Trapped

Plot Summary
The group are riding as fast as they can, but they have encountered a small problem; a forest that shouldn't be there. They are riding through it, but it seems to stretch on forever. A traveller stumbles across the group, lost and alone. After a few quick conversations an arrow whizzes through Shandor's head. The group, panicked and being shot at from places they cannot see, leave their horses and flee into the forest. Eventually they come across a small clearing and decide that something must be done. Shandor is sent to scout.

Shortly after Shandor returns with information; whoever, or whatever, shot at the group are marching towards the group's location. They also surround the edge of the forest, proving that there is an edge to it, somewhere. Faelnon decides that the group should set up defences and fight there way out.

Beneath Tildruin an Evil lies. Is an explosion of smoke Shandor appears, but not the group's Shandor. The second Shandor that appeared outside the Gnome's building a few days earlier. He reports to this Evil beast saying that he had killed a member of the group and filled the emblem, but the group had reached the Gnome before that. The Evil is... displeased with this, so much so that she ignites Shandor in flames and sends him to the forest the group are currently in, to fight like a common foot-soldier.

The group have set up their defences and see the creatures approaching the clearing. The group's archers line the trees and attack them with a barrage of arrows. As they begin fighting the Second Shandor appears behind the Real Shandor. The Second Shandor grins and strikes the Real Shandor. The two begin fighting, but the Real Shandor, taken by surprise, is quickly knocked down. Faelnon intercepts the Second Shandor and the two begin fighting. The Real Shandor tries to help Faelnon by swinging on a branch and landing on the Second Shandor, but instead the branch breaks, leaving a particularly jagged end, and goes flying towards the two combatants. Faelnon grabs the branch as the Second Shandor appears behind him and gains a literal choke-hold on him. Faelnon gags and brings down the sharp end of the branch into the Second Shandor. The Second Shandor gasps and falls backwards against a tree trunk. Faelnon slams the branch down on the Second Shandor, ending his life.

Meanwhile the group continue fighting, Shandor is ready to get back into the battle when Tengu does something Shandor declares as utterly insane; blindfolds himself and goes on a violent spree with his quarterstaff. Unsurprisingly, one of the group is struck (Shandor), and his nose is broken, he was just lucky enough to not die from the wound.

The battle comes to an end as the group finish off the creatures as Faelnon heals Shandor. Shandor, now partly recovered, is immensely tempted to tear Tengu in half. Faelnon manages to calm him. The group have to continue to Tildruin and they ride off. Within 100 metres the forest comes to a sudden halt. They race on towards Tildruin.


Full Logs

[Narrator] Previously On the 'Quest'

[Narrator] Faelnon blindly takes a step forward and discovers there is no ground where he thinks there is. He falls face-down on an odd metal emblem. The emblem is circular, the outer rim hollows inwards before it forms several odd symbols. It hollows again before a second circle of symbols jutting out, in the centre is a particularly odd symbol, two large metal eyes, which seem to follow whoever passes them.

[Narrator] The Gnome grins wildly, noting the Gift's the group wear, 'Ah, you must be them…' Shandor whispers to Faelnon, 'This guy made them?' The Gnome overhears this, 'Who? Me? Oh, no, no, no. I didn't make them. I do know quite a bit about them.'

[Narrator] Faelnon asks, 'Do you know who made them?' The Gnome strokes a small grey beard, 'Perhaps… Still, you must be the ones prophesized… still, I imagined that you'd be taller, and you,' Indicating Shandor, 'Would be a wee bit shorter…' Faelnon explains, 'Shandor used to lead, he is the taller…'

[Narrator] The Gnome nods, 'Ahhh, yes… Well, since you hold… all the Gifts? Very impressive I must say, someone tried to get the… human Gifts or some such, never seen again I hear, awful business…' He continues to ramble on for several minutes.

[Narrator] The Gnome hobbles over to a small desk and opens a drawer. From it he removes several scrolls and spreads them out on the desk as best he can, be begins pointing to them with his stubby fingers while explaining, 'See, this one here, is how you get into the tunnel system, by golly, whoever made them could really make tunnels. Anyway, it splits and branches away, you'll be wanting to keep straight on, but I'm sure you can see that.'

[Narrator] The Gnome continues to explain, 'And this little note is how you gain entrance and…' This explanation takes several minutes, and Faelnon appears to be the only one one-hundred percent interested. The Gnome finishes, 'And that should be it young elf.' He passes all the scrolls to Faelnon, 'I wish you luck.'

[Narrator] Before the group can react a figure, clad in a simple black robe, a hood concealing his face, rushes forward with a jagged dagger. The figure reaches Dramicus, the nearest one to the emblem, and cries, 'For my master!' Before bringing the dagger down on Dramicus' chest.

[Narrator] Dramicus cringes in pain as he falls into the dip in the ground where the emblem is. Blood begins pouring from the heavy stab wound, it begins filling the indents as the metal parts of the emblem begin glowing. The emblem creates a beam of light in the shape of the metal, 'dissolving' Dramicus' body. The Figure steps back and watches as the blood fills the emblem he chortles before removing the hood; it is Shandor.

[Narrator] The second Shandor-figure grins and hollers, 'My masters work has been completed, from the giant's grave it will be born anew, trapped for millennia alone. Now you will be alone! No gods or higher beings to turn to. A cold, cruel death faces each and everyone of you.'

