GameBanshee Forums

OOC @Vehemence: ROTFLMAO! Will you be joining us, Veh, or are you content to simply lurk with your hands over your face? We could send Thantor on a little vacation...

OOC: Thanks for the offer but I wouldn't know where to begin. I'm quite content with the hands over the eyes, for now

T’lainya laughed softly.
“Maybe my cousin did. As for spells, how could I not have recognized you? I don’t understand why my cousin never told me whom I would be helping. I would never have refused to help you, especially against the drow.”
T’lainya was intensely curious about Odessa, but didn’t want to ask Darkpoet about his former love.

Loner walks in the room, sees Kramor, sitting on a chair and dozing in the sunlight. She walks up behind Kramor and wraps her arms around him. Loner, takes a deep breath, as a sharp pain, rips across her stomach. She lets out a sharp breath, her arms clutch Kramor around the neck. Which awakens him, he senses something is wrong.
"Loner, are you okay?"

Loner biting her lip, grimcing and sharking her head no. She lets out a small cry and falls to the floor. Kramor quickly picks up, Loner and gently puts her on the bed. He feels something is missing, he notices Loner's ki, but not the childs. Kramor's eyes start to blur, wiping his eyes, he puts his hands on Loner's stomach. Consentrating, he feels no heartbeat.
Covering Loner, with a blanket, he chokes back his emotions. Kramor puts his cheek next to Loner's, and whispers.

"I'm sorry my love. I was looking so forward to being a father. I'm going to get help, it will be alright."

Wiping the tears form his eyes, he goes to look for T'lainya. He checked in Dp's room, an sees an opening in the wall. Kramor, runs down the stairs, looks around and spots the hallway. Jogging though the hallway, he is amazied at what he sees on the walls. He notices Dp and T'lainya, by the fire.

"T'lainya, Loner and I need your help. Loner's is in pain, and I can't feel the baby's heartbeat or ki."

Dp and T'lainya, jump up and head for the stairs, with Kramor trailing behind. T'lainya, grabs her pack and heads to the room. She calls over her shoulder, "Kramor, go get towels and hot water, quickly!"

"But, I want to stay with Loner."

T'lainya pushes Kramor out of the room.

"No! You get the towel's and hot water, and stay out of the room. You will be in the way. Dp, go with him and find Thantor."

As Kramor is getting the towels and hot water. Darkpoet, pounds on Thantor's door, yelling.

"Thantor! T'lainya needs your help. There is something wrong with Loner and the unborn child."

As Kramor got back to the room, T'lainya was waiting for him. As she took the towels and hot water, she told Dp to told Kramor somewhere. Darkpoet, took Kramor out to the courtyard and grabbed a bottle of brandy.

[ 08-22-2001: Message edited by: KramoR ]

{ooc, So much drama, and I don't have regular access right now....aargh!}

Vivien and Dragon Wench had been examining the cave's walls and contemplating their unusual heat when Kramor raced passed them, followed by T'lainya running at break neck speed. They looked at one another, gravely worried.

"I'm not sure there's anything we can do....," trailed Dragon Wench, feeling a pang of despair for Loner and Kramor.

"I have some calming tea, why don't we go and brew some for anyone who wants it," replied Vivien, swallowing hard.

Thantor was up and moving as soon as he heard the pounding at the door. He quickly arrived at Loner's room, knocking frantically at her door. T'lainya answered, looking gravely concerned. "What is the situation?" demanded Thantor, passing her on his way to Loner's bedside.

{OOC @All: I'm moving, so I might not be around till the weekend. Could be sooner though. Just letting everyone know }

OOC @Loner & Kramor: Let me know if this works for you. If not, I can always edit it.

Moving to Loner's side, Thantor listened intently as T'lainya explained what she knew about the situation. Thantor appreciated her calming presence and was gratified that she was in attendance. "How are you doing, Loner?" Thantor asked gently, taking her pulse. "I've been better," Loner answered, eyes clenched shut against the pain. Thantor began to gently palpate her abdomen, closing his own eyes, slowly allowing his own energy to blend into Loner's energetic field. For several minutes the room was still, except for the sounds of Loner's ragged respirations. Unable to stand the silence any longer, Loner opened her eyes and looked at Thantor. "Is the baby... dying?" The word came out as a whisper. It was all she could do to hold herself in the face of not only her own pain, but Kramor's as well. Where was he? Why wasn't he here?

