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

As per andrew's request all topics that have 200 posts have to be closed (I hope I remembered this correctly ), so here it goes: the Fourth Thread of the Alraeican Tavern! Read "The Alraeican Tavern Part III" to know what's going on (as if you hadn't )... enjoy!

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

Avatara knelt by Talos, and placed his hand on Talos' forhead. Muttering some words nobody could catch, a blue glow surrounded Talos for a moment. Avatara stood up, and the blue changed to a golden white as a band of energy wound its way up Talos. The glow and the band faded and Avatara smiled.

"At least now, he'll wake up sooner than next year." Avatara smiled as he walked out of the tavern with Verran. "I'm going to hide some more 'cards' up my sleeve, I'll be back before the full moon is high."

Some patrons of the bar looked at the night sky, to see that the full moon was just creeping up across the eastern horizon. Avatara opened a deep red oval-shaped portal, the red writhing energy eminating from it, and floating across within, ready to trap any stay person into the clutches of chaos. Walking into it, Avatara vanished, the portal closing behind him.

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

The Armmy, oblivious of all terrain marched forward, silently. They would reach the Landking hall within the hour. Once there they would reek havoc and destroy every living thing. This was Magpies plan. It was simple and destructive. The cold Palamert became a firey white, white, but tinged with darkness. A face appeared in its crystalline depths. The face stared at Magpie in an inqusitive glare, to which Magpie shrunk back afraid of it. The face spoke, like a thousand needles in the heart of all those who could hear
"I have had a change of plans" Magpie held the Palamert wearily up to his face
"What shall we do master?" The face starred back, its glare digging deep into Magpie fragile mind
"Take your pitiful army and march for the mother city. That is where the main defence will be. Go now, and go swift!"
And so the army turned course and headed for Cademia, Mother city.
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Flynn felt a change in the wind. "The army is advancing towards Cademia!!" There was a panic in the city as people tried to flee but they were blocked of by Moonshadows cold voice persuading them to stay and fight.
"I have raised the gaurd and they are marching to Cademia as we speak. The rest of populance are coming to. This is where we stand the greatest chance of survival"
Kwon, who had also heard the wind change spoke up "They will be here by sundown. We had best prepare while the light lasts" So every one in Cythera began setting up barricades and pits, spikes and walls.

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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?

A man in green stepped out from the edge of the forest just North of Cademia. He wore on his back a quiver of arrows, and a peculiarly shaped leather pouch about 5 feet long, a foot wide at the top, and tapering to a point for the bottom third of its length. He had begun travelling in this direction before the undead army had turned, and being a forester, he'd made good time; the moon was only just cresting over the easternmost trees. He looked around, as if trying to get his bearings, then crossed the bridge to the city.

Seeing that preparations to repel the coming assault were well under way, he thought to himself: "Good, my warning is unneeded; I'd better find someone in charge and see what I can do." Asking several people how to find whoever was organising the defenses, he was directed to a place called the Alraeican Tavern.

Inside the tavern, our group of heroes were trying to decide what to do next.

"Cademia's defenses have been arranged as well as can be, right now," Ferazel was saying. "I think someone must go to Pnyx, quickly, to request whatever help they can send. Magic may not affect this army, but we'll at least need healers for our warriors."

Just then Flynn, who'd had little to contibute, glanced over at the door and saw the stranger standing there.

"Trinias! Good to see you!" he exclaimed.

"Flynn! Kwon! I'm so relieved to see familiar faces at last!" replied Trinias.

Kwon looked his usual, imperturbable self, and shook Trinias' hand.

After being introduced to the others, Trinias related what he had seen at the mountain; although he had no new information, it was at least confirmation of what they'd sensed. Discussion returned to their next course of action.

The rest of the group took the arrival of the third of the Ronin in stride; besides, they had bigger things to worry about.

"Kosha might also be able to provide some warriors to help," suggested Slayer, "although they may not arrive in time to be of any use."

"What about this 'heart of the island' thing?" asked Flynn. "If we have to complete a quest before the battle, it might help to know where it is."

"I can only think it means somewhere near the middle of Cythera," Moonshadow replied. "That would put it in the mountains, just South of the pass to Pnyx. But remember, the quest is for all the Ronin; you have to wait until they arrive."

"Then I hope they hurry up," Flynn muttered under his breath; "there isn't much time left."

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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 09-18-2001).]

Ferazel rushes off. He didn't have enough power to use a spell to teleport to Pnyx. It didn't take too long. When he got there, two guards stood blocking the entrance. "Halt, who goes there?" one said. "Ferazel" he muttered and shoved them aside. He knocked aside a few students and Paris as he rushed to Lindis. He banged open the door to the large room, panting. He walked over, and told Lindis of Magpie. "Hmmm." he said, "Magpie was a faithful allie before." Ferazel then used his remaining power to congure an image of the army marching towards Cadimia, the pits and fences, and Cademia itself. Then he showed Lindis about how they were immune to magic. "Listen, we need the biggest group of healers possible. Send all students training in healing and Pheres." Lindis muttered a few words, and his voice boomed through the school. "Listen. All who know at least minor healing, report to my office at once." Soon, a large group of healers was arranged. They were all sent off to Cadimia with a quick breifing. One by one, they teleported off. Lindis gave Ferazel a little magic, and he went too....

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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?

