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Topic: The Aielund Trilogy (Read 851 times) |
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Skeeneyman
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Elith nods and takes the wand back with a look of understanding because he knows that he is starting to wonder the same thing.
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Erik_the_Celt
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Owain picked up the bits and pieces of the disabled traps and sat in the corner of the treasury room. He took the spikes from one and the spring from another, from the third he salvaged the wires and frame. Putting it all together, he was able to create a small spike trap and after showing the others what he was up to, Owain closed the treasury door and strung the trap so that it would spray a handful of spikes at anything that opened the door. He carefully demonstrated all of the parts to the ever curious Elith and showed him how to disable and reset the trigger. After he was satisfied that Elith could handle it without help, he took some of the boar meat and feed it to the great grey wolf. Standing back while the wolf ate, he chewed on a small piece of meat and drank the remaining water from his flask.
Taking out his bedroll, Owain placed it at the foot of the wall and leaned back against it. The wolf came over and nudged Owain’s foot with its nuzzle. Owain reached out and scratched the wolf’s ear, then he rose to his knees in front of the wolf, he grabbed the wolf’s ears and pulled its nuzzle close to his face. The wolf reached out with his tongue and licked the last of the boar juice off Owain’s face. Owain rubbed his face into the wolf’s nuzzle and laughed happily. He grabbed the scruff of the wolf’s neck and rolled over its back, the wolf spun and leaped at Owain. Owain rolled to the right, then quickly rolled back to the left. The wolf stepped carefully back and then jumped onto Owain. Owain rolled onto his back and let wolf put his front paws onto his chest. The wolf opened its mouth wide and nipped at Owain’s nose. Owain laughed again and rubbed his cheek on the long grey snout. The wolf raised his head and howled, then backed off and let Owain return to his knees.
Owain smiled at the look of alarm on Elith’s face. “It’s a wonderful friend you’ve brought me Elith. I am in your debt.” He scratched behind the wolf’s ear again and said “I will call you Bowyn, it means son of Owain. Now Elith, tell me what it is you need to make your potions.”
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| « Last Edit: on: May 7, 2005, 5:52PM » |
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neph
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Owains anticks with the wolf. He shakes his head,"what are you doing Owain? Is it mating season already?"
The he starts laughing hard.
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Erik_the_Celt
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“you’re easy to amuse big guy, but we have to think about getting out of here. There’s a whole tribe of bugbears and who knows what else out there and if Elith has a coughing fit when we need him to cast some spells for us, we may not get out of this alive.” He paused and looked over at Elith with a look of concern. “I don’t think we can chance getting through the bugbears without a new supply of Elith’s medicine. I think we have two choices, one we all head back out through the dragon’s cave to get back to the surface and resupply or I go back on my own and find the stuff that Elith’s needs. So what is it going to be, a Lion’s retreat or a quick sneaky trip?”
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neph
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"BAH! you must be joking."
Myridin sighs, he looks at Elith a look of concern on his face.
"I knew that elf would get us into trouble. It would take to long for you to make a trip the and back. I've a better idea. You sneak ahead and try to get a count of the bugbears. See if they are scattered enough so that we might be able to take them out. If not, well, we may have to consider other options." He says as he was giving Elith a menacing look.
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Erik_the_Celt
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"Well, maybe retreat was a poor choice of words but I'm not sure about the scouting. We don't have any idea how far it is to an entrance going forward and we can't risk taking Elith with us into a fight. He'll give anyway any hope we have for surprise and will probably bring the whole tribe down on us at once. I think I can back to the surface in a couple of hours, so it only depends on how long it takes to find what Elith needs." Looking at Leonidas praying in the corner of the room and to Elith, Owain waits expectantly for a answer.
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neph
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"The real question is can you find what he needs at all" Myridin asks while looking Elith over. He shakes his head, "He better learn to start packing more of this... medicine of his. Theres never any way to tell how long we will be out on a quest." He looks over to Leo and sighs,"Leo would chose the course that would protect us all, and still serve the greater good. Elith is our weakest link, but Leo would never desert him. But a couple of hours is still a long time. We've already killed some of thier tribe so it is only a matter of time till they discover thier dead. So we all go foward or we all go back." He looks to Elith and then back to Leo. "wish he would hurry up and finish his prayers"
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Skeeneyman
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Elith continues reading, studying, and taking notes but he is having a hard time concentrating, he can feel the eyes of the others on him. He has let them down and he knows it. He just did not think this trip into the caves was going to take so long, it looked like a rather small cave and once they killed the gnome wizard, he thought for sure that would be it. How could I be such a fool, such a huge lumbering fool?
