Character Name Type Player Sex Notes ..Arawn...........Druid...John.Haight........Ma..Alfar/Backup Navigator ..Dorhak..........Warrior.Kevin.Newark.......Ma..Captain/Leader/Dwarf ..Fremea..........Sidh....Tobie.Bonahoom.....Fe..Faerry/Archer/Magician ..Kiet............Acrobat.David.Sanders......Ma..Human/Magician ..Pyandalgor......Hunter..Panthera...........Ma..Human/Hunter ..Raddok..........Miner...Bess.Hadley........Ma..Human/Miner ..Tsia.Phan.......Thief...Don.Ker............Fe..Human/Thief ..Unali...........Ninja...Wout.Broere........Fe..Human/Dagger Maiden ..Upus............Warrior.Gerald.Ford........Ma..Normal/Barbarian Warrior ..Kimis...........Warrior.NPC................Fe..Normal/Diumgi Companion ..Z'leyra.........Healer..Alex Koponen.......Fe..Human/Shaman/1st Mate ..Barbosa.........Warrior.Npc................Ma..Dwarf/Outcast ..Bes (2).........Warrior.npc................Mo..Bes.............. Game Web Site - http:/nrgcomputers.com/pbem/ Public posts/actions to pnpgm@list.powersandperils.org (mailing list) Private emails (not public actions) to pnpgm@comcast.net Game Update #169 sequence (file #1250) ---------------------------------------------------------------- Admin Notes: None. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Recap] From Arawn: [Re: Actions] OOC: Been dealing with things and didn't get a chance to properly check on the game for the last week or two. Sorry about that. Would've cast a divination regarding the right/left but looks like that might not be an issue at this point. And sorry to hear about the other players, from surgery to power outages. Hope that recovery is swift and everyone is/will be well. As the sudden surprise from being slammed into the ground passed … "Thank you," he replied to the voice, his chin dipping briefly … GM: Ack. Wasn't sure if you were also affected by the weather. Glad to see ya back. From Dorhak: [Re: Actions] [Sent in email see below] GM: Ack. From Raddok: [Re: Actions] Coming out of his trance/vision, Raddok is shaken, but … GM: Ack. [ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- [New Stuff] [Ma 10th, 1636TH] [Time: 7:28 pm LW time] As the sudden surprise from being slammed into the ground passed Arawn appeared calm, focused more on studying the situation and whatever force was now at play. That a test would occur seemed likely but that the alfar were not part of the compact was less so, but nevertheless an interesting discovery. It then occurred to him that the compact might trace its roots back to the same war that took place between gods and men, possibly the same one that saw the Shifters and others played a part in as well. Though a bit more versed on that history than those of the Middle World he knew that much was hidden from the younger generations by the elder gods, though for better or worse remained to be discovered. "Thank you," he replied to the voice, his chin dipping briefly in respectful greeting. "My name is Arawn, son of the Morrigan and son of Payan, and I am no spy. It has been said that I carry a spark of the oldest in me, something that separates me from most of my kin. Strength of will and mental prowess are part of this, likely the reason I broke the trance. I am companion to those here, locked away from the Upper Realms for reasons I do not know. Different I am from many of my family, for it is peace and healing, of spirit as well as body, that I seek. And in this I do not cave to any, god or mortal, for there is more to our existence than one can imagine. I have sought to redeem those deemed irredeemable. My desire for peace helped to avert the Vong invasion of this world, hopefully helping to plant the seeds necessary to heal the damage brought to them by the Eldest Serpent. We have arrived here in our quest to save the Bes king and return him to his people. This and more speak of who I am but converse with the others if you wish and they shall tell you so, if they so desire. If you wish to know more beyond what they might share with ask and I shall give you the truth." Dorhak starts waking up with that weird elf shoving down on his chest. Gods, what a dream. But dying gloriously in battle against those disgusting goblins, taking many with him, is a noble death indeed. After he finishes coughing he starts waving his arms, flapping them about as if trying to shoo a fly. "Get away from me, blast it! Go bother someone else!" He looks around at the others seeing them in various states of disability. He’s not sure what's going on, but he drags himself up to see what can be done to help others. Then he hears the Voice. Great, he mumbles under his breath, another Voice. Dorhak prefers the quiet