s` Player DS Character Name Type Status/Notes Sex -- ----------------------------------------------------------------- FH.John Haight.......HY..Arawn.............Druid .Normal/Al.. Ma ...Kevin Newark..........Dorhak............Warrior.Normal/Dwarf....Ma --.Tobie Bonahoom....YY..Fremea............Sidh....Normal/Faerry.. Fe W3.Mark Murtha.......HN..Kell..............Trader..Normal/Human....Ma W2.David Sanders.....HN..Kiet.Sunan........Acrobat Normal/Human ..Ma R4.Wout Broere.......YY..Unali.............Ninja...Normal/Human ..Fe ...Don.Kerr..............Maelorna..........Dancer..Normal/Human....Fe ...Gilbert.Isla..........Mournath..........Sailor..Normal/Human....Ma R3 Panthera..............Pyandalgor........Hunter..Normal/Human....Ma R4.Alex Koponen......YY..Z'leyra...........Healer..Normal/Human ..Fe Fake-Kell/Raki........Npc...............Normal..Normal/Shaper...?? Z'layha ..............Npc...............Normal..Normal/Shaman...Fe Animals: Corona [Eagle] Z'leyra 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 #140 sequence (file #955) ---------------------------------------------------------------- Admin Notes: None ---------------------------------------------------------------- [Recap] From Mae: [Re: Actions] Maelorna pauses for a moment, before looking at Kiet and laughs playfully, "Secrets? Hmm, let's see, well,... GM: Ack. So I guess that means you don't want to help with dispels. As to Immune to Law? I missed that. From Kiet: [Re: Actions] Kiet makes an offer. "I'd be willing to try against... OOC...BTW...Kiet's comment about Mae was just a game comment. She does, in essence, turn into a demon...by definition the damned. It wasn't meant to be mean or anything. It was meant to be a bit ironic. As in...poor Mae...poor thing. GM: Ack. I understood the comment. It is Kiet's alignment that drives it as well. Once you explained that to me I understood much more of who Kiet was. From Dorhak: [Re: Actions] At this point, the young but brave dwarf feels he has ... GM: Ack. From Arawn: [Re: actions] OOC: Thanks for clarifying Kiet's tone as I wasn't sure. Bt no worries, as I know it's the character and not the player: ) I was just trying to have Arawn make sure it wouldn't be taken poorly by Mae. But all seems good and well:) Arawn is fine with Kiet taking on the Law Wards and adding Mae to attempts to Dispel Chaos if she's up for it. As to a vote, I'm indifferent but will back the other voters and go with Option 3. GM: Ack. From Pyan: [Re: Actions] Pyan looks at the group in the awkward pause while ... up, "I could shot the wards with arrows.... If that ... GM: Ack. I love that post. Good stuff. It is what we call filler but its better than nothing. Thanks! ------------------------------------------------------------ [New Stuff] [Febris 9th, 1635TH] [Time: 5:01 pm] Mae listens to Kiet's comments on herself. Maelorna pauses for a moment, before looking at Kiet and laughs playfully, "Secrets? Hmm, let's see, well, aren't you just full of delights. Damned, I am and honestly, considering how most of you humans view me after I have helped you, I would still take damned over blessed. At least I know what chaos wants, those who follow Law just want control, at the cost of any freedom others might desire. So yes, I am damned, but hold on," as she pauses long enough to will her body to return to her less than demonic form. Other than the loss of wings, tail, and horns, she hasn't truly changed too much. The remains of her gown do nothing to hide her modesty and she ignores it, while adjusting the belt, the sheath holding the dagger plays about her creme coloured flesh. She looks at Arawn and smiles, "I am capable of dispeling Chaos, as for secrets, spells of Law can't harm me, which may be part of the design of the Princess, or due to my father's strength," as she looks about, "I will see what wards I am able to dispel, but I apologize now, my strengths are more in summoning creatures and binding than warding. If you need, I can attempt to summon a creature to assist?" Kiet makes an offer. "I'd be willing to try against all of the Law wards. Besides having the counter spell, I would also find it personally satisfying." Z'layha inches toward her sister and whispers. "You let the demon join you? She doesn't seem....fully evil but doesn't that conflict with things? I think our Lodge Mothers would have been...upset. But with these others..." She waves at the dwarf and Fae. "You seem more elastic in your mindset." At this point, the young but brave dwarf feels he has little to offer. As a matter of fact, he doesn't really understand what they are talking about other than these wards are similar to the