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AGELESS Campaign Episode 2 - Temple of the Cat-Goddess
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<blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 6171443" data-attributes="member: 8530"><p><strong>Chapter 69 "Ambush” (Episode Two, Chapter Twenty-nine) - Saturday, September 10, 1882, 2:00 P.M.</strong></p><p></p><p>After the sheep and all of the shepherds except for Meren suddenly collapse onto the ground. Cetan smiles and thinks, “Praise to Father Sky here it comes..”. “Damn, here it comes," Abby said quietly. She quickly turned her back so she stood in a rough circle with Meren and Cetan and cast detect magic, looking for where the attack had come from. She notes two distinct magical aura's over by the house approximately sixty feet away. One is a person-shaped outline on the roof, although nobody is visible. The other magical aura is behind a second floor window where the curtains have been drawn.</p><p></p><p>Cetan checks to see if the shepherds are sleeping or hurt. They appear to only be asleep. Cetan's tapping of the three shepherds causes one to reawaken, but the other two remain in their deep slumbers. "They're in the house, one on the roof, one inside," Abby said from between her teeth. "They cast that spell from quite a distance, they're a lot more powerful than I am." Abby laid her hand on he hilt of her sword, ready to draw. The centaur then pulls out his rifle and gives his best Lakota war cry. </p><p></p><p>Abby's Detect Magic spell notes further movement, this with another pair of magical auras over by a storage shed south of the house. One of these auras is holding what is clearly a powerful magical wand based upon the amount of magic that it is radiating. Cetan also casts a detect magic spell and charges, shooting at the one with a wand. He continues his Lakota war cry. The charging centaur has the effect of causing the one with the wand to place it in his belt and begin to cast a spell. After Cetan's rifle shot blows away part of the shed immediately next to the invisible wizard. His or her companion grabs the individual and pulls them both back under cover behind the shed.</p><p></p><p>Cetan puts away the rifle and gets out his coup stick to see if he can count coup on the bad guys. He'll attempt to tag those on the ground with the stick and then try to think of a way to get the one on the roof down. All the while giving his best Lakota war cry. He thinks, “Ha! Living tales of bravery at last! Praise Father Sky for this fine day, a warrior's day!” Abby swiveled her head around to spot Meren. She held up four fingers to indicate the number of invisibles. She hesitated to run forward, knowing they were all likely to be more powerful wizards than she. Instead she cast her mage armor, pulled her borrowed blade and readied to back up Cetan who had not hesitated to move forward at all.</p><p></p><p>Cetan and Abby get over to the shed and look behind it, with the shed door closed. The pair of magical auras are gone, and there is nothing near that would have covered their escape. He also looks over his shoulder to make sure Meren and the others are ok. They then hear a softly spoken spell being cast from inside the shed. Knowing that not being able to see was a problem, Abby focused on the sound of the spell and quickly cast a magic missile, aiming at the source of the sound. Cetan summons a wolf inside the shed and gets ready for the mages to come running out. </p><p></p><p>The missiles fly from Abigail's fingertips and make their way through the cracks between the doors and inside, just as the wolf-form assembles inside. What follows are a series of exclamations in French and high-pitched sounds which Abby recognizes as the French phrases for 'rabid wolf' and 'kill it'. She next hears a man say "Sarah's been bitten." A new voice says in French, "Keep it away from me and we can leave."</p><p></p><p>Cetan kicks in the shed door and tries to prevent the new voice from casting so they can't get away. He'll try to simply overrun the caster and then when the caster is prone simply strike them if they try to cast. The shed door collapses inward under the force of Cetan's hooves, knocking to the group a man who looks identical to Meren's male companion who Cetan had revived a short while earlier. Also in the room is a woman who appears identical to Meren save for the nasty bite on her arm from which blood is spilling. </p><p></p><p>Cetan yells "Surrender or I'll bring the wolf back" in French. He and Abby see no other people in the small building, but dirt, splinters and drops of blood from the woman hang in the air near her, presumably over a companion otherwise covered with invisibility. A voice from behind the woman then speaks and Cetan finds himself enveloped in a thick and sticky web-like substance, the heaviest coating across his head, the eyes in particular.</p><p></p><p>Abby looked back for Meren, uncertain what the Druidess planned to do. Abby sees that the real Meren is actively engaged in a spell battle with the person on the second floor of the building. She then cast a Shocking Grasp spell on herself and hoped to get past Cetan and touch the invisible person behind Sarah. She is unable to get around the centaur due to the tight enclosure of the storage shed. Cetan attempts to grab the fake Meren/Sarah and step out of Abby's way. The webbing prevents him from reaching as far as he would like, the woman just out of his reach. The male voice in the rear completes another incantation and the woman and her male companion totally vanish. </p><p></p><p>Abby saw the magical aura sweep over the four foes and them dissipate. She had seen Transportation spells cast before, realizing that to cast it to take three others with him, then the senior member of this team who had been previously identified as Gay-Lusssic was an extremely skilled and high-level wizard. She remembers that the spell could take them anywhere known to the caster, so they could be as close as the nearby building or as far away as the opposite side of the world.