The Necromancer's Pact VI: Lake of Tears [closed]

[bhdrake]

Lumpy

"By killing her? Good call there. If ya wanna trace fault ta the most recent cause, blame the Hlondethi fer forcing ya ta make that choice, or Sethra fer starting the whole thing. They fit in somewhere in the middle apparently. the easiest one ta take out yer anger on, but the one with the smallest stake in the matter."

[Frojoe21]

Aeroz

"Well, at this point it is a little too late for reasoning. She's the one with the bow aimed at me. So what, give into reason and let her shoot me?"

Calming down a little, Aeroz takes a deep breath in.

"You know revenge is not very satisfying with trying to poke his snout into it. 'Would have been a lot easier if you just kept your damned mouth shut and let me turn her into a pile of dead flesh."

Eyeing Si'rene again

"Would you put that damn thing down now! I'm not going to kill you...not just yet." he exclaims.

[King_of_GRiffins]

Elthan

Elthan takes his time tie his mount so that it would not run away in the case of a fight, and by the words overheard from his position may just be the case.
Finally walking over, Elthan tries to get his bearings on the situation. "Whats going on? I heard some mention of betrayers and people tossing up 'half-breed' agian as though it meant something. Then again I heard some of our names mentioned. So, who have we found; Lost friends or old enemies?"

[kariokie]

Nyssa, a Human Woman in Deep Purple Robes

After making sure the human woman can stand, Nyssa glances over at the body she's pointed out. A tail? If they keep this up, they might even find a way to shock me. What next, a travelling circus? Juggling hellhounds?

She makes her way over to the body, ready to help, all the while watching the altercation unfold. While Nyssa's sure she could use her own methods to stop the fight, it's better everyone sees the wisdom of Lumpy's words and choses to lay down arms themselves. Forcing people into action usually makes them take the opposite action as soon as they're able.

When the situation looks to be righting itself, she adds, "Lumpy speaks wisely. We have a big threat still nearby, and a larger one on the horizon. Decimating our numbers further with revenge won't help."

[swordmaster2000]

Silithos, green hair

as Fizahn yells at him Silithos' grim face turns to that of burning rage. He lifts his fist as if to punch Fizhan but then lowers it and walks off rage still burning in his eyes.

Silithos moves over near his horse picking a rock out of his pack he begins sharpening his cutlass hardly sending sparks flying.

[blackfox]

Human Female

The woman notices the confrontation between Aeroz and S'irene, but is unwilling to leave the fallen human's side. She paces back and forth, trying to decide whether to intervene.

[bhdrake]

Lumpy

Lumpy snorts again, " Which is why I'm standing between ya and her, ain't it. She could shoot me in the back if she likes, but then I'll just have ta be a little rougher about things. And that's entirely the point'a me interfering. hence why I said there's no killing or fighting. Ya can take yer revenge when it ain't at my expense."

[Dr._Bob]

The armored woman and her black haired friend are both conscious, though they can't help shivering convulsively.

Lissa runs to Callos and skids to a halt next to the last casualty, sending snow flying everywhere. It takes them only a second to confirm their suspicions - the lizardkin druid lies before them, his hide an unnatural bluish-gray ...

[hr]
The elf looks pointedly at Thokk's upraised sword and the shiny rapier in Aeroz's hand pointed toward her throat. Aeroz is surprised to see the weapon in his hand as he did not recall drawing the sword. The entwined twin serpents that form its pommel and guard gleam and almost seem to writhe in excitement.

Aeroz lowers his weapon as does Thokk (with some encouragement from Lumpy), and the elf archer in response releases the tension on her bowstring and lowers her arms (though she keeps both arrows nocked).

She doesn't take her eyes off of the elf and dwarf as she speaks to Fizahn, but her voice suddenly seems strained and uncharacteristically emotional.

"What did you just say?

"Are you telling me that Sheyra's body has been possessed by the necromancer? By the gods, when did this happen? WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?"

[hr]
Delphinia keeps one ear on the argument as she scans the forest, looking for any sign of the hydra. As the sun sets, the sky takes on a purplish hue. Selûne is already rising. Delphinia notes that she is waxing and almost full. It might be possible to ride through the night by moonlight to put some distance between yourselves and the beast ...

