Action, Adventure, Excitement, Part 2 Chapter 3 - Scoundrels (NOTE: all posts either to or cc ) From: gamer@mail.hvs.com Date: Wed, 5 Feb 1997 17:02:00 -0500 Subject: Greetings As the assembed watch the Spider fly across the sky, only a low growl from Greywolf's wolves greet him as the air seems to spread apart like a curtain and a tall thin man in a kilt with a large wolf at his heel steps out. Greywolf turns to see what has her wolves upset adn is about to say something when she is beaten to it by Titania. "YOU?! Have we not enough troubles without your mischief here immortal? Or have you come to kidnap more of our people? I care not. Leave!" The man gives Oberon and Titania a deep bow with a flourish of his large floppy hat, now in his hand. "I beg your pardons, but know not of what you speak. I heard there was trouble and have come to give my services to your cause." Oberon slowly turns scarlet with rage, "Do you seek to mock us here thief? Immortal you may be, but not all powerful. Remove yourself NOW before I loose my magic on you and banish you to the furthest of dimentions from here." The figure does not respond. Nor does he move. Nor blink, Nor breathe... "If I may inturrupt you my lord and King." Comes a small soft voice from near the man's feet. Where the wolf once stood, now stands a very short hairy man, "Yes, it is I, Roscoe, and I believe you have some confusion about Driscoll that I would like to clear up if I may." Oberon's face begins to return to its normal color and a look of curiosity replaces the anger, "Speak young one." Roscoe gives a deep bow before he begins, "First off, as you can well see right now, no one was kidnapped, at least not by Driscoll. True, I was captured in wolf form while exploring the human realms, but it was Driscoll who slew my captor, and protected me when I found my magic was still gone. Many decades have gone since that magic returned, but I stayed with Driss because I desired to. Not because he trapped me." Roscoe begins to slowly pace around Driscoll, gazing up at him as an artist may look at his newest creation. "Driscoll is an interesting man to be around. Yes, he has his rougish side, but who does not? He is a man of great love, and of great pain. A man who is utterly alone, even when in a crowd of thousands. He has lived in squalor, and has weilded the power of a God, only to give it up of his own free will. A man who is no longer just Human, but is not anything else either." His pacing ended, Roscoe jumps up and grabs onto the satchel hanging from Driscoll's shoulder. Reaching inside he produces a small flask and drinks heavily and tosses the bottle back into the bag before continuing. "Driscoll holds few things dear to his heart. This world is one of them, and two of the people here are another. When I heard of the Spider, it took no convincing to get Driscoll to come and lend his aid. He is quick and smart, and conversant about both technology and magic. The only thing that matches his bravery is his skill with his rapier. I can not belive you do not need his help." Roscoe slowly begins to shift back into his wolf form before everyone's eyes. Then in each of their heads they hear {If I alone did not convince you of his desire to help, Think of this world. Can you risk it for petty grudges?} The silence is suddenly broken and the tension is broken like a hammer hitting glass as Driscoll lets out a yell. "FINE! I come to try to help and THIS is all I get for my trouble? Let this world be destroyed then! See if I even..." He is inturrupted by Oberon's raised hand. "We appologize the...Driscoll. We welcome your aid, but we have asked that each of these before you vouch for the other, and we must ask the same from you. If they will do it, we will welcome your aid." Driscoll stands confused for a moment, then gives another bow and turns to the rest of the group, "You do not know me, but I ask only for a chance to prove myself. Is that really too much to ask?" =========================== Date: Wed, 5 Feb 1997 18:36:05 -0800 (PST) From: Paul Campbell Subject: Re: AAE -- The Sequel (War In Arcadia) On Tue, 4 Feb 1997, L.J. Wolfe wrote: > Before anyone has time to do much more than gape, however, they all > become aware of a frighteningly familiar sound. A black shape flies > over, looking like a cross between a spider and your worst > nightmare, emitting a "scream" that makes even the mighty Oberon > wince.... > > Morgan /|\ > the rest of us something to do ;-). I have no idea where I'm going > with this, so someone pick up the story line and run with it :-).> OOC : If you'll insist, I'll run with it :) Meanwhile, Xzerrion has been out scouting for a surprisingly long time. Having found the tracks of our anonomous spider-legged attacker from some time past, he followed them to the creature's lair, and thus missed Roland's (astonishing) conversion into some kind of modern day Peter Pan. He arrives in time to observe an interesting scene. In the dark corners of the cave, a spidery being sits, talking to the Dark Sidhe who survived the last battle, and now seem to be serving it. `What news do you bring me?' It asks one of the Dark Sidhe who had entered the room. `Milord Shadow, it seems our earlier attackers have returned. I sent one of your lesser creations to deal with them, but we have not heard from it since.' `Fool!' The Shadow slaps the Dark Sidhe halfway across the cave. `I felt it die. These are far too powerful a foe to deal with in such a straightforward manner. Here is what we must do. I will personally take my ship to the fey court, and draw their attention. No doubt my arrival will cause some distraction and confusion, but I trust that with the magic I have learned and my people's technological advances, I can withstand their concerted attack for some time. This is when your people should make your strike, sending your best and stealthiest warriors to attack in the manner you are best suited : from ambush and from behind. If we kill off some of these persistant intruders, we will be free to continue our plans.' Xzerrion listens to this carefully, then tries the telepathic link to his companions, only to find it, to his surprise and horror, blocked. The Shadow looks up sharply. `Someone is here! Search outside, and throughout the cave system. I want him found!' `Oh, damn,' Xzerrion mutters. Focusing through his amulet, he draws power to turn himself invisible, though this seems much more difficult than the simple trick it had been in the past. The shadow has generated some kind of anti-magic field, even though it is not a perfect one. Moving quickly, Xzerrion slips inside the cave, past the Dark Sidhe searchers, and finds the field is intensifying. `Need somewhere to hide, but where ...' He stops in front of a spidery shaped craft, and without time to consider it further, sneaks inside. Right after hiding, he heres the door open again behind him. `We don't have time to search much longer. I'm taking my ship out. Send your warriors a few minutes behind me. Our intruder has no way to get word out in time, anyway.' The shadow may be right, since the field is being generated from within the ship itself. Reaching through his amulet and the link of Silence's hair, Xzerrion tries once again, to one who *might* be able to hear, despite the blocking field. *Crow? Can you hear me? There's a bit of a problem ...* As he waits for an answer, the engines of the shadow ship rumble, as it prepares to take off ... =========================== Subject: Re: AAE -- The Sequel (War In Arcadia) Date: Wed, 5 Feb 97 23:00:29 -0000 From: Roland X >The assembled Callahanians and fae look at each other in varying >stages of shock, amazement and bewilderment. Roland chuckles, amused. >Before anyone has time to do much more than gape, however, they all >become aware of a frighteningly familiar sound. A black shape flies >over, looking like a cross between a spider and your worst nightmare, >emitting a "scream" that makes even the mighty Oberon wince.... Roland frowns, no longer amused... The diminutive dagger appears almost *ahem* magickally in his hand, and he flies up to the creature, slicing mercilessly away, screaming bloody murder as he seems to try to skin the thing alive...when the sound he's making becomes recognizable. He's crowing. (Well, he's _trying_ to. No amount of magic, apparently, can force his voice to be on-key...) Every single cut he inflicts on the creature, in fact, seems to be glowing... "Bad form, you reject from a creature-feature!" Roland snarls. (Insert other Callahanian attacks here) The monstrosity explodes impressively. Oberon stares, furious, at the space occupied a moment ago by the creature. "It got through our defenses. THE DAMN SPIDER GOT THROUGH THE RAINBOW SHIELD! TO ARMS!" Roland's dagger sprouts a shimmering field of light, and he flies out to meet any other forthcoming creatures... (OOC: Be careful what you wish for, Morgan... ) =========================== Date: Wed, 5 Feb 1997 22:26:30 -0800 (PST) From: "K. Ohanlon" Subject: Re: AAE -- The Sequel (War In Arcadia) On Wed, 5 Feb 1997, Paul Campbell wrote: > Reaching through his amulet and the link of Silence's hair, Xzerrion > tries once again, to one who *might* be able to hear, despite the > blocking field. > > *Crow? Can you hear me? There's a bit of a problem ...* > > As he waits for an answer, the engines of the shadow ship rumble, as > it prepares to take off ... Meanwhile, Crow has been back with the other Callahanians, unobtrusively watching the remarkable change that's come over Roland. Anyone standing reasonably close to her has been hearing her quietly humming a tune to herself. Those patrons who have been so blessed as to hear the music of a certain Heather Alexander would recognize the song, 'Neverland' as the one Crow's been humming. The tune seems light-hearted enough, but a look at Crow's face would reveal quiet worry. /Georgie's been out of contact for far too long, and last time he said anything, he hadn't found Xzerrion yet.../ she thinks to herself. Suddenly her humming breaks off, and anyone who happens to look her way at that moment would notice Crow's eyes growing wide. /Xzerrion?! Where are you? What problem? Why are you sounding so faint?