Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
Wizards, Whiskey and Wonderful Things - Concluded
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 2813694" data-attributes="member: 8530"><p><strong>Chapter 96, “Wonderful Things“, Saturday, March 18th , 1882, 10:30 P.M. </strong> </p><p></p><p>A few hours pass until Kate is awakened by a booming thunderclap and bright flash of lightening. Before falling back to sleep she notices light inside of her room. She opens her eyes to see the spirit of the deceased centaur Storm Golden Eye standing before, comprised of translucent light. Storm speaks saying, "Katherine, I have need of you to deliver a message for me." </p><p></p><p>Kate pushed herself up, squeezed her eyes shut, and opened them again. She wasn't sure if Storm was really here or if she was hallucinating. "Storm? You know I'll do whatever I can, but I can't guarantee my state of mind." Storm replies, "Katherine, I must go. I will be heading to another realm, one that I may not return from. </p><p></p><p>I need for you to speak with Nanuet. Tell him that I am proud of him. He has done well, far better than I could have expected. He no longer needs by assistance, he has found another. While he and the woman known as Minerva are both novice priests their strengths and weaknesses compliment one another and they can each learn much from the other. Between her, Kajika and Maska he will learn what he needs. </p><p></p><p>My predecessors for Apache Ambassadors have returned, so he need not shoulder that responsibility any longer. They will carry that task from this point forward, although the Apache will forever remain his friends and appreciate all that he has done for him. Do you understand what I have told you?" Katherine replies, "I believe so, and I will tell him. But why do you not speak directly to him?" </p><p></p><p>Storm replies, "I will not be alone on this journey. My traveling companion wanted to say a final goodbye." She then hears the word "Katie" spoken from a voice that she never expected to hear again. Standing now beside Storm is the form of Thomas Kale, made of the same translucent light as the centaur. "I will wait for you," Storm states to Thomas as she fades away. Thomas steps forward, taking Kate's hands in his. She can feel his familiar caress as the two look into each others eyes. </p><p></p><p>Kate lifted her hand and gingerly touched his face, as if afraid her touch would break whatever spell brought him there. She drank in the sight of him, the pale, reddish hair, the bright blue eyes, the hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth. Her voice broke. "Tom." </p><p></p><p>She stepped in and buried her face in his shoulder. For an endless moment they stayed locked in their embrace, then a hand lifted her face and her tears were wiped away by gentle fingers. "No more tears, Katie." She swallowed and nodded, never taking her eyes from his face. "How is this possible? I thought....I thought you had...moved on." </p><p></p><p>He replies, "Storm explained that to me. Most people do when they die, provided that those they know let them. People who wouldn’t let me go have kept me here. First it was Colby Tucker, he was distraught and wouldn't allow me to move on. He knew I was dead but wanted it to all be just a bad dream. He kept my spirit in Tombstone...and then you arrived and stayed as well. Between the two of you I was rooted to the town where I had perished until the two of you accepted it. He eventually did...you...well, I don't have to remind you of your months in Tombstone. </p><p></p><p>You finally moved on, coming here and allowing your friends to help you see beyond the past and to the future. I would have finally moved on then, in January, but then became rooted to Tombstone yet again, this time by my killer. Your presence stirred up guilt, haunting his every moment while both awake and in his dreams. He couldn't get me...what he did to me...out of his mind so here I remained, with Morgan Earp keeping me here. </p><p></p><p>But that has now ended. He....he was shot just a few minutes ago and is now dying. When his spirit moves on mine finally will as well. I will be going to a better destination than he will. We had been told that the dead move on to the realm of Hades, as Storm assures me most followers of the Greek and Roman church does. She says that it is a place of despair. She has offered to bring me to somewhere better for eternity, a place of her religion. And she says that you can join me there too when your time comes, which hopefully won't be for many many decades." </p><p></p><p>Kate answers, "You know I would follow you anywhere, even into Hades. But I hated the thought of you there. Storm is wise and kind, I know any place she considers worthy to go to be a place you'll be happy in. And I will follow you when the time is right." Kate slipped back down to the bed, her hand still holding her husband's. "Sit with me?" </p><p></p><p>Tom folded his long legs and sat on the bed, pulling Kate against him with an arm around her waist and taking her hand with his free hand. She leaned against him and sighed. "I miss you so much. I miss waking up with you, riding with you, fighting with