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

[Cyril Darkcloud]

Kiria’na [ Ki-ri-ah-NAH]

Swift fly the arrows but she stands unmoving. She smiles as they arrive for she had not anticipated the curious thrill of danger boldly faced and cleverly avoided. The arrows strike with killing force and continue in their motion beyond her laughing form which vanishes leaving only a tattered strip of cloth to dance in the wind where she had seemed to stand. From the other side of the tower she smiles once more, the mark of her mother. The rattling of swords loose from their scabbards produces a defiant narrowing of her eyes and her smile grows thin with a cold grimness, the mark of her father. Boldly she meets the gaze of the great Giant and her speech this time is not the accented clumsiness of a foreigner, but that of one fluent in her own tongue, “Know you this, then, Terrakis. You are not the only child who has received once more a father in these last days.” She turns then to the Mage, the called Larry, “In a place as barren and desolate as this life has been lived and life has been lost close to the sky. A vessel has been broken and a bitter breath has been silenced. A shattered hand that had no right even to move has touched a daughter’s face and a name long unspoken is spoken once more.” As she has spoken the owl, the one named Whisper, has done as was required, silently flying among the distracted onlookers and seizing the wooden ring near the throne. “He wanted you to receive this .....” With these words she tosses to the mage a wooden stick, charred and brittle beyond use and once the handle of an axe through which life was mingled with storm. As the mage reaches outward to catch the stick she smiles.

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

[Killing Spree]

Shadows; a home since first breath. The dark was always comforting. The shadows would never betray you. That is until, of course, they consumed you. It is said that the greatest of men would tame their shadows, and in so doing blind others. Those who are blind can of course only follow from fear, and this mixture of trepidation and perpetual dark creates one of the greatest enigmas of life: trust. Of course, then, one must speak of the blinding one. Who does Odysseus trust when he pummels the burning stake into the eye of the cyclops? His men. That's indubitable. But suppose he was alone? Well then, his tale wouldn't have survived. In blinding one's subordinates one will inevitably become blind. Independency becomes, quite possibly, a fallacy under these terms. Everything looks up to something, and it only becomes a question of how far you have to crane your neck. But all things must come to an end you say? Well, yes, this is true. We may assume things are infinite: the number of stars in the sky or love, but logically even these things will stop. Everything will cease. Everything must cease. But then where does this vicous cycle of cricks in the neck end? And what do you suppose happens when one thinks himself this extermity? Hubris. Ah, hubris... It's a killer.

The woman smiled from the shadows and knocked the two arrows she'd been waiting for so long to shoot. She slipped her fingers down between the shafts and took hold of the feathered ends, pulling back the string of her bow. She whispered, "To live is to dream and to die is to awaken." then let the arrows sing, and watched with a grim smile as they sunk into the neck of her nemisis, the modding mage.

Chani Ravenwood then stepped from the caressing darkness, only smiling as she felt his eyes, those that used to belong to her friend, turn to her.

[Larry_OHF]

The woman tossed over a charred stick, and as he caught it, he turned to the arrival of another. His eyes were wide with horror, for there were only thee people on this forum that he respected for their power. The Windbringer, who had to send his own daughter in his place, the Druid that was licking her wounds after fighting the Hunger...and HER!

Chani Ravenwood. Even as he noticed her, she was taking aim with those arrows! The ones that had been built so long ago to be used especially against him. He had already been hit by one of those before, and now two were in flight!

He could not even bark out commands fast enough.
Before he could retaliate or order his servants to kill these two, the arrows had found their mark...even before he could flinch and put up an arm to protect himself. It was enevitable.

As the arrows sank into his newlyfound form, the Mage fell to the ground, screaming with the burning pain that those arrows brought...for they carried his own evil powers with them, turned into deadly weapons against him. It was one of few items on this website that could actually deal a blow this powerful.