/ Crow mind-shouts. Xzerrion frantically relays all that he's learned about the plans of the Shadow and its minions. As Crow starts to relay this information to the other Callahanians, the Shadow ship comes screaming overhead. She frantically broadcasts, /Xzerrion's on board that thing!!!/ (OOC: Nice shot, Roland. Maybe anybody got any ideas for a quick patch job btwn these two stories, without relying on suddenly getting sucked into an alternate universe?) =========================== Date: Wed, 5 Feb 1997 22:46:34 -0800 (PST) From: Paul Campbell Subject: Re: AAE -- The Sequel (War In Arcadia) On Wed, 5 Feb 1997, Roland X wrote: > He's crowing. (Well, he's _trying_ to. No amount of > magic, apparently, can force his voice to be on-key...) Even on board the Shadow ship, Xzerrion hears this, and the musician in him winces. > The monstrosity explodes impressively. > Oberon stares, furious, at the space occupied a moment > ago by the creature. "It got through our defenses. THE DAMN > SPIDER GOT THROUGH THE RAINBOW SHIELD! TO ARMS!" > Roland's dagger sprouts a shimmering field of light, and > he flies out to meet any other forthcoming creatures... > (OOC: Be careful what you wish for, Morgan... ) Fortunately for Xzerrion, but perhaps not for the forces of the Callahanians or those of the Faerie, the Shadow ship destroyed was a decoy, as the real ship is flying over under a field of invisibility and projecting an image of itself elsewhere in the sky, which is what was destroyed by Roland and others. *Crow, you're probably still the only one who can hear me through this distortion. I won't be able to communicate much because even using my amulet, reaching through this antimagic is draining. The real ship is still up here. In fact, it looks like the Shadow's about ready to - * Surprising the assembled forces below, the real Shadow vessel flickers into appearance, firing off several energy bolts barely deflected off of hastily raised magical shields. The ship is immediately struck by several mage-bolts from the elves (and perhaps the Callahanians) which seem to have little or no effect. For the moment, the thing is also manuevering too fast for a conventional attack to strike at it. Inside the ship, Xzerrion is thrown against a wall by a sudden turn he wasn't braced for, and finds himself right next to the antimagic field generator, which causes him to no longer be invisible. Shocked at having a passenger, the Shadow, turns toward him, and tries to reach into his mind. /Come to me, dark one. Come and serve us./ The critter obviously hasn't heard about how hard it is to mentally subvert either light or dark elves. Xzerrion shakes off the mental attack, and seeing the problems his magic is having on board, charges, swinging Frostbite and Cobra. The forces outside see the ship wobble and spin crazily as the Shadow is distracted from facing Xzerrion's assault. Suddenly, both Xzerrion and the Shadow look up in horror as a mountainside fills the viewscreen. ********SSSSSSSSSMMMMMMMMAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!******* ..... To be continued. (OOC : Well, resolved the plot descrepancy. Now, to get out alive ...) =========================== Date: Wed, 5 Feb 1997 23:30:59 -0800 From: "L.J. Wolfe" Subject: Re: AAE -- The Sequel (War In Arcadia) At 10:26 PM 2/5/97 -0800, Crow wrote: >(OOC: Nice shot, Roland. Maybe anybody got any ideas for a quick >patch job btwn these two stories, without relying on suddenly getting >sucked into an alternate universe?) (OOC: O.K., how's about this: First there was a spider, which Roland trashed, and _now_ there's a ship comming in. Seems like the simplest way to handle it . Meanwhile, backing up to just before all hell broke loose....) At 05:02 PM 2/5/97 -0500, Driscoll wrote: > Driscoll stands confused for a moment, then gives another bow and >turns to the rest of the group, "You do not know me, but I ask only >for a chance to prove myself. Is that really too much to ask?" Morgan looks up at the increasing chaos overhead, then back at Driscoll waiting with an air of apprehension. Realizing that she may be the only one here who knows him well enough to comment, she approaches the royal couple. "Majesties, this man in an incurable rogue, a trickster, and one of the most arrogant self-assured men I've ever known." A look of trepidation creeps into Titania's face. Morgan's hand absently drops to scratch Roscoe's ear as she hastily continues. "But, despite that, his heart is true. His honor is such that, while he may take a wicked man for all he's worth, he's just as likely to turn around and relinquish his gains helping some deserving soul. We could do far worse than have him as an ally." She smiles at Driscoll and sends, on a narrow beam, <*Make me wrong this time and I'll make your life a living hell.*> She then looks at the wolf, raises an eyebrow, and sends another narrow-beam message, <*When things settle down, we need to talk.*> Morgan /|\ =========================== Date: Wed, 5 Feb 1997 23:36:50 -0800 From: "L.J. Wolfe" Subject: Re: AAE -- The Sequel (War In Arcadia) At 10:46 PM 2/5/97 -0800, Xerrion wrote: >********SSSSSSSSSMMMMMMMMAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!******* > >..... To be continued. >(OOC : Well, resolved the plot descrepancy. Now, to get out alive >...) (OOC: This was posted while I was working on my last post. So just modify mine so that my brief conversation with Their Maj's fits in the small gap between the fake ship being destroyed and the real one coming in. That should bring things back into allignment . Morgan /|\) =========================== From: gamer@mail.hvs.com Date: Thu, 6 Feb 1997 18:31:10 -0500 Subject: aae-INCOMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As everyone's gaze is fixed on the mountain where the spider-ship just impacted, Driscoll's ears pick up a sound he has heard before, long ago. "INCOMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Everyone duck!" He yells as he reaches into his cloak and throws a spray of small silvery balls into the air. Three fireballs erupt overhead as missiles become visible momentarially. A fourth explosion strikes the mountain where the ship just crashed. Driss is back on his feet again quickly, having been knocked down by the concussion from the explosions. Over the horizon to the south appear four large shining metalic shapes. Each roughly resembles a scorpion, with six legs and two large claws. Missle racks sit on the shoulders and a large howitzer-like cannon rides on the back like the tail. Lasers from mounts under the cockpit windows begin to send lances of light towards the callihanians, though the distance is still too great to do much more than scar a few trees. "Listen for the wail, it's the only way to detect the Phantasm Missiles until they detonate." Driscoll advises as he reaches into his cloak again and fishes out a grenade launcher with rotory magazine. Lobbing a quartet of high explosive spheres towards the robot scorpions, Driss gives a big grin, "Rapiers are nice, but sometimes you need the heavy artillary!" =========================== From: Martin Gerster Subject: Re: AAE -- The Sequel (War In Arcadia) Date: Thu, 06 Feb 97 23:16:06 PST On Thu, 06 Feb 97 Driscoll (gamer@mail.hvs.com) wrote > "Listen for the wail, it's the only way to detect the Phantasm >Missiles until they detonate." Driscoll advises as he reaches into >his cloak again and fishes out a grenade launcher with rotory >magazine. Lobbing a quartet of high explosive spheres towards the >robot scorpions, Driss gives a big grin, "Rapiers are nice, but >sometimes you need the heavy artillary!" Dhyrclhanc the Sentinel-Lensdragon (who still refers to himself as "Lancett" while within Arcadia, and hopes the others will too) winces slightly at the drastic change of events. While he's been around enough to realize that one must cherish the quiet times when one can, he just didn't realize how brief this particular lull was going to be. Hoping that the others can deal with Xzerrion, the Shadow-Spider and it's ship, "Lancett" quickly retrieves his Standish(tm) (hybrid high kinetic energy particle-beam weapon/10mm Stryker-style auto-grenade launcher) from his huge Dragon-sized duffle-bag and begins to aid Driscoll in laying down the surface-to-surface fire supporting the ground-level Callahianan troops against the giant robo-scorpion tanks. /Gee,/ he transmits on a "wide-frequency" telepathic "bandwith" /To miss-quote Mr. Garabaldi, after this is over what'll we do for an encore?/ and then, very quickly, adds /Don't get any ideas, Roland!