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Steel Dragon's "Tales of Orea"
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<blockquote data-quote="steeldragons" data-source="post: 5633250" data-attributes="member: 92511"><p><strong>Oh What a Night, Part III</strong></p><p></p><p>Oh What a Night: Part III</p><p> </p><p> The band ascended the wooded slope. Evening turned to early night. The rising lesser moon, Sorilorr, shred beams of eerie green light through the still leafy boughs. The green was muted somewhat by the mostly waned greater moon’s silver light. The dancing of the moons’ glow and shadows through the trees and underbrush was both unsettling and mesmerizing.</p><p> </p><p> Haelan murmured the simple prayer to Faerantha and the head of his mace illuminated with a soft golden glow to light the path.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Gnobert thought this was quite the handy trick and with a syllable and simple flick of his nimble fingers, the pointed branchlike top of his hood “popped” and was surrounded by a puffball of blue-white light, offering more light for his new friends who couldn’t see in the speckled moonlight as well as the smaller folk.</p><p> </p><p> Great, it’s true, thought Braddok. A gnome with magic. Braddok had no dealings with gnomes, but it was common knowledge across his homeland of Denil that they were not to be trusted and had a knack for trickery.</p><p></p><p></p><p>It was alleged among humans that all gnomes were capable of magic, specifically for the purposes of tricks and dishonest dealings. I’ll let Coerraine worry about Duor, the swordsman reasoned. I’ll have my eyes full between the gnome and the druid.</p><p> </p><p> They passed most of the walk in silence. As the band neared the cottage, Rhea appeared in the cottage’s doorway. Her billowing high-collared green cloak practically shone in the green moonlight bathing the glade in which she lived. The emerald teardrop that hung between her eyebrows glinted brightly. It was no wonder, several members of the party thought, she was known as the ‘Green Witch’.</p><p> </p><p> “My, my. This is quite an audience.” Rhea said by way of a welcome as they entered the glade. She looked to Gnobert and Buttercream with a smile. “And rather a different one than I recall from earlier.” </p><p> </p><p> “I am afraid, Lady Rhea, we have some unsettling news since we last spoke. Even…” Alaria began.</p><p> </p><p> “More questions than you began with…I see.” Rhea responded. </p><p> </p><p> “Yes.” Answered Alaria. Rhea had plucked the very words from Alaria’s mind with apparent (and alarming to Alaria) ease. The R’Hathi mage relayed the events of the evening, the wererats, the information about the orb, the new refugee situation to the Emerald Tear initiate though, Alaria fully realized, she didn’t have to.</p><p> </p><p> “Indeed.” Rhea replied with little surprise at any of it.</p><p></p><p></p><p>“I see your concern, Alaria. Some of it sounds well founded. Though you needed worry about Welford. I have glimpsed the future with my Sight and have seen the goblin army pass Welford by. They appear to have a singular purpose and their leader….this Bulgruch…is a powerful creature though not possessed of a powerful mind to such as I…or you, Alaria.” Rhea finished with a smile.</p><p></p><p> </p><p> This compliment meant quite a lot to the young magess. </p><p> </p><p> “As to the wererats and this orb. I am afraid I know not. Nor am I aware of a wizard named Tresahd. Though," Rhea chuckled lightly, “even<em> I</em> do not profess to know all wizards, everywhere. May I see the orb?”</p><p> </p><p> Alaria handed her the mysterious clear crystal. The green cloaked seeress held it in her hand for a moment and stared at it intently.</p><p></p><p></p><p>The party watched in collective awe as the emerald teardrop of Rhea’s diadem sparkled and flared from some inner light. After a few moments of this, the green gemstone on her brow flared.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Rhea’s head snapped up from the orb and looked past the party to a shadowed corner of the glade. Her brow furrowed in obvious anger. </p><p> </p><p> “We are being watched!” Rhea said with absolute assurance. “Make ready.”</p><p> </p><p> The band wheeled around to where Rhea’s eyes rested. In an almost single fluid motion, all weapons were pointed and drawn, but they saw nothing but the green-bathed woods and shadows. No apparent movement. No foes to be seen. </p><p> </p><p> “<em>Arcanivis!”</em> shouted Alaria.