Results 181 to 210 of 1530
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2007-04-18, 07:23 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2004
- Location
- Michigan
- Gender
Re: The Necromancer's Pact VIII: The Rising Tide
Achkby, Halfling Sorcerer
"Where are the others?" Achkby pesters Tiriel as she leads him back, "Where are they? How are they? Aeroz? Thokk?"
He tries his best not to sound like a petulant child, but his bravo is wearing thin.
When they return to the others, he hurries towards Aeroz, babbling out the same story he told Tiriel.
"I don't know what to do!"
When the druid and Trinark disappear into the darkness, Achkby makes to follow them. But in the darkness, his eyes are weak, and so is his heart. He stops after only a few paces, enveloped in depthless blackness.
He is stuck, wanting to go on but paralyzed with fear. He doesn't know what's out there, that's the thing... that fish...
But how can he go back to the others? How can he leave those two to go after Lissa and the others, Lissa, Thokk, and Lumpy, and just abandon them?
His head wins out in the end. Or so he'll tell himself. In the dark, what can he do to help? And who will go to the Iron Lord? That's what he was paid to do, after all... That doesn't matter!!! But going on, going on is the right thing to do, not going back after the wom-- after a gnome.
Achkby scampers back to Tiriel and the spellcasters, a terrified look on his face.
"CAN'T WE JUST GO?!" he shouts miserably.Last edited by HempRope; 2007-04-18 at 07:25 PM.
DON'T PANIC
(Arthur Avatar by the Losar.)
GO BLUE
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2007-04-18, 07:33 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2004
- Location
- Maryland, USA
Re: The Necromancer's Pact VIII: The Rising Tide
Tiriel, Katrin, Achkby, Aeroz and Callos climb to higher ground, followed reluctantly by Elthan. Together, they weave between stalagmites cautiously. Katrin's everburning torch provides enough illumination to see the immediate surroundings, but little else.
A flash of blue-white light and an electrical zzrack!! behind them tells them that someone is casting lightning bolt, presumably at an aboleth.
Almost immediately after, they hear a bestial roar that could only come from the lizardman. Elthan turns back and shouts back in a foreign tongue, "ssah - thee - yah!!!"
...
Leaping down off of the pillar he had been clinging to, the lizardman tackles Trinark and drags the drow back the way he had come, away from the pool of water and the abomination's mind tricks.
Trinark's brow is furrowed in pain, which seems to lessen the farther the druid drags him from the pool. The lizardman hears his name being called by Elthan. No aboleth could possibly know it. His friends are up ahead.
...
Adalmar clings to the stone, trying to ignore the pain. His nostrils are filled with the scent of charred meat. A wave of nausea washes over him as he realizes that the smell is his own burned flesh. With his torch extinguished, Adalmar is surrounded by total darkness. Another blast like the first spells certain death. The ranger can only hope that his friend-turned-enemy can't see in the dark ...
...
Khazrael fights against the aboleth's commands ... kill the human, kill the human, kill the human, kill the human ...
Resistance proves to be futile ... or does it?
OOC: Khazrael can make three DC 17 Will saves at +2 to resist the aboleth. At the end of those three rounds (if he fails), he will find Adalmar and kill (in all likelihood) him. Adalmar has three rounds to do ... something.Last edited by Dr._Bob; 2007-04-18 at 07:36 PM.
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2007-04-19, 12:25 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2006
Re: The Necromancer's Pact VIII: The Rising Tide
Khazrael
Mind ablaze with fury over his having been controlled, he acts with renewed vigor.
"ADALMAR! Come with me if you feel like living!"
He doesn't see Adalmar as he rushes down the stalagmite, and doesn't spend more than an instant waiting for him. "Just get away from the water!"
...Heedless of whether Adalmar is fleeing with him or not, Khazrael begins to shout as he crashes through the maze of stone. "LISSA! LUMPY! THOKK! Listen to my voice! Come to the lightning!"
((OOC: Khazrael doesn't have a chance in hell of seeing Adalmar, so he's running ahead of him and using his darkvision and memory of the area from the previous night's brief exploration to get away from the water and lead Adalmar, should he follow, away. Once he gets far enough from the water for his headache to die down, he's going to run that much further and then fire a lightning bolt straight up (at a slight angle to avoid being hit by any debris from the cieling) as a flare to call the others to him.))Last edited by Koji; 2007-04-19 at 01:07 AM.
