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 Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 7:38 pm
the Ogres heard and saw it first. they were doing as told, burying the little stautes all over the outer area of Malik's home. when they say the rumbling tremors, and heard the drums, Malik was alerted nearly instantly.
"Oh what now."
Looking at his blade, telepathic communication between him and them.
"I want those shieldings up now. Get the troops ready for combat. use our newest pets. Necormancers..no undead this time. if Kimmuriel's hidden warning is correct, they'll be ready for that. shadows. and if the Dreadnaught is ready..bring it here for Sevilin to inspect first."
Broog came lumbering up the steps, and Malik waved him over.
"Broog, kind, lovable, gentle, carefree Broog. do you remember what you were doing when I found you?"
Broog nodded his big head.
"Do you remember exactly what you were doing?"
Broog nodded again, and looked rather puzzled.
"there are big, bad things coming here. they want to hurt the Mistress. do you think you can do what you did then and make it work like it's supposed to?"
Broog gave a glower, adn nodded fiercely.
"Good boy. hop to it."
And broog went down to Tremor, and started taking every single weapon, much to Tremor's curiousity and dislike, before he saw what broog was doing and ignored it after that.
the Dreadnaught was brought out from teh depths. huge and menacing, it's run covered body covered further in heavy halfplate, and one very large doublebladed battleaxe in hand. it was a Minotaur in form, though it's eyes lacked life. the necromancer beside it nodded.
"It is ready, and it does obey. but we cannot get the runes to activate on thier own or by it's own will. it simply lacks enough will to do so, and we cannot experiment and see if it can be started and then maintained through it's own will."
which got a glance at Sevilin.
"Suggestions?"
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Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 7:39 pm
Continuing the almost insane drive through the Tower, Tarathiel and Gil-Hadriel entered a 'throne room', complete with decorative Greek and Roman columns. The space was large, impressively so, with a single overly ornate chair in the centre of the far wall, at the end of a blood red carpet, probably died with the blood of a thousand virgins. Sitting on the chair was the only creature in the room, Dimitri the demi-Lich, who sat in his chair and waited paitently for his attackers to come to him. He was in no rush to kill these two, if that was what he was thinking, or maybe he did not see them as a threat. They were void of any magical energies that would cause him any grief. His tower shoke with the impact of a random spell blasting the side, causing some dust to sprinkle down upon the floor.
The Room had stained glass windows, each one depicting a rahter grusome image, include the Rape of Meilikki. The flashing lights caused the room to glow with a variety of colours, light which reflected off the falling dust, giving the room a very erie glow.
The Prince and the Hobbit approached the throne slowly, waiting for traps to spring, or minions to jump out, but nothing came. Dimitri was contented or merely uncaring of thier presence. He seemed, rather distant, deep in thought, or plotting against the world.
Braver growled softly as they got closer to the fiend, the magical dog could feel the evil literally pouring out of the figure that was Dimitri.
Tarathiel felt a rather bored expression cross his face, from his first encounter and Jarlaxle's description, he could judge that his skills were probably just above or near Malik's. The Prince yawned.
Gil-Hadriel felt a very strange exhilaration rise within his noble heart, his hands shoke with righteousness, he dismounted his dog so he could hear the valour in his steps. Oh, how the spirit of Helm sang within Gil's soul. The holy energy of his might god was about to 'put a smack down' on this evil denizen of the darkness which haunted the innocents of this plane. Gil could feel the joy of bringing peace to the land, his face matched his internal thoughts, his body language was as loud as words ever could be.
Tarathiel almost laughed, and felt a bit relieved that he might be entertained by this fight. He had wanted to see the halfling paladin fight since they meet in the tunnels of Dimitri's old lair. The halfling walked with a light that seemed to sparkle brightly when he could be used to defend anyone. Tarathiel was pretty sure that his Mother might have a chance to be defended by this halfling given the right circumstances, that was a very amusing thought. HE chuckled which drew a look from the holy duo, "I am nervous, I guess I could cry." He almost whispered.
