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Chapter Three
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DeadManWalking



Joined: 24 May 2006
Posts: 1005

Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2008 11:41 am    Post subject:  

Here we go for Part III. It's a bit long, but i couldn't think of a good place to start.

Chap 3

We strode from the hall through one of the smaller side doors in the darkness. It led to a shabbier corridor, the walls rough stone, lit by torches in clawed brackets that did seemed to outline the darkness more than drive it back. Doors periodically broke the monotony of the unpolished stone.

The staff DuskTreader carried made a clicking sound every time it hit the floor.

She arrived at a door made of dark wood, a sign painted on in a glowing white. It was a staff, a painting of the one DuskTreader held in her hand.

“Zoaud!” She shouted, and a dark man opened one of the doors behind us and stepped out.

“Yes Mistress?”

His hair was cut short, and his skin gleamed as sweat trickled down his forehead. His smile seemed frozen, and his eyes peered anxiously at DuskTreader. He would have been a handsome man, if not for the fact he was missing the tip of his nose, and the ropy scar that stretched from his forehead to his neck, leaving a ghastly ridge along his right cheek.

Fear rolled off him in waves, so thick I could swear I was smelling it.

“Find NightStalker and tell him that the newest of the ShadowSworn awaits the pleasure of his company. The Hunted will be meeting him in my rooms.”

Zoaud’s face grew even more frozen if possible, and the fear became almost visible. His eyes gave a frightened flicker in my direction, but he bowed deeply to DuskTreader, mumbling affirmations, before hurrying off down the corridor we had come from.

As he vanished around the corner, I decided it was the time to get some questions answered. I spoke hesitantly.

“I have several questions, umm… Dusktreader ma’am. If you would allow me to ask…?”

DuskTreader turned to me haughtily, pausing before replying.

“If you wish, you may ask. First of all, however, I feel I must inform you that you have been chosen to join the ranks of the ShadowSworn. By virtue of this, your rank is higher than mine, and thus you may simply address me as DuskTreader. Thus, I would have to answer any questions you wish to ask.”

A higher rank than her? Than why in hell was I the one following her around?

A smaller voice in the back of my head called common sense, long forgotten in these parts, whispered Because she’s the only one who knows where we’re going?

I really, really hate my sense of humor.

I pondered which question to ask first, but before long one leapt from the tip of my tongue.

“What the hell is going on?”

It seemed like a good place to start.

“You have joined the ranks of the ShadowSworn. You have been given the assignment of destroying the Amaranth, an eastern sorceress currently in opposition to our Lord. I have been assigned to assist. We will be requesting travel aid from the NightBringer NightStalker, hopefully all the way to the border of the Amaranth’s lands. From there, we will ride to the capital, and hopefully join the Amaranth’s ranks. Since she is a known ridiculer of prophecy, she likely will allow you to join her ranks simply to show that she has no fear of destiny, which will possibly allow you the opportunity to kill her.”

Several things stood out as horribly ridiculously wrong to me. First of all, why was I one of the ShadowSworn? The Dark Lord or whatever had mentioned a prophecy that said I would kill the Amaranth, but I didn’t have any powers. Except for the ones he gave me, I guess. But I didn’t even know how to use them, or what they were. Secondly, if the Amaranth knows of this prophecy, and knows of my arrival, then why would I get the chance to get close to her? That part made no sense at all to me. And thirdly, the NightBringer NightStalker?

Since the first two questions sounded suspiciously like questioning higher authority, something I try not to do when higher authority has the power to lift me in the air with a wave of a magic staff, I settled for the third question.

“What are the NightBringers? Who is NightStalker? And what exactly is a ShadowSworn?”

“The NightBringers are generals of the Dark Lord, men and women who wield fractions of his power in battle and lead his armies. NightStalker is one of these, as am I. We both swore to serve in exchange for some of his power. Where the NightBringers are powerful, however, the ShadowSworn are more so. The original seven ShadowSworn were sorcerers and conquerers, some of them so long creatures of magic that they became magical creatures themselves. They opposed the Dark Lord at the start of his empire, and, when they were defeated, he took them to be the most powerful of his servants. They too wield armies, and are his greatest weapons. And while the NightBringers have some ability, augmented by the Dark Lord’s own power, several of the original ShadowSworns’ powers nearly equaled his own. Of those original, however, only four are left, mostly due to the machinations of the Amaranth.”

