The Swamp

[Lykan]

A salt marsh is located down the coast from the town, where the smallest denizens are just as dangerous as the large ones. Watch your step.

[NecroPaladin]

((I was wondering when the town would get one of these. Good job taking the initiative, Lykan.))

[AmberVael]

Signy and Kalar enter the very edge of the swamp.

[McBish]

((Salt marsh? Darn I was hoping for fire swamp.))

[Lykan]

Kalar looks down at Signy and smiles

This look good?

[AmberVael]

((...I'm not saying I'd like to build a summer home here but the trees are actually quite lovely))

Signy nods, looking quite happy.

[Uberblah]

((oooh... swampy. can't wait to utilize this. no need yet though))

[Lykan]

Kalar grins, taking a few steps in. He seems to be walking on the surface of the water

If you need any help at all, just tell me, okay?

[AmberVael]

Signy nods and flutters her wings as she creeps towards the edge without actually getting in.

[Lykan]

Kalar smiles, pointing a bit of the way in and smiling

Look... Water Moccasin.

[AmberVael]

Signy looks curiously, not appearing scared in the slightest.
She doesn't go in though, not yet. Mostly because can't walk on water.
Or fly. Strength doesn't substitute for wing size.

[Woland]

Rocketing into the marsh from somewhere in the town comes Gray. He crashes into the water and stays lodged in a huge crater of mud and uprooted plants for around thirty seconds.

He then dislodges himself and proceeds to shake some of the dirt off.

"The whole damn template is messed up...So much for using spells that siphon planar energy. Better lay off it until I get at least an inkling of how the universal coding works."

Gray looks up, taking in his surroundings.

"Hm, a marsh.


"Why not?"

He begins to stroll around, looking for glasswort.

[Lykan]

Kalar bites his lip and flaps upward, landing in a tree. He offers Signy his boots.

[Rebonack]

A salt marsh is located down the coast from the town, where the smallest denizens are just as dangerous as the large ones. Watch your step.

((Just to be nit-picky, marshes and swamps are two different things. The latter has trees/is forested where as the former lacks them. Thus, it can't be a swamp and a marsh.))

Somewhere in the swamp a man complains about leeches in his pants.

[Uberblah]

((leeches in his pants? that sounds really painful. hate to be him))

An NPC walks into the swamp and looks around. In his awe-struck gazing, he falls into a muddy ditch and knocks himself unconcious on a rather large rock in the ditch.

[Lykan]

((Just to be nit-picky, marshes and swamps are two different things. The latter has trees/is forested where as the former lacks them. Thus, it can't be a swamp and a marsh.))

Somewhere in the swamp a man complains about leeches in his pants.

((I know. But I couldn't think of a logical reason why there would be a swamp near the town :smalltongue: ))

[AmberVael]

Signy accepts the boots and begins putting them on.

[Flabbicus]

((I know. But I couldn't think of a logical reason why there would be a swamp near the town :smalltongue: ))

(( Lykan logic plays no part in anything here. You should know that by now. ))

[Lykan]

The boots fit to her feet magically. Kalar grins

You should be able to walk on the water now...

[AmberVael]

Signy hugs him happily and then tests them out.

[Lykan]

Kalar smiles as she treads on top of the water as easily as if it were solid ground

Like those, Signy?

[AmberVael]

Signy nods, grinning.

[Lykan]

Kalar grins

Okay, then... Is there anything you'd like to do here?

[AmberVael]

Signy ruffles her wings and looks for a place that looks more interesting than the rest.

[Lykan]

There's a large mass of roots and stones jutting up from the water in the distance. Kalar smiles a bit.

[AmberVael]

Signy heads off towards the mass.

[Lykan]

Kalar follows her, jumping from tree to tree. He bites his lip as he sees what they're heading towards

Be careful, Signy...

[AmberVael]

Signy stops and looks at him curiously.

[Lykan]

Kalar bites his lip

I think those are Hydra eggs...

Something screeches off in the distance. Kalar bites his lip

... We're okay for now... That was a male.

[AmberVael]

Signy eyes widen and she cautiously creeps closer.

[Lykan]

Kalar bites his lip and folows her, treading through the water. All of a sudden, a small lizard pops its head out of the mass of eggs. It squeaks when it sees Signy

[AmberVael]

Signy twitches her wings and moves slightly closer, keeping her eye on the lizard while also watching everything else around her.

[Woland]

Gray sits on a rock, writing on several floating scrolls and suckling on some glasswort.

He scratches his head. "That should be conducive to the third-layer synthesis, but for some reason it isn't... Well, it's an interesting universal coding, at least. Let's see if that spell won't work a little better this time."

Gray mouths three syllables, both unrecognizable and somehow terrifying. The smell of ozone permeates the air around him, which begins to take on a dense texture as ripples of strange, foreign energy pulsate from his body. To put description to the entire effect, it is almost as if the universe is trying to tear itself apart.

