Under a Dark Sun(2nd Ed. AD&D) - Page 18

dplax · 05-20-2007, 05:22 PM

Anne

Hacking at defenceless plants and brushing away annoying insects every few seconds had been more tiring than what Anne had expected. She was glad to be given a few minutes' pause while Tamora inspected the tracks left by what looked to Anne a large horde of creatures.

Anne relished the thought of being able to walk unhindered along the well-beaten path, and would have probably groaned loudly had Tamora proposed another trek through the jungle.

Anne glanced at the bottle of spirits that was being passed from Lorath, who had not wanted any, to herself. She politely took the offered wineskin and took a generous sip of the liquid to ease her sore throat. At first the taste of the liquid was pleasant, almost sweet, but then the bitter after-taste hit Anne as the liquid slid down her throat.

It wasn't a very strongly bitter taste, but Anne had never liked bitter things. The grimace showing on her face would have been evidence enough for anyone watching. Once the slightly alcoholic beverage was safely down in her stomach, Anne smiled her thanks at Balth and passed the wineskin on to Bas.

PurpleXVI · 05-20-2007, 08:14 PM

Tamora

Tamora examined the tracks carefully and meticulously, but found herself having no luck identifying what had left them, though she did confirm for sure that most of the travellers had been heading southeast, along the trail.

As she stood up from her examination of the tracks, she staggered and almost fell over, luckily catching herself in time. Out of the blue, she felt hot and dizzy, her mouth dry and sticky, as though she had been out in the sun for too long with no water. Their waterskins were filled to bursting, though, and none of them were thirsty, for they had found a clean spring earlier in the day.

Lorath

A multitude of small flowers and vines with odd-coloured berries were growing at the edge of the trail, but Lorath recognized none of them. Some of them were vaguely reminiscent of plants from Achen, however, especially a small, white flower that he knew helped prevent wounds from getting infected if it's roots were boiled and mashed into a paste.

He reached out to pluck a small one from the ground, to have a look at it close up, and it ducked it's stalk away from his hands, leaving him grasping at empty air. The elf had to snatch at it three times before he finally managed to get a hold of it, and could feel it wriggling in his hand as he yanked it out of the ground, which finally left it unmoving.

Lorath felt a faint headache growing, just above his eyebrows, as he picked a few more, which gave him no sass, and returned to the group.

Anne, Bas, Balth

"So what's the plan?" Balth asked the group in general, accepting his wineskin back once Bas had either drunk from it or said no thanks, "The trail seems like it'd be a lot faster, but, as you've pointed out, we're rather in the open. Personally I'd prefer to stay on it."

As Anne handed the wineskin on, she found herself feeling slightly odd, it was an undefineable feeling, but akin to "butterflies" in her stomach. A feeling of something impending, of anxiety.

Kazilan · 05-21-2007, 11:52 PM

Bas waved the wineskin at Balth, coughing at the harsh taste. He had taken a sip to be polite, but his inexperience with this kind of drink left him unprepared for the taste.

The destruction of the jungle weighed on the druid, even if it meant easier travel from here on in. He would use the trail, however he would not move far from the treeline unless absolutely necessary.

Armen · 05-22-2007, 03:25 PM

Tamora

Tamora was worried by her sudden deterioration and made a mental note not to partake in strange alien alcohol again any time soon. She watched Bas hand the wineskin back to Balth, watched the sun runner as he asked his question and frowned. Casually she unhooked and strung her bow and walked back to the others drawing and knocking an arrow then holding her bow down by her waist. “We should follow the trail I think – I am nervous about it but at least anything that attacks will have to cross some open ground”, she said indicating the missile weapon in her hand. She shifted her weight slightly and smiled at Balth “Are you not joining in the celebration?” she asked him, indicating the as yet unsampled wineskin with the tip of her bow.

Man Who Fights Like Woman · 05-22-2007, 05:01 PM

"Showed those plants who's boss," Lorath muttered as he stuffed them into his pack. A hand raced to his forehead as the pain began, but fell back to his side after a couple of seconds. "Well, I would have done that anyways," Lorath said to Tamora. "Having some clear ground to walk through beats the hell out of having to chop our way through the undergrowth, too." He looked down the path, and withdrew his crossbow. "As soon as we've finished our celebration, we should head out."

dplax · 05-23-2007, 05:58 PM

Anne

The strange liquid did not go down as easily as Anne had hoped. The feeling in her stomach was not prepared to subside. Anne looked at what Tamora was doing, trying to occupy her mind elsewhere.

