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Wulf's Collected Story Hour -- FINAL UPDATE 12/25
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<blockquote data-quote="Wulf Ratbane" data-source="post: 755" data-attributes="member: 94"><p><strong>THE SPEAKER IN DREAMS (Part IX)</strong></p><p></p><p>On seperate paths, Wulf and the halfling both managed to make it back to the only safe place they could think of: Shuma's smithy. Wulf cornered the smith as soon as he got in the door. "If yer know where the old man is, get him over here." He pressed two elven ears into Shuma's palm. "The peck's got what's left of Halma."</p><p></p><p>The old man arrived shortly, already aware of the situation. He was bearing an ornate scroll case in one hand, and his holy symbol in the other. "Pelor be willing, I may be able to help your friends. I understand you took the trouble to bring back some token of their flesh; this act speaks well of them, but Pelor may require more. Get some rest, we'll begin in the morning."</p><p></p><p>Wulf and the halfling went upstairs to a small room. The halfling immediately lay claim to the single bed, flinging himself on it with abandon. Wulf crouched on the floor, pulling off his boots and socks while the halfling curled up, watching him. "You're just gonna sleep right there on the floor, huh? Okay."</p><p></p><p>"No, I'm not sleepin' at all. I'll keep watch for yer, right?" Wulf was already mulling over the many possible ways to off the halfling in his sleep-- slit his throat, set the bed on fire, smother him with a pillow... Problem was, he didn't want to do anything to jeopardize the goodwill of the priest downstairs-- not until they'd done everything possible to bring Halma back. If he killed the halfing now, there'd be no way to cover up the deed, and he didn't relish trying to lie to a priest.</p><p></p><p>And though he never thought he'd admit it, he'd seen enough killing for one night. The halfling's brutal slaying of the guardsmen echoed in his mind. Wulf started filling his socks full of pennies; he dropped each coin in one at a time, in pace with the halfing's blissful breathing.</p><p></p><p>-------------</p><p></p><p>Wulf didn't sleep all night, and was bleary-eyed and beaten when Toria came to fetch them at dawn. "His Radiant Holiness is ready for you now."</p><p></p><p>Wulf roused the halfling and the two of them went downstairs, where Shuma's shop had been converted into a small shrine. The old man was dressed in shining raiments, his hands on the golden travelling altar before him. His eyes were closed as he faced the dawn, smiling thankfully before opening his eyes.</p><p></p><p>"I have made my prayers to Pelor. As the sun dies and rises again each day, he may craft new vessels of flesh for their souls, returning them to us once again.</p><p></p><p>"The soul's journey back to the realm of the living is a painful one, and your friends will not be exactly as they were before."</p><p></p><p>The old man picked up the scroll that Wulf had seen the night before. "This scroll contains ancient magic that has been with our temple long before even I had entered the service of Pelor. It is beyond my power to craft such magic of my own accord, though I can release the power of this scroll to cast <em>True Ressurrection.</em> This will ease the journey for one of your friends, bringing that one back safe and whole as ever they were when they were alive.</p><p></p><p>"My only question is... which of your friends shall receive this blessing, and which two shall suffer?"</p><p></p><p>Wulf spoke up immediately. "Halma. Bring him back safe."</p><p></p><p>The halfling chimed in. "Well, now wait a minute. If they lose memories and stuff, maybe it would be better to bring back Keldas, cause you know he's done a lot more studying than Halma, arcane arts and all-- and what does Halma have to lose, really?"</p><p></p><p>"Bring back Halma." Wulf glowered at the halfling, silencing his protests.</p><p></p><p>"Very well. I will begin with your elven friends, then. Understand, they are worshippers of their own god, and though there is friendship between all powers of goodwill, Pelor may yet request some service of them. Understand?"</p><p></p><p>"Aye, right. I hear yer loud an' clear. We'll get to your temple just as soon as we off those pricks that did this to 'em."</p><p></p><p>The old man smiled and began casting his spells. A shining brilliance filled the room, and when it had passed, Keldas and Alliane stood safe and whole before them. Toria quickly moved to drape some clothing around them.