Order of the Dark Flame (Story, No Spam)

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Wed Jul 18, 2001 5:42 pm

Dragon Wench caught up with T'lainya. She was pleased to see the interest developing between Dark Poet and this half-elf. Then quietly she told T'lainya about her sense of foreboding, the unnaturally long shadows, the terrified rabbit.

T'lainya · Post by **T'lainya** » Wed Jul 18, 2001 6:12 pm

T’lainya listened gravely to Dragonwenchs concerns. She concentrated deeply on her surroundings, sensing the faintest taint of evil. It seemed to have soaked into the whole area, not emanating from any specific source. She quietly talked with Dw and cast farsight. She turned her attention to the northeast, frowning as she saw the area. The shadows in the area were deep and twisted, giving the impression of malformed people and animals watching. The priestess shivered and told Dw what the spell had shown her. She thought for a moment and began a mental list of spells that might help.

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Wed Jul 18, 2001 6:21 pm

Dragon Wench frowned, and she felt her stomach lurch at the familiarity of the place T'lainya had described. The Shadow Master's taint was too apparent to ignore. Briefly she told T'lainya about her previous encounters, and her fears that they could be facing a difficult battle. She also suspected, that their adversary would elude them once more. She knew, however, that this time she would not rush madly into battle, half-crazed with her desire for vengeance, rather she would stay slightly away from the fray and calmly launch spells.

OOC, not sure where we're going here, so let me know if I need to edit.

T'lainya · Post by **T'lainya** » Wed Jul 18, 2001 6:27 pm

(OOC: I don't know either

)

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Wed Jul 18, 2001 6:40 pm

OOC: If nobody minds I'm going to take the intiative and begin an approach to battle, let me know if this is ok.

After several hours the group found themselves in an area that matched T'lainya's vision. Slime coated vines draped themselves over the twisted trees. Foetid vapours arose from a hollow in the ground.

Just as they were surveying the utter darkness of the scene before them an unearthly scream shattered the surrounding heavy stillness.
From behind a long dead oak, a wraith-like form began to loom over them, gurgling in delighted anticipation.

scully1 · Post by **scully1** » Wed Jul 18, 2001 6:49 pm

{OOC: It's the Jabberwock!! Oh -- err, no, it isn't, either...oh well, carry on

}

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Wed Jul 18, 2001 7:00 pm

Gawlchmai and T'lainya hastily cast protectection from evil. The shadow, red eyes blazing in a sallow face, cackled with glee.

"Come my puppets.......it has been long.... too long......Amorphia grows hungry."

Then more forms gathered, and they began a hypnotic chant. The monotonous beats were periodically broken by a wailing crescendo. The very earth shuddered beneath them, and what had been a hollow in the ground suddenly yawned open. From it emerged a pulsating purple orb.

[ 07-18-2001: Message edited by: dragon wench ]

KramoR · Post by **KramoR** » Wed Jul 18, 2001 8:21 pm

Kramor gets of his horse, walking by Gwally. "You think, it would make a good glaze?" Kramor slowly moves forward, watching the blob. He takes out a vial of acid, out of his pack. At this point, Kramor wished he had a tower shield. He poured the acid on the blob, it bubbled and died. Turning and smiling at Dw, Gwally and T'lainya. "See piece of cake, this should be a bree........." He didn't like the looks on their faces.

[ 07-18-2001: Message edited by: KramoR ]

Brink · Post by **Brink** » Thu Jul 19, 2001 2:49 am

{OOC:Hmm, can I reintroduce my long abandoned ranger(the one that 'disappeared' after a brief entry at the beginning of the previous thread

) into the story?

I haven't read the whole thread though }

Vivien · Post by **Vivien** » Thu Jul 19, 2001 7:18 am

Vivien had finally caught up, in time to see Kramor destroying some sort of blob. She quickly climbed down, giving the horse a pat on the side, which caused it to just breath on her face. With a slight cough she joined the rest of the group,seeing Dragon Wench, Kramor and Gwalchmai all staring at something.
She smiled at Jennabard, Georgi and Loner as they came to stand beside her, and wondered why everyone looked so serious. It was then that she saw the creatures which seemed to outnumber them three to one.
"Geez, couldnt' they send some normal things against us? But, no, it's always undead, or wraiths, or oozeballs, or just plain ugly. Let's get this over." She muttered while casting her first spell, chain lightening.