Suddenly, something hit the back of my head, knocking my head forward.

“She’s explaining that basic stuff to you? Where’d you come from, the bottom of a beer barrel? Geez, if you don’t know this stuff, you’re not gonna last long ‘round here.”

I turned to see a short man with black hair, with long slender fingers that never stood still and eyes that danced to their own separate tune. He had a smiling mouth, the kind that expresses exhilaration and a full appreciation of life.

His dancing eyes turned to DuskTreader as he strode in front of me, after a single look and a quiet dismissal of what he saw.

“So where’s the new big shot? I got your message. Zoaud should be along shortly.”

He jerked a thumb towards the door.

“He in there? Really? Five minutes after getting sworn in and he gets to see your room? I’ve been working you for what, four years now, and I’ve never got an invitation.”

The DuskTreader replied curtly.

“He’s right behind you.”

I didn’t see his face at that moment, but I imagine it was quite a sight.

He whirled around, turning the frantic twirl into an elaborate bow, somehow ending up looking as if it had been his intention since the beginning.

He looked back up, a smile still on his face, but with sheepish tinge this time.

“My apologies, ShadowSworn. I did not realize….”

The DuskTreader opened the door and motioned for us to enter.

NightStalker waited for me to enter first.

I stepped into the room, filled with flickering candlelight. A bed stood to my left, away from a window that looked out into the sunlight. A table stood between me and the bed, covered with candles which lit up most of the room, except for the farthest corner from me.

I heard the NightStalker speak.

“You sure you want me in there? I only need to visit a place once….”

She replied in tones so icy I could almost hear the air freezing into frozen strands.

“There are darknesses in here that even you would not want to appear in.”

I caught movement from the corner of my eye, and looked closer at the shadow in the corner. It was filled with whirling night, strands of ebon darkness that could hold the strongest immobile, things that fell like ancient waterfalls and others that rose like the mists from a graveyard, things that strained against the candlelight that blocked it into its corner.

I suppressed a shudder.

I settled against a wall next to the dark corner, making sure to keep a healthy swathe of light between it and me. I looked away from it, at DuskTreader and NightStalker.

“We need to get to Ixia as fast as possible.”

NightStalker looked surprised, the dancing eyes pausing in their merrymaking as he turned to DuskTreader.

“No way I’m going to Ixia. I’ve never been there before, for one, so I can’t bring you there, but if I could I wouldn’t. The Amaranth and her lot would be all over me before I could get out again.”

He turned desperate eyes in my direction.

“Sir, even if I did get to Ixia, it wouldn’t do any good. The best I could do would be up to the borders of the Amaranth’s realms; I just got back from one of the PoxBringer’s war camps and it’d be about two-thirds of the way. It’d cut off a couple weeks from your travel time.”

The Amaranth scared him that much? He was almost wetting his pants at the idea of going straight to Ixia.

“That will be sufficient,” DuskTreader said.

He looked relieved.

“But we will need to leave now.”

He looked less relieved, hesitated, glanced at me, and nodded.

The DuskTreader turned to me.

“We can get everything we need at the PoxBringer’s camp.”

The DuskTreader gathered her staff and twitched her robe into place, before standing up next to me.

She turned to her fellow ShadowSworn.

He nodded, and stepped over, closing his eyes.

We… stretched, I guess would be the word. It felt like the part of me that was me was elongated, becoming thinner and more strained the longer it got. It didn’t hurt, it was just… strained. Then suddenly the candlelit room was a grassy field filled with tents, and we stood in the shadow of a large tree.

“Do you two need me to bring you back?”

DuskTreader replied, before I could.

“No, we should be fine.”

“Ok, I’ll just be off then,” he gave a cheeky grin, the eyes again dancing, and he gave a salute to her and a bow to me.

“See you later then.”

He seemed about to leave, when a messenger in green livery came up. He had a symbol on his tunic, over his heard. It was a teardrop, in a ghastly green color that seemed to glow sickeningly.

“NightStalker! Marid requests your assistance!”