</p><p></p><p>The old man unrolled the ancient scroll. "Now for your young barbarian friend."</p><p></p><p>The old man began unleashing the spell from the scroll, but this time, instead of a flash of light, a look of consternation flashed across the old man's face. "Your friend... in the halls of great warriors... his soul resists..."</p><p></p><p>"Yer tell him Wulf says to come on back! I'll take care of him this time!"</p><p></p><p>"He says, 'Here in these happy halls, my mornings are spent hunting, with tests of valor and strength!'"</p><p></p><p>"Tell him to come back, an' ol' Wulf will take him hunting!"</p><p></p><p>"He says, 'Here in these happy halls, my afternoons are spent feasting on the finest food and drink!'"</p><p></p><p>"Tell him to come back, and Wulf will buy him endless flasks of the best dwarven ale!"</p><p></p><p>"He says, 'In these happy halls, his evenings are spent in the company of buxom barbarian women, who ease him to sleep with their tender caresses!'"</p><p></p><p>"Errr... Right... Keldas?"</p><p></p><p>Keldas spoke without looking up. "Tell him to return for vengeance, to set things right, and to finish what we've started."</p><p></p><p>There was a long pause, then the flash of light. Halma stood before them, grinning. Toria quickly covered him up.</p><p></p><p>Wulf pounded his fist into his hand. "Right! Get yer gear and let's go get those bastards!"</p><p></p><p>Keldas scowled at Wulf and rolled his eyes. "My <em>gear</em> is either still lying on the floor, or divvied up amongst the enemy by now. Including my spellbook and my <em>Ring of Wizardry,</em> which I'm sure you didn't think to claim before leaving."</p><p></p><p>Halma frowned, realizing he was in the same boat. "They get my sword, too?"</p><p></p><p>"Right, look, I know yer attached to that thing and all, but yer know damn well yer can use something else if yer have to. And yer just gonna <em>have</em> to right now. Shuma?"</p><p></p><p>"I have some masterwork things here-- a chain shirt, a longsword or two. Obviously I cannot help your wizard friend."</p><p></p><p>"A longsword will do just fine. And a stout bow, too, if you have one." Keldas stood up and helped Alliane to stand. "We'll need to rest through the day; I have some power left, but Alliane must pray to Corellan for aid. We'll go back tonight."</p><p></p><p>---------</p><p></p><p>The party returned that night, a bit worse for wear, a bit less prepared-- but for once, Wulf didn't feel like he was the only one looking forward to the trip. Wulf let Keldas do the planning, and it was simple: he'd cast another <em>Polymorph</em> spell from memory, fly everyone up to the roof, and they'd work their way through from the top down. It was a variant on "boot the door" and Wulf approved heartily.</p><p></p><p>Halma stalked along at the back of the group, his borrowed longsword looking like a toy in his hands. His downcast eyes stared at his feet as they headed step-by-step to the site of his demise. It was only when he felt Wulf's rough hands guiding him aside did he realize that they had arrived. He brushed Wulf aside gruffly. "What do you want?"</p><p></p><p>"Don't look, boy."</p><p></p><p>Their three bodies were impaled outside the house, stripped naked and left to rot.</p><p></p><p>Halma and Keldas alike flew into a rage, dashing forward to pull down the bodies. Wulf tried his best to lighten the mood, to no avail.</p><p></p><p>"Ach... Keldas, I see two elves, but I can't tell which one is yer cousin and which one is yer..."</p><p></p><p>"Can't say I appreciate what they done with the decor, right, Halma?"</p><p></p><p>"Ach, right. Well, let's get to the killin' then, yer humorless bastards."</p><p></p><p>Keldas transformed himself into a small dragon again and flew them all to the top of the roof. They didn't even bother being particularly quiet about it, and by the time the last of them was standing on the roof, they'd already heard that familiar sound heralding the summoned guardians. Soon, griffon-like creatures dove at them from the night sky, but Alliane's circle kept them at bay. She prepared personal <em>Protection from Evil</em> spells for Wulf and Halma so that they could move outside the circle. Keldas <em>Hasted</em> himself then cast more combat spells on Halma-- <em>Rapid Strikes, Displacement, </em> the usual. Finally, Keldas shifted shapes once more, and soon the umber hulk was tearing huge gouges out of the roof.