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Wraith's Whispers - CoSQ (Update: 4/5/04)
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<blockquote data-quote="Wraithdrit" data-source="post: 1316587" data-attributes="member: 10820"><p>Marcus took a few minutes to get himself back on his feet, and the group assembled to discuss what they would do next. It was quickly decided that another day would be well spent resting here. It was a defensible position, and the group had plenty to do before moving on. Marcus was still very weak, and the combination of bringing him back from the dead and healing him up had drained a large portion of Varick’s spell power. That combined with Will’s desire to learn a few of the extra spells he had collected, made for an easy decision to stay put for a while.</p><p></p><p>After all they had plenty of time to make it to the drow city and stop whatever was going on. Didn’t they? </p><p></p><p>The next day they broke camp, which consisted mainly of a magical hut that Varick summoned for them to rest in, and made their way further into the depths of the Underdark. A long day of travel neared its end when Delorian returned to the group. He warned them that the passage opened up ahead, and he thought he could hear deep rumbling laughter in the cavern beyond. Whatever it was had a deep laugh, and sounded fairly large. </p><p></p><p>The group assembled near the opening, and Delorian proceeded in, shadows completely shielding him from sight. What they had found was a lair of some giants. A pair of them guarded the entrance and the exit to the cavern. The exit was a sandy beach that dropped off into a massive dark lake. They had found the Lake of Shadows at last. Above the giants cavern, a hole led to more caverns, and it was from up there that Delorian was hearing the laughter. </p><p></p><p>Finally he returned to the group and reported what he had found. The group discussed it a few moments and decided to try to talk to the giant guards.</p><p></p><p>Malaghym decided discretion about his heritage was probably best, so he stayed back out of sight as Varick called down to the giants. “Hello! We wish passage to the lake.” </p><p></p><p>A few moments passed, and the sound of one of the massive giants rushing off down the cavern could be heard. Just the remaining giant stuck his head around the corner and looked down the passage at them. It called out in Undercommon, “Why we should let you pass?”</p><p></p><p>Will stepped forward, since he spoke the language, “We wish you no harm, and wish only to pass through without causing any harm.” He was ready if the giant should move wrong to cause plenty of harm. </p><p></p><p>“Hmmph, you may pass. But you not stay. We watch you close… no harm be done.” The giant watched them as they moved forward. When he saw the dark elf he growled, “You travel with drow. You no say you travel with drow!” The giant looked agitated, but Will quickly explained.</p><p></p><p>“We travel to the drow city. They have caused trouble for us, and we are going to go take care of it.”</p><p></p><p>“You go to harm the drow?” Will frowned. He was not really sure if he was stepping into a baited trap, or if the giant truly did not like the dark elves.</p><p></p><p>“Yes.” Honesty should serve him well here, he thought, as the giant did not seem overly intelligent, at least not such that it might try such subterfuge. “This one travels with us to aid in stopping a cult of evil drow.” </p><p></p><p>The giant nodded after thinking a moment. “You come with.” He led them to the near the hole to the upper caverns and called out something to the others, who were now all watching from the large hole above. After a few moments a better dressed, and well armed giant slid from above and approached. </p><p></p><p>He spoke in common. “Greetings small surface dwellers. I have been told you are going to cross the lake and that you go to war with the dark skinned ones.” He looked over at Malaghym, “Yet you travel with one. It is not unheard of for stonebrother to fight stonebrother, but it is not common.”</p><p></p><p>Malaghym grinned, “Drow fight each other all the time.”</p><p></p><p>The giant nodded, “Indeed. They fight over the smallest thing, like feral pigs fight for scraps of slop.”</p><p></p><p>Will cleared his throat. “We merely wish to pass through, if that is not a problem we will be on our way.”</p><p></p><p>The giant nodded, “Usually we ask for payment and ferry people across… but if you don’t need our rafts then you can go in peace.”</p><p></p><p>Marcus frowned, “What kind of payment?”</p><p></p><p>“200 of your gold pieces… per person. Or we take tasks in trade.”