Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Tharivious_Meliamne 11-25-03, 06:33 AM	(( This is a thread set in the lands of Veghinix, a plane of my creation, on the continent of Uloriath. This thread will be open shortly, but I will not accept godmoding, autohits, unearthly power levels, excessively disruptive posts, etc.. This thread is done in a freeform roleplaing style, meaning that Freedom of Destiny is in full effect. The players have control of their characters' fates, and I will trust that that freedom will not be abused. If a player is uncertain how to undertake roleplaying in a freeform way in terms of combat, I recommend this thread, my Combat Guide (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=52152) as a brief lesson. This thread will be GMed under this SN, and I will also be using other character names for the more important NPCs. Before posting, please check character classes in terms of rarity on this site (http://www.freewebs.com/veghinix/index.htm) to ensure that the setting integrity is maintained. If your character is of another plane, please state so in their arrival. This is a freeform game, so character sheets are not an absolute necessity, but please keep the power levels within reason, low epics at the very highest, but all levels will be welcome here and will have something to do, trust me. ;) Please keep OOC comments surrounded by (( )) or otherwise clearly marked with beginnings and endings for clarity. Also note that any sort of massive effect that would drastically alter something in the setting outside of the plot will be subject to my approval, so remember, Freedom of Destiny applies to the setting as well, as it is an important part of this thread. I will make a few set up posts with my main characters to set the tone, once these are ready, I'll give the go ahead for any others to post who wish it. And yes, I know I'm being nit-picky about this, but sometimes, you have to be. ;) Now, on with the story.... ))
Tharivious_Meliamne 11-25-03, 06:35 AM	The lone elf stands at the edge of the cliff, a black cloak sweeping from his shoulders casting a dark shadow over his back. It's late in the night, and a pale blue moon rests high in the pitch dark sky. Glints of light reflect off of the hilts of his swords at his sides, one emerald green, one brilliant silver, and two gleaming black. His black hair shifts a bit in the cool night breeze, showing his sharply featured face and his bright green eyes that seem to glow in the moonlight. He places his left foot on a large rock and leans forward to look over the cliff face, thinking to himself. . o O ( ~closed to all means of detection~ Well.... This is another great situation to have gotten myself into.... Why couldn't that portal stay open just a second longer? ) He turns, looking back at the trail that led him here and sees the torchlights of the soldiers following him. With a quick motion he slips out of the sight of the trail and into the treeline, virtually vanishing between the darkness and the natural cover. He glances down at the item he holds in hand, a small obsidian statue, then back to the trail as the soldiers come upon the clearing at the cliff's edge. . o O ( ~closed to all means of detection~ All this trouble over one little statue. Of course that one little statue is much more than that.... No matter, hopefully they'll all just leave and there won't be any further trouble. ) The soldiers search around, their plate mail armor gleaming as it reflects the moonlight. Their swords, shields, and helmets at the ready, they stand out like a sore silver thumb in the darkness of the night. All but one that is, for the smallest one is dressed in dark brown leather armor and carries a pair of short swords at his hips, a green cloak hanging from his shoulders as he looks at the ground. "The trail ends at the cliff" the small soldier says, as he glances about, "That thief must've thrown himself to his death over the cliff." The elf smirks to himself as he silently congratulates himself on masking his trail. He begins to quickly move off in the other direction, following the woods' natural pathways. He seems to be as silent as the night breeze until his foot slips and snaps a twig that lays on the ground, drawing the soldiers' attention his way. The cloaked elf ducks behind a massive oak and utters a nearly silent spell before leaping up almost fifteen feet and onto a tree limb where he crouches down, letting his skin turn pitch black, his eyes following suit.
Igyvasfaxavaj 11-25-03, 06:39 AM	The smallest soldier starts off in the direction of the snapping sound, ducking and weaving between the trees with the skill of an expert tracker. The remaining four plate mailed warriors stand at the ready, being far too clumsy to move into the cramped woodland trails. They keep their eyes trained on the shadows of the woods for any movements, one of them tilts his head beneath his helmet and asks the others "Do you guys hear that?" "Hear what?" the second soldier answers. "That flapping sound, like giant wings on the air..." "Get your head straight man, that's just the wind. Now be quiet, or I'll silence you myself..." The soldier grows silent again, returning to watching the treeline. Though their backs are turned, the soldiers still notice the ever growing darkness behind them as the moonlight is blocked by a vast and very distinct form....
