The Band of Four (The Village of Oester)

[Hairy Minotaur]

Raziel is now posted, in all her evilness.

http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?p=1275533#post1275533

 

[Hairy Minotaur]

"In the Tower of Ash, which you were headed to anyway, there is a mage of some renown. Emthur is his name. That is who I want you to kill." Koli states

"What do you get out of this?" Rebrey asks, knowing what he himself will be getting out of this.

"The furthering of my agenda." Koli says smiling

"Which is?" Rebrey asks

"Which is MY agenda, it's machinations are above your comprehension mortal. You needn't concern yourself with it's outcome. I assure you he is a wholly evil man, and his death will no doubt cause great jubilation." Koli responds

"Why pick me? I'm sure there were others more qualified." Rebrey asks

"You were handy, quality takes long to achieve. I need this done sooner rather than later." Koli replies

"What happens to me if I can't kill him?" Rebrey inquired

"Nothing, you will spend the rest of existence watching the color drain from your body in the ash wastes. Doing nothing." Koli smiled "Therefore I suggest you succeed, and with all due haste."

Rebrey sighed and lowered his head, closing his eyes he wondered just how he was going to beat a wizard one-on-one. Eventually anger took over, as Rebrey wanted a shot at making things right, and finding Xanoniel. "Fine. I'll go"

"I knew you'd come around to my way. Here shake on it." Koli said offering his hand to Rebrey

Rebrey took Koli's hand, and shook on the agreement.

"Now, I'll just go ahead and, Oh bother, we're about to be interrupted." Koli starts "anyway we have a deal, and nothing anyone else says..... or...... does" Koli's eyes clenched shut, his brow wrinkled. He looked as though he was concentration extremely hard.

Rebrey reached out to touch Koli, and his hand passed right through the gnome's body. A moment later Koli was gone. Rebrey looked around at the blank sky, and the gray grass, and wondered how he was going to get back now. Rebrey was looking down at his feet, when the grass moved oddly. Like a ripple on a lake, the grass seemed to magnify then retreat. Rebrey stared at the ground waiting for another one, instead he should have been looking up as a man of gigantic size materialized over Rebrey.

"The grass will never change color." The thundering voice boomed into Rebrey's skull

"Oh my." Was all that Rebrey could muster, staring up at a man who could easily overlook one side of the hill while standing on the other.

"Why are you hear?" The voice was deafening

"Koli brought me here to offer me a second chance at life, if I agreed to his terms." Rebrey said trying to get away with a half truth

"That is unnecessary." The voice booms

"What do you mean?" Rebrey asked

"You are not dead." Comes the loud reply

"Yes, I am. I saw my own body, frozen and lifeless." Rebrey responds

"Really? And just how did you manage that?" Came the response

"Koli showed it to me, among other things." Rebrey replied

The gigantic man started laughing, almost breaking both of Rebrey's eardrums. "First Koli is not his name, and second he showed you what he wanted you to see."

Rebrey stands with a confused look on his face.

"I say with certainty that you are mostly alive." The voice crashes on Rebrey's skull

"How do I know you're telling the truth? Maybe you're the one lying?" Rebrey shouts back

The man stops chuckling. "Let me put it into a perspective you can understand, L.. Koli is no longer here, I am. He will not be returning, as I have barred him from this plane. So, I ask you, who do you believe?" Asks the man

"I get your point. What shall I call you?" Rebrey asks

"I am not a vain titan, I do not need you to speak my name to convince yourself that you are speaking with me." Said the titan.

Rebrey looked up at the titan who had his arms crossed at his chest, Rebrey noticed the shackles still clinging to the titan's wrists. Rebrey agreed with his thoughts that he went from a pushy little gnome, to an escaped titan, and he thought "this is definitely going from odd, to psycho."

 

[pogre]

So, Rebrey's player hates you about now...

 

[Hairy Minotaur]

So, Rebrey's player hates you about now...

