The Necromancer's Pact: Private Conversations

[King_of_GRiffins]

Elthan

Elthan takes out his spear from Evandur's neck and watches as the body cripples over to the ground, unaware of Evandur's fear. To him, nothing changes. There is no sudden feeling of relief or burden for taking his action. This, however, is instantly unsettling, to have taken a life and not feel for it. Had he not done it for a purpose, he would be up against the wall conflicting with himself to fill that sudden void of feedback. Instead, there was a purpose to this, and now he was determined to finish it.

He walks around Evandur's body and draws Evandur's sword from it's sheath. With a blank face he sets to chopping the head from the body, letting the blood fill the circle. He steps back and looks at the gruesome scene, a greater absence of feeling engulfing him. With some creative cantrips, the blood stop at the border of chalk, the chalk itself turning to purple, and the blood to pure black; A morbid holy symbol of Shar.

Sitting at the edge, he dismisses the dim light emmiting from the lone chalk in the corner, blacking out the room. In a flat voice, he closes his eyes and speaks to the empty room. "Shar, I give you my sacrafice; The head of Evandur, a champion of Sune."

[Dr._Bob]

The storeroom ...

Darkness envelops Elthan. He hears her voice, soft and soothing. Well done Elthan Moonshadow! She laughs and laughs and laughs. Her laughter fades until there is nothing left but silence.

CRACK!!! The flimsy storeroom door splinters open, spoiling both the darkness and the silence.

[bhdrake]

Lumpy

Starkly cast in the black and white his darkvision afforded him, the scene Lumpy bursts into catches him off guard. But enough was evident that he needn't waste much time in deliberation.

The paladin was dead. He wasn't much of a healer, but he knew well enough that heads were a vital component to one's being alive. On some level, he'd been right, but he wasn't sure just how. The ritualistic nature of the killing and the sorcerer's somewhat shady approach. Well, that didn't make sense for the work of a possessed person unless the vampires were aiming for some sort of frameup. And the marks on the floor looked disturbingly familiar. Too familiar.

But even then, circumstance or not, it didn't matter. Time was running down, and the half-elf sorcerer needed to be out of the picture whatever the case was. Prudence might dictate discretion in subduing him, but the situation DEMANDED haste. If the mage survived, good for him, they could sort things out properly. If not, Lumpy had never been one for regret.

Whipping his flail free or his belt, the burly orc crosses the ruined threshold without fanfare. Completing a smooth arc from the overhanded draw, he simply smashes the weapon towards Elthan in one brutal motion. Mages were fragile, and this one really needed to end in one blow.

((OOC
Untrained knowledge(Religion) (1d20+1=19)
Untrained is only good for less than 10, but how hard can IDing a symbol of a greater god who is on poor terms with your own?

Elthan might be entitled to first action, since Lumpy presumably takes at least a few seconds to figure out what's going on, but he'll proceed all the same either way.

Initiative (1d20+1=8)
Attack, PA -4/+8 (1d20+9=23, 1d10+14=22)
))

[King_of_GRiffins]

Elthan

Elthan looks up from his sitting position, startled at the breaking of the door. It simply wasn't possible that Valentine's forces were upon them already. It had to be one of the others, they would find out what he had done, he knew it. The void of feeling is replaced with guilt, unfortunately not relieving his unsettled mind.

Before he can even fully stand up, he sees Lumpy charge in and his flail strike him from underneath on the chin. He is lifted slightly into the air, and blacks out before touching the grounds again.

OOC:
I'd say you get a surprise round and use it to see what's going on. I lose initiative on a lower bonus, and get knocked out. Now at -2hp
Initiative (1d20=8)

Attempts to Stabalize self for subsequent rounds without healing
Stabalize (1d10=4), at -3
Stabalize (1d10=4), at -4
Stabalize (1d10=7), at -5
Stabalize (1d10=5), at -6
Stabalize (1d10=1), at -6. Stabilized.

[Callos_DeTerran]

Callos & Yix
Town Hall Place

He could hear the sound of the axes hitting against the door. It wasn't a good noise. It wouldn't take very long for them to break through the door with how many there were out there. It only stressed to him how badly he needed to speak to the miniature dragon. So the necromancer leaned close his voice grim and serious.