Tharivious_Meliamne 11-25-03, 06:43 AM	The elf looks down upon the tracker as he sees the man pass over where he took his leap from. He smirks darkly as he studies the man's movements, focusing on finding a weak point. . o O ( ~closed to all means of detection~ These people never learn when they should stop and think about what they're doing.... ) The tracker stoops down and examines the ground, checking for footprints and the like. He raises a brow as he sees the two distinct prints where the elf's feet left the ground, and looks at the tree, amazed to find no signs of climbing. He looks up and sees nothing but the darkness of the canopy, his eyes passing over the very spot where the elf looks down upon him. Turning to look around for any sort of sign of passage, he seeks another trail and crouches down once more. The elf's eyes flash green briefly when he sees the tracker turn. He pulls a sap from a pouch on his belt and drops from the tree like an owl gliding in on a mouse. He takes steady aim and slams the weighted sap into the back of the tracker's head, sending the human sprawling across the floor of the forest, knocked out cold from the precision of the blow, being caught completely off guard. The elf crouches down silently, his skin and eyes returning to their normal shades as he checks to make certain that the unconsious tracker is alive. . o O ( ~closed to all means of detection~ It's a shame that had to happen. He'll wake up and remember nothing of this.... )
Igyvasfaxavaj 11-25-03, 06:47 AM	The soldiers look more intently into the forest as they hear the sound of a fallen body, that of their comrade in arms. Then, the flapping that was blamed on the wind grows louder and more distinct, leaving little doubt. One by one they turn and look up, the looming shadow above their forms, their jaws dropping beneath their helms and quaking in fear. Flapping his massive wings, the dragon rises up in the air over the edge of the cliff. A vague form made up of indistinct shadows, his glowing blood red eyes are the only feature that stands out to their eyes. Measuring well over sixty feet long from head to tail, with a wingspan to match, the penumbral dragon looks down upon the guards, inducing fear into the core of their beings with his mere prescence. The wind from the dragon's wings hurls gusts of air over the fear stricken soldiers, enough to knock one of their helmets off, revealing the face of an orc, twisted and gnarled. The unmasked soldier utters the words, "It's a Penumbral... let's get the hell out of here!" and starts to run back in the direction they came from, being followed by two others who trip and stumble on their way, also losing their helmets to reveal the faces of a hobgoblin and another orc. The last soldier, notably the largest of the group, remains where he stands, managing to shake off the dragonfear clouding his mind. . o O ( I'm not going anywhere.... Honor binds me to this task.... I must fight. ). The soldier knocks his own helmet off, revealing himself to be a bugbear of great size, with a thick neck and eyes that show a force of will beyond his comrades. He draws the morningstar from his side and touches his sheild bearing hand to an unholy symbol on his chest, looking the dragon in the eyes.
Tharivious_Meliamne 11-25-03, 06:50 AM	The cloaked elf moves back toward the clearing, checking the item he cradles in hand as he replaces the sap at his belt. his ears twitching as he hears the sounds of the dragon's wings. . o O ( ~closed to all means of detection~ Igy.... I hope you aren't getting yourself in over your head here.... Who am I kidding? He's gotten to be just as cautious as I am.... ) The elf ducks behind another large oak and peers around the edge to veiw the clearing at the cliff face, settling in to watch the unfolding confrontation. As assured of his ally as he is, he rests his righ hand on the hilt of one of his concealed daggers in his bracer, keeping it at the ready and studying the bugbear for any potential openings.
Igyvasfaxavaj 11-25-03, 06:53 AM	The dragon roars a nearly silent hiss, echoing at a frequency above that of most mortals' hearing as he lands on the rocky cliff face, setting into a circling movement with the bugbear challenger. Moving with a feline grace, the dragon shade stalks his prey, his eyes glowing brighter red from time to time as if swirling with the energy of a searing furnace before dulling to a chill black that seethes with the chill of a thousand winters. Holding his massive wings out at his sides and padding across the ground as quiet as a whisper, he gazes into the bugbear's eyes and speaks with a resonatingly deep voice. "Honor requires you to face me does it? Does that same honor always consign you to your death? I once thought as you did, that combat was the only way to live, but have seen differently in recent months, as all who see the shades will see in time. Continue at your own risk, for you have been warned." The bugbear's eyes go wide as he locks gazes with the dragon, a combination of fear and utter awe. He feels the fear tugging at his heart once more at the words, but holds fast in spite of his uncertainty. "I will fight, for I must. I will fight, for you break The Order." With those words, the bugbear charges, swinging his morningstar out in front of him in a sweeping arc, causing it impact with the dragon's shoulder and bounce off of the thick, ironlike scales. With a shaking voice, he mutters some incoherent prayers to his god as he takes a step back. The dragon snarls as the morningstar strikes his scales, his eyes glowing a bright red as he moves around to put the bugbear between himself and the edge of the cliff. A white light illuminates his shadowy maw from within, radiating with an intense heat as he aims his face at the bugbear. With a hiss like steam escaping from a cave vent, the dragon opens his jaws and lets loose a beam of scintillating white energy that engulfs the lone soldier and bakes the flesh from his bones, drying him to a crispy husk before burning that away as well, leaving only a charred skeleton with melted plate mail fused to it in the heat's wake. The dragon turns and looks in the elf's direction, speaking in a quieter voice in the elven language. "Interesting friends you find, eh Tharivious?"
