The Mountain of Shadows RP
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Law Bringer
Member # 2984
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written Friday, January 6 2006 01:07
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quote:Sevario is one hell of a typo... :P Also, I can just about translate it myself. quote:Dutch and German are related. ;) [ Friday, January 06, 2006 01:08: Message edited by: Segrin Bilal ] -------------------- The Encyclopaedia Ermariana <-- Now a Wiki! "Polaris leers down from the black vault, winking hideously like an insane watching eye which strives to convey some strange message, yet recalls nothing save that it once had a message to convey." --- HP Lovecraft. "If you trick someone into throwing a pie in your face, there's still a pie in your face." -- TM Posts: 8752 | Registered: Wednesday, May 14 2003 07:00 |
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Master
Member # 5977
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written Friday, January 6 2006 01:31
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Sevario. Okay, stupid. Strange that I didn't notice it... quote:that was good, but not entirely correct: In this remple, I am the one with his (there isn't a word in English that correctly describes this word) strength, the one with his weapons, the one with his refuge! I! Filbert! Let the angels descend en give me strength! Some minor corrections, but for the rest quite good, aran. -------------------- Thralni's almighty Avernum pages: Go look! Go go go go! Click here for more information on Olga's fortune teller kiosk Olga's fortune teller kiosk has been temporarily closed down, but you can contact the prophet with a PM - Was signed by the prophet of the almighty chicken gods, gods of everything that is a chicken. Work has begun on the Nephilian (temporary name) grammar and vocabulary guide! Posts: 3029 | Registered: Saturday, June 18 2005 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 2984
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written Friday, January 6 2006 03:06
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OOC: And now we should let the RP continue. We are already on page 20 and I envisioned it finishing here. Instead we get bogged down in a mess of OOC stuff... -------------------- The Encyclopaedia Ermariana <-- Now a Wiki! "Polaris leers down from the black vault, winking hideously like an insane watching eye which strives to convey some strange message, yet recalls nothing save that it once had a message to convey." --- HP Lovecraft. "If you trick someone into throwing a pie in your face, there's still a pie in your face." -- TM Posts: 8752 | Registered: Wednesday, May 14 2003 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 4153
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written Friday, January 6 2006 11:27
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OoC: Thralni, I hadn't been planning on a scenario of this RP in particular, thought that might come later (perhaps a group effort? anyone?). I was just wondering if people wanted to "donate" characters, as it were, to the scenario I'm working on. Just wanted to interrupt to say that I won't interrupt anymore. -------------------- Gamble with Gaea, and she eats your dice. I hate undead. I really, really, really, really hate undead. With a passion. Posts: 4130 | Registered: Friday, March 26 2004 08:00 |
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Lifecrafter
Member # 3320
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written Friday, January 6 2006 18:51
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OOC: One major correction that needs to be made. Tuulentekija DOES NOT have his mask at this point. It was knocked off is face when the shockwave from the collapsing cavern roof hit him and knocked him unconscious. I'll correct other minor things in my post. Frozen Feet explained the thoughts between the joining of the other group and the battle so well that I think I'll start around the beginning of the battle. Also, when did Cain come across the stairs? He was climbing along the outside of the mountain and shouldn’t have encountered them. He would have encountered the end of the tunnel everyone is in that led to the outside of the mountain. My post will reflect that. Pardon me for the length of this post. I need to catch up desperately. I was waiting on Frozen Feet to post. My post will add a twist to the story. I felt Ephesos was right. Edith has hardly taken any damage up to this point. So I figured that a mental breakdown coupled with the evil influence of the mountain might prove interesting. -------------------------------------------------------------- IC: From the moment that Edith hears of the Library, she is walking in a daze of wonder. She had heard during her training of a myth surrounding a special library of unparalleled knowledge. No one knew where it was located, nor what all it contained. It was believed to be a storehouse of knowledge put together by ancient races. It was also said to most likely be guarded by a creature of immense power. Could that creature possibly be Orloki? Before she can reason any further, there is a sudden commotion in the group that brings her out of her thoughts. From what she can gather, something is making its way towards the group from down the tunnel behind them. “I must find a spell to protect us.” Her mental comment seems to go unnoticed among the group as she takes off her knapsacks. Setting immediately to work, Edith pulls out her spell book and looks through it for a defense spell of some sort. However, before she can find the right spell, something blinds her temporarily. A flash of light, most likely conjured by Sequoia, has exposed exactly what was following them… Filbert, flanked by three demonic creatures. “Oh dear, this can’t be good.” Edith immediately throws her spell book aside and starts digging through her herbs. Pulling a bunch of vials and canisters out, she starts preparing a special potion with a disguised odor to make it seem insignificant. Looking up for a moment, she notices one of the demonic creatures heading right for her. It makes a bold swipe at her, at which point she performs a forward crouched flip to get out of the way. The creature stops for an instant to marvel at her fast reaction to its attack, more than it would have given her credit for, and then it turns to attack someone else. Checking to be sure she is safe, Edith crawls quickly back to her herbs and continues to prepare her potion. Just when Edith thinks luck is finally on her side, Filbert catches a whiff of her potion. Not willing to let anyone get the upper hand on him or his creatures with any sort of potion, he moves to attack her before she can finish. Feeling the sensation that someone is scrutinizing her movements, she looks around to see Filbert making his way through the group towards her. Edith instantaneously calls out for help in the minds of the others. “For the love of Heaven, somebody STOP HIM!!! I need TIME to finish my potion!!!!” It seems as if the whole group freezes at the loud shouting in their minds. Tuulentekija instantly understands and alerts the others. “It’s Edith!!! Her vocal chords were damaged earlier… she can only communicate using telepathy!!” When the group comprehends the revelation, they each one by one move to try to stop Filbert. However, having received the message too late, they each one by one fail. As he brings his sword down upon Edith, she tumbles out of the way just in time. As she revels in the feeling that she has successfully dodged his attack, she hears a sickening sound that turns her stomach. Spinning around, she finds that all of the herbs she had set out for the potion have been completely destroyed in a magical explosion from the sword. “NO!!!” Edith screams in her mind as she looks at the broken vials and canisters. Ignoring all danger, she frantically crawls back over to the destroyed herbs in total apprehension. Among the herbs she had set out for her potion was an extremely rare one in a vial with a red-banded cork. The others could be replaced, but that one had taken her years to find and was priceless. Taking bits of shattered vials and canisters ones into her hands, she starts looking through them in a frenzy. NO!!!! IT CAN’T BE DESTROYED!!! NOT MY BLOODROOT!!! To any onlooker, it might have seemed to them that she was trying to make another potion in sheer desperation. But nothing could be further from the truth. As she looks crazily through the destroyed ingredients, she begins to tune out all that is going on around her, including the yells of Sequoia, the deaths of the demonic creatures, and all other conversations. Her eyes rest on the red-banded cork of a crushed vial as a bright green light flashes through the tunnel. Her sanity at last starts to break as she comes to the realization that her most precious ingredient, the rare bloodroot, has in fact been destroyed by Filbert’s magical sword. Edith falls into almost a dead faint against the passage wall and everything around her becomes shrouded by a gray fog. It is at that moment that she becomes aware of Filbert looking at her again. Opening her eyes and looking up at him, she can hear him speak, though the words sound as if they are traveling through water. “Edith, you are useless without the herbs I destroyed.” He then goes on to strike Tuulentekija in the shoulder and then makes some comment to Melora. Then Edith catches a glimpse of Lisha coming out of the shadows. It happens so fast that at first, she thinks it is a hallucination. But when she sees Filbert raise his sword and gasp at the moment that Lisha’s dagger digs in, she is sure it is actually happening. Filbert falls to the ground in slow motion to Edith’s mind. She then