When we left off, the motley had just walked around the large lake. In the distance, under the pale light, a tower can be seen at the end of the cavern. The path leading towards the tower is well-worn and closely skirts the edge of the lake.
Ebony peers towards the tower.
Cuin walks quickly towards the tower.
Felicity begins following the path, taking a cautious stance.
Archibald follows along the path.
The path passes quickly, with no problems. And with a few hours of walking, the motley arrived at the base of a large stone tower. The tower seemed to be carved from the rock wall, itself, and had no entrance, but thick vines clung to the side.
Gibber: "Dis is den dere biggie tower!"
Cuin looks up at the tower.
Cuin: "Doesn't seem to be a way in."
Gibber walks around the base.
Felicity groans.
Cuin: "Maybe there is an entrance at the top."
Archibald: "Climbing again."
Cuin shrugs. "Well, any other ideas?"
Gibber gets on the vines at tests their strength.
The vines seemed thick and secure.
Felicity watches Gibber. If they can hold him, they'll DEFINITELY hold her.
Gibber: "It's like dat dere back hair is all stronger dat dere duh yeah!"
Felicity: "Well, a kitty's gotta do what a kitty's gotta do..."
Archibald leaps to the top of the tower as Cuin climbs to the top, followed by Felicity.
Archibald lands, and crouches in readiness for any attacks.
Archibald: "Been a long time since I've done that. Good practice."
The top of the tower was a flat landing.
Giselle grabs a hold of one of the vines and climbs up the side of the tower nimbly.
Cuin looks around, and spots a stone door as Giselle and Ebony reach the roof.
Cuin: "Looks like there is a way in."
Ebony adjusts her clothing after the climb and quietly stands behind the rest of the group.
Cuin walks to the door, and starts to pull it open.
Archibald: "Anything Cuin?"
Giselle walks over beside him and tries to help him.
Giselle: "Aah...I wonder what eez in ziss tower..." she whispers.
Through the door is a small observation room with several chairs, surrounded by numerous tapestries.
Ebony watches Cuin open the door and fumbles in her pack for a clove.
Archibald follows into the tower.
Cuin walks into the room, his glowing ball of light leading the way.
Cuin: "Hmm...interesting place."
Felicity looks in, then follows inside.
Ebony lights the clove and follows close on Felicity's footsteps.
Archibald looks at Ebony, and wishes he could rest for a short smoke.
There appeared to be nothing in the room, other than the chairs and tapestries, but a steep stone stair case lead down into the chamber.
Cuin moves over to the stairs, and peers down into the dark below.
Ebony offers Archibald a clove.
Cuin: "Guess we go down."
Felicity sniffs the air.
Archibald: "No thanks," says Archibald. "There is something else I'd rather have." as he pats his coat pocket.
Giselle looks down nervously, and then gets down on her knees and cups her hands around her mouth, whispering to the stones.
Cuin looks at Ebony and Archie, "This probably isn't the best time to be smoking those. You can smell those a mile away."
Ebony arches a delicate eyebrow and takes another drag from the sweet-smelling cigarette.
Ebony: "No reason not to substitute, if you can't have what you want right now..."
Ebony holds the clove out.
Ebony looks over at Cuin guiltily and hurridly puts hers out.
Ebony starts feeling all jittery since she hasn't smoked a whole clove in quite some time.
Cuin slides his sword from its sheathe, and slowly starts to decend the stairs.
Cuin shifting to the larger glabro form as he does.
Archibald follows Cuin.
Felicity pops out her claws and tiptoes down quietly.
Ebony puts both cigarettes back in their silver case and pads quietly down the stairs after Felicity.
Giselle looks up with worry in her eyes. "Zere eez something alive down zere...
At the bottom of the stairs, was a large room, with a large wooden table, and walls lined with bookshelves. A large leatherbound tome lies open on the table.
Archibald begins looking at the books.
Giselle draws her sword, looks around, and then exhales in relief when there's no scary monster waiting for them below.
Ebony creeps up to the large book and peers at it.
Ebony is careful just to glance and not to look too closely in case it's trapped.
The book is written in an old script in the same language that the rest of the cave has been written in.
Felicity looks at the titles of some books on the shelves.
