Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 09-12-03, 04:24 AM	Anauroch. the Sword. A sandy land of sun, winds, and fata-morganae. Harold has been accompaning his unusual mistress, and bearing her grunting and complains, for over a week by now, and Azirrhat is left far behind. Mokhicara seems to know where she leads, but her answers, if any, are less than informative. Coming from behind a large dune, you notice a caravan in the distance. It is hard to understand who or what drives it, but it isn't unlike the previous caravan of tribal bedines you two have met a few daies ago and bought extra suplies from. Some things that are obviously larger than humans, however, can also be seen in this caravan. You can probably reach the caravan in twenty minutes or so. *** Ramoth wakes up, in her human form, where she remebers arriving earlier, after something went wrong with her mistic travel. She knows she is in the world she wanted to reach, Abier-Toril, but obviously not in the marvelous city she was supposed to arrive at. She lies in a small cave, and from outside a hot, sand-bearing wind is blowing. Strangely enough, the cave's cieling is wet, and drops of water fall to a small puddle from a stalaxtite on the cieling. By her side, she sees a human, who seemingly begins to wake up as well. In addition, though none can be seen from where she sits, voices of more humans, and something else, can be heard from outside the cavern. *** Darvin wakes up in the cavern he hid in, and the fact that he is still alive is a pretty sharp evidence, telling him he successfully excaped the zhents who were after him. His activity was an annoyance to the zhentarim's outpost here in southern Anauroch, where he ran away from Cormyr. But now it seems as though they lost him. Opening his eyes, he sees a woman in silvery traveling robes, hears the drops of water falling from a stalagmite nearby, and feels the touch of the hot wiend from outside the small cave. He also hears voices, but these are not very close, and whenever words can be made out, bear the bedine accent. Most probably these are enemies of his enemies, not of himself. *** It is dark. Some light comes out of an eery layer of mold on the stony floor. Robert remembers nothing of the last month, as he wakes up, and has the mightiest headach he probably ever had. Next to him he only sees three things: a decapitulated body of some merchant or magician, if one should judge by the robes, his weapons, and strangely enough in respect for the environment - an octapus. Or atleast something looking like on octapus. Octapi aren't supposed to bleed like this. He is in some wide, cool, and probably deep tunnel. He feels the stripes of his backpack on his shoulders, which is probably a reassuring feeling in such an unfamiliar situation.
Drindin 09-12-03, 09:02 AM	Robert winks a few times, looking around. "By the laughing rouge... I've either been drinkin' to much.... or not enough!" Robert looks at the bloodied octops.... thing. Winking again, he slaps himself in the face, to no avail. "What in the nine hells is going on here? Where the hell am I!"
Ramoth 09-12-03, 10:35 AM	Ramoth wakes up slowly, blinking her eyes a few times as she gets use to the lack of light in the cavern. She listens carefully to all the sounds, pinpointing where each sound she hears is coing from. The sandstorm itself is an obviouse noise, easiest to pinpoint. Next she hears the sound of dripping water, which confuses her slightly, then she hears the sounds of a human fairly close to her. Finaly she hears some other humans in the distance, and another noise she can't identify, though doesn't sound dangerouse as of yet. She sits up, confident there is nothing in the cavern to hurt her, and looks around. She see's a human laying on the floor also, seems to be waking. After thinking for a minute, she decides to stand. Walking over to a puddle, Ramoth splashes some water onto her face, then drinks a little to satisfy her thrist. Each movement hurts her head. o O(Ow, I have to stop getting my directions from taverns. Most of those drunks have no clue where their going. I don't know why "Between" travel hurt this much this time, but I guess I'm stuck here till I recover enough to travel.) Pulling her hood back up, Ramoth first moves to the cavern opening to see how bad the storm is, and if it's going to let up anytime soon...........
Gene_Kynes 09-12-03, 04:36 PM	Brushing some sand off himself, Darvin mutters, standing up slowly and moving towards the water, filling his canteen and watching the woman. Despite his curiousity, he remains quiet. Pulling out a crimson cloak from his pack, and slipping it on, he then catches up to the woman, after a quick jog. "...'Ello, my lady...have you...any idea of our bearings?" He checks his armament. Net? Sandy, and little cut from that bastard merchant's dagger, but there. Besides, other people needed his hoarde more than he did. The Blade of the High Road? Still there, in it's same flawless shape. Hand Crossbow? Right where he left it. Light Crossbow? Strapped to his thigh. Horse? Gone. As he's done patting himself over, he watches the storm quietly, crossing his arms.
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 09-13-03, 05:19 PM	Looking at the octopuslike thing, and after slapping yourself, noticing also the decapitated merchant/wizard/vizier/whatever, Robert notices that the cut-line on the latter's neck is very similar, perhaps even identical, to the cut-line of the former's wound. It is as if the octopus was cut away from the merchant's neck... *** The storm is bearable and far from deadly, as far as Ramoth can see. Figuring out wether it is about to calm down, grow in ferocity, or remain as it is for daies and weeks, however, would take an arrid ranger, or better yet - a prophetic diviner. On the bright side, Ramoth's appreciation of the sandstorm's lightness is soon strengthened by evidence: A few pieces of cloth wave around, and soon she sees the source of the voices she heard. From behind a series of dunes appears a caravan of humans {acording to smell; faces can't yet be seen} dressed in heavy, efficient cloth garments covering all of theyr bodies completely. Amongst them are some larger creatures, slightly bent forward, but unidentifiable by smell, due to theyr small number among the humans. They wear similar ruggs around theyr necks and faces, but theyr torsoes and limbs seem to have fur. Around the waste they still wear something, but probably for reasons of civility, rahter than protection form the climate. Ramoth's observation of the caravan, containing vaguely over 50 humans and maybe a dosen of the others, is interrupted by Darvin approaching her from behind and addressing her. She hardly heard his steps. He himself stands in a wee larger distance from the cavern's exit, fully proteted from the storm, and is able to see a littlebit better than the lady whose back he is currently facing. Additionally to the sight described above, he is able to recognize the non-human companions of the caravan as gnolls. Moreover: one of the caravan leaders, which on first glance {and to most people on any following glance-attempts as well} would appear to be one of the humans, to the Outlaw's wary eye seems a bit odd. The clothes make it impossible to see his face or body-shape, but his face is oviously prolonged forwards, and if Darvin's eyesight did not mislead him, the fellow probably has a tail hidden under the heavy clothes.
Gene_Kynes 09-13-03, 06:16 PM	Darvin draws a small cloth from his belt's inner lining, and wraps the crimson cloth around his face, knotting it behind his head, effectively concealing his lower face. "Sand...isn't too safe to breathe. Have you a cloth already, or can I offer you one?" In contrast to her quietness, Darvin seems quite eager to talk, glancing at the caravan. ...I'd like to know why the hell I got knocked out...
Drindin 09-13-03, 07:02 PM	Robert stared in absolute horror, and began checking his body for any irregular growths. Seeing he was okay, he looked at the octopus thing. "Must be some kind of illithid weapon... What the hell is going on here, where am I?"
N.Y. Wench 09-13-03, 07:39 PM	The shiny dressed ambassador halts her surface living college-at-arms. "Hardrold, we are to meet with these tallmen. And we are to by a camel this time. And then we are to sleep. And this time not out in the wind. And not dug into sand are we to wake up this time" She grinds the words in her mouth, and having said that, she changes course to get to the humans' caravan in the fastest way possible. She continues to mumble something about her beard not being a worthy receptoir for geology probes such as sand, but doesn't bother to make sure Harold is listening anymore. In the end she adds, after grumbling for five minutes: "And we will eat fresh meat."
Ramoth 09-13-03, 08:05 PM	Blinking lightly, Ramoth turns to the man who had spoken after smelling the caravan's approach and noting what she could of the beings in it. "I truely have no clue on our exact locetion. I know we are on the world named Abier-Toril but not where this cave may be. The sand....(she pauses here, obviousely not saying something.)....um no, I have a cloth, thank you. May I ask how you came here? If it's not to much trouble, and it would pass time till the storm passes." Ramoth walks away from the caves entrance and back into the darker part where it is harder to see.. o O(Not sure if I really want to meet all thoses people, maybe I'll just stay back here if they enter the cave.)
Harold Crestdragon 09-13-03, 08:18 PM	Stunned, I proved unable to react swiftly enough, and let the diplomat escape from his scrutiny for the first time. Running in the mellow ground, on the brink of tripping at every step, heavily encumbred by the legacy of his family, I couldn't reach my lightly clothed client. o O (How can he be that of a fool? Run directly into the first potential danger you see, go! Leave alone the one who is supposed to protect, whose life has been dedicated on learning surveillance tactics, to risk the peace treaty that holds our two kinds from jumping at each other throats. Though, if all of yours are like you are, the loss of your friendship is not a tremendous one. And if I ever catch you, I'll wrap my chin around your small ankles and pin you down and prevent you from running and ever complaining again!) (If Harold ever catchers her, he politely asks her to stop, with calmness and political correctness)
Gene_Kynes 09-13-03, 09:00 PM	He nods, and shrugs. "Merely offering. And...honestly?" He chuckles underneath the mask. "I was...escaping the Zhents' pursuit, and I suppose I lost them around that cave. Terrible coincidence that I happened to meet a woman like you in the same place, especially one not readied for desert travel. How'd you get here?" He falls to a prone, following her actions of concealing one's self. "Name's Darvin. And yours, my lady?"
Ramoth 09-13-03, 10:08 PM	Ramoth thinks momentarily before answering. "I was.....traveling....to a city of this world when I took a...misturn and ended up here. My name? I am Ramoth. Might that caravan of..beings..be those who chase you?" While she waits for Darvin's answer she rummages through her travel bag for a piece of jerky to chew on. o O(I better get something real to eat soon, or even these puny humans will start to look good....)
Gene_Kynes 09-13-03, 10:18 PM	(( Well, DM, are they? )) "I doubt it...but...you never know. I would like to get my horse back, however. She needed water...and I doubt they'll give her any." He frowns...for just a moment, visibly through the mask. Then he crawls deeper into the cavern. "A pleasure meeting you Ramoth. It's better to share company with another, than to stay alone in a place like this. And...if you're hungry, I should be able to cook something. I've collected some smokeless tinder. Underestimated plant, is the one that burns with little smoke. " He grins, as he lowers his mask to his neck, sighing.
Ramoth 09-13-03, 10:23 PM	Ramoth smiles to herself. "I believe that cooking should probaly be held off till we see who these people are and if they mean us any harm. My travel rations will suffice for now. And yes I too prefer company to being alone."
Gene_Kynes 09-13-03, 10:31 PM	Nodding, Darvin slips out his light crossbow, loads a bolt, and aims it at the mouth of the cavern, his breathing flattening as it slowed. His eyes dart to her. "Glad to hear that. While I wait patiently for anyone stupid enough to enter this cave, tell me what you'd rather I attempted to cook, and a lil'boutcher self...please?" His eyes then rest upon the precise targetting groove at the end of the crossbow.
Ramoth 09-13-03, 10:42 PM	Ramoth laughs lightly. "Well anything thats is fresh meet will be fine, I've been living off Jerky for to long now. About myself....well let's just say I'm a housewife who got tired of being left at home. The kids and my adventuring husband finally drove me out of the house for a while, I can't stand being cag....I mean...Well I use to adventure alot before my kids so i decided to go out again for a while. What about you? What's your story?" Ramoth blushes as she fumbles her story, relieved that the cave is to dark to see her blush.
Gene_Kynes 09-13-03, 10:59 PM	"Couldn't stand being caged, ah?" He chuckles,still not looking at her, his gaze stuck at the mouth of the cave. "Don't worry about it, I can sympathize with you. I've quite a follower of the Crimson Road, and haven't regretted a thing. Besides...makes amazing stories to tell your kids about, eh?" His aim seems to've become absolutely still, as if he lacked a pulse in his arms. "You sure don't seem too equipped for adventuring, though. And I've got vension, fish, and chicken-" all courtesy of the farmers of the Heartlands...but...hey, I did leave five gold for each animal I took! "...take your pick?" (( You're right...heh. Boards favor the sleepless, or those in different timezones. And...yeah, they do! ))
Ramoth 09-13-03, 11:16 PM	Ramoth watches the cave entrance and smiles again. "Venison would be great. I haven't had......" She trails off as the caravan can be heard closer now. She picks up a large rock, ready to throw it if need be... ((Um...guess we had better stop there till our DM and others catch up :D , But at least our characters know a little about each other now!))
Drindin 09-13-03, 11:36 PM	Robert looks around, and finds his mace. He carefully takes it, and begins to prod the octopuss thing. "Dear Olidamara... how long till this sandstorm stops? I must find other humanoids... perhaps..." Robert goes over to the body, and tears off enough fabric to cover his face in, and begins to brave the storm, following along the cave until he finds something, perhaps another enterance.
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 09-14-03, 08:41 AM	To Darvin's inspectation, the caavan's humans are bedines. He never heard of Zhentarim agents dressing up as bedines, but supposes they could possibly do that. Still, watching the humans, he sees they are most likely genuine bedines, and thus the Zhentarim are theyr common enemy. As enough humans and gnolls pass, in immidiate aproximity of the cave's entrance by now, both he and Ramoth can now see the beasts of burden: Cammels, heavily loaded, plus some unloaded and unmounted, probably spare ones. He can also see two horses behind, led by another bedine, who wears unornamented golden neclasses, waste-long, over his robes. One of the horses is more than just familiar to Darvin. Rammoth, from her angle, can see what's nehind the necklace-wearing human: a sight she would never expect to see in the middle of the sands. Stout, frown-faced, and very richly dressed and adorned, with greyish skin, head, and beard. A duergar. A Deep Dwarf. In the middle of some sun-terrorized surface desert. Behind the duergar, panting, comes a real dwarf of noble apperance clad in marvelous armor. *** It takes Harold his second wiend to begin closing the distance betuin him and the ambassador. By the time he is close enough to her to be heard, or even catch her hand, she is already standing behind {and thus drawing the attention of} a nomadic bedine human, who wears unornamented golden neclasses, waste-long, over his robes, and is leading two horses behind the cammel caravan. Both representatives of the stout folk can also see, that among the humans are others. Mokhicara, as well as any gmitmoldian mistress, probably shows no particular interrst in this, and if she does, the nature of the larger creatures is still unknown to her. She had no extensive knowlege of the surface fauna. Harold, on the other hand, can see what these are. Gnolls, theyr faces coverd similarily to the bedine's, walking along with the humans, among whom they are scarce, showing no hostility, and one even conversing with two humans as they walk. *** {{OOC: Drindin, please note that your char is in the underdark; He doesn't feel or hear any sandstorm, or any sand, for the matter. This is NOT the surface cave where the others are now. Edit the post acordingly, please}} Poking the octopus with his greate mace, and meddling with the merchant's clothes, after almost speaking the answer, Robert is able to come to this conclusion: This is no octopus. And this is no merchant. The humanoid bodey is a decapitated bodey indeed, but the thing resembling an octopus IS the head. Before Robert's gaze lies a slain illithid.
N.Y. Wench 09-14-03, 09:03 AM	Mokhicara reaches the caravan's back-keeper and draws his attention indeed, but without speaking or otherwise addressing him. When Harold reaches her she speaks to him, not too loudly so, the wind doesn't let the taller races hear her. "Speak to him, Hardrold, and by a cammel. And ask him where we can sleep and slay to feed. And i will pay if you can not." After a pause she adds grimly: "You don't expect me to come down to the level of addressing a human." Mokhicara stands afterwards, and just glows with self-importance.
Gene_Kynes 09-14-03, 10:16 AM	Originally posted by Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai {{OOC: Gene, you used your player name instead of the charname in }} (( Heh...my player name's Dante, my first Outlaw character was named Gene. ;) Sorry about that! )) Darvin blinks, quietly mouthing out the words: "Bastards got my horse." Darvin moves up to a kneel, hunched over, and looking to Ramoth. "Listen...I have t'get my horse back. I...I think those're relatively friendly Bedines...so I doubt we'll have to fight...but just in case, would you like to stay back?" From the small of his back, he pulls out something small and darkly colored. He tosses the object over to her, and in the light...she sees that it's a masterfully crafted Hand Crossbow, with a single black-tipped bolt loaded. A case of bolts is then slid over to her. "Each one that has a black tip is poisoned, so don't touch that part, an' don't fire black-tips if you're trying to just give them a love tap." He gives a roguish grin and wink, and then moves to the mouth of the cave, slipping the mask over his mouth and shielding his eyes with his arm as he attempts to make his way towards his red-haired horse.
Drindin 09-14-03, 11:05 AM	Robert, after NOT going into the sand storm raging some miles above (Er... sorry, didn't realize that!) looks around. "What in the NINE am I doing down here!" he grumbles. Knowing he can't be in some isolated cavern, he looks around for a cavern or something like that.
Ramoth 09-14-03, 12:40 PM	Ramoth nods when Darvin hands says he's going to get the horse. After he explains a little about the crossbow and hands it to her she says "Ok, don't touch the black tips. Got it." She aims the loaded crossbow at a fairly easy to hit target, using a large rock in front of her to help steady her aim, as Darvin goes out to his horse. o O(If he needs help, I'll shoot at what will cause the most confusion)
Harold Crestdragon 09-14-03, 09:17 PM	"You don't expect me to come down to the level of addressing a human." o O ( come down to the...? I didn't know these deep dwarves were as petty and vain as drow themselves. ) Clearing my sore throat by coughing a few times, I answered Mokhicara. "I am sorry, yet I do not think that buying a camel would prove a good investment. Never could it support both of our weights. Also, our resources of food and water are scarce, and sharing those with these animals would probably prove lethal for us. The need to rest, however, is shared by your servitor, and it'll be my pleasure to carry that command. " o O (And roast in Moradin's eternal forge, Duergar.) Bowing in front of the bedine (who probably turned around when I coughed) in a mark of deep respect, I requested humbly : "I am sorry to disturb your travels, sandman. Myself, as well as my companion, are in dire need of a place to rest and food to feed our tired bodies. Would you be so kind as to sell us a few ounces of dried meat, or to point us to the nearest shelter under which we could peacefully spend the incoming night?"
N.Y. Wench 09-15-03, 07:04 PM	Mokhicara of Gmitmold appreciates the situation by her own measures, and then turns a heavy, eightsided braselet, worn over her left arm. She keeps spinning it untill she finds the pink, non-translucent stone, and then squeezes it in her hand, while mumuring quietly: "You will not only do everything my guardian tells you. You will obey him and hold noone exept me above him. You will give us all we need for minimal price, and move the money to your fellow lowlives but then leave with us. You are under geas to fullfill any command Hardrold Krestadragond or i will give you. Untill your heart seizes to beat." Mokhicara gives the human a vile glance and waits for the artifact to work.
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 09-15-03, 07:54 PM	Leaving the massacred Illithid behind and looking around the cave, Robert is able to see a trail, leading to the mind-flayer's body from a wide tunnel behind him. He can also see, on the other side of the cave, four entrances to other tunnels. These are close to each other, and the rightermost is facing the wider tunnel fond behind him. The lefternmost tunnel sems to have none of the glowing mold or fungus in it, and is even darker than the others. *** In responce to Harold's question, the bedine bows back, and begins to speak of a cave nearby, which theyr scouts are now lookign for {the stoprm makes it hard, though they know it's there}, where water flows, and the heat, along with other discomfortabilities, can be outsheltered. Before he has time to speak further, Mokhicara's braselet glows, and the pink stone becomes clear, as a pinkish glow flows away from it, and engulf's the human Harold was talking to. With the exception on him stopping to speak, the human shows no signs of the deep charm he has fell under. His actions speak for him, however: He pulls out a small knife, and cuts the rope of one cammel, then takes off his own money belt, and puts it on the weight-carrying back of the next cammel, then extends his asking hand towards the two stoutfolk. "Cammel w's hund'rd 'nd eighty coin; All th's food'd be fo'rrty more. I must show t'ou, m'lord to cave now. I had hundr's 'nd half wit' me, b't f'rget t'e extra t'irty coin - i c'd make't in one day!" *** Rammoth soon looses Darvin from sight. He himself, however, reaches the bedine who seems to have his horse. Both horses {Darvin's and the other one} are tied to a stripe holding the sandman's robes intact. In his hand, however, is the stripe of a cammel's harness. Near him stand the duergar and dwarf previously noticed. The human extends his hand towards the dwarves, as the caravan slowly walks away from him, not even noticing he's not following {and with him a cammel from the caravan, plus two horses with him}. He seems to be engaged in a conversation with the "surface" dwarf. Neither of the three, and much less the caravan's other humans and gnolls, seems to notice Darvin's silent approach yet.
Gene_Kynes 09-15-03, 08:58 PM	Darvin sighs...and taps the man holding his horse on the shoulder, giving away his element of surprise. "Heya! Uh...that's...my horse you're carrying, friend. I'd like to have it back. Buy it back, if you've no sense o'right and wrong." Take it back, if I find even the smallest scratch on her. He makes no gestures...but his hand rests on his rapier, as he awaits the man's response.
Drindin 09-15-03, 10:19 PM	Robert sighs. "Damn geo-whatever formation... this is not going to be easy is it." He approaches the tunnels, walking by them, sniffing the air, and holding his hand to see if a breeze comes from any of them.
N.Y. Wench 09-16-03, 04:56 AM	Mokhicara notices the non-Bedine human and speaks calmly to Harold, while counting twenty two platinum coins and handing them to him. "Give the sandman his money. Tell him we wait to be led to the comfort of his cave. Tell the Black-Lotus-caused Toothpic-wielding Victim-of-Natural-Abortion yonder, that he can have his horse, because horses are useless here. Tell him to stay with us. For then, once his horse becomes more bother than use, we shal slay it and let him ride on the cammel with us." Mokhicara still spoke too quietly for humans or gnolls(?) to hear, and she looked at the rapier-wielding threat-poser when she pronounced the second part of her words. After speaking all this, she returns to looking at her bracelet with sorrow... "Charm" and "Enchantment" counted as a single school in this untrustworthy field of study she never apreciated; And she had no idea how to recharge this school's stone. She could never create the mighty and enchanted "Hammer of Something-other-than-Illithids-slaying" she always wanted. Deep Duera is maybe not the patron of Gmitmold Hall, but she absolutely has a point when it comes to the frustrating nature of magical arts. Even as powerfull as they are in this bracelet and some of her other dull jewelery.
Ramoth 09-16-03, 09:51 AM	After losing sight of Darvin, Ramoth fidgets a little in her hiding spot. o O(I hope he gets is horse back. What am I hanging around here for? I should try to get to that city.) Ramoth closes her eyes and tries to change forms......nothing... She gasps and falls to the cave floor. o O(It's never been that hard before! I must be more tired then I thought. Guess I'm stuck here for awhile.) Ramoth resumes her watching of the cave entrance.
Harold Crestdragon 09-16-03, 05:11 PM	Strange...It was bizarre, indeed, that the antipathic duergar, once distant from any surface dweller, would order me to bring the rapier-wielding man with us. Thank you, sandman, for your support. Your benefactor, Mokhicara of Gmitmold would be pleased if you would have the ineffable kindness of bringing us to the cave you spoke about, in which we could perhaps offer ourselves a few hours of precious rest. As for you, milord, my master would (hurmph, no. Don't tell him his horse's worthless) be pleased to have you in our company, for we seem to be engaged in an arduous quest, and he would relish company such as yours."
Gene_Kynes 09-16-03, 09:46 PM	Darvin looks to the Dwarf...and gives a small smile. "How kind of you...but...I've other obligations. I'll catch up to you, though, if I change my mind. You can trust me on that, my friend. Oh, an' tell your master that it's a pity he's bloody blind to horse quality...an' that humans aren't as deaf as we're sterotyped as. Thank you for the offer, however!" Darvin gently pats Red Hare's back, then smiles to the more polite of the two, awaiting the sandman's reply.
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 09-17-03, 03:55 PM	While making the attempt to resume her true form, Ramoth feels a strong impulse of something comming from behind her, from deeper within the cave. When she snaps out of the naucia and dizzynes caused by the failed effort, the impulse is gone. *** {{I thought Mokhicara's home town/compound/shynt/whatever is called Gmitmold, as she stated in the recruit thread and mentioned earlier here}} Mokhicara's new mantoy takes the money, and unties both horses, handing theyr reins to Darvin. He then starts walking towards the same cave Darvin himself came from. Harold, who had probably seen victims of charm spells before, notices that this case is nothing like the ones he had ever seen or heard of. The bedine seems to maintain his identity, as if nothing happened, but speaks and acts as if his highest goal in life was now to please the one whom Harold serves by duty, yet in no way by will. *** From his close inspectation of the five cavern entrances, Robert has come to the following: The more distant cavern smells nauciatingly bad, has obvious footmarks hinting on the passing of more illithids around, and has a glowing sign encrypted on the left and right walls neer the very entrance. The sign smells of blood, glows like phosphor, and is most probably not a rune. Its shape is familiar and understandable to any halfogre: it resembles a palm, most probably human or dwarven, showing the common rude gesture of a cocked Third Finger. The other fingers are clenched into a non-complete fist within the palm, and the thumb seems to be broken and hang limp. Overally, a very detailed picture. As to the four other tunnels, theyr inspectations brings more mundane results {counting from right to left}: The first tunnel shows no signs of any sort. It's hard to tell how long it is, or what it's main direction is. The second and the fourth either end, or turn sharply, just a few steps after the entrances. Robert can even see the walls, but if the tunnels turn, it's hard to know which direction they turn to, without going in and seeing. The third tunnel would make some scream "Eurika!". Air comes from it. Week, but easily noticable for a person who's actively looking for it. It also seems, though it's hard to be sure, that it slopes slightly upwards.
Gene_Kynes 09-17-03, 05:03 PM	Darvin grins, taking both horses, and leads them towards the cave, bareback. "Thank you!" Darvin slowly leads the red steed, and the other into the cavern, one hand up. "Miss Ramoth? I'm back. And...erm...are you okay?" He hops from his horse, murmuring "Stay" to both, as he heads to the dragon in human form. "...You....look a little...sick." (( GWAH! I hate the name Gene. I overuse it way, way too much. *sob.*))
Drindin 09-17-03, 06:01 PM	Robert, (obviously) takes the third tunnel, making sure the floor slopes up. If not, he goes back. But, if it does, he continues going until he reaches an end or a cross roads.
Ramoth 09-17-03, 08:38 PM	((Edit: Deleted a message)) Ramoth tries to shake off the feeling that she's not alone, just as Darvin returns to the cave. She tries to stand, a little shaky at first, then answers Darvin "I'm fine, I must of hit my head or something before I ended up here because I feel dizzy. Come to think of it I don't remember ending up in this cave...." Ramoth tries to pass it off as a momentary weakness, but inwardly she sighs and panics a little o O(I can't change form?!?! I can't defend myself very well then...Guess I had better stick with Darvin for a while, If he allows me to.) She peers into the back of the cave where that brief feeling had come from and tries to pinpoint it, with no luck.
Gene_Kynes 09-17-03, 09:31 PM	Darvin shrugs, and nods, then continues to lead the horses in. "Whatever you say, Miss. Oh...and...I brought you one, since the man carrying mine was amazingly generous." He smiles, and offers her the reins as he leads Red Hare towards the small puddle, and lets her drink. "So, up for that meal yet? I'll admit...hunger's even gnawing at me." His smile turns into a roguish grin, as he sits down, removing his mask and cloak.
Ramoth 09-17-03, 09:40 PM	"Yes, lets eat something. I'm starting to belive even horse might taste good right now. Need any help?" Ramoth pulls her hood down, her waist lenght silver hair tumbling out as she does. She smiles and decides to ask Darvin some questions. "So when do you think this storm will be over?"
Gene_Kynes 09-17-03, 10:25 PM	Darvin blinks at her hair, staring for a moment, before going back to rummaging his cloak and pack for the tinder, and the tindertwigs. "Must be a pain to wash. And...I honestly don't know, Miss." He says this as a bit of thinking out loud, as he arranges the dried stems into a small tent-like shape, and then digs through his pack some more. After a small bit, he pulls out a blood-stained cloth wrapping something small. He removes the somehow preserved vension from it's wrapping, impaling it on his rapier, and using his pack and bundled up cloak to suspend the weapon and meat above the stems. Drawing a dark tindertwig from his cloak's lining, he then ignites the small piece of alchemy-treated wood, setting fire the to stems. True to his word, they create very little smoke as they begin to slowly cook the deer meat. "Sorry...if it's a bit...erm...unevenly cooked. How well d'you like it?"
Ramoth 09-17-03, 10:29 PM	"Umm.Ra.....I mean not very well done. Thank you." Ramoth watches Darvin's little fire as she runs her fingures through her hair. She notes he didn't answer her, and decides to just let him pick the topics for now. o O(I almost said Raw.....I have to watch myself around these humans...)
Gene_Kynes 09-17-03, 10:41 PM	"Gotcha. So...anything else I should know about you, other than you love the adventuring lifestyle, you like meat a lil' on the raw side, and from the length of your hair...you're very patient with personal things, right, Miss Ramoth?" He slowly turns the improved spit, raising his knees a resting an arm on them, and his chin atop the arm, as he watches her. "As for the sandstorm...well...I'm unsure myself. It can't last more than a day."
