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Story Hour
From the Diary of Doorag Marzipan
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<blockquote data-quote="cthulhu42" data-source="post: 6582024" data-attributes="member: 6792361"><p style="text-align: left"> Rping 10</p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> Nanden has arrived. He has brought with him nearly fifteen hundred more men, </p> <p style="text-align: left">women, and children, half of whom are potential combatants. Albert and Adeede</p> <p style="text-align: left">are with them, and Albert has given me three books he was able to retrieve that</p> <p style="text-align: left">have helped us formulate a plan. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> One of the books is Teppo Stafford’s journal, and it contains vital information</p> <p style="text-align: left">about the orb. It tells how to power the artifact with arcane and divine spells, and</p> <p style="text-align: left">goes on to say that, once charged with this magic, a Plane Shift spell cast into it will </p> <p style="text-align: left">teleport any touching the orb, and any in contact with it through flesh to a point</p> <p style="text-align: left">within a few hundred feet of the second orb. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> The other two books are Melisandre’s personal journals, and after dispelling the</p> <p style="text-align: left">protective magic’s on them we were able to read her diabolical plans. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> She is obviously mad and utterly devoted to Illugi. Her goals appear to be to</p> <p style="text-align: left">spread chaos and evil, with specific emphasis on the downfall of Havilah. She has </p> <p style="text-align: left">used Edik as a base of operations. It was an easy mark, and she has done her best to</p> <p style="text-align: left">destroy this land, stripping it of people and resources to build an army that can</p> <p style="text-align: left">crush Havilah. Though it is difficult to figure exactly, given the time differences </p> <p style="text-align: left">between Edik and our world, her time line would indicate that her direct assault on</p> <p style="text-align: left">Havilah grows near.</p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> Albert has also given me a crystal ball that was formerly Melisandre’s, and, after </p> <p style="text-align: left">identifying it tomorrow, I may be able to get a look at her and see just how close</p> <p style="text-align: left">she is, should this be an actual scrying device.</p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> Griff, Happy, and a troop of men went into the city today to scout around. While </p> <p style="text-align: left">it appears that Anvie is largely devoid of Melisandre’s troops, a few yuan-ti patrols</p> <p style="text-align: left">still linger, and they found one. The two groups clashed and slew several yuan-ti,</p> <p style="text-align: left">but the snake men used their darkness ability to force our force to retreat. It is good </p> <p style="text-align: left">news that the city is, more or less, ours though.</p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> Rping 11 </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> Another day of intensive study into the mind of Melesandre through her journals.</p> <p style="text-align: left">I have discovered why the zombies we fought were so difficult to bring down. </p> <p style="text-align: left">Apparently Illugi grants Melesandre the power to create undead that are unusually</p> <p style="text-align: left">hardy. They can withstand nearly any blow to their bodies, short of hacking off</p> <p style="text-align: left">important limbs. The best means of dispatching them is to take their heads off. It </p> <p style="text-align: left">disturbs me to think that she has raised an army of these creatures. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> The journals do give a hint as to their destruction, however. It seems that the</p> <p style="text-align: left">powers infused into Melesandre, and hence her zombies, through Illugi is keyed to </p> <p style="text-align: left">her unholy symbol of the god. I believe that if we can destroy this item it may</p> <p style="text-align: left">destroy her undead, or at least weaken them to the point where the armies of</p> <p style="text-align: left">Havilah can deal with them. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> Another quirk of these undead is that any living thing they slay will arise as one</p> <p style="text-align: left">of them!</p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> The journals also tell of Melisandre’s dealings with other races sympathetic to her </p> <p style="text-align: left">cause. It mentions the yuan-ti extensively, of course, and indicates a connection</p> <p style="text-align: left">with the Himrok orcs as well.</p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> Excitement today came in the form of yet another retriever suddenly appearing </p> <p style="text-align: left">out of no where. We have secured the orb within our bag of holding since the last</p> <p style="text-align: left">one, and Taklinn holds the bag. The retriever could apparently still sense the orb</p> <p style="text-align: left">even within its extra dimensional space and ran straight at Taklinn. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> But we have had some practice fighting these beasts by now, and our combined</p> <p style="text-align: left">skills quickly dispatched it, though not before it nearly tore Griff in half. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> One other thing: Caribdis took it upon himself to free the yuan-ti prisoners this </p> <p style="text-align: left">afternoon. They caused quite a stir when he led them out, and about a thousand</p> <p style="text-align: left">swords were suddenly leveled at the snake men. Even Griff couldn’t deny that we</p> <p style="text-align: left">could not trust these yuan-ti, and Taklinn and I gently herded them back to their </p> <p style="text-align: left">cells. To their credit they didn’t try to escape. </p> <p style="text-align: left"> </p> <p style="text-align: left">I plan to cast a couple of Identify spells tomorrow. We have several items, many</p> <p style="text-align: left">potions, and the crystal ball to check. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> Rping 12</p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> I cannot sleep, yet I cannot seem to write either. I identified the crystal ball as a </p> <p style="text-align: left">scrying device and learned how to use it this afternoon, and what I saw in it left me</p> <p style="text-align: left">in a state where sleep eludes me.</p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> I decided against trying to scry Melesandre, for I must assume she wears</p> <p style="text-align: left">protective magic’s against such things. So I chose to try to find Freya instead. </p> <p style="text-align: left">Melesandre has hauled Caribdis’ long lost love around with her all this time; I had</p> <p style="text-align: left">no reason to suspect that she was not near her now. And Caribdis still had her scarf, </p> <p style="text-align: left">which allowed me a better chance to scry her. