Dark Hope - Chapter 1 - Pan Town

[Thonunian]

Thonunian looks around, cautiously approaching Atrus, while his hand tightens on his sword. He looks around as well.

[ooc]Spot, Listen, and Search checks to see if I find anything

~edit~

IF anything else is visible due to low-light vision, I think it would be nice if you could PM it to me and Tänya.[/ooc]

[Mephiston]

The room has 3 doors, one to the north, one to the east and one to the west.
All the door are made by wood. The western one has many chains that are attached to it, and it's closed (you don't know if it is locked).
The eastern one has a great dark flame carved in it. The door is closed (you don't know if it is locked).

Atrus seems to not wait for you all, as soon as you approach him, he sprint to the north door and try to open it. As soon as he touches the norther door the chains of the western door move quikly and entangle him!
The chained door open slowly and a starnge creature, covered by chains... or mady by them steps in to the room. The chains of the door attach to the strange creature making it bigger. You can see the metallic ring of the chains move like the spirals of a snake! The screech of the chains is deafening.

While the creature moves you can hear the sound of many locks being opened and closed around you.

A strange voice come fron the chains... "You seek for revenge, you seek for punishment, you seek for justice!
You worth my attention!"

Then the chain sprials start to squeeze the poor Atrus!
He moans in pain!

(Posted a picrure of the creature in the proper thread)

[Renard]

Eyes wide with horror, Renard briefly wonders about the price of curiosity, adventure and naïve notions of heroics. But it is only briefly and his instinct for helping another kicks him in to action, and his rapier is drawn.
Without removing his gaze fixed upon Atrus in the grasp of the chain monster, Renard deadpans, ”Thonunian, now would be a good time for some of that magic you boasted of.”
And to Tänya, ”Stay safe, sweet one, and do what you can from afar.”

Although tempted to add something akin to ‘For I leap into the jaws of evil to save our companion’, it seemed trite and wholly unrealistic when not written on a page.
Swallowing past the dryness of his throat, Renard leaps into the fray in an attempt to free Atrus, and singing:

"Stand and fight we do consider
Reminded of an inner pact between us
Thats seen as we go
And ride there
In motion
To fields in debts of honour defending

Stand the marchers soaring talons
Peaceful lives will not deliver freedom
Fighting we know,
Destroy oppression
The point to reaction
As leaders look to you attacking

Choose and renounce throwing chains to the floor
Kill or be killing faster sins correct the flow
Casting giant shadows off vast
Penetrating force
To alter via the war that seen
As frictions spans the spirits wrath ascending to redeem..."

(Renard will be trying to ‘cut’ or damage the chain holding Atrus enough that he will be able to escape.)

[Tänya]

[ooc]...again, a most apt tune, kind sir...[/ooc]

Taking heart from this hymn of Solaris, Tänya joins in quietly on the final chorus while she cautiously comes within 10 feet of the creature at the north door...

"Soon oh soon the light
Pass within and soothe this endless night
And wait here for you
Our reason to be here

Soon oh soon the time
All we move to gain will reach and calm
Our heart is open
Our reason to be here

Long ago, set into rhyme

Soon oh soon the light
Ours to shape for all time, ours the right
The sun will lead us
Our reason to be here

Soon oh soon the light
Ours to shape for all time, ours the right
The sun will lead us
Our reason to be here"

Seeing Renard attacking the chains wrapped around Atrus by the west door, Tänya centers herself and focuses her attention upon her wooden pendant, casting that attention towards the main source of the whirling chains by the north door. Slowly raising her hands, she makes a few arcane movements while muttering under her breath. Then pointing her fingers at the demon, a shower of burning hot sand and wind bursts from them, engulfing the chains and creature and fouling up its whirling weapons.

...I hope...

[Thonunian]

[ooc]Knowledge: arcana and the planes checks to see if Thonunian knows anything about the creature attacking Atrus. I don't want to waste any spells that won't affect it.[/ooc]

"Stay away from the other doors! They both imprison other creatures!"

[Renard]

"Stay away from the other doors! They both imprison other creatures!"

Renard nods to himself, and thinking of Ahkash, flashes a glance over at the eastern door with the black flame insignia. But only for a second, as his attention is back at the chain monster holding Atrus...

[Mephiston]

Renard use his rapier to break the chains that emprison Atrus, the blade hit the metal rings and some of them are destroyed. Atrus has now his hand with his weapon free. The daemon is still squeezing Atrus.

Thonunian is examining the daemon, he's propably searching in his mind to find a weak point!

Tänya open her hand and a powerful gust of wind pull away all the dusk and the debrises on the ground. Some of the chains of the daemon are covered by sand and dust and it seems to feel some pain!

Atrus is trying to break him free. he use his uge weapon with one hand but he can't hit the daemon.

Balpur moves quickly near the creature and use his staff to hit the chains. He does some damages to the rings.

Chain Daemon moves the entangled Atrus near his face and ask: "Do you seek revenge? Do you seek punishment? Doyou seek justice? You may need my help... answer!" he yell to the poor Atrus!
He squeezes again the warrior dealing 6 damage

[Renard]

<renard will delay his standard action and use a 'free action' first to say>

"We do seek justice!" shouts Renard, his rapier at the ready to strike at the chains holding Atrus again. "Release Atrus and give us passage to face the one who gives faith to Graveris!"