In the peaceful garden in the centre of Pnyx, a young woman with long, striking red hair was sitting and reading a book; the book was called "The Lost Magic of the Elements", by Lindus, and every now and then she unconsciously mumbled phrases out loud:

"Lost magic... Seldane... elements... not like normal magic... drew power... elements themselves... no mana... drained life-force... ratio of drain... rate of expenditure... each person unique..."

"Leandra!" A young, dark haired man with a short beard came panting up.

"Wolmark, can't you see I'm reading!?" Leandra snapped.

"I've been looking for you everywhere," Wolmark replied, apparently used to Leandra's short temper, and ignoring it entirely. "Have you heard about the attack? They were asking for healers, to help."

While Leandra had a quick temper, she was equally quick to make up her mind.

"I'm going," she said, springing up and running for the door.

"Thought you might," Wolmark smiled wryly at her retreating form, as he turned and hurried after her.

Lindus was sitting slumped in his office chair, pondering what was becoming of the world, when the two burst in.

"Ahh," he said, "have you two decided on your specialties yet?"

"We heard about the war," Leandra replied; "we want to help. Teach me everything you can about healing."

"Very well," said Lindus. "And you, Wolmark? What have you decided?"

"Well," Wolmark mused, "I don't want to specialise in healing, so just give me the basics; enough to be useful."

"Right," said Lindus, "here we go..."

As soon as their instruction was complete, Lindus gestured to a bundle of phials lying in the corner. "Take those healing potions along with you; the others left in such a hurry they forgot them."

They picked up the bundle, and Lindus muttered "I wish Ferazel hadn't left so fast, I don't know the best place to send you; oh well, I'll just try for the tavern and hope for the best..."

Lindus muttered a few words, and the pair stepped through the newly formed portal...

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"Queer ducks, those two," thought Lindus to himself. "Imagine not knowing who you are, or where you came from; oh, well."

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...into a cold, dimly lit room, with starlight shining through the apparently collapsed roof.

Several people turned to look at the newly arrived pair; suddenly:

"Flynn!" Leandra yelled, and raced forward to give him a smothering embrace; for a brief moment no one could tell which was more red - Leandra's hair, or Flynn's face.

Trinias and Kwon greeted Wolmark; Kwon almost forgot himself and smiled, as he realised that they were now five...

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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.

A door opened in the back of the tavern, slowly swinging out with a grating squeal. An elf steped slowly out into the room. Blicking to shake off the stupor that had lain over his mind for months, he gazed about the room at the strange faces there. Hmmm, he thought, there seems have been an influx of new heros in the Cademia area. He walked over to the nearest group who were talking about the defence of the city.

"What news?"

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"It has to start some time.
It has to start some where.
What better time than now?
What better world than this?"

[This message has been edited by Avatara (edited 01-01-2002).]

*Ok then Im glad I get to go on with my little Idea then *

Verran was getting bored. He was a pretty strategic person but he wasent a natural born general, no Moonshadow was doing nicely at that. What was worse was he barly even knew how to use his sward and from what he'd gathered the ary was quite Immune to magic.

Just then Verran had an idea, he thought it was quite good actually, the only drawback he could see was that not too many people around spoke elven. 'Well Rogar and Avantara might be enough anyway' he thought to himself.

He got up from his table and went over to a door to the basement, after a bit he came back with some parchment and sat at a secluded table in the back of the tavern.

There he started writing.......

Moonshadow came over and glanced at what he was doing.

"Magic?" she Asked "In case you didnt hear that may not help."

Verran just kept writing.

Moonshadow leaned closer and took a look at the scroll, it was compleatly illegable to her, even with her extesive knoledge of spells.

'Well let him be stupid then' she thought to herself 'he cant help much anyway'

Verran concentrated and then the writing began to glow blue. Apperently he had drained allot of mana into it, he then reached somewhere inside his cloak and withdrew a deep blue glowing liquid and took a small gulp of it, then started another.

He finished and got up, looking out of the collapsed roof he saw that the moon was in the center o the sky.

"Good, Avantara should get back soon." he mumbled to himself "I wonder what hes doing."

Verran then walked over to Rogar and gave him one of the three scrolls he had made, whispered something in his ear and sat back down.

*I will give another scroll to Avantara when he comes but Im not sure if I should reveil the purpose becouse then Magpie would know*

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Ok so I cant think of a good signature.

The real Magpie (the one not possesed) woke up. He was standing in the midst of an army of undead. Magpie fingered the plain gold circle around his finger. He longed to remove it but couldn't. Try as he might he could not bring himself to take of the Ring. He looked closley at the Ring. On the outside was ingrved, in some mythical runic writing:
"Nectas, Slave of Magpie"
Who or what was Nectas? And who was this Magpie? And who am I?
"My name isn't Nectas or Magpie. My name is...is....... Valkier" he said to himself, still unsure of what was going on. He felt something in his hand something cold and hard.
No he was mistaken. It wasn't cold it was burning a white hot, white but tinged with evil. With darkness. He held it up to his face. A voice spoke then
"Valkier" Valkier/Magpie shifted uneasily. "I see you have returned from the power of the Ring. Well done that couldn't have been easy. However this will not do" Valkier/Magpie winced as the Ring became a burning circlet of fire around his finger. The Palamert grew cold again and The slave of Magpie returned.
"Attack the city"
At this the huge army plunged into cademia smashing and crumpling the puny batllements. The war had began.

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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?

*Would you believe it? My browser crashed when I was almost finished this chapter, the first time round. That'll teach me to compose on the fly; from now on I'll use a text editor first! Anyway, with Magpie attacking, I've got to rush a few things through - so here goes. *

Trinias had been thinking. Something in what he'd been told of the Voice's message had struck a deep chord of lost memory, and he'd been trying to bring it to the surface.

