) Bye.Roleplaying In Atkathla
@All: I'll continue tomorrow morning (about 10 hours). It's 1:00A.M. here and I'm beat. This battle's turning out really well, and everyone's chipping in. Keep up the good work everybody.
@Fallout: Have a good trip!
Unless somebody has other plans, I think your character will go on a soul-searching quest sometime soon.
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...Magus
Young Level 18 Half-Elf Conjurer, Neutral Good, resident of The Rift, bitter foe of Ubik
@Fallout: Have a good trip!
Unless somebody has other plans, I think your character will go on a soul-searching quest sometime soon.------------------
...Magus
Young Level 18 Half-Elf Conjurer, Neutral Good, resident of The Rift, bitter foe of Ubik
Lost Souls: A bereft lover. A masterless familiar. Friends gone their separate ways. Time marches on, and destiny heralds the meeting of comrades old and new. Can they find what they're seeking? Or will the search bring them only more pain?
With the left and right groups of kobolds totally decimated, the kobolds in the rear and those remaining on the sides drop their weapons and run for their lives back up the tunnels. The kobolds in the front, magically inspired by the pit fiend's presence, go into a killing frenzy. The veteran paladins slowly retreat, taking heavy losses.
Meanwhile, Keldorn fights for his life, alone against the sinister pit fiend. Badly wounded and losing strength, Keldorn’s body is soon covered in his running blood. Melosh-tar shoves Keldorn out of the way of a lethal blow, and the blow sends Melosh flying into a wall, knocking him unconscious. Luckily for Melosh, Fallout charges at the pit fiend with a barbarian warcry. A furious battle of brute strength ensues, and it seems the two are evenly matched. Fallout’s axe blows, normally lethal, each only inflict minor damage on the fiend’s well-armored body. Conversely, Fallout is much too strong and agile for the pit fiend to land any telling hits.
The duel rages on as the paladins finally manage to hold their ground against the kobold horde. The tremendous battle spans the width of the tunnel, preventing the others from going to Fallout’s aid without breaking through the line.
Only Void can make it through at the moment. He flies close to the top of the tunnel, unmolested by the shrimpy kobolds. Seeing that physically attacking the demon would not only be ineffective, but dangerous, Void prepares a spell. Fallout suddenly gets a burst of speed, and he launches himself again at the fiend, twice as fast as before.
With the sides and rear free of kobolds, Magus turns to the front and chants in the language of magic. An orange cloud of pure chaos descends on the line of combatants. Strange things begin happening among the kobolds. One kobold turns into a squirrel, and is immediately stomped dead by the feet of one of its brethren. A few more suddenly burst into flames, their skin melting away as they shriek in agony. A couple begin moving with the speed of lightning, and a paladin falls screaming, ripped to shreds in seconds. Yet more kobolds are instantly disintegrated, paralyzed, and knocked unconscious. The overall effect is a complete collapse of the kobold line. The paladins rally with a cheer and advance, leaving death in their wake. Soon only a few of the beserking kobolds are left, and the path to the duel lies open...
Note: If any of you are confused about the spells, the one Magus casted is Sphere of Chaos, and the one Void casted is improved haste.
------------------
...Magus
Young Level 18 Half-Elf Conjurer, Neutral Good, resident of The Rift, bitter foe of Ubik
[This message has been edited by Magus (edited 03-31-2001).]
Meanwhile, Keldorn fights for his life, alone against the sinister pit fiend. Badly wounded and losing strength, Keldorn’s body is soon covered in his running blood. Melosh-tar shoves Keldorn out of the way of a lethal blow, and the blow sends Melosh flying into a wall, knocking him unconscious. Luckily for Melosh, Fallout charges at the pit fiend with a barbarian warcry. A furious battle of brute strength ensues, and it seems the two are evenly matched. Fallout’s axe blows, normally lethal, each only inflict minor damage on the fiend’s well-armored body. Conversely, Fallout is much too strong and agile for the pit fiend to land any telling hits.
The duel rages on as the paladins finally manage to hold their ground against the kobold horde. The tremendous battle spans the width of the tunnel, preventing the others from going to Fallout’s aid without breaking through the line.
Only Void can make it through at the moment. He flies close to the top of the tunnel, unmolested by the shrimpy kobolds. Seeing that physically attacking the demon would not only be ineffective, but dangerous, Void prepares a spell. Fallout suddenly gets a burst of speed, and he launches himself again at the fiend, twice as fast as before.
With the sides and rear free of kobolds, Magus turns to the front and chants in the language of magic. An orange cloud of pure chaos descends on the line of combatants. Strange things begin happening among the kobolds. One kobold turns into a squirrel, and is immediately stomped dead by the feet of one of its brethren. A few more suddenly burst into flames, their skin melting away as they shriek in agony. A couple begin moving with the speed of lightning, and a paladin falls screaming, ripped to shreds in seconds. Yet more kobolds are instantly disintegrated, paralyzed, and knocked unconscious. The overall effect is a complete collapse of the kobold line. The paladins rally with a cheer and advance, leaving death in their wake. Soon only a few of the beserking kobolds are left, and the path to the duel lies open...
