Action, Adventure, Excitement, Part 2
                       Chapter 7 - Fight Scenes

(NOTE: all posts either to or cc <aae@kestrel.scs.uiuc.edu>)

Date: Fri, 28 Mar 1997 03:47:14 -0600
From: Michael Jon Knight <mjknight@smartnet.net>
Subject: AAE - Join in...<A call for reinforcements>

<OOC: Doctor Who fans may be aware that a TARDIS has been known to
take matters into its own hands when its operator is in trouble. This
may be a cheesey way to join in, but I hate to see anyone left out. So
I offer it up for anyone looking for a fast way to join, or rejoin,
the story.>

Mike stood behind the bar, serving drinks. After all, what else do you
do behind a bar? Fast Eddie played the piano. And everyone was having
a wonderful evening. Things had been touch-and-go for the past couple
of days. The group who went off to Arcadia had not reported in, and
there was a faint tension in the air, very unusual for the Place.

----------

In Arcadia, things were similarly tense. The group of outsiders,
proven to be such heros, had vanished in thin air. No word had been
heard from them in hours. Things, many felt, did not bode well.

A sudden wind appeared from nowhere, blowing leaves and grass away
from a central spot in the field where the strangers last did battle.
Like ripples spreading outward on a pond the wind blew as a thundering
grinding-wheezing echoed through the Heart.

----------

A similar breeze picked up inside Callahan's. Sawdust and napkins blew
away from the source of the grinding-wheezing and something began to
form in the space that had been cleared.

----------

In the Heart, an archway formed, made of sandstone. In the arch was a
wooden door. It was ten feet tall and ten feet across. Above the door,
carved in High Elven <OOC: Sorry, my Fantasy knowledge is limited
here. :) > was the word 'Entrance'. One brave Faerie ventured forward,
reaching for
the door handle. The Door suddenly swung "Inward" of it's own
volition.

----------

In the Place, a doorframe appeared. Ten feet wide and stretching to
the rafters, the door bore a simple sign reading 'Entrance'. A
similarly brave Patron reached out to open the door, and this door
swung open of it's own accord as well.

----------

Through the arched door, no matter which side you looked or in what
land, the stone corridor of the castle and the group of Callahanians
could be seen.

----------

The 'husk' door of the TARDIS swung silently open out into the
corridor behind the group of Callahanians, who were heading for the
stairs which would take them to the 'Battery'...

----------

Mike looked at the doorway.

"Looks like a call for reinforcements to me."

<OOC: Well, there you are. If you would like to use this 'gate' to
join in, feel free. Just walk through the door and you are here. If
you look back through the gate, you will see two doorways inside the
TARDIS door, one linking to Arcadia, and the other to Callahan's:

                     O
From Callahan's-->  / \  <--From Arcadia
                   O---O
                     |
                     |
                    \|/
              To The AAE Gang

Glad to see everyone is enjoying the story. Hope you can come and
play!>
===========================

From: gamer@mail.hvs.com
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 1997 18:00:50 -0500
Subject: Aae-Reprecussions

 Driss stepped from room to room, searching them all as he went, most
seemed to be deserted. In one her found a trio of orcs who were
quickly dispatched by his lightning quick blade, and in another he ran
into a giant lizard who was a bit more trouble. Then he stepped into
the lab.
 Memory came back in a trickle. The buckets of his blood still sat
next to one wall awaiting disposal. The shackles where he had hung
stood empty. Equipment that had brough such pain and even death stood
silent. Then
 "Not quite coming home again now is it Driss? Of course you can't do
that anymore anyways can you?" A voice said from his left.
 He whirled around to find chaos standing there on a lupine body with
equine legs and a lobster's head. Driss sheathed the Rapier, knowing
that it would do him no good against this foe. He stepped forward
caerfully and slowly, eyes locked on Chaos and transmitting his hate.
"That wasn't my fault. I never asked for the power and I didn't know
it would destroy Quaren. You know that. Why are you here?"
 "Tch tch tch Driss, such distrust. OK, you want the dirt, you've
already figured out what will happen if The Controller uses that
energy. And even if it's not by your own hand this time, another
Dimention will die, all because it met Driscoll of Braxton." Commented
Chaos as he grew butteryfly wings and shrunk.
 "More like because it met Chaos. I'm not falling for your tricks
anymore. You hold no power over me, and I will not let you regain what
you had." snorted Driss in return.
 "How would you like to save this dimention?" Chaos asked in a tiny
high pitched voice.
 "What are you getting at? I'm not taking your power back. I don't
care how much you beg. I don't want to be a part of you."
 "You don't have to be the one to weild the power. Any of them will
do." Commented Chaos almost off-handedly as he grew again, shedding
the butterfly wings and changing his body into that of an Aligator.
 "No! I won't let them ruin their lives like that!" Yelled Driss, fury
bursting again behind the lenses of his eyes.
 A glowing bauble appeared in Chaos's hoof as it became a hand. "just
give them this, that's all it will take. The power to do anything
beyond belief. Power even greater than that of a god since it's not
limited to a particular plane. The Controller and all those like him
could be destroyed forever. Just think of..."
 Chaos is cut off as Driss whirls around and grabs the entity. Energy
surges as Driss pulls it out of Chaos, then Chaos screams as Driss
re-directs it back at him. "I can end this all now, destroy you just
like I did the tooth. No more Chaos. No more anything."
 Chaos said between clenched teeth, "If you did, all the lives in the
Multiverse would be on your soul rather than just those of Quaren."
 "No more Multiverse, no more me. No more soul. What regrets could I
have when non-existant? I'll give you a chance to save yourself and
the rest of the multiverse though. Quit it now. Quit trying to force
the power on me, or my freinds, or my enemies. Quit it and help us end
this, or I will feel no remoorse on my soul for Arcadia, but even moe
hatred of you for not saving it." The power surged again.
 "OK OK OK! what choice do I have? I want to live as much as any
mortal creature. Fine. The Controller will recieve no aid from me, but
instead the Callihanians will gain the fortunes of luck." Chaos cried
out.
 Driss ended the power feedbacka nd eased up his grip only a bit, but
it was enough for Chaos. He shrunk again into a Cockroach and then was
gone. But Driss knew he was nearby still. he could feel the energies
around him growing. The walls of the Lab turned Turquoise and Gold and
seemed to be spinning.
 The rest of the Callahanians paused as four goblins dressed in disco
suits danced across the intersection ahead of them while "Staying
Alive" played from some unseen source and strobe lights flashed. Then
everyone hears in their minds <&>I don't Like being taken advantage of
Driss. I will hold my half of the bargain however. The Controller's
luck is gone, and my energies will work for the Army of Light now.
Taking away The Controller's home field advantage to begin with.
You're in a Chaos Zone now. No passing Go and No spitting over the
sides please.<&>
 The walls seem to ripple with a life of their own, as if they were
made of jello. The floor shakes and vibrates and the air seems to get
hotter, then colder, then hotter again. Tiny eyeballs with wings begin
fluttering around. A few bricks fall out of the walls, grow legs and
then walk off on their own.
===========================

Date: Fri, 28 Mar 1997 20:25:44
From: "L.J. Wolfe" <ljwolfe@eee.org>
Subject: Re: Aae-Reprecussions

<OOC: At this point I assume we're somewhere in the corridor on our
way to the stairs that lead down to the battery. The battery is fairly
close to the stairwell, so we won't have much in the way of corridors
to play in once we get to that level.>

<And I'm also assuming that anyone new who joins us will be deposited
by the TARDIS where we happen to be at the moment. Keeps life simple
:-).>

At 01:47 AM 3/28/97 -0600, Knytt wrote:
>As Knytt and his lupine guides sweep past the rest of the group (and
>especially Morgan) towards the stairs, a distinct blush can be seen
>even beneath the shadow of the slouch hat.

Morgan catches the quick sideways glace of the Knytt, and smiles. If
she hadn't already caught the comment about "showing off for a pretty
lady," Leetah filled her in as they passed. She files it away for
possible future reference, not caring to think about how much of a
future there might be....

Then, at 06:00 PM 3/28/97 -0500, Driscoll wrote:
<snip of his confrontation with you-know-who>
> The rest of the Callahanians paused as four goblins dressed in disco
>suits danced across the intersection ahead of them while "Staying
>Alive" played from some unseen source and strobe lights flashed. Then
>everyone hears in their minds <&>I don't Like being taken advantage
>of Driss. I will hold my half of the bargain however. The
>Controller's luck is gone, and my energies will work for the Army of
>Light now. Taking away The Controller's home field advantage to begin
>with. You're in a Chaos Zone now. No passing Go and No spitting over
>the sides please.<&>

Morgan, and the others, come to a halt at this new development. "Oh
bloody hell." She notices one less person with the group than there
should be, and her eyes blaze.

> The walls seem to ripple with a life of their own, as if they were
>made of jello. The floor shakes and vibrates and the air seems to get
>hotter, then colder, then hotter again. Tiny eyeballs with wings
>begin fluttering around. A few bricks fall out of the walls, grow
>legs and then walk off on their own.

"_Driscoll!_"

It is the tone of voice that can only come from a woman toward an
errant child or someone she had at one time been on intimate terms
with, and every male in the group cringes and is glad it's not
directed at them :-). <OOC: I don't mean this to sound shrewish,
really, it's more a case of only someone close would feel free to take
that tone with someone. :-)>

The hapless former-immortal appears from a doorway, looking a bit
sheepish. The Greywolf glares at him.

"_What_ in the name of all the _Gods_ have you done _now_?!"

Morgan  /|\
<well? (tap tap tap).... I'm waiting :-)>
===========================

Date: Fri, 28 Mar 1997 22:21:38 -0800 (PST)
From: fuzzy <fuzzy@wco.com>
Subject: Re: AAE - Join in...<A call for reinforcements>

On Fri, 28 Mar 1997, Martin Gerster wrote:
>> A similar breeze picked up inside Callahan's. Sawdust and napkins
>> blew away from the source of the grinding-wheezing and something
>> began to form in the space that had been cleared.
<snip>
>> Mike looked at the doorway.

Mike didn't notice at first the portal opening near the door...
 This is the kind of portal that can only open if enough fictons on
each side are attuned to the other side.
 A 5'10" Male (looks human), Blond, Hazel eyes, About 35 years old,
dives through at high speed half a moment before the portal
destabalizes and appears to flow into him.
 The memory of that portal to a world of Giant Buildings and Violent
Slums fading. It will require some dreaming of that particular portal
before it can be re-opened.
 Mumbleing something about wishing ficton portals wouldn't do that, He
merges with a shadow of himself that has been lurking in the rafters
for over six months.

>> "Looks like a call for reinforcements to me."
<snip>
>> <Glad to see everyone is enjoying the story. Hope you can come
>> and play!>

Dropping a large bag of coin on the bar "One for the house!, Greasings
and Lubrications to all"
"I've got it now, Don't worry I'll cadge drinks later"
Picking-up his Tea he approches The Line
"To Inspirational Fictions"
Chug, Crash
"Sorry about the portal"
"Fuzzy of the Interstitial Bureau of Sabotage" he Identifies himself.

In passing
"Greetings Lord" to Male Felines
"Greetings Queen" to Female Felines

"Caprice, I think you said something about comeing along?"
"I'm not sure that gate will stay stabile if I use it, You can come
with me or use that gate".
A spot of space shows a patch of raw chaos, then expands to show an
iner circle of opening to the corridor with the AAE team in it. as
this happens it radiates raw undiferentiated energy in both locations,
this will add charge to personal, magical, and tech reserves of all
kinds as it thinks its whatever kind of energy it first encounters.
"I can only do this once in any kilometer area per lunar month without
Major Risk of losing control, but at least it doesn't Distroy Gates"
Stepping though the gate...
<OOC: Oberon may be aware the a Cat-Changeling Mage has entered his
realm.>

Lets see how this goes over...
Fuzzy
===========================

Date: Fri, 28 Mar 1997 22:45:15
From: "L.J. Wolfe" <ljwolfe@eee.org>
Subject: Re: AAE - Join in...<A call for reinforcements>

At 10:21 PM 3/28/97 -0800, Fuzzy wrote:
> A 5'10" Male (looks human), Blond, Hazel eyes, About 35 years old,
>dives through at high speed half a moment before the portal
>destabalizes and appears to flow into him.
<snip>
>Stepping though the gate...
><OOC: Oberon may be aware the a Cat-Changeling Mage has entered his
>realm.>
>
>Lets see how this goes over...

