Dark Hope - Chapter 1 - Pan Town

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Tänya
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Post by Tänya »

Listening to the tale Arael tells, Tänya's eyes get bigger and bigger. Not a liar indeed, master, she thinks to herself. But definitely more than he seems...

Reaching across the table to lightly hold his hand, Tänya gives it a light squeeze. "We all fear the strange, the unknown. You have not changed, and are the same as you ever were. But your father and the others are blinded by the strange things happening around you. Your father will come to see that in time. Give him time to get over the shock of seeing unexplained magic right in front of him. He loves you, and that will eventually dominate any other feeling that may temporarily overcome him regarding you."

Letting go of Arael's hand, she settles herself back next to the bard, just as Balpur chugs down his milk. Covering a grin with her hand, she lowers it and gently smiling at the goblin states, "Balpur, do all your kind enjoy milk so much? Or only you? As I told you before, I know nothing of your kind, other than the marauding bands that have occasionally devastated my home village and the glades and groves of Lastwood.

"I understand you are different from your kind, as you yourself told me earlier. But, will you tell me a little of your kind, before we address the path before us? What is your society like? Your culture? What myths and legends would you have those outside your culture judge you by?"

The druid stops, and covers her mouth in dismay. "I am sorry, Balpur. My curiosity is getting the better of me..."
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Post by Mephiston »

"Thank you, milady. Your words are kind as always"
Arael says

The goblin looks to Tanya... he seems a little bit concearned about the request but when he begins to speak, you can see he has accepted the request.
"I don't like to talk about my kind... they are always evil, and they are ugly.
They taught me that the other races are nothing more than food for us. We come near a lsource of life and we simply start to plunder it...

Our lords are the most powerful beings we know. But they are also the most stupids"
He laughs loudly
"Yes yes... just because the more powerful is a goblin, the more he will be envyed by the other goblins... and he will be soon killed by someone that dares to challenge him.
We are so proud of ourself that we don't have a god.
I know of Solaris because some of our shamans know that she is the mother of the earth. I studied with a shaman that was the master of our tribe. I was supposed to be the next shaman of the tribe, but i hate what he taught to me... i hate what my kind does... so i fled from my camp and i started to be a journeyman to see the world, to meet people and to understand what is behind the lies my people taught to me. I found a wonderful word, and i'm proud of the people that live in it."
He takes a look around the tavern
"look, those people knows that a goblin is a "bad guy" but they don't care about me now because i had the chance to show them i'm not evil. They are ready to belive in me because i helped them. My very dream is to change my kind, to redeem them.
But i know that is impossible... so i want to do my best to be the only good goblin on the earth..."
the goblin looks in to the eyes of Tanya and you all can see that he's very sad. He shakes his head then he continues
"well... your question deserves an answer: the other goblin prefer hot blood!"
Again the loud laugh of Balpur spread in the tavern
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Post by Tänya »

Mephiston wrote:"well... your question deserves an answer: the other goblin prefer hot blood!"
Again the loud laugh of Balpur spread in the tavern
Tänya listens to the goblin and pangs of regret rend her heart. Perhaps the goblin's laugh is a defensive mechanism against self-hatred, she wonders to herself.

Lowering her voice, she says to him, "Balpur, in all your kind there is no one else? No one who shares your views? Your belief that others are not only a food source? No one at all?

"You called yourself a monk to me earlier, and even without a deity, I am beginning to understand why. I know not where this path we are on will take us, but when we are done..."

She hesitates, wondering how much trouble she herself will wind up in if he accepts her proposition when the time comes to fulfill it...

"...but when we are done, if you wish to learn more of Solaris..."
...and maybe...even Graveris... she thinks to herself, "will you journey with me to my home in Lastwood? I would like to attempt to introduce you to the Elder Council of my Order, if they choose to receive you at that time. I think," and she appeals directly to the goblin, "...I think we and you would have a lot to learn from each other..."
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Post by Renard »

There was a definite feeling of warmth and comfort when Tanya came in to the tavern and sat beside Renard. He liked it very much, despite pretending he barely noticed it. But the smile was obvious.
Sitting demurely next to him, she reaches for a handful of berries and nuts, and watches the bard pour her a full mug of wine. Taking it gratefully, she raises it slightly towards him with a whispered, "Cormamin lindua ele lle," and quaffs deeply.
”As does mine, Arwenamin,” is Renard’s reply.

Listening to Arael retell his story to Tanya brought back a pang of helplessness to Renard. He would love to help him in a more tangible way, but was unable to think of an immediate way to do so.
It wasn’t until Tanya spoke to Arael to try and allay his pain, using the same reasoning and tone he himself had done moments ago out by the ruins of the farm.
And his smile returned.