[Narrator] The Second-Shandor-Figure grins an unnaturally broad grin. His skin goes darker, and his eyes blaze with fire. His hands quickly become claws and a tail juts out. This new creature reveals two rows of razor-sharp teeth. It lunges at Faelnon, mouth ready to tear into the Elf, when it explodes into acrid smoke.

[Narrator] Now on the 'Quest'

[Narrator] The group are riding as fast as their horses can carry them towards Tildruin, en route they are forced to travel through a very dense forest, one Faelnon didn't think was there.

[Narrator] The tree cover is so dense that the group are practically plunged in darkness.

Faelnon looks about.

Echnaton asks to nobody certain "no way to circumvent this?" as he has to duck under just one more of those deep hanging branch

Varadrion stays low on his horse, and grab an apple from his cloak, and begins eating while riding

Mihwen stares at Varadrion's apple

Varadrion notices Mihwen's glance and holds it out while riding closer to her horse

Tengu listens to the sounds, trying not to become detached from the group.

Dytalorien mumbles as a few strands of his hair is blown into his face, obscuring his sight.

Faelnon turns to Echnaton, 'I didn't even know this place was here...'

Echnaton finally gets tired of all that up and down and simply puts his arms around the horses neck

Faelnon says, 'But it is the fastest way to Tildruin.'

Rue sighs.

Faelnon mumbles, 'I think...'

Rue raises an eyebrow. "You...think?"

Kalypse says 'it depends... if we cant ride so fast, are you sure this is the faster way?'

Mihwen smiles

Faelnon says, 'Tildruin was due south from where we were, we are heading due south so...'

Rue sighs. "We couldn't have ridden around this forest?"

Faelnon says, 'The forest edges stretched on further than I could see...'

Varadrion says "We're going to a city?"

Tengu says, "It may be the shortest way, but not fastest."

Faelnon says, 'I have a hunch that this was placed as a barrier. That other Shandor released some other power, it could be creating this, the edge might have stretched on forever.'

Mihwen looks at Varadrion 'yes Tildruin'

Faelnon adds, 'Do you not feel it? The dark presence?'

Varadrion shudders slowly "I suppose we have too"

Echnaton gets scratched by another branch on the back and mumbles "This forest is wired, indeed."

Rue grumbles.

Dytalorien grunts, "No...but I do feel hungry, tired, and frustrated.."

Faelnon turns to Varadrion, ' "I suppose we have too."? Yes we HAVE to, to fight the Evil and save the world. Or would you rather go home and have some tea?'

Kalypse smiles at Dytalorien and throws him a few cherries

Raiyne an elf, rides through the forest and ends up in front of the group.

Faelnon stops his horse and looks at the newcomer.

Varadrion shoots a dirty look at Faelnon, but remains silent

Dytalorien raises his hand, but is pelted by cherries and looks about for his attacker.

Faelnon nods politely, 'Hail.'

Mihwen stop her horse

Raiyne blinks, a bit confused. "Where are you headed?" she asks.

Faelnon states, 'Tildruin, south of here.'

Kalypse smiles, embarrassed.

Raiyne shakes her head. "I'm heading for Tildruin as well.." she mutters.

Tengu bows to new... silhouette.

Faelnon says, 'Ah, feel free to journey with us then, I would hate to be in this forest alone.'

Mihwen says 'shall we not ask for her name before she join us?'

Raiyne points in the opposite direction. "I thought Tildruin was....that way."

Faelnon smiles, 'Of course, may I ask who you are?'

Raiyne laughs. "Forgot my manners. My name is Raiyne."

Faelnon looks where he had just came from, 'I would say that is impossible, that route takes you north, Tildruin is south.'

Tengu wonders, "You think the forest is created by enemy... I thought Evil destroys, not creates..."

Faelnon says, 'And I forgot mine; my name is Faelnon.'

Varadrion nods to Raiyne under his hood

Shandor nods, 'And I am Shandor.'

Raiyne nods. "Good to meet all of you."

Mihwen nods 'I'm Mihwen'

Dytalorien attempts to wave to Raiyne, but quickly grabs his horse's reins, as he almost falls off.

Varadrion says "Evil serves its own purpose... I think, if its purpose is to slow us, then creation might be easier"

Rue looks at the newcomer. "Rue."

Faelnon turns to Tengu, 'It could be a barrier, all the Evil needs now is time, I doesn't care if we live or die now. I'd wager.'

Tengu says to Raiyne, "Tengu."

Kalypse waves at Raiyne 'My name is Kalypse.'

Echnaton tells Raiyne his name " I am Echnaton"

Shandor is struck by a small branch and waves it away.

Varadrion says softly "Varadrion"

Raiyne smiles warmly. "It is very nice to meet all of you. I was quite lonely in my travels..."

Kalypse says 'loneliness sometimes is good, but not for so long..'

Faelnon says, 'It is nice to meet a friendly face. From where do you come?'

Varadrion changes the subject quickly "How long will it take us to get to the city?"

Mihwen rides up to Raiyne 'what brings you out here in the wild?'

Faelnon turns to Varadrion, 'Depends how big this forest is..'

Raiyne laughs. "Woah there. So many questions!"

Varadrion says "Well how far was it from our starting point?"

Faelnon says, 'I do not know the exact distance, but this forest has slowed our progress considerably, it could take a week or more...'

Raiyne looks about uneasily. "I can't say where I come from..."

Dytalorien arches an eyebrow.

Rue snorts. "A week? There's no faster way?"

