When RP takes control IC thread

[NyghtRayne]

Skyler

She felt strange sitting on Dominic’s shoulder. “Dominic as soon as it is dark I’ll change and walk. It might make things easier.”

She looked Kyle’s way as he spoke. “No I am not asleep yet. I do need some rest before dark though.”

She nuzzled Dominic’s neck slightly as she got comfortable on his shoulder. “I could sleep here unless Slip minds.”

 

[Tantrikenetic]

Dominic

As long as you stay on THAT side of his neck, I'm okay. Slip said to the ferret. I sighed and walked down to Jasleth. "Yeah, we're ready to go." I ran a hand through my silver hair.

"The Pass of Trials...I remember hearing about that. What trials are we talking about here?"

 

[Armphid]

Kyle

He waited until they had left the Inn, striding down the road that lead to the mountain before answering. "I'm not sure what form the tests will take." "In the backstory, each person who wished to gain entry to Sanctuary would undergo an ordeal, a test." He paused, trying to remember exactly what came next. "The people of Sanctuary have a system of virtues that they value." "The tests are based on those."

As he walked, Kyle looked over at each of his companions, trying to determine how they would handle this. "The first challenge is just getting there." "There is only one path up the mountain, and it is not easy." "We will have to fight monsters, and the elements of the mountain itself to reach the cave." "Once there...well, even if you go in together, once you are inside, you are alone." "Each person faces the trial by themselves...no one can help you or hinder you but yourself."

"The virtues of Sanctuary are Justice, Loyalty, Humility, Courage, Courtesy, Wisdom, and Sacrifice." "Anyone who wishes to enter must prove themselves as being strong in at least one of those virtues, which is tested by the magic of the cave." "Before things changed, I went there once before." I was with a pretty big party, and it was still tough." "I was tested on Courage, though that may have been because it would be tough to program something else." He paused remembering it...even though at that time, he knew it was a game...it had been uncanny how he had been faced with his worst fears. At first he thought it was a generic test, but after he had gone through, there was no doubt it had been tailored for him.

"It...was not easy, even the way things were then." "It was like they knew what I feared, and threw it at me." "I made it through, but it was a very near thing."

 

[Tantrikenetic]

Dominic

"Huh...seven virtues." I said out loud. "Seven virtues and six party members...either way, we should concentrate on just getting there first." I saw that it was getting dark out; Skyler would be able to transform back soon.

"Well I hope the mountain isn't too tall. None of us are dressed for cold weather. Especially Kryss."

 

[katalynn]

Athyna and Kryss ~

Athyna walked with Thalryn as Kryss walked back with the others by Kyles side. Both walked in silence as they heard what the trials were, wondering what would happen and what of the tests that would be placed on them.

Kryss, no she didn't have the right attire for winter, losing her cloak at the knights encampment, never really needing warm clothes for she never went that deep into the mountains, even in game she didn't go there, wasn't one of her most favorite places to go hunting or grouping.

"I'll be fine Dom, There isn't much we can do now seeing how we are already on the road."

Spoke softly in wondering what I really was going to do with the winters bite. Being a game it never mattered, but now...

