4.12.2006
A Stunning Conclusion
Okay, there it is. This post will conclude D1: The Rod of Orcus...
...
Dave, Fist of Odin, is surrounded by the corpses of his friends. Facing off against the mighty death knight of Orcus, Lord Roderick Skullbones, he lets out a mighty battle cry and double damages the undead antipaladin of evil. "Ugh!" cries the death knight as he falls to the ground, his evil black sword falling beside him as his dead body collapses in an evil bony heap.
That's right about when the other Power Word: Stun goes off. Dave FoO, you spin around as the first syllable begins, wondering how the death knight managed to pull this one off, but no, wait, your bear just got stunned... Then you see.
It's Abbey.
She Stuns you and you stand helpless, watching the little girl walk over to you. Out of the corner of your eye, you see the clay golem, victorious at last, begin to smash the bones of Skullbones into paste. Laying at the golems feet is your buddy Brogg, a smoking black hole in his chest where his heart used to be. As Abbey moves across Piccolo Grave, Rodger the Ranger's dog comes over to her and puts the death knight's wand in her hand. She stands atop a pew and knocks you out with the wand.
...
Dave FoO, you wake up, paralyzed, but in no pain. Abercrombie is licking your face, and Abbey's there, leaning over you. You're still in the Grave, you see your friends motionless around you, not much has changed except now you're on the floor.
"Okay, you're up. We don't have a lot of time, so let's get this thing moving," Abbey says to you without affect. "I was hoping that the mage would be one of the survivors, as the safe bet is that he's smartest among you, but you'll have to do." Abbey looks around, and you catch a slight wave of despair over her young, innocent features.
"Remember my words well, priest of Odin, as you'll be dead soon and your brain, mind, and memories will begin to rot. You'll be joining your friends in death- those that weren't killed by the death knight, I'll kill myself. I need to convince you of a couple things so you'll take me seriously, so you see this half-elf monk friend of yours, Marivhon?" Marivhon's body, faintly breathing, is lying near you. Abbey grabs Marivhon's hair, holds up his head, pulls out a dagger, and slits his throat. Deep. Thick, oxygen-rich blood pours out of Marivhon's neck, bleaching his skin and cheeks in a matter of moments.
"All dead, priest. But I'll bring you back. As undead servants, so you can serve me. I have a job for you to do, and if you do it, I'll make sure you all come back into the realm of the living as well. But time and resources are limited." Abbey drops the dagger, wipes her hands on the back of dead Marivhon's tunic, and walks back over near your face.
"Just like I'll re-create you, my father made me. My father, who you sent to hell. Not the greatest or most clever of men or mages, but he made, and re-made me, and that took some work. But he's hidden a few things, things that I need, things I can't find. And just like you'll be powerless to affect me, I'm powerless against him. For technical reasons I won't get into. But you won't be. Powerless, that is, against Vrill, in the underworld."
"I don't care how you do it, or what you do to him. But I need you to find my father and learn from him the location and words to unlock the- now, this is important, this is what I need you to remember, as your mind begins to decay- I need to know how to access the White Book, the Book of Poppies. The White Book, priest- get this information from Vrill."
"You see, the Temple of Zelba isn't yet unmade and cleansed. If you work fast- one week is all you'll have, remember priest- one week. If you can find my father and wrest the knowledge of the Book from him in one week, you can return through Terminal 713B, and I'll restore you and your friends to flesh and blood. Fail, and you'll be trapped as undead either in this plane or in his."
"We're off to the temple soon, soon as I kill you and reanimate you. Test me if you like, try and kill me. I wouldn't waste your powers. Your skills, your abilities, even your possessions will accompany you into the lands below, although you speak only the language of the dead now... your friends here in the world will see you only as skeletal abominations, to be destroyed. One final thing. You, and your other priest friend... expect no help from your gods, being the undead horrors that you're soon to be. If you want priest magic..." and here Abbey laughs, "you'll have to pray to the undead gods- Zelba or Orcus. Only they will hear your dead prayers now."
"Remember- one week, terminal 713B, find my father and learn to access the White Book of Poppies. One week, or you'll be forever lost to the lands below."
Abbey picks up the dagger, and the world goes dark.
...
Sometime later...
You're all back, conscious, full of hp if not spells. Congratulations, you defeated the death knight! You've gained some nice treasure and a ton of xp. This concludes module D1: The Rod of Orcus...
...but no, wait- something is horribly wrong. You're back down below the temple of Grisbane, where Apprentice Steve somehow defeated tons of undead. And, looking at each other- it's true. You're undead as well. What flesh remained hangs off your bones. You have all your equipment, although it's ill-fitting. You try to speak, but only gutteral, scraping, tooth-grinding sounds emerge. You're all standing on the blasted altar, before a glowing portal made of stone and black light.
Abbey is here. She nods her head, and points, commanding you forward into the gate. You try and resist her, she opens her mouth and speaks some words, but you cannot understand. With another spell, that seems to drain her abilities, she commands you again, and you all step forward, into the black light, through the gate, and into...
