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<blockquote data-quote="Enk&amp;amp;D'Shai" data-source="post: 2259106" data-attributes="member: 7569">Star Wars on the brain.[code][FONT=Franklin Gothic Medium]&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; [color=deepskyblue]&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; A long time ago, on a website close, close to homepage...[/color][/font]&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; [font=impact][size=6][b][color=yellow]Small Beginnings[/color][/b][/size][/font]&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; [FONT=Franklin Gothic Medium][color=yellow][size=4]Episode II&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; The Heroes of Icemist[/size][size=1]&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; It is a period of civil war. Rebel authors, writing from a &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; hidden basement, have completed their latest update, striking [/size][size=2]&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; against the evil forces of Life and Responsibility.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; During the writing, the authors have managed to steal secret [/size][size=3]&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; readers and posters from the internet's greatest D&amp;D news &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; destination, ENWORLD, a message board dedicated to roleplaying [/size][size=3]&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; needs with enough members to support an entire storyhour forum.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Pursued by Life's own sinister agents, Enk and D'Shai write feverishly &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; among the clutter of old pizza boxes, custodians of the newly written post [/size]&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; [size=4]that can save their behinds and restore freedom to their faithful readers...[/size][/color][/font][/code]*****Theo eased back into the velvety embrace of the chair, its gentle support easing back pain built over a month of hard travels. The boy had pushed them quickly across the melting plains, and too many nights sleeping on cold, hard packed earth had taken its toll on the aging priest. I’m getting too old for this, he thought. Maybe after we make sure all is well with Aurora I’ll just stay for a while and rest. Yes, a rest would be good… The cleric closed his eyes, drinking in the scent of a spring rain flowing from a nearby brazier, and allowed himself be carried off into relaxation by the cloud-like cushions. The creak of the chamber door behind him snatched him out of his half sleep with a start. He rubbed the weariness from his eyes, suddenly all too aware of how dingy and unkempt he looked, and how that would likely influence the man he had come to see.“Greetings, Brother Theobald.” His father-in-law’s voice was soft and frail, but even after all these years it still managed to raise the hairs on the back of Theo’s neck. “How are you, my son? It has been a long time.”&quot;Since the funeral, Your Eminence,&quot; he rumbled, a bit more harshly than intended. He rose from his seat and kneeled as the Bishop swept into the room and around Theo’s chair. The elderly man was clad in a white robe edged and lined with silver, embroidered throughout with a webbing of lightning, and around his neck he bore an ornate pectoral that served as holy symbol .&nbsp; When he extended a veiny and skeletal hand toward his son-in-law, Theo gave a perfunctory kiss to the huge ring on his index finger. “Congratulations, I was pleased to hear of your elevation, said the priest as he bowed his head.“Truly?” asked the Bishop as he settled himself into a seat more throne than chair. For the first time Theo realized that his father-in-law looked every part his new position. A quick glance around the room, festooned with a large desk, fine rugs, and overly comfortable furniture completed the picture. The old man has done well enough for himself. And he’s not afraid to show it, either. You could probably feed a pair of large families for a year for what that robe cost. The two men sat and kneeled in silence for a while. This is why I left in the first place… The older man broke the silence. “It pains me that you were not pleased enough to accept my invitation.” Theo nearly flinched from the verbal smack and jerked his head up enough to lock eyes with his father-in-law. He suppressed a glare and settled for quiet indignation. In response, the older man simply motioned for him to stand and sit.Correction, this is why I left in the first place. &quot;It was an honor to receive it, Your Eminence, but I knew what other questions acceptance would bring. It is still too soon for me.&quot; &quot;It has been seven years since we buried my Eleanor, Brother.&nbsp; The Church has need of you.&quot;&quot;And time has yet to heal my wounds!&quot; The words hung in the air like thunderclouds, ready to strike and sizzle, and long moments passed before the Bishop spoke. &quot;You still blame Zuras for her death don't you?” The old man’s infirm voice was quiet, yet caustic. Theo paused for a moment. &quot;No, Your Eminence. The Church felt I was needed here and I understood my duty. I no longer blame Zuras for calling me from home.&quot; The rest of his thought, still unformed, he left unsaid.That did not stop his father-in-law from saying it for him. &quot;No,&quot; the Bishop said, &quot;you blame me.&quot; Theo looked away, pursing his lips and frowning furiously. &quot;You think that I should have let you go to defend your silly little village.&quot;&quot;Your daughter was in that town!&quot; the priest roared, all semblance of respect gone from his manner.