Eragon, Where Dragons dare

[The Tygre]

Elric
"I hope they serve me well." Elric braces himself for whatever sorcery the wizard intends. And he can't help but think that perhaps he should procure his own transportation. And dragons are exceedingly populous and strong on this world...

Dilvish
Dilvish whispers to black, hoping no one notices, "What should we do?" The iron horse softly breathes out, "These folk seem on edge, but not dangerous. Yet."
"I wonder what troubles them?"
"I could not say. I can sense nothing unusual about us. But we need to focus on the matter at hand."
"Right. Jelarak's trail has gone cold here. We could either search it out or look for some error we made on the road."
"I believe we are as much captives now as guests. It would be wise to stay put."
"Perhaps I can find out what puts these folk at ill-ease. Do you mind staying in their stables tonight?"
"Oh, but of course. You get the nice warm bed, I'll sleep in the muck with gods know what."
"It's a deal then."

[darkblade]

Artemis ((Reposted))

Artemis shakes his head as be begins to bandage his wound. "I have never heard of such things."

Leonidas

The morning comes and the Spartans begin to move out but not towards the city like the Elves. No they move to the forest to get around to other side of the city with the likely less guarded entrance.

***

Black Knight

"Where is the armoury then?" Again, impossible to tell if this was planned or a simple inconvenient coincidence.

[Cracklord]

Lina Inverse
The figure gives of an inhuman scream, of rage and pain as you run. But you've barely got ten steps when a wall of searing hot fire erupts in front of you, blocking the street and seriously injuring a few passersby who hadn't already run off.

Black Knight
"Two floors up." He replies, pointing vaguely overhead.

Dilvish/Bilbo
The man leads you in, taking Black's bridle. The great hall was a huge, vaunted chamber with a great fire in the center where whole logs blazed and crackled. The stone walls where bare, and torches flared and smoked in iron rings set in stone. At the end of the hall sat seven thrones, three occupied, one by an enormous man in red leather, one by a senile looking dwarf, and one by a warrior in his prime. Talking to them is the shortest man you've ever seen, and there are perhaps forty warriors in the room.

Elric
The mage closes his eyes, and begins a whispering incantation. Their was no rush of wind, sense of vertigo or feeling of movement, simply one second you were standing in the midst of a forrest, the next you were looking up at the citadel of Urû'baen.
Urû'baen was built on the ruins of an Elven city, and it’s sheer cliffs had made it a natural fortress for the first ragged hunters who stumbled across it, and their ancestors had dwelled their ever since, using the nearby river to conduct trade, and the valuable farmland around it to become rich.
The citadel towered above Urû'baen, like a great lance thrust up to scrape against the sky by a titan in the world’s creation. Made of black stone in ages past before the time of men, or even elves, it dominated the landscape for miles around, atop the cities great cliffs so that it could be seen on the Horizon from as far as The Spine.
It had been the seat of the kings of humanity since they first settled in Alagaësia. It had always been dark, Made of dark granite, but once the kings had tried to disguise this fact, hanging colorful pendants and banners, and growing flower gardens around the walls. Once. But Galbatorix didn’t see the need. Power wasn’t something you had to flaunt, honor and justice weren’t won with pretty flags, and beauty was relative. To him, the austere walls and Spartan, functionality of the place was far more beautiful then what the other kings had done. And who would argue with him?
If the structures rulers occupy reflect their regard for the ruled, then the fortress spoke volumes. It’s entryways were heavily guarded, and it’s gates were locked with heavy iron portcullises. Lookouts were stationed on it’s towers, and it was garrisoned extensively. It appeared a dark, grim place, every inch harder then the cliffs it was built on.
Beneath the citadel was a maze of passageways and tunnels, underground caverns and rooms that had never seen the sun, the work of thousands of years of excavating the stone bedrock. They stretched beneath the entire city, and perhaps one could walk among them forever, never again finding the way to the surface.

Lord Soth
Nuasda, coming to a decision, has lost all traces of uncertainty. "Well, assuming you are not all talk, I suspect that honor is yours." She replies, getting to her feet and walking out of the room.

Leonidas
You make your way around, but your hope was in vain. While the garrison seems rather smaller on this side, it is still well manned. The wall seem to mock you, both your lack of siege equipment, and your lack of numbers. Even the best warrior can be taken down by a lucky shot from an amateur, and from what you've seen of these imperial troops, not all are amateurs.
Then one of your soldiers, Dilios, points out a steel grate beneath the walls. A sewer. And, if your careful, a way in.

Bilbo
The main door clangs open, and a tall, thin elf with pale skin and black armor strides in. Many of the men have their swords out in a heartbeat.

