3

2

1
Having stood before the mirror and prepared himself mentally, Kenji felt at peace as he lifted his head to gaze into the white mirror before him. He didn’t feel any fear, it was beyond him, only a slight sense of anticipation at what was to happen. His hands rested naturally at his side as his eyes came up and focused on the mirror. The smell of flowers still filled his nostrils and the soothing warm filled him, he wondered if he were about to die. Maybe he was going to be with his family now, if so he was ready, he only wished that he had completed this quest if that was his destination.

(OOC: GO COLTS!!! Sorry I had to say it! )

As Cynil approached Maggot and spoke to him. Maggot stood dumb founded for a moment, never had anyone approached him openly for any other reason but to shoo him away, try to kill him, or ask for a story or poem. He just looked at her and as she turned, “Thank you,” he said as if some one had tapped him on the shoulder or whispered in his ear, ‘Well, say thank you.’

Maggot was almost dressed and geared up when he heard The Lady Rayne inform all she was going to call upon the Gods for their Blessings. Maggot turned to face the Lady Rayne and took a knee. Such was the old ways of his past. Kenji, One From a Far Land also turned and agreed to the blessings of the Gods. All prepared in their own way.

The Mirror
Holding his staff in his left hand and his sword hilt at the read, Maggot heard, ‘3… 2… 1….’

Maggot looked deep into the mirror; his gaze seemed to go on forever. As if he were looking into a night sky without stars. A night sky without moon. A night sky without hope. His gaze fell deeper into the darkness and soon that darkness turned to a black beyond black. A feeling he once felt before long ago came to him again. Only this time it was ten-fold and came with the stench of death. He searched for the icy cold hand of death. He longed to see the finger of death pointing at him. Words slipped from his lips as his gaze went deeper and deeper into the nothing that was the mirror, “Death you have escaped me one to many times. I am tired of being alive among the living and the wounded.” His whispers fell silent as vile filled the back of his throat but his travels of the past made this scent sufferable and Maggot managed to keep his last meal inside him.

In a child like voice Maggot whispers, "Marko."

The enchantress watched as the four moved to stand in front of the mirrors. Her breath slowed to near stillness, whatever was fated to be would soon come to pass. Was it the Lady's will that they make it through? Die? Only the Queen of Heaven knew.

Siréne stilled herself for the trial that she knew would soon come to pass. The magicks of the unseen world flowed through her waiting to released. So there she stood, silent and waiting.

Cynil had voluynteered to look into the black mirror, but it seemed Cor had decided to choose Maggot for that duty.

For Rayne the experience was the smell of salt filled air as if from standing along a beach with the waves just starting to come in. A calm feeling of happiness and joy, the worries of a life filled with duty and fighting no longer necessary.

The very calmness and seeming serenity of this experience so contrary to the dangerous tests they had encountered thus far put Rayne on edge. Sgw wikd have to be strong and alert for dangers

Cor counted down

3,

Rayne prayed Corellon "Guide me"

2,

"Aid us all"

1,

Rayne gazed into the blue mirror..........

The parties four volunteers followed Cor’s countdown faithfully and all were at the ready.
3
2
1
At the call of 1 their eyes turned to look into the glass before them and each saw..............

The rest of the party watched as Cor, Maggot, Kenji, and Rayne all looked into the mirror before them at the same time and to the party it seemed as if nothing had happened. However upon closer look by Althena the rest could see that each of their eyes had all gone fully white with no iris visible. Also each of the four did no longer respond when talked to, yelled at, or even poked, as if they had fallen into a deep standing trance.

“Do not move them for doing so could be dangerous”

Alasdair spoke up quickly as Althena had been about to do just that to Cor. Her hands in a flash back to her sides she moved to once again stand at Alasdair’s side.

What they were seeing for the moment a mystery to the rest of the party all that they could do was wait. As each of the 7 non-lookers made themselves as comfortable as possible it was Ulthok, standing in the corner closet to where the entrance door had once been, that was the first to notice the amber light in the room slowly then faster begin to deepen, becoming almost blood red in a few heartbeats.

Then movement to the left... Movement from the right.... Movement above.... Yet nothing visible for long. Each member of the party could feel a number of breezes upon them as if something had passed by but when looked for there was nothing.

Then Conall gave a startled cry of pain at his exposed neck and as his hand moved quickly there he brushed something solid and for a brief moment all caught sight of a small creature.