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Thu Jul 19, 2001 8:28 am

{OOC@Brink, obviously, I'm not sure what the others think, but I don't see why not, I would recommend taking a few hours and reading the thread from the beginning though

}

IC: Given the large number of foes confronting them, Dragon Wench focused on summoning some help. After a few moments several nasty spiders appeared, followed by a large wyvern. As the conjured creatures distracted the wraiths and other undead she let forth a multi-hued prismatic spray, whereupon several of their enemies struck the ground, screaching hideously. But the large, grinning form, Amorphia, seemed impervious to all their attacks. Thick, gelatinous secretions oozed from what seemed to be jaws and cacaphonic laughter accompanied its lurching dance.

thantor3 · Post by **thantor3** » Thu Jul 19, 2001 9:03 am

In the morning, the orcs approached Thantor's cell with the gruel and moldy bread that was to be his meal. They found him curled up in the corner, apparently asleep. "Look," laughed the one holding his food, "he's praying!" And indeed it looked as if Thantor had fallen asleep while beseeching an unseen god. His hand were together in prayer position, but pointed downward, toward the pool of water in the corner of his cell. "He'd better pray that the master will let him live another day," said the other. As he heard them talking, Thantor started, then began to cry out in a quavering voice. "No... no more. I can't take anymore... please don't hurt me."

The two orcs looked at each other and grinned. One of the orcs grabbed his set of keys and opened the cell door. They had failed to notice that Thantor's hands were now encased in a sheen of crystal, a product of the mineral water dripping on them all through the night. A lethal five inch crystal stalagmite, extending from his fingertips, had been submerged under the water as soon as Thantor had heard them enter the cell area. The orcs came up to him, gleeful at his fear and intent on bullying him further. The one holding his food still carried the mark of Thantor's mace on his chest and he was looking forward to some payback. "Are we scaring you..." was all the first orc was able to say before Thantor drove the crystal spike into his throat. He died on his knees, gurgling helplessly. Thantor quickly rose, pivoting so his back faced the second orc, and bracing his foot against the cell wall, thrust them both against the cell bars. Thantor then slammed the back of his head into the orc's nose, spun, and drove the crystal spike through the orc's left eye and into its brain. His arms followed the orc's head as it slumped to the floor. "An eye for an eye," gritted Thantor, jerking his hand in a snapping action that left the spike impaled in the orc's face. He smashed his still bonded hands against the wall of the cell, freeing them. Then he searched the bodies, stripping them of keys, two magic missile spells, daggers, and swords. He couldn't use either the spells or the weapons, but he was hoping he would meet up with someone who could. Then he left to find Anomen. If he was still alive.

Gwalchmai · Post by **Gwalchmai** » Thu Jul 19, 2001 9:20 am

Originally posted by dragon wench:
<STRONG>{OOC@Brink, obviously, I'm not sure what the others think, but I don't see why not, I would recommend taking a few hours and reading the thread from the beginning though ]</STRONG>

[OOC: Good Lord, No! Noone should be forced to read this entire thread! Its 31 pages! Are you nuts, DW?

Er, I mean, I would like to respectfully voice my disagreement with my esteemed colleague.

If a new character wishes to join the fun, that character may not be expected to know everything that had taken place before. So, a touch of verisimilitude would not be out of order.]

[ 07-19-2001: Message edited by: Gwalchmai ]

T'lainya · Post by **T'lainya** » Thu Jul 19, 2001 9:31 am

T’lainya quickly cast False Dawn. The rosy light pierced the gloom, causing howls of pain and outrage from the wraiths. She instinctively knew she would have difficulty turning the undead here. The evil that permeated the area gave them strength to resist. During the moment of confusion the spell had wrought, she cast Chant and Strength of One over the allies. She then drew her flail and went to guard Darkpoets back. As a wraith started towards her, she swung the weapon. The heavy spiked ball smashed through the spectral flesh, scattering the essence. T’lainya nodded in satisfaction and turned her attention to the others, quickly making sure no one was injured or overwhelmed by the enemy.

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Thu Jul 19, 2001 10:47 am

{OOC@Gwalchmai, well it wouldn't be the first time I've been accused of lunacy

. Actually, it did occur to me after posting, that reading all that would be cruel and unusual punishment, no doubt there are rules in the Geneva Convention about that. I thought about editing and then got absorbed in ToB}

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Thu Jul 19, 2001 11:01 am

Dragon Wench had been relentlessly casting spells at the laughing Amorphia, all to no avail. The creature continued to ooze vivid green muck as it danced and floated around them. One tentacle slithered over to Gwalchmai's shoulder, caressing him fondly.

