Lunar: Magic Empire Session 65 Log ============================================================ Cast of Characters: Rune as "GM/Narrator, Par, Tallas, Voice/Yegaar, ~Ayeye, ~Valina, and ~Tarrant" Seath as "Earendil" GORN as "Rein" Hahn as "Kadan" Aes as "Valina" Mia Ausa as "Geint" SOLaike as "Tarrant" Dyne as "Arzel" Ayeye as "Ayeye" ============================================================ GMRune: --------game on---------- GMRune: The party reappears in a blinding flash of light. They emerge in Earendil's living room, which is much as you remembered it. Except there is the slight matter that there is not a floor where there _should_ be a floor since this is after all the living room. GMRune: The party falls down into a small pit, the remnants of the tunnel the diskers used to enter Earendil's house. Kadan: Phht. Even my old squalid home in Lentol was in better shape than this place. Par: ... I think you forgot something, Ear... Earendil: I guess I'll have to learn to aim better. Tarrant flails around as he hits the cold bottom. Earendil: Don't blame me Kadan, I didn't know those monsters would come up through my floor. Earendil scrambles out of the hole. Earendil looks at the hole and groans, "I don't want to even think about how much silver it'll cost to fix this." Par clambers out of the hole. "Well, it seems to be okay just sitting there..." Kadan gets out, folds his arms, and looks away at nothing in particular. Par dusts himself off. "So, Dragonmaster, what's our next move?" Arzel climbs out with great dificulty. Kadan has a stern look in his brow, as if irritated by something. Earendil: First, we wait for Rein and Geint to return, then I guess its on to the Black Dragon cave. Kadan barks, "So, what's the deal? We need to locate the power of the four tribes?" Par: I don't know if we should really wait... They did say they would catch up with us. We can't just idle here. Earendil: Kadan, you have the power of the Shadowcats. The Black Dragon armor is safe with Shea for now. I guess we need to find the power of the Pegasus and Phoenix tribes. Kadan: We already have the Mask and the Armor, more or less. So all we need is a feather and a cloak is it? Earendil: Yes, but the question is where are they. Kadan: Those winged horses that flew us over the snow... Surely they could help us locate the third artifact. Earendil: Indeed. Kadan: Getting back to that shrine should be no problem with that... Dragonmaster whatsamawhosies, right? Earendil: White Dragon Wings! Kadan seems a bit punchy, as if eager to get his mind on something more objective. Kadan prefers his throat uncut and would prefer to avoid back alleys of a warlock city. Earendil checks all the nooks and crannies of his house to see if there are any silverlights around. GMRune: Earendil finds a lonely Starlight that must've rolled under his bed one night. Earendil uses the starlight. GMRune: Earendil gains 20 mp. Earendil pulls out the Dragon Wings. "Well, if no one else has anything to do, I guess we'll follow Kadan's idea, and head for the Pegasus Shrine." Par: That's fine with me. Kadan nods impatiently. Earendil holds up the Wings and wills the party to the Pegasus Shrine. GMRune: Earendil lifts the Dragon Wings and the party's surroundings shift. The floor becomes white spongy material and the walls give way to marble pillars. You find yourself standing outside the first floor of the Pegasus Shrine. The huge double doors are closed and the area is tranquil, if cold. Par: Shall we head inside? Kadan: Yes. Earendil heads up to the doors. Tarrant walks over to open the door. GMRune: The doors open lightly at your touch, a sharp constrast to the last time you were here. As they swing wide you see the large hall sparkle in welcome. A lone pegasus awaits you at the end of the chamber. It is Tallas, whom you saved from Yegaar's tower. Tallas: I see you have returned, heroes. What brings you here? Kadan: We are... on a quest. Kadan: We have been charged with assembling four artifacts. We have secured two of these, and are in search of the third. Kadan feels a bit funny talking to a horse. Tallas: I understand. What do you need? Earendil: Well, we still need the Black Dragon Armor, but it is safe for now. Kadan: We are trying to locate a relic known as the "Pegasus Feather". Is this... any... feather? Or... is it more than that, do you know? Kadan feels a bit intimidated by the massive steed. Tallas seems to frown and his eyes smoulder slightly with hidden fire. "No, it's not any feather, but we do not have it with us. It has been stolen!" Earendil: By who? The