Shadow War campaign In-Game: Chapter 69- Manor of Death

[Strifeter]

Tumble check 1d20+12=18 Success

Tren moves S, S, S (15ft) to N25


Revised move.

[Navarre]

Mordelus looks to you with eyes full of more emotion than you have ever seen from the man. Still, it feels odd that there is no hint of the recognition he normally holds for you.

"Lark and Marcus have been through a Hell on Absynthia as true as any Hell that awaits in the outer realms. They are not so unlike their daughter, in that no sense of morality was ever formed. I would no sooner put them down than I would a wild dog, should I believe that dog could be tamed."

"I have that belief. I have heard her words, Tren. I have seen her dreams. She doesn't need retribution but mercy."

"...visited her so often...I can't...."

"I won't let her die, Tren Moonstride. She can't..."

Another voice is heard from the north end of the room.

"She must."

A yellow-orange lightning bolt flies past you, impacting the sedated form of Lark Moonshadow squarely in her face. Her entire body jerks of its own volition, as a deep burn wound cracks her skin.

Even as her vampiric healing ability causes her body to begin repairing itself, Mordelus rounds on those now behind you.

"Silverleaf?!!? What in the name of Aurora are you doing?!?"

The Elven ranger replies.

"What must be done. This is not retribution, my friend. This is indeed mercy."

"Your heart has been clouded by, yes I will say what you cannot...your love for Lark Moonshadow."

"No soul remains. No crime too great in her still heart. You cannot save one so lost."

"But, were it not for you, we could never have gotten this close. Now, you cannot risk waking her for fear she and her brother will destroy Creation."

"I am sorry it had to be done this way but you were the only one with the power to bring down the wards and overcome their sleeping minds. Don't try to stop us. Please."

As Silverleaf reaches for what seems to be a simple arrow of elven Andiuth wood, Juris bellows at you, Anbar.

"You! Vile monster! You have killed Bronwyn!!"

He starts toward you but again Silverleaf raises his voice.

"Juris! By the godwood of Chrysaria, am I the only one thinking clearly here?!?"

"It's done, man. We finish this now or it doesn't get finished."

Juris's entire body seethes with rage. He levels Valor at you, Anbar, with threatening promise. But then he runs quickly toward the far end of the room as Mordelus's face turns dark, staring at his allies who have betrayed his trust.

Juris Templar moves S, S, S, S, S, S, S, S, S, S, S, S (60ft) to S29


{End of Round 1}

[Navarre]

{Grid and Initiative for Round 2}

[Strifeter]

"Is it true Mordelus. Do you truly love her?"

[Navarre]

Mordelus Arkane does not reply.

The look on his face tells you all you need to know of the truth.

A veritable storm of arrows flies past you faster than your eye can follow. Each and every one is aimed at the heart of Lark Moonshadow.

{Silverleaf Attack 1: 1d20+24+7+5+3+2-2=43. Hit.}
{Silverleaf Attack 2: 1d20+19+7+5+3+2-2=49. Hit.}
{Silverleaf Attack 3: 1d20+14+7+5+3+2-2=35. Hit.}
{Silverleaf Attack 4: 1d20+9+7+5+3+2-2=44. Hit. Threat.}
{Silverleaf Attack 4 Crit Confirm: 1d20+9+7+5+3+2-2=40. Crit Fail.}
{Silverleaf Attack 5: 1d20+24+7+5+3+2-2=45. Hit.}

{Damage: 1d8+5+5+3+1=21, 1d8+5+5+3+1=16, 1d8+5+5+3+1=21, 1d8+5+5+3+1=19, 1d8+5+5+3+1=15. Total Damage: 92 HP}

The lovely young woman spasms and writhes as the wooden arrows strike her squarely in her heart. She does not awaken. Even beneath the Ranger's epic assault something allows her to resist.

"Damn," is all Silverleaf mumbles quietly to himself. Mordelus yells in fury.

"You have broken every oath of friendship, Silverleaf! You and this so-called paragon of honor with you have betrayed me and used me...Why??...I...."

"I swear you'll pay for this! I will make you all pay, gods damn you!!"

The master of magic shakes with a near insane rage you have never dreamed your former master possessed. The man you knew was pensive, focused, and calculating.