Morgan briefly takes her eyes of Driscoll to appraise this newcomer.
He has the scent of Callahans on him, which marks him as an ally and
makes them all a bit homesick. And he has the "feel" of a cat, which
Morgan considers kindred spirits to wolves.

She bats at winged eyeball as it flies past her face, and flashes a
brief yet warm smile.

"Welcome to the party, friend. Dhyrclhanc, do you have a mini-lens for
our new comrad here?"

Her gaze returns to Driscoll, an eyebrow arches, and her voice is calm
as she asks, "Well?"

Morgan  /|\
(who's enjoying putting Dris on the spot <beg>)
===========================

Date: Sat, 29 Mar 1997 10:44:46 -0500
From: Caprice <caprice@southeast.net>
Subject: Re: AAE - Join in...<A call for reinforcements>

fuzzy wrote:
> Dropping a large bag of coin on the bar "One for the house!,
> Greasings and Lubrications to all"

Caprice looks up at that, "I'll have one of whatever the house is
drinking."

> "Caprice, I think you said something about comeing along?"

Caprice arches a brow, "But we just met, Fuzzy... and I'm not even
breathing hard yet."

> "I'm not sure that gate will stay stabile if I use it, You can come
> with me or use that gate".
> A spot of space shows a patch of raw chaos, then expands to show an
> iner circle of opening to the corridor with the AAE team in it. as
> this happens it radiates raw undiferentiated energy in both
> locations, this will add charge to personal, magical, and tech
> reserves of all kinds as it thinks its whatever kind of energy it
> first encounters.

Caprice finishes her drink quickly. "To quote Tom Smith, Nothing
Adventured, Nothing Gamed...."

> "I can only do this once in any kilometer area per lunar month
> without Major Risk of losing control, but at least it doesn't
> Distroy Gates"

"A pity... I thought something might finally be done about Bill."

> Stepping though the gate...

Caprice took a deep breath, and stepped out of the Chaos gate. The
woman that emerged was not quite the one who had stepped into it.
     The height was the most dramatic change, from five foot five, to
a bit over six feet tall now. This had the additional effect of making
her body seem more proportional, her broad shoulders and large frame
more at home where it had room to stretch out. Her figure was mostly a
matter of speculation, as she more a breastplate that covered her from
neck to hips. Beneath that she wore a silvery grey shirt of some kind,
the sleeves gathered at the wrists in tight cuffs. Her trousers were
of the same cloth, loose and flowing, tucked into black leather boots.
     Her face had undergone the least change, though it was if
anything more rugged, handsome, though not beautiful. Her long brown
hair was now more than half silver, and braided and coiled at the back
of her head.
     Moments after Caprice exited the chaos gate it dialated down to a
point, then ceased to be, cutting off the undifferentiated Energy
Flux.
     Fuzzy comments, 'Can't keep those open for more than few miniutes
at a time. no-one wants universal solvent loose in their realm.'
     Caprice looks around, looks at herself, and sighs. "Cats and
Chaos... oh my..."
     Just then something small and grey wiggles away from Mayhem, and
moves right at Caprice in a silvery blur, wrapping itself around her
shoulders, grabbing onto her throat.
     * mommamommamomma! thereweretanks, andaprincess,
andthetunacanexploded, andthewolfwasgoingtoBATHEme... * With that
Mischief manages to perch more steadily on one of Caprice's shoulder,
sticks a nose in the woman's ear, and begins to purr.
===========================

From: Martin Gerster <ofgerst@pluto.njcc.com>
Subject: Re: AAE - Join in...<A call for reinforcements>
Date: Sat, 29 Mar 97 11:03:55 PST

On Fri, 28 Mar 97 Morgan O'Daire (L.J. Wolf, ljwolf@eee.org, added:
> "Welcome to the party, friend. Dhyrclhanc, do you have a mini-lens
> for our new comrad here?"
>
> Her gaze returns to Driscoll, an eyebrow arches, and her voice is
> calm as she asks, "Well?"
>
> Morgan  /|\
> (who's enjoying putting Dris on the spot <beg>)

/Well, I wouldn't want to be in Driss's shoes right now./sends the
Sentinel-Lensdragon, at about the same time as the feline mage
realizes there's a 16" tall, vaguely humanoid dragon with a
styracosaurus crest, ram's horns and a body which is every hue of the
uppper end of the rainbow, in the party.

(Fuzzy's reaction to be filled in here)

/My Lord/ Fuzzy hears inside of his mind /We've been having problems
recently about memebers of this Army of light disappearing on us. So,
if you'll excuse the intrusion, I need to glance around inside you
skull and install some perifery(sp?) hardware and software. Just to
make sure, you see, that you, nor anyone, else dissapears on us at
this stage of the game./

The Feline Mage will notice that whenever Dhyrclhanc "speaks"
telepathically, a large ice-white/blue uncut cabachon(read: his Lens)
he wears in a leather headress, glows and/or shimmers. Fuzzy will then
notice that everyone in this Army of Light has one of these objects
(although theirs are noticably smaller than that of the dragon and
they seem to come in every hue under the sun), all of the humanoids
wear one on their off-wrists and the non-humaniods wear theirs on
their foreheads.

Fuzzy then gets the peculiar feeling of someone rummaging around
inside his skull. Then it feels like a light-switch was clicked on in
a dark room he wasn't even aware had existed. A multi-voiced /Hi
there!/ rang in his inner-ear like the opening of Peter Gabriel's "Big
Time" being played on a near- infinite number of radios.

The gathering of Callahanians all look from Fuzzy, who is suddenly
aware he's wearing one of these "mini-Lenses" too, to Dhyrclhanc, who
although he has no pupils, gives everyone the distinct impression that
he's cross-eyed. As his eyes refocus everyone "hears" /He is... a Cat,
his ansestors(sp?) were cats and his decendents will be cats, he is in
short, in every way shape or form a... Cat.
wubawubawubawubawubawubawuba Well thats what I get, I suppose for
sneaking around in the mind of a feline (which is strange enough, no
offence Fuzzy) who also Knows Magick. Oh well./

The draconian Lensman seems to have recovered and so says, vocally,
"For those of you recently recieved those 'gifts' from me, they are
Yours now to do with what you wish. Now, as soon as Caprice and
Mischief catch up lett's get this show on the road. I'm eager, as
Shylock would say, to extract my pound of flesh from this Controller."
===========================

From: gamer@mail.hvs.com
Date: Sat, 29 Mar 1997 14:25:52 -0500
Subject: Aae-Strange Bedfellows.

 Driss looks at Morgan with a slight look fo appology in his eyes.
"Chaos still know what to say to push all my buttons. It's about the
only way he has of controlling me anymore. But he also fears me
because I'm the only person I know of who has weilded the power of
Chaos and then given it up. I can still feel his presense, and I can
still control the Chaos energy when I come in contact with it. Hence I
and the various Dieties of the Multiverse are the only ones who can
use his power, nad I'm pretty much the only one who might use it to
kill him. whatever mischeif he may get into, he has promised his aid
to us and will give it, though he will probably add as many
distractions along the way as he can just for his ammusement. The
Mountain is still the same, just filled with Chaos energy right now."
He grabs one of the flying eyeballs and it pops like a soap bubble.
"The Controller has lost what good fortune he had, adn his army is
going to be even more distraced and disrupted by this than we are.
It's time to settle a score or ten." Driss's rapier is in his hand
once more, and he starts down the hall, stepping on one of the
wandering bricks popping it as well.

 The conroller looks at his Moniters dismayed. One Moniter has become
a face and is snapping at psdding eyeballs. Another shows a large
group of Orcs watching three Goblins Disco. Another shows a tunnel
collapse, crushing a Centaur. Then the stones get up and wander off,
leaving the mutilated corpse where it lay. "The army is lost to me
now, and the wolves are at my door. But the Controller is not bested
so easily." He presses a few buttons on the panel before him and turns
around.
 A large section of the floor opens and up rises a platform upon which
10 figures in white stand motionless. Across their chests are
bandoliers of assorted grenades, and in their hands are large caliber
selective fire rifles with sniper scopes. Their robotic faces are
masked, but the adjustable lenses of thier eyes poke through. The
Controller strikes some more buttons and they snap to attention.
 "Executioners 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Seek and Destroy the
Callihanians. If you are captured or are in the midst of a large
group, active your auto-destruct sequence. Executioners 7, 8, 9 and
10, come with me to defend the battery. That will be their final
objective."
 The robots move out with near elvish agility and silence.
===========================

Date: Sat, 29 Mar 1997 16:06:12 -0800 (PST)
From: fuzzy <fuzzy@wco.com>
Subject: New Arrivals

On Sat, 29 Mar 1997, Caprice wrote:
> fuzzy wrote:
>> "Caprice, I think you said something about comeing along?"
>
> Caprice arches a brow, "But we just met, Fuzzy... and I'm not even
> breathing hard yet."

 "Did I get that wrong? I thought that was spelt 'cumming'? Ohh
weeellll We 'If you like' can look into that later" mumbling "Human
language... of which the American version of English is assuredly the
worst."

>> "I can only do this once in any kilometer area per lunar month
>> without Major Risk of losing control, but at least it doesn't
>> Distroy Gates"
>
> "A pity... I thought something might finally be done about Bill."

 "If you would like, Perhaps we could send Mr Gates to one of the
Cyberpunk realms and leave him there 'totally out classed' when we get
back"
===========================

Date: Sat, 29 Mar 1997 17:50:48 -0800 (PST)
From: fuzzy <fuzzy@wco.com>
Subject: Ouch, /thats fun/

On Sat, 29 Mar 1997, Martin Gerster wrote:
>>At 10:21 PM 3/28/97 -0800, Fuzzy wrote:
>>> A 5'10" Male (looks human), Blond, Hazel eyes, About 35 years
>>> old, dives through at high speed half a moment before the portal
>>> destabalizes and appears to flow into him.

 I forgot to mention American Caucasian 'Pale Skined 'Hienz 57''.
 (I'm notably Color-Blind in this respect.)

> /Well, I wouldn't want to be in Driss's shoes right now./sends the
> Sentinel-Lensdragon, at about the same time as the feline mage
> realizes there's a 16" tall, vaguely humanoid dragon with a
> styracosaurus crest, ram's horns and a body which is every hue of
> the uppper end of the rainbow, in the party.

/Neither would I/, looking to to see who sent that...
  Seeing Dhyrclhanc (whom I'm sure can see Auras) his Aura stands on
end /Lord<starteled send>/ "Ohh A Dragon, Kinships Greetings Lord"

> /My Lord/ Fuzzy hears inside of his mind /We've been having problems
> recently about memebers of this Army of light disappearing on us.
> So, if you'll excuse the intrusion, I need to glance around inside
> you skull and install some perifery(sp?) hardware and software.
> Just to make sure, you see, that you, nor anyone, else dissapears on
> us at this stage of the game./

/According to the Queen who raised me, I am unlikely to ever truely be
a Lord as no Queen will ever consider me a proper mate or dalliance/
/I can Expect to go straight from Adolescent to Elder one of these
years/

> The Feline Mage will notice that whenever Dhyrclhanc "speaks"
> telepathically, a large ice-white/blue uncut cabachon(read: his
> Lens) he wears in a leather headress, glows and/or shimmers. Fuzzy
> will then notice that everyone in this Army of Light has one of
> these objects (although theirs are noticably smaller than that of
> the dragon and they seem to come in every hue under the sun), all of
> the humanoids wear one on their off-wrists and the non-humaniods
> wear theirs on their foreheads.

