# Twisted Infinity



## Wrahn (Sep 4, 2004)

Tares Hehrog~

Early morning brought out the castle staff at the Grand Palace of King Therdes, though in truth it was neither grand nor a palace. It had once been the military stronghold of the Camecian Kingdom, when Camecia was nothing more than a wild province of the once great Uldan Empire. Uldan had crumbled under it's own weight, leaving a power vacuum which Therdes ancestors were quick to try and fill. Over the years it had been added to, Teriphan, Therdes' father had even attempted to make the place livable, declaring the place his Grand Palace. Terriphan had been too much of a pragmatist to pay for the rebuilding necessary to convert it. So it remained a gilded fortress, albeit with a new name.

Watching from his perch at the top of the tower, he could see the castle staff scurry about their individual tasks like so many ants. Individually their tasks were unimportant, collectively, their tasks made the "Grand Palace" function.

Tares shook his head to clear it, such idle musing did not suit him well. He had been up all night working on a new way to analyze the stone he had recovered from the ruins at Elsenveihn. The analysis had worked, but hadn't told him anything he had not already known.

Elsenveihn was a site of great power that pre dated human civilization. It resided in the far north, where nothing grew. A vast wasteland of ice, nothing but snow moved on it's surface, but beneath the ice, terrible creatures lived. Underneath the great glaciers resting on the ground which may have never felt the sun or warmth was the ruins of a great city, a city named Elsenveihn.

It was now the home of a degenerate race of white skinned humanoids who called themselves the Kaulth, which, unoriginally meant The People in their language. They worshipped something that had lived there far longer than they. The Great Ice Wyrm Ishlan'tevalin. 

Elsenveihn had come to his attention in his studies, among the journals of an old adventurers journal.  His descriptions of the location was a clear indication of great magic.

Tares Hehrog rose to power through hard work, ferreting out secrets and learning from them, but for the past several years he had not made any head way. He knew there was more, deeper mysteries of magic, but was unable to find the key to unlocking them. If what he suspected was true, Elsenveihn could have the secrets he was looking for.

He had used his magic to circumvent the usual trouble of traveling to such a remote location and with relatively little flattery and bribery he was able to secure the assistance of Ishlan'tevelin. The Dragon had confided in him that Elsenveihn was ancient when she had come here in her youth, long before the Kaulth had come.  She didn't seem concerned over the origin of the place, though she did note several places where magic worked differently in the ruins. As a parting gift she gave Tares a small stone, from one of the places where magic did not work correctly. She told him that she believed that their were other such places and the elves might know more.

For the past three months he had been experimenting with the stone. While it was very clear the stone had been effected my magics beyond his ken. He had been at a complete loss to understanding how the basic metaphysical properties had been altered. Here before him he had his proof that there were greater magic than what he knew. But he was unable to grasp it, to make even the slightest inroads on how it he might unlock it‘s secrets.

His peers, if you could call them that, would be of no use. Even those he could vaguely stomach did not have his understanding of magic.  Finally this morning, he had exhausted the last test he could think of.  The elves may be the last resort.

Elves kept to themselves mostly, some occasionally wandered out to see the rest of the world, but mostly the existed quietly in the Evoreal Forest and did not interfere with the affairs of Man. The Uldan Empire had tried to annex the forest in their height of arrogance, but when they tried to enforce that edict, they found their legions destroyed and the magics repulsed. The elves sanctum was inviolate as long as the First Oak stood.

One did not simply walk into the home of the elves.  At best you found yourself disoriented and walking back out the way you came, at worst you didn’t come out at all.  The elves were not complete recluses, however and it was not unheard of to be invited into their presence if one had need.  The question was, how can he get word to the elves of his need.


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## Someone (Sep 4, 2004)

OOC: Note that Tares will cast every day Mind Blank and Darkvision.

Seated in his expensive chair, Tares has the impulse to sweep the pile of books out of the table, or turn them into something more useful, like a bundle of teddy bears. After all, he can recite every word. He has milked every ounce of arcane wisdom, extracted every bit of magical knowledge of them. He can level cities, turn into -almost- anything, bring some of the most powerful beings in the multiverse and force them to do his bidding, spy and talk to anyone, no matter where he is, and travel so fast and easily that "distance" is starting to lose it´s meaning. Surely, those pompous and senile ´master wizards´ could think it´s enough.

But not Tares. The day that thought shows in his mind, he´ll point to his temple with the index finger and cast disintegrate.

The archmage stops walking around the room. Those dark clouds are things of the past. He returns to the stone: it promises new magic, a new _form_ of magic. But he has no clue about how to start. None of his methods work. But still...

He´s loathe to ask the elves for help. This won´t be the first time a bunch or arrogant ´we are cool and you are not´ nerds reject him. Tares consider the alternatives, and discards them one by one; after all, trying to enter with permision seems to be the wisest thing to do; after all, it worked with the dragon. And _Sending_ seems to be the right tool to the task.

OOC: Tares will put all his resources to the task of contacting one of the elf rulers. First, if he knows one of them enough to issue a Sending to him, he´ll do. If not, and he knows an elf he´ll use Greater Scrying on him, travel to his position using the Mirror, and ask him about the elven realm and who rules it.

In the case he doesn´t know any elf, then he´ll have to look for one. Using the Mirror, travel to the main cities and cast Greater Prying Eyes, with orders to "find an elf and report". Repeat until I meet one.


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## Wrahn (Sep 4, 2004)

Bishop Kross~

The narrow streets were decorated by the occasional vagrant and the contents of a chamber pot which the residence in this part of the city had a tendency to throw out their doors.

Say what you want about the Aserians, sure they were heartless bastards who didn't mind the occasional human sacrifice, but at least they could keep the streets clean of refuse, both the human and otherwise.

They had conquered the Parrian Confederation a few years ago. With  a huge army of fanatical follower, they crushed what little resistance the Confederation could muster and quickly lay siege to the various member city states. Parria, the largest most prosperous of the states was burnt to the ground, it's people put to the sword. Most of the other cities surrendered to avoid the same fate.  Sharo was a member of the Confederation that had been controlled by a council, which had all been put to death when they had surrendered to the Aserians. 

Truthfully though, that had not overly concerned the Black Cloaks, the criminal organization which operated in Sharo and a few other cities in the Confederation. One government trying to stop their business was much the same as any other government. Or so they had thought.

Once the Aserians defeated a country with their military, then came what they called the divine order of Keopt, the most polite thing the non-Aserians called them was the Thought Police, at least out of their earshot.  The Thought Police would randomly grab people and put them under the question. Using their psionic power to rip through their minds looking for thoughts of disloyalty. Those that passed were released, those that didn't were tortured to death so that pain could "purify" their souls.

Which is what caused the unlike role the Black Cloaks were cast in. In the Black Cloaks business, loyalty to the current regime was not something that was considered a benefit. The Thought Police, rapidly exposed the Black Cloaks from information ripped from the minds of one of a hapless Cloak that had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Aserians captured most of the Guild and was preparing to "purify" them, when a small handful of men, the remainder of the Black Cloaks, broke into the prison and freed their fellows.

The Black Cloaks realized that they could never operate in a city under such control, began assassinating the Seer-Priests who ran the Divine Order of Keopt.  Soon news of their deeds spread.  The Black Cloaks, at least in the stories, had become the noble rogues attempting to free their city from the cruel clutches of the Aserians.  They had become the symbol of the resistance.  People flocked to their “banner”, though in truth the Cloaks really didn’t care one way or another, they were just trying to run a business.  They added the Resistance in small ways, both because the Aserians would be more likely to focus their efforts on the Resistance and that the Aserians were bad for business.  Besides they were making a fortune smuggling weapons and men.

Sharo was on he verge of armed revolt when word came that the Aserian armies had been routed by the forces of the Empire of the Golden Sun.  Realizing this was the time to strike, the Resistance rose up and overcame their oppressors.  The Black Cloaks had helped and even managed to loot some of the wealthier homes that the Aserian leadership had taken for their own.  The Black Cloaks had annoyingly become heroes, legendary figures, champions of the oppressed, liberators of Sharo.

That was two years ago. Business had slowly returned to normal, Sharo was now the Free City of Sharo. The Empire of the Golden Sun had conquered a few of the cities that were once part of the Parrian Confederation. The Aserians held a few more, but Sharo was free and neither the Empire or the Aserians seemed to be willing to commit the forces necessary to take her.

The new council, ironically, had two "former" Black Cloaks on it, which included Kaven Dusk, the leader of the Black Cloaks, to whom Bishop Kross had been summoned.

Kaven was a pragmatic man who ran the Cloaks with an iron fist.  Not exactly without a conscience, he certainly wasn’t the Noble Rogue that he currently painted himself as.  Bishop had known him for years, some might have called them friends, but their relationship was more of a mutually beneficial association.

Bishop was a little concerned over the way Kaven had been running things the past few years.  He had originally taken the position for an advantage, but he had become more and more involved with the operation of the city and less and less involved with the Black Cloaks.  Truthfully Bishop thought that Kaven had bought into his own press.

This morning, when he had received a message to meet Kaven at his office seemed to be a great departure, as he strictly kept Cloak business separate from his council business.  It didn’t seem to bode well for things to come.


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## Wrahn (Sep 4, 2004)

Tares Hehrog~

A few years ago, a young woman had come to the "Grand Palace" and offered her service to King Therdes as a minstrel.  Her name was Aerya Selvanus, she was born of an elf and a man.  And her haunting ethereal music had easily won the King's favor.

Tares had not concerned himself overly much with her.  She certainly could play music that could move even him, but she was aloof and distant.  He had always gotten the impression of deep sorrow coming from her.  However, she may have connections back in the forest.

She usually keeps to her rooms in the palace, it should not be overly difficult to find her.


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## Someone (Sep 5, 2004)

*Tares, sorcerer/archmage*



			
				Wrahn said:
			
		

> She usually keeps to her rooms in the palace, it should not be overly difficult to find her.




When he remembers the singer, Tares strokes his beard a few times. It´s a start, though a full elf would have been better. He _feather falls_ down the tower and looks for a servant to announce her his visit "for her advice on matters of great magical importance". Tares waits just outside her room.


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## Wrahn (Sep 5, 2004)

Tares Hehrog~

The servant which you had sent, opens the door to her room, he averts his eyes from Tares, keeping them lowered lest he offends him.

There are doubtlessly terrible rumors that circulate the servants about the Arch Sorcerer.  They always seemed to give Tares a wide berth and when he did address them they all seemed to jump like the were expecting him to summon a demon to gobble them up.

“She will see you milord.” The servant said, getting out of his way as quickly as he could.  At least they were polite.

The sitting room Tares enter is decorated lightly, but tastefully.  Such accommodations would generally not be afforded a simple minstrel, but Aerya had the King’s favor and was by accounts a master of her craft.  

Aerya herself was standing, looking out the rooms only small window.  The times Tares had seen her, when he felt it necessary to go to a court function, she had always be in austere gowns, with her blond hair held back.  Her beauty had been undeniable then, even as she tried to de-emphasize it.  Here, with her hair down, in a simple dress, with the morning sun streaming on to her, she was breath taking.

She pauses a moment as Tares enters.  Delicately she curtseys, “Lord Arch Sorcerer.  I apologize for not being ready to receive guests.  Your request caught me a little off guard, I am afraid.”  Her voice carries a slight airy accent.

“May I offer you some tea?” She offers as she moves across the room to a small tea set.


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## Someone (Sep 5, 2004)

Tares briefly remembers his years working in the familiar business, and studying magic at night. There was little time for girls then; with the desire of solving the stone´s mystery burning in his mind, he feels the same way. But, when was the last time? perhaps when he ate? Asks himself looking at the ring in his left hand. Nevermind.

“No need to apologize; it´s been a long time since my reputation made me… trascend social mores. Call me Tares if you like, if you like. About the tea, no thanks: my taste for it went the same way of my politeness long ago. And that would extend this visit beyond the strictly needed: time is precious for me.”

“I´ll go to the point, if you don´t mind. I have the pressing need to discuss some matters of magic with the elves of the Evoreal forest. I have means of contacting them through magical means, but those could be interpreted as unpolite at nest, and hostile at worst: a bad way to start a conversation. Thus, before using these means I pretend to try the old fashioned way, as I did with you, who by the way, I presume are the closest person that could inform me of the customs of your… ancestors. Am I wrong?”


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## Wrahn (Sep 7, 2004)

Tares Hehrog~

Aerya considers your words, “Please, sit.”

She will sit gracefully in the chair across from you, there is a long pause, but finally she speaks, “You must understand, the elven tradition of magic is different from… ours.  The elves don’t have great academies, but generally teach directly from teacher to student.  A student usually inherits the knowledge of their teacher when it is time for the teacher to pass.  So their tends to be a great storehouse of magical knowledge going back several elven generations, but it is in no way centralized.  Each “tower” has the studies of the previous generations.”

“So it is in no way centralized.  It is also not hoarded.  Most of the elven arcanists make welcome anyone who wishes to study at their libraries, they view it as part of their duties.  None the less they may deny you, as you are not an elf.”

“As fortune would have it, my mother holds the Saehdrin Tower.  She may be sympathetic to your request, if you mention me.  Though she, more than any of the other tower holders, may be inclined to dany you.”

She reaches to her neck and takes off a beautiful locket, “This is her Missive Token, I will allow you to use it, if your need is urgent.”

“She will probably not agree right away, the elves have a tendency to consider their options carefully." 

(OOC:  Tares knows Missive Token is an arcane spell that is cast on a object allowing the possessor of the object send a message (as sending) to the caster.  The spell persists until it is used and does not have a significant material component to it.)


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## Someone (Sep 8, 2004)

Tares laughs when Aerya mentions “traditions” and his eyes spark. “That won´t be a problem. I´m my own reputed master, and my tradition, like they say, it´s eternal, without start or end.”

Then Aerya gives him the locket, and the archmage closes his fist around it. “I´m very grateful for this gift; I sense it´s of great importance to you. If any day I can do something to you in return, you have only to look for me.”

“By the way, it would help to know your mother´s name. That certainly help when trying to start a conversation”

Saying that, he bows slightly before the minstrel and comes out of the room. Knowing that a Sending allows for a limited number of words, so while returning to his tower, he carefully thinks on the message. He writes several in a piece of parchment and chooses the most convincing of them:

“GREETINGS; MY NAME´S TARES HEHROG. I COME TO YOU WITH YOUR DAUGHTER´S AERYA HELP TO SEEK YOUR KNOWLEDGE IN PROFOUND MATTERS OF MAGIC.”


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## Wrahn (Sep 9, 2004)

Glangim, Ata, and Shifter~

Ata, Glangim, and the Shifter could smell the change in the air. They had spent three weeks on an extended patrol with a detachment of the best scouts Dun Faerin had to offer. There had been reports of strange movements from the Flayer’s outpost and considering the previous association the dwarves of the Dun had had with them, it was deemed high priority to keep a foot of their activities.

When they had arrived at the stinking Flayer hole, they found it abandon. At that point, most of the scouts were sent back to carry word, the three companions had followed the retreating Illithid. Traveling deep into the bowels of the earth, they traveled through territory no sane being would dare cross. 

The Illithid, paranoid as always, collapsed tunnels behind them, making following them difficult. On the twelfth day they caught a break. A few strange sounds behind them was a clear indication that they were being followed. They had set a trap and captured a goblin scout, a scout for the Drow.

With a little convincing, the goblin told them all they needed to figure out what was going on. The Flayers had over extended themselves with the attack on Dun Faerin. The Drow could smell weakness a mile away and they had launched an all out attack to bring the Flayers to their knees. The Flayers were bringing in their outposts to defend themselves.

While the hated enemies of the dwarves cut away at themselves, they could not cut at Dun Faerin. As the patrol started to return, the realization that the way to Aengkin was now virtually clear began to sink in. They knew that Balin Steelbiter, the lord of Dun Faerin was willing to give them supplies and people to reestablish the deep home of the dwarves, he was just waiting for both the opportunity, which had now presented itself and for Glangim to declare himself.

These thoughts wore heavy on Glangim's mind as he felt the air pressure change as the Deepgate was opened. Seeing the city again was a comfort, though as they stepped in and saw the city banners draped in black. The city was in mourning, someone had died, someone important.


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## Ashy (Sep 9, 2004)

Ata slowly, deliberately removes the deep cowl of his hood and squints his crystalline amethyst eyes at the sight before him.  One of his thick, crystaline-encrusted eyebrows raises slowly and he looks to Glangim.  "This bodes not well", Ata states simply, his thick accent making each word sound like the tolling of a funeral bell.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Sep 9, 2004)

Shifter gazes around impassively, eyes taking in all the sights, saying nothing.

OOC: Whew, it's going to be interesting trying to avoid gender pronouns.


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## Wrahn (Sep 9, 2004)

Tares Hehrog~

Aerya laughs almost musically, “Of course, she has always been “mother” to me, but I imagine that would be awkward for you.  Forgive me; her name is Lady Elusriel Selvanus.  Elves rarely stand on formality, so I will not bore you with her titles.”

She nods seriously at your pledge of aid, “Thank you sir, it is a promise not lightly given for one of your abilities.”

You send your message out and there is no reply.

Aerya smiles apologetically, “Elves do not feel the need to hurry.  She will be in contact sooner or later to give you an answer.  I can only council patience."

The next day, after dinner, a servant delivers a message from Aerya, in an elegant hand it say, “Please come to my chambers at your earliest opportunity.”

When you arrive at her room, she opens the door for you, she bears the signs of recent weeping, but she seems to have composed herself, “Please come in.”

Leading you into the room, you see a dark haired woman with angular features.  She is beautiful in an otherworldly sense, the color of her eyes are too deep, her movements seem more like gliding as she rises from her chair.  She stands a little taller than Tares but has a much thinner frame.  Her gown is elaborate and the deepest of blacks, her long hair falls, unbound, almost to her knees, hiding her ears, which you would guess would be pointed.  Any man could see she was beautiful, but she would never be called pretty.   She appears to be about the same age as Aerya.

Aerya speaks, “Permit me to introduce the Arch Sorcerer Tares Hehrog.” She says to her mother and turning to you, “Permit me to introduce my mother Lady Elusriel.”

Lady Elusriel nods politely, “Please, there is no need to stand on such formality.  Please call me Elusriel.  I am sorry to come so abruptly, but your message gave me an excuse to see my daughter.”

She returns to her seat,  “Your message spoke of “Profound Matter” Master Hehrog.  Could I ask you to explain that further?”


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## Someone (Sep 9, 2004)

> She nods seriously at your pledge of aid, “Thank you sir, it is a promise not lightly given for one of your abilities.”




“It´s a matter or relative importance; it´s great for me, though you may not see it. About my offer, I´m confident you understand that there are limits to it.”



> “Your message spoke of “Profound Matter” Master Hehrog. Could I ask you to explain that further?”




Tares clears his throat. “I dare to affirm that I´ve reached the pinnacle of what human magic can offer. Though I suspect, I deeply know, that the ceiling I´ve met is only a momentary obstacle. There are not, and there can´t be limits. Following that conviction, I´ve dealt with wyrms, and this is my reward.”

Tares extends his Portable Hole and produces the stone from it. 

“It was given to me by the great dragon Ishlan'tevelin. It comes from a place where magic, as I know it, works in a different way. I´m sure that´s the key for unlocking the secrets to continue my research, but the most discerning magic and the hardest work are unable to penetrate its mysteries. That´s why I need your help, Lady Elusriel.”


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## Wrahn (Sep 9, 2004)

> “It´s a matter or relative importance; it´s great for me, though you may not see it. About my offer, I´m confident you understand that there are limits to it.”




“I do understand that asking for help is not generally in your nature and I am honored you would come to me for assistance.  I would not dream of taking advantage of your generous offer.” She smiles, “After all I am but a simple minstrel, what need would I have of slaying dragons or throwing down empires.”



> “It was given to me by the great dragon Ishlan'tevelin. It comes from a place where magic, as I know it, works in a different way. I’m sure that’s the key for unlocking the secrets to continue my research, but the most discerning magic and the hardest work are unable to penetrate its mysteries. That´s why I need your help, Lady Elusriel.”




She extends her hand for you to give her the stone.  She makes a quick incantation and concentrates on the stone for a moment.

[OOC: She is casting detect magic]

After a moment she hands it back to you and leans back in her chair, “Such things are not my area of expertise, but if I were to venture a guess, you retrieved this from one of the Xevaisia Ruins.  It is quite rare to find them intact today, but they hold great mysteries.”

She looks off in the distance, “I used to chide my husband about being impatient, in the end though, I think elven patience has little place in the human world.”

She looks back at Tares, “I am not sure that I can help you, but I am willing to try.  The magic which forged the stone is beyond me, beyond any wizard living in Evoreal.   However, my Master’s Master’s Master was something of a wanderer.  In the days when your people slept in caves, he walked the world.  Among the things he cataloged were the Xevaisia ruins.  He was said to have a great understanding of magic, his insights may prove of use to you.”

