Roleplaying In Atkathla

[Aegis]

@All: It's looking damn fine so far. Sorry I haven't as active as late, but I'm stuck in a place where I don't always get internet access.

Aegis laid in the pool of blood. His blood. He had no clue of the creature that had apparently advanced upon his turned back. Throughout his entire body, he felt a warm tingling sensation. He felt comfortable. He laid on his stomach, barely conscious of his surroundings, nnot trying to breathe, just calmly doing so. All that was disrupted as he heard the voice of Raistlin near him. So this is it... He thought to himself. This will be the end of this choas and evil.

For Aegis, the next few minutes past quickly. As he had little further concept of time left in his dying body, he pad little attention. When he suddenly heard the explosion, he forced his weakend body to look out towards the group of heroes. They had been knocked to the ground, and Void had been "removed". This sparked something in Aegis. He looked at his former Praelet, he felt an intense flame spark inside of him, and a sudden surge of energy. The man who had raised him since early childhood, the man who had been the closest thing a father, the man who taught him everything he knew! Keldorn was on the ground, his body injured, dying.

Given this new energy, Aegis placed the palms of his hands firmly on the flat ground. He felt more of his blood seep out with every movement he made. He applied pressure, and struggled to lift himself up. As he did so, he heard a creaking noise along his rib cage. With every moment, more blood weakend him, yet he faught on. By now, the majority of the Heroes had made their way back onto their feet, and preparing to attack the powerful Arch-Mage again.

Aegis pushed himself onto his knees, one hand steadying himself, the other being held over his chest wound. He looked up to Raistlin, his blood matted hair causing little inconvience. He attempted to push himself onto his feet, his legs staggering in the process. After many agonizing seconds, he managed to stand, if only barely. With a great deal of effort, his drew his sword of the ground, grabbing the hilt tightly, hoping his bloodied hands would not let it slip. He began to stumble towards Raistlin, every moevment sending more blood to the floor, and more of Aegis's life to slip into oblivion.

Aegis: You..... Will.. *ugh*...

Aegis stumbled slightly, but recovered. He grimaced with the intense pain, but faught through it, unwilling to give in to this Wizard.

Aegis: I will... Not let you Win!

Raistlin just sneered at this comment, his golden complextion showing amusement.

Raistlin: A noble sentiment, indeed. But a hollow one! Bah! You remind too much of my Ox of a brother. All muscle, no brains. You could never hope to defeat me, especially in a condition like that.

Aegis grinned weakly, and continued to stumble forward. His hand maintained the firm grip on the sword. As he walked, that flame in his spirit continud to grow, igniting now into a roaring blaze.

Aegis: You... Will Not Live!

Raistlin just snorted in disgust, no longer amused.

Aegis: You Will Not Live!

Raistlin, truly annoyed by this point, began to prepare a fireball to launch at the weakend Paladin. His lips began to form the arcane words needed to cast the spell. Aegis continued his march.

Aegis:I WON'T LET YOU!

Raistlin let the fireball go, impacting at Aegis' feet, engulfing him in a cloud of sulpher and brim. Raistlin sneered again.

Raistlin: Good riddence.

Just as he was about to focus back to the group of Heroes, something flickered in the cloud of smoke. A glint of metal. He then heard the shuffling of foot steps. His sneer then turned into a look of horror, and surprise as he saw the broken body of Aegis continue to shamble towards him, sword drawn, and poised to strike. Raistlin began to back away. Only once had he felt fear like this, and that was from a God! Aegis was just a mere man, and was causeing Aegis to retreat!

Aegis closed the distance, and came withen striking distence with his blackend blade. He raised it into the air, and prepared to strike...


@All: That's all for me today. Let's see what happens from here...

[Rail]

Sorry for the delay. Been swamped.