N.Y. Wench 09-18-03, 08:37 AM	OUTA CHARACTER: i copy Streetcat's punctuation habbits now; If that won't work i'll let him edit my posts. Oh, and yeah, Gmitmold is her compound. The ambassador follows her thrall, together (hopefully) with her Protector. She speaks quietly to Crestdragon, as the only one (untill now) she feels worth her respect. "He hears very well. We can use it. Oh look - another human. Looks like heartlands. Not like the landless sandmen or these gleamless cutpurses. These humans can be noble. It may be that i can speak to her myself. A puddle, joy. Send one of the humans to let the cammel drink. No, wait. The elf wannabe human pretends not to want our patrony. Send the sandman or do it yourself if you are not tired. Tell him to unload the cammel for rest and see wether there is fresh food in the sacs. Fresh we must eat sooner - conserved staies eddible for longer. I need a brush for my beard and my robe. All is in sand. you are to. And you should rest and eat too. After you rest, we will talk to the heartland woman." OUTA CHARACTER: did i punctuate it right?:angel:
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 09-18-03, 09:15 AM	{{OOC: Snee, you're doing greate, and saving me lots of work:D. It'll be ultimately cool if you could edit your previous posts a little, too. Myranthor, what happened to you? I'll wager H.C. feels uneasy without his payer...}} After his two short masters are inside the cave where he led them, the bedine nears the two humans already there. He lifts a line of Ramoth's beautyfull hair as if appraising a piece of expensive and rare cloth. He speaks to her with greate respect, and looks at her as one would look at a living legend indeed, eventhough he's nowhere near being too shy to touch her hair: "My own dought'r tells tales of y'r kin, my L'ydy. Y'rs is a m'gnificint bl'd-line, head'ng from Elah's f'rst dought'r!" "As to 'ze khamsin, t'won't seiz f'r fift'yn mor' days or so, i f'yr..." Saying that he looks sadly to his feet and shakes his head a little. Mokhicara obviously saw perfectly into the cave {exept for its deepest reaches} from the moment they entered, due to her Grey heritage, but now, Mokhicara and Harold are both able to see Darvin {once again} and Rammoth; Et vice versa. Everyone's eyes have acomulated to the cavern's lighting conditions by now. After hearing Mokhicara's tirade, and not waiting for Harold to retell it to him {the relative lack of wind within the cave alows everyone to hear Mokhicara's words}, the bedine goes to the cammel, who by now independantly drinks from the puddle, and takes all the bags off, but not before finding in one of the sacks two sitting carpets, and laying them next to Harold and Mokhicara. When he returns to the cammel, he unloads him completely, and fishes out of a sac some meet and vegetables. These are cooked and not preserved in any way; his caravan probably passed by a village recently. Seeking to saticefy his mistress further, he finds in another sack a brush, still unused, but obviously meant for the cammels, and begins brushing off the sand from Mokhicara's clothes, equipment, and beard.. *** The tunnel never splits, and after about an hour of walking, and ocasionally even climbing forwards, Robert reaches a streight, perfectly horizontal cave, leading to the surface, as it seems by the blinding light he can see on the other end. Against the sunlight, Robert is able to see the silhuets of five humanoids and three mounts.
Gene_Kynes 09-18-03, 10:16 AM	Darvin sighs, looking at the new three, narrowing his eyes at the Bedine...before looking between the two dwarfs. "Heh...welcome. Would you like some vension? And..erm...I've got more Aoian wine than water, so your choice of drinks...is kind of...limited. Sorry about that." Somewhere...behind the cackling flames, he hear something. There it is again! He turns his head towards the darker expanses of the cavern, and...seeing nothing, he narrows his calm blue eyes yet again. He looks back to Ramoth, appearently the only one he openly trusts. "Did you hear something?" (( If DM'll allow it...Darvin barely heard Robert's steps. If he'll allow it. And Drindin, does Robert openly display any of symbols of Olidammra? EDIT: Oh, and...Myr's having some internet troubles. Like, Service-Possibly-Removed kinda troubles...:())
Ramoth 09-18-03, 10:29 AM	Ramoth started to answer Darvin when their dry little cave was suddenly invaded by more beings. She hears the one talk about the others as if their not in the same cave and sighs. o O(Great, another "Supior being" . Good thing I am in human form, or I'd be sorely tempted to eat the dwarf and spit the dirty little bones out for the vultures :smirk: . That would teach her/him who's supior.) At first she doesn't know what to do when the one touches her hair and starts speaking to her with such respect. When he talks about the lenght of the storm she sighs again. "So your saying unless we like sand, we'll be stuck here awhile?" Not waiting for an answer she let's her gaze wonder around the rest of the cave. She senses something towards the back of the cave, but isn't sure. Then Darvin mentions it also. "I..I don't know. It feels like somethings back there, I've been feeling it for awhile." o O(Could be nothing but a bat I suppose, or some other cave creature.)
Gene_Kynes 09-18-03, 10:42 AM	He sighs, and nods. Lifting the rapier upwards, he then tugs the meat off of the weapon, laying it back down on the bloodied cloth. Drawing a dagger from a concealed thigh holster, he slices it into four equal pieces. "Water or wine, Ramoth? If I'm going insane, might as well go insane with someone else." He shrugs, and starts ripping up the cloths to serve as primitive plates. He distributes the sparse food among the Bedine thrall, the two dwarves, and Ramoth, before rummaging through his back again.
Ramoth 09-18-03, 10:49 AM	"Um, water please. I don't do well on anything else. If your going insane then I must already be there, because I've been feeling like something was back there since you left the cave to get your horse." Ramoth takes Darvin's meger offerings and begins to eat. After she takes a few bites, she watches the dwarves out of the corner of her eye, waiting to see if the arogent one eats what was offered to her. She turns to Darvin "So where are you heading after this storm blows over a little?"
Gene_Kynes 09-18-03, 10:55 AM	He shrugs, sliding over his canteen. "Anywhere but Cormyr. Maybe I'll get lucky...and find some ruins. Those're...interesting, if not fun." An idea sparks in his mind, and he grins. "Hey...you said you were heading off to an adventure site, right? Mind if I tag along? Erm...if...we get through this alright?"
Ramoth 09-18-03, 11:03 AM	Taking a couple sips from Darvin canteen, Ramoth smilies. "Sure I wouldn't mind someone traveling with me. I have no real plans to go anywhere, just going where I end up and see what adventures I find." o O(I hope I don't ever have to change forms then, might scare him off.) Ramoth hands Darvin the canteen back as she glances at the dwarves. In a low wisper she says to Darvin. "What are they doing here? The one in the armor looks more suited to fighting the following that arrogent one around, and the arrogent one deffinatly doesn't strick me as the type who'd walk the surface worlds. A little mismatched don't you agree?"
Gene_Kynes 09-18-03, 11:09 AM	He shrugs, as he takes a sip from the canteen, and digs a small apple out from his pack, taking a bite out of it. Thank gods it didn't stay in there long enough to reek. "Wanderering, huh? Well...I've a decent collection of rumors about ruins and troubles...we might want to chase those, eh?" He grins again, before he returns the soft whisper. "Looks to me like the...unkind one is here due to duty, guessing how much they hate the surface.. The nicer, armored one seems to be some kind of guard. If I'm not misunderstood about dwarves, the Grays are hated by the other kinds...so they both seem to be bound by duty."
Ramoth 09-18-03, 11:30 AM	Whispered back "Yes she seems to be the type her own kind would hate. Duty must be what brought those two together. (A little louder) Sure, finding those ruins sounds good. At least we'd have an aim in our adventuring." Ramoth still can not shake that uneasy feeling that there being watched......
N.Y. Wench 09-18-03, 02:22 PM	Mokhicara makes an unexpected gesture of amiability, by breaking some of the meat and vegetables on her cloth, and putting equal amounts of them to the "plates" of not only Harold, but also the maiden her thrall claimed is a godspawn, and even the iconic rogue. In that order. She begins munching, while the bedine, whose career changed from a caravan-merchant to a duer's escort, is serving himself (soon after serving her and Harold). Soon she identifies the situation as "Interracial-or-intercultural-tension", and being prepared to deal with this fenomenon, she speaks up in Common: "I am Ambassador Mokhicara of Gmitmold. This is Protector Hardrold the Krestadragond of Azirrhat. And this is my human slave of the barabric Beduine wanderers. We are on a quest to reach understanding and eventually sign a treaty for mutually-beneficiant coexistance and cooperation betuin the Grey and the Self-Rightous." After this exhibition of Duergarr diplomatic skills, she returns to chew on the food, while considering the possibility of maybe either expecting the humans to respond, or atleast pretending to want theyr responce. Eventually she remembers that there is a 50 per-cent chance of them introducing themselves regardless of her interest (or absence of it), and stops thinking of such trivial matters.
Gene_Kynes 09-18-03, 03:12 PM	Darvin accepts the extra food, finishing up his green apple. "A pleasure meeting you, Sir Ambassador. However, I cannot agree with slavery of the mind. I highly suggest you free that man." He doesn't touch the offered food, feeling it'd be somewhat...wrong...to eat the food of someone whom you disagree with. He wipes off his rapier, and slips it back into it's place at his hip.
N.Y. Wench 09-18-03, 04:30 PM	"I would never trust a Mind. This is a Man, not a Mind. And he is slave by choice. I have no power over him. If he wishes to go, he goes. He never wishes to go. He is much freer than slaves who serve against theyr will. An i am lady, not sir. There Where All Is Grey, we address those greater than us by Khryd. Regardless of sex. We are not swirfneblin. Neither are you. The two sexes do the same things. Even drelves are not swirfneblin. They try to be. They put one sex above another. When no eye watches it works not. It is not normal for them. Drelvs away from a watching eye never be swirfneblin. Others don't even try to be. Why try be something lesser than you?"
Gene_Kynes 09-18-03, 05:05 PM	"If he's a slave by will, then he isn't a slave...m'lady. Your story doesn't hold up too well, considering how you're trying to go off and talk about differences between Underdark sexes and race impersonation." For once, Darvin seems to be gaining anger. Appearently, freedom has a bit of a soft spot in the outlaw.
N.Y. Wench 09-18-03, 06:31 PM	"None of what you said made any sence what so ever. How can him being a slave mean he is not? How does the fact nobler races do not petty over sex differences affect my trustworthability? You can call the sandman whatever you wish. To me he is a slave. Some understand the word differently. Wether he is wiling you may check. Wether...-" Mokhicara stops in teh middle of her sentance, when she detects thoughts comming from deeper in the cave. "I smell one thinking creature. Two of you - go see who it is and how he came to be here."
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 09-18-03, 06:49 PM	Robert feels a foreign presence in his mind, which dissappears almost as soon as he notices it. It didn't seem to be persistant enough to read thoughts or affect hm in any way, but someone - either in the caverns he left, or out there - now surely knows he is here. *** Neither Darvin nor any of the other sentient beings heard any steps, but both Red Hare and the other horse begin to show obvious signs of unease. The bedine quickly finishes his meal, and rises to his feet, looking at everyone else. "Ah, so which'un coming wit' me?" {OOC: look, now that the duergar {and by my light hand - the horses too} noticed Robert's presence, we are going to hold our posts untill both Drindin and Myranthor reply, ok? ok. Myrrr is back online, and Drindin has no excuse at all.}}
Duke Bellarosa 09-18-03, 06:52 PM	(( Damnable Ducal screw-ups. Sorry, all! ))
Gene_Kynes 09-18-03, 07:03 PM	He sighs, and stands up. "You were rambling about sexes, drifting away from the subject of slavery, leaving one to believe that even you didn't have a clue what you were talking about. A slave is a servant who does work against his or her own will, a living, sentient thing owned by another being." He heads over to Ramoth, and offers a gloved hand. "If I stand around her any longer, the hot air'll make it hard for me t'breathe. Mind if I request that you come along? If things go bad...you seemed to have a good shot with the crossbow." Darvin smiles lightly, in spite of his own freedomlust raising anger within him. He looks over to the Bedine. "Heh...three's more effective than two, don't you agree?" Besides...I'd rather not leave her alone with...Lady Ambassador
Drindin 09-18-03, 07:12 PM	Robert breathes in the air, and takes his huge mace raises it above his head, and yells. "LO THERE!" If any of the creatures proves hostile... the mace comes crashing upon the head of the first being to attack him.
Gene_Kynes 09-18-03, 07:32 PM	He blinks...and looks to Ramoth, his hand still offered. "Stealthy fellow. Well...I suppose he has nothing to hide." Darvin turns back, and raises his voice, rather than yells. It seems just as effective. "Oy! Don't shout so loud in these caves, somethin' might fall down!" (( Next time I say Gene in this thread...hit me with a shoe. ))
Harold Crestdragon 09-18-03, 07:56 PM	As both the witty rogue and the beautiful maiden left in the cave's darkness, I turned toward the arrogant ambassador that was mine to protect, and whispered (in dwarven): "Huh...milady, I have to ask you if you could refrain from displaying too much details of your own culture to these humans. The male, principally, seems reluctant to trust your highness. It would be equally beneficial if you hadn't claimed you were carrying with you your personnal slave...and even I must disagree on your heteroclit methods of making deals. You will put us in danger if you continue acting in such a disruptive way, throwing us in an endless chasm of dishonor. I even wonder why you had to ask for my company : you probably have more tricks like that up your sleeve, don't you?"
Drindin 09-18-03, 08:31 PM	Robert cocked a brow, club still raised. "So then, you are friend, rather than foe?" The half-ogre, still rather mistrustful, watches the being wairily.
Duke Bellarosa 09-18-03, 08:39 PM	(( * Darvin spazes out and murders Gene and Duke.* ))
Gene_Kynes 09-18-03, 09:07 PM	"I'll be a friend if you will, mate." Gene's hand withdraws, shattering the appearently delicate balance that any movement would cause when he first offered it. He crosses his arms. "Keep your new hand crossbow nearby, Ramoth. I'm going t'greet this guy. If you hear something splatter, and then hear me screaming...then..er..sorry that I couldn't at least have the pleasure of meetin' your husband and kids, or running from a lich, or Dracolich, with you." He grins, his words still morbid however, as he heads downwards into the cavern.
Drindin 09-18-03, 09:31 PM	The massive half-ogre walks forth from the darkness after lowering his mace. "Very well then. I am Robert, cleric of Olidamara... though I'm not to sure where I am, all I know is that Olidamara can't be contacted from here... so it must be a different world."
Gene_Kynes 09-18-03, 09:49 PM	He grins, almost laughing as he pulls down one edge of his color, revealing the mask of both tragedy and comedy. "'Bout time I've seen a cleric of the Laughing Mask! C'mon...join us! We've got wine, Aoian wine, th'best out there, too...name's Darvin, by th'way!" He then lowers his voice, and it seems...Darvin's taking in the half-orge as a kind of brother, rather quickly. "Th'dark dwarf seems too serious..tho', she might need some pranks t'lighten her up, an' don't even touch th'one with-" his words turn to murmurs, as even the more accurate ears amongst the rest cannot pick up his words. He walks with the Half-Ogre, leading him towards the rest. One would notice that while he spoke with the Cleric, his tongue slipped into an accent that would hint at a Waterdhavian, or somewhat more exotic origin.
Drindin 09-18-03, 10:17 PM	Robert nodded and whispered something in reply in a surprisingly quiet manner. The conversation went on for a bit, and ended with an "Of course I am!", and Robert at least went back to join in with the rest of the group. "Oi, thank Olidamara! Finally, humanoid folk like m'self! Last thing I saw down there was some headless illithid." Robert took in another, relived breath, and looked at them all. "Well, let's have some of this wine you speak so highly of." Robert seemed relieved to see a fellow outlaw in the group as well, his mouth forming an open toothed grin, his surprisingly white and straight teeth gleaming in what little of the desert sun shone through the sandstorm.
Gene_Kynes 09-18-03, 10:33 PM	Darvin nods, grinning, and taking a beautifully delicate bottle from his pack, one that contained a warm-purple colored drink within. From the flame insignia on the cap...you would guess he would be hanged for showing that bottle anywhere near the Aoian Isles. He pours glasses that're unwrapped from their cloth protection for himself and Robert. "This...is the Good Sire Robert, a Cleric of Olidammra. If you're ignorant enough to distrust 'im 'cause o'is looks, I'll deal with you personally. I've personally lack any qualms about him joining us...do any of you?"
N.Y. Wench 09-19-03, 09:07 AM	Mokhicara stands up from the carpet, ready to meet whatever Darvin, Ramoth, and her thrall are to bring back. Standng, she speaks to Harold: "True. I did not come hence to understand humans. I came to understand you. And through you - Azirrhat. And through them - shieldwarves. And you came here to understand me. And through me - Gmitmold. And through them - the Grey Nations. I can care for myself bymyself, yes. I can not become knowlegeble of the Selfrighteous Nations by myself. We both are together, so we can bring our peoples to mutual gain. Your protecting me, and my teaching you, are only symbols. Not the reason for why we are together. Your side revels in defending. Mine revels in teaching. Cultural symbolics." She takes a breath and continues: "And because your words are true, that i came not to understand humans, i will no more leak towards them understanding of us. You are wiser than i thought such as you would be. We need not risk ourselves with humans." When the small deligation returns with the newcomer, she blinks (as a compromise betuin bowing and not bowing) towards him, and repeats her introduction from earlier, only this time keeping Harold's wise advince in mind: "I am Ambassador Mokhicara of Gmitmold. This is Protector Hardrold the Krestadragond of Azirrhat. And this is our anonimous folower of the barabric Beduine wanderers. We are on a quest to reach understanding, and eventually sign a treaty for mutually-beneficiant coexistance and cooperation betuin the Grey and the Self-Rightous. The two other humans are non-hostile, but are yet to introduce themselves."
Drindin 09-19-03, 09:12 AM	Robert cocks a brow. "I just want to get back to greyhawk."
Gene_Kynes 09-19-03, 09:56 AM	"We'll work on that, Robert. But until we find a powerful mage...or a portal...you're...kinda stuck with us. Heh." The man shrugs, as he looks to the dark dwarf. "Name's Darvin, by th'way, lady Ambassador."
Ramoth 09-19-03, 01:17 PM	After listening to the Ambassador give her speech, and Darvin get upset about the slave thing, Ramoth decides to remain nameless for now. Then this.....Ambassador...has the gull to order them around! Before Ramoth can make an angry replie, Darvin offers her his hand to go see what the trouble is. As she gets up the trouble inrtoduces itself and Darvin goes to see what it is... Ramoth holds the crossbow uncertainly, but ready to help if need be. Darvin then introduce the new comer as Robert and starts acting like they've known each other all their lives. Ramoth calms down a bit, just to have to listen to that uppity Ambassador speak again. With a glare Ramoth turns to her and says "Not that it's any concern of yours, but my name is Ramoth." The cavern's light must be playing tricks, because for a brief instant Ramoth's eyes almost seem to have a red tint to them. But that trick of light doesn't last long and her eyes return to normal. Ramoth turns back to Robert and Darvin in time to hear them mention Greyhawk. "Yes maybe that should be our first quest Darvin, to find a way back to Greyhawk. I'm also from there, and thats where my family waits for me. Maybe if we adventure around for a while we'll find a way back..." o O(And maybe I'll have enough time to regain my strenght and send myself back without any help.....That Dark Dwarf is getting on my nerves, she needs an attitude adjustment. And if she keeps it up much longer, I may be the one who gives it to her.... :smirk: ) ((OOC: I offer to through shoes at you whenever you write Gene instead of Darvin! *Runs off to find shoe throwing smilie*))
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 09-19-03, 01:53 PM	{{OOC note to Drindin: Although as Robert mensioned, Olidmara is unrechable from here, his priestly powers still function as normal. Somewhere around post #200 you might discover why...}} As the unsertain conversation betuin the five {six, if you count the mantoy} goes on with the smoothness of a wooden cart with rombic wheels on the Rocky Road to Dublin, it becomes rather clear that the hores were not anxious because of Robert; Or atleast not solely because of him. Mokhicara is able to "hear" a few "voics" speaking, but since no actual sound involved, she has no way of determining the direction. There neither a mind activity, of a familiar enough kind to locate the source of the speech-accompanying thoughts she can hear. ~They aren't comming back! ~I said: WAIT! ~He is right, they didn't find the cave. ~But the herds always find it! They never pass on without entering that cave! ~SILENCE! They have always one on the lead and one on the back, who act as scouts for the herd. Something must... - ~I watched them, they had two "scouts" in the front, not one. ~I said: SILENCE! Something must've happened to all theyr scouts if they missed the cave! For a few seconds, Mokhicara hears no thoughts at all, but then the conversation continues: ~Look now, and you too, look now. ~I just did, none in the back! ~And YOU?! ~One on the lead. Just as i said. ~err... he hit my head... two time too... i pin him... i pin one time, ugh ~DOGHEAD!!! ~ugh yes... ~What, what did he just say yes to? What did you say yes to? ~... doghead, errrr... the other one on front, ugh in lead... really doghead Another period of silence, and then a stream of angry impulses towards the slower speaker from all the others and some more. Then silence again. After about five minutes Mokhicara can hear it again: ~What could that herd be doing with the Barkers? ~Led to ambush... or to the Barkers' own cave, one and the same. ~Yeek! Barker kill other important man! If Sassal not pin this man, barker kill this too! Important man still die, ugh ...Sassal no punish? ~SOMEONE SILENCE HIM! ~Fine, the Barkers are steeling the herd, now what? And atlast, a silence which Mokhicara's attempts {should such be made} can't penetrate. The discussion either stopped, or became less obvious to the observing psionicist.
Harold Crestdragon 09-19-03, 05:21 PM	Dubitous, I looked at the humans and the half-ogre with curious eyes. They were speaking, they who seemed complete strangers to each other, of a certain person of mutual knowledge, that both referred to as Olidammara. Even more confusing, both were speaking of a distant place, probably exotic, that they named Grey Hawk. I was shocked, however, by the delicacy Mokhicara showed. She easily could've forfeited my pleas, but still chose to give me reason. Perhaps she could become, with time, a pleasant companion...contrarily to most of those I was with presently.
N.Y. Wench 09-19-03, 06:52 PM	Mokhicara refuses to be surprised or disbalanced by the thoughts of many creatures that must (but cannot!) be very close. The first, most obvious rout of action, was to show no sign of what she heard. It could be a halucination, caused by prolonged exposure to the sun, the ruthless air of the surface, and other similar conditions, which she were theorically prepared to deal with. Or these thoughts could be real, but that doesn't change anything. Then again, it can mean danger or gain, and neitehr of these two can be ignored. She desided to tell someone of what she heard, but only one. The smartest people around here were obviously her guardian, her thrall, and maybe the strange woman. Then again, the woman seemed pretty atached to the elf-wannabe, and this can never mean greate mental ability. Conversation with the thrall must be kept to a minimum, because anything she sais, he may take as a command - another proof of the worthlessness of arcana, when compared to inner powers (she would trust her almost amateurisitc psichic abilities more than even the most powerfull magical items at any time) She spoke to Harold in dwarven: "Someone around here thinks." After realizing such words can be understood in more than one way, and some of these waies could be pretty deamn offensive, she refrased herself: "When someon speaks, he thinks what he speaks, if it isn't a gnome. He thinks what he speaks more loudly, than he thinks what he keeps to himself, if it isn't a fiend. I can overhear what ever is thought that loud, and close enough to me. Someone close spoke. I overheard. You will hear now what i heard. Listen." The ambassador begins to transmit Harold what she heard, which is actually easier for her limited skills, than speaking to someone using telepathy. She makes the pauses shorter, only long enough to show there is a pause; she also makes it all louder, because an untrained mind wouldn't perciev third-person thoughts as clearly as a tained one persieves second-person (or so she thinks). She doesn't make any other involvement, and just lets him hear the conversation from her mind as if she was an audiotape. If only audiotapes could have such attitudes...
Drindin 09-20-03, 10:43 AM	Robert looks at Darvin with interest. "Lady Ambassador you say? One of the Deep-Dwarves, I trust, and not a half-dwarf."
Gene_Kynes 09-20-03, 02:34 PM	Darvin nods. "Deep Dwarf, er...it's a woman, by th'way." In a lower voice, more out of politeness than anything... "You heard her speech on the makin' good connections b'tween th'blah-blah and th'Rightous Dwarves. She's an ambassador. I think her bein' guarded by the nice dwarf is symbolic, or somethin'."
Drindin 09-20-03, 03:28 PM	Robert appraises the deep dwarf, then whispers to Gene "I don't trust her... but we best keep our mouths shut about this... she may be my only way back to Oerth."
Myranthor 09-21-03, 07:43 AM	No, Gene chose the right character this time...Yeah, he did.
Harold Crestdragon 09-21-03, 07:44 AM	My eyes hardened, my body went still as I heard within my head, for the first time, people speaking that were not present!! BLASPHEMY! My dark mistress, unsatisfied with her repugnant race and her treacherous ways, even mastered the unreliable weapon that was magic. That contact, to me, was horrible. Even though, solid as a rock, I listened to the intriguing words within my mind. Arching my body, I approached my lips from the duergar's ears and muttered: "You should tell them. I'll go ward." I stood up clumsily, and walked heavily, accompanied by my plate's sounds, to the entrance of the cave, from which I gazed in the exterior, looking for any potential source of these voices.
Ramoth 09-21-03, 10:36 AM	After watching the others in the cave split off into groups and start whispering to each other (Well minus the man toy) Ramoth wanders towards the back of the cavern where Robert had come from. She glances down the tunnel, wondering how Robert came from there in the first place.....
Gene_Kynes 09-21-03, 01:24 PM	(( I would pull a Myr, and make a seperate SN for Darvin...but...er...that'd just widen up my screw-up ratio to three possible choices. Each with a chance of saying Gene. Bleh. )) Darvin sighs. Time for me t'follow th'Code... He leaves Robert his glass, and slowly steps over to Ramoth. "You doing alrigh'?" The man's accent seems to no longer be suppressed. If she knew enough about lore, she'd guess his certain "kind" of Outlaw...was one of the Crimson Road.
Ramoth 09-21-03, 01:50 PM	"I'm fine, just wondering about this tunnel Robert came from. This cave didn't look big enough to have a tunnel. I wonder if it's natural....." Ramoth wanders of as she's speaking, inspecting the sides of the cavern as she goes.
Gene_Kynes 09-21-03, 02:54 PM	He frowns, gives a "Be there in a few" gesture to Robert, as he follows. "Can y'see in th'dark?" He draws the blade of the high road again...but this time, it begins dripping a sickly, bright green substance that hisses and burns whatever it touches. Suddenly...the vension in your stomach...feels a little...odd, once you realize what the substance dripping from the blade is...
Ramoth 09-21-03, 03:04 PM	((It'll take more then that to turn Ramoth's stomach)) Ramoth thinks carefully before answering, decides to answer only loud enough for just Darvin to hear. "Yes I can see in the dark very well. I'm looking for sign that this tunnel is carved or natural." She blinks briefly as she looks at the blade dripping on the ground. o O(Hmm....well if he used that on our meat I won't be the only one who gets it.....:smirk: )
Gene_Kynes 09-21-03, 03:16 PM	He sighs, and nods, following her. The acid casts a dim green glow over his features, seemingly by will, as he follows and looks around.
Drindin 09-21-03, 04:33 PM	Robert sips the wine, then yells down the cave. "Wouldn't go in there, unless you like illithids!"
N.Y. Wench 09-21-03, 06:41 PM	Mokhicara greately aproves of the idea to watch out for the thoughts's source outside without stepping outside, and showed her apreciation with a sharp double nod. She was reluctrant to share what she heard with the others, whom she wasn't trusting yet, nor theyr ability to understand the ultimate waies of the brain. She did see the wisdom in Harold's suggestion, however, and found a compromise in her thrall, to whom she immidiately transmitted all the "record", not saying anything vocally. All needed explanations she pased to him telepathically as well, which was easy for her, since he was becoming her "familiar".
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 09-21-03, 07:58 PM	When Ramoth first approached the tunnel, it seemed rather natural, its walls polished by the time's favored tools: Wind, sand, and water. However when the Blade of the High Road in Darvin's hands began drooling, the cavern's floor around his feet lost its surface to the acid, revealing many marks of tools, or even claws, as well as some powder that could never have anything to do with the rock formations here, and hinted on the attempt at casting alteration spells. Ramoth most probably recognized most of the marks, and perhaps Darvin recognized some of them. The suspiction this was dug, or otherwise artificially opened, now has a solid basis behind it. The tunel slopes down, but seems easy enough to descend or ascend by foot. Robert is able to see the bedine cocking his head, as if concentrating on something, and then jump to his feet, greately scared, and begining to scream things in human, trying to pull his Mokhicara {with whom he maintained wordless eye contact in the past minute} and Robert himself to theyr feet, and then runing towards Harold, whos back is turned to the rest of the group as he inspects the landscape out of the cave. Before he reaches the dwarf, however, Robert says his smash line. What makes it a smashline is the event that follows: *** Mokhicara gets another thought, but this one she can't transform to words she knows from any languege: ~Ssrathtlahth! Ssrathtlahth sharlha! The very next moment, Harold is able to see the sand before him move, rise in a hemicircle around the cave's entrance, and then burst, as the ones standing where they layed for so long, now shake the sand from themselves and prepare to hunt. Mokhicara and Robert are both able to see them too now. Reptiles of a color well fitting the sand, although not exactly camouflaging them in it. It is bordering betuin brown and grey, and as they shake the sand of them, theyr vulnerably looking greenish underbelies can be seen. Almost 50 of these bipedal reptiles stand in several hemicircular rows now, preparing to shoot theyr light crossbows at Harold and into the cave. The hands holding these crossbows, as well as legs they stand on, are all connected to theyr body in a way that seems anatomically wrong. Theyr movements are unnormal too: sharp but long and non-acurate. They move all the time, compensating for the large amount of time they had to lay motionless under the sand {and probably under the now-distant caravan's feet}. The same thing can be said about tehyr necks, which seem too thin to support theyr large heads. These heads are never straight, but the angles they are held on don't seem to be meant for aiming the crossbows. Within the monsters' ranks,n a formation of something betuin a T and a Y {crossing the hemicircle in the middle, and forming an avangarde in the center-front of it}, stand creatures that may look like the parrents of this whole flock of kids. The "kids" themselves are taller than any of the group's members. Taller than any member of the caravan, who's far away by now, inclueding the gnolls; But these "parrents", whose body mass is greate enough to compensate for the eery anatomic anomality, sans its advantages and drowbacks, are twice taller, as well as twice wider than theyr majority-forming companions. Theyr eyes, however, are proportional to theyr heads, unlike the "young"'s round eyes, which take most of the faces' surface. The "Parrents"' tails {the only appandages that seemed properly attached to the torsoes of all these reptiles} end in barbed edges and sharp rapierlike ends, much like that of a Fencer fish. One of the "kids" hisses something loudly, and half a dosen of the "parrents", the ones standing betuin the "hatchlings" instead of infront of them, throw theyr curved blades at Harold, without any real effect, and then make one giant leap each, ending up surrounding him, with one landing on his head, but falling off instead of making Harold fall as he probably planned. Behind are left 9 avangarding "parrents" with curved blades, and almost fifty crossbow-wielding "children" who shoot near-blindly but effectively {due to numbers} into the cavern.
