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 Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 10:43 pm
Stoneshaper blinked, the Earth Mother was gone, but his powers had not vanished. As he suspected, he was a manifestation of Terra, not a prophet of the Earth Mother. He rubbed his bald head for a moment before turning to reguard Rydia, who had become very quiet. He narrowed his eyes, this might not be good.
Rydia was shocked. Her brain seemed to be overloading with informaiton, knowledge of her old life seeped into her brian. She turned her face to reguard Stoneshaper, the man she treated as her father, but suddenly felt very distant. She could not place a name to his face, nor could she remember how she got to this ship, or why she was there. She looked about the vessel, and could not find anyone she recognized. She fell to her knees, and looked befuddled.
Celeste approached her, and knelt beside the woman who seemed to be going crazy. "Rydia, are feeling ok?"
Rydia turned her face towards Celeste, and imagined a black sking taking over her features, the elf's hair turned white, the eyes a lavender-red. "Drow... attacked..." She paused, her memory fuzed out, and the artificial ones began to resurface, but they were damaged, or lacked clairty. They seemed fake, superficial, very unreal. "Echlon's staff... its almost ready." She seemed to be living in another time.
Stoneshaper looked at the woman with growing concern, he thought wizardry was used to re-write her. He was certainly puzzled by this turn of events, how would Rydia act if she regained everything, how would she act if she regained everything, and remembered what came next. How was Stoneshaper himself supposed to deal with this? The druid cursed silently in the dark, pondering over his poor fortune.
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Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 10:54 pm
Zallikite dropped to his knees when he felt the tremor that was the death of the Earth Mother. Though he did not draw his power from her specifically, he was connected to all the dieties simply through being connected to the mana stream that powered their clerics. He felt a surge of energy materialize within himself, and he forced out a summon, one for which he did not know the name. the creature pulled the mana together to form into a very gentle looking woman, a nymph or a sylph perhaps, which generated a soft glowing effect. The glow seemed to revitalize Zallikite's energy.
Talon looked at the summoner with a bit of a surprised expression. The drow was oblivious to what just happened, or he merely did not pay attention. "What is that?"
"I guess this is Sylph." Replied the summoner. "Sylph is a healing summon, I think."
"Why do you not know?" Talon asked as he approached the summoner.
"This is how I learned all my summons, I simply summoned them when the engergy appeared within me." Zallikite informed Talon.
"How haphazzard. So you have no control over what you can and cannot summon."
"No, I guess I do not." Zallikite replied.
"That means you are a terrible wizard, or a very clumbsy cleric."
"I'm neither. I am a summoner." Zallikite smiled, he looked up at the sylvan woman who seemed to float above the ground, she must have been about six feet tall, and very skinny. She wore what looked like vines drapped about her body, covering the necessary areas more proficinetly than others. Her skin was an off green, as was her hair a mixture of that green and brown. Her eyes were blue, oddly, and very deep with sorrow. She was rather beautiful for a summon. Zallikite turned his head towards Talon, "I will not summon her as a toy for you." He said before the three-quarter drow could say something, or even think it.
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Posted: Tue May 30, 2006 8:56 am
Aella wandered almost aimlessly down across the ship to where she knew Warhammer sat praying. Although she knew that when she got there he would not be again. Her staff was in her hand, lifeless, the happy bells silent and unmoving. She found the minotar, didn't bother to speak. She threw the staff to the ground, joining Warhammer in his silent lament. She felt as useless as her staff.
Moonstone patted his brother's forhead. "Right. Sure Onyx. Tell ya what, I'm going to give you a little something that's going to make you very sleepy. It's okay to go ahead and sleep." He went into his office, carrying back with him a little vile. He upended it in Onyx's mouth, and made sure that he swallowed it.
She heard a voice calling her, vaugly, from some corner of her mind. The sound registered, the words did not. "Tanundra...." Then she felt herself being picked up, being taken away. "Tanundra!" All other speech seemed to fail her now. That same empty stillness she had felt as the Lich blocked her from her goddess rushed in now. No...it wasn't....her hand sqeezed almost painfully around Pipers, the other came up to fist in her own hair as sobs racked through her aching chest, chocking on her own tears.