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2007-04-19, 12:37 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2005
- Location
- ...
The Necromancer's Pact VIII: The Rising Tide
Callos
You could always go down there and help...
Did you see the image Trinark gave of that thing? What the heck were they supposed to do against something like that? But then again...look at what they had already felled..There might be a chance against it..
Thats hopeful talk there...
Well at least feather head is fighting back!
Feather head is probably dead or worse, that lightining bolt wasn't...
"...Gods...what have we been reduced to, fleeing in the dark from anything that frightens or intimidates us..I used to laugh at things like that creature.."
Despite every natural instinct that was begging him to keep moving, a small flare of nobility that he had thought long since buried was just beginning to flare up. He could attempt to help the others who were still alive return back to the whole. It couldn't be that hard, could it? Just some cover fire...and perhaps discovering the source of that lightening bolt.
"CURSED DARKNESS! FEATHER HEAD, ADALMAR, TRINARK, DRUID! GET YOUR ARSES BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!" It was all that he could do. What else could he do? Detecting the thoughts of others wouldn't help in the least if he wasn't close enough to read them...and being that close might be more then a little bit hazardous and blindly blasting lightening into the darkness was just as bad...
"Hey, Shiney. I need your help for the moment. You and I are going to take a stand here until the others come back. Yix!...Yix? Well...were ever you are, I want you to keep in range of your telepathy as long as possible so you can tell us if anything goes wrong. Aeroz, Katrin, Ackby, and Elthan...keep going. Once you get out of telepathy range we'll be right along if we have the others or not, but not all of us can stay here waiting for our missing companions. Elthan...don't even think, not ONCE, about darkening things up with your special 'talent'. That's the last thing we need."
Warriors & Wuxia: A community world-building project focused on low-magic wuxia/kung-fu action using ToB.
"These 'no-nonsense' solutions of yours just don't hold water in a complex world of jet-powered apes and time travel."
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2007-04-19, 01:15 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2007
Re: The Necromancer's Pact VIII: The Rising Tide
Adalmar
A few stalagmites away, his shivering body hugging the stone, Adalmar hears Khazrael's call. Is it a trap ? I can't afford to trust him.
Then he hears the sorcerer moving away. Letting a few seconds pass, he follows suit, silently, though he takes care to follow a slightly different path. The first few "steps"* he can take in the dark, his mind having recorded the layout of the place - this specialized memory comes naturally to people living in the wilderness. After that, though, he is reduced to taking out the torch again, though he mutes its glow by hiding it under his cloak. Kir has perched on his shoulder and swings his head from side to side - still focused.
He doesn't hurry, for he is now convinced that his survival is out of his hands - let Fate or the gods judge his worth.
Inside, he is praying for the fallen.
Spoiler* because he is still climbing...
He's in shock, so his instincts are kicking in, but he's still forgetting to heal himself.Last edited by namo; 2007-04-19 at 01:23 AM.
"Even gods must learn to control their tempers, lest they set a bad example."
The Malazan Book of the Fallen, Steven Erikson
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2007-04-19, 07:07 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2005
Re: The Necromancer's Pact VIII: The Rising Tide
Katrin
Katrin holds the torch as the small group gets away from the water and onto higher ground. She jumps in surprise at the lightning bold and the lizardman's roar, but keeps going, unsure whether the roar is an illusion or not. "Elthan... don't think we're letting you off just yet. Get back here."
Ssah-thee-yah... that doesn't sound like any language I've heard before...Last edited by blackfox; 2007-04-19 at 07:08 AM.
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2007-04-19, 10:50 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2005
- Location
- central valley, CA
- Gender
Re: The Necromancer's Pact VIII: The Rising Tide
Tiriel
"How about you call me by my name and then we'll talk about who gives who orders." Tiriel replies to Callos with a scowl. Reaching into her pack she draws out a torch and hands it to Callos.
"Personally I don't' think any of us should wait..." Tiriel grumbles. "I don't like leaving them either, but, well half of them rushed off full knowing what they were facing... Oh damn it all. Five minutes, then we move on."