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> It worked. Freya’s image in the crystal ball slowly came into shape, and I beheld</p> <p style="text-align: left">her frightened form standing atop a hillock overlooking the once lush fields that </p> <p style="text-align: left">surround Havilah city. As I pulled my view back from her I could see Melesandre!</p> <p style="text-align: left">The witch queen stood not far off, surveying her armies. Suddenly, she whirled</p> <p style="text-align: left">around, and I could tell by the look in her dark eyes that she knew that they were </p> <p style="text-align: left">being scryed. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> But I could not break the connection. The scene beyond Melesandre froze me in</p> <p style="text-align: left">place. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> Undead. As far as I could see through my small window. They milled about in</p> <p style="text-align: left">loose ranks, an ocean of mindless fodder awaiting Melisandre’s orders to slay their</p> <p style="text-align: left">former countrymen. They were rolling in siege equipment and setting up catapults </p> <p style="text-align: left">under the orders of yuan-ti. There were thousands and thousands of them. The</p> <p style="text-align: left">magnitude of that army made my heart sink. Our force will be a mere drop in the</p> <p style="text-align: left">bucket against such an overwhelming mass of undead. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> Then my attention returned to Melesandre, for she was looking right at me. Her</p> <p style="text-align: left">once beautiful face was twisted in a knowing smirk, and I knew that she could not</p> <p style="text-align: left">have cared less if we wanted to spy on her. She believed her plan too far underway </p> <p style="text-align: left">for us to stop. And from the looks of things she was not far off. Her armies looked</p> <p style="text-align: left">as if they might be ready to attack and lay siege to Havilah by tomorrow. Time is</p> <p style="text-align: left">short; we have decided to return to Havilah at first light. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> Griff approached me today and asked if he might have a word in private. I was a</p> <p style="text-align: left">bit surprised at this since Griff usually plays his cards pretty close to his vest, and I </p> <p style="text-align: left">wouldn’t consider myself high up on the list of people he’d confide in. So I was</p> <p style="text-align: left">curious as I shut the door to one of the ante chambers to give us some privacy.</p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> He paced the room several times, as if deciding just how to say what he needed to </p> <p style="text-align: left">say. At last, he turned and laid it out.</p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> "Look," he said, "I’m telling you this ’cause I think your the only one who won’t</p> <p style="text-align: left">think I’m crazy. There’s something you have to tell the others, and I think they’ll </p> <p style="text-align: left">take it better coming from you, or at least you’ll know how to explain it."</p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> "Your pregnant?" I quipped. He scowled. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> "It’s Roland!" he finally blurted. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> "Roland? You mean Roland who used to wield Everyman’s Blade?" I asked. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> "Right! That Roland." Griff nodded. "He’s in the sword; part of it somehow, and</p> <p style="text-align: left">he talks to me in my head! He’s been yapping at me for months now! He never </p> <p style="text-align: left">shuts up! He’s worse than Caribdis, always callin’ me the chosen one and such!"</p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> "Interesting!" I exclaimed. "Interesting indeed! It would appear that you are, in</p> <p style="text-align: left">fact, the Chosen One, Griff. And it can’t be too bad, otherwise you would have just </p> <p style="text-align: left">gotten rid of the sword."</p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> He grimaced. "Don’t you think I’ve tried?"</p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> "Oh." I said. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> "Anyway, the point is, he’s told me something about that unholy symbol you told</p> <p style="text-align: left">us about. The one that’s supposed to keep Melisandre’s zombies so tough."</p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> "This sounds promising." I said. </p> <p style="text-align: left"> "Yeah. Well, according to Roland, Everyman’s Blade is the only thing that can</p> <p style="text-align: left">destroy it. So you gotta tell the rest of ’em to leave it to me. It’ll kill anyone else that</p> <p style="text-align: left">tries to touch it." he paused. "I don’t want the rest of ’em knowing where this came </p> <p style="text-align: left">from though. Okay?"</p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> "Ah, well," I said, "I’m not sure why you don’t trust your friends to take you</p> <p style="text-align: left">seriously, Griff, but I suppose I could tell them that this is some new information</p> <p style="text-align: left">I’ve gleaned from her journals." </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> "Gleaned. Yeah, that sounds good." He nodded, satisfied with that as a cover</p> <p style="text-align: left">story. He scowled again and walked out the door without another word. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> So I’ve done as he asked and told the rest of the crew and our men to leave the</p> <p style="text-align: left">symbol to Griff. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> I must lay my quill to rest now and try to get some sleep. This may well be the last</p> <p style="text-align: left">entry in this diary, for tomorrow will see either the liberation or the fall of Havilah.</p> <p style="text-align: left">I say a small prayer tonight to Clangeden, for he is the only god I really know well </p> <p style="text-align: left">enough that I believe he may hear me. My prayer is for our Crew, and our men, and</p> <p style="text-align: left">our city. My prayer is for the safety of us all, but in the end, if we must die, so be it.</p> <p style="text-align: left">So long as we may be buried beneath the soil of a free Havilah. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> Rping 13/5</p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> There was little sleep to be had the night before the battle, and still I awoke early. </p> <p style="text-align: left">My spell selection this day would be critical, and I had dwelt upon it even during</p> <p style="text-align: left">my slumber.