|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
When last we left our group in the catacombs under Yarfell, they had just barely managed to avoid being fried by a fireball. Tanaka had disappeared, Anna-Moe Lee had just appeared, and Cassandra is still lost and alone.
Eric "The Mouth" gets on another gal's bad side, this one a squished Fairalin who didn't get an apology.
Celeste attempts to use her crystal to locate Tanaka. Strangely enough, Tanaka took the OTHER fork when the fireball came, and his footprints vanished a short way down the tunnel. From what Celeste could discern, either Tanaka was someplace heavily warded against scrying, or had vanished out of the Realm entirely! Given his strange behavior and now his strange disappearance, they wonder whether or not they should consider him a threat. Fairalin suggests an alternate hypothesis when they examine the spot Tanaka's footprints disappeared- perhaps something grabbed him from above and ate him! They shout his name, just in case, but there's nothing but silence.
Thoroughly creeped out now, they head back to the other fork. Kryschenn thinks she can detect a faint magic source in that direction but is feeling doubtful about her leadership ability. She suggests moving onward, though she doesn't realize she's fallen into speaking Gaelic under stress and has to repeat herself. Fairalin tries detecting magic auras, looking for magic staff pieces, and detects Cassandra instead. Cass is dodging a menacing shadow, though hampered by her broken ankle. Eric continues snapping at Fairalin, and seems a bit miffed that Kryschenn has taken on the leadership role, but follows along gamely enough. Kryschenn reassures the spirit that haunts the catacombs that they will return that way, though nobody else (besides Ayla the invisible cat) can see it.....
Their plan to steal Tuculcha's magic mirror, the swamp group has infiltrated Tuculcha's trashed fortress. There's beaten bullywog bodies and mud everywhere- the Erl King's forces had not been gentle in their search for prisoners. Alexia prepares for her link with Thothalas, trying to bury every incriminating thought she can. With Cadbury pointing the way, and Ashleyien detecting traps with her first spell, Tuculcha sends her raven Amaronte to get rid of her troublesome houseguests.
Sterling shocks everyone by stabbing Amaronte through the wing and shoving him into Ashleyien's backpack. He threatens to harm the raven (or use it as a trap detector) if Tuculcha harms them. Tuculcha, who feels the raven's pain, vows to take down the traps and wards that riddle her fortress. She wonders furiously just how 'good' this drow is, for this is a pretty dirty strategy for a hero to use.
Dan is also beginning to wonder about the wisdom of this strategy, and of the whole plan to rescue Zak in general, but says nothing. Ashleyien detects a trap on the stairs leading to the tower that Cadbury says holds the magic mirror. They debate whether to break it themselves, or summon Tuculcha to remove it. Thoth prepares to cast the portal, practicing the charms in his mind. Dan suggests that perhaps Tuculcha might actually be willing to help them, because she certainly won't want to bring Venger news of her failure- perhaps they can use this to their advantage....
Tommy and Zak are still languishing away in one tower, Ingeld and Kieth in the other. The third one is...perhaps....unoccupied....
The backup crew have successfully passed through the wards as the performers distract Venger and his guards. (Apparently the ones guarding the fortress are all alseep at this point). Rather than test the limits of Glitter's illusion by waltzing in the front doors, they prepare to scale the walls. Hank gives Cole a significant look, but Cole points out that Garek is the one with the magic rope! Carrie reveals herself to be a young jedi and tries to will herself and the others up. Glitter, still disguised in real armor, complains of its former owner's stench....
At this point, Iris has begun to sing her filksongs. Rollicking
laughter can be heard by those outside the fortress.
Later...in the performers group...Venger fried the two guards who dared pester Bubbles, and vanished off with her. The remaining guards have been thrown into a flurry of chaos and confusion, under orders to pay the performers and get them out of the fortress.
CATACOMBS group:
The group has just discovered that Cassandra is down with them, and
needs help quickly. Presto and Varla have a close call with a falling
stalactite. Upon reaching Cass, Fairalin tries to talk to the monster,
getting only a hiss in reply. She sets up a sheild as Kryschenn jumps
into the pit with them, trying to figure out a way to get CAss out of it.
Anna tries to distract the creature, as Fairalin heals Cass's ankle, who
then asks to borrow a weapon (as hers is currently protecting her from
further posessions). They now have to figure out how to rid themselves
of this monster. Of course, they want to know what exactly
it IS, and Presto's dancing lights spell reveals it to be.....????
(tune in today to find out...)
MACULA group:
Following Kayla's spectacular demise, the villagers protected the other
two newcomers (Sunny and Abagail) when the soldier from Yarfell came poking
around looking for more Outworlders, stating as well that more soldiers
would be in Macula the following day to look for the Outworlders.
Matthew takes Sunny back to the inn as she grills him for more information.
As Abagail continues to investigate the scene of the fire, she encounters
a newcomer, Mirai Trunks, a young man with laverndar hair and a big sword.
Abagail warns him about the Outlander hysteria, warning him that Macula
might not be save for someone who's an obvious newcomer to the Realm.
She invites him to join her and the others when they search for Blaze the
following morning. Jaina has also appeared in the vicinity of Macula and
has spotted a group of people, but whether these are playwer characters
or townspeople, she didn't specify.
VENGER'S CASTLE groups:
The backup crew's forces have infiltrated Venger's castle and have
discovered Ingeld in one of the prison towers. Though the Eye showed
her to be a harmless little girl, the creature they see in the cells gives
them the shudders! Her glamour makes her seem threatening, and they
debate whether or not this IS actually the little girl they're supposed
to rescue or not. They ponder her misshapen feet curiously.