Note: If any of you are confused about the spells, the one Magus casted is Sphere of Chaos, and the one Void casted is improved haste.
------------------
...Magus
Young Level 18 Half-Elf Conjurer, Neutral Good, resident of The Rift, bitter foe of Ubik
[This message has been edited by Magus (edited 03-31-2001).]
Lost Souls: A bereft lover. A masterless familiar. Friends gone their separate ways. Time marches on, and destiny heralds the meeting of comrades old and new. Can they find what they're seeking? Or will the search bring them only more pain?
Well, it has been an absolutely awful week, and I've had no time to post. Fortunately, the fight went on as it should and allowed me to do what comes naturally to thieves. i.e. blend in to the background.
Flagg roared into another kobold, skewering it on his helm. Lifting the poor creature over his head as the battlerager stood, Flagg grabbed another nearby kobold, kneeing him in the ribs and smashing it in the face with his spiked gauntlet for good measure. The creature crumpled as the armored fist bit deep into the putrid kobold's skull. A third kobold, too stunned to move, was quickly pulled into an uninviting hug, ending it's life with a squeal.
Glancing up, the remaining kobolds around the dwarf scattered, revealing a row of kobold archers thirty feet off, readying arrows. Lowering his head and the gruesome trophy with it, Flagg used the skewered kobold's body as a shield for the annoying hail of arrows launched by the regrouping kobolds. With a roar to the dwarven gods, the battlerager charged the archers, still sporting the pincushioned creature as a battering ram. The archers began to scatter.
As Flagg neared the new kobolds, he heard arcane chanting behind him. A quick glance showed a kobold shaman intently chanting a spell. Unfortunately, the glance also caused the dwarf to duck his head, dragging the skewered kobolds leg underfoot. The dwarf stepped on the body, tearing it from his helm in a grotesque display of kobold anatomy. Those remaining kobold archers squealed in terror and fled at the horrid sight of the enraged dwarf covered in kobold blood.
Flagg turned to the shaman, but was too far away to disrupt the creature's spell. "Bah!" the dwarf spat. "Do your worst!" He charged toward the spellcaster with an ancient and vulgar battle cry.
As the shaman reached the climax of his casting, still many paces from the dwarf, the creature stopped abruptly with an incredulous and distant stare. A human materialized behind him as his blade plunged deep into the shaman's back. The creature fell to the ground with the tell-tale gurgle of blood filled lungs.
Rail smiled in satisfaction as the dwarf screeched to a halt. "I enjoyed the show," the assassin smiled, "but I couldn't help but join in. Sorry if I ruined your fun." The remaining kobolds had scattered off in all directions, fleeing the scene as fast as their little flapping feet would carry them.
"Fun?!?", the dwarf retorted, spitting on the ground in front of him. "These things? They're a waste!"
"Odd!", Rail reflected. "Such minor creatures when there are so many greater ones to choose from on every street corner." Something didn't seem right to the assassin. Foul magic was at work. Rail just couldn't put his finger on it.
* * *
Raistlin hissed a curse under his breath and watched the scene with clenched teeth. He was seething. That Raistlin's spell the shaman was casting. That creature was HIS vessel! It should have worked!
He watched the dwarven battlerager approach the body of the shaman and suddenly address the air in front of him. It all began to make sense for Raistlin, at that point. There was something there, something Raistlin couldn't see, who had killed the mage. Something Raistlin couldn't see. The thought made him curse the gods that made him!
Snarling, Raistlin cast another scrying spell, bringing sound of the crude dwarf to the mage's distant room. But the battlerager's companion was never heard. It was a one-sided conversation, and Raistlin's blood began to coldly boil. The mage thought of teleporting right to the scene and dealing with this unknown himself, but decided against it. Better to study your enemy afar than to ignorantly confront them.
Casting a third, more powerful divination spell, Raistlin still saw nothing. Only a dwarf talking to thin air. His lips up into a cruel sneer. "We shall see..."
With a wave of his hand, the scene dissolved and the magic dissipated. He abruptly turned and marched out of the room to tell Aegis his choice of messengers had been poor, to say the least.
[This message has been edited by Rail (edited 04-01-2001).]
Flagg roared into another kobold, skewering it on his helm. Lifting the poor creature over his head as the battlerager stood, Flagg grabbed another nearby kobold, kneeing him in the ribs and smashing it in the face with his spiked gauntlet for good measure. The creature crumpled as the armored fist bit deep into the putrid kobold's skull. A third kobold, too stunned to move, was quickly pulled into an uninviting hug, ending it's life with a squeal.
Glancing up, the remaining kobolds around the dwarf scattered, revealing a row of kobold archers thirty feet off, readying arrows. Lowering his head and the gruesome trophy with it, Flagg used the skewered kobold's body as a shield for the annoying hail of arrows launched by the regrouping kobolds. With a roar to the dwarven gods, the battlerager charged the archers, still sporting the pincushioned creature as a battering ram. The archers began to scatter.