“In the morning, I intend to return to Saedhrin Tower, you are welcome to accompany me.”  She looks to Aerya, “Perhaps my daughter will accompany us, to help in the translation?”

Aerya looks sorrowful, “I have responsibilities here, I am sorry.”

Elusriel turns back to you, “Then please meet me here at sunrise, I will bring us past the defenses of the First Oak.”


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## Someone (Sep 10, 2004)

Tares looks briefly at Aerya. There´s something else happening here, but such things are not of his concern. He nods at Elusriel "Until the first ray of sun, then" says as a goodbye. 

He returns to the tower and waits impatiently. At the appointed hour, he renews his spells, but as he´s about to go, the slight touch of paranoia -lefover of his years as adventurer- makes him cast Shapechange, too, though he keeps his normal form.


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## Ferrix (Sep 10, 2004)

_Not again._  Unpaused by his companions, Glangim barrels past the guards of the Deepgate yelling "ya be in my way!"  He clangs through the streets, his armor shifting, it's cogs rolling almost invisibly, to the temple of Moradin.  His breath like bellows, he bursts in through the doors, nearly tearing them from the walls, "who?" is all he can get out in a shout that echoes hammers.  Scanning the temple vigorously for anyone to answer him, he feels a weight that he cannot shake.


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## Ashy (Sep 10, 2004)

Ata's head shifts from where Glangim was standing (before bursting into movement) to where Shifter is currently.  Not an ounce of motion or movement is wasted in this precise shift.  An impassive, stony face looks into the eyes of the Shifter.

"Impatient."

Then, the ugruu begins a slow, steady, and measured pace; filling in the gaps left by the wake of his "other-self".


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Sep 11, 2004)

Shifter meeets the Ugruu's stare briefly, then nods almost inperceptibly, and matches the dwarf step for step with a fluid gate.


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## Wrahn (Sep 13, 2004)

Dimitri~

Sitting in quiet contemplation in the late afternoon, preparing silently for the evening prayer, Dimitri’s contemplation is disturbed as the doors to the abbey are opened.  Visitors to the Abbey had been rare until he had been made the Abbot.  It had been an honor, but now it seemed that if the local villagers had the simplest of problems they came to him for a resolution.

It wasn’t that he really minded, settling disputes between two farmers was far easier than slaying demons on the Western Frontier, but he worried that they had become to dependent on him.  His exploits had earned him the reputation as being a wise and powerful man, not in little part to Sorin Silvertongue, a bard who had traveled with him for a time.  When Sorin had decided to hang up his rapier he had written several songs telling the stories of their exploits.  He tended to embellish more than slightly, but despite protest to the contrary Dimitri’s reputation had grown past even his mighty skills.

Dimitri had looked forward to a quiet retirement in his Abbey, but it seemed that the villagers now needed “Dimitri the Wise” to settle every dispute between them.  As if on que there came a knock at his door.

Entering into the room was Brother Taliln, leading a boy, the son of the local Ostler, Taemin the Younger if Dimitri recalled correctly.  Before Brother Taliln could explain what was happening young Taemin lurched forward grabbing Dimitri’s hand looking up at him with a tear stained face.

“Please you gotta help Reynni, sir.  The Ghouls got him!  You gotta come now, please.”



Ata, Glangim, Shifter~

The dwarves in the temple do their best to pretend they haven’t notice Glangim’s intrusion on the temple.  Before Glangim can explode once more at them, a voice from the behind one of the massive pillars supporting the cavernous roof speaks.

“Lad, this is a holy place.  If you are gunna be a shoutin’ in here, it better be in the praises of Moradin.” Morda, one of the high priestess of the Soul Forger steps out from behind a pillar.  Her hair had long ago gone grey, her face lined with years of service to the temple, but her eyes were still sharp as was her tongue.  “I have your answers for ye, as much as I hate to be the one deliverin’ them.  Come, let’s talk outside of the earshot of Moradin.” She says indicating the titanic statue at the end of the hall.  “He doesn’t need to hear our belly-achin’”

Ata and Shifter arrive at the Temple of Moradin as Modra is leading Glangim back to the temple offices.  She catches their eyes and after a disapproving scowl she signals them to come with them.  In the offices she sits behind the desk.

“Two days past Derrick Stonesplitter spent his last breath.  He now serves Moradin in the Dwarfhome.”  It was odd to hear Derrick’s clan name.  Priests of Moradin traditionally surrendered their clan when they joined the priesthood.  This was to more faithfully serve Moradin without prejudice.  But once his service in the world had passed, his clan once again claimed him.

“I am sorry Lad, I know he was close to your heart.” Modra speaks sympathetically.  “I knew you were close to his.  The night before he died, he gave me this for ye.”  She reaches in and produces a sealed letter.

The letter reads:

I am sorry I could not wait for you, Moradin was calling me home.  I am sorry I shall not be there to see you sit on the throne, but apparently that was not for me to see.  I always hated goodbyes, to I will just say that you have had found place for you in my heart.  I would ask one more thing of you: That you join my clan in carrying my body down to rest with the bones of the earth and you carry you hammer with you.

(The bones of the earth is the deep tomb where important dwarves are laid to rest.  It is not uncommon for someone to ask a close friend to help their clan to help carry their body, it is generally considered an honor, but only a king is permitted to go armed.  If you follow his request you would be declaring yourself king.)

Tares Hehrog~

The morning brings a light drizzle which makes the brief journey to Aerya’s chambers damp and uncomfortable.  Arriving there a few minutes before sunrise, Aerya conspiratorially rolls her eyes looking at her mother whom seems anxious.

“Hurry, there is little time.” She extends her hand for Tares to take.

She intones a spell of Greater Teleport and you find yourself translocated to the north.  Tares places his hand on the delicate railing on the balcony on which he now stands to steady himself.  Usually teleportation does not disorient him so much, it probably has something to do with the protection of the First Oak.

“Behold the glory of Evoreal!” Elusriel says, she seems girlish in her enthusiasm, a stark contrast to what he had seen the previous night.  Tares turn to look at what she is talking about.

The balcony faces east and already the sky is filled with the orange, reds and pinks of the coming dawn.  He can make out the dark canopy of trees beneath them, spreading to the horizons.  The night noises quiet, anticipating the arrival of dawn.  The entire forest seems to hold it’s breath as the sun makes it’s appearance.

“Mohdr ne Sualtha” Elusriel says in quietly.  The moment is spectacularly beautiful, as the sun kisses the forest with light and warmth.  The moment passes as the day has begun and Tares releases the breath he hadn’t even realize he had been holding.

“That is the way everyone should first see Evoreal.” She says smiling.

Taking stock of Tares’s surroundings, he is standing on a high balcony that seems to be on a incredible large tree, towering several times higher than it’s nearest competitor.  Presumably the tree is one of the great Elven Oaks, which according to legend, had been brought from the “Far West” which was the elven version of heaven.

Elusriel reaches down and takes off her slippers.  She reaches up and touches the tree, with a strange smile on her face, “Saehdrin welcomes you ArchSorcerer.  He wishes you success in your venture here.  Come, I am sure you are anxious to get started.”

The bark of the tree parts revealing a living passage into the tree.  The dark wood is smooth and seems to be varnished.  It descends quickly into the tree.  There are numerous passage that intersect the passage and it would be quite easy to get lost here.  Your darkvision comes in usefully, for while the place is dimly lit from some unknown source, it is hard to see beyond a few feet with normal sight.

Finally they arrive at a room with a large table, which is well lit through several windows.  Books line the shelves innumerable shelves.

“I will send Cerren to you, he can help you find what you need.  I have a few matters I must attend to, but I would be honored if you would join me for dinner.”


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## Pyrex (Sep 13, 2004)

*Dimitri, Servant of Pelor*

Dimitri's eyes widen in suprise at the frightened boy's outburst.
"_Ghouls?  There haven't been any ghouls around here for years._" he thinks to himself.

"Of course I'll help.  But first I need you to tell me what happened."


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## Ferrix (Sep 13, 2004)

Wrahn said:
			
		

> Ata, Glangim, Shifter~
> 
> The letter reads:
> 
> ...




Glangim clutches the letter in his mailed fist, torn between the requests of a man who may as well have been his father and his own uncertainties.  He nods to the high priestess, a heavy tear can be seen rolling down his rough face and heaves his way darkly past his companions.  _I knew it in my bones._

He closes his eyes as he approaches the statue of the All-Father, his lips forming the words to a prayer but no sound escapes.  He exits the temple, eyes closed, he knows it so well he needs no sight.  Outside he opens his eyes once more, his hands shaking, his skin darkening like molten earth and he lets out a roar of frustration and heaves himself into the air.  His boots redirecting his momentum and he literally falls to the ceiling of the cavern-city, landing with a thud he begins to walk to an outcropping of rock that has so often served as his place of contemplation.

Sitting upon a ledge, he places his head in his hands, and wonders what his decision will be although he already knows.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Sep 14, 2004)

Shifter's head bows momentarily in contemplation, then lifts up to look at the ceiling ledge where Glangim now sits.  Even now the beginnings of feelings of oppression from the walls and darkness were beginning to set in.  Dear as the dwarfs were, Shifter had always been a traveler at heart, and resented being trapped, always trying to keep visits to the city to a minimum.

"I will be about."  Shifter remarks, then walks off, waiting until behind a stone outcropping to drop dwarven form in favor of a small, drab looking bird, which flits up to perch on top of a stalactite, eyeing the city through small, black holes.


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## Ashy (Sep 14, 2004)

Ata's stone-like, heavy brow furrows as he watches his friend's sorrow overcome him; he nods slightly to Shifter as he departs and then is left alone.

The ugruu stands alone and looks up to the darkened ceiling...and waits...


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## Someone (Sep 14, 2004)

Tares raises an eyebrow when Elusriel mentions that “there´s not time”. The sensation that something´s not going as they should lessens somewhat at the sight of the elves´ home, but returns later, when the sorcerer slowly walks examining the shelves. He comes back to reality when he the elf speaks.

“As you like.” He says. Normally, he would have refused, but Tares intuits that she may ask him to do something in return.

Back to the shelves, Tares examines the place with enchanted eyes [cast Arcane Sight]


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## Wrahn (Sep 14, 2004)

Dimitri~

The boy looks terrified, with tears streaming down his face, “We dared him to go in, into the church at the Old Graveyard.  He was suppose to just run in and touch the altar.  But he screamed and didn’t come out.  The Ghouls got him Abbot!  You have to save him!”

Esbon Field was a recent addition to these parts.  The Village had grown in the past fifty years or so. Previous to that there had been a larger town to the south, that almost a hundred years ago had been burnt to the ground, a victim of the Baronial Wars.  All that was left were a few stone foundations and the Old Graveyard.

Dimitri knew for a fact there were no undead there, though at one time there had been.  He had gone there with a few friends to clean the place out in his youth.  The abbot of the monastery at the time had reconsecrated the place.  Unless some sinister forces had slipped in right beneath his nose, there was very little chance the boy had been taken by ghouls.

Tares Hehrog~

As he looks about the room, he can see the entirety of the tree radiates several different forms of magic, from divination to abjuration.  The furniture in the room if finely crafted but non-magical.  The books all radiate a mild transformative magic, probably for preservation.

A little while later a smallish elf, not even reaching Tares height, enters the room.  He is encumbered by an impressive stack of books of different sizes and shapes.  Like all elves he appears young, but you sense that perhaps this one actually is.  He places the books on the table and then turns to you.

“I am Cerren.   Lady Elusriel is my teacher.  She has asked me to help you with your research.  I understand you are interested in the Aerdin Travelogues, particularly in reference to the Xevaisia sites.  These are the most relevant to the subject.” He says indicating the books, then pointing to one particular one, “I included the Talvoric Codex, which has some information on the origins on the sites, though it was written by Talvor the Gnomeflayer, a particularly vile fiend, so take what you read in it will a grain of salt.”

“I suppose the most relevant question is: Do you read elven?”

Ata~

Standing looking toward the ceiling, a dwarf steps out of the temple and walks up to you.  He looks at you a moment then stands next to you to try and figure out what you are looking at.  Being too far for him to see, he shrugs and addresses you.

“I be Untor Deephammer, friend of Derrick Stonesplitter.  You are Ata, friend on Glangim?”

He holds his hand out.

“The lad does seem to be takin’ it well.  I suppose Derrick was the closest thing to a family Glangim ever had.  I be thinkin’ that if I came home to find my family had gone to see Moradin personal like I’d not be takin’ it very well either.”

“But I don’t be thinking there is anything you can be doing for your friend now.  I was about to good to the mead hall an’ I would be honored if you would be accompanying me.  Not sure what ya little folk do deep down do when ya lose someone close to ye, but here we like to raise a pint to our friends and share stories so that we might remember them fondly, before we return his body to the Bones of the Earth.”

Glangim, Shifter~

Time passes.  Below you the sound of the dwarves ruckus laughter can be heard.  Dwarves traditionally celebrate the lives of those that have passed on to Dwarfhome for two days, before the great funereal procession on the third day.  Generally speaking it is a bittersweet time where the dwarves pay homage to the fallen through stories.  The more that participate, the more lives that the deceased had touched.  It sounded like the entirety of Dun Faerin had been touched by Derrick.


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## Someone (Sep 14, 2004)

Wrahn said:
			
		

> “I suppose the most relevant question is: Do you read elven?”




Tares picks one of the books and sighs. "No, most tomes I´ve found were written in common or draconic" says finally, "But I can circunvent that difficulty -though using one of my most powerful spells to do so, thus it´s a little overkill. So I´d prefer another way, if you can provide it."


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## Pyrex (Sep 14, 2004)

*Dimitri, Servant of Pelor*

Dimitri nods while listening to Taemin "_Hmm, he probably just fell and hurt himself, but I should probably check and make sure he's allright._"

"Brother Taliln, if you'll find someone to walk young Taemin here home I'll head over to the graveyard and find out what has happened to his friend Rennyi."

Once Taliln has had a moment to respond, Dimitri will walk to the graveyard.

OOC:  I'm assuming it's only a few minutes walk, right?


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## Wrahn (Sep 14, 2004)

Tares Hehrog~

Cerren nods, “While we don’t have any magical means to translate, I can read them to you.  I believe the Codex is in Infernal if you read that.”

Cerren reads the books aloud for the morning and into the afternoon.  Progress is slow, as Aerdin, the author of the journals, tends to ramble on about useless things.  Even skipping the irrelevant parts still leave Tares listening to descriptions of the odd flora that sprung up in such sites and other less pertinent facts.  When Aerdin does touch on the topic of the unusual magical auras, his insights seem to duplicate yours for the most part, though there are a few tantalizing part in the second book that hints at a deeper understanding.  By Dinnertime you have made it through two and are about half way through the third.

Dimitri~

[ooc:The Old Graveyard is about a mile and a half outside of town.  So perhaps a 30 minute walk.]


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## Ashy (Sep 15, 2004)

Wrahn said:
			
		

> Standing looking toward the ceiling, a dwarf steps out of the temple and walks up to you.  He looks at you a moment then stands next to you to try and figure out what you are looking at.  Being too far for him to see, he shrugs and addresses you.
> 
> “I be Untor Deephammer, friend of Derrick Stonesplitter.  You are Ata, friend on Glangim?”
> 
> ...




Ata slowly moves his head from looking aloft to the speaker; the movement is barely complete by the time Untor finishes speaking.  The ugruu stares at him, emotionlessly for a span, and then smiles.  "Let us go, dwarf-friend." he states, walking alongside of Untor.


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## Ferrix (Sep 15, 2004)

Glangim hears the honor and descends from his thinking place, his feet clanging upon an small old street in a quieter section of time.  He chuckles something incomprehensible to himself and then begins to head to an bar to honor his friend.


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## Someone (Sep 15, 2004)

> “While we don’t have any magical means to translate, I can read them to you. I believe the Codex is in Infernal if you read that.”




Tares negates with his head. “That would be unnecesarily slow and cumbersome.”

In the blink of the eye he _shapechanges_ into Bralani form, after considering his options. “I´ll have to renew the spell several times*, but it´s a little price. Please take that tome and mark the relevant parts, this way we could save our time and your breath.”

*Each shapechange lasts 3 hours and 40 minutes. Bralanis have Tongues as a supernatural ability.


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## Wrahn (Sep 16, 2004)

Dimitri~

The sun is bright and warm in the sky as Dimitri makes his way to the abandoned graveyard.  It is hard to believe that something bad could happen on such a lovely day, but Dimitri knows that evil doesn’t wait for dark and stormy nights to strike.

The trees are much older as he approaches the overgrown graves.  He could see where the graveyard might have a bad reputation.  The local plant life looked healthy and there were birds singing in the trees.  It was unlikely that there was anything more sinister here than an aggressive squirrel.

Approaching the half-collapsed chapel brought forth memories of his first journey here so long ago.  Why they had chosen to come here at night was beyond him, but they had.  They had been met by a handful of zombies and skeletons out in the yard itself.  They had dealt with them relatively easily.  Inside the chapel they had found several ghouls holding some kind of unholy mass.

Stepping into the chapel he could almost see the pitched battle again.  Being knocked against that wall, Jonjon’s heroic charge to save Catelyn.  Both heroic and foolish, all of them had been.  But they had won, if only just.  Jonjon hadn’t, but he did manage to save Catelyn.  Dimitri shook his head, he was here to find the boy, not relive the past.

Looking around, it was fairly obvious what happened, the gapping hole in the floor was a clear indication the floor had collapsed into the cellar below.  Not trusting the floor to his weight, Dimitri walked around the structure to the entrance to the cellar.  The door was no longer there and he cautiously stepped into the darkness.

As he suspected the boy lay there in a pile of rubble.  He wasn’t moving, but he still drew breath.


Tares Hehrog~  (2 demerits for thinking ahead of the DM)

Evening comes, while Tares had read through 4 of the travelogues, nothing but tantalizing hints of a deeper understanding seems to be contained in them.

Cerren enters the room as Tares finishes the fourth book, “If you have a moment, the Lady requests you presence when you find a convient time.”


Ata, Glangim~

The hall is filled with boisterous dwarves.  One dwarf seems to be finishing a story makes the entire place erupt in laughter.

He holds his mug high and yells “To Derrick!” which the gather responds “To Derrick” and they all take a deep drink and then another begins a story.  Some are poignant, some are humorous but it is clear everyone here had a great fondness for the dwarf.

After about an hour, Glangim enters the hall.  The festivities go on deep into the night.  As morning nears, Balin Steelbiter makes his way to the table where Ata, Glangim and Untor sit.

He places his hand on Glangim’s shoulder, “Sorry lad, I knew ye and Derrick were close.”

He sits down, “You find out what happen to the squidies?”



Shifter~

The dwarves seem to be entrenched in the party/funereal beneath Shifter.  As their laughter waifs up to him, his feeling of isolation increases.  He knows he would not be turned away, as well as he knows he would not be truly welcomed.

The smell of pine seems to wander through the cavern.  Dun Faerin sit midway up Mount Faerin, the gates of the city are the only thing that would keep Shifter running free in the night forests, which would seem a welcome change to the stifling cavern.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Sep 16, 2004)

Shifter flits off from the stalactite and approaches the gates.  As the gates come closer, Shifter's body becoms insubstantial, and the gates pass by unnoticed.  Shifting subtly, a hawk rides the thermals of the night air, surveying the land below it.  Freedom feels good.

OOC: Shapeshifters can assume insubstatial forms, so Shifter became the ghost of a bird, then a hawk.


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## Someone (Sep 16, 2004)

> (2 demerits for thinking ahead of the DM)




???



> Cerren enters the room as Tares finishes the fourth book, “If you have a moment, the Lady requests you presence when you find a convient time.”




Tares closes the book  and looks up to Cerren. As always that he´s deeply concentrated, he has an angry look in his face that almost make the elf step back.

The sorcerer gets up and collects his notes: a few pieces of parchment with the scarce hints he could collect in Aerdin´s books. “I´ll go immediately,” says “as soon I can refresh myself; I only need a wash bowl with some cold water.” 

However, while following Cerren his mind continues on the books. _”Not what I expected. But he could have missed some important details. Obviously, or he didn´t investigated properly the sites –losing his time with tress and critters- or he´s hiding something. In any case, I´ll have to visit them if the rest of the books turn to be the same. I have a good description, and reaching that places shouldn´t be difficult.”_


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## Ferrix (Sep 17, 2004)

Wrahn said:
			
		

> Ata, Glangim~
> 
> The hall is filled with boisterous dwarves.  One dwarf seems to be finishing a story makes the entire place erupt in laughter.
> 
> ...




Listening to the gathering, Glangim mentally recounts his own stories of Derrick, many of them following similar veins of those told.  His hand drops subconsciously to his hammer, tracing the etchings with smooth fingers.

********

"Aye, Derrick was the closest thing I had to my own kin all these years."  Taking up his mug he'll finish off the rest of the aged dwarven stout, then at the mention of the illithid his face empties for a brief moment, returning to a grin and he says "they over-reached, dark elves took wind of it and are driving 'em hard."