"Listen Yix...I don't hold out most hope for this battle..once Lady Valentine and the other vampires enter into the battle this is going to end very quickly. When your looking for a way out, keep in mind places only you could fit through...if the vampires enter the fray and we look like we're getting cornered...I want you to escape...Fly out of the building. I can protect most of us for six hours, keep us safe for a time..but unless the sun rises by the time the spell ends and the skeletons vanish with the vampires, we aren't going to stand a chance..Listen, this may be hard for you but warning the Iron Lord is more important then you staying around trying to protect us..I'm not going to lie Yix..there isn't much I think you can do and your the one most suited to this task....If it comes to that and your on your own...remember to travel during the day and make sure your hidden and hidden well by nightfall. Get. The. Message. To. The. Iron. Lord. Nothing else matters, understand? Stay with us as long as possible. If it comes to this...will I'll give you as much of a distraction as I can to cover your escape." A sort of grim resignation had come to Callos's face, and oddly enough a smile. As if the thought of pulling one over on the vampires, even if he died in the process, was one that was acceptable to him.

[King_of_GRiffins]

Elthan
Town Common, Second Story, Unconscious

Tossed vigorously onto the floor at the top of the staircase, Elthan is left undisturbed to bleed from his chin and mouth and onto the floor. As the blood is lost, it shunts for more from less imperative systems. Being the first time in a long while the body had ever had a chance to heal on its own without magical aid, the influx of blood comes through as a deal more than is actually needed to maintain pressure in that area. The wounds from Lumpy's zealous assault cease bleeding as clots form, and the blood begins to dam up in Elthans head. The resulting edema rouses him from his unconscious state, but not to full awareness, setting him instead into a sub-conscious state of dreaming.

A feminine figure points past him. Leowen? Shar? Commander Dielos? She points to a target, a person; Evandur. Spear in hand and without question, Elthan throws it at Evandur, taking his head clear off.


Elthan heads over to examine the corpse. He rolls the head over; It's his mothers. He falls back and onto his knees and weeps. He looks around, and sees that he is alone.


A figure approaches and stands before him. He looks up from his crying to identify him, but finds the figure has sliced off Elthans head. He attempts to roll his head over on the ground before dying and tries to make out the figure face. Evandur? Lumpy? Callos? Himself?


His father.

[Dr._Bob]

In Elthan's dream ...

A young woman with fair skin and long, shining dark hair cradles Elthan's head in her lap. Stroking his forehead gently, she sings him a soft lullaby.

Sleep, Elthan Moonshadow, sleep ... Everything will be fine ...

[Dr._Bob]

Trinark

After being on the surface for so long, Trinark is grateful to be back underground again. Unfortunately, Trinark knows only too well how dangerous the Underdark can be.

He immediately recognizes the anomalous crying as being most likely illusory. Realizing that the "lure" is enticing the party members to enter the stream, he decides that there is a good chance that the illusion is being projected by an aboleth.

This certainly would explain the surprising absence of other living fish or other creatures in the area. The party appears to have accidentally found itself in the aboleth's hunting ground.

With a sinking feeling, Trinark realizes that if the party doesn't get out of there immediately, in all likelihood everyone will die.

[Koji]

Khazrael, Callos, and Lumpy
Message Spell on the way to the Tower

Khazrael's soft, whispered voice drifts on the biting wind over an impossible distance. A moment before, he was heard chanting a short arcane verse, and now he puts his message spell into action, communicating silently with Callos and Lumpy.

"Why are we ignoring the murderer, now? I didn't really know Evendur, but he was a pretty tough guy. I don't want my head getting popped off while I sleep."

[Callos_DeTerran]

((OOC: I think this is the first time I've ever posted on this thread.))

Callos

A flicker of surprise went across his features before he stilled his mind and took a deep calming breath. This...it was just a simple message spell, nothing for him to get all bent out of shape over.

"That's easy, we're not going to ignore him. We'll handle him in a very reasonable and logical manner based on the information we have. And what we can acquire in the next town. If I'm right, and I believe I am, then this incident will not repeat itself ever again. Despite our misgivings, we need Elthan around to help out and killing him for one murder that we have no answer for, after all he's done to help us, would be wrong."

[Koji]

Khazrael

The only reply to Callos's statement is the sound of Khazrael spitting on the snow from several yards away. Something that apparently doesn't carry through a message spell.

[King_of_GRiffins]

The Books

The three books are not in anyway remarkable. They are bland parchment bound by glue to a leather covering. The books are clearly in order, their titles indicating such.