you," she smiled. "Especially going to bed with you and falling asleep listening to you breathe. Sometimes I forget and think you'll just come walking in the door, and it breaks my heart when I remember. It all happened so suddenly. I was so happy coming to you and then everything changed." </p><p></p><p>He pulls her close into a long embrace and the two fall back onto the bed. The hug seems to last forever. He strokes her hair and says, "I know Katie, and I wish things had turned out differently." The two fall into a deep passionate kiss. </p><p></p><p>He says, "I'd like to be interred on your ranch rather than in Tombstone. Storm says that I will always be able to hear when you talk to me. This is the final time that we'll get to see one another, and this meeting is a great gift from the gods. As a spirit I shouldn't have any physical substance but Storm was able to tap into the earth magics of this region to grant me this...that's why we're having this unusual weather." </p><p></p><p>Another long kiss follows. "Our time is short...we should make the most of it." His hands remove her nightclothes. His spirit form is attired in the clothing that he wore the day he died....but those garments fade away, revealing his body. Katie feels his bare chest against hers, stronger, healthier and more robust than when she had seen him last. </p><p></p><p>Kate explored his body with her hands as he worked the thick braid of her hair loose to spill over her shoulders. Every nerve was awake, the feel of his skin was sending shivers down her spine. She pressed herself harder against him, as if she couldn't get close enough. The exhaustion of the day was gone; she couldn't even remember what it felt like. All she could feel was him in this strong body she remembered from years ago. She let go of everything and made love to her husband with a passion that her friends would never have suspected lived in the modest Mrs. Kale. </p><p></p><p>And so they continued for quite some time as the weather raged outside. At the very climax of the love making a massive bolt of lightening came down from the sky directly towards the El Parador. As it neared the roof it forked into three separate bolts, striking down in a triangle around the building, temporarily illuminating the structure while doing no permanent damage save for three scorch marks in the earth where the bolts struck. A massive roar of thunder follows and then the storm begins to dissipate. </p><p></p><p>Thomas Kale looks into his wife's eyes and says "Goodbye Katie, I love you" as he begins to fade away, her hands passing through the light where his solid body was just seconds before. "I love you, Tom. I'll bring you home." she cried after the fading form, knowing he heard. "Tell Storm I thank her, for everything." </p><p></p><p>Katherine lay breathing deeply for a few long moments in the warm, twisted sheets. It hadn't been just a dream, she was certain of it. She could still feel him, still smell his cologne in the air. With shaking hands she reached for her robe and wrapped it around her overheated skin. She went to the window and opened it, listening to the rain. From this night she would always find the sound of a storm to be one of the sweetest sounds in the world. </p><p></p><p>Light reappears inside of the room and Storm Golden Eye stands before Kate one more. Storm says "It is time. Morgan Earp is no more, Tom's bond to this realm has been broken. I will bring him now to a place of eternal happiness. Please show the proper thanks to the gods for this wonderful thing that they have brought you." </p><p></p><p>Kate nodded. "Of course. I can't tell you how grateful I am," she said, her flesh still quivering and covered with goose bumps. "But I do not know your gods, or how to properly thank them. I need instruction." </p><p></p><p>Storm says "It was not just my gods and those of the Apache that were involved in this. The gods of this region's elves are indeed grateful to you for helping to save the earth spirit and for keeping the Apache from being killed, and were able to assist. But it was Thomas's devotion to his gods that brought about this meeting. And also your actions as well, for choosing a marker for his grave that honored the Goddess Diana. That act alone swayed her to become personally involved in tonight's miracle." </p><p></p><p>"Diana?" Kate dropped weakly into the chair by the window. "The stone was the right thing to do. It is Tom's, it should reflect his feelings, not mine. I have been to church once since I was five years old, and that was my wedding day. There was... when my father went to the war...." she stopped. "I do not even know the gods of my Father, Storm. What do I do?" </p><p></p><p>The centaur replies, "What do you do? You honor Diana's gift. Most people believe the Greek and Roman deities to be the same but just with different names. That is not entirely true. The Greeks worship Artemis as the Goddess of the Hunt and the Moon. The Goddess worshipped as Diana is both of those, but she is also the Roman Goddess of Fertility. You can honor her gift to the two of you by raising your son to be a good man." </p><p></p><p>"My son? Storm, I...." She was thankful she was sitting as her