Gray smiles to himself. "Sheesh, and all this for a simple fly spell. Ah well, that's the way it is with experimentation, I suppose."

He lifts his arm skyward. "Okay, let's try this out."




Twelve seconds later, Gray lies headfirst in a second crater, much larger than the first, again surrounded by broken rocks and upturned plants.

He pries himself out from the rubble, brushes his clothes off and grins.

"Well, at least I'm getting somewhere with this."

[Lykan]

The small lizard ducks back into the clutch of eggs, frightened. It begins making clicking sounds.

Somewhere off in the distance, something roars again. Kalar looks at Signy nervously

We're still okay for now...

[AmberVael]

Signy looks at him.
Should we leave to keep safe?

[Lykan]

Kalar smiles

Hydras can be loud. The one we keep hearing's over a mile away.

And if it gets any close, I can just fly you off, okay?

The lizard pollks its head out again, looking at Signy

[AmberVael]

Signy nods and moves closer, looking at the lizard and eggs.

[Lykan]

Kalar frowns, looking around

Where's the mother?

The lizard looks at Signy, cocking its head to one side and make those "lizardy noises." The eggs are brown specled with green, and dblend quite well into the surrounding landscape. The lizard is brown stiped with green, with a small line of spikes connected by flaps of skin running down its spine. Its tail splits into three smaller tails about two thirds of the way down.

[AmberVael]

Signy tilts her head, slightly tempted to take one of the eggs.

[Lykan]

Kalar treads over next to her and bites his lip

I know what your thinking... I'd advise against it, unless you really want one... And even so, I'd ask Aesa first...

He digs through his bag and takes out a bit of jerky, holding it up to the lizard. It crawls a bit out of the nest, and snatches at the food, eating it once the bit of meat falls to the ground

[AmberVael]

What about Lykan?

[Lykan]

Kalar bites his lip

I think he already has a hydra... Four, in fact.

[AmberVael]

Signy is wide eyed.
Really?

[Lykan]

He nods

I told you... The place I offered you to go before this? He has a menagerie in the basement of the Workshop... It's where he gets most of the parts of the creatures.

[AmberVael]

Wow...
Signy looks back at the eggs.

[Lykan]

Kalar bites his lip

Look at it like this:

Do you think that you can be a better caretaker to any one of these you take then their actual mother?

He smiles

If you really want a hydra, maybe we could go talk to Lykan about it, okay?

He reaches out a hand to touch the hydra lizardling, patting its back as it chews on the food

Hehe...

[AmberVael]

Signy nods to Kalar and watches the tiny hydra.

[Lykan]

Kalar smiles

Is that okay with you?

He tousels her hair

I promise we'll get you a hydra... Or whatever other kind of creature you want.

The lizard looks up at Signy, its tongue darting out of its mouth every once and a while.

[AmberVael]

Signy smiles and nods again.

[Lykan]

Kalar smiles as the Hydra darts back into the clutch of eggs. Something VERY close roars. Kalar gulps

Time to go.

[AmberVael]

Signy eeps and looks for the best direction to go, though she already starts running.

[Lykan]

Kalar follows her, taking off from the water and swooping down to try and pick her up and carry her off

[AmberVael]

Signy lets him scoop her up and looks behind them.

[Lykan]

A 12 headed Hydra lumbers through the trees behind them as Kalar climbs in altitude. He smiles

Wanna watch it from above?

[AmberVael]

Signy nods rapidly.

[Kyrian]

A small connection tries to connect to Signy's mind.

[Lykan]

Kaar nods, circling the Hydra from about 40 feet in the air. He smiles, holding tightly onto Signy

[AmberVael]

Signy lets it form while she watches.

[Kyrian]

Hey princess, wanted to check that you're having fun.

[Lykan]

Kalar continues circling the Hydra, which watches him with four or five heads

[AmberVael]

I am.
Signy peers down at the hydra, wishing she had a rock to drop on it.

[Kyrian]

Well, I miss you princess. You be good for Kalar, and I hope to see you again soon. Love you, princess.

[Lykan]

Kkalar keeps circling, breathing heavily and sweating, trying to keep them both in the air

[AmberVael]

Signy looks at him worriedly.

[Lykan]

Kalar smiles through his effort to keep them airborn

I'm *huff* fine...

[AmberVael]

We don't have to keep watching it. We can land somewhere else.

[Lykan]

He nods

Okay.

A few hundred feet away, he lands, puts Signy on the esurface of the water, and falls over, exhausted.

[AmberVael]

Signy ruffles her wings and kneels next to him.
Kalar?

[Woland]

After a long while, Gray finally tucks his scrolls away in his pack.

He stretches. "Got a good chunk of work done out here, I may come back." Tapping a small mechanical piece in his ear, he speaks a few words in an unidentifiable language.

"I'll send you the full notes later Zhu, but I've made some good headway," he concludes, and taps the earpiece again.

Looking around, he takes in a deep breath of air.

"It really is nice out here. Very peaceful."

At that moment a roar sounds a ways off.