Gibber: "Dere is no not nothin to eats cause dat dere Gibber is getsin hungery..."
Ebony creeps closer and tries to read the book.
Archibald continues looking at the books while he pulls out a large ham sandwich from inside his coat. "Gibbertooth, here, imbide on this."
Ebony: "Excellent!" Ebony whispers, perusing the large book.
Gibber grabs the sammich and looks gratefully at Mr Blacksin.
Gibber: "Tansk for dat dere eatins!!!"
The page says...."At the end, when winter comes, shall arise the Forgotten king, who will join with the EverQueen, who will be born of three bloods, and will join together the hearts and minds of those of goodly souls, and be a beacon of light to the world."
Archibald looks at Gibbertooth, "I always take care of my retainers."
Ebony purses her lips, murmering the words as she reads them.
Ebony whispers "It's talking about cara!"
Ebony looks up at her companions, eyes shining.
Ebony repeats the passage she read to the others.
Archibald pilfers several books on cantrips, history, and other items.
Cuin: "Seems like this Cara-girl's is a bit important..."
Ebony nods.
Ebony: "Very..."
"Very improtant actually." A voice says.
Ebony blinks and looks up in surprise.
Archibald looks around.
A blindingly-handsome man steps from the shadows of the wall and looks at the motley.
Sidhe: "Welcome to my home."
Ebony pulls her veil about her head and backs up a bit.
Archibald has two throwing blades instantly in his hands.
Sidhe: "I see you have found the prophecy of the EverQueen."
Ebony: "What do you know of her?"
The Sidhe looks to Archibald. "Please, put your weapons away, there is no need for them here."
Giselle grins at the The Sidhe and whispers, "ooh la-la..." under her breath...
The Sidhe shakes his head, "Nothing. But I know that I shall someday, for I am the Forgotten King."
Giselle: "Aaah, just ze person we 'ave been looking for!"
The Sidhe shakes his head, and looks around at the aincient walls around him.
Felicity gasps in shock.
Sidhe: "I have been here for so long, waiting for the ones who would come to free me."
The Sidhe smiles, "And finally you have come."
Giselle raises her eyebrow. "But I thought you were ze one who made ziss tower? What eez keeping you 'ere?"
Sidhe: "In the depth of this tower, is an artifact of dreadful power, and has lain here since the times of the earliest Fae.
Sidhe: "It contains the imprisoned soul of one of the Fomorians-- the elder darks that fought against our ancestors. It is this thing that has held me here for so long."
Archibald: "And...what are we to do when we find this artifact?"
A look of pain flashes across the sidhe's face.
Giselle ponders. "Wait...so you want to be freed so you can 'ave sex wiz Cara??"
Ebony blinks.
The Sidhe grimices, but is still able to speak. "It lies on the lowest floor, but it is guarded. There is another who walks the halls of this place."
Sidhe: "He calls himself the Keeper, and he is a mighty foe. To destroy the stone that holds the Fomorian, you must defeat him."
The Sidhe grimaces again.
The Sidhe is suddenly wracked by pain, "Destroy the stone!" he gasps, "Only then can I be freed to join with the EverQueen. Only then can Summer come again!"
The Sidhe steps back into the shadows of the wall, and disappears.
Ebony: "What exactly do you mean by join?" Ebony asks.
Ebony: "Didn't they say this guy had gone insane?"
Giselle turns to face Ebony. "Sex, little Sluagh. Sex." she smirks.
Ebony peruses the big book to see what else it says about Cara and this The Sidhe man.
Ebony looks at Giselle then returns her gaze to the pages of the book.
As Ebony turns the page she reads the next passage..."The Forgotten King, and the Ever Queen, will join together, and a new kingdom shall arise where all will be welcome, and the kingom shall be a bastion of spring against the coming of winter.
Giselle paces back and forth. "I do not sink ziss sounds good...Cara has Aaron, and he would tear ziss guy apart eef he tried to sleep wiz her!"
Archibald pulls out a random book, and begins reading.
Ebony: "I thought Aaron died? Or...at least...Wyrmhater sent him away. I don't know what happened after that."
Giselle listens. "Hmmm...eternal spring sounds good, tho'..."
Ebony looks to see who is the author for the book.