Tharivious_Meliamne 11-25-03, 06:59 AM	Tharivious shakes his head as he steps out from behind the tree, releasing the grip on his dagger. "Funny Igy, very funny. Nothing more subtle than a beam a bright white light during the middle of the night. Nothing suspicious about that, not at all." The elf looks at the item in his hand once more, then back to the dragon. "In any case, the point is, mission accomplished. Another of the sacred relics regained from their clutches, and ready to be returned to its rightful place."
Igyvasfaxavaj 11-25-03, 07:06 AM	Igyvasfaxavaj looks at Tharivious again, his eyes finally fading back to their normal appearance. "You know full well the effect that using my breath has.... I must maintain a balance between the two aspects or one may gain greater strength than the other. I do what I must." The dragon then bows his head in a nod as he sees the relic. "Indeed, but our mission is only half complete my brother. We still must return that to its proper resting place, so we should move quickly to avoid those three from returning with back-up." Igy lowers a wing and his twelve foot high shoulder toward the ground, looking to Tharivious in waiting. "Let's move."
Tharivious_Meliamne 11-25-03, 07:14 AM	Tharivious nods in agreement and walks closer to the dragon. He sets a foot onto Igy's elbow and hoists himself up onto the dragon's back, settling himself into a seated position between the wings. "You're right, the former holder of this relic will not be happy when he finds out about this. But that is not our concern, he is not seeking the balance no matter the efforts our group has been through, so he is out of our reach for now. We need to get going, beyond his realm and back into a region where I can access the Plane of Shadows and get us to our destination." The elf settles his swords and holds the item closely to himself, glancing back at the far off keep where he fled with the relic from. "Let's just hope that he hasn't already learned of this...."
Igyvasfaxavaj 11-25-03, 07:23 AM	Igyvasfaxavaj waits patiently as Tharivious climbs up into flight position and then rises to his normal height. Looking out over the cliff face, he thinks out loud. "We won't make it out of this realm by nightfall, we'll have to camp somewhere in those wood and valleys. We'd be too easily spotted when flying by day." The dragon nods in complete agreement at the elf's second comment. "Yes.... For if he does, we may be too late in leaving already...." With that, Igy takes off with a powerful running leap, diving off of the cliff and unfurling his massive wings as he takes flight. A few powerful flaps drive him back up higher and aloft as he starts toward the realm's Western borders....
Pharlun Mvorath 11-25-03, 07:44 AM	Meanwhile, back in the keep, standing at a window facing the cliff, a middle aged human man looks out after the fleeing dragon and elf duo. His clean shaven face draws into a sly smirk as he pulls his long black hair back into a ponytail, the grey streaks at his temples mixing their highlights into the colors. . o O ( So they mean to get away with my relic do they.... They do not yet know what they have set in motion.... I will see to it that what is mine is returned to its rightful place.... ) He focuses, raising his hands and gesturing as he mutters and arcane incantation. Bringing his hands together in front of him, he unleashes a bolt of white lightning that crackles through the air to the flying team. With a satisfied smirk, he turns to the orc who fled from the battle before. "You have done well in alerting me to this menace servant. You shall be rewarded." The man walks over to the orc and sets his palm on the soldier's forehead, uttering a dark word that sends crackling black energy over the orc's form, causing it to fall to the ground in a heap. "Incompetance...."
Igyvasfaxavaj 11-25-03, 07:52 AM	Igyvasfaxavaj rolls in midflight in a tight spiral as he senses the lightning bolt streaking towards him, but does not manage to evade it in time. Taking an electrical assault to his left wing, the dragon begins to circle as he glides down to the ground, landing roughly in a patch of thick trees. "That spawn of a wraith lord! He'll pay for that...." The dragon rises, fuming and seething with anger, his eyes going darker as he glares back in the direction of the keep, noticing that the sun is rising now, the sky just showing signs of dawn's first light. "Damn him.... This will keep me grounded for at least two days."