[doliest]

Lord Soth
"I never bluff." Soth remarks as she leaves. Under most circumstances, he'd follow her, to protect her from anything that might dare attack her, but he must ready Dargaard Keep, and so he must find the men here to rally against this 'King.' He sets out to find the boy he had fought ealier; he would likely know the location of the Barracks.
Bilbo
"Greetings, friend! Welcome to the only sane force left in the area, I'm Bilbo, by the way, Bilbo Baggins." An elf? Considering what he'd been told, it was amazing the man was allowed into the hall.

[darkblade]

Leonidas

((Dilios had been my narrator for these posts as he was in the comic/movie))

I had spotted an alternative entrance. A sewer grate. I alerted the King to this and he ordered me and one of my Brother Spartans to pry it open while the other shield us from on coming arrows.

***

Black Knight

"Thank you." Percy nods to the child and heads for the nearest staircase so he could reach the armoury, careful to avoid any guards this time. No doubt Eragon had alerted them to his intentions by this point.

[Cracklord]

(Doliest, I'm going to let everyone else catch up a bit before I take you further, if you don't mind))

Black Knight
The Armory is easy to find, as the only room guarded. Four more of those beasts stand outside the door, grunting to each other softly.

SPARTAAAAA!!!!!
You manage to remove the grate with little effort, it is not particularly well fastened, a single rusted chain barely inconveniencing you.
One by one, your men slip beneath the city. The passage is dark and cramped, barely worked stone and musty air, but there is room to move.

[doliest]

((I'm good with that; I'm still trying to figure out how Soth's plan ISN'T suicide, and what Bilbo's going to do next and it WILL take me a while to figure those out.))

[industrious]

((what about Raistlin?))

[Cracklord]

((Oh, Sorry.))
The elf is clearly shocked, staring around at the dunes as though she can't quite believe what she's seeing. Her blade drops out of nerveless fingers. It's obvious your display has totally awed her.

[nanobot_swarm]

Darkwolf
After a time, the ground started rising and becoming rockier, and the tree's thinned slightly, allowing a more open view. The trail twisted along deeply shaded cuts in the terrain and across leaf-strewn ravines. Dry leaves scatter as you pass. Pines and spruce give way to hadwood trees, mostly white birch, and as the limbs swayed overhead to a silent breeze, tiny patches of sunlight danced on the forest floor.
A crack of thunder sounds in the distance, echoing down the trail. Then there was silence. At length, the patter of rain can be heard on the canopy above you, with only a bit trickling down to the path.


Parias
Night falls, and you approach the citadel again. Braziers have been lit, and the guards change every hour. They seem genuinely watchful.
For every ten or so regular guards there was a different sort of man, each tall and broad shouldered, in full plate-armor and long cloaks, their long, ashen spears slung low, long blades of folded steel on their hips.
Most distinctive of all was the steel masks they all wore, totally featureless save for the eyeslits. Each of the knights had a bearing that suggested total confidence and pride. They were the Domiavard, the kings personal guards. They had no identities, no families. They could not be bribed, or threatened, and feared only failing their master. They did not seem to have names. They even looked identical. Many of the more superstitious you'd talked to on the streets breathed that they weren’t men at all, but demons the King had summoned from some twisted abyss with sorcery too dark to mention.
To you, they seem like ordinary people, but just the same...

Darkwolf
Darkwolf looks up once, and then continues to focus on the trail ahead. Rain is rain, he cares not if he gets wet, however, he is still always at ready in case of ambush, keen on listening for any unusual rustling.

Parias
In the darkness, Parias decides to attract the guards attention, hoping to catch one in the ensuring confusion that will follow. Quickly he shoots a stream of fire at the castle wall, and flees to a different position to see if they send toops to investigate.

[Cracklord]

Darkwolf
You have been riding almost an entire day when you emerge through the other side of the forest. Ahead is signs of logging to make way for farmland, and a ruined city. The corpses of defenders and civilians alike have been heaped around it's walls and along it's streets, then left to rot in the sun. Already, scavengers have all but picked many of the corpses clean, and the stench is enough to make you gag.

Parias
They do, leaving only a token guard at the entrance, trooping off to investigate the disturbance. The masked men, however, remain motionless.
To your right, a figure appears suddenly, an albino clad in barbaric finery, with a terrible aura of power around him. He seems vaguely lost.

[Prime32]

Lina Inverse
The figure gives of an inhuman scream, of rage and pain as you run. But you've barely got ten steps when a wall of searing hot fire erupts in front of you, blocking the street and seriously injuring a few passersby who hadn't already run off.

"Kccch..."

Lina turns to face her opponent.
"You really play for keeps, don't you? Alright, if it's a fight you want you'll get one."

She points one hand at her enemy and holds back the other. This spell was not particularly powerful, but its speed and low mana cost made it useful in battle.
"Source of all power, crimson fire burning bright..."
Flames flicker between her hands, briefly taking the rough shape of a bow...
"FLARE ARROW!"
A bolt of flame shoots towards the man.