NightStalker’s eyes brightened and he stopped in the middle of a sweeping gesture.

“Ah! Ralin! Just the man I wanted to see! Have you met the DuskTreader before?”

Ralin bowed. DuskTreader simply nodded.

“I believe we met once briefly.”

“And have you met our newest ShadowSworn, the Hunted?”

Ralin started to bow, then did a double-take.

I’m surprised NightStalker didn’t laugh out loud. As it was, his eyes started an Irish Jig.

“I don’t believe I have had the honor. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Ralindara ti’ Nishaya Al’Dakour. I am currently the third highest ranking member of the PoxBringer’s armies, and the commander of the Surgical Corp.”

I wasn’t quite sure what to say, so I nodded. It seemed to suffice.

Ralin began speaking again, this time addressing me.

“Marid di’ Narama, the commander of the PoxBringer’s army, would like to request your presence. We are currently facing a large section of the Amaranth’s forces, and he would appreciate any assistance you could render.”

NightStalker answered before I could.

“So translated from polite-speak, Marid is up to his neck in a shit-filled swamp, the waters are rising higher, and the PoxBringer’s too crazy to try bailing him out. So he wants us to knock some sense into ol’ Stinkbreath, and hopefully kill a coupla bad guys as well.”

“Your analytical skills remain as developed as ever, NightStalker, though your tact still lacks a certain something.”

“Heh. Don’t worry. We’ll help out. With two ShadowSworn and two NightBringers, how can we lose?”

Ralin nodded his thanks, before rushing back to one of the tents pitched in the area.

We started to follow, then DuskTreader grabbed NightStalker’s shoulder and hissed.

“We are not supposed to be noticed! If we fight in this battle, we will be seen. Why must you always give into your childlike lunacy!?”

“Relax. It’ll be fun! You need to learn to loosen up, And besides, you might not even have to fight. Marid’s always so pessimistic.”

“You better hope he’s just being overly careful. If you ruin our mission and I somehow don’t kill you, you’ll wish neither event had happened, as the Dark Lord will undoubtedly be right on my heels.”

“Don’t worry; You’ll be fine.”

DuskTreader strode ahead, her eyes angry, entering the tent.

I entered after.

Crouched over a table, on which stood a carving of what I took to be the surrounding area, complete with little hills and forests, stood a giant of a man.

Seven feet tall, dressed in dark armor with a broadsword strapped to his back, he radiated an air of impatient menace, like a starving lion eyeing its prey’s throat.

He spoke without turning. “NightStalker. I need your help here.”

Ralin, at his side, looking like a housecat next to a caged tiger, coughed.

Marid turned, and caught sight of the three of us.

“Who the hell are you two?” he snarled.

“Allow me to present the Hunted, the newest Shadow Sworn, and the NightBringer DuskTreader, as well as NightStalker as you asked. We are quite fortunate that we now have three such favored persons to aid us.”

“Oh.”

He looked both of us up and down, then grunted. Turning to the table again, he started speaking, his finger pointing at various places on the map.

“The Amaranth’s forces are here, camped inside this forest. They currently have about five times men as we do. However, we are relatively certain they do not have any sorcerers or magic users. We are currently in this plain here. They know exactly where we are, and for the last six hours have been assembling troops. They have made no effort to conceal their movements, confident in their numbers. We believe they recognize us as the PoxBringer’s Legion, but don’t seem to know that the PoxBringer is, in fact, here.

“What I plan to do is make our stand here, in the crevice behind us. We have more cavalry than they do, and we can move faster. If we move fast enough to keep ahead, but slow enough they can see us, we may be able to lure them into this pass. Here, we can cross through, leaving a screen of infantry, at the entrance of the crevice, to buy time for us to get all the way through. Another possibility is to have the PoxBringer and you three hold them off. However, the PoxBringer has not agreed to this plan yet, despite it being our best option. If we manage to get through the crevice, we can hold them off for a while, with archers and more infantry, while the cavalry splits in half and circles around to the South and North. Since they’ll be restricted by the width of the canyon and we won’t, since we’ll have crossed through already, the cavalry should have time to get behind them and hit their rear with a pincer movement. Hopefully, that’ll cause most of them to break. If we use the northern group to harass fleeing soldiers and the southern group to plug the other end of the canyon, we could prob-“

“No…”

A hoarse, angry whisper cut through the air, reminiscent of a snake, as it slithered through the air and encircled Marid’s voice, choking it..

