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Player DS
Character Name Type
Status/Notes Sex<br>
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FH.John Haight.......HY..Arawn.............Druid
.Normal/Al.. Ma<br>
...Kevin
Newark..........Dorhak............Warrior.Normal/Dwarf....Ma<br>
--.Tobie Bonahoom....YY..Fremea............Sidh....Normal/Faerry..
Fe<br>
W3.Mark
Murtha.......HN..Kell..............Trader..Normal/Human....Ma<br>
W2.David Sanders.....HN..Kiet.Sunan........Acrobat
Normal/Human ..Ma<br>
R4.Wout
Broere.......YY..Unali.............Ninja...Normal/Human ..Fe<br>
...Don.Kerr..............Maelorna..........Dancer..Normal/Human....Fe<br>
...Gilbert.Isla..........Mournath..........Sailor..Normal/Human....Ma<br>
R3
Panthera..............Pyandalgor........Hunter..Normal/Human....Ma<br>
R4.Alex
Koponen......YY..Z'leyra...........Healer..Normal/Human ..Fe<br>
Fake-Kell/Raki........Npc...............Normal..Normal/Shaper...??<br>
Z'layha
..............Npc...............Normal..Normal/Shaman...Fe<br>
Animals: Corona [Eagle] Z'leyra<br><br>
Game Web Site -
http:/nrgcomputers.com/pbem/<br>
Public posts/actions to
pnpgm@list.powersandperils.org (mailing list)<br>
Private emails (not public actions) to
pnpgm@comcast.net<br>
<br>
Game Update #136 sequence (file #927)<br>
----------------------------------------------------------------<br>
<br>
Admin Notes: None<br>
----------------------------------------------------------------<br>
[Recap]<br><br>
From Z'leyra: [Re:
Actions]<br>
Z'leyra replies to
her sister's query "Yes, it was worth...<br>
GM: Ack.<br><br>
------------------------------------------------------------<br>
[New Stuff]<br><br>
[Febris 9th,
1635TH]<br>
[Time: 5:01
pm]<br><br>
[After Z'leyra's
challenge]<br><br>
Z'layha and the others know nothing of Fuk or Lucria once<br>
events changed by
the changing of history. But she comments<br>
on seeing her dad
and being warned if it was worth it.<br><br>
Z'leyra replies to her sister's query. "Yes, it was worth<br>
trying." She
hugs her sister back. "I suspect that I should go<br>
and track down our
father's notes before someone misuses them.<br>
But I can stay
awhile."<br><br>
Z'layha wipes her tears. "But he still died. I remember
you<br>
telling me when
told me earlier in that lava cave. AS to the<br>
notes it has been
almost 2 years. Chances of finding it are<br>
probably
slim."<br><br>
<br>
[Arawn's
Challenge]<br><br>
Arawn
steps off the last step onto the landing above. As<br>
he does this
dissolve around him. The dusty dark stairs become<br>
a bright
area. Arawn finds himself in some large cottage like<br>
structure.
To the left is a window that opens out into a large<br>
deep valley.
