Ambrosia Software Web Board: The Alraeican Tavern, Part III - Ambrosia Software Web Board

Magpie grasped the Palamert in his hand. He could not feel it or see it but he knew it was there. It gave of a slightly electrical tingel to the touch. He grinned a wide broad grin of malice and delight. "Those filthy solonoids have the other one and the crolna is cured but wihtout the Palamert they cannot complete the circle and call the Ancients" He smiled more broadly at the thought of the Ancient ones becoming under his control. Maybe they were unaware of the Ancient ones or maybe they new Magpies plan. However these thoughts didn't occure to him.

The time had come for his attack. The time was now. He called upon his army. His army did not breath.
It did not talk.
It did not drink.
It did not sleep.
It did not give up.
His army was that of the dead. A million skeletons pored out of the ground breaking through the cold earth they were imprisoned in for years. All was silent save the clatter of bones and clink of mail. Just to make sure Magpie cast a fire ball into the middle of the huge force. It exploded brightly and after a few minutes the blaze died.
The skeletons were flaming but it didn't seem to affect them. Just like all types of magicks, they were imune. He laughed, a grim bone chilling laugh that made even the dead tremble. Magpie fingered the plain gold circle around his finger. "Raise my army! Crush all those who defie me!"
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Kwon tremble. He like all others had heard the laugh. Flynn spoke then
"Our time is running out"

A top a lonely montian a tiny white speak appeared. White tinged wiht darkness. The spot grew, larger enough for one man to ride through. It expanded again large enough for 3 men abreast to ride. After a second or two the spot was large enough for a thousand men to walk. And that is what happened. However they weren't men, they were dead.


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Time is a predator that hunts you down. You can cheat it for as long as you like with doctors and medicines, but in the end time will catch up with you. What if I was to tell you I had found a place where the predator had no teeth?

*Hoo boy, sounds cataclysmic; I think I'd better hurry up*

Shivers ran down the spines of everyone in the tavern at the sound of the maniacal laughter.

Then, before anyone could react, a spot about waist-high near the door began to shimmer, and glow a warm golden colour; from out of the bright centre of the glow a deep, resonant voice began to sound.

Voice: "Fear not, all is not lost; although your time grows short, I come with news of hope."

"What news?" asked Avatara, just a smidgeon quicker than the others to recover from the surprise.

Voice: "While the threat is dire, and the strength of this evil is strong, there is now enough strength of good to overcome it, if correctly applied; but there is much to be done before you face the forces of evil."

"What do we need to do?" asked Slayer.

Voice: "All the forces of good that can be mustered will be needed to defeat this foe. You must release those that are prisoned; you must seek out those you know, of skill and good heart. You must find the last of the Ronin, for while many of you are stronger than they, their help will be needed. But know this: none of the Ronin are yet prepared for this war; once found they must undertake a quest, which will increase their strength, and their usefulness. Seek the heart of the island; this answer will be found there. Their quest must be completed alone, but the journey does not."

"How did the Ronin come to be here, at this time?" queried Moonshadow.

Voice: "In an aeon long past, the vertex of the Triliad that mastered time was stolen, and used to banish the Ronin from time for as long as it should exist; when that vertex was destroyed (an act in which many of you played a part), the banishment ended and the Ronin re-entered this existence. But they were scattered, and the second displacement wrought havoc with their minds; memory can be such an elusive thing. There are other effects, which you will discover as time passes."

"But why now, in time for this war?" asked Verran.

Voice: "The quest which brought the destruction of the vertex, also brought upon you this war; so you see, all is linked."

"Where can we find the others!?" Flynn interjected.

Voice: "They will come, each in their way, in their time. You need not seek too hard; go about the tasks before you, and they will arrive - some sooner than you think, and some are already about tasks they must complete, before they will be ready."

Voice continued: "I would I could help you more. My time is ended, and I must go; know that the future of all is in your hands..."

The voice trailed off into silence, and the glow faded away.

Moonshadow quickly told the others the legend of the Displaced. Then:

"Well - what now?" said Flynn, addressing the group at large.


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There are three kinds of computer users: those that use Macintoshes, those that wish they used Macintoshes, and those that don't know any better.