feels a hand on her shoulder, and looking up, she can see Tuulentekija staring down at her, shoulder bleeding from Filbert’s attack. The instant that his eyes meet hers, however, he becomes quickly aware of something different in her. He sees a slight red twinge of anger in her normally ice blue eyes and a blank expression through the mask that shows that something has happened to her in that short space of time during the battle. He helps her to her feet and tries to determine what has changed in her without her noticing too strongly. His attempts to hide his scrutiny were superfluous at any rate, because Edith’s blank expression and stare never once changed during the ten minutes he was looking at her. A movement from Filbert causes him to turn his attention away from her at that point. Someone yells in horror about the time not being up, and once again, the voice comes to her as if through water. Despite Filbert’s movements, she ignores him completely and starts wandering around in her mental fog. Even after noticing that one of her knapsacks has been virtually torn to shreds by one of the demonic creatures and the herbs contained in it ruined, she continues to show no response. However, at the sight of Sequoia’s ravaged body, Edith’s sanity returns to her temporarily. She instantly wonders what happened to him as he collapses. Lisha runs to catch him and then instructs Tuulentekija and Edith to take care of him while she follows Filbert with Melora. Edith falls back into the instinctive role of alchemist, but without her herbs, she feels that she is quite useless in being able to help him. Not wanting to leave Sequoia behind, they carry him down the tunnel to the opening leading to the outside of the mountain. They soon find themselves staring down at Cain being attacked by Filbert. At the sight of him, they nearly drop Sequoia. It doesn’t take Cain long to completely demoralize, let alone defeat, Filbert. Heading up the path and into the tunnel, he passes between Edith and Tuulentekija, who follow with Sequoia and put him down just a short ways behind Cain. Edith sees him stop next to her one ravaged knapsack and pick out his pouch of spores. From that point Edith realizes that she did have a way to heal Sequoia, but in all her misery, she had forgotten. In a feeling of utter uselessness and despair, Edith’s sanity begins to crack again. She tries her hardest to grasp at what is left of her mind. Kneeling down next to Sequoia, she looks him over to assess his injuries and notices that he is awakening after passing out from the pain caused by the healing spores. It’s then that Edith feels it upon touching him. A dark presence starts entering her mind. She immediately tries to push it out, but to no avail. It grows stronger and stronger the more she tries to fight it. Slowly she feels her mind and soul being wrenched from her body as the presence takes her place. The last thing Edith consciously sees is Sequoia opening his eyes and looking at her. That image pulls away until there is nothing. Soon she sees nothing but darkness… darkness all around her. Edith frantically gropes around her in the blackness, but encounters no resistance. Then a light shines on a desk just in front of her in the corner of a room with no windows or doors. Edith looks and sees a candle perched in front of an old parchment. Running to the table and seating herself in an ancient wooden chair, she picks it up and reads it. “I’ve finally GOT YOU, my dear. I’ve finally GOT YOU. There is no escape. Your friends will soon join you.” Putting it down, she finally comes to the realization that Orloki has taken over her mind and body and she is trapped and at his mercy. She looks around her in pure anguish for a means of escape, but finds nothing to aid her. Edith screams at the top of her lungs for help, but the brick and mortar walls absorb her cries. ---------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, Sequoia stares into Edith’s eyes and for a moment, he detects something amiss. Her eyes appear to have gone black, but an instant later, they return to normal. Except now there is a brighter luster to the blueness and a slight glow that he could have sworn wasn’t there before. Almost as if by a reflex of someone staring at her, she looks up at Lisha. “He’s conscious.” Looking down into her eyes, Lisha becomes immediately aware of something… wrong in them. She detects the same unnatural luster and glow in them, but is careful to not show signs of her scrutiny. Could the possession have passed into Edith? Standing up, Edith speaks to her. “Lisha.” “Yes?” “We must hurry.” Why must we hurry I wonder? Lisha talks to the others and then fixes her gaze back on Edith. I must keep my eyes on this one. Something has changed in her. “Edith, can you use my aid?” Edith gives a malicious smile and the glow in her eyes seems to pulse for an instant. “Yes.” I definitely need to keep my eye on her. There is definitely something amiss in that one. She turns her attention back to the others. “Then let Cain lead the way. Watch him, elf. Don't allow us to be lead astray. And if you find that simple-minded fool, do not let him run off again. Orloki will see what we make of his servants.” And those among us whom he chooses to control for better or for worse. Edith collects her spilled items with renewed energy in her intact knapsack and follows the others towards Cain. OOC: At this point, Edith has become possessed by Orloki and the only people who have any hint of it are Sequoia and Lisha. I wanted to come up with a way to bring her voice back so she could cast spells, but I couldn’t come up with anything. This route might lead Orloki to heal it for her and bring about a new twist in the story. Up to this point, Edith hasn’t been injured beyond her voice being destroyed. So I figured the best way to handicap her movements further would be to make her lose control of them. I hope this isn’t an outrageous idea. I figured Orloki might be willing to take advantage of Edith’s mental state. She has been completely demoralized at the loss of her herbs and on the brink of a mental breakdown. What better time for Orloki to act on her. Like Filbert said, she is now useless without them unless she is able to speak again. [ Sunday, January 08, 2006 00:51: Message edited by: Sir Sherlock Holmes ] -------------------- "Keep your wits about you, the game is afoot!!" - Sherlock Holmes Gay Christian Network The Polaris Board Posts: 935 | Registered: Friday, August 8 2003 07:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 4248
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written Sunday, January 8 2006 05:44
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Cain had thrown some powder on Tuulentekija's shoulder, but somehow the pain didn't reach him; the healing agents couldn't do anything to his wounds. "Leave it be" he said to seemingly frustrated Cain. "This isn't the first time I've had... unnatural wounds" he continued and his mind flashed back to the time he had lied upon the cold floor of the Icy Fortress, nearly all of his bones broken. "If that is what you wish", Cain replied and turned his attention elsewhere. Tuulentekija, in turn, turned around to speak to Edith. "So, do you want to continue our little conversation?" he asked, but for his... disappointment? Edith shook her head. Tuulentekija shrugged and decided to search conversation elsewhere. However, when he tried to talk to the elf, she ignored him like she had something more important to focus on. Tuulentekija cursed on his own language, hoping no-one could understand what he was saying, and then purposedly left behind to become the last of the line. Tuulentekija was hugely bothered by Cain. Ofcourse it is good have someone powerful like him with us, considering the conditions, he is like a torch kept too close to my face , he thought. His sole presence garbles all my senses. What if I miss something important because of that? It was indeed worrying, that the only persons Tuulentekija could expect to have as good senses as he were a dark skinned elf and a demon, wolves in sheeps clothing. If I get out of this place alive, he thought, I'll finally find a nice cozy place and settle down. Yep, it's about time to do that. Ofcourse, deep inside Tuulentekija knew that he would never make that happen. I'm too fond of traveling. I bet I'll even die carrying a backpack. The thought of having a backpack made him curse even more, when he remembered that his own was now in shreds and much emptier than he would have liked... After a while of even more walking, which didn't help Tuulentekija's mood at all, the passageway began to widen. There were deep depressions in the walls now, and the elf was searching them with a passion. For her disappointment, they were all empty. The elf said something to her easterling companion, but Tuulentekija didn't pay attention to it; he could guess it was something about the library. Cain was now far ahead of them, and so were the druid and Edith. With Cain's disturbing presence now further away, Tuulentekija could sense something else emanating deep from the recesses of the mountain. It was completely different from the power Cain was radiating; actually contraversary as far as Tuulentekija could tell. Strange. Feels around the same as being near a shaman who's calling ancestors for help, he thought, and then, ignoring the pain that had for no reason creeped from his shoulder to other parts of his body, hurried up to catch others. -------------------- Somebody PLEASE turn the heat on. Posts: 617 | Registered: Tuesday, April 13 2004 07:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 2940
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written Sunday, January 8 2006 13:17