Athyna, she walked in silence mainly getting used to this party. Getting an idea of how much they really cared for eachother, it was interesting to see the five of them caring so much and willing to risk whatever for eachother. Never really seen such .... togetherness?!? .... It almost touched her heart and thoughts as Dom wondered how Kryss would handle the moutains. Shaking her head slightly, trying to get these *mushy* thoughts out of her mind.



~~~~~~~~~`OOC

Interesting how I can do this.....

 

[Armphid]

Kyle

"Don't worry about it, Kryss." "I have some extra clothes and a thick cloak...we'll just have to bundle you up." He smiled, before sighing dramatically. "Of course, you'll be a lot less fun to look at...but I guess we all need to make sacrifices."

He walked in silence for a few minutes more, his emerald eyes stuck on watching Kryss move. His gaze always drifted to her if he wasn't directing it in a particular place. "You know Dominic, I wouldn't be concerned with the numbers." "Some of us may well be tested on the same virtue, it all depends on the person." He shrugged, "There is no way to tell...unless you can look into your heart and see what you lack." "Most people can't, not truly." "I don't think I would want to, even if I could." He frowned a bit, regretting taking the conversation down this entirely too depressing route. "I'm not sure I would like what I found."

 

[Tantrikenetic]

Dominic

"Me niether, Jas." I said. "I wouldn't want to know honestly what virtues I lack."

Would you like me to tell you? Slip asked. I can fill you in on a few.

I wouldn't be talking, you amoral gecko. I mentally hissed at him.

"So we'll be tested on our weakest virtue. Interesting." I stroked my chin. I could feel the beginning of a beard growing, something that normally doesn't happen in the game. "Well, I'm glad Soliel isn't with us...she'd have to go through every trial." I let out a laugh. It was a very dry laugh, almost completely devoid of humor.

 

[NyghtRayne]

Skyler

She listened as Jasleth, no had to be Kyle as he looked somewhat different from Jasleth, spoke about the challenges they could face. She wasn’t sure what she would face or how she would deal with it when it came right to it.

She felt her energy rising as the sun set. She still dozed off and on as they walked. The sun would be down before they headed too far on the path to Sanctuary. She just listened to the conversations as they walked, it took a lot to communicate in this form, even though it seemed easier and easier to talk to Dominic.

“Dominic, I think the sun has set enough for me to change safely without anything bad happening or me falling right to sleep.” She waited until he lifted her off of his shoulder and set her on the ground at his feet before beginning to change.

Her shift was fairly quick, more like a swirling of matter and mist than the body wrenching type of shift. “Now that’s better.” She turned to Dominic. “Thanks for carrying me though.” It was then she noticed…before she was closer to his height if not slightly taller than he was, now she was looking up to him. In fact her definite height change was noticeable to the others as well, becoming three inches shorter basically over night was something that was noticeable.

There were other differences as well, some easier to notice than others. Her hair was shorter, instead of falling almost to her hips, it was now just below her shoulders. Her figure was curvy, but not as full as before, and the least noticeable in the glow of lanterns was the shade of her eyes, if they were in a well lit room, the change from a clear ice blue to a darker deeper blue would have been noticed.

“Well it seems the changes are effecting us all.” She could tell she still had her in game abilities, but it would seem that Skyler was no longer her, she had changed into her real life body. “Well the tests might not be all that easy, but there is also the fact that if we stand by each other like we have been, we’ll make it through this mess.”

 

[Tantrikenetic]

Dominic

"Wow Skyler...Did you forget to wear your shoes?" I smiled, noticing her sudden height drop. It was a joke, but I could see she was changing too. Her change was very dramamtic and it scared my slightly. Mine was very slight, and Jas's a little more, but Skyler's was very drastic. Did that mean she was merging faster than the us? How long before she changed completely? The thought scared me, but I managed to conceal my worry.

Hopefully it didn't mean anything.

 

[NyghtRayne]

Skyler

She looked to Dominic. "No... I guess the change is effecting all of us differently." She felt weird, her clothes fit differently now. She ran her fingers through her hair, and noticed the length was drastically shorter.

"Ok this is too much. We need to hurry along to find out what is going on." She wondered if they were changing or just their two personalities merging. It seemed the changes were different for all of them.

 

[Xenocide_613]

Thalryn

The gold elf turned to the wood elf, a puzzled look on his face. Thalryn's attention to detail revealed even Skyler's change in eye color. Athyna simply shrugged it off as they kept walking.

Thalryn briefly wondered what they meant by things "changing." He wasn't any different than he'd been yesterday, while the rest of the humans showed various physical attribute changes.

Maybe it was a Human thing. As of yet, neither him nor the elven females seemed to be experiencing changes. Only time would tell.

His thoughts turned to the challenges ahead. He was fairly sure he knew where he was lacking. Humility had never been his strong point. If he had to venture a guess, that's where he'd bet on being tested. Elves, especially the gold variety, were very well known for their holier than thou attitude most of the time. Thalryn's lack of humility was most often portrayed as ambivalence to those he considered his lessers. As for the test, he liked to think he was ready to face anything.

Again, only time would tell.

 

[katalynn]

Loyalty,
Humility,
Courage,
Courtesy,
Wisdom,
Sacrifice.

These words kept repeating in Athyna and Kryss' mind. As if they were thinking as one while they walked. Athyna caught Thalrynn's gaze of confusion, really hadn't seen these people up close till today so she didn't really know what changes had occured within them. Only change Athyna really sensed was the air, seemed more crisp. Shrugging unknowingly on how to answer him, went back to thinking on what test would most likely be placed.

Athyna feared it would be loyalty. She was loyal to her self, but to be loyal to others. They had to give her reason. She may be loyal to Thalrynn, in a way she already was. But the others, specially Kryss.... That was a different story...