Drindin 09-21-03, 09:47 PM	Robert lifts his Mace to a combative position, and looks at darvin from the corner of his eye. "Well, Darvin. It's been great knowing you... but seeing that we are now in a cave that has but two ways out... I think we may just die. Why you ask? Well, on one side we have reptilian beasties, and on the other... Mind flayers!"
Ramoth 09-21-03, 10:14 PM	Ramoth looks around the tunnel, it seems to be natural she thinks...but her attention is drawn to Darvins dripping blade, something looks odd on the floor under the drips. Moving closer she see's tool and claw marks! The claw marks look almost ((DM, if wrong will change)) reptilian in shape and depth. She turns to Darvin and says "This is a trap!" Just as she says this sounds of schuffling can be heard from the bfront of the cave. "Hum, seems I'm right." She runs to the front of the cave, well close to it, she see's the lizards and stops dead in her track. She ducks behind a boulder as cross bow bolts go everywhere. She pulls her crossbow out that Darvin had handed her earlier, looks at the bolts then at the targets, trying to figure out how to be the most of use........ o O(Blast it! I had better help get us out of this. Do I know any spells that will stop these lizards...or slow them down...) She thinks as she tries to aim at an creature with one of Darvin's poision bolts.
N.Y. Wench 09-22-03, 04:15 AM	Mokhicara was warned too late, and too indistinctly. The thrall, who was obviously knowlegable of the danger, was only able to warn her early enough to minimaize the surprise, but not to give her any time to prepare. Not that time would help her. She realizes that the lizards can't see her and her lessers properly, and shoot almost randomly; she tries to concentrate and make the cavern's walls around the exit more attractive for the bolts. With not enough experience, she overdoes the first second, magneting a couple dozens bolts to the walls, but then collapses, not able to maintain the effort of magnetizing the walls, or even function normally. The sudden effort emptied her, and only now, lying on the floor, she realized that using her venus-adorned coif could have been a better idea... albeit the dishonor of calling uppon forces assosiated with Hall Gmitmold's sworn enemies. As they say, who can - does; who cannot - teaches; who cannot teach - commands, regulates and supervizes. She wasted (due to incompitence in crafts of the brain) all the strength she had for doing, and teeching didn't seem an action she had time to, right now. So she desided to regulate and command: "Sorceress! slay the ones holding the Krestadragond from withdrawing hence! Withdraw once you can see him clearly! Is there an escape where the half-human came from? Halfman! Slay the ones closest to us! Withdraw once Hardrold reaches the sorceress' position! Hardrold, breake through them to retreat to us! We try to cover you, donot slay the ones infront! Rothe! Carry me deeper inside! Can you fight?" Then, remembering that command is seldom folowed without a personal example, she rolls over to lie on her belly, reaches a hand to her back, and pets her cape. When her hand goes out of there, it carries a small stalactite which seems to do the oposit from shining or shimmering. It seems to swallow all colors from around itself, she tosses it towards the three biggies who stand more or less betuin her protector and the cave. OUTTA CHAR: you asked me to remind you so i remind you: how the cape's stalactites work is written in the "Recent.txt" file in your documents
Harold Crestdragon 09-22-03, 06:53 AM	With tremendous speed appeared suddenly, in front of me, more than fifty strange creatures, all of them seemingly wishing to skin us alive. I just had time to think about warning Mokhicara of this imminent threat over her life, when one of the overgrown lizard dashed across the arid desert and jumped in the dry air to land over me. Being received by the blunt end of my spiked chain, though, sent him on the ground. However, he did not attack in vain, for his stalwart display of courage did excite five of his brethren, whom foprmed a deadly circle of claws, teeth and blades all around in less time than it would take a medusa sorceress to turn her last lover to stone. Firmly, I took the solid handle of my chain, and attacked all of those around me, trying to create a small breach through which I could get back to Mokhicara's side.
Gene_Kynes 09-22-03, 07:17 AM	Darvin gives a small frown. "Watch y'self, Ramoth." And with that, he looks to Robert. "I'm going t'see if I can seperate them. You gonna go up in melee, big guy?" Darvin rumages through his pack again...bringing out a sickly red substance trapped in fine glass. Taking two of these containers out...he then throws them at the lizard-like creatures centre (that's what he aims for, at least) in hopes of breaking up formation from within the cave, before drawing his already-loaded light crossbow and firing at a parent. Dropping the ranged weapon, the Blade of the High Road is drawn, and Darvin waits in the cave, watching the lizard closest to the enterance.
Drindin 09-22-03, 09:27 AM	Robert shook his head, and started praying... within a couple seconds, darvin was invisible! (gasp) "Go! Quickly!"
Ramoth 09-22-03, 09:48 AM	After watching the lizards closely, Ramoth decides to go for the obviouse solution. She aims at the smaller ones('cause there's more of them) and tries to fire a poision tipped bolt into one of their eyes!. After the first bolt is away, she doesn't pause, but loads, aims and fires again. She does this till she runs out of poision bolts ((How many did you give her Darvin? And DM, does the poision work on the lizards, how many does she hit???)) After that she hears the Ambassador giving orders again. :rolleyes: Sorceress! slay the ones holding the Krestadragond from withdrawing hence! Ramoth waits to see if Harold can get out yet, if he can she moves futher into the cave. If he can't Ramoth stays put, trying to figure out if there's anything else she can do.
Drindin 09-22-03, 08:51 PM	Robert semi-watches in disbelief as these people actually head INTO the cave! "I THOUGHT I JUST SAID DON'T GO INTO THE CAVE!" Noticing they don't seem to care, he simply shakes his head. "I AINT GOIN' BACK IN THERE TILL I ABSOLUTLEY HAVE TO!" Robert says a little prayer, and casts 'summon monster IX', aiming to summon up five chaos beasts.
Gene_Kynes 09-22-03, 11:43 PM	Darvin grins. ...Fun time... He makes a full circle around the lizards, making his steps careful as he tries to discern a leader amongst the lizards. His blade stops dripping acid, as if on command, as calm blue eyes dart from lizard to lizard. (( He gave her 20 Lotus Lip bolts. ))
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 09-30-03, 02:54 PM	Ramoth, apparently choosing to attempt the carrere of a sniper, rather than wasting pressed time on coming up with a more arcane plan, shoots all of the poisoned darts towards the sources of multiple simple darts, which fly into the cave. The first several bolts pass uselessly betuin the lizards' lines {with the soul exception of a bolt which accidently hits the cheek of a "parent" near harold}, albeit the slight enchantment one could easily guess around theyr poisoned tips. Soon, however, the human-shaped dragon's hands recall the hang of it, and she begins to fire more efectively, now noting the presence of her blackened bolts in the bodies of five crossbow-wielding reptiles... and one in the neck of a front-guarding "parrent". This latter bolt is instantly pushed out of the monster's flesh by a short spray of blood, but the poison has probably done its job: Four of the hit crossbowers, and the accidentally hit larger reptile in theyr front, all fall within a few seconds of the bolts' hitting them. They hardly leave any doubt as to theyr deaths... it's as if theyr health was quickly and effectively annihilated by the substrance on the bolts. After almost an entire minute passes, the remaining hit "child", as well as the "parent" standing betuin Harold and the cave {the one which Ramoth accidentally hit earlier}, both collapse in a similar manner. On the latter's face, Ramoth can even see the signs of neural exhaustion. Fatal one. All this scene, if ocured in the XX century in the low-magic world of Earth, could be photograffed and signed: "These men abused Black Lotus". While his female companion was delivering Darvin's narcotic merchandice into the non-complaining customers' wounds, the outlaw himself was not wasting time, though: By the time Ramoth's four first victims fell to the poison, his first container landed among the shooting reptiles' center - the ones most directly facing the cavern. Some of them are sent to the ground, a few are blown apart, and many are thwarted to the sides, as the explosion sets off the second bottle before it lands. Thus a second explosion ocures over theyr heads, raining panic-provoking heat on them from above. Harold, whose convenient, if isolated position alowed him to remain mostly unscratched, is only slightly wounded in the arm by a reptile's bare claw{Harold is hit for 3hp}. His chain flies around, drawing blood from every Lizard adjecent. Ramoth's misguided bolt hits one of his crowners by that time. The huge scaly thing twitches with pain for a second, but then immidiately gets an irrelevantly happy and pleasuresome expression on his face, begining to bleed and drool uncontrollably. In a minute he looses any controll of his body, collapsing to the ground, and before the "parents" are able to close theyr circle again, one of them is hit by Darvin's bolt in the base of his scull. He turns, hissing in pain, thusly alowing the dwarf to slip out of the surrounding before it closes. At this point Ramoth begins to draw into the darker reaches of the cave. Mokhicara, after missing the lizards and watching her stalagmite fall to the sand nigh the "parents"' feet, is being dragged by her thrall deeper into the cavern. Harold begins retreating to her side, but one of the heavy lizards now after him suddenly falls forwards on the sand, and strikes the dwarf's leg with his tail's edge{Harold is hit for 2hp}. Another such tail lands on his back, but slides against the armor, unable to bypass it. The First tail hurt, however, as if from inside his veins,{Harold is poisoned for 4hp} and Harold, uppon finally reaching Mokhicara, feels as if he'd been running for 20 hours non-stop {Harold lost 2 con points to poison}. For some reason, this incourages Darvin to get out of his cover and expose himself to the enemy. His inspectation of the lizards reveals the following things: A}. These are the creatures probably refered to {by the zhents who chased him} as Laerti, and {in the case of the bigger ones, which he tries circling around} Laerti Stingtails. B}. The Stingtail Laerti are big and scary, as he probably noticed before, but are also completely stupid and unskilled in battle... or atleast so it seems. Darvin is able to realize he will not find any sort of a leader among these big dumb lizards, just before he falls to the ground, unconceous and bleeding from two or three dosens of bolts all over his body{Darvin is at 0 hp}. The two Laerti Stingnails who were tossed closer to the cave by the explosion earlier, now leap towards him, sniff the blood, count him for dead, and are about to leap forwards again, while the smaller Laerti casualties of the exlosion {exept the ones torn apart or knocked out by it} leap to retake theyr battle positions. Seeing the others pull closer, the ambassador's thrall lets out a cry for the mounts, and these are quick to come. The unfamiliar horse is even too hasty, and doesn't stop at the place where the cavern begins to descend. It falls down the tunnel, none too quietly. Robert seems the only person reluctant to retreat into the cave. His earlier awakening also makes him the second most compitent on this question, while his wisdom in the serving of Olidamara, prior to his unexplained arrival at Abier Toril, also makes him invisible. Another prayer follows now, directed to whatever deity may watch over Olidamara's faithfull in this world, and in the second it is complete, a ray of light, bright against the storm, hits a dune near the cave. The sands swirl around it, without dulling the ray at all, and when the ray is gone and the dune is no more, three beautyfull beasts can be seen there. It is daffinately not the kind of help Robert expected from the Loughing Rogue. Seemingly made of liquid gold, two greate lions, theyr manes burning in purifying fire, and theyr eyes blue and humanly-wise, appear at the spot hit by the divine light. Two charge the crowd of lizards with completely monstrous teeth and clawed paws, much larger than those of any normal lion, scaring most of them for a few precious seconds, while the other one grabs Darvin's bleeding body, and runs inside. The cave is no longer dark, as the celestial beast passes. An observer from the material world of Narnia could probably think of Aslan at the sight of this creature lighting up the cave. Even when he jumps into the tunnel, sliding on his paws deeper down, the cave is still lit up with his glory. Soon, a friendly roar from below hints that the summoned lion reached a leveled floor, and the fallen outlaw is now safe.
Gene_Kynes 09-30-03, 04:45 PM	(( Er....I was invisible. ))
Drindin 09-30-03, 06:17 PM	Robert blinked at what he summoned, and then simply shrugged following the, what he thinks, must be some wingless breeds of dragonnes into the reaches of the underdark.
Ramoth 10-01-03, 09:24 PM	After seeing Harold could escape, Ramoth stands up to move back into the cave. She see's the mosters that Robert summoned out of the corner of her eye's, then see's one of them carry off the apperantly dead Darvin! Shocked, she decides to follow it into the black caves, keeping close till it stops and let off it's terrible roar. She waits to see if it will let her get close enough to check on Darvin......
N.Y. Wench 10-02-03, 06:06 AM	Mokhi feels a little better now. She realizes the monsters are too dextrous for her, so she intrudes the mind of the closest one and provokes curiosity in him 'You Know You Wanna See What This Thingy Is...' is what she tries to make him feel. Then she reaches into her cape, and as another stalactite patern disappears from it and forms in her hand as a corporeal, un-glittering stalagmite, she notices the three new creatures. "How tasteless" she thinks to herself, looking at the blindingly bright, eye-unnerving appearance of what must be guests from the Beastlands. "Good appetite, royal cat" she mumbles sarcastically when one of the "guests" passes her and jumps to the tunnel with Darvin's remains in his maw. Snapping out of the sudden phlegmant mood, she throws the stalactite towards the lizards who aproach her, bold enough to be chasing her personal guardian. She hopes if it doesn't hit like a dart, the one she earlier influenced would touch it willingly.
Harold Crestdragon 10-02-03, 07:23 PM	Sliping on the uneven floor of the underground complex, I escaped the lizards' clutches to reach mokhicara's side, turning back and attacking any Laerti within range of my chain. "Ambassador! Shall we retreat further in the cavern, or fend our way out of here?"
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 10-05-03, 10:52 AM	After making all the way back into the lower cave {quite some time of running}, Robert is able to see the supposedly wingless dragonne laying his fellow olidamarite's unconceous body down, and growling with something like sorrow. It doesn't lick his wounds or anything, however, but looks with the eyes of a small kitten at Robert, and then quickly jumps to sniff the other four tunnels. At the wide tunnel, with the strange glowing runes near its entrance, it makes an unpleased sound, and after passing near the other three tunnels, it returns to that one, and stands guard. When Ramoth arrives at the scene, she is able to see the following: It is dark. Some light comes out of an eery layer of mold on the stony floor. In the middle of the vaguely palm-shaped cave, lays the decapitated body of a merchant or magician {if one should judge by the robes} of some sort. Strangely enough - in respect for the environment - near the body lies something looking like on octapus. From both the octapus-like thing and the body's empty neck, old blood trails can be seen. Darvin's own body lies on a bedding of uncomly mushrooms, a few meters away from the strange body, which can pretty quickly be recognized as that of a Mind-flayer. A little farther, closer to the cave's opposing wall, lies a kicking, wounded horse. The one that earlier tumbled so clumsily down the tunnel. Robert is nowhere to be seen, though his steps can be easily heard in the acousticly-imperfect cave, as if he was very close. On the cave's other side, opposing the tunnel through which Ramoth had just descended, is a wider cavern. The beast she followed stands in the entrance to that distant tunnel, and against its golden glow one can see two weak spots of green glow, coming from the tunnel's walls near the entrance. This cavern, should she examin it closer, smells nauciatingly bad, has obvious footmarks, {which on closer inspectation fit perfectly the insectoid, inhuman feet of the "merchant", hinting on the passing of more illithids} coming in and out of it, and the green light from the walls turns out to be glowing signs, encrypted on the left and right walls neer the very entrance. The sign smells of blood, glows like phosphor, and is most probably not a rune. Its shape is familiar and understandable to anyone who is no stranger to human rudeness: it resembles a palm, most probably human or dwarven, showing the common rude gesture of a cocked Third Finger. The other fingers are clenched into a non-complete fist within the palm, and the thumb seems to be broken and hang limp. Overally, a very detailed picture. The tunnel from which she came is part of a row of four; the other tunnels of this row, two at her right and one at her left, seem pretty normal from where she stands. *** The front stingtail looks with living curiosity at the object Mokhicara threw, and eagerly catches it with a clawed hand. This hand instantly becomes stone, changing his curiosity into fear, and soon the rest of his body follows. Now the statue of a truely scared, enormous lizard, holding a precious stone, stands where he used to be. It falls to the ground under the feet of his charging fellows, one of which soon finds his legs constricted, and then heavily wounded, by Harold's chain. Falling to the ground, he still manages to bite Mokhicara {Mokhicara is hit for 6 hp}, and would add to it with his tail, but the tail meets Harold's chain on its way to the ambassador. harold himself manages to defend Mokhi from all farther attacks, and himself from all but another claw and another tail. The claw makes some damage to his appearance by tearing at his beard, whereas the tail strikes his neck {harold is hit for 5 hp} immidiately after the dwaf chains open the stomach of this tail's owner. From the tailwound, a purplish, thick liquid spraies, and Harold can now both feel and see, what he felt the last time such a tail stroke him. {harold is poisoned for 3 hp} Claws swing around him, risking theyr stocking bearers more than they risk him or his protegee. From outside the cave, a miserable roar can be heard, as one of the gloryfull beings falls, after claiming multiple lizardly lives. A long, hissing sound, which came a bit earlier, could {by some} be recognized a divinely-strengthened deathblow. "We c'nt k'll-off all dose Assabi! We m'st runn!" Screams the bedine thrall, and begins hastily leading the two remaining mounts down the tunnel, trying to stop them from strongly expressing theyr negative excitement.
Ramoth 10-05-03, 01:10 PM	The other tunnels interested her, but she decided that her first priorty is to see to Darvin. She kneels down next to his prone form, after briefly glanceing at the decapitated Mind Flayer, and checks his pulse/breathing Ramoth finds a pulse and smiles, she can still save him. Taking a deep breath, she emptied her mind of other thoughts and concentrates on what she wants to do. Gathering minute bits of energy from all around her...rock....the beast...the wounded horse....Robert....herself........the dead illithid, all the time being careful not to gather off of Darvin himself, thus furthering his injuries. She invisions what she wants to do....close wounds......replace lost blood.....and wills it so with a mummered word "Heal"
Drindin 10-05-03, 03:06 PM	Robert spits on the body of the illithid, and walks over to darvin. He kneels beside him, looking over the body. He looks at ramoth as she does her thing.
N.Y. Wench 10-06-03, 07:15 AM	After letting out a cry of pain, Mokhicara extracts from her cape and throws another stalactite. Now the Assabi(?) are so close to eachother and to her that she just cant miss. "Too many of them. The... manservant is right. Let the shining ones fight where it shines, let Us withdraw where all is grey. The tunnel is too thin for them. Only one of these, and only two or three of the crossbowmen, can face us within it." She is about to dart into the tunnel and walk down it, but then an idea hits her, and she stands just closely behind harold's back. "Hardrold, Slay them not when we retreat. Let them follow, and i will pertify one inside the tunnel. His mass will block theyr way; will seal the tunnel; will slow them greately." She begins to retreat, but walks with her face to the Assabi(?) without loosing them from sight and ready to throw another stalactite as soon as someone enters the tunnel after her and her guardian.
Harold Crestdragon 10-06-03, 07:25 PM	I followed closely the one I was ordered to protect, despite the acute knowledge that it would be pretty easy duck at the last second, allowing a crossbow bolt to pierce her gray skin. Instead, though, I swang my chain madly around the Asabis, forgoing precision to be more fearful*. After we entered the dark tunnel, I dodged out of Mokhicara's way, giving her a free shoot at any incoming Asabi. * I use expertise to get - 5 attack/+5 AC
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 10-06-03, 11:44 PM	A few daringly extended claws and maws fail to reach theyr target, but instead meet Harold's chain, leaving bloodstains on the tunnel's walls. Then, over Harold's conveniently ducked shoulder, Mokhicara's stalagmite flies, hitting a reaching tail, which pertifies practically infront of Harold's very face. Following the tail, the entire reptile becomes stone, growing one with the tunnel's walls. The stingtails behind soon snap out of theyr fear and puzzledness, and begin assaulting the statue, trying to get the tunnel opened again. However before they are anywhere near finsihing the task, two things happen: The large lizards seem to retreat, and Mokhicara hears another series of surface-thoughts, accompanied by the laertis' hissing among themselves: ~Stop! Persue them not! Tribe Ssathmahh spawns there! ~The Ssathmahhs? Yes, do not follow; They are both mighty and honorless. ~Ugh... why? ~They serve MONSTROCITIES, you SANDBRAIN!! ~They let aliens into theyr tribe. ~Yes! They take mans, and dogheads! Theyr blood is tainted! ~Errr... little mens go in clatches of big tribe with, ugh, more little mens in? ~By Shar the stupid sting has a point! ~Yes, they will come out of here in the end. We will wait. They aren't stinged enough to come among the Ssathmahh. Beyond the thoughts, Mokhicara, and free of such a burden Harold, can both hear the "tssshshshschchchchh" sound as another stingtail's eyes burn out from the remaining celestial beast's attack, before, trapped betuin the enemies, it is soon defeated and slain. As to Harold himself, he apparently begins to hear voices too, yet these make much less sence, or are atleast much further from being informative. He feels even weaker now, and his head begins to spin. He isn't quite sure what he's supposed to do, or why, and feels sort of distant, in relation to the things happening around him. {Harold looses 1 point of Constitution to poison. Harold is confused by poison, act acordingly for 2 actions} *** Ramoth successfully locates the unstable, bloodspilling, yet percistant pulse in Darvin's veins. As she begins to gather energy, she suddenly feels as if a huge amount of it is being pumped into her! She is forces backwards, and up into the air, but doesn't reach the cave's cieling, before she lands back down. She feels dizzy from the mighty and unexpected impulse of energy, of unknown source, but also feels she now has enough to freely regain her true form... after she snaps out of the dizzyness, that is.{Ramoth is stunned for one round, but has lotsamanymuch energy.} Right now, due to Ramoth's condition, it seems as though Robert will still have some work to do. When he looks at the comatouse outlow, suddenly 9 coins of gold fall from his purse. There are no holes in the purse, and the way tese coins fell out seems a mistery. The noise of a horse's nyghing and a camel's snorting announces the aproach of the gmitmoldian's thrall, leading both Red and the cammel. The majestic lion looks back at them, and then returns to watching the one tunnel from which Robert feared the worst. *** Laurie had been here for quite some time. The truely alien design of these cave walls, which at first glance seem natural and unworked, just won't fit with her kidnappers, who slew 95% of her caravan, and took the others away. They were Assabi, as theyr bedine guide told her, but her family called them Laerti. She heard of them before. Betuin these, however, she remembers seeing others: a gnome and a halfling, atleast three humans, and atleast two gnolls, one of which female. For almost a full day, she had been sitting here, in a dead-end cavern, held close to the dead end by an invisible wall, from witch she could feel major magical energy without effort. Now, after almost 20 hours of imprisonment, she felt the wall weakening sharply all of a sudden. She could probably even walk through it to some extent, but to actually bypass it, she would need a much greater phisical strength. *** Meanwhile far away, and vaguely to the west: "So, you actually came, Dog.", Said Scyllua Darkhope. "I'm not like any of your honourless minions, Fallen one.", Answered the black robed figure. "You are quite daring to name me like that, you could get yourself murdered for such careless words..." "You could try, human, but let's not diviate from the subject at hand: who am I supposed to disqualify?", The dark figure murmured. "This." Scyllua shows a small parchment showing the face of a scarred human. "And how is this human called?" "According to our agent, Darvin. Five thousand gold pieces now, and another five grand when you will bring Darvin's head. I don't care whether his companions, if such exist, will die in the proccess or not. Do we have an agreement?" "We have nothing, i want your word first - that you will do as promised." "You have it." "Than you have my word, that I will return to this castle carrying Darvin's head.", Says the shadowy figue before snatching both parchment and purse off the table, and vanishing through the window.
kulideb 10-07-03, 07:03 AM	Laurie stood up; she wasnt sure how long she had been here, but guessed it must be getting on for almost day. She let out a small sigh and pushed agaist the invisible wall, expecting it to be as unyielding as before. She was a little surprised to feel that the magic holding it in place was much weaker, but still not enough for her to force her way through. She was tired of doing nothing and this might be her one chance to try to escape. She emptied her mind and focused on a spell, her hands going through the graceful gestures, the words were spoken softly, as she tried to cast a spell to give her more stength. A soft red glow could be seen around her. She walked forcefully forward.....
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 10-07-03, 08:20 AM	{{OOC: sorry, forgot to add this in my last entry}} Ramoth is able to conclude, with some concentration, that the mighty wave of energy came from the two tunnels adjecent to the one leading to the surface. She can also feel, that there's some more, where this came from.
Drindin 10-07-03, 09:51 AM	Robert begins his healing magic... he grips his holy symbol and casts a spell onto the comatose outlaw... ((He's casting cure critical wounds)) Hoping his magic works, he rushes over to ramoth, shaking her shoulders gently. "Miss... miss, are you alright? What happened?" Robert shook his own head. "More to the point... exactly what kind of spell caster are you?"
Ramoth 10-07-03, 01:15 PM	Shakin after that odd trip to the ceiling, dizzy from the sudden influx of energy, Ramoth tries to look at Robert. She ends up staring at the ground instead, staring at Robert is too hard since it seems to her like he's moving in circles. After she is able to focus on one thing, she answers Roberts questions. "I..I don't know what happened. I use a little bit of energy from everything that surronds me to cast my spells. But for some reason I was hit by a bigger boast then I expected, or needed for the matter. I'll be ok in a minute, as soon as my head stops spining." Ramoth stares at the floor till the dizziness passes.
N.Y. Wench 10-07-03, 02:49 PM	Tired and panting Mokhicara arrives at the deeper cave where the others are. "I and Hardrold blocked them off. They would soon follow regardless, but will not. These caverns are infested by a tribe rival to them. They both fear its might and shun its ways. The rival tribe has non-Laerti, and serves a nobler master race. The first of these two facts we are to be wary of. The last means we can comunicate with them. Two ways." She walks to the crush-landed horse and kicks it slightly. "Someone either aid or finish it. Not very usefull in here, but still better hail or dead, than crippled." She sits down on the illithid's head, and searches his body, trying to ignore her wound. "Thrall, go make sure Hardrold is fine."
Oturan 10-07-03, 07:09 PM	The scorching is set high above the yellow sands of Anouroch when a peacefull caravan of bedines was passing through. A moment after, the camels sput with objection, and the guarding wolfhounds held in terror. "Ahmed! Look, someone is coming!" "Quick, everyone, get your crossbows. Ithrahim, wake that fool of a wizard and tell him to get ready, it might be one of those shademen" True to Ahmed's description, a dark silhoutte was approaching the caravan. "Hold!", Ahmed shouted to the dark figure, "Who are you and what do you want?" "My name is unimportant.", was the answer. "I look for a wwhuff Human, 6 feet tall, scarred face, probably traveling alone, if you will tell me where is he going, I might let you and your caravan live." "We saw only another person travaling here, he was heading east." "Thank you... By the way, do you have any canine creatures in that caravan of yours?" "Well... ", Ahmed looks at his shaken bretheren, confused "...yes." "Than, puny human, *ruff* YOU SHALL DIE!" Before the dark figure could finish his sentence, Ahmed and his followers were shooting a volley of bolts towards the figure, followed by 3 small magic spheres. All managed to hit the dark figure. It fell on the sand, bleeding. "That was all to it? I expected much more of these man.", Ahmed said. "Yeah, it was almost too easy..." "Too bad he was one of your own man." "Huh?!" Ahmed only had a moment to notice that the figure that they killed was actually Ithrahim, hands and feet tied, bleeding on the sand. "And now it's your turn, rruff HUMAN!" The next few moments were followed in screams, the bedines, now completely berserk of fear were shooting each other. The bedine mage, panicked, ran off to the desert, using both haste and expeditious retreat to enchance his speed. Ahmed opened his eyes last time to see some yellow faced creature standing in front of him, holding both his guarding dogs under each shoulder. "Let it be lesson to you human... never underestimate us, rruff canines." ... "Time to move on... let's see, the Oasis here would be perfect for you two.", the figure says to the scared dogs. "From now on, always be your own masters." "And now let's go eastwards, where my 5 thousand goldpiece treasure is walking."
Harold Crestdragon 10-10-03, 09:22 AM	We were safe. No more threat, no more adrenaline, the serpents were held back on the other side of the statue. I heard Mokhicara's footsteps grow increasingly silent, as she flew. I was ready to turn around and follow her, when I saw the statue attack me! Or did it? I knew for sure that it reached for me, and Is till could hear the rattling sounds she emitted. Yet, it was an immobile statue! It was completely illogic. I approached the structure, now completely motionless. I touched its muzzle, afraid that it may bite me. It remained of stone, though, and I couldn,t help but wonder why I did imagine such an absurd situation. After a few seconds, I snapped out of it. Whatever I saw, my priority was to fall back in the tunnel, to check on Mokhicara, as well as to heal my wounds. Slowly, step by step, I went down, tired and bruised.
