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<blockquote data-quote="SolidSnake" data-source="post: 950" data-attributes="member: 102"><p><strong>October 14th, 747: “Fiat Veritas pereat vita (Let there be truth and may life perish).”-Friedrich Nietzsche</strong></p><p></p><p>The party awoke wearily the next morning at first light. No one had slept well; even Shinlaiden, who had pulled the final leg of guard duty, seemed bleary-eyed when he roused everyone. Sam and Raul were eager to make headway on their long journey towards Vallaki immediately, but Vanyel astutely pointed out that the horses did not have enough food to last a long trip. A grappling hook, belt pouch, and strange metal box with a seven-pointed star later, Monsette had grudgingly secured horse feed, a harness, and an old rickety cart to tie the goat to with a small chain he had also purchased. The Old Svitch Road was a large highway, which would have been able to allow three wagons to ride abreast of one another. As it was, no such traffic existed as the party made their way North. Vanyel began to suspect that the sun set faster than normal in the realm of Barovia, but Monsette assured him that the cloud cover was at fault for that phenomenon.</p><p></p><p>Guard duty had been the same every night: Sam, Monsette, Vanyel, Raul, and then Shinlaiden. Sam was about reaching the pleasant stages of slumber when he was awoken by gentle hands shaking him.</p><p></p><p>"What? What is it," Sam said groggily.</p><p>"Sam, I thought I saw something. Something is out there," Vanyel whispered.</p><p>"I don't see anything, you must be just imagining." Sam's voice trailed off.</p><p></p><p>The Old Svitch Road wound its way north and was flanked, to the east, by an enormous forest of evergreens so thick that the light of the sun could barely penetrate its outermost reaches. To the west of the road lied plains of tall brown grass; the area where the party had decided to make camp, over one hundred yards from the road. Suspended ten feet above the ground, in the forest, were glowing red orbs.hundreds of small red orbs simply suspended among the trees. Needless to say that no one slept for the rest of the night. The party huddled together, weapons drawn, awaiting the inevitable.</p><p></p><p><strong>______________</strong></p><p><strong>October 15th, 747</strong></p><p></p><p>Morning came, if slowly, banishing the glowing red orbs from forest. Exhaustion had set in anew, wreaking havoc on the party's conversational capabilities. In fact, the situation had become so dire that Shinlaiden was ordered to travel next to Sam in order to catch him if he nodded off in the saddle. Monsette was going over the finer points of his religion; to keep himself and others from falling asleep, when his speech was rudely interrupted by a loud squawk from within the forest. Monsette continued on unabated, but the squawking only seemed to get louder. First a new crow joined in the song and then another shortly thereafter. Soon the sound became deafening as a chorus of crows began to sing with chilling tones. Monsette didn't need any more encouragement to pick up the pace. He was about to tell everyone to move a little quicker when a white dove broke from the forest's cover and landed on Vanyel's shoulder. No one had anytime to react to the situation as a cloud of darkness burst from the tree line right on the dove's tail. The morning sun was eclipsed as hundreds of crows encircled the party in a shower of black feathers. Vanyel attempted vainly to shield the dove with his hands as a storm of beaks rained down upon him. Monsette, in the meantime, struggled to channel the power of Viminau into a shield that could protect the party from the forces of evil, but the hail of claws proved to be more than a match for his concentration. Sam strained his arms to keep his horse from bolting, but Shinlaiden did not possess the skill to do so. The frightened horse bucked and threw Vanyel into the air. Only by the luck did Vanyel backwards into Sam's waiting arms. Once he had secured Vanyel, Sam galloped his horse into the forest not daring to look back. Shinlaiden and Raul urged their horses forward in a similar fashion, while Monsette unhooked the cart from his horse. Unbuckling the straps, Monsette heard the hopeless cries of the goat as the crows tore it to pieces. As Monsette galloped his horse over to the forest, he took one look back at the cart only to see that no trace of the goat remained and the chain had been broken. The crows were dispersing somewhat, but Monsette wasn't will to stick around and find out if the goat had satisfied their hunger.</p><p></p><p>A few minutes later the party had regrouped a mile or so into the forest. The dove that Vanyel had so desperately tried to save was perched on a branch just above his head, cooing innocently.</p><p></p><p>"I think that we are supposed to follow it," Vanyel uttered.</p><p>"How can you be so sure," Mosette asked.</p><p>"I saw this bird in a dream I had two nights ago. It is a guide."</p><p>"A dream Vanyel?"</p><p>"Yes, it was where I had to make a choice.I don't remember fully, but I do remember the dove."