The Slumber

[Andimia]

Amithranial shook her head and looked up at Armis. "No, I didn't see nor hear anybody else. It was oddly silent, you expect in cities to at least hear mice and rats scurrying about, but not even that could be heard." Then the quake hit, Amith braced herself against the walls. She saw the ceiling break away above Moraten but could not react quick enough, but the plain man did, his form melting into that of a horrid lich upon his use of power. Perhaps it would have been best if I had stayed outside. Amith cursed under her breath, he had them all for the moment with the information he claimed to possess about the one Moraten was protecting. Amith stood, her hand ready to grab for a sword, or chunk of debris, anything to take the creature out. She thought back to the mage Atron's expiriments and teachings while she was his prisioner. She could remember nothing of the weaknesses of liches...

[The_Warlock]

As the shadows began to move towards him, Mord stepped back and viewed the coming darkness through magical orbs.  It had been a long time since he had his own eyes in his sockets. He had in fact changed them several times in the past couple of centries.  At home in the shadows, Mord's first impulse was to leech strength from the oncoming dark magics.  But he paused.  To use a spell of that nature to steal even the slightest bit of Mortagen's magical energies would make him an even bigger enemy.  That was the last thing he needed.  With great reluctance, he pushed back the great urge......the man had great power.  What a lich he would make.....  Mord let the thought drop...for the moment.  "I do...apologize...for the slaves I summoned earlier....but you must understand...I had to test your worth.  Should you have fallen to such lower beings...you would be lucky to die so easily.  For if I am right...a death at the hands of such slaves would of been welcome compared to what we all might be facing.  Make no mistake...(he looked at Rose)....whatever you came to this city for....is irrelevant.  There are forces at work here....forces both good and evil.  The evil, will not let any of us escape this city with our....souls...intact.  To run or ignore that fact is to choose death and an eternity of suffering at the hands of a former friend of mine....a Lich named Sindrachh."  Mord went on to explain all that had happened up to the point of his escape from the dungeons of the mage tower.  He figured it was more important that the group had no illusions of what they were up against.  "According to the ancient texts....the earth will quake in the coming of the blackest of guards....the wailing of the undead personal guards of the black arch mage will be heralded through the land itself.....(he paused as the sky darkened and seemed to be looking some place distant).....we will not see daylight again until this is done.  We must stop Sindrachh before he manages to release the rest of the abominations....I only know of the first couple...Aside from them, I know they must be released in a certain order....the quakes and wailing mean the undead personal guard of the mage have been released into the city.  They are the first.  We must be even more cautious than before.  They know we are here and will search for us until we are found. (he looked at them with an expression of grave concern)  To be killed by one of their foul blades is to join their ranks...it is the way of things and even I can't reverse that should one of you fall to them.  The shapeshifter is a minion of the lich Sindrachh.  You can bet he knows the make-up of this group now...how in depth depends on how long it observed us from the shadows before attempting to join us.  The girl leaving created it's first opening or I fear it would have tried infiltrating us earlier." he paused to look around and see how everyone was taking the new information, then proceeded.  "Now, I have set the stage....you know as much as I do about what we face....you know if we do nothing...more cities will fall like this one....if the dark one is set free on this world..he will continue where he left off!  I do not pretend to be good....or to care what happens to the cities of men, elves, dwarves and others....but...even I see the end for us all if nothing is done...here and now!  So, I say, set aside our differences...our hatreds and dislikes....and work towards this one common goal.  As I said earlier...the choice has already been taken from us...but, you all must make up your own minds."  Looking towards Mort, the lich simply says...."I do not know all that the lich has in store for your female friend....but...she must have royalty in her blood.....old blood.....blood needed to help set the black heart free again!  For your mind to be placed a bit more at ease...know that she still lives...for how long, even I cannot tell.  Now, if there are any other questions or immediate concerns please feel free to ask me what you will.  We must all decide what we will do next!"  Again, Mord pauses to see what each member will decide to do.         