</p><p></p><p>Abby kept the spell up, careful not to touch Cetan, and backed up. She turned to spot Meren and said, "Keep your eyes open, they transported themselves. They could appear anywhere!" Abby sees Meren get struck by a magic missile spell thrown from the person inside the window, indicating that at least one foe still remained. The aura of the person who had previously been on the room can no longer be seen. </p><p></p><p>Cetan takes a knife and tries to cut the sticky web, so that he can move and see again. The webbing cleared from his face, he sees Abby by the door and the young man helping his Druid friend. One foe is visible in the 2nd floor window. </p><p></p><p>Abby ran for the house, hoping to run up to the second floor and use the shocking spell on the person attacking Meren from the window. As he reaches the door she sees Meren fall a lightening bolt spell shots out from a first floor window, striking her. The shepherd near her immediately grabs his Druidess and begins to cast a healing spell onto her. Abby charged into the house, looking to strike the spell caster who must have thrown the lighting bolt spell.</p><p></p><p>She reaches the room with the spell caster. He is male, looks to be around thirty years of age, with a distinct mustache with waxed handlebars. He is still staring out the window and despite having clearly heard her footsteps, does not even turn his head. He then says in French "Hurry up Rene, we must get the druidess." Sword in one hand, spell on the other, Abby leapt at the spell caster intending to use the shock against him. The sword strikes the man on his left arm. He lets out a scream, far louder than one would expect from the relatively minor slash inflicted upon the man who now turns to face his attacker.</p><p></p><p>Hoping to take advantage of his surprise, Abby balled up her fist hit him in the nose. They hadn't come here to kill these people, just stop them, so she held the blade in reserve. The man howls out in pain and then stares down at the cut on his arm. He yells out in French, "You killed me woman! This is the death of me." He then bursts into tears and sobs, holding the wounded arm with his other hand. Abby is a bit taken back by this reaction, as the cut is not deep and the bleeding is already starting to cease, and yet he acts as though it was an amputation.</p><p></p><p>Cetan goes over to where Meren is with his rifle out, and ready to summon a wolf if Abby needs some help. Cetan will get Meren up on his back so he can get her to safety. Meren sits and looks to both her male companion and the centaur. She appears to be no worse for the wear. Out of the corner of Cetan's eye he spots somebody moving along the far side of the lawn over to the storage shed. Cetan asks Meren in Druidic if she is ok. </p><p></p><p>Waiting only long enough for her to respond (thinking a fake/switched Meren would not know Druidic), and with a wild war cry, Cetan charges with his bayonet the somebody moving to the storage shed. Cetan wheels around the bend to see a lone man staring into the storage shed and speaking in French, clearly awaiting a response from people who are no longer there.</p><p></p><p>Cetan taps him lightly with the bayonet, and asks him to "Surrender, si vous plait" Cetan is making a mental note that tapping him is official for counting coup. The man turns and surprises Cetan by speaking to him in the Lakota language, saying "Ah, noble centaur warrior, we are on the same side here. I am seeking to protect the Druidess and her companions. I am a friend to your people and have great respect for your way of life. We should be working together." </p><p></p><p>Cetan notes that while the man's syntax and pronunciation is perfect for the aspects of the language common to all Centaur tribes, many of his Lakota words are close but not perfect, and for the word 'Friend' he actually used the word of the Hopi centaur tribe. Remembering that the two legs often talk of peace and working together when they lie, Cetan has his rifle ready and asks in Lakota, "In what way can we work together? and where did you come from?"</p><p></p><p>He replies, "I come from a small town along the southern coast of France. My name is Rene Belloq, and I seek to save the lives of your friends, they are in great danger. If we work together we can help to avert a tragedy. Do you already know of this?" Cetan takes a look around to make sure Rene isn't just distracting him. He checks to make sure Meren looks ok. Abby is still inside the building. Meren and her companion appear okay, and are in the process of waking the other two shepherds. He listens and looks for Abby. Then Cetan asks, "In what way can we work together?" </p><p></p><p>The man states "A religious fanatic named Abdullah plans to murder these people. I was attempting to stop them before they put themselves in danger." Cetan says, "Rene, I'm am called Cetan. Come with me. Some of these people may still be in danger." And Cetan runs to help Abby.