</p><p>"The forests in Barovia are dangerous," Raul interrupted worriedly. "Sometimes Barovian brides are taken on their wedding nights and later found in the woods.mutilated. It is a dangerous place at night."</p><p>"Why am I not surprised," replied Monsette. "Tell me Raul, is it faster to Vallaki through the forest?"</p><p>"Yes it is much faster, but."</p><p>"Good, then that settles it. Your baby needs milk after all…we can't just let him die now can we?"</p><p></p><p>The party’s silence was mirrored in the forest. Not a single bird call; not a single insect’s chirp. The rest of the day was suffocating for everyone as they followed the dove through the forest.</p><p></p><p><strong>____________</strong></p><p><strong>October 17th, 747</strong></p><p></p><p>New days only brought more misery to the party as they trudged though the damp forest. Yesterday saw a torrential downpour, making the trek more difficult for both the horses and the riders. Only a sliver of the once proud full moon remained hidden in the folds of the clouds. The party’s self proclaimed guide wasn’t much help, as his navigational skills asserted that a small town should have appeared by now…this did nothing for morale. Monsette did everything he could to cling to the crumbling vision of hope. He had about exhausted his stories of victory when Raul spotted a small house in the distance. As the group approached and dismounted it seemed more like cottage than a house. The dove serenely perched itself over the roof of the structure and waited in expectation. Vanyel shivered as he moved forward, but was violently yanked back by Monsette.</p><p></p><p>“What’s wrong,” Vanyel asked.</p><p></p><p>He hadn’t noticed it before, but it there were humanoid shapes surrounding the cottage. Monsette counted three of them as he cautiously examined them from afar. They were as tall as a man, but hunched over in a sitting position. Monsette couldn’t make out any features as the figures wore dark heavy robes, adorned with the rot of fungus. All three were sitting in the center of circular patterns outlined in chalk…simply staring at the house.</p><p></p><p>“This is a bad idea Vanyel. I say we just forget we ever saw this house and move along. The longer we stay out here the more chance there is of Nikki dying.”</p><p>“No Monsette…I have to know. All my life I have questioned my existence; I want answers now,” Vanyel replied coolly.</p><p></p><p>Before Monsette could retort with witty sarcasm, Vanyel was walking towards the cottage.</p><p></p><p>“You fool! Phah! Well, don’t just stand there you idiots, go after him!”</p><p></p><p>Sam and Shinlaiden looked at one another with the glance of understanding before chasing after Vanyel. As he approached the house, the cloaked figures began to stir. Slowly at first did they rise from their positions in unison. Their skeletal hands reached out simultaneously but came up against an invisible force. Their arms strained against the barrier causing blue sparks to fly from the very air they touched. As they pushed through, their hands narrowed into curved steel blades. Shinlaiden grabbed Vanyel, pulling him back, as Sam interposed himself between the hooded figures and his companions. The instant Sam freed his rapier from its scabbard did the creatures explode into action. Moving faster than anyone could register, the skeletal men routed their pray. One rushed Sam directly, while the other two went after Van and Shinlaiden. Sam would have lost his life had he not brought his sword up in a defensive posture to deflect the steel weapons growing out of creature’s forearms. For the first in many years Sam saw the look of fear as he gazed into the monster’s glowing green eyes.</p><p></p><p>Shinlaiden watched as Vanyel’s spellcasting was interrupted by a slash of the creature’s blade across the frail man’s torso. Watching his friend fall back in anguish triggered something deep in his subconscious mind. Primal instincts of protection were awoken from buried corners of his soul. He ignored the skeletal monster attacking him. With a scream of rage, Shinlaiden brought his mace down onto the monster’s skull as Vanyel scurried away to safety. This proved to be a mistake, as the final creature skewered Shinlaiden through the shoulder. Ignoring the pain, the behemoth grabbed the skeleton’s arm and began to ram his skull into its forehead over and over. The force of each blow was enough to move the skeleton back. While Shinlaiden was wrestling with the undead, Sam was doing all he could to stay alive. Raul and Monsette battled the remaining creature with aid of Viminau. In the ensuing chaos, Vanyel slipped away towards the house. During the huge melee Monsette saw Vanyel’s form approach the cottage. When he arrived at the door, light flared up from within the structure. Ignoring the cries of battle, Vanyel creaked the door open. Broken furniture, dust, and dirt littered the floor. The only intact object was a small chair, occupied by an older man. He, like the rest of the room, had a layer of dust covering his simple white robes.