Breathing hard from his feelings of dread and apprehension more than exhertion, Renard waits but a moment to see if there is a reaction from the chain daemon before he strikes again!...

Renard is hoping there is something spoken the beast will react to and since it seems to be talking to Atrus, Renard also yells at the warrior to tell the same to the beast!

[Tänya]

"Do you seek revenge? Do you seek punishment? Doyou seek justice? You may need my help... answer!"

"We do seek justice!" shouts Renard, his rapier at the ready to strike at the chains holding Atrus again. "Release Atrus and give us passage to face the one who gives faith to Graveris!"

Staying her own attack, Tänya tries to address the creature as well.

"As well as punishment and revenge for what the one who gives faith to Graveris did to the unsuspecting animals that did his fighting at the farm!" Tänya screams back. "...as well as what he did to Solana," she then whispers under her breath...

Feeling unsure of herself, she holds the bow and arrow in one hand, and reaches back over her shoulder with her other, drawing her quarterstaff out of her quiver and grasping tightly on to it. White Blossom had guided her before...will he choose to do so now?

[Thonunian]

[ooc]I am going to post a move once I get some more information, please do not move the game ahead...

And why hasn't the map been updated?[/ooc]

[Atrus]

"Do you seek revenge? Do you seek punishment? Doyou seek justice? You may need my help... answer!"

Fire spread down his sides, ice in his veins. The pain was infinite. In one moment, all the dark doors of his past had been opened. Deception, Murder, Blood and Pain screamed from the depths of his soul, and was released in one moment. Blood rushed to his face, and he shook from the strength of his unearthly wail. At the end, the noise was forced into a single word.

"Yes"

His body shook into new action. Throwing off his mantle of immobile death, he writhes to escape the chains.

[Mephiston]

As soon as Atrus says "Yes" the chains stops to squeeze him.
The spirals loose their pressure on him and he falls to the ground.

The weird head of the daemon looks down at him screeching a bit.
With a deep voice the daemon speaks
"Be it so. You worth my respect, and my service. You need me if you want to accomplish your revenge."

Before you can do anything the chains falls to the ground and you see no more the daemon.
In the spirals of the chains you can see the hilt of dark sword comes up in the rings.

(image added in the proper thread)

[Tänya]

Tänya looks at the fighter struggling against the chains, and moves to help...

...then stops herself.

"Atrus," she asks hesitantly, "will you allow me to place my staff, whom I have decided to call White Blossom, upon you? You were still not fully healed from the battles earlier, and now I can see you have been additionally hurt by that...demon.

"I am unsure if my staff will help with guidance or healing in regards to you, though. I am only the wielder, and wish to see what he may choose to do when given the choice.

"I will warn you, White Blossom seems to feel strong emotion against this creature you just accepted help from. But, he feels the choice was yours to freely make.

"I am also still learning about him. I think...
I think perhaps your pains go deeper than the physical wounds we can see. I do not know if he will reveal anything of your deeper hurts to me, or be able to do anything about them, but I want to see if he will at least heal your physical wounds at my request, even if he may disagree with your choice.

"May I proceed?"

[Mephiston]

while you are talking the eastern door, the one with the big dark flame, opens a bit with a click.

[Tänya]

Dropping to a crouch and whirling quickly towards the sound of the door coming ajar, Tänya faces this potential new threat with White Blossom before her...

[ooc]spot and listen checks please
as well as anything White Blossom may have to 'say'[ooc]

[Thonunian]

Thonunian turns towards the door as well.

[ooc]Listen and Spot checks for me, too.[/ooc]

[Mephiston]

the door is almost closed, you can't see or hear anything that is on the other side of the door.

[Tänya]

[ooc]
I meant as the door opened, silly!!![/ooc]

[Renard]

The fact that the chain beast released Atrus and spewed forth an intimidating-looking sword for use in his seeking of justice, worried Renard more than if it had simply continued to attack. Renard knew of Atrus’ thirst for vengeance, he could read it in his eyes. And even if he didn’t know the exact reason why ---

”Atrus, if I may,” asks Renard of Atrus’ patience, but quickly gestures to the door ajar and interjects to the others, ”Ahkash went through that door, but be careful, there may be a flame daemon of some sort beyond.” Then back to Atrus, ”Goodly warrior, I beg caution. White Blossom has wisdom, and although I am not known for mine, I do believe that such a gift <gesturing to the dark sword>, borne from violence, cannot yield the true justice you may seek. Think of where we are and who we are after… this is their place.”

And swallowing his dry nervousness, he give Atrus a smile of friendship and allows him to make the choice. Turning to the door with the black-flame sigil, Renard cautiously approaches the ajar door with the black-flame sigil and Listens...

[Ahkash]

Even as the foxy Bard bends slightly toward the crack between door and jamb, it swung open even further, narrowly missing the listener, and the half-elf emerged from the shadows within.

His sharp eyes took in the scene, including Atrus, the ill-aspected sword, and the pile of chains, now missing from the opposite door.

"Justice is in the hands of the wronged," he said.

He swept his hands through his shoulder-length hair, and continued, "The room is safe now...I think I've disabled all the traps. Haven't searched it yet." He nodded to Atrus, "Anything interesting on that side?"

Then turning to the others added, "You all took long enough to get here." He grinned. "Priests keep you occupied? Or confused?"