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Posted: Tue May 30, 2006 2:45 pm
Onyx drank what his brother gave him, not that he had much choice, and fell soon into dark dreams and deep slumber. though in one hand formed a wisp, and it's shot out to seek what it needed to seek, Aella.
Malik noticed the Oracle's distress, and pushed Roarke over to her. Piper got a look that said he was about to do something potential stupid or blatantly disrespectful...but for a good cause.
"Necromancers. Find Tanundra's spirit. and Alaran's, if they had them. I want thier souls, I don't care how you have to find them, I don't care what methods are needed or sacrifices to make. I want those two souls."
His gaze turned to Meilikki, he knew that look. he'd seen it before, in another time, and another place. and he saw the color of Meilikki's eyes.
"The Earth Mother has faded. but not by herself. Civil War has broken out in Dominia. the souls of dead Drow are flooding the ether. Lloth has faded as well."
His voice was quiet, and rather calm.
"This leaves a vacuum in the powers here. One that I may be able to help..But it will require time, and faith. But first. I want you to come down to the lower levels with me, and if we find the souls of Tanundra and Alaran, you can select new bodies for thier spirits."
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Fractured Moonlight Captain
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Posted: Tue May 30, 2006 3:27 pm
This was painful to watch indeed. "Shhh Meilikki..." The phrase 'it's alright' was not the right choice of words here because it indeed wasn't alright. Her hadn squeezed back at Meilikki's while the other one grabbed hold of her other hand, pulling it from the woman's hair. Yeah that wasn't going to help, thus holding Meilikki by both hands as she cried. Though triple colored eyes turned dangerously on Malik. "You would do that wouldn't you? You can't leave well enough alone when they reach thier worst." Regardless of whether he meant well or not, and she wasn't trying to be mean, she was just...overly sensitive right now. She shook her head lightly, listening to him despite how she may feel. "So now we're in a plane where all but one god has faded." Was that akin to being screwed? Though seemed Malik was already scheming...to which she fronwed and turned on all in the room with her. "Get out! All of you just get out!" And whomever didn't go willingly, she more or less pushed out the door. "Keely!" Before slamming it shut on those she had pushed out.
And of course Keely was quick to come when called, making her way upstairs and pushing past Malik and others, opening the door and slipping in. Of course a few more minutes later she would come out, go downstairs, spend a few minutes down there then come right back up again and slip into the room.
Piper would comeout about twenty minutes later, pulling the door closed softly behind her after giving Meilikki, with reassurance of what she was doing being harmless, something to relax her and would probably put her to sleep. Keely was left to stay in that room with Meilikki, to watch over her and tend to newly opened wounds. With a sigh Piper leaned against the door in the hallway, looking at the floor."No one goes in there without my explicit permisson..."
Sevilin still stood downstairs, not caring to be involved with the goings ons upstairs. He just knew that something was horribly off. He shook his head, checking over himself some...little cleric wasn't too bad at her job at all. He'd be sore for a good few days, probably stiff, but he'd work with that. Better than being merely patched and left to heal over days, maybe even weeks. Though he was still drained really.
His thoughts turned breifly to Zahara, puzzlement taking over. Indeed, as Malik had said she had probably put herself to the point of almost ripping herself apart. God like powers within mortal plane bound bodies was quite a task in itself. Not one he liked to witness from anyone but she had done it. That hadn't been what he meant by help...invoking a goddess was a bit exttreme...though all in all, it had helped in the end, and the idea had been clever. Okay, he'd admit...he was concerned about her...
Of course his mind tried to rationalize a bit. He was concenred about her because she had indeed helped him and he more or less would probably be dead right now and his soul stuffed in a sword. Yeah that sounded right. He'd have to thank her.
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Posted: Tue May 30, 2006 3:47 pm
Malik only narrowed his eyes back, and when she threw everyone out, basically...he was quite calm about it. Thoughhis orders stood. he wanted those souls, and he would find new bodies for Tanundra and Alaran. Then he turned on his heel, and didn't say a word to Piper, and went down stairs, passing by Sevilin with nothing to say to him either, before walking out to Nightmare, saddling her up and jumping on her back..and a fit fo darkness both he and the horse were gone.