<<em>mage spell: Detect Magic</em>> The sphere of violet light surrounded her outstretched hand and to Alaria’s eyes, a bunched up ball…no…the shape of a coil of rope seemed to glow to her eyes. Within the coil Alaria was able to discern a set of red glowing eyes looking at her. </p><p> </p><p> “There! In the bushes where Rhea’s looking.” Alaria said forgetting that her magical sight was not available to her companions.</p><p> </p><p> Golden light shown in Coerraine’s eyes, but even the paladin’s gifted sight could not make out any discernible image. “Where, Alaria? Whatever it is, I see no evil.”</p><p> </p><p> “Yeah, I don’t see anything.” Duor chimed in. His hand crossbow was nocked. Not one to question two wizardly types, Duor leveled his weapon and fired. The bolt was heard to crash through the undergrowth but nothing seemed to stir.</p><p> </p><p> “Fen,” Rhea said, “your order has taught you to see beyond visible sight? To find the <strong>fayekin</strong> <<em>Orean term used for sprites, pixies and other assorted faerie folk</em>> and others cloaked by magical means?”</p><p> </p><p> The red-haired half-elf nodded and called to mind the simple invocation Rhea spoke of. His lips moved as he whispered the cryptic druidic syllables. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>He made a wide sweeping motion with his spear in the direction all were looking. Haelan and Duor jumped as a swathe of light blue flames arched out from the tip of the spear.</p><p> </p><p> The fire harmlessly passed over (or was it through, thought Braddok) the warrior and dwarf. It washed through the undergrowth and tree trunks. Nothing burned but where Alaria saw the coil with her enchanted vision, the flames seemed to “stick” to the form she saw.</p><p></p><p></p><p>The black shape uncoiled and burst forth from its place and streaked into the air.</p><p> </p><p> Now surrounded in flickering soft blue flames by the druid’s “<em>Faerie fire</em>”, all of the companions jerked back to watch two forms of black shadow wind and dive and circle their way into the glade. They moved like eels or serpents through water, long slender forms, perhaps four feet long each with serpent-like heads that shown with glowing red eyes.</p><p> </p><p> Duor fired off another bolt as Coerraine moved to stand before Alaria and Rhea. The dart hit unerringly, and flew right through the darkness of the creature to land in the middle of the glade.</p><p> </p><p> “What are they?!” Haelan called and stepped back as he raised his enchanted shield before him.</p><p> </p><p> “Magic, for sure.” The dwarf said disappointed.</p><p> </p><p> “Shadow snakes.” Rhea said plainly. “Only enchanted weapons will harm them. But harm them you must.”</p><p> </p><p> Haelan immediately mustered his faith and courage to invoke Faerantha’s blessing on their weapons. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p><em>“Deisa Faerantha, dicteus beneficia spiritos y tiem paras</em>.”<<em>cleric spell: Bless, “Holy Faerantha, bless your loyal followers in this time of need.”</em>></p><p></p><p></p><p> His pinecone headed mace and Braddok’s sword immediately flared with a honey-colored glow as the Hilltender’s prayer was answered.</p><p> </p><p> Alaria stepped nearer to Rhea. She had heard of the creatures butwas unable to recall anything specific about them, other than they were creatures conjured from shadow to do a summoner’s bidding.</p><p> </p><p> “These are the least of the their kind,” Rhea answered to Alaria’s unspoken question. “They are used for observational purposes...spying. It is unlikely they will attack you, there are other larger varieties for that. These simply relay information to the conjurer who brought them to this world.”</p><p> </p><p> “Tresahd?” Alaria said.</p><p> </p><p> The emerald teardrop again flared and sparkled. “I cannot say for sure.” Rhea said with obvious apology. “The mind of the caster behind the creatures is faint. Whoever it is, they must be some distance from here.”</p><p> </p><p> Alaria did not like this tidbit of information at all. But she had no doubt, this is how the dark wizard was following them. The wererats had said they had been told where to find her and the orb.</p><p> </p><p> Braddok was able to land a blow on one of the shadow snakes, the golden glow from Haelan’s bless spell seem to melt the creature in two and with a whisper of a hiss, the shadowy form dissipated into the green night of Sorilorr's moon.</p><p> </p><p> The second swirling shadowy form ebbed and curled its way into the air beyond Haelan’s reach.</p><p></p><p></p><p>This did not keep the daelvar priest from swinging vigorously in the thing’s direction. At one point, the shadow snake swooped directly at the Hilltender and in a panicked swing, Haelan toppled over backwards as his elfin helmet fell into his eyes.