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## Pyrex (Sep 17, 2004)

Wrahn said:
			
		

> Dimitri~
> As he suspected the boy lay there in a pile of rubble.  He wasn’t moving, but he still drew breath.




Dimitri moves up to the child's side, checking to see how badly hurt he is (Heal +20) and casting a _Empowered Maximized Cure Light Wounds_ from his first level domain slot.

"Rennyi, can you hear me?"


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## Ashy (Sep 18, 2004)

Ata listens as the conversation turns from that of memory to possible revenge, but he says little.  He drinks in the facts, the faces and the emotions, storing them all for future reference if the need should present itself.


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## Wrahn (Sep 22, 2004)

Tares Hehrog~

Cerren takes you through the winding passages until you enter a room, lit by several continual flame lamps.  There is a table set with various fruits and meats.  There is a crystal decanter with what appears to be a dark wine, with two crystal glasses near.

“The Lady will be here soon, please feel free to start.” Cerren says as he walks out of the room.

“That boy is far too serious,” Elusriel says as she steps into the room shaking her head.

She walks up to the table and picks up a red orange fruit that Tares doesn’t immediately recognize.  She closes her eyes as she bites into, as if in rapture.  She then turns to you, “Please, start, we don’t stand on ceremony here, take what you wish.  Do you want a glass of wine?”

As they begin to eat, she will tell Tares of individual fruits and meats, how they were prepared, where they can be found and how they were grown.  They are an exotic blend of tastes, the meat is spiced differently than Tares has ever tasted.  It is an experience of taste that can hardly be matched by the most accomplished human chefs.  It seems an odd custom to share and eat off the table with no individual plates or utensils, but somehow Elusriel seems to make it seem very elegant.

When they are done, Elusriel escorts Tares to the next room.  It has a small bowl which Elusriel washes her hands in, two chairs which look over a large window.  Looknig out the window, the view shows them to beneath the canopy of trees, but still has a commanding view of the clearing around the great tree.

Elusriel sits down and indicates Tares should as well.

“How goes your research?”

After your explanation,  “I would not imagine he was being evasive in his logs, perhaps reading further will bring further enlightenment.”

“Before you return to your research, however, I have something I would ask of you.”  She looks out into the clearing, pausing dramatically.

“I would know of my daughter?  Is she happy?  I know that losing Katra was a blow to her, has she recovered?  Is she happy again?”

Ata, Glangrim~

Balin considers his words, before he can respond Untor shouts to the crowd, “Ye hear that!  The Flayers and the Drow are bleedin’ one another!”

A great shout goes up through the hall, the dwarves know that their two greatest enemies fighting each other is only good for them.  It virtually guarantees the safety of Dun Faerin, at least for the next few years.  Ole Daelo offers a round on the house, bringing further cheers.

Balin signals Ata and Glangrim to come outside so they can talk.  Stepping out, “Aye tis good news lad, sweet and bitter one right after another.  It offers up possibilities, perhaps one we will not have again for a long time.  Ya know where I be standing on the matter, but don’t be making the decesion lightly, the burden of a crown is a real and terrible one.”

“The processional starts soon, we’d best be getting’ back.” Balin says looking toward the gate.

The dwarven burial ceremony consists of 2 days of celebration of the life of the individual and then the third day, a processional is formed, winding it’s way through the city, until they come to the tunnel leading deep into the earth is reached, then the pallbearers, which usually consists of clan and close friends, takes the body down to the Bones of the Earth, the dwarven graveyard.  When the Pallbearers return, the official period of mourning begins.

Soon Glangim must make his decision.

Shifter~

The night air is slightly chilled, but it feels wonderful to have nothing but sky above him.  Flight allows the stretching of muscles like nothing else, taking large lazy circles over the mountains is cathartic.

The half moon is setting as Shifter lands on a branch over looking a mountain lake.  The light from the moon reflects almost perfectly of the still lake.

Watching for a while, another bird flutters and lands next to him.  Turning to look at the unusual behavior, Shifter realizes that in fact he knows this entity that is wearing the form of the bird.

She, and Shifter knows it is a she, nuzzles his neck, “I have found you at last my love.”

He knows that evil was given form it would be this bird next to him.


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## Ashy (Sep 22, 2004)

Ata listens to the cheers of the dwarves; and says in regards to the drow and the mind flayers warring with one another.  "I only hope it is not a clever ruse."  He lets his single statement stand on its own, seeing no need nor any reason to expound.  For now, he follows Glangim's movements, feeling the need to be there for his "other-brother" should he need him...


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Sep 22, 2004)

Another being might have started, but Shifter's head simply pivoted in the manor of raptors to fix both eyes on the bird that had landed on the branch.

As much as a hawk can be calm in its screech, Shifter speaks calmly.

"I will not be shackled again by you.  Leave now."

Shifter's wings ruffle, preparing to take flight as a moments notice, and the form of the hawk seems to shift ever so slightly so as to be able to shift if needed.

OOC:  Thanks for the warning Ashy .


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## Ferrix (Sep 23, 2004)

Glangim's rolls the heavy stone ring subconsciously around his finger.  He knows all too well the decision he will make, like the coming of a storm it looms on the horizon.

"Ata, let us not keep my dear friend waitin' at the edge of his proper resting place."


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## Ashy (Sep 23, 2004)

Ata nods slowly, as is his way.  He lets the solemness of his visage speak for his feelings on the task before them.


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## Someone (Sep 23, 2004)

Wrahn said:
			
		

> As they begin to eat, she will tell Tares of individual fruits and meats, how they were prepared, where they can be found and how they were grown.  They are an exotic blend of tastes, the meat is spiced differently than Tares has ever tasted.  It is an experience of taste that can hardly be matched by the most accomplished human chefs.  It seems an odd custom to share and eat off the table with no individual plates or utensils, but somehow Elusriel seems to make it seem very elegant.




Having no need of food thanks to his ring, Tares takes only a bit of each course, savouring them slowly, enjoying the exotic taste and thinking that he´s going to have problms to describe it should he have to, and making inquires when Elusriel mentions magic involved in the fruit´s growth.



> When they are done, Elusriel escorts Tares to the next room.  It has a small bowl which Elusriel washes her hands in, two chairs which look over a large window.  Looknig out the window, the view shows them to beneath the canopy of trees, but still has a commanding view of the clearing around the great tree.
> 
> Elusriel sits down and indicates Tares should as well.
> 
> “How goes your research?”




“Slow, as it´s always” says Tares. “The logs jump from one topic to another, attack the topic I´m interested on and then discuss something else. I´m not worried, though: it´s soon to judge their value, since being travel logs is no wonder that he doesn´t discuss each matter deeply, and further insight could be found later. Anyway, it´s a new start: I must confess I was totally blocked.”



> “I would know of my daughter?  Is she happy?  I know that losing Katra was a blow to her, has she recovered?  Is she happy again?”




Tares raises an eyebrow. “I don´t pride myself on being skilled on reading other´s motives. Not without magic, anyway, and I only tend to do it when needed. And I only know her by sight and for her music: moving, if melancholic. That´s the only clue I can offer, if you don´t count the fact that she was crying when I arrived at her room this morning.”


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## Wrahn (Oct 4, 2004)

Elly~

“Elly…”  Elias whispered in Elly’s ear, rousing her from a deep sleep.  Elly opened one of her eyes and could see no sunlight peaking in through the window.  It had been a late night at the tavern selling her song for a meal and a room, far too late to be rising this early.  She could not help thinking to herself, “for a dragon, he doesn’t know much about sleeping.”  It was Elias’s idea to be normal travelers as they made their way back home for Elly’s Grand Uncle’s 200th birthday party.

Despite her attempts to burrow deeper into the warm bed, he persisted.  “Elly, I have to go.”  That brought her fully awake.  She rolled over to look at him, brushing her unruly hair out of her face.

“Kal has called a Dragonmeet, I have to go.”

Kal referred to Kalvadalious, a gold dragon from the south that was known as the scourge of the slave trade.  He was old and powerful and something of a friend and mentor to Elias.  He was unusual for dragons, much as Elias was, as he took interest in the world of the “small” races.

A Dragonmeet was a council of dragons, usually held in remote locations.  In theory all dragons were welcome, it was suppose to be neutral territory, but in practice only the metallic dragons came.  The chromatic dragons were usually too distrusting, though if the cause was great enough, such as the Time of the Comet Stars, the Dragonmeet could attract virtually every living dragon.

Still Dragonmeets were rare, the last one Elly was aware of was before she was born.  If Kalvadalious was calling one, his reasons must be grave.

Shifter~

“Shackled?”  She seems amused, “What of our children?  Do you not wish to be shackled by them as well?”

“You can hide from me all you wish, you hide exceptionally well, but you can’t hide from who you really are my love.  Sooner or later you will stop hiding from yourself and return to me.”  An image seems to come with her speech, that of an exceptionally beautiful woman, with deep red hair.  Savaesa, her name is Savaesa.  With that name comes a memory of the taste of hot blood and flesh in his mouth, disturbingly it is not unpleasant.


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## Lichtenhart (Oct 4, 2004)

Elly looks straight in his eyes for a moment, then she smiles and caresses his short silvery beard.
"I know you have to. And I know I cannot go with you. But remember that you have to come back to me, will you?"
She caresses his hair as well, and she scratches him behind his ears as he likes in all his forms.
"I love you, Eliasterlandelon. Please take one of these..." she reaches for her haversack and she retrieves a bright orange feather, a quaal's bird token "... and use it. Any time you think I could help you, or only to tell me that you miss me. If you go to save the world, don't make me miss the fun. Oh and take one of these as well!"
She leans forward to kiss him, slowly and tenderly.
"I may have a surprise for you when you're back" she says mischievously. "Well, now that I'm awake at least I'm going to see you leave. It's been some time since I saw you shining in the moonlight." She says with a grin that hides her worry.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Oct 4, 2004)

Shifter seems to smile ever so slightly, as much as is possible with a beak.

"I think you'll find that my true self has become as nebulous as my form, Savaesa.  I am not who you remember.  Consider that, and be forewarned."

With that, the hawk tilts over backwards and falls off the branch, flitting away silently through the night, towards the Dwarven city.


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## Wrahn (Oct 8, 2004)

Dimitri~

As Dimitri act as a conduit for Pelor’s healing, there is a slight feeling of 
distortion.  Long experience tells him this is the work of powerful magic, 
perhaps something big teleporting in.  He pauses, looking deeper into the 
darkness.  If something is coming from these old ghoul warrens, it probably isn’
t good.  He looks backs to the boy and finds him gone.

This seems less disturbing than it should, the scene begins to take a surreal 
quality to it, almost like he was dreaming.  Before he can begin to contemplate the ramifications of this, a bundle of cloth is pushed down the steps.

As he steps out into the sun he sees a warrior, dressed in chain and fur, 
wielding a massive axe that distorts space around it slightly.  He seems to be 
completely unaware of Dimitri’s presence.

He turns his attention back toward (the village), looking intently at 
something.  Dimitri follows his gaze and sees the village, or the desiccated 
corpse of what used to be (the village).  Even that wasn’t right, as he 
recognized some of the layout, but it was larger than it should have been.  
Still, that wasn’t the most disturbing thing.  Closings in fast on the warrior’
s position were three demons.

There were three of them, mid-powered demons, Vrocks.  Dimitri watch with 
morbid fascination as they descend on the hapless warrior.  He finds that, 
despite his desire to help the man, he is unable to act, like a dream, he is 
only an observer here.

The man is obviously battle hardened and stands his ground, fighting three 
opponents, especially ones with mobility advantage on you is never easy, but 
the man holds his own.  When one of them breaks off from the fight and starts sniffing around by you, the man takes advantage of the situation to finish one off.

Dimitri is almost certain he can smell him, if not see him, and when he lunges 
forward, he can not help but defensively moving to the side, but it wasn’t 
Dimitri he was after, it was the bundle that had been shoved down the stairs.  The demon grabs it and screeches in victory, ripping the cloth away exposing a baby which begins to scream in terror.

Before the vrock can rip the child to shreds, an axe, the warrior’s axe takes 
it in the head.  While Dimitri had been distracted, he had finished off the 
other demon and threw his axe at the last one.  The warrior was bruised and 
battered, cut in numerous places, but victorious.  But his expression does not 
display any relief or celebration, just grim determination, or perhaps 
resignation.

His expression seems unusual considering he defeated the demons, but then an answering scream resounds, this time hundreds of times louder.  The man does not pause, but grabs his axe and the child and begins running.  Looking back toward the village, the horizon seems darkened.  At first it seems like a very dark bank of clouds, but as it gets closer, it is perhaps like a swarm of 
locust.  As it closes, Dimitri’s dark suspicion is correct.  It is a swarm of 
demons, of every imaginable variety.  There are too many to fight, too many to hide from.  There are enough demons there to scourge the world.


----------



## Wrahn (Oct 8, 2004)

Shifter~

As Shifter takes wing, he can heard Savaesa laughing behind him.  He starts to gain altitude to return back to Dun Faerin, when he feels a slight disorientation.

Looking around to try and determine the cause, he realizes there is not sound, except that of his wings beating.  With that realization, he sees himself illuminated by the sun rising.  The sun rising far too early.  He banks left to get on stable ground, to try and figure out what is happening.  By the time he reaches a tree on the bank it is noon.  The sun is accelerating in it’s path.

Soon it is night again and the stars and moon begin to streak across the sky, 
the sun rises and sets in less than a minute.  It only accelerates from there.  
An unknown number of days fly by, years, decades, perhaps centuries fly by, and then suddenly it stops.

Shifter is still by the mountain lake, but the banks have changed.  The lake is 
now smaller, the forest around it seems much the same.  Shifter looks up at the sky, it is night again, a spectacularly clear night.

He becomes aware there is something wrong.  As he watches the sky, some of the stars begin disappearing, blocked by something.  More stars disappear.

He begins to see something moving through the sky, dark forms.  As he watches more forms appear as more of the sky disappears.  When one of the dark form circle down to where he can see it, he realizes what it is.

It is a demon.  There are Gates being opened to the lower realms, enough gates to block out the sky and demons are pouring through.


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## Wrahn (Oct 8, 2004)

Tares  Hehrog~

Elusriel looks disappointed, “I must apologize, Master Hehrog, I was under the 
assumption you and my daughter were friends.  I suppose she always had an open heart and would help anyone to the best of her ability.”

She looks off into the forest for a long moment.  “I am interrupting your 
research with my silly banter, if you are done with your meal, I will take you 
back to the study.”

She is quiet as she leads Tares back to the room he had left.  When she turns to face you, there is a tear coming down her cheek, but he voice carries none of her unknown sorrow, “When you grow tired, call for Cerren and Saehdrin will carry your message to him.  He will show you to a place where you can sleep.  I wish you luck in your search.”  She turns and leaves.

Tares can not help but be drawn into the writings of the ancient elf.  He did 
have a keen insight to all things magical, perhaps even rivaling Tares’s own.  
In his later travelogues he visits another ruin.  In a passage he alludes to 
some understanding, cryptically:



> “I wonder what path they (the creators of the ruins) followed, or even if they followed a path.  Today, it would obviously take a path walker to
> achieve what they had done, but then…  When the world was young and magic was primal, it may have been possible to manipulate such forces free of the paths.”




What paths he is talking about is not clear in the text, but his musing seem to hold the key to what Tares is looking for.  

He pauses momentarily to collect his thought, it is late, but he is 
tantalizingly close to at least making this not a dead end.

Tares feels something, a distortion.  At first he is unsure of its origin, but 
quickly analyzes the feeling, he realizes that more that like some kind of 
Temporal Nodality distortion, Timestop or something similar.  Timestop, when 
fired, leaves a brief slight distortion, like this, but this is lasting much 
longer.

On edge Tares rises from his chair, ready for anything.  Disturbingly, the 
morning sun hits him in the face.  It is far too early for the sun to be up.  
He realizes he is in a forward transition, he is travelling through time much 
quicker than he should.

He has read cases of fey being able to accomplish such a thing, perhaps this is some trap by the elves.  What ever the nature of the magic it is extremely 
potent, and also beyond him.

He watches out the window as the day accelerates into night and day again, soon the sun is just a blur across the sky.  It is impossible to tell how much time passes, but he would guess it was considerable.  Abruptly, it stops.

Standing in the room is a  beautiful elven woman, she paces worriedly, but does not seem aware of Tares presence.  She turns and looks as Cerren walks into the room.  Cerren does not look much different than the last time he saw him, but he carries himself differently, more confidently.  He is bleeding from several minor wounds and his robes look like they have seen battle.

The woman runs to him and he holds her.  “We lost.  The First Oak has fallen, 
it is only a matter of time now.”

“We must flee, Cerren, there is still time!” The woman insists through a tear 
streaked face.

“Flee where?  There is no place else.  All the races that could flee came to 
us.  The world, except for Evoreal is a cinder and we are about to follow.  The Far West is unreachable, it’s gates closed, the planes are a battleground and all the other worlds I know of are gone to the fiends as well.  I came back to be with you in our final hours.”

Orasha cries softly, and the scene seems to leap forward.  Tares is standing on the burning ruin that was once the great tree Saehdrin, he can see the forest ablaze around him and it is quickly consumed and gone.  Even more time streaks back and even the ashes are gone, where there is forest and life, there is now only dust and ash.


----------



## Wrahn (Oct 8, 2004)

Ata, Glangim~

The processional begins to form even before sunrise, it appears most of Dun 
Faerin will escort Derricks body to the Gates.  Some still carry ale from the 
wake.

Aegrin Stonesplitter aproaches Ata and Glangim, looking at Glangim, “I be 
understanding that Derrick asked ye to carry him down.  If so, ye best be 
getting with the clan.”  He turns to show you where to go and disappears.

Looking around the gathering processional in confusion, all of them appear to 
be gone as well.  There is a feeling of disorientation and both of them can 
begin to see the city change and grow around them.  The ceiling expands, as 
does the cavern the city is built in.

The disorientation diminishes after a moment and it is apparent, that Dun 
Faerin or what was once Dun Faerin is quite prosperous and much more heavily populated.  Or it would seem that way if there were any people.  Dominating the city is a titanic statue of a dwarf holding a warhammer over it’s head, though they can not see who the statue is suppose to represent, as it’s back is to them.

A rhythmic pounding can be heard, coming from the high gate, the gate that 
leads to the surface.  A group of six dwarves run by carrying block and tackle 
and some relatively impressive ropes.  Following behind them is a grizzled 
dwarf, neither Ata or Glangrim recognize and a drow elf.

“The wards be holdin’.  That is a right fine job you did.”  The dwarf speaking 
to the drow, neither of whom seem to notice your presence.

“It won’t hold them forever.  I would guess if they don’t break through the 
walls before tomorrow, they will teleport through.”

“Ah, don’t be worrying your head about that.  We’ll be long dead before then.  Ya know, there is still time for you to be fleeing deeper, there is no need to dying up here with us.”

The drow smiles, “A lot has changed since we were enemies.  In my life I would have never believed that I would argue for the right to stay and die with a bunch of dwarves.”

“Nor me be thinking it would have been likely that in King Glangrim’s time that 
we would be sending our families to the drow for safety.”  The Dwarf laughs, 
but is cut short by a cracking noise.  “I knew we should have used more 
reinforcement on those gates.  Ah well, it was inevitable.  Dun Faerin was a 
good home, I will be proud to die for her.”  He says unslinging his hammer, 
moving toward the gate.

The sounds of battle can be heard over the low building of the city.  Horrible 
noises too, inhuman.  A winged demonic form flies low across the roof tops, 
with a dwarf holding on with one hand and hacking on it with an axe in the 
other.  The streak into a building and neither comes out.

There is a horrible scream rising back from the gate.  Something large rips 
through the 30ft high gate corridor.  They can see it, it looks like a cross 
between a demon and a dragon as enters the main courtyard, unleashing it’s hell breath.

Ata notices first the massive statue begins to tip forward,  The dragon doesn’t notice in time to avoid the only thing larger than it falling down crushing it.  A great cry rises from defender as the dragon tries to rise from the crushing weight, and fails, lying still.

The sound of the combat continues.  Finally the lone dwarf, the drow friend 
from before staggers back to in front of the ale house, he slips to the floor 
and stops breathing.  The air and streets seem to fill with demons of all 
shapes and sizes and then are gone, leaving the body of the dwarf there.

The disorientation seems to pick up again and they watch the body decay to bone and then even the bones turn to dust in the silence.


----------



## Wrahn (Oct 8, 2004)

Elly (or better know as she with too many names)~

Elias smiles at her, “You certainly know how to make this difficult, don’t you.”  He leans down and kisses her gently, but breaks off before it can become more serious, “If we start that I will never leave.  Come, get dressed, if you want to see me off, we need to get away from the town.”