"Helm is with us, we shall be victorous." Gil proclaimed in a booming voice. A proud voice filled with virtuous thunder, much as one would expect to hear of a thousand paladins marching underneath their god's banner towards an enemy of almost uncertain strength, with a great risk of death or horrible torments if captured alive, like being skinned or used as a toy by some hellish fiend. Gil was ready to face those, and many more fates, should he fail to protect the people of this realm.
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Fractured Moonlight Captain
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Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 7:50 pm
"Blood, wolves, you should know this by now Malik." Oh it always had to happen...though she'd blame Sevilin...him and his damn magic and what not all over outside drawing attention to them. Ugh...if planar fabrics weren't in the balance and good friends had not been made...Piper had the inkling of an idea that she would cause a fiasco just to jump the plane. Though an eyebrow did raise... at the sending off of Broog and then the bringing of Malik's new toy apparently. "Well... you have had too much free time." Impressed? No... like she had told him, this kind of thing wasn't impressive to her...just another attraction to them where she would much rather be left alone.
Sevilin...thought he felt partially pissed. Runics? For a moment it seemed like Malik was trying to do partially what others wanted from him, to use his own gifts to whatever they wanted and with or without Sevilin being a willing party. Though he was starting to get a pounding headache that coencided with the steps of a marching army. It never ended on this plane.
"You need an activation circle." Simple as that really. Though he was intrigued as to how this would pan out. Those drawn runes weren't nearly as neat as they could of been...some people could be so sloppy, really. "A permanent one if you intend to...use it like that." Drawing runes was one thing, having an activation circle was another.
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Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 7:51 pm
More or less, a little portal opened before Malik's great gates, and small dart holding a letter shot out and into the wooden door, or stone, or metal, and stuck their, the arrow head happened to be made from some kind of goo and not an actual head.
The message read:
"To my Love Malik,
My Mother is bored, and this is the closest un-destroyed kingdom that doesn't have a spiritual pact with me to keep it protected from my people. She's a marching on you with about Thirty Legions. She's going to kill every living creature and burn everything to the ground, except what flees in a direction we have not sacked yet. It spreads the word much quicker and requires fewer letters to be writen and whatnot. Well, you can expect the best mages and the most powerful clerics, about a million driders, and a lot of slaves. Not really slaves, more like conscripties. They will come from the east, and probably north, as that would be where they enter the Deep Water Sea from. They will be armed to the teeth, etc. I'm sure you necromancers allerted you promptley adn you didn't need this message.
Maybe I'll help you.
Your ever lasting Love and Life Mate, Brother, etc,
Kimmuriel Daermon N'a'shezbaernon
AKA'
Captain Taratheil."
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Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 7:54 pm
Moonstone da a bit an "ah.. As his brother came in and promtly fell at his doorstep. He sighed, seeing the marks and blood on his borther, assuming a barfight. He picked him up, one arm slung over hsi shoulder and dragged Onyx to a bed. "Gees, Onyx. What were you doing here in Honoursfield anyway?'
The army marched forward, not stopping. They were not far at all from the Fortress, their numbers stretched further than the eye could imagine, every orc and giant, lowly dragon, harpie, chimera, sphinx had shown up to going forces for this fleeting moment, to find the cate to Andle. Under the ground, tunnles were dugswiflty and acurtaly, almost on the fortress's doorstep. The hides of these creatures seemed to be magic resistant.
In less than two minutes, the Frotress was surrounded.
Tanundra picked Meilikki up, cradling her protecivly, there was no way for him to change here, and going outside was certainly off limits. On her instruction, he took her to the top floors, where surprisingly she said the fortress would sustain less damage.
The lich finally deemed to two worth to notice. He stood, not bother to smile. "Honestly, you disappiont me. Here I am, doing my best to be noticed and you go out fighting orcs and underworld beasts? One would think a drow such as you who craves the fight would have showed on my doorstep much sooner."
