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Fairalin comforts Kryschenn some more over Kryschenn's discovery that she's a berserker. Eric and Diana discuss what they're going to do next in an excellent post that summs up the current Yarfell castle situation. *g*
Bubbles reacted strangely to the death of the soldiers, feeling both horrified and somehow replenished. Her mirror is behaving equally strangely.
The "performers" left for Venger's castle, and should reach it in aboutan hour of game time. The wards that surround the fortress that alert Venger to intruders extend about half the distance, so they should be intercepted by various hired guards soon. They plan to distract Vengerwhile the other gang sneaks in. Keith watches from his cell. Kimmy writes hysterically bad poetry concerning Venger's nose (or lacktherof).
The 'backup crew' is heading for a ruined tower, where they will wait for cover of darkness and a message from either Iris (telepathic) or Sheila. Night Steel has found a mysterious crystal and took it with him.
A newcomer has joined the Macula quest (is she one of you or a newcomer to COP?....no email addy posted by her name), named Abagail Christian. She is human with powers as yet unknown.
Zak filled in the 'swamp gang' on the Yarfallian goings-on and received
a gentle scolding from them for letting the Yarfall group get into so much
trouble. Some significant ideas raised here: Venger is setting
a trap for those going to his fortress, using Ingeld as bait. His
army of orcs, which in Sterling's past encounters has numbered 10,000,
may be as little as 3-4 days march from Yarfell. Either the Yarfellians
must stop the army themselves, or they must get the staff in time to raise
the Guardian to defend the city. Garulf (the wizard that the Swamp
Group seeks) may have the key to the second staff that they seek (the Wand
of Wonder), or he might be the one that can actually put the Guardian Staff
of Yarfell together and use it properly. ((Take time out to read
Sterlings' and Ashleyein's posts on the matter, they're really good...under
the subject thread "Ouch!" *lol*))
Later! (Might not be on tomorrow, have a great weekend)
Zak
It wasn't a busy weekend on the COP, but here's the news....
Zak is still chatting with the swamp gang, who convince her to tone down her sparkle a bit so as not to draw the attention of every monster in the swamp. She decides to accompany them until they camp for the night. They're debating what to do with the bat they captured.
Eric and Diana continue to discuss their problems, and Eric shoos the gang from the throne room so that the Princess can consult with her nobles and choose a new High Council. Presto is still playing Sherlock Holmes in the corridors. The Princess, after a pep talk from DM, has just begun to choose her new advisors when news reaches her of the slaughter at Lord Droth's mansion, and the sighting of Kryschenn and Fairalin in the vicinity (Krys covered in blood). The Princess orders ALL of the Outworlders arrested, making it clear to everyone that she's had a change of heart about them. Inwardly, she is planning this as part of a new ploy to convince Venger his scheme has worked, and in the meantime she wants to send the Outworlders on a new quest to find the lost Staff pieces under the city.
Fairalin continues to comfort Kryschenn, eventually convincing her to leave the scene of the slaughter.
Cassandra has openly accused Tanaka of being a killer, but he's either biding his time or not taking her seriously. Their conversation over, they've left the throne room along with Zeo...(don't know where they have gone but they will soon be facing arrest. *eg*)
Rose has questioned the ladies who are accompanying her to V's castle in the guise of performers: What do you plan to do as a performance to distract Venger? Kimmy plans to entertain Venger with her tambourine, sock puppets and bad poetry, while Iris has a cache of songs he'd like.
The guys are exploring the ruins and headed for a ruined tower.
Cole's starting to get paranoid and is urging them to move faster.
And that's the news...
Zak
En Route to Venger's Castle:
Evil Overlord tried to help Bubbles after her actions caused the deaths
of the two guards, and found that the bodies were now no more than dust.
She ponders the meaning and also what SHE is going to do to entertain Venger.
Also, for those who hasn't seen it, EO has reverted from FruFru beast form
back to her girl form. Bubbles has changed her garb, and is preparing to
entertain Venger with her dancing.
