Ambrosia Software Web Board: The Search for the Thieves' Cavern - Ambrosia Software Web Board

*out of character*
Erm, you can join... but please use proper punctuation in future posts. Also, remember to read previous posts! If you haven't, read every single post here before yours so you know where the story is.
*back in*

"I guess you can join." Diochos said, "but stay away from Rack. He's investigating the disappearance of one of our members.

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Bronze: the other gold metal.  | |  Cretan Bronze Robot: Bronze Trance Robot
Bacchus Publishing: [url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/cgi-bin/vftp/show.pl?product=evo&category=guides&display=date&file=ChroniclesByJake101.sit.hqx"]Chronicles by Jake101: the unposted chapters[/url], [url="http://"http://users.erols.com/alkrauss/Once_Again.html"]Once Again: on the web.[/url]
Bacchus Freeware: Olympus Wars, a plugin for EV:N.

[This message has been edited by Talos (edited 07-07-2001).]

"Two of our members, I would say." Katze corrected. "Slayer is also missing... so we're on a quest, but our 'leader' has mysteriously disappeared, together with his 'second in command'" "and what are we gonna do now?"
"You are gonna wait until I finished my investigations" Rack said. "And maybe someone else could investigate the place where Slayer slept?"

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You cannot expect to be saved in any one thing, person ... Do your own bit of saving, and if you drown, at least die knowing you were headed for shore.
- Ray Bradbury

Quote

Diochos turned, stopped, and drew his sword. He stepped closer to the trees where he thought he heard a sound. Suddenly, a blue figure burst out of the forest breathing heavily, and with a sword raised. Diochos turned and met the figure's sword with his scimitar. Both were knocked back a few paces, but the figure held out his hand and dropped his sword before Diochos could recover.

"Whoa there, I've come a long way, and I don't want to end it being sliced to pieces!" the man said as he caught his breath. He came closer into the light, and everyone saw that it was a weary and tired Avatara.

"Sorry I'm late, I was...pre-occupied. I'm here to help." Avatara turned to Katze, "that is, if you want my assistance..."

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"I'm a controversial figure. My friends either dislike me or hate me."

"Avatara? Is that you?" Diochos questioned himself, "why, it is! I haven't seen you since the old days... it'd be great to have you come along with us."

The rest of the group was not quite so sure, but trusted Diochos enough to take his word for it.

Taking Katze's initiative, Diochos went over to where Slayer had been sleeping. He had managed to get the nicest sleeping spot, under a tree, with soft dry ground underneath. There seemed to be no sign of disturbance - but then Diochos noticed something.

*er, to be continued in a few minutes, or tomorrow... I have to do something else right now*

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Bronze: the other gold metal.  | |  Cretan Bronze Robot: Bronze Trance Robot
Bacchus Publishing: [url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/cgi-bin/vftp/show.pl?product=evo&category=guides&display=date&file=ChroniclesByJake101.sit.hqx"]Chronicles by Jake101: the unposted chapters[/url], [url="http://"http://users.erols.com/alkrauss/Once_Again.html"]Once Again: on the web.[/url]
Bacchus Freeware: Olympus Wars, a plugin for EV:N.

*That's no problem, you're not the only one *

Katze nodded her agreement. "Why, we sure want your assistance! Especially with the problems at hand..."
"Problems?" Avatara asked.
"Well, with Slayer and Rogan missing..."
"Missing? How come?"
"We don't know... they have disappeared. Personally, I'd suspect the were 'kidnapped'. I cannot imagine them to have left for such a dangerous quest on their own. Currently, Rack " she pointed at the man so that Avatara knew whom she was talking about " and Diochos are looking for any traces, so you better stay away from them. Unless you can help them with your magic, that is."
"Oh no, the magic!" Magpie suddenly exclaimed.
"What?" Everyone turned to him.
"well, I told you that sorcerors leave a magic trace, didn't I? SO, if we don't find the path they went quickly, that trace will be lost, and then we might get lots of problems finding their hideout!!!"


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You cannot expect to be saved in any one thing, person ... Do your own bit of saving, and if you drown, at least die knowing you were headed for shore.
- Ray Bradbury

Rack went back to the group. "I'm sorry - sometimes I lose track of time and space, when I talk to the small ones."

