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Jubilex
Faceless Lord of Chaos
Posts: 4516
(8/29/05 12:54 pm)
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Interlude: Migration
Fallen masonry tumbles about the small octagonal chamber within a dense cloud of rock dust. For a long moment the source of the destruction remains obscured until at last a lone figure, small and humanoid, emerges from the dark. The golem walks swiftly, its body female in shape but covered in the bizarre and disturbing inscriptions of the Xorn language. The bands of leather that once covered it from head to toe are gone and the enchanted marble of the golem's frame is blackened as if it had been subjected to the fire of a furnace. Eyeless, but perceiving the presence of the companions, the thing marches forward and as it does the enigmatic, spiralling characters that cover its body begin to glow with a fierce white light. The golem seems to speak, though its voice is hollow and distant.
"Where is the Gorgon?" it demands. Shafts of pale, scintillating luminescence pour from its body and as one the companions are both blinded and stunned, their minds reeling from the roar of psychic thunder that cascades through the chamber. The light intensifies and the golem's demands swiftly fade into obscurity. Soon the creature is lost behind a veil of pure energy, the walls of the Spirit World are breached, and existance itself is burned to ashes.
Soon the creak of a wagon wheel penetrates the pale dawn and the single monotonous tone of a rusted iron bell clanks its one note over and over. The horizon is vast and nearly flat, the massive sky stretching onward in all directions, banks of white clouds drifting lazily from north to south. Five horsemen surround the wagon, each wrapped in the long sleeved woolen coat that is common among the plainsfolk. Their stout ponies are responsive and patient, each keeping pace with the quartet of oxen that pull the massive wagon. In their human disguises the disciples gently drive the animals forward, their master seated behind them atop the precious cargo. They are questioned every day regarding the details of their mission, and Sekastia is nothing if not patient and persistant.
"Tell me, disciples, what were Zhoskelgar's commands?" The master did not turn to face the front of the wagon, but smiled and regarded the eastern horizon as it slowly marched away.
Nryl spoke for it was his turn to do so, Tagh having answered this question on the previous day.
"We are to go west until we reach the lands of the Vheldings. There we are to meet with the chieftain of the Moagari and his queen. Together we will return to the east and see that the horse tribe is settled without interference."
"Good," Sekastia intoned, her human voice a pale reflection of the inherant mightiness of her true form. "Continue."
"The Dagger is to be our guard. Gifts from the Shrine of Oak are to be given to the Moagari as a reward for their agreement to come to the Land of Three Rivers. We are to be watchful for agents of the Xorn and must cast off our disguises only in the most dire circumstances."
"And who are we?" Sekastia asked.
"We are emissaries from the Ertrani and our king has called on the Moagari for aid to rid our land of the Shadow Folk. Our lands we will share with the Moagari. All that is north and west of the Threid River shall be theirs and none shall be their masters any longer."
"Good," Sekastia concluded. She recalled the intensity of the preparations for the mission. In their human disguises the dragonewts had to learn the limits of their bodies. The proper degree of obvious effort was required when objects were lifted or carried lest the dragonewts' hidden strength betray their true form. The clumsy Moagaran language had to be mastered, and there was much trouble for the dragonewts to become accustomed to their strange diet. It was difficult not to retch when drinking the fermented goat's milk that was so popular with the horse tribe, but the Warriors were up to the challenge. Still, riding remained a difficult task - something altogether alien to dragonewts who were strictly pedestrian. The docile steppe ponies, fortunately, did not sense that just beneath the skin of their riders lurked mighty dragonewt Warriors.
The Noble regarded the two large chests in the wagon, buried as they were beneath furs, sacks, and all manner of mundane gear that were piled into the conveyance to reinforce the appearance Sekastia hoped to project. One chest contained the gifts that were to be given to the Moagari, though she knew little about them beyond their names and that they were a part of the Moagaran's primitive history.
The other chest was filled with the dragonewt's own weapons and armor. It was all much too large to be worn while in their human forms, but the armor, bows, and deadly klanths of the Warriors would be kept handy... just in case.
Behind the musing Sekastia, Nryl gasped. The two disciples sat dumbfounded, gazing at the landscape before them as the wagon and its guardians crested a gentle ridge topped with boulders and sage grass. In the wide valley below stood a city of felt tents and around it a writhing mass of cattle, goats, yaks, camels, and their pony-mounted herders. The herd was immense beyond calculation. Tens of thousands of animals grazed on the fertile land that stood at the edge of the Vhelding kingdom. The Moagari had indeed assembled and looked ready to make the long trek east to their new home.
To the dragonewts the sight was unprescedented. For so long had their people been diminished in numbers, and often hid from the much more numerous humans and their superstitious ways, that the vast Moagari herds were almost beyond what their ancient minds could comprehend. Such prosperity and life, the Warriors mused. If we were numbered but one tenth of this human tribe we would rule the world.
Even to the eyes of the companions, as they drifted gently into the minds of the dragonewts, the panorama was breathtaking. Never had such a gathering of men and beasts been seen in living memory.