Tiriel handed Callos a torch, if he can't light it, she'll do it for him.
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2007-04-19, 04:54 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2005
- Location
- Behind you.
- Gender
Re: The Necromancer's Pact VIII: The Rising Tide
Trinark
Trinark is sure that his druid friend has lost the mind battle against the creature. He himself had managed to fight away the white fog that threatened to cloud his mind, spurred on by the howl of Ssetheeya. Now, as he had seen many times before, the creature had turned friend on friend. Fearing it is hopeless Trinark strikes out wildly at his friend, his fist flying wide of it's mark in his supprised state.
"Stop, remember me, remember your friend! It is Trinark!"
[ooc:Will save verses enchantment mind-affection spell-like ability (+2 due to elvishness) (1d20+7=18), Unarmed attack against S-man (1d20+3=10)]
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2007-04-19, 05:21 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2005
- Location
- Torontonia
- Gender
Re: The Necromancer's Pact VIII: The Rising Tide
Aeroz
"As much as I hate to say it, we can't afford to wait much longer. We need to get to the Iron Lord as soon as possible. There is just too much at stake here to risk all of us." Aeroz states grimly as he takes a few steps forward.The Gradual decline in sanity of a Fedora developer
SpoilerTrog's Rendition of me, complete with a shirt reminding me who I am!
Originally Posted by AngelSword
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2007-04-19, 08:00 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2004
- Location
- Michigan
- Gender
Re: The Necromancer's Pact VIII: The Rising Tide
Ooh, nice new... Trogatar?
Achkby, Halfling Sorcerer
"Dammit, Aeroz, yes we can," Achkby snaps back at him.
"You two, don't think I'm leaving you on your own." The halfling's feet are planted as firmly as they ever have been, and he doesn't look like he's going to move without the other two. "There's been too much splitting up already."DON'T PANIC
(Arthur Avatar by the Losar.)
GO BLUE
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2007-04-19, 09:32 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2004
- Location
- Maryland, USA
Re: The Necromancer's Pact VIII: The Rising Tide
Aeroz agrees to wait for a little longer, though having a torch burning in the middle of the cavern seems to be just begging for trouble ...
Miraculously, the lizardman and drow reappear. The druid seems to be half-dragging, half-carrying his drow friend who beats ineffectively against the lizardman's hide with his bare fists. It takes a minute before both of them can be convinced that the other is not under the mind control of the aboleths.
Shortly thereafter, Khazrael straggles in, looking dazed.
And finally, after another minute or two, Adalmar approaches, carrying a torch of his own. The ranger keeps looking behind him, in case he is being followed. The ranger is badly wounded, having been seared by a lightning bolt. Adalmar's eyes fall on Khazrael and his lips tighten with anger ...
Thokk's and Lumpy's whereabouts remain unknown. Also lost are Fizahn and Lissa. Taking a quick head count, you realize that Yix isn't here either. Where could the pseudodragon be?
...
Suddenly desperate images pop into your heads. It takes a moment to orient yourself, then you realize that you are seeing through Yix's eyes ...
Lissa stands ankle deep in the stream, motionless before a flickering pattern of lights dancing in the air before her. Lumpy approaches slowly from downstream, his boots splashing in the water.
Yix/you soar forward towards Lumpy, you can hear your/Yix's voice in your/Yix's ears - a hiss of warning.
Just before you/he reach Lumpy, the half-orc shimmers and drops his disguise, seeming to blossom into the enormous form of an aboleth. A tentacle reaches out and slaps you/Yix before you/he can react.
The loud piercing scream echoes in your/Yix's head and doubly rebound as you hear the scream in your actual ears, delayed by a few microseconds.
You/Yix hit the ground. From the ground, you see Lissa shake herself out of her stupor. Seeing the aboleth before her, she shrieks (which you again hear twice - once in Yix's head, then a split second later in your own) and scrambles backwards upstream.
You/Yix turn back to see the aboleth approaching, like an enormous amphibious mountain. It lifts another tentacle slowly, then drops it down upon you like a hammer ...
The link is broken. You quickly re-orient yourself. The screams seemed to come from just up ahead.