</p><p></p><p>Marcus quirked an eyebrow and elbowed Will. Will grunted and asked quickly, “What kind of task?”</p><p></p><p>“Right now… I would ask that the Kuo-toa in charge of the shrine be … removed. In fact, since you have your own way across, I would pay you to do this thing.”</p><p></p><p>Delorian looked at the others and then asked, “What is so special about this Kuo-toa… what did he do to you?”</p><p></p><p>The giant scowled, “His name is…. The Claw!” The giant held up his hand in the shape of pinchers and snapped his finger and thumb together in a snapping motion. “He is evil… we and the Kuo-toa have lived peacefully for many years… then The Claw and the Devil-Kraken came. The Kuo-toa worship the Kraken as a god, with The Claw as his right hand. I think the beast is nothing but a big sea monster, and The Claw nothing more than a megolomaniac.”</p><p></p><p>Marcus blinked and muttered, “Masterful command of common this giant has… megolomaniac?”</p><p></p><p>Will grinned, “Do I need to tell you what it means?” Marcus elbowed him again.</p><p></p><p>Varick finally spoke up. “We are not paid assassins. What we do, we do because we must. Hunting down this Claw fellow is not our task or our problem.”</p><p></p><p>The giant blinked, “He offers living sacrifices to the Devil-Kraken.”</p><p></p><p>Varick recondsidered quickly, “Well, why didn’t you say so?” He shrugged at the others. </p><p></p><p>They all looked around from person to person, and when no one objected Will turned to the giant and nodded, “Alright. We’ll do it.” </p><p></p><p>The giant clapped, “Wonderful! Come, come. We go feast, you can kill The Claw in the morning!”</p><p></p><p><strong>Throne Room</strong></p><p><strong>Undying Temple, Maerimydra</strong></p><p><strong>Marpenoth 26th, 1372</strong></p><p></p><p>Zedarr and Dorina T’sarran walked in flanked on either side by multiple Quth-Maren. Both had found themselves a few weapons and some armor. The Quth-Maren flowed in their loping step around the central figure of the room, the pair’s mother.</p><p></p><p>Zedarr dropped to one knee and bowed. Dorina just half bowed from the waist only. Their mother wave her left hand, the long magical gauntlet that encased it shone in the light. Two zombies stood to either side of her, holding massive candelabras. The zombies stood perfectly still, their muscles never protesting the strange use of their ancient elven bodies. </p><p></p><p>Dorina spoke as she straightened, “You summoned us mother?” </p><p></p><p>Her mother nodded, “Indeed, child… I have. It is time we test the resolve of the heroes that so easily defeated you.”</p><p></p><p>The gauntlets that covered Zedarr’s hands creaked as tighten them into fists. “Give me another chance at them mother, things won’t turn out the same as they did the first time.” The Blackguard’s scarred face had new scars, fresh looking burns that had stayed, despite the intense magic that had brought him back to life.</p><p></p><p>His mother shook her head, “No Zedarr. No. Not yet. Your time will come. They have reached the Lake of Shadows… just as I forsaw, they have stopped to deal with ‘The Claw’.” She chuckled gently then shook her head, “The Kuo-toa and their oversized squid will be little worry to this group. But the encounters will weaken them.” She turned and motioned toward five figures standing in the back of the room. “That’s where they come in.”</p><p></p><p>The siblings looked past their mother and saw their cousins standing in the back of the room. Flanking either side of them where a pair of officers from Szith Morcane. Between them stood a shorter figure… a halfling. All five of them had a dead gaze in their eyes. Their skin was taut over their skulls and a small pinprick of fire seemed to blaze behind each eye.</p><p></p><p>Zedarr looked back at his mother. “Revenants? But they are our cousins…”</p><p></p><p>His mother growled and lifted her gauntlet up to point at him. Black energy coursed around the dark metal. “They failed me… much as you failed me… you have uses for me now… they are nothing to me… be sure your value to me stays high, or I will do the same to you!”</p><p></p><p>Zedarr swallowed and nodded, “Of course, m’lady.”</p><p></p><p>Footsteps came from the door to the chamber. Two of the well armed and strongly built drow warriors that guarded the temple strode forward. The heads of the spear they carried seemed to drink up what little light there was in the room. The dark swathed figure that strode between them seemed to drink up the rest of the light. It mattered little to anyone in the room.