Lunar: Magic Empire Interlude 8 Log ============================================================ Cast of Characters: Rune as "GM/Narrator, Darkness, Ellis, and Shape" GORN as "Rein" Aes as "Valina" ============================================================ GMRune: -------game on------- GMRune: Rein finds his awareness suddenly lifted. Somewhere, somehow he can sense where Valina is trapped. But something happened, and he can no longer feel his own body. Rein finds himself rather in a dreamlike landscape. Rein blinkblinks. GMRune: The light is surreal, coming from everywhere, yet nowhere at all. The sky and ground, if they can be told apart, are both green. And blue globules float around him in all directions. Rein pokes hesitantly at a globule. GMRune: The globule wiggles slightly like a bubble, but it refuses to pop. GMRune: Rein can dimly sense Ellis near him. Valina is nearby too, perhaps closer than Ellis. Rein: Ellis! Where are you? Rein: Val? Can you hear me? GMRune: There is no reply. You begin to sense something sinister approaching. --> Valina You also, dimly in your consciousness, feel the sinister presence. Rein swings his staff in front of him. Rein: Who's there!? *Valina* sounds normal :P Rein backs into a glob GMRune: The dark cloud of thought halts some distance from Rein. Rein can't see it through the strange myopic background, but it seems to be less than a hundred yards away. Rein backs away faster, and propels handy globbies at the presence. Rein: Ellis! Val! GMRune: The globules float leisurely towards the presence and come to a halt near it. Valina ... Valina hummmss. Rein comes to a stop, and glares at the darkness defiantly. GMRune: Rein's sense of Valina's location increases. She seems to be in the vicinity of the presence. Rein pricks up an ear. "Val! Valina!" GMRune: The darkness seems to whirl, sucking in upon itself as it reforms itself into a psychic drill. Rein shouts at the darkness. "What are you!?" GMRune: The darkness pauses, and sends a tendril of its mind towards Rein. Darkness: What are you? The darkness's voice indicates a hint of annoyance. Rein: I'm here for Val. Darkness: Val? Mwa ha ha... This little girl? Valina: Hmmmm... Rein: What... what have you done with her! The darkness seems to recoil and Valina fades into view. She is floating in the air and appears to be in an agitated sleep. Rein cries out and lifts a hand towards Val. Darkness: She has information I must have. Why else should I bother? Rein: What do you want with us!? Darkness: I have no use to for you, priest. The girl is all I need. Valina: Ah... Rein: I can't let you have her. Rein takes several steps towards Val. The darkness lifts an ethereal tendril and smacks it into Valina's head. It seems to slide inside without the least bit of trouble. Rein: Don't touch her! Rein runs towards Val. Darkness: And what can you possibly do to me? GMRune: Rein is allowed to run up within arm's length of Valina before he crashes into some sort of barrier. Valina swaggers and stumbles in midair... Rein: Ahhh... Rein just glances at the darkness and feels around the barrier. Darkness: Hmph. You're only a whelp of a priest. Not that Althena's powers have ever ben something worth mentioning. She only defeated us those eons ago by the betrayel of our own people. GMRune: The barried forms a complete hemisphere around the darkness and Valina. The sense of Ellis being nearby grows stronger. Rein: Betrayal--who in Althena's name are you? Valina: ... Rein: Ellis! Darkness: Hm hm hm... I am the leader of the Urdians, the so called demons she banished long ago. That is all a mortal needs to know. Ellis's voice floats into hearing in a muffled sort of way. "Rein?" Rein: Ellis! Where are you! Ellis: I don't know...! There just a bunch of these blue things floating around. Valina feels scared... but there is nothing she can do about it. The darkness seems to look back down at Valina. "Come now, little one. You must have the knowledge I need somewhere inside your pretty little head." Rein: I've found Valina... if you can come towards my voice... Rein glances nervously at the darkness. Ellis: I'm trying...! Valina tries to fight... Ellis falls into view with the look of someone stumbling out of the fog. Rein: Curse you... get out of her head! Rein runs over to Ellis. "Do you know what this thing is?" Darkness: Hm hm hm... As the children of your species are wont to say: Make me. Rein: Hmmmm.... Ellis rubs the side of his head. "What the what is?" A light