As Flagg neared the new kobolds, he heard arcane chanting behind him. A quick glance showed a kobold shaman intently chanting a spell. Unfortunately, the glance also caused the dwarf to duck his head, dragging the skewered kobolds leg underfoot. The dwarf stepped on the body, tearing it from his helm in a grotesque display of kobold anatomy. Those remaining kobold archers squealed in terror and fled at the horrid sight of the enraged dwarf covered in kobold blood.
Flagg turned to the shaman, but was too far away to disrupt the creature's spell. "Bah!" the dwarf spat. "Do your worst!" He charged toward the spellcaster with an ancient and vulgar battle cry.
As the shaman reached the climax of his casting, still many paces from the dwarf, the creature stopped abruptly with an incredulous and distant stare. A human materialized behind him as his blade plunged deep into the shaman's back. The creature fell to the ground with the tell-tale gurgle of blood filled lungs.
Rail smiled in satisfaction as the dwarf screeched to a halt. "I enjoyed the show," the assassin smiled, "but I couldn't help but join in. Sorry if I ruined your fun." The remaining kobolds had scattered off in all directions, fleeing the scene as fast as their little flapping feet would carry them.
"Fun?!?", the dwarf retorted, spitting on the ground in front of him. "These things? They're a waste!"
"Odd!", Rail reflected. "Such minor creatures when there are so many greater ones to choose from on every street corner." Something didn't seem right to the assassin. Foul magic was at work. Rail just couldn't put his finger on it.
* * *
Raistlin hissed a curse under his breath and watched the scene with clenched teeth. He was seething. That Raistlin's spell the shaman was casting. That creature was HIS vessel! It should have worked!
He watched the dwarven battlerager approach the body of the shaman and suddenly address the air in front of him. It all began to make sense for Raistlin, at that point. There was something there, something Raistlin couldn't see, who had killed the mage. Something Raistlin couldn't see. The thought made him curse the gods that made him!
Snarling, Raistlin cast another scrying spell, bringing sound of the crude dwarf to the mage's distant room. But the battlerager's companion was never heard. It was a one-sided conversation, and Raistlin's blood began to coldly boil. The mage thought of teleporting right to the scene and dealing with this unknown himself, but decided against it. Better to study your enemy afar than to ignorantly confront them.
Casting a third, more powerful divination spell, Raistlin still saw nothing. Only a dwarf talking to thin air. His lips up into a cruel sneer. "We shall see..."
With a wave of his hand, the scene dissolved and the magic dissipated. He abruptly turned and marched out of the room to tell Aegis his choice of messengers had been poor, to say the least.
[This message has been edited by Rail (edited 04-01-2001).]
Matti Il-Amin, Paladin, comedian, and expert adventurer. Proudly bearing the colors of the [url="http://www.svelmoe.dk/blade/index.htm"]Blades of the Banshee[/url]
@Flagg: No, didn't forget about you. Your actions were included in the summary "with the side groups decimated..." I try not to interfere with other people's plans for their character unless its important to the overall plot (or mine ). If I don't specifically mention your character, just go ahead and continue. Realistically, I can't cover every character in every post (due to time constraints more than anything else 
)
@All: Sorry, no time to post today. Hopefully I'll have enough time tomorrow. Go ahead with the battle if you want. I'll post about the Fallout-pit fiend duel tomorrow if nobody has finished it yet.
------------------
...Magus
Young Level 18 Half-Elf Conjurer, Neutral Good, resident of The Rift, bitter foe of Ubik
). If I don't specifically mention your character, just go ahead and continue. Realistically, I can't cover every character in every post (due to time constraints more than anything else )@All: Sorry, no time to post today. Hopefully I'll have enough time tomorrow. Go ahead with the battle if you want. I'll post about the Fallout-pit fiend duel tomorrow if nobody has finished it yet.
------------------
...Magus
Young Level 18 Half-Elf Conjurer, Neutral Good, resident of The Rift, bitter foe of Ubik
Lost Souls: A bereft lover. A masterless familiar. Friends gone their separate ways. Time marches on, and destiny heralds the meeting of comrades old and new. Can they find what they're seeking? Or will the search bring them only more pain?
@Rail: I'll assume the Flagg-kobold episode is a clarification of Flagg's original battle on one of the sides, rather than a whole new addition (because in a previous post I said the kobolds had been routed). Otherwise we'd be contradicting each other.
As the remaining kobolds either flee or face a quick death, the duel between Fallout and the pit fiend continues. The two are beginning to wear down, each covered in a mixture of blood and ichor. The fiend blocks another crushing blow of Fallout's sword, but this time it tries a different tactic. Before Fallout can recover from his attack, the demon launches a fireball point blank into his chest. The explosion sends Fallout crashing into the wall, leaving his chain mail sizzling as he lays temporarily stunned. The fiend rushes in for the killing blow, and is barely diverted by a well-placed ice bolt from Void. It roars more in anger than in pain, and immediately charges the hakeashar. In an instant it's next to Void, and in the next it tears into Void's vaporeous body.
