Dragons and Magic II: The Hunt for DreamWeaver

[Mantra]

Eva'se

"So shall we commence our second part of business?"

With only a hint of a smile, the woman rolled up the parchment and stood before toddering into the back room. There was the sound of things being moved about now and then and finally she reappeared with a small basket.

"The spell is not complex and shall work for whichever being you wish to summon. If you wish to call forth a Dealer of Light, then use the white candles and burn frankensence. If you wish a Dealer of Darkness, then the black candles and sulpher."

"Whatever you choose, you must do so well away from here. There is enough happening within this city without calling of an extraplanar creature and I will have no part in your dealing. There is enough here for one summoning and one alone. You will have no need of a second, for once you have concluded you will either have your prize...or you will no longer have need of anything this mortal world can provide."

She sat back down in her chair, eyes downcast. "Go now, I am weary."

 

[Mantra]

Draken and Co.

The Doomsayer was subdued easilly enough, bound, gagged, knocken into unconsious and left strapped to Silver's back as the trio moved out towards the distant settlement. They had left the human city behind and had already entered the edge of the woodlands before the captive began to stir again, listing sloppily against Silver, but unable to really correct himself.

Aside from a few groans of pain, the doomsayer did not do or say much, not that he really could anyway, but Tiana often felt her skin tingle and realized that the crazy man often watched her intently, curiously and his eyes seemed to covet her, both admiringly and at times with more...suggestiveness.

All the while they traveled and the land about them was still.

 

[Mantra]

Idrial and Co.

As the pack of animated elves pressed down upon her, Idrial swung her long dagger up to block at a clawed hand. The wicked blade severed the hand at the wrist, sending it flying back into the cavern and the ranger maiden's reverse blow left a wide slash from shoulder to hip on the zombie's torso and it staggered back. Idrial stabbed out, piercing a second elf through the chest and skewering a lung, but the elf simply shrugged off a would which surely would have been mortal, if the elf still had been. Now the undead host mobbed against her, grabbing, groping, pulling and tearing at her being. One of the elves wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned forward against Idrial's bosom. Once perhaps lewd and lecherous but now represented mortal peril as teeth scraped and gnawed against the leather armor in search of warm flesh and blood....

O'Bonn's consiousness reached out, feeling and working to control the magic around him, his mind calm even as the barrier strove to crush the life from him. He whispered words which flowed from his mind to his lips and with a flicker of light, the barrier simply unraveled, dropping the elf prince to the floor....

Ona, alight with her flaming shield winced as the green sword crashed against her enchantment, thundering like a hammer blow but thankfully, not penatrating the shield. From around the edge she caught a glimpse of the Corpse King still chanting upon the dias above them. A bright blue flicker seeming to gather at his hand as he chanted. Collecting her thoughts, Ona coalessed her shield into a flaming ball and hurled it up at the king.

The ball roared upwards like a comet, just as the Corpse King hurled down a flickering blue sphere, crackling and glittering like a shooting star. The two spells collided mid-way between the two combatants, exploding into a shower of flickering blue sparks and swirling red embers which highlighted the cavern in bizarre strobelights and flashes for a moment. The king hissed as he raised one arm to shield his eyes from the flashes only to begin chanting yet another spell.

Ona had no time to consider a follow up attack as she snatched her arms back to her sides as the flash of green attempted to sever both limbs as they were outstreched. Ona leapt backwards as the magic blade whirled up and slashed around at her, leaving a shallow but stinging cut along her midsection as she backed away.....

 

[Bladesman]

Draken set a hard pace, so that they travelled nearly thirty miles by nightfall. Reining in the horse on a hill above the the frontier town bordering the moon elves realm, he nodded. "We'll rest here for the night, tomorrow we will buy supplies there and proceed into the elven realm. I would advise you to get as much sleep as you can tonight, once we enter then elven realm, we wont be sleeping much."

He dismounted from the horse and helped Tiana to the ground, then removed a small pouch from one of the saddle bags. He removed from it a tiny wooden stool. He set it on the ground and spoke a word of ancient high Drow and the stool turned into a full laid table with three chairs, full of food and drink. "Eat and drink for this spell last but for an hour."

