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 Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 3:29 am
Kal felt a little ignored. He'd asked for some sign of where some food or drink was and he'd gotten absolutely no response from the squirrel. He turned his back from the shrine as he mentally cursed the self focused rodent and Brurag who was able to get the squirrel's attention, while Kal still waited on his answer. He searched the red fog curiosly, examining the place around them with intense detail since he could only see so far as it was covered in the fog.
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Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2010 1:21 pm
Selce sat down against a tree, her quarterstaff laid across her legs within easy reach. She got comfortable and slowly took in the world around her, relaxing her mind open to this unusual place.
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Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2010 4:56 am
"Sounds good to me." Brurag said proudly as he made his way over to one of the trees close to the odd shrine. He made sure he didn't accidentally step on any squirrels on the way, although they all seemed to scatter when he got close anyways.
Looking up and down an impressive oak tree, he nodded in approval, turning around and sitting crosslegged, his back leaning against its trunk.
He closed his eyes and began to try and sleep. Despite the constant squeaks the squirrels made he found that he was somewhat tired from the journey, and had not been able to sleep soundly since before he was captured and brought to Haven. Letting his exhaustion get the best of him, he eventually fell asleep, his hands fallen at his sides and his axe laying across his lap.
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Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2010 6:31 am
Kal's belly growled as he studied the surroundings. He looked down at his stomache and then back at the squirrels. He knelt down slowly, trying to get closer to them. "Do any of you know where I could get some food?" he asked the squirrels, hoping they might answer in a way he could understand.
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Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2010 9:09 am
Before Erron had quite fallen asleep he mumbled loud enough for Kal to hear "Your part of the ration is still in your pack..." He then began to lightly snore
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Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2010 10:55 am
Kal heard Erron's voice and made his way into his pack, rummagging through it for the nutrients. He dug out some bread and began to eat at it, filling his stomache before resting. He laid down in some brush and fell asleep.
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Posted: Sat May 01, 2010 12:18 pm
As Erron slipped between the spirit world and the dream world of his own mind he temporarily stepped into his own shoes two years ago, he was back in the dojo, empty but for him and his time worn master Gerrou:
Gerrou's voice was marked by his age, rough and soft"Erron, you have been with this school for many many years...to put it simply: When do you see yourself Leaving?"
Erron blinked, caught unaware by the directness of the question "What....do you mean master? I am a student of the school and nothing more, I have no family, I have no home other than the school.
Gerrou breathed deeply before he stood. "Fight with me here, and I will show you why you must go.
The young monk stood, walked to his master and bowed, then began a dance of fists and feet, for every move the elder gentleman threw Erron had been taught a method of evasion or counter and every attack he himself threw came a hair's breadth from striking the old man. A Low kick was met with a quick jump, a punch was met with a twist to the opposite direction, this continued for well over an hour.
"Now Is not the time for games minnow! Stop holding back or I WILL KILL YOU!" Rumbled the master as wisps of chi began distorting the air around the two of them and launched into a whirlwind of strikes charged with chi energy, with no way to evade the salvo Erron finally struck seriously aiming to matching punch for punch his master until both of their knuckles were bruised and bloodied, and neither of them had energy left to even stand, they collapsed beside each other seconds seemed like minutes and minutes seemed like hours
"That....is why you cannot stay here Erron, a student cannot be at the same level as his teacher, unless he intends to take over the dojo, you must either challenge me for the position of master and make the school your own, or you must leave." Gerrou's smiling face faded from Erron's view as he slipped from his own mind and into the spiritual realm.
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Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 12:11 pm
Selce sighed deeply as her eye's focused upon each distraction around her. First the squirrels she blocked them from her mind, small points of blackness growing to blot them from her mind, next the trees, huge and strong, then the grass, each object turning dark and empty in her mind as she seeked a sense of relaxation. Finally the avatar, and each of her friends slowly before finally her mind's eye was blank and completly devoid of distractions. In such a sense of peace she laid back and was soon asleep her mind untroubbled.
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Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 9:04 am
As he floated in the ether Erron looked back in his mind, it was rather fortuitous that soon after he had the match with his master, he had received that letter, it had come from an old friend he had when he was still with his family, she had written that the town had fallen upon hard times and bandits were habitually terrorizing the people and occasionally murdering citizens in the streets for petty things. She had urged him to come back and help the town, saying that she was leaving for a safer village and that she would wait to hear from him. Then he had been snatched and imprisoned as he made his way back home.
He would have contact her soon.
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Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 3:57 am
Kal floated back to his past in the realm of his subconcious. He began to see the old man. Dwarvish appearance and a cane, Two feet in height, only slightly shorter than Kal. Kal looked up to him... he was his 'father', thier 'father'. This is my family, was all he could think as he looked left and right, turning his head to see the other Halflings, anywhere from age 10- age 25. This was the family of orphans and runaways, and Father was thier mentor, teacher, and guide. He felt the black cloak, his physical hand back in the earthly realm corresponding to the thought by lightly gripping the cloak. Father had given it to him special. He had surrpassed most of the thieves there, though Father could outwit him on occassion. He knew that he was getting old and Father's words were beginning to repeat. He'd heard all the tales, the stories of teaching. He'd gone every pathway in the small human settlement that they called home.
He saw Father's left hand, the right one preoccuppied with the cane, signal for Kal to come walk with him. He nodded and followed the command, stepping up beside Father and walking with him to Father's room. Kal's concious mind knew where this was going, but disconnected from reality in his dream realm, he let it play out. Father's face turned to Kal, his old blue eyes piercing into Kal's. The only thing sharper than Father's tongue at times, was his eyes. They always seemed more dangerous than his blade, though Kal couldn't conjure that same fear in people, no matter how much he tried. Father then began to speak.