traps and glyphs set up in the warrens. It seems mildly heretical talking about disarming them. Besides, what happens after? Those wards are there to keep those shifters in their prison. Are we making their escape easier this way? Heavy thoughts for one so inexperienced in the ways of the gods and these people. But Dorhak will carry on as bravely as he can, helping with any physical threats that may get in our way of returning to our world. Pyan looks at the group in the awkward pause while we wait for people to volunteer their abilities to dispel the wards. He speaks up, "I could shoot the wards with arrows.... If that would be of any help." Z'layha grins at the hunter.. "For awhile I thought you couldn't speak. We appreciate your presence here." ------------ The party climbs more and more flights of stairs. Does this place ever end? They must've climbed 50-60 stories already. Suddenly the Arawn-projection appears at the top of one landing. "There are only a few more wards before you can leave this place. As you climbed the other magics divinely in place have scanned your powers and abilities. Normally the wards below could be stopped for a short while. These wards once ended are gone. However," he raises a bony finger, "using the Cryx can re-activate it. Simply touch it to the ward in place and ...leave the area quickly. Normally the penalty would be severe as below. However, due to the amount that will be coming the failures will vary. Based on the magics it will deem said penalty. If you fail you will have to deal with it before trying again. This gauntlet is meant to dissuade any such attempts from a simple escape. Good luck to you. The diamond crystal wards that deal punishment can not be stopped. In fact if you did it would kill you. The magic from those magics is far greater than all of you combined. But the wards were installed by lessor beings and thus you will have a fighting chance. You may not see me again." Then it disappears from sight. The party climbs again. Fremea in the lead with Arawn. Fremea detects magic ahead and does a quick scan. She reports on the strength of the wards. Arawn can read the runes along the far wall quiet easily and can tell which alignment it is as well. It is almost too easy to read the information for him. But both Sidh point to the glowing ward which is a large crystal set in the wall. As the person who takes the ward out they climb the stairs to the next flat landing. There against the wall is the runes and ward. Behind that person on other side of the dividing wall are the stairs to the next level. At the top of these stairs on the ceiling are the diamond crystals. Eager to deal punishment to the person who dispels the ward. Some suspect they could just try and quickly dodge back down the down-stairs. But that might not work with this powerful magic. [Balance] Z'layha steps up to handle the first set of Balance related wards. She dons the Luck Ring loaned by her sister to help. But she doesn't take the staff. Just something about it doesn't make her at ease with such things. She taps into the battery in the ring with permission from her sister to use the dispel magic. Z'layha ends 6 wards but fails on 2. For one failure she is zapped by a blast of energy doing 4 points of damage. For the second she gains a intense migraine that makes her immobile for 20 minutes. Arawn takes the next 7 Balance wards. Arawn uses the Cryx to help boost his chances. Arawn ends six wards and fails on two of them. On one failure he is driven blind for a short time, but doesn't need to see to cast magic. It soon ends a few wards later. For his second failure he becomes deaf but uses Sign Language to speak to others before it soon also seems to fade. On the two personal failures he recasts and both end. Arawn helps Z'layha by taking two of his failures and tries to recast. Both of those wards end. [Chaos] Z'leyra uses her staff and ring to help with the Chaos wards. In the process of using her staff her battery is soon fully drained with this batch of spells and other uses. She ends 14 and fails 5 times. Twice from those failures she is zapped by a green and yellow bolt of energy doing 3 points of damage each. In one failure things not held or secured go flying in every direction. Every piece of gear or loose non magical item scatters as if in a wind. Due to the limited space in the stairs this affects the entire party. This requires the party to clean and ensure things are back in place. In one failure Z'leyra believe she is on fire for over 12 minutes. Nothing that Arawn or others seem to say seem to sway her otherwise. She continues to bat to invisible flames but in