Giselle pauses again. "What eef ziss guy wrote it! Wrote 'imself 'avin' sex wiz Cara!"
Ebony 's brow furrows.
Cuin shrugs. "Can't really know for sure. Maybe he did write it, then again, maybe he didn't."
Cuin frowns.
Giselle: "...but...'ow did he know about Cara and the prophesy zen..."
Cuin: "And if he's really been in here as long as what they say..."
Ebony: "Maybe he is a prophet...they say he's mad..."
Cuin: "It must be a bit o' an old prophecy."
Archibald: "The real question is, do we seek out this artifact or not. Do we dare free this The Sidhe or not."
Giselle throws her hair over her shoulder. "People say a lot of sings that aren't true..." she huffs.
Cuin shrugs again.
Ebony: "Personally, I think Cara could take care of herself...if his attentions were...unwanted..."
Felicity nods in agreement.
Giselle laughs. "How could 'is attentions ever be unwanted!" she grins and winks at Cuin.
Ebony: "And...if he is part of a prophecy...to help Cara...and stop that monster...we shouldn't leave him here!"
Cuin frowns at Giselle.
Giselle: "Aaaw Cuin..." she walks over and puts her hands on his cheeks. "What eez wrong, mon cher?"
Cuin: "Well, if he really is the Forgotten King, he may be just the one to help you free your lost hold."
Felicity: "I think you're wrong. Let's go find that artifact and free him."
Ebony chuckles at Felicity.
Cuin nods and turns to leave the room.
A doorway opens to reveal a stairway leading further down.
Felicity follows.
Giselle furrows her brow at Cuin, watches him walk away, and then follows him.
Ebony smiles and closes the ancient tome then descends the stairs.
Archibald follows.
Gibber follows.
The stairway ends at another room that is lined with weapons of all types and sizes.
Gibber: "We's goin into to dat dere breach'es! Into dat der fire! Coo-in takes care o-it."
A large circle is painted on the floor, and a second door lies across the circle.
Ebony looks to see what the circle is made out of.
The circle appears to be painted on.
Felicity looks at the weapons in the room.
Ebony bends down and examines the circle.
Archibald looks around.
Ebony: hmm. Oh! ok it's a practice ring. duh.
Giselle looks at the circle warily, and then begins edging around it with her back to the wall.
Ebony waltzes through the circle to the doorway at the other side.
A quiet voice speaks from the shadows.
Felicity continues looking at the weapons, until she hears the voice.
Bird: "I see you have finally arrived. We've waited so long."
Giselle freezes and looks up.
Felicity looks around for the voice.
Ebony cocks her head and turns towards the voice.
A bird, its plumage the color of fire, looks down from a large rack of spears.
Gibber: "Gahhh! Bird'ies dere scarin duh Gibber. Him not to sure abot dat dere outtta sky!"
Bird: "You are the ones who've come to free the Forgotten King, are you not?"
Felicity walks over to the rack of spears.
Felicity nods, and licks her lips at the bird.
Bird watchs Felicity approach.
Giselle: "Ah quelle belle! What do you know about zis, Bird?"
The bird laughed. "I know everything, just ask me."
Giselle watches Felicity out of the corner of her eye, and then runs over and grabs her arm firmly. "Non, non, non petite!"
Felicity: "What number am I thinking of?"
Gibber looks at Felicity.
Bird: "Sixty nine...you bad kitty..."
Felicity: "No... it was 12."
Felicity grins.
Ebony chuckles.
Gibber: "Dat dere pooker is H-U-N-G-E-R-E-E-Y! Do is not to eatins dat dere DUH birdies."
Giselle laughs with delight at the bird's naughty sense of humor.
Giselle: "Can I take you 'ome wiz me, Belle?"
Felicity: "Why is the the Sidhe trapped in this castle?"
Bird: "The Fomorian in the tower has trapped him."
Felicity snickers.
Archibald eyes Felicity, "I know that Pookas have a...need to lie at times, so it is possible you were thinking of 69 and are just saving face."
Giselle folds her arms. "Eez what we read true? If we free ze Sidhe, he will join wiz Cara an' bring peace and summer to ze land?"
Bird: "He can't leave until the Fomorian is gone."
