Ugorji's page

"Bravado is an easy thing in the company of so many allies, but you will allow me to speak openly!"

Desperation beading like sweat upon his brow, Ugorji sought to cast one final spell, but Alis merely shook her head as she broke off her divination.

"You think yourself confident and possessed of vision, but I can see the fear in you, and the doubt in those who follow!"

For several tense seconds there was silence and then gasps of fear and dismay erupted from those before Ugorji as he glared at the Princess with a terrible look in his eyes.

Ugorji's eyes grew dark at Arion's superior attitude. "Was it not your King's stated purpose in coming here to aid we Zucks in achieving self-rule? Or do you now let slip what many have come to suspect: that Aramandil aids neither Zuck nor Patrician, but swells his coffers with Mestaran gold."

The man gave an audible snort and shook his head. "Your 'wise' Princess not only has yet to be ordained as Vicereine, but I can see it now... in Lureene's eyes, I can see it — your Princess is an idealist. She has no idea that the true value of this so-called Protectorate lays in preventing Mestara from being out-flanked by an potential alliance between Mallos and Malatesta, does she?"

"Quite," Ugorji thought, scowling at his captors. "Now to answer the Lady... No. I did not think to bind you. Prior knowledge of your existence would have been prerequisite. My meaning which was obviously mistaken was that you, Lureene, would have been far better suited to affect a beneficial outcome. As for who I serve, the elf is wrong. I serve the people of Freehold and the court of their chosen sovereign, King Makatimbe."

Although none of you were particularly apt to believe the man, even Amelia, who voiced his very thoughts, could not sense if he was being duplicitous. Regardless, it was certainly a bold claim indeed!

"Bondage..." Ugorji's laugh at the irony of his situation was cut short by Arion's wroth.

"Ah, I recognize that voice... The daughter Avoreen spoke of, Lureene." Ugorji bowed his head as best he could considering how he was bound before giving a muffled laugh at Arion's observation. "Your man has it right, Lureene. A pity you did not answer instead for I saw today that it is you who has the Princess' ear."

Ugorji took a deep breath, releasing it slowly before continuing to think upon his answer so that Amelia could related it. "To answer, I had thought reaching peaceful accord with Rivermarch within a year's time was a reasonable goal. However the point is moot. My magic circle could not contain one such as Avoreen. Our negotiations were... brief."

"It was a planar binding that I attempted, if that is what you mean. Yet with one of her power," he shrugged, "who knows what she is capable of..."

As far as any of you could tell, it seemed as if he was answering truthfully thus far.

Shifting uncomfortably at the odd noises coming from around the corner, Ugorji answered thru Amelia, "My intention was to summon an advisor for my people."

As those who had interrogated Captain Ridger descended to the brig, they could hear Amelia speaking in a far off tone, as if the words she spoke were not entirely her own...

"I did cast a summoning ritual yes. Avoreen was the one who answered, yes. Yet how it is that one such as she answered my call? I do not know. If I had the power to command obedience from such a being, do you think I would be here now?"

The prisoner wagged his head from side-to-side, looking at Amelia imploringly, mumbling in protest as if at the very nature of the question before finally rolling his eyes and nodding, as if he expected that it didn't matter how he answered.

Bound hand and foot, with a gag in his mouth, it was difficult for the prisoner to answer in anything but the simplest black and white terms — yes or no. That didn't mean that he didn't try though.

At Darvesch's question, the man gave a groan of frustration and shrugged his shoulders as best he could given the circumstances.

Battered and windblown, the vaporous individual's face took on the appearance of great concentration before he vanished from sight altogether, a noxious odor washing over Darvesch a moment later.

Next Up: Sasha, Arion, Lureene, Amelia, Darvesch, Ugorji
MAP: The Swollen Sprite, (Round 315)

The appearance of Lureene and Darvesch did as much to improve their quarry's demeanor as the crazed eidolon that was wearing away at him with his snapping maw. He clenched his teeth in frustration, and said, "This is not helping..."

With a sigh of exasperation, the man began to chant, his movements carefully guarded to avoid reciprocity. Before their eyes, his form became vague and indistinct, and he drifted upwards outlining the cracks of a trapdoor in the center of the ceiling above as he slipped away. From up above, there were shouts fear cut short by gagging and choking, and a noxious smell was as plain to everyone in the hold.

Even as Sasha blanched, her face wrinkled in disgust, Grak gave a piteous groan, his tongue lolling from his mouth as if he were physically ill.

MAP: The Swollen Sprite, (Round 313b)

The sound of cracking wood and the sight of rice spilling everywhere accompanied Grak's frenzy. Although he failed to connect with his intended target, he still elicited a frustrated "GAH!" as the bottle vanished beneath a flood of rice grains, which also clearly outlined where the invisible one stood rummaging about.

Grimacing as the pain in his arm, the mage said, "I think not," and vanished from sight.

"So please, let us all remain calm, and we can talk this over once your friends arrive."

MAP: The Swollen Sprite, (Round 311)

In his haste to save Sasha, the speeding eidolon had perhaps relied too heavily upon his state of invisibility, forgetting perhaps that the sound of his wings might give him away. The dark-skinned man ducked and put his arms up to shield himself at the last moment, and the winged serpent overshot his mark, crashing loudly into the nearby barrels.

While there was indeed a commotion on the deck above, shouts of surprise at flying pirates and at the noise from the belly of the ship, the most Grak could see was the Zuck sailor poking his head thru the open hatch and pointing as he shouted to someone that must have stood nearby.

While the spellcaster threatening Sasha paid the sailors little mind, the same could not be said of Grak and his eyes widened in surprise. With the tip of his scimitar, he reached out and knocked the hat from Sasha's head, loosing her long red locks even as bead of sweat streamed down her face at the action.

"Ah, so it is you," he said, a hint of regret evident in his tone. Face pensive, he took a short step to pick up the object Sasha had tripped over earlier. Although the ranger could not see it, it seemed to Grak to be a long, slender flask, ornately engraved with silver runes, a brass stopper plugging it. Shaking his head sadly, he said, "I never thought it would come to that, you must believe me. She promised us only hope..."

Yet even though Sasha might have hoped that the man was backing down, there was something about the man's manner that and his play for innocence that didn't fool Grak. This man was up to something.

Gritting his teeth at the close-call, the half-Dafari man, quickly and carefully wove a spell, shouting, "STOP!" as he did so.

Even as Sasha was about to scoff at what anyone else might have taken for a plea, panic gripped her as she realized that she couldn't move a muscle!

His spell cast, the man quickly regained his feet and drew his scimitar, eyeing the woman darkly.

Eyes wide at the redheaded 'pirate' that had so aptly rooted him out, the middle aged man fumbled about for his scimitar and shouted, "HELP!"