Magic in the Shadows
---------Part 1--------
Identifying, Defining, and
Understanding the Nature
of the Shadow Weave
___________________

Upon opening the first book, the wordiness of the author is highly apparent. The first book draws out on the shadow weaves creation by the goddess Shar in counter to Selunes creation of Mystra. It explains its capabilities to function where ordinary magic does not (adding, however, that magical effects that suppress magic still maintain effect) and how it intensifies magical effects that deal with life, death and the mind, and that it becomes increasingly difficult for Weave users to counter of dispel.
It goes on to explain that the goddess Shar maintains full control over the weave, and can isolate any creature from she desires. The Shadow Weave, however, is dangerous to the mortal mind, and, without the blessing of its creator, is injurious to the mind. All spells cast in the Weave may be cast with use of the Shadow Weave, though those that manipulate matter and energy are weakened, and it will not support spells which produce light.
It finishes with the observation that those who become more familiar with the Shadow Weave become conversely more divorced from the Weave.

The book ends there as you ponder what you have read and whether you should pick up the next one.

-

Magic in the Shadows
---------Part 2-------
Accessing the Weave
__________________

The series of books remains as wordy and technical as the first. It describes that the knowledge of how to access the Shadow Weave is fiercely guarded by the followers of Shar, however, through research, is available to any who seek it. "A favorable connection to the faith and the goddess, however, is recommended, as retribution by either party is frequently described, in brief, 'Undesirable', by those who abuse it to their own gain with their 'permission'."

In following, it gives a detailed guide to channeling the power of the Shadow Weave, describing it as "...Similar in nature to connecting with the Weave, but with an evident feeling of darkness pervading it in manner as if visited by dead spirits. A chill along the spine, and an evident feeling of seclusion..." It further speculates that should there be other Weaves left undiscovered, they could be reached in the same manner as described above, however noting that none others have been found or known to have been created.

While it may be possible to access the Shadow Weave following its instruction, you speculate that it would require some practice and experimentation before it becomes second nature, as it would be when first learning magic.

In finality, it presents evidence to prior observations and mention of mental injury in contacting the Shadow Weave. Subjects, described as students, appear to have shown a decreased ability to evaluate, concentrate, and make sound decisions. A few showed excessive talkativeness, and one an inexplicable rash. The only way described to reverse the effect would be to negotiate with the clergy of Shar to receive atonement and uptake Shar as your patron deity in exchange, typically, for eliminating a follower of Selune'.

100% of students regained their senses after the procedure. Those who did not follow up on their new patronage swiftly lost their wisdom again.

Two books down, one to go, and it appears as though you haven't lost your mind to insanity (though the doledrom of the authors style would whittle slowly away at patience of less curious individuals)

-

Magic in the Shadows
-------Part 3--------
Advanced Techniques
in Manipulating Magical
Energies Deriving from
the Shadow Weave
__________________

The final installment begins with a generalization of the personalities involved in studying the shadow weave. The curious, who wish to broaden there knowledge, and take the risk for the benefits provided. The further inquisitive, wish to continue to expand upon the benefits of access an alternative weave by its continual study, diving in and receiving more than those who only stuck their foot in water. Finally, there are those who figuratively drown themselves in it, removing all connection with the former Weave to divulge at once all of the secrets of the Shadow Weave and attaining the highest benefits, though at presumably the highest cost.
The book then points out that each of these methods will be discussed in the said order, with the first being discuss in the previous volume. It instucts on how to make spells originating in the Shadow Weave harder for Weave users to detect, dispel or counter. It also provides study into two alterations of spell form to either increase duration or duplicate a spells effects twice (mentioning that the final two are not dependent on the Shadow Weave, though useful)
Next in line is the study of two students who hurled themselves into the Shadow Weave. Both students almost instantly progressed to master what the previous pages detailed, and began to manifest abilities directly from the Shadow Weave, effects similar to Shields, and the capability to produce doubles, at will. The enhancements of the Shadow Weave doubled in their progression as well.

The book ends abruptly at the end of the study, filing into a few pages of what is notably Elthans scrawl, who has clearly taken the liberty of using the blank pages as a notebook. Continually curious as you have been, you read them as well.

First attempt at contacting Shadow Weave has failed. Either the bustle of the Inn is too much to concentrate away from, or I need to go about this a different way.

Second attempt at connecting, after being ill and feeling a bit out of practice, it may be easier to contact. Remembering the minor training I gave myself at first to connect to the Weave, I believe at least a few of my prestidignation obtained a darker hue, or otherwise less energetic pace. I've developed a headache from this, and will now proceed to bed.