Bird: "Yes, its true."
Felicity smirks at the comments then looks back at the bird. "Is he the Forever King?"
Bird nods its head. "Yes, he's the king."
Giselle: "Ze FORGOTTEN king??" Giselle folds her arms.
Bird: "Come to replace the fallen knight."
Ebony: "Who is the fallen knight?"
Bird: "The prophecy doesn't say anything about a Forever King."
Felicity: "er... Forgotten king. well, the bird knows all, so it must know what I mean."
Bird shakes his head. "Don't you already know?"
Felicity: "Just making sure, you testy bird. Don't make my lunch."
Bird: "Didn't you read the page before the part about the Forgotten King?"
Bird looks at Ebony.
Giselle: "Replace ze fallen knight? Do you mean..." she sniffle and grabs her hanky, dabbing at her eyes, "...Jagyr?"
Felicity: "No. But can you say, 'I'm lying?' "
Bird shakes its head. "No, not that knight. A different knight."
Giselle looks over at Cuin, and then back at the bird. "Zen Aaron-- do you mean Aaron?"
Bird looks sad. "See, you do know."
Giselle folds her arms and looks at the bird impatiently.
Ebony sniffles.
Ebony: "Then...he did die? In that silver-place?"
Bird nods.
Ebony sniffles.
Ebony: "Poor Cara."
Bird squawks.
Giselle continues to sniffle. "Poor Aaron...poor Wyrmhater...poor Jagyr!" she makes a noisy crying-sound and buries her face in her hanky.
Bird: "Free the king! Only then will Spring return!" Then the bird rises up, and in a burst of feathers, disappears.
Cuin: "Seems t' me that everyone around here keeps doin' that."
Giselle wipes at her eyes and puts the hanky away, sniffling noisily. "Let us save ze king..."
Ebony: "Right. Well...lets go!"
Cuin nods, and slips around the circle, towards a door on the other side of the room.
Felicity follows.
Giselle nods and walks around the circle behind Cuin, watching him with worry as he hasn't said a word to her all night.
Giselle starts wondering why she's so concerned, and that makes her twice as concerned!
The door leads further down into the tower. The motley passed numerous small rooms, all deserted. A kitchen, bath and other mundane rooms.
Ebony glances in each room in search of little tinkets to add to her collection.
Finally, as they reached the lower levels of the tower, a huge door, carved with a grinning, daemonic face, loomed above the motley. Bright red light poured from the edges of the room, and a quiet voice could be heard from inside.
Felicity pops out her claws, and takes a fighting-stance.
Ebony looks with interest at the door.
As the Motley reached the bottom ot the stairs, the doors swung open.
Giselle draws her sword again and watches with worried eyes.
Archibald has two knives ready.
Keeper: "Enter, the throne of Gul will recieve you." A voice says from inside.
Ebony nervously checks to make sure her silver blowgun is still hanging at her waist.
Felicity enters, looking cautiously around her.
Cuin walks in, his sword held loosely in his hand.
Giselle edges towards the door, not wanting to go in, but knowing she doesn't have much of a choice.
Ebony slinks quietly behind Giselle as she nears the door.
The The Sidhe Lord stood before you. But somehow, he looked different. His eyes seemed darker, more cruel. And where he wore a gleaming white robe before, now a black robe hung over black plate armor.
A gleaming longsword of silvery metal hung at his waist. Against the far wall, on a carved dias, was a huge ruby, standing nearly four feet tall and as wide around.
Ebony's eyes widen as she stares at the giant ruby.
Felicity whispers, "So, it's the evil twin."
Keeper: "Amusing. You have come so far. Only to fail now."
The Keeper smiles, and the malice that eminated from him could be felt across the room.
Felicity glares at Keeper.
Giselle stares at the knight on confusion.
Archibald watches.
Keeper: "I'm sure that fool upstairs told you that you must destroy the stone, to bring about a new spring.
Giselle points at the knight's sword, and a little word-bubble appears next to it at the same time Giselle mouths the word "noink" and the same word appears in the bubble.
Giselle lowers her hand, feeling a little foolish.
The Keeper shakes his head, and waves his hand towards the party. The ruby behind him flares, and the motley could feels as the very glamour was sucked from them.
