|
Post by donaldado on May 28, 2019 14:06:08 GMT -5
"What is reality? Have you truly ever seen it?... Your memories. You think your life is what you remember. ...That is really just an interpretation. If you were to truly see all as it is you would go mad...If you give to one another goes hungry....No, no you are not good...You only give to others so you can be rewarded... Told how great you are....And why shouldn't you feel great...All tell themselves stories about how they are the good one....How the other is bad...In the end can there really be such a thing as good and evil...So if one wants to really observe life, how should one go about it...Look at all you have achieved....While others do nothing but lie to themselves, make excuses and cower from reality you have moved forward...Stealing life from the cruelest of fates...You deserve power...Your desires mus"
"Hugaagh!". Where what is going on? Im in a room of blood. My friends are here. We have the orb? Yes! Now time for our reward. Time to take this quick teleport down all around down to my new dragon mask!!! Oh I'm soo excited! I really liked that last one, and with it destroyed surely this one couldn't hurt to be kept! Crap ok now that we are down here my mommy's been drinking again sense is tingling my neck.
"Who here is super sneaky? Im looking at you Ulrich! Lets do something different for a change and come up with an informed plan. If we scout forward we can come back and tell the others whats laying wait for us. Then we can lay the beatings down correct!!!!Mhuahahahahahaha!!!!".
HMMM hmmm hmmm sneaky sneaky down the corridor ooo what's that light? Oh better stop Ulrich is giving me the halt sign. Wait. Are those? Wow those elementals are huge!! Just how many of them are there? Thank the gods I convinced them to do reconnaissance first. This isn gonna be tricky to pull off but we can do it. Ok, if we bait em into chase omen could send a cone o cold while I prepare a wall of...
Thwack Thwak Thwack
Orcus's taint!!!He shot at them!!! S*#T!!!!
|
|
|
Post by dragonforgotten on Jun 3, 2019 16:23:18 GMT -5
Oh. Ulrichs gone... well. This is a problem. Why do my rangers keep touching arcane s*** without my knowledge? Better save my potential student. Now what did he press... chair, star. I vanish from this room and appear in the top of the tower. Surrounded by wizards. cult wizards. I want so badly to watch them burn, turn their bones to dust but grahz is too close to them and i spy Ulrich outside standing precariously on the ledge of the balcony, fearing the worst. I cant be rash this time. We need time. "What are you doing to my men?" I tell them, trying to recapture the spark of authority i use to have. I look the part, maybe they will buy it. "I don't recognize you, where are you from?" "Dragonsoul under the white dragon." He scoffs, and they all laugh and theres something inside me that burns and snaps. "Don't remember you. Nice try." This sets me off and the words just keep coming without real thought as the rest of the group starts appearing behind me. "How have you've forgotten me! After all this time. After all the s*** i did! You welp's were still playing with your cantrips while I reined death and terror across the lands. I haunted the nightmares of every man woman and child, i was the one who saw us rise and now i return to see you fall and yet here you all are living in blissful ignorance! I am the mad eye that watches! Who designs your fates and your disrespect will haunt your souls! " I honestly have no idea where this speel came from, it's honestly scary and the group behinds me just looks more confused and baffled. "Sorry, don't know who you are and i don't care. Just die with the lot." he casts a spell. The room erupts into voices weaving magic and many of then screaming counterspell at the top of their lungs. It's become a counterspell inception. Some a*** manage to get out a cone of cold and its wash over me in a familiar, painful and terrifying experience. Thankfully it doesn't hurt as bad as it could have been thanks to the ring of cold resistance. Thank you Grahz. I need to get out of this mess before i get hit with another one. My eyes train on Ulrich and i misty step behind the wizard and i cast shocking gra- I stab him with the same dagger. returning the favor! I miss him but the head cult wizard is startled and turns around glaring. "You checky b***" I simply flip him off. He reminds me too much of professor Styxwell. He's too busy with Grahz to deal with me. I keep an eye on Ulrich, still out of it and dangerously close to the ledge. Wake up Ulrich! Suddenly half the wizards start convulsing and so do the two high mages and everyone on that side of the room except the high mages die and a Chad spector rises out of one. "Im so proud of you Karis!" I shout out to her amazed. the two high mages look bad but just as he turns around to do something to me he suddenly has an arrow through his skull. The second then falls with an arrow through the heart. I turn around to see Ulrich with his bow out. Did he just shoot those pass my head without me seeing it. f****... Grazh and Charley clean house on the other side and one tries to run but before he even gets close we all take a stab with Chad taking the killing blow. No one leaves the room. We find the hourglass, the port key on the dead high wizards body -----------
Im sitting in my hut as Grahz and Chad sit outside resting. He's thrown all the bodies off the tower which I'm personally not a fan of since i wanted our persence to remain unknown but oh well. Karis dragged Runar to me excited. "Omen! Please read Runar's fortune! It was really cool when you did mine!" I shrug flattered, i was honestly getting bored myself combing through these astrology books and tinkering with the telescope. "Sure." He picks out the cards, i use thaumaturgy to set the mood and make my eyes and voice weird like i did karis and start it off flipping the first card to reveal its face. Ace of Swords reverse- powerful air symbol "Born of two but never one you begin broken and scattered to the winds. Severed by evils intent. the smoke parts your blood, one to the sky, one to the earth. through the fires of red you transmute them to green, rising once again. Weaving metal as one weaves magic. whats broken is made whole. Struggle and shout, you chase your shadow to find the ends of the sky, to meet the light." "Whats that suppose to mean?" "whatever its means." I flip another one. Two of Swords reverse the fires of the furance continues to roar and burn, You strain but remain strong. You grow beyond your shadow, beyond your vessel. The vessel once your home is now a cage. You opened your shell to let a raven inside to home. It jabs truths but doesn't see lies. Hands attempt to unmake, many more reach to help. Only you decide which hands to allow. The metal heart returns to flesh, given fire to your greatest creation "So whats my future." "Shut it, I'm trying to be mystical!" I reveal the last Seven of cups- a water symbol, hmm. "Choice, choices, theres too much but the five head serpent snatches them away before they can be seen but till more remain. the queen grows restless and shakes the earth. Her children scorch the land and consumes the earth and sky. The all seeing eye never blinking only shows the paths but not the choice. Cover it or listen only you know the truth. the time is coming and your blade is sharp. The road you walk crumbles, the way back is gone, only forward do you charge with all you have and lost. The golem must become its own master of fates. Its createst creation under threat. You must choose before evil intent consumes us all. I don't know what this one intells but its seems like our job is not going to get easy. "So what the heck does that mean?" I sigh. "I thought it was obvious." ---------------------------
We're finally moving forward but theres more dead cultists and a large trail of blood. Our defector is dying. He needs our help. Ulrich goes out to investigate with Morrigan as i chill with Chad. It doesn't take along to they all come running back as the rush of fire, the howling of wind, and the creaking of stone follows in their wake.
Omen the Farsighted
|
|
|
Post by Chris on Jun 3, 2019 22:46:58 GMT -5
End Nightal 25 7:00 am, 1489 DR; Year of the Warrior Princess. Selune is waxing crescent. The Rise of Tiamat Xonthal's Tower Dungeon Elemental Vortex Cosmic Hallway Observation Room Storage Closet Study Spellbook Study Time Chamber Taraz the Fair Exiting Xonthal's Tower MVP = Aileen Russell as Karsi Our plays on RPGGeek.com rpggeek.com/plays/thing/162998?userid=1168080
|
|
|
Post by donaldado on Jun 4, 2019 8:02:24 GMT -5
My wish! That trigger happy ranger shot my chance to be a Dragon straight through the heart! Just when I got Shamwow the fair indebted to me! Ugghhhh!!!! That ranger! On the plus side, Graz has some truly gruesome new scars. Maybe when this is over I'll convince my friends to start a circus with me. We could travel by sky ship! Hahahahahahaha can't believe that dupe Blue took that fake mask! Makes me yearn for the good old days in the carnival show! When did Karsi get so powerful? Guess I wont be stealin her man. Maybe she'll share?
Why was Omen slapping me? More importantly why did she stop just when it was getting good for both of us? Oh yeah, the rangers attacking shamzam the fare. Omen has been super effective of late. Did Ruunar add that white "focus powder" to her drink? I thought he was kidding. Wonder what that card reading was about. These old goats on the council better get less stingy, we saved the world! I wasn't made for hard work!
|
|
|
Post by Aileen on Jun 4, 2019 23:21:06 GMT -5
The rangers want to scout ahead, but Omen pulls out her failsafe- the arcane eye. As she sends it out, narrating what she sees, I change into the new armor left behind by the paladin. Its heavy, but it has protection against electric damage. Very handy if we run into more dragons! Ulrich is beyond thrilled to no longer have my light shining and ruining darkness for him.
"Good, now you dont have to think about her anymore!" Omen says.
"I don't know, I got pretty attached to that armor. How do I look?"
"Looks good on you!" Morrigan says.
I suddenly have an idea, remembering the dead bodies in the other room.
"Omen, can I borrow your cult robes? Just for a minute."
"I guess? I have extras." She let's me take another set from her bag, and I drape it over my armor.
Everyone gives me funny looks as I head to the other room. I grab one of the bodies that the drow ranger, Zach I think his name is, examined. I grab it by the wrists and drag him into the elemental room.
"Karsi... why?" Runar shakes his head.
"I'm doing a magic trick, everyone. Watch!"
I really hope this works and I don't look stupid. I concentrate really hard, and think what to ask.
"What is your favorite color?"
I'm just as surprised as everyone else when the dead man's mouth moves.
"Blue?"
I grin, proud of my new skill.
"How did you die?"
"Stabbed to death."
"Who killed you?"
"Iskander."
I turn to the group.
"That's our guy, right?"
Runar nods, confirming. Omen asks me to ask about the red guy she saw in another room playing chess.
"Who is the red guy in the other room?" I ask.
"Taraz the fair. An Efreeti."
The questions expended, the corpse lies silent again. I bow, sweeping the robes around me in a flourish. Runar rolls his eyes but I see the hint of a smile on his lips. I go and drag in another body, and ask more questions for the group. I'm not very good at wording them so we don't get much info. We do know now the bridge is not trapped, Iskander went through here badly injured, and he has the blue dragon mask.
The rangers scout ahead onto the walkway through space, and all seems well. As the rest of us start to cross, small meteors come flying up trying to hit us. We all seem to dodge them, but I look behind me to see Runar take a hit. He tries to right himself, but he goes flying off the walkway. He doesn't fall downward, oddly enough- he falls outward. I can't lose him, I have to think fast!
I cast fly on myself as I jump. He's falling quickly! I try to flap my arms or something to catch up, and I manage to grab onto his hand. And then we hit solid ground. I groan in pain as I push myself to my feet, head reeling from the impact. Runar is beside me, and Reggie and Zoltan flap angrily around our heads.
"You came after me!" Says Runar with a smile. "Ulrich was yelling something about a brewery, did you catch that?"
"He wanted us to save the bag of holding. He's making a brewery when this is all over, apparently."
It appears our friends aren't coming after us, so we check out the big crystal in the middle of the room. There is a fancy rod in front of it, and the crystal depicts rolling flames. It's quite pretty.
"Should I pull it?" Runar asks.
"Couldn't hurt to try. I mean, it could... but let's do it!"
Runar tries, and nothing happens. So then I try. Still just flames. Runar, being a tinkerer, doesn't give up. He tries again, and suddenly the picture turns to a city of brass surrounded in flames. It's beautiful.
"Wow!" I stare at the image in awe, committing it to memory. Morrigan would be all over this, that little firebug. "That looks pretty hot."
"You look pretty hot," says Runar.
I give him a look, and then start looking for a door. He joins in, and it soon becomes evident that we are not going to find anything.
"We're either trapped in here forever or they will find us somehow." Runar announces.
"How will we ever pass the time?"
"I have a couple ideas."
Several minutes later we hear a door slide open, and hurriedly jump apart. I fix my hair as Runar re-fastens his armor, clearing his throat. Grahz, standing on a ladder, peers in.
"Found them!" He calls, guffawing.
"Grahz!" I'm happy to see him, even more happy we aren't trapped in here forever. "You couldn't give us five more minutes?" I hiss.
Suddenly there is the sound of flapping paper, and I look down to see swarms of paper birds attacking the group. Grahz gets one around him as he hangs onto the ladder.
Runar attacks, and I join in blasting. It soon becomes clear that no matter how many paper bird swarms are taken out, more replace them. Omen and Grahz suggest we run and close the door behind us, as apparently the way we came from is just outside. I make it down the ladder after Runar, with paper swarming me and Zoltan. I fear for my poor bird as he squawks and panics, and make a run for the door with him following. Morrigan saves him with a firebolt- I owe her so many drinks!
Runar is the last to leave the room, and then we slam the door. We can hear the paper hitting the door behind us. He makes the mistake of telling Omen about the big crystal in the room we were making out in while our party searched for us in a panic.
"I need to see it!" She looks like a kid in a candy store. The library clearly wasn't enough!
"I'm not going back in there. I can draw you a picture of it if you want!" I suggest. I can't draw worth a damn. I just don't want her to make us go in there again. "There was fire, and then a brass city..."
"The City of Brass!" Omen looks like she's been hit by my Synpatic Static.
"Yeah, a brass city. Okay, let's go, our boy is bleeding out!"
We move on, following the blood trail and bypassing the room where we know the Efreeti is. The blood goes into a room shaped like an hourglass with two giant hourglass going floor to ceiling. Slumped against a wall is Iskander. I run to him, but we are too late. He's dead, having bled out. In his hand is the blue dragon mask. Morrigan scoops that up right away and puts it on.
I cast my new magic and Iskander can speak.
"Late." He croaks.
"Who killed you?" I ask.
"Cultists."
Yeah, no s***.
"Where were you trying to go?"
"Waterdeep."
"Do you want your body brought back?"
"No."
"How do we get out of the tower?"
"Triangle. Late."
We don't get much useful information out of him, but at least we know how to get out. We already know we were late getting to him... does he mean we are too late for stopping Tiamat?
Turns out the mask is not magical. So it's a fake. We came all this way and this guy had to die for a fake. Everyone is obsessed with finding out what's up with the hourglasses, so Zach breaks them open. He finds magical gems inside the sand. One for each of us. Apparently they can do short distance teleporting. After collecting them, and leaving the body as per Iskander's wishes, I suggest we leave. No go- the rest of them want to talk to the Efreeti. I guess I have to go along with my tribe of loveable idiots.
Morrigan goes in first. That was our first mistake. I stay in the hallway and listen to the s***show begin. That Taraz the Fair should be called Mr. Charisma. He apparently charms the pants on Miss Morrigan as she kicks away the salt circle around him. A second later the Efreeti flies into view, stopping in front of Grahz who is in front of me. Runar is in the room ahead, and I wonder why he didn't stop her.
Taraz strikes at Grahz over and over with his scimitar, and the barbarian, already exhausted and weakened, gets pretty bloodied up. Omen casts hypnotic pattern, saving Grahz from another beatdown. I make my move.
"You want to go home you b******?!" I shout. "Banish!"
There is the satisfying audible pop, and the Efreeti is gone! Omen puts an arm around my shoulder laughing as we stare at the space where he had been.
"Nice teamwork!" She says.
"We should do that more often. Alright I really need to concentrate so he doesn't come back."
The minute is up, and he doesn't return. Poor Grahz doesn't look good, so we decide to leave and get back to town asap. We go into the room with the panel, and go back up to the first room we came to. This panel has a triangle, which we press. We come out facing the maze, and walk straight through to the exit.
We were wrong to think we could just call it a day and go back to Waterdeep. So very, very wrong. As we look out at the town, we can see a great blue dragon circling overhead, flying in to breathe lightning down on screaming citizens. My heart pounds as I'm filled with rage. We lost so many people to the black dragon, and now this one is devastating them even more.
"I think that's Lennithon... he attacked Greenest." Omen says.
Grahz looks up bleary eyed and groans.
"Yeah... that's him. I can't fight him, I'm spent."
"Don't worry... I've got him." I say. I could fight, I have more in me... and then there's my new armor. It almost feels like fate is pushing me to confront this dragon.
The dragon sees us emerge from the maze and changes his trajectory, coming for us.
"The mask, you fools! The queen is returning! Give me the mask!" He roars from above.
I turn to Morrigan, who is still wearing the blue mask. She sighs, taking it off and looking at it forlornly. She looks up at me, and tosses it over. I stride forward across the field towards the dragon as it comes in for a landing. I stand before it, not breaking eye contact with it's great slitted eyes.
"Take the mask and go. Leave this town alone."
"What's this? At last! A sensible human!"
"I'm half-elf, of course I have sense."
"You all look the same to me."
I nearly laugh, but keep staring down the dragon. This is the closest I've ever been without being bitten or breathed on. I've never spoken to a dragon one on one, and it's a bit thrilling. He holds out a great clawed hand, and I place the mask in it. The dragon winks at me and then laughs.
"Lennithon wins!" He cackles, and beats his great wings. For once it's not to incapacitate me, he actually takes off, leaving me standing below him.
"Fly away, now. Do not return."
The dragon disappears up into the clouds, wheeling away into the distance. I turn back to the party as they converge on me. I suddenly feel shaky and sick. How was that so easy?
"What a moron!" I laugh. I catch Morrigan's disappointed look. "Don't worry, Mo. We'll get you a better one."
Omen looks... proud? She claps me on the shoulder as we continue on toward town.
"That was impressive!" She says.
"The dragon was just stupid. He also winked at me I think... what does that mean?"
"You probably don't want to know." She laughs, glancing at Morrigan quickly. Hm. Scales. Ohhh.
When we get to town the townspeople all want to know how we got rid of the dragon. I tell them I scared it away... I am far from intimidating. Powerful, but not scary as far as I can tell. Unless I have Chad. Oh, how I miss Chad!
We go to the tavern where we are regarded as heroes. They buy us drinks, and all of us sit around telling stories, still covered in blood and beat up. Runar and Ulrich work on healing Grahz, and then everyone gets drunk. I barely get half a beer down and I have to run out to the back alley to be sick. It's been too much today, with being poisoned and fighting elementals and feats of "strength" with the cyclopes... nearly losing our cleric to crab things, Runar falling into space, talking to dead bodies, losing Chad again, my poor bird nearly being killed, an evil genie.... When I come back in, I'm spent. They gave us rooms, so I go up to the one I'm sharing with the girls and strip off my armor and go to sleep. Sometime later Omen and Morrigan come in, but I fall right back into my crazy dreams of a fire plane and genies granting me wishes of riches and cakes. Finally morning comes, and we prepare to leave.
Zoltan doesn't look good at all. My poor boy is losing feathers at an alarming rate, and he's stopped eating his corn. When I tried to say good morning to him he called me a "two-copper hussy", something I have never heard him say, and bit me. He rides on Morrigan's shoulder for the teleport back to Waterdeep, and I feel a little betrayed. Maybe I was wrong to drag him into this.
We teleport into the Council of Waterdeep, and present our findings. They're not mad at me for giving the mask over, in fact they believe us that it was a copy without having the evidence. Our whole mission was a waste, it seems. They discuss more, and come to the conclusion that there may be a spy on the council. It could literally be anybody, but if they start pointing fingers... it could get very ugly. We are excused, and go set about our business in Waterdeep.
Runar busies himself with crafting healing potions, and Omen goes off to write down more spells. I don't want to disturb either of them, so I go attend to the one order of business I really don't want to take care of. I find the Aviary that Kovatch got Zoltan from, and bring him in. There's a kindly old woman attending to some songbirds when I enter, and she looks shocked at the condition of Zoltan.