Third attempt at contact appears successful. After the wolf creatures, whether worg or were, I'm a bit hesitant to try anything on a forest creature. The local rabbits do not appear to have a clandestine tribe bent on revenge, and appear to have a greater reaction to my Enfeeblement than usual. Whether because I have personally grown in capabilities, because rabbits are generally lousy test subjects, or because I had contacted the Shadow Weave. The effect itself appeared darker in hue, and felt a bit chilling when performed.
The rabbits had regained thier strength within several minutes as expected before I had left, and went on thier way. Terrified, if okay. I felt some sort of disappointment from that, and I don't like the thought that I did.

[kuja.girl]

Whispers between Tiriel & Callos in the Shadow Weave Tower


"That's what I was afraid of." Tiriel looks over at Lissa, "I think you'd better give me a better idea of what you have planned before I ask Lissa anything, she's pretty angry with the world right now, not that I blame her."
After walking up a few steps Tiriel stops and asks Callos, "Can a mage cast spells with only one hand?"

[Callos_DeTerran]

Callos & Tiriel

"It's...difficult to explain really. I know its not going to be pleasant for anyone there but I don't want to pass out from blood loss either so I need Lissa there and I asked you too...well..to reassure Lissa that I don't plan on harming her. I plan on handling the tempermental and somewhat divided sides of my psyche by turning my left arm into a necrotic focus that'll syphon away the 'blacker' side and energies." When asked about if a mage could cast with a broken hand, he paused for a moment and took a long look at Tiriel and took a step away before answering. "Yes, they can still only cast with a single hand. I've done it many a time. Why?"

[kuja.girl]

Whispers between Tiriel & Callos in the Shadow Weave Tower

Tiriel frowns, "Damn. I was hoping that'd stop him for a while until, or if, we decide to trust him. Otherwise we'd have to tie and gag him...
I don't really understand what you have planned, but it's worth a shot.
I'll talk to Lissa, if there's a chance of salvaging Elthan's soul, she'll want to help."

[Koji]

Khazrael and Lissa on night watch

Khazrael leans on the doorway of the floor's entrance. He'd spent the earlier part of his watch looking at all the designs, but restrained himself from touching them, not wanting to set off a trap no one was ready for. He eyes the symbols from time to time, but after a while decides to speak up to the other lookout, Lissa.

"You said you were patient. Are you planning something?"

[Phasm]

Lissa, night watch

Lissa, too, has carefully avoided touching any of the symbols. Who knows what arcane traps they might hide? The face on the door earlier certainly looked innocent enough, until the ceiling started falling in. Lissa gives Khazrael a grim smile. The torchlight flickers eerily off of the brief flash of white teeth. When she speaks, it's in a low voice, not quite a whisper.

"Yes, actually, I am. Normally I work alone for this sort of thing, but this time I need a partner." She pauses. "Someone willing to provide an alibi, in case Callos gets... unreasonable. I don't fancy facing down an irate necromancer with less than half the party's support." Lissa shrugs. "I don't think he'd actually attack me, but then I didn't think he'd condone the worship of the Dark Sister either. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best."

"So, do you want to hear the plan, or would you rather not have any part of it? I completely understand if you don't want to get involved, and I won't be angry if that's your choice. But... you looked and sounded almost as mad at Elthan as I am." Lissa raises an eyebrow at Khazrael.

[Koji]

Khazrael and Lissa on night watch

Khazrael rubs his beardless chin for a moment before speaking.

"Might as well let me hear it. If I think it's too much, I can always feign ignorance."

[Phasm]

Lissa and Khazrael, night watch

Before she replies, Lissa checks again to see if everyone else is asleep/in trance. Yep, sure looks like it.

"I intend to kill Elthan. I was going to do it tonight, but since the door out only opened up for him, that's probably not the smartest thing. So I'll do it on the first night outside the tower. And since we always post watch in pairs, well, I'd need my watch partner to back me up when I say we didn't see anything." She gives Khazrael a gallows grin. "Won't be the first time we've awakened to find somebody dead. I was going to do it all 'honorably', from the front and everything, but Callos and... and Achkby wouldn't let me." Lissa's voice cracks a bit on Achkby's name, and she wraps her arms around herself as if to ward off a chill. "They just don't understand. Once a mage has gone over to the Dark Sister, he's like a mad dog. You've got to kill him, even if it makes your heart bleed, before he kills the clan." She looks down, pain evident in her voice. "It doesn't matter how much you love that dog. Once he goes mad, he doesn't love you anymore. He doesn't love anything, and he'll kill you if you let him."