warlocks? Kadan: What exactly is it? Is it a real feather? Tallas: The Pegasus Feather is a scared treasure, an enchanted feather from the first pegasus of Althena's creation. ...And the warlock Yegaar stole it from us. Kadan: Yegaar again? I haven't even met this piece of scum and already I hate him. Kadan: Ayeye said he was nearly invincible... Tallas looks solemnly at the party. "If you recall, 'feather of the pegasus' is one of the things listed in Yegaar's incantion to become a lyche." Earendil: But we need to get that feather. Earendil: We could collect the artifacts of the other tribes first, but by then, Yegaar might become too powerful. Tarrant: Will you help us retake the Feather, Tallas? Kadan: We can't approach Yegaar again without a plan... Tallas shakes his head. "I'm sorry, but Yegaar's use of the Feather has made him imune to attack by any of our tribe. I can help you with neither physical strength nor magic." Kadan: Do you have any information you could help us with? Earendil: We have the power of the dragons and the shadowcats, will that be enough? Tallas: I think... the group of you may be able to defeat Yegaar. He has taken up residence in the town known as Vane. He has subjugated the people there and thrown out all the existing warlocks. Kadan: Then... Kadan: There must be nothing left of House Magus... Earendil: Two of our group are not with us. Kadan: I don't understand Yegaar. I've become accustomed to warlocks being cruel, heartless, and greedy, but not insane like him. Earendil: It seems that the power he craves has corrupted him beyond all measure. Par: Yegaar was thrown out of warlock society some time ago. He's a renegade by the Empire's standards. Kadan: Hmm... Kadan: If Nissa cares anything about the records kept in Vane, then perhaps they'll take care of this problem. We could tail them and recover the Feather. Earendil: Nissa probably took all of them when they overthrew House Magus. Par: They'll probably take on Yegaar once he becomes more of a problem, but I think Nissa's attention is elsewhere right now. Kadan: They still wouldn't just stand idly by while a renegade amassed power, would they? Earendil: Perhaps they don't seem as much as a threat yet. Par shrugs. "I just think Kargeth doesn't want to bother with Yegaar while he's trying to get the Serpent Staff to work." Kadan: The Empire as a whole has been suspicously inactive lately. Earendil: True, if Kargeth can use the staff to open a hole to the Urdian's dimension and release Nissa, then Yegaar would be but a trifle to him. Kadan: Damn. Why do we have to make so many enemies? Kadan: Maybe we can recover the Feather without a confrontation. Earendil: You mean sneak in like when we saved Tallas? Kadan: It probably stands the highest chance of survival. With a magician like Yegaar, it's impossible to predict what would happen should we face him. Tarrant: Yegaar's power is great, he will surely feel our presence. Earendil: True, but what if Yeggar kepts this great artifact on his person, we would have to confront him anyway. Kadan: Tallas, how much do you know of Yegaar's power? Earendil: I think, Kadan, that we can trust Tarrant's estimates of Yegaar's power. Tallas performs something resembling a shrug with his wings. "I know that he is not invincible, though he will certainly be a difficult opponent to face. Yegaar knows a rare spell that allows him to dispel magic barriers and such, which may put a dent in your defenses." Kadan glares annoyedly at Earendil. "I'm just trying to see if there's any specific tricks or traps we should know about, Earendil!" Tarrant: Let me put it this way. Yegaar smashed me with his magic. Kadan: Perhaps... I suppose we outnumber him. Kadan sulks, lacking the determined spirit he usually displays. Earendil: We have outnumbered enemies before but have failed, remember Bane? Kadan seems even more depressed after Earendil's comment. Earendil: There must be another way. Par: I'm open to suggestions. Tarrant: What about the tunnel that runs underneth Vane. GMRune: Par: The Labyrinth? I doubt that's gonna take us to Yegaar... Not unless he's using it as a base. Earendil: That will get us into Vane. Par: Oh, I see what you're getting at... Kadan: Well, I suppose we can start by scoping out Vane. It will be the setting for our mission. We need to find out what kind of hold he has on the city and if anyone else is planning to act against him. Tarrant: Where is that Geint when we need her. We could dress her up like a bird and have her fly over Vane. Par: Well, we might not have Geint... but maybe we