The two lovers make it out onto the road, out of the sight of the town without too many more delays.  Elias looks around and then locks eyes with Elly and smiles.  And then he is gone like a memory.  In his place stands a beast, magnificent in it’s splendor.  The moon and even the stars seem to reflect a thousand ways off his scales.  He is as large as a house, his sheer size is intimidating.  But as Elly looks at him, she can still see him in his eyes.

“I will return as soon as I can.”  His voice is still the same, except several octaves lower.  He lowers his head to her and lightly nuzzles her, a draconic version of a kiss.  Then his muscles bunch and he springs into the air, his great wings beating in the air, carrying him aloft.  He makes one circle, to insure Elly sees him in silhouetted against the half moon and then quickly fades into the distance.

 Elly begins returning to the town, to gather her possessions and to get underway, since she was already up.  She is almost at the first building of the town when she feels “funny”.

She looks around to try and pinpoint a source, but doesn’t immediately notice anything.  She is almost ready to give up when she notices the sun rising.  It is far too early for the sun to come up.  She is strangely not overly concerned about it, almost like it was a dream.

Time seems to increase in it’s passage around her.  Soon days are flying by and soon after that it is almost a strobe effect as the day passes in a blink of an eye.  It is impossible to say how much time passes when the effect finally stops, but at least decades, maybe centuries.

She still stands outside of the town, but the town has been fortified.  It has a strong, thick stone wall, bristling with spears, which looked silver tipped.  There is a moment of silence as the scene comes into focus and then she watches a silvery bolt of energy streak from the town and thunderously explode behind her.  As she turn to see what the bolt was firing at, the entire scene comes to life with the deafening sound of battle.

She turns to look and sees a scene that will she will carry with her to the end of her days.  A horde of demons, so large that she could not see the end of it.  Every shape and size, every imaginable and unimaginable form moving in the sea of seething demon flesh.  The sky is likewise filled with flying demons.

The town looks battered, and there are sever steaming demon corpse around it, but it is obvious that nothing can stand against a horde so vast.  As the army advances on it, more silvery bolts shoot from within the confines, killing demons by the score, but it like taking a bucket of water out of the ocean, there is little discernable effect.  When the demons get close to the wall, however, they twist in agony.  Some explode messily.  The town has some formidable protections, apparently.  Yet the horde pushes forward.  Demons die by the hundreds, some try to turn back, they cannot resist the wall of bodies pushing them forward, to their doom.

Eventually the tide parts and the town is completely engulfed by the horde, except a hundred feet from its walls, there is a circle of dead demons.  It is hard to tell from Elly’s perspective, but there is a seems to be a ripple through the horde and then terrible screams of pain coming from the horde.  It is difficult to understand exactly what is happening, but some of the demons have fused together to make one larger demon.  Horrifically all the demons are still alive and seem to be in terrible pain, screaming horribly.

The screaming changes pitch and Elly realizes the thing is speaking through the screams of it’s victims, “Shulvoros is not amused mortals, it is time to die.”  Shulvoros holds it’s hands out and incants a spell.  Three silver bolts strike it, but seem to disapate without hurting it.

Shulvoros completes its spell and there is a distortion around the town.  Then it is gone and the demons surge forward.

Just before the demons reach the walls there is an immense roar heard from above the clouds.   It stops the demons in their tracks, looking up.  The roar is answered by another roar and then another.  The demons seem to know what this is as they start scrambling back from the wall.

Decending from the clouds is an immense Red Dragon, larger than anything Elly has ever seen, it is flanked by two dragons nearly as big, a Copper and a Green.  Their breath destroys anything that caught in it, as the strafe the fleeing demons.  More dragons descend from the clouds, magic erupting from them.  Cyclones decend from the clouds, wrecking havok on their flyers and ground forces alike.  Scores of dragons do battle with the horde.

Elly had heard legends of the dragons coming together in the time of the Star Comets.  The stories did not do the power of a wing of Dragon credit.  She begins to hope that victory may indeed be possible.

One Dragon catches Elly’s eye, a silver, Elias.  He is much larger than he was, but she is sure it is him.  He is battling what looks to be a Balor.  Elly tries to go to him, to help him, but she is just an observer here.  Exhaling his freezing breath finally sends the demonic thing crashing to the ground.  He spreads his wings to gain some altitude and is caught full in the chest by a bolt of dark energy coming from Shulvoros.  She could swear that he looks straight at her and then he falls from the sky.

Seconds later, a Gold, as large as the first red carried a half dozen demons that are attempting to claw through its hide, and itself, crashing through Shulvoros, his component demons flying apart.

The disorientation flashes again, she looks back to the city, it is barely a pile of rubble, there is no life anywhere around it.  Skeletons of dragons litter the ground, only to be buried by blowing dust.


----------



## Wrahn (Oct 8, 2004)

*And Finally We Begin...*

All~

Everyone’s respective scenes fade to darkness.  A moment without time seems to pass and everyone becomes aware of the smell of oil.  As they all become aware, they can see a titanic gear move past the platform they are standing on.

There is a distant sound of well maintained clockworks going on off the side of the platform.  As they take in their surroundings, they become aware of one another.  They also become aware, coming down a flight of steps ahead of them is a man.

Perhaps a man.  Whatever it is, it moves like a man but is completely invisible, except for the robe it is wearing.  The robe is reddish orange with trim of a dark blue with runes on it.  When he reaches the bottom of the stairs he stops and pulls his hood back, revealing nothing but open air.

He speaks, in a perfectly normal voice, “I apologize for bringing you here like this, but there is much at stake and I don’t have a great deal of time.  I am Gha’uem and I have shown you the future.  I have done this so that you might help avert it.”


----------



## Someone (Oct 8, 2004)

[Wow, that sure was worth the waiting]

Tares quickly invokes a See Invisibility spell, still trying to recognize the place: the last days have been both frustrating and exciting, a mixture that he had not feel since he was mastering his first cantrip. How´s that he never found this place with the Mirror? His intuition was right: there´s always something beyond. 

“I´m Tares Hehrog, a… practitioner of Magic of certain fame where I come.” Says the sorcerer on the cautious side; the others here could very well come from different worlds or time streams. “Though you surely know it, these people…” Tares eyes them sideways “…may not. If time is of importance, I have to ask you to explain yourself, even when I find certain things… intriguing.”


----------



## Wrahn (Oct 8, 2004)

[Thanks ]

Disturbingly See Invisible shows nothing other than what you see with your own eyes.

“There are terrible forces in play, Tares Hehrog, forces, at the moment you are unable to deal with.  Forces that if you became aware of them, they would become aware of you.”

“We currently exist outside of time.  Thus we are safe from those forces and they should not immediately become aware we are talking.  But once you are returned to the place and time where I took you from, they may become aware of what has happened if you bring back too much information.”

“Thus my purpose here is to show you the end result of the problem and set your feet upon a road that will hopefully prevent what is destined to happen.”


----------



## Pyrex (Oct 8, 2004)

*Dimitri, Cleric of Pelor*

Pausing a moment to try and absorb what he has just seen, Dimitri looks at the others who have been brought here and at Gha’uem, the formless entity who has done the bringing.

Tares' introduction snaps Dimitri back to the present; and though he has many questions he chooses to follow Tares' course and introduce himself then give the one who brought them here a chance to explain.

"I am Dimitri, from the Abbey of St. Belfast, in the town of Penthrift near the river Guell."

Dimitri is 6' tall, with blue eyes and blond hair just starting to fade towards gray.  Even though he's only wearing simple brown robes & sandals and carrying little more than a walking stick a subtle sense of peace and warmth seems to radiate from him.


----------



## Nac Mac Feegle (Oct 9, 2004)

A startled looking hawk shifts form momentarily before settling on the guise of a young man of peasant stock in simple brown clothes.

"I see.  What may we know without endangering ourselves in our own time?"

A True Sight spell on the man reveals a man-sized formless, shifting mass.


----------



## Lichtenhart (Oct 11, 2004)

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"
Elly screams as Elias is struck and falls and as the vision turns to dust and then nothingness. She is lost in her pain as Gha’uem begins to speak, but she catches his last words 'you might help avert it', and remembers that she was not called Arumanna because she settled down and cried. So she stands up, wipes her tears, and looks at the people around her.
"Glanten, is that you? It's been ages, my friend, I hope you found what you were looking for. And... Tares Hehrog the Archsorcerer, and Dimitri the Wise! I've heard of you, and I would have liked to meet you in more pleasant circumstances. I am but a traveling minstrel, but I'll give you all the help I can offer. I have...many names but you can call me Ellywick Faeral Turgen. Oh, well, just Elly for you."
Then she turns to the being that brought them here, and she's unsure of her feelings towards him. A part of her hates him for what he has showed her, but if he's not lying and there's a hope to prevent that from happening, he's her best friend in the whole world.
"Yes, Gha’uem, we're listening. What should we know and what should we do?"


----------



## Wrahn (Oct 11, 2004)

[ooc:  True Seeing reveals nothing except what your eyes see.]

“What you have seen is the end of the world, but what you don’t know is it is the end of everything.”

“Have you heard the saying, “A pebble can start an avalanche?”  The right pebble in the right place can also stop one, or in this case six pebbles.”

“But I do not expect you all to do this out of the kindness of your hearts.  As some of you have undoubtedly noticed, your personal development has reached a kind of plateau.  In fact you have reached the apex of what mere mortality can achieve.”

“However it is possible to become more, to transcend what it means to be merely mortal.  The are many paths to this power, mostly involving subjugation to some concept or divinity.    But there are a few rare ways that allow one epic power on their own terms.”

“In return for agreeing to stop the fiends, I offer you access to the Path of Contention.”

He pauses briefly, “We are running short on time, the power requirements to do this are immense.  I am going to need to return you all to your place of origin.  If you choose to accept my offer and save you world, go to Sigil, the Blaunth Counting House.  Retrieve lot number 6821E.  All six of you will be required to get it, however.”


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## Lichtenhart (Oct 11, 2004)

"I didn't ask for anything. If I can prevent that from happening, that'll be enough of a reward to me. But now you got me curious: what are the other paths? Or to stop that future from becoming reality we all must walk the Path of Contention?"
Elly again wonders if they can really trust this being that doesn't show himself. He listen to his voice carefully looking for those little signs that label a lie.

OOC: Sense Motive +15


----------



## Wrahn (Oct 11, 2004)

Lichtenhart said:
			
		

> "I didn't ask for anything. If I can prevent that from happening, that'll be enough of a reward to me. But now you got me curious: what are the other paths? Or to stop that future from becoming reality we all must walk the Path of Contention?"
> Elly again wonders if they can really trust this being that doesn't show himself. He listen to his voice carefully looking for those little signs that label a lie.
> 
> OOC: Sense Motive +15




It is difficult to read him, since you can't see much of his expression.  But from Elly's experience and his voice gross body movement, you would guess he is not being deceptive.

[OOC: arbitary and capricious -3 penalty to sense motive because he can not be fully seen.  Roll of 14 + 12 = 26, results above]

"There are many paths, no all are known.  Path of Evil seems to be the one that is most prevalent.  Just as the Path of Good usually is found to oppose them.  Great champions of deities are some times empowered.  There is the path of Fate, where by certain heroes and villains spontaneously gain power to fulfil some destiny.”

“I am not offering the Path of Contention to you solely as a reward.  You will need the power it offers to you if you are to succeed.  I should also point out that there are no guarantees in this.  The test that you will need to undertake is dangerous and your mind and body both will be tested.”


----------



## Someone (Oct 11, 2004)

> [ooc: True Seeing reveals nothing except what your eyes see.]




(OOC: I thing he was referring to his character, not Gha´uem)

Tares watches Elly screaming, and silently wonders if his lack of emotion when the end of the world was shown to him says anything about his life: is he a solitary freak with a stone heart, as many in the castle think he´s? He dismisses the thought as something minor: if he indeed is, they should prove that´s a _bad_ thing. 



> “But I do not expect you all to do this out of the kindness of your hearts. As some of you have undoubtedly noticed, your personal development has reached a kind of plateau. In fact you have reached the apex of what mere mortality can achieve.”
> […]
> “In return for agreeing to stop the fiends, I offer you access to the Path of Contention.”




“Now you really caught my interest” says Tares. “This is a very tempting offer, you may know that I´m loathe to work to unknow agencies or powers with so little information –specially knowing how tangled are politics in Sigil-”


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## Wrahn (Oct 11, 2004)

"Caution is wise in this situation and I wish that I could provide you with more information.  But, unfortunately situations dictate that I can not.  The choice is yours."

"Please, time grows short, are there any more questions?"


----------



## Pyrex (Oct 11, 2004)

Seeing Elly's reaction, Dimitri realizes that what he has seen of the 'future' is not what everyone else has seen, and that what each individual may have seen more than random snippets of destruction, but quite likely witnessed key events which must not be allowed to pass.

"Gha'uem, you have shown us slices of the avalanche and the devastation it has left behind.  Can you tell us anything of how or at least when it begins?"


----------



## Ashy (Oct 11, 2004)

Ata stands stone-still, like a pillar of rock with a frown deeply etched upon his features.  When all have spoken, he speaks, slowly and with a measured air as if each word were heavily weighed and considered before being spoken.

"Ata I am.  Why are we to trust he who will not show his own face?"

The ugruu falls silent, as if he said said all that needs to be said for the moment.


----------



## Someone (Oct 11, 2004)

> "Caution is wise in this situation and I wish that I could provide you with more information.  But, unfortunately situations dictate that I can not.  The choice is yours."




"Then I´m going. That doesn´t mean I´ll not continue, er, exercising my caution." Tares´ smile flashes a moment. "Are you going to return us to our previous locations, or in a group?"

(in the former case...)

"Then I´ll have to gather us. If you shortly have an eerie feeling of being watched, do not resist." says.


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## Lichtenhart (Oct 11, 2004)

Ashy said:
			
		

> "Ata I am.  Why are we to trust he who will not show his own face?"




Elly puts her hand on the little dwarf's shoulder and says sadly: "Because if what he says is true, we can't afford not to believe him. If he's a liar, we made a trip to Sigil for nothing; if he's true, we lose the world."


----------



## Wrahn (Oct 11, 2004)

"The events you have seen take place hundreds of years in the future.  The cause is a war between the higher and lower planes.  The fiends, unable to breech the walls of heaven, try and destroy the source of light in the mortal planes, only to lead to their destruction as well."

"As far as my "face", you have seen it, or the lack of it.  I am nothing more than a caretaker for this place, a memory of something greater.  I am nothing less and nothing more than what you see in front of you.  But I am of little consquence in this."

"Power of the magnitude being used will not go unnoticed by people who are looking.  Returning you to your points of origin will cause the least attention to be directed at you."

He walks to a wall and seems to be fiddling with a control, "We are out of time, prepare yourselves and may Fortune bless you."

You all have one brief moment to slip in any last questions as he makes his last adjustments.


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## Lichtenhart (Oct 11, 2004)

"Will we meet again, and you'll tell us more then? Or everything we need to know is in what you left in Sigil?"


----------



## Someone (Oct 11, 2004)

"Only one lats thing" says Tares while examining the things the being is controlling with a curious look. "Who, or what are those that could be watching and we have to be so careful about?"


----------



## Nac Mac Feegle (Oct 11, 2004)

Shifter simply nods to himself as all is spoken, and then says only two words.

"I agree."

OOC:  When he is returned, Shifter will use his amulet of the planes to planeshift within 5d100 miles of the meeting place, and then will shift into an adult brass dragon and hustle (60 miles an hour) fly towards the meeting, shifting back when he gets near the city.  He'll use shift healing to cure whatever subdual he takes.


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## Ferrix (Oct 12, 2004)

Glangim looks to Elly, his eyes widening, "Aye, it's me ya hard knockin' rascal, I found what I was lookin' for and a whole lot more mind ye'.  Ye can call me Glangim now.  We best be getting on, Sigil is awaitin'."

Otherwise, Glangim lets the others have there say, a slip of a frown crosses his face when Ata discouragingly remarks against the force before them.  His mind is on the action ahead.  _I shall intern my friend properly, and then be on my way to this Sigil._  His hand drops to his hammer, clenching it with the resolution of all the stones.


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## Ashy (Oct 12, 2004)

Lichtenhart said:
			
		

> Elly puts her hand on the little dwarf's shoulder and says sadly: "Because if what he says is true, we can't afford not to believe him. If he's a liar, we made a trip to Sigil for nothing; if he's true, we lose the world."




Ata does not move, but replies, "What if his words move us so that we make that which we see, instead of preventing it?"


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## Ashy (Oct 12, 2004)

Wrahn said:
			
		

> "But I am of little consquence in this."




Ata snorts at this statement, but he stands firm next to his other-brother.


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## Wrahn (Oct 12, 2004)

Tares watches Gha’uem’s invisible hand apparently manipulating an off color portion of the wall, there are no discernible controls, he pauses with Elly and Tares’s question.

“We are flying in the face of fate now.  There is no way to tell what will happen.  I don’t imagine we will meet again though.  What is left for you at Sigil is only enough to get you started in discovering what you need to know on your own.”

“As for our enemy, you must discover him on your own, but I will tell you this: He is ancient, so old that he may have no beginning.  And he is Evil in the purest sense.”

With that his hand raises to the panel and instantaneously the members of the group find themselves at the exact place from which they were taken:

Ata, Glangim~

Aegrin Stonesplitter looks at both of them, “Lads?  Ye be alright?”

The processional moves slowly through the streets.  Derrick was well loved and as far as either Ata and Glangim can tell, the entire city comes to pay their respect.  When it finally makes it way to the great stone doors to the tomb, Morda steps forward to say a few final words.

“We return Derrick from the bones of the earth from which Moradin carved the first dwarves.  Let the tears shed this day be for the livin’ for Derrick has returned to the Dwarfhome.”

She turns and walks to the great stone doors.  She turns to the bearers of Derricks body and intones ceremoniously, “We go to the deep earth as Moradin made us, in peace.  Only those that represent the will of the dwarves may be proceeding with arms and armor.”

Glangim can feel the eyes of everyone gathered on him as the priests gather the weapons and armor of the others.  Morda moves to him and looks at him questioningly.

Shifter~

Savaesa’s mocking laugh starts again abruptly and Shifters wings lose a beat, but he quickly recovers.

“We are not so far away,” she shouts, “Perhaps we shall _hunt_ together soon.”

With that she takes flight heading south east, up towards the mountains.

Elly~

Not even the crickets seem to have noticed her abrupt reappearance.   She stands outside of the town, now looking remarkably peaceful.

Dimitri~

Reynni begins to stir and then he looks around terrified.  When he sees Dimitri, he is visibly relieved.  The boy rises and comes over to Dimitri.

“I’m sorry Master Abbot, we shouldn’t have been here.  But Taemin called me a chicken and I’m not.”  The boy seems remarkably calm despite the situation.  Dimitri can’t help but think those are prime ingredients for most adventurers, calm under pressure and stupidity when faced with a challenge.

Tares~

It is a little disorienting going from standing up to sitting down.  As he gains his bearings, he can hear the gigantic tree creak and groan around him.  He is sure that Saehdrin has detected what must have been a massive surge of magic and is communicating it to Elusriel.


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## Ashy (Oct 12, 2004)

Ata's frown has not dissipated; he waits patiently for a time when he can speak to Glangim in private about their "experience".


----------



## Someone (Oct 12, 2004)

Tares mends the wrinkles in his robes and cloak, and gets up, thinking on talking with Elusriel. She may be still available, given how little -real- time he´s been away. 

When (if?) he finds her, he excuses for having to leave so soon. "The travel logs were insightful" says "And I know have enough clues to continue working on my own, so I don´t have to disturb you any more. But the point could be moot anyway; I have things of extreme importance to do that cannot be delayed. I´m sorry to be such an annoyance, but there´s not another way."

"Look after Cerren well, by the way. He´s a promising young"

Tares then prepares to leave, casting Greater Teleport back to his tower; there, he unfolds the portable hole and gets his two mirrors from it. Using the silver one, he casts Greater Scrying, looking for the other who were with him in Gha´uem´s place (?); then using the mirror to open a portal to that place. [That, and the teleport, should exhaust most of my 7th level slots, leaving only one]

He also announces the king -privately- that he´ll leave, probably for some days, but that as always he´ll keep watching the castle.


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## Ferrix (Oct 12, 2004)

Wrahn said:
			
		

> Ata, Glangim~
> 
> Aegrin Stonesplitter looks at both of them, “Lads?  Ye be alright?”
> 
> ...




His hands loose, Glangim nods his head to Morda, an uncommon reverence in his motions.  His hammer stoic at his hip, his shield slung over his back, he passes by her and takes up the place of honor as a bearer.  His movement the first smooth stroke of a smithy's hammer shaping the pure stock into a masterpiece of craft.  _No words be needed for me actions now._


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## Pyrex (Oct 12, 2004)

Ashy said:
			
		

> Ata does not move, but replies, "What if his words move us so that we make that which we see, instead of preventing it?"