Echnaton agrees "Yes, it is hard to maintain the direction in here"

Varadrion sighs "A long ride through a dark forest that could have anything in it, great"

Faelnon turns to Rue, 'Not unless you can sprout wings...'

Mihwen cast a suspicious glance at Raiyne

Rue sighs.

Varadrion chuckles at Raiyne's answer

Raiyne feels the suspicion around her and stares down at the neck of her horse.

Faelnon is about to resume course when he notices that his horse has moved and changed direction, 'Oh dear...'

Varadrion pats Raiyne on the back and then rides up near Faelnon

Tengu says, "It aches me to loose another second, and now we loose weeks..."

Raiyne looks up and smiles slightly.

Faelnon says, 'Week, singular, and it might only be a few days.'

Rue nods solemnly at Tengu.

Varadrion says "We hope"

Mihwen rides up beside Raiyne ad talks a little with her.

Raiyne looks around. "I don't know how long I've been lost in this forest..."

Faelnon turns to Shandor, 'I'm afraid I have lost direction, I don't suppose you would know a compass spell or something similar?'

Varadrion sighs

Raiyne sighs. "After a few weeks, everything looks the same. No matter how many times I turn around."

Shandor grins, 'Never fear, Shandor's here!' And moves over to Faelnon, 'I believe I can form an arrow towards Tildruin, a few minutes please.'

Varadrion turns to Raiyne and says "Must be nice to see us"

Shandor takes some equipment from his sack and begins flipping through a spell book for the spell.

Dytalorien cringes and prepares to duck and cover.

Raiyne 's eyes widen. "You have no idea.

Kalypse turns to Raiyne 'tell us, my friend, what’s your specialty? you don’t seem too close to the forests.'

Shandor says, 'I would just like to add a disclaimer, if anything blows up or you turn into a cat or something, it isn't my fault...'

Echnaton starts to grin

Raiyne shrugs. "Magic."

Dytalorien sighs and prepares to lead the life of a cat.

Echnaton thinks for a moment and gain some distance to Shandor

Faelnon turns to Shandor and grins, 'Even though it is your fault?'

Tengu notes, "If all forests are like that one, I wont be close to them..."

Shandor nods, 'See, now you are getting it.'

Kalypse smiles weakly

Rue lowers herself closer to Renegade.

Mihwen looks in her bag and picks up an apple

Tengu sits with a calm look on his face.

Shandor flips through the book saying purposely, 'Lets see... fireball spells... shape-shifting spells... Ah here we are Dytalorien, cat transformations.'

Rue looks in her bag for something to eat but manages to find only dust.

Varadrion sits silently, looking around

Dytalorien grunts.

Varadrion watches Rue, and offers an apple

Kalypse looks around the talking group 'Do you people really think forests are that bad?'

Mihwen smiles at Shandor and say page

Shandor says, 'Ah, found it.'

Rue takes the apple with a smile as her stomach grumbles. "Thank you."

Faelnon turns to Kalypse, 'I find them quite relaxing, they remind me of A'lure.'

Kalypse smiles at Faelnon 'At least that..'

Varadrion says "Reminds me of home.. or what amounts to it for me"

Tengu says to Kalypse, "I've not been visiting many..."

Dytalorien raises an eyebrow and grins, "How could you question a ranger and his convictions..."

Kalypse turns to Dytalorien 'I have never questioned your ranger convictions, my friend.'

Dytalorien breathes a sigh of relief, "Good to hear."

Shandor begins chanting. A red-ish arrow forms Above the Shandor's head and points in the correct direction.

Shandor says, 'Behold my success.'

Kalypse sighs

Rue looks worried and ducks a little closer to her horse, holding onto his mane.

Kalypse mutters 'mages..'

Varadrion chuckles "first time for everything eh Shandor"

Dytalorien wipes some sweat from his brow.

Raiyne looks about, wondering why everyone seems so worried

Echnaton smirks as riding and pointing direction are identical

Faelnon says, 'Okay, lets just keep going…'

Shandor rolls his eyes, 'Oh yes, keep going, even into the bowls of hel-' He is silenced when an arrow whizzes through his hair.

Faelnon hollers, 'Take cover!'

Tengu says, "There's only one way to know, where does this arrow really points to..."

Varadrion jumps of his horse and into the brush

Faelnon dodges an arrow.

Dytalorien blinks and draws his saber whilst leaping off his mount.

Faelnon dives forward off his horse, and takes Shandor to the ground, out of the way of another arrow.

Tengu falls from his horse and rolls into bushes.

Echnaton 'falls' down from the horse, comes to his knees as he reaches the ground

Mihwen rolls of her horse

Raiyne leaps from her horse and crouches beside it.

Varadrion stays low and looks for the archers

Faelnon shouts something in Elven to the horses and turns to the group, 'Run!'

Echnaton peers to the direction the arrow might have come from

Rue jumps from Renegade's back and grabs his reigns, making sure that he is safe before dashing away with the group.

Varadrion yells "To where, we don't know where it came from!"

Kalypse sees some tasteful fruits on the trees around them and jumps on some of them to catch some fruits as the rest of the group rides

Mihwen follows the group

Tengu quickly mounts his hors.

Faelnon shouts to Varadrion, 'Just run for it and stop asking questions! They know where we are now, perhaps we can loose them.'

Shandor whines pedantically, 'My hair...'

Raiyne runs with the group, stumbling and picking herself up.

Faelnon notes a particularly shielded path with plenty of branches, bushes and roots jutting up.

Faelnon shouts, 'Go that way! You'll have to leave your horses here.'

