(IR) The 3rd IR, Turn 3 (thread 2)

[Forrester]

No need to do anything drastic quite yet, Kaboom.

We are working on a cure that can be distributed through the world's waterways and water supplies. Admittedly, distribution is a problem at this point, but we're going to make the cure first, and worry about distribution later.

And, you know what -- working on a cure is pretty much moot at this point.

There is ALREADY a cure out there -- and some without 10th level magic have it. And we know that they have it, for we know that they aren't getting sick.

Any antidote that is being distributed to millions of people can be stolen fairly easily by a well-trained force of shadowdancers. Hell, anything being distributed to millions of people can be stolen fairly easily by a bunch of common rogues.

Acererak was nice enough to protect his friends by giving them the antidote, but now he gets to protect his enemies as well, for there is simply no way that something being distributed to *every* member of the Dark Union and the Shade empires, including lowly farmers/civilians/whatnot, can possibly be kept from a team of industrious thieves.

Especially if they are industrious Kender thieves.

Edena, I think it is safe to say that we have access to the cure at this point, no? The question is, how long will it take us to mass-produce it, and then, distribute it . . .


Forrester

 

[Forrester]

Don't be foolish, KABOOM! Your legions will be necessary in the wars ahead.

Give us a week or two to see what we can do through normal means. It is a generous sacrifice (if it works), but it is not a necessary one.

Not yet.

Forrester

 

[kaboom]

fine, I won't do it yet.

ok, it's not nesessary yet, so I'll hold off with it.

Forrester, drop the kender bomb.

 

[Serpenteye]

Re: fine, I won't do it yet.

ok, it's not nesessary yet, so I'll hold off with it.

Forrester, drop the kender bomb.

Yes, please do. Go ahead, blow up some Kender. Shove some gunpowder up their cavities and let them burn.

 

[kaboom]

the kender bomb is 10 PL of kender released in your lands.

 

[Maudlin]

Oh dear, oh my. Countless billions of undead.

I do hope it can be stopped. Just imagine if it can't. All those freewilled creatures attacking every living thing on the planet.

Why, one would almost need a way to control those multitudes of undead, all at the same time, just to rein them in.

Who do we know who could do that? Hmmm... Nobody. Not yet. But there is one who is very close.

Wouldn't it be a delightful irony if the only chance the rest of the world had for survival was to make the Apotheosis happen? Imagine that. Destiny has a sense of humor, and he's been watching a lot of Film Noir.

So let's make sure that never happens, eh?

 

[Maudlin]

Forrester, Acererak has foreseen that eventuality. You can steal the antidote if you like, forfeiting any number of operatives.

Won't do you any good.

 

[Forrester]

10PL of Kender would be tens, if not hundreds of thousands of Kender . . . and that's going a little too far .

No, this is a much smaller force of Kender. Probably not even a thousand.

This is a pretty easy mission for a Kender, after all.

"Go get the antidote that they're distributing to the millions in their nation, and bring us back a sample."

Yes, a pretty easy mission.

Especially a genetically-modified Kender. Enhanced Dexterity, ability to camouflage himself by changing skin tone and texture, prehensile toes, and so forth .

Oh, my yes.

Forrester

EDIT:

MAUDLIN -- Acererak didn't think that the disease would spread to the mammals and the rest of the world, though, did he? So I doubt he can see and prevent all attempts to use this antidote to cure others.

Regardless of how powerful the disease is, this is something caused by a 9th level spell. By one nation.

The combined archmagery of ten other nations + a sample of the antidote (perhaps brought back in an AM Field so that nothing silly happens to it in the interim) should be sufficient to foil even YOUR plans.

.

 

[Mr. Draco]

Completely unknown IC to everybody except Forrester:

Lying previously unnoticed near a tall marble collumn, Forrester sees a small silver box. Upon closer inspection, inside of it is a small vial made of glass, containing about 10ml of a dark-greenish fluid. There is a note attached to the vial, it reads:

"Here is what you seek mighty Forrester. Use it wisely. Remember for the future, seek not for the blade when dealing with those desiring peace.

-Sincerely,
An Ancient Friend"

Also, in a small compartment below the vial in the box, there is a very polished silver sphere. When held, it reveals to the mind of the holder a listing of every disease (magical or natural) that has been ever encountered by the legions of Kas and/or Kas himself, in the arcane age. Also, it lists the symptoms and effects of said diseases, along with what was known during the arcane age to cure them.

On the underside of the box, etched in the runes of the dwarves is a message, it reads: "Forrester, know this, betray not the knowledge of your friends you may not know you have. Use this wisely, and keep the source of wisdom a closely gaurded secret. For there are those who may not wish for such knowledge to spread."
-----

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

And so, two things happen at once that have not happened on Oerth before. (For Uvenelei and his Alliance of the Crescent also did something amazing.)

A strike force of kender shadowdancers invades the Dark Union of Oerth.
Using the skills that only kender have, and the taunt ability that only kender have, and utterly fearless, they slip right through the defensive fortifications of the Dark Union, through her armies, and into her Heartland.
They obtain the antidote (along with a large number of other things) and slip back through the enemy lines.

They are partially successful because the Dark Union has never heard of kender, never seen a kender, and simply do not have any idea of the capabilities of these beings.
They are agog, those that meet with the kender (and are subsequently subdued and tied up by them.)

News comes to the God Emperor from a VERY frightened messenger (he's afraid he's about to be killed) that an army of CHILDREN just successfully penetrated the impenetrable defenses of the Dark Union, stole the MASSIVELY GUARDED stores of antidotes, then made off successfully with their plunder back THROUGH the army lines, even though the army was on high alert and looking for them!

Forrester and his allies are successful in gaining the antidote.

At the same time, the Alliance of the Crescent releases it's own Plague.
This Plague is almost a sentient force, and it is good in alignment.
Like Acererak's Plague, it spreads very quickly, for it is very contagious.
The Alliance of the Crescent liberally scatters it across the entire Flanaess, and from there it spreads across the world.

The living are immune to it.
It is 100% fatal to undead.

Where it meets Acererak's disease, incubating in the birds, animals, humans, demihumans, and humanoids, the two Plagues cancel each other out, and the person, bird, or animal in question becomes immune to both.

However, this is small consolation to Iuz, who depends heavily upon undead for his power.
It is small comfort to all in the Undead Arms Race.
It is small confort to the Dark Union.
It is small comfort to Acererak, who contracts it.
It has an incubation time of 3 weeks.
Seen with detect magic and detect good, it radiates a greenish light.

Like the Red Death, this new plague can be halted by lower level magic.
Cause Disease will halt it in undead.

Now, there is chaos and anger amongst the undead of the world, for they do not have sufficient magic to save themselves.
In the Empire of Iuz, Iuz is now faced by a large number of intelligent, and infuriated undead, who demand that something immediately be done to save them, then something dreadful be immediately done to the Alliance of the Crescent.