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 10-10-03, 02:15 PM	Laurie, her strength heavily boosted by the spell, walks step by step through the unseen force in which her kidnappers would have her incarcerated. Suddenly, she heard a cracking sound from above, and before she could figure what it could be, a huge, solid mass of stone, which would doubtlessly kill her if she were cought underneath it, fell from above, landing just infront of her. In the cieling is now a gaping neich, where this piece of rock belonged. The rock itself is in the shape of a surface meant for carriages, build alongside a wide staircase of some sort. It leans tightly to the left wall, and to the wall opposit to the one near which Laurie was imprisoned untill now. Along the right wall it leaves a narrow passage, and Laurie could almost feel a breeze crawling along that wall. The fallen monolyth itself seemingly leads from where she stands, to where the cieling met the opposit wall. The mighty sound of this stone formation falling down can still be heard echoing around the cavern. *** Darvin feels bad. As he probably learned, this is a good sign, since - as opposed to not feeling anything at all - it meens you're still alive. As the divine energy channeled by a priest of his own faith washes his every nerve, he begins to slowly feel better: his eyesight focuses, his pains mostly seize, and he generally feels his body begining to once again function normally. Only a few boltwounds remain - nothing when compaired to the several dosens he got, when the prayer for invisibility effected another in his stead. The remaining wounds don't even seem to bleed, as Darvin gradually regains conceousness, and can soon see the cave in which he lies... ot atleast its cieling. {I don't wanna annoy the others by reposting the cave's description a third time, so just read the description given when Rob&Ram arrived at the cave, if you haven't yet.} In this moment, he and everyone else can hear a mighty boom over theyr heads, as if the pike of a small mountain fell down to the earth without breaking. The noise's echo remains in the caverns around them for quite a while. Ramoth is soon able to take hold of herself, and can now see only one halfogre leaning with concern over her, instead of the two or three she probably saw earlier. Robert can now apparently rest assured that both his "pacients" are fine, eventhough one of them isn't overly quick to answer him. The bedine nods, and darts back up the tunnel. The others are yet to respond to Mokhicara's "friendly suggestions"... On the body of her race's sworn enemy she finds the following: A large lava-stone box, filled with some dark-colored ointment of surprisingly plesant texture; Two incomplete hemispheres made of black glass, which can be joined together with several intricate locks on theyr sides, thus forming a sphere, about the size of her head or a bit larger, with a round hole in it {the border betuin the two halves crosses the hole}; Ropes, cathooks, simple hooks, and mostly any climbing requipment one could hide under a mind-flayer's robes; An expensive and beautyfull emerald necklace on his neck; A dirty papyrus with some assorted arcane symbols tattered uppon it, and Four tiny translucent containers with different liquids within. When her thrall arrives at the stone of departure up the tunnel, he sees the wounded dwarf avoiding a delusive attack from an asabi stingtail that would most probably never move again, and then standing there for a while, analizing the meaninglessness of his own action. "By Ellah, y'r not feel'ng good 't-all." He comes closer to Harold and takes him by the hand, watching him with concern. "Thes' m'nst'rs c'n g've a heat'strike t'rugh a w'und wit' t'eyr t'yl. I s'rprised it c'd happ'n twice bef're y' g't it... y'r a strong on', thank Ellah!" The bedine looks up in the sky, and opens his mouth. His teeth seem to grow and change shape to those of a wolf, as a few heavy drops of slaiva fall from his mouth onto some of Hrold's wounds. The saliva boils on the wounds, but instead of hurting, it makes the pain dissapear; when the boiling stops, most wounds are no more. {Harold is cured for 9 hp.} The bedine's teeth return to normal, and he looks back at his "pacient". "I s'ry, mel'rd c'nnae r'peat th's..." He pools out of his shoulderbag several bands of clean cloth and a bottle of some sour-smelling liquid, washes the remaining wounds, and bandages them {Harold is cured for 2 hp.} "H're, t'll h'lp; y'll be bett'r soon... c'm, melr'd" The thrall walks together with harold, making sure to be around him should the poison kick in again. *** Far to the west, though not nearly as far as before, several gratefull howls can be heard across the desert... In praise of the ancient, unbreakable bonds, which not even concerns of Good and Evil could ever disrupt. . .
kulideb 10-10-03, 05:09 PM	The spell worked. Laurie pushed through the wall. She stopped to look around. A strange sound of rock moving made her look up, she quickly moved back a few steps. Looking up at were the rock had come from she could see a stair way. A slight breeze stired her hair, the breeze came from along the passage way. She wasnt sure which way to go but knew that she had better move soon before some one came. She was drawn to the feel of the breeze and carefully made her way along the passage...
N.Y. Wench 10-10-03, 09:06 PM	Mokhicara desides the necklass fits her perfectly and goes well with her shoulderplate, but is all too brilliant like it was some surface-dweller's jewel. She layes her other findings on the ground infront of her and begins rubbing the necklass against the cave's floor, trying to dull its shining down. "We shall now analize this scum's salvage; Shall see who has use for what; Shall se who will have what. Hope in the bottles are potions, not his children. Still theyr children too, if consumed, can protect us from theyr minds. Rorbert; you are a greate warior, of whatever cause you serve. I admire your work here." She means the illithid she sits on, asuming that the ogre-man killed him without geting cought. At first she did suppose that Robert's brain had representatives in the flayer's stomach, but she saw no tentacle marks on her loud companion's forehead...
Gene_Kynes 10-10-03, 09:20 PM	Darvin stirs. "I told you...I ne'er stole a thin' in my life..." He mumbles this...and with a start, he rapier is pointing upwards, impaling a part of Ramoth's robe...even before his eyes open. "Oh....uh...'iya, Ramoth..." He gets up, as if nothing happened at all. Sheathing his rapier, he checks his hand crossbow, loading another Lip into it. "Did we get th'bastards, Rob? Ugh...I...really...really screwed up, eh? Didn't expect your spell t'be that much of a rip-off, you know? Expected it to act at least a lil'longer..." Running a hand through his hair, the man then grins in the way only he could...a mixture of boyish roguishness, as he looks around..his eyes slowly adjusting to the light...or lack of it.
Harold Crestdragon 10-10-03, 09:49 PM	"Hey, guys, I need to rest, I think. One of the ugly snake-man stung me pretty badly. I can still feel the pain in my veins, by Moradin! I'm so sick I...I saw...no, nevermind. "said I, approaching the other adventurers. I sat heavily on the rocky ground, trying to relieve my painstruck legs of their sufferings. "how will we get out of here, now?"
N.Y. Wench 10-10-03, 10:40 PM	"There are multiple corridors leading away. We will analize them after rest. See if any of this draws your eye and hand..." Mokhicara gestures to her weary protector at the "treasures" she took from the Mind-Flayer. "For rest we must put guard to each corridor. I don't trust the beast alone. I don't forsee danger from above. The one from whence we came can be left. And make someone attend that fallen steed. Someone either aid or finish it. No use of him down here, but still better hail or dead, than crippled."
Drindin 10-10-03, 10:52 PM	Originally posted by Gene_Kynes Darvin stirs. "I told you...I ne'er stole a thin' in my life..." He mumbles this...and with a start, he rapier is pointing upwards, impaling a part of Ramoth's robe...even before his eyes open. "Oh....uh...'iya, Ramoth..." He gets up, as if nothing happened at all. Sheathing his rapier, he checks his hand crossbow, loading another Lip into it. "Did we get th'bastards, Rob? Ugh...I...really...really screwed up, eh? Didn't expect your spell t'be that much of a rip-off, you know? Expected it to act at least a lil'longer..." Running a hand through his hair, the man then grins in the way only he could...a mixture of boyish roguishness, as he looks around..his eyes slowly adjusting to the light...or lack of it. Robert shrugged. "NOt sure why, either. Looks like things is different here." Robert motioned to the tiger. "I was aimin' for chaos beasts, instead I got the lion thing. Kinda cool, though. At least it could drag you in here without turnin' you into an amorphic blob."
N.Y. Wench 10-10-03, 11:21 PM	Concluding the surfacers are too slow to comprehend her orders by now the Ambassador desides to give them time and gets up murmuring something about "Oh allright what is it with her?"... She comes to Ramoth and sees if she can help her get up. "If you get more than you were to take, (or as much as you're'a take but don't feel you did enough to deserve it) then look for a trap. Come you deserve a part of the salvage as much as any of the others, come see if something can be usefull to you."
Ramoth 10-11-03, 09:39 AM	Finally shakin off the dizziness Ramoth assures Robert she is well. She starts to stand when the Ambassodor starts giving orders again. She rolls her eyes with a sigh and says "I don't need any of that CREATURES (Said with some disgust) ill gotten loot. I'll look after the horse." She walks over to the horse to check it's wound and see if it's savable. While she does this she debates about the energy boast she got... o O(That much power might mean there is a lot of life forms some where close. Well one things for sure next time I tap for energy I'll contain it to on area, not a general out pouring. Anyone with even a glimmer of talent could have heard the noise my mistake made from miles away...Grandfather would be disspleased.) She sits at the horses head and looks into it's eyes, the horse immediately calms down. She starts gathering a little energy from just her compainions and directing it into the horse..... ((She can either heal the horse this way, or ease it out of it's suffering by simply turning off it's mind.....))
Drindin 10-11-03, 12:50 PM	Robert stood up, and looked around the cavern. "I despise this place... I just got out, and now I'm back in here." He seemed very uncomfortable in the cavern... such closed quarters rarely did him much good.
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 10-11-03, 05:27 PM	Kulideb's steps bring her to a tunnel leading to the right. Turning there, she feels the energy that was holding her back is no longer percistant here - she left its range. Eventually the passage leads her to a wide cave, where she sees six humanoids, five of which are obvious surface-dwellers, two horses, a cammel, and something burning so bright, that it takes her eyes quite a while before she gets used to look at it, after the underdark's usual darkness. {I don't wanna annoy the others by reposting the cave's description a third time, so just read the description given when Rob&Ram arrived at the cave, if you haven't yet.} The burning, golden thing seems to be a heavenly anymal of some sort, and it stands with it's back to Laurien, looking into a wide tunnel set in the opposit wall. Much narroer passages can be seen in the same wall from which Lauriie's own tunnel led her: two at her left, and one at her right {when she stands with her back to that wall}. The people she sees seem to know eachother. One of them, the only that seems native to these deep caves, sits on something and looks at different objects scattered at his feet, rubbing something against the floor; aproximately in the cave's middle. Next to him is a Shield dwarf in magnificent, dragon-ornamented plate armor. At the cave's right, where the native one seemed to walk and shortly return, is a beautyfull woman of silvery hair and robes, and by her side - a very large, but less-than-handsome man, who seems unnerved. The woman walks to one of the horses, whose front legs appear broken, and crouches next to him. Betuin her current position and the dwarf, Laurie can see a good-looking human rising from the floor and talking to the other man. *** Ramoth can see that the horse is far from dying... unless, ofcourse, she wishes to leave him this way for a day and see what happens. His front legs are both broken, and his ribcage damaged, but the legs took most of the impact, and the heart and lungs are relatively safe. She could probably heal it, and still have enough energy to return into her true form for as long as she wants, and still maintain enough to power some very usefull tricks. Mokhicara finds out that no matter how long she "polishes" the necklace, it doesn't dull down! She is well strong enough to remove the rude, unnerving shine from any such piece of slver with emeralds, but this one seems to unexplainably resist any such attempts... Her thrall meanwhile begins to sniff the bottles, murmuring "N't annyt'ing gr'esome, j'st heal'ng; d'ffinat'ly n'rmal heal'ng wot'r..." Harold, left near the Illithid's equipment, slowly begins to feel rested. His confusion is obviously no more, and although he still feels as if he became several decades older, and probably wouldn't mind taking a long nap after the crazy day, he's largely at full strength. Suddenly, both he and Darvin are able to see a humanoid figure appearing in the second {from the left} tunnel's opening. It seems to be a female, dressed mainly in brown, with a white tunic and a red girdle or sash. The nine coins which earlier fell from Robert's pouch are now scattered around his feet, but one of them still stands on its side, refusing to fall flat. It begins to roll towards the second tunnel, and now Robert too can see the newcomer. The other eight coins seem to ring, althoguh it's been more than a while since they hit the floor. Exept Robert, only Darvin can hear this ringing sound, however, and only the two of them can clearly see the ninth coin rolling.
Gene_Kynes 10-11-03, 06:52 PM	"Heh. Thank Sune, Sharess, an' Olidammra for your lil'magic problem. I'd rather not be all...blobby..." He looks to Ramoth... "Hey...Ram, is Red Hare alright? I mean...she..." He heard it, right after a single lash of the wind. Breathing that didn't belong to any of those present. In blurred motion, one that life on the Crimson Road had taught him...he had turned to face the feminine figure, hand crossbow drawn and eyes narrowed. A Lotus Lip was loaded, the maddening flower's poison invisible to sight. " 'Lo. An' who might you be?" His voice was calm, compared to his actions...as he slowly walked towards the figure, his eyes adjusting to the darkness well...but not well enough to discern delicate features. But still enough to hit the target...if need be.
Drindin 10-11-03, 07:35 PM	Robert pulled out his mace, his eyes narrowing at the woman. "Another surface dweller, eh? Think she might be after you, darvin?"
Gene_Kynes 10-12-03, 01:01 AM	"If it's one of my devoted fans from Cormyr...I'll handle it. I've got plenty of hot kisses to blow." He grins at this, as he pulls something from the lining of his cloak...a bright red crossbow bolt, and slips it behind his ear, the Crossbow not moving from the priestess of Sune.
Drindin 10-12-03, 01:04 AM	"Hey, don't kill her yet, I have a poem to tell her." ((I can't take credit for the poem, I heard it on the movie Identity)) "Yesterday I went up the stairs, And met a man who wasn't there. I went up them once again to day, I wish I wish he'd just go away." ((If kulideb doesn't mind)) Robert attempts to go around behind her and pin her, not at all a difficult task.
Gene_Kynes 10-12-03, 01:15 AM	Darvin aimed the Hand Crossbow at Robert, suddenly...if he can, while the cleric is in mid-stride. "Freeze it, Rob'. We're waiting for a response, not tryin' t'wrestle a potential. I can aim, but not fire this thing. You can't "Aim, but not fire" a grapple, mate." He sighed...seemingly at nothing at all. He hoped...that they'd meet a rogue somewhere along the way. Rob was great, but didn't quite have the touch of finesse. The light dwarf was great, too...but same problem. The dark dwarf had as much finesse as a Dread Lord on a runaway carriage! Ramoth...really was out of the question, and the slave was close, but...still, seemed to have an affinity for the outside. He silently chuckled. He scolded himself for being so...picky. Hells...if this one didn't end up being against them, she couldn't be a rogue, not with her obvious manifest. The life of the Outlaw...wasn't all it was publicized by bards to be...
kulideb 10-12-03, 04:42 AM	Laurie stood silent for a while watching the group of six in front of her. Well, nothing ventured nothing gained she muttered to her self. She took a step forward to gauge the reaction of the group, first making sure she had a few protective spell ready..just in case. A good looking man (may be also a follower of Sune, she thought to her self), steped forward to speak to her at the same time as an half ogre? tried to come behind her, after first reciting a poem. The good looking man had his cross bow leveled at her. A smile played across her face, may be they are as lost as me she thought to her self. "Well met, good folk." she said holding her hands out to her sides to show they were empty.
Ramoth 10-12-03, 10:36 AM	Ramoth heals the horse then stands. She then moves over to where Darvin is standing to try and see what has him and Robert defensive when suddenly a woman comes out of the shadows from another tunnel they had explored yet....Ramoth stands quietly, slightly behind Darvin as she gathers a little of the energy she didn't use and prepares it for an attack spell in case she needs it.......
kulideb 10-12-03, 04:30 PM	"I didnt mean to startle you." said Laurie "My name is Laurie." She then went on to explain how she had ended up here. First about the attack on her caravan, then her escape from the cell. While she talked to she looked at the group in more detail, her one hand playing with the end of a red sash around her waist while the other stayed still at her side. She really hoped she wouldnt need the spell she had ready or of the sash.
Gene_Kynes 10-12-03, 07:25 PM	"Hmm." He steps even closer to the follower of Sune...eyes narrowed. Despite his open trust to the others...this new arrival still needed his trust. The Hand Crossbow remains aimed at her midsection, refusing to move...until Darvinthen smiles widely. "A follower of th'Lady, aye?" The Hand Crossbow then aims at the ground, loosely. "Welcome, Laurie. M'heart is saddened by th'fate of your caravan..and your capture...but 'least your out of it, ah?" He then gives a deep bow, as if sealing his declaration of trust to her, and the others. If she offers his hand, his presses his lips to it lightly...another fragmented memory of decorum from the pane of House Eventide. "I'm Darvin, th'big guy's Robert. Don't worry, he's one o'th'best blokes y'can get on your side. Th'lovely lady o'er there's Ramoth, an' th'two Dwarves are...er...Miss Ambassador, an'...I...forgot...th'Bodyguard's name...but he's a great guy too. Th'desert man's a..." He spits the words out, as if venom...a ritual often used by him at times. "...thrall of the dark dwarf. He's not zombie-like, mind you, jus' insanely loyal. Oh...an' sorry 'veryone, if I got your names wrong...an' if y'minded me takin' th'liberty of 'introducing you all..." He then gives that same smile that held attempted charm to the rest of the group, loosely crossing his arms...
Drindin 10-12-03, 10:41 PM	Robert Chuckles, "Aye, thought you might o' been one o' Darvin's devoted fans from Cormyr." With that, he walks up beside her, patting her hard on the back, which would've knocked the breath out of a dwarf!
Ramoth 10-12-03, 10:58 PM	Ramoth slowly releases the energy as Darvin introduces everyone. With a smile she walks away from the welcoming commity and starts to look at the other tunnels, particuarly the ones that she feels the energy had come from. o O(Well we can't go back the way we came in, and that Laurie's story means the way she came would be useless....Maybe I can find something to help us pick the right tunnel)
kulideb 10-13-03, 09:08 AM	Laurie offered Darvin a well manicured hand. She just had time to brace herself for the slap on the back from Robert but even so it knocked her forward a few steps. "well met to all of you." said Larurie letting go of the end of the sash. "Would you mind if I travelled with you all? Truth be told I have no love of tunnels and caves. I prefer the beauty of the surface."
Gene_Kynes 10-13-03, 04:09 PM	Darvin catches the woman before she crashes into her shoulder. He then steps back when she gets up, lightly smiling. "Heh. The dunes are kind of...hypnotically beautiful, but you won't find much beaty up there otherwise. We still need a plan to get out of here, really." "But...I wouldn't really mind. It'd be nice to be in th'company of a maiden such as y'self. But...I can't 'member what spells Suneites could cast as a speciality...but...th'more th'merrier, no?" His Hand Crossbow returns to it's holster, and the red bolt is slipped inside his shirt quickly. With a yawn and a stretch, he falls silent, awaiting any ideas.
kulideb 10-13-03, 04:30 PM	Laurie was glad that Darvin had caught her. "There is some thing about the dunes, but yes I have been to better places." She looks around the cave she is now in, there still seemed to be a few exits left open to them. She then focuses her attenttion back to Darvin. "I'm more of a mage that follows Sune than one of her clerics." She starts to carefully walk around to look at a tunnel exit, wrinkling her nose in disgust at the remains of the ilithid.
Harold Crestdragon 10-13-03, 05:37 PM	o O ( A...mage? One of the rotten betrayers, one of these weak, pathetic mind, who prefers to work the way of facility and repose instead of working sturdily, enduring pain and growing through such experiences. No wonder most of them finish with their skin like their parchments, crooked as their insane morals.) I stood up, despite the poison still weakening my body. I walked heavily to Mokhicara's side, a meat shield between her and any potential attacks the arcanist could send, and crossed my arms over my chest.
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 10-15-03, 03:43 PM	As Darvin speaks of the thrall, the latter smiles curvely, almost mimicring Darvin's own sugnature smile, and walks towards Laurie, bowing to her. "I'm Akhul S'ara, a p'thfind'r fr'm above... b't evev wh're Ellah c'nnae be seen, i hop' i c'n still s'rve both' h'r and my M'stress Mokhic'rra." He speaks amiably, but sais nothing of reassuring content. Probably he doesn't belive himself to be in position of speaking for the party. The coin has made a U-turn around Laurie's feet, and begins rolling towards Ramoth. The latter remembers that the energy came mainly from whence Laurie now came {and the greate crushing sound seemed to center there as well}, but also from the rightmost cavern. {#2 & #4 on the scheme at the ooc thread} Akhul probably doesn't notice the rolling coin, but the eight coins which Robert haven't noticed {?} falling are drawing his attention. He turns to the priest: "S'r Rubby, if y've no need of y'r scatt'r'd coin, p'rhaps I c'd gath'r it..." He bows in respect, but with a lifted eyebrow.
kulideb 10-15-03, 03:52 PM	Laurie bows in return to Akhul, noticing the the way he looks. "Look, I dont know if you want to go and look at the way I came from. I might have missed some thing." She said to the group as a whole. She then waited to see what they wanted to do.
Drindin 10-17-03, 09:24 AM	Robert snaps back to the real world, and simply nods. "Be my guest... don't think I'll be needing coin down here." Robert began to walk by the tunnels, looking for anything strange that he may have missed the first time... or simply fogotten...
N.Y. Wench 10-17-03, 10:00 PM	"Good, Akhul, what is the ointment for? Hardrold, take the remedies. Sorceress, can you decipher this scroll? Lioncaller, do you know what this thing is used for?" she indicates the round... glass... object. Then she realizes everyone are talking to someone and addressed Laurie too: "I am Ambassador Mokhicara of Gmitmold. This is Protector Hardrold the Krestadragond of Azirrhat. And this Akhul the Bedine of S'arra is our folower. We are on a quest to reach understanding, and eventually sign a treaty for mutually-beneficiant coexistance and cooperation betuin the Grey and the Self-Rightous. These humans are Ramroth, Drarvin, and Rorbert." Mokhicara pauses only to get a little air. (She don't need much air anyway!) Then she lifts her eyes to see the new comer. "You do not belong here. We comprehend that you wish to be above. What is in the passage you came of, and how have you came to be there?" After some thought the duer realizes she was too pushing so she adds: "Help yourself to anything lying before me. None of us showed interrest."
kulideb 10-18-03, 05:27 AM	Laurie was amazed that any one could say so much with out stopping to breath. She explained to the ambassador about her cell being a dead end, but as the ceiling had fallen in and opened up a hole it might be worth taking a look. And no her family was quite well off so she didnt need any of the things on the floor. "yes I would like to get back to the surface, ambassador, but as I am alone I think I would be safer staying with all of you, if no one minds?"
Ramoth 10-18-03, 09:50 AM	She first checks the tunnel nearest to her, but feels strangely drawen to tunnel #4. She looks into it relizing that this is one of the two tunnels where the most energy came from. The second was where Laurie now stands. Then the ambassador issues another set of orders. Rolling her eyes, Ramoth decides to follow orders this once, mostly because she was interested in the scroll. As she starts to walk over she notices something moving on the floor... It's a coin, rolling on it's own, apperantly towards her. Ramoth watches it, fasinated that it seems to keep moving on it's own...... ((She is now standing with her back to tunnel 4 watching the coin come towards her.))
Harold Crestdragon 10-18-03, 01:15 PM	"...if no one minds?" That unique sentence, this lantern in the blackest tunnel, was my only chance of preventing her from ever joining us. Yet, I was no speaker. Our speaker was the one at my side, Mokhicara of Gmitold. Yet, I have not forgot that she was a Grey, a duergar. A strange creature, used to the practice of distateful magic. She would probably not be hindered by the newcomer's presence. I would ave to speak for myself. "And..if someone do?"
Oturan 10-18-03, 05:31 PM	Oturan cuts the throat of the stingtail leader. "I'll ask again, ruffruff where did the humans go?!" A smaller asabi yapps and throws a pack of knives towards Oturan. The knives miss and hit a nearby cave wall. "I guess you are too persistent to be interrogated. Too bad, I usually spare the lives of the smaller kin." And before any Laerti could react, Oturan unshethes 2 scrolls and immediately reads the first. He is momentarily surrounded by blue flames; all the asabi that were close to him were ignited on the spot and went screaming with pain. Their torsoes became completely frozen. "And now, for the finishing touch..." Oturan reads the second scroll and points on the ground below him. Then, a wild burst of flame erupted, engulfing all the learti in the cave. Oturan was the only one left standing. "I hate to track humans, it is soo RUFF humiliating. Damn those lizards." ...time slowly passes... "And now what?!" Exclaims Oturan, looking at the large cave-in infront of him.
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 10-18-03, 06:17 PM	As Ramoth walks towards Mokhicara, the latter can hear another thought: ~And now-whouww what?! As to the coin, it is now visible to all, but in Robert's eyes it glows in gold much stronger than the beast he summoned! Other than that, he finds nothing new about the cavern entrances. Darvin can see the glow too, but much more weakly, as if he was looking at it through half-closed eyes AND a dark glass. The coin rolls in 8-shaped patterns around Laurie's feet, and then begins rolling towards the lying coins, which Akhul quickly abandons when he sees it rolling. He returns to his mistress' side, and sniffs the ointment. "D'nt know, m'ly'ge... It d'esn't smell at all!" Given some thought, Laurie's description of the collapsing cieling seems oddly familiar to both Harold and Mokhicara...
kulideb 10-19-03, 06:30 AM	Laurie looks at harold. "I was being polite, but I will try to stay out of your way." Laurie was distracted by the coin rolling along the floor. She moved forward to pick it up.
N.Y. Wench 10-19-03, 09:12 PM	Mokhicara hears the thought and assumes it to come from the half-elfess magician. Harold's suspicion is justified, if so, but he lacks diplomacy. She contacts him telepathically: ~She can be a greater threat if let out of sight. We will mimic hospitality to keep her in short chains reach. While she comunicates with Harold, her eyes are expressionlessly set on the new comer. The she speaks to her "My guardinal's question did not imply you are unwellcome." Now seeing the dull coin rolling around the sharear's feet she sends another telepathic to Robert ~What is this for?
Drindin 10-19-03, 10:27 PM	Robert stared at the coin. "What the...?" He looked at Ramoth. "What are you doing? How are you making it glow so brightly... heck, even those lion-things don't glow THAT bright..."
Ramoth 10-20-03, 08:48 AM	Ramoth looks at Robert strangly. "I'm not doing anything. What glow? And I figured you where making it move."
kulideb 10-21-03, 07:19 AM	Instead of picking the coin up Laurie knocks it with her boot. "Do you think we can chose which way to go now?"
Drindin 10-21-03, 11:42 PM	Robert looked around. He looked at the cave with the phosphoresent mold. "Does any one know what's down there?"
Harold Crestdragon 10-24-03, 09:36 AM	"There's not billions of ways to learn it."I said, untying my chain from my belt and advancing resolutly toward the tunnels.
kulideb 10-24-03, 04:06 PM	"Good we are going to move, now which way" Laurie said. She kept tapping the coin with her foot, while she waited for the others to chose a tunnel.
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 10-24-03, 04:23 PM	Laurie's attempts to knock the coin down failed. Each time it's knocked down, it rises again, and keeps rolling. After a couple of times that Laurie {or others} tried to catch or kick it, it began rolling in hemispherical patterns back and forth along the northern wall, the one with the four tunnels.
kulideb 10-24-03, 04:45 PM	Laurie looked down at the coin, it was starting to puzzle her and she didnt like not knowing things. She began to speak in a quite voice the words old, a faint glow began around the coin as she cast a detect evil spell at the coin...
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 10-24-03, 05:51 PM	... and found it as innocent as a sleeping unicorn.
Ramoth 10-25-03, 11:51 AM	Ramoth looks at the coins movements for a while then makes a decision. She walks to one of the tunnels the coin is rolling around and stands in it's entrance, watching to see what the coin does. ((Tunnel four again))
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 10-25-03, 12:42 PM	The coin's movement doesn't change. It still makes the pendulum-like orbit along the nothern wall. Ramoth can faintly smell fresh blood.
kulideb 10-26-03, 05:27 AM	Laurie looked over to the others, "That coin is starting to give me the creeps, please could we pick a tunnel?" She then went over to Ramoth. "You keep coming to the entrance of this tunnel my lady, do you think we should go down there?"
N.Y. Wench 10-26-03, 06:30 PM	"Rorbert was correct. We mustn't go from one danger to a fouler one. This shaft is obviously stinking of mind-flayers." Mokhicara walks to the wide shaft, commanding - "Move." - when she passes near the tastelessly bright shining beast. She calls for her thrall to where she stands. "Scratch some of the dye. Only from one side. We want to see see one copy. It may be a map or a warding glyph. Use it to mark the way to the surface with a sun symbol. Mark the one where the halfbreed came from with a flower symbol. Still, it is candidate for exploration as well. Sorceress, Halfbreed, you stare at this tunnel. What about it? You want it marked so we can remember? What symbol do you deem apropriate?"
Ramoth 10-26-03, 11:06 PM	With a sigh of frustration Ramoth looks at the ambassador and says "Look Ambassador, I am not a Sorceress nor have I ever claimed to be one. Please stop calling me that. And this tunnel? Well I don't know about anyone else but I don't want to go down there, something doesn't seem right about it." She looks briefly back at the tunnel behind her again, sniffing the air lightly. Faintly, ever so faintly, she detects blood in the air coming from that tunnel, and it smells fresh. She chooses not to tell anyone, keeping the information for herself as she walks over to one of the other tunnels that no one is currently at.