"Poor sweet boy, what happened?" She gasps.
"We had a rough day yesterday." I myself am still covered in paper cuts. "I don't think I should be bringing him on any more adventures."
"No, pet birds rarely do well in such environments. The feather loss is from stress."
"I really don't want to get rid of him, but I'm going to have to go away again soon. We are busy fighting a war, and he's just not cut out for it."
I realize I'm crying, and can barely get the words out. I really am attached to Zoltan, but this is probably for the best.
"No matter, young miss. I will take the best care of him. If- when you come back, he will be waiting here for you."
I leave the store and my little man behind. I'm a servant of the Raven Queen and I can't even keep an actual raven safe... some warlock I am. I see Morrigan and Ulrich day drinking in the tavern where we are all staying, so I go in to join them for some food. There's a few days of time off we have here at least, and I know Morrigan is always up to no good. At least I'll be entertained.
~ Karsi
|
|
|
Post by dragonforgotten on Jun 7, 2019 2:25:39 GMT -5
I cant believe i was set on fire by an elemental as a chest containing protection from said elements remained locked inside guarded by elementals. Aint that a son of a *****. After that ironic spit in the face I once again create my arcane eye and send it down the blood trail. No need to put Ulrich in danger just yet. I can only hope we're not too late to save the fool who ran off and fought an inter tower alone. I may seem clause towards him but he's been in the back of my mind for a long time now. He's very skilled, both in magic and in combat. Could he be a survivor? A survivor of what i am not sure but we share the same curse. The cruse of being part of a cult. Again and again we keep getting stalled due to our fatigue and pitfalls. I fear the worst for this poor boy. The eye travel down stairs into a passage way filled with stars and tiny meteorites. theres no way thats just for decoration. This is a wizards tower, the most paranoid and magically bull*** individual alive next to a Beholder. I find the end of the trail but the door has no cracks for my eye to slide into just like the other doors so i take the left and stumble upon a huge red being sitting in front of a chess set looking bored. the powered silver circle brings me back to the spell referenced inside my personal collection. Magic Circle. whatever this man is, he can stay there but we will come back to question him. I return the eye back just as Karsi taps on my shoulder. "hey omen can i borrow your robes?" "Not the ones I'm wearing but you can take the spares." she bigs in my bag and dons on the robes. what is she planning? I then send the eye to check out the side room with Ulrich only to stumble upon another wizard study, this one with a swirling vortex. Wizards. what is there to say. Let's not mess with that right now. I return the eye and Ulrich comes back as Karsi drags out one of the dead cultists. "What are you doing with that?" I ask. "Karsi... why?" Runar shakes his head. "I'm doing a magic trick, everyone. Watch!" She rubs her hands and then starts speaking to it. "What is your favorite color?" I'm just as surprised as everyone else when the dead man's mouth moves. "Blue?" "Are you allowed to do that?" I ask her amazed, searching the shadows for the angry eyes of the raven queen but no one seems peeved. So cool? the corpse speaks and tell us his murder was the foolish, very injured defector Iskander. I kind of want to slap myself when no one bothers to ask the corpse how far along they are with there plans, what are they doing in this tower, ect. At least we learn one thing. The red giant moping at the chest set is an Efreeti. Taraz the Fair. Tiamats many heads why... "Those are bad news. They are evil elementals who like to scam and enslave people. They are very powerful and very fire resistant and i did not pack any lightening in a bottle today." we learn more from the next body that He is imprisoned here through by the founder of this tower. "He must have been trying to use the Efreeti and other genies to become more powerful. When your bored and crazy i heard wizards like to steal Genies for their wishes. Never heard a good ending to any of them." Armed with more knowledge we brave tread forward. Im feeling great till the predictable trap sets off and the metors dart towards us. Its no did deal, weve been hit with wrost then a mid level spell. Just as i finish this thought the metor taps Runar with Reggie and pushes him off the walkway as suddenly he starts zipping off into the Horizon. I dont even have time to blink as Karsi and Zolton jumps after him and they both wink out of existence. I blink owlishly staring at the spot Runar just stood in front of me, then to Karsi missing spot. "...... ........... ............. RUNAR, KARSI!" I start scrambling through my bag for SOMETHING! ANYTHING! If only i had rope! Karsi! "Guuys! Im out of ideas how to handle to magic space tour of bull***! What are we doing because the greatest idea i have is either jumping after them of throw a rope." The Drow ranger, Zak speaks up. "It appears your friends have been shifted." What!? S***! "Anyone have rope?" Zak sighs and throws us his when no one raises hands. Grahz throws out the rope and instantly its pulled taut by the force. Grahz starts sliding so Ulrich grabs on but when he begins sliding we all grab on to each others shoulders and the sliding stops. We did it, all we can do is wait now. ....... five minutes later and still nothing happening. What are we going to do now? Suddenly the whole group shifts as I watch in horror as grahz takes the step of fate and is swept away. taking all of us with him as Zach watches from the path way. Morrigan bumps into my foot sending me into a tail spin as we all scream going faster and faster in a blur. I think I'm going to be sick! Suddenly as soon as it starts we start falling. I fall right onto a table, papers flying everywhere. I groan only for Grahz slams on top of me, knocking the wind from my lungs, causing the table to buckle and break under me cause the both of us to roll onto the floor. My back.. I cough and gasp trying to get air back in my lungs.. From the floor i stare at Grahz moaning on the floor, his boot uncomfortably in my ribs as the flat of his axe has me pined. "graz..... Please move your axe..." He grumbles a sorry as he frees me and i gingerly stumble to my feet, realigning my spine. Im going to feel that tomorrow. the sounds of moans and groans echo around me as i take in our new location. It's a library. Weird. Did i die on impact? "Are we dead now? I thought death by books was suppose to happen next week?" "Books, are evil..." I hear morriggan mumbles pulling a fat book from under her back, the books, not her spine, broken. the title is The Grand Supendious Discoverys of Sir Prendergast highlighted in gold. That would have been a nice read. I spy a desk with a large map on it and my curiosity gets the better of me. Well if we're not dead. I study the map and my eyes go wide. Holy f****! Its the map to the CITY OF BRASS! Does that me we've been spit out onto the plane of fire! F***! "Guys! I don't think we're in Farune anymore!" I start panicking. "Yes we are, the starry pathway is just past this door." calls Grahz waving someone in. Oh thank savras I'm glade to be wrong. Everyones too busy trying secret doors. The others can be too far if it just spit us in this room. I look back to the map sitting on the table. Can i just take it? What if it's trapped? This is going to be worth a lot of money in the right hands. This is a wizards tower. I should see if its cursed. i start the ritual to detect magic only for Zach to walk next to me. "Its not magical." then he walks off. I give him a scowl. "Show off." i taking the map and storing it in my scroll case. Before i can check the draws Grahz gives out a call. He's found two secret doors. Good on him! now we can try to find them! We open one and find another desk and i start tearing up at the sight of dried magic ink. "Why are you getting teary eyed?" Asked morrigan "Such a waste. How can it not make you cry." I mutter. she'd never understand. Theres nothing to see so Grahz checks the upper door after we help push the libarary latter into place. I pick a book from the shelves. 1000 and 1 magical ways to remove mysterious stains out of robes by Billious Mayious. Fascinating. I flip to appendix nine, removing blood stains. Amazing. Truly, i would have never known. "Found them!" Grahz call from above as I hear the familiar yelling of Karis demanding five more minutes. We don't have five minutes. We need to find our boy. I've been distracted for too long! Suddenly paper begins to swarm and fly and bombard us with tiny painful papercuts! Oh no! I was right! today was death by many books! I throw a magic missel and then pull out the shocking grasp and manage to get out of the room. I run into Karsi with Zolton under her armpit as i wipe the tiny cut off my cheek. Runar is the last to leave as we slam the door shut behind us as the sounds of angry paper moves about behind the door. "So. What did you guys see in the other room." "just a huge crystal. "WHAT! I need to see it!" I have my hand on the door knob ready to run right back inside but Karsi grabs my robes pulling my back! What a major break through! "I'm not going back in there. I can draw you a picture of it if you want! There was fire, and then a brass city..." "The City of Brass!" I struggle harder. I NEED TO SEE! "Yeah, a brass city. Okay, let's go, our boy is bleeding out!" I instantly snap out of my unsatisable hunger for knowledge at the mention of him. I cant believe i forgot. We open the door to be greeted by two massive hour glasses standing in the middle of the room. In the corner, slumped against the wall is Iskander the defector, the mask still clutched tight in his hands. My heart drops out of my chest and twists in pain. I rush over to him, dropping to my knees, grabbing him by the shoulders. "Kid! We're here! Come one ! Wake up!" He doesn't rise or respond. His skin is cold and colorless, his chest doesn't move. He's dead. I release him feeling cold myself. I rip a peice of his rob from the hem of his cloths and tie it around my wrist as i stand back up. Karsi cast her new magic and Iskander begins to rasps "Late." He croaks. Always too late. "Who killed you?" she ask. I honestly want to slap karis upside the head because it's obvious what killed him. We need to know how far there plans have gone! "Cultists." "Where were you trying to go?" "Waterdeep." That breaks my heart. "Do you want your body brought back?" "No." Why? Isn't it better to be brought back rather than left to rot in this tower alone? "How do we get out of the tower?" Karsi asks "Triangle. Late." We don't get much useful information out of him, Im too devastated to be angry about the waste of questions. I close his unseeing eyes. I failed to save another child from the cult. Is this how i will die to? Alone and forgotten in a tower. Zach casts detect magic. he detects magic in the hourglasses but not where it mattered. "theres no magic from the mask." I slam a fist against the wall. "So he died for nothing!" I scream enraged. I wish desperately for more cultists so show up so i can personally tear out their hearts and in prison their souls. I feel a hand land on my shoulder and i throw my head back to see its Karsi. "Im sad too." I sigh pushing the hair out of my face. Another one in a long line of sorrows. "Right, I guess we'll need to figure out how the hourglasses work-." I hear the shattering of glass and a scowl when i see Zak has shattered the hourglass and is now shattering the second one before i can even get a word out. Savras give me strength, I'm losing patiences with this man. We discover the source of the magic. Theres seven teleportation gems inside and we each receive one. Theres only one person left who might know more. We should pay the Efreet a visit. As long as we don't break the circle we'll be fine. Karsi wants to leave now but we need to know what they are doing. I reassure her that we will be fine as long as we don't break the circle. We move to the next room and i see him. He starts smiling arms out in greeting. "At last visitors! Come closer you have nothing to fear! This entire area is warded." Morrigan and Runar walk into the room but i cant get in, theres bad congestion in the halls. He tells us his sad sob story. How he's been trapped here for so long with only a chest board. The older owner of this tower captured him and has been battling him in a game of whits in the vain hope of beating the wizard for his freedom. He obviously never came back to finish the game. How Iskander stumbled in here bleeding and dying. The elemental being offered him a wish if he only freed him but rejected it and stumbled out of the room. "As much as it tears me to break the new to you but that man is most likely dead." "and you would leave me trapped her all alone! Condemning me to this fate!" "Yes. I know about your wishes." My heart stops when Morrigan steps up the the circle and the elemental perks up excited. "Morrigan No!" I scold her angry but she doesn't listen. The foolish greedy Teifling breaks the circle, unleashing the Efreeti and not a second later an arrow embeds itself into the elementals body! I scowl at the drow archer with fire in my eyes. There goes us just letting him pass. You bloody fool! You have condemned us all!! We watch horrified as The genie delivers a devastating blow to Grahz who bleeds and staggers. I swing my head to Karsi and I meeting her terrified gaze. "Karsi!" I bark, my voice heavy with authority. "You need to cast banishment. I'll hold him off." I move in front of her and cast hypnotic pattern as i change Runars fortune. Please work! Savras seems to have heard my pled because the genie is awestruck by the light show. "You want to go home you b******?!" Karsi shouts. "Banish!" she snaps her fingers. There is the satisfying audible pop, and the Efreeti is gone! I puts an arm around her shoulder laughing as we stare at the space where he had been. "Nice teamwork!" I shout, manic and loud, my weight almost sending her to the ground. I cant believe we are alive. With our lives saved i walk up the drooling teifling aka miss "reading drives you loony", take off the mask and slap her hard across the face before putting it back on. The force was so bad her head snaps to the side. "Never Do this again. Do you understand? I don't care what they offer you." "Wow. Do it again!" I stare at her dumbfounded. What the hell is wrong with this woman? ------------------
We reappear right in the entrance of the maze. Glade to be out of the maze but feeling stung by the lost we suffered while riding on the grand survival against impossible odds. Then all that excitement of leaving vanishes once i spy the village. A adult blue dragon is raining death by lightening onto the village and i can feel our moral crumble. First the genie now this! We cant keep up this pace! We are already beyond our limits! As i watch the dragon a shadow of memory worms its way onto my lips. "I think.... that's Lennithon... He use to be partners with Blue... I heard rumors he attacked Greenist awhile back. Whats he doing here now?" I glance at Grahz to see him clench his fists is righteous anger. I guess he knows him well. Must be personal. The dragon sees us emerge from the maze and changes his trajectory, coming for us. "The mask, you fools! The queen is returning! Give me the mask!" He roars from above. I grow pale at the mention of her. Oh gods are they really so close! I don't want to do this, but i was once able to speak with them before. I'll need to do it again. I take a step forward but I'm stopped by Karsi. I glance at her. She knows what i'm planning just at a glance but she refuses to allow me to move forward. "Don't worry... I've got him." Karsi says turning to Morrigan who is still wearing the blue mask. She sighs, taking it off and looking at it forlornly. She looks up at Karsi, and tosses it over. I grab Karsi arm as she moves to speak to him. "When you speak to him look him in the eye. Don't hesitate." I release her worried. She then strides forward across the field towards the dragon as it comes in for a landing. She stand before it, not breaking eye contact with it's great slitted eyes. "Take the mask and go. Leave this town alone." "What's this? At last! A sensible human!" "I'm half-elf, of course I have sense." "You all look the same to me." I catch Grahz taking the teleport gem in his fist with axe in hand and i grab him hard, scowling in his face. "No. You must trust us Grahz. Have faith in her. Have faith in us. The village depends on it." he growls, eyes not leaving the dragon but he steps down. The dragon holds out a great clawed hand, and she places the mask in it. The dragon winks at Karsi and then laughs. "Lennithon wins!" He cackles, and beats his great wings. He takes off, leaving Karis untouched standing below him. I wave a hand at him. "So long... ya dumbf****." i whisper. The dragon disappears up into the clouds, wheeling away into the distance. Karsi returns to us as we converge. Shes shaky and a little green under the collar. Not bad for her first time speaking to a dragon on her own. I cant help but to feel a little proud. "What a moron!" She laugh. We catch Morrigan's disappointed look with her bare face. "Don't worry, Mo. We'll get you a better one." I claps me on the shoulder as we continue on toward town. "That was impressive!" "The dragon was just stupid. He also winked at me I think... what does that mean?" "You probably don't want to know. Some of them have pretty wild tastes in men." She laughs then glances at Morrigan quickly. She looks confused till she notices the green scales that stand out against her red skin. She then gasp surprised. "You don't mean." I shrug. "How else do you explain half dragons." As I'm joking with Karsi. i feel satisfied with how this went. Isklander may have died alone but he didn't die in vain. thats more then i could have asked for short of resurrecting him. He bought us time. Time to plan and time to attack. -----------------
We go to the tavern where we are regarded as heroes. It feels weird for me. Im just a mage. They buy us drinks, and all of us sit around telling stories, still covered in blood and nursing wounds. Runar and Ulrich work on healing Grahz, and then everyone gets drunk. I catch Karsi running for the alley to puke.....Must be the stress from today and the dragon catching up.. cant count how many times i must have puked after every encounter with a dragon when i first started... What the f*** was that? I don't bother her. She's had enough for one day. They gave us rooms. Men in one room, ladies in the other. Morrigan tied to get me wasted again but I've learned my lesson with her. I feed the potted plant besides me when she turns her back on me. Sometime later me and Morrigan come in and i spy Karsi on the bed, out of armor but the blanket on the floor. I pick it up and throw it over her and then land face first into my own bed sore and tired as Dusty nests in my hair. It doesn't take me long before I'm Dreaming of the future. These ones are strange. Death is still a common theme but the ones around myself are unclear and hazy. In the morning there is a good hearty breakfeast of eggs and bacon with tea before i start drawing the circle on the flag stones. "Thats still not a circle." "The grounds uneven." We teleport into the Council of Waterdeep, and present our findings. I wish they didn't stick their circle right in the middle of there meeting room. They're not mad at us for giving the mask over, in fact they believe us that it was a copy without having the evidence. I cant help just riase an eyebrow. Ive been having a bad feeling lately about the concile since returning from the sea. They knew we were traveling to waterdeep. They knew where to find us. Every mission they sent us has lead only to the cult getting there first. There is a rat among them. but which one. They discuss more, and come to the conclusion that there may be a spy on the council. It could be anybody. I can only be grateful they haven't devolved into paranoia but the seeds are starting to sprout. We are excused, and go set about our business in Waterdeep. We have three days. Runar busies himself with crafting healing potions, and I goes off to write down more spells. Karsi informs me sorrowfully that she has to rehome Zolton. This adventure has made her realize that the battle field is no place for a raven like Zolton. It's for the best. Well retrieve him once the cult is stopped. I hear people laughing outside and i watch the moon in the sky. Dusty scampers here and there about the room looking stressed. He seems more frantic than usual. he keeps glancing at me. nuzzling into my cheek. I don't know whats wrong with him? He must be picking up on my anxiety. Ive been plagued by visions that make no sense and vanish just as fast. Words the spring to my lips out of no where and emotions that flare up over things I should be disconnected from. i feel like i'm wasting time no matter what i do. That theres something i need to do and I'm running out of time but i don't know what to do! I glance at Karsi who's wrapped up in her blankets asleep. I was hoping she'd be wake so i can get this off my chest but its seems her stomach bugs has once again got to her along with losing Zolton. She's taking it hard. It'll have to wait till morning. I'm done translating disintegrate. I snuff out the candles and crawl into bed drifting off into nothingness.
Omen the Farsighted
|
|
|
Post by Aileen on Jun 7, 2019 13:08:55 GMT -5
I wait until I know for sure that Omen is asleep to put my plan into action. I went to bed, claiming I didn't feel well and miss my bird. Both true, but I was feining sleep. I know that I can enter her dream, but I'm scared that she will catch me in the act. She invaded my head that time I contacted the other plane, it's my turn to get in hers. She's so secretive and always hiding things from us- this may be my chance to gather information or divulge her secrets. I sit on my bed, and cast the spell, closing my eyes.
---
The Dream
---
My eyes snap open to reveal... a school. The ticking of a clock ever present. I walk through the halls, the ghost of memory taking hold. I've been here before. I was here with the gnome... it seems like ages ago, when we went to find Omen. Styxwells I think it’s called. So pretentious.
I walk past the portraits only to find depictions of me and the rest of the gang instead of the tired old men and women I remember seeing. Pictures of lavish illustrations of exploits from the day we first met till now: miscellaneous adventures, near death experiences, love, victories, sadness, anger. It’s all there and framed. Suddenly I step into thin air, catching myself in time to see that the stair case, instead of going down or up, goes in ALL directions, even twisting and looping in some sections. Well gos se. This place is bigger than it is in reality.
I wander through the halls, opening doors to dead ends or strange rooms that contain nothing but shelves upon shelves of books, as ghostly echoes of people wander and read through them, some sitting in arm chairs and others replacing a book... but mostly all of them reading or writing. Some rooms open up as these ghosts reenact memories Omen told me about of her days in Styxwell's.