"I thought thoughs things were full PolyChromatic 'must be the
influence of his other equipment'"

> Fuzzy then gets the peculiar feeling of someone rummaging around
> inside his skull. Then it feels like a light-switch was clicked on
> in a dark room he wasn't even aware had existed. A multi-voiced /Hi
> there!/ rang in his inner-ear like the opening of Peter Gabriel's
> "Big Time" being played on a near- infinite number of radios.

Watching carefully as this happens...
 The mind pattern of the Cat in question flares brite with raw fictons
<absorbed from gate thru which he arrived at Callahans>.

[this line moved - alterations in single quotes]
> who is suddenly aware he's 'about to be' wearing one of these
> "mini-Lenses" too,

 the nascent mini-lens flickers between arm and forehead before an act
of will localizes it on the wrist, part of the ficton glow drains into
it expanding it in an echo of Fuzzy's Mind pattern into a True Lens.
 Noticably smaller than Dhyrclhanc's but at least as fine grained and
complex.

/So thats what a Lens assisted wide-open-N-Way link feels like/
/Hello, Good Hunting to us all/
/I wish you had warned me, I might have been able to keep a better
grip on those fictons, I would not have chosen to spend part of such a
limited resource on a True Lens at this time/
/Ohh Well, Done is Done./

> The gathering of Callahanians all look from Fuzzy,

[line moved]

> to Dhyrclhanc, who although
> he has no pupils, gives everyone the distinct impression that he's
> cross-eyed. As his eyes refocus everyone "hears" /He is... a Cat,
> his ansestors(sp?) were cats and his decendents will be cats, he is
> in short, in every way shape or form a... Cat.

/I am unlikly to have any true descendants, I have never even heard of
a female Cat-Changeling and no other Queen would find me acceptable/

> wubawubawubawubawubawubawuba Well thats what I get, I suppose for
> sneaking around in the mind of a feline (which is strange enough, no
> offence Fuzzy) who also Knows Magick. Oh well./

"No Offence, I have never met a Stranger there is no one stranger than
me, although Driscoll might have been..." ;)

> The draconian Lensman seems to have recovered and so says, vocally,
> "For those of you recently recieved those 'gifts' from me, they are
> Yours now to do with what you wish. Now, as soon as Caprice and
> Mischief catch up lett's get this show on the road. I'm eager, as
> Shylock would say, to extract my pound of flesh from this
> Controller."

"I assume that this Controller is today's designated Mouse?"

<OOC It may be worth while to read my intro in alt.callahans to
understand where I'm comeing from...>
===========================

Subject: Re: Aae-Strange Bedfellows.
Date: Sun, 30 Mar 97 01:39:10 -0000
From: Roland X <rolandx@ix.netcom.com>

>It's time to settle a score or ten." Driss's rapier is in his hand
>once more, and he starts down the hall, stepping on one of the
>wandering bricks popping it as well.

  "I don't know what's worse," Roland sighs, grimacing at the Chaos
around them. "Chaos as an enemy...or as an ally. Oh, and
Driscoll...don't _ever_ do that again."

> A large section of the floor opens and up rises a platform upon
>which 10 figures in white stand motionless. Across their chests are
>bandoliers of assorted grenades, and in their hands are large caliber
>selective fire rifles with sniper scopes. Their robotic faces are
>masked, but the adjustable lenses of thier eyes poke through. The
>Controller strikes some more buttons and they snap to attention.
> "Executioners 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Seek and Destroy the
>Callihanians. If you are captured or are in the midst of a large
>group, active your auto-destruct sequence. Executioners 7, 8, 9 and
>10, come with me to defend the battery. That will be their final
>objective."
> The robots move out with near elvish agility and silence.

  Byron Gaunt appears in the chamber of the Controller.
  "What-WHO DARES-"
  "I do," the Controller replies. "I have summoned you here for a
purpose."
  "NO ONE SUMMONS BYRON GAUNT!"
  The Controller smiles. It is a cold, terrible thing. "Then it
pleases me to be the first." He holds out his hand. A glowing, rigid
pattern appears in his hand. It seems to start dripping...emptiness,
after a moment.
  "What..." Byron stares at the sigil, a square within a circle. "Is
that..."
  "A symbol of order. Corrupted, of course. It is yours."
  Byron stares at the Controller. "Why?"
  "The enemy of my enemy is my friend," he says, pointing at a
monitor.
  Roland zips alertly around Morgan, still well into 'overprotective'
mode.
  "Oh no. It is far too soon to be facing _him_ again." Byron shakes
his head. "I suffered enough at his hands before."
  "Of course," the Controller agrees. "Which is why I offer you this.
It will shield you from the chaos, and strengthen your powers to the
point where you can defeat the Silver Phoenix. With ease."
  Byron stares dubiously at the sigil for a moment, then snatches it
out of the air.
  He screams.
  "The Unbeing dripping from it probably won't even consume you," the
Controller adds with a smile...
  (Meanwhile, back at the ranch...)
  "Morgan, what do you think this battery is-"
  He suddenly turns and rams into an empty space in the corridor
behind him.
  Except it isn't empty.
  "Ah, dear Roland," Byron says, smiling down at the stunned Silver
Phoenix, who merely bounced off his old adversasry. "I have so been
looking forward to seeing you again. I never dared hope it would be so
soon."
  A floating eyeball turns into a beholder, only every eye has a mouth
filled with razor sharp teeth in each pupil. Byron merely stares at it
and it crystallizes, then ceases to exist.
  "RUN!" Roland screams, drawing his staff. The silver weapon is a
blur around him.
  "Oh, my dear heroic fool, you haven't the slightest concept what
I've become." Byron draws his Bone Brand(1) sword and slices through
Roland's staff with one swipe.
  Roland screams.
  "It hurts, doesn't it? Like losing an arm."
  A psychokinetic blast shakes the walls. It pushes Byron back a few
inches.
  "You refuse to surrender, don't you?" Byron shakes his head. "I
almost hoped for a better fight than this...oh well. At least the
druid is cute-"
  "EEYAH!" Roland slams the two pieces of his staff to- gether. They
twist, become fluid, and reform into his sword. The shockwave knocks
Byron back a full meter.
  "There can be only one."
  Byron smiles. "Not only is that not true of our kind, you cannot
kill."
  "It is true for the two of us, and for the others... well, let's
just say I'm willing to get my hands dirty."
  Roland's swordsmanship has never been much more than mediocre.
Halting, uncertain, as if he didn't feel...right...in battle with it.
  The ninja-to is a blur in front of him.
  "GO!" Roland cries, certain that the others have not left him. "I
have to do this. Alone."
  Byron backs away. "You-you're not-you won't-"
  Roland's eyes narrow. "I _am_ this good, and I will if I have to."
  Byron's backbone returns, and he raises his sword. "You're still not
good enough to beat me."
  "Only one way to find out..."
  The swords clash, bone on metal.
  (TBC...<EG>)
===========================

Date: Sun, 30 Mar 1997 02:55:35 -0600
From: Michael Jon Knight <mjknight@smartnet.net>
Subject: Re: Aae-Strange Bedfellows.

At 01:39 AM 3/30/97 -0000, Roland X wrote:
<Big Snip>
>  "GO!" Roland cries, certain that the others have not
>left him. "I have to do this. Alone."
>  Byron backs away. "You-you're not-you won't-"
>  Roland's eyes narrow. "I _am_ this good, and I will if
>I have to."
>  Byron's backbone returns, and he raises his sword.
>"You're still not good enough to beat me."
>  "Only one way to find out..."
>  The swords clash, bone on metal.
>  (TBC...<EG>)

/Roland...you know I love to watch you work, but with a Battery to
blow, a Controllor to kill, and a Multiverse to save...I'm swamped.../
Down the hall, a large tree appeared. Above a knot on the tree, a
crude sign read 'Secret Entrance' "Well, Chaos got the joke..."

"Stay and toy with your friend here, if you like, Roland. Let him win
a bit before you kill him. Wouldn't want him to feel like he wasn't
doing well." /Gang, we better get moving...Morgan, I'll be with Cutter
and Leetah./

Knytt promptly vanishes like the fog.
===========================

Date: Sun, 30 Mar 1997 01:10:54 -0800 (PST)
From: fuzzy <fuzzy@wco.com>
Subject: Re: Aae-Strange Bedfellows.

On Sun, 30 Mar 1997, Michael Jon Knight wrote:
> /Roland...you know I love to watch you work, but with a Battery to
> blow, a Controllor to kill, and a Multiverse to save...I'm
> swamped.../ Down the hall, a large tree appeared. Above a knot on
> the tree, a crude sign read 'Secret Entrance' "Well, Chaos got the
> joke..."

 /Work is Fascinating, but so are Secret Entrances, I'm with you
Knytt.../

> "Stay and toy with your friend here, if you like, Roland. Let him
> win a bit before you kill him. Wouldn't want him to feel like he
> wasn't doing well."

 Besides, Any prey worth-while is deserving of a little exitement
before it dies.

> /Gang, we better get moving...Morgan, I'll be with Cutter and
> Leetah./
>
> Knytt promptly vanishes like the fog.

 Well I thought I was... 'To Pyewackett /Is that shadow-merge
something I could learn or do you have to be a god to pull it off?/

 '/I'll just tagalong with the main group./'

<OOC '/  /' notation for said and sent? >
===========================

From: gamer@mail.hvs.com
Date: Sun, 30 Mar 1997 06:15:10 -0500
Subject: Aae-Fight scenes!

 Driss makes a half step towards Byron and Roland before thinking
better of it. "No, I'm not immortal anymore. I might just get in his
way." he mutters to himself. Instead, he reaches into his cloak and
pulls out a small blue box with a satellite-like dish on one side and
some controls on the other. A small glowing gem also falls out of
Driss's cloak, but he doesn't seem to notice it.
 [Roland! He's protected by a feild of Order, kinda. It doesn't feel
right, but it's there. Magicks and psychokinetic powers may not be
able to make it through at all as they are elements derived from Chaos
energy. I know you don't want to kill, so I dropped a Statis Feild
Generator back here if you want to use it. just type in 47184 to
activate it. His own feild should even amplify the field and make sure
he can't get out.]
 Driss turns and with a single step of his 7 league boots, is standing
next to Roscoe. Behind him, the fight goes on, and the little gem by
the Generator seems to pulse with every swing, and if anyone were near
it to look deep into it, they would swear there was a little face in
there that kept changing. Except for the Cheshire grin that is.
 Roscoe is following Squee closely as they head back to the stairs.
Unfortunately, the youthful guide keeps getting distracted by all the
"neat" things going on around him. More than once Roscoe has had to
swat him with a paw when he has stopped to try to stare down two
eyeballs inside a hole, or when he started to go down a corridor that
seemed to be made of gingerbread and candy.
 His annoyance with Squee is disrupted though, by a rifle shot. The
explosive slug hits the wall an inch over Squee's head and stone chips
fly. The wall itself gives out a howl of pain, and brown blood seems
to be leaking from the wound. Roscoe shifts into Hellhound form as the
rifle fires again, this time in a three round burst. Two miss him and
go screaming down the hallway further, the third plunks itself into
his shoulder and explodes, causing meat and gristle to fly, but no
blood.
 Roscoe bounds forward and sees a ventalation shaft that turned into a
face when Chaos came. from between the teeth, a rifle barrel could
just barely be seen. Hellfire poured from Roscoe's mouth and nose and
nose and filled the small shaft. An Explosion quickly followed,
causing a rain of stone to begin to fall from the ceiling. Though
Driss popped the walking stone like it was nothing, these seem to
thunk to realisticly to make sticking around desireable.
 Roscoe dashes back, scoops up Squee by the scruff of the neck and
races down the hall to somewhere that's a bit more stable.
===========================

