The Seven Keys.

[DarkThoughts01]

Micaelae,Lucia,and Ambrasia

The three followed behind Viktor and Goven,Micaelae snapping his finger,making a small mage light flaot around his head.

"I grow tired of this duplicity Goven,where is this mage,My head is killing me and if He Does Not Come Out Soon I Shall Be Very Displeased."He said loudly to the silence,his ruined eye socket glowing a vibrant,angry red like that of a flame.
Lucia looked up at him and merely stroked his ruined arm,apparently nonplussed as some of the rot fell off,which wwas quickly regrown.

Ambrasia deigned not to care,staring moodily at Viktor,smiling coyly at him whenever he hapened to glance back.

Cecilia

Cecilia sighed and snapped her fingers softly,where she and Snider blurred faintly,as if fuzzing out partially,becoming shadowy and indistinct,except to eachother."There My Lord,now should anything happen we can let the others waste their strength,and allow Us to get whatever it is this mage hides.

 

[Vixandra]

Cali

"Well we're not on a pleasure cruise by any means," I explained to the newcommer. "Of course, anything involving a giant plant demon bent on killing us all hardly could be.
"Ah, but I wander. To the point, I've no problem if you join us, long as you can keep up and keep yourself safe. And don't betray us to the enemy. That would be quite bad for you and for us."

 

[LadyRozes]

Nexus followed behind the others. She resented teh fact taht Goven had called her attempts at rebuking the undead .. she really needed to feed. But in this cave where was she going to be able to find it she had no idea.IT was odd she was feeling as though her hunger was getting worse.. and she couldnt do anything unless she sated herself. The prospects within her group didnt look so hopeful.

It was obvious to her that Goven wasnt the same as before, it hurt her to know that he wasnt paying anymore attention her, but in a way .. she felt disgusted with herself that she even cared.. Shaking her head she entered into the cavern. They were dealing with a crazy mage.. one that loved to keep his secrets..and wasnt going to let them go easily ..

She looked around the tavern her eyes scanning everything.. expecting there to be something.. but she didnt know what.. perhaps there was another.. path... perhaps the vampiric ghost had led them astray.. something seemed off about this ..

 

[Mantra]

Viktor

"Ah, but 'amock' is sooooo much fun....but I do agree there should be something worth going amock on first."

He shook his torch/book, letting some ashes and a few cinders float to the floor. Viktor held the book by it's spine, letting the cover burn before dropping it to the floor.

"So he guards this thing with his life, but does not come to confront us directly. This thing is small is it not? Perhaps small enough to put in ones pocket perhaps?"

The others looked back at him, but Viktor only shrugged.

"Clearly, he seems less interested in material gains or vanity. He lives in a cave, lets us tramp about his place as we will, break what we will and does little to confront us, but has something of infinite value to himself as well as knowledge about the key."

"So what better place to keep such a thing, than on his own person where he can guarentee it's safety?"

There was a pause before he offered a half-smile. "Or maybe he just left it under the doormat, thinking nobody would be so mundane as to look there."

 

[The GrandMage]

Yrismir

Yrismir entered his mother's rooms, and glanced around. No l;etter in the open. Well, she must have hidden it then. After a few minutes, Yrismir found it, wondering why she would hide a letter written in a language no one else in the area knew.

Knowing his mother far too well, Yrismir skipped down to the last paragraph. I love you-Nope, that wasn't it. He skipped up a paragraph. Now,. for the true purpose of this message. There it was.

Jackpot. Oh, and what's this? Information about the key, as well! He finished reading the paragraph, folded the letter away without reading the rest, and tucked it into one of his beltpouches.

He glanced around at the tree, and raised an eyebrow. How was he supposed ti talk to a tree? He shook his head.

"So, umm,...hello. Do you have a name,...tree?"

 

[LadyFairy]

Tela

i'll do my best.. its all i can promise, and i thank you for giving me a chance... i shall be glad to join you there is safty in number's. Tela replyed. Standing she excused herself so that she could, Make sure her things were ready, should they leave anytime soon.

 

[poohlive]

"Let me fill you in on wizards, just a bit, Viktor. You seem to be ignorant in their ways. Wizards only care for one thing, power. Vanity and materials are only useful to him if he can get more power. The object he posesses and will defend with his last breath, is near infinite power. Now, ask me this, young fighter... if you had something of infinite power, even if it were as small as a gem, would you hide it under the doormat?"

