The man moved through the shadows of night quickly, but as quietly as he could. It was imperative that he not be discovered, and that he deliver his information quickly. A black gate had appeared in the stronghold of the followers of the Shadowlords, and whispers in dark corners told of a meeting to be held inside a secret place ...
I awoke with a start, dagger in hand, feeling someone was watching me. Heart pounding, I peered around the darkness of my bedchamber. As my eyes fell upon the shadowed form, he spoke quietly. "I have news ..."
Cursing him for startling me so, I quickly tucked my dagger bad in place, and sat up. "Well? What is it that is so important to have you sneaking into my room in the dead of night?"
He spoke quickly, telling of the odd happenings in the Yew Crypts and of an upcoming meeting of some sort. Then we sat quietly for a time as I thought about what this might mean, and what we needed to do. This could not mean well for Minax and her supporters. Those unfaithful curs of the Shadowlords faction had been a thorn in our side from the moment the battle for the throne of Britania had commenced, always calling for the release of the true Shadowlords.
"Return to your post, sir, and keep listening! We must know what is happening! As soon as you know when this meeting is, send a messenger. Don't come here again, though. I feel the danger heightens, and if a spy is found in their midst, that spy will be dispatched!"
In moments he was gone, with a promise that he would send word soon. I stayed awake the rest of that night, thinking and planning. As soon as dawn broke, I sent out messages to all in my guild, and then rode out for our own base, where we could meet and discuss this new development.
Two days later, the message we were all waiting for came. The meeting spoken of would be tonight. We immediately gathered to finalize plans, then headed straight to Yew, and to the Crypts. We timed things well, and arrived before any Shadowlords did. We quickly put our plans in motion, entering into the base with no opposition and setting up a maze of confusion and death for any who dared show for this meeting.
As they began straggling in, we fell upon them, so that only their spirits could enter that secret room. Tensely, we waited, killing them as they came. We did not know what was happening in that dark chamber. We were cut off from our informant, and could only continue to ambush the unsuspecting.
Then there was a commotion outside. Our spy, out of breath from the hard ride, told us we must go quickly to the city of Trinsic, that the Lady Melissa, Follower of Nosfentor, had found Clanin there and charged the minions of the Shadowlords with his death. Our mage quickly thumbed through his book and cast a gate to Trinsic. We rode as fast as we could towards the Training Hall, hoping to cut them off.
We came upon them as they were arriving, and quickly battle ensued. The tried to fight, but with weakened spirits and heavily outnumbered, they all quickly fell. We chased the last into the room where Clanin stood, alarmed at the battle that raged.
It was quiet for a moment, no one knowing what to do now. Clanin's guards had attacked us and fallen with the rest. I looked at the mage, he who had fought against us in an attempt to uphold that fop Lord British, he would had ties to the Council of Mages, he would was the last remaining member of the Royal Council ...
The bloodlust of but moments before returned and I again drew my sword. "Kill him! Clanin must die!" We all fell upon him, but this powerful mage fought hard! He cast some protective spell around himself and threw many damaging spells our way, but slowly he began to weaken, his life sapping from the many wounds we had inflicted.
The a shout from the look-out was heard "Shadowlords and Council of Mages coming up the road!"
We turned towards the door, torn between finishing off Clanin and not allowing these enemies the chance to do so themselves, or to stop us. Quickly they choked the stairwell in a mindless charge. Just as quickly they were laid to rest from our vantage point above by the archers and mages among us.
With an apparent burst of energy, Clanin shouted out a spell none of us had heard before and laid out lines of fire in all directions. We scrambled about, giving first aid to ours that were injured by this new attack, the turned back to the task at hand. Clanin would not live!
As the mage began to stumble, clearly on his last leg, a loud *crack* rent the air, driving us back several steps. Before us stood the Lady Melissa, herself. Yet again stuck by the rapid change in circumstances, we all fell back a bit more.
"I see that my lackies have failed me! But what is this? The followers of Minax killing Clanin? *claps* Oh how perfect! Stand back! Let me have the death blow! 'Tis the best!"
As we stood by in shock, Melissa pulled a pitch black dagger from her cloak and plunged it again and again into Clanin.
"Wait, she is a follower of the true Shadowlords! Sieze her!" a shout came from one of our guild.
We surged forward, only to fall back again as Melissa screamed, "You have done the work my minions could not, and I thank you! But now, you must burn, with all the evidence of what has happened here!"
Her hands began to glow a burning orange-red and we knew it was flee or die. We all turned to the door, jostling against one another in our rush to get away. Most made it safely to the stairwell, but a few were still in the room when the first explosion came and fell, badly injured or dead. The walls began to crumble and debris flew around us. A second explosion sounded and rubble fell to the floor as the room smoldered ...
