[CoC/Eberron]Morgrave Gambit-Ex Oblivion, Eberron! IC

[Mark Causey]

The gnome, whatever it was, had taken the distractions as an opportunity to disappear and reappear behind the cloaked unconscious lady. He lifted her aloft with ease, and spoke words of a foul origin and desperate anger*. They became like a liquid, poured into molds of their own form, and then became muddied with a darkness unequaled in the room, but by one source. And all of this had been but an instant, but they were sucked into the puddle in the center of the room like a swarm of incited bees attacking their target, but somehow in reverse, as if the puddle where their comb.

Dala, beaten, breathing shallowly, pulled together her mind and spirit, and spoke of things of great pertinence to her.

"The prince, err, him! Fear not, he is stuck on the other side! Masked One, were that agreeance were execution! I have but one plan . . . Luciana, flow into me! Firewind has fled, you need another host!"

Dala pauses for a second, and the light looks almost like it is moving (but that could be the resonance in your eyes from staring at it!)

Dear friends, fear for your lives, not mine! Take haste and flee, for if I don't succeed, Luciana may be loosed here, despite our best efforts!"

{OOC - *Well, I hate to do this again, but it seemed appropriate. If only I'd labeled this as a foul language PbP, you could've been forewarned! I guess what I'm getting at is that the verbal component and the resulting action of the gnome and lady require yet another Sanity check.{/OOC}
Velious -

Spoiler

what Dala proposes seems to be congruent with the words that came from you (being a host is like protecting someone). You, however, don't like the idea of 'Luciana loosed'.

'eezer -

Spoiler

your senses seem to indicate that Dala is lying in that the 'Prince' has a scent.

Aalin -

Spoiler

were this any other situation, you would identify it as a Faerie Fire spell, but you're not sure with all that's going on. Maybe the Sanity damage added to your Concentration check and your infusion failed - but infusions don't have 'dramatic backlashes' - or do they?

Calach -

Spoiler

all of your instincts tell you that you won't be able to get the Grail in some form or fashion without that crystal lying there.

 

[Old Fezziwig]

"The crystal!" Calach's eyes snap open. For once, he appears to be paying attention to his surroundings. He advances towards it, gesturing with his sword at the newcomer and his scorpion. "I need that crystal. You're going to have to stand aside." His voice becomes clearer and picks up a force. There's an odd, unearthly quality to it, a combination of majesty and holiness.

{OOC} Sanity Check: 95 (Yikes!) Also, I'm looking for an Intimidate check (unskilled, +2 Cha).{/OOC}

 

[nonamazing]

Velious collapses to the ground, his mind overcome. With great effort, he pulls himself to his knees. Tears are dripping out through his mask's eyeholes. "I...I...cannot begin to comprehend this..." The psudo-gnome's foul, alien words seem to have had an especially harsh impact on Velious, coming as they did on the heels of the disturbing images created by the warped light.

You have to concentrate, Velious. You have to get out of here--your mind is breaking under the strain. In this state, you cannot help anyone. Velious is not quite sure where the words in his mind come from--perhaps they are his own thoughts--but they seem to make sense. He begins carefully making his way out of the room.

{OOC}Sanity check: 81, another failure. Velious is beginning to fall apart...{/OOC}

 

[eabha]

Aalin drops to her knees at the "gnome's" words and watches in awe as the creature and his mistress disappear into the inky puddle. She desperately tries to clear her mind and take in what Dala is saying.

Remembering that she holds her weapon in her trembling hands, Aalin does her best to raise it. However, as she looks from the shadow to the scholar to the warrior, she despairs of ever being able to tell friend from foe here in this room.