</p><p></p><p>In the building Abby states, "Considering you're here to commit mass murder, I don't feel terribly sorry for you. Stop being such a baby, it's stopping already. Who's upstairs?" In a fit of sobs and screams he states, "You vile woman! Do you not even know who it is that you have mortally wounded! I am Jean-Leon Gerome, one of the most renown and beloved artists in the world. How will I ever be able to paint, to sculpt, ever again after this grievous injury! You will have cost the world far more than you can ever realize with your brash and violent actions." Abby had vaguely heard of Gerome, a third-rate artist at best, and cannot recall ever seeing any of his works off-hand.</p><p></p><p>She was about to turn around and ignore him, but paranoia struck and she suddenly wondered if this woe is me act was designed to make her do just that. Abby stepped forward and grabbed the arm she'd cut and twisted. "Call your partner down," she hissed from between her teeth, "And maybe I'll let you keep your pretty face." "My Face!" he screams, as he throws his hands up against his cheeks. He then faints dead away, collapsing on the floor.</p><p></p><p>Abby bit back several curses. Then she pulled the belt from around her waist and tied the man's hand behind his back with it. A moment later she was running up the stairs to make sure it was clear. There does not appear to be anybody upstairs. Looking out the window, she sees Cetan charging across the lawn with the man who had previously been on the roof now chasing him. </p><p></p><p>Cetan quickly reaches the door to the building. Looking back, the man Rene is following on foot. Cetan yells up to Abby, "Are you ok? This man said he is here to help." She replies, "I'm fine. There's a gutless coward tied up downstairs. And that man," she said pointing at the one following Cetan, "I saw on a rooftop, so he has some explaining to do before I'd believe him. I'm on my way down." She got back down the stairs and went to the doorway where she could keep an eye on the "artist."</p><p></p><p>Once back inside, the man says, "Madame, my name is Rene Belloq. As I told your Lakota companion, I am attempting to save the lives of the Druidess Meren and her Priest companion Partah. They are walking into a situation where a religious fanatic named Abdullah was going to kill them. If you truly saw me upon the roof you will note that I did nothing more to them than put them to sleep."</p><p></p><p>Abby states, "And what you did fit exactly with the plan of the other Frenchmen here trying to take the Druidess. Are you going to try to convince me you didn't know that French actress was going to impersonate her and sneak into the Palace to poison the King? Abdullah is a distraction and a scapegoat." Belloq replies, "Abdullah is the one who wished to kill the King. My colleagues and I were only trying to help. Yes, two were to temporarily portray Meren and Partha, but only for as long it took for the rest of us to get the real ones to safety. I know not who you are, or where you get your information young lady, but it is not accurate. From allies of Abdullah perhaps?"</p><p></p><p>She replies, "I got mine from the mouth of Prosper Merimee. How about you?" He nods and says, "Ah, that explains much. Merimee is the superior of my two thespian allies, and knew only enough to give them instruction. The plans of our Wizarding society were compartmentalized. He does not know the entire story, and it appears he may have incorrectly 'connected the dots' from what he does know. Listen, why don't we simplify this. I am personally acquainted with your colleague Professor Alsoomse da Rosa. She and I both work in the same field, the study of Linguistics. While I do not claim to know her well enough to vouch for my character, she should at least be able to confirm that I am a scholar and not a mass murderer."</p><p></p><p>Abby says, "You certainly know a lot about me. Let me tell you something you don't know. I snuck into the camp where the British Archeologists were being held as spies. Since they weren't I thought they ought to be freed. I used an elixir to impersonate Sarah Bernhardt. So Merimee was quite frank with me. He thought she'd returned because she objected to the mission Gay-Lussac had given her. The mission to sneak in and poison the King. Your instructions certainly are compartmentalized. If I were helping to commit murder I'd want to know."</p><p></p><p>The man stares at her without speaking for well over a minute. He then says, "One unique thing about the study of linguistics is that you learn how to read subtle nuances of speech. By watching and listening to you right now, well, that has allowed me to ascertain that you truly believe what you have just told me. However, that does not necessarily mean it is the truth. </p><p></p><p>Prosper Merimee was Miss Bernhardt's mentor. I find it highly unlikely that he failed to see through your disguise. What he told you was therefore false information to throw your team off of the trail you were on, specifically, his trail. The fact that you are here chasing shepherds rather than down in the ruins of Tanis or Zakazik proves that he was successful." </p><p></p><p>Cetan hauls the wizard Abby tied up out where we can all keep an eye on him. He then looks towards the Druidess Meren. Up until this point Meren was preoccupied with getting the six sheep awakened. She looks surprised when Cetan and Abigail return with one bound prisoner and one walking free of his own accord.</p><p>Cetan asks in French, "Who exactly is in danger? and what is in the ruins of Tanis or Zakazik?"