His form fades, then suddenly the pit fiend is blind-sided with a rapid succession of three lightning bolts from the real Void. The attack leaves it horribly scorched; its skin is now merely a blackened crust. Terrifyingly, the fiend recovers from the blow within seconds, and launches itself at Void again. Void stares as death comes streaking in.
Abruptly, a disembodied sword appears point first in front of the fiend, and it skewers itself to the pommel on the magical blade. The tip sprouts from its back, and the fiend stumbles and stares down at the pommel protruding from its chest. With a will of its own, the sword punches through its body, bursting through the leathery back. Left with a gaping hole in place of its major internal organs, the fiend trembles, then collapses as its staring eyes glaze over.
Edit:
Magus watches in relief as the fiend tumbles to the ground. He had barely saved his familiar from certain death. Magus is torn between the desire to scold Void for his recklessness and the desire to show approval for saving another. Ultimately he decides somewhere inbetween, merely nodding at Void in recognition and acceptance of his action.
Spell summary: Void casted ice bolt, mislead, then spell sequencer: 3 lightning bolts.
Magus casted Mordekain's sword.
Question: Is a pit fiend chaotic evil, neutral evil, or lawful evil (i.e. what lower plane does it come from)?
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...Magus
Young Level 18 Half-Elf Conjurer, Neutral Good, resident of The Rift, bitter foe of Ubik
[This message has been edited by Magus (edited 04-02-2001).]
[This message has been edited by Magus (edited 04-02-2001).]
As the remaining kobolds either flee or face a quick death, the duel between Fallout and the pit fiend continues. The two are beginning to wear down, each covered in a mixture of blood and ichor. The fiend blocks another crushing blow of Fallout's sword, but this time it tries a different tactic. Before Fallout can recover from his attack, the demon launches a fireball point blank into his chest. The explosion sends Fallout crashing into the wall, leaving his chain mail sizzling as he lays temporarily stunned. The fiend rushes in for the killing blow, and is barely diverted by a well-placed ice bolt from Void. It roars more in anger than in pain, and immediately charges the hakeashar. In an instant it's next to Void, and in the next it tears into Void's vaporeous body.
His form fades, then suddenly the pit fiend is blind-sided with a rapid succession of three lightning bolts from the real Void. The attack leaves it horribly scorched; its skin is now merely a blackened crust. Terrifyingly, the fiend recovers from the blow within seconds, and launches itself at Void again. Void stares as death comes streaking in.
Abruptly, a disembodied sword appears point first in front of the fiend, and it skewers itself to the pommel on the magical blade. The tip sprouts from its back, and the fiend stumbles and stares down at the pommel protruding from its chest. With a will of its own, the sword punches through its body, bursting through the leathery back. Left with a gaping hole in place of its major internal organs, the fiend trembles, then collapses as its staring eyes glaze over.
Edit:
Magus watches in relief as the fiend tumbles to the ground. He had barely saved his familiar from certain death. Magus is torn between the desire to scold Void for his recklessness and the desire to show approval for saving another. Ultimately he decides somewhere inbetween, merely nodding at Void in recognition and acceptance of his action.
Spell summary: Void casted ice bolt, mislead, then spell sequencer: 3 lightning bolts.
Magus casted Mordekain's sword.
Question: Is a pit fiend chaotic evil, neutral evil, or lawful evil (i.e. what lower plane does it come from)?
------------------
...Magus
Young Level 18 Half-Elf Conjurer, Neutral Good, resident of The Rift, bitter foe of Ubik
[This message has been edited by Magus (edited 04-02-2001).]
[This message has been edited by Magus (edited 04-02-2001).]
Lost Souls: A bereft lover. A masterless familiar. Friends gone their separate ways. Time marches on, and destiny heralds the meeting of comrades old and new. Can they find what they're seeking? Or will the search bring them only more pain?
Melosh's eyes quickly snapped open. Laying still, the surveyed the area and listened to the fighting. The smell of blood was getting to him. Sitting up, leaning against the wall. He took a flask out of his pack, and took a long drink. He watched with the others, as Magus and the Void, finished of the Fiend. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a scrap of paper, lying on the ledge of the sewer. Melosh moved over to it, looked at it, and recognized Bodhi's hand writing. He put it in his pack and went to help the others.
@Fallout: Thanks. So a pit fiend's a type of baatzeau, or one of their allies (referring to the Blood War)?
