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The Phobetor Expedition (Closed)
#596276 - Thu Apr 13 2006 01:53 AM
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In the village of Scatterdam, somewhere in the Dream, the stately old Edlan house was playing host again for the first time in fifty years.
The locals avoided the house. Ever since the business with Rabany Edlan, it was said to be haunted. Certainly odd noises were heard at night, and occasionally there was a light in the window. The less superstitious avoided it simply because it was old, and likely falling apart. Every summer, one or two boys would sneak in, get perhaps as far as the living room, and then run off to brag about their bravery.
Tonight, however, there were three visitors. Three strangers to the village, three avatars of powers beyond their comprehension. They had received invitations from a stranger, delivered through various means. One invitation had arrived via a crow. Another was found in a book in the visitor's home, which hadn't been opened in several years. The third was given to the visitor at a crossroads, which shouldn't have been there, and couldn't be found again. In all three cases, the invitation had told of an opportunity to make a great deal of money and protect the Dream at the same time. The addess of the Edlan manor had been given, with this date and time. Now they had arrived.
Inside the manor house, there was no light save that from a huge fireplace. There were four chairs arranged around it. In one, someone sat.
He was facing the fire, and it should have illuminated his face. However, he remained wreathed in shadows, as though the light disdained to touch him. He was shaped like a human, that much could be seen. There was a suggestion of pale skin and dark clothing. His hair seemed in a disarray.
There was other furniture in the house, but it was all rotted and broken, the varnish worn away, the paint cracked, the wood old and gray. In the dancing light, they almost seemed to move. The smell of dust and dampness invaded the nose, and animals could be heard moving above. The old white paint had faded to a dull yellow with time, and peeled to reveal the wooden slats underneath. But the chairs around the fireplace looked new. A small table beside the host's chair had a bottle of wine and four glasses.
"I'm glad you could make it," the man in the chair said. "I am Mr. Calvi."
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"Did we have a choice?"
The skinny little redhed named Johnny Wellington stands, somewhat hunched and rubbing at his elbows, generally giving off the aura of not being in the best of moods. He glares, narrowing his brilliant green eyes until they are barely visible. He ignores the introduction of the name.
Johnny unrolls slightly, and looks around the room. Yes, there are chairs, but who says that he has to sit down? Although the wine does look tempting... no. Instead he choosed to wander, staring up. What was that odd sound? Something moving? Animals maybe.
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"Did we have a choice?"
"Indeed, the Choices whe had .. " It sounded from a further corner. Melvo who hid himself in a dark corner had Watched for a while.
He wasnīt ceartain of the Hosts abilities, but he had a guess that he knew where he had hidden. Just like the message.
Melvo had found it on his large wing in the middle of his cave that he called home, before that no one had ever found it.
To him it wasnīt far to believe that this person must have been profficent at Illusions as it took an Illusionist to truly see through anothers illusions.
Melvo stepped out of the shadow the should have hidden him, he ceartainly didnīt trust his Host, and as of right now he didnīt trust the Redhead whom he honors with a light bow.
Yet, if he wanted to harm Melvo, ceartainly he would already have done so... but then, usualy Mhystardia would have been around ...
No matter the reason, he had deacided to give into his curiosly nature to follow the instructions included on his invitation, and now he was here, sitting down into one of the chairs while he wondered about the odd lightfall onto the host.
Surely one more good hint to Melvo that his Host knew about Illusions and their use.
" Well... ? ",Melvo asks, unaware of that fact that there should be a third guest.
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Amethyst came admittedly late to the meeting. Fact, everyone was probably waiting eons before she made her arrival... Or at least hours, dammit. But could you blame her? She's walking down the road after beating the crap out of a guy that tried to mug her, tired, hungry, and this black bird up and starts divebombing her. Alright, so it didn't immediately do it. The crow was sitting on a perch looking for someone before Ame tried to throw a knife at it to make lunch. Can only understand how the bird felt to all of this. She was left lunchless in the end, but did get this random letter. Bloody thing was a pain to open and when she did, it was full of words! Glaring at this blasted piece of paper, knowing it said something. Was only a moment before she obducted some poor sod at swordpoint and demanded they read it for her. "You, read this..."
The generic catguy sweat, blubbered out, "Um, um. Don't kill me. I have a wife and cubs." A poke later, he got to the letter, "Right. Er. Do I have to read it all?" Sharper poke, "Right. It looks like an ad for money and fame with an address. What? The address. Ow, alright. Um, er." Eventually the address was stated. Said anthro was let loose on the promise that he wouldn't tell anyone about said note or her - the latter being kinda pointless considering that she mugged this guy in sheer daylight on the middle of a busy street. Eitherway, she was now left with an urge for convenient cash and an even bigger mission to find the place this letter stated.