</p><p></p><p>Rene replies, "These shepherds are in danger from the fanatic I spoke of. Lots of Egyptians are in danger from this civil war. As for the ruins, I personally believe that there is nothing to find there, but the aforementioned Mr. Merimee strongly thinks otherwise. He would have said whatever it took to get your friends to leave." So Cetan slings the tied up two-leg across his back and motions every one to move forward. He asks Rene, " So who is this we have tied up here?" </p><p></p><p>Rene replies, "His name is Jean-Leon Gerome. He's a painter of some sort, nobody of any real importance except that he is politically connected. He is very close friends of some high placed mutual acquaintances of ours." As they move along, Cetan asks Rene “How he thinks we should avoid the civil war, and are the shepherds still in danger?” He says, "I have no idea how to stop the war, but I do know that the last place these shepherds should be going to now is the palace." Cetan asks, "Why should they not go to the palace?"</p><p></p><p>Rene replies "Because the fanatic Abdullah is planning to kill everybody there." Cetan replies, "How is he going to do that?" "In whatever way Sardou has been whispering in his ear, I imagine," Abby said, still highly suspicious of this Rene person. She certainly believed HE believed what he said. She also believed he was the one lacking information. </p><p></p><p>Rene says, "Abdullah plans to stir up a large crowd and cause a demonstration outside the palace. This will be a distraction, to allow loyal followers of his inside the palace to slay the Royals and all others inside who are not part of Abdullah's cause." Continuing on toward the Palace, Cetan asks Rene, "What are your plans when we reach the palace?" He replies, "I assume that our role would be to warn the King about Abdullah. Although I do not feel it is safe for us to bring these people there to be killed, or safe for us either." </p><p></p><p>"Sounds like a good but vague plan." Cetan, coup stick in hand, would like Rene to explain, "Why we should believe he isn't just going to betray us as soon we get to the palace and he sees some Frenchmen or Abdullah's agents?" Rene emphatically states, "Sir, I am sorry that you do not trust me. Have I given you any reason at all to indicate that I am not sincere? What can I do to convince you that I am trying to help?" Cetan asks, "How is it that you where at the site of the ambush?" He states, "Because it was an ambush sir, that I participated in, but the intention was only to put them to sleep in order to save their lives."</p><p></p><p>"I don't believe you're insincere," Abby said in Cetan's place. "I just think you're wrong. I think if we meet up with the others you were with you'll side with them; believe in them. Merimee wasn't feeding me a line. A couple men called Chevreul and Daguerre tried this once before. They send in someone called Pascal and someone called Montblanc in magical disguises, and they were caught and killed. And yes, I know the official line in your organization is that they died in a fire. France is falling apart politically. Soon, wizardly may be illegal, or at least looked-down on there. Your organization is loosing it's power, unless it can find a new power base. Chevreul and Daguerre at least are trying to make it Egypt."</p><p></p><p>Rene states, "An interesting theory young lady. You appear to know more about this French wizarding group than I do, although I will admit to being one of its newest members." Cetan asks, "So what do you plan to do once we reach the palace?" Abby interjects, "Here's the promise I want from you. No matter if the others you were with show up, your goal is to warn the King about the threat from Abdullah. Distraction or not, Abdullah's goal is to kill the King; we agree on that. You won't try to stop Meren and the shepherds any further. They've been warned of the dangers and know what they're doing. And you'll keep your mind open if your compatriots show up with some new kind of plan. I suspect they may have just gone to the palace in their disguises and claimed to have been attacked." Rene agrees to those terms. </p><p></p><p>Cetan asks Meren if she is afraid to bring the sheep to the palace. Meren reiterates that he sole responsibility is to deliver the sheep to the palace. Pointing at the two leg he has been carrying, "And what should we do with him?" Abby says, "I don't trust either of them as far as I could through them. But Abdullah, despite being a distraction is also a threat. Sardou has been whispering to him, and I'm sure that he was considered a fail-safe for the main plan. And we have to consider that the other three may return. We took them by surprise this time, next time they may be the ambushers. I think we need to drag these two along, keep an eye on them at all times, and get to the Palace."</p><p></p><p>They begin to reach the outskirts of Cairo, making good time until they reach a Nile tributary that requires a ferry boat to cross. The primary ferry will only take passengers rather than livestock, so Meren has to find another boatman willing to take them and the animals across. While they are waiting for her to make the arrangements Cetan notices that the bound and 'unconscious' has minor body movements indicating that he is actually awake but is faking still being out. Cetan does non lethal damage with his coup counting stick to put the artist out. Then covers him so it doesn't look like a dead body.