/ =========================== From: gamer@mail.hvs.com Date: Mon, 10 Feb 1997 20:02:04 -0500 Subject: AAE-is anyone alive out there? As the giant robots get closer, Driscoll notes the Dragon's shots beating on them, but not doing nearly as much damage as they should. Pausing in his firing for a moment, Driscoll closes his eyes and begins to concentrate (not an easy task right now). When his eyes open, he notes a bright blue aura around the robots, a magic shield. "They're maguically protected, coordinate your shots with magic and technology and maybe we can cut through it." He yells as he launches the last 4 of his grenades and tosses the launcher on the ground. Drawing his rapier, he charges the giant metal monsters only to be rewarded for his troubles with a barrage of laser fire dropping him and leaving him aflame. Roscoe, not one to be left out of the fight, has decided to get in close to the tanks his own way, as he slowly sinks into the ground and runs through it to the tanks. When the vibrations around him are the strongest, he surfaces, right under one of the tanks. Bystanders see the large grey wolf leap out of the ground and up to land on the back of one of the ferrous fighting machines (ok I'm running out of things to call giant robots OK???). There is a bright flash of light and a crackling sound and Roscoe is back on the ground shaking violently. Driss is back up again, sever burns are visible everywhere, seeing as how all his clothing, save for the cloak, hat, rapier and a large necklace have been incinerated away. One of hte robots stops and seems to look down on him, and it can then be seen, the cockpits of the battleoid is empty. A crackling metalic voice comes from the scorpion, "It is the immortal. There can be no doubt. The Master wanted him captured so he may not disrupt things as he did before." Driscoll thrusts hsi rapier into the ankle of the robot with all his might, slicing through plate steel as if it were paper. Looking up, he doesn't even have time to cry out as a huge claw bears down on him and blood squirts out as he is crushed by it. The tank raises him in the claw, and jets flare up as the tank rockets off in the direction from which it came. Roscoe slowly stands as shakes the fuzziness from his head as he witnesses this. A cry goes out into everyone's head [No!!!! DRISS!!!!!!!!] And Roscoe begins to change again, but not into a human this time. He grows larger adn larger, fur giving way to scales, and eyes becoming mere slits. Soon his transformation is complete, and the former wolf/current dragon lashes out with one mamoth claw, smashing a tank into scrap. [Now I'm pissed off and sober damnit!] Shortly later, in a secret complex inside one of Arcadia's mountains, a dark elf cautiously enters a large chamber filled with robots. Dozens of robots of all shapes and sizes race around another who looks like a jukebox with two tenticle arms ening in three pronged claws, and the human head of a very old man. The elf gives a deep bow to the man/robot and stand silently until it nods for him to speak. "Master Controller, all goes as you wished it. With our magic and the technology you have recruited from the dimentions, Arcadia shall fall soon, and Oberon hasn't even the slightest clue who is truly behind it. The spider-king launched an ambush against the offworlders and one of his Scorpoid tanks has returned with a prize, it says it is the immortal who ruined things on Oa." A smile coems across the old man's face and an arm snakes over t to a small teacup sitting nearby. "Perfect. This time Roland shall work for me and I shall capture Arcadia and have the magic I need to regain my body. would you care for some tea Krazzan?" OK, there ya go everyone, lots to work with now, lets see those posts! =========================== Date: Mon, 10 Feb 1997 23:33:28 -0800 From: "L.J. Wolfe" Subject: Re: AAE-is anyone alive out there? At 08:02 PM 2/10/97 -0500, Driscoll wrote: > "They're maguically protected, coordinate your shots with magic and >technology and maybe we can cut through it." He yells as he launches >the last 4 of his grenades and tosses the launcher on the ground. >Drawing his rapier, he charges the giant metal monsters only to be >rewarded for his troubles with a barrage of laser fire dropping him >and leaving him aflame. Morgan, seeing her comrad go down, rushes to Driscoll and tries to extinguish the flames. Without thinking, she uses his cloak to smother the smouldering remains of his other clothing, only dimly aware of the fact that the cloak _should_ have been burning, too. > Driss is back up again, sever burns are visible everywhere, seeing >as how all his clothing, save for the cloak, hat, rapier and a large >necklace have been incinerated away. > Driscoll thrusts hsi rapier into the ankle of the robot with all his >might, slicing through plate steel as if it were paper. Looking up, >he doesn't even have time to cry out as a huge claw bears down on him >and blood squirts out as he is crushed by it. The tank raises him in >the claw, and jets flare up as the tank rockets off in the direction >from which it came. The Greywolf, however, does have time to scream. Not that she hasn't seen enough death and distruction on this trip, but the unexpectedness of the grisly attack catches her off guard. Her howl rends the air and instantly catches the attention of all the lupines in the group. > Roscoe slowly stands as shakes the fuzziness from his head as he >witnesses this. A cry goes out into everyone's head [No!!!! >DRISS!!!!!!!!] And Roscoe begins to change again, but not into a >human this time. He grows larger adn larger, fur giving way to >scales, and eyes becoming mere slits. Soon his transformation is >complete, and the former wolf/current dragon lashes out with one >mamoth claw, smashing a tank into scrap. [Now I'm pissed off and >sober damnit!] "Roscoe!" Morgan shouts. The rampaging dragon doesn't seem to hear, so she switches to a mental call. <*ROSCOE!*> This time the dragon responds. <*Roscoe, don't you _dare_ go after him without me,*> Morgan sends. > OK, there ya go everyone, lots to work with now, lets see those >posts! Morgan /|\ =========================== Date: Fri, 14 Feb 1997 16:18:41 -0800 (PST) From: Paul Campbell Subject: Re: AAE-is anyone alive out there? Xzerrion slowly sits up, regaining consciousness from the Shadow ship crash just about in time to hear the query. *Um, I think I'm alive.* he broadcasts, and then his brain catches up to the fact that he isn't under antimagic any more, or he wouldn't have been able to do that. `All right,' he thinks to himself, `just how badly am I hurt?' His appraisal is not all that encouraging, but it could be a lot worse. Several scratches on his hands and face from crashing into the shadow ship viewscreen, a few messy looking deep cuts on his sides, and a badly twisted ankle. At least his blades could be found, and he immediately sheaths them, then gasps in pain as he staggers out of the wreckage. `At least the Shadow couldn't have survived, not unless it has Lloth's own luck - No, that's impossible ...' At Xzerrion's feet are the tracks of the lone shadow, heading back toward the main fight on foot. `I hate this. I absolutely hate it! I swear, when I make it back, I'm going to be in the hot tub for a week ...' Biting off his ranting, Xzerrion staggers onto the trail of the Shadow, knowing it could be more dangerous than anything else out there. Sure enough, the Shadow was waiting, blocking a narrow pass which leads back to the Callahanians. `You fool! You still pursue me, even now? You know you cannot win.' Xzerrion sets both feet under him, grimacing as his twisted ankle supports his weight. `You forget, dark one. This time I serve on the side of light, and that alone gives me the strength to see this through. This battle has gone on too long. This time you die.' In response, the Shadow hurls a lightning bolt at Xzerrion, who barely dodges in time, stunned by the creature's use of magic. `You can't do that ...' he gasps. `I have learned since the last battle here. You cannot defeat my magic and my artifacts both.' `You might be right, but I've never gained anything yet by not trying.' Xzerrion hurls a bright turquoise sphere of light at the creature, who deflects it with the stroke of one claw. `Persistant, aren't you, drow elf?' `First one you've gotten right in a while. I'll be damned if I let you reach my friends and my beloved.' `Oh, yes, them. I'll kill every one of them ... slowly ... and I'll make you watch.' A shroud of darkness momentarily envelops Xzerrion, before being shattered by a flaring of painfully intense white light. Xzerrion then raises empty hands before the Shadow and hurls ... something ... at it, which makes the creature fall back shrieking, and apparently desperately fighting nothing at all. `That should hold it for a while. Now, To just get back to the others.' Tearing off a few shreds of his already ruined cloak, Xzerrion binds the worst of his wounds, and stagers toward the main group, hoping someone (besides the enemy) notices him before he falls over from exhaustion or loss of blood. =========================== From: Martin Gerster Subject: Re: AAE-is anyone alive out there? Date: Sat, 15 Feb 97 00:51:04 PST On Mon, 10 Feb 97, Morgan wrote: >"Roscoe!" Morgan shouts. The rampaging dragon doesn't seem to hear, >so she switches to a mental call. <*ROSCOE!*> > >This time the dragon responds. <*Roscoe, don't you _dare_ go after >him without me,*> Morgan sends. "Lancett" the Sentinel - Lensdragon snaps out of his appearent catatonia. The rest of the assembled Callahanian's "feel" him rise from his mental stupor through the telepathic web that binds them all together. While returning to surface consiousness, the draconian Lensman used a tighly broadcast, high speed, telepathic broadcast to recap the goings-on with the mysterious new vilianous "Robot-Master." He ends the download with "Lancett's" sight returns, the assembled Callahanians can tell because it's obvious he's witnessing the carnage resulting from the battle between Driscoll, Roscoe and the Spider-Scorpion Robot-Tanks for the first time. Meinwhile, Morgan has taken to tending the wounds of the dragon/wolf. "Lancett" finally notices Driscoll's seemingly intert form and the remainder of the aformentioned Spider-Scorpion Robot-Tanks that are still hanging around. (His body obviously somehow sliped out of the grasp of the one that flew away). The adolecent Dragon's Green Lantern's Ring and Lens both flare into life once more and within a split second he is covered head to toe in a psuedo-bio-mechanical, nasty-looking, razor-sharp, forest-green colored, Lensdragon-shaped, suit of battle armor. At the same-time, the adolecent dragon's ancient-elder horor shaped Psi-Aura manifests itself around him. Then the Sentinel-Lensdragon's body arches back, his mouth opens and a loud roar is heard from one end of Avalon to another, durring which all of the lesser fae the realm over immeadiatly rush to seek sanctuary. (Then in an all too calm voice) "Morgan, get out of the way." Oblvious to "Lancett's" request, Morgan, the wolfmae, remains strangely stalk-still. One presumes, still recovering from "Lancett's" outburst. Her lupine compatriots know better, however, and quickly haul her out of the way. Titania quickly scoops up Psyche and somehow manages to cover both her daughter's ears and her own. Oberon is likwise sheilding his ears, steeling hiimself for another earthshattering report. The Sentinel-Lensdragon's mouth opens for a second time, but intead of sound issuing forth a roughly conical--shaped gout of inferno-incarnate flame