~~~~~~~~~~~

Kryss feared her test would lie in sacrifice. Very few times she had to sacrifice something and none of those times were pretty memories and is something she doubts she could deal with again. Sacrificing something isn't something that came easy to her, specially when it came between her and the one she loved. She felt Kyle staring at her, looking up to catch his gaze and some of his words. She was in deep thought about what she may endure. Whatever it would be, she would face it dead on.

"I'm not worry about the winters bite m'love... There are far worse things out there to dwell upon."

Squeezed his hand lightly as we walked...

 

[Armphid]

Kyle

Kyle returned the squeeze, "I know there are." "Ever since I saw the mountain...part of me has been thinking about the test that is waiting for me there." They were closer to the peak now, the strangeness of the mountain, standing with no others even near it, seemed to make the massive tower of rock all the more ominous. "It could be any of them...and I'm not as strong in any of those virtues as I would want to be."

He shook his head, giving her an encouraging smile. "I know that all of you though, will do well." "Don't fret about it, the test will come and you will make it through." "I believe in you, all of you." He gave Kryss's hand another squeeze, "Espiecially in you."
"Besides," a smirk replaced the smile on his face, "we're the heroes of this story, right?" "What kind of lame story is it if we don't make it through the harrowing challenge to meet the wise man?" "That wouldn't fit the quest paradigm at all." He realized that it was a feeble joke at best, but maybe it would help life some of the heaviness that seemed to have descended upon them.

 

[Tantrikenetic]

Dominic

I looked up the large mountain as we neared it. It loomed overhead, as if daring us to even try and scale it. I could hear Slip gulp audibly in fright.

Do we gotta climb that thing?

Yes, we do. Now stop being a scardy cat.

I'm not. I'm a scardy LIZARD. Slip burrowed himself deeper in my bag. I rolled my eyes. A lizard that's afraid of heights. Wonderful.

"The story would be pretty lame." I reponded to Jas. "But then again, so is most non-fiction."

And before we knew it, the mountain was there in front of us.

 

[Armphid]

Kyle

Kyle stood, transfixed my the awful majesty of The Mountain. It was called Mount Epipheny, for to pass over it to Sanctuary one had to experience a truth about one's self. It was alone in the middle of rolling land, jutting into the sky aggressively, towering over everything. It seemed to defy belief that anything could be so huge...

Shaking himself from the trance, he let out a breath he had nt been aware he was holding. "Impressive, isn't it?" He was holding Kryss's hand tighter, her close presence a balm against the sting of insignifigance he felt next to the eternal peak.

 

[NyghtRayne]

Skyler

She stood with the others at the base of the mountain, she wasn't too thrilled about a hard climb followed by this test they had been talking about.

She smiled slightly as she watched the interchange between Dominic and Slip. She shook her head slightly as it dawned on her that she had heard them. She wondered about it for a moment, but let it pass thinking they had time later to figure it out.

"Well I guess we should get started on our way up. Hopefully we can be at the top before sunrise." She wasn't going to be prepared to face anything during the day, not after staying up through the previous day, she knew she would need sleep.

 

[Xenocide_613]

Thalryn

The elf absently brushed his golden hair away from his face. His emerald eyes met Athyna’s silver, and he caught the worry there. He sent her a reassuring smile, then winked playfully. He hoped they all made it through all right, but he was worried about what test she would receive, what with her being so new to the party. He wondered what consequences the mountain would throw against them as he stared up at the peak.