I turned, to see….

He… it, was covered by a tattered black robe, hunched over in a sinister stoop. All but his eyes were covered by the dark cloth, despite the frayed edges. A smell of rotting flesh filled the air around him. And those eyes bore into the very souls of those who saw them. The eyes were a glowing green, a fluorescent color that made me feel sick. Those eyes were tinged with madness, the eyes of a man whose sole claim to sanity was the fact that he wasn’t currently throwing himself off the nearest cliff. A hidden mouth spoke.

“They must be shown the true strength of the Dark Lord! We do not scurry and cower like mice. We are the bull. We will fight them on the plains and we will teach them to fear us!”

“But that’s crazy!” NightStalker said. “Your man Marid has a great plan for this. You’ve got the terrain on your side with his plan. If you attack on the plain, most of your legions will be destroyed. You need to-“

“I need do nothing, whelp. I have been great when you were suckling at your mother’s breast. I know the art of war. A show of strength is what is needed. Let them be the ones to cower before the majesty of our power. I will take the center. The armies will take the flanks.”

“And what about us?” I spoke up for the first time.

“And who are you, exactly?”

Ralin again came to the rescue with the introduction.

“This is the newest ShadowSworn. The Hunted.”

PoxBringer laughed, a hoarse sound that sent chills sneaking up my spine.

“Newest ShadowSworn. He has no more power than an insect. For all three of you, you will not be participating.”

Marid rose to speak, but NightStalker started first.

“You ARE crazy! You’ve got three sorcerers and you won’t use them? We can help!”

“I don’t need your help! I am strong enough to defeat them on my own.”

“Look, we c-“

“You will not be participating! I will do this myself! You may watch, if you must, but no more!’

He swept from the tent, the flap falling closed behind him.

Marid sighed, massaging his temples with his fingers.

He turned back to the map, muttering to himself.

“So what’s the new plan?” Ralin asked.

“He’ll take the center. We’ll put the cavalry on the right flank. There’s some flat space where they can build up momentum for a charge. We’ll put a third of the infantry there with them, and put the rest with the archers in the hills to the left. We’ll leave him a wide space for the center. We don’t want any of our own caught in whatever he’s planning.”

“Why are you doing this?” I asked, incredulous. “You had a perfectly good plan, and now he’s wrecking it. This way, you’ll lose a lot more. No matter how powerful he is, he won’t be able to the whole plain.”

I actually wasn’t sure about that. But if he were that powerful, why would he need armies?

Marid looked at me, eyes weary.

“I may make the plans, but he’s the one in charge. What he says, goes. No matter what. And of course, I’ll take the blame. But I’ll be fine. I’m too valuable to him to lose over a blame dispute. By the way, would you stay to watch a bit?”

Why? Watching wouldn’t do any good.

He must’ve caught my confused expression.

“Well, you can’t really blamed if you defend yourself from any soldiers who might be running in your direction. And of course, you’d want to be as far out of the way as possible from the fighting. Maybe even behind the enemy side, say about there. And if this just happens to be where the bulk of those running away from the PoxBringer would get funneled toward, you would, of course, be blameless.”

I nodded, and glanced at NightStalker. He checked the spot that Marid pointed to with a mental map, then nodded.

“You know, I may just watch. Goodbye for now, Marid.” I said.

He bowed, his right hand crossed before his armor. “May we meet soon.”

I nodded and left the tent, entering a hustling camp getting ready for a battle.

We returned to the shadow of the tree, from NightStalker brought us to the place chosen.

It was a narrow path between two hills. The one to our right was densely wooded, nearly impenetrable in its mass of flora. The hill to our left was steep, almost a cliff. From where we were, I could see the dust cloud of an army on the march.

I turned to my companions. NightStalker was putting on armored gauntlets, of a strange black metal. They seemed to glow where the sunlight hit their metal.

The DuskTreader’s face was stone, totally unreadable, her eyes almost hidden behind hair that had drifted away from the confines of the hood. She leaned on her staff, her cheek resting at the base of the monstrous clawed hand.