As I descend deeper, I enter a catacomb-like labyrinth filled with mist. Finally, I see something of interest. I begin to stumble upon doors. Doors with a single blue eye on their surface. The same as the ones tattooed inside omens palms.
I open one and all around me crystal balls hover in place, tinted black. I grab one out of sheer curiosity, damn the consequences, and suddenly I see things that don’t make sense. Of Omen, my party and I dying back in the swamps, in Skyreach castle, the Tomb of Diderius, to the dragons... each death is more gruesome then the last. Suddenly I get a vision of myself, locked in a brutal fight with many cult soldiers. Other me is so caught up in the fight that she never sees a man in full plate approach from behind and then part her head from her shoulders. I release the orb and it dawns on me that these are futures that were adverted. Omen did warn me back in Skyreach she saw this one. I thought she was full of s***.
I close the door to that room and open another door. These orbs are tinted yellow. A happier color. I grab one and see Omen and I winning multiple rounds of cards as the losing table groans in defeat. I definitely like this room better. One orb catches my eye, and when I grab it, I see myself in Kovatch's arms. The future I never had with him. I did have feelings for him, but they were nothing compared to how I feel about Runar... The next orb is Omen teaching Arnie, and the other is sending him back home through a teleportation circle. She had talked about doing that, but then the mummy lord happened.
I let go and leave, closing the door behind me. I walk in deeper as the chambers open up, and a furious whispering of many voices grows. I now stand in a circular room with three large doors.
I stand in front of a door as the whispers grow louder and louder, till it’s practically an argument. I reach a hand for it as the whispering seems to work its way into my mind, trying to show me things I probably shouldn’t be seeing. I'm startled back into reality when someone grabs my hand. The muttering stops. I whip around, looking behind me with eyes wide. I've been caught! But there’s no one there. Instead there’s a door, this one with Omen's tattoo standing out burned into the wood, as a great blue dragon eye sits in the middle of the sign. It’s crossed with many chains and locks.
“I’ve tried everything but nothing works.”
A voice echoes around me. I jump, looking frantically about, but still I see no one. Wait... I'm supposed to be in control here. I smile and snap my fingers. The locks turn into ravens and the chains fall off, the door opening ajar. The ravens fly past my head, back into the labyrinth.
“That’s pretty cool!” I mutter, amazed.
I take a step forward through the door and into darkness, the door slamming shut behind me.
———————
I only sees darkness. I can see in the dark, but this is truly empty. I walk and walk, but It doesn’t seem to end until the curls of incense drift by, and the sound of water meets my ears. The darkness begins to peel back. It’s looks like a temple, flooded and destroyed, being held up by stone dragons as tattered purple banners hang from the walls. As I go along, more iconography of dragons, dinosaurs and an assortment of interesting creatures. The hallways eventually empty out into a giant circular chamber with a high domed ceiling. There’s someone who’s crouched on the floor, examining something on the ground. Her black hair is extremely long and she’s dressed in white and black robes with hints of purple.
I step into the room and there’s a loud sigh from the figure as they stop what they are doing and begins to stand.
“It seems people like to wake me up lately. Is it the Tiefling again? No. Someone else. Two someone’s.”
The figure turns around, and I come face to face with Omen, but different. She’s old, 55 or so, her face haggard and her eyes sunken.
“Oh... Karsilene. I thought I told you not to find me?” Her right eye contains three dragon eyes, just like they did a long time ago. It's her.
My heart races, palms sweating. I step back in fear, starting to feel sick again. Panic is taking ahold of me.
“No it’s not possible! You should be dead! Why are you here?! What the hell are you doing here!?”
“Ah! You do remember me! Finally, someone who does. So, judging by your reaction it really has been that long, has it? You're about 29 if I’m guessing right. That would make me.... oh, only 70- 80 give or take. Huh. I don’t look half bad for my age! Still look like s***, though. At least I’m not a skeleton yet.... the last thing I need is to look like a lich.”
Yep, that sounds like Omen, the rambling hasn’t changed.
“Are you... Omen?”
“In a sense, yes. But in other ways, no.”
I gape at the woman, confused beyond any sense of confusion I have ever had.
“You're confused. It will all be explained shortly, once I finish here. I do want to see this memory again before time steals it away.”
I watch her continue her work, not knowing what to say. That's fine, she seems to want to do all the talking.
“You're here for answers, correct? I bet she sent you. I’ve been feeling her grow more desperate the more she grows in power. She is running out of time, after all, if she ever wants to find it.”
She pauses, the sound of chalk on stone echoes in the larger amphitheater.
“I must say, no one has ever tried visiting me in person before. Normally they just get us drunk, I wake up and give them a scare. That Morrigan was the most interesting one I've seen. Had an interesting future.”
Again with the rambling.
“What’s your name?” I ask, my voice cracking.
Older Omen cackles like I said something hilarious.
“You think I’m actually going to tell anyone who wakes me my name. Names are powerful words, child. When you invoke a name, you call its power. Gain control over it. You can do it so easily with your spells, you think people are the exception. Why in all the nine hells would I tell you? No. For now, call me White... easy enough, and familiar.”
I huff, disappointed.
“Patience is a virtue child. Thought your goddess would have taught you that.”
“What are you doing?” I ask, and White looks down.
“Just traveling down old memories before they vanish. I haven’t been to the lost temples of Ctuth in a long while. It’s were I first saw a T. rex. It was glorious and heart racing. As for what I’m doing..." she smiles weakly. "I’m just waiting to die. Very hard when people keep waking me up.”
I start to hyperventilate as she continues to work. Now that I'm next to her I can see she’s drawing complex and old symbols of languages that range from draconic to old Luskan, and a few other dialects. Normally I could read them, but in this fugue state of dreaming, I can't. Around them are complex drawings of dragons.
“You're dying?!”
“In a way. Afterall, what is a person but a soul and their memories? Your goddess takes great pride in controlling both, after all."
Aye, that she does. Mine especially. Why did she make me forget White, until now?
"Currently I still have a soul, but my memories are fading. Ever so slowly... Tiamat and her cult has done a very good job at forgetting me. Done.”
She stand up dusting her hands.
“You may want to stand close to me.”
Suddenly five ghostly figures come bursting out of the wall, screaming in terror as a T. rex follows behind, bellowing. Both phantoms disappear deeper into the structure as White laughs.
“Oh, I always love that part. It was a good plan, you know. A very good plan. But like all good plans, they blow up in my face. Anyway, time to begin story time.”
White then takes Insurance, the dagger Omen has, and throws it in front of her feet blade first. Instead of the dagger bouncing off the ground, the blade then violently pierces the ground, making it look like shattered glass. Cracks begin to spiderweb from the point of impact, cracking and breaking the scenery around it before everything shatters below our feet, and we fall into darkness. I start screaming as the ground leaves me and I feel myself falling. White looks bored.
“Why are you screaming? You are in control, aren’t you? Allow me to help you with that.”
Suddenly I begin to shrink, and my hands sprout feathers, turning into wings. I've become a raven. I flap about uselessly, a horrible shrieking scream coming from my beak till at the last possible second my wings catch the wind and I am flying! I circle White as she lands gracefully on her feet. I land in front of her screeching and waving my new wings in rage.
“But I always thought you wanted to be a raven, dear?” She laughs.
I puff my feathers out until I am round and fluffy, like Zoltan when I don't feed him on time.
“Suite yourself, then.”
She snaps her fingers and suddenly I grow, losing all my feathers and returning to being Karsi the half-elf. This feels better.
“Let’s begin.” Says White.
The scene changes around us to the woods as the same phantom children play in the woods.
“I was the daughter of a prized fisherman, Sedrick, and my mother Catherine. Our family line, the Farsight's, were famous for their exploits... like uncle Eliza who slayed a kraken and sailed the corpse to his home. I was not destined for the sea like I thought. At a young age I began to see visions of the future and honed my magic in the woods with a young boy my age. His name was Sirius. Not long after, another young boy joined us named Calex, the mayor’s son. They were my first friends and helped me though my visions as we all practiced magic in secret.”
The vision the changes to a boat in a storm and then back to a village with a cart of children on it.
"One day, I went on a boating trip with my dad when a dragon attacked. With my sight I avoided catastrophe when a white dragon nearly ripped our sails, but I nearly drowned. My father feared these visions would grow out of control, so he sent me away to a magic college, my friends joining me.”
It then shifts to a glamorous school in Neverwinter. A group of five friends.
“We were talented students and we gained two new friends. Alice and Charlotte. Each of us majoring in each of the schools of magic, but tied together by our one passion. Dragons. We loved them, and hoped to learn more. So as a sign of our friendship we picked up their colors as our nicknames. I was Silver in college.”
It then shifts to a couple sitting next to each other under a tree.
“Towards the end of our college years me and Sirius, now Gold, began to have feelings for each other. We would tease each other and play our games, but we never said what we both were waiting to hear. One day, he was finally going to admit it when everything changed.”
The scene then changes to the five crying in agony, reaching for hand of a red wizard of Thay.
“Our homes were gone, our families were gone, and there was no one but our mentor there for us. We were children. We didn’t realize what our mentor was. Only that he was the only one to help us. Or so we thought.”
It shifts to a tower filled with students. One by one they all start to fall as the scene shifts to five students covered in blood, standing above the other bodies.
“He threw us into the cult's initiate tests. There were twenty of us. Only us five survived the first blood test and officially became Dragonclaws.”
It then shifts to the five, now older, standing in a circle. Each phantom cuts a palm and bleeds into the circle, as suddenly Omen's tattoo brands into their skin.
“The initiation changed us for the worst. So filled with hatred, we made a promise to destroy the world so other people could share our pain. In our mad devotion to Tiamat. We even began to refer to each other as the colors of the chromatic dragons rather than the metallic.”
“For years we pillaged and destroyed, slowly becoming corrupt by our own power and madness. Within those years I-... was gifted something precious by Sirius. It was a mistake, but we were happy with it. But that’s when I began to notice. What we really lost.”
The scene switches to each individual. First, the man who wanted to keep me as his 'little helper'.
“Calex, Green, began to become cruel in his nature. He seemed to no longer care how his words would even hurt his friends. He used his silver tongue to torment us in a sick game."
Then the woman who wanted to put me in as an initiate.
"Alice, Blue, began to become deeply disturbed, she loved watching people suffer, and would torment them through her games, such as making a thirsty man drink poison."
The woman with the guard drake, who wanted to experiment on young me.
"Charlotte, Black, who was well known for her emotions and love of life, began to grow to despise it and wish to only be left alone to experiment.”
White sighs, a forlorn look in her eyes.
“Sirius, Red, began to become cold to me. Would slowly stop checking in on me, and became obsessed with completing his objectives.”
Her expression is stony, but I can see the sadness in her eyes. A broken woman.
“What I lost was greater than I ever thought.”
Suddenly the scene changes to phantom White clutching her stomach as she vomits blood, collapsing to her side as a man rushes to her hollering for help. Then it shows her stepping out of a coffin, screaming.
“Tiamat is a selfish goddess. Her followers must only love her, and her alone. So, for my price she took the symbol of Red and I's love for each other. Our child, and in the process, killing me. I rose again inside a clone I had prepared, but it didn’t stop the pain of losing our son. Tiamat thought she could break me by taking the two things that mattered, but I’m not easily broken. I've always been strong of will. I prefer to take my hits and go to the fight rather than curl up and give in. I tried everything to fix what was done, even seeking aid from Bahamut, but nothing worked. Even through all of this, Red never bothered to check on me, the curse finally consumed him. I was almost ready to give up.”
Suddenly the scene changes to a scene I now remember well. The day white and her friends found me, nearly killed me, and then left me.
“Until I met you. After I spared you Savras gave me the prophecy, after years of having cut contact with me. A vision of the end of everything. The true horrors of the new age of dragons. I had so badly damaged fate that only one possibility remained for every soul. The rise of Tiamat. Only one hope remained with a group of adventurers.”
It shows her surrounded by books, holy relics and sacred sights.
“It was then I did what I do best. Late night cramming and long complicated plans... preparing for the heroes of the far future.”
It shows her heading an army of robed figures behind her. The tattooed eyes in her hands glowing.
“There’s a saying that to fell a dragon you must cut off its wings till you reach its heart. I took this as solid advice. I began gathering students in the cult. I limited my activity and locked myself away in study as I began to turn fellow cultists away from Tiamat, to my side. I named them the Fangs of Bahamut to divert attention. We worked in secret. With them as my arms I slowly bled the Cult of gold from within, as they struggled about confused. I wish I could say it lasted, but then I wouldn't be here.”
The scene shifts back to a tower. Phantom White alone with all four of her friends having her surrounded with dragontooth daggers.
“I couldn’t hide the truth from Red for long. He eventually caught on, whether through my students or an outside source. The 'how' no longer mattered. In the end I was forced to confront all four of them one last time. They were far beyond help. So, I did what I must.”
The phantoms then begin to violently attack each other through spells or weapons. Blue falls first, dead, then black, then green till finally it’s only her and Red on the verge of death. White manages to knock red down and stand over him, ready to do the same to him, but her hand shakes and the tears run from her eyes. Suddenly, Red disarms her and stabs her in the heart as she collapses.
“In the end I couldn’t kill him, and he and Varram threw me out of the tower like trash, satisfied that they had won. They soon after destroyed the rest of the Fangs. They thought they had finally killed me; they had destroyed a clone I saved. But they never learned of the third.”
The scene shifts to the clone of her, a 13-year-old girl under a house.
“I had studied clones dutifully after my first attempt, maybe out of desperation around my curse. I heavily experimented on this one, and had forgotten about it in my drive to stop my friends. Naturally, I reincarnated into it despite knowing what would happen.”
The scene changes to Neverwinter, of phantom Omen sitting on the stoop of the Porter's scribbling in her book.
“I designed this clone as an escape. To leave the future in the hands of the heroes. But I had miscalculated in multiple parts. I had assumed this clone would be the same as me, just as the other one was, but I failed to calculate who would find it. Imagine my surprise when a pair of halflings adopted her- no questions asked. She predictively began to live her own life completely separate from mine and developed her own personality. I think I hurt poor Dusty, knowing his master is slowly disappearing. He’s such a good owl for keeping his promise to me and holding those secrets. The shock I had when it turned out that the new me would rather return to the fires I left behind and f*** all my plans to fade away into a peaceful life as a civilian. Imagine the laugh I had when it turned out I was part of Savras's prophecy. The heroes I had been preparing for actually included me. Trying as hard as I could, I couldn’t stop fate.”
White's laughter shakes the air around us, till she sighs, her expression unreadable. Her tale begins to wind down as she stares down at me.
“This person you know and the person you're talking to now is just a walking shadow. An Anomaly. Both Horribly incomplete. We seek each other out, but can never touch. Not until she finds the key. But the cult has done a good job forgetting me. Soon, I’ll fade, and I grow less and less every day. And that concludes my mystery, Karsi. Now it is your secret to keep or share. It’s your choice. I honestly couldn’t give a damn.”
She says this just as she raises her hand, leaving a ghost like trail in its wake. I watch in silence as her hand reforms. I don't know what to say. It’s all too much to take in.
Suddenly white slams her fist against an unseen wall, and ice blooms from her hand from where she touches it, as cold wisps of air escape her lips. Her eyes alight with a cold fire as her rage flares.
“Those bastards! All those years of work and pain and they snuff it all out due to one flaw in my plan! All my poor students! They don’t even have the gall to remember me, or us! I was one of their most powerful mages! And they look at me like I’m no one! How dare they live in blissful ignorance of me?! I’ll kill them. I’ll make them remember me! They will remember me!"
I takes a step back, fear clutching my chest as I watch White rage and shout. White catches the fear in me as the ice begins to disappear, along with her rage, replaced with a deep sorrow.
“Sorry.”
We stand in the darkness in complete silence for a few moments, just the sound of her breathing slowing down and my heart beating right out of my chest.
“He’s still out there you know. I don’t know what happened to him, but he’s still alive. Karsi, I may need to tell you something. There’s still one more thing Omen needs to do.”
She looks into my eyes with urgency.
“No matter what, Red needs to die. It will be hard, but it needs to be done. When that day comes, she’ll need help deciding if she wants to go through with it. But she needs to free him.”
There’s a desperation to White's voice that send chills down my spine. She places a firm hand on my shoulder.
“You know, I saw your future through the cards as well. Omen never quite got it, but I did. I painfully did. Indeed, you need to know.”
Suddenly our scenery bleeds to black as the sunset of Neverwinter vanishes. A lone crib stands before us in a dark room, the only light coming from the crib.
"What? I thought you said you lost your son..." I sputter.
White doesn’t answer me as suddenly the wailing of a child pierces the conversation. She then walks over to the crib.
“Oh little one, we’re almost done here. No need to cry.”
She comforts the baby, pulling it out of the crib and cuddling the tiny bundle in her arms. The baby quiets, cooing in the bundle of blankets as it kicks a little in her arms, trying to get comfortable. She then walks over to me, a soft look on her face I have not yet seen.
“I’m actually envious of you. You have the gift to bring life into this world, while that possibility will forever be shut to me. I wish you were smarter when you and him did this, but neither was I. Your timing couldn’t have been worst. The cost of what you are doing is near impossible to some mortals. You were both naive in believing you could be an exception to the circle of life. A child can’t raise a child, after all.”
’Opened the heart of darkness, cover your ears and look away. Inside lays a fluttering heart tangled in fates strings. Turning the tides.’
Is that what she meant with the cards? Is this... am I... I can't be, can I?
White begins to rock the baby as the cooing silences and the wiggling stops.
“First, you are going to go through changes. Hard changes. You will be sick and in pain half the time, while hormonal with the other half. You will then hit the point where you can’t hide it anymore. Don’t hide this s***.”
She places the bundle in my arms. I start to really panic as it begins to sink in.
“Then, finally, the time will come- and I hope you're damn ready when it does. The key is to take care of yourself. Be chill. You're very lucky to be surrounded by people who care for you. Just don’t f*** it up.”
I look into the baby’s face, my eyes wide in horror as the light starts to break through the darkness. The baby has piercing blue eyes, dark hair, tiny leaf-like pointy ears, and two little tusks sticking out of her bottom lip. There's no doubt she is part Runar, and part me. Who would make something like this up? I don’t think Omen would turn her dream on me like that just to do a cruel prank.
“I believe you wanted my name when you first arrived. Consider this a gift for your child. And the other one.”
She leans in to my ear as she stares ahead.
“Suliman Farsight. Sully for short.”
The baby disappears, White disappears, and I'm falling again. I snap out of the dream, coming back to myself in the still dark bedroom. I jump out of bed, breathing hard and shaking. That was much more than I bargained for, and I don’t know what was truth and what was not. I hear Omen stir, mumbling in her sleep, but she doesn’t wake up. Is she going to remember this dream? Will she be mad at me for raiding her subconscious? I finally calm down enough to get some sleep, and drift off hoping this will all be forgotten by morning.
Omen is normal the next morning, even cheery. I feel ill as is the norm recently. Omen wants to run errands, and I am eager to get some shopping done as well. My burgundy cloak has seen better days, and does not go with my new armor. Besides, the glowing chainmail and that together used to be a beacon of “ask me about Talis”. I wonder if she is still watching us? Maybe the cult killed her? We spend the morning shopping, and I can’t really bring myself to meet Omen’s eyes, but I keep staring at her when she’s not looking to see if she’s on to me. Finally, she confronts me as I watch her looking at some magical components.