Tharivious_Meliamne 11-25-03, 08:01 AM	Tharivious curses under his breath as he braces for the unexpected landing. He ducks down tight to the descending dragon and holds on for his life. Waiting until the last minute, he jumps off and rolls when he hits the ground, regaining his feet within seconds and looking at Igy. "I guess that means he knows. Great, so we have two days to keep moving on foot. That's not so bad.... we should be able to make it almost half way if we don't rest as much as most would. Either way, we can't stay put here for long. Let's get moving." The elf draws his black hilted longsword and begins to walk West, keeping a wary eye on his surroundings and moving without a sound, barely even noticeable in the moonlit sky and the shade of the trees.
Igyvasfaxavaj 11-25-03, 08:09 AM	Igyvasfaxavaj growls as he forces himself to take on him humanoid form. He shifts smoothly into the form of a very tall drow man, wearing breastplate armor. A glaive appears in his hand along with various other adventuring gear, completing his disguise. "Great.... two days with no rest, and I'm stuck walking like a biped. Let the bastard send his hunting parties out, I've developed a taste for orcs and goblinoids...." The dragon, now a drow, walks along after Tharivious, following the elf through the dense forest, being every bit as difficult to see and every bit as silent.
Pharlun Mvorath 11-25-03, 08:22 AM	The man walks to his chamber doorway, a raven flying to land on his block clothed shoulder as he moves toward the staircase. . o O ( No matter.... Though I have business to attend to this day, I will deal with the infidels by night. By the gods of malevolence I swear it.... ) His robes open a bit, revealing the odd armor worn beneath that appears to be comprised of humanoid bones interlocked together in a protective cage. He steps down the stairs, one footfall echoing down into the hallways below at a time....
Tharivious_Meliamne 11-25-03, 08:33 AM	(( Ok, the set up posts are complete, the thread is now open. If anyone wishes to join, just go ahead and post. Feel free to place your character either in the woods being travelled through or somewhere within Pharlun's meeting; there's plenty of room for posters in either location. :) Well, I, the GM, need sleep now, so I won't be posting until this evening, but post away in the mean time if you want to be a part of the fun. )) Tharivious and Igyvasfaxavaj continue along the path, keeping their wits about them and on guard for whatever may come their way.
Aretocin Yevlum 11-25-03, 06:19 PM	A large blue-ish wolf-like creature with thin, bristly hair moves through the woods in Tharivious's direction. His nose is too the ground and he stops every few momment and raises his head, scanning his surroundings. When he gets near Tharivious, he pauses, sniffs the air, and lets out a low growl in his general direction.
A Hummingbird 11-25-03, 06:25 PM	A tiny ruby-throated humming bird flits through the trees, keeping pace with the wolf. When he pauses and growls, the hummingbird lands on a tree limb above him and cocks its head in the direction he's looking.
Tharivious_Meliamne 11-25-03, 06:47 PM	(( Welcome aboard Aretocin, Hummingbird :) )) Tharivious pauses in midstep as he continues walking, sword held out in front of him. He takes a step backward, letting his skin and eyes grow black once more, and makes a few hand signals in a code unknown outside of the Plane of Shadows to Igyvasfaxavaj. { We may have company.... Be on alert my friend. } His free hand lowers to the emerald green hilted longsword at his right side, getting his grip firmly on the handle as he resumes his forward motion. He remains soundless, the shadows of the canopy still providing some cover, though the light of dawn now enters the woods.
Igyvasfaxavaj 11-25-03, 06:56 PM	Igyvasfaxavaj arches a brow at that, his blood red eyes glowing brighter for a moment before going pitch dark again. He glances around from side to side, his now drowic ears twitching as he listens carefully. He gestures back to Tharivious in the same hand signals. { I think you may be right.... Caution is of great importance.... } The dragon in drow form gets a steady grip on his glaive with both hands, supporting the draconic sculpt of the blade in position to strike effectively from any direction. He continues on, quiet in his steps, but making some small sounds, akin to a lion stalking its prey.