[The companions have found themselves once again in control of the dragonewts, though some form of magic has concealed their reptilian forms behind the guise of eight Ertrani tribesmen. The companions are, however, much more comfortable in their new bodies after the transformation and are at any rate relieved to not be charging headlong into combat, like they were in the battle at the foot of the massive black tower called the Tooth. The recent memories of the dragonewts are also more fresh in their minds and can percolate up to the surface if necessary. That is, you can ask questions about the mission or other things about the dragonewt's recent experiences with a reasonable expectation of getting an answer.]
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mikedobbs
Janes
Posts: 402
(8/29/05 7:04 pm)
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Re: Interlude: Migration
[ Do we have any way of translating time? Is this happening now, or some time in the past relative to our human bodies? ]
[No way to be sure, but if it's before the Moagari moved east it would be at least two hundred years in the past. -GM]
Edited by: Jubilex at: 8/29/05 9:41 pm
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Kenner
Draxim
Posts: 1369
(8/29/05 8:14 pm)
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Re: Interlude: Migration
[ Also, since Sekastia is once again working with the dagger, I guess we can assume that this comes after the assault on the Tooth, and that everyone survived that assault. Yes? ]
[A logical assumption. -GM]
Edited by: Jubilex at: 8/29/05 9:41 pm
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yucatanyeti
Sangraal
Posts: 1583
(8/29/05 8:49 pm)
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my what large teeth you have....
Lothos wheels his steed as if to break from the group and laughs at the sheer numbers of would be settlers. A rourous laughter filled with amazement.
"Look at them! Nyrl, look at this." Lothos croaked in the strange Moagaii toungue his pony cantering shortly before coming to a halt some yards ahead of the small caravan.
"They would quake and run if they knew our true guise." he crows over his shoulder. Lothos always challenging, always testing. His brothers knew what he was thinking, [i]how many of them to pull down one of us[/i].
"10,000 to 1. And I'm being kind in their favor." He jokes as he spins his pony in place. “ Lets go set them free.”
[OOC: Whats in the chest? ]
[Only Sekastia knows. -GM]
[Also note that although Sangraal has many of the memories, skills, and experiences of Lothos, he's still Sangraal at heart. -GM]
Edited by: Jubilex at: 8/29/05 9:43 pm
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Ulwe
Ulwe
Posts: 1547
(8/29/05 10:35 pm)
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Re: my what large teeth you have....
"Ten thousand to one is still not in our favor." says Sekestia. She takes in the spectacle for herself picking out details from the panoply of Moagaran tribesfolk. Even the noble dragon-newt is not immune to amazement at such a sight.
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doggius
Pogar
Posts: 1227
(8/29/05 11:08 pm)
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Re: my what large teeth you have....
Swelling with pride at answering correctly, Nryl is filled with compassion, something that Pogar is not consumed with, to which causes a slight conflict. Letting the feeling of Nryl flow, Nryl scans the massive dots of tents lining the ground.
The sheer size of mass of animals is what keeps Nryl silent for a moment.
"We need not worry about such things, we must keep our minds on what we have at hand." Nryl responds. Quickly adding "Give them some credit, brother, they would over run us like fire r'thal does to take down a Fhakr!" Nryl finishes with a good laugh, as the fire from Pogar comes through. The ease of pronunciation of a strange language, even the knowledge of fire r'thal, small carnivorous mice type creatures that live near the volcanos and the Fhakr which resemble the wild boar but are pure plant eaters.
All the different memories, the different feelings that he feels makes Pogar feel uneasy. Although, the human facial expressions does not reflect the uneasiness.
As Nyrl/Pogar looks out to the wide horizon, the enormous flock holds his attention and he grows silent as he drinks the scene in front of him.
[OOC I am assuming that the chains are in the chest also, with the rest of the armor and stuff.]
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Tarondor
Madragar
Posts: 1677
(8/29/05 11:42 pm)
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Re: my what large teeth you have....
"I am Madragar inside of Amanos inside of some ancient Moagaran," thinks the wizard to himself. "I am reminded of a kind of children's doll popular in the upland vales south of Dobrug. But I shall be most unhappy to learn that there is yet another doll inside of me, and that the free will I appear to exert on Amanos's behalf is no more than the will of another traveler."
Amanos sits quietly, his usual reserve unbroken by the sight of so many humans. His quest is ever inward, to achieve the perfect blending of dragonnewt and klanth, and so to perfect himself. All else is the true illusion.
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Jubilex
Faceless Lord of Chaos
Posts: 4517
(8/30/05 6:57 am)
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Re: my what large teeth you have....
As the wagon and its escort rumbles slowly down the ridge and into the valley below, three riders appear from within the mass of men and animals. The patrol rides swiftly in the direction of the companions, their long brown coats tied at the waist with orange and yellow cloth, their lances surmounted by gleaming steel above ribbons of blue and gold.
The station or rank of the three Moagari cannot be determined, but as they come within earshot one canters his mount forward and shouts "who are you and where are you from?"
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doggius
Pogar
Posts: 1228
(8/30/05 8:24 am)
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Re: my what large teeth you have....