Aerie smiled grimly, sweat beading on her forehead from the effort to maintain the link between her god and Aegis. Grit and determination seemed to well up from deep down in the furthest reaches of her soul, giving her the strength and faith to face her awe-inspiring assailant, Raistlin the Arch-mage from Krynn. She had maintained such spells before, to create champions of her deity, but never like this, in these conditions, and with this much power. She could feel the god-like strength and protections flowing through her into the fallen paladin Aegis, greater than any such magic than she had ever used. Her faith and spirit soared, even as the very fibers of her muscles ached with the strain. In spiritual ecstasy and physical agony, she watched and lent her god's power to a penitent vessel.

Aegis heaved his mighty blade with all of his new-found might at the evil mage, as if to cleave him in two at the waist. The mage was dumbfounded. He knew his power, but it had somehow failed. From the mage's expression, Aegis was sure that had never happened before.

In a thunderous display of magics colliding, Aegis' blade slammed into the mage as if hitting a solid statue of stone. Aegis' hands rung from the blow, but it was no worse than the pain through the rest of his dying body. He wondered if this new strength would wear off and if he would then collapse in a heap and meet his god. But this strength was not all lent. He still desperately wanted to live, to redeem himself for all he had done.

The mage's defenses protected him from the blade, but not from the force. Protected from magical weapons and with the mage's stoneskins, the deadly steel was stopped, but the blow knocked the mage from his feet, several feet backwards through the air, though the mage never touched the ground. With a clenched fist, Raistlin caught himself up in his power mid fall, though less than graceful. Levitating and practically glowing in anger, he, he snarled in hate at his former ally. His former lackey. His former slave, led along like a horse with a carrot. How dare he!

He had no chance to finish his thought. Aegis pressed on, with Keldorn at his side along with Aran who seemed to glow slightly in a strange and shimmering light held a shining shortsword in one hand and a spidery dart in his other. The praelit looked at peace with both his fate and his companions. The paladins moved to flank the mage, not giving him valuable time needed by mages to cast. But Raistlin was no ordinary mage.

* * *

Rail recovered from the blast, aching from every part of his body. Everything seemed to work, for the moment, at least. He watched incredulously Aegis' attack on the mage. Rail had seen the paladin's wounds close up. The man shouldn't be able to rise to his knees, let alone swing that huge sword with such power. The assassin didn't question the good fortune. Grunting from the effort to stand, Rail noticed his left arm hung half-limp and shook from injuries sustained, and he couldn't close his hand around the hilt of his dagger. At least it wasn't his sword arm.

Limping visibly as he slid back into the shadows, Rail watched as Aegis survived the fireball and rushed the mage. While the mage was thus distracted, Rail faded into the darkness, moving silently, albeit slowly and with great effort. He had very few thrusts left in him before he would collapse from loss of blood from the effort. He had to conserve his strength for a final attack. He stalked the mage from behind, waiting for his defenses to go down, even for a brief second. Timing was everything, when stalking a mage, but the assassin had practiced. He looked across the fray at Magus, who caught his eye. The man had seen him enter the shadows at Raistlin's back. Without telepathy, without any verbal communication, the two knew what to do. Coordination. They had fought together before. Magus began to prepare a series of spells to punch through the mage's defenses and pound him from the front. And Magus still had emperor card up his sleeve.

Keldorn smiled grimly. He too, knew what needed to be done. He was one of the greatest inquisitors on the face of Faerun, perhaps the greatest alive.

Aran suppressed the urge to laugh. The mage had taken the brunt of their attack and laughed, but they had survived his onslaught as well. Here were two sets of schoolyard bullies squaring off against eachother. Or perhaps it was one bully with the collection of united runts fighting against him. Either way, it seemed ludicrous. If he could just have let them to their battle, Aran could have finished looting the noble's houses. But here was a battle he could ill afford to miss. He had nothing to loose, for if they won, he would gain great influence and power over some of the most influential members of Amn. If they lost, even without the Shadowmaster present, Aran would loose all he had built up. All of Faerun may loose, if they failed. Hero?!? Again, Aran fought the laughter and settled his attention on the evil mage.

