5 - 026: The End?

[K Man]

Romar -

As you begin discussions with this animal that seems very short on time, the Duke sneers.

"Now you're talking to animals? No wonder you've become an outcast..."

Ignoring him and focusing on the animal's response, it squawks a response or two as it continues to circle.

"In hurry, must leave. Need to gather food for young to survive trip. Need to leave because humans and elves destroying lands. Beams of light from the sky destroying everything. Not long before power consumes and those that were good become evil..."

The bird tilts, turning into a tight hovering circle. Even from this distance, you can tell this animal is panicked...in a hurry to fulfill its goals. It wants food and probably will not remain for very much longer to discuss the current state of affairs.

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All Others -

{Vein-Riding is certainly an option}

Leaving this crumbling and blasted fortress behind, you use the magicks of Vein-Riding to tear throuh the Earth and appear just inside the walls of the great last bastion, Ravenshead.

While the state of affairs for its citizens has improved, the level of chaos is out of control.

The streets are packed with people gathered tightly about each other, holding each other for comfort. They all face the same direction, to the fortress you just left...to the amber blasts of light that come from the sky. Just as the horizon lights up again and the blast drops from the heavens, the city collectively gasps. You can hear voices from the crowd.

"What IS that??"

"By Pelor's might...what is happening?"

"Will it stop before coming here?"

The crowd is getting restless. Even Sturmguard's troops seem a bit shaken as they try to retain control of the crowds.

You are spotted by the great King and he strides over surrounded by the usual cadre of advisors. His gleaming amulet shines brilliantly, flanked by a crimson cloak which falls from a distressed face.



"You have returned! By all that is holy, what is this deviltry?"

[VemuKhaham]

'I've been speaking to one for the past few days!' Romar scorns at Gramble's words, but he does not speak out loud his curses.

Instead, still focused on the great beast, he answers, also a bit worried now: "Calm down. I know both the elves and men. They are not wholly evil, or at any rate, they may be the only hope there is. Yet the one does not know the other is the key to victory and vice versa."

He thinks for a moment, as if some new conclusion is made. He then thinks out loud: "Maybe the elves finally have been able to forcefully take that key. If that is the case, these beams of light are no evil but indeed the end of the Master's reign and the salvation of this world."

Remembering the haste of the bird, he again speaks more plain: "In that case, you need not fear, but until more certainty can be given, I would say that for you the North is at this moment the safest place to go. There you may find the Hidden City, who welcome all creatures seeking safety. But it is a long trek, and on the way you may find other creatures seeking safety. Tell them also that in the Hidden City they may find it, for I was sent to spread that news. I am going there myself soon.

Before we part, is there anything else I should know?"

[Japic]

When the King approaches Girud drops into a kneeling salute and when none of his companions speak up Girud answers to the best of his ability.

"Your guess is as good as ours Sire. Whatever that light is it melted the fortress all around us and we barely escaped without being burnt up with it. Though we don't know the source of the light, it has helped in our cause. The Shards, which we had previously failed to locate, were revealed when the walls around them melted away. Were it not for the next blast we would have retrieved them already."

"It would seem that we have unidentified ally Sire. Praise be to the lightgivers who destroyed the fortress and the stone golem which moved it so effortlessly."

[Fangor the Fierce]

Turning towards the horizon from where the lights are coming, Krysta can only disbelief in her thoughts. The shards housed here were stolen recently, by none other than Romar. Suddenly, from the direction of the cursed elves, this newfound light is striking at the Master's Fortress, destroying it. The pieces fit together almost hauntingly.

"It might be the treacherous elves that you are praising, Girud. With the theft of the shards here, and my knowledge that they sought out the shards to use a weapon that would strike at the Master from great distance, I can only guess that those shards are now being used to power that weapon. Let us hope it is enough..."

[Jevva]

"Well, if that is the case, perhaps we were wrong in not helping the elves. After all, they succeeded in creating a weapon powerful enough of destroying the Master's fortress. Perhaps if we had helped them, they might have destroyed the Master earlier, and fewer lives would have been lost."

[Fangor the Fierce]

"But they slew a whoel town. If not by their hand, then by their actions. They could have aided us, but chose to let the Master's army wipe out hundreds. We tried to help them, until they turned on us."