</p><p> </p><p> Buttercreamshadowfeet, had no liking for serpents of any kind. The lengthy cream-colored ferret leaped up and took a purposeful bite at the shadow snake. Of course, the poor ferret's jaws simply snapped as if on nothing and she flopped back to the ground. </p><p> </p><p> “Aight. Here’s wheer yeer meetin’ yeer end, snakey!” yelled the gnome at the swirling shadow.</p><p></p><p></p><p>The gnome’s hands and arms began making swirling motions…as if he were miming a juggling act.</p><p> </p><p> “<em>Imberil nossos…”</em> <<em>mage/illusionist spell: Chromatic Orb</em>> As Gnobert incanted, one puffballs of light appeared, then two, then four. Each was a different vibrant color…“<em>BEX!</em>”</p><p> </p><p> On the last syllable, all of the balls turned icy blue and combined into a single sphere that Gnobert seemed to “push” at the shadow snake. The Icy blue sphere streaked to the shadow creature and struck with a flash of blue light. Again there was a whispery hiss as the snake-form faded away along with Fen’s bluish flames. A few snowflakes fluttered to the ground.</p><p> </p><p> Gnobert swiped his hands together. “E’en that’s that, me friends.”</p><p> </p><p> “<em>That</em> was impressive, master gnome.” Fen smiled as he patted Gnobert on the shoulder.</p><p> </p><p> “Rhea?” Alaria asked.</p><p> </p><p> The Green Witch’s emerald teardrop diadem again flickered for a moment. When the light subsided she nodded to Alaria and smiled.</p><p></p><p></p><p>“We are alone. Well done, friends. But conjuring even the least of these creatures is no small feat. There are few wizards who use such means. It is most common among priests of dark powers. If this Tresahd was the originator, he may be more worrysome than I thought.”</p><p> </p><p> “Bollux.” Duor and Braddok said in unison. Braddok covered his mouth with his hand in surprise and apologized to Rhea for his vulgarity.</p><p> </p><p> “Hmph. Quite the compliment, Rhea,” Alaria prodded in jest. “He doesn’t apologize for such language to me.” She smirked at the now blushing warrior.</p><p></p><p> </p><p> Rhea simply smiled. “Now, shall we see to this orb?”</p><p> </p><p> “And that stone hoop.” Haelan added. “What’s that do?”</p><p> </p><p> Rhea chuckled softly again. “Indeed, Haelan Hilltender, and the ‘stone hoop’ too. Come.” The Green Witch led the party further up the slope beyond her cottage. She moved with almost elf-like elegance, her bright green cloak flowing around her giving the appearance that she floated over the increasingly steep terrain.</p><p> </p><p> Haelan, leaned over to their new gnome companion and commented, again, in sincere relief, “Thank Faerantha, that’s over. You shouldn’t be discouraged. We don’t normally have such troubles in our travels.”</p><p> </p><p> “Ye don’ say?” Gnobert replied. “Theer’s a pity. Seems quite a bitta fun.”</p><p> </p><p> “Well, I did get kidnapped by a harpy one time…” Haelan began and regaled the gnome with his abduction on Dragonbone Isle to the amusement of Rhea and some of the other companions.</p><p> </p><p></p><p><em><strong>Next: Oh What a Night: Part IV...? </strong></em></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="steeldragons, post: 5633250, member: 92511"] [b]Oh What a Night, Part III[/b] Oh What a Night: Part III The band ascended the wooded slope. Evening turned to early night. The rising lesser moon, Sorilorr, shred beams of eerie green light through the still leafy boughs. The green was muted somewhat by the mostly waned greater moon’s silver light. The dancing of the moons’ glow and shadows through the trees and underbrush was both unsettling and mesmerizing. Haelan murmured the simple prayer to Faerantha and the head of his mace illuminated with a soft golden glow to light the path. Gnobert thought this was quite the handy trick and with a syllable and simple flick of his nimble fingers, the pointed branchlike top of his hood “popped” and was surrounded by a puffball of blue-white light, offering more light for his new friends who couldn’t see in the speckled moonlight as well as the smaller folk. Great, it’s true, thought Braddok. A gnome with magic. Braddok had no dealings with gnomes, but it was common knowledge across his homeland of Denil that they were not to be trusted and had a knack for trickery. It was alleged among humans that all gnomes were capable of magic, specifically for the purposes of tricks and dishonest dealings. I’ll let Coerraine worry about Duor, the swordsman reasoned. I’ll have my eyes full between the gnome and the druid. They passed most of the walk in silence. As the band neared the cottage, Rhea appeared in the cottage’s doorway. Her billowing high-collared green cloak practically shone in the green moonlight bathing the glade in which she lived. The emerald teardrop that hung between her eyebrows glinted brightly. It