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OOC: Ups, forgot Tuulentekija had no mask, I'll fix that. As for the outdoor wandering of Cain, that's ok, Cain was following the party outdoors but then found them in a cave entrance that had stairs leading up to it (mentioned by Filbert when he was walking down towards Cain). The other paths passed by Cain were new ones made by the mountain (Orloki). On a side note, MSW, try to keep posts a bit shorter. What I do is when I finish I go through it again and delete lines or paragraphs I could do without. Good twist btw. IC: Cain was surprised at how quickly the whole party agreed to join him and was ready to go, he had thought they would have rested for a couple of hours or discussed to a longer extent the presence of a half-demon in their party. All in all, Cain had no complaints, he wanted a party and he had it, just like he planed. Why then was he still worried? His mind was clearly not calm, the moment he started leading the party up the tunnel questions crossed his mind and none of them were to be taken lightly. Will the mortals be enough? Will they too succumb to Orloki like Filbert did? Will I succumb? Will they slay me after we finish with Orloki? Is this whole thing a mistake? If I don't kill Orloki now, how long will it take to gather a stronger party? Would Orloki allow me to escape? As Cain's worries grew, so did his pace. Before he knew it, he had made quite a gap between the members of the party, only the Drow seemed to have the pace to exceed him in these rough cave floors. The assassin was not far behind. Cain stopped for a while to take a look around. The cave walls were much wider here, unsurprisingly; Orloki's presence was also growing stronger, only this time he felt it all around, as if the demon was both above and below him. Cain's worries returned. What are you planning Orloki? Where are you taking us? You clearly want us to get somewhere alive, you could have blocked our path long ago, why wait? Filbert, the Uruk-Hai… those were no match for us. Are you testing us? Observing us? No, it has to be something else. Cain's thoughts were interrupted again when he felt the strong presence of Orloki, this time right behind him. He turned quickly, expecting to see some demon or spiritual projection of Orloki, instead, he saw the party catching up with him, gathering behind him expectantly. "What's wrong?" Questioned the Drow, sounding like the she expected a confirmation of something. Cain glared at the party with his sharp yellow pupils which contrasted sharply with the darkness of the caves. He could feel Orloki, he was right there, among them. Why can't the mortals feel him? "Well?" Asked the female assassin, who seemed truthfully oblivious as to what Cain was doing. True to the personality of his mortal past, Cain was brief in his response. "Move faster." He said, as he turned and continued the march up the mountain. Cain could feel the demon behind him, somewhere in the party. His presence was subtle, too subtle for the mortals to notice, but Cain was certain Orloki had gained some form of control over one of them. He refused to reveal this to them, believing it would only break the little trust that kept them together, would they believe him anyway? So this is your plan Orloki. Weaken the mortals and then use them to break us apart First Filbert…now someone else… He glared back at the party as they struggled behind him. Where are you? [ Monday, January 09, 2006 02:24: Message edited by: The_Nazgul ] -------------------- "I don't want to achieve immortality through my work, I want to achieve it through not dying." Posts: 469 | Registered: Thursday, May 1 2003 07:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 2940
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written Sunday, January 8 2006 13:41
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OOC: delete this [ Sunday, January 08, 2006 13:42: Message edited by: The_Nazgul ] -------------------- "I don't want to achieve immortality through my work, I want to achieve it through not dying." Posts: 469 | Registered: Thursday, May 1 2003 07:00 |
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Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire!
Member # 919
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written Sunday, January 8 2006 21:58
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Um. I just spent about two hours typing an IC, and when I finished, I clicked Add Reply as always, and after everything finished, my browser brought me to a blank page with the board's website in the HTML bar. I hit return, hoping that it would bring me back to the board, and it did, but a post in the topic 2016 was listed as the newest in General. I clicked on General and this topic was abovve the rest, and there was one more post in the post count than there had been when I started typing, but it seems the post is not here. Am I missing something? What happened? Is there any way to get that post back? EDIT: And now, for the record, it says this post is 483, which is what it said the last one was (or should have been), which is also one more than Nazgul's was. All traces of that IC have been erased. Gah. [ Sunday, January 08, 2006 22:02: Message edited by: Lady Davida ] -------------------- And though the musicians would die, the music would live on in the imaginations of all who heard it. -The Last Pendragon Polaris = joy. In case of emergency, break glass. Posts: 3351 | Registered: Saturday, April 6 2002 08:00 |
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Master
Member # 5977
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written Monday, January 9 2006 07:00
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OOC: So you're gonna type it again, or what? I'll post now too, as some time passed, and I thought to have noticed in Frozen feet's post that he sensed Filbert doing the ritual. Was this right? anyway: IC: Filbert felt a lot better now. He took his sword and bag, and walked to the hole he entered this place. Something is different with this place. It looks, darker. The hole, it looks smaller. When he tries to get though the hole, he feels the presence of another creature, although he doesn't know why or what. I thought this temple was empty... He gets out of the hole, and looks around. Emptyness, darkness, the triangle he drew on the floor. Nothing else. Again, he tries to get through the hole and escape this dark, creepy temple. He doesn't fit in, as if the hole is smaller. Or... he thinks, I'm bigger... He takes his sword and begins to hack in onto the hole. After some hacking and slashing, the hole seems a bit bigger, and Filbert tries to crawl through it. it works. the hole is big enough. he throws his bag and sword out of the hole, after which he himself climes out of it. He takes the sword and hangs the bag on his back, together with the still shredded cloak. he bgins walking to the tunnel that will lead him to the stairs, and the stairs to the party. The creature. Its more then clear something is following him. He stops and slowly turns around. Darkness. After some unnerving moments, Filbert turns around and walks on. A yell. Filbert stops abruptly. Though soft, clear enough to hear. It was a yell. It sounded like, Edith. What was that!? Edith!? Are you here! Hello! No response. he keeps standing and waits, but the yelling doesn't come back. then he hears him, very softly, but he clearly hears him, orloki. Wha... what happened? How can I possibly hear my enemy? He thinks. How could this have happened? the moment comes back to him, like a flahs of pure white light, blinding him. Voices. Undead, a dead lizard, a crystal coffin, Cain, the party, a ghost. Cain, falling into the crystal, a big cloud of smoke and a red light, followed by a white light.Tthat was it: the moment the voices in his mind started to come. He heard everything he did, the noise he heard when in the cell near orloki's big temple. A very small, tiny part, but enough to hear, though soft, what Orloki was doing. edith screamed, a scream of terror and agony. that couldn't be good. With that image in his mind, he started to walk on, then running. Orloki, you too, not just Cain, also you will be my target. Nobody imprisons Filbert in his own mind OOC: This is not to strange and unlikeley I hope. Ephesos: So you still want the Filbert graphic, or not? -------------------- Thralni's almighty Avernum pages: Go look! Go go go go! Click here for more information on Olga's fortune teller kiosk Olga's fortune teller kiosk has been temporarily closed down, but you can contact the prophet with a PM - Was signed by the prophet of the almighty chicken gods, gods of everything that is a chicken. Work has begun on the Nephilian (temporary name) grammar and vocabulary guide! Posts: 3029 | Registered: Saturday, June 18 2005 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 2984
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written Monday, January 9 2006 08:20
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OOC: David, I've taken to pre-typing in a text editor or using a keylogger. Losing multi-page posts to the browser is a pain. Also, between PPP3, a presentation on Friday, correcting Java homework tomorrow, and preparing for exams next week, I am too busy to post anything in here. -------------------- The Encyclopaedia Ermariana <-- Now a Wiki! "Polaris leers down from the black vault, winking hideously like an insane watching eye which strives to convey some strange message, yet recalls nothing save that it once had a message to convey." --- HP Lovecraft. "If you trick someone into throwing a pie in your face, there's still a pie in your face." -- TM Posts: 8752 | Registered: Wednesday, May 14 2003 07:00 |
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Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire!