"Honestly, what was I expecting making a comment like that? Well, at least it sounds like something mildly interesting. I might as well see some nature while I'm out here."

Gray suddenly shoots off in the direction of the noise, causing a sonic boom in the surrounding area.

[Lykan]

Kalar lifts his head from the swamp muck and looks up at Signy, smiling

I'm fine... Just...

He coughs into his hands, then washes them off in the water, and sits up. He smiles at Signy

I'm fine.

[AmberVael]

Signy looks at him worriedly.

[Lykan]

Kalar smiles and hugs her

No need to worry, I'll be okay.

[AmberVael]

Signy hugs him back.

[Woland]

((By the way, what are the types of monsters that populate this salt marsh? Just asking because I realized that unless I come up with some sort of monster, Gray's about to find the roar he's chasing fairly disembodied as roars go.))

[AmberVael]

((Hydra's, Hags, the usual type of stuff. Make whatever you want))

[Lykan]

((It's a temperate marsh... so anything that inhabits a temperate marsh))

Kalar smiles

Is there anything else you'd like to do here, Signy?

[AmberVael]

Signy flutters her wings and looks around some more.

[Lykan]

There's a small hut in the distance, but otherwise there's nothing realy interesting.

[AmberVael]

Signy starts off towards the hut and gets hit by dead time.

[Lykan]

Kalar follows, biting his lip

[Woland]

((Thanks. Looks like I'll be going with Hydra. It'd be silly to go young-adult-black-dragon-watching, and the only other big thing I can see that populates temperate marshes is the Chuul. And I don't think that roars, heh.))

Gray stops abruptly when he comes to the source of the roar, causing another sonic boom.

"...Okay, I'm making a spell to muffle that stupid noise."

He looks down at the Hydra and its nest.

"Huh. They have Hydras here. I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting, though. Some sort of crazy four-tongued leopard that changes into a lawyer when frightened, maybe..."

Gray lands on one of the Hydras heads and takes on a ponderous expression.

"Now, what can I do for fun around here..."

He vanishes as a head comes up to and snap at him, reappearing forty feet away. "Hm, I guess I'd better keep looking around. Something's bound to come up." He floats off to find something to eat, watch, converse with, or even just poke at.

[AmberVael]

Signy keeps walking towards the hut, getting a little more hesitant as she gets closer.

[Lykan]

A greenish smoke is rising from a chimney in the hut. Kalar gulps

Signy... I think we should avoid this one...

[AmberVael]

Signy looks back at Kalar, not arguing with him. She nods and moves back towards him.

[Lykan]

Kalar smiles and hugs her. Then the bad stuff begins happening.

WHO DARES ENTER MY SWAMP!?

[AmberVael]

Signy "eeps" and tries to hide behind Kalar.

[Lykan]

Kalar wraps his wings around his sister

Signy, do you know any spells?

WHO DARES ENTER MY SWAMP, PUNY MORTAL!?

Nobody! Shut up!

[AmberVael]

Signy looks like she is trying to shake her head and nod at once, obviously frightened beyond reason.

[Lykan]

Kalar bites his lip

I'm taking off again, are you ready?

Sunddenly, the mud beneath the swamp turns to a giant hand and swipes at Kalar, knocking him a few dozen feet away

... Ow...

[AmberVael]

Signy pulls her wings tight against herself and huddles a little.
She's obviously freaked out that someone is this mad at them for no reason.

[Lykan]

LKalar sits up, and flicks spikes at the hand before it can grab Signy

Run Signy!

[AmberVael]

Signy starts to run away, but she isn't exactly very fast, considering her size.

[Lykan]

Kalar leaps at the swamp-claw-thing, biting its knuckle. Signy manages to make her way deep into the swamp, away from the hut...

[AmberVael]

Signy slows down, realizing that she's rather lost at this point.

[Lykan]

In the distance, Signy might hear the beating of drums...

And they grow closer.

[AmberVael]

Signy looks around for somewhere to hide.

[Lykan]

The drums grow closer. There are plenty of places to hide... Trees, under trees, in swampgrass, whatever...

[AmberVael]

Signy tries to hide in the hollow of a tree, though she's not especially good at it.
She waits.

[Lykan]

After a while, a band of lizardfolk march through were Sikka is hiding, speaking in their hissing native tongue while apperently searching the area for something

[AmberVael]

Signy shivers a little, folding her wings around herself.

[Lykan]

One of the lizardmen (or women... it's hard to tell) suddenly looks directly at Signy, hissing to its comrades. The rest surround the tree, while the one who spotted her reaches within the tree to try and take her out.

[AmberVael]

Signy starts crying as she feebly resists.

[Lykan]

The lizardfolk wrneches her from the log, then lays her on the ground carefully. One of the other lizardfolks, dressed in robes of dinosaur skin and feathers, approaches Signy and kneels down in front of her

Be calm, little one... We mean you no harm.

[AmberVael]

Signy hardly seems comforted. She curls up into a ball and pulls her wings over herself.