Pharlun Mvorath 11-25-03, 07:15 PM	The robed man continues his way down the flight of stairs to the second floor of the keep. His raven familiar remaining on his shoulder, letting out the occassional screech of distaste. The man scratches his chin thoughtfully as he continues his methodical steps. . o O ( Yes.... Soon the relic shall be returned.... Given time, all will be set right, all will be set right. ) He opens a pouch on the side of his belt and reaches in, drawing out his hand with something clasped between his fingers. Holding his hand up, he opens his grip, revealing the twelve inch long skeletal viper, coiled up into a tight, bone white spiral. The viper raises its skull and opens its jaws as if hissing. The man whispers to it in a dark language, a blend of Infernal and the Necromantic tongue that could chill the spine of a frost worm. "Go forth my minion, go forth and get me my relic!" The skeletal snake vanishes from his hand in a flare of dark light, and the man smirks darkly, continuing his way down the stairs. . o O ( Soon, soon indeed.... )
zoe_augustus 11-26-03, 06:14 PM	The form of a young woman fades slowly into visibility inside of Pharlun’s keep. Her head is tilted to one side, almost resting on her shoulder, and her mouth is gaping. Her brown hair is drawn back in a pony tail. A long yellow jacket-shirt covered with several buttons covers her upper body, and a pair of trousers of the same color covers her bottom half. She floats over towards Pharlun with a blank expression on her face. o.0 (~open telepathic message directed at Pharlun~ You ask for Zoe?)
Pharlun Mvorath 11-26-03, 06:56 PM	Pharlun regards the unusual young woman for a moment, his raven familiar remaining on his shoulder cawing loudly in a high, screeching tone. After a few seconds of this, he nods to Zoe and the raven goes silent. "Yes, indeed I have. There is much work to be done, an important item that belongs in my possession was taken from me in the early hours of last night.... It must be reclaimed, and quickly...." **** Elsewhere, in the depths of the woods below the cliff face, the skeletal viper appears from a swirl of negative energy that withers the grass it lands upon. The snake slithers along its path, moving swiftly through brush and briar until it comes upon a vast pit. Its skull looks down within the dark depths and it acts as if hissing before diving down into the pitch black emptyness....
Tharivious_Meliamne 11-26-03, 07:17 PM	(( Welcome to the thread Zoe :) )) Tharivious momentarily surrenders his grip on his second longsword to draw his cloak tighter around himself, fastening a second clasp on the faded black cloak to secure it. He lowers his hand to the green sword hilt once more, his fingers finding the grip quickly and skillfully, a motion practiced over several years. He spins and looks around, then turns to Igy. "Something is not right here.... There's something unnatural in these woods, I can feel it." He searches around himself once more, his eyes shifting shades once more as he peers far into the treeline around him. The black hilted longsword held in hand sheathes itself in a nimbus of chilling black flame that seems to draw some of the light from around it into a null oblivion.
Igyvasfaxavaj 11-26-03, 07:35 PM	Igyvasfaxavaj growls a curse in draconic. He turns, his skin becoming covered in thick scales, a long, sinewy tail grows from his lower spine, and a pair of draconic wings arise from his shoulders. His face elongates, taking on a draconic snout, filled with long, sharp teeth and a keen nose. Small horns jut from his head, and a neck frill develops from beneath his short white hair. Now standing ready in his half dragon form, he snarls. "Wonderful.... This trip keeps getting better and better doesn't it?" He holds his glaive out in front of him, the blade pointed forward and the base of the long haft held close to his stomach, hands positioned for powerful strikes. He tucks his wings in close to his body and lashes his tail around a bit on the ground behind him, sweeping their footprints out of the woodland dirt.
Tharivious_Meliamne 11-26-03, 08:13 PM	Tharivious smirks a bit, unsheathing the green longsword just a notch and holding it beneath the cloak to keep the highly reflective blade from view. He glances back over his shoulder at Igy. "Oh yeah, this is just perfect. We're stuck here in this hostile realm. There's some.... prescence in these woods that I have a very, very bad feeling about. Oh, and that damn wizard knows we're out here. I guess it's just one of those days where it doesn't pay off to be us."
Igyvasfaxavaj 11-26-03, 08:38 PM	Igyvasfaxavaj smirks in return, shaking his now mostly draconic head a bit. He glances around a bit more, surveying the land around him through sight, sound, and scent. His draconic senses blending together to give him a view of the surrounding area. "Yes.... Just bloody perfect. And here we have to contend with a necromancer, the wilderness in the necromancer's lands, and who knows what that necromancer is going to throw at us to get that relic back. It's like I've died and wound up in paradise." The last of his words hold the taint of sarcasm. He returns to scanning the surroundings as he steps forward along their West bound path.
Tharivious_Meliamne 11-26-03, 09:15 PM	Tharivious continues along on the Western path, keeping his eyes scanning the sides of the treelines. He inches the green hilted sword just a bit farther out of the scabbard at his side. His footsteps remain utterly soundless as the gradually increasing daylight removes the shadows that blur his form. "And worse yet, this is a two day hike that keeps me away from home.... Away from my wife. It's a good thing that the wards are in place to ensure her safety while I'm gone...." He shakes his head sadly, the realization that he will be away for that long taking its toll on him already. He looks at the ground in dejection for a moment and pauses before looking back to Igy. "I'll see that necromancer dead for this if I have to. If I miss anything important because of his actions, his head will roll for this, balance or no balance."