Screaming on the ground, writhing in pain and shock to his system, his mental hold on the ju-ju zombie Grey was released and it began to wander toward the two women, smelling the life in them and wanting to terminate it of is own free will, which was nothing more than the impluse found in all undead. He dropped his bow and started for them. The giants were in confusion as they saw their great Father dying upon the ground, and looked to Terrakis to lead them again. Terrakis was stunned by the power these women held, for he thought his master unstoppable now that he had arisen. He did not immediately make a move to do anything except stare at Larry as he seemingly died on the floor.

"No! No! Not again! I sh....shall not pass away! Raaaahhh!"

Larry found energy again, trying to stand and stumble across the floor. It was too much power coursing within him to move very much at all. He had to expel this somehow. Again he fell, rolling down the three steps that led up to his throne.

Suddenly, the Mage was aware of something new...and unfelt before. He felt too full and his body seemed stretched by this amazing shock to his system, but there was more. Another voice inside his head was screaming as well. It was screaming to be let free and to be gone from this darkness. The Mage spoke aloud, asking it,

"Who are you, that invades my brain! Speak!"

The voice was screaming and trying to pull away from something, but the Mage understood it not. Then it spoke, yelling in fear,

"Let me out of here! I want to live! Mistral?!! Why did you leave me?! Help me!!! Spree??!! I cannot see you!!!!"

These words were terrible for the Mage to hear, for he knew what they were about. A life long ago left behind, bottled up and forgotten was now again being reborn. How this happened, The Mage was unsure. But there was this fact. It had been reawakened. His skin felt stretched and torn. His mind was thinking of many things at once and he could not distinguish his own thoughts from this new mental power within.

Then it occured to him what was to be done.

With all the power he could find, the Mage pulled himself in a mental battle upward, trying to tear away from the form that lay below him. It was working. He could feel himself lifting off the burdon and his mind becoming clearer.

To the onlookers, they would see the body of Larry lying on the floor while a vapor of black shadow hung over him, seemingly pouring upward out of him.

At last, the shadow was pulled from the body of the tormented one. He could again think clearly and move of his own accord. Yet he was still just a shadow. A bodiless whisp of vapor that had no connection to the world now. This vapor whisped forward and surged into the unsuspecting Terrakis. Then Terrakis spoke with the voice of the Mage.

"YOU HAVE NOT CONQUERED ME LADIES, AND HAVE NOW ONLY CAUSED ME TO BECOME STRONGER, FOR NOW I UNDERSTAND THAT IN ORDER TO HAVE BECOME THE GREAT MAGE OF IRONWORKS I HAD TO DISPOSE OF THE USELESS FORM OF THE BUMBLING RANGER THAT YOU SEE BEFORE YOU NOW.

NOW TIME TO FACE DEATH!!!!!"

Terrakis who was the Mage, pointed to the two who were already being sought for by the zombie and ordered them to attack as well.

[Cyril Darkcloud]

Kiria’na

Again she smiles even as the walking corpse that once was Brendon lunges toward her. Once more he strikes and once more his movement simply carries him through her and once more a scrap of cloth floats placidly in the air where she had seemed to stand. “I see now,” she laughs, continuing to speak in her native tongue, “that ‘bumbling’ is clearly a certain form of ranger although I do not see its benefit.” Already she has withdrawn the tuft of feathers her father had given her and the owls fly among the angry giants scattering scraps of cloth as they move. Soon all is as once it had been on that terrible day of battle, a dance of shifting images of the women and the owls .......

ooc: Spree, I trust this will be sufficient cover for you.

[mistral4543]

OOC>>> I have deleted my last 2 posts on Mistral and Rhianneth, as I re-read Larry's post above and realised that Larry the BR is back to normal and would thus be harmless and out of the battle action. Sorry for not reading the posts carefully enough [img]graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

IC>>>
Mistral

The air about the bumbling ranger seemed to twinkle with fairy dust and a hologram formed near him, one of a young lady with a curl of hair fluttering by her cheek.

"Larry, I have let you down."

Her voice, though crystalline in tone, was one of regret and pain. One could imagine an ethereal hand reaching out to stroke his cheek.

"Please forgive me."