The wizard before you literally spits his venom at his former friends; saliva spewing from his quaking lips as he sees Lark Moonsong dying in her sleep at the hands of his closest friends.

[Navarre]

Near Mordelus, Juris Templar takes a single step toward the smoldering bed. Valor rises high, its faint whine like a dirge.

Juris Templar moves SW (5 foot step) to R30


"Aurora forgive us, Mord. You know this has to end."

"These are my children. You can't understand what it is like to love someone so much as I love them."

"If Lilly hadn't hidden them from me maybe it would have been different. I, and you, could have taught them how to love something more than each other and themselves."

"But I failed her, Mord. I failed them. And Bronwyn, sweet goddess bless her soul, was set to follow the only example she knew."

"These strangers speak the truth, I have little doubt. From my own infidelity and flesh has been spawned the very worst of evil; that which is naught but selfish desire without understanding of empathy or compassion."

"I know you think you could save them- Save her. But mine is a far greater failure."

"I take the burden of your attempt from you before you fail as well. This crime against humanity began with me. I will be the one to end it."

Juris Templar steps over his sleeping son, Valor shining in the light of its own energy, before the blade falls in unerring strikes.

{Juris Attack 1: 1d20+25+8+5+1-25=25. Hit.}
{Juris Attack 2: 1d20+20+8+5+1-20=29. Hit.}
{Juris Attack 3: 1d20+15+8+5+1-15=27. Hit.}
{Juris Attack 4: 1d20+10+8+5+1-10=21. Hit.}

{Damage:
Attack 1: 1d10+8+5+2d6+30+25=77
Attack 2: 1d10+8+5+2d6+30+20=74
Attack 3: 1d10+8+5+2d6+30+15=65
Attack 4: 1d10+8+5+2d6+30+10=65
Total Damage: 281 HP}

You watch as Valor overcomes all manor of damage resistance. The Legacy Weapon makes every attempt to sever the head of the Shadow Lord from his body.

The strikes are without fault. Each successive blow lands squarely where the former fell.

Yet, despite an assault that is nearly beyond human comprehension, Marcus Moonshadow survives. He lies still, moaning slightly now, as his rapid regeneration begins a feeble attempt to repair the onslaught of holy damage.

The hand of Juris Templar shakes, as the aging knight's phoenix-helmed head drops to his chest.

"Please forgive me, son."

[Navarre]

Mordelus stands as still as if he were paralyzed. He stares at nothing, his gaze looking into a distant void.

When he speaks to you, his voice is a small and flat thing, devoid of emotion as he struggles to hold onto any measure of his own honor or sanity.

"Tren Moonstride, you say you have seen the future. Give me one reason...only one will do...why I should not awaken Lark and Marcus right now and let this all end."

{Anbar, you hear this as well (in case you were going to ask).}

[Strifeter]

Tren looks at the chaos around him.

"Mordelus in the last few days I have seen destruction, I have seen death and I have seen hope. All of these were caused not by the two people in bed but that young girl who was slain by someone I once considered an ally. I feel as betrayed as you do as I thought the people I traveled with were above killing children... I was wrong."

Tren looks to Mordelus.

"Those two people in bed are capable of everything that young girl was. Perhaps not everything but they are close to the same power. If you were to awake them now to find their daughter slain what do you think would happen? I know that no destruction or death I would cause after finding such a thing would after satisfy and I believe the world would be sent into the same hell that happened when in my future Bronwyn found her parents slain by the hand of her grandfather."

"My plan had been to leave Bronwyn and Marcus alive and kill Lark myself. Which happened in my future only that Lark had been killed by Templar. I was to kill Lark myself taking the blame for the evil and hopefully leaving Bronwyn's mind intact and focus their destruction towards an outward source. Me. Unfortunately Anbar, in his heroic stupidity, decided to kill both Canus and Bronwyn and now that plan is useless. I cannot prevent the pain and destruction that will happen if you were to wake them up. Of course I cannot tell you to not anymore as I know the feeling of betrayal. Mordelus I stood beside you once before and I now realize you are the one person I will always stand beside."

Tren draws his rapier and small sheild and prepares to defend his former master.

[Navarre]

Mordelus takes what seem like an unwisely long moment to consider you, Tren. Yet even his fellow Legends give pause to what is surely the most powerful master of magic to have ever lived in any known universe.