reality there are no flames or any damage. In one failure Z'leyra glimpses a Hellish Dimension from the Eternal Hells for 11 minutes and because of these scary things and sights she becomes Terrorized for that time forcing the party to deal with a magically terrified Shaman for that time. For the five failed attempts Arawn tries to help out himself. Of the five Arawn ends 3 and fails twice. For his two failures he is zapped by a bolt of electricity doing 6 and a beam of red energy doing 3 points of damage. Z'leyra takes the two failures to recast them for the Alfar. Both are dispeled easily. [Kotothi] A sick feeling of dread comes over Fremea as she sense the one lone Kotothi ward. She climbs back to the previous level to get away from it. The dwarf also seems to loath the site of the runes but doesn't understand them. Just that blanket of dread is felt by the Sidh. Arawn steps up to the rune and ensures his gloves are on before he gets to trace the runes with his fingers. He wonders how a Kototh force or even the snake monster himself could've been in this coalition of the gods. But maybe it was just one of his minions. In fact Arawn reads the ward and finds it very weak. So it wasn't the Snake God himself. It had to be a low minion. But even so he turns and studies the walls and diamond crystals to ensure no possible traps. It would not be out of place for them to set a trap for a Sidh . After what seems like half a hour but is only minutes the Alfar casts the spell and is very happy to end it. To give some measure of comfort he destroys the ward crystal as best he can. Nothing that foul should be here since there are many good wards that can be re-activated. [Elder] Fremea discovers the first set of Elder wards. This confuses the party as Elder is a larger class with others like Sidh and such below it. Yet these runes and pictograms depict it as pure Elder. Arawn studies this as it must be some basic rare form of the core alignment magic. Maybe before the magic sub systems divided up? Kiet steps up to handle a assorted set of them. Fremea detects two are fairly decent strength but the others are low. Kiet takes the luck ring and staff to help him cast with and through. HE also speaks in a Elder tongue to help out. All seven of his wards he has to deal with are dispelled easily. Arawn tries to take on 5 wards for Elder. But he can only end 3 before he realizes he is tapped out mana wise. Z'leyra tries the next 7 but finds at the end of 5 she is also tapped out. But she is able to end 5 of them. Kiet steps up to take the last 2 since the others are without magical strength. He ends the last two easily using the aids. [Law] When the first 2 Law Wards are found Kiet steps up since Z'leyra and Arawn are tapped out. Unali gives Kiet a wand that can allow 2 dispels of Law. The wand does end 2 of them right away before it loses its charge for the day. Leaving 15 more wards for Kiet. Using Luck ring and staff he gets to work. Of the 15 he attempts only 1 fails and two of those he did so well that he seems invigorated by new energy. For the one failed one Kiet is shocked to read on the ward itself his full name. This makes him a bit uneasy but he retries to end it. On his second attempt he ends that ward. [Neutral] At this point the party is forced to rest as the casters are tapped out. But time here is not known do they rest for 5 minutes or 5 hours? The party sits and eats the last of their water and any spare food they came with. Which is not much as the party was not planning on leaving the Kameran village. Rations are split and divided as best can be done except for Raki who doesn't eat it seems. Some pace the stairs and cramped landings like Dorhak, Mae, Raki and Z'layha eager to leave. When asked Raki doesn't understand time here as well. It could be minutes or seconds of middle world time or days. But based on growth of beards, hunger and needing to expel wastes it seems like maybe a few days have passed? Arawn steps up to handle the 9 Neutral based wards. He notices these wards a bit more powerful with almost Z'leyra strength work done here. He is able to end all 9 wards with some ease. As he passes each ward he almost wonders if his mother or father or any of his Court friends touched the very wall here. [Shamanic] The party is interested in the Shamanic Wards. Most Shamsn do not use wards at all. They will use totems or such if anything but maybe this was a different time? Z'layha steps up to handle 3 of the wards. She ends all 3 with no issues. Arawn steps up to end the last 2. He does so without any problems at all. [Sidh] The 5 wards for Sidh are handled by Arawn. Of the 5 he fails with