*Within the hour(in game time), Oroth returns.*
"Sir, the orb no longer resides in the temple. It is my belief we should fin out who/what has it, kill them/it, and take the orb. Or ask them to join us."
The shadowed figure bellows
WHAT! An artifact of elemental evil discovered and then lost! Inconceivable!
Points a finger at The Shadow
FIND IT! Kill whoever has it, or failing that, bring them here. Whatever that sphere was, we must obtain it!
Turning to the wall, he notices the mask has gone
Hmmm .... I wonder ....He mutters with a sibilant hiss
The shadowed figure bellows
WHAT! An artifact of elemental evil discovered and then lost! Inconceivable!
Points a finger at The Shadow
FIND IT! Kill whoever has it, or failing that, bring them here. Whatever that sphere was, we must obtain it!
Turning to the wall, he notices the mask has gone
Hmmm .... I wonder ....He mutters with a sibilant hiss
Yes my Lord, do you think they hid it somewhere else? Hmmmm....
Looking at the rotted sea-lich the shadowy figure snarls
You should also be searching for this prize, Alagathra. You claim suzerainty over the corpses of the sea. This artifact was oviously tied to water. Who knows what power it could bring you?
Looking at the rotted sea-lich the shadowy figure snarls
You should also be searching for this prize, Alagathra. You claim suzerainty over the corpses of the sea. This artifact was oviously tied to water. Who knows what power it could bring you?
It's not the power I crave. She grins through her black rotten teeth It is the suffering I inflict upon others.
It's not the power I crave. She grins through her black rotten teeth It is the suffering I inflict upon others.
The shadowy figure pounds on the arm of his ossuary throne.
HOW CAN YOU INFLICT SUFFERING WITHOUT POWER!
Settles back in his chair
Alagathra. If some other force claims this unknown artifact and uses it contrary to our schemes then all is lost. You will be no more than a waterlogged corpse with delusions of grandeur then. The Balance will remain and thousands upon thousands will never feel your watery caresses ...
It's not the power I crave. She grins through her black rotten teeth It is the suffering I inflict upon others.The shadowy figure pounds on the arm of his ossuary throne.
HOW CAN YOU INFLICT SUFFERING WITHOUT POWER!
Settles back in his chair
Alagathra. If some other force claims this unknown artifact and uses it contrary to our schemes then all is lost. You will be no more than a waterlogged corpse with delusions of grandeur then. The Balance will remain and thousands upon thousands will never feel your watery caresses ...
The Sea-lich merely giggles and through black rotten teeth chants and utters an incantation that could only be produced from the throat of Dagon himself.
Hindsight followed by Discern Location
Masters of the Darkening Depths give unto me which will aid my Lord in his quest. A Quest to unseat the balance and allow death to hold sway over the living. Show me what I may find!!!!!!!!!!!
The mask appears, chuckling to itself.
"Any luck with that orb?"
The watery swirls of Alagathra's cataracted eyes clear to reveal a prancing figure in fool's motley. She sees him picking up the sphere, and the sphere flowing into his laughing mouth. The scene swirls to streaks again, the current location of the strange harlequin unclear. What is clear is that whatever he is, it isn't human or probably living considering how much water flowed into his mouth.
Yes, I will find him.
With that said, she departs.
The mask appears, chuckling to itself.
"Any luck with that orb?"
The shadowed figure turns to the mask
You seem well pleased with yourself mask. Perhaps you would like to share the reason you are so delighted with our misfortune in not recovering this orb you discovered?
The shadowed figure stands and the throne room gets a little darker. The shadows that always seem to cluster in the corners start to move and whisper of their own accord, making fantastical shapes along the blood-stained walls.
The mask's eyes glow red.
Suddenly, all the zombies, ghouls, ghasts, and other lesser undead seem to straighten. They hold their weapons tensely.
"What you do, Jaguar? It is not intelligent. With my ability to control the dead, you are most outmatched. I have no wish to fight. I was merely laughing because the seeds of doubt have been placed in one enemy by the other. Just seeds, and tiny seeds at that, but Lord Kobold Cleaver grows paranoid, and fearful, and distrustful. I sent him a small sense taht something was wrong. He was already growing cautious, I merely helped it along.