Date: Mon, 31 Mar 1997 02:38:00 -0800
From: Gareth L Owen <pe21@dial.pipex.com>
Subject: Re: Aae-Reprecussions

L.J. Wolfe wrote:
> <OOC: At this point I assume we're somewhere in the corridor on our
> way to the stairs that lead down to the battery. The battery is
> fairly close to the stairwell, so we won't have much in the way of
> corridors to play in once we get to that level.>

[OOC: I'm still here, obviously, during the battle with Driscoll I
covered the rear against a sneak attack by Drow (what you didn't
notice them creeping up? :-) and the only other thing to note is that
when I received my lens I examined it and smiled, it was a Good Thing
and Felt Right, I guess I'm starting to show up in the Link now,
though it's against the Strangers nature. BTW, my recent absence is in
large part due to getting a new computer, it's still not set up as I'd
like it, but I've spent far too much time struggling with it as it is,
I'm back for the time being]

> Then, at 06:00 PM 3/28/97 -0500, Driscoll wrote:
> <snip of his confrontation with you-know-who>
>> The rest of the Callahanians paused as four goblins dressed in
>>disco suits danced across the intersection ahead of them while
>>"Staying Alive" played from some unseen source and strobe lights
>>flashed. Then everyone hears in their minds <&>I don't Like being
>>taken advantage of Driss. I will hold my half of the bargain
>>however. The Controller's luck is gone, and my energies will work
>>for the Army of Light now. Taking away The Controller's home field
>>advantage to begin with. You're in a Chaos Zone now. No passing Go
>>and No spitting over the sides please.<&>

"You know, if I didn't know better, I'd say Arioch was here."

<snip>
And Driss replied:
> Driss looks at Morgan with a slight look fo appology in his eyes.
>"Chaos still know what to say to push all my buttons. It's about the
>only way he has of controlling me anymore. But he also fears me
>because I'm the only person I know of who has weilded the power of
>Chaos and then given it up. I can still feel his presense, and I can
>still control the Chaos energy when I come in contact with it. Hence
>I and the various Dieties of the Multiverse are the only ones who can
>use his power, nad I'm pretty much the only one who might use it to
>kill him.

<ahem>
"Actually, I have a good part of Chaos in me, evenly balanced by Law.
Is my presence here going to tip things in our favour, do you think?"

>whatever mischeif he may get into, he has promised his aid to us and
>will give it, though he will probably add as many distractions along
>the way as he can just for his ammusement. The Mountain is still the
>same, just filled with Chaos energy right now." He grabs one of the
>flying eyeballs and it pops like a soap bubble. "The Controller has
>lost what good fortune he had, adn his army is going to be even more
>distraced and disrupted by this than we are. It's time to settle a
>score or ten." Driss's rapier is in his hand once more, and he starts
>down the hall, stepping on one of the wandering bricks popping it as
>well.

[Driss, I hope this fits with what you have in mind, my character is
based on the Moorcock fictions, as LJ Morgan kindly pointed out, so it
fits pretty well IMHO]

"Hmmm, can I still warp Chaos I wonder?"

the Stranger concentrated and reached out, the space around his hand
seemed to melt and shimmer, before swirling in on itself to form a
lightsaber, perfect in every regard and bright pink.

"May take some practice, but I can use this."

The Stranger smiled

"The chaos, I mean, rather than the lightsaber, although I can use
that too."

"Now..."

there was a flash of energy around the Stranger and when it faded he
stood, clad in shimmering silver chain and with his swords in hand, a
red surcoat and burnished bronze dragonfaced helm topped it off.

"...shall we go?"
===========================

From: Martin Gerster <ofgerst@pluto.njcc.com>
Subject: Re: Ouch, /thats fun/
Date: Mon, 31 Mar 97 00:01:03 PST

On Sat, 29 Mar 97 "Fuzzy" (fuzzy@wco.com) wrote:
>> /Well, I wouldn't want to be in Driss's shoes right now./sends the
>> Sentinel-Lensdragon, at about the same time as the feline mage
>> realizes there's a 16" tall, vaguely humanoid dragon with a
>> styracosaurus crest, ram's horns and a body which is every hue of
>> the uppper end of the rainbow, in the party.

(O.C.C.: Actually that should've been "there's a 16' foot tall vaugely
humaniod dragon... ")

> /According to the Queen who raised me, I am unlikely to ever truely
> be a Lord as no Queen will ever consider me a proper mate or
> dalliance/  /I can Expect to go straight from Adolescent to Elder
> one of these years/

/Maybe I've been hanging around SCAdians too much in RL./ Sends
Dhyrlhanc back to the Feline Mage /"Lord" is a title of respect I
refer to other whom I consider to be my equal or my superior. For
females, I subsitiut "My Lady" for "My Lord" for obvious reasons./

/Speaking of whom/ The adolecent Ruby FIre Dragon "sends" on a
slightly different psychic frequency. /My Lady Morgan, in response to
your earlier thread, while I do, strangly enough, find human females
attractive I figure that any daliances that are too be had will need
to be worried about after we finish this mission. Although, I'm not
sure your "offer" was ment for me, I'm flattered nonetheless, I
think./

<snip>
> /So thats what a Lens assisted wide-open-N-Way link feels like/
> /Hello, Good Hunting to us all/
> /I wish you had warned me, I might have been able to keep a better
> grip on those fictons, I would not have chosen to spend part of such
> a limited resource on a True Lens at this time/
> /Ohh Well, Done is Done./

/I'm sure you're going to have to explain that all to me at some later
date/ continues the Sentinel-Lensdragon, once again "sending" to
"Fuzzy" /But you may consider me suitably impressed if you have that
fine a control over reality through your Magick that you can change on
of my "pseudo" mini-lenses into a full-blown True Lens. Unfortunatly,
as powerfull as I am. My real power rests within my ability to focus
my psychic energies through my own Lens and weilding my
Sentinel's/GL's First Ring. I do, although partly in jest, call myself
a mage, but my True magickal abilities are currently limited to the
Art of Geomancy./

>> to Dhyrclhanc, who although
>> he has no pupils, gives everyone the distinct impression that he's
>> cross-eyed. As his eyes refocus everyone "hears" /He is... a Cat,
>> his ansestors(sp?) were cats and his decendents will be cats, he is
>> in short, in every way shape or form a... Cat.
>
>/I am unlikly to have any true descendants, I have never even heard
>of a female Cat-Changeling and no other Queen would find me
>acceptable/

(O.C.C..: Actually, it's a quote from the first season of "Red Dwarf."
Maybe you just don't watch British Sci-Fi TV.)

> "I assume that this Controller is today's designated Mouse?"

/Indeed! (Mental <EG>)/
===========================

From: Martin Gerster <ofgerst@pluto.njcc.com>
Subject: Re: re: Aae-Strange Bedfellows (Longish)
Date: Mon, 31 Mar 97 00:31:50 PST

On Sat, 29 Mar 97 Roland X (rolandx@ix.netcom.com) says:
<snip>
>  Byron's backbone returns, and he raises his sword.
> "You're still not good enough to beat me."
>  "Only one way to find out..."
>  The swords clash, bone on metal.

"Say, Roland." says the Sentinel-Lensdragon, aloud, "If you'd just
tell me where I can hit this idiot so that it'll do the most good, I'd
be happy to do so. Who's this loser supposed to be anyway?"

Both assailants pause momentarily to see Dhyrclhanc standing alone in
the coridor pointing his huge hybryd (sp?) rapid-fire, charged
particle beam projector/semi-automatic grenade-launcher weapon
straight at the figure of "Byron Gaunt."

"You didn't think I'd leave you to fight this bastard alone did you?
No matter what you might've said."

"And you," continues the adolencent Ruby Fire Dragon, addressing the
blond figure who earlier was tormenting KnightShift. "You don't think
I can do anything to affect you, do you? Well, I'm afraid you're
wrong. You see, unlike the others in this 'Army of Light,' while I may
be a compatriot to Chaos, I am predominently a Champion of Law/Good,
in both my incarnations as 'Sentinel' and as 'Lensdragon' so your
protective sigil against Chaos may be effective against my companions
but I don't think it'll be very effective against me. Of course, you
could ignore me, but then we'll just see what happens then, will we
not?"

"Then again," continues Dhyrclhanc, "The odds are against you at
two-to-one."

(O.C.C.: Take it away, Roland)  ; )
===========================

Date: Sun, 30 Mar 1997 21:42:17 -0800 (PST)
From: Paul Campbell <xzerrion@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: Aae-Fight scenes!

On Sun, 30 Mar 1997 gamer@mail.hvs.com wrote:
>  Roscoe bounds forward and sees a ventalation shaft that turned into
> a face when Chaos came. from between the teeth, a rifle barrel could
> just barely be seen. Hellfire poured from Roscoe's mouth and nose
> and nose and filled the small shaft. An Explosion quickly followed,
> causing a rain of stone to begin to fall from the ceiling. Though
> Driss popped the walking stone like it was nothing, these seem to
> thunk to realisticly to make sticking around desireable.

< Crap. So that's why I left the underdark, > Xzerrion mutters. <
cave-ins.>

>  Roscoe dashes back, scoops up Squee by the scruff of the neck and
> races down the hall to somewhere that's a bit more stable.

Xzerrion had been staying with the main group through all the
excitement, and slipped into the point position when Roland branched
off to take on Byron.

< Which way, milady? I'll just stay in front to watch for ....
AMBUSHES!>

Xzerrion ducks back around the corner as several hand-crossbow bolts
hit the wall where he had been standing forcing the others back with
him.

< Small problem. There's about fifteen driders ahead of us. >

Xzerrion reaches into his pouch, pulling out two flasks of Greek fire.

<I'm a bit low on magic, but this will do. >

He rolls the vials around the corner and then, taking a deep breath,
dives into the hall, comes up on one knee, and hurls a candle-sized
flame from either hand, igniting the Greek fire. The resulting
explosion hurls their ranks into chaos, though without causing much
real damage.

<Quick, before they recover.>

Xzerrion draws Frostbite and Cobra and leaps into battle, trying to
cut a path to the center of the complex.
===========================

Date: Sun, 30 Mar 1997 21:50:33 -0800 (PST)
From: fuzzy <fuzzy@wco.com>
Subject: Re: Ouch, /thats fun/

On Mon, 31 Mar 1997, Martin Gerster wrote:
> (O.C.C.: Actually that should've been "there's a 16' foot tall
> vaugely humaniod dragon... ")

(O.C.C.: I read it as feet anyway, thats why I was startled)

> /Maybe I've been hanging around SCAdians too much in RL./ Sends
> Dhyrlhanc back to the Feline Mage /"Lord" is a title of respect I
> refer to other whom I consider to be my equal or my superior. For
> females, I subsitiut "My Lady" for "My Lord" for obvious reasons./

(O.C.C.: I understand, The character doesn't until the SCA is
mentioned) Look of dawning comprehension /Mother taught me that
Dragons and Elves should be accorded Respect due to Kinship/ It just
wouldn't occure to a Cat to respect non-Cats until they have earned
it.

>>> Fuzzy then gets the peculiar feeling of someone rummaging around
>>> inside his skull. Then it feels like a light-switch was clicked
>>> on in a dark room he wasn't even aware had existed. A
>>> multi-voiced /Hi there!/ rang in his inner-ear like the opening
>>> of Peter Gabriel's "Big Time" being played on a near- infinite
>>> number of radios.