He looks at his companions and gives them a weak smile trying to look like everything is all right then glances at Leo praying, sorrow fills his heart as I tries to remember the last time he has prayed. I have abandoned god though it is clear that he has not abandoned me, he thinks as he lovingly caresses his holy book. I have never experienced such power and I discover more ever day and yet I have never felt further from gods touch. Putting his books and notes down Elith begins the ritual of meditation and prayer and finds peace for his troubled heart if only for a short time because only fifteen minutes into the prayer a short coughing fit pulls him out of his deep meditation. Tears swell in his eyes as he curses god for the body god gave him then, rather suddenly an idea pops into his head. He picks up his books and notes and flips through them franticly and stops where his notes on the zombie corpses are located, hmmm, this is going to take some time. If I am going to study this further I need to get out of them damn cave.
Elith stands up and heads over to his companions determined to be part of the solution and not part of the problem. “Alright, my friends it seems we are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Tell me about the options you are discussing and please do not spare my feelings it is important to me that we be honest with each other.” Elith wonders to himself, honesty, who the hell am I to demand there honesty? “I have only just taken the last of my medicine, which means we have about 24 hours to find the ingredients needed for me to make another batch.” Elith states this as a matter of fact and with an unusual amount of confidence. “The herbs are very easy to find, I saw all of them in the forest near the mouth of the cave.” Elith notices them glancing back toward the way the way they came. “Forget it, a trip back the way we came would take to long, I would never make it, we must”, he lets out a small cough, “go through the bugbears”.
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neph
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down at Elith, his arms crossed across his chest. "Oh reallyyyy" he says sarcastically. "If we fight our way out of here you had better be able to do your fair share.Because we aint gonna be able to hold your hand for this. And you dont know how many more times that dragon is gonna help you."
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Erik_the_Celt
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go a little misty listening to Elith's speech. How brave of Elith to want to push on without knowing how far it really is. He looks with admiration at the odd little elf then shrugs. "If Elith is willing to take the chance, I won't stop him, but it goes against my instincts."
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anoikis
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following a deep praying meditation, as Elith was speaking to the group.
"There is no right answer. There is one WRONG answer, however. Dissention amongst us will only lead to our demise. Elith's mental power grows, despite his physical weakiness. Myridin, your skill grows too, but in different ways. We all need each other. There is NO weak link. Owain, clearly you continue to perfect your stealthy ways , now is the time to use it! We should go on."
"If we each use our skills in conjunction we will achieve synergy. Arlov spoke of synergy frequently." Leonidas unsheathes his sword and lays it on the ground. This is a sword. It can be used in different ways.
"For example, a warrior can slash with great skill with a sword. A wizard can enchant said sword to make it more effective and deadly. A priest can pray to God to improve his skill for a time with the sword. A rogue can stealthily attack with the sword to hit vital areas. Combine these skills and the result is lethal"
Leonidas gestures to his sword.
"This is Synergy- while each one of us can hold our own , in our own way- together we are lethal."
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| « Last Edit: on: May 27, 2005, 11:54AM » |
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neph
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what Elith says." Myridin looks from Elith to Owain disapprovingly. "If Leo says forward then forward it is!" He readies his newly found axe and prepares to march forward.
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Erik_the_Celt
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Owain turns his back on Myriddin and begins picking up some of the items Elith left lying around. He slips some of the heavier items into his own pack, being carefull to hide his actions from the others. He feeds a couple of scraps of meat to Olwyn and scratches him behind the ears. Then he disassembles the pieces of the trap and stows them into his backpack.
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| « Last Edit: on: May 29, 2005, 5:55PM » |
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Erik_the_Celt
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Owain slipped quietly out of the room he was sharing with the Lions. He took only his bow and a small quiver of arrows. It was still a couple of hours before dawn and he did not want the others to know what he was doing. Carefully slipping the bolt from the tavern door Owain strode out into the rain and the river of water running past the tavern door. Being carefully to avoid the guards huddled in their shelter beside the city gate, he took a thin line and hook from his pack and tossed it over the palisade. Tugging gently, he began to climb the wooden fence although it threatened to lean in towards him, the foundations were starting to give way from all the water he thought. He managed to reach the top without the wall coming down and wiggled it back into an almost upright position. Unhooking the line while balanced on top of the palisade took all of his agility but cat like he held on and leapt to ground and few feet from the palisade. He rolled a little and then crouched over, he splashed to the edge of the forest. Obscured by the rain and the forest, he made his way from Bracksworth and towards the small waterfall where Ned was buried.