IN Venger's Castle:
Tommy is brought before Venger! Venger questions him for awhile,
assuming that he is Tanaka, then orders him tossed into the dungeon (or
rather, a tower). But first, Venger casts a spell on Tommy that has
an unspecified effect- possible a transformation of some sort. Tommy
fights heroically with the guards but is subdued by "someone impolitely
hitting him over the head with the Sears Tower." *LOL*
In the Black Hills:
Night Steel ponders the Eye, while Cole tells him to get a move on
to the ruins. On their way, Cole is suddenly attacked- a psionic
attack that he cannot trace. The guys reach the ruined tower, search
the place, and prepare to wait for news from the girls.
In Macula:
Sunny Hentai awoke and went out to greet Kayla and the newcomer, Abagail.
She has an enthusiastic admirer named Mathew who is apparently smitten
with her, dispite her barring him from her room the previous night after
he'd gotten too fresh. Abagail is a young woman with gloves that
appear to lend her great strength. She is not an Outworlder but is
instead on an unspecified quest of her own.
In Yarfell:
Kryschenn has been arrested! Lord Tolan has returned to the Council
with news that Venger's army is only a 3-day march away from invasion.
(I guess we should assume that Venger's Fortress near the Black Hills is
approximately a 5-day march from Yarfell.) Orders are to arrest all
the outworlders. (The outworlders are, of course, free to fight...)
In the Swamp:
The gang is trudging along, wishing they had (1) a map and (2) two
pairs of working eyes with nightvision (Sterling's still blinded). They
decided to simply release the bat that Dan had captured, thinking it could
do them no more harm. Dan returned Zak's portal with an apology for
having ripped it out of her book. Zak seems reluctant to leave
as she'd planned and is rapidly growing more frightened as the evening
progresses.
The notes Kimmy pilfered from Zak's book are available in the "interesting architecture" post. I had a lot of fun drawing up plans and I hope you like them! Remember, of course, that your character has not seen the place before (unless Kimmy shows them to you)....these are merely to help you visualize the place when you're awlking thru it.
And I'm aware that nobody would build a fortress like that....I just wanted to keep it fun and simple with lots of hiding places. *lol*
Today, on Circle of Power....
Night Steel bonds with Bobby, comparing the strength of their bashin'
clubs on innocent rocks. Cole, meanwhile, is trying to figure out
what happened here. He's discovered someone's personal items, including
a diary depicting the fleet of dragons, and various drawings of a woman,
and is looking for a translator. (Garrett.....what are you up to....???)
Meanwhile, guards have nabbed the roller-skatin' Sailor Zeo and are
preparing to grab Cassandra, dispite protests from Lord Tolan that the
Outworlders might be innocent. Fairalin and Tanaka remain at large,
and Kryschenn has been sent to the Wizard Echlar for interrogation.
Fairalin intends to free everyone once they're all in together. Cassandra
seems determined to lose her tongue first. :)
The swamp group have located the Wall of Fog, where they believe Garulf is imprisoned. They decide to camp for the night soon, so as to rest and heal. In the meantime, Sterling and Zak get into a heated debate over Zaki's job description and whether there is more that she could do in the Realm- perhaps start a new order of lorekeeping clerics to help her out, for one?
And that's it I think...*waves*
Zak
Tulculcha, the witch guardian of the swamps, gave Venger a call. Venger was most displeased to learn that the intruders were not yet dead, and was more astonished when Tulculcha told him to come pick up a gift at her place. She then left to carry out her plan.
The swamp group, meanwhile, has encountered another Outworlder who fell out of the sky before them. ((Everyone, please welcome Dawn!)) The girl, Lissa, was given a magic war hammer by DM, who instructed her to find others then vanished. After Sterling and Zak declared an uneasy truce, they wander to find the newcomer and are currently exchanging introductions.