I looked at the dust cloud wondering when the fighting would start.

“We could get closer if you wish.”

NightStalker finished strapping on the evilly clawed gauntlets, his eyes also watching the dust clouds.

I glanced at DuskTreader, then nodded.

NightStalker made a gesture with several taloned fingers, and the path melted away as I again felt the sensation of stretching.

We arrived on a hill, high enough that we could see the entire plain along which the two armies fought. The army to my left was impressive, a wheeling coordinated army of several thousand. Nearest to me was a large group of what looked like hedgehogs, men carrying long pikes. Near them also stood a large group of lightly armored men, carrying a standard with crossed arrows.

Further on stood the mass of the army, a large group of infantry carrying shields depicting. Several standards flew there, all of them depicting a black flower. Dotted among the blocks of marching infantry, groups of horsemen trotted, most of them in what looked like light armor. Here and there I saw horse bows.

On my right, a smaller group appeared. On the flat plain before us, I saw a couple hundred heavily armored knights assembling, a giant of a man holding a standard at their head, a broadsword strapped to his back. The standard showed the green teardrop of the PoxBringer. Behind the knights stood several groups of spearmen.



Farther on, in the distance, among foothills, I saw more spearmen, and more standards depicting the green teardrop.

Between the spearmen and the knights however, a single hunched figure stood.

On the left, horns sounded and the entire wave of troops started forward. The horses and the men in the middle started forward at a trot, and the pikemen and archers nearer me arranged themselves into several ranks, pikemen in front and archers behind, which started forward at a walk.

To the right, I saw Marid drop the standard, and the knights charged.

The cavalry were to first to make contact with the Amaranth’s forces.

As the knights charged, Marid at their head, the front rank of the pikemen dropped to their knees and lowered the spears forward. The second rank lowered their pikes as well, forming a wall of spears towards which the knights threw themselves.

When the knights were about a hundred yards away from the spears, they were met by the first volley of arrows. Yells broke through the whistling of falling arrows as horses whinnied in fear and men fell from their horses, pierced through before they met the enemy. The first volley took down perhaps thirty knights from the two hundred or so. The next took down as many, as did the next volley and the next. In the third volley, I saw the giant, pierced hit already by three arrows, fall as his horse was shot from under him. The standard disappeared among the galloping horses then reappeared for a second. Then it fell, and didn’t reappear again.

The remaining knights, less than half of the number that had started the suicidal charge, skewered themselves on the waiting pikes.

And in the center, the infantry still trotted slowly towards the PoxBringer.

Before they reached him, they stopped, and disturbances broke throughout the ranks as men trembled in fear of the lone figure that stood before a thousand men.

The figure stood for a moment.

Then it leaped into action with an insane cackle, its cloak discarded.

The PoxBringer leapt through the air on legs like a frog, diseased and blistered, his flesh rotten, mouth open wide to engulf the world in insane laughter.

He landed before the first soldiers, who were only beginning to run, and blew out a green mist that caused them to shrivel and crumble, leaving only husks clutching weapons and shields. He jumped again, his decayed fingers reaching down to pouches worn at a tattered belt, coming out to sprinkle a red powder that drifted to reach the soldiers under him as he flew through the air.

The red powder settled, and where it touched chaos broke out, as men with swords and shields and armor broke into insanity, some lashing out with weapons or fists, others falling to the ground and gibbering madly.

The PoxBringer landed again, in the midst of cavalry, horses throwing off their riders and more men falling prey to his poisonous breath.

His insane laughter filled the air the whole time, a sickly exclamation point ending the lives of many men.

The men fled before the terrifying monster in every direction, many towards two hills I could see in the distance.

Some fled towards us.

I turned to NightStalker, to ask him to return us to where DuskTreader was, only to find him quickly vanishing into the shadow of a nearby tree.

I turned towards the ten or so soldiers running towards me, their weapons bared and their eyes filled with the courage that comes with knowing that nothing before you could possibly equal the terrors behind.

I looked frantically around for a weapon, finding nothing but pebbles and sticks.

