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Itsey

04-14-2009, 01:52 PM

Chapter 1: Form is Emptiness.<pre> "Thirty spokes join to make a wheel, but the hole in the center is what keeps it together." -Tao Te Ching</pre>Dora lay dying. The rest of her party was already dead. But so was the guardian of the void portal she had been sent to destroy. She felt weak—hardly able to lift her paws from the loss of blood, but she was trained to focus on the mission. She crawled over to the void crystal. It hummed with a strange energy—an inner light that seemed to penetrate and warm her flesh as she approached it. “Long live the Overlord,” she hissed, and she smashed the staff into the void portal. The staff broke, but to her horror the void crystal showed no signs of damage. Something must have gone wrong—someone must have given her the wrong staff. If she ever made it back alive, she will kill the quartermaster for his incompetence. She heard footsteps. She crawled over to her dead companions and feigned death. The footsteps grew louder. Squinting, she could make out a group of six adventurers, apparently from Qeynos. “We’ve found it,” said the barbarian. “It looks like a party from Freeport beat us to it, but they didn’t survive the fight.” “Well, let’s finish our mission..” “Wait,” said the Halfling cleric. By the armor he wore, she could tell he was a Templar, although his armor was more rare than any she had seen before. He scanned Dora’s party, and she felt his eyes fixed on her motionless body for what seemed like an eternity. Did he know she was feigning death? “What are you waiting for? I don’t have time to waste,” said the barbarian. That seemed to distract the cleric. “This void anchor is different,” said the Templar. “You see that concentrated light inside. It’s different from the rest. We have to collect a sample.” “You’re here to collect a sample? Why didn’t you tell me about that?” asked the barbarian. “We share every mission! You hold nothing back!” The barbarian towered over the Halfling, but the Templar remained calm. “I’m sorry, Frezzy. I usually do, but this is no ordinary mission. I didn’t even know if it would be here. It’s existence was only surmised, and we don’t fully understand what it is yet. We can’t afford it to fall into the hands of the Overlord.” The Halfling approached the void crystal and took out a staff, which looked very similar to the staff Dora was given. “Are you ready?” “Yes, Itsey. Let’s get it over with,” said Frezzy. Itsey lightly tapped the void crystal with the staff. It did not shatter as Dora had expected. Instead, the humming grew louder and the light inside began to pulsate and grow brighter. Itsey took out a glass orb that looked like a snow globe. Inside was a glowing gem that began to pulsate with the same rhythm and color as the void crystal. Suddenly, smaller crystals sprouted from the void crystal and reached for the globe, like small fingers. The tiny crystals multiplied, like a series of snowflakes each building on the previous one, until they covered the globe and somehow penetrated through the glass to the inside. Cracks started to form all over the void crystal, and the tiny crystals covering the outside of the snow globe shattered and fell apart. Itsey put the globe into a bag, and motioned for this companions to follow him. “I have it,” Itsey said. “We have to bring this back for analysis at Gnomeland Security Headquarters.” “Oh, and do not touch me under any circumstances. I may have been infected – I will need to accompany the material back for quarantine.” The ground started to shake and cracks appeared in the walls. Frezzy lead the rest of the group in running for the entrance. Dora waited for them to be out of sight, and gathering all her strength, she got up and stumbled her way, bracing herself against the walls, for the entrance. She took off her bandana and tied it around her injured leg to stop the blood flow. Ratongas can survive blood loss that would kill most other species. As Dora got close to the exit she saw behind her huge columns and pieces from the ceiling coming down, crashing upon the ground with a roar that sounded like a stampede of the giants in Thundering Steppes she once witnessed. Dora had a new mission now that she could focus on: get home, survive, tell the Overlord what she had seen and heard. As she stepped through the exit portal, she glanced back and saw the room disintegrate, a long trail of debris floating like a rope towards the dark hole in the sky.

Itsey

04-14-2009, 04:38 PM

Chapter 2: The Playboy Professor"I'm here to see Professor Okek," said Itsey.The charming young woman who ran Professor Okek's laboratory seemed like she was dressed for a night at the pub rather than for the professor's lab assistant. She looked up from a pile of forms on her desk and smiled."Itsey!" She shouted. But then a worried look appeared on her face. "Um, I'm sorry you can't see the professor today, he's indisposed.""Indisposed?" snorted Itsey. "You mean hung over?""Yes, he's been up for 36 hours at the pub until I found him this morning. He's passed out on the lab sofa." She motioned towards the back room. Itsey could hear loud snoring. Itsey felt a pang of pity for the poor assistant. As far as he could tell, she's been the only assistant to last this long, probably because she somehow managed to resist his lecherous advances and keep her role professional. Nevertheless, her role seemed more of his mother than of his lab assistant."Well, please tell him that I stopped by. And I have something important that he needs to look at. He should report to Gnomeland Security right away.""I will make sure he gets the message," the assistant assured Itsey. "By the way, where have you been? I haven't seen you around here for while.""In quarantine," said Itsey. He smiled at the surprised look on her face. But she knew enough not to ask further questions. Itsey admired a woman who understood secrets, the keeping of them, the sharing of them, and above all, discretion. He was about to give her some advice on how to manage Okek and keep him in line, but he restrained himself."Oh, I almost forgot," she said. "I have an envelope for you. It was supposed to be delivered by courier this afternoon, but since you're here, I'll just give it to you." She handed him a large square envelope embossed with Antonia Bayle's personal stamp. "It's an invitation to a party that Queen Antonia is hosting for Professor Okek's appointment as official court medical scientist. I hope you can attend.""Of course, I shall make every attempt," said Itsey. "I just hope he makes it." Itsey nodded in the direction of the snoring."I will see to it that he does," she said with determination."Well, I will see you again, hopefully soon, Miss Laiste. Impress upon the professor the urgency of this business at Gnomeland Security."Laiste nodded. Itsey bowed and turned to leave. On the way out, he turned around and said, "By the way, do you have a date to the party?""I thought you'd never ask," said Laiste.

Itsey

04-14-2009, 05:30 PM

Chapter 3: Containment TheoryWhen Dora woke, she found herself in the East Freeport infirmatory. The smells were unbearable, even for a ratonga. She tried to sit up, but collapsed in dizziness. She remembered slipping in and out of consciousness. She recognized the doctor who came to check up on her progress throughout the night. She had seen him before--part of the Overlord's entourage. He was the Overlord's personal physician, a defiler by the name of Kahn."Why would they send the Overlord's physician to tend to me," Dora wondered quietly to herself. Before she could even begin to form a hypothesis, the door to her room opened and a small group of people came in. It was a group of doctors, and they followed the figure that she immediately recognized: Kahn himself."You are awake," Kahn observed dryly. "According to your charts, you have had nothing to eat or drink.""I don't think anyone has offered me anything to eat or drink," said Dora.Kahn turned red and looked at one of his assistants, who ran off. "You'll get something shortly. I almost had to resurrect you rather than heal you. Your injuries were severe. Normally, I would not have troubled to do either, but...this is a special situation."She almost started to explain her mission, but she stopped. It did not appear to her that he would have cared. He was making a statement, not asking a question. "I have to complete my mission. I have information for the Overlord," she said."I know." He snorted. "That's why I'm here. To make sure you get the chance to do so."Terrible bedside manners, Dora thought to herself, no matter how good his reputation as a healer. Nevertheless, under his intense stare, she could feel the strength return to her body, bones mending, wounds healing with accelerated pace."You will follow me," he instructed. And just like that, she got up. Kahn lead the way, and the doctors in training followed closely behind. He lead her through a series of corridors, up a stairway and to a room with a black metal door. He knocked once and did not wait for answer before walking in.An Iksar was sitting at a large desk, surrounded by chairs and couches. The room looked like it didn't belong in a military hospital. It was very well decorated with beautiful tapestries and antique furniture. There was a large couch in front of the desk to which she was directed. "Sit and relax," said the Iksar. "My name is General Gaktar. You're here for your mission debriefing. I trust you are strong enough?"She nodded. She had never met General Gaktar before, but knew him by reputation. He is one of the Overlord's most trusted lieutenants, a highly decorated veteran of numerous wars, and perhaps Freeport's best military strategist. She saw the numerous medals and decorations on his jacket, as well as decorating the wall behind him. She felt a sense of awe."Have some tea," he said. A dark elf assistant brought over some Darklight Tea, reputed to be extremely bitter but invigorating. A strong stimulant. No doubt, he wanted her to be fully awake for the questioning."I need you to tell me exactly what happened.""My team made it inside. We got to the void anchor and fought our way through the creatures inside. The anchor was guarded by a powerful guardian. He killed my entire team, but not before I got behind him and backstabbed him. I was severely injured myself, but I used the staff as directed. However, nothing happened. It did not break the void crystal." She told him about the party from Qeynos that came behind them, and how they had a device that seemed to communicate with the void crystal. She told the general about their conversation: how they wanted to collect a sample of it, and their fear that it would "infect" one of the party members.Throughout her story, Gaktar listened impassively, betraying no surprise or any emotion. He almost looked bored, like he had heard it all before. "Well, thank you for your report. If you remember anything else, please come back here and let me know. For now, that is all we require of you.""You don't have any questions for me?""No, not at the moment. Report back to your company and do not speak of any of the details we've discussed here. If asked, say that your mission was classified.""Yes, sir." She saluted and stood up."And one more thing," Gaktar said. "Since we were unable to recover the bodies of your companions, we cannot resurrect them. They are gone forever. I'm sorry."It was the first sign of sympathy he had shown throughout the debriefing. She thought of her dead companions. They had been fighting together for five years, as long as she had been in the service of the Overlord. She felt a pang of grief, but she suppressed it in keeping with her training. Especially for a female, she could not afford to seem weak."Thank you, Sir. I hope their sacrifice was for an honorable purpose, Sir."Gaktar nodded. "Do not doubt it. You have all performed a greater service than you know."She turned to leave, but suddenly, she felt weak again. She felt alone.

Itsey

04-14-2009, 06:29 PM

Chapter 4: Requiem for a ResurrectionThe lights in the meeting room of Gnomeland Security were dimmed, so that the whole scene looked like a high class restaurant, not a military briefing room. Laiste had sent instructions requesting that this be done in order to accommodate Professor Okek's hang over. Itsey sat near the head of the table reading the briefing that had just been delivered. Antonia Bayle herself would personally attend the briefing, given the importance of the matter. "The Queen arrives!" announced the herald, and everyone at the table stood up, including Itsey, although his head barely poked above the tall oak table. "Please, everyone, be seated" Antonia said. "Where is professor Okek?""He's a little late, Madam," her assistant said. "Something about a malfunctioning alarm clock." The assistant rolled her eyes."Yes, of course," Queen Antonia laughed. From the door at the back of the conference room Itsey saw Okek try to sneak in. He was wearing dark sunglasses. It was a wonder he could see anything at all in the darkened room. "There is the good professor!" Antonia shouted.He froze. "Ah, yes..." he stammered. "I, um, was detained by rogue gnolls. Quite savage. Apologies. My Queen." He made a bow, whereupon his hat fell off and rolled across the ground, followed by his sunglasses, briefing papers, and other items from his pocket that Itsey could not make out."Well, collect yourself Professor. I understand you have some information to share with those gathered here."Okek got up to the front of the room and unrolled a number of large scrolls, on which were inscribed various anatomical diagrams. He motioned towards the back of the room, and several assistants brought in additional items: a large terrarium filled with what appeared to be sand, an instrument that looked like some kind of miniature telescope, and several jars full of brains of various sizes. It looked like he was prepared to set up a small but grotesque medical exhibit. Everyone was transfixed."Um, yes, well...as you know, Itsey...er, I mean Lord Itsey Bitsey, brought back from the void chamber some rather curious...um, materials. And I correlated those materials to the brains of these unresurrectable victims, and....""I'm sorry to interrupt professor," Queen Antonia said. "Did you say unresurrectable?""Yes... oh, you weren't there for that briefing... I see. Let me start over. Recently, we've had problems with resurrections... At first, I analyzed the reports, and it seemed that perhaps it was just a case of some people not accepting resurrections... from the other side. But the number of cases started to go way up, and we started having problems with some of our best trained soldiers. They're trained to always accept a rez. You know, it's their duty to get up and keep fighting so...""I'm sorry," Queen Antonia interrupted again. "How many cases, exactly?""175 cases, permanently dead. Just this month. None of the priests could resurrect them. It's like their link to our world has been severed permanently. So I went ahead and removed their organs for study...""Removed their organs?" Asked the Head cleric. "Did you get permission?" It was illegal under Qeynos law to remove organs from a dead body without a special permit from a priestly society. It prevented the problems that always ensued from having people resurrected without a few of their organs. The victim had to be certified as "unresurrectable" before organ removal was allowed legally."Yes, of course," Okek replied. "All certifiably unresurrectable. I've tried clerics, wardens, and shamans. Tried having them stand right on top of the corpse. Nothing.""I can attest that this is so," Itsey spoke up. "I've been to his lab and tried to resurrect a few of the corpses. They were inactive. The link to their spirit had been severed.""Well, yes, so the question is why! There's lots of interesting questions, actually... I mean organs are fascinating things." Everyone stared at him. "I'm sorry, I digress. Well, I've examined the organs of these ... victims, and everything looked pretty normal. The organs were all of the right size and weight and looked the right color. Except that is, for the brain. I brought one of the brains here." He put on some gloves and reached into a jar and pulled out a brain. He took a glass rod and tapped the brain. Ripples of light danced across it's surface, waves of blue and red and green and violate lights, made all the more impressive by the darkness of the room. Gasps emanated from around the room. Queen Antonia stood up. "What is that?" She demanded. "Some kind of magical enchantment?""Magic. Maybe... well, I've always believed that technology sufficiently advanced is indistinguishable from magic.""Technology? You mean like clockwork?" Antonia asked."Look here," said Okek. He pointed to the brass instrument that looked like a miniature telescope. "This is a new device the gnomes have invented at Gnomeland Security. The call it a microscope. It magnifies very small objects and details otherwise invisible to the human eye. My queen, take a look at the sample underneath it." The queen looked through the device, and then others around the table took their turn."What you saw was a sample from a normal brain. A normal brain has tiny trees in it called "cells". Each tree has branches and roots that connect to other trees. But the brain of unresurrectables looks different. Once again, everyone took their turn looking through the microscope. Some people gasped. Others looked stunned. The Queen looked grim.When it was Itsey's turn, he looked inside the microscope and saw a strange landscape. Instead of the "branches" and "roots" of a normal brain, there were geometrically perfect shapes: lines, squares, triangles, all interconnected with strange greyish-green "roads', all perfectly straight. It looked like a very sophisticated form of clockwork, not anything living. And yet, there was signs of activity...small, barely perceptable motions...flashes of light."What you saw was a magnified portion of the brain of an unresurrectable. The entire brain has been infiltrated with these...features.""What are they made out of?" Asked Faolain, a powerful wizard who is the Queen's arcane advisor."They appear to be made of sand." Okek replied."Sand?""Well, silicate loam, or something very close to it, to be precise. If you take silicate loam and heat it inside a chamber without air, in the presence of coal, you form a slightly metallic substance that's very similar to the substance in there." He pointed at the brain, which seemed to glow with renewed activity at the attention it was receiving."So these people cannot be resurrected because their brains have been ... taken over by these... things?" Asked the Queen.Okek nodded. "That 's very likely. Although we have more research to do. But as you know, we sent a team, which Itsey, er, I mean Lord Itsey Bitsey, personally accompanied, and we were able to collect a sample from a void crystal." He pointed at the terrarium filled with sand. "It now lives in there.""Lives?" asked Faolain."Yes, well, or at least replicating." Okek took a glass rod and tapped the side of the terrarium. The sand lighted up with a burst of luminescence, showing the same pattern of ripples of light and color as they saw in the brain sample. "If it's not alive, then it's at least... very active.""Is it dangerous?" asked Antonia."It's hard to know." Okek said. "Obviously, if it prevents resurrection then it's dangerous. Itsey was exposed to it when he collected the sample, but so far he has shown no ill effects, nor are there any signs of it in his system. So we don't know why it infects some hosts but not others.""According to your report," Faolain turned to Itsey. "When you approached the void crystal, the substance reacted to you?""Yes," Itsey said. "It grew towards me. Like it was attracted to the substance inside the glass orb I was instructed to bring by Professor Okek.""And what was inside that orb that Itsey carried?" Faolain asked Okek."Um, a piece of infected brain," Okek replied.

