Captain Selayne had informed you all last night, that in three days you would arrive at Ibenhold, one day ahead of schedule. For reasons known to yourself, you had booked passage on the Silver Swan. The passage had been quiet, the weather favorable.
Phlegm, the cook, had made a delicious meal before going to bed. Some kind of deep-water fish and fresh vegetables. Everything was as it should be, untill you fell asleep. Troubled dreams, nightmares and visions stalked that night. But now, waking up.. on a beach... somewhere, you can only remember the last of those dreams, the others quickly fading away.
[sblock=Durvin]
The water isn't deep. You stretch out your hand, and it pierces the surface. You hear voices now, and can see that they've finally seen you. They gather around you, the water reaching to their knees, and look down at you where you are lying, fully armored and weapons drawn. On the bottom of a pond. Do they not realize you cannot get up? You can hear their voices, sounding blurry and far off. "It is only a dwarf, leave him be.". The faces start to turn away, leaving you alone again.
One face remains. A young elven boy stares at you. He bends down, and his hand reaches to you, through the water. As his small fingers brush your face, your head explodes in pain.
You roll over and empties your stomach and lungs of saltwater. Your head is spinning, and you have no idea where you are, nor what had happened. Looking down, you see you are lying on a beach.[/sblock]
[Sblock=Malik]
Damn! It's stuck
You've already pocketed the few stray coins and the golden ring. The gilt would have to come last. This ring though.. This ring, it was stuck! Stuck on the old skeletons right-hand index finger. Trying once more pry it off, putting all your weight on it, it suddenly yields. Caught off-guard by the sudden release, you plunge backwards, and you try to twist mid-air so as not to land on your head. With a yank your motion stop. Something had grabbed your shoulder, and was holding on tight. Turning your head, you look up into the skull of the skeleton you just removed a finger from.
"Are you going anywhere with my ring, young one? Young thief. I think not. A grinding noice, and the heavy stone door of the chamber slams shut. From underneeth the throne, water starts trickling out. Slowly at first, then faster. Within moments it is a mighty torrent, gushing forth water.
The skeleton has released you now, and you can a the rasping laughter, mocking you. The water has reached your waist now, and it is still rising.
Within minutes, the whole chamber is filled with water. You are swimming up under the roof, trying to keep your face above the water in the tiny air pocked that you found, when you feel a cold, skeletal hand grasping your ankle. With a savage yank, you are pulled under, only to be released again. You find your pocket of air again, only to feel the hand closing around your ankle, pulling you under.
This goes on for some minutes, and you are getting exhausted. Again, you are pulled under, however this time it does not let go of you. Your air is running out and you know you will drown. As your very last breath escapes, and the water floods your lungs, all the water in the chamber disapears, and you plunge downwards, towards the floor. As you hit the floor, you faint.
You wake up with sand in your mouth, and the sound of birds singing close-by.[/sblock]
[sblock=Wittgenstein]
You wake up early - as usual - and makes your way to the deck. Something is wrong, where is everybody? Running on your short feet, you quickly search the ship and realize that you are alone. That's when you hear the voices.
Running as hard as you can, you reach the deck, bursting with joy - you were not alone after all - and where you hoped to see the captain and her crew, there are strange men. They all fall quiet as you emerge, and turn to you. That is when you see the ships. Two of them, flanking the Silver Swan. Pirates! Grabbing your sword, you charge them. It never occured to you that you would be overmatched. You alone, against half a dozen broad-chested pirates.
As if a miracle, you plow through them, and in less than a minute you are the only one left standing on the ship. Your chest fills with pride, you had done your duty. As you look up at the sterncastle, you see the Captain standing there. Something is wrong with her though, and it takes a few moments before you realize she is bald. "What have you done Wittgenstein? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" she shrieks at you. "I allowed your foolish obsession. I said nothing of it, as I saw it was important to you... And then you go an do this!" she makes as if to grab her hair, only to scratch her bare head. "You took my hair! MY HAIR!" She shrieks again. You don't understand, you did no such thing!
The Captain moves down towards you, malice shining in her eyes. "and then Wittgenstein... You went and killed my crew." You turn around in horror, and see the truth of her words. Where your slain pirates had been, you now see them all. Morrina, Phlegm, Gangly, Stabber, BadEye... Everyone! You have killed everyone. As you realize what you had done, you run to the gunnel and fling yourself over it, into the water. When you land, there is no splash. There is softness. Memories come flashing back from where you were little, cuddeling in the young girls hair. This is her hair. Or is it the captains? No matter, you decide. You start to sink down through the silken soft locks, and you are content. As the hair closes above your head, you can hear the captain shriek far, far away. "Wittgensteeeeiiiin....."