Member # 919
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written Monday, January 9 2006 22:06
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OOC: *Sigh*... the first one was better, I'm sure, but whatever. I'll try to preserve the gist, anyway. IC: So that's why he's letting us get so close. Lisha glanced sideways at Sequoia, walking between her and Edith. He was obviously exhausted, but still managed as much drive as before. It was almost as if he was being pushed forward by some inner force, one that had certainly not been there before. He wants us. The more Lisha thought about it, the more it made sense. They were playing right into Orloki's cursed claws. The demon had already demonstrated his ability to shift the stones, to modify entire tunnels without the use of physical force. If he wanted to kill them, he could do so any time he pleased. Instead, though, he was moving them closer to him. He's toying with us. But it was more than that. He'd come far too close to actually killing them to be simply playing out of boredom; he'd already caused the destruction of one of his toys. No; this was more than an idle pasttime. He's testing us. First the undead, then the wolves, then the ice, and now the mountain itself. Had they been a different group, they'd have been dead already. But this group, somehow, had survived. And now Orloki was keeping it that way. He doesn't want toys. He wants tools. The revelation struck Lisha suddenly. She carefully maintained her determined expression, but her mind was racing. He wants to use us. First he had taken Caecus and Filbert. Caecus had fallen, but Filbert had survived with Orloki's power. He had been taken completely, it seemed; there was none of the bumbling fool left in that hardened swordsman. Cain, too, had fallen to the influence; he had been kept alive, even, when his destruction seemed assured. Sequoia, too, had been tainted by some demonic power, and now even Edith, it seemed, had fallen. Looking surreptitiously past the druid, Lisha inspected Edith's face. Her pupils were gleaming coal, her pace somewhat erratic. Why, then, are Cain and Sequoia still fighting Orloki? She was convinced that they were. Demons never managed much opaqueness, and Lisha could tell by now that Cain believed he was implementing the downfall of Orloki. Sequoia, regardless of allegiance, had destroyed Orlooki's minions to the extent of nature's wrath. Why haven't they turned, like Filbert? Lisha stopped. The other humans noticed immediately and halted with her, and Cain and Melora, who had been far ahead, detected a change and stopped as well. "What's the matter?" Cain began walking back toward them suspiciously. "I- don't- what can we do against Orloki?" Cain's red eyes scanned her face, searching for something he could not seem to find. "What would you do alone?" "Well, I've got- but that's not what I mean- I must speak with Sequoia. Alone." She glanced at the druid. His face was expressionless. Cain stared incredulously. "Do it while walking. Every moment we waste gives Orloki another to prepare." Orloki is prepared. It is we who need the time. "Yes, of course. Carry on." Lisha stepped forward, drawing Sequoia with her, away from Edith. The rest of the group resumed their pace. Melora, she noticed, remained behind Cain and drifted slowly back toward herself and Sequoia. Lisha began speaking in a voice a bat would have difficulty hearing. "Brother, what happened? What was that back-" "She can hear us." Lisha raised an eyebrow. "Who?" "Edith. She can read our minds." This wasn't like him at all. "She can only read minds because most people don't bother to conceal their thoughts. I have had incomparable training against such mental magic. She cannot hear me." Sequoia shrugged. "Very well." "You are changed. But you are not possessed as Filbert is." Sequoia shook his head. "No." "How is that?" His hand reached into his cloak and drew out the necklace. "This talisman protects me against mental magic. He was in me temporarily, but I fought him. I broke free, and fought his demons with the power of the mountain." "The power of the mountain." He turned his head to her. "You do not trust me?" Lisha looked up at him. "He has taken Filbert completely. Edith has been corrupted too. You saw it, did you not?" Sequoia nodded. "With Tuulentekija, I believe, it is just a matter of time. That wound was not properly healed, and you know of the effects of demonic weaponry. We are in the middle of our enemy's lair, being led to him by a demon and a fallen elf. What have I left to trust?" "Melora will not lead us-" The elf's head turned slightly. Lisha laid a hand on Sequoia's arm, and he fell silent. "She can hear you. And no," she whispered, "she will not lead us wrong. Whatever drives her, it is not Orloki." Unsatisfied but believing the conversation over, Sequoia began drifting back toward Edith. Lisha watched as Melora sped up slightly to come even with Cain. I am alone with a group of fallen mortals, and my most trusted companion is a knowledge-obsessed drow. In any other situation, she's have laughed at this irony. Not in this. Orloki has beaten us before we have even met him in battle. He did not need to cause their deaths, or even force them to turn on one another. He had already done his damage. He'd taken the weakest for his own to provide an enemy, a catalyst for the changes in all the others; an assassin in raging demon form, a potion-maker driven mad and vulnerable by despair, a warrior soon to be consumed by revenge, and... Sequoia... The power of the mountain was no more relevent than the power in the broken staff. The green flame had not come from the mountain; it had come from the druid himself, the deepest, most supressed parts of his natural power, and, for at least a few brief instances, it had taken over. The peaceful druid was consumed by rage, and had become an unwitting tool of nature's wrath. Wrath is chaos. Demons thrive on chaos. Orloki didn't need to kill them, and he didn't need to exert himself as he had over Filbert. He had them where, and, more importantly, how he wanted them. They were putting themselves where he wanted them. A bit more of this manipulation, and they were his. A mirthless smile twisted Lisha's lips. Demon, you've miscalculated. A bit of counter-manipulation, and they all, including Cain and - and Sequoia, were hers. She hadn't had such a good battle of the wills in years. Making sure the others weren't too far behind, she sped up in Melora's direction. At least she could trust the fallen to fall no further. -------------------- And though the musicians would die, the music would live on in the imaginations of all who heard it. -The Last Pendragon Polaris = joy. In case of emergency, break glass. Posts: 3351 | Registered: Saturday, April 6 2002 08:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 4248
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written Tuesday, January 10 2006 02:05
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Tuulentekija was stumbling forward far behind the others. What the hell is happening to me? he thought. The pain had spread all around his body; in a way, it reminded him of the pain caused by the healing spores, but it was much deeper, and... something else too, but Tuulentekija simply didn't have a word to describe it. He also had one other matter: he had been tired and aching for hours now, but now he was also becoming horribly hungry. I should know better than wandering around without eating a good meal , he muttered. "Hey, could you wait for me for a while?!" he shouted to his com-panions, who had already disappeared from his sight. Cursing, Tuulentekija dropped his torn-apart backpack to the ground. Oh well, I can catch them up later; this passage continues straight forward, no matter how long break I take I'll eventually come across them , he thought and started searching what was left of his supplies... Unfortunatly, after a quick inventory, Tuulentekija saw that only things he had were a coil of rope, a grappling hook, a half full water jug, a small knife and a tiny, lonely apple. Better than nothing , he thought, took a from the jug, sat upon his backpack and started munching the apple. It was bitter and far too small to extinquish his hunger, but still it made his mood a bit better. At this point Tuulentekija noticed he was not bleeding anymore. “Mitä helkkaria?” he muttered and glanced his shoulder. Indeed the wound was completely healed. Well, well. It seems Cain’s powder works after all. However the pain didn’t go away, and it bothered Tuulentekija. He frowned, rose up, collected his stuff and began walking again. After a while he caught up the others. “Where have you been?” Edith said, and her thoughts had a strange metallic tone in them. “I just took the long waited break” Tuulentekija replied weakly. His head was now throbbing uncomfortably. “Say Edith, do you have a medicine for headache?” “No”, answered the alchemist, but somehow Tuulentekija didn’t think she was saying the truth. “Okay, I’ll ask the others then”, he said, but just then the pain became unbearable for him and with a pained cry he collapsed to the floor, unconscious. [ Tuesday, January 10, 2006 02:06: Message edited by: Frozen Feet ] -------------------- Somebody PLEASE turn the heat on. Posts: 617 | Registered: Tuesday, April 13 2004 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 2984