Thantor opened his eyes and looked at her in disbelief. "I've never felt anything like this, Loner." His hands were still on her abdomen, and he continued to move them as if trying to confirm something beyond understanding. "The baby isn't dying, it's withdrawing. It's as if it is moving backward in time."

[ 08-23-2001: Message edited by: thantor3 ]

Anomen said hardly a word as he helped Gwalchmai break camp. Early morning dew covered every surface, and birds had just begun singing. Anomen cared nothing for the beauty of this crisp morning. His movements were distracted and his demeanor glum. Once or twice, in an effort to deepen his self-pity, he touched the side of his face, the side that had been wounded, but each time he found it healed and without pain. Even his beard was starting to grow back in. Gwalchmai watched Anomen, and regretted having contributed to his low self-esteem. But Anomen had to learn to focus on his true virtues rather than the puffed-up feelings of self-importance he got from status symbols and multiple girl friends. Anomen was a good fighter and a powerful cleric of Helm. Despite his macho strutting, he always worked hard to aid the needy and strive for righteousness and justice in the world.

Gwalchmai thought of these things, but couldn’t find the words to help set Anomen back on his proper path. Gwalchmai felt distracted. His sleep had been fitful, and his dreams consisted of murky images of his friends back at the keep. Pain and anguish were central themes to his dreams, so Gwalchmai had a indistinct sense of foreboding. He just wanted to see Anomen back to the Radiant Heart, and hurry back to the keep.

So deep in thought, Gwalchmai nearly jumped out of his skin when felt the breeze of the arrow as it flew within a hair’s breadth of his forehead and thunked into a nearby tree.

“Bewus….ykcitsium….tonsiae!”

Gwalchmai heard someone saying an incantation as he and Anomen turned to face whatever danger threatened them. Scanning the tree line, Gwalchmai spotted a gray-robed man partially hidden behind a maple whose red, green, and gold leaves had just begun to fall. The robed man completed the incantation just as Gwalchmai began to run at him. A gray glob of mystical energy shot out, hitting Gwalchmai square in the chest. There was no pain, but the energy burst out in all directions, covering the area for several paces in a gray, gooey, mess of spider webs. Both Anomen and Gwalchmai were helplessly stuck, the strong threads clinging to their arms and legs. The robed man smiled with satisfaction, “Take them at your leisure, comrades.”

Three others stepped out of the shadows of the trees. There was a thin woman with a grim face leveling a short bow at Gwalchmai, a toothless halfling held a shortsword but was extracting several darts from a pouch on his belt and was appraising Anomen for vulnerable spots, and a dirty human warrior pulled the lever back on a crossbow. Desperately, Anomen and Gwalchmai hacked at the webs that held them as the missiles flew. At first they seemed lucky, their leather armor deflected most of the blows. But then, an arrow found its mark in Gwalchmai’s leg, and to make matters worse, the arrow split into a small splash of acid as it made contact. Fortunately, Gwalchmai’s bracers provided magical protection against acid, but it still left a nasty stain.

With a roar, Anomen managed to hack himself out of the webs, and quickly moved toward their attackers, his staff swinging. The warrior threw his crossbow to the ground and unslung a silver mace, the halfling drew his sword, and the thief directed her arrows at him. Anomen’s first blow managed to find another tooth in the halfling’s mouth to knock out. He neatly sidestepped the warrior’s attack, and an acid arrow clattered harmlessly against his armor. Anomen looked to be winning the battle against the three villains, when suddenly four pink balls of mystic energy slammed into him. Anomen staggered back from the Magic Missile onslaught.

Meanwhile, Gwalchmai also pulled himself free and began his own incantation. “Uh-oh,” the robed mage said. A mass of humming, biting insects formed in the air in front of him, then moved to buzz around the heads of all four opponents. The mage cursed as he lost the spell he was trying to cast. The warrior suddenly screamed in a high pitched voice, dropped his mace, and ran into the forest with the insects following. The others just grimly ignored the small nuisance, and continued their attack. “Tippy! Felder! Go for the druid! Take him out first!” the mage shouted.

Gwalchmai defended himself as best as he could, but every time he attempted a spell, the mage would connect with a magical throwing dagger that returned of its own accord. Anomen saw Gwalchmai begin to stagger under the onslaught, and knew he could not engage them in combat before Gwalchmai perished. Out of desperation, he knelt on one knee and said, “Helm, hear the call of your wayward son!”