All of a sudden the hair turns to something slick and slimy, clinging to your skin like leeches. After a few moments of struggle, you are able to get your head clear of it, and realize you are lying on a beach, tightly packed in a heap of wet seaweed.[/sblock]
[sblock=O-Haril]
"You are, as always, faithfull and true to your word, O-Haril. Here, a little extra for you this moon. You've earned it." Calivar smiles up at you as he hands you a purse bulging with coins. You had defended the caravan from a band of goblins, trying to get their filthy hands on whatever it was they were after. They all turn and ran after three or four was swept down by your might. You chuckle at the memory of their shocked faces, and bounces the purse thoughtfully in your hand. You could save it.... Discarding that thought almost as soon as it comes, you decide to make the best of your two days off. Soon you find yourself in a tavern, where a bard is entertaining. The story he unfolds is one of your favorites - the one about Two-Axe and the fight with the Ice Giants - and the night passes swiftly.
It's the early hours of the morning before you return to Calivars mansion, planning to spend the coming day resting in your quarters. Something is wrong. You know that the moment you enter the grounds. Making haste, you quickly make your way to Calivar's quarters, dreading the worst. The hallways outside his rooms are crowded with people. His servants, guards, his maids. Everyone fall silent when they see you, and they part ways to let you in. He lies there, so peacefuly. His eyes closed, a slight smile on his face. The man standing over him turns to you. "It was poison. Purple Queen's Blood, is my guess. At least it was fast and painless." He stands up, looks at you for a few moments, then heads out.
Then you hear it, like a whisper, but you cannot make the words out. You turn back to Calivars body. You can see his lips moving, ever so slightly. You lower your head down and tries to listen to what he is whispering. As a soft breeze, you can hear his accusing words. "You... failed me... As I always... knew you would... You failed me, O-haril...." Something hits your head from behind, and you feel darkness closing in.
Slowly you come around. Gingerly touching the backside of your head, your hand comes away wet. Too wet. With horror you look at it, and only then realize that it is water, and you are drenched. Looking around yourself, you see a beautiful beach full of people.[/sblock]
[sblock=Alternative]
The vast chamber is booming with silence. The echoes of the last syllabels of the judgement was stilly rinning in your head. "You are to be deactivated. Effective immediately."
They had found out. About the cleric, about your doubt, about everything. You don't know how, but it did not really matter anymore, did it? Judgement had been cast, and there was no doubt about your guilt.
As you stand there, waiting for the end to come, the clerics words runs through your mind, over and over and over. "There is an alternative..." You feel your energy draining away now. And it gets dark.
The energy is seeping back into your inanimate body. You can move your limbs again. You can think again. But. You are on a beach.[/sblock]
[sblock=Daniel]
The goblins are slaughtering them all. The women, the kids, the old ones. Everyone who was left, after the men and old boys went out hunting for the goblin raiders. And now the goblins were here, in the village. You look at the slaughter, feeling helpless. You know you should help, but somehow you cannot. Legs feel like they are frozen to the ground, arms feel like they're tied close to your body. You want to help, but you cannot!.
"Do not fear, young one. Their time has come, yours has not. Accept it." The voice whispering in your head, you know it. The Queen, she's speaking to you now. "It is not for you to decide. You can but stand helpless and watch. Once, you had a choice, but you chose not to act. Which was good, all things considered. You made your choice then, and there is no going back. You are mine, now."
Memories come flooding back, pushing the slaughter away, and on the ground in front of you, you see, yet again, her still form. Arrow piercing her heart from behind. The scream forms deep in your throat, and you can feel it building power. Moments pass, and you cannot hold it in any longer. You release the scream, and all at once the scenes of slaughter reappears. Your scream stops the goblins in their tracks, and they start falling to the ground, throwing their hands over their ears. You cannot stop the scream now, some primal power has taken over and your grief, anger, regret, sorrow... It all takes control now. The world is starting to go blurry now. Your throat is dry, your eyes are watering and your chest is aching, but you cannot stop the scream. The blur increases, and soon all you can see nothing but a briliant light. Still the scream goes on.
At last, you get your breath back, and can stop the scream. The world come crashing back, and you find yourself - not in a scene of slaughter - on a white beach, seing forms of people all around you. Some sitting up, but most are still lying still.[/sblock]
[sblock=Tara]
"You have been dancing for a long time now, Tara. It is time you return home." Janios tells you. He's a faerie, just like all your other friends.
Atleast, that is what you think of them as. And now, he wants you to go home. Away from here. He had been asking you before, earlier, if you rather would go home soon. You didn't though, you like it here. You still do! But now, this time... it wasn't a question. He don't want you here anymore. Confused, you stop your dancing, and the world changes within the blink of an eye. The colors seems duller, the smells fainter and the sounds harsher. You are back home now. And you hate it.