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 10-27-03, 01:11 AM	Akhul obeies, after admiring the "aslan" figure for a few moments, and fith some effort scratches all the green stuff off the left wall. He walks and marks tunnel #3 with an arch and excentric lines from it, tunnel #2 with a circle surrounded by attached hemispheres, and then listens to Ramoth, and marks tunnel #4 with an "X". Tunnels #1, #2, and #3 are currently unocupied, and the DM can't choose for ramoth, but has a strange feeling that most chars will make the choice in her stead, if she would but consult them IC. The coin's course still doesn't change, and its glow is still mighty enough for Robert to see almost as well as in daylight, and for Darvin to see as if the coin was a small lantern or torch. Everyone see the coin rolling, but to them it doesn't appear to glow at all. The other 8 coins, which Robert and Darvin could earlier hear ringing, now seize ringing gradually, and lye still, as normal coins should. {Robert gained +1 insight bonus to all saving throws. Don't ask why.}
Drindin 10-27-03, 01:56 AM	Robert shields his eyes from the glow of the coin, "Holy geez! That coins bright! I can see bright as day down here!"
kulideb 10-28-03, 03:29 AM	"I agree we shouldnt just go marching blind down any old tunnel, but we should move the longer we wait the greater the chance of something finding us here." said Laurie "The tunnel I came from was a dead end, but a large slab of rock fell from the roof making an opening, it wouldnt take us long to go back and have a look at it." ((tunnel 2))
Ramoth 10-28-03, 09:56 AM	Ramoth moves to tunnel two and looks down it, sniffing the air. She looks back at Laurie. "I think I agree with her, lets pick a tunnel and enter it. I'm all for trying this one."
N.Y. Wench 10-29-03, 12:15 AM	Mokhicara thinks shortly about what Robert said, but she herself can always see bright as day in the underdark. She walks in the direction of the now flower marked tunnel where Laurie came from and Ramoth now stands. "I will call you Ram'ot, then. Now, before we enter. Is any of you resourcefull enough to have use for the climbing gear, to deceipher this piece of parchment, or define the use of this glass orb?" Though not usually bearing much exept determination and confidence in her voice, this time Mokhicara seems to also express frustration. Robert and Ramoth and even ehr own guardian smoothly ignored her words, and she couldn't expect her slave to do everything in stead of them
kulideb 10-29-03, 09:23 AM	"I used to go climbing but it was a long time ago," Laurie said with a far away look in her eye, she sighs then goes over to Mokhicara to look at the parchment. "Its a bit dirty, I wonder how old it is? it could be from Netheril,or just a shopping list." She steps closer to look at the papyrus, she twirls a strand of hair around her finger as she studies the symbols upon the parchment.
Gene_Kynes 10-31-03, 03:47 PM	(( Sorry all! I'll just play off darvin's delay as a long moment of...thinking.)) With a very, very discomforting, almost ambushing presence, Darvin stepped up next to the Cleric of Sune, arms crossed lightly as he examined the script, traces of ancient Waterdhavian mentalist words flowing through his mind. "Each letter in an alphabet has it's own...personality. Using that, we can anchor the vague words to our own perspective." (( Darv's a pretty good Script Decipherer, if that helps. Trained to be a man of refinement, ended up an outlaw. Heh.))
kulideb 10-31-03, 04:32 PM	Laurie welcomed Darvins help, as they looked at the parchment. "I think I have worked it out but a second opinion is always welcomed." She traced a few of the strange letters with her finger. "I think its a destructive type spell, what do you think?"
Ramoth 11-02-03, 09:31 AM	Ramoth sighs and decides to take a look at the glass orb. She looks into it as Mokhicara holds it. She mumbles something under her breath and a tiny flame appears in her hand, which she then moves to the other side of the orb as she peers into it. She keeps mumbling, the flame changing colors as she looks for some reaction from the orb. When she's done with that she moves back to tunnel two, and without a further word starts entering it, slowly looking around as she does, trying to find anything that may hint of traps or trouble.
kulideb 11-02-03, 09:39 AM	Laurie tucked the scroll into her bag. "Emm I think its to make earthquakes, Do you mind if I keep it?" Without waiting for an answer she follows Ramoth to the tunnel. "I think its worth a look, any one else comming?" she asks the rest of the group. She walked in to the tunnel entrance and spoke to Ramoth. "I didnt trigger any traps when I came along here, but I guess there could still be some."
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 11-02-03, 10:52 AM	The flame fails to actually touch the orb, and if brought close, it just remains in infinicimal distance, but never actually touches the glass. When looking at the flame through the glass, Ramoth can't see the flame. She can't see the shining coin either, if she looks at it through the glass. She can see her hand, and everything else, though much darker than normally, but the orb seems to filter out any form of strong light, alowing anything or anyone kept within it to enjoy the same darkness one would enjoy in an unlit underground hall... As she and Laurie enter the tunnel together, Laurie sees it hadn't changed. A thin narrow passage to the left leads to the space where Laurie was confined, and the huge piece of rock, which fell from above, rises diagonally from there to the right and up. Where it fell from is now a natural-looking neich, and should anyone climb the rock, they could examine the oposit wall. The rock itself is about teh size of Ramoth... and i don't mean the alternative shape in which she is now. *** The Preacher had been here for quite some time. He remembers being hired as a scout for some sembian Caravan that was going to pass through the Plane of Standing Stones and then the Sword. He remmebers the doughter of the carvan's owner, with whom he had a few ocasions to speak. And he remembers theyr caravan being attacked, destroied, and from there he only had tiny glimpses of awakened conceousness filled with headach. The truely alien design of these cave walls, which at first glance seem natural and unworked, just won't fit with his kidnappers, who slew 95% of her caravan, and took the others {himself inclueded} away. Those were Assabi, known as Laerti outsiode of the desert. He had to deal with these eery lizardly creatures before on several ocasions. Betuin these, however, he remembers seeing others: a gnome and a halfling, atleast three humans, and atleast two gnolls, one of which female. He woke up here, from hearing a deafening, earthquakelike BOOM all around him here, only a few minutes ago. It is a dead-end cavern, and he seems to be held close to the dead end by an invisible wall of force. He remmebers that in his waking periods he saw peopl coming in, and taking soem of the others - now he seems to be the only one left in this cavern. He never saw the caravan-owner's doughter brought here or taken from here, and he did get a peek of virtually every one of the few faces that were imprisoned along with him. He still has a strong headach.
Drindin 11-02-03, 03:40 PM	ON an impulse, and for no obvious reason, robert grabs the coin, and starts heading down tunnel number (whatever the coin was infront of at the time) holding the coin ahead of himself as a sort of torch, motioning for the lion to join him. "let's see what's down here then..."
ThePreacher 11-02-03, 04:48 PM	With an aching head, The entrapped traveller tries to stand on his feet. He fails a couple of times, but eventually manages to pull him self up, holding onto a bulge in the rocky wall, against which he was leaning a few moments ago. Looking around, he's not able to make out any odd or abnormal patterns in the walls around him, And the strange magical barrier, which blocks his way out, seems to make his head spin and sight blur whenever he tries to step through. With no other choice but to wait for his headache to disappear, his mind to clear, and his strength to regenerate, the lone ranger sits down, back against the wall, and closes his eyes... Trying to remember... Trying...
kulideb 11-02-03, 04:57 PM	Laurie heard Robert move to the other tunnel. "I really think we should stick together," she called out to him. "It shouldnt take to long to look down here." She then wondered if she should really be speaking so loud, she twirled her hair round her finger, while waiting to see if Robert would join them.
Krissy 11-02-03, 04:59 PM	Robert called back to them. "Then why don't you follow!" Before continuing on.
kulideb 11-02-03, 05:04 PM	Great! thought Laurie we finally move, but not the same way! "well two of us are here all ready!" She shouted back. "If you come here we can check out the gap left by the fallen rock quicker!" Dam she had shouted out again.
Drindin 11-06-03, 06:34 PM	"Wouldn't do much good." he said, now leaning on the wall, looking up. "I don't think I'd help searching the gap, so much as hamper!" He said, jokingly.
N.Y. Wench 11-06-03, 06:35 PM	Mokhicara follows the two ladies, but remains far behind them, so she can have time to run out of the #2 tunnel back to the "main hall" if anything happens to the two who walk ahead
Harold Crestdragon 11-06-03, 09:35 PM	I closely followed Mokhicara, ready to realize my duty at any cost.
Ramoth 11-06-03, 10:00 PM	Continuing down the tunnel Ramoth soon finds the hole in the ceiling and the rocks that lead up to it. "Is this the Rock that fell in?" Not waiting for an answer she starts to climb. After finishing her climb she smiles to herself. o O (Now I know how Zayle feels everytime he has to climb onto my back.) She looks around the area she had entered using her dragon nightvision to see all the details she could pick up before the others showed up.
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 11-07-03, 01:47 AM	The Preacher's headach slowly passes, replaced by random flashbacks from the recent events. Now that an hour or two passed, he can easily {though wearily} stand on his feet, but the barrier still pushes him back to his wall, if he tries to force it. *** Robert's attempt to pick the coin up fails, no matter how much he tries. The coin avoids each of his move by an inch, but doesn't seem to move very quickly. Eventually he's able to notice that the coin is pretty agreable: it begins rolling into the tunnel where he was about to head anyway. It is the same tunenel #4, marked with an X, which Ramoth was reluctant to enter. The coin was closest to its entrance when Robert's attempts at catching it began. Now it rolls infront of him, lighting up the way. The lion leaves his gurading position, and speeds across the cavern, reaching Robert's side in a few magnificent leaps. While the coin's glow is only visible to two, the lion's own nymbus is obvious to everyone, and thus tunnel #4 is well iluminated for everyone. As they proceed, Robert can notice that the walls grow less natural as they proceed. It almost looks still natural, but something is wrong. He never saw geological formations that lay this way, it seems as though someone interfered with the way these walls formed, and maybe even purposedly so. Robert can also notice the distant smell of fresh blood from here. The lion was sniffing the walls and floor from the moment he reached the tunnel's entrance - he obviously noticed the smell even earlier. One of the eight coins left on the floor rises in the same maner as the one Robert follows. {The latter is deep within the X-marked tunnel, however, and only Darvin can see the beutyfull and unnatural shine of this one.} It rolls towards Darvin's feet and stands betuin them, only slightly moving back and forth. At one moment it rolls towards the rightmost tunnel for two or three meters, but then returns to where Darvin stands, and continues to "hide" betuin his boots. Due to her exchange of words with the priest, Laurie's pace was slower than her silverhaired companion, and by now she only reached the place where the streight tunnel ends, and the narrow passage leading to the right, and into the corner where she was incarcerated, begins. So far, nothing seemed to change here. Avoiding assumptions and practicing utter carefullness, Mokhicara is only at the very entrance to tunnel #2, a mere couple of meters past the flower marking. She can see the lion leaving its post and darting into Robert's chosen tunnel, while Harold rises heavily and comes after her, as opposed to the beast. There isn't much else to say about Harold: sadly, he seems to maintain a low profile. Very low profile, even. Somewhere around the 24 mark. Ramoth reaches the top of the boulder, and to her greate saticefection, at the neich from which this mass probably fell, she easily finds... nothing. It would take her true form to actually feel the cieling's curves, while plane site revelas only more smooth monolyth. If she looks up, that is. However looking forward is a different matter; the top "stair" of this rock, where she now stands, is tightly pressed to the both walls {northern and eastern, i. e. the upper and the right walls if you use the OOC scheme; to climb it you went eastwards}, and the eastern one {opposed to the one near which Laurie was confined} has a kennel-like pathway leading further eastwards. It is archlike, and about the size suitable for a medium dog to path through. A human, elf, or halfling could walk it on four, a dwarf or bigger human could crawl on his belly, a gnome could pass it bending, et c. Ramoth still has the lightproof orb in her posession, and is yet to tell the others {or not to} of what she found out.
ThePreacher 11-07-03, 02:13 AM	Realizing that his situation is very desperate, extremely desperate if you're a realist, The Preacher tries hard to think of a solution to his dillema... A way out of this damn magic confined cell must exist... There is ALWAYS a way out. After a few moments of pondering, the ranger pulls out his long sword from behind his back. After mumblin a few words in elven, he swings the sword and slash - attacks the magic barrier. After seeing that doesn't work, he tries to slowly thrust the sword through the magical curtain... the barier bends a little, but does not let the sword go through it... The magical barrier seems to be very strong. Angry and thrustrated, the preacher takes a few steps back, and while running, tries to thrust the sword through the magical barrier with all his strength.
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 11-07-03, 02:55 AM	The sword itself passed relatively easily through the barrier, but never helped its wielder to pass. The barrier seems to either respond to greater mass much more than to lesser, or to living matter much more than to lifeless objects. When The Preacher attempts his desperate charge, for the first moments it actually seems to work: the barrier bends under his strength, and he manages to make a couple steps, which then become harder and harder, untill the frocefield becomes almost soplid against the charging body. Then it proceeds to retaliate. The human is throws several meters in the air, head over heels, and lands his back. Fortunately, his skill and reflexes are more than good enough to keep him from hurting his spine or head, but it still hurts somewhat, and moreover, the naucea and headspinning return, if much weeker this time. However, while being tossed by the streightening curtain of force, the ranger noticed something close to teh cieling. A curve in the wall, which he thought was nothing more than a curve, seemed to be the treshold of a burrow of some sort. The hole, or burrow, can't be seen from down here, but was pretty distinguishable when he had a better angle from up in the air. The height of it can be vaguely estimated as 13 meters from the floor and 4 or so from the cieling.
kulideb 11-07-03, 04:02 AM	Laurie walked a little quicker to try to catch up with Ramoth, while muttering under her breath how stubborn males are. She was relived to see that nothing had changed in the tunnel, standing at the bottom of the boulder she looked up to Ramoth. "Does it go any where?"
ThePreacher 11-07-03, 08:34 AM	"Hmmmm... this is strange.. could it be a stone shelf of sorts? ... or is it a hole in the wall?" the ranger was thinking... a painful act as by it's self, but in addition to that, the pain was boosted because of the recent migrane... Laying down his sword and bow on the ground, and letting his cloak fall loose from his light chain armor, the ranger holded on to a bulge on the wall, on which he sighted the curve, high above him. A step after step... or more correct, grip after grip, the ranger tried to climb on the wall, grabbing onto rocky bulges and fitting his feet into cracks in the cavern wall. It was a tiring effort... but he had an iron will, forged through the years of his experience as a forester and warrior of the woods... not all of which was as pleasent as being trapped by a magical barrier. "I won't let something minor like this take away my freedom... Trying to contain me like this... it's... futile!!" ...
Ramoth 11-07-03, 09:40 AM	After taking a good look around ( to both sides, up, and so on) Ramoth see's about all there is to see in this tunnel section. She notes the path and where it is then goes back down the rock to speak with Mokhicara, Laurie, and Harold . "There's nothing up there except a small path leading to the out of it. The path looks to small for any of us to get down, unless you feel like crawling. I suppose I could try, if you would like me to." Ramoth decides to keep the information about the orb to herself for now. She also decides not to tell them that if they decided they want her to explore the path that she's just going to change forms and shrink herself to FireLizard size, thus making it easier to go throught the tunnel.
kulideb 11-07-03, 04:28 PM	Laurie was a little disapointed, she pouted for a while then smiled. "Well, at least we can cross this tunnel off."
N.Y. Wench 11-08-03, 03:02 PM	Mokhicara turns to Harold with concern in her voice and on her face(hard to tell if she cares for his wellfare or just worried that he ignores her comman for so long) "Hardrold. I asked you to take the elixirs. Is everything in..." Before she finishes her question she hears Ramoth's voice and turns instantly to look back into the tunnel. She puts her hands around her mouth to be heard down (up?) there and shouts: "Ram'ot, your offer is generous. Explore it, but do not risk alone. Take the Halfbreed with you." Mokhicara turns back and when she notices the lion left she immidiately calls her "thrall" and sems to forget she was in the middle of saying something to Harold "Akhul. Guard where the beast guards no more. If Illithid comes - breake its skull."
Gene_Kynes 11-10-03, 09:39 PM	...once again, that strange feeling of having a shadow of sorts behind you is felt near Akhul, and soon..Darvin steps forward. "Once again...forgive me. I am awful with these daydreams, you know." He has no weapons drawn...but his muscles seem a bit odd, as if..he was prepared for any nearby threat with more than just steel...
kulideb 11-11-03, 04:58 AM	Laurie twirlled around. "Then I guess we try Roberts tunnel afterall." With that she set off towards the tunnel Robert was in, at least its well lit she thought.
Ramoth 11-11-03, 09:56 AM	Ramoth smiles at the chance. "Trust me I'll be fine alone!" With that said she walks back up the rock and then carefully makes her way to the little path. Looking around to make sure no one is watching, she concentrates on her normally shape, except at a much smaller scale. Drawing a little energy (Only from the rocks around her this time, She learned her lesson the last time.) she changes with a shimmer. Where a woman with long silver hair once stood, now stands a cat size dragon that is silver in color, known on Pern as a Firelizard. With a selfsatisfied chirp she starts making her way through the path, now having no trouble getting through it as long as she keep her wings folded.
Harold Crestdragon 11-13-03, 05:30 PM	o O ( Not only is that awful creature, that hellish nightmare the embodiment of the damnation of my precious kind, she is also consorting with forces beyond the grasp of the most ancient seers, the oldest rulers. The dangerous usage of magic has been prohibited under the mountains for many reasons, mainly the unpredictability of the mystical forces being used when one of these weak soul use the arcanes powers. What will happen of us? What will happen of us? We're being led by weavers of the corrupting, life-burning passion, that caused the downfall of so many kingdoms! My superior, the one I should serve, is despised by her own bodyguard, against his own pride and beliefs. We sent, as a scout, another one of these acolytes of the explosive death, giving faith and power over our own lives to a complete stranger. We shouldn't. What kind of judgement is the one possessed by my bothering mistress?) I returned to the vials, stocking them in my backpack, my eyelashes arched in a grim manner.
kulideb 11-14-03, 04:34 AM	Laurie looked at Harold but thought better of speaking to him, she had a feeling that he didnt like her. Twirling a strand of hair round her finger she set off to find Robert.
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 11-16-03, 08:46 PM	The climb seems nigh-impossible, but the Preacher's skill, - and even moreso his stubborness and determination - eventually bettered the wall. It takes long, but now, after many attempts, he seems to fall down much less often, and get further with any new attempt. Eventually he reaches a spot where can hand with relative ease {when compared to the climb} and rest. The bad news are that from here on, the wall is completely flat and perfectly vertical, as if polished. There are still over three meters betuin him and the shelf. *** Akhul, unlike some, hears Mokhicara's command instantly, but once again, unlike others, shows quite some insertainity; He walks to tunnel #5, sits down on a pertruding piece of its eastern wall, and looks with disconfidence at his mistress "I'd gl'dly slay th' monst'r, f'r my wyll be grayt'r th'n my might, b't w'dn't it d'sroy me b'for i c'n t'uch h'm?" Though regardless of his doubts, he never thinks of refusing the ambassador's wish, and he readily, if not without fear, he closes his eyes, passes his palm-conjoined hands in a horizontal line before him, and an extraordinarily impressive blade appears in them; a claymor. Not that it is ornamented in some very special manner, but the blade is plane huge, narrower near the heavy handle and widening towards the end. It also seems all new and shiny, as betuin uses it was cleaned and kept under seals in perfect conditions... unusual, seeing as most weapons seen on the bedine were dulled, if not deformed, by the sandy winds and the dry heat. He rests the blade on his left shoulder, holdong the large handle with both hands, but still looking at Mokhicara, to which he spoke. The {other} coin still moves back and forth betuin Darvin's feet, ocasionally making am 8-loop around his feet, or making a longer mover forward towards the now-glowing tunnel Robert entered {#4}. 7 coins still lie where Robert originally "dropped" them. Entering the tunnel, Laurie can see perfectly, thanks to the lion's nymbus. Further down the tunnel, the walls grow less natural, more likely to be crafted or ornamented, though the nature of this ornamentaion - or ever architecture - is completely alien to anything humanoid. She can see Robert, following the rolling coin, and the lion walking by Robert's side, constantly sniffing the walls and floor around them. When Ramoth begins gathering energy, she feels a very strong burst from infront of her, and a much lighter one, but still very noticable, from behind her. This time, due to her carefullness, she is able to take it all in smoothly, without any unwanted effects, but she still gathers tenfold more than she attempted to; There are some powerfull sources of energy, on which she unintendedly drew both times, and one of them apparently lies ifront of her. Ging through the small tunnel in her reduced shape, she reaches its other side after a few minutes, and sees a room, similar to the one she left, in all exept one fact: No portion of the cieling ever collpsed here, and the floor is some 13 meters beneath the end of the small tunnel through which she came. She is able to see the floor near the cave's opposit wall, where there is an obvious turn to the right {south}, and hear a very heavy breathing, sounding loud just below her current position. Harold and Robert are yet to take action.
Gene_Kynes 11-16-03, 08:54 PM	"Oh, damn it." He sighed...and tried to pick up the seven, before heading down tunnel number four. "I got th'clue, I got th'bloody clue. Like a good lil'boy, I'll follow it. Jus'...stop wit' th'coins already, eh?"
Drindin 11-16-03, 09:06 PM	Robert simply keeps down the tunnel, motioning to the others. "This way, this way... coin's tryin' to tell us somethin'!"
Ramoth 11-16-03, 09:26 PM	Ramoth stands quietly listening to the sound of the breathing. Confident that what ever it is can't hurt her, she is in dragon form after all, she moves to the ledge to see whats making all the noise. She peers over, her eyes glowing eirily in the dark as see looks down and sees..........
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 11-16-03, 10:21 PM	Ramoth peers over, her eyes glowing eirily in the dark as see looks down and sees.......... ..........a tall, firmly built human - or perhaps halfelf - in his twenties, clenching to the wall some 3 meters below her, as if his life depended on it. This is likely the case indeed. The part of wall seporating her from the human is absolutely flat, as if polished, completely defying climbing. He has soulder-long bright hair, dully-greenish eyes, And is clad in Chainmail, bearing some black and whilte insignia. On the ground, aproximately 10 meters below him, the hilt of a sword peers from underneath a brownish-green colth of some sort. The Preacher, in his turn, sees a perfectly travelsized silver dragon, small enough to fit into a backpack, looking down at him with curiosity from the shelf he is so desperate to reach. As Darvin heads to the cave, with the extra coins in his posession, the coin that was annoying him till now falls lifeless to the ground behind him. Reaching the cave he is able to see Laurie a little further down the cavern, and further still, the walls grow less natural, more likely to be crafted or ornamented, though the nature of this ornamentaion - or ever architecture - is completely alien to anything humanoid. Still, Darvin may eb able to realize these curves contain some sort of meaning, eventhough it doesn't look like any aphabet he saw in the recent centuries. He can also see Robert, following the first rolling coin, and the lion walking by Robert's side, constantly sniffing the air, walls, and floor of the cavern.
Ramoth 11-16-03, 11:10 PM	Dragon curiousty gets the better of her as she looks down at this human/elf who seems to think he's a spider and can climb walls. She briefly debates asking if he needs help, but decides to let him make the first move. She blinks her bright eyes and continues to stare at this stranger with absolutly no fear, as she can see his weapons our on the ground and few spells can harm her in dragon form.
kulideb 11-17-03, 05:38 AM	"please will you wait up!" Laurie says impatiently to Robert as she tries to catch up with him. She is almost up to him but in her haste Laurie trips up over her own feet she puts a hand out to the save herself and touches the wall of the cave. For the first time she notices that the walls look diffrent, she wasnt sure if it was some sort of decoration. She catches movment out of the corner of her eye and sees Darvin. She decides to wait for him.
Drindin 11-17-03, 08:59 AM	Robert chuckles and helps keep laurie from falling over completely, dusting her off when she regauns her balance. "Watch yerself now."
ThePreacher 11-17-03, 11:27 AM	"What tha?..." "This is obviously not a regular cave..." Geniusly concludes the ranger, standing on a very small bulge on the cavern wall, back against the wall, and looking up at a very small Silver dragon... Or atleast he thinks it's a dragon... Although being a man of the wild, he never came across such a unique spicies. "Well... If it hadn't attacked yet.... then it's either scared or friendly......... or it's just waiting for me to make the first move... damn, I hate this tough call choices!!! (Everybody roll eyes :rolleyes: )" (:D ) OH oh oh... I've got a genius idea - "Hello there! would you care to join me for a pleasent climb on the cavern's wall?? ..." ... "Satisfaction guaranteed!" ... I wonder if it'll buy it....
kulideb 11-17-03, 03:19 PM	"Thank you Robert, I didnt think you were going to stop." Said the half elf. "What do you think of these decorations." she said indicating the cave walls.
Harold Crestdragon 11-17-03, 05:37 PM	..and then, suddenly, Isaw. It is not that I was blind beforehand, nor that the surrounding darkness prevented me from distinguishing the cavern's rocky, solid walls. Like every other dwarves, I have been blessed by the gift of improved perceptions, of tearing down the night using my eyes. However, my keen senses have been dulled by the insidious poison, transformed in mere images of what they really are. Now, though, after its influence disappeared, I understood many things with a brilliant, painful clarity. Our quest was about to fail. The army we composed was not even led by a high-ranked general. In fact, it was not even directed by someone with military, nor strategic training. Worst than that, the group was divided, an unforgiveable error! "AKHUL", shouted I, " stop guarding this tunnel. Get with the others, in the rightmost one. I'll go fetch the ambassador!" I swiftly ran back to mokhicara,s side, only to utter in one breath : " Mistress, this is senseless. We can not continue like that, away from the others. We need to stay as a solid group, we need to show the resistance of a rock! If we divide ourselves, the illithids may weaken us one after the other, or enthrall us without the others to protect us. Let's forget the silver-haired woman, she disappeared, alone. We need to reach the others."
Drindin 11-17-03, 07:32 PM	Robert shrugged. "Not sure... thought it was simply graffiti personaly." Robert continues down the tunnel, keeping his eyes wide open and his ears trained on the slightest out-of-place sound.
Ramoth 11-17-03, 08:39 PM	Ramoth chuckles to herself, and decides she safer in her normal form for now. She turns her head to one side as the man guerantes thats she'll like the climb, blinking one eye at him. With a clink of her talons Ramoth precedes to climb straight down the wall head first for about 2 meters above his head and looks straight at him. He recieves this message in his head. o O(Do you need help or are you climbing up this wall for the fun of it?) The voice isn't sarcastic or laughing at him, it's just couriouse.
N.Y. Wench 11-17-03, 11:20 PM	When her thrall spoke to her Mokhicara gave him a single look and answered: "You cannot be killed. I do not allow you to die." When she heard her defender calling the thrall off she almost grows angry (first the slowness with the healing potions and now this?!) but she was tought to remain calm for much longer than that. When Harold comes up to her she prepares to poke his nose into his foolish hastiness and impulsiveness caused by generations of life way too close to the surface... but when he speaks she thinks of it for a minute and desides otherwise. Her face changes from a tutoring frown to a contemplating grimace so common for duers. "True. They can come from another tunnel. Guarding every path would make us scattered and weak. Ram'ot's way back to us is secured by our wake. Any dangers ahead of her she chose to face alone. We go." She nodded to her guardian aprovingly and began walking in the same direction as Robert, Laurie and Darvin went. She stopped on the way for a moment to look closely at the coin that fell when Darvin stepped away, and then shakes her head, desiding better than to pick it up. She continues walking towards the fourth tunnel. When she reaches the lingering group she passes them so that the lion's annoying glow would be behind her, and not blinding her eyes like it does. "Hardrold, take lead. Akhul, guard the rear."
ThePreacher 11-18-03, 11:04 AM	"Who said that???" Desperatley clinging to the wall behind him, the ranger seems to be confused... Moving his head up and down left to right... and even a sophisticated circular move, the ranger examines the cave which he is "hanging" above... He can't seem to find any life form which would be able to say these words to him... And with such a loud voice! (!!!) Oh well... must be my imagination... damn man!!! Get yourself together, you're losing it!... phewww... "Hey there little dragon... say, you seem kinda cute... I only wish you were a bigger dragon, with flashy wings and a weegly tail, so you could fetch my stuff down there, and gimme a lift up there... ... .. errr... now when I think about it, it wouldn't be such a good idea... cus a bigger dragon probably likes bigger 'things' for breakfast... and lunch... and dinner... heeeheee... Actually, you can stay small... yea, that would be better... for my sake... yea... yea, definetly better..."
Ramoth 11-18-03, 11:21 AM	The voice is heard in his head again. o O(I don't eat men creatures for meals, to fatty and clothes give me indigestion. And I'd help you out, but you haven't even told me WHO you are yet.) The silvery little dragon blinks at him from a meter above his head.
ThePreacher 11-18-03, 05:37 PM	"wha...??..?(!)" Wow... it's like someone's in my head... talking in a really loud manner.... And why did it say it doesn't eat men?... wait... could it.. could it be a mindflayer? those freakin bastards are just like that to pull this kinda trick on me! While those thoughts are running through the ranger's mind, he fails to notice he is slowly slipping from the already very slippery bulge in the wall on which he is standing. "Whoa.... whaa... heeeeeyyyyyyy....... " He almost loses balance and falls down from the wall... but regains his grip on the rocky bulge in the last moment "Phewwwww...". "This is really growing tiresome..." "Well, it seems like I'm in a clear disadvantage here, lil' dragon friend... How the hell do YOU manage to cling to that perfectly flat wall? .. damn... I wish I could do that... Or atleast I wish you could understand me.. sheesh, How do I always manage to get myself into this kinda situations?! (??)"