</p><p></p><p>They looked in on the top floor: more bookstacks, of course, but this time there was a sorceror there they did not recognize. Wulf marked him as unfamiliar and thus, obviously the leader. Wulf was the first through the hole, only noticing afterwards that there were more rhino-headed guardians inside, but it was too late to warn the halfling and Halma before they dropped down as well. Wulf moved up face to face with the leader, drawing <em>Taranak</em> as he stalked resolutely forward. Before he could take the first swing, the sorceror unleashed a massive mental blast. The halfling seemed to shrug it off but Wulf and Halma stood stunned.</p><p></p><p>The rhino creatures could not attack, but there was nothing stopping the sorcerors. An ectoplasmic wall sprang up, isolating Wulf from the rest of the party. The sorcerors calmly drew their shortswords and approached Wulf, stabbing at him repeatedly while he defended himself feebly. He'd taken up a position between the bookstacks to keep them away from his friends behind him, but they seemed content to hack through him first. He cursed at them through gritted teeth. </p><p></p><p>"Give me yer best shot, yer pricks!"</p><p></p><p>"Ach... Right, one more..."</p><p></p><p>"Come on!"</p><p></p><p>Wulf was bleeding from countless wounds when Keldas came crashing through the roof. His huge claws ripped clean through one of the lesser sorcerors, forcing the leader and his last henchman to move away and throw up another wall of mental force. Now, it was the two of them sequestered with the halfling. </p><p></p><p>He tumbled back and forth, trying to threaten both of them while at the same time keeping them from flanking him. They took turns stepping out his reach and pummeling him with concussive force-- or simply slashing at him with their swords. He was losing fast, and without his allies to set up his own devious sneak attacks, it was hopeless.</p><p></p><p>But Keldas wasn't resting. He smashed through the bookstacks, clearing a path, then he and Alliane set to work trying to dispel the transparent wall. They finally succeeded, and Keldas began clawing at the other henchman. This only served to draw the ire of both remaining sorcerors, who joined forces smashing Keldas with concussive force, nearly killing him again. Wulf finally shook off his stupor and rushed forward to haul Keldas out of the way. </p><p></p><p>"One o' these days yer gonna learn to leave the fightin' to the fighters!"</p><p></p><p>Halma was also up and moving, and soon enough they had the henchman killed and the leader cornered in the back of the room. He let out a defiant scream before he was cut to pieces by Wulf, Halma, and the halfling. </p><p></p><p>At last, the house was quiet.</p><p></p><p>Keldas wasted no time searching the house, and was pleased to find his backpack, including his spellbook and most of his scrolls. His ring, and Halma's greatsword, were still missing.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Wulf Ratbane, post: 755, member: 94"] [b]THE SPEAKER IN DREAMS (Part IX)[/b] On seperate paths, Wulf and the halfling both managed to make it back to the only safe place they could think of: Shuma's smithy. Wulf cornered the smith as soon as he got in the door. "If yer know where the old man is, get him over here." He pressed two elven ears into Shuma's palm. "The peck's got what's left of Halma." The old man arrived shortly, already aware of the situation. He was bearing an ornate scroll case in one hand, and his holy symbol in the other. "Pelor be willing, I may be able to help your friends. I understand you took the trouble to bring back some token of their flesh; this act speaks well of them, but Pelor may require more. Get some rest, we'll begin in the morning." Wulf and the halfling went upstairs to a small room. The halfling immediately lay claim to the single bed, flinging himself on it with abandon. Wulf crouched on the floor, pulling off his boots and socks while the halfling curled up, watching him. "You're just gonna sleep right there on the floor, huh? Okay." "No, I'm not sleepin' at all. I'll keep watch for yer, right?" Wulf was already mulling over the many possible ways to off the halfling in his sleep-- slit his throat, set the bed on fire, smother him with a pillow... Problem was, he didn't want to do anything to jeopardize the goodwill of the priest downstairs-- not until they'd done everything possible to bring Halma back. If he killed the halfing now, there'd be no way to cover up the deed, and he didn't relish trying to lie to a priest. And though he never thought he'd admit it, he'd seen enough killing for one night. The halfling's brutal slaying of the guardsmen echoed in his mind. Wulf started filling his socks full of pennies; he dropped each coin in one at a time, in