the elves,
and Dyalin for the dwarves,
Alsvith for the giants and all mankind,
and some myself I wrote.

Knowest thou how one shall write? Knowest thou how one shall read?
Knowest thou how one shall tint? Knowest thou how one makes trial?
Knowest thou how one shall ask? Knowest thou how one shall offer?
Knowest thou how one shall send? Knowest thou how one shall sacrifice?
-from the Poetic Edda

~The key is in these words.... the runes, my powers, my connection with the ley lines, the gods, elves, dwarves, giants, mankind.... companions I need.....~

She recalls after she cast the first seed into the wind the words Cyril whispered upon the wind,
"A Wind age, a Wolf age till the World ruins:
No man to another shall mercy show." ((this is not all, but enough for now))

From nowhere a prophetic saying comes to her mind:
"I tell of giants from times forgotten. Those who fed me in former days:
Nine worlds I can reckon, nine roots of the tree.
The wonderful ash, way under the ground. When Ymir lived long ago
Was no sand or sea, no surging waves.
Nowhere was there earth nor heaven above.
But a grinning gap and grass nowhere."
-Poetic Edda

It comes to her, and as she readies herself to fight these creatures, her eyes turn to wolf, and her stance hardens as an oak firmly rooted in the ground. Turning towards the mountains in the distance, she shouts, throwing her voice loud and clear, echoing thru the rifts and turns of the mountains....

"Stir up cloud, and storm and tempest!
The seal of the life shalt thou set before thy face,
Thou shalt grasp it, and thou shalt slay the dragon."
He stirred up cloud, and storm and tempest,
he set the seal of his life before his face,
He grasped it, and he slew the dragon.
For three years and three months, one day and one night
The blood of the dragon flowed......."
-Enuma Elish

As the last word falls from her lips, she slams her rowan staff into the ground three times, unleashing the same power as before thru the ground, across the desecrated ley lines, and into the mountains, making sure the right ears hear her this time.....

[ 09-23-2003, 07:43 PM: Message edited by: TAOWolf ]

[RevRuby]

ruby hp-45 psp-118 wyrd hp-60

ruby feels the peace in the grimlocks mind and relaxs a little. still being cautious to know she can hold him back if need be she releases him from her domination power. the ability to show mercy and give the creature trust is important to her.

she takes the offered healing potion, knowing that she is most likely to use it on wyrd, she is very greatful. she listens to dantes speach. full of warnings and wise words...ruby has no intention of leaving the quest behind. her underlying feelings tell her that her only way to survive this trek is to move forward, not backwards. she had spoken with some very wise psionic masters in her time, and an idea from one stuck out in her mind, "to retrace your path back to the beginning will be as tho you never made the journey" she knows this is where she is needed and where she will be.

[Morgeruat]

Saithele

As the "leader" finished talking the bladesinger hid the healing elixer in the folds of his cloak. He looked thoughtful for a moment (as thoughful as one can look while wearing a mask and clothes that try to blend in with the rock). He looked at the assembled elves, and inwardly praying to be forgiven for violating his exile, he let his duty as a singer of the blades come to the forefront, the elves safety was his first and only priority, his mission was of tertiary importance, and would likely be solved along the course of his travels. But if the group were marching into death and pain then "Saithele" would follow along, to at least try and save his kin.

Perhaps Correlon would look kindly on his devotion, and overlook the other motivations he had, word of the Great Forests, or his wife, not to mention simply staving off the loneliness of his solitary road.

For the first time the rest of the party heard the shadowy one known as Shaithele spoke in common."I see, you claim the position of Cora. My swords will serve you quest the best that they can, and my talent in selu is at your disposal as well." With a grande bow the elf stepped back from the group and into the shadows, listening alertly. (ooc not trying especially hard not to be seen, just comfortably in the shadows where he would be watched less. once again the link for elven is here)

[ 09-24-2003, 09:29 AM: Message edited by: Morgeruat ]