(IR) The 3rd IR, Turn 3 (thread 1)

[Edena_of_Neith]

Actually, Turrosh Mak really does control the Dreadwood, which is close to Gradsul, or he did ... until the trouble started.

The Voice of Vecna states that Vecna does not involve himself in such petty squabbles amongst the Servitor Races.
Divinations show no 10th level magic was used in any of the incidents.

The investigation is fruitless, since every person caught dies, body and soul.

Civil war erupts in Celene as the two factions of elves fight over who the real Queen is.
Both Queens claim the other Queen is the false one.

In the north, the Fellreev ambassadors conclude turning over the Fellreev to Iuz, while the Hold of Stonefist has successfully declared indepedence from Iuz.

Furyondy, now indepedent, demands that Iuz leave it's territory.

In the far southwest, it is heard that Zindia has agreed to a truce with those attacking it.
How that happened, nobody knows. Not even the Eryptians currently in the Flanaess.
Bewildered, they send people to find out what's going on down there.
So do the allies of Zindia, I presume.

The robots are continuing to move south, and passing into the domain of Kalanyr.
The so-called Solistarim agents started them in that direction, and now they are on a roll again.
This time, against the humanoids.
Once more, particle cannons and laser guns blast away at defenders far less well armed than themselves.

 

[Maudlin]

The absense of Acererak from Irongate gives the defenders the chance to slaughter Acererak's minions, driving them back past the broken defenses, putting the barricades back in place.

OOC: Argl. I suppose I can at least depend on these reports to be accurate. I really don't mind a fight on my hands, but this is getting a bit silly These are the Irongaters again? The 4 PL city? The ones who were fighting a 50+ PL army most of last turn? These are the ones now 'slaughtering' and 'driving back' my 20 PL still there? Even if their gated reinforcements doubled the PL there last turn, they should have been squished utterly (even with 6 attack & defense), let alone be in a condition to do any more slaughtering.

As far as I knew, I was merely still tending some cattle that was waiting for Forrester to come load them up... It's really quite hard to determine a distribution of forces if there are many more of these logic-defying surprises in wait for me

Efforts to speak with their souls fail, for their souls died also.
However, Anabstercorian did catch two words:

Scarlet Brotherhood

The Scarlet Brotherhood of course cooperates fully with any investigation the Solistarim wants to set up. It presents them with the evidence discovered at the Rel Astra uprising, that it is the Black Brotherhood who is behind these rebellions, and that even as they tried to incriminate the Solistarim they are now trying to do so with the Scarlet Brotherhood.

While the SB Leadership was previously amused by the antics of the Black Robes, this is a serious breach of discipline. The loss of prestige is considerable, and so shall be the loss of life.

Korenth Zan sends a polite missive to Kalanyr to get Tharizdun, who appears to have at least some allegiance to him, to intervene with his followers. Melt their brain or some such.

Full mind probing of any and all SB officials commences immediately, with any irregularities meaning instant death.

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

Heh. Well put, Maudlin.

Irongate, falls!
Acererak and his Minions have a long and delightful feast, for the souls are bright and strong and filled with vitality.
As the bodies melt into goo, and men, women, and children perish utterly, Acererak and his Minions grow stronger and more powerful, filled with pleasure and dark delight, until their power screams through the air.
Acererak's PL increases to 15 from 10, and his Minions to 15 from 10.
They gorge, feast as they have never feasted before, utterly sated and beyond sated, filled with the life energy of hundreds of thousands of souls.

While that is going on, something else happens.

Vecna happens.
Vecna and his legions roar off into the magical dimension, in one great flash.
Over the Shadow Throne, they appear in giant waves, flash after purple flash bringing them in by the tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions.
They arrive until a sea of men, women, and undead are assembled in Shadow Throne, a sea that stretches out of sight in all directions.
Tens of millions strong, they raise the Banner of Vecna, and cheer with a roar that is heard over many long miles as Vecna himself appears in the center of them all.

Vecna conjures to his left hand one of the Banners of the Shade.
With his right hand, he grasps his own Banner.
He grins, and raises both Banners high above him, signalling for all the Union of Suel and Shade, then plants the Banners in the Soil of Shade.

Then the Legions of Vecna march off to the front, to face off against the massed might of Iuz, the Kevellond League, Kingdom of Keoland, Lortmil Technomancy, Celene, Pomarj, and their allies.

At the head of the grand and unholy army marches Vecna himself, his staff held firmly in his hands.