"So that is what I was laughing about, Jaguar. Threaten me again, and it'll be more than ghouls and zombies that you face."
A beautiful woman walks into the Palace halls in the midst of the 'discussion'.
Ahh, discord. I do so love Discord.
She walks up to one of the zombie attendants and places her right index finger under its chin. *whisper* It dissolves at her touch.
She takes a seat and waits.
Alagathra come slogging back into the presense of her Lord.
"I have identified the man who has the Orb. He is known as the Giggler."
"Interesting. Then, Jaguar, you can know that I did not steal the orb, as you seem to believe. I know for a fact that The Giggler serves only the Goddess. Not I."
"Perhaps the three of us could have a little contest, hm? To see who can get the orb first?"
"Go ahead. I have more important matters than that orb. Vital matters, even."
*Ebony hears Oroth's voice in his thoughts.*
"I apoligize for this intrusion. Be assuered I can only hear the thought you want me to. It would seem my plan to motivate these 'evildoers' did not work. I you so wish, I can establish a link so I need not tell all what has occurred..."
Oroth's mind suddenly feels as if it has tumbled of a high cliff and is falling through a cold mist. Shapeless ... things ... whip by him, caressing him with noisome pseudopods. As he screams his mind suddenly snaps back into his own skull. A chill voice addresses him.
It would be better if you didn't intrude upon my mind without permission, young one ...The voice says dryly.
What do you wish to tell me?
The mask chuckles.
"I told you I had important things to do."
"I must say your mind is delightfully dark sir...
KC is searching for something, but I've yet to discern what.
His searchings seem to jump all over the place, like his mind can't hold focus... we may be able to use that to our advantage. The Bard has collected the Fire Champion's remains and is storing them in the Club's forge.
Also, the red dragon's spawn has shown himself in human form. If we were to capture him we could blackmail the red into working for us.
I only need your command..."
"Kobold Cleaver is no longer a threat."
"Kobold Cleaver is no longer a threat."
The shadowed figure smiles
Excellent! He was one of the more powerful heroes on this board. What sent him to his True Death?
"Kobold Cleaver is no longer a threat."
The shadowed figure smiles
Excellent! He was one of the more powerful heroes on this board. What sent him to his True Death?
"Some creature. I know not what, but I...herded it into the direction of the Club. Instinct did the rest."
"Kobold Cleaver is no longer a threat."
The shadowed figure smiles
Excellent! He was one of the more powerful heroes on this board. What sent him to his True Death?
"So the lich is dead? That will make my job easier. I thank you mask. When do you think this... creature will reach the Club? I may be able to earn more trust amoung the 'heroes' if I warn them. Yes, if I get 'knocked out' during the battle 'protecting' one of them, the trust they will allow themselves to feel for me will be their demise..."
Has his phylactery been retreived? If not, we will face him again...
Has his phylactery been retreived? If not, we will face him again...
"It may surprise you. His phylactery, which he always claimed was safely in his profile? It was his cleaver. When Kobold Cleaver was taken care of, my raven channeler took the cleaver and magically removed the soul."
The shadowy figure chuckles.
How delightful! Well, good riddance to good rubbish. Now if you will all excuse me, I have some business to attend to ..
The shadows that have been sliding and whispering around the corners of the room gather and coalesce around the figure. When they split apart again the throne sits empty
The hero Devlyn enters the Palace hall, then 'his' form changes. He becomes a she.
Ahh, one small step. So many more to put into play.
Now the second...
"And the third."
The mask chuckles.
"If we continue sowing the seeds of discord, eventually they shall be split asunder. I suggest that we deal with the relationship between Lynora and Jack Hammer. It is the strongest. Lynora has recently been quite traumatized by a visit from her mother, perhaps we can build on that? But make the mother seem regretful. Lynora's mother is the weak link in hers and the Hammer's love. If that fails, we can always make it seem like one of them is...how do you say it? Cheating."
It chuckles again.
True power is drawn from your enemies. You make it yours and you succeed.
As she laughs her form changes to that of the leader of this realm, then to LJ's, then back to her own. (Own? maybe not, they're so hard to keep track of thru the years.)
