Tide of Shadows

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 9:23 pm

"...Maybe I should try. Making it run won't solve any of this." Moreover, Volemack wanted desperately to prove that he wasn't useless. He felt it, right now.

Academia Nut · Post by **Academia Nut** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 10:58 pm

The ghost from before said mournfully, "I'm sorry about before. I could still hear that thing's voice in my head until you got rid of it. It hurt so much, and I just wanted you away so it wouldn't hurt you too."

It then stepped out of the shadows, now glowing faintly luminescent and translucent. At first glance the ghost was the pathetic image of a little human girl, but upon closer examination she wore the leathers of a seasoned warrior and tracker. She had been a halfling in life.

"I was just going to watch you after you scared me like that, but when you killed that thing my head got clearer. Then when he said a well... could you do me a favour? My body is done there and I seem to have lost my bow and..." The halfling ghost looked like she was about to cry. Obviously she had either been messed up quite badly by the allip or had been a bit addled in life.

LadyTevar · Post by **LadyTevar** » Fri Oct 24, 2008 9:55 am

"Where is the well?" Ceridwen asked gently. "Please show us."

Academia Nut · Post by **Academia Nut** » Fri Oct 24, 2008 10:00 am

Nodding, the little ghost began to drift away, taking them away from the centre of the little community. She said, "I hope you don't mind, but I moved a few of the bodies out of the streets. I... didn't like them just lying there."

Eventually they arrived at a small farm house where there was a mound of dirt, a pile of water worn stones, and a few tools set about a darker patch of the ground, clearly a hole deeper down.

"That thing hit me, hurt me. I ran from it... and I fell down here," the ghost replied mournfully. "I haven't looked down there yet, I can't bear to see... see myself. Please, find my bow. My people gave me my bow, it's my most precious thing."

LadyTevar · Post by **LadyTevar** » Fri Oct 24, 2008 11:29 am

"Volemack, look around for her bow," Ceridwen ordered, as she carefully walked over to the edge of the well, kneeling down to try to get a good look down inside it. "Do one of you have a light?"

Charon · Post by **Charon** » Fri Oct 24, 2008 11:29 am

Eight followed silently, muttering to himself darkly. All the while, Eight watched his surroundings, looking for signs of battle, even miniscule ones. When they reached the well, Eight glanced at it once and looked away. "What was the thing? Was it the same thing that we killed before?"

Academia Nut · Post by **Academia Nut** » Fri Oct 24, 2008 11:34 am

The ghost nodded earnestly and said, "Yes, the thing was the... thing you killed. And I think my bow fell with me... I think I had it with me when I fell... I was so confused at the time. Please help me find it."

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 9:25 am

"Someone's going to have to go down the well, then," Bartel said. "Are any of you planning on doing that, or does someone need to help me get this armor off?"

Charon · Post by **Charon** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 10:36 am

Eight chuckled. "Yeah sure, I'll just slide right down there." The construct walked over to the well and stopped. "Oh wait, I forgot. I'm made of metal and I'm twice the size of this hole."

The construct looked back at Bartel. "That means one of you lucky fleshbags gets to go down. But if it makes you feel any better about your predicament, I'll hold the rope."

rhoenix · Post by **rhoenix** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 2:02 pm

Shrugging without saying anything, Fehl tied the rope around his waist, and walked toward the well. As he set foot on the edge of the well, his left hand began to glow with a soft, magical light that nonetheless had good illumination. "Alright, let's do this."

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 4:36 pm

"...Um." Volemack spoke up. "I can.. Get smaller. Only no one can look." The well was plenty big enough for the little dragon to fit down, in natural form, and worse, he had already been ignored once when trying to help out. He nervously moved from foot to foot.

rhoenix · Post by **rhoenix** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 4:46 pm

Fehl rolled his eyes. "Look kid, I don't care how much of a ball you can roll yourself up into. There's bound to be nasty shit down there, and I'd rather I get bit than you."

With that, he handed the other end of the rope to Eight, and nodded once. "Just like the last time. Only this time, if I tug twice, don't wander off to go get an oil change, okay?"

With that, he took a deep breath, and began to descend into the well, his hand still lighting the way.

Charon · Post by **Charon** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 5:03 pm

Eight took on an appearance of someone who was grinning, although without a mouth it was impossible for the construct to do so. "Right meatbag. Just don't wet your pants when the rats down there latch onto your ass."

