The World of Skara Brae

Aaron went up to Edvin and channeled a little positive energy into him.

James replied "Well, we'd want one healer per group. I'm guessing Aaron would be out of commission right now so that just leaves you and Mellara. Considering she already left to rescue Drek and I need you as a witness, I'll be travelling to meet the gnomes along with you."

Claire said: "Hold on, I'll go see about Arron" And then she ran off towards Mellara. When she got beside Mellara she said: "Let's check on Arron before we go to the tower. Maybe he's better now."

Meanwhile Mal said: "Gnomes, James? Which Gnomes, the ones in the Airship, or the ones in Amkethran?"

Ceclilia said: "Speaking of airships.. let's see if I can spot it if I get up higher." She then unfurled her wings and sprinted about five yards down the street before jumping up and flapping her wings. She then soared up and up and up, clearing the rooftops and circling around behind the top of the inn.

Meanwhile, back in a Amkethran, Drek finally found the key to the trapdoor just as Sam finished cutting the magic belt off the dark-clothed thief. Drek said: "Good point, Sam. He or she... or they... may well have been one and the same. Could have been they were trying to draw Eruantian into a trap of some kind out by burning down his Inn, or perhaps they were aligned with the Drow and just wanted to wreck something of his. Either way, someone's been spying on me longer than I had thought. Ah ha! Looks like I've got the key, Sam. Let's see if we can get out of here now." Drek took the golden-looking necklace and inserted it into the matching depression in the trap door, and the gave it a twist. As he finished turning the necklace-that-was-a-key in it's key hole, a mechanism of some kind could be heard, and then the trap door popped open. Drek pushed it up a bit, poked his head up, and peered out. He whispered: "Looks like we're in some kind of warehouse here, Sam." Drek poked his head out a bit more and looked up. "Wow! The roof is all glass, and it's so high I bet you could fly an airship around in here... Hey, maybe that's what this is... like some kind of indoor dock for airships. Well, I must say I am impressed. The gnomes certainly didn't have anything like this the last time I was in Amkethran, they're industrious little fellows, that's for sure. Anyways, well... there's a five-foot high stack of sacks of rice to my right... can't see beyond that until I get up a bit higher... and there's a brick wall to the left that goes all the way to the roof. However, I can see a gnome-sized door in a 10-foot-high wall about 100 yards in front of me, and these stacks of rice go about half way to that wall. Wow, that's a whole lot of rice. You could feed a small army with all that rice. Well, I don't see any movement, but I can hear distant voices. Can't make out what they're saying. Lets climb out of this hole and see what we can see. Stay low, and stay quiet until we know what else is out there."

"Hmmm... alright then" said Mellara, looking as if she didn't wish to wait on going to mages, but still accepting that course of action "Let us hurry then"

Sam nods her head and then moves towards Drek, storing the cut belt one of her pouches while doing her best not to touch the metal "Drek, what do we do about her...?"

James said "I guess the airship. I want things to be quicker right now..."

As Aaron channelled some positive energy to Edvin, he could feel the usual transfer of healing power. When he was done, Edvin said: "Hey, that tingles. And.. uh.. I feel a bit better. Thanks."

Just then, Gerrard came up from the "secret" cellar (which wasn't much of a secret any more) and said: "Hey Aaron, the innkeeper says he'll be glad to fix us some food as soon as he can find some firewood and a pot to cook in. Oh, hey Edvin. How are you doing?" Edvin replied: "I feel alright I guess, but this change has me baffled. I'm all... normal... now. All my powers are gone too. I guess I should be thankful.. I mean, I wanted to be a normal human again... but I guess I got used to being a Specter. What happened, anyways? I can't remember what happened after we entered the market square and that dragon showed up."

Meanwhile, Mellara and Claire were walking back to the bar. Claire, apparently wanting to fill the empty silence with idle conversation, said to Mellara: "So.. uh... I'm from a little farm on the coast of the sea, near Glenarbour. Where are you from, Mells? Can I call you Mells?"

All the while, Cecilia was flying around looking for the airship. She called out to James: "I see it, I see it! It's laying upside down by a tree just outside the walls over on the north side of town. Looks like the hull is intact, but I don't see the balloon."

Orren said: "Alright then, what are we waiting for? Lets go."