Slowing the wagon to a stop, Nryl says "We are emissaries from Ertrani, good sir" with a pleasant voice, while standing to a bow.
Standing and straightening out his tunic Nryl continues "I pray thee good passage, as we are too, passing through. We mean you or your people no harm"
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Jubilex
Faceless Lord of Chaos
Posts: 4519
(8/30/05 9:10 am)
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Re: my what large teeth you have....
"Passing through to where?" the rider asks with as much an air of command in his voice as he can muster.
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squarefodder
Khelzhad
Posts: 736
(8/30/05 9:29 am)
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Re: my what large teeth you have....
Khelzhad works to overcome both the wonder of sudden the transformation and Tagh's natural shyness to make the most of his training as an ambassador and trots his pony forward a few steps foward in the fashion he had seen during his apprentice negotiations with the Shielding men.
"As surely as you are here, keeping your word with deed, so shall it be across the river Threid when we keep our word with you by deed of land. May the Light shine on the Moagari and their herds."
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Jubilex
Faceless Lord of Chaos
Posts: 4520
(8/30/05 9:34 am)
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Re: my what large teeth you have....
[Tagh's actually riding in the wagon with Nryl and Sekastia, but that's OK.]
The rider stares at Tagh for a long moment before shaking his head and turning his mount to leave.
"Uh... go there," the rider gestures toward a cluster of white and brown tents almost a mile distant. "The caravan warden will see you on your way."
With that the trio ride off a few hundred yards and continue their watch over the nearest section of the herd.
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Atan
Atan
Posts: 1048
(8/30/05 9:42 am)
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Re: my what large teeth you have....
[Apologize if this is already been discussed:
The Moagaraii were slaves to.....the Xorn? Or some other race?]
[Atan knows nothing about that, but Gamol was told that the Moagari were a people oppressed by the rigid Vhelding caste system. As nomadic horsemen they were often at fringes of society and were generally abused by the more civilized and wealthy Vheldings. This situation exists in Gamol's present, but Atan's past. -GM]
Edited by: Jubilex at: 8/30/05 9:45 am
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squarefodder
Khelzhad
Posts: 737
(8/30/05 11:34 am)
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Re: my what large teeth you have....
When they are out of earshot, Khelzhad opens the floor for free tongues:
"I am Khelzhad, within the body of Tagh Karach, in disguise as this human. Sekastia, have we given ourselves human names? If not, we should decide on some ere we mingle with these folk."
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Kenner
Draxim
Posts: 1370
(8/30/05 3:17 pm)
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Re: my what large teeth you have....
[ Do we remember what happened at the Tooth after we left? In our memories do our actions coincide with what we remember doing, or do we remember attacking the Tooth slightly differently? ]
[The memories are hazy but the attack on the Tooth transpired as Draxim remembers it. He has no recollection of what happened after they lept through the black gate. -GM]
"Did you see that one big fellah? He could have been Ruglan's Dad." He laughs a little and then realizes the significance of what he has said.
"I wonder what would happen if wedid somat' that got Ruglan's dad killed. How would he get born back in our time? "
Edited by: Jubilex at: 8/31/05 7:22 am
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Tarondor
Madragar
Posts: 1677
(8/30/05 4:51 pm)
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Re: my what large teeth you have....
Amanos shifts slightly in his saddle and looks to Sekastia. He does not speak. The far wordier Madragar tries to be comfortable with that.
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Ulwe
Ulwe
Posts: 1548
(8/30/05 6:56 pm)
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Re: my what large teeth you have....
Sekestia points with her chin to the cluster of tents where the guardsmen had indicated.
"We shall see the caravan warden and seek an audience with the Moagari chieftain and his Queen."
[What are their names? ]
[Ogdalaan and Yalai -GM]
Edited by: Jubilex at: 8/31/05 7:23 am
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Kenner
Draxim
Posts: 1371
(8/30/05 11:32 pm)
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Re: my what large teeth you have....
"Yes noble."
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doggius
Pogar
Posts: 1229
(8/31/05 8:04 am)
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Re: my what large teeth you have....
Nryl silently nods as he pulls the reighs so the horses will move towards the direction of the tents.
"What shall we do, if they so choose to search our cargo?" Nryl asks somewhat nervously
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Jubilex
Faceless Lord of Chaos
Posts: 4521
(8/31/05 10:07 am)
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Re: my what large teeth you have....
The wagon rumbles across the plain, the lone bell hanging from the back of the wooden conveyance clanking along in time with the plodding steps of the oxen. It takes nearly half an hour to cross the mile of grass and rocks to the dozen or so tents in which the caravan warden awaits.
[Any preparations?]
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doggius
Pogar
Posts: 1230
(8/31/05 11:58 am)
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Re: my what large teeth you have....
[OOC: Are we, in our human forms, carrying any weapons or are we with no weapons besides the dragon newts weapons in the chest?]
[You've got a smattering of short spears and composite short bows. Mostly they're hunting tools and not much good for combat. -GM]
Edited by: Jubilex at: 8/31/05 12:16 pm
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