[Cracklord]

Lina Inverse
The shade steps aside with inhuman timing, so the spell misses by the barest fraction and continues advancing, it's cold face totally expresionless. It's movements seemed jerky, as though it was unfammiliar of it's shape, and yet it was faster then it had any right to be.
Closing the distance quickly it opens with a single diagonal slash to gauge her skill.

[Prime32]

Lina Inverse
Lina manages to draw her sword and block the attack just before it connects, though the Shade's strength almost knocks her down. Wincing, she jumps back.

"FLARE ARROW!"
This time, six or seven arrows materialise in the air around her, and fly at the Shade with increased speed.

[darkblade]

Leonidas

We the Spartans followed the tunnel to the first point of entry into the city we could find.

***

Black Knight

Percy approaches the room. He could take regular guards easy enough. "I believe some of my possesions were taken here for safe keeping I would like them returned."

[nanobot_swarm]

Darkwolf
He stops his horse, gives it water to drink, and lets it rest. With a drawn axe, he begins to look around for any signs of who committed the battle or any survivors in hiding.

Parias
He grabs the albino man by the mouth and whispers into his ear, in a musty yet reassuring voice,"Be silent, or they will find us, and likely kill us." His mace, of course, is at ready just in case.

[industrious]

Raistlin

The frail archmage sneers. "Speechless, my lady? So much for elven superiority."

[The Tygre]

Elric
Elric considers his options for a moment. He knows the tunnels probably have a way in, but they might not, and he would not put it past Galbatorix to fill the catacombs with hellish monsters. But still... immortal or not, these passageways might hold an escape route, anything, for Galbatorix. Besides, one does not simply march into Urû'baen. Elric begins to move towards the nearest tunnel, silently as he can (at least in his black armor).

Dilvish
The half-elf is surprised by the friendliness, and a little put on edge. A short man in a hall with good intentions; no wonder these folk are suspicious. But Dilvish decides to test his paranoia; if his hosts were willing to house the small man (Dilvish needs a better word; half-man? Halfling? Dwarfling?), then he is an ally of some kind. Dilvish says, "Greetings... Bilbo. I am Dilvish. From whence do you hail? And what manner of man are you?"

[Cracklord]

Elric
A figure in heavy, barbaric armor, decorated with brutal spikes that look all but lethal amd a massive horned helm, grabs him with unnatural strength. The movement seems more urgent then aggressive, though the armor could be a declaration of war all on it's own. ((See Nanobot Swarm's post))

Raistlin
((Watch this space. it deserves a better reaction then I can think of right now.))

Darkwolf
There are no sign of the perpetrators, bar a few arrows. They are fletched with swan feathers, and shafter with a strange, silvery wood. Each is practicly an artwork on it's own.
You are able to find a storehouse, filled with supplies. The attackers haven't touched them.

Black Knight
The guards stare at you, then lower their weapons. The smallest runs, shouting at the top of his lungs. The others slowly advance, shoulder to shoulder.

Lord Soth
You hear incoherent shouting from somewhere bellow you.

Lina Inverse
The Shade falls back, burning wounds all over it's muscular chest. The wall it summoned, flickers, and dies, the only sign of its existance flagstones that have melted to slag and run together.
The Shade, ignoring the wounds that would have defeated any normal man, charges again, this time releasing a hail of blows, each harder and faster then the last.

Leonidas
The tunnel sepparates into several sepperate paths, two sloping down, one sloping up, one turning sharply, and one ending in a drop

[darkblade]

Black Knight

Typical really. Percy draws his the ebony blade and point it towards the guards.

"Your Lord Eragon needed help of a Wizard and an undead abomination to even annoy me. What makes you think any of you have even a chance."

***

Leonidas

Leonidas leads his men up the path that slopes upwards.

***

Atremis

"What would you say if I were to offer to take you to my King and you can bring the teachings of your "rules" to my people all at once?" Artemis offer the strange monk.

[industrious]

Lu-Tze

"Excellent. Lead on." The sweeper is practically rubbing his hands with glee. Which is to say literally. Finally, some progress.

[darkblade]

Artemis

"Very good we shall return to Sparta and await King Leonidas's return from his search for more allies." Artemis seems very pleased with himself. He hasn't found an army to raise but he did find a crazy Kung Fu monk who could make the army they already have even better.

[doliest]

Lord Soth
Soth stalks down the stairs to the incoherent shouting; hoping it's someone who can direct him too the barracks.

[Cracklord]

Black Knight
Those that come within your reach die in short order. They are at best averagely skilled, no match for you at all. The last two hold back, their brows heavy with concentration as they await your move.
In the distance, you can hear the clamor as they begin to rouse themselves. You don't have long.

Raistlin
For a moment, you think she's not going to answer. At last she sighs, her sword point still lowered to the ground. "What do you want?" She asks, resignation making her musical voice hoarse.