"Were you with him again, Tara?" Restor asks. He is always so jealous when you go dancing. He gestures towards the fire burning in the night. "Come, sit with me. This is where you belong, Tara. Not with them." He will never understand, you know that now. With a smile, and a pang of regret you quickly supress, you turn to him and says: "You are wrong, dear Restor. I do belong with them. I am one of them. Goodbye."
He does not say a word, and you turn your back to him, and goes into the night. You call for Janios now. To show you the way back, to tell him that you have decided to stay for sure this time. But he does not answer. You hear only silence. Wandering the woods through the night, you slowly realized that you might have lost your chance. Tears start pouring down your cheeks and your vision turns blurry. Wiping the tears away, you stumble and fall.
Landing hard, your breath get knocked out of your lungs, and it takes a while for you to realize you are now somewhere. Birds are chirping in the forest only a handfull of yards up the beach, and you can hear the gentle sound of waves behind you. You are completely dry, but looking at the others on the beach, you seem to be the only one.[/sblock]
[sblock=Cyrial]
With a start you wake up. Sitting up in your bunk belowdecks, in the cabin you share with the dwarves during the passage to Ibenhold, you realize something is extremely wrong. Tip-tap'ing your way to the deck, you can feel the ship lying still in the water. On the deck, you can see slumped forms of the crew working the night shifts. Upon closer inspection they are all asleep, and no matter how much you try, you cannot wake them up.
Turning around with sudden alarm, as you felt the ermegence of a wast power behind you, you face a tall woman. Her elven features are strikingly beautiful, she wears a gown that seems to be made of flowing water, and her hair is bound with vines sprouting flowers. A voice behind you, then: "So, Cyrial. It has come to this, has it. A fun little trick, under other circumstances. Now... I doubt you will find it was worth the risk." There is nobody behind you, but you see a pair of golden glowing eyes floating a few paces away, and the voice comes from that spot.
The eyes wink out, and you turn back to, who you now realize, must be an immage of Melora. She looks at you for several long moments before talking. "Sehanine is right... Was it truly worth it?" she asks and throws her arms out to the side. An explosion of water, and you find yourself perched on a cliff overlooking a beach. And on that beach, you now see the shapes of people slowly stirring awake. You recognize some of them, and realize that they are the other passangers on the Ship.[/sblock]
[sblock=Szel]
Deftly turning away your flail, Deleth slams you with his shield, and you are thrown down on your back. "Focus Szel. You are better than this!" Picking up your flail and shield, you tell him you are ready. Within seconds you are again on your back on the floor. "You disapoint me, Szel. Your progress is lacking." His words hurt you to the very core. Something had changed in your mentor. Where before he was friendly and encouraging, he is today hostile and demeaning. Unable to respond, even to get up, you just sit there, looking at the hatred now burning in your mentors eyes.
Throwing down his weapons, he spit on the floor before turning his back towards you. "You are a failure. I always knew you would turn out like this. Get up, and get out of here. You no longer belong here. If you ever did..." Stunned, you slowly gather your posessions and take your leave of this place, that has been your home for a long time now. A breath of air rushes past you from behind, and a shadow crosses your path. You look up, to see a demonic figure circling the air, thirty or so feet in the air. Then it charges you. Within seconds you are locked in a frenzied dance of attacks and counter-attacks. This demon obviously have the upper hand, but you are able to hold your ground - for now.
The fight draws on, and you are starting to grow weak. The demon senses this, and in a flurry of its twin blades, you are left weaponless and shieldless on the ground. Standing over you with one of his blades gently resting on your throat, it speaks: "Deleth was right, you are pathetic." With a contemptous snarl he thrust the blade through your neck.
You awake drenched in sweat, realizing it was a dream. No, wait! Not sweat, water. Looking around, you see other people on the beach, also waking up.[/sblock]
[sblock=Mordras]
Their accusing looks had been enough to break your heart, if not your spirit. You had lead the pirates to your home, you had made possible the slaughter of your elder brother. They all blamed you - and rightly so.
A word of Cairbaras whereabouts had reached your ears only the day before. Following the rumour, you had tracked down the half-elf and his crew. they spent the night drinking and diceing in The Filthy Pig, a tavern suiting its name. You had made your way to a table and had Cairbara in sight. He was alone at the moment, nursing a tankard of ale. He sees you, and nods you over. Somewhat suprised, you nod back and goes to him. "Looking for work, boy? You look like someone who I could have some use for." He motions for you to sit down and help yourself with ale. Wasting no time, you reach for the ale and putting yourself between Cairbara and the rest of the room, pulls your dagger and plunge it into the half-elfs heart.
