Subject: Hot and Cold Darkness 322 views

[Racer Xonclar]

After passing through Loudwater and LLorkh, going over the Graypeak Mountains and through the Lonely Moor, your newly gained family made their way to the east. Following the Black Road into Anauroch, they seemed to be more prepared for battle than usual. A day and a half into the great desert, one of the Immortal ((highest rank Elan as far as I know)) calls for the group to make camp for the night. Until this point, the band had simply walked day and night, a freedom allowed by their created physiology.

A campfire started with a thought, tents pitched with subtle movements of the finger; it was not long before the camp was made. The elan that had shown you the art of shaping turned to you as the sun began to set, "Sister, stay prepared this night. We may have to defend ourselves and more than one ectoplasmic guardian would be of use."

((I hadn't originally planned to spend any real RP time here, but I'm doing it since Shiv's internet is on the fritz and his thread isn't progressing))

[Black_Hawk]

"As you say master," Rayne said with her normal calculated grace, "I shall endeavor to be ready when the time comes"

Rayne laid down her grass mat next to the camp fire, ready to rest, in what way Elans can, for the evening. Setting the Psilash to her right next to her thigh, she sat down to observe the goings about of the camp as it was coming to its completion. Resolving to pen down what happened during her travels, she had recently started composing the events of the day into her journal she had been constructing.

Putting the events of the day to pen, she noted that something was to occur this evening and, after whatever it was had occurred, she would write about it in the morning or evening, depending on the impression it had left her with. Putting her materials away, she sat to meditate and rest before she was needed, though she kept her weapon close at hand.

[Racer Xonclar]

The night passes without note and the campsite is packed up as easily as it was placed. Griando, the shaper you apprenticed under, turns to you once again as the party begins to move, veering off the Black Road to right slightly. "Thank you again for delaying your departure from us, sister. The shades of this desert could actually prove a challenge in great enough numbers, as would the nomadic barbarians. Shortly, we will be far enough away from the City of Shades to travel on safely and you can follow the yearning you had for Cormyr."

[Black_Hawk]

"It was not a problem master. Though I depart from the Elan for this time, I shall return in the future for sure, of that I have little doubt."

Rayne, walking next to her master turned to the woods, contemplating what had brought her to this point once again. Her yearning for Cormyr grew stronger as she contemplated what those that she hoped to find there had done to her and those she knew. Turning once again to her master, she struck up a small conversation with him concerning the lands about which he had traveled, hoping to distract herself from the upcoming endeavor and perhaps glean something interesting in terms of location for when she was finished in Cormyr.

[Racer Xonclar]

Griando smiles at you as you strike up conversation, much like a father would smile in enjoyment of his daughter. He chuckles lightly before joining the conversation, though what he finds humor in isn't exactly obvious.

He begins to speak about Calimshan and it's Effreti rulers, the Calim Desert where vicious sandstorms still blow and unusual creatures live from the excessive amounts of arcane magic cast there, and the harems of dancing women run by Dijinnis. His level of detail as he tells these stories surprises you, clearly having been gained from either personal experience or months of study.

As camp is being made once again for the night, Griando explains, "Another day's travel and we should be clear of the desert's troubles. The mountains to the north of us should keep the shade forces away and only the barbarians are left to trouble us. Much easier foes however troublesome. Be ready once again, sister."

[Black_Hawk]

'So I shall.' Rayne said once again, repeating the normal camp procedure, laying her mat out by the fire and her chain close at hand. She then wrote down her masters reflections on Calimshan and the areas around it. Afterward, as others gathered around the fire for warmth or companionship, she struck up a simple tune on the instrument she carried. This sparked a small band-esq event as other Elans got out various instruments, which included a set of drums, a squeezebox, a set of bagpipes, a lute and a fiddle.

As the fire dimmed and the night deepened, the band eventually broke up, partially because of the hour, but mostly because everyone was tired from playing. Sitting down on her mat, she kept her chain close, ready for whatever would show its head. Or whatever decided not to, as the case could very well be.

[Racer Xonclar]

A couple of soft chuckles are heard as everyone puts the instruments away. Everyone was playing somewhat softly due to the quietness of the desert night. Dropping into their meditative sleeps, the only sound from the camp is the crackle of the campfire left for warmth.

Your meditation is broken by the sound of a wolf howling and the shout of men. It's four men and the wolf attacking in the night. The other elan pulled themselves from the meditative sleep quicker than you and thankfully had time to react. The first barbarian, accompanied by the wolf, has already sliced into an Elan with a jagged sword and Griando has managed to form a construct to help. One of the other barbarians stands wearing the hide of a hyena and holding a longbow, training on another Elan. The other two are rushing into the fray, one with a single-sided axe, the other with a scimitar.

[Black_Hawk]

Leaping to her feet, albeit slower than some it seems, she snatches her chain from the ground, and its psionic whispers fill the minds of those about. Drawing power from her mind, she unleashes a Telekinetic Thrust of energy at the barbarian with the bow, intending to knock him back as far as possible and spoil his aim.

[Racer Xonclar]

With a thrust of your hand, the power manifests as you watch the barbarian's clothes start to move, but with a snarl, he leans forward with gritted teeth and doesn't move. He lets the arrow fly from the bow and it catches an Elan squarely in the arm.