With those words, Draken too a seat at the table and began to eat. He trusted the others to be smart and take part in the meal, otherwise they could not and then they would be hungry afterwards. As for the doom sayer, a day or two without food might smarten him up some. When the hour had passed, the stool shrank to the size it had started from and he tucked it away once more. Next he removed the saddle from the stallion and staked it out so that it could feed on the grass that was around it and drink in the stream that flowed down to the frontier town.

Once everything had been taken care of, he set about opening a dimension door to communicate with the archwizard. A moment later the wizard stepped through the portal. The wizard bowed to Draken and sneered at doomsayer and Silver, before pausing to look at Tiana with interest. He looked back at Draken who nodded and moved his fingers in the silent language of the drow.

A nod from the wizard who stepped back through the gate and disappeared. The gate closed as the wizard disappeared, leaving Draken to think about what the wizard had informed him about the ancient wards and spells that he would soon meet.

 

[AmenRa]

O'Bonn

Released from the invisible wall of overpressure, the High Warrior took a brief moment to survey the scene unfolding before him. Now, unhindered by the crushing weight of magic upon his chest, he could move and calculate freely.

O'Bonn knew that his magic was not strong enough to alone fight the unholy horde of undead that threatened them. His magic was simple, elemental magic, and although it was able to dissipate the spell that held him against the wall, he doubted it would be enough to attack the King of Worms and his minions.

O'Bonn watched as the once-elves assaulted Idrial.

They longed for the taste of blood.

And so blood they shall have.

O'Bonn brought Talon, the reverse-curving scimitar given to him by the Dragons, to lay against his open palm. The Elven prince then drew the blade across his skin, wincing and gritting his teeth as the razor edge cut into his palm. Blood welled up in the cut, and blood coated Talon's edge.

O'Bonn noticed Talon glowing brightly now, but he held his palm open and out in front of him so that the smell of his fresh blood would reach the undead noses of those horrible things.

Talon began to glow even brighter, and it began to hum, an audible buzz that the sword emitted after having tasted the blood of the High Warrior.

The sword was alive inasmuch as O'Bonn's blood had awakened it from a long sleep. The blood of an Elf, an ancient blood itself, that carried with it all the knowledge passed down from ages and ages, and the memories of those. One such memory was the day an alliance of all creatures was sealed under the watchful eyes of Thorn herself.

"Come!" O'Bonn shouted for the undead to hear, "Come and feast upon the blood of Dragons!"

The High Warrior lept high into the air, Talon's blade outstretched before him, descending into the fray between Ona and Idrial.

 

[DvsV]

"Go now, I am weary."

With a bow Eva'se left the presence of the being that had offered him both a choice to gain what he wanted, and a revival from death should he fail. Eva'se made his way to the southern edge of the city and then went south west for half a day before setting himself down and placing safeguards around his camp. Before Eva'se begins casting the summoning of a dark dealer of souls he takes one last look at his surroundings. Then with a sigh he initiated the spell and waited for the sulphar to fade away. As he waits he looks to the candles and finds, to his horror, that he had used the white rather than the dark, and he began reciting any and all spells he knew that might turn the chaos he had possibly caused to turn to his favor.

Out of the sulphuric haze a figure becomes visible that....

 

[LittleSprite2]

The blood caught some of the dead elves attention and they paused for a moment in there attack long enough for Idrial to break free aiming her attacks to sever heads and limbs from bodies. Some of the dead ones turned from her and begain moving to O'Bonn as he joined the fray and they continued there fight.

On some lvl she was aware of Ona's magical battle with the Necromancer for which she was glad for as long as he was focused on fighting Ona they had a chance to fight there way threw and to reach him, so long as he beleived his undead could keep them at bay..

 

[Mantra]

Drakon and Co.

The ArchMage looked back towards the motley gathering as they milled about, clueless.

"I cannot be certain Master." the drow mage began. "The surfacers employ many powers that are unfamiliar to me, but I can tell that a great great power is rising throughout the land. Even the priests in Underdark have felt it. The place where we have long believed some of our hated feud-kin lay, the Moon elves, lies shattered and broken. Their magics splintered and wasted."