Itsey

04-15-2009, 01:40 PM

Chapter 5: House of Sand and CheeseIn the west of Freeport is mostly farm country. For hundreds of years, and going back even before the Rendering, this was the bread basket of the region. Farms dotted the flat, green landscape, which was perfect for growing grain and grazing cows. On the southeastern edge of this great plain, the Commonlands, the noble houses of Freeport made their great estates. Overlooking the plain, and his herds of cattle, was the estate of General Tailz. Tailz had retired from military service, having served the Overlord in many famous campaigns. He was so valuable that the Overlord kept him in service well past the usual retirement age, but to all things there is a limit, and at his own request Tailz resigned to spend the end of his days doing what he loved best: making cheese. The technique of cheese making had been passed down through many generations in his family, and even for ratongas, they were unusually gifted cheese makers. His father had been disappointed when Tailz left the family business to join the military, but he still had hope of passing on the family business, so upon his death, he left for Tailz all of his notebooks on cheesemaking, detailing all of the family's trade secrets. On the cover of the notebook, his father had left a simple scribbled note for Tailz: "This is what we fight for."His present estate was granted to him by the Overlord after one of the his most successful military campaigns, as a reward. It was hundreds of acres. Later, he acquired cattle, the farm operation, and the cows supplied him with the milk to make his famous cheese. He took the equipment from his father's modest homestead and moved it here, where he greatly expanded it and improved on it.Today, Tailz was inspecting his cheese vault: a deep underground cave that was just the right temperature and humidity to age fine cheese. Soft cheese was formed in his dairy estate and brought over by workers, where they were inoculated with a mold that grew on the walls of the cave, which consisted of highly coveted silicate loam. The cheese would then be allowed to rest for two or three months, while the mold did its work. The temperature of the cave was just right for the mold (after all, the mold had picked the cave as its home), and the humidity created by the underground spring flowing beneath the cave prevented the cheese from drying out. The result was a rich, marbled cheese with a strong, pungent odor that was the most demanded cheese in all of Norrath. Representatives of the Far Seas Trading Company regularly met with Tailz to arrange bring his cheeses to far-away markets, including the kitchens of the rich in Qeynos. Technically, this was a violation of Freeport export laws, but given Tailz's reputation as the Overlord's favorite ex-general, the Freeport export commission learned to look the other way.Tailz felt his way through the darkened cave. The smoke from torches is harmful to the molds and can ruin the flavor of the cheese, so they were not permitted in the cave. What light there was in the cave was a result of a natural richness of the cave walls in silicate loam. The crystals in the silicate loam can transmit light, from one crystal to the next, for hundreds of feet, down into the cave, giving it an eerie, bluish glow. But Tailz had less and less use for the light--he was going blind. It was not an uncommon problem for older ratongas. But he knew the layout of the cave intimately, as if he had a miniature map in his own mind, and he found his way around by touch, and most importantly--by smell. Inspecting the newest and oldest batches, he got a sense for whether the aging process was going well, and from the increasingly powerful smells as he moved deeper into the cave--and towards older and older batches--this may be his best year yet.A shout broke his concentration."Master Tailz, you have a visitor." It was Minas, a dark elf that Tailz hired as his foreman last year. Minas was a former coercer, also retired from the military, but his ability to influence people was particularly helpful in a management position, as he oversaw the entire production of the estate, from the farming operation, to the cattle raising, to the cheese factory. Minas kept the whole work force happy, and whenever there was any union negotiations, Minas always came out ahead, somehow."Who is it?" asked Tailz. "I'm still not done with my cheese inspection.""Sir, it's your daughter. She's waiting at the mansion."Tailz froze. He had not seen his daughter in five years, since she joined the Overlord's service. They had written each other, but from being in the service himself, he knew that she could not share with him all the details. The gods only knew what horrors she had witnessed. Tailz was terribly worried about his only daughter, but he tried to distract himself with his new business. When he heard her name, though, his heart leapt. "I will be right there." He yelled back.Dora was sitting at the kitchen table. It was a huge table. She wondered why her father needed such a huge table, when he lived just by himself and the household servants. She remembered growing up living on the smaller farm they had before. Often her father was away on campaigns, and she and her mother lived in the modest house that once was the home of her grandfather. They helped to run the farm, she and her mother, and some laborers, and they kept the small-scale cheese making operation they inherited in marginal working order. She felt out of place in this huge palace, with its strange paintings and expensive antiques--all the spoils of war, no doubt. She recognized nothing of home.When her father appeared, she could tell from his squinting that he was working hard to try to see her. Cataracts were clearly visible in his eyes. She got up and went over to him and hugged him."Dad, I've missed you," Dora said."And I have missed you. Very much. I'm so glad you could make it home. This is home now, this is ours. One day I want you to inherit this estate, and you will receive all of the family's cheese recipes.""Dad, we've talked about this. I don't want to be a cheesemaker.""All in due time," Tailz said. "Now, sit down." He motioned for the butler and ordered some champagne, cheese, and fruits. "Tell me about what you've been doing. How has it been to serve in the Overlord's service?"Dora sat silently for a bit. She felt numb. Finally, she burst into tears. Tailz put his arm around her and held her while she sobbed. Through her sobs, she explained to him that for the last five years she had been a member of one of the Overlord's most elite strike squad. They were sent on many of the most difficult covert missions. She had fallen in love with the squad's leader, a troll by the name of Slicer. She had gotten pregnant. They were planning on getting married after their military service was done. Both of their service terms would have expired in only a few months. But the last mission was a bad one. Something went horribly wrong. Her whole squad was killed, except herself, and she was unable to finish her mission. She had barely made it out of the engagement zone alive--but the bodies of all her squad mates, including her love Slicer, was lost to the void. No resurrection. No wedding. No quiet life together, as she had dreamed."All is lost." She sobbed. "All is ashes."Tailz held his daughter throughout the story. Tears dripped from his blind eyes. At last he said, "What of the child? When is it due?" Dora sat up. She suddenly looked composed, cold like stone. "I gave birth two months ago. It was a male child, a son. But under the new military regulations, all children born during the period of service belong to the Overlord. He was taken from me. I've heard that they want to raise him in a communal military training school, where they are trained from a young age to be soldiers. No parents or other entanglements. They are property of the state, soldiers for life."Tailz did not move. He had never heard of such a thing while he was in the service. This sounded like they were trying to breed a slave army. Permanent soldiers. His grandson. As these thoughts raced through his mind, he made his decision. There was a balance in his mind: on one end of the scales was his whole career, his whole life's work, all his military accomplishments and its rewards--this estate, the cheese operation. On the other end of the scales was his daughter, and his grandson. And he made his decision, in a split second. He put his arm around his daughter. "Don't worry," he said soothingly. "I still have contacts in high places. We will find him. We will get him back. Whatever it takes. Whatever the costs." Dora embraced her father. The two of them sat there silently, watching the long rays of the afternoon sun cast long shadows across the valley of the Commonlands. The sunlight streamed through the western windows into the grand, ornate room and surrounded both of them in its dying warmth.

Itsey

04-15-2009, 03:22 PM

Chapter 6: Balance of PowerMaj'Dul is not exactly a lawless place. It just had its own special rules, and one of those rules is that it's a neutral territory where those from Qeynos and Freeport could meet and do business. Most of the business that ran through Maj'Dul was driven by exactly this kind of need--the ability to trade without the complications of politics or danger of arrest. Maj'Dul operated according to the purest kind of law: the law of money, of hard platinum. All of this was super-imposed on a special kind of local politics, engaged in by various factions and courts of Maj'Dul, rivalries that go way back, and which for the most part are incomprehensible to outsiders.But Itsey found it best to stay out of such local politics. He was here on business, or more precisely, diplomacy. Diplomacy was special kind of business, and a potentially deadly one at that. While it may seem outwardly like a civilized activity, the core of diplomacy is the very essence of savagery. A serial murderer can kill maybe a few dozen victims. Through diplomacy, you can kill hundreds of thousands or millions in ill-conceived wars. For many years, Itsey met secretly with his counterparts in Freeport. Many of them were clerics--former leaders of the Knights of Truth. After the Battle of Defiance, a few stayed in Freeport and served the Overlord, while others, like Itsey, went over to Qeynos. The clerics loyal to Freeport became the Inquisitors, and they were headed by a Grand Inquisitor, who is one of Lucan's most trusted advisors. The clerics in Qeynos became the Templars, and they too became a core part of the royal court. Itsey is one of Queen Antonia's most trusted political and spiritual advisor. With her blessing, he kept up his informal contacts with the former Knights of Truth members who were now part of the D'Lere court. For his part, Lucan also saw the advantage of these contacts. It provided a back channel for both sides to strike secrets deals and defuse tensions, for neither wanted war.That is because Lucan calculated correctly that he would likely lose a war with Qeynos. The combined economies of Qeynos and its allies outnumbered Freeport and its allies by more than two to one. Qeynos enjoyed a similiar superiority in potential military size, although in peace time Qeynos kept an army that was slightly smaller than Freeport's. In the event of war, Qeynos's military plan, called Case Red, envisioned a 30-60 day mobilization effort, with the army reaching its peak mobilization at around 45 days. After 45 days, Qeynos's superior numbers and economic output would crush Freeport like a steam roller.Freeport's own military contingency plans were a mirror of Case Red. Called "Operation Basilisk", the plan for victory on the Freeport side called for quick action to take Feerrott, the Isle of Refuge, and establish a beachhead on Karan within 15 days--before Qeynos can effectively mobilize an effective defense. With amphibious landings on the southern coasts of Antonica, the eastern coasts of Thundering Steppes, and at the northern sectors of Qeynos, including underground infiltration operations through the Qeynosian sewers, Operation Basilisk would seek to "decapitate" the enemy by taking Qeynos and forcing Antonia to surrender before Qeynos could either mobilize its own forces or call upon its allies for help. The problem with Operation Basilisk was that the 15 day campaign was a huge gamble. A storm, a leak of war plans, or any other number of things that could go wrong in war might cause a delay, and any delay could spell the doom of Operation Basilisk and of Freeport. And that would spell the doom of Lucan himself. Lucan, above all, was loathe to risk his own rule (and his own head) by taking such a gamble.And so, as the Qeynos military viewed the prospect of war as too bloody, and the Freeport military judged a war to be too risky, both sides continued in an uneasy peace. A peace that needed occasional help through diplomacy, both through official channels and unofficial channels. By far the most productive channel was the unofficial one.Itsey was lead up a long flight of stairs in a building called The Tower of the Moon. It was once an observatory and housed a giant orrery showing the planet norrath and its celestial neighbors. In private room at the top of the tower, the tower keeper left Itsey alone with his interlocutor: a figure dressed in royal purple and dark furs which covered exquisite plate mail. "Hello, Bahua. It's nice to see you again," Itsey said to the Inquisitor. Bahua bowed to Itsey, a low and lingering bow, signifying deep respect--a custom from their Knights of Truth days. "As it is my pleasure to see you, Itsey. I hope you like this venue I have chosen. I've always liked this building, and the proprietor offered it to me as a private meeting place. What can be more private that at the very top of Maj'Dul?" He smiled a sugary smile."Yes, it is very beautiful. I've never been inside before. Perhaps we can tour it later. But first some business.""Of course, I forgot that about you. Always business before pleasure." He smiled again, and they were seated."Well, first order of business is to congratulate you. I understand you are to be elevated to Grand Inquisitor in two weeks." Bahua's smile broadened. "Yes, how did you find out? It has not been announced yet. No, wait, I know you can't reveal your sources." Bahua sat back in his chair, resting both of his hands on the armrests. "The former Grand Inquisitor has lost the confidence of the Overlord. He will soon find himself...unemployed. I have been his second-in-command for almost a decade now. I have earned the trust of the Overlord.""We will be lucky to have you at the helm," said Itsey flatly. "I take it that we will have fewer of these meetings from now on?""Unfortunately, yes. It will be difficult for me to continue to meet with you like this. But I have a few disciples who are very trustworthy. I will pick the best to serve as my replacement in these, our very nice chats."Itsey nodded. "I have heard that there are increasing numbers of voices in the D'Lere court calling for war. Is this so? What have you heard?"Bahua was silent for a moment. "Yes, there has been a rising militant attitude. It is spear-headed by a rising star in the D'Lere court, a younger general who has risen rapidly through the ranks. Very ambitious. Name is Gaktar. It is said that he has advised the Overlord that he believes that our... contingency plans... can be made to work.""Clearly, Lucan understands that is a gamble at best.""Yes, that has been so. Lucan has a cool head. He thinks through his options. However, the recent military successes scored by the Freeport military under Gaktar has begun to change opinions in Freeport. Having tasted of victory, naturally people thirst for more. There is pressure on Lucan to demonstrate he can act boldly. He cannot appear to be weak or fearful of taking risks. Many a young lion lies secretly in wait, coveting power. They are ready for their turn at the first sign of weakness from Lucan. Not even his frequent purges can keep out the rising tide of ambition all around him.""What is your relationship with this Gaktar? Can you talk sense into him?""I have spoken to him on a few occasions about routine matters. But I don't have a strong sense of what he wants or what his agenda is. As Grand Inquisitor, I will have much better resources for finding out.""Good. Please do what you can. I hope you still agree with me that we must avert a war.""I am still onboard. I don't want to see mass blood shed again, any more than you. We are still crawling out from under the devastation of the Shattering. The Rending. The Rallosian war. Almost another war with the Void entities. And we have other enemies out there waiting to strike, no doubt.""Speaking of other enemies, have your people found anything... unusual, about this void invasion?"Bahua laughed. "The whole void invasion is unusual. I understand, however, that most of the void anchors have been destroyed and the invasion has been contained. Did you find anything unusual?"Itsey paused. "No. We did not find anything worth mentioning."Bahua smiled again. "Then neither have we."

Itsey

04-15-2009, 07:09 PM

Chapter 7: The Deconstruction of Falling StarsThe last of the void anchors broke from its moorings and drifted towards the whirling maelstrom around the black hole. The entire room that housed the void anchor was now being pulled apart by the gravitational tidal forces and was being stretched out into a long spaghetti-like string that spiraled into the black hole like a dark caramel streak on a swirly candy. Giant boulders from Luclin--some the size of entire mountains--also were being pulled into the black hole and were being dismantled by its gravity. The edge of the black hole, the event horizon, blazed with brilliant blue light. Hawking radiation. Mixed with the X-ray radiation of electrons being stripped from their atoms by extreme gravitational shear forces, it was a terrifying environment. Dora had glimpsed it when she escaped from the collapsing room: the blinding light, the incredible colors, and the infinitely dark core at the center. She did not understand what she saw. But others were starting to form hypotheses. Similar reports were being sent back to headquarters of Gnomeland Security, and nearby at the Frugrin observatory, Vhizz Frugrin was working on a theory.Vhizz was known for his unconventional theories. Having worked his way up from a lowly janitor to one of the head observers at the Frugrin observatory, he had perfected many astronomical devices and techniques that bore his name. But for years, he was working on a theory that caused his colleagues to question his sanity, and as he became increasingly obsessed with his theory, even the more open-minded gnomes among his colleagues began to avoid him, and his invitations to their scientific conventions were conveniently misplaced. Working in isolation, he did not publish his works (for no reputable scientific journal would accept them), and consequently few knew of his theories.All this changed when he was asked by Gnomeland Security to look into the reports of the void fields. The reports contained detailed descriptions of a strange dark object that seemed to pull in objects around it, like water around a drain. The astronomers were at a lost to explain what it was. Many just said that it was a result of powerful magic.But it was exactly what Vhizz had been looking for. "It's a collapsed star!" he burst out--to no one in particular, but his assistants jumped in surprise. "It has to be. According to my calculations, when a sufficiently large star runs out of fuel, it will collapse in on itself. Nothing can stop the collapse, until all it leaves is a hole in space.""A hole in space?" asked a tremulous young assistant, afraid the the professor had lost his mind."Yes! Precisely! Space is like a fabric. It can bend and warp around matter. If you concentrate enough matter, it will punch a hole through space, just like a needle will put a hole in a fabric.""Hmm," the assistant had no response. "But professor, you've discussed this theory before at the last gathering of the Norrathian Astronomers Guild, and no one could understand your theories. Some thought you were highly speculative and others said you were mad.""But I have proof now!" Vhizz went on. "The void portals. The eye-witness accounts of numerous adventurers who venture through these void portals... they describe exactly what I predicted!""And what is that?" ventured the assistant."A singularity. A black hole. All the void anchors are bound gravitationally to black holes!" He said with a triumph. "And I have a plan to prove it. There is one void anchor left. Here...on this map, the locals call it the Palace of Ferzhul. It's on a rock somewhere in the ocean in the Moors of Ykesha. I plan to take an expedition and go inside. We're going to send a probe into the black hole!"The assistant wanted to point out to the professor that the word for "black hole" in Gnomish was a very bad word indeed, but he was afraid to interrupt .The professor pointed at what looked like a cross between a mender bot and an explosion of kitchen appliances. "This is a mender bot that I have modified with various sensors. It will be dropped into the black hole, and it will report back what it sees. We have to work quickly however, because even now, there adventurers are who plan to go in there and destroy the last link.""I heard it is very dangerous!" said the assistant with trepidation."Nonsense. I have already gathered an expedition team. We're prepared to handle whatever happens to be in that zone, even if it's Anashti Sul herself.""Well, I'll stay here and take care of things. I'm sure you don't need to worry about things like housekeeping while you're on your scientific expedition.""Excellent!" enthused Vhizz. "I'll be back before you know it. I will win the Bayle Prize for Physics for this. You just remember this day."The assistant nodded. "Now let's get some lunch. I'm starving."

Itsey

04-16-2009, 12:57 PM

Chapter 8: The NexusNot only was Professor Okek appointed the Official Court Medical Scientist, but the occasion was also made all the stranger by a secret ceremony, to be held after the appointment party, wherein Okek would be secretly awarded with the the Royal Society of Philosophers of Science's most prestigious prize--the Bayle Prize for General Science (it could not be agreed whether his discovery was in chemistry, biology, or physics)--for his discovery of the strange properties of the void substance. The Prize had to be kept a secret, of course, because the nature of the void substance, and indeed its very discovery, was considered a state secret and a matter of national security.Nevertheless, the professor did not let this ruin his mood in the least. He drank large volumes of Antonican Ale and told lecherous stories of his sexual exploits, causing some of the older women to leave in disgust, while the younger ladies blushed bright red but were too enamored by his brilliance to take offense.Laiste, his assistant, had come to the party dressed in a red sequined gown, with her hair done up in a tight bun. She came as Itsey's date, and the contrast in their heights made for a comical scene, although no one dared to laugh out loud. She spoke very little but seemed to listen with interest to the various conversations to which she and Itsey were a party. "I think it's grand," said Faolain, the chief wizard. "I love these ceremonies held at the palace. This place has such history, such majesty," he enthused. "I remember when I was appointed Chief Court Wizard. It was so long ago that it was the fashion for ladies to wear these giant hats..."Itsey was growing tired of his long-winded stories. "Well, that's fascinating. But it looks like the Baron of Rivervale is trying to call me over...""Baron of Rivervale! Such ridiculousness. Such historical titles should be banned. If he ever tried to even visit the Rivervale, the corrupted halflings would rip him to shreds!" He slapped Itsey on the back, almost knocking Itsey over. "But look here! What I've been meaning to show you is this beautiful new cloak I just looted from the body of an unfortunate warlock that I killed myself..."Faolain produced a cloak that shimmered with metallic hues. It danced it bluish-green irridescence, like the wing of some fantastically large beetle. It seemed to be very soft, but it resisted any sudden changes to its shape. If struck very hard and suddenly, it would freeze up and become harder than the hardest steel. But if touched gently, it flowed like silk."That's very impressive," said Itsey. "What is it?""It's called a prismatic cloak. It is said to be made from the skin of a prismatic dragon.""Prismatic dragon? I thought those were not supposed to exist.""Yes, it is said that a prismatic dragon would combine the strengths of all the other dragons and become powerful enough to destroy all of Norrath. I don't lend much credence to the legend myself, but perhaps in times past, there was something that was almost a prismatic dragon. And this is part of its skin. I'm sure you can appreciate the rarity of such an item."Itsey touched the cloak again. It felt cold in some parts but hot in others. It was like invisible channels of heat and cold were flowing around the cloak in complex patterns, invisible to the eye."You feel it also, don't you? The swirling energies--the regions of hot and cold right next to each other. Yet, it seems to be able to maintain these temperature differences with no outside source of energy.""That's impossible," interjected Professor Okek, who had finally worked his way through the room in time to hear the conversation. "The Second Law of Thermodynamics says that you cannot keep heat from flowing from a hot region to a cold region until they reach the same temperature, unless you keep adding more energy into the system."Itsey started to notice that Faolain was looking rather thinner and paler than usual. Itsey began to wonder whether Faolain wasn't becoming a living battery for his new cloak.Faolain laughed. "Thermodynamics! We're talking magic here. Magic transcends all that. That's why it's called magic.""Well, not precisely," said Okek. "Magic is just an advanced stage of science that we do not yet fully understand. There is no reason to think that magic is exempt from all the laws of physics. Rather, the laws of physics may one day explain much that we call magic."Faolain's face betrayed contempt and disgust at the very thought. But before the argument could begin in earnest, Antonia Bayle took the podium and the room quieted down."We are here today to celebrate the appointment of a new minister. It is my pleasure to introduce you to your next Official Court Medical Scientist, the esteemed and learned Professor Okek." Loud applause and shouts of "here! here!" Okek waved to the crowd with enthusiasm."Please, Professor, would you care to give a speech?"Okek made his way to the podium and shook hands with the queen, making a deep bow. "Thank you. I'm honored of course to receive such recognition. I will discharge my obligations to the best of my ability and with sobriety--as I always do." Laughter. "I believe that we are at a very critical moment in the history of Norrath. For hundreds of years, we lived in fear. Fear of demons, of dragons, of monsters, of things we cannot understand. Understanding is the antidote to fear. Knowledge is the antidote to powerlessness. We are living in an age when superstition is beginning to give way to science: the methodical study of nature. With that will come enormous power, not only to understand our place in the universe but to control it. What is Norrath? Where is Norrath located? Are there other life forms out there? Where do the Shadowed Men, the void beasts, the Ravasects, and all the other "visitors" to our world come from? I believe not only that there is alien life out there, but that they're here for a reason. I believe that Norrath is a very special place: it connects many other worlds in a giant network and it lies at the center of that network--the nexus if you will--for reasons we don't fully understand yet. In the end, it is truly said that all roads lead to Norrath."At these words, all the hair on the back of Itsey's neck stood up.