could launch a bush into the air? Not Ayeye's bush of course, since it couldn't tell us what it saw, but a person turned into a bush. Earendil: Um, not me. Kadan: Wait... we have those buffalo wing thingies. We could sneak in, find the Feather, and get out immediately. Earendil: White Dragon Wings!!!!!!!! Par: . o (Buffalo wing thingies? O_o What's a buffalo?) Kadan: Same thing. Tarrant: We need a plan.... Earendil: Good idea, but we should still be prepared for the worst if Yegaar has the feather with him. Par: We might try teleporting into Vane like Kadan says though. We could always hope Yegaar won't notice us coming in. Kadan: How much precision aim do you have with those toys? Could we get into the laboratory? Earendil: Not that much Kadan, but maybe if Arzel were to help me. Arzel stays quiet. Kadan: Arzel's transfer magic...? Thanks all the same, I prefer my spleen below my pancreas, where it should be. Earendil: He might be able to help me aim these things better, remember where we ended up in my house? Tarrant: What exactly does this feather do anyway..? Arzel walks over and leans up against a wall, folding his arms into his robes Par: I dunno. But I think we should get moving. Yegaar's likely not letting the people of Vane live easy while we're sitting here debating. Kadan looks at the intricate carvings on his Mask for a moment. "I'm not sure... but it's probably special, just like this." Kadan: Very well. Just try to get us to the border of Vane so we can begin our preliminary reconnaissance. Earendil pulls the dragon wings out. "Okay then, let's go." Tarrant shuts his eyes. Earendil: Where should I aim us to end up? Kadan: City limits, I suppose. And be prepared to make a hasty retreat if necessary. Earendil: Then the border of Vane it shall be. Earendil holds up the Wings. GMRune: The party is enveloped in a familiar flash of light. It fades to reveal the outskirts of southern Vane. The Crystal and Silver Spires rise far to the north at the opposite end of town. Once housing for the Magus warlocks, the Spires now seem dim and decayed. Their luster is gone, and they loom forebodingly over the town below. The buildings of Vane itself also seem to be in a state of decay. Kadan: This place is even more wretched than it was before... Tarrant: Hey this is my hometown buco. Show some respect. Par: Vane was never wretched, not like this... GMRune: You can see people walking about the streets, but they seem little more than zombies, mindlessly shuffling from one place to another, hauling sacks of _something_ everywhere they go. Earendil: Let's get out of sight. GMRune: Vane is located on rather flat land with a short grass layer. There really isn't anyplace to hide rather than in Vane itself. Tarrant: How about we turn into ambushes so we can approach the public.. Earendil: You know, in the state the people are, they probably would notice a bunch of ambushes waddling through town. Tarrant: Hmm. Your probably right. Par: They don't seem to be in much state for noticing much of anything from the way they look now. Kadan: We should try to remain inconpicuous. Kadan tries to stuff his five foot battle axe somewhere. Tarrant: Follow my lead... Par nods. "Okay." Tarrant walks to a nearby shed and grabs a sack and follows the rest the the townspeople. Earendil does as Tar Par shrugs, picks up a sack, and follows Earendil and Tarrant. ~Ayeye does the same. Arzel follows. ~Valina as well. GMRune: As the party shuffles after the train of townspeople they are lead towards the northern end of town. There, in front of the Silver Spire, is a gargantuan pit. The people each stop there, open their sacks, and dump out a foul-smelling brackish powder. They then form another line and begin heading back towards the south. Several skeletons lay on the ground around the pit. Kadan: Gad zukes... what's going on around here? Earendil: Kadan, shhh! GMRune: A voice seems to rise from the bowels of the earth... Voice: Feather of the pegasus, heart from the song... Stars from the magic, hope carried long... Voice: Danger from the heroes, tears of the woodfolk... Essence of the bone, sulfur from the yolk... Voice: Waning of the day, hold the skull up high. Darkness comes the night, death begins to fly. Voice: Reach the hand to necros, soul from hell do filch. Embrace the wither in the heart, and arise the mighty lyche! GMRune: The sound of the voice reaches a fevered pitch then fades altogether. GMRune: The party begins to hear a rattling sound, as of hollow objects striking each other. Kadan rolls his eyes suspiciously. ~Ayeye: Uh... I