Answering the unspoken question, he continued: "That's my gift. I can sometimes understand what the animals senses."

Nodding towards the place where Rogan had fallen in deep sleep, the others could see a couple of squirels running up an nearby tree.

"All they can tell me is that sometime during the darkest hours, when the camp-fire had burned down, a greyish creature growled beneath their tree. They didn't dare to take a closer look, but later they found that Rogan was gone."

"Strange," remarked Katze. "How come we didn't hear it?"

"I don't know. But I've sent Horc to scout out the woods around us."

Worried looks shot between the assembled heroes. "Ah, I'm sure Rogan can manage what-ever trouble he's in," said Avatara and turned to the other problems at hand.


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rUmbler
Confusion reigns. Please advice.

Just then a men wearing a long black cloak taps Diochos on the back. Startled that someone could creep up on him him whips around, sword drawn. In a deep whisper the stranger speaks:
"Excuse me but when does the number 32 arrive?"

Az

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The above post can be concidered
"Parlez vous sans mon derreire"
As the french probably wouldn't say.

The group, now practically consisting of all the people on Cythera , started arguing about their next move. Rack's group wanted to rescue Slayer and Rogan, Katze's group wanted to hunt down the person who cast the curse on Talos, and Avatara's group wanted to get the crystal. Avatara giving his reason as a "hunch" it was related to all this.

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"I'm a controversial figure. My friends either dislike me or hate me."

Everyone jumped as a figure approached from the north. A man, clad in full metal armor, wielding a large sword and with a kite shield strapped to his back, walked calmly towards the group of adventurers. Rack and Diochos paused for a minute to examine the newcomer as he came closer. The man halted, looked around with great consentration before he approached Avatara. "I think I've met you and Talos before" the man said with a smile.

Avatara had some problems recognising the man at first, but smiled as he remembered the warrior who once rescued him, Talos, Rogan, Desert Fox and Slayer from a band of marauding demons. "Lukyan!" he said and smiled.

"Correct" Lukyan said and turned towards the others. "Allow me to introduce myself. I go by the name of Lukyan, Paladin of the Second Order and leader of the Seventh Legion-the elite team made to hunt down criminals and other fiends and bring them to justice."

QuickSilver, Rack and Diochos had heard of Lukyan before, but never seen him in person, and quickly greeted him. "I understand you are having some problems with your fellow party members?"

"Yes, Rogan and Slayer are missing" Avatara responded, "but how did you know that? Have you been eavesdropping?"

"No, not at all" Lukyan quickly said to his defense. "I only knew about Rogan. About an hour ago, I recieved a message from him-I trust at least some of you are familiar with the telephatic spell, no? Anyways, the signal was broken by something. He didn't know where you were, and couldn't remember where he was or how he got there. It's the strangest thing..."

"We are also looking for a crystal stolen from us by a band of thieves" Talos said.
"We believe the organization is related to a band called the Dragon's Fang or something like that" continued Moonshadow.

Lukyan was silent for a few seconds only before he responded: "The Crimson Rangers!"
"Crimson what?" asked Magpie with a strange look on his face.
"The Crimson Rangers are a large group of ultra-violent criminals. In fact, they are the largest organized crime group in all of Cythera! You never heard of them?" Lukyan answered. "The group called the Dragonfang Marauders is a small part of the Crimson Rangers. The Seventh Legion only learned about this a couple weeks ago, when we intercepted and captured a small group of ruffians. They died in prison before we could interrogate them further, though. Not a single captured Crimson Ranger has ever lived longer than two days in prison. Some commits suicide, others have simply vanished. They would rather die than be captured."

"We have to get the crystal back and find Rogan and Slayer" Eldrad said, "the question is, what do we do first?"




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Picking a lock is kind of like picking your nose; If you're successful you are going to end up with some kind of reward.