He turned toward the rest of the party and spoke. “Might as well start up, the day’s not getting any longer.”

 

[Armphid]

Kyle

Kyle shook himself out of his reverie to pull out a thick coil of rope, and a few pitons. "All right, I think that Skyler and I are the lightest of footing, though Athyna and Kryss might be good too." "There's a path for the first part of the ascent, after that, I'll go ahead to find and lay a path." He slung the rope around his shoulder, eyes drawn involuntarily to the silent massiveness of the mountain. "It doesn't get really steep until we get close to the cave...but there's no reason to be careless."

"Be on your guard," he said as the party began to make its way up the slope. "There are things that are more malevolent and wicked that will oppose us than the mountain."

 

[katalynn]

Athyna had much fear running through her mind. She had a feeling she knew what Kryss' test would and she would be able to pass that with a heartbeat. But... but this test was far more indulging. Athyna may love tests that others bring upon her, though, the test that they are about to face was like the test of the god's. She has heard what these would do to people, always avoided this place and now...... now here she is, with a group of still strangers, one of which she wishes to see dead.

Fear..... this had to go, if the these mountains even so much as felt the fear in her, that would be another test for her to dwell about. Took in some major deep breaths as the they walked, wanted more than anything to take Thalryns' hand for comfort, but that was another sign of fear. Each step she took was another deep breath, holding it till the same foot started another step. Athyna kept doing this till the fear was out of her system, the smile that Thalryn gave her was enough comfort.


Kryss didn't know how she felt about this whole thing anymore, almost like Athyna, she took in deep breaths to calm the fear. Only for Kryss it was more like there's no time for fear. Fear is just a waste of energy and much time. Must stay focus and whatever happens, happens. Fear was a meaningless emotion.


Neither one really cared about the climb the moutain brought. Both practically born and raised in the moutains, the steepness this one provided was nothing. Only problem would be the winters bite, not just for Kryss, but the for all of them. The air would get thinner and much sharper to the lungs, making the climb hard that way.

They both listened to Jas as he pulled out a rope, it would be nothing for Athyna, but Kryss wasn't that wonderous with ropes and basically *repelling* off some steep cliff. This made her heart race beyond belief. Though, fear was wasted time. She closed her eyes for a moment calming down.

*how the hell does he expect me to do this... omg, this is steep.... please don't let it be as steep as it looks....*

"Ummmm wh.... why can't we just levitate down? It would be safer..."

Kryss tried to not show fear in her words, she would go down regaurdless. But if there was another way, she would perfer that. Again she took in a huge breath forcing the fear to leave... Soon it did. But it was waiting to come back when the actual climbing began.

 

[Tantrikenetic]

Dominic

"If I remember correctly...this mountain is a level 11 challenge, enemy-wise. That means Kobolds and most likely Harpies as well." I said, as we started a walk up the path. Jas was right, this was pretty easy to start out with. But I knew that wouldn't last.

Oracle sense kicked in and I felt the urge to check the future. I closed my eyes and focused on the crystal ball.

"Hold up guys." I said. "There is a pack of Kobolds. Three...no four of them waiting behind that big rock." I watched the lizard-men ambush us in my vision. "They are carrying swords and shields. The leader also appears to have a pike of sorts."

 

[Xenocide_613]

Thalryn

The gold elf grinned, eyes shining in anticipation of the coming battle. Four kobolds shouldn’t be that much of a problem. Especially sense they no longer had the element of surprise.

He closed his eyes, a smile on his face as he began to gesture with his hands. He had learned to cast an invisibility spell a number of ways, and he found he got the best results when he cast the spell with no verbal components. His hands made various arcane symbols, which he linked together and then pulled from the weave to cast the spell. He became shrouded in soft white light, and then faded from view completely.

Thalryn is going around the boulder to flank. Whenever the pack is engaged, he will join the fray. Elistraee communicated for the elf in open thought speech so the entire party could hear as she shimmered slowly into visibility at Kryss’s feet.