Glenis Vell said: "Let me expedite that for us, James." The Archon waved his arms in front of him and said (in a strangely echoing voice) GATE!" A shimmering light appeared, and from it a circular hole in space expanded until it was about 10 feet wide. It was bordered by a brightly glowing blue border. On the other side of this gate, another place could be seen. It was, as Cecilia had said, outside the walls of Targos, near a small cluster of trees. The airship could be seen too. As Cecelia had said, it was upside down, and it's balloon was nowhere to be seen. The ship looked like it was perhaps five yards away. Two little Gnomes could be seen laying on the ground next to the airship's hull, and both appeared to be male. Neither one was moving, and one of the two looked like he might be dead as there was a lot of blood on him and several deep claw-marks on his chest. The other looked to be banged up a bit, but he wasn't bleeding and didn't have any obvious wounds. The gnomes were dressed in clothes that appeared to be some sort of uniform, as they were both identical. They had grey knee-high leather boots that had brass buttons on the front, a set of black-and-red striped trousers, a black-and red striped shirt, a black leather vest with four pockets on the front, and a black leather belt with a brass buckle. They both had tall cylindrical caps with visors, a small brass badge on the front, and a white plume on the top. The cap was trimmed in red on the top and there was short black braided cord that was attached to one side. A chin-strap held the hats onto the heads of the gnomes.

Meanwhile, back in Amkethran, As Sam touched the belt, the ring on her finger said to her, silently, in her mind: "Attention! Magic artifact encountered. Artifact broken, unable to drain power. Copying available magic.... Teleportation enchantment acquired. Haste enchantment acquired. Increased agility enchantment acquired. Heightened reflexes enchantment acquired. Not enough power available to use acquired enchantments, please find suitable power source. Message ends." In answer to her question, Drek whispered to Sam: "Oh, right. I almost forgot. Gag her, and then we'll leave her here."

edited 12th Feb '13 3:39:51 PM by TheSarge

Sam blinked as she heard the little voice in her head... shaking her head as it whispered words she only mostly understood. Copying magic? The ring was copying what the belt did? The effects he was mentioning did sound quite good... but how could she find a power source? Actually, what is a power source?

Many possibilities flashed through her mind as she looked down at her father's ring... However, she would need to ponder over things as they happened. She was already grateful at it for giving her vision in the dark when she needed it the most.

But for now, she needed to do as Drek instructed "Understood"

She then walked over to the bound thief and after checking her bonds again gagged her, whispering with some annoyance "You're very lucky. But if you cross paths with us again, know that I'll make sure your luck ends"

Mellara smiled and then nodded her head "You may call me as you wish, little one. And as for where I'm from... I'm from the wilds. The forests, the mountains, the plains, the deserts... I've traveled long and far calling every tree and grove my home. I was born elsewhere, but my true home is the whole world"

"Yeah, lets get moving" said James. And so, the werewolf ran into the gate.

Orren said to James: "Right behind you, James." Mal, Kalan and Glenis Vell fell in behind James. However, Cecelia did not, simply because she preferred to fly to the airship. When James stepped through the gate, his senses came alive with the sounds and smells of the place. Drawing on his ranger training and his natural instincts, James immediately got the idea that there had been a short battle here; He could discern several signs of a struggle. For instance, there was the smell of brimstone lingering in the air; There were Gnome-sized bootprints on the ground that showed telltale signs of a battle, and alongside those were pawprints that could only have come from a large dog or a wolf; The possibly-dead Gnome had claw marks on him consistent with a large dog of a wolf, and also there were two distinctly different kinds of blood on the injured gnomes, which told him that there was at least one other injured party to this scene. Turning his gaze further afield, James could see a trail of blood droplets leading away from the possibly-dead Gnomes; The trail led to the airship's hull. James could also sense that the animals in the nearby forest had been disturbed by some sort of loud noise, but that wasn't surprising considering recent events.

Mal rushed over to the side of the Gnome and said: "He's badly injured... but he's not dead. Not quite, anyways." She laid her hands on the Gnome and started chanting a healing spell. Orren and Kalan stepped up beside the other Gnome and looked down. Orren said: "So that's a gnome, aye? Funny, I thought they'd be... you know... kind of like Dwarves, but without the beards. He looks like he's got beaten up, but he's breathing... probably just got knocked out."

