4 - 004: The Fourth Piece

[K Man]

Does Garor recognize the automated army?

- Yes. You've seen these before, deep in the halls and development areas of your former home - Bazarkrak Castle.
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Krysta, Caelith, Girud, Mordrock, Galdren, and Garor - Surveying the scene a bit closer, you notice the indeed, the siege force has only taken up formation before Ravenshead castle, leaving the backside of the massive keep wide open.

This accomplishes two things. One, the seiging force can penetrate the only entrance to Ravesnhead, the massive door with every ounce of migh they own. Two, the seiging force is not spread out and can remain focused on the task at hand.

Allessia commands the dire elephant to gently lower the giant to the ground. Focusing his energies, much like he used to when 'Vein-Riding' Girud tries to rip through the earth.

To your ever-lasting fears, it does not work.

You remember that the machine, the one that sent power through the veins of the planet had to keep running...could it have fallen? Could the master Dwarf that designed this wonderful method of travel have been slain? Or worse...animated for 'The Master'.

Your mind races with thoughts...

[Krysta, I can't remember if I addressed the positions according to the cloth map you carry. If not, allow me to here.]

Unfolding the purloined cloth map, Krysta takes note of where the shard lie now. The two captured earlier still lie in the center of Ravenshead, thankfully untouched. One from before you wen to hell, and the second brought there by the Dwarves during their march to the Blackwing Kingdom's capital.

One you carry in the trunk of the beast beneath you.

Aside from that, things look bleak.

In the center of the Eastern-most Deathspew swamps, six small spots of light rest, their light taken from The Trees of Astoril and Scaland - adding to the four points of light already there.

Still a point of light rests in The Dune Palace.

Yet another burns in The Feathered Isle.

Two still burn in the Elven empire of Astoril, at their capital of Ephemiryl.

Lastly and most strangely, there is one, just outside of Ravenshead...dead in the middle of the seige army!

Just as you prepare to relay this information to your companions, you all spot a small creature flapping its leathery wings towards you - clearly visible in the bright daylight.

Allessia chitters a bit, perhaps trying to speak with it. Her face twists a bit and she shakes her head.



"It's not a natural creature!"

The elephants trumpet and stamp their feet, eyes flaring as they itch for a reason to swat this gnat out of the air.

Then, as strangely as its approach, the bat moves to hover low above the ground. It remains there, then its body begins to twist. The wings stretch form and become soft hands and arms. The body elongates, doubles and fills out to become a torso and waist with legs. Lastly, the small bat ears retract and become soft pink ears to either side of a face...

Yuri's face....!

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Romar - Looking over the siege force, they are indeed gathered at one point before the castle, not surrounding it. They focus their attention on the main gateway to the impressive human city, obviously picking that as their target to attack.

There is little else to focus on here, instead turning your sights to the approach of your former companions. you do indeed notice the massive crystal shard held in the giant elephants trunk. Its brilliance visible from even here.

After a short exchange, Yuri flies off to make his presence and change known, leaving you trail him.

Damn it Yuri... You race to keep up, his flapping wings leaving you far behind.

[Romar, Move Silently/Hide Checks vs. Listen/Spot Checks] You don't seem to be noticed by many, but a few of the more astute party members and one of the elephants does note your presence with little more than a glance.

They seem to not immediately attack Yuri when he transforms...a good sign, but then again...

Talks have just begun.

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[Fangor the Fierce]

"Yuri! Considering you aren't attacking us, then there is another reason you are here. Speak quickly, where is Romar? What do you know of this seige on Ravenshead? And most notably, which side do you fight alongside?"

She leaves her weapons sheathed, knowing that if they are needed, they would quickly be in hand, before an attack should come....

[Japic]

{I had to re-read our last encounter to remember all that happened, it was definately among the best role playing scenarios that we've run into all game. Should be in the 3rd piece 50's ish.}

The only one actually on teh ground with Yuri, Girud quickly recalls their last encounter. He lets out a brief sigh noting the absence of the paladins; maybe this time they could have a few civil words with Yuri.