"Flynn, do you remember what the Seldane used to call themselves? Something like 'the Heart of the Earth', wasn't it?"

"Of course!" Flynn enthused. "You've got it!"

Flynn turned to the group at large. "Excuse me, where can we find the Seldane?" he asked.

"The Seldane?" replied Ferazel in surprise, "I think you'll find their city under Landking Hall."

"We need to be able to get there and back, fast," Wolmark said, thinking quickly. "Can you teach me that teleport spell, and then send us there?"

"Well... all right."

Wolmark was a quick study, and soon had the spell memorised.

"Right," said Wolmark, satisfied; "now we just need to wait for -"

Just then, everyone heard the sound of the warning trumpets, followed quickly by the clamour of full scale war.

"We can't leave now -" Flynn began to shout.

"You must!" Moonshadow interrupted. "You have to complete your quest! I only hope you find the rest of your friends, on the outside!"

"I can't spare the power to send you all the way there," Ferazel said, "I'll need all too much here, soon enough. I'll do what I can!"

Ferazel opened a portal and, one by one, the Ronin leaped through; then only Flynn was left.

Moonshadow grasped his arm. "Hurry back," she said; "or there may be all too few of us left when you return." She gave him a gentle shove him toward the portal, and turned back to the others.

Flynn stepped through the glowing circle.

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At first, Flynn thought that Ferazel had made a mistake and sent them into the heart of the battle; but as he quickly grew accustomed to his surroundings, he saw that they were in the middle of a forest, on a well-travelled path.

The sounds of battle he could hear were coming from a skirmish ahead of them; a single warrior - a woman, with long black hair, wearing armour much like his own, with a shield on her left arm, and wielding a sword that could have been the Ruby Fang's twin, except that it glowed blue - was beset by no less than eight bandits.

Three bandits were down and unmoving, before one of the remaining five slipped past the woman's guard and struck a mortal blow.

"Sasha! No!" Flynn screamed, amid similar despairing cries from the rest of the Ronin.

That was the first the bandits knew of their presence; they looked up in surprise.

"Five of 'em, only one in armour; easy pickin's," the bandit chief thought to himself; "besides, there's the giant." He looked back into the forest and gave a peculiar whistle, before turning back to the Ronin and saying "So, ya wanna take us on, do ya?"

The bandits grinned to each other as they heard the sound of something crashing through the undergrowth; suddenly, before the Ronin had recovered from the shock of Sasha's fate, a giant figure burst onto the track and, with a roar, rushed straight at Flynn.

He was huge, standing at least 8 1/2 feet tall, and large for his height. The hulking giant caught Flynn up in a crushing bear hug.

"Ulf! put me down, before you break something!" Flynn gasped out, before anyone could react. The giant gently put him down, then stood there looking sheepish.

Flynn gulped a couple of deep breaths, then suddenly remembered the bandits; in an instant, the red sword flashed out in an arc of crimson flame - and the bandit leader's head went bouncing along the path.

At that, the bandits broke and ran. Wolmark pointed one arm at the fleeing bandits; there was a sound like a small explosion, and a projectile struck one of the bandits down. Wolmark beat out the flames burning through the sleeve of his tunic. "Blast", he thought, "that gadget needs some work."

Trinias drew his bow - which could now be seen to glow in an ever changing pattern of colours, like a fluid opal - and loosed off a swift barrage of arrows; as each arrow left the string, it burst into incandescent flame. Trinias was a good shot, and every arrow sped true; no man struck by one of those shafts would ever move again.

One bandit, shrieking in terror, ran in the opposite direction past the Ronin; Kwon calmly stepped into his path and slammed him to the ground, where he and Wolmark held him.

Leandra ran forward to Sasha's body. "Look at this!" she exclaimed in amazement.

Trinias held the captive under the threat of his bow; the others gathered around Sasha, and were just as amazed as Leandra on seeing that the ugly wound in her side was rapidly healing, before their very eyes.

"Must be one of those 'other effects' the Voice mentioned," said Wolmark in a subdued tone. "Still, we don't have time to wait; Leandra, you'd better use the magic that Lindus taught you."

Flynn walked over to the captive, with Ulf tagging along.

"Why'd ya turn on us, ya big dumb ox?" the bandit spat at Ulf.

Flynn glanced up at Ulf; Ulf looked confused, then smiled and said: "Flynn Ulf's friend; Ulf help Flynn."

"I don't expect you to understand this," Flynn said to the captive, "but we've been friends since before you were born. We don't have time to waste with you just now, and we don't kill in cold blood; so you're free to leave."

The bandit looked uncertainly at the bow Trinias was still pointing at him; Trinias motioned up the path - that was all the encouragement the bandit needed; he scrambled up and ran back down the trail.

"I'm glad to see you, my friends, and thank you," Sasha said as they rejoined the group. "Leandra and Wolmark have told me of recent events; we have no more time to waste."

The Ronin, now seven, resumed their journey North through the forest, toward Landking Hall and the city of the Seldane.

----------------------------------------------------

Back in Cademia, things weren't going well. Without the support of offensive magic, the warriors of Cythera were finding the battle hard going. They'd taken a greater toll on the enemy than the enemy had on them, but the sheer weight of numbers was threatening to overwhelm them. The healers were doing their best to keep up, but their supply of mana and potions was beginning to run low.