Igyvasfaxavaj 11-26-03, 09:36 PM	Igyvasfaxavaj walks up next to Tharivious and pats him on the shoulder. He looks down at his friend, being several inches taller than the elf. "I know that you hate being away from your wife, but she'll be safe, you said it yourself. The guards at your home are stronger than most mortal magic. I should know, I helped to form them. Dragon magic protects your home Tharivious, there's nothing to worry about." The transformed dragon nods a bit, understanding his friend's point of view. "I know my brother, I know. But rest assured that we will get out of this and we will get back with the relic to return it to its rightful place. Look at it this way, if the necromancer does send his minions after us, at least it will be an interesting hike." He smirks at his small joke, his draconic mind naturally seeking the best in an unfortunate situation. With another pat on the shoulder, he begins to move West once more, taking the lead as he walks forward.
Tharivious_Meliamne 11-26-03, 09:48 PM	Tharivious smiles slightly at that and returns the second pat on the shoulder to his long time ally. He looks up at the sunrise in the East and smiles a bit. "You're right, of course. She'll be fine, and we'll get out of here in no time." The elf chuckles at the last comment. He starts walking as well. "Yeah.... It'll make things interesting alright. Necromancers seldom fail at that goal...." He blinks as he hears a far off rattling sound and pauses in his tracks. He scans the woods around him, searching for the source of the sound. Finding no visual clues or any other sources of information, he looks to Igy and simply says. "Did you hear that?"
zoe_augustus 11-26-03, 10:50 PM	Zoe nods to Pharlun and stares at him for a moment, attempting to discern what’s on his mind. She raises her head off of her shoulder and it sags forward a bit. A long, sticky drop of drool escapes from the side of her mouth and falls onto the floor. Zoe watches the drool fall for a moment, looking down with widened eyes curiously, then wipes her mouth on her sleeve. She looks up at Pharlun, speaking in a slow, soft voice. “What you lose?...And you call me why?” She peers out at the window watching as the landscape begins to lighten with the approach of day. She jerks around to Pharlun again with rolled eyes and a gaping smile. “Is going out for me huh…to go for thing you lost?”
Pharlun Mvorath 11-27-03, 09:32 PM	Pharlun simply watches in abject disgust as Zoe drool on the floor. His face twists into a grimace that is filled with anger and purified annoyance as the saliva strikes the clean, smooth stone. "Try not to ever, ever do that again, won't you? As for what was lost.... It is a small, black obsidian statue, with emeralds set into place. It was stolen from me last eve by an elf and a dragon, reportedly a Penumbral Dragon at that." He shudders a bit in annoyance, still utterly contemptuous at the fact that this young woman just drooled on his floor. His raven caws once more, the familiar's empathy causing the bird to feel the same thoughts as his master. "Yes.... you are to go out there and get me my statue. I may send more out to help you soon enough when others arrive. And for the gods' sake, don't drool on my damned floor again!" **** Meanwhile at the pit, the skeletal viper slithers down, its tail rattling the ending bones as it descends into the depths. It crawls until it comes upon a large pile of serpent bones, the bodies of hundreds of snakes, some its size and some larger. Moving to the center of the pile, the skeletal snake begins to glow as the bones around it bend and twist, slowly taking on a new shape. After moments of this shifting, it becomes a very large serpent comprised of bones, with a massive head that bears snake skulls as fangs. The skeletal beast rises up from the pit and slithers out, its tail rattling being fully audible over a mile away, where the elf and dragon walk amongst the woods.
Tharivious_Meliamne 12-19-03, 04:34 AM	Tharivious's ear twitches a bit, his heightened senses picking up on the skeleton's rattling at that distance. He turns a glance in that direction, quietly gauging the approximate distance as best as he can before muttering to himself. "Well that sounds just great, with any luck it'll be just a normal snake. But with my usual luck.... I'm thinking it won't be." The elf shakes his head and continues along, increasing his pace as he makes his way through the dense forest. Even at his higher speed his footfalls are near soundless, and he seems to blend with the shadows now even more as he feels the need for increased stealth.