* * *

Okay, let's end this in the next few posts. Sound okay?

[Magus]

@Rail: We’ll try.

I’ve had important testing the last few days. That’s why I haven’t been able to post.
*****

Furious, Raistlin sees the circle of enemies closing about him. How dare they! Did they think they could possibly defeat HIM, HIM!, whose will had forced Gods to bow at his feet! Well, they would see, they would see his true power...
Raistlin closes his eyes, and his body begins to pulse. Tremendous winds swirl about him, picking up speed with each second. In an effort to stop the casting, Keldorn, Aran, and Aegis rush in. Rail reluctantly waits for Magus's cue. The incredible winds immediately fling Keldorn and Aran back. With god-like strength flowing through him, and the will to stop Raistlin at any cost, Aegis manages to hold his ground, slowly advancing step by agonizing step through the magical tornado. But somehow, he knows he won’t reach Raistlin in time...
Aerie struggles to lend Aegis more strength, more power, but she can’t. Just keeping Aegis alive is becoming next to impossible as he draws on reserves he doesn’t have...
Magus senses the power Raistlin is gathering to him, and the magnitude of it astonishes him. What was he trying to do? For once, absorbed in the effort of casting the spell, Raistlin does not sense the mind probe. Suddenly, Raistlin’s plan becomes clear to Magus. As soon as he finished gathering the power, Raistlin would discharge it in a cataclysmic blast. A blast so powerful it would vaporize the entire city, leaving Raistlin alone alive. They had to stop him! But how?
Abruply, a plan formulates in his mind. It would be foolishly risky, and he might lose his mind in the process, but it was the only way. Magus locks eyes with Rail.
I’m going to try to briefly lower his defenses. But I won’t be able to stop the wind.
With that, Magus focuses on Raistlin, and the psychic confrontation begins.
*****

The power, the power.... One with the magic, Raistlin doesn’t notice the intruder invading his mind.
*****

Magus finds himself standing before one of many towers around him. The name comes to him mysteriously, though he has never seen or heard it: The Tower of Wayreth. Magus braces for Raistlin's imminent backlash, but it doesn't come. Surprised, Magus's logic screams for him to start wreaking havoc and thus disrupt any spells Raistlin has active. But something holds Magus back.
Instead, he walks up to the door, and it opens before him. Inside stand two people. One is an aged wizard in flowing white robes, and the other is a fighter, decked in functional plate armor, and with a sword strapped behind his back. Par-Salian and Caramon. The two turn to face Magus as he enters.
“Greetings Magus,” says Par-Salian. He looks at Magus quizzically.
“Where is Raistlin!” Magus demands.
“He’s taking the Test. I hope he’s alright,” Caramon responds, worried.
Suddenly, Magus is somewhere else, in a white hallway. Ahead, at the corner where it turns left, a red-robed Raistlin is fighting a dark elf. Dalamar. Dalamar flings a fireball at Raistlin. As it explodes, time freezes. A black-robed mage appears next to Raistlin.
“The power is yours, Raistlin. For a price.” Fistandantilus’s voice is a whisper.
“I don’t need you. I don’t need anyone. Leave me,” Raistlin shrieks.
“Then die.” Fistandantilus begins to fade.
“Wait.”
Fistandantilus stops fading.
“Then you accept?”
“Yes.”
Fistandantilus advances towards Raistlin, and smiles. He reaches out a skeletal hand to Raistlin’s chest.
Sensing a climax, Magus’s intuition again overwhelms his good sense.
“STOP!”
The two turn in astonishment to Magus.
“Who are you! How did you get here!” Fistandantilus demands.
“Get away from the boy. NOW,” Magus replies.
Fistandantilus responds with a bolt of lightning.
But he had underestimated Magus. A fatal mistake. A transparent magic wall springs up in front of Fistandantilus, sending his bolt rebounding back at him. It shoots through him, doing only minor damage through his powerful protections. In an instant, it hits the wall behind him and rebounds again. Within the space of seconds Fistandantilus is stricken almost 50 times. The bolt dissipates, and the mighty Fistandantilus crumples to the ground, dead.
Magus turns to Raistlin.
“You killed him?!” Raistlin says softly in amazement.
“You were right before. You don’t need anyone, especially such as him. Look inside yourself for the power you need.”
Time continues again, and Dalamar's fireball hits Raistlin. He screams in agony. When the smoke clears, his skin is terribly burned, permanently singed a burnished gold. But he is alive and standing. Surprised, Dalamar rushes him with a knife. Raistlin catches his descending hand, and a tremendous shock flows into the dark elf. Dalamar's corpse falls to the ground beside Fistandantilus. Raistlin, his pupils now the shape of hourglasses, gives Magus a smile before continuing down the hall to finish his Test. Magus shivers at the sight of the now-familiar face, but doesn't pursue.
*****