don't suppose any of you are having flashbacks to the last time we were in Yegaar's place, are you? Arzel? Tarrant? Tarrant feels a chill surging throughout his spine. GMRune: The rattling increases as the bones of the skeletons link themselves together and begin to stand. There are a total of ten of them standing around the pit, and they all turn their attention towards the party. Without hesitation the lot of them begin to march towards you, raising serrated, ancient swords. GMRune: ------round 1------- Tarrant: Uh ohh... Earendil: Grand. GMRune: targets: 10 skeletons (all one row) Kadan grabs his weapon and braces himself. GMRune: Ayeye attacks Skeleton #1! GMRune: attack 1: *critical* 170 damage GMRune: attack 2: *critical* 179 damage GMRune: Kadan attacks Skeleton #1! GMRune: attack 1: miss GMRune: attack 2: 465 damage GMRune: Skeleton #1 collapses into a pile of bones. GMRune: Earendil raises a hand to the sky. He casts Comet Strike! Heavenly beams of light pummel all the Skeletons! Kadan: Wow. These things are real brittle! GMRune: 72 damage to each! GMRune: Valina uses Sonic Stream! She sings a high- pitched tune, matching the resonance of her voice to that which could break bones. GMRune: 67 damage to each! GMRune: Arzel casts Flame Sweep! He gestures and fire erupts about the slow-moving Skeletons! GMRune: 251 damage to each! GMRune: Skeleton #1 stirs and gets back up. Tarrant: Very nice... Earendil: Uh oh, that's not good. Kadan gulps. GMRune: Skeleton #2 attacks Ayeye! GMRune: attack 1: miss GMRune: attack 2: miss GMRune: Skeleton #3 attacks Earendil! Kadan: We'll need to lay each of them low simultaneously to get away from them... GMRune: attack 1: 1 damage GMRune: attack 2: 18 damage GMRune: Skeleton #4 attacks Ayeye! GMRune: attack 1: miss GMRune: attack 2: miss GMRune: Skeleton #5 attacks Earendil! Earendil: That triple combo done by Tarrant, Arzel, and Par might do the trick. GMRune: attack 1: *critical* 178 damage GMRune: attack 2: 11 damage GMRune: Par uses Ice Slivers on all the Skeletons! GMRune: 378 damage! GMRune: Skeletons #2-10 collapse into little piles of bones. GMRune: Tarrant casts Spore Burst! The scent of spring erupts around Skeleton #1! GMRune: 413 damage! GMRune: ------round 2------- GMRune: Ayeye attacks Skeleton #1! GMRune: attack 1: *critical* 155 damage GMRune: attack 2: *critical* 135 damage GMRune: Kadan attacks Skeleton #1! GMRune: attack 1: 490 damage GMRune: Skeleton #1 is reduced to powder! Kadan: Hoo-hah! GMRune: For a while nothing seems to happen. The party appears to have won a victory... GMRune: -------victory?------ Kadan feels a bit uneasy. Tarrant looks around for someone contoling the skeletons.. Earendil: That wasn't quite right, was it? Kadan takes a moment to dismember and powderize the enemy remains. GMRune: The party earns 309 XP, 249 MEXP, and 35 S. Kadan: Choppie choppie! GMRune: Kadan succeeds in dismembering and powdering what remains of the other skeletons. Earendil: Anyway, so much for keeping low. Yegaar must know that we are here now. Kadan: Huaugh! Don't care! I feel like we could take on anything now! Par gets a sweat drop from Kadan's statement and twirls his finger by his head. Earendil nods to Par. Kadan glares back angrily. "Is my enthusiasm and courage being mocked?" Par coughs. "Um, no. Let's just get going before something else happens." Kadan nods and continues. Earendil: Where, though? GMRune: The party is at the base of the Silver Spire. The pit of brackish poweder lies between you and the way in. Kadan: What is this filth? Earendil: Better that we don't know. Kadan looks around and examines his surroundings with a spirited grin on his face. Kadan pats his hands together. "Where to, next? Where was that creepy voice coming from? I can't wait to thrash some warlock hide." Earendil: Kadan, your enthusiasm is admirable, but to put it bluntly . . . stow it. Kadan: What's wrong? I just... feel hummin' today. Kadan quickly turns his head. "What was that?" Earendil: What? Kadan twists his head around, then turns his feet to look behind him. "Where'd... where'd it go?" Earendil: What, Kadan, what? Kadan: You saw it. That little... thing running around. Earendil: I didn't see anything. What about you, ARzel? Kadan: I wish it would come back. Arzel shrugs. Kadan twists himself back towards the tower. "There it is again! Look!" Earendil looks where Kadan is looking. Kadan: Dang. Come back here, you little rascal! Kadan: Hey! Stop giggling! I can't even see you! Arzel wonders if Kadan has gone insane. Earendil starts chuckling as he twirls his finger by