“Why do you keep staring at me like I’ve grown two heads, Karsi?”
“Huh?”
“You’ve been acting odd all morning.”
“No, I haven’t. Everything’s fine.”
“Wouldn’t have anything to do with what you saw in my dream?”
I freeze, caught red handed. So, she did know… why didn’t she say anything?
“You remember?”
“I remember catching you snooping around. I guided you to that door that I’ve never got behind. What did you find?”
Omen makes her purchase, and we leave the store. My head is spinning, there’s so much I want to say and confirm… but what if it’s not true and I’m just giving her ideas? What could I do to provoke the memories in her? Oh. Right. The scene of the crime.
“Can I show you something?” I ask. Omen nods.
I still remember the backstreets of Waterdeep, it's as though I've never left. My dad showed me where the city watch found me, at an abandoned building, but I haven’t been here since I was 16. That seems so long ago. I barely have to look for the right way to go as Dusty seems to know exactly where I'm heading, so I let the owl lead.
"Where are we going?" Omen asks. "I really need to hit the books, and this neighborhood is a little sketchy." "Relax, I lived on these streets as a kid. Nothing bad ever happened to me. Well, except that one time."
Finally, I see a familiar alleyway. Looks like they put in a bakery in the old building. It smells amazing. The alley hasn't changed a bit. I go down it and stand by the door, and Dusty lands on my shoulder. He pecks at my ear, but more gentle than usual.
"Anything ring a bell?" I ask Omen.
"Can't say I've ever been here. Did you want baked goods or something? I feel like this place might give us food poisoning-"
"Think, Omen. Imagine this place more run down. The trash bins were over there-" I point to the empty wall on the other side. "Ravens picking through the garbage. A young girl..."
"Are you okay?" Omen laughs.
"I'm fine!" I groan. "Try to remember, come on! Imagine me but smaller and cuter... well, that's not true, I'm adorable now."
"I don't know what you're getting at, Karsi."
I sigh, defeated. Dusty pulls at my hair and then flies back to Omen, landing on her. I tried, I guess.
"I was nine years old and living on the streets when I came here. I was picking through trash when I got hungry, on days couldn't find odd jobs to do for people... there was some parade going on that day, so I kept finding good stuff. My bird friends always followed me around because I would share with them. I think I found some leftover fish and chips, but then I heard voices and had to hide."
Omen's face betrays nothing. She clearly has no idea what I'm talking about. Got to keep trying!
"A great big owl found me hiding between the barrels and pulled me out. There were five adults standing around in cultist robes. I'd talked to cultists before, sometimes I did small favors for them in exchange for a meal. These ones I didn't know. They messed with me, tossing me around and threatening me inside that building... it wasn't a bakery back then. The tall woman took me outside and her owl killed my friend, Black Jack the raven. I was devastated and I knew she would kill me too for knowing too much. But, she didn't. She let me go... her scary little creature jumped me and knocked me out, and the city watch found me... if it weren't for that I'm sure I would never have met Ralnor Stormwyk, the half-elf who adopted scrappy little me. I have you to thank, I guess."
"Me? Karsi... what are you on about?"
"Yes, you. White was what they called you. I know now who you really were. I spoke to you in your dream, Suliman Farsight. Or do you prefer Sully?"
The change that comes over Omen is frightening. Her face goes deathly white, and for a moment I fear she will faint. She draws her arms close to her chest, as if holding herself together, and leans against the brick wall. She slowly sinks down, breathing hard and digging her nails into her skin. What have I done?
"Omen?" I dash to her side, trying to get her to look at me. Her eyes stare past me, her whole body shaking. She mutters under her breath in draconic, but I'm too focused on snapping her out of it to translate.
"Omen!! Stop, you're scaring me!"
"Karsi." Her eyes snap to mine, wide in fear. "Take me back. Now."
I grab her arm and get her to her feet. She stumbles behind me, a far off look on her face. I think I finally cracked Omen, and I'm regretting it. We aren't far from the inn, but the streets are busy since it's so damn nice out. I'm thankful I'm not wearing any armor, or I wouldn't be able to move so fast. I start jogging, dragging her along as she has her mental breakdown. Hopefully I didn't drive her to insanity.
We get to the inn and our shared room, and I sit Omen... Sully... on her bed, tossing a blanket over her shoulders. I don't know what to do for her, I've never seen her like this... so I just hug her and let her freak out, rocking her gently. I'm going to have to step up to the mothering thing sooner than I would like, guess I have to practice. Was I wrong to tell her name?
"Red... oh, Red." She sobs. "I’m sorry I couldn’t save you and them."
Red, the tall man. Omen is tall... that guy, from what I recall, was massive. And a massive a******.
"Don't think about him, he didn't deserve you."
I don't know if I'm helping at all.
"I killed them. They were my friends, and I killed them... he killed me."
If I didn't know what happened I would think her insane. I need to snap her out of this, we have a war to fight and who knows how long we have in Waterdeep. Suddenly Omen grabs my arm.
"My focus. Get it. Hurry!"
I run over to her bag, rummaging through books and papers, poking myself on something sharp... what is she looking for exactly?
"Which one?" I snap.
"Orb!"
Oh, there it is. I hand it to her, and she grasps on to it like her life depends on it. I lose her again as she stares into it, both hands like vices on its surface. What. Have. I. Done? She’s been keeping all this secret from all of us, now I’ve messed where I shouldn’t have been messing. And now I have a secret of my own. Great. Just great. Good job, Karsi.
~ Karsi
Collaboration by Alexis and Aileen
|
|
|
Post by dragonforgotten on Jun 9, 2019 22:13:15 GMT -5
I sit up in bed pushing my hair out of my face as Dusty hands me a brush. I glance at Karis buried under the blankets with pillows on the floor. Looks like some one didn’t get much sleep. I can’t believe she’d do this without asking. I knew this would happen eventual. There’s so much mystery about me that it would drive someone like Karsi crazy. I know it drives Morriggan just as crazy but I’m wary of her after she got me wasted. I didn’t think she’d go this far. I was behind those doors when I noticed her presence in my dream. A divinators mind is a dangerous place. One wrong move and you’ll become overwhelmed. I let her poke around in the least dangerous rooms but then she starts trying to open the doors I’m contained in. The place I sort through my portents of the future. I panicked and grabbed her. I was honestly going to kick her out. She has no concept on how Dream works but then I thought of something. Dreams are the reflection of the unconscious mind. If I can manifest the block in my mind would she be able to go deeper? Go far beyond what I’ve been able to do alone. Every attempt I’ve done to unlock my memories has been met with failure. Perhaps the only way to move forward is to let someone in. It was honestly the hardest choice I had to make. I’ve never let someone get this personal with me. All my life I’ve only pushed people away till I met Ard and her death introduced me to these people. I’ve gotten nowhere by myself. None of the cult members we’ve fought recognize me. None of the visions I’ve tore out from my mind make sense. I want to know. I need to know even if it kills me. If I don’t I’ll never know what I was. I wonder what she found. I get out of bed and get dressed opening the curtains “Rise and shine.” karsi groans in her sleep when the light pours in “Five more minutes.” “No now.” I say throwing a pillow at her head. “I’m not missing the sale going on in the market because of you being lazy. Now up.” She groans and it takes me wrestling the blanket off her to get her out of bed. I take her to the market place, the sounds of bartering and money in the air along with the smell of produce with the brightly colored tents and buildings of waterdeep. Nothing like shopping in the morning. I look back at Karis just as I watch her suddenly turn her head away from me, pretending she wasn’t just staring at me. She knows what she’d done. I wonder what she saw? I approach a bender pointing things out. “Is this mandrake root fresh? The clay as well?” “Indeed it is! 10 silver” “Don’t f*** with me about this. It was 5 yesterday.” “7 silver. The clay is a special import. That’s as low as I’ll go lady.” “Deal.” I thank the man and make the purchase. Then I drag Karis to the jewelers and pick up a dagger covered in gaudy expensive jewels. Karis complains about me having too many daggers so I tell her I don’t have enough daggers. “How much is this hideous thing.” “Well that’s uncalled for. 1,000gd.” “Ill take it.” I throw the woman the amount at her and we head off to the open market enjoying the sun. We leave the store and I catch Karsi once again staring at me again. I turn around to face her. “Why do you keep staring at me like I’ve grown two heads, Karsi?” “Huh?” She looks surprised, her eyes darting about the place except at me. “You’ve been acting odd all morning.” “No, I haven’t. Everything’s fine.” I'm calling bull on that. She wont even look me in the eye when she's lying. “Wouldn’t have anything to do with what you saw in my dream?” She instantly gets pale, her eyes wide in fear. Guess she thought i wouldn't notice. She should have read more about the spell. “You remember?” I pick up an apple saying for it from the merchant not looking at her, giving her a break from my judging eyes but i can her squirm even from the corner of them. “I remember catching you snooping around. I guided you to that door that I’ve never got behind. What did you find?” i ask her curious, not angry, she seems more torn up about this then i ever would be. Better her then someone else right. Now i'm just wondering what she saw in my mind. I start finishing up my purchase after tongue lashing a merchant trying to rip me off on the tiny silver cage, we leave the store. Karsis lost in thought, thinking. We walk in silence until she speaks up “Can I show you something?” Karsi ask. I nod, excited. She takes my hand and then walks me out of the light of the main streets to the dark dingy alleyways. It gets shadier and shadier as we go. Dusty seems to know the way as we follow, he almost seems excited. Why would i come to this disgusting place? "Where are we going?" I asks getting impatient as it seems we walk for hours. "I really need to hit the books, and this neighborhood is a little sketchy." "Relax, I lived on these streets as a kid. Nothing bad ever happened to me. Well, except that one time." What one time? Finally, we seem to reach our destination. Another alleyway with a bakery in an old refurbished building. It smells nice and makes me wish for the Porters brownies. Karsi approaches the building, stand by the door, and Dusty lands on her shoulder. "This isn't a good idea hot stuff. You'r only going to make things worst." He nibbles at her ear, more gentle than usual and i cant help but raise an eye brow. If Dusty worried its means this is important. But whats this have to do with an old bakery? Is the bakery actually an assassins den? Business better be at cut rate prices. "Anything ring a bell?" I ask me, looking at me in suspense. I put a hand to my chin, taking in the alley. Nope, i got nothing. "Can't say I've ever been here. Did you want baked goods or something? I feel like this place might give us food poisoning-" "Think, Omen. Imagine this place more run down. The trash bins were over there-" She point to the empty wall on the other side. Heh, food poisoning. I kind of hope this is an assassins den just for these freshly baked puns. "Ravens picking through the garbage. A young girl..." What the hell is she rambling on about? I don't get where she's going with this now. "Are you okay?" I laughs. This appears to be a dead end. Whatever was here that would have triggered my memories is long gone. Dusty and Karsi don't think so. "I'm fine!" she groan. She's getting very frustrated but i cant find whats isn't here. All I'm getting is confused. "Try to remember, come on! Imagine me but smaller and cuter... well, that's not true, I'm adorable now." "I don't know what you're getting at, Karsi."
She sighs, defeated. She leans against the alley wall and side down to sit in the spot where she was picking through garbage as a young girl. I didn't realize she was a urchin back then. I didn't exactly have a childhood. It must have been hard living in the streets. Dusty pulls at her hair before flying, landing on my shoulder as i scratch him under the chin. The memories seems to have decayed so far that not even being there will drag them to the surface. Sorry Karsi. We did give it a good try and I appreciate it. She then begins to speak again. "I was nine years old and living on the streets when I came here. I was picking through trash when I got hungry, on days couldn't find odd jobs to do for people... there was some parade going on that day, so I kept finding good stuff. My bird friends always followed me around because I would share with them. I think I found some leftover fish and chips, but then I heard voices and had to hide." What is she getting at? She seems to be talking more to herself than to me. "A great big owl found me hiding between the barrels and pulled me out. There were five adults standing around in cultist robes. I'd talked to cultists before, sometimes I did small favors for them in exchange for a meal. These ones I didn't know. They messed with me, tossing me around and threatening me inside that building... it wasn't a bakery back then. The tall woman took me outside and her owl killed my friend, Black Jack the raven. I was devastated and I knew she would kill me too for knowing too much. But, she didn't. She let me go... her scary little creature jumped me and knocked me out, and the city watch found me... if it weren't for that I'm sure I would never have met Ralnor Stormwyk, the half-elf who adopted scrappy little me. I have you to thank, I guess." I freeze, stunned. Dusty eyes widen. He starts flailing his wings panicked and i have to grab him. "Dont listen! She's lying!" Quiet. He stops. I walk over to Karsi, a serious look on my face as i stick him on her shoulder watching me with fear. "Me? Karsi... what are you on about?" I don't know whats come over me. Ive never been this forceful to him. But Karsi has struck a nerve. I need to know. She looks me in the eye and doesnt cower away. She stands up and grabs my arms. Shaking me. Desperate for me to hear what she has to say. "Yes, you. White was what they called you. I know now who you really were. I spoke to you in your dream, Suliman Farsight. Or do you prefer Sully?" She releases me, waiting for a response. I take a couple of steps back as this slowly sinks in. .................... Suliman?....... sully... suddenly it all starts crashing in on me. This body I am in is not me. Only the deep internal anguish of my soul screaming that name. I start lowering myself to the ground, my nails digging into my arms. “My name. No! It’s- ! But it is! No! It’s not possible! Someone remembered! But my names-. This is wrong. I’m wrong... what I’ve done!? I’ve-! No!” Karsi is freaking out at my sudden violent reaction. I snap my head to her pale with eyes wide with fear. “Karsi. Take me back. Now.” She doesn’t question. She simply takes me by the arm starts jogging as I struggle to keep pace, the city around me dissolving into sound, colors and music? There’s a parade going on. Now it’s gone. It’s back and then gone again like a ghost flickering, like candle light. The door closes shutting out the city and suddenly she’s sitting me on the bed. It’s honestly getting hard to breath and I find my hands on my head. She throws a blanket over me, arm over my shoulder as she starts rocking trying to speak to me and I couldn’t thank her enough but I can’t hear her .The screaming is getting louder as the past and future tries to bleed together. I glance over and see her as a child before reality wavers back to her now, then her in the future, then back again and I have to look away. This is bad. I’ve heard stories of this. Of what happens when a divinator lose there collective s***.. “My focus. Get it. Hurry.” She’s leaves my side at some point, tearing through my bag but I can barely hear her. I don’t know what I am anymore. I don’t know even know if I even have a identity anymore at the end of this. Am I omen or am I sully?!? Am i even really human or just a botched clone!? “Which one!” “Orb!” She then pulls out my crystal ball and shoved it in my hands. I immediately stare into its depths, watching my reflection as everything starts to distort around me. I feel like I’m leaving my body behind as I start sinking into the crystals depths.
—————
I jolt awake in a world broken and distorted. Only a wooden door remains with the mark of Tiamat burned into the door with a familiar blue eye. I’m possessed by a sense of finality. The door has finally been opened to me. I take steps to it but pieces of me fall off as I walk. I watch is horror as Small fragments of my skin crack and chip like shattered glass, leaving a strange ghostly impression underneath, Swirling with arcane energy. I try to hold myself together as I walk but I can’t stop the breaking and the audible sound of my shell cracking. I hesitate before the door. For a long time I had wanted in but now that it’s open I don’t know if I should press forward. But I must. There’s nothing left here now. I grasp the handle, cracks running along my hand and up my arm as I open the door and step into the other side. It’s dark with only a single figure standing looking up into the endless darkness as fine cracks and splinters run up and down her body like she was made of porcelain. Like what’s happening to me. The door clicks shut behind me and she speaks with a smile, tears running down her chin. “At last. Finally.” She turns her head to me, it’s me if aged 30 years.. Her one eye contains three blue dragon eyes. I know this person. I know this person too well. “You!” I draw my dagger, snarling but I cry out when a large piece of my arm breaks free from the extreme movement, my left leg cracking. “There’s no need for that’s. Come. It’s pointless to struggle now.” I take a step forward hobbling till I stand before her. It’s just me and her, both falling part inside my mind. “You stare into your own reflection and this is how you accept your other self? Interesting.” She says placing a hand to her chin, her many eyes roaming me up and down “Your not quite how I thought you would turn out. For a botched experiment you’ve done rather well.” “Like wise.. didn’t think your stone heart could ever cry.” I spit out. She laughs and I scowl. “What’s so funny.” She continues to chuckle but quiets down. “Were having a conversation with ourselves and yet we don’t have a nice thing to say to each other. It’s funny how you don’t find it amusing.” A peice if her cheek falls off as a pieces from my forehead joins her pieces. “Hard to laugh when your falling to pieces.” “Easy to when you’ve been wanting this for so long.” I feel myself panic as suddenly a large chunk of my shoulder chip. “What’s happening to us?” I whisper afraid. “Something That should have happened along time ago.” “And what is that?” “It’s far beyond what you’ll understand. But you will. Soon.” “So we are dying?” I feel the fear clawing in my chest as more pieces break away and shattered against the ground. “No, transmutating.” “Make it stop.” “It’s like I said. Even As we speak it is happening.. Not even I can stop it.” More pieces of me start to break! I don’t know what to do. She grabs my hands in hers as more cracks form. “It’s alright. It is a hard and frightening process but You have nothing to fear.” “How do you even know that!? How do you even know we aren’t both simply decaying!” I sob, feeling hopeless. She Places her hands on my shoulders causing me to look into her eyes. The conviction in her eyes makes me pause. “Because your friends are with you.. and they wouldn’t let you fade away. Thats why we're here.” I’m speechless as she strokes my hair. She lowers me to the ground as we sit on the floor. A soft smile on her face. She reaches behind her and pulls out a familiar tarot card set. “Let’s see our future shall we.” “Isn’t that cheating. You'r not suppose to ready your own fate.” She smirks. “Since when have we’ve ever been concerned about the rules.” She holds the deck out to me and a draw three cards nervous. She lays them out in front if me and then begins. She reveals the first card, the past.