The green slopes lead down to a winding river far<br>
below some
hundreds of feet from the top of the slopes and<br>
a few miles away
from the window.<br><br>
Arawn
glances back to see along hallway that seems to<br>
stretch on forever
riddled with lit lanterns and ornate<br>
statues and
decorations. Clearly this place is very plush.<br>
It almost reminds
you of a estate your mother uses every so<br>
often. But
it is unclear but it reminds you of home.<br><br>
The
hallway ends in a L corner with another hallway<br>
leading also into
what seems like infinity. There are<br>
three windows some
20 feet from each other down this hallway.<br>
As Arawn turns
from the window he seems himself smiling in<br>
the middle
of the hallway in front of the 3 doors.<br><br>
"You have already given so much of yourself." Arawn<br>
waves to his own
body. "Just look at me. I will remain<br>
here for eternity
always a piece of you. But for now there<br>
is a simple
challenge that awaits."<br><br>
Arawn
waves to the three doors. With that wave the door<br>
brass knobs glow a
slight green. "Our...your destiny can<br>
stop here or it
can continue. The choice is yours. The<br>
first door leads
to the court and home. Where you can find<br>
out why you are
here and remain there. Finding such a place<br>
or method again in
the Middle World could be problematic<br>
if not
impossible. Simply walk through the door. The
others<br>
will contend and
they will still have a chance to escape. The<br>
one you call
Z'leyra should have the ability."<br><br>
"The second door leads simply back to the others. Where<br>
you can continue
your journey. A journey that will wind<br>
and weave like
that river below us." He points to the window.<br>
"But you will
not be able to return here. So once you decide<br>
it will be
final."<br><br>
'The
third door is a library. It contains all the wisdom<br>
a mortal would
ever want. The Lymrians, the Gray Elves, the<br>
and mysteries of
the Vong to name a few. One can read and be<br>
nourished in there
for eternity always learning. Never<br>
satisfied for more
knowledge drinking in the secrets that<br>
would make
Scholars want to kill for."<br><br>
"Once you open a door the choice is made and no other door<br>
will
open."<br><br>
"Decide and step through. Good luck to you." With
that<br>
the Guardian Ward
dissolves before Arawn can ask questions.<br><br>
[**]<br><br>
Arawn
allowed himself a smile as he glanced out the window,<br>
gazing out onto
the valley below, breathing in deeply of the cool<br>
air wafting in
from the opening. It was brief, his sense of<br>
wariness guiding
him to be present, but a welcome respite.<br><br>
Turning, his eyes narrowed as he studied the scenery, his<br>
senses sharp as he
searched for the unusual or dangerous. He<br>
continued to do so
as he wandered down the hall, for the moment<br>
fighting the urge
to actually forge his own path by moving into<br>
the valley or down
another hall, until he came face to face<br>
with...
himself.<br><br>
"And one wonders just what that might mean in the
long-run?,"<br>
the original
asked his fragment-turned-construct.<br>
<br>
Arawn-projection shrugs. "Only time will tell won't
it?"<br><br>
"Is it my destiny, or is truly 'ours'?," Arawn said
alongside<br>
a curious
eye.<br><br>
"Yours alone. I will remain here...rather back in the prison.<br>
If you pass the
tests and leave the prison than I will remain<br>
dormant for
a very long time. That is my destiny." The Arawn<br>
projection
replies.<br><br>
Arawn
listens to the projection give the options on the doors<br>
and considers the
choices.<br><br>
"Never able to return 'here'? What is 'here'? This prison?<br>
This ward-space
and choice? Or the Upper World?"<br><br>
"Always the diver of the truth are you not? Here is the<br>
prison. This
house is just a projection of no reality.<br>
Unlike the others
who may have actual places. This is in your<br>
mind."
The Arawn projection looks out the window as he replies.<br><br>
Arawn
seems to take an eternity to decide.<br><br>
The
Guardian Ward said it was a simple challenge and so it<br>
seemed, though
Arawn did take a moment to ponder the dilemma<br>
lest he overlook a
deeper significance.<br><br>
Of
course the fact that his own essence was now fused with<br>
the Guardian Ward
hinted at the possibility that it already, in<br>
a sense, knew the
choice that would be taken. Oddly, a conundrum<br>
of a 'test' - a
test tailored for Arawn, multiple options<br>
presented by a
construct that would likely already know the<br>
answer, Destiny,
Predestination, and Free-Will all wrapped up<br>
into one
'Choice'.<br><br>
He
already knew that time did not exist in a linear sense,<br>
only the
perception of it, which expanded as one grew<br>
spiritually. But
pondering all of this here wasn't going to<br>
help him or the
party move forward so he pushed such ruminations<br>
to a corner of his
mind to be picked apart another day.<br><br>
Still,
the choices, at a basic level, moving past such debates<br>
as Desires vs
Sacrifice, was one of Dead Ends vs Freedom.<br><br>
The
first door led to immediate answers as to why he was<br>
trapped in the
Middle World. But the cost to receive that answer<br>
was to be trapped
in the Upper World. A dead end.<br><br>
The
third door granted his ever voracious mind the answers to<br>
questions upon
questions. But knowledge was a resource, used to<br>
accomplish goals.