"Still I feel a lingering of blood power hiding in the trees. Lessened, weakened yes, but not broken. Follow the rising moon for a night and you shall encounter their wards, more than this I can not tell save that they are few to have assembles such weak defenses. I also offer a warning, while the Moon Elves are broken, I still feel the wreched presense of the High Elves. Their power is also threatened but still holds dominance over these surface trees."

His report finished, the archmage bowed low preparing to depart, yet before he did, he glared back towards Silver and the others.

"Master, why do you consort above ground with these lessers? Your city misses your guidance. The House Matricarchs grow restless without your 'leadership' to direct them."

Which all sounded well and fine, but the Drow cities of Underdark were trecherous and fickle things as Drakon well knew. Usually led by the strongest of females, the ruling Houses already resented Drakon, a male, for taking power. Added to the fact that weakness was simply not tollerated, the Houses were always plotting, planning and manouvering about one another. Should Drakon himself also show weakness, or absense for too long, the Houses might unite to depose him, then fight among each other for the throne.

 

[Mantra]

Eva'se

It was a complex ritual, this summoning of a Dealer. The actual summoning circle was drawn on a clear patch on the ground, nearl ten feet in diameter and outlined with many symbols and runes which were shown on the scroll Eva'se had gained. Next was his own protective circle, likewise surrounded with wards. Then the candles were placed, seven of them at specific points about the larger sphere. The candles were lit and Eva'se stepped into his own circle and lit the bowl holding the sulpher. Imeadiatly the pungent yellow smoke began to rise, floating up and over the summoning area, seemingly drawn to the points of flame.

With a final look at the scroll, the elf spoke aloud the words of magic, of calling to the being he sought. The smokey haze seemed to thicken as a nearly silent buzz began to fill his ears. A subtle pressure pressed against his ears as the reek of sulpher filled his nose. There was a flicker, a whisp of movement just above the center of the summoning circle. The flicker gave way to a roiling ball of energy, flashing from light to dark and back. The ball grew into an orb and grew still into a sphere. A rumble became audiable, like a strong wind blowing through a narrow space, but no torrent of wind assailed Eva'se, in fact, the hazy yellow smoke seemed to cling to the flames, smouldering the light atop the white candles.

WHITE candles?!?! Aw, DAMNIT!!!

Eva'se suddenly realized his error as he recognized what was happening, the light and the dark, each only partly summoned by so similar a spell, were colliding together in this tiny little piece of time and space.

The sphere continued to grow until a ten foot ball of boiling contradiction flashed and billowed before him. The sound of a hurricane deafening everything else as the two opposites battled each other, confined to the summoning circle. Flashes of silvery light were swallowed by clouds of blackness, which in turn were banished by the light again and so on in a spectacular light show until finally, each element, only half controlled and with neither having dominance over the other, suddenly shrank and vanished into silent nothingness.

Eva'se sat in his own circle for a moment, taking in what had just happened. With each ritual only having half its required materials, the spell had simply, if not specatuarilly, failed.

Now with the black candles and frakensence still intact, he was left with two halfs of an incompatable whole. Neither ritual would work unless he could regain suitable replacement reagents to try again.

The silence of the night was broken by a long string of elvish curses.

 

[Mantra]

Idrial and Co.

With an elvish war cry, O'Bonn leapt down and into the fray, attempting to distract and relieve Idrial from the mass of zombies that threatened her. The first zombie that turned towards the High Warrior, the same shambler that had lost a hand to Idrial's long dagger, looked up only to be slashed from shoulder to hip by Talon's blade. The elf, did not hesitate, but simply sped onto his next target, ignoring the zombie as it toppled to the floor in two seperate places. The second zombie faired no better as O'Bonn's charge brough Talon around in a mighty arc. This time the undead elf managed to bring up its arms in a mock attempt to engage the High Warrior, only to have the heavy edge of the reverse-curving scimitar sever one arm miliseconds before sweeping the fair, silver-haired head from its shoulders.

Idrial too, took advantage of O'Bonn's charge to break away from the press of zombies. Slashing and hacking with her wicked dagger, she scorred several hits, damaging the necrotic flesh of the shamblers. At one point one of the creatures latched onto her free arm, leaning forward to bite but instead only received the blade of Idrial's dagger as she stabbed upwards through the open mouth and into the brain. The shambler dropped like a stone, twitching but not rising again.