one. For that one he falls asleep for 12 hours. No matter how much the party try to wake him up it is futile. The party has to remain here for what seems like 3 weeks but is only 12 hours. By now folks are hungry, exhausted and tired. Finally he wakes and he recasts the spell again. This time he ends the spell entirely. As the party climb the next stairs they notice a diamond crystal on the ceiling. Cautiously they approach but see no wards. Fremea and Arawn begin to try to read the area where the crystal suddenly flares red and orange. Then something hovers right above and directly center of the party that is a round object. The sidh sense great magic and before they can react it explodes. But nothing happens. No. Raki collapses. Now the slightly smelling Kell is dropped to the stairs and Raki tumbles backwards. He hits Dorhak and the dwarf also tumbles down the stairs. Then they end at the landing wall below. Then the Arawn-projection appears. "Very well indeed. With only 3 of you wounded it seems you may escape after all. That is until this one final test. But the gods could not risk one of them getting this far. They could also not risk any great magic users getting this far with such a being. It would not have triggered without him. But now that mana bomb drained the magic from you." "Correction it drained it from Z'leyra and Arawn the most powerful ones. It did not have enough force to drain the others. Raki can be saved. But you now have a choice." "The next ward is the last. It was set by Payan and Labbiel personally. One on left and one on right. If you end both the door you see will unlock. You may then return to the Fortress. However, the diamond crystal above nearby will only allow one attempt. If one fails then it will be bad. The Cryx I hold is also drained. it will only allow one more charge. You may either save Raki or use it on the ward. It will require simultaneous casting from two of you to end it. If it works it will be ended for good. However you will have a short window to escape or it will be over and locked again. Those on this side will be dealt with. As Z'layha listens she studies the wall behind the projection. It is some ancient form of writing. "..but it says to be there and not there...how can we move on if we can't figure that out?" Z'layha is heard saying. "Arawn and Z'leyra are tapped out of energy. How can we climb without being killed by those diamond crystals? To be there and not there unseen and seen? What kind of riddle is that?" Z'layha says. Fremea then notices this is the same words she heard from her own test below. If only they had figured that out before this might've been prevented? Arawn nods, "another safeguard. She is only seeing what only native kamerans can see." Z'leyra squints but sees nothing. As if reading her thoughts, "You left and maybe that magic has worn off?" Kiet realizes that Labbiel is a law god that means he must be one to help with that ward. But if Arawn is drained how can he help to get rid of his own dad's ward? "Good luck. The time starts now..." Then he fades. From above the next landing flashes are seen of green. Is that a visual countdown? Before Arawn could speak to himself the projection ends before he could ask questions. He stands from kneeling at Raki's side. Raki is not moving or breathing. But this may not indicate death as it is hard to tell with their bodies. Arawn stares at the Cryx and it is maybe 80% dimmer than it was before. Actions? Comments? Next Update....Saturday.. GM: A new complex end? :) I actually had 3 alternate endings. But based on Fremea's test I had to somehow add that part here which was not planned. It was prophecy that no one dealt with. So the mana bomb drained Arawn and Z'leyra of mana. But the others are fine. Cryx has 1 charge left. Raki is hurt/dead. The final 2 wards are 1 set of stairs above the party so will have to climb and deal with it. But there is a time limit. Yep pressure time. The below data on spells will be handled for experience later. There IS a valid set of solutions here. In fact it has been done before during time of fire. So what do you guys say? :) I had planned on more penalties including some fights for Dorhak/Pyan for experience but it didn't work out. Sorry guys. I try to do stuff for everyone. Personally I had a better ending. But due to time I rushed this. So sorry for the incoherent ending. GM: Damage: Z'leyra -4 Z'layha -6 Arawn -9 GM: Wards ended Aligement Succ Fail Z'layha Balance 6 2 Arawn Balance 9 2 Z'leyra Chaos 16 5 Arawn Chaos 3 2 Arawn Kotothi 1 Kiet Elder 7 Arawn Elder 3 Z'leyra Elder 5 Kiet Law 16 1 Arawn Neutral 9 Arawn Shamanic 2 Arawn Sidh 5 1