@Melosh: I'll get back to you on the importance of the note. Just another interesting situation I'd like to put your character in. For now assume that's it's written in the same unreadable script as the page from the Book of Kaza
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...Magus
Young Level 18 Half-Elf Conjurer, Neutral Good, resident of The Rift, bitter foe of Ubik
@Melosh: I'll get back to you on the importance of the note. Just another interesting situation I'd like to put your character in. For now assume that's it's written in the same unreadable script as the page from the Book of Kaza
------------------
...Magus
Young Level 18 Half-Elf Conjurer, Neutral Good, resident of The Rift, bitter foe of Ubik
Lost Souls: A bereft lover. A masterless familiar. Friends gone their separate ways. Time marches on, and destiny heralds the meeting of comrades old and new. Can they find what they're seeking? Or will the search bring them only more pain?
@all- each of us should be powerful enough to single-handedly take out a measly pit fiend! Mere fodder.
@KidD- I'll leave your character out of the story untill anytime you want to enter. Many have complained it is too complicated already, so I'll keep things as simple as possible.
@all- I'll loose TripWire, too, since I haven't seen him around for quite some time, and we have enough characters without me controlling two.
Hearing the fall of the planar beast, Rail and the blood-covered Flagg strolled onto the main tunnel to rejoin the group. Two battered-but-steadfast paladins stood over the kneeling Keldorn, applying their blessed healing with prayers to Try.
A weary fallout cleaned off his blades and hurredly sheathed them, nodding to Rail as he entered. "Where were you?" the barbarian kidded. "Coulda used that pig-sticker of yours."
Glancing at the creature on the ground, Rail smiled. "Yeah," he nodded approvingly, "I think your demons might have been greater than ours."
Flagg spit on the ground in disgust at the foul corpse and began picking kobold from his helmet.
Praelit Keldorn rose to his feet, muttering under his breath about old age and too many battles. He looked at the Master of Shadow Thieves and motioned for him to lead the way.
Aran smiled his trademark grin of questionable morals, and with a wink he laughed. "With your blessing, Praelit." Without waiting for a response, the thief walked on, leading the motley group to the hidden base of operations.
[This message has been edited by Rail (edited 04-04-2001).]
@KidD- I'll leave your character out of the story untill anytime you want to enter. Many have complained it is too complicated already, so I'll keep things as simple as possible.
@all- I'll loose TripWire, too, since I haven't seen him around for quite some time, and we have enough characters without me controlling two.
Hearing the fall of the planar beast, Rail and the blood-covered Flagg strolled onto the main tunnel to rejoin the group. Two battered-but-steadfast paladins stood over the kneeling Keldorn, applying their blessed healing with prayers to Try.
A weary fallout cleaned off his blades and hurredly sheathed them, nodding to Rail as he entered. "Where were you?" the barbarian kidded. "Coulda used that pig-sticker of yours."
Glancing at the creature on the ground, Rail smiled. "Yeah," he nodded approvingly, "I think your demons might have been greater than ours."
Flagg spit on the ground in disgust at the foul corpse and began picking kobold from his helmet.
Praelit Keldorn rose to his feet, muttering under his breath about old age and too many battles. He looked at the Master of Shadow Thieves and motioned for him to lead the way.
Aran smiled his trademark grin of questionable morals, and with a wink he laughed. "With your blessing, Praelit." Without waiting for a response, the thief walked on, leading the motley group to the hidden base of operations.
[This message has been edited by Rail (edited 04-04-2001).]
Matti Il-Amin, Paladin, comedian, and expert adventurer. Proudly bearing the colors of the [url="http://www.svelmoe.dk/blade/index.htm"]Blades of the Banshee[/url]
"Me thinks that was a bit of fun. Darn it, seems that they had a bit more fun in here. Errr.... This kobold seems to be stuck on my spike. Can any of ye lend me a hand? Now that the fun is over, where were we"
Flagg faces Rail: "Ye have a mighty punch in ye. Should be fun to run into a host of Dark skinned ones with you by my side."
Flagg turns to Melosh, "I remember ye ran in just before the fighting broke out. Who might ye be?"
Flagg faces Rail: "Ye have a mighty punch in ye. Should be fun to run into a host of Dark skinned ones with you by my side."
Flagg turns to Melosh, "I remember ye ran in just before the fighting broke out. Who might ye be?"
Flagg
[url="http://www.gamebanshee.com/poolofradiance"]GameBanshee's Pool of Radiance[/url]
Make Your Gaming Scream!
[url="http://www.gamebanshee.com/poolofradiance"]GameBanshee's Pool of Radiance[/url]
Make Your Gaming Scream!
Melosh looks at Flagg, "I'm Melosh. You might not want to talk to me. There are those who do not want me here. Because, I'm a vampire."
Melosh can feel the eyes of Keldorn, staring at him. "Can I help you with something Praelit?"
Keldorn stopped. "You cannot call me that. You have lost your right. Magus, why is he here?"
Melosh can feel the eyes of Keldorn, staring at him. "Can I help you with something Praelit?"
Keldorn stopped. "You cannot call me that. You have lost your right. Magus, why is he here?"
