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 #135 sequence (file #925) ---------------------------------------------------------------- Admin Notes: None ---------------------------------------------------------------- [Recap] From Mae: [Re: Actions] Maelorna continues to walk away from the screams of pain. Then she can hear Arawn's proclamation and almost hisses, "A.. GM: Ack. ------------------------------------------------------------ [New Stuff] [Febris 9th, 1635TH] [Time: 5:01 pm] [Just after the hallway collapses...] Arawn was indeed deeply bothered by the passing of the shifters, their sounds of suffering echoing in his mind long after the actual noise had faded to silence. He did not know their history, only what he had heard in his visions, did not know how and if they had changed. In fact he did not know the start of the war, only that representatives of all the known alignments had converged to address the danger presented by the shifters. Well, nearly all, for he had not witnessed the presence of Kototh's court. Were the shifters a threat introduced by Kototh or a force tricked or corrupted by him? Whatever the case they lived as they felt was right and now they suffered for it. Morals and ethics coming into conflict due to alien ways and it, more often than not, ended in conflict. Was there no hope for a better option? Or was this prison a chance for their kind, the Key to their freedom enforced by the forces of Chaos, but to what end? Unfortunately time and danger presented little opportunity for the party to unravel such mysteries, all they could do was to run, to survive. And Survival was the one thing they all had in common right now - mortal, immortal and shifter alike. As the group climbs what seems like endless stairs Unali comes near Fremea to ask about the treasure they took earlier. Unali asks Fremea, "Anything special? Any of these weapons stand out with your sense?" But Fremea shakes her head that nothing from the pile of weapons seem to have stuck out. She wishes her and Arawn would've had more time to inspect things. [Earlier before Challenges start] Kiet shows concern for Raki, especially as his skin begins to peel away from the heat of the lava. But Raki tells him he'll be fine. Arawn cast his eye in Raki's direction as Kiet voiced his concern over the shifter. The physical damage was one thing, Raki's powerful regenerative abilities likely to solve that problem rather quickly, but it was the mental, emotional damage that concerned the alfar. There were still questions to be asked, the history shared within Arawn's mind still something examine for the sake of veracity. But, good or ill, Raki was leaving his people behind to venture forth to live in alien world... unless this was an issue of sacrifice, sacrifice of a different nature. "How are you doing?," Arawn echoed. "I mean, handling all this, your people... the familiar... your sacrifices and what you're leaving behind?" "I only leave those who I associated with." Raki looks down at Kell in his arms and glances at Kiet. "These two have more friendship than I ever had with them. I leave little behind. I hope to make better friends." [Earlier when Fuk confronted Raki about the easy path out.] Two more flights and Fuk speaks up. "This was all too easy. First we just by chance end up from the statue area to here. Then dragged out by only 4 of those Shifters? Why didn't Zin call a army to watch? You'd think he'd want to show his people escape was near. We just happen to survive the fight with just Kell dead. Why didn't a Shifter just flee to get comrades?" Arawn has been considering such things from the beginning but time for a proper investigation has been limited for obvious reasons. With Fuk pushing the questions for Raki to answer Arawn considers the reactions closely and murmurs a few words of prayer for answers in his mother's language. Raki turns to Fuk, "My people are not one to have any form of emotion. You must understand our brains are not set in stone like yours. We can re-shape it at will. It could be large or small. Our memories....our skills are inherent to our cells. Things your kind may not be aware exist. We are as inhuman as one can be. When I first saw Raki tortured and killed was the first time I felt the various emotions. Some believe over time being around others improve such states of mind. As to being sad for the others. Sure. I have...had friends among my people. Do I feel bad for them? At this time no. Emotion is a silly thing to distract one's goals. Maybe later I shall explore those emotions. Do I feel sad they will remain here for a very long time? Not really. They decided I was a very abnormal shifter and set me in that prison in the prison. Sure I could've walked out at any time. But to be shunned and berated is not worth the effort. So I resigned myself to the place I found original-Kiet. Was this all so easy? I think we barely made it out alive. I myself almost came close what twice? Several of you got close to death." He glances at Kell's body in his arms. "And we lost this one. Was that too easy?" Fuk nods and continues to climb. Arawn senses the truth. His empathic powers are so distracted by Raki's being that detecting any emotion from him is like figuring out emotional state of drying paint. Aside from anything gleaned from Raki's answers to Fuk's questions Arawn will also ask as they move, "How did your people come to war with the gods? Why were you cast out to the fringes?" Raki shakes his head and sighs, "it was well before Man became a infestation in the middle world. Well before the ancient Sidh even had any organization. We were free roaming and stayed clear of trouble. That early history was ridden with monsters the likes of would make Man cower in caves. We lived and dealt with them. They were as plentiful as Man is in the Middle World now. Millions and millions. The true event is unknown or clouded in time. But it seems one day we killed the pride of some God's creation. Some beast ugly to everyone else but pretty to this god. Some suspect it was a Chaos or the snake god's thing. The wrath of the gods was swift. They sent thousands of these monsters at our living areas. We died in great numbers until we started to cooperate and unite. Then Zin who was second in command then found a portal to the upper world. Our armies invaded and we fooled even the great gods. We could infiltrate the courts and take intelligence as well as divine lives. It was centuries before the gods united themselves and turned on us. Creating great mythic Heroes and