Firiona Vie Everquest

Sineliniel: Did you call me Lady Licinia:??

Licinia: I have a letter from your niece to give to you.

Sineliniel: My neice? I have a neice?

Licinia: She claimed to be your niece... she had a seal....

Sineliniel: Could it be??...

Licinia: *Hands the Koada`Dal her letter.*

Sineliniel: My brother has been missing for many circles...
Sineliniel: * opens the letter and reads...*
Sineliniel: *The Koada`Dal's usual smile fades to a look of concern...*

Gilliadson: Leofa??

Sineliniel: These are strange tidings indeed....

Licinia: Nothing is amiss I hope?

Sineliniel: My brother, Elwinde is still alive but he needs my help... It is his wife...
Sineliniel: She is an elementalist as I am but, apparently she had attempted a task that she had not the balance to accomplish...
Sineliniel: Her mind is lost...
Sineliniel: He thinks I can help him bring her mind back from where it is wandering.

Elianeth: *blinks* Lost...? But... how come ?

Licinia: Perhaps that is something I would be suited to helping.
Licinia: Enchantment of mind and memory is a specialty of mine.
Licinia: And I have experience from confronting Sarynn Thule in the past.

Sineliniel: He is an enchanter as you are Licinia.
Sineliniel: He needs me to provide the balance to keep him from getting lost as well.

Gilliadson: Let us get some things packed and we shall head there...

Weranya: Wait! *hands over a well-stocked pantry of foodstuffs* Take this with you on your journey so you and your beasts will be full and watered.

Licinia: *smiles*
Licinia: Trust the druid to think of the provisions and the animals.

Weranya: *blushes* sorry my stomach is often on my mind.

Sineliniel: I need to go alone on this one Gill... it is not a matter where your sword will be needed... my Niece will open a portal for me. Her powers are somewhat limited she is only able to transport one person. I will be fine and shall return tomorrow...
Sineliniel: let me go bind here so I will not be gating back to West Freeport.

Gilliadson: very well Leofa. However, you know how I feel about you being off alone even though I know you are very capable of taking care of yourself.

Sineliniel: I will be well... Elwinde's Laboratory is in a very safe location.

Sineliniel: *kisses her husband passionately.*
Sineliniel: I will see you all tomorrow.

Licinia: Safe journeys!

Elianeth: *waves* at Sineliniel:* May The Mother Watch Over You, Sister!

Weranya: Take extreme care, Milady.

Sineliniel: I will... fortunately it is not my mind that is in danger if something goes wrong.

Sineliniel: *A port opens at the appointed location and the elementalist steps through it... The portal collapses behind her...*

((The Next Day...)

Gilliadson: *The tall Human walks into the room and looks to see if anyone is awake...

Rarcodor: *snores in his chair*

Gilliadson: Gilliadson taps Rarcodor's foot... Hey Brother has my wife returned yet?

Jetamio: *peers in*

Gilliadson: Greetings Lady Jetamio.

Sindera: *a portal opens and a young Koada`Dal wizardess steps through followed by her familliar.* Greetings again! I do hope all is well... Father gave me permission to come visit with Aunt Sineliniel and Uncle Gilliadson for a few days....

Jetamio: No need for the Lady *laughs*

Gilliadson: Hmm… Well the problem is that your aunt has not returned yet young lady...

Jetamio: Hello...

Sindera: That is strange... She gated hours ago...

Gilliadson: Strange indeed... I know she was bound here in New Tanaan and she should have returned here.

Sindera: I have never heard of a gate misdirecting or failing to deliver someone... Usually if they are unstable they collapse without taking the caster...

Gilliadson: I know... This is a strange occurrence indeed...

Sindera: I need to rest for a few minutes but I can see if my father has any information... Do not worry Uncle Gilliadson... We shall find the underlying cause of this.

Gilliadson: Very well... I will send a dispatch to some gnome friends of mine in Ak'Anon and see if they have any information.

Jetamio: Gnomes?

Gilliadson: I have friends in many places and if anyone has any insight into Transportation magic... it is gonna be these gnomes...
Gilliadson: All we can do now is wait....

Jetamio: Gnomes... *she repeats* You're going to send gnomes after a missing person?

