Lunar: Magic Empire Interlude 6 Log ============================================================ Cast of Characters: Rune as "GM/Narrator and Par" Dyne as "Arzel" ============================================================ GMRune: ------game on------- GMRune: You and Par leave the rest of the party, heading west towards where you released the gryphons as the others return to the city to locate Ghaleon. Ahead of you, you can see the army that the party had tricked into mobalizing to the west of the city. Unfortntely they are crrently near the gryphons' location. GMRune: The army is moving, but only very slowly. They appear to be scouring the area for something. Par stumbles along with you, looking somewhat confused. He turns his head from left to right but doesn't really seem to be looking at anything. Arzel continues towards the gryphons slowly, trying to utilize any cover around. Arzel: You okay, Par? GMRune: The tall grass of the prarie provides some protection, but it's going to be harder to use once you get closer to them. Par looks up wearily. "Okay? Yeah... I think so... Just out of breath." Par: Where are we going again? Arzel: We could take a rest if you need... That army doesn't seem to be moving away from the gryphons for a while. I just hope they have enough sense to stay away from them. Arzel: To our gryphons, Par...that's how we got to Killith. Par shakes his head. "No... we can't rest. We should keep going... I'll be all right." GMRune: As you near the army, you can see they are divded up into five or six smaller units. Each bear the navy blue standards of House Protectoriate, and all seem edgy and impatient. Arzel: You have any idea what they're doing, Par? Arzel turns to try to go around the army and get closer the the mountains Par shrugs weakly. "I don't know. I've never seen so much of Protectoriate mustered this close to Killith. Usually they're used for assaults abroad rather than home defense. GMRune: Arzel and Par start to turn towards the south. Back to the east from Killith, the green barrier of light around the city flickers once more. Arzel: Well, I bet Kargeth wasn't to happy to see his prisoner escaped and the guards that were guarding him all killed... Arzel: We proved one thing though...Killith isn't invincible. Par: Kargeth wanted to make an example of me. I was important enough to Mileria to be worth executing in public, yet unimportant enough that he had no other use for me. Par nods. "Killith is not invincible. The warlocks have been too secure in their power for too long." Arzel looks up at the dome, "I hope the rest of the group is alright." GMRune: Even from this distance, Arzel can just make out the hurried shapes of warlocks scrambling through the streets through the gated archway into the city. Arzel glances at the army. "I shure hope they don't know about the gryphons, or we're stuck here." GMRune: You near the mountains, and the army is now more or less to the northwest. You catch a glimpse of something darting high above, but the distance is so great you cannot tell if it was a hawk or some of the gryphons. Something waves slightly between the ripples of the grass ahead of you. Arzel laughs slightly at the city. "I don't believe Kargeth thought that we wouldn't come rescue you, Par." Arzel stops and looks where the grass moved. Par smiles slightly. "He probably would have thought you'd try something, but simply never expected you to succeed." Arzel raises his claws in a defensive stance. GMRune: Something tawny and vaguely spotted with bits of a darker brown is crouched into the grass. Arzel: Uhh...what is that? Arzel trys to get a bit closer. Par looks around, propping himself up with his cane. "I don't see anything... Not that I can really see much right now anyway." Arzel: There's something in the grass... GMRune: The grass rustles ever so slightly as the shape backs up. Par stumbles after Arzel. Arzel: What are you, little thing? I don't wanna hurt you. GMRune: The shape hisses, and an answering yowl emerges to your right. Arzel looks around kinda worried. Arzel: Uhh...what ever it is...there's more than one of 'em. Par: I think some of the patrol must have found us... Arzel looks around. Arzel: This could be bad. :/ GMRune: The shape hisses again, and then rapidly bounds off towards the army, leaving a trail of flattened grass in its wake. Arzel glances up to see if he can see any of the gryphons GMRune: A second rustles starts, also making tracks towards the army. Arzel curses. GMRune: There is no sign of the gryphons. The skies are clear, although the same dull gray as the day before. Arzel: I think we need to run Par... Par nods. "I'll try..." Arzel supports Par with his arm and goes as fast as posible towards the mountains. Arzel: Well, if the army didn't know we were here...they will soon. Arzel trys to do a gryphon call. GMRune: You start to near the foothills when you catch sight of a low flying wing of wyburns and their riders. They aren't flying in your direction, but rather at an angle and towards the same region of the mountains as you. One of the riders is waving his arm wildly. Arzel: We're in deep trouble. Par sighs. "At least they haven't found us.... yet." Arzel trys to get closer to the mountain and us it for cover. Arzel: Then...why is that person waving his arm madly? Arzel: Here gryphy gryphon. Par: I dunno. Maybe