[Phasm]

Lissa

"Great good gods, it's the druid! Callos, you got a blanket or something?", Lissa asks as she vaults off her dog's back. I really need to give him a proper name, since he won't tell me the name his parents gave him... Laying one hand on his scaly skin, she winces at how cold the lizardkin is. With a silent prayer to her god, Lissa begins another healing spell...

OOC: If she used up her day's quota on Tiriel, Lissa will start in with her wand of CLW.

[HempRope]

Wow. You people move fast

Achkby, Halfling Sorcerer

After a few minutes of aimless wandering, Achkby surrenders to having lost the little dragon.
Dammit! He spoke to us! And now I've lost him. Why? Why every time... why do they always fly away? If only I could fly after...

Dejectedly, Achkby returns to his friends, following their voices until he comes out of the mist. He is startled, though, to see that instead of tending to the people, two of his friends, two of those whose sense he trusts the most, are in an armed standoff.
What in the nine hells?! I thought I brought dimensions to this story that none of them were aware of. But that is resolved, now, and there seem to be many, many more layers than I can imagine.

He watches with confusion for a moment, transfixed by the scene that has presented itself with no explanation. Eventually, Lumpy convinces both sides to lower their weapons, and Achkby heaves a sigh of relief. He takes a moment to look about him, wishing he had the gift of so many others to, 'take in the entire situation with a single glance.'
He sees the idiot sharpening his clumsy weapon on his own, and sulking.
He sees Callos and Lissa hunched over another body, further out on the bridge.
A body with a tail? The dragon? No...
He takes a step towards them, but then stops. It is clearly not the dragon they are tending to. Because the dragon has settled just nearby.

Achkby pauses for a moment, briefly transfixed.
Finally... the one who spoke to us... he is so small! Is this truly a dragon? I had heard of younglings, baby dragons. But this one... he looks...

"Hail!" Achkby hisses in its native tongue, breaking from his trance and moving carefully towards the creature. "What is this? Tell me, what is going on?!"

[bhdrake]

Lumpy

WIth weapons lowered, Lumpy steps back slightly, so that he's no longer standing wholy between the two parties Some combination of relief and indignation mix upon his face at having to break up a fight. Warily, he responds to the elf's question,

"Not much more than a tenday.. why?"

He wasn't liking the sound of this one.

[blackfox]

Black-Haired Woman

The woman still paces up and down, half-listening to the confrontation. At S'irene's last words, though, she starts, her head jerking up. "What? Sheyra's been posessed by the necromancer?!"

[Dr._Bob]

The tiny dragon looks up at Achkby and shrugs. Your guess is as good as mine ...

[hr]
Slowly the lizardman begins to stir. His outer eyelids and nictitating membrane snap open. His eyes focus on the worried faces above him - Lissa and Callos ...

[hr]
At Lumpy's words, the elf spins around, replacing her arrows into their quiver and slinging her bow back over her shoulders. She strides over to the black-haired woman and helps the armored woman to her feet.

"We have to go back," the elf says, her expression grim.

Together, the three women limp towards the horses ...

[kariokie]

Nyssa

Nyssa glances at her brother. If those women are going to go actually fight the necromancer...

[Erikkin]

Fizahn:

"Okay, you really are a fool. There's an evil body stealing necromancer with the resources of a noble at his beck and call. If you go back, he won't even have to get tanar'ri forces to destroy you. His unwitting human guardsmen would kill you for trespassing and he also has undead hordes to do his bidding. Do you really think the three of you, injured as you were by that hydra that Sethra could probably destroy with a flick of his wrist, could do any difference. Sethra dispatched practically an entire horde of Rashemi berserkers. We have to warn the Northern Armies!" Fizahn looks at the elf with a dumbfounded expression, muttering about her stupidity in gnomish.

[Spaz]

Yix


Yix stands up from his spot and brushes all the snow off himself. Once he has this accomplished he offers his hand to Achkby and proclaims "Yix".

[Callos_DeTerran]

Callos

"WE, Fizahn, have to worry about the know at the moment. Like helping the wounded and getting the hell out of here before the hydra comes back for its dinner. Then we will continue to the north and warn the armies. AFTER that then we go save Sethra, understood? And.....no one tell the lizardman about Sheyra. Trust me on this."