was no wonder, several members of the party thought, she was known as the ‘Green Witch’. “My, my. This is quite an audience.” Rhea said by way of a welcome as they entered the glade. She looked to Gnobert and Buttercream with a smile. “And rather a different one than I recall from earlier.” “I am afraid, Lady Rhea, we have some unsettling news since we last spoke. Even…” Alaria began. “More questions than you began with…I see.” Rhea responded. “Yes.” Answered Alaria. Rhea had plucked the very words from Alaria’s mind with apparent (and alarming to Alaria) ease. The R’Hathi mage relayed the events of the evening, the wererats, the information about the orb, the new refugee situation to the Emerald Tear initiate though, Alaria fully realized, she didn’t have to. “Indeed.” Rhea replied with little surprise at any of it. “I see your concern, Alaria. Some of it sounds well founded. Though you needed worry about Welford. I have glimpsed the future with my Sight and have seen the goblin army pass Welford by. They appear to have a singular purpose and their leader….this Bulgruch…is a powerful creature though not possessed of a powerful mind to such as I…or you, Alaria.” Rhea finished with a smile. This compliment meant quite a lot to the young magess. “As to the wererats and this orb. I am afraid I know not. Nor am I aware of a wizard named Tresahd. Though," Rhea chuckled lightly, “even[I] I[/I] do not profess to know all wizards, everywhere. May I see the orb?” Alaria handed her the mysterious clear crystal. The green cloaked seeress held it in her hand for a moment and stared at it intently. The party watched in collective awe as the emerald teardrop of Rhea’s diadem sparkled and flared from some inner light. After a few moments of this, the green gemstone on her brow flared. Rhea’s head snapped up from the orb and looked past the party to a shadowed corner of the glade. Her brow furrowed in obvious anger. “We are being watched!” Rhea said with absolute assurance. “Make ready.” The band wheeled around to where Rhea’s eyes rested. In an almost single fluid motion, all weapons were pointed and drawn, but they saw nothing but the green-bathed woods and shadows. No apparent movement. No foes to be seen. “[I]Arcanivis!”[/I] shouted Alaria.<[I]mage spell: Detect Magic[/I]> The sphere of violet light surrounded her outstretched hand and to Alaria’s eyes, a bunched up ball…no…the shape of a coil of rope seemed to glow to her eyes. Within the coil Alaria was able to discern a set of red glowing eyes looking at her. “There! In the bushes where Rhea’s looking.” Alaria said forgetting that her magical sight was not available to her companions. Golden light shown in Coerraine’s eyes, but even the paladin’s gifted sight could not make out any discernible image. “Where, Alaria? Whatever it is, I see no evil.” “Yeah, I don’t see anything.” Duor chimed in. His hand crossbow was nocked. Not one to question two wizardly types, Duor leveled his weapon and fired. The bolt was heard to crash through the undergrowth but nothing seemed to stir. “Fen,” Rhea said, “your order has taught you to see beyond visible sight? To find the [B]fayekin[/B] <[I]Orean term used for sprites, pixies and other assorted faerie folk[/I]> and others cloaked by magical means?” The red-haired half-elf nodded and called to mind the simple invocation Rhea spoke of. His lips moved as he whispered the cryptic druidic syllables. He made a wide sweeping motion with his spear in the direction all were looking. Haelan and Duor jumped as a swathe of light blue flames arched out from the tip of the spear. The fire harmlessly passed over (or was it through, thought Braddok) the warrior and dwarf. It washed through the undergrowth and tree trunks. Nothing burned but where Alaria saw the coil with her enchanted vision, the flames seemed to “stick” to the form she saw. The black shape uncoiled and burst forth from its place and streaked into the air. Now surrounded in flickering soft blue flames by the druid’s “[I]Faerie fire[/I]”, all of the companions jerked back to watch two forms of black shadow wind and dive and circle their way into the glade. They moved like eels or serpents through water, long slender forms, perhaps four feet long each with serpent-like heads that shown with glowing red eyes. Duor fired off another bolt as Coerraine moved to stand before Alaria and Rhea. The dart hit unerringly, and flew right through the darkness of the creature to land in the middle of the glade. “What are they?!” Haelan called and stepped back as he raised his enchanted shield before him. “Magic, for sure.” The dwarf said disappointed. “Shadow snakes.” Rhea said plainly. “Only enchanted weapons will harm them. But harm them you must.” Haelan immediately mustered his faith and courage to invoke Faerantha’s blessing on their weapons. [I]“Deisa Faerantha, dicteus beneficia spiritos y tiem paras[/I].”