(O.C.C.: Assumptions 1: Setting mind link up; 2: Copying that part of
mind pattern to create the mini-lens)

> /I'm sure you're going to have to explain that all to me at some
> later date/ continues the Sentinel-Lensdragon, once again "sending"
> to "Fuzzy" /But you may consider me suitably impressed if you have
> that fine a control over reality through your Magick that you can
> change on of my "pseudo" mini-lenses into a full-blown True Lens.
> Unfortunatly, as powerfull as I am. My real power rests within my
> ability to focus my psychic energies through my own Lens and
> weilding my Sentinel's/GL's First Ring. I do, although partly in
> jest, call myself a mage, but my True magickal abilities are
> currently limited to the Art of Geomancy./

/Sorry involuntary action, the limited ficton charge I pick-up when
transiting a ficton gate allows limited conversion of local fictions
to local realities/
(O.C.C.: providing the mass increase and since the energy was resident
in the compleate mind pattern carrying the pattern and process to it's
logical conclusion)

[snip]
> (O.C.C..: Actually, it's a quote from the first season of "Red
> Dwarf." Maybe you just don't watch British Sci-Fi TV.)

(O.C.C.: I do, He doesn't, Nothing to play with...)

[snip]
>> "I assume that this Controller is today's designated Mouse?"
>
> /Indeed! (Mental <EG>)/

'/Goody He sounds like he's going to be particularly Fun/'
===========================

Date: Sun, 30 Mar 1997 22:08:15 -0800 (PST)
From: fuzzy <fuzzy@wco.com>
Subject: Re: Aae-Fight scenes!

On Sun, 30 Mar 1997, Paul Campbell wrote:
[snip]
> <Quick, before they recover.>
>
> Xzerrion draws Frostbite and Cobra and leaps into battle, trying to
> cut a path to the center of the complex.

/I have never abided Imposed fanaticism, If they run let them/

Targeting Driders as fast as he can Fuzzy cuts loose with a spell that
directly attacks bindings and inhibitions of all kinds.

/The natural to them inhibitions and willing bonds will recover/

/
Good
Evil
Law
Chaos
I don't care, As long as its By Their Choice!
/
===========================

Date: Mon, 31 Mar 1997 00:24:28 -0600
From: Michael Jon Knight <mjknight@smartnet.net>
Subject: Re: re: Aae-Strange Bedfellows (Longish)

At 12:31 AM 3/31/97 PST, you wrote:

>"And you," continues the adolencent Ruby Fire Dragon, addressing the
>blond figure who earlier was tormenting KnightShift.

Knytt,who is moving invisibly down a shadowy corridor, peers into a
room where he sees a 3' tall dragon in an Elvis jumpsuit lip-syncing
to "Star Wars Canteena."

"...Boba Fett *was* *so* *mean*.
Jabba had *bad* *hy*-*geine*.
Why didn't they all relax,
Back at the *Ta*-*too*-*ine*..."

/Oh, that was a different guy. Still not sure who that was. Some Time
Lord/Vorlon Enforcer (like I was) also assisting the Controllor. He
died from the fall he took while within the Reality Field.../

Knytt draws a large, silenced, silver pistol from his cloak and aims
carefully...

"...Star Wars! Star wars Can-Sqeeeealll! Fizzt! Pop! Fuzt!"

...the stereo bursts into flames as several well-placed shots destroy
the delicate audio components. The Dragon, seeing no one, looks sadly
at the stereo.

"Maybe I should have tried Barry Manilow..." it mutters...
===========================

Subject: Re: re: Aae-Strange Bedfellows (Longish)
Date: Mon, 31 Mar 97 01:11:15 -0000
From: Roland X <rolandx@ix.netcom.com>

 <tons o' snip>
>>  Byron's backbone returns, and he raises his sword.
>> "You're still not good enough to beat me."
>>  "Only one way to find out..."
>>  The swords clash, bone on metal.

  Byron has always had one advantage over Roland. Though Roland
possesses the better mind and will, Byron has always been the better
warrior.
  Until now.
  "Uhnn! I don't know what convinced you to come out of whatever hole
you were hiding in, but it was a mistake, believe me," Roland snarls
as the blades blur in a shower of sparks.
  "How about...this?" Byron's sword begins to turn dark. Something-or
rather, the essence of nothing-flows down his arm and into the blade.
  (OOC: The [1] in the previous post was meant to provide a
description of the Bone Brand. It is a serrated scimitar, made of
(duh!) bone, charged with the horror of a thousand deaths and
inscribed with-well, just imagine a nightmare put together by
Lovecraft and Giger, then make it twice as bad.)

>"Say, Roland." says the Sentinel-Lensdragon, aloud, "If you'd just
>tell me where I can hit this idiot so that it'll do the most good,
>I'd be happy to do so. Who's this loser supposed to be anyway?"
>
>Both assailants pause momentarily to see Dhyrclhanc standing alone in
>the coridor pointing his huge hybryd (sp?) rapid-fire, charged
>particle beam projector/semi-automatic grenade-launcher weapon
>straight at the figure of "Byron Gaunt."

  Byron looks up and swallows. "I led the forces of the Adversary on
Oa, and you don't even _remember_ me?"
  Roland smiles. "Let's face it, to a dragon we're not much to write
home about. And 'Lancett' is no ordinary dragon."

>"You didn't think I'd leave you to fight this bastard alone did you?
>No matter what you might've said."

  Roland turns his attention back to Byron. "You don't understand.
He's issued the-"

>"And you," continues the adolencent Ruby Fire Dragon, addressing the
>blond figure who earlier was tormenting KnightShift. "You don't think
>I can do anything to affect you, do you? Well, I'm afraid you're
>wrong. You see, unlike the others in this 'Army of Light,' while I
>may be a compatriot to Chaos, I am predominently a Champion of
>Law/Good, in both my incarnations as 'Sentinel' and as 'Lensdragon'
>so your protective sigil against Chaos may be effective against my
>companions but I don't think it'll be very effective against me. Of
>course, you could ignore me, but then we'll just see what happens
>then, will we not?"

  Byron sneers.

>"Then again," continues Dhyrclhanc, "The odds are against you at
>two-to-one."

  Byron stops sneering in a hurry.

>(O.C.C.: Take it away, Roland)  ; )

  (OOC: With pleasure! <G>)
  Roland sighs. "He's issued the Challenge. This much we share with
the Highlander's kind. One-on-one, no interference. He showed up
alone, which shows he has at least some honor."
  Byron smiles. "Wrong."
  The sigil apears inside his chest (but clearly visible) and the
Unbeing dripping from it lances out at both Roland and Lancett-at
first.
  Both strands strike the Silver Phoenix.
  Roland smiles, vanishes, and returns in a blaze of silver light.
  "NO!" Byron cries. "It's not possible! You were unmade! Literally
undone!"
  Roland shakes his head, chuckling. "You undid my body, you idiot.
You forgot to aim for my Halo. Which is why I drew the Unbeing into
me. You tried to destroy everything that makes Lancett, well, Lancett,
but me, you wanted to watch suffer." Roland sheathes his sword. "I had
to know if I could face you with the blade. I have nothing left to
prove to myself."
  "But the Challenge-"
  "You said it yourself. You cheated." Roland's smile broadens. "And
after using _all_ of the Unbeing given you, your sigil of Order won't
do diddly against a Green Lantern Lensdragon." Roland waves Byron
aside. "He's all yours, big guy. I know what I had to know. Do
something imaginative to him so we can rejoin the group." <EG>
  (OOC: Right back at you, big guy! Oh, and BTW, I was going to 'give'
him to you after I had satisfaction anyway. Quite a... coincidence,
wouldn't you say? <g>)
===========================

Date: Sun, 30 Mar 1997 23:53:15
From: "L.J. Wolfe" <ljwolfe@eee.org>
Subject: Re: Aae-Fight scenes!

<Oy, so much catching up to do! OK, let's see if I can get Morgan back
in sync here....>

When Roland screamed, "Run!" the first time, Morgan, like everyone
else I assume, stopped to see what was threatening their comrade.

When Byron made his comment about, "At least the druid is cute-",
everyone on the link felt Morgan recoil ever so slightly.

When Roland called out, "GO!" and "I have to do this. Alone.", it
looks like most of us decided to leave him to his chosen combat and
continue for the battery. Knytt took off with the wolves, Driss and
Roscoe (now in hell hound form) took out a sniper, and Stranger
evidenced an ability to somewhat controll the effects of Chaos and
acquired a nifty looking lightsaber. Dhyrchlanc stayed to assist
Roland.

In response to Dhyrclhanc, who sent:
>/Speaking of whom/ The adolescent Ruby Fire Dragon "sends" on a
>slightly different psychic frequency. /My Lady Morgan, in response to
>your earlier thread, while I do, strangely enough, find human females
>attractive I figure that any dalliances that are too be had will need
>to be worried about after we finish this mission. Although, I'm not
>sure your "offer" was meant for me, I'm flattered nonetheless, I
>think./

Morgan blushes slightly at having the species-centric nature of her
earlier wandering thoughts pointed out, and then more deeply at the
realization that her occasional wonderings about various comrades had
been "overheard". She sends to all the males in the party,
<*Gentlemen, I apologize for any distraction my errant train of
thought may have caused. Really all it was was a case of me suddenly
realizing that there were several attractive males around, and sort of
attempting to notice if there was any reciprocal interest. Dhyrclhanc
is right, we've no time to do anything about this now anyway, and I
have _no_ intention of making passes at anyone who hasn't shown an
interest in receiving them. Maybe when this is all over with....*>.

The thought trails off, as Morgan realizes she's blushing like a
school-girl and beginning to babble. <OOC: [chuckle] talented woman,
can run, possibly fight, _and_ babble at the same time :-)>

And now, at 09:42 PM 3/30/97 -0800, Xzerrion wrote:
>< Which way, milady? I'll just stay in front to watch for ....
>AMBUSHES!>
<snip>

Morgan registers the fact that magic no longer appears inhibited, and
points this out to all concerned.

>Xzerrion draws Frostbite and Cobra and leaps into battle, trying to
>cut a path to the center of the complex.

Recovering from the last shreds of her embarrassment, Morgan draws her
claidheamhor and follows Xzerrion into the fray. As the driders are
dealt with, she sends bits of a plan to the group.

<*I may be the one who needs to take the thing out,*> <chop> <*But I'm
probably the least threatening-seeming of us.*> <slice> <*We could use
that to our advantage.*> <dice> <*Make it look like Roland or Xzerrion
or someone is the focal point of our attack.*> <carve> <*I'm more
likely to be able to get close to the thing if he's under-estimated
me.*> <julienne :-)>

And, while the battle rages, we pick up from Roland:
At 01:11 AM 3/31/97 -0000, Roland X wrote:
>  <tons o' snip>
>  (OOC: The [1] in the previous post was meant to pro-
>vide a description of the Bone Brand. It is a serrated
>scimitar, made of (duh!) bone, charged with the horror
>of a thousand deaths and inscribed with-well, just ima-
>gine a nightmare put together by Lovecraft and Giger,
>then make it twice as bad.)

<OOC: Eeew!>

<more snip>
>  "You said it yourself. You cheated." Roland's smile
>broadens. "And after using _all_ of the Unbeing given
>you, your sigil of Order won't do diddly against a Green
>Lantern Lensdragon." Roland waves Byron aside. "He's all
>yours, big guy. I know what I had to know. Do something
>imaginative to him so we can rejoin the group." <EG>
>  (OOC: Right back at you, big guy! Oh, and BTW, I was
>going to 'give' him to you after I had satisfaction anyway.
>Quite a...coincidence, wouldn't you say? <g>)

Back at the main group, Morgan looks around and notices they're
finally in the chamber where they earlier fought the Driscoll-doppels.

