Part 7>>>The Shadow of Love (an LoF adventure)

[Larry_OHF]

Last post on previous thread

• Anarrima, Yevauld and Vincent have entered sub-level two of the Secret Castle under Lesismoore. Marcos has been captured and is being killed by the magic of the Unknown Clerics.
• Larry, Joseph, Senora and Morgie are within the Tower of Shadow, dealing with their first encounter of trouble.
• Tao works against time and the end of her life to secure the ley lines. Plaxica had completed his required work on them, but has now had the fortune of being found by his wife and the son that he has never known.
• Cyril is confronting the Mage of Shadow outside the limits of the game.
• Kynnen the drow fights for his life against a subterranian creature.
• Myron is sneaking about in the Historical Archives of the Forums.
• Andrion and Nanashi are within the Tower of Shadow, unaware of intruders.
• Mistral's time is coming up in this, the last chapter of this book.
• The Reaper has a pending storyline that will be envoked in the next book.

Did I get everyone, not counting my millions of minions and freelance beasts?

[ 06-06-2006, 08:57 AM: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]

[Elif Godson]

Vincent Pathfinder 98/98

Just before the door's were opened Vincent reached down and picked up Silt's blades. " These may come in handy in the mean time till I can try and figure out where he hail's from and return them to his family " With that he attached them to his gear and then reached
inside one of his breast pockets and pulled out a small silken black bag that almost seemed to glow. " It isnt much, but this little gem has saved me many time's in places of darkness. I will use it if necessary." Yevaud threw open the door's and they stepped through into a grim situation.

[ 11-04-2005, 10:09 AM: Message edited by: Elif Godson ]

[Cyril Darkcloud]

Posting on behalf of Senora

She had been content to follow silently behind the others until this point, a silence necessary not only due to her puzzlement as to why her deity would require her to cast her lot with this peculiar group of people but also as here unlike anyplace she has ever been she feels herself vulnerable and at risk in her giftedness. There is something about this place, something that intruded upon her emotive sensitivity even outside of the formidable dark walls, something confident and malignant, something near, something whose speech echoes notes of evil within tones of feigned pleasantry. Something whose speech echoes......

Her fingers seek out the symbol of her deity and tighten around it. To be gifted – cursed perhaps is a better word - with such sensitivity in a place such as this! Why? She is not new to her gifts and has learned to master them, to protect and defend herself against the sudden intrusion of powerful emotions. But here in this place, hearing the sound of this voice......

There is no defense. Nor any protection at all from a hatred so intense. No defense at all save, save perhaps one. She groans. Her mind shuts down. And she collapses.

ooc: Haven't heard from Salinye so I'm going to use her inactivity to add a bit of atmosphere to the happenings in the tower. This will also allow us to remove her character from the action pending her return to posting.

[ 11-01-2005, 12:10 PM: Message edited by: Cyril Darkcloud ]

[Cyril Darkcloud]

Joseph

The woman’s sure been quiet. Hasn’t said a thing since they were outside the tower. Not that he was really hoping for conversation, but he figured she’d at least mutter some kind of prayer or ask a question of two or even give some of that bland and pompous advice holy types are supposed to give before a group goes into a place like this. And dammit! He feels cheated. A guy has a right to hear that kind of bland an pompous stuff at times like this.

Must be the gift. It figures an empath would need to keep her guard up in a joint like this.

The others are too busy with that Echo character to pay much attention to either him or the woman, and truth be told, he’s too busy listening to pay her much attention either. Hell, folks got a right to see to their own sanity without the rest of the world staring at ‘em. Or, then a gain, maybe she’s studying this Echo guy hoping to learn a thing or two – now that would come in real handy.

There is a shift in the shadows of the room, a shift produced by a light that is moving. The dame had a bit of light about her hand. This can’t be good. While the big guy and Larry continue speaking to the Echo he turns toward Senora. Her eyes are closed and there is a pained expression on her face. Nope. Not good at all. Her hands are wavering. She groans and the she falls.

Good manners and simple human decency would dictate that a guy step up at a moment like this and catch her before she hits the ground. But she’s better off out of commission if she’s run into something that overwhelming and he needs to keep folks off-balance, and that means everyone. He watches her collapse, wincing inwardly as her head strikes the stone floor of the tower.

“Now that had to hurt!”

He bends down to see to her condition. Her features are breathtaking, but best for the lady that he draw attention away from them. “Out like a light,” he says. Looking up to Larry he winks and says, “This mage of shadows guy must be something else with the ladies if dames just drop like this for his echo.” Her breathing is slow but apparently normal. Of course he ain’t the one to be making serious medical judgments. But hell – sometimes a guy’s gotta risk doing just that and so he looks up once more, a grave expression on his face, and in the most serious and formal tone he can muster says, “She’ll live. But I’m afraid she’ll be dealing with quite a contusion and the swelling will take some time to subside.” As he speaks he pulls the folds of her hood over the main part of her face. Again he winks, “On the street we’d say that means she’s got one nasty bump there and it’s gonna take an awful lotta makeup to cover that bruise.”