</p><p></p><p>The shade nodded his head, “Lady T’sarran… thank you for seeing me.” He lifted his head, and clasped his dark hands behind his back. </p><p></p><p>Lady T’sarran turned to regard the shade, “Ambassador… your presence is a pleasure as always. What can I do for you, we haven’t seen you in days.”</p><p></p><p>The Ambassador nodded, “Forgive my absence, m’lady. There were matters at home that required my immediate attention.”</p><p></p><p>Dorina walked to the back of the room and reached down to stroke the cheek of the small feral halfling revenant. “Its so small… yet deadly. How delightful… I remember his screams as you tore his heart out brother. What was it he called himself again brother?”</p><p></p><p>Zedarr grinned, “Tanerus.”</p><p></p><p>The Ambassador strode up to small group, and reached back behind the halfling revenant. He grasped a hold of the shadows behind him and yanked hard, there was a feral scream and the halfling’s shadow came loose. It writhed in the shade’s grasp. The shade spoke the shadow in a strange ancient language that no in the room understood. The shadow seemed to slump in his grasp. Satisfied the Ambassador opened one side of his large cloak and tucked the shadow inside. He turned and smiled down at the recently resurrected former vampire head priestess of Szith Morcane and said, “We had wondered where this shadow had gotten off to… the High Prince will be most interested in talking to it, I’m sure.”</p><p></p><p>Lady T’sarran nodded, “You may have it then… so what word do you bring from the city of Shade?”</p><p></p><p>The Ambassador reached into the other side of his cloak and withdrew a scroll. “My Lord has looked over the agreement and has some counter offers on a few terms. I am sure you will find the entire package still very viable for your … operation.” He smiled darkly. “Also… he has a gift for you.”</p><p></p><p>Lady T’sarran smiled, “Oh really?” She took the scroll and set it aside, determined to read it at her convenience, she was not about to be seen as eager. “What sort of gift?”</p><p></p><p>The Ambassador pulled a small dark wooden box from his cloak. Zedarr wondered silently how many pockets the cloak had. The shade almost looked like he did not exist. The Blackguard wondered if perhaps he was nothing more than a set of hands and a head, and nothing else beneath the robe.</p><p></p><p>The box was handed to Lady T’sarran and she opened it without delay. She smiled and reached inside. She pulled out a dark gem that barely glowed with an inner light. The glow pulsed, it reminded her of a faint heartbeat. “How beautiful!” She closed her hand around it and her eyes went wide. “This is a soul gem!”</p><p></p><p>The shade smiled and nodded, “Indeed… compliments of the High Prince and one of his sons. They have no use anymore for the one whose soul it contains.”</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Wraithdrit, post: 1316587, member: 10820"] Marcus took a few minutes to get himself back on his feet, and the group assembled to discuss what they would do next. It was quickly decided that another day would be well spent resting here. It was a defensible position, and the group had plenty to do before moving on. Marcus was still very weak, and the combination of bringing him back from the dead and healing him up had drained a large portion of Varick’s spell power. That combined with Will’s desire to learn a few of the extra spells he had collected, made for an easy decision to stay put for a while. After all they had plenty of time to make it to the drow city and stop whatever was going on. Didn’t they? The next day they broke camp, which consisted mainly of a magical hut that Varick summoned for them to rest in, and made their way further into the depths of the Underdark. A long day of travel neared its end when Delorian returned to the group. He warned them that the passage opened up ahead, and he thought he could hear deep rumbling laughter in the cavern beyond. Whatever it was had a deep laugh, and sounded fairly large. The group assembled near the opening, and Delorian proceeded in, shadows completely shielding him from sight. What they had found was a lair of some giants. A pair of them guarded the entrance and the exit to the cavern. The exit was a sandy beach that dropped off into a massive dark lake. They had found the Lake of Shadows at last. Above the giants cavern, a hole led to more caverns, and it was from up there that Delorian was hearing the laughter. Finally he returned to the group and reported what he had found. The group discussed it a few moments and decided to try to talk to the giant guards. Malaghym decided discretion about his heritage was probably best, so he stayed back out of sight as Varick called