Keeper: "Save your petty parlor tricks children. They are of no use here."
Archibald mutters something under his breath and slowly, Archibald seems to melt into the shadows, his dark clothes becoming a part of the inky blackness.
Felicity: "So you want to play rough, princey-poo! Vampires never give up."
Keeper: "Did the fool upstairs also tell you, that to free him, you must release Gul of the Smokeless Flame?"
Giselle thinks. "I do not remember zat..." she says quietly.
Cuin leaps forward, bringing down his sword as he does, but the the Sidhe quickly parries it.
The Keeper lashes out at Cuin, who blocks this return swing.
The Keeper circles the garou, each parrying and blocking the others darting attacks.
Giselle holds her sword aloft, watching this exchange with worry. "Cuin...be careful, mon cher..."
Giselle rushes forward to help her lover, swinging her sword at a place left open when the the Sidhe parries Cuin's blow.
The Keeper steps aside, faster than Giselle could move.
Archibald hurls his 2 knives at the creature, ainimg for the head.
The Keeper ducks the thrown dagger.
Gibber shrieks and runs towards the knight axe swinging.
The Keeper skillfully parries the attack.
Ebony frowns in concentration and pulls out her blowgun.
Ebony carefully selects a blue-tipped dart and brings the blowgun to her mouth, blocking everything out as she concentrates on her target.
The Keeper ducks as the small dart flies wide.
Felicity tries to come behind the knight with a disfooting roundhouse kick.
The Keeper grimaces some as felicity kicks him, but his armor seems to absorb most of it.
Cuin howls as he shifts to the massive crinos form.
Cuin launches into a viscious series of blows.
Cuin delivers blow after blow. The Keeper skillfully parries the first few, but the last one finally slips through his defenses.
The Keeper groans as the blade slips through his armor.
The Keeper then smiles, simply pulling away from the blow, and fighting on...
Ebony frowns, thinking.
Giselle lets out a cheer, and then her face falls when she sees the Keeper smile.
Gibber smiles as he twirls his axe and jumps.
The Keeper watched as Gibber slipped past him, and screamed as he brought his axe down on the ruby.
Keeper: "NOOOOOOO!!!!" He reached out in vain towards the stone.
Gibber: "LIBYYROW! TOOOONOOOOTTTHURTNONEDATDEREKNIGHTBADDDIE!"
The ruby shattered as Gibber's axe smashed into it, sending ruby shards flying through the room.
Ebony slips a shard into one of her many pockets.
As one, Felicity and Cuin decended on the keeper.
Felicity's claws dug deeply into his back, and Cuin's sword slipped past his dropped sword, plunging through his chest.
Giselle looks down at the shards, and grabs a handful, putting them in her bag so she can make a replacement-necklace in the future!
The Keeper coughed for a moment, blood spurting from his lips, then fell to his knees.
Keeper: "What have you done..."
Archibald looks at the others scrabble for ruby shards.
Gibber trots over.
Gibber: "We kill dat dere baddie!"
In a burst of flames, his body was consumed, and the fiery bird rose from his body...only to disappear.
Giselle gasps.
Then the room filled with the sound of laughter. "Free! Free at last!" The voice seemed to echo from all around the room. "After so long, I am free, to sup on the fear of the world again!"
Giselle clenches her sword in a shaking hand. "Oh no...mon Dieu..."
A hazy form started to take shape. A huge smoking giant, with hair of flame, and a burning sword made of pure smoke stood in the room.
Ebony slinks back.
Gul: "Fools all of you. After so long, imprisioned, I am free."
Gul laughs.
Ebony quickly asks her book if it knows any binding spells.
Gul: "I could destroy you now! And feast upon your suffering! But no, I will not. I will let you leave this place, for now, that you might know what you have wrought on the world!"
Giselle: "Who...who are you??" Giselle asks in a quivering voice.
Gul: "I Gul! He of the Smokless Flame! Lord of the Red Court! Have Returned!"
Gul laughs again, then disapears in a burst of smoke.
Gul's voice still reaches you. "But know little fae! My mark is upon you! And someday, I shall return for you, that I may feast upon your screams!"
Felicity: "You dont scare me, you big mean thing! You're someone's lit fart."