His voice was calm and reasonable. Very...unnerving in the area of heated debate and words. The necromancer shrugged his cloak off of his shoulder and wrapped it tightly around the lizardman, carefully watching every single one of his movements. The last time he had seen the druid the lizardman had not been too keen on his presence to say the least. It didn't stop him from looking over at Lissa to speak though.

"You know why I called you over instead of the green hair right?" Then his tone turned teasing even as he did anything he could to aid in the effort. "With Sheyra not here your the only one besides Lumpy he might listen to if he tries to kill me. I figure you would be easier to throw at him instead of Shark Teeth there."

[Phasm]

Lissa

Lissa chuckles at Callos' grim humor, then turns slightly and yells over at the larger group. "OY! Thokk! There's a wounded woman lying in the snow! Help her friend put her in the wagon before she freezes!" Bloody tallfolk, got no sense of the practical. Standing around arguing while people freeze in the snow and a hydra roams nearby. Taking a deep breath that chills her lungs, she yells again. "Lumpy! Aeroz! The lizardkin druid's over here wounded! Help us get him in the wagon!" Hoping against hope that her contrary comrades actually do the sensible thing and follow her instructions, Lissa checks the druid's pulse again.

[sacreddeamon]

Thokk

"Ach, Scaly one! What in the name o Moradin are ye doin here with this crowd? Are ye injured gravely?"

*Thokk rushes over to the lizardman, an actual expression of concern on his face*

[bhdrake]

Lumpy

Everyone's just up and gone mad here. Bah

Lumpy falls into step behind the women,

"Ya ain't gonna get nothing going back that way. One's them witches from the North - Hattans or somesuch, and her whole room full'a bodyguards died trying ta deal with him, and we almost joined them. If ya go back, alone, hurt, and unprepared, ya won't even be a hurdle fer him ta jump, just a bump smoothed underfoot."

Finally, the orc shrugs, stopping short,

"I dunno what sort'a troubles ya went through once we got split up, but if ya ended up running across the drow and the lizard, it weren't pretty, I imagine. Whatever effort ya misplace here's just gonna waste all that.

[kuja.girl]

Tiriel
slowly wakes up. The first thing she sees is the shocked and concerned look on the halfling's face. Realizing what had happened, she silently words a "thank you" before trying to sit up. She groans and lets herself fall back onto the bridge. Stupid hydra...damn thing got me... She suddenly tenses and grimaces in pain and she manages to sit up this time. What she sees, is absolute chaos.
In front of her she sees Si'rene is in a stand off with a familiar looking person. She continues to glance around ands sees the lizardman and drow both laid out on the bridge, Please let them be alright she silently prays, as Katrin rushes up to her and the halfling rushes off.

The next few moments pass in a blur. Tiriel realizes that Si'rene has said something important, but she lacks the concentration to understand it's significance. She sits with her friend, shivering.

[Zeal]

Hajih

Hajih stands still for a while, dazed.

"Damn"

Climbing back up to his cart, he jumps in a spurs the mule forward, towards the bridge.

[Dr._Bob]

The elf swings herself onto her horse with exquisite grace but then stops, staring intently towards the western horizon. She sits this way for what seems like an eternity, then her shoulders droop almost imperceptibly.

"You are right," she admits as she stares into the growing darkness (presumably addressing Lumpy and Fizahn). "It's just that I believe that we have made a terrible mistake and utterly failed in a very important mission."

She turns to look at Lumpy, her face hidden in shadow. "We should leave this place."

She then turns to the gnome. "Fizahn, please tell me more about these Northern Armies and how you came to be on this road at this exact time ..."

[hr]
It is dark, however Delphinia believes that with the moonlight reflecting off of the snow, there should be enough light to travel.

Callos and Thokk carry the lizardman to Hajih's cart, with Lissa holding on to his wrist. The lizardman is conscious, though he seems to be whispering in a tongue unfamiliar to them.

Trinark's body is gently wrapped in a winter blanket and placed in Elthan's cart.

The others mount up, eager to put some distance between the party and the wounded hydra ...