There was a contrite pause before she continued, haltingly. "You have been all goodness to me, while I... I have been a raving lunatic since the moment we met." She was trembling, and the image of her wavered correspondingly. "I have tormented you with separation, reunion and finally... betrayal." The voice shook, but it continued, almost against her will.

"There has been too much bad blood between the Ravenwoods and Freelights... and all I thought of was to atone for the sins of my father, by dying in Arrakis' hand." A single drop of liquid appeared out of nowhere, splashing on Larry's forehead.

"I'm sorry, my love. There wasn't anything else I could do, and I would probably do the same again, if I could relive my life."

The bumbling ranger then experiences a strange sensation, of warmth enveloping his upper torso, then something like a crushing embrace that threatens to crack a few of his ribs.

"I don't have much time left here, Larry. I have to go..." Her voice was fading away. "I just wanted to let you know that you're the only man I have ever cared for, while I lived."

In the ensuing silence, it seems as if the ghost of Mistral has left as abruptly as she had appeared...

[mistral4543]

Rhianneth

She listened in a daze, digesting Mistral's words and concluding that if there were ever wretchedness in this world, her cousin had certainly earned her share of it.

There is nothing I need to do... nothing I ever needed to do, except learn this for myself.

Her goal all along had been for nothing. And for that, she had lost all her magical powers.

Fate. It was all Fate.

Just as Fate had deemed it right to deal Mistral with such a blow as this.

If I ever get out of this mess... She exhaled deeply, lost in her own thoughts. I... I will lead my simple own life, minding my own business and tending my own pastures.

Warily, wearily, she watched the events unfold, wondering what was to become of everyone...

[Larry_OHF]

The Conclusion to the Lord of the Forums.

The arrows were meant to kill the Modding Mage in his weakned state. Instead, the most bizaar occurance ever witnessed took place. The power within the arrows was strange, for they had been created by Shadow and Storm...two opposing forces. The result of the attack caused Larry's body to seperate from the evil darkness that had infested it these past years. When the scourge over Larry Silverfall's heart was released, Chani could see that the real Larry that she had always known now lay before her, nearly dead from the trauma occurring to him. Likewise, Mistral's sister Rhianneth had somehow gotten involved in all of this, and she too lay dying at the base of the throne.

The giants were moving to attack, and that would have been trouble for her, except she was not alone. the daughter of Cyril Darkcloud was at her side. Kiria’na caused a sufficient diversion that confused the giants and while they were busy chasing phantoms, Chani was able to make her escape. She did not leave alone, however. Running to the still bodies of the two humans on the floor, she called upon the powers given her for teleportation out of this hell hole. A second later, the three of them were safe and a long distance from the ruins of the Tower of Shadow. In fact, they were in a secured room hidden within the Tavern of the One-Eyed Wolf.

When Chani was ready, she ordered servants take the two sleeping humans to seperate bedrooms and let them sleep their weariness off. She had other business to attend to and would come check on them when he had the chance. She left orders that neither one was allowed outside the tavern doors until she gave permission. Then she was gone.

[Larry_OHF]

Parting of Ways:

Tao the Druid had once again served Ironworks, in her own way. After the Hunger was destroyed, she realized what had occured elsewhere on this forum. The Mage had been reborn. She could not believe that he had found a way back, and cursed him aloud. Yet now was not the time for battle with him, for she had other business to attend and was weakened by the last battle that had only recently ended. She needed her rest and so left the task of de-throning the Mage to another day. It is not mentioned in Ironworks History if Arcades stayed with Tao or if he had other business elsewhere.

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After staying until she watched Anarrima and Tao part ways...Ruby realized she was once again on her own. She had made friends on this journey and shared things with them that were unbelievable, but most important, she had almost lost her beloved Wyrd. Several times, she doubted herself and her abilities and when she nearly lost him, her world was for a minute a very dark place indeed. However, Wyrd did get better and Ruby swore that she would never again drag him into another crazy adventure that would endanger him. Wyrd on the other hand had to disagree. The past two years had helped the two of them become even closer, and he cherished the time passed. He had also seen that the experience that Ruby had gained was a big step in her further development and progression into gaining amazing powers. He was proud of how far she had come, and hoped that she would find a new adventure soon for them to share.