I'm sure going through this little show made him a little irritated. However the end result put a smile on his face. He was a little irked at himself for not catching the little joke at the beginning, which I think made the whole conversation and roleplaying for him more rewarding since he was none the wiser during this session.

 

[Hairy Minotaur]

"Why, if I'm still alive, am I here?" Rebrey asks

"You were brought here by your new friend. I created this place, and by bringing you here and meeting with you here, he slaps my accomplishment back in my face." The words thunder down to Rebrey

"He is not my friend, he is... or was my way back to reality." Rebrey answers

"You are already in reality, you stand upon the seeds of my creation, you breathe the fruits of my breath, and you see the unpainted canvas. You are so far in reality, that your very soul grows from the experience." Comes the booming reply

"I don't understand, this doesn't make any sense. I don't even know what the questions are let alone how to comprehend any of the answers." Rebrey sits down on the gray grass dejected. Looking at the blades of grass, Rebrey can see a twinkling of colored lights that run up the blades of grass only to dissipate once reaching the top of the blade. Akin to evaporating drops of dew.

"It's amazing what one can see when they stop questioning and just accept." The titan bellows

"Where do the lights go?" Rebrey asks

"They go to seed the sky. Eventually those sparks with ignite the fire that will burn the darkness and fear away. Then I can continue my solitary task." The titan replies

Rebrey opens his mouth to ask another question, but stops himself. Instead he takes in a deep breath, and feels his lungs tingle with an unearthly warmth. His mind races with the memory of all the smells he's ever breathed. From apple blossoms, to pear pie; fish to roses; pipeweed to fresh blood; Xanoniel's hair to sweaty leather. Rebrey's mind quivers from the onslaught of the memories, Rebrey exhales and sees the same twinkling lights exit his mouth, and dissipate quickly in the surrounding air.

"I hope those were pleasant smells. I do not want my child burdened with the scent of pain on it's breezes." The titan states

"What do you mean? Pain has no smell." Rebrey asks confused

"Pain, suffering, fear. These are incense to demons and their ilk, You smell newborn babies and immediately you are calmed. To demons it is the rankest most foul odor, such that they must destroy it. You're ability to smell fear was removed, it was thought the constant stench of it would lapse your race into a coma." The titan responds

"Are you a god?" Rebrey asks

"I am many things, my existence does reside within one aspect of my being. Asking my that would be akin to asking you if you are a fighter." The titan replies

"But, I am a fighter." Rebrey answers

"Are you not a man? Are you not a human? Are you not compassionate? Why do you reduce your life to only the barest of aspects. I know you are an intelligent being Rebrey, eventually you will come to realize that you are not defined by your actions, nor the actions of others. My hope is that you'll be defined by the lives of those around you." The titan thunders

"I don't recall a titan of creation anywhere in the myths." Rebrey says skeptical of the titan's words

"Because I am not in your prayers does not diminish my presence here. While it is true I don't not have many prayers said in my name. My path is not the one of power, and that seems to be the only one most of my children want to walk down." The titan laments

"Children? There are more of these places?" Rebrey asks

"There are infinite children, just as there are infinite Rebreys. However you are the only one to return to me, and that intrigues me. Very few of my children return to me, I can not recall how many of your years it has been." The titan answers

"Are implying that I am your child?" Rebrey asks

"No, you are my creation. I am not your father, although when you've exhausted the flame of life that I placed within you, It will be I who you return to. Assuming you don't promise your soul away to some lower plane denizen, or to a god of mischief." The titan replies

The words permeated throughout Rebrey, his heart knew them to be true, even as his mind tried to disbelieve the thought. Tears welled up in Rebrey's eyes as truth poured from the crack in his broken heart, mending it as it went on it's way. Rebrey felt fuller and more excited than he could ever imagine, like a child discovering the gift of magic on it's own. Rebrey looked up at the titan and wanted to ask "how" or "why" but his throat fought to fight back the tears running down it.