[Erikkin]

Fizahn:

"We came to be on the road at this exact time because recently Sethra decided to kill the Rashemi who were spying on him. One Rashemi escaped and is now in the care of Darius and hopefully a powerful temple. While half-delirious from pain and under attack by shades, the berserker said we had to warn the Iron King, or something, so the Northern Armies would have time to prepare. That's all I know, but you can ask Achkby. He seems to have been employed by the berserkers." Fizahn leaves it at that and goes to the cart to check on the lizardfolk. He'll make it through this, but be very disappointed to learn I've failed to stop Sethra. At least those dreams of ours make sense now. If only we had seen it before.

[bhdrake]

Lumpy

Lumpy nods in satisfaction at the eventual display of common sense. Finally, some sense. The burly orc shrugs as she elaborates, responding in a vaguely polite tone, his grammar and phrasing sounding distinctly uncharacteristic, adressing the elf,

"We've all got our failures ta own up, and they can be a spirit-crushing thing. Best way ta deal with them is by correcting them. Take fer example my inability ta uphold the contract we made in Velprintalar. As a sellsword, my value lies in the value of my word and the bindings I make with it. So I'm making good on it; we'll call it an extension. Until I've squared up the difference, I'm still in yer service, ladies. I suggest ya focus on doing the same with yer mistakes."

He nods a few times, mostly to himself, before turning to focus his attention on the dead and wounded,

"She's right, wounded or no, we don't need that hydra coming back. Let's load up and pust some ground between here and there."

Lumpy pitches in, lending his muscle in transporting the wounded to the carts. At the sight of Trinark, he bows his head solemnly, giving the drow a grave offering of silence. When all is done and taken care of, he mounts up himself, cantering back tothe elfess and her companions and waiting to set off.

[kariokie]

Nyssa

Nyssa abandons the cart and Nolan's blanket to the injured, and walks alongside once they get underway, close to her brother and deep in thought. Later, she thinks, she must approach someone and offer her help in performing an appropriate funeral, but it's too early now. The death is too fresh.

She asks her familiar, Orestes, to fly above and let her know through their empathic link if the hydra approaches the group, or the owl sees anything else he regards as trouble.

Other than that, Nyssa walks, and Nyssa thinks. For now, she's fine being swept along whatever river her brother and she have fallen into. It has to lead somewhere.

[Ludo]

Nolan

Nolan follows his sisters suit and walks alongside cart as well. He watches her owl fly up into the sky to do whatever it was she asked it to do. Damn bird. Since he'd been reunited with his sister the familiar had always irritated him. Nothing should be closer to his sister than her own twin brother. Especially not some animal. Talking about it would probably have done Nolan some good.

But this was Nolan.

So he furrowed his brow and kept pace with the group trying to clear his mind with the mental exercises his order practiced... Damn bird.

[dauphinous]

Delphina

She doesn't help with the movement of bodies, but keeps a watch about the group. Army? We are an army. I haven't spent more than a few hours with this many people since...I don't remember when. After giving her dog a good-natured hair ruffling, she moves up to ride at the front, knowing that many of the others are too preoccupied to watch for signs of danger.

[Dr._Bob]

Combined, there are nineteen members of your group, with an almost equal number of horses, making you a small army indeed.

You ride through the moonlit night, with those of you with darkvision or low light vision at the front and rear of the party. The injured and the dead are carried in the carts in the middle of the group.

Overhead, an owl soars silently, scanning the area for any threats, as the moon shines brightly overhead. It will be full tomorrow night.

[hr]
After several hours of hard riding, Nyssa reports that there are lights ahead. Indeed, after riding for another half hour, you approach an ancient castle, perched on a low hill, surrounded by farms.

Strangely, the cottages and farmhouses you pass seem to be deserted, devoid of people or even livestock. If there is any life nearby, it presumably lives behind the walls of the keep, which are lined with watchfires.

[kuja.girl]

Tiriel
When it seems that the group will be moving on, Tiriel reunits with her warhorse who really needs a name after all this and carfully mounts up trying to avoid as many sore spots as possible.
During the ride she speaks quitely to Si'rene, catching up on what she missed and clarifying their need to return to city that they'd just left. She also takes the time to study their new...companions. there's no way that we're going to be able to go anywhere without being noticed now she reflects lookign at the churned up snow their progress leaves behind.