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The Possessor had been given a new life. He knew of battles in the arenas, of keeping himself alive, and also what it was like to be turned to stone. Now the Sage Myron had given him a new chance at a new life...one that he did not know if he could handle,,,for it was a normal life above the ground, in society. He had no place to go, no family to find, no home to return to and no friends except for Anarrima, who was a fellow slave in those darker times. Knowing now what must be done, the strong man set out on a quest to find the City of Elves where Anarrima was from, find her, and then find out what purpose his life had. He had nothing else to live for.

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[Larry_OHF]

Larry Silverfall slept in a warm, cozy bed. Dreams plagued him, however, and his sleep was mixed with good memories and bad. The darkness in his heart had been lifted however, so there was no hatred to be found within. His sleep was long and needful. He had lost his life these past years and was beginning anew. He had no level of experience to begin on. He was fresh and ready to start a new life. But would he be satisfied with starting over? Would the memories of a previous fortune drive him mad with longing of that life lost?

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Elsewhere, in another bedroom in the same tavern, a lucky lady slept. Rhianneth had been stripped of her life as well, and was beginning again from scratch. She also had plaguing nightmares as well as peaceful dreams. Her past also haunted her, but the promise of starting over awaited her upon waking up. Her sleep was also deep and long. But would she settle for the life ahead, or continually dream of what had been and what was gone?

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The Zombie, Grey stared ahead and hated life. He had been robbed of it and hated those that still had it. His evil master called his every move, and he had to obey. This was the life of a cursed hero.

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Larry the Mage needed a new tower. He needed to start planning right away and get his defences up, lest an army invade while he was weak. He remained on the low, working fast and secretly. Soon, he would be back in business.

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[Larry_OHF]

Ending Credits


The Mad Modding Mage of Ironworks would like to take this opportunity to thank those that contributed to this installment of the game, including those that never made it to the end as well as those that helped win the day for us all by seeing it to the conclusion.


Revruby:


You have learned much on this RP, and I hope to see you using this augmentation of your abilities in future games here on Ironworks.


Mistral:


As Rhianneth, you were great. The opposite of Mistral and a fun character to have playing with us. Life got in the way alot, so we did not get to see you as much as we would have liked, but that does not matter. You did a great job.


Morgeraut:


Your contribution to this game was very much needed. You may not realize it, but since you were in the first game, you had to be in this one! Your switch from good to bad with your character was so very much a part of this game. Saithele was also a tragic loss but a needed loss, for it added darkness to the game's ending.


Legolas:


Although brief was your time with us, you nonetheless brought some more fun to the game, and your effort is appreciated. I look forward to future gaming with you!


Cerek, Azrael, Lord Starshadow:


Although two of you are stoned and one left the game before getting killed, your time with us added some needed depth. Not everybody can cross the finish line, and your sacrifices helped make this a true tragic story.


K. Spree:


Your small yet extremely effective one post brought about the whole meaning of the story. The part you played was the most important of all and you did it with perfect acuracy, which I expected.


Tao and Arcades:


While we were hanging around sipping margaritas with the gnomes for a year, you two were hard at work above ground, setting the stage for the final big fight, which was against the Hunger. The Hunger had to be removed before the Mage could return, and so your parts in this were very important and fun to read. I hope to see you again in other adventures!
.

And finally,

.

Cyril Darkcloud:


You pieced this game together, you motivated our adventure, you created awsome NPCs, and most of all, you gave us one heck of a game that entertained us for two years. You deserve a much earned rest. Thank you for this game and the many adventures that were created, and most of all...thanks for giving the Mage back his life that you actually took away to begin with, and thanks for setting up the scene to seperate Larry Silverfall from his evil self. That has inspired me on what needs to be done in the upcoming game!


Be looking for it.


Larry, The Mad Modding Mage of Ironworks Lives

[ 03-21-2004, 11:45 PM: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]