Larian Studios Forums General Chat Chat (Anything) Define Infinity

The attack was over then.....at least for now. I had seen Nero decimate the raiders in a flash of light. Demonic power-strange yet rather scary, I would never understand it. I saw some of the party actually pass through the magical barrier as if it weren't there. "How the hell did they do that?" I wondered, simultaneously contemplating if I could do it myself.
There were still some people missing. Kiya had not returned, neither had Dragh... Most of the party was still picking through the loot though.

When Nero did his impression of dynamite ( ... dynamite? ... dyno might? ... ) the invisible barrier shimmered with St. Elmo's Fire for a few seconds. The concussion did not reach us inside the barrier, but for some reason:

[color:"orange"]Foooom![/color] my little Bag of Tricks burst wide open, spewing diamonds everywhere.

"Ach! Those things sting!" said Hypatia. "What did you do? Are those ... diamonds?"

"I didn't do anything!" I protested. I guessed that the mana cost of the explosion must have been paid out of our collective mana purses (whatever that means), and released the little spell that keeps my Bag of Tricks closed. "The bag just flew open on it's own."

While we stood there in stunned silence, letting our credulity catch up with our senses, the diamonds lay on the ground in a perfectly round mound trying to look like a snowdrift. As we all began to verbally assess Nero's performance with words like "Wow!", "What the ... ?", and "Holy bomblast, Batman!", the diamonds decided to join the fun. As if listening to some silent version of the Nutcracker Suite, they rose off the ground and began twirling and swarming like gnats or pixies dancing around their queen.

Hypatia scolded me gently, "BG, if you don't stop that, I'll never kiss your 'boo boo' again."

"But, Hypatia, I didn't *[color:"yellow"]do[/color]* anything!" I complained in self-defense. "Honest!" She wasn't convinced. "And, besides, you always kiss my nose or my noggin. You never kiss my booboo." And I turned around, bent over, and innocently pointed at my rear end, to make sure she knew which part of an Imp is his or her booboo. She just crossed her arms and looked disapprovingly at me, but the smile in her eyes gave her away.

I gazed around at the commotion caused and was shocked...total and utter destruction. "Holy S...." I muttered to myself...once said I realized that I was only held up by leaning on my sword...suddenly I collapsed with a soft thud I hit the unharmed earth beneath my feet, and lay barely conscious.

Hypatia saw Nero fall and rushed toward him, saying over her shoulder: "I see another 'boo boo' that needs kissing."

Since everything else appeared to be under control, I decided to join the diamonds in their dance. I pretended to hear the music, and used my best floating curtsies, mimicking ballerina twirls and improvising some inverted spins of my own design. As we danced, the ground below us (the diamonds and me) began to fall away, like soot on a shaken furnace grate, revealing a large sink hole below.

A bluish glow at the bottom of that otherwise black hole invited the diamonds to float down into the hole, continuing their dance on the way.

I decided that I should stay with the group (this time), and let the diamonds have their fun. They seemed to like the tinkling sounds that rose up from the pit, although I could have sworn that I heard Wolfy's panting echoing up from that bluish-glowy-holy place.

Warning the others of the new danger, I yelled "Hypatia! If you guys decide to come back into the barrier, watch out for this big hole in the ground!"

Then I found a comfortable fallen log to sit on while I examined my Bag of Tricks for damage, and inventoried its contents.

That Imp was a strange one and no mistake. Funny though. Nero had collapsed, his body barely able to handle the massive energy it had channeled. Hypatia was tending to him. Always useful to have a healer in the group. So what was this magic wall? Could only magic users pass through? I took Beegee's advice and closed my eyes while walking towards it. I felt a slight resistance. "I must be passing through." I thought. I could feel the magical energy coursing through me, almost bathing in it I let it wash over me. Then I was inside. "What is this place?" I said almost to myself. Beegee seemed occupied. He had his head stuck in his bag...

While we were on the the 'other' side of the barrier, we saw Nero collaps. Hypatia was helping him out. I turn away to the road ahead. There was something strange about this place, it was almost as if it was not there. somekind of an illusion.

Suddenly my symbol glowed.... O no danger around. I grabbed the dagger Nero gave me and instictivly turned and truw it through the barrier.
It hitted an orc right between the eyes. With a big yell of pain the big guy fell down. Without thinking i grabbed my sword and jumped right at him. (How did i do that???) I waved my sword around, eyes closed. I dont know how long i turned and hit the orc before i came to a stand still.