his head like Par did. Kadan: What is that little thing? A dust bunny? Kadan: That's a relative of the air bunny, you know. Kadan: There it went! It dove right into the pit! Par insanely wonders just how many bunnies Kadan knows of. Kadan starts jogging down into the dust pit to pursue his target. GMRune: Kadan kicks up a lot of the powder as he does so, and much of it flies up into the air. Earendil keeps chuckling. Earendil tilts his head as if he hears something. Kadan does a diving tackle into the dust pit to try to grab the giggling critter. Earendil: Who is it? Kadan: Ahhh! There's a whole colony of 'em down here! Tee hee hee! Come join the fun! Kadan: They're singing! They're dancing! Kadan: I am the rabbit prince! Come and frolick in the dreamy meadows of my flowery sunlight! Arzel mutters about Kadan going insane. Earendil starts walking around. "Sure I'll play if you show yourself." Kadan closes his eyes and goes into a gracefully executed pirouette. Par: I think it might be something more than that... Do you feel anything... strange yet? Kadan runs around in circles with reckless abandon. "The pits are alive... with the sound of..." Earendil skips into the pit. "Oh there you are." Earendil sits down and starts scooping sand all over. Arzel: I feel a strange presance... yes... damn warriors are easily controled.. Earendil: Hey, you can't do that! Earendil starts throwing sand at seemingly nothing. Kadan: G'ah? Warriors are less intelligent than magicians? What an insult, Kargeth! I'll kill you! Noo... too mean. Here, have a crumpet. Kadan throws a pile of ash at Arzel. Earendil pelts some sand at Par. Par: Gah! What was that for?! Arzel sits down and trys to find out what is controling the warriors. Earendil: Your it, elf boy! Kadan curties to graciously accept the pot of tea from his new friend, the dust bunny. Par begins to crack a silly grin and yells back at Ear. "Am not!" He then begins to chase after nothing in particular. Par dashes down into the pit and kicks a splash of the powder at Earendil. Arzel quickly covers his mouth and nose with a scrap of cloth. Earendil points to Kadan and says to Par, "Let's get that big bully over there." Arzel: Tar, Val... cover your nose and mouth quickly... it's the dust that is doing this GMRune: Tarrant appears to be fine. Ayeye and Valina are dancing with the faeries. Par grins. "Sure!" :D Earendil starts pelts large amounts of dust at Kadan. ~Tarrant covers his nose and mouth. Par begins kicking up the powder at Kadan. Arzel sighs, "Now what am I supposed to do?" Kadan laughs and cheers. Arzel starts to ready a spell. "Show yourself" Kadan: What is it? You don't have enough crumpets? Well, I'll try to make more, but I'm running out of batter here! Earendil looks at nothing and says, "What's wrong?" Voice: Do you my game, little mage? Kadan: You better like those crumpets, or smack ye on the noggin with me crumpet pan I will! Earendil: We were having so much fun, don't look sad. Arzel looks around. "Quite entertaining Yegaar." Kadan: Oh yeah, bunnies! Let's see some disco dancin' fever! Earendil sits down and starts playing with the dust. "Come on, let's make a sand castle." Arzel: Must take a lot of power to control the weak minded Yegaar: Hmph. I admit it's a crude test, but efficient enough. A test doesn't need to be powerful or cunning, merely efficient. Kadan: Weak minded? Seriously, Prudence, I must take offense! I would expect this sort of banter at the Chestershire Estate, but in your home? Good gracious! Earendil raspberries at Arzel. Arzel: What is this test supposed to accomplish? Yegaar: What I want, that is enough for you to know. I'd wager you already know something of its purpose yourself. Yegaar: But regardless, I think now would be an excellent time to destroy your friends, while they're having soooo much fun. Don't you think? Kadan: The rabbit prince does not fear death! Yegaar's wispy, inhuman voice, cackles. Kadan brandishes his axe. Kadan: Well, at least that's what my father, the rabbit king, told me to say. Death... I am a bit put off by it, truth be told. GMRune: A globe of dark energy begins to form on the peak of the Silver Spire. Earendil: You're making my friend here sad, go away! Arzel curses stand up, grabs Tar and runs for it Yegaar: We shall see. No living creature, can escape death's tenacious claws! Arzel: You've killed us before Yegaar, we shall only return again GMRune: Arzel and Tarrant begin to run... As they do, the globe on the tower fires, sending deadly rays down at the people below... GMRune: --------end session-------