Which is easier said than done. She can't read, you obviously shouldn't expect that she'd know how to locate a place. Took her a few [censored] days to find this house. When she got there - staring at the scribbles on the paper, glaring up at the address of the house - her brow furrowed. Why is she taking money from a place like this? Olde shack needed work. Who's operating this thing, some homeless bum?
Trying to step in quietly, all hope of that was shattered when the door creaked heavily... Then fell apart in her hand with a bucketload of noise. Ontop of that, dust practically exploded every which way. Leaving her standing, doornob in her hand, wood splinters everywhere else, cringing. She gives up quiet evasion soon after and just walks through one room, into the room with everyone else. Holding a doornob, "Er... Might want to get this fixed." She tossed the doornob aside and glanced over towards everyone. They all appeared to be filthy, blasted Men! Why was she getting herself into this?
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"There is always choice," the man said. His voice was soft, like velvet. "You each could have stayed at home, or gone somewhere else. You chose to walk here. Each step was a choice. No one forced you."
After Amethyst entered, he poured the wine into a glass and took a sip. "And now we're all here. Good." He poured into the other three glasses. "I apologize for the secrecy. Unfortunately, I can't be too careful these days. There are those who would--" He coughed. "I'm getting ahead of myself. First, I must give you some background. Sit, if it pleases you, or stand. However you are most comfortable."
He looked into the fire for a moment while they made themselves comfortable. "I have discovered very troubling information. There is a threat to the Dream. I know, you believe there are many threats to the Dream. This, however, goes beyond any of them."
He gestured to the fire, and the flames seemed to flow together to form a figure. It was difficult to tell if the figure was human, though it stood on two legs. It was armored, that much could be seen.
"Phobetor, a god of dreams. He is the father of all nightmares, of all fears that come in dreaming. As you can imagine, in our world, that gave him terrible power."
He gestured again, and other figures formed in the fire. They moved closer to the first figure, and began to attack it.
"However, there were heroes then, even as there are now. Their names are forgotten, but they managed to defeat Phobetor. He was cast out of the Dream, and his armor, which contained a great deal of his power, was scattered, so that none could use it for evil." He waved again, and the figures in the fire died abruptly.
The man in the shadows bowed his head. "Unfortunately, someone has discovered the hiding places of the armor, and seeks to do great harm with it. This cannot be allowed. I discovered the secret of the hiding places myself some time ago. However, I have also learned something the heroes of bygone ages did not know. The armor can be destroyed. I have learned the proper method. Now this threat can be permanently removed. All I need is to gather the pieces to myself.
"However, I am an old man. I cannot stop them myself. These people... I do now know who they are, precisely, but they are secretive, possessed of greater resources than my own. That is why I need you. If I cannot go, then someone else must. You are all young, and possessed of great powers. I need your help." He lifted one hand, and it entered the light, holding a ruby. Melvo senses no illusion on it. It's as large as a child's fist. "I understand that not all are altruistic. There will be recompense for your trouble. So, will you help me?"
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Johnny watches the fire, midly puzzled by it. It's a weird little trick, but by far quite mild compared to other things that one would find in the Dream. The words leave more of an impact on him. There's danger, and dependance on -him-...wow, where has he heard that before? He stands up so quickly that his knees create a mild cracking sound, then paces abruptly around the room.
"I don't know what you mean about...powers." he begins, his voice changing in volume as he moves closer and farther. "I mean, sure, maybe they have something." he says, indicating to Melvo and Amethyst without much interst. "But I'm..." he hesitates, as the old save-the-world virtuosity feelings begin to slowly stir up within him. He leans against a wall cups his elbow in his hand, and rubs at his forehead. Finally, he looks up. "Look, I'm normal, okay?" Johnny says in a tone that would not fool anybody.
Johnny sighs, pushes his hand through his hair and mumbles something along the lines of "who am I kidding?". "All right, whatever. How soon 'til this can be over with?"
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Melvo didnīt pay to much heat to Amethystīs entrance, his curiosity was spiked and focused on their Host for the time being.
While deeming the Hosts show and tale for rather interesting, he does raise a ceartain skeptic for the whole tale and its purpose, though leaves it unmentioned as of right now, allowing Johnny to proclaim his thoughts to this whole Issue.
Quote:
Johnny sighs, pushes his hand through his hair and mumbles something along the lines of "who am I kidding?". "All right, whatever. How soon 'til this can be over with?"
" A preferable Qustion would be what work it would require us to do..", Melvo finally interrupts.
" ... I donīt mean to be rude, though your offer appears to smooth, and the whole thing a littel shady, what insurance is there that your Story is true, what insurance, that your not trying to claim said armor for your own Purpose ?" ,he asks.
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