Still trying to catch my breath, i looked at the orc (or at least what was left of it). Did i do that??? With my eyes closed???? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" /> The only thing i saw was an orc in pieces or should i say slices? What the hell happened??? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> I had to sit down for a while, this had taken alot of my strenght.

"You shure?" i asked BG.
"Well i'd better thrust him for this time". i thought by myself and closed my eyes.
I started running forward but suddenly there was a great explosion which completely shot forward into the air.
I was shot right trough the barier.
Luckily BG was right: It didn't hurt when i closed my eyes... But my landing on the ground shure DID hurt.

"AUCH, hey BG stop laughing please!
Yeah i know it looks funny but it hurt."

Then i looked up and saw the results of Nero's attack..
"Man, that's monsterous!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" /> , what an attack!!"

[color:"red"]Dumm... tarumm... tarantadumm..[/color]

The tune changed again, softly at first then growing louder... sterner... demanding... staccato!! My heartbeat took over this rhythm - my blood rushed faster through my veins, it was exciting - never felt so alive before. I heard the thumping of wardrums, the singing arrow hitting its target, then thunderclap of explosions, the crescendo of deathcries.

[color:"#a0a0ff"]THIS IS THE SOUND OF WAR ... many fell for its fascination... few thought of the costs...[/color]

I looked up and saw to my horror the crystals had changed their gentle dance. They whirled around, in hunt for their neighbour and then clashed into it. Thrown back by its force they hurled themselves on the next. The whirl became faster and wilder, I could not make out single crystals anymore - just a swirling mass of blue, showering me with shards and splitters.

[color:"yellow"]Noooo, stop it...[/color]

I leapt up as high as I could, trying to prevent the crystals from destroying each other by using my hands to separate them. It was of no use, one crystal after the other cracked and broke, falling to the ground in little pieces. I did not give up, I fought on grimly, determined to stop this dance of destruction... my heart kept on pounding louder and louder, hate grew...

[color:"#a0a0ff"]THE DANCE OF DEATH....[/color]

[color:"red"]UUUUUUUUAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRUUUUHHHHHH[/color]

I stopped immediately and stared at Wolfy. He had leapt up, both heads thrown back and he howled at the dancing crystals. His eyes were full of pain, heartrending to see.

[color:"#a0a0ff"]And after the dance of death, the melody of sorrow and mourning comes...[/color]

My hate and anger were blown away, I fell to the ground and panted... The crystal hovered in front of me.

I headed back and I'm sure of it I ran a couple of circles, I tripped over some huge roots and saw really big muchrooms. While laying flat on my frontside.

Finnaly I got back at the group in time to see JVB bounce back on the invisible wall, sure was funny, looked like some sort of vertical thingy where you jump on trapo.. something. He landed nexto Nero and a disembered red orc, I hope nobody got hurt in my abscense, yet again much forest was destroyed and I was happy to see no harmless creature was hurt, the orcs weren't that harmless altho it looks like that.

Hey how did they trough the wall I said in my own language.

I noticed, between some sleepy moments, that Drag had returned. "Hey Drag. weres Kiya??" i asked. He didnt respond. I asked it again abit louder.
"Hey Drag, were is Kiya!!" still no anwser. "Hey are you deaf??? were is Kiya!!" He looked at me as if i was talking to a tree or something.
"Come on man Say something. Please. Were is Kiya??!!"

"Is everyone ok?
I'm affraid there will be more.
I havent fought them... Are they strong? " i asked when on the same moment i saw more of them coming in the horizon.

"well nero, i hope you're able to do that technique of you again.. because i'm affraid we'll need it. there are a lot of them.."

"If some of us could try to get behind them.. That would be really usefull. I'll stay here and try to defend my position.

C'mon you guys, please hurry."

[color:"#a0a0ff"]Your werewolf companion was once the leader of a great clan. His ancestors used to come regulary,[/color]
the crystal sung.. whispered... sorrow was in his tune.
[color:"#a0a0ff"]They sat side by side with the orcs and the kobolds, united in the bond of mutual respect and understanding. They sang their songs at the fire, in their camps and howled at the moon together... then the bond was loosened and eventually forgotten... they started to growl at each other, later on they hunted and killed instead of singing together...
Your companion is the last of his kin... And the werewolf ballad would have ceased forever if you had not rescued him.