&quot;If I had let you go, you could have been killed,&quot; the older man said. “Theobald…”&quot;I could have protected her!” he crashed, raising his fists – now crackling with electrical energy – in helpless defiance. For a few moments, the two men stared at each other, their faces bathed in snapping Zuran light. As the light faded, the Bishop sighed. “You are Chosen, my son. Your power marks you so. You know what that means. You know that the Church could not let you go. And you know Eleanor agreed.”Theo slumped back, defeated once again by the ghost of his wife’s faith. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. “You can always come back, Theo,” said his father-in-law, dispensing with formalities. “I know we have not always seen eye to eye on these matters, but there will always be an honored place for you here.”“That would have made Eleanor happy.”“Not just Eleanor, but to her father as well. Theo, I have long looked on you as my prodigal son, squandering gifts more precious than gold. Come back to the Church and help me do the Storm Lord’s work.”And become like you? Not likely. &quot;I do Zuras' work in my own way, Your Eminence…”“Please, call me…“Your Eminence,” continued Theo a bit more forcefully, hoping to drive home his point. “He has not drawn his hand from me.”Silence settled over the two men. Several times, Theo wondered if he should simply leave, but in the end decided to give the Bishop the respect he was due. Finally, the older man broke the silence. “I assume that you had some reason you wished to see me, Brother?”Theo, thankful that the two had again finally tabled their more personal matter, jumped on the chance to respond. “Yes, Your Eminence. I have heard that there was a murder at the University. More than one, actually.”“Correct. In fact, the Highmasters there have approached us about joining them in their investigations. So far their efforts have been… unrewarding at best.”“What do you mean?”“Several of their early suspects have gone missing, only to be found floating in the river. One – a rather striking young student there - simply vanished, as if she…”Theo interrupted, “Do you know who that was?” He heard the over-eagerness in his voice and immediately added, “Because that sounds suspicious enough to want to start with her.”“No need, Brother. Witnesses have finally seen and described the man responsible for the murders. Though no one yet knows who he is, artists commissioned by the King have placed his likeness throughout the streets.” The older man motioned toward his desk, “I have one atop my papers, there, if you’d like to see.”Theo, relieved that the face was a man’s and not Aurora’s, stood and moved to the desk. “The missing student, do you know if she had anything that would set her apart in a crowd? I promised a family back in Icemist that I would look in on their daughter for them, and…” Theo stifled the gasp before it escaped his lips. With trembling fingers, he lifted the parchment to see the face of a young man who had pushed him across Tor in search of a woman.Ander?“And what, Brother?”Theo’s mind raced. “I’m sorry, Your Eminence. I should be going to check on the girl before nightfall.”The Bishop gave his son-in-law a sidelong glance, “Of course. Zuras guide your steps, my son.”“And watch over yours, Your Eminence,” Theo replied with a nod, before slipping out the door and trotting swiftly down the stone corridors.It’s time to get to the bottom of all of this…</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Enk&D'Shai, post: 2259106, member: 7569"] [b]Star Wars on the brain.[/b] [code][FONT=Franklin Gothic Medium] [color=deepskyblue] A long time ago, on a website close, close to homepage...[/color][/font] [font=impact][size=6][b][color=yellow]Small Beginnings[/color][/b][/size][/font] [FONT=Franklin Gothic Medium][color=yellow][size=4]Episode II The Heroes of Icemist[/size] [size=1] It is a period of civil war. Rebel authors, writing from a hidden basement, have completed their latest update, striking [/size] [size=2] against the evil forces of Life and Responsibility. During the writing, the authors have managed to steal secret [/size] [size=3] readers and posters from the internet's greatest D&D news destination, ENWORLD, a message board dedicated to roleplaying [/size] [size=3] needs with enough members to support an entire storyhour forum. Pursued by Life's own sinister agents, Enk and D'Shai write feverishly among the clutter of old pizza boxes, custodians of the newly written post [/size] [size=4]that can save their behinds and restore freedom to their faithful readers...[/size][/color][/font] [/code] ***** Theo eased back into the velvety embrace of the chair, its gentle support easing back pain built over a month of hard travels. The boy had pushed them quickly across the melting plains, and too many nights sleeping on cold, hard packed earth had taken its toll on the aging priest. [i]I’m getting too old for this,[/i] he thought. [i]Maybe after we make sure all is well with Aurora I’ll just stay for a while and rest. Yes, a rest would be good…[/i] The cleric closed his eyes, drinking in the scent of a spring rain flowing from a nearby brazier, and allowed himself be carried off into relaxation by the cloud-like cushions. The creak of the chamber door behind him snatched him out of his half sleep with a start. He rubbed the weariness from his eyes, suddenly all too aware of how dingy and unkempt he looked, and how that would likely influence the man he had come to see. “Greetings, Brother Theobald.” His father-in-law’s voice was soft and frail, but even after all these years it still managed to raise the hairs on the back of Theo’s neck. “How are you, my son? It has been a long time.” "Since the funeral, Your Eminence," he rumbled, a bit more harshly than intended. He rose from his seat and kneeled as the Bishop swept into the room and around Theo’s chair. The elderly man was clad in a white robe edged and lined with silver, embroidered throughout with a webbing of lightning, and around his neck he bore an ornate pectoral that served as holy symbol . When he extended a veiny and skeletal hand toward his son-in-law, Theo gave a perfunctory kiss to the huge ring on his index finger. “Congratulations, I was pleased to hear of your elevation, said the priest as he bowed his head. “Truly?” asked the Bishop as he settled himself into a seat more throne than chair. For the first time Theo realized that his father-in-law looked every part his new position. A quick glance around the room, festooned with a large desk, fine rugs, and overly comfortable furniture completed the picture. [i]The old man has done well enough for himself. And he’s not afraid to show it, either. You could probably feed a pair of large families for a year for what that robe cost.