Royal Demands

[Rhaine]

"Males! " Rhaine smirked inside her mind. Any time new burns appeared on Artemus, something inside her screamed, but... there was no time to waste. In any case there was to be someone to distract Vanion... if Art volunteered, that was his choice.

"Follow me," her voice attained a calm cold tone. Clearing the way with blazing plasma blasts, she moved into a side corridor. Any naive zombie's attempt to touch her, resulted in another quiet "whack-whack-whack" and sound of body falling. Time was scarce... and she would try to make sure the shifter does get out of the damn place.

[Xenograg]

"Go! Save Teleperien! I'll buy you as much time as I can!" yells Artemus.

It is not Xenograg but Artemus that engages Vanion. The young man obviously has something to prove. Xenograg fears for his comrade's life against Vanion's lightsaber but Artemus successfully parries with a mace.

Xenograg watches the duel for another half-minute before following Rhaine and Gwindor in search of Teleperien.

[Gwindor]

"Follow me." Rhaine commands in a cold voice. Gwindor nods and looks at Xenograg and Artemus, turns and follows Rhaine and Xenograg quickly joins them before they start the hunt. Rhaine holds a device. To answer the question on Gwindor’s face she answers in a barely audible whisper; “A map that shows where she is. The homing device she has is still with her; at least I hope so.”

“How will Artemus find us?” Gwindor whispers.

“I can only assume by scent.” Rhaine answers as she starts down the hall.

Gwindor’s sharp elven ears can hear the sickening sounds of the undead as Artemus tears their bodies little more than a pile of debris. Gwindor drew his blade and follows Rhaine.

He owed the queen his life. She could have had him executed after the debacle with Meldrath where he was controlled by the beast. Yet she allowed him a chance to prove his loyalty once again. He knew as well that Llewyss GreyMantle had a hand in this second chance. A strange sadness passed through him at the thought of the now deceased ranger, he pushes the thoughts from his mind and focuses on the rescue. Without a word Rhaine gestured and they turned a corner of what turned out to be a complex labyrinth.

The corridors are dank and covered with moss and fully dark save for the willow-the-wisp glow in Rhaine’s hand. Gwindor still did not fully trust Rhaine, but she at the moment was the only instrument that would bring him to the one he swore to protect. Gwindor looks behind the small group to see if Artemus had joined them, but he had not as yet. He could only guess that the shape shifter stayed behind to keep Vanion busy.

It seemed an eternity as Rhaine guided them carefully through this maze. Gwindor felt more and more uneasy as they seemed to get closer to the queen’s prison. He looked at Xenograg who seemed to feel the same way. Xenograg also had the ancient blade the Lady had gifted him in his hand at the ready.

Suddenly Rhaine stops and holds out a hand. They quickly duck into an adjoining hallway and flatten themselves against the wall. A door had been opened, closed and the sound of a key turning. A figure walks by, it resembles an elf, but not so. It has wings and is blue, it holds a poker as well as a couple others that looked like instruments of torture. The creature is covered with blood as is the instruments it carries. Gwindor feels the rising of rage. He wishes to end this creature’s life, but now was not the time. The first order of business was to find Teleperien, then seek retribution.

They wait until all is silent again. Rhaine cautiously looks around, seeing or hearing no one, she gestures for them to follow and stops at a door. She puts her hand on the door and places her ear close to it as if trying to hear what was in it.

Rhaine speaks in whisper, barely audible. “In here.” She reaches in her pouch and pulls out a small device. It was a silver tube with a switch or two. Gwindor watched with fascination as a brilliant white light entered the keyhole and the gentle sound of a click.

They pushed the door open. It was completely dark so Rhaine lifted the little gadget she brought with her. A light filled the room, but amazing enough it didn’t pass the door. It remained only within the walls. But Gwindor did not marvel at this for there, hanging as if a goose in the butcher’s window was Teleperien. A hook pierced her back, blood pooling below her. She was unconscious her arms hanging limply at her sides.

“Elbereth.. Xenograg come help!” At once Gwindor ran to her, being the tallest he lifted her by the waist to lessen the tautness of the hook and rope.

“Cut her down.” Gwindor’s voice shook with anger and shock. “Cut her down.”

[Rhaine]

I could only cuss quietly when I saw Teleperien. Myr'khulians know well enough how to torture, my bloodbrother Vitus has told me more than enough about it... Right now I was looking at a living example.

"Gwindor, you watch the entrance. I don't want any dratted zombie coming in. I will try to help her."