"We can but do as we feel is right.  To be paralyzed to inaction through fear of causing that you seek to prevent is no better than surrender.  In the end, evil would still triumph"


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## Pyrex (Oct 12, 2004)

Wrahn said:
			
		

> Dimitri~
> 
> Reynni begins to stir and then he looks around terrified.  When he sees Dimitri, he is visibly relieved.  The boy rises and comes over to Dimitri.
> 
> “I’m sorry Master Abbot, we shouldn’t have been here.  But Taemin called me a chicken and I’m not.”  The boy seems remarkably calm despite the situation.  Dimitri can’t help but think those are prime ingredients for most adventurers, calm under pressure and stupidity when faced with a challenge.




"It's a thin line between bravery and foolishness Reynni.  You're lucky not to have been hurt worse for stepping across it this morning.  Now run along home and tell your father what happened.  Also, tell him I said that next Saturday you and your friend Taemin are to come to the Abbey and spend the working with Brother Taliln in the Abbey gardens."

With that, Dimitri sends Reynni off home and starts walking back to the abbey, his thoughts whirling.  Upon his return, he seeks out Brother Taliln.

"Brother, I have been called and must answer.  I will be leaving soon and know not when I will return.  Will you and the other see to the Abbey in my absence?"


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Oct 13, 2004)

A little shaken, Shifter swoops back towards Dwarvenhome, phasing through the walls.  There the hawk alights, awaiting the others.  Come the end of the ceremony it would be time to shift to a dragon to carry the others.  In the mean time, Shifter rested.

OOC:  As a dragon, hustling, Shifter can manage 60 mph and easily carry Ata and Glangim.


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## Lichtenhart (Oct 13, 2004)

Elly looks at the moon that minutes before shone so beautifully on Elias' scales, wondering if the dragons too sensed what is about to happen. She can't help a sad grin as she thinks that she asked him not to save the world without her, and now she is the one that has to do that.
She walks back to the tavern and prepares herself once again for adventure. Then, stroking absentmindedly Rosie's fringes she writes a letter for him.

_Dear love,
please don't be mad at me. This is not the surprise I had in mind. I hope you'll understand that if I say that I have to go, I'm every bit as serious as you were when you told me those same words.
I'm sorry but I can't tell you where I go nor why, I am not even sure this letter is a good idea, there are many things that I don't understand yet and dangers I do not see clearly. That is why I'll leave it here instead of sending it to you with our usual messengers.
I only understand that I have to go, for you and or everything we love. Please don't look for me unless I look for you. This is painful to me as it is for you, but I can't afford the risk. There is too much at stake.
I can only tell you two things. The first is that I will return as soon as I can. Now that we are bound by our words nothing will keep us apart. The second is that i love you so much that I miss you in every breath, I miss you in every step, I miss you in every chord. Don't you ever forget that, prince of the sky.

Yours forever
Elly Sparkle_

When she finishes it, she seals it with her ring, and gives the letter to the innkeeper, giving him some gold coin to keep it safe until her friend's return. Then she leaves the town and when she is sure nobody is looking at her, she sings the song that summons the shadows, and travels through them for about an hour, to confuse anyone who may be tracking her, and she resurfaces only when she finds a suitable place where to wait for the Archsorcerer.
In the meanwhile, she wonders if she ever heard of the name that haunted her vision, Shulvoros.

OOC: Bardic knowledge +24


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## Wrahn (Oct 13, 2004)

Tares Hehrog~

Elusriel finds Tares, she looks like she is concentrating on something, “Archsorcerer, did you happen to notice the magic that just swept over Evoreal and presumably the rest of the world?  It was subtle and powerful.  A most potent combination.”  She speaks to him distractedly.

When you tell her you are leave, she focuses her full attention on you.  She pauses and Tares would guess that she suspects he knows more than he is saying, “I am glad you found some success and don’t worry about the inconvenience to me, your presence here was a delight, if all too brief.  You are welcome to return at anytime.”  She say graciously.

“But I am afraid the First Oaks protection extends to people trying to leave the forest magically as well.  Give me a moment to take care of a few issues and I shall get passage for you through the defenses.”

She concentrates quietly for a moment and then turns and smiles at you.  She is a spectacularly beautiful woman, especially when she smiles, “The masters of the other towers are concerned about the wave of magic and are on edge, we were conferring amongst ourselves.  Please take my hand.”  She offers her hand to you and closes her eyes.

“Alright, you may pass through safely.  Safe journey to you Tares.”

Arriving back at his tower, he quickly sends a page requesting to see the king at his earliest convenience.  He is a little surprised when less than 10 minutes later a page returns to tell him the King will see him now.

The page leads him to the Kings gardens, where, the King seems to be conversing with a fat merchant.  He signals Tares over.

“Eckrin, do you know Archsoreceror Tares Hehrog?” King Therdes says pleasantly, as if introducing two friends, Eckrin’s eyes grow as big as saucers, apparently he has heard of Tares.

Therdes turns to Tares, “Eckrin was bringing me up to date on the unfair practices in silk imports from the south.  It appears they are under cutting his price and there is a desperate need for protective tariffs.  So as you can see, your business with me will have to wait, until Eckrin here can full explain his plight.”

As Tares turns his attention to Eckrin, he nearly wets himself trying to excuse himself, “Um, your Majesty, it occurs to me, I have left matters back at my warehouse unattended.  Perhaps we could reschedule?” he says hurriedly.

“Well, if you are sure.  Please, feel free to talk to the Chancellor.”

Once Eckrin is out of the garden, Therdes turns to Tares, “I apologize for that.  I hope Patris (Patris is the chancellor and responsible for scheduling the King’s appointments) is getting fat over the bribes that arrogant twit is paying him.”

“Now, my friend, what is it I can do for you?”  King Therdes is a consummate politician, as he and Tares are not friends, their relationship is better described as allies, yet he sounds like he believes them.

Glangim~

Morda looks at you with what appears to be not disapproval.  The closest thing to a smile Glangim has ever seen.  The weight of the eyes of all those gathered weigh heavily on his back as he begins the long climb down the stairs.

Just before the doors close ominously, Aegrin says, “Derrick would be proud, lad.”  The rest of the journey is in silence.

Ata, Shifter~

As Glangrim and the rest of the pall bearers disappear behind the closing door, the gathered crowd starts buzzing in conversation.  Balin Steelbiter, the ruler of Dun Faerin joins Ata and Shifter.

“While I mourn my friend Derrick, my heart is happy.  Having dwarves in the deep again will be a welcome change.  We may even be able to establish contact with your people Ata.”

“I have quietly been stockpilin’ resource for this for months.  Do you know what Glangim is plannin’?”

Dimitri~

Reynni looks abashed, “Do we have to tell my pa?  I promise not to do it again...?”

With the news of Dimitri’s leaving, Taliln, looking gravely, “Pelor go with you abbot, I think we can manage here, perhaps not as well with you here, but well enough.  What is the nature of the emergency, if I may ask?  Are the ghouls returned?”

Elly~

Elly sits and thinks, she has a vague memory of hearing the name before.  After a moment or two she realizes it was from the _Iserol Odyssey_

It was a story about Iserol and his group of companions who numbered amoung his enemies a demon name Klacri.  The story concerning him boiled down to Klacri kidnapping Iserol’s bride to be and attempted to use her as a sacrifice in some horrific ritual.  Iserol attempts to rescue her, but is too late, but does manage to slay Klacri.  Klacri only laughs telling Iserol that he only finished the ritual for him.

As Isorel and his friends flee the horde of demon servants, they fused together to form Shulvoros, whom was so powerful they fled rather than face him.

Presumably, Klacri sacrificed his material form to become Shulvoros, some kind of parasitic spirit that can possess the bodies of multiple other demons.


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## Pyrex (Oct 13, 2004)

*Dimitri, Cleric of Pelor*



			
				Wrahn said:
			
		

> Reynni looks abashed, “Do we have to tell my pa?  I promise not to do it again...?”
> 
> With the news of Dimitri’s leaving, Taliln, looking gravely, “Pelor go with you abbot, I think we can manage here, perhaps not as well with you here, but well enough.  What is the nature of the emergency, if I may ask?  Are the ghouls returned?”




to Reynni
"By now your father has probably heard that you went in to the chapel and didn't come out.  He's probably afraid that something bad happened to you.  Don't you think it's better that you tell him that you fell?  It wouldn't be very nice to make him stay up all night looking for the ghouls that Taemin said got you."

to Taliln
Dimitri smiles a bit as he shakes his head; "No, no ghouls.  War is coming, I must aid those who would stop it before it sweeps across the land."


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## Someone (Oct 14, 2004)

> “Archsorcerer, did you happen to notice the magic that just swept over Evoreal and presumably the rest of the world? It was subtle and powerful. A most potent combination.” She speaks to him distractedly.




“Yes, quite. An interesting arcane experience; some kind of temporal warp of... unknow origin” says Tares.



> “I am glad you found some success and don’t worry about the inconvenience to me, your presence here was a delight, if all too brief. You are welcome to return at anytime.” She say graciously




“And for me, this was a welcomed change of pace from my relationship with other spellcasters. Normally” jokes Tares “speaking with them is like trying to swallow spoiled yoghurt, but this has been a sweet day. Farewell, lady Elusriel” ends the mage before vanishing.

……………



> “Now, my friend, what is it I can do for you?” King Therdes is a consummate politician, as he and Tares are not friends, their relationship is better described as allies, yet he sounds like he believes them.”




“I simply have to announce that, for some time, my presence as a scarecrow in this castle will be more scarce” Tares feels funny this evening. “I have things to do that ultimately will revert in benefit of the kingdom -and me-, and won´t be at my tower for the most part of the day, for an unknow, but hopefully short, amount of time. That doesn´t mean I´ll leave the castle unattended; I have means to check it or communicate with you, if you don´t mean a little use of magic.”


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## Ashy (Oct 14, 2004)

Wrahn said:
			
		

> “While I mourn my friend Derrick, my heart is happy.  Having dwarves in the deep again will be a welcome change.  We may even be able to establish contact with your people Ata.”
> 
> “I have quietly been stockpilin’ resource for this for months.  Do you know what Glangim is plannin’?”




Ata nods slowly at the thought of connecting with the ugruu.  "Aye, a fine thing that would be."  At the second question, the stone dwarf merely shakes his head slowly.  "I do not, my friend..."


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## Ferrix (Oct 14, 2004)

Wrahn said:
			
		

> Glangim~
> 
> Morda looks at you with what appears to be not disapproval.  The closest thing to a smile Glangim has ever seen.  The weight of the eyes of all those gathered weigh heavily on his back as he begins the long climb down the stairs.
> 
> Just before the doors close ominously, Aegrin says, ?Derrick would be proud, lad.?  The rest of the journey is in silence.




With each step, the peal of a hammer rings within his mind, the only prayer to the All-Father that he knows.


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## Lichtenhart (Oct 15, 2004)

Alone in the wilderness, waiting for the Tares Hehrog's call, Elly thinks of this new adventure. Now that the fear and the pain have subsided a bit, she begins to feel excited. She has to save the world, and she'll need all of her energy and skills. All of her names. She probably have the most competent companions in the world for this quest after all. And while she is little thing besides them, her best talent is to turn people into heroes. She can't think of anything that could stop them if they work well together. That's probably her task: to smooth things out so they can devote all their strangth to the task at hand. Tall ones can have such a big ego. And Glanten... Glangim wasn't exactly the easiest person in the world if she remembers correctly. Slowly the grin that earned her the name of Smilefox begins to flicker on her lips. There's only one thing she needs to get out of her system. She gets out his mandolin, check if it's still tuned, and sings a song of love and longing.

To see you when I wake up is a gift
I didn't think could be real.
To know that you feel the same, as I do,
is a three-fold utopian dream.
You do something to me
that I can't explain.
So would I be out of line, if I said
I miss you.

I see your picture, I smell your skin
on the empty pillow next to mine.
You have only been gone ten days,
but already I am wasting away.
I know I'll see you again,
whether far or soon.
But I need you to know that I care
and I miss you.​
Yes, singing always makes her feel better.

Incubus - _I miss you_ - Make yourself​


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## Wrahn (Oct 19, 2004)

Ata, Shifter~

The crowd gathered for the funereal begins to disperse, but begin to trickle back after about 20 minutes.  Balin, wearing arms and armor waits with Ata and the Shifter for Glangim’s return.

Balin looks to the gathering crowd and smiles, “It is not often that one sees the conception of a new dwarven kingdom, or the resurrection of one either.  I think that tomorrow we shall have to have an official celebration.”

“It does occur to me, Ata, that it may be that the Ugruu may be instrumental in the rebirth of the nation.  While I only know legends and what you have told me, perhaps instead of their nomadic ways, it may be time for them to find a home.  The Ugruu would prove powerful allies in the hardships ahead…”

An hour passes and a better part of another before the bearers return from the deep.  A quiet falls over the crowd as the great doors begin to open.  Almost simultaneously there is a feeling of being watched, it appears the sorcerer has begun his scrying.

Glangrim~

The Bones of the Earth, the dwarven graveyard is deep in the earth and the five other dwarves with Glangrim are as silent as he as they descend the broad steps.

Glangrim has buried a few friends here, battle companions mostly.  There is a stillness in the tunnels where the ancestors of Dun Faerin are interred in the walls.  This time it is different, he can almost feel the weight of eyes on him, almost as if the ancient dwarves are here and judging him.

They almost seem to say who are you to carry weapons into our midst?  You may fool the living, but the dead know better.


Tares~

Therdes smiles at the scarecrow comment, “I did not intend to offend Archsorcerer.  It was just fortuitous circumstance that brought your request to me while I was trying to rid myself of some unwanted company.  Perhaps you can tell me the specifics of these circumstances over breakfast?”  It is difficult to tell if he is being polite or is actually asking Tares to tell him what is going on.

Eventually Tares returns to his tower and begins to scry.


Elly~

As the last of Elly’s song drifts into echoes, she hears someone move behind her.  As she turns to look, she sees a young maiden, barely into her womanhood.  She wears a simple gown and she is carrying a basket partially filled with wildflowers.  Her hair is long and is the oddest silver color that vaguely reminds her of Elias.

“I am sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.  I heard you singing and it was so beautiful, I had to see.”  She looks embarrassed.

Before Elly can say anything, she feels the sorcerer scry land on her.


Dimitri~

Reynni looks disappointed, “No, I wouldn’t want my pa to worry.”  He sighs.  He begins to walk back to town, but almost as an after thought, “When you talk to Pelor, could you tell him I am real sorry about breaking the floor of the chapel?”

Taliln looks shocked, “War, Abbot?  With who?”

After talking to Taliln and gathering his equipment, Dimitri will feel


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## Ashy (Oct 19, 2004)

Wrahn said:
			
		

> The crowd gathered for the funereal begins to disperse, but begin to trickle back after about 20 minutes.  Balin, wearing arms and armor waits with Ata and the Shifter for Glangim’s return.
> 
> Balin looks to the gathering crowd and smiles, “It is not often that one sees the conception of a new dwarven kingdom, or the resurrection of one either.  I think that tomorrow we shall have to have an official celebration.”
> 
> ...




Ata nods slowly, "There is a saying among my kind that change is constant - often change is for reasons both foul and fair and often change brings consequences either bad or good - but change is eternal.  This change-" Ata motions with his hand towards the pall bearers, "-strikes me with sadness, yet there is hope which springs forth anew.  Perhaps my kind will have a role to play in this hope."  The ugruu looks to Balin, "I will speak to my forefathers at the earliest opportunity given to me..."

Ata then falls silent until the great doors are opened.  In that moment, he looks to shifter, his crystalline eyes glittering fiercely.  "Do you feel this that I feel?"


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## Someone (Oct 19, 2004)

> Therdes smiles at the scarecrow comment, “I did not intend to offend Archsorcerer. It was just fortuitous circumstance that brought your request to me while I was trying to rid myself of some unwanted company.”




“No offense.” says Tares waving his hand. “It´s, after all, very little what I can do about my reputation, and does little damage, so I don´t worry at all.”



> ”Perhaps you can tell me the specifics of these circumstances over breakfast?” It is difficult to tell if he is being polite or is actually asking Tares to tell him what is going on.”




“No need to waste your time, your highness. It´s about matters of significant magical importance, but irrelevant when it comes to practical means.”


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## Ferrix (Oct 19, 2004)

Wrahn said:
			
		

> Glangrim~
> 
> The Bones of the Earth, the dwarven graveyard is deep in the earth and the five other dwarves with Glangrim are as silent as he as they descend the broad steps.
> 
> ...




Bearing his new choice with shoulders broad, Glangim remains strong, his will like the deep stone which surrounds him, the weight of the ancients only steels his resolve, the words of the All-Father resounding in his head, "return to your kin Glangim, The Lost King..."


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## Pyrex (Oct 19, 2004)

Wrahn said:
			
		

> Dimitri~
> 
> Reynni looks disappointed, “No, I wouldn’t want my pa to worry.”  He sighs.  He begins to walk back to town, but almost as an after thought, “When you talk to Pelor, could you tell him I am real sorry about breaking the floor of the chapel?”




Dimitri smiles and laughs warmly in response to Reynni's request "Of course I'll tell him.  I'm sure he'll forgive you." 



> Taliln looks shocked, “War, Abbot?  With who?”




Dimitri pauses a moment in thought, "I don't know, but I intend to find out.  For now it would be best if you keep this news quiet.  Even if we don't stop it the war won't reach here for many years so there is no reason to create panic."

Dimitri then turns and heads towards room, but stops suddenly, remembering something from his vision of the future and turns back towards Taliln.  "One more thing.  Please see to it that the old chapel repaired and maintained.  Also, once the repairs have been made, _Hallow_ the grounds.  As odd as it seems, I have the feeling that something important may happen there."

Back in his room, Dimitri gathers his things and prepares himself as for battle, which, as far as he knows, may well be the case.  His movements are slow, deliberate, even somewhat reverential.  Once ready, he kneels and spends several minutes in prayer; then issues a _Sending_ to Tares, saying simply "_I am ready_."


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## Wrahn (Oct 19, 2004)

Glangrim~

Remaining stalwart seems to please the spirits or perhaps it is all in Glangrim’s imagination, it is hard to say.  The feeling of other presences fades and Derrick internment proceeds without interruption.

As the group is heading out of the maze of burial chambers, Glangrim gets the oddest feeling.  He could swear that Derrick is near, he can smell a faint scent of incense and weapon oil that Derrick carried with him in life.  He turns to look, but of course there is nothing there.  The scent and the feeling fade, but Glangrim can’t help but feel uplifted.

When he reaches the top of the steps, the priests (Who remained at the top to ritualistically return those that ventured into the realm of the dead) open the door.  Glangrim once again feels like he is being watched, but this time it is magical and he is guessing it is coming from the sorcerer.


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## Lichtenhart (Oct 20, 2004)

Elly takes a deep breath as she feels Tares' magic washing over her, then smiles to the girl.
"Thanks. It looks like I am the one who interrupted you though." she gesture at the girl's flowers "How beautiful. What are they for?"
The singer looks at the girl's hair again, then shakes her head.
"You remind me of a dear friend of mine, you know?"


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## Ferrix (Oct 21, 2004)

Wrahn said:
			
		

> Glangrim~
> 
> Remaining stalwart seems to please the spirits or perhaps it is all in Glangrim?s imagination, it is hard to say.  The feeling of other presences fades and Derrick internment proceeds without interruption.
> 
> ...




A warm smile wends its way across his face as the doors waver and welcome them once again to Dun Faerin.

Approaching Ata he raises his voice, "ye be dawdlin' again mate, we've gots to be gettin' to go if this 'ere sorcerer is gonna be watch'n us all the way to Sigil," shaking his hand up at some invisible unseen watcher.


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## Someone (Oct 22, 2004)

(After Tares Scries the others, he uses the mirror of mental prowess to open a portal to their location and steps through to show where it is. In less than a minute we should be gathered at Tares´tower)


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## Wrahn (Oct 22, 2004)

Elly~



> Elly takes a deep breath as she feels Tares' magic washing over her, then smiles to the girl.
> "Thanks. It looks like I am the one who interrupted you though." she gesture at the girl's flowers "How beautiful. What are they for?"




The maiden smiles, "My brother is getting married."



> The singer looks at the girl's hair again, then shakes her head.
> "You remind me of a dear friend of mine, you know?"




"Do I?  How curious." she says coyly.  "What brings you to this little piece of the world?"

As she speaks Tares Hehrog, Archsorcerer steps out of an invisible doorway.

The maiden doesn't look particularly suprised, "I apologize again, there are affairs of mighty magic here.  I should go."


Glangrim, Ata, Shifter~

Balin hears Glangrim's words, "Lad, you be off again? We be needin' to have a conversation before ye leave."

Almost on cue the Archsorcerer steps out of no where


Dimitri~

There is no immediate response.  A few moments latter the Tares steps through an invisible magic passage.