Faelnon says, 'Kalypse, arrows are being shot at us, food can wait.'

Dytalorien grits his teeth as he weaves his way forward.

Rue stops as her horse rears. "I can't leave..." She dismounts Renegade and gives him a woeful look.

Kalypse says 'no wonder I hate fighting'

Rue whispers something to Renegade in elven and sends him on his way.

Varadrion stumbles as an arrow slices through the front of his thigh, but keeps running

Faelnon talks to the horses as they were regular people, 'Head for safety, fair creatures and pray we meet again.'

Mihwen says be quite and run

Faelnon dives down onto the path and begins sprinting forward.

Tengu bumps into another branch, being knocked to the ground.

Raiyne runs forward with the rest.

[Narrator] The group abandon their horses and run blindly into the woods, eventually they find a spot where the sun manages to break through the trees.

Dytalorien curses and attempts to aid Tengu.

Echnaton again jumps down from the running horse

Faelnon stops and pants.

Raiyne places her hands on her knees and gasps for breath.

Varadrion stops and collapses on the ground, hand over his thigh

Tengu gets up and turns to the sound, which appears to be Dytalorien.

Rue looks off into the forest, not focusing on anything, and cursing under her breath.

Echnaton looks past the horse s for a moment, then he ducks and slides to the others, while getting the bow ready

Dytalorien helps Tengu into the 'clearing' and lets him fall to the ground.

Faelnon says, 'I doubt those things just happened to be at the right place at the right time, we need to set up defences.'

Mihwen looks behind her back before she stops

Tengu lowers his staff and follows Dytalorien.

Raiyne looks over to Faelnon. "Should we set up a barrier?"

Echnaton asks "right here, illuminated by sunlight?"

Faelnon says, 'A wise idea.'

Kalypse asks 'Why do you think we were being shot at?"

Faelnon says, 'We are us, we always get shot at.'

Tengu mutters, "I haven't yet given her name..."

Varadrion says "Do you really have to ask Kalypse?"

Rue rubs a cut on her cheek, an injury due to the lashing branches and sits down with a sigh.

Dytalorien grins, "We’re just that darn irritating?"

Kalypse shakes her head

Faelnon says, 'We are.'

Mihwen walks up to Rue and looks at the small wound

Dytalorien sighs.

Mihwen says 'don’t worry it wont be a scar.'

Rue waves her hand at Mihwen. "It's nothing..."

Shandor says, 'I'll go scout, see if whatever they are, are nearby.'

Shandor disappears into the trees.

Raiyne puts a hand on her hip. "How can I help?"

Tengu looks over the clearing and states, "At the clearing we are more vulnerable to arrows. I suggest we move forth as soon as possible."

Kalypse shouts to Shandor 'check over the trees'

Dytalorien sheathes his saber and leans against a tree, regaining his breath.

Kalypse shrugs 'archers love to be on a tree.. for some reason..'

Faelnon says, 'Stick to the edges of the clearing.'

Echnaton looks for some more dense wood close to the clearance

Dytalorien grunts and grabs a tree limb, pulling himself up into the foliage.

Tengu says, "But we are still within their reach, while they are still hidden"

Echnaton discovers some dense bushes and ferns and slides in there

Faelnon says, 'We have to stay here for Shandor to find us anyway.'

Mihwen says 'wonder what our horses are doing'

Kalypse says 'shouldn’t someone had gone with Shandor?'

Varadrion says "I'll go find him"

Faelnon says, 'I trust him, he's avoided enough enemies before.'

Raiyne blinks. "Well, I could go look for him. I feel so.. useless, just standing here."

Dytalorien shrugs from his perch, "He can take care of himself."

Kalypse frowns at Faelnon 'He is not made of steel, Faelnon!'

Faelnon says, 'Ah, now you are truly one of us Raiyne.'

Mihwen say 'better get something to eat now while you can'

Varadrion says "Undoubtedly, but he could be greatly outnumbered"

Faelnon says, 'I'm not asking him to fight anyone......'

Varadrion looks to Faelnon "should I got take a peek and see if I see him?

Shandor shouts from above them, 'No need.'

Dytalorien remarks, "Would that not just scatter us further?"

Varadrion sighs with relief

Kalypse turns to Shandor 'any news?'

Shandor jumps down from the trees and reports, 'There is a large troop of, well, whatever they are, heading this way, may I suggest an ambush? I'll also point out the trees on the outskirts are littered with these things.'

Dytalorien drops down from his perch.

Faelnon nods, 'You may, and it does seem our best bet… How to go about it though?' He pauses for a minute before saying, 'Okay, here's what we are going to do, those with bow-abilities, take to the trees, line a path of sorts where they are coming, wait for the signal before firing, and take enough arrows.'

Faelnon continues, 'We should prepare some barricades, rope a few trees up so they are ready to fall when needed, to trap them. We also need a place of defence in-case they break through, so, get to work on chopping down these trees for a shelter of sorts, very basic, but possibly live-saving.'

Kalypse asks Shandor 'How do 'these things' look like?'

Shandor says, 'They are wearing armour, I didn't get a look at their faces.'

Faelnon says, 'Good, but don't take them down, just set them up so they will come down when you need them.'

Echnaton says to Faelnon "and chance to find a better place nearby? a hill or a cave?"

Varadrion draws his sword and struggles to hack it three-quarters into a tree, and pulls it back out.

Shandor answers Echnaton, 'I saw neither, this place seems just to be an unending forest.'