[This message has been edited by Ronin (edited 09-17-2001).]

[This message has been edited by Ronin (edited 09-17-2001).]

Ferazel looks at them. "You heard that high laugh. Magpie's weapon, or whatever he has must be powerful. Think..."

*OoC*
Please, don't ignore me....
*BiC*

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Quote ViaVoice, "Hal Cohen help build Satam sand scratch a flat surface scratches that some scratch that scratches that scratch facts scratcher wraked this scratched tax costs tax this. " Is this ViaVoiceian?

[This message has been edited by Slayer (edited 09-17-2001).]

*Avatara looked questioningly at Kwon and Flynn.*

"You two wouldn't happen to be some of these 'Ronin' would you?"

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

"We must be," replied Flynn. "That's why it felt right to me to be known as 'Ronin', before I remembered my true name; and this talk of 'others' - both Kwon and I had a sense that there were more of us, we just can't remember how many or bring them into focus."

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The only substitute for good manners, is fast reflexes.

"Also, " mused Kwon, "'All is linked': you have said that an evil force from the crystal took control of Magpie, that he has never truly been free of it since. I begin to fear that this force has some connection to us, in the deep past."

*(edit) Oops! I forgot my own 'Kwon-speak' rules! *
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A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking.

[This message has been edited by Kwon Chen (edited 09-18-2001).]

Far away, at the edge of a dense forest not far from a certain lonely mountain, a figure dressed in forest green stood watching; his keen eyes strained to penetrate into the heart of the bright light that had enveloped the mountain's peak. As his eyes grew accustomed to the light, and he began to make out what it hid, his breath caught in his throat, and his heart seemed to freeze in mid-beat; then, with a deliberate effort, he relaxed. The dark figure turned to leave, and in moments was enveloped by the forest...

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There are three kinds of computer users: those that use Macintoshes, those that wish they used Macintoshes, and those that don't know any better.

Verran began to shake a little. A breeze was blowing but it wasnt that cold. Avantara looked away from the others just in time to se verran calm down.

"Cold?" he asked "I think you should be worrying about other things." and he turned back to the others.

"I know what Magpie's weapon is" said verran softly "The wind just brought me the news, and its not good."

"Well?" asked Moonshadow "What is it?"

"Its an army," said Verran "And appaently undead. The wind also said something about a fire and the army was untouched but I didnt catch the rest."

"An army?" said Avantara "Then we must move quickly! We have to muster all that is good in Cythera."

"Wait" said Moonshadow "We must cure Talos and Alaric too."

And with that she took the crystal and crolna and used them on talos, nothing happened.

"D^%*" said Moonshadow "Whats wrong with this now"

But before she could finish griping the stone around Talos began to crack and soon talos lay there asleep but unharmed.

*if you guys would really like talos to stay stone I can edit it out*

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Ok so I cant think of a good signature.

Moonshadow sighed with relief, just before blacking out. Verran caught her just in time and put her down carefully. "She must have used up all of her energy..." he suspected.
"Probably." Avatara agreed. "What a foolhardy thing... I could have helped her..."
"Well, but at least Talos is back to normal." Katze remarked, staring at the snoring Talos
"Yeah..." Flynn nodded. "Yet we're now two people short, and will be, until they recover. I fear that speed is of the essence now. We must go and gather whatever help we can get against this undead army."
"I doubt that would be enough." Ferazel said. "From what I've heard I figure it would be of more use to track down that Magpie person, and eliminate him. From all tales I've heard, most agree on one thing: Destruction of the 'creator' of undeads also desposes of the undeads."
"Or at least it confuses and seperates them." Verran agreed. "It might not be that much, but it could be decisive for all our fates."
"Yet we must keep the army at bay, too." Katze spoke up. "I think we should inform the guards of all Cytheran communities, as well as Pnyx, and anyone else we know who could be of use." She got up from where she had been sitting. "I'll 'take care' of the Cademian, Odemian and Catamarcan guards.Anyone want to join me?"

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This is not dead which can eternal lie,
and in strange aeons even death may die!

[This message has been edited by Avatara (edited 12-31-2001).]