The spell was reaching completion... Raistlin basks in the power he has gathered. The impudent fools would pay! Almost ready....
Suddenly, confusion spreads like a plague through his mind. He struggles to maintain control of the magic, but his mind won’t obey.
*****

Just as the spell nears completion, Raistlin clutches his head and staggers. The winds swirling around him pick up more speed, swirling faster and faster.
Rail senses the time is right. It’s now or never.
*****

@Aegis+Rail: I’ve got a little surprise in store. What Rail does will make this interesting, though I think I can guess...

[ 05-12-2001: Message edited by: Magus ]

[cheesemage]

hmmm this is a rather long topic
then suddenly animals attack

[Rail]

Okay, Magus, but the surprise better be good! You aren't worried about Raistlin's soul, are you?!? I'm worried about whether my blade will run him through before my battered mortal body wears out.

* * *

Void? Rail thought, signaling the hakeashar from across the room. Any chance of a lift, here?

Void's reply was faint, though coherent. I haven't the strength for teleportation, Rail

Rail let out a silent sigh. His body ached with literal wear and tear and, though he knew he could close the distance between himself and the arch-mage, he feared what the effort would cost him. The half-healed lightning wound had broken open with the last blast from the mage, and Rail couldn't afford the time to tend to it. If it wasn't for his boots, he doubted he could close the distance in time to be effective. Even with them, is was no certain thing.

At once, Rail saw his opportunity. At a slight signal from Magus, Rail burst into action, streaking silently toward the distracted mage's back, a barbed and poisoned arrow fired from the shadows, and into the maelstrom.

Keldorn, too, saw Magus' signal, even as the goodly mage started into a spell of his own. With a defiant shout of righteous fury, the Praelit unleashed his disruptive magic. A wave of sanity among chaos, the dispelling energy swept over the mage, tearing down protections and lessening the wind, if only for a moment.

Rail lunged the last few feet, even as Magus' Spellstrike slammed home on the golden-skinned wizard, tearing apart the last few protections Raistlin held.

The arch-mage recovered, glancing up from his confusion and realizing his vulnerability. His mind worked like no other mortals could, instantly assessing the presence of his foes, accounting for everyone around him. All save the assassin. That meant there was only one logical place for the killer to be. As if he had planned it all along, Raistlin was gone in a flash, teleporting two strides behind him, facing the same direction. Raistlin had a perfect view of the would-be assassin's back.

Rail was caught off guard, as his blade cut through the empty air that had just held the mage. He stumbled slightly from his limp, and caught notice of the arch-mage's soft-soled boot behind him, even as Raistlin stretched forth his hand in certain death. Reversing his grip on the blade, Rail backed sharply into the waiting mage, but he led with the point of his enchanted sword.

Seeing the flash of metal, Raistlin raised a new set of stoneskins, still reaching for the assassin. Enchanted steel met stone, but not before the tip of the blade pierced the golden skin of the mage's chest. With the terrible shriek of a grinder's stone, the stoneskins held true, and kept the blade at bay.