</p><p></p><p>“Who are you,” Vanyel asked in Balok (Local language).</p><p>“The better question is who are you,” the man replied with flawless Nymbardaxian Common.</p><p></p><p>As he turned, his gaunt frame became apparent. A hawkish nose protruded from rather pale skin. His hair was snow white, radically contrasting his dark eyes. They were black pools, without any illusion of pupils.</p><p></p><p>“So, Vanyel, would you like to come inside?”</p><p></p><p>Vanyel was torn from his thoughts by the pressure of blood soaked hand on his arm. Turning around, he saw his weakened companion staring at him. Directly behind him were Raul, Sam, and Shinlaiden; still locked in fierce battle against the undead creatures.</p><p></p><p>“Don’t go in there Vanyel,” Monsette told him.</p><p></p><p>“Oh come now Monsette. Surely you don’t think I would wish harm on our…unique…friend Vanyel do you? Besides, it’s raining…if you stay out there any longer you will catch your death.”</p><p></p><p>Monsette was just about to refute the strange man’s point when a light drizzle began. Vanyel looked up at the sky one last time before entering the cottage.</p><p></p><p>“Tell me who I am,” Vanyel demanded.</p><p>“In due time young one. There are many things that must be done…many things indeed,” the strange old man answered.</p><p>“Tell me now! No more games.”</p><p>“It is…difficult to explain.”</p><p></p><p>In anger Vanyel wheeled about and headed towards the door.</p><p></p><p>“I wouldn’t do that,” the old man cautioned.</p><p></p><p>Vanyel paid no attention to him. Passing the threshold caused an arc of lightning to surround him and hurl the poor man back into the room. Shaking his head, the old man began dragging the smoking linguist towards the center of the room.</p><p></p><p>“Now, before you do something rash, let me tell you that your friend is only half-dead. Only I can save him now, so do not interfere if you value his life.”</p><p></p><p>Monsette stared on in anger as the man began weaving his hands in strange motions. Runes began to light up all over the house, encasing the two in brilliant light. Shielding his eyes, Monsette barely saw what happened next. Lightning shot from the runes and began to flow through Vanyel…they moved faster and faster until Monsette had to close his eyes in pain. Then quite suddenly it all stopped and Vanyel was gone.</p><p></p><p>“That was taxing. Well, I fulfilled my end of the bargain.”</p><p>“What have you done to my friend,” Monsette screamed in rage. “I will kill you!”</p><p></p><p>Clicking his tongue, the old man only smiled. “How are you going to kill me if you aren’t even here.”</p><p></p><p>Blink.</p><p></p><p>Monsette, Shinlaiden, Raul, and Sam found themselves right outside an enormous town on the Old Svitch Road. The stream of curses Monsette proceeded to unleash could have flayed the hide from a demon in the ninth level of the hell…</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="SolidSnake, post: 950, member: 102"] [b]October 14th, 747: “Fiat Veritas pereat vita (Let there be truth and may life perish).”-Friedrich Nietzsche[/b] The party awoke wearily the next morning at first light. No one had slept well; even Shinlaiden, who had pulled the final leg of guard duty, seemed bleary-eyed when he roused everyone. Sam and Raul were eager to make headway on their long journey towards Vallaki immediately, but Vanyel astutely pointed out that the horses did not have enough food to last a long trip. A grappling hook, belt pouch, and strange metal box with a seven-pointed star later, Monsette had grudgingly secured horse feed, a harness, and an old rickety cart to tie the goat to with a small chain he had also purchased. The Old Svitch Road was a large highway, which would have been able to allow three wagons to ride abreast of one another. As it was, no such traffic existed as the party made their way North. Vanyel began to suspect that the sun set faster than normal in the realm of Barovia, but Monsette assured him that the cloud cover was at fault for that phenomenon. Guard duty had been the same every night: Sam, Monsette, Vanyel, Raul, and then Shinlaiden. Sam was about reaching the pleasant stages of slumber when he was awoken by gentle hands shaking him. "What? What is it," Sam said groggily. "Sam, I thought I saw something. Something is out there," Vanyel whispered. "I don't see anything, you must be just imagining." Sam's voice trailed off. The Old Svitch Road wound its way north and was flanked, to the east, by an enormous forest of evergreens so thick that the light of the sun could barely penetrate its outermost reaches. To the west of the road lied plains of tall brown grass; the area where the party had decided to make camp, over one hundred yards from the road. Suspended ten feet above the ground, in the forest, were glowing red orbs.hundreds of small red orbs simply suspended among the trees. Needless to say that no one slept for the rest of the night. The party huddled together, weapons drawn, awaiting the inevitable. [b]______________ October 15th, 747[/b] Morning came, if slowly, banishing the glowing red orbs from forest. Exhaustion had