he saw something. But they're not flying towards us. Arzel: They probably found the gryphons. :/ Par: Ouch... GMRune: Arzel and Par enter the cover of the mountain range. From here, much of the prarie is obscured, and the wyburn wing is now out of sight as well. In the distance you hear an avian shriek. GMRune: The sound is mangled and you can't quite tell if it was a gryphon in particular, but it definately was something uttered by something large and predatory. Arzel continues to go along the mountain looking for any signs of his gryphon pack. GMRune: Arzel finds a set of fresh gryphon droppings marking one of the larger boulders nearby. Arzel: Hmmm... Arzel looks up the mountain. Arzel: I thought they'd hear me if I tried to call them. GMRune: Arzel can just barely see a leonine body perched high up on the mountain. Its head is pointed upward, alertly watching the sky. Par nods. "I don't think your voice carries that far." Arzel: I see four options...Stand here, get found, and most likely killed. Sit here, get found, and most likely killed. Try to call my gryphons. Or climb up them mountaing and then call my gryphons Arzel: I think...three then four? Okay, Par? Par: Well, the first two aren't too good. Let's get you up on the mountain and try calling from there. Then you'd at least have a chance for them to see you and the mounains won't block your voice. Par: Go ahead. Arzel: I like your idea better. Arzel starts to climb the mountain slowly. Par shrugs, leaning on his cane. Par: I think I'll wait down here. I don't think I can climb yet. Arzel: Well hide... I don't need you being found... Kadan'd have my head...not to mention the rest of the group. Par shuffles around and takes shelter in a crevice between two boulders. Arzel continues up the mountain trying to get closer to the gryphon. Arzel also takes mental note to where Par is hiding. GMRune: The gryphon on the mountain caws anxiously, feathered ears twitched back in agitation. It turns its head to the northwest, towards the army, and bugles out a challenge that goes unheeded. Arzel trys to imitate a gryphon call to try and get it's attention. GMRune: The gryphon caws again and pokes its head downward, peering at Arzel. Arzel kinda waves at it. GMRune: It trills and slides down a few feet towards you. Arzel: I shure hope it's one of my gryphons. GMRune: The gryphon is now about four yards away. It never breaks it gaze as it watchs you. GMRune: The gryphon appears to have been the one Earendil was riding. Arzel climbs up to it. GMRune: The gryphon snaps its beak testily and looks warily at you. Arzel: I'm shure glad to see you... where's the rest of your pack? Arzel extends his hand towards the gryphon in a gesture of peace. :) GMRune: The gryphon sniffs your hand, caws, and then looks pointedly to the west. Arzel: The army? GMRune: It shudders and caws again. Its voice sounds mournful. Arzel nods and strokes it's fur. Arzel: It'll be okay. Arzel checks the gryphon for injury. GMRune: The gryphon has a mild laceration along its right forelimb and appears to be missing a few feathers, but is otherwise fit enough to fly. Arzel nods and hops onto the gryphon. "We need to get my friend." Arzel directs the gryphons down to Par's location. GMRune: The gryphon launches itself into the air and glides down around the mountain to Par's hiding place. Arzel: Par? I found us a ride. Par emerges slowly from the crevice as he hears your arrival. Arzel: Hop on Par... Par: That's good. Where are the others...? Par manages to climb on to the gryphon with a bit of effort. Arzel: The others? Uhh...apparently the army found them. :/ Arzel: I need to see what's going on before I can devise a plan. Par's face falls. "That isn't good..." Arzel: I know :/ Arzel looks around in the sky for the wyburns. GMRune: The wyburns are not longer in sight. They've probably returned to the main army or are too low into the foothills to be seen. Arzel directs the gryphon up the mountain a bit and around so he can get a sneaky look at the army. GMRune: The gryphon obliges and you can see the army has formed into a tight circular formation, with a makeshift corral in the center. There is a cluster of landbound creatures in it,but no gryphons. Arzel pats the gryphon's neck. "Where are they?" GMRune: The gryphon caws, rubbing its head against its good foreleg. It then looks back at you hopefully. Arzel: What's wrong? I d...don't understand. GMRune: It turns back towards the army and bugles a second challenging note before flying away to the southwest. Arzel is confused by these ocourances. "Uhh...where are we going?" Arzel looks around. GMRune: A small rocky clearing emerges below you. You can see the eaten remains of several small prarie animals as well as several piles of gryphon droppings. All around the clearing you are surrounded by melted slag and charred feathers. GMRune: The gryphon squawks as it lands and then noses the ground. Arzel shudders. GMRune: Though the battle appears to have been fierce, you can see no actual gryphon corpses here. Arzel: How...how could they? Did they kill all of your pack? Arzel: But...I don't see any bodies. GMRune: The gryphon mewls, looking at Arzel and then sniffing the ground. Arzel pats the gryphon, and hops off to have a look around. Arzel: Stay there Par... we'll need to get away AFAP if anything happens. Arzel searches