A Dawn of war (RPG Forum)

[Sir William S Titan]

I follow Vlad, going after Muerrick. The dagger is also of concern to me. Them being in the same spot isn't an ideal situation. Once I can see the dagger, I begin casting Grease upon it. Afterwards, I continue following Vlad.

[winterfate]

I get up and shout to Dhalia...as I aim with my bow:

"No, you don't! You can't have her!"

I shoot an arrow at one of Dhalia's many spider legs, trying to throw her off balance.

[Omega_Destroyer]

Muerrick quickly snatches up the dagger before Vlad and Blake get to him. "Ah, ah, ah. Dhalia's toy!" he says as the blade waves back and forth, pointing at the two. The handle of the dagger becomes greasy as Blake spell triggers. Muerrick fumbles around as it begins to slip out of his hand.

"Sorry. This isn't yours!" he snorts as holds out part of his cloak to catch the dagger. As it lands, he clutches his hand around the cloth and brings it behind his back.

"Looky, looky!" he announces as another dagger lands in front of Vlad and Blake. As the two look down at it, a bright flash bursts out, giving Muerrick enough time to sprint past the two.

"MUERRICK! GIVE ME THE DAGGER!!!" Dhalia commands as she breaks away from the fight towards Muerrick.

A giant, ethereal hand lashes out and starts to ensnare the avatar. Dhalia turns her head at the mageling, rage frothing at her mouth.

"URGGHHH!!!! YOU DARE-" she struggles against the might of the spell, causing the fingers to strain harder. A leg breaks free and begins to weave as eldritch energies prepare to kill Ceres. "DIE MAG-ARGGHHH!!!!"

A great bellow rings through the mound as an arrow pierces the spider leg, ripping the tip in half.

"MALE!!! HURRY!!!" Screams Dhalia in rage.

Muerrick sprints to his queen, dodging dusty piles of bone and tomb alike with amazing agility. Within two seconds, he is by her side.

Dhalia gathers her strength and forces the Hand to fly off, causing it to fizzile out. As she stands, she quickly orders Muerrick. "GIVE ME THE DAGGER!!!"

"Yes Mistress" Muerrick says coldy. He starts to hand the blade to the delighted avatar when he quickly grabs her right arm with his left hand.

"Here, take it!"

The dagger jets out of the right side of his cloak, flying straight into the neck of Dhalia. Azure swirls begin to flow into the dagger as Dhalia's essence begins to be absorbed. Dhalia drops to her knees, desperately grasping at Muerrick to stop him, but finding no energy to do so.

Muerrick smiles in triumph at the display. Dhalia's weakend eyes meet his expression and widen as his skin begins to peel off, revealing a lanky human being.

"Want another?" the figure asks. "I have plenty of other daggers that I think you would like."

He draws back his cloak, revealing hundreds of small daggers on the insides. Quickly and violently, he pulls out dagger after dagger, stabbing the ruined priestess dozens of times. The assault causes Dhalia's power to fade even faster and slowly she reverts to her original form.

"How's it feel? To be defeated not only by a human, but a male human" gloats the imposter Drow. Dhalia opens her mouth to respond, but a leather boot kicks her right in the mouth, knocking her to the ground.

"I was not finished yet. You see? That's what I hate about the Drow. They always think they are so superior to humans and that males are weak. I bet this bit of irony is pretty hard for you to swallow isn't it."

"Well done, Jack" compliments Moon. "This alliance proved to be most beneficial." The goddess watches on as the energies flow out of Dhalia and begins to walk towards her. She kneels over her nemesis's body and lays a hand on her forehead.

"Poor, pathetic Dhalia. Too bad you never realized the power of Lloth was no match for the power of Mask and me." Dhalia squirms at the words. "Don't worry, you won't have to suffer for much longer" Moon goads. "See? Your former apprentice is prepared to end your humiliation as we speak. Bye-bye."

Moon rips out the dagger stuck in Dhalia's throat, stands up, and walks back as Ceres's disintegration spell strikes the priestess, turning her body into a pile of ash.

"That'll teach you to defy me" Moon says cooly.

"And then there were five" Jack says with a smile.

[winterfate]

I look at the sequence of events in awe, and then rush to Moon's side.

"I assume we can safely call this the end of Dhalia, right?"

[Elvin]

"I'd assume so. Seemed pretty close for a moment, still trying to figure out what happened!" Elvin says with a smile.

[winterfate]

"It would seem that Ceres struck Dhalia first...Dhalia tried to retaliate; my arrow took care of that...and lastly, but most importantly, we have him to thank as well."

I point at Jack and grin.

[Vlad976]

I just stand there rather dumbfounded by what just took place. I finally pipe up, "What the *expletive* just happened?*

[winterfate]

I look at Vlad, smile and repeat what I said to Elvin.

I then decide to ask Moon:

"Who is he? *pointing at Jack*"

[Vlad976]

"Yeah. That uh... that cleared up everything. Completely. Crystal. Yup."

And after a long pause, "I need to get liquored up..."

[Ceres]

I look at the ashes of my former Mistress from my position. I feel a little bit sad for her loss but quite happy that she won't harm us anymore. Still, I do not feel any hate towards her for not trusting me and for trying to kill me several times, and also I was not thought so.

Moon and the Mask catches my sight. What have they done saves me and the group from another near death situation. But still, I cannot look straight on the goddess eyes. My conscience is killing me. While I found the the Mask very intriguing, I do not have the guts to question him. I've been with him for some time and even had a conversation with him. But still I leave it for the others to ask. All I want now is to rest, though I do not know if I can.