Goven looked down to the sword Viktor carried, never leaving his side. As if to prove his point...

Goven went to the far side of the large cavern, tapping along the wall.

"You needn't fear of this whatever it is being hidden anywhere. It's right next to him. Close, probably on his person, if you say so. Or, in the same room. We could speculate further, but it would be pointless. As big as a horse, as small as a pin, it doesn't matter. When we finally meet the wizard, and bring out our ways of persuasion, I'm fairly sure he will let us know all that we want."


Goven found a small slit in the rock, and touched it with his staff. Two doorways to either side opened in the cavern, each of them were dark, and unrecognizable creatures were moving inside them. Their breath was hallow, scragged, like a thousand mice scrambling for their lives.

"I think we have company..."

 

[Mantra]

Viktor snorted once with genuine mirth.

"Yeah, and all us villans are just frustrated, envious failures in life who hate everyone, especially themselves. Right? In any case, remind me to teach you about 'sarcasm' someday."

He followed Goven's gaze to his sword and offered a half-smile in return.
"You can play with it later if you'd like. I promise you'll love it."

Viktor stepped up as the doorways opened, his back towards Goven's back and each of them facing an open doorway.

"I think we have company..." Goven commented.

Viktor brought his weapon up in an arc with his left hand. The still sheathed weapon slapped an incoming arrow away as his right drew and threw a slender knife back into the darkness. There was a meaty thunk and an angered growl.

"Good thing I didn't leave anything under a doormat then, ay?"

 

[DarkThoughts01]

Micaelae,Lucia,and Ambrasia

Micaelae chuckled as an arrow thudded into hsi ruined arm.He looked at it,snapped it off at the tip,and watched the arm push the arrowhead out wiht a slight bend."good..>I was getting Bored"

He raised a hand and a bolt of purple energy fired through one of the doorways.Something yelp and the sound of soemthing sizzling could be heard.As more arrows shot out a blue round shield of energy appeared at an angle off the floor,deflecting them.

Ambrasia sniffed and drew a small piece of black silk,throwing it on teh ground contemptuosly.It hissed and shifted into a long black viper,and slithered into the doorway,where its hisses could be heard amid yet more yelps and screams.


Cecilia
Cecilia flicked a finger,an arrow bursting itno flame and dissolving to ash before it reached her an snider,then ripped a strip of ehr long dress away,throwing it into the air,the pieces of cloth seperating and turning into small black daggers,which flew into a doorway,their thudding htiting both wall and flesh.

 

[Strolling Gecko]

I watched as our new ally left the hall while draining my latest pint of mead. I wiped my mouth clean before addressing the group.

"This is all very well," I said. "I'm happy to have two more joining our group. Strength in numbers and such."

I grasped stuck a fork into a piece of meat. "Now what is keeping Yris? I'd expect he'd have gotten the information we needed by now."

 

[LadyRozes]

baddies

Nexus looked up too see about a dozen oddly looking creatures she couldnt quite tell what they were but they were heading into the room once more she cursed her predicament and prayed she would have time to feed after this.. she would grab anybody ... she didnt care who. This was getting rediculous she couldnt function at half strength...it wont do.. it just wont do..

She opened her pack quickly and slipped out the small crossbow and took aim shooting one of the creatures ... judging by the cry she smiled it had found its mark in an howling knoll. It seemed the doorway was blocking the rest of them from entering ..

 

[LadyRozes]

Goodies

Tana finished her meal and stood up. SHe had never been in a place where there were so many new things that she could see. Having never had free time when she was enslaved she couldnt wait to discover the area. She took Growls and went out into the area surrounding ...

Meanwhile .... YRISMIR....

After much scrutinization the tree trunk began to shift around and you could see a face forming and then unforming.. it looked as though it was trying to determine who was in the wise one's home.. after a few minutes the tree spoke in a language unknown .. then shifted in another language which the person could understand..

"Who enters this home?"

 

[The GrandMage]

Yrismir

Yrismir rolled his eyes, looking around.

"I don't know. I've only been in here how many times over the last hundred and so odd years? I mean, you can talk but you can't recognize Yrismir? What's up with that? I mean, if you're a sentient being, how do the little facts like that avoid you? I mean, what, do all us people look the same to you? Besides being grossly innaccurate, that's just a real damn lazy answer."