come out and completely engulfs the remaining Spider-Scorpion Robot-Tanks. Mysterously, none of the remaining three seem to be effected. The Ruby Fire Lensdragon launches himself into a parabolic arc, cutting through the air of the Faerie Realm like an axe through wormwood, landing amidst the three robotic death-machines. The closest of the three almost immeadiatly trains its missle batteries upon the huge metalic reptilian form. Before it can fire, however, a swift raking kick across its back tears both of the turets from its body. A vicious and lighting-fast, horizontal, "open-clawed" puch drives the dragon's steel pistoned talons through the head of the tank, presumably crushing the mechanical monstrosity's brain case. A third attack, another sweeping kick using his other leg, tears the Spider-Scorpion thing's tail off. "Lancett" reaches down, now holding the dead killing-machine in both hands and lobs it dirrectly into the third remaining Spider-Scorpion Robot-Tank. Upon which time, quite satsifactorily, both explode. The final robot/tank fires its tail's weaponry at the Sentinel-Lensdragon, striking him in the middle of the chest with a red-violet beam of energy. The ring-generated battle-armor seems to momentarily melt in upon itself but then immeadiatly "heals" the damage as soon as the barrage stops. (OCC: O.K., so I'm Canadian!) The draconian Lensman once more opens his mouth and the very fires of Purgatory itself seem to rush out and pour themselves onto the metalic aracniod monster, which very obligingly melts into a foul-smellling slag. Amid this new swath of distruction, "Lancett's" draconian battle-armor evaporates into the ether. Looking much calmer, the adolecent Lensdragon sights Driscoll's still unmoving form among the wreckage. His right arm stabs in the fallen warrior's dirrection and using his Sentenel's Ring, he forms a roughly egg-shaped emerald-colored energy cocoon around his comrade. (OCC: There, now let's see somebody else run with that. P.S.: My appologies to Morgan. I'm sorry for that kinda rough handling I gave your character herein.) =========================== Date: Sun, 16 Feb 1997 17:04:42 -0600 From: Michael Jon Knight Subject: RE: AAE Pt 2 (What 'Doc'/KnightShift has been up to...) 'Doctor John Smith'/The KnightShift fires a couple of shots at the Shadow vessel Roland was attacking. It goes Boom! Turns out, it was a decoy. The real Shadow ship crashs into a mountain, going Boom! Oops, Xzerrion was on board. Before the Doc can head to the crash site, giant robots attack! Screaming in rage, adding "Nemo me impune lacessit...No one bothers me, or my friends, without being hurt," Doc joins the fight, using his black-light lightsaber to tear the robots shielding to shreds. Driscoll is discovered by the robots to be immortal. One snatchs him and flies off. (In a scene unbeknwonst to everyone, someone confuses Driscoll for Roland. Guess they figured there was only one Immortal. Like Roland needs anyone else after him. ;->) Meanwhile, as Roscoe and Morgan start to take off after the escaping robot, Doc finds someone who appears to be Drsicoll, but he can't tell. It looks like Driscoll, but there is no mental trace of Driscoll. So, it could be a decoy while the real Driscoll is carried off. He calls Roscoe and Morgan over to have a look since they know Driscoll better. Doc, meanwhile deflects laser blasts with his lightsaber and reminds everyone that Xzerrion may still be out there. He also loudly requests that the group "quit playing with these overgrown wind-up toys and end this skirmish." The LensDragon promptly does so... A black cat appears from the shadow of a boulder. He rubs against the boulder, marking his territory, though he has never been here before. Then he wanders across the rocks marking the treeline of a mountain. Pyewackett, the feline god, had arrived in Arcadia... From: Paul Campbell >Biting off his ranting, Xzerrion staggers onto the trail of the >Shadow, knowing it could be more dangerous than anything else out >there. The black cat sniffs around the crash site. He rubs against a nearby piece of burnt metal. Then he wanders off, purely coincidentally, down the same path Xzerrion took. >A shroud of darkness momentarily envelops Xzerrion, before being >shattered by a flaring of painfully intense white light. Xzerrion >then raises empty hands before the Shadow and hurls ... something ... >at it, which makes the creature fall back shrieking, and apparently >desperately fighting nothing at all. > >`That should hold it for a while. Now, To just get back to the >others.' The black cat sees the Shadow writhing in terror. The cat sits and watchs for a moment. Finding the shadow boring, the black cat continues on the trail. >Tearing off a few shreds of his already ruined cloak, Xzerrion binds >the worst of his wounds, and stagers toward the main group, hoping >someone (besides the enemy) notices him before he falls over from >exhaustion or loss of blood. Before Xzerrion, atop a boulder, sits Pyewackett the feline god. Xzerrion reachs up to pet the cat, who sniffs at a small cut on Xzerrion's hand. The cat then consents to the affection, allowing Xzerrion to pet him. "You have been blessed." says a cracked, whispering voice. Xzerrion turns to see an ancient little man, dressed in a dirty, black robe. His wrinkled face smiles at Xzerrion, revealing human teeth filed into fangs. A long, thin, gray moustache hangs from the edges of his mouth, his eyebrows, also long, thin and grey, extend stiffly sideways from his temples. He raises a clawed hand, pointing a withered finger ending in a three-inch, dagger-shaped fingernail at the cat. "You have been healed. By him. You are now being watched by him. When you need help, he will be there. Or he won't. His will is unreadable." Xzerrion turns to look at the black cat. The cat is gone. He turns to look at the old man. The old man is gone. Xzerrion's wounds greatly healed, he continues towards the rest of the Callahanians. =========================== From: gamer@mail.hvs.com Date: Mon, 17 Feb 1997 07:19:58 -0500 Subject: aae-aftermath Roscoe smashes the scorpion tank before him, then begins to waver a bit before crashing to the ground in a faint and reverting to his true form of a small hairy man. Morgan, who was running up to Roscoe to go chasing Driss, is nearly instantly at his side, and he turns to her with a little grin, "I guess that last shape was a bit more than I could handle," Before giving in to unconciousness totally. Morgan's healing magics enhanced by Roscoe's magical nature bring him up and around very quickly while the rest of the tanks are systematically destroyed by the Lensdragon. Upon his discovery of Driscoll in the wreckage, Roscoe and Morgan run over to investigate, confusion as evident on their faces as the hope that lies there. The form has already begun to stir from where it lies, and in an instant, Roscoe is back in wolf form climbing across the twisted metal to him. Driscoll opens his eyes and looks over at Roscoe, gives a freindly smile and a pained but upbeat sounding utterence, "Good boy! Very good boy! Go get the others! That's a boy!" Roscoe begins to change again slowly until his form is that of a massive Ogre and he reaches into the wreckage to pull out Driss. "Where ...is...Driscoll? Your scent is wrong, and Driss has NEVER treated me as a DOG!!" The Mock-Driscoll's eyes bulge a bit and his face turns purple as blodd and air are cut off by the massive fist around his throat. Moragn lays her hand lightly on Roscoe's shoulder and his anger retreats a bit and he allows Driscoll to breathe again. From the wreckage of the other tanks more "survivors" appear. Morgan, Knightshift, and Roland. =========================== Subject: Re: AAE-is anyone alive out there? Date: Mon, 17 Feb 97 13:52:01 -0000 From: Roland X >A shroud of darkness momentarily envelops Xzerrion, before being >shattered by a flaring of painfully intense white light. Xzerrion >then raises empty hands before the Shadow and hurls ... something ... >at it, which makes the creature fall back shrieking, and apparently >desperately fighting nothing at all. > >`That should hold it for a while. Now, To just get back to the >others.' Roland, who was busy turning the robot attackers into toys from Transformers: the Movie (tm), feels a disturbance in the force...(cough) rather, he notices the Shadow's discomfort and flies to investigate. >Tearing off a few shreds of his already ruined cloak, Xzerrion binds >the worst of his wounds, and stagers toward the main group, hoping >someone (besides the enemy) notices him before he falls over from >exhaustion or loss of blood. Flying toward the wreckage, Roland sees Xzerrion's distress and decides to help. Luckily for Xzerrion... >Xzerrion turns to look at the black cat. The cat is gone. He turns to >look at the old man. The old man is gone. Xzerrion's wounds greatly >healed, he continues towards the rest of the Callahanians. Roland flies into the wreckage. He smiles at the Shadow's discomfort. "You lose, Spider..." Then Roland does something he hasn't done since his trans- formation. He frowns. Though the Shadow feels...wrong...it isn't flowing unnaturally as the first Shadow did. He swallows. "There's _more_ of you?" The Shadow feints and dodges something that isn't there. "Not many, but enough...the one you have named the Spider has brought some of us here-EEYAH!