[dplax]

Plaxica and company

“Plaxica, is everything all right?” – Ramella asked, anxious seeing that Plaxica had been standing motionless after her last question. It took a moment for Plaxica to step out of the pseudo-trance he had been in. He had learnt much in the last few minutes, but he did not understand all. Many things were left unexplained. He could see what the spirit wanted, but the reasons were sometimes not too clear.

“Yes, everything is fine. You were right. I can see what the spirit thinks.” – He replied and took Ramella’s hand reassuringly. She looked into his eyes, a questioning, anxious look lingering there, despite Plaxica’s reassurances.

“For some reason the spirit does not really want me to stop going to see the Windbringer, even though it might remove him from inside of me, therefore ending his existence. Most of the other things I saw, were not this disquieting, although there were some other unexplained points. For example there are several blanks in the spirit’s memory, where I am sure there should be something. What makes this even more interesting is that this fact also surprised the spirit. He hadn’t noticed it himself.”

Ramella did not know whether what she was hearing should be reassuring or disquieting. She simply nodded, thinking hard at what Plaxica had just told her.

You shouldn’t have seen that. – Plaxica heard inside of his head.

This way we play with our cards visible. I can see what you think, and you can see what I think, makes it much harder for us to trick each other, doesn’t it?

Yo no creo…I mean I’m not sure that I like that.

It did not come as a surprise to Plaxica that the spirit spoke more than one language. What came as a surprise was that when he went to look for knowledge of the language in the spirit’s memories he did not find it. Was it possible that he could not gain some of the knowledge the spirit had? Maybe it was something like flying. You had to learn it yourself.

OOC: Cyril told me that the purple for the spirit might be hard to read, so I changed it to white.

[ 11-01-2005, 02:36 PM: Message edited by: dplax ]

[Larry_OHF]

For the Castle Team

Stepping through the door, the three would-be heroes found themselves facing off against a daedroth. It is in the back of the room, and when it sees the party, it comes running. Since Yevaud came through the door first he is further along in the room, so it runs to meet him.


Note: I would not suggest trying to escape. This guy will be able to follow us and join any other trouble we may encounter.


================================================== =============================
Larry 23/23

Larry was in his own little mental world when he heard a thump, followed by a mumble by Joseph.

What had happened to Senora? Larry looked about, wondering if something had attacked her. For what it had appeared, only Echo was here.

He intruded on Morgie's answer to Echo.

"Echo?! What has happened to the lady? Have you attacked her? Answer me!!"

"I no longer answer to the old Master...old master...master"

"Forgive my bluntness of the fact...of the fact...fact"

There was no time to waste in trying to get an echo to answer. Larry decided that they needed to get out of this place as fast as possible. In his day, he could have carried Mistral a thousand miles if she needed it, but these days...Larry was not the man he used to be. More like a weak, empty shell. A mere...well to hell with it...an ECHO of what he once was. Damn the crude logic in that sentence. There was just too much of that in this game.

"Morgie! Take up Senora and let's get out of here! We cannot play with these shadows any longer!"

The Echo said nothing, but instead had its own agenda. It had observed the party and decided that they had outlived their usefulness for entertainment. It was time.

Through the halls, up stairs that were dark, and around corners where beasts laid in wait...the echos of this party travelled.


..."Who...is that?"
..."There is nothing physical here that I can detect"
..."You...I remember you being a servant of me when I was the Mage..."
..."I will be happy to have lived up to my oaths, whatever price I pay for that will I will gladly pay."
...“this is my first time in this joint.”
..."My name is Morguerat"

The echoed voices carried to the ears of a sleeping owl named Andrion and the agitated were-tiger named Nanashi.


OOC>>>Senora would have known, and Joseph may know that something has just happened...but to the other two, it is oblivious that sound has travelled in any way other than its natural way.

Originally posted by Larry_OHF: For the Castle Team Stepping through the door, the three would-be heroes found themselves facing off against a daedroth. It is in the back of the room, and when it sees the party, it comes running.* Since Yevaud came through the door first he is further along in the room, so it runs to meet him.

For Yevauld:

* Yevauld, your perception of the daedroth tells you vital information about its attack procedure. It pauses momentarily in mid-step and rears its head back slightly.


Anarrima continues to prepare her prayer spell.

[ 06-23-2006, 01:46 PM: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]

[Morgeruat]

OOC I still haven't heard how big this thing is...

IC:Yevaud 42/45

Seeing the creature charging Yevaud sprinted to the right, increasing the distance between himself and the party, "Vince, Ana, spread out and hit it, HARD." He braced himself defensively, prepared to roll with whatever attack was made against him, he recalled the words of his trainers, attack hit here... best defense... no be there... and prayed that it would work.