@Rail: I know a pit fiend's no match for anybody normally, but I decided to make this fiend a "special" one. Perhaps he was really a balor, or just a really strong pit fiend. Whatever the case, a battle's no fun without a challenge. I'm sure anyone who's gone back and played Baldur’s Gate II with super-powerful characters will agree. Therefore I think I’m justified in tweaking particular encounters to increase their difficulty.
I agree with your decision to exclude characters that no longer have a person behind them. It gets difficult to keep up with them after a while.
***
Keldorn stops. "You cannot call me that. You have lost your right. Magus, why is he here?"
Magus turns from Keldorn to stare thoughtfully at Melosh. Despite himself, Melosh feels vulnerable before his penetrating gaze.
“Only Melosh can truly answer that. But I suspect he doesn’t know, himself. Disregarding hidden motives, I believe he’s here to lend his aid against a common enemy; one that he can’t hope to defeat alone. Right now we need all the help we can get, so we should put aside our differences for now, Keldorn.”
Keldorn looks at Melosh and scowls. He looks ready to make a biting remark, but grits his teeth. He turns back to Magus. “I’ll tolerate his presence for now, but if he even blinks treason, I’ll be ridding this world of one more undead abomination.” Keldorn glares at Melosh once more, then walks on.
Magus nods solemnly, and the group continues onward to the Shadow Thief base. Melosh follows off to the side, conspicuously alone. After a while, he feels that familiar tingling one feels when he is being watched, and he glances back to see Magus’s calm and curious gaze. From the look in his eyes, Magus has something to discuss, preferably without drawing attention to themselves.
***
Flagg clanks noisily along through the sewers, and before long several paladins are rubbing small cuts caused by the wicked spikes on his armor. Each one glares at him in turn and starts to complain, but he meets them head-on and returns the glare ten-fold. They give up in exasperation, silenced by that peculiarly dwarven countenance of rock-hard stubborness.
After one such encounter, Flagg senses two red eyes staring far too intently at his admittedly handsome body. “If ye want those suckers poked out ye damn blasted mist, I’d be happy to oblige ye,” he mumbles grumpily.
“Is that so?” Void whispers, amused, for his mind alone.
“Ye’re damn right, misty. And no cowardly magic of ye’rs could stop me,” Flagg mumbles determinedly.
“Really? Care if I put that to the test?”
Before Flagg can protest, his feet suddenly lose contact with the ground. Flagg swears mightily as he fumbles about, fully a foot off the ground. Abruptly the force holding him up abates, and he hits the ground with a deafening crash.
Everyone stops to stare at the fallen dwarf, but a dagger-like glare promptly spurs them to mind their own business.
“Oops." Void seems genuinely surprised. "You’re not all boast, are you? I see that stubbornness does have its uses. But it’s your own fault that you made me drop you."
***
@Rail: If you want to continue the story and have us arrive at the base, it’s fine with me. We’re going there to consult with Aran, to come up with a plan, and so Magus can prepare the undead ritual. BTW: The two paladins are still carrying the body of Marcus, the dead paladin.
@Flagg: Does your character even carry an axe, or was I just mistaken from the beginning?
------------------
...Magus
Young Level 18 Half-Elf Conjurer, Neutral Good, resident of The Rift, bitter foe of Ubik
I agree with your decision to exclude characters that no longer have a person behind them. It gets difficult to keep up with them after a while.
***
Keldorn stops. "You cannot call me that. You have lost your right. Magus, why is he here?"
Magus turns from Keldorn to stare thoughtfully at Melosh. Despite himself, Melosh feels vulnerable before his penetrating gaze.
“Only Melosh can truly answer that. But I suspect he doesn’t know, himself. Disregarding hidden motives, I believe he’s here to lend his aid against a common enemy; one that he can’t hope to defeat alone. Right now we need all the help we can get, so we should put aside our differences for now, Keldorn.”
Keldorn looks at Melosh and scowls. He looks ready to make a biting remark, but grits his teeth. He turns back to Magus. “I’ll tolerate his presence for now, but if he even blinks treason, I’ll be ridding this world of one more undead abomination.” Keldorn glares at Melosh once more, then walks on.
Magus nods solemnly, and the group continues onward to the Shadow Thief base. Melosh follows off to the side, conspicuously alone. After a while, he feels that familiar tingling one feels when he is being watched, and he glances back to see Magus’s calm and curious gaze. From the look in his eyes, Magus has something to discuss, preferably without drawing attention to themselves.
***
Flagg clanks noisily along through the sewers, and before long several paladins are rubbing small cuts caused by the wicked spikes on his armor. Each one glares at him in turn and starts to complain, but he meets them head-on and returns the glare ten-fold. They give up in exasperation, silenced by that peculiarly dwarven countenance of rock-hard stubborness.
After one such encounter, Flagg senses two red eyes staring far too intently at his admittedly handsome body. “If ye want those suckers poked out ye damn blasted mist, I’d be happy to oblige ye,” he mumbles grumpily.
“Is that so?” Void whispers, amused, for his mind alone.