-in the aftermath of our losses in our home dimensions. You cannot win-HAI!" The Shadow spears its nonexistent enemy with one talon. Roland points at the Shadow casually. A rainbow portal to the Tainted Forest appears, and the Shadow is sucked through. (Although Roland notices that it didn't resist too much-until it realized the side effects of such travel...) "This is bad." /Callahanians? It's hard to believe, but the the situation is even worse than we thought. I think I know how the bad guys breached the Heart's defenses.../ After a quick telepathic explanation of what has transpired, Roland creates another portal and walks through... =========================== Date: Thu, 20 Feb 1997 01:11:23 -0600 From: Michael Jon Knight Subject: AAE part 2: Clone Wars!?! From: gamer@mail.hvs.com > From the wreckage of the other tanks more "survivors" >appear. Morgan, Knightshift, and Roland. Lightsaber still out, Doctor John Smith (The KnightShift) stares at his counterpart across the wreckage-strewn battlefield. Those near him can hear him quietly singing to himself... "I think I'm a clone now. There always seems to be, Two of me around.... (Apologies to "Weird" Al Yankovich;>) =========================== Date: Thu, 20 Feb 1997 00:12:54 -0800 From: "L.J. Wolfe" Subject: Re: AAE Part 2 At 07:19 AM 2/17/97 -0500, Driscoll wrote: > From the wreckage of the other tanks more "survivors" appear. >Morgan, Knightshift, and Roland. Morgan, who is still hearing the last of Roland's message before he pops through a portal, looks at "herself" across the wreckage. She also hears the Doc's musical contribution, so she _knows_ that the other two "survivors" are just as bogus as the fake Greywolf. Cutter and Leetah express their opinions with a pair of low, deep growls that raise the hair on the back of the neck of anyone close enough to hear. <*Roland, I hope you're still reading,*> she sends, and opens up to a wide band to give the other Callahanians a "shot" of what she's seeing. <*We could be in _big_ trouble, folks. (What else is new ;-)?) Keep the telepathic links open - we'll probably be able to spot any dopplegangers faster and easier that way. Doc, cover me, I'm going to be too focused here to look out for attacks.*> She looks at the still slightly blue "Driscoll" in Roscoe's hands. Her voice drops into a slightly lower register, and all who hear it feel compelled to respond. The full force of her Voice is, however, directed at one person. (OOC: Please don't read the caps as shouting - it's just the easiest way I can think of to clearly indicate when Morgan's using full "Voice" mode.) "ALL RIGHT, WHATEVER-YOU-ARE, TELL ME WHAT I WANT TO KNOW. WHO SENT YOU, AND WHERE IS THE REAL DRISCOLL? BE WARNED, I _WILL_ KNOW IF YOU LIE, AND I _WILL_ MAKE YOU REGRET IT." Morgan Greywolf /|\ =========================== From: gamer@mail.hvs.com Date: Sat, 22 Feb 1997 10:45:58 -0500 Subject: aae-interlude Roscoe squeezes his prisoner a bit to re-enforce Morgan's Voice. 'Driscoll' looks about ready to pass out, but instead speaks in a squeeky little voice, "We were told to follow the orders of the Spider-Shrieks," At wich he momentarially turns into one of the shadow-spiders, then changes back again with a few quick glances around that make him look like a child who has just taken a handful of cookies without permission. "But I don't know who Driscoll is. If you mean the one who's form I took, he was taken to The-One-Who-Controls, but I don't know where. Really!" Roscoe's ogrish eyes narrow to mear slits, "Your race is cousin to mine, and I know you all to be liars and deceivers by nature. Why should I..." But he stops in mid-word with a shocked look on his face and reflexively drops the doppleganger. 'Driscoll' sees his chance and changes to a form larger than Roscoe's, that of the Lensdragon. The other three mock callihanians pull out small palm-sized pistols and aim them at the group. Roscoe stands oblivious to all of this and gives a croaked whisper, "Driss...he lives...the pain...the pain," and tears drip down his cheeks as he shrinks down to his natural form. INTERLUDE Driscoll notices nothing of the supersonic flight to the Controller's Lair, the pain is too great. Bones pulverized by the massive claw around him, all blood long since gone from dozens of deep lacerations, punctured lungs making it impossible to breathe. He doesn't notice as the Scorpion tank decends into a patch of wood, or when the forest floor opens up before it. The doors seal themselves again, leaving the underground complex once again completely hidden from even the most careful inspections. Robots and hired scum of several races dart around the hanger area, taking care of their individual tasks. Two large robots push a table between them, upon which many electrodes and probes sit, and controls to the machinery underneath. Intense pain drops to a roar for a moment as the Scorpion tank drops him to the deck. Thoughts slowly begin to clear as healing progresses rapidly. Now he can feel the cold steel hands of the robots strapping his crippled form to the table, though he can't remember being lifted onto it. He can feel them placing the electrodes, and realizes he needs help. [Roscoe! Where are you? Where am I? Hard to think through the pain, I need help. Bring...] His final thoughts are cut off as the last of the electrodes are put into place and the machinery activates. 250,000 volts flow through Driscoll, electrocuting him. Once again, darkness brings no relief, and Death denys him her saving touch. =========================== Date: Sun, 23 Feb 1997 23:41:24 From: "L.J. Wolfe" Subject: Re: aae-interlude At 10:45 AM 2/22/97 -0500, Driscoll wrote: > Roscoe squeezes his prisoner a bit to re-enforce Morgan's Voice. >Roscoe stands oblivious to all of this and gives a croaked >whisper, "Driss...he lives...the pain...the pain," and tears drip >down his cheeks as he shrinks down to his natural form. (Which form is that, Driscoll? ) Morgan, too, shudders in pain, and reflexively reaches out to her wolves for support. She has enough of a link to Roscoe that she picks up on a portion of Driscoll's sending, and from what she feels she's thankfull she's not in direct contact. Belatedly, she tries to dampen the agony she's already sensing only third-hand, but she can tell by the faces of her comrads that she didn't quite succeed. With Cutter & Leetah's support, the Greywolf finally manages to make the necessary mental adjustments both to filter what she's picking up through Roscoe, and to protect the other Callahanians. In no condition herself to fight, shielding them from Driscoll's pain is the most help she can give. >Once again, darkness brings no relief, and Death denys him her saving >touch. If Morgan hadn't before quite assimilated the fact that her friend was an immortal, she knew it now. No one _but_ an immortal could survive such pain for so long. She didn't even _want_ to know what was being done to him, to cause such waves of agony. Seeds of anger at whoever was behind this started to grow, but she set that aside to deal with later. No time or energy for that now. Filters and dampers in place, she was now able to start thinking. Among her first thoughts was, "Damn inconvenient time for Roland to take off." She sent a call to him, unsure if she was making it through to wherever-he-was - partly a call for help, partly a warning that this latest adversary was someone who obviously knew all to well how to deal with immortals. A nudge from one of the wolves brings Morgan's attention (at least part of it) back to the here and now. She looks up and finally _sees_ Roscoe, curled up with his eyes shut tight against the waves of pain. Taking a deep breath and reinforcing the barriers protecting her and those in the link with her, she switches to healer mode.... Morgan /|\ =========================== Date: Tue, 25 Feb 1997 14:16:18 -0800 (PST) From: Paul Campbell Subject: Re: aae-interlude On Sun, 23 Feb 1997, L.J. Wolfe wrote: > If Morgan hadn't before quite assimilated the fact that her friend > was an immortal, she knew it now. No one _but_ an immortal could > survive such pain for so long. She didn't even _want_ to know what > was being done to him, to cause such waves of agony. Seeds of anger > at whoever was behind this started to grow, but she set that aside > to deal with later. No time or energy for that now. `Christ, no rest for the weary drow, ... and I HATE fighting these smelly magical steel constructs that keep hurling firebolts around!' Darting into the midst of the Scorpion tanks (I forget, what are those things, anyway?), he dives into a roll as several energy bolts sail overhead, getting the feeling he's distinctly outclassed and outgunned. Raising his head, he sees an outlet on the back of one of the tanks, where it is releasing noxious smoke, and gets an idea. He conjures a small flame in his hand, and hurls it straight down the outlet. The resulting explosion when the fire enters the thing's fuel tank hurls him backwards five feet. `Well, that got their attention.' > A nudge from one of the wolves brings Morgan's attention (at least > part of it) back to the here and now. She looks up and finally > _sees_ Roscoe, curled up with his eyes shut tight against the waves > of pain. Taking a deep breath and reinforcing the barriers > protecting her and those in the link with her, she switches to > healer mode.... `I'm no immortal, but stealth is my specialty. Where do they have him? I might be able to get him out.' =========================== Subject: Re: aae-interlude Date: Fri, 28 Feb 97 22:51:38 -0000 From: Roland X >Filters and dampers in place, she was now able to start thinking. >Among her first thoughts was, "Damn inconvenient time for Roland to >take off." She sent a call to him, unsure if she was making it >through to wherever-he-was - partly a call for help, partly a warning >that this latest adversary was someone who obviously knew all to well >how to deal with immortals. All too true... /Ohh...what-where?/ Roland looks around. What seems like moments ago (but is in fact somewhat longer, something Roland knows in his gut) Roland-Pan was using some very..._creative_ Glamours against the bizarre attack. Now he is...elsewhere. Sounds come from above. "What-" Roland looks up. A staircase. Around him, stone and mortar spiral up and down. /A tower! I must have found Stranger!/ Roland tries to fly up. Nothing. "Uh-oh..." "Ah, so the precocious little whelp begins to know his predicament," he hears, and Byron's all-too-familiar face appears before Roland. "You again," Roland sighs. "What part are you playing in this ridiculous game?" "Not so ridiculous, my dear boy, more's the shame. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the Fair Folk." "You don't have a heart," Roland says, even as the import of Byron's words chills his blood. "If you're just here to gloat, do it and get lost. I'm a lot more sober than I want to be right now and it's not making me fun to be around." "That's the point," Byron says, more seriously. "Have you stopped to wonder _why_ the joy of flight, of magick, of _wonder_ left you so quickly? You, who have dedicated your life to joy and wonder?" "Light have mercy," Roland blurted. "Mundanity. Mundanity is leaking into Arcadia." "Correct! Give the boy a prize!" A low rumbling began. "Oops! I hope you like special delivery." Roland's eyes grew wide as, far above him, a spiked mace-head the size of a small helicopter began to roll down towards him. "So much for Mundanity," Roland whispered, and began to run. Byron tsked. "You're immortal, sad to say. This will hurt-a lot, I hope-but it won't prove fatal." "So? I'm not fond of pain." "Well, you could always go with the Mundane blandness. No joy, no pain, not much of anything really. Frankly, I want you to feel something when I break you. Despair, preferably." Roland thought about this. Concentrating, he felt...numb. A numbness had infected him. /RL leakage, Arcadia's emptiness, whatever is manipulating that Shadow-now there's a scary thought-but why was I such an important target? Why hit me with so much banal energy when they have to deal with pesky things like the Heart of Arcadia, a GL Lensdragon, a Doctor, and real mages?/ Roland smiled and looked up. "Thanks, Byron ol' sod." Byron stared down, shocked. "Thanks? For what?" "Showing me what I'm doing wrong." A treadmill appeared beneath him. Roland typed 'Arcadia' into the console, and began to run. His legs quickly became a blur beneath him, and he vanished just as the deathtrap rolled down from above him. Meanwhile, in Arcadia... >`Christ, no rest for the weary drow, ... and I HATE fighting these >smelly magical steel constructs that keep hurling firebolts around!' Bumperstickers appear on all remaining functional war vehicles. They state, 'Magick happens.' They immediately turn fuschia. This includes all visors/windows. >A nudge from one of the wolves brings Morgan's attention (at least >part of it) back to the here and now. She looks up and finally _sees_ >Roscoe, curled up with his eyes shut tight against the waves of pain. >Taking a deep breath and reinforcing the barriers protecting her and >those in the link with her, she switches to healer mode.... Roland, as he stops running, appears beside Morgan. The treadmill fades away from beneath him. His 'Pan' outfit has been replaced by his 'normal' garb, save that he's now wearing a belt with bits of cloth on it. A lightning bolt in a circle, a piece of Lincoln Green, an RDF insignia, a yin/yang symbol, a silver phoenix, and a spider are all visible. "Hi, Morgan. you call?" Roland grins at the hapless Bene Gesserit Druid. "I'm afraid I may be suffering from a touch of schizophrenia until this shindig is over, but the only way to fight Mundane powers is to have fun-and if we're not going to enjoy this, we might as well just blow up the bad guys right now and go home." He smiles and looks out at the fuschia tanks as if it would really be that simple. He touches the Lincoln Green, and Roland Pan stands there, looking considerably more sane than the last time, and armed with his trademark ninja-to in place of that teeny dagger. =========================== Date: Sat, 1 Mar 1997 02:03:03 -0600 From: Michael Jon Knight Subject: Re: aae-interlude At 10:51 PM 2/28/97 -0000, Roland X wrote: >>> Once again, darkness brings no relief, and Death denys him her >>> saving touch. The Doctor/KnightShift feels an all-too-familiar sense of pain wash over him. So, Driscoll lives after all... > Meanwhile, in Arcadia... > > Bumperstickers appear on all remaining functional war >vehicles. They state, 'Magick happens.' They immediately >turn fuschia. This includes all visors/windows. "Ooo, very tasteful... NOT! Though, it IS quite effective." >>A nudge from one of the wolves brings Morgan's attention (at least >>part of it) back to the here and now. She looks up and finally >>_sees_ Roscoe, curled up with his eyes shut tight against the waves >>of pain. Taking a deep breath and reinforcing the barriers >>protecting her and those in the link with her, she switches to >>healer mode.... Morgan suddenly notices the "Doctor's" medical bag next to her, with a small post-it note stuck to it. In a barely legible chicken-scratch it reads: "You might find these items useful. I hope what magick healing materials are here are of sufficient quantity and quality." Inside the (transdimensional) pack, amidst ace bandages, various drugs and first-aid equipment, are some of the highest quality herbs, powders and potions Morgan has ever seen. All neatly contained in clear, corked glass bottles, labeled in that same, nearly illegible handwriting. The "Doctor" stares at the three Shadow-dopplegangers pointing guns at him. Suddenly, there is a weight upon his shoulders, and the tickling of fur on his neck. Pyewackett, the feline god was lying across his shoulders, purring slightly. Since the cat, as all cats do, seemed to come from nowhere, the three shadow-clones are surprised... "Pyewackett! What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in the TARDIS...DOH!" This last comment is caused by a sudden realisation...the TARDIS. Pulling a pen and paper from his jacket pocket, the Doctor scribbles furiously. "Things To Do Tomorrow..." he mumbles. Glancing over to Morgan, and seeing the same bag next to her as the one he has slung over his shoulder, he shouts over to her. "Morgan, remember to tell me exactly what you used to heal Roscoe and anyone else that has needed tending." Morgan looks over, makes the connection that the bags are identical, and nods. On the pad is written: GET MEDICINES FOR MORGAN. The Doctor then looks at the robots. They all simultaniously explode. "Get timed explosives for robots...set to go off at...uh," glancing at his watch, "2:37pm..." "Oh yeah, and...search area...prior to...detonation...for any...'good guys' (callahanians, drow, other faerie, etc)" Another Doctor, carrying a small faerie girl, approachs Morgan. "Morgan, this is Naidran. She got a few scratchs when one of the robots knocked over a tree she was playing in." A Faerie couple run/flies over to them, crying in relief. "She should need a bandage or two, but she will be fine." Doctor2 smiles. Before he vanishs, he says, "Did I get the right stuff?" Morgan nods. "Good. Well, everything is set up. I better be getting back to the Victory party at Callahan's. You were just about to tell me who Bene Gesserit was. See ya!" The original Doctor looks up from his notes, sees himself disappear, and turns to look at the three Shadow-clones. A loud buzzing is heard, like an alarm clock, and three holes open in the ground as three trap doors collapse under the clones. The clones suddenly find themselves in cages inside pits dug into the ground. As each looks up, the tops slam shut with a very solid CLANK. "2:38, catch bad guys." Putting the notebook away, the Doctor removes his keyring and materializes the TARDIS, which appears as a large door, standing in a frame, with no other support. The Doctor opens the door and walks inside. Pyewackett hops off his shoulders and runs into the kitchen. The Doctor drops his bag next to the central control console and sets the notepad atop one of the computer monitors. Turning and walking back to the door, the Doctor leans out and shouts... "Anybody who wants to go see Stranger had better come on. Roland, nice to have you back...Ooops, just a sec." Ducking back inside, the Doctor shuts the door. After a few seconds the TARDIS is transformed into a giant granite arch, 20 feet high. The door is nearly that high, too. 15 feet wide, the steel door swings open in the middle. The Doctor walks back out. Admiring his handiwork, the Doctor says, "Lancett, I think that will suit you nicely...." Turning to the others, he adds, "Now then, lets go to the Tower!" Doctor John Smith (who had been trying to think a way out of this for two weeks and finally settled on pulling a "Bill and Ted"...EXCELLENT!) =========================== Date: Sat, 01 Mar 1997 05:45:52 From: "L.J. Wolfe" Subject: Re: aae-interlude At 02:03 AM 3/1/97 -0600, KnightShift wrote: >Doctor John Smith (who had been trying to think a way out of this for >two weeks and finally settled on pulling a "Bill and Ted" ... >EXCELLENT!) Morgan, who has finished dealing with various minor medical situations (Roscoe just needed moral support, unless Driscoll wants to write that differently), looks over at the Doctor standing in the archway. "Thanks for the creative intervention, Doc, but since we don't know what's up with Stranger, and we _do_ know (all too well, she thinks, wincing as another wave of pain washes through the link) that Driscoll is in big trouble.... Can we please go try and find him first?" Morgan /|\ =========================== From: gamer@mail.hvs.com Date: Sat, 1 Mar 1997 17:02:14 -0500 Subject: Aae: Onward and Timeward? Boy it's times like this I wish my &(%^ server let me quote or U/L messages. Oh well. With Morgan's soothing touch, Roscoe collecting himself enough into the here and now to slam shut the floodgate of his telepathic link. The pain is gone, but the adrennalin is quickly fading too, and for someone who has only done occasional magic for the past couple centuries, he's overdone it a bit. Looking around, he notices the Dopplegangers have decided they were a bit overmatched (or overconfused) and appear to be attempting a retreat. "Hmmmmm Like I said before, Doppleganers are cousin to my own race, and reside in the same area of Arcadia, The Valley of Illusion. Whoever our advisary is, obviously they've been doing some recruiting here as well." Then noting Roland's belt, "Oh, are you a member of Rolling Thunder? I never would have guessed." Peeking into the medical bag Roscoe spots a small staff that's probably _supposed_ to be a cane, and uses that to support himself as he stands on shaky legs. Moving over to where the Doctor stands, he gazes at the arch. "Are you sure you can track down Driscoll with that? Normally I could with my telepathic link to him, but until I rest up