"Because the truth, cannot be held by even the most wicked of bonds, it is the truth that will allow you to find your way." The titan answers Rebrey's unspoken question

"Teach me. Teach me to pray to you." Rebrey asks

"My way is not the way of power." The titan responded

"Maybe not, but it is the way I wish to travel." Rebrey spoke as he looked up into the far way eyes of the titan, a bright white and yellow glow radiated from the titan's eyes.

"It has been too long since my last worshiper, I am not sure I can give you what you seek." The titan replies

"I do not want power, I want you to continue to show me the truth. I want to feel truth, I want to show others the power of truth." Rebrey asks

"Well then my child, I shall show you the way you seek, although I must caution you. The god of mischief is a powerful enemy, and he will not go quietly from your life." The titan responds

"What is it that I shall call you." Rebrey asks

"You may call me by the name given to me by my father Chronus, you may call me Prometheus." comes the reply

 

[Hairy Minotaur]

"Gothmog have no prayer for this." Gothmog tells Tharhack

Heads, arms, and legs, all erupt from the ground. Pulling their bodies free of their unmarked graves. A stench of decay and wet earth rolled down the hillside, nauseating both Tharhack and Gothmog. Tharhack surveys his surroundings, conceding that he and Gothmog are trapped. Dozens of zombies cloud their vision in from of them, mountains rise to either side of them, and the tower is behind them.

"Well, how do you feel about assaulting a wizard's tower?" Tharhack asks Gothmog

"Gothmog not like salt." Gothmog answers

Tharhack smiles. "Well, there's no way we can do both. Either we kill the zombies, or we charge the tower."

"Gothmog thinks old man in tower know Gothmog is here. Gothmog would rather hit old man, no-dead men no feel pain." Gothmog replies

Tharhack and Gothmog turn their backs to the wave of undead and take off towards the tower. They reach the base of the hill and their run flattens out. The floor of the valley looks like a lake of snow, untouched and still. The ground shakes as the duo race across the snow, like a warning to the tower, the valley floor moans in protest to the trespassing of Tharhack and Gothmog. The feeling of overwhelming dread begins to creep into Tharhack's heart, a small little thought begins to grow in the corner of his mind. Doubt of his abilities, and doubt of his faith begin to take root in his consciousness. Gothmog however feeds off of the feeling of despair, driving him on, like coal in a flame his focus is ignited.

Nearing the tower's massive front doors, Tharhack and Gothmog push themselves harder, almost throwing themselves into the door. Tharhack and Gothmog slam into each door, a massive clang is heard from behind the door, however the doors stand their ground. Gothmog pounds on his door with both of his fists, the door resonates with punishment, but does not yield. Gothmog stops pounding, breathing heavy he notices Tharhack sitting on the ground, back against the door, staring at the mass of dead flesh lumbering towards them.

"TharHACK! No give up now, Gothmog not let friend die." Gothmog yells down at Tharhack

"What's the point? We all die someday, we're not going to make it, the doors are too strong, the zombies too many, my thoughts too clouded." Tharhack looks up at the zombies

Gothmog shouts at the door "Break!" Gothmog slams the door with his shoulder, backs up and kicks it. Slams into it with his shoulder again, and again. Gothmog is determined that either he or the door will break, and that's when he'll stop slamming it. Tharhack stares out into despair, the strength of his faith drained away by the power of the tower.

The zombies advance like a wall of hopelessness, signifying the end. Gothmog slams his whole body into the door repeatedly, shrugging off the pain in his tiring muscles, the door begins to yield. Gothmog hears the lock between the doors crack, his resolve renewed by this outcome, Gothmog backs up and takes another running leap into the door. Throwing all of his weight into the door, it crashes to the ground, ripped off it's hinges. Gothmog leaps to his feet, reaches out, and grabs Tharhack's arm, pulling him inside.

************************************************************************************

"Here take this. It will be the foci for which you will be able to utter my words." Prometheus hands Rebrey a ring of iron with a mounted piece of stone. "The ring is made from the chains of my imprisonment, the stone is from the mountain upon which I sat for many centuries."