“Ye’re damn right, misty. And no cowardly magic of ye’rs could stop me,” Flagg mumbles determinedly.
“Really? Care if I put that to the test?”
Before Flagg can protest, his feet suddenly lose contact with the ground. Flagg swears mightily as he fumbles about, fully a foot off the ground. Abruptly the force holding him up abates, and he hits the ground with a deafening crash.
Everyone stops to stare at the fallen dwarf, but a dagger-like glare promptly spurs them to mind their own business.
“Oops." Void seems genuinely surprised. "You’re not all boast, are you? I see that stubbornness does have its uses. But it’s your own fault that you made me drop you."
***
@Rail: If you want to continue the story and have us arrive at the base, it’s fine with me. We’re going there to consult with Aran, to come up with a plan, and so Magus can prepare the undead ritual. BTW: The two paladins are still carrying the body of Marcus, the dead paladin.
@Flagg: Does your character even carry an axe, or was I just mistaken from the beginning?
------------------
...Magus
Young Level 18 Half-Elf Conjurer, Neutral Good, resident of The Rift, bitter foe of Ubik
Lost Souls: A bereft lover. A masterless familiar. Friends gone their separate ways. Time marches on, and destiny heralds the meeting of comrades old and new. Can they find what they're seeking? Or will the search bring them only more pain?
@Magus, yeah he wears an axe for backup purposes basically the first approach will always be to do use the body slam technique using the various spikes that cover his entire armor. Spikes are present among others on helmet, gloves, elbow, shoulder, knees, boots. Those are the main spikes, but there are a couple of smaller ones covering the armor.
Flagg
[url="http://www.gamebanshee.com/poolofradiance"]GameBanshee's Pool of Radiance[/url]
Make Your Gaming Scream!
[url="http://www.gamebanshee.com/poolofradiance"]GameBanshee's Pool of Radiance[/url]
Make Your Gaming Scream!
@Flagg: Thanks for the explanation.
@Melosh: My familiar's name is Void, not THE VOID!
Magus and Void have a quick telepathic exchange. Void nods, then goes back to bantering with Flagg. But not before a thought crosses Melosh's mind like a subtle breeze.
If you even contemplate betrayal, I will personally rip your mind into confetti-like pieces.
With that dire warning receding from his mind, Melosh slips next to Magus and walks by his side.
Seeing no forthcoming response from Magus, Melosh gets right to the point. "Explain this paper to me," he says, handing the paper to him.
Magus glances at the paper in surprise, then reaches reflexively into a hidden pocket in his robe. Of course he finds the paper is not there.
"You dropped it during the battle." Melosh rejoins.
"Of course. Careless me." Magus shakes his head, and a small smile crosses his lips. "Regardless, it is fitting that you should keep it. And it is equally fitting that you should be the one to read it."
Magus chants a few words of magic, then sweeps his hand over the page. When he hands it back to Melosh, the words are no longer in some archaic script, but in plain Common.
Melosh begins reading it, then recoils in shock when he realizes what it’s about. It’s a description of a process for returning vampires that have not yet fully transformed to their human state. Melosh glances at Magus, and he nods, affirming that Melosh isn’t fully transformed. He finishes reading it, and realizes that the process would be difficult and painful, possibly fatal. Regardless, Melosh now has a way to return to his former state; that is, if he acts quickly enough. But does he want to be human again?
Magus’s words break Melosh’s line of thought. “From observing you, I believe your transformation will be complete within a few days. So take some time to think it over. As you can see, the ritual is not for the faint of heart. You will almost certainly die if you partake in the ritual, and do not truly wish to return to human form.” He pauses to let that sink in. “I’ll leave to let you think it over.” With that, Magus parts from Melosh, abandoning him to his thoughts.
His days as a vampire flash through his mind. He remembers the feeling of power, the satisfaction he got from inspiring fear in others. But he also remembers the times of loneliness; the times when he knew he truly didn’t have a friend in the world. He glances around at the rest of the group, and the hostility with which they greeted him. Was it worth it? Is the power worth banishment from society?
Melosh broods over these questions as they enter the base-in-exile of the Shadow Thieves.
*****
@Melosh: What do you think? I thought I’d give you a choice like I did with Aegis.
------------------
...Magus
Young Level 18 Half-Elf Conjurer, Neutral Good, resident of The Rift, bitter foe of Ubik
[This message has been edited by Magus (edited 04-07-2001).]
@Melosh: My familiar's name is Void, not THE VOID!
Magus and Void have a quick telepathic exchange. Void nods, then goes back to bantering with Flagg. But not before a thought crosses Melosh's mind like a subtle breeze.
If you even contemplate betrayal, I will personally rip your mind into confetti-like pieces.
With that dire warning receding from his mind, Melosh slips next to Magus and walks by his side.
Seeing no forthcoming response from Magus, Melosh gets right to the point. "Explain this paper to me," he says, handing the paper to him.