[ 11-03-2005, 09:19 AM: Message edited by: Morgeruat ]

[Larry_OHF]

For Kynnen: The tentacle that had paralyzed Kynnen with its stingers wrapped around his legs and held on tightly as it began to drag him backwards on the ground toward the murky lake. The skeleton that was Kivmor Snowdale called out to the doomed drow. "Dark-skinned one! I might help you if you will return the service! What say you, doomed one?"

More for the drow, Kynnen

The drow did not immediately answer, and the tentacle pulled its dark meat ever nearer to the murky lake where devouring a drow would be so much the preference over gritty rats and bats that had been its meal for too long.

The undead that had been Sir Snowdale stared on with hollow sockets where eyes used to be, yet still seeing the grim scene unfold in front of it. Maybe the paralysis has numbed his tongue that he cannot speak... the skeletal figure with no legs reasoned.
Just then, the heroic yet still very much dead lord Snowdale decided that he could not lay idly by and let this drow die in front of him, no matter how evil the race was. He took to his hands, balancing upon them as though they were his proper feet and ran across the cavern, leaping upon the tentacle of the creature submerged and scraped at it with his bony claws and ancient teeth.

The tentacle let go of its prey, intent on getting rid of this strange attacker. It changed course with the end of the tentacle and tried to sting the skeleton, but was not able to. However, this was a stupid creature that did not know that bones meant no meat to paralize and so assumed that it had to continue stinging and attacking to subdue its tormentor. Another tentacle shot out of the water, grabbed the skeleton, and pulled in the opposite direction as the first. The undead knight was pulled in-two yet fought on, for it had no need of its body, as long as the upper torso still had a head. This stupid lake monster was not so stupid as to not think of this, and so the head was the next thing to go. It rolled along the ground while the monster under the water pulled the wrecked body under the water. After but a moment, a few bones come shooting out again, landing several feet away. The monster had not liked its meal. It decided that bothering the drow was not so important now, and so its tentacles gave up their search for food today. Instead, they stayed low and were nursed for all their scratches.

"Great. Now I have no body.

Hey drow! Might you assist with the burdon of carrying me out of here? I so long to see the light of day again."


For the Castle Group:

The daedroth had its attack ready and aimed at the elf that was aggressively approaching it. It was aware of a female elf that stood by the door, but the attack would not reach her. It was unaware of the half-elf thief who skitted into the shadows as the door was opened. Therefore, it figured that the female was too frightened to move, and this heroic male was too foolish to live any longer. It released its breath weapon.

A plume of noxious gas erupted from the mouth of the beast, spreading its way across the room and through Yevauld's breathing space. There, it lingered in the area, poisoning the air that the elf breathed. Its charge at the brave one resumed. However, this day the elf's life would be spared. As nimble as a bladesinger is, one cannot be caught very easily. A quick side-step of Yevauld...and he escaped the main focus point of the cloud. However, some still clung about him, and stung him with its vile recipe.

OOC>>>

* Vincent successfully entered the shadows and the daedroth is not aware of him.

* Anarrima is still in a trance-like state while praying for a great power to be bestowed upon her that she might cast a good spell. These things take time.

* Yevauld has taken 10 points of poison damage from the attack. He has one turn left before the creature would have time to clear the distance and get to him since it paused to spit. The poison sticks about him, causing multi-round damage. Each round, his HP will drop until cured or death take him.

[ 06-23-2006, 01:47 PM: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]

[Elif Godson]

Vincent Pathfinder 98/98


He almost lost focus when they stepped into the room, the creature on the opposite side was something from a nightmare, the kind of creature that your parent's warned you about that went bump in the night. It was only a moment of fear and he ragained his focus. Slipping into the shadow's he knew his own weapon's would be useless against such a beast, and so since he had them he thought why not. grasping Silt's blades but not usheathing them he crept into position just as the creature exhaled a gas of some sort. He said a silent prayer for the remaining member's of the group and then prepared to thrust the weapons home.

ooc> I rewrote my previous post a bit explaining how I got Silt's weapons if there is any question on the matter.

[ 11-04-2005, 10:16 AM: Message edited by: Elif Godson ]

[dplax]

Andrion Wilgor 22/22

He was abruptly yanked out of his dreams, by a voice, a voice which strangely resembled an echo. Wait a moment. It was an echo. And not just any echo. It was Echo himself. Andrion had met him during his previous stay in the Tower.

..."You...I remember you being a servant of me when I was the Mage..."

The voice even though it clearly bore the mark of Echo on it, resembled one other voice. Andrion realised that it would be too big a coincidence, for what he was thinking not to be true. He still only had an owl's body, and his main function was only the gathering of information, but he decided to have a look around. Larry was back in the tower he had created.

The only trouble was that he could not be sure which direction the echo had come from. In an enclosed space it could have come from anywhere. He decided on flying towards the most logical destination, where intruders could penetrate the tower, and made his way towards the lower levels, hoping he would hear some more guidance before he got there. Larry did not seem to be alone.

[ 11-04-2005, 01:15 PM: Message edited by: dplax ]