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written Thursday, January 12 2006 22:17
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OOC: Just wanted to say you won't see an IC from me until next Tuesday, unfortunately. Stressful. When I do, I'll probably just react to the plot developments in the meantime - a lot is happening right now. -------------------- The Encyclopaedia Ermariana <-- Now a Wiki! "Polaris leers down from the black vault, winking hideously like an insane watching eye which strives to convey some strange message, yet recalls nothing save that it once had a message to convey." --- HP Lovecraft. "If you trick someone into throwing a pie in your face, there's still a pie in your face." -- TM Posts: 8752 | Registered: Wednesday, May 14 2003 07:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 2940
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written Saturday, January 14 2006 10:00
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IC: "Wait! Tuulentekija has fallen!" Cried someone from behind. What now. Cain stopped his march and walked to the end of the line. Soon everyone was gathered around the unconscious body of Tuulentekija. "What happened?" Asked Cain. "I don't know, he asked me for something to ease his headache when he suddenly collapsed." Edith mentally replied, somewhat plainly. Cain took the moment to look at the gathered party and analyse their reactions to this new event, all of them seemed genuinely worried about something, although he doubted this something was Tuulentekija. All of them except Edith, Cain tried to confirm his suspicions by throwing another question at Edith. "He was wounded by the possessed Filbert, was he not?" Cain inquired. Edith nodded. "It seems to me the wound has more than what meets the eye. Tainted weapons do damage even after the original cut has healed. Edith, you are a capable alchemist, do you have anything that may save this warrior?" Cain asked. Edith seemed doubtful for a moment. "I… I'm afraid his wound is beyond my capabilities." The answered echoes in everyone's mind. Cain had the confirmation he desired, he knew the wound was a dangerous one, but it was nothing an alchemist like Edith could not deal with. Cain walked towards Edith and, to the party’s surprise, lifted her by the neck. Edith let out a suffocated scream. "Let her go!" Screamed Sequoia, Lisha held him back. "Well, well, well, the alchemist has recovered her voice." Cain said mockingly. Edith suddenly started laughing, the laugh was one of the most disturbing laughs Cain had ever heard, from a woman's laugh to a man's laugh and finally to an outright demonic laughter echoed by the cavern around them. "Fools!" Orloki spat. "You can kill this mortal but I will never leave her body unless I choose to!" Orloki broke in laughter once again. "Enough games demon." Said Melora, "What are you waiting for…" The demon resumed his laughter, apparently Orloki found the situation highly amusing, which annoyed Cain even more and resulted in the throwing of Edith's body against the cave wall. "Cain, Stop! You are falling into his game!" Shouted Lisha. Cain managed to refrain from repeating the beating. At least it stopped the laughter. Edith slowly stood up. "How strong you have become mortal. How does it feel to steal the powers of the mighty Orloki? You know… I will have them back one way or another." This time it was Cain that laughed. OOC: I'll leave the interrogation of Orloki to someone else; this conversation and whatever happens after it may prove decisive for the outcome of this RP. I have already influenced this RP enough so anyone else is free to finish this interrogation. [ Saturday, January 14, 2006 10:01: Message edited by: The_Nazgul ] -------------------- "I don't want to achieve immortality through my work, I want to achieve it through not dying." Posts: 469 | Registered: Thursday, May 1 2003 07:00 |
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Lifecrafter
Member # 3320
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written Wednesday, January 18 2006 13:03
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I think my next post will be one of my shortest. And Nazgul, I DID try to shorten the length of my last post. Thralni pretty much destroyed my herbs, so I had to find a way to compensate. The best I could come up with was to have Orloki take advantage of Edith's mental collapse and possess her as a result. Ephesos was right when he said that some of the characters haven't taken enough damage this far into the RP. Since Edith was one of them, I had to do something about it. Being unable to speak or make potions, she was doomed to become fairly useless to the group. At least now with the possession she has her voice back and the potential to being able to use her spell book in the future. [ Thursday, January 19, 2006 16:17: Message edited by: Sir Sherlock Holmes ] -------------------- "Keep your wits about you, the game is afoot!!" - Sherlock Holmes Gay Christian Network The Polaris Board Posts: 935 | Registered: Friday, August 8 2003 07:00 |
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Master
Member # 5977
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written Thursday, January 19 2006 00:31
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quote:Please note Filbert didn't actually destroy all the herbs. only the ones she was using to make the potion. -------------------- Thralni's almighty Avernum pages: Go look! Go go go go! Click here for more information on Olga's fortune teller kiosk Olga's fortune teller kiosk has been temporarily closed down, but you can contact the prophet with a PM - Was signed by the prophet of the almighty chicken gods, gods of everything that is a chicken. Work has begun on the Nephilian (temporary name) grammar and vocabulary guide! Posts: 3029 | Registered: Saturday, June 18 2005 07:00 |
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Lifecrafter
Member # 3320
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written Thursday, January 19 2006 20:21