Finding Kimmuriel was easy if one knew how to go about it. Find the most chaotic place that wasn't highly dangerous to himself, and that's where Kimmuriel was likely to be. and that's where Malik showed up, nevermind the numerous alarms that he probably tripped in the process.
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Posted: Tue May 30, 2006 3:54 pm
It didn't take very long to reach the base of the rock face that was closest to Malik's Triumverate Fortress, where the Drow Captain was casusually leaning against a rock, more or less paying attention to the comings and goings of the nearby dark.
A flaming horse that could fly was quite noticable. The drow waited until the flaming horse and rider were within ear shot, when he causually said, "Hello."
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Posted: Tue May 30, 2006 4:06 pm
Piper sighed, and drew in a breath, holding it a moment before letting it out. She knew better than to yell at him like that, but sometimes she just couldn't handle his instant plotting. But more or less she ignored anyone close and headed off down the hall...and to Kieran's room, knocking lightly on the door. "Father?"
Kieran looked up from inspecting his arm and set Raziel off his knee and to the bedside table, wrapping his arm back up and walked over to the door, opening it at the knock and calling. Only to see Piper, with that same look she seemed to have all those years ago. Though this time he knew that look of hopeless despiration wasn't from wanting to get away this time. "Pip..." He reached out his arm, lacing it around her shoulders and pulled her into his room, and into a hug as well. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Don't cry."
She was merely clung to the front of his tunic, her face buried in the fabic even as she took deep breaths to keep tears at bay. She may want to, but now wasn't the time, nor did she want it to project on Malik. A few mumbled words into his tunic, which only caused her to look up at hearing a chuckle from him in response to her words.
"Becuase, it's not supposed to get any easier. You're grown up now...it's to be expected. Things change, and it may not seem like it's okay now, but it will be, eventually. And Malik won't stay mad at you forever." Uncanny how father's could pick up muffled words wasn't it?
Sevilin merely watched Malik pass. Well someone wasn't happy now was he? Well at least he wasn't taking it out on anyone...because frankly if Sevilin had been the one to get chosen for that, his day would of gotten worse. But with Malik's passing he made his way to the kitchen, getting himself something to eat. After all, what better way to boost your energy back up...though he could see a long reverie on the horizon. Pity they were never good ones.
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Fractured Moonlight Captain
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Posted: Tue May 30, 2006 4:11 pm
"You and I need to talk, Kimmuriel."
Not one bit of emotion in his voice, dismounting without much of a sound, either. no armor, just Malvolence.
"And we can skip the pleasentries and doubletalk. You did something, as usual, rashly. you setup what happened, I know you well enough to know that. the only beings that had the kind of power to make that kind of influence were Dimitri and maybe Roarke."
"So Now the Earth Mother has faded from this plane, and so has Lloth. and you, most likely, did not forsee all the reactions. Other than clerical power, what other being was contained by Lloth's will? And before you ask how I know that, it's because several of your slain brethren are terrified of him, and the prospect that you set into motion."
"Alaran and Tanundra are gone. the Oracle has lost her Sight. and, I am to assume, you either destroyed the Phylactery of Dimitri..he got away..or, you have it in your possession. So which of the three is it? and where is Jaraxle? I'm sure he's around here somewhere still plotting on my employed Rune Mage."
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Posted: Tue May 30, 2006 4:17 pm
"General Jarlaxle was offered a job by the Mages' Guild in Dominia. He left a few minutes ago." A bored tone sounded in the dark.
"Uthegentel is now free. He will probably wonder around the dark, aimlessly destorying what ever he comes across."
"Dimitri is dead."
Tarathiel shrugged. "I guess you could say that I fufilled Lloth's greatest desire."
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Posted: Tue May 30, 2006 4:25 pm
"Ever stop to think, Kimmuriel, that he'd be most pissed off at certain family members? Like you perhaps? the Son of Lloth? the b***h that kept him imprisoned?"
Crossing his arms lightly.
"And, your actions probably crippled Warhammer and Aella. what will you do with them? Toss them into the ocean now? or Meilikki. the human woman that you show such a great affection for. now without her Sight, is she still worth anything to you? and just think. Sister dear has no power to bring against you to stop you from doing what you may wish to."
A slight frown.