Anne, as Tamora, was interested in seeing whether Balth would drink any of his own drink. It also filled her with a whole lot of anxiety. What if Balth did not drink any? Could it have been a poison?

PurpleXVI · 05-23-2007, 06:02 PM

Bas

Sound faded to inaudibility and the world around Bas began to assume sepia tones as Tamora confronted Balth, he could see her gestures and he could see her lips move, but he couldn't hear what was said. Every movement he made felt as though he was trapped in treacle, his muscles weak and unresponding, but nonetheless the druid could see what was unfolding...

Lorath

Impercetible to anyone but the elf, the very jungle behind Balth suddenly seemed to crawl and squirm, assuming a malevolent life. Vines became tentacles, branches crushing arms and dark pits in bark became glaring eyes.

To his horror, he saw one of the trees begin to uproot itself, and he knew, somewhere deep in his mind, that it was going to come straight for him.

Tamora

As Balth grinned and began to speak, Tamora saw his skin begin to draw taut over his bones as though his flesh and muscles did not exist, turning him into a skeletal caricature. His eyes sunk back into his head until they disappeared, leaving him with twin dark holes into black nothing, his head as bony and grinning as the Grim Reaper's.

Anne

Fear gripped Anne's heart like a skeletal fist and squeezed, she felt short of breath and there was a constricting sensation in her chest, she knew that something bad was going to happen in mere moments, was more certain of it than she had ever been of anything before.

The rogue's stomach felt full of butterflies and it was all she could do to stand her ground and not flee in fear. Every part of her mind was screaming at her to run. Just run away, to be anywhere but where she was.

Everyone

Balth grinned at Tamora, "Joining in?" He said, his voice verging on laughter, "Oh, but the celebration is all mine, seeing as how your flash of insight has come too late to save you," he drew his sword calmly, "Some of you may still have the strength left in you for a fight, but that won't last long, just lie down and it'll be over faster."

His grin turned into a smirk and he looked at each of them in turn, as if daring them to step forward and challenge him.

Man Who Fights Like Woman · 05-23-2007, 06:13 PM

Lorath took several steps back, away from the tree which had uprooded itself, until he was near the edge of the clearing. This couldn't be natural, something must have been driving it. He searched his mind to see what would be a fast spell to cast in his defense. Then he heard Balth speak, and knew he had something to do with this.

"You animated these trees you bastard!" he shouted. The elf set down his crossbow and withdrew the sword from his pack. He removed the wrappings, not caring about the gibbering anymore, and got on guard. His eyes darted between Balth and the walking tree as he tried to decide what to do, how he could best guarantee his survival. Quickly he decided that the best option for now would be to cast Mirror Image, and hope that these trees needed to see to hit. Other than that, he held his ground.

Kazilan · 05-24-2007, 01:03 AM

Bas' staff dropped from lifeless fingers. For a moment he wondered if he was simply drunk, a thought quickly forced aside by the horror that was manifesting before the party.

Unable to focus on anything but the image of death itself, Bas' mind turned to the one avenue of safety and resistance trained into his soul deeper than any other.

His muscles gladly gave way as he dropped to his knees. The druid's teeth gritted as he sank his hands into the earth, mirroring his mind's search for a connection to nature through his mental fog. He searched for a spark, any spark of nature's presence, to bolster his will and give him the strength necessary to cast a spell.

Armen · 05-24-2007, 04:59 AM

Tamora

Thoughts of betrayal, guilt, lingering doubt and confusion raced through Tamora’s mind but they raced very quickly.

She smoothly lifted her bow, aimed and shot Balth in the groin.