Regard this:
The tune between the races, the harmony binding them together is gone forever...
This is the age of steel and blood...
The song between individuals is still alive...

And you have renewed this bond - but only between him and you, not between his race and yours.[/color]

"I don't like this archaic world... how can I return to mine? And take Wolfy with me?"

The crystal danced around me and its music changed to bubbling laughter, full of fondness and eternal patience.

jollykiller was yelling at me nothing I could understand, except for Kiya. I figured he was asking about her but could not answer. And he kept yelling, I moved my arm in a parabol downward to indicated she had gone underground, more I could not do.

I pointed at BeeGee to question them being there.

Drag was making moves with his hands. So he wasnt deaf. Was he mute then?? He pointed at the ground and then at BG.
"What are you saying??" AAARRGGGHJHH "Is there anyone who can 'translate' what Drag means???"

"Well, everything looks in order." I said as I pulled my head out of my Bag of Tricks.

Then I spotted Dragh doing pantomime for Jolie. It looked like fun, so I decided to join in. I grabbed my neck with one hand and pretended to yank myself to the side. Then I pretended to be trapped inside an invisible phone booth (phone? booth?). Then I closed my eyes really hard and did a high-stepping march in a big circle.

The path of my big circle passed over the huge hole in the ground, but I forgot to fall in and just kept walking around the circle to my starting point.

"What? No applause?" I asked.

[color:"#a0a0ff"]Your world, Strange One, has surrendered to the sound of war, the dance of death and the melody of sorrow and mourning long ago...

from the day on when your race chose to stand on 2 feet instead of 4.
From the day on when you decided to turn away from nature...
from the day on the first one claimed and expressed his superiority...
from the day on the first one said he knew the absolute truth...

Many tunes have died already in your world...
every time a race was killed, one tune died...[/color]

"So there is no hope left?"


Dead silence........


I looked around me and upwards: A few crystals had survived the slaughter, some of them had pieces missing and they seemed to hide from one another between the roots and in the darkness - floating motionless.
The ground below me was full of splitters and fragments, crushing under my shoes. The cave was nearly dark and Wolfy sat on his haunches, his heads hung down... a picture of pure defeat.

My heart was heavy and empty, black and full of tears... No hope... really, no hope at all?

"Beegee!" I shouted to snap him out of his reverie. "Did anyone go down this hole? I believe I can hear something"....

Every so slowly I got up off the ground. I took a minute to thank Jolie for killing the orc...guess the paladin is useful. Amidst the bodies I found some keys...hmmm wonder what these are for, I stuffed them in my bag and continued looking around. One of the orcs was wearing bracers that by all accounts glowed blue. I took the leather bracers off the orcm muttering "Well he wont need these anymore" "Hey lets all get behind that barrier...you coming Luc?! We arent ready for another fight yet."

[color:"#a0a0ff"]I felt a touch, the crystal had tipped my cheek gently and then it moved back again.... waiting.... I understood - and we started to dance.

I touched and turned him with my forefinger carefully, bowed, turned around in search for my next partner. And as my flesh was not crystalline, I hummed the tune my heart felt.

Slowly... painfully slowly - one by one, the remaining crystals floated down and joined us.
I moved
I tipped
I bowed
and turned around
I hummed and stepped
enhanced in this everlasting dance
I forgot time...[/color]

I turned again and came to stop in front of Wolfy - I tipped him on his nose - no response - his other nose - I hummed
[color:"#a0a0ff"]I turned and bowed to the next crystal

And then... two crystals met and touched each other - a little spark appeared - a new crystal was born... ready and willing to join the music... this went on and on.[/color]

Someone shouted my name, and it snapped me out of my reverie.

I heard Kiya humming a haunting lullaby-kinda-waltz-sorta tune, so I knew whereever she was, she was okay. We, on the other hand, were being converged upon by a number of Red Orcs. They seemed to be crawling out of the landscape, here and there, like corpses rising from their graves.

None of them were inside the barrier, so I deduced that a good first step in our group survival strategy would be to regroup inside the barrier wall. A good second step would be to avoid falling into the big hole the dancing diamonds had made. And, to take advantage of the three-step waltzing beat, a good third step was needed ... hmmmm ... I'll need to think about that one.

"Close your eyes and come inside the barrier, everybody!" I did my attention-getting jumping-jack routine. "There's no orcs in here!"