Magus glances at the paper in surprise, then reaches reflexively into a hidden pocket in his robe. Of course he finds the paper is not there.
"You dropped it during the battle." Melosh rejoins.
"Of course. Careless me." Magus shakes his head, and a small smile crosses his lips. "Regardless, it is fitting that you should keep it. And it is equally fitting that you should be the one to read it."
Magus chants a few words of magic, then sweeps his hand over the page. When he hands it back to Melosh, the words are no longer in some archaic script, but in plain Common.
Melosh begins reading it, then recoils in shock when he realizes what it’s about. It’s a description of a process for returning vampires that have not yet fully transformed to their human state. Melosh glances at Magus, and he nods, affirming that Melosh isn’t fully transformed. He finishes reading it, and realizes that the process would be difficult and painful, possibly fatal. Regardless, Melosh now has a way to return to his former state; that is, if he acts quickly enough. But does he want to be human again?
Magus’s words break Melosh’s line of thought. “From observing you, I believe your transformation will be complete within a few days. So take some time to think it over. As you can see, the ritual is not for the faint of heart. You will almost certainly die if you partake in the ritual, and do not truly wish to return to human form.” He pauses to let that sink in. “I’ll leave to let you think it over.” With that, Magus parts from Melosh, abandoning him to his thoughts.
His days as a vampire flash through his mind. He remembers the feeling of power, the satisfaction he got from inspiring fear in others. But he also remembers the times of loneliness; the times when he knew he truly didn’t have a friend in the world. He glances around at the rest of the group, and the hostility with which they greeted him. Was it worth it? Is the power worth banishment from society?
Melosh broods over these questions as they enter the base-in-exile of the Shadow Thieves.
*****
@Melosh: What do you think? I thought I’d give you a choice like I did with Aegis.
------------------
...Magus
Young Level 18 Half-Elf Conjurer, Neutral Good, resident of The Rift, bitter foe of Ubik
[This message has been edited by Magus (edited 04-07-2001).]
Lost Souls: A bereft lover. A masterless familiar. Friends gone their separate ways. Time marches on, and destiny heralds the meeting of comrades old and new. Can they find what they're seeking? Or will the search bring them only more pain?
@All: I'm going to start setting the final act of this story. Because of that, start wrapping any loose ends. After this one ends, whose up for another?
Raistlin had just left Aegis's chamber, after scolding him serverly for sending "Inadequete" forces againest his former colleagues. Raistlin had been growing thin of Aegis's patience lately, and he felt he would snap if he saw the smug, crooked grin engraved on the golden face mocking him again. Since he seperated Raistlin from his soul, he had been changing again. He began to feel compassion for what he had done. He would look out to the twisted and darkend city of Athkatla, and feel remorse. No! He didn't do that! He could've never done that, even if he had been changed by his magic! His entire life, he had sworn to protect this city!
He withdrew Black Razor from it's sheathe by his side, and looked at it coldly. It no longer felt right in his grasp. He felt the evil power of it eminate from it's cold surface. He threw it ibto the back of the room, whipping his body around, facing the door.
Aegis: What in the abyss have I done!
He cupped his face in his hands, and for the first time since childhood, he cried...
Raistlin had just left Aegis's chamber, after scolding him serverly for sending "Inadequete" forces againest his former colleagues. Raistlin had been growing thin of Aegis's patience lately, and he felt he would snap if he saw the smug, crooked grin engraved on the golden face mocking him again. Since he seperated Raistlin from his soul, he had been changing again. He began to feel compassion for what he had done. He would look out to the twisted and darkend city of Athkatla, and feel remorse. No! He didn't do that! He could've never done that, even if he had been changed by his magic! His entire life, he had sworn to protect this city!
He withdrew Black Razor from it's sheathe by his side, and looked at it coldly. It no longer felt right in his grasp. He felt the evil power of it eminate from it's cold surface. He threw it ibto the back of the room, whipping his body around, facing the door.
Aegis: What in the abyss have I done!
He cupped his face in his hands, and for the first time since childhood, he cried...
Sorry for not posting the continuation. School's rushing breakneck to cram in everything before Spring Break. I'll post tomorrow. In the meantime, I welcome anybody to try their hand at wrapping things up on our side. Magus can be off preparing the ritual while Aran and the others decide on a battle plan. BTW, I'll be gone most of Friday, all of Saturday, and perhaps Sunday. I'm going to Flordia for a week. But I should be able to hook up the labtop there, so hopefully I'll be back by Sunday.
@Aegis: Yeah, once this is over I would like to start a new one. Also, Neverwinter Nights is coming out in a few months. It would be cool if the bunch of us could get together a party...
@Aegis: Yeah, once this is over I would like to start a new one. Also, Neverwinter Nights is coming out in a few months. It would be cool if the bunch of us could get together a party...
Lost Souls: A bereft lover. A masterless familiar. Friends gone their separate ways. Time marches on, and destiny heralds the meeting of comrades old and new. Can they find what they're seeking? Or will the search bring them only more pain?