down to the giants. “Hello! We wish passage to the lake.” A few moments passed, and the sound of one of the massive giants rushing off down the cavern could be heard. Just the remaining giant stuck his head around the corner and looked down the passage at them. It called out in Undercommon, “Why we should let you pass?” Will stepped forward, since he spoke the language, “We wish you no harm, and wish only to pass through without causing any harm.” He was ready if the giant should move wrong to cause plenty of harm. “Hmmph, you may pass. But you not stay. We watch you close… no harm be done.” The giant watched them as they moved forward. When he saw the dark elf he growled, “You travel with drow. You no say you travel with drow!” The giant looked agitated, but Will quickly explained. “We travel to the drow city. They have caused trouble for us, and we are going to go take care of it.” “You go to harm the drow?” Will frowned. He was not really sure if he was stepping into a baited trap, or if the giant truly did not like the dark elves. “Yes.” Honesty should serve him well here, he thought, as the giant did not seem overly intelligent, at least not such that it might try such subterfuge. “This one travels with us to aid in stopping a cult of evil drow.” The giant nodded after thinking a moment. “You come with.” He led them to the near the hole to the upper caverns and called out something to the others, who were now all watching from the large hole above. After a few moments a better dressed, and well armed giant slid from above and approached. He spoke in common. “Greetings small surface dwellers. I have been told you are going to cross the lake and that you go to war with the dark skinned ones.” He looked over at Malaghym, “Yet you travel with one. It is not unheard of for stonebrother to fight stonebrother, but it is not common.” Malaghym grinned, “Drow fight each other all the time.” The giant nodded, “Indeed. They fight over the smallest thing, like feral pigs fight for scraps of slop.” Will cleared his throat. “We merely wish to pass through, if that is not a problem we will be on our way.” The giant nodded, “Usually we ask for payment and ferry people across… but if you don’t need our rafts then you can go in peace.” Marcus frowned, “What kind of payment?” “200 of your gold pieces… per person. Or we take tasks in trade.” Marcus quirked an eyebrow and elbowed Will. Will grunted and asked quickly, “What kind of task?” “Right now… I would ask that the Kuo-toa in charge of the shrine be … removed. In fact, since you have your own way across, I would pay you to do this thing.” Delorian looked at the others and then asked, “What is so special about this Kuo-toa… what did he do to you?” The giant scowled, “His name is…. The Claw!” The giant held up his hand in the shape of pinchers and snapped his finger and thumb together in a snapping motion. “He is evil… we and the Kuo-toa have lived peacefully for many years… then The Claw and the Devil-Kraken came. The Kuo-toa worship the Kraken as a god, with The Claw as his right hand. I think the beast is nothing but a big sea monster, and The Claw nothing more than a megolomaniac.” Marcus blinked and muttered, “Masterful command of common this giant has… megolomaniac?” Will grinned, “Do I need to tell you what it means?” Marcus elbowed him again. Varick finally spoke up. “We are not paid assassins. What we do, we do because we must. Hunting down this Claw fellow is not our task or our problem.” The giant blinked, “He offers living sacrifices to the Devil-Kraken.” Varick recondsidered quickly, “Well, why didn’t you say so?” He shrugged at the others. They all looked around from person to person, and when no one objected Will turned to the giant and nodded, “Alright. We’ll do it.” The giant clapped, “Wonderful! Come, come. We go feast, you can kill The Claw in the morning!” [B]Throne Room Undying Temple, Maerimydra Marpenoth 26th, 1372[/B] Zedarr and Dorina T’sarran walked in flanked on either side by multiple Quth-Maren. Both had found themselves a few weapons and some armor. The Quth-Maren flowed in their loping step around the central figure of the room, the pair’s mother. Zedarr dropped to one knee and bowed. Dorina just half bowed from the waist only. Their mother wave her left hand, the long magical gauntlet that encased it shone in the light. Two zombies stood to either side of her, holding massive candelabras. The zombies stood perfectly still, their muscles never protesting the strange use of their ancient elven bodies. Dorina spoke as she straightened, “You summoned us mother?” Her mother nodded, “Indeed, child… I have. It is time we test the resolve