Varadrion drives it into more trees lining the path the enemy might, with luck, take.

Echnaton mumbles a rather bad word and assists setting up the means of defence

Tengu sticks his staff in the ground and heads on to help preparing barricades

Echnaton nods

Faelnon nods, 'Okay, remember, we only have a few hours before they get here, they seem to be stopping frequently.'

Kalypse turns to Faelnon 'How do you know that?"

Varadrion seems a little woozy and looks around "Ok, now I need someone to heal this up"

Shandor says, 'I told him... Also, their armour looks quite expensive if that helps...'

Kalypse calls Mihwen 'Can you do that?'

Echnaton asks "what is more urgent getting to Tildruin or fight those troops?"

Varadrion says "surviving"

Mihwen walks up to Varadrion

Mihwen says let me see that

Varadrion holds out the leg, wounded on the thigh

Faelnon turns to Echnaton, 'Did you actually listen to Shandor, or did you just tune him out? They have these things lining the woods, we'd be killed before we even reached the horses...'

Mihwen grabs Varadrion’s leg

Echnaton meanwhile bends some branches to 'snap-traps'

Tengu pulls the rope tightening the knot.

Mihwen shakes her head and say 'you got a bad infection'

Faelnon says, 'Could the arrows have been coated with poison?'

Rue drums her fingers on her legs

Echnaton replies to Faelnon "I listened well, but if we stay here we’ve got to fight them all and till the end. Well, if there is no chance for a breakthrough now...’

Mihwen looks around 'anyone got some water?'

Shandor nods to Mihwen and passes his canteen of water.

Mihwen pulls her knife and smiles 'this might hurt a little'

Varadrion looks at the knife and says "Just do what you have to"

Mihwen looks Varadrion in the face 'are you ready?'

Varadrion looks at Mihwen and says "Like I said, do it"

Tengu says, "When you are short in number - make the enemy think your numbers are great. I've read some treatises on warfare."

Mihwen puts down the knife and say 'sorry cant do anything but clean the wound, I need herbs that are on my horse'

Varadrion falls backwards and sighs

Mihwen starts to cut in Varadrion wound

Varadrion groans

Tengu returns to his staff protruding from the ground.

Mihwen cleans the fresh wound and says 'this will help a little, but you need to keep it clean'

Varadrion says "Fine, fine"

Echnaton comes up to Mihwen and Varadrion and passes over some 'healing herbs' "it is nothing powerful, but it's at least a bit."

Tengu comes near Varadrion and eyes his wound.

[Narrator] Beneath the fair city of Tildruin. An evil lurks. Far beneath the streets, a chamber lies. Small wisps of black, acrid smoke begins leaking up through the floor. It collects on one spot and explodes outwards, leaving a tall figure, robed in black.

[Narrator] He removes his hood, revealing his elven ears, it is the same Shandor that killed Dramicus, but without the reptilian features.

[Narrator] Something moves in the darkness, it mumbles quietly, but the voice is booming, 'One is dead? The emblem filled?'

[Narrator] This Shandor nods proudly, 'I killed one of their group.'

[Narrator] 'What else?' The creature, hidden in the darkness, asks. No answer from Shandor. 'What else!?'

[Narrator] Shandor squeaks, 'They got to him.'

[Narrator] 'WHAT?! You dared to let them reach him? And the information he possesses?!'

[Narrator] 'But, I did… with the emblem…'

[Narrator] 'The emblem is but a small part of my release, it has empowered me, soon I will be free, but you. I should strike you down where you stand, but that would be too good for you. You are being sent to fight against those who oppose me like a common slave.'

[Narrator] 'Wait, no, please!' Before Shandor can do anything, the creature has shrieked something, flames burst up from the floor and engulf Shandor, screeching.

Faelnon looks amongst the trees.

Faelnon turns towards the clearing, a small structure has been build which the group can hide in.

Faelnon says, 'That should be about it.'

Faelnon turns to the group, 'Do we have many traps?'

Varadrion looks at his wound and ways "Its feeling a bit better, I can fight now"

Echnaton nods "quite a lot of them. should slow them down at least."

Faelnon nods, 'Good.'

Varadrion asks “do we have a chance at winning in hand to hand combat?”

Tengu takes off his robes, staying in baggy trousers girded with wide sash. Snake-like tattoos, covering his shoulders are now visible.

Mihwen asks 'now what’s the plan for us non-fighters?'

Faelnon says, 'Get into that hiding place and stay there, if people get wounded, help them.'

Varadrion draws his sword

Tengu says, "I am ready for battle now. Whatever the outcome will be, let's face it."

Varadrion looks up "you said this forest was not always here?"

Faelnon nods, 'Yes, last time I passed this way it was just grassland.'

Varadrion says "Would anyone miss what was not always here? We should just ignite the forest"

Echnaton smirks "with us inside?"

Varadrion says "We are in a clearing"

Faelnon says, 'Varadrion, do I need to point out the flaws of that? If we ignite everything around us, we burn, if we ignite part of it and run, we get killed by whatever they are.'

Kalypse follows Mihwen to the 'non-fighters place'

Varadrion says "Just an idea, didn't say it was perfect"

Faelnon rolls his eyes, 'A tree could tumble over and burn us...'

Echnaton thinks loud "if we can keep the fire low in the beginning, until it is way a bit...

Mihwen shakes her head as she talks with Kalypse.

Mihwen says 'men always fighting'

Kalypse grins

Varadrion pulls out a few black vials from his coat and puts them on the ground "These will not help us then"

Kalypse says 'indeed'

Faelnon says, 'Look around at the dry firewood, we'd be surrounded by flame in no time.'