Tares, Shifter~

You both are aware of a passage to Sigil.  It is in an old fortress which has been converted into an inn.  It lies on the southern coast of the Northern Continent (Braumin).  It requires a feather as a key, a particular kind of feather found far to the south and east on an island chain from a bird there called the Chalup.  They are relatively easy to purchase in the bazaars there for their reputed medicinal properties for only a few coppers.


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## Someone (Oct 23, 2004)

"Welcome to my house" says Tares. "We are at King Therdes´castle, though being only a brief visit, I don´t think it´s needed to introduce you to the nobility. Are you ready to leave? As, hm, Shifter said, we´ll go for the portal´s key first, then visit the north. For the first visit we could use the mirror, since I hope it´s going to take us only a minimum of time. For the second travel, I´ll teleport us: I´m confident you´re all used to it."

(That means to travel to one of the southern bazaars, using -again- the Mirror of mental prowess; come back, store it in the portable hole and Greater Teleport to the inn/fortress)


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## Lichtenhart (Oct 23, 2004)

"Wait a moment, let me give you something for your brother and his bride. Too bad I have no time."
Elly whistles a brief melody and the girl's flowers glow for a moment with a warm light. When the wind blows through their petals they now let out some merry notes, like little silver bells.
"Bring my best wishes to them. Now I must go. I hope we'll meet again."
She gives the girl her warmest smile, then she turns to Tares: "Archsorcerer, I see your fame is not undeserved. I am ready to leave anytime, and I think I've traveled in so many ways I lost the count. That is sure an interesting mirror you have here. It must have a story worth telling."
She takes a look into it, and tries to put her rebel curls back into place.


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## Pyrex (Oct 24, 2004)

Wrahn said:
			
		

> Dimitri~
> There is no immediate response.  A few moments latter the Tares steps through an invisible magic passage.




Dimitri nods and looks up as Tares arrives; "Let us be off then."

Then, once he's stepped through the mirror and the others have arrived;
"A moment Tares.  Before rushing off shouldn't we take a few minutes to get to know each other?"


----------



## Ferrix (Oct 24, 2004)

Wrahn said:
			
		

> Glangrim, Ata, Shifter~
> 
> Balin hears Glangrim's words, "Lad, you be off again? We be needin' to have a conversation before ye leave."
> 
> Almost on cue the Archsorcerer steps out of no where




"Aye, we do," turning towards the Archsorcerer, "if'n ya give me a moment 'n I'll be off with ya, must be sure things are tended when I'm off.  Why don't ya get ta know Shifter and me brother Ata a bit more while I be tend'n."

Turning back to Balin he nods, "it's a poor time to be leavin', sure that, but it be important."


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## Ashy (Oct 25, 2004)

Ata waits patiently as Glangim arrives and then departs and looks to the Archsorcerer as he arrives, nodding slightly...


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## Wrahn (Oct 27, 2004)

Glangrim, Ata, Shifter~

Balin looks concern a moment, "Lad, I am not sure I be understanding here.  But, you gotta do what ya need to do."

"I will continue gathering supplies, just don't be gettin' yerself killed an' ruinin' all my work."

Elly~

The maiden looks delighted at the magic trick. She smiles, "Thank you.  I too hope fortune will favor us again and arrange for us to meet."


All~

With out too much ado, you are all gathered in Tares tower.  The Chappa feathers are easy enough to aquire and you each find yourself with two, one for going there and one for the return trip.

The Fallen Keep Inn is a popular spot to stop on the long Caravan route between Ilinshire and Vardanshire.  It is a relic from times past when the route was considerably more dangerous.  Rumors that the site was far older than an abandon keep and the tunnels that run underneath it will attest.  It is there in the ancient tunnels that the gate to Sigil exists.

The Fallen Keep is unsuprisingly known as a place where a lot of strange people and a lot of strange events occur.

When you are ready Tares can take you there.


----------



## Ashy (Oct 27, 2004)

Ata steps forward, silently indicating that he is ready...


----------



## Ferrix (Oct 27, 2004)

Glangim nods, his voice rumbling like an avalanche, "my hammer awaits, let us be on to Sigil."


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## Someone (Oct 27, 2004)

"Keep joined... perfect, hold on a sceond. This will take only a word" Tares picks up his things, tucks the Hole in his robes and with a word, the group dissapears.


----------



## Pyrex (Oct 28, 2004)

*Dimitri, servant of Pelor*

As the group appears outside the keep Dimitri takes a moment to look around, calling to mind the legends he's heard about the place, wondering which may be true.


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## Lichtenhart (Oct 29, 2004)

"Do you think we should travel in disguise? We never know who could be looking for us. I can take care of that, if you think it would be wise. Now let me think for a moment if I ever heard of this Inn and the tunnels below. I've come to know many things in my travels, but I don't always recall them when it's needed. Let me try."
She closes her eyes and caresses the strange ivy on her arm, the leaves she touches turning blue for a moment, as she searches her prodigious memory for any tale or rumor about the place.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Oct 30, 2004)

Shifter smiles quietly, for now wearing the form of a teenaged peasant boy in rough clothing.

"I am always in disguise, you could say.  If scouting is needed, I would offer my services."


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## Wrahn (Nov 1, 2004)

Elly~

Nothing immediately springs to mind about the legends of the tunnels, but you have been to the inn in your wanderings and recall a few odd customers there.  Sigil, of course you have heard of, the City of Doors, the Cage, the Lady of Pain, the crossroads of the multiverse.  You even recall something about travelling through the Fallen Keep Inn to get there, but nothing more specific.  The merchant who had bragged to you about going to Sigil through the keep was no warrior, you would guess there are not any great dangers there.

All~

The group arrive outside of the Fallen Keep Inn.  The noon day sun shines overhead.  They are inside the crumbling walls, looking at the Inn proper, which is far better maintained than the outer walls.

The keep was originally built to protect the caravans which traveled between Ilinshire and Vardanshire at a time where the jungle was inhabited by particularly nasty nation of lizard men.  The ocean was also a source of danger, for the same reason there was no sea traffic.  The undersea kingdom of Uvasha.  Uvasha was ruled by their half divine God-King who treated any ship that sailed over his kingdom to be an invader.  He used to claim the coasts as well, but a few hundred years ago, the was a more moderate interruptions of their holy texts and the coastal raiding stopped.  

The lizard men were nearly wiped out by a plague and those that did survive, were aided by servants of Pelor, bring large conversions from their bloody war god.  The caravan route was essentially safe and the need for the keep evaporated as well.  

Almost fifty years ago a group of adventurer were with a caravan when they stopped at the keep.  The stumbled on the hidden tunnels and disappeared.  Five years later, most of them returned, wealthy and powerful and established the Fallen Keep Inn.  Their Grandchildren now for the most part run the Inn.

The group appears to be alone in the inner courtyard, which would be a good indication that a major caravan is not here.  You can expect prices to be high here, for the cost of bringing food here is likewise high.  While the proprietor does not charge for access to the gate to Sigil, he does have a nice side business of selling feathers.

Inside the large common room of the inn, there are long tables with benches, the walls are lit by lanterns, that are lit even at noon day when they don’t need to be, probably continual flame lanterns.  Sitting at one of the long tables alone is a gigantic man armored in ornate black spiked armor.  He has a massive blade on his back that looks every bit as nasty as his armor.  He is hunched over his drink with his back to the door and does not turn when the party enters.

Sitting away from the armored man is a woman in hooded robes, with an unrecognizable holy symbol around her neck.  Her hood is down and her hair is a metallic looking red, her skin is very pale, almost white and when she looks at up at you her eyes are an alien electric green.

Behind the bar, a large bald mad looks up to see who has come into the inn.  A smile lights across his face when he sees Elly and he signals the group over.

His name is Daniel the Younger, a massive friendly man, who is also a shrewd businessman,  “Elly!  As I live and breathe girl, it is good to see you.”  Elly had traveled through the keep several years ago on her wanderings, apparently she made an impression.

“I am do hope that you will sing for us before you are about your business.”  He says glancing at the rest of the group, “There is no caravan here, so you probably won’t make any money, but I can offer you free drinks to parch your throat.”


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## Ashy (Nov 1, 2004)

Ata walks in, his crystalline eyes drinking in the surroundings, as well as the patrons, within the establishment.  He does not speak, as is his way, but remains wary...


----------



## Nac Mac Feegle (Nov 1, 2004)

Shifter simply lets his (for the sake of ease, I'm using gender pronouns appropriate to Shifter's current form) eyes run over the inn and its patrons.


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## Pyrex (Nov 2, 2004)

*Dimitri, Servant of Pelor*

When Daniel signals them, Dimitri follows Elly and the others over towards the bar.

Once Elly has had a responded to Daniel, Dimitri exends his hand and introduces himself "Greetings good sir, I am Dimitri.  Seems to be quite an.. _interesting_ place you have here.  By any chance have you had an unusual amount of traffic through recently?"


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## Lichtenhart (Nov 2, 2004)

"Thanks, Daniel, you make me wish I dropped by more often. I'd be glad to sing for you if we've got the time, but we're on a rather pressing business... in fact, we're kind of looking for something around here, if you could help us a bit, and save us time, not only I'll sing this time, but I'll put up a real show whenever you ask me. What do you say?"


----------



## Someone (Nov 2, 2004)

Strange people is not an unexpected thing in a place like this, and Tares tries to not look like if he ignored them and concentrates in the task at hand. "First business, we´re afraid." says as a confirmation to Elli´s words. "We´re here to use the portal."


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## Wrahn (Nov 2, 2004)

All~

He smiles down warmly at the little bard, nods at Tares comment, and shakes Dimitri's hand.

"I was figuring you all were here to use the portal.  Seeing a bunch of strangers appear at our doorstep without the slightest look of travel on them, isn't all that uncommon around here.  It usually means they are here to travel to Sigil."

"As far as unusual traffic, well most traffic to and from Sigil is unusual in one way or another, but there has been nothing out of the ordinary about the unusual traffic.  Anything specific you are looking for Dimitri?"

"Do you need feathers?  We sell them for 25gp a feather and remember you will need two one there, and one back."

"If you are all in a hurry, I can take you down there now."  He turns opens the door to the kitchen, "Emily!  Watch the counter!" he turns signalling you all to follow, opens a door into a hallway.  The stone looks older here, the doors heavier.  The hallway ends in a think metal door, which Daniel unlocks.  It reveals a narrow stairway leading down.

The stairway ends in an old storeroom and at the back there is another stairway leading down of a different, newer construction.  You enter a small room, with a thick metal door.

"Alright, there are two rules, first is easy, No Fiends.  Not a one, don't want them here.  The second is if you knock on the door to come back and I see something through this view hole here that I don't like, you aren't coming through the door.  Just use some common sense and you'll be fine."

"My grandfather fell into these tunnels fifty years ago.  He and his friends wandered the tunnels for days before being deposited in Sigil.  We walled off all the side tunnels, it is a straight shot to Sigil, but occasionally something will make it's way through."  He looks over the assembled group, "but I don't imagine that it will be too much trouble for the likes of you."

"When you return, just rap on the door, someone will be along shortly to open it up.  And to save you the problems, the tunnels have some unusual properties, you can't teleport around in them and if you aren't used to them, they will try and confuse you.  Don't worry about it, though, even if you get turned around you will only end up back here."

"Now you are sure you don't need any feathers?"


----------



## Ferrix (Nov 2, 2004)

With a earthquake of a chuckle, Glangim smiles at the boy, "nay, we've gots our own tickle... we must be on then.  To the Doors."  He might as well be the first one to be a moving on down the hall, his armor shifting with its cog-like motion, hammer at the hip and shield on the back.


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## Someone (Nov 2, 2004)

Tares nods from his height as Daniel recites the rules (again). "We came prepared, and for what I see we can defend ourselves reasonably well." says. And then to his new companions: "Can everyone see in the dark? A light could attract or warn anything that could be in the tunnels" (an offer to cast Darkvision)


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## Wrahn (Nov 2, 2004)

All~

"Don't worry too much about beasts that have wandered through.  Worst we have seen in years are large rats, though a few years back a nasty beasty, like a wall of goo was killed by some travels.  Ugly acid thing."

"I do sell torches for a reasonable 5 silver."

Elly~

When you hear his description and step into the tunnel itself, you think you know where you are.  This is part of the Labyrinth.  I gigantitic maze of epic proportion made by an insane wizard call Murdrik.  Murdrik the Mazer or Murdrik the Mad or Murdrik the Labyrinth Maker.  He is said to have been the creator of the Maze spell.  Little is known of him other than he was tremendously powerful and nutty as a jaybird.

The Labyrinth was spread all over the world, with hidden entrances and clever teleporters that you did even know you went through.  Bizarre creatures, like the gelatanous cube, are said to wander the labyrinth, creations of the mad wizard.  There are rumors that Murdrik's treasure lies somewhere in the heart of the Labyrinth, but either no one has ever been able to find it, or have never found their way out again.


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## Ferrix (Nov 7, 2004)

"Don't be needin' a torch myself lad.  We should be movein' though."

Glangim takes the lead, his armor giving the occasional clank.


----------



## Someone (Nov 8, 2004)

The current situation brings a smile and some old memories to Tares´ mind; it´s been a long time since he´s not in a group of heavily armed oddballs, entering a humid tunnel. "I remember, I used to place myself in the middle" says.


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## Ashy (Nov 8, 2004)

Ferrix said:
			
		

> "Don't be needin' a torch myself lad.  We should be movein' though."
> 
> Glangim takes the lead, his armor giving the occasional clank.




Ata falls into a easy, measured and nearly silent step next to his "other-brother", his lips sealed in a slight frown.  You wonder if the frown is from some displeasure that the ugruu has noted, or worry...


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## Wrahn (Nov 8, 2004)

All~

The group steps into the tunnels that look both natural and worked.  It is almost as if something had eaten through the earth, leaving these tunnels behind.  Added to that is the strange off green color of the walls, streaked with deep reds and purples, gives the whole place a vaguely organic feel.

Despite some very odd noises coming from just beyond the walls, the party is undisturbed as they walk through the halls.  As Daniel explained, your course is clear, all side passages have been mortared up, the only direction you can go is what you assume is to the portal to Sigil.

Several times going through the maze, those sensitive to magic will realize that they have been teleported. Very cleverly disguised passages act as portals, a little experimentation will prove that they are two ways and the side passages appear to continue to be walled off, so trusting in Daniel’s words the party continues forward.  In addition several times waves of disorientation assaults the party, but the groups mettle is more than a match for such a minor spell and they continue with little ill effect.

Finally, after passing almost a hundred side passage, the group turns a corner and finds itself out of the maze (and down a feather).

There is a brief moment of dizziness as they become accustom to their new locale.  They find themselves in what looks like an alley, the walls are vaguely metallic and covered with sickly looking vines.  The air is polluted with smoke, making it uncomfortable to breathe.

The end of the alley is blocked by a stand with a hideous looking woman selling what appears to be dung on a stick.  She turns around to peer at the group through one obscenely large, bloodshot eye (the other appears to be swollen shut).

“Whatch you lookin’ at Berk?” She asks scornfully in a raspy dry voice.

Welcome to Sigil.


----------



## Nac Mac Feegle (Nov 9, 2004)

As they walk out of the alley, Shifter gazes around the strange new city, his forebodings quickly subsumed by his everpresent joy at seeing new places.  Shifter seems completely lost in thought, staring out around himself.


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## Someone (Nov 9, 2004)

Tares coughs a couple times. He didn´t remembered the air to be so filled with smoke -a sign perhaps of the time he has not visited the city-. Behind the line of stout fighters, he cougs again an answer, while mentally curses the city´s corrupted language: "We wouldn´t, but we´re afraid you´re in the middle of the path."


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## Pyrex (Nov 10, 2004)

OOC: Weird, I posted yesterday, yet the post is not here...

Dimitri looks around as he steps out into the alleyway, almost suprised at how little is different from the cities he's visited before.  Until, that is, he notices the city curve noticeably _upward_ as the road stretches away in either direction.

Dimitri then turns to Tares; "So, do you have any idea where the counting house is?"


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## Someone (Nov 10, 2004)

(Do I have?)


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## Ashy (Nov 10, 2004)

Ata follows the natural curve of the city as it rises slowly upward, eventually vanishing into the haze, smoke, and smog that is ever-present.  His eyes continue upward and it is then that he sees twinkling lights that at first look like stars.  He then realizes that they are torches and that the rest of the city rests above his head...

He then realizes that he has no idea which way is up...

...and then he suddenly gets very, very, very sick...


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## Wrahn (Nov 10, 2004)

Tares~

You have vague memories of a counting house in the more wealthy areas of the city, but in Sigil things have a tendency to move.  It would probably worth a coin to hire a Tout, a professional guide.

All~

The old woman glares at all of you, "You're expecting me to move I suppose, rusting clueless, Madam Altris was here first, go back to the Faith mine!"


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## Ashy (Nov 10, 2004)

Despite the woman's words, Ata continues emptying the contents of his stomach...


----------



## Someone (Nov 10, 2004)

> The old woman glares at all of you, "You're expecting me to move I suppose, rusting clueless, Madam Altris was here first, go back to the Faith mine!"




"It´s not a matter of wanting your place or not. It´s that we want to pass." says Tares mildly irritated. He looks at Glangim; he surely looks able to push his way out of the alley.


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## Ferrix (Nov 10, 2004)

Rumbling with his avalanche of a laugh, Glangim pats Ata on his back as the Ugruu empties his stomach, looking around the alleyway, he grumbles something and then turns upon the older woman giving a dwarven smile which would split stone and starts walking forward.

"Lass... dere be no need to be givin' a huff t'me friends 'ere.  We just be want'n to get out into the street proper, if'n ye don't mind we pass by ya, we should be gettin' on."

He clanks forward, the slight grind of cogs as his armor moves with him, hoping to part the way into whatever lies beyond this woman.


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## Ashy (Nov 10, 2004)

Finally, Ata's stomach seems to calm down and wiping his mouth on his arm, the ugruu stands, if not a bit wobbly-legged.  He seems better, but not by much.


----------



## Wrahn (Nov 10, 2004)

All~

Madam Altris wrinkles her bulbous nose, "What is that midget dwarf been eating.  What are you trying to do, stink me out of my spot?"

None of the group smells anything offensive, except perhaps the smoke.

"I won't have any of it, this is my spot and I am not breaking my back moving my cart for some band of clueless."  Her cart looks perfectly servicable, if old and stained with things best not pondered.

"Unless, perhaps, you were customers, Madam Altris is famous for her hospitality... to her customers."


----------



## Nac Mac Feegle (Nov 10, 2004)

"And what might you purvey?"  Says Shifter.  He seems quite incongruous among the party, being only in peasants' clothes and of average build.


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## Lichtenhart (Nov 11, 2004)

Elly looks concerned at Ata, so she quickly retrieves from his backpack a clay bug, she fills it with water from her waterskin and warms it up with a simple prestidigitation spell, then she retrieves a little bag of spices and drops a couple leaves in the mug. She stirs it a bit, picks the leaves, then uses another little trick to make it sweet and offers it to the little dwarf. All in less than a minute.
"Here, this should make you feel better, or at least help you get rid of the bad taste in your mouth. Repeated teleportations can have this effect." she says putting a hand on his shoulder and smiling at him.

Protected by her necklace, Elly can ignore the smoke in the air, but she doesn't like the alley, the old woman or what she sells, and she isn't excited at the idea of buying something to have her move out of the way..
"Mmm, now to get out of this alley and see the city. Rosie, sweetie, I think I need your help."
She reaches for her backpack, and draws a carpet finely woven in red and gold, with four furry tassels at the angles. She unfolds it, and you immediately notice it hovers in midair about one feet from the ground, rather than falling. She caresses it along one of the shorter edges, which sends ripples all along it, as if it were... purring. Then she speaks to it.
"Rosie, could you help my friends and I to the other side of this distinguished woman's cart?"
With that, she steps on the carpet floats above the stand, and lands to the other side. Then she steps down from the carpet and asks again "Now please go take them too, Rosie." pointing at the rest of the party.


----------



## Ashy (Nov 11, 2004)

Ata thanks Elly simply and then bows and apologizes to the woman before him.  "I am sorry.  This strange city...it makes me feel ill..."

If he weren't made of stone, you would swear that Ata looked "green behind the gills".  He sips the concoction given to him by Elly gingerly...


----------



## Nac Mac Feegle (Nov 11, 2004)

With the appearance of the carpet, Shifter simply shrugs, and then jumps straight upwards.  At the top of the leap his form blurs into a hummingbird, which then flits over to hover above the cart.


----------



## Pyrex (Nov 11, 2004)

Not really wanting to purchase any dung-onna-stick, (or even find out what it really is), Dimitri steps up onto Rosie next to Elly.

"Interesting little friend you've got here." Dimitri comments with a grin.


----------



## Ferrix (Nov 11, 2004)

Not wanting to disappoint Elly, Glangim chuckles and hops on the carpet for a ride, knowing full well he could have made it to the other side on his own without any problem.