Pouring some more wine in to Tanya’s goblet, and offering more to others around the table, he topped off his own and took a sip.
”Friends, it is obvious that there is great evil germinating around Pan’s Town. Perhaps it only came to get what it has taken, but my mother taught me something: in addition to following one’s heart, I recall she told me that those who see must act. Although this is not our town, nor our immediate problem, I don’t think any one of us can deny that these followers of Graveris who have taken the Holy Root, mean anything but harm. I, for one, will not turn my back on this.” Looking at Balpur, Thonunian, Arael, Tanya and looking about for Akhash (…), he adds, ”And I don’t think any one of you here at this table can either.
“But, alas, I am at a loss as to where to go form here to track down the culprits. I asked before, but now that we are here in better comfort, perhaps we can think of a course of action – a path that we may travel to this end.
“As I mentioned, I do have a song of learning that will be able to determine the properties of some of the magic items we have, but warn that I can do this but once a day. Now I have been in this town for barely 3 days, most of this time spent here in the Wild Boar drinking, eating and writing. So, I cannot say I have a good knowledge of it. So I ask: shall we seek out the priests of Solaris once again, and unload our experience of the past hour upon them, and seek their guidance? Perhaps there is a scholar in the town we may consult.”


Looking to the pretty elf beside him, asks, ”Fair one, in your meditation, did you learn of anything that may be of help?” And in so asking, slips his hand around her waist.
~ My feet may not know the way, yet my heart be glad for it. ~
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Post by Tänya »

Renard wrote:"Now I have been in this town for barely 3 days, most of this time spent here in the Wild Boar drinking, eating and writing. So, I cannot say I have a good knowledge of it. So I ask: shall we seek out the priests of Solaris once again, and unload our experience of the past hour upon them, and seek their guidance? Perhaps there is a scholar in the town we may consult.

"Fair one, in your meditation, did you learn of anything that may be of help?”
Feeling the warmth of a blush at both kinds of unexpected attention rise in her cheeks, the druid looks around the table at the others, looking to see if anyone had a suggestion other than the one which had been shown to her during her trance. When none was forthcoming, she hesitantly asks, "Does anyone know anything of a psion who was last known to live in the Tower of Mist a little north of here? When last heard of, he was known as Kadir Shazar. Is the name familiar to anyone here?"

Tänya again looks around the table, hoping for an answer. If none is forthcoming, although she desperately wants nothing more than to eat and drink with a warm arm about her while listening to song and tale, she spends the next few hours chatting with the town folk and bar keep, adroitly spreading about some coin and attempting to discern what information on Kadir Shazar she can. She does occasionally wander back to the party's table for some more food, wine, and other attention as may be offered, eventually finding her way back to the bard's side, and leaning into his embrace in weariness.

[Gather Information, please]
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Post by Renard »

'Kadir?' ... Renard thinks to hiimself ...
Although his brain may be a little muddled by what he had experienced of late, that name was certianly one not to be missed.

"Before you get up, fair one," he says to Tanya, "I may know a little about our land's foremost psion."
Once Tanya is seated next to Renard once again, he smiles and then continues.

"Now, please keep in mind that there are many stories surrounding the man, some call 'the father of the psionic arts'. As expected, he is a powerful man and feared by many. So the stories I know may be skewed somewhat."

Catching a glimps of Ahkhash, he nods to him and mouths: "Please, get a drink on me."
Then continues.
"Kadir became lord of Tower of Myst by apparently killing the monstrosity that once dwelled there. Previous to that, no one who ever entered there ever came out alive.
"He is reveared for his great intelligence and power of mind. And it is said that he is many centuries old."


After allowing his words to gradually ascend with a dramatic and ominous tone, Renard stops suddenly, an impish smile plain upon his face, and turns to Tanya and asks, "Now my dear flower, why on earth would we wish to go visit this man?"
Last edited by Renard on Tue Jan 27, 2009 8:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Ahkash »

The dark half-elf said nothing, leaning against the wall behind the table. The name had meant nothing to him, and he was willing to let the others do the work it took to find out what could be known.

He sipped sparingly at his wine, pondering the implications of what the others had said. Dark and evil powers traditionally amassed large amounts of wealth, and wealth was always welcome.

As he thought about his course of action, he could feel his new dagger vibrating slightly in its sheath, as if eager, and he wondered if he had inadvertantly committed himself to more than he realised when he had claimed the eldritch weapon.
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Post by Renard »

<please note that I edited my post above to reflect knowledge that Renard had as a man of his profession. Sorry for the rush on the earlier post.
feel free to react to this....:)>
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Post by Mephiston »

[ooc]
Actually, Renard, you should still go to the barman... you have a PM for your questions... i think you should say what you said after you go to the barman.