Gilliadson: Oh no I am not sending them after anyone... I am just looking to get some information from them first before we go running around Norrath like cockatrices with our heads cut off.

Jetamio: *blinks, almost laughing at the image invoked but remembers the situation and keeps a straight face.... just*

Gilliadson: These gnomes have been tinkering with gate and portal devices or at worst know others who have been...
Gilliadson: We need to find out what could have possibly gone wrong with Sineliniel's Gate stream.
Gilliadson: A term one of them gave me when he tried to explain the process to me once.
Gilliadson: The other option would be to send Druids and Rangers out tracking for her.
Gilliadson: Norrath is not a small world M'lady.

Jetamio: I am well aware of that...

Sindera: I shall return to my father now and see what he can do from his end.

Gilliadson: Be well Sindera... give my best to your Father.
Gilliadson: Oh and what of your mother?

Sindera: Aunt Sineliniel and Father were successful in retrieving her mind... she is resting now.

Gilliadson: That is good... I look forward to visiting with you under better circumstances.

Sindera: As do I.
Sindera: *Sings an incantation and a portal opens. The wizardess and her flapping familiar step through and it closes behind them.*

Gilliadson: *calls for a bard, scribbles a quick messages on a parchment.* Deliver this to Bigsmurf with all haste. *Gives the bard a few platinum coins and sends him on his way.*

Jetamio: *Her form shimmers briefly as it gives way to that of a black wolf. With a brief glance at the others she darts out the door and into the night*

“Thank you so much for coming to our aid, my sister.” Said the Koada`Dal enchanter. I am sorry that I have not contacted any of you before now, but things have been quite busy here with the building of this laboratory. I did not want anyone to see it before it was complete and then only family.”

“I understand, Brother.” Said Sineliniel. “I shall relay word of your continued existence to Mother and Father along with any message that you would like to give them.”

“Just let them know that I will visit them as soon as my daughter is strong enough to transport us. She is still quite young but shows much promise in the arts as a wizard. I would very much like to send her to you eventually so she can be trained in the Citadel as we were.”

“After seeing her, they are going to start talking about Eledhwen children. I will pass the word to our parents. We have all missed you so much.”

“I have missed you as well. Sindiari is resting peacefully now. It will probably take her a day or two to recover.”

“I must return to my husband now.” Sineliniel threw her arms around Elwinde’s neck and kissed him. A fiery shield engulfed them both. “Send my niece to come visit me any time you like. She is such a darling.” Sineliniel turned and picked Sindera up and kissed her too. “It is a pleasure to have met you, little one. Your uncle would adore you.” Sindera returned the hug as the fiery shield engulfed her as well. Sineliniel put the child down and stepped back. The elementalist sang a short incantation, blew a kiss into the air and faded away.

As the world came back into focus, Sineliniel noticed that she was not in New Tanaan. Quickly, the Koada`Dal Ambassador extracted some Malachite dust from her pouch and gently blew it into the air. Sineliniel sang the incantation that summoned her companion from the elemental plane of air. The elementalist looked around the room that she had appeared in as she summoned armor, weapons and a cookie for her companion.

“Well Fluffy, it does not look like we are in New Tanaan any more.” Said Sineliniel to her companion. The room was not large with no furnishings and no window. The room was dimly lit by a lantern hung on the wall near the door. Sineliniel tried the iron door but found it to be locked. Fluffy tried to break it down but was unable to. The elementalist thought about melting it with a fireball but decided that she would probably cook herself before the door melted away. Sineliniel sang her gating incantation again and blew another kiss into the air but the gate would not form. “This is strange indeed, Fluffy. I suppose we just have to wait for whoever brought us here to find out how and why.”

“An elementalist!” Exclaimed the dark-haired Teir`Dal. “If we can contain her we should be assured our place amongst the Dalharen. She will make quite an offering to them I am sure.”

“Containment will not be easy.” Said the second. “She has already summoned her companion.”

“Use the stasis device on them both then, Qi`Nem. That should contain them until we can deliver them both.”

“If this device works like that stupid Gnome told us, Jen`Vas. You know how Gnomish prototype devices are.”