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OOC: I'm going to start up Edith's rebellion to Orloki's imprisonment. It may take a few posts though. I want to keep it slow and not do all of it at once. I also don't want to do much talking for Orloki. I worry about messing things up. Big surprise in this post. Hehehe. IC:After screaming at the top of her lungs for help for a few minutes and pounding on the walls with no result, Edith breaks down and starts crying. She sinks down on the floor in a huddled heap and agonizes over her plight for a few minutes. Accepting her fate, she stops feeling sorry for herself and soon quits sobbing. Seeing the candle again, she settles her mind on taking the time to survey her surroundings to pass time in the hopes of finding a way out. Upon examining the desk and chair, she finds just what she expected to find. A desk of old, possibly ancient manufacture, of a particular style she has never seen before and a chair of similar construction. Turning around, she investigates the room itself. It’s at least 15 feet square and lined with granite blocks concreted together by some of the black ice she had seen earlier. The floor also appears to be made of granite blocks. In the corner opposite of the desk lies a crude bed of the same style as the desk and chair. Before she decides to inspect it, she turns her scrutiny to the ceiling. Edith is immediately struck by the fact that all she can see is blackness. On a hunch, she holds the candle up and waves it slowly from left to right carefully watching where the light falls along the walls. She soon finds that the walls end at a certain point about 25 feet up. Then she sees it. A cloud of black and gray smoke swirling around where the ceiling should be. It doesn’t take her long to recognize it for what it is. “A portal for a ceiling… why would Orloki… of course! This isn’t a sealed room, but a holding pit! Orloki must have constructed this to monitor the souls he has trapped until they either fade away or somehow make it back to their bodies. (Shivers) I really don’t like the sound of fading away into oblivion. Especially if this cell happens to be in the Netherworld.” Stepping on a piece of splintered wood that cracks loudly brings her attention back to the bed. She soon notices that a post has been broken off and so she goes over to the bed to examine it more closely. She quickly finds signs of it having been used before, which doesn’t surprise her. Then she hears a faint noise from under it, like the sound of scraping. She gets down on her hands and knees to look under it. No sooner does she get her head to the floor, when she is struck in the face by a blunt object. Recoiling in terror and pain, she backs away to the desk, grasping her face. “You stay away from me, Orloki! I know that’s you in Edith’s body! You can’t fool me that easily. Keep back or else!!” Crawling out from under the bed, Edith sees who it is and her eyes grow wide in horror and shock. The form is unmistakable, yet looks pale and sickly. He holds a club and has numerous wounds all over his body. “Cain!!!” -------------------------------------------------- Back in the group… Orloki watches through Edith’s eyes as Cain laughs at his last statement. “Laugh all you want, Cain. But I still have the upper hand. Edith isn’t alone in that cell in the Netherworld where I put her. Someone very close to you is already there and has been for a long time now. Well, at least since the cavern ceiling collapsed.” Cain quickly stops laughing. “What do you speak of, Demon?” Orloki laughs again. “You received a part of me when you opened that crystal and it changed you mentally and physically. I’m amused to know that I received a part of you in the exchange as well…” Cain becomes speechless and it’s Lisha that breaks the tension. “You have part of his mortal soul, don’t you, Demon?” Orloki laughs menacingly and smiles. -------------------- "Keep your wits about you, the game is afoot!!" - Sherlock Holmes Gay Christian Network The Polaris Board Posts: 935 | Registered: Friday, August 8 2003 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 2984
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written Friday, January 20 2006 12:18
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OOC: quote: quote:*Admin smites post* Admin: "Darn, missed!" Just a thought that came to me reading this again... Also, reading and catching up with the summary right now. Perhaps an IC before I go to bed. -------------------- The Encyclopaedia Ermariana <-- Now a Wiki! "Polaris leers down from the black vault, winking hideously like an insane watching eye which strives to convey some strange message, yet recalls nothing save that it once had a message to convey." --- HP Lovecraft. "If you trick someone into throwing a pie in your face, there's still a pie in your face." -- TM Posts: 8752 | Registered: Wednesday, May 14 2003 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 4153
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written Sunday, January 22 2006 18:47
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OoC: It's been a while... IC: The demon's laughter faded from the passage, leaving a rough echo in the druid's mind. Sequoia silently walked over to Edith, knowing that Orloki was in full control. We can't give up on her... we can't lose anyone else to Orloki if we want to get out of here alive, much less if we want to slay the beast, he thought, as part of his mind throbbed dully. "Demon, what do you want from us?" Sequoia half-yelled, trying to restrain himself a bit. The earlier sight of the demon's form had yet to leave the druid's memory, and it had stirred up a bit of anger in him. The possessed alchemist replied with another booming laugh. "Foolish one, always so direct! My purposes are known to me alone, and I feel no need to reveal them to my prey." Sequoia could feel sparks leap from his fingers as another cloud of anger welled up in his mind. When it passed, he muttered "Then why have you not simply slain us? You must be afraid of us!" "Silence, mortal! You are tainted as well, so I fail to see the threat in you. You will fall like all the others will, if the mountain does not take you first." Orloki's voice replied. At this comment, Sequoia seethed for a moment. He felt magic pulsing in his veins, and he felt the taint course through his brain. Leave her, she is of no use to you, he thought, slowly losing control again. Better yet, slay her, and force Orloki to flee or show himself! The druid snarled and started reaching for the broken halves of his staff, right before Lisha reached out and pulled him back, shaking him back to reality. "Don't prove him right, Brother," she said, turning him away from Edith. Sequoia stepped back from Edith, fervently clutching his charm to his chest. His mind slowly resolved into clarity again, and in a flash he remembered his actions. He tried to focus his mind away from the taint, but it lingered, a few strands of concentrated evil flowing among his thoughts. In spite of this, he could still feel the mountain's power in him, and where it flowed, the taint was burned away. He could maintain control as long as that power held, and he could probably tap into the mountain again if he needed (though the risk frightened him). So the fiend is afraid of us. That must be it! Why else would he have avoided a direct confrontation? First that cursed suit of armor, he thought, silently cursing Caecus, then that fool Filbert. Now, Edith. And to some degree, myself. His pulse quickened for a moment, as if the mountain's power was surging. He felt the taint weaken a bit, though its continued presence strengthened Sequoia's headache. Slowly, his body and mind returned to normal (at least, as close to normal as the druid was now willing to accept), and he turned to watch Edith. While her eyes retained their demonic appearance, her body appeared to be resisting now. Every so often, she twitched in a way that suggested a bit of struggle, which gave Sequoia a bit of hope. He has underestimated us, and he will pay dearly for it. The fiend must die, so that we may be free again. OoC: As I hopefully conveyed here, I can't do much more of Orloki's interrogation. -------------------- Gamble with Gaea, and she eats your dice. I hate undead. I really, really, really, really hate undead. With a passion. Posts: 4130 | Registered: Friday, March 26 2004 08:00 |
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Master
Member # 5977
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written Monday, January 23 2006 03:47