It was nearly dawn by the time Owain arrived at the small stream and waterfall. He quickly stripped off his clothes and washed himself in the stream. Owain shook of the water and spread his cloak near to the spot where Ned was buried. He took a section of Mexcalito root from his pack and carefully cut off a small piece. He sat down in the centre of the cloak, took a brief swallow of water from his canteen and popped the bit of Mexcalito into his mouth. Slowly, he chewed the bitter root, forcing himself to swallow the salvia even as it threatened to make him wretch. When the root had become a sodden mass of stringy pulp in his mouth, he spat it to the side and drank deeply from his canteen. Then he began to chant the song of the wolf that Osric had taught him during their few seasons in the woods by his fathers lodge. The Mexcalito began to take effect and he could feel his spirit loosen from his body and rise above him to view the world.
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neph
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Spent some time before bed chatting up the pretty celestial.He was amazed at how she could look at him and not wince. His half orc blood did not make him the handsome one like his brother. His brother. That now wants to be brother to the whole world. This is ridiculas he thought. What does Leo know about those two. A sickly elf and a rouge who spends to much time in a empty hut without letting us know whats going on? Can he be trusted? Will we have to hjave another arguement about what to do with the elf? If he runs out of his magic elixr while we are out in the middle of nowhere, theres no telling what may happen. Oh yea hes lots of fun in town. Buy him a hooker and get ready to laugh your arse off. But in a combat situation thats a different story.
Oh well, I think he is trying to make up for it though. He gave me some gold which came in very handy. Got a couple of bard items, maybe Ill be able to impress mom when...if we ever get to see her again. Which reminds me. I still got the family ring from the villian in the cabin. villian, heh. Another villian for the killin. The crest looks familiar, just cant place it though. Oh well. I gave Elith some items I "found" and was just gonna sell. It thrilled him to death I think. He wouldnt be so bad if it wasnt for that damned illness. Its to much of a hazard in combat. But I did love the way he was going to pick a fight with the bully. Until Leo stepped in and stopped it. How many times did he have to do that for me as we grew up together. I dont like these upstarts jumping up and wanting to be brothers. Dont like it at all. Ill have to keep an eye on them.
Its late and im getting tired need to get some rest before we move on to the barbarians. Think Ill look into her pretty eyes just a little longer. Im just happy that she will sit here and have a drink with me. Those eyes are just so mesmerising.
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Erik_the_Celt
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The chest stood wide open with the armor and weapons of the Knight gleaming faintly in the torchlight. Owain stood back as Leonidas and Elith stared into the heart of the chest at the book that seemed to radiate a power like nothing Owain had ever encountered. This must be the Book of God that Elith was searching for. He took a deep breath, would this join Leo and Elith in a new bond, deeper than the oath of brotherhood bonded in blood or would it shatter the fragile relationship that was already shaky from the distance Myridin was keeping from them all? He was glad Myridin had missed the battle with the Balor, that the blood brothers had conquered the demon of hell without the help of the sulking warrior.
What was in the book, he wondered, something to rekindle Elith’s weakening faith or shatter it completely? What is worth more, he wondered, the book or the rest of the treasure? He wanted to escape and reach out to the wolf spirit, to feel the comforting touch of the wolf’s nuzzle in his palm as he had during his spirit walk at Ned’s graveside. Owain let his mind slip out into the spirit world, to the realm where the wolf and the dragon lived and spoke. He remembered the wolf kneeling before the dragon as though they were exchanging information and perhaps plans for the future if the Lions. He had understood nothing of their seeming conversation but he had sensed their approval and concern. Somehow he had known that more men would die and more trouble would come to the Lions but the wolf would walk with him on his path.
Owain sighed and opened his eyes, he watched Elith and Leo carefully to see how they would react to the book. What would happen know between these brothers of God?