Champions with magic that would make your magic look like a card trick. Then some god...who I have no idea killed the leader and Zin took over. The Gods had a way to send the entire lot of us here. In a blink of a eye at the sacrifice of thousands of these Monsters as energy they sent us here. This is why there are far less monsters in the Middle Plane now." "What are your plans once we escape from here?" Arawn asks Raki stops and considers. "I've been here for so long well before any of your ancestors were born. I just want to be free...like Mae...like Fremea. After that I would like to learn as much of the Middle World as possible. See if I can fit in there or should go elsewhere. There are quiet rumors one or two of us escaped to the place you call the Lower World. But I just don't think it's true. Fuk stops and watches, "so you have no intention of taking on the gods?" Raki laughs, "one of me against them? It would be suicide." Fuk nods, "one last thing. You said all were captured here but you implied earlier of the one out there." Raki nods, "when I touched Arawn's mind. I saw the events before you were sent here. The one that attacked Arawn at the statue reveal had to be him. He only needed his head and then to get close to the Pylon to be transported here and then free the others. Zin says that the gods never found him through some magic. Some say even a god gave him that magic." Z'layha looks shocked. "Gods can be killed?" [During and after Pyan's Challenge] Fuk asks what is going on. "A test, I believe," Arawn answered. His eyes were narrowed as he watched the scene, searching for some means to allow Pyan and the party to bypass the magic if it proved more trap than test. But Arawn and Fremea sense no magic on the walls or area. So how the magic is being done is unclear. The magic devices must be well cloaked. "I think it may be to measure our character. Or to see if we would choose a route separate from what a shifter might take." The first test included the significance of sacrifice of self. Was this the case here as well, of choices for the greater good and the long-term impact of those decisions? It wasn't going to be easy - the village may survive without death, another source of food found. But a murderer let go will kill again. Or could another way be found, choices existing beyond one or the other, beyond what seemed set before the hunter? [Just before Mae's Challenge ends] Maelorna continues to walk away from the screams of pain. Then she can hear Arawn's proclamation and almost hisses, "A gift?" she asks incredulously, "You have done nothing more than remind me that I'm a mistake and a toy for other's amusement," she states through tears falling down her cheeks, she didn't care if it was from anger or sadness. Arawn whispers as Mae steps through the wall, "ahh I could've given you the gift of forgetting the past. But you are stronger if you recall it. No. My gift will help you in the Hunger to come." She steps through the wall and stops as she looks at Fuk, "Lust, Greed, and Desire. The first male who took me, there was no virginity to take, as for my bitch of a mother, she rutted with one of the Princess's strongest Incubi and fulfilled her greed, finally there is Master Gniled, who desired an exotic bedroom toy and companion and acquired me after several months' as the village males found what I was capable of," she offers flatly and wipes at the tears on her face. Fuk nods and realizes Mae must've heard his question even in her challenge. Fremea considers coming toward Mae as they both share a very similar fate being a ex slave. But while her plight was more stealing and mundane tasks, Mae's was pure torture. She wonders if she should even give a hand of sympathy or if Mae would even like that. It was hard not to notice Mae's struggle and Arawn paid attention to her struggle even as he focused on the path ahead. When Fuk leaned in to whisper his concerns Arawn replied in kind. "No, she's fine. Just struggling with something deeply rooted in her nature. We can help her when we can, most likely by not adding extra stress on to her shoulders for the time being. And further answers she may share when our current predicament has passed." [Presently...] The party ascends for what seems like hours. Arawn couldn't help but wonder what the consequences would be to his sacrifice even as he eyed his own image being projected. Diminished or blessed, his face and lineage would now linger for the shifters and any future travelers to witness. Would this come back to haunt him some day, his image and name burnt into the minds of the shifters? Or would some aspect of his own nature come to address and counsel those here, hopefully altering the future for the better, however far forward this might be? Arawn wonders if the group was a Chosen one with Chaos ties? Would the projection forever be tainted to torment the shifters to prolong the Chaos doctrine? Z'layha comments again on entering the fortress, "I hope they will not just slay you guys for being in the fort. It will be a delicate situation." "We'll deal with that when we come to it. First things first - surviving long enough to reach there," Arawn answered. "And we should remember, the Moss Fortress was built on top of this place for a reason, likely the hands of the gods themselves allowing mortals to do so for some great purpose." "But if you have thoughts to share on how to deal with the issues we might encounter in the Moss Fortress, please speak up." Z'layha shrugs, "depends on how and where we end up. At what level. Some are restricted access." She sighs. "But to think we fed these..." She glances to Raki. "No offense." Raki shrugs as if none taken. "For a very long time. ON some whim that we were giving tribute. I guess the gods felt they needed food and drink?" Raki nods, "we can live without such for a long time. But we still need nutrients and such." Actions? Comments?? Next Update....Wednesday... GM: A short catch up update with a post from Mae and emails from Arawn to fill in gaps. So this is a special update release. I think I have Arawn's challenge results in email so will see if its final. If so will post it Wednesday and if so we could move on by Saturday's update. GM: Challenges Player Sent Progress Dorhak * Done Completed Fremea * Done Completed Kiet * Done Completed Unali * Done Completed Pyan * Done Completed Z'leyra * Done Completed Mae * Done Completed Z'layha Next Next update Kell Next Will type up next update Mournath Next Next update Raki Next Next update Arawn Sent Awaiting response