"But, more than likely, this was as usual your own need to inflate your own legend as Chaos' Son. Similar to you bringing an entire army apparently to goad me into a duel with you. I will say you are as devious as any Drow. but they at least took time to plan everything, to see the outcomes of all thier actions. That's a difference between me and you. You seek glory. I had mine, and don't need it anymore."
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Posted: Tue May 30, 2006 4:40 pm
"Glory? What the ******** would I need glory for?" Kimmuriel said with a rather detached tone. "If glory was truly important to me, why did I abandon my station at the head of several legions of terror? Why would I chose to come to a backwater place like this, and meddle in the affairs of humans?" His lavender eyes scaned the horizon.
"You still do not see the big picture, do you elf? A little distracted by the dots to see the image..."
"And now that my apparent quest for glory is over, what ever am I to do?"
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Posted: Tue May 30, 2006 5:04 pm
"Your glory is different, Kimmuriel."
Leaning on the stone now.
"You're glory is the causing of chaos. it is being the wild card, the unpredictable legendary pirate. It is pulling strings, and yet not. setting the stage and enjoying as others do what you want them to do becuase it is in thier best interest to do so. You're glory is one of puppetering. You use Jiscal to give you safe haven in Deepwater without having mommy come calling. the same with arranging honoursfield to be aligned to Deepwater which is bound to you."
"You pride that your crew of willing slaves, who serve without any hesitation becuase they protect what they love, while doing things to others that is as bad as you may have done to them. Like with myself. You knew that by placing the cards on the table, that I could do your work, and test Dimitri's skill. I do what you need done, and you didn't have to lie or cheat or blackmail. That's your Glory. Jaraxle's Glory is being the most deadly fighter. that's his grail. hence his dislike of Sevilin innately for a younger being able to match an older."
A slight chuckle.
"Now, without Lloth, Dominia is in civil war. the empire will spilt into factions, and you will get your new glory by playing the peices of a shattered empire and recreate it, without any of them doing anything contrary to thier own needs. Or, perhaps, by letting Deepwater try her hand at dominance. or maybe you'll see if you can pull off a trick and place me in the head of some inner faction. Just to see if you can."
"And now the Death Knight is free. a new King is on the board. but the Queen is not the death knight. the Queen is someone I recently learned about with Malvolence's help. Dimitri's hier apparent."
A small grin.
"Lots to think on, more to plan, and only so much time. wheels are turning, events set into motion even now that neither of us can stop. So what will be the next great adventure of the legendary pirate Tarathiel? His next grand chess game. My former glory was killing for kingdom and god. to be a powerful soldier in a feared army. to see the blood of my enemies and some of my own allies shed. But now...those days are gone. The old soldier that can still hold his own, but finds his attentions drawn more to securing the future of his House."
A slight frown.
"So what now, Kimmuriel? Are you and I going to be enemies, since there is no longer a looming threat over all our heads? Am I going to have to watch and wait for your shadow to come calling?"
Drawing Mavlolence, lighting caressing over the blade with his fingers.
"Maybe I'm wrong. wouldn't be the first time I looked at things too closely. tried to find the reasons hidden, when there aren't any. But lets say I'm wrong, and I'm just missing the big picture. Would you enlighten me? or am I going to just have to wait until you drop it on my doorstep with an army behind it?"
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Posted: Tue May 30, 2006 5:32 pm
"What do you want?" Kimmuriel asked plainly. He did not feel obliged to argue with Malik, nor tell him where he understood the lie. Malevolence grows more powerful each day, doesn't it. The drow was still leaning against the wall, his cloak was covering his body. One could assume what he was wearing underneath matched the equipment he carried earlier, but that was a gamble.
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Posted: Tue May 30, 2006 6:10 pm
"Very simple. Access. to the halls of power in Deepwater and Honoursfield. and..to any splintering factions in Dominia that may need a slave trade...at least until Piper finds me an alternative like I know she's trying to. and weapons trades if you can find any in Domina. might as well profit from the unrest. connections. alliances. I'll share profit and information, in return for access and information. a very simple deal."
A slight smile, caressing Malvolence.
"The Oracle is still at home, but Piper has bared anyone from seeing her without permission. the lose of both gift and Sight has put her in a very nasty state of shock. But I woudl not be beyond allowing you rights to see her as a concerned lover, perhaps."
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