Learning for learnings sake alone turned it<br>
into obsession.
Trapped in the library, trapped in obsession,<br>
he would spend
eternity accumulating a resource that would never<br>
be used. A dead
end.<br><br>
He
reached for the second door.<br><br>
The
journey must continue, not only for his own growth but<br>
for the benefit of
others, beyond even the party. He tried to<br>
not analyze the
constructs words, that he would not be able to<br>
return to this
prison again, trying not to wonder why and<br>
whether those
trapped here could ever truly be saved. Perhaps<br>
one day he would
be in a better place to understand and possibly<br>
address the
problem and plight.<br><br>
As for
the Upper World, for now it could wait. His home was<br>
the open road,
lying far beyond the Three Realms, and he would<br>
not be trapped.
And options would always exist - he never<br>
believed in
impossibilities, only improbabilities, and he was<br>
one to ride on the
waves of Fate and Chance, breaking or bending<br>
rules when needed
that only served as guidelines.<br><br>
Arawn
steps from the illusionary cottage to the dusty<br>
prison
landing.<br><br>
<br>
[Z'layha's
Challenge]<br><br>
The
party continues to ascend. Z'leyha reflects on<br>
what she saw of
her sister's test. Why didn't she want<br>
to save
mother? But it was a good try.<br><br>
As she
steps on the next landing her scene changes around<br>
her. She
finds herself in a white space of nothing but<br>
white.
"Hello? Hello?" She yells.<br><br>
Arawn-projection speaks from nearby but is not seen.<br>
"Your scan
was a bit erratic. We felt that maybe a<br>
test to save your
mother may be in order. But we also<br>
fear this would
not be suitable. You saw your sister<br>
try to save your
father."<br><br>
"Yes. She tried but it was a chance thing. We in<br>
the Kameran truly
believe history should not be changed.<br>
As to mother I
would love to save her from that day. But<br>
what would
happen? Tiren might've stayed alive but would<br>
other effects by
Z'leyra's influence be worse for the world?<br>
So why am I
here?"<br><br>
Guardian appears, "what do you truly feel now?"<br><br>
"Disappointed. The aspect of the gods we thought<br>
we were giving
tribute. Are nothing but ...things."<br><br>
"That is what I figured. So your choice is would you like<br>
to have your
memory changed so you are not aware of all<br>
this when you
leave here?" Arawn asks.<br><br>
"Wipe my memory?" She considers the choice.
"No. I<br>
must
remember. That man...Kell?...he died and his<br>
death should be
honored not forgotten. Could I have<br>
something
else?"<br><br>
Arawn
smiles and knows that also Lucria died but<br>
she doesn't know
this now. "What child?"<br><br>
"A way out. A explanation for my people. A argument<br>
of words so I can
justify the situation here."<br><br>
"To explain why maybe you should end the tributes? I<br>
could arrange some
coherent words to best argue the<br>
points.
Yes."<br><br>
She
nods, "then do it."<br><br>
A
orange glow shines around her and she finds herself<br>
back in the
prison.<br><br>
[Kell's
Challenge]<br><br>
For a
long while Kell floats-flies in his ghost<br>
form up the
stairs. He has yet to see Kiet's test and<br>
wonders what he'll
choose.<br><br>
Then
Kell finds himself in a cottage with a roaring<br>
fire. He
sees Arawn or likely the Guardian sitting in<br>
the chair
drinking. "This godeli wine you love is indeed<br>
very
tasty."<br><br>
Kell
smiles, "this place reminds me of home."<br><br>
"Because it is. From your mind. Sit and let's watch<br>
the
fireplace."<br><br>
"Really? Is this a test?"<br><br>
"Just relax after all you're dead you have time."<br><br>
Arawn
and Kell sit in the chair and watches the fireplace<br>
when it changes
from orange to a window of illusion. Kell<br>
leans closer and
sees Kiet in what looks to be a street of<br>
some sort.