Back at the Castle of Yarfel, Kryschenn and Eric have been questioned by The Princess and her Wizard, Echlar. Though they were determined to be innocent of the crime of killing Lady Reskya and Droth, and Kryschenn's attack of the others determined to be self-defense, they were tossed into the dungeons anyway without explanation. Fairalin and Cassandra alone remain at large, though Cass is still surrounded by about eight guards, who have also just spotted a human-sized Fairalin.
The girls infiltrating V's castle detect a faint tingle, which Amian informs Rose indicates that Venger senses their presense. Indeed, Venger HAS sensed them, but remembers Rose of old as a neutral storyteller, and is fooled into thinking she comes as a compliment to his might. He doesn't recognize her troupe of performers, but noting that they do not carry concealed warriors with them, does not give them much thought. He orders them to be allowed to enter the castle unharmed, instead ordering another search of the Black Hills and surrounding areas for the Outworlders he's certain will be coming soon.
The backup crew are still hanging out in the ruined tower. Cole tries contacting both Rose and Iris, filing her in on his situation and asking about theirs. He finds Rose's mind is blocked by something powerful.
This just in:
Cassandra, still suffering ill effects from her posession, discovers
that the demon is not dead, like she thought, and plans to try to take
her over again at some point in the future. She starts shooting fire
to keep the guards away, then tries to turn the fire on herself so as not
to give the demon a body....
In Macula:
Matthew informs them that the villagers are trying to raise "Blaze,"
a small red dragon, to be good. Since red dragons are generally evil,
this will be a good test of nature vs. nurture. They decide to pay
a visit to the lil' guy and find out why he doesn't have parents...
And that's the news!
Zak
Rosalia and Kimmy have nearly reached the fortress! (you other
folks still out there....? Fay? Rhonda? Zanthia?
Bubbles? EO?)
Venger's invited them inside!
Cole and Night Steel are....er....hard to say, really....*lol*
Cole insists he's NOT a telephone!
Night Steel wonders about the mental state of Cole!
Link is silent! (Garrett...? You still with us...?)
Dawn has joined the Swamp Crew!
The Swamp Crew does not condone the consumption of horses, except in
cases of emergency!
Zak is going mental!
Ral is MIA! (Ral? Ral? you out there....?)
Sunny has a new "friend"!
Blaze is about to receive visitors!
Kayla is gone for the weekend!
At the tone, the time will be: early evening, just after dark. PING!
Zak
Meanwhile, in Yarfell:
Zeo's been tossed into a cell with Eric, much to her dismay.
Kryschenn was tossed in with a newcomer, Celest the Diviner, who wandered
into YArfell innocently enough and was immediately arrested. Also
sharing their cell is Diana. Fairalin is still stuck in a steel lamp,
which is just enough iron to keep her trapped and powerless, but still
mighty vocal. :) Tanaka has a cell of his own too. Kryschenn
is hacking at the locks with Tuxedo's rose. Varla, Presto, and Terry
are still unaccounted for, and are assumed to be in a sixth cell somewhere
else.
Cassandra was carried off to the wizard Echlar for healing. He
managed to cast out the demon foe and Cass is asleep again, but alive.
Tolan is about to inform the rest of the dungeon gang of this development.
Meanwhile, in Venger's castle....
Tommy, healed but shackled in a tower, sings feelingly of his plight.
Ingeld and Keith have not yet commented on the quality of his singing,
but surely they can hear it. The girls, who have just been "invited"
inside, are faring well with the soldiers so far, and sharper-eared ones
might catch hints of Tommy's song as well. Bubbles has sunk her little
hooks into the drunken captain, and EO has transformed into Adeline, a
gorgeous elven bard with lavender curly hair.
Meanwhile, in the swamp:
Lissa, the new fighter, is plagued by nightmares of her past life as
a slave. She removes the bands that hids her branding scars after
waking in tears, explaining her story to the others. After comforting
her, the others fall into an exhausted sleep, leaving a preoccupied Zakiyah
on first watch.
Happy Monday!
Zak