of the heroes that so easily defeated you.” The gauntlets that covered Zedarr’s hands creaked as tighten them into fists. “Give me another chance at them mother, things won’t turn out the same as they did the first time.” The Blackguard’s scarred face had new scars, fresh looking burns that had stayed, despite the intense magic that had brought him back to life. His mother shook her head, “No Zedarr. No. Not yet. Your time will come. They have reached the Lake of Shadows… just as I forsaw, they have stopped to deal with ‘The Claw’.” She chuckled gently then shook her head, “The Kuo-toa and their oversized squid will be little worry to this group. But the encounters will weaken them.” She turned and motioned toward five figures standing in the back of the room. “That’s where they come in.” The siblings looked past their mother and saw their cousins standing in the back of the room. Flanking either side of them where a pair of officers from Szith Morcane. Between them stood a shorter figure… a halfling. All five of them had a dead gaze in their eyes. Their skin was taut over their skulls and a small pinprick of fire seemed to blaze behind each eye. Zedarr looked back at his mother. “Revenants? But they are our cousins…” His mother growled and lifted her gauntlet up to point at him. Black energy coursed around the dark metal. “They failed me… much as you failed me… you have uses for me now… they are nothing to me… be sure your value to me stays high, or I will do the same to you!” Zedarr swallowed and nodded, “Of course, m’lady.” Footsteps came from the door to the chamber. Two of the well armed and strongly built drow warriors that guarded the temple strode forward. The heads of the spear they carried seemed to drink up what little light there was in the room. The dark swathed figure that strode between them seemed to drink up the rest of the light. It mattered little to anyone in the room. The shade nodded his head, “Lady T’sarran… thank you for seeing me.” He lifted his head, and clasped his dark hands behind his back. Lady T’sarran turned to regard the shade, “Ambassador… your presence is a pleasure as always. What can I do for you, we haven’t seen you in days.” The Ambassador nodded, “Forgive my absence, m’lady. There were matters at home that required my immediate attention.” Dorina walked to the back of the room and reached down to stroke the cheek of the small feral halfling revenant. “Its so small… yet deadly. How delightful… I remember his screams as you tore his heart out brother. What was it he called himself again brother?” Zedarr grinned, “Tanerus.” The Ambassador strode up to small group, and reached back behind the halfling revenant. He grasped a hold of the shadows behind him and yanked hard, there was a feral scream and the halfling’s shadow came loose. It writhed in the shade’s grasp. The shade spoke the shadow in a strange ancient language that no in the room understood. The shadow seemed to slump in his grasp. Satisfied the Ambassador opened one side of his large cloak and tucked the shadow inside. He turned and smiled down at the recently resurrected former vampire head priestess of Szith Morcane and said, “We had wondered where this shadow had gotten off to… the High Prince will be most interested in talking to it, I’m sure.” Lady T’sarran nodded, “You may have it then… so what word do you bring from the city of Shade?” The Ambassador reached into the other side of his cloak and withdrew a scroll. “My Lord has looked over the agreement and has some counter offers on a few terms. I am sure you will find the entire package still very viable for your … operation.” He smiled darkly. “Also… he has a gift for you.” Lady T’sarran smiled, “Oh really?” She took the scroll and set it aside, determined to read it at her convenience, she was not about to be seen as eager. “What sort of gift?” The Ambassador pulled a small dark wooden box from his cloak. Zedarr wondered silently how many pockets the cloak had. The shade almost looked like he did not exist. The Blackguard wondered if perhaps he was nothing more than a set of hands and a head, and nothing else beneath the robe. The box was handed to Lady T’sarran and she opened it without delay. She smiled and reached inside. She pulled out a dark gem that barely glowed with an inner light. The glow pulsed, it reminded her of a faint heartbeat. “How beautiful!” She closed her hand around it and her eyes went wide. “This is a soul gem!” The shade smiled and nodded, “Indeed… compliments of the High Prince and one of his sons. They have no use anymore for the one whose soul it contains.” [/QUOTE]
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