Hazardous Times: Chapter X "Where Hidden Dangers Lurk"

[mistral4543]

OOC>>> Btw, so glad that you've finally joined us, Cyril [img]graemlins/happywave.gif[/img] Hope you'll have as much fun as the rest of us are having (heh, even the confusion is hilarious [img]graemlins/biglaugh.gif[/img] )

On a more serious note, from what I've read so far, there seem to be 4 groups of active characters at this point in time:

Group 1 - Sir Blandamour, Galadria, Eliza, Raymond, Isaura, Sanael, TAO, Kishin Location: Tavern in Erebos a.k.a. Amnesia City

Group 2 - Ni Deng, Addison, Skye Location: Somewhere within Erebos, probably going to bump into Group 1 for new adventure

Group 3 - Cora, Tobias, 4 druids (Note: 1 of the druids has mysteriously disappeared, though there are rumours within the Estate that she offended the rest... remember... it's just a rumour [img]tongue.gif[/img] ) Location: Korup Shun, alternating between Steeplewood Forest and Estate

Group 4 - Legolas, Sorsha Location: Inn around the woods which Rrang lives in

If I've left anyone or any details out, this isn't deliberate... I'm really trying my best to sort this out Anyway, please feel free to update the details as we go along.

EDITED : To update the details so they're in sync with Cyril's plans

[ 06-04-2002, 09:46 PM: Message edited by: mistral4543 ]

[mistral4543]

Isaura

As she engages Galadria in search of comfortable conversation, she notices Raymond's momentary shiver out of the corner of her eye. Pausing slightly, she blinks as her head turns, surveying her surroundings ~ Nothing odd or cold... ~ For some strange reason, she finds compassion arising from her breast for the young man ~ Sure, he rattles off incomprehensible strings of words, but from what I can tell... he's harmless. ~ A slight flush finds its way to her cheeks ~ And... well... he cares about me.

Suddenly annoyed, she rebukes herself silently ~ You... whatever your name is... you crumble in the face of flattery! Perhaps that brought about your downfall in the first place... not that you remember the downfall... ~ Sighing, she raises her left hand to rest her cheek upon it. Then gives a soft cry of alarm as she fingers the strange marks on that side of her face. ~ "Wh... what's this?"

[Larry_OHF]

Raymond

Raymond's improved hearing picked up the gasp that escaped the lips of the one he cared for. Forgetting everything else in that moment, he turned abruptly and charged after her as if she were on fire, pushing people out of his way...

"Isaura! What is wrong? What?"

[TAOWolf]

OKAY!! Someone PM me and catch me UP!!!!!

sorry ya'll, my fiance broke his leg and had surgery, so I was gone longer than expected.....

[Attalus]

TAO, I'm glad u are back, but it's way too late tonight to post, see y'all tomorrow.

[ 06-05-2002, 12:31 AM: Message edited by: Attalus ]

[Cerek the Barbaric]

Ni Deng sat at a table silently watching Addison as he stared into the depths of the amulet. He was worried about what might be transpiring between his new acquaintance and the mage trapped within the item.

Addison was, indeed, in contact with Carrick. The trapped mage was whispering insidious promises of power into Addison’s mind. With the amulet around his neck, Addison could become an unstoppable force.

This went against Addison’s nature, but the sheer power of Carricks persuasive suggestions brought forth images that were hard to resist. Addison saw all evilness wiped from the land. People lived and worked together in harmony. There was no sadness, grief, anger, or pain. Everyone was happy with themselves, their neighbors, and especially, their ruler – Addison Sinclair, Arch-Magi.

The illusion of power and prestige offered by Carrick was intoxicating. But Addison realized that it was only an illusion. It would be impossible for people to live together without disagreements or strife of some type. His monastery training had taught him that perfect harmony an ultimately unobtainable goal.

“You paint a pretty picture, mage, but I will not be a pawn in your evil scheme” Addison replied.