Raistlin felt a stab of pain at the slight injury, which only fueled his insurmountable anger. His outstretched hand grasped the assassin by the wrist as he tried to spin around.

Searing pain shot through Rail's arm, even as the assassin was knocked from the evil mage's grasp in a concussion of power, felt but not seen, as if thunder without sound. Falling to the ground, Rail lay weakly on his face, unable and unwilling to rise. Cautiously, he looked with numb eyes to his left hand and realized he would probably never be able to use it again, even with clerical healing. It was blackened and twisted as if in pain, but Rail felt nothing. As if it were no longer there. It was dead.

Raistlin looked up at Magus, the source of the concussive blast, and sneered. The same sneer he had shown to Paladine at one point in time before crushing the god. Raistlin hadn't been able to finish his work on the assassin, but he would! They would all get their own fate, equally painful. Equally horrific! Raistlin knew horror as no other mortal could. As no god could! He has been taught by gods, learned from them, perfected their ways!

The wind around the arch-mage continued with a mind of it's own, increasing again as it shrugged off Keldorn's mighty dispel power. Magic started, like a stone tumbling down a mountain.

Raistlin's skin, blackened marble with flecks of gold, held strong as Aegis grabbed hold of his neck from behind with godlike grip, interrupting the mage's well-earned musings of grandeur. Eyes blaring in righteous retribution, veins and muscles bulged as the fallen paladin began to squeeze, sword held high amid the storm of chaos.

It was then Raistlin felt the first spasm's of the assassin's poison.

* * *

Ahhhh! The end is near. I can feel it!

[ 05-15-2001: Message edited by: Rail ]

[ 05-15-2001: Message edited by: Rail ]

[Magus]

Hmmm...only problem is I was assuming Magus was still engaged psionically with Raistlin while Rail made his attack. That was my surprise. Oh well, you've already written a large part assuming Magus's help, Rail, so I'm not going to change it. Just give me some time to think up my next move.

[fallout]

@ Hello. Did you finished story Cant i hit a blow to Raistlin.

[Magus]

Sorry about the delay. A game addiction’s a nasty thing. To maintain story integrity, I’m going along with Rail’s interpretation of events.

@Fallout: I think you and Flagg are still fighting balors and such on the other side of the room. You’re welcome to join for the final blow though.
*****

Magus sees the scene unfold in slow motion. As his spellstrike hits home, Rail lunges at Raistlin’s exposed back. He sees Raistlin’s smile, and instantly Magus deduces the mage’s plan. He immediately prepares a psionic blast, but his mind and hands are slow, much too slow. When he looks up, the blast on its way, Raistlin is already reaching for Rail’s wrist. The blast punches through the Raistlin’s protections, knocking him away from Rail, but not before the evil archmage’s dark energies flow into Rail’s arm. Rail falls to the ground, and doesn’t rise.
Raistlin turns to Magus with a disdainful sneer. He resumes the great spell, and the wind shrieks around him once again, faster even than before. With most of the energy already gathered, only seconds would be needed before the final energy discharge would vaporize them all. Enough time for one last spell...
Suddenly, Raistlin’s neck is seized from behind by a vice-like grip.
“Die, Raistlin. Die!” comes Aegis’s whisper.
“Fool! Burn in hell!” Raistlin shrieks.
Black flames shoot forth from Raistlin’s body to form an incendiary shield, burning through enchanted armor to feed on Aegis’s skin. Incredibly, despite tremendous pain, Aegis’s grip does not loosen. Instead it tightens, his melting gauntlets now able to eat through Raistlin’s stoneskins. Red-hot metal touches golden skin. Screaming in agony, Raistlin forms some of the flames into a burning hand that wraps around Aegis in a grip of death. With inhuman will, Raistlin continues the spell through the haze of searing pain and crushing suffocation, and the debilitating effects of a deadly poison coursing through his system.
Then, drawing from powers long hidden, Magus casts a final spell. A force at once physical, psionic, and astral forms around Raistlin, battering body, mind, and soul simultaneously.
At the same time, whole once again, Void streaks towards Raistlin and wraps his body around Raistlin, the black flames feeding his magic-hunger and lending him strength.
Keldorn, wielding the power of his God, bathes Raistlin in a blinding holy light that sears the vile mage’s body and repels his dark spirit.
Aran, observing the amount of magic, friendly and hostile, surrounding Raistlin, wisely decides to keep his distance. Pulling out his favorite wand, he sends a simulcrum to do the dirty work. “S-Aran” quickly searches for an opening for his poisoned blade.
*****