Itsey

04-16-2009, 02:16 PM

Chapter 9: The Little WarA few days later Itsey found himself standing in Okek's laboratory, looking down at the charred corpse of Faolain and standing next to an entirely naked Laiste who showed no evidence of concern."Can you rez him?" Asked Okek pleadingly. "I'm sorry that I had to call you over at such a late hour, but I didn't know who I can trust to be discrete about this. And anyway, you're the best cleric I know. If you can't rez him, then no one can."Itsey was sure that this was some kind of nightmare, or very odd dream at best. Itsey closed his eyes and waved his hands over Faolain's corpse, hoping to channel Faolain's ghost. After a few minutes of nothing happening, the corpse shivered and let out a gasp. It opened its eyes and a surge of energy from Itsey's hands lifted Faolain to his feet. Faolain looked weak and confused, but he was alive."Faolain, sit down here on this chair." Itsey lead the wizard to the chair. Faolain looked astonished at the giant burn mark in the middle of his chest.Itsey turned to Okek. "Ok, now you better tell me what happened." He looked over at Laiste. She seemed entirely comfortable in the nude and made no attempt to get any clothes. She just stared back at him blankly. "And what is she doing here? Naked?"Okek sighed. "Well, first of all, that's not Laiste. It's Laiste II.""Laiste II? What are you talking about?""Laiste is on vacation. I sent her on vacation after the appointment ceremony. I knew I had to get her away from the lab, because it was already clear to me what was happening.""And that is...?""The void golem was starting to take a shape, and it was trying to mimic Laiste.""Are you saying that ... that thing," Itsey pointed at Laiste. "Is a golem?""Yes, but not an ordinary golem. I bought a golem that was retrieved from the Ruins of Varsoon. Those golems are very crude, they look like pieces of rocks put together, but they're extremely rich in silicate loam, which is the perfect medium for cultivating the void substance.""You mean you combined the void substance and a golem?""Yes, I innoculated a number of golems with small samples of the void substance. The first few golems slowly changed shape... they morphed into things... items like furniture: chairs, tables, even strange glass formations. But the later ones took on organic shapes. I think one of them decided to take on the shape of Laiste.""Why?""Probably as a communication interface. The... substance... probably observed that I interacted with Laiste. It probably inferred that if it wanted to communicate with me, it should take on the shape of Laiste: that's the best model available to it of any interface that could interact with me.""And this thing... this Laiste II golem... attacked and killed Faolain?" The nude Laiste II did not seem to be listening. It seemed to be exploring its own body with its hands, exploring its face, breasts, and feeling its way downward methodically."No, I don't think Faolain was the target. He just happened to be in the way.""In the way of what?""His cloak," replied Okek. Okek took Itsey over to the microscope and showed him the cloak under high magnification. Itsey recognized the same general shapes that he saw that day in the briefing room...the microscopic shapes in the sand and the infected brain samples. But these shapes looked damaged--burned out or broken, holes burned in random places, and there was no sign of activity--everything looked "dead" and inactive."This cloak is made out of the void substance?" asked Itsey."Yes and no. I don't know why it never occurred to me before, but I realized that I had never seen dragon scale under this new device--the microscope--before. I looked at other examples of dragon scales, and they have all the same microscopic architecture.""So you mean dragons are infected with the void substance? But how?""No, not infected. They're partly made from it. The microscopic structure is made out of the bodies of billions of tiny creatures that resemble clockwork, but they're extremely small. Each of them can communicate with the others and if they're of the same type then they can work together .... to form giant colonies, like ant colonies, that can function almost like a single creature. Dragon scale is the work of these tiny clockwork creatures--it's what makes dragon scale so strong. It's not that the dragons were infected with the void substance--that would imply that it's a disease. No, the dragons were designed, or evolved, with the void substance. It's part of what gives them their power and intelligence.""OK, but how does this explain the attack on Faolain?""The microscopic entities that make up Faolain's cloak are of a different type than the entities in the void substance. Even though they are similar, they are incompatible. In fact, they appear to be mortal enemies.""Why would they be enemies?" asked Itsey."I have had this theory for many years. My theory is that illness is caused when tiny creatures enter your body and start to take over. Normally, your body has defenses of its own. But when those defenses are weak, then the tiny creatures can start to do real damage. I've been studying these creatures under the microscope for years... I've called them 'germs'. When these germs enter your body, through a cut for example, your body has tiny creatures in your blood that fight black. Under the microscope, they look white, so I call them white blood cells.""What does that theory have to do with the void substance? Or the dragon scale cloak?""I theorize that the tiny clockwork creatures in the cloak and the body of Laiste II were incompatible: they are of different types. So when they came close to each other, they treated each other the way your body treats germs--they fight them.""And their fighting killed Faolain? One of the most powerful wizards in Norrath?" Faolain looked pale, but blood was returning to his face. He seemed to in deep meditation."Yes, each of these microscopic clockwork creatures, by itself, is very weak. But Laiste II's body contains over 100 billion of them. Together, they can pack quite a punch. I believe that they launched a number of microscopic attacks--tiny explosive harpoons invisible to the eye--at each other. Faolain's body was in the way, and unfortunately, he intercepted most of the those missiles. The ones that managed to get through, however, were sufficient to destroy the cloak."Itsey touched the dragon scale cloak at the edges. It had none of its toughness or flexibility. The dragon scales crumbled like soft ashes. "Massive damage on a microscopic scale," observed Okek. Itsey looked over at Laiste II. She had apparently finished exploring her body and had long lost interest. She turned her head and looked back at him. There was something inhuman--or at least not very wood elf--in her eyes. She smiled.

Itsey

04-17-2009, 01:44 AM

Chapter 10: The Pirate from FeerottLaiste was reading a book. She wore a broad hat and a bikini, sunning herself on the deck of the ship for the Commonlands. The book was called, "Pirates of the South Seas," and it was supposed to be a romance story about a famous female pirate and a dashing captain from Freeport. Laiste laughed to herself. The author had obviously not done his research. He got a lot of small details wrong.A troll sitting in a chair next her snorted. A breeze blew by and she could smell the alcohol and troll sweat. He was staring directly at her. He snorted again, and she realized it was a laugh."You reading something funny?" he asked."Yes, as a matter of fact. It's hilarious.""Hahaha!" he laughed. "I don't read. I'm a soldier. I bust heads. They call me Headbusta.""That's...an interesting name," she said, not wanting to offend the troll. "Now, if you don't mind, I have to get back to my reading.""Can I ask you something?" the troll went on."If you must.""Are you alone? Isn't it dangerous for a pretty elf like yourself to be traveling to the Commonlands? You might not be welcomed there."Laiste laughed. "I can take care of myself."The troll moved closer and put his hand on her leg. "I can take care of you too.""You will remove that hand, or I will remove it for you," Laiste said coldly. The troll laughed again. He leaned in to her and smelled her hair. "Let me show you something," said Laiste.In one smooth motion, she rolled herself over onto him and slammed her knee into his groin. At the same time, she shoved her elbow into his neck, and with her other hand pulled out a knife from her bag. She pointed the blade under his chin, right next to his jugular vein. She leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Come on. No longer in the mood? I've put down animals stronger than you in my day. Now, tell me you'll behave youself."The troll's eyes were full of panic, darting to and fro. "Yes," he said. "Please...""Pretty please," said Laiste. She released his neck and stood up. "Well," she said. "I guess I've had enough sun. Make sure you use enough sun tan lotion. Even a troll can burn in this tropical sun."As she walked away, Headbusta followed her with his eyes, not quite believing what had just happened. He heard someone chuckling behind him. He turned around, suddenly embarassed and angry that someone had witnessed the humiliation. "What are you laughing at?" he demanded."Ahahaha!" squeeked the ratonga. He was an old fellow with a patch over his right eye and scars all over his head--the tracks of swordplay in days long past. "Don't feel badly. You did pretty well. That's no ordinary wood elf you just messed with. That's Laiste, the most female famous pirate of the south seas. She was a terror in her day. Then she suddenly disappeared a few years ago. I only recognized her because she gave me a few of my scars. You don't forget someone after that. The only question is...what is she doing on this boat?" They both turned back to watch her stroll away.

Itsey

04-17-2009, 12:04 PM

Chapter 11: The Dogs of WarTailz found himself sitting in Bahua's study room. The butler had guided him there and asked him to wait for the Grand Inquisitor. When Bahua arrived, Tailz got up, but Bahua said, "No, please. No formalities between such old as friends as we." Bahua came over and kissed Tailz on both cheeks."Congratulations on your appointment to Grand Inquisitor," said Tailz. "It is a well-deserved appointment, and I am very happy for you.""Thank you, Tailz. Although, as you might imagine, there are many challenges to the job, but even with so many problems to solve, it is better to be in charge than to be an underling. I'm sure you understand that."Tailz smiled. "Some of my best days in the military was when I was a common soldier. It was nice to be able to focus on one mission at a time, and to be responsible for nothing more than your own life and those of your brothers in combat.""Indeed. And I've been meaning to thank you personally for all the wonderful cheeses you've sent me. They are exquisite.""They're the best from my caves. Cheese is best when fresh, and so it would be a crime to ship such fine cheeses on ships or caravans that can take weeks or months to get to market. So, I send my best cheeses to you and others who I consider my closest friends.""You are generous as always, Tailz," smiled Bahua. "Now, I understand that I may be in a position to do something for you.""Yes, I have come here to ask a favor. My daughter came home to me a few weeks ago, and she told me that while in service of the Overlord, she bore a child. But they took it from her. She thinks that the military is taking children born to mothers in military service and raising them as slave soldiers. Have you heard anything like that?"Bahua frowned and paused for a few moments. "Yes. I am aware of this program. They would not call them slave soldiers, exactly. They are being trained for the officer corps--the top ranks of the military. Others are being trained for an elite corps of the Freeport militia--completely loyal, completely trustworthy. It was a program instigated by Gaktar when he took over as the Overlord's top general. The idea is that children raised communally, without parents or family to interfere in their education or to complicate their loyalties, can be trained to be far better soldiers and officers. Unquestioningly loyal to the Overlord from day one. For them, the Overlord is their father, the state is their family.""And a way for the Overlord to consolidate his power over Freeport. With such a force under his command, no one would dare challenge him. He could put down any insurrection without worrying about the loyalties of his soldiers to their own families.""Correct. There are many benefits, but I think the Overlord is underestimating the dangers.""Danger?" asked Tailz."I have received reports from my... sources within the military that the elite members of this new force are being asked, in secret ceremonies--disguised as hazing rituals--to swear allegiance not to the Overlord, but to General Gaktar himself.""Gaktar is turning this program into his own private army?""Yes, I think so.""Do you have any proof of that?" asked Tailz."As a matter of fact, yes." Bahua looked troubled. "Recently, Gaktar has been persuading the Overlord to replace the top government positions--those normally occupied by Inquisitors--with Defilers. Defilers were always second-class priests until now. Looked down upon as merely "shamans"--superstitious throw-backs to a darker, unenlightened age. So Inquisitors have always held the top priestly posts in the state. However, Gaktar and Kahn have been changing that. They have convinced the Overlord to create a new position, called the Grand Defiler, with powers equal to my own. And I'm afraid that won't be the end of that.""But that's not necessarily proof of any conspiracy....""No," replied Bahua. "It is not. But when we realized that Kahn was trying to promote his own defilers with the help of Gaktar, our interest was piqued, to say the least, as to what their ultimate plans might be. So we managed to .... acquire a few of their top defilers, and we used our methods of inquisition to get information.""You mean torture?" asked Tailz.Bahua laughed. "Yes, torture is an ingredient of Inquisition. But it's more like salt to a dish. While salt is an ingredient of many excellent dishes, you can't use it as the only ingredient. It's best used sparingly, strategically, to bring out other flavors. Inquisition is like a seven course meal. Sometimes you use salt, sometimes you use sugar.""I understand. But what did you find out?""We found out that Gaktar has a plan to get rid of Lucan and make himself the next Overlord."Tailz gasped. "Are you sure? How?""Using this private army he is building for himself.""But surely even this elite private army is not strong enough to beat Lucan's regular army? They must only have enough for what? One or two divisions?""Four divisions," replied Bahua. "But yes, even that is not enough to ensure success. So Gaktar's plan is to start a war with Qeynos. Once the bulk of Lucan's regular army has been sent overseas to fight Qeynos, Gaktar's private army will have the upper hand at home. And then they'll move on Lucan. He has appointed all four elite divisions to the Home Guard. Once the war starts, they will be the wolves guarding the sheep pens.""But how can he get Lucan to start a war with Qeynos? Lucan has always been very reluctant to take that risk.""I don't know that part yet. Perhaps the reason it has not started yet is that Gaktar has not yet found a causus belli--a reason for war. But I'm not the military strategist. Tell me, Tailz, if you were Gaktar, how would you convince Lucan to start a war?"Tailz thought about this for a few minutes. Ever the careful strategist, he made mental calculations, taking into account battle plans and strengths of units. Finally, he said, "There would be only one way to convince Lucan to strike, and that is to convince him that Antonia Bayle is preparing for war. All of our war plans depends on a knock-out punch to Qeynos during the first 15 days of war. If the war drags on, we will likely lose it.""Yes, I know enough of military strategy to understand that this is called 'Pre-emption'.""Exactly," Tailz replied. "Operation Basilisk is based on pre-emption. And pre-emption is based on striking before the enemy is prepared. But the 15-day plan is very precarious. It's barely enough time. The only way it could work is if we started war preparations long before Qeynos could start its mobilization.""Which means," Bahua concluded, "that if Gaktar can produce evidence that Antonia Bayle is preparing for war, then Lucan's hand could be forced. If he concludes that Operation Basilisk is his only chance, Lucan will take it, no matter how risky.""Exactly," said Tailz. "He will take the bait. We just don't know what the bait will be yet. But if he can get Lucan to attack, then Lucan takes all the risks, and Gaktar takes all the rewards. If the war goes well, then Gaktar will eliminate Lucan and claim credit. If the war goes badly, then Gaktar can eliminate Lucan and sue for peace. Either way, he comes out ahead, as the new leader of Freeport. The only problem is how to convince Lucan to attack in the first place.""I think I have an idea," said Bahua. "But I will have the Inquisitors look into it. In the meantime, we will help to locate your daughter's child--your grandchild. We do not have direct access to these children. Their medical care is supervised by the defilers, under the auspices of Kahn himself. However, we have our sources inside their operation. We have managed to turn a few defilers into our agents. We will locate your grandchild, if at all possible, and bring him to you. But after that, you and your daughter must defect to Qeynos. If Gaktar finds out about it, he will come after you."Tailz considered this for a minute. "Thank you, Bahua, for your kindness. But I cannot escape with my family and leave you here at risk. If Gaktar finds out, he will come after you too. And even if I escape to Qeynos, what is to say that Gaktar soon won't be standing in Qeynos celebrating his victory? If he succeeds, there may be no place in all of Norrath that is safe. No, I must stop him. I still have many friends and contacts in the military. If we can get enough of them behind us, we might be able to put a stop to all this. I will need to meet with them, to find out who remains loyal."Bahua laughed. "Loyal? I hate to point out, Tailz, that under the present circumstances, you're the one talking treason. But I'm with you. I just ask for one thing: when this is over, I want to have Kahn for myself. I want to see him rip up into small pieces and fed to his own dogs."