He frowned, and stared at the tree. "And do you have to form the face? That's just creepy, especially since I know you don't have the organs to need a face."

 

[poohlive]

Sabaka had found a rowdy tavern. When he saw two drunks kicking out two other drunks, it seemed like the exact spot he needed at the moment.

"Ale, mead, beer and grog. Send it all up. Drink it all down, and don't stop it from coming. I want to forget about the last couple of days, if you don't mind."

Ah, the pleasures of alcohol. Drinking turning easily to story telling, and the only people who were better at story telling than a dwarf is a bard. The dwarf talked loudly, so even those who didn't want to listen could easily overhear.

Harrowing journies, ferocious battles. His horrid tales of elvin culture and stupid little tricks. The growing crowd seemed to share a dislike with the pointy eared maniacs, and Sabaka couldn't help but feel these were his people.

"And gowns! Oh, don't get me started. Did you ever think an elf would stop changing their dress over and over again? God! A gown for morning, one after lunch and then an afternoon outing complete with tunics and finally a dinner feast... not to mention a dance or masquerade afterwards. All the time it takes to change, and pick out clothes, its a wonder they ever leave their bed chambers."

A roaring responce came out, cheering and drinking. At this point, Sabaka didn't need to buy his own ale, every time his mug was empty, someone else put another full one in his hand. And he drank it, end over end, fist over fist.

Hours rang on into the night, as others began telling stories. Some stupid, others vengeful, all of them entertaining.

It wasn't until the wee hours of the morning when Sabaka revealed his harrowing tale with the ogre.

"Yes, this whole group was spent, they had spent hours and hours fighting some stupid plant or something. I don't know... I just know that they were very weak fighters and the plant took something off of them, I don't know, anyway. This huge ogre came out of nowhere, bent on destroying all of them. I was the only one to take the challenge. No one else even wanted to try, they were too busy cowering or licking their wounds... and it's just as well... most of them are elves anyway."

Knowing groans and looks came out of the group. Sabaka could only nod.

"So the elves were taking a 'time out'," chuckles all around, "And I came up to destroy the ogre. He had magic, can you believe that? Magic armor all around him. I couldn't believe it. No ogre had ever had magic before. It was like fighting a malachite wall. But I trudged on, and my axe got through even his thickest hide. He had his fair share of licks too. A bash to the arm, he nearly shattered my leg, and when he hit me in the stomach, I couldn't breathe. So, here I am, broken, bruised, bleeding, and I'm just loving every minute of it. I was ready to take his head off, no if's and's or but's. He was going down. One simple shot, and I made it... but he made it too. We knocked each other out, sending each other thrown down on the ground, completely exhausted. I had fought bravely, and I couldn't finish the damned bastard, I just couldn't."

"Nah, you were good."

"You didn't lose man."

"Damned elves... shoulda helped."

The dwarf just shook his head, "What victory is that? Nothing. One step away from crying home to mommy. Dwarves live with honor, and there was no honor in that. I can't go back home to my family and tell them how I almost defeat an ogre. Might as well become a trollslayer, and leave it at that."

The night turned somber after that. Drinking continued, but it was sad reflective drinking. People remembered the almost stories, the bare misses, and the stupid mistakes. It was bittersweet, but no one had too many complaints. They were all taking off their armor, and showing the scars of battle and life underneath.

"We're all the same, " Sabaka said, after hearing them all, drinking another full mug of ale, "All the same. No matter what race comes along. Human, orc, dwarf, even stupid elves... fucking stupid little jackass elves... we're all the same. Different backgronds, different species, but when it comes down to it... we're all the same."

A few of them nodded, some even toasted to the honor. Equals, in a room full of warrior misfits.

 

[LadyFairy]

Having prepared her things Tasha decided to go outside for some air. Stepping out of sight she changed into her wolf form. Streatching her legs for a full run, giving the wolf full ragne for an hour, or so would do them both some good.

 

[Mantra]

Viktor

Viktor only smiled, showing many teeth as the Knolls started to reveal themselves from the dark. He stood at the ready, letting the beasts come forward.
"Yeah, come on you fuzzy bastards."

His eyes locked with the lead knoll, taunting and challenging at the same time. The knoll seemed to have accepted the challenge from the small er human, but it didn't matter as a crossbow bolt flew from off to one side and felled the beast. No matter, the next in line sprang over it's fallen comrade and swung an axe downward towards Viktor.