Dashing forward, you stop short just before a sharp dropoff. Below you is a tributary of the stream. You see Lissa scrambling on her hands and knees, splashing in the water, trapped in the gully. The frightened gnome is about 30 feet below you.Last edited by Dr._Bob; 2007-04-19 at 09:54 PM.
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2007-04-20, 12:18 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2006
Re: The Necromancer's Pact VIII: The Rising Tide
Khazrael
Without hesitation, Khazrael dives straight down towards Lissa like a swooping hawk. Words of arcane power on his lips.
((OOC: Jumping down to Lissa and spider climbing her so she can get out of the ravine, then quickly following her. Jump check to reach Lissa and minimize fall damage: 1d20+19=26))Last edited by Koji; 2007-04-20 at 12:20 AM.
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2007-04-20, 08:47 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2004
- Location
- Maryland, USA
Re: The Necromancer's Pact VIII: The Rising Tide
OOC: Lissa and Khazrael need to make DC 15 Will saves or else succumb to another hypnotic pattern ...
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2007-04-21, 02:41 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2004
- Location
- Maryland, USA
Re: The Necromancer's Pact VIII: The Rising Tide
Khazrael sees the approaching multi-colored lights, but shakes off their effects. Without waiting to see if Lissa again falls prey to the hypnotic pattern, he wraps his arms about the small gnome and bodily drags her up out of the ravine, where waiting arms pull her to safety.
Retreating somewhat from the edge of the ravine, you reassess your options.
There is at least one aboleth (presumably) back the way you came, and one down in the ravine. Lumpy, Thokk, and Fizahn are missing. Yix is in all likelihood dead (judging from his last mental image).
Adalmar's eyes peer as far as the torchlight allows. Though his ranger skills are primarily honed for the plains and forests of the Great Dale, he is able to pick out a promising trail that leads away from either potential danger.
Moving onward as rapidly as light and terrain allow, you move away from the stream, choosing as parallel an eastward course as you can.
...
At one point, someone notices that the lizardman is no longer with the party. It appears that at some point, the druid slipped away, presumably to try to rescue his "packmates" left behind. Although this only adds to the sadness and discouragement many of you feel, everyone understands that this was something that the lizardkin druid felt he had to do ...
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2007-04-22, 12:33 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2005
- Location
- California
- Gender
Re: The Necromancer's Pact VIII: The Rising Tide
Lissa
"EEEEEEEEE!" A frightened shriek is about as coherent as Lissa is going to get right now. She flails ineffectually against Khazrael's grip for a few moments before the brain kicks in and she realizes that this is, indeed, an ally. Or at least he looks like one. Well, if he were a... a... Slimy Blob Of Doom... he would've eaten me by now, right? Right. So it really is Khazrael. Whew. As the stronger members of the party pull the pair to safety, they notice that Lissa has her crossbow out and loaded despite the damp. Looks like she was expecting trouble- up until the appearance of the pretty pretty lights, anyway.
After a minute or two of sobbing, incoherent babbling, and frenzied hugging of any and all party members (except Elthan; evidently he's still on the 'to kill someday' list), Lissa finally manages to calm down enough to tell everyone what happened. "I know now I was being really stupid, but it seemed like such a good idea at the time..." She sighs, pulling off a boot and pouring water out of it as she talks. "I heard the crying, figured it was some sort of illusion, and thought it was a swirfneblin or duergar playing tricks. So like the overconfident fool I was, I decided to find the illusionist and... ah... convince him to stop." Lissa won't look up at anyone, her voice filled with self-loathing and regret. "Stupid little gnome, walked right into the trap. I've seen that hypnotic pattern spell before, you know; we use it in several perimeter traps back home. Didn't save me from getting caught in it though. And then..." Her voice chokes up, and she covers her face with her hands. "Lumpy- except it wasn't him, it was some sort of blob-monster making itself look like him- the Lumpy lookalike came walking up to me, and Yix flew down and hissed at it, and the blob killed him!" Lissa's voice slowly scales up to a wail. "I couldn't do anything! I couldn't even move until Yix screamed!"