“Yes I am fully aware. The fact that they accidentally created a device to yank people that are gating and re-direct them where we want is absolute proof of their incompetence. And to think they were trying to make a gating device for those who do not use magic.” Qi`Nem laughs. “And to think that the little guy thought that we would actually give him coin for these devices!”

“Well he was a sort of fun sport…”

“Yes he was…” Qi`Nem aimed the small box at the room that held the captive Koada`Dal and touched one of the two runes on it.

Sineliniel looked at her elemental and saw that he was not moving so she started to take a step towards him and found that she could not move either. Two Teir`Dal males entered her view.

"She will be stuck like that until we activate the device to release her or she is hurt by something." Said one of the Teir`Dal.

"Well let us send a message to Mogadeche. I think with an offering as fine as she is, he will surely allow us to join his coven." Said the other.

A bard approached the knight in New Tanaan.

"Sir Shadowbane?"

"Yes, that is what I am called."

"Bigsmurf of Ak'Anon requests your presence with all due haste."

"Very well. Run ahead and let him know that I am on my way."

"Yes M’lord." The bard bowed and ran toward the Ak'Anon portal. Gilliadson went to his hired room and gathered his belongings and returned the key to the clerk. The knight mounted his steed and rode to the Ak'Anon portal.

The guard clockworks at the entrance did not even challenge the knight as he rode into the city. Gilliadson turned his mount over to a clockwork stable boy and made his way through the mechanized city to Bigsmurf's residence.

"Greetings, old friend." Said the elderly gnome as the knight entered the complex. "I wish our meeting were under better circumstances."

"As do I. What news have you for me?"

"It seems that an invention of mine may be responsible for your wife's disappearance, an invention that I had ordered one of my assistants to destroy. Please, have a seat and I will give you the details." The two of them sat. "I have been working on a device that would allow those who are unable to use gate magic to return to their bind locations to do so. I thought I had it but the device instead, pulled someone from his gate stream and put him in my lab. I immediately ordered the assistant that was working on it with me to scrap it. I would have replied sooner but we found his body yesterday. We have not moved it yet, since I am of the opinion that his death and your wife's disappearance are related events, I thought that you would prefer to examine the body where it is."

"That was a sound decision. Take me there." The two left the complex and wound their way through the city until they found a Gnome's body that was surrounded by magical barriers. Bigsmurf waved a small wand and an opening appeared in the field. The two approached the body. Gilliadson looked the body over carefully, noting the many small puncture wounds and the gash across his throat. The knight carefully rolled the body over and found more small puncture wounds. Gilliadson rolled him back over and checked the pockets of the body's robes. There were several small gears, a couple of mana batteries, several other unrecognizable objects and a small piece of parchment. On the parchment was a name, Qi`Nem Daq`Lur.

"Teir`Dal. I can only think that your assistant tried to sell the device to this one rather than destroy it. Looks like someone did not keep their end of the bargain."

"I cannot refute your logic. However, there is more. I am also missing my Recombobulated Servolinked Mesmerizer." Gilliadson looked confusedly at the Gnome Elementalist. "It is a device that will mesmerize anything that an Enchanter can only better. The effect only wears off if the subject is injured in any way or if the release rune on the device is activated."

"Sounds like someone is set to cause a lot of trouble."

"If you can find these two devices, please destroy the gate stream re-router and keep the Mesmerizer. I think that it will be quite useful to you. I am working on another invention that will trace where someone has gated or ported to, even after the portal has closed. I am close to testing the first prototype."

"Thank you, Bigsmurf, I am going to take this name to a friend who has connections in Neriak. I will keep you informed."

"Thank you, Gilliadson, Brell's blessings upon your search." Gilliadson made his way to the city entrance and sent for his horse.

For most of the day, the old gnome calibrated and tested the small box that he held. Finally, a small strip of parchment issued from the device. The Gnome pulled a tablet out of his pack and scribed what was on the parchment with a small quill. After touching one of the runes on the surface, the device whirred and made a few beeps and clicking sounds. Bigsmurf furrowed his brow as he read what appeared on the surface of the tablet.

"I have found her location." Said the elderly Gnome as he scribed it onto a small parchment. "Brell's blessings upon your mission."

"Thank you much my friend. I shall rescue her." Said the paladin. Gilliadson turned to his young niece. "Would you open a portal for me to New Tanaan?"