Past- two of coins- precarious balance Split in two the snake bits its own tail. Unseeing, unknowing, its strike, seeking to harm but only wounds itself. The circle repeats, ever hungry, ever unsatisfied. Imprisoned by ones own design by ones Evil intent. Trapped by the whispers left unsaid it twists and scream against its chains, crying for help. the wheel turns. The reaper waits. The wyrmling dons a new face. The dragon seeks to become a sheep but only for fangs to show and claws to bleed. The broken seeks the broken. The dead seeks the lost. I stumble over my words. "I didn't mean to hurt anyone you know. I just wanted to have a friend." She nods knowingly, a sad contingency on her face. "Sometimes, we do things we regret, hurt the people we love. We thought it was better this way." She reveals the Present- six of swords reverse- a new beginning Through blood and tears you shed your skin, a cocoon of threaded secrets. the eye refuses to see the light, afraid of the dragon underneath. Abandon the mask of deceit. The call is here bonded by a name and you emerge. Casting aside both past and present you step forward to grasp the strings of fate. Untangling the knots. You take these pieces to the future. I look back up to her, my heart hurting as I grasp what this means. Ive spent so long hating my past that i demonized it. Now i cant move forward unless i let go.. I need to say it before its too late. I reach out and stop her before she reveals the future. She looks at me surprised. "Im sorry for what i said." tears runs down my face. She looks at me with a ghost of a smile, tears running down her cheek. "Im sorry as well. It wasn't my intentions to hurt you or them." I release her allowing her to continue. The Future- knight of swords- intellectual agility The time has come. The twined soul has purged its heart. The queen has risen, the all seeing eye lays its sights. Stay the course. You sail at the worlds edge in danger to fall. Focus sharp, you cut through the storms. There is no hesitation, the time is now. Your soul burns with radiant fire as you charge into the colored flames. The Canary sings the song of victory. You know the way to perice the dragons heart is to enter the jaws. With unseen hands you charter the course of fate for you are both captain and vessel to ferry. From the ashes of death a seed lays bare to claim. Take back what is yours. I wipe the tears from my eyes as she does the same. It hurts to see your life laid before you. I.. I think i understand now. What i must do. I clutch my heart. I tear my gaze away from the cards to stare face to face with myself, as i am now but still garbed in cult regalia of Suliman. One of her eyes has broken off revealing only darkness underneath. "Are you ready to begin now?” The last pieces of my arms fall off as her hands meet mine. “Yes.” “Do you know who you are?” “Your white. Suliman Farsight.” “Yes. So are you.” “But I’m omen.” “So you are as well.” “Your were the one who worked for the cult. One who was called White by her peers. The white the Dragonsoul. Keeper of the Secret Hoard. The Evil Eye. The one who made a promise with Tiamat to destroy the world.. the one who fell in love and lose that love. Who protected Karis so she could complete her destiny. Who then started a resistance, who killed her friends. Who died again trying to fulfill a prophecy in the far future. Who lost everything.” I say as i let go and begin to fall apart, surrending to the entrophy. The other me does the same and continues where i left off. “You were the one left under a house in a vain attempt to forget. Who was raised by halflings. Who was so frustrated in your powerlessness, your helplessness, you lashed out on your fellow students. Who made friends with a dangerous psychopath. Who then joined a group of adventurers to stop Tiamat and reclaim your identity.” She says and to joins me in the process. We glance at each other in pain. It hurts but change is always painful but necessary. We collapse to the ground, finally completely falling apart. Nothing but broken pieces remain till they begin to come together like they have a mind of their own. It is then from those broken pieces i rise again. I reform from the pieces not two confused beings but one person. I stand up from the shattered pieces shrugging off the glass dust. I run a hand across my face and through my hair in a surreal moment of transcendence. I never knew how much in complete i was until now. I stand in both yellow and purple tied together by white and blue. We say this together at once, no longer two separate beings. “Nameless I wondered the land blind to myself. Through the ravens daughter what’s once was broken can be made whole... Bound by a lost name. I shed this skin and leave it behind. I cast off the past, I cast off the present to be to be made anew once more for the future..” The last of the past and the present is cast off and the black around me begins to peel to white. Everything bleeds into white. ———————————-
The world returns and my eyes sting. I blink, awakening from my trans with arms around my shoulders shaking. Im being rocked back and forth in a comforting embrace wrapped up in a blanket it. Im back. I drop the orb in my hands startling her from her panicking. "Omen! Are you alright! Please be alright! Say something!" I don't give her a response. I look into my hands, into the blue eyes in my palms feeling strange. Captivated by the returning sensations in my body. Something inside me has been fixed. The knowledge, the priceless memories i had lost has restored. There all here again. The pieces of me that were missing. The emptiness inside me is gone... I raise my hands to my burning eyes and begin to laugh as my eyes start to tear up. ITS WONDERFUL! i cant stop laughing from the joy of it. Karis starts crying. "Im sorry i did this to you! I didn't mean to drive you insane!" I hear her mutter. "You always told me you kept secrets for a reason! I should have listened!" I continue laughing, too wrapped up in this feeling of completeness within myself. I never realized how broken i was till what was lost was returned to me. Thank you Karsi. "I live once more." I mutter absent minded in a distorted whisper. Lowering my hands and turning my eyes to her and watch her jump knowing she sees that one of my eyes contains three dragon eyes inside the pupil. She looks at me like she's seen her nightmares have just materialize before her. "Oh no. What have i done?.. Suliman?" She's white as a ghost. Opps. I think i took this too far. I pull myself out of this revelry to finally tend to Karsi. I stop laughing and i stand up from the bed letting the blanket fall to the ground as karis trips over her bag and falls to the ground at my feet, starting to crawl backwards away from me. Dusty watches from the desk in his paper nest, even his huge yellow eyes wide. I bet he never thought this day would come. I drop thaumaturgy and return myself back to normal. She's on the floor waiting for my response, her eyes closed waiting for a magic missle or something. In stead i extend a hand for her to take. She sighs, relieved and she starts crying again as i pull her up into a huge. "Im sorry. I'm so sorry." She sobs. "its ok. You didn't realize." "Does that mean your omen?" "well, both. " "What do you mean both?" "Its means what it means. Neither of them are gone. Whole again. I made this body to try and destory myself. This is the real me. I am Suliman but she has been dead for years. I shed her idenity when that body dead. Im Omen now but i want to carry her into the future." I look at karis, gulity. "Im sorry for scaring you. What you saw was me pulling myself back together and its not exactly pleasant to watch or experience. This isn't what the clone spell was designed for. It's not meant to create new people. What you'r seeing now is the results what the spell should have done, retain my past memories instead of destroying them. It's a good thing i always l design a fail safe." I run my hands through my hair as i sit back down onto the bed, she sits next to me. "F**** Karis, I'm f****ing old. Im really f***ing old! I also had a, boyfriend and a son Karsi! F***! I even dead twice! Not only that but this body isnt even real. S**** man! How am i suppose to process this! Do i even count as a real human or am i just artificial!" She wraps an arm around my shoulder. "Lets just take this one step at a time." I sigh, smiling, rubbing my eyes. "Yes. Definitely yes. My eyes are burning. How long was i just sitting on this bed staring at nothing." "Ummm. An hour, maybe two." "S****, thats long. It felt like only five minutes." I blink rapidly waiting for the burning to stop. "Enough about unpackaging me. Did you tell him?" Karsi eyes dart to the ceiling. After i told her to. "Tell who what?" "You know! Runar! The baby! F*** Karis, of all the times to have a baby! You couldn't have kept your hands off each other until after the world stops ending!" "It was a mistake!" "No, stepping on someones foot is a mistake. This is a colossal f*** up. You need to tell him." "What! I cant tell him! What would he say!?" "He'd be more mad not knowing! It takes two to dance! Neither of you have nothing to be ashamed of. It happens, nature happens and people are stupid. I was stupid back with Red after all and well..we.. When did you?" "Umm, I'm not sure. Before the boat trip.." "S***, I knew i shouldn't have left you to alone! Curse me and my love of hot baths! You'r farther along then i thought. You'r going to be bloating soon to, s***. Why you do this s*** to me? If you don't tell him Im going to make you, you understand." She nods blushing red. I sigh. "I may not have gotten to fully experience it but i know it better than anyone here. You'r going to have to listen to me for now on when it comes to this stuff." "Of course. You'd be the perfect mid wife and the crazy Aunt!" Now I'm starting to get flustered! "Anyway! Promise me you'll tell him!" "I will." "Good... Since we're here and theres still a whole day want to see something cool?" "heck ya i do." I stand up and get my bag, taking out the gaudy dagger and hand it to her. I then grab the mandrake root and the pouch of ash and hand it to her. "Mince this up please and throw it in the brazer on the desk along with the ask." I sit on the floor taking out the clay. Once Karis is done i roll the clay into the rest of the ingredients and begin shaping it into a familiar form. It take me an hour before it starts looking like something. "I thought you said this would be cool. Im bored." "Patiences! You cant rush perfection!" "Is that a bunny?" "No." I stretch out the wings and i hold a hand out for the dagger and she gives it to me. "I hate this part. Don't freak out. It's normal." i warn her. I being the chant and i slice a shallow cut on my wrist. My blood flows freely from the wound landing on the clay as it is absorbed into its surface. Of course Karis freaks out running to my side checking my wrist and wrapping it up in a rag. "Karsi it's fine. Just look." I glance back at the brazier as the clay starts moving on its own, gaining color and flesh as its limbs start to move about and squirm. It rubs at its eyes with its pudgy claws and yawns, stretching its bat like wings. It blinks its large grey eyes at the both of us. "What hells is that?" It starts making grabby hands so i pick it up from the braizer, my hands under its armpits. "This Karis, Is a Homunculus. Everywhere he goes i will know and see it. My third pair of eyes and my little secretary. He was my friend when i was in the cult a long time ago. Kept me company next to Dusty. The one you knew is dead now so i wanted to make another one. I was wondering why i was collection junk today. I didn't bother naming them back then but i am now." I look back at the creature in my hands. "So. How are you feeling about Hobs." He flaps his wings making an ungodly cooing sound. "Hobs it is." Karsis staring at him. "I cant believe i was afraid of that when i was a kid. Can i hold him?" "Sure." I hand him off to Karis and she cradles him like a baby. "He's so cute in an ugly way." "I think he's down right adorable for an ungodly creation of magic and blood." "He's so cute! I love him so much!" She starts crying again, even rocking him like a baby as he looks at her in complete confusion and bafflement. I don't think I'll tell her yet that he has the same intelligence as an adult humanoid. It's funny. Besides he likes the attention. He was born just five second ago.
Omen the Farsighted
|
|
|
Post by Aileen on Jun 11, 2019 23:24:56 GMT -5
We are summoned to a secret council by Elia the silver dragon. They want us to go to Thay to try to get them on the council's side. Our only experience thus far with Red Wizards of Thay have been very bad... I can't help but cringe remembering the cold gaze of Rath Modar as he read my thoughts before going to attempt to kill my friends back at the ice castle.
Omen of course stiffens at the mention of going to Thay. She's always hated cult wizards. Especially the Red Wizards. I myself am eager to go- who gets to go to a scary a** place where necromancy runs rampant and gets treated as guests? That just doesn't happen. Besides, the weather in Thay this time of year is quite warm!
We teleport just outside the keep and are escorted in by an army of undead wights. I try to keep an open mind although I know my patron is so against this kind of thing... but she's also not stupid and i doubt she would make me attack a force this big by myself. Leosin told us before we left that those of us who can perform necromatic magic should show off... Omen and I both do, most of what I know could be considered necromancy. I'm certainly going to try! So we go in, and are recieved in an audience chamber by a vampire, Tharchion Eseldra Yeth, ten Red Wizards, and a guard of five wights.
We are subject to questioning for about two hours. It's... rather uncomfortable. I mostly play dumb. I try to think of a way to show off my magic, but I can't really do anything that doesn't involve a dead body or killing someone. Tharchion Yeth thanks us all personally, and I smile as she looks deep into my eyes. It's really hard to not like her, she's really pretty and...
"Do you have any evil people kept prisoner? I want to show you something. A trick."
"All of our prisoners are evil."
It seemed a great idea at the time. As we stand there, a man is brought forth and thrown to his knees in front of me. Tharchion Yeth nods at me.
"Go on, let's see it."
I walk forward, not really thinking. If they say he is a bad man, then a bad man he is. I cannot show weakness in front of these people. I could blast him, but that may take more than one hit. So I summon my sword in hand, and stand over him.
"Please... help me."
Without hesitation, I swing my sword and remove the man's head in one clean arc. The head rolls towards the wight servants, and the body crumples before me. From the corpse emerges a specter. It then hits me what I have done. I look up to see my friends' faces staring in varying states of shock. Grahz looks livid, clenching his teeth and fists.
Tharchion Yeth waves her hand, and suddenly the specter... Chad... goes flying towards her. I feel my control on him waver until he is no longer mine.
"That was a neat trick." She says.
"So was that... I would like to learn what you just did."
"Perhaps I can show you later tonight, I could come by your room after dinner."
I glance at Runar. His expression is unreadable.
"I'm... busy. Sorry." I say.
Here I go flirting with disaster again. No way am I cheating on my Runar with a vampire. I rejoin my group as the wights take the body away, cleaning up the puddle of blood. I feel faint, the weight of what I just did hitting full force. Omen places a hand on my shoulder, but I can't look anyone in the eye. Soon we are dismissed and brought into the great hall, where a feast is served.
"Karsi... what is wrong with you?" Grahz confronts me as we enter.
"I'm sorry... I was asserting my dominance and they said to show off, so I did..."
"I'm wondering if I need to keep an eye on you? What you did was evil."
"No... I did what I thought had to be done. I am far from evil, Grahz."
Omen guides me to a seat next to her, and I sink into the chair trying to stop the shaking. I don't want to look weak to these people I just showed off my magic to. There is no denying I executed a man. As much as I try to convince myself and the party it was the right thing to do, I don't feel it in my heart. I'm a stone cold killer is what I am.
"How are you feeling?" Omen asks.
"Horrible." I go to take a sip of wine, and find her hand gripping my wrist.
"None of that." She says. Oh... right.
"How many more months of this?" I groan.
"You did this to yourself," she laughs. "What's Morrigan up to?"
We watch as the Tiefling goes up to the vampire. They talk for a moment, the vampire's face softening.
"Give me names." She says with a nod.
"Is she selling us out?" I whisper.
"No, she wouldn't. I don't think she would, at least."
Morrigan is from Thay, she told me her grandmother lives here... maybe it's something family related. She wouldn't do anything to harm us, I trust her.
Grahz still won't look at me. He and Runar talk together through the meal, but neither looks my way. Runar hasn't said anything to me either. I regret what I did, but I can't fix it. What's done is done. I don't know what I can do to make this better.
We are given individual rooms, and they're pretty nice. Before we go bed down for the night, Omen invites us all to her room. She casts a new spell, creating a magnificent mansion in a pocket dimension or something... its bigger on the inside. She is going to stay in it for the night, but the rest of us determine not staying in the rooms provided would be insulting to our hosts. She doesn't care, but she has every right not to trust them. As everyone starts to leave, Runar grabs my hand.
"Come to my room tonight," he says. "I'm just across the hall."
I give him a smile, squeezing his hand, and nod. I stay back, joining Omen in the mansion.
"Holy s***, Omen!" I find myself in a great entrance hall, half decorated in cultist banners that are actively being taken down by the most attractive men I have ever seen.
"I told you I would do this one day!" She leads me further into the mansion. "I picked the guys out for Morrigan. There's a hundred servants in this place. All extremely good looking."
I only have eyes for Runar, but dayum! The place is a little dusty, it looks like it's been lived in before, but the hot guys are quickly cleaning it up.
"What's with the decorations?" I ask Omen.
"This place was Sully's. It's been a while since it's been cast."
We hang out for a while, talking and enjoying the spa in the mansion... I bet nobody else in Thay is enjoying a hot bath and eye candy! I break down crying to Omen about killing the guy just to show off my necromancy, but she helps reassure me that it was all with good intentions. Sometimes good people do evil things. She's been there, done that.
"How is Runar handling things? Did you tell him yet?"
"He saw me do it first hand!"
"No... about the other thing, Karsi."
"Oh, that. I told him last night. He seems excited. If not worried... but I'm tough, and I don't intend to die."
"Hopefully we can stop things from happening, and soon. You two... well, three, deserve happiness."
"As do you."
She smiles weakly, and goes back to soaking in the bubbles. I know her only goal now is to stop Tiamat and the cult. There is life after that, though. If we win.
I leave the mansion and Omen to stay with her hundred gorgeous man servants, and head over to Runar's room. She tried to make me take Hobs for the night, but I refused... I know he watches me sleep. She's really worried about Runar and I messing around, but it's already too little too late. Runar let's me in, and we... stay up for a bit. Eventually we drift off to sleep, and fortunately the vampire never comes to find me.
---
I awaken in a cauldron, chained up and surrounded by tentacles. I look around, and I'm in a dungeon or something, being watched by Red Wizards. What the f*** is this? They begin questioning me as I stand there helpless.
"What brings your group to Thay?"
"We... we're trying to make an alliance. To stop the evil Red Wizards and Tiamat."
They ask about Rath Modar and Severin's plots, and I tell all I know. About Rath Modar reading my thoughts in the ice castle, finding the book about the sacrifices and the plan to bring back Tiamat at the Well of Dragons.
"Tell us of yourself. What brings you to this group? What of your powers?"
I tell them everything... well, almost everything. I can't hide that I'm a warlock of the Raven Queen, my power was already revealed before the Thayans.
"Tell us about Omen. What does she like? Favorite foods, for instance?"
"I don't know... waffles?"
I know she loves brownies from home. From her halfling family. I don't want to give them any real info on her. They seem to buy my lie.
"The one called Grahz, the barbarian. He said he would turn you over if he had to. Would you do the same to him tomorrow?"
"What?!" That son of a b***. "Yes. If he said that. Yes."
Would I really? No. Did he really say that, though? That hurts.
"Do you accept Szass Tam as your leader? Will you swear allegiance to him?"
I really don't know much about Szass Tham... just that he is a lich and wants intelligent undead to rule. Everything the Raven Queen despises.
"I can't."
---
I wake up screaming and drenched in sweat, back in Runar's room. He sits up beside me, and I can tell he didn't sleep well. His eyes have dark circles under them. I look down and see blood all over the sheets, and I scream, jumping out of bed.
"Runar, there's blood!"
I'm beyond relieved when I find it did not come from me... but Runar has no marks on him either. My heart threatens to beat right out of my chest. What did they do to us?
"I had a weird dream." I say.
"Me too." He gets up and gets ready as I calm down.
I get dressed and we go down to the dining hall where everyone is gathered. The wights serve us a massive selection for breakfast... I soon shake off the horror of waking up to bloody sheets, and sit down to eat. There's big, beautiful waffles with all the toppings we could possibly dream of. Sides of bacon, sausages, Eggs Heroic with that sauce I love... I'm in heaven! I pile my plate and sit down to stuff my face after giving Runar a waffle I decorated with a heart made of strawberries.
"Are you okay?" Omen asks me. I notice she doesn't have any food, but she doesn't look bad like Runar, Grahz and Morrigan.
"I'm alright... some weird dream. Eat a waffle!"
"No, I'm not touching anything they offer us."
"Someone sounds hangry!" Ulrich teases her.
I watch as Grahz storms off, his axe in hand. We hear the sound of struggle from far off.
"I'll put a plate together for Grahz." I say, getting up. Maybe he will forgive me if I feed him.
I get a plate of waffles and meats for the barbarian, and then put together a Bloody Mary from the insane bar table they have set out. We have never been treated this well! Morrigan is making mimosas, and I feel my mouth watering.
"Want one, Karsi?" She offers.
"More than anything, but can't right now."
She shrugs. I make my way back to the table just as Grahz emerges, walking right out of a wall. Huh?
"Karsi, no!" Omen slaps my hand holding the Bloody Mary, and I drop it on the floor.
"Its not for me, it's for Grahz!"
The barbarian walks over, and I hand him the plate. He cheers, sitting down and digging in. I then notice his axe has been used recently... was he killing wights?
"I love it here!" I tell the wights cleaning up the spilled beverage. "I think I could make a living in Thay."
"That could be arranged. Just have to become one of us..." a wight hints.
"No... my patron only believes in dead dead, not alive and smart dead."
"You don't talk good." The wight says.
"I'm from Waterdeep."
"Ah. That explains it."
We go to the audience chamber we were in last night, and are greeted by Nyh Ilmichh. There's no Tharchion Yeth. We are thanked for the information but told that Thay has other matters to attend to in their own borders, and they cannot help us. So, we failed.
Another wizard makes a teleportation circle, and all of our belongings appear within it. We are teleported to a old shack just outside Waterdeep, on farm lands. Before we head out we get our things together, put armor back on and discuss what happened overnight. Everyone had the same dream, but some were tortured and some were not. I never recieved any pain, of which I am thankful for.
"Did you really sell me out, Grahz?" I snap.
"Do you think I would sell out any of you? They asked me if I would... but I wouldn't. But after your little display yesterday I question it."
"They asked me about you, as well." Omen tells me.
"Me too." Runar says.