a bit I don't dare try that again. Oh well, as long as it has a liquor cabinet in there somewhere. I KNEW I shouldn't have let Driscoll carry all the rum..." Pain gives way to another sensation, cold. Driscoll lays there, slowly breathing in and out, not daring to open his eyes yet, just taking in the scents and trying to figure out where he is. Steel, concrete, a bit of musty cotton, some stagent water, and... Eyes snap open quickly only to have the gaze returned by a 9 eyed dog with the tail of an aligator staning in front of him. "Good Morning Driss, when did you get here? Oh things are looking up now. this was starting to turn out boring!" Driss was silent for a few moments, trying to force all his hate for this creature to shoot out in his gaze. But all that happened was the "dog" grew a pair of antlers and lost 3 eyes. "Chaos. Why aren't I surprised?" Wings began to sprout out of his back, and Chaos flexed them absentmindedly, "The _full_ title is The Beast of Chaos: Father to the Gods, the Heavens, the Universe and Everything, Master of Luck and all Things Random." Driss spit out some dried blood from his mouth, "mind if I just call you bastard?" Chaos gave his cheshire smile as the antlers melted into a pair of elephant ears adn the wings flew off by themselves to disappear like smoke in mid-air. "Ok!" Driss took in a deep breath, holding his temper, knowing not even the power of a god could harm Chaos. Mearly possessing one of his teeth gave Driss his power and cursed him forever as a pawn of Chaos. "I thought we had a deal, You leave me alone, and I let that guy, Kintaro, live. Remember? Now put this dimention back how it was before, and send Roscoe and I back to the bar and leave us alone!" Chaos shook his head adn all the eyes merged into one big one. "No can do, I'm not doing this, I'm just checking it out. This Controller guy creates some nice catastrophies, but he's far too ordered, not nearly as fun to watch as you Driss!" "If you didn't do this, then why are you here now?" Driss asked sharply as he turned away disgustedly from the tounge that decided to poke itself out Chaos's eye. The Room was a cell alright, solid steel door, plain matress, concrete walls painted white, and a large robot sitting on one wall with a video moniter in its torso. "Oh, just stopped by to say Hi, shoot he breeze, find out what's trix..." smiled Chaos as the Aligator tail replaced itself with a white cottontailed rabbit's tail, "But since you don't want to talk, I'll just let time start again and go. Ta ta!" With that, Chaos simply vanished, no smoke, no boom, no formality. The robot stirred and the sceen lit up to show the face of an old man, The Controller. "You are alive again....uh...Driscoll! That was your name. You were quite a surprise to my plans I must say. If I knew you would be here, I would have made accamidations for two immortals here. You are quite the rogue if memory serves me correct. The only other time I saw you, you had that pretty woman, Morgan, sitting upon your lap threatening to slice open your throat. I take it she did not know then what she was dealing with." A smile crossed his face that made it look like ti might shatter at any moment. Driscoll turned from the moniter to investigate himself, only now noticing that all his clothing was gone, as well as his equipment. "Ok, you know who I am, and I'm guessing you're The Controller, now that introductions have been done, how about giving me some clothing, or at least turn up the furnace? I'm freezing here." The smile faded and shock replaced it. "You know who I am? I thought I had kept my presense here a total secret. You are right, the formalities _are_ over then. I watched from my table as the first group of Callihanians fought against the Advisary, and he was made a fool of. I expected him to be, which is why I gave him only a small force of my collected army to use. But he gave me an insight as to this battle. I saw how a single immortal, Roland, became a spearhead of the strike. How his ingeuity and power led them to victory, and I knew I could not allow that to happen against me. But now to stop it? The answer is, don't. _Use_ it!" The figure took a long sip of tea from a cup nearly offscreen. "My plan was simple, turn Roland to my side, and use his powers to finish things quickly. But I gave the Shadows only the orders to capture 'the immortal' for me, not thinking that there might be _two," The smile creeped back, "But don't worry, I have decided to go ahead with the plan, only in this version, _you_ will kill Roland for me. Immortal vs. Immortal, to the death. funny ehh?" Driss spit at the screen, "Yeh, real funny, but it won't work. I may be many things, but a turncoat isn't one of them!" The reaching out with him mind to the mind he had touched so many times over the centuries, [Roscoe! Help me! The Shadow are pawns, the King is here! Help...] but to no avail, the door was closed. Meanwhile, the screen changed to a video of a dwarf working on a wall. The dwarf's face was a complete vacant stare and the cybernetic enhancements finished the robot look his motions gave. "I have found that when there is resistance to aiding me, cybernetic enhancments change minds quickly, but your immortal body would reject them, so _you_ I must break the old fashioned way." With that, the arms of the robot shot out, grasping Driscoll's shoulders and electricity flowed again, bringing back the darkness. =========================== From: Martin Gerster Subject: Aae: Onward & Timeward (?) Date: Sun, 02 Mar 97 00:47:53 PST Then on Fri, 28 Feb 97 (?) L.J. Wolfe (aka Morgon) wrote the following: >"Thanks for the creative intervention, Doc, but since we don't know >what's up with Stranger, and we _do_ know (all too well, she thinks, >wincing as another wave of pain washes through the link) that >Driscoll is in big trouble.... Can we please go try and find him >first?" /Yes, Morgan, excellent idea!/ chimes in "Lancett" the Sentinel-Lensdragon /Does anyone know where Xzerrion is? He wanted in on any rescue operations to save Driscoll and I think I can get a lock and track Driss by the "blank spot" his absense has caused in our "group mind." Of course, I don't know if this idea'll work if I'm inside (snicker) the "Doctor's" TARDIS./ and then /O.K. Roland I'll bite (but only in the figurative sense), while I know this is exactly the kind of question Mentor usually yells at me for asking, why were you the main target of the Mundane energy instead of say... me? If you'll please excuse me if I sound egotisical when I say this but I'm quite a fancifull creature. Posibly even more fancifull than you. At least fancifull enough for the Shide here in Tir Na Nog to accept me as one of their own. Me being hit with Mundanity would probably do quite a bit of damage to me, not to mention what it would do to our front-line of defence and offence./ =========================== Date: Sun, 2 Mar 1997 01:29:16 -0600 From: Michael Jon Knight Subject: AAE part 2 -- TARDIS Tech, and tracking team mates. The Doctor/Knightshift smiles... "I will answer all your questions at once. Of course we can find Driscoll first. I am telepathically linked to the TARDIS, and you are all telepathically linked to me. If you can find Dris, the TARDIS can take us to him." Doctor John Smith Start your day off right with Flarn! =========================== Date: Sun, 02 Mar 1997 06:39:21 From: "L.J. Wolfe" Subject: Re: AAE part 2 -- tracking team mates. At 01:29 AM 3/2/97 -0600, The Doctor/Knightshift smiles and writes: >"I will answer all your questions at once. Of course we can find >Driscoll first. I am telepathically linked to the TARDIS, and you are >all telepathically linked to me. If you can find Dris, the TARDIS can >take us to him." Morgan hand's the Doc his bag. "I made notes as I used things. Thanks again." Then she turns to Lancett. "I think that blank spot you're sensing is coming from me, from the wards I put up. Remember, Dris wasn't here long enough to really link into the group. He and I have something of a link since..." She pauses and her eyes take on a far-away look. "Another encounter some time back. It's something we, or at least _I_, have to focus on to activate, and we've never really tested it's limits. My link to Roscoe is a little stronger." She smiles fondly at the hairy little man. "I always wondered about that mind in a wolf body... You and I still need to talk when this is over, Roscoe. :-)" "What you all felt earlier came through me, and I was getting it, near as I can tell, from Roscoe and not directly from Driscoll. That's why I'm so worried. If it felt that bad third-hand, what must he be...." Her voice cracks, and she stops to collect herself. Roscoe puts an arm around her and quietly hands her a bottle of Captain Morgan's he's found in the Doc's stores. Laughing softly, she thanks him, adjusting where his hand landed. The others hear, faintly, /*I thought that might make you laugh. He'll be o.k., we'll find him.