The clouds boiled and the sun was suddenly blotted out. Gray streamers of energy fell from the heavens. Tippy felt wracked with pain, dropping her bow and falling to her knees. Felder shuddered, then ran into the forest in fright. Friedrich the mage took the brunt of the Holy Smite, his back arching in convolutions and his mouth opening in a silent scream. He was dead before he hit the ground.

Wimpering slightly, Tippy crawled to Friedrich’s body and cradled his head in her lap. “Maybe now we stop playing bandits in the woods and settle down.” She looked up with tear filled eyes at Gwalchmai and Anomen, expecting a killing blow. None came. Gwalchmai stooped to pick up the mage’s dagger, which he placed in his own pack. “Righteousness has prevailed,” Anomen whispered. Then he addressed the young thief, “What shall become of you, now?”

“I suppose I will find someone to raise Freddy,” she said.

Anomen looked at her ragged cloths, “How will you do that? You don’t look as though you could afford it.”

Tippy took off the mage’s pointed hat and felt around the brim. Several jasper gems fell out, then two diamonds, an emerald, and a Laurel’s Tear necklace fell into the pile, “I always knew he kept the good stuff for himself. I know a priest of Talos who can help us.” With a look of grattiude, she hefted the body of the mage to her shoulder, then stalked off into the forest.

Anomen was silent for a long time. Then a smile crept across his face, “Come my friend! We must make haste to the Radiant Heart! Helm and I are again on speaking terms and the work of Justice and Good waits for no man!”

"Can you stop it?" Loner cried. "Please Thantor."

Thantor worked for several minutes, sweat beading on his forhead, fiercely focused on the task. From her place, T'lainya did what she could to blend her energies with his. Finally, he stopped, removing his hands from Loner's abdomen as he slumped forward, a defeated look on his face. "I am so sorry Loner," he mumbled, without looking at her. The pain gone, Loner lay there for a moment, but all she felt was numb. She sat up and turned to T'lainya. "Please go get Kramor for me," she asked. She could see that Thantor felt terrible and despite her own pain and loss she put her hand on his shoulder to comfort him. Soon T'lainya returned, Kramor and DarkPoet at her heels. When Loner saw Kramor, her numbness evaporated as the full import of what had happened crashed into her consciousness. Tears began to stream from her eyes. Kramor flew to her side and they held each other tightly, as if sheltering each other against a hurricane. No one spoke, nor was there a dry eye among them.

At length, Loner slowly disengaged herself from Kramor and looked at Thantor, who sat in the same position, head bowed. "Tell us what happened, Thantor," she asked. Thantor took a deep breath, collected himself, and looked at her. "At first, I thought it was some sort of magical attack or evil occurance, and so I worked desperately to thwart this. But in the end, I was able to make contact with the consciousness ..." he stopped, deciding that using the words 'of the baby' who be insensitive. "It was clear it was not an attack or natural phenomenon. It was a conscious choice, one I could not violate, nor would I."

Surprised, Kramor asked, "How is this possible? And why would such a thing occur?"

Thantor shook his head sadly. "I do not know. In my communication with the consciousness, there seemed to be something about time or events being disrupted. Perhaps if this could be addressed, things would proceed as they were originally destined to unfold."

[ 08-24-2001: Message edited by: thantor3 ]

After hearing what Thantor told Kramor and Loner. Darkpoet quietly backed out of the room. He walked out to the courtyard and out away from the keep. He went up to the hill that overlooked the Ruins and the Keep. Sitting down, Darkpoet leaned against a tree. Not knowing what to do, he stared at the clouds, going by. He closed his eyes, memories came back like a flood. His parents, the village he lived in. He could smell and touch everything, it was real. The taunting from Menadir and the others, to friendship, then the bonding of brothers. He remembered the tests from the Elders, how proud his parents were. Darkpoet found himself, stalking and running into the she-bear. He felt the pain from the claws and teeth of her. Remembering the pressure of the bears body, after he kill it. Not being able to move, he was prepared for death.

Memories, went fuzzy. Then he is standing in the battle field, everything is crystal clear. The sound of battle, smell of the earth, blood and fear. Was mixed in the air, along with the screams of the wounded. As Darkpoet, gazed over the battle field. Kramor, told him about the scouting mission.

"Who else is on the mission, with us?"

"Just you, Odessa and I, Dp?

"No, she is not going. You find someone else to take her place."

"Look Dp, she volunteered. You know how she gets, I'm not pissing her off. You can tell her, she not going."