set in anew, wreaking havoc on the party's conversational capabilities. In fact, the situation had become so dire that Shinlaiden was ordered to travel next to Sam in order to catch him if he nodded off in the saddle. Monsette was going over the finer points of his religion; to keep himself and others from falling asleep, when his speech was rudely interrupted by a loud squawk from within the forest. Monsette continued on unabated, but the squawking only seemed to get louder. First a new crow joined in the song and then another shortly thereafter. Soon the sound became deafening as a chorus of crows began to sing with chilling tones. Monsette didn't need any more encouragement to pick up the pace. He was about to tell everyone to move a little quicker when a white dove broke from the forest's cover and landed on Vanyel's shoulder. No one had anytime to react to the situation as a cloud of darkness burst from the tree line right on the dove's tail. The morning sun was eclipsed as hundreds of crows encircled the party in a shower of black feathers. Vanyel attempted vainly to shield the dove with his hands as a storm of beaks rained down upon him. Monsette, in the meantime, struggled to channel the power of Viminau into a shield that could protect the party from the forces of evil, but the hail of claws proved to be more than a match for his concentration. Sam strained his arms to keep his horse from bolting, but Shinlaiden did not possess the skill to do so. The frightened horse bucked and threw Vanyel into the air. Only by the luck did Vanyel backwards into Sam's waiting arms. Once he had secured Vanyel, Sam galloped his horse into the forest not daring to look back. Shinlaiden and Raul urged their horses forward in a similar fashion, while Monsette unhooked the cart from his horse. Unbuckling the straps, Monsette heard the hopeless cries of the goat as the crows tore it to pieces. As Monsette galloped his horse over to the forest, he took one look back at the cart only to see that no trace of the goat remained and the chain had been broken. The crows were dispersing somewhat, but Monsette wasn't will to stick around and find out if the goat had satisfied their hunger. A few minutes later the party had regrouped a mile or so into the forest. The dove that Vanyel had so desperately tried to save was perched on a branch just above his head, cooing innocently. "I think that we are supposed to follow it," Vanyel uttered. "How can you be so sure," Mosette asked. "I saw this bird in a dream I had two nights ago. It is a guide." "A dream Vanyel?" "Yes, it was where I had to make a choice.I don't remember fully, but I do remember the dove." "The forests in Barovia are dangerous," Raul interrupted worriedly. "Sometimes Barovian brides are taken on their wedding nights and later found in the woods.mutilated. It is a dangerous place at night." "Why am I not surprised," replied Monsette. "Tell me Raul, is it faster to Vallaki through the forest?" "Yes it is much faster, but." "Good, then that settles it. Your baby needs milk after all…we can't just let him die now can we?" The party’s silence was mirrored in the forest. Not a single bird call; not a single insect’s chirp. The rest of the day was suffocating for everyone as they followed the dove through the forest. [b]____________ October 17th, 747[/b] New days only brought more misery to the party as they trudged though the damp forest. Yesterday saw a torrential downpour, making the trek more difficult for both the horses and the riders. Only a sliver of the once proud full moon remained hidden in the folds of the clouds. The party’s self proclaimed guide wasn’t much help, as his navigational skills asserted that a small town should have appeared by now…this did nothing for morale. Monsette did everything he could to cling to the crumbling vision of hope. He had about exhausted his stories of victory when Raul spotted a small house in the distance. As the group approached and dismounted it seemed more like cottage than a house. The dove serenely perched itself over the roof of the structure and waited in expectation. Vanyel shivered as he moved forward, but was violently yanked back by Monsette. “What’s wrong,” Vanyel asked. He hadn’t noticed it before, but it there were humanoid shapes surrounding the cottage. Monsette counted three of them as he cautiously examined them from afar. They were as tall as a man, but hunched over in a sitting position. Monsette couldn’t make out any features as the figures wore dark heavy robes, adorned with the rot of fungus. All three were sitting in the center of circular patterns outlined in chalk…simply staring at the house. “This is a bad idea Vanyel. I say we just forget we ever saw this house and move along. The longer we stay out here the more chance there is of Nikki dying.” “No Monsette…I have to know. All my life I have questioned my existence; I want answers now,” Vanyel replied coolly. Before Monsette could retort with witty sarcasm, Vanyel was walking towards the cottage. “You fool! Phah! Well, don’t just stand there you idiots, go after him!” Sam and Shinlaiden looked