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## Ashy (Nov 12, 2004)

Ata follows his other-brother, the green cast falling upon his features again as he steps upon the floating carpet.  His mind reels with the thought of flying on a carpet whilst being upside down in this topsy-turvy city!


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## Wrahn (Nov 16, 2004)

All~

Rosie shakes herself after her “imprisonment” in the backpack.  She appears to stretch and then begins to explore her new environment, casually ignoring Elly.  One of her corners seems to act as her head as she sniffs around the alley, until she reaches the spot where Ata let loose the contents of his stomach.

She sniffs it once and her head lurches back as if she has been struck.  She shakes her head violently twice and then come full speed back to Elly, wrapping herself partially around Elly’s legs, looking back at the pile suspiciously.

Eventually, Rosie will take everyone across Madam Altris’s cart who shakes her fist at the group for scaring away her non-existent business.  Shifter and Tares both think they are around the Great Forge area of Sigil, it is probably best to head to the clerks ward, which with a little debate they decide is to the left.

After a bit of a walk the smoke clears and breathing becomes easier, though the “sky” is still hazy and it is hard to see the other side.

Tares, having been here before, knows of several Touts but, as fate would have it none are around and to find the Touts that Tares is familiar with, you would need a tout to find them.

A girl of about thirteen approaches the group, she has huge dark eyes, but not unnaturally so, making her look soulful.  “Excuse me cutters, you look like you could use a guide.  I can lead you to where you need to go for two green.”


----------



## Ashy (Nov 16, 2004)

The normally silent Ata pipes up, his curiosity unable to be contained.  "Green?  These folk use leafy vegetables as currency?!?!"


----------



## Wrahn (Nov 16, 2004)

The girl does her best to supress a smile, "No, not vegetables, jink, chummer, like these."  She digs into her bag and comes out with two tarnished copper coins.


----------



## Ashy (Nov 16, 2004)

Ata arches a crystalline brow, thinking that he is not deep under the ground anymore...


----------



## Someone (Nov 16, 2004)

Tares reaches his pockets looking for spare change and the smaller coin he finds is a big silver one, from a kingdom he doesn´t wuite remember now, except that, by the coin, is ruled by a fat guy. He gives it to the girl, saying: "We´re looking for the Blauth Counting House, and are in a hurry. Is it near, or should we use magic to arrive sooner?"


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## Wrahn (Nov 16, 2004)

All~

The girl looks at the coin and then back at Tares, "Alright, but if you all are huntin' heads, best tell me now."

"It is a ways, but not too far.  Follow me."

She leads you through a maze of streets, filled with everything from the mundane to the exotic.  There are more than one fiend that can be seen walking the streets, though only minor ones.  A human barters with some kind of elemental at a stall, a strange reptile spooks Rosie back into Elly's backpack.  It is loud and crowded.

Eventually the crowd thins, and the buildings become nicer, the streets patrolled by heavily armored men who eye the group suspiciously.  When the group finally arrives at an unadorned large building, they are feeling distinctly underdressed in comparison to those on the street.

"This is it." the girl says, "Blaunth Counting House."


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## Pyrex (Nov 16, 2004)

*Dimitri, Servant of Pelor*

Dimitri nods to the girl, "Thank you for getting us here so quickly.  If you're willing to hang around for a while it's very likely we'll need your services again once we've finished our business inside."

Then, with a look to the others, Dimitri starts heading to the front doors of the counting house "Well, there's no time like the present."


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## Wrahn (Nov 16, 2004)

All~

The girl looks at Dimitri, she is obviously weighing something in her mind, "Alright, but if this turn violent, I am giving you all the laugh."

She moves over to a corner of a building, sitting in a shadow.

Walking into the building through the most obvious entrance, the group is in a luxurious waiting room.  Within seconds a pristinely dressed woman, whose features are perfect, if somewhat severe steps into the room.

"Mr. Vanderhorn is with a client right now, if you have a seat, he will see you shortly.  Can I offer you something to drink?  Tea perhaps?"


----------



## Ashy (Nov 17, 2004)

As they enter the building, Ata asks, the confusion thick in his voice.  "Wh..Why would she laugh at us if violence breaks out herein?"


----------



## Nac Mac Feegle (Nov 17, 2004)

Shifter smiles slightly at the confusion of his friend.

"I think, my friend Ata, that you should be careful of taking words literally here."

With this, Shifter sits, seemingly unconcerned about how much his peasant garb clashes with his surroundings.


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## Ferrix (Nov 17, 2004)

"A stout ale if'n ye got anything worth drinkin'," Glangim heartily announces, seemingly he is back to his old self.  Turning to Ata, "ye be takin' things to seriously all the time... take a moment and let yerself go.  Sorta like you did back in that alleyway, but not spewin' anything out."  He roars with a laugh and if no drink is offered other than tea, he'll take it then draw a flask from his pocket and pour something into the tea and then tuck it away again.


----------



## Ashy (Nov 17, 2004)

"How else to take things, if not seriously?"  Ata seems honestly confused by his other-brother's comments, and arches a crystalline brow.


----------



## Pyrex (Nov 17, 2004)

*Dimitri, Servant of Pelor*

Dimitri nods at the woman as he sits down "Some tea would be great, thank you."


----------



## Someone (Nov 17, 2004)

"No drink for me, thanks" says Tares, as he takes seat. "But I don´t know if we have to disturb Mr Vanderhorn. We´re here only to retrieve an article."

(However, if she insist on having to wait, Tares will take seat and gather a good amount of patience)


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## Wrahn (Nov 17, 2004)

Glangrim~

"I am sorry sir, I am afraid we don't have any ale, I could send out for some, or perhaps some wine would do?"

All~

"I will pass along your desires to Mr. Vanderhorn." she says in reponse to Tares.

She returns a moment later with a cup of tea in an exotic china cup, which she hands to Dimitri.  "It will be a moment longer for the ale I am afraid.  Please make yourselves comfortable."

She returns through the door and about three minutes later and tall elf with strange eyes walks out the door.  Tares and Shifter immediately recognize him as a Ghaele Eladrin.  He nods to those assembled affably.

Following him is a thin tall man, weaing a fine suit with too much padding trying to make him look larger.  He is bald, with a hawk like nose on which is perched a small set of steel rimmed glasses.  "Your business is always welcome here Mr. Zachary, it is always a pleasure."  He says in a nasally voice.  A thin smile, like a dead worm, spreads accross his face as he attempts to be pleasant.

Mr. Zachary turns and nods "It was a pleasure." Then heads out the door.

As soon as the celestial has turned is face turns sour as he looks over the party.  He looks down his nose at the group particularly Shifter, "What is this nonsense about picking up an item from us?  Does this look like a storage facility?"  He asks contemptously.


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## Someone (Nov 18, 2004)

"Article, item, name it as you want. We´re here to retrieve lot number 6821E" says Tares.


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## Ashy (Nov 18, 2004)

Ata, his stone brow a flat, thick line, frowns slightly and looks questioningly to Glangrim...


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## Wrahn (Nov 19, 2004)

"Perhaps, _sir_ I did not make myself clear.  We do not handle _packages_ for people.  We are in the business of finance, not storage." his words carry contempt.

"I am sure that you can find a more appropriate facility down in the Hives.  Good day." He turns to leave.


----------



## Someone (Nov 19, 2004)

Tares turns to the nearest party member: "Or this isn´t Blauth counting house, or someone played some twisted kind of practical joke on us"


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## Pyrex (Nov 19, 2004)

Dimitri stands as Vanderhorn turns to leave "One more moment please good sir.  I apologize for the confusion, but our instructions weren't very clear.  Could you check account 6821E and see if there are any special instructions as to its disposition?"


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## Ferrix (Nov 19, 2004)

"Blasted... never get anything straight."  Glangim hops to his feet, the resounding thud of his boots shaking the ground, he follows after the elf-like creature, "now you be listenin', we just be needing to pick up an item of some sorts.  Now if you want to make it business like we'll settle it business-like, but don't be snubbing us cause your poncy self thinks we don't belong here."  His later statement is punctuated by a growl that sounds like the earth ripping itself asunder.


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## Wrahn (Nov 19, 2004)

(Just for reference, Mr Vanderhorn looks at least human.  The Ghaele Eladrin whom he had being doing business with and he was seeing out, was refered to as Mr. Zachary and is no longer in the room.  Recounting Mr. Vanderhorn is the (insert not nice word here) and Mr. Zachary is the no longer present Celestial.  Sorry for the confusion.)

Mr. Vanderhorn sighs, and turns to face Dimitri, "So you understand, the Blaunth Counting House is in the business of financing very large merchant expeditions.  We have been in that business for a very very long time.  We have not acted as common mercantiler for... hundreds if not thousands of years."

"So, you see, unless you are here to pick up a package thousands of years old, I suggest you return to where ever that," indicating Glangrim, "spawned from, before I call the guards."


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## Ferrix (Nov 19, 2004)

"Well, if'n ye once were a common mercantiler, n' it seems to me like ye still are a common mercantiler; therefore, I'd suggest you go a search'n for that lot number, thousand years old or not."  Glangim seems to be calming himself down slightly, "We 'ere to do business, if'n ye'll take it, ye might be surprised that yer high-and-mighty changepurse has something comin' for it."


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## Lichtenhart (Nov 20, 2004)

"Glangim, please, don't fault this esteemed accountant for his mistrust, it's part of his job after all, and we haven't introduced ourselves properly. Please excuse me, Mr. Vanderhorn, my name is Faeral Arumanna Raerdale, and this is my guard. We're here in disguise, for a matter of extreme delicacy. The lot my men were talking about is part of a long lost inheritance that should allow me to reclaim my lost kingdom. We are not sure if this will be the real legacy, or another clue to its actual location, but we're sure something very important for us has been left here long time ago, with number 6821E. I hope you understand that there are forces that wouldn't like me to claim my title, and from your reaction I can see they didn't arrive here before us, for they are the reason of our disguise. Your help in locating that lot would be of great importance to our cause, and I surely wouldn't forget your contribution, once I can claim possession of my realm, and the need of new trades will become pressing, if you know what I mean. So Mr. Vanderhorn, is there any chance to retrieve that lot from what remains of this noble house's former activity?"
Sitting still with her cup of tea in her hands, Elly smiles at Mr. Vanderhorn, then looks at her companions with a look that seems to say 'don't look at me this way, I had to tell him'.


(Bluff +15, Diplomacy +33)


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## Ashy (Nov 20, 2004)

Ata's frown remains...


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Nov 20, 2004)

As Elly speaks, Shifter sighs, and as he does he stands up straighter as his body _changes_ subtly.  Where before he seemed like an average peasant, he now appears to be a remarkably tall and graceful looking elf.  As he stands, he fixes Elly with an exasperated stare.

OOC:  Move action, shift to a grey elven form.


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## Wrahn (Nov 22, 2004)

All~

“Yes, well… harumph.” Mr. Vanderhorn seems to consider Elly’s ruse.

The worm-like smile seems to slide across his face again, “Of course, I should have seen it before Lady Raerdale.  A person as distinguished as yourself I should have recognized immediately.”

“But you see I am not sure who would handle such things any longer.  It is highly unusual.  Highly unusual.  Let me consult with my colleagues and we shall figure this out.  I beg your indulgence for you to wait here a moment longer.”

He turns and re-enters the door he arrived from.  Fifteen minutes pass and the secretary returns.

“Please, come with me.  She leads the party through wide, smartly decorated hallways, to an oak door, which she opens, ushering them into a room dominated by a large table and large antique chairs.  The walls are lined with book shelves.

“Please wait here a moment.  Mr. Thaddeus is collecting the appropriate documentation.  Is there anything you would like?”

A short time later, a man who appears in his late forties wearing a rumpled brown suit and a pair of spectacles walks purposefully into the room carrying a large tome.  He sets the book down carefully without sitting down himself.

He looks over the assembled group.  “First let me apologize for Vanderhorn.  The man is… unpleasant, but is a wizard with numbers.  We really shouldn’t allow him to greet customers.”

“So you understand, we very rarely these days get customers in to pick up lots stored with us.  It has been a very long time since we have done that kind of business, but, the planes being what they are, very rarely we get people coming in to claim lots that were stored with us.  The last was a guardinel some hundred years ago.  Before that an adventuring party had found a claim ticket in an ancient ruin. A hundred and fifty years before that.”

“Maern said that the lot number you were looking for was 3521E?  That is an early one.  Just so you understand there was a fire in our warehouse that destroyed a majority of those items.  We will certainly reimburse you the value of the item if it turns out it was destroyed.”

“3521E, nope it looks like it is intact, now if I could have your claim tick…”

He stops mid-sentence and appears to be reading the book more intently, he looks up at the group once and then back down.

“Well this is unusual.  I imagine you don’t have a claim ticket then.  Well, far be it from me to argue with Mr. Blaunth himself.  I will return shortly with your item.”

He turns and walks out the door.


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## Someone (Nov 22, 2004)

Tares sits down again and silently prays to whatever god is listening. Then an idea comes to his mind: they could use magic to see if Elly is lying or not, andmaybe it´s too late already. Anyway, he casts _mind blank_ on her.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Nov 22, 2004)

Shifter listens quietly as Thaddeus speaks, still leaning casually against the wall.  When Thaddeus leaves, Shifter says nothing, but merely looks at Elly and raises one eyebrow.


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## Ashy (Nov 22, 2004)

Ata watches the proceedings with interest, but dispassionately...


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## Pyrex (Nov 22, 2004)

Dimitri raises an eyebrow as Elly claims to be a long-lost heiress, but figures this is probably the most expedient way to get Vanderhorn to cooperate.  

When Mr. Thaddeus mentions the age of the ticket, he can't help but wonder just who the faceless entity who contacted them was, and how he knew to set this in motion over a thousand years ago?


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## Wrahn (Nov 22, 2004)

Mr. Thaddeus returns after a half hour.  In his hands he carries a small box made of polished dark wood.  It is simple in design with no ornamentation except the legs.  It has a simple lid with no hinges or clasp.

"Lot 3521e.  I can't say that I am not curious as to what is in it."


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## Someone (Nov 22, 2004)

"Caution is rarely not useful" says Tares. "Let´s start with a preliminay inspection". The sorcerer casts _Detect Magic_, then _Analyze Dweomer_ if it turns to be magical. 

If it´s (magically) safe, then he´ll ask Thaddeus for some pivacy, then open it using _knock_ from a safe distance.


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## Wrahn (Nov 22, 2004)

Tares~

There are a series of magics on it, which fade as Tares looks at them with detect magic.  Divination, Tranformation and Abjuration.  The Divination and Abjuration look of weak strength and the Transformation is of medium strength.

By the time Analyze Dweomer is cast the Divination and Abjuration have expired (their weak magical signatures fading quickly) leaving the Transformation.  Which Analyze Dweomer tells you is meant to preserve the box and it's contents from the ravages of time.

Mr. Thaddeus looks disappointed but nods, he closes the ledger he had been looking at and carries it out of the room, giving the group their privacy.

With a simple knock spell the lid pops off the box revealing it's contents:

Three folded pieces of paper and 6 small chits with the same odd rune drawn on each.


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## Someone (Nov 23, 2004)

(I bet there´s something written in the pieces of paper. Can any of us understand the runes, perhaps using _read magic_?)


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## Lichtenhart (Nov 23, 2004)

"Excuse me for before, I thought that if that man only understood money, we had to talk money. In my travels I found that talking the right language opens many doors."

Looking at the box and its content, Elly can help saying "For a secret of immense power, it does look unassuming enough. I guess these notes are meant to be one for each of us. Do those papers cast any light on what we should do now?"

Elly wonders if she ever saw a similar rune, and volunteers to cast a tongues spell should the papers be difficult to read.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Nov 23, 2004)

Shifter picks up one of the chits and holds it between his fingers lightly, examining it.

OOC:  Does Shifter feel any odd sensations from doing this?


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## Wrahn (Nov 23, 2004)

The First piece of paper has a sentence written on it with a very precise handwriting:

Each of you take a Symbol and go to the Pauper Circle in the Hive.


The second piece of paper when unfolded has three words written on it.  This looks to have been professionally printed:

Aumen

Vorashik

Unraveller


The third piece of paper is addressed on the outside in the same handwriting as the first:

Syian Ailshaen
Iatan City
The Resplendent Phoenix

Inside is a very complex symbol and a ‘G’ written at the bottom.



Things that are immediately obvious:

Pauper Circle in the Hive refers to a place in Sigil

Vorashik is a draconic word meaning Twisted Infinity and refers to a magical theory that since existence is infinite that it could be possible to “twist off” an infinite amount of it and make your own reality without effecting this one.  It is only a theory though, as the power it would take is beyond even the most powerful of gods.

Iatan City may refer to Iatan, a city of moderate size in the Parrian Confederation back on your homeworld.

Shifter~

There is no obvious effect from holding the chit, though there is a vague feeling of anticipation.  That could be your imagination though.


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## Ashy (Nov 23, 2004)

Ata reaches in an takes a chit, looking at it.  "At least we have directions...", he murmurs to himself...


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## Pyrex (Nov 23, 2004)

*Dimitri,Servant of Pelor*

Dimitri picks up one of the runes and examines it for a moment before turning to study the papers.


Pointing to the first paper; "It seems that first we should visit the Pauper Circle," then at the third; "then we have a delivery to make.  Presumably this Syian will be able to tell us what this complex rune means."  Then, pointing back to the second after Tares has explained the meaning of 'Vorashik', "I don't know what to make of this.  My guess is that someone named Aumen has found a way to attempt this twisting, but will fail, allowing reality to unravel."


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## Someone (Nov 23, 2004)

"Myself, I prefer when things present itself in a clear way" says Tares. "And this is becoming a weird easter egg hunt; I have the growing feeling that someone´s playing with us. Anyway, let´s look for that Circle, I hope the tout is still there."

While saying that, Tares takes a chit and examines it with his still working Analze Dweomer.


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## Ashy (Nov 23, 2004)

Ata looks to Tares and intones, "The way to wisdom is of't riddled with many twists and turns.  Only the patient and the cautious will reach the end."


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## Someone (Nov 23, 2004)

"That´s easy to say when you live hundreds of years" mumbles Tares.


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## Pyrex (Nov 23, 2004)

"I was thinking more along the lines of a wild goose chase myself, but for now at least I belive we should keep chasing."

Dimitri will then pass out the chits to anyone who hasn't taken one and then closes the box, handing it to Elly.  "Given your story it's probably best that you hold on to this for now."


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## Wrahn (Nov 23, 2004)

Tares~

Your analyze dweomer gives you a confusing answer.  Yes the chits are magic with a complex and powerful weave.  But when it comes down to exactly what they do, it doesn't appear to _do_ anything.

Either someone went to great lengths to imbue powerful magics into a chit for no reason or you are dealing with an artifact beyond your understanding.

Elly~

You know you have heard the term Unraveller before, but where you can't precisely remember where.  It refered to something, and you want to say a sword, but that isn't right.


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## Ashy (Nov 23, 2004)

OOC: I assume that since the info above is not spoilered, that it is known to all?


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## Wrahn (Nov 23, 2004)

(My general policy is to give information out freely, if someone (the general someone not the specific Someone) wants to keep it a secret, or wants the information I miserly dole out from one source to be given to with spoiler tags let me know.  I guess wait for the appropriate person to posts before assuming it is public information.)

(Oh and there is someone (again the general, not the specific) messing with you all.  He is the EVIL Game Master and you are all caught in his EVIL plot!!!  Bwah ha!  Bwa ha ha ha!!)


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## Ashy (Nov 23, 2004)

OOC: Gotcha!


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## Someone (Nov 23, 2004)

(Taes at least has no problem with sharing knowledge, so spoilers won´t be needed for the time being)

_And I thought I had seen everything_ thinks Tares, while still examining the chit. _It´s been a long time since I found so many things that I do not understand at all. Ah, how´s that I feel old and young at once?_

"Ok, we´ve spent too much time here." says suddendly. 

(by the way, how "late" is it? IIRC, I´ve been studying all day long, then went to meet the invisible guy -ok, that was technically no time at all-, search the feathers, go to the portal, travel to Sigil, and all the business at the counting house)


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## Wrahn (Nov 23, 2004)

(Tares has been going for nearly 48 hours straight.  I would imagine that everyone may be getting a little tired.)


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## Ashy (Nov 23, 2004)

Wrahn said:
			
		

> Yes the chits are magic with a complex and powerful weave.  But when it comes down to exactly what they do, it doesn't appear to _do_ anything.




"Perhaps they are pieces of a whole.  Perhaps they, in an of themselves, simply do nothing.  However, they may need to be present to cause something else to do something..."  Ata says cryptically, more to himself than anyone else.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Nov 24, 2004)

"However complex the problem may seem, sleep may shed more light upon it.  I doubt that it will be difficult to find lodgings for the night in a city such as this, and so I would recommend that we do so and then go forth to unravel this tangled skein of questions and answers once the morning has come."  As if to emphasize his words, Shifter yawns widely.