In a flash, the broadsword came free and the eerie silence followed. Viktor brought the now empty scabbard and left arm up, catching the axe haft just under the blade and forcing the weapon off it's mark, leaving the knoll overextended. Viktor brought the blade right after and the heavy blade chopped down, snapping the weapon handle as well as severing both of the wielder's hands. A follow-up backslash caught the knoll's hip and Viktor kicked the beast in the damaged leg, letting it tumble away to bleed to death.

Knolls were starting to flow into the room from both doorways now as Viktor drew back into a fighting stance to face them. His face contorted into a mask of rage as he let out an amamalistic scream and charged forward, all lost in the magical silence around him.

 

[Vixandra]

Cali

I smiled wryly at the dwarf.
"Aye, the majority of elves are spineless overdressers who wouldn't know a true adventure if it bit them in their carefully lotioned ass."
I stood, stretching and rolling my neck, working out a small kink with a pop. "Luckily for you, we've no real court elves here, huh?"

 

[LadyFairy]

Comming back at a run into the village.. Slipping quietly inside of the small hut that they had set up for her, and changed back into her elven shape. It had felt good to let the wolf run, but twas time to join the other's.

This time she was dressed in green leather leggings, a white blouse, and green leather tunic. Her brown thigh boots laced up the side. A brown hooded cloak upon her sholder's.

Picking up her Bow, and quiver of arrow's, her dagger belted at her waist, hidden at her back. She left the hut and moved to join the her new compaion's once again. Seeing Tana outside walking around.. she decided to join her. So that they may know one another better.

 

[poohlive]

"Oh, no court elves? This coming from a princess, if I remember correctly?"

He would have said that sarcastically, and zinged her at the end, but as drunk as he was, he forgot which of the elves in his group had become princess. Was it her, or that wizard? Did the wizard elf become a princess? No, it had to be someone else.

"I've no doubt your strength... as an elf, but it is nothing more than an elf. You need to remember who you are, and where your from. The moment you do that, things'll be easier for you. Over there. Stinky Pete, who are you?"

"An orcish guard. Rough and tough and bloody all through."

"You stink, don'ty Petey?"

"Ay, it's a glandular problem."

Sabaka shook his head, "It's a man who knows where he is, and where he belongs. You... lass, I don't know if you're a ranger, a princess, or some entertainment here for the boys later. I don't care if your some uptight little elf royalty who'd rather drink wine that slaughter trolls, but I'd rather know you were one or the other. If not for your sake, then my own. I don't trust people to watch my back if their going through some midlife crisis."

 

[Vixandra]

Cali

I studied the dwarf, because drunk though he was, he was at least partly right.
I mean, I was Calixte Mercer... up until a few weeks ago. Now I was an elvin princess trying to figure out who/what the heck my birthmother was and how to keep myself from becoming heir to the elfin throne.
Shaking my head, I sighed and decided that for now, I'd be who I'd grown to be, be what I'd earned. And that was a rouge, a rouge of the Court of the Road Queen.
I stood up with a flourish, a rouge's gesture. "A princess I have been for but a few days, a rouge I have been all my life, from the day I was left upon my Aunt's doorstep and shall be such until the day my last breath leaves me."
With a nod I smiled at the dwarf. "Thank you for helping me remember that, Sabaka. If you'll excuse me, I've something I need to work on."
I left the room, bowing to the others and promising to find them later. An orcan servant lead me to a courtyard, lined with bright torches and practice dummies for use in combat training.
I thanked him and pulled my whip out after he left.
I looked at it closely, wondering what other secrets it held. I'd always been able to call fire, but the ice I'd called before- that was new and I wanted to see if I could replicate it.
Settling into a practice routine that I'd used to learn its fire spells, I went to work.

 

[LadyRozes]

The tree fully formed its face and then looked over to the boy..Looking as though he were quite serious in the action but yris could tell by the tone is his voice he was trying very hard to be solomm. IT was his moment to shine .. and he wanted to prolong it .. even if he only had one moment.. and yrismir was totally ruining it..

"Its a formality question I assure you.. I recognize you by the sarcasm dripping from your voice.. the face.. I cannot see .. I need to hear your voice or you may touch my bark and I may see you.. but no other time..am I to converse.. until less it be tenora.. "

The tree shifted face and features once more and then acted as though it were looking over Yris... when it was obvious he only knew where he stood by the sound of his voice..