pace with the halfing's blissful breathing. ------------- Wulf didn't sleep all night, and was bleary-eyed and beaten when Toria came to fetch them at dawn. "His Radiant Holiness is ready for you now." Wulf roused the halfling and the two of them went downstairs, where Shuma's shop had been converted into a small shrine. The old man was dressed in shining raiments, his hands on the golden travelling altar before him. His eyes were closed as he faced the dawn, smiling thankfully before opening his eyes. "I have made my prayers to Pelor. As the sun dies and rises again each day, he may craft new vessels of flesh for their souls, returning them to us once again. "The soul's journey back to the realm of the living is a painful one, and your friends will not be exactly as they were before." The old man picked up the scroll that Wulf had seen the night before. "This scroll contains ancient magic that has been with our temple long before even I had entered the service of Pelor. It is beyond my power to craft such magic of my own accord, though I can release the power of this scroll to cast [i]True Ressurrection.[/i] This will ease the journey for one of your friends, bringing that one back safe and whole as ever they were when they were alive. "My only question is... which of your friends shall receive this blessing, and which two shall suffer?" Wulf spoke up immediately. "Halma. Bring him back safe." The halfling chimed in. "Well, now wait a minute. If they lose memories and stuff, maybe it would be better to bring back Keldas, cause you know he's done a lot more studying than Halma, arcane arts and all-- and what does Halma have to lose, really?" "Bring back Halma." Wulf glowered at the halfling, silencing his protests. "Very well. I will begin with your elven friends, then. Understand, they are worshippers of their own god, and though there is friendship between all powers of goodwill, Pelor may yet request some service of them. Understand?" "Aye, right. I hear yer loud an' clear. We'll get to your temple just as soon as we off those pricks that did this to 'em." The old man smiled and began casting his spells. A shining brilliance filled the room, and when it had passed, Keldas and Alliane stood safe and whole before them. Toria quickly moved to drape some clothing around them. The old man unrolled the ancient scroll. "Now for your young barbarian friend." The old man began unleashing the spell from the scroll, but this time, instead of a flash of light, a look of consternation flashed across the old man's face. "Your friend... in the halls of great warriors... his soul resists..." "Yer tell him Wulf says to come on back! I'll take care of him this time!" "He says, 'Here in these happy halls, my mornings are spent hunting, with tests of valor and strength!'" "Tell him to come back, an' ol' Wulf will take him hunting!" "He says, 'Here in these happy halls, my afternoons are spent feasting on the finest food and drink!'" "Tell him to come back, and Wulf will buy him endless flasks of the best dwarven ale!" "He says, 'In these happy halls, his evenings are spent in the company of buxom barbarian women, who ease him to sleep with their tender caresses!'" "Errr... Right... Keldas?" Keldas spoke without looking up. "Tell him to return for vengeance, to set things right, and to finish what we've started." There was a long pause, then the flash of light. Halma stood before them, grinning. Toria quickly covered him up. Wulf pounded his fist into his hand. "Right! Get yer gear and let's go get those bastards!" Keldas scowled at Wulf and rolled his eyes. "My [i]gear[/i] is either still lying on the floor, or divvied up amongst the enemy by now. Including my spellbook and my [i]Ring of Wizardry,[/i] which I'm sure you didn't think to claim before leaving." Halma frowned, realizing he was in the same boat. "They get my sword, too?" "Right, look, I know yer attached to that thing and all, but yer know damn well yer can use something else if yer have to. And yer just gonna [i]have[/i] to right now. Shuma?" "I have some masterwork things here-- a chain shirt, a longsword or two. Obviously I cannot help your wizard friend." "A longsword will do just fine. And a stout bow, too, if you have one." Keldas stood up and helped Alliane to stand. "We'll need to rest through the day; I have some power left, but Alliane must pray to Corellan for aid. We'll go back tonight." --------- The party returned that night, a bit worse for wear, a bit less prepared-- but for once, Wulf didn't feel like he was the only one looking forward to the trip. Wulf let Keldas do the planning, and