[Taocow PBEM] Chapter XVII - On The Border Of Doom

[Aaron Clausen]

OOC: Many apologies for this overdue post.  Last week turned out
to be considerably more work than I thought and I was pretty under
the weather last weekend.

> > [GM]
> > One of the other members of the Council, a tall Elvish man in
> > rough-sewn leather clothes leaps up.  "That is enough, Esrain!"
> > he shouts.  "These people are not fools, and even if they are,
> > I certainly cannot sit here and listen to you prattle on!"  He then
> > shouts a most vulgar Elvish curse, comparing the old man to a
> > fornicator of a rodents.
> >
> > "Strangers, we need your help." he says.  "Our sage says that
> > you are strangers from lands much more distant than this, and
> > that you have the protection of a strange and ancient goddess."
> >
> > Another of the Council, another old Elf, breaks down.  "It has our
> > children, and it has said that unless we deliver you to it, they
> > will die.  We are not villains, and we will not force your hand,
> > but please, in the name of all decency, you must help us!"
> > [/GM]

> [Ted]
> Ted listens intently, unsure whether he understood all of what the
> Elves had said. When the older Elf had finished, he projected in
> turn to both Sia and Talas his willingness to help, but with a caution
> that this could easily be a trap.
> [/Ted]

> [Koba]
> Upon having the elves introduced as the council, Koba does his
> best to give a slight bow and show his respects despite having no
> idea of traditional Elvish customs. The sudden outburst between
>  the councel members catches him off guard.
>
> "Against your children? Who would make such an evil threat?"
> [/Koba]

> [Alex]
> Alex adds, "Can you tell us the exact instructions, perhaps we
> can turn  what they or he is planning to do to us on its ear?"
> [/Alex]

> [Owen]
> "You called your adversary 'it'.  What is 'it' exactly?  Why do
> you think it wants our party?"
> [/Owen]

> [Talas]
> Talas Is surprised by the outbursts of the council members. He
> always thought that such behaviour was kept behind closed doors.
> Before he can ask Sia to ask the council his questions, the other
> party members also break protocol and blurt out the same question.
>  So he simply waits to see what the council's response is.
> [/Talas]

> [Ted]
> "By 'it', do you mean K'murd-fasa?" the lizard man asks, hoping he
> got the name right.
> [/Ted]

[Amanda]
"Yes, tell us who this 'it' is.  There's a lot of 'its' around these parts."
[/Amanda]

[GM]
The rest of the council lean towards each other and begin murmuring.
The tall, rustic-looking elf goes to speak, but a sharp look from his
fellow members stops him.

"My gentle people," the oldest elf says, "it was not our intent to cause
such consternation.  As our esteemed, if somewhat hotheaded fellow
members, have said, a terrible act has occured, and it seems that your
impending presence was the reason.  We have been given the choice,
capture you and deliver you to the being, or see our children killed...
or worse."

"As to the identity of this being, I cannot say.  The name you speak,
'K'murd-fasa' is close to the name 'K'murd-faka'.  In our explorations
of the lands neighboring our realms, we found the words inscribed in
Dragonese in some stones on the edge of an ancient swamp.  The
language is strange to us, however."

"Five days ago our lands became filled with a strange fog, thick and
oppressive, like smoke almost.  There were voices in the fog, speaking
in all manner of tongues, threatening us.  Then, most of us were cast
into a deep sleep, and when we awoke we found a tall being, man-like
perhaps, though skin as pale as a corpse's, with eyes that glowed
red."

"He said, 'But a few days away may come strangers into this land
of yours.  They are the servants of my masters' enemy.  I have other
deeds to do, and cannot watch all the routes. I command you to
capture them and deliver them to the Standing Stones around the
great swamp to the south of here.  If you do so, when my masters
take their rightful place, they shall bequeath to your realm lands
ten-fold greater than you possess, and wealth in weapons and
artifacts such as an empire might wield.  But, since you are elves,
and thus people predisposed to your own peculiar morals, I have
taken your children.  When the strangers are delivered, then your
children shall be returned, along with some ancient treasures from
your homeworld.  But if you fail me, then I shall slay each child and
what you will receive are the mutilated bodies.'"

"Thus you good people must see our conundrum.  Such a being
is clearly evil, and even if he were to give us a realm one hundred
times greater than ours, we should not.  But our children, they
are more precious than all the treasures of our ancient ancestors,
and their death would destroy our republic."

The taller elf stands up again.  "So what say you?  Are you selfish
craven who will walk away from our need, though we are too good
by half to simply deliver you?  Or will you help us, seeing as it is
you who have brought this sorrow on us?  Speak now, for my
two sons sit now awaiting whatever heinous acts that creature
will bestow upon them."
[/GM]

[Lady Louissa]
Lady Louissa turns to the rest of the company.  "We must do
something!" she cries.  "We cannot allow these children to be
slain!"
[/Lady Louissa]

[Alister]
Alister seems somewhat less impressed.  "I don't know.  It's sad
seeing kids killed, but how many kids will die in that war to the
north of here.  This is a trap, I'll bet, and a really good one, because
the demon thinks we won't let kids die.  I'd sooner confront the
demon on our terms, rather than on his."
[/Alister]

-- 
Aaron Clausen
mightymartianca at gmail.com