Kiet is then offered a simple juggilng challenge.<br>
Kell smiles as he
knows he can do such.<br><br>
"Why are we watching this?"<br><br>
"Deep down you know why."<br><br>
"The ball of me? That means..."<br><br>
"Yes. By simply having tossed the ball in the bowl<br>
of your image I
would resurrect you."<br><br>
"Really? You have that power."<br><br>
"At this point yes. But as the party climbs the<br>
fortress my power
and the wards power changes. I get<br>
less
powerful. So this is his and your only chance."<br><br>
Kell
stares as Kiet considers things and then tosses<br>
the balls to the
crowd and refuses to play the god's<br>
game. Kell
frowns. "Well I can see his point."<br><br>
"Yes. A noble thing as the fates should not be
interrupted.<br>
That is what some
believe."<br><br>
"So all he had to do was pick me first and I'd be<br>
back in my
body?" Arawn nods. "Would I have been<br>
myself
fully?"<br><br>
"No. Magic of this sort unless done by actual gods<br>
has its
costs. You may be a bit weakened as Cetric<br>
has
explained. Pieces of yourself would be missing.<br><br>
"Makes sense. So the Lemasa ball and party
ball?"<br><br>
"What is to come for Lemasa would've been delayed<br>
for his
lifetime. But the fates don't like delays so<br>
the Fomorian plots
would've continued. As to the party<br>
ball?
Something like that for the party. Something far<br>
more dangerous
than ever seen. But he has made his choice."<br><br>
"C'mon tell me!"<br><br>
"Do you really want to know?"<br><br>
"No. The art of the deal is not knowing the full<br>
details and it
being a shock. So why am I here?"<br><br>
"You know what will happen when and if they escape?"<br><br>
"Yes. I'm surprised they've not figured it out."<br><br>
"Chaos fuels confusion. The fog of war and all that.<br>
Aside from a
ending gift what do you want?"<br><br>
"Me? That is hard to say. Will Uncle Tav survive<br>
his illness?
No. Don't tell me. I know. This ebony<br>
thing. I've
been reading the books from Ticasi but<br>
some details are
fuzzy. Before I move on...."<br><br>
'Fine. So be it.."<br><br>
"...no way!" Kell says as the scene changes.<br><br>
Kell
finds himself back in the prison and flies toward<br>
Raki.
"Did you see that?" Raki shakes his head.
"So<br>
you guys were not
aware or saw?" Raki shrugs.<br><br>
Raki
asks, "saw what?"<br><br>
The
party hears this but moves on.<br><br>
<br>
[Mournath's
Challenge]<br><br>
Mournath has been quiet and confused by all these<br>
events. One
minute he is on a river barge and next<br>
he is in a alien
prison? But as he steps onto the<br>
next landing he
finds himself again on a ship sailing<br>
in vary high winds
fast. He is on the deck and all alone.<br><br>
"Being the newest to this group are you happy to be<br>
with
them?" Arawn asks from behind.<br><br>
Mournath shrugs, "I've been paralyzed 3 times. Almost<br>
killed 4
times. Would anyone?"<br><br>
"So your challenge my friend is easy. Would you prefer<br>
to be with them or
elsewhere. Anywhere else?"<br><br>
The
sailor looks to Arawn and the sea all around for<br>
great distances
that go on forever. "I do like the<br>
adventure but the
open sea is my thing. I would like<br>
to be back on a
ship like this exploring."<br><br>
Arawn
claps his hands, "so it will be gone."<br><br>
The
party watches this quick scene as the wall fades<br>
to black
again. But this time Mournath does not return.<br><br>
The
Guardian appears, "he has decided to be elsewhere.<br>
Maybe some day you
will meet paths again." Then he<br>
fades
again.<br><br>
[Raki's
Challenge]<br><br>
Raki
eases up the stairs without breaking sweat<br>
or exhaustion
carrying Kell. Suddenly he finds<br>