Is it ok?
[/ooc]
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Post by Renard »

[ooc] He will, but Renard is curious as to why Tanya has brought him up.. ;) [/ooc]
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Post by Mephiston »

[ooc] very good, go on ;)[/ooc]
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Post by Tänya »

Renard wrote:'Kadir?' ... Renard thinks to hiimself ...
Although his brain may be a little muddled by what he had experienced of late, that name was certianly one not to be missed.

"Before you get up, fair one," he says to Tanya, "I may know a little about our land's foremost psion."
Once Tanya is seated next to Renard once again, he smiles and then continues.

"Now, please keep in mind that there are many stories surrounding the man, some call 'the father of the psionic arts'. As expected, he is a powerful man and feared by many. So the stories I know may be skewed somewhat."

Catching a glimps of Ahkhash, he nods to him and mouths: "Please, get a drink on me."
Then continues.
"Kadir became lord of Tower of Myst by apparently killing the monstrosity that once dwelled there. Previous to that, no one who ever entered there ever came out alive.
"He is reveared for his great intelligence and power of mind. And it is said that he is many centuries old."


After allowing his words to gradually ascend with a dramatic and ominous tone, Renard stops suddenly, an impish smile plain upon his face, and turns to Tanya and asks, "Now my dear flower, why on earth would we wish to go visit this man?"
Tänya looks gratefully at the bard; perhaps he has just saved her hours of talking to strangers for information.

"He was suggested to me in my trance. When I shared my memories with my master via his hawk, he became very worried. Something in particular regarding the Holy Root not being in the temple agitated him. I would prefer...

"...I would prefer to tell you all he shared privately, hodoer. Suffice it to say, I suggested that perhaps we may need to seek out a portal, and he says a psion can help with that. And if there is no portal to detect, he said a psion may know of a way to find what we are looking for. It would at least be a place to begin. He also knew a powerful psion by the name of Kadir Shazar was nearby, and agreed to send him a message, asking if he would grant us audience. If no other means of starting our quest for the Holy Root presents itself, I, at least, am to await a message from my master, informing me of Kadir Shazam's agreement or denial to meet with me...
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Post by Renard »

Druids were certainly a mysterious and wonderous group of people. It was going to be quite an adventure just to ge tto know this one better.
Renard smiled as he listened to her speak (as he almost always did now). Contented, he nodded. "Well, it seems we have a little time on our hands. I suggest we be prepared to stay the night, make preparations for a possible journey to the Tower of Myst, and relax a little."

Looking over at Areal, an idea starts to form in his head. 'Maybe I can help him a little.' he thinks to himself. And ponders upon it a little more.
Excusing himself, Renard goes over to the barkeeper and speaks with him a while, ordering a meal for everyone. After talking a little more with him, the older man with an array of crooked and missing teeth seems to get agitated, but eventually calms a little and pushes back some coins Renard gave to him (apparently for the meal and drinks he spoke of that were going to be on him). Finally, with a shrug, and an audible 'Thank you', Renard returns to the table with a fresh bottle of wine.

"Well, our inkeeper friend is quite wonderful. It seems I cannot pay for anything." Another look over his shoulder at the man, and a nod of 'thank you'.
"He also told me something about Kadir that somewhat confirms other rumors I have heard about him..."
Renard uncorks the bottle and pours for anyone who wishes. Takes a long, slow sip of the vintage, smiles and continues. "Kadir may be a demon of some sort, or has been taken over by a demon."

With another smile and sip, he toasts, "To a safe trip to and from the Tower of Myst."

"Now if there is nothing else w need to discuss, I am going to enjoy a meal, head outside to sing a song before dusk, and then enjoy the comfort of a bed.
"If anyone has any suggestions or anything else they wish to add, may I suggest that unless anything comes up, that we meet here at dawn. I am sure our good lady Tanya will let us know if we have received a reply regarding our invite to see Kadir.
"And if anyone wishes to hear me sing a song a little later, you are most welcome."
And he gives a long glance at Tanya.
Then to Areal, "I would be honoured if you, especially, would come."
~ My feet may not know the way, yet my heart be glad for it. ~
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Post by Tänya »

Tänya settles back and smiles at the bard. It seems he has saved her hours of questioning and listening, and for that alone she was grateful. She definitely intended to take him up on his invitation to hear him sing, but thought...Perhaps I shall return the favor...

"Melamin..." she said with a small inviting smile on her face. "I am still weary, although much better after my trance. I don't think I have it in me to dredge my memory of a tale to share. However," as she pulls the ancient tome out from her backpack, " the first chapter of this book is pretty much legible. Shall I assail you all with the first chapter of The Myths of the Tauren while we enjoy our meal?"
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Post by Thonunian »

Tänya wrote:Suffice it to say, I suggested that perhaps we may need to seek out a portal, and he says a psion can help with that. And if there is no portal to detect, he said a psion may know of a way to find what we are looking for. It would at least be a place to begin.
Thonunian glances up sharply at this.
Renard wrote:"Kadir may be a demon of some sort, or has been taken over by a demon."
Thonunian sighs, then speaks for the first time in a while. "I have some information that we may want to consider.