Meanwhile, Sam and Drek were creeping silently out of the underground storage area they had been in. Drek took the quiver of arrows from off his hip and whispered: "Here Sam, take this. Good thing I strapped on two of them before we got abducted. Unfortunately Claire was holding the other two at the time... I hope she's alright." Drek got his bow ready and took out an arrow from the other quiver, the one on his back. He continued: "We're in trouble here, Sam. This is Amkethran, he city of the Gnomes. Amkethran is also the name of this island, and it's a long, long way from Targos. What's worse, a lot of the Gnomes became suspicious of outsiders after the Drow War, and that means that if we just go walking around in the open we're going to draw unwanted attention. What's even worse is that I suspect our abductors were working for Ananya Rangarajan, and if that's true then we're in deep trouble. I suppose I should explain; Ananya Rangarajan is an old foe of mine. She is one of the few Gnomes who practice magic, but she's also one of the best. She is a criminal mastermind that specializes in deception, illusions, intrigue, and betrayal. She also has a penchant for collecting rare or historically significant objects, which is one of the reasons I suspect she was behind all this. The last time we crossed paths, she was involved in a scheme to sell substandard weapons to the lizzardmen at inflated prices, but that's far from the worst thing she's ever done. Let's just say that if there's a criminal enterprise anywhere in the known world, it's even odds that she and her organization are involved. The only real advantage we have now is that she doesn't know we're here yet because the kidnappers never got a chance to tell her. I used to have a few contacts in Amkethran, but that was so long ago I doubt if they'd even remember me. Ok, let's see... it's near sundown, and from the smell of it we must be near the shoreline. As I see it, we've got three options: One, we hole up somewhere and wait for rescue. Two, we try and get off the island ourselves somehow. Three, we find whoever is the law around here and try and reason with them. Frankly, I think all three are bad options, but I don't see any better ones right now. What do you think?"

Meanwhile, Mellara and Claire had just arrived back at the inn. As they walked in, Gerrard stood up and said to them: "Oh, hello you too. Hey, look; Edvin and Arron are awake, and Edvin is human again. Nifty, aye? Wait, why are you back so soon? Something's wrong, isn't it?" Clire said: "Yeah, some bad lady kidnapped Sam and Drek. Mellara used her magic to find them, and they're in Amkethran. James is back with a new friend, and they're gonna try and get the gnomes in the airship to help them save Sam and Drek." Gerrard looked stunned. He said: "Whoa...Amkethran?! Seriously? Is that place even real?" Edvin stood up and said to Aaron: "Would someone please explain what the heck is going on? Last thing I remember, we were being attacked by a dragon. I wake up in an Inn with a hole in the roof and my body fully corporeal. What am I missing here???"

[GM's Note: Oops, i wrote "Sam" at the beginning of the fourth paragraph when I meant "Claire." That's what you get when you write when you're sleepy, folks. Fixed.]

edited 23rd Feb '13 10:51:01 PM by TheSarge

Sam let out a breath of relief as Drek handed her a full quiver of arrows to replenish her own dwindling supply of two. Then she thought about their alternatives, not liking a bit any of the choices either "Patience benefits the hunter, not the prey. And in this island we are prey. Only haste and movement might help us. We should try to find an authority, I think. Secrecy might be our enemy... nobody likes criminals, right? And even if there are people working with a criminal, they can't act on it when people are watching. So, perhaps not being hidden might be to our advantage"

"Prince Drek really does associate with most peculiar people. And tends to attract trouble on a daily basis from what I'm hearing. I don't know much about your, apparently, new body... but right now we have a new crisis and the prince and the little archer girl that stays with your group appear to be in quite some trouble. We must move" says Mellara.

"Guys, be on guard" James said bluntly. He pointed to the paw prints and said "I doubt those are from the run of the mill wolf, there's something telling me that came from something supernatural. The smell, the other animals, everything just feels off..."

Aaron tried to keep a calm composure, hoping it would rub off on Edvin. "To be honest, I'm not too sure. I was sleeping from overusing spells."

Drek replied to Sam: "Alright then; If we're going to find someone in authority, then we should put our weapons away so as not to unduly alarm anyone. Now, I speak a bit of Gnomish, but it's been a long time since I was here, and even then I wasn't here very long. Let's just hope someone on this island speaks Common or Sperethiel." Drek put the arrow he had in his hand back in the quiver on his back, and then put his bow on his back as well. He checked his gear to make sure nothing was missing, and finding everything in order he said: "Ok, let's have a look around." The floor Drek and Sam were standing on felt like some sort of stone, but it was like no stone Sam had ever felt; Like stone it was cold and hard and very solid, but it was one continuous slab with no visible lines or groves or joints that she could see. Even the marble of some of the buildings she had seen in Glenarbour and Targos were nowhere near this size, and she doubted very much if anyone could find that large of a stone and use it for a floor. Where the floor met the brick wall a tiny gap less than an inch high could be seen. Drek walked slowly and carefully down the row of rice sacks.

Meanwhile, back at the Inn, Edvin looked at Aaron and sighed. He said: "I'm sorry I yelled, guys. This is just so sudden... it is a little unnerving to see myself like this after so many years... but ... if Drek and Sam are in trouble, you can count me in. At least I still have my gear... and my keen deductive reasoning. " Gerrard said: "That's the spirit, buddy." Edvin said: "Thanks." Edvin got up and said: "I assume we're going to the tower to find Micheal the Archmage, right? I mean, if anyone can get us to wherever Drek is, Micheal can."