"I was asked about you, Omen. I didn't tell them anything. They wanted to know what you like to eat. I said waffles."
She laughs.
"Karsi, did you say anything about your 'problem'?" She whispers to me.
"No! It's only you and Runar that know. I would like to keep it that way. It's not a problem."
We leave the shack and make our way on foot back to Waterdeep. We don't get very far before we can see shapes on the horizon. Five on foot, and two big ones flying. More dragons, wonderful. As they get closer we can hear them saying our names and calling dibs. I spit my mouthful of waffle out when I hear how much money I'm going for.
They're three hundred feet from us, so I can't hit anyone yet, and take the time to cast Armor of Agathys on myself. This is the first fight I've gone into since discovering I've got a hitchhiker, I'm not taking any risks. Looks like the guys on foot are more cultists- half dragons, probably some casters. The dragons are still too far for us to tell their color.
A guy with a crossbow shoots at Omen but she raises shield, deflecting it. Grahz runs past us screaming,
"Bahamut!!!"
He attacks a red half dragon, and now the dragons are close enough that we can see. Two massive adult red dragons. My heart plummets. For a moment I'm back on the battlefield, and then I'm back. My life as I knew it ended to a red dragon... maybe even one of these two. I draw my sword, and prepare for the onslaught. I'm not dying again.
The dragon moves closer, and I watch Runar cast some sphere spell. It looks really cool and he calls out to me what it is but I can't really hear over the sound of the dragon roaring. Suddenly it breathes, and its cone of fire blasts over Runar, Morrigan and Omen. It just barely reaches me- all I can feel is intense heat, but it doesn't hit me. I move closer, hexing the dragon and then pummeling it with agonizing blasts.
Suddenly a fireball comes from nowhere, blasting Morrigan, Runar and I. I see Runar fall to the ground and then jump right back up, a little worse for wear. My armor takes the most of the damage, I still feel fine.
"Can any of you make me fly?" Jin Do calls out.
"I can!" I'd rather blast things, but making my sneaky snake friend fly is a good plan.
Jin Do makes it to my side and I cast fly on the both of us. My plan to attack the dragon is then foiled by Omen trapping it in the sphere of force. Suddenly I hear another cry of Bahamut from Grahz, and see him on the other dragon's back. Just as our old friend Aria did back in the lair of the Old White Death, he is riding the dragon. The dragon flies eighty feet up, attacking Grahz with its tail but still the half-orc hangs on. He buries his axe into it's back over and over, the great beast roaring in anger. Suddenly an arrow shot by Ulrich pierces its neck, and with one last roar it falls to the ground dead. Grahz topples off, still yelling Bahamut.
"Grahz, you beautiful b******!" Shouts Jin Do, flying over towards the fallen barbarian.
Morrigan takes out two of the half dragons, and then I blast the third. I have another pang of guilt remembering the events of last night when Chad flies out of the corpse. There's one mage left, the one that had up until recently been invisible. Coward.
"It would be a good idea to surrender now!" Omen calls. The mage laughs.
"If you surrender, I have waffles!" I add. I have some waffles down the front of my armor in my cleavage, which is probably a bit sweaty now... I hadn't planned on this battle happening, I had been saving those for the walk to Waterdeep.
He doesn't surrender. Too bad, I would have shared. Omen is hit by a fire bolt, and I decide to fly over the sphered in dragon for when the mage dies and Omen drops the wall. It happens sooner than anticipated when she gets hit by ice storm, dropping the wall. The dragon, now released, flaps upward and I get smacked by a wing. I fall to the ground, momentarily stunned. I hear Jin Do swear as she hits the ground, my fly spell ended.
I clamber to my feet, a bit more difficult in my new and now kind of sticky armor, and run forward. I give the dragon the finger... of death. It looks like it hurt... not quite the dramatic reveal I wanted for my first use of this spell, but it still hit hard. Runar says something about catapulting his axe, and throws it. It does not hit, nor does it come back. He shrugs. And then the dragon breathes its fire breath.
"Flee! Flee! We cannot take it!"
"Stand your ground!" I scream, turning back to the company behind me.
"You think you can kill a dragon, Stormwyk?" The man snaps.
"I outrank you last time I checked. I said stand your ground."
They don't listen. I'm pushed aside as all seven men run by, fleeing. The dragon flies in low, ignoring those who do not run. I feel the heat as all seven men are incinerated as they run. There is no outrunning a dragon.
The flames singe my skin, and I smell burning hair. My armor heats up a bit, and I know for sure that I'm going to have to take a long bath to get the melted waffle toppings off my chest. Granted we survive. When the smoke clears, I see Runar down. He better be okay, I'm not raising his kid without him. I don't know the first thing about half-orcs... quarter-orcs? I can barely even raise myself.
I send three blasts at the dragon, struggling to hit with the waves of dizziness washing over me. Omen casts sunbeam, which looks cool but doesn't kill it. Ulrich shoots and misses. Morrigan magic missiles it. How is this thing still alive?
I hold out my sword, feeling tendrils of cold extend from my hand and down the blade. A familiar cone of freezing energy flies towards the dragon, enveloping it in cold. It freezes solid in midair, and then falls, shattering into a million pieces.
I stand over the icy remains and laugh until tears run down my face. I have a red dragon to thank for my death all those years ago, which led to my pact. I was weak back then. The old Karsi could not have won against a red dragon. Now I have my revenge, for every soul of every friend and brother and sister in arms that lost their lives on the battlefield that day. I'm more powerful than I ever could have imagined, and I will never let fear own me again.
~ Karsi
|
|
|
Post by Chris on Jun 12, 2019 9:37:53 GMT -5
End Nightal 28 7:00 am, 1489 DR; Year of the Warrior Princess. Selune is waxing gibbous. The Rise of Tiamat Mission to Thay The Enemy of my Enemy A Dark and Forbidding Land Preparations and Departure Reception and Audience Dreams and Nightmares Outcome The Cult Strikes Back; Third Attack MVP = Dave Bussiere as Grahz Our plays on RPGGeek.com rpggeek.com/plays/thing/162998?userid=1168080
|
|
|
Post by Stephen on Jun 13, 2019 15:30:26 GMT -5
The council asked us to try and broker an alliance with Thay. Looks like they have invited us, and only us to partake in talks. The threat of the dragon cult is very real and looks like Thay has seen the light. Karsi’s news about carrying our child is the most amazing thing I have ever heard. I wonder what abilities the child will have? Either way I am not too worried for Karsi’s safety. She is tougher than most, including me and knows how to handle herslef in a fight.
We are warped to a place just outside a castle. Wights, although pleasant escort us through gates, into the castle and before I have time to take notes we stand before Tharchion Eseldra Yeth, vampire and governor of the province.
Pleasantries are exchanged and after about two hours of talks and questions Tharchion Eseldra Yeth presents Thays terms. They want a seat on the council and to be allowed to handle the splinter groups of Thay as they see fit. Without interference. One shudders at the thought of what they would do to them or the horror of undead dragons raging throughout the country side. We agree to the terms, trying to keep the big picture in mind.
In a bid to show our power, Karsi asks for a prisoner and slits his throat to raise a Chad. Tharchion Eseldra Yeth in her overwhelming show of power gains control of Chad with a flick of her fingers. Oh well, Karsi tried. Ironically, I am ok with the act but the others, especially Grahz doesn’t take the act well.
We are escorted to a dinner banquet hall and served by wights an amazing meal. I make small talk with Paul one of the wights. He appears happy in his life of undead servitude. Free of fear, disease, hunger, pain and all else the living endure. The thought of eternal life to work in a laboratory honing my alchemical craft sounds very appealing.
That night after Karsi and I finally drift to sleep I awake chained to the inside of a cauldron. Red Wizards interrogate me on what we passed to the vampire lord. Guess they didn’t believe our intentions after all. I am honest about most things but when asked to give up Karsi and Omen I lied. Or tried to. They did something to me causing me pain beyond reason. I wonder if the others were subjected to this. I hope not. Well maybe the ranger. That would be funny.
Karsi wakes up screaming and my side of the bed is covered in blood. Lovely. We get dressed and are notified that breakfast is served in the banquet hall. We make our way down there to find all but Grahz seated. He eventually joins us after going on a killing spree.
Breakfast is fantastic. Paul makes me omelets while the others feast on everything from bacon to waffles. Karsi goes cray for the waffles. Fantastic but somber. After we eat, we are summoned back to the throne room. Although Tharchion Eseldra Yeth is not on hand to greet us we are told that Thay will not join the council and handle the cult on their own. Oh well we tried. Before aby of us can protest we are wrapped to just outside of Waterdeep. We talk a little amongst ourselves but before the to long we are attacked by our old friends, the cult. This time its five of their best soldiers and two large red dragons.
I cast Haste on Grahz and he goes off to wreck cultists. The fight for the most part goes well. The rangers run away and shoot arrows. Omen casts the force bubble trapping one dragon. I use nearly all of my abilities to damage the dragon with acid and poison. A fire breath nearly ends me but I hang in there to see Karsi flash freeze the last dragon midflight it falls to the ground and shatters into many pieces. We live to fight another day. Wonder what the council will think of all this?
|
|
|
Post by dragonforgotten on Jun 17, 2019 15:25:49 GMT -5
All is quiet and I've been left alone with my thoughts again. I couldn't keep Karsi here forever and honestly from the look on her face she's needs space as much as i do. Didn't stop her from swiping Hobs before I could tell her in detail about our bond with each other. Oh well. She sits him in front of Runar as I've become the unexpected easy dropper. It's not like i can turn off our connection. Runars eyes go wide, looking at Hobs with fascination. "What the hells is that?" "Its Hobs! Omen made him through this creepy ceremony. He's like Reggie except fleshy." Hobs reached out a hand and he shakes it. Then he picks him up turning him all around till he's study every inch of the poor creature. 'Wow, this thing is weird. I'll need to pick her brain about it later. Speaking of brains did you actual do it? That was very dramatic when the both of you came stumbling in like that. i was worried" Karsi's smile falls from her face, confused, worried. I pause in my writing, getting worried when she speaks again knowing what she's going to say. I gave my consent for her to tell him. Its too much even for me to ask she keeps this secrete from him. What will everyone think of me now when they find out? "I did." She sighed. "I actually found more than we both bargained for." she sits on the bed hand on her head as Runar sits besides her "what happened? "She's.. I knew her Runar! I knew her when i was only a child!" "Thats impossible karsi, you couldn't have." "It is possible. I spoke to her in her mind and found out everything. All this time she's one of the reasons I met my dad that day. All this time, all those years she's been fighting Tiamat alone and losing." "Whoa, whoa! Slow down and start from the beginning!" Runar begs confused, eyes wide in bewilderment. She then recounts my tale to him, his eyes get wider and his face gets paler but he takes it all in. She ends with Runar frozen with shock. "The Omen we've known has been a clone this entire time of a long dead Dragonsoul named Suliman Farsight. I told her her real name and she started falling apart in front of me. I sat by her side for two hours hoping i didn't break her. Thankful she came out of it. Gods Runar, it was scary. I don't know what to say anymore." He snaps himself out of his stupor. Runar pulls her into a hug. "Guess i lost the bet on her name being Stephanie." "Theres something else. About us." his expression loses all humor from his face. I know what she's going to say so i tell Hobs to leave the room. I should'nt be spying on this part intentionally or not. He starts scratching on the closed door whining which distracts them for a moment. "Hang on a sec. I cant focus with Hobs whinging." Runar then prompty picks up the creature, opens the door and places him outside. "There, now shoo." the door closes. Suddenly I'm jolted out of my spying when the door to my room open. It's Ulrich. "Hi Omen. I was wonder if you could teach me some magic." I almost broke my quill in shock. I always pushed but i never thought he would ask me. "You want me to teach you?" "yes. You'r the only one i know who knows more about this stuff." A smile breaks across my face and i have to lower my head and pinch the bridge of my nose to hide the tears. "Of course. What would you like to learn first?" "Well, i want to learn how to create a familiar like Dusty." Dusty fluffs himself up, feeling complemented. "Right, A good choice. I'll get the brazier. Pardon the mess." Sadly he doesn't have the time now to sit down with me and complete some spell scribing tutloage. I simply laid out the tools for him to summon his own familar and he does it without a hitch. When Hooty appears i stare at him contemplating his age compared to mine. He'll live to 700 years should we survive the finial battle while i lived beyond what any human has obtain without sacrificing their humanity. There are too many wizards who become consumed by their lust for knowledge and power and eventual fall to Lichdom. The ones that dont simply fae away with maybe a spell or two named after them and a few students that continue their teachings. Even my persence now is a sign that i too fell to this weakness. I am almost 68 trapped in the body of a 23 year old. I would have outlived my father and his grandfather. I should be dead. "Ulrich. How do you do it?" "Do what?" he asks playing with Hooty. "Live with the knowledge that you will out live everyone you know, from me, Grahz and Runar, Morrigan, too even Karsi." He shrugs. "I don't know. Don't really think about it." is that really all? He leaves shorty after to prep for the meeting tomorrow. By now its late at night, I'm alone again with the knowledge of my acclimated years weighing heavy on me. Knowing i was someone else. That this soul is older than a normal human. Is this what other long lived races feel like. Do they feel the weight of their years press on them as they realize the world has moved on despite them. Is it just more apparent to me due to the sharp contrasts of both my lives. I walked by a closed shop and i remember the florist that use to live there run by these two couples years and years ago. The store is now rotting with age, filled with cobwebs and forgotten dreams and the couple six feet under. Together in death. I walk into an old book store and i remember when it use to be filled with costumers on its grand opening. Now only a whezzen old man runs the counter. He was only six when the store first opened, helping his father organize those books. I am Suliman but now i am Omen. The echos of a past lost to time. Its such a drastic difference how i lived my life then compared to now. I roll over on my bed to look out the window. After this meeting. Ill tell them all everything. -----------------
The next morning i don't waste anymore time Scrying Nerovain. Unfortunately it's boring. She's serving out food to the initiates, wondering the halls of some building, talking to random people about non-important and annoying things, organizing large troops of cultists. I would have thought she would have more going on than this. Just as i begin to feel this was a waste of time i hear a voice speaking to her. "What of the adventures?" she asks. "They wont be a problem soon enough." my nails dig into the orb. Their planning something. Another ambush? S***.