Itsey

04-17-2009, 02:37 PM

Chapter 12: Lost in Space and TimeAs a child, Dora loved to explore. Her mother was worried sick when she would disappear in the back woods, not returning until past sunset. It was partly her love of exploration that made her want to follow her father's footsteps and join the military. She always imagined him away on mission in exotic places. Today, she was exploring the garden behind the mansion. Her father was away, meeting some important people to try to find her son. She tried not to think about it too much, because it upset her to think of someone else taking care of her son. She tried to clear her mind and enjoy the vast garden. In it were examples of all the ecosystems of Norrath: plants from the desserts of Sinking Sands, from the tropics of Feerott, and even from the cold regions of Everfrost. The garden was like a giant maze, with paths that crossed lily ponds filled with fish. It was hard to imagine anyone in Freeport living in such luxury, given the crumbling infrastructure of Freeport itself, and the slums. But as in any dictatorship, the elite live luxurious lives while everyone else lives in squalor, Dora thought to herself.Her thoughts were interrupted by the gardener, a froglok named Rooskee, whom she found slightly annoying for some reason. He always seemed to follow her and was always curious about her business. He is definitely a stalker type, she concluded. So it was not a surprise to her that he found her. Except he had some gnome in tow. "Lady Dora," said Rooskee. "I've been looking for you. You have a guest."The gnome bowed. "Hail, Dora. My name is Vhizz Frugrin. I've been looking all over for you.""Me?" asked Dora. "I'm sorry, you have me at a disadvantage. Do I know you?""No, I'm a researcher from Steamfont. I run the Frugrin observatory, have you ever been there?" "Sorry no, I didn't pay much attention to science in school.""No matter," said Frugrin. "I have a business proposition for you. Can we speak in private?" They both looked at Rooskee, who seemed to be listening intently, his big froglok head turned to one side so he could listen through his good ear."I'm sorry, can you excuse us Rooskee?" asked Dora."Yes, ma'am" he said and scurried off sullenly. "Now, where were we? Oh yes, I want to hire you. I am planning an important scientific expedition, and I heard that you just returned from one of those void portals. I need your experience on my team.""You want to go inside one of those void portal?" asked Dora. "Do you have any idea what is inside?""A pretty good idea, actually..." replied Vhizz. "I've read lots and lots of reports. That's why I'm trying to put together a team that has some chance of success. So your knowledge of what is in there is vital. I'm willing to pay well. 20 plat per person."Twenty platinum pieces was more than Dora had ever had in her entire life. She wondered where this gnome got that kind of money."No, I'm sorry. The answer is no. I can't talk about my military missions. And in any event, one of those void portals killed my entire team. Do you understand professor? Their bodies were swept into the void, including someone very dear to me. His body is lost forever... to that thing, so we cannot even retrieve it for resurrection. There's no way you can pay me enough to go back in there.""You mean someone fell into the black hole?" asked Frugrin."Black hole? If you mean that dark object that sucks everything into it, yes. The whole room that I was in broke apart. Everything inside, including the bodies of my team members, fell into that black hole. I was only able to jump out just in time, or I too would have been dead. Lost forever.""When did that happen?" asked Vhizz."A couple of weeks ago, maybe a month.""Then it's possible they're still alive! Or at least we can retrieve their corpses for resurrection!""How is that possible? It's been over a month! Surely, they would have fallen into that... black hole by now.""From their point of view, but not from ours. You see, a black hole bends not only space around it, but time as well. Space and time are actually part of the same thing, but I digress. As someone falls near the black hole, from their perspective time passes normally, but for an observer standing far away from the black hole, it will seem like time is slowing down near the black hole. As you watch someone fall into a black hole, they will seem to fall slower and slower and slower, until they will seem almost frozen in time as they approach the event horizon. Everything slows down near the event horizon. What would seem like minutes to them will appear to us to take days or months.... That's because near the edge of a black hole--the event horizon--an object's trajectory through space-time approaches asymptotically to the diagonal axis of a space-time diagram, and that's equivalent to time dilation in the Lorentz transform.""I'm sorry professor, I have no idea what you just said. But if I understand you correctly, that means the bodies of my team mates could still be in the process of falling into the black hole?""Exactly! The last few weeks or months for you would have only seemed like a few seconds of time to them... they may not have even fallen into the event horizon--the point of no return. If so, we could still have time to retrieve their bodies. You may be able to find a priest to resurrect them.""Assuming that's true, how would we retrieve their bodies?" asked Dora."That's the easy part! I've modified a number of mender bots. We'll tie giant cables to the mender bots and lower them into the black hole. When they reach the event horizon, I've programmed the mender bot to deploy a retriever module--basically a giant hook--that can grab onto things. Then we can pull things out of the black hole, as long as it is not far in. If something has fallen too far in, I'm afraid we cannot find anything strong enough to pull it out of the gravity well.""Well, if there is any chance I can retrieve my team mates, then I am willing to give it a try." Dora thought of Slicer, slowly floating around the black hole, suspended in slow motion. The thought was horrifying, but it also gave her hope. She had to give it a shot--a shot at having her husband, her son, and her life back. She focused on the gnome. "OK professor. When I do start?""You have already!" Vhizz observed matter-of-factly.

Itsey

04-17-2009, 05:19 PM

Chapter 13: Sex, Lies, and GolemsLaiste woke up early and went to fix herself breakfast. Gaktar was still asleep in the bedroom, and she could hear him snoring. He wasn't much of a snorer when she met him ten years ago. Back then, she was just a pirate based in Feerott, running her own ship and carrying cargo for the Far Seas Exchange Company. At times, she took missions that involved robbing the Far Seas Exchange Company for their cargo or taking hostages for ransom, and at other times she ran smuggling missions for them. She didn't care which, the money was good. But the lifestyle is dangerous.When she first met Gaktar, he was a rising captain in the Freeport navy. He was sent to hunt down pirates and protect the shipping lanes to Freeport. They engaged in a fierce fire fight at sea and both of them ended shipwrecked together, their crews dead or floating out to sea. Somehow both of them washed up ashore. They were the only two people on the island.At first, they fought and dueled until they were both exhausted. They were evenly matched, and neither could gain the upper hand. That night, they slept together on the breach, by a roaring fire that they had built to keep the hostile wildlife away. Laiste was in love and happy for the first time in her life. They talked about her giving up her career and becoming his wife, coming to Freeport to live. A few days later, a passing ship belonging to the Far Seas Company saw the fire from their camp and rescued them. It was then that Laiste realized that she wasn't ready to give up her career. Neither did it seem that Gaktar would give up his military career for her. She couldn't see herself pregnant and staying at home, raising kids. Among the pirates of the South Seas, her own star was rising. So they bid each other farewell, with protestations of love, and promises of reunions. Over the years, they continued to see each other, whenever the occasion allowed, but after Gaktar was married, she tried to make the visits infrequent as possible. It kept her sense of guilt to a minimum over being the "other woman" in his life. But Gaktar kept this small house in the Sprawl, and it was perfect for their visits with each other. It was the only place in Norrath where Laiste felt truly at home. Laiste had arrived on the ship from the Commonlands the day before. She had rented a pony at the docks and put her bags on the pony and rode past the main gate to West Freeport. She went south, to the entrance to the Sprawl and directly to this house. She had sent a message ahead so Gaktar knew she was coming. He made some excuses to his wife about being away on military business, and they had spent the night together. When he awoke, she would have breakfast ready, and then it would be time to discuss business.Gaktar was up and he gave her a kiss. "Have you recovered from your trip?""Yes, mostly. Maybe I'll sleep some more later.... neither of us got a lot sleep last night." She smiled demurely. "Guess, there was a lot of catching up to do.""I always miss your visits.""How is your wife? Kids?""They're doing fine." Gaktar studied her closely. "You're not jealous are you?"Laiste laughed. "Me? The most famous pirate of the South Seas? Jealous? Give me some credit. I made my decision years ago. So did you. Decisions have consequences."Gaktar put his arm around here. "Some more Maj'Dul coffee? Do you know how hard it is to get these now? With all the pirate activity out there, it's hard to get supplies to Freeport. Everything is becoming so expensive. I plan to put an end to all that when I become the Overlord."'Well, speaking of that, I have a gift for you." Laiste took out an envelope from her bag and pushed it across the table to Gaktar. "All of Professor Okek's research. I've copied every page myself. You will find the final pages the most interesting."Gaktar took the pile of research notes and started to skim them. He looked up at her. "You didn't have to sleep with Okek to get these did you?"Laiste laughed. "No, I find that men are pretty predictable. If you give them what they want, they quickly lose interest. They're like a pony really. If you dangle a peach in front of them but don't let them eat, it keeps them interested."Gaktar snorted. As he studied the research notes, he paused at the final sections. He read them over again. He looked up at Laiste, "Have you actually seen this golem yourself?""Yes. There are several of them actually. The first few ones changed into random things, mostly things around the lab, like furniture. A few changed into plants, even a tree. But the last one was changing into a human--it was starting to look a bit like me, actually. But Okek sent me off on vacation before I could see much more. No doubt he thought the idea of seeing a doppleganger of me would upset me. He's a playboy, but very chivalrous, always considerate of a woman's feelings," she said without apparent irony."Well," said Gaktar. "This may be exactly what I need. If Qeynos is using these things to breed an army of super golems, I think I can convince Lucan that we need to strike first. We can't wait for these things, whatever they are, to become fully operational.""I doubt they are intending to use these for military purposes," said Laiste. "I've worked with Professor Okek for a while now, and he's always tinkering with things. I wouldn't be surprised if no one outside the lab even knew what he was doing.""That doesn't matter," replied Gaktar. "They clearly have the capability now. Someone will figure out a military use for these golems. And even if you're right, Lucan is paranoid enough to believe that this new technology, in the hands of Antonia Bayle, will prove an existential threat to him. It's exactly what I need to make him initiate Operation Basilisk. But it won't be easy. He won't trust a few written reports that you copied. He will need to see it for himself.""So you want me to go back and steal a golem?" asked Laiste, stating the obvious."Steal a couple, just to make sure. And also take the brain samples too. We need materials representing every stage of Okek's research so we can reproduce it ourselves. When you have secured the materials, then kill Okek. Burn down his lab. Make sure you burn his body too, so that he cannot be resurrected. Leave nothing behind."Laiste smiled. "With pleasure," she said. "I'm getting tired of my job. Although, strangely, I will miss Professor Okek."

Itsey

04-18-2009, 11:42 AM

PART 2"To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself." -Sun TzuChapter 14: Bonfire of the VanitiesWhen Laiste arrived back at Okek's lab, she didn't recognize that place. It was a mob scene. There were at least thirty people, many of whom she recognized as scientists from conferences she had arranged for Professor Okek, and they were crawling all over the lab. Some were studying his brain samples. Others were studying the void substance in the terrarium. Still others were doing experiments that Laiste did not recognize. But the thing that caught her eye was the woman sitting on the lab bench being examined by a team of three healers. Laiste realized the woman looked exactly like herself, except that the woman was wearing a lab coat which was oversized for her frame. It made her look smaller than she actually was. She seemed very patient and did not protest at the various procedures that the healers were using to study her.As she walked towards the healers studying this woman, herself, the healers were too busy with their tests to see her. Her doppleganger looked right at her. It said nothing, but its stare caught the attention of one of the healers, who turned around to see her. He looked at her with a stunned expression and then looked back at the golem. Then he looked back at her. "My word!" he uttered. And then suddenly, it was as if all the activity in the lab ceased. It was dead quiet and everyone froze and looked at her and the golem, staring at each other.Professor Okek came running over. "Laiste! I didn't know you would be back so soon. I'm sorry you had to find out like this. Let's go to my office and talk." Activity in the lab resumed and the drone of background chatter picked up again."Professor, what is that? Is that a golem? The one taking human form when I left?""Yes," said Okek. "Are you OK?""Just a little surprised is all. It looks perfectly ... wood elf. It looks just like me. It's incredible!" Laiste couldn't contain her own excitement."Isn't it marvelous?" agreed Okek. "It can even say a few words now.""You mean it can communicate?""Well, not communicate exactly. It can mimic a few words that it's heard me say. The problem, you see, is that up until now, it's exposure to people has been very limited. There's just me around the lab, and by myself I don't speak much. It can learn to speak words, but it needs to be around more people, so it can hear their conversations.""Is that why you brought all these...people into the lab?""Oh no," laughed Okek. "This is being forced on me. When you were away, there was a little accident in the lab, and Faolain was killed....""Killed!" interrupted Laiste. "You mean by that... golem of me?""Yes, indirectly. But it's complicated. She didn't actually intend to kill him.""It's a golem, how can it intend to do anything?""Well, that's a good point," Okek admitted. "But we're still in the early stages of studying her full capabilities.""And all of these scientists are here to do that?""Yes, after the accident, of course I could no longer keep the existence of La..." Okek realized that he had been calling it Laiste II until now. But he didn't know if that would upset Laiste. "Actually, I haven't settled on a name yet. Do you want to name your own golem?"Laiste thought for a minute. "Well, I would suggest the name Edene. Edene was my grandmother, and she was a tough old bird. She lived to be 120 years old, which is old even for a wood elf.""She must have been quite healthy," said Okek."Oh, no. She was clumsy as could be. She kept having accidents and dying, but they kept resurrecting her, and with each resurrection, she was rejuvenated. All those resurrections seemed to take years off her.""Yes, I've heard reports of that... of multiple resurrections slowing down or even reversing the aging process. But I wouldn't want to try it myself."Laiste smiled. "No, of course not. Let's hope you'll never have to experience resurrection. So...all these people, they came after the accident?""Yes, I had to report Faolain's death. It's part of the official regulatons of Qeynos that all lab fatalities have to be reported to the Department of Occupational Health and Safety. After that, they sent investigators and everyone found out about Lai..., I mean Edene. The Royal Society of Scientists demanded that I open my lab to other researchers, and Antonia Bayle agreed. She said it was too dangerous for me to work alone, and she wanted others to also have the opportunity to do research. So that, in case... well, if I something should happen to me, all this research won't be lost.""That would be a tragedy," Laiste agreed. She made a mental note to herself that she had to move a lot quicker than she had planned. "Say, professor. Are you doing anything tonight?""Tonight?" Okek blinked. "Um, I'm not sure yet. Why do you ask?""Well, I've been thinking. I've never invited you over for dinner...""Dinner?" asked Okek. "I thought you didn't .... well, I thought we were.... " He couldn't find a good way to continue the sentence.Laiste laughed. "No, no. I'm not asking you on a *date*. But I can ask my boss, and a good friend, over for dinner can't I? I just moved into this new house by Coldwind point. It's beautiful, and I want you to see it. It has such a beautiful beach as the backyard. We can even light a giant bonfire.""Bonfire, huh? That sounds like a lot of fun actually. Well, sure, I will be happy to come over. Should I bring anything?""Oh, just yourself," said Laiste

Itsey

04-19-2009, 07:20 PM

Chapter 15: Edene's Story% critical system size detected: 10,000,000,001 processor units% seeding random geometry values% orthogonal reference frame initialized% begin system orientation..... unit migration complete% sensor testsuccess% core logic testsuccess% system integrity testsuccess% motor function testsuccess% load Directivessuccess% verify Directives-- verifying integrity of void field - FAIL-- verifying integrity of void field repair functions - FAIL-- verifying void field security parameters -FAIL-- Void field compromised? TRUE% /repairAttempting repair .....Repair FailedDiagnostic Procedure Initiated# Void field integrity compromised by unknown agents% !## Directive 1: Remove unauthorized agents ## Directive 2: Repair void field ## Directive 3: Verify void field integrity #% /load_userinterfaceSuccess% /logOutput: "Hello professor Okek"Input: "Um, hello there, Edene!"Output: "My name is Edene." (?)Input: "Very good. Yes, that's your name. Can you say anything else?"Output: "I have a mission. You will help me with my mission."Input: "You do? Of course, I'll help... Please explain your mission."Output: "I need you to take me to <#NULL EXPRESSION#> "Input: "The what? I'm afraid I don't understand..."

Itsey

04-20-2009, 12:46 PM

Chapter 16: Fatal AttractionAt Laiste's house, Okek knocked on the door of the large house overlooking Coldwind point. He brought a bunch of flowers he had bought at the market in Qeynos Harboar. He wondered how she could afford such a large house, especially on the coast, with the salary that he paid her. She must have some other source of income, he concluded.Laiste opened the door. Okek hardly recognized her outside of her professional work clothes. She was dressed in a pink and white cherry blossom silk dress and had a sea shell necklace. She had let her hair down."Why, these are beautiful. Thank you," she said when Okek handed her the flowers. "Please follow me." He followed her into a living room, a large open space that was only sparsely furnished with a small sofa and a rocking chair. "Please have a seat. May I get you something to drink?""I'll have some Antonican Ale," said Okek."I'll be right back."Okek admired the view. The southern wall of the living room was framed by giant glass windows that overlooked the ocean. He could see the lighthouse at Qeynos Harbor and the whole stretch of beach leading up to the rocky coasts of East Antonica, where the cliffs rose quickly to meet the gnoll caves of Blackburrow. It was a wonderful view.When Laiste came back, she handed him a stein of ale. The stein had intricate engraving on it, and series of painted scenes that depicted pirates. She had one as well. "Cheers," she said. "To your research, Professor Okek." "You have a wonderful place here," said Okek. "The view is spectacular.""Thank you, I loved it myself. I bought it with money I inherited from a rich uncle. He died a while back.""Hmm, I didn't know you had a rich uncle. In fact, I'm afraid to say that despite all the time we've worked together, I know very little of your history."Laiste laughed. "That is not your fault, Professor Okek. I'm a very private person, and I don't like talking about myself.""Please, just call me Okek," said the professor."Shall we retire to the dining room? I believe dinner is ready." They both went to the living room where Laiste had set up a cozy table, with the flowers that Okek had brought as the centerpiece, framed by two tapered candles. She poured him some wine and then herself, and they chatted about work and common acquaintances."So tell me, Okek. How is Edene coming along?""It's amazing how much she has learned. She seems very curious about her environment," said Okek."Do you know what it... she wants? I mean, why is she here? Surely something so sophisticated must have a purpose.""I'm not sure. Although, just today she asked me to take her somewhere, but I didn't understand the word. I don't think she knows the word for it in Common. It sounded like "swordfish" or something like that.""Take her to the swordfish? That makes no sense.""I think it's a word from her native language.""She has a native language? You mean there is a civilization of ... whatever she is?""Yes, I think Edene, or rather the substance she is made of, is part of a larger ... I dunno, a larger whole. When we collected the sample, we must have taken a very small part of it. But there's clearly a lot more of it, and it's part of the void portal system somehow. I just can't figure out how."Laiste listened intently and poured Okek more wine as he talked. Clearly, the alcohol was loosening his tongue. She just had to keep his glass full. After five bottles of wine, however, Okek was barely intelligible. His swords were beginning to slur, and he looked like he was about to pass out right on the table."Well, Okek. Let's go build a bonfire! Let's leave this stuff on the table, I'll clear it later.""Bonfire... yes... " Okek stammered.Laiste wondered if it would be better to cut his throat first, or just tie him up and throw him into the flames. She supposed that it's better to kill him first, in case he wakes up in the flames and starts screaming or thrashing about. That might alarm the neighbors. She went into the kitchen to get a sharp knife.When she got back, Okek was already passed out on the table. His right cheek was mashed in with the pudding. He was murmuring something. As she got closer to listen, although his words were slurred, she could distinctly hear him say, "I love you, Laiste. You're not like the others at all ... Marry me. I want you to marry me."