"We need more help, and we need it quickly!" Moonshadow sighed to herself. "Oh, where are Avatara and the Ronin?"

At that very moment, a portal rent the air not far from her; the Ronin rushed through, along with two new figures she'd not seen before. They looked around, taking in the situation and prepared, each in their own way, to fight.

Flynn drew his swords - "Swords?" Moonshadow thought; "where'd he get that one?" The Ruby Fang she already knew; the other sword glowed with a white radiance of the utmost purity.

Trinias, Leandra and Wolmark climbed up onto roofs and battlements where they could get the best view of the battle below. Leandra and Wolmark began casting healing spells, wherever they could see the need. Trinias began raining arrows down on the Undead. His first few arrows were each charged with different magic - one fire, one ice, and so on - until his eagle-eyes showed him they were having no effect; ordinary arrows did some damage, but he quickly discovered that he could be most effective by shooting at their weapons - an undead warrior with a broken sword is a far less potent threat than it would otherwise have been.

Flynn and Sasha pushed their way to the front line, and began to wreak havoc among their foes. Ulf went wherever Flynn did, to keep the pesky skeletons off his back; when Ulf brought his fist down on a skull, there wasn't much left but dust. Kwon did the same for Sasha; he seemed to have a never-ending supply of shuriken and other throwing weapons, and he could hurl them with uncanny accuracy; in his own fashion, he took care of more foes than Ulf did.

Sasha drove straight on into the ranks of the enemy, sapphire sword flashing; it's magic had little effect, but it was nevertheless a worthy weapon; and Sasha was a master. No enemy, once struck, continued to fight; and no attack, however strong, ever got past her defenses. The shield she wore wasn't the same one she'd used against the bandits; this one glowed a pale gold, and showed no sign of damage, regardless of the strength of the attacks it fended off.

Flynn seemed to be everywhere; his swords were moving so fast that they seemed to be crimson and white streamers. Like Sasha's sapphire blade, the Ruby Fang's magic had no real effect; but Flynn was almost as much a master as She, and he weilded it with telling effect. Yet it was his other weapon that caused the undead to falter, and draw back; every undead creature that that blade even touched, crumbled to dust. For this was the Sword of Truth, forged by the ancients, imbued with their deep power; against that blade no lie, nothing born of lies, nothing untrue to its own nature could stand; and undead are not truly alive.

Moonshadow climbed up beside Leandra and gazed out over the battlefield. She saw the effect the Ronin had on the enemy; she watched them slowly tire, and looked out over uncountable hordes of undead still pouring into the fray.

"It's not enough!" she said, almost in despair.

Leandra stopped, and looked out, sensing the same thing that Moonshadow was feeling. A look of sadness passed over her face, only to be wiped away as a sudden thought struck her.

"Lost magic! That's it!"

Leandra raised her arms in the air and closed her eyes in concentration. Moonshadow looked outward in amazement, as the earth began to tremble; many of the warriors on both sides were knocked to the ground, as a gigantic chasm opened up beneath the ranks of the undead. About 5,000 of the enemy fell into the pit, before Leandra grew too weak to maintain her hold and allowed the chasm to close - crushing those trapped within.

"It worked!" she cried exultantly, and promptly fainted dead away.

Moonshadow surveyed the battlefield again. Leandra had helped, but it still wasn't nearly enough. "There must be some way to beat them!"

Some distance away, on another battlement, Wolmark was reaching the same conclusions. He was a tinkerer, a deep thinker, and he weighed a vast amount of facts and information in a very short time; he reached a decision.

Climbing down from the battlements, he carefully made his way to the point to which Flynn was drawing back, to catch his breath. When Flynn and Ulf arrived, Wolmark had a quick word in Flynn's ear. Flynn listened, nodded; the three made their way back inside the fortifications. They stopped and spoke to Trinias, who joined them; then Wolmark opened a portal, and the four disappeared.

*Um, I could finish this whole war right now, but that'd be no fun. I've got some ideas though, so please don't bring it to a conclusion too quickly *

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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 09-20-2001).]

The army of dead had taken some damage but it wasent enough and without Flynn the soldiers werent doing well.

Then the army broke through a gate of the city and they were getting inside!

"Darn!" said Slayer "This is not good." and with that he charged at some of the undead nearest him.

Elswhere....

Verran looked to his left, Rogar was around 100 yards away and another 100 away was Katze. They both gave the signal that they were ready and Verran signalled back.

"No lets see how the undead like the water." thought Verran.

The three broke their cover at 100 yard intervals along the armys flank and each removed their scrolls.......

Soon a wind began to blow, Magpie saw the three and laughed.

"Fools no matter how powerfull the spell my army will be unefected!"

But the spell did not gain its usuall magical energy but instead the wind got sronger, and stronger. Suddenly it had an amazing boost of power and entier legions of undead were hurled into the near sea and into oblivion!

Their work done the three teleported to the city.

With no support behind them the valiant warriors soon eradicated the undead already inside the city.

Verran was quite pleased, however this was short lived as there were still amazing amounts of undead left, although it gave the healers a 2 minute break before the closed the gap again.

After thanking Rogar and Katze Verran went to the Tavern to pick up his sword.

*Sorry for hijacking the characters and now I guess I will join the fray *

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Ok so I cant think of a good signature.

[This message has been edited by Avatara (edited 09-20-2001).]

Sasha and Kwon had seen the enemy breech the city gates, and had slowly fought their way back inside; after they'd finished helping clean out the stragglers left behind by the wind, they collected some food and water, and found a spot to rest.