I looked back up to see the first almost upon me, his sword upraised, then…

A taloned hand burst out from his chest, his eyes glazing and the upraised sword dropping from his lifeless fingers. The hand withdrew, and the man fell, revealing NightStalker with his dancing eyes.

He vanished into the corpses shadow, reappearing behind another fleeing soldier. As I watched, the man’s shadow gathered around NightStalker’s fingers to form a spike of darkness, which was quickly thrust into the man’s back and abandoned.



He vanished again, appearing in the main group this time, weapons of darkness forming in his hands to be abandoned in bodies that rapidly grew cold, all the time his eyes sparkling with glee and childlike abandon as he ducked and somersaulted, avoiding blades as easily as water flowed around rocks.

Then the last of the soldiers swung his sword in desperation, and by luck managed to cut NightStalker’s arm. He jumped back, snarling, and gestured with a gauntleted hand.

The soldier’s shadow flowed up his body like water, wrapping itself around his terrified throat and squeezing.

After an eternity, the man fell to the ground.

NightStalker examined his arm, then walked to me.

“We should probably get back to DuskTreader. She may be needing help.”

He grabbed my arm and the bodies melted away, along with the rest of our surroundings.

We arrived back at the canyon to observe a mess of blood and broken bodies. Tatters of cloth and shreds of chainmail littered the path, stained red.

The DuskTreader stood in the center, panting.

She looked up at us calmly, her face again unreadable.

“We should be off. There is nothing else for us here.”

I looked back at the battle as the wind shifted and I caught a hint of an insane cackle.

I agreed.

We walked through the passage, NightStalker saying his good-byes and disappearing into the shadows.


And here's a only kinda halfhearted DP. i couldn't think of a way to bring this up in the chappie. So, what's their story? What are they disguising themselves as? Sure, harmless travelers, but what kind? Merchants, tourists, brother and sister, husband and wife, etc.

Any ideas would be appreciated.
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ceej



Joined: 14 Nov 2008
Posts: 28
Location: the YY

Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 10:43 pm    Post subject:  

first of all
WOW!!

the military tactics seem almost real, to the point i can see them being played out

maybe you could disguise them as Amarths army, with the amount of armour and such around, and that would mean NightStalker could come, as a wounded soilder.

Also, i feel you must make some time for Reddoc Tobber to learn atleast a minimum of his power. Otherwise, you may get stuck.

Anyways, congratulations on another awesome chapter. Look forward to the poll!!

=]]
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Gallant



Joined: 02 Mar 2008
Posts: 266
Location: There... No, There!

Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 6:19 pm    Post subject:  

I think they should disguise themselves as agents for the opposing forces of the dark lord. They could say the way they're suited is there double agent disguises and they had important classified information for people in the city.
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Crunchyfrog



Joined: 12 Dec 2006
Posts: 3998

Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 3:14 am    Post subject:  

Gallant's seems the most logical.

But for an added twist, since DuskTreader is of lower rank, she should pose as the more senior agent - I think this would come naturally as she seems to be more experienced.

Good chapter. I liked especially the visuals of the characters.

:)
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The White Blacksmith



Joined: 02 Apr 2006
Posts: 2629

Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 9:13 am    Post subject:  

I would say they should disguise themselves as husband and wife, fleeing from the PoxBringer's victorious armies as they march across the land. It explains their lack of possesions, and the urgency with which they travel. It also gives ample opportunity for comicness.

And Cee, NightStalker wasn't going to come with them anyway.
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DeadManWalking



Joined: 24 May 2006
Posts: 1005

Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 4:50 pm    Post subject: !  

Well, i thought I'd post the ideas so far along with a couple of my own, along with downsides of all. This is not to say that i don't like the ideas, only so that people can weight the pros and cons for each, at least as i see them.

1. Merchants. They'd need goods, possibly wagons etc. They could just kill some people and take their stuff, but that has its own dangers. Also, they run the risk of attack by bandits, and thus having to reveal powers.

2. Amaranthian Army. If they meet anyone who REALLY is part of the Amaranth's Army, they might be in trouble. Also, people might wonder why there are only two and they might get reported as deserters and have to reveal themselves.

3. Agents for the Amaranth. Again the same problem, but slightly different. They would be less questioned by Amaranthian Soldiers and by commoners, but any bigshots who meet them, a possibility as they approach the capital city, would realize their falsehood. Also, they'd leave a bigger backtrail, as people are more likely to remember special agents than anything else.