He stepped down from the thones, walking down the blood red carpet to meet the tresspassers. He pulled his long sword from it's sheath, holding the tip near the ground, battle ready, waiting if not so willing. "You bore me, drow. Let us get this over with so I can bring the Oracle back for more."
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Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 8:04 pm
"Gil, let me go in first, you come after." Tarathiel said or commanded, either way, he was rushing Dimitri after he spoke.
His steps were light, his blades appeared in his hands, one burst out into flames, the other with electrical energy. He had spent longer chosing which swords to bring than actually travelling, and these two seemed to win only because they happened to be the lowest on the shelf. The drow brought his weaposn to bare on the lich, who posed his sword to parry the the double downwards slash, which also set the lich up for pressing the Drow to either side, or back, but allowed the Prince to score a minor victory in the form of spiting something onto the Lich's head.
After the Lich forced Tarathiel away, the windows on every side of the tower burst from flaming pressure, as Tarathiel's wizards bombared the entire floor with fireballs. The flames licked into the room, lighting much of it on fire, which changed the scenery into a hellish looking room.
Gil charged at the Lich, but was cut off by his dog who forced him to mount. Braver felt that the halfling's stout legs were virtuous, but lacked the reach of the longer tallfolk legs. The halfling begrudgingly agreed and tumbled onto the dog, and resumed his charge.
"Gil, only holy works." Tarathiel said as he rose to his feet to be a meaty shield for the halfling.
The halfling lifted the sword above his head, "I HAVE THE POWER-" He began his recital, but was cut off by his mount's teleportation to another part of the room. He appeared a short ways from the Lich, his sword bursting with holy energy, like an avenger handed to him by the divine.
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Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 8:07 pm
Onyx opened his eyes...ooo he felt all tingly. pretty lights.
"Woman. Omega. dead city. left here. Why are you red? did you dye your fur?"
Malik read the note, and shook his head lightly. Drow women. well..that was a comforting thought to say the least...yeah right. just perfect. this army was just Orcs and whatever they dragged along. the necromancers had made the assumption that the massive force wasn't drow, which ment now he had this and another army to deal with. just gods be damned beautiful.
"I want those Nightbloods ready. I don't care if all you have to do is point and send them out. We'll make the payment for them in orcish souls. I'm sure the Keeper will be more than pleased by that."
Malik looked over at Sevilin.
"And how do I go about creating that? this thing is mostly for brute force and power."
Then over to Catawa...never mind that..hmm..Din. when did he get here? wasn't that a stroke of fortune.
"Din, that you?"
Lets see how this encroanchign forces deals with magical barriers made stronger by fear, hate, love, and torment. then the ones that Roarke had constructed before of heat, and the golems...that reminded him.
"Roarke! get your human a** here right now. and someone get me Tanundra for a moment."
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Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 8:19 pm
Moonstone looked at his brother's eyes. "I'm not red. You've got blood in your eys. And you need to lseep. You're babbiling."
Roarke was by Malik before he even had a chance to finish speaking his name. He smiled sheepishy. "You know, fighting isn't relaly my thi..." He got a look and srhugged. "Truth is I've lready tried. This is hardly a war amoung men and goblin, Malik. It's a war with the gods." He point to the army (which was everywhere) "I wouldn't be surprised if Grmsh himself was out there."
Tanundra did not respond to Malik. He had more important things to worry about.
The Ankheads, driven by devine inspiration, bored through magic shiled and rock alike, heading unearling low into the earth, aiming straight for the keep. The broke the surface of the earth not three feet from the anle gate. They paused for a moment to regard this...this fruit of life...this victory.
The Lich fought easily, nothing really bothering him, though he did get a tad distracted by gettign spat on. What the hell? Oh well, carry on. The fire didn't seem to bother him, not the halfling and his dog. He used a sky father barriar to hold that one back while he played with Tarathiel. He furrowed his brow, first in confusion, then in almost fear.