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05-20-2007, 05:22 PM	#171
dplax Jack Burton Join Date: July 19, 2003 Location: an expat living in France Age: 40 Posts: 5,577	Anne Hacking at defenceless plants and brushing away annoying insects every few seconds had been more tiring than what Anne had expected. She was glad to be given a few minutes' pause while Tamora inspected the tracks left by what looked to Anne a large horde of creatures. Anne relished the thought of being able to walk unhindered along the well-beaten path, and would have probably groaned loudly had Tamora proposed another trek through the jungle. Anne glanced at the bottle of spirits that was being passed from Lorath, who had not wanted any, to herself. She politely took the offered wineskin and took a generous sip of the liquid to ease her sore throat. At first the taste of the liquid was pleasant, almost sweet, but then the bitter after-taste hit Anne as the liquid slid down her throat. It wasn't a very strongly bitter taste, but Anne had never liked bitter things. The grimace showing on her face would have been evidence enough for anyone watching. Once the slightly alcoholic beverage was safely down in her stomach, Anne smiled her thanks at Balth and passed the wineskin on to Bas.

05-20-2007, 08:14 PM	#172
PurpleXVI Emerald Dragon Join Date: April 6, 2005 Location: Denmark Age: 39 Posts: 903	Tamora Tamora examined the tracks carefully and meticulously, but found herself having no luck identifying what had left them, though she did confirm for sure that most of the travellers had been heading southeast, along the trail. As she stood up from her examination of the tracks, she staggered and almost fell over, luckily catching herself in time. Out of the blue, she felt hot and dizzy, her mouth dry and sticky, as though she had been out in the sun for too long with no water. Their waterskins were filled to bursting, though, and none of them were thirsty, for they had found a clean spring earlier in the day. Lorath A multitude of small flowers and vines with odd-coloured berries were growing at the edge of the trail, but Lorath recognized none of them. Some of them were vaguely reminiscent of plants from Achen, however, especially a small, white flower that he knew helped prevent wounds from getting infected if it's roots were boiled and mashed into a paste. He reached out to pluck a small one from the ground, to have a look at it close up, and it ducked it's stalk away from his hands, leaving him grasping at empty air. The elf had to snatch at it three times before he finally managed to get a hold of it, and could feel it wriggling in his hand as he yanked it out of the ground, which finally left it unmoving. Lorath felt a faint headache growing, just above his eyebrows, as he picked a few more, which gave him no sass, and returned to the group. Anne, Bas, Balth "So what's the plan?" Balth asked the group in general, accepting his wineskin back once Bas had either drunk from it or said no thanks, "The trail seems like it'd be a lot faster, but, as you've pointed out, we're rather in the open. Personally I'd prefer to stay on it." As Anne handed the wineskin on, she found herself feeling slightly odd, it was an undefineable feeling, but akin to "butterflies" in her stomach. A feeling of something impending, of anxiety.

05-21-2007, 11:52 PM	#173
Kazilan Elminster Join Date: October 31, 2003 Location: USA Age: 43 Posts: 485	Bas waved the wineskin at Balth, coughing at the harsh taste. He had taken a sip to be polite, but his inexperience with this kind of drink left him unprepared for the taste. The destruction of the jungle weighed on the druid, even if it meant easier travel from here on in. He would use the trail, however he would not move far from the treeline unless absolutely necessary.

05-22-2007, 03:25 PM	#174
Armen Symbol of Cyric Join Date: February 11, 2003 Location: UK Age: 55 Posts: 1,375	Tamora Tamora was worried by her sudden deterioration and made a mental note not to partake in strange alien alcohol again any time soon. She watched Bas hand the wineskin back to Balth, watched the sun runner as he asked his question and frowned. Casually she unhooked and strung her bow and walked back to the others drawing and knocking an arrow then holding her bow down by her waist. “We should follow the trail I think – I am nervous about it but at least anything that attacks will have to cross some open ground”, she said indicating the missile weapon in her hand. She shifted her weight slightly and smiled at Balth “Are you not joining in the celebration?” she asked him, indicating the as yet unsampled wineskin with the tip of her bow.

05-22-2007, 05:01 PM	#175
Man Who Fights Like Woman Manshoon Join Date: January 4, 2007 Location: USA Age: 38 Posts: 218	"Showed those plants who's boss," Lorath muttered as he stuffed them into his pack. A hand raced to his forehead as the pain began, but fell back to his side after a couple of seconds. "Well, I would have done that anyways," Lorath said to Tamora. "Having some clear ground to walk through beats the hell out of having to chop our way through the undergrowth, too." He looked down the path, and withdrew his crossbow. "As soon as we've finished our celebration, we should head out."