"she is going. Because she has the map."
Odessa said, as she shouldered her way, between Kramor and Darkpoet. Odessa walked further down the trail, turning she motioned the two, to get moving. Darkpoet and Kramor, hurried to catch up with her. The three had been scouting, for about two hours. Kramor was walking point, he quickly turned yelling, "AMBUSH" Kramor fell with two arrows in his left thigh. Odessa ran and grabbed Kramor, by the collar of his armor. As she turned to head back, pulling Kramor with her. A spear, caught her in the middle of the back. Darkpoet was up and running, towards the two, when something hit him in the back. Odessa and Darkpoet, laying on their stomachs. Stared into each others eyes, with arms out stretched. They tried to grab the others hand.

"Hold on Odessa, I'll help you. Don't close your eyes, keep looking at me. Damn it! Look at me."

"DP, I'm so tired. Just let me sleep a bit, please?"

"Odessa, don't close your eyes. Odessa?"

A shadow loomed over Odessa, Darkpoet watched helplessly. As a Drow, put another spear into Odessa's. Darkpoet heard her sigh, Odessa's lifeless eyes stared at him.

Vivien sat sipping tea at the kitchen table, her eyes staring into space in worry. Jennabard appeared in the doorway, and looked at her with concern. The bard's feet made almost no sound on the hard kitchen floor as she came and sat beside Vivien.

The silence stretched between them, and Jenna wondered why Vivien had made enough tea, and filled enough cups with said tea, to feed an army.

Vivien was feeling relieved at another person in the kitchen, feeling comforted during this time when she could do nothing. She smiled at Jenna and they started talking idly about activities around the keep, careful not to dig too deep into the bottomless worry.

The steam from the tea cups rose above their heads forming clouds. White against the dark blackness of the shadows above them, but the steam dissapeared all too soon into the hungry dark...

Still cradled gently in Kramor's arms, and steadily losing the sound of Thantor's voice, Loner drifted off into unconsciousness.

She was in darkness, and a light mist swirled around her. Dead? she wondered vaguely; and a voice within her replied, No, not dead. But the voice was not her own. She lifted her eyes and saw a tall figure advancing toward her from the blackness.

Loner smiled. "You're tall like your father," she said to the smiling young woman who stood before her. The woman was strong and well-formed and lovely, and a soft light shone from within her.

Then suddenly Loner remembered, and a rage welled up in her heart. "You're dead, Darien," she said. "Aren't you."

"Do I really look that bad?" Darien replied, still smiling. Seeing the look of confusion and frustration on her mother's face, she approached. Taking both Loner's hands in her own, she said:

"I am very much alive. The vision you had when you went forward in time -- it was real. Only, you didn't go as far forward as you thought. You traveled not years, but a few weeks only. You saw what would I would be, you saw my life here. I am a warrior, and I have a task to accomplish. A very great task. So it was necessary that I be given life; but not in your world. I do not belong in your plane."

At this, Loner brightened. "If you are in another plane, then you are truly living, and I can find you..."

Darien sighed. "No, Mom, you still don't understand. I am dead, as far as you are defining death. My body is gone past restoration. But my spirit was all that was needed. There are many spirits in the world of those you call 'dead'. Some are benevolent. Others are not. The struggle that goes on here is not so different from the struggle against evil which you engage in. I was needed here. You and Dad were necessary to bring my spirit into existence, and at the proper time I was removed so I could do my work here. Now do you understand?"

Suddenly Loner did understand, somehow. "But...you're a grown woman," she said, reaching out a timid hand to stroke her daughter's cheek.

Darien shook her head. "The soul has no age," she replied. "Its life is timeless. It simply lives. It simply is."

But just at that moment Loner began to feel a backward pull, drawing her away. She clasped Darien's hands more tightly, fighting against letting go. "Will I see you again?" she asked.

Darien smiled, and her expression was full of a wisdom missing from the world's greatest sages. "The worlds have many ways," she replied.

The pull grew stronger, and now Loner could faintly hear Kramor's voice calling her. "You'd better go," Darien said. "Dad's calling you."

Loner threw herself into her daughter's arms; and the powers were merciful enough to allow them to hold each other for a time. Kramor's voice grew stronger, the pull increased; and Darien said, "See you in the morning, Mom."

************************
"Loner...my love, can you hear me?..."

Loner saw Kramor's tear-stained face. Thantor was still standing behind him, and let out a sigh of relief when Loner opened her eyes.