"Wait, what have you done?" He had connections, he knew what was happening, triggers and what not. It was a complicated process. Lets just say he had ways of knowing what was happenign at Malik's keep. "If they use the gate, this plane will be destroyed! You along with it!" No, that's not what he wanted! He had to rule this place, it belonged to him1 And no lolwy dorw princling was going to take that away form him! He had been here for thousands of years! Survived things not even imaginable by human minds....he wasn't going to loose it now.
He spoke acnient words under his breath, evoking his mother in a way that she would be unable to refuse.
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Fractured Moonlight Captain
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Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 8:22 pm
Piper gave a sigh, stretching her neck a moment. Felt good...espcially since that defensive posture she had been holding had relaxed out. "We've got bad luck." It was simple as that, she knew it was...but then her mind ran through things. Onyx was nowhere, Moon not here, Kieran was down mroe or less, Zahara down, Sevilin probably still low on everything, Malik would go till he was dead and she had her limited experience, not to mention more or less laid up Meilikki upstairs. Yeah, bad luck.
"You get a rune mage to do it for you of course." Said in that smug, 'oh guess how much you're going to owe me for all of this' tone. Sevilin was not a happy camper after all. A look to a slave. "Go get me a knife." And he waited for that to be done before a knife was handed into his hand and he walked up to the creature and started carving into it's side. Oh yeah, Malik owed him big.
Of course at present that gate wasn't activated, only being such through scheduled times and dates that had been set up.
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Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 8:44 pm
Tarathiel smiled, "It was that, or kill Piper or Malik." Tarathiel shrugged as he more or less played with Dimitri. It was really hard to hit a swordsmen who was only trying to defend himselt. HIs blades were for show, and he was there only to give the halfling a chance to destroy that thing's physical body. The drow seemed to notice the ancient notes, he heard those regularly, they sounded like the language Warhammer used when he channelled his magic. He looked at the Sky Father's barrier and laughed, he smiled, and leaped over Dimitri, literally barely getting over the lich's head, while doing so, he dropped his flaming sword which turned off as it fell, and placed his palm straight on the Liches head, a gem stone in his hand, conceiled by the scimitar, and literally sucked the soul out of the lich.
The barrier droped, and Gil brought his mighty weapon upon Dimitri's coporeal body, causing it to be utterly destroyed.
Scimitar picked up, Tarathiel walked to a wall, avoiding flames were possible. He causually tosed his portable hole at it, and leaped through, Gil and Braver followed. The drow used his levitation to avoid dying, Braver teleported himself and the Halfling safely to the ground.
"What about the Phylactery?" Braver asked Tarathiel when he landed.
"I put his soul into a different container." He held up the jewel, "I am going to make sure that destoying this destroys him." He held up the stone to look at it, he could not longer feel the magical auras that he could when he was resistant to magic.
"Unless, you would like to walk around with the possibility of being possessed by a great evil that if it takes command of your body you will be forced to hurt innocent people. Where as, if it takes command of me, I wont feel overly bad when you kill me." He smiled.
"Gil, I guess we'll have to trust him on this." Braver said rather skeptically. He wasn't very fond of drow in general.
"I trust that he will do what is right, or he would have done more evil. And I hear and see that he feeds the orphans."
"Lil' Jill needs her tummy full so she can be my mistress." Replied Tarathiel with a bit of a quirk.
"Mistress?" Braver asked.
"She loves me." Replied the drow.
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Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 9:01 pm
Some very odd things went on in the world of the gods, lots of things that any living thing could not possibly understand. Energies, laws that deified most laws came into work, some things being froced to do other things through a mere icantation. How to put this is a way that you, my creations, would understand? Through this incantation I was forced to come to my son's rescue. Although it was obvious there was little I could do against another god. Of course, no on ever expects self sacrifice.
I do love you all though. My little planet underground....you must have another chance at life. The time stream must find it's proper course again. Unfortunatly, from here on out, it will be without my help.