---------
We meet with the silver dragon again, Elia, in this super secret meeting. I catch Grahz staring at her before turning my attention to the task at hand. I don't know what the bloody hells they want to send us now. we've jumped through so many hoops from them i have high expectations. "Were sending you to Thay to form an alliance." Oh for f***s sake. They want us to go to Thay to try to get them on the council's side. Those crackpots! Those necrophiliacks. I rather work with bullywogs than those curs. My anger my have been tempered but it hasn't been quenched. Most pacifically Rath Modar. I don't like loose ends. I stiffen clenching my fist at the mention of going to Thay. Tiamat laughs at my suffering! I despise other wizards with a passion, havent meet alot of good ones. The dragon cult is the top of that list, the Thaians is a close second. Especially the Red Wizards. Going going after those f*** next if i survive this war. Karsi seem eager to go. You poor foolish soul. theres only a few things that thaian nobels enjoy. Torture, slaves and Undead. Treated as guests? HA! I bet we wont even make it a day before there torturing us. Im broken out of my brooding when Elia ask if we are in agreement of throwing ourselves to the lions. Everyone says yes. I stand there scowling burning holes into the wall as Hobs squirms in my backpack. Karsi places a hand on me. "Are you going to be ok?" "Ill be fine. It's for the good of our cause." Im curt but she gets me. This is the last place i wanted to go but kicking and screaming I'll still have to go. "A word of warning though. I say Nerovain speaking to someone about us. They are prepared for us and this could very easily be a trap under the disguise of an alliance. Be caution and keep your secrets to your chest. Even if the dealings are successful they will use that information you give them against us one day." Just as we leave we to go through the teleportation circle we are caught by Leosin. "Word of advice when speaking to them. Never go by first man bases, only titles. Also if any of you have magic of the necrotic kind show that s*** off." "Fine by me. Ive practice the art of not caring/remember names in the first place." I then look at karsi. "You should be aware these maniacs have mastered controlling ghosts. If you create a Chade you will lose him to a more powerful necromancer. Be mindful of that." ---------
We teleport just outside the keep and are escorted in by an army of undead wights. Typical. They certainly are afraid of us. I try to keep a clear mind watching for any tricks, turning all my focus into being watchful instead of the fear and rage inside. I wonder if my mentors cursed tower is still standing? Leosin told us to show off necromatic magic... Show them what exactly? Kill a man and bring him back to life? I could toll the dead, steal souls from a dying creature. I could just admit this body is made of old necromatic magic but why the f*** would i do that? They aren't going to see squat from me. I rather stay as boring and anonymous as possible. So we go in, and are received in an audience chamber by a vampire, Tharchion Eseldra Yeth, ten Red Wizards, and a guard of five wights. Yep, just what i needed to be surrounded by wizards. Id love to just disintegrate just one of those smug b******. Would that be a good display? Probably not. They value wizards. She begins grilling us for what we know of the cult and we tell her. She then begins to pry into matters that don't concern her so i begin to dance around my involvement. She gives me a hard stare when i tell her about our affairs. "Do you have any info of Rath Modar? We are after him ourselves and wish for his death." I cant help but perk up at the hint of getting revenge. "No but i would love to know. I still wish to finish our discussion permanently before he rudely left." She gives a coy smile at this catching onto my implied meaning.. I doubt she believes a word i say at this point. Theres no getting around a vampire but i am not sharing matters that will please her lich leader. I am just a boring everyday wizard after all. We are subject to this questioning for about two hours. Tharchion Yeth thanks us all personally. I thank her with the same cordial politeness of a neverwinter politician. I think we are done here. Suddenly karsi speaks up stepping forward. What are you doing? "Do you have any evil people kept prisoner? I want to show you something. A trick." Karsi, dont do it. You'r going to regret it. "All of our prisoners are evil." As we stand there, a man is brought forth and thrown to his knees in front of her. Tharchion Yeth nods. S***. "Go on, let's see it." S****.. She walk forward, blade in hand, standing over him. "Please... help me." the man begs, rasping in a hollow strained voice. Karsi, don't do it. Im powerless to stop her with this many wizards watching. She must finish what she started. Why did i not prepare dominate person today? Without hesitation, She swing her sword and parts the mans head. The head rolls towards the wight servants, and the body crumples before her. I should steal the soul to spare it the torment of what these people would do to him but that will out me and karsi would give me an ear full. I do not want to be of interest to these people. From the corpse emerges a specter. She looks back at us, feeling the weight of her crime now that it has past. A hard lesson, but a lesson still. I glance at the rest of our friends faces staring in varying states of shock. Grahz looks livid, clenching his teeth and fists. She looks for me for help but i have to turn my head away, eyes down cast. Tharchion Yeth waves her hand, and suddenly the new Chad goes flying towards her. I watch her face fall into shock. I glance back the the vampire knowingly. She is a powerful necromancer. This was only a hint of what she could do. "That was a neat trick." She says. "So was that... I would like to learn what you just did." "Perhaps I can show you later tonight, I could come by your room after dinner." Sh glance at Runar. His expression is unreadable. I place a firm hand on her and she cant meet my steeled gaze. "I'm... busy. Sorry." She says. the vampire then turns to us all. "Is this all you wish to say?" She stares into all our eyes, searching for something. When she gets to me i feel like she'd seen through me, seen the artificialness of my skin, but i give nothing away on my face. Soon we are dismissed and brought into the great hall, where a feast is served by even more ghosts. I don't want to touch any of this c*** but i do out of a sense of politness. They wouldn't dare poison diplomats, not when theres something to gain. "Karsi... what is wrong with you?" Grahz confronts her as we enter. "I'm sorry... I was asserting my dominance and they said to show off, so I did..." Oh Karsi. "I'm wondering if I need to keep an eye on you? What you did was evil." "No... I did what I thought had to be done. I am far from evil, Grahz." I get between this p*** contest. "Alright, i'm hungry, i'm irritable, and i'm tired so save this for later. I take Karsi's hand and I guides her to a sit next to me where i can watch her like a bloodhawk, She's the shaking. Probably dwelling on the man she brutally executed. This is a terrible place of an expecting mother. All this bloody stress and nonsense, Ghost, vampires, lichs and f****ing red wizards. "How are you feeling?" I asks. "Horrible." Of course she is. I catch her trying to take a sip of wine, I catch her wrist in a vice grip. "None of that." "How many more months of this?" She moans. "You did this to yourself," I chuckle, smirking. "What's Morrigan up to?" We watch as the Tiefling goes up to the vampire. They talk for a moment, the vampire's face softening. "Give me names." She says with a nod. "Is she selling us out?" Karsi whisper. "No, she wouldn't. I don't think she would, at least." I cant peg Morrigan for the life of me. Im still sorting out her card reading. Her fate keeps twisting like a snake. Morrigan is from Thay. How anyone could grow up here who the hell knows. It s****s no matter the time of your. Maybe it's something family related. Morrigan can be foolish but i will not doubt her or anyone among my band. She has been faithful to us and if she needs help i will lend her a hand. Specially if she needs me to f*** up some wizards. ---------
We are shown our rooms and suprise suprise its a s*** hole. Theres nothing wrong with it. Its a standard living arrangement but it becomes one just with the fact that it's located in Thay. Im not sleeping here where these ***holes about. I place Hobs ontop of the bed as he starts chewing on the pillow and Dusty on the bed post. I then set down the compoents its and begin casting. Within a minute a portal shimmers to life. Let's see those freaks get through this. It's been a while since i cast this spell. I wonder how i left it. I peek in to see the familar foyar, decked out in tiamat banners, statues, the works. Oops, Old habits die hard. At least as planned the servants are all supermodels, that will keep Morrigan distracted. I then go to each individual room and i drag everyone out of bed before they even touch the grimy sheets. They are all confused when i drag them all into my room confused. "Guys, welcome to Mansion Farsight. This is where we will be staying." they look around even more confused. "We need to stay in our own rooms." Complains Grahz, ugh. "Why? there not going to check and if they do they shouldnt be there in the first place. "What if they do? Then we just insulted them." says Runar and i just want to pull out my hair from that comment. I dont give a c*** about there feeling, Why do you? Its not like they said not to. You honestly going to look me in the eye and tell me they wont try something in the middle of the night." I dont get a response. "Your not even going to look at it? Morrigan! I filled it with hot men just for you! I had the servants make chocolate mouse for you!" I point at Grahz. "Sorry, maybe next time." ugh! "Fine! Just you wait! Then you'll wish to have partied in my mansion." I sag, defeated. "Well look at it Omen but we cant sleep there. Sorry." I sigh again. This isn't what i had planned. Why wont anyone listen to reason. It wont be the same. "Fine, lets go." I then walk in through the portal. Only Karis and Ulrich followed "Holy s***, Omen!" karsi exclaim, Ulrichs jaw droped. We find ourselves in the great entrance hall, half decorated in cultist banners that are actively being taken down by the servants. "I told you I would do this one day!" She leads me further into the mansion. "I picked the guys out for Morrigan. There's a hundred servants in this place. All extremely good looking." The servants are still trying to organize the massive amount of cult iconography and the dust. "What's with the decorations?" She asks me. "This place was Sully's. It's been a while since it's been cast. I could have changed the layout but i wanted to see what was left behind." Ulrich looks uncomfortable, very much out of the loop of whats going on. "Umm, i just wanted to drop an apple. Which way to the food?" "Just down the hall to your left. Theres more then that but you'll have to finish it here before going to your bed. Anything thats taken out of the mansion disappears." He scurries off as a servant approaches us. "Madams, your baths are ready." ---------------------------------------
The bath house is as magnificent as i remembered it with its deep pools, burning incense, and eheupudic oils in the hot water. I slide in the water sighing as my hair floats around me. Hobs finds a comfortable spot to sit in the shallows looking pleased as Dusty preened himself. This is the best. You'r not going to get this anywhere in Thay. Karsi joins me awkward as the servants help her in. "Isnt this better then just going to sleep. I wanted everyone to join us but there all being sticks in the mud." "We cant all be rude to them. We are trying to make peace." "true, true. I feel load better now that those ****holes have no way of doing anything to me here." We start talking nonsense, enjoying our girl time, the servants bring me and Karsi a cold glass of lemon ice tea. Your not going to find that in Thay either. Just undead. Suddenly she starts crying, mood swing? I killed that guy Omen! Im a murder!" I swim over, patting her arm. "Sometimes good people do evil things. The only thing we can do is protect others from suffering the same fate" She sniffles, ugly crying. I snap my fingers and a servant bring over a handkerchief. When she's done he incinerates it. I move it onto new topics. Ive been dying to known for hours now. "How is Runar handling things? Did you tell him yet?" "He saw me do it first hand!" "No... about the other thing, Karsi." "Oh, that. I told him last night. He seems excited. If not worried... but I'm tough, and I don't intend to die." Good, she did tell him. I can only hope there is a tomorrow. "Hopefully we can stop things from happening, and soon. You two... well, three, deserve happiness." "As do you." I smiles weakly. No, i don't. There is nothing for me when Tiamat is done. Tiamat made sure of it. Ive lived only for tiamat for so long whether serving her or fighting her. If i survive the finial battle there will be nothing for me. Helping Karsi through her pregnancy but what else. Make another clone? Continue my existence as a living lich? I don't know what i would do after Tiamat and that thought is more terrifying than facing her. If we do defeat her will the promise be broken? I sinking into the bubbles, enjoying the water. ------------
She leave the mansion Im left in my mansion by myself as i close the portal behind her. I tired to convince her to take Hobs to keep watch over her should the vampire intrude on them but she refused. Instead i hide Hobs under the bed in the room I'm suppose to stay at I set up a mock theater with my servants and had them perform for my amusement. then we i practiced my fire bolt by shooting thrown vases. After that there is mattress surfing down the stairs. Now i'm siting in my fancy war room sitting in my important chair with my feet on the table just venting. I stare into the familar faces of my friends both new and old. The original four and the current group of heros. They are just more servants dressed up as them but they are there all the same. I talk to them like old friends before we started trying to kill each other. It's just things i want to hear. the best is watching Calex talk about how right i am. Red hugs me but it's not the same. "So. The time is drawing near. What you you four think of this." I push a peice of paper infront of them. My will. "Seems good Sully. By the way have i told you how smart and intelligent you are today not to meantion beautiful." Says Calex and i smirk. I would have never heard this form him while alive. "yes, yes. Doesnt get old hearing it from you. Makes me glade no ones actual here to see. What about the rest of you down there." I look at the end of and get a clamor of resposes. "You are always right omen! I should listen more often." speaks Grahz as everyone else clamors in praises. I then put my feet back on the floor looking at them intently. The mirth in my face is gone. "You know even though you lot are just mindless copies Im going to say this with complete honesty. I love you all so much, i hope you all survive the end." I pause taking it all in as they begin clapping. "Oh Savras, I'm glade no one cane see this." ---------------
I awaken in a cauldron, chained up. i try to use magic but nothing happens. I cant even see through Hobs and thats fightening on and of itself. What the f*** is this? I look around, and I'm in a dungeon, being watched by Red Wizards. How the hells are they doing this!? Im in a pocket demension! "Great! You f****s again! How the hell did you get in!?" They begin questioning me "What brings your group to Thay?" "Oh, and i thought you knew all the answer already. AH!" lightning courses through my veins. It's agonizing as i writh about. The pain stops "the alliance jack***!" "What do you now of Rath Modar." Too much but nothing that would help them. Not that I'm going to be helpful in anyway now. f*** these guys. "Too busy trying to kill him to ask. That he has terrible tastes in office space.That he's a massive a***. AHH!" "Tell us of yourself. What brings you to this group? What of your powers?" "Piss off. AHHHH" "You think you can break me! Ive gone through worst! AHHH!" I collapse on the table breathless, vision blurry as i cough up my own blood. The fight in me in fading but i refuse to show weakness to these red pigs. "Always the same you lot are. Just like my mentor." "The one called Grahz, the barbarian. He said he would turn you over if he had to. Would you do the same to him tomorrow?" I start laughing, a wide grin on my face. "Never. You'll have to try better than that to get me to believe some like Grahz is capiable of betrayal." "What do you know of Morriggan." "No one knows whats up with Morrigan." "Tell us more about about karsi?" It is then i feel real fear strike my heart. The baby. They cant know anything about her especially the baby and Runar. If we survive Tiamat they will never know peace. They'll wont get a word from me about anyone. they'll have to kill me trying. "She likes blue flowers. Im done. playing your games." I mumble. "Do you accept Szass Tam as your leader? Will you swear allegiance to him-?" Before he can finish i spit in his face and fire runs through my veins as i scream feeling the agony increase in power. I will never... follow another.... never. never.
I bolt straight up from my pillows screaming, the pain lingering in my veins. Im back in the mansion in my fluffy bed and posh pillows. Wide eye and breathing hard I bunch the shirts under me in my fists. That was the worst Dream spell i felt by fair. My connection with Hobs is back. Still under my assigned bed in Thay. The fear and pain in me instantly becomes blinding rage. I grab the dagger from my bed side and i start destroying everything in the room around me. I tear apart the pillows, rip the sheets, throw a vase through a window. Suddenly a servant knocks, opening the door. "Is something the matter my Lady-." He doesn't get to finish as a dagger imbeds itself into the door frame inches from his face. "GEt OUT!" He does and i continue the choas "TREAT ME LIKE A INITATE WILL THEY!" I scream cutting the wall paper. It's a good thing no one can hear me. Its also a good thing that all this damage will be fixed when this spell is cast again. I don't stop destroying till the rage is only a simmer. After the rage I storm into the dinning hall where a mountain of food awaits and i start eating calm as i hear the sound of the bed collasping in the next room. -----------------
My anger had bleed into the Thians morning as well. I step out the mansion dressed and prepped as I'll ever be. Everyone seems to have had the same pleasant night as i had form there shaky experssion. Grahz and Runar and Morriggan look the worst with their bloodshot eyes, the elves look unfazed due to their lack of needing sleep. Karsi looks shaken but unharmed. I wonder what they asked everyone else. Im pretty sure i tanked any good faith between us and the Reds. Shouldnt have spat in their faces. Before i can stop him Grahz marches off looking to take some heads. Im not going to stop him, id join him if i hadnt taken my anger on the mansion and its staff. Hes proably not going to get far. This entire place most likely has wards. The wights serve us a massive selection for breakfast. There's big waffles with all the toppings we could possibly dream of. Sides of bacon, sausages, Eggs Heroic. Karsi starts pileing her plate and sit down to stuff her face after giving Runar a waffle she decorated with a heart made of strawberries. I touch none of this. Im done with them. "Are you okay?" I ask her, taking note of her face and her eyes. "I'm alright... some weird dream. Eat a waffle!" "No, I'm not touching anything they offer us." "Someone sounds hangry!" Ulrich teases, and i have to restrain from punching him in the jaw. Im down right ravanious with anger now that im surrounded by ghosts. We hear the sound of struggle from far off. "I'll put a plate together for Grahz." She says, getting up. The ghost keep on coming trying to get me to eat and I'm just getting more angry by the second.
Suddenly Grahz emerges, walking right out of a wall. I then catch karsi holding a drink and a large plate. before she can even set it down i slap the drink out of her hand as it crashes to the floor. "Its not for me, it's for Grahz!" I couldnt care at this point. The barbarian walks over, and she hands him the plate. He cheers, sitting down and digging in. Karsis talking to the weigths as more and more start surrounding me. I get up form my chair but they still dont let up. "Miss. Your waffles are getting cold." "Miss, please eat, we are worried." "Miss. are you alright? You havent touch your waffles." "Miss, would like more syrup on your waffles?" "PISS OFF!" I grab my chair and throw it at the weights as it passes through them and shatters against the wall. They stop pestering me and finially back off. -------------
We go to the audience chamber we were in last night, and are greeted by Nyh Ilmichh. There's no Tharchion Yeth. We are thanked for the information but told that Thay has other matters to attend to in their own borders, and they cannot help us. ***holes. the lot of them. Another wizard makes a teleportation circle, and all of our belongings appear within it. We are teleported to an old shack just outside Waterdeep, on farm lands. Before we head out we get our things together, put armor back on and discuss what happened overnight. Everyone had the same dream, but some were tortured and some were not. Im only glade Karsi wasnt torturered. "Did you really sell me out, Grahz?" She snaps. "Do you think I would sell out any of you? They asked me if I would... but I wouldn't. But after your little display yesterday I question it." "They asked me about you, as well." I tell her. "Me too." Runar says. "I was asked about you, Omen. I didn't tell them anything. They wanted to know what you like to eat. I said waffles." I laughs. That explains the waffles. Where they trying that hard to get me to like them? Shouldn't have tortured me then. Im glade they got nothing out of me. The danger of them ever telling the knowledge i have is too much. While i was in the cult i lived during the time we were shifting from raising dead dragons to worshiping living ones. I purged that knowledge from my mind when i began to rebel. That knowledge is too powerful for anyone. Gods help us if Thay ever find out how to create Draconliches. "Karsi, did you say anything about your 'problem'?" I whispers in her ear. "No! It's only you and Runar that know. I would like to keep it that way. It's not a problem." I have to sigh with relief.
It's a long walk back to waterdeep. I offered to create a circle myself but everyone seems to want to take there minds off what happened to them last night. I catch Ulrich trying to sneak waffles into my pocket with his new and improved mage hand. We don't get very far before we can see shapes on the horizon. Five on foot, and two big ones flying. More dragons. So this is what they meant. the group of humaniods are calling dibs on each of us as we get closer. Sell swords? I deflect a projectile that one of them shoots at me. Ulrich casts something on Grahz and he sprints with super natural speed. "Grahz! Don't run off too far!" he doesn't listen, he runs very far. Suddenly i feel the presence of danger behind me and i am forced to shield again from behind. I whip around to see Zak with an empty bow. "What were your shooting! You shoot at me or anyone again and I'll make sure you don't know a bow again." He gives me a cut response as i growl. I watch powerless in the distance as Grahz battles a dragon alone cover in blood. Jin do runs to aid him, i don't think she's quiet forgiven us from murdering her people but she still runs anyway. The second dragon is upon us covers everyone with fire. It burns and sting but i hang on. Thank the gods for firesheild. I watch karsi stare into the red dragons eyes with such hate and rage. Probaly thinking about her past. Unfortunatly through I'll have to delay there fateful battle yet. I bubble him and start making my way towards Grahz. Karsi screams at me to drop the bubble so i scream at her to have patiences and focus. Suddenly I hear another cry of Bahamut from Grahz, and see him on the other dragon's back. Just as our old friend Aria did back in the lair of the Old White Death, he is riding the dragon. The dragon flies eighty feet up, attacking Grahz with its tail but still the half-orc hangs on. He buries his axe into it's back over and over, the great beast roaring in anger. Suddenly an arrow shot by Ulrich pierces its neck, and with one last roar it falls to the ground dead. Grahz topples off, still yelling Bahamut. "Grahz, you beautiful b******!" Shouts Jin Do, flying over towards the fallen barbarian. "You crazy son of ***!" I scream laughing, amazed but fearful of that long fall to the ground. The rest descend on the other attackers but just when i think I'm in the clear I'm scorched by blinding heat as I'm scorched by a fireball. I don't see the caster. Sneaky b*****. "How about you lot cool off!" I then extend my hands as waves of ice strikes the assailants and they begin to die. the group cheers. "Guys! Find the wizard! He's roasting me alive back here!" The group reveals the wizard, all his friends dead. he looks terrified. "It would be a good idea to surrender now!" I call out. The mage laughs. Then Im consumed by another ball of fire again. F****! I start hobbling away and i start to think I'm in the clear when suddenly an ice storm breaks out and I'm battered by ice and snow. I then succumb to the call of darkness. ------
I wake up on my back staring up onto a freed pissed red dragon, Ulrichs magic bunnies dancing around me. I take out my scroll. "How about we end this shall we." I say and cast disintegrate but I'm tired and the dragon is nimble. It strifes past the beam. I should stop with these scrolls. karsi then steps up rage in her face. We all attack it with a fevered desperation. It's either it kills us or we kill it now. I sunbeam its face but it doesn't seemed fazed but does a little damage. "This is for my troops!" And cases cone of cold. Instantly the dragon begins to freeze in mid air and falls shattering into millions of pieces. We did it. I spy Grahz hobbling over to us, a big satisfied grin on his face. Karsi stands over the icy remains laughing until tears run down her face. We lived! before i can give her a hug a cold chill runs through my blood and my neck starts to burn. A sick sensation in my stomach. The healed invisible claw marks make themselves known. I look out into the horizon. It's time.
-Omen the Farsighted.
|
|
|
Post by donaldado on Jun 18, 2019 9:01:45 GMT -5
"She were there! At the End of Tiamat?" The dwarf gesticulated at Morrigan's direction. How exciting! She sensed a free drink comming.
"Why yes I was indeed there. In fact I..." "Do you know Karsi? The Mother of our salvation? Oh wow did you get to see her smite Tiamat? Were you Karsi's servant? Your so lucky!" Morrigan's eyes narrowed in order to contain the flames of Gehenna from searing this cracker jack simpleton.
"Morrigan saved Karsi's life and helped clear the path so Karsi could thwart the return of the five headed whore of lies." To her right Morrigan saw Noodles, her business partner and her lover. Who knew that tentacles could be so, so endearing? After the death of the cultists Morrigan had acquired a fortune traveling from duchy to duchy, king's courts regaling them with the the tale of the eight whom defeated the hideous dragon cult. Her days in the circus had turned her into quite a weaver of tales. It didn't hurt that she had been lucky enough to catch up with her old carnival buddies. Now she was the master of her own sky castle which she had of course turned into a flying circus. The places she had been! Morrigan had even taken her flying show house to Sigil, the central city of the multiverse! Omen had been a part of her troop at that time, this was before Omen had been killed by books. I tried warning her, no good comes from those vile things. just look at Thay. Ruunar and Karsi had settled down, and had a child. Morrigan had ben asked to be one of the child's wards, which was only fitting since she had been there for the child's conception. Giving the child her first magical blade at the age of five only proved Morrigan's impeccable parenting skills. Ulrich and Zaz proved quite good at securing for Morrigan the most exotic of creatures, as well as helping kill pesky assassins. Graz even moonlighted at times in her traveling carnival show! Speaking of which I need to get back to him, since it sounded like he was interested in spinning up his own flying circus! It would be such fun to be in business again with the Graz! He really should do it. Her only regret was that the five headed turkey had never showed up that day. It would have been so nice to find out if each head had a different flavor. Maybe she will finally get her chance! Morrigan just got an invitation to travel to Avernus.
|
|
|
Post by Aileen on Jun 21, 2019 19:39:03 GMT -5
I may have been a bit too confident in my spells and my plan to contact Tiamat during our week of downtime. Apparently she did not want me getting through to her. What's worse is I tried contact other plane three days in a row to the same poor result. Runar said he came back from potion making the first day and I was a raging lunatic. Omen figured out what was wrong, thankfully, and I was not arrested or anything worse. After the third day of babbling nonsense and losing my mind, Omen banned me from anymore messing with spells. The lingering headache wasn't worth it.
