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Also, the timelines are going to get a little confusing soon, so here's where most people are at:
(1) the swamp group and the performers are currently at the same time. The swamp group will, by a wonderful cooincidence, be breaking Zak and Tommy out of jail at the same time Venger and Co. are being distracted by the performers. Lucky, eh? *grin*
(2) The Yarfallians in the catacombs are also on this timeline, so they will not be receiving any visits from Venger any time soon. :) His thugs, maybe, but his attention is elsewhere. AND he still believes they are locked up in the dungeons.
(3) the backup group is currently en route to Venger's castle, and, in their RP, the performance hasn't started yet. They will reach Venger's castle about the time that Rose tells her tale of Darkhaven, and by the time they're inside and snooping around, Fay will be telling poetry, Iris will be singing her songs, and Bubbles will be doing her dance for Venger.
(4) the group from Macula is en route to see Blaze, and it's still mid-afternoon
of the previous day. Therefore if they want to enter the catacombs
through the back door in Blaze's cave (did we agree on that? I don't remember)
and meet up with the group there, they will have to fast-forward a bit
to the middle of the night.
(It's revealed that Alexia has had mysterious occaisional headaches that aren't migranes, for as long as she can remember. Couldn't think where to pop that bit of into into the rest. *g*)
The swamp group deliberated on whether or not to free Zak, for Sterling realized that if they resuced her, Venger could still summon her back easily. Ash suggests summoning her themselves, as she gave them the means to do so (though they don't realize yet that Tuculcha stole it). Alexia suggests they trick Venger into thinking that He Who Has No Name summoned her, so that he wouldn't dream of summoning Zak back. Sterling likes the idea of keeping Venger from summoning her again by using a stability charm of some sort, though Thoth protests that her geas is of divine origin and magic might not counteract it. Perhaps it could be diverted, or confused, though, and this is the plan they decide to try.
They plan to break into Tuculcha's fortress and use her magic mirror, still tuned to Venger's fortress, to help Thoth establish a portal to it. Unfortunatly Thoth doesn't think his powers alone will be enough to do both the portal and the charm, so he suggests that he and another magician link their powers. Ash volunteers, but Cadbury warns her that her powers are not yet developed enough. Alexia, given her plot to betray them, isn't exactly keen on having Thoth inside her head, but decides her will is strong enough to hide her plans from him. The others, Ash, Thoth, and Cadbury, are already a little suspicious of her.
Sterling, a seasoned warrior, decides he will be one of the two people to go on the mission (dubbed "Operation Lorekeeper"), and chooses Dawn to accompany him, much to Ashleyien's embarassment and dismay. Sterling's reasons for keeping the numbers low are that two are easier to keep track of, and if they have to sneak out the hard way if the portal fails, two alone have a better chance of succeeding. He also has a backup plan for if things get nasty in Venger's castle, but hasn't said what it is yet. Dan has misgivings about any plan that depends on overcoming Venger's magic, but doesn't give voice to his feelings before getting whacked by a tree branch. His wounds aren't serious, though.
Upon reaching Tuculcha's heavily damaged fortress, CAdbury tells them of what she's seen and draws a map for them. They discuss plans of what to do once they are inside, preparing for anything they might encounter.
(This includes the performers and the backup crew, as well as Zak & Tommy)
Zak and Tommy chat about their plight in their tower prison. Tommy suggests this is a no-mana zone, meaning no magic will work there. Zakiyah confirms this is possible, as the enchantments on her are divine in origin and might not be affected.
The backup crew was in the middle of a battle with Venger's troup of soldiers. Sheila, invisible, takes out another of the attackers, and Hank binds the remaining three with arrows. They leave Cole to "clean up" behind them, and Cole dumps the men into a nearby Cave, still bound. Sheila's more than a little annoyed with Hank and Cole, and rides with her brother. As the gang ride off toward Venger's fortress, leaving Cole to catch up, they discuss disguising themsleves by having Glitter cast an illusion that they are the soldiers. Unfortunatly, Glitter has to keep them all in sight for such an illusion to work, which means he can't disguise himself. They want to say he's a captured prisoner, but that won't work either- why would a prisoner be riding in the rear?
Hank suggests Glitter use the Eye of Kalamor to see them all at once, including himself. But Cole currently has it, and Steel fears letting it fall into Venger's hands. The suggest next that Glitter ride in front and use a mirror, at which points Sheila sensibly suggests that Glitter simply don discarded armor and forget disguising himself with an illusion.
Cole has at this point caught up with the gang, feeling the effects of overtaxing his abilites slightly, and Sheila points out a guard nearby who's armor would fit Glitter.
At this point they have passed through the wards surrounding Venger's castle, and should have felt a bit of a tingle having done so. Venger knows that a group of people is approaching, but at this point Rose has begun her tale of Darkhaven, and Venger is all ears for hints aobut the Golden Grimoire- he hasn't checked on them yet, assuming it's the scouting party returning. They should also note that the guards are either staggering around plastered from Kimmy's Benadryl-laced nog, or are sleeping and snoring drunkenly. Tricking those still awake shouldn't be a hard task.
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Slightly forward in time....