himself on a cliff
edge over a sea at night with<br>
a full
moon.<br><br>
Raki
looks around sitting feet from a 300 foot<br>
drop to the
sea. "This is where I was on my last<br>
night in the
Middle World. Why am I here?"<br><br>
"Your scan was complex." Arawn steps up and<br>
sits behind
him. "As you said your brain is far<br>
more complex to
read. Unlike the others you have<br>
lived longer than
every life back there combined.<br>
But we did find
hopes..dreams. Do you really want<br>
to just die or be
normal?"<br><br>
Raki
shrugs looking at the dark waves below. "It<br>
would ease the
memories."<br><br>
"To be a normal human though?"<br><br>
"The gods felt the humans were flawed from the start.<br>
Especially that
snake one. But no. Could ...no..."<br><br>
"What?"<br><br>
"This one called Kell and the others as I read their<br>
minds the few I
did. They have something called<br>
forgiveness.
Do you ...think Raki would've forgave me?<br>
I tried to protect
him but they were too many."<br><br>
"That is hard to say. Is it important to you?"<br><br>
"Yes...now it is."<br><br>
"What about your people?"<br><br>
"I care less of them now."<br><br>
Arawn
nods as he spots a whale surface on the<br>
waves below.
"I could do this for you. The priests<br>
like Arawn can
absolve you. But you must consider<br>
your true feelings
deeper. I think time spent around<br>
the humans to
learn more about you will help in this<br>
decision."<br><br>
"So this is a no?"<br><br>
"For now. You know what will happen when you leave<br>
here so it all may
be moot. I can set things in motion<br>
to help you in the
future. Is this acceptable?"<br><br>
"You are so cryptic like the real one. IF this is<br>
what I must do
then yes." He stares at the waves.<br>
"So ...why am
I still here?<br><br>
"There is one thing I need of you." Suddenly a ball<br>
of light forms in
his right palm. "This is what I<br>
need you to
do..."<br><br>
The
scene fades and in moments Raki walks out of<br>
the dark wall and
picks Kell back up. The party<br>
watches his so
called challenge and move on.<br><br>
<br>
Soon
the next three landings are uneventful.<br><br>
Then
Guardian Arawn forms in front of the party.<br><br>
"Some of you have made wise and decisive choices.<br>
Some have been
challenged beyond just cause. This is<br>
the easy part of
the prison. What follows are set of<br>
wards like
below. A simple protection ward and zap if fail<br>
to kill if not
dispeled. The gods felt if you got this<br>
far then simple
power of magic and will need to<br>
be tested.
There are numerous simple wards. End<br>
them and get to
the end. No one person should handle<br>
this as maybe team
work is needed. Good luck." With<br>
that the guardian
fades.<br><br>
Actions?
Comments??<br><br>
Next
Update....Saturday...<br><br>
GM: All personal
challenges are over. Now it will be<br>
a series of gauntlet wards to dispel. Some plan<br>
should be made to decide who will do what. But in<br>
order to speed things up I will not do 1 ward per<br>
update or that'd take weeks. But assume there will<br>
be wards of all alignments. So based on this and some<br>
unknown amount a good plan should be made. It will<br>
be like before simple ward to end and avoid certain<br>
doom by the diamond zappers. So if a good plan is<br>
formed we can move on. Else I will be forced to<br>
post 1 ward per update and that'll take weeks if<br>
not a month or two more. So let's just tsy there are<br>
30 wards 8 Elder, 3 Chaos, 4 Law..like that maybe<br>
a plan on who handles what and when could be formed<br>
now? The true number is not known.<br><br>
<br><br>
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