"Well, I think we should divide into two groups." Katze suggested. "One group to save Rogan and Slayer, wherever they may be, and a second group to find the Craystal, and the 'curse-caster'. If I'm not absolutely mistaken, those two are related for sure."
"And maybe the ones who captured Rogan and Slayer also have to do with this!" Diachos said.
"How so?" Magpie asked.
"Think! We're looking for Slayer's Crystal, right? So maybe they captured Slayer to get more information."
"And what about Rogan?" Katze asked.
Diochos shrugged. "Dunno. Mistake maybe. Or to make sure Slayer cooperates..."
"Maybe." Avatara said. "But there's another flaw in your theory. Why didn't they capture Slayer in the commotion in the Tavern?"
"Maybe they didn't have the chance because of all the people." Tycho offered.
"Maybe..." Katze agreed. "It's a possibility, after all, and we should keep it in mind. To return to our original concern, we should make two groups, and make sure there's at least one mage who can cast this - what's it called? - thelepathic spell, so that we can coordiante our plans, if one group has fulfilled there quest or is in trouble. What do you think?" She looked around questioningly.

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You cannot expect to be saved in any one thing, person ... Do your own bit of saving, and if you drown, at least die knowing you were headed for shore.
- Ray Bradbury

"Ordinary I'm not an man who rushes into action." said Rack. "But the situation demands an decision. The magic trail mustn't grow cold and we have to find out what's happened to Slayer and Rogan."

"Myself I've got no hands for weapons," he continued as he looked over the crowds gleaming swords, sharp-edged arrows, long spears and mirror-polished armour. "But I'd be happy to assist anyone of you in scouting out the trail with the help of Horc."

The grey pigeon landed on his shoulder as if he'd heard his name mentioned. The bird pecked at Rack's ear. "By Scylla! Horc seems to have found the lair of an best to the east. A billow of smoke rises from it, perhaps it's one of our friends that's trying to signal for help!"



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rUmbler
Confusion reigns. Please advice.

"We have to find out who is sending those signals" said Lukyan, "It can't be Crimson Rangers-they have more efficient methods of communication".
"If Rogan's mana is drained, he would most certainly use means like that to attract our attention" Magpie suggested.
"Correct" Lukyan responded, "if Rogan's spiritual powers are weak, telepathy would not be an option. That's propably why I lost contact with him. If his powers are too weak to cast the spell, he can still recieve thoughts from others who know the spell." Lukyan opened his pouch and fetched a grimoire. "I have the spell archived in this, if anyone wants to take a look".

"We must split into two groups" said Moonshadow, "one to investigate the smoke-signals and another to follow the magical track."
Everyone agreed to that, but they were still uncertain on what group to join.
"We must have a balance between mages and warriors in each group" Avatara said.
"I will lead the rescue team" Lukyan announced, "you will need my telepathic spell in order to find at least Rogan and I'm a good warrior as well. I also have significant information about the Crimson Rangers and their hirelings."

----------

Slayer got up from the floor as soon as the guard had left the room and slammed the door shut. He looked through the windowed door but could not see almost anything due to the steel bars covering most of the tiny window. The damp air and the sound of water dripping from the roof told him that this was some sort of cave. Somewhere, off in the distance, a terrifying scream could be heard.
Footsteps. On the other side of the wall. A door opening, followed by a dull 'thud' and the door shutting again. Footsteps. Slayer turned around when he heard something tapping on the wall to his left. When he approached, a small rock fell from the earthen wall and to the ground. "How are you holding up?" a voice spoke to him. It was Rogan.
"The guard gave me some punches, but I'm all right" he answered, "I wonder where our weapons are?" "I don't even know where we are" Rogan responded, "all I remember is that i woke up in the middle of the night and you all were gone from the campsite. Then something caught fire and everything got black again."
More footsteps was heard. Something coming their way. Quick! Put it back!" Rogan whispered, and Slayer quickly shoved the stone back into the hole. Seconds later, the metal door opened...


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Picking a lock is kind of like picking your nose; If you're successful you are going to end up with some kind of reward.

*It's still Katze here, not Moonshadow. *

"Well, I would want to help in tracking the 'curse-caster' down. I don't know very much about magic, and I certainly never trained in it, but still I know some tricks with magic... besides, I also know quite a bit about the organisation of those gangs, and... oh, well, I think that's enough of a reason... may I have a look at that spell, Lukyan?"
He nodded, and handed Katze the book. She glanced at it, then let out a heavy sigh. "That's all those stupid mage runes!" she exclaimed.
"Of course it is! It's a spell-book, after all!" Lukyan said.
"How am I to make sense of it? I told you I never really trained magic..."
"Well, it's actually quite simple." Magpie explained, and went on to show her the basic structure of the spell. Katze nodded contently, now knowing at least the basics.