head swam. Her hands were already unconsciously laid over her stomach. "This is the miracle." Kate tried to go on, but her voice broke and she covered her face with her hands and cried. </p><p></p><p>Storm replies, "Yes, his seed is within you. Consider this part of the balance of life. Until today you influenced the lives of others but you never began or ended a life. Now on the same day that a man died by your hands you have an opportunity to bring a new man into the world." </p><p></p><p>"May I raise a better man than the one whose life I ended today," she prayed fervently. "But today was not the first time I killed a man. Once before I.... They attacked our coach, we had to defend ourselves." </p><p></p><p>Storm states, "Your attack did not kill either of those men. One of those men did die from his injuries, but from the wound that Nanuet had caused not from yours, and he would have survived had he sought medical attention. Jake and Nanuet were aware of that, they found the pair in the bandit's cave. The other man, a Mr. Carl Rollins, is alive and well. He had been healed by Nanuet and then released. Mr. Rollins returned the favor just last week when he saved Nanuet and Chester's lives during their visit to Galeyville." </p><p></p><p>Kate sighed and sagged back against the chair back. "Thank you. I doubt Jake and Nanuet even knew I had injured either of those men. When shooting starts it's impossible to keep track of who did what. Thank you for telling me. And thank you for taking care of Tom. I have no idea how you found him, but I'm so glad you did." </p><p></p><p>Storm replies, "It would have been hard for me not to see him as he was the only spirit looming in Tombstone who had a good aura. When he followed you around town on your last two visits there it became obvious who he was. I have to be going now. Give Nanuet the message that I told you earlier. Say goodbye to the others for me as well." She then begins to fade away, as Tom had ten minutes earlier. </p><p></p><p>"Goodbye, Storm," Katherine said softly as the spirit faded away. She stayed in her chair by the window for a long while, listening as the rain slowed and eventually stopped. Speaking with Storm had forced her to start thinking, but she still felt wrapped in the light Tom had brought. Her skin was still hot to the touch, her heart still beating hard. </p><p></p><p>She had no idea how long Tom had been there, or how long she had been wrapped in her dreams, but eventually she realized Ginnie would be back soon. She could not be found like this, dressing gown half on and sitting up. Reluctantly she slipped back into her nightgown and crawled into bed. His scent still lingered in the sheets. Kate buried her face against the pillow and breathed deep. After a long while sleep came again, filled with dreams she had believed long lost.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Silver Moon, post: 2813694, member: 8530"] [B]Chapter 96, “Wonderful Things“, Saturday, March 18th , 1882, 10:30 P.M. [/B] A few hours pass until Kate is awakened by a booming thunderclap and bright flash of lightening. Before falling back to sleep she notices light inside of her room. She opens her eyes to see the spirit of the deceased centaur Storm Golden Eye standing before, comprised of translucent light. Storm speaks saying, "Katherine, I have need of you to deliver a message for me." Kate pushed herself up, squeezed her eyes shut, and opened them again. She wasn't sure if Storm was really here or if she was hallucinating. "Storm? You know I'll do whatever I can, but I can't guarantee my state of mind." Storm replies, "Katherine, I must go. I will be heading to another realm, one that I may not return from. I need for you to speak with Nanuet. Tell him that I am proud of him. He has done well, far better than I could have expected. He no longer needs by assistance, he has found another. While he and the woman known as Minerva are both novice priests their strengths and weaknesses compliment one another and they can each learn much from the other. Between her, Kajika and Maska he will learn what he needs. My predecessors for Apache Ambassadors have returned, so he need not shoulder that responsibility any longer. They will carry that task from this point forward, although the Apache will forever remain his friends and appreciate all that he has done for him. Do you understand what I have told you?" Katherine replies, "I believe so, and I will tell him. But why do you not speak directly to him?" Storm replies, "I will not be alone on this journey. My traveling companion wanted to say a final goodbye." She then hears the word "Katie" spoken from a voice that she never expected to hear again. Standing now beside Storm is the form of Thomas Kale, made of the same translucent light as the centaur. "I will wait for you," Storm states to Thomas as she fades away. Thomas steps forward, taking Kate's hands in his. She can feel his familiar caress as the two look into each others eyes. Kate lifted her hand and gingerly touched his face, as if afraid her touch would break whatever spell brought him there. She drank in the sight of him, the pale, reddish hair, the bright blue eyes, the hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth. Her voice broke. "Tom." She stepped in and buried her face in his shoulder. For an endless moment they stayed locked in their embrace, then a hand lifted her face and her tears were wiped away by gentle fingers. "No more tears, Katie." She swallowed and nodded, never taking her eyes from his face. "How is this possible? I thought....I thought you had...moved on." He replies, "Storm explained that to me. Most people do when they die, provided that those they know let them. People who wouldn’t let me go have kept me here. First it was Colby Tucker, he was distraught and wouldn't allow me to move on. He knew I was dead but wanted it to all be just a bad dream. He kept my spirit in Tombstone...and then you arrived and stayed as well. Between the two of you I was rooted to the town where I had perished until the two of you accepted it. He eventually did...you...well, I don't have to remind you of your months in Tombstone. You finally moved on, coming here and allowing your friends to help you see beyond the past and to the future. I would have finally moved on then, in January, but then became rooted to Tombstone yet again, this time by my killer. Your presence stirred up guilt, haunting his every moment while both awake and in his dreams. He couldn't get me...what he did to me...out of his mind so here I remained, with Morgan Earp keeping me here. But that has now ended. He....he was shot just a few minutes ago and is now dying. When his spirit moves on mine finally will as well. I will be going to a better destination than he will. We had been told that the dead move on to the realm of Hades, as Storm assures me most followers of the Greek and Roman church does. She says that it is a place of despair. She has offered to bring me to somewhere better for eternity, a place of her religion. And she says that you can join me there too when your time comes, which hopefully won't be for many many decades." Kate answers, "You know I would follow you anywhere, even into Hades. But I hated the thought of you there. Storm is wise and kind, I know any place she considers worthy to go to be a place you'll be happy in. And I will follow you when the time is right." Kate slipped back down to the bed, her hand still holding her husband's. "Sit with me?" Tom folded his long legs and sat on the bed, pulling Kate against him with an arm around her waist and taking her hand with his free hand. She leaned against him and sighed. "I miss you so much. I miss waking up with you, riding with you, fighting with you," she smiled. "Especially going to bed with you and falling asleep listening to you breathe. Sometimes I forget and think you'll just come walking in the door, and it breaks my heart when I remember. It all happened so suddenly. I was so happy coming to you and then everything changed." He pulls her close into a long embrace and the two fall back onto the bed. The hug seems to last forever. He strokes her hair and says, "I know Katie, and I wish things had turned out differently." The two fall into a deep passionate kiss. He says, "I'd like to be interred on your ranch rather than in Tombstone. Storm says that I will always be able to hear when you talk to me. This is the final time that we'll get to see one another, and this meeting is a great gift from the gods. As a spirit I shouldn't have any physical substance but Storm was able to tap into the earth magics of this region to grant me this...that's why we're having this unusual weather." Another long kiss follows. "Our time is short...we should make the most of it." His hands remove her nightclothes. His spirit form is attired in the clothing that he wore the day he died....but those garments fade away, revealing his body. Katie feels his bare chest against hers, stronger, healthier and more robust than when she had seen him last. Kate explored his body with her hands as he worked the thick braid of her hair loose to spill over her shoulders. Every nerve was awake, the feel of his skin was sending shivers down her spine. She pressed herself harder against him, as if she couldn't get close enough. The exhaustion of the day was gone; she couldn't even remember what it felt like. All she could feel was him in this strong body she remembered from years ago. She let go of everything and made love to her husband with a passion that her friends would never have suspected lived in the modest Mrs. Kale. And so they continued for quite some time as the weather raged outside. At the very climax of the love making a massive bolt of lightening came down from the sky directly towards the El Parador. As it neared the roof it forked into three separate bolts, striking down in a triangle around the building, temporarily illuminating the structure while doing no permanent damage save for three scorch marks in the earth where the bolts struck. A massive roar of thunder follows and then the storm begins to dissipate. Thomas Kale looks into his wife's eyes and says "Goodbye Katie, I love you" as he begins to fade away, her hands passing through the light where his solid body was just seconds before. "I love you, Tom. I'll bring you home." she cried after the fading form, knowing he heard. "Tell