Lloth. I, being the mother of all, forced her before me. She did not expect my sacrifice. How does one stop a god from doing what said god wishes to do? By forcing her into a body she cannot control. Where her powers are out of her reach. Except this very act upsets the major delicate balacne of the cosmos. Something larger, far outside the time stream.
Together we became human. Balance restored. Together, we fought in our diminished forms. Together, we proved the other's downfall.
Goodnight my children. The creator of all dies along with the Spider Queen. Balance is restored. Behave, please. I do so love you all.
As quickly as the minions had gathered they were banished, swept away it seemed on not so much as a breath of wind. The only evidence of their pasing were their footprints, the tranpled ground and the tunnles. A strange eerie silence seemed to fill the entire underdark. From drow to human, all knew that sometihng very terrible and terrific had just happened.
An icey scream broke the stillness, set the world in motion once again. A great green dragon was thrown from the Fortress, brutually thrust out of a human body he could no longer contain. The dragon screamed in agony, his enormous body writhing on the ground. Claws and teeth tore at the ground, at the trees, at whatever he could reach. Truly mad now, as Tanudnra' scales split open with the sound of torn canvas, spurts of lava stringed like blood, covering the ground in bubbling hot magma. The earth mother died, and so her ties to the world were servered. In one final scream, the dragon was torn apart. Nothng left but lava and scales to ooze over the ground before the Fortress.
Meilikki watched from a window in horror, deep wounds only just healing were gouged anew. Clear blue eyes watched her first and most loyal friend, a man she could have claimed she loved, perish along with her gift.
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Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 9:24 pm
He glanced at Roarke, and nearly smiled.
"Oh..you think that orcish god is actually there? that is such a pleasent thought. wonderful. now...Roarke, I need you to do somethign very simple. and don't give me any grief over it, your the bloodline of a demigod. there are five big, nasty things down near teh arena. look like ten foot demons. I bought them from the Keeper..kinda like..a jailkeeper for dead souls in limbo. those critters are the bountyhunters that get escapees. translocate them..one by the Andal gate. one out between the giants. and the other three anywhere in the horde. they'll do the rest."
Then to Sevilin..oh he knew that tone. they my payment just quadrupled tone. son of a b***h..but nevermind that right now.
"Once Sevilin is done, send that out with all the shadowed pets, and the Breakers once they get re-equipped from Tremor and Broog. Archers need reequiped, get them high now and quickly. I want all coq dragons on the walls. Send out the golems as well."
Then a small grin.
"Now...who here wants to go play for a bit...once they've been cowwed down, we'll see if they want to negotiate survival for services rendered..."
Until what happened...and then Tanundra. A narrowing of his eyes as the dragon was ripped apart.
"Get Meilikki. Now. everyone head to her first."
The last time somethign like that happened on Norrath it had been when the Gods, angry at mortal arrogance...they had pulled thier influences from the world for the invasion of thier planes. which had given raise to some nasty backlashes...but for sure, the only thing that coudl destroy Tanundra was removing teh influence of the Earth Mother from the plane. and he started to head to Meilikki, dragging roake with him.
Onyx just shook his head lightly.
"Aella needs my help...need to hunt Omega..dimitri's daughter..she likes pain."
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Fractured Moonlight Captain
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Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 9:25 pm
Now when noise is imminent, and the noises of battle ring between ears suddenly stop...one had to freeze themselves and give pause. Eerie silence was never an indicator of things to come or about to happen. And of course spiked those paranoid responses. How can it all go quiet at once, unless something out of thier hands had commenced...and obviously this was one of those times. Though Piper was broken of that seemingly eerie peaceful trance by the scream that tore through her ears, followed by the louder agony that was a dragon's scream as well. "Meilikki!" She pivoted on her boot heel, taking off like a shot and up the stairs, ears telling here where she needed to be, only to find Meilikki at a window, watching the destruction of her dragon, which was indeed a sight to see...such mighty a creature to fall. "Meilikki?" Indeed, this was a sight...wounds reopened...and her eyes clear of thier usual fog. "Meilikki?" Though it didn't take too much to recognize shock in a human and Piper quickly scooped the woman up in her arms. Well what did you do in a situation like this? "I'm sorry Meilikki..." What else was there to say? Piper felt tears p***k at her own eyes at that sight of her. Meilikki had lost Tanundra...and it didn't take too much to know how close they were. Though now wasn't the time to fall apart and thus Piper turned off her own emotions for the moment, taking Meilikki back to her room, lying her down in bed, before sitting on the bed edge herself, holding Meilikki's hand. Something had indeed gone very wrong.