[Lykan]

The lizardfolk casts Calm Emotions on Signy, hoping to remove her fear.

[AmberVael]

She still seems very hesitant, and remains on the ground.
She does, however, peep out from behind her wings.

[Lykan]

The lizardman smiles, though tries to keep his lips from revealing his pointed teeth

You are Signy, yes?

[AmberVael]

Signy nods, looking very confused.

[Lykan]

The lizardfolk smiles

You are safe... Maybe we should get you back to the town.

But it would be helpful if you could show us the location of your brother first.

[AmberVael]

Signy ruffles her wings, then slowly points towards the direction she came from.

[Lykan]

The lizrdfolk makes some commands to his comrades in his hissing tongue, and they head out to the location Signy designated. He looks at Signy again

My name is Keedak. My friend sent me to find you when he saw that you and your brother were in trouble.

[AmberVael]

Signy nods again and curls her wings tighter around herself again.

[Woland]

Gray watches the scene with the lizardfolk from a hundred or so feet off the ground.

"I knew I'd find some entertainment around here." He chews on some glasswort.

[Lykan]

The lizardman smiles

Would you like to go home, little one?

[AmberVael]

Signy nods rapidly.

[Lykan]

The lizardman touches her wing, and they're teleported away.

[Woland]

Gray scratches his head. "Ah well, it was fun while it lasted. May as well see if Malleo has an order for me."

He rockets away towards the town.

[NecroPaladin]

A generic swamp zombie moans and shuffles his way through the goo.

"Brains..."

"Brains..."

"Brai-"

And with that, the zombie's head, torso, and legs find themselves in seperate puddles in the swamp.

A man (http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/53510238/) [<---pic] steps through the brush, whipping two massive butcher's knives back into place, parallel down his back. He is skinny and lanky, and wears loose, dark robes and a flowing coat over what appears to be red-and-white striped stockings and a shirt colored likewise. He wears heavy leather boots and gloves, almost too big for him. He wears a heavy scarf that covers his face from the nose down, obscuring his mouth. He is bald save what appears to be a yellowish-greenish mohawk combed over to one side of his head. He wears earrings and his eyes are the most striking-his irises are yellow, in the midst of the rest of his eyes, which are black.

A cute, button-eyed doll built in a likeness of him rides papoose-style on his back, holding on to his scarf for support.

"You're sure there's a town here, Dexter?"

"O' course I yam! Whadoo I look like, an idiot?"

"You look like a doll."

"I yama doll! And yah does what I says, yeah?"

"I do suppose that you've never been wrong before. Alright then. Hopefully there are jobs in this town."

"Yah right I nevah been wrong before! You'da be dead f'weren't fer me, Misser Deckard!"

"In retrospect, it was a bad choice selling my soul to the one scrap of cloth who could talk."

"S'right! Now giddyap!"

The doll kicks the man in the back of the head. Without flinching, he sighs and heads off into the town.

[AmberVael]

Aesa and Rafael appear.

[Kyrian]

Rafael looks around for something big

[AmberVael]

There is a pretty large tree a ways away.
And when I say 'pretty large' I mean that it is maybe three or four times larger than any other tree in the swamp.

[Kyrian]

Rafael looks at the tree, then down at his boots. Finally, he takes a step onto the swamp water. He smiles back at Aesa, and starts over to the tree.

[AmberVael]

Aesa moves after him, walking across air, water, and plants with absolutely no problem at all.
Selective incorporeality is a fun thing.

[Kyrian]

Show off... Rafael teases.

[AmberVael]

Aesa chuckles and swoops around him a bit before following him again.

[Kyrian]

Rafael chuckles and continues towards the tree.

[AmberVael]

As they get closer, Aesa's eyes begin to narrow.
Something seems familiar about this...

[Kyrian]

Rafael looks to her. Familiar how?

[AmberVael]

It reminds me of the world tree.

[Kyrian]

World tree?

[AmberVael]

Yggdrasil. The tree that holds up all the worlds.
This tree is just... Aesa trails off, letting her words hang.

Very much like it? Says a voice that somehow conveys the sense of far gone years and ancient days. It comes from behind them.

[Kyrian]

Rafael spins around to try and see where the voice came from.

[AmberVael]

The voice comes from a woman wearing gray robes. She is older, perhaps in her fifties or sixties, but somehow manages to look quite beautiful despite it.
Her hair is entirely white, but still full, and cut in a neat curling style about her head. There are lines along her face, but they merely enhance her pose and regal aura.
To offset her almost queenly appearance, she is holding a small basket in one hand that has assorted plantlife in it. She looks like she has been hunting around, and just stepped out of the nearby trees.
Hello Aesa, Rafael.
She bends over to pluck a small plant from the ground with oddly clean fingers. Speaking of which, the rest of her clothing and skin is quite clean as well, despite the fact that she is a in a swamp.

Aesa raises an eyebrow.
Hello, Urd.