</p><p></p><p>Meren manages to secure the services of a ferry barge. It is a wooden vessel around 40 feet long and ten feet wide, that will be guided across the river by a pair of sails and a quartet of oarsmen/polemen. Abby, Cetan, the four Shepherds, two Frenchmen and six sheep are guided down to the boat.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Silver Moon, post: 6171443, member: 8530"] [B]Chapter 69 "Ambush” (Episode Two, Chapter Twenty-nine) - Saturday, September 10, 1882, 2:00 P.M.[/B] After the sheep and all of the shepherds except for Meren suddenly collapse onto the ground. Cetan smiles and thinks, “Praise to Father Sky here it comes..”. “Damn, here it comes," Abby said quietly. She quickly turned her back so she stood in a rough circle with Meren and Cetan and cast detect magic, looking for where the attack had come from. She notes two distinct magical aura's over by the house approximately sixty feet away. One is a person-shaped outline on the roof, although nobody is visible. The other magical aura is behind a second floor window where the curtains have been drawn. Cetan checks to see if the shepherds are sleeping or hurt. They appear to only be asleep. Cetan's tapping of the three shepherds causes one to reawaken, but the other two remain in their deep slumbers. "They're in the house, one on the roof, one inside," Abby said from between her teeth. "They cast that spell from quite a distance, they're a lot more powerful than I am." Abby laid her hand on he hilt of her sword, ready to draw. The centaur then pulls out his rifle and gives his best Lakota war cry. Abby's Detect Magic spell notes further movement, this with another pair of magical auras over by a storage shed south of the house. One of these auras is holding what is clearly a powerful magical wand based upon the amount of magic that it is radiating. Cetan also casts a detect magic spell and charges, shooting at the one with a wand. He continues his Lakota war cry. The charging centaur has the effect of causing the one with the wand to place it in his belt and begin to cast a spell. After Cetan's rifle shot blows away part of the shed immediately next to the invisible wizard. His or her companion grabs the individual and pulls them both back under cover behind the shed. Cetan puts away the rifle and gets out his coup stick to see if he can count coup on the bad guys. He'll attempt to tag those on the ground with the stick and then try to think of a way to get the one on the roof down. All the while giving his best Lakota war cry. He thinks, “Ha! Living tales of bravery at last! Praise Father Sky for this fine day, a warrior's day!” Abby swiveled her head around to spot Meren. She held up four fingers to indicate the number of invisibles. She hesitated to run forward, knowing they were all likely to be more powerful wizards than she. Instead she cast her mage armor, pulled her borrowed blade and readied to back up Cetan who had not hesitated to move forward at all. Cetan and Abby get over to the shed and look behind it, with the shed door closed. The pair of magical auras are gone, and there is nothing near that would have covered their escape. He also looks over his shoulder to make sure Meren and the others are ok. They then hear a softly spoken spell being cast from inside the shed. Knowing that not being able to see was a problem, Abby focused on the sound of the spell and quickly cast a magic missile, aiming at the source of the sound. Cetan summons a wolf inside the shed and gets ready for the mages to come running out. The missiles fly from Abigail's fingertips and make their way through the cracks between the doors and inside, just as the wolf-form assembles inside. What follows are a series of exclamations in French and high-pitched sounds which Abby recognizes as the French phrases for 'rabid wolf' and 'kill it'. She next hears a man say "Sarah's been bitten." A new voice says in French, "Keep it away from me and we can leave." Cetan kicks in the shed door and tries to prevent the new voice from casting so they can't get away. He'll try to simply overrun the caster and then when the caster is prone simply strike them if they try to cast. The shed door collapses inward under the force of Cetan's hooves, knocking to the group a man who looks identical to Meren's male companion who Cetan had revived a short while earlier. Also in the room is a woman who appears identical to Meren save for the nasty bite on her arm from which blood is spilling. Cetan yells "Surrender or I'll bring the wolf back" in French. He and Abby see no other people in the small building, but dirt, splinters and drops of blood from the woman hang in the air near her, presumably over a companion otherwise covered with invisibility. A voice from behind the woman then speaks and Cetan finds himself enveloped in a thick and sticky web-like substance, the heaviest coating across his head, the eyes in particular. Abby looked back for Meren, uncertain what the Druidess planned to do. Abby sees that the real Meren is actively engaged in a spell battle with the person on the second floor of the building. She then cast a Shocking Grasp spell on herself and hoped to get past Cetan and touch the invisible person behind Sarah. She is unable to get around the centaur due to the tight enclosure of the storage shed. Cetan attempts to grab the fake Meren/Sarah and step out of Abby's way. The webbing prevents him from reaching as far as he would like, the woman just out of his reach. The male voice in the rear completes another incantation and the woman