of the caves after mining is done for the day. The Voice clearly says that it can kill him? Dorhak thinks on this. It seems he has almost been trying to kill himself over the course of this journey. Maybe he should just let nature take its course? No! He's part of the Crew, and it’s the Captain's duty to protect his crew from others. He speaks out. "Auch! While the Alfar is weird and annoying, Perhaps a might bit mad, even. I have to vouch for him. He's of no particular danger to any but himself. He's placed himself under a Dwarf Captain for purposes of removing that which was taken from me, and almost taken from me. I have never known him to work at cross purposes to any other person, elf, faerry, dwarf or Bes. Not even the Humans. While he keeps secrets, he isn’t a spy." "if you're gonna kill him, you'll have to kill me first!" At this, he shakes his shield in defiance, as if daring the Voice to try it. Arawn feels the force holding him down lessen up ever so slightly. He suspects he cold break free but senses he should not. Coming out of his trance/vision, Raddok is shaken, but quickly reassured – the scene, now that he was awake, now seemed like a dream – a bad one – but a bit unreal, l, now that he was alert again. When Arawn is suddenly knocked to the ground & apparently pinned to it, Raddok jumps a step or two forward, crying out, “Wait, wait! He is no spy – none of us are spies! We are just here to rescue the Bes's king, & just trying now to get back to our homes.” He then falls silent, standing still, with weapons ready, as he sees Arawn has begun a dialogue with the unseen force, without appearing to be in physical distress. As Arawn continues to speak, the elf's well-modulated tones enable Raddok to feel he can relax his stance slightly & he looks about the area, trying to spot anything (else) odd, & checking out how the party members seem to be doing, and if anyone is moving. Fremea shakes her head and wonders if she should endanger Kaylle in the future? Should she be swayed by a dream? She looks around for some sense of purpose to figure out this area. The mana sources are faint almost dampened down or blocked. She notices a large source around the floor and walls and figures it must be severely purified ground. Which may explain the power of the magic around them. But again it seems to be shielded or blocked. A wise thing to do in some ways. But she can't seem to find a single source for these visions. THE Bes king yells out in his native language not to be understood but can seem to be implied, “I vouch for the Alfar! The Sister cave draws attention to the elves as the lynch pin of the alliance.” He ponders a few and tries to word thing cautiously. 'The War has been a brutal thing to every race. I do not see mistrust in his heart.” The Bes Guard murmurs his words in Dwarf Elder. The King nods and raises a finger to show that it is best not to say more. If the voice is aware of the War is well over could it backfire and self destruct this place or worse? The force releases Arawn after a pause. Arawn stands and nods to Dorhak and the King in thanks. “May we continue?” The King asks out loud. But the voice does not reply. [Time: 7:34 pm LW time] Dorhak waits a couple minutes and shrugs. He orders the party forward down the cave. The passage goes down another 30 feet then turns right. For another 20 or so feet. Then there are 2 ways left and right. To the left air can be felt and to the right is darkness. The Bes Kind suggests, “left. I suspect that passage to right is the so called correct passage. Or maybe it had the same tests magic as we saw. But it makes sense to have both end up in same area here.” Going left it gets smaller about 5 feet wide so single file for about 50 feet. At the end it opens to a large dark cavern. Just as Dorhak steps over the threshold torches on the walls light up auto-magically. Soon six torches brighten the room and shadows draw back. The cave itself is about 80 by 50 with a ceiling of 8-10. All along the walls are wall paintings and pictographs and runes. They seem to depict scenes of war against powerful begins or of peace with Bes dancing and singing. As well as places not quite sure where they are forests and mountains of various areas. Directly forward about 30 feet is a raised circle about 10 x 10 feet in a circle that is raided up about 2 feet with 2 stone steps. In front of that is a raised structure very similar to the one in the Vahear cave. It is 2 feet up and is about 15 feet diameter circle. But about 10 feet behind the front raised pedestal. On this second area is a raised stone column about 3 feet that holds a stone square shaped altar