Ona faired less well against her disembodied opponent. She had conjured another flaming shield, but the glowing sword hammered, slashed and stabbed at her unmercifully, forcing her to keep her guard up but also forcing her back away from the others and farther into the cavern.

Suddenly O'Bonn felt the back of his left shoulder flare with firey pain, a second blow reverberated through his back as whatever struck him scraped along his armor as the metal deflected whatever had struck him. The High Warrior had misjudged the speed and craftiness of the two yet uncommitted zombie warriors. As O'Bonn had laid waste to their lesser bretheren, the two zombies had chosen that moment to attack, striking at O'Bonn's back where his armor was thinest and vunerable.
The High Elf swung around, bringing Talon to bear and smote the closest a heavy blow to the buckered arm with enough force to break bones. There was a heavy *clang* as the sword skittered across the buckler's face, scraping away the grime and tarnish to show hints of silvery metal beneath. A metal O'Bonn's educated eyes identified as mithril.

The battle continued, three of the zombies had beed destroyed and the other three were damaged to some degree or another, but those three still pressed on towards Idrial as O'Bonn turned to face the greater danger of the two zombie warriors. Ona was holding onto a thin stalemate against the enchanted sword, but how long could the living woman last against the magical creation? There was a dull pulse in the air as it reverberated throughout the cavern, a rythmic thud underlying the corpse-king's chanting as he held his arms outstreched, holding his glowing staff high, With a final arcane note. he brough the staffbutt down, striking the dias at his feet....

...and suddenly, the entire party was engulfed in an inky blackness which blotted out all light.

 

[LittleSprite2]

Idrial resisted the urge to look around at her fellow companions as she prepaired herself for the next 3 zombies to come for her a dangerous and determend light in her eyes. She could still hear the others fighting and so knew that for now they were still alive.

She kept her full attention on the three infrnont of her intending to give O'Bonn aid next as he was the closest to her when she was done.. Noting the mages movement as he raised his stalf Idrial rushed twords the three zombies striking the first and taking note of where the others were located...

She didnt know what spell the mage was using but what ever it was she didnt want to be trying to dodge it and fight at the same time.. then every thing went dark.. for a split second Idrial chest tightened with fear for there lives but let it go because hesatation could get her killed..

she listened for the sounds of shuffling feet and cloth near her using sound if there were any and feel as she kept her blade out as well as the memory of where she had last seen her oponants to strike. If she did not find them soon her only corse would be to try and make her way out of the darkness and into some sort of light so she could see to continue the fight

 

[Bladesman]

"I consort with them to better understand our enemy. Do not tell me you have forgotten the lessons from our father behind our mother's back those many years ago. Do not worry though, I will not be much longer on the surface. Tell the Draguard it is time to assemble. Alert the agents in each of the major houses to begin shapening their daggers. For soon, those blades will be bathed in the blood of the matrons and any that side with them.

As for the Matron that is stirring the other's up, she is mine to deal with, as she has been from the beginning when she tried to kill me while I was her consort. However, until I return keep the fist of Iron ready and keep an eye on the girl that is with the construct. Something goes on in her mind that I can not read."

The mage nodded and disappeared into the portal once more, leaving Draken with Silver, Tiana and the madman. He looked at the three of them and then moved away, placing his back against a large piece of black marble and unsheathed one of his scimitars and laying it on his chest as he slid into a light Rereive though the gods help anyone that tried to attack him in that state.

 

[DvsV]

Out of the sulphuric haze a figure becomes visible that....

The silence of the night was broken by a long string of elvish curses.

Out of the sulphuric haze a figure becomes visible that falls to its knees in despair. Eva'se was racked with incomprehensible anger and regret at the havoc such a simple mistake had caused of him, not to mention the cost to both him and his damned sister's soul.

Eva'se struggles to his feet slowly, still weighed down immensly by the shock and pain he had caused himself. Collecting the remaining materials, half of the dark summons and half of the light summons, he tossed it all into a napsack before shrinking the bag down to the size of a tissue.

With the agility and stealth of a tiger, Eva'se left the summoning site and began his treck through to the next city, hoping he could find at least some materials to recreate the spell. At this stage Eva'se cared not which one he used, as long as he got one of them working.