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Skeeneyman
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“It’s a lie! It’s all a *says some swear word in elfish* Lie!” Elith shouts as he throws his book of god across the floor. “Every *says another swear word* day I am confronted with the fact that everything I have ever been taught to be the word of god has been nothing but a simple veiled attempt to hide the true source of my peoples power.” Elith actually starts to weep as he walks over and picks up his book and all of the notes that have scattered across the floor. “Or this could be a test; yes perhaps a test of faith god has set before me.”
Elith looks to Leo, “Leo my friend and leader, please help me.” Elith looks strangely desperate. “Please look at this book and tell me your thoughts.” Desperate hope lines Elith’s face as he asks such conflicting question.
Ancient Book of God
This is a large ancient book. It has been almost completely destroyed by time and the elements. However, you are still able to figure out a few facts about this book.
1) It appears to be a Book of God. The style of the writing and the general feel of the text are identical to the current book of God but the content is completely different.
2) You are able to decipher a few of the dates referenced in the book. To your astonishment you see a date from over 10,000 years ago. (The current Book of God Elith has only goes back a little over two thousand years.)
3) There appears to be entire sections of the book devoted to different races in the world. It is hard to make out the different names of the races or even how many are referenced. The only ones you can make out is Halfling, Elf, Human and Dwarf. You suspect there are at least 5 more but the pages are too far gone for you to make them out. (The current Book of God deals almost exclusively with humans and elves. There is one passage in the current Book of God that mentions the gathering of one from every race but does not say who or what they are.)
4) There is a lot more in this book but it is impossible to figure out what it is due to its condition. A few sections look like they might have been rules of worship. Some sections you guess might be a collection of stories and there are some that look like prophesy.
5) Unless you are mistaken, there is a reference to God being on Aielund in the flesh but it is in the future tense.
Picking up and looking through the book damages it even further, you dare not look through it any further or it will be completely destroyed.
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neph
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looks up from his bed and sees the celestial crawling across it stark naked. She has a look of lust in her eyes that Myridin has never seen in a woman. She reaches up to grab his face as Myridin puckers up for a kiss. But then she turns his head and starts licking his face, then she barks at him. Myridin is confused, then he wakes with a start to find a very wet dog licking him.
He is sitting in the water leaning against on of the towns outer walls. There is an empty keg laying next to him, his head hurts. and he has no idea what day it is. He returns to the inn to find the others gone.
"WHAT?!? SO NOW HE HAS RUN OFF WITH HIS NEEEWWWWW BROTHERS?" He screams. "FINE! If thats the way he wants thats the way he can have it. I dont need him or anybody!" He slams the door to the room falls down on the bed, and starts to cry. He has no idea what he will do now.
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| « Last Edit: on: Jun 26, 2005, 5:31AM » |
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Erik_the_Celt
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Impatient with Leo's reluctance to look at the book or even acknowledge Elith, Owain grabs the book from Elith's hands and flings it into the corner of the room. As the pages scatter like a flight of startled birds, Owain shouts, "Live your own life Elith! Forget the moldy words, let your spirit find it's own home and it's own truths. Let the dead listen to the words of the dead." Owain stands with his hand on his sword hilt and stares at Elith waiting for him to make a move or a challenge.
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| « Last Edit: on: Jul 27, 2005, 8:08PM » |
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anoikis
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as he observed Owain's outburst.
An impetuous one, that Owain, Leonidas thought to himself.
Then standing, he re-approaches the elf. In a span of time that seemed like hours, Leonidas had turned his back to the group- deep in thought, even meditation.
The words on the crumbling book had played tricks with his mind. At first he was overwhelmed with excitement- this is truly a momentous day for the faith, he thought. He made quick plans how to convey this amazing knowledge to Arlov and spread it throughout the land...
Then, getting a hold of himself- Leonidas realized that this was probably just the work of some zealot extremist on the fringe of the great faith many years ago. Still, as he moved towards Elith, he could not help but think of his own experience and the evolving schism of his faith's dogma that he felt in his own mind- and expected to grow between the fundamentalist paladins, led by his own Father, and the humanists, led (he hoped) by his mentor Arlov.
Looking at the sickly elf, Leonidas opened his mouth and eventually was able to say, "It is nonsense, Elith. A charlatan wrote that."
As he quietly backed away and turned around, Leonidas Barca had an overwhelming sense of confusion and, for the first time, doubt in everything he thought his faith to be.
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