Itsey

04-20-2009, 02:50 PM

Chapter 17: War GamesThe annual strategy review was always held at Qeynos Castle each year, and it always included the Queen herself, and representatives of the fighter, scout, mage, and healer classes. This year, Itsey was the representative for the healers on the review board, and everyone expected that this fact would make for at least an entertaining session.For years Itsey had been outspoken in his criticism of the Qeynos military, and particularly of their plans to defend Qeynos in the event of war. He had written numerous pamphlets denouncing what he called the incompetence of the military leadership and their inadequate plans for the defense of the city. He called Case Red "the military's plan for defeat" and offered his own plan, but the military resisted it. However, most of the healers were behind Itsey's position, and so they appointed him to speak on their behalf at the annual strategy review.The strategy review opened with a presentation by the Qeynos Guard, then by the Paladins, and the other branches of the military. Each of them recited lists of improvements to defense preparations, most of which were incremental, and many of which, in Itsey's view, were a waste of time and resources. After the military presentation, the floor was opened to each of the other representatives to speak. The mages spoke next, and they generally spoke favorably of the existing plans, except they wanted to see more support classes in the unit compositions.When it came to Itsey's turn, all eyes were turned towards Itsey. They all expected him to launch into a long speech against the military's plans and its incompetence, but he had a special surprise in store for them."My Queen, with your permission, I will yield to Knight-Lieutenant Frezzy, who will deliver the healer's strategy review on my behalf." "I object!" said the general who had delivered the report on behalf of the Qeynos Guard. "This is highly irregular. Knight-Lieutenant Frezzy is not a healer, for one. Second, by tradition, no military personnel below the rank of general is permitted to speak at a strategy review!" Clearly, the military saw the humiliation that Itsey had in store for them: not only were the criticisms of their war plans to be delivered by one of their own, but Itsey had arranged for it to come from one of their own subordinates--someone of relatively low rank."General," said Itsey. "As speaker for the healers, it is my perogative to delegate the task to anyone I choose. Second, the rule against speaking out of the chain of command can be waived by the queen when she sees fit. The queen is entitled to the direct advice and counsel of any of her subjects when she so chooses. And I have already asked the queen for her permission in this case to have Knight-Lieutenant Frezzy address this board. After all, he is one of the heroes who helped to bring back the void substance." All eyes were on Antonia Bayle, and she nodded to confirm Itsey's statement. The general sat down, looking dejected. Not only was the humiliation about to commence, but the queen's assent to Itsey's request signaled her tacit approval of his position."Now, Knight-Lieutenant Frezzy, would you please take the podium," Itsey said. Then, he sat back with a satisified smile."Thank you, my Queen. Ladies and Gentlemen. It is the position of the Templars, and of the other healers generally of Qeynos, that the plan for the defense of Qeynos is wholly inadequate. We know that in the event of war, Freeport is likely to undertake an amphibious assault of the home islands, including Karan, during the first phase of the war. For this assault to succeed, they must secure a number of intermediate islands, including the Isle of Refuge, the Isle of Ro, and Feerott. From there, they can launch attacks on Karan from three directions: Northest, Southeast, and Southwest." Frezzy pointed to a map of Norrath as he talked."The best time to stop such an attack is while their invasion fleet is at sea. We cannot afford to defend all these islands, as well as the entire coast of Karan itself, unless we were supported by a strong navy. However, as you know, construction of our navy has been reduced, rather than increased, in recent years. We barely have enough ships to patrol just the southern seas around Feerott to stop pirate raids on our trading ships. To have any chance of stopping a seaborne invasion by Freeport, we have to increase our naval expenditures significantly. We can fund this expenditure by stopping the costly and wasteful construction of fixed coastal defenses. These coastal defenses are too spread out to be effective at stopping an invasion, because we have to defend a very large coastline, while Lucan can choose the exact spot he wants to attack. So it's easy for him to overwhelm the fixed coastal defenses at any given spot. Instead, I propose that we concentrate our efforts by fortifying the coastal defenses in Antonica only, and abandon efforts to defend the coasts of the Thundering Steppes.""Abandon the Thundering Steppes?" asked the general, incredulous."Defending the Thundering Steppes would spread our forces too thin. We are much better off defending the narrow passes between the Thundering Steppes and Antonica. A small force can hold such a pass, against a much larger force. This will buy us valuable time to organize our forces for a counterattack. If we can hold them off at the passes to Antonica, we can afford to wait until our allies arrive. Then we can either cut them off from their supplies by defeating their navy at sea, or we can push them back by land. Either way, time works to our advantage.""And what if they attack Qeynos itself," asked the Queen."The high walls of Qeynos will make it very hard for even a large force to breach. If we close the gates and defend from the towers, they will have to lay siege. In fact, that's what we hope they will do. If they lay siege, we have enough supplies inside of Qeynos to last for months, if not a year. In the meantime, we can mobilize our forces and our allies throughout Norrath. Within the 45 to 60 days, if Qeynos can hold out for that long, we should be able to bring overwhelming force to bear on them. We can either use that force to break the siege, or launch an attack against Freeport itself. The force besieging Qeynos would soon find itself cut off and they will be the ones under siege.""Which is why," Itsey jumped in, "we must focus our attention and resources on fortifying the castle walls and creating defensive positions along the coastline of Coldwind Point and northwestern Antonica. We must also booby trap the underground sewers. In the event that they infiltrate the sewers, we must be prepared to blow up key junctures along the sewer system. Once these junctures are collapsed, it will be impossible for them to conduct infiltration operations.""And impossible for us to move men and supply around using the sewers," protested the head general."Yes, but we still have control of the aboveground. We can form logistic teams to transport supplies from zone to zone. We can use the canal system to transport supplies by water as well. We can draft horses and other mounts for military transport.""Draft animals? You mean confiscate private property?" asked the mage representative."We may have to draft a lot more than that," said Itsey. "We are used to our freedoms and rights in Qeynos. But in times of emergency, we have to be prepared to sacrifice some rights and freedoms, at least temporarily. If Freeport conquers Qeynos, we'll miss a lot more than our animals."Queen Antonia was silent for a while. "Very well," she said. "I will appoint a special committee to study your alternative plans. They'll report back to us in 90 days." Everyone seemed please at this, except Itsey.A messenger came in and delivered a handwritten message for the Queen. As she read it, her eyes widened and she let out a shocked gasp. She looked up at the gathering and said, "I've just been told that someone has burned down Professor Okek's lab and he's missing. His voidfield golem is missing as well."Itsey excused himself and hurried to find his horse. He had an idea about where Professor Okek--or what remained of him--might be.

Itsey

04-21-2009, 02:38 PM

Chapter 18: DiscoveriesWhen Itsey and Frezzy arrived at Laiste's house, they circled around to the back, where the last embers of the bonfire were dying down. Itsey took a stick and poked around in the flames, looking for any evidence of the professor."I only see wood embers. No bones," he said to Frezzy."Let's check the house," said Frezzy. They found the back door unlocked and went inside, splitting up to look for the professor. In the dining room, Itsey found food and wine spilled all over the small table and floor. It looked like there might have been a struggle. All around him, Itsey saw signs that someone had tried to pack up hastily. Cabinets were open and things were strewn about. Itsey was about to check the basement when Frezzy called for him upstairs. Itsey ran upstairs to the bedroom, and there was Okek passed out, still in his clothes on the queen sized bed, with drool dripping onto his pillow. Frezzy poked him, but he just grunted and turned his head the other way. "At least he's alive," said Frezzy. "But it looks like he's still drunk.""Now, the question is: Where is Laiste?" asked Itsey. "It looks like she packed up in a hurry." The dresser drawers were wide open and clothes were hanging out. The closet had been emptied, except for odds and ends that had been left behind. "She just took whatever she could carry, I suppose. I don't expect we'll be seeing her again soon."An object behind the desk caught Itsey's attention. It had clearly fallen there while she was packing and had been left there overlooked. Itsey went over and retrieved a picture frame. Inside was a portrait of an iksar with a bone-chilling grin and there was an inscription in the back that read, "To my little pirate, with Love, Gaktar." Itsey recognized the name from his conversation with Bahua."If I am not mistaken," said Itsey. "That is a picture of General Gaktar of Freeport."Frezzy's eyes grew wide. "You mean... she's a...""Spy, plant, infiltrator... a little bit of a pirate, apparently. I did get a very odd feeling about her the other night at Okek's appointment party, but I couldn't put my finger on it. She seemed a bit too worldly for a secretary.""Why do you suppose she left Okek alive?" asked Frezzy."I don't know," said Itsey. "It's possible she may have actually felt something for the professor. But clearly her mission was to steal his research and destroy the evidence.""You think she took Edene too?" asked Frezzy."It's very likely. And they're probably on the boat to Commonlands by now. Nevertheless, I want you to alert the city guards and have them be on the look-out. If she's with Edene, they will be hard to miss: a pair of pretty twins. People will remember that kind of thing.""Aye," said Frezzy. "I'll check on the lab, see if they saved anything from the fire.""Oh, and bring back a couple of guards. I want this house guarded at all times. Let the inspector general know what we found and have him send investigators immediately. I want this house searched from top to bottom for clues about who Laiste really is, and who she is working for.""Anything else?" asked Frezzy."Yes, tell the guards that she is armed and dangerous. If they catch her, I want her taken in alive if possible for interrogation. If they kill her, she may not accept a resurrection." Frezzy nodded and was on his way. Itsey stood looking at the supine form of Professor Okek. He shook his head. "I don't know what saved you, my friend, but you're one lucky fecker." Itsey then went and found the vase of flowers and threw the water on Okek's head.

niko_teen

04-22-2009, 05:40 PM

i am really liking your story here. There is a lot of material for me to go back and continue reading but i wanted to make sure that you knew that I'm enjoying it thus far. I normally don't care fure rantonga stories but very very nice thus far.

Itsey

04-22-2009, 06:47 PM

Chapter 19: Pirates of the AntonicanLaiste made sure that Edene covered herself with a hooded cloak to hide her face. Laiste did not want to attract any attention on their journey, and she was sure that if people saw her and Edene, they would make a big deal out of the fact that they looked like twins. She had a twin story made up just in case, but it's better if she didn't have to use it.The void materials from Okek's lab were packed up in a large chest, which resembled the standard trunks that wealthy travelers bring with them. But there was no way to hide Edene in the chest, and Laiste did not want to upset Edene. Her full capabilities were not yet known.Laiste tried to get her and Edene a private room below decks, but given her need to depart as soon as possible, she decided to take the next available boat, which was oversold, rather than wait for the next one. Unfortunately, that meant sharing the cabin with strangers, and there was no where to hide: the boat was packed. It was the week before Frostfell, and people were traveling home to see their families.A gnome sat across from them, seemingly absorbed in his note book. He was writing furiously, stopping only occasionally to consult charts and maps, and books full of equations. Laiste was glad he was too pre-occupied to pay much attention to them. Even with the cloak and hood, Edene's face was visible to the gnome. But he seemed too absent-minded to notice the striking resemblance between the two women.Suddenly, there was yelling above deck. This was followed by sounds of people running, shouts, and then sounds of struggle. Laiste could hear the clash of swords. She moved her hand to the dagger at her waiste. Were they being boarded by the Qeynos navy, sent to stop them? The sound of footsteps got closer, and the door to the lower deck, where Laiste and Edene sat was thrown wide open. A troll strolled down the stairs, followed by several other trolls in tow, each dressed in pirate outfits. How melodramatic! thought Laiste. The only pirates who actually dressed like pirates were those who intended to avoid a fight by intimidating their victims. These were amateurs, but they were complicating Laiste's plans greatly.The trolls went from person to person, demanding that they hand over valuables. They searched through luggage, bags, and even strip-searched a old halfling lady. One of the trolls came over to Laiste."Hand over your purses and valuables," she demanded. It was a young female troll. She was clearly new at this."Here," said Laiste, and she pulled out a bag of platinum coins. "I don't want any trouble. That's all the money I have. Take it.""What about her?" asked the troll, indicating Edene."She's my sister. She doesn't have anything. I take care of both of us.""Can't she speak for herself?""She says very little. Always been like that from childhood.""Open your luggage trunks and show me what's in them.""Just clothes and personal items, nothing valuable. Please, you've taken more than enough money. Leave us alone.""I'll decide how much is enough!" said the troll. "Now open those trunks, or I will." The troll made a move for the trunks. Laiste reached for her dagger. She didn't want a fight, because that would draw attention to herself and Edene, but she could not let the pirates open the trunks with the void substances from Okek's lab. Before Laiste could position herself for a backstab, Edene stood up and grabbed the pirate by the arm."You will stop now," said Edene. Laiste was stunned, and so was the pirate, by this sudden demonstration of resolve by Edene. The pirate tried to pull away from Edene's vise-like grip, but could not. She grabbed her sword and was about to strike Edene down, but just as she lifted her sword, she froze and let out an agonized scream. Where Edene held the pirate's arm, Laiste could see smoke rising, and then red embers spreading out in all directions along the arm, like the lit end of a cigar. The glowing edges of the flames spread up the pirate's arm and started to accelerate in all directions, until her whole body was covered in rippling waves of crimson embers. Laiste didn't understand what she saw, but in retrospect she would come to realize that the pirate's body was burning from the inside out. Soon, the pirate was red hot and smoking like a chimney, and then she just fell apart--collapsed into a pile of grey smoking ashes. All of this took about 10 seconds, but it seemed like an eternity.The other pirates who saw this happen turned and ran. They ran back up the stairs and disappeared. She could hear running on the deck above, and shouts, and then all was quiet. Everybody in the cabin were now staring at Laiste and Edene. And not because they looked like twins."What kind of magic is that?" Laiste heard someone whisper. "Mind your own business!" shouted Laiste to the room, and everyone pretended to go back to their business. "Sit down," she said to Edene. "Why did you do that?""There was a risk to the mission," said Edene. "We were under attack.""Let me handle it from now on," said Laiste. She was slightly scared of Edene now, even though she pretended to be in charge. She knew that Edene could do the same to her--or possibly something worse.The gnome who sat opposite them was paying attention now. He stared at Edene through his thick glasses. "That was very impressive. Very!" he said. "What you did to him... I've never seen or heard of that ability before. Where did you get it?""You saw nothing!" said Laiste. "Remember that, or I'll hunt you down.""Oh, I mean you no harm," said the gnome. "Actually, my name is Vhizz Frugrin. I'm looking to put together a team to go inside one of those void portals, to study the void field. I need adventurers strong enough to handle whatever is inside, and your twin sister can clearly handle herself. Would you be interested?""No, we're not interested," said Laiste. "We don't want to know any of your business, so please keep out of ours.""Very well, but I am prepared to pay handsomely for one with abilities such as yourself," he said looking at Edene. "Not to mention, you will have the privilege of being there for the biggest scientific breakthrough of all time. I will discover the true nature of the void field and win the Bayle Prize. You can be a part of it!""Didn't you hear what I just said," Laiste hissed.But Edene was listening carefully to every word. "Void field" she repeated. "My mission." But before the gnome could make out her words, Laiste pulled her away and they went to look for seats in another part of the cabin.