4. Refugees. This seems logical. However, they run the risk of people preying on them, or trying to, and thus having to reveal their powers. (also, a clarification. It's unclear whether the PoxBringer actually wins the battle. He seems to be doing fine, but he takes heavy losses in his army, including the overall commander.)

5. Priestess and Guard. This one i came up with recently in a burst of inspiration. The downside is that they'll need some trappings to make it seem real. However, what with the staff and all tho, DuskTreader may make an impressive priestess, and being just a hired blade would excuse our hero's ignorance of the world. The other problem with this is similar to the Merchants version, since they would need some trappings to impress and that might inspire greed in refugees.

Thanks for all the Ideas!

I'll wait a couple more days, than put up a poll.
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ethereal_fauna



Joined: 16 Feb 2005
Posts: 2567
Location: USA

Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2008 6:34 am    Post subject:  

First of all, the Amaranth knows you're coming. Likely knows you're coming with intent to kill her as well, but is too arrogant to believe that you can (and is quite likely correct in that assumption, seeing as you have no powers.)

You have absolutely no interest in wars, asassinations, pain, dismemberment, death and general mayhem. Heck, stall for as long as you can. Come up with something suitably pompous, to buy yourself some time and maybe figure out a way into conning your return to your own home.

Insist on finding some quaint little village near enough to Ixia to attract a bit of attention, but nothing overly strategic or important. Have Dusktreader strike fear and terror into the hearts of the peasants, and force them into farming, milling, etc basically working for you. She should go for a darstardly plan like this. Tell her it's for you to know and her to find out, why you NEED for peons to plant corn in your name, as she will likely question why you are doing this.

These people will fear you, but will protect you from bandits and the like, as they are protecting their own families and homes.

The Dark Lord might not be happy about it, but afterall, he hasn't the power to dethrone the Amarath or he would have done it already. Since you want this stalling to go on for as long as you need to find a way out of the insanity, make sure you're properly amusing to the Dark Lord. Have the peons make crop circles in the likeness of teddy bears or something.

A season or so just outside the city, isn't an unreasonable request. You can imply that it gives you the time you need for your supreme powers to work their sinister magic into the ultimate defeat of the Amarath, while secretly searching for a way home. (Have you tried some ruby slippers and clicking your heals together?)

If the Amarath decides to come to you, well....there's your way into the city, albiet unpleasant I'm sure. Either way, you're doing more than blindly stumbling about in danger looking for disguises and whatnot.
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The Meaning Of Fear



Joined: 06 May 2006
Posts: 980
Location: In a deep, dark corner of the universe, plotting.

Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2008 3:30 pm    Post subject:  

Not bad, some good stuff here.

*Waiting paitiently for the poll*
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DeadManWalking



Joined: 24 May 2006
Posts: 1005

Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2008 4:51 pm    Post subject:  

lol

Anyways, since we have a bunch of options and i will be able to write in exactly one week, (an d also since Meanie asked) i'll be putting a poll up for one week.

the options are thus:

Disguise Self as Merchants

Disguise self as Amaranthian Army

Disguise self as Agents for the Amaranth

Disguise self as refugees.

Disguise self as Priestess and guards.

Take over a small village and play dictator.
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The Meaning Of Fear



Joined: 06 May 2006
Posts: 980
Location: In a deep, dark corner of the universe, plotting.

Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2008 5:04 pm    Post subject:  

Voted for Chicken/God/Ak-47 of Dreary DOOOOOOOM :P
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ethereal_fauna



Joined: 16 Feb 2005
Posts: 2567
Location: USA

Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2008 5:19 pm    Post subject:  

Screw the disguise. Too many opportunities to be outed anyways. Just be cheeky, hide in plain sight.

As a wise old sorcerer once said, if you can't dazzle them with brilliance then baffle them with bullshit. Or something like that...

:P
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The White Blacksmith



Joined: 02 Apr 2006
Posts: 2629

Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2008 1:25 pm    Post subject:  

I'll F5 Flauna on this one. If they're questioned closely, they can always say something about getting into the court by become nobility, anyway.
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