*That is to say, if (or as soon as) we get into a fight, she's not able to perform high magic, like elementals, only some 'small' tricks (like increasing her speed to avoid being hit and stuff like that, it's more like 'passive magic'). She considers magic as her last chance if all else fails, and uses it accordingly.
Just to let you know *

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You cannot expect to be saved in any one thing, person ... Do your own bit of saving, and if you drown, at least die knowing you were headed for shore.
- Ray Bradbury

"I gonna to go with the rescuers" said Eldrad,"i want to check out my sword in combat."
As he said this he put down his backpack,and pulled out a completely black sword in a golden sheet.The sword was decorated with glowing gems in shifting colors,
and a gem wich was bigger and somehow different than the others was in the hilt.
"The black Fury" said Eldrad with a proud tone in his voice
"I found it when i was exploring a newly found cave."
"What does it do?" asked Katze,"Check this out" said Eldrad,and closed his eyes
and muttered a few words and the sword seemed to start burning with dark green fire and when Eldrad opened his eyes they seemed to glow in the same colour as the flames
then eldrad muttered again,and the sword stopped burning and his eyes returned to normal.
"How did you know the words wich would make the sword work?" asked Avatara "Well when i
lifted the sword for the first time,it seemed to talk into my mind,and asked me to take it away from the cave in return it would join me where ever i would go.It is so that i learned its name and how to ignite it.It allways seems to come into my mind and help me when i use it" said Eldrad,"How do you know it isn't evil" asked Diochos,
"Well i dont,But i trust it completely" said Eldrad
"I think we can trust it for now" said Lukyan

Tycho is running up to them.
"Good I've finaly cought up with you, Need any help?"
"sure" says Katze ""come along we could always use anougher hand"

*out of charater*
I can't check up on this much so if I miss soming that my charater need to be involed in you can use him. just rember that He knows alot of spells but has little mana. He is also the BEST quarter staff fighter.

Tycho Maudd

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I say what occurs to me to say when I think I hear people say things, more I cannot say.

It was then Magpie spoke up " The trail is getting colder every minute we delay!!" He glanced around at the others "Do you not sense its effect fading?" Eldrad just stared "Damm of course you don't but take my word for it. We must take action now!"
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The gaurd walked in to the cell. He was a tall muscly guy about as tall as Katze and he wore thick solid armour that clunked when ever he moved. He held some thing behind his back but Slayer failed to see what it was. The gaurd spoke up in a gruff voice "Who's is this?" he held out Slayers crystal, it glowed and glistened shimmering a hundred different colours. "Mine, as far as i can tell" said Slayer
The Gaurd grabbed Slayer by the wrist and dragged him out of the cell lauhging " You well tell us all about every thing him yelled as he pushed the dazed Slayer along the passage.

Rack coughed. "I'm going to follow Horc's trail and seek out the cavern he saw. If the grey creatures are there, I surely need some help to disarm them."

With that he set out into the woods while the grey pigeon flew ahead, straight as an arrow.

The others argued for a few seconds more, until they resolved who should do what.

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rUmbler
Confusion reigns. Please advice.

Avatara slipped off during the arguement, which nearly erupted into a fist fight. He had better things to do than argue, and usually a smaller group gets things done better.

Avatara ran nearly silently through the trees, heading towards Pynx.

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"I'm a controversial figure. My friends either dislike me or hate me."

"All this bickering leads nowhere!" Katze decided. "It's no use arguing over all of this."
Magpie nodded. "Right. I'm going to follow the trail now. Whoever wants to go with me may follow."
"I'm going." Katze nodded. "And for all those who don't want to join us: you should better hurry to catch up with Rack!"
With that they left, and all others decided which group to join, and followed accordingly.