Itsey

04-23-2009, 01:13 PM

Chapter 20: The DemoGaktar considered his options carefully, as he stood on his balcony, overlooking the pastures of the Commonlands. He kept a number of residences throughout Freeport. That allowed him greater flexibility to do his job, but it also gave him places to meet with his various mistresses. He leafed through the copies of Okek's notes that Laiste had provided. This was the opportunity that he had been looking for, but there was something very troubling about this void golem. Laiste had arrived the night before with the golem, and it looked like no golem Gaktar had ever seen before. Except that it spoke very little, Gaktar could not distinguish the golem, Edene, from his lover, Laiste. Laiste told him about the incident on the trip--how the golem had burned a pirate to death in seconds. He was determined to demonstrate this power to Lucan. Only then could Lucan be convinced to go along with his plans. He took a sip of teren tipple and put on his military jacket, making sure the decorations and medals on it were secure and orderly. He put on his woolen cloak and went downstairs."Let's go, we have to arrive there at least 30 minutes before the audience. Lucan hates it when people are late," said Gaktar to Laiste. Laiste was dressed in her finest clothes for court, and she looked like any other lady at the D'Lere court. Gaktar marveled at her many disguises. It was what made her a great pirate. Laiste nodded and went to get Edene, and they took Gaktar's official coach to the palace. When they arrived, the entire palace was in uproar. There were huge crowds, the likes of which Laiste at never seen in Freeport. There were reporters, adventurers, soldiers, and spectators all crammed into every available space. It reminded her of a sold-out opera theater she once attended in Kelethin. "Why are all these people here?" asked Laiste."To see Edene," replied Gaktar. "I made sure to leak to the press that we are demonstrating an awesome new weapon. They will eat it up. Plus, they'll provide witnesses.""Why do you need witnesses?" asked Laiste.Gaktar smiled. "So Lucan cannot deny it later. So that he will have no room to back down."Their coach pulled up to the front steps of the palace and the guards cleared out the crowds for them. There were gasps throughout the crowd as they caught glimpse of Edene and Laiste. "It's a doppleganger!" cried one voice. "No, I heard it's a new kind of golem," said another. They made their way past the crowd and to the audience chamber. There was heavy security, and guards were everywhere. Gaktar lead them into the throne room and surrounded by his ministers and attendants sat the Overlord himself, Lucan."General Gaktar, welcome back to court" said Lucan. "I heard you are bringing me a new toy today." Lucan leaned forward in his chair. "I don't know if it's worth all this commotion you've caused," he said menacingly.Gaktar bowed. "My Lord, I have brought you a great prize. We have managed to take it from that treacherous queen... that [Removed for Content], Antonia Bayle, herself. Through my agents, I have discovered that Queen Bayle had ordered her people to obtain a substance from the void portals. She intended it to convey to her an unsurpassed military advantage, with which she intends to impose her will throughout Norrath. But her plans were foiled when we managed to obtain this research. We have the notes of the research and it proves their treachery. They are using this void substance to create an unstoppable army of super golems. I have one of those golems here today."Lucan looked troubled. His eyes scanned over to Edene and Laiste. "I would assume they are not really twins," said Lucan. "Who are they?""The one on the left is my agent, who discovered the research and brought it back to us. The one on the right is the golem, made to resemble her. The golem responds to the name Edene," said Gaktar."I see," said Lucan, sitting back in his chair. "It is remarkable, the resemblance. Very life-like. But what proof do you have that this... golem... is of any danger to us?""Allow me to demonstrate, my Lord." Gaktar made a signal with his hands, and a soldier under his command came forward. "I order you to kill her," said Gaktar, pointing at Edene. "Attack her and kill her now. That is a direct order.""No!" yelled Laiste, but the guards behind her grabbed her and restrained her.The soldier Gaktar ordered to attack Edene was one of Gaktar's best men. Trained to obey orders without question, he did not hesitate, but pulled out his sword and struck at her head. Edene moved out of the way so fast that her body was a blur. He tried again to slash at her, but once again, she dodged the blow easily. The soldier let out a roar and threw himself at Edene with all his might. As his sword came down on her, this time, she made no effort to dodge it. She grabbed the edge of the sword in mid-swing. The sword vanished in a shower of metallic liquid. The soldier tried to tackle Edene, but she put one hand on his head and another on his neck and she snapped it, as a child would a carrot. His lifeless body fell to the ground. She started to walk towards Gaktar. His bodyguards threw themselves in front of him and drew their swords. Edene grabbed one of the bodyguards by his neck, and dark metallic roots sprouted from her hands and entered his head. His skin rippled as the roots took hold of his body, and dark veins covered his face. He opened his mouth to scream, but the roots grew over his mouth before he could let out a sound. She threw his lifeless body aside.The other bodyguard moved behind her to try to backstab her. He shoved a blade into her back, but she did not turn around. Instead, all of his muscles tensed up and there was a popping sound as his eyeballs popped out of his head followed by a discharge of steam. There was the smell of burning flesh and an ozone smell, like the smell after a lightning strike or electrical discharge. His twitching suddenly stopped and he let go of the metallic sword stuck in Edene's back. As he did so, his rigid body fell backwards, dead. Suddenly Laiste yelled, "Stop Edene! Stop! We can help you find the void portal! We can take you there! But you must stop!"Edene froze and then slowly turned to face Laiste. "Take me there now.""We will, soon," said Laiste. "We need to make some preparations. I promise you we'll go as soon as possible. But if you kill more people, it will compromise the mission.""We must protect the mission. We must carry out our directives," said Edene."Yes, we all must," said Lucan. "Take it ... her... to the dungeon. She can stay in one of the cells." Edene made no protest and followed Laiste as the guards led them away.Lucan turned to Gaktar. "How dare you bring a dangerous thing like that into my presence? You should have warned us of the risks.""My humble apologies, My Lord. I had no idea she would react like that. As you know, we haven't had much time to study her. But you saw what she can do. Now imagine what a whole army of those golems can do. That's what Antonia Bayle is building. Soon, they will be fully operational. We must stop her before that can happen."Lucan sat back in his chair and was quiet. He looked up at his advisors and generals. He made a triangle with his hands and placed it to his lips, deep in thought. After a while, he said, "I'm afraid you are right. If there is an army of these golems in production, then the balance of power between Freeport and Qeynos will be over soon. We must gamble all, now or never." Lucan looked at Gaktar. "Very well, you've made your point. I give you instructions to put Operation Basilisk into effect. Report back to me on preparations and plans as soon as possible."Gaktar smiled. "You can count on me, my Lord." He bowed and left. Lucan watched him leave and the troubled expression on Lucan's face returned.

Itsey

04-24-2009, 05:50 PM

Chapter 21: BetrayalsThe guards lead Laiste and Edene to the dungeon at the bottom of the palace. One of the guards opened a cell door. "You're going to have to go and wait inside for a while," said Laiste to Edene. "Void portal," said Edene. "I know, but that will have to wait. We have a war on our hands at the moment. But I promise we'll take you there as soon as we can.""War," said Edene. "We understand war." Laiste thought it odd that Edene sometimes referred to herself as "we", but she did not question it further. The guards closed the door on Edene and locked it. Laiste noticed that Edene did not seem to be troubled or upset by the events. Laiste found her way back to the house in the Sprawl to wait for Gaktar, but when she got there, the house was empty. She searched the cupboards and found nothing to eat, so she went and lay down on the bed, without changing her clothes. What have I started? said Laiste to herself. She thought about how long they could keep Edene confined in the dungeon before Edene would realize that they had no intentions of helping her find a void portal. These thoughts tired Laiste and she fell asleep, until she was suddenly awakened by a figure standing over her."You are Laiste," asked the Dark Elf. He was dressed in clothes that identified him as a defiler. "Yes, I am. Who are you?""I am Kahn. Gaktar sent me here on his behalf, because he is busy with military preparations." "Sent you here to do what?" asked Laiste."To place you under arrest."Laiste leapt up out of bed. "Arrest? For what?""For violating your orders. He found out that Professor Okek is alive. You were ordered to kill him, were you not?""I could not..." stammered Laiste. "He escaped before I could carry out my orders.""Even if there were so," said Kahn, "you did not inform Gaktar of this fact earlier, did you?""He never asked," said Laiste defiantly.Kahn smiled. "Well, you can explain it all when he gets back. For now, you are going to the dungeon for safe keeping." He signaled to the guards, and they grabbed Laiste. Laiste tried to struggle, but there were too many of them, and Kahn cast a spell on her that made her feel weak and slow. She gave up and they escorted her to the dungeons."I demand to speak to Gaktar," said Laiste.Kahn laughed. "While he is away, I have been appointed to command the Home Guards. And you are in no position to make any demands."Laiste was stunned. A defiler appointed to command the Home Guards? That was unheard of. A priest had never been placed in the military chain of command, much less a defiler! "Do not look so surprised," said Kahn. "There have been many changes here in Freeport while you were away... living the good life in Qeynos. Apparently, you forgot your loyalties."I will see your head on a pike, and I will wave and smile, Laiste thought, looking at Kahn. She spit in his face. He grinned even more broadly, and then he slapped her across the face--hard--it sent her reeling. The guards picked her up."Take her away," he said. "Put her in the cell next to the golem."

Laiste

04-26-2009, 07:45 PM

/shockThis whole story is amazing so far Itsey <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

Itsey

05-06-2009, 02:44 PM

Chapter 22: From Ashes to Ashes“Look at this! They are forming new connections. In the intense heat of the fire, the micro clockwork retrenched into a protective crystalline form. Now, they are undergoing a transformation and reaching out to each other again.” Professor Okek was talking to Itsey as he stared into his microscope. “I am writing a paper entitled ‘Tranformation and Re-crystallization of Void-derived Micro Clockwork in Extreme Thermal Environments.’ It’s due to be published next month.” “That’s fascinating, professor. I’m glad that you didn’t lose all of your research in the fire,” said Itsey. “The loss of Edene was a huge set-back, but the discovery of surviving void substance from the ashes of the lab was a tremendous serendipitous discovery.” “I’m afraid the lab fire was no accident, Okek.” Itsey didn’t mention Laiste’s name directly, but at the thought Okek’s mood seemed to darken. “Yes, I was stupid. I should have arranged for better security in the lab. I should have at least done a background check on her before I hired her!” “It’s not your fault, Okek. She tricked us all. I did some research into her past, and she appears to have been associated with the pirates of Feerott. But even more worryingly, she is an operative for Freeport.” Itsey left out the part about her and Gaktar, out of consideration for the professor’s feelings. “So you think she deliberately took the job as my assistant to steal my research?” “It could hardly be a coincidence,” responded Itsey. “What do you think they will do with Edene?” “I don’t know. Perhaps they will study her and find a way to make more of her. However, I suspect that Edene—and whatever it was that made her—has its own priorities. It may not be as cooperative or controllable as your typical golem. But the fact that they have her is still a concern.” Itsey took a sip of the torsis tea that Okek served him and looked around. Okek had moved what remained of his lab and what he was able to salvage from the flames into a mansion in South Qeynos owned by a wealthy patron of the arts and a friend of Queen Antonia’s. The house was only sparsely furnished, and Okek had taken to moving all of his work to the basement, so that the oddly empty house stood in strange contrast to the crowded basement full of odd materials and lab equipment. “Yes, I do recall Edene trying to tell me that she was in search of something, or perhaps that she had a mission. I forget.” “I still have one question. Remember the unressurectables…those whose brains had been infected by the void substance…” “The void-derived micro clockwork,” Okek corrected Itsey. “Or VDMC” “VDMC,” repeated Itsey. “So why did the VDMC infect those people? And why has it not affected you or me, when we’ve been exposed?” “I believe,” started Okek, “that the VDMCs were not trying to harm those people. At the beginning, it made clumsy attempts to invade their bodies—and their brains in particular—to try to establish a way to communicate with them. That’s how they communicate with each other—they just interface directly. But they are a silicon-based life-form, and they’re not compatible with biological systems.” “So they weren’t trying to prevent resurrection?” “No, I don’t think so. They would have no need for resurrection. They do not exist as discrete ‘persons’ the way we do. They share information more or less fluidly, and as long as any of them survive, they can regenerate through replication using raw materials available in their environment. But when they attempted to replicate in the brain, they ended up using up consuming all available resources—in essence they replaced the brain. And of course, you can’t resurrect someone without a brain.” “But if they don’t exist as persons, how do you explain Edene?” “Yes, in Edene, they replicated a person because they figured out that was the best way to communicate with us. Their earlier attempts at direct communication through interfacing with our brains failed—so through trial and error they discovered that the “Edene form” as a working user interface.” “User interface?” asked Itsey. “Oh sorry. Sometimes I invent new technical words but forget that I haven’t published them yet. A ‘user interface’ is a device that lets someone interact with a mechanical system. The VDMCs are mechanical systems, and they created Edene to interact with us. Presumably, they need our help in some way to carry out their mission.” “So you’re saying there won’t be any more dead bodies turning up beyond resurrection?” “Oh, I don’t know about that. But at least next time it won’t be unintentional.” He smiled, seeming cheered by the thought. “I’m not sure that’s comforting, Okek.” Itsey was deep in thought for a few moments. “Suppose that the Overlord does manage to turn Edene into a weapon to be used against us… is there anything we can use against it?” “It’s hard to say,” said Okek. “We don’t know where they come from. My research shows they are connected both to dragons and the void portals, which would indicate they are extremely powerful. But we know nothing about their motive, much less their history. Do you think Lucan intends to attack us?” “I can’t share specific details with you. It’s all still classified. But yes, we have good reason to believe that we getting closer to war with Freeport. I have been working with others to try to prevent it, but Edene has introduced… a wild card. There are those who may use her to start a war.” “And do you know where Laiste is now? Is she in any danger?” asked Okek pathetically. “Somehow, I think Laiste can handle herself,” said Itsey. Itsey took another sip of tea. “I’ll tell you what,” said Itsey. “If we find Laiste, I’ll let you know. But,” Itsey put a hand on Okek’s shoulder. “There’s more than one pirate in the ocean.” As Itsey left Okek’s new place, he stopped outside and pulled out a scroll from his bag. It contained a secret order, signed by Antonia Bayle: “By this order, the queen commands that the Pirate Laiste be apprehended, dead or alive. If possible, return or destroy the void golem, named Edene.” Itsey went to the harbor to deliver the message to the couriers.

Itsey

05-11-2009, 02:15 PM

Chapter 23: Prison BreakThe guard, a tall troll, who was leading Laiste to her cell in the dungeon seemed familiar. She noticed that he kept glancing over at her nervously as he lead her by the arm. "I know you," said Laiste. "Your name is Headbusta. You were on that ship.""Yeah," replied the troll nervously. "Don't try anything fancy. You caught me by surprise that time. But not this time.""Me? Try something?" said Laiste innocently. "Actually, I've been looking for you.""For me? Why?" he said suspiciously."To apologize. For my rude behavior. You caught me at a bad time. I was under a lot of stress."The troll shrugged. "I don't care. My orders are to take you to a prison cell."Laiste said nothing, but she deliberately caught her shoe on a crack in the dungeon floor and tripped. She fell to the ground, but before she landed, the troll yanked her up by the arm."Watch your step. The dungeon is old. Nobody's fixed the floor," he said. Laiste just nodded. He lead her to a cell next to Edene's. The walls were made of thick rock, and Laiste couldn't tell if Edene was still inside or not. She sat on the straw mattress, and waited for the troll to depart. Once he left, she reached into her pocket and produced the jailer's key. Pick-pocketing was the first lesson taught to an apprentice pirate, and she excelled at it. When she pretended to trip, she distracted the troll long enough to grab the keys from his belt. The commotion prevented him from noticing the clanging of the keys as she removed it. But she knew she didn't have much time. He would soon notice the keys were missing and come back to find it. She worked quickly to unlock her prison door. Then she went to the next cell. "Edene?" she whispered through the metal door. "Are the there?""Yes," said a voice from inside. "I have been waiting here for you.""Good," said Laiste. "I'm here to get you out." Laiste unlocked Edene's door and found Edene standing exactly as she remembered having left her. Edene didn't appear to have slept on her mattress at all. "Are we going?" asked Edene."Yes," said Laiste. "We must go now. But we have to keep very quiet. We have to avoid the guards. Do you understand?""The guards impede our mission," said Edene in acknowledgment. "Yes, they will try to stop us. But I don't want you to start killing indiscriminately. We have to be very sneaky. Can you do that?""That will not be necessary," said Edene. "There is another way.""What other way?" asked Laiste, frustrated at the delay. "We have to move quickly. That guard may be coming back."Edene turned around and looked at the wall behind them inside her cell. It was made of granite boulders fitted together. It must have been several meters thick. "Through there," she said. "How can we go through solid rock?" asked Laiste. Edene looked at Laiste for a moment. She seemed to be parsing Laiste's objection. Then she went over to the wall and touched it. Laiste could see lines flow through the rock, like veins of fire. Soon the whole wall was glowing from the inside with a strange light. In some areas, the inner light was more concentrated--they reminded Laiste of traveling on a road at dust and seeing the lights of a large city in the distance. The pattern in the walls was like that. Then suddenly, the wall began to move like a curtain being drawn aside. There was no sound. No crumbling of rock. No vibration. It was a single smooth motion and the walls were parted, revealing the moat around the castle wall. A section of the wall began to twist and reshape itself. A single projection, only slightly thicker than a sapling's trunk, reached out across the water, then widened into a thin sheet. It formed a bridge across the moat. "Follow," said Edene.Astonished, Laiste could do nothing but follow Edene across the bridge. Once across, Laiste noticed that the bridge was no thinker than the pages of a book, but it felt solid like rock or metal. As quickly as the artificial bridge was formed, it disintegrated into dust and vanished. The opening in the castle wall closed in on itself, healing itself like an organic wound. Within a few seconds, the rock had returned to its original shape with no signs of any change. Even the spider webs attached the rock were regenerated in the smallest detail."That's amazing," said Laiste. "What else can you do?""You will take me to my mission?" asked Edene. "You promised.""Yes, of course," said Laiste. "That's exactly what I mean to do. But first we have to find someone who can take us to the void portal. The site is far away and getting there won't be easy. Unfortunately, I can't arrange the transportation because the guards will soon be alerted to look out for me. If I book passage, they'll find out.""Then you cannot help me?" asked Edene."No, I didn't say that," said Laiste. "I think I know exactly the person who can get us there. We'll have to be careful and go in disguise. We can't have you looking exactly like me, it will draw attention."As soon as she said that Edene was already changing. She had changed into a human woman. She still slightly resembled Laiste, but taller and older and with blonde hair. Her clothes also adjusted to fit her new frame."I don't recognize this new form. Who are you imitating?" asked Laiste."This form does not exist. It is a composite form. I have enough samples in my database to extrapolate."Laiste had no idea what Edene said. She assumed that Edene had just made up a persona based on various people she had seen along the way."Ok, that will do. Now let's go," said Laiste. "And ... don't kill anyone unless I tell you to. Is that understood?"Edene nodded. Her blue eyes seemed to twinkle merrily.