Rebrey takes the ring, which is more like bracelet in size, as Rebrey handles the ring, it resizes itself down to the size of Rebrey's index finger. Slipping it on, Rebrey feels a purpose in his life, for the first time his path is clear. Faceless enemies become know to him through the names of their deities, gods of decay, death, darkness, and all undead. These images flood his mind and come to rest in his subconscious. One image lingers in is mind, that of Koli, concentrating on the image, Rebrey feels the name slip away. Refocusing on the image and another name come to Rebrey, Loki. The image laughs in Rebrey's face as is disappears, tucked away with the rest of the images.

"I grant thee these blessings for today without need of prayer." Prometheus speaks a word and Rebrey's head is filled with powers and the knowledge with which to use them.

"I will spread your name throughout my days." Rebrey tells the titan

"Be ever vigilant for the forces of decay, and know that your friend who's name you now know, will not forget that he once had you in his fold. I bid thee farewell." Prometheus disappears.

Rebrey watches as the gray grass begins to blur, a cold breeze blows across his face, and the rough feel of a tongue is on his cheek. Startled Rebrey rolls up to one knee and looks upon the white form of a horse with beautiful white wings. Rebrey feels that the horse is there as a friend, with that thought, the horse snorts and kneels in the snow. The pegasus folds it's wings back and Rebrey knows that this is his mount, granted by Prometheus. Saying a blessing to his new deity, Rebrey climbs aboard. The pegasus takes off, and Rebrey holding on for dear life, tells the pegasus "To that tower, I have friends to save, and evil to smite!"

 

[Jon Potter]

Darn! I was looking forward to a pitched battle against the zombie horde!

Is Rebrey a paladin now? Or a holy warrior of some type (if you happen to own the great "Book of the Righteous" from Green Ronin, too)?

And I have to admit that I totally didn't see the Koli/Loki thing coming. And I do so love word-play, too.

 

[Hairy Minotaur]

Darn! I was looking forward to a pitched battle against the zombie horde!

Is Rebrey a paladin now? Or a holy warrior of some type (if you happen to own the great "Book of the Righteous" from Green Ronin, too)?

And I have to admit that I totally didn't see the Koli/Loki thing coming. And I do so love word-play, too.

A) Just because they've made it through the door, doesn't mean they'll be able to avoid the zombies.

B) A paladin (although not a LG one), I actually based it off of an old Dragon magazine article on variant paladins. (I don't own BotR although I did put it on my X-mas list in case my wife is reading. )

C) Everbody else in the group got that except for the player, which I think made the session better. If Rebrey's player figured out was I was doing with Koli before he was forced to leave, it would've diminished the roleplay after that.

And since you're going on vacation, just think of all updates you'll get to read when you get back.

 

[Jon Potter]

A) Just because they've made it through the door, doesn't mean they'll be able to avoid the zombies.

Zombie horde hope springs eternal!

B) A paladin (although not a LG one), I actually based it off of an old Dragon magazine article on variant paladins. (I don't own BotR although I did put it on my X-mas list in case my wife is reading. )

I'll keep my fingers crossed that she is. BotR is a tremendous book and well worth the price of admission. The Holy Warrior class, with its mix-and-match approach to class abilities, is very cool. Monte Cook gives the non-lawful good paladin concept a different treatment that is more similar to Dragon magazine's "A Plethora of Paladins" variants in his "Book of Hallowed Might".

C) Everbody else in the group got that except for the player, which I think made the session better. If Rebrey's player figured out was I was doing with Koli before he was forced to leave, it would've diminished the roleplay after that.

Well, I don't feel quite so obtuse knowing that I was not the only one who missed it.

And since you're going on vacation, just think of all updates you'll get to read when you get back.

Oh, I'll have to log on. At the rate that you produce updates, I'll have a 400 page novel to read when I return.

 

[Hairy Minotaur]

Rebrey has been posted:

http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?p=1279668#post1279668

Story hour update will follow in about an hour.