Following the dim shadows of light in the distant that seemed to glow a dull red, Eva'se silently continued on, dodging patrols every other hour, he made it to the outskirts of the next macor town before setting camp high in the trees. Leaving little evidence the land had even been disturbed below.

 

[AmenRa]

O'Bonn

Pain flared through the High Warrior's shoulder. He ignored it, and pressed on to bring his scimitar Talon to break the abomination apart.

But the strike only reflected off armor. O'Bonn looked hard, noticing this zombie he battled wore armore crafted of Mithril.

Interesting, and revealing. This zombie was obviously old Elf, for Mithril was hard to come by, but in the olden days, its forgings and wearing was highly common.

And then.

Everything went black.

Darkness. Impenetrable darkness.

O'Bonn crouched low, Talon at the ready, and he closed his eyes.

Closing his eyes was a moot point, for he could see nothing anyway. But, this gave him the space needed to concentrate, to focus. He shut everything out, sounds, smells, and feelings. And then, he found what he was looking for.

Idrial and Ona he saw in his mind's eye. Two bright spots in a blackened tapestry; orbs of light where light did not shine.

And he also saw blackness. Blacker than even black, darker than even the darkness that closed arond him. These spots he recognized as the undead warriors that threatened to consume them all.

"Idrial!" O'Bonn shouted, "reach out with your mind! Feel them! Feel their darkness and strike!"

And then, O'Bonn's blade lashed out, and the satisfying sound of a lifeless head being cleaved from it's neck plopped throughout the chamber.

 

[wolfknight20]

silver decided to take a page from the drows book and get a bit of rest

 

[LittleSprite2]

Idrial heard O'Bonn's call but could not do as he had done, she was only half elf, not full blooded she could fight and use herbs to heal or a magical item of some kind if it were hers to use but to actually see in her minds eye as O'Bonn was instructing was not in her list of abilitys or skills. Some times being part human had its disadvantages...

She found one of the 3 she had been facing before the darkness came cutting him down from memory of where she had seen him last, but paused now wepon ready listining intently because the others would have had time to move and she knew not where they were now.. seeking her or another? or were they too blind in this darkenss and just as unable to find them..

 

[Wolfsister]

Tiana wasn't sure what to make of things anymore. At first it all seemed just something to do, something to fill her time. The drow was fascinating, yes, but things were getting confusing and she wasn't sure she wanted to be here. It was hard though, because she had no other place to go. Watching her companions with the ever present running commentary in her head, she kept silent and followed the other two examples. Before she lay her head down to rest though, she took out a few daggers and experimentally flicked them around in her fingers.

The drow could teach her things, she knew. But she was starting to doubt just what she wanted to be taught in the first place.

 

[Dracona]

Ona drew breath in a soft hiss as the magical darkness ate all light in the cavern. In her mind she knew that her shield still burned brightly and the barrier she had blocked the tunnel with still gave off it's flickering light, and yet her eyes saw nothing. For a split second an almost primal fear gripped her heart, for all people on some level fear the dark, but on the heels of that fear came the memory of long ago training. Being a child, in darkness so thick she could see nothing, and hearing the voice of her teacher floating softly to her.

'You have other senses, use them. Sight is but one and often unreliable. Hear your enemy, feel the air shift with their movement, smell them...all of this can be used against an opponent."

Ona closed her useless eyes and forced her body to go still, her breathing to quiet. She heard the swish of air and automatically brought her shield up to block the sword's attack. The force of the blow drove her backward several steps. She opened her mind to feel the space around her, inhaling deeply taking the foul air into her lungs. A faint rustle of cloth tickled her hearing, a soft murmur in a language she did not understand but knew was full of evil intent. There was a moment of realization that the sword was driving her closer to the corpse king himself, then she felt the air move and heard the swish of another strike coming her way. She barely had time to raise her shield, the force of the blow driving her back and down to her knees.

Her free hand shot out to brace herself as she fell. She felt the smooth stone sloping upward and knew she was a the base of the dias and above her, somewhere in the darkness but far too close, stood the corpse king.

 

[Mantra]

Idrial and Co.

Trusting his instincts and training, the elf prince whirled and slashed out, feeling and hearing the satisfying rend of necrotic flesh, followed by the clatter of metal on stone as the zombie fell. Still he had no time to celibrate as the second dead warrior crossed blades with him in the darkness.

