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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jon Potter" data-source="post: 3883489" data-attributes="member: 2323">[PLAIN][Realms #415] Allegations and Recriminations[/PLAIN]"Oi! By Shaharizod's beard!" Karak scoffed as he yanked his waraxe from the semi-frozen earth. "It took the wizard! I do nae believe it." Anania moved forward quickly, squatting down over the ground where the mage and his attacker had disappeared."Perhaps it's taken him underground," she suggested, but the idea seemed foolish as soon as it had left her lips. Clearly the creature hadn't burrowed into the ground with the wizard in tow. It had just... vanished."That thing struck fast! I mean Shelia got a bite inta it for sure, but I could do nae more," the dwarf went on. His breath came in great silver clouds as he stood there talking, steam rising from his skin. "Morier, did you see my last strike go right through the beast?" Morier trotted up, his muscles swollen with the power of his Bull's Strength spell, Stoneblade in his hands."I saw," the elf said. "I think the creature went incorporeal there at the very end. Just before it disappeared with Huzair.""Hrmpf!" the dwarf replied, fingering his waraxe lovingly. "Well, that makes at least some action for ye, Shelia. You sure did brim with the frost that time.""Could he be dead?" Ixin asked, hesitantly. She'd grabbed a blanket and drawn it about her broad shoulders as some protection against the chill. There was a silence for a moment but then Karak harrumphed."For reasons I do nae know, I do nae think the wizard was killed in that gulp," the dwarf told her. "But where he could be now, only Malak would know." Shamalin approached the place where Huzair and the monster had disappeared, despair showing plainly on her features. "Does anyone have any Knowledge of the Planes?" Her question was greeted by silence, and in the pit of her stomach a cold realization began to spread. She pushed it away and studied the ground where Huzair had been sleeping. Placing her hands flat upon on the earth, she closed her eyes in a desperate attempt to think of something that might help track the wizard. "Does Huzair still wear the communication ring?" "Yes!" Ayremac cheered and brought the Ring he wore to his lips. "Huzair? Are you all right?" Nothing but silence replied."Mayhaps the blinkin' he always be doin' has attracted the notice of planar beasties. I jus do nae know. If Malak were 'ere, he would know," Karak grumbled into his beard. "Shamalin, do you have a way to commune with planar beasties?""It wouldn't do any good," Morier told him. "There'd be no way to tag along with a Summoned Monster when it returned to the planes.""Is that what we think happened?" Ixin asked. "He was taken to another plane of existence?" Several of the others muttered their assent.Shamalin's sense of fear and frustration was growing. She knew from her religious training that Flor could send creatures from other planes, but never had she tried to follow one in its return. Could it be done? Morier seemed to think not, but he practiced a different kind of magic than her own. "You're from from another plane originally, right?" She implored Ixin. "Do you remember that tearing sound? Can we make an opening?" Ixin looked uncomfortable and she shrugged."I really don't remember, Shamalin," the drakeling admitted. "I barely recall my journey to this world, and it certainly was not my choice to do so. There was a witch... a snake witch, I think... or a dragon witch..." Karak thumped the haft of his waraxe on a rock, drawing everyone's attention."Does anyone 'ere know how to track down the wizard?" the dwarf implored and was answered by silent stares. "Well, then, I will inspect the area where it disappeared. Morier and Ayremac I suggest you set up a perimeter an' maybe inpect around as well.""I don't think that thing will return," Ayremac observered. "It has obviously not just gone underground for the time being.""That does seem unlikely," Anania offered in a small voice."I do admit that it sure be a mite quieter aroun' 'ere, with the wizard gone, though," Karak joked without any humor. "Heh. Heh." "Damn!!" Ayremac cursed and hurled Windblade away into the night. The sword spun end over end with a metallic whickering sound before impaling the ground some distance away. The elemental blade swayed back and forth for a moment before vanishing and reappearing in Ayremac's hand. "Shamalin, you have nothing to aid in this situation?" the Officer of Umba blurted out, the tension of the moment overwhelming his normal sense of decorum. The priestess of Flor looked at him in shock."Excuse me?" she asked. "Why is this-" Ayremac held up a defeated hand to silence her, shaking his head."I am sorry. That was out of line," he told her and she could see the great sadness and anger that his impotence was causing him. "One would think with Celestial blood flowing through my veins I could do something to help... Dah! I hate feeling helpless!!" She nodded. That was a sentiment she could well understand."Perhaps a prayer to Umba will offer some guidance," she suggested. "I fear that this is out of our hands for this evening at least." He nodded and with a wan smile went to erect his portable altar."So that is it, then?" Anania asked, confused. "You just leave the wizard to his fate?" Shamalin turned to face the new elf with a visible effort to contain her anger."Do you realize what has happened here?" the Mercybringer asked through gritted teeth. "It's quite possible that your message has compromised this company and its mission." The elf drew back, confused."What do you mean?" the scout asked as she forced her expression back into one of passivity."I mean, what sort of protection does your 'eye' have as it flies back to Hofrilax?" Shamalin pressed."Protection?" the archer replied. "Against what? Birds?" She looked around to assess if the others shared Shamalin's feelings. Morier, Karak and Ixin watched with interest, their faces hard."We found one such eye in the forest near the tainted cave, intercepted!" the cleric went on. "And if that can happen, then you've pretty much just announced our every intention to the world!" The elf favored Shamalin with a patronizing smile then as understanding finally filled her eyes."I see," Anania said. "You fear that our enemies have intercepted the monitor eye and learned what was intended for Lord Hofralix. That is impossible. The eyestalk can only impart its knowledge to the monitor which gave up the eye and the Sovereign himself. It is possible that the eye might have been intercepted and destroyed, but the knowledge within is secure against anything but the most powerful magic.""Like the kind of magic necessary to pull a wizard out of the Prime against his will?" Morier mused. "That kind of powerful?"</blockquote>

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