With Xenograg's help I managed to get the elven queen down from that hook. Skin, muscle, bone - too severed with the torment. And elves are sooo resistant.... It is very good when someone is trying to harm them magically, but when you are trying to apply healing - it's a menace. Besides, I sensed magically-active poison coursing through her.

Dealing with a myr'khulian poison in the Temple of Myr'Khul? Damn, I wish I have not signed up for this mission! I knelt near the Queen. Soft pale mist streamed from my hands into her body. It should help her to survive for the first hours... later I would be able to help her. When there is no power of Myr'Khul streaming around us. Without Vanion around, I could at least use my built-in ability to heal.... Treatment of wounds, growing together major blood vessels, making transportation more or less safe.

We rushed out, Gwindor carrying tall elven queen. Time meant everything. DarSai was waiting for us. And Artemus could not hold off Vanion forever.

[Vanion Shadowcast]

Vanion Shadowcast let them run past him. He had no intentions of keeping the Queen any longer, but he would make the intruders pay for their arrogance. His tech-blade flashed through the air at Artemus' neck, hoping to sever the annoying amateur's head quickly. There was mild surprise when Artemus brought his mace up to parry - it must have been blessed to parry such a blow, Vanion mused.

What happened next was short and sweet - Artemus countered with a heavy swing of his mace, but the slow, blunt tool sailed right past its dark elf target. Vanion crouched and spun around, avoiding the mace blow and slicing open a fresh wound just above Artemus' knee with his own blade.

Vanion was casually annoyed at Artemus responding to his attack with a quick elbow to the dark elf's nose. The Chosen of Myr'Khul reeled back a few steps and then sneered.

"Why should I waste time fighting you hand-to-hand, Kurgen? I would much rather take advantage of the fact that you are without your mediocre magic here in my temple.", Vanion hissed as he deftly disengaged his tech-saber and sheathed its hilt-device. A moment later, dark energy was ripping through Artemus Kurgen like psychic fire.

"You will pay for the grave error you made in coming here, Artemus Kurgen. And it will be painful.", the vampire spat out with a grin as his hands flowed mystically to upkeep the holding spell on Artemus.

From the shadows, two dozen undead children shambled slowly towards Artemus - creeping with a hunger that could only be satisfied by one thing.

[Gwindor]

After his queen was cut down he stood at the door as Rhaine instructed to watch for any sign of the undead that roamed about in this fell place. He continually glanced back at Rhaine’s ministrations but in his hand the elvish blade was held at ready for any intrusion. But none came.

When the time had come to move the queen, he and Xenograg wrapped Teleperien in Gwindor’s cloak. Gwindor lifts her with ease speaking into her ear.. “You are safe milady” There was no reaction. Her fair face was still and pale. He could feel the power of the Eldar still resides within, yet it was hanging by a thread. Eldicor, he had to remove her to Eldicor. Only there will she be fully healed. She was bound to the land as it was to her. He knew if they dallied longer it would be her death.

Xenograg now followed Rhaine closely, but his blade ready to defend the helpless queen now that Gwindor’s arms were full.

They moved quicker on the return journey, they were a little more certain of their path. As they grew closer to the natural light of day Gwindor saw the pall on Teleperien’s face. He gasps. “Hurry.”

Xenograg glances back. “We move as quickly as we may!” It was not a sharp retribution but one tired friend assuring another. Gwindor could understand how this affected Xenograg. Both he and Xenograg were warriors, and emotion was a luxury. Xenograg loved the queen and Gwindor knew that Teleperien cared for Xenograg and Amaltea as family.

Another problem now vexed them, to pass the ranks of the undead. Gwindor felt his jaw tighten. Rhaine and Xenograg now ready themselves to plow a path through the field of undead before them. Not only to pass through untouched but to keep the queen safe.

Gwindor shook his head slightly. “Elbereth..”

[Rhaine]

They hurried through the maze, Rhaine's plasmagun working accurately. Supply of cells was not infinite, and she had no need to waste them. Luckily, targeting was easy in this crowd, especially for someone with vampire reflexes. Undead children could have been a problem to someone with sensitive nerves... not to warriors like Xenograg, and not to vampires. Gwindor was carrying his queen carefully, staying behind these two. Finally they were in the room where they had left Artemus and Vanion...

It didn't take Rhaine a second to realize that the myr'khulian was once again triumphant. It was more than enough to see the spectral image of Vanion's spells lashing to tear the wereleopard! She looked at Xenograg, and in a vampire-swift move handed him a small oval-shaped medallion.

"Go. Leave. Save her."

Her voice was fast and barely audible. Vampiress turned around, and lunged into the mass of undead, with fury of a berserk. Blazing plasma streams carved her the way to Vanion and Artemus.