*There's really not much point in arguing here, so I decided to settle this quickly. I hope you don't mind...*

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You cannot expect to be saved in any one thing, person ... Do your own bit of saving, and if you drown, at least die knowing you were headed for shore.
- Ray Bradbury

And so it began Magpie and Katze started off along the trail following Magpies smell like ability towards the landsend volcano. After about an hour of walking Katze began wondering about Magpie. "I have of coursed saved King Alaric before but now devote my life to the study of other realitys and thier releation to our own. And what is your passtime Katze? Knife throwing?" He joked arousing a rare smile from Katze "Actauly I have been busy hunting with a good friend of mine, you may of heard of him. Does the name Democodus ring a bell?" Magpie nodded pausing a moment to think "He is a traveler that entertains people in bars and things doe he not?"
"Yes" The pair continued to walk on for a while when suddenly Magpie drew to an abrupte halt "I've lost it!" he cried. "This means one of three things. One they have covered their tracks to well for me, two they are very close, or three they killed who ever was giving of the Magick signal."
"No it can't be the second, I know this place to well i would have found 'em" declared Katze puzzeled by the abrubte loss of the scent. "I must think about this" the pair sat down on the nearby rocks and sat in silence.

"Well, there's only one thing we can do... search the area, but we should be very careful." Katze said after a short while.
"Why that?" Magpie asked.
"Well.." she replied. "You said they killed their magic-using companion, or they hid their track. If it's the first possibility, then we should be able to find the magician's corpse, no danger there."
Magpie nodded in agreement.
Katze continued. "But if they hid their track, it's very likely they know or suspect that they are being followed. In that case, we should be extremely careful, watching for possible traps, or maybe even an ambush... don't you have some magic trick to protect us, like that strange invisible spell?"

*Please, even if you don't have the time to continue the story, could you tell us who is in which group, so we don't leave anyone behind?*

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You cannot expect to be saved in any one thing, person ... Do your own bit of saving, and if you drown, at least die knowing you were headed for shore.
- Ray Bradbury

*Sorry if I left any one out of the group*

"No invisibility spells but I do posses several powerful awareness spells that would warn me if any one was coming." Katze was worryed
" Nothing else?"

*Have to go*

Rack made his way through the woods with a steady pace. From time to time the pidgeon Horc landed on his shoulder to hitch a ride.

The discussion back at the field had confused him. He'd searched out these legendary heroes, who's names were proudly spoken in tales of swordplay and magic-wielding stories in taverns around the whole of Cythera. The group he found hadn't really lived up to his high expectations.

"Perhaps that's what's wrong with the bards' tales and songs. They're just to polished and embroideierd to tell anything at all about the truth." he said to the pidgeon - who didn't reply.

Rack could sense the wildlife around him. He could feel the hearthbeat of hundreds of small animals in trees and below ground. The animals were bustling about on their own errands, they didn't feel threathed.

That's why the surprise was so much bigger when he could feel fear shot through Horcs little body. The pidgeon flew up in a fluttering of feathers. But Rack forgot about the bird when he himself saw what his winged friend had seen.

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rUmbler
Confusion reigns. Please advice.

In front of Rack stood one of the grey creatures.
It was growling and slowly moving towards him,while Rack was keeping a
steady course away from the creature,and trying to figure out the best way to escape.
Suddenly Rack heard twigs snap behind him,and thought that he was surrounded.
But when he noticed a dark green glow in the corner of his eye,
he understood that it was Eldrad.

Suddenly Eldrad started running towards the beast,when he was about ten feet away from the beast he jumped up in the air,and held his sword in front of him
as he plunged towards the beast.
The beast jumped to the side,and Eldrad landed right next to it.
He looked up just in time to notice the claws of the beast coming towards him,
and jump aside just in time to get his head out of the way of the oncoming claws,
but slow enough for the claws of the creature to make a nasty cut in his arm.
He stood up and charged into close combat with the beast.
After a while of furious fighting between the two,Eldrad finally finished the beast off.
"That was one tough ba***rd"said Eldrad while walking to a boulder,and then he sat on it and passed out.

Rack regained his breath. To him the fight had looked like an flurry of fur, claws and sword. The amazingly quick motions of both Eldrad and the creature had been almost unreal.

Attending to Eldrads wound, he asked how he had learned to handle a sword like that. "How I learned to fight? By evading being hit again and again," was Eldrads answer.

"We must be on the right track," Rack mused as he looked at the lump of grey fur. Already the body had begun to decay, a brownish liquid ozed from the fatal wound. Within minutes the creature was all gone. A stench of death and rottening meat still hang in the air.

"A creature of magic," Eldrad declared. "That explains why I didn't feel it before. I can only connect to living animals." said Rack.

The both men started out again. From an branch overhead the pidgen Horc looked down on them.

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rUmbler
Confusion reigns. Please advice.