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2007-04-22, 05:26 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2007
Re: The Necromancer's Pact VIII: The Rising Tide
Adalmar
He does his best to pretend that his injuries are all he cares about... until he gets to Khazrael. With a ringing sound, his sword comes free, and he points it at Khazrael's chest.
"I think it wasn't really you back there, and I hope you are not possessed anymore. I don't pretend I understand those magics, but know that I'll be watching you."
A short conversation ensues, and Adalmar seems to get the assurances he wants. He nods sharply at the sorcerer : forgiven, but not forgotten.
Taking a wand out, he alleviates the lingering pain of the burns. He gasps in relief.
...
He finds himself at the back of the group. He can only guess what happens, another of Khazrael's reckless rescue attempts.
But when he sees Lissa coming back up, he can't help the small smile that comes to his face - despite all those senseless deaths, those people he will mourn before he ever got to know them.
Kir pecks his neck gently, and he looks up to find his disheveled companions. Hey, we are all lost. Perhaps I can provide some guidance...
He gestures wordlessly to the path he thinks he can see.
...
The lizardman's disparition is just another blow to his heart that he refuses to acknowledge.
SpoilerCLW (2 charges) : (1d8+1)[4] (1d8+1)[4]
edit: okay, make that 3 or 4 charges - I'll roll them laterLast edited by namo; 2007-04-24 at 04:53 PM.
"Even gods must learn to control their tempers, lest they set a bad example."
The Malazan Book of the Fallen, Steven Erikson
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2007-04-23, 07:22 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2005
Re: The Necromancer's Pact VIII: The Rising Tide
Katrin
Katrin keeps her hand on her sword until Lissa's explanation is over, unsure whether or not Khazrael or Lissa is 'posessed', as Aldamar put it. The gnome's frantic explanation matched up with what Yix had projected in their minds, and her actions certainly seemed to be in-character.
Katrin is saddened when she notices the lizardman's disappearance. If he has gone to fight the aboleth, at least he will have died fighting; it's probably the way he would have wanted to go. He will be sorely missed.
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2007-04-23, 09:00 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2004
- Location
- Maryland, USA
Re: The Necromancer's Pact VIII: The Rising Tide
Between Trinark's native knowledge of the Underdark and Adalmar's skills as a pathfinder, your (diminished) group is able to work its way to the east (more or less), wending around enormous pillars of stone and stalagmites, clambering over fallen stalactites, and sliding down frozen stone "waterfalls".
The torchlight reflects off of multi-colored sheets and curtains of rock hanging from the ceiling and you catch occasional sparkles that hint at rare gems perhaps embedded in the stone.
Under different circumstances the journey would be a marvelous experience, but in this case the wonders of this Underdark passage pass mostly uncommented upon.
While underground you find it difficult to judge the passage of time. It is not clear how many days pass, though you find yourselves soon depleted of water.
Trinark and Adalmar keep you on a gradually ascending path, and eventually you are rewarded by a faint glow in the distance, signifying light ahead. The ambient temperature suddenly drops, reminding you that while the air underground was cool but fairly comfortable, it is still wintertime on the surface ...
...
And, suddenly, there it is - daylight. You turn a final corner and find yourself in a roughly circular shaft approximately 100 feet across and 30 feet deep. Above you is open sky, blindingly blue and bright to your dark-adapted eyes. You are standing at the bottom of a sinkhole or collapsed cave.
Fresh snow lies on the rocks. Several of you shiver and dig out your cold weather gear once again.
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2007-04-23, 11:46 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2004
- Location
- Michigan
- Gender
Re: The Necromancer's Pact VIII: The Rising Tide
Sorry, exams. Will be back in full posting force Wednesday morning.
Achkby, Halfling Sorcerer
Achkby welcomes Lissa back at least as eagerly as the others, but remains subdued the rest of their journey. Yix's loss has hurt him deeply. The little dragon had saved his life only moments before, and died rescuing Lissa. What, really, had Achkby done for him?
[hr]
As Achkby wraps himself in layers of cloth, he suggests, "Perhaps Tiriel, you should go up, and see what's there."DON'T PANIC
(Arthur Avatar by the Losar.)
GO BLUE
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2007-04-23, 03:24 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2005
- Location
- ...