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## Ferrix (Nov 24, 2004)

"Aye, a good meal and some stout ale...followed by a warm bed and we should be good to be gettin' on to the Hive," Glangim says, obviously looking forward to space between drinking and then eventually falling asleep, you'd imagine it might look something like a good old fashioned knock-around time in a bar.


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## Someone (Nov 24, 2004)

"Well, I could use a bed, too." says Tares yawning. "I still have a lot of steam, but it´s been a long time since I don´t spend so much energy."


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## Ashy (Nov 24, 2004)

"I as well." says Ata simply.


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## Pyrex (Nov 24, 2004)

"Allright then.  Lets see about finding an inn."

Dimitri stands to leave, heading outside to see if the tout is still waiting.


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## Ashy (Nov 29, 2004)

Ata nods and follows, happy to leave the stuffy storehouse...


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Nov 29, 2004)

Shifter follows quietly.


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## Wrahn (Nov 30, 2004)

(OOC: Sorry guys, last week was far more hectic than I thought it was going to be.  Between Thanksgiving, house sitting, my neice getting married and "plumbing emergencies" at my own home has left me little time to update.)

The girl is still waiting despite the nearly two hours the group was in the counting house.  "Well the Lady didn't come a calling, so that is good, but you all are really cutting into my business."

"So, where to now?"


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## Someone (Nov 30, 2004)

Tares replies: "Do you know a good place to eat and rest? If we have a quiet and comfortable sleep, you´ll have a good tip, bigger maybe than the one you could get by other means"


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## Wrahn (Nov 30, 2004)

All~

The girl looks over the group, "It is alright, I am not trying to bob you cutter, I was just wondering if I had been given the laugh."

"Kaithon's place will probably do you all the best.  Come, follow me."

She leads the group away from the Lady's Ward and into a well of business area.  She stops in front of a door with a canine-like creature with a large smile.

"Welcome to the Grinning Jackal.  Ole Kaithon and I have had a bit of a misunderstanding in the past and it is probably best that I don't go in.  But the old codger doesn't water his ale and he will treat you fair."

"I can return when you all have gotten your rest, I am guessing there is more here you need to do."


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## Ferrix (Nov 30, 2004)

"Pity ye can't be sitting for a drink with us lass.  But still, yer helps 'preciated."  Turning to his companions, he grins, "now let's go have us a good time."  With that he barrels on through the front door, and makes his way to the bar in timely fashion, ordering a round before his companions can object.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Nov 30, 2004)

Shifter smiles and reaches into a pouch, from which he extracts a single platinum coin of unfamiliar make, which he then hands to the girl.

"Your help is appreciated, child."

After this, he follows Glangim into the tavern.


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## Ashy (Nov 30, 2004)

Ata makes a concerted effort not to bob, laugh, or hand anyone anything green and makes his way silently into the tavern...


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## Pyrex (Nov 30, 2004)

Wrahn said:
			
		

> "I can return when you all have gotten your rest, I am guessing there is more here you need to do."




Dimitri nods, "That we do.  If you meet us back here in twelve hours we should have need of your services again."

Dimitri then follows the others into the inn.


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## Wrahn (Nov 30, 2004)

All~

The Laughing Jackal common room has a three people sitting together at one table, all look like shopkeepers, at another table looks to be a sailor (?) smoking a pipe and the last patron is a tired looking woman nursing a drink at the bar.

As Glangim enters the in he is greeted by a smile from the thin balding man behind the counter and the stares of the rest of the occupants.  Saddling up to the bar and ordering a round of drinks for his friends broadens the innkeepers smile.

“Welcome to the Laughing Jackal, is there anything else you need, Cutter?  Rooms?  Food?”

Shifter~

The girl carefully inspects the coin and then drops it down her shirt, safe between her barely existent breasts.  When Shifter moves to join his friends, she grabs his wrist indicating he should wait.

Once the others have entered, “I am not sure what the dark is on you and your friends, but sometimes I can see things about people about their future.  All of you are heading toward violence and power.  And there is something else, something I have never seen before, like strings, going out and disappearing.  Something has set you on this destiny and that shouldn’t be possible.  Someone is messing with fate and that always ends badly.  I… I thought you should know.  Maybe it will help.”


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Dec 1, 2004)

Shifter smiles.

"Again, you have my thanks.  If there is any way I can be of service to you I would be glad to do it."


----------



## Ashy (Dec 1, 2004)

Ata climbs up into a bar stool next to the tired-looking woman and nods to her respectfully.  "Greetings, mi'lady. Might you recommend some of the local fare?", the ugruu smiles a small disarming smile.


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## Pyrex (Dec 1, 2004)

Dimitri walks up to the bar and picks up the mug ordered for him by Glangim, raises it and takes a good long drink,  "Thanks, I needed that." setting the mug down for the moment he turns to the inkeeper "I could do with a hot meal as well and we'll be needing rooms.  What do you have available?"


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## Someone (Dec 1, 2004)

The last time Tares visited Sigil, he had bad experiences with food, so this time he stays in the cautious side. "I don´t need to eat or drink, so I´ll retire and meditate on our current situation while I have a warm bath."

Edit: If nthing else happens, before having his two hours of sleep Tares checks the castle and his tower, looking through the Mirror of mental prowess.


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## Wrahn (Dec 2, 2004)

Ata~

The woman turns to Ata, she perhaps was once pretty, but now time has eroded her.  She offers a weak smile, “Aren’t you a cute little Faithless.  The bub around here is pretty much like the bub any other place, but I didn’t think your kind cared overly much for such things.”

The bartender cuts her a hard look, but says nothing.

All~

At Dimitri’s request for food, “Well, we have a fine stew a brewing and some bread.  As far as rooms I have enough for all of you to have your own, but three of them would take a little time to make fit.  One Mert should cover it all, for rooms and the meals and,” he looks over at Glangim, “the first round.”

"I can of course heat up some water for you and even launder your clothes if you wish, but it will take a little time as well."

The stew is actually quite good if oddly spice and the meat having a strange texture.  The bread is burnt a little at the bottom and is not quite as good, but still passable.  Except for some vivid dreams, probably caused by the odd spices, the night is otherwise uneventful.

Tares~

The tower and castle seem fine, though it seems a bit later than you thought it was as the servants begin their pre dawn routine.  (Nothing to be alarmed about with no sun or movement of the moon and stars it is difficult to keep track of time.)


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## Ferrix (Dec 2, 2004)

Glangim enjoys the food and drink, he'd have actually plopped down at least a few gold for the round of drinks right when he came in, not one to order without paying.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Dec 2, 2004)

Having entered, Shifter finds himself a mug of drink and a bowl of stew and settles down to eat.


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## Pyrex (Dec 2, 2004)

Once the food & lodging have been paid for* Dimitri accepts the bowl of stew & bread from the inkeeper and sits down with Glangim & Shifter to chat over dinner.  When finished he excuses himself and heads up to his room to get some sleep.

OOC:
*Do you want us to keep track of simple/small expenses such as food and lodging?  If so, how much does food/drink/lodging come to?

Also, cleric spell preperation is handled by time-of-day, how do you want to handle this when we're travelling the planes?  Should we just assume that all PC's can prepare spells once every 24 subjective hours after 8 hours of rest?


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## Wrahn (Dec 2, 2004)

(OOC: Subjective 24 hours is fine, say your prayers as you great the metaphoric sun when none exists.

I could care less about the nickel and dime stuff, don't worry about it unless you enjoy such things (I know a few (sick, sick) people who do).  A mert by the way is a platinum peice, which Shifter or Tares would know.)


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## Someone (Dec 4, 2004)

Wrahn said:
			
		

> "I can of course heat up some water for you and even launder your clothes if you wish, but it will take a little time as well."




Tares says nothing at first, having a flashback of himself wearing the fabled Grey Robe of Uthra just after removing it of the long dead corpse of his former owner in the deepest reach of his crazy tomb. It took almost a week of Prestidigitation spells to clean it from the stench of rotting meat, and Tares never allowed anyone to touch it since then. 

"No, thanks, only the hot water."

-----------------

The next <morning>, his magic renewed, Tares casts his enhancing spells and is ready to continue. "Let´s find that Circle"


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## Ashy (Dec 5, 2004)

OOC: I guess there's no "roleplay in the tavern", eh?  

Ata thanks the lady for her words, has some stew and beer with Glangim and then retires for the night.  He contemplates over the chit for a while, and then falls into a fitful sleep...

He awakens the next morning and makes ready to depart to whatever new, strange location this quest intends to take him.


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## Wrahn (Dec 6, 2004)

The groups young guide is waiting across the street as you exit the inn in the “morning.”  She waves at the group.

“Kaithon treat you right?”

“What is next on your agenda, cutters?”

(OOC:  Just so there is no confusion, you guys are absolutely free to do whatever, when I make the generalized statement about the rest of the night being uneventful, just means I have nothing planned specifically.  Sorry if you feel I was rushing you through it, it was not my intention  )


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## Someone (Dec 6, 2004)

"You´ll please refrain from using words like ´cutters´ and ´clueless´ when referring to us" says Tares. "I, at least, find them distasteful, even when I understand it´s part of this place´s slang. What do you know about something called <Pauper Circle>?"


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## Ashy (Dec 6, 2004)

Ata frowns at Tares' words, finding both they and his attitude most distasteful...


----------



## Ferrix (Dec 6, 2004)

"Ye're a might bit touchy this morning... should of had a drink with us last night, maybe ye'd be in a better place," Glangim nods his agreement to Ata then turns towards the young guide, "ye can call me a cutter all ye want, just mind the codger and we'll be fine.  We're s'posed to be on to the Hive, so let's not tarry."  Looking to Tares and the rest, "ye've all got legs, we can walk and talk at the same."


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## Ashy (Dec 6, 2004)

Ata nods, smiling a small smile, at his other-brother's words.  He falls into step with him - their walks at once strikingly similiar and different...


----------



## Lichtenhart (Dec 7, 2004)

[Sorry for my long absence. My life is a bit complicated right now.]

Elly is refreshed in the morning when they resume their quest. She had some trouble finding sleep, for the images of destruction of her vision kept haunting her, but her strong fiber and the magic of her tunic did the trick and she enjoyed a quiet, dreamless sleep.
In the morning she tied her hair back in simple braids that make her look younger, and turned her armor into a country green dress with short fringes and  wild flowers seamed on the edge and sleeves.
She misses the sun, but greets her companions with a shining smile anyway.
Turning to the child as they walk, she says "You're being so helpful to us, and we don't even know your name. I'm Elly, by the way. How long have you been a... tout?"
As she walks, she lets Rosie fly about on her own, as she know she'll be curious about this strange city.


----------



## Pyrex (Dec 7, 2004)

*Dimitri, Servant of Pelor*

OOC:  Prepared spells list on my char sheet has been updated.

Despite everything he's seen in the past day and his curiosity as to what is really going on, Dimitri sleeps well, then spends and hour in prayer before heading down to find everyone waiting for him outside.  On the way out Dimitri purchases some bread, cheese & fruit so that everyone can have a bit of breakfast while they're walking.

As everyone begins walking, Dimitri passes out the food to anyone who wants some, including the guide; then distributing the rest to anyone they pass on the way who looks in need of a meal.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Dec 7, 2004)

As he heads out into the city Shifter assumes the form of a human again.  As he walks, he says nothing, but rather looks around constantly with a peculiar half smile on his face.


----------



## Wrahn (Dec 7, 2004)

All~

The girl looks at Tares confused for a moment, “Whatever, it’s your Green cutt…  It’s your Green.”

She does her best to hide it, but she seems offended by Tares comment.  She speaks carefully when she answers, “Yes, Pauper’s Circle is in the poorer area of this city.”

She begins to lead the group off.  At Elly’s question she glances at Tares, and pauses a moment, “My name is Siobhan, thank you for asking.  I have been a tout here for a while, I grew up here and it pays the bills.”  She looks quickly back at Tares, “Er, that is to say the money it provides is enough to see to my needs.”

There appears to be many unusual things for Rosie to stick her “nose” into.  A dog barking at her sends her skittering close to Elly.  For such a bizarre place, Sigil seems to have many elements that are familiar to those who have been to larger cities.  There is noisy bustle to the place as the inhabitants go about their business.  Customers haggle with shop proprietors just in any normal city, except the customer is a large bird man and the proprietor is a semi-humanoid mass of rocks that appear to burn with a greenish flame.

Eventually Siobhan leads you to a section of town that has seen better days.  Here the different architecture is more evident.  A twisted monstrosity of a building rising precariously up, sits next to small blunt single storied building which sit next to a building that is so brightly colored it is hard to look at directly.  The streets become narrower, more maze like as the group moves deeper.

Finally the group arrives at a large arch that leads into a large alley or a small plaza.  Filling this area seems to be wear the homeless have taken shelter.  Filled with refuse, sentient and otherwise, Siobhan leads them into the circle.

There is a brief moment of disorientation as the group steps forward.  Blinking once or twice they find themselves in a room made of black stone.  The archway that served as an entrance into Pauper Circle also, apparently acts as a portal to where ever the group has found themselves.

Unlike a normal gateway from Sigil however, the Archway seems to have remained open, to escape this place all that is necessary to escape this place would be to step back.

However, without knowing how they know, each of them is certain that if they step out of this place, there is no coming back.  Looking forward there is darkness ahead and also they are aware that if they move forward they will be placing themselves in great peril.  If they step into the darkness they will be taking the first step on the Path of Contention.


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## Ferrix (Dec 7, 2004)

With a quick jab at Tares, "ye should not be one to dictate others," then turning a broad smile to Siobhan, "well met lass, the names Glangim and here be my brother Ata," he says patting the Ugruu's stony shoulder.

***  Arriving in the Paupers Circle ***

"Dark omen or not, we've a path to follow," he says as if a hammer striking the last blow on a newly made sword, he clanks forwards, into contention.


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## Ashy (Dec 7, 2004)

Ata nods to the tout, "Greetings, *cutter*", he looks to Tares as he speaks.

Once in Pauper's Circle, the ugruu follows his other-brother into the great beyond...


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## Pyrex (Dec 7, 2004)

OOC:  I assume that while we all stepped through the arch, our guide was not Portaled (i.e., she's "dissappeared" to the other-other-side of the arch)

Dimitri takes a moment to get his bearings, looking around at the stone room around them wondering where they are now...


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## Someone (Dec 7, 2004)

> "ye should not be one to dictate others,"




"When I was young, children were expected to be respectful and obedient to elders, and doubly so with customers." says Tares back.

Later, after coming through the portal at Paupers Circle, Tares frowns. Too many times he´s had this feeling, and that means danger. Making magic pour of his fingers, and placing a jade circlet on his head he invokes two spells on himself: See invisibility and the powerful Shapechange. Another gesture brings forth a cloud of orbs. "Go and scout 100 feet ahead of us" he says "And come back if you spot something dangerous" (Casting also Greater prying eyes)


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## Lichtenhart (Dec 7, 2004)

As the black stone room appears, and they all get this strange sensation, Elly smiles inwardly, touching for a moment her necklace, and as she steps toward the darkness, a song comes to her lips, to chase her fears away.

When the night has come
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we'll see
No I won't be afraid, no I won't be afraid
Just as long as you stand, stand by me

And darlin', darlin', stand by me, oh now now stand by me
Stand by me, stand by me

If the sky that we look upon
Should tumble and fall
And the mountains should crumble to the sea
I won't cry, I won't cry, no I won't shed a tear
Just as long as you stand, stand by me

And darlin', darlin', stand by me, oh stand by me
Stand by me, stand by me, stand by me-e, yeah

Whenever you're in trouble won't you stand by me, oh now now stand by me
Oh stand by me, stand by me, stand by me

Darlin', darlin', stand by me-e, stand by me
Oh stand by me, stand by me, stand by me​
Ben E. King - _Stand by me_ - Don't play that song​


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## Ferrix (Dec 7, 2004)

Someone said:
			
		

> "When I was young, children were expected to be respectful and obedient to elders, and doubly so with customers." says Tares back.




"Well ye don't get it then, being called a cutter seems to be a sign of respect.  She is less a child on the matter than you.  And who are you to talk about elders..." he snorts derisively, and then continues on his way.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Dec 8, 2004)

Someone said:
			
		

> Another gesture brings forth a cloud of orbs. "Go and scout 100 feet ahead of us" he says "And come back if you spot something dangerous" (Casting also Greater prying eyes)




Shifter turns to the archmage and smiles.  "Where's your sense of adventure."  He turns to his dwarvish friends.  "Shall we?"  Without waiting for an answer, Shifter begins to walk forward, smiling the whole time.

"Come on, there's a whole world waiting for us."


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## Someone (Dec 8, 2004)

> "Where's your sense of adventure."




"It died with many of my friends. I can show you their tombs" says Tares drily.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Dec 8, 2004)

Shifter just laughs and walks on.


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## Pyrex (Dec 8, 2004)

Someone said:
			
		

> "It died with many of my friends. I can show you their tombs" says Tares drily.




"We've all lost friends.  Just because they're no longer living doesn't mean we shouldn't."

Dimitri hangs back a bit with Tares, waiting for him to complete his spellcasting before following the others.


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## Someone (Dec 8, 2004)

"And to continue living would be a lot easier with a healthy dose of scorn for ´sense of adventure´and ´fair play´. I appreciate to be well prepared."


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## Wrahn (Dec 8, 2004)

(OOC:  Siohban did not in fact go with you.  You can actually see her looking around where you were, trying to figure out where you went.  The small chits that each of you had are likewise no longer here.)

The prying eyes reveal an empty room, as does the exploration.  The far wall, however, is different.  While the black stone the room is made of is more of a very dark gray stone blocks, the back wall is solid stone of the deepest  black imaginable, it seems to devour light.

Again without knowing how they know, there is an absolute certainty, touching the wall will start the trial.


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## Lichtenhart (Dec 9, 2004)

"Please, there's no need to argue. Let's all face danger the way that suits us most, but remember that all six of us are needed, and I don't want to lose any of you. We haven't known each other for long, but this is the time for us to start working together as a good team. I don't know what we'll have to face beyond that wall, but it won't be that difficult if we help each other. Besides, that is what I do better." she says with a chuckle, tilting her head a bit to the side. "Trust my voice. It will give you strength and courage. That is probably the best I can do, but I'll look over all of you and help you as much as I can. But you won't need it. You are the best travel mates one could wish for. Just a little thing before we go."
She concentrates for a moment and sings a single, pure note. Then she points her finger at each one of her companions, and as she does so the note seems to coil around you. When she speaks again, she's barely whispering, but you all can hear her as loudly as before.
"It's just a simple trick, but it's been very useful to me and my friends in the past. It will allow me to talk to you all without getting heard by anyone else, and to each of you to talk to me. If you think it could be useful, I can also enchant your boots and your armor to make no sound as you walk. Otherwise, I'm ready to go!"
If no one stops her, Elly climbs on top of Rosie and puts her fingertips on the black wall.


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## Ferrix (Dec 9, 2004)

Glangim having already made for that direction smiles at Elly's words and places a gauntleted hand upon the stone.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Dec 9, 2004)

Shifter, reaching the black wall, stares at it for a moment, then speaks, reciting something softly, almost to himself.

"And lo, I did stand upon the doorstep of a strange land, and I was alone."

With this cryptic phrase he smiles once more and places his hand firmly on the black wall.


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## Pyrex (Dec 9, 2004)

Dimitri steps forward and places his hand on the wall.

With a wink at shifter, "Seems a mite crowded in here for being alone, though I'll grant that this is a strange land."


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## Someone (Dec 9, 2004)

Tares waits to see what happens with the others and then touches the wall too if he judges it´s safe.


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## Wrahn (Dec 9, 2004)

Elly, Shifter, Glangim, Dimitri~

The wall feels like solid stone for an instant.  Then their hands pass through it as if it were a thick liquid.  Pulling their hands back reveals no ill effect or residue.  Apparently they must pass through.

The instant that the first of them touches the wall, the passage to Pauper's Circle is gone, leaving the room in utter darkness.


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## Ashy (Dec 9, 2004)

Ata steps throught the black wall silently.


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## Someone (Dec 9, 2004)

Tares follows the others through the wall.


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## Pyrex (Dec 9, 2004)

Dimitri takes a moment to intone a _Magic Circle vs Evil_, then, unlimbering Lightbringer so it's radiance may guide them, he steps through the wall.


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## Lichtenhart (Dec 9, 2004)

Elly takes out Clover from its hiding place in her boots, and as its green light blossoms she gently spurs Rosie into following the others.


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## Wrahn (Dec 9, 2004)

(OOC:  Okay, I am going to start a new thread Twisted Infinity: Trial of Contention)


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## Ferrix (Dec 9, 2004)

Laughter which raises your spirits tumbles out of the dwarf's barrel chest, "a real adventure awaits my friends."  Lowering the faceplate of his marbled helm, he swings _Bulwark_ and _Resolve_ into his ready hands; the Hammer of Moradin follows his companions into darkness.


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