brightens his face as he realizes what Rein's talking about. "What IS that thing?" Rein puts his hand to his forehead. The darkness seems to become more frustrated and its consciousness wriggles with impatience. Valina struggles... Ellis: Rein, this is the realm of the mind, or something like it. There's got to be a way through that barrier other than pushing at it. Rein bangs on the barrier. "Be strong, Valina!" Rein nods to Ellis. The darkness looks annoyed at Rein and sends a psychic blast of energy, flinging Rein back several feet. Rein tries to reach out with his mind, to feel the presence of the darkness as he had Val and Ellis. Valina struggles uncontolably... Valina mumbles... Rein: Graahhh! GMRune: Rein can sense the darkness very clearly. Its mind seems almost human, as though human thought patterns had been imposed over an older, far more alien one. Rein tries to find Val's force again as well. Ellis: Rein! Are you okay? Valina tries to punch back the evil... Rein just shakes his head. The darkness floats back from Valina a bit, and the tendril loosens. It seems surprised. Rein: It's so powerful... Valina screams! Rein tries to impose his will around Val's. Ellis: Your friend's done something to it though! She's fighting back! GMRune: A second barrier slides into place beneath the first, severing the darkened tendril from its owner. The darkness writhes. Rein: Draw strength from the Goddess, Val... Darkness: You impertinent little humans! Valina: ... Valina begins to cry. Valina: ... it hurts... no more... Ellis joins with Rein in strengthening the shield around Valina. Darkness: Who are you! Rein: Leave us! Valina: Let... me go home... Rein: We are just travelers... trying to live by Althena's principles... Rein: And we won't concede the sanctity of the soul of one of our companions! Darkness: Pah! Curse Althena! I _will_ find you. I know your little minds now. If we should chance to meet on the mortal plane you _will_ regret it. Valina: ... Valina: I want ... to go... The darkness whirls and flees, spraying three forms into being behind it as it leaves. Valina: Home... no more nightmares... Valina: Please... GMRune: Valina begins to wake. Rein: Whatever... leave us now, darkness... Valina: No.. more... Valina: Night.. mare.... GMRune: The three remaining shapes float towards Rein, Valina, and Ellis. Valina opens her eyes... Valina: Where... where am I?? Ellis: Are you all right again, my lady? Valina: I, I dont know. Valina: What... happened? GMRune: The shapes begin to take on a humanlike form, but are the color of smoke. They come and float beside you, seemingly waiting. Valina blinks. Shape: The Lord still wishes to have you, young one. You can't leave him that easily. GMRune: -----round 1------ Valina: ... lord? Valina: What lord? GMRune: target: 3 Dream Wraiths (one row) Shape: The Lord who rules all the Urdians, the One Lord. GMRune: Valina blurs into action and whips her rapier in several arcs. Blades of energy strike the Wraiths! GMRune: 125 damage to each! GMRune: Wraith #1 attacks Valina! GMRune: 60 damage! GMRune: Wraith #2 attacks Rein! GMRune: 56 damage! GMRune: The wraiths float carelessly through the mytopia, uncaring of battle formations. GMRune: Wraith #3 attacks Ellis! GMRune: 72 damage! GMRune: Rein concentrates and a barrier glimmers into view in front of the party. GMRune: Ellis draws his mace and uses Hammer Swing! He smacks all of the wraiths through! GMRune: 181 damage to each! GMRune: -------round 2------ GMRune: Valina sings a shrill note and vibrates Wraith #1 to death! GMRune: 98 damage! GMRune: Wraith #1 falls! GMRune: Rein casts Heal Aura! GMRune: Everyone is healed to full! GMRune: Wraith #2 attacks Rein, but seems to have bounced off of something! GMRune: Wraith #3 attacks Ellis! GMRune: 80 damage! GMRune: Ellis attacks Wraith #3! GMRune: 101 damage! GMRune: Wraith #3 dies! GMRune: -------round 3------ GMRune: Rein aims a High Thrust at Wraith #2! GMRune: 84 damage! GMRune: Wraith #2 falls! GMRune: ------victory!------- Valina: ... Valina: That seemed too easy... Rein looks around for more darkness. GMRune: The party earns 81 XP, 21 MEXP, and 60 S. GMRune: The darkness appears to be gone. You slowly feel yourselves being drawn back to your mortal bodies. It appears to be time to physically wake up. Valina: ... GMRune: The myopic background fades. You are surrounded in brightness, then all goes dark. When you open your eyes, you see the ceiling of Earendil's house. GMRune: -----end session-------