</p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> The rest were not far behind. Taklinn went about his morning prayers as usual, </p> <p style="text-align: left">but there was a somberness to his tone that I hadn’t heard before. Griff was stoic as</p> <p style="text-align: left">ever, and you’d never have known by his expression that today was different from</p> <p style="text-align: left">any other. I suppose for him, it wasn’t. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> Happy chewed at her thumbnail and ate very little of her breakfast. Her eyes went</p> <p style="text-align: left">again and again to Griff, worry creasing her brow. Caribdis chattered nervously, yet</p> <p style="text-align: left">he managed to brighten the morning at least a little. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> We broke our fast with Nanden and the crew members who led our motley bunch,</p> <p style="text-align: left">and we hashed out the last details of our plan. The women and children and elderly</p> <p style="text-align: left">who could not fight would be left behind with a small contingent of Nanden’s </p> <p style="text-align: left">people to protect them. The rest of us would use the orb to teleport back to Havilah,</p> <p style="text-align: left">hopefully only a short distance from its sister orb. Then, we would face Melesandre</p> <p style="text-align: left">on the battle field, once and for all. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> A thousand pairs of eyes watched us as we broke camp and made our final</p> <p style="text-align: left">preparations. Our lieutenants took command of their groups, and the five of us</p> <p style="text-align: left">walked to the center of the prison antechamber to stand by the rack, once an </p> <p style="text-align: left">instrument of torture, now a table upon which to set the orb. Havalihians and Edik</p> <p style="text-align: left">born pressed in around our small circle, and we could hear their weapons and armor</p> <p style="text-align: left">clinking in the stone chamber. They looked to us for leadership. And we looked to </p> <p style="text-align: left">Griff.</p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> Griff scowled, but oddly enough, did not hesitate to climb up on the rack to</p> <p style="text-align: left">overlook the throng. Silence descended. Caribdis quickly cast Tongues on himself </p> <p style="text-align: left">and translated for the benefit of Nanden’s people as Griff began to speak. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> Even the dead rock of this accursed prison could not deaden Griff’s voice, and as I</p> <p style="text-align: left">looked up at him I saw not my old friend Griffin Dorjan, scruffy mercenary and </p> <p style="text-align: left">roustabout. No, that morning I beheld a man that people would follow. A general. A</p> <p style="text-align: left">leader. A hero. His words were simple and direct, and he said them matter of factly,</p> <p style="text-align: left">but each one was a diamond of hope to us as we prepared to plunge into certain </p> <p style="text-align: left">death.</p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> "Listen!" he said in a voice made of steel, "I know your scared. Hell, I’m scared.</p> <p style="text-align: left">So what? Our backs are against the wall and now we fight! She’s destroyed one </p> <p style="text-align: left">world, she’s trying to destroy another. It ends today! Just remember, were not going</p> <p style="text-align: left">out there to fight the thousands she commands. No, we’re out to take down one</p> <p style="text-align: left">person! Melesandre! And from where I’m standing, she’s outnumbered!" </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> A great cheer swelled and filled the hall. Hundreds of scimitars and bows were</p> <p style="text-align: left">raised. It was deafening, but I found myself yelling as loud as any of them. Griff</p> <p style="text-align: left">stood there like a grim statue, accepting the chorus, letting himself be the focal</p> <p style="text-align: left">point of their hope. I don’t think it was where he wanted to be, but he knew they </p> <p style="text-align: left">needed a figure to believe in. I admired him very much at that moment, and Happy</p> <p style="text-align: left">positively glowed. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> "All right." he said and stilled the crowd, "Let’s get this over with." He dropped to</p> <p style="text-align: left">the floor and nodded at Taklinn and I. It was up to us now.</p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> We cast our final preparatory spells. I cast a Fly on Griff after asking his permission </p> <p style="text-align: left">and receiving a shrug. I just had a hunch. I also cast a Polymorph Other on Albert,</p> <p style="text-align: left">changing him into a giant eagle. He was too old to fight, but would not be left</p> <p style="text-align: left">behind. He was to fly to the city and deliver a note to the guard there that we were a </p> <p style="text-align: left">force come to help. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> I gathered the three spell casters we had rescued from the prisons. Each man and</p> <p style="text-align: left">woman put a hand on their neighbor so that we were an interconnected group. Each </p> <p style="text-align: left">of us had a connection through flesh with the other, and according to what I had</p> <p style="text-align: left">figured out about the orb, that would send us all back to Havilah. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> I glanced to my right as the wizards began to cast spells into the orb at Taklinn’s </p> <p style="text-align: left">signal. Happy stood there touching both Don Kay and her horse, both of whom I</p> <p style="text-align: left">had polymorphed back into their normal equine states the day before. I wished them</p> <p style="text-align: left">luck, and did not envy them. Ambros braced himself within my hat, and I cast an </p> <p style="text-align: left">Ice Shards on myself as Taklinn cast his divine spells into the orb, which was</p> <p style="text-align: left">already beginning to pulse and glow with a dark inner light. It’s glow filled the</p> <p style="text-align: left">room as he cast the last spell into it and followed it with a Plain Shift. And then, all </p> <p style="text-align: left">was blinding white and our stomachs seemed to drop.</p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> The next instant our world was gray sky and the stench of a battle field ruled by</p> <p style="text-align: left">undead. We landed like the wrong end of a magnet in a pile of iron shavings as </p> <p style="text-align: left">zombies were displaced and thrown hundreds of feet from us as we suddenly</p> <p style="text-align: left">appeared among them. They hit the ground and tumbled and splattered, but their ilk</p> <p style="text-align: left">swarmed in to take their places. We were surrounded on all sides by thousands and </p> <p style="text-align: left">thousands of them, and they stumbled and hurled themselves at us in mindless</p> <p style="text-align: left">obedience to their master. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> We were at the center of our circle, and we shouted commands to get our bearings </p> <p style="text-align: left">as our outer ranks fielded the first wave of undead. I flew straight up and looked</p> <p style="text-align: left">around. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> I saw her. Only a few hundred yards to the east, flanked by her personal guard of </p> <p style="text-align: left">yuan-ti and drider. Our entrance had not gone un noticed by her, I do believe our</p> <p style="text-align: left">eyes locked for a second across the war torn field. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> "There!" I cried, pointing with my parasol and flying to the edge of our circle as it </p> <p style="text-align: left">shifted and an entrance parted to allow Griff, Taklinn, Happy and Caribdis to</p> <p style="text-align: left">charge from within and take the lead. Zombies awaited them, and they met with a</p> <p style="text-align: left">ferocious clash. Undead fell, but more stepped in to take their places, despite our </p> <p style="text-align: left">army. Still, Griff and Taklinn pressed forward and we surged ahead, plowing into</p> <p style="text-align: left">the zombies ranks to gain a few precious yards toward Melesandre. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> At that point I took a chance and flew forward until I was within range and cast </p> <p style="text-align: left">my Dispel Magic, and I could tell by the look in her face that I’d just deprived her</p> <p style="text-align: left">of several magical enhancements. But I paid the price, for I was only about ten feet</p> <p style="text-align: left">above the heads of her undead army, many of whom carried simple bows and </p> <p style="text-align: left">crossbows. Mindless undead they may have been, but they were certainly able to fill</p> <p style="text-align: left">the air around me with barbed shafts, and despite the Ice Shards protection, I was</p> <p style="text-align: left">hit a couple of times. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> My friends fought on, gaining ground as fast as they could against an enemy that</p> <p style="text-align: left">knew no fear. As I flew back to them I saw Melesandre cast a spell that I recognized</p> <p style="text-align: left">as Improved Invisibility, and she winked out. Cursing, I cast See Invisibility on </p> <p style="text-align: left">myself watched her fly forward under the power of her own spell. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> Then Taklinn cast. It was a cone of diamond dust that seemed to strip the flesh</p> <p style="text-align: left">away from our enemy and rend their bones. Dozens and dozens dropped before us,</p> <p style="text-align: left">and with a surge our forces charged forward. But still the undead washed in upon </p> <p style="text-align: left">our flanks like ocean waves, and I watched many brave warriors go down, and I knew that</p> <p style="text-align: left">they would only rise again as zombies themselves. We had to hurry. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> More arrows found me, but I gritted my teeth and cast a Hold spell at Melesandre.</p> <p style="text-align: left">She laughed as she ignored it, and answered with a terrible casting of her own. All</p> <p style="text-align: left">around us it was as if the very darkness of the abyss itself slithered up through the </p> <p style="text-align: left">earth and caressed us with sickly tentacles. It even reached me, and I felt the world</p> <p style="text-align: left">go gray and then black. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> Caribdis tells me that I fell unconscious, but he leapt up to reach me and infused </p> <p style="text-align: left">me with healing. I shook my head to clear it and focused on the witch queen again.</p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> Taklinn cast his spell again, and again the diamond dust blasted zombies into</p> <p style="text-align: left">oblivion. The field before us was suddenly nearly clear of undead, and Griff spurred </p> <p style="text-align: left">his horse on, galloping through zombies on his own to close with the drider. The</p> <p style="text-align: left">two met at the top of a low hill, and I could see their silhouettes as they wheeled</p> <p style="text-align: left">and fought to kill each other. Melisandre’s yuan-ti guard closed around Griff as </p> <p style="text-align: left">well, but Taklinn was already casting another cone of diamond dust. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> I tried a polymorph spell on Melesandre, hoping to end this thing with one lucky</p> <p style="text-align: left">spell, but it was not to be, for despite my Dispel on her, she was still well protected. </p> <p style="text-align: left">I could see her fortifying herself still further with clerical enhancements, and I</p> <p style="text-align: left">cursed. All she had to do was out last us. Soon we would simply be overwhelmed</p> <p style="text-align: left">by her army. Worse yet, I knew that I was the only one who could see her. I needed </p> <p style="text-align: left">to somehow get Griff on her.</p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> I resorted to damaging spells and hit her with a Bolt of Conjuring, but she</p> <p style="text-align: left">followed with a volley of Magic Missiles that nearly put me out of commission </p> <p style="text-align: left">again. Still, I flew toward her, determined to point her out to Griff.</p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> Happy darted forward, wanting to help Griff, but she was quickly hemmed in by</p> <p style="text-align: left">undead. Caribdis yelled a warning and fired his bow, but again it was Taklinn’s </p> <p style="text-align: left">spell that cleared a swath through the zombies, and by this time he was close</p> <p style="text-align: left">enough that his cone hit the drider and yuan-ti as well. Several of the yuan-ti fell,</p> <p style="text-align: left">and the remaining ones turned and charged toward Happy. </p> <p style="text-align: left"> </p> <p style="text-align: left">Caribdis suddenly raced forward, dodging around zombies, his eyes locked on the</p> <p style="text-align: left">figure tied to a chair on the hill. Freya was there, and he meant to rescue her at long</p> <p style="text-align: left">last. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> I flew to within ten feet of Melesandre and screamed at Griff! "Here! Griff, she’s</p> <p style="text-align: left">right here!" I pointed at the invisible witch, but she just laughed and peppered me</p> <p style="text-align: left">with another handful of missiles. I groaned, and new I could not take another hit </p> <p style="text-align: left">like that. I fumbled for my potion of healing, desperate to remain conscious so that</p> <p style="text-align: left">at least one of us could see her. "Griffffff!!" I screamed.