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

[Larry_OHF]

Echo

The Echo of a fallen man, made manifest in its own form of life by strange magics now creeps again back into the Tower. It was glad to be home, even though the place was in ruins and others inhabited it's locale.

"Rhiiii...aaaa...nnneeeeth!"....

It echoed in the sorcerous's ear.

"Are you frightened?...you frightenend?...frightened?..."

Echoes of laughter, faint and multiplying sound off from far and close.

[ 03-18-2004, 05:24 PM: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]

[mistral4543]

OOC>>> I've updated my empty post above, in case anyone is interested. Oh, and dang the timezone differences! All this activity taking place while I was snoring in bed

IC>>>
Rhianneth

The scorn in that mirthful laughter jarred her ears and smiled rather maliciously as she turned to "face" Echo.

You have the cheek to laugh at me, you absolutely useless, pathetic thing?! Her heart shook a fist at this shameless traitor, though no words parted from her rigid lips.

But there was, as Brendon had hissed out so angrily, no time. Or rather, not much time left. What was the point of wasting her resources on such an insignificant and worthless object?

She could only pray that her arsenal of spells - those she had handpicked so carefully in her younger days - was of the remotest use now.

Turning to Brendon, she began to chant, her eyes darting between his and her hands. The words of magic weaved amongst them, winking particularly at their chains...

OOC>>> Rhianneth has just cast a Mass Reduce person spell.

[Cyril Darkcloud]

The Tower

Hidden from sight it is, the object that such ardent searching seeks. But those things that veil against discovery by sighted eyes are useless against eyes that have not sight but perceive all the same. “There! It lies just beside that stone!” At the words of blind Tyresias whose sight does not fail, Terrakis unsheathes his blade. The air grows even colder as a chill like that of a damp and neglected tomb moves about the sword. A simple touch of the blade to the earth where the seer points is sufficient to dispel the enchantment bring to sight what had long been hidden.

[ 03-18-2004, 10:42 PM: Message edited by: Cyril Darkcloud ]

[Cyril Darkcloud]

ooc: Larry sent me this topost on his behalf. IW is down for him again tonight.

Echo

As the sorceress was casting her spell, Echo quickly began to counter it. He grabbed the words she was speaking quietly and amplified some of them, while hiding others all together as if they had never been uttered. Some words he allowed to echo back into her ears in a different sequence than she had spoken them, giving the feeling that the spell was being spoken wrongly or backwards.

The complete cofusion caused by this disturbance was enough to break Rhianneth's concentration and ruin the spell she attempted to cast.

"My dear foolish woman...your powers are no longer valid here...valid here...here..."

[ 03-20-2004, 01:19 PM: Message edited by: Cyril Darkcloud ]

[Cyril Darkcloud]

The Tower

Whatever the object that has been recovered may be it is small enough to fit easily within the hand of the great Giant. Terrakis removes it with obvious care and it is placed within a lined box made of the black stone that had been harvested from slaughtered Adalon’s lair, the same stone from which the doors of the enclosure of the Hunger had been cut. Sealing the box Terrakis nods curtly to the dwarves who begin fitting together on a recently cleared area what were once the smooth stones of a floor. Other pieces of stone have been gathered elsewhere, stones that seem to be of some imposing piece of furniture. As this is being done a grim visaged giant strides to the place where the prisoners have been secured. With silent watchfulness he keeps guard over them.

As is their custom, the dwarves sing as they work, taking joy both in the shaping of stone and in the harsh and defiant song which has come to define their character:

And it’s go, boys, go!
They’ll time your every breath.
And every day you’re in this place
you’re two days nearer death.
But you gooooooooooooooo!

[ 03-19-2004, 12:39 AM: Message edited by: Cyril Darkcloud ]

[mistral4543]

OOC>>> Larry, I hope you don't mind me posting before you do for Brendon; it's near bedtime and I don't want to miss too much of the action again [img]graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

Rhianneth

No longer valid...

Why did the words start the frightful churning in her stomach as she digested them desperately?

No longer valid... here...

What was so terrifying about the words? She ought to have known that Echo was capable of such clever pranks, but she had under-estimated him. It was not too late now, to realise this mistake. After all, to discover the truth now was far better than to never do so.

No longer valid here...valid here...here...

Why were the words resonating in her ears and heart? Did she really not know, or was she trying to suppress the obvious? She could feel her breath come out in a fitful wheeze as reality dawned upon her with such a forceful flare that the dimness of the room seemed dispelled momentarily.

I am no longer valid. Here.

Her frame was convulsing; she struggled against the iron chains that chuckled raucously against her wrists and ankles. What a wretched existence it was, that she could not deal herself the death blow that would be such a welcome fate compared to what was to come.

What then, was to be done?

Refusing to look at Brendon, she closed her eyes, listening to the activity taking place in the background. At the slightest sound that the giants were back to torment, her eyelids would flutter open again.

If I have to die, I will die with my eyes open...

[ 03-19-2004, 08:17 AM: Message edited by: mistral4543 ]

[Cyril Darkcloud]

The Tower

One by one they are fitted into place as stones that proved resistant even to such things as the might of the great red dragon that fruitlessly sought to damage the tower are shaped with skill and ease by these dark-skinned dwarves. The small cleared space within which they work assumes the aspect of a grim courtyard.