The creature perhaps only 2 foot long appeared as through it was spirit or perhaps a ghost of some type of deformed bird with dragon style wings of gray and a short serpentine tail of yellow and green and then it was gone, as if it had not been.

Then a cry from Althena and the sighting of yet another ghostly deformed bird, its beak dripping blood from the hit upon the ladies arm. Then it like the first was gone.......

(DM OOC: Ok combat once more and it’s the parties turn to act as the creatures had first strike this round.
Please let me know what your doing to combat them.
As for our 4 volunteers I am handling things with them through PM’s so please refrain from asking them about it in or out of character. Ok next post next Sunday.
DM EDIT: Almost forgot both Conall and Althena successfully saved vs Petrifacation.)
GO SAINTS!! Had to say that to YeOlde ............

Conall stood shocked as the events passed by him so quickly, unable for him to respond... Kenji's apathy, Cor's fighting, Maggot's near departure... It all seemed to swirl around Conall like a whirlpool, and he was unable to pick one thought from the other, and so stood motionless, and stone-faced.

The next thing he noticed, his allies were standing up before the mirrors.

3...2...1...
"No Cor, let me!"

But it was too late. His friends and allies which stood before him now looked into the mirrors. He should be standing there, should be facing the evil which lied within the mirrors.

The Amber light, began to glow a blood red, surely meaning that there was an internal conflict going on between those looking in the mirror and their inner selfs... he hoped they were all alright.

"OW!"

Suddenly something pricked his exposed neck, and drew blood. Pulling his hand up to feel it, he brushed against something, which alerted him to the fact that they were not alone in the room, and that he needed to wake up. He may not be facing the evil in the mirrors, but he could sure face the evil outside to give them the chance to survive.

Drawing his sword, Conall put out his gaze of evil detection, trying to find the source of one of the offenders.

"Friends, we must rally and defeat these foes and protect our friends who cannot do so themselves now. To arms!"

Siréne's eyes narrowed at the sight of each of the avian specters. They were under attack from a foe that they could not see. She studied the air in front of her seeking some sign of the strange bird creatures - she found none.

The enchantress sighed wishing she had prepared more divination magicks. It mattered little now. Siréne took another breath and readied herself, it was time to even the playing field.

Drawing on the power of the unseen world the elf spoke a word of power and disappeared from view. There hidden by magicks Siréne readied another spell and waited for their foes to reveal themselves once again.

((OOC: Cast Improved Invisibility))

"Curses!" Halia muttered under her breath as she watched the four staring into the mirrors go still and their eyes gloss over. The light in the room had changed and suddenly something, something that at first remained unseen, was with them. It was something violent.

Quickly the spell she had had waiting at the tip of her tongue was cast even as she began to ready the next. Her sword, already clenched tightly in her fist, was raised into the air. Tense she surveyed the area. Eyes watching for the slightest bit of moment that did not belong to her companions. Anything she caught sight of she would lunge at with her sword.

((OOC: Casted Globe of Invulnerablity))

With 4 party members yet caught in the mirrors glass the rest of the party faced a number of seemingly ghostly non-corporal foes.
Some were slow to act, yet others did not hesitate.

For Sirène it took her only moments to cast the spell of Improved Invisibility and just like that, she was for the moment, gone from sight of both friend and foe. Her next actions her own would be unseen by all, and invisible she quietly watched as the rest defended themselves, and prepared her next action

Conall waking as if from a dream quickly called the rest to arms. With his ability to Detect Evil he hoped to locate one of the creatures by their alignment, but he was unsuccessful, finding no trace of them at all. A miss by two of the creatures to hit him and no time to retaliate he stood, shield raised in defense.

Alasdair having been bitten by one of the creatures was ready for the next and though he did block its attack was unable to return the favor as it vanished once more from sight.
However for but a moment before it went invisible once more he had gotten a good look at it and did now know what all they faced.

“We face Cockatrices somehow brought back from death as ghosts, beware their bite or touch.”

Alas the paladin was too late for one of his companions, as with a quick bite and failure of a save, Cynil was turned to stone.................

The next to act this turn was Haila who quickly cast the spell Globe of Invulnerability, only to find it had no effect as she was bitten by one of the ghost Cockatrices. Her save vs. petrifaction made a small trickle of blood flowed down her still flesh arm.

For the rest of the party luck did favor them as though Ulthok and Althena were bitten neither of them were turned to stone. With this round over and the 4 gazers yet locked within the mirrors grasp all the 7, now 6, members could do was try to defend from being turned to stone by creatures only half seen...............