Storm I thank her, for everything." Katherine lay breathing deeply for a few long moments in the warm, twisted sheets. It hadn't been just a dream, she was certain of it. She could still feel him, still smell his cologne in the air. With shaking hands she reached for her robe and wrapped it around her overheated skin. She went to the window and opened it, listening to the rain. From this night she would always find the sound of a storm to be one of the sweetest sounds in the world. Light reappears inside of the room and Storm Golden Eye stands before Kate one more. Storm says "It is time. Morgan Earp is no more, Tom's bond to this realm has been broken. I will bring him now to a place of eternal happiness. Please show the proper thanks to the gods for this wonderful thing that they have brought you." Kate nodded. "Of course. I can't tell you how grateful I am," she said, her flesh still quivering and covered with goose bumps. "But I do not know your gods, or how to properly thank them. I need instruction." Storm says "It was not just my gods and those of the Apache that were involved in this. The gods of this region's elves are indeed grateful to you for helping to save the earth spirit and for keeping the Apache from being killed, and were able to assist. But it was Thomas's devotion to his gods that brought about this meeting. And also your actions as well, for choosing a marker for his grave that honored the Goddess Diana. That act alone swayed her to become personally involved in tonight's miracle." "Diana?" Kate dropped weakly into the chair by the window. "The stone was the right thing to do. It is Tom's, it should reflect his feelings, not mine. I have been to church once since I was five years old, and that was my wedding day. There was... when my father went to the war...." she stopped. "I do not even know the gods of my Father, Storm. What do I do?" The centaur replies, "What do you do? You honor Diana's gift. Most people believe the Greek and Roman deities to be the same but just with different names. That is not entirely true. The Greeks worship Artemis as the Goddess of the Hunt and the Moon. The Goddess worshipped as Diana is both of those, but she is also the Roman Goddess of Fertility. You can honor her gift to the two of you by raising your son to be a good man." "My son? Storm, I...." She was thankful she was sitting as her head swam. Her hands were already unconsciously laid over her stomach. "This is the miracle." Kate tried to go on, but her voice broke and she covered her face with her hands and cried. Storm replies, "Yes, his seed is within you. Consider this part of the balance of life. Until today you influenced the lives of others but you never began or ended a life. Now on the same day that a man died by your hands you have an opportunity to bring a new man into the world." "May I raise a better man than the one whose life I ended today," she prayed fervently. "But today was not the first time I killed a man. Once before I.... They attacked our coach, we had to defend ourselves." Storm states, "Your attack did not kill either of those men. One of those men did die from his injuries, but from the wound that Nanuet had caused not from yours, and he would have survived had he sought medical attention. Jake and Nanuet were aware of that, they found the pair in the bandit's cave. The other man, a Mr. Carl Rollins, is alive and well. He had been healed by Nanuet and then released. Mr. Rollins returned the favor just last week when he saved Nanuet and Chester's lives during their visit to Galeyville." Kate sighed and sagged back against the chair back. "Thank you. I doubt Jake and Nanuet even knew I had injured either of those men. When shooting starts it's impossible to keep track of who did what. Thank you for telling me. And thank you for taking care of Tom. I have no idea how you found him, but I'm so glad you did." Storm replies, "It would have been hard for me not to see him as he was the only spirit looming in Tombstone who had a good aura. When he followed you around town on your last two visits there it became obvious who he was. I have to be going now. Give Nanuet the message that I told you earlier. Say goodbye to the others for me as well." She then begins to fade away, as Tom had ten minutes earlier. "Goodbye, Storm," Katherine said softly as the spirit faded away. She stayed in her chair by the window for a long while, listening as the rain slowed and eventually stopped. Speaking with Storm had forced her to start thinking, but she still felt wrapped in the light Tom had brought. Her skin was still hot to the touch, her heart still beating hard. She had no idea how long Tom had been there, or how long she had been wrapped in her dreams, but eventually she realized Ginnie would be back soon. She could not be found like this, dressing gown half on and sitting up. Reluctantly she slipped back into her nightgown and crawled into bed. His scent still lingered in the sheets. Kate buried her face against the pillow and breathed deep. After a long while sleep came again, filled with dreams she had believed long lost. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
Wizards, Whiskey and Wonderful Things - Concluded
Top