[Kyrian]

Rafael just raises an eyebrow, wondering how this woman knew his name.

[AmberVael]

There is a slight pause.
I know most everything about the past, Rafael.
Urd straightens up with her prize and places it in the basket.

So why don't you tell me why you're here?

[Kyrian]

Rafael wonders what the past had to do with this.

[AmberVael]

Aesa sees the slight confusion on his face and chuckles.
She's reading your thoughts after they happen. It is one of the things she likes doing.

Urd inclines her head and starts walking off towards the tree.

Hey! We aren't done talking here.

[Kyrian]

So...do we follow?

[AmberVael]

We're done talking here, Aesa.
But we're not done talking. You know I don't like to spend time out in the cold.

Aesa grumbles at Urd's cryptic eccentricities and follows.

[Kyrian]

Rafael follows after Aesa, and gives a slight grin as he thinks dirty thoughts about her.

[AmberVael]

They eventually reach the tree and enter a small cave with a cauldron filled with some bubbling liquid.
Urd doesn't appear fazed by Rafael's thoughts at all. Considering she knows most people's pasts and thoughts, it isn't really new to her.

Aesa creates a chair for herself and Rafael and sits down nearby the cauldron.

[Kyrian]

Rafael sits as well, and waits for the talking to continue.

[AmberVael]

So...

We're here because Skuld wanted us to be here. Verdandi and I really didn't feel like arguing, so here we are.
Skuld keeps talking about how ragnarok will soon be fufilled or something.

[Kyrian]

Rafael thinks. Ok, Verdandi was Aesa's sister, he remembered being told that. What else. Ragnarök. He was told about that. End of the world. Again, wouldn't be the Town unless the end of the world came daily. Rafael continued to wait patiently, not really having anything to say.

[AmberVael]

Urd glances at Rafael.
Aesa's sister was named after my sister, Verdandi. It gets rather confusing, so we call little Verdandi Vera.

Aesa raises an eyebrow.
I thought Vera stopped that from happening pretty solidly.

[Kyrian]

So did I, actually.

[AmberVael]

Urd just raises her shoulders and hands in a shrug.
Like I said, we're just humoring Skuld. Honestly we're wondering if she's snapped.

Aesa chuckles darkly at the thought.

[Kyrian]

Rafael just nods.

[AmberVael]

I don't suppose you know where she is?

I might. But couldn't you figure it out yourself?

[Kyrian]

Rafael waits, his mind turning to his daughter, the ring on his hand, the Dark Saiyans, just random stuff.

[AmberVael]

Aesa rolls her eyes and puts an arm around Rafael.
Was there anything else you wanted, Aesa?
Aesa frowns and then looks at Rafael.

[Kyrian]

Rafael looks back at her. Hm?

[AmberVael]

Aesa shrugs and puts her head on his shoulder.

Urd waits patiently, stirring the liquid within the cauldron.

[Kyrian]

We waiting for something now, Aesa?

[AmberVael]

Do you want to do anything?

[Kyrian]

You hungry?

[AmberVael]

Aesa just shrugs.
I meant around here.

[Kyrian]

Rafael smiles in understanding. Hmm...anything interesting live here? Besides her? he gestures his head in Urd's direction.

[AmberVael]

Aesa frowns and looks at Urd.
Is this a replicate, or...?

Urd gestures to the tree.
This is sort of... a summary of yggdrasil. An image like it.

[Kyrian]

Rafael listens, not understanding once again.

[AmberVael]

Aesa rolls her eyes, finding it cryptic herself.
Let me be more specific- is Niddhog here?

Urd shakes her head.

[Kyrian]

Rafael keeps listening.

[AmberVael]

Aesa sighs.
Okay, yeah, lets go somewhere else.

Urd chuckles.
You find my company boring? I'm not that grandmotherly am I?

[Kyrian]

Rafael raises an eyebrow to that.

[AmberVael]

Aesa smirks.
No, but I think we were looking for a bit more adventure.

[Kyrian]

Rafael's still trying to comprehend the grandmotherly comment. Could this woman be Aesa's grandmother, or was she just saying that as a metaphor?

[AmberVael]

Metaphor. I think I'd be closer to Aesa's aunt.

[Kyrian]

Rafael nods.

[AmberVael]

Aesa hums and leans against Rafael.
I suppose we'll be going...

[Kyrian]

Rafael nods again and slowly stands, offering Aesa his hand.

[AmberVael]

Aesa stands up as well.
Good meeting you, I suppose. Do come and tell me if you figure out what your mother is up to, okay?
Aesa nods to her.

[Kyrian]

So then, where to?

[AmberVael]

We could go looking for my mother.
Aesa leads him away from the tree.

[Kyrian]

Rafael follows. What would you like to do, Aesa?

[AmberVael]

Aesa shrugs.
Find something different- something new. Honestly I feel like my life is stagnating again...

[Kyrian]

Rafael looks down. I'm sorry.