Igyvasfaxavaj 12-19-03, 04:46 AM	Igyvasfaxavaj nods at the previous question, his hybridized form providing both stealth and adequate protection. His dulled breathplate armor seeming to absorb the slowly growing amount of light rather than show it.. "Aye, I heard it, and no, it doesn't sound good." The transformed dragon smirks a bit as he hears the muttering, shaking his head slightly as he thinks to himself. He speaks in a low voice, uttering his words in the Penumbral language. "All too true my friend, with our luck that will be some kind of half-godling like we've run into elsewhere. Although considering where we are, I doubt if talking our way around this will be of much help." He continues along as well, matching his friend's pace and keeping up with the swift footed elf.
Tharivious_Meliamne 12-19-03, 05:31 AM	Tharivious smirks, shaking his head a bit at Igy's reply. She continues along, still holding his swords ready to be drawn. His cloak remains still around him, making it seem almost as if he were levitating for all the apparent motion and noise he's making, or the lack thereof as he replies quietly in Penumbral. "Ahh yes, the godlings we've met over in Juxtaposition.... Fortunately before I began my work here, I got used to dealing with them. Hopefully things have changed since I stopped my visits there, though most who were there were plenty reasonable enough to begin with. Just a few godlings can make things just bad enough for me to try and stomach... But that's something for another time and place...." Tharivious continues along, keeping himself concealed through his penumbral talents and his own innate abilities. He keeps his focus on the path ahead of him, not pausing even as he speaks. "On the other hand, whatever is making that sound might be a fun challenge, it's been a while since I've had the chance to deal with something hand to hand without surprise tactics."
zoe_augustus 12-19-03, 04:47 PM	Nodding to Pharlun, and dripping one last drop of drool from her mouth and letting it fall to the floor, Zoe fades from sight. Moments later, she appears in the woods, hovering slightly above the forest floor next to the bone snake. She unslings the red crystalline staff from her shoulder and quietly moves through the brush, bending the overgrowth away from her with her mind. o.0 ( Hungry. Better get fed when done... )
Aretocin Yevlum 12-19-03, 05:05 PM	Aretocin continues to follow Tharivious from a distance, his nose fixed on the ground.
Urine and Bone 12-27-03, 10:08 PM	A large portal opens somewhere on the plane of Shadow and out of it lumbers a colossal floating mass of bone. The structure is very lopsided, and large bony stalactites hang from its base. A greenish brown moss like material covers much of the the top of it, and its spikey bottom is browned and weathered looking. Below the massive structure, an army of children, numbering in the thousands, marches along, flanked by four large bone golems on each side. The children, most of which are between the ages of 8 and 13, are dressed in rags, and carry weapons that look to have been poorly forged from scrap metal.
Tharivious_Meliamne 12-27-03, 10:19 PM	(( Welcome to the thread U&B :) )) Tharivious continues walking along at his swift pace, moving between gaps in the dense trees and moving over the obstacle filled forest floor. He steps onto a moss covered log and leaps off of it, speeding his pace by making a few jumps in place of usual strides, keeping his keen eyes on the area around him, unaware as of yet of the one following him.
Igyvasfaxavaj 12-27-03, 10:25 PM	Iyvasfaxavaj continues to march forward in his half dragon form, his glaive remaining held steady in both hands as he weaves amongst the trees a few steps behind Tharivious, also keeping his eyes out for any dangers that may approach. He takes long strides but his steps are careful, focused on wise placement and remaining quiet despite his speed.
Pharlun Mvorath 12-27-03, 10:34 PM	Pharlun scowls at the drool and utters under his breath as a sheet of flames shoot from his hand, burning the drool off of his stone floor and leaving it clean. He looks out the window and smirks. . o O ( Soon.... soon my relic will be returned to me.... ) * * * * Meanwhile, the massive skeletal snake rears its head up as it looks at Zoe, then nods a bit, hissing in a sound like wind through a hollow stone as its tail rattles steadily behind itself. It lurches forward and slithers through the flattened underbrush, moving next to Zoe and keeping pace with her.
Urine and Bone 12-27-03, 10:42 PM	Inside the giant structure of bone, a short hobgoblin man sits in a tangled mass of bone that passes for a room. He is dressed in long black robes that are trimmed with a dark gray color. His body is wiry and skeletal, and he posseses all of the tell tale signs of lichdom. He sits in the corner of the room peering out an opened window at the landscape below. A large staff, tipped with a phallus shaped article rests a few feet away from him. o.0 (A beautiful day on the Plane of Shadow...lets see if I can't change that)
zoe_augustus 12-27-03, 10:46 PM	Zoe's head bobs from side to side as she moves along through the darkness, staff in hand. She looks down at the bone snake and speaks. "Them close, dunno what close though...You know?"