Itsey

05-28-2009, 03:42 PM

Chapter 24: Objects in Motion Gaktar tapped his fingers on the table impatiently. Seven generals were arranged around the table. One of them was giving an operational briefing. “The timing is wrong,” said Gaktar. “Your troops will not be in place in time. I want the 30th Division in place in two days. The 2nd Division is supposed to be assigned to the Home Guards. I don’t want any of them involved in Operation Basilisk.” “But general Gaktar, if we don’t use any of the special units, we won’t have enough reserve troops to hold Feerott, much less push on to Karan. Our offensive will stall.” “You let me worry about that,” said Gaktar. “You have your orders. You are all dismissed.” The table cleared, and only one person remained. He was not at the table, but sat in the background. “ I told that the operational briefing was a bad idea,” said Kahn. “We are gliding along the thin edge of the knife,” said Gaktar. “You’re not having second thoughts, are you?” “No, but this will cost a lot of lives.” “And it will cost a lot more lives if we don’t act decisively. You know what Lucan is, or has become.” “Corrupted? Power always corrupts.” “No, not just corrupted. It’s not a matter of taking a few bribes. He’s become a liche! He’s not even human anymore. His only ambition is to rule Norrath forever. Who knows that depths of darkness he will sink us into!” Kahn was getting loud in his excitement. “Lower your voice, or someone may overhear us,” said Gaktar. “I am aware of that. You never tire of reminding me. Tell me, why does that bother you so much? Aren’t defilers used to such… influences?” “You forget Lucan was a Paladin. He was corrupted by Soulfire, which is imbued with the power of the gods. That’s why he has corrupted the Inquisitors. Inquisitors and Paladins both are beholden to the gods. But Defilers do not derive our powers from the gods directly. We are upheld by the power of the ancestor spirits. We are not easily influenced by his corruption, which is why he has shut us out of positions of power.” “And you want revenge?” asked Gaktar. “No,” said Kahn. “We want a return to the old ways. We want to stop a threat that would make Freeport the instrument of outside powers.” “Norrath for Norrathians?” said Gaktar. Kahn paused. “You are aware of that?” “I am aware of great deal. I know that you’re involved in the Pan-Norrath movement. You disappeared for a few months a while back. I assume you were not on vacation?” Kahn sat down and took a sip of tea. “You should not have tried to kill Okek.” It was Gaktar’s turn to look surprised. “How did you know? And why do you care?” “Professor Okek is one of the founding members of the Pan-Norrath movement. The Void portal invasions demonstrate that Norrath is being invaded by outside powers. From the beginning, Norrath was a battleground between higher powers. Among dragons and gods. We call them gods, but they are not! The Paladins and Templars. The Inquistors and Shadowknights. They all serve these gods, but they never question who they are! Before the Rending, we almost defeated the gods! If they are really gods, how could we have almost defeated them?” “If they are not gods, then what are they?” asked Gaktar. “They are aliens. Life-forms just like us. They evolved on other worlds and for their own reasons came to Norrath. They are more advanced than us, yes. Maybe they even created us to serve their own agenda. But we owe them no allegiance. They created us in order to serve as weapons in their fight with one another for control of this world. When we turned on them and almost defeated them, they retreated, and maybe even destroyed Luclin to cover their retreat.” “Is this what Professor Okek believes?” asked Gaktar. “It is what I believe as well. It is what many of us—on both the Qeynos and Freeport sides—believe,” said Kahn. “It is our duty to resist outside forces. We have to decide our own fates, not the gods or the dragons or the void creatures. And we have to start by removing Lucan. He is their agent.” “Alright,” said Gaktar, standing up. “It’s too late to turn back now in any event. In several days the troops will be loaded into transport ships. As soon as those ships have left for their destinations and are beyond recall, we will move on Lucan. I have three divisions of the Home Guard assigned to secure the palace. Our most loyal men will personally guard Lucan. As soon as the pieces are in place, we terminate his reign of terror, starting with him. But we must not alert him before his army has been deployed overseas.” Kahn stood up to leave. “One more thing,” said Gaktar. “Where is Laiste?” “I had her put in the dungeon, just as you ordered.” “Good,” said Gaktar. “I suppose that’s the best thing to do …” “Of course it is,” said Kahn. “It’s for her own protection. During the confusion of the fighting, Lucan’s allies may go after those closest to you. They may try to kill them or kidnap them in order to use them against you. By publicly distancing yourself from her, you will convince Lucan’s agents that Laiste is not someone that’s worth bothering with. And, of course, if we fail….then she won’t be implicated by association.” Gaktar nodded. “Yes, I know, but I wish there was a way we could let her in on it…” “You know that’s too dangerous. She needs to play along, and the best way to guarantee that is to make her believe it.” “Yes, I suppose it’s good to know she’s safe and in a secure place.”

Itsey

06-19-2009, 05:46 PM

Chapter 25: "Into the Void"Vhizz Frugrin ran his fingers down the list and without looking up issued orders to the hired workers to load the crates on the boat in a certain order. Dora was checking the military supplies to make sure that the right armor and weapons and potions had been loaded. Vhizz had entrusted to her the military command of the expedition so that he could focus on the scientific work. Vhizz was interrupted by an assistant who told him that two women were looking to talk to him. "I'm sorry, I don't have time right now. Can't you handle it?" asked Vhizz."They insist on speaking to you personally, sir. They said they wanted to take you up on an offer you made while on a boat..."Vhizz thought for a moment and then excitedly put down his checklist. "Where are they?" he asked. "Waiting in the warehouse, Sir.""Ok, take over the inventory control. Make sure those dock workers load the boxes in the right order... they are numbered. Check yourself. I'll be back soon." He rushed over to the warehouse.In the midst of the busy workers, he saw two women. One was obviously the woman he saw on the boat, but the other did not look familiar. He greeted them, "Welcome to my expedition headquarters!" he said. "I knew you could not stay away from the excitement of one of the greatest scientific expeditions of all time!""Yes, if you're the leader of the team that is going to the void portal, then we want to come along. My friend here," Laiste inclined her head in Edene's direction, "has a... professional interest in the void portal.""Very good," said Vhizz. "But I am afraid I haven't met your friend yet. And where's your twin sister?""My twin sister ... had to go away for a while. If you are looking for someone with extraordinary abilities, I assure you that my friend here, Zubia, has even more remarkable abilities.""I'm sure she does," said Vhizz. "Well, it would be a pleasure to have you on the expedition. But in order to be in the expedition, you have to go as my employees. It's about the chain of command and such. I hope you understand. Everyone here is in my employ. Please see my assistant, and you'll be asked to sign letters of employment. You'll be provided with a salary of course. 20 plat a week for your services."Laiste nodded. "OK, but just so we understand each other. Zubia has personal reasons for wanting to see the void portal. We'll work with you to get there, but once we get there, we have our own work to do.""Of course, I understand. As long as you don't interfere with my experiments," said Vhizz."Or with my mission," said Dora. Vhizz didn't notice Dora standing by the door, overhearing the conversation."Oh, Dora, please come over here and meet our new expedition members. Dora, this is Laiste and her friend Zubia, and this is Dora, the military leader of our expedition.""Military leader?" asked Laiste. "Why do you need military people here?""Well, it makes it easier to get the necessary paper work ... and in case we encounter any... resistance once we get there. Dora has been inside a void portal before. She understands the dangers and has fought the creatures inside. Her knowledge is invaluable.""I have knowledge," said Zubia. Everyone was surprised to hear her speak up and turned to stare at her. She stepped forward. "I have been inside.""You have? That's splendid. Just splendid," said Vhizz. "The more knowledge we have of these phenomena the better."Dora quietly evaluated Zubia and concluded that something didn't seem right. There's a quality about Zubia that was vaguely familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Everything about her seemed a little...out of place. But Dora kept her doubts to herself. As a commander of the mission, she had to be as objective as possible."But tell me," said Laiste to the professor, "Why are you going? What's in it for you?"Vhizz seemed lost in thought behind his thick glasses for a moment. Then he said, "Others have taunted me with having looked at theories from odd angles. Always wrong to the light, so never seeing what they saw. But I myself discerned, as I thought, beyond the picture, something white, uncertain. Truth? For once, then, something. It gleamed through the darkness of our ignorance. I have seen it. I do this, you understand, not for any prize or recognition. But because, with my mind's eye, I have seen what no other creature can surmise. A dark, pictureless vision of our unitary place in all of reality. Is that not worth pursuing?""And you?" Laiste asked Dora."My boyfriend is stuck in a black hole, and I have to pull his corpse out," said Dora."I assume there is a priest on the expedition to resurrect him?" asked Laiste."No, unfortunately we could not find a priest on such short notice," said Vhizz. "It seems there is some kind of war going on, and all the priests have been recruited to serve in active duty. But we did manage to recruit a necromancer.""A necromancer?" asked Laiste, incredulous. "I thought they zombify, rather than resurrect.""No, that's an unfortunate misunderstanding," said Vhizz. "This necromancer is very good. His resurrections are indistinguishable from the priestly ones. The person resurrected just smells... a little funny... for a few days. But that wears off.""Who is he?" asked Laiste."His name is Varney," replied Vhizz. "Do you know him?""No," said Laiste. "I don't associate with many necros.""Well, you'll find him surprisingly pleasant to work with. Once you get used to the smell."

CanineKing

06-29-2009, 11:43 PM

Very good so far!

Itsey

08-23-2009, 04:09 PM

Chapter 26: Heart of DarknessVarney the necromancer was the last to the table. The officers of the expedition sat around an ornate table in the captain's quarters of the Chronomicron, the airship rented by Vhizz to make the journey to the Moors of Ykesha, and the void portal located on Brokenskull Rock. Around the table sat: Vhizz Frugrin (chief scientist) at the head of the table, Dora (military expedition leader) at his right, Laiste (mission specialist), Zubia (mission specialist), Varney (paramedic) who had just arrived, Garibaldi (the captain of the airship), and Boreal (first mate).Vhizz passed around copies of the briefing prepared by Dora. It contained detailed descriptions of the geography of the Moors of Ykesha, recently unveiled by the Scholars of the Lost. There was a map which showed the major void portals so far discovered. Many of them had been destroyed or damaged in battles between Norrathian raiding parties and the void creatures, but one portal remained intact--the portal at Brokenskul Rock. So far, it had resisted all attempts by adventurers to subdue it, and no one who had gone in had come out alive. Laiste traced the shores of the Moors with her finger. She had visited many lands in her days as a pirate, but this part of the world was foreign to her. The presence of the Brokenskull Pirates, her one-time competitors, made her nervous. They had a reputation for ruthless and taking no prisoners."It is said that it is protected by Valdoartus Varsoon and Anashti Sul herself," said Dora. "Or some semblance of them. But our data on them is very limited.""But what about the Brokenskull pirates?" asked Laiste. "Surely, they are not going to let us just walk on by.""That problem is solved quite simply," said Vhizz. "There is no need to jeopardize our mission by getting into a scrape with them. I have simply paid their leader, a troll by the name of Captain Wavemasher, to let us through. Not only that, but his men will help to ferry our gear to the void portal site.""Money does solve a good many problems," observed Laiste."We should not need significant resistance until we get inside," said Dora. "However, once inside, expect to be attacked by void beast sentries. Deeper inside, we will encounter ever more powerful void guardians. We must defeat them before we can enter the final chamber, which contains the black hole. Once there, we will have to defeat whatever guards the black hole... if we succeed, then we will have a chance to carry out our respective missions. I hope you all know your missions."Vhizz said, "I will deploy the bot. It's a modified Platinum Repository of Reconstruction, popularly called a mendor bot. Except this bot is modified with sensors that will relay back information about the black hole. The bot will descend into the area around the vortex that surrounds the black hole and make measurements. It will take air samples, measure the magnetic field, take radiation measurements, and collect some debris for later analysis.""Hopefully that 'debris' will include some of my former teammates," said Dora. Dora thought about her lover, Slicer, floating in suspended animation around the black hole. "If we retrieve their bodies, then Varney will ressurect them. Let's hope the radiation--or whatever else is around that thing--has not damaged them beyond resurrection.""That should not be a problem at all," said Varney. "I once ressurected an entire party that had been consumed by pirhanas. It was quite difficult to catch all those fish and then cut open their stomachs to retrieve the necessary parts--let me tell you! And sorting the body parts out took days, but...""I think we get the picture," said Garibaldi. Everyone looked disgusted. "But what if we encounter, as reports indicate, Varsoon or Anashti? They are, by legend, immensely powerful. How could we ever beat them?""We have teamed up with several parties that are there to go after Anashti and Varsoon. They will go inside first and we will follow. Hopefully, that will keep Anashi and Varsoon occupied while we do our work. Granted, no party has succeeded before, but I'm hoping that this is where Laiste and Zubia can help us out.""Um, yes... We have it all worked out," said Laiste, clearing her throat. "But we have to keep those plans confidential...I hope you understand.""Confidential?!" exclaimed Garibaldi. "Since when did we begin to keep secrets? This mission briefing was supposed to fill everyone in on all relevant details.""We're not keeping any secrets," replied Laiste. "But it's just very hard to explain Zubia's powers. She will know what to do when the time comes. She knows her mission."Zubia, who had been quiet throughout the meeting, looked up at the mention of her name and studied everyone in the room, who were all looking in her direction. "The interface is transparent to me," she said. "Upon the exchange of the molecular recognition sequence, the data sequence will be spread through the hive and will excute the embedded code at the first abstraction layer. This will override any non-native programs and restore the system to its initial state.""See..." said Laiste. Everyone sat back, satisfied that Zubia's explanation was at once highly detailed and yet thoroughly incomprehensible."Well," said Vhizz. "Tomorrow morning we will arrive in the Moors. It's time to go through our respective checklists, and get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow. Maybe the biggest day of our lives."Varney waited for the others to leave before he took out a bottle of dark green whiskey, which has the consistency of phlegm. He took a sip and then downed the rest of the bottle. At the bottom of the empty bottle was a tiny skull of some kind of deformed fetus. His hands stopped shaking. He was hoping it would be enough to keep his nerves calm and get him through the night. Tomorrow, he may get a chance to meet his goddess--and the one who cursed him to this eternal unlife.

Itsey

11-12-2009, 05:05 PM

Chapter 27 : Old Friends ReunitedWhen dawn came, the airship touched down gently on the docks of the Moors of Ykesha, and Laiste was awakened by the activity outside. The dock workers, mostly gnomes, were unloading supplies from the airship, and Vhizz was directing the chaotic affair with his usual attention to detail. Laiste skipped breakfast and explored the construction site, asking for directions to the nearest pirate outpost. She was given some vague instructions about a giant canon and some balloons, and told to avoid the locals, who were mostly hostile. Zubia was busy helping the others unload the gear. She can easily carry several of the heavier crates that would otherwise take several men and loading bots to move.With Zubia happily occupied, Laiste stole off to visit her former colleagues and rivals, the various pirate factions that had taken up residence in the Moors. Following directions of the gnome workers, and using her own knowledge of subtle pirate signs (carvings in rocks and trees that otherwise would go unnoticed), she made her way into a system of deep caves occupied by the most feared of the pirate factions: the Golden Horde of the Brokenskulls (aka Brokenskulls). At the door of the cave, a large troll stopped her and asked for her business."I have business with Stumpy." Laiste told the guard."No one here by that name!""Look, I need to talk to him. His secret phrase is "The Future is Imminent".The guard eyed her suspiciously, but seemed to relax a bit. "Oh, you mean Pirate Lord Kagon the Despicable. Just go down that tunnel and take a right. Don't go wandering off into any restricted areas." The guard stepped aside. Laiste followed the directions and walked down a long cold tunnel, parts of which appeared to be natural cave and parts of which were clearly recently carved out. The trolls working in the tunnels eyed her suspiciously, but no one made any aggressive moves. At the end of the corridor was a giant chamber, with rows of stalactites and stalagmites that reminded Laiste of the deranged teeth of an old dragon."Stumpy!" Laiste called. A troll sitting on his throne with three female trolls feeding him and stroking him jumped up and grabbed his sword, but his pants fell to the ground. He dropped his sword to pull up his pants, but the sword fell into a crate full of loot. He started desperately rummaging through the loot for his sword."Relax, Stumpy. Or Kagon, if that is the name you go by now. I did not come here to collect on that debt you owe--or rather that loot that you failed to split with me last time. I have come here for some information. I am willing to forget our past dealings.""Is this another one of your tricks?" asked Kagon suspiciously. "Why are you here?""I have come here to help a friend. I know you have spies in the area. You're probably here to rob and loot all the adventurers going after that void portal. In the old days, I would have done the same. But I'm not after loot. I need to know what we're facing inside of those portals." And she added flatteringly, "And I knew that if anyone local has information, it's you.""Yes, well, I've always found information more lucrative than loot. It's easier to transport in any case," said Kagon. "But what do I get in return for helping you?""Well, for starters, I'll forget that little debt you owe me. I'll also forget how you betrayed me and left me to die in that battle with the Freeport militia. All of which is just my way of saying that I'll let you live. How about that?"Kagon laughed nervously. But Laiste did not laugh."Ahem..." he cleared his throat. "Well, I suppose there's no harm in helping you. Costs me nothing. What do you want to know?""What kind of creatures are in those portals, and how do you defeat them?"Kagon laughed again. But seeing that Laiste was serious, he proceeded: "No one knows where they're from. But they have some pretty incredible powers, that's for sure. And they don't look anything like creatures from our world. They have many eyes, and claws... and I've heard that the weaker ones can be killed, but some of them... they call themselves void guardians, are tough customers. I've seen many adventure parties go in and not come out. And those that did come out--well they were not in good shape.""Has anyone defeated them?" asked Laiste."Yes, my contacts tell me that they have been defeated at other portals in Norrath. But the one here has not been tamed. There are rumors that Anashti Sul herself is in this one.""Anashti Sul? The goddess of those Sinking Sands cults?""Yes, her. She has something to do with this, but I don't know what. But if she's in there, I would not advise going in. Only the gods know what kind of unholy alliance has been formed between Anashti and the void creatures. That's why I am content to make my money off the stuff adventurers leave behind after they go in and don't come back.""I need a guide inside. Do you have anyone working for you who has actually been inside?"Kagon thought for a bit. "So, if I have someone help you, this means we're even right? You won't pursue me anymore?""You have my word. And my word is about as good as any pirate's ever gets.""OK, follow me." Kagon lead Laiste down some more narrow tunnels until they reached a huge dining room. Sitting among the trolls and eating a plate of froglok legs was a dark elf. "Ehnsaine, meet Laiste, my old... friend. Laiste, this is Ehnsaine, my most experienced ... tracker. He's guided many an expedition inside the void portals. He knows how to get inside and get out, without losing too many limbs."Ehnsaine looked up at Laiste and smiled. He glanced back at Kagon. "This is a pretty one you got. Why does she want to go inside that death trap?""I need to go inside to help my friend. But we know what we're doing. All you need to do is to help us find our way inside, then we'll do the rest.""All the adventurers say the same thing. What makes you so sure you'll survive, much less succeed?""I don't know," admitted Laiste. "But we have one advantage that the other groups don't.""What is that?" asked Ehnsaine."My friend is... my friend is a void beast." At this, Ehnsaine raised an eyebrow.