(DM OOC: OK next post next Sunday. For those that did not post this week I offer you this .

GULP

"We face cockatrices somehow brought back from death as ghosts, beware their bite or touch."

Alasdair's warning rang out through the chamber. Wrapped in invisibility Siréne narrowed her eyes. Her power to manipulate the mind would do little good in this battle, she would have to find other ways.

To her side Cynil's form shifted and hardened, becoming stone. The enchantress lowered her head for a moment in honor of her lost companion. Here they all stood blind as the spectral birds picked them off one by one. Somehow she knew all their fates were held by the four gazers, she needed to by them time.

With a flurry of gestures and arcane incantation Siréne cast her spell hoping against all odds to be able to break the cockatrices invisibility.

((OOC: Casts Dispel Magic, targeting the space in front of the party.))

Conall's heart broke as he watched his beautiful Cynil turned to stone. He could not believe it, and stood awestruck. He could not believe the misfortune... the two of them were going to break out of this hell hole and live together for as long as he lived...

But now that was shattered. Unimaginable sadness coursed through him, but even as he fought the tears in his eyes, he ran to her side, defending her statue from anything that would attempt to harm it. These cockatrices may be ghosts, and they may make people turn to stone... But Conall would not let them separate him from his lovely Cynil. He readied his blade for anything that entered his field of vision within striking distance. He resolved to make these creatures like his heart... torn in two.

Curses were muttered under her breath, one after the other as she realized just how much trouble they were in. She did not even pause to examine the wound she took and barely even felt the warmth of the blood as it moved down her arm. Instead she narrowed her eyes, cast another spell and dissapeared from sight. So many of the spells she had would simply not work, they either spread out too large and would hurt her companions or they did nothing against spectors like these.

Her eyes turned to those standing before the mirrors, hoping that perhaps they were being more successful with their battles and that soon they might free them all from this.

((OOC: Casted Greater Invisbility as well))

4 party members gazing at glass and 1 a statue of stone, things for this intrepid band of adventures did not look good. But oh how things quickly can change, going from bad to good, or bad to worse.

With Cynil a statue and Cor, Rayne, Maggot and Kenji still gazing into the 4 mirrors things for the rest did not look good, but in a matter of seconds did things change.

At almost the same time both Cor and Maggot were released by their mirrors, though each in much different ways.

For Maggot his release was quite violent as the once black mirror exploded, sending shards of glass everywhere and at everyone. No longer caught in the mirrors magic the once Ranger/Bard fell to the ground unconscious, bleeding from many wounds, seemingly dying, but not yet dead.

For Cor it was much more calm as the Knight Cleric regained his senses and was not harmed in any way. Whatever he had faced in his mirror, clearly once again he had won, as the parties leader he was again.
With combat still ongoing having the party leader back could only help.

As for the combat in question it yet continued as Sirène was the first of the party to act this round.
With the ghost Cockatrices appearing and disappearing at will something had to be done quickly to give the party some hope of being able to fight the. The words of a spell to her mouth spoken and Detect Magic she cast…Only to see nothing had changed, the Cockatrices still appearing and disappearing as before.

Conall, eyes filled with tears as he gazed upon his lover now a statue of stone was all but devastated by her loss. However devastation quickly turned to resolve and a need for vengeance, and it was this that perhaps gave to him the first return strike of the party. As one of the flying creatures appeared he was ready, with a swing of his shield he hit, stunning the cockatrice long enough to cut it in half with his sword. The ghostly halves bursting into shards of light and then disappearing as if never there.

Haila seeing the result of a successful hit upon Cynil knew the group was in trouble, big trouble. With the failure of her first spell, she quickly choose another and before anyone could blink she like Sirène before her was Invisible. Her next move yet to be preformed she nonetheless was ready to try.

For the rest of the non-mirror gazing party members it was a series of attack and defend as both the Cockatrices and party members missed the other, both sides this round at a stalemate
With Kenji and Rayne still caught within their mirrors glass, Maggot out cold and the return of Cor, the next round of combat could be very interesting indeed.

(DM OOC: OK sorry for my absence but due to some RL medical issues I was unable to post till now.
Ok everyone took 14 points of damage from the flying pieces of glass from Maggots mirror. I’m not sure when the next post by me will be but I’m shooting for Sunday March 7th.)