</p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> And then Griff charged his mount past the drider's flailing arms and delivered a </p> <p style="text-align: left">powerful blow that split its dark body from shoulder to sternum. He wheeled his</p> <p style="text-align: left">horse and it rose on two legs for a second, pounding the air with its front hooves as</p> <p style="text-align: left">Griff raised his bloody sword over his head. His dark eyes fastened on Melesandre, </p> <p style="text-align: left">and I knew that somehow he could see her. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> Happy was now surrounded by yuan-ti, and I feared that Griff would ride to her</p> <p style="text-align: left">rescue, but this time he did what had to be done, and he spurred his mount in a dead </p> <p style="text-align: left">charge in our direction. He needn’t have worried, for Taklinn cast his final diamond</p> <p style="text-align: left">dust spell. The beauty of this spell is that it only effects evil, and Happy stood in its</p> <p style="text-align: left">midst as yuan-ti were stripped of their flesh and fell to the ground. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> With renewed hope, I cast my own set of Magic Missiles at Melesandre to keep</p> <p style="text-align: left">her off balance as Griff closed the distance. For the first time, I saw fear in her eyes.</p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> Griff was still some thirty feet below us, but he grinned wolfishly as he left the </p> <p style="text-align: left">back of his horse under the power of my Fly spell and closed the gap between</p> <p style="text-align: left">himself and the witch queen. She tried to fly backwards in an attempt to escape, but</p> <p style="text-align: left">he caught her with a great slash from Everyman’s Blade, which now seemed to</p> <p style="text-align: left">glow with eagerness at being in battle with her at last. Her fear turned to </p> <p style="text-align: left">disbelieving terror as she realized she couldn’t get away from Griff. The blood from</p> <p style="text-align: left">her wound ran hot and free, and I suddenly knew that she had not let herself believe </p> <p style="text-align: left">that this could happen, that she might be defeated and need an escape plan. I held</p> <p style="text-align: left">my own casting, hoping to disrupt her with another volley of missiles should she try</p> <p style="text-align: left">to cast. I needn't have worried. She was within Griffin’s reach now, and despite her </p> <p style="text-align: left">magics, she was no match for his fury. Down and back, once, twice, three times,</p> <p style="text-align: left">Everyman’s Blade slashed at her. The first cut took her across the chest, and she</p> <p style="text-align: left">screamed in pain. The second pierced her belly, and it was with a final mighty </p> <p style="text-align: left">backswing that Griff opened a bright gash beneath her chin. Her last expression was</p> <p style="text-align: left">of utter surprise as her head fell backward, nearly severed from her body. A great</p> <p style="text-align: left">gout of blood shot into the air. Griff hovered there, his blade held at a ninety degree </p> <p style="text-align: left">angle from his body, blood dripping from it in slow motion. He did not cut her</p> <p style="text-align: left">again, for she was already dead. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> "The symbol, Griff!" I cried as her body began to float to the earth. He settled on </p> <p style="text-align: left">the ground next to her, and brought his sword above his head in two hands. With a</p> <p style="text-align: left">mighty thrust, he brought it down to pierce the symbol hanging at her side. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> A great clap of thunder emanated from it, and Griff was sent reeling. The </p> <p style="text-align: left">wave seemed to roll out from Melisandre’s body, and undead simply went from</p> <p style="text-align: left">fighting to falling as it passed through them. Just like that, more than fifty thousand</p> <p style="text-align: left">bodies lay on the fields of Havilah city, lifeless and harmless. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> I looked at Griff and he at me, then at the sword in his hand. It was broken.</p> <p style="text-align: left">Everyman’s blade lay in pieces on the ground next to Melesandre. Griff shrugged</p> <p style="text-align: left">and tossed aside the handle. He searched the area for Happy, found her, and began </p> <p style="text-align: left">to walk to her.</p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> We could see yuan-ti break and run, hundreds of them, outnumbered now, and</p> <p style="text-align: left">without leadership or the courage to continue the fight. We heard a great roar erupt </p> <p style="text-align: left">from the direction of Havilah city, and I realized it was the cheer of a people</p> <p style="text-align: left">delivered as the gates of the city opened and first soldiers, then citizens poured out. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> Of our forces, only half stood, but they raised a cheer of their own that rivaled that </p> <p style="text-align: left">of the city. Nanden joined Taklinn as he neared me, and Caribdis came toward us,</p> <p style="text-align: left">leading Freya, his eyes glowing with pride. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left"> I settled my feet on the earth again, still woozy with loss of blood. I looked down </p> <p style="text-align: left">at the body of Melesandre, now twisted and hacked apart. A hundred emotions</p> <p style="text-align: left">washed over me, and it was as if the cheers of our men came from very far away.</p> <p style="text-align: left">We had beaten the witch queen at last. It was over, and the five of us still stood. I </p> <p style="text-align: left">looked to the sky and breathed a silent thanks to the powers that be, and began to</p> <p style="text-align: left">walk toward my friends. </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> <p style="text-align: left">The End: Book I </p> <p style="text-align: left"></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="cthulhu42, post: 6582024, member: 6792361"] [LEFT] Rping 10 Nanden has arrived. He has brought with him nearly fifteen hundred more men, women, and children, half of whom are potential combatants. Albert and Adeede are with them, and Albert has given me three books he was able to retrieve that have helped us formulate a plan. One of the books is Teppo Stafford’s journal, and it contains vital information about the orb. It tells how to power the artifact with arcane and divine spells, and goes on to say that, once charged with this magic, a Plane Shift spell cast into it will teleport any touching the orb, and any in contact with it through flesh to a point within a few hundred feet of the second orb. The other two books are Melisandre’s personal journals, and after dispelling the protective magic’s on them we were able to read her diabolical plans. She is obviously mad and utterly devoted to Illugi. Her goals appear to be to spread chaos and evil, with specific emphasis on the downfall of Havilah. She has used Edik as a base of operations. It was an easy mark, and she has done her best to destroy