and her male companion totally vanish. Abby saw the magical aura sweep over the four foes and them dissipate. She had seen Transportation spells cast before, realizing that to cast it to take three others with him, then the senior member of this team who had been previously identified as Gay-Lusssic was an extremely skilled and high-level wizard. She remembers that the spell could take them anywhere known to the caster, so they could be as close as the nearby building or as far away as the opposite side of the world. Abby kept the spell up, careful not to touch Cetan, and backed up. She turned to spot Meren and said, "Keep your eyes open, they transported themselves. They could appear anywhere!" Abby sees Meren get struck by a magic missile spell thrown from the person inside the window, indicating that at least one foe still remained. The aura of the person who had previously been on the room can no longer be seen. Cetan takes a knife and tries to cut the sticky web, so that he can move and see again. The webbing cleared from his face, he sees Abby by the door and the young man helping his Druid friend. One foe is visible in the 2nd floor window. Abby ran for the house, hoping to run up to the second floor and use the shocking spell on the person attacking Meren from the window. As he reaches the door she sees Meren fall a lightening bolt spell shots out from a first floor window, striking her. The shepherd near her immediately grabs his Druidess and begins to cast a healing spell onto her. Abby charged into the house, looking to strike the spell caster who must have thrown the lighting bolt spell. She reaches the room with the spell caster. He is male, looks to be around thirty years of age, with a distinct mustache with waxed handlebars. He is still staring out the window and despite having clearly heard her footsteps, does not even turn his head. He then says in French "Hurry up Rene, we must get the druidess." Sword in one hand, spell on the other, Abby leapt at the spell caster intending to use the shock against him. The sword strikes the man on his left arm. He lets out a scream, far louder than one would expect from the relatively minor slash inflicted upon the man who now turns to face his attacker. Hoping to take advantage of his surprise, Abby balled up her fist hit him in the nose. They hadn't come here to kill these people, just stop them, so she held the blade in reserve. The man howls out in pain and then stares down at the cut on his arm. He yells out in French, "You killed me woman! This is the death of me." He then bursts into tears and sobs, holding the wounded arm with his other hand. Abby is a bit taken back by this reaction, as the cut is not deep and the bleeding is already starting to cease, and yet he acts as though it was an amputation. Cetan goes over to where Meren is with his rifle out, and ready to summon a wolf if Abby needs some help. Cetan will get Meren up on his back so he can get her to safety. Meren sits and looks to both her male companion and the centaur. She appears to be no worse for the wear. Out of the corner of Cetan's eye he spots somebody moving along the far side of the lawn over to the storage shed. Cetan asks Meren in Druidic if she is ok. Waiting only long enough for her to respond (thinking a fake/switched Meren would not know Druidic), and with a wild war cry, Cetan charges with his bayonet the somebody moving to the storage shed. Cetan wheels around the bend to see a lone man staring into the storage shed and speaking in French, clearly awaiting a response from people who are no longer there. Cetan taps him lightly with the bayonet, and asks him to "Surrender, si vous plait" Cetan is making a mental note that tapping him is official for counting coup. The man turns and surprises Cetan by speaking to him in the Lakota language, saying "Ah, noble centaur warrior, we are on the same side here. I am seeking to protect the Druidess and her companions. I am a friend to your people and have great respect for your way of life. We should be working together." Cetan notes that while the man's syntax and pronunciation is perfect for the aspects of the language common to all Centaur tribes, many of his Lakota words are close but not perfect, and for the word 'Friend' he actually used the word of the Hopi centaur tribe. Remembering that the two legs often talk of peace and working together when they lie, Cetan has his rifle ready and asks in Lakota, "In what way can we work together? and where did you come from?" He replies, "I come from a small town along the southern coast of France. My name is Rene Belloq, and I seek to save the lives of your friends, they are in great danger. If we work together we can help to avert a tragedy. Do you already know of this?" Cetan takes a look around to make sure Rene isn't just distracting him. He checks to make sure Meren looks ok. Abby is still inside the building. Meren and her companion appear okay, and are in the process of waking the other two shepherds. He listens and looks for Abby. Then Cetan asks, "In what way can we work together?" The man states "A religious fanatic named Abdullah plans to murder these people. I was attempting to stop them before they put themselves in danger." Cetan says, "Rene, I'm am called Cetan. Come with me. Some of these people may still be in danger." And Cetan runs to help Abby. In the building Abby states, "Considering you're here to commit mass murder, I don't feel terribly sorry for you. Stop being such a baby, it's stopping already. Who's upstairs?" In a fit