[Game Thread] Chapter 1: Fractured Reality

[LordJecks]

"Suit yourself" says Brother Damian neutrally to Nightwalker moving to allow the man up without people hovering over him. The first of the casualties of the assault dealt with Damian moves behind the bar to inspect the fallen bartender checking to see if the man truly needed healing or just a good couple hours of sleep.

"As for the... showy gentleman who left that parchment and dagger I would say he was speaking in prophecies. The note he left also seems to be one, though I do not know what it means... perhaps we can find a sage to help us?"

[Timeless Prophet]

OOC Sorry for the confusion guys. I misunderstood who was looking at the note so I apologize. I hope this with rectify the situation.

Nightwalker takes the note and scans it over, "Eh, what they hell is this? This makes as much sense as the babble he was spewing from his mouth." He turns and looks at Ophelia apparently just registering her question. "Nay lassy, I don't know what tongue it was. Maybe that damned dwarf can help us...speaking of where is the tubby little drunkard?" Nightwalker crosses to the stairs and looks up them. "HEY MR. ALEBOTTOM WHY THE HELL DON'T YOU WAKE UP AND MAKE YOURSELF USEFUL?!?! WE GOT A SITUATION DOWN HERE!!!"

There is some rummaging and creaking of floor boards above you. A moment later Karlon comes trotting down the stairs. He has a queasy yet perturbed look on his face. He is dressed in a red nightgown. He glares at the elven bard. "Aye what the hell be so damned important you have to wake the gods of the dead to get me down here?"

Nightwalker shakes his head, "Tell me what you can make of this here prophecy tubby." He extends out his hand with the note in it.

Karlon takes the note and places a thin pair of spectacles that were hanging from his collar. He scans the note for a minute. He mumbles the note aloud:

Lady Lust
Sovereign of Sloth
Prelate of Pride
Empress of Envy
Warlord of Wrath
Venerate of Voracity
Regent of Rapacity

May Lady Lust learn the error of vice
Before she finds the Hells colder than ice...
On the Halls of the Holy where justice doth ring
Here the little whore swings...

Though death she may feign...
Six will remain...
None shall escape the coming trial
Even though all the while
they feign just the same...

"Well it takes any first year nimwit at any mage academy worth its salt to recognize that this isn't a prophecy any respectable oracle came up with. Judging by the script and the rambling yet rhyming scheme, I would guess you are dealing with your garden variety loon who thinks he can see the future." He takes a closer look at the note for a moment. "Aye, what's this? Hmm it appears that your loon might be semi-coherent. It mentions the 'Halls of the Holy' and 'justice ringing'. You know the Grand Cathedral of the Faithful used to be the local courthouse some hundred years ago and the bells they rung when a criminal was found guilty are the same ones that are in the bell towers today. Tell me did anything come with this note in might be important to deciphering what this person is babbling about? Also, where is Arshana?"

[Shards Of Light]

The cloaked figure standing behind the bar rolls the dagger so it's blade is in his hand, and extends the grip to the dwarf, speaking in the same artificial voice: "This was impaled in it."

[LordJecks]

The priest shuffles his feet slightly not happen at the potentiality of it being a genuine prophecy. He hated prophecies... "She was suppose to meet us here tonight" he said coolly to Mr. Alebottom.

[EnixH]

After the bard had stood up, Allan got up as well and paced over to the windows facing out into the street as he peered carefully out them, listening intently to the conversation going on between those in the main room discussing the note.

He seemed to stop and think for a moment as Arshana was mentioned. I have a feeling our fair maiden is in danger. First this...'attack'...and now she has gone missing. Does she live here in the inn? Or does she hold residence somewhere else? He speaks to the others as he turns around and walks over.

[Timeless Prophet]

The dwarf takes the dagger. He begins spinning it slowly in his hands, closely examining all the surfaces. "Odd..." are his first words to you. "Something about this blade work looks eerily familiar. Not drow, or orc, or goblin...pfft goblin that's a joke. Hmm possibly infernal or abyssal in nature...No it's not constructed from the right stuff. I know have seen this some where." He comes down the stairs all the way and strolls over to a table setting the blade on it. He then walks toward a door on the back wall that leads to the basement. "Possibly ex-celestial maybe...hrm..." He mumbles as he opens the door and disappears down the staircase.

Nightwalker stares with his mouth open in confusion at the door. "Where the hell did he wander off to now?"

