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Message: <blockquote data-quote="dave_o" data-source="post: 216629" data-attributes="member: 2933">Ibad!Next up, we have Ibad...* * *The Gloom was awfully thick today.  It would be dangerous to attempt a spell, but Ibad had no choice. The vampire spawn was mounted on a dire wolf, and was speeding off into the unknown. Reaching blindly through the Gloom, Ibad grasped at the strands which he could shape into a spell. He quickly completed the pattern that he knew would summon Sachi to him. As he released the final strand, he noticed the chaos of the Gloom sever one of the lines. Acting faster than conscious thought, he braced himself for the surge of magical power that spelled the end of more than one wizard.    He was still alive, which meant that the surge wasn’t as bad as it could have been. Not having time to ponder his luck, he instead pondered what happened to Sachi. Sachi never came in the same form twice, but this time the change could only be attributed to the surge. He mounted his nearly transformed horse, and spurred Sachi into a full gallop. Within seconds, Sachi had covered half the distance the wolf-rider had covered in a full minute. It was too bad that Sachi probably would never assume this shadowy form again; Ibad had needed this kind of speed more than once before and would doubtlessly need it again in the future.As fast as his hands could move, Ibad drew his bow and nocked an arrow. He muttered no prayer to any god, and loosed it upon the wolf. One after another, he laid down five arrows into the foul beast. The wolf limped to a halt, and then fell, breathing heavily and then not at all. The vampire spawn was obviously alarmed; it knew that it was many hours away from its coffin, and that this elf was probably aware of the same fact. Damn him! If he destroys my body, I’m too far from my refuge to reform…“Don’t move, abomination. Continue to look at the ground.” The command came from the sullen elf atop his shadowy horse, “I know that you don’t wish to be quieted. I also know that you cannot betray your master, so I won’t even attempt to subvert you. I permit you only one choice: answer me a single question truthfully, or die.”Unsure of the proper recourse, the minion began to turn towards Ibad, just in time to dodge an arrow that lodged itself directly in the wolf’s heart. “It’s a good thing you moved. That arrow would have hit you,” said Ibad.    The precision of this elf is amazing, thought the spawn. Were that arrow to pierce my as it pierced the wolf, I’d be at his mercy. Or perhaps that’s what he would like me to think…    The spawn turned defiantly and smiled, with a kind of twisted malevolence that only the undying could muster. As the arrow left Ibad’s string, the vampire spawn’s body dispersed into so much dust, leaving only a ghostly vaporous outline of the creature. The silver-tipped arrow passed harmlessly through the cloud in the precise spot where the spawn’s heart lay, and buried itself in the wood of a nearby tree. Curse the foul! These silver arrows cost me a gold crown apiece. I didn’t buy them to shoot trees!    As the gaseous spirit passed overhead and off to the east, Ibad smiled to himself, Flawless execution. He will lead me directly to his master. Sensing his own master’s pleasure, Digo became alert. “Yes Digo, I once again need your service. You are to be my eyes and ears,” and Ibad released the bat into the night sky. Doing his duty, Digo used his echolocation to follow the nearly invisible form of the vampire spawn through the air while remaining well outside the immaterial vampire spawn’s dulled senses. The hunter becomes the hunted.    Knowing how slowly the vampire spawn would move in his gaseous state, Ibad had no more need for Sachi. He allowed Sachi to wander off, knowing that the magic that summoned it prevents actual harm from befalling the steed. Ibad disappeared into the shadows of the night, and allowed Digo’s sight to guide him towards the vampire spawn’s master.    Ibad was exhausted at the end of the pursuit. He had been awake for at least 30 hours, though it is sometimes difficult to tell with any precision. Only his mind’s fine tuning to monitor the duration of his spells gave Ibad any sense of time whatsoever. Within the last two hours it became obvious where the vampire spawn was headed, but some grim determination pressed him on through the wilderness. Ibad finally decided to take his rest, for the simple reason that his body was not as strong as his mind, and he had overextended himself before. He quickly found a good spot in the boughs of a tree to set up camp where the Gloom was thinner. He pulled at the strands and tied them into a slow knot. Over the next few hours, this ward would alert him to any danger while he went into his rejuvenating trance.    Upon waking, Ibad went over the details he assembled during the trek. It’s a good thing I have Digo. I wouldn’t have been able to track that vampire spawn otherwise. I don’t like this place in any case. He mouthed the word, “Sudeil.” The Valley of Blood. If this spawn is a minion of whom I think he is, this won’t end well for me. The vampire spawn is subservient to his master. Perhaps I can find one of the master’s more willful allies to strike a bargain with. “All I need is the right lever, and I can move mountains,” was the only thing Ibad said aloud. So he set off to find his mountain and the lever that would move it.</blockquote>

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