'Son, you realize as much as I do... your time left with us is drawing short. You're getting older, as am I. My boney hand has withered with age and with that age, comes delay. I can't control my weary body to the expertise of my younger self...," he said, beginning to lower his gaze to the ground before him. He was reflecting to try and make this conversation a little easier for both of them. He continued, "You know my tricks, though some of them catch you off guard occassionally. You've even created some and taught them to me and the novice beginners. We've been learning from each other, but it's time for me to get a new apprentice, and you a new group of associates,' he explained with a softer voice as they came closer to the room.
Kal walked, understanding, but still reluctant to leave his home. He stayed silent and absorbed it all. "But Father... as much as I understand... I don't wish to leave. Not you in your condition, nor the brothers, they aren't ready for me to leave," he spoke, merely throwing his love for the place into excuses to stay. He decieved himself to believe that he wasn't staying because he cared, he was staying because they needed him there.
Father stopped and turned to Kal, stopping in his tracks, 5-7 feet from the door. 'Don't believe for one second that you're fooling me, Kal. Or you're lying to yourself. I'm not feeble. You've grown stronger and match me though. You know my tricks. I can live without you, as can they,' Father took a moment of silence. Severing this bond was going to hurt Kal, and he knew this, but it needed to happen. 'Kal, you aren't as needed as you believe. You need to leave. I'll let you rest in your bed tonight, but you are not welcome here tomorrow night. I'll give you til the evening sky shines to get out of this town. Then I'll use contacts to find and kill you. Is that understood?" he asked, his eyes turning cold and sharp.
Kal felt the chill, the fear instilled by the truth in those words. He nodded, unable to look Father in the eyes. He had to leave tomorrow, no excuses, no goodbyes, nothing special. "Y-yes Father," he spoke softly in response. He felt Father's cane on the bottom of his chin, lifting his head to force his eyes into Father's. He gazed into the old man's eyes, finally seeing not into, but through the eyes. There was a warmth. Father wanted the best for him, this was something that had to be done. He may not have been needed, but needed and wanted were two different things.
Here, it all faded back to black as he slipped from his past into nothingness.
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Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 7:38 am
Laren flapped her strong wings and soared through the Dream Realm, arriving at the ruins Kernell had spoken of. It was within these unusual carved areas that she discovered an enormous tree that was dying from the roots upwards.
"By the Earth-Mother..."
She muttered to herself in awe of such a disturbing spectacle. With a tender touch, she placed her palm upon the trunk of the dying tree. Suddenly a rush of images and memories flooded through her mind.
The Destroyer.
The Plagues of Undeath.
The salvaging of the land.
The rebirth.
The second coming of the Destroyer.
Laren was unsure if these were all memories of the past or things to come, but immediately lifted off the ground and began flying back to Kernell's shrine.
In minutes, she arrived, touching down in front of the Herald's astral form. His squirrel-like eyes shined brightly for a moment then she could feel herself being stretched apart as Zeus was pulled from her soul and returned to his natural state.
The fade of the realm disappeared and she stood in the shrine's safety once again.
"Kernell. Who is the Destroyer?"
"Serahk... A dragon of undeniable power. He and his rotten ilk once attempted to enslave all life on Atur. It was his foolishness that brought about the first Plague of Undeath. Mortal champions had nearly defeated his forces and infiltrated his lair with the aid of divine heralds, such as myself. They enclosed around the dragon when he chose to send the entire world into peril by unleashing the Plague of Undeath. It cost the dragon his life, but he slaughtered all those who opposed him and ensured that chaos would reign supreme for decades to come."
"I saw him... Kernell, I saw him again, not as some skeletal horror that would be brought back from necromancy, but him in his full fury... Returned to torment the world."
"This does not bode well... I will wake your companions.
With a thrust of his staff to the air, the gem on its head gleamed and dispelled the magical potency surrounding the area. The rest of the party began to stir.
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Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 10:49 am
Having been floating in the dream realm slowly it was a sudden shock to feel the unseen support holding Erron up in what would pass for empty space drop out from under him and send him plummeting at an immeasurable speed down before suddenly stopping and realizing he was fully awakened and refreshed.
"So, what did you see Laren?" Erron probed a bit groggily having been nearly made a pancake in his dream.
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Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 7:02 am
Tjaden had been wandering about the immediate area, poking his nose here and there. All he found were squirrels...lots of squirrels. When he noted his companions awakening, he made his way back.
He listened to Laren's horrified warning of Serajk's return and wondered just how far this new taint on the world would go.
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Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 11:52 am
Kal from his state of dreaming heard a calling, like a ringing in the air, and closed his eyes to awaken recharged in the real world. He stood up, listening to the activity around him as he packed everything up.
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Posted: Fri May 28, 2010 2:47 pm
Laren recounted her tale to the group, leaving out no detail.
The Herald nodded as she finished.
"She speaks the truth, mortals. A deep corruption is beginning to spread throughout the land and the Destroyer may find a way to manifest himself once more within a draconic vessel."
The squirrel avatar ran a hand across his eyes and sighed.
"You must take action. Laren, you must go and inform the other elves of the imminent danger that is the Destroyer's will. Hopefully it will distract them from their conflict with the dwarves. The rest of you must travel to the dwarven kingdom and speak with their High King. Hopefully he will listen to reason and know that these attacks with the elves must end, lest their defenses be weakened in the turmoil to come. Go now, adventurers and save the realm."
With that, the avatar returned to the pose the group originally found him in and his body turned to stone.
All party members are now rested and capable of traveling once more.
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