In desperation, Dragon Wench readied her sword, and then plunged it into an eye. Amorphia squealed in pain. Realising now that the beast was immune to magic, she repeatedly drove her weapon into the amorphous shape. Meanwhile, Loner and Georgi entered the fray, each brandishing their chosen weapons.

Gwalchmai · Post by **Gwalchmai** » Thu Jul 19, 2001 11:34 am

[OOC: Put this just before DW's last post, thanks.]
IC:
As Kramor ran to aid the others in dispatching the vile creatures that threatened to overrun the group, the gelatinous goo that Kramor had so easily dispatched began to reform. Gwalchmai was surprised to feel a slashing pain across his back, and turned to find that the purplish mass had formed itself into the shape of a tall warrior, complete with dark green armor and a long-handled axe that dripped slime and disease. Gwalchmai could feel the disease in his wound, causing sharp stabs of pain that were just distracting enough to prevent him from casting any spells or summoning a spirit animal to help. He would have to face this creature in hand to hand combat if he were to prevent it from attacking the backs of his comrades.

He swung his staff in arc that impacted the slow moving creature in the chest, but instead of causing any damage, the staff was caught in the viscous ooze. Obviously, normal weapons would not affect the foul beast. Gwalchmai un-slung his semi-sentient ‘Louisville Slugger’ club, and proceeded to wail on the creature.

The creature aimed its axe for Gwalchmai’s head, but he side-stepped, and smashed his club into the fore-arm that held the axe. The creature’s arm disintegrated into globules of green slime, and the axe fell to the ground and dissolved into a puddle. “The Fat Lady is singin’ for you today, buddy!” the club said. A blow from the creature’s other fist nearly sent Gwalchmai to the ground, but he recovered and aimed a blow directly into the chest of the beast, sending it reeling backward, “I call that a brush-back pitch!” the club taunted. “This one I call ‘low and inside’,” the club yelled as Gwalchmai swept a blow up into the creature’s groin. It was looking visibly mis-shaped and dented now, under the barrage of blows Gwalchmai and the club dealt. Gwalchmai adjusted his stance, positioned the club over his shoulder, stepped into his final swing, and struck. The creature exploded in a rain of purple and green blobs. “Yer out!” the club shouted.

“It ain’t over ‘till its over,” Gwalchmai thought as he saw the beast slowly begin to re-form. By this time, the disease had run enough of its course for him to focus on directing a Flame-Strike on the beast, its viscous puddles sizzling and evaporating into oblivion. “Today, I am the luckiest club alive,” the club said. Gwalchmai collapsed to the ground, exhausted from the fight and the disease, and worked to cast Cure Disease on himself.

[ 07-19-2001: Message edited by: Gwalchmai ]

Darkpoet · Post by **Darkpoet** » Thu Jul 19, 2001 11:47 am

Darkpoet, crossed his swords, at the neck of the wraith. Not watching the head roll into the bushes, he went on to his next target. Dp moved over to cover Gwally, while he healed himself. Dp, kept his eye on T'lainya and the others, cutting down a zombie. Kramor, moved closer to Gwally, the used him as a rally point, also to protect him. Dp kneeled down, and tried to heal Gwally as much as he could. With out tiring himself, threw one of his swords at a wraith, charging DW. Dp, moved forward cutting down another wraith, that T'lainya had ducked under it's swing.

[ 07-19-2001: Message edited by: Darkpoet ]

T'lainya · Post by **T'lainya** » Thu Jul 19, 2001 12:00 pm

T’lainya watched as the fighters attacked the gelatinous mass. She cast a quick cure wounds spell on Gwalchmai. Then she cast a glyph of Warding around him, to protect him further. The priestess then cast Defensive Harmony over the group. She quietly cast Bless on Dp, impressed with his swordsmanship. She raised her flail once more and went back to removing the undead from this plane of existence. The weapon made contact with another wraith, crackling with blue energy, it shot sparks as it hit the monster.

Darkpoet · Post by **Darkpoet** » Thu Jul 19, 2001 12:33 pm

As the fighting slow down, glancing around to check on the others. Dp stopped to watch T'lainya, "graceful", he thought to himself. He turned, just to see a mace, slash before his face. Georgi, hacked the skeleton down. She turn to look at Dp with a grin, then whispered, "Pay attention will you." Dp smiled at Georgi, then pulled her out of the way. Stabbing a wraith in the chest.