of sobs and screams he states, "You vile woman! Do you not even know who it is that you have mortally wounded! I am Jean-Leon Gerome, one of the most renown and beloved artists in the world. How will I ever be able to paint, to sculpt, ever again after this grievous injury! You will have cost the world far more than you can ever realize with your brash and violent actions." Abby had vaguely heard of Gerome, a third-rate artist at best, and cannot recall ever seeing any of his works off-hand. She was about to turn around and ignore him, but paranoia struck and she suddenly wondered if this woe is me act was designed to make her do just that. Abby stepped forward and grabbed the arm she'd cut and twisted. "Call your partner down," she hissed from between her teeth, "And maybe I'll let you keep your pretty face." "My Face!" he screams, as he throws his hands up against his cheeks. He then faints dead away, collapsing on the floor. Abby bit back several curses. Then she pulled the belt from around her waist and tied the man's hand behind his back with it. A moment later she was running up the stairs to make sure it was clear. There does not appear to be anybody upstairs. Looking out the window, she sees Cetan charging across the lawn with the man who had previously been on the roof now chasing him. Cetan quickly reaches the door to the building. Looking back, the man Rene is following on foot. Cetan yells up to Abby, "Are you ok? This man said he is here to help." She replies, "I'm fine. There's a gutless coward tied up downstairs. And that man," she said pointing at the one following Cetan, "I saw on a rooftop, so he has some explaining to do before I'd believe him. I'm on my way down." She got back down the stairs and went to the doorway where she could keep an eye on the "artist." Once back inside, the man says, "Madame, my name is Rene Belloq. As I told your Lakota companion, I am attempting to save the lives of the Druidess Meren and her Priest companion Partah. They are walking into a situation where a religious fanatic named Abdullah was going to kill them. If you truly saw me upon the roof you will note that I did nothing more to them than put them to sleep." Abby states, "And what you did fit exactly with the plan of the other Frenchmen here trying to take the Druidess. Are you going to try to convince me you didn't know that French actress was going to impersonate her and sneak into the Palace to poison the King? Abdullah is a distraction and a scapegoat." Belloq replies, "Abdullah is the one who wished to kill the King. My colleagues and I were only trying to help. Yes, two were to temporarily portray Meren and Partha, but only for as long it took for the rest of us to get the real ones to safety. I know not who you are, or where you get your information young lady, but it is not accurate. From allies of Abdullah perhaps?" She replies, "I got mine from the mouth of Prosper Merimee. How about you?" He nods and says, "Ah, that explains much. Merimee is the superior of my two thespian allies, and knew only enough to give them instruction. The plans of our Wizarding society were compartmentalized. He does not know the entire story, and it appears he may have incorrectly 'connected the dots' from what he does know. Listen, why don't we simplify this. I am personally acquainted with your colleague Professor Alsoomse da Rosa. She and I both work in the same field, the study of Linguistics. While I do not claim to know her well enough to vouch for my character, she should at least be able to confirm that I am a scholar and not a mass murderer." Abby says, "You certainly know a lot about me. Let me tell you something you don't know. I snuck into the camp where the British Archeologists were being held as spies. Since they weren't I thought they ought to be freed. I used an elixir to impersonate Sarah Bernhardt. So Merimee was quite frank with me. He thought she'd returned because she objected to the mission Gay-Lussac had given her. The mission to sneak in and poison the King. Your instructions certainly are compartmentalized. If I were helping to commit murder I'd want to know." The man stares at her without speaking for well over a minute. He then says, "One unique thing about the study of linguistics is that you learn how to read subtle nuances of speech. By watching and listening to you right now, well, that has allowed me to ascertain that you truly believe what you have just told me. However, that does not necessarily mean it is the truth. Prosper Merimee was Miss Bernhardt's mentor. I find it highly unlikely that he failed to see through your disguise. What he told you was therefore false information to throw your team off of the trail you were on, specifically, his trail. The fact that you are here chasing shepherds rather than down in the ruins of Tanis or Zakazik proves that he was successful." Cetan hauls the wizard Abby tied up out where we can all keep an eye on him. He then looks towards the Druidess Meren. Up until this point Meren was preoccupied with getting the six sheep awakened. She looks surprised when Cetan and Abigail return with one bound prisoner and one walking free of his own accord. Cetan asks in French, "Who exactly is in danger? and what is in the ruins of Tanis or Zakazik?" Rene replies, "These shepherds are in danger from the fanatic I spoke of. Lots of Egyptians are in danger from this civil war. As for the ruins, I personally believe that there is nothing to find there, but the aforementioned Mr. Merimee strongly thinks otherwise. He would