The Elan being attacked by the barbarian and wolf manages to manifest Forced Shared Pain before he's struck again. The barbarian lets out a shout of pain with the Elan as his sword lands another blow. The wolf lunged at the Elan's thigh, but the shout of his master must have distracted him from landing a blow.

Griando and his construct attack together at the approaching axe-laden barbarian. The large, minotaur shaped construct jumps through the air and slams into the barbarian, a heavy transparent fist driving down with the other fist crashing into the side. Griando locks his gaze on the man and flips his hand forward, a cone of razor sharp crystals shooting out of his hand and catching both the construct and the barbarian. The barbarian's screams of pain come to a bloody end as his crushed and cut-laden form collapses to the ground and bleeds on the sand.

One of the other Elans points a finger towards the wolf, a stream of crackling, inter-twisting lightening jumping to it. The wolf yelps loudly, a large patch of fur burnt off from the blast, but it manages to stand somehow.

The charging barbarian with a scimitar manages to reach one of the younger Elans before she can manifest a power. Slamming into her, he knocks her on the ground, a small cloud of dust poofing up around her.

[Black_Hawk]

Cursing the barbarian and his instance of iron will, she instead turns to the barbarian standing over the downed elan. Taking a couple strides toward him (10 ft) but not enough for him to retaliate, she lets out an unearthly screech, sending a bolt of fiery energy toward the barbarian standing over the elan. [Energy Bolt, Fire, 6d6+6, 7 PP]

[Racer Xonclar]

The 3ft in diameter column of fire materializes in front of you and streaks towards the barbarian. Striking him squarely in the chest, his armor instantly bursts to flame, hair burning away as the man screams in agony. Scrambling backwards, he drops to the ground sheathed in flames, his screams finally coming to an end as does his squirming.

The Elan girl he was standing over manages to get to her feet and backs closer to you, a quick nod of thanks as she looks around and tries to grasp what is going on again.

The Elan under attack from both the barbarian and wolf manages to manifest another power despite the wolf taking a piece out of his arm as he started. In a moment, the barbarian's eyes go wild and he flips the sword around in his hand, swiftly driving it through his own chest in a suicidal rage, blood spraying on the Elan. He collapses on the ground and slumps over onto the handle of the blade, the sand under him turning crimson red.

Griando and his construct once again move together, turning their focus on the barbarian with a bow. As the barbarian takes aim at an Elan once again, he's struck squarely in the face as the minotaur construct leaps through the air with a snarl. The ectoplasmic fist sinks into his face, nose and jaw breaking instantly. Before the barbarian can even stumble backwards from such a devastating blow, the construct backhands him with a fist and sends him to the ground, a spray of blood slinging from his mouth.
Griando, seeing the barbarian thoroughly beaten, turns on his heels and thrusts the palm of his hand towards the wolf. With a yelp, it goes flying backwards, landing 80ft away.

The final Elan lets go of the arrow in his arm and lets out a sudden, sharp "Cha!" sound. A ball of crackling electricity explodes beside the wolf, lightning shouting out several feet in all directions and arcing to the wolf. The wolf simply falls over without a sound, its fur left smoking from the jolts.

((Combat Over))

[Black_Hawk]

Rayne, seeing that the threat is ended, moves about the camp helping where she can. While being no healer herself, she does what she can to move and assist those that were wounded. After she is finished with this, she helps gather a group together to take care of the barbarians bodies. With the assistance of some Telekinesis, the barbarians are promptly buried below the sand after being searched and looted as per the norm.

After all this is taken care of, she returns to her mat and meditation until the morning, at which time the camp is sure to be on its way, and at which time she will depart, if all things go well.

[Racer Xonclar]

The Elan girl that had been knocked down only had a few scrapes and a bruise or two, but otherwise is fine and helps you with the aid. The Elan that was attacked the worst takes several breathes and closes his eyes, holding a hand over the sword wounds as they slowly begin to mend themselves. When he's done, the wounds are nothing more than red area with a little bit of scabbing.

Inspecting the bodies before burying them, the only thing unusual is the jagged sword that one was carrying. The teeth are particularly sharp and tends to rend the flesh more.

As camp is packed up and the procession moves on once again, Griando speaks again to you. "I am glad to have had you here. Hopefully, this will be our last day in the desert and you can follow the rivers south. I...am sure the others will look forward to the day we meet again." He smiles a little at the last, his eyes lingering on you.

[Black_Hawk]

"I look forward to meeting my brethren once again in the future, and look forwayd to the day," Rayne speaks, securing her belongings and making sure all her things are in order, "but duty calls, and the thought of the Red scourge inhabiting and corrupting my destination, though vague the possibility is at the most, is not a thought that i can stand."

Rayne makes idle smalltalk with her elan family, and when the time comes, departs for the land of Cormyr and the mysteries that lie there in.

[Racer Xonclar]

Griando tips his head to you slowly as you start walking towards the river. His expression is hard to grasp, showing faint signs of sadness but also of fatherly pride and confidence. After a short while, the Elans that created you and had become family were gone from your sight.

Following the river east, you come to the base of the Desertsmouth Mountains. You can see that the rivers are ironically from melting snow on the peaks of the mountains. The water is clear and cool, a small waterfall noticeable 'upstream' on the mountain face. Plant life has obviously taken advantage of the clean, abundant water; the riversides being the lushest thing you've seen since entering the desert.