What dark things has this night brought unto the lands of Napa Valley? The Shadowlords failed at their task, but the mage Clanin is dead, at the hands of the followers of Minax. Deep chaos seems to have taken hold of our lands ...
I awoke with a start, dagger in hand, feeling someone was watching me. Heart pounding, I peered around the darkness of my bedchamber. As my eyes fell upon the shadowed form, he spoke quietly. "I have news ..."
Cursing him for startling me so, I quickly tucked my dagger bad in place, and sat up. "Well? What is it that is so important to have you sneaking into my room in the dead of night?"
He spoke quickly, telling of the odd happenings in the Yew Crypts and of an upcoming meeting of some sort. Then we sat quietly for a time as I thought about what this might mean, and what we needed to do. This could not mean well for Minax and her supporters. Those unfaithful curs of the Shadowlords faction had been a thorn in our side from the moment the battle for the throne of Britania had commenced, always calling for the release of the true Shadowlords.
"Return to your post, sir, and keep listening! We must know what is happening! As soon as you know when this meeting is, send a messenger. Don't come here again, though. I feel the danger heightens, and if a spy is found in their midst, that spy will be dispatched!"
In moments he was gone, with a promise that he would send word soon. I stayed awake the rest of that night, thinking and planning. As soon as dawn broke, I sent out messages to all in my guild, and then rode out for our own base, where we could meet and discuss this new development.
Two days later, the message we were all waiting for came. The meeting spoken of would be tonight. We immediately gathered to finalize plans, then headed straight to Yew, and to the Crypts. We timed things well, and arrived before any Shadowlords did. We quickly put our plans in motion, entering into the base with no opposition and setting up a maze of confusion and death for any who dared show for this meeting.
As they began straggling in, we fell upon them, so that only their spirits could enter that secret room. Tensely, we waited, killing them as they came. We did not know what was happening in that dark chamber. We were cut off from our informant, and could only continue to ambush the unsuspecting.
Then there was a commotion outside. Our spy, out of breath from the hard ride, told us we must go quickly to the city of Trinsic, that the Lady Melissa, Follower of Nosfentor, had found Clanin there and charged the minions of the Shadowlords with his death. Our mage quickly thumbed through his book and cast a gate to Trinsic. We rode as fast as we could towards the Training Hall, hoping to cut them off.
We came upon them as they were arriving, and quickly battle ensued. The tried to fight, but with weakened spirits and heavily outnumbered, they all quickly fell. We chased the last into the room where Clanin stood, alarmed at the battle that raged.
It was quiet for a moment, no one knowing what to do now. Clanin's guards had attacked us and fallen with the rest. I looked at the mage, he who had fought against us in an attempt to uphold that fop Lord British, he would had ties to the Council of Mages, he would was the last remaining member of the Royal Council ...
The bloodlust of but moments before returned and I again drew my sword. "Kill him! Clanin must die!" We all fell upon him, but this powerful mage fought hard! He cast some protective spell around himself and threw many damaging spells our way, but slowly he began to weaken, his life sapping from the many wounds we had inflicted.
The a shout from the look-out was heard "Shadowlords and Council of Mages coming up the road!"
We turned towards the door, torn between finishing off Clanin and not allowing these enemies the chance to do so themselves, or to stop us. Quickly they choked the stairwell in a mindless charge. Just as quickly they were laid to rest from our vantage point above by the archers and mages among us.
With an apparent burst of energy, Clanin shouted out a spell none of us had heard before and laid out lines of fire in all directions. We scrambled about, giving first aid to ours that were injured by this new attack, the turned back to the task at hand. Clanin would not live!
As the mage began to stumble, clearly on his last leg, a loud *crack* rent the air, driving us back several steps. Before us stood the Lady Melissa, herself. Yet again stuck by the rapid change in circumstances, we all fell back a bit more.
"I see that my lackies have failed me! But what is this? The followers of Minax killing Clanin? *claps* Oh how perfect! Stand back! Let me have the death blow! 'Tis the best!"
As we stood by in shock, Melissa pulled a pitch black dagger from her cloak and plunged it again and again into Clanin.
"Wait, she is a follower of the true Shadowlords! Sieze her!" a shout came from one of our guild.
We surged forward, only to fall back again as Melissa screamed, "You have done the work my minions could not, and I thank you! But now, you must burn, with all the evidence of what has happened here!"
Her hands began to glow a burning orange-red and we knew it was flee or die. We all turned to the door, jostling against one another in our rush to get away. Most made it safely to the stairwell, but a few were still in the room when the first explosion came and fell, badly injured or dead. The walls began to crumble and debris flew around us. A second explosion sounded and rubble fell to the floor as the room smoldered ...
What dark things has this night brought unto the lands of Napa Valley? The Shadowlords failed at their task, but the mage Clanin is dead, at the hands of the followers of Minax. Deep chaos seems to have taken hold of our lands ...