*/ "Anyway, Lancett, I..." she looks at Roscoe again, "_we_, appreciate the offer, but can you track him third-hand like that? If not, then I think we need to find a way to support Roscoe so he can open _his_ link again without getting himself fried." Morgan /|\ =========================== From: gamer@mail.hvs.com Date: Sun, 2 Mar 1997 11:23:40 -0500 Subject: Aae- Bloodhounding Roscoe quickly but tactfully retreives the bottle of Captain Morgan's from Greywolf, and proceeds to finish the last quarter bottle in a single draught. Wiping his mouth he looks down the empty bottle whistfully and tosses it away. "Well, rest can get my batteries re-charged, but I don't want to sit around waiting for that while they could be doing anything at all to Driss. But unless someone has a way to jumpstart both my overtaxed magic and my stamina, I don't know if there's any other way to do it like that. But we DO have some clues that might lead us to him a little less directly in the meantime." Roscoe starts searching for another bottle of Rum while he speaks, "First off, there are the dopplegangers. We could go to the Valley and talk with them to find out who might have come around recruiting lately. Secondly, there's the magic the Shadow-things were using that you said wasn't normal. That would mean to me that someone from Arcadia taught it to them, and to do it in such a short time they would have to be a Master Mage. We could ask Oberon to give us the names of some such mages who are currently out of his favor that might aid an invasion. And Lastly, if you haven't noticed, there is intelligent life of all kinds all over Arcadia, in every tree, and sometimes _are_ every tree, but we could backtrack the Spider-ship or the Scorpion tank that way, asking the inhabitents who would have seen them fly by." Roscoe starts draining the new bottle quickly and slumps to the floor with a happy smile on his face. Luckily since he's 3 feet tall there's not too far to slump. ;-) =========================== Subject: Re: Aae: Onward and Timeward? Date: Sun, 2 Mar 97 17:01:19 -0000 From: Roland X First, sayeth Roscoe and Driscoll, respectively: > Then noting Roland's belt, "Oh, are you a member of Rolling Thunder? >I never would have guessed." Roland smiles and blushes. "Not sure what you mean...the circle-and-lightning is from a heroic tradition that I was fortunate enough to encounter on Oa. I'm not worthy, but try telling that to a man who was the greatest hero of his Age." > The figure took a long sip of tea from a cup nearly offscreen. "My >plan was simple, turn Roland to my side, and use his powers to finish >things quickly. But I gave the Shadows only the orders to capture >'the immortal' for me, not thinking that there might be _two," The >smile creeped back, "But don't worry, I have decided to go ahead with >the plan, only in this version, _you_ will kill Roland for me. >Immortal vs. Immortal, to the death. funny ehh?" Roland shivers for a moment. He waves off the odd looks. "Nothing...just felt like someone stepped on my grave." /In the end, there can be only one./ /No. That is NOT our destiny. Not for _my_ kind./ Then quoth 'Lancett' the Green Lensdragon: >/O.K. Roland I'll bite (but only in the figurative sense), while I >know this is exactly the kind of question Mentor usually yells at me >for asking, why were you the main target of the Mundane energy >instead of say... me? If you'll please excuse me if I sound >egotisical when I say this but I'm quite a fancifull creature. >Posibly even more fancifull than you. At least fancifull enough for >the Shide here in Tir Na Nog to accept me as one of their own. Me >being hit with Mundanity would probably do quite a bit of damage to >me, not to mention what it would do to our front-line of defence and >offence./ Roland shrugs, but looks annoyed. "Damned if I know. I'm sure not accepted as one of the family in here. I'm the most resistant to such attacks, IMO, and they will have the least effect on me if successful-that is to say, it won't be lethal or anything like that-so it _seems_ like a waste of time and energy to attack me like that, even if I _was_ incapacitated for a while. But...for me, it was as if Arcadia became less, well, _real_ for a while there. Like I wasn't really here. "Scary, huh?" Finally, Morgan said: >"What you all felt earlier came through me, and I was getting it, >near as I can tell, from Roscoe and not directly from Driscoll. >That's why I'm so worried. If it felt that bad third-hand, what must >he be...." Her voice cracks, and she stops to collect herself. Roscoe >puts an arm around her and quietly hands her a bottle of Captain >Morgan's he's found in the Doc's stores. Roland turns to Morgan sympathetically. "You gonna be all right, Lady? I can lend you some energy, or-" An approaching Dragonfly-of-War is transformed into one of the more normal size. "-maybe I can help you find him. Though I'm not of the same breed of immortal as the Highlander type, we _can_ sense one another unless we cloak our mental signature. "And from what little I felt thirdhand, I wouldn't leave _Byron_ in the clutches of whatever has your friend." =========================== Date: Sun, 2 Mar 1997 14:06:11 -0800 (PST) From: Paul Campbell Subject: Re: aae-interlude On Sat, 1 Mar 1997, L.J. Wolfe wrote: > "Thanks for the creative intervention, Doc, but since we don't know > what's up with Stranger, and we _do_ know (all too well, she thinks, > wincing as another wave of pain washes through the link) that > Driscoll is in big trouble.... Can we please go try and find him > first?" Xzerrion, noting to his surprise the sudden absence of opponents, joins in the rescue mission, which is why he thought he was coming along in the first place, before getting embroiled in a rather messy war. =========================== Date: Sun, 2 Mar 1997 14:14:32 -0800 (PST) From: Paul Campbell Subject: Re: Aae: Onward & Timeward (?) On Sun, 2 Mar 1997, Martin Gerster wrote: > /Yes, Morgan, excellent idea!/ chimes in "Lancett" the Sentinel- > Lensdragon /Does anyone know where Xzerrion is? He wanted in on any > rescue operations to save Driscoll and I think I can get a lock and > track Driss by the "blank spot" his absense has caused in our "group > mind." Of course, I don't know if this idea'll work if I'm inside > (snicker) the "Doctor's" TARDIS./ and then Xzerrion is still here, > just busy, tired, wounded, and magically drained. > /O.K. Roland I'll bite (but only in the figurative sense), while I > know this is exactly the kind of question Mentor usually yells at me > for asking, why were you the main target of the Mundane energy > instead of say... me? If you'll please excuse me if I sound > egotisical when I say this but I'm quite a fancifull creature. > Posibly even more fancifull than you. At least fancifull enough > for the Shide here in Tir Na Nog to accept me as one of their own. > Me being hit with Mundanity would probably do quite a bit of damage > to me, not to mention what it would do to our front-line of defence > and offence./ Xzerrion has a possible answer : `That may be true, but have you ever tried using mind-influencing magic on any kind of dragon *without* it noticing and doing anything about it? An iffy proposition at best. I'd imagine the Mundane energy works in a similar fashion. =========================== Date: Sun, 2 Mar 1997 14:17:41 -0800 (PST) From: Paul Campbell Subject: Re: Aae- Bloodhounding On Sun, 2 Mar 1997 gamer@mail.hvs.com wrote: > Lastly, if you haven't noticed, there is intelligent life of all > kinds all over Arcadia, in every tree, and sometimes _are_ every > tree, but we could backtrack the Spider-ship or the Scorpion tank > that way, asking the inhabitents who would have seen them fly by." `Um, I already know where the shadow-ship came from,' Xzerrion sighs. `I was there, as you may remember. If Driscoll was taken to the same place, I can find it. Just watch out for the *other* dark sidhe about.' =========================== Date: Sun, 02 Mar 1997 23:28:52 From: "L.J. Wolfe" Subject: Re: Aae: Onward and Timeward? At 05:01 PM 3/2/97 -0000, Roland wrote: >> Then noting Roland's belt, "Oh, are you a member of Rolling >>Thunder? I never would have guessed." > > Roland smiles and blushes. "Not sure what you mean...the >circle-and-lightning is from a heroic tradition that I was >fortunate enough to encounter on Oa. I'm not worthy, but try >telling that to a man who was the greatest hero of his Age." > Roland turns to Morgan sympathetically. "You gonna be all >right, Lady? I can lend you some energy, or-" An approaching >Dragonfly-of-War is transformed into one of the more normal >size. "-maybe I can help you find him. Though I'm not of the >same breed of immortal as the Highlander type, we _can_ sense >one another unless we cloak our mental signature. > "And from what little I felt thirdhand, I wouldn't leave >_Byron_ in the clutches of whatever has your friend." Morgan gratefully accepts any sympathetic hugs from people who can avoid tripping over the wolves that have practically wrapped themselves around her legs. "Driscoll and I only run across each other occasionally, but we have a..." A small smile plays across her lips as several words cross her mind. Special? Interesting? Pa... no, don't go there. Not now. "_unique_ relationship. The thought of him..., of what that..., is doing to him.... I'll be o.k., I just need to stay focused and not think too much about...." She takes a deep breath, and looks down at Roscoe, sleeping soundly with empty bottle in hand. "I _might_ be able to track Dris if I can pick him up, but I don't know if I can do that without him sending to _me_ instead of Roscoe. I just wish we didn't have to wait for Roscoe to rest up be... fore...." The light dawns, as does a big smile. "Time. We have all the time in the world, don't we, Doc?" The Greywolf /|\ =========================== Date: Mon, 3 Mar 1997 11:21:45 -0600 From: Michael Jon Knight Subject: Re: Aae: Onward and Timeward? At 11:28 PM 3/2/97, Morgan wrote: >The light dawns, as does a big smile . "Time. We have all the time in >the world, don't we, Doc?" Doctor John Smith/KnightShift, currently kicking the central control console because the TARDIS's computer doesn't know who Bene Gesserit is, turns to look at Morgan. "Why yes, Morgan, yes we do...What did you have in mind?" Doctor John Smith =========================== Date: Mon, 03 Mar 1997 22:53:00 From: "L.J. Wolfe" Subject: Re: Aae: Onward and Timeward? At 11:21 AM 3/3/97 -0600, Doc Smith wrote: >"Why yes, Morgan, yes we do...What did you have in mind?" Morgan absently pokes through the Doc's bookshelves as she answers. "Roscoe needs time to rest before he's up to trying to find Driscoll. I imagine a bit of R&R wouldn't hurt the rest of us, either. I'm not a big fan of risking screwing with the time line, but can't we take this thing to some nice, out of the way place where we'll all have time to recharge before we run headlong into the-Gods-only-know-what? We could come back just after we left, thereby effectively packing a vacation into a few moments." She looks up from the shelves with faint disbelief in her eyes. "And on the way wherever we can stop at either a book or video store and get you a copy of 'Dune' before you damage that poor machine." :-) Morgan /|\ ===========================