LadyTevar · Post by **LadyTevar** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 10:15 pm

"...Um." Volemack spoke up. "I can.. Get smaller. Only no one can look." The well was plenty big enough for the little dragon to fit down, in natural form, and worse, he had already been ignored once when trying to help out. He nervously moved from foot to foot.

"Volemack..," Ceridwen said the name warningly. He was not to appear in his true form, yet....

Fehl rolled his eyes. "Look kid, I don't care how much of a ball you can roll yourself up into. There's bound to be nasty shit down there, and I'd rather I get bit than you."
Eight took on an appearance of someone who was grinning, although without a mouth it was impossible for the construct to do so. "Right meatbag. Just don't wet your pants when the rats down there latch onto your ass."

"If you are worried about someone getting bit, then Volemack is the best choice," Ceridwen admitted. "The draconic blood inside him has given his skin an unusual toughness. It would have to be something extremely nasty to bite into him."

It was the truth, as the same draconic blood had given her inhuman toughness and vitality. How pure Volemack's blood actually was did not have to come into the conversation. Their family resemblance was enough to continue the impression that Volemack was of the human SilverStar family.

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » Sun Oct 26, 2008 10:47 am

"Hold on there, Fehl," Bartel said, picking up a small rock from the ground. "Before anyone's going down there, I want to see the bottom." He spoke the same short incantation he'd used in the temple the night before and the rock suddenly blazed with light. He then summarily threw it down the well.

Academia Nut · Post by **Academia Nut** » Sun Oct 26, 2008 12:28 pm

The stone fell down the well, falling quite a long way down before inexplicable the character of the light changed. Instead of a ring of light reflecting off the sides of the well, there was a sudden change as the stone passed some boundary and the light broadened out before there was a plopping noise and the white was dimmed slightly as the pebble hit the surface of the water down there.

It was fairly clear what had happened. About sixty feet down the hole for the well ended and was replaced by a large open area that took perhaps another fifteen feet before it hit the water level, which was perhaps a foot or two deep.

There was something down there.

LadyTevar · Post by **LadyTevar** » Sun Oct 26, 2008 3:00 pm

"A cave...," Ceridwen said, once the pebble hit bottom. "They'd drilled into a cave."

She didn't like it, but Volemack might well be the best one to send down there now, simply because he could see far better than any of them. "Volemack ... if you wish to go, do it now. I will handle the questions later."

Charon · Post by **Charon** » Sun Oct 26, 2008 3:35 pm

Eight peered down and snorted some. "Two guesses where that stranger came from."

When Ceridwin told her squire to head down into the cave Eight looked at her. "That boy's still flesh, no matter how much dragon he's got in there. You want to send him down there I don't rightly care too much, but now I'm the best candidate for going down."

The construct turned to look at the group. "You all better hold onto that rope though since I'm going down."

rhoenix · Post by **rhoenix** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 3:13 am

This caused Fehl to roll his eyes again. "I think the iron filings you call a brainbox have rusted, Eight. Do you remember what happened the last time you did that, and who we were chasing at the time happened to be a caster? I don't recall you being especially happy for a few weeks after that. And Cerdiwen," he said turning to the paladin with a highly skeptical and somewhat incredulous look, "I really don't know what to say to you. You're completely okay with letting someone you're supposed to be protecting go alone into a well, where the undead likely came from? Are you drunk?"

LadyTevar · Post by **LadyTevar** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 8:20 am

"Volemack. Show them."

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 11:56 am

Volemack stretched out. "I'm her squire, but she's not my bodyguard." was the reply from the young man, as he started to stretch and strain further than the human body allowed. His form was somehow fluid, allowing him to shift form. The silver became more and more pronounced, as he shrank somewhat, shedding pounds into the ether as he turned into.. An incredibly tiny Silver Dragon. Perhaps five feet nose to tip of tale. He shifted around to make sure his equipment was in place.

Academia Nut · Post by **Academia Nut** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 12:27 pm

The ghostly halfling made a small "Eep!" noise and then slipped away to hide behind the pile of dirt from the digging of the well as Volemack transformed into a dragon. "You're scary!" The ghost noted in fear.

Charon · Post by **Charon** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 12:28 pm

Eight watched with seeming placidity. "Well. I vote he can go down first."

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 1:03 pm

"Well," Bartel said, a surprised expression on his face. "That explains a couple of things."

LadyTevar · Post by **LadyTevar** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 1:59 pm

"I'm sure it does," Ceridwen answered, walking over and resting a hand on the small dragon's upraised wing. "Now do you understand why I believe he can do this?"

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Tide of Shadows

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