As Krysta speaks Girud finds her questions echoing the ones he has for the vampire.

.....wait a second.... the vampire, in broad daylight? He looks to the bright ball of light in the sky and then back to Yuri.

"How can this be? I thought vampires could not exist in sunlight?"

Reacting in surprise Girud's hand goes to the hilt of his greatwsord across his back... he does not draw, but will if the situation worsens.

---

From his spot atop the elephant's back Alton reacts to the new comer by drawing back an arrow and aiming it for the creature's unbeating heart. He knew the undead for what they were {He's a scout against undead}, and this one looked like a vampire alright. Before he looses the shaft he notes the giant's questions, and for the first time ever in the face of undead he hesitates, lessening the tension on his bow.

"What the giant says is true. I have hunted your kindred for many years... how can you be here vampire?"

[GeneralMHB]

Yuri rises slowly after his transformation, still keeping his guard after seeing the giant elephants, and addresses them all as a whole first.

You ask much questions of me, all of them beyond reasonable. You need not fear me. I have come to aid you and Ravenshead in this fight as I have stated previously. I know that the mechanical beasts that guard Ravenshead now are the work of the dwarves, as they have created Sindri here...

With this, Yuri whistles and from out of the bushes, the mechanical horse Sindri steps forward.

Sindri was created as a gift from the Dwarven King five years ago. What has happened in those five years, I know little. All I know is that 'The Master' has taken everything on this continent but Ravenshead and a few other capitol cities. The Deathspew Swamps have expanded, reaching near what was Boon's Freehold if memory serves me correct. I know not what those sea-creatures are, but I can only speculate the worst from them. According to the clerics of the Hidden City, the Dwarven king resides in Ravenshead now, working alongside Strumguard now to survive the onslaught of 'The Master's armies. This is all I know of the seige.

He then turns his attention to Girud, one who showed some diplomacy last time they met.

That... is a matter that will take some time to explain. Romar and I searched for the Hidden City for our own reasons. Mine was to find a way to rid myself of this undead taint. We arrived at the City, passing numerous tests of Faith. What we were greeted with was the City frozen in time. A demon froze the city and searched for his beloved. We found one with the council of the Hidden City still unfrozen in time and found him to be a traitor to 'The Master' who drained the demon's beloved of information of all the planes and presented him with the information in exchange for power. With a struggle, we gave the demon the cause of his beloved's death and were "directed" to a bell to unfreeze time. Afterwards, the clerics were ever thankful for our deeds. I asked them about ridding me of this undead taint anyway possible. They responded by saying my biological state cannot be reversed because it was of my choice to become what I am... a vampire. However, Death is not wholely evil. As crazy as that may sound, it is true. The clerics taught me that the undead walking amongst this land now exist in a negative plane of energy. Sunlight is the bane of all negative energies, thus why vampires cannot stand the light. It is possible for the undead to exist in a positive plane of energy. I undertook a ritual that did just that. I am a class of the walking dead known simply as the "Undying". The Undying exist to fight the evils in this world, whatever they may be. Romar's story to find the Hidden City is much longer of explanation. I will have him explain when he arrives. Romar is around here somewhere. He should be with the clerics of the Hidden City that came with us to travel to Ravenshead to aid in its defenses.

Yuri looks at the figure aiming the bow straight for him.

Romar and I have come from the Hidden City with clerics that are undead hunters like yourself. We all have been separated too long. This is a fight we cannot afford to go at alone. Already the Dwarves come to Ravenshead with an army that can stop anything. Roc riders also aid the city as well. If we are to survive and set things right twenty years before the undead armies rose against us, we must work together. Otherwise, we will surely fail. I ask that we combine our forces and march to Ravenshead together to aid in its defenses, to do that which we promised the King when we first left for Boon's Freehold: Save this land at all costs.

What say you? Will you join us?

He awaits their reply, praying that they respond without hostilities.