Rose tells her tale of Darkhaven, and Venger is both curious and impressed with her audacity. Kimmy, exploring the castle, tricks her way past guards who try to stop her and discovers Venger's lab of magic toys. She figures out the door is warded, though, but peeking in through the window, she seems amazing things.
During the performance, Zanthia notices that Venger was reading Zak's book, and has left it and her quill at the base of his throne. She plots to get it back at some point.
Fay tells a poem next, which stirs a bit of feeling in Venger dispite its foolish sentiments. Iris's filksongs parodying the kids go over quite favorably, bringing derisive laughter from the guards and even a chuckle or two from Venger.
Kimmy finds her way into Veng'ers magic room, playing with his crystal and finding all manner of neat rings and stones. she enters his trophy room next, wanting to see all the neat things he's pilfered and plundered in his conquests.
Rose introduces Bubbles next, and creates a smokey atmosphere for Bubbles to perform her dramatic and seductive dance. (Venger's reaction to be posted later today, *G*)
((Fingers...getting....sore....))
WE left Kryschen and company in the catacombs, and Kryschenn is convinced she's seen a spirit of some kind. AFter some discussion, she convinces them that the spirit is a guide of some sort, and they follow it for a space, asking Presto to mark their way back just in case. Tanaka is grinning for no reason, making Celeste a bit suspicious (Kryschenn just thinks that Tommy doesn't like her a bit). Celeste looks for sources of magic in the Catacombs using her crystal, and finds three besides the weapons that they carry.
((Note: we've decided that there are three staff pieces down here, and they are carefully hidden- not just sitting out in the open- in separate places. Someone might realize that the presense of three staffs down here meant that Yodel's story about Venger having one was false. The three staffs together, plus the orb, will summon the dracolich guardian spirit- and I think we agreed it needed a host, though we haven't decided whether it was Kimmy's statuette, which she found in the catacombs, or Blaze the living dragon. --side note- wouldn't that mean that Blaze's soul would die as the spirit took him over??))
Kryschenn tries using her sword to see if any of the pieces are nearby, but her sword doesn't glow or vibrate. They wander through the maze of tunnels by the light of Varla's illusory flames. Kryschenn, following the spirit that she alone can see, nearly gets nailed on the head by a falling stalactite. But Fairalin pushes it out of the way with a gust of wind, having silently rejoined the dungeon group.
Kryschenn then realizes that there are six of them once more, remembering DM's original instructions that "Five must go to Yarfell." She wonders if this signifies that one of them doesn't belong. Tanaka reassures her that DM's words might not mean that, and they'll figure out the meaning of them when it's too late to matter. Kryschenn reluctantly agrees, feeling stupid for having brought it up in the first place.
At that point, Teri remembers a dream and tells them to run. A fireball, either magical or perhaps just gas that had built up, is heading right for them! The spirit guides Kryschenn to the right of a Y-intersection, where they leap into a shallow pit from which Eric can protect them from the fire with his sheild as it passes over. Frightened but unhurt, they climb out and are even more startled to meet a newcomer- Anna-Moe Lee. Anna has a magic cat named Ayla, as well as a magic drum of teleportation (which got her to the catacombs).
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Meanwhile, Cassandra, under the care of Echlar, is well enough now
to start an adventure on her own. Echlar charges her with the task
of retrieving the staffs herself, possibly not realizing that there are
already a gang of adventurers already on their way to do just that.
(Thus far, only Alec, Lord Tolan, and Princess Diana know of their escape).He
guides Cass intot he catacombs through his own personal escape route, and
she almost immediatly falls into a pit. Something is growling at
her...
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In Macula, the three players plus Matt are stuck at a Troll bridge, where they must answer a riddle to pass.
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Jaina, a newcomer with green wings, a crossbow and magic darts, has landed in the Realm. ((She hasn't decided on a group yet)).
Today in the Realm:
Zak and Tommy discussed their plight, wondering whether to wait for a rescue or try to make a plan themselves.
Bubbles' dance was a hit, with the guards and Venger. Its primary purpose- to distract Venger- worked admirably. He's distracted, all right....between her looks, her dance, and her magic mirror, he's become downright obsessed! Rose is trying to tell another story, but it's doubtful he's listening. Bubbles is busy turning on more heat with a water glass, while Zanthia looks on in amazement that she's actually getting to him....
The guys, meanwhile, have reached the castle (this is a few hours beforehand...).
Sheila goes to distract a guard about Glitter's size, so that their ploy
will work, leaving one of the others to knock him out.
Back in the catacombs, the group pick themselves up after the fireball
incident, and dispite the argument between Eric and the squashed Fairalin,
notice that Tanaka is missing. When his body isn't to be found in
the hall, they begin to wonder about him...Was he missing BEFORE the fireball...?
Did he set it off? There's still the new stranger to deal with, however.
The group in the swamp, having broken into Tuculcha's castle, has Ashleyien cast a trap-detecting spell with Thoth's guidance. She offers also to protect the two mages as they cast the portal. They've not encountered the rather miffed owner of the castle yet, though Alexia's a little annoyed that the Erl King's minions destroyed so much of it- she had rather hoped Venger would give it to her upon the successful completion of her mission.