this land, stripping it of people and resources to build an army that can crush Havilah. Though it is difficult to figure exactly, given the time differences between Edik and our world, her time line would indicate that her direct assault on Havilah grows near. Albert has also given me a crystal ball that was formerly Melisandre’s, and, after identifying it tomorrow, I may be able to get a look at her and see just how close she is, should this be an actual scrying device. Griff, Happy, and a troop of men went into the city today to scout around. While it appears that Anvie is largely devoid of Melisandre’s troops, a few yuan-ti patrols still linger, and they found one. The two groups clashed and slew several yuan-ti, but the snake men used their darkness ability to force our force to retreat. It is good news that the city is, more or less, ours though. Rping 11 Another day of intensive study into the mind of Melesandre through her journals. I have discovered why the zombies we fought were so difficult to bring down. Apparently Illugi grants Melesandre the power to create undead that are unusually hardy. They can withstand nearly any blow to their bodies, short of hacking off important limbs. The best means of dispatching them is to take their heads off. It disturbs me to think that she has raised an army of these creatures. The journals do give a hint as to their destruction, however. It seems that the powers infused into Melesandre, and hence her zombies, through Illugi is keyed to her unholy symbol of the god. I believe that if we can destroy this item it may destroy her undead, or at least weaken them to the point where the armies of Havilah can deal with them. Another quirk of these undead is that any living thing they slay will arise as one of them! The journals also tell of Melisandre’s dealings with other races sympathetic to her cause. It mentions the yuan-ti extensively, of course, and indicates a connection with the Himrok orcs as well. Excitement today came in the form of yet another retriever suddenly appearing out of no where. We have secured the orb within our bag of holding since the last one, and Taklinn holds the bag. The retriever could apparently still sense the orb even within its extra dimensional space and ran straight at Taklinn. But we have had some practice fighting these beasts by now, and our combined skills quickly dispatched it, though not before it nearly tore Griff in half. One other thing: Caribdis took it upon himself to free the yuan-ti prisoners this afternoon. They caused quite a stir when he led them out, and about a thousand swords were suddenly leveled at the snake men. Even Griff couldn’t deny that we could not trust these yuan-ti, and Taklinn and I gently herded them back to their cells. To their credit they didn’t try to escape. I plan to cast a couple of Identify spells tomorrow. We have several items, many potions, and the crystal ball to check. Rping 12 I cannot sleep, yet I cannot seem to write either. I identified the crystal ball as a scrying device and learned how to use it this afternoon, and what I saw in it left me in a state where sleep eludes me. I decided against trying to scry Melesandre, for I must assume she wears protective magic’s against such things. So I chose to try to find Freya instead. Melesandre has hauled Caribdis’ long lost love around with her all this time; I had no reason to suspect that she was not near her now. And Caribdis still had her scarf, which allowed me a better chance to scry her. It worked. Freya’s image in the crystal ball slowly came into shape, and I beheld her frightened form standing atop a hillock overlooking the once lush fields that surround Havilah city. As I pulled my view back from her I could see Melesandre! The witch queen stood not far off, surveying her armies. Suddenly, she whirled around, and I could tell by the look in her dark eyes that she knew that they were being scryed. But I could not break the connection. The scene beyond Melesandre froze me in place. Undead. As far as I could see through my small window. They milled about in loose ranks, an ocean of mindless fodder awaiting Melisandre’s orders to slay their former countrymen. They were rolling in siege equipment and setting up catapults under the orders of yuan-ti. There were thousands and thousands of them. The magnitude of that army made my heart sink. Our force will be a mere drop in the bucket against such an overwhelming mass of undead. Then my attention returned to Melesandre, for she was looking right at me. Her once beautiful face was twisted in a knowing smirk, and I knew that she could not have cared less if we wanted to spy on her. She believed her plan too far underway for us to stop. And from the looks of things she was not far off. Her armies looked as if they might be ready to attack and lay siege to Havilah by tomorrow. Time is short; we have decided to return to Havilah at first light. Griff approached me today and asked if he might have a word in private. I was a bit surprised at this since Griff usually plays his cards pretty close to his vest, and I wouldn’t consider myself high up on the list of people he’d confide in. So I was curious as I shut the door to one of the ante chambers to give us some privacy. He paced the room several times, as if deciding just how to say what he needed to say. At last, he turned and laid it out. "Look," he said, "I’m telling you this ’cause I think your the only one who won’t think I’m crazy. There’s something you have to tell the others, and I think they’ll take it better coming from you, or at least you’ll know how to explain it." "Your pregnant?" I quipped. He scowled. "It’s Roland!" he finally blurted. "Roland? You mean Roland who used to wield Everyman’s Blade?" I asked. "Right! That Roland." Griff nodded. "He’s in the sword; part of it somehow, and he talks to me in my head! He’s been yapping at me for months now! He never shuts up! He’s worse than Caribdis, always callin’ me the chosen one and such!" "Interesting!" I exclaimed. "Interesting indeed! It would appear that you are, in fact, the Chosen One, Griff. And it can’t be too bad, otherwise you would have just gotten rid of the sword." He grimaced. "Don’t you think I’ve tried?" "Oh." I said. "Anyway, the point is, he’s told me something about that unholy symbol you told us about. The one that’s supposed to keep Melisandre’s zombies so tough." "This sounds promising." I said. "Yeah. Well, according to Roland, Everyman’s Blade is the only thing that can destroy it. So you gotta tell the rest of ’em to leave it to me. It’ll kill anyone else that tries to touch it." he paused. "I don’t want the rest of ’em knowing where this came from though. Okay?" "Ah, well," I said, "I’m not sure why you don’t trust your friends to take you seriously, Griff, but I suppose I could tell them that this is some new information I’ve gleaned from her journals." "Gleaned. Yeah, that sounds good." He nodded, satisfied with that as a cover story. He scowled again and walked out the door without another word. So I’ve done as he asked and told the rest of the crew and our men to leave the symbol to Griff. I must lay my quill to rest now and try