D2: Hello, Airport.
...
Dave, Fist of Odin, is surrounded by the corpses of his friends. Facing off against the mighty death knight of Orcus, Lord Roderick Skullbones, he lets out a mighty battle cry and double damages the undead antipaladin of evil. "Ugh!" cries the death knight as he falls to the ground, his evil black sword falling beside him as his dead body collapses in an evil bony heap.
That's right about when the other Power Word: Stun goes off. Dave FoO, you spin around as the first syllable begins, wondering how the death knight managed to pull this one off, but no, wait, your bear just got stunned... Then you see.
It's Abbey.
She Stuns you and you stand helpless, watching the little girl walk over to you. Out of the corner of your eye, you see the clay golem, victorious at last, begin to smash the bones of Skullbones into paste. Laying at the golems feet is your buddy Brogg, a smoking black hole in his chest where his heart used to be. As Abbey moves across Piccolo Grave, Rodger the Ranger's dog comes over to her and puts the death knight's wand in her hand. She stands atop a pew and knocks you out with the wand.
...
Dave FoO, you wake up, paralyzed, but in no pain. Abercrombie is licking your face, and Abbey's there, leaning over you. You're still in the Grave, you see your friends motionless around you, not much has changed except now you're on the floor.
"Okay, you're up. We don't have a lot of time, so let's get this thing moving," Abbey says to you without affect. "I was hoping that the mage would be one of the survivors, as the safe bet is that he's smartest among you, but you'll have to do." Abbey looks around, and you catch a slight wave of despair over her young, innocent features.
"Remember my words well, priest of Odin, as you'll be dead soon and your brain, mind, and memories will begin to rot. You'll be joining your friends in death- those that weren't killed by the death knight, I'll kill myself. I need to convince you of a couple things so you'll take me seriously, so you see this half-elf monk friend of yours, Marivhon?" Marivhon's body, faintly breathing, is lying near you. Abbey grabs Marivhon's hair, holds up his head, pulls out a dagger, and slits his throat. Deep. Thick, oxygen-rich blood pours out of Marivhon's neck, bleaching his skin and cheeks in a matter of moments.
"All dead, priest. But I'll bring you back. As undead servants, so you can serve me. I have a job for you to do, and if you do it, I'll make sure you all come back into the realm of the living as well. But time and resources are limited." Abbey drops the dagger, wipes her hands on the back of dead Marivhon's tunic, and walks back over near your face.
"Just like I'll re-create you, my father made me. My father, who you sent to hell. Not the greatest or most clever of men or mages, but he made, and re-made me, and that took some work. But he's hidden a few things, things that I need, things I can't find. And just like you'll be powerless to affect me, I'm powerless against him. For technical reasons I won't get into. But you won't be. Powerless, that is, against Vrill, in the underworld."
"I don't care how you do it, or what you do to him. But I need you to find my father and learn from him the location and words to unlock the- now, this is important, this is what I need you to remember, as your mind begins to decay- I need to know how to access the White Book, the Book of Poppies. The White Book, priest- get this information from Vrill."
"You see, the Temple of Zelba isn't yet unmade and cleansed. If you work fast- one week is all you'll have, remember priest- one week. If you can find my father and wrest the knowledge of the Book from him in one week, you can return through Terminal 713B, and I'll restore you and your friends to flesh and blood. Fail, and you'll be trapped as undead either in this plane or in his."
"We're off to the temple soon, soon as I kill you and reanimate you. Test me if you like, try and kill me. I wouldn't waste your powers. Your skills, your abilities, even your possessions will accompany you into the lands below, although you speak only the language of the dead now... your friends here in the world will see you only as skeletal abominations, to be destroyed. One final thing. You, and your other priest friend... expect no help from your gods, being the undead horrors that you're soon to be. If you want priest magic..." and here Abbey laughs, "you'll have to pray to the undead gods- Zelba or Orcus. Only they will hear your dead prayers now."
"Remember- one week, terminal 713B, find my father and learn to access the White Book of Poppies. One week, or you'll be forever lost to the lands below."
Abbey picks up the dagger, and the world goes dark.
...
Sometime later...
You're all back, conscious, full of hp if not spells. Congratulations, you defeated the death knight! You've gained some nice treasure and a ton of xp. This concludes module D1: The Rod of Orcus...
...but no, wait- something is horribly wrong. You're back down below the temple of Grisbane, where Apprentice Steve somehow defeated tons of undead. And, looking at each other- it's true. You're undead as well. What flesh remained hangs off your bones. You have all your equipment, although it's ill-fitting. You try to speak, but only gutteral, scraping, tooth-grinding sounds emerge. You're all standing on the blasted altar, before a glowing portal made of stone and black light.
Abbey is here. She nods her head, and points, commanding you forward into the gate. You try and resist her, she opens her mouth and speaks some words, but you cannot understand. With another spell, that seems to drain her abilities, she commands you again, and you all step forward, into the black light, through the gate, and into...
D2: Hello, Airport.