She looked at Kramor, and gave his hand a weak squeeze. "Our daughter is living," she whispered. "She is beautiful, Kramor..." Kramor bit his lip, and tears began to well up in his eyes again. "You need to rest," he said, and kissed her on the forehead. He was trembling. She knew he didn't understand; he thought she was delerious. No matter, there was plenty of time to explain. She let her head fall back against the pillows, as a new and deep peace flowed into her soul.


{OOC: Let me know if this is all right. I don't want to step on any plans or ideas }

[ 08-27-2001: Message edited by: loner72 ]

T’lainya slipped quietly to the kitchen, where she gathered some supplies. She hurried back up the stairs to Loner. She started some water heating in a small pot. Drawing some herbs from her supplies she added them to the steaming water. T’lainya touched her holy symbol and murmured a quiet prayer. She added one more herb to the tea and took it off the fire. She poured some into a cup and walked over to Loner and Kramor. T’lainya set the fragrant brew on the bedside table near Loner.

“Here, when she wakes have her try to drink this. It will help strengthen her, as well as ease the physical pain.”

T’lainya watched Kramor closely, concerned that he was nearly as close to collapsing as Loner. She gently squeezed his shoulder and asked if he needed anything.

“Would you get Darkpoet for me? I don’t know where he went.”
Kramors voice was ragged. The firelight flickered over him, adding shadows to his features. He kept his hand on Loners, nearly shaking with the effort to stay calm.

T’lainya spoke softly but firmly.

”I’ll find Darkpoet, but you’ll sit down before you fall down.”

She heated some more water, and added some different herbs to it.

“You need to drink some of this when it’s ready. Thantor, if you would be so kind as to make sure he drinks this, I would be grateful.”

Kramor started to protest but she raised one eyebrow at him, and he closed his mouth quickly.

“Loner needs you here with her, not incoherent from worry or sick from exhaustion.”

T’lainya quickly excused herself and went in search of Darkpoet. She walked to their room and made a small sound of annoyance when she saw he wasn’t there. She quietly cast a speak with stones spell and headed off to the outside of the keep. Walking briskly, she barely noted her surroundings. She was puzzled at Darkpoet leaving so suddenly, as she knew how close he and Kramor were. Pausing to regain her directions from the colored flagstones that made up the path, the priestess hurried on. She saw Darkpoet sitting there with a strange expression on his face. She read anger and sorrow mingled on his features, and saw the way his body was tensed at some inner struggle. As she approached she saw his eyes were open, almost as in a trance. She drew nearer and heard him speak the name Odessa. T’lainya’s blood turned to ice in her veins. She knew a small portion of that part of Darkpoets past and how shattered he had been. Squaring her shoulders, she called his name. “Darkpoet, Dp…wake up.”

Originally posted by loner72:
<STRONG> {OOC: Let me know if this is all right. I don't want to step on any plans or ideas }

[ 08-27-2001: Message edited by: loner72 ]</STRONG>

OW! Hey! Ouch!

Even though, Darkpoet could see that Odessa was dead. He still tried to reach her hand, inching his way to her. "Why now. Come on Odessa, blink. Your eyes are open, blink, damn it!" Darkpoet, with his arm stretched to reach her. Watched helplessly, as Odessa was pulled away into darkness.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Darkpoet realized he was yelling, at the field. Between the Keep and the Ruins. His out stretch hand, shaking. Darkpoet, brought his hand to him, watch it shake. "That was too real." Closing his hand into a fist to stop the shaking. He took a deep breath, opening his eyes. As he looked at the grass, he noticed a shadow. Darkpoet reached out his hand to T'lainya. She slowly walk to Darkpoet, and took his hand. He gently pulled her to him, staring into her eyes. Darkpoet, explained to T'lainya, who Odessa was and what had happened to her..............

T’lainya listened to Darkpoet’s words, her eyes shimmering with sorrow for him and Odessa. She put her arms around him, quietly comforting him. They stood like that for a while, the fading light turning them to one figure from a disatnce.
“Kramor was asking for you.”
T’lainya’s voice was soft.
“I brewed him some tea to help him regain his composure. Loner was resting, and seemed to be comfortable.”
They stood for another moment and Darkpoet took her hand, walking back to the keep.

Downing a cup of tea, Dragon Wench wandered out of the keep, feeling at a loss, and wishing that there was something she could do for Loner and Kramor, but from her own experience she knew that grief was something that could only be overcome by internal struggle. The thought recalled the strange dreams she'd been having, and her restlessness increased.
There was a chill in the air,the long sultry summer was drawing to a close, and vaguely she sensed dramatic change lurking across the threshhold herelding the changing season.