[AmberVael]

Aesa rolls her eyes.
And your stupid tendency to feel guilty for everything doesn't make it any better.

[Kyrian]

Rafael doesn't say anything and holds back his urge to growl at her.

[AmberVael]

Seriously, even if it is your fault, you don't have to apologize to me all the time. It honestly gets on my nerves.

[Kyrian]

Ok! Rafael looks around, not looking at Aesa.

[AmberVael]

Aesa looks at him for a moment, then just vanishes.

[Kyrian]

So you're just leaving me like this again?

[AmberVael]

He gets no answer.

[Kyrian]

Sure, why don't you just keep pushing the people that have stayed by your side away, like you always do. That's your god damn problem Aesa. When someone comes along that cares about who you are, you shocking push them away, just because things settle down a bit.

Rafael growls and pulls the ring off his finger. It vanishes in his hands and he walks off.

[LordVader]

A large procession of various creatures, among them, gorgons, gnolls, and hydras, arrives at the edge of the swamp. They are lead by a Lizardman. He looks around, nods satifiedly, and then orders them to begin constructing a Fortress ((swamp town from the game he's based on.))

A castle has begun to rise out of the swamp.

[LordVader]

The castle is completed. Alon mounts a Wyvern Monarch, and they rise into the sky, heading for Town. Five Lizardmen riding Wyverns accompany him.

[Admiral_Kelly]

A few thousand naval soldier secretly march into the swamp setting up and making camps around the castle, offset by about five-hundred yards each.

[Vhaidara]

Artemis appears.
I wish to see your leader.

[Admiral_Kelly]

Fifteen guns point at him from all around.

"We have strict orders. The only way that is happening is if you surrender and throw down your weapons."

[Vhaidara]

If you attack, we will have no choice but to join AMEN. Would you rather that or we stay nuetral?

[Admiral_Kelly]

Two elites step up to Artemis drawing their claymores. One of them says "We got the whole place surrounded and set up for a siege; this catsel's going to be ruble by the time we're through with it. Your better off surrendering."

[Vhaidara]

Artemis chuckles.
You have no idea what you're dealing with. So you'd rather have another enemy than an innocent bystander?

[Admiral_Kelly]

A sword now rests on Artemis's back. "I would wish you to surrender. It is dishonorable for one ninja to kill another."

[Vhaidara]

You think you could kill me?
Artemis laughs, and vanishes, appearing behind where he knows the other ninja is. His kukris are drawn.

[Draken]

A windstorm forms in the middle of the swamp, the water freezes and the breaths become visible in the cold air. Draken appears in the middle of his extremelly pompous teleport.

He is still wielding the Nullblade in his tail.

I hope you have a really good reason for calling me Artemis.

[Admiral_Kelly]

But since this ninja has Ninja Sight he swiftly turns around and has his sword drawn. The marines have their rifles pointed at Artemis and the elites move in closer.

The ninja says "This is your last chance. If you do not thrown down your weapons we will be required to kill you. You are outnumbered, and faced against another ninja. We will be the victors this day."

Upon seeing Draken appear, the marines point their rifles at him. One of the elites turns to him. "What is your purpose for being here?"

[Vhaidara]

If we must fight, it shall be in the realm of our stealth. The etheral plane.
Aretmis vanishes.

[Admiral_Kelly]

The ninja also vanishes. At this, all the marines and elites point their weapons at Draken.

[Draken]

All the marine elites are very brave or very stupid, for they are pointing their weapons to a 22 ft. tall twelve-headed monster wearing armor and with a windstorm centered at a black rift in the end of it's tail.

Umm, that is the motive. Fair enought.

Drop your weapons if you wish to leave this place.

Crossroads: if they do as ordered, he will stand still and wait for Artemis to return.

If they don't, he will do the following:

Draken swings the nullblade in his tail after the marines, but first he hits a tree.

The tree is vanishes into nothingness.

Draken also uss his Frost Breaths at the marines.

[Admiral_Kelly]

The marines feel a chill as the frost breath hits them.

An elite shouts "Aim for the heads and FIRE!"

The marines fire all at once at Draken, at least one gun is shooting at one head. The two elites hurl grenades at his body.

[Draken]

The soldiers should now notice that there is a dark blade of nothing heading to them.

Unless the bullets have some really strong magic enchantment (Epic), and that is very unlikely, the bullets aren't even able to get past the hydra's skin, that same protection, along with a magic iten that grants immunity to fire, protects him of most of the explosion's damage.

His fast healing will take care of the rest of the damage in no time.

Well, now just don't say I didn't give you a chance to avoid this, and I am not giving another.

Draken attacks the soldiers with his bite attacks.

(There is only one thing worse to kill than a paragon hydra, the Tarrasque)

[Admiral_Kelly]

OOC
Unless the bullets have some really strong magic enchantment (Epic), and that is very unlikely, the bullets aren't even able to get past the hydra's skin, that same protection, along with a magic item that grants immunity to fire, protects him of most of the explosion's damage.While their guns will create an explosion the speeding bullet is what causes the damage; not fire. What dose this mean for the Hydra?