<*The stairs! The battery is below us. About 50' down, and off to that
(a mental gesture) side. Roland, Dhyrclhanc, you gonna be right behind
us?*>

Although not normally the command type, she realizes she's the only
one who can effectively lead them to their objective. <*Form on me!
But don't _look_ like you're forming on me.*> Several mental question
marks are heard. <*Um, I don't know, fight casual (mental sheepish
grin).*>

Morgan  /|\
<who just saw the re-release of Jedi today, and heartily recommends
it!>
===========================

From: Martin Gerster <ofgerst@pluto.njcc.com>
Subject: Re: re: Aae-Strange Bedfellows (Long)
Date: Mon, 31 Mar 97 03:24:22 PST

>  Byron looks up and swallows. "I led the forces of
> the Adversary on Oa, and you don't even _remember_ me?"
>  Roland smiles. "Let's face it, to a dragon we're
> not much to write home about. And 'Lancett' is no ordinary dragon."

/Actually, the name's "Dhyrclhanc," Roland. Unless, of course, you
find "Lancett" easier to spell ; ). Oh, now I get it, he was one of
the Manhunters. Gee... I wonder what happened to him./

>  Byron smiles. "Wrong."
>  The sigil apears inside his chest (but clearly
> visible) and the Unbeing dripping from it lances out
> at both Roland and Lancett-at first.

"Ouch," says Dhyrclhanc, audibly, that actually hurt!" he continues,
genuinely suprised. In a moment, however his meta-human (meta-dragon?)
healing factor takes over and the wound hin his multi-hued hide fades
away to only a brief, uncomfortable, memory.

>  (OOC: Right back at you, big guy! Oh, and BTW, I was
> going to 'give' him to you after I had satisfaction anyway.
> Quite a...coincidence, wouldn't you say? <g>)

(O.C.C.: Yes, quite)

The *Sentinel*-Lensdragon's attention slowly moves from Roland X,
freelance Immortal, to Byron Gaunt, ex-Manhunter. "I've already given
you the chance to leave and you refused it, so... /LOOK UPON MY WORKS,
YOU MIGHTY AND DESPARE!/

Once again, the Sentinel-Lensdragon takes on his full majesty, draws
upon his Aspect and manifests his full Aura.

His Sentinel's Ring blazes into life with a burst of emerald-green
fire and his Lens comes to life, radiating burning ice-blue/white
psi-energy. His Psi-Aura burns with jade-colored fire/energy and his
Psi-Sword, a Scottish Claymore-style hand-and-a-half sword made of
emerald-colored crystal flame, manifests itself into the draconian
Lensman's off hand. All around him, his elder dragon/horror
Psi-Aura/Aspect seems to burn the very fabric of reality itself.

"Byron Gaunt" raises his Bone Brand above his head and comes charging
towards the adolecent Ruby Fire Dragon yelling an uninteligible war
cry. First, Dhyrclhanc tries to stop him with his flame breath. He
keeps coming, despite the loss of some of his clothes and a majority
of his hair. Then, Dhyrclhanc tries to stop him with a barrage of
charged particle-beams and high-explosive armor-piercing grenades.
Gaunt keeps coming, now despite a rather large gaping hole in his
mid-section. Dhyrclhanc makes a rather dragonish shrug, or what Roland
assumes is a shrug, lets go of the Standish and grasps ahold of the
Psi-Sword with both "hands." As soon as Byron is within melee range,
the adolecent Sentinel-Lensman focuses all his Psychic might into his
Psi-Sword and lashes out at the ex-Manhunter, who colapses in a
man-sized pyre of green-flame.

After a bit, after the fire dies down, Dhyrclhanc says to Roland, "I
just got a psi--flash from Morgan, they've found the bio-mana-battery.
It's in the area we orginialy found the Dopple-Driscolls. I guess this
is our clue to get the Heck outta dodge. First, there's something I
have to do and to do it I'm going to have to borrow back some of that
energy I gave you."

Roland then "hears" somebody rummaging around in his head, opening
doors and opening drawers, etc. /Aha, here it is!/

Dhyrclhanc's Lens and First-Ring come alive again, along with his
Power-gems. He weaves an intricate pattern into the coridor floor and
a human-sized body, made of solid stone rises up from the ground. In
the blink of an eye, the body transforms into that of Byron Gaunt, who
opens his eyes. Then he stares. Hard. At the Lensdragon.

/Yes, "Byron Gaunt, " not only can I kill you, but here in Tir Na Nog,
I can resore life back into your form which I just moments ago
completly obliterated. What's more, you can remeber dying, can't you?/

The prostrate form nodds his head.

/Good, you are now and forever released from whatever geas the
Controller put upon you. return to your rightfull place in the order
of things. But first, return to the Controller and tell him what I've
done and then tell him that while am amongst the most powerfull in
this group tell him there are those in this gathering who are more
powerfull than I. Now go!/

The newly re-formed figure of Byron Gaunt gets up and runs from the
chamber, at top speed.

(O.C.C.: That creative enough for you, Roland?)

"Roland, one 'Boom-Tube' coming right up!"

A B5-Style Jump-point forms in mid-air, the farther end of which can
be seen terminating at the other side of the platform, where the
bio-battery is currently being held, from where the rest of the
Callahanians are.

"Let's go, shall we?"
===========================

Date: Mon, 31 Mar 1997 02:15:25 -0800 (PST)
From: fuzzy <fuzzy@wco.com>
Subject: Re: Aae-Fight scenes!

On Sun, 30 Mar 1997, L.J. Wolfe wrote:
> Although not normally the command type, she realizes she's the only
> one who can effectively lead them to their objective. <*Form on me!
> But don't _look_ like you're forming on me.*> Several mental
> question marks are heard. <*Um, I don't know, fight casual (mental
> sheepish grin).*>

 \I've got a thought that should distract the blazes out of him\
 \Druid when we get a moments breather, I have something you might be
able to use\

 \'Mini-Thermos holds maybe 2 oz. fluid in left pocket'\  \It contains
Condensed Fluid Moon Light, You wouldn't believe what it takes to
enchant the cold iron parabolic mirror used to distill it, without the
Mirrored container it would evaporate back into Moon Beams within
hours\

When we arrive in the controllers presence Fuzzy Steps to the fore
 " To Qoute Your Friend Controller 'What Do You Want'"
 " Although From the looks of you I will try to guess"
 " Your Body Regenerated and Able to handle POWER in serious Quantity,
A Permant link to the inate power of arcdia would also be nice"
 " Your Current Friend won't discuss the price will he ..."
 " Your current efforts are Not going to work, For I will not allow
others to pay Your Price for you."
 " If you agree to pay the price I will give you the things you seek,
Here and Now, Don't Doubt that I Can do as I Say."

The party can feel through the link that Fuzzy is ready to actually
carry thru on his offer.

<OCC: Who's handleing the Controllers responses?,>

 \If the Shadow wants to argue about CopyRight Will someone please
Delay It. one at a time is all I can handle\

Fuzzy
 For Consistency
 "  " Vocal
 \  \ Telepathicaly
 '\ \' Both
 \'  '\ Telepathic Image
===========================

Date: Mon, 31 Mar 1997 06:52:41
From: "L.J. Wolfe" <ljwolfe@eee.org>
Subject: Re: Aae-Reprecussions

<OOps, missed this one when making my last reply :-)>

At 02:38 AM 3/31/97 -0800, Stranger wrote:
<big snip>
>"Now..."
>
>there was a flash of energy around the Stranger and when it faded he
>stood, clad in shimmering silver chain and with his swords in hand, a
>red surcoat and burnished bronze dragonfaced helm topped it off.
>
>"...shall we go?"

The energy flash catches Morgan's attention, and she stares at the
Stranger.

<*OK, guys, you do stuff like that and _no one_ can fault me for
thinking like a _woman_! ;-)*>

As she returns to the battle, those nearby can hear her mutter under
her breath, "...turns into a knight in shining armor and I'm supposed
to keep my mind on _fighting_?...."

Morgan  /|\
===========================

Date: Sun, 06 Apr 1997 15:48:50 -0700
From: Gareth L Owen <pe21@dial.pipex.com>
Subject: Re: Aae-Reprecussions

L.J. Wolfe wrote:
> As she returns to the battle, those nearby can hear her mutter under
> her breath, "...turns into a knight in shining armor and I'm
> supposed to keep my mind on _fighting_?...."

Hey, it's purely practical.
===========================

Date: Mon, 31 Mar 1997 07:06:51
From: "L.J. Wolfe" <ljwolfe@eee.org>
Subject: Re: Aae-Fight scenes!

At 02:15 AM 3/31/97 -0800, fuzzy wrote:
> \I've got a thought that should distract the blazes out of him\
> \Druid when we get a moments breather, I have something you might be
> able to use\
>
> \'Mini-Thermos holds maybe 2 oz. fluid in left pocket'\
>\It contains Condensed Fluid Moon Light, You wouldn't believe what it
>takes to enchant the cold iron parabolic mirror used to distill it,
>without the Mirrored container it would evaporate back into Moon
>Beams within hours\

Morgan look suitably impressed. <*I don't doubt it!*>

>The party can feel through the link that Fuzzy is ready to actually
>carry thru on his offer.

And Dhyrclhanc said:
>A B5-Style Jump-point forms in mid-air, the farther end of which can
>be seen terminating at the other side of the platform, where the
>bio-battery is currently being held, from where the rest of the
>Callahanians are.
>
>"Let's go, shall we?"

<OOC: Boy, this group moves fast! I only had us ready to start down
the stairs, and here we are two or three floors down in the battery
chamber and facing the Controller already!

OK, Driscoll, I think it's your move, since you're writing the Bad Guy
(tm) :-).>

Morgan  /|\
===========================

Date: Mon, 31 Mar 1997 12:09:19 -0500
From: caprice <Caprice@southeast.net>
Subject: Re: Aae-Fight scenes!

> Xzerrion ducks back around the corner as several hand-crossbow bolts
> hit the wall where he had been standing forcing the others back with
> him.
>
> < Small problem. There's about fifteen driders ahead of us. >

Caprice draws her sword, "Oh, is THAT all."

Mischief climbs up onto Caprice's head, holding on by latching her
claws into the braids. The kitten looks almost like a fuzzy grey cap.

> Xzerrion draws Frostbite and Cobra and leaps into battle, trying to
> cut a path to the center of the complex.

Mischief mentally utters a small uh-oh. * momma's gonna.... *

Caprice gives a fierce cry, and leaps into the fray, staying as close
to Xzerrion as possible as they hack there way though the enemy.
--
Caprice - How many warriors do YOU know that could go into battle with
a kitten on their head?
===========================

Date: Mon, 31 Mar 1997 10:22:41 -0800 (PST)
From: Paul Campbell <xzerrion@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: Aae-Fight scenes!

On Sun, 30 Mar 1997, L.J. Wolfe wrote:
> <*I may be the one who needs to take the thing out,*> <chop> <*But
> I'm probably the least threatening-seeming of us.*> <slice> <*We
> could use that to our advantage.*> <dice> <*Make it look like Roland
> or Xzerrion or someone is the focal point of our attack.*> <carve>
> <*I'm more likely to be able to get close to the thing if he's
> under-estimated me.*> <julienne :-)>

Xzerrion grins. < Maybe I can confuse the issue a bit. > With a flare
of illusion, Xzerrion no longer *looks* like Xzerrion. In his place
stands a ten-foot tall demonic figure, with a hundred-fanged reptilian
mouth and two tentacle-like arms. It glares at the suddenly
intimidated driders through each of it's three eyes. `FLEE, CRAVEN
SPIDROUS MINIONS OF LLOTH!! I AM YOUR DOOM!!'

<A trifle melodramatic, I know, but I figure this got their attention.
Figure if you're going to make me look like the main focus, I should
look the part.'>

> Although not normally the command type, she realizes she's the only
> one who can effectively lead them to their objective. <*Form on me!
> But don't _look_ like you're forming on me.*> Several mental
> question marks are heard. <*Um, I don't know, fight casual (mental
> sheepish grin).*>

A remarkably good imitation of a chuckling Wookie drifts through the
telepathic link.
===========================

Date: Mon, 31 Mar 1997 13:54:19 -0500
From: caprice <Caprice@southeast.net>
Subject: Re: Aae-Fight scenes!