Ramoth 11-18-03, 05:53 PM	Ramoth gives up trying to get him to answer her and decides the only way he'd answer is for her to help him. Since he seems determined to go up she releases her grip on the wall and spreads her wings. She swings herself around and lands on the guys back and buries her talons into his shirt. Hopefully before he can react she shimmers into a slightly bigger dragon form and lifts him to the ledge hopefully before the shirt rips.
ThePreacher 11-18-03, 06:47 PM	"WOOOOOHOOOOAAAAA!! ... Nice dragon, good dragon... calmly now, calmLLLLYYYYYyhhhhhiiii!!!!..." The ranger lands on his feet... on the 13 meter high stone shelf, which now appears to be a dead end of a tunnel, leading into the cavern rock on the other side. His elven - made chainmail had a perfect grip for the dragons claws. "I guess you are friendly!" "Now when I come to think of it... that's odd.. a friendly dragon.... THAT'S SO COOL!!!" <Now... If only I could somehow reach my weapons...> I thought to my self, Looking down from the stone shelf... <And then try and figure out where's that damn illithid who tried to mess with my brain earlier...> "OH!" "I am so ungrateful! thanks for the help lil fella...... WHAT THA???" "Weren't you a lil' smaller, just a minute ago??" <Damn, I AM losing it!!! Gotta get ahold o'myself!!!> *SLAP* (SelfSlap). "Oh, let me see... here, I think I have something for ya... It sure ain't much but it's all I got right now..." the ranger reached out into his mail, beneath which he had an emergency stash... just in case an emergency came along... <Smart thinking... I knew I should prepare for these kinda situations!!!> ( :rolleyes: ) He pulled out some elven bread... or atleast it was elven bread... now it was more like elven craps of bread... <The fighting wasn't too friendly towards my emergency stash...> "Here ya go lil' fella, some nice... errr... Elven bread..." He reached out his hand, holding the once whole little elven cake.
Ramoth 11-18-03, 08:37 PM	With a chirp she takes the elven bread and chomps it down in one bite, careful not to get the mans fingures. She watched him look down and listened to what he said then o O(I'll get your weapons for you, hold on.) Ramoth heads downwards in a lazy spiral to get the mans weapons. She grabs the weapons in her talons and attempts to lift them back up to the ledge.
Harold Crestdragon 11-18-03, 09:51 PM	Anxious at first, unsure of whether the ambassador heard the rebellious orders I gave Akhul, and even more incertain of how she'd react to me giving her suggestions, I awaited her answer, the which would probably be as deadly as a razor's blade. Surprised I was to hear sweet words, not completely dismantled by her horrid accent and her awful pronunciation. I followed her closely to the 4th tunnel, pausing at the coin without reaching for it like she did. When she ordered me to take the lead I did reach the leader's side, nodding to him in respect before taking a position alongside him.
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 11-19-03, 12:57 PM	Ramoth doesn't meet any obstacle {for Io's sake, if the forcefield was in any way placed betuin him and his stuff, how could he leave it there and then come here?!}, and soon the Preacher's posessions all lye in his immidiate proximity. Harold is able to notice the walls' formation, and faintly recalls some of the court's scholars beard plates of stone with similar patterns and used to debate about theyr nature, but never had a reason to show interrest in it. Darvin on the other hand... Akhul falls behind, holding close to those infront of him, encouraging them to move on. Seeing the tunnel's narrowness makes his weapon a burdain, he holds it vertically infront of himself, and carefully passes it before his eyes. The claymor dissappears, as if sheathed in an invisible case.
ThePreacher 11-19-03, 03:08 PM	"What da fu**??" The ranger was very surprised to see what the Silver Dragon performed just a minute ago. <Did IT read my mind or something? ... Man, what , where and who did I get into?!> ( :D ) "Say, Silver, C-A-N Y-O-U U-N-D-E-R-S-T-A-N-D T-H-E W-O-R-D-S T-H-A-T C-O-M-E O-U-T O-F M-Y M-O-U-T-H??"
Ramoth 11-20-03, 12:41 PM	The silver dragon looks right into the mans eyes. o O(Haven't you been listening? Of course I understand you, what do you think I am, stupid? Now are you going to tell me your name or do I have to guess? Let me start. Hi there, my name is Ramoth, and yes I am the Silver Dragon you see before you. Is that better?) She sounds kind of frustrated as she tries to get this point across to him. ((OOC: I only remeber you saying the forcefield weakened, not that it went completely down, which is why I asked.))
ThePreacher 11-20-03, 04:27 PM	The ranger stands still... motionless for a couple of long minutes. Then he opens his mouth... then closes it again... then he stands still for another few minutes... "A.. A... A... I a... I am .. aa... I... Damn! I forgot who I am!...... Oh, yea, now I remember... They call me The preacher... but you can call me preach.. (:D )" "As you can see, I was trapped in this damn cavern-like cell, trapped by some kind of magical forcefield which I couldn't get through... So I climbed... But even I, a ranger of skill, couldn't overcome the last few feet of the climb... I ain't got claws you know... hehe." "Hey.. I must hand it to ya... you got me there with that telepathy thing of yours.. I mean, I thought you were a mind flayer!! hehehehe... heh... not funny huh? sorry. So anyway, where did you come from lil fella? .. Amm I mean, medium fella, hehe." :eek:
Ramoth 11-21-03, 09:09 AM	o O(I can be a big fella when I want to be. I came through that little tunnle behind you, I'm with a group of people who are trapped in these tunnles. They could probaly help you get out of here. But first you have to crawl through this tunnle. Follow me.) Ramoth shrinks a little to the size he first saw her as and starts through the tunnle.
ThePreacher 11-21-03, 01:50 PM	I glanced at the narrow tunnel at the far end of the cavern like hall... "Ammmm... no, I don't think so... I mean, unlike you, I'm sure I don't have the ability to change the size of my body... not at will anyway :D ... And there is no way for me to crawl through here... I think".
Ramoth 11-24-03, 08:38 AM	Ramoth lets out an audible sigh. o O(The tunnel looks small, but if you crawl on your belly you can make it. It's either that or climb back down the wall. It's not a long tunnel, you can do it.) Ramoth contuniues down the little tunnel.
ThePreacher 11-24-03, 10:20 AM	((From now on, I will write my characters thoughts in <>, and his speech in " ". this is to make it more easy to comprehend)) <Sheesh... I guess the lil fella is right... Hmmm... I don't like small and tight holes ((ooc: lol, Ignore the embuivalence of that :D )). Well, no choice... but first to lose some weight...> He takes a look into the tunnel, and seeing that the dragon is not looking his way, he steps away and walks to the edge of the upper tunnel, he looks down to where he was entrapped just a few minutes ago, unbuckles his belt, let's his pants fall to his feet, lifts up the edges of his chainmail, and answers to nature's call. "Pheeewwww... damn!!! Now when I think about it, I'm so damn lucky that I hadn't had to do that, or anything worse, while I was still down there..." After he's done (It takes quite a while) he dresses back up and looks down to see that quite a large yellow puddle has emerged where he woke up a couple of hours ago. "Wow... the miracles of a man's bladder... sheesh, it sure is a tale to tell to your grandchildren! The brave Poet- Ranger, and his mighty bladder of elastic rubber! Sounds nice... yea." He turns, approaches the small opening of the tunnel, puts his bow in his left hand, and his sword in the other, then he lies down on his stomach, and crawls in... he then slowly and not without affort makes his way forward, crawling like a reptile, following the small Silver dragon.
Oturan 11-24-03, 08:28 PM	(The human is close, I can smell his stench already. The underdark is no place for maneuvring, ambush would be the best strategy in this sunless enviorment.) Oturan unshethes his prized dagger, he turns it in his hand until the dagger transformes into a scroll. (Exactly what I was looking for. ruffruff!) A few moments past thereafter, and Oturan is already traveling in the ethreal, observing the cave beneath him... (The corners - all 3 are too well lit, the ceiling - too low, the chest - perfect.) Oturan than decends toward the floor, keeping his ethreal self intact. (A door?) Oturan looks again. (Rrheh, that's not a door, i might have a special spell meant just for the likes of you. On second thought, i have a better plan. Now, then, to get rid of this half-ghost form.) Once settled in the container, Oturan felt his fangs clacking, it was his ancestor's calling. (The best chapter in hunting a prey would begin soon. *GROWL*)
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 11-24-03, 11:37 PM	The rockhard {if a crumbling sandstone counts as rock} group, consisting of Harold, Robert, Mokhicara, Laurie, and Darvin, in that order, arrives at the tunnel's end, where it opens into a wide cavern, aproximately quarter of the main cave's size. The first of them can hear the sound of a small stream falling on the cave's floor, and looking to the left {western} wall, they are able to see a man standing on some sort of a balcony, and releasing his bludder. A moment after they enter he's already finished, pulls his pants up, and soon, after crouching down and turning around, dissappears in a small tunnel, which seems to be the only possible way by which one could reach this balcony. It's positioned near the cave's very cieling, and leads westwards, into the wall, its easternomst edge forming that balcony. The man was so focused he didn't notice them. This cave's eastern {right} wall is adjecent to theyr own tunnel's end, and the coin practicly rubs into it, rolling along it. It turns around, and makes another roll along the begining of that right wall, and then stops, dropping. To Robert's eyes it still shines, however. *** Ramoth quickly passes the tunnel, and arrives back at the rock, from which she can easily climb down, in cave #2. The Preacher soon follows. After the first few meters the tunnel is much less restricting, and he could even walk on four, instead of crawling on his belly. Now that he reaches the narrow tunnel's end, he's able to see a starecaselike rock formation, {leading down from his position. He's on the same height as he was on the shelf, exept there was no staircase there} on which his silvery companion now stands, and the cave around them. It's vaguely the same shape as his own was, but the smell of blood, which was prsistant in the place of his recent imprisonment is absent here, and it seems that from the cave's floor, a tunnel large enough for a large bipedal creature leads to the south {left} and out of the cave...
kulideb 11-25-03, 05:18 AM	Laurie brushes some dirt from her shirt and almost walks into the back of Mokhicara, looking around she can see they are at the entrance of a cavern. "I hope this isnt going to be another dead end." she says softly to her self.
Ramoth 11-25-03, 08:59 AM	The smallish Dragon turns to Preacher as they get out of that tunnel. o O (Climb down that rock. There be a Lady dressed in Silver waiting down there for you. Her name is Ramoth also. She can help you find the group of people that she is with and hopefully all of you can get out of these caves together. Good Luck and watch your step.) With all that said, the silver dragon flies down the rock and out of sight. **************************************** *********** Out of Preachers sight as he is climbing down, the silver dragon lands and changes forms again. Now Ramoth, the human, stands where a dragon once was. She waits for preacher to finish his climb down, looking back into the main area as she waits. ((The following is to herself)) o O(I wonder where the group went. They left me behind? Oh well, I'm pretty sure they went down that one tunnel. Wonder if Preacher and I should just wait for them in the main part, or go looking for them.)
ThePreacher 11-25-03, 05:01 PM	<Jeez, that's a fast lil fella! I better catch up!> The Preacher quickly rushes down the stone stairs, while maintaining balance with his ranger skills. He reaches the bottom after quite a long run and sees a lady all dressed up in silver... <Hmmmmm... I could have sworn I've seen that woman before... but where?> "Hey there, the name's Preacher... That's how most people call me anyway. Do you go by the name Ramoth?" "And... did you happen to see a small silver dragon fly by here just now?"
Ramoth 11-26-03, 02:30 PM	She smilies brightly. "Yes Preacher, I am Ramoth. The little dragon? Oh she came past here, asked me to take you to the group I was with. Will you follow me?" With out looking to see if he is, Ramoth walks to the main area where she hopes everyone else is.
ThePreacher 11-26-03, 02:52 PM	With meausured light steps, he walks through the tunnel, following the lady in silver. <A shapeshifter, eh? .... very interesting.. better keep my eyes open...>
Ramoth 11-26-03, 02:57 PM	Finally returnin to the main area, Ramoth see's fallen coins, dead stuff, but no group members. "I wonder which way they went? ((She says this like she's thinking out loud)) Got to be a clue here somewhere." Ramoth goes to each tunnel and inspects the ground for boot tracks leading into. She also listens for any noises her keen ears may pick up.
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 11-26-03, 03:15 PM	A faint glow is coming from the fourth tunnel, and a strong stench from the fifth.
ThePreacher 11-26-03, 03:17 PM	"Let me see..." The preacher starts to examine each tunnel entrance, one by one, thouroughly. Seems like some kinda beast was here... The ranger approaches the tunnel which emences the stench and the one which slighly illuminates light from deep inside. He tries to study anything which would lead him to finding the tunnel into which the party went. ((OOC: Ramoth, could you please gimme a more detailed description of yourself? I mean... Lady in silver, is quite a "general description".))
ThePreacher 11-26-03, 03:19 PM	((Edited and erased))
Ramoth 11-26-03, 08:19 PM	Ramoth stirs clear of the strong smelling tunnel, as she had already marked that one as bad previously, and heads to the lighted on. A few feet in she stops and exaims the ground again, just to make sure her choice is the right one. ((Looking for foot prints leading in.))
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 11-27-03, 12:20 AM	There are footprints aplenty in tunnel #4, and after a short walk Ramoth is able to hear Akhul's voice mumbling something in the Bedine tongue... ot the Robert's called celestial growling - it's hard to tell the difference. The Preacher is able to see a large amount of footprints around the main cave: it seems a group of humanoids lingered her for some time. The one sort of prints that stands out, are the marks from large paws, probably of a feline beast, but too big to belong to anything short of a smilodon. These lead in huge gaps from tunnel #3 to #5, and from there to #4, where Ramoth appears to be heading.
ThePreacher 11-27-03, 01:14 AM	<Interesting..> "Milady, have you found anything there? I think you have entered the right tunnel... should we proceed deeper inside?>
Gene_Kynes 11-27-03, 05:57 PM	(( I'm a bad, bad person for not posting. henceforth, you're all allowed to kick me in the ribs. One shot a customer, and ThePreacher is allowed two of them, because I like Rangers. )) Oddly enough...Darvin had another Hand Crossbow in his hands, even though he appearently only carried one. Nobility was known to dabble in sorcery...but material recovery spells? It mattered not, as he snapped a bolt into it, loaded the black runed weapon, and smirked. "Allow me." He then somehow ran...while remaining silent...after the man, his body becoming loose and limber, moving with the shadows to become...almost ghost-like. The pursued man had made mistake. He was visible. (( Sorry, Quath. You get five kicks. And seven shoes. ))
Ramoth 11-29-03, 11:26 AM	Without looking up, Ramoth says "Yes, their this way." She walks down the tunnel towards the group, hopefully catching up with them quickly.
ThePreacher 11-29-03, 11:37 AM	The Preacher quickly hastes after the lady clad in silver. His steps are light, and his mind is clear and sharp ((atleast he thinks so ;) )). He catches up to her. "M'lady, may I lead the way? There can be danger nearby."
kulideb 12-07-03, 07:36 AM	Laurie glanced around at the group. "Ramoth hasnt caught us up yet, do you think we should go look for her incase something has happened?"
kulideb 12-07-03, 07:37 AM	Laurie glanced around at the group. "Ramoth hasnt caught us up yet, do you think we should go look for her incase something has happened?"
Harold Crestdragon 12-07-03, 08:29 AM	A ruff voice answered Laurie's soft words. "We may, for this cavern seems to have no exit we could use to leave this hell. However, it would be better to wait for Darvin before elaving. I ignore why he fancied the thought of attacking a man he didn't spoke to, and who is leaving, yet we shouldn't leave without him. "
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 12-07-03, 07:42 PM	{OOC: I still expect Dante to resume making sence,See ooc thread.} Ramoth and the Preacher have {presumably} reached the end of the tunnel, and are able to recognize the cavern where they first met. The ranger can easily conclude that they are now on the barrier's other side; the "balcony" through which he left is well seen high above ground, near the cieling, at the fur left {western} wall. They can also both see Akhul {basicly looking like a local bedine. Or atleast he'd be considered "local" a kilometer or two above theyr current position},Darvin {whose most eye-catching feature is the out-of-place red shirt he wears over the rest of his clothes}, Laurie {whom he knows already as the doughter of his hirers' boss!!!}, Mokhicara {who appears like a very richly adorned duergar noble, or if he never seen duergars before, like a very unusual and suspicious kind of dwarf}, Robert {who looks mostly human, but unusually large, and with a few features which the Preacher finds familiar, but not at all human}, and Harold {who is easily recognizable as an ellite dwarven warior, whose aura of stalwartness and loyalty is crowned by the unique breastplate he wears}, in that order, as well as a golden coin, rolling before them as if leading them by its own will. Laurie can easily recognize the Preacher as a scout whose service her caravan was hiring. A certain other person is well close enough to hear them perfectly, eventhough he cannot see them. Nor are they aware of his presence in any manner.
N.Y. Wench 12-09-03, 08:39 PM	the ambassador turns around to look at Ramoth and the other surfacedweller man she brought "It is thought a sign of personal formidability to appear when you are emntioned, Ram'ot. Who is it with you?" she says blankly. Though anyone who got to figure her out knows she prolly does mean respect
ThePreacher 12-10-03, 09:05 AM	"The preacher of the forest, some call me... But you can call me preach, m'lady." He bows his head slightly.
Ramoth 12-10-03, 09:10 AM	Ramoth was about to answer when Preacher answered for himself. With a slight smile that the others do not see Ramoth decides not to add how she found him, as she desn't want everyone to know her other form yet.
kulideb 12-10-03, 09:15 AM	Laurie smiled at Ramoth and looked Preach over, while twirling a lock of hair round her finger. "Hello, I'm Laurie." she said sweetly, holding out her hand to Preach.
ThePreacher 12-10-03, 10:13 AM	"It's an honor to meet such a beautiful and graceful lady such as yourself, especially in a place such as this. Your grace lightens up the darkness of these caves m'lady." He said with a smile, gently taking her hand in his. He bowed slightly and kissed her hand. (ooc: just a lil request so I can integrate better with the other characters. Could you give me a basic description of how you look? I mean, it's the first time that Preach see all of you except Ramoth... Btw.. I just "assumed" Laurie is a beautiful elf lass... :angel: ).
kulideb 12-10-03, 03:16 PM	((for CH referance see page 3 of ooc recruit for a halucinatory ad:) )) Laurie allows Preach to kiss her hand blushing at his kind words. She was sure he looked familiar, she thought for a while then giggled. "You were on Papa's caravan!"
ThePreacher 12-11-03, 07:54 AM	"Papa's?" He seems surprised. "OH! So you must be the lovely daughter the ol' man was braggin about all the time. I must say, even his colourful and long description, does harm to thy real beauty, m'lady." He bows slightly. "You must forgive me, for I have no remembrance of our previous meeting. Unfortunately, I failed to fulfill my duty as a caravan protector and was surprised from behind... They landed quite a nasty blow on the back of my head and knocked me out. I seem to have lost some of my last memories... However, lady luck seems to shine upon me once again, as I have the honor to see thy fair face again m'lady".
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 12-11-03, 09:19 AM	{OOC: NYW's post. She herself cannot access the boards currently, and doesn't know when will she be able to. I promissed her not to edit the post and just put it the way she gave it to me... :rolleyes:oh well. She'll return by next week acording to her own words, and tonight acording to my own suspiction.} Greate a forest dweller. Much greater: a preacher. As a final blow to sanity: a forest dwelling preacher! Perfect. These thoughts pass inside Mokhocara's head but she deosn't even turn around to look at the man and even if she did her face would show nothing as it almost never shows anything unless she wants it to and even then not always. When Ramoth's thrall (as Mokhi thinks of him) says Laurie lights up the tunnel she mumbles something about the light coming from the coin and not the halfbred atleast acording to the priest.
Myranthor 12-11-03, 05:41 PM	Harold, who, before the newcomers' intrustion was looking at Darvin's blurred shadow, victim of his usnatiable need for unattainable speed, turned around at the sound of the charmer's voice, irritated by it. He knocked his heels, raised his stubborn head and drew his muscular arm to his chest, proclaiming : "I am glad to meet someone like you in these damp tunnels, man. Harold Crestdragon, elite protector of the Azz'rat dwarven armies, greets you among our small group, for a solid man with skills at warfare is better than all the hopes we may nourish of leaving this mouse trap alive. " [OOC : sorry, wrong account. ]
Drindin 12-11-03, 05:58 PM	Robert stopped long enough to look at the others. "Oi! Anotha one? Eh, folks! Let's not stall! We've got places to go, this cave isn't getting any smaller! And I'm not getting any YOUNGER, are we clear on that! Then let's ge' a move one, eh?"
Ramoth 12-11-03, 06:25 PM	"Yes, let's do something. I to am tired of these caves." Walking off, not waiting for the others to answer or follow, Ramoth heads back to where all the tunnels meet up.
Drindin 12-11-03, 06:37 PM	Robert follows Ramoth, not bothering to see if the coin does the same, knowing that tunnel must lead on and on forever, and probably into the realms to deep and dark for him to care anything for.
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 12-12-03, 01:32 AM	Unless Robert suffers from some sort of temporary brain damage, he can the cavern just as well as the rest of the group; It doesn't seem lead anywhere any more than a room with one door would. The only other visble way {exept the one through wh9ich they came} out of this cavern is the aforementioned balcony, 10 meters above ground or more, at the far off western wall. The coin keeps bashing against the eastern wall just to the right of where theyentered the cavern. When Robert's back is finally turned, the coin drops tp the ground, and its glow gradually seizes. The lion, however, produces well enough light for everyone, and now follows Robert. Someone is now able to hear steps of two medium-sized bipeds and one very large quarped moving away, as well as the sound of a small object dropped.
ThePreacher 12-12-03, 01:32 AM	"Amm... Folks, do you know where the exit is? Or do we still need to find it?" The ranger seems to be more serious now.
kulideb 12-12-03, 04:20 AM	Laurie looked at Preach. "I guess we go back the way we came in," she smiled.
ThePreacher 12-12-03, 08:49 AM	"Oh? ... Why did you come in here on your own free will?" The ranger seemed to be confused
N.Y. Wench 12-12-03, 10:00 AM	((thanks for backing me up Street!)) Mokhicara finally turns to the newcomer "Our halfbred meant we will leave this tunnel this way. Not the whole compound. Rorbert, why did your coin stop? Did you find anything down the snak epath you walked, Ram'ot?"
N.Y. Wench 12-12-03, 10:00 AM	((thanks for backing me up Street!)) Mokhicara finally turns to the newcomer "Our halfbred meant we will leave this tunnel this way. Not the whole compound. Rorbert, why did your coin stop? Did you find anything down the snak epath you walked, Ram'ot?"
Ramoth 12-12-03, 10:27 AM	Ramoth stops walking and turns to the group behind her. "I thought what I found would have been obviouse. I found Preacher at the end of that Tunnel. And it comes out into that cavern behind you, so it was a dead end." She begins walking again, eventually getting to the main area. She turns to Robert. "So we know that Tunnel (Points to #3) Is out of the question because of those lizards. And that Tunnel (Points to #2) along with this tunnel (Points to #4 behind her) are dead ends. So that leaves that one (#1) and that one (#5). So what now?"
ThePreacher 12-12-03, 11:12 AM	"Ok... So what are we looking for in this god forsaken dark tunnel?" As he says so, he smirks lightly to his own exaggerating words.
kulideb 12-13-03, 06:53 AM	Laurie put her hands on her hips. "I'm not a halfbreed....well Ok I am but do you have to make it sound so bad!" She snapped at Mokhicara.
Myranthor 12-13-03, 09:02 AM	"Please" I said, introducing my body between both the insultant ambassador and the pathetic elf wizard. "It is not time for internal conflicts. The group is, again, separated against the most common sense! Those two left without us, but probably won't go too far...or at least this is what I hope. We can't leave this place either, or at leats not without Darvin. IN the meantime, Preacher, let me explain you what happened to us. We did come to a cavern, only in hope of spending the night peacefully. However, some creatures attacked us, and we had to retreat within the tunnels. A cave-in caused us to be trapped in here, and we are now looking for a way to leave these forsaken tunnels. However, we discovered that illithids spent somet ime in here, as probably do these same creatures who attcked us. I do not want any of us to perish, or that the group becomes weaker, and that is why I do not want the association to be parted."
ThePreacher 12-13-03, 01:08 PM	"well... it would be almost natural to assume, that those creatures and illithids might have a way out of here from their lairs... The main exit is now blocked, as you say, so we probably should try and assail at one of the lairs... Or maybe try and sneak in, find the exit to the surface and sneak out. What do you think?" The ranger's face seemed very calm, as if he did not understand the dillema in the current situation. "By the way, what exactly were those 'creatures' that you say have attacked you?"
Harold Crestdragon 12-14-03, 07:49 AM	My eyebrows arched in a grim manner, an expression of contrition appearing over my figure. I sneezed, trying to think about the best way for answering this uneducated child, this man without a military rank who thought he may discuss orders from above him. "We never thought of thrusting our sharpened swords int he illithids' lairs" answered I, sharply. " Not all of us are trained soldiers, and I fear for the life of the women among us. Furthermore, it is not necessary to harm an uneasy truce established between the incomprehensible mind flayers and the Stout Folk of Azz'rat!" Suddenly, the elite soldier calmed down, regaining his spirit. "We were attacked by vile Asabis, for a reason we still do not comprehend. They were a massive group, and we only could escape them by blocking one of the tunnels."
kulideb 12-14-03, 09:10 AM	Laurie put her arms around herself and sighed. "Please could we stop arguing, and just...well move!" She wished that the grumpy Dwarf liked her more...she really didnt like not being liked. She smiled as she began to think of ways to get him to like her... She began to move her hands and mutter, she then pointed at Harold. She knew that Dwarfs were quite hardy agaist spells she just hoped that she had made it strong enough. (Laurie has cast charm person at Harold!)
Drindin 12-14-03, 10:45 AM	Robert heads off into tunnel one. "If you'll join me ramoth...." He travels until he either reaches something of note, or the end of the tunnel.
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 12-14-03, 10:45 AM	Unfortunately for Laurie {and for the DM who's thus left without his dayly lough}, her thoughts of dwarves were as correct about this parfticular one as they could ever be. The enchantment went right through him as if he was an anvil. The lion follows his trickster friend, but for lack of orders to do otherwise, stops at the entrance to the 1sr tunnel, standing guard and serving a landmark. After about 20 minutes of quick pace Robert achieves a split in three, and due to the tunnel's turns so far, he isn't able to see the lion's light from here.
kulideb 12-14-03, 10:54 AM	Nothing happened! Laurie pouted! still they could be stuck in the tunnels along time, she would have to find another way to get the grim dwarf to like her! She sets off back down the tunnel towards the main cavern, just in time to see Robert going down one of the other tunnels, leaving the lion at the entrance.
Ramoth 12-14-03, 02:37 PM	Ramoth turns to Laurie as Robert leaves into Tunnel #1. "Think we should wait for the others, or just follow him?"
ThePreacher 12-14-03, 02:47 PM	"What would you suggest then, master dwarf? As I said, I could try and sneak into one of the enclaves and find an exit to the surface. Then I can try and sneak all of us through." The ranger remained as calm as before, looking at the dwarf straight in the eyes.
kulideb 12-14-03, 02:53 PM	"I guess we should wait," Laurie said to Ramoth. "Or we could call them." she smiled. She cupped her hands to her mouth and was about to shout back to the others, then she thought of who else might hear her. "Perhaps we had better just wait."
Harold Crestdragon 12-20-03, 04:02 PM	"I am dubitous at such an idea, Preacher, for I do not think our lives are threatened for now. There is no need to attack, sneak upon, distract the illithids, as we do not even know if they have a base around here, a city, an encampment, or if the corpses we discovered were only those of merchants lost in some weird, intricate tunnels. Thus, I do not want to decide on an hypothetical idea that might hypothetically work, given an hypothetical problematic. However, we should continue our way, by now." Turning his head, Harold tried, but proved unable to, notice Darvin's swift body. "WHAT?! He's still not there? By Moradin's stiff beard, I have enough! We will go now, half of the group is already futher away! HEARD THAT, DARVIN? TRY TO CATCH US, WE WON'T WAIT FOR YOU ANYMORE!" "Let's go folks! Fresh air is waiting for us!"
ThePreacher 12-20-03, 05:22 PM	Quickly following the Dwarf's steps, the ranger still seems quite confused from the whole situation. "How do you propose we get out then?"
Drindin 12-20-03, 06:38 PM	Robert blinks, and activates his "Dark Vision" (see the character stats thread... it's a half-ogre trait) He then looks around, and simply waits for the others to catch up, IF they catch up.
kulideb 12-21-03, 06:39 AM	Laurie waited for a few minutes tapping her foot. "Well, we waited! lets go find Robert." she said to Ramoth as she began to walk in the direction of the lion. She also carried on thinking of how to get the dwarf to like her, so much so she almost walked into the lion. "Oh! sorry..." she said to the lion.
Harold Crestdragon 12-21-03, 09:07 AM	Remaining within Mokhicara's side, I walked at her pace. "Our thought wqas to explore these tunnels in a first period. We should observe, examine them, and hope we can get out of them safely, without any harmful meeting. there are yet a few places we know naught of, and that may lead us to the light of the uncovered sky."
ThePreacher 12-22-03, 08:37 AM	"Sounds quite reasonable, Alright then." The ranger hastened his steps, following the dwarf.