I do not remember if I screamed anything aloud... or said anything... The plasmagun became an extension of me. Balls of plasma ripped into undead children, igniting them and spreading destruction. I did not care if I had enough cells for the entire way out. It didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was the dhoine, fully in power of the vampire elf, surrounded by undead.

"Let him go, Vanion! "

[Artemus Kurgen]

He thought through the pain of Vanion's magic, using his lycan powers to heal the damage instantly. He smiled when he saw Rhaine rush into the room, guns ablazing. It was in that moment when he had an unique idea. Vanion had said ONLY Myr'khulian magic would work in this place..that mean that the temple had magic of it's own in the very stone work. Grinning like the Cheschire Cat, Artemus sank deep within himself to that space where he was in tune with the source of all magic. Once there... in that empty void where he knew no pain nor any kind of emotion flaoting in the ko'di, or the Oneness as it was called in ancient times, he sought out the path that led to the branch of Dark Magic that was claimed by the Myr'khul faith. Basking in the dark aura of Myr'khul, he let his magic seep into him. Artemus knew he had only one shot at this...gods hated it when their magic was used by those that did not follow them.

Bending a small portion of the magic in the room to his will, he reflected Vanion's spell back into him as Art fell to the floor. Rolling to his feet he summoned "The Maiden" to his hand and nodded to Rhaine." You have impecable timing, Rhaine" Readying the mace he rushed Vanion, weaving between the plasma blasts to engage Vanion in round two.

"You know Vanion....I get sick and tired of your damn condescending attitude.." with that he blocked another slash from the lightsabre only to have his awkward recipracle be dodged as Vanion moved back into the layers of undead and vanish.
"Now ya runnin'.....figures...for all your power...you runnin.." scoffs and turns to Rhaine:: " I owe you one Rustovich......"

[Vanion Shadowcast]

(OOC: This SL while in the past tense, meaning it has already happened, can no longer be finished here for the time being. Certain players have over-stepped boundaries and assumed things that were not the case, and between my lack of free-time and lack of patience for such power-playing actions, I have to suspend the end of the story's posting.

It can be assumed that Queen Teleperien escaped with Xenograg, her elf champion, and Artemus. Rhaine was thought to be dead in a battle with Vanion, but she eventually resurfaced a few weeks later back in Rhy'Din. The Queen was poisoned by the dark taint of Myr'Khul, the Clandestine God of the Damned.

Any other questions can always be directed to me personally - this SL may eventually be finished up here incase anyone wants to read it, but who knows... that's all for now!


-Don )

[Raevyx_Araya]

((ooc: No offense Don, but you really could have rolled with it and still gotten what you wanted out of the storyline. Your ooc note speaks of "munchkinism" and well, in my opinion, pulling the storyline due to that is rather "munchkin" as well.

I know this thread is dated and my response to it is rather late but I have had a lot of time to think about "munchkinism" lately. I know that I have unknowingly been a munchkin in two storylines since I've been here. One of my own and then in a dear friends. We talked about it and worked things out, so that the storyline would continue. About a month ago, another "munchkin" type rp happen. Things happened, someone jumped the gun in saving a female and the rp just died but, because I did not want the rp to just die, I talked to the people involved and a solution was worked out. Which in fact, allowed for an almost original ending.

So, even if yu think that someone has over stepped their boundries as far as your idea of the storyline is concerned, it could have and still can be saved, so to speak, and folks can get back to enjoying a rather nice bit of action roleplaying. Roleplaying is like Experiencial Education. In order to learn and improve, you must do it and fail. Then repeat the process and succeed. Thank you for your time and I hope that I have not offened you as I still consider you a friend.

Respectfully,

Jack Higgins aka Raevyx Araya ))

[Vanion Shadowcast]

((OOC: I am not offended, and have spoken with the parties and wish to finish the storyline - and simply have not had time to do so with my current hectic life. With the change in tempo that comes in my life during mid-october every year, making it easier with fewer responsibilities IRL, I will be able to get this SL rolling and finished again in the somewhat upcoming future.

As far as whether or not pulling a post was munchkinnism, or what have you, it was a storyline that had already taken place past-tense, and as such, I did not destroy/deny an RP event from happening as so-much as to say that I did not want to re-create a past tense story if multiple of the characters involved in the story were going to be controlled by a player not their own.

But as I've said, I have spoken to the players recently, and believe that the continuance of this thread will begin again soon. Thanks for your post, though, as well as your insight.))

[Raevyx_Araya]

(( Not a problem sir and thanks, for inviting me to duel here that night ::: brutha hugz ::: it has and is a great experience ))