Rose (still about an hour ahead) further entertains Venger's forces as Venger himself dallies with Bubbles. Her goal is to keep the huge doors open for as long as possible, to give Sheila and the others time to escape. She's also worried about Kimmy who, in typical kender fashion, has vanished off exploring. Zanthia has grabbed Zak's book from it's resting place on Venger's throne, and she, Iris, and Fay retreat from the fortress back to their camp, waiting for the others.
NOTE to those groups....Bull, one of Venger's more intelligent guards (apparenty) is wandering the second floor....watch out! :)
SWAMP GROUP:
Using poor Amaronte (Tuculcha's love, stuck in raven form and currently
residing in Ashleyien's backpack) as leverage, they convince Tuculcha (or
"Tucy") to drop the wards protecting her magic room. Upon finding
out their plan to free Zak, Tucy politely informs them that they are out
of their minds- Venger will know, and magic won't work in the cells. Thoth
and Cadbury work to figure out a way around this hurdle, while Alexia continues
to prepare for the bond with Thoth. Sterling and Dawn prepare for
their rescue missiong- Dawn betraying a bit of nerves as she quietly retches
in the corner, Sterling passing the leadership of the group to Dan in case
their mission fails.
Tucy gets her revenge by reading their auras, discovering that Sterling and Alexia bear further watching, as their dual natures might make for interesting exploitation later. She finds Thoth and Dawn, pure goodness, and Ral, inconclusive, to be useless to her purposes. Same with Dan and Ash who are only slightly off-white. The most interesting result is Cadbury, who has no aura whatsoever (while Amar's and her own are nearly black).
Once in the magic room, Sterling tells his plan, though he doesn't tell of his backup plan in case they fail. He does suggest that if they get stuck on the other side, they need to find Zak's items so she can draw them a portal out of the castle. Thoth tells of what he has to do- basically step into the portal himself and hold it open from both ends, something he makes sound a little less difficult than it is. Alexia, still nervous, sits by him willingly enough. Dan offers to use his whip to harness Thoth and pull him out of the portal if the need arises. Thoth and Alexia fall silent as Thoth begins the spell...
Catacombs group: They've found Cassandra and are battling a strange creature- an umberhulk!! With a Gaze of Confusion that has sent Kryschenn wandering off on her own, dazed. The others try to figure out how to kill it!
Macula: Jaina has joined the group now, and chats with
Abigail and Trunks, trying to convince the soldier from Yarfell that Jaina's
and Mirai's Outworlder appearances are simply costumes, as they're wandering
performers.
Venger's Castle....Where all Hell just broke loose!
It began with a second rescue attempt that knew little of the first
one....
Cole, Steel, Carrie, Garek, Glitter, Garret, Hank, and Bobby were sneaking carefully in, and had located Ingeld and Keith. Hank, realizing that Ingeld's scary apperance was simply a defensive illusion, convinces them to go in and try to talk to her.
Down below, Rosalia told her tales of the buxom maid Ayha's adventures, distracting the rest of Venger's guards. Bull, however, proved smarter than most and began patrolling the upper hallways of the second floor (Cole & Co. are on the third floor balconies).
Venger, meanwhile, was distracted most efficiently by Bubbles upstairs in his room. Unbeknownst to him, Kimmy was hiding under his bed, stealing the precious Orb of Yarfell when he placed it under the bed for safekeeping and replacing it with a yummy jawbreaker. She snuck out once the bed started thumping and met EO in the hallway.
At that moment, Thoth began his spell. A portal opened in the tower where Zak and Tommy were imprisoned, and Venger detected it immediately. Tommy triggered some sort of evil magic when he tried to enter, and the portal closed shortly therafter (whether Dawn made it through or not before it closed is another matter...). The effects this had on poor Thoth are unknown, but he's bound to be bloody and battered from the cost of holding such a powerful portal open.
Venger, leaping up from his present activities in a sudden rage, took off for the tower on foot (for the tower was a zone of no-magic, and he could not teleport there), in such a state that he forgot to replace his battle armor. Along with anything else. This proved to be good news for Sterling, who had quite a bone to pick with Venger for killing him off in a past life (or rather, the life of the drow captain whose spirit and body he now shared). While they all stared at Venger in surprise, Sterling emasculated him and stabbed him through the heart!
The green glow and the subsequent roars of fury and anguish were enough to throw the entire castle into confusion, and attract the attention of the other rescuers. Hank sends some of them off to investigate, staying behind with Cole to convince Ingeld to accompany them.
Sterling leads his party down the stairs, heady with his victory, and
before they are discovered, converts Tmmy and Zak into 'prisoners' once
more by pretending to bind their hands, hoping the ruse will fool Venger's
already befuddled (and be-Benadrylled) soldiers.
So here's how it stands for the Venger's Castle groups:
Zanthia has Zak's book and quill, and they're safely outside the castle.
Cole and Hank (and Steel?) have found Ingeld and Keith, but will still be stuck on the four-story-high balcony when the troops get there.
Kimmy has the Orb! (And through her rummaging thru Venger's laboratory or trophy room, might have come across Ingeld's wings as well)
Sterling has Zak and Tommy.
Venger is in considerable pain (and not a little humiliated), and will shortly vanish to regenerate....but not before giving the order that Yarfell will be razed to the ground until not a stone is standing....
The pieces of the staff are still hidden...