A groan comes from Peynar as he rises to his feet and looks painfully over the bar. "That crazy old dodder has a partial library in the basement. Arshana lets him keep it so he can reference things for her when she needs it." Peynar limps out from behind the bar. "As for Arshana, she sleeps in the suite on the top floor." The halfling motions his head toward the stairs. "First room on the right when you get to the top of the stairs on the fifth floor." He fumbles around in his pockets for a moment before taking out a fine silver key. "Here is the key if she isn't there...you might find some clue inside...I wouldn't suggest moving anything though. Arshana has a terrific memory and becomes annoyed when things are moved out of their rightful place in her room." He says as he lays the key down on the table. The halfling turns to Nightwalker. "Why don't you go to Margeria Sedray's place and see if she can send over the boys to help clean up and then you and her can go see if you can find Arshana through your contacts."

Nightwalker raises an eyebrow at the halfling, "Aye and what are you going to be doing? Sit there and bleed all night?"

Peynar glared at the elf, "I am going to get the bar put back together before Arshana sees it. But sitting around and bleeding does come in a close second." The halfling adds as Nightwalker heads out the door. Peynar turns to the lot of you and speaks, "Well it looks like your first job is going to be rescuing your boss...best get to it."

[Shards Of Light]

The hooded figure whips a gloved hand out and grasps the key, turning and walking out toward the stairs, and from there moving up toward the top floor. When he arrived, he opened the door, and looked around inside, calling in his artificial voice. "Arshana? Are you in here?"

[Jinx_Greyflower]

[Ophelia]

The elf stared longingly at the secret door leading to the hitherto unknown basement library. Her eyes tracked the spellcaster down the stairs, listening to the sound of his footsteps long after his form was lost in the darkness.

"So many secrets...."

With a sigh, she follows the others upstairs.

"Has anyone given any thought to the possibility that she's...you know ... 'entertaining'?" she asks. In response to her own words, images of their boss caught in flagrante delicto with some handsome guy--or guys--spurs her onward.

"Though, I can't imagine her not coming down to investigate all that ruckus. If she's up there, there might be something wrong. We should hurry!"

[EnixH]

Allan also joins his compatriots upstairs, but not immediately going in to examine Arshana's room right away as Killic was. Instead, he ducks into his room and quickly grabs his staff,running his fingers over the intricate carvings. He had a feeling he would be needing it soon. Slowly exiting his room, he locks his door and joins up with the others, himself staying outside Arshana's room and keeping watch, lest they be surprised.

I would think even Arshana would put important life or death business before getting some...entertainment,as it were." He muses from behind Ophelia. "If I knew that a guy was going to rush in and attempt to kill many people before going up in a blaze, it'd sure be a mood killer"

[Timeless Prophet]

As you climb the stairs to the fourth floor, the inn suddenly begins to shake and creak. .You hear shattering wood and glass from the various rooms on the floor you are on. From above you suddenly hear a woman's scream followed by a deep male voice.

"Kalie kay le tar, my lady"

[LordJecks]

Brother Damian having followed the rest of their pieced together group up the stairs to their employeers room shook his head at the sound of the scream. "Gonna be one of those nights..." he mutters. Turning to the others, who were standing between him and the door, he motions towards the door, "Someone going to open that or we going to stay out here and listen?"

[Timeless Prophet]

With Brother Damian's comment as you all reach the fifth floor, Killic reaches out and unlocks the door. Suddenly a gust of wind rips the door open and you are staring into Arshana's room. Many of the trinkets and pieces of furniture that once lined the room are now scattered across the floor in a broken heap. The most notable feature though is the large gaping hole in the side of the building. A swirling mass of red energy appears just outside the hole and you can clearly see what appears to be a bell tower at the center of it. A random bolt shoots off from the side of the mass tearing into the wall. A large piece of it breaks off and is drawn into thee mass. Another scream emanates from the energy mass as you stand in the room.

[Shards Of Light]

"Oh, I just know I'm going to regret this..." Killic says, not bothering to disguise his voice. He then grabs the closest flexible solid material, bedsheets, or what have you, and hands one end to one of the stronger looking members of the makeshift party. "Hold this." he says, making it as long as he can and gripping the opposite edge in a vicegrip. He then walks out to the edge of the solid area, and takes a moment to twist the material around his wrist, knotting it and continuing to hold it with his close hand. He then begins leaning out toward the energy mass, looking for the source of the scream.

[Timeless Prophet]

As Killic edges out he slowly begins to feel a pull. Suddenly a crackle of energy strikes him and he lets out a cry. He is then ripped into the vortex as those accompanying him look on stunned.

[Jinx_Greyflower]

[Ophelia]

"Well, that was an object lesson if I've ever seen one," the elf comments. "I'm going down to the spellcaster's library to see if he can banish or even reverse this thing."

She turns and begins rushing down the stairs towards the bar.