N.Y. Wench 12-23-03, 11:09 AM	As expected Mokhicara went into the western tunnel. As very not expected she didn't say anything! At all! Atleast as long as the formation was kept and no one stepped out of it. She will still call for Mr. S'ara if he doesn't come byhimslef
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 12-25-03, 12:54 PM	Everyone are successfully gathered at the splitting of tunnel #1. Mokhicara, Laurie, Robert, and Harold are all able to see to some extent into the left and the right waies, but the middle one remains equally dark for all - darkvision or not. Both "normal" tunnels slope down relatively sharply, but the right one resonates the sound of the group's steps in a heavy echo, which most probably means it is short and ends soon. Akhul mumbles something silently; the cavernous alndscape starts to get to him, it seems.
kulideb 12-25-03, 04:03 PM	Laurie stood still with her hands on her hips and gazed down the tunnels. "Great! now we will stand here for ages while we try to agree which tunnel to go down!"
ThePreacher 12-25-03, 04:12 PM	"I suggest we just take the tunnels one at a time, until we find the one which will lead us to the outside... Or whatever place that is better than this one."
Drindin 12-26-03, 01:26 AM	Robert pushes himself off the wall, and looks over at the middle tunnel. "The right one is short, just listen, the echo come back abruptly. The middle one is foreboding, even I can't see down it, and the left one looks the safest. About that middle one... You's be better at arcane magicks than me, dwarf-maid. What say you about that darkness? Be it undoable?"
N.Y. Wench 12-26-03, 07:56 PM	Mokhicara shakes her head very slowly and thoughtfully "I don't trust arcana. It is tasteless, unreliable, indecent. My only magic is in my items. The rest isn't magic. The rest is here" she taps on her head betuin temple to forehead
kulideb 12-30-03, 07:02 AM	Laurie looks at the tunnels, a puzzeled look come across her face as she tries to think of a spell that might work.
Ramoth 12-30-03, 07:03 AM	Ramoth speaks up after a long silence. Up till this point she had been just following the group along. "Does anyone know any detect evil spells? That be the easyiest way to decide."
Harold Crestdragon 12-30-03, 09:33 AM	"I say like the Preacher" roared I, maybe hastily. "We have no need to endlessly debate, and no need to tempt devils in the casting of horrible incantations. We simply have to go down each of'em, and see where's the exit. " "Now, everyone look carefully! We went in three of these five tunnels already : There is this one that leads to the surface but is blocked, the one from where we come, and another one, that finishes abruptly, in which we let Ramoth to explore. As she came back to us, I assume she didn't find any way to the surface either. (OOC: He pointed to tunnels 3, 4 and 2, respectively.) "We just have to choose between both of them. I say we can not see in the tunnel in front of us, but we are able to in the one to our left. The choice is easy to do! Also, if that tunnel is trapped with arcane obscurity (and this by itself is a mark of lethal danger), it means it is inhabited and covered by sentient denizens. We already found a mind flayer's corpse around here, fellows, and I do not wish to challenge their complex cabals with my simple chain!." I looked around myself, a severe look in my eyes, my teeth clenched, waiting agressively for any potential opposite opinion.
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 12-31-03, 01:19 AM	Keep in mind that all who followed Drindin {and i think everyone did} are now INSIDE tunnel #1, and walked down it for some time. It splits now into three tunnels, as mentioned abbove.
kulideb 12-31-03, 06:25 AM	Laurie smiled and almost jumped up and down like an excited child. "I know that spell!" With that she closed her eyes and began to whisper a prayer to Sune, while Laurie wasn't a cleric she knew that some times the deity would grant some spells to adventures. The air round Laurie began to glow and a faint flower sent filled the air, as Laurie took out some red petals and allowed them to drift down to the floor. She opened her eyes and began to cast the detect evil spell towards the dark tunnel.
Ramoth 12-31-03, 08:59 AM	Ramoth watches closly as Laurie begins the spell. At first what the dwarf said made sense, casting a spell may awaken what ever is in the tunnel. But then again if the dark tunnel may be the way out it be nice to know a little about it first. While Laurie does the spell Ramoth quietly paces in front of each tunnel, pausing briefly at each with her back turned to the group. She sniffs the stirs in each tunnel and tries to hear if anything is moving in the tunnels. She allows her dragon senses to take over as she does this in hopes of getting a little more information before walking blindly into trouble. ((OOC: She doesn't change forms, just allows her senses to work the way they normally would. In human form she tries to dull her senses slightly so as not to appear differnt from the rest.))
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 01-01-04, 11:18 AM	Laurie's spell reveals something. Disance is hard to determin, but something within that tunnel is radiating evil. The tunnel itself, however {walls, air, et c} appear innocent. Ramoth's inspectation reveals quite nothing of the middle tunnel; only dumpness and chill, like that of a wine basement. The right tunnel, which was already deducted to be short, seems to harbor movement, though probably that of deminutive bodies. Ramoth's hearing and tremoscence {if she has any} lead her to asume there is a pull of standing water down there. The left tunnel has a slight smell of decaying corpses, and apparently old ones, at that. It also has the smell of salt, and generally feels very dry. No movement can be senced from there.
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 01-01-04, 11:18 AM	.
ThePreacher 01-01-04, 11:45 AM	((OOC: xp for defeating a double post demon? LOL))
kulideb 01-01-04, 03:02 PM	"There is some thing evil down there." Laurie said pointing down the dark middle tunnel. She wrapped her arms around her self and shivered.
ThePreacher 01-01-04, 06:54 PM	"Is the lady cold? May I offer my cloak to warm you?" The ranger unstrapped his green cloak and put it on Laurie's shoulders.
Drindin 01-01-04, 07:09 PM	Robert smirks. "Well then, that settles it. Who are we to call ourselves 'adventurers' if we don't go an' face evil? Let's head out down the darkest tunnell, but first... let's find out how to dispel the darkness? I may be able to dispel a small part of it, but not all of it..."
N.Y. Wench 01-01-04, 09:05 PM	"A better tactic will be improving ourselves instead of assaulting theyr defences. Dispelling the darkness will reveal us." She noted to herself that it was her guardian's tactic thinking she has been aquiring. She felt neither positive nor negative about it but took it as a noteworthy fact. "Anyone else has Surface Ocular Disfunction? I can make any of you see better but the more of you i affect the less time it will last." She trusted her other sences to guide her in the darkness but thought of giving the other sences of the human/halfelf a push. The ambassador looked in the Preacher's eyes... If her power works his head begins hurting hard. Then the pain concentrates around his ears and a red veil obscures his vision. Then the pain goes off leaving a much more pleasant feeling and the ability to hear sights instead of seeing them. He should now "see" perfectly into the darkness because his brain would translate the sounds to sights although he still won't really percieve anything with his eyes. She herself feels a strong weekness and leans against a rock or a nearby Harold whichever is closer
ThePreacher 01-02-04, 06:06 AM	The ranger took his hands off of Laurie's shoulders and stepped away, holding to his head with both hands. "Argghhh... Wha...What..?" He shook his head and rubbed his eyes.. He then tried to look around and into the tunnel ahead of him. "What in the nine hells has happened to me?? It is the illithids and their black psyche magic! They have shut down my ability to see clearly in the dark! I see everything in black and white!" The ranger seemed very confused, but quite angry. "Cursed mind flaying fiends!" He then smirks and whispers to himself - "Dome mellonamin ".
kulideb 01-02-04, 06:45 AM	"Oh, thank you." Laurie said to Preacher, "Are we really going down there?" she said trying to see into the dark tunnel. "I know I'm only a half elf but it does seem rather hard to see down there."
Ramoth 01-02-04, 09:21 AM	Ramoth stops her pacing and looks at the others. "For once I agree with the Ambassador. Why announce our presence in these tunnels any more then we have already? And I think the middle tunnel is the better choice also." Ramoth watches as the Ambassador preforms a spell on Preacher, then offers to do it for everyone else. "No thanks, I can see just fine." Ramoth doesn't tell them how she can, but she allows her dragon senses to completely take over. Now she can see just fine, though the middle tunnel still seems to be surronded by an unnatural darkness......
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 01-03-04, 06:03 AM	Mokhicara's attempt worked, but not without a price. It was rather draining actually, and although it didn't cause her to faint, she did feel close to such fate. It doesn't seem as though she'll manage to perform the same maneuvre with another person anytime soon. After completing his paniced act, the Preacher is able to see into the dark tunnel, as well as further into the "usual" darkness surrounding him. The additional vision, however, isn't completely steady; It flickers, as if someone was turning the light on and off ever half a second. Looking into the tunnel, the Preacher can see two staircases of very strange form {so much that it takes a thought to realize those are stairs. They obviously aren't meant for humanoid feet.} leading down. Betuin the two staircases is a narrow planc, that doesn't slope, but goes directly forwards, untill it meets the tunnel's back wall. The staircases lead so low, that even his new, acoustic vision doesn't allow him to see the end, but for as far as he can see {which is VERY far} the staircases are unchanging, and seem to hold no hazards. Directly under the planc there's a channel fo sorts, through which a narrow flow of water goes. The planc and the channel are about the width of a dwarf's boot. Within his normal range of sight, the Preacher is still able to see colors, and that part of his vision field does not flicker at all. Only the reaches now percieved through his hearing, and translated within his mind into sights, are subject to the flickering that reflects the travel of sonic waves. Ramoth and the others fail to see anything within the darkness: heightened visual sences are useless here. The dragon's other sences, however, allow her to smell and hear the flowing water, and her skin feels faint blowing of wind from inside both the middle and the left tunnels. She is also able to notice tiny sparks in the right tunnel and a slightly warmer air coming from the left one.
ThePreacher 01-04-04, 01:25 PM	The ranger steps forward, approaching the middle opening. Adjusting to his newly aquired enhanced vision in -unnatural darknesses-, he examines the tunnel's interior, carefuly stepping in and walking along the right wall. "Strange enough... Somehow I am now able to see in here.. Though not too clearly..." He whispers, not really intending to be heard by his companions. He steps closer, examining the two -staircases- and the narrow planc between them. He looks ahead, concentrating, trying to discern what lies ahead, at the other end of the planc. ((ooc: your description was quite vague Q ma man... Didn't really understand where the planc leads... and where do the stairs go -str8 down like spiral stairs or in a certain angle- and how the hell was I able to see where the stairs lead, while standing at the opening of the tunnel... Baaa... In simple words - I'm confused :( ))
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 01-04-04, 04:07 PM	[:rolleyes:] The planc leads to the wall. The staircases are streight, not spiralic, and they slope down with a 55 degree angle in relation to the ground level and the planc. There is nothing for the ranger to notice down the staircases, though he's able to see well over a hundred meters ahead, and trice that less sharply. The DM assumed you were looking into the tunnel. [/:rolleyes:]
kulideb 01-05-04, 04:01 AM	Laurie follows Preacher into the tunnel, running her hand along the right hand wall for guidence. She stopped just behind the ranger and held her hand out trying to locate him in the dark. "What can you see?" she said in a hushed voice.
ThePreacher 01-05-04, 06:03 AM	((ooc...Amm.. So there's just a wall at the end? like a dead end?)) The ranger turns to Laurie - "M'lady, I would advice you to stay with the rest for now, while I look around and determine wether there are any immediate threats" He whispers. He then turned back around and stepped to the top of the stairs leading down, while carefully ducking to half his hight. He examines the staircase, trying to determine if it would be possible for him to use them in order to get to the bottom. He then lifts his head and tries to see into the distance, searching for any sign of danger. is hand rests on the hilt of his sword. ((ooc: "What can I see?" he said in a hushed voice to the DM))
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 01-05-04, 10:02 AM	It's not a dead end if you can fall off it {and deamn right, you can!}, but yes, it only leads to the back wall, it seems. The ranger finds the awkward staircase relatiely usefull, and although the bottow is far away - too far away fro him to see it, in fact - the way to it, for as much length as his improved sight allows him to abserve, appear completely free of obstacles, dangers, and any other things of interrest. Not any that he can notice, anyway. The magical earring on Harold's ear kicks in, revealing him all that was revealed to Ramoth's wyrmish sences, and even a bit more: From far below and a bit fore, knocks only he can hear come, as if someone was tapping with a walking stick on a hard rode which he walks back and forth. Standing betuin the others, Akhul S'ara whispers to no one in particular, though all can hear his whisper: "W'igh ar' we w'isp'ring?" {{OOC: Drin, Kuli, is that just me, or do you act somewhat.. reluctant to do things?}}
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 01-05-04, 10:02 AM	.
Harold Crestdragon 01-05-04, 10:49 AM	Ina rough whisper, I exuded: "Because we do not know what can await us in these forsaken tunnels, and I fancy the thought that most of us would prefer to learn of the dangers herein contained before meeting them, rather than waiting for them to learn of our own, possibly threatening presence, and only revealing theirs with a bloody spear extruding from a black, invisible hidden niche in a wall, sinking slowly in our bloody entrails. Please remain careful. I can hear flowing water from here, as well as a strange sound: a repeatitive strike against the ground, a short, snapping sound instead of a deafening thunder. It could be a blessed pilgrim's walking stick, or a devious trap's vicious mechanics. I beg you for infinite mefiance and an obsessive carefulness, now that we may encounter other creatures. " Myself, Ilifted from his massive belt his impressive spiked chain, which exuded lively sparks when I moved it swiftly in the surrounding, cold air.
ThePreacher 01-05-04, 11:12 AM	((ooc: What? what backwall? and if it leads TO a WALL, then how can it not be a dead end?)) Seeing no obvious threat, the ranger steps down, using the awkward staircase. Step by step, still ducking down, he carefully listens letting his sharp ranger-halfelven senses guide him (Mainly depending on his hearing as in the Listen skill and Search mode, while all he hears also reflects on his sight ofcourse). And so he decsends into the deeper reaches of the tunnel, slowly setting foot after foot on the next stair, and then the next one.
Ramoth 01-05-04, 03:22 PM	Ramoth also moves into the tunnel. A little more reckless then normal she starts down the oakward ((??)) staircase, not waiting for anyone else to say anything. Part way down she stops and looks back up into the direction the others where standing. She calls out in a hushed voice "Well you guys coming?" She continues down till she's following directly behind Preacher.
kulideb 01-05-04, 03:26 PM	Laurie stood still in the dark for ages...well a few seconds after Preacher moved away. She moved forward Still running her hand along the wall, She couldn't see the stairs. She put her foot down..but there was no floor for it to land on, it caught her off balance and sent her head over heels down the stairs.....
Harold Crestdragon 01-05-04, 03:45 PM	"Well you guys coming?" "What do you mean, us coming? I am sorry, human, but we can not see in this impenetrable darkness." o O (A human's eyes, with a better vision than dwarves, and even a deep one? THAT is impossible..) Suddenly, without warning, the foolish elvish wizard followed the other woman's lead, leaving the group's side to become wholly engulfed, out of their allies' gazes, by the tenebrous mist brewing under the soil. "What!? Even the elven wimp is more at ease away from the boiling sun than us?" Harold's exclamation, however, was swiftly followed by strange sounds, a terrible succession of blows against the rocky wall, the easily recognized sounds of a graceless fall. "Phew! At least honor remains unstained. Ramoth, he called, may you come back here? We are utterly blind in this room, and we would need a guide. We'll just have to tie each other with a sturdy rope, hidden in my leathery backpack."
ThePreacher 01-05-04, 04:01 PM	If The ranger hears a loud "thud" behind him, a sound which resembles the impact of something quite large against a stone surface, he quickly turns around and seeing Laurie coming right at him he releases a hushed curse from his lips - "Godd**n! I told her to go back!" and readies himself to catch her, still ducking though. If he does not hear her falling and tumbling down the stairs, he continues his silent descent down the stairs.
Drindin 01-05-04, 07:53 PM	Robert grins, and hefts his mace. "Well, sounds likes they gots themselves inta a might bit 'o trouble! MAKE WAY FOR THE HALF-OGRE!" He half-hollors, following behind laurie into the unnatural spell.
Ramoth 01-05-04, 08:43 PM	Ramoth gets piled into and falls headfirst into Preacher.
Harold Crestdragon 01-05-04, 08:48 PM	"WHAT!" Harold roared savagely. "This is the most insane, terrific, sure way to get kileld I ever saw, despite all the years I spent gambling my life against orcs and goblins!Heed my words, Ak'hul, for I'll need your cooperation from now on! I want you to go back on our steps, to reach that brilliant creature the half-ogre invoked, and bring it to our sides. Its scent may track our stupid allies in this darkness, and we will tie it with my rope before sending it down there. If it ever refuses to come here, tell it its master is in dire danger! " His manners, even though still gruff, were softened, as his eyes shifted from Ak'hul visage to Mokhicara's. "Mistress, I must know, before tying you with us, if this hinders you in any way. Does it?"
N.Y. Wench 01-06-04, 12:26 AM	"Hinders me? Unlikely. But we should wait. Those who went first will hint to us of what they find. Even if the hint is a death cry. We listen then we fallow. We will hope this sun beast will yield to being harnessed with rope." The duer nods to Akhul to aprove of Harold's orders. "Did the halfbred not say something? Indicated evil radiance within reach did she?"
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 01-06-04, 07:55 AM	Laurie is able to hear Robert charging to her aid {or at least aiding her appears to be his motivation}, and apparently slipping, his weight quickly carrying him past her down the smooth stairs, as the wind from his movements hints. At the same time, the Preacher's arm reaching in a movement that would surely steady her... when something large and silvery {though generally, colors are no longer seen within this passage} crashes into him, joining him in a shwoonging slide down the stairs. Ramoth heard both of the two falls, and now increaced theyr number to 4, herself inclueded. With growing speed, and - fortunately, if oddly - few to no phisical traumae, Laurie, Robert, Ramoth and the Preacher amke theyr relatively uncontrollable way down the alien stairs. Theyr movement is very quick, and soon the Preacher can faintly percieve the end of this staircase, though details are still far from discernible. "Oh, oh y's, of c'rce!" Akhul starts jogging towards the tunnel's begining, where the celestial summonee is waiting. He manages to not make any obvious sound {though Harold still hears him easily}, despite of his more-than-adequate speed. Soon enough he returns with a huge glowing beacon standing on four heavily clawed paws, moving a narrow and flexible tail impationatly. As the dire lion nears the tunnel, Harold, Mokhicara, and Darvin can see that in a very small radius around the creature, the darkness fails to consume the light.
ThePreacher 01-06-04, 08:46 AM	"Aghh... Arr... Achh... Damn!" The ranger's arse seems to be taking all the impacts while he slides/tumbles down the stairs. Though apparently he did manage to catch Laurie and thus he wraps his arms around her, trying to take the blows from the stairs on himself (If that kind of maneuver is even possible while falling down the stairs).
Ramoth 01-06-04, 09:39 AM	With an lot of bumping and groaning as they head to the bottom Ramoth tries to make a desperate save. Pushing down with her feet, hoping to make contact with anything, Ramoth tries to jump over top of the group and possible land above the falling mess where she could then try to stop herself from falling.
Drindin 01-06-04, 10:01 AM	Robert sits up, and chuckles slightly. "Well then... tha' was a rush." He carefully makes sure he's still in one piece, pleased and surprised to find that he is. He then checks his Mace, and again, is pleased, and surprised, that it isn't broken. "Well now... I 'ope every one's doin' as well as me."
Harold Crestdragon 01-06-04, 06:44 PM	As the trusted mindthrall came back, followed closely by the impressive lion Robert summoned despite himself earlier, a small smile appeared on my lips, maybe for the first time in this damned hole of rats. Finally, I thought, we had a tiny, a faint chance of traveling through the darkness. The Lion's scintillating glow, pulsating with an eerie radiance, as it came toward Mokhicara and I, progressively, despite my predictions, pushing farther and farther the borders of blackened shadows. "Now if that is not a surprise!", I let out, aloud! Calming myself, I handed to Ak'hul my sturdy rope. "Ak'hul, from what I saw, you were the one keeping care of the precious camels of your caravan : You must thus be a skilled animal caretaker, due to the value of the beasts you tended in the desert. I pray you, would you, please, tie this rope around its neck before we advance in the unbridled, unknown territory?"
kulideb 01-07-04, 04:06 AM	Laurie felt Preacher hold on to her, so saving her from many of the knocks and bumps on their flight down the stairs. When they at last came to a stop Laurie stood up. "I'm so sorry...are you hurt?" she said to Preacher, Then looked round at every one. "Next time you say wait, I will!" she promised the ranger. (("When they came to a stop" didnt say the stop was at the bottom!:) )) http://nwn.unforgottenrealms.net/downloads/portraits/crosbie/elf2stars.jpg
ThePreacher 01-07-04, 07:05 AM	((ooc: Guys, I think you should have waited for the DM to tell us when and if we have landed at the end of the stairs... but... whateva)) Stirring and feeling his body, the ranger checks for any serious injuries. His face does not illuminate a calm expression anymore... Though the expression fades in a couple of moments, and his face seems again calm as ever. He then struggles to get back on to his feet and holds out his hand towards Laurie - "Yes, that would be a good idea m'lady... Now come, let me help you get up"
ruthia 01-07-04, 10:01 AM	:eek:
ThePreacher 01-07-04, 12:05 PM	((ooc: ... The dm should also decide if we come to a stop or not... :rolleyes: ... hehe :D ))
N.Y. Wench 01-08-04, 03:03 PM	Mokhicara averts her eyes from the lion. It didn't blind her not at all but its glow was so tastelessly rude! The ambassador shook her head trying to get rid of the vertigo and weekness and other disabilitating stuff but it only causes her to slide softly off from whatever or whomever she was leaning against and now lay on the ground. Normally she would call for someone to attend her but she feels a little naucia and doesn't want to show herself week to the surfacers (she was very clearly instructed not to) so she just acts as if nothing happened and slides an arm under her head
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 01-09-04, 04:14 PM	Ramoth's efforts drove her aside from the Preacher, and lift her into the air. Gravity seemed to be somewhat weaker in this tunnel, and she only regained contact with the stairs after a considerable time. The Preacher in his turn, managed to take another charge, and thus Laurie was spared of the relatively harmless, yet painfull bruises which the other three did take, with the Precher taking hers, and Ramoth taking less than the others, due to her airborn time. The joined weight of the mage and her warder brought them to the bottom first, and a few moment after theyr short conversation took place, Robert's relatively soft arrival can be heard by both, and sound-seen by the ranger. Before the priest has even finished his observation, Ramoth's waist found his back, as if she were using the stairs as a ramp, to mount the hafogre like a steed. Even within the point-blanc distance betuin Robert and the dragon, and Laurie and the Preacher, none exept the latter can see anything, inclueding eachother. The ranger, however, can see that they are now in a small, perfectly spherical cave, its diameter no more than 10 AS* or five of his paces. The knocking is louder here, and something very quick seems to be spidering across the small cavern's walls, but it's hard to spot. A square 2-meter screen of almost blinding whiteness is set in the wal, directly opposing the tunnel through which they all fell instead of discending "peacefully", but once again, none exept the Preacher can see it. Oh then does the irritation kicks in. Though Ramoth haedly feels it, the skin of the other three begins to itch, from the face the itch spreads to cover theyr entire skins, though the areas not covered by clothes seem to itch harder. The metalic knocking suddenly feels extremely annoying to the three of them, and the Preacher is able to notice a tiny moving shape a coupkle of times, but it dodges his sonic vision each time. *** The bedine ranger nods eagerly to Harold, cheerfull and excited to finally take notable action. "Ay', b't not quit' ar'und h's neck! That w'uld chok', b't dn't w'ry: as y' said, i've treat'n camm'ls 'nd hounds, n'd ev'ven h'rses!" He smiles, taking the rope, and dropping quite some more rope from his shoulder; hooks and other metal parts are attached to these lengths of rope. "I t'k the lyb'rty to gr'b that m'unt'ine'ring gear fr'm 'ur l'ttle mine-flay'r; I h'ped y'u w're pl'nning wh't y'u w're! By Ellah, th's g'ing to bec'm a r'yl advent're" Using harold's rope, the human quicly prepares a crude {and very large} harness, which he then slips around the lion's shoulders, chest, and upper forepaws. The lion growls casually, looking at the celunite's work as a side observer would look at the twon's resident idiot whose feats had nothing to do with the observer, but amused him a bit. It even raises a paw each time it's needed, cooperating with the harnessing.
ThePreacher 01-09-04, 04:53 PM	Trying to Ignore the itching, the ranger gathers all his strength to focus his eyes on the illusive shape on the wall. He readies his bow, "loading" it with an arrow. He then tries to step closer to the square of white, in hope it would lighten up the room and ease the spotting of the strange figure running on the wall.
N.Y. Wench 01-10-04, 08:40 PM	When Mokhicara feels she can speak without her voice sounding week or drained she does: "While we wait for hints on theyr status two of us should investigate the short cavern. Or the one to the left. The left would take more time." She stands up trying to make to disguise her weekness as reluctancy/lazyness/loth(sp?)
Harold Crestdragon 01-11-04, 01:17 PM	"I am deeply sorry, mistress, but Gulthym's sacred vow, the eternal dwarven promise of keeping, forever, their brethren safe from harm, forbids me from encouraging your determined and courageous enterprise, for group is always stronger while united, and when it can clearly se where it goes instead of CLUELESSLY RUNNING LIKE FOOLS IN HELL'S MAW!" While savagely uttering the last words, Harold turned his rash figure from Mokhicara, facing the unprecise direction in which their companions left, hoping they would listen, if not words of ageless wisdom, shouts of panicked fury. "Now that we have a dim, but steady and unaccounted source of light, we should follow these unorganized elves and the witless ogre, hoping to find them back alive and with all their clumsy limbs."
Ramoth 01-11-04, 01:31 PM	With some effort Ramoth lifts herself off of Preacher and feels him move away from her. "Everyone ok?"
kulideb 01-11-04, 03:23 PM	Laurie held her arms out in front of her, she couldn't see a thing. She could hear a knocking noise and her skin began to itch. The noise began to get to her. "I really don't like it here! Preacher can you see any thing?" she asked .
Ramoth 01-11-04, 03:36 PM	Ramoth listens to Laurie and turns her head so she's looking in the direction the voice came from. "Whats wrong? Is anyone hurt?" ((If DM allows (And to satisfy Max's Fiendish need to have his Char heard :rolleyes: ) I post the following)) Suddenly Ramoth stops talking and listens. CLUELESSLY RUNNING LIKE FOOLS IN HELL'S MAW! o O (Hmm, wonder what that Dwarf is complaining about now.) "I don't think the Dwarves wanted us to rush down here."
kulideb 01-11-04, 04:01 PM	"No I'm ok." Laurie answered to Ramoth. "We didn't really want to rush down here our selves!" "Grummpy dwarf" she muttered under her breath.
Drindin 01-11-04, 06:13 PM	Robert rubs the back of his head, not daring to get up, lest he hit his head on the roof. "wow... I've never seen darkness before."
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 01-24-04, 03:28 AM	Although Harold's shout was heard by Ramoth {and only her} downstairs, Akhul was apparently quick to obey the ambassador, and by teh time this call came, he was already dragging Darvin with him into the short cavern to the right. The lion stands fully harnessed, however... The Preacher's movement could not improve visibility any more than coming closer to a powerfull source of sound would improve one's ability to discern more delicate sounds. Ther only effect he could feel from coming nearer to the white square is the itching becoming even more persistant.
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 01-25-04, 12:17 AM	.
N.Y. Wench 01-25-04, 10:57 AM	Mokhicara finally feels well enough to stand up so she does and looks a little to the two humans dissappearing in the path to the right "Akhul proves less inclined to insubordinance. And quicker to act. Tell of your plan Hardrold. How do you suggest to descend?" She sounds completely casual and matter of factish with no negative (but no positive either) stuff in her tone
Harold Crestdragon 01-28-04, 04:48 PM	I faced Mokhicara, holding my bearded head straight and my arms still. "I think we should follow the lion, and try to find the other members of our company, miss. We should advance slowly, carefully, waiting for the light to provide us an advantage. Also, we should remain behind the lion at all time: to be on other sides of it would block the line of light it projects." o O ( Not to mention he can cover us this way.) "Do you agree upon this plan, madam?"
N.Y. Wench 01-28-04, 06:48 PM	Mokhicara doesn't have anything constructive or promotable to say so she just nods meaningfully and grunts aprovingly. After akk Ajguk can't die without her clearance and Darvin she only needed as a living trap alarm and he wasn't fullfilling that role (didn't walk in front) so there was bno real reasons speaking against going down and a couple for it. She got up and srappes some of the rope tangling from the lion arund herself then faced the hole leading lower.