"Druid, I apologize for this, but while you were unconscious, my ability to see magic revealed something to me about your staff you may not know: It appears to be something akin to a one-way portal. While we cannot travel through it, if we are indeed to go through a portal, carrying it through another portal may have ill effects."

He glances towards the Renard, then adds, "And if this Kadir is indeed a Demon, my sword seems to be enchanted specifically to kill them, so we do not need to worry as much as we normally would."

He gives them all a minute to consider this, then says, "As for the book, it may not have any bearing on what we are doing now, but we may as well listen and see if it can give us any help."
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Post by Tänya »

Thonunian wrote:"I have some information that we may want to consider.

"Druid, I apologize for this, but while you were unconscious, my ability to see magic revealed something to me about your staff you may not know: It appears to be something akin to a one-way portal. While we cannot travel through it, if we are indeed to go through a portal, carrying it through another portal may have ill effects."
Tänya's face took on a slight frown. "I had stated before I would prefer to learn of White Blossom on my own, Thonunian," she started to scold the tall elven warrior [ooc](I assume he has transformed back from the Blood Elf manifestation by now?)[/ooc]. But then her face relaxed and too gave a sideways glance, back towards the bard "However, I have received information on him from unexpected sources, and as this is something I did not know, I will not begrudge the knowledge." She gave him a small nod of appreciation.

"We don't know if we are dealing with a portal in the ancient temple, but if this Kadir Shazar can detect portals, and if White Blossom is, as you say, a one way portal, perhaps precautions against revealing my staff to this psion should be considered. My thanks for the warning."
Thonunian wrote:"As for the book, it may not have any bearing on what we are doing now, but we may as well listen and see if it can give us any help."
Tänya considers this, then shakes her head. "From what I have seen so far, it has no bearing on our quest, but appears to be mostly a love story. I offered to read a little as light entertainment while we supped, that is all. But if you would prefer to ponder heavier thoughts while you eat..." and she starts to return the tome to her backpack...
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Post by Mephiston »

Arael looks to Renard
"it will be a pleasure to listen your song, i'll be with you later"

Balpur anwers to what Tanya proposed before
"oh... i don't know if there is someone else like me... i never meet other goblins since i left my camp...
Oh yes! i'll be happy to see Lastwood! Rumors say that it is wonderful! and i'd like to see the wonderful and ancient trees that dwell in that mystic wood.
Although you could be surprised about how much i already know about Solaris... ihihihih!"
A wide smile spread on his green face.
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Post by Tänya »

Mephiston wrote:Balpur anwers to what Tanya proposed before...
"Oh yes! i'll be happy to see Lastwood! Rumors say that it is wonderful! and i'd like to see the wonderful and ancient trees that dwell in that mystic wood.
Although you could be surprised about how much i already know about Solaris... ihihihih!"
A wide smile spread on his green face.
Tänya regards the smiling goblin with a smile of her own. "You are right, the trees of Lastwood are marvelous to behold. Even should the Elder Council refuse to grant you an audience, it would be my pleasure to share my home with you.

"And I assume you have learned much about Solaris in your travels, which is why I stated we would have much to learn from each other," she continued to smile towards Balpur. "But perhaps you and I can start sharing knowledge with each other as we travel together now, and not just on Solaris either. White Blossom is new to me, as he was a parting gift from my master as I left Lastwood to come here. From what I have seen of your fighting skill with your own staff, I could probably learn a lot in staff fighting from you.

"Will you consent to walk with me and share learning as we journey? If necessary to ride horseback, will you ride on Solana with me? You may find my own knowledge limited, but I would love to hear of your travels and all you have learned, including skill with the staff." Rising from the table, she gives the small goblin a formal bow to formalize her proposition.
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Post by Ahkash »

The half-elf stepped forward suddenly, breaking his habitual silence.

"If that is all for the night, then I think I will retire. I must consider my course, if you are all to journey to the Tower of Mists.

I will meet you here for to break our fast in the morning, and inform you of my decision."

He bowed briefly, then left to ask the way to his room.
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Post by Tänya »

The elven druid watched Ahkash depart with concern reflected in his eyes. He seems indecisive about remaining with us, she thought to herself, but I believe we would be sorely diminished should he depart.

Returning her attention to the ancient tome she had begun to put away, she decided she herself would like to read at least the beginning again, and once again seated herself, with the ancient pages open in front of her...

"In the deep recesses of the past, before everything was finalized and permanently set, the mother of all created a God for a somewhat strange race, the race of the minotaurs, known also by the name of Tauren..." she began.
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