Leonidas
The path dips, then finally evens off. you crawl for who knows how long, until you come to a narrow chamber. Perhaps twenty meters above you is a steel grate, chained and polted in place, in far better repair then the one you broke through. What you tell yourself is watter laps up to your knees, and the smell is hideous.

Artemis
With the knowledge that Leonidas is two days march away, you head off.

[Prime32]

Lina Inverse
The Shade falls back, burning wounds all over it's muscular chest. The wall it summoned, flickers, and dies, the only sign of its existance flagstones that have melted to slag and run together.
The Shade, ignoring the wounds that would have defeated any normal man, charges again, this time releasing a hail of blows, each harder and faster then the last.

Lina struggles to parry the blows, but their sheer force is wearing her down. One opens a cut on her shoulder, another liberates a few strands of hair from her head. Finally, her sword is knocked from her hand. As the Shade closes in for a killing blow, she tries to stall for time.
"H-hey, you know you're not very talkative. Most guys would have spilled their life stories by now. No telling me the name of who you're working for, how mighty your powers are, how you'll get revenge for blowing up your town- ...actually, forget that last one."

She gives him a chance to respond - if he attacks, she is ready to strike first.

"BOM DI WIND!"
An orb of compressed air fires from the sorceress's hands at point-blank range, catching the Shade and hurling him into a wall. And she immediately follows it up.
"FIREBALL!"
{OOC: Slayers fireball is like D&D fireball, except that it does have explosive force}

"Well, that should have finished him."
Lina pats the dust of her clothes, ignoring the stares of any passers-by who noticed the explosion.
"Honestly, this kind of fight is more up Gourry's- Oh heck, Gourry! MY MONEY!"
She runs to the Green Chestnut with a speed that made her Shade-fleeing dash seem like a brisk stroll.

Lina bursts through the door to find her companion surrounded by towers of food, and most of the other patrons staring at him with expressions resembling awe.
"And I'll have another three of each of these." he says, pointing at a menu and running his finger down most of a page.
"My money..." Lina mutters feebly.

[nanobot_swarm]

(The armor isn't hellish, nor demonic, it just looks like something an evil warlord would wear)
Darkwolf
He takes several arrows and stores them in a bag, he'll question someone about their origin later. He also investigates the storehouse, to see why the invaders hadn't touched it.

[Cracklord]

Lina Inverse
The barman, with the skill of a merchant born, has already appraised at a glance the value of the swordsman's equipment, and clearly found it to his liking. Gladly using up the entirety of his stock in preparing meals, he already has two errand boys running down to the market for more orders, and has brought on another two chefs in the back room helping prepare them.
This is it, he thought loudly enough to deafen a passing psychic while smiling to himself, this is style, this is where I buy a red jacket and rebuild the place out of stone, hire an artist to decorate it, a few stonemasons to do those statues he'd seen once as a boy, maybe a garden and one of those fountains, get some gold frogging, a few exotic animals and lots of dancing girls...
The extra meals Gourry ordered arrive shortly, with great ceremony. No mention of payment yet. The barman is biding his time, preparing to spring it on you when he's extracted all the market will stand.
Seeing Lina out of the corner of his eye, and connecting the sorceress with the knight in a display of almost inhuman shrewdness, he all but sweeps her of her feet, gently but firmly hustling her over to Gourry's table, while paying her a few well chosen complements, and asks for her order, as calculations that would make a calculator dizzy flicker behind his eyes.

Darkwolf
((My mistake. fixed.))
The supplies are rude vegetables and salted meat, stocked neatly, as well as ale and water in barrels. As best you can tell, they haven't even been disturbed. As far as you can tell through close examination, none are even soiled, let alone poisoned. You find a few more corpses, slaughtered in their beds, the old, the sick, and children. A few are wearing jewelry, suggesting the attackers disdained to take even their wealth.
The storm has broken outside, and you find nothing further of interest that provides a hint to motive or the perpetrators of this... atrocity.

[darkblade]

Artemis

Artemis leads his Spartans on a March to the besieged city.

***

Leonidas

Things went badly for my King. With the sewage rising he was forced to try and smash open the sewer grate with his sword.

((This looks bad and is such a horrible way to die. Especially for a Spartan.))

***

Black Knight

Percy raises his shield to block and oncoming arrows on the off chance that they have access to magic. Mundane weapons are unlikely to pierce his armour but no point in taking the risk. With that he chrages towards the remaining two guards.

[The Tygre]

Elric
Elric is startled by the hands on him, and soon a little annoyed. Using a brief magic, a communicates telepathically, "Unhand me, knave! I am no common skullery wench! Now be you friend or foe, let me go!"

[doliest]

Bilbo
"I'm a hobbit; from the Shire, don't worry about recognizing it, it's not in these lands. We'll be working together, I assume?"