or lectern style platform. This square is about 2 by 2 feet. The dust in this cave seems oddly missing. While it is there it is almost impossible to detect. To the right about 40 feet is a small table abut 2 by 4 feet with what seems to be a book on it. To the left about 40 feet is also another stone table like the right but has nothing that can be seen on it. “Stand by.” The Voice speaks out. As the party enters the cavern. The front center altar area in the center seems to start to glow. “Detecting 5 Humans, 2 Dwarves, 1 Faerry, 1 elf, 2 Bes and ...” It pauses “please identify the other 2.” The Bes King says, “Diumagi.” “Stand by.” A pause. The party realizes this voice has to be pre recorded. The numbers given were not smooth as if inserted into the response. “ “Confirmed. Stand by. Assessing complex operations.” A pause of a full minute. “World Entry cave damaged. Threshold and portal entry avalanche. Portal blocked. Unusable. Contact repair teams. Detecting 5 Bes in area as well as 3 Elves.” The King interrupts, “Can you determine location?” “Stand by.” Soon a image floats to the left of the center raised areas. It seems to be a possible illusion or something else? It shows a overhead view with small red blobs. It seems all but 1 is in the south forest where the party found-the silo. “Are they alive?” The King asks. “Yes.” The King nods. To the right of the front center platform a illusion of a Elf forms. Well aged and in a cloak. “Sister cave defenses down. Will enact threshold defenses exclusive to coalition members. Stand by.” Moments pass. “This cave defenses are active but damaged. Threshold and entrance wards damaged. Passage wards active. Turning back up passage wards on. Desecration of outer cave by giants detected. Going into stand by mode.” The Illusion disappars. Clearly it seems the intelligence is more recorded or pre determined rather than a live intelligence. On the far right table Tsia leans over and inspects the book. She comments that the book is blank and useless. Barbosa joins Tsia and looks at it. “No its not. I see stuff not that I can read it.” Arawn steps up onto the center platform. Unali joins him in case she needs to kill him as a spy she snickers. Arawn glances down at the glowing platform that is full of glowing colorful crystals. There must be 32 of various colors. At the top row which is slightly separated from the crystals below there are five crystals. The first seems to be a broken crystal with a clear triangle shape that has a slight inset. The next 2 are blue raised crystals about a half inch that are of no particular shape like the other crystals on the structure. The 4th is a green one and 5th a red one. On the left side a column is also slightly separate from the ones in the square section. There are 6 crystals from top to bottom – Blue, Blue, Blue, Green, Yellow, Red. In the center square section the other 20 odd crystals 5 are not lit up but others are. All at random colors. Unali seems to recognize this layout. It reminds her of the flying island near the dark lands and possibly built by the extinct Lymarians. King ask out loud, “can we help bring the other Bes here safely?” The Elf image returns, “Stand by. Nearby Bes only?” King wonders if there are more Bes here in the lower world and that is probably possible. “Nearby yes.” A long pause. Arawn and Unali notice 3 crystals blink or change colors on the keyboard like area. “We can send a homing signal. Like so.” The two Bes hear a buzz in their ears. “They may not understand the purpose. How far can you communicate with your voice or image?” “Only 16 miles.” The King raises an eyebrow such ancient magic, “can you convey the message to come here to them?” “Yes.” “Please do so.” “Stand by. Processing.” The Elf image disappears. 2 of the crystals on the keyboard glow red and blink slightly. The King asks, “Is this a Portal area?” No answer. The King asks, “how do we leave here or use this area?” No answer. GM: Actions? Comments? Next update....Wednesday GM: Had hoped to finish last Wednesday but ran out of time with 90% done. Started late sadly. But this is a good place to stop. Will try for next Wednesday if possible. Player Damage Kimis -6 Upus -11 Generic Cave layout - %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% % O % % 1 2 % % % % [-] (*) [-]% % % % % %%%%%%%% %%%%%% 1 – Where illusion/map showed 2 – Where Elf image showed O – Raised small area % - Rock wall [-] - Table left (empty) right w/book. (*) -Glowing keyboard platform area ' '= Entrance [------------] * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Generic layout of keyboard * * * * * - Crystal * * * * [------------]