[Koji]

Khazrael

"I don't...I don't put any stock in the machinations of the gods. He could be worshipping Lolth for all I care. But he killed a good man in cold blood, and his only justification is that he's curious about some new vein of magic. That's no different from killing him for his purse."

He chews on a stem--possibly from a bit of food earlier or a piece of twig he found outside--between sentences. His jagged, doglike teeth highlights a fierce countenance that contrasts with his pensive attitude.

He closes his eyes to think, and something chews at the edge of his vision. Something burns inside of him and tells him to cut the wizard's heart out himself.

Straining to get the words out, almost sobbing as he speaks them, he forces himself to speak the words he knows he should.

"I've got your back, but would Evendur have wanted this?"

He feels the scars on his back burning and doesn't understand why.

[Phasm]

Lissa

Lissa sighs, absently toying with the crude silver medallion around her neck. Whoever made that thing definitely wasn't a professional silversmith. "Would Evendur want me to kill Elthan in his sleep? Probably not. Evendur always favored the heroic frontal charge. If he'd survived, he would probably have challenged Elthan to a one-on-one duel the moment Trinark and I healed him up."

She looks up at Khazrael. Lissa isn't terribly well-versed in the intricacies of human religion- humans have so many gods and goddesses!- but she does know about the major human deities. Which, fortunately, include both Shar and Sune. "I think that Evendur would have been pissed off on the personal, moral, and religious levels, though. Lady Firehair and the Dark Sister hate each other's guts. And Evendur was a paladin. Paladins don't associate with evil, they smite it." Obviously, Lissa has given this some thought.

"I'm not a terribly powerful priestess, Khazrael, so I can't duel with Elthan in magic. And, well, you've seen me in combat. I'm an archer. An archer who specializes in stealth." She jabs a thumb at the crossbow on her back. "All he would need to do is put up a protection from arrows spell and my primary weapon would be useless. The rapier's there as a last resort; I am not a physically strong person." Lissa shrugs again. "So that leaves the stealth attack. Evendur, wherever he is, is just going to have to understand that not all of us are equipped for honorable duels."

[Koji]

Khazrael

He nods, and lets his resistance to the idea scatter.

"I know all about working with what you've got. If you think you can pull it off, I've got your back."

[Dr._Bob]

In the Medusa tower ...

Elthan blinks, looking around the pitch black chamber. He notes the medusa glyph in the center on the room.

A dagger lies on the floor among ribbons of flesh. The floor is black, shiny and slick from a surprising amount of blood.

Staggering from the platform, the half-elf calls out for his friend, "CALLOS? CALLOS, ARE YOU HERE? ..."

Stairs lead downward from the platform chamber. The trail of blood leads toward the stairs, then peters out.

[Callos_DeTerran]

Callos

He paused at the entrance of the door, peering out into the scenery beyond with unbelieving eyes. Just were was this place and why had he been transported here? A certain clarity of thought had come to him after the procedure and it helped to organize and systemtically assimliate the information his senses were feeding him but there was still the fact that he didn't hold much of the information. Callos wasn't well versed in the use of Shadow Weave...

That was when he heard the voice of a fellow. Or perhaps it was merely another twisted trap that had been constrewed by the crafter of this edifice. In any case he had no choice but to respond.

"Speak and be known! Prove your idenity or I will make you rue the day that you thought of approaching me!"

[King_of_GRiffins]

Elthan

Elthan pauses inside the tower, immobilized in careful thought of the threat. It sounded like Callos, but was he really that pretentious?

"Callos, is that you? It's Elthan, of our pack." The mage progresses slowly, uncertain if there is some treachery, or if he had simply not noticed the difference in Callos's manner while formal before. A hint of worry carries in his voice as he presses on.

"There's a lot of blood by the platforms Callos. What happened? Were you injured in transportation?" He stops again, considering his words this time. There was a weapon and blood, but no body. He was certain there was only one person below, wasn't he? So who could have injured him, if perhaps not what?

"You are Callos, aren't you? Is there anybody else down there?"

[Callos_DeTerran]

Callos (Medusa Tower)

There was a pause from below as he thought about what he had been told. It certainly sounded like Elthan...well it could be. There was a greater chance at the very least. But it was sort of odd that Elthan was speaking in two different langauges at the same time.

"Well...no. I wasn't injured in the transportation and from what I've seen I am the only living sizable creature that is in this tower. Unless something snuck in when I examined the surrounding terrain. Are you Elthan? Answer me this then...what god does the half-angel Lissa worship?"