 

[Sollir Furryfoot]

Continuing in the Monster Arms Race:


We will breed new monsters via variant polymorph spells in lab
experiments, using the new breeds of monsters to
reproduce with animals of normal races as well, but
the magical genes would be more dominant so the
children would have the same properties of the
magically enhanced parent.

I'm gone for a while so I sent Edena my actions.

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

Vecna raises his staff, and he and his great army stops.
Vecna speaks:

Let the Solistarim stand with us.
For the Hour of the Scouring draws near, and the Unworthy shall be swept from the Oerth.

Let my kindred stand with us, who feast in Irongate.
For the Hour of the Scouring draws near, and the Ascension of Acererak shall not be denied.
And then he shall be my new lieutenant, for he alone is worthy of that Honor.

Then they resume marching, the shadow ground shaking as if it were an earthquake, and the rumble is like that of an earthquake, as the endless millions who are the Legions of Vecna march onward.
They march to the front, to battle, to glory and death.
They are Vecna's in body, mind, and soul.
To serve Vecna is the greatest glory, to die for him is the greatest death.
To kneel before him is divine bliss.
To accept him into their hearts is to bring to themselves utter fulfillment and a cure to all ills, for He is the Answer to all things.

 

[Maudlin]

Mistress Ferranifer stands on her balcony, watching with far-vision, and laughs, and laughs, and laughs....

 

[The Forsaken One]

Edena..

Above ground there was not even 1 humanoid, monster of the underdark Alliance left... we stated this VERY WELL IN OUR MAILS and templates...... So this is kinda being rediculous if we lose even 1 PL over this since all our PL is like.... 2.5 miles underground...? Even deeper if it can.. Since we very well stated that in our mail we pull back with 100% PL as deep as wel can. So no mistakes about this. We stated this.. so keep this in mind.. If anyone wants to come after us they must go DEEP into the earth and move for weeks through traps and Monters and more magic glyphs and more traps and more ambushes just like I MAILED YOU to get to us. So plz... no doubt about this.... We are out of the way unless someone comes down DEEP DEEP DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP after us.. adn then you will know what they will meet and how the defenses work since I all mailed it to you.

So plz.. no wrong things about the Underdark Alliance this time and no misinterpretations... I'm here now and I will see it all go well.... Their is not a chance that a member/monster of the UA will be seen for like u travel a mile at least underground.. And then like I said I mailed you what they will be facing.

 

[LordMelkor{Talos}]

While Vecna appears in Shadow Throne, his legions standing together with Hordes Of Shadow, Shadow Regent Rhamagaum aproaches him, red sparks burning with anger in the eyes of his skull:

Why haven`t you consulted with us, are you sure it was wise to reveal our alliance so soon? Currently it seems that we have plenty of enemies and few allies!

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

This, of course, means the robots find nothing in their southward move. (a reference to Forsaken One's post above, which is quite true - not a single humanoid or giant remains above ground anywhere in the Western Mountains.)
The robots, finding no targets, return to their ship.

The Legions of Vecna, led by Vecna, staff held high, triumphantly, reach the front, and they stop.
They do not proceed to attack the massed defenders across the line.
They do not attack the forces of Turrosh Mak, Williams, GnomeWorks, Dagger, or the others.
The great army halts, then spreads out.
Vast reinforcements swell the ranks of the Shade, the living and the undead minions of Vecna standing together with the men and women of Shade against the foe.

Vecna takes his place at the center of the great front, and his banner is placed in the Shadow ground, and waves in the Shadow breeze.

Vecna nods to Rhaumagaum, then smiles.
He whispers, half to Rhaumagaum, half to himself:

That knowledge, in their hands, is our weapon.
Time is our friend.
Let them come, or let them wait ... victory shall be awarded to the Deserving.

To the west, Furyondy receives the news of the arrival of Vecna.
Terrified, Furyondy immediately rejoins the Kevellond League.
People and politicians who were denouncing Iuz and his humanoid army are now cheering them on, or at the least are quietly jubilant.
For all that is important now to the people of Furyondy is that Iuz and his hosts are between Vecna and Furyondy, blocking Vecna's way.

 

[Forrester]

Ah, Acererak. So you decided to attack Irongate after all? I thought you were going to pull back (and when doing so, the forces of Irongate would stop attacking, and prepare to be evacuated).

But according to Edena, you have decided to finish them. Unless there's been some grim miscommunication here . . .

So Irongate falls.

Very well.

Very well.