“You are mistaken, young master,” came the velvety reply, “neither I nor the amulet are inherently evil. We are merely instruments used to further the goals and desires of our possessor. Do not blame the weapon for the actions of its owner. With the proper guidance, we could be just as powerful a force for good as we were for evil under Baz’guuls direction.”

Addison rubbed his temples wearily. He knew there was no reason to trust Carrick. He had every reason to lie – but what if he wasn’t? What if he were telling the truth? Addison felt certain that TAO would want the amulet destroyed, but Sir Blandamour seemed to favor keeping it to aid their cause. And his goals and desires – unlike Lady TAO’s – were exhibited for public display.

Time was growing short. The preparations to travel to Korup-Shun were almost complete. He had to make a decision. He looked at the “gardener” across the table from him and asked him to repeat the instructions for destroying the amulet. He then approached the group and explained his decision. The amulet was simply too great an evil to keep around. A few objections were voiced, but none strenuously.

Once they reached the building containing the guardians and hammer, Addison turned to Ni Deng.

“I must ask you to remain outside.”
Ni Deng looked at him apprehensively, so Addison explained.

“You are the only other person with the knowledge of how to destroy this amulet. Should I fail, it will fall to you to complete the task.”

The monk relaxed visibly at the explanation, confident at last that the relic had not corrupted this young mage.

“It will take me a few minutes to enter the building, bypass the guardians, and cast some appropriate preparatory spells. If I do not return within a reasonable time, alert the others and come seek me out.”

Ni Deng nodded in reluctant agreement and took up a position where he could watch Addison until he passed the first guardian.

All went well and Addison soon found himself inside the room described by Ni Deng. There was the hammer and anvil, exactly as he said they would be. Addison cast spells of protection he felt he would need, then he turned towards the doorway and cast Wall of Stone. If anything went wrong, he did not want the others injured.

Carricks telepathic pleas became more desperate as Addison positioned the anvil towards the now blocked door as instructed. He removed the hammer and placed the amulet onto the anvil.

“PLEASE, I beseech you to reconsider. We could rule together. I will give you all the power you could ever want. You will be a god.” Carrick begged as the hammer rose.

Addison paused for just a moment, then brought the hammer crashing down.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!”

The entire group heard a loud explosion from within the building. Ni Deng entered first and – as soon as he was out of sight from the others – sprinted down the hallway with a speed that defied his aged appearance. Sir Blandamour, Eliza, Galadria, and Kishin arrived shortly behind him. Together, they leaned and shoved against the Stone Wall until it toppled inward.

The walls and ceiling of the inner chamber were scorched black from the heat of the explosion. Addison lay against the far wall. He still held the hammer in his right hand and blood ran from his nose and mouth. The impact with the wall had cancelled his Stoneskin and his flesh was badly burned from the flames. Ni Deng looked towards the anvil. The only evidence he saw of the amulet was a few broken and twisted links from the chain.

Addison was barely conscious as Blandamour and Galadria knelt down to pick him up.

“It is done”, he whispered. Then slumped in their arms, surrendering to unconsciousness at last.

[Cyril Darkcloud]

ooc: Thanks for the welcome, Mistral!

Just so we can keep those numerically challenged [img]graemlins/blueblink.gif[/img] druids straight these are their names:
Iphigenia
Miriam
Claudia
Ligeia - whom I am about to introduce

Ullalume is the 5th member of the group, but she is not a druid.

It is a wonderful night of cool air and clear skies. Her eyes catch the starlight and reflect it playfully back to the heavens as she sits against the old willow. Aesop places a whitish gray paw upon her leg at the arrival of the scent of the one she has come to meet. Ligeia rises to her feet and tosses her red hair playfully in the autumn wind. She reaches the entrance just as the worried man comes stumbling out his face drawn tight with panic. Placing a hand upon his shoulder she laughs softly behind him, a laugh that grows stronger as he jumps in fright.