I look up in the sky and smile lightly then closed my eyes and asks myself, "Is this the end?"

[Sir William S Titan]

"Well done, on that spell, Ma'am."

I say as I walk up behind Ceres, giving her a pat on the back. After that, I head over towards Jack.

"So, you're helping us then... Jack, did I hear? Well, since you're with us, I'm glad I only greased that dagger. I had other things in mind to do to you instead."

[Ceres]

"Huh..." the wizard's pat on my back releases me from my deep thoughts.

I look behind to see him but as I scan the area I notice Onyx down on the ground and rush onto him. I kneel down on his side to check on him closer.

"Onyx, are you ok?" I ask him, "Can you move?"

[winterfate]

I look at Ceres and then at Onyx and shake my head. I move over to their side while muttering:

"I'll never understand women and their intentions."

I start chanting Cure Moderate Wounds with Onyx as my target.

[Sir William S Titan]

I, not waiting for any reply from Jack, turn to the others.

"There was a man and a woman; friends of yours, I would guess. They are fighting some undead creature. They might need some assistance. Then again, they might not. In either case, I'm going to check."

I head off back towards where I was sent flying from.

[Vlad976]

"Oh, right. I forgot. We're only half done here..." I trail off with some obscenity-filled mumbling.

[Ceres]

"Thank you," I utter as I look up at winterfate then I glance once more back at Onyx, "I guess he's fine now."

I smile lightly at him. I stand up immediately as I heard Blake talk about Omega and Topaz then followed him.

[winterfate]

I nod silently at Ceres as I return to Moon's side.

[The Mad Dragon]

"So, whats next?"

[Omega_Destroyer]

"Do not worry good ranger" Jack says to Fate as he pulls out a dagger and plunges it lightly into Dhalia's head. The blade stands alone for a few moments before Jack's boot stomps on it, driving the edge through the priestess skull. "She is most certainly dead."

Saphire just cringes as she watches the display.

"A little excessive don't you think?" asks Moon of her partner.

"You're one to talk about excessive" replies Jack.

Onyx stands up, a little dazed, but in good condition due to the healing spells cast upon him. "So this is why you had me forge such a weapon. You could have at least filled me in on your plan" he says angrily to Moon.

"The fewer people who knew of the plan, the better. It's not like it was an easy plan to pull off" the goddess replies calmly. "Just be thankful that it worked out ok."

"Yes, yes. You mind actually telling us what your plan was?" asks Jade impatiently as she wipes the tip of her spear off on the clothes of a dead drow. AND who are you?" she points to Jack.

"I'm Jack of Blades" the man bows in regal fashion. "Leader of the Shadow Thieves. Moon and I met when we both discovered the Drow were growing to be... problematic."

"Wait, how on earth did you ever have time to contact him?" Jade interrupts.

Jack looks smug as he prepares to field the question. "I have eyes and ears everywhere. It was quite serendipitious a little bird sought my help." Jack waits for everything to set in. "Moon proposed an alliance and asked us to help inflitrate the Drow in order to get close to Dhalia. Being the best thief in the realm, I personally infiltrated her ranks and thanks to Mask, remained undetected. I was also to keep an eye on the young mageling" he gestures to Ceres. "I was completely sure what Moon had in mind, but when I discovered the new recruit had a magical dagger with her, I figured it out."

"And poor Dhalia never realized that the dagger itself was an extension of my power. It couldn't drain my essence because it is part of my essence." Moon raises the dagger, which begins to glow brightly. Whisps of aqua energies peel off the blade, being sucked up by Moon's arm. In seconds, the dagger disappears as its essence returns to Moon. "While a fool, she did have power, which I will put to far better use than she did."

"All that for a petty fued?" asks Sun bitterly. "What about everybody who died? What about Brock?!"

"And what about all the pain and suffering you caused, Highlord?!" Moon quips. The retort cuts deep; Sun is visibly shook by the comment. She retreats off to the corner.

Jack pulls out a small orb, gazes into it for a few moments, and begins to head towards the exit of the mound. "While I do enjoy a good cat fight, I must bid you adieu. Things do not seem to be faring well against the Flayers. Oh, and you may want to go outside yourself. There's something you'll want to see" he says crytpically as he disappears.

Onyx turns to address Dragon's question as he follows Jack's lead. "We pick up where we left off."

==============================================

The heroes are overcome with a sense of dread as the exit the mound. Something feels horribly wrong. As sun rays guide the heroes closer to the egress, silence greets their ears. No clanking of swords, no chanting of arcane power, no shuffling of feet. There is nothing except quiet.

"Maybe the Drow and the others stopped the undead, and fled when Dhalia died?" asks Saphire optimistically, trying to disguise the worry in her voice.

"Nothing in life is ever that simple, bard. They probably all killed eachother" Onyx blurts.

The sheer tactlessness of the rune master does little to lighten the mood as the heroes find themselves out of the mound. Saphire gasps as she stares straight ahead.

A stone garden, filled with lifeless statutes, stands on the battlefield. Frozen figures in all sorts of twisted poses welcome the group to the finale. In the middle of it all, three black statues draw the attention of the heroes. Two warriors, a man and a woman, have locked weapons with a large man carrying a scythe. All that remains of their battle is black stone.

"And then there were five" Onyx mutters cryptically.