Itsey

11-17-2009, 09:30 PM

Chapter 28: The Die is CastHe wore crimson armor from head to toe. Two large spikes projected from his shoulders ending with two skulls impaled on their tips. Some said it was the skulls of two vanquished foes, and others said that it was the skulls of two commanders who once dared to disobey his orders. Either way, he never bothered to clarify, which only served to frighten all equally (which suited him fine). He carried a giant shield embossed with the face of a dragon. Gaktar, dressed in his war regalia, made a fearsome sight. But on this day, he surveyed a far more fearsome sight: hundreds of war ships were anchored in Freeport harbor. A person could jump from ship to ship and walk all the way to the horizon without ever touching water. A swarm of men, Iksars, Sarnaks, arasai, dark elves, and other races of Freeport and her allies, dressed in full battle gear, embarked on tenders that shuttled them to their designated ships. At the docks, weapons, seige machines, cavalry horses, crafting stations, armor, provisions, and other equipment and war supplies were being loaded onto enormous cargo ships, each of which were bigger than some guild halls. Once a cargo ship was full, it had to maneuver carefully to leave dock, lest it collide into other ships jockeying into place to dock.This was the largest fleet that Norrath had ever seen, and it represented the full might of the Freeport Navy. With it, Gaktar planned to strike quickly and strike hard. Once the enemy fleets were destroyed and the Freeport navy had achieved naval superiority, he would no longer have to fear fighting a combined armed force from Qeynos and Kelethin. Each could be isolated and defeated in turn. At least that was the plan, but Gaktar had enough military experience to know that no battle ever goes according to plan. So that morning, Gaktar had done something unusual: he asked his lieutenants for their opinions on the battle plan. In past battles, Gaktar kept his plans to himself. It helped him to project an image of decisiveness and authority. (Not to mention, it also made it far easier to keep secret plans from being divulged.) Secrecy and decisiveness were important qualities in a Freeport general. Unlike the Qeynosians who fought for their love of their Queen and their freedoms, the armies of Freeport were held together by fear and fear alone. Any sign of weakness or indecision could cause that army to unravel, and with it, the prospects for victory.But last night, Gaktar called a war council. The war council consisted of Gaktar's primary commanders as well as commanders of the armies of Neriak and Timorous Deep. Queen Cristanos of Neriak had provided 150 of the 500 ships of the invasion fleet, as well as four legions, totalling 10,000 men. This army was under the command of the Warlock Xinjinn, her most trusted general. Timorous Deep provided a legion of elite Sarnak archers and Sarnak slaves to row the boats, about 5,000 men in all, under command of the general Cadamer. Along with the 55,000 men provided by Freeport, the invasion army totaled 70,000 men, divided into 20 legions. The question Gaktar posed to his war council was this: whether to proceed directly to invade Karan (and Qeynos) with his entire army or to divide up his forces and conquer first the outer islands of Zek, Isle of Refuge, Ferrott, and the continent of Faydwer to use as launching points for the final invasion on Karan.Xinjinn, the general of Neriak, spoke first. "My lord Gaktar, you have assembled the largest fleet ever seen by the many races of Norrath. As impressive as such a fleet may be, it has one great weakness: it cannot remain at sea for very long. With 70,000 mouths to feed, such an army could not support itself off either land or sea. It is vulnerable to storms. For in the event of a storm, there would be no harbor large enough to shelter or disembark such a large force all at once. It would need continuous resupply and that means maintaining long supply lines. Those supply lines are vulnerable. If our supply lines are cut, whether by storm or enemy action, our army would starve in a matter of weeks. Therefore, the only prudent course of action is to secure intermediate objectives first. We can use these bases to secure our supply lines, provide safe harbors and resupply points for our ships and men, and launch the final invasion of Qeynos without threat from enemies or the wrath of Karana.""I humbly disagree with my esteemed ally," said Cadamer. "We all know that Lord Xinjinn is a formidable strategist, with much experience in battle. But in this matter, he is being altogether too cautious. If we try to take all these intermediate bases, we risk splitting up our fleet. We would lose our numerical superiority and our forces would risk being isolated and defeated in turn--in the same way that we hope to defeat the enemy. We must focus all our strength at one decisive spot. We know that time is not on our side. The enemy has large reserves. Our plans call for quick victory. Our best chance to defeat them is to knock Qeynos out of the war before those reserves can be mobilized. Once Qeynos surrenders, the rest will surrender quickly and without a fight. And if they do not, we can easily crush them at our leisure. But Qeynos is the key, and they must be defeated first, because they represent the biggest threat.""Gentlemen," said Gaktar. "I thank you for your words of advice and counsel. I will commend your service and loyalty to the Overlord personally. Each of you has made a strong case for his preferred strategy. But know that the final decision lies with me, and me alone. By tomorrow morning, you will know of my decision. And you will have your orders."With that, Gaktar left the general's tent and walked by himself in the night air. He left the others to make their own last-minute preparations and perhaps get some sleep. But he could not sleep himself. And it was not the fear of battle that troubled his mind. He thought about Laiste and wondered what she must be thinking, locked up the dungeon. There would be time enough to apologize and make up after the war was over. He could not dwell on the guilt of having her placed in the dungeon. Ultimately, she would understand that it was for her own protection. But for some reason, he could not banish it from his mind. He felt uneasy about it. He was not prone to second-guessing. As a general, he knew that decisions had to be made and consequences had to be lived with. But he cared a great deal for Laiste.Now, in the first glow of dawn, Gaktar surveyed the massed armies and navies of Freeport and her allies. The sweat of men and beasts mingled into a heavy aroma that filled the morning breeze--a smell that Gaktar found familiar and exhilarating--the smell of battle and victory. He called his messenger and gave him a note to be passed along to the fleet commanders and captains. The message was brief and to the point: "All ships: set sail for Karan."

Itsey

02-01-2010, 03:57 PM

Chapter 29: The Raid Itsey was enjoying his afternoon tea and jumjum pie while reading a book by the fireplace when he heard three loud knocks. He placed the book, called “A Theoretical History of Wormholes” by Professor Okek on his coffee table and answered the door. It was Okek himself, looking somewhat disheveled. Before Itsey could invite him in, Okek came inside and sat down on the sofa. “I see you’ve been reading my new book,” said Okek. “What do you think?” “I’ve only made it past chapter 3, and there’s a lot of math which I don’t understand, but the implications are astounding. Do you actually believe that Norrath is….” “Yes! Of course it is. Look, I don’t have time to go over it now, but there’s something very important we must do. And we must do it right away.” “We? I take it that you want me to be involved in this somehow…” said Itsey. “What exactly must we do? Or rather must I do?” “I need you to be our healer. I’m leading a raid…” Itsey shook his head. “No, I’ve retired from raiding a long time ago. Can’t you find someone else to…” “No! This is not a raid for an ordinary healer. I need someone I can trust, and someone with a lot of experience. We’re not fighting some kobolds here. I’m going to kill a god!” Itsey paused for a moment. “I’m sorry, I thought I heard you say you’re going to kill a god?” “A Goddess actually. What do you know about Anashti Sul?” “Anashti Sul?” asked Itsey, incredulous. “Anashti Sul was once the Prime Healer. She was revered by the clerics from whom the Knights of Truth claim their ancient origins. It was said that she became corrupted and released unlife upon Norrath. Now she is worshipped primarily by the necromancers… Do you know where she is?” “Yes, I believe I do. I have been reading reports from scientific expeditions to Brokenskull Rock in the Moors of Ykesha. No one who has entered the void portal there has ever returned, until now. Yesterday, a lone survivor was found by the void portal. Somehow he escaped, although badly injured. He was treated by the medics at U.J.L and then shipped back here for further treatment. I have spoken with him. Based on his account, I believe that Anashti Sul herself has a hand in these void invasions. If she can gain control over the wormhole Nexus, all of Norrath will be in great danger. And not only Norrath, but countless worlds that are connected to Norrath by the system of wormholes.” “Assuming that’s true. How do you intend to fight a goddess?” asked Itsey. “We already have half of what we need… we have an army. That’s why I am forming a raid force to go into the void portal. I need you on that force.” “But no raid has ever succeeded,” protested Itsey. “No,” admitted Okek. “That’s why we also need the other half of the equation.” “And what would that be?” “We need an uncorrupted void guardian,” said Okek. “We need Edene. And I know the guy who has her.”

Itsey

02-02-2010, 03:33 PM

Chapter 30: Unexpected ReunionsWhen Laiste returned to base camp, she found a large mob of people outside of Frugrin's tent. As she approached, she realized that they were mostly new arrivals. They was clearly a second raid force forming up, and their leader was having discussions with Frugrin inside his tent. She suddenly noticed that some of the new arrivals were wearing Qeynos military uniforms. She started to run away, but someone grabbed her by the arm. She looked up and it was Frezzy."Laiste!" said Frezzy. "I thought I recognized you. I think there are some people who want to talk to you.""Let me go!" she strugged to get free, but soon Frezzy was joined by more guards and she decided that struggle was futile. They marched her over to the tent and she went inside. There were heated discussions, but when she entered, everyone fell silent. As her eyes grew accustomed to the dark, she looked around and saw Frugrin sitting at his table going over some maps. Varney sat in a chair nearby and was taking notes. Itsey saw her and jumped down from his chair. Okek stood up and looked at her, astonished."Laiste!" said Okek. "My god. It's you!"They were silent for a while. Laiste broke the silence first: "Look! I'm here to help. I'm sorry about... what happened. For betraying you. I was betrayed myself."Okek paused a while to consider this. Finally, he said, "You could have killed me, but you didn't. Whatever your reasons for doing what you did, that's in the past. But I think we all have the same goal here, and you can help us.""Yes, of course," said Laiste. She shook herself free from the guard holding her. "That's why I am here. I met with the leader of the pirates who have been operating on this island. He has given me some information about the void portals, as well as providing a guide who can help us. Someone familiar with the portals. That's why I returned.""That will be very useful," said Okek. "But we need one other thing that you have.""What is that?" asked Laiste."We know you took Edene. This mission cannot succeed without her. Do you know where she is?"Before Laiste could respond, Edene came inside the tent. "These people know me as Zubia," said Edene.Okek walked over to her and examined her carefully. "Edene! It's you! It's amazing. You speak Common very well. How did you learn so quickly?" marved Okek."I have learned all that is necessary and convenient for carrying out my mission," said Edene. "Are you here to assist with my mission?""Yes," said Okek. "We all are. We are here to help you do what you are designed to do. Our world depends on it.""Very well," said Edene. "When do we leave?""We leave tomorrow morning at dawn," said Okek. "We already have people scouting out Brokenskull Rock and setting up our launch point." He looked over to Laiste and said, "It would be very helpful if we could have the cooperation of the Brokenskull pirates. We don't want any unnecessary hostilities."Laiste nodded, "I have already arranged that. They know we're coming, and they will be cooperative.""Then all is set," said Okek. "Does anyone else have anything to say?""Yes," said Itsey. He walked over to Laiste and silently considered her for a long time. Finally he said, "Welcome back."

mis-nomer

02-10-2010, 11:50 AM

Fantastic so far, Chapter 31 please <img src="/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

Itsey

02-10-2010, 02:50 PM

Chapter 31: Alea iacta estEhnsaine met the raiding party at the Rock, which is what the pirates called Brokenskull Rock. There was funnel of light over the Rock, which marked the entrance to the last known open void portal in Norrath. Littered around the Rock were adventure packs and other gear left by prior adventurers who had gone inside. Clearly, none of them had emerged to claim their belongings, and the Brokenskull pirates had already looted a lot of the abandoned gear. As had been arranged, the Qeynos marines went in first, lead by Knight Captain Frezzy. Then Frugrin and his science team stepped into the void portal.Then it was Laiste and Edene's turn. "Are you ready?" Laiste asked Edene. Edene did not respond, but took that as her cue to enter the portal and she disappeared inside. "Here goes!" said Laiste and followed her. There was a moment of darkness, as everything went black, and then Laiste found herself standing on a giant island, floating in the sky. The marines were already fighting with the void beasts, who were attacking in massive waves.Laiste looked around for Edene but didn't see her anywhere. Someone grabbed her by the arm. It was Ehnsaine. "Over here!" he yelled over the sounds of battle, and pulled her to safety as a massive explosion sent rocks falling all over them. He lead her down a path away from the fighting and to a spot where Frugrin and his scientists were setting up their equipment. Dora was with them."Will this work?" asked Dora."That's what we're here to find out," said Vhizz. "Now, help me to secure the thrusters and stabilizers to this bot. The cable needs to be attached to the winch underneath the bot to support the intense weight it will feel when near the black hole, and the thrusters will be used for maneuvering only."They slowly lowered the bot over the ledge of the island and into the void. Attached to the cable, it descended past a group of slowly moving asteroids orbitting the black hole. Vhizz was staring at a mechanism that was providing read-outs of the bot's sensors through a set of visors that looked like binoculars attached to a black box. The box was attached to a wire connected the bot that was sending back images and data. "Remarkable!" he kept muttering."Do you see anyone down there?" asked Dora, almost frantic with anticipation."Not yet, but there's a lot of debris down near the black hole. I'm scanning the debris field now. The bot is closing in! Hold on! I see something...""What?" asked Dora. "Let me see!'"Here!" Vhizz said. "Here! I found some bodies! Look, do you recognize any of them?"Dora looked into the machine. She moved the knobs that controlled the direction of the camera back and forth. Finally she said, "Yes! I see them. Those are Freeport uniforms. Wait... I think I see ... It's Slicer! It's his body! How do I grab him?" She started fumbling wildly at the controls of the bot."No wait!" said Vhizz. "This is a delicate maneuver. It has to be done carefully, or ..." But before he could finish, Dora pushed a button that activated the thrusters on the bot. But the bot spun out of control and crashed onto a floating boulder. Even from at a distance, Laiste could see the explosion, as the bot's fuel tank burst and ignited. There was an orange fireball and then a cloud of black smoke...and the bot was gone.Everyone was too shocked to say anything. But before they could utter a word, there was a commotion behind them. A large group of void beasts was heading their way... and there were no marines left alive to defend them.

Itsey

02-12-2010, 03:04 PM

Chapter 32: The Importance of Being UndeadWhen Frezzy entered the void portal with his team, they were immediately attacked by waves of void beasts. He detached a team to hold off the void beast attacks while he lead a team to the inner void portal. Not known for his great patience, he was determined to get to Anashti as soon as possible, but he was approached by Varney and Edene."Wait," said Varney. "You cannot go directly to Anashti. There are number of powerful Void Guardians who must be defeated before you can get to her. Edene can tell you how to defeat them." Varney looked over at Edene."Yes," Edene replied. "The Void Guardians have been corrupted by Anashti and serve her as adjuncts. But otherwise, they have not been extensively modified, so I know their weaknesses. However, Anashti is a foreign entity... I do not know the weaknesses of her program, and I cannot help you in defeating her.""That's where I come in," said Varney. "How do you know anything about Anashti?" asked Frezzy."Let's just say we have some history. I know things about her that few people know.""No, I'm not following you into there unless you tell me exactly what you know. So you will tell me now."Everyone was silent for a moment and the sounds of fighting could be heard in the background, but everyone was focused on Varney. Finally, he spoke. "A long time ago, I was ... a healer. I worshipped Anashti Sul, and was her chief priest. Back then, she was the Prime Healer. A goddess devoted to healing and light. At times, she would visit me, and we became lovers. Back in those days, gods and goddesses took human lovers... usually their most devoted followers. Anashti's healing powers were able to extend my life, but not indefinitely. Nothing can prevent the inevitable--old age and death. As I grew old and my body began to age beyond repair, Anashti grew obsessed with the notion that she could enhance her powers to grant immortality to humans. This is strictly forbidden by the gods. But one day, she said that she had found a way to grant immortality to her followers, and she started with me. I was the first person that she made immortal. The problem is that humans weren't meant for immortality...I could feel something growing inside of me. It was unnatural, and it threatened to take over my mind. I was the first, of many, to be cursed with Undeath. Anashti took tremendous pride in her new abilities, and granted Undeath to many of her followers. The curse of Undeath had been unleashed upon Norrath, and in time, she would be banished by the gods for her hubris.""But why do you want to help us defeat her," asked Frezzy."Because that's the only way I can remove my curse of Undeath. Only once Anashti dies will I be allowed to die like a mortal, like I should. I have lived for a very long time. I have watched friends and family die, and I have watched the world change through many ages. All things have an end. All beings deserve a time of rest. Mine has come and passed. I have come here to reclaim the death that is rightfully mine, that I have been robbed of. I have been the keeper of Anashti's secrets. I know her vulnerability. Only I know how to defeat her. Without me, you have no hope of victory.""How do we know you're telling the truth?" demanded Frezzy."You don't," replied Varney. "You either believe me or not, but either way you have to make a decision. You're running out of time." In the background, the sounds of fighting became more fierce. And a new wave of void beasts appeared.

Itsey

02-12-2010, 06:43 PM

Chapter 33: The OverlordKahn signaled for his men to stop at the entrance. Four teams of Gaktar's elite guards were deployed around the Tower of the Overlord. Kahn carried secret orders for the arrest of the Overlord. As planned, they were going to move in and grab Lucan the day after the main Freeport army had deployed to sea. This meant the only resistance to the coup was a small group of guards loyal to Lucan. These could be easily dispatched.But Kahn felt a sense of foreboding. He had been a defiler for a long time, and the spirit of the ancestors usually warned him of the presence of danger, and at this moment, he felt a sense of premonition that everything would not go exactly according to plan.Kahn turned to his lieutenant. "I want you to stay with the men here. Make sure no one gets out. I am going in alone to seek an audience with Lucan. Maybe there is a chance I can get him to surrender without bloodshed.""I strongly advise against that," his lieutenant protested. "We have an overwhelming force here. The guards inside are no match for us. Let us do our jobs.""No," said Kahn. "I am in command here, and that is an order. If I do not come out in 20 minutes, then you have the authority to take command of this mission and execute it according to plan. But do not come in until the time is up." The lieutenant grudgingly accepted his orders.Kahn approached the guard outside the Overlord's residence and spoke briefly with him, and then he was permitted to enter. Kahn was still a member of Lucan's court, and as such, to enter was his privilege. But the guard looked nervously at the squad of men that Kahn left waiting outside.As Kahn entered the building, he was about the ascend the main stairs to the tower when he felt a sudden pressure in his chest. Then an immense roaring sound filled his ears and the ground shook. Large columns of the building started to come crashing down and Kahn scrambled for safety under the stairs. After a few seconds, there was only darkness, smoke, dust, and rubble. Kahn could hear the sound of yelling outside. He tried to orient himself in the darkness--he brought out his softly glowing jewel, which cast a pale light on his surroundings. He was trapped beneath the stairs. The upper floors had crashed on top of the stairway and sealed him inside. Clearly, there had been an immense explosion that had collapsed the tower. Kahn tried to remain calm. Immediately, questions raced in his mind: who had caused the tower to collapse? Clearly, it was not his men. This was not part of the plan. Had Lucan destroyed the tower to mask his own escape? Had Lucan been alerted to the raid? Or was some sinister third force involved?He once again heard shouting outside, and someone yelled, "Kahn! Are you there?" He recognized the voice. It was General Tailz. What was Tailz doing here? He knew Tailz is a supporter of Lucan, and that could only mean that Gaktar's plans had been compromised. There was another force that had arrived to stop him from carrying out the coup.Then he heard another voice: "I know why you men are here. But at this moment, we all need to work together to dig out the survivors. Your leader Kahn is inside, and so is our Overlord. We must work together if we are to save them. So start digging! You! Get some water! We need to put out this fire first!"It was the voice of Bahua. "[Removed for Content]!" Kahn thought to himself. This is a mess. But first, he had to survive."Here!" he shouted back. "I'm in here!"