Tharivious_Meliamne 12-27-03, 10:51 PM	The plane is as eternally dark and vast as ever, its landscape a colorless and mildly warped mirror of the Prime world of Veghinix. There is no weather, no wind, no moisture nearby. It is a near void; empty yet containing vast area. There are a few moderate sized mountains in the distance; the penumbral reflection of a great mountain range.
Pharlun Mvorath 12-27-03, 10:57 PM	The snake tilts its head as it hears Zoe's question, calculating the human-speak into its skeletal sentience before answering in a gasping, supernatural voice. "Closssssse indeeeeed....Ittttt isssssss neeeeeearbyyyyy, yesssss."
Urine and Bone 12-27-03, 10:59 PM	The bone ship stops in midair for a few seconds, and then turns and veers over towards the mountain range and begins moving in that direction. The army of small children quickens its pace and begins following, creeping its way through the dark space.
Tharivious_Meliamne 12-27-03, 11:15 PM	The plane shifts occassionally as the march happens, the mountains drifting a bit to the right from where they were before, but otherwise all remains the same. A small beacon light appears at the top of the tallest of the range, bright white that fades to mid-grey periodically as if in a visible signal language.
Urine and Bone 12-27-03, 11:34 PM	Yanen watches as the light blinks in the distance and then grabs a small spyglass he has next to him and peers through it. "Well that must be it, that wizard preppy school thingadob..." He peers through the glass again and then laughs a bit. He picks up his staff and jabs it at the figure of an older man suspended upside down from the ceiling near the center of the room. "Ha! Big and powerful wizards, reading their booky books and whatnot. I bet they're all good A+ students at that...Majoring in Goody Gooding with Helping Out as a minor." He makes a sudden hard jab backwards and a deep groan can be heard. "We aren't afraid of any girly men like that...right Fennren?"
Tharivious_Meliamne 12-27-03, 11:45 PM	The light continues to blink and waver, slowly forming a signal pattern that causes other beacons to light on the other mountains to flare up and match the sequence. The moutains are seen to be clearly a college of arcane arts, with stone walls and finely made structures built directly into the mountain range.
Bolthus Tenebral 12-28-03, 12:06 AM	The tall grey skinned man clad in his dark plate armor walks to the window facing the stretch of the Plane of Shadow before the academy, he takes up a spyglass of his own and looks out once more, spotting the massive bone construct. He curses loudly in Penumbral and speaks in a low voice to the trio of mages, two male, one female, that stand nearby in the room in the penumbral language. "We've got company approaching on the horizon; a very large construct comprised on bone, most likely a necromantic war engine. Gather the others and gird the front gates. Do not let whatever may be within that thing set foot on the mountains. understood?" The three mages nod and walk out, their grey robes shifting around them as they move and split up, each one walking to a different building of the enclave.
Urine and Bone 12-28-03, 12:40 AM	The large bonelord draws close to one of the lower mountains on the way to the Penumbral school and pauses there and hovers at a low altitude to pick up the army. It then continues over the mountain and picks up speed before plunging upwards high into the air above the complex. A small boy, malnourished looking boy stumbles into the room Yanen is sitting in and weakly raises his hand to his head in salute. "We're within firing range, Uncle." Yanen nods and smiles, still peering out of the room's window. He throws his spyglass to the side and stands, picking up his staff and stepping over to the boy. "Lets give them a volley." The lad rushes off and slides down a bony chute into the bottom of the structure. Outside of the bonelord, several doors open, revealing small circular crevices embedded in the sides. Suddenly, the sound of several explosions rocks the air around the craft and projectiles begin to rain down on the rooftops below. Upon closer inspection, one would discover the projectiles to be small children, curled up in a fetal position around large flasks filled with explosives with hands and feet bound.
Bolthus Tenebral 12-28-03, 01:29 AM	The three mages move about the three adjoined buildings that compose the Enclave's structure, gathering up other spellcasters and warriors and bringing them to the ramparts at the front wall. All gathered within moments, nearly two thousand individuals with skin of varying tones of grey from charcoal to dusk stand with either staves of bows in hand. Bolthus moves to the center of the rampart, holding his mace aloft as he looks to his support staff and then out upon the bone lord as if opens fire. He shouts to the others in a commanding, baritone voice in the Penumbral language. "Ready the defenses!" With that command, several Shield spells go up and create small walls of force over the spellcasters and warriors, with a full Wall of Force covering the sides of the buildings up to the rampart. Bolthus looks around him again and shouts once more. "Return Fire!" The mages all nod and gather up their spell components as they begin to gesture and chant. A resounding chorus arises among half of the spellcasters as they extend their hands and unleash glowing red beads of light, launching a veritable torrent of Fireballs toward the oncoming war engine.