to get some sleep. This may well be the last entry in this diary, for tomorrow will see either the liberation or the fall of Havilah. I say a small prayer tonight to Clangeden, for he is the only god I really know well enough that I believe he may hear me. My prayer is for our Crew, and our men, and our city. My prayer is for the safety of us all, but in the end, if we must die, so be it. So long as we may be buried beneath the soil of a free Havilah. Rping 13/5 There was little sleep to be had the night before the battle, and still I awoke early. My spell selection this day would be critical, and I had dwelt upon it even during my slumber. The rest were not far behind. Taklinn went about his morning prayers as usual, but there was a somberness to his tone that I hadn’t heard before. Griff was stoic as ever, and you’d never have known by his expression that today was different from any other. I suppose for him, it wasn’t. Happy chewed at her thumbnail and ate very little of her breakfast. Her eyes went again and again to Griff, worry creasing her brow. Caribdis chattered nervously, yet he managed to brighten the morning at least a little. We broke our fast with Nanden and the crew members who led our motley bunch, and we hashed out the last details of our plan. The women and children and elderly who could not fight would be left behind with a small contingent of Nanden’s people to protect them. The rest of us would use the orb to teleport back to Havilah, hopefully only a short distance from its sister orb. Then, we would face Melesandre on the battle field, once and for all. A thousand pairs of eyes watched us as we broke camp and made our final preparations. Our lieutenants took command of their groups, and the five of us walked to the center of the prison antechamber to stand by the rack, once an instrument of torture, now a table upon which to set the orb. Havalihians and Edik born pressed in around our small circle, and we could hear their weapons and armor clinking in the stone chamber. They looked to us for leadership. And we looked to Griff. Griff scowled, but oddly enough, did not hesitate to climb up on the rack to overlook the throng. Silence descended. Caribdis quickly cast Tongues on himself and translated for the benefit of Nanden’s people as Griff began to speak. Even the dead rock of this accursed prison could not deaden Griff’s voice, and as I looked up at him I saw not my old friend Griffin Dorjan, scruffy mercenary and roustabout. No, that morning I beheld a man that people would follow. A general. A leader. A hero. His words were simple and direct, and he said them matter of factly, but each one was a diamond of hope to us as we prepared to plunge into certain death. "Listen!" he said in a voice made of steel, "I know your scared. Hell, I’m scared. So what? Our backs are against the wall and now we fight! She’s destroyed one world, she’s trying to destroy another. It ends today! Just remember, were not going out there to fight the thousands she commands. No, we’re out to take down one person! Melesandre! And from where I’m standing, she’s outnumbered!" A great cheer swelled and filled the hall. Hundreds of scimitars and bows were raised. It was deafening, but I found myself yelling as loud as any of them. Griff stood there like a grim statue, accepting the chorus, letting himself be the focal point of their hope. I don’t think it was where he wanted to be, but he knew they needed a figure to believe in. I admired him very much at that moment, and Happy positively glowed. "All right." he said and stilled the crowd, "Let’s get this over with." He dropped to the floor and nodded at Taklinn and I. It was up to us now. We cast our final preparatory spells. I cast a Fly on Griff after asking his permission and receiving a shrug. I just had a hunch. I also cast a Polymorph Other on Albert, changing him into a giant eagle. He was too old to fight, but would not be left behind. He was to fly to the city and deliver a note to the guard there that we were a force come to help. I gathered the three spell casters we had rescued from the prisons. Each man and woman put a hand on their neighbor so that we were an interconnected group. Each of us had a connection through flesh with the other, and according to what I had figured out about the orb, that would send us all back to Havilah. I glanced to my right as the wizards began to cast spells into the orb at Taklinn’s signal. Happy stood there touching both Don Kay and her horse, both of whom I had polymorphed back into their normal equine states the day before. I wished them luck, and did not envy them. Ambros braced himself within my hat, and I cast an Ice Shards on myself as Taklinn cast his divine spells into the orb, which was already beginning to pulse and glow with a dark inner light. It’s glow filled the room as he cast the last spell into it and followed it with a Plain Shift. And then, all was blinding white and our stomachs seemed to drop. The next instant our world was gray sky and the stench of a battle field ruled by undead. We landed like the wrong end of a magnet in a pile of iron shavings as zombies were displaced and thrown hundreds of feet from us as we suddenly appeared among them. They hit the ground and tumbled and splattered, but their ilk swarmed in to take their places. We were surrounded on all sides by thousands and thousands of them, and they stumbled and hurled themselves at us in mindless obedience to their master. We were at the center of our circle, and we shouted commands to get our bearings as our outer ranks fielded the first wave of undead. I flew straight up and looked around. I saw her. Only a few hundred yards to the east, flanked by her personal guard of yuan-ti and drider. Our entrance had not gone un noticed by her, I do believe our eyes locked for a second across the war torn field. "There!" I cried, pointing with my parasol and flying to the edge of our circle as it shifted and an entrance parted to allow Griff, Taklinn, Happy and Caribdis to charge from within and take the lead. Zombies awaited them, and they met with a ferocious clash. Undead fell, but more stepped in to take their places, despite our army. Still, Griff and Taklinn pressed forward and we surged ahead, plowing into the zombies ranks to gain a few precious yards toward Melesandre. At that point I took a chance and flew forward until I was within range and cast my Dispel Magic, and I could tell by the look in her face that I’d just deprived her of several magical enhancements. But I paid the price, for I was only about ten feet above the heads of her undead army, many of whom carried simple bows and crossbows. Mindless undead they may have been, but they were certainly able to fill the air around me with barbed shafts, and despite the Ice Shards protection, I was hit a couple of times. My friends fought on, gaining ground as fast as they could against an enemy that knew no fear. As I flew back to them I saw Melesandre cast a spell that I recognized as Improved Invisibility, and she winked out. Cursing, I cast See Invisibility on myself watched her fly forward under the power of her own spell. Then Taklinn cast. It was a