Preparations finally completed and the council summoned us to the final war meeting a week later. I would once again be leading troops, as I was trained to do. However, our mission is one of infiltration and stealth, not waging battle against the larger forces. We are essentially marching to our deaths, in hopes of stopping the ritual to raise Tiamat. The cult is not stupid, and they have a force potentially greater than ours. I feel confident with the Order of the Guantlet, the armies of Waterdeep, wizards of the Arcane Brotherhood, giants and the Metallic Dragons marching with us. We are a mighty force.
The march takes about three weeks. It's miserable, especially for me with my feet swelling and being sick at the slightest smells, but I am so eager to win this war. The only other option is death. As we get in sight of the Well of Dragons we can see the true extent of the cult. The extinct volcano looms eerily above the mountain range, surrounded by vile creatures and with dragons wheeling overhead and fighting eachother. It would be nice if they pick themselves off before they become our issue.
We send the metallic dragons to fight the chromatic dragons, the giants to protect the mages, and the ground troops to take out the Cult's forces. Omen sends the Arcane Eye to find our way in. She reports that there are eight entrances. All guarded but for one, which is blocked by a not so sturdy wall. We have our way in!
The hike is more taxing on me than I'd like to admit. We stand outside the entrance, me gasping for breath. I dressed for war, not climbing a f****** mountain. Jin Do scouts ahead, and the rest of us follow. The sound of a dragon battle overhead provides us the distraction to make our way in unnoticed. Grahz paints a door in the rock wall and we make it through stealthily. There's a big pit that we need to climb up out of, but the wall is easy to scale. It's when we climb out of it that we face our first obstacle. A big ugly guy with a big sword stands there, leering at us.
Jin Do gets some good hits on him, and then I start blasting. The force of my blast knocks him prone, and then Omen turns him into a puppy.
Wait, what?
Ok I am not having a reflash of crazy time the other day. The big guy just turned into a puppy, and Omen is holding it. Zak then shoots the puppy, and it turns back into the guy, falling and crushing Omen beneath him. Runar, Morrigan and Omen keep giving him the shocker, and Omen is able to escape from beneath him to hide behind Grahz. Ulrich finishes him off. Somehow I feel like we just took down someone more powerful than any of us with sheer dumb luck.
We move ahead and come to the temple inner chamber. At last, we are where everything will come to an end, for good or for evil. We don't even have a plan. I cast Armor of Agathys on myself, and pray. I know this is the moment the Raven Queen saved me for... all my powers gifted to me for this soul purpose. We have to stop this ritual, or the world will end. I can see into the temple from where we stand outside the door. It's a great Cathedral of evil, with five alcoves color coded to match each head of Tiamat. Red, Green, White, Black and Blue. In each alcove is a red wizard chanting. Fifty feet above are more wizards... backup? The center of the room holds a vortex of swirling arcane energy. I see the familiar face of Rath Modar chanting away... that son of a b****.
Our party starts moving in, and the wizards take notice. Spell after spell blasts through the doorway, ice storms and fireballs. I follow in behind Runar, nearly slipping and falling on the icy floor. A hundred feet above floats Severin himself, wearing the Mask of the Dragon Queen. Not one of them stops chanting as they try to wreck us. I move in and send three blasts at Severin. The others seem to be going after the black wizard and Rath Modar. Severin takes three more blasts from me and then starts moving down closer to the ground. I keep moving out into the center, but this temple is massive. I see Runar taking hit after hit, and my heart hurts for him, but I have to be steadfast in my goal of getting to Severin. Reggie goes down, and Runar screams in anger as he charges in. I can't watch. I love him, but our lives mean nothing if this ritual does not end. Grahz blinks right on top of the black wizard, and he sounds like he's having the time of his life. It somehow spurs me to keep on fighting. Morrigan finishes the black wizard off. You go girl.
I blast Severin again, and the light of the energy I hit him with seems to blind him. I also notice that the wizards keep disappearing... that can't be good. Omen pulls out a gem, breaking it on the floor, and out flies an air elemental. I forgot she found that thing back in the maze! This could be awesome!
Suddenly I see the love of my life, my Runar, pull back his bowstring, eyes focused on Severin. He shoots, and the arrow strikes the wizard dead. The body remains floating in midair still, mask still on his head. I need to get to it! This is my moment.
I cast fly on myself, and begin going up, flying above Omen and heading toward her air elemental. Both Omen and I keep getting hit by spell after spell from unseen casters. I barely flinch as the pain of fireballs and hail and cones of cold hit me over and over. It's the worst pain of my life, but not once do I falter. Omen goes down, unconscious and bleeding out on the ground below me. The air elemental goes out of control.
Morrigan tries to chain lightning the mask and the air elemental... not much happens, and the air elemental goes after Zak. Just as I reach Severin's body, it turns and whirlwinds on me. Runar saves me with a well aimed arrow. I finally grasp the mask, removing it from Severin's head. I feel immense power emanating from it as I lower it onto my head, and look out on the battle. Grahz stands over Rath Modar, glaring up at me and panting. He must think I've finally shown my true self. Queen Karsi, at last, has taken her crown. I laugh, and step into the dimension door I create before me, appearing in the entrance. I run, never looking back, heading through the lava tube and out of the volcano. I hear feet racing behind me as the whole place begins to shake, the ground threatening to send me sprawling. The sounds of magic blasts from behind could either be my party or the wizards chasing me, but I won't look.
The mask is key to summoning Tiamat...
It must be destroyed.
I run outside, seeing the battle still raging on the sides of the volcano, dragons still screaming overhead. I keep running until I know I can be seen, taking the mask off and holding it up. A glint of gold scales catches my eye and I thank my lucky stars that its Protanther coming to me, and not one of the chromatics. The massive gold dragon lands just ahead of me, and I approach. I think he's a little more than shocked to see little half-elf warlock me carrying the most evil object in existence. Because I'm pretty sure he thought I was the most evil thing. I hand it over without a word, and he takes the mask from me.
I can hear our army cheering, and I back away from Protanther as he beats his wings, rising up into the air with a bellow of triumph. Not even a thank you. I turn and find the party coming up behind me, all a bit worse for wear and an unconscious Zak being carried by Grahz. Omen looks terrible, sitting down on the ground with smoke wafting from her neck. We may be in rough shape, but we are all finally free of the tyranny of dragons!
There's no time to chat. I start down the slope, running as the temple crumbles behind us. Runar catches up to me, taking my hand in his. I've never felt more alive than in this moment. I don't even know how to process everything, and I shut down. Laeral Silverhand herself approaches us on horseback with an escort of heavily polished soldiers, dismounting and coming in to congratulate us. Being exhausted and overwhelmed, I mistook her going for a chaste kiss of thanks as something else, and kissed her full on the lips. If I hadn't just saved the world I think I probably would have ended up back in prison. Runar laughs his ass off, and thankfully so does Laeral. I need a snack and a nap, stat.
Many tears of happiness are shed, and there is much rejoicing among our army. Our party marches back surrounded by the important people that got us into this to begin with, regarded as even greater heroes than before.
The three week return trip is a better experience than the journey there. Parties each and every night, and we don't have to worry about dragons messing with us. I'm going to miss fighting dragons. But not really. We arrive back in Waterdeep to a massive parade and full honors. I think everyone in the party was a little shocked but not surprised when it came out that Runar and I were expecting, and had been since after the Tomb of Diderius.
Omen set up her magnificent mansion, and I decided to hide out in it the first month we were back. Every time anyone saw me they wanted to hear about my glorious tales, or give me advice on raising my "chosen one" child... I became sick and tired of it, and only wanted peace. Being a hero comes with a price.
--- five months later ---
Every day it becomes more clear that I am not at all prepared for the arrival of our child, and a little bit in denial that the time is rapidly approaching. He or she has made themselves more than known, kicking the hell out of my ribs. Maybe they'll be a monk like Kovatch. If it's a boy, he will be named for him. If it's a girl... I have five hundred names picked out and Runar of course likes every single one so his opinion is useless.
"I sure hope you're a boy... then your dad can deal with you!" I say, wincing as it once again punches my kidneys.
I head out to the shops, in search of things for the baby. I've been given a lot... too much, even. Dala Silmerhelve and her family, being super rich and yet extremely sweet, gave us a beautifully carved crib among other things. The kid is spoiled already, perks of being the child of two heroes. I will never be able to repay the kindness of everyone. This morning I suddenly started worrying that the baby might come out ugly, so now I'm buying even more clothes. I catch a scent on the breeze as I walk through the outdoor market, and find myself now encumbered with bags full of things and a box of freshly baked pastries. Unable to carry more and the baby making me pant like an overworked racehorse, I start to head home. Suddenly someone bumps into my arm, and I drop the bags while saving the pastries. I look down at my things now in the road, and groan. There is no way I'm picking that up with this belly in the way. I turn and look at the offender, and ready myself to let loose a tirade on him.
"Oh gods! I'm so sorry! It was an accident, I swear! Let me help!"
He's tall... taller than Omen. Dirty blonde hair swept back and short on the sides, wearing a thick red scarf even though its bloody hot outside and I myself am sweating my a** off. I want to tear it off his stupid neck! And then I catch his eyes, and it's like seeing a ghost. He picks up my stuff and hands it back to me, flustered and spazzy. I feel a little bad for the poor guy and his poor sense of fashion.
"I'm so sorry, again!" He gives me a nervous smile.
"Its fine. Nothing's broken."
"I'm really sorry! It's been so long since I've been outside that I got distracted with my thoughts. They always wander."
I give him a tight lipped smile and raise my eyebrows, going to walk away. Weirdo.
"Wait, you're Karsi, right?" Great, here we go again. Most people don't recognize me now that I'm fat, of which I've been thankful for. "One of the heroes that beat back the cult?"
He's a little too excited for my mood right now, and I'm still confused trying to figure out why I recognize him. Is he one of my new troops? Doesn't look like a soldier.
"Yess..."
I stop myself from screaming out as he places his hands on my shoulders, a terrified and pleading look on his face.
"Please, I beg you! Take me to meet Omen!"
Omen? Nobody usually asks for her... she gets as much honors as all of us but shes not quite a half-a**ed celebrity like me. Curse this beautiful face.
"Um... okay?"
And then it clicks. Those grey eyes, the blonde hair, the ridiculous height, and the scarf... red.
"Red?"
He sighs, almost relieved.
"Come on, I'll bring you to her."
I race back as fast as I can waddle, eating a chocolate tart as we go. I totally just found Omen's boyfriend... or his younger clone? I'm so confused. Maybe he is an imposter, but he is actually pretty cute and Omen deserves a man. I have Runar, Morrigan has Noodles... it's about damn time she has her shot at love!
I step into the mansion, bringing him with me. I immediately drag him upstairs, yelling for Omen.
"Omen, where you at?! I have someone for you!"
The servants offer to go get her, but I wave them off. Red is skulking behind me as if hiding.
"Why are you so nervous?" I ask him.
"It's been so long. What if she hates me?"
"She doesn't hate you! She talks about you all the time!"
He continues to hide behind me, even though I stand over a head shorter than him.
"I don't know about that."
A door opens, and Omen emerges looking exhausted, an arm holding her stomach. Poor thing has been sick a lot since the temple, and I clearly woke her up.
"I know you're pregnant, Karsi, but can't I get some goddamn peace and f****** quiet?!"
I smile, stepping aside to reveal Red. Suddenly she stops, mouth agape and lip quivering, eyes wide and face pale as death
"Sully..." whispers Red, fear evident in his voice as he reaches out to touch her.
I scream as Omen pulls out Insurance, pointing the dagger to his throat.
"Give me one good reason I shouldnt, Red." She hisses through her teeth.
Her expression changes when he doesn't answer. Omen crumples into his arms, and I decide it's best that I leave the reunited couple to either kill eachother or kiss and make up. My back is killing me and shopping and now this unexpected encounter have left me exhausted. I ask the servants to draw me a bath, and head to the bathhouse downstairs.
The servants help me into the water, and I relish in the soothing warmth. However it just doesn't seem to be helping my back, and the more I sit in the bubbles the more it hurts. Not thirty minutes in to my soak, I'm gripped by a horrible pain in my abdomen, nearly worse than being bitten by the blue dragon I fought half a year ago.
"Madam, are you alright?"
The pain finally releases, and I catch my breath.
"I'm fine. Shopping catching up to me."
After being dried off, I walk around the house in my fancy robe as I so often do. Even when visitors come by, I cannot be bothered to get dressed and be presentable. Omen chastised me brutally when I walked in on a meeting she was having once with some ex cultist in the dining hall, with much more on display than was appropriate. To be fair, he did join her program and I'd like to think I had about two points of influence in that decision. It's my home too, afterall. If I want to be naked, I'll damn well-
I have to grip the bannister as another bout of pain embraces me while walking upstairs. I don't hear any more yelling so I can only assume those two have made up. I barely make it up four more steps before it happens again. The pain is immense, and I have no idea what is happening.
"OMEN!" I yell. "WE HAVE A PROBLEM! OMEN!!!"
I somehow make it upstairs, and Omen comes running out looking more pissed off than before. Her hair is out of her face for one of the first times I've ever seen and her face puffy from crying.
"I'm busy!"
"SOMETHING'S WRONG!"
Her expression changes from annoyance to alarm.
"You always have the worst timing, Karsi!"
I can only stand hunched over with a hand against the wall. I'm pretty sure I'm dying.
"What's happening to me?!"
Omen grabs my arm and starts leading me to the suite I share with Runar. I can barely walk. I can't control my breathing as the tears come, it hurts so much!
"You're having the baby. Red, get your a** in here and help!"
Omen sits me on the bed and forces me to lay down. I can barely think over the pain... this is what dying feels like! The baby is going to kill me. The guy I just met not two hours ago pokes his head in, and I can see the wheels of panic turning behind his eyes.
"S***!"
Omen sighs in exasperation, pointing at two of the servants that walk in with Red.
"You! Get Runar. And you- hot water and towels!"
"Runar's... working!" I gasp, contorting on the bed as Omen takes my hand.
"F***! Send a runner. Even if its Zoltan. Just get him here for f***sake! And you- get over here. You're helping me deliver this baby."
"Me?" He pales.
"Did I stutter? Over here, now!"
---
"She's kind of creepy looking."
"Morrigan, she's brand new. Give her a day or two." Snaps Omen.
"She's not wrong." I pitch in.
Zola Farsight Stormwyk looks exactly as I saw her in Sully's vision in Omen's dream... I was stunned when I first saw her. She is a perfect mix between Runar and I. I'd never seen a newborn before, so she did kind of creep me out, but Omen cleaned her up and made her look much nicer. She is a beauty, and I wonder if I was that cute when I was born. I of course did not have little tusklets like my girl does.
Zola stirs in Morrigan's arms, where she had been sleeping peacefully. She looks up at the Tiefling and begins crying, her little face contorting in anger. Omen takes her, shushing her, and brings her over to me.
"Why are you bringing her to me? Put her back to sleep!"
"You're her mother. She needs you."
"But I'm tired!"
"Get used to it, Karsi." Omen smirks, placing Zola on my chest. "You're in this for the long haul."
Zola finally quiets down, and it turns out she was just hangry. I laugh, stroking her thick black hair. She's so soft and tiny, I can barely believe that I made her.
Runar comes back in, a cloth filled with ice wrapped around his hand that I most definitely broke. He smiles, sitting beside us on the bed, and planting a kiss on my forehead. He hands me another healing potion.
"Ugh, no more!" This is the sixth one today.
"I know you're feeling better, but I won't rest until you're one hundred percent." He says sternly. "Drink up."
It hadn't exactly gone to plan. Omen and Red did a great job, but I don't think I was fully prepared for everything. The pain was worse than being in the mouth of the blue dragon... which was probably one reason the birth was such a harrowing event. I lost a lot of blood apparently, but the three of them pulled us through. And I have a beautiful, perfect memento of the greatest adventure I have ever been on.
"Can she come work in my circus in a few years? She's got the look. Maybe she can sell tickets!"
There is boisterous cheering in the hallway, and I hear Ulrich and Grahz laughing. They enter the room, and it's clear they've just closed up Ulrich's bar.
"Where is he?" Grahz tries to whisper, but he's pretty sauced. "Runar, show me your son!"
The barbarian says something in orcish to Runar, who laughs. Zola seems to have settled down, and I pass her to Runar.
"This is Zola."
"Zola? What kind of man's name is Zola?"
Grahz takes her in his huge hands, and she starts cooing. Something about the big guy is comforting to her, clearly. He looks her in her big blue eyes, and she immediately spews in his face. He laughs heartily, and I prestidigitate the spit up off of him with a wave of my hand. It takes nearly all of my energy to do the simple cantrip, and I settle back into the pillows ready to drift off again.
"She's a girl, Grahz." I say, yawning.
"Well... she looks like a proper half orc to me. I approve, young Zola. May you grow to be the strongest of warriors, praise Bahamut!"
---
Life after thwarting the rise of Tiamat was simple for Karsilene "Karsi" Stormwyk, Savior of the Swordcoast and Blade of the Raven Queen. She became a full fledged Commander, and assumed her father Ralnor Stormwyk's position as head of the Guard and Watch's investigations. Her skills in speaking with the recently deceased led to many triumphs for the justice system and the armies of Waterdeep.
Karsi, Runar and Zola lived happily in a castle that Omen, godmother of Zola, and her husband Sirius "Red" created. They never truly retired from adventuring, and even brought a young Zola along on some adventures. No dragons or mummy lords involved, of course.
Zola trained with her mother's troops in how to fight, becoming strong and proficient in longsword and shield just like Karsi. She learned to make things and throw axes from her father, but never quite developed his skill for alchemy. She loved learning magic from her Aunt Omen and more nefarious things from her Crazy Auntie Morrigan. From Ulrich she learned how to shoot like a ranger, and from Grahz how to crush her enemies, see them driven before her, and hear the lamentations of their women... she never really understood that last part, but it sounded cool.
Karsi and Runar were happy to see their seventeen year old daughter finally get off her lazy a** and get a job, even if it meant her being an adventurer. She would do great things. She was the daughter of two great heroes, and trained by all the best. They could not be more proud of the life they created, all because a group of adventurers went after the cult of the dragon.
--- The End ---
|
|
|
Post by bxtreme on Jun 21, 2019 22:04:46 GMT -5
With the cultists' plans to raise Tiamat now foiled, Ulrich was more than ready to open up his bar in Omen's castle. He kept up on his studies studies with Omen, and of course kept his aim with a bow sharp. This was Ulrich's dream - surrounded by friends and a full stein at all times. He was grateful to be around to watch Zola grow up and honored to be the one to train her with a bow. He may have let her try alcohol a tad early...probably not the best influence for her, but Karsi knew this and supervised accordingly during those early years for her daughter.
After Zola left to become an adventurer, Ulrich began to feel something he didn't anticipate. Despite having everything he wanted, he felt...incomplete. He felt as though there was still something he should do. On his deathbed, Ulrich's master made him promise he would go out in the world and do great things. For a time, Ulrich did, but as of late he had gotten comfortable. Elves live for quite a long time, and can accomplish many great deeds in their lifetime. Owning a bar at Ulrich's age shouldn't be the last thing he would be known for.
Ulrich leaves the castle and the bar under new ownership, with a note detailing his leave. He assures everyone they will see him again, but the date of their reunion is most uncertain.
Ulrich's adventure continues.
|
|