The Necromancer's Pact VIII: The Rising Tide
Callos
"I find it truly amazing that the multiverse itself conspires to slow our progress. First vampires, then aboleths, and now a pit...why did we come out in a pit in any case...Trinark? Care to shed some light on this dilemma? Why does an entrance to the Underdark connect with a pit?" Comes the dry comment from Callos as he brushes some dirt and snow from his clothing with a sour expression on his face. For all intents and purposes it almost looks as if it looks as if he has recovered from his bout of mental collapse in the earth below. Perhaps it had been because of the regression underground and so recently after he had managed to get out of it.
Hmm...this is excellent weather actually...but I'm not quite sure this is the right time for my little project. Later..if its still cold...and after I've mind scanned Elthan and the strangers to try and clear up some of this forsaken mess of an adventuring group.
Warriors & Wuxia: A community world-building project focused on low-magic wuxia/kung-fu action using ToB.
"These 'no-nonsense' solutions of yours just don't hold water in a complex world of jet-powered apes and time travel."
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2007-04-23, 05:03 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2005
- Location
- Torontonia
- Gender
Re: The Necromancer's Pact VIII: The Rising Tide
Aeroz
"I'm gonna have to agree with Callos here. Someone upstairs definitely does not like us one bit." Aeroz states grimly as he dons a thick cloak.
This is starting to become a little much. Too many people are dying, and worse, too many people who have kept us together are dying. First Sedryn, now Thokk and Lumpy, and even the little rat-dragon...
"Could anyone give us a good estimate of how close we are to where we need to be?"The Gradual decline in sanity of a Fedora developer
SpoilerTrog's Rendition of me, complete with a shirt reminding me who I am!
Originally Posted by AngelSword
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2007-04-23, 07:02 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2005
- Location
- central valley, CA
- Gender
Re: The Necromancer's Pact VIII: The Rising Tide
Tiriel
"Well to do that, we need to get up there first. Who still has a rope? If it's safe I can anchor the rope and we can all get out of here. If not, I guess I could carry people one at a time. A rope would be faster though."
ooc: I think Tiriel's rope+grappling hook was lost during the whole waterfall episode... I'm assuming that one of us still has one?
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2007-04-23, 07:29 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2005
- Location
- California
- Gender
Re: The Necromancer's Pact VIII: The Rising Tide
Lissa
Upon hearing of their friends' disappearance, Lissa reacts with uncharacteristic silence. She withdraws into herself for some time, only speaking when necessary; quite unusual for the gregarious gnome. Soft-spoken Gnomish prayers are heard more often than usual, and a crude altar similar to the one back in the besieged town hall pops up at the party's first campsite. Five gold coins, one for each lost comrade, adorn its rough stone surface.
...may you hear the song of the Earthcaller guiding you to the Last Home; may the Cloakshadow obscure your passage from those of evil intent; may the Watchful Protector walk at your side; and may we meet again someday in the World Beyond...
Pausing with one leg into her cold-weather leggings, Lissa balances on one foot for a few moments as she rummages in the haversack lying open before her. A large coil of pale silken rope emerges, along with a grappling hook. "There we go!" The gnome tosses both articles over in Tiriel's direction, figuring that Tiriel can probably throw the hook farther than Lissa herself can. Lissa squints up at the walls of the hole with a practiced eye, then nods and returns to the task of getting fur leggings on over leather armor. "Looks to be about three or four stories high. That piece of rope is plenty long enough."
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2007-04-24, 07:53 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2004
- Location
- Maryland, USA
Re: The Necromancer's Pact VIII: The Rising Tide
It doesn't take too long to get a rope up to the surface and for each member of the party to climb up out of the sinkhole. Stoically, Trinark again dons a heavy cloak, covering his head with a cowl to protect himself from the sun.
The sky is clear and cold, and the ground is covered in fresh snow. You stand on a flat plain. To the east the plain ends suddenly at a sharp cliff. Hundreds of feet down below is Lake Ashane, the Lake of Tears. Sea birds wheel and screech overhead.
You have an unobstructed view to the east. The Lake appears to be frozen over, at least as far as you can see from the clifftop. Whether it is frozen across its entire width is unclear. As you look out across the flat white surface of the frozen Lake, a low groaning occasionally reaches your ears as the ice subtly shifts.