Turning to the young woman, his gaze is captured by the playful dancing of starlight in her eyes. “It really is a beautiful night, don’t you think? The kind of night that causes ones’ cares to vanish without a trace,” her voice is soft and moves with the same sensual playfulness of her eyes.

It is a struggle to concentrate, but he must try as the young woman does not know the danger she is in. “My lady, you must flee! They are right behind me! Come, we must hurry!” The words leave his mouth in desperate, almost panting, breaths.

Again she laughs. “No, no, my friend. I am in no danger at all on a night such as this.” She smiles and moves close to him resting her hand once more upon his shoulders. “Isn’t that right, Aesop?” The large wolf growls softly from behind the man and he jumps once more. Still her eyes hold his and her hand presses more firmly upon his shoulder. “Really now,” she smiles, “a secret passage ..... that is neither very original nor especially clever, is it, my friend?” Her breath is warm upon his face.

“Why .... uh ..... no, miss, I suppose it isn’t. But it fooled them, it did, the five of them.”

“Did it indeed? The five of them you say? Yes, I suppose you would have noted five wolves,” she laughs softly delighted in the confusion over their numbers on the part of one who thought to know them.

“Please, miss, we must hurry .... the danger .....”

“I have already told you,” she smiles, “I am in no danger at all, my friend.” A soft snarl rises from her throat. “No, I am the danger.”

The cold and clear air rings briefly with a man’s desperate screams and once more all is silent and another concern vanishes without a trace.

[mistral4543]

OOC>>> Sorry to hear about your fiance, TAO [img]graemlins/verysad.gif[/img] But really glad to see you back Cerek - that was a pretty long post, not to mention interesting twist [img]smile.gif[/img] And Cyril, great post too [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img] Well-done, all [img]graemlins/thewave.gif[/img]

IC>>>
Isaura

She jumps at the burning touch of Raymond's hand upon her shoulder, reflexively drawing it back but relenting as she catches his hurt look ~ "I... I was just wondering about this scar on my face." ~ Muttering and feeling rather foolish, she examines her feet ~ "What a violent past I must have had..." ~ Inhaling deeply before hurrying on ~ "... but I am grateful. After all, I'd be dead by now if it weren't for Galadria." ~ She slowly tilts her head upwards and gives him a reluctant smile, before turning to look for Galadria ~ "She seems to be rather busy at the moment, or I'd express my thanks again."

[Galadria]

GALADRIA (Hearing her name, she is startled out of a fantasy in which she has just revealed to Blandamour that Eliza is a succubus in disguise, she turns rather guiltily to Isaura) "Yes, my dear, did you call me?"

ELIZA (She looks around rather franically for TAO. She must speak to her of the thing that she found in Blandamour's saddlebags.)

[Legolas]

Ni Deng

Ni Deng took the hammer from Addison and reverently touched the warm silver head to his own forehead. He was pleased at the way this had worked out, but both the hammer and the anvil would need to be brought to another place, and a select handful of guardians would need to be told of it's new location. This room would no longer do.
It was unfortunate the amulet caused such destruction, but Ni Deng was at the same time glad it had. It proved Carrick had believed his bluf.
The hammer was designed for a different purpose than the destruction of the amulet, and could do nothing to smash it apart. Instead, fearing its destruction, the amulet had decided to destroy itself as the hammer came down. By channeling more power than nessecary, it shattered with an explosion at the last second. Carrick's final act of malice. Also the reason Ni Deng didn't want to be in the room swinging the hammer himself.
But indeed, things had worked out fine, and the rune-inscribed hammer was still in one piece.

With the town the site of a battle, looters would probably arrive soon, so the hammer and anvil would need to be taken away to another city. He wondered if he could get someone to carry them to an appropriate place for him.

Hearing shuffling feet behind him, the bald man spun around as slowly as he could. A young woman peered into the room, looking rather forlorn. (OOC: Skye )

"Good day to you, young one. I am being Ni Deng, a humble gardener. Who are we having the pleasure of meeting?"

[ 06-05-2002, 11:39 AM: Message edited by: Legolas ]