Thalryn was off toward the rock Dominic had pointed out, enchanted boots carrying him quickly and silently to the other side. He waited just ten feet behind the four, hands rested lightly on the hilts of his twin blades. He mentally sent a signal for Elistraee to relay, which she did promptly.

He is in position and awaits the battle. Four kobolds confirmed.

 

[Armphid]

Kyle

"Just four?" Kyle smiled, the fierce grin that Jasleth wore into battle spreading over his face. "This should be a fun little fight, if not much of a challenge." He looked back to see if the others were ready. "If no one minds, I'm going to start things off with a bang."

Kyle stood, his feet shoulder width apart, pulling one arm back. As he did so, he gathered his chi into his fist, siphoning some strength from the world around him. "I hope they don't just run after this." Then he struck the ground, "Earth Slash!" A crimson burst of power exploded from his shoulder, down his arm, and into the rock. The wave tore along the ground, ripping a channel up the slope until it came into contact with the boulder. The massive rock burst into thousands of rock shards with a thunderous crack. The four kobolds yelled in surprise as thier cover shattered in front of them.

Kyle laughed, standing back up into a fighting stance. "The art of war is an art of deception...if you survive, I suggest you work on it a bit."

 

[Xenocide_613]

Thalryn

Still hidden from view from his invisibility spell, Thalryn had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing aloud when he saw the expressions on the faces of the four kobolds when the boulder “blew up.” The one with the pike, who he assumed was the leader, just stared at Jasleth, dumbfounded as to why the rock was no longer there. The other three gathered their wits about them much faster and started to turn and run.

Thalryn released the invisibility spell as he unsheathed his blades. The first things that became visible on the elf were his blazing green eyes, literally glowing in the darkness of the night, followed quickly by his blades. The three came to an abrupt stop, realizing their means of escape had been cut of. The pike wielder swore in draconic, turned to see the elf in an open stance with blades at the ready, then turned back to see Jasleth and Athyna quickly closing the distance to where the rock had been.

Knowing of kobold’s fear of magic, Thalryn muttered two words of power, and his long swords began to glow softly, revealing their enchanted nature. Seldarine glowed softly blue, while Entropy emitted a vibrant green. The four monsters did another double take, still at a loss of what to do. By the time the quad made a decision to try to break past the elf, the monk and the ranger were already on top of them.

 

[Tantrikenetic]

Dominic

I eagerly pulled out a throwing knife and tried to aim for a kobold, but Jas and Thal were already on top of them. I lowered my knife, knowing I wouldn't get a good shot.

I looked up and froze. I realized a big problem. The four koblolds were distractions. There was a larger group hiding on an upper rock ledge and they had a large net.

"Jas! Thal!" I yelled, but it was too late. The large and heavy net dropped down on top of the elf, monk, and Kobolds. I could see it was woven with a very strong material, maybe even spider silk.

An then, on the ledge, more kobolds were seen, quite a few, in fact. Maybe even 30. And some were riding gigantic cats that resembled tigers. They leader screamed and the kobolds began to jump down from the ledge to our level. The giant cat-riding kobolds laughed eerily. And two of our major fighters were trapped under the net.

I turned to the women around me. "Let's try and free the others!" The only problem with that plan was they wall of kobold in front of us. I drew my short sword and attacked the closest group, trying to break a hole through the fleet.

 

[NyghtRayne]

Skyler

As the trap was sprung, she drew her swords. She looked to the others, as the numbers they were to face grew, usually kobolds were easy to dispatch but she had never faced more than a very small group at any given time.

“Elistraee.. if there is anything you can do to free Jasleth and Thalryn please do so while we help keep the kobolds at bay.” She hoped her prior link with the ferret was still there, it would help if they could just keep the kobolds at bay while the ferret worked on freeing the two trapped.

She moved towards the group between them and the net and with both swords she moved, slashing fast enough to keep the ones closest to her busy. She had managed to fight off a few but was quickly running out of energy from the lack of sleep that day. She knew what would help but there was no time, she pressed on managing to keep the kobolds from mobbing her.