around for any remnants of gryphons or evidence to what happened here. GMRune: There are several smashed rocks and a surprisingly good amount of blood sprayed. You find a wyburn corpse jammed into a cleft in the rock. At one end of the clearing the ground has been crisscrossed with dozens of lines in the dirt, as if a pattern of squares had been lain across it. Par obediently remains on the gryphon, wearily stroking its fur. Arzel examines the squares. GMRune: It looks like the imprinted remains of a layer of netting. Arzel looks around for a rock that's heavy, that he can pick up GMRune: There is a medium-sized one about a foot or so in diamter that Arzel can lift. Arzel tosses it on the squares to see if it's a trap. GMRune: The rock lands solidly amid the squares and nothing happens. Arzel: Just making shure. Arzel looks up and around and prods the squares wearily. Par nods from his seat on the gryphon. GMRune: The bits of squares crumble easily at Arzel's touch. Arzel turns to the gryphon. "What happened here?" GMRune: The gryphon canters over nervously and sqwuaks, looking down at the pattern and then swiftly jerking its head upward. It repeats the gesture two more times. Arzel: A net? Were did they all go? GMRune: It mewls and shakes its head. Par: Perhaps they teleported them. Arzel: Yes... but how many warlocks would it take to teleport 7 gryphons? Par: Well, I don't think they dragged them off. No marks. And I didn't see enough wyburns for them all to be flown off. Maybe some of them were, and the rest transported with magic. Only two or three warlocks would be needed then. Arzel continues to search for a bit more. GMRune: You find continued signs of the battle in the few broken shrubs and rocks, but nothing else to help you discover where the other gryphons had gone. Arzel turns to the gryphon. "Do you know where they've been taken?" GMRune: It shakes its head and caws plaintively. Arzel: Is there any way to tell where they've been teleported? Arzel: Or is it imposible to track teleportation. Par: It is possible, but only the most powerful of warlocks are able to do that. Arzel: Well there goes that idea. Arzel hops on the gryphon and directs it up into the air and looks around for any signs like a net or more signs of struggle. GMRune: The gryphon suddenly lays back its ears and you all feel an incredible wave of power run over you like the crest of a wave. Arzel looks over to Killith. GMRune: The gryphon squawks and leaps into the air, shaking madly. Arzel grabs onto Par and onto the gryphon. GMRune: From your nice view high above the mountains you can see that the green barrier around Killith has disappeared! Arzel: What's happened? Par? GMRune: The gryphon steadies, but throws its head around anxiously. Arzel trys to calm the gryphon with soothing words. Par: I... I don't know... Mileria and Elron were powering the barrier... If it's gone... I don't know. Arzel: Well I see three possibilities. GMRune: The gryphon squawks stubbornly, a spirited look in its eyes, but it ceases its gestures. Arzel: 1 Mileria and Elron are dead :/ 2 Ghaleon succeeded in saving them... or our group saved them. Par: I hope it's one of the latter two... Arzel: So do I :/ Par: So what now? Arzel: We could head to killith...we might figure out what is going on...but we kinda need the other gryphons. Arzel: Maybe the gryphons are in killith. Par: It's possible. Arzel pats the gryphon. "Can you locate your fellows by scent perhaps?" GMRune: The gryphon looks ridiculously at Arzel. Arzel: Sorry. :P Arzel: I see no other option than to head to Killith... there's nothing else we can do here. Unless you have any bright ideas, Par. Par: I'm afraid not. I still have trouble thinking and seeing a bit. I feel like my brain has been stuffed with mothballs. Arzel directs the gryphon to Killith, but makes it stay quite high in the air. Arzel: What did they do to you anyway Par? GMRune: The gryphon flies towards Killith. Below you run the crowded streets of the city with warlocks milling around every corner and alleyway. Arzel: Well, they all seem to be in a hype about something. Arzel flys towards the large building they saw in the vision Par: I'm not entirely certain. I was taken away, although the warlock Jael protested about it. When I reached Killith, I was so out of it I could not recall anything about where I was or what I was doing. All I remember is the prick of a needle that seem to come all too often. GMRune: Arzel flies above the city towards Kargeth's Citadel. The light from the twelfth floor is now gone, as is the barrier that touched its peak. Arzel: They must of given you some kinda drug to keep you out. Arzel also looks around for the party Par makes a distasteful look. GMRune: But though the light has vanished, a powerful energy is gathering up in the highest chamber once more. Arzel: I have a feeling something not good is gonna happen. GMRune: A small pink form starts coming up towards you from the city below as the power continues to grow. Arzel: Geint? GMRune: Suddenly a great fire erupts from within the twelfth floor, bursting through the windows to the outside and seeming to envelop all within the chamber. The fire spills out the torn windows and falls in smoking masses down to the courtyard below. Arzel: I think it's Geint... what else is pink and can fly? GMRune: ------end session------