"Yes Uncle Gill." The Koada`Dal youngling sang an incantation and a portal opened. Gilliadson gave Sindera a quick hug before stepping through the portal.

Gilliadson sent for Zeph and gave him the following message to deliver to the allied guildhalls.

To my Brothers and Sisters in Arms,

Praise be to Marr! Sineliniel has been located and appears to be alive. M'Lady is being held deep in The Emerald Junglein the house marked on the map accompanying this missive. I am on my way to said location to assess the capabilities and number of her captors.

Yours in the Light,

Gilliadson.

The Human knight mounted his horse and rode to the Cabilis Portal. Upon arriving in The Field of Bone, Gilliadson rode east toward the pass that led into Emerald Jungle. Gilliadson rode to the place where the Druid Portals always opened in The Emerald Jungle and pulled out his map to so he could get his bearings. Far off in the distance could be heard the sound of Severilous, the great Dragon of the Emerald Jungle. Gilliadson was grateful that he would not have to venture close enough to that creature for him to detect the knight's presence.

Heaving a great sigh the exhausted shaman rose from his chair slowly. Crumpling his friend knight’s note he tosed it behind him into the fire. It crackled back at him like the falling of the dying leaves of the once great Emerald Jungle

It was there he had gone, under the misguided direction of his father, to embark on his vision quest to find his totem animal. It was in this way he was to take the first steps to becoming a shaman. His father had hoped that by sending the boy there he might summon to him a very powerful and fierce spirit guide and thereby make him a more powerful shaman. Yet, being inhibited to the spirit realm, his father could not know that all Spirit in that cursed jungle is sucked into Torsis, the City of Mist by the ancient dead king and queen who dwell there still. It was by the stealth and cunning of his spirit guide alone that Stormfollower was able to liberate his young and errant mind from those horrific halls.

“We must ride out at once to aid Gilliadson in the rescue of his bride. As we speak he scouts the Emerald Jungles forested field.”

The building came into the knight's view. It was a small, old, grey stone house. The front door was off of its hinges and laying on the ground in front of the doorway. Gilliadson pulled a clockwork probe out of his bag and activated it. The probe turned invisible and Gilliadson guided it into the house while seeing through it's eye. The knight spotted the two Teir`Dal sitting at a crude table that had obviously seen better times. The door to the next room was open so Gilliadson guided the probe into it and saw his wife and her companion frozen in place. The knight guided the probe back out and scouted the rest of the house. No more occupants could be found.

"Good only two." Thought the Paladin. "I should be able to take them both."

Gilliadson pulled his blade out and noticed that it glowed slightly. There wer a few weak undead creatures in the area but nothing to be concerned about. Gilliadson quietly approached the house and said a quick prayer before charging through the open doorway.

"I shall have my wife returned to me or the ground shall drink your blood this day!" The two Teir`Dal jumped up from the table quite startled and turned to face the knight.

"A second offering presents itself!" Said one of the blue-skinned Teir`Dal.

"Mogadeche will surely be pleased!" Said the other. The first Teir`Dal pointed a small box at Gilliadson and touched one of the runes on the surface. Gilliadson tried to move toward them but found that he could not.

"This is getting better for us all the time!" Gilliadson watched helplessly as the two Teir`Dal sat back down at the table.

The Huntress entered the Emerald Jungle and rode toward the place marked on her map.

"Perhaps Shadowbane will become a target of opportunity after all." The Shadow Knight thought as she rode through the dense jungle.