[King_of_GRiffins]

Elthan
Medusa Tower

From above, a hearty laugh emanates through the tower.

"Angel! Half-Angel?! Surely, you must have her confused for someone else. Lissa is three-quarters demon and one-quarter cynical, of which has been compressed into the the body of a gnome made of acid. Whatever gnomish god she worships, I do not wish to recall, but it must be one of bitterness. Such ill-feeling is simply not natural. And to think, she seemed so sweet in the underdark." Elthan stops just before the final case to ground level.

"You didn't answer one of my questions yet. There was fresh blood at the top, torn flesh, why? What happened?"

[Callos_DeTerran]

Callos

A wide grin spread out across his face when he heard the answer and the sound of slow foot steps could be heard coming up the stairs until he came into view. Callos looked much the same that he had before though his hair was dissheveled and his face was paler then usual. But there was a certain brightness to his eyes that hadn't been there before. His shadowstuff cloak had been wrapped tightly around his right arm from below the shoulder and the necromancer looked pleased to see the other.

"Well at least it proves we're referring to the same gnome at least. Nice to see you Elthan. I suppose I'm right in thinking that you've solved the mystery of these little towers, or at least how to move about in them." The cheerful and surprisingly happy voice didn't change at all with the next words out of his mouth, though one would have hoped to have heard sarcasm. "Don't worry about the blood, I simply decided to consilidate the parts of my charming personality that you've all come to know and love in a more physical state. So how do we leave this hell-blasted jungle? I really don't want to be here."

[King_of_GRiffins]

Elthan

Elthan breaths a short sigh of relief as he finishes traversing the stairs. "If you are not worried then I see no reason to myself. It's good to know nothing bad has happened to you.

"As for the tower, I'm not certain I have figured it out, though it certainly appears to have worked. Ever since Edgard pounded my head inwards, everything has been so confusing, these towers included." Elthan rubs his chin lightly; Callos' dark adjusted eyes can make out the horizontal displacement. Slowly, Elthan looks up and gives a smile. "To be fair to circumstances, I'm not sure flails are the only things at fault for knocking my head about recently." With a slight gesture, he proceeds to lead Callos back to the top of the tower.

Once at the top, however, he hesitates while entering. "I've been thinking. Suppose I am the only one who can work these, and that the majority of the group is still together, what is the most likely course of action they will take? I doubt they will wait for me to come charging to their rescue for all that has happened recently. It stands they might believe I'd take the opportunity to run from their grasp, thus leaving them stranded on their tower.

"My guess here is, considering the time we have already spent, they have already taken the most immediate course of action in hope of it being the most expedient; They have proceeded without us. Which way, they may not know, but they will try in order to warn the Iron Lord, correct? In which case, us being ourselves, would never be able to catch up with them, or have enough supplies on hand to last so long." Elthans slow pace into the room takes him in a circle around the platforms. He examines each one with a look of curiosity and dislike. His voice rings with the former.

"Suppose they do wait for me? Perhaps, they think, 'Oh, he is no such coward! We have traveled with him so long and know him to be true!'" Elthan waves his arms in dramatism, hoping to capture a sarcastic portrayal of him as the central hero of the play. "Then they say 'We shall wait for him to come, and he shall help us find the shortest route to our destination!', and thus they shall wait.

"Now, under either condition, taking slightly more time in finding them will not harm our ability to find them any further. As sleepy as I was at the time, I noticed that not all of the party, you and I included, were on similar platforms. If I recall, Aeroz and Trinark should be in situations likewise to our own. Might I then suggest that we begin by trying to find them first?"

Elthan pacing around the platforms cease, and he leans in to examine the one he had stopped at. He gives a close eye to it and the ones beside before inquiring one more time, "What platforms were they on again?"

[Callos_DeTerran]

Callos, Medusa Tower

"You shouldn't take their actions to closely to heart Elthan, they simply choose based on how their hearts tell them and they can't be blamed for that. ...And you did kill Evendur afterall. I was under the impression that they liked him." Callos said to placate the angry half-elf as he stepped closer towards the platforms though he made sure that no part of him really touched them at this time. Swaying back and forth some, he walked in a complete circle around the platforms looking for the proper ones before stopping by Elthan once more. "Hmm...they all went on the dragon platform. I remember that much. Trinark and Aeroz were on the manticore and I can't recall which one Fizahn was on. Elthan...do you think one of these platforms might lead closer to the Iron Lord? If thats a possbilty then I do truly think that we should aim for getting there first and then wait for the others. A much better idea then trying to trek after them.