have said whatever it took to get your friends to leave." So Cetan slings the tied up two-leg across his back and motions every one to move forward. He asks Rene, " So who is this we have tied up here?" Rene replies, "His name is Jean-Leon Gerome. He's a painter of some sort, nobody of any real importance except that he is politically connected. He is very close friends of some high placed mutual acquaintances of ours." As they move along, Cetan asks Rene “How he thinks we should avoid the civil war, and are the shepherds still in danger?” He says, "I have no idea how to stop the war, but I do know that the last place these shepherds should be going to now is the palace." Cetan asks, "Why should they not go to the palace?" Rene replies "Because the fanatic Abdullah is planning to kill everybody there." Cetan replies, "How is he going to do that?" "In whatever way Sardou has been whispering in his ear, I imagine," Abby said, still highly suspicious of this Rene person. She certainly believed HE believed what he said. She also believed he was the one lacking information. Rene says, "Abdullah plans to stir up a large crowd and cause a demonstration outside the palace. This will be a distraction, to allow loyal followers of his inside the palace to slay the Royals and all others inside who are not part of Abdullah's cause." Continuing on toward the Palace, Cetan asks Rene, "What are your plans when we reach the palace?" He replies, "I assume that our role would be to warn the King about Abdullah. Although I do not feel it is safe for us to bring these people there to be killed, or safe for us either." "Sounds like a good but vague plan." Cetan, coup stick in hand, would like Rene to explain, "Why we should believe he isn't just going to betray us as soon we get to the palace and he sees some Frenchmen or Abdullah's agents?" Rene emphatically states, "Sir, I am sorry that you do not trust me. Have I given you any reason at all to indicate that I am not sincere? What can I do to convince you that I am trying to help?" Cetan asks, "How is it that you where at the site of the ambush?" He states, "Because it was an ambush sir, that I participated in, but the intention was only to put them to sleep in order to save their lives." "I don't believe you're insincere," Abby said in Cetan's place. "I just think you're wrong. I think if we meet up with the others you were with you'll side with them; believe in them. Merimee wasn't feeding me a line. A couple men called Chevreul and Daguerre tried this once before. They send in someone called Pascal and someone called Montblanc in magical disguises, and they were caught and killed. And yes, I know the official line in your organization is that they died in a fire. France is falling apart politically. Soon, wizardly may be illegal, or at least looked-down on there. Your organization is loosing it's power, unless it can find a new power base. Chevreul and Daguerre at least are trying to make it Egypt." Rene states, "An interesting theory young lady. You appear to know more about this French wizarding group than I do, although I will admit to being one of its newest members." Cetan asks, "So what do you plan to do once we reach the palace?" Abby interjects, "Here's the promise I want from you. No matter if the others you were with show up, your goal is to warn the King about the threat from Abdullah. Distraction or not, Abdullah's goal is to kill the King; we agree on that. You won't try to stop Meren and the shepherds any further. They've been warned of the dangers and know what they're doing. And you'll keep your mind open if your compatriots show up with some new kind of plan. I suspect they may have just gone to the palace in their disguises and claimed to have been attacked." Rene agrees to those terms. Cetan asks Meren if she is afraid to bring the sheep to the palace. Meren reiterates that he sole responsibility is to deliver the sheep to the palace. Pointing at the two leg he has been carrying, "And what should we do with him?" Abby says, "I don't trust either of them as far as I could through them. But Abdullah, despite being a distraction is also a threat. Sardou has been whispering to him, and I'm sure that he was considered a fail-safe for the main plan. And we have to consider that the other three may return. We took them by surprise this time, next time they may be the ambushers. I think we need to drag these two along, keep an eye on them at all times, and get to the Palace." They begin to reach the outskirts of Cairo, making good time until they reach a Nile tributary that requires a ferry boat to cross. The primary ferry will only take passengers rather than livestock, so Meren has to find another boatman willing to take them and the animals across. While they are waiting for her to make the arrangements Cetan notices that the bound and 'unconscious' has minor body movements indicating that he is actually awake but is faking still being out. Cetan does non lethal damage with his coup counting stick to put the artist out. Then covers him so it doesn't look like a dead body. Meren manages to secure the services of a ferry barge. It is a wooden vessel around 40 feet long and ten feet wide, that will be guided across the river by a pair of sails and a quartet of oarsmen/polemen. Abby, Cetan, the four Shepherds, two Frenchmen and six sheep are guided down to the boat. [/QUOTE]
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AGELESS Campaign Episode 2 - Temple of the Cat-Goddess
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