it was simple: he'd cast another [i]Polymorph[/i] spell from memory, fly everyone up to the roof, and they'd work their way through from the top down. It was a variant on "boot the door" and Wulf approved heartily. Halma stalked along at the back of the group, his borrowed longsword looking like a toy in his hands. His downcast eyes stared at his feet as they headed step-by-step to the site of his demise. It was only when he felt Wulf's rough hands guiding him aside did he realize that they had arrived. He brushed Wulf aside gruffly. "What do you want?" "Don't look, boy." Their three bodies were impaled outside the house, stripped naked and left to rot. Halma and Keldas alike flew into a rage, dashing forward to pull down the bodies. Wulf tried his best to lighten the mood, to no avail. "Ach... Keldas, I see two elves, but I can't tell which one is yer cousin and which one is yer..." "Can't say I appreciate what they done with the decor, right, Halma?" "Ach, right. Well, let's get to the killin' then, yer humorless bastards." Keldas transformed himself into a small dragon again and flew them all to the top of the roof. They didn't even bother being particularly quiet about it, and by the time the last of them was standing on the roof, they'd already heard that familiar sound heralding the summoned guardians. Soon, griffon-like creatures dove at them from the night sky, but Alliane's circle kept them at bay. She prepared personal [i]Protection from Evil[/i] spells for Wulf and Halma so that they could move outside the circle. Keldas [i]Hasted[/i] himself then cast more combat spells on Halma-- [i]Rapid Strikes, Displacement, [/i] the usual. Finally, Keldas shifted shapes once more, and soon the umber hulk was tearing huge gouges out of the roof. They looked in on the top floor: more bookstacks, of course, but this time there was a sorceror there they did not recognize. Wulf marked him as unfamiliar and thus, obviously the leader. Wulf was the first through the hole, only noticing afterwards that there were more rhino-headed guardians inside, but it was too late to warn the halfling and Halma before they dropped down as well. Wulf moved up face to face with the leader, drawing [i]Taranak[/i] as he stalked resolutely forward. Before he could take the first swing, the sorceror unleashed a massive mental blast. The halfling seemed to shrug it off but Wulf and Halma stood stunned. The rhino creatures could not attack, but there was nothing stopping the sorcerors. An ectoplasmic wall sprang up, isolating Wulf from the rest of the party. The sorcerors calmly drew their shortswords and approached Wulf, stabbing at him repeatedly while he defended himself feebly. He'd taken up a position between the bookstacks to keep them away from his friends behind him, but they seemed content to hack through him first. He cursed at them through gritted teeth. "Give me yer best shot, yer pricks!" "Ach... Right, one more..." "Come on!" Wulf was bleeding from countless wounds when Keldas came crashing through the roof. His huge claws ripped clean through one of the lesser sorcerors, forcing the leader and his last henchman to move away and throw up another wall of mental force. Now, it was the two of them sequestered with the halfling. He tumbled back and forth, trying to threaten both of them while at the same time keeping them from flanking him. They took turns stepping out his reach and pummeling him with concussive force-- or simply slashing at him with their swords. He was losing fast, and without his allies to set up his own devious sneak attacks, it was hopeless. But Keldas wasn't resting. He smashed through the bookstacks, clearing a path, then he and Alliane set to work trying to dispel the transparent wall. They finally succeeded, and Keldas began clawing at the other henchman. This only served to draw the ire of both remaining sorcerors, who joined forces smashing Keldas with concussive force, nearly killing him again. Wulf finally shook off his stupor and rushed forward to haul Keldas out of the way. "One o' these days yer gonna learn to leave the fightin' to the fighters!" Halma was also up and moving, and soon enough they had the henchman killed and the leader cornered in the back of the room. He let out a defiant scream before he was cut to pieces by Wulf, Halma, and the halfling. At last, the house was quiet. Keldas wasted no time searching the house, and was pleased to find his backpack, including his spellbook and most of his scrolls. His ring, and Halma's greatsword, were still missing. [/QUOTE]
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