Sevilin stopped what he was doing, and looked around a moment at that quiet that swept across the place it seemed, as if something had dropped a blanket of silence over things. His look went to those in his company, but then that all shattered with a high pitched scream and the sounds of a great beast coming to it's end.
A Malik's mention of Meilikki, whomever that was, the oracle or something like that he believe he had heard, he didn't move to that little issue of command. He knew something was...different...but not what. Perhaps if he had believed that Lloth had her clutches on him tighter, he would of recognized the slip inside of himself.
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Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 9:27 pm
Warhammer herd every word of the Earth Mother's farewell, more clearly than any other cleric. His love for her was as deep as the darkess abyss, and as gentle as a warm summer breeze. His heart shattered when her song vanished from his mind. Someone had taken away the most precious thing he had, his beloved goddess.
His eyes felt heavy, his arms grew weak, he felt his heart slow to a pause. His eyes became wet with tears, probably for the first time in his entire life. She was gone, his people were doomed. He was powerless to help them.
Warhammer tried to stand, he had been praying for the safety of the villagers and the peasents from the rampaging of the orcish horde when the news came to him, from her mouth, but he could not muster the strength. His limbs were as lifeless as a corpse. "My Mother..." He managed to mumble in common before he reverted back to his native tongue, which sounded like the mindless grunts of a bulvin.
Tames waldled over to the bull, and looked at him, rather confused. He was disconnected to politics, and did not understand what was going on, but he did like Warhammer. He was a cuddly grade A steak. He cooed to try and consul him, but he really could only stand beside the large creature and stare. He was a kobold after all, and little knowledge or interest in things of this nature. Death was an every day occurance in a race that could bread from the age of a week or two.
In another part of the Labyrinth in which this adventure took place, a rather violent revolution was breaking out in a rather ancient, by human standards, Drow kingdom. The Empress was killed, and now many of the high ranking priestesses were fighting over her position, or breaking off into their own kingdoms. Many were killed by their sons, or generals, simply because they had treated them so poorly. The army broke down, and returned to their homes. The legions disbanded, abandoned by their commanders and high ranking officers. The mages returned to their sanctuary in Domina Arcana, where they reafirmed their loyalty to each other, and no political entity until one could be decided to reign supreme. Not that they would not sell themselves to the highest bidder.
Uthegentle felt a sudden freedom he had not known for a very, very long time. He felt like, he could move around.
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Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 10:12 pm
Jarlaxle leaned against a wall, rubbing his smooth chin. Decissions needed to be made, and he was willing to procrastinate until Tarathiel returned. His wizards told him about the news in Dominia, which made the general feel very odd. He was happy that Lloth was dead, but unhappy about how he was going to have to return their with his body guards, including the very valuable wyverns he had recently picked up. Loathing the fact that he was probably going to have to surve Triel or Breza in the old reigning house. Maybe he could convince Kimmuriel to go in his place.
Speak of the Devil, Kimmuriel waltz into the makeshift command centre as the general was pondering. "Fie." Greeted the general.
"Fie? Bad stuff happened. I am vaguely aware, Ad'non told me he was contacted by Arcana. Apparently, home is in ruins." He smiled earnestly.
"Lloth really is dead. Does that mean you get all her stuff?" The general chided.
"I guess that does." Tara replied.
"Should we go conquer?" Asked Jarlaxle.
"Nah, but now that I am no longer employed as a scout, we can go west."
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