As all this was happening, just as James had just finished warning his compatriots of the danger he sensed, Orren imediately took a defensive stance, Kalan reached for his knives, and Mal said: "Thank the goddess, she has healed the Gnome a bit. He's not going to die right now but we better get him some help fast or I don't know what will happen. Sadly, I am not as skilled in healing as I am in calling upon Her for destruction. Archon, can you help heal him?" Glenis Vell said: "No. It is unfortunate, but I have no skill is such matters. Only in the pursuit of justice." Just then, the other Gnome said softly and without opening his eyes: "Pip.. get him to Pip... Pip is a doctor." Kalan bent down and said: "Who's Pip?" The gnome opened his eyes and blinked a bit like a man waking up from sleeping. He said "Pip is the ship's surgeon. Last I saw of him, he was in the captain's quarters." The gnome then turned his head, saw Mal, and a look of fear and surprise came upon his face. He said, under his voice: "What's that Drow doing here?"

Meanwhile, Cecilia continued to fly towards the Gnomish Airship.

edited 28th Feb '13 7:12:06 AM by TheSarge

"Hmm... understood, Drek" says Sam, not really liking the thought of not having a weapon at hand... though in a pinch she could always draw her blade quite quickly. Thus, she slung her bow across her torso and then proceeded to follow Drek through this unnerving and alien place.

A few steps back so as to be in a good position in case some trouble appeared.

"Indeed, that was my first proposed destination. If you gentlemen are ready and willing, would you accompany us to pledge our case and explain the situation?" asks Mellara.

"That probably would be a good idea" said Aaron.

James responded to the Gnome in a casual voice "Oh her, don't worry, she's not a threat right now.

[ GM's very sad note: Hey guys, I'm sorry to report that I simply do not have time to run this game now. My dad is very ill; He went into the hospital last Monday and the doctors say his condition is "Interesting", but I take that to mean "we don't know what is wrong with him but it is killing him." All they know for sure now is that he has some kind of infection they haven't been able to treat successfully. They've been running test after test but still haven't come up with an answer. Besides my mom, I'm the only family member he has is in the city now, so I need to be there for him when I can & as often as I can. It is regrettable that I shall have to suspend this game indefinitely, but my family comes first for me. I hope you guys understand. So, for now at least, this is The Sarge signing off.]

Oh Sarge, that is awful I do hope your dad can get better... but indeed, now you need to be with your family. May you and yours have the best of luck and all blessings possible... and if we don't ever continue this, do know that I will always remember this game as one of the best I've ever played.

Thank you for being such a great GM all these years, Sarge.

<OOC: Well, as one who played this game for several years, I have to admit, it has been fun and developed my ability as an RPer. I'm glad you've G Med all the time you could and hope the best for your family!>

[[GM's last note: I thought you guys should know what happened. My dad died this past last Saturday. He had polycythemia, which is a rare form of blood cancer. At the end he was unable to breathe on his own, and nothing the doctors could do would ease his suffering anymore. And so the family made the decision, together, to let dad pass away. The funeral was yesterday. I'm crying a bit as I write this.

There were quite a lot of people at the funeral, some of whom I either had never met or didn't remember meeting... my dad had a lot of friends. He was even friends with the priest presiding over the funeral. You know how it is at these kinds of things. Anyways, it was a very nice funeral, I cried a lot, my sister and my mom and my niece cried a lot more, and then we went to the grave-site for the actual burial. Then a wake at mom's house... I say mom's house now, used to be mom & dad's house but now that dad's passed on it's just her's... that's gonna take some getting used to. Then a supper at a restaurant owned by a close friend of dad who insisted on giving out free shots of liqueur at the end (one per person) so we could all toast dad. I got to catch up with some of my distant relatives, including two cousins I haven't seen since I was a teenager.

Anyways, I'm the closest family mom has in town now, although my niece (mom's granddaughter) does live in town now. Mom needs to lean heavily on me for help and support for a quite a while, so I'm going to have to cut back my hours at work and cancel this World Of Skara Brae project permanently so I can primarily devote my time to care for my mother.

It's been a blast writing this story with you and it's been good to know what little of your imagination as I did. Don't stop imagining and dreaming and storytelling. Thanks for playing. Farewell, and may all meet again someday in that little Glenarbour inn in the sky.

Yours truly; The Sarge. ]

Thank you for the wonderful world we shared, Sarge.

No matter how much time passes, I'll always remember this... one of my first R Ps and one I love deeply.

May you have strength to face what lies ahead and may your mother and you enjoy great health, both in spirit and body.

Thank you very much.