El-Lina smiles as she watches the activity at the Club. Discord, fear, confusion. So filling. Her Mistress is pleased.
The heroes were too slow to notice her spy at the oasis. Their fears were enjoyable while they lasted. No matter, another is already in place. Many are her tools.
El-Lina frowns. If the death is allowed the discord will cease. The goddess will be angry.
I guess I have to level the playing field a bit.
She practices her illusions; the Wasp, KC, Frogskin, Ash, and the mother. Yes, the mother. Even goddesses have mothers. The arrogance she doesn't need to practice. She has spies even at the conspirator bases.
El-Lina frowns. If the death is allowed the discord will cease. The goddess will be angry.
I guess I have to level the playing field a bit.
She practices her illusions; the Wasp, KC, Frogskin, Ash, and the mother. Yes, the mother. Even goddesses have mothers. The arrogance she doesn't need to practice. She has spies even at the conspirator bases.
"Actually, this is splendid. While Wasp continues believing his friends to be dead, he will seek vengeance. I just need him to do one last thing...everything is under control."
Shadows form and El-Lina vanishes
Shadows form and El-Lina vanishes
Wasp glares, and mutters a spell to track her essence. He sends the knowledge to a friend. He continues massacring the zombies and ghouls (and ghasts), searching for a leader.
"None of you can withstand the power of the Board!!!"
Wasp yells, and Thread Essence overwhelms the first three rows of undead.
He glares at the Wraith Lord.
"Please. I do not align myself with Candle Lighter. I have learned much since my last battle. It's surprising what you can..."
He blasts the Wraith Lord and 'pokemon' with Board Essence, which is specifically geared to destroy undead.
"...learn, given enough time!"
Wasp chuckles.
"You really do not understand, do you? As a creature of the Board, my energy cannot be 'siphoned'. As long as it is on the Board, it is part of me. It will simply annoy the Board."
As he speaks, the energy 'sent away' by the Wraith Lord comes back like a slingshot, twice as strong. it blasts through the waves of undead, and hits the Wraith Lord devastatingly. Oddly enough, it seems like his Board Essence is merged with red energy which stinks of the undead.
<And now, the servants of the goddess know exactly where you currently are... you have told them; and you have carried out a truly worthy act of worship of her, in this destruction, which will help to bring about her return.>
The thunderous detonation of something akin to a gigantic roman candle rocks the palace. When the smoke and afterglow clears, there is no sign of the Wraith Lord or the undead pokemon.
Wasp sighs.
"Typical undead arrogance. He doesn't get it. While the goddess likes destruction, she does not get power from it. She is a goddess of dangerous knowledge, and knowledge has not been involved here enough to give her power. Clearly, he must be using 4E or something. If destruction helped all the deities who liked it, the few non-destruction gods would be overrun."He continues massacring the undead, knowing that the Wraith Lord clearly has a very low wisdom. Or intelligence.
For each undead that Thieving Wasp destroys, another three erupt from the soggy ground and advance moaning towards him. As he destroys left and right a large pillar of shadows coalesces in front of him. It bellows at him:
A wave of pitch black shadow crashes over the wasp, strangling him with streamers of night.
For each undead that Thieving Wasp destroys, another three erupt from the soggy ground and advance moaning towards him. As he destroys left and right a large pillar of shadows coalesces in front of him. It bellows at him:
A wave of pitch black shadow crashes over the wasp, strangling him with streamers of night.
Wasp chokes, and barely manages to escape. He lies, gasping, and takes a single seed, which he thrusts into the ground.
"Let you find life in a place of death."
Then, he leaps up, and charges the Jaguar, Cleaver held high.
"FOR KOBOLD CLEAVER!!!"
But suddenly, a wolf appears. It leaps, a few feet away from Wasp. Wasp falls. And dies.
The shadowed figure uses his dark formless minions to scoop up the Wasp's corpse and put it into a holding box.
Well, one less 'hero' to contend with. I really must enhance the wards on this place.
Looks around at the court
I leave for a few days and you let some insect smash the place up? Unacceptable!
Turns to the box with the Wasp's corpse and sets several high-level anchoring/non-scrying wards on it, then takes it with him into his inner sanctum.