<[I]cleric spell: Bless, “Holy Faerantha, bless your loyal followers in this time of need.”[/I]> His pinecone headed mace and Braddok’s sword immediately flared with a honey-colored glow as the Hilltender’s prayer was answered. Alaria stepped nearer to Rhea. She had heard of the creatures butwas unable to recall anything specific about them, other than they were creatures conjured from shadow to do a summoner’s bidding. “These are the least of the their kind,” Rhea answered to Alaria’s unspoken question. “They are used for observational purposes...spying. It is unlikely they will attack you, there are other larger varieties for that. These simply relay information to the conjurer who brought them to this world.” “Tresahd?” Alaria said. The emerald teardrop again flared and sparkled. “I cannot say for sure.” Rhea said with obvious apology. “The mind of the caster behind the creatures is faint. Whoever it is, they must be some distance from here.” Alaria did not like this tidbit of information at all. But she had no doubt, this is how the dark wizard was following them. The wererats had said they had been told where to find her and the orb. Braddok was able to land a blow on one of the shadow snakes, the golden glow from Haelan’s bless spell seem to melt the creature in two and with a whisper of a hiss, the shadowy form dissipated into the green night of Sorilorr's moon. The second swirling shadowy form ebbed and curled its way into the air beyond Haelan’s reach. This did not keep the daelvar priest from swinging vigorously in the thing’s direction. At one point, the shadow snake swooped directly at the Hilltender and in a panicked swing, Haelan toppled over backwards as his elfin helmet fell into his eyes. Buttercreamshadowfeet, had no liking for serpents of any kind. The lengthy cream-colored ferret leaped up and took a purposeful bite at the shadow snake. Of course, the poor ferret's jaws simply snapped as if on nothing and she flopped back to the ground. “Aight. Here’s wheer yeer meetin’ yeer end, snakey!” yelled the gnome at the swirling shadow. The gnome’s hands and arms began making swirling motions…as if he were miming a juggling act. “[I]Imberil nossos…”[/I] <[I]mage/illusionist spell: Chromatic Orb[/I]> As Gnobert incanted, one puffballs of light appeared, then two, then four. Each was a different vibrant color…“[I]BEX![/I]” On the last syllable, all of the balls turned icy blue and combined into a single sphere that Gnobert seemed to “push” at the shadow snake. The Icy blue sphere streaked to the shadow creature and struck with a flash of blue light. Again there was a whispery hiss as the snake-form faded away along with Fen’s bluish flames. A few snowflakes fluttered to the ground. Gnobert swiped his hands together. “E’en that’s that, me friends.” “[I]That[/I] was impressive, master gnome.” Fen smiled as he patted Gnobert on the shoulder. “Rhea?” Alaria asked. The Green Witch’s emerald teardrop diadem again flickered for a moment. When the light subsided she nodded to Alaria and smiled. “We are alone. Well done, friends. But conjuring even the least of these creatures is no small feat. There are few wizards who use such means. It is most common among priests of dark powers. If this Tresahd was the originator, he may be more worrysome than I thought.” “Bollux.” Duor and Braddok said in unison. Braddok covered his mouth with his hand in surprise and apologized to Rhea for his vulgarity. “Hmph. Quite the compliment, Rhea,” Alaria prodded in jest. “He doesn’t apologize for such language to me.” She smirked at the now blushing warrior. Rhea simply smiled. “Now, shall we see to this orb?” “And that stone hoop.” Haelan added. “What’s that do?” Rhea chuckled softly again. “Indeed, Haelan Hilltender, and the ‘stone hoop’ too. Come.” The Green Witch led the party further up the slope beyond her cottage. She moved with almost elf-like elegance, her bright green cloak flowing around her giving the appearance that she floated over the increasingly steep terrain. Haelan, leaned over to their new gnome companion and commented, again, in sincere relief, “Thank Faerantha, that’s over. You shouldn’t be discouraged. We don’t normally have such troubles in our travels.” “Ye don’ say?” Gnobert replied. “Theer’s a pity. Seems quite a bitta fun.” “Well, I did get kidnapped by a harpy one time…” Haelan began and regaled the gnome with his abduction on Dragonbone Isle to the amusement of Rhea and some of the other companions. [I][B]Next: Oh What a Night: Part IV...? [/B][/I] [/QUOTE]
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