[Fangor the Fierce]

Krysta's tension lessens, as she realizes that Yuri is truthful in his words. "It seems there is much more to this seige than meets the eye. We have come with a shard, released from the depths of hell itself. The dwarf king and his contingent of metal soldiers is a welcome sight. As well as the addition of the Roc Riders. There is another group, one older and wiser in their ways, that should also be among the troops. The Knights of the Shining Star. They have sworn that they would make their way to Ravenshead, to ally with Sturmguard and help defeat the Master....."

"Wait... did you say 5 years ago! Is that how long we have been gone?" Krysta turns to the druid, only confirming her suspicions with the eyes of the druid.

"Yuri, there is another matter that you and the others must know about. The shards. There are now more in the Masters grasp. He has six now in the DeathSpew Swamps to the east. Another resides in The Dune Palace, another in the Feathered Isle, two with the Elves on their island, two in Ravenshead, one with us.... and there is one more. It is dead center in that seige force that swarms to Ravenshead! If we are to defeat this seige upon Ravenshead, then we must work together. Come, let us gather our forces and make our way to Ravenshead from the rear."

With that, she turns to Allessia. "We must hurry, if we are to aid in the defense of Ravenshead. Our friends," she says, suddenly halting at her words.

Friends. Not all of them have made it thus far, with some dying. Some lost. Others with no known fate. Yes, to stand here now, among these fellow souls is a welcome feeling. Yes, friends once more....

"Our friends await. A battle is about to begin soon, and it will not wait long for us. Let us show this seige what we are made of."

Adelia simply gathers another beast from her bag. She releases the furry ball, letting it materialize into her hands. The animal transforms into a rat, small and greyish black. She pets it slowly, then turns to Mordrock.

"Don't you like it?" she asks, holding out the animal to the goblin.

Mordrock twitches, not knowing what to think. He instinctively reaches out, touching the rat with dirty hands. "Food?" he asks, as she recoils the animal away from him.

"No, a slight blessing in these times..." she says, with a grin.

She then closes her eyes, peering through the eyes of the rat for a brief second.

Good, the spell is still strong. I am lucky I sent the cat back to let the goblin pet him, before it disappeared back into the bag. What he doesn't know can't hurt him. she thinks, knowing she let the goblin carry the spell inside of him all this time...until the opportune moment.

She quickly dismounts, moving towards the north, peering at the seige army. She then kneels down, while the others are talking with the newcomer. If they need me, I will answer. For now, I have something to do...

She then whispers to the rat, and sends it on its way. KMAN, PM being sent your way.....

Mordrock simply shrugs. Weird girl. Maybe she likes rats?

[Jevva]

Galdren simply listens to the conversation between Yuri, Krysta, and Girud, content to merely find out what has happened to his former companions in their time of separation. He dismounts from the elephant and stands by, patiently waiting for the explanations to finish.

[VemuKhaham]

Romar listens for a few seconds, all he needs to realize his erroneous conclusions in the past. What a fool he was! He above all should know better! Traveling with a vampire does not make him aligned to those of ill purposes, yet traveling in a boat of malicious design makes his former friends devils? You moron, how could you have ever thought as such...

Before revealing himself to all plainly he retreats again further into the bushes only to return to the company that brought Yuri and himself to the siege of Ravenshead with their powerful magics. Having arrived there, he speaks to the unit of clerics in a hopeful manner, in a good mood now that he has found the wit to trust his own allies:

"If no-one objects, we march to Ravenshead from the rear, but not before I will introduce you to the most underrated companions I've ever had. Follow me!"

If they follow me, I'll gladly join in the conversation, but for now, he commands the troops to march unseen by the enemy troops in the forests.

[BluSpecs]

"Lets get inside, we have much to learn"

Garor makes ready to follow the others

[GeneralMHB]

Yuri listens intently to Krysta's tale of the other shards.

I feared as much....

According to the clerics, 'The Master's armies are amassing armies to sail for the isles untouched. The shards will not be safe for long in their sanctuaries. But, I will explain in more detail what we both have learned after this seige is over.

He turns to walk towards Romar, not surprised he has followed him, and turns back to address everyone, looking at the seige before them.

Let us send these foul beasts into the Abyss!