ThePreacher 01-29-04, 03:04 PM	The ranger stands still, trying to concentrate on the running figure on the walls, aiming his bow. o O (What kind of sorcery is this? ... I sense I need help in this..) "Ramoth! Can you see the thing on the wall? The small lil' shadow runnin' around like it was celebrations in waterdeep"
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 01-29-04, 09:09 PM	The celestial lion walking in the front, followed by the two mutually-contradicting dwarves, lights up a winding, seemingly endless wide "staircase". It does take some immagination to call it thus, for it is obviously not menat for humanoid legs; still, the descend is possible, when one sees what he steps on, and the three keep going on. After the way's first 60 feet or so are passed, the lion steers sharply to the left, as if to avoid the obstacle, and Harold notices a small chest, of a rather iconic appearance, but with an obviously jammed lock {it seems as though the locks was melted by intence heat, sealing the chest better than it would in its innitial condition}, and with signs of scorchings, acid burns, hammer strike, sword hacks, and other forms of damage, all on the box's cover... The cover is somewhat deformed, but neither cracked nor thinned in even a single place. Mokhicara, as the innitiator of the sonic-based vision that led two men and two women downstairs, is able to indicate the chest as completely translucent to sound; if the others passed here, the Preacher couldn't have saw it. It is located just beneath the "bridge" that leads from the middle of the staricase's beginning to the wall i faces. It is also directly under the end of that bridge; the opposing vertical wall turns at that point into the diagonal cieling of the staircase's shaft, so to speak. The Preacher himself is able to notice the more oftenly the metalic, sticklike appandages, tapping here and there on the spherical cavern's walls, relocating each time his vision falls on them from more than just the corner of his eye. Ramoth Can smell oil; dirty, rotting oil, that had been left in one place for an overly long time. She can also faintly hear clickclacks that are purely metalic, rather than the taps of metal against stone as the stronger noise surely is. Together, both forms of ticks, sound systematic, keeping a repeating pattern, though calling it rythm would be an exaggeration. Ramoth can also hear, from far above, a scream of horror, and after a mee few seconds, one of pain, though uch weeker. Akhul's enthusiasm in combunation with Darvin's indifference make a rather comic picture: the bedine scout runs into the right cavern, dragging the cormyrian outlaw after him by the hand. Thed cavern is well lit, when compared to the tunnel the others took, but it makes little difference to the two humans, to whom even the night nearly equals blindness... luckily, little is still mroe than none: the luminicnt mold on some of the walls adds itself to the fosphoriscent stalagmites and the slightly shining stalactites, creating an eery atmosphere of darkness with some objects seen within it, without really lighting much around them. Akhul drags his uncaring companion deeper in, but suddenly hears a silent sound from behind, similar to that of a scalp bieng removed from a scull. He turns around, and for a blinktime stares in surprise, but then rolls away with the utmost speed, trying to drag Darvin after him... but at that point only one of darvin's arms, severed at the very shoulder, remains in his grasp. A group of stalactites from the cieling, concentrated in one spot, fell simulanteously, with greate acuracy, just when the rogue was passing under it. Two of them broke his skull, one fell on each shoulder, and one broke the knee of a leg he rose to step on; five more missed completely and fell on the floor around him. Death came immidiately, and Akhul S'ara, as he rises to his feet, pulling his claymore out of the astral storing cell it's kept in, and looking at his fallen comrade, sees the "stalactites" that fell on him begining to crawl away with sickening slowness, extending one pseudopod each, from its base. Further dumfounded staring reveals that only the ones that mised crawl away, while the ones who stroke Darvin seemed to stay where they landed, consuming him via the same pseudopods. Akhul's shock of fear and surprise fades just a little, and only to be joined with a shock of rage. Screaming, unable to even find words, the ranger begins smashing the creatures with his claymore, and in a time all too short to saticefy even the slightest thirst of retribution, all lie opened up, theyr fleshy interier showing. None of them had the ability to avoid a hit, much less to strike back. He stands there for another minute before all shock passes - or atleast ot does to the extent that allows hiom to feel pain. Finding it hard to move, or even feel his left leg, the human looks down and sees one of the stalactites planted betuin his thighbone and his torso. He cries out; the pain and disguast overwhelm him, as he grabs the critter with both hands, after hardly bothering to swing his weapon back out of the material plane, and throws he abberation to the ground. Ignoring the fountain of blood coming out of his wide-opened side, he rushes out of Darvin's uncalled-for grave, still groaning, unawarely, with pain, and charges after the others, who could hear his first cry, but not the last one. His haste and blindness inevittably make him trip and continue his journey slide-flying, like the first part of the group, and soon both lionwalkers are able to see him tumbling down, towards theyr backs and a little to the right, bleeding heavily and trying to shout something out.
N.Y. Wench 02-01-04, 05:44 AM	Mokhicara turns around when she hears her thrall and her eyes widen (!!!) "Catch him!" she tries to slow the falling beduin with her mind to make it easier for her body guard to stop his fall
Ramoth 02-01-04, 09:15 AM	Ramoth tries to see what the Preacher is talking about. "Preacher, I can't even see my own hand in front of my face. But whatever it is it sounds like it's Machanical...." Ramoth trails off and turns her head back n the direction of the stairs in order to hear better. Then gasps. "I think one of the others just got hurt upstairs, but I can't tell who!" ((Rest of this space reserved till I get some info!))
ThePreacher 02-01-04, 09:37 AM	"Damn! What is this evil place?!" The ranger kneels on one leg and aims his bow, concentrating on the 'blinking' silhuette on the walls. o O (Focus man.. Focus!) Learning the patterns of it's movements, the barding warrior tries to determine the right time to strike. He fires an arrow at where the evasive figure should be the next fraction of a second.
kulideb 02-04-04, 07:54 AM	Laurie stayed quiet, she concentrated on calming her breathing. She heard Ramoths words about someone upstairs being hurt and began to feel more alarmed.
kulideb 02-11-04, 04:58 PM	Laurie crouched down and began to crawl, hoping that staying low would make her less of a target. She moved slowly reatching out trying to find one of the others or the bottom step.
Myranthor 02-11-04, 09:10 PM	"You, come with me! Block the slider!" These loud words left my squarish jaw in the form of a disturbing shout, as Igave a slight pression on the stalwart rope tying the robust neck of the magnificent, celestial creature accompanying two dwarves under the surface of earth. After guiding himself the beast in front of Ak'hul's speedy body, I positionned myself in front of it, using the lion's mass as a counterweight. Furthermore, I stroke mightily the ground of the cavern with my thunderous chain, hoping it would penetrate it deeply enough to provide a pick strong enough to support us in case we would fall.
Ramoth 02-12-04, 08:38 AM	Ramoth's instincts start to take over as she stands in the dark waiting, listening,.... She slowly walks away from the stairs towards the wall. Eventually come to the wall she places her hands on it and waits to see what happens. ((There Action.))
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 02-12-04, 08:23 PM	It appears that Mokhicara's effort had atleast some effect: Akhul's acceleration lessened, and the angle of his moevemnt seemed to twist a couple of times asymetrically. By itself, this would only provide him a more thrilling view as he flies by the three of them and on into the darkness; but fortunately for him, the ambassador had a defender, and the defender had a dire celestial lion on a leash! Harold's manipulations made the lion move with mild reluctancy and manlike surprise, but they brought him just to the right spot: hitting some part of the staircase's floor Akhul unwillingly changed his course, gaining distance from the ground, and above the level of Harold's head, landed with his face into the glowing lion's mane. Rolling over the beast's back, the bedine falls from its other side, but his innertion already broken by the cellestial collision, he lands softly; He looks bewildered, and perhaps shocked, if anyone even looks at him. Suddenly, the three which bask in the lion's celestial light can now feel the same irritationas the others did, though only for a short time. Theyr licing lantern's nose, eyes, ears, and mouth-corners bleed slightly, though the beasts seems too flegmatic to even pay any attention. At the same time Akhul lets out a scream of pain, as the the thigh bone, with which he "cought" one of Darvin's killers, breakes off nastily. Harold feels his guts streign, but nothing more, while Mokhicara's feeling is similar, but not as harmless. To keep the same metaphore, the duergar feels as if some of her internal organs tear slightly in the process. {Mokhi takes 3 points of sonic damage. FYI the bedine and the lion got 3 and 2 respectively.} *** Laurie's gentle, soft hands find what they seek with no effort: in mere moments her left hand finds the begining of the staircase they all... skipped, while the right hand landed on Robert's right ankle. The supposedly mechanical critter's routs are rtather random; when it seems to the Preacher that he grasped a pattern, his arrow proves him wrong, by bouncing off the wall, and rikoshetting to the white screen only he could see. The irritation everyone had been feeling, jumped to a peak for one second, and everyone could feel something similar to a human's responce to nails scratching a surface of glass; the eyes and mouth-corners of the four adventurers start bleeding slightly from the severe disturbance, but then it passed. The ranger was blinded for the second during which this peak lasted, but his vision cleared immidiately; the arrow obviously dissappeared behind the white veil. {Robert, Laurie and the Preacher take 1 point of sonic damage. Ramoth takes 2.} Ramoth's rapidly heightening sences eventually allow her to locate the source of the irritation so persicely, that she can practicly feel with her skin, and almost see the windowlike square. As she leans her hands against it, the irritation rises to a new level... but this time she cannot feel it! She can hear the sound, though, and it is deafening in its monotonous, creschending volume. The others can both feel the irritation growing, and hear the deafening sound, only that to them, it feels as though the combination of these two disturbances was literally shattering theyr bones from within, causing extreme pain. The Preacher could also feel his eyes burn, and no longer saw anything, as his visage was completely overwhelmed by snowlike whiteness. {Robert and Laurie take 20 points of sonic damage each; the Preacher takes 29 point of sonic damage and is blinded for 5 minutes.} When the Preacher's eyes recover from the shockwave, he can no longer see anything: the temporary shortcut, set in his brain by the ambassador, has finally expired. *** Ramoth can now see all clearly: she stands on an immense platform of dark marble, the cave's wall hundreds of meters above her, and none of the walls, nor the floor, seen. This place is much larger than any of the caverns she had already visited today, and the air here smells completely differently. The darkness here is perfectly natural, but there seem to be no features on this huge floor of marble. She can hear a buzz coming from behind her, but there seems to be nothing there. Flaps of wings can be heard above, iwth long pauses; the wings cannot belong to more than three seporate creatures, and could well be just one. The shining mold, common in the caverns she were so far, and apparently left, is absent here.
Drindin 02-12-04, 10:04 PM	Robert reaches for the arm attattched to the hand that lands on his ankle. "Whoa there... tha's gettin' a bit wierd now." He says. "I'm not used to not bein' able to see nothin' while m' eyes are open..." Robert suddenly grabs his head going 'ugh!' from a severe head ache... And then he bellows out in immense pain, rolling on his side "By The Laughing Mask! Dear GODS! I feel m' g'nna 'plode!"
ThePreacher 02-13-04, 02:10 AM	The ranger sounds a shout of pain, he falls to his knees, feeling an ubeareable sound thudding on his bones and head. "Ghhaa... What in heaven's name is this damned place?! I am blind!" He struggles to rise to his feet, though he only manages to clumsily stand up, bent by the pain.
kulideb 02-13-04, 04:13 PM	Lauries hand found the bottom step while the other found some ones ankle. She was just starting to work her hand up the ankle to the calf when her head felt as if it would explode. She let go of the leg and clapped her hands over her ears, but the noise still seemed to burrow into her brain. She could just about make out a bellow. She doubled herself up and began to whimper.
N.Y. Wench 02-17-04, 07:12 AM	"Where is the day dreamer?" Mokhicara asks oblivious to his pain but then steps closer and pulls the prolonged object out of her slave's pelvis "And what is that and what did you find there?"
Ramoth 02-17-04, 07:56 AM	The irratations of the wall left behind, Ramoth now finds herself in an almost peaceful spot. She's perfectly happy hear, it's a nice spot. The beating of wings bothers her slightly so she turns around in a circle looking up and down trying to spot whatever is making the sound.
Harold Crestdragon 02-17-04, 08:17 AM	After Ak'hul's violent landing, relieved that no one was harmed through it, and despite a strange, internal suffering, I reacted calmly,walking to the scarred chest next to us. Calmly, I inspected it, its hinges, its cracks, the amterial in which it was made, the energies and objects used to open it. I also wonder wether my fire breath would be stronger than the energies used on it or not, using the metal's deformation as indicator.
kulideb 02-17-04, 08:58 AM	After a while she could hear herself, she rubbed her ears. Her head still seemed to pound. She began to feel round for Robert as she was sure it was his leg that she had felt before the strange attack.
Drindin 02-17-04, 09:39 AM	Robert moved towards where he thought Laurie was, and reached out feebly. "Gods... are ya there Laurie?" He mumbled, the words coming out slurred as he still tried to recover from the strange episode.
kulideb 02-17-04, 03:11 PM	Laurie stopped and listerend. "Robert." she said her voice full of relief. She found his hand and clutched at it, holding on tight. " I really don't like it here, I think we should move." she said softly. "Preach?" she called out to the ranger, but not to loudly.
Drindin 02-17-04, 06:23 PM	Robert sighed in relief at the sound of Lauries voice, moving slowly closer to her, sitting next to her the moment he reaches her. "I don' think he can 'ear us... if it's true, I aint surprised..." He mumbles.
ThePreacher 02-18-04, 01:16 AM	The ranger turns round... Well.. actually it looks more like he "spins" round and almost falls down, but he regains his balance.. barely.. "Ghaa... So... Someone said so..mvin?" o O (Fu%#.. I can't hear myself!)
N.Y. Wench 02-21-04, 12:17 AM	after a short silence (she thinks he doesn't answer because of the wound) she turns to the lion and hoods her eyes with the phalic symbol she is holding "If you come from where i think you do then you can close his wound. Do it"
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 02-22-04, 10:13 AM	When Mokhicara pulls his tormentor out, Akhul finally passes out. The beast doesn't appear to respind to the ambassador's words in any manner. Harold's inspection shows that someone probably tried pressured fire already. And acid; and almost every other form of attack one could think of. Now the chest looks rather lousy, as if all these prior efforts made it fragile enough to breake down should an elf spit on it. There's a writing in dwarven, on one of the metal planks that aren't yet devored by hacking attempts and natural decomposition, and the letters are tiny, but legible. *** Ramoth is able to see a large, cyan, multiwinged figure, making greate eights and loops in the air; its speed is greate, and the furthest points it reaches, within each such loop, are beyond even Ramoth's range of vision. Nothing else seems to exist on that marble platform, in this huge cave.
Harold Crestdragon 02-22-04, 10:37 AM	I inspected the locked chest, only to discover that the many attacks targeted at its hard surface were not a proof of its solidity, but many small steps leading to its utter destruction. Furthermore, I encountered a small text, words sribbled in Dethek. Frowning, I looked at these small symbols, wondering at their meaning.
kulideb 02-22-04, 04:52 PM	"I think we should move, the stairs are near by or...we could go forwards may be this darkness dosnt cover the whole room." She held on tight to Roberts hand afraid of letting go. "Err..any one heard from Ramoth?"
Drindin 02-22-04, 10:12 PM	Robert held onto Laurie aswell. "I 'aven't heard Ramoth at all..." He tried his best to comfort Laurie as best he can. "Maybe we should just stay still... I don' wanna hurt me OR you, m'lady...."
kulideb 03-05-04, 04:18 PM	"I think we are more likely to get hurt staying here, emm..Ramoth is quite, and she could have gone up the stairs with out bumping into one of us....so lets go forward! what do you think Preacher?" Laurie stood up and tugged on Roberts hand to try to get him to follow her, all she had to do was keeping going forward..till she bumped into some thing else she thought.
Drindin 03-05-04, 06:53 PM	Robert followed Kulideb... crawling of course, hoping he doesn't hit his head.
ThePreacher 03-06-04, 01:40 AM	"I cannot see nothing! How can we find our way?" the ranger replied, despair in his voice. "I can't understand this.. What madman would think of elaborating such a demonic place?"
Drindin 03-06-04, 02:34 AM	Robert chuckled a bit. "I could think of a few..."
Ramoth 03-06-04, 08:48 AM	Ramoth sits down and watches this animal for a little bit. Her stomach growls and she relizes how hungery she suddenly is. Without a though she changes forms again, not full size but big enough so she may be able to over power the flying creature. With a roar of delight she takes off after it, her dragonic hunger over powering her normal common sense. She swerves, snaps, swipes, and breaths fire in an attempt to kill this creature and eat it!
kulideb 03-06-04, 09:33 AM	"We just keep going forward..till we hit some thing." Laurie said to Preacher. Laurie found it easier to hold on to the scruff of Roberts neck while he crawled.
Drindin 03-06-04, 02:59 PM	Robert grumbled. "I'm tired of this... Let's throw discretency out the window." He says. He grabs his holy symbol, and murmurs a prayer to whatever god might be listening... he then casts dispell magic onto the area, tired of all the darkness.
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 03-06-04, 03:11 PM	The dwarven text reads: "Some scrolls may scream or bleed, Some texts may clean the gore, But did you ever read Explosive runes before?" And as soon as this simple verse is read by Harold, all hell breakes loose: the plate detonates, and luckily for Mokhicara, she passes out instantly. Her guardian, however, is well aware fo the pain and th burning, as well as the shockwave, that sends all four of them to the air, has them scratch the tunnel's cieling, and washes them down the tunnel with greate speed. The lion got no less than anyone else, but his light did not fade, and thanks to this light, Harold is able to see two things: the tunnel's walls and cieling deforming from the explosion, crumbling, and creating a cave-in behind them, and as a bonus - the chest flying and tumbling down the tunnel, even faster than they do, lounched by the shockwave emanating from its own explosive trap. Below, the three adeventurers' crawling is ruined by an impressing sound of explosion, deep up the tunnel they all came from, followed by a growing spot of light, in the tunnel's total darkness. The light increaces, like a superniva in a nightly sky, or maybe its source is getting closer. A whistling sound, like that of a quarrel lounched from a balista can be heard, and the moment this hypothtical arrow would have striken one of them, they can hear something hitting the cave's wall really hard, bouncing off, and hiting the floor. Soon Laurie, Robert and the Preacher can all see and hear the following procession: Akhul, who was probably dead, or atleast comatose from the explosion, flies ahead of everyone, strikes the wall, and forms a nasty stain on it. A dark, eliptic object {which Harold saw earlier leaving the ambassador's hand as they flew} about the length of a shortsword's blade, strikes the wall near the stain, and cracks, opening in two like a sunflower's seed, then falls to the ground, open, revealing a sleezy grey mass within it. The source of light, which they saw almost from the moment the heard the explosion, one of its paws crippled and almost torn away from the body, its fur soiled with blood, roaring in pain, but still maintaining its celestial light - Robert's summonee. And finally the dwarves; even in this dire condition, Harolds mind is clear, and his unconceous charge within his reach. The dwarves have not even landed yet, and already one of the large stones in Mokhicara's bracelet flashes, and in responce flashes the spot on the wall's stain, where the bedine's heart should be. The lion, who had landed on all three, stull oaring in pain {on closer examination even his spine appears to be broken}, provides perfect illumination, and all can see the human's body reforming from its virtually irrevivable remains: blood strts flowiong through missing veins, and muscles twitch to move crushed bones, but amazingly enough, the figure now stands, and Akhul's flesh seems to regain its dimentions. At that time, Robert's prayer is complte, and although the darkness seems too much for his power to banish, two other things happen: First, the ticking-tapping sound, which th Preacher was trying to hunt down, stops; and second, Akhul's form falls to the ground, its reformation stopped. *** "What the?.. By every Zeid's amputed egglaying appendage!" The multiwinged creature turned its back to Ramoth, and changed sharply the course of its flight. Its large tail waved behind it as it started gaining distance, but at the same time sought to examin the platform's surface more closely. Ramoth's firebreath cought the thing inspite of its greate speed, and is gave out a hising sound of pain, as its entire back side cought on fire. He started spinning in his flight, to put the fire out, but even when he succeeded, the burns were obvious on his back and tail. Even one of his wings are blackened, but unlike the rest of his body, they didn't seem to be notably harmed. "Watchbase! mur`Iehren reporting, from the smitten city - there's a bloody silver dragon here! No idea, it took off, it came from the ground, where the kiaransalleean monastery used to be! Yes, a silver bloody dragon is attacking me!" Screaming thus at the unsen, probaby remote target, the critter omitted to maneuver intime, and since he slowed down to shout in the first place, Ramoth's claw now reached him, practicly tearing a piec off his lower back. Instead of bleeding, it seemed to let out some greenish or bluish vapor, which rose towards teh cielings in the same quanity you'd expect blood to gush from a similarily-wounded human. "Ahhhhh! Replace me! Now!!!" He made a move that seemed virtually impossible, and evaded Ramoth's next strike by practicly diving under her, and flying in the direction oposit direction, winning the time it would take her to turn around. A flash of light appeared before Ramoth, in her innertion drove her into it. She emmerged within what seems like a chamber made of colorfull glass and gems, with feline-looking humanoids, all notably different one from the other in body-structure, color, and behavior, running all around it, lookig into some glimmering spots on the glassy walls, and shouting orders and reports to eachother, while manipulating the inbuilt gems. One of them flips backwards, avoiding collision with Ramoth as she appeared. "What the Zeid!?" "Since when are they hostile?!" "Hey, you're nor mur`Iehren!" "You bloody CARE? Catch it!!!" "Who messed up the gate!?!" "How do you catch a deamn dragon?!" "Catchitcatchitcatchicatchit!" "That's not mur`Iehren! Get mur`Iehren! Get the shhilons!" "No Nury at that Watchbase!" "A silver deamn dragon!!!" "What have shhilons to do with it?!?" The exchange of panicked yells continued, each voice different from the others, and although the creatures weren't even nearly as quick as the one she wounded, and only one in every five or so was airborne and/or had wings, still theyr orderless hopping, yelling, and general mess-making is confusing, almost enough to nauciate.
Harold Crestdragon 03-07-04, 10:57 AM	"Some scrolls may scream or bleed, Some texts may clean the gore, But did you ever read Explosive runes before?" A chilling touch grasped my tired heart, seized it between its iron fingers, leaving into my spine the repelling stench of fear, the horrible odor of anxiety. Only then, less than a second later, did the earth open underneath my stocky legs, revealing a bulging mass of erupting magma, a wave of boiling fire destroying the speleologic complex, projecting I and my allies forward, sending each of us against walls, floor and ceiling, destroying our bones, scarring our skins. We descended the ledge for only a few seconds, a few seconds to complete an eternal descent to the Abysses, projected violently, unable to direct our movements, in the gigantic maw of Dumathoin, god of the earth. A brief prayer, uttered by the last conscious part of my panicked brain, probably saved us from our dire fate, took us out of this awful situation. Arrived at destination, my first reflex was to jump by Mokyhicara's side, pouring in her throat a healing potion I had in my belt.
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 03-07-04, 12:19 PM	{Late clearification: 33 damage to Harold, Mokhi, Akhul, and the DCL; Akhul restored to duty by BoaS {charm} but dispelled by Robert; Mokhi regains 10hp from the potion} Mokhicara is now able to open her eyes, and even move, yet her condition is still far from good. Should anyone look to where the ticking was last heard from, they can see a mechanical multipede, looking like something dragged from Lantan, through all the nine hells, and stationed here. Blades and various tools are attached to its form, but none of it moves anymore. The source of the irritating voice {where the Preacher could "see" the square "screen"} is a virtually undistinguishable part of the cave's wall, only that it seems to be slightly blurred, as if the stone was vibrating with great speed. The lion's light is enough for the small cavern and the tunnel's bgining, but doesn't reach the spot where the cavein can be assumed to lay.
ThePreacher 03-07-04, 01:58 PM	The ranger was still confused and a feeling of despair started to take over him. Then he heard the blast. He turned around, and saw a light. The first thought that crossed his mind was When do we have breakfast?, but that one was immediatly followed by another one: Thank heavens! I can see the light in the end of the tunnel! On the next moment the ranger was jumping aside, barely avoiding the "light" which was on a direct trajectory towards his head. It hit the wall behind him, producing a sound which made the ranger shudder at the thought that that sound could have been reeverbing off the inside of his skull, should he reacted just a little bit slower. "What In the name of Helm's holy arse was that?!"
kulideb 03-09-04, 04:02 PM	Laurie let go of Robert and dropped to the floor as the light seemed to be heading their way. She blushed at the rangers words, it felt good to be able to see again although looking at the bloody mess in front of her she almost wished she couldnt.
Drindin 03-09-04, 07:12 PM	Robert rushes to the Lion's side, and mumbles a prayer, casting Cure Critical on the lion.
kulideb 04-27-04, 07:44 AM	Laurie crept up behind Robert, she placed a hand on his shoulder and peered at the lion. "Is it dead?" she asked.
ruthia 04-27-04, 08:23 AM	Ramoth lands on the highest perch and looks down at the chaos below her. She gives out a mighty roar and a small trickle of fire as she tries to figure out what is going on........
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 04-30-04, 05:48 PM	Mokhicara is fortunately thus revived, now half-sitting near her guardian. Harold himself is... yet to take further action, and so are Laurie and the Preacher. Robert's gift is very well introduced, as the positive energy practicly blows the severely-wounded celestial like a once-punctured baloon, returning him to perfectly healthy and clean condition within mere moments, before the eyes of all. *** The psudo-organized crowd around Ramoth slowly relaxes, eventhough most known species would not percieve the dragon's current bodylanguege as calming. The creatures sit, stand, or walk around theyr duties normally, each doing one of the above, only ocasionally throwing a glance at the dragon. The panic ended almost as kuickly as it started, and most voices are now easy and unloud.
kulideb 05-01-04, 06:18 AM	Laurie clapped her hands together. "Oh, you healed him!" she said huging Robert. She looked around in the light cast by the lion. "Err..where is Ramoth?"
Drindin 05-02-04, 02:23 AM	Robert sighed and smiled, putting an arm around Laurie as she hugs him. When she asks where Ramoth is, he lowers his arm, and looks about aswell... "I'm... not to sure m'self."
kulideb 05-02-04, 05:41 AM	"May be there is another way out, I would have felt her pass if she had gone back up the stairs." Laurie said, twirling a long lock of hair round her finger.
Drindin 05-06-04, 09:57 AM	Robert nodded. "Perhaps..." He noticed her twirling of the hair, something that, in his experience, most only did when nervous. "M'lady... is something bothering you?"
ruthia 05-06-04, 10:28 AM	Ramoth perches on the building looking down at everything. She's still hungery, but curosity is starting to win out. She sudden;y remebers that she was with a group of people. o O(Wonder what happened to them....) With that in mind she heads back to where she first entered this place and changes forms again. She Calls out to the. "Laurie Robert Mokhicara Harold Preacher! Can you guys hear me?????? Come throught the wall!!!!"
kulideb 05-06-04, 02:42 PM	"We have all been split up..slowly..one by one."she said. Letting go of her hair she walked over to the wall. "There has to be another way out of here." She pressed her hand against the wall, slowly walking along, hoping that she might find some thing that would give away a door.
Harold Crestdragon 05-08-04, 08:25 AM	"Split up, split ut....Forgive my interruption, miss, yet we seem more grouped than we ever were to me. We are now five, all of us together, counting the lion. Some are missing, I need to admit, yet their losses are understandable. Didn't someone, with impressive military experience, already warn everyone not too wander off the group, or to needlessly mettle with unknown risks? From now on, let's stay grouped, and not witlessly rush into dangers we can't see. " Clumsily I got back upon my elgs, carrying the weight of my armor with difficulty. I cleaned it up, eyeing with anxiety the body of my last employer.
kulideb 05-08-04, 09:32 AM	Laurie whirled around putting her hands on her hips. "If we arnt all here, then we have been split up!!" she said stamping her foot. "Huh! Dwarfs!" Then she noticed him looking at his mistress body. "We still need to find Ramoth." she said softly as she carried on looking at the wall. "I give in!..emm..I could try a spell." With that Laurie began to mutter some words and gracefully wave her hands as she cast 'detect secret doors'.
Quathmoir Dlaeh Issarhai 05-09-04, 05:58 AM	None could hear any of the words Laurie pronounced after"I give in!". No one could see her, either; but the irritation returned at the end of these three words, and everyone's {excuelding the halfelf's own} ears felt like they considered exploding, but desided against it intime, when the sound and irritation stop abruptly. Mokhicara is very obviously alive, as her breathing and heartbeating can be heard even during the painful soundwave, but she herself dosn't seem to respond to it in any way - not even a wince! - though the pain is obviously felt: her head's skin reddens immensely during the wave, and pales back once it's gone. It's hard to tell whether Akhul's "new and undead" version felt the irritation in any way, as he/it remains standing motionlessly and silntly. The lion only lets out a short roar at the pain and irritation, but is planely able to endure much, much more than that. {Mokhicara, Harold, the Preacher, Robert, and the DSL take 3, 0, 2, and 1 points of sonic damage respectively. Mokhicara is in stupor untill her player reactivates.} *** When Ramoth attempts to make her royal exit, several mixy immidiaely rush towards some triggerpanels, and open a portion in the translucent wall, through which she is quick to leave. It takes almost no time to find the platform's center, and even less to regain human shape. Behind her back, the feared dragon could soon hear, apparntly as reponce to her words, Laurie's young voice:"Emm... I could try a spell." Turning around, the disguised dragon could see the sembian lady, too. Laurie can now see Ramoth's back, and a minimal, aproximate part of the "landscape" around them: she stands on an immense platform of dark marble, the cave's wall hundreds of meters above her, and none of the walls, nor the floor, seen. This place is much larger than any of the caverns she had already visited today, and the air here smells completely differently. The darkness here is perfectly natural, but there seem to be no features on this huge floor of marble. She can hear a buzz coming from behind her, but there seems to be nothing there. The glowing mold, common in the caverns she were in so far - and apparently left - is absent here. Ramoth feels watched, and looking at the halfelf behind her doesn't ease the feeling at all - the "stalker" is obviously another, much less obvious and much less familiar creature or person. When Laurie's incantation is finally uttered, the usual cometlike beam of energy swirls from her palms, and goes around the two of them, covering the floor with golden, quickly-melting sparks. Where she could hear the buzzing from - the spot she seemed to have stepped out of - the sparkles remain in thin air, coloring a windowlike shape there. The young mage is able to notice that unlike the usual effect of her spell, it didn't highlite the {assumed} secret passage staticly, but instead in a shimmering, vibrating shine. The buzzing is easier to locate now, and indeed, it seems to be coming from the "passage" indicated by Laurie's magic.
kulideb 05-09-04, 06:17 AM	Laurie took a step back. "Oh, I wasnt expecting it to work like that." she shrugged then turned to look at the others.
Drindin 05-11-04, 09:43 AM	Robert follows Laurie cautiously, keeping an eye out for anything strange.