[/i] The two men sat and kneeled in silence for a while. [i]This is why I left in the first place… [/i] The older man broke the silence. “It pains me that you were not pleased enough to accept my invitation.” Theo nearly flinched from the verbal smack and jerked his head up enough to lock eyes with his father-in-law. He suppressed a glare and settled for quiet indignation. In response, the older man simply motioned for him to stand and sit. [i]Correction, [u]this[/u] is why I left in the first place.[/i] "It was an honor to receive it, Your Eminence, but I knew what other questions acceptance would bring. It is still too soon for me." "It has been seven years since we buried my Eleanor, Brother. The Church has need of you." "And time has yet to heal my wounds!" The words hung in the air like thunderclouds, ready to strike and sizzle, and long moments passed before the Bishop spoke. "You still blame Zuras for her death don't you?” The old man’s infirm voice was quiet, yet caustic. Theo paused for a moment. "No, Your Eminence. The Church felt I was needed here and I understood my duty. I no longer blame Zuras for calling me from home." The rest of his thought, still unformed, he left unsaid. That did not stop his father-in-law from saying it for him. "No," the Bishop said, "you blame me." Theo looked away, pursing his lips and frowning furiously. "You think that I should have let you go to defend your silly little village." "Your daughter was in that town!" the priest roared, all semblance of respect gone from his manner. "If I had let you go, you could have been killed," the older man said. “Theobald…” "I could have protected her!” he crashed, raising his fists – now crackling with electrical energy – in helpless defiance. For a few moments, the two men stared at each other, their faces bathed in snapping Zuran light. As the light faded, the Bishop sighed. “You are Chosen, my son. Your power marks you so. You know what that means. You know that the Church could not let you go. And you know Eleanor agreed.” Theo slumped back, defeated once again by the ghost of his wife’s faith. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. “You can always come back, Theo,” said his father-in-law, dispensing with formalities. “I know we have not always seen eye to eye on these matters, but there will always be an honored place for you here.” “That would have made Eleanor happy.” “Not just Eleanor, but to her father as well. Theo, I have long looked on you as my prodigal son, squandering gifts more precious than gold. Come back to the Church and help me do the Storm Lord’s work.” [i]And become like you? Not likely.[/i] "I do Zuras' work in my own way, Your Eminence…” “Please, call me… “Your Eminence,” continued Theo a bit more forcefully, hoping to drive home his point. “He has not drawn his hand from me.” Silence settled over the two men. Several times, Theo wondered if he should simply leave, but in the end decided to give the Bishop the respect he was due. Finally, the older man broke the silence. “I assume that you had some reason you wished to see me, Brother?” Theo, thankful that the two had again finally tabled their more personal matter, jumped on the chance to respond. “Yes, Your Eminence. I have heard that there was a murder at the University. More than one, actually.” “Correct. In fact, the Highmasters there have approached us about joining them in their investigations. So far their efforts have been… unrewarding at best.” “What do you mean?” “Several of their early suspects have gone missing, only to be found floating in the river. One – a rather striking young student there - simply vanished, as if she…” Theo interrupted, “Do you know who that was?” He heard the over-eagerness in his voice and immediately added, “Because that sounds suspicious enough to want to start with her.” “No need, Brother. Witnesses have finally seen and described the man responsible for the murders. Though no one yet knows who he is, artists commissioned by the King have placed his likeness throughout the streets.” The older man motioned toward his desk, “I have one atop my papers, there, if you’d like to see.” Theo, relieved that the face was a man’s and not Aurora’s, stood and moved to the desk. “The missing student, do you know if she had anything that would set her apart in a crowd? I promised a family back in Icemist that I would look in on their daughter for them, and…” Theo stifled the gasp before it escaped his lips. With trembling fingers, he lifted the parchment to see the face of a young man who had pushed him across Tor in search of a woman. [i]Ander?[/i] “And what, Brother?” Theo’s mind raced. “I’m sorry, Your Eminence. I should be going to check on the girl before nightfall.” The Bishop gave his son-in-law a sidelong glance, “Of course. Zuras guide your steps, my son.” “And watch over yours, Your Eminence,” Theo replied with a nod, before slipping out the door and trotting swiftly down the stone corridors. [i]It’s time to get to the bottom of all of this…[/i] [/QUOTE]

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