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IC: He tried to run. After that scream of Edith, he couldn't take, although he didn't let himself, a rest. It was too horrifying. However, his body screamed and yelled at the same time to stop running. the cereony did him good, but it wasn't good enough to restore him fully. Lisha had got to him with that strange herb. As his body didn't stop yelling to stop running, he decided it would be better to walk. He won't rest, just stop running. However, when he eventually had stopped running, his body wanted to stop altogether. It wanted to rest, resulting in a severe pain going from his shoulder to the vicinity of his toes. It was to painful, and he sat down. That also didn't seem enough, and he lay down, on the cold stone of the cave floor. Suddenly, after the pain had almost completely went away, it came back, and it doubled its magnitude. For several seconds he lay on the floor, completely paralized of fear and pain, when an old and unwelcome voice enterd his mind: Filbert! Come back to me! How dare you leave me! He thought he heard a scream and somebody talking on the background. Surprisingly, it sounded like cain. He screamed: "Edith! Cain!" The voice had gone, and so did the talking he heard on the background. He quickly stood up walked away. He walked on, until he reached the path through which he had gone back, the path where also the stairs were. The magical inc that Edith had sprinkled there once upon a time had almost completely anished now. A tiny, almost unrecognizable trail was however still to be followed. besides that he could feel the presence of orloki and other Demonic creatures up the stairs and down in the tunnel. Slowly by slwoly he walked on, when the pain disturbed him once again. However, this time, he felt something sharp. It was a claw. He looked behind him, and saw the three undead he had previously slain. They weren't very happy with dying a second time, and he was to be paied back for that service. Blood left his veins, while he tried to get back to the stairs and climb up. Undead being extremely clumsy, didn't really manage to walk as fast a she did, let alone not fall on the stairs. They screamed with agonizing shouting at him, while he climed up the stairs. He had progressed quite far up the stairs now. Finnaly, he saw the end of the tunnel, and the new cave in which he had previously fought. He crawled into it, as the pain in his torn open leg was to much for im to bare, when a rumbling sound behind him made him turn around. Where there were stairs, now was a cave wall. Orloki wanted to spare him, but why? -------------------- Thralni's almighty Avernum pages: Go look! Go go go go! Click here for more information on Olga's fortune teller kiosk Olga's fortune teller kiosk has been temporarily closed down, but you can contact the prophet with a PM - Was signed by the prophet of the almighty chicken gods, gods of everything that is a chicken. Work has begun on the Nephilian (temporary name) grammar and vocabulary guide! Posts: 3029 | Registered: Saturday, June 18 2005 07:00 |
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Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire!
Member # 919
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written Tuesday, January 24 2006 00:04
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Lisha was the product of decades of training, the majority of which had put her life at risk in one way or another. Not all who were trained for her position sruvived; in fact, many did not. Had she not learned how to deal with demons, and learned quickly, she'd never have lived so long. In fact, demons were relatively weak; they usually needed some sort of outside force to bring them into the world, and only the most careless of summoners would allow his slave to exceed him in power. Orloki was different. How he had come into the world, she did not know, but he had most likely been residing within the mountain since before arcane summoning had become an ability of mortal man. Orloki was no slave, of that she was sure; he was his own master, and, it seemed, self-mastery was not enough. She would find no mage whose death would weaken Orloki, no artifact bound to his existance. The demon himself was her only target. And yet, he does have minions. A groan rose from the floor, and Tuulentekija pushed himself into a crouch. He put his hands to his head, obviously in extreme pain. Suddenly, Lisha reached for a particular pouch and a knife and made her way to the warrior. She knelt near him and showed him the blade. He looked at it, then at her. "I have a paste that numbs the flesh around an affected area. If you will allow me, I'll make two cuts above your shoulder, here, and below, here." He recoiled. "Small cuts," she added. "It is a temporary solution, and not one I'd normally use, but my own healing supply is depleted and Edith..." She trailed off, uncharacteristically. "Do it," he whispered. She nodded and pulled back his cloak. She smeared a small knife with the poultice and grasped his arm tightly. The blade cut through his skin and entered him temporarily, just scatching enough to show red, then was drawn back out. Tuulentekija shuddered in pain, biting his lip hard enough to draw blood. Lisha pressed her palm against his skin to keep the numbing blood within him, then made the second cut about half a foot further down his arm. Tuulentekija clenched the fist of his other hand tightly and gave a low, suppressed groan. As the others watched, Lisha kept the areas compressed until the bleeding halted. Then she replaced the cloak and straightened. Tullentekija moved his arm experimentally, then yelped in pain. "Give it a little longer," she said. "It's subtle, but if you move your arm in a minute's time, you'll feel only a heavy dullness." She turned to the others. "Let us continue. Orloki is trying to stall us; we cannot allow him success." Cain snarled, nodding in the direction of Edith. "What about this?" Lisha stared into empty eyes, eyes that had once betrayed a great depth of knowledge and now betrayed their old master. "She will come with us. Cain, you will watch her. She is in no state to escape." It seemed true, too. Even with the demonic power strengthening her, Edith looked ready to fall apart. Being thrown against a stone wall had taken a toll on her. They continued along, Cain watching Edith/Orloki nervously. What Lisha had said about Cain's soul lingered with the group; Tuulentekija and Sequoia watched Cain and Edith before them, wondering if parts of them, too, were in Orloki's possession. They came to a bend in the cave. A rustling noise caught their attention; Melora bent down to pick something up. "What is-" "He's destroying it," the elf snapped. "Hurry." Suddenly, Edith, who had been staying ahead of Cain, began sprinting down the corridor. Cain yelled in anger and, in a few bounds, caught her in his claws. "The woman is useless!" cried the voice of Orloki from Edith's lips. "Do with it as you will; I need it not!" No one moved. After a few seconds of silence, Lisha spoke. "Kill her." All heads turned toward her. Sequoia stepped forward. "You said-" "Kill her." He turned to Cain. "Wait." He went to Lisha, clutching the necklace. In a harsh whisper, he said, "You told me not to kill her. That would be playing into Orloki's claws. Why have you changed?" He adopted a slightly nervous look. "Has he- are you-" "No." Drawing a knife, Lisha walked over to Cain. "Edith is already lost. Only Orloki remains. He will use this body as a tool of our destruction. Let us not aid our enemy." Reaching into her cloak, she made a show of selecting a dagger and a pouch, and, beneath the cloak, smeared her weapon with poison. "If anything is left of the woman we knew, she will feel nothing." Melora spoke. "Do not touch-" "It is too late." Lisha shot them a quick glance. "She is gone." She flashed the dagger out of her dark cloak and drew the blade across Edith's breastbone, avoiding severe physical damage but planting the poison near her heart. Edith/Orloki gasped in pain, then slid from Cain's claws, tumbling to the cold stone floor. After several seconds of silence, Tuulentekija drew his horrified gaze away from the body. "You killed her." "No." "What?" He looked at her, pointed at the body. "She is dead!" "There was no poison on that blade," Lisha responded with a mirthless smile. "Orloki must have let her go, believing her body lifeless. No; she has life, but her soul is lost." "Orloki..." "Cain." He raised an eyebrow. "You are connected with Orloki somehow, are you not?" He nodded reluctantly. "Good. Then maybe you can determine what he has done with Edith, and how to restore her before Orloki discovers what has happened. We will stay with her. The rest of you, go ahead. We will be with you shortly, one way or another. Attract his attention, maybe, but keep it from Edith. We may yet restore her." -------------------- And though the musicians would die, the music would live on in the imaginations of all who heard it. -The Last Pendragon Polaris = joy. In case of emergency, break glass. Posts: 3351 | Registered: Saturday, April 6 2002 08:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 4248
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written Wednesday, January 25 2006 04:39