To the north, along the cliff edge, you can see a black stone watchtower. Turning to the south, you see another watchtower just visible at the horizon. Adalmar recognizes them. These ancient towers are common along the western coast of Lake Ashane, relics of a long-forgotten empire.
To the west, the plain stretches featurelessly as far as you can see. Smudges of black smoke rise up ominously from beyond the horizon, reminding you that an army of drow and demons is not that far behind you ...Last edited by Dr._Bob; 2007-04-24 at 07:53 AM.
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2007-04-24, 12:07 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2006
Re: The Necromancer's Pact VIII: The Rising Tide
Khazrael
In the span between the escape from the aboleth and the trip out of the caverns, Khazrael says little, outside of a brief apology to Adalmar for the lightning bolt incident.
He makes no mention of what took place below, but his gaze is all ice and daggers whenever it falls on Tiriel or Callos. He only seems to relax in the presence of Adalmar or Lissa, though he only barely hides his dismay at her shrines and prayers.
His spirits rise when he sees the sky again. He's one of the first to climb the rope and as the others take stock of their surroundings, he stretches his bare arms to the sky and laughs, staring at the birds as he does so.
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2007-04-24, 04:48 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2005
- Location
- Lost within my mind
- Gender
Re: The Necromancer's Pact VIII: The Rising Tide
Elthan
Elthan was silent upon reaching the surface in the same way as he was on the way to it. He takes a quick look around, noting the two towers, then puts his head back down as he begins mouthing to himself.
He mulls around in a circle while waiting for the next few members of the group to finish climbing up before examining the view to the west. After an intense stare at the frostscape, he turns around and gives a likewise eye towards the lake. For a few moments some sound forms at his mouth as he begins to mumble, then stops.
In a dry voice, he utters, "It's empty."
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2007-04-24, 05:00 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2007
Re: The Necromancer's Pact VIII: The Rising Tide
Adalmar
Every morning and every night, he kneels and does the usual devotions to Mielikki, but his heart is not really in it, and he can't seem to feel her presence in the dark caves.
He lights up visibly when the daylight bathes his face again. Kir went ahead of him, soaring in the sky.
He falls back unconsciously to his habits, scouting ahead and looking for landmarks that would tell him how far North they ended up."Even gods must learn to control their tempers, lest they set a bad example."
The Malazan Book of the Fallen, Steven Erikson
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2007-04-24, 06:16 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2005
- Location
- central valley, CA
- Gender
Re: The Necromancer's Pact VIII: The Rising Tide
Tiriel
There is little talking until they reach the sunlight. Once again under the open sky Tiriel feels safer though the winter sun does little to disperse the anger and frustration she feels about what happened in the waterfall cave.
Tiriel has little trouble catching the foul looks Khazrael throws her way during their retreat. Tiriel figures that he either doesn't realize that she can see him, or he's stupid. Stupid wins out when Khazael's habit continues above ground, in daylight.
The next time Khaz looks at her, Tiriel returns his look, "If you have something to say then say it. Otherwise keep your eyes pointed elsewhere."
ooc: if Khaz is smart enough to stop once they're out of the cave, let me know and I'll delete that last part.
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2007-04-24, 08:05 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2005
Re: The Necromancer's Pact VIII: The Rising Tide
Katrin
Katrin shivers at the cold and pulls on a heavy cloak from her Handy Haversack. She looks up gratefully at the sun.
She remains silent after ascending to the surface, not knowing what to say. She paces around in the snow, every so often glancing over to the lake.
(OOC: Katrin dons her cold weather clothes.)
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2007-04-24, 10:02 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2006
Re: The Necromancer's Pact VIII: The Rising Tide
Khazrael
"You shouldn't need words. Not now." His eyes drift again to the birds. "You have wings, yet you don't fly."
His scowl fades and his gaze returns to the birds. The icy breeze tosses his hair about, the feathers within bending and leaning, but never coming free. His light sleevless shirt billows like a flag. He waits for a reply, but halfheartedly. A part of him seems lost on the wind.Last edited by Koji; 2007-04-24 at 11:07 PM.