Giselle looks at Felicity in surprise, and then a smile cracks her face and she begins to giggle.
Gibber bends over at Gul and rips one laughing and howling!!!
Ebony hides her face.
Felicity laughs.
Felicity: "Anyone got a match?"
Giselle: "Ah well! Do not worry about it, little Ebonee! When ze times comes, we will worry, but for now, let us laugh!"
Ebony peeks out around at Giselle and can't help but shudder again.
The room starts to shudder.
Giselle looks around. "Aaah...nevermind! Let us worry!"
Huge cracks began to appear in the walls.
Ebony runs away up the stairs.
Felicity: "... a REALLY REALLY BIG FART..." felicity yells at the ceiling.
Archibald runs up the stairs.
From outside the sounds of crashing stone reach your ears.
Felicity follows her comrads up the stairs.
Giselle leaps and jumps like a mountain-goat up the stairs, checking to make sure Cuin is following.
Gibber runs and jumps like a deranged monkey.
Cuin rushes after the Motley.
Giselle stops and waits until Cuin has caught up with her, and then runs alongside him.
The motley reaches the top room, and notices the the tapestries have started to shift and change. They almost seem to be moving.
Giselle peers at the tapestries.
The sound of crashing stone is growing louder, and the entire tower starts to shudder.
Ebony eeps and runs faster.
The picture in the tapestry appears to be the small town that the motley stayed in earlier. The stairs behing the motley start to crumble, falling in upon them selves.
Archibald continues on.
Giselle continues to run, but keeps glancing at the tapestry before leaving the room.
The tapestry scene is changing as you watch. As you reach the top of the stairs and look out over the cavern, you can see that the entire place is starting to collapse.
Giselle turns to Cuin. "Cuin!! Please-- make one of those Garou-bridges!!"
Cuin: "I can't just call up a moon bridge! You gotta have a path stone!"
Cuin looks worriedly about.
Giselle looks at him with her mouth hanging open. "Merde..."
Ebony: "Where's the King?"
Cuin suddenly smiles "But maybe there is something else I can do!"
Giselle grins at him. "At a time like this, Cuin...?"
Cuin grabs Giselle's hand. "Ok, everyone, hold hands, I'm gonna' try to lead us into the umbra from here!"
Giselle grabs the person's hand on the other side of her.
Felicity grasps hands.
Ebony holds hands.
Cuin grabs the silver cigerette case that Ebony always carries.
Ebony: "Hey!"
Cuin's eyes grow distant as he stares at his reflection in the polished metal.
Giselle gives Ebony a look that says, "not now, Ebony!"
Suddenly, things shift and the Motley find themselves standing in a quiet wooded glen.
Felicity looks around, a bit confused.
Cuin breathes a sigh of relief.
Felicity: "Neat trick, Mister."
Giselle squeals and throws her arms around Cuin. "Ah mon amour!! You did it!! You did it!!"
Cuin: "Nah, we're in the umbra, kinda like a parallel spirit world ta' you're dreamin'"
Ebony can't stop herself from shaking.
Ebony: "C...can I have my cigarettes back, please?"
Cuin: "Course, I don't know where we are now, but hey, anyplace is better than where we were, right!"
Giselle: "Oh...of course...mon cher..." Giselle says between kissing Cuin's face.
Cuin chuckles kissing Giselle back happily.
Ebony grabs the case back while Giselle is distracting Cuin and shakily takes out another clove, lighting it.
Archibald looks around, then sits on a patch of grass, and takes out his opium pipe.
Felicity: "Wow..." Felicity says as she looks around.
Cuin: "And might I add, this seems as good a place as any ta' take a rest!"
Giselle raises an eyebrow. "Oui...a...very good place..." she grins.
Giselle smiles and runs her finger down Cuin's chest. "I was just teasing earlier, Cuin...I had no interest in zat Sidhe...you know zat, right?" she asks in a low voice.
Cuin: "Ah, of course lass, besides, I'm not much of the jealous type."
While smoking, Archibald looks at the books he pilfered.
Ebony sits beneath the shade of a tree, enjoying the taste of the sweet clove smoke, feeling herself calm finally.
Giselle laughs. "Good!"