Paul Campbell wrote:
> Xzerrion grins. < Maybe I can confuse the issue a bit. > With a
> flare of illusion, Xzerrion no longer *looks* like Xzerrion. In his
> place stands a ten-foot tall demonic figure, with a hundred-fanged
> reptilian mouth and two tentacle-like arms. It glares at the
> suddenly intimidated driders through each of it's three eyes. `FLEE,
> CRAVEN SPIDROUS MINIONS OF LLOTH!! I AM YOUR DOOM!!'

Mayhem hmphs as a few of the driders turn tail and run. ** You scared
them off... what fun is that? HEY come back and die you coward! **
Mayhem  bounds after the driders who fled, a black shadow-panther with
very long claws

> <A trifle melodramatic, I know, but I figure this got their
> attention. Figure if you're going to make me look like the main
> focus, I should look the part.'

Caprice moves forward, sword swinging, to advantage of the drider's
current state. <I don't know, Xzerrion... I was thinking more of
dramatically cut robes, a swirling aura, and a look of menace... it
would certainly  attract MY attention...>
--
Caprice - How can I look menacing with a kitten on my head?
===========================

Subject: Re: re: Aae-Strange Bedfellows (Long)
Date: Mon, 31 Mar 97 16:58:12 -0000
From: Roland X <rolandx@ix.netcom.com>

First, Morgan said:
>When Byron made his comment about, "At least the druid is cute-",
>everyone on the link felt Morgan recoil ever so slightly.

This, of course, is where Roland lost it. <eg>

>When Roland called out, "GO!" and "I have to do this. Alone.", it
>looks like most of us decided to leave him to his chosen combat and
>continue for the battery. Knytt took off with the wolves, Driss and
>Roscoe (now in hell hound form) took out a sniper, and Stranger
>evidenced an ability to somewhat controll the effects of Chaos and
>acquired a nifty looking lightsaber. Dhyrchlanc stayed to assist
>Roland.

*Stay in touch, Morgan...*

<snip>
>>  Byron looks up and swallows. "I led the forces of
>> the Adversary on Oa, and you don't even _remember_ me?"
>>  Roland smiles. "Let's face it, to a dragon we're
>> not much to write home about. And 'Lancett' is no ordinary dragon."
>
>/Actually, the name's "Dhyrclhanc," Roland. Unless, of course, you
>find "Lancett" easier to spell ; ). Oh, now I get it, he was one of
>the Manhunters. Gee... I wonder what happened to him./

  "Just using your 'assumed' name," Roland explains.

  <snip>
>His Sentinel's Ring blazes into life with a burst of emerald-green
>fire and his Lens comes to life, radiating burning ice-blue/white
>psi-energy. His Psi-Aura burns with jade-colored fire/energy and his
>Psi-Sword, a Scottish Claymore-style hand-and-a-half sword made of
>emerald-colored crystal flame, manifests itself into the draconian
>Lensman's off hand. All around him, his elder dragon/horror Psi-Aura
>/Aspect seems to burn the very fabric of reality itself.

  "Impressive," Roland says, taking a step back...

>Dhyrclhanc makes a rather dragonish shrug, or what Roland assumes is
>a shrug, lets go of the Standish and grasps ahold of the Psi-Sword
>with both "hands." As soon as Byron is within melee range, the
>adolecent Sentinel-Lensman focuses all his Psychic might into his
>Psi-Sword and lashes out at the ex-Manhunter, who colapses in a
>man-sized pyre of green-flame.

  "Ouch," Roland says, wincing. "Coming back from _that_ is going to
hurt."

>After a bit, after the fire dies down, Dhyrclhanc says to Roland, "I
>just got a psi-flash from Morgan, they've found the bio-mana-battery.
>It's in the area we orginialy found the Dopple-Driscolls. I guess
>this is our clue to get the Heck outta dodge. First, there's
>something I have to do and to do it I'm going to have to borrow back
>some of that energy I gave you."

  "Morgan," Roland mutters. "She's going to need us."

>Roland then "hears" somebody rummaging around in his head, opening
>doors and opening drawers, etc. /Aha, here it is!/

  *Hey! Next time, clean up after yourself!* <G>

>/Yes, "Byron Gaunt, " not only can I kill you, but here in Tir Na
>Nog, I can resore life back into your form which I just moments ago
>completly obliterated. What's more, you can remeber dying, can't
>you?/
>
>The prostrate form nodds his head.

  "We can come back from death," Roland explains. "But we don't enjoy
it in the least."

>The newly re-formed figure of Byron Gaunt gets up and runs from the
>chamber, at top speed.

  ...and quickly returns to his (and Roland's) home dimension.
  "Hmm...I didn't know he could do that. Thanks, Dhyrclhanc."

>(O.C.C.: That creative enough for you, Roland?)

  (OOC: Yep. Thanx. <G>)

>"Let's go, shall we?"

  *Let's shall!* Roland channels his power into his hyperspeed and...
  *Um...directions, someone?* <g>

Lady Morgan again:
>Although not normally the command type, she realizes she's the only
>one who can effectively lead them to their objective. <*Form on me!
>But don't _look_ like you're forming on me.*> Several mental question
>marks are heard. <*Um, I don't know, fight casual (mental sheepish
>grin).*>

  *The nass with casual,* Roland said, still shaken from the near-miss
with the Gaunt. Locking onto Morgan's mental signature, he is suddenly
everywhere at once within the chamber. Driders are attacked from
several directions at once. Each.
  *Morgan, are you all right-*
  Suddenly, Roland smiles. *Say Dhyrclhanc, what did you do with that
sigil of Order? I have a nasty little idea...*

  <cut & paste>
><OOC: Boy, this group moves fast! I only had us ready to start down
>the stairs, and here we are two or three floors down in the battery
>chamber and facing the Controller already!
>
>OK, Driscoll, I think it's your move, since you're writing the Bad
>Guy (tm) :-).>

  (OOC: Party time! <G>)
===========================

Date: Mon, 31 Mar 1997 15:33:07 -0800 (PST)
From: Paul Campbell <xzerrion@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: Aae-Fight scenes!

On Mon, 31 Mar 1997, caprice wrote:
> Caprice moves forward, sword swinging, to advantage of the drider's
> current state. <I don't know, Xzerrion... I was thinking more of
> dramatically cut robes, a swirling aura, and a look of menace... it
> would certainly attract MY attention...>

Xzerrion's demonic image tries very hard not to crack a toothy smile
and burst out laughing.

< Sorry, I left my set of Zhentarim robes somewhere else. Besides, we
wouldn't want to distract Morgan, why seems to have been recently
spending as much time admiring the Army of Light as fighting :)
(Sorry, couldn't resist.) >
===========================

Date: Mon, 31 Mar 1997 17:39:51 -0800 (PST)
From: fuzzy <fuzzy@wco.com>
Subject: Re: Aae-Fight scenes!

On Mon, 31 Mar 1997, fuzzy wrote:
<OOC: To clean-up Sequenceing Lets see if this will go as A send of a
Offered Distraction ie Morgans request.>

[snip]
> The party can feel through the link that Fuzzy is ready to actually
> carry thru on his offer.

\If he goes for it he will get what I'm offering, But He will Not like
it\

> <OCC: Who's handleing the Controllers responses?,>
===========================

Date: Mon, 31 Mar 1997 17:57:11 -0800 (PST)
From: "K. Ohanlon" <bastet@u.washington.edu>
Subject: ASIDE: AAE

A ghostly echo of a familiar (somewhat) voice drifts through the
mind-link of the Callahanians.

"Geez, if I'd known the storyline would start to include a flirting
session at some point, and had enough time in RL to actually do more
than read, I might've stuck around longer." <G> "Have fun all, and
keep up the excellent work!"

-Kelley, aka Crow.

"Her eyes held endless vistas in them and she felt the flutter of
wings in her mind." _Dreams Underfoot_ by Charles de Lint.
===========================

From: gamer@mail.hvs.com
Date: Mon, 31 Mar 1997 19:13:22 -0500
Subject: Aae-Almost there.

 Driss appears in the midst of the party after the Driders are gone
but just as Fuzzy makes his offer of a distraction.
 "I'll take care of the Controller personally. I have a bit of a
grudge to work out. There's going to be enough work for the rest of
you anyways. I've just been up ahead. Chaos has the stairs changing
back and forth between stairs and slides. There's current;y about 100
assorted creatures stuck at the bottom of the stairs with no way back
up. My 7-league boots can take me past them, but you're going to have
to figure out something to take care of them first before you can get
to the Controller's room."
 As he looks around at everyone waiting for ideas, Roscoe's ears perk
up a bit. [You'll have to excuse me. I need to take care of some
THING. watch Squee!] and he takes off down a side corridor at a full
sprint. His mind reveals nothing but anger and bloodlust.
 Down one cooridoor and halfway down another, he meets his prey. A
humonoid monstrocity with a lizard-like body with a catshaped
lizardish head. Black eyes fix on Roscoe and a smile seems to cross
his face. "I thought we had slain all of you. I guess it's going to be
I who regains my clan's honor. Your clan should never have stolen our
shapeshifting abilities."
 The lizard thing raises a wicked looking serrated sword and grins at
Roscoe, who shifts into his humonoid shape. "We stole nothing from the
likes of you. It was you who betrayed Oberon's trust. It was your kind
who sacrificed all for dishonor. We never sought the duties of the
gate-keepers. If only you had stayed loyal to Oberon, the powers would
still be yours."
 The lizard thing moves in closer, smile still on it's face as Roscoe
shifts back into Hellhound mode, now fully healed. "We have learned
new ways since you turned Oberon against our kind. We have learned the
ways of Magic." The Lizard gestures with his offhand, and a ball of
lightning goes tumbling down the hall at Roscoe. The impact and
resulting blast, sends Roscoe flying down the hall 20 feet. And he
arrises for his feet slowly, trying ot clear his head as the Lizard
readies another spell.
 "LEAVE MY UNCA ROSCOE ALONE!" shouts Squee as his form changes from a
cockroach to a boy. Energy flows around his hands nad he mutters the
words he said in the kitchen, but to use a pun, lightning doesn't
strike twice. The spell goes off as it was originally designed to,
with a low-powered bolt of magic that does little more than discolor
the Lizard's hide.
 The lizard-thing turns his attention on Sqee and with a snarl begins
to gesture, but suddenly he is engulfed in flame. Roscoe is back up
and in fighting form.
 ice swirls aorund the lizard, quelling the flames, though he
obviously is hurting from teh attack. He charges Roscoe with a yell
and a chop of hte sword, but Roscoe is faster with his forms.
Hellhound becomes ant and the sword slices harmlessly through the air.
Ant becomes air elemental and the wind fills the hallways as he sucks
the air away from the Lizard. The lizard tries to run, but Roscoe
keeps surrounding him. he tries to cast a spell, but can't say the
words with no air about him. So he finally falls, and dies.
 Roscoe turns back into a humanoid and goes over to Squee to hold him
and comfort the distraught boy. "You should have stayed. I didn't want
you here. I didn't want you to see that." And as he holds the
shivering boy, tears roll down both their cheeks.
===========================

Date: Mon, 31 Mar 1997 18:20:33
From: "L.J. Wolfe" <ljwolfe@eee.org>
Subject: Re: Aae-Fight scenes!

At 10:22 AM 3/31/97 -0800, Xzerrion wrote:
><A trifle melodramatic, I know, but I figure this got their
>attention. Figure if you're going to make me look like the main
>focus, I should look the part.'

Morgan looks impressed <_not_ like that, you evil minded people ;-)>.
<*_That_ oughta do it :-). Just make sure the _Controller_ thinks you
look like the focus :-).*>

>A remarkably good imitation of a chuckling Wookie drifts through the
>telepathic link.