05-23-2007, 05:58 PM	#176
dplax Jack Burton Join Date: July 19, 2003 Location: an expat living in France Age: 40 Posts: 5,577	Anne The strange liquid did not go down as easily as Anne had hoped. The feeling in her stomach was not prepared to subside. Anne looked at what Tamora was doing, trying to occupy her mind elsewhere. Anne, as Tamora, was interested in seeing whether Balth would drink any of his own drink. It also filled her with a whole lot of anxiety. What if Balth did not drink any? Could it have been a poison?

05-23-2007, 06:02 PM	#177
PurpleXVI Emerald Dragon Join Date: April 6, 2005 Location: Denmark Age: 39 Posts: 903	Bas Sound faded to inaudibility and the world around Bas began to assume sepia tones as Tamora confronted Balth, he could see her gestures and he could see her lips move, but he couldn't hear what was said. Every movement he made felt as though he was trapped in treacle, his muscles weak and unresponding, but nonetheless the druid could see what was unfolding... Lorath Impercetible to anyone but the elf, the very jungle behind Balth suddenly seemed to crawl and squirm, assuming a malevolent life. Vines became tentacles, branches crushing arms and dark pits in bark became glaring eyes. To his horror, he saw one of the trees begin to uproot itself, and he knew, somewhere deep in his mind, that it was going to come straight for him. Tamora As Balth grinned and began to speak, Tamora saw his skin begin to draw taut over his bones as though his flesh and muscles did not exist, turning him into a skeletal caricature. His eyes sunk back into his head until they disappeared, leaving him with twin dark holes into black nothing, his head as bony and grinning as the Grim Reaper's. Anne Fear gripped Anne's heart like a skeletal fist and squeezed, she felt short of breath and there was a constricting sensation in her chest, she knew that something bad was going to happen in mere moments, was more certain of it than she had ever been of anything before. The rogue's stomach felt full of butterflies and it was all she could do to stand her ground and not flee in fear. Every part of her mind was screaming at her to run. Just run away, to be anywhere but where she was. Everyone Balth grinned at Tamora, "Joining in?" He said, his voice verging on laughter, "Oh, but the celebration is all mine, seeing as how your flash of insight has come too late to save you," he drew his sword calmly, "Some of you may still have the strength left in you for a fight, but that won't last long, just lie down and it'll be over faster." His grin turned into a smirk and he looked at each of them in turn, as if daring them to step forward and challenge him.

05-23-2007, 06:13 PM	#178
Man Who Fights Like Woman Manshoon Join Date: January 4, 2007 Location: USA Age: 38 Posts: 218	Lorath took several steps back, away from the tree which had uprooded itself, until he was near the edge of the clearing. This couldn't be natural, something must have been driving it. He searched his mind to see what would be a fast spell to cast in his defense. Then he heard Balth speak, and knew he had something to do with this. "You animated these trees you bastard!" he shouted. The elf set down his crossbow and withdrew the sword from his pack. He removed the wrappings, not caring about the gibbering anymore, and got on guard. His eyes darted between Balth and the walking tree as he tried to decide what to do, how he could best guarantee his survival. Quickly he decided that the best option for now would be to cast Mirror Image, and hope that these trees needed to see to hit. Other than that, he held his ground.

05-24-2007, 01:03 AM	#179
Kazilan Elminster Join Date: October 31, 2003 Location: USA Age: 43 Posts: 485	Bas' staff dropped from lifeless fingers. For a moment he wondered if he was simply drunk, a thought quickly forced aside by the horror that was manifesting before the party. Unable to focus on anything but the image of death itself, Bas' mind turned to the one avenue of safety and resistance trained into his soul deeper than any other. His muscles gladly gave way as he dropped to his knees. The druid's teeth gritted as he sank his hands into the earth, mirroring his mind's search for a connection to nature through his mental fog. He searched for a spark, any spark of nature's presence, to bolster his will and give him the strength necessary to cast a spell.

05-24-2007, 04:59 AM	#180
Armen Symbol of Cyric Join Date: February 11, 2003 Location: UK Age: 55 Posts: 1,375	Tamora Thoughts of betrayal, guilt, lingering doubt and confusion raced through Tamora’s mind but they raced very quickly. She smoothly lifted her bow, aimed and shot Balth in the groin.

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