cone of diamond dust that seemed to strip the flesh away from our enemy and rend their bones. Dozens and dozens dropped before us, and with a surge our forces charged forward. But still the undead washed in upon our flanks like ocean waves, and I watched many brave warriors go down, and I knew that they would only rise again as zombies themselves. We had to hurry. More arrows found me, but I gritted my teeth and cast a Hold spell at Melesandre. She laughed as she ignored it, and answered with a terrible casting of her own. All around us it was as if the very darkness of the abyss itself slithered up through the earth and caressed us with sickly tentacles. It even reached me, and I felt the world go gray and then black. Caribdis tells me that I fell unconscious, but he leapt up to reach me and infused me with healing. I shook my head to clear it and focused on the witch queen again. Taklinn cast his spell again, and again the diamond dust blasted zombies into oblivion. The field before us was suddenly nearly clear of undead, and Griff spurred his horse on, galloping through zombies on his own to close with the drider. The two met at the top of a low hill, and I could see their silhouettes as they wheeled and fought to kill each other. Melisandre’s yuan-ti guard closed around Griff as well, but Taklinn was already casting another cone of diamond dust. I tried a polymorph spell on Melesandre, hoping to end this thing with one lucky spell, but it was not to be, for despite my Dispel on her, she was still well protected. I could see her fortifying herself still further with clerical enhancements, and I cursed. All she had to do was out last us. Soon we would simply be overwhelmed by her army. Worse yet, I knew that I was the only one who could see her. I needed to somehow get Griff on her. I resorted to damaging spells and hit her with a Bolt of Conjuring, but she followed with a volley of Magic Missiles that nearly put me out of commission again. Still, I flew toward her, determined to point her out to Griff. Happy darted forward, wanting to help Griff, but she was quickly hemmed in by undead. Caribdis yelled a warning and fired his bow, but again it was Taklinn’s spell that cleared a swath through the zombies, and by this time he was close enough that his cone hit the drider and yuan-ti as well. Several of the yuan-ti fell, and the remaining ones turned and charged toward Happy. Caribdis suddenly raced forward, dodging around zombies, his eyes locked on the figure tied to a chair on the hill. Freya was there, and he meant to rescue her at long last. I flew to within ten feet of Melesandre and screamed at Griff! "Here! Griff, she’s right here!" I pointed at the invisible witch, but she just laughed and peppered me with another handful of missiles. I groaned, and new I could not take another hit like that. I fumbled for my potion of healing, desperate to remain conscious so that at least one of us could see her. "Griffffff!!" I screamed. And then Griff charged his mount past the drider's flailing arms and delivered a powerful blow that split its dark body from shoulder to sternum. He wheeled his horse and it rose on two legs for a second, pounding the air with its front hooves as Griff raised his bloody sword over his head. His dark eyes fastened on Melesandre, and I knew that somehow he could see her. Happy was now surrounded by yuan-ti, and I feared that Griff would ride to her rescue, but this time he did what had to be done, and he spurred his mount in a dead charge in our direction. He needn’t have worried, for Taklinn cast his final diamond dust spell. The beauty of this spell is that it only effects evil, and Happy stood in its midst as yuan-ti were stripped of their flesh and fell to the ground. With renewed hope, I cast my own set of Magic Missiles at Melesandre to keep her off balance as Griff closed the distance. For the first time, I saw fear in her eyes. Griff was still some thirty feet below us, but he grinned wolfishly as he left the back of his horse under the power of my Fly spell and closed the gap between himself and the witch queen. She tried to fly backwards in an attempt to escape, but he caught her with a great slash from Everyman’s Blade, which now seemed to glow with eagerness at being in battle with her at last. Her fear turned to disbelieving terror as she realized she couldn’t get away from Griff. The blood from her wound ran hot and free, and I suddenly knew that she had not let herself believe that this could happen, that she might be defeated and need an escape plan. I held my own casting, hoping to disrupt her with another volley of missiles should she try to cast. I needn't have worried. She was within Griffin’s reach now, and despite her magics, she was no match for his fury. Down and back, once, twice, three times, Everyman’s Blade slashed at her. The first cut took her across the chest, and she screamed in pain. The second pierced her belly, and it was with a final mighty backswing that Griff opened a bright gash beneath her chin. Her last expression was of utter surprise as her head fell backward, nearly severed from her body. A great gout of blood shot into the air. Griff hovered there, his blade held at a ninety degree angle from his body, blood dripping from it in slow motion. He did not cut her again, for she was already dead. "The symbol, Griff!" I cried as her body began to float to the earth. He settled on the ground next to her, and brought his sword above his head in two hands. With a mighty thrust, he brought it down to pierce the symbol hanging at her side. A great clap of thunder emanated from it, and Griff was sent reeling. The wave seemed to roll out from Melisandre’s body, and undead simply went from fighting to falling as it passed through them. Just like that, more than fifty thousand bodies lay on the fields of Havilah city, lifeless and harmless. I looked at Griff and he at me, then at the sword in his hand. It was broken. Everyman’s blade lay in pieces on the ground next to Melesandre. Griff shrugged and tossed aside the handle. He searched the area for Happy, found her, and began to walk to her. We could see yuan-ti break and run, hundreds of them, outnumbered now, and without leadership or the courage to continue the fight. We heard a great roar erupt from the direction of Havilah city, and I realized it was the cheer of a people delivered as the gates of the city opened and first soldiers, then citizens poured out. Of our forces, only half stood, but they raised a cheer of their own that rivaled that of the city. Nanden joined Taklinn as he neared me, and Caribdis came toward us, leading Freya, his eyes glowing with pride. I settled my feet on the earth again, still woozy with loss of blood. I looked down at the body of Melesandre, now twisted and hacked apart. A hundred emotions washed over me, and it was as if the cheers of our men came from very far away. We had beaten the witch queen at last. It was over, and the five of us still stood. I looked to the sky and breathed a silent thanks to the powers that be, and began to walk toward my friends. The End: Book I [/LEFT] [/QUOTE]
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