Varadrion turns the them and says "We do what we need to survive"

Varadrion draws his sword and kneels

Echnaton looks in the woods and agrees "no fire."

Varadrion says "Indeed"

Shandor returns from his second scouting mission, 'I hate to break the bickering going on, but we don't have a lot of time left.'

Shandor points along a vague path, 'They are coming from that way.'

Varadrion says "Finally they're getting close"

Faelnon nods, 'Good, where we had set up the traps.'

Varadrion says "Those of us fighting with swords, where do we go?"

Faelnon says, 'Those who can fire a bow, get up into the trees either side of the path.'

Kalypse looks at people preparing themselves and turns to Mihwen 'Maybe these adventures are just not for me'

Faelnon adds, 'Preferably ones that aren't going to fall over.'

Tengu 's eyes focus on the edge of the clearing.

Echnaton climbs up a tree, gets a good sitting place between some thick braches and hides a good as possible in the dense leafs

Varadrion smiles and says "Just be prepared"

Mihwen nods at Kalypse 'a calm life in a city would be much better'

Varadrion walks into the clearing and watches the path

Shandor climbs up into a tree.

Faelnon says, 'Please, pay attention.' He draws a sword.

Tengu leans against the tree, not being seen from the path.

Varadrion crouches and watches

[Narrator] The troop of creatures march to drum beats through the trees.

Shandor waves his hand to signal the beginning of the attack.

Faelnon gives the signal for the trees to be released.

[Narrator] The trees hurtle through the foliage and smash to the ground. The troop of creatures are pinned down.

Varadrion draws a vial of poison and coats his sword, glowing very faintly

Faelnon ducks down and waits to see if the archers can kill all of the creatures.

Shandor smiles and fires an arrow down onto the helpless creatures. Someone speaks behind him, 'That's not very nice.' As Shandor turns around he comes face to face with himself.

[Narrator] The second Shandor grins and lands his palm into Shandor's chest.

Shandor goes flying from his hiding place and crashes back to where the defensive place is.

Shandor coughs and wheezes as he makes for the defence hold.

[Narrator] The second Shandor appears before Shandor and lifts him up from the ground, 'Sorry, did that hurt?' His teeth becomes a row of fangs and he dives at Shandor.

Echnaton watches the troops and selects the targets carefully

Varadrion turns and looks at Shandor, and then blinks as he sees Shandor again

Shandor ducks out of the way as he is struck by the other Shandor's new, stone-like, tail.

[Narrator] Shandor swings around and brings a claw down onto the 'real' Shandor's back.

Faelnon sees the two Shandor's, luckily, the fake one is easily spotted. He charges the fake Shandor to the ground.

Faelnon begins a struggle with the other Shandor.

Varadrion runs up the path towards the attackers,

Shandor leaps into the air, his intentions were to grab a large branch, swing and crash onto his other self, instead the branch snaps, leaving a particularly sharp end, and Shandor plummets to the ground, releasing the branch which takes off towards Faelnon and the other Shandor

Echnaton rises an eyebrow as he sees the other Shandor and tries to aim in the own defence places

Tengu knocks down a creature that managed to come too close to archer's position and finishes it with a single blow.

Faelnon spots the branch as the other Shandor clamps his claws around Faelnon's neck. Faelnon catches the branch and hits the other Shandor on the head.

Varadrion begins fighting with a small group of attackers, dodging their attacks and waiting for a good time to strike

[Narrator] The other Shandor falls backwards.

Echnaton sees no way to bring in a save shot at the other Shandor and concentrates for the attackers again

Faelnon is distracted by an odd squeal from a dying creature, he is grabbed around the neck again, from behind.

[Narrator] The Other Shandor begins choking Faelnon.

Faelnon takes the branch, and aiming the sharp end, rams it into the other Shandor's stomach.

[Narrator] The other Shandor gasps in pain and begins to fall backwards.

Varadrion dodges a swing of a sword and drives his sword into the creature, then draws two daggers and strikes two more in the throat

Faelnon swings around and stabs the other Shandor in the chest.

Echnaton fires at the attackers, whenever one of them keeps in place for a few moments

[Narrator] The other Shandor slumps to the ground, dead.

Shandor makes his way over to Faelnon, 'Should I be unnerved at how easily you killed someone who looked quite like me?'

Varadrion is still locked in battle with the few remaining attackers

Faelnon turns to Shandor, '"Killing someone's clone is the sincerest form of flattery"...'

Echnaton cant avoid to smile as he hears Shandor’s comment

Shandor cocks an eyebrow, 'I don't think that is the saying...'

Mihwen looks up from the hiding place

Varadrion stabs one in the chest and then dives behind some cover

Tengu thinks a bit then turns a rag around his eyes and says, "This time my eyes wont deceive me."

Shandor engages one of the creatures.

Varadrion jumps out of the brush, grabs his sword, and slices the heads off of two off the creatures

Shandor flips himself over the creature and grabs the creatures head, twisting it until he hears a satisfying 'crack'

Tengu comes to the open attacking the creatures, his eyes are still covered with rag.

Varadrion feels a sharp pain in the back of his leg and falls to the ground

Shandor stands on the ground and dusts himself off.

Echnaton shoots at an attacker that tries to sneak into the camp, pinning his chest to the ground

Shandor notices the blindfolded Tengu, but too late. He is stuck in the face by Tengu's staff.