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IC: Tuulentekija stared Edith's body in disbelief, and then began walking up the tunnel alongside with the elf and the druid. His vision was blurred and all voices were too loud. He tried not to move his head very much, afraid it would fall apart. This headache is killing me. I hope it does so soon, so that I get rid of it, he thought. The elf had become extremely agitated because of the empty alcoves and pieces of burning parchment flying down the tunnel. Both Tuulentekija and Sequoia had to ask her to slow down in several occasions. Finally they arrived in a great chamber filled with stone shelves. In the middle of the camber there was a pile of ash and half-burned books. "No!" the elf shouted, her voice weirdly void of all emotions Tuulentekija could recognize. He didn't pay attention to what she did; his attention was fixed to the single book that still was in the shelf on his right. "What's this?" he muttered and pulled the book out. He browsed it for a while, but now matter how he tried he couldn't make any sense of the words. "Hey elf, there's still one left here" he shouted to Melora. When the elf, who had now ran to the middle of the room and was now collecting the few intact parchments from the still-hot ashes, didn't seem to notice, Tuulentekija shrugged and put the book back. When he did that, he felt a strange sensation in his left shoulder, which should have felt comfortably numb. What now? he thought and pulled his sleeve up to see if there was something more wrong with it; for his shock, the cuts Lisha had made had disappeared. OOC: It isn't as good as I hoped, but it'll have to do for a while. -------------------- Somebody PLEASE turn the heat on. Posts: 617 | Registered: Tuesday, April 13 2004 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 4153
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written Sunday, January 29 2006 21:42
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OoC: Let me see what I can do here... IC: Sequoia had to admit, the chamber was impressive. The one problem seemed to be that the room had scarcely any ventilation, so the smoldering books threw off a pale, sickening smoke. The elf didn't seem to notice, frantically searching through the piles of half-charred books for anything that could be rescued. Tuulentekija, on the other hand, seemed bothered by the smoke. Or is his wound acting up again? he thought. If he is cursed or possessed, we are through. Sequoia noticed that Tuulentekija was leafing through an undamaged book, and saw him return it to the shelf before he could say anything. "Melora, something survived the fire!" the druid yelled in her direction. She didn't seem to notice, and Sequoia could swear that she was muttering something arcane under her breath as she searched the smoking pile of lore. Rather certain that nobody was paying him any attention, Sequoia turned his gaze to examine the chamber. High vaulted ceiling, huge stone shelves along the walls, and two exits, not counting the archway they had entered through. The air crackled with the residue of long-confined arcane lore, somewhat akin to a deathly-humid afternoon, except that this could actually be deadly. A few half-formed shapes shimmered in the magical haze and pale smoke, and Sequoia's mind prickled with the taint's influence for a moment. He came out of it a second later, clutching his charm with a sweaty hand. There was a presence lurking here, and it was painfully close. To Sequoia, it seemed as if the air itself was pulsing with some malicious influence, and the shimmering shapes seemed to be growing more coherent. Illusions... Sequoia thought, gazing at the insubstantial shapes. He slowly turned his gaze up toward the ceiling, and suddenly yelled "Demon!" Sequoia fired a bolt of white light at the ceiling, and shouted for help as an angry demon fell out of thin air, cursing in some infernal tongue. The druid felt the anger rise in him, and felt part of his mind rise up to control it. A balance had been reached. -------------------- Gamble with Gaea, and she eats your dice. I hate undead. I really, really, really, really hate undead. With a passion. Posts: 4130 | Registered: Friday, March 26 2004 08:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 2940
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written Monday, January 30 2006 11:41
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IC: Cain stared at Edith's body for a moment, there was something familiar about her. Something within Edith was calling Cain, luring him somehow. "Well? Can you restore her Cain?" Asked Lisha. Cain responded plainly as he placed his right hand over Edith's forehead "I will see what I can do". The moment Cain's hand touched Edith's forehead he immediately pulled back, as if he had just received an energy shock of some sort. "It can't be…" Muttered Cain. "What's wrong?" Asked Lisha worriedly. "Nothing," Cain lied, "a field force of some sort was left by Orloki, nothing I can't break." In reality, what Cain felt was totally different. He saw himself, his former self. He remained immobile for a moment, unsure as to how his new demonic presence would react to an encounter with his old mortal soul. Cain moved his hand towards Edith once again; this time he felt the pulling. For a brief second he was one with his former self, he could see his weak mortal body, tormented, imprisoned. He could see Edith imprisoned with him, Cain pulled his hand back once again. Lisha remained quiet this time, clearly uncomfortable with Cain's reactions. Cain pondered his chances for a moment. What he had seed in Edith's mind brought him fears but also hope. His mortal soul was not lost, neither was it controlled by Orloki. All this time, Cain feared what Orloki could do with part of his mortal soul, he feared submitting to Orloki's power. Now Cain knew Orloki had no control over him in any way, he had his old mortal soul, yes, but he could not tame it or bend it to his will, instead, he imprisoned it just as he did with Edith's soul. If Cain managed to free both Edith's soul and his own he would finally be complete, Cain would never again fear some other power using his mortal soul against him. But what if I fail. Cain shrugged; he knew that while he was away, his demonic side would take over his mortal body. There was no telling what would happen then. Cain cared little as to what would happened to the assassin, should his demonic part decide to slay her, what Cain feared was what he could do to Edith. If Edith's corporal form died before he could get himself and Edith out of the prison they would cease to exist. He gave one last look to Lisha. "Prepare yourself mortal, whatever happens, don't let me slay Edith." Lisha stared at him incredulously, before she could say anything Cain spoke again. "Don't worry about using your petty tools against me if you need to, I will survive." Cain's hand touched Edith's forehead and with that, Cain's soul left his demonic body and merged with his mortal self in the planes beyond. - - - Edith jumped back startled when the skinny fellow she recognized as Cain started trembling, when the trembling ceased, Edith could see a stronger, bulkier, more determined Cain, the Cain she had met at the village. Cain looked around for a couple of seconds and proceeded to speak with his unusually plain deep voice, "Edith. We don't have much time, we must escape this prison." "Wha…Whe…" "There is no time to explain. We must leave this place before we vanish forever." - - - "Cain, are you ok?" Asked Lisha as she carefully approached an immobile Cain. What happened next was too quick for even Lisha to notice clearly, a thick reddish object, which Lisha could only infer to be Cain's arm, was thrown against her chest. Her arms acted out on instinct as she covered from the blow. Her trained effort prevented fractures but the laws of physics demanded Lisha's body to thrown a few feet by the sheer force of the hit. "I take that as a no." Said Lisha as she quickly recovered to her feet. OOC: The rest is up to you guys, David and MSW feel free to use Cain as you see fit, I won't be posting for a while. -------------------- "I don't want to achieve immortality through my work, I want to achieve it through not dying." Posts: 469 | Registered: Thursday, May 1 2003 07:00 |