Slayer and Moonshadow walked over, and Kwon introduced them to Sasha.

"That's an interesting shield you have," said Slayer.

"It's called the 'Shield of the Bold'," Sasha replied. "It has some - interesting properties. It was given to me on our quest, as was Flynn's new sword and - other things."

At that Sasha looked around, and asked: "Where is Flynn, and the others? I lost track of them in the battle."

Moonshadow explained how the four had left, and Sasha frowned in concentration, then smiled broadly. "Wolmark has a plan!"

"Leandra's being tended to by the healers," Moonshadow continued. "After she opened the chasm, she collapsed." Moonshadow looked curious; "The healers can't make it out; they say it almost killed her, but her mana is still strong. What kind of magic does that?"

Kwon, unnoticed, raised one eyebrow

Sasha just shook her head in wonder; "Leandra did that!?"

After a few moments, Kwon spoke up. "The enemy are almost upon us once more; it is time to prepare." He began scouring the ground, looking for sundry pieces of weaponry or debris that could be efficiently thrown.

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Two wrongs are just the beginning.

Quote

(I suppose now would be a bad time to point out that there isn't an 'n' in my name, and its not just you Verran. )

Ferazel turned, suddenly startled at a sound behind him.

"Hi Ferazel, my mission was a success." Avatara replied smiling, and pointing a little behind him. Three half-invisible warriors stood behind him. "Don't underestimate their power."

"Avatara! Just in time too! The city is under attack and at this rate we'll lose!" Ferazel burst out.

Avatara took a quick survey of the battle scene. Pointing at something off to the west, Avatara spoke "I'm thinking Magpie would be standing on that hill over there. The clearing in the forest, its a perfect place to witness the battle. Now, I've got a plan and I'm going to need your help..."

Avatara and Ferazel vanished with the three dark elves into the night.

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

Alone on his hilltop, Magpie surveyed the carnage below, completely unaware of the forces converging on him from two totally unexpected directions.

Buried deep within Magpie's mind, Valkier felt a subtle and indeterminable change in the course of events; with all the strength and will that was left to him he supressed this feeling, hoping against hope that Magpie couldn't force it from him...

*OoC*
Hope this isn't too far from what you'd planned for your character, Magpie; just wanted to emphasise that there are two plans in motion, and Avatara and I might need to co-ordinate our ideas a bit.
*BiC*
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Damned if you do, and damned if you don't; can anybody cache a damned cheque?

[This message has been edited by cache22 (edited 09-20-2001).]

Magpie turned, sensing danger near. Shinikath stepped out, his two dark elven brethren also appearing from the woods, forming a triangle around Magpie.

"So, this is the person causing all that trouble. I admire your plan, but I have a promise to keep. Your time has come, now you will see why the Dark Elves are greatly feared!" Shinikath laughed.

Magpie repressed a smile, this should be easy enough for him. All three attacked at once, Magpie unleased one of his spells and and one elf fell to the ground. Spinning, Magpie flashed the elf's sword, in a desperate attempt to fend off Shinikath. With another quick incantaction, Magpie blew a hole in Shinikath's chest, who looked down at it in wonder and amazement while Magpie impaled the sword in the remaining dark elf.

"That was simply...too easy." Magpie smiled, the battle being over in a manner of seconds.

"Perhaps I can add some challenge." Avatara stepped forward from the forest.

"And maybe this time we'll be much harder of a challenge." Magpie whirled to see Shinikath smiling, his two brethren already flanking Magpie.

"But...you died. I just killed you!" Magpie guestered to the bodies on the ground.

Ferazel now stepped out of the trees, forming a pentagon of warriors around Magpie. With a smile and a wave of his hand, the three bodies vanished in a puff of smoke. "Like my halluciations spell?" Ferazel asked.

Magpie gritted his teeth, and picked up a sword from the ground, holding it as if he wanted to fight. With a false thrust at Avatara, Magpie turned and fled thinking of his next move...

******

Avatara didn't immediately follow, neither did any of the others. The bait had been so masterfully crafted, that Magpie himself was running into a trap, and he didn't know it. If all went well, Slayer, Moonshadow, and Rogan would be waiting for Magpie...and he wouldn't know what was coming. On top of that, four of the Ronin were loose...

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

Back in Cademia, Sasha and Kwon had rejoined the battle. No longer fresh, Sasha could feel herself tiring rapidly; the weight of her shield and sword were starting to become too much.

"I hope somebody ends this soon," she thought to herself. "Before much longer, I'm going to start making mistakes."

As if in answer to prophecy, she missed the proper deflection angle for an incoming blow; her opponent's weapon slid off her badly positioned shield and nicked her shoulder.

"Could have been worse," she thought, as the small cut rapidly healed. She turned the Sapphire Fang on the foolish wight who'd been so bold as to cause her harm (however minor), and dispatched it with a single, clean stroke.

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Two wrongs are just the beginning.

*actually Avatara I think you could have mentioned it sooner I really need to ork on my spelling but man to get somebody's name wrong. What an embarisment*

Verran walked out of the Tavern, Noticing a seveir lack of heroes and the closeness of the army, he did'nt like what he saw.

"Man its just me J.Ace 2 ronin Katze and Rogar" he thought "And nobody here knows how to command a defence!"

Just then Talos walked out of the bar and seeing the situation started ralling the troops to proper positions.