Varadrion turns and sees a creature ready to deliver the killing blow, but dodges in and drives his foot into the creatures knee, breaking it

Shandor yelps and falls backwards, blood flowing from his mouth and nose.

Varadrion grabs the head of the fallen creature and slits its throat

Faelnon slices into another creature, but hears Shandor yelp.

Faelnon runs over to Shandor, 'Are you okay?'

Tengu smiles satisfied as his staff hit someone, "Another creature of Evil falls!"

Shandor is cringing in pain, 'Do I look it? I think that mental monk broke my nose! I'll slice him in two!'

Faelnon says, 'Sit down, we can poison him later...'

Varadrion yells out "Little help, there are still some left!

Shandor grins, 'We'd better, argh...'

Echnaton notices one of the creature climbing up the tree he is sitting on

Faelnon notices Tengu still proceeding with his violent swinging of his staff and proceeds to swing his leg out, trying to trip up Tengu.

Tengu assumes defensive stance and says, "Beware false 'Shandor', the real one would never want to slice me"

Echnaton tries to shoot at it, but branches are blocking the way

Tengu trips over something invisible to him.

Shandor growls, 'Har! You just hit me in the face! I think anyone would want to kill you. Perhaps people would want to kill you anyway.'

Shandor growls again, 'And if you aren't too busy being an idiotic fool with a blindfold you might have noticed that the other Shandor died...'

Faelnon grabs Tengu's staff and kicks it away.

Mihwen peeks up from her hiding place

Varadrion jumps into the air and drives a dagger into the last creature, and looks into its eyes as he finishes it

Tengu thinks a bit and says, "Perhaps you are right one. Or my hearing deceive me too."

Kalypse follows Mihwen

Varadrion runs back to the group

Echnaton yells "folks!" and points down to the climbing creature

Mihwen looks at the group for wounded people

Varadrion throws a dagger and the creature falls

Faelnon kneels over Shandor, 'I think your nose is broken, you are lucky the bone didn't jut father into your head and kill you.'

Tengu removes at last the rag, gets up and starts looking for his staff.

Echnaton looks at Varadrion, nods to him, and continues with his bloody job

Faelnon turns to Tengu, 'For peat's sake, watch out, you nearly killed one of our group.'

Mihwen nods 'broken.’

Mihwen calls for Kalypse

Tengu looks at the rest of the group with innocent smile.

Kalypse gets closer to Mihwen 'yes?'

Faelnon says, 'Mihwen can you take care of Tengu?'

Mihwen asks 'would you like to put his nose bone in the right position?'

Kalypse grins at Shandor and looks at Mihwen 'oh, can I?'

Shandor yelps, 'No!'

Mihwen looks at Tengu 'and what do you need help with??'

Faelnon quickly says, 'On second thoughts, I'll do it.'

Kalypse shouts 'yes!!'

Mihwen turns around and smiles 'do it Kalypse'

Kalypse says 'How do I do that, Mihwen?'

Faelnon says, 'You keep away from him you cherry-throwing Faelnon-choking manic!'

Faelnon grins.

Tengu states, "I'm rather ok."

Kalypse smiles 'Don't worry, Shandor... I am a fast learner'

Mihwen looks at Kalypse 'looks like we are free to do whatever we want'

Faelnon quickly begins the procedure on Shandor.

Kalypse pokes Faelnon 'hey!'

Varadrion reaches the group and lays down

Faelnon stands up, 'Kalypse! Would you PLEASE step away, or would you rather kill Shandor?!'

Kalypse says 'I have to learn it some time...I think Mihwen is a better teacher than you'

Shandor grins, 'Third time lucky, maybe I'm invincible now.'

Tengu says, "What's done is done, I should not give way to sorrow and concentrate on things yet to come... Where is my staff, by the way?"

Faelnon says, 'This is my friend, I'll heal him.'

Faelnon turns to Tengu, 'I think it broke in two when I kicked it.'

Kalypse shrugs 'Fine, I'll just sit there and do nothing as usual'

Kalypse walks away

Faelnon finishes setting Shandor's nose.

Varadrion says "is that all of them?"

Shandor says, 'Ah, I feel as bad as ever.'

Echnaton concentrates a bit more for the happenings inside the 'camp'

Faelnon grins, 'Same as normal then.'

Faelnon turns to Varadrion, 'Yes, I think so.'

Varadrion sighs and looks at his blood covered clothes

Mihwen walks away with Kalypse

Varadrion looks down and mumbles something in elven

Shandor gets up onto his feet, taking Faelnon's sword, he turns to Tengu, 'Try something so stupid again and I will kill you. I mean, amongst several friends you go *blindly* waving a staff like a manic, I'm not sure you will be of use when we do face the Evil, you'll probably try tying your hands together as you wave about with a sword.'

Faelnon says, 'Calm down Shandor...'

Echnaton slides down from his tree and smirks "if we manage on day to direct all our attacks to the enemy we will be invincible.... Somebody needs a helping hand?"

Tengu says, "It would be hard to get another one, red oak is rare... Okay," - looks at Shandor's nose - "I... did a wrong thing, I suppose. I called you a creature of Evil."

Shandor growls, 'Thanks for reminding me, perhaps I should do the same trick you preformed and see if you are Evil.'

Varadrion sighs "That’s enough, we have more important things to worry about"

Shandor says, 'We do, but until Tengu stops trying to kill us....'

Tengu states, "But I won't give way to hatred. Broken nose means little, if you are not bound to the flesh by lowly feelings."