He looks at Lark, Marcus, and their slain child; Canus lying slumped over her. He allows his eyes to drift over Anbar and his bear, Silverleaf, and his best friend, Juris Templar. Finally, he turns back to you.

"I see that, in this moment, I hold as much power as the Shadow Lord or even your description of the Ravager. All I need do is dismiss Catatonic Dream and the Moonshadows will lay waste to this universe."

"I want that. ... Primordial help me, but I do."

"If it is true, as you say, that I am your teacher in some future unknown, then I hope I taught you to never make a decision from a place of emotional need. I must think...about everything."

He looks at Silverleaf and, especially, Juris.

"I have dragged myself out of my own childhood hell in Weirholme on the faith that I could be more than what I was believed to be. I only wanted to give your family that same chance, Juris."

"But we have become the monsters in this tale, as we use our power to dictate our whims on Absynthia. Perhaps that is all there is."

"No faith. No right or wrong. Only who holds the power. I must ponder this."

"I know for a certainty what the Shadow Lord will do if he awakens. Even I cannot undo this tragedy."

"But I will be damned if I let Lark suffer the cost of my failure. I will save her, Juris. And it won't be for the world or myself and it sure as Hell won't be for you. I will save her because I can."

Mordelus steps to the edge of the broken and charred remains of the bed. He gently takes Lark Moonsong by her bare calves and slides her into his reach.

Mordelus Arkane moves SW (5 foot step) to P29


Lark's unconscious body slips over her brother and lover. The Shadow Lord's head lolls at an obscene angle, nearly decapitated.

But the magnitude of obscenities created in this room is vast. Only those present can understand that and each must determine the reason behind that for themselves, if indeed reason has any place in this.

Mordelus pulls Lark into his arms. The andiuth arrows protrude from her chest like small flags. He looks at you, Tren.

"I am leaving. I offer you the chance to come with me, you who are apparently my only ally. I can't tell you where that road will lead, only that I will travel it as I see fit."

"Stay here or attend me. The choice is yours."

[sab39]

"Wait."

If I cannot prevent you taking her then at least you must hear what I know of how she may be helped. I confess I am not sure whether this universe follows the same laws as mine. But in my world the only way a Vampyr can be cured is to find her soul that was taken at the time she was originally turned and restore it to her body. Those with the power to do so are known as Deadwakers. I know of one in the future from which we come, but that future may not exist. I have not heard of one in this world. But - if her spirit has already passed to its final resting place, there is no hope for her. And since it has been years since the death of her soul, that is quite likely.

If that is so, then is not Lark you are presently trying to save, Mordelus. What you are holding is the thing that killed her.

[Navarre]

Mordelus considers your words.

"I cannot dispute anything you say. The vampires have long beset Weirholme and even the Shadow Lord underestimated them."

"I know the person I hold is a result of that. But I have seen her dreams. Vampire do still dream, did you know?"

"I believe dreams are hopes made manifest in the mind and I have to believe that comes from something more than a soulless self."

"Perhaps you are correct. I will heed your words of caution. But perhaps you will understand that I have to try, even if others do not," he says, glaring at the other Legends.

[Strifeter]

"You forget Anbar that I know who has taught the deadwakers and that I know where he rests. If such a thing is required then I know what must be done. Now child killer do you have any other reason for us not to leave."

Tren looks to Mordelus.

"I will indeed join you but as the future now has changed I do not know how long I will be around."

[Navarre]

Mordelus nods.

"Even whatever all-powerful mind created all of this may not know what the future yet holds for any of us. I welcome you on my journey though, wherever it leads."

He allows you to move to his side as he waits to see if Anbar has any further words.

[sab39]

"Perhaps you are correct. I will heed your words of caution. But perhaps you will understand that I have to try, even if others do not,"[/color][/i] he says, glaring at the other Legends.

"I do not."

I believe you are making a foolish decision and chasing a vain hope for reasons that do not bear scrutiny. However, since I cannot stop you chasing that hope, and nor apparently can anyone else here, I would rather see you succeed than suffer the consequences of your failure.

[Navarre]

Mordelus winces a little.

"We are all fools in our own way."

"If either of you have any parting words, say them now. It is as likely as not we will never see each other again."