[Draken]

(fire was due to the grenades, the Damage Reduction (DR) Draken has is what negates the damage of the guns)

[Admiral_Kelly]

(( darn it. let's see what Melee weapons will do... ))

The NullBlade is blocked by a marine's rifle, but it is removed from existence. Another marine is chomped by the Hydra.

"HEELLLP!" he cries. The two elites attempt to hack the hydra's head off to free their comrade. The other fourteen marines draw their cutlasses and charge at the Hydra's body.

[Draken]

The head that chomped the marine uses it's breath on the man.

Again, unless these cutlesses got some heavy enchanting, they will be uterly useless.

Draken keeps biting and swinging his Nullblade at the soldiers.

[Admiral_Kelly]

(( okay, now I have to say something; how the hell can he be immune to physical attacks including bullets and swords? resistant? okay sure I'll buy that; but immune? ))

One of the marines gets hit by the null blade. Three more are chomped by the monster. The first marine chomped by the creature freezes to death.

A marine cries out "Damn it! Our blades won't pierce through this creature's skin!"

The elites attacking the head with their now dead marine comrade inside decide to skewer the creature's head through the eyes thinking this may be a weak spot.

[Draken]

(He is resistant to the damage, and trust me, I doubt your soldiers would be able to make any real damage to his body, and most damage taken would be recovered by the fast healing.

And he is Immune to Fire, that is acctually pretty common)

The soldier hits Draken's eye, the hydra make sno sound, but turns the heads maw to try and cut the man in half.

That was very umpolite! Regeneration!

The damaged eye begins to slowly reform.

Draken uses six of his breath weapons again. The remaining four heads that took no action cast the following spells:

Wail of the Banshee (AoE death effect)
Chain Lightning (you must have an idea)
Damning Darkness (darkness that causes damage)
Dominate Person (...)

If the targeted marine is dominated, he will be ordered to shoot down his nearest (former) ally.

[Admiral_Kelly]

(( Both elites attacked the hydra's head. ))

The eyes cannot regenerate, for they never withdrew their claymores. The elites proceed in shoving the swords deeper into the hydra's skull while staying away from its mouth.

The combined attacks of the other heads kills four more marines and chaos and confusion amongst the rest. The dominated marine fires his rifle at point-blank range but it dose nothing since it was not re-loaded; silly hydra :smallwink:.

A captain patrolling the area sees the fighting and orders his men to form a formation to attack.

[Draken]

A very angry Epic spellcaster beings firing Desintegrate in the soldiers.

The sword reaches the head's brain, killing it. The head falls to the ground and two new heads sprout in place of it.

(:smallamused: I must thank you for giving me another action every round.)

[Admiral_Kelly]

The Hydra disintegrates three more marines. The captain, recognizing the monster, shouts out "That's a HYDRA! Retreat! Move out immediately!" All naval forces do so at his command.

The two elites start conversing as they flee.

"Ah crap. A hydra? I should of guessed it."

"Damn. We would have never been able to defeat that."

"How did Hercules fight off his hydra?"

"Burnt their heads down to the neck so they wouldn't grow back. No way we could have done that."

"Ya... Say! What if we kept cutting off heads until the hydra passed out due to blood loss?"

"No; that's a silly idea. It would never work."

[Vhaidara]

(Try the "Roy method"!)

[Draken]

Drakken let's the soldiers go away, seeing that his presence is not necessary anymore, he casts his extremely overbudgeted-in-special-effects teleport, going to god knows where.

[Admiral_Kelly]

The march into the swamps had otherwise been successful. Nine ten foot tall wooden towers are constructed armed with cannon taken from the ships. Each tower is stationed with military camps, each containing roughly two hundred and fifty soldiers. Only one blind spot exists and that is where the hydra was spotted.

[Vhaidara]

Artemis exits the castle and leans on the wall.

[Admiral_Kelly]

The guy from before steps out. "The name is Alexander and I want to join the guild. My expertise include hand-to-hand fighting, sneaking into and robbing buildings, and intimidation. I'm also well versed in many forms of torture."

[Vhaidara]

Artemis starts nodding as he deadtimes.

(Must... Reach... Death Secene in other plot!)

[Osnagard]

Sorry walks through the swamps, looking at the sights with no destnation in mind.

[Admiral_Kelly]

Two marines spot her.

"Looks as though she wandered in. I'll go and-"

"Wait; it could be a trap let's watch for a bit to make sure."

[Osnagard]

Sorry spots the Castle and, curious, heads towards it.

[Admiral_Kelly]

She is blocked by four marines.

"Where are you headed off to, little girl?" asks one of them.

[Osnagard]

"I'm goin' to the castle, mister." She says to the marine.

[Vhaidara]

Artemis undeadtimes and walks over.
Sorry, but that castle is a restricted area.