Shandor shouts, 'Means little?! If that had gone much further I would've died. But if you don't care about that, you can't care about anyone else here, maybe you don't belong here.'

Varadrion says "Kalypse, you want healing practice, you can close this cut on my leg" and exposes a wound on his calf

Kalypse sighs 'No..... Mihwen can do that.. She is better with it. Or maybe you could ask Faelnon'

Mihwen takes Kalypse hand and lead her to Varadrion

Varadrion looks to Kalypse and says "Go for it, its not a bad cut"

Faelnon says, 'It might put a hamper on his plans, but I doubt it.'

Echnaton says to Shandor "how many creatures could you count?" and quickly starts to count the dead bodies around the camp

Mihwen looks at Kalypse and say 'look at that wound'

Kalypse says 'and then what?

Shandor gathers some of his weapons and other equipment.

Tengu thinks and says, "I don't understand you. You were not killed, were you?"

Mihwen say 'do you see how red, almost black it is'

Kalypse nods

Varadrion sighs

Shandor says, 'I nearly was killed, you did that easily enough, I don't think you would even bat an eye to killing us.'

Varadrion looks to Shandor

Mihwen says 'it's infected, due to his laziness to keep it clean'

Kalypse says 'hmm, that doesn’t sound good'

Varadrion looks at Mihwen and says "Its fine"

Mihwen looks at Varadrion 'no it isn’t'

Mihwen says 'but it will be clean when Kalypse is done with it'

Tengu says, "I had no intention on killing you. The fate plays strange things, but we can change little of the future and none of the past, it's not wise to regret what is done."

Kalypse smiles

Shandor says, 'Just don't try something as stupid as to blindfold yourself in the middle of battle again, or I'll not regret taking you out of battle, permanently.'

Varadrion looks at Kalypse "Alright, I trust you'll clean it to her liking"

Varadrion speaks up "Would you two just drop it, please, you're giving me a headache"

Faelnon grins at Varadrion, 'Perhaps that is your infection for not keeping the wound clean.'

Kalypse starts cleaning up Vara's wound

Tengu says, "I see you have some sort of disharmony in your soul, let me share a bit of wisdom with you..."

Echnaton philosophises "seems, it does not matter that you kill, only whom you kill."

Shandor says, 'Don't bother Tengu, I'm not interested in hearing your nonsense. You prattle of stories that have no relevance to what we were doing.'

Varadrion looks at Tengu and says "What part of drop it don't you two get"

Kalypse turns to Varadrion 'If you keep moving like that I'm gonna hurt you when there is no need to'

Tengu says to Echnaton, "Not exactly. It matters what you, the one that killed and others felt about it."

Varadrion says "like the knife incident earlier?"

Kalypse asks surprised 'knife incident?'

Varadrion says "Don't worry about it" and smiles

Mihwen smiles

Kalypse says 'Huh?! Oh please tell me'

Faelnon says, 'I'm going to find the horses, I will return shortly.'

Echnaton now without any smile in his face, replies to Tengu "I never had problems with killing. But I also never liked it."

Faelnon runs out of the clearing.

Mihwen tells Kalypse what happened

Varadrion nods in agreement and turns to Echnaton "Indeed... it has been my purpose for years, but no-one with a good heart likes it"

Varadrion sighs

Kalypse finishes cleaning up Varadrion's wound and covers it with a piece of cloth to prevent it from getting worse

Varadrion says "Fate is what we create for ourselves"

Mihwen says 'good work Kalypse, you looked like a professional'

Kalypse smiles weakly

Varadrion looks at the wound and smiles at Kalypse "Thank you"

Kalypse mutters 'Perhaps one day those two 'heroes' will let me do something too'

Varadrion says "You just did"

Mihwen smile at Kalypse

Kalypse sighs deeply

Varadrion runs his fingers over the wound, and nods approvingly

Faelnon returns, leading a steady stream of horses into the clearing.

Varadrion walks back and forth slowly

Faelnon says, 'I come baring horses, claim your own.'

Faelnon finds his horse amongst the others.

Varadrion walks up to his horse and pats it on the back

Echnaton checks his 'charmer' for injuries, then starts to groom him as he finds him to be fine

Faelnon says, 'Sadly we do not have time to camp here today, we must continue to Tildruin, hop on your horses and lets get going.'

Varadrion finds his daggers among the bodies and then jumps onto his horse

Echnaton agrees "lets get out here, before these creatures come again"

Shandor sighs and climbs onto his horse.

Varadrion says "good plan"

Echnaton smirks "rabbit-tactics"

Faelnon canters forwards on his horse.

Shandor follows

Varadrion follows

Tengu looks for his mare, then founds it, looks jealously at Echnaton's "Charmer", and mounts his still nameless horse.

Mihwen follows

Echnaton takes up again the old game with the branches

Shandor notices the jealously burning in Tengu's eyes and chuckles, thinking to himself, 'He can dispense the 'wisdom' all the time about how to act and think, and yet is jealous. Of a horse no less.'

Faelnon begins riding forward, only to discover the forest comes to an end barely a hundred metres ahead.

Faelnon rides and gets outside the forest, 'Impossible...'

Mihwen looks around 'this is weird'

Varadrion looks at the clear space around them

Faelnon says, 'Okay, lets get going to Tildruin.'

Faelnon whistles to his horse, who takes off into a gallop.

Varadrion follows as fast as he can

Mihwen tries to keep Faelnon's speed.