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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Arkyst" data-source="post: 1364068" data-attributes="member: 14820">The Defenders of Tronus – The Dark Figure Revealed:Duke Kevrin didn’t waste any more time.  He had a lot to say and time was quickly running out.  With the dark figure at his side, Kevrin began debriefing the Defenders.  “Yesterday, several of the townsfolk spotted a man in a dark gray cloak piping all of the rats out of town.  My informants within the city have said that something big is in the works.  What this villainy is, I cannot tell.  Knowing that the rats were no longer a threat, I had the diviners at the University Arcanus find out what they could about Melcher and that Minotaur that he travels with.  It appears that he isn’t anywhere near Tronus and is actually heading to Kaldrid!  From what we can tell, he is planning on stealing an outrageously valuable jewel, the Pearl of the Deep.  This pearl, the largest known to man, is currently in the possession of a powerful and wealthy merchant-noble.”Rayna, while stifling a yawn, raised a question.  “So you’re saying that the whole Eye of Zorm thing was a diversion?  Kaldrid must be some five days travel from here, and that’s on horseback!”Kevrin smiled nervously, “Well I’m not sure that they don’t really want the eye, but they apparently want this pearl more.  I’m not really sure what either item really does, but we have a chance to stop Melcher now, without risking the citizen’s of Tronus.  He will be making his move shortly after dusk in four nights.  We can’t pass up this opportunity!”Entertaining the thought, but still unsure as to how they could actually pull it off, Rayna questioned once again.  “It will take us five days to ride there, so you’re implying that we get teleported.  If that’s the case, how do you expect us to return across the desert of Kaldrid?”Slightly more confident now, the Duke replied, “Evrynn is away negotiating a new trade plan with Jorbash, I’m sure that he won’t mind if you use his carriage for a week or so.  If you sleep in shifts, you can ride the carriage through the night and save a day on the journey, if not more. ““Oh, I don’t think so!”  Huffed Twizle.  The others stared at the gnomish bard in horror as he scooted out of his chair and stood up.  “I’m cold, tired, and sick of hearing about the end of the world.  My fingers are sore, my voice is cracking, and my hair is just a mess!  I think that you can handle this one without me…I’m going home.”The room fell silent as Twizle stormed out.  Before he left completely though, he stopped at the mysterious figure standing somberly at Kevrin’s side.  Twizle looked him up and down with great distrust, while the rest of the Defenders suddenly acknowledged that there was someone else in the room.  The gnomish bard shivered as if he had just heard nails on a chalkboard.  Once he regained his composure, he quickly slipped out the door, and out of the mansion.The Defenders were used to Twizle’s overdramatic flare and found that they were suddenly more intrigued by the stranger.  He was wearing a long blue/black coat and a thin wide-brimmed hat.  The man had apparently been staring at the floor, but now that all of the attention was suddenly on him, he felt it to be an appropriate time to address them.  As he tilted his head up slowly, two glowing oval eyes barely broke the shadow cast by his hat.  Clearly not a man, but a tall elf, his clothes carried the scents of must, garlic, incense, and recently dug earth.In a dark voice, on par with his dark appearance, the elf spoke.  “I am Erasmus Nightwalker.  As a hunter of the walking dead, I have traveled across many lands.  Now I am called to Avrick to squelch the growing darkness!  The area around Tronus has been crawling with undead as of late, and this morning I felt a shroud of darkness cover this land.  The Eye of Zorm is calling to the dead, it is telling them to rise, and to feed on the flesh of the living.”Azerot held up his hand to stop the elf’s story.  Tired and rubbing his eyes, he decided it best to clear things up now.  “Listen friend, we appreciate your offer, but I just don’t know if we need anyone else right now.  I’m not even sure what we are supposed to do right now; never mind make the decision to add another stranger to the party.  We haven’t even buried our dead yet!”“Not to mention that our most recent member, Daz was a criminal!”  Added Rayna.“You haven’t let me finish,” continued Erasmus.  “As I was about to say, I offer you any assistance you may ask of me, or my expertise on undead…but it is my duty to guard the Eye of Zorm at all costs.  If I’m not in your party, I will still be by your side.  You do not know the evil that this item draws; you need every ally you can find if you are to have any hope to contain its power.”The Grave speech came to an unfitting ending as Cinder began to clap.  The mephit still hadn’t grasped some of the finer details of human culture, but most of the meetings attendees were too tired to care at this point.Azerot, ready for the meeting end, slapped his hand down on the table.  “Fine then.  We will have Storms funeral at dawn and we will leave Tronus by seven.  Assuming you don’t melt in the sun, we will see you then.  Until then, we’re going back to the tower to get some rest."</blockquote>

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