@Aegis+Rail: The stage is set. The end, imminent.

[Aegis]

Aegis locked his grip on Raistlin tightly, not letting go of the frail wrists he wanted to crush. He felt the searing het around him, but ws no longer aware of his own weakend body. His adrenline was pumpng wildly, and he felt intense anger towrds the vile mage who played him like a puppet. He was only semi-aware of what was happening around him, but he now longer cared. All he wanted was redemption.

With a strong burst of energy, he ferociously wracked Raistlin's wrist in a downward motion, hearing the frail bone snap, nd seeing the mage's face twist, nd contort in pain. As the wrist dropped, Aegis brang his knee up to meet with the mages stomach, knocking the breath of his oppenant, rending him useless in his art. He let the wrist go, nd back away, raising his sword, which was now attached to his other hand due to his burned flesh, and swung in a downward motion to Raistlins chest. He felt the blade connect, and heard another scream of agony. His body then gave out. The final attack had taken whatever was left of that inhuman energy. Aegis's body had finaly given up. He was dying, with no hope this time. As he laid on the ground, he heard a thud next to him, and saw a cloaked leg hit the ground. A small grin ecompassed his fce, he had saved his friends, and possibly redeemed himself.


@All: There it is, if there is anything you want to add, go ahead.

[Magus]

Well, of course we'll need a conclusion. But I don't have time right now. Too many projects need doing right now. I'm not sure if I'll have time tomorrow either.

[Craig]

I'm going to try somthing mad ok ill geuss aegis is a fighter not palidin or what ever?And that rastillin is an evil mage

Aegis body lay crumpled, and beside it lay rastilins, although nearly dead a new sensation came forth upon rastillin, pity.
He new that what ever he did he would die and he relized that aegis deserved to live a true heart and way, upon this thought he chanted a spell to give his life to aegis a brave and noble act...

have i got it the right way round?

[Magus]

Hmmm...I suppose what Craig says is possible. Raistlin is known to do such things on occasion. Of course, it's your call, Aegis. What do you think?

[Craig]

It's ok but what about you aegis?

[Craig]

Back hand bump(surprised cheese mage didn't beat me to it

[Craig]

Hello do you like it?

[Darkpoet]

Melosh waited for the sun to go down. When the moon rose, Melosh looked at it.
"The harvest moon, so large and full."
He jumped up on the roof of one of the tombs. Melosh looked sadly at Atkathla, the city was burning. The place where he grew up and protected, now it was slowly dying. The transformation was complete, he was now Bodhi's heir and he had to lead the Brood. Kathla came up behind him and put her arms around him.
"It will be rebuilt, Magus and the others will see to it. We could stay?"

"No....Magus and the others, will come after me next, and who is ever left. There is no trust, between us. We will head for a different area, far from here. Who knows, we might come back. Is everything ready?"

"Yes, most of them have left, the rest are waiting for you."

Melosh nodded sadly, taking Kathla's hand, and looking a the city one more time. They turn and disappeared.

[Craig]

[Aegis]

@Craig: I think we need something a little more stable for what Raistlin would do. A Change of heart wouldn't really be a feasible thing. Probably something more spectacular is in store...

[Craig]

So darkpoets one is gone to(Yess,good, GOOD)

[Craig]

POST 800 POST 800!!!Whoo whoo