[Admiral_Kelly]

(( Bookboy, Sorry and the mentioned marines are at least 500 yards away from the castle. ))

[Osnagard]

If the marines have any kind of knife on them, Sorry attempts to discreetly steal one.

[Admiral_Kelly]

Sorry tries to grab a bayonet. To stop her, the marine tries to put his hand on her wrist. If successful, he will say "I wouldn't be touching that if I were you."

[Osnagard]

With a flip of the wrist, the bayonette is pointing upwards, and the soldier's hand is about to slam onto it.

[Admiral_Kelly]

His hand is skewered with the bayonet. "Yeearg!" he cries and walks away. Another marine attempts to knock the bayonet with his shortsword.

The wounded marine staggers off an is confronted by a mysterious white robed figure. "Do not be alarmed." he says as he heals the marine by use of magic.

[Osnagard]

Sorry dissapears with a characteristic poof, then reapears behind another of the marines, trying to both break his neck and slit his throat... at the same time.

[Admiral_Kelly]

She is successful and the marine dies. The other two have their shortswords drawn. The white robed figure casts a spell which should put a cage of light over Sorry, preventing her from using magic and escaping including by means of teleportation.

[thehothead]

BAD belatedly follows sorry.

Are you trying to hurt my little killer friend?
That's not a smart thing to do

BAD pulls starts swinging his axe as he looks for an opening

[Osnagard]

Sorry manages to half teleport before the cage of light hits, now there is a shadow of her in the cage and a shadow of her out. That's gotta suck.

[Admiral_Kelly]

The two marines attempt to block the axe with their shortswords. The third marine draws his and goes in for an attack. Giddian enchants the swords to be more powerful than normal.

[Osnagard]

The free portion of Sorry attempts to stab Giddian in the back of the head. Unfortuantly she simply passes straight through, dealing no damage.
"Nooooooooooooooooo!", both parts scream.

[thehothead]

((How do you block something that isn't an attack.
He was just swinging it around in midair.))

He blocks with the axe's head, then shoves it back towards the marine before swiping at his head.

[Admiral_Kelly]

The marine is pushed back but then ducks to avoid being hit in the head. The other two marines slash at BaldAxeDud as this happens.

Giddian feels the shadow pass through him and attempt to put that shadow in another cage of light.

[thehothead]

The axe suddenly morphs into a shield, blocking the attacks. The axe then seemingly dissappears.

Guess what I'm doing.

[Osnagard]

This part of Sorry is also trapped in the cage of light. She would protest, but the whole being ripped into two parts and held seperate has caused her to gain a case of serious deadtime.

[Admiral_Kelly]

Two marines attempt to attack either side of their hostile opponent. One thrusts his sword at his torso.

Giddian resurrects the fallen marine killed by Sorry earlier.

[thehothead]

Moving within attacking distance probably will cause the Marines to trip over the now invible axe-turned-trippy circle around BAD.
(TOTAL control over a single object rocks.)

Y' guessed wrong.

The axe then reaxeifys, and BAD swings at the most likely tripped marines

((Ressurect is NOT a simple battle thing. It takes time and resources. Otherwise that's just stupid.))

[Admiral_Kelly]

(( Giddian is one of those charachters that is just that powerful. There are certain conditions on his form of resurrection but I will get into them later. ))

The marines trip and fall over. As the ax comes down on one of them Giddian attempts to put a cage of light around him.

The resurrected marine gets up, although a bit confused. Seeing the battle, he draws his shortsword.

[thehothead]

... The cage of light is successfully placed around BAD. The axe froms a translucent sphere around him, and he takes a nap until the Cage goes away.

[Admiral_Kelly]

Giddian and the marines deadtime. If the trapped charachters' undeadtimes before they do, the cage is dispelled and they are free to go.

[thehothead]

((Not deadtimed, just waiting.))
Seeing as the clause was that he had to undeadtime, BAD manages to force a one second deadtime on himself.
His axe then returns to normal, and he draws a mustache on one of the marines with dirt. He realizes that helping sorry would take to long, apologizes to sorry, and leaves.

[Xaspian]

A young-ish man with shoulder-length, dark hair walks through the swamp, whistling. He notices the castle, and begins to head towards it.

[Admiral_Kelly]

A few marines stop him by pointing their bayonet-equipped guns at the stranger.

"What is your purpose here?" one of them asks.

[Xaspian]

Me? Oh, I was just going for a walk in the countryside. Why, what are you fellows doing all the way out here so well armed?

His robes are more than a little muddy, and his clothing and bearing doesn't seem to be that of someone just 'out for a walk'.

[Admiral_Kelly]

The marine takes a good look at him and says "Oh no. We're not buying that. Your coming with us."

[Xaspian]

I have no objections. Were are we going? Is there a nice view?

[Admiral_Kelly]

"I think the Admiral would like a word with you." They head over to the base camp.

(( new thread ))

[Xaspian]

Pelgof follows, occasionally stopping to take a sample of interesting plant-life, placing it in a small pocket on his belt.