*I know Talos is'nt the greatest commander in the world but of all the people here I guess he is the best*

Then the wall of Undead fell apon them in redoubled force, Warriors were biggining to fall and no healers were doing too well on Mana. Just then the warrior closest him fell wounded to the ground. Not really thinking Verran Charged into the fray to help, he loosed a lightning bolt at the nearest undead.

"Great that was stupid" he thought to himself.

Little did he know that the flash of light had saved his life as the skeleton behind him was distracted for a second and Verran trned around and gave him a swift slash with hs sward.

Remembering to activate his sheild this time he ran to the fallen Warrior and began to drag him away, at this he did not do too well as he wasent that strong. Just then he remembered he could teleport and in an istant he and the warrior were inside the Tavern, Casting his healing spell he helped the Warrior up.

The warrior thanked him and such and then ran off again to join the frey. Verran surveyed th scene.

"Darn!" he said "Their breaking through."

It was no understatement the were butchering the Warriors and breaking the line, already half the warriors had already fallen, any healer attempting to help was killed.

"Man I hope they get Magpie soon!" Verran muttered to himself as he climed on to the taverns non existand roof. Then his keen eyes made out the figure of magpie running away into the forest. In a quick wave of his hand he sent an over juced lighning bolt his way.

The lightning bolt struck Magpie just as he saw Slayer, he may have ran or deflected the spell but he was to surprised at another hero, the bolt hit him in the sholder and he almost fell to the ground but held himself thinking of what to do next.

*This is in case you wanted it to be an ambush scenario Avatara*

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Ok so I cant think of a good signature.

[This message has been edited by Verran (edited 09-21-2001).]

As Verran gazed about the scene below him, he noticed Leandra totter unsteadily out of the hall being used as a medical centre. She sat down on a box, put one hand to her head, and shook her head as if trying to clear it.

Verran climbed down from the tavern roof, dug out a phial and hurried over.

"Here, drink this," ha said.

"Thankyou, that helped a lot," Leandra said, after gulping down the potion. She blinked her eyes wide, and looked around. "All's not going well, I take it?"

"Not by a long shot!" Verran replied, with considerable depth of feeling.

"I think I can help a bit," Leandra said. "I didn't know the power I was dealing with before; I'll do better this time." She looked around, and saw three gates had been forced by the undead army. Choosing the gate at which the warriors were being hardest pressed, she said: "Call the men back from that gate; don't worry if a few bonebags get through."

Verran looked uncertain, but gave the call; the men pulled back, and undead began to stream through the now undefended gateway. "This was a really bad idea," Verran thought.

Leandra raised her hands toward the gateway, and squinted in concentration.

At first, Verran didn't notice anything happening, but then he felt a slight tremor in the ground. Then, before his eyes, a great tree began to grow in the centre of the gateway, growing so fast that there wasn't even time for it to be trampled under the feet of the undead army. It grew so large that it effectively blocked the entire gate before Leandra stopped.

The men who'd been called back from that gate quickly set about the task of wiping out the few skeletons that had managed to get inside, while Leandra and Verran turned their attention to the next gate...

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He who laughs last, thinks slowest.

Magpie had avoided the lightning bolt but he wouldn't by so lucky next time. He was worried. His maasters plan wasn't working. Suddenly Slayer jumped out fo the fray and unto Magpie slicing his head off wiht one powerful blow! The dead carcass fell to the ground and a shrieking spirit rose from the body and sped off over the feild never to be seen again.
Slayer stoud triumphantly over Magpies body
"I have slain Magpie! Our foe is leaderless, attack now while they are weak!" hey cried.
The defenders were inspired. They attacked with a ferousity never before seen crushing skeleton after skeleton, hewing them down like weeds.
--------
As the battle force run forward Lurga, a simple guard from Odemia tripped voer the body of Magpie. As he hoped up a glint of gold cauhgt his eye. Bending dwon to investigate he found it was a plain gold ring. "what a find!" he though to himself slipping the ring over his finger. There was a blinding flash of white. White but tinged with darkness, tinged with evil.
Magpie arose anew from the battle feild, gleaming the same corrupted white as his predecssor. Magpie stared down at Valkiers dead body wiht disgust. "You were weak. Not I" he spat and hold the buring Palamert up to his face.
The Voice spoke cold and brutal into his mind "Welcome Nectas"
On the other side of the battle feild an uncountable number of skeletons arose from the ground. Several pillars of buring fire errupted from the sky burning and shriveling all those that were touched. Out of these burning colums crawled at least four hundred amoured, clawed, fanged bears. The bears let out a tremendous battle cry.
Nectas grinned.
Magpie, in his dark throne grinned. They would soon die.

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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?

The four Ronin had been watching, awaiting the chance to spring their surprise, and saw Slayer advancing toward Magpie.

Suddenly: "Mustn't kill!" Ulf exclaimed; this was something of a shock to the others, since the only statement Ulf had ever been known to make with such certainty, was "Flynn Ulf's friend!"

"What do you meen, Ulf?" Flynn queried.

Ulf held out a glowing amber jewel, fastened around his neck on a golden chain. "Am- amyu- stone tells me: that one friend; but not friend. Is very confusing."

The Ronin watched uncertainly as the lightning bolt struck, then in horror as Slayer rose up and slew the one known as Magpie. Seeing the undead army weaken at the death of its master they still they couldn't decide what to do, and kept watching.

They alone saw the guard stoop and take the ring; they saw the flash of light as he put it on, and the sudden appearance of the new and deadlier foes.