Unknown to all she had shadowed the two Tier'Dal since they had left their note in her House. The Ilharn had not commanded it, nor even requested it, for he was suspicious of their true intent. Despite popular belief, her House was not all Sanguine, nor did they go around making more as they pleased. Even Mogadeche had only sired two, and even then only Tajer he had Turned by choice, inviting her to spend eternity with him. He had forbidden her to Turn another without his consent, and she had obeyed without question. It had taken much begging on Kalsari's part to get them to Turn her, only Tajer's love for the girl making her give in and ask her Ilharns permission.
The assassin shook her head to clear the thoughts as she watched the two from her vantage point. No, these two had alterior motives, she was sure of it. But what?
She studied the captive Koada'Dal, who seemed frozen somehow yet no ice surrounded her. Even her elemental was still. What magic was this? She had gathered by now that neither of them were Enchanters, and even if they had been it required concentration to keep a being mesmerised for any length of time. She stood up silently to move closer, her command over the shadows so complete that no-one could pierce them.
But then the door opened and the human walked in in his self righteous manner. Kalsari resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She glanced at his blade, only glowing slightly, and nodded to herself. So she was right, the Druids protection still held. She had suspected it, she could occasionally feel it within her, yet not in her blood. She didn't understand it any more than when it was cast upon her, but she was thankful for it right now.
She was standing now, but did not make a move as she watched the confrontation. She scowled at the reference to Mogadeche, irate that they would belittle him by assuming he would be bought by an Elf and Human sacrifice. She decided then that these two would die soon, and not pleasantly.
She looked on in surprise as they pointed something at him, and suddenly she realised how the Koada'Dal was held.

"This is getting better for us all the time!"

Not for long if I have my way..., Kalsari thought to herself. While she cared little for the plight of the Paladin and his lover, she was intent on putting an end to these two Tier'Dal. But not yet...no, her curiousty was piqued now, she wanted to know what they were up to, and what Mogadeche and her House had to do with it.

In perfect silence and shadow, she waited to see what would happen next.

The Huntress neared the house in complete silence. She could feel the Sanguine in the house and recognized her to be the one that she wanted to capture most. D`Nar drew her cloak about her and slipped into the shadows. The cloak was an ancient family heirloom and the only one in existence. It would render the wearer invisible to all creatures living or not. She silently approached the doorway and looked inside. The Sanguine was not visible but her presence was felt. D`Nar saw Shadowbane frozen still and the two Teir`Dal sitting at the table talking and laughing at the Paladin. D`Nar was not one to walk in on an enemy that she could not see so she backed away from the house to an overlooking vantage point and watched from the shadows.

An unblinking eye gazed upon the unfolding drama, concealed in plan sight in a dark corner of the ceiling. Pity that the no one ever seemed to look up when scanning for danger. Yet, without this inherent failing Zomm's conjuration would never have gained such widespread use. If necessity is the mother of invention then opportunity was most certainly the father.

Alsurin scowled as his closed eyes took in the chaos seething within the accursed structure. Prexus swallow them all! Was he surrounded by incompetents? A letter asking for his help, only for the magus to find himself one of the few mobile individuals in this convoluted arena. The Truthbringer and Dark Prince may value zealotry, but apparently strategy did not follow is close second, or third for that matter.

It seemed fate would not rest until he took the warmage's mantle upon his shoulders once more.

He sighed and pulled the folds of his blue cloak closer to his shivering form, calming buzzing thoughts lest they jump towards panic. Naturally it was now up to him, and whatever other factors that still sought the objective, to clean up the mess. The conjurer could only pray that he was not the only one who, albeit reluctantly, answered the call. Dispelling the arcane spy with a thought he crouched among the thick brush and began leafing through the weathered pages of his spellbook. Hopefully a plan would present itself, preferably sometime soon.

From behind a bush a white wolf stepped towards Alsurin and silently sat at his side. It sniffed the thick air of the jungle in which it clearly had no place before it turned into Stormfollower. The burly Shaman crouched down beside him and scanned the jungle for signs of the enemy.

"Good to see thee friend, Tis quite a night for the rescue of a friend, Where is Gilliadson? Hast thow seen him yet?"

"Well I am looking forward to an eternal existance of spreading hate, pain and death." Said Qi`Nem.

"Maybe Mogadeche will let us play with this stupid paladin for a while before we feed off of him." Said Jen`Vas.

"That would be fun indeed. I wonder how slowly we can kill him?"

"He looks to be quite a tough one... I'll bet I can get him to last a month."

"That Koada`Dal in there looks quite pretty... Maybe they will turn her... She would make an excellent sex slave as long as we can keep her pet under control."

"I do not know about her. Something about that pet really bothers me. Too bad there is no way we could keep her from summoning another if we got rid of that one."

"True... I wonder when we will hear from the great Ilharn..."

"Soon I hope, Qi`Nem, soon."