There has been no movement by the heroes since the dramatic bursting forth of light in the Ravine. And here the Giants keep silent vigil over their captives and the labors of the dwarves and the only sound is the singing of the stonecutters:

And it’s go, boys, go!
They’ll time your every breath.
And every day you’re in this place
you’re two days nearer death.
But you gooooooooooooooo!

[RevRuby]

Ruby slumps...torn between her beloved and the elven woman crumpled. her decision does nto come lightly, but she begins tow rok tirlessly to reach her companion. on shaking hands and knees she finds his body in a state of deepest rest. exhaustion tore threw him. even looking at him tired her.

with what little mental strength she had left she brought him to consciousness. together they work their way back to ana. at loss for any other moves they collapse in a companionable pile next to anarrima. ruby is no leader. she waits for someone to tell her drained mind what to do.

[Larry_OHF]

Anarrima was drifting as a leaf in the wind, bring carried through mists and shadows. Upon reaching a particularly brightened cloud, the drifting stopped, and the cloud parted a small measure. Behind that cloud was hid a light so bright that Anarrima could not close her eyes hard enough for the light penetrated all. Then a voice.

"Anarrima Culurian...my faithful. Proud I am of your accomplishments this day. You have suffered much these long years, only to be subjected to even moer difficult decisions these past few days. You put your life in danger in order to help those that helped you. You glorified my name by bearing my sacred touch and shining light into darkness where no other power could. You have done well.

For this, I shall grant you wisdom, for you have learned much, my little one. Go now in peace...and live to serve me again another day."

Anarrima woke up with a jerk and jumped to her feet. Looking aroud, she saw no danger present but only those that had fought with her, resting in peace, though she startled them as she had jumped up. She looked to the sky, where she saw the sun hiding behind a particularly brightened cloud.

"Thank you, My Goddess.", she whispered.

OOC>>>With permission from the DM, Anarrima has been granted 2 Wisdom points for her work here to take the place of the 2 points of constitution lost.

[Cyril Darkcloud]

Myron Epimetheus

Muttering to himself the little man shuffles between piles of books and stacks of scribbled notes. “Most curious indeed, and such interesting questions it raises! And the raising of interesting questions must not be taken lightly for interesting questions are the fountains of worthwhile thought. Yes, yes. And so many questions there are when the pursuing of even one such question as these would be thinking enough for a lifetime.” Snatching a dusty book from the middle of one of his piles the sage’s skeletal fingers turn to a page marked carefully some time in the past before this barbarous common language of the forums with its silly coloring of posts and use of smilies had come into being. His mutterings take on a muted and guttural aspect as he reads aloud in the ancient tongue. He stops suddenly and pauses over a particular turn of phrase caught by a nuance of verb tense. “Yes! That must be the meaning, for no other meaning could mean so strongly as this one.....” His lifeless eyes gleam in their dead sockets in joy over sudden insight that must be pursued.

“Yes, yes,” he mutters, “a thorough investigation of this and nothing less for one must be certain of his conclusions if certainty is indeed possible. And if not one must still obtain as much certitude about things as it is possible to obtain. Yes, yes. I must leave no stone unturned in this matter.”

He stops once, more muttered words verging upon powerful articulation. “Of course! And what better way to proceed than by the turning of stones into something that is useful?” His voice raises and the treehouse shakes in time to his words. There is a bursting of light as one of the spirits whose legal attention to detail delights in the fine print of transactions such as these is quick to respond to the invocation. Delight turns to bitter memory at the sight of the strangely powerful little man and a shudder runs through the spirit at the thought of how great was the price of its last dealing with the sage. The sage, however, pays no attention to the spirit and simply issues a command in an arcane tongue whose words allow only a single and unshaded meaning. Relieved to find the task so simple the spirit is quick to comply and be gone from this place.

Even as the spirit vanishes a crumbled heap of broken stone and dust appears on the tree house floor. “Foolish spirit!” the little man mutters and pauses to be sure that his invective words ring within the spirit’s mind for some time to come, “leaving the work unfinished when there is little time and so very much to be done!” Fixing his eyes on the stony remnants before him, his fingers silently trace an intricate set of gestures in the air over them. When the gestures cease he speaks but a single word and the many and scattered pieces of stone reassemble themselves into a statue. The speaking of another single word transforms the dead stone of the statue into the living form of the one known as the Possessor.

“Come, boy!” the sage insists, “this is no time for staring!” His cold fingers grip the adventurer’s wrist and the little man continues, “You must tell me what you know of things.” Seeing the confusion on the young man’s face he pauses a moment.

“But of course, it is difficult to think clearly when one is a bit cold. I myself can never seem to get warm. Here! Let me fix you something warm to drink.”

ooc: Welcome back to the ranks of the living. After a lengthy conversation with Myron whose point will not be entirely clear, the Possessor is free to be on his way.

[ 03-19-2004, 04:56 PM: Message edited by: Cyril Darkcloud ]