Quickly wiping your blood on the pirates tunic, you turn to leave, when you hear a whisper. "Why brother? Why?" and as you look upon the pirate, you now see the slumped form of your dead brother, staring at you with dead eyes. The whispers echoes in your head Why.. why... why.....
Panicing, you turn from the table and run. Out of the tavern, out on the street. Down to the harbor. Still, the whispers chase you. Why... why.... The water! You dive in, swimming down, to escape the whispers. They won't go away! Still down, you swim. You can see nothing now, but the dead, accusing eyes of your brother shines clearly in your mind, and the whispers continue without end. You run out of air and, finally, as water rushes into your lungs, the whispers go away. You smile, and a last thought before everything goes dark. I am sorry brother. Forgive me.
Gasping for air, you open your eyes, and the memories come flooding back. Grief and guilt overwhelms you, and you can but lie down in the sand and fight the urge to succumb to the tears. Wait.. Sand?[/sblock]
[sblock=Tye]
"It is safe now, the undead have been vanquished!" You stride into your home, expecting to be faced with cries of joy and happiness, that you made it back safely, that the undead threat was gone. You were met with silence and emptiness. Where were everybody? Searhing the house, you find it empty. Moving back out into the street, you see others who had returned come back, as puzzled as you. There were nobody here, not a single person.
Noices from the other streets now. Coming around a nearby corner, you see a familiar face. Finally! You take two steps towards your brother, then stop dead in your tracks. Shouts of shock and horror from others in the street.
From streets all around now, they come. Friends, family, loved ones. Everyone are here now. But they are all dead. Some have limbs missing, faces half rotten, clothes in tatters. They close in now, and there you are, half a dozen survivors from the long battle with the undead, standing in a group, surrounded by undead you know. None of you seems to be able to lift your weapons to save your lives. Within minutes, the slaughter is complete.
Slowly rising from the street, you feel hunger. Hungry for flesh, for blood, for violence. A voice now, booming above the silent forms of the undead in the street. "All along, we were out fighting, and you never knew. Not one of you! So now, here you are. Under my command, everyone. Now, go out. Feed, spread my will. We will find it!"
What it? Doesn't matter. He told you to feed. You know him. Or knew. Doesn't matter either. He told you to go. So you do. Starting to walk, you look down at your leg. Something it not as it is supposed to be. You can see the white of your bones through big, open wounds on your thighs. Doesn't matter. Must feed. And you feel the very last parts of identity and thought drain away, to be replaced by.. oblivion.
Ages later, the oblivion starts to take shape again. Thoughts return. You can feel pain. Your lungs ache, and your head pounds. Shaking your head, you can feel the water running down your back. Looking down on your legs, they are.. complete. No wounds, no scar tissue. Looking around, other people are also having similar awakenings. Examining their bodies, shaking out the water in their faces.. You are on a beach?[/sblock]
[Sblock=Fodor]
Hunger! Oh, such hunger, you are consumed by it. You had slain the elf in single combat, fair and without any dirty tricks. Silly elf, thinking you weak. You showed him differently. Chuckeling to yourself, you suck the marrow out of fingerbone. Somehting in the back of your head tells you this is wrong, but you chose to ignore it. What is wrong with eating, when you are hungry? There is nothing left now, but you are still hungry.
You walk out in the streets again, coming out from the dark alleyway you had been feasting in. You know you cannot just eat people, they need to be dead first. Dwarves... No, they taste to dry. Halflings are to sweet. Elves and Humans are best. Finding an acceptable elven female, you know you had found your next meal. Moving up behind the young elf, you quickly slice your dagger across her throat, and she falls down. You catch her, and start to drag her towards a closeby alley.
People are screaming all around you now, for some reason you cannot make out. Some are pointing at you, others are running. Shrugging, you enter the alley, and settles down to feed. The voice in your head is louder now, telling you how wrong this is, that it is not supposed to be like this. It is getting harder to ignore that voice now, but the hunger is so fierce! Pushing the voice forcefully away, you start chewing on a fleshy arm. "There! I found it! Bring the crossbows here!" Noice now, from the street. You turn around, and see three armored guards walking towards you slowly, two of them holding crossbows aimed at you. Puzzled, you look over your shoulder, but there is nobody there. Maybe they think you had seen something. Probably somehting to do with the ruckus in the street earlier. You smile and open your mouth to tell them you saw nothing, when the guard probably in charge says "Kill it!". Twin thumps from the crossbow, and you feel something hitting your chest, throwing you around and down. Seconds later, you feel something hitting the back of your head, and just before everything goes black, the voice in your head sighs and says I said it was wrong...
The voice ecoes in your head. wrong.. wrong.. and you blink your eyes and stare up at a shining sun. Yes. Something is wrong. Why are you wet? And what happened to the ship?[/sblock]