Idrial too, had a moment of success as her strike was true, felling yet another undead elf, but the battle was far from over.

The zombies, being undead, did not rely on their mortal senses as the living did. Even though their eyes too were darkened, the malevolent energy animating their remains had no need for eyesight. Somewhere within their rotting brains and festering hearts, they could feel the warmth of the living and hear their still-beating hearts. With their unending lust only to quench and consume the energy of the living, the zombies were unrelenting. Cold fingers gripped Idrial's left wrist in the darkness and pulled. Idrial imeadiatly reacted, plunging her dagger down and ramming it into an invisible body, but at nearly the same time, she felt fire race up her arm as blunted teeth bit down on her captured hand.

O'Bonn too, raged against an invisible opponent in the darkness. The final zombie warrior was indeed a much more dangerous opponent, for the thing still posessed the agility and sword skill it had once posessed in life. The sort sword whisked and slashed in the dark, seeking O'Bonn's blood and the mithril buckler, forged with the skill and expertise of legendary craftmanship, was strong enough to withstand even Talon's enchanted edge for a time.

Ona staggered as a thin flicker of green appeared a split second before there was another mighty crash as the sword struck her barrier. The hammering blow sent Ona staggering as a second blow struck. She staggered back again, feeling the sloping stone of the dias beneath her. She rolled away quickly, hearing the sound of the pursuing sword strike stone at the point where she had been just a second ago. There was another swish as the sword swung in a wide arc, but Ona continued to move, effectively dodging the blade. Her ears heard the continued swishing and slashing through the darkness but Ona sensed that the blade was not really pursuing, but hacking blindly through empty air.... It seemed that this magic sword needed to 'see' what it was fighting as well.....

As each of the heroes faced their respective challenges, the chanting from above ended. There was a multitude of scraping sounds in the distance, then a caucaphany of disjointed sounds, the sound of stone clashing against stone, the plink of metal , the rattle of tile, all seeingly being jumbled around together in a swirling continuation of noise from somewhere above them all. A new series of chanting began as the Corpse King resumed his foul works. All about them, the darkness pulsed, slowly, methodically, meanicingly......

 

[LittleSprite2]

Idrial

Idrial could feel the cold fingers gripping her left wrist in the darkness and pull. She imeadiatly reacted, plunging her dagger down and ramming it into an invisible body, but at nearly the same time, she felt fire race up her arm as blunted teeth bit down on her captured hand.

She screemed for a moment unable to block out the pain of the teeth sinking into her flesh for that moment she was blinded not only by the darkness around them but the fire and agony in her wrist as she felt the teeth scrabe against bone..

quickly she grabbed her long dagger with her free uninjured hand and jerked her dagger up word with all her strenght at the same time bracing one of her legs against its hip and pushing back slicing the undead from sturnum to collor bone and forcing it to release her wrist if only for a few moments before comming at her again..

She cyred out again when she felt it tearing the flesh from her wrist as she freed herself from it.. but there was no help for that now.. she held her injured wrist against her body and moved swiftly with a deadly pupose to finnish the undead who now had a taste of her flesh.. once it was gone her full attention would be on the litch lord himself, and the staff he weilded.

She struggled with her injured wrist to gain the platform with the Litch lord on it the darkness was not around the plat form but she had to be careful not to be seen. She heard his chanting stop as she reached the edge and made her way up..

she could see the litch lord just there and hear the scraping sounds of the stone metal and tile.. More company would be arriving wether Dream weaver or more undead ether way they were running out of time..

Quickly she slashed at his ankles cutting the tendons and watching him fall down hoping that in the process it would disrupt the spells he had cast and allow them the advantage of sight and the abilty to regroup once more

As he fell she gained her feet on the plat form and kicked his staff from his fingers sending it flying in O'Bonn's direction.... her sword at the Litch Lords throat.. she yelled.. O'Bonn Distroy the staff .....Ona Help him if you can, be wary weve more company comming... Keeping her eyes on the creature beneath her sword she resisted the urge to kill him right away.. Dream weavers soul...... where is it...?? In what do you keep it ??

Her injured wirst was still cradled against her side and trialing blood down her arm, but she remained steady and focused on her target..