<*Thanks! At least _someone_ appreciates my humor. Guess I should do
less Shakespeare and more Lucas :-).*>

And at 03:33 PM 3/31/97 -0800, he wrote:
>On Mon, 31 Mar 1997, caprice wrote:
>< Sorry, I left my set of Zhentarim robes somewhere else. Besides, we
>wouldn't want to distract Morgan, why seems to have been recently
>spending as much time admiring the Army of Light as fighting :)
>(Sorry, couldn't resist.) >

A good natured rejoinder rings through the link. <*Oh, Ptthhhhtt to
you, too ;-). When it affects my fighting, _then_ you can complain, oh
you who made a point of describing yourself as "rakish" ;-).*>

The flashing claidheamhor comes to rest, but only because there are no
more handy targets. Morgan appears refreshed by the opportunity for
actual combat, and her green eyes are flashing with battle lust
<battle, I said, _battle_ ;-)>.

<*Catch a breather, everyone, because I doubt once we get down those
stairs we'll have another chance for a while.*> After everyone pauses
for a moment, which also gives Roland and Dhyrclhanc a chance to catch
up, Morgan motions them down the stairway.

<*Xzerrion, can I assume you've volunteered to be our "main threat"?
You could take point, then, and I'll let you know which way you need
to go. I know the general direction, but I won't be able to tell
specifics until I _see_ the place. Unfortunately, the Chaotic
influences have confused poor Squee beyond being any real help.*>

As her foot hits the top step, the stairs change into an ornate,
wrought iron spiral stair case, familiar to many of the Callahanians.
<*Oh, stop it, Chaos!*> Morgan gives a credible impression of her Clan
Chief's patented long-suffering sigh.

Morgan  /|\
<who really is enjoying the side banter, and hasn't taken offence to
anything yet ;-)>
===========================

Date: Mon, 31 Mar 1997 18:34:14 -0800 (PST)
From: fuzzy <fuzzy@wco.com>
Subject: Re: Aae-Almost there.

On Mon, 31 Mar 1997 gamer@mail.hvs.com wrote:
>  Driss appears in the midst of the party after the Driders are gone
> but just as Fuzzy makes his offer of a distraction.
>  "I'll take care of the Controller personally. I have a bit of a
> grudge to work out.

"If you say so, Though you must admit it would have been One Hell of a
distraction for the poor creature"

> There's going to be enough work for the rest of you anyways. I've
> just been up ahead. Chaos has the stairs changing back and forth
> between stairs and slides. There's current;y about 100 assorted
> creatures stuck at the bottom of the stairs with no way back up. My
> 7-league boots can take me past them, but you're going to have to
> figure out something to take care of them first before you can get
> to the Controller's room."

 "As for the Stairs A simple weak adhesion Spell should supply
traction regardless of mode, unless he turns it upside-down, any
stronger would slow our reaction/movement down too much."

Thoughts with
 Fuzzy Logic
===========================

Date: Mon, 31 Mar 1997 18:47:12 -0800 (PST)
From: fuzzy <fuzzy@wco.com>
Subject: Re: Aae-Fight scenes!

On Mon, 31 Mar 1997, L.J. Wolfe wrote:
[snip large]
> <*Xzerrion, can I assume you've volunteered to be our "main threat"?
> You could take point, then, and I'll let you know which way you need
> to go. I know the general direction, but I won't be able to tell
> specifics until I _see_ the place. Unfortunately, the Chaotic
> influences have confused poor Squee beyond being any real help.*>

"Speaking of Squee where Is that FuzzBall?"

> As her foot hits the top step, the stairs change into an ornate,
> wrought iron spiral stair case, familiar to many of the
> Callahanians. <*Oh, stop it, Chaos!*> Morgan gives a credible
> impression of her Clan Chief's patented long-suffering sigh.

A pinch of powdered gum /And a short chant/
"Bind thee Gum to Stair,
 Bound thee to Lust for Feet,
 Found thee Polite for Fair"

> Morgan  /|\
> <who really is enjoying the side banter, and hasn't taken offence to
> anything yet ;-)>

 Fuzzy
 < As long as it's not side Bantie I will not have to Hunt it... ') >
===========================

Date: Mon, 31 Mar 1997 18:45:10
To: aae@kestrel.scs.uiuc.edu
Subject: Re: Aae-Almost there.
X-Mailing-List: <aae@kestrel.scs.uiuc.edu> archive/latest/439

<OOC: NO matter how careful you are, someone always manages to post
something just _before_ you post :-)>

At 07:13 PM 3/31/97 -0500, you wrote:
> Driss appears in the midst of the party after the Driders are gone
>but just as Fuzzy makes his offer of a distraction.
> "I'll take care of the Controller personally. I have a bit of a
>grudge to work out. There's going to be enough work for the rest of
>you anyways. I've just been up ahead. Chaos has the stairs changing
>back and forth between stairs and slides. There's current;y about 100
>assorted creatures stuck at the bottom of the stairs with no way back
>up. My 7-league boots can take me past them, but you're going to have
>to figure out something to take care of them first before you can get
>to the Controller's room."

<*Well, if Chaos is supposed to be helping _us_, I _hope_ that means
he'll leave the stairs alone until we've reached the right floor.
Besides, right now (sigh) he seems to have taken a liking to Lady
Sally's stairs ;-)*>

<*As for the menagerie,*> Morgan sights down the blade of her
claidheamhor, more as punctuation than to actually check it for
damage. <*I'm sure we can think of _something ;-). And I don't think
anyone will argue that first dibs on the Controller is your right.*>

<snip of Roscoe and Squee's adventures - I assume they'll be rejoining
us soon (sympathetic feelings sent)>

Morgan  /|\
<who did pretty good at Saturday's tournament, but is enjoying that
she can actually make _kills_ here :-)>
===========================

From: Martin Gerster <ofgerst@pluto.njcc.com>
Subject: Re: AAE -- Fight Scenes
Date: Mon, 31 Mar 97 22:16:55 PST
X-Mailing-List: <aae@kestrel.scs.uiuc.edu> archive/latest/440
X-Loop: aae@kestrel.scs.uiuc.edu

On Mon, 31 Mar 97, Roland X (rolandx@ix.nertcom.com) says:

>  *The nass with casual,* Roland said, still shaken from
> the near-miss with the Gaunt. Locking onto Morgan's mental
> signature, he is suddenly everywhere at once within the
> chamber. Driders are attacked from several directions at
> once. Each.
>  *Morgan, are you all right-*
>  Suddenly, Roland smiles. *Say Dhyrclhanc, what did you
> do with that sigil of Order? I have a nasty little idea...*

"What did *I* do with it? I thought *You* had it. Wait a minute."

Another B5-style Jump-point forms above the Sentinel-Lensdragon's
head. Only this one is horizontal, not vertical. two objects drop out
of it. "Byron Guant's" Bone Brand and the Order of Law sigil. The
draconian Lensman scoops both of them up and then tosses the sigil to
Roland. Then he consentrates on the Bone Brand and before everyone's
eyes the weapon englarges to dragon-size and become a smooth,
basket-hilted, falchion-style, scimitar with vauge draconic and
Law-related runes running up and down the length of the blade.

"Storm-Breaker," says the adolecent Ruby Fire Dragon, "I knew that
this would eventually come in handy. Dhyrclhanc then faces the Drow in
the room, wondering what to do next.
===========================

Subject: Re: Aae-Almost there.
Date: Mon, 31 Mar 97 22:12:54 -0000
From: Roland X <rolandx@ix.netcom.com>
X-Mailing-List: <aae@kestrel.scs.uiuc.edu> archive/latest/444

>At 07:13 PM 3/31/97 -0500, you (Morgan) wrote:
><*Well, if Chaos is supposed to be helping _us_, I _hope_ that means
>he'll leave the stairs alone until we've reached the right floor.
>Besides, right now (sigh) he seems to have taken a liking to Lady
>Sally's stairs ;-)*>

   Roland tries desperately to suppress a smirk-and fails miserably.
"I don't know...given the amount of chaos energy floating around here,
that staircase could have been brought here by-*cough* well, by any
one of us, really." <G>

><*As for the menagerie,*> Morgan sights down the blade of her
>claidheamhor, more as punctuation than to actually check it for
>damage. <*I'm sure we can think of _something ;-). And I don't think
>anyone will argue that first dibs on the Controller is your right.*>

   "The imaginary menagerie," Roland chuckles. "Dibs on the
bird-creatures." The metal wings of the Silver Phoenix armor pop out,
and Roland floats up for a better look at the obstacle...
===========================

Subject: Re: AAE -- Fight Scenes
Date: Tue, 1 Apr 97 19:28:00 -0000
From: Roland X <rolandx@ix.netcom.com>
X-Mailing-List: <aae@kestrel.scs.uiuc.edu> archive/latest/445

>On Mon, 31 Mar 97, Roland X (rolandx@ix.nertcom.com) says:
>Another B5-style Jump-point forms above the Sentinel-Lensdragon's
>head. Only this one is horizontal, not vertical. two objects drop out
>of it. "Byron Guant's" Bone Brand and the Order of Law sigil. The
>draconian Lensman scoops both of them up and then tosses the sigil to
>Roland. Then he consentrates on the Bone Brand and before everyone's
>eyes the weapon englarges to dragon-size and become a smooth,
>basket-hilted, falchion-style, scimitar with vauge draconic and
>Law-related runes running up and down the length of the blade.

  Roland catches the sigil. "Oh boys!" Roland grins at the 'obstacle'
of madness below them, and tosses the sigil at them.
  All hundred creatures transform into the closest thing to mundane
equivalents. Roland glares, and his eyes light up fiercely. They run.
  The sigil returns to Roland's hand. "Krull, eat your heart out.
Folx, that should wear off as soon as the sigil is far enough away
from them-like once we reach the Controller, at which point I think
this little plaything should come in handy once more."

>"Storm-Breaker," says the adolecent Ruby Fire Dragon, "I knew that
>this would eventually come in handy. Dhyrclhanc then faces the Drow
>in the room, wondering what to do next.

  Roland swallows. "That is a _bad_ idea, Dhyrclhanc. Gaunt boasted
that it was 'consecrated'-if that's the word-in a slave pit, made from
the bones of the sacrificed. IOW, it's charged with _major_ bad
karma."
===========================

Date: Tue, 1 Apr 1997 17:37:37 -0800 (PST)
From: Paul Campbell <xzerrion@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: Aae-Fight scenes!

On Mon, 31 Mar 1997, L.J. Wolfe wrote:
> The flashing claidheamhor comes to rest, but only because there are
> no more handy targets. Morgan appears refreshed by the opportunity
> for actual combat, and her green eyes are flashing with battle lust
> <battle, I said, _battle_ ;-)>.

<Yeah, yeah, sure :) >

> <*Xzerrion, can I assume you've volunteered to be our "main threat"?
> You could take point, then, and I'll let you know which way you need
> to go. I know the general direction, but I won't be able to tell
> specifics until I _see_ the place. Unfortunately, the Chaotic
> influences have confused poor Squee beyond being any real help.*>

<Hmm, so I did.  I figure I'm fairly safe doing so, since most of this
form is really just illusion, and if somebody gets lucky, I can always
shift to non-corporealness.>

> As her foot hits the top step, the stairs change into an ornate,
> wrought iron spiral stair case, familiar to many of the
> Callahanians. <*Oh, stop it, Chaos!*> Morgan gives a credible
> impression of her Clan Chief's patented long-suffering sigh.

<Aww, I kind of like it that way.  Improves the decor tremendously.>

> Morgan  /|\
> <who really is enjoying the side banter, and hasn't taken offence to
> anything yet ;-)>

- Xzerrion, who *always* banters in RPGs
===========================
<end of chapter 7>