[Ria Hawk]

Moraten glowered at the lich, the shadows finally starting to dissipate.  "Know this.  I don't care who you are, or what quarrel you have with this monster.  All I want is my companions back.  You said that he needed royal blood for this... ritual.  Is this any royal blood, or royal blood of a specific clan?  For there are two of my companions here in this city.  My Saja... and our charge, Princess Althista.  I know we will most likely find them together.  I do not know which one will be more in need of rescue, and that is something vitally important that I should know."  He finally stepped back.  "As for the rest... the only thing that interests me is any knowledge that would make it easier to kill anything between myself and my ladies."

[TheSnakeRoselynAlexandra]

She smiled softly as she shacks her head. “ You and Xiphi should know that I was not sleeping at all. Only biding time. Waiting to see just who was what.” She inclined her head to the lich so then he could get her full meaning. It was nice to be close to this man for he seamed to be the only one who she might trust. Then again she trusted no one and nothing. What she came to the city was not irrelevant by any means for it was all standing before her. She was charged to find out what was happening and to try to stop it. An the lich explained what was going to happen. Now it was only action that needed to be taken. That along with that whip she had heard about. “I was coming for a whip. But not just any kind of a whip. A whip that went it lashed out into the air it could cut into time. If this thing has it then all he has to do is go back into the past and start this all over again. It is still important that we find it and stop others for using it for personal means.”  She looked onto the lich saying nothing more of if she was joining with them or going her own way. She was not going to show them all the things she could do. It would be better if she kipped to herself and reviled very little.  She did not like the look of the lich and she never did even in his other form. Brushing strands of jet-black hair away from her face as she watched the others. Just what would they have to say about his story. Would the think it fact and join up with him. Or would they turn there backs upon him and go there on way.

(( Ooc: guys I'm going to be gone for three days so just say my charas follows you guys and don't hurt her or anything please? she would not be saying  much for she wants to just keep to herself.Thanks!))

[Arminas]

As was fairly usual at this point, the golem stood in the corner, mostly silent. Everything had suddenly gotten far more complicated. They had already determined that what they sought was not here - Acer would not be able to restore his sister in this town. Of course... there was always a chance that this powerful being whom the lich spoke of would have some artifact, some means of giving his sister a body again. There was, in fact, a good chance... it might not be quite the same as her last body, but if he could somehow morph the sword... they were, after all, both made of a sort of liquid metal, even Xiphi, at the core. Of course a sword with a liquid metal blade was not much use. Who she was, however, was in the form of that semifluid core, as was his - he simply had a different shell. Acer wondered, though... all these things that the others spoke of...

"I shall stay with you, then. There is a slim chance I may find what I am looking for during this... quest. And I hold no grudge against you for the summoning of the undead, I simply brought up that there might be easier ways. I do, however, understand the need to test those who you plan on... enlisting. I have some suggestions, however."

He looked around at the others for a moment before he continued.

"We should find a way to ensure that no one is impersonated by the shapeshifter. I doubt it is capable of copying abilities or memories, so perhaps a phrase or something of the like would be effective, since it apparently can copy mannerisms quite well, and I would not like to place my faith in the belief that it can not copy weapons either, even one such as Xiphi. Also, we should be very careful with these dark guardians - it would be difficult if not impossible for myself to be turned as the lich describes, so perhaps you would like me to take point? Just a thought..."

[Ria Hawk]

Moraten started pacing.  "Do as you wish amongst yourselves; they will not decieve me like that again, and will regret trying."

[The_Warlock]

((OOC:  Sorry I haven't continued where I left off...real life has once again interfered and I will absent for the most part from the forums for a week or so.  If someone wants to pick up the ball and roll with it please do so.  Just drag along my Lich and I will be back.  Sorry all.))

[TheSnakeRoselynAlexandra]

((Ooc: I have not a clue what to do with this story. Sorry guys I did try! ))