{OOC} Well, another failed Sanity Check: 62. Oh, goodie! {/OOC}

 

[Old Fezziwig]

{OOC}Real question is "will anyone get the hat trick?" Wooo! {/OOC}

 

[Desdichado]

{OOC}Sanity check: 20{OOC}

Quite frankly, 'eezer is very out of his element. He's confused about who is worthy of attempting to save and who is not. He's also very unsure of the potential consequences of interfering. "Bloody city folks!" he mumbles under his breath. The gnome clearly seems to be doing something that is foul and unnatural, though. He pulls out his longbow and decides to put an arrow in the foul thing. {OOC}Attack roll 18. And if that hits, damage roll of 6{/OOC}

 

[Mark Causey]

Reality {} ytilaeR

{OOC}First of all, technology issues are to blame here. No emails on the new posts, and no indication in my Subscription windows that anyone had posted! If it weren't for JD, I wouldn't have stepped into here to look things over anyway. Well, anyway, here we go ... anyone seen that X-Files episode with the dude rocking himself back and forth constantly repeating "This isn't real"? Heh. Still, I do need soon to get everyone back to where they can be effective and not just subject to my whims. But I will be acting for people for the next section - I will edit this post if I go too far (that is, post in the other forum if you don't like what I've done){/OOC}

The gnome ... demon ... whatever the Host it was, was gone. Utterly gone, and the arrow had no target ... or did it?

How can light be hurt by an arrow? What the Host was freaking going on?

It didn't matter now, because as the only sane one in the room realized was that the room was about to be gone. Something ... smelly ... was happening at the edges of reality, and it was happening faster.

The wee forged had the goblin on its left shoulder, and picked Velious up on its right. With a head nod that only masculine war-like types understood, it and 'eezer communicated volumes. 'eezer cursed under his breath, grabbed Aalin's collar, and motioned for everyone to leave via the stairway behind the now ripped curtain.

Calach stood unintimidatingly over Dala, despite his best efforts. He inadvertantly played the role of savior only a little too well.

"Take it, and begone! The prince shall take me, with Luciana pinned to this zirshad ..." Dala mutters, holding herself, rocking. Blood is seeping at the edges of her mouth.

The survivors, being shuffled down the stairs, paid little heed to what was going on in the room, as their minds avoided it like one avoids small objects flying at ones eyes.

Calach faced the prince, both with blades bared, almost mirror images of each other, with the crystal betwixt them.

{OOC}Whatever happens here with Calach and the Shadow Prince, whether it be a duel, a truce, death for one another or whatever may happen ... will take place unrealistically in the next few seconds, so KajambaLion - go crazy! Post as much as you want, and fill us in on your history in flashbacks if you want (but don't keep us hanging on the action!). Oh, and to everyone else, if what I've done to lead up to this dramatic spotlight doesn't work for you, please post and we'll change things retroactively.{/OOC}

 

[Old Fezziwig]

Calach, aware that his attempt to influence the other warrior failed dramatically, looks at the other warrior and smiles strangely. Sheathing his sword, the youth kneels down slowly and bows his head, leaving his neck completely exposed. As he kneels, he quietly prays. "I pray, Dol Arrah, that you will have mercy on me. I firmly intend atonement, and I humbly beg forgiveness of you and your church. For none of us has life in himself, and none becomes his own master when he dies." Assuming he isn't beheaded, he then stands, the crystal in hand, and walks out of the room.

 

[Mark Causey]

With a motion that was swifter than a blink and slower than standing still, Calach's long eared foe swept forward with his scimitar. Calach, and everyone, for one instant, felt the Cloak of Death about them, the chill to the bone that most never encounter that don't die a violent death.

And then, miraculously, Calach's hand was on the crystal. The blade passed harmlessly through him, and time returned to normal. The puddle, the Prince, Luciana, all of the madness disappeared. And it rest with ease in Calach's grin.

The tower began to shake, dust began to fall, the world rejected that which it didn't, and couldn't, understand.

{OOC - Hope everyone's liking it so far. Run for your lives, and we'll get back to some more 'normal' adventuring. Anyone up for a labrynthine dungeon for a backdrop to discuss what just happened? {/OOC}

 

[nonamazing]

Velious, not once looking back, stumbles out of the tower and into the sunlight as the stairs crumble behind him. Eventually, he blindly makes his way out onto a wide bridge, an open air park full of young University students enjoying the mild afternoon. The young men and women begin backing away nervously as Velious, lurching like a madman, slowly approaches them.

In the middle of the bridge, Velious pause for a moment, and seems to briefly regain his sense of self. He looks around, stands up straight, and then promptly falls unconcious to the ground, as the events of the last few minutes suddenly overwhelm him.