"What is it that you seek from me ?"

 

[The GrandMage]

Yrismir

Yrismir looked away from the creepy face. The eyes didn't work or anything. What was the point? For formality? Yrismir could understand some things for decorative or formal reasons, but useless creepy tree faces was not one of those things.

"Well, it's good to know you can tell who I am some way. Anyway, mother has one of the seven keys, and she wrote she hid it in her diary, and gave me a riddle to find it, and said you could help. She said her diary is 'within a place where no sun has reached and no water will touch.' Whatever that means. So, I was kind of hoping you could help me cut through all this drama and just tell me where the damn thing is?"

He forwned, looking around, trying to think of someplace no sun has reached and no water will touch. "I mean, what does that even mean? It's in a rock or something? Why couldn't she just tell me where it is? If she has to be vague, couldn't she have at least said something that indicates an area or direction? What am I supposed to do with this?"

 

[poohlive]

The dwarf himself made a little bow, almost disapearing next to the floor as soon as the lass had left. She seemed like an almost sweet girl, if she just knew who in the hell she was.

"Well, my gentle friends. If you will excuse me," He said, his face nearly about to burst into laughter, everyone else was on the floor, "I must visit the lavatory. I would take a shit, but this damned elf stick seems to be caught in my ass. I can't get it out."

Shaking his head, the dwarf jumped outside to the back alley, dropped part of his tunic, and let it fly.

"Ahhhhhhh," Such a good night... oh, no, was that the sun coming up? Ha ha, a good morning, if that were the case. The dwarf, not to be outdone, decided to call it a night. There were more important things to do tomorrow, like more eating and drinking.

He went back inside to aquire some lodgings.

 

[poohlive]

The sea of creatures coming out at them did not seem to stop, despite several allies attempts to stop them. They came in, at least ten to one in the grand fight of all things. Goven calmly held his stick up, and walked through them. Few, if any noticed him, and even moreos they seemed to get out of his way, as if he weren't there, but they knew to avoid him anyway.

Goven reached through the right doorway, going into the dark, moving passed the occasional straggler who ran with a wild look in his eyes. The look dulled for a second as Goven passed him, and then ran just as feverishly once he passed.

Inside he found a smaller chamber, with tables, beds, overchurned tables, a fire with food still on the spit, and tons of assorted knicks knacks from the occasional hero that wandered to close.

There was also a huge door, with a lock on it.

"Is this it?" he eyed, knocking on it once. The door shuttered, dark ripples of magic swirling from his knock. Goven knocked again, using his staff.

The entire room shook this time, as something was rubbing up against something else. Goven could feel the hair on the back of his neck come up, and it shook him to the core. This wasn't the stupid silly magic of before. This door was not meant to be opened, by magic or otherwise.

"Tork," He called, and at once the giant ogre sprang to life, slashing and grabbing the little beasts as best he could. The odds of ten to one seemed about right, since it took ten of them just to put up a good fight.

 

[DarkThoughts01]

Micaelae,Ambrasia,Lucia,and Cecilia

Micaelae cursed as one of the creatures got close enough to snag part of his robe.The offensive creature burst into flame under the spellcasters curse,and ran screaming into two of his fellows.

"Damm furry pieces of crap,You're too Noisy!"He yelled angrily and stomped a foot,the earth cracking just under him and stretching out,forming a spiky pit that kileld 3 more of the beasts.

Ambrasia watched Viktor and as one of the creatures reared behind the warrior She blew a kiss,which turned into a green gas.It patted the knoll on the shoulder and it fell backwards,screaming and writhing in pain.She winked at Viktor,then directed her flock of cloth/raven summosn against some of the other knolls.

Lucia merely stood besides Micaelae,small fireballs and shards of ice appearing,snakes popping into being at her feet,and shields of energy arcing up to protect herself and Micaelae.

Cecilia stood a few feet away from Snider,calmly using a pair of slim,wickedly sharp needles with sickening precision,small shields and walls of force floating freely around her body,curving over her curves deliciously as they blocked her opponents attacks.A shadowy curtain fell over Snider,which dampened his vision as if he was wearing a slim black silk cloth over his eyes,but to his opponents he dissapeared.When they swung at him their weapons were suddenly turned away by an invisible hand