at one another with the glance of understanding before chasing after Vanyel. As he approached the house, the cloaked figures began to stir. Slowly at first did they rise from their positions in unison. Their skeletal hands reached out simultaneously but came up against an invisible force. Their arms strained against the barrier causing blue sparks to fly from the very air they touched. As they pushed through, their hands narrowed into curved steel blades. Shinlaiden grabbed Vanyel, pulling him back, as Sam interposed himself between the hooded figures and his companions. The instant Sam freed his rapier from its scabbard did the creatures explode into action. Moving faster than anyone could register, the skeletal men routed their pray. One rushed Sam directly, while the other two went after Van and Shinlaiden. Sam would have lost his life had he not brought his sword up in a defensive posture to deflect the steel weapons growing out of creature’s forearms. For the first in many years Sam saw the look of fear as he gazed into the monster’s glowing green eyes. Shinlaiden watched as Vanyel’s spellcasting was interrupted by a slash of the creature’s blade across the frail man’s torso. Watching his friend fall back in anguish triggered something deep in his subconscious mind. Primal instincts of protection were awoken from buried corners of his soul. He ignored the skeletal monster attacking him. With a scream of rage, Shinlaiden brought his mace down onto the monster’s skull as Vanyel scurried away to safety. This proved to be a mistake, as the final creature skewered Shinlaiden through the shoulder. Ignoring the pain, the behemoth grabbed the skeleton’s arm and began to ram his skull into its forehead over and over. The force of each blow was enough to move the skeleton back. While Shinlaiden was wrestling with the undead, Sam was doing all he could to stay alive. Raul and Monsette battled the remaining creature with aid of Viminau. In the ensuing chaos, Vanyel slipped away towards the house. During the huge melee Monsette saw Vanyel’s form approach the cottage. When he arrived at the door, light flared up from within the structure. Ignoring the cries of battle, Vanyel creaked the door open. Broken furniture, dust, and dirt littered the floor. The only intact object was a small chair, occupied by an older man. He, like the rest of the room, had a layer of dust covering his simple white robes. “Who are you,” Vanyel asked in Balok (Local language). “The better question is who are you,” the man replied with flawless Nymbardaxian Common. As he turned, his gaunt frame became apparent. A hawkish nose protruded from rather pale skin. His hair was snow white, radically contrasting his dark eyes. They were black pools, without any illusion of pupils. “So, Vanyel, would you like to come inside?” Vanyel was torn from his thoughts by the pressure of blood soaked hand on his arm. Turning around, he saw his weakened companion staring at him. Directly behind him were Raul, Sam, and Shinlaiden; still locked in fierce battle against the undead creatures. “Don’t go in there Vanyel,” Monsette told him. “Oh come now Monsette. Surely you don’t think I would wish harm on our…unique…friend Vanyel do you? Besides, it’s raining…if you stay out there any longer you will catch your death.” Monsette was just about to refute the strange man’s point when a light drizzle began. Vanyel looked up at the sky one last time before entering the cottage. “Tell me who I am,” Vanyel demanded. “In due time young one. There are many things that must be done…many things indeed,” the strange old man answered. “Tell me now! No more games.” “It is…difficult to explain.” In anger Vanyel wheeled about and headed towards the door. “I wouldn’t do that,” the old man cautioned. Vanyel paid no attention to him. Passing the threshold caused an arc of lightning to surround him and hurl the poor man back into the room. Shaking his head, the old man began dragging the smoking linguist towards the center of the room. “Now, before you do something rash, let me tell you that your friend is only half-dead. Only I can save him now, so do not interfere if you value his life.” Monsette stared on in anger as the man began weaving his hands in strange motions. Runes began to light up all over the house, encasing the two in brilliant light. Shielding his eyes, Monsette barely saw what happened next. Lightning shot from the runes and began to flow through Vanyel…they moved faster and faster until Monsette had to close his eyes in pain. Then quite suddenly it all stopped and Vanyel was gone. “That was taxing. Well, I fulfilled my end of the bargain.” “What have you done to my friend,” Monsette screamed in rage. “I will kill you!” Clicking his tongue, the old man only smiled. “How are you going to kill me if you aren’t even here.” Blink. Monsette, Shinlaiden, Raul, and Sam found themselves right outside an enormous town on the Old Svitch Road. The stream of curses Monsette proceeded to unleash could have flayed the hide from a demon in the ninth level of the hell… [/QUOTE]
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