"He's more dangerous to us dead, than alive," Flynn commented.

Wolmark nodded; it was time to act. He drew from within his robe a short, ebony staff, topped with a pale blue orb. Holding it high, he began to speak in a low voice; yet the words seemed to penetrate into every nook and cranny of Cythera; quietly as they were spoken, no noise was loud enough to drown them out; every man, woman, child, beast and demon heard him speak.

By the power of the ancient ones,
let what was done,
be undone.

The orb began to glow, until the pale blue light touched the whole island; and then it faded away...

------------------------------------------------

Magpie had avoided the lightning bolt but he wouldn't be so lucky next time. He was worried. His master's plan wasn't working. Suddenly Slayer jumped out -

Slayer stopped dead in his tracks, both surprised and shocked, as what he'd thought was a boulder rose up before him. Trinias opened his cloak and threw back his hood, holding out an open hand toward Slayer.

"He'll only be more trouble to us if he's dead!" he shouted, not really hoping to convince Slayer, but needing only to buy some time.

Magpie, not about to look a gift 'rock' in its igneous face, sprinted away in another direction. He hadn't gotten far when Flynn, swinging down on a rope, collided with him and drove him to the ground.

"Swinging down on a rope?" Slayer asked himself in surprise. He looked up to see what, in an open clearing, a rope could be attached to and saw, hovering in the sky - a giant sausage. At least, that's what it looked like to him; it was something totally outside his experience.

As Ulf climbed down a rope ladder, Wolmark leaned out over the rim of the basket secured beneath the sausage, and yelled down to Slayer: "How do you like my Zeppelin?"

Slayer could only shake his head in amazement.

As the Zeppelin was being securely anchored and Wolmark climbed down, others came running up, and a group began to gather around the fallen Magpie: Avatara and his dark elf friends, Slayer, Moonshadow, Rogan, and the four Ronin.

Flynn drew his white glowing sword. "Now," he said, "let's get to the truth of the matter."

He extended the sword util the tip just touched Magpie's neck - then a strange thing happened. Magpie began to shimmer and waver, as if there were two Magpies, sharing the same space; then one of them, a ghostly image, began to grow in size until it towered over the group. The image didn't look like Magpie, it didn't look like anyone any of the heroes knew - except the Ronin.

"Boralis!" Flynn breathed.

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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 09-21-2001).]

Katze stared over the battlefield in an attempt to make out their situation. Nothing seemed to work as it should. Then something caught her eye. Magpie laying on the ground by a group of her friends... and the ghostly image. It still grew in size, a ghostly apparition towered over the battle. She didn't notice the sounds of the battle subside as everyone, no matter wether undead or alive, turned their eyes towards it, hypnotized by its appearance. It struck a chord deep within her, but she could not place the feeling. She was sure that, somewhere, sometime... She just stood, staring...
***
Moonshadow stared at the apparition, transfixed... with an effort, she managed to shake the feeling off, and looked around. The others were staring at the apparition, as if hypnotized. Unknowingly, she turned her eyes back towards it, too. Boralis... Boralis... had she not heard the name somewhere? Oh, damn! She frowned, turning towards Flynn. "Who is he?"
No response.
"Flynn?"
"I don't think they hear you..." Avatara remarked.
"Yes, all of those humans seem frozen..." one of the dark elves agreed. "It must have something to do with him..." he nodded in the direction of Boralis.
"So... why are we not?" Moonshadow inquired.
The four of them stared at her. Then Shinikath spoke up. "Must be because we're elves." He hesitated. "Tiny humans... what will we do now?"
"I -"
At that moment, they heard footsteps approaching them. The turned around quickly, weaons drawn and spells ready, when they saw it was Verran. He came to a standstill in front of them. "The battle... stopped..." he breathed heavily. "Everyone's... hypnotized... they all... seem afraid..." he stopped to catch his breath. "Afraid of this..." he looked at Boralis, and his eyes widened, as his vooice trailed off.
Moonshadow quickly stepped in front of him, shaking him. "Look at me!" she commanded.
Verran did. "It almost caught me there... thanks."
"So what will we do?" Avatara repeated impatiently.
Verran shook his head. "I don't think there's anything we can do... I tried. they don't react, neither the undead nor the living. I fear we have to wait and see what this ghost wants..."
***
The Ronin stared at Boralis, as the apparition started to speak to them...

*We are in a battle with undead, and it turns out to be a lot bigger than I expected... maybe you should read at least the last pages of the 3. Tavern... anyways, help is appreciated and needed... I would use other charaters, but I kinda lost overview where everyone is *

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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 Moonshadow (edited 09-23-2001).]

* Ok, let's see what I can do with that *

"Ah, we meet again," the apparition addressed the four Ronin, totally ignoring the others present. "I see you've broken the enchantment that banished you; that is good. This is well met. Really, most opportune; I have been seeking a new host, a new proxy; and here you've provided me with just the thing. I shall enjoy enslaving you, Flynn. To think; I will take from you, what you and your little band once took from me: the freedom to go where you wish, and do as you will."

The ghostly image let out a long and evil laugh.

The six still unaffected by the mass paralysis looked at each other in uncertainty. While they could understand the words the image spoke, they were completely unable to fathom the context; the only fact they could glean was that the Ronin and this 'Boralis' had a history that must have dated back to their first appearance in Cythera.

From back down the hill toward Cademia, there came a noise like someone stumbling, followed by a womans voice muttering some very unladylike things. Looking downhill, they saw Sasha struggling carefully up towards them - carefully, because she was holding her shield before her face, and couldn't see anything that wasn't directly in front of her.

Moonshadow frowned, then her face cleared. "The Shield of the Bold; it must deflect magic."

Sasha reached the group just as the apparition resumed speaking.

"Now Flynn, bend down towards Valkier."

Flynn slowly began to do as the image instructed; he clearly had no ability to resist. Valkier, equally powerless, extended his left hand towards Flynn.

"What's going on!?" Sasha demanded, unable to see for herself; no-one quite knew what to tell her.

--------------------------------

Hidden inside Ulf's tunic, the Friendsooth Amulet began to glow; deep within his simple mind, a thought began to form. Slowly, it took on substance; building and building, until it began to force all other thoughts out of his head. Ultimately, one thought filled his entire mind: "Flynn is in trouble!"

Boralis' hold was broken; in a sudden flash of memory, Ulf saw an event that had no longer happened: the Odemian guard stooping to pick up a shiny golden object.

--------------------------------

"The ring! It's the ring!" Ulf shouted.

Sasha, hearing his cry, lowered her shield so she could see where to strike - and instantly froze, as she fell easy prey to the hypnotic spell.

But Sasha wasn't the only person present who was armed.

Avatara's sword swept out, and Valkier's severed hand fell to the ground; in that same instant, the apparition vanished.

Those that had been under Boralis' spell, living and undead alike, began to stir, and look around in confusion. In a few places, skirmishes broke out; but for the most part, the undead simply began to walk away into the hills. There was no real thought of persuit - everyone had seen more than their fair share of fighting that day. There would be another time, another place, when they'd regained their strength. For today, the war was over.

--------------------------------

"Don't touch the hand," cautioned Avatara. "We don't know the properties of that ring; it'll need careful study."

Moonshadow nodded, and lifted the severed hand with a telekinetic spell; one of the dark elves found a leather bag that had been discarded on the battlefield, and Moonshadow wafted the hand inside.

Verran approached to the man he thought of as Magpie, who was moaning on the ground holding the stump of his left hand. Verran used what little mana he had left to heal him as much as he could. "Come on, lets get you to someone who can fix you up," he said as he led the man toward Cademia.

--------------------------------

Later, many veterans of the short but bloody war were crowded into the Alraeican Tavern, which Talos had once again restored to its former (somewhat) solid condition.

Teams of woodsmen, led by Trinias, had obligingly removed Leandra's great trees from two of the city gates, but the town council had decided to let the third remain, as a monument. Some of the lumber had found its way into the reconstructed Tavern, where it was noticed that the wood glowed luminously - presumably due to the magical way the trees had been grown. Many patrons claimed that the resultant strange lighting effects gave them headaches.

Off to one side of the room, the Ronin and several other notable heroes were seated around a long table; a very pale Valkier was admiring his new left hand, and Avatara was conducting a minor council of war.

"We still don't know much about this 'Boralis' character," he said, "other than the fact that he's had past dealings with the Ronin, and for some reason is holding a grudge."

Flynn winced at that; he knew no-one there was blaming them, but he still felt a little resposible for the whole thing. Besides, his head was beginning to ache.

Avatara continued. "We've no way to trace him, unless the ring gives us a clue; some of the best researchers and historians at Pnyx and the Ancient Library are working on that. For now, I think that's all we can do."

"Sooner or later, we're going to have to find him," said Trinias, after a long pause.

"And fight him," returned Sasha. "And we're going to have to win."

Flynn was silent; he was thinking about the still missing tomes on curses...

--------------------------------

* And I think that's it. Long may the Tavern continue! Talos, another round of drinks, if you please! *

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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.

A couple of days after the small band of heroes had departed on Ferazel's new quest, a portal suddenly opened in the middle of a formerly disused barracks. The city council had assigned this building to the Ronin for as long as they needed it, in appreciation for the part they played in ending the War of the Undead. Wolmark and Trinias stepped out into the room, supporting Leandra between them.

After the exhausted girl had been put to bed, Trinias turned to Wolmark and said "Not much more we can do here but let her sleep; want to go down to the tavern?"

"Sure," Wolmark replied. "I'll just leave Leandra a note, and one of us can pop back here occasionally to check on her."

-------------------------------------

The two friends walked up to the bar, and ordered a round of drinks from the peculiar, transparent blue frog (who seemed to be running the place in Talos' absense). Looking around, Trinias spied Katze sitting at a table, playing solitaire. "That seems a bit tame for you, Katze," he quipped.

"I couldn't find anyone who'd play poker with me," Katze replied. "Care to try a hand?"

"Poker? What's that?" Wolmark queried. Katze grinned mischievously. The two men sat down, and she started explaining the rules.

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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 09-25-2001).]

Theo stares around the room and sees Rogan doing the same.

HOLY $H!T, Rogan has 12 carma points!!!

Theo watches his small hope of catching up to Rogan dash against the wall of the Tavern. To roughly quote~ I feel small. So very insignificant.
*Sigh*

Theo starts talking to an old man who has been sitting in the corner of the bar since the bar was raised (no pun intended). The old man seems to wisper something about "daggers" and "ruffian attacks".

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I am no one, and